Author's Chapter Notes:

Blatantly mushy, as I promised. XDDDD A take on Shawn and Juliet's first date. :D Squee! lol

"Oh my gosh, I haven't done this since I was a kid!"

Juliet sat tucked between Shawn's legs in a go-kart on Santa Barbara's premiere mini-prix track. The sun had set just a half an hour before and the night was clear and cool. Shawn's chest was warm against her back and she was pretty sure it was what was keeping her warm in her gauzy sleeveless shirt.

Shawn laughed. "Jules, you're missing out! I go every two weeks."

She grinned. "You know, that doesn't surprise me."

"How can you drive past here and not want to go for a spin?"

"I…don't know," Juliet said and smiled at him over her shoulder.

"Well we'll fix that," he said, waggling his eyebrows, and leaned forward as the countdown started, taking her hands in his and placing them against the wheel.

"Who's driving?" she asked and laughed as he turned the wheel beneath their hands, making enthusiastic engine noises.

"Both of us, duh!"

The countdown ended, the light flashing green.

Juliet shrieked with laughter as Shawn pressed the gas pedal to the floor. They shot out of the starting arena, driving less than spectacular as they both worked to turn the wheel. By the end of the second lap, Juliet was laughing too hard to steer, and Shawn was bent over her, laughing and yelling good-naturedly at the other drivers around them.

They stumbled off of the track a few minutes later, both still laughing. Juliet's path was being dictated by Shawn's arm as she futily fought to stem her laughter. "I can't believe," she gasped, "How much fun that was!"

Shawn's eyes glittered as he looked at her. "I told you."

She finally began to get a hold of herself and she sighed happily. "That was a much better idea than going to a movie."

He grinned. "That would have been fun too. We could have gone to see Tomorrow Again."

"That looked terrible!"

"Exactly."

She gasped, her mouth dropping open and she smacked him, exclaiming, "Shawn!"

He laughed and took her hand. "Come on, I want to show you something."

He led her up a flight of stairs beside the main building, up and around toward the back. He glanced over his shoulder, smiling at her, and they made their way up two more flights to the roof of the building.

"Can we be up here?" Juliet whispered as he helped her step onto the roof.

He grinned impishly. "What if we can't?"

"Shawn…"

He laughed and pulled her toward the front edge of the roof. "Check this out."

"Oh, wow…" she murmured. "Shawn, this is amazing."

The view from the rooftop showed part of the race track, lit, with the gleeful sounds of the riders drifting up toward them. Beyond the track, the city lights sparkled in the darkness and the ocean beside it, not too far to their right, reflected those lights.

He smiled and threaded his fingers through hers. "I thought you would like it."

"I really do." She leaned into his shoulder lightly and he glanced down at her, surprised. Juliet had made it clear to him that this date was strictly a trial-period thing that she didn't expect to go any further. He had hoped, but not expected anything from her. "This is really great, Shawn. I'm glad we did this."

"Does that mean we can do it again?" he asked playfully.

She smiled. "Well, we'll just have to see how things go."

He grinned. "I like that answer. It's not a 'no'."

"No, no, it's not…" She looked up into his eyes, her hands creeping along his arms toward his shoulders. "In fact, it might…be the opposite."

Shawn's eyebrows rose, along with his heartbeat. "Really," he said, and tentatively laid his hands on her waist. "You're sure about that."

She smiled. "You keep surprising me Shawn."

"I want this for us Jules," he said. "I like you. Like…two hundred times more than anybody I've ever dated. I would probably give up my bike to go on one more date with you. And trust me. That bike is like…my child or something equally precious sounding."

Juliet grinned and blushed, her head dipping against his chest. "You have got to stop doing that."

"What?"

"Saying things that are so unbelievably sweet."

A smile flickered across his lips and he glanced away from her, lifting her hand, with her pinky finger extended. "You see this?" He wrapped his own pinky around it. "Pretend this is all of me. Consider me wrapped."

She laughed, blushing, their pinkies remaining interlocked. "You cheat."

"Whatever it takes," he said with a grin. "Now. Since I have set the mood so perfectly with this spectacular view, and since I can feel you shivering, even though you're trying to hide it, will I get hit if I, say, do this?" He pulled her against him, her arms tucked between their bodies and his wrapped around her back, one hand warm and reassuring at the base of her neck.

"No, that's okay," she said softly. The more time she spent with Shawn, the less she worried about the womanizing his flirting suggested. He continued to prove himself worthy of more serious consideration. And now she was 99 sure that he was going to kiss her. If she didn't want that, she needed to pull back now.

She leaned in.

"And this?" he whispered, his lips drifting tantalizingly close.

"That seems—"

She broke off with a slight gasp as he pressed his lips (which turned out to be even softer than they looked) to hers. The kiss was gentle and exhilarating and it felt like the butterflies in her stomach had just been injected with speed. She couldn't fight off a smile when he pulled away, a grin spreading rapidly across his face.

"I think a second date is a definite possibility," she said, toying with the collar of his shirt.

"Excuse me for a second while I do a victory dance." Juliet's laughter rang out delightedly as he spun her, doing a ridiculous dance in a little circle around her.

He kissed her again briefly and tilted his head toward the track. "Shall we go again?" She grinned.

"I'd love to."

Chapter End Notes:

Anything you guys might like me to write about...:D I'm open to suggestions!