"What are you doing?"
Belle looked up as Piper stepped into her room, eyelid pulled so she could apply liner. "Putting on makeup?"
"Why?"
"Seeing if I still got it after all these years." She softly continued as she flicked it out. "Today's my birthday."
"Oh." Piper sat down on the bed. "You could have told me, Blue."
Belle arched an eyebrow before applying a smear of pink to her lips. "Celebrating my 237th birthday seems weird. It's just, I don't know. Unnatural."
"What was it like then? For your birthday?"
Belle gave a soft chuckle, crossing her arms under her chest. "My last birthday was boring. Claire made a chocolate cake and bought me some lovely books. Nate bought me this awful piece of jewelry. It was a jacket pen, shaped like a beetle with every color of stone known to man." She shook her head the memory. "I preferred them to be quiet, boring affairs. Everyone else decided I needed to have a party or go out."
"What about now?"
Belle got up, her smirk mischievous and her eyes gleaming. She pushed Piper back in the bed, taking her cap and tossing it on the bedside table before crawling up her body slowly. "We could spend it in bed."
Piper laughed softly before Belle pressed her lips to hers. Piper had been the first woman Belle had ever kissed. She still marveled at how different it felt. Before she had thought lips were lips but now she couldn't get enough of Piper's. They moved quietly together before Belle's impatience got the better of her. A soft nip on Piper's lip and a tease of tongue preluded finally pressing their bodies together. Belle was balanced on her elbows, hands playing with her hair. Piper's hands never stayed in one place; tracing up Belle's back and then down the sides before smoothing the curve of her ass. Quiet murmurs left them as Belle kissed down her jawline and her neck before nipping at the flesh there making Piper gasp. Belle tangled a hand in her hair, bringing the other between them to undo the buttons on her shirt. Piper sighed into her and Belle smiled at the familiar ache forming. She kissed across Piper's collarbone and down her chest. Piper tangled her hands in Belle's hair as she latched on to the sensitive skin there with a sharp graze of teeth and then kissing what was going to be a bruise.
"General, I was wondering- oh."
Belle gave a chuckle that was more a sigh before looking up. Propped above her lover on hands and knees she grinned at Preston who was blushing hard enough she could imagine the steam coming out of his ears. "Yes, Colonel?"
Preston settled on pointedly staring at the far wall. "Your door was open so I assumed, I'll knock next time."
Piper gave a soft snort and Belle's grin widened. "Did you need something? If you keep standing there I'll have to ask you to join us." Piper gave her a soft smack on the hip. Belle laughed down at her. "Everyone is fair game, love."
"I'll send someone else to the settlement, general. Nothing someone else can't handle. Enjoy your afternoon." Preston gave them one last look. Belle arched her chest up, bottom lip between her teeth momentarily before arching an eyebrow at him. Preston shook his head, smiling, and left the room making sure to secure the door behind him.
"You're awful, Blue."
Belle flopped down on the bed next to her, mock pouting. "You don't let me have any fun."
Piper rolled her eyes. "Terrorizing poor Preston with your scandalous behavior." She rolled on to her side to stare at Belle. "What did you mean that everyone is fair game?"
Belle sighed. "And there goes my hope that the Commonwealth wouldn't be so uptight about sex." She scrubbed her eyes. "If it has a pulse, is willing, and attractive, I'd do it once. Maybe twice to figure out if it's my type. Three times if it was fun." Belle closed her eyes, waiting for the end.
"So you like men and women."
"And ghouls and robots and everything in between. I don’t see gender, I just see yes, lets bang." Belle cracked an eye open a sliver to look at Piper's face. She looked thoughtful. Belle sighed. "If it makes you uncomfortable and you want to end this, I'll understand." Her voice became hoarse. "It doesn't mean I'm unfaithful. The moment you said you wanted this I had already been ignoring others because I liked you best. If you had turned me down I would have gone back to my ways."
Piper stared at her. "Then why does it matter?"
Belle draped her hand over her face, unsure if she was going to laugh or cry. "Because admitting that to Nate caused him to find another woman to share his bed, a better one in his words. I'll make jokes and find other people attractive but I-."
Piper cut her off with a kiss. "Nate was an idiot." She gave her another soft kiss. "Maybe one day I'll be able to share you if that's what you need but right now I just want us."
Belle smiled, tears filming her eyes. "Me too, Piper."
Piper chuckled. "Unless it's Danse."
Belle's laugh left her with a bark. "I don't think he's capable of it. I think he makes love to his power armor. Women just couldn't compete with that. And I'm sure it's against their rules. No fornicating except for reproduction. Boring." Belle stretched out her arm and Piper snuggled into her shoulder as they both laughed. Belle kissed her hair. "I could spend the afternoon like this too."
"It's up to you, Blue. It is your birthday, old lady."
Belle shook her. "Insolent young lady. We shall see who finds their happy place."
Piper rolled up to cover Belle's body with her own. She ground her hips into Belle's making her squirm. "I'll find yours first."