Alex

She's captivating in every way, from the way she talks to the way she moves.

All eyes are on her as she talks to your friends, with such ease, you'd think she'd known them forever. The look she gives you from across the room, that smile she gives you, and only you. In that moment she is all you see, and you know that it's always going to be her.

You can always count on her smile being the grounding point in your life. No matter how shitty your day has been, or what has happened this week with work, when you walk through the door of the apartment and she's sitting on the couch, turning to you with a smile, it all washes away. And you know that you love her.

Spending every moment with her when you were young, talking literature, history, ideas, beliefs, staying up into the early hours of the morning, drinking cheap wine, and not caring about the inevitable hangover. Only to fall into a couple hours of making love in your bedroom, gentle and slow, bringing each other to the edge of bliss countless times, ending up tangled in each other's arms, sweaty bodies sticking together, and the warm breeze pouring through the window.

Random drives into the night because there was nothing better to do, her hand in yours, as she sings along to every song on the radio. You sneak glances at her, blonde hair flowing backwards with the wind, warm summer's night air filling the car, and her voice singing fills your ears. There's no official destination, but as long as she's there, you know where you're supposed to be.

It was all like a dream, when she was with you. All was good and nothing bad, until that dream ended, because eventually you had to wake up.

At this party some years later, you're sipping on your martini, kicking yourself for even coming to this event, because you could be at home, doing anything else. Maybe calling up that cute redhead you met a few nights ago at the coffee shop down on 5th, and inviting her over to your place. Because that seems to be all you can manage nowadays. Random one night stands with these girls that really mean nothing to you. It hasn't been the same since her. And you'd think after ten years, you'd be over her, but you eventually came to the conclusion that you'd never be over her. You're about to pay out your tab when a laugh catches your attention.

It brings you back to Christmas Eve, watching her decorate the tree, and desperately trying to put the star on top, her laughter ringing throughout the small apartment when you wrapped your arms around her waste, pulling her into you, and kissing her neck.

Your blood runs cold, and you swallow the lump in your throat as you slowly turn to look. Because there is no way that she could be here tonight. Out of all places in the city, and on this night of all nights. Slowly you turn, glancing down until you finally have the courage to look up. And she's there.

Face lit up with laughter, same blonde hair, though a little shorter, blue eyes lighting up, and smile flashing. You feel that same feeling of your heart skipping a beat. You stand there, hands sweating, and you want to leave. You grab your coat, and when you look up, it's like it's all those years ago.

Blue eyes staring at you, smile on her face, only you and her. You can't move, as she excuses herself from her group and makes her way to you. It's like she can't believe it's you, standing in front of her all these years later. She looks over your face, and you want to reach out and touch her to make sure this is real, but she says your name and you know that this is as real as anything has felt since that night you left.

Piper

Seeing her over by the bar made you feel like you did the first time you ever saw her. Almost 15 years ago in a bar not nearly as nice as this one. She is the same as she was all those years ago. She's still got her dark hair, long and curled passed her shoulders. Those glasses framing her green eyes, looking straight at you, shaking you to your core. My God it reminds you of when you were young. When you were both young.

It's like a magnet pulls you to her, and you make your way over, thinking that this is crazy. Because she can't be here. She left you ten years ago, standing in your apartment, crying, saying she was going overseas. She begged you to come with her, but you couldn't bring yourself to leave it all behind. The last memory you have is her kissing your forehead, and walking out of the door, and out of your life.

Her name escapes your lips. Shaky and scared. Nervous as ever. You hear her inhale sharply, like it hurts her to her you say her name.

You were so scared the first moment you saw her, because you've tried for so long to block her out. From her leaving, and you falling to pieces, needing Polly to fix you and hold you together for months before you're finally able to truly function again without falling apart. It took you years to even think about trying to love again, but it still has never happened. Nothing was ever like what you had with her.

Weekend trips to see her mother in New Jersey, sleeping in her childhood room, her soft breath on your neck as her arm is draped over your waist. Spending the day at the beach, walking, finding shells and her pulling you into the water with her.

God you were both so young. Laying in bed on lazy nights, her sitting on the window sill and rolling herself a joint that you two would pass until you were both blissfully relaxed and content, clouds of smoke hanging out the window.

She'd pull you to her bed, laying you down gently, pulling every bit of your clothes off slowly before she removed her own, kissing up from your ankle to your hipbone, and then over the crest, before settling comfortably between your legs. Her fingers gently holding you down as your foggy mind feels her assaulting you with levels of pleasure you have never had with another. You are adamant that she comes with you, as you pull her up by the back of her neck. Thrusting in time together, gasping into each other mouths, light touches, her teeth grazing your jawline as she starts to shudder, and you tumble with her, gasping her name, throwing your head back. Her body resting on top of yours, feeling both of your heavy breathing against each other.

You'd get up in the morning, sore, and knees cracking with gentle steps across the wooden floors, and you'd curse about getting old. It made you both want to act younger all every chance you got. Oh it made you reckless. And it slowly fell apart. And you know it was on both ends of the relationship.

But seeing her standing at the bar, now just inches in front of you, your hand can't stop itself from reaching up to trace the edge of her cheek. Her glossy eyes looking at you. How? How is she here?

Alex

Her fingers tracing your skin takes you back to when you were young. With her.

Waking up to her touch on your skin, tracing shapeless patterns across your back. When you could stay up all night and not feel like you might die. When you could eat whatever you'd want, not worrying about all the extra time you were going to have to spend at the gym to work it off. When she was all you needed.

You ask what she's doing here, and she tells you that her store is next store, so the owner invited you. She asks how you've been. Where you've been.

You explain that after you left, you spent 4 years in Germany, working for a trade company, until they sent you back to the states, the west coast, until a year ago you decided you were ready for a change, and to go back home.

She tells you that she is still working with Polly, and their soaps business took off, and that they're now doing large shipments to bigger retailers. You're so happy for her. You almost don't even ask, but you ask if she wants to go with you so that you two could talk, just the two of you. She goes and gets her coat, and follows you outside into the cold air.

You can't think of anywhere to go, so by chance you ask if she would be okay going to your place, and she agrees, so you catch a cab to your loft, and she follows you in. She tells you that it's beautiful. She cautiously sits on a bar stool as you pour a glass of wine for her, and some scotch for yourself.

You have to ask, because you see that there's no ring on her finger. You always assumed that she would gave married some respectable guy, moved to the suburbs, and had a couple of kids by now. She smiles shyly and tells you that she was engaged briefly to a guy, but that she just couldn't go through with it, because her heart wasn't ever truly in it.

There's a brief silence, and you look up, to find her sitting there, tears in her eyes, making your heart crumble before she asks if you ever thought about her. You feel that lump in your throat come back, and you set your glass down gently, looking back up to her. Because you can't lie to her. You never could. You tell her that you never stopped thinking about her. That there's not a day that's gone by in the last ten years that you haven't thought about her in some way.
She lets out a shaky sob, and you walk to her, and tell her how sorry you are, for leaving her. She asks why you never tried finding her again. Never reached out. And you have to be honest and tell her that you thought that she hated you, and that she'd moved on long ago. She lets out a cry filled laugh, and tells you that she can't hate you, before looking back at you with those glassy blues.

You walk up to her, reaching for her, and pull her into a hug, stroking her hair finally letting your tears fall before saying how sorry you are, and that you wished that you could take it back.

Because you wish that you could take this all back to when you were young, and that you had stayed, chosen her. Made a life with her. Been there for her. That you could have had the last ten years with her. You'd do anything to go back to when it all went wrong. You wished that you had fought harder for what you had with her. Because you've been so empty and lost since you left. It was reckless.

Piper

Clinging to her shirt, breathing in her scent. It hasn't changed. She smells the same as she did the first time she came up to you at the bar and made fun of the resume that you had made, hoping to land a job anywhere you could. Mint and vanilla.

She pushes back, hands taking yours. Electricity runs through your veins, realizing just how much you've missed her touch.

And suddenly you're 23, and no time has passed. She's walking with you down the street in the middle of fall. Leaves blowing around the both of you when a gust of wind passes through. You tuck into her side, kissing her cheek, and hold onto her arm.

You're in her living room dancing to Billy Joel's She's Always a Woman, as she leads you across the floor. Twirling you by her fingertips, and her hands finding the small of your back to dip you towards the floor. Her kissing your neck. And you lifting back up, to her your fingers through her hair, and hold onto her.

You waking up to her sitting on the edge of the bed, her camera in hand, taking a picture of you when you first wake up. Smiling behind the lens as the shutter speed turns on, and you slowly smile. She sets the camera down, crawling back up to you, pushing your hair behind her ear. And kissing you, then whispering good morning in your ear, laying down softly next to you. Thinking about it now, that was one of the last times things were completely perfect, and there was nothing pulling you two apart.

Her wiping a tear from under your eye brings you back. Your hand covers hers, and you lean into her touch, not wanting it to ever end. Her fingers trace over your laugh lines around your eyes, signs that much time has passed since you were this close to her. You half smile, looking back up at her, and tell her that you're sorry too. For not going after her, because you were angry and hurt. You didn't ever try to get her back, which you hated yourself for, for so long.

You clear your throat, standing up to reach her. She smiles, intensely looking over your face, remember that young girl she met all those years ago. You see she still has that spark in her eye, and you tell her that you'd really like to not have to lose her again. That you don't think that you could survive it again, because it was hard enough the first time. Your hand slips to the back of her neck, and her eyes flick to yours, as if making sure that you're sure. You bite your lip, because this is the first time you've been sure in the last decade.

She leans forward, lips pressing softly to yours, and it's still the same. Soft at first, remembering the feeling again. Her tongue sweeping across your bottom lips, and you let her in. Her hands pulling you closer to her as she bites your lip. It's like coming home. It's the same as it used to be. Only it isn't rushed because you both know this isn't the last time.

You deepen the kiss, hands tangling in her hair, panting into her mouth, gripping the front of her shirt with your free hand. Eventually you both pull back, breathless, resting against each other's foreheads. She smiles, and kisses you softly, holding you to her chest.

And it all takes you back to when you both were young. And in love.

A/N: Okay, so first. I know it's been 3 months (almost 4). There are no excuses. I feel so bad, but things were crazy with school, and then there was absolutely no motivation to write. It was rough, and then Adele's album came out, and I've been obsessed. Obsessed might be an understatement. I haven't stopped listening to it since it was released, so as the title suggests, it's based off of Adele's When We Were Young. If you haven't listened to it: 1) Why? 2) Please do so. It is incredibly relatable to Vauseman.

Thank you for continuing to follow this story, and for the reviews and PM's I've gotten asking for an update. I know this is short, but I had a burst of inspiration this afternoon, and just started typing, and ended with this. I really hope you like it.

Thanks for all the follows, favorites, reviews. Special shoutout to Vausemaniac who left a series of reviews. They did not go unnoticed, and I am so happy you have enjoyed this story so much. Your reviews mean a whole lot to me, so thank you.

Again, I am so terribly sorry. I hope to update more regularly for this fic.

Thanks for all the support. Until next time...