Orange Is The New Black is the property of Piper Kerman and Netflix.

This is an AU, I plan for it to be a multi-chapter but it will be a slow update. Piper may be slightly OOC. Oh and I don't plan on having Alex as a dealer, though I haven't yet decided what her career will be. Cheers for reading – Lark

Chapter 2

"I t-t-think I've had enough different for the day," Piper stammered, supressing a shiver at Alex's proximity.

"If you say so, Pipes," Alex smirked, stepping back to allow Piper breathing room, but she kept her arm around her waist.

"So, what are you doing here, Alex?" Piper asked; she was proud that she kept the stutter from her voice. Alex just made her so damned nervous, she practically exuded a charisma and sensuality that Piper could only dream of possessing.

"Well Pipes, my friends wanted to have a night out, they're over there," Alex whispered.

Under the guise of directing Piper's gaze towards the table where her friends sat, Alex pulled her close again and physically turned Piper to view the table.

"There they are, see the girl with the fedora?" Alex asked, her tone husky as her lips skimmed Piper's earlobes.

Solely women, all of whom exhibited the same kind of confidence as Alex, though her's was more potent, populated the table. They seemed individual and comfortable in their uniqueness, something Piper envied.

"They look – "

"Alternative?" Alex challenged, breath stirring Piper's blonde tresses.

"I was going to say friendly," Piper retorted, turning her head to face Alex. Their breath intermingled and Piper's heart began to hammer.

"Your margarita," The bartender called and Piper snapped out of her moment of trance.

"Thank you for your help, Alex" Piper smiled shyly as she collected her cocktail.

"There it is again," Alex mused, her voice huskier than usual and she leant forward, "The way you say my name."

"Alex," Piper sighed, not entirely sure what to say.

"Now you're just being a tease," Alex taunted, placing her hands on the bar on either side of Piper, effectively trapping her.

"I'm sorry, I – "

"Jesus Pipes, I was joking," She laughed, shaking her head incredulously, "You need to lighten up."

"I'm light."

"You're vanilla, there's a difference," Alex teased, pressing her nose to Piper's hair as the smaller woman struggled to form a defence.

"Jerk," Piper supplied lamely, a whole lot less bothered by the proximity than she should have been.

"You smell like vanilla too," Alex husked, the words almost coming out as a moan.

"Do you have to be like this?" Piper sighed, placing her margarita back on the bar. At the rate this night was going the cocktail was likely to splash Alex due to their proximity or be thrown on Alex if she let her hands wander more than usual.

"Be like what, Pipes?"

"So flirtatious."

"This isn't flirtatious, this is friendly," Alex smirked, "Flirtatious and seduction go hand in hand and that's a whole other ball park. Well, not a ball park exactly."

"This is what I call flirting," Piper scowled.

"Oh, are you insinuating that you're flirting?" Alex challenged smugly.

Piper became aware of a pressure on her hips that she was amazed she hadn't noticed before. Alex was firmly but not aggressively pinning her against the bar, though she kept distance between their upper torsos.

"No."

"Well, you're not pushing back, babe," Alex teased.

"Babe? Really?" Piper chuckled, clinging to the endearment to distract herself.

"Come meet my friends," Alex requested, her nose brushing against Piper's cheek.

"I need to go home, I have work tomorrow," Piper murmured, Alex's closeness was preventing her from thinking clearly.

"Your place works too."

"Alex."

"Relax, Pipes."

"I need to go."

"Another time then," Alex smiled, though to Piper it sounded like a vow.

"Ah, Alex, you've kind of boxed me in," Piper blushed.

"I was waiting for my hug goodbye," Alex pouted. Piper couldn't take her eyes off Alex's full cherry lips and she leant into Alex's embrace just so that she wouldn't have to see them anymore.

Alex was warm and her scent made Piper want to close her eyes and just drift off to sleep. It was chaste and perfect, at least until Alex's hands slid down Piper's back and landed firmly on her ass.

"Hey," Piper pulled back and swatted Alex's arm, "Boundaries."

"Girls like you have too many."

"Girls like me?" Piper challenged, "Suburban, librarian types?"

"I didn't mean it like that, Pipes," Alex groaned.

"It's fine Alex, I need to go," Piper sighed, brushing her lips against Alex's cheek as she passed her.

"Fuck," Alex cursed as she watched Piper weave through the densely packed bar to get to the exit.

The Library

Piper hadn't been sleeping well since her encounter with Alex at the bar nearly a week ago. She tried to be annoyed with Alex, just as she attempted to convince herself that her infatuation with the mysterious woman was nothing more than a childish crush. However, whenever she closed her eyes and allowed her mind to relax she was plagued by thoughts of Alex. Her scent, her warmth, the feel of her hands as they slyly slipped from Piper's shoulders to her backside.

Piper's mind began to wander and she leant back in her chair; the library was quiet so she could afford to be inattentive. Or so she thought.

Weight pressed against her legs as somebody decided that her lap was an appropriate place to sit.

"I've been talking too loudly in the library, I believe it is part of your job to reprimand me," Alex purred.

"Get off me, I'm working," Piper tried to sound authoritative, but it just came out as tired.

"Have you been sleeping Pipes?" Alex asked, even as she gracefully removed herself from Piper's lap.

"Yes."

"For more than four hours a night?"

"Maybe not."

"Piper," Alex sighed.

"It's none of your business."

"Look, I'm sorry I said what I did, but you're being a little oversensitive," Alex growled in frustration, "We're still friends."

"Acquaintances."

"You're not an acquaintance Pipes, I sleep with and forget acquaintances."

"Oh," Piper blinked, not sure if she should be complimented or affronted.

Alex allowed herself a small smile at the victory and spun on her heel, heading towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" Piper called.

"Missing me already, Pipes?" Alex teased, "I am going to buy coffee. I'd hate for you to fall asleep and lose your job."

"Fuck," Piper swore as she watched Alex strut between the library shelves. She was in way over her head.

Piper's Apartment

For the last two weeks Alex had been showing up at the library practically every day, usually bearing coffee. She seemed to have reigned in her libido and she kept her hands to herself. Frankly Piper was disappointed, though she knew she should be relieved. Alex represented a whole lot of complexity Piper just didn't need in her life.

Yet, despite her anxiety when Alex asked her to dinner she had immediately agreed. Currently, she was waiting for Alex to pick her up; for some reasons Alex had wanted to collect her from her apartment.

Piper had changed her dress no fewer than eight times before settling on a soft yellow summer dress. For a night that was supposedly just two friends hanging out, Piper felt an inordinate amount of anxiety.

There was a knock on her door and Piper practically jumped out of her skin. She deliberately delayed a further minute before pulling the door open to reveal Alex wearing jeans that hugged her legs in a way that should have been illegal.

"They say if you look at an artwork for more than thirty seconds that it's a sign you should buy it," Alex smirked.

"Are you calling yourself art?" Piper teased.

"No, I'm saying that you're staring."

"I was just thinking it was unfortunate that the store didn't have those jeans in your size and you had to buy a pair that were too small," Piper retorted. During her many hours with the woman she had begun to gain the confidence to tease her back.

"Starting out feisty tonight, Pipes," Alex chuckled, "Are you sure you want to go out?"

Piper rolled her eyes, just because Alex had backed off on the touching didn't mean she had let up on the flirting. Piper doubted that she knew how.

"Positive, I'm starving."

"Well, we could always eat –"

"Alex," Piper cut her off with a wry grin.

"Say my name again, baby," Alex moaned playfully.

"We're going to be late for our reservation," Piper chuckled, slapping Alex's arm. Alex's fixation with the way Piper said her name was something she had forced herself to get used to.

"Spoil sport," Alex groaned.

"Someone has to be," Piper winked, "Oh, I need to go get my purse."

"It's all right, I'll pay," Alex smirked, "I asked you out, therefor, I pay."

"You didn't say it was a date, Alex," Piper frowned as she locked her front door.

"I didn't think I had to. Flirting isn't an Olympic sport Pipes, to anyone else, this clearly would have been a date. Is it a problem?"

"No," Piper decided.

"Wonderful," Alex chuckled and kissed Piper's cheek, her lips landing too close to Piper's own and lingered too long.

"Don't get cocky," Piper warned.

"Oh it is far too late for that," Alex teased, threading her fingers with Piper's, "Come on, love. Unless you changed your mind about eating out."

"Alex," Piper groaned in exasperation.

"Not quite the tone I was hoping with, but was can work on it," Alex taunted, shooting Piper a slow wink as she led them towards the restaurant and apparently, their first date.