Vauseman: Forever and Always

"Love is pain" The Flashback

(Alex's POV)

I was on my laptop doing business in our hotel suite in Tahiti. Piper went out again. We had just been on SeaLife snorkelling with beauty fish and I got sea sick so went back to the hotel to try to feel better. I had thrown up and needed to lie down. I pulled the drapes, brushed my teeth, took a shower and a nap. When I woke up I felt better and I needed to get on with business so I got up and opened my laptop. I kept the drapes closed though. Piper had left a note beside my laptop that read,

"Sorry you're sick babe. I've gone to explore for a bit. I'll be back ASAP.
I love you,
Pipes
xx"

A few hours later, Piper came back looking guilty as hell and very pleased with herself. I was in bed getting more sleep but I sat up when I heard the suite door close. I was feeling a bit better, tablets and water weren't helping but I knew a cure that worked every time. Her name was Piper.
"Hi babe, feeling any better?" She asked with a sympathetic smile. When she left the room earlier, her hair was in a plait but it was down now. I noted that but thought nothing of it. I got out of bed with that look on my face.
"Ooh no no no no, I'm not kissing someone who has just thrown up." She said backing away and turning around to escape me.
I chased her and wrapped an arm around her mid section from behind and pulled her into me.
"Relax, I've brushed my teeth and taken a shower." I tried to kiss her neck to give her a hickey and initiate what I wanted to do. She grabbed her hair from my hand and pulled it back to where it was. I furrowed my eyebrows in a frown. Confused.
"What?" I ask her, wanting answers as to why I was suddenly not allowed to have sex with my beautiful girlfriend.
"I'm just.., I'm just not in the mood. I'm tired." She said hesitating. We had been dating for 6 months now. Half a year. I knew her now. She was hiding something from me. I raised an eyebrow at her.
"Sorry Al, I'm tired and you need sleep too, you're sick. Can I not take care of my sick girlfriend?" She asked.
I came closer to her with that look back on my face, taking advantage of this question,
"You can." I dirtily said and proceeded to try to kiss her neck again, determined to see what had happened to her. If she was hurt I wanted to know and who I would have to somewhat harm or severely injure for touching her like that.
"Hmmm no Alex not tonight." She says while slightly moaning. I smirk to myself that I had made her moan. She walked away and pulled her clothes off so she was in nothing but her underwear as she got into bed.
"Okay, now you're just trying to torture me!" I call at her.
"Maybe." She says with a smirk and rolls on her side to sleep.
I stood there, slightly annoyed and thinking. What was she hiding? I decided I would wait for her to fall asleep and look for myself. I took my own clothes off and got into bed with her, wrapping my arms around her and spooned her, as usual.
Within 25 minutes, Piper was asleep. Or so I thought.
I pulled back her hair and was greeted with a tattoo of a beauty fish that we had seen in real life earlier. Seriously? She wouldn't let me have sex with her because of a tattoo?! I narrowed my eyes and stared at the back of my girlfriend's head. I softened my expression the more I thought about it. Of all the tattoos she could've gotten and she chose a fish. How adorable. My sweet, innocent little Piper. I kissed the tattoo on her neck.
At my touch, Piper woke up. Well fuck. She was trying to hide it from me for some reason and I couldn't resist temptation. I braced myself for the Piper temper that usually started with her yelling my name, 'Alex!' but nothing. Instead she turned to face me and said,
"I was going to show you tomorrow. It was meant to be a surprise. I got it for you. It represents magic and beauty and appreciating beauty because I think our love is beautiful. I think you are beautiful."
That was incredibly sweet of her. I smiled at her, kissed her on the forehead, turned her back around so I could spoon her again. I whisper in her ear,
"Me too and I think you are beautiful."
She grabbed my hand, brought it to her lips and kissed it then brought it back down to her waist with our fingers intertwined. She fell asleep eventually and I lay there staring at her, thinking, or rather, plotting to myself, 'As sweet as that was Pipes, I WILL get you back for that.'

The next morning it was time to fly back to New York. I woke up still plotting.
We flew back to the city and got into my Porsche and I drove to Trevor's tattoo place. It was in the opposite direction to our apartment building so Piper immediately got confused.
"Alex? Where are we going?" She asked.
I smirk over at her, "I'll show you what love is babe."
I brought her into Trevor's tattoo parlour and introduced her.
"Trevor, this is my girlfriend Piper."
"Pipes, this is my tattoo artist Trevor, he did my wrist art, the roses and the girl on my right arm."
"Nice to meet you." They said in unison.
"So, Alex. What can I do for you?" He asked as I sat down, laying my left arm out for him.
"Make me a design that says 'Love is pain' and give it flames." I tell him, looking round to Piper with a smirk.
Trevor leaves and comes back 10 minutes later with a design that had flames either side of the writing, connecting to the 'L' at one end and the 'n' of the other. The writing was in his cursive style.
He asks me if I like it, I tell him I do so he sets up the tattoo gun, places a template on my arm and gets to work.
"This Pipes, is what love is." I tell my girlfriend triumphantly.
"You think our love is pain?" Piper asks, hurt. I hated seeing her like this so I explained what I meant. I loved Piper more than anything in the world and didn't plan to lose her.
"I think that our love is meant to be, it's hot and sexy, that's why I got the flames but you gotta admit Pipes, our flame is so strong that our arguments are just as fiery. Love is pain. It will burn you at some point."
Her expression brightens. Good.
"Hmm very philosophical oh wise one" She jokes with a smile as she bends down to kiss me.