a Hades/Persephone AU (a semi-modern presentation with a semi-classic twist)
(because time periods are a bitch) & peer pressure is a bitch [M RATING] [for sex junk]
She'd never intended to fall in love.
She'd never intended to make an actual relationship out of it (however unconventional a relationship it might be).
She'd never intended for a lot of things to happen when she first approached Piper Chapman in the gardens that day.
But then again, Alex Vause's intent towards most things changed the day her fascinations fell upon the daughter of summer.
She'd never intended to fall so hard.
.
Piper Chapman was radiant.
(which was to be expected from the daughter of harvest and the sky itself)
She was pure, innocent in a way that captured fascination and demanded attention.
And Alex Vause's was not the first interest to be spiked by the radiance of Piper Chapman.
But Piper Chapman was the first to do so so thoroughly.
.
She'd never known freedom.
Most of her decisions in life were made for her.
She'd spent the majority of her life confined. Trapped within her parents' expectations and control. Groomed to be the image of perfection.
Her garden was her only sanctum. A world so deep (yet still within the confines of her parents' reach) that she could pretend it was her own.
She wonders sometimes, as she dashes from the house (away from the lessons and etiquette and control) and into the gardens (legs pumping, heart hammering, lungs gasping), running until she's deep enough to forget. She wonders what kind of wonders might lie beyond the garden walls. What kind of world her parents are so quick to protect her from.
It's a curiosity that was once easily allayed.
A soothing word from her father about being safe from all dangers as she climbs into his lap.
A gentle nudging from her mother about not concerning herself with the world that stretches outside their walls.
Nothing you have to worry about reaching you.
Nothing that should be of interest or concern to you.
But her mother has begun to preen about womanhood, and honor.
And her father has begun to present her to his associates and his friends and their sons.
And Piper Chapman's curiosity about the world outside of her garden walls grows.
And a slow burning rebellion begins to ignite beneath her skin.
She meets Alex Vause in the summer of her eighteenth year.
And the low burn becomes a roaring fire.
.
It's a slow dance.
Alex had always been aware of Piper Chapman, but something about this summer in particular struck her attentions extra hard.
She was no stranger to conquest. Though her conquests were always something wicked; dark pleasures gained from luring in something less-so and turning it into something fit for her own kingdom. She fancied her attentions as an image of blood dripping slowly into a contained source of water; the deep shade slowly unfurling within the colorless mass until it's forever tainted with it's presence.
It's the image that initially flashes through her mind when she first lays eyes on Piper Chapman in what was to be her eighteenth summer.
And it's the thrill that diverts her from her intended path and onward towards the young girl on that first fateful day.
She lingers a moment, watching as the girl wanders aimlessly around the brilliant garden. She'd come to the Chapman estates for a meeting, semi-annual, and Piper Chapman had been the furthest thing from her mind. Until she'd wandered outside during a recess for a smoke break and caught sight of the girl.
She hadn't seen her since she was child, and even then, it was not much more than a passing glimpse here or there. She'd heard the rumors and hushed discussions that seem to have been growing louder and louder as of late. Bill Chapman's daughter was always an object of public fascination but the general tone accompanying that fascination had begun to shift, the older she'd gotten.
Women regarded her with envy, veiled and petty. Men regarded her with lust, hooded and crude.
Alex had never been one for for locker room talk or wine cooler gossip, and so her interests in conversation tended to wane once Piper Chapman's name whispered through the discussion. She knew her as the child of Bill and Carol Chapman. Nothing more. Nothing less.
But her attentions are captured almost immediately as she steps through the doors of the Chapman manner and into the quiet sanctum of the illustrious garden.
Piper Chapman was a sight of her own. And suddenly Alex understood the fascination. Beautiful in a way that dulled the usual attractiveness of the reputably glorious flowers around her, Alex found herself enraptured as her cigarette burned away to ashes between her fingers. And a low keening want begins to burn low in her stomach.
She doesn't approach her immediately, hesitant to break the spell of serenity the scene before her weaves. It's not until the receding embers of her forgotten cigarette nip at her fingers that she finally pulls herself from her study of the image before her. She moves the dwindling bud to her lips, taking a final pull, before pinching it out and depositing it within a pocket (she knows better than to tarnish the pristine garden).
Piper Chapman...
It doesn't take much to enchant Piper Chapman (though it's never taken Alex much to charm anyone) (a gift that comes in handy when you're the ruler of the darkness). She's eager and fascinated and a little bit rebellious, and she hangs on Alex's every word and attention. And Alex finds herself enjoying the girl's engrossment. They don't talk for long, parting ways with quiet goodbyes, and lingering glances (smirking lips and arched eyebrows) (bitten lips and shining gazes).
And Alex knows Piper Chapman will be waiting for her in the gardens for the next however many days she's here for.
She doesn't disappoint.
.
Alex Vause is alluring.
She's mysterious and worldly and the word temptation slithers through Piper's mind as Alex Vause speaks to her in a way no one else ever has.
And she finds herself awaiting the older woman's presence within the gardens eagerly as her father's meetings cease and commence each day.
.
They're a week into their trysts when things get a little more heated.
And Alex begins to realize she's more invested in whatever this is than she has been in any sort of conquest for a long time.
And she ignores the way something within her twinges at the word "conquest".
And she convinces herself it means nothing when she stops using the world entirely.
.
They eventually take to engaging within the gardens after the daily conferences. When all prying eyes have gone to bed, and Piper's rebellious glow shines a little brighter. She sidles a little closer, leans a litter further, lingers a little longer, and Alex is quietly captivated with her presence.
Piper tells her of her mother, and the heavy expectations that come with being the child of harvest.
Piper tells her of her father, and the many men he parades her before as if she's a prize to be shown.
Piper tells her of herself, and the quiet insecurities and wistful dreams she harbors when she's alone and no one's looking, safe in the confines of her own mind and garden.
They're a week an a half into their tryst when Piper Chapman places her lips upon Alex's for the first time.
And Alex suddenly muses that she's never tasted anything quite so sweet as Piper Chapman.
She muses how easy it must be to grow addicted.
.
They're nearly two weeks into their tryst when Piper invites Alex into the deepest sanctums of the garden.
An inner circle so thick and overflowing that for a moment Alex forgets that they're not alone in their own world.
They tumble together into the foliage, gentle flowers and soft moss cocooning them in a bed softer than any mattress, and Piper Chapman lays herself before Alex Vause in a way she's done before for no one other (a way that many have dreamed for themselves). And Alex takes her with a gentleness she's never before shown anything.
They undress one another slowly, lingering kisses and gentle touches. Noises Alex never imagined she'd hear and touches she'd never imagined she'd give as bit by bit Piper Chapman reveals the last of her innermost secrets. And Piper sighs as Alex pulls the final scrap of fabric from her heated skin.
Her legs part, falling open to reveal the last of her hidden beauty to Alex's dark gaze, and she inhales sharply before she can stop herself. She takes a moment, studying the girl splayed out before her, hands trailing gentle paths up and down her sun-kissed thighs.
"You're beautiful." She murmurs finally, softly, and leans down to drop a slow kiss against her waiting lips. Piper arches into the contact. Alex grins.
She dips her head between waiting thighs and allows herself the real taste of Piper Chapman (finally putting to rest the anxious buzzing that's taken up in the back of her mind at the first touch of Piper Chapman's lips against her own). She tastes like summer. Sunlight. A light rain. She's sweeter than any nectar, richer than any wine, and more intoxicating than any substance Alex has ever taken into her mouth, and she shudders as she fails to repress a low moan.
She thinks Piper Chapman might be the most beautiful thing she's ever tasted and it's all she can do to keep herself from devouring her.
She eventually pulls herself away, returns to Piper's lips, sharing the taste with her, and Piper moans softly, spurring Alex onward. Laying herself atop the girl she slithers an arm beneath her shoulder blades, propping her up with fingers cradled gently at the back of her neck. The skin of their naked torsos brush enticingly, and the wandering fingers of her free hand slide closer and closer to the pulse of heat pooling from between tanned legs.
She touches her slowly, and Piper writhes.
Touches her firmly and Piper sighs.
Touches her deeply and Piper bleeds.
She works her steadily until she's shaking and panting, gentle as the final tremors depart from her sated body, and slowly pulls her fingers free from Piper's innermost depths.
Alex studies the slight pink upon her fingers as they emerge from the confines of Piper's intimate heat. It's a sight many would have killed to see; the blood of Piper Chapman's innocence upon their hands. And Alex feels a strange swell of admiration for being allowed the honor. A choice bestowed by Piper herself.
She thinks about the discussions within the boardroom and whispers within the streets about Piper Chapman's coming of age and the many suitors doing their damnedest to woo her father for the opportunity Piper had so lovingly handed her. And Alex's heart swells with a foreign emotion.
"What?" Piper murmurs softly, breaking Alex from her revere.
Her gaze jumps from the pink of her fingers to the blue of Piper's gaze (the color of the sky itself) and she smiles, lowering herself over the girl's warm and sweaty body once more, "nothing." She murmurs lowly, dropping a gentle kiss to Piper's pouting lips, "how do you feel?"
"Mmm..." Piper hums, practically glowing, "I feel... like I've finally come... alive." She blushes delicately as Alex chuckles, embarrassed in the most enamoring way, and Alex can't help but place another kiss upon her pursing lips.
"Well..." she murmurs, nuzzling her nose into the space behind Piper's ear and inhaling deeply (she tastes like summer and she smells like spring; flowers, and raindrops, and promise), "a garden is the best place to bloom."
Piper's smiling when she pulls her back, arms winding contentedly around Alex's naked shoulders (pulling their bodies nearer as she tilts away to see her face), and Alex is once again struck by the realization that lying among the most enchanting garden known to man, Piper Chapman is still somehow the most beautiful creation in the world.
She can feel the thump of Piper's heart resonating through her chest and into her own.
She can smell the sweat of her skin, mixing headily with the scent of their combined more intimate exertions.
She can taste the lingering sweetness that had so briefly coated her lips and tongue before she'd risen to share the flavor with Piper's.
And she can feel the slow gathering wetness beginning to pool against her lower stomach as Piper's body begins to react to the nearness of her own once more.
Piper's eyes shine with the sun of a warm summer day, overflowing with admiration and gentleness and another emotion Alex chooses not to recognize just yet.
She takes her again.
And The night stretches on around them.
.
The meetings come to a close thirty eight hours later.
And Alex has spent every waking moment not spent in conference within the presence of Piper Chapman, but still it is not enough.
They're in the deep gardens once more, tangled upon one another when Alex plucks one of the narcissi and presents it to Piper silently.
"Come home with me." She murmurs softly, voice barely a whisper as Piper studies the gift.
They both know she's leaving with the dawn. Have been avoiding speaking of it (thinking of it), adamantly. And suddenly Alex is struck with the simple question of why. Why should they have to part? Why should it have to end?
"Come home with me." She murmurs again at Piper's questioning gaze.
"Are you being serious?" Piper asks lowly, skeptically. There's an air of unsuredness in her tone and Alex lingers on it for a moment, picking it apart and examining how it seems to reflect more on herself in the scenario rather than Alex. As if she can't quite believe Alex would truly want to have her.
"I've fallen in a sort of something with you, Piper Chapman," she breathes, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, "and I don't... want to have to say goodbye just yet."
"I... 'd get in trouble..." she murmurs as Alex's lips begin to trail across her jaw.
And Alex's voice is low and husky, "all the more reason."
Her lips continue their trail and she knows it's unfair, knows it's sneaky and shady and selfish, but she needs Piper to say yes. She needs Piper to accept. She needs Piper to allow them whatever more time she can give them. She needs it not to end.
She doesn't need to ask again.
.
She steals her away with the retreating night.
And as they slip from the light of the Chapmans' kingdom into the darkness of Alex's own, no one is any the wiser.
The Chapmans' world is in chaos for several days before one of the garden maids fearfully admits she'd seen Alex Vause hanging around the gardens with increasing frequency in her final weeks of conference. They're predictably furious. It doesn't take long for Bill Chapman to come knocking.
Though Alex has to admit, it takes them longer than she'd thought it would.
She's pulled from bed at the announcement of his arrival, leaving his daughter naked and dozing as she dresses herself accordingly for such a meeting. Her movements are unhurried and languid, gaze trailing back and forth from her task at hand to the gentle rise and fall of Piper's sleeping form within her sheets, and she takes small pleasure in prolonging his wait, no doubt stroking his ire. She's never cared for the man. Less so after everything Piper's softly admitted about him.
He's standing stoically in the hallway when she finally approaches, false smiles and empty pleasantries (she's never cared for the sterile niceties of the Chapmans), and she silently decides to make this as difficult as possible.
"Bill." She greets with a tight smile, "to what to I owe the pleasure?"
He returns it with a practiced smile of his own, tilting his head in silent greeting, "Alex... as you may have heard, my daughter has recently gone missing."
"Really?" Alex remarks with feigned surprise, "I've actually not heard much of anything these last few days. My attention's been rather... preoccupied." It's a statement designed to anger. Alex Vause's sexual habits are no secret, her infamous conquests the topic of many rumors themselves. And they both know why Bill Chapman is really here.
Nodding slowly he fixes her with a firm and knowing not-quite-glare, "well, you see... I've recently received reason to believe that she's left Chapman estates with you."
"Is that so?" Alex asks, eyebrow arching challengingly.
He laughs good-naturedly, but there's a twinge of disdain within it that has Alex smirking, "why don't we cut the bullshit, Alex, and then cut to the chase?" He's grinning amicably, a way that makes it clear he's not really taking her or the situation seriously. Tolerating. A way that makes it clear she is below him, "you stole my daughter, Alex. Surely you can understand how out of bounds you are here."
She clears her throat, levels her voice, (ignores the slight flash of anger at the word stole, as if Piper were nothing more than a possession to be haggled for), "actually she came willingly," and then takes the killshot, "several times. In fact."
His eyes widen almost comically before narrowing dangerously. Alex takes small pleasure in the the subtle throb that starts up upon his temple.
"This isn't a joke, Alex."
"No." She agrees, "it's not."
"How dare you." He growls, his voice low. Deadly. Any lesser being may have cowered. But Alex Vause had never been a lesser being.
"She's a grown woman, Bill. She can make her own decisions."
"Well she apparently is now." Distaste coats his words, disgust upon his face, "I have half a mind to tell you to keep her, but I'd never hear the end of it from her mother." A pause, "and quite frankly I'm not sure I want to give you the satisfaction." He draws a breath, reigning his displeasure in before continuing, "She may be a grown woman, but her place is with us. She doesn't belong in this lifeless prison of darkness and rot. Even you can't be so selfish as to cut her off from the thriving beauty that she loves."
She schools her features, refusing to allow the man the satisfaction of seeing the small turmoil his words have begun to wrought. But she knows she's not been completely successful, and that the elder Chapman can see the seeds of doubt he's sown.
"You know she doesn't belong here, Alex. So do the right thing, and let her go. We both know it's what's best for her."
Her jaw tightens, and she drops her gaze to the side as he finally turns to leave.
"Her mother will be arriving tomorrow at noon. She doesn't like to be kept waiting." He calls over his shoulder.
.
Piper stirs as she returns, rolling slightly to fix Alex with a searching gaze.
"Alex?" She murmurs questioningly as Alex lingers in the doorway, watching her.
She reaches out a hand, silently beckoning the older woman closer, and Alex comes willingly.
Piper's fingers curl delicately around her wrist as she nears the bed, tugging ever so slightly until Alex has no choice but to lower herself down over top of her.
Her hips settle between Piper's parted thighs and she can feel the heat of her skin through the thin blanket and layer of clothing that separates them. She rests her weight upon her forearms, hands sliding to cradle the backs of Piper's shoulders as she tugs on the lapels of Alex's jacket until their faces are within each other's personal spaces.
"Alex..." She whispers, their lips just barely brushing.
Closing the distance between their lips, Alex captures her mouth in a deep and thorough kiss. It's enough to leave Piper gasping softly as they part and her sky blue gaze fixes questioningly upon Alex's own hooded gaze and suddenly she cannot find it within herself to burst their gentle bubble just yet. She can't allow Piper the answers to the questions churning behind her heavy eyelids.
She kisses her again.
Allows Piper to pull the clothes from her body, bit by bit.
She let's the bubble linger just a little bit longer before she has to let her go.
Alex allows herself to indulge in Piper Chapman one final time.
And a voice in the back of her mind whispers,
selfish...
.
She curses herself when the glaring rays of the new day cut across her face the following morning.
She hadn't meant to let it get this far. She hadn't meant to keep her father's visit from Piper this long.
She rolls, eyes searching for the girl as she squints against the harsh light. She can't quite fight the tender smile that creeps across her lips as she finds her, curled slightly in on herself amidst the pillows and sheets. Her face is turned towards Alex, an up-turned hand resting between them atop her pillow, fingers curled loosely into a half-fist. Alex's eyes trace the gentle contours, hidden beneath the high riding sheets. Piper's skin glows in the warm morning sun, peppered with a light dusting of freckles and Alex's fingers itch to reach out and caress her. But she keeps them still, unwilling to disturb the gentle flow of Piper's steady breaths and peaceful slumber.
She's unsure of how long she lay there, watching, only knows her reverie is eventually broken by Piper's shifting.
A quiet moan drops from her lips as she struggles slowly to wakefulness. Her eyes blink open slowly, searching for Alex, and the gentlest of grins unfolds upon her face when she finds her.
It's enough to melt Alex's heart.
She thinks she might never get tired of the image of Piper waking (all gentle limbs and sluggish movements).
But the voice in the back of her mind reminds her that this will be the last time.
And Alex puts off telling her just a little longer.
They curl together, nuzzling gently into one another's necks and chins, bodies scooting closer and closer until there is no more room left between them and Piper whines gently, pressing further lazily. Alex's hand has risen to smooth down Piper's back in a steady back-and-forth trail, and she pulls the blonde tighter against her as she wiggles. Eventually Piper settles, a soft exhalation of breath, and places a barely-there kiss in the space between Alex's collarbones.
"I wish we could stay here all day." She murmurs, and Alex tenses, knowing she can no longer put it off. Sensing the shift, Piper raises her head, fixing Alex with a questioning look. She'd been expecting some sort of grumbled reply about needing to actually get work done, but instead Alex is silent. Tense. Refusing to meet her gaze. "What?" She questions softly, "Alex... what is it?"
"Your father came to visit last night," she whispers, and Piper grows still in her arms. "Your mother's coming to pick you up at noon."
"What?" Piper's voice is soft, barely a whisper, and Alex swears she hears it crack in the single syllable.
"I'm sorry, Piper." Alex murmurs, still avoiding her gaze.
"What do you mean?" Piper whispers, eyes wide and filling with emotion. Fear. Dejection. Heartbreak. Alex regrets looking. "I thought..." her voice trails off, the words left unspoken. Alex hears them anyway.
I thought we were going to be okay.
I thought you told me not to worry.
I thought you said we'd have more time.
I thought you wanted this.
I thought you wanted me.
"Your mother's coming for you, Piper. I have no choice." Piper's silent, her once-tight grip slowly loosening. Her eyes are wide and wet and faraway and Alex can't stand to see it anymore and pushes herself to a sitting position at the edge of the bed. "It's what's best for you." She murmurs, voice low.
Piper's own response is a shrill and sudden contrast, "what's best for me!? God! You really aren't that different, are you?" At this, Alex's attention snaps toward the angry blonde, "everyone apparently seems to know what's best for me, but me!" She huffs out a breathless laugh, short and disbelieving, "you know, Alex, I came with you because I thought you were different. I thought for once in my life someone respected me... someone appreciated me." She's got Alex's full attention now, and the older woman notes a faint shine of tears gathering in the corners of her blue gaze. She reaches a hand forward, "I guess I was wrong," and falters.
"Piper..."
"Don't." She turns, drawing a hand to her face, "forget it Alex. I get it."
She's powerless to move, caught up in her own turmoil of emotion as she watches the dejected blonde pull herself from the bed and stalk out of the room.
She tells herself it's for the best.
.
They avoid one another for the better part of three hours.
Piper's mother will be arriving in two.
Following the blonde's departure, Alex had moved to the kitchen, drowning herself in coffee until she realized all it was doing was making her worse. Eventually she moves to the study, having heard the click of the bedroom door signifying Piper's chosen to hole herself up in there.
She runs her fingers through her hair.
Glances at the clock.
One hour and forty minutes.
Piper's words cycle endlessly through her head.
You really aren't that different are you?
respected me.
I thought you were different.
appreciated me.
I guess I was wrong.
She screws her eyes shut, and tugs at the roots of her hair a little harder, desperately attempting drown out the cycle of voices; Piper's. I guess I was wrong. Her father's. Even you can't be so selfish. Her own. Selfish. Selfish. Selfish.
She thinks of the hushed conversations from the sanctity of Piper's garden and the quiet confessions poured out within her bed. She thinks about the stories Piper had told her about growing up in a home that dictated every aspect of her life. She thinks about the way the sun kissed her skin and the flowers looked a little duller in her presence. She thinks about the way Bill Chapman had talked about his daughter, as if she were a possession to be claimed.
She thinks about the blood on her fingers and the choice Piper had made to bestow upon her.
One hour and twenty four minutes.
.
Piper's curled within her bed when Alex enters, back turned and silent.
She doesn't so much as stir at Alex's appearance.
And something within her twinges painfully.
She approaches the bed slowly, sinking to the edge of the mattress with a heavy sigh. The positions they'd been in before Piper had stormed off.
"I told your father you were a grown woman..." she says quietly, her voice low and rough. She winces. "That you were capable of making your own decisions... and you are. But, Piper... he was right too. You don't belong here. You don't deserve to be trapped here."
She turns, gazing over her shoulder. Piper has twisted to face her, face stony and eyes puffy. It's enough to crack Alex's already wavering voice. Piper's mouth falls open, ready to argue, and Alex raises a hand, cutting her off, "don't tell me you wouldn't miss it. Piper... the sunlight is what I saw in you, it's what pulled me to you. It's a part of you. I can't ask you to cut yourself off from that for me."
"But you can force me to cut myself off from you?"
She sighs, eyebrows furrowing as she turns away from the blonde once more.
"I chose to come with you, Alex. I chose to walk away from the beauty of the gardens, and I chose to follow you into the darkness."
She falls silent, her voice tampering off with the stillness of the bedroom and Alex nearly jumps when a soft hand lands atop her shoulder.
"And not once have I regretted it." Her voice is low, words curling huskily in Alex's ear, as slowly, she presses the length of her body along the back of Alex's, "I chose this life for myself. I chose you... for myself. My entire life has been driven by other people's choices for me. And if you send me back there... my soul will surely rot in a way that this world could never imagine."
Her lips are soft against the nape of Alex's neck and she shudders at their contrast to the sharpness of their words.
"All the beauties of the world could fall away. I don't care. I don't want them anymore. There's only one beauty I'm interested in." Her voice is low, sensual and deadly in a way that leaves Alex's mind spinning as she succumbs to the whims of Piper Chapman. And she begins to think she may have misunderstood who exactly had been pursuing who in this dance.
"I don't want to be their child of light," she whispers, fingers stealing around Alex's front to dip beneath the gaps of her robe, "I want to be your queen of darkness."
And Alex gasps as Piper Chapman plays her mind and body like a finely tuned instrument.
And her mind fills with the echoing whisper of another rumor often tied with Piper Chapman's name as the buzzing of her pleasure grows louder and louder.
Piper Chapman always gets what she wants.
.
Piper had taken her thoroughly and unapologetically.
Leaving no room for argument or discourse.
And once Alex had lain l sated and defeated, they finally spoke.
Piper agrees to meet her mother. Hear what her parents have to say. And once she's heard both their parts, she will make her final decision.
"Though I'm already sure of where my intentions lie." Alex opens her mouth once to retaliate, but quickly learns her lesson as Piper snaps it shut with a firm curl of her fingers around Alex's chin, "you allowed me the decision of who I gave my innocence to, you'll allow me the decision of who I give the rest of my life to."
They finally pull themselves from the sheets fifteen minutes before Piper's mother is due.
And Alex watches from her bed as Piper dresses herself with a languid sort of laziness.
"Piper..." she calls softly, haltingly, and the blonde turns to fix her with a gaze as blue as crystal clear day. Gritting her teeth in an attempt to fight off her doubts (selfish, selfish, selfish), Alex opens her eyes to fix on that bright gaze once more. The last of her resolve crumbles. "Here," she murmurs, "if you truly... wish to spend your life here... at my side..." the blonde's inquisitive gaze focuses and she takes a tentative step forward, "eat these."
Her palm opens to reveal four small red seeds that gleam faintly in the low light.
Piper eyes them wearily for a moment before reaching out. Her fingers brush against Alex's own and she squeezes her eyes shut, unable to face the blonde's decision. Unable to watch as she steals what's left of her purity.
"What are they?" She asks softly.
"Pomegranate seeds."
"And these will allow me to return?" Her voice is low, filled with a gentle sort of intrigue.
"Yes. It's your choice. Not anyone else's."
Alex's eyes remain closed. She refuses to watch. Unsure which thought breaks her more; Piper denying her or Piper forsaking her better life in order to remain with her. Something soft grazes her cheek, fingers curling behind her jaw, as Piper pulls Alex's face gently towards her own. Her mouth tastes tangy, sweet with the leftover juices of the seeds when she brings her lips to Alex's own, and the relief that swells through her is nearly enough to make her faint.
"I choose you."
.
Piper departs with a final kiss.
And Alex heaves a sigh she thinks she might have been holding for the last twenty four hours as she sinks slowly into her armchair.
All she has now is to wait.
.
Eighteen hours.
Alex remains seated and alert for eighteen hours, when Piper Chapman finally slips back through her doors.
She's on her feet immediately, hands reaching for the blonde before she catches them and stills herself. "Well?" she asks after a moment of silence.
"We've worked out a deal." Piper murmurs, hovering just out of reach, "The gardens... they've... withered in my absence. They ache for my presence and I... have an obligation to them."
Alex's heart twists. She drops her gaze, attempting to school her features, "what's the deal?"
"Six months. Every year." Piper murmurs, "six months with you, six months with them. Enough time to keep the gardens alive." She takes a tentative step forward, attempts to catch Alex's gaze, "if it were possible, Alex, you know I'd have chosen to stay. Here. Forever."
"No," Alex murmurs with a nod, "this is... good. You need time in their world. Sunshine. Life."
"But six months..." Piper trails off.
"Is going to be hard." Alex finishes.
They're silent a minute, lost in their thoughts.
"Well..." Piper soon murmurs, taking another step, "think about the reunions..." another step, "six months apart..." another step, "six months of abstinence..." they're millimeters apart now, Alex's gaze is still upon the floor, but she's powerless to stop the arch of her eyebrow, the tug of her smirk. "I mean... we are going to have some really great sex."
Piper's grinning hopefully when she finally meets her gaze and Alex can't help the short laugh that bubbles out of her at the sight. "C'mere," she murmurs, wrapping a hand around the nape of Piper's neck and pulling her lips to her own, "are you sure this is what you want?"
"Yes." Piper whispers, "this is what I want."
.
Six months seems shorter than either of them have ever remembered it to be.
And six months passes quicker than either of them would have liked for them to.
Piper departs with an angry curse and a shine of tears lining her eyes.
And Alex sighs with a heaviness she'll come to grow familiar with.
And their countdown of the next six months begins.
.
But Piper's right about the sex.
.
They're curled within Alex's bed, three months into their season, and covered in nothing but the sheets and one another's bodies when Alex comments on the changing weather and dying lands, "how the earth weeps for you in your absence."
"It's fitting," Piper murmurs, eyes tracking the wilted flowers and desolate fields, falling snow and frigid winds, "they deserve to know what happens to my heart every time they take me from you."
.
And the sex improves with ending of their time too.
"Last one for awhile," Piper murmurs breathlessly from atop her, "make it count."
.
Time stretches on.
And Alex notices she's acutely aware of it's passing for the first time in her life.
But the image of Piper Chapman returning to her after six months of absence becomes her favorite sight.
And maybe the passing time isn't quite as bad as she'd once thought it was.
.
"I don't wanna go back." Piper whispers petulantly, burying her face against the older woman's neck.
"You have to," She whispers bitterly, "those're the rules."
"No." A whine, and she wriggles a little closer. A quiet sigh falls from Alex's lips as she holds the woman a little tighter, "I hate going back there. I wanna stay here. With you. Forever. It's not fair."
"I know it's not fair, kid."
.
The conferences eventually roll around again, and neither of them have been happier to see a summer.
It's the first year Alex doesn't find her attention waning onto other things.
Piper sits beside her, regal and breathtaking and Alex smiles to herself as Piper's foot brushes slowly along her calves under the table.
"Good things come to those who wait," she whispers into Piper's ear as her hand begins to join her foot in it's wanderings.
"I ain't in a patient phase."
Her father watches silently in muted anger. And Alex smiles a little wider.
They spend the night in Piper's childhood bedroom, politely insisting the guest room provided for Alex wouldn't be necessary.
And neither of them try too hard to hide their noises of pleasure as they remind everyone in the house what months of separation does for their sex life.
.
"My father still thinks he can marry me off," Piper murmurs into the skin of Alex's neck one year upon the night of their reunion, punctuating the sentence with a bite.
Alex groans, deep in her throat "Mmm... anybody I need to have killed?"
"I'll keep you posted."
.
Piper's family ignores the sizable diamond adorning her finger the next time she returns to them.
.
Alex finds herself studying Piper quietly in the rare moments she's unaware she's being watched.
The morning is her favorite time for it.
Her eyes track lazily over the gently arching contours of Piper's stretching body.
A body that looks as if it were carved of the purest marble.
A faint moan falls from her slightly parted lips and Alex is more than aware of the effect it has on her sluggish body. Her pupils have dilated, and she can feel a heavy warmth settling low in her stomach, the pace of her heart pumping just a little faster. Her gaze lingers upon Piper's chest, taking in the stiff peaks of her nipples before her spine collapses once more and she returns fully to the mattress below her.
Another soft moan escapes her lungs as she shifts lazily, settling into the mess of blankets and pillows, and Alex reaches out a hand to trace the swell of her cheek. Blue eyes blink open, focusing on Alex slowly.
"I love you." Alex whispers, losing herself in the swirling skies of Piper's gaze.
And she smiles gently, "I love you too."
.
Alex takes her dancing whenever their schedules allow it.
(whenever they manage pull themselves from bed for long enough)
Piper seems to enjoy it. Lessons of her old life she never entirely hated.
They dance, Alex's fingers creeping slow across Piper's stomach.
And the autumn winds howl quietly along around them in time with their rhythm.
.
"I've heard a certain nymph has been vying for your affections lately..." Piper murmurs absently, a week into her return.
"She's tried." Alex smirks, attentions fixed on the papers before her.
"No luck?"
Her gaze slides from the papers to Piper's own, "not a chance."
They smile.
"A shame," Piper murmurs, and Alex arches an amused eyebrow, "I'd been hoping for the chance to flex my muscles a little."
Alex laughs, setting aside the papers, "well I could always go out and encourage it, if that would make you feel better?"
"Mmm... no." Piper drawls, moving to lower herself into Alex's open lap, "I'm sure there will be more opportunities."
"I don't think anyone's too keen to cross the Queen the Underworld," Alex murmurs against her grinning lips.
"Because they're all too afraid of it's ruler."
A sharp laugh breaks through Alex's lungs as she pulls the blonde a little closer, "more like because they're all afraid of her wife."
"And I didn't even have to flex my muscles." Piper pouts.
Their mouths meet in a tangle of giggly grins.
.
They always end up holding each other for a long time, following Piper's returns, as if making up for a thousand empty nights.
"I've missed you," Piper murmurs, pressing herself into the gentle embrace.
"I missed you too." Her palm skates gently over Alex's cheek as they pull apart enough to catch each other's eye, and Alex murmurs, "it's supposed to be a long cold, winter this year, kid."
"That's alright," Piper answers, voice just as soft, "I've been saving all my summers for you."
a shorter one.
there's not really much to build on after the initial myth and get together, so the real story kind of petered out after that and all I was left with were little snapshots of various stages of their six month cycles. I feel like it probably could have been more, but... this was all I could come up with. so sorry that's not really anything grand.
I took a very lax approach to some of the stricter myth aspects because I didn't really want the world building to be the focus. whether you choose to imagine it in a completely modern world or a much older more mythical one, or a completely unrelated timeless sort of new world wherein both those aspects blur, I didn't want unnecessary technical aspects of it all to become any sort of hang up. though I worry that in doing this I left things a little too lax.
what I really wanted to play with were the ideas of summer and sky and fertility from the original myth in relation Taylor Schilling's sunshine radiance, Piper's eyes, and the idea of innocence and virginity and coming of age and adulthood for young girls through old cliches and symbolism. I wanted to sort of subvert some of them, taking the power behind a lot of these themes and giving it all to Piper. similarly, I also wanted to tie a lot of Alex's charm and mystery and darkness to the themes of death and decay of fall/winter despite the fact that Hades isn't the god of death itself. so excuse my heavy attention to all that rather than more of the rest of the plot.
I feel like a lot of this feels out of character, but I'm still struggling to understand where exactly I stand with them post season three. if it's a disconnect stemmed by how out of it CANON characterization felt. or if it's a disconnect stemmed from how far I feel from them in light of season three, considering every time I try to go back and rewatch one or two it feels tainted. or maybe it's just the entrenching of a different era of timeline and wondering if I've managed to keep them true to themselves despite this. whatever the case may be I hope those who have pushed me to write this feel like their expectations have been met. or... at least have not been not TOO short-changed.
influential music and lifted lyrics from Froot by Marina & The Diamonds.