2007

This chapter is rated M.

Ezra's 17th birthday fell on a Thursday.

His party was set to be on Friday.

However, Aria made sure that Ezra didn't spend such a joyous day holed up in his room, playing some lame computer game. She wanted him to celebrate properly tonight. And her gift to Ezra would allow him to do just that.

From the moment Aria had woken up that morning, her insides had been shaking. At breakfast, she hadn't been able to look her mother in the eye. At school, Aria stayed silent during lunch, her brain too busy thinking through every little detail of that coming evening to even begin to formulate words for an interesting conversation. After school at CVS, Aria probably looked like a paranoid freak with the amount of times she'd looked over her shoulder as she made her purchases. And at dinner with Ezra's family, Aria's stomach was twisted into so many different knots, she could hardly keep down her water. She wasn't sure it was physically possible for one person to be more nervous for something than she was in that moment.

But now, 2 hours later, Aria was proving that it in fact was possible to feel more nervous than she had at dinner. It was very possible, and it was her reality.

They'd told Ezra's mother that they'd be in his room studying for an upcoming math test. Had they said they were studying for an anatomy test, their tale wouldn't have been a complete lie. Though, neither of them were in anatomy, they sure as hell looked like they were studying it now.

Aria was shirtless, as was Ezra. Her bra had been thrown across the room, miraculously catching itself on Ezra's closet door handle. Her shirt was balled up on top of Ezra's on the floor, just inches away from Ezra's jeans. Her shorts were still on, but she knew they wouldn't be for much longer. Ezra had already unzipped them and was switching between tugging them down her thighs and hungrily kissing her neck.

Her hands were laced through his hair and her hips were rolling against his, a passive effort to allude that she wasn't as terrified as she actually was. She loved Ezra, and she knew she wasn't making a mistake by deciding to finally do this with him. She just didn't want anything to go wrong.

Her choice to give Ezra her virginity for his birthday hadn't been a secret. Well, it had been to Ezra, but all of them other important friends in Aria's life knew. She'd spilled her guts in the early hours of the morning while seated in Spencer's living room, surrounded by empty bottles of illegal liquid.

While her decision to tell the girls had been somewhat drunken, the overall decision to take this big step had not been. She'd made up her mind weeks ago, but had kept quiet, biting on her lip as if it were the questions she didn't want to let go of and ask aloud. But you know what they say – drunk words are sober thoughts. Every bit of excitement, and every bit of concern, had come out that night on the Hastings' rug. She was 1 of 2 virgins in the group, so she trusted her friends to provide her with adequate information and tips.

"It doesn't always hurt," Ali had said, surely speaking from her own experiences.

"You won't finish, but that's normal," Spencer reassured.

"You should probably do it on a towel to avoid staining the sheets," Hanna wrinkled her nose, then added, "That's how my mom found out about me and Hardy's extra curricular activities."

"Make sure you're warmed up, otherwise it could painful," Spencer warned.

"Yeah, don't let him skimp on the foreplay," Ali rolled her eyes.

"Make sure he wears a condom," Hanna added. "I'd buy a morning after pill just to be safe, too."

"Don't freak out if you're like a day late for your next period. That doesn't automatically mean you're pregnant," Ali scoffed, eyeing Spencer as if that had happened with her before.

"Try to relax. The tenser you are, the worse it will be," Spencer offered a small smile to an overwhelmed and drunk Aria.

Those words ran through Aria's mind, bouncing off the walls of her skull so hard she was beginning to get a headache, followed by questions she should've asked, but hadn't.

It doesn't always hurt. But what if it does? How bad will it be?

You won't finish, but that's normal. Will Ezra be upset? Will he feel like he did something wrong?

Do it on a towel. Is sex messier than when Ezra simply fingers her? What if they did stain the sheets? Would it be that obvious?

Make sure you're warmed up. How can you tell when you're completely ready?

Buy a morning after pill. So, does that mean the condom won't work? Oh my God, what if it's defective?

Don't freak out if you miss your period. That's nearly impossibly. Doesn't a missed period mean baby in like…every language?

Try to relax. How?

A part of Aria wished that this encounter hadn't been so planned out on her part. Sure, leading Ezra to his bedroom and sliding a condom out of her purse, followed by the flashing of her new lingerie, had been a great way to set the mood, it now left Aria feeling the pressure. She wished it would've been more spontaneous. More in the moment. One minute they were kissing, the next they were fucking. No time to think. Only time to do.

But that hadn't been how it'd gone, so Aria was left to face the fate she'd created. She watched Ezra move his lips rapidly along her skin, biting, licking, and cucking the most sensitive parts, and felt a pang of envy. He didn't seem nervous at all. He was totally in to the moment, oblivious to the fact that Aria was stuck in her thoughts.

It occurred to her that maybe because she was overthinking their situation, that maybe she should ask Ezra to stop. He'd listen to her…wouldn't he?

Licking her lips, Aria parted her lips, just wide enough for words to escape. However, instead of words passing through the opening, a long, high pitched moan pushed its way out, shocking both Aria and her lover.

Aria blinked, in a split second of confusion, before realizing what exactly had elicited such a sound. While she was lost in her head, Ezra had somehow managed to get both her shorts and her panties completely off. The sound had fallen from her lips when his fingers made contact with her swollen skin.

Butterflies swarmed near Aria's rib cage, while a fire burned in the pit of her stomach. Suddenly, she didn't want to stop. She never wanted to stop.

She bucked her hips rather lazily against Ezra's fabric covered erection, feeling his stiff member rub against her stomach.

"Off, now," Aria growled, referring to Ezra's boxers.

Not wanting to disconnect his lips from her skin, Ezra grabbed one of Aria's hands and curled it around his waistband, silently instructing her to do what she wanted. After a few tugs and the wiggle or 2 from Ezra, the boxers joined the rest of the clothing on the floor, leaving the couple completely naked on top of his bed.

This wasn't the first time that they had been in this position, naked and on top of one another. But it was the first time that they both acknowledged that this would be going further than simply a heated make out session with small sexual favors to delay their true desires.

They were already sweaty. Aria didn't know why, but she wasn't disgusted either. That would be a pretty silly thing to be considering she was lying on her back with her legs open, revealing all of herself to a guy who equally as exposed. She could feel the arousal drip from her sex down to the towel beneath them, and with wide eyes, she watched Ezra's do the same. In hindsight, Aria would figure sex to be a pretty gross thing to partake in, but something she was grossed out by. Her body wouldn't let her be even if she tried.

With a gentle finger, Ezra pulled Aria back into the moment by stroking her heat. She writhed beneath him, aching for his touch, but knowing that this only meant they were getting closer to the main event. Her stomach twisted on itself and she tensed slightly, but Ezra didn't seem to notice. She tried to keep her face neutral, though it didn't matter. Ezra's attention wasn't on her face at that moment.

After just seconds of teasing, Ezra had slipped 2 fingers inside of her tight opening, causing Aria to let out a breathy sigh and strain her neck backwards.

Flickers of the very first time Ezra had made her feel this way rolled like a scratched DVD on the back of her eye lids. With each blink, Aria remembered something more. The hot, sticky feel of the car, the nervousness in Ezra's eyes, the face of the poor kid who walked up on them. She almost giggled at that thought, but fought the urge as to not ruin the mood.

Ezra had gotten much better at pleasuring her since then. He knew how her body ticked. He knew where to kiss her and how - where to touch her and how. It was a wonder what nearly a year of getting to know someone intimately could do.

However, Aria feared that tonight might be one giant step back in their intimate relationship. They'd mastered hand jobs, they'd mastered oral, but they hadn't even attempted sex. What was supposed to me an amazing, wonderful event could end up being a huge disappointment.

Once again, Aria knew she was overthinking things, but she couldn't help it. Tonight was Ezra's birthday. Doing this could either make or break the beginning of his 17th year. What was Aria thinking? Why did she decided to do this today? There were 364 other days that would've worked just fine, but yet, she chose today. But it wasn't too late to put a stop to this.

Right as that thought processed as coherent in Aria's brain, Ezra began rubbing her clit. Immediately, her negative thoughts dissipated and her body flooded with desire.

Okay…maybe she could let this go on for a little bit longer.

"Keep…doing…oh," Aria tried her best to stay quiet, knowing that Wes could very well be just down the hall and hearing everything that was going on – not to mention Ezra's mother and step-father.

"I know what you like, baby," Ezra whispered lowly in her ear before taking her earlobe between his teeth and pulling down.

Aria's back arched at the motion while her nails dug into Ezra's back and her hips grinded down on his hand. She felt Ezra's lips curl into a smile against the skin of her neck as he worked to make his mark on her.

Aria closed her eyes, silently telling herself to enjoy the moment while it lasted, because it would all be over soon.

And she was right.

Ezra had fingered her. He'd gone down on her. He'd kissed her breast. He had gone the whole 9 yards, taking his time to listen to her soft, sweet moans, and yet, Aria still felt like it was all over within a matter of seconds. She'd had 2 orgasms already, and still she didn't feel anymore at ease.

Something small in the back of her mind whispered that she could stop. All she had to do was say the words and it would end.

But something bigger and louder in her mind screamed that it was now or never. If she backed out now, it would only be worse the next time.

She was ready.

She loved Ezra.

She was ready.

"Where's the condom?" Ezra breathed, leaning back onto his heels, giving Aria a full view of his body and more…desirable assets.

Propping herself up on her elbows, Aria nodded towards his nightstand, where she'd placed a single condom package before they'd even begun kissing. "Right there." She paused and bit her lip. "You know how to put one on, right?"

Ezra didn't say anything as he moved over her to grab the foil wrapper, but the way he looked at her when he settled back onto his heels told her that he really didn't.

"Do you want me to hel- "

"No," Ezra cut her off mid-sentence, embarrassed by her assumption. "I can do it…" The way he spoke implied that he had more to say on the subject, but he chose not to. Aria wanted to urge him on, but didn't. This was the first glimpse she was getting into Ezra's nervousness tonight. She didn't want to poke and prod him into backing out – not when she'd decided to stay for the long haul.

Her eyes darted back and forth between Ezra's face and penis as he struggled to roll the condom down his length. His hands were visibly shaking, even in the dim light from his bedside lamp, and a few curses escaped under his breath whenever the rubber would snap against his skin. The wait for him felt agonizing and seemed to take half an hour, when in reality, it only took several seconds. Aria briefly wondered if that's what the rest of that night would feel like.

For the millionth time that night, her negative thoughts were interrupted by Ezra's movement. He shifted so that he was perfectly in between her legs, before coaxing Aria's legs to wrap around his waist. When she did so, she felt the tip of his latex covered cock graze her entrance, sending a chill up her spine. They were really doing this.

Ezra lowered his torso so that he was just inches from her face and placed a quick kiss to the tip of her nose before asking, "Are you sure?"

Aria nodded without thinking, knowing that if she had paused, she might've said no. She was scared. Terrified. But she wanted this. It was like wanting to go sky diving your entire life, then finally getting to do it, but when you get to the edge of the plane and you're about to jump, suddenly you don't want to anymore. Everything that could go wrong starts flying through your head and you know that you can't quell your fears until you reach the ground – and there are only 2 ways to go about that. One, you can jump. Or two, you can sit back down and regret not jumping for the rest of your life. So you opted to jump, because you know if you don't, you'll always hate yourself for it.

"Tell me if I hurt you," Ezra grazed his lips over hers, but didn't make an attempt to plant a kiss on them.

"I will," Aria squeaked out, knowing that was a lie.

With that, Ezra nodded, slipping a hand between her legs and parting her lower lips just enough to properly gauge where to put himself. It took a few seconds of adjusting to get it right, but eventually he got there. Had Aria been less nervous, she would've laughed at his struggle, and teased him gently. But now was not the time for jokes.

Ezra gave Aria a final, affirming look, one full of love and concern, before pushing his hips forwards and sliding into her.

She winced. Ezra grimaced.

The sudden contact was a feeling like no other. If Aria had to describe it to anyone who had never had sex before, she'd say that it felt a lot like trying to shove a log through a brick wall. Not the easiest or the most comfortable thing in the world.

She could feel him stretching her walls to their max, making her inhale more than she could exhale, before her breathing stopped all together.

Her eyes slammed shut and her lip was drawn between her teeth. No pain, but intense pressure, like when the dentist numbs your mouth and tells you that while you won't feel pain, you'll feel pressure, right before he starts yanking out a tooth. Only this was less tolerable.

She let out a small whimper that didn't seem to catch Ezra's attention…not that she'd wanted it to. She didn't want him to stop. And she certainly didn't want him to pull out. That might make it worse.

"I think…I think that's as far as I can…go," Ezra breathed heavily, his voice laced with lust and pleasure. Just like earlier, Aria felt a pang of jealousy. He was having a totally different and better experience. She imagined that she felt great around his member.

Aria didn't say anything. She didn't even nod. She just kept her lip between her teeth and her eyes squeezed shut while Ezra began to pump in and out of her body.

Each stroke stretched Aria more, allowing Ezra to go deeper and causing Aria to fight harder to resist the urge to cry – not because it hurt, but because she wasn't enjoying herself at all.

Ali, Spencer, and Hanna had all said that the pain usually subsided to pleasure during the first time, but this pain, pressure rather, didn't feel like it would be going away anytime soon. How could it? Ezra's strokes were uneven. There was no rhythm. Their hips bumped together so hard that she was sure she'd have bruises tomorrow. She probably wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow. And she was so uncomfortable that she wasn't doing anything to contribute to making their situation better. She was just lying there…like a dead body.

Ezra didn't seem to notice all of the faults. He was grunting every few strokes and had tangible pleasure written all over his face. He was loving this.

"This feels...oh," Ezra mumbled into the crook of her neck as he continued with his bumpy, uneven rhythm.

Again, Aria stayed silent. However, this time, she chose not to pout at his undeniable satisfaction. Instead, she chose to watch it unfold. Maybe his pleasure would distract her.

His eyes were closed. His mouth was drawn into an o-shape. As their bodies rocked together, Aria could make out the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. She watched as the slid down the side of his forehead, down to his cheeks, before dripping onto her skin.

She shuddered at the contact, feeling the sudden want to pull him closer to her. And so she did.

In their new position, Ezra kissed Aria's lips passionately. She could tell in his kiss how much he loved her and the new level of intimacy tonight was allowing them to achieve.

Their chests were flush against one another. Her nipples were being massaged by his hot skin, igniting the fire that had previously been put out by pressure once again in the pit of her stomach. Suddenly, it seemed that the longer they went, the better things became for Aria.

She was on the brink of pleasure, just seconds away from feelings its rippling effects in her system when…it ended.

Aria almost laughed.

4 minutes. That was all it had taken.

It was done. It was over. Aria was no longer a virgin and neither was Ezra.

That was the thing that everyone spoke so highly about.

Now it was done with.

It hadn't lived up to the hype. It wasn't fun, or pleasurable, or enjoyable for Aria. It was messy and a bit painful. It was awkward and disappointing.

But at the same time, she had just had sex with Ezra. And that in itself was amazing. She had everything to be nervous about, but she didn't care. She'd just made love with the person who meant the most in her life. And she intended to do it again…and again, and again, and again – just so long as she didn't get pregnant…

A/N: So I want to start off this author's note by thanking you guys for your feedback, not only on the last chapter itself, but on the question I asked about doing a time jump. I got a few "nays", but for the most part I got "yays", so I'm going to go ahead and do the jump. If you voted "nay", don't freak out. The jump won't occur in the next chapter, but in the "26" chapter after that. I want a little more progress before I do a small jump. And by small jump, I mean small jump. I will probably only skip forward a few weeks; one month at the most. Thanks to the fabulous brain and aid of bettertoflee, I have settled on a way to make the jump smooth and (hopefully) almost seamless. My hope is that you guys don't feel cheated by the missing time. I promise, anything that happens will be explained and that nothing too big or important will happen during that time.

This was kind of a weird chapter to write. Not only was it rated M, it was rated an awkward M. Most first times aren't glorious and magical, so I thought I'd paint a more realistic picture. I purposely cut the foreplay short to get on to the actual sex or two reasons: one I wanted to get to the "good" part, and two, I have limited time. College (and a boy…but mostly college) is taking up a ton of my time, so I needed to write this in a fairly timely manner.

I hope y'all enjoyed. For those of you asking about the "Ezra rescues Aria" chapter, that is coming up. Please be patient. Also, please ignore any major typos. Like I said, I have limited time.

I'll update within a week. Please review! And thank you so much for reading!

-Erin xoxo