Author's note: Haha, sorry it took so long but a slow burn was necessary in this story.

(In my next story they will realize their mutual attraction immadiately and it's filled with sexual tension straight from the start ;) But nothing more about that.)

And someone said that looks like Larry turned Piper gay and honestly that made my day :D Thanks for making me laugh!

Enjoy!

"Where is my mom?" Alex asked as she stepped into the shop and saw only Piper there.

Piper looked around. "I'm not sure, probably in the backroom."

Alex walked smiling in front of Piper. "Then I can do this", she said before gently kissed her.

Piper sighed happily. She would never get tired of that. "Are you afraid that Diane finds out?"

Alex laughed as she rested her forehead on Piper's. "God no. I'm going to tell her soon anyways. But I wouldn't want her to accuse me of disturbing her employee", she smirked.

"Please. I'm reading half of the time I'm here", Piper huffed before wrapped her arms around Alex's neck. "Do you need to go to work today?"

"Unfortunately. But tomorrow I get off at 1 p.m.", Alex said with raised eyebrows.

"Good. I'm taking you somewhere tomorrow", Piper said. "I mean you'll drive, but yeah."

Alex chuckled. "Is it a date?"

"What's that?"

Alex stared at Piper unbelievingly.

"Just kidding. I'm not that ignorant", Piper laughed. "But I guess you could think it as a date. I hope you don't have an early wake up day after that. It's going to be late before you get home."

Alex raised her eyebrows curiously. "I have a day off."

"Perfect", Piper smiled widely before kissed Alex. Their lips moved in sync before something or rather someone interrupted them.

"Thank god, finally!"

Piper and Alex jumped apart and looked at grinning Diane.

Piper blushed slightly and Alex just grinned back at her mother.

"See you tomorrow, then", Piper said to Alex before disappeared between shelves. She didn't really want to talk about this with Diane. Alex could take care of that.

"Young lady, why didn't I know anything about this?" Diane chastised jokingly.

"Can we speak at home? I need to go to work soon."

Diane groaned. "Fine. You better have some good story."

"Don't give Piper hard time about this", Alex warned with a quiet voice.

"Yeah, yeah. See you at home", Diane grinned.

When Alex had gone, Diane couldn't help herself and searched Piper.

"Are you two like a couple now?" Diane asked.

"I don't know. I don't think so?" Piper said unsure, they hadn't really talked about it.

"You don't know? Your communication sucks", Diane laughed.

Piper blushed. "It's not about that! We just... haven't really gotten there yet."

"Ahh", Diane nodded in understanding. "I get it, you've been too busy exploring other's mouths."

Piper's eyes widened as she stared at Diane mouth agape. "I don't- No... We- It's not-"

"Piper relax", Diane laughed. "I'm just happy for you guys."

"It might not work out."

"You need to stop that! Don't be so negative", Diane said.

"A pessimist will not be disappointment", Piper mumbled.

"Okay", Diane nodded sighing and Piper knew that now there was going to come a rant.

"Your life might not be the easiest one but it shouldn't make you think that anything good won't happen to you. You need to believe in yourself, believe that you can be happy. You must do what you think you cannot do."

"You just quoted Eleanor Roosevelt to me and didn't even notice it", Piper chuckled.

Diane groaned. "Of course that's the thing you picked out."

"Look, I'll try to stop but it has become kind of life habit."

"Grow out of it", Diane smiled before left Piper alone with her thoughts.

"So, where are we going?" Alex asked Piper next day.

They were at Piper's apartment and Piper had just came out of the shower and changed her clothes. "Nowhere yet."

"What?"

"We need to wait for the dark", Piper smiled mysterically.

"What for?" Alex asked confused.

"Do you trust me?" Piper asked as she took Alex's hands on her owns.

Alex looked at Piper's eyes before finally whispered: "Yeah. I do."

Something swelled in Piper's chest and she pulled Alex to her bed.

"We've got about an hour before the dark", Piper said as they laid down.

"Are you suggesting something specific?" Alex asked, her thoughts instantly moving to sex. She wasn't sure if that was that good idea so soon.

"Yeah", Piper whispered smirking before turned over to lay on top of Alex.

"Oh yeah? What?"

Piper pecked Alex lips quickly before wrapped her arms around Alex and snuggled her. "We're going to cuddle."

Alex laughed, half relieved and half diappointment. "You're just one big softie."

"Don't tell anyone. It'll ruin my reputation."

"Our secret", Alex whispered smiling before started to play with Piper's hair.

They laid there comfortably and talked about some random things like their favorite things, literature and Alex told Piper more about her dream to become a teacher.

When almost an hour had passed, Piper got up. "It's dark soon, we should go."

"Still not telling what we are doing?"

Piper laughed and shook her head. "Nope. It's a surprise."

Suddenly her smile vanished as she remembered the last time something was meant to be a surprise. Her birthday trip.

"What's wrong?" Alex sat up as she saw the change in Piper's mood.

Piper took a deep breath. Don't let your past to determine your present, Piper reminded herself. "Nothing. I just don't have really good memories about surprises."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Piper smiled weakly. "We were going to my birthday trip. It was supposed to be a surprise but Cal revealed that we're going to Washington D.C. And well, we never got there."

Alex came to hug Piper. "Is that why you don't like your birthday?"

Piper nodded. "Yeah."

Alex kissed Piper. "It wasn't your fault."

"But if I hadn't-"

"Shhh", Alex whispered as she put her finger on Piper's lips. "It was not your fault."

Piper stared at Alex. "We should go", she said before went to grab a blanket.

"What do we need with us?" Alex asked.

"Nothing much. Just this blanket", Piper smiled.

Alex was amazed how quickly Piper's mood changed again, but maybe that was a good thing. "We're going at some kind of night picnic?"

"Stop asking questions", Piper chuckled. "But it's not a picnic."

Soon they were in Alex's car and Piper guided them to the Bantam lake whither was about ten minutes drive.

"Seriously if I was with anyone else, I would think that they'd roll me into that blanket and throw me into that lake", Alex said.

Piper laughed. "Relax. You're going to love this. Turn off the lights."

Alex did what was told and turned off the car. "What the.." Alex said amazed as she saw the clear nightsky that was full of stars.

Piper couldn't really see Alex's expression but knew that she had accomplished her goal. "Let's get out of the car."

They stepped out and Alex noticed also a big full moon. She looked at Piper. "This is wonderful."

It was dark but the moon lighted up the night enough that they saw each other.

"I figured that you would like it."

"I love it. I mean of course I've seen stars and moon before but this is something completely different."

"Yeah, you can't see it that well in the town, that's why we needed to come here", Piper said as she spread the blanket on the ground.

Alex sat on the blanket and pulled Piper with her. "Thank you", she smiled before kissed Piper passionately.

Piper responded to the kiss as passionately and soon they were making out with Piper on top of Alex.

After a while, Piper rolled off of Alex and they both stared at the starry sky.

"Do you know any asterisms?" Alex asked.

"Only the basics. You know, Big dipper, Orion, Leo, Hercules... I've not really read up on astronomy."

Alex nodded. "Me neither. But it's beautiful."

"Maybe it's making it more beautiful. When we don't know much about it, it makes us wonder."

"You're deep", Alex chuckled. "But you're right. It's much more magical when we haven't read ten books about it and all the explanations why everything is like that."

"Yeah."

After a while of silence, Piper spoke. "You know a lot about my history, but I know only a little about yours."

"Hmmh. I guess that's true. But you're so much interesting", Alex responded chuckling.

"Only in your opinion."

"What do you wanna know then?" Alex asked smiling.

"When did you realize that you were gay?" Piper asked as she rested her head on her hand to look at Alex.

"You know, when others started to notice boys... I didn't. I noticed the girls. I've kind of always known", Alex said.

"Was it hard? I mean Diane was probably supportive but what about all the others?"

"Yeah, my mom was very supportive when I told her. Nicky was gay too obviously and it helped me to accept myself quickly the way I am. Others sometimes gave me a hard time and one girl on the basketball team complained that they had a lesbian captain, but it went over pretty quickly."

Piper nodded. Sometimes she was envious of others because their life has been so much easier but maybe it was better this way. "That's good."

"Other questions?" Ale chuckled.

"What about your dad?" Piper asked quietly. She had wondered about it but never had asked about it.

Alex was quiet for a while and Piper was afraid that she had crossed a line.

However, after a while of silence, she answered. "He was never around. Left from the picture as soon as he heard that mom was pregnant."

"Sounds like a dick. He didn't deserve Diane. Or you."

Alex smiled. Piper if someone understood that if you tell that kind of things you don't want a hollow 'I'm sorry' answer. "Well, my mom and I have been good with just the two of us. My mom's basically my best friend."

Piper nodded. "Diane is amazing."

"Yeah, she is", Alex agreed.

"You're too", Piper smiled before kissed Alex.

"And you", Alex chuckled.

"We make a nice little amazing group then."

Alex laughed. "Yes. Yes, we do."

After another comfortable silence, Alex spoke. "I might know pieces about your past but it's not awfully lot. I'm discovering all the time something new and I'm sure that eventually, I'll get to see the whole picture, but I mean is there anything huge that I should know about?"

"You mean besides dead family and drug use?" Piper asked but she didn't sound angry or sad.

"And bullying or rumors or whatever that was about..."

"William Faulkner was my great-grandfather", Piper said seriously.

"What?" Alex exclaimed. "No way! You're just fucking with me, right?"

"You wish", Piper smirked.

"He was not!" Alex argued without paying attention to Piper's comment.

Piper laughed. "Yeah, he wasn't. My great-grandfather was Robert Chapman who died in the Korean war."

"I actually thought for a while that you'd be his great-grandchild. I mean you could be based on your interest in literature."

Piper chuckled. "You could be too. But for real, there's nothing major in my past that you don't already know about."

Alex nodded. "It's not like if I get to know something about you, I'm going leave. I asked because I would rather not get any big surprises."

"Careful there, I'm sure you would leave if I was criminal or something", Piper said, she still wasn't convinced that Alex would genuinely like her.

Alex looked at Piper's eyes. "Basically, you already are. Underaged should not buy alcohol. How does that even work? Do you have a fake ID?"

Piper groaned. "I think it's stupid that we can't drink before 21. I mean, that law is pointless because everyone drinks before it! And yes, I have a fake ID."

"Anyways, whatever has happened in your past has transformed you into this amazing person. Yeah, maybe a little messed up, but who isn't? Your past is your past and I don't judge you for the mistakes you did then. I'm sure you have already punished yourself enough about them. I like you just the way you are and I like that I know the real you. Not only the hot, sarcastic, independent girl", Alex smiled.

Piper laughed. "Do you think that I'm hot?"

"That was not the point. But yes, you're hot."

"You're pretty hot too", Piper whispered before rolled on top of Alex and kissed her deeply.

"One more question", Alex said. "Why me?"

Piper was pretty sure what she meant but asked nevertheless. "What do you mean?"

"You dislike most of the people, why was I different?"

"That's a good question which I actually don't have an answer because I have no fucking clue myself either", Piper laughed. "But I think... well it's not a secret anymore that I liked you already in my early high school years. Back then what attracted you to me was your confidence and the way you carried yourself. And then, of course, you were this tall girl who had an amazing black hair and hot glasses, so that also helped."

Alex chuckled. Of course, she knew that Piper had liked her already earlier but Piper hadn't talked about it after she accidentally confessed it. "Did you dislike people already then?"

"Not really. Back then I just hated girls in Hartford and Jessica and her minions because she reminded me of Polly. But then, after the accident... I wouldn't maybe say that my feelings ever disappeared, but I had so many other things to think about, so I kind of forgot you."

"Ouch", Alex said in mock hurt.

Piper laughed. "Then I started to dislike people because... I'm not sure, it could be because people caused my parents' death or that people caused my drug use or when people acted like they cared about you when they didn't. Or all of them combined. Anyways, even if behind those acts were only a few people, I targeted my anger to the whole humanity.

"Expect to Cal and Diane."

"Yeah, there is just something about Diane... you can't dislike her", Piper smiled.

"Sylvia did. That should have told me enough about her."

Piper laughed. "Yeah, you were blind with that one."

"Anyways, please continue", Alex said, curious about what happened.

"Yeah... Uhmm, right. Then I met you personally for the first time and I didn't like you because of the situation, but I kind of liked your personality. That also helped that you were Diane's daughter, because well... you were her daughter. I trusted her, and if she said that you were a good person, I believed her", Piper said as she remembered the days when she had met Alex. It felt like it was years ago even if it was just a few months.

"It didn't stop you thinking that I'm an asshole", Alex chuckled.

"I didn't really even think about you like that. I was emotional and I just needed to get it out. You can't blame me for that! And I was already furious because of Eric."

"The boy that punched you?"

Piper nodded.

"You never told me, how that ended up."

"Let's just say that he left in a worse condition that I did", Piper grinned. "But yeah, then I started to spend time with you and realized that you were kind of like Diane, impossible to dislike. Then I got to know you and the old feelings came back."

Alex nodded. "When?"

"My old feelings came back? I'm not actually sure, I just know that I realized it when you were with that... thing."

Alex laughed hard. "Jeez, Pipes. You really hated Sylvia, didn't you?"

Pipes. Piper smiled widely at the nickname. "Yeah, I did."

"Well, for your information. I didn't even like her. I already liked you but I thought that I had no chance and that's why I went with it when she asked me to be her girlfriend. I actually hoped back then that it was just some stupid crush that would pass because I wouldn't be able to be around you constantly and like you if you didn't feel the same."

Piper chuckled. "When did you realize that you liked me?"

"Oh... Uhmm, probably the night I was sleeping in your bed... but I fully accepted it when I broke up with Sylvia and talked with my mom."

"I knew that you weren't sleepwalking!" Piper exclaimed.

Alex laughed. "No. I went into your room to think and then accidentally fell asleep."

"Diane is just something... I mean she realized that I liked you when you were with Sylvia and she actually said to me that 'You should talk with Alex, so we can get rid of that bitch.'"

Alex burst into a laughter. "What? Seriously?"

"Yeah. She has tried to get us together ever since. And without her and information that you actually felt the same, I don't honestly think that I would have been brave enough to confess my feelings."

"Mom told you that I liked you?" Alex asked surprised.

"Yeah. I would have never made a move if I didn't know because I wasn't going to ruin my almost only friendship", Piper said chuckling.

Alex nodded. "Well, that's understandable. I was afraid to make a move too."

Piper chuckled. "It's kind of weird. That either of us didn't realize other's feelings."

"Yeah. I guess I should thank my mom for pressing you enough."

Piper laughed. "Yeah... Oh, your mom actually asked me about something."

Alex sighed. "Of course she did. What did she ask?"

"She asked if we were a couple and we never really talked about it..."

"Do you want us to be?" Alex asked. Piper was the new one in these things, they would go her pace.

"Would it be different than what we're doing now?"

"Not really. I just could stop everyone from flirting with you because I can say that I'm your girlfriend."

Piper laughed. "Luckily, for you, there aren't many girls in Litchfield that want to flirt whit me. I've scared them all off. But what about you? Will there be lots of girls that I need to hit", Pipe joked. Kind of. Maybe she would hit them if they were too flirtatious. No. She would definitely hit them if they were too flirtatious.

Alex chuckled. "I don't know. There might be."

"Then I would like to be your girlfriend, so I can say first that she's taken before I hit them. If you want that?" Piper added.

"I wouldn't want anything more", Alex smiled widely. "But just so you know, I would be faithful to you even if we weren't together. I only want you."

Piper kissed Alex softly. "I know. But I still want it. We've waited enough, haven't we?"

"Yeah", Alex agreed as she kissed Piper back.

"I need to work tomorrow", Piper whispered soon.

"What? Piper, why didn't you say anything! It's already past midnight", Alex said shocked.

"I was having a good time with you. And it's not that early wake-up. I need to be there at 10 a.m."

"I can ask my mom to give you a day off. She would understand."

"No. It's fine. I've gone with only a few hours sleep before. It's no problem."

Alex sighed. "Goddmanit Piper. We should go then if you insist on going to work."

"Do you want to spend a night?" Piper asked hopefully.

"All right. But we'll sleep", Alex said with a strict look.

"Of course. What else would we be doing?" Piper smirked.

Alex shook her head smiling and tapped Piper's ass. "Get up."

"Continue that and there will be no sleeping", Piper whispered hotly in Alex's ear before got up.

Alex groaned. "You're impossible."

Yes, they actually went to sleep, but don't worry guys. Soon ;) Thank you for reading, please review and tell me what you thought! Suggestions are always welcomed. I'll try to update soon again :)

-Iina