Root arrived at the party about an hour later than she had meant to. She hadn't been able to decide what to wear. It was warm for September, so anything was fair game. She'd stood in her parent's room for hours looking herself over. She'd finally gone with the shortest pair of jean shorts she had, and a tank top. It wasn't her usual look, and the shorts weren't really that short, but she was working with what she got.

Dropping her bike onto the grass, Root walked to the house. She hated Lambert, but he threw the best parties. At least, he would until Harold had his party over winter break. Harold was nothing if not thorough and organized. His party would be great. She loved having sleepovers there. She'd dropped her overnight bag at his house on her way to Lambert's, to make it easier for that night's sleepover. Stepping inside, Root winced at how loud the house was, but she was determined to have a good time.

She pushed her way through the house, looking for Shaw. Harold, and the other boys hadn't come. They'd decided Lionel was too young, and they'd rather play video games anyway. Normally, Root would have agreed, but she was determined to at least kiss Shaw before the night was over. A hand on her shoulder made her turn around.

It was Joss, Shaw's captain. Root hadn't spoken to her before, but she'd come to Shaw's practices over the week and seen her. She seemed nice, but strict. Root smiled at her.

"Hi," Root said, adjusting her tanktop strap. "How's it going?"

"Good!" She lifted her cup. "Don't worry, it's just coke. I'm the DD tonight."

Root shook her head. "Our DD?"

"Yeah, Shaw told me this was her first party in a while, and she wanted to drink, so I offered to pick her up from her house."

"Oh." Root shrugged. "Ok, I brought my bike. Will it fit in your car?"

Joss grinned. "I drive a big car. No problem. Shaw's in the kitchen if you want her." Joss lifted her cup in a salute and then wandered away.

Root wasn't sure why Shaw wouldn't tell her that Joss was driving them, but then again Shaw knew that Root was private about her home. Root kind of appreciated that. She headed for the kitchen, feeling light. Shaw was thinking about her.

Finally pushing her way through the crowd into the kitchen, Root flipped her hair out of her face, looking around. Shaw was sitting on the kitchen counter, surrounded by boys. Root flushed. Shaw looked amazing. Her shorts were even shorter than Root's, and her dark red shirt only covered her breasts, leaving her stomach bare.

Shaw had a shot glass in one hand and a lime wedge in the other. Root watched as the boys counted down, and Shaw licked her hand before tossing her head back and downing the shot. Her throat worked as she swallowed and she hissed, sucking in air as she straightened up. Her eyes met Root's as she pushed the lime into her mouth.

She winked, jumping off the counter and headed for Root, ignoring the groans of the boys. Snatching a shot off the kitchen island as she passed, Shaw grinned at Root around the wedge in her mouth. Root gasped as Shaw wrapped an arm around Root's waist, dipping her like they were ballroom dancing. Shaw poured the shot into Root's mouth and her throat burned as she swallowed quickly . She'd never done a shot before, but she liked this technique.

The taste of lime bloomed on her tongue and Root realized Shaw must have taken the lime from her own mouth for Root. Sucking the lime, Root let Shaw haul her upright. Root winked at her, taking the wedge from her mouth.

"Trying to get me drunk?" Root joked, throwing the lime at Shaw.

Shaw just tossed it over her shoulder and smirked. "Yeah. That's the point of a party."

Warmth pooled in Root's stomach and she knew it wasn't just from the alcohol. The now familiar stomach ache she got around Shaw didn't feel so unpleasant anymore. It was more like a buzz beneath her skin, itching for Shaw to touch her. Root stepped forward into Shaw's space.

"You look good," Root purred, brushing her hands down Shaw's biceps. "If I'd known you dressed like this, I would have thrown a party weeks ago."

Shaw put her hands on Root's hips, leaning in for a second. Rolling her eyes, she stepped away. "You're such a tease. Come on, let's get more drinks."

The night passed quickly, with flirting and drinking, and before Root knew it, she was too drunk. At some point, she'd lost count of shots. She probably should have eaten before the party, but she had never had alcohol before. She didn't know how much it would affect her. It wasn't until they were dancing that Root even realized how drunk she was. Lambert was playing some god awful house music in his living room, and Root was trying to figure out a rhythm. Nothing seemed right, so eventually she just started jumping in place, hoping she didn't look too dumb.

In front of her, Shaw seemed to move in perfect time with the music, her hips doing something that forced Root to stare. Her thoughts were foggy, but Root knew she had to kiss Shaw before the night was over. It was the only thing she could think about. Root took a step towards her, losing her balance and falling into her arms.

Shaw caught her easily, pulling her close, and looking at her with unfocused eyes. "You ok?" she asked over the loud music.

Root grinned at her, throwing her arms around her shoulders and pressing her lips to Shaw's ear. "Take me somewhere private. I want you to touch me."

Shaw stiffened under her arms, pulling her head away to look at Root's face. Her face was drawn into a frown, her eyes looking into Root's. "Are you sure? I thought you said-"

"I meant the boys," Root sighed, slumping in Shaw's arms dramatically. She stood up again, moving her lips back to Shaw's ear. "You can dip into me any time you want."

Shaw moved Root's arms out of the way, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the crowd. Root didn't know where they were going, but she didn't really care either. She and Shaw were going to make out, and Root didn't care where. She would have done it on the dance floor, but she was really hoping that this would end with sex.

Shaw opened a door in the hallway, revealing a closet. She hesitated, but Root pushed her inside, shutting the door behind her. It was pitch black, but strong arms wrapped around her waist pulling her close. Root reaches out to find Shaw's face, cupping it in her hands.

Their breathing was loud in the closet, fast and unsteady. They hadn't even kissed yet, but Root's whole body was on fire. Shaw was so close to her, so much skin touching Root's, and if they didn't kiss soon, Root was going to go crazy. She dipped her head, crashing their lips together.

Shaw's mouth was hot and insistent, her body pressing into Root's as she swiped her tongue over Root's lips. Root opened her mouth, deepening the kiss. She could feel Shaw's breasts pressing against her own, and she groaned. Dropping her hands between them, she grabbed Shaw's hips, brushing her thumbs over hard abs.

Shaw was more in shape than anyone Root knew, and the fact that she was attracted to Root was too mind boggling for Root's drunk brain. She moved her hands to Shaw's breasts, sliding them under her shirt and feeling the rough lace of her bra. Of course Shaw wore lace bras. She was so hot. Root wished she could see Shaw, but even if there was a light, her eyes were squeezed shut.

Root squeezed Shaw's breasts, and was rewarded with a low moan. Shaw's arms disappeared from around Root's waist and Root whimpered as Shaw pulled her mouth away. She didn't want Shaw to change her mind. A light turned on in the closet, and Root blinked her eyes against it.

Shaw was standing back, her shirt pushed up over her bra. Licking her lips, Root looked her over, watching as she panted. Shaw was perfect, her tan skin flawless and smooth. Stepping forward again, Root kissed her, desperate for more contact. She never wanted to stop this.

Shaw pushed her away, against the door. Root opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but then Shaw's hands were on Root's tanktop, pulling it up over her head. Her mouth dropped to Root's chest, pressing sloppy kisses along her collarbone.

"You're so hot," Shaw sighed into Root's skin. Her hands pushed Root's bra up. "Your body is perfect."

Root shivered as Shaw ran her tongue over her breast. "I want to see you, too."

"Later," Shaw muttered. She covered Root's other breast with her hand. "I want to touch you."

"Oh," Root gasped. "Ok. Yeah. You should touch me."

Root's head was swimming. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the way that Shaw's touch affected her. Either way, she was enjoying it. She'd gotten exactly what she wanted and now she was going to lose her virginity to Shaw. It would have been better on a bed, and not in a closet, but she would take what she could get. Shaw's teeth sank into her breast, and Root lost her train of thought.

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Root woke up the next morning with a terrible headache. She threw an arm over her eyes, deciding that it wasn't worth it to get up. She'd just lay in bed for a while and then text Shaw.

Bolting upright, Root groaned as her head protested. She'd kissed Shaw last night. They'd… had sex? Root tried to remember what happened. The last thing she could remember was making out with Shaw in Lambert's hall closet. Looking around the room, she realized that she was at Harold's house, in the guest bedroom that was always made up for her. She thought she remembered being carried to Joss' car, but she wasn't sure.

Root blinked into the early afternoon light. Was her head hurting from all the alcohol? She wondered how Shaw was doing. Unlike Root, Shaw had seemed very comfortable with drinking. She'd probably been to a lot of parties in her life. More than Root anyway. Root really wished she could remember what had happened.

It was nice while she was drunk, but now she regretted it. She raised a hand to her head and squinted to block out the light. Shaw probably thought she was weak for not being able to handle her alcohol. Unless Shaw hadn't noticed. Root looked around the room, trying to figure out if Shaw had slept there with her.

Only Root's bag as in the room, on the chair in the corner. Root was wearing her pajamas. She must have changed into them at some point. Even if she and Shaw had had sex, Root didn't regret it. She would have liked to remember her first time, but it had still happened with someone Root liked. She wondered why Shaw wouldn't sleep with her afterwards.

Her door creaked open and Harold's head appeared. Root smiled as a second later, Bear stuck his head in, too. When they saw she was up, Harold opened the door, letting Bear bound in. Bear jumped on the bed, licking Root's face. She laughed and pushed him until he laid down.

"Not now, buddy. My head hurts too much."

Harold sat on the edge of the bed, still wearing his pajamas. "We made you breakfast, but you have to come out to the kitchen. It smells really good. I read that greasy food helps with hangovers."

Root smiled and nodded, petting Bear slowly. "Who's here? You, me, and John?"

"And Shaw and Lionel," Harold said, frowning. "Do you not remember Shaw coming back with you?"

"No," Root answered sheepishly. "I can't remember anything after…" She blushed. "Well, let's just say I'm glad I got back safely."

"Shaw said you passed out for a bit." Harold raised an eyebrow. "She carried you into Joss' car, you know. Are you two dating?"

Root shrugged, patting Bear on the head. "I don't know. That was nice of her, though. Did she… Did she say if I did anything embarrassing?"

Standing again, Harold walked to the door. "No, but you should be glad my parents are on a work trip right now. I don't think you'd win any points by showing up drunk in the middle of the night."

"Yeah," Root muttered, "probably not."

She pushed Bear off the bed and threw the covers back. Following Harold out of the room and to the kitchen, she thought about what he'd said. She'd passed out at some point. Hopefully, she hadn't done it during sex. That would be something she'd never recover from.

The smell of bacon and coffee floated to her from the kitchen, and Root sighed happily. She definitely needed to eat something and coffee would probably help her headache. She braced herself to see Shaw, and stepped through the doorway into the kitchen.

Lionel and John were sitting at the big kitchen island, plates stacked with pancakes and bacon in front of them. Shaw's back was to her as she flipped a pancake on the stove. Root took the nearest seat at the island, her stomach turning unpleasantly. She hoped she didn't throw up. That'd be just another item on a list of embarrassments.

Shaw turned around, glancing at Root's face and then away again. "Sleeping Beauty is finally awake."

Root tried to laugh, but it turned into a groan as her head pulsed. Her friends laughed at her, even Shaw cracked a smile. She pushed the pancake onto a small stack and put the pan back on the stove. Root reached out, making grabbing motions with her hands, as Shaw picked the plate up.

Shaw walked it over, putting it down in front of her. Nervously, Root sat up straight, looking up to meet Shaw's eyes. Shaw's face was unreadable, and Root frowned. Licking her lips, Root glanced over at the boys, making sure they were all talking to each other.

"Hey," she breathed. "Did anything… Did we do anything last night? Besides kiss?"

Shaw's eyebrows drew down, and she looked confused. "You don't remember?"

"No," Root answered, shaking her head. "I only remember making out in the closet. I.." She blushed. "You took my shirt off."

"Nothing happened." Shaw rolled her eyes. "We didn't have sex."

"Oh good," Root sighed, her shoulders slumping with relief. "Thank you."

If Root knew Shaw better, she'd say she looked hurt. Root's stomach clenched again, and she looked away. She hadn't meant to imply that she didn't want to have sex with Shaw. She would much rather have stayed sober and had sex, then get drunk and not have sex. Before Root could say anything, Shaw walked away, moving back to the stove.

Root would try and find some time during the weekend to tell Shaw what she meant. Now that she knew Shaw was really interested, Root wasn't going to hesitate. She wanted Shaw to be her girlfriend, or her friend-with-benefits at least. Root wasn't an awkward 12 year old anymore. She wasn't going to hold back like she had with Hanna. Root had waited too long to say anything to Hanna before she'd died. She wasn't going to wait with Shaw.