because who doesn't love a good summer courtship story...
(more extensive notes at the bottom)
It's more of a guilt trip than a vacation.
Or at least that's what Piper Chapman would tell you if you were to ask her what made her join her family for their semi-annual summer trip to the coast.
She heaves a heavy sigh, the first of many she's sure, as the house rolls into view and their car slows to a gradual halt atop the driveway.
It was a beach house belonging to her grandparents; who no longer used it in their climbing age unless one of their children packed up the family for an extensive summer trip. Her memory is spotted with various summers spent at the large house, though none of them she's particularly fond of. Piper Chapman has always preferred to spend summer in her own town. At her own home. With her own friends. In fact she'd intended to do so this summer before her mother's quietly disapproving nagging had finally put an end to such plans.
She'd had plans to spend the summer with Polly, renting their own house on another beach and wasting the summer away chasing hot surfer boys and perfect tans.
Until her mother had told her they wouldn't be supporting her in such an endeavor. Not when they're going to a perfectly fine beach already. Not when they hardly see Piper enough as it is. They tell her to invite Polly but the prospect of a summer with Piper's family in a stuffy town full of old people isn't as appealing as their initial plan, and she tells Piper she's sorry as she finishes packing her bags and drops her off at her house before heading off for a summer of hot bodies and what Piper is sure are going to be great memories with the rest of their friends.
Piper can't really blame her.
.
It takes her a week to get sick of the beach.
And on their second Tuesday into the vacation she tells Cal to give her a rain check on that part of their routine for the day.
She spends the first half of her morning wandering from room to room of the house, occasionally attempting to continue the book she'd halfheartedly started earlier in the week, before her mother finally tells her she's making everyone depressed with her moping and to go out and do something productive with her day. With a indignant huff she finally slips from the confines of the house. Coming across an old, but gently used bicycle she disinterestedly decides that she might as well explore the rest of the sleepy town.
She's only been riding for thirty minutes when she decides to stop for lunch, lazily circling a stretch of road adorned with various shops and restaurants before finally landing on a small diner. Something about the nondescript building calls to her amid the otherwise flashy collection of architecture, and she pauses outside the door, her eyes lingering on an old cherry red Mustang shining under the heat of the sun in the parking lot as she locks her bike to the bike stand.
A stale wave of recycled air conditioning and the enticing aroma of greasy food hits her when she pushes the doors open and she suddenly realizes how much of a sweat and appetite she's worked up in her explorations. There's a older feeling to the place, a sort of small town warmness, and Piper finds herself quietly captivated with the subtle charm of it all.
Surmising it to be a seat yourself kind of deal, she slowly ambles around the small room, eventually settling in a booth tucked away towards the far left. It doesn't take long for an older woman to approach her, an infectious grin alighting her face as she greets Piper warmly and asks if she can get her anything.
"I don't know, this is my first time here, everything looks so good... what would you recommend?" Piper asks, gaze trailing over the menu in deep thought before moving to meet the woman's.
She gives a warm and husky chuckle, tucking her pen behind her ear as she begins listing off a few of her favorite items before Piper tells her the breakfast platter sounds good.
"Comin' right up." The woman grins, taking Piper's menu and departing with a wink.
She's left alone to her thoughts once more as the woman retreats to the kitchen to relay her order, and Piper's attention turns towards the wall length window at her right. Watching the cars drift by on the quiet streets, she's lost within her thoughts when a new voice breaks her concentrations.
"Hey you. Malibu Barbie."
Her attentions turn from the window, sweeping across the diner before landing on a girl no more than a few years older than herself who stood leaning against the bar, watching her intently. "Me?" Piper asks after a moment of delay.
A warm chuckle slips from the girl's lungs as she continues to gaze at Piper in amusement. "No, the other blonde-haired, blue-eyed beach body in here," she retorts sarcastically, and laughs again when Piper's eyes do a quick sweep of the nearly empty diner, "yes, you, Blondie."
Piper fidgets in her seat for a moment, somewhat anxious under the girl's penetrating gaze, "what?"
"I said what's a girl like you doin' in a place like this? No offense but this isn't exactly high class dining."
"Why would that offend me?" Piper asks and the girl rolls her eyes as if she'd missed the entire point.
"You're not from around here are you?"
"Are most of the people who come here?"
Bobbing her head with another quiet laugh, the girl pushes away from the bar, approaching Piper's table at a slow gait, "most of the people who come to this particular diner are. But that's not what I meant. Most of the families who visit this town are on some sort of yearly circuit," her voice is low as she leans casually into the seat across from Piper, still studying her intently, "and I know I've never seen your face around here before. I'd have remembered it."
She can feel a faint blush tinging her cheeks, and Piper ducks her head, unable to suppress the smile the blooms slowly at the realization of the girl's implication, "are you hitting on me?" She asks softly, gaze flicking back up to lock with the girl's.
And a slow satisfied smile stretches across the girl's own lips as she replies, "maybe."
"Who are you?" Piper asks softly, peering at the girl with a fascinated interest.
And she laughs quietly with a lopsided smirk, "my name is Alex."
"And what do you do, Alex? Besides harass strangers in diners."
And a slight shiver runs down her spine when Alex husks out another soft laugh.
"Al, you're late," someone growls halfheartedly from behind her, and Piper's attention wavers from the girl before her to the waitress who now stood holding her food.
"Relax, mom, I clocked in ten minutes ago," Alex says with a grin, eyes still locked on Piper's.
"And yet I see all these tables that need busing," the older woman chides sliding Piper's plates onto the table and slapping gently at the back of the girl's brunette head, "up! C'mon now, they don't pay ya to sit around harassin' the customers."
Ducking quickly from her mother's gentle onslaught, Alex's gaze returns to Piper's once more as she slides away from the booth and begins a slow amble backwards towards the kitchens.
"Catch ya around," Alex's eyes flash with amused sort of keenness.
"Bye, Alex..." Piper calls softly after her. Her gaze returns to the woman beside her as Alex disappears from view and she catches sight of a rather knowing look adorning the older woman's features before blushing and lowering her attention to the food before her. "Thanks," Piper mumbles with a small smile.
"Mmhm," The woman murmurs with a shake of her head and growing grin, turning to follow her daughter into the kitchens.
.
Lunch at the diner begins to become somewhat of a habit.
It's never hard for Piper to find an excuse to slip away for an hour or so and visit the small restaurant. Her family's more than content to leave her to her whims now that she's no longer moping around like a lingering, depressing storm cloud.
Alex is there when she visits, more often than not, and while they rarely find the chance to speak to one another again, Piper can feel her gaze on her as she ambles from table to table, slowly clearing the various messes from their tops. Mostly they play a game of back and forth, a weird sort of visual tag in which they take turns observing one another silently before ducking their heads or redirecting their gaze. Every once in awhile though their gazes will meet, and Alex will toss her a quick wink and slow grin, and Piper will duck her head with a timid smile and wild blush.
She's been visiting the diner for somewhere within two weeks when her mother insists she take Cal with her for the day.
She tries to protest at first, insisting that she's not really doing anything special and that her brother would surely be much happier sitting on the beach, but it seems they've both inherited the Chapman quiet discontentment with the ocean and he happily tells her he'd love to explore the town with her for the day. She can't quite hold too much of a grudge when he fixes her with that beaming smile she's always had a sort of weakness for, and she bites back a tired smirk when she tells him to grab another bike from the garage and come on.
They've only been there for ten minutes when Diane approaches with her familiar smile, asking Piper what she can get her today. She distractedly murmurs out her order, eyes trailing the confines of the diner absently as Cal relays his order. Tucking her pen away with a quiet smirk, Diane murmurs casually, "looking for someone?"
Piper's eyes snap back to her own with a faint blush, somewhat embarrassed at her apparent lack discretion, "I, um..."
"Al's off today," she supplies with a knowing grin and bites back a soft chuckle when the blonde deflates slightly at the news, "but she might drop by later to say hello. You should stick around."
Piper watches her depart with a familiar wink, a warm tightening in her chest at the thought of possibly seeing Alex later.
"Who's Al?" Cal asks with a smirk from the other end of the booth and Piper nearly jumps, almost having forgotten she's not alone today.
"No one, just... someone who works here."
"Hmm," Cal hums with a smile before turning his attention to the window and leaving his sister to her secrets.
They're midway through their meals, in the midst of an easy conversation that's got Piper fighting off a wave of giggles when a familiar red Mustang roars into the parking lot and Cal's attention drifts from their sharing of memories to the striking car.
"Holy shit." He murmurs, eyes fixed on the window and the sight before him while Piper reigns in her quiet laughter, attention focused on chasing a pool of syrup around her plate with what's left of her toast.
The bell above the door jingles and Cal's attention slowly returns to Piper as he begins ribbing her once more over a particularly embarrassing memory.
"Shut up!" She laughs indignantly, flicking a piece of now soggy bread at the boy.
"Hey," a voice from across the room interrupts and Piper's gaze breaks from her brother to the familiar green eyes watching her from the bar, "just because I'm not here to clean up after you today doesn't mean you can suddenly become some sort of mess making barbarian." Alex eyes the sticky wad of bread clinging to the seat beside Cal as she approaches, fixing Piper with her familiar grin.
"Alex..." Piper breathes, eyes alighting as she sits a little straighter, "I thought you'd prefer I make the mess when you're not here to clean it up."
Alex hums out a quiet laugh, coming to stand at the edge of their table as she replies, "while that is normally very true, people have taken notice of where your intentions in this fine establishment lie, and you've become something of my responsibility. So any mess you make in my absence will just be left for my return and I'm really not looking forward to picking two day old toast and syrup from the upholstery." Her slender fingers pluck the discarded piece of toast from Cal's bench, eyeing it thoughtfully for a moment before popping it into her mouth.
They fall silent, lost in one another's gazes before Cal asks, "is that your car?"
Alex's attention darts from Piper to the boy before her, then to the red Mustang sitting proudly in the parking lot, "Mmhm."
"Wow..." he breathes, attention once again fixed on the classic car, "what year is it?"
"'69," she grins, winking at Piper with a knowing smirk and a jump of her brow, causing the blonde's face to flush a familiar shade of crimson.
"Alex," Piper clears her throat, eyes darting to her empty plate as she collects herself before returning to the brunette's, "this is Cal, my little brother. Cal this is Alex."
"What up?" Cal asks with a smile, attention still drifting from Alex to her car.
"Y'know, it's funny," Alex murmurs, leaning back with a feigned air of offense, "you introduce me to your brother and yet you've still not formally introduced yourself. I feel like I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here, you knowing my name and all. I mean I've been patiently waiting for you do the polite thing here, but... you seem to be enjoying your weird air of mystery."
"Oh my god," Piper gasps, "Piper! My name is Piper. Piper Chapman." Alex laughs quietly, pulling skin of her bottom lip between her teeth as she watches Piper thoughtfully, "wait a minute. Your mom- I've told your mom my name? Why didn't you just as her."
And for the first time since they've started their strange endeavor, a faint blush tinges Alex's cheeks, and Piper leans forward in rapt fascination, "My mother," Alex begins with a fond tone of annoyance, "will not tell me your name. She insists I 'woman up' and ask you myself."
"Well..." Piper drawls, a slow smile unfurling across the length of her face, "now I feel like I should have made you work a little harder for it."
"Mmm," Alex hums teasingly, "you shouldn't be so freewheeling with your assets, Chapman. People take advantage."
"You're right... we wouldn't want that..."
A soft chuckle interrupts their quiet staring contest as Cal clears his throat with a smile. Piper once again having forgotten she's not alone today, jumps back with another blush and Alex laughs openly.
Her eyes dart towards the bar behind her before returning to the table, "hey... are you gonna be here for a few minutes?" she murmurs softly.
Piper shifts her gaze from Alex's to Cal's before shrugging lightly, "we're not really in a rush to be anywhere."
"Cool," Alex grins, "um... gimme a minute."
She disappears from view, slipping through the double doors of the kitchen in search of her mother, Piper assumes.
"Wow." Cal teases gently.
"What?" Piper bristles, gaze turning from the doors to her brother once more.
"I can see why you've been spending all your time at a shitty little diner now."
"Shut up." Piper murmurs, then an afterthought, "don't tell mom."
Cal lets out a hearty laugh, fixing Piper with that smile she's always had a weakness for, "please sis, your dirty little secret's safe with me."
"Cal!" Piper squeals, not quite able to hide her smile.
"She's cute," he says casually, eyes flicking back to the window beside them, "she's got a nice car."
"I know." Piper grins. He doesn't ask her which statement she's agreeing to.
Alex returns several minutes later, keys dangling from her fingers as she approaches their table once more, "you wouldn't be interested in going for a ride, would you?"
"Um, yes!" Cal excitedly calls before Piper can formulate an answer, let alone sort through the implications of the offer.
"Great," Alex grins, eyes lingering on Piper, "let's go."
.
Alex drives them leisurely through the little town.
Murmuring random stories or explanations every now and then about the various places they pass before the small roads give way to open highway and the ocean breaks into view before them, stretching wide into oblivion.
Cal's attentions dance from the sights around them eagerly, as he softly mutters about not being able to wait to tell his friends that he rode in a '69 Mustang. Piper's attentions, for the most part, stay fixed on Alex. They talk in quiet murmurs, not quite holding full conversations as Alex's attention drifts between the highway before her and the blonde beside her.
They spend the better part of the afternoon riding around, Alex telling them all the best places to hit before summer's over. Eventually she pulls up to a long stretch of unpaved road, carefully directing her car onto the small path and winding them further and further from the main road until they're face to face with a large stretch of unoccupied beach.
"Woah." Cal murmurs, eyeing the quiet slice of paradise. A collection of hollowed out rocks sits to their left, intermingling with a wall of larger sand dunes and various chunks of native foliage, hiding the stretch of land from view and creating an otherwise perfect getaway.
"Alright kid, I'm trusting you here, okay." Alex says, fixing him with a heavy gaze through the rear-view mirror, "this is a secret spot, locals only. If you tell anyone about this place... I'm gonna have to kill you."
"Scout's honor," Cal grins, throwing open his door and heading towards the warm sand.
Alex's attention turns to Piper as she watches her brother take off towards the rolling waves, "that goes for you too, Blondie. I don't wanna have to kill you. I'm kinda starting to like you."
"Scout's honor," Piper repeats solemnly, biting back a laugh.
"Mmhm," Alex murmurs, twisting her lips in teasing annoyance, "I'm having a hard time believing you were ever a scout."
"I was." Piper replies seriously, opening her door and preparing to hoist herself out of the car, "Troop #63800, three whole years. So. I don't appreciate the accusation, Ms. Vause."
Alex lets out a bark of laughter as Piper closes the door with the end of her sentence, turning towards the ocean and not waiting for the brunette to catch up with her.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute, I never told you my last name... how do you know it's Vause?" She calls, jogging to catch up with the blonde.
"Your mom told me," Piper grins and Alex scoffs disbelievingly.
"Withholding information from her own daughter, but so forthcoming with personal information the moment a stalker-y stranger asks. Unbelievable."
"She must like me more than you," Piper replies with an casual shrug as they make their way towards Cal.
"Well. I can hardly blame her." Alex murmurs, biting back another grin as their eyes meet once more.
They kick around the sand for awhile, before Cal laments their lack of towels and preparation, eyeing the rolling waves dishearteningly. Alex excuses herself, jogging back to her car and returning with an armful of assortments. Cal's eyes alight at the sight of various towels and sunblock as Alex grins and mutters something about second-nature habits when you grow up in a town along the beach.
Piper helps him lather up with sunblock and laughs amusedly as he takes off wildly for the water. Her attentions returning to Alex as she pulls her tight fitting t-shirt over her head, Piper nearly drops the bottle of sunblock in her shock. The shirt peels away to reveal a taut stomach and enticing hips and Piper's gaze lingers as her chest is revealed, encased in a snug black bikini top.
"You okay there, Chapman?" Alex teases, breaking the spell as Piper gathers herself and sucks in a deep lung-full of air.
"Yeah. Yes. Fine. Are you- do you want me to... ?" She falters, holding the sunblock out lamely, as she attempts to keep her gaze on Alex's face.
"Could you?" She asks sweetly.
She tries to steady her breathing as she slowly works the white paste into Alex's pale skin. Tries not to let her fingers linger too long in certain areas. Like the firm curves of Alex's biceps. Or the dip just before her back meets her ass. Not that Alex seems to mind when they do. Finally pulling herself away with a soft sigh, she's taken aback when Alex turns her around, fingers playing at the hem of her shirt as she hooks her chin over the curve of Piper's shoulder.
"You were planning on getting in too, right?" Her voice is low and husky in Piper's ear and she barely suppresses a moan (doesn't manage to catch the shudder), as she nods slowly, her cheek brushing lightly against Alex's. "You're gonna need to take this off then," Alex's fingers tug teasingly against the hem of her shirt before she raises her own arms to pull the soft material over her head. Alex's eyes sweep over the expanse of her skin much like her own had done when their roles were reversed and Piper finds herself fighting a blush deeper than any before.
Alex's hands are gentle on her skin, rubbing a small amount of lotion lightly across her back and arms before retreating to brush her palms together in an attempt to rid the last clinging remains of the goo from her hands.
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
They stay at the beach until the sun hangs low in the sky, finally pulling themselves from the water to allow some time to dry before climbing back into Alex's car and heading back home. Cal convinces them to stop for ice cream along the way when they swing past the diner to pick up their forgotten bikes (though it doesn't take much to persuade either of them into prolonging their time together, none of them seem all to eager for the day to end), and they sit outside the local creamery laughing quietly and teasing one another gently.
The sun has finally set by the time they pull into the Chapman house, and Cal leaps out with an abundant amount of thank yous and compliments which Alex laughs off, waving him away with an easy goodbye and fond grin. Piper, however, lingers as they both watch the boy bound up the front stairs and burst into the large house.
"He had fun today," she murmurs softly, gaze lingering on the now closed door before turning to meet Alex's, "I had fun today."
"Me too," she murmurs softly was a gentle smile.
"Can I-" Piper begins, before faltering and biting her lower lip.
"What?" Alex prompts gently.
"Can I see you again sometime? Like... outside of the diner..."
Her eyes shine with a tender apprehension and Alex gets lost in the blue pools for a moment, absently noting it's the same shade as the sky on a perfect day, "I work till five tomorrow. But my best friend's throwing a party after, and I kinda got make an appearance... if you're, um... interested... we can check it out and do something else after if it's no good..."
Her voice trails off with it's own lilt of timid apprehension and she lets out a quiet breath as Piper's eyes brighten even more. "I'm interested," she whispers, holding Alex's gaze for what feels like an eternity before sliding slowly from the car.
She shuts the door softly, leaning into the open window to fix Alex with one final look, "goodnight, Alex."
"Goodnight, Piper," Alex murmurs, watching as the blonde slowly begins walking backwards towards the house, refusing to break eye contact until the back of her heel connects with the bottom-most stair and she has to turn to pull herself up them.
And Alex tamps down a giddy grin as she starts her car and pulls away from the Chapman house for the night, eager with the thought of seeing Piper again tomorrow.
.
True to her word, Alex's red Mustang pulls into the Chapman driveway just before six the following night.
Piper's spent the better part of the day fretting over every little thought that crossed her mind; what to wear, what to say, what to bring, what if she'd misread the signs, what if Alex changed her mind and wasn't coming. She was halfway through her fifth mini meltdown before Cal appeared in her doorway, telling her to relax, that if their overt flirting from yesterday was anything to go by, Alex won't care if she shows up empty handed wearing a garbage bag. He gently assures her Alex is absolutely coming and laughs quietly as she finally reigns her running emotions in. The rest of the day passes in a long tortuous stretch of time.
She's out the door nearly the moment Alex pulls up, calling a quick goodbye to Cal and reminding him to tell their parents she won't be back till later, before sliding excitedly into the waiting Mustang.
"Hey," She chirps breathlessly, causing Alex to laugh softly.
"Hey yourself," she grins, "ready to go?"
"Yes."
It doesn't take them long to reach their destination. Alex's friend (Nicky, she tells her) doesn't live too far from the house Piper's family owns, and when they pull up outside another large house (this one slighter more modern than the aging home of the Chapmans) she's filled with both a quiet ease and slight apprehension at the lingering familiarity of it all. Alex takes her hand though, gives her a small smile, and pulls her gently towards the thumping music and laughing voices.
It's a wild party.
That much Piper can see from the first four minutes spent weaving through the throngs of people.
Alex plucks two bottles of Smirnoff from a large ice bucket, all but overflowing with an assortment of various drinks, and twists them open quickly, passing one to Piper as she brings the other to her lips. Their fingers tangle again as she weaves them further and further into the house, eventually tugging her gently through an open set of back doors. And Piper pauses for a moment, eyes sweeping the large backyard and thrum of wild activity.
A small fire pit burns away towards the back corner, small groups of people huddled around it. Some are cooking hot dogs or s'mores, others watching the flames quietly as the lean their heads against warm bodies next to them. A brilliantly lit pool sits between the house and the fire pit and kids in various states of undress are tumbling in and out and around it, wild catcalls and splashes echoing into the night as Alex pulls her towards an outdoor bar at the far right edge of the yard.
"Nichols!" She barks over the noise of the crowd and the pulse of the music, temporarily letting go of Piper's hand to throw her arms wide as a wide grin explodes across her face upon noticing the captured attention of a wild-haired girl.
"Vause!" The girl bellows, throwing her own arms open and enveloping Alex in a fierce hug.
They pull away laughing, a few quick thumps left against one another's shoulders as they carry on a quiet conversation before turning their attentions to the blonde behind them.
"And who's this?" The wild-haired woman, Nichols, asks teasingly.
"This is Piper," Alex smirks, eyeing Piper fondly, "she's here for the summer."
"Ah, And you've taken it upon yourself to show her a good time, huh?"
"Something like that," Alex murmurs, gaze still locked with Piper's as she beckons the blonde forward, slinging a casual arm across her shoulders and pulling her in close.
"You dog," Nichols laughs, and Alex finally pulls her attention from the blonde, nodding towards the woman with a toss of her head.
"Pipes this is Nicky; my begrudging best friend. Nichols, this is Piper; the poor girl who's made the mistake of giving me her name and address this summer."
They share a laugh, Nicky extending her hand to give Piper's a quick shake. She pulls away with a knowing wink and budding grin, eyes lingering on Piper's as she murmurs, "Welcome to the family, kid." Her gaze turns to Alex as she says louder, "It's been so long since Alex has brought someone home, we were beginning to think she'd spend the rest of her life as a weird recluse; collecting cats and garbage to fill the void of human contact!"
"Shut the fuck up, Nichols." Alex chides with a laugh, nudging their shoulders together in a gentle shove, "any of the guys around?"
"Yeah, yeah, all the regulars. They're here somewhere, spread hopelessly throughout this mess a'people."
"I'll find 'em," Alex murmurs with a parting clap to Nicky's shoulder, once again pulling Piper behind her and into the crowd of bodies.
They wander aimlessly, Alex supplying Piper with a steady supply of drinks as they move from room to room, chatting with various friends of the brunette before she notices Piper lingering in the doorway of one of the darker rooms. Music pours loudly through the open doorway and Piper watches quietly as people dance deliriously against each other to the thumping beats.
"Do you wanna dance?" Alex murmurs, coming up behind her, and Piper shivers softly before turning with a gentle nod.
Taking a final pull from her drink, Alex sets the now empty bottle on an end table to her right before leading Piper into the low-lit room and pulling her gently against herself. It takes them a few moments to find their rhythm as they slowly ease into this new level of comfort, but once they do it's impossible to pull themselves apart. Piper's chest is pressed tightly against Alex's own and she vaguely notes that she couldn't look away from the blonde's captivating blue eyes if her life had depended on it.
At some point, her hands rise to land atop Piper's hips, slowly pulling her closer as their legs part, thighs sliding between the gaps as they draw closer and closer still. At some point it becomes more of an upright grinding rather than dancing. At some point a moan falls from Piper's lips and at that point it's all Alex can do not to drop her lips to Piper's own, pulling their mouths together greedily. She resists for another three minutes before Piper's hands rise to cup her jaw, as she pulls their mouths together herself.
A quiet moan escapes her own lungs as Alex forgets about their previous activity, her body stilling as she buries herself deeper in Piper's eager mouth. Piper's hands are clutching at her jaw and shoulders, neck and back, as she desperately scrambles for any sort of purchase to draw the older girl closer still. They part with a soft huff, foreheads resting gently against one another as they lick their lips and struggle to regain control of themselves.
"Wow..." Piper eventually murmurs, and Alex laughs, tucking a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
"Yeah." They hold one another closely for another few moments, all thoughts of the party falling away behind them as they gaze quietly into one another's eyes, until Alex finally pulls away, taking her hand once more, "c'mon," she murmurs, leading Piper from the party and out towards her car.
Closing the door after her, Alex tells Piper to wait a minute through the open window of the passenger seat as she darts quickly back towards the house, disappearing into the party for several moments, before reappearing, bounding down the stairs and back to the car.
"What was that about?"
"I had to grab something," Alex murmurs with a grin, throwing the car into reverse, "and I had to tell Nichols we were leaving or I'd literally never hear the end of it."
They drive quietly for awhile, Piper playing absently with Alex's hand as it rests gently in the space between them.
"Where're we going?" She murmurs quietly, as if afraid to break the tender bubble they'd found themselves in.
Alex pulls her gaze from the road, watching the blonde for a moment before murmuring, "it's a surprise."
She takes her to another quiet alcove, this one on the opposite side of the town. A long stretch of land allowing a glimpse of both the bay and the ocean, rolling out before them from opposite sides of the large sand dunes that form a protective cover from any prying eyes. Alex takes her hand, as Piper kicks off her shoes, and they slowly begin to make their way to the top of the sandy mountains. Alex drops to her rump with a soft grunt once they're safely tucked away between the dunes, sighing with contentment at the sight before them. The moon shines lightly atop the rolling blackness of the tiding waves, and Piper settles gently beside her, leaning into her side with a quiet sigh.
They sit in silence for awhile, the night drawing on around them as they play with one another's fingers and squeeze gently at one another's wrists and thighs. Eventually Alex shifts, pulling something from her pocket and sticking it between her lips. Piper watches her with quiet interest as she turns, bobbing her eyebrows and grinning around the joint between her teeth.
"Seriously?" She laughs, "is that what you ran back inside to get?"
Plucking the joint from between her teeth, Alex leans forward dropping a quick kiss to Piper's lips before pulling away with a smile, "yes."
"Ugh, you're as bad as Cal." Piper murmurs, flopping onto her back with a not-quite-suppressed grin.
"Did I pick the wrong Chapman? Should I go pick him up instead?" Alex teases, turning to meet her eyes.
"No," Piper murmurs petulantly, hand rising of it's own accord to stroke through the gentle tangle of dark tresses hanging down Alex's back, "it's too late, you're stuck with me now."
Alex studies her a moment longer before turning back, and Piper hears the faint scratch of a lighter before the thick smell of pot wafts heavily towards her on the breeze. Alex draws a deep lung-full, holding it a moment before slowly exhaling. Her hand stretches out, offering it to Piper, who takes it with delicate fingers.
She eyes it a moment, eyebrows drawing together in silent contemplation before raising her head to meet Alex's patient gaze, "okay... don't laugh."
A smile tugs at the edge of Alex's mouth as she leans closer to the blonde, "why would I laugh?"
"Because I am... not good at this..." Piper murmurs, sticking the roll between her teeth and drawing a small lung-full of air before letting it out in a hack.
And Alex laughs.
They take turns passing the slowly dwindling joint back and forth, Alex gradually teaching Piper how to take a hit without hacking up a lung, until there's nothing more than a single puff left, which Alex draws deeply from the spent bud pinched tightly between her fingertips. They fall to their backs after that, eyes upon the stars as the ocean pulses quietly in the background and their fingers trace gentle patterns against each other's palms. Until Alex finally turns and draws Piper's face to her own once more.
They spend the next few hours trading languid kisses and gentle sighs as the night wanes on around them.
It's nearly dawn when Alex drops Piper back outside the Chapman home, and there's just enough pot left in her system to tug Alex's face forward for one final kiss goodnight, despite the fact that her family lay sleeping a mere yards away.
"Thank you," She murmurs gently against Alex's lips as they part.
And Alex tugs her back to her mouth once more with a hand at the base of her skull, "I'll see you tomorrow," she murmurs against Piper's gasping lips, finally allowing the younger girl to depart.
She watches until a light flicks on on the second floor, and Piper appears between the curtains with a gentle wave, groaning to herself as she backs out of the Chapmans driveway and finally heading home. She hadn't meant to spend the entire night smoking pot and kissing Piper Chapman, and she knows she's gonna hate herself when she crawls out of bed for work in five hours.
But the gentle self-loathing and looming reminder of work isn't enough to wipe the lazy grin that stays planted upon Alex Vause's lips the entire way home.
.
They fall into routine easy enough after that.
Piper learns Alex's schedule and takes to waiting for her against the hood of her car on the nights she works her later shifts.
Absently watching the sky changing colors overhead as the dusk slowly swirls into night, she exchanges a text or two with Polly as she waits for the sound of the door and the sight of Alex's tall frame ambling across the parking lot. She never has to wait long, Diane begrudgingly cutting Alex loose a bit early every time she catches sight of the young blonde leaning against her daughter's car through the window.
"Alright, go on, get outta here," she calls, cracking a towel after Alex as she carries the last of the dishes into the kitchen.
"Are you sure, mom, I don't mind washing them. I've still got fifteen minutes."
"Yeah, yeah, I know you'd rather be out with your little girlfriend, and she's been sittin' out there givin' me the puppy eyes for the last twenty minutes, I can't take it anymore. Go on. go on! I'll finish ya shift."
Knowing it's pointless to argue with the older woman, Alex drops a quick kiss to her cheek as she works on untying the apron around her waist, "thanks mom, love you!"
"Yeah, I love you too, ya little snot. Tell Piper I said hi!"
Piper's head perks up at the sound of the doors and Alex lingers in the doorway for a moment, quietly taking in the sight before her. Piper's long legs are stretched over the nose of her car, boots just barely grazing the pavement as she reclines against her bent elbows across the hood. Alex bites her lip, ducking her head to hide the prominent grin she can feel stretching across her lips as she slowly makes her way towards the blonde.
And when Piper stretches up to meet Alex's lips with her own, Alex thinks Piper waiting against the hood of her car in the slowly gathering dusk is one of her favorite sights.
They pile in effortlessly, leaning in for another kiss as Alex turns the key, and exchange quiet stories about their day as she drives them towards whatever their intended destination is for the night. Some nights it's the local playground, and they swing aimlessly, knocking gently against one another's hips as they tease each other softly. Some nights it's the arcade, and Alex feeds the machines quarter after quarter as she pins Piper against every one and insists she teach her the proper way to play each game. Some nights it's the stretch of beach she'd taken them and Cal to, or the castle of dunes they'd spent the night upon after Nicky's party and Alex quietly tells her about another place, a better place, the best place that Piper has yet to see ("It's even better than this. But you have to see it in at sunset. Otherwise it'll ruin the effect.")
Nicky ribs her good-naturedly when they go out with her and her girlfriend one night, walking quietly along the beach as Lorna and Piper chase ghost crabs up ahead, just out of earshot. And Alex finally admits with uncharacteristically gentle voice that they haven't slept together yet. But Nicky's got a knowing look in her eye as she watches her friend watching the blonde and she claps a gentle hand at her back, giving it a tender squeeze before turning her attention back to the girls before them, triumphantly holding up some sort of knickknack they'd found buried in the soft sand.
And Piper's eyes shine as Alex wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her in for a soft kiss.
And suddenly Alex finds herself wondering how she spent every summer of her life before Piper Chapman.
.
Eventually Alex gets a couple days off in a row, and she tells Piper to pack her bags, because she's taking her to the more bustling town a few hours up the beach.
She's hesitant at first, wondering what to tell her parents before Cal spills it for her that their friend from the diner is traveling up coast for a few days and has invited Piper to go with her. They're skeptical for a moment, asking why Cal hasn't been invited if she's their friend, before Cal casually declares that he was but he has plans to do some fishing with his other friends in the next few days and respectfully had to decline. Piper's almost amazed when that seems to be the end of it.
And Alex's Mustang pulls up to the Chapman house at 7am the next morning.
Piper's predictably unprepared, still throwing items into a small overnight bag when Alex texts and she pauses to shoot her a quick message saying that she'll be a few minutes and to let herself in.
my bedroom's third door on the right of the second floor -
door's open so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding me ;) -
She lingers in the doorway for several moments, watching Piper silently as she bustles from drawer to drawer mumbling about how she swears she packed that soft pair of pajamas she loves. Eventually she clears her throat and Piper pauses her frantic scurrying, turning towards the door with a giddy smile.
"Hey!"
"Hey."
She pulls her in, sets her on the bed, and continues her hunt. Alex watches in silent amusement for awhile before standing an ambling around the room. She explores quietly, pulling down pictures of Piper at various ages to examine more closely as she comes across them.
"Is this the last time you were here?" She asks softly, studying a picture of Piper looking no older than twelve.
A bony chin hooks itself over Alex's shoulder as Piper glances at the image in her hands for a moment, "yep. Notice the overwhelming excitement." A soft chuckle breaks from Alex's lips as they both eye the stony expression adorning Piper's young features, "I used to hate coming here when I was a kid. Leaving my life and home and friends for a summer spent in some stuffy town full of old people... still kinda do..." she trails off absently, eyes glazing over as she continues to study the picture before refocusing and meeting Alex's own. A gentle smile slides across her lips and pecks a quick kiss against the older girl's cheek before taking up her search once more, "though, I suppose that's starting to change."
Alex studies the picture a moment longer, fighting back a faint blush before returning it to it's place upon the desk and turning towards the blonde, "what exactly are you looking for?"
"My favorite pair of pajamas, I swear I packed them!" Piper murmurs, darting from her search of the dresser back to the bed before Alex catches her arm and draws her into her chest.
"Who says you're even going to need pajamas?" She whispers and Piper's cheeks flush a deep red at the implication.
She gives up the search.
They spend the greater majority of the day traveling.
Piper cycles through every one of Alex's tapes, teasing her softly about her revulsion for modern music before the brunette finally tells her that's what the radio is for. They sing along to songs both new and old, stopping for milkshakes and french fries along the way and occasionally throwing a wayward fry to two at one another's open mouths. They arrive on the heels of the early evening and Alex drives them immediately to the beach, where they walk hand in hand for awhile, dipping their toes in the gentle tide of the waves and exchanging quick teasing kisses.
They watch as the colors of the sky begin to change and slowly make their way back to the car, finally ready to check into the motel Alex has set them up in.
It's a small room, but not stifling. Almost cozy, Piper muses, as she stretches out along the bed watching Alex dig through the various assortment of bags they'd brought. Turning with a grin, whatever words Alex had been preparing to say died on her lips as she caught sight of the blonde stretched languidly across the comforter, and they watch each other for a moment before Alex slowly crawls her way up to her.
Leaning until she's flat on her back, Piper smiles lazily as Alex gently settles herself atop her.
"Well..." Alex murmurs, their lips just barely brushing, "I was going to take you to the amusement park just up the pier but it looks like you've just about settled in for the night."
Laughing quietly, Piper tilts her head, capturing Alex's smirking lips before murmuring, "we can still go out."
"Mmm..." Alex hums, melting into her, "then we need to go now because one more minute in this bed and I won't be able to pull myself off of you."
The amusement park is bustling with life when they arrive and it's a jarring contrast to the sleepy ways of their other town. Alex drags Piper onto every ride, insisting each one is a staple of the experience incapable of being skipped, and by her fourth insistence Piper quiets her by dragging their mouths together and teasingly telling her to shut up. It's nearing 10 when they reach the top of the Ferris wheel, Alex's fingers swimming gently through Piper's hair as her head leans tiredly against her shoulder.
"It's beautiful up here," she murmurs softly, pulling her head up to gaze across their surroundings before turning to meet Alex's own.
"Yeah," she whispers, hand slipping behind Piper's head to tangle in the hair at her nape as she pulls her in for a deep and gentle kiss.
They duck into the motel room just after 11, dropping the small plush chicken Piper insisted Alex win for her at a crappy bottle toss game onto the bed and grabbing a six pack from the small fridge before slipping back into the night. Finding a secluded spot atop the sand they settle against one another, sharing subtle sips from the hidden bottles between them before Piper begins dropping lingering kisses at Alex's neck, just below her pulse-point. Finally leaning away enough to take the blonde's face between her hands Alex studies her eyes for a moment before murmuring, "let's head back."
They undress each other slowly in the low lighting of the small motel room, and Alex leaves no expanses of skin undiscovered as her lips mark every bit of Piper Chapman as her own.
Piper's eager and panting below her and Alex suddenly finds herself wondering if they'll manage to leave the room at all in their next day and a half in town. "Easy, easy..." She murmurs, late into the night, holding Piper still with soft caresses as she trembles gently under the waves of her fifth orgasm. She finds herself none too bothered with the thought though when Piper wakes her up several hours later under the light of the mid-morning sun for round two.
They depart around mid-afternoon of their third day, Piper taking aimlessly about one thing or another before fixing Alex with a sleepy eyed gaze and an unconstrained grin. And Alex can't help bringing her hand to her lips for a quick kiss. Teenage Dream is drifting softly through the speakers when they hit the familiar stretch of highway once more and Alex occasionally catches Piper mumbling along with a lyric or two as she watches the world drift by on the other side of the window. She can't bring herself to change the station, hiding a gentle grin as Piper's eyelids droop lower and lower under the passing lights.
She opts to bring them both to her own house for the night, unable to bear the thought of waking Piper and parting from her just yet.
And it's not the first night Piper spends in her bed. But it is the first they spend tangled together in nothing but it's sheets.
.
They're nearing the end of the summer, Piper's final week, when they begin to lose interest in anything other than just being.
It's in the quiet confines of the playground where they find themselves carrying out hushed conversations about anything and everything that crosses their minds as they kick gently back and forth atop adjacent swings. Piper's talking about nothing in particular as she nudges her swing against Alex's, and Alex watches her like she's painting out the answers to life itself as she rambles.
Eventually she draws a deep breath, attention turning from her study of the small patch of dirt beneath her shoes to the low-lit blue skies of the clinging dusk, "I can't believe it's already the end of summer. Where the hell did all our time go?"
And Alex rumbles a quiet laugh as Piper's gaze turns to meet her own, "I don't know what you're talking about," she teases, "this summer feels like it's just gone on and on and on, I honestly cannot believe I'm still sitting here talking to you. I can't wait to finally be free again." (and she bites back a grin as Piper's face squishes in that adorable way she'd been aiming for.)
She glares at Alex with a teasing indignation for a moment before her features smooth out and she fixes her with a quietly thoughtful gaze.
"You're gonna miss me when I'm gone..." Piper murmurs with a grin, leaning in towards Alex's waiting lips and pulling away just before the older girl can catch them against her own, "when I'm gone, when I'm gone, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone..." Rolling her eyes in playful exasperation at the blonde's soft singing, Alex huffs a quiet sigh before leaning back after Piper's teasing mouth, but Piper merely grins again, leaning away once more, "you're gonna miss me by my walk, you're gonna miss me by talk, oh you're gonna miss me when I'm gone."
A soft growl slips from Alex's lungs as the blonde continues to evade her, eyes gleaming mischievously at her soft frustration, until she finally manages to cup a hand around the back of Piper's neck, fingers tangling gently within the soft hair at her nape, and drags their mouths together.
"You're gonna miss me by my hair, you're gonna miss me everywhere, oh you're sure gonna miss me when I'm gone..." she whispers softly as their lips part, and Alex can't quite stamp down the lump in her chest when Piper's blue sky gaze opens to meet with her own.
They don't stay at the playground much longer, slipping quietly from the grounds with the last bit of sunlight.
.
They spend whatever time they can together in those precious final days.
Piper staying over at Alex's house almost every night before she tells her outside the diner on the eve of their final day that her parents expect her to attend some sort of family-friends dinner party tomorrow, and that tonight might be the last one they spend together. Alex is predictably disheartened, but she shoves it down, choosing to make the most of what is now their final night together.
They hit all their old spots, as if on some sort of goodbye tour, before ending atop the rolling dunes from the night they'd shared their first kiss. And Alex makes slow and gentle love to Piper as the ocean roars on behind them.
She drops her outside the Chapman house just after noon on their final day and they spend an inordinate amount of time just breathing into one another's necks before slowly pulling themselves apart with a final goodbye. And Piper can't quite bring herself to care about the implications of her surroundings when Alex cups her jaw one final time and imparts a long deep goodbye kiss against her lips.
"Call me," she murmurs softly, thumbs trailing against Piper's cheeks before she finally turns to leave.
Piper watches her until she disappears from sight.
And Alex heads slowly towards the diner, knowing that yesterday was the last time she'd see Piper Chapman waiting for her in the parking lot as she finished her shifts.
Or so she'd thought.
Diane cuts her loose ten minutes early, a gently understanding smile on her lips as she tells her she'll take care of the rest, and Alex heads tiredly towards the exit. Piper's perched atop the hood of her car when Alex finally frees herself from the confines of the restaurant. It's a sight that gives her pause, and she lingers at the edge of the doorway for a moment, quietly taken aback at the sight of the blonde. Confusion and a small twinge of worry roll over her briefly before she catches sight of Piper's easy smile and she finally regains control of her limbs. A budding grin tugs at Alex's lips and she tamps it down, casting a quick gaze around the otherwise empty parking lot as she begins making her way towards the waiting girl.
"What're you doin' here?"
Piper's eyes are bright and playful as she casts them upwards in casual contemplation, "mmm... I was sent out to pick up some more booze for the party when I suddenly realized... I had better places to be."
"Is that so?" Alex murmurs, stepping up between the blonde's legs. Her hands fall to Piper's waist of their own accord, as if it's where they just knew they naturally belonged.
"It is." Piper returns, gaze locking with Alex's as they both struggle to reign in nervous and giddy grins.
"And what places might those be?"
An enticing pink tongue darts from between Piper's lips, skirting gently along the bottom before disappearing once more. It's all Alex can do not to chase after it. "Well I seem to recall someone promising to show me this killer spot that no one else knows about that can only be experienced during sunset, and honestly, I just can't leave without knowing whether or not it really exists." She loses the fight against her grin as Alex leans into her and her next words come out in a hush, "and there's this bed I've grown particularly fond of and quite frankly, I'd never be able to live with myself if I didn't spend my last night in town in it."
A slowly curling warmth unfurls throughout Alex's body and she loses the fight against her own grin as she finally leans in to capture Piper's lips with her own. It's a slow and languid kiss, deep and gentle as if time has temporarily ground to a standstill. Her hands, at some point, had risen to swim within the hair at Piper's temples and Piper's own have raised to clutch desperately at Alex's elbows, and they hold each other gently as they part.
Piper's tongue darts out again as she pulls her bottom lip briefly into her mouth, studying Alex with a gently thoughtful gaze before tilting her head towards the six-pack beside her, sweating leisurely in the slowly dying sun.
"well... I did happen to stop at the store before my revelation. It'd be a shame to let eight dollars of my parents hard earned money go to waste... and I sure would like some sweet company, and I'm leaving tomorrow, whadda'ya say?"
A deep and husky laugh breaks through Alex's lips before she can catch it and Piper's eyes shine.
They manage to make it to the spot just before the gentle colors of sunset begin swirling low in the sky.
It's different from the other places she's taken Piper. High above the ocean upon a grassy knoll, it offers a view of the world before them unlike any Piper has previously seen, and she watches in awe as the sun begins it's descent and the large pale moon begins to rise over the vast expanse of the water.
"Oh my god... Alex," Piper murmurs breathlessly, and Alex leans her forehead into a blonde temple with a quiet chuckle.
"Worth missing the dinner party for?"
"Yes."
They spend the rest of their night upon that hill. Not speaking, simply choosing to exist in the silent comfort of one another's company. Alex scratches out AV+PC upon a small tree, laughing at Piper's gentle teasing about being "so middle school" and quietly telling her that it's their spot now. The sun's just begun to rise when Piper finally nudges Alex up, telling her she needs to get back to her house because her family will be leaving soon. They share a quiet kiss, then another, before Alex finally pulls away, dragging them both to their feet and slinging an arm around Piper as they make their way back towards the waiting Mustang.
Her family's bustling around, moving bags from the house to the car when they finally pull up, and Piper ignores a disdainful glare from her mother as she tells Alex goodbye one final time, waiting until her parents disappear into the house before dropping a quick parting kiss to the older girl's lips.
Cal meets her at the steps, calling out a goodbye as Alex pulls away with a final wave.
.
It's late by the time the Chapmans finally arrive home, and Piper's phone is just barely hanging onto a sliver of battery life.
She races upstairs with an eagerness that her family attributes to being back in her own home, and dives across her bed to plug in the dying device before it can sever contact with Alex. They've not stopped texting the entire journey home, and Piper's quietly relived at how easy it is to continue their easy-going repartee even as state after state stretches on between them.
She eventually settles for bed, discarding the stuffy clothes she'd spent the day traveling in for the soft pair of pajamas left sitting in the top drawer of her dresser with a gentle shake of her head and a soft grin. It's weird, being in her own bed once again (a once familiar place she'd quietly pined for, now foreign and unappealing after three months spent in another's) and she sends Alex a quick selfie lamenting her new surroundings.
Receiving one back, she laughs softly at Alex's teasingly cocky admittance that it's certainly no paradise as she frames herself against a brilliant sunset and rolling waves. Piper saves the picture with a soft smile, adding it to her mental list of pictures to get printed and sends Alex a lamenting message about rural Connecticut's lack of beautiful scenery.
- I know, I know
- but at least you've got over a dozen pictures of me to help ease that pain, kid
And Piper snorts a laugh she knows Alex can hear clearly despite the stretch of land between them.
I was talking about the ACTUAL scenery you ass -
And she sighs softly when Alex sends her an unobstructed view of the darkening sky and vast ocean from their spot, quietly marking another addition to her growing mental list. Another message popping up immediately after the image,
- It really is something though, huh
yeah -
Piper replies, still studying the picture, imaging Alex sitting quietly in the grass. When she closes her eyes she can almost convince herself she's there next to her.
Her phone vibrates suddenly in her hand, breaking her from her quiet contemplation and she gazes at the screen to see an incoming call from Alex which she quickly swipes open, and they speak in quiet hushes for awhile before a heavy yawn from Piper prompts a gentle laugh from Alex. They bid each other a gentle farewell, promising to talk again in the morning, and Piper drifts to sleep (a gentle grin alighting her features as she slowly fades from consciousness, knowing Alex is doing the same several states away), her phone illuminating her bedroom one last time for the night as Alex's final message drifts through.
- but it sure would be prettier with you.
my endearingly pestering friend orangedandelion was very insistent about needing a summer courtship AU, and I resisted all I could until I accidentally put on Cups while sorting through various playlists for the stories and what can I say, suddenly it just happened. anyway I had this all but finished right before season three secretly came out, so I figured I might as well buckle down and finish it. but honestly, at this point, I feel like it's only fair to tell you that I was so disappointed with season three as a whole that I, at this point... don't know when I'll feel like writing again. I'm really sorry, but... idk. I once told you that I like to think I'd tell you when this story was drawing to a close, and as we stand right now I just can't really see myself feeling any sort of positivity here anytime soon. hopefully something will give and I'll eventually want to channel my disappointments with the season back into writing but as it stands right now and being that I don't wanna promise anything, I just... thought I should let you guys know. I don't wanna leave you guys hanging. but. it's bad right now and I just... don't know when that might change. though it WAS kinda cathartic to get this out. which I suppose is a glimmer of good news, if anything. I don't WANT to abandon this story yet, but like I said, it's hard right now. just... bare with me as I sort through my feelings from here. anyway musical inspiration includes; Tongue Tied and Naked Kids (Grouplove), Style (Taylor Swift), Teenage Dream (Katy Perry), and Cups (Anna Kendrick)... among a few other less prominent others.