A/N Wow, thank you all so much for the amazing response to last chapter. I had every intention of having this chapter up last night, but when you see the length, you will understand the reason for the delay. There is a fair bit happening in this chapter so bear with me as it is all very important to the story.
For reference the flashback that appears in this chapter connects with both the second flashback featured in Chapter 12 and the first flashback in Chapter 15- so it might be worth giving them another read for it all to connect properly.
Reviews:
Anon: Nicky really needs to smack a bitch down :P Glad you enjoyed the cupcake thing- I really enjoyed writing that.
Guest: Thanks for pointing that out- that is simply me jumbling spellings as these chapters are usually written and edited late at night so my brain isn't as switched on as it should be. I'll try to be more conscious of it in the future :)
I3Vauseman: Haha thanks so much. I missed Danny so I sat there and made myself find a way to include him in the chapter. Nicky is amazing, I swear we all need a friend like her in our lives. I felt the key was just something simple, yet greatly needed in the story at this point. Our Pipes truly has grown from the person she was in chapter one. Haha yes, maybe one day in a future fic I will write you all a shower scene which you won't need to imagine :P More Nicky and Piper banter in this chapter so enjoy and plenty more to come as I love writing it as much as you love reading it. You are close with your guesses on Zoey, she is a very complicated character and we will find out more soon. Your reward is here, enjoy :D
Enthralled: In my mind, Zoey is nothing like what Stella was in the show. All I'll say is Zoey is someone Piper knew well when she was younger and perhaps isn't the best person for her to be around :P
…
Piper awakens very late morning to the sun blaring unforgivingly through her open curtains, her hand instinctively reaching out for the body she knew this particular morning wouldn't be by her side, Alex having woken much earlier, gently kissing Piper goodbye before leaving to cover the day shift at Red's. Feeling the lack of warmth on what had come to be Alex's side of her bed, Piper sighs slightly before pushing herself from the mattress and into a seated position, gently rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she attempts to shake off the sluggish feeling currently riddling her tired body, the intense training sessions at the gym having weighed heavily upon her over the last few weeks.
Glancing at the clock on her bedside table, Piper notices it was nearly noon, the blonde knowing she needed to begin to prepare to leave for the gym, John having requested that they commit to a later afternoon session in an effort to allow Piper to recover. Piper stretches slightly before willing herself from the comfort of the covers and lazily padding her way towards the bathroom in seek of the relief of the hot stream from the shower, hoping it would soothe her aching muscles.
Piper takes her time in the shower, savouring the calming warmth, knowing that within the hour she would be diving head first into an intense training session with John, preparing for any upcoming fights she was waiting rather impatiently to be scheduled, eager to have the opportunity to release some much built up tension. Boxing was Piper's emotional outlet, providing her with a focus during a time she struggled heavily, it acting as her motivation to avoid falling back into that darkness which had almost consumed her.
Stepping from the shower, Piper dries herself and quickly changes into a set of her comfortable workout clothes, adorning the grey shorts and black tank top with her favourite hooded jumper for the journey there. Opening the bathroom door, Piper smiles as the smell of a cooked lunch fills her senses, her stomach quickly grumbling in protest at her lack of food consumption for the day.
"Wow, it actually smells good in here for once," Piper says in surprise as she walks her way into the kitchen, towelling her wet hair dry as she takes a seat at the kitchen counter, her eyes falling to focus on her best friend's back as she watches with fascination, having grown accustomed to Nicky's usually disastrous attempts at preparing and cooking food.
Nicky barks a laugh at the blonde's comment, turning slightly to face her friend, a smile playing on her lips. "Yeah, Lorna has been teaching me a few things. I think she had just had enough of worrying about leaving me to fend for myself when she wasn't around to cook for me," she explains as she turns back to the hotplate, flipping the two small steaks in the pan.
"Uh Nic, I think she had the right to worry about you in the kitchen. I mean you did set yourself on fire….twice," Piper says with a laugh, remembering the night she had watched her best friend swear profusely after setting the sleeve of her favourite jumper alight as she attempted to cook them dinner, her cooking skills clearly lacking back then.
"Don't be dramatic Pipes, it wasn't twice. I just failed to extinguish it properly the first time," Nicky says in protest, causing Piper to laugh loudly at her defensiveness to the subject, the wild-haired woman never willing to admit the truth of how her favourite jumper came to be no more.
"Where is Lorna anyway?" Piper asks as she reaches for the glass of water Nicky had obviously set for her on the kitchen counter earlier, noticing the absence of the small brunette who had grown to practically live with them over the last year. "I thought you both had the day off today?" she continues, taking a sip from her glass as she awaits a response.
"We do. She's got a few days off though, and went up to visit her family. Red needs me to work a double shift tomorrow, so I had to stay here," Nicky explains with disappointment as she opens the door of their kitchen cabinet and retrieves two plates.
"That's like your fifth double this month and Alex has done at least three," Piper complains. "Why doesn't Red just hire someone else?"
"Yeah, it sucks, but you know Red, she doesn't just hire anybody, Pipes," Nicky explains as she begins to plate the now cooked steaks, siding them with some steamed vegetables she had also prepared. It was long known that Red rarely hired new staff, all her current employees remaining loyal to the older woman, Alex having told Piper in the past how much she had hated leaving the bar when she made the stupid decision to move with her ex Sylvia in an attempt to salvage the relationship. Red's bar was a loving family and although Piper wasn't employed there, she was certainly a member.
"You know, if you ever want to take a break from boxing, I'm sure she would happily give you a job," Nicky says as she places the plates on the counter and comes to sit next to Piper, who murmurs a quick thanks as she pulls the plate towards her and prepares to dig into what actually looks like a very appetising meal.
Piper takes a bite of her food and chews thoughtfully, before turning to respond to her friend. "As much as I like Red, I don't think that'll ever happen. We both know how committed I am to boxing. I mean, honestly, I cannot picture a life without it," she replies, earning a nod of agreement from her friend, Nicky having watched her work so hard to achieve the position she was now in, eternally thankful to John for providing Piper with the opportunity of focus that she desperately needed.
They finish their meals in a comfortable silence, Piper remaining seated as she finishes her drink, watching Nicky as she begins to clear the plates from their counter and walk to place them into the sink, suddenly whipping around to face Piper as she remembers something she knew she needed to discuss with the blonde. "Pipes, you'll never fucking guess who I saw at the grocery store when I went to go collect the stuff for lunch."
Piper raises her eyebrows in question, unsure of who the wild-haired woman was referring to.
"Fucking Zoey," Nicky exclaims in clear distaste at the memory of sighting the person she perhaps hated the most in this world. "When you spoke to her at the club the other week did she how long she was here for?" Nicky probes, worried as to why the older woman still appeared to be around town, concerned for what this could mean for Piper.
"Uh, she said something about having moved here," Piper says distractedly as she begins to gather all her needed belongings for her session into her gym bag. After their chance meeting, Piper hadn't given the older woman a second thought, honestly having almost forgotten their meeting that night until Nicky had brought it up.
"What?" Nicky says in a tone that makes Piper immediately cease what she was doing and look towards her friend, her expression one of morphed anger and horror. "Pipes, please tell me you are planning on staying the fuck away from her?" Nicky questioningly pleads, now hoping that her own, brisk warning to the older woman that night at the club would be enough for her to stay away from the blonde. Zoey was a toxic force, yet despite numerous attempts by Nicky, Piper had always failed to see it.
"Nicky," Piper says firmly as she pulls her gym bag strap over her head to rest on her shoulder as she walks towards the door of their apartment, having heard Nicky discuss Zoey with great distaste many times before. "This town is a big place, I doubt we will even come across each other again," she says with finality, truly believing her own words, having no desire to actually make the effort to seek out her old friend.
Nicky gives her a doubtful look, knowing that there is every possibility that Zoey may attempt to seek Piper out, knowing that the older woman had enjoyed Piper's friendship during their younger years and was intensely furious with Nicky when she convinced Piper to move, conveniently managing to sever all ties with the woman who she knew was not a good person, wanting Zoey to remain as far away from Piper as possible.
"Don't worry, it will all be fine," she says in reassurance, sighting Nicky's expression, before quickly exiting the apartment and closing the door in an attempt to cease the conversation, effectively pushing Nicky's concerns at bay. Piper knew Nicky hated Zoey, she always had, yet in spite of this, Piper had always had, what she believed, was a very solidified friendship with the older woman. Like Nicky, Zoey, had offered Piper support during difficult times and although, as per usual, Piper had not accepted it she would always be grateful for the offer, despite what Nicky might believe.
….
Piper pads quickly down the sidewalk, lost in uneventful thought as she begins the journey towards her afternoon session at the gym, John having told her he would meet her there this afternoon as they prepare for any potential upcoming fights. On the day they had met, John had seen the immense potential in Piper as a boxer, having offered her the opportunity to further advance her natural skill set. Although she was small, Piper had an immense power, John having helped her in developing the ability to channel all the negative energy she carried into boxing, her strikes having become more powerful as she learnt the ability to focus.
As she continues to walk, Piper smiles, remembering back to that fateful day in which her life changed for the better. The day she would finally have the opportunity to achieve and allow herself to create a positive outlet for all her built up anger and frustrations with a world that had only come to do her harm. Piper had been apprehensive at first, her aversion to violence strongly pulling in the direction of saying no to John's offer. However, after attending a non-obligatory training session, Piper had quickly fallen in love with the sport, having developed a deep respect for her trainer as he graciously guided her.
Sitting on a stool at the bleak and run-down bar, Piper takes a deep breath as her fingers fiddle aimlessly with the glass in her hand, the blonde eternally grateful for having found a bar which did not card, allowing a then eighteen year old Piper, to seek solace and comfort behind its doors.
It had been three torturously long months since Nicky had pulled her from that basement, the two friends arguing with one another until Piper finally began to cave, agreeing to the help her best friend was trying to provide. It hadn't been easy, Piper spending close to two weeks huddled in her best friend's room, both girl's thankful that Nicky's mother was very much absent. Piper spent the best part of that time painfully going through the unpleasant symptoms of heroin withdrawal, at times screaming, no begging, for Nicky to relent and let her just have small hit, promising it would be her last.
Nicky never conceded once, remaining firm upon each ridiculous request, never once faltering despite the horrible symptoms she was watching her friend endure. By the end, Piper was immensely thankful, Nicky never at any stage attempting to back away, being there to hold the blonde's hair away each time she would be violently ill, soothing her through ever aching spasm of her body, comforting her through each tearful cry.
Piper's mother never once called in an effort to determine where her daughter had gone to, the older woman having grown to no longer care as to the whereabouts the final child under her roof had gone. It wasn't until a further two weeks had past, Piper having successfully gone through the withdrawal phase, that the blonde dare return home, only entering her family home to quickly collect her belongings, having agreed with Nicky the week prior to the move away from all restrictions and temptations that were associated with that place.
Now, nearly eight weeks on, Piper was still struggling despite having started fresh with Nicky, the two friends now sharing an apartment in the city. Whilst Nicky had found a job rather easily at Red's, Piper was struggling to find her place, causing for her to struggle further by not having something to occupy her day, her mind helplessly wandering towards a certain drug which would numb those feelings. Piper required a constructive outlet for her built-up emotions, the blonde knowing she needed to find a positive wave to channel all her frustrations and tension.
It was yet another night in which Piper had to be left to her own devices, Nicky having to work in an effort for them to remain with enough money to afford their apartment. Despite her struggles, the blonde like usual, was choosing to not share her deep troubles with anyone, even Nicky. Piper knew if Nicky had even the slightest incline she was having difficulty coping, her best friend would have immediately called in sick to work, potentially putting both of them at risk of losing their apartment after suddenly having to become self-sufficient. Piper was very conscious of just how much Nicky was loving their new lifestyle and was not prepared to put that at risk, not matter how much she found herself struggling under the weight of her cravings. Piper Chapman had learnt not to share her problems and this was just another case of her doing what she did best.
A sudden firm hand on her shoulder pulls Piper from her thoughts, the blonde quickly snapping her attention towards the oversized man who stood inches from her side, the smell of alcohol on his breath causing her to cringe. It was not unusual for Piper to be hit on at bars by both men and women, the blonde often accompanying the ones who interested her home, having grown more inclined as she got older to the company of a woman than a man.
However, tonight was a night she was interested in no such thing, quickly shrugging the man's hand from her shoulder, his disgusting and sleazy touch still burnt into the skin. She attempts to ignore the man, hoping that he will take the hint and leave her be, his drunken state proving it to be difficult for him to comprehend as he proceeds to wrap his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into him as slurs a greeting in her ear.
The sudden movement causes Piper to quickly pull herself away from the man, her aversion to physical touch propelling her to distance herself as quickly as possible, the man swaying slightly but still managing to keep a grip on her arm.
"Take your fucking hands off me," Piper screams, trying in vain to pull herself from the man's vice grip, suddenly feeling sick at her inability to detach herself from the current situation.
"Oh, come on baby," he croons, smiling at Piper in an effort to calm her, showing he meant no harm despite the fear Piper was feeling.
Piper feels herself begin to panic, the close proximity of an unknown person in her personal space proving too much for the blonde. Raising her fist, Piper pulls back before quickly snapping it forward, feeling the bones of the man's nose crunch under her hand, his eyes immediately rolling back into his head as he slumps unconscious to the floor, shocked gasps and hoots of approval filling the bar at her one solid punch knockout, something she would later become well known for in the ring. .
Piper watches as his friends come to his aid before turning on her heel and quickly making her exit, immediately reaching for her cigarette packet the moment she walks through the door, quickly placing a smoke between her lips and lighting it as the cool night air hits her face, savouring in the cigarettes warm comfort.
Piper was rarely violent, only ever using physical force as a last resort when she felt cornered, despising unnecessary violence after the suffering she had to endure as a result of her father. Piper walks a short distance before stopping and leaning herself against the wall, allowing herself to take a few calming moments as she continues to take deep draws of her cigarette, her heart rate beginning to quickly slow from its previous rapid beating.
"Hey, are you okay?" a voice suddenly asks in concern, startling Piper slightly, her eyes immediately falling towards a young, brown haired man who smiles tenderly back at her, his presence non-threatening.
"I'm fine, thanks," Piper mutters quickly, as the man continues to smile at her, nodding his head
"I'm John," he says in introduction, raising his right hand towards Piper in greeting.
Piper looks at his hand, pausing for a moment as she silently debates whether or not to accept his greeting. John's facial expression was sweet and tender, providing her with much needed comfort after the incident at the bar, the young man's posture unknowingly providing Piper with a familiar security. If she was honest with herself, the man slightly reminded her of Danny, his soft eyes, providing a gentle welcome she had not seen in years.
Piper can't help but return his smile, slowly reaching her hand and grasping his, her knuckles aching slightly from where she had connected with the other man's nose, John seemingly unfazed by the small trickle of blood that had begun to seep from the cut on her hand.
"Piper."
"Piper," she hears her name called, the familiar voice shrilling from behind her as she quickly halts, turning around to face the older woman who she was honestly surprised to see, truly not having believed she would actually come into contact with her again.
"Zoey, hey," Piper responds, giving the girl a polite smile as the brunette walks to quickly stand in front of her, Zoey's smile impossibly wide, overjoyed with the chance meeting, unaware of Piper's earlier conversation with Nicky regarding her presence in her life.
"Where are you off to?" Zoey enquires, studying the younger woman intently, taking in her choice of attire.
"The gym," Piper responds simply, gesturing with her hand in the direction she intended to travel to reach her destination.
"Oh, I'm headed that way. Do you mind if I walk with you?" Zoey asks, it sounding more of a statement rather than a question, as if the older woman had already determined she would regardless of Piper's response to her question.
"Uh, sure," Piper manages to mumble out, the intent, piercing gaze of her old friend causing the normally confident blonde to falter. Zoey was an intimating figure, the brunette having the ability to secure the desired answer with a single look. Although Zoey was intimidating, Piper never truly felt uncomfortable in her presence, having never once been on the receiving end of the wrath that Zoey could emit on another person whom she disliked.
Zoey smiles and reaches her hand into her jacket pocket, pulling out a cigarette packet and flipping its lid and grabbing a cigarette, placing it between her lips and lighting it's end, taking a deep draw before blowing a large cloud of smoke as she looks towards Piper. "You want one?" she asks, stretching her arm towards Piper as she offers her the open packet, something she had done a thousand times before in the past.
"No thanks," Piper responds, her eyes lingering on the cigarette packet for longer than she wished, the familiar smell emitting from Zoey's lit cigarette overwhelming her senses, memories of the past when she allowed herself to saviour the taste flooding her mind.
Piper hadn't smoked in years, having given up the nasty habit in an effort to remain as healthy as possible during the boxing season, finding it restricted her ability to be in her best form for her matches. Although, she had given it up years earlier, there were still times she craved the comfort of a cigarette, having found in the past it helped ease the tension that would riddle her body. However, boxing helped her put those, along with other more dangerous and illicit cravings, far from her mind, not allowing herself to give if to the temptations for fear of the repercussions it would have on her performance in the ring. Boxing was Piper's centre in her hectic and jumbled world and she never allowed herself the opportunity to ruin that, knowing that it was one of the only reasons she was in a better place, away from attractions of things which would certainly drag her back under, into a direction which didn't have a happy ending.
"Oh come on, you're not going to make me smoke on my own are you? The older woman replies, breaking Piper's train of thought, playfully pouting her lip at the blonde as she pushes the packet further in Piper's direction, temptingly waving it just before Piper's reach, wanting her to relent.
Piper hesitates for a moment before shaking her head as she attempts to clear the sudden craving from her mind, knowing she shouldn't give in. Raising her right hand in protest, Piper gently pushes the packet away in an effort to distance herself, making her refusal clearer for her friend. "No, really I'm good. I quit smoking a while ago," Piper responds as she continues to walk in the direction of the gym.
Zoey gazes at Piper with a degree of scrutiny, her eyes piercing intently into the side of the blonde's head whose focus now remains forward, unaware of the brunette's focus, Piper evidently far different from the young women she had remembered. Shrugging her shoulders in disappointment, Zoey stuffs the packet back into her jacket pocket before turning her attention back to Piper, smirking slightly as she flicks the lit cigarette between her fingers with her thumb. "Well fucking look at you, last time I saw you would never give up the opportunity for a smoke."
Piper smiles slightly towards her old friend and shrugs her shoulders, not allowing her earlier uncertainty to show. "Yeah, I gave them up, apparently they're bad for you. Who would have thought?" Piper explains, deciding to keep her reasoning behind given up smoking light and non-invasive.
Zoey emits a short laugh and shakes her head towards Piper, taking a quick draw of her cigarette before responding. "Please, we both know this,' she says, signalling to the cigarette in her hand, "is not the worst thing you have put into your body, Pipes."
Piper frowns slightly at the remark as an awkward silence stills between the two, the blonde nervously shuffling her hands over the shoulder strap of her gym bag as she determines how to respond at the sudden and rather unwanted reminder of her past. Taking a deep breath, Piper shifts her eyes towards her friend, watching as the woman remains oblivious to her own discomfort. "Yeah, well, I don't do that shit anymore. The whole boxing thing keeps me pretty in check."
"Oh yeah, I heard about that," Zoey replies with a smile, referring to the knowledge of the blonde's acquirement into the world of boxing, the topic having filtered through their joint social networks years earlier. "I must say Pipes, it's made you look pretty fucking good," the older woman comments with a laugh, her eyes lingering on the blonde's toned body, taking in the change of body shape of the younger woman.
"Yeah, well, maybe your lazy ass should hit the gym every once in a while. Knowing you, you are still living off a diet of beer and burgers," Piper says with a laugh. Truth was, despite her inadequate diet, Zoey had an amazing figure, the older woman never having to make the effort to maintain it, her body something that was an instant draw for the women around her, the brunette knowing this and using it to her advantage.
"We both know that's never going to happen. Besides, it's not like I need to," Zoey says with a chuckle, giving Piper a boastful wink as she continues to stride forward with confidence, a confidence Piper had never once seen falter.
Piper laughs freely at the comment, shaking her head at her old friend who apparently hasn't changed at all. "Wow, nice to see that conceited and self-absorbed ego is very much intact."
Zoey laughs, unfazed by Piper's depiction of her, knowing it was all truth. Zoey always got what she wanted, the brunette knowing exactly how to influence people into doing what she wanted, her unwavering ability to unknowingly manipulate others something she twistedly took pride in.
A few silent moments pass, Zoey taking a final draw of her cigarette before speaking. "I gotta say Pipes, it's weird seeing you all conventional now," she comments with a tight smile, flicking the butt of her cigarette into the gutter of the street, referring to the blonde's shift into a more common and predictable way of life, far from the woman she had known years earlier.
Piper frowns ever so slightly at Zoey's comment, Zoey never ceasing to have the uncanny ability to read Piper and her undiscussed life choices. "Maybe, I like conventional now," she quips in her defence, offering some explanation at the change in her lifestyle choices which she knew Zoey would probably disapprove of, the older woman used to a sense of adventure.
Zoey scoffs at the blonde, the tone condescending and underlined with sheer arrogance and unacceptance. "Conventional is boring, Piper. And we both know you hate boring."
"I guess," Piper mumbles in response, not truly agreeing with that statement. Piper had once despised boring, always enjoying bending the norm, finding it acted as an escape from her own dark world which surrounded her, it providing a sense of solace during a time she rather forget.
Although Piper considered her life conventional, she perceived it far from the boring depiction Zoey was implying, her life now resembling something she always wanted, a life filled with structure and future. Piper had most certainly changed from the girl Zoey had once knew, her move to this city as well as her time with Alex and Nicky something which had heavily morphed her into something better.
The two women walk in silence before coming to stop on a street corner, each evidently having to walk in the opposite direction of one another, Piper eager to get to the gym and commence training, knowing that the sooner her training finished meant more time she would get to spend with Alex that night, the two having barely had the opportunity to just hang out over the last few days with both their hectic schedules.
"Well, I'll see you around Zoey," Piper says in common parting as she gives her old friend a small smile before turning on her heel and walking in the direction of the gym, unaware of the older woman's intense stare as she distances herself, a distance Piper was unaware at that moment she greatly needed, Zoey intent on having the opportunity to see Piper again.
…..
Piper eyes remain fixated upon the black fabric of the punching bag, sweat cascading down her skin as she drives her padded fists towards it in a rhythmic fashion, allowing her body to begin the process of cooling down after a rigorous training session with John. She continues to strike the bag, alternating between quick jabs and firm uppercuts as the music blares through her headphones, feeling the pressured tension in her body beginning to dissipate with her concentration.
"Hey," a muffled voice says suddenly from behind, causing Piper to emit a small startled yelp as she whips her body around to face the sudden intrusion to her previously undisturbed cooldown, having believed the gym was now empty and she was the only one to remain within the building.
"Alex. Fuck!" Piper exclaims, raising her gloved hand to her chest as she attempts to rid herself of the sudden shock, her heart pounding rapidly against her chest at the unexpected presence of her girlfriend. "You fucking scared the shit out of me," Piper breaths out, before a small smile begins to creep itself onto her lips, her eyes coming to focus on just how breathtakingly beautiful the brunette was despite only being dressed in casual jeans and a V-neck.
"Sorry," Alex apologies, unable to contain a small chuckle from escaping at the shocked expression which had transpired upon the blonde's face at her greeting. "Hey," she whispers again to a more aware Piper, reaching forward to encircle her arms around the blonde, pulling her into a warm embrace.
"Hi," Piper murmurs before enclosing the short distance and pressing her lips against her girlfriend's, smiling into the kiss, having missed the feeling of those lips upon her own, both women having been incessantly busy over the last week reducing their time together drastically. The brunette deepens the kiss, cupping her girlfriend's face as she captures her bottom lip in between her teeth, inciting a small muffled moan from the blonde.
"You're really lucky you know," Piper mumbles against Alex's lips before pulling back to meet her green eyes, feeling Alex wind her arms around her waist, anchoring her in place.
"I know I am," Alex responds seriously as she gazes at Piper, love and adoration filtering through her eyes as she looks on at the woman who had captivated her heart.
"I didn't mean it like that, you sap," Piper says with a laugh, giving Alex a playful shove with her gloved hand in an attempt to distract from the seriousness of her heart-warming smile that was beginning to form upon her lips. Even after all this time, Piper still found herself struggling to comprehend just how she managed to get so lucky with her relationship with Alex, the depth of love she had developed for the brunette something she never would have imagined in her darker days. "I meant you are lucky I didn't accidentally punch you in the face."
Alex returns her laughter, nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders at the suggestion. "You wouldn't punch this face," Alex replies with a confident smirk, solidifying her remark with a quick peck on the blonde's lips. "You love it too much," she adds with a spirited wink.
Piper laughs and shakes her head at the brunette's frankness, a wide smile stretching across her face. "Yeah, I do," Piper replies, quickly leaning forward to give Alex a chaste kiss before stepping from the embrace and beginning to remove her gloves as she walks towards her gym bag which rests in the corner of the room.
"You know it's weird," Alex muses as she follows Piper, her eyes glancing around the gym at the posters which ornate the walls, very much instilling the atmosphere that this was a professional gym designed for competitive boxers. "I have watched plenty of your matches and I still don't completely understand the rules."
Piper smiles at her girlfriend as she takes an appreciative sip from her water bottle. Since their first meeting, Alex had attended every single one of her matches without fail, despite her obvious aversion to wanting to witness Piper put in harm's way. Alex, like Nicky, was always very supportive of Piper's chosen profession, clearly seeing the immense joy and focus it brought Piper. Before Alex, boxing, along with Nicky's friendship, was the only thing she demonstrated any kind of commitment towards, it acting as her drive in life in order to help maintain sobriety and steer away from the dark pathway of drugs. Boxing had developed into Piper's everything and she truly couldn't comprehend a world in which it wasn't a fixture within her life.
Bending slightly, Piper begins to collect her remaining belongings and places them into her gym bag, suddenly snapping her eyes back towards Alex as she feels her shameless fixation upon her back. "Were you checking out my arse?" she asks Alex, her voice filled with accusation and tease as she watches the brunette's eyes widen at the realisation she had been caught in the act.
"Maybe," Alex replies sheepishly, her eyes pooling with desire as she continues to keep a lustful gaze upon her girlfriend. Alex had never kept it a secret how attractive she found Piper in her workout gear, on numerous occasions, offering to meet the blonde at the gym after a session in a not so secretive effort to fulfil her watchful desires for her girlfriend. "Sorry babe, I can't help it. You know what those little gym shorts of yours do to me," Alex murmurs with need, stepping towards Piper, her hands raised in mock apology.
Piper laughs at Alex's false sincerity, her eyes suddenly glinting as her mind succumbs to an idea. Rifling through her gym bag, Piper pulls out her spare gloves and smiles seductively at Alex, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the ring in the centre of the gym floor, remaining silent on her plans for the brunette. Stopping at the edge of the ring, Piper let's go of her girlfriend's hand and slides herself under the ropes, turning to face Alex and beckoning for her to follow, the brunette raising a questioning eyebrow before conceding and follow Piper into the ring.
"What are we doing?" Alex asks with a laugh as she follows Piper into the centre of the ring, pausing to stop just in front of the blonde, their bodies facing one another.
"Well, you said you didn't know the rules of boxing," Piper says as she glances around the room to ensure that they are alone, fixing her gaze back towards her girlfriend at the confirmation. "So, I'm going to teach you."
Alex raises an inquisitive eyebrow at Piper, attempting to suppress the smirk she can feel seeping onto her face as she takes in the desire pooling behind Piper's eyes, her gaze seductive and flirtatious.
"Hands," Piper commands, smiling inwardly as Alex immediately complies, the brunette's mouth now pulled into an enticed smile. Securing the velcro of the gloves, Piper takes a step back from her girlfriend and allows her eyes to wander over the unfamiliar sight of Alex in a set of boxing gloves, a sight which Piper found incredibly attractive.
"Okay, first thing," Piper says as she confidently steps towards Alex, faces inches from one another, green eyes connected with blue. "The shirt," she says, leaning in towards Alex's right ear, her lips almost touching the lobe, her tickling breath causing the brunette to involuntarily shudder as Piper's fingers skirt the hem of her girlfriend's t-shirt. "It has to go," she continues, collecting the fabric in her hands and pulling the fabric from Alex's body to expose her pale skin, leaving the brunette now clad in only a black laced bra and her dark jeans.
"For performance purposes," Piper explains as she turns from her girlfriend and walks the few feet to the ropes and casually discards the shirt upon the top rope. "You know, to prevent it from restricting your movement," she reasons, remaining under Alex's watchful eye as she proceeds back towards where the brunette was standing, smiling as she watches the blush begin to rise in her girlfriend's body at her actions, Alex's delightfully inviting chest on full display, Piper only wishing she had genuine reason to remove Alex's full breasts from the restrictions of her bra, wanting to keep her façade of teaching her girlfriend the rules incorporated within boxing.
"Okay, first rule," Piper murmurs as she watches the anticipation build behind Alex's eyes, the blonde having to bite her lip as she watches Alex's newly exposed skin begin to prickle under the cool air. "There is to be no touching unless it is with the knuckle portion of your glove. So this," Piper says as she places her palms on the brunette's abdomen and gently trails them from the front and around to the base of her back, lightly dragging her nails upon the pale skin as she moves her hands upwards to rest just underneath Alex's shoulder blades. "And this," she adds as she leans forward, her lips gently pressing upon the brunette's pulse point, Piper smiling into the skin as she feels Alex's breathing hitch at her touch. "Are not allowed."
"Second rule. There is to be no holding of your opponent. So this," Piper explains as she softly runs her hands down Alex's back and to her arse, cupping her cheeks and pulling her into her body, pinning her ever growing flustered girlfriend to her own body, restricting her movements. "Is also against the rules," she concludes, smiling gleefully as she hears Alex emit a soft moan as her hand squeezes firmly, Piper herself beginning to feel the familiar heat pool between her legs at just the feeling of Alex's body flushed against her own.
"Okay, rule three," Piper continues as she leans forwards to catch Alex's earlobe with her mouth, worrying it between her teeth, smiling to herself as she feels Alex's gloved hands attempt in vain to grip her body, only managing to come to rest upon her hips as the brunette attempts to steady herself from Piper's incessant teasing, Piper hearing Alex swallowing audibly as she trails kisses down her girlfriend's neck.
Grinning into the smooth skin of Alex's neck, Piper removes her hands from Alex's arse and slowly brings them back around to rest on her toned torso, the pads of her thumbs running soft, teasing circles as her hands fall to rest on Alex's hips, their bodies still firmly pinned together, the sounds of their, now both, laboured breathing filling the empty room.
Gently pushing backwards, Piper guides Alex towards the ropes which encompass the ring, her mouth never leaving the base of her neck, the blonde sucking gently upon the exposed skin, knowing she would leave a mark. The brunette emits a small yelp of surprise as her near naked back connects with the coolness of the plastic bound barrier, Piper's hands quickly leaving her girlfriend's hips and coming to rest on the level ropes either side of Alex, essentially entrapping the brunette with her body. "Rule three is," Piper pants out, failing to suppress a moan as Alex sneakily shifts her thigh in between the blonde's legs, applying pressure to her core as she attempts to enact some kind of revenge on Piper.
"Rule three is. You are not allowed to use the ropes for support," she manages to breath out, the tables suddenly turning as Alex begins to craftily take control of the situation, Piper finding she does in fact need the support of the ropes as Alex drop her head to her neck, leaving a trail of soft teasing kisses as she works her way towards her jawline and eventually to her lips, connecting them in a soft, yet passionate, embrace as she encircles her arms around Piper, pulling the blonde impossibly closer towards her body, not wanting an inch of space between them.
"What's the fourth rule?" Alex's manages to breathe out in between kisses, breaking the silence, the blonde's hands now having removed themselves from the rope and on to the top her jeans, fingertips tracing the centre button which holds them in place as Alex gently applies pressure to Piper's core, the welcomed friction flustering the blonde.
"Fuck the rules. Rules aren't any fun," Piper practically growls out, causing the brunette to chuckle, Piper quickly slipping her tongue into her girlfriend's mouth in an effort to silence her. They continue to kiss passionately, tongues interwoven as the teeth clashed together, each kiss filled with intense need and want as Alex's still gloved hands fail in attempting to pull at the blonde's shirt, desperately wanting to feel Piper's skin against her own.
Tracing the waistband of Alex's jeans, Piper's fingertips grasp the button, expertly flicking it open before using her fingers to guide the zipper down, never breaking their lip lock as she feels Alex intensify their already heated kiss, attempting to convey how deep her want for the blonde's fingers were.
The sound of someone clearing their throat causes the women to quickly break apart, heads snapping in the direction of the unanticipated sound, both their eyes immediately falling upon a slightly flushed John, who smiles at them politely as Piper quickly reaches for Alex's discarded shirt, throwing it against her girlfriend's chest in an attempt to cover her.
"John, hey," Piper manages to stutter out, her cheeks burning red as she blushes at the awkward situation they have found themselves in, having felt so certain that they were the only ones remaining at the gym, not having thought of the possibility that John may have still been within the confines of his office.
"I was, uh, just showing Alex some moves," Piper fumbles out, her eyes darting towards her girlfriend who had thankfully managed to quickly re-clothe herself despite having her hands restricted by the boxing gloves, Piper smiling ever so slightly as she eyes the brunette's pants which still are yet to be closed.
"I'm sure you were," John replies, coughing slightly as he attempts to suppress the broad smile he could feel brimming at the hilarity of the situation. "Anyway, I just was coming to tell you that I have managed to book you in for a fight next week."
Piper's eyes glint happily at the news, the awkwardness of the situation becoming obsolete at the expressed opportunity that she will be able to participate in an upcoming fight. "Who's my opponent?" Piper asks excitedly, her face adorning a wide grin.
"Stella Carlin."
….
A/N Please don't hate me- I mentioned ages ago Stella would be making an appearance later on and it has finally come. Let me promise you going into the next chapter that she will appear maybe for not even half the chapter and then go away forever, never to return. As much as I would have liked to simply pretend she doesn't exist in the OITNB world, her character proved to be the best option for the next chapter's main event and you will honestly understand why I used her in particular next chapter. Fear not guys, I pretty much have come to hate Stella as much as the rest of you :P
I3Vauseman- Well there you have your promised scene. Sorry it took so long but I have had it envisioned within this particular chapter since you first mentioned it. Hopefully it lived up to your expectations. I cannot even begin to tell you how long it took me to work out boxing rules which could be used during Piper's 'lesson' lol. I have to say though, I had fun creating it. Nothing makes me happier than a dominating Piper :P
Would love to hear what you guys think of this chapter, so please review. New chapter shouldn't be too far away as I am so freaking excited to write it :D
Mrosse38