~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to
Do you have to let it linger?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prue slipped in through the back door at seven the next morning. Phoebe was sitting at the kitchen table, and she looked up when her sister came in.
"Are you just getting home now?" she asked.
Prue nodded, and headed straight for the coffee pot. "Sorry, I guess we lost track of time."
"I'll bet," Phoebe murmured.
Piper, who was just entering the kitchen with Aviva cradled in her arms, heard part of this exchange. "Well, Prue, I guess I don't have to ask how your date went last night."
Prue set her coffee down on the table, and took the baby from Piper. "We were up all night talking - Just talking," she added at her sisters' skeptical looks. "It was... amazing. We talked about everything - our pasts, our goals, our dreams. By the time I even glanced at the clock, it was already light outside, otherwise I would have called. You weren't worried, were you?"
"No, although we were a bit curious," Piper replied. "We knew it wasn't like you to sleep with a guy on a first date."
"You're right, it's not," Prue assured her. "We barely even kissed."
"So did he calm your fear single-parent dating?" Phoebe asked.
Prue nodded, and kissed Aviva's hand as the baby reached up toward her mother's face.
"Good," Piper said, putting an arm around Prue's shoulders. "Now that you've resurrected your love life, I have to go tend to mine." She kissed Aviva good-bye, and grabbed her purse off the counter.
"Where are you going this early in the morning?" Phoebe asked.
"Leo's apartment," she replied. "I promised I'd come over and cook him breakfast."
Prue and Phoebe exchanged glances. They hadn't seen Leo much lately, so this appeared to come out of nowhere.
"Honey, have you two been having problems lately?" Prue asked. "Because he hasn't been around here that much, so Phoebe and I thought-"
"Thought we were in a fight?" Piper finished. Prue nodded. "No," Piper sighed, "We haven't been fighting. It's just... between his schedule and my schedule, we haven't had any time for each other. Which is why I have to leave now." She gave a departing wave to her sisters and niece, then rushed out the back door.
-x-
Leo opened the door, and a smile instantly came to his face. Piper was standing in the hallway, looking just as happy to see him. They stood, content to just at each other for a moment or two.
"Hi," Piper said quietly, after it seemed like an eternity had passed.
"Hi," he replied. A second went by before he snapped himself out of his daze. "Oh, um, come on in."
She led him into the kitchen. "So, what do you want to eat, sweetheart? I hope you've got food here, because I didn't bring anything."
"I think I've got some pancake mix around there somewhere..." he replied uncertainly.
She retrieved it from the cabinet immediately. He smiled, thinking how funny it was that she knew her way around his kitchen better than he did. She didn't notice, as she was too busy looking through his refrigerator. "Do you want strawberries or blueberries in your pancakes?" she asked, pawing through the fruit drawer.
"Surprise me," he replied. He didn't care what she made, he just loved watching her cook. Even though she wasn't a chef anymore, she still looked as though she belonged in the kitchen.
A while later, she'd assembled all the ingredients, mixed the batter, and was now standing in front of the stove. He put his arms around her, saying, "I love seeing you this way."
She laughed. "What way? You mean in jeans and a sweater, with my hair all messy?"
"It's not messy," he argued, playing with her loose ponytail. "And yes."
She turned around and gave him a quick kiss. The pan sizzled, and she turned back to it. "They're almost ready. Why don't you start getting out the syrup and orange juice and stuff?"
He went over to the refrigerator and did as told. After a few minutes, they were sitting across from each other at the kitchen table, eating. Neither of them said anything, but it was a comfortable silence. It felt natural. Piper looked up at one point, staring at him, and the thought occured to her that this just had to be right. She didn't even have to ask if he was thinking the same thing. She could tell just by glancing at him that he was. She looked down, and started playing with her fork, wishing that this morning could last forever.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: I know I haven't done nearly enough P/L lately, but don't worry, that's going to change in the near future. Also, I'll try putting in more Paige, and Phoebe, since you all want me to so much. *g*
~from the song "Linger" by the Cranberries~
But I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to
Do you have to let it linger?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prue slipped in through the back door at seven the next morning. Phoebe was sitting at the kitchen table, and she looked up when her sister came in.
"Are you just getting home now?" she asked.
Prue nodded, and headed straight for the coffee pot. "Sorry, I guess we lost track of time."
"I'll bet," Phoebe murmured.
Piper, who was just entering the kitchen with Aviva cradled in her arms, heard part of this exchange. "Well, Prue, I guess I don't have to ask how your date went last night."
Prue set her coffee down on the table, and took the baby from Piper. "We were up all night talking - Just talking," she added at her sisters' skeptical looks. "It was... amazing. We talked about everything - our pasts, our goals, our dreams. By the time I even glanced at the clock, it was already light outside, otherwise I would have called. You weren't worried, were you?"
"No, although we were a bit curious," Piper replied. "We knew it wasn't like you to sleep with a guy on a first date."
"You're right, it's not," Prue assured her. "We barely even kissed."
"So did he calm your fear single-parent dating?" Phoebe asked.
Prue nodded, and kissed Aviva's hand as the baby reached up toward her mother's face.
"Good," Piper said, putting an arm around Prue's shoulders. "Now that you've resurrected your love life, I have to go tend to mine." She kissed Aviva good-bye, and grabbed her purse off the counter.
"Where are you going this early in the morning?" Phoebe asked.
"Leo's apartment," she replied. "I promised I'd come over and cook him breakfast."
Prue and Phoebe exchanged glances. They hadn't seen Leo much lately, so this appeared to come out of nowhere.
"Honey, have you two been having problems lately?" Prue asked. "Because he hasn't been around here that much, so Phoebe and I thought-"
"Thought we were in a fight?" Piper finished. Prue nodded. "No," Piper sighed, "We haven't been fighting. It's just... between his schedule and my schedule, we haven't had any time for each other. Which is why I have to leave now." She gave a departing wave to her sisters and niece, then rushed out the back door.
-x-
Leo opened the door, and a smile instantly came to his face. Piper was standing in the hallway, looking just as happy to see him. They stood, content to just at each other for a moment or two.
"Hi," Piper said quietly, after it seemed like an eternity had passed.
"Hi," he replied. A second went by before he snapped himself out of his daze. "Oh, um, come on in."
She led him into the kitchen. "So, what do you want to eat, sweetheart? I hope you've got food here, because I didn't bring anything."
"I think I've got some pancake mix around there somewhere..." he replied uncertainly.
She retrieved it from the cabinet immediately. He smiled, thinking how funny it was that she knew her way around his kitchen better than he did. She didn't notice, as she was too busy looking through his refrigerator. "Do you want strawberries or blueberries in your pancakes?" she asked, pawing through the fruit drawer.
"Surprise me," he replied. He didn't care what she made, he just loved watching her cook. Even though she wasn't a chef anymore, she still looked as though she belonged in the kitchen.
A while later, she'd assembled all the ingredients, mixed the batter, and was now standing in front of the stove. He put his arms around her, saying, "I love seeing you this way."
She laughed. "What way? You mean in jeans and a sweater, with my hair all messy?"
"It's not messy," he argued, playing with her loose ponytail. "And yes."
She turned around and gave him a quick kiss. The pan sizzled, and she turned back to it. "They're almost ready. Why don't you start getting out the syrup and orange juice and stuff?"
He went over to the refrigerator and did as told. After a few minutes, they were sitting across from each other at the kitchen table, eating. Neither of them said anything, but it was a comfortable silence. It felt natural. Piper looked up at one point, staring at him, and the thought occured to her that this just had to be right. She didn't even have to ask if he was thinking the same thing. She could tell just by glancing at him that he was. She looked down, and started playing with her fork, wishing that this morning could last forever.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: I know I haven't done nearly enough P/L lately, but don't worry, that's going to change in the near future. Also, I'll try putting in more Paige, and Phoebe, since you all want me to so much. *g*
~from the song "Linger" by the Cranberries~