In December drinking Horchata

Look down your glasses at that Aranciata

With lips and teeth to ask how my day went

Boots and fists to pound on the pavement

Here comes the feeling you thought you'd forgotten

Chairs to sit and sidewalks to walk on

…

Alex Vause had never been in love.

Alex Vause had never planned to fall in love.

And Alex Vause had certainly never been one to do any sort of pining after a one night stand.

But there was a certain something about this girl she couldn't quite shake from her mind.

It started at a wedding. A weekend affair. Pete something-or-other from work. A close enough friend. Not close enough to have ever learned his last name, but close enough that Alex occasionally accompanied him and a few others out for drinks at the local bar after a tough week.

It was a fancy soiree. Something she'd never really have pictured Pete taking part in. Though if she's honest, this is where she begins to realize just how little she actually knows about the man.

Fri through Sun

the invitation reads.

And she represses a tired eye roll. What the hell. She'd figured she could use a vacation of sorts. Rather than another weekend riding her couch and dodging calls from Nicky. The invitation states that the weekend has been paid for, all Alex had had to do is RSVP and buy the train ticket out of town.

Her gaze shifts from the invitation to the window beside her, and the slowly unfurling countryside as the train chugs tirelessly along.

She's not sure whether she's impressed or bemused by the whole thing. A grandiose affair supposedly orchestrated by the fiancé and her closest friends. The small resort they'd rented out boasts a litany of activities for both guests arriving throughout the weekend and those (such as Alex herself) who'd chosen to arrive early, but weren't expected for the pre-wedding preparations (rehearsals, dinners, Friday's final activities of arrangement).

The wedding itself wasn't until Saturday.

Checkout being Sunday afternoon.

She's reading the small itinerary she'd been handed upon check-in, lost in her thoughts of what exactly she'd gotten herself into, when she collides with something. Hard. The pamphlet slips from her hand, fluttering to the floor as the strap of her bag jerks from her shoulder to the crook of her elbow.

"Oof!"

"Hey!"

A hand shoots out to grasp her wrist as her own fingers curl around a foreign forearm, and she and the stranger steady themselves momentarily before meeting eyes. Blue. A blue so deep it's almost overwhelming for a moment as Alex briefly falters at the sight of the woman before her.

"Fuck! Shit. I'm sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going, my mind's all over the place today, are you okay?" The woman asks in a flurry of conjoined thoughts, and Alex's gaze trails from the shining blue of her eyes to the glowing gold of her hair, taking in the woman's features before clearing her throat.

"Yeah- no! I'm sorry! I... wasn't exactly paying attention to where I was going either." A smile breaks out across the woman's face and Alex finds herself returning it with ease.

"Are you... here for the wedding?" She asks, slowly withdrawing her hands.

"Um... yeah! Yeah. I'm, um... work... with Pete," shifting the bag back to her shoulder with a laugh, she sticks her own hand out once more, "I'm Alex."

"Piper." The woman smiles, eyes sparkling as she regards Alex in a way that makes her stomach heat up. She takes her hand, "Friends with Polly. Maid of honor. Specifically."

"Ouch." Alex chuckles, "I totally understand the spaced out thing then."

"Yeah," Piper laughs, withdrawing her hand once more, "it's been a, uh... ride. Kinda glad it's almost over at this point."

"I don't blame you."

They stand like that for a moment, studying one another silently, lost in their thoughts and wondering what the other might be thinking before Piper shakes her head, re-gathering herself.

"I, um... I have to..." she trails off, gesturing over her shoulder.

"Right," Alex smiles warmly, "duty calls."

"Yes." She murmurs, hand lowering slowly, "it was nice meeting you... Alex."

"Nice meeting you too, Piper. I'm sure I'll see you around."

"Yeah," she murmurs thoughtfully, and Alex can practically see the gears turning within her head before she shakes herself clear once more and waves a small goodbye.

Not a terrible way to start the weekend. And Alex thinks this might not go as bad as she'd thought if the rest of Polly's friends were half as attractive as Piper. She spends the rest of the day reading beside the pool, and only vaguely thinking about the way Piper's smile had lit up her whole face as her hand pulsed warmly within Alex's grip. Not a terrible start at all.

The ceremony, like everything else, is an extravagant production, and Alex catches up with several more coworkers during the day's festivities. It's nearing midnight, Saturday night, when the last of her colleagues begin retreating to their rooms and the after party of the reception slowly begins winding down. She's pleasantly buzzed, waving her final goodbyes before heading towards the bar for one last drink.

The bar tender's begun clearing up what he can when Alex asks him for whatever's non alcoholic and easiest, and she's sipping it silently when the presence of another body sidles up beside her and tiredly asks for the strongest he's got open. Her eyebrows furrow at the faint familiarity of the voice. She can't quite place it, and she turns her head slowly towards the sound.

Blonde hair.

Fingers tiredly tucking a loose tendril behind an ear, before dropping to the bar with a soft thump.

And then she's met with a pair of vibrant blue eyes.

"Hey!" Piper's face breaks into a tired smile as she comes to recognize the woman beside her, "Alex. Right?"

"Mhm," Alex hums, a smile of her own forming, "Piper."

"Yeah," her attention slides to the bar tender as she murmurs a quiet thanks for her drink, "What're you having?" She asks, gaze sliding back towards the drink in Alex's grip.

Eyeing the glass thoughtfully, Alex raises it with a grin, "Horchata. An attempt to sober up before heading off to bed."

"Mmm...not me. I need something hard."

"What're you drinking to?" Alex murmurs, sharing a quiet laugh as the girl raises her glass in contemplation.

"Mmm... to getting my life back."

They share a quiet laugh as Alex raises her own, poised to knock gently against Piper's as she says, "to surviving the most elaborate wedding I've ever been invited to. I am absolutely positive that planning this monster can not have been easy."

Another quiet laugh tumbles from Piper's lips, mixing with the light tinkling of their glasses. And Alex can't quite tell if the growing warmth in her stomach is the lingering alcohol or something else. They fall into easy conversation, slowly pulling at the drinks before them, as if trying to prolong the night.

"So what're you gonna do now that you've got your life back?" Alex asks softly after a few moments of silence.

She can feel the heat of her blood flowing throughout her body as Piper fixes her with a gaze that causes her breath to catch.

And that warm feeling settles a little lower.

And she's pretty sure it's not alcohol anymore.

...

Alex's back connects roughly with the door to her room as Piper's hands work frantically over her. She's everywhere. And it's all Alex can do to stay afloat in this new sea of sensation. A cacophony of muffled sounds drifts up from between them. A moan. Piper. A grunt. Alex. A conjoined sigh, spilling from Piper's lungs and into Alex's then back again.

"God, I can't tell you when the last time I had sex was." Piper moans, "this fucking wedding has taken everything from me."

Alex chuckles breathlessly against her lips, fingers tangling within what's left of Piper's once-pristine bun as she drags the woman against her desperately.

"I don't even know Pete's last name," she breathes as their lips part once more, "I just go out for drinks with him sometimes after work because he's one of the few people at the office who isn't completely intolerable."

"I'm glad Polly's going on a three week honeymoon, because I'm honestly not sure how much longer I can go without murdering her if I don't get some goddamn time apart!" Piper pants, pulling back with a growl, "or this... goddamn... dress... OFF."

Their fingers bump and tangle in their conjoined efforts to rid the blonde of her dress. It's halfway up Piper's thighs when Alex loses interest, fisting the material tightly in each hand and yanking. A thick jagged rip echoes through the room and they still momentarily at the sound: Alex awaiting the inevitable outburst, Piper attempting to catch up with recent events.

"Oh my god," She whispers before lunging after Alex's mouth with a different sort of growl.

The remains of the dress fall to floor between them as Alex begins angling them down the hallway, and Piper steps delicately out of the last of the clinging fabric and one step closer to the bedroom.

They make it as far as the couch.

And a voice in the back of Alex's mind tells her it's gonna be a good night.

...

She's only got a mild hangover when she cracks an eye open some seven hours later. And contemplates falling back asleep for a moment before movement on the other side of the room catches her attention. A pleasant sort of burn ripples through her tired muscles and memories of the night before slowly begin flooding her mind. Shifting with a soft groan, face half buried in the pristine white of the hotel pillow, she allows her gaze to sweep the room in search of whatever sound had roused her from her sleep.

Piper.

She's bent over, pulling on a shoe, and turns as she straightens, catching sight of Alex's quiet observation.

"Oh, hey, you're up." She grins. And Alex's hungover mind vaguely notes its brilliance could rival the radiance of the sun without causing the searing pain. "I was afraid I was gonna have to leave a note or something. I've never been a fan of leaving notes, but... I've never exactly been good at the whole slip-out-without-saying-goodbye thing either. It's made for a lot of awkward morning afters."

Chuckling tiredly (and wincing lightly), Alex turns, burying her face against the pillow before gathering the strength to push herself up.

"You need help finding anything?" She murmurs, pausing at the edge of the bed to pull a discarded t-shirt over her head.

"No, I think I've got everything for the most part," Piper murmurs, gathering the last of her things, as Alex pulls herself to her feet. "Oh, um...I borrowed one of your shirts. I hope you don't mind. You kind of... destroyed most of my dress. But I can get it back to you before you check out-"

"Don't worry about it," Alex yawns, heading for doorway towards the kitchen area and the small coffeemaker that lies within it, "just give it to Pete sometime. He'll get it back to me. Coffee?" She turns, facing the woman who's followed her into the kitchen, gathering the last of her discarded possessions and sorting herself with a sigh.

"Ugh," Piper groans, "I'd love to, but I actually need to get back to my room and make sure the sign-outs and all final issues are taken care of. Not entirely free of the maid of honor duties just yet."

"Ah," Alex murmurs, pouring herself a mug, "well let me walk you out." A pause, a chuckle, as her gaze drifts to the door a few steps away, "so to speak."

"Well how chivalrous of you," Piper grins, turning to follow her across the room. "This was fun," she murmurs, as they halt in the doorway to the hall, "I needed this."

"It was." Alex murmurs back, "glad I could help."

With a departing kiss upon her cheek, Piper pauses briefly, locking their gazes one final time before whispering a soft, "bye."

And Alex's own voice is a whisper as she breaths her quiet reply, "bye."

Her eyes follow Piper until she disappears from sight.

And as she's closing the door Alex quietly muses that Piper may have been the best sex she's had in a while.

…

She's toying with the idea of leaving, but the Churros are good and the rain seems as though it's getting just a little harder. So she stays put for now, kinda glad that she stumbled in to use the restroom and takes another sip of her drink.

"Phallic shaped donuts? What would Freud say?" Piper turns on her bar stool, unable to quite place the delicious rasp.

Emerald eyes, long dark hair (slightly damp from rain).

"Alex?" she says, a little more animated than she intended.

"Well you remembered my name at least, so I guess that's something" she replies grinning. She shakes off her umbrella and perches on the stool next to Piper.

"Wow, it's been like, what? A month, since the wedding?" Piper continues, suddenly feeling a whole lot warmer.

Alex nods, "You recovered from your Maid of Honor duties yet?"

"Only just, I think mine and Polly's relationship couldn't have handled much more". She laughs and her eyes light up in a way that makes Alex grateful for whatever circumstance has drawn them both here tonight. "Oh…I've just realized, I totally forgot to return your shirt to Pete, I still have it back at my apartment. I'm so sorry"

Alex laughs "Don't worry about it kid, consider it a gift. So you meeting someone?" She's hoping that she's not the preamble to some sort of date.

"No, actually I just stopped by to use the rest room and the place was so cute and the weather was so shitty, that I thought I may as well stop for a little while".

"You?"

"I was meeting a friend, but she literally cancelled on me a few minutes before I walked in here, something about a burst pipe" she says, waving a hand in the air dismissively, "so I figured i'd stop for a quick drink before heading all the way back home. What're you having?" she asks, pointing at Piper's glass.

A small, slightly embarrassed giggle escapes from Piper's lips.

"What?" Alex says, a little bemused.

"It's Horchata"

And now it's Alex's turn to laugh. "You trying to sober up?"

Piper laughs, "No, it's just that I've got work tomorrow and a super early meeting, so…."

"Taste good?"

Piper nods.

"You sure you're not up for something stronger, cos the Sangria here is pretty damn good, unless…well with it being a school night and all, you want to stick to pussy drinks…."

"Are you implying I'm square?" Piper replies, feigning hurt.

Alex raises an eyebrow, "well, your torn bridesmaid dress would suggest otherwise".

Piper immediately feels herself flush. "Well, that was more you than me…" she says, dropping her gaze back to the plate of sugary Churros.

"Well I didn't hear you complaining at the time"

"No…no you didn't" Piper replies, memories of that night flooding her brain inconveniently. She flicks her gaze back to Alex's face, her eyes lingering over the slight sheen on her plump lips. "It was damn ugly anyway", she adds, as somewhat of an after thought.

"Oh I dunno, you managed to make it work, although I gotta admit, it looked a whole lot better on my hotel room floor."

And they hold each other's stare for a little while, recollecting the same thing; that they were barely able to make it to the couch, let alone the bed. So. Fucking. Good.

"So, Sangria?" Alex asks, eventually breaking the charged silence that has fallen around them.

"Why not" Piper replies smiling, because tomorrow is too far away to seriously worry about and she honestly cannot think of a good reason to decline. But more than that, she finds her curiosity piqued, because she can't recall the last time that she had such an easy back and forth with a relative stranger and it feels good, nice even. So she leans back in her seat a little and feels her muscles begin to relax slightly, because her gut says, this could actually be a whole lot of fun.

…

They're two pitchers down and debating whether or not anyone can truthfully say they've read War and Peace from start to finish, when Piper realizes that three hours have passed by, but she's feeling pleasantly buzzed and she can't quite bring herself to point out that it's getting late and she really does have an early start tomorrow. So they order more drinks, shots (Alex's suggestion) then another pitcher of Sangria (on Piper's insistence) and continue on until well past midnight, until most of the other patrons have begun to drift home and the lively buzz around them has been replaced by a lazy hum instead.

"You ever been to Spain?" Alex asks, shifting in her seat slightly, so her knee is now resting gently against Piper's and she swears she can feel Piper leaning into her touch a little and it causes something to swell within her.

She nods, "I went travelling for a year after I graduated from Smith"

"Smith?" Alex says, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh huh"

Alex traces the rim of the empty shot glass with her forefinger, deep in thought.

"Don't get all judgy on me now" Piper says lightly slapping Alex's thigh, but allowing her fingers to trail there, slightly longer than is necessary. Her touch causes another wave of warmth to rush through Alex and she's kind of enjoying the bittersweet pang in riding it out.

"I wasn't" she says, "I was just thinking, was all"

"About what?"

"Just that you're obviously bright as well as being funny….and sorta cute…"

"Mmmm….well, you're not so bad yourself" she replies smiling, feeling a little braver, fuelled by the fiery heat of the copious amount of booze that is currently sitting in her stomach. "You go to college?" she asks, fishing a slice of apple out of her glass and popping it into her mouth.

Alex shakes her head, "I didn't agree with school and school didn't agree with me. We had a mutual understanding". She laughs, but Piper can't help but detect a little sadness in her eyes. "Besides, I reckon the best thing about college is the cyclical, haze of drunken sex and I didn't need to go to school to experience that" she grins.

"I'll bet" Piper says smiling. She takes another sip of drink, savoring it a little. "You ever been in love?" she asks, the words escaping her lips before she has a chance to properly consider just what she's asking or why.

"Whoah!" Alex says putting her hands up in mock surrender, "going straight for the jugular and taking advantage of my inebriated state eh?"

Piper shakes her head, "no, i'm just curious is all".

They lock eyes, a palpable heat radiating between them as Alex mulls the question over. "No" she replies flatly after a couple of minutes.

"No?"

"No, I've never been in love. I'm not sure I even believe it exists" she says matter of factly, pouring the remnants of Sangria into Piper's glass. A soggy piece of orange flops out onto the table in a form of dejected protest.

"Seriously?" Piper replies, her eyes widening a little in disbelief.

"Sure. You just kinda get used to having someone around and if you're lucky, that person won't irritate the living crap out of you, so you can tolerate them for longer, but if you're asking me about all that soul mates, one true love bullshit, then no, I don't believe in that."

"But that's so sad"

"Is it?" Alex says laughing.

"Yes, of course it is. So you don't believe there's some one out there just for you?"

"What can I tell you kid, I live in the real world, but that doesn't mean you can't have a whole lot of fun along the way." She drains the dregs of her drink, suddenly feeling a little floaty, as if the booze has caught up with her all at once.

She holds the empty tumbler aloft, "this is some decent shit isn't it?"

"Lightweight" Piper replies, gently teasing her.

"Oh yea? I can guarantee I'm more lucid than you"

"How?" Piper asks, narrowing her eyes slightly in suspicion.

"Can you remember my last name?"

Piper pauses, slightly open mouthed "I…well…..it's…."

Alex laughs, "relax kid, we never got as far as exchanging last names at the wedding"

Piper exhales a little in relief. "Cheat" she says grinning.

Alex shrugs.

"So what is it then?"

"What?"

"Your last name"

Alex extends her hand "Hi, I'm Alex, Alex Vause"

Piper laughs, slightly bemused.

"You know, it's kinda rude to leave me hanging" Alex replies, her hand still hovering in mid air.

"Oh I'm sorry" Piper stays still grinning and taking Alex's hand. It feels warm and strangely familiar and sends a small pulse of something through her. She shudders involuntarily at the contact. "Umm, I'm Piper, Piper Chapman. Nice to meet you".

"Likewise"

…

The cab ride disappears into an inky smudge and soon Piper is fumbling with her front door keys as they stumble into her apartment, hungry lips, urgent hands and tangled clothes all encapsulated in a clammy cloud.

"You're shirt, it's in a drawer somewhere" Piper mumbles against Alex's lips.

"Fuck the shirt" Alex replies breathless, tugging impatiently at the fastenings on Piper's dress.

"Easy there" Piper says pulling away momentarily, "I do actually like this one"

"Yea, well I can guarantee you're going to like what I do even better" Alex replies grinning.

They make it to the bed this time. But only just.

…

Alex wakes up to the smell of coffee. She pulls herself upright in the unfamiliar bed and snatches up her glasses from the nightstand. Her head feels as though someone is trying to cleave it in half and the sunlight streaming through the gaps in the blinds is not helping matters. A groan escapes her lips as she swings her legs out of bed. They land with a dull thud on the painted floorboards.

Clothes, her foggy mind is demanding of her.

So bleary eyed, she scans the room until she manages to locate them, in a crumpled heap at the foot of the bed. No recollection of how they got there. She pulls on jeans and a sweater and makes her way out of the room and towards the kitchen.

Piper is stood in a bathrobe, pouring two mugs of coffee, a slice of toast in her mouth, gently nodding her head to some shitty pop song on the radio. It's a few minutes before Alex realizes she has just been standing there silently observing the blonde with a stupid smile on her face.

"Hey" Piper mumbles, looking up and spotting her. She takes a bite of toast. "You want something to eat?"

Alex shakes her head "just coffee is fine"

"Feeling a little delicate huh?"

"Kinda"

"I thought you weren't a lightweight?" Piper says grinning and handing her the drink.

"How come you're so sprightly anyway?" Alex replies, taking a deep sip of coffee and feeling ever so slightly more human.

"I don't have a choice, I have a meeting in less than an hour"

"Ah ok"

They finish their drinks in a comfortable silence, before Alex suggests that she makes a move so she can go home and change before work.

"You don't wanna do the walk of shame huh?" Piper says raising an eyebrow.

"My coworkers are mainly men, I don't think most of them would remember my hair color, much less what I wore yesterday" she laughs.

She pulls on her shoes and jacket and grabs her bag from beside the couch.

"Well it was nice to…ummm…. catch up again Alex…" Piper says, hovering awkwardly by the doorway, not sure of the correct etiquette for something like this.

"Yea, the umm, catching up was great, real great" Alex says grinning and making her way out of the apartment. "See you around"

"Bye" Piper says, closing the door softly behind her and leaning against it. And then she's grinning, broad and true, because she's just remembered something. She still has Alex's shirt and she doesn't know why exactly, but the thought makes her happy.

Really fucking happy.

…

A/N: The lyrics at the beginning of the chapter are from 'Horchata' by the magnificent 'Vampire Weekend'.

This is gonna be a short(ish) multi chapter and both NightsLightss and I would like to assure you that we won't leave the story incomplete, even if the updates are a little sporadic.