~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It just takes some time, little girl
You're in the middle of the ride
Everything, everything will be just fine
Everything, everything will be allright
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper pulled into the driveway, after spending the afternoon just driving around. Deep in thought, she barely noticed Dan waving to her.
"Hey, Piper!" he called.
She turned, smiling when she saw him. He'd been working on the outside of his house a bit, and he'd taken off his shirt, so that he was wearing only jeans and a toolbelt. She had to admit, he looked damn good.
"Hi." she called back, taking a seat beside him on his porch. "What's up?"
"What do you think?" he asked, gesturing to the handrail he'd just finished repairing and painting.
Piper nodded her approval. "It looks good. Just like it was done by a professional."
"Well, it was." Dan said. "I forgot to mention, I'm a construction worker."
"A construction worker." Piper repeated.
"A construction worker." he confirmed.
"And do you get to wear those funky yellow hats?" she asked flirtatiously.
He reached behind her, pulled a hardhat out of his toolbox, and placed it on her head. "You mean this thing here?"
Piper nodded, giggling. "Yes, this thing."
"Well, it just so happens that I do get to wear them." he answered.
"I can see that." she replied.
He flashed her a shy, adoring grin that instantly made her melt. "You know what's good about construction workers?"
"What?" she asked, smiling back. He was obviously flirting with her, and she was obviously pleased.
"We like to work with our hands." With this, he reached over and started tickling her. Piper laughed, and struck back, moving closer and closer together until they were touching. Then, Dan leaned in and did something she hadn't expected. He kissed her.
She kissed him back, timidly at first. She felt a slight pang, as if she were betraying Leo even though they were no longer together, but despite this, she enjoyed the kiss. She knew she felt something for Dan, and she thought she owed it to herself and to him to explore these feelings. And so, she kissed him back, deeper this time. When they pulled away, they were both surprised.
"Wow. I'm so sorry-" Dan stammered.
"Don't be, please, don't be." Piper insisted. "It was... that was good."
"Yeah." he said. "It was." He paused. Then, "Can we do it again sometime?"
Piper nodded. "I'd like that."
"Good." he replied. "So would I."
There was a short pause. "Well, um, I'd better let you get back to work. The porch looks great, by the way." she said nervously, getting up.
"Can I call you later?" he called as she walked across the lawn.
"You'd better." she yelled back from her own yard. She lingured on her porch a minute, watching him, and then disappeared inside her house.
She found Phoebe on the living room couch, and sat down next to her.
"Hey, honey." Phoebe greeted. "Where were you?"
Piper shrugged. "Just... around. Actually, I was right outside. Next door. With Dan."
Phoebe sat up. "Dan? Dan, the hottie new neighbor Dan?"
"Yes, if that's what you want to call him." Piper replied.
"Well, what were you guys doing?" Phoebe asked.
"Oh, you know, the usual..." Piper answered evasively. "Talking... joking... kissing..."
Phoebe's eyes grew wide. "Kissing? You kissed him?"
"Well, technically, he kissed me. I just... kissed him back. A little. Okay, a lot. But it was good."
Phoebe squealed. "Oh, honey this is so great. First I run into this incredibly nice guy at school who asks me out, then you hook up with Dan... Now, we just need to get Prue laid."
"I heard that!" snapped the oldest sister from the kitchen, where she was working.
Piper and Phoebe exchanged glances, then burst out laughing. "You're so right," Piper whispered to Phoebe. "We really do need to work on her..."
****************
A/N: As you can probably guess from that ending, I'm planning on coming up with a new man for Prue. A couple of new men, actually. No, not at the same time. Shut up.
~from the song "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World"~
It just takes some time, little girl
You're in the middle of the ride
Everything, everything will be just fine
Everything, everything will be allright
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper pulled into the driveway, after spending the afternoon just driving around. Deep in thought, she barely noticed Dan waving to her.
"Hey, Piper!" he called.
She turned, smiling when she saw him. He'd been working on the outside of his house a bit, and he'd taken off his shirt, so that he was wearing only jeans and a toolbelt. She had to admit, he looked damn good.
"Hi." she called back, taking a seat beside him on his porch. "What's up?"
"What do you think?" he asked, gesturing to the handrail he'd just finished repairing and painting.
Piper nodded her approval. "It looks good. Just like it was done by a professional."
"Well, it was." Dan said. "I forgot to mention, I'm a construction worker."
"A construction worker." Piper repeated.
"A construction worker." he confirmed.
"And do you get to wear those funky yellow hats?" she asked flirtatiously.
He reached behind her, pulled a hardhat out of his toolbox, and placed it on her head. "You mean this thing here?"
Piper nodded, giggling. "Yes, this thing."
"Well, it just so happens that I do get to wear them." he answered.
"I can see that." she replied.
He flashed her a shy, adoring grin that instantly made her melt. "You know what's good about construction workers?"
"What?" she asked, smiling back. He was obviously flirting with her, and she was obviously pleased.
"We like to work with our hands." With this, he reached over and started tickling her. Piper laughed, and struck back, moving closer and closer together until they were touching. Then, Dan leaned in and did something she hadn't expected. He kissed her.
She kissed him back, timidly at first. She felt a slight pang, as if she were betraying Leo even though they were no longer together, but despite this, she enjoyed the kiss. She knew she felt something for Dan, and she thought she owed it to herself and to him to explore these feelings. And so, she kissed him back, deeper this time. When they pulled away, they were both surprised.
"Wow. I'm so sorry-" Dan stammered.
"Don't be, please, don't be." Piper insisted. "It was... that was good."
"Yeah." he said. "It was." He paused. Then, "Can we do it again sometime?"
Piper nodded. "I'd like that."
"Good." he replied. "So would I."
There was a short pause. "Well, um, I'd better let you get back to work. The porch looks great, by the way." she said nervously, getting up.
"Can I call you later?" he called as she walked across the lawn.
"You'd better." she yelled back from her own yard. She lingured on her porch a minute, watching him, and then disappeared inside her house.
She found Phoebe on the living room couch, and sat down next to her.
"Hey, honey." Phoebe greeted. "Where were you?"
Piper shrugged. "Just... around. Actually, I was right outside. Next door. With Dan."
Phoebe sat up. "Dan? Dan, the hottie new neighbor Dan?"
"Yes, if that's what you want to call him." Piper replied.
"Well, what were you guys doing?" Phoebe asked.
"Oh, you know, the usual..." Piper answered evasively. "Talking... joking... kissing..."
Phoebe's eyes grew wide. "Kissing? You kissed him?"
"Well, technically, he kissed me. I just... kissed him back. A little. Okay, a lot. But it was good."
Phoebe squealed. "Oh, honey this is so great. First I run into this incredibly nice guy at school who asks me out, then you hook up with Dan... Now, we just need to get Prue laid."
"I heard that!" snapped the oldest sister from the kitchen, where she was working.
Piper and Phoebe exchanged glances, then burst out laughing. "You're so right," Piper whispered to Phoebe. "We really do need to work on her..."
****************
A/N: As you can probably guess from that ending, I'm planning on coming up with a new man for Prue. A couple of new men, actually. No, not at the same time. Shut up.
~from the song "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World"~