Hi everyone!

First of all I want to thank you guys for all the nice words and very flattering comments you left in my previous Vauseman AU. You guys are so kind and wonderful... I'm so happy you have enjoyed that story :D And now, I'm back with a new one ready for you :)

So, this is just an attempt I have made about Alex being a skilled handyman. Not necessarily butch because well, she is way too feminine to give any trace of that vibe at all, but, yeah, I still wanted to give this a try.

It's rated M but, even though I know this would have been a nice scenario for a smutty story - a typical role play scenario - I decided to take the route towards something lighter and a bit more humorous instead.

Anyway, here it is :D

Enjoy

The first thing that you feel the need to clarify, is that the first time you called her, was because you really needed her assistance. Just as it was the second time you dialed her number.

You could have tried to fix the small leak in the sink faucet on your own with some tutorial videos and a couple of basic tools that you have stashed away somewhere, but...if you did, you wouldn't have had the occasion to see her.

You thought that by the third time you would have finally found it in you to just invite her over without having to make up some ridiculous excuse like "I might have dropped something in the sink" and then watch her - with this flutter in your belly that might spread a little lower as well into something far less innocent - laying on her back under your sink in her work clothes; the same old lumberjack boots, those light-wash torn jeans, the toolbelt wrapped around her hips and... the tank top.

God, the tank top that leaves exposed those toned arms and shoulders and the beautiful tattoos adorning them...

Although, on the other hand, if you hadn't called her and made up that excuse, you would have been spared the sight of that equally annoying and wonderful amused smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, and those even more amused green eyes looking at you with a twinkle in them after she has retrieved the "thing" that you have "accidentally" dropped in the drain.

"Seriously?" She asks arching a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "A teaspoon?" She is clearly on the verge of bursting out laughing, the smile twitching at the corners of her mouth tells you so, but somehow, she still manages to hold back with impressive restraint. "How did it even pass through the-"

"It was my grandmother's!" You sputter in a panicked ramble to distract her before she can say anything else, hoping that the flush spreading on your cheeks isn't passing as the painfully obvious embarrassment that keeps rising from your stomach. "It's part of a set with all the other cutlery that she left me. I couldn't just leave it stuck in there!"

You cross your arms protectively over your chest, folding a little into yourself, knowing that the attempt to regain a more composed expression fails miserably when your gaze darts to Alex's face and you see the smirk on her lips - on those rosy and incredibly soft-looking lips - widening that tiny bit further, rendering your blush even more blazing.

"Of course not," She agrees, mercifully deciding to not inquire further and spare you any more embarrassment, dropping the subject but not before taking the occasion to tease you just a little bit more. "I wouldn't want the ghost of your grandma hunting you for mistreating her silverware."

You narrow your eyes at her in a glare, but any threat you try to put in it, is taken away by the furiously glowing blush on your face.

She just chuckles, and somehow, that softly husky sound that you hear rumble so sweetly in her chest is enough to soothe some of your tension and take away a few layers of that embarrassment.

"Here." She says, handing you back the little teaspoon."Safe and sound. No need to call the fire department to retrieve this one." She even winks (and god the things it does to you...) before diverting her gaze, hands resting on her hips as she takes a general look around your apartment. "Is there anything else I can do for you since I'm here?"

Oh... you do have a lot of ideas about what she could do for you. A lot.

One has to do with the couch, just a few steps away.

Even the coffee table could work.

The bedroom is not that far away, but you doubt you would be able to contain yourself for even that short trip if you get your hands and mouth on that perfect-

"Piper?"

The sound of her sweetly deep voice uttering your name shakes you out from those very, very dangerous and wonderful daydreams, where your lips were pressed against hers and one of your hands was gently sneaking under that tank top, tracing what you already know must be a very toned stomach, while the other reached down from behind to squeeze the firm roundness of her perfect ass.

"I'm sorry, what?" You ask, clearing your throat and doing your best to recollect the rest of yourself. But as your vision readjust, you prefer not to think about what the curious little smirk that you notice twitching at the corner of her mouth might mean. God, for how long have you stayed here, speechless, lost in those thoughts while staring at her like a creep?

"I was just asking you if there is anything else I can do?"

Oh, right.

You have an immediate and far more appropriate reply to that question.

Something along the lines of, yes, come get coffee with me.

The invitation variates. Your imagination usually has a tendency to spice things up when she is involved, but the idea at the base remains the same.

Ask her out, invite her over for lunch, or dinner, as a proper thank you for being always so available, even if, as landlady, maintenance of the apartments is her job. Although, what she has been doing for you goes undoubtedly way beyond simple maintenance. Which is just another reason why you should ask her.

Alex appraises you with that same curious look that is something in between an amused little smile and a light frown, waiting.

You are going to do it. You have finally made up your mind and summoned enough confidence, but...

When you speak, you barely manage to start with a simple "Actually yes, I was wondering if-" that suddenly, the ringing of a phone interrupts you, disrupting the atmosphere and the swirl of emotions that were swelling in your chest.

Alex fishes in her fashionably worn jeans' pocket to retrieve her phone, flashing you an apologetic smile that you return with understanding and a wave of dismissal before she answers.

"Hello?"

You can't hear the other side of the conversation, but even if you could, you can't focus on anything else right now besides the disappointment caving in your chest, and that only grows bigger when you hear her say, to whoever it is on the other side of the line, "All right, I'll be right there."

You don't miss, however, the frown creasing Alex's forehead or the way her shoulders drop as she heaves a quiet sigh when she hangs up.

"Is everything okay?" You ask, not meaning to pry, but feeling actually more concerned than curious right now give that expression on her face.

Her frown deepens when she answers you, eyes still on her phone, puzzled. "I don't know. Apparently, there is a problem in one of the apartments upstairs. A radiator leak." She informs you, squinting at your ceiling, searching the corners as if looking for something.

Quickly, you think about who is that lives upstairs. It's a very short list. One apartment is vacant. In the second one lives the quiet and kind middle age lady that never complains about anything, mostly because she doesn't speak. The awkward nerdy boy with glasses that spends almost all of his time at the faculty studying is the other. And then there is-

You flinch when your mind drifts to the last person you know lives upstairs, right above your own apartment.

A certain, young and very attractive redhead.

Your jaw clenches and your stomach twists when you understand what is clearly going on.

You have some competition.

And you knew this was possible.

Alex is absolutely gorgeous. She must have women throwing themselves at her all the time...

But the meanie from upstairs? The one that never holds the doors for you in the elevator when she clearly sees you in the hall and hears you asking to hold up? The one that narrowly elbowed you in the face that time you were retrieving your mail?

You force a smile on your face as the hand behind your back clenches into a fist.

"Where is this leak exactly?"

Alex is still too bemused to notice that little change in your demeanor.

"In the bedroom apparently. Did you notice any stains on the ceiling in yours by any chance?" She asks then, glancing once more up to the ceiling, looking a little alarmed, and it's another reason to hate a tiny bit more that woman for having Alex overthink and stress like this over something that is most likely just an excuse to get her upstairs. Not that you haven't found excuses before. In fact, you feel a bit like a hypocrite. But... This is different.

"No, I don't think so." You tell her at last, hoping to reassure her, but it doesn't really work, and you have to watch with a new pang of disappointment as she picks up the few tools she used, puts them in her belt and heads for the door.

"I'm sorry to leave like this," She so unnecessarily apologizes. "But I need to take care of this. Please call me if you notice any water stains on the ceiling."

And just like that, she is off.

You barely make it in time to thank her for the work with the sink before the door closes behind her, leaving you there, alone, feeling a bit hollow inside, caved with the feeling of yet another lost chance, and the reason of it makes you glower at the ceiling, already picturing what is about to happen in the apartment above.

You divert your gaze and scoff a bitter laugh, because seriously? A leak in her bedroom? Come on! If that isn't the codeword for something else entirely.

You may have used one or two innocent excuses to see Alex, but you never got her worried about some possible major plumbing problem.

That woman is clearly putting on a much more obvious effort in getting who she wants. And while you are not the kind of person who would ever fight over someone, you would still like to get a chance with Alex.

An honest chance.

And given the cutthroat competition, it's best if you act sooner rather than later.

In a way, it just makes you more determined.

. . .

You intend to ask her out properly this time.

No more excuses for her to come over.

No more pretending.

And most important, no more delaying, no matter what.

Your intention, however, goes right out of the window when your air conditioner stops working and the heat is so unbearable that it forces you to change your plans once more.

"So, what it is this time?" She asks as soon as you open the door, watching her leaned casually against the frame, exhaling a long sigh of pretended annoyance that doesn't mask the amusement shining under the surface of those stunning emerald eyes, so vivid and beautifully vibrant as always.

"Water pressure needs adjusting? Another heirloom in danger? Or it is just another spider you want me to throw out?"

Your appreciative gaze snaps away from where it had wandered and dropped dangerously down her cleavage - exposed by the particularly fitted tank top that she has decided to wear today - and back up to her face at that latest question.

You gape, sputtering an answer at the teasing reminder of that... precautionary eviction of the monstrous insect.

"That happened one time!" You defend. "It was a two persons' job! And for the record, I'm pretty sure that spider was poisonous."

And there it is again, that infuriatingly gorgeous smirk.

"No, it wasn't."

Yeah, you know that it wasn't. And since, for once, you are unable to find another excuse, especially with this unbearable heat challenging your patience, you just sigh in defeat. "Okay, fine. But still... It was really big."

That smirk, however, only widens further, and despite the annoyance of it, your heart still might skip a beat or two at the sight.

"Sure," She replies, indulgingly. "I mean, I've seen bigger ants but..."

You roll your eyes but there is a smile on your lips too, and also an undeniable little blush tinging your cheeks as you invite her in the oven that your apartment has become in the past couple of days.

"Whoa," She exclaims as soon as she enters, leaving the pleasant coolness of the hallway only to be welcomed by a suffocating wave of heat. "You said it was urgent, but I wasn't expecting this."

"Yeah, I know." You tell her with a sympathetic wince. "Thank you for coming. I'm so sorry I called you on the weekend. You probably had plans..." You know you certainly had one ready, about asking her out, but you can't help but fish a little to see if (even just distractedly) she might let something slip to give you an indication of any kind about her own plans for the day.

She smiles and it's already enough to make your heart leap with that same emotion that she has started to elicit more and more often in you. "Don't worry about it. And I didn't have anything planned." She reveals, already making her way to the uncooperative air conditioner mounted beneath the opened window. "Now, let's see if I can understand what's wrong with this thing."

Just like you have done all the other times before, you stand near her in case she needs assistance with something, getting easily lost in watching her work, in admiring the way the muscles in toned arms ripple as she dismantles the front cover to take a thorough look inside.

It's about twenty minutes in when you go to the kitchen to pour her a glass of freshly made mint lemonade, she accepts it with gratefulness, and if the smile that she flashes you when you hand the glass over isn't enough to make your inside quiver excitedly, the way her eyes flutter shut and the soft moan that rumbles quietly in her chest as she drinks, almost makes you swoon.

A trickle of lemonade escapes down her chin at her last sip, and you are unable to look away as it slides down the side of her jaw, her neck, caressing the ridge of a pulsing vein, brushing along her collarbone. You lick your lips and swallow, but it's just then, right when that tiny drop is about to dip lower in between the inviting valley of her generous bosom that she catches it, distractedly brushing a hand over her chest, already glistening with a thin layer of sweat.

The way she hums as she savors and swallows that last sip reminds you of a cat purring while being fed.

"Thank you, Piper." She sighs blissfully as she hands you back the glass. You snap back into yourself, but the spell cast by that smile that she has flashed you still lingers, warming you from the inside in a pleasant, cozy way.

"You are welcome." You answer automatically, in a murmur, voice coming out oddly rougher than usual, as if suddenly you are the one with a parched throat.

Thankfully, she doesn't seem to notice it, or maybe she does but still decided to get back to work and to the mess of wires and components that is the inside of your air conditioner.

God... You didn't plan on seducing her with lemonade and get turned on by the sight of her strong yet feminine shoulders and elegant neck glistening with drops of sweat, but... here you are. Feeling the extent of the warmth filling your chest starting to spread lower, pooling right between your legs.

In an attempt to distract yourself from that sensation and the sight of Alex looking so... obscenely gorgeous like this while she works, you clear your throat and divert your gaze, which lands out the opened window, on the front of the building, and more specifically on the garden adorning the path leading to the entrance.

You can't even help but smile at the colorful arrangement of flowers and plants of this year, especially the fully blossomed roses that you often find yourself admiring, thinking about the raven-haired, green-eyed woman who oh so patiently tends to them.

"I like the way you trimmed the bush." You tell her distractedly, admiring the garden, and it is only when you are met with a completely still, prolonged silence, and turn around to see if there is something wrong only to be met with a smirking Alex that you realize what you actually just said.

Your eyes widen and your entire face twists into a deeply horrified expression blazing with embarrassment.

"Oh god. Oh my god, no! I meant-" You stutter, much to Alex's infinite amusement, awkwardly gesturing out the window. "The roses! At the front, in the garden that you tend to!"

A soft slightly raspy chuckle is how your rambling gets rewarded with before Alex mercifully decides to reassure you.

"Relax Piper, I know what you meant." She says through that gorgeous smile that never fails in making your heart flutter wildly in your chest - even when she is so deeply amused and having a quiet laugh at your expenses.

"There aren't many other ways to interpret that." She continues. "Especially since I, personally, don't trim my bush." When she throws you a wink you almost choke on your own saliva, but Alex is already turning away from you and getting back to work, nonchalantly asking if "Could you pass me that wrench over there, please?" as if she hasn't just made a major, quite intimate revelation.

Still speechless, you just pick up the tool and hand it over to her.

As you regain some of your composure back, you think that it's probably best if you decide to stay silent and don't risk embarrassing yourself any further until she finishes.

But... you like talking with Alex. She is funny, and really smart, besides being exceptionally good at repairing stuff (not to mention in teasing you). And it's with that thought in mind that you finally decide to ask her something you have always been curious about.

"So, uhm..." You start conversationally, hoping that the air has cleaned enough from the humor of your previous embarrassing slip.

"You know a lot about how to fix a lot of things," and know your way with tools in general, you want to add, but refrain from saying it because you are pretty sure you'll manage to make it sound like something with a second, potentially dirty sense.

"Did you learn all of this by yourself or did you go to a technical school?"

You don't think much of it when you see Alex stiffen a little for the briefest second, you just think that she didn't get a proper hold with the wrench on one of the bolts she is trying to loose.

But then you are met with a particularly, almost uncomfortably, long silence. The kind that is loaded with the weight of hesitation and uneasiness before she answers, quietly, and just with a cryptic, "Yeah, something like that."

You deflate immediately, afraid that you might have overstepped something in front of such tentativeness; like the invisible boundary into too personal that you weren't aware you would be toeing with such question.

"I'm sorry." You apologize, sincerely, because the last thing you want, is to make her feel uncomfortable in any way. "I didn't mean to- You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

You wonder what could be that got such an odd reaction from her, it only makes you more curious even if you don't intend on asking her anything further, not wanting to risk upsetting her, but...

After another moment, Alex sighs. Her shoulders drop as some tension leaves her spine before she turns to face you.

She even smiles, it's barely a twitch and yet still somehow reassuring, but you still see the hesitation that you have sensed just a few seconds ago before she answered. Although, this time, when she does, she just diverts her gaze from yours, but doesn't turn away.

"I... was arrested when I was younger."

You don't know what you expected to hear, what was behind that odd reaction, but you weren't prepared for this kind of confession. And you can't mask your surprise when it comes out.

"I was just a kid," She explains, squirming with obvious, heartbreaking self-consciousness. "Still a minor, so I was sent to juvie. I have learned a few jobs in my time there. Like electrician, some gardening, even plumbing." She adds gesturing towards your kitchen, where she has spent quite some time with the pipes under the sink.

It's actually hard to imagine it.

You try to picture a teenager Alex spending part of her youth in a correctional facility, and you can actually feel the crack in your chest as your heart breaks at that image.

There is that instinctive, default "I'm sorry" answer ready, but you don't tell her that. Just like you don't ask her why she was arrested. Because you know that she has grown into this wonderful woman, turned her life around, and become successful, owner of a few buildings, even because of those mistakes that got her into prison.

Instead, you smile at her and tell her that "We all have done dumb things we are not proud of." Because you might have never been caught like she was, but you too have gotten into a few - even if mostly innocent - troubles when you were younger, you liked some risk. While now... You sigh as you look into those stunning, expressive emerald eyes now veiled with an old sadness and regret... Now you aren't doing anything to get what- no... who you want, because of fear about being rejected, you think, looking at her with that same hopeful flutter echoing in your chest.

Alex ponders over your words, and you get yourself distracted from your own self-pity when you see a small smirk starting to tug at the corner of her mouth as she tilts her head to the side and appraises you through curious, inquisitive, slightly narrowed eyes, as if admiring a new angle of you in a different, dimmer light.

"Is this your way of telling me that there is a bad girl hiding somewhere in there, Piper Chapman?"

If she is trying to find a way to lighten up the conversation with some humor, she is definitely succeeding. And if she is trying to drive you insane by saying your full name, she is succeeding in that as well.

Not to mention that from the way she is looking at you, it's almost like she already knows the answer to that question, as if she can see right through you and catch that spark of naughtiness that has been at the base of some of your shenanigans when you were younger.

You smile at her, a bit coy but also secretive. "Maybe."

She grins, fully, brightly and your chest swells with all those emotions that flutter in there everytime you see that smile. Even your heart, cracked open from her previous revelation about her incarceration, starts to mend back together at the sight of it.

With that she returns to work, you assist her whenever she needs help, and before you know it, in between fleeting glances and subtle smiles that feel like a cool breeze that makes you forget about the suffocating heat filling your apartment, she has already finished her reparations.

"All right. This should be all, hopefully." She says as she stands up from the floor and to her full height, cleaning her hands with a damp clean rag you have brought her over before picking up the AC remote.

"You wanna have the honor?" She asks handing you the little device.

You accept it, hesitantly, hoping that whatever it is that she has done has worked.

Alex closes the window just as you click the power button, watching as the slot of the vent opens and, after a moment of breathlessly still anticipation and trepidation, you feel the first blow of cool air coming out.

You positively shriek, exulting with immense relief. And the only thing you seem to be completely unaware of, is the way you jump into Alex's arms with gratefulness.

"Ow! You feel like celebrating, kid?" You can clearly hear the note of amusement in her voice even without seeing her face when she asks you that.

It should be a little awkward. You are both a bit sticky with sweat, and even if the air conditioning is working again, blowing a quiet steady puff of cool air, the direct contact with another warm body should feel unbearable with this heat... But... It doesn't.

You pull back without entirely pulling away from that embrace, just enough to look at Alex and catch the amused smile on her lips.

And it's just in this moment that you feel a sudden shift. Right when your eyes fix on her lips, for the first time so close to your own. Another rush of warmth, one that has nothing to do with the heat in your apartment, pools in the space between your chest and stomach.

It strikes you all at once, with the adrenaline of the moment slowly diminishing only to be replaced by something else; that same something that you have felt tingling right there behind your sternum every time you have been closer to her, caught a whiff of her scent in the air.

There is salt right now tickling your nostrils. The light musk of sweat. But there is also that same familiar fresh sweetness underneath.

Your throat grows dry and a shiver of crawls up your spine as you inhale it.

It's now or never.

You had plans. Given the heat you intended to ask her out - properly - for ice cream this time, at least that was the idea before the whole AC problem, but...

You are already in her arms, her hands resting gently on your waist, and her lips just a few inches apart from your own and-

Fuck it.

You don't even need to summon some courage.

Pushed by a force far greater than confidence, and after glancing up into her eyes, so green and deep and stunning, you simply lean in and... kiss her.

The moment you press your lips against hers it's like going up in flames and being rewarded with the most refreshing breeze all at once.

You have spent more time than you'll never admit fantasizing about those lips. But not even your imagination could have ever prepared you for such softness and the gentleness with which Alex, after a second of stillness, returns the kiss.

It makes your knees buckle, but Alex is right there, tightening that tiny bit further the hold that she has on your hips while your own arms come up to wrap around her strong broad shoulders, anchoring yourself onto her and this blissful moment you have been dreaming about for so long.

Your lips move with a perfectly synced ease, as do your tongues, gently sliding along the others when you deepen the kiss.

The inside of her mouth is warm and moist and sweet-sour with the aftertaste of the mint lemonade you gave her earlier, but most of all, it is welcoming and so, so perfect that it's impossible not to chastise yourself for not making a move sooner if you knew this was the bliss that was expecting you.

You can only make it last for as long as possible, cherishing every detail, every brush of her tongue and gentle, teasing nip of teeth, until the lack of air turns into that burning in your lungs that forces you apart, but not far from each other.

You just lean your foreheads together as you regain your breathing.

"Wow..." Alex is the first one to speak, even if just through the softest whisper as her eyes slowly flutter open once more. "That is the best way anyone has thanked me so far." She reveals, smiling, but after a moment, as you pull back to fully enjoy the sight of that smile gracing those rosy, glistening lips, you immediately notice how it has curled into something a little more mischievous.

A sudden feeling of dread fills you up from the inside at the possible teasing that is about to come, because there is no mistaking that smirk you have grown increasingly familiar with.

And of course, she doesn't disappoint you.

"Although, to be honest, I have to say that I expected it sooner from you, along with a proper invitation maybe?"

You don't know what you expected exactly.

You were prepared for a joke, some of her usual teasing, but hearing her say out loud that she's actually been expecting you to make a move on her, was definitely not on the list.

How did she even...?

"How did you- You knew that I like you and that I was trying to invite you out and you didn't say anything about it?!" Embarrassment is instantly replaced with indignation mingled with a flash of fury as well.

Alex merely shrugs, grinning unapologetically while you gape at her, stunned, but your eyes are piercing, unwavering, demanding an answer that she doesn't hesitate to provide with all the nonchalance in the world.

"What can I say. It was... kind of amusing having you call with some weird excuse." She admits, shamelessly, and you can barely believe what you are hearing. "And also very flattering too in a way," She adds sounding and looking indeed very flattered. "Especially the look you threw at me every now and then."

Lacking any kind of a proper response at the moment, you give up trying to find some words and just release a long groan, feeling beyond mortified, but it's a sensation that it's easily and quickly erased as soon as you hear Alex's deep, sweetly husky chuckle and feel her arms reaching for you tugging you closer until you bury your face in the crook of her neck, both to seek refuge from her endless teasing and to inhale that deeply comforting scent of her.

She caresses your back, and under that sweetly calming motion it takes you very little to completely melt in her arms - and for the lingering traces od tension to abandon you.

"Can I ask you something?" Alex asks quietly when she senses that you have regained some of your comfort back.

"Do you really have to?" You groan. Especially now, when you could just invite her out for that ice cream or... or go directly to your bedroom and find out all the other ways you strongly suspect she is incredibly talented with her hands. And probably with that smart mouth of hers, too.

"Did you mess up with your air conditioner on purpose?"

You pull back from her with a start at hearing that question, but can't even pretend to be offended by the accusation actually. It's... legitimate, you suppose, given that she has most likely understood your plan of excuses about all the repairs around the apartment. Even if this wasn't one of them, and you want to clarify that.

"Oh, no. Are you kidding me? I would never try to do anything against it and purposefully upset such a wonderful invention." You say eyeing the newly functioning machine before glancing back to Alex.

She seems to believe you, even if she doesn't look completely convinced. There is clearly a drop of doubt lingering in her eyes. Either way, she moves on.

"Okay... What about the leaking sink faucet then?"

To that question, you have no problem answering.

"That was real. I even thought about fixing it myself actually before calling you."

One more time, you are rewarded with a smirk, because she clearly didn't miss the pride that has seeped into the admission, seeming to understand why you decided to call her at last and ask for her help.

"I see." She nods, briefly sucking her lips in her mouth, clearly trying to prevent that smirk from growing into a bigger - and possibly smugger - grin. "And the spoon from the other day?"

You blush and, much to her obvious delight, there is nothing you can do to prevent that tinge of pink, or even mask it, as you struggle to come up with an answer that won't embarrass you more than you already are.

"Yeah, well... About that, I may not have done anything to actively try to rescue the spoon from falling down the drain." You admit, awkwardly shifting on the spot from one foot to the other, a sight that Alex seems to enjoy immensely, but she doesn't leave you there squirming. In fact, her humor subsides, replaced by a unique softness when she tells you,

"You could have just invited me over if you wanted me here, you know?"

You bite your bottom lip, ready to reveal one of the reasons why you have been calling her so often for little things you could have managed to take care on your own.

"Truth is... that I really like watching you work."

There.

"Oh, is that so?" The sight of that mischievous smile returning in full force doesn't surprise you one bit. "Or you just like staring at my ass when I'm bent over something?"

And just like that, the blush on your face returns with a vengeance to scald your cheeks, but there is definitely no trace of shame tinging them when you admit, "Yes, that is a perk, and something that I really appreciate, too." And a very wonderful view, you think, feeling suddenly charged with a thrilling spark boldness that has you reach one hand down on that firm asset, giving it a solid squeeze before leaning in to kiss her again, because you know that there is no way to put an end to her endless teasing than giving her a good reason to shut up.

And given from the way she responds, from the delicious shiver that you can feel crawl up her spine when you part her lips with your tongue and slide it along hers, she doesn't seem to mind one bit.

With the burning flame of desire licking at you from the inside, coursing through your veins and heightening your senses, it's impossible not to respond with eagerness to that clear, mutual demand for more.

Your need seems to collide right into Alex's, with the same fierce intensity that has your hands starting to roam and tug at the hem of clothes.

You want her. There's never been any doubt about that even before you kissed, but...

There is still something gnawing in the back of your mind.

You can't quite figure out what it is, or why it is so persistent that has the power of holding you back - right now, when you are about to have Alex like no one else has-

Oh.

And it's right then that you realize what it is that has been unconsciously troubling you.

"Wait," You pant, pulling back from the kiss with extreme reluctance. Alex's eyes flutter open, filled with understandable confusion.

"What's wrong?" She asks then, positively worried. "You don't want-"

"No, no, it's not that." You reassure her, chastising yourself for pulling back from her so abruptly. "It's just..." You heave a long sigh. "What about..." You trail off because you don't know how to properly voice what you mean, opting to just glance up to the ceiling instead, to the apartment above yours, and even if you know that Alex already got what you mean with that simple look, you still feel the need to ask her if "Do you and her...?"

Her expression twitches out of the concern you have caused when you pulled away from her, and you have grown enough familiar with that look, with the glint that you instantly catch shimmering in her eyes, to know that she is clearly tempted to say yes, just to see how you'll react. But in the end, she just shakes her head, reassuring you with a soft smile and the answer you were desperately hoping to receive.

"She is nice," No, she isn't, you want to argue, but bite your tongue instead and let her continue. "But... let's just say that there is only one lovely dork for which I would throw spiders out at two in the morning."

You gape, once again left stunned before you regain your balance only to stumble in between answers, because first of all, it wasn't that late. It was late evening, not the middle of the night. And second, it happened just one time, damn it!

Before you can provide even just one of those explanations, however, Alex pulls you into another kiss and this time you don't pause, don't dare to pull back from it as you make your way towards your bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind.

You take great pleasure in stripping her until all you have before you is just flawless alabaster skin and some colorful ink shaped in beautiful forms. Discovering a few new tattoos that you could have never seen before given the hidden positions, and also, finding out that she wasn't kidding about not trimming the bush.

A neat patch of soft dark hair covers her mound, but it's not so thick that you lose yourself in it, and as you go lower, you are met with just the perfectly smooth and extremely tender pink inner petals of her sex, glistening so invitingly that it's impossible to resist the temptation to lean in and kiss and lap and taste the true, intoxicating, essence of her.

She encourages you by keeping you there in place, one hand resting on the back of your head, fingers slipping through your hair as her hips lift from the bed searching for more of the moist warmth of your mouth, for an extra swirl of your tongue. You make it your mission to give her everything she needs and make sure that those exquisite groans of pleasure that leave her lips get loud enough to reach the floor above yours. And when she reverses your position and finally gets her turn to thoroughly savor you and touch you with a passion and devotion you have never experienced with anyone else before, all that leaves your lips is her name, sighed, breathed, moaned and screamed in pure delight.

I have to say that the whole pubic hair braids-style thing really fucked up the headcanon I had about Alex preferring to keep things short and neat down there, lol. But, oh well, it was funny, and most important, Piper seemed happy besides surprised when she found out :D I loved that episode. I still haven't finished the fifth season, but I'm loving it so much, that's probably why I'm taking my time with it and rewatching episodes, lol. Anyway, thanks for reading everyone :)