A/N:
So, apparently it takes me 5 to 6 days to write a chapter and be content with it. Now this doesn't have much vauseman in it but if you liked it tell me. The next chapter will be vauseman filled.
Alex had her music blaring through her headphones. She'd placed them around her neck. The beats vibrating against her skin. It was soothing for her; she liked feeling the music. It felt blissful, peaceful even. Especially when she was painting. That's what she really wanted to do; her true passion.
Painting was something she picked up on when she was young. Her mother couldn't afford to get her the trending toys at the time and instead prompted on getting her books, pencils and colouring pads. It started off as a way to shut her up and keep her from boredom. It then turned into something completely different.
Alex started to take pride in it. She enjoyed watching the colours collide and mix into shades that weren't even invented yet; or the way she sketched something then added colour to it, bringing it to life. It was her own type of therapy.
Her paintings usually told stories. Things she never wanted to voice but desperately needed to say. It was freeing and the results of it weren't so bad. In fact, they were quiet the opposite. Her canvases turned out extraordinary. Alex's fingers were definitely talented; in more ways than one.
She only had one problem, and it's finding a manager to sponsor her. Booking a show room on its own was a shit load of money, she only ever got to present her project pieces once before, and the outcome of that was very depressing. She even almost stopped painting for a while but seeing as how it was her passion. She gave it another shot.
Now though; she had more skill with it. Every flick she made with her brush, she made sure was flawless. And it was flawless. Every detail; she paid attention to, she made sure was perfect. The more detail, the more extraordinary it was. And her favorite part; the colours. Nothing made life brighter. She loved how she could mix two different things, from different worlds to form something new. Something unique.
She had a much better chance now to get a sponsor. Once people actually saw her work that is. Currently; all her canvases lay in the cramped apartment she barley afforded. Nicky's bar offered her good money but art equipment is expensive. Especially, if you wanted the best long lasting products.
Alex had been working her butt off and collecting money for craft materials since she was sixteen. Picking up any job that could be offered to her. She even worked as a waitress in McDonalds for nearly 3 years before she picked up a better temp job. She's 29 now and yet she still dose that.
She supported a brush between her fingers as she brushed across her canvas. Her fingers softly moving, in delicate strokes. She bit the inside of her lower lip as she tried to perfect the stroke moving as slowly and delicately as possible. Her fingers and clothes a mess of splattered colours but she barley acknowledged them. All her focus was on her painting. That was until she heard her phone ring. Her fingers slipped the slightest bit with surprise.
"Fuck." She hissed; examining the damage she created by a single, stupid, slip up. She sighed putting her brush down for a second and answering the call. Placing the phone between her ear and shoulder.
"Hello?" She supported her phone more properly then picked up her brush again attempting to fix the mess she made.
"Guess who got laid last night." Alex rolled her eyes, she could practically hear Nicky's smirk through the phone.
"Seeing as how you left me to lock up your club last night, i'll take a wild guess and assume you did." She grinned as she fixed her mistake.
"You're damn right, I did." Nicky half yelled into the phone. Alex chuckled, putting her brush down and holding her phone before she moved her shoulders back to their resting point.
"How was it?" She asked curious, Nicky had wanted to sleep with this girl for as long as she'd known her.
"She squirted." Nicky smirked.
"Oooh." Alex's eyebrows rose with surprise.
"Twice." The redhead's smug smile grew bigger. Alex smirked. A chuckle lingering on her lips.
"That type of girl huh?" She said before she switched her phone to her other ear.
"Yup."
"So what now Nicks?" She asked seriously. She walked to her fridge pulling out a bottle of milk. She heard a heaved sigh coming through the phone.
"I don't really know." She confessed. "This is kinda where you come in." Alex snorted.
"I'm no expert in dating Nicky, i've got about as much experience in relationships as you do."
"Oh please I don't believe that for a second." She retorted back. "You may act like you're this big-tough guy Vause, but deep down you're just a big softie."
"And you're a big, selfish, jerk." Alex rolled her eyes. Shutting the refrigerator door unconsciously hard. "You know I don't do dating."
"You used to." Nicky mumbled.
"Yeah; the key term here being 'used to'." She said with a hard sigh. She placed the carton of milk on the table and took out a glass.
"Come on, Alex." Nicky pleaded as the brunette shook her head in annoyance. "It's been a year." Alex shook her head biting her lip.
"I'm not ready." She whispered out. "You know i'm not." She stated more firmly.
"She's behind bars, Alex." Her boss reasoned. "She can't get to you anymore."
"No, but she already got to me, and I still seem to be stuck in that swirling darkness." She hissed out angrily, sighing heavily at the end of her rant. Nicky exhaled her own heaved breath.
"Maybe the reason you can't move on is because you won't let yourself move on." She run her fingers through her hair as Alex shut her eyes and rubbed slow circles by her forehead. "Jesus Al, you haven't even had sex in nearly a year."
"Lesbian bed death; it happens." She joked poorly. Nicky tusked.
"I'm being serious here, don't you miss it?"
"Of course, I do." Alex retorted strongly. "But,"
"But what?" She cut her off. "Stop making excuses and get yourself out there. You're 29 Al, you're hot, you're single and you should mingle. There are good people out there."
"In this cruel world?" She asked sarcastically. "I don't think so." She shook her head.
"The world might surprise you every once in a while." Alex pored herself some milk, snorting slightly.
"Morello's really rubbing into you." Alex shook her head lightly as she took a sip from her glass.
"Ay, no turning the tables on me." The brunette found herself chuckling softly. "I'm just saying, next time a pretty girl walks up to you, I'm getting you a date."
"Sure, Nicky." She said sarcastically.
"I mean it Vause, you better watch out."
"I got other things to worry bout Nicks, like I don't know; my exhibition?" She snapped. Nicky rolled her eyes.
"Perfect for a first date." The redhead answered back with a smirk.
"You don't even know what a first date is." Alex chuckled. Nicky could be just as persuasive as she was when needed.
"Just go with it, Stretch." Nicky hissed. "I gotta go, but think about what I said."
"Bye, Nicholes." Alex said lamely, shaking her head.
She hung up the phone and sighed strongly before finishing her glass of milk and placing it in the sink to wash later. She picked up her brush again and started finishing her painting before a flashback, she didn't want to remember zoomed into focus.
Alex had just finished a dance routine at the bar. She was currently collecting the tip money people left for her and at some point a beautiful ravin haired woman approached her. She smirked at Alex pulling out a hundred dollar bill from her jeans pocket.
"Maybe you could do that to me sometime." She whispered into Alex's ear slipping the hundred dollar bill into the brunette's back pocket, getting a firm grip on her ass. Alex blushed slightly as the woman backed away again giving her a wink.
She watched as the girl walked away, then slipped her hand into her back pocket, she saw the hundred dollar bill with another piece of paper. A number scribbled drunkenly on it. Alex chuckled, she had to admit, the woman was hot but she had a girlfriend that she was content with. Or so she thought.
"What was that?" She heard a hissed voice behind her. She turned around, she smirked. She only ever saw her girlfriend jealous a few times. Only because she didn't have much reason to be. When Alex liked someone, she made sure she was faithful with them. She walked to her girlfriend, she placed her arms on her and pulled her close.
"Relax babe, it was nothing." Alex, shook her head playing with her girlfriends hands.
"Bullshit, she gave you something." Her girlfriend pulled her hands away from Alex, motioning for her to show her what it was. The brunette scrambled the piece of paper, placing it behind her back. "Give it to me." She demanded, Alex shook her head.
"It's nothing." She mumbled, her girlfriend never got this jealous before, or demanding. Her stomach clenched slightly, that demanding voice was quiet terrifying.
"Give it to me." She interrogated roughly again. This time grabbing Alex's wrist and pulling it from behind her, forcing her to unclench her arm. Her grip hard. Alex hissed in pain.
"Ow Sylvie you're hurting me." Alex barely got out. Sylvie just held her grip harder, Alex groaned in pain. Her fingers unclenching accidentally. Her girlfriend snatched the paper and inspected it. She crumbled it up harder, throwing it away. She pulled Alex near her. Her lips cold against her ear.
"If I catch you with shit like that again or so help me god, Alex. I will hurt you." She seethed. Finally letting her arm go, a red gash in its place. Her eyes pierced into Alex's green orbs. Fear evident in them. Her stomach doing twists and turns she didn't even know it could. Her finger tips shaking. She held her breath.
"You're mine and no one else's." She huffed out. Those words used to feel comforting out of Sylvie's mouth once before. Now they were tantalizingly. Sylvie gave her one last look before she stormed away.
That was the beginning of a treacherous year. Sylvie began to treat her like property. Forcing her to do things she didn't want. Like getting her to cook for her when she got home and if it wasn't good she'd slap her, or when she caught Alex's eyes linger on anyone at the bar too long, she gave her a long glare telling her she'll be having a rough night when she got home.
It got to the point where Alex was a living, breathing punching bag for Sylvie. It went on for months. She covered up her bruises with makeup, accessories and long sleeves or pants. The threats grew more frequent and more dangerous over time. Sylvie even got a gun. Pointing it to Alex's head sometimes; even if she didn't know if the gun had bullets or not, it was bloodcurdling.
That's when she finally confessed everything to Nicky. One late night on a Tuesday, she crawled out of their bed, running under the rain all the way to Nicky's place. That Tuesday night was one night she'd never forget. After a long talk with Nicky; the redhead helped her get Sylvie to prison for domestic abuse. The worst part about all of it too; was that she couldn't tell her mother about it. Not until after Sylvie got arrested.
Months passed while she lived with Nicky. Once it turned to almost half a year Alex got herself a new place and slowly went back to her old self. With one exception, she never asked a girl out again. It's not that she didn't want to, she was just terrified of what the come of it would be. After all the greatest devils are only angels in disguise.
She shook her head from her past thoughts, drifting herself back to reality. Sylvie was gone. She couldn't get to her anymore. Yet, the broken pieces she left for her were still scattered on the floor and every once in a while she found herself getting splinters from it. It was like a bad dream you just couldn't shake. She sighed, pulling her final thoughts away and focusing on her painting again.
Piper tossed and turned in her bed for nearly an hour now, she'd been up since 4am. She couldn't sleep and it wasn't just because her mind mentally registered to waking up at the wake of dawn but because of what she saw behind her closed eyelids.
The nostalgic feeling that hit her every time her eyes shut, it was more than just a burden. It was torture. The blinding pain she felt as the bullet hit her; it played over and over like a never ending record. She felt every bit of it; as if it was happening all over again. It was antagonizing and she hated it.
Her physical injury was healing perfectly, it was almost nothing but a mere scar. Yet, she never felt it being more painful.
She didn't wanna come home. Something about this place just made everything more real, more reveling. She almost died. On that battlefront, she almost died. However, no place felt better than that battleground. Back there; in the army life, she didn't have time to worry or think about herself. It was so much easier to put what happened to her at the back of her mind, but back here, as she lay on her bed. All she had was time; time to think and worry.
And boy were her thoughts catching up to her. A jumble of questions lingering at the top of her head. What was she doing? Torturing herself? Putting herself in danger? Trying so hard to live, when it should've been such an effortless task. And the loudest question that roared in her mind. What is she fighting for?
She sighed heavily and picked herself off her bed. She changed into anything she found at the top pile of clothes she left in her duffel bag. She needed to get out, before she felt like the room was about to crush her. She needed to breath. A breath of fresh air could help her control her thoughts. A run would do her good at a time like this.
She quietly changed into grey shorts and a white tank. She put on her running shoes and quietly left the room. She passed the living room of her brothers apartment slowly.
She could see Cal, sprawled out lazily on his couch. The TV still on from last night. They'd been up all night, catching up. It was welcoming, having someone like Cal in her life. She hadn't smiled as much as she had last night in a long while. He did so much for her than she ever gave him credit for.
She found a blanket laid sloppily by his couch. She picked it up and gently covered his body. She brushed his hair back slightly. Smiling softly. He really was the best brother she could ask for. She removed the TV remote from the coffee table before the couch and turned it off. The silence of the room making Cal shift a slight bit. He fluttered his eyes open tiredly.
"Piper?" He questioned, his voice hoarse. The trace of sleep still evident in his half open eyes. Piper crouched down near the couch, smiling softly.
"Shh, Cal. Go back to sleep." She whispered. "I'm just going for a run, i'll be back." She quickly explained. He nodded; sleep overtaking him again.
His eyes shuttered close just as fast as it opened. In a split second, he was back asleep. Piper smiled a last smile before she got up to her feet again. She left the apartment for her run.
Alex had drank about 2 aspirins by the time she arrived to the club. It was a rough day for her. The memories of her past nagging at the tip of her sleeve. They hurt her brain. On most days she brushed it off.
Today though, she just couldn't. The bottle of her feelings she liked to keep cramped finally exploded. There was just no more room to hide anything anymore. Nicky didn't let that go unnoticed when she eventually walked into the club.
"What happened to you?" Nicky questioned as Alex approached her by the bar. She glared at the redhead. Shaking her head with annoyance. Nicky can be really blind sometimes.
"Nothing." She said bitterly. She moved herself from in front of the bar to behind it, standing by Nicky. She sighed heavily letting her hand bag fall to the ground. Her fingers brushed through her hair.
"You need a day off or something?" Alex shook her head in response to the question. She'd been thinking about what Nicky had said all day.
Though the redhead sometimes can be blinded with selfishness, she had moments when her mind was in the right place. This morning it was. She was right, the only reason Alex can't seem to have a good day or good relationship since Sylvie, is her.
She always seemed to stop herself when something good happened. As if not wanting to believe it did, as if it would stop happening if she did believe it. She was scared. She was scared things won't turn out as she'd want them to.
But she needed to understand; that was life. The good and bad of it all, it was life. You'll have good days, and you'll have the bad. You can't have one without the other and it's time she accepted that.
"You were right." She chuckled out. Lifting her head from the ground to look at Nicky. "The only person in my way of moving on," she looked at her boss and lingered for a second. "Is me." She mumbled, Nicky smirked.
"Dose this mean I get to set you up tonight?" Her smirk grew harder as Alex rolled her eyes, a tiny grin dancing at the edges of her lips. She didn't answer her question and went to start preparing for tonight. Nicky trailed after her. Taking her silence as a Yes.
"This is going to be so good." She said excitedly. "What would you like? A brunette, a redhead." Alex spun around to look behind her, her eyebrows reaching upwards, Nicky gave her the same look. "What?"
"You know they're people right? Not buffet items." Alex let a chuckle slip out, she shook her head as Nicky shrugged.
"Ay, listen Stretch. Let me do the magic, okay?" She held Alex's hand. "All you have to do is stand there and look pretty." The brunette rolled her eyes. She went to stack up some glasses, Nicky behind her. She snapped her fingers when an idea stroke her mind.
"A blonde!" She yelled out. Alex fumbled with the glasses in her hand, suddenly remembering the blonde from last night. "That's what you need, something new and something you haven't tried yet."
"I don't think that's necessary, Nicky." She protested as she pushed her glasses further back into her face. Her stomach briefly clenching at the probability she might cross paths with the blonde soldier again. Something about Piper made Alex's flesh tingle and her hair stick out. "You can't actually determine a person by their hair color."
"Again, Al. Let me do the magic." The redhead grinned and walked away. Alex pushed her glasses over her head, biting her lower lip. She couldn't believe she was letting Nicky do this, but she knew if she didn't open herself up eventually then she'd never fully move on.
"Come on, Piper." Polly begged her best friend while she unpacked the little clothes she had from her duffel bag to the drawers she'll be using for the rest of her 3 weeks here.
"Even Nancy and Oliver came all the way from Seattle to see you." She nagged again. Piper turned from her position to face Polly, a tank top still in her hands. A pissed off look plastered on her face.
"See this is exactly why I didn't want anyone knowing I'd be back." Her voice filled with bitterness. "I don't want people coming to see me, as if I'm some hero. I don't want people asking me how my life was for the past year. I don't want people telling me they understand how hard it is, because they fucking don't." She hissed, throwing the shirt she had in her arms into the drawer.
She sighed heavily, calming her alarmed self down. She raised both her fingers to the edge of her forehead. She pressed her fingers down hard. All she asked for was silence about her arrival and she couldn't even have that. A blanket of silence fell over the two women as Piper took a seat on her bed.
"I'm sorry, Polly." She breathed out. "I didn't mean to snap at you." Polly looked at her sadly.
She couldn't say she understood what Piper felt, but she understood it was hard. She just couldn't help the excitement she felt, seeing her best friend again after a year. It felt like the good old days, when everyone was together. She took a seat by the blonde, placing her hand on top of hers.
"No, I'm sorry." She confessed. "I should've thought about what you wanted, I got so caught up with the excitement of seeing you again, after its been so long. I just wanted to flaunt that I had you back." She confessed.
Piper couldn't stay mad after that. She kind of sympathized with it. Yes, it has been a long time. She knew very well what it was like to finally see someone again, after coming from war. She'd stood by the doors of her father's house every time she was told he was coming and the second the door would swing open, she jumped. She would swing her arms tightly around his neck that he didn't have a choice but to lift her up. Giggles rang through the house during those times.
It was easy for a person to get caught up in a situation like that and every other person reacted in a different way. Like for Piper, she normally hogged her father from everyone else. Every second of everyday she wanted it to be just them. Polly was the opposite, she wanted the world to know that she finally had her best friend back. She wanted to exploit her happiness, get it all out.
At times, Piper failed to see why someone would wear their heart out on their sleeves. She didn't fathom it. Polly was one of those people, she'd never let how she truly felt inside and again it haunted Piper cause she knew she'd never be as care free as Polly was and it ate at her.
"I guess, maybe I could come for an hour." Piper exhaled gloomily. Polly's once rested face turned into an enormous smile. She wrapped her arms around Piper roughly, the blonde couldn't help but laugh. Polly could act like a toddler at times.
The night was running smoothly back at the club. Well, everything apart from Nicky. She was being a best friend trying to hook Alex up with every blonde that walked in. Little did she know, that Alex had a very specific blonde in her mind and she knew it was a long shot if she ever saw her again.
Last night was a random coincidence. Fate and destiny just slipped of the edges for a single second causing their worlds to clash. It was a 0.1 percent chance if they ever meet again. Yet, she found herself hoping for some stimulated reason that they do cross paths again. Even for just a second, it would be worth it. Because how rare would it be if a soldier and a bartender spend an evening together? Rare enough it would be considered precious. And truthfulfully, it would be precious.
"Seriously Al, that last one was smoking hot." Nicky said annoyed.
It had been probably the 5th girl Alex dissed that night. Any girl, actually, that Nicky picked out she dissed. Even if there was nothing wrong with her, she'd find something to complain about. She wanted to pick a girl on her own terms. Work her charm by herself. She knew she still had it somewhere deep down. She was just afraid to use it. She'd been preparing a drink when her boss pinched her. Alex glared at Nicky.
"Ow!" She complained.
"Quite complaining." She hissed giving Alex a deadly glare. "You can't ignore everybody."
"Would you just give it up?" The brunette moved away from her boss. Going to serve another customer. Nicky followed her like a toddler following their mother at a grocery store.
"Someone will walk in and catch your eye; and trust me, when that happens you'll owe me a dollar." She seethed, crossing her arms over her chest and as if on Que. in walked a group of 7.
They walked in one after the other, the last of the trail a blonde, the very same blonde that stumbled into the club yesterday. Alex's body froze, the bottle she had thrown into the air long forgotten. The retort she was about to give Nicky vanished from existence. All she could do for those few seconds was stare. She felt a crippling feeling crawl from her toes to the tip of her head. The only thing bringing her back to reality was the sound of glass colliding against the floor.
"Shit." She said under a rapid breath. She quickly forced her eyes away and bent to pick the broken pieces; Nicky followed the trail Alex's eyes left.
Alex rarely fumbled with the bottles, she never broke glasses or at least she hadn't in years. So, this slip up seemed too far fetched to be just a slip up. Something distracted her and Nicky couldn't help but smirk when she noticed the blonde that caught her best friends eyes. The brunette picked up the broken pieces and threw them in the trash can, she came back to her position, Nicky's grin grown furiously larger. Alex gave her a warning glare.
"Don't." She forced out. Nicky looked back at the blonde, who seemed to be smiling politely at her companions at the moment.
"She's cute." A sneaky smile forming on the redhead's lips. Alex shook her head forcing distance between her and Nicky, letting the rest of the bartenders draft a gap between them. She turned back to look at her best friend and frowned slightly noticing the brunette had distance herself.
"You owe me a dollar!" She yelled only causing the brunette to shake her head again.
"So," Larry started, speaking directly to Piper for the first time since they were seated.
Polly, Pete, Jack, Nancy and Oliver were in their own conversation at that moment. The blonde in her own world, starring out at the club that was incredibly full. It was such a contrast to when she came in last night. Larry was starring at her throughout the entire time they've been seated. They were facing each other.
It had been months since they've seen or talked to each other. Ever since Larry called off their engagement because of Pipers sudden desire to enter the military they've cut the cord on their relationship. At first it was just a couple texts every now and then, but after a month, contact slowly started to fade into nothing until they were but mere strangers.
"You're back." He said as if acknowledging it for the first time. Piper nodded broadly.
"Yeah, I'm back." She obviously stated. Silence fell upon them, the tension in the air thick and dry. Piper tried to avoid eye contact at all costs while Larry did the opposite. When he suddenly gave up seeking her eyes he looked to the ground and fiddled with his fingers.
"For how long?"
"3 weeks." She answered, he looked up at her worry flowing on his face.
"What for?" Piper shrugged at the question, she didn't want to answer it.
Larry had always told her she wasn't strong enough for the Army and mentioning being shot would only give him the satisfaction that he was right. So, she decided to keep quiet, he didn't have to know anything if she wished it. She wasn't obligated to follow his orders or care about what he thinks. It was her life and her decisions, she didn't need criticism over it.
"Reasons." Piper shrugged again, making it seem like no big deal at all.
Larry was not having it though. He'd known her long to know when she was lying, and right now is one of those times but he kept quiet. He learned his lesson a long time ago, never meddle when she lied. It'll just end badly. Silence found its way around them again for a few minutes.
"Piper!" Pete yelled for her attention from across the table.
He was Polly's Australian husband, she'd honestly never liked him. He always put his nose where it didn't belong and his mouth was bigger than his entire body. She forced a smile anyway and looked at him.
"You never told us how life in the army is like?" He slurred the question, a glass of something in his right hand.
He was obviously drunk. Polly, who was siting beside him nudged his arm. She knew Piper didn't want to talk about anything like that. She'd barely agreed to come. Piper rolled her eyes at the question and looked away. She wasn't going to answer a question like that to a drunk like Pete.
"Why'd they send you back?" He asked again.
"Pete." Polly hissed. The blonde still ignored.
"Were you too much of a pussy?" A chuckle lingered in his voice and that's when Piper felt her blood turn ice cold.
She wanted to slap him, how dare he call her a pussy. She wasn't weak, she fought. She got shot but she survived. That's more than anything he'd done in his tiny, pathetic life. If anyone was pussy here it would be him. He can't even live in his own god damn country.
Piper glared at him. The anger in her fuming. She wanted out, she wanted to leave. This was not going to end well if she stayed longer. She needed anything to just get out of here, any excuse. So, that's what she got.
She felt a sudden shrill of coldness hit against her skin. She automatically stood up. Her shirt drenched in what smelled like alcohol. Everyone around the table stood frozen. All that could be heard was a mumbling sorry from the waitress that spilt the drinks on her.
She looked down and her eyes froze. They locked with the same green piercing orbs she saw yesterday. Dread washed over the waitresses face. The brunette had stopped mumbling her sorry's once their eyes got caught up. For a while they stood just starring at each other. Larry didn't miss that and a hint of jealousy washed over him.
"Can't you see where you're going?!" Larry stood, hitting the table angrily. Piper put her hand up, she shook her head. The last thing she needed was Larry's incipit jealousy.
"It's fine." She said looking at Larry then towards the brunette who finally stood up from her crouched position. "It was an accident." She whispered out, finding herself starring at those green orbs.
"Let me get you a different shirt, i have one at the back." Alex finally spoke, a hopeful smile wondering on her lips. Piper stayed still silently starring. "It's the least I can do." Alex mumbled.
This was it Piper thought, her chance to get out. She thanked whatever god that made the brunette slip up because this was the perfect excuse to get out. She nodded her head, picking her things up. Alex bit her bottom lip nervously. She then took the lead and walked to the bathroom the blonde trailing behind her.
Piper was in the bathroom while Alex went to get her a different shirt. She was scrubbing roughly at the shirt she had though. As if it would do any good. She just wanted to keep her hands busy at the time. She was still slightly angry. She hated whenever anyone assumed she wasn't good enough to be a soldier just because she was a woman.
As if strength could be determined by gender. She knew many women who were stronger than men could ever be. She didn't understand this insistent need for people to judge other people by their appearances. You can't judge a book by its cover. Everyone knows that. Yet, people still judge by the cover.
She sighed heavily, her head was spinning in circles. She was exhausted. She placed her fingers on her head and rubbed hard. Her other hand balancing her against the sink. She heard the door open and slight footsteps walking closer to her.
"You're welcome." She opened her eyes to see the brunette smirking slightly at her. Piper was confused, just a few minutes ago she looked like she was a nervous mess.
"You looked like you wanted out." Alex explained as she stretched her arms out, giving Piper her shirt. The blonde thought for a moment before she finally put two and two together. Alex had deliberately spilt the drinks on her.
"And he seemed like an asshole." She shrugged. The blonde just silently stared. She was surprised how someone could be that observing. She didn't even know her. Yet, she could read her like an open book.
"Thanks." She said with a slight smile while she took her shirt.
"Anytime." She tucked her hands in her back pockets, a smile on her lips. Piper smiled back.
The blonde then proceeded to take her shirt off. She winced slightly when her bullet wound found a new source of pressure on it as she lifted her arm. Alex suddenly more alert rushed to the blonde.
"Jesus. Are you alright?" She asked, worry evident on her eyes. The blonde had her eyes crushed together. She bit her bottom lip for a second, breathed in then out.
"I'm fine." She mumbled out. Alex looked at the blonde then back to the wound.
"That doesn't look fine." She protested. Piper opened her eyes and looked down on her disfigured flesh. It looked bad but it wasn't the worst.
"It's just a bullet wound." She brushed off. Putting on the shirt Alex gave her. The brunette raised her eyebrows.
"Just a bullet wound?" She mimicked, impressed. "You're stronger than you look aren't you?" The words slipped out of her mouth. Piper stood still, she couldn't recall the last time anyone has ever described her that way.
She wanted to say something but nothing came to her, she was speechless. The door then abruptly opened. A short redhead walked in.
"Alex! Come on!" She yelled, her hands motioning her to move it. "You're on in 5." She said hurriedly before she noticed the blonde, she grinned at her best friend. Alex rolled her eyes. Nicky chuckled and left. She walked towards the door and turned at the last minute.
"See ya, soldier." She said with a warm smile. Piper felt her stomach burn. She remembered her. She smiled back. Words once again lost.
She gathered her things again and left the bathroom. She kept her eyes open, looking for this spectacular brunette. She found her by the bar, throwing bottles and catching them effortlessly. She smiled thinking back on how she deliberately messed up to help her escape.
The night took a slight turn for her and it was all thanks to that particular brunette. She smiled to herself leaving the bar content with her night. Alex watched as she left the club wondering when their next meeting could be. Or if they would ever see each other again.