Vauseman: Forever and Always

Relief

(Alex's POV)

Piper and I never let go of the other's hand. I could tell Piper needed me due to how much she was squeezing my hand and I wasn't letting go, I sensed this and wanted to be there for her. Forever. We walked into the A Dorm into our cube and I sat on my bed and lay down. She did the same on hers. No job. For either of us. One month until we were both released. Stella was finally gone. We were bunkies for the remaining month in prison. We were getting released on the 4th of July AND we were engaged. My life didn't usually go like this. I was never this lucky. I have been this happy before though, I remember the day I met Piper in the bar that night.

Flashback
I had just come back from a run to Bali and didn't feel like splashing out so went to a small yet lively bar in the Upper East Side, Manhattan. I was telling my friends all about my trip.
"I had to walk through the airport barefoot. I swear if Busch fucking wins again..." I was in the middle of my sentence when the most beautiful blonde walked through the door with a resume in her hand. She looked too smart to work here. I had to talk to her.
"Hey you, Laura Ingalls Wilder." I hollered at her. She turned around and I was at a loss. For air and for words. Her eyes were so beautifully blue, like the sea I had just left behind in Bali. I could swim in them forever. 'Come on Alex say something. You've already caught her attention don't look like a complete moron now.' I say to myself. The best I could come up with was; "We're skipping America before the apocalypse wanna come?" I cringe but it got her to speak.
"I'm sorry?" She said confused. Like her eyes, her voice was also beautiful. I could feel myself getting pulled further and further in as if she had a lasso around me and was pulling me to her. This was new for me plus I had only met her. What is this I was feeling?
I continued to watch her. The bartender came up to her, she turned away from my gaze and they talked jobs. He turned her down. I found myself getting annoyed. How could you turn someone like her down?
My friends caught me watching.
"Alex she's hot. You should totally go for it."
"I should shouldn't I? I mean that guy clearly doesn't want her. Who's saying I don't?" I get up grabbing my beer. My heart beating in my chest. She had ordered a margarita which was fair, who wants to come all this way and make effort just to leave 40 seconds later? It was perfect. For me. I made my move.
"It's a little cold out for a margarita don't you think?" I asked as soon as I was beside her at the bar. She just quizzically looked at me.
"Let's see this." I continue. "Sam's Greek Cuisine. Le Grand Fromage bullshit bullshit. You need a lesson in fudging a resume." I laugh.
She got worried. "Do you work here?" She asked.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" I laugh again.
"So, Piper Chapman." Oh lord what a cute name. Suited her. Perfectly. "A Smith grad with excellent listening skills, passionate about making diners feel good." I could feel myself getting turned on. "Oh that sounds kind of dirty." I smirk. "Safe, clean and careful when handling food and drink." I laugh some more. Little did she know this was nervous laughter.
She snatched it from me. "Gosh" she said, turning pink.
"I like that in a woman." I confide. "What else do I need to know about you?" I was serious with this question. I really did like her. She was different. She wasn't another girl I could've easily picked up for Kubra to be a drug mule. She was so innocent. I wanted her for myself not for Kubra.
"Who are you?" Yes! She was interested.
"My name is Alex." I truthfully tell her. Sometimes if I was picking up a girl for Kubra or some fling I would give them a false name but I found I wanted this girl. More than want. I needed her more than need. I liked her. Possibly more than like.
"And what do you do Alex? Besides make fun of strangers in bars?" Her tone and her face had turned flirty. I liked it. I felt like I needed to be honest with her from the get go. There was something about this girl.
"I work for an international drug cartel." There, I said it. I was honest but just so no one in the bar grew suspicious I laughed and so did she.

I sat up in bed. "Pipes?"
"Hmm?" She replied.
"You know what I'm ready for?"
"What?"
"Things to be easy."
"We could do easy Al. I mean we're about to get out of here and get married. Maybe our life together might finally be starting to get easy."
"I know I'm just so happy that things are actually finally starting to go to plan. I was just wondering though. What if Kubra saw the video that went viral? He might send someone to kill me, again, bringing me back to the I'm ready for easy part."
She got up and came to sit closely beside me on my bed.
"Alex." Piper started sadly. "The last time Kubra sent someone to kill you, you had no one, yes you had Lolly later followed by Frieda and Red but you begged me to believe you and I didn't and I'm so sorry-"
"Pipes-" I begin. I knew she was sorry about that and I didn't want her to feel bad but she stopped me.
"Al. I want to say that if he does send someone else you will have me this time and we will be free. We can skip town, we can fly back to Paris, leave America altogether if that's what you want. I just want you to know I'll always be here for you no matter what this time. No leaving. No disbelieving. You've got me. You're stuck with me. Forever. Besides I need you. After what happened with Stella I don't think anyone else would protect me like you do." I couldn't not smile. The happiness I felt at what had just come out of her mouth was indescribable. I didn't have words so I just kissed her long and soft. Sensually. Letting her know exactly how I felt about what she had just said. Love.

It had been a long day. We had started it in Max. Piper almost getting raped. Me almost committing murder again, getting early release and being assigned a cube together with no jobs. I saw Piper's eyes get heavy and her body becoming limp. I wrapped my arms around her so she wouldn't fall and let her sink into me. I went back to lying down, making us both more comfortable. Piper lying sideways on top of me while I lay and faced the ceiling holding the now sleeping love of my life. I felt my eyes start to close so I let them.

I was woken by Nichols whispering quite loudly so it was enough to wake me but not Piper.
"Vause. Hey Vause! Pry yourself away from Chapman a sec."
"Nichols I'm exhausted and I'm not letting her go. After what happened with Stella she needs me, she even said it to me just now so what can I do for you?"
"Alright I just thought you wouldn't want me to say this near Chapman. You know to keep your rep?"
"Nichols trust me, Piper has seen every side of me. Nothing new to see here for her."
"Ok I'll continue then. If she wakes up I'm guessing I can go on?"
"Yes, you can, now shoot."
"Okay. I wanted to thank you for your advice about Lorna. You know she's married to that Vince guy and they're having a baby. I just want to let you know I'm going to take your advice. I'm going to love Lorna from afar like you did with Chapman while she was with that Larry guy and if she comes back to me great! If not, we just weren't meant to be as good as we were together. I just love her so much Vause you know? It's killing me."
"Yeah Nichols trust me I know. Piper has always been the love of my life and it hurt like hell having to let her go but in all honesty I owe Larry one. He made her realise that there was still so much love there between the two of us and that while she liked him, she never truly loved him. And look at us now. We're getting married and released together. Maybe that could be you and Lorna." I began stroking Piper's hair while she slept. She looked so perfect and angelic while she was asleep. Not that she wasn't anyway.
"Hold up. You two are even being released together?" She asked.
"Yep." I smiled down at her. "I got early release for Piscatella snapping my ulna and Pipes here was leaving in a month anyway plus remember Von Barlow?" Nicky nods. "Not Von Barlow. She worked for MCC and begged Piper and I to help her out so she wouldn't be someone's bitch in the riot. We dressed her up in a Litchfield uniform and saved her I guess. When it was finished CO Coates and Pennsatucky were found and she was registered as Linda Ferguson, an MCC worker here for a meeting. She named Piper and myself as her aids."
"Damn. Well congrats Vause you lucky bitch!" Nichols loudly and incredulously whispers.
"Ssssh" I say quickly so she wouldn't wake Piper.

"Alex." Piper mumbled. Nicky and I looked at each other. For a minute I thought Nicky had woken her up.
"Yes babe? I'm here." I whisper soothingly at her. No reply but she did smile. She was dreaming about me. I beamed.
"Aw look at that Vause. You two really are in love. She's even dreaming about you. And it's obviously good, she's smiling." I couldn't stop smiling.