Hi! Reviews are welcome. I also am looking for constructive criticism for the story, writing, etc. If you provide a critique, please add a suggestion to it so that I can learn. Thanks! Red.
"Damnit, doesn't anyone understand I'm on a deadline?" Piper hadn't heard the quiet knock on the door while she banged on the press. Only when it repeated itself did she finally hear it. Untangling herself from the innards of the machine, she climbed to her feet feeling irritated, "I'm coming! Gimme a minute." The weather was making everything worse. It was hot and muggy June morning outside and twice as bad inside. Sweat was running down her back. Her torn t-shirt and cutoff jeans weren't offering her any solace from the heat of the print shop. She was so miserable; she'd shut off the overhead lights just to feel like she could breathe.
Almost no one knocked on the door unless it was the city guards, Nick, or Alex, and Nick and Alex weren't in town. The few times she'd run out of papers was the only exception and there were still papers outside when she had gotten home from walking Nat to school an hour ago. She threw the printing press a nasty look when she walked away.
With another light rap on the door came a slew of curse words from her mouth. "Hold on a sec!" Piper wiped ink and oil off her hands, glancing at the clock. She grabbed the ten-millimeter pistol from her desk, chambered a round, and clicked off the safety. She flipped the three deadbolt locks on the heavy metal door. Pulling it partially open, she was blinded by morning light for a second.
She locked her foot next to the door to prevent whoever was on the other side from pushing it open all the way. "I hope this is important. I'm a little busy," Her tone carried with it her frustration for being disturbed and overheated.
Flowery cologne washed over her from the slight change in pressure from the opening door. When her eyes adjusted, she saw the woman leaning against her door frame. Inadvertently she let out a small sigh realizing who it was, and the woman looked up at her. Sunlight caught in her golden-blonde hair, and her face slid into an easy smile. "Morning," the woman adjusted against the frame to free her right hand from the wall. "Is now a good time for a visit?" The smile broadened just a little as she took off her sunglasses with her right hand. "Or am I impeding the good work of the free press?" The sound of Alex's old-fashioned Boston accent sent a pang of desire through Piper.
Behind Alex, the city had already started coming to life. The sounds and smells became bolder as the shops opened. Power Noodles had its first customers of the morning. The delightful aromas of sautéed vegetables and spam-filled the air. Not that Piper was paying attention to anything happening at the market with Alex standing in her doorway. For a moment, Piper took her in, stunned. She hadn't expected her to be in Diamond City, let alone standing at her front door.
Piper let her eyes wander to the woman haunting her doorway, feeling her smile build. Piper always loved the blue and gray checkered shirt she was wearing, though she never told her. The long-sleeved shirt brought out the color of her eyes. It also lacked a few buttons, so it exposed a bit more of Alex's pale skin than a vault jumpsuit. Piper secretly wondered if that was the reason she only wore the shirt in Diamond City.
She had her left hand tucked into the pocket of her worn jeans casually. Giving a quick glance at the combat boots, Piper let a smile fully form when she looked back at her face. The startling gray of the woman's eyes held a playful look, and it made Piper's stomach turn into a knot.
She watched a wisp of golden-blonde hair slip over her right eye in the warm morning breeze. Her long ponytail was flipped casually over her right shoulder. Alex's hair had grown considerably. She traced Alex's jawline to her lips. The smile she wore filled Piper with the warmth she hadn't felt in the time they'd been apart.
"Hey, Blue," she tried hard as hell not to sound breathy but failed. She was too overwhelmed to say anything else to her.
After waiting a few seconds, Alex's smile faltered, "Just 'hey'?" She glanced into the darkness behind Piper, pushing herself off the doorframe. "That's it?" Piper noticed her wince when she did. "If now's a bad time, Piper, I'll leave."
"Wait, no." Piper tried to form a coherent thought. "Why would you leave?" They hadn't seen each other in three months. Their last night together had gone from the best night of Piper's life to the worst within fifteen minutes. Piper swallowed hard at the thought of her being gone again, "No, Blue. I want you to stay." She didn't mean to sound like she was pleading, but the reality was she was.
"It feels like I'm…" Alex peered into the darkness behind Piper again, "interrupting something more important." Alex's smile faded entirely. "I don't want to put you in a tight spot, Piper. I'll just catch up with you another time."
Piper could hear the hurt tone in her voice. "What? Blue, no." She pushed open the door, stepped out into the light, and pulled Alex into a crushing hug. Alex cried out in pain, trying to pull away. "Shit!" Piper let go quickly, "Are you ok?"
Alex rubbed the left side of her chest with her right hand. A tear ran down her cheek as she gritted her teeth in pain. "When did you become a super mutant?" She forced out a laugh, in a painful-sounding way.
Piper stuffed the gun into her waistband and brushed the hair from her face. "Jesus I'm sorry, Blue. I didn't think you'd break with a hug." She watched Alex's shirt move as she rubbed, the deep scars on her skin peeking at her from her exposed collarbone disappearing behind the covering of her shirt. The sight stole the words from her dry mouth. She remembered how close she had come to losing her.
Alex exhaled the breath she was holding, trying to recover from the discomfort in her shoulder. "Of all the ways I can think of to die, being hugged to death is one of the more pleasant." She cracked a small grin as another tear slipped down her cheek. "Still a little tender, though. Maybe try a little less enthusiasm next time. I'm trying to limit my brushes with death to once per week."
"Christ, I'm so sorry," Piper bent down, picking up Alex's sunglasses off the ground. She held them out for her, watching Alex roll her left shoulder gingerly.
"Don't be," Alex fixed a grin firmly on her face. "It's not like you knew it would hurt." Alex reached for her sunglasses, her fingers brushing Piper's hand, making her shiver.
For a second, Alex held both Piper's fingers and her glasses. "So, you're not busy?"
Piper looked at their hands, she couldn't help her blush. "I'm never too busy for you." When she looked back at her, Alex wore a broad smile. Piper felt her blush spread at the same time she noticed the tear that had rolled down to Alex's jaw. Instinctively, she wiped it away. When she did Alex's eyes closed but her smile didn't fade.
"I really missed you, Piper."
Piper was sure that her entire body was taking rads. "I missed you too, Blue." She watched a blush spread on Alex's cheeks as she let her hand drop. Piper heard an alarm go off on one of the printing presses. "Oh god dammit." She looked over her shoulder back inside, "Maybe you could help me out?"
Alex caught her hand; the playful look was back in her eyes. "Well, I just can't abandon a damsel in distress, can I?"
Piper laughed for the first time in months, "I don't know that I'd go that far but I'll take it."
"You are a damsel," Alex gave her a winning smile as she pushed her through the entry gently. "And you are clearly in distress with that alarm going off."
Piper rolled her eyes, not letting go of her hand as she locked the door behind them. "Going for the old-fashioned radio show hero, huh?"
"Is it working?" Alex asked coyly. "Because I can try as a moustache-twirling evil villain if you prefer."
Piper only laughed in response. She wanted to tell her that it was working. She also wanted to ask if by villain she planned to tie her up but didn't have the courage. Her nerve had gone the night Alex almost died and she didn't know how to say the things she was thinking. Between being nervous and excited, Piper thought it was best not to say anything at all. Which was completely opposite of everything she'd spent the last three months planning to do.
They walked the short distance to the two presses still holding hands. "What's going on with them?" Alex sniffed the panel she was standing at.
"This one has been overheating and I keep having to shut it down." Piper glared at the machine, "I thought I fixed it, but it turned itself off this time."
Alex looked around at the scattered tools. "Why does it smell like burning hair in here?"
"I don't know but I think it's a bad connection because the fans aren't kicking on. And that one's motor went out," Piper watched Alex struggle as she pulled the small control panel cover off. "Need some help with that?"
Alex looked around the frame at her, "I thought I was the one rescuing you?" She sat down on the stool in front of the machine and slowly rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
As Piper watched Alex loosen the screws holding the larger panel to the press on, she realized she was in more pain than she was letting on. She also noticed Alex set her left hand in her lap as she worked. "You can't lift your left arm, can you?" She walked over to Alex and sat on the stool next to her.
Alex cleared her throat, "I might have used up my quota for this week's close calls. That's why I wasn't here yesterday morning like I wanted to be."
Piper's jaw dropped, "Blue, seriously?!" She stared at Alex in disbelief, "You gonna tell me what happened, or should I guess?"
Alex stood, leaning on the panel so it wouldn't fall. "If you help me move the panel, we can see why it's overheating."
Piper moved her stool to get closer to the machine. "Damn it, Blue. Just tell me."
"It's nothing to worry about." Alex tilted her head toward the panel. "A little help, please. It's getting heavy."
Piper pulled the panel off the frame, exposing the lint and ink-covered parts. "You know I do expect you to be honest with me. I shouldn't need to remind you at this point."
"Fine," Alex wasn't quite impatient, but Piper could tell she hadn't wanted to talk about it. Alex set the screwdriver and screws on the top of the control panel. She sat down and spun on the stool to face her. She popped the top button and let the shirt slip off her left shoulder. Piper gasped as Alex exposed the scars and a fresh bandage around her left shoulder. She reached out, touching Alex's chest. Her fingers trailed along the outside of the wide scars. Piper noticed her lean into her touch as she touched the scars on her chest tenderly. She wanted to finish removing her shirt and touch all of her. The woman made her entire body burn with desire like no one else ever had.
"Preston had a team walk with me from Starlight." She watched Piper as she spoke, "He said he wanted me to make it one piece." She looked up at Piper, whose fingers were resting on her chest. "He might have also mentioned that you'd murder him if he didn't."
Piper wondered if they could pick up where they had left off months ago. "He's right, I would have." It took all of Piper's willpower to remove her hand from Alex's chest. The look that crossed Alex's face made her wish she hadn't.
"We heard gunfire coming from over by Hangman's Ally, then we saw the flare." Alex sighed, struggling to get the shirt back over her shoulder again. "A scraggly bunch of raiders had the Minutemen stationed there pinned down. We flanked them and caught the raiders in our crossfire. I took a shot through the shoulder, so my entire arm is a bit useless right now."
"Let me help," Piper said quietly, standing. She lifted the flannel carefully back into place, watching Alex button it.
Alex took her Piper's hand in hers again when Piper sat back down on the stool. Neither of them said anything for a minute. "I wanted to be in Diamond City sooner." Alex looked away, "It didn't quite work out that way."
It bothered Piper that Alex wasn't looking at her. "All that matters is that you're here now." Piper thought it sounded lame after it came out. She didn't know how to put everything she felt or thought into words. The worse part was not knowing if she should right away. She knew she loved Alex, long before that night at the Starlight. She looked at their hands and laced her fingers together with Alex's. A smile ghosted her face as she remembered the first time Alex held her hand six months ago.
Dead tired and fresh out of a gun battle with raiders near an old bus stop, Alex hadn't stopped shaking from being cold and wet. They'd sat on a broken bench, under a bent awning, trying to get each other warm in the empty landscape. She remembered holding Alex while she shivered against the wind and rain. Alex pulled her as close as possible, then threaded their fingers together. They'd sat entwined as it rained for hours. Alex had never let go of her and it had made her realize they both were suppressing their feelings.
After that, they were closer than they were before. Wherever they went, they'd take the other's hand and hold it for as long as possible. So many nights went by that she tried to build up the courage to finally tell Alex how she cared for her. Piper had been in love with her for over two years. She was eager to have a deeper relationship with Alex but just couldn't take the step. She didn't know how to. When they were at the Starlight Drive-In, they had come close to something, she just didn't know what to call it. Piper took her hand between both of her own. She saw Alex smile, but Alex didn't say anything as she sat quietly stroking Piper's fingers. Piper closed her eyes, quietly remembering the last time they were together.
They'd been working in the settlement for two weeks. While they were there, Preston offered them each private sleeping area. It hadn't lasted an hour into the first night before Alex had knocked on her door complaining she was cold. They had stayed up drinking and laughing until dawn. When she woke up early the next afternoon, she was snuggled up next to Alex. Not that it was unusual, she had been sleeping next to Alex for over a year. The idea of sleeping without her, up to that point, had made her body ache. Not that they ever did anything except sleep, drink, or talk. Even in Diamond City when they came to check on the shop and Nat, Alex stayed with her at night.
Everything about Alex felt right to her. Her absence always made Piper's feelings more intense for her. She had admitted to herself a long time ago the reasons she pined for Alex anytime they were apart. Now wasn't any different than the last time they had separated.
On their last night together, at the Starlight, Alex had taken her outside after a drink at the bar. She remembered their quiet starlit walk to the massive movie screen. It was too late for a movie and most of the lights were out in the settlement. They were peacefully enjoying the night and each other's company. For being a large settlement, they had relished walking alone. They'd held hands the entire way, staying closely together as they walked slowly, and quietly talking. It was the most romantic thing Piper had ever done. She had considered kissing Alex several times during their stroll but never went through with it. When they got to the top, the view had been breathtaking. The moon looked like it was almost close enough to touch, while the stars twinkled at them happily from a velvety sea of dark blue. "Seeing this makes me forget what the world is really like, it's so beautiful tonight. The view is incredible."
"You're right. The view is incredible, then again… I think you're amazing, Piper."
Piper remembered the feeling those five words had given her the moment Alex had said them. Then she looked at Alex, and the way she'd smiled at Piper had made her insides melt. All Piper could think of was the way she felt when Alex ran her fingers through her hair. 'Piper, I want…'
Then the proximity alarms had gone off. By the time they'd made it back to where the brahmin was a large yao guai had killed and eaten part of one. It took all the guards, herself, and Alex to kill it. But it hadn't been alone. They had split up to search the area when the other came out of the trees at them. The only thing between the first row of cabins, the emerging settlers, and the yao guai had been her and Alex. When it came at them, Alex had shoved her into the metal shed and kicked the door shut. Piper opened her eyes remembering the gunfire. She tightened her grip on Alex's fingers remembering the struggle between the yao guai and Alex against the metal walls. Her breath hitched remembering Alex's pained scream followed by gunshots.
She looked over their hands to Alex's face, but Alex still wasn't looking at her. Piper didn't know what to say. She didn't know where or how to begin after their time apart. Suddenly, she felt guilty thinking about how she'd left the Starlight and headed back to Diamond City a few days later to take care of Nat. Alex had been unconscious the entire time and Preston told her to go home.
He had sent her updates with each patrol crew, but it wasn't the same. Nat had been angry with her for leaving Alex behind and she didn't speak to Piper for over a month and a half. When she finally did talk to her, she asked when Piper planned to go get Alex. Nat closed her out again for another two weeks after Piper tried to tell her she needed time to heal. Since then, Nat hadn't talked to her much.
Alex slowly pulled her hand free from Piper's, "If we work together, we can get these presses back up and running before Nat gets home from school." She started digging into the machine and pulling apart the cooling system.
Piper sighed, realizing Alex wasn't going to say anything. She decided to let things work themselves out on their own. There was no way she was going to try forcing an awkward conversation about feelings anytime soon.
They worked together for two hours tearing down the parts, cleaning them, and putting them back together. Then they took apart the fans and cleaned them of the dust that was strangling them. They spent the entire morning and early afternoon working on the one press.
"You aren't running these with the doors closed on days like today, are you?" Alex looked through the frame at her. She wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand. "They're going to keep overheating until we can rebuild them." It had become sweltering in the print shop in the afternoon sun.
Piper plugged the last wiring harness back into the control panel before answering her. "I've kinda had to."
Alex fixed her with a stern stare, "Why?"
Piper shrugged at her, "You know I'm not making that many friends running the paper."
Alex took a deep breath, "I'll take that as meaning you got another death threat."
"Yeah. I might of," She put the panel back in place, threading the screw in place with her fingers.
Alex walked next to her, turning on the press. "How long ago did you get it?"
"It's been a few days now." Piper picked up the next screw, threading it in place.
Alex leaned toward her a little. "What did it say?"
Piper sighed. "The usual vile stuff, but this time they threatened Nat too. Which of course makes it that much better. It was disgusting to read." She wiped her brow feeling the sweat rolling down her back. "It's got me so worried; I've been walking her to and from school every day." She threaded the last screw in place, turning to look at her. "I'm worried I'll wake up one day and something bad will have happened to her."
Alex leaned against the machine, as it whirled to life, "Did you talk to Danny?"
Piper shrugged, "Yeah, I told him and gave him the letter. He's keeping an eye on things for us. You don't have to worry about us."
"You already know that I care about you two and telling me not to worry isn't going to change things."
Piper smiled at the comment, feeling the heat in her cheeks. "You're something else, you know that?" She moved the tools to the other press, thinking about what else to say.
Alex startled her when she caught her hand, "Stay with me until we can make sure you're both safe."
"The death threats happen surprisingly often." Piper shook her head at her, "I can't drag you into this."
Alex spun Piper to face her, "Are you kidding me, Piper? I think we've been through enough at this point to comfortably drag each other into or out of anything. If they're happening often then we should make sure you and Nat are taken care of."
Piper studied the light reflected in her eyes. "Blue… I really don't know what to say."
Alex smiled at her, her thumb stroking Piper's fingers, "The only thing you need to say right now is 'yes', Piper."