After that all-too-brief encounter the gig seemed to drag on for Piper, although the change in her was a noticeable one. Here, away from the cliques and the jocks and the pressure that came with the life she'd grown into she found the freedom exhilarating. She could reinvent herself around these people, become the cool badass Piper she'd always fantasised about being. Her eyes gleamed.

Maybe I'll get a leather jacket.

The band were alright, she was actually finding it quite hard to focus, her mind was too busy with different things. Tall, dark haired things with glasses. She couldn't help but try to prepare herself for her later encounters with Alex Vause, if there were to be any, although somehow she knew there would be. She could just sense that Alex would find her later, there was still the niggling anxiety that the two would never have another conversation, but to Piper it seemed as if the whole thing was - in some way - inevitable.

She felt like it was her first day at school all over again; rehearsing what she'd say to impress the cool kids. Without being able to say exactly why, she really wanted Alex to like her. She wanted to impress her, to be her friend. This wasn't exactly a new feeling for Piper; she generally wanted as many people to like her as was humanly possible - and she was no stranger to craving praise - but something was different. There was more urgency here. The intense hatred that she'd once felt for Alex had all but disappeared, it seemed silly now, but now that she was no longer in an actual face to face conversation with the other girl a strange annoyance was bubbling up. It was almost like she was annoyed at Alex for not giving her the attention she wanted from her. However, she was excited by the prospects of their friendship all the same, so she pushed these thoughts aside and tried to focus on the music. Pretending she wasn't more interested in the part of her evening that was going to come after.

Cal excused himself after the gig and just headed home, something Piper was very thankful for - she was young and in her teens and still very much buying into the whole thing about hanging around with siblings 'cramping your style', or whatever you want to call it. Nicky, too, seemed to have checked out before Alex reached her, although Piper didn't know where she had gone, her absence was another relief because - although she'd never admit it - she found the bushy haired girl rather intimidating.

And then there were two.

Surprisingly, once they got past the initial social barrier (which they found was pretty much non-existent in the world outside of school), conversation between them flowed easily. Despite not having all that much in common they soon found that each was very interested in what the other had to say; it was a natural kind of chemistry, and it made Piper feel alive. Talking to Alex, she was more animated and lively than she had been since she was a kid. She rose to the taller girl's taunts and more often than not replied with a swift jab on the arm. Things with Alex felt so vibrant and dangerous it was almost intoxicating, and Piper was itching to get drunk on it.

As she listened to Piper talking Alex found herself taken aback by how comfortable she felt. As a rule, she wasn't a people person. And although she prided herself in her ability to not let people get to her it was a rare occasion when she actually found someone she was comfortable being around.

The two girls talked the entire way back to the flat Alex shared with her mother, and Piper just kept talking. She failed to notice the way Alex studied her for a reaction as they approached her neighbourhood. There had been far too many judgemental assholes commenting on where she lived and it had gotten to the point where if someone so much as mentioned it she was done with them. It seemed a bit harsh, she knew, but she was so fiercely proud and defensive over how hard her mother worked to keep them in this place that if anyone knocked it they were out. She half listened to whatever Piper was rambling on about, secretly nervous of being judged, but breathed a sigh of relief when she passed through the threshold to the apartment building completely unphased. She wasn't sure why but she really didn't want to cut this other girl out of her life, definitely not yet.

There was a half-hearted round of applause as Lorna's band went on stage, leaving Nicky free of distraction and returned to Alex Vause.

"So, Vause, I saw you chatting up your damsel in distress over there." Nicky gave an over-exaggerated wink, and grinned with satisfaction when she noticed the slight flush of pink to her usually stone-cold friend's cheeks.

"Shut up you loser, you know it's not like that." Alex cursed herself for letting Nicholls see her flustered. She didn't even know why she was flustered in the first place, she was just talking to a friend - one she barely knew at that, and one who was very much not available.

There was a glint in the eye of her bushy-haired best friend. "Yeah, well, whatever you say. I'm gonna have to take a rain check for this evening anyhow, the lovely Lorna and I are, uh, going somewhere."

"You fucking dog! How will I possibly recover from being deserted in such a way." Alex put her hand over her heart at this, feigning offense, but secretly she was relieved. Her plan to invite Piper over was suddenly seeming so much more exciting. She knew it was petty and stupid to let herself develop any sort of crush on the blonde, but there was just something about her...

The tall figure of Alex Vause was hunched over a series of boxes containing her mother's old record collection, muttering an apology about the mess the flat was in. Piper was only half listening, she couldn't help but notice that this girl was beautiful. Like, seriously hot. A wave of jealousy washed over her, was it jealousy? Piper brushed past the uncertainty, she was clearly jealous of this dark-haired girl, her best friend. Over a year had passed since she'd first been to the flat Alex and her mother lived in, but even that first time it had felt familiar to her. With the dirty clothes on the sofa and mess in the kitchen it felt so much more lived in than her own home, something that was immensely comforting in a strange sort of way, and she had quickly become accustomed to spending her time there.

"Do you want to pick something?" Alex looked round at her, snapping her out of her daydream.

"Me? No, I don't mind, just put on whatever." Piper was eager to see what sort of music Alex was into, even though she wasn't much of a music buff herself. She was still buzzing from the excitement of the gig, and although she felt nervous as hell she wasn't letting it get to her. She wanted to be here, she was happy to be here, it didn't matter what her friends would think, they never had to know. She ignored the buzzing of her phone in her pocket.

"Listen to this, I think you'll like it." She received a knowing look from Alex as a soft driving melody filled the room. Without thinking, she started to move with the music.

"This is good" She said, swaying in time. "Like, really good. What is it?"

"Ah Piper, you have so much to learn." She shot a smirk in the direction of the blonde and shrugged; "This is , I knew it'd be your thing." Alex just stood there, leaning against the wall, smiling at the small triumph of guessing Piper's music taste. She had to admit, it wasn't hard, and she was good at this sort of thing.

"You're awfully cocky for someone who looked all nervous inviting me over here." Piper met Alex's gaze, there was a moment of silence before both girls began to laugh. From that moment, they became almost inseparable.

"You know I don't mind Al, just put on whatever you feel like." Piper flopped lazily onto the sofa, watching Alex remove the vinyl from its sleeve. This had become routine, and it was one that the two girls had slipped into with ease. Piper enjoyed Alex's company, it was easy, there wasn't the constant tension that she found with her other friends, she wasn't afraid to be left alone with her - they had plenty to talk about. It was just effortless, really.

She knew Polly didn't approve, "Supercunt" she had dubbed her. The nickname always made her laugh because of the similarities between it and the one Nicky had given her, "Supervause", although she much preferred the latter.

It was Friday night and most of her friends were at a party up on fifth, Piper hadn't felt like going much to start with and so when Alex asked her over she grabbed onto the opportunity with both hands. The parties she went to all ended up being exactly the same, same fake girls trying far too hard to look older than they are, same gropey guys, same possessive boyfriend. Jason. She really should've broken it off with him before anything really started, she knew, but sixteen and naive she was a coward. She liked him, or at least she convinced herself she did, and she didn't complain when he kissed her, touched her, even though his hot heavy breath made her stomach turn, even though she felt overwhelmed by guilt the second he left and she could never work out why. Her mother liked him, he was popular, she was lucky to have him. At least that's what she told herself anyway. Her and Alex didn't talk about Jason, but Piper just knew that she knew what was really going on. She used to warn her against him, and there was always that night after the cinema, but now they just glazed over the subject, pretended he didn't exist. It worked, most of the time. Her and Jason didn't talk about Alex, he was afraid of her, although he'd never admit it, and the one time Piper mentioned her - only in passing - her flipped out, it was enough to make her learn to watch her tongue. He didn't know where she was tonight he probably wouldn't even notice she was missing.

Alex watched as Piper played with the buttons on her phone, looking lost in thought. She was the only real best friend she'd ever had, I mean, Nicky came pretty close, but the two didn't have quite the same connection that she shared with Piper. These past few months she'd actually surprised herself with how much she'd opened up to the girl, she, stone-hearted Alex Vause; tough as nails and 99% sarcasm. She was absolutely intoxicated by this girl, she just wanted to protect her and make her smile, hell, she loved Piper Chapman. It was obviously just as a friend, she told herself. It had become common practice to deny the crush she'd been nursing since their friendship had started. She didn't have feelings for anyone, not like that.

It wasn't like she was a virgin, she'd experimented, done stuff with girls, not that Piper knew that though. She was pretty sure she still thought she was straight for crying out loud! It wasn't as if she was the virgin Mary herself Alex reckoned, not with that boyfriend of hers. Fucking asshole. Every time he crossed her mind she just froze over, remembering the events after the cinema that time, she felt sick to her stomach at the thought of him touching Piper, leering all over her with his hot breath and heavy hands. She shuddered, needing a distraction from where her mind had been wandering she started to talk, asking Piper the first thing that came into her head, just begging for a distraction.

"Okay, so, what do you wanna do? We could watch a movie, or I've got some smokes - we could go out to the roof..." There was a playful edge to her voice, she was just pushing Piper with that last bit, knowing she'd never go for it.

"Alex." Piper had her stern voice on, it was no secret that she wasn't a fan of Alex's bad habits, but her pitiful attempt at being serious always just ended in laughter from the both of them.

They eventually settled on just watching a movie, although they had an unspoken agreement that not much actual paying attention would be done, the two always seemed to spend the entire movie talking and making jokes - no matter what they put on.

The hours had passed without either of the two girls noticing, they had sat watching movie after movie and suddenly it seemed to be way past one in the morning. It was Piper who noticed first, glancing at the clock on the wall before jolting upright. Shit. She checked her phone, sure that she would have to face multiple angry messages from her mother, but there was nothing. Odd, Cal must've covered for her. But still, she should really be getting home. She looked over at Alex, who was still glued to the TV, she hadn't noticed the sudden change of posture from the other girl. Piper couldn't help but just look at her for a minute. In the dark of the living room, the glow of the TV was the only thing illuminating her face and there was just something about the scene that made it impossible to look away. The feeling of adventure and invincibility that the earlier gig had given Piper had faded with the hours, but the sight of her new-found friend still made her chest swell with some unknown emotion. Who would have thought that she would find herself sitting in the living room of the infamous Alex Vause, or rather, who would have thought that she would be having such a good time. She had never felt a connection like this with anyone, it was so completely bizarre how comfortable they were around each other.

After what seemed like an eternity of just staring Alex's head turned towards her and she received one of the most honest smiles she'd ever seen, she was sure that she could feel the blush starting in her toes - working its way up to her cheeks.

"I should, uh, probably be going..." Piper moved to get up, her reluctance showing in her voice.

Alex took a long look at her watch before replying; "Oh no you don't, it's like the middle of the night - I'm not going to let you walk that far right now, you can stay here." The way she said it made it clear that leaving right now was not an option, although it wasn't as if Piper needed much persuading, the evening felt so surreal in the best possible way and she was most certainly not ready for it to be over yet.

Relieved, she sat back down beside the dark-haired girl, getting out her phone to send a quick text to her mother to assure her she was alright, and her eyes settled once again on the screen.

It really was strange how she had just fallen into feeling comfortable here.

It was about a half-hour into the film when there was a knock on the door. Well, not so much of a knock as a series out loud bangs. The girls exchanged a glance before Piper shrugged;

"Nicky?" She suggested, not even trying to hide the hope in her voice. Alex could tell that she was a little scared. She frowned, protective-mode kicking in.

"I don't think so, kid. Could've sworn she was out tonight."

There was another series of bangs, Alex now moving towards the door. She looked around for something to defend herself with - it wasn't uncommon for one of her mom's less than lovely male acquaintances to make an appearance now and then so she was preparing for one such encounter, but there was no prospective weaponry to be seen. Carefully, she put on the chain and opened the door just a fraction of the way.

Fuck.

FUCK.

"Piper..."

She turned, her eyes cold.

"...It's for you."

The door swung open, revealing a stumbling Jason Armitt. Piper froze to the spot.

Fuck.

FUCK.

She had no idea how he'd found out she was here, or even how he knew where Alex lived, she anticipated the panic taking over her body, and was extremely surprised to find it didn't come, she was rooted to the spot not out of fear but out of anger, outrage, how dare he spoil her evening, how dare he come here.

"Missed you at the party tonight, Pipes." He spat out the nickname, moving towards her. She couldn't help but notice how Alex moved to intercept him, hovering by her side.

"Don't call me that." Her own voice sounded alien, it came out low and calm but with a harsh quality she hadn't heard in it before. It brought back memories of her mother, the way her and father spoke to each other. She felt her hands ball into fists.

"Having fun with your lesbi-friend?" He knocked into a coffee table, gesturing to Alex; "You know she's just a fucking loser dyke right?" Laughing, he started to move towards Alex, a twisted kind of humour showing in his eyes.

"You're drunk, leave." Piper couldn't be bothered with this right now, she really did not want to be anywhere near him, and hearing him talk about Alex like that just gave her a whole new type of anger. This guy was a jerk, a real fucking asshat, she just wanted him to go, to never see him again. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Alex, knowing what her reaction would be.

"C'mon baby, don't be that way you're mine and-" He had closed the gap between them alarmingly fast despite his inebriated state, his hand reaching out to touch her face, but there was Alex. Again. Piper could tell that she was preparing for another stand-off, to defend her again. She was shaking with rage now, she didn't need anyone defending her, she could take care of herself, she wouldn't just watch wide-eyed as someone else fought her battles for her, not again.

Before she knew what she was doing she had stepped past Alex and was face to face with Jason. She could smell the beer on his breath as he tried to focus on her, it was obvious that he'd had too much to drink but she just really did not care, she was sick of this, of all of it.

"How dare you come here." There was that voice again, menacing and cold.

"What do you think I am? Your fucking plaything? You don't own me, Jason. I'm not yours. You don't get to decide who I choose to spend time with. You don't get to act so fucking superior, you cannot talk about her like that! You cannot talk to me like that! You don't fucking own me Jason don't you realise that?" There was a hysterical side to her voice now, she watched as he realised he was in trouble.

"You should realise how lucky you are to have me!" His wounded ego was evident in the way he talked, extravagantly throwing his arms wide and knocking a lamp in the process. He was a joke. She took a step closer, looking him right in the eyes.

She made sure her voice was level before speaking.

" You are ridiculous. Go home Jason, it's over." Piper could only imagine the way the anger showed in her eyes, she could tell her gaze was burning him. He was past being confused now and was just plain angry, she pounded her fists off his chest and shoved as hard as she could, trying to move him in the direction of the door. He broke away from her, trying once again to assert his dominance in a pathetic last stand.

"No! You don't get to decide that, fuck you anyway you frigid bitch! I get to decide when it's over, it was my decision, I was going to do it anyway! Fucking whore, go fuck your dyke you lesbo freak!"

The door slammed. There was a second of silence before Piper looked over at Alex, the expression on her face could only be described as pure disbelief.

Watching Piper stand up to her - now ex - boyfriend had put Alex into a state of shock, this was most certainly not the Piper she had befriended a year ago. This Piper was cold and ruthless and she really could not stop thinking about how attractive those qualities were on her. Piper Chapman, ice queen extraordinaire. Jeez. She loved protecting her friend but she had to admit it was a little relieving to know that the girl could fend for herself. This new side of the blonde was so distracting that Alex hadn't even noticed Jason's pitiful attempts at insulting her, they were insignificant.

The way Piper looked at Alex after their drunken visitor had taken his leave left her feeling like someone had made her swallow a lit match. Fuck. She just looked so fucking proud of herself. Defiant, almost. Trying to make sense of what was going on, Alex just laughed as the blonde went on about what had just happened, she excitedly went over how fucking 'badass' she felt. It became clear that she'd been wanting rid of the boyfriend for quite some time.

It took some time for the excitement to die down, but eventually the two were quiet. Alex noted the sly look on Piper's face as she turned towards her again.

"I'll have that smoke now." She was definitely feeling rebellious, and quite possibly invincible, this was a very un-Piper thing to do, Alex was always one to encourage experimentation, but she couldn't miss the chance to do a little teasing first.

"Really?" She widened her eyes in faux shock; "What happened to your lungs turning black the second a cigarette touches your lips?" Unabashedly, she laughed at her own joke, hoping Piper wouldn't take it the wrong way, but not really caring all that much.

"Alright alright very funny. Just give me a cigarette okay?"

Removing a pack of smokes and a lighter from her pocket, Alex began to lead Piper towards the roof, smirking at the influence she had over the girl.

They walked in single file down the corridor that led to the stairwell, and to Alex it felt like the air between them was electric, practically crackling with tension. It felt like she was in a movie, or sitting watching this happen to someone else. She had never experienced this kind of attraction before. She stopped before the door and turned, overcome with a need to look at the girl behind her, and her breath caught in her throat when she realised the two had been standing much closer together than she had thought. Her stomach was doing backflips.

"Alex? Why are we just standing here, open the door already!"

Looking at Piper, it seemed that Alex had never felt so nervous. Everything was just so surreal. Before she knew what was happening she was closing the gap between them, her hands found the blonde's face and brought it to hers, as their lips crashed together it felt like every nerve ending in her body was a fuse and they had all been lit at once. Feeling the way their lips moved together, the need conveyed there was almost explicit. It was the most honestly passionate thing she had ever experienced, and it was over far too soon.

Piper had been trying to ignore the tension between her and Alex during the walk up to the roof, but everything had happened so fast and before she knew what was going on they were kissing! Her chest felt like it was about to burst. She was being burned from the inside out, except, there was no pain. She held on tight to the girl in front of her, wanting to be as close as was physically possible and needing to be closer. The kiss was messy and rough but it was perfect, oh god, it was the most perfect thing in the world. Piper had never been kissed like this, never felt like this. She felt a small moan escape her lips and froze. The sound had a sobering effect and reality was crashing down on her, she was kissing Alex. Alex had kissed her. A woman. Her best friend.

Fuck.

She couldn't breathe, as she started to back away she tried to mutter an apology, but she didn't get very far before she was gone. Once she was out of the building she started to run, she had no idea where she was going but she just needed to move. She needed to think.

The image of Alex's face as she'd stuttered out an apology was burned into the back of her mind, the expression in her eyes was the embodiment of panic but there was something else there too. Piper couldn't bring herself to think about how much she'd just hurt one of the people she cared about most, she couldn't bring herself to think about why she cared so much, her feelings, it was all far too much. She just ran until she couldn't think any more.