There were many things about Caterina 'Cat' Valentine that made it harder than people realized for her to make friends. Things that she wasn't as blind to as many people thought she was. Things that she knew about herself, had been forced to accept. Because it felt like there was nothing she could do to change it.

She knew she was a ditz. People could say the most obvious things and you may as well be talking to a brick wall. Or a plain idiot. If it weren't for her friends, there was no telling if she'd actually pick up on it.

It took her three days to realize that Carl Howard had tried a pick up line on her. At the time, she was just confused as to why he thought she looked like a hotbox.

It didn't help that she had a tendency to overreact. Almost immediately, she'd take things said in jest to heart. Even if only for a moment, she imagined it could get irritating trying to explain exactly what every joke she takes the wrong way meant.

It made Cat feel like a child. It wasn't helped by the fact that she tended to act like a child, and tended to get treated as a child by most of her friends.

Sometimes she wondered if that's all she was. The child of the group that everyone had to watch out for. Sometimes it could be so overbearing when Jade would tell her not to do this or that.

But, being fair, it didn't help that she would be a complete dunderhead half the time. There were plenty of times where Jade would stop her from doing something that would get her hurt.

Beck did that too, but it was worse with Jade because she was Cat's best friend. And yet, Jade would always be perfectly blunt or completely sarcastic about how stupid she is.

It had been a week since Trina Vega's sister, Tori, had ended up being invited to Hollywood Arts.

Like most people, Cat had been genuinely surprised by the talent she possessed, in opposition to her completely talentless sister.

There's a reason that there are urban legends about how Trina got accepted.

But Tori, while not a pro, definitely had enough talent that even the normally ditsy and oblivious Cat Valentine could see it.

Although, the unfortunate downside is Jade's dislike of 'Little Miss Perfect'.

Granted, Tori might've been poking the bear, so to speak. She did take the improv in the direction for Tori and Beck to kiss just to spite Jade.

But… Cat felt that Jade went over the line, as did most people.

But nobody, not even Sikowits, was brave enough to say anything.

… and Cat's thoughts had completely diverged once more.

As said before, it had been a week since Tori had ended up in Hollywood Arts and befriended everybody(except Jade).

And at the moment, Cat found herself as an attendee for Derek Kramer's party.

He was about the closest thing you would come to finding the jock stereotype and a performance arts school.

She attended the party with Beck, Jade, and Andre. As it usually went. Granted, Andre wasn't always with them, a lot of times it was just Beck and Jade with Cat.

But at the moment, it felt like Cat was completely alone.

Andre had found himself romancing a girl he liked, which was a regular occurrence even Cat could notice. And Beck and Jade had decided to be… Beck and Jade.

Which meant they were either in the jacuzzi or going NC17 in a bedroom somewhere.

That was another thing that irritated Cat with her best friend. Though she didn't flaunt it around like a prize, Jade had absolutely no problem speaking of her sex life openly when she was among friends.

It made Cat jealous, and a part of the redhead sometimes wondered if Jade only spoke about it to pick on her. Tease her about the fact that she was still a virgin.

Though… Cat also felt that she was just being insecure about. Jade might be notorious for how insecure she is, but it didn't mean she was the only one wih insecurity.

She knew there were boys who found her attractive. There were plenty of cute boys she liked.

But she felt so brain dead when it came to boys, since she was too nervous to ever say anything. Or too embarrassed whenever asked, since by the time she realizes that boys were actually showing an interest in her, they could've already forgotten or found someone else.

Exploring sex was a normal part of being a teenager, she felt. But she felt as if the day would never come where she'd find a guy that liked her, let alone someone to have her first time with.

This is how it usually went for Cat when it came to parties. Go with Beck, Jade, and maybe Andre. And then find herself alone with her thoughts, wandering around the party and watching both classmates and other teens she'd never met socializing.

Or making out in the corner.

So as usual, it came down to Cat to occupy herself, and she'd found the way she felt safest in doing that is to just wander around with her own thoughts. Maybe get a drink here or there.

Jade had told her to stick to the Wahoo Punch in the fridge, but she wasn't entirely sure why.

However, she didn't feel like listening to Jade's 'evil mother' rant on why Cat should just do what she's told so that no problems were caused.

Honestly, she was glad the outfit she'd chosen seemed to match with most of the attire other girls had chosen for the party.

But then again… high heels, short-shorts, and whatever shirt she could find tended to be her go-to when it came to hangouts and having fun with friends.

So it was more than likely a coincidence. After all, Jade had opted for her usual clothes.

Cat's thoughts came to sudden and extreme stop, as did her own forward movement, when she suddenly found her face planting itself into someone, along with most of her body weight.

'Oh no… I should've been paying more attention.

Cat found herself backing up and rubbing her admittedly now sore nose, because whoever she'd bumped into was built like a brick. Nonetheless, she immediately set herself on apologizing.

"Sorry! Sorry, I wasn't-"

"Hey, no harm done. I could've been paying attention too." The voice that interrupted her was… not what she was expecting. There was a lightness to it that indicated his age was around hers, but it was still far deeper than she expected, holding a deep rumbling boom with every word. "My bad."

Cat found her hand slipping from her face, her aching nose quickly leaving her mind as her eyes finally focused enough to take in the guy she'd just run into.

Now… Cat knew she was short. At an even five feet, she was the shortest amongst her friends.

But she'd never felt so utterly small in her life.

The guy she'd bumped into had to be almost half a foot taller than Beck. That would put him at… 6'5? Cat wasn't entirely sure, all she was sure of was that his shoulders looking like they could pop her head like a grape with how broad they were. Even if the height wasn't that much, the man in front of her made Beck's lean physique look puny, like a stick figure.

She'd seen plenty of muscular boys… but she'd never seen anyone looking nearly as imposing as the boy in front of her.

His large frame was complimented nicely by his outfit. An outfit that was all the indication Cat needed to know she was talking to a country boy. The red flannel alone and the white t-shirt underneath were signs, but not immediate indicators. However, tack onto that a pair of dusty jeans and rather muddy cowboy boots tucked under said jeans…

However, his face seemed to paint a stark contrast. Long, unruly hair seemed to almost flow and sprawl down on his shoulders, creating an image of controlled chaos. Said hair framed a rather wide and wonderfully angled jawline, not to mention contrasting perfectly with the piercing blue eyes that seemed to practically glow.

Had he always looked so confused?

All in all… she wasn't sure if it were possible to use both cute and hunky to describe someone, but Cat felt it fit best.

The snapping of the boy's fingers shook her out of her staring stupor.

"Knock knock, anyone home?" The boy held a tone of amusement, the edges of his lips tugging upward in a small grin as Cat shook her head in order to actually have a conversation.

Please don't let her be too oblivious.

"I think they all left when I saw you, handsome."

'Oh come on, are you kidding me?! That was lame!' Cat couldn't help but to think furiously of herself. Okay, don't be too oblivious OR obvious. She honestly expected the boy to be weirded out by her words. If not outright offended.

The booming, genuine laughter that answered her over some sort of weird look or rude remark was nowhere near that expectation.

"Alright, I can safely say that's a new one." The boy said when his laughter died down to chuckles. "But I imagine you're used to it being the other way around."

"The other way around what?" Cat couldn't help but to ask. What did he mean by that? What was the other way around?

Now the boy did look confused, but the amused smile was still present. "Well… I mean… you're gorgeous." He explained before taking a sip of lemonade. Which Cat was only just now noticing.

Oh … That's what he meant.

Cat felt like it should've broken a record, how quickly her face decided to match her hair at the words, in embarrassment at both the compliment and the fact that her ditzy nature had decided to show itself.

"Um… thanks." Cat found her hand coming up to brush some hair behind her ear, a nervous tick that happened unconsciously whenever she was nervous or embarrassed. She'd been called pretty before, but being called gorgeous was not something she'd ever expected.

She'd also never been complimented so bluntly, before.

"Everything alright?" The boy asked, causing Cat's brow to furrow in confusion.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Cat asked in response to the boy's own question, tilting her head in confusion.

"Well, you were staring into space from what I gather, and I've seen you wandering around for the past half-hour." The boy explained, raising an eyebrow as he did so. "So forgive me if I don't entirely believe that nothing's wrong."

But… there's really nothing wrong.

"Well, my friends are all busy." Cat simply shrugged in response. "This happens a lot, actually." She admitted with a sad sigh. "I usually just wander around thinking until it's time to go."

"You don't socialize?" The boy looked rather baffled by the idea of coming to a party of your peers just to stick to yourself, and Cat understood the confusion. However, most people didn't need to have something explained to them every five seconds.

"I… I'm not smart." Cat admitted, head falling slightly at the sad truth. "I don't always get what someone's saying. Like just now."

"Ah, everyone has something going right over their head." The boy responded with a shrug as he took another drink, his face scrunching in slight disgust at the apparent taste before looking back down at Cat. "It happens every once in a while. Don't mean you ain't smart."

"For me, it's every conversation." Cat elaborated further, looking even more saddened the more they talked about this particular subject. "I'd rather stick to myself than to be a nuisance."

The boy looked at her for a moment, his smile falling, and Cat couldn't help but to be nervous under his scrutinizing gaze.

"You ever drink before?" Cat found herself stumped at the question.

"I mean… yeah?" The redhead was admittedly unsure of how to answer that question without sounding like she was calling him stupid. "I drink like everyone else does."

The boy cracked another grin at her wods, and Cat felt as if she may have once again been oblivious to something.

"I meant alcohol." The boy clarified. "Beer, vodka, rum… stuff like that."

If Cat's hand had hit her forehead any harder, she may have knocked herself out rather than merely facepalm.

"Oh…" Cat couldn't help but to say, before letting out a sigh as she looked up at the boy. "See what I mean? That was the second time in two minutes."

"So?" The boy asked with a raised eyebrow. "I don't care. I just want an answer to my question." He teased slightly, but Cat couldn't help but to focus more on his first sentence.

"You don't care?"

"Nope. Now… have you ever drank before?"

A question Cat could easily answer. "Nope. I've never really had the interest. Plus, it's illegal for people under 18 to drink." She both admitted and explained her reasoning. "Plus, my friends try their best to make sure I don't go near it."

"I mean, fair, it's illegal." The boy conceded her point, before smiling. "But I won't try to pressure you or convince you. I was just gonna ask if you'd have a drink with me, take your mind off things."

"Why do you drink if you know you can get in trouble?" Cat couldn't help but to voice the question. It didn't make sense to her, why do something knowing you could go to jail?

"Because I find there's a difference between someone who's drunk and a drunkard." The boy responded as if it were the simplest answer in the world. "It's not like we'll be going out and picking fights with people, or anything crazy. Just get buzzed, feel good, and then either head home or find somewhere to sleep here."

It didn't sound like the typical things she'd heard when it came to alcohol, admittedly… but still, what would her friends think?

"I will say this though. Whether they care or not, in the end, it's your choice, and nobody else's. I'd be willing to just sit and talk if that would be more comfortable." The boy tacked on, causing Cat to meet his gaze.

There was something about the boy. Something… she wanted to call it honesty. She felt like she could believe his words, and he sounded like he genuinely just wanted to help her feel better.

If Jade were here, she'd be running him off for trying to get in her pants.

"Not… not too much, just a buzz." Cat finally relented, looking at the boy and giving him a soft smile, a far cry from her usually bubbly one.

Maybe it was because this was the first time anyone had ever just opted to talk, to listen… to just have a conversation with her like she was her own age rather than a kid.

Cat could admit that she could be childish, and at this point, it's a majority of her personality. Both due to outside perspectives and as a… defense mechanism, Jade calls it.

But when even counting her own friends, the boy in front of her was the first person she could recall meeting that actually talked to her like the sixteen-year-old girl she was.

"Alright then, follow me. We'll get you something light." He assured as he nodded his head to the left.

As he began leading her through the house to wherever their destination lied, Cat once again felt small as she walked next to him. It didn't help that the boy was clearly heavy-footed, his boots hitting the wood ground with audible thumps in each foot fall, vs her own nearly silent footsteps.

"By the way, I'm John." The boy abruptly said, offering his left hand to her, the one not currently occupied with a glass of lemonade. "John Gallagher."

Cat smiled at the boy's introduction, and felt obliged to return the gesture. "I'm Cat Valentine."

In the past hour, Cat had learned two very important lessons.

One, she was a lightweight. When compared with the five large glasses of what she'd learned was vodka spiked lemonade that her partner had been drinking, Cat only lasted a bottle and a half of Bud Light mixed with Wahoo Punch. After that, any further might cause issues.

Lesson two? Sex was amazing .

There was a part of her, a small inkling, that felt that she may come to regret this rendezvous, and that she was going way too quickly with a boy she'd just met.

However, the alcohol in her system had essentially nailed that inkling down and buried it in concrete.

She had a rough idea when things changed. It had started with small talk, and she'd found that not only was John more than willing to tolerate her ditzy nature, he'd go out of his way to explain exactly what he meant so that she didn't take it wrong.

One thing he didn't like, however, was when she referred to herself as stupid or 'not-smart'.

Which led to her venting some of her frustrations, even some she'd never been able to vent to anyone else. Not even Jade or Beck.

At some point, the alcohol started kicking in, and the small talk that had returned progressed into compliments.

Which then turned into flirting, something she'd have never thought she'd be able to do or understand, but that could just be the alcohol.

And somewhere between that flirting, they'd ended up in a surprisingly secluded hallway making out, her knight in handsome armor holding her with a gentle grip that belied his rough, calloused hands.

If she remembered right, she'd felt something hard brush up against her legs and she had let out a moan that would've made even Jade blush.

And then John had nearly annihilated the door to the bedroom they now shared.

She'd found herself wondering how many men were like John, considering her limited experience in bed. She was fairly certain that most men wouldn't go this far for a random stranger they just so happened to share an attraction with.

She'd had the chance to take off his flannel because she thought it looked nice, and a subconscious part of her must've noticed the slight chill of the room because she was now wearing said flannel.

After his flannel had come off, both of their shoes followed. John's actions were gentle, soft, despite the needy way he was doing it in the hall.

He waited, poked and prodded you could say. He was patient.

He was caring.

Before any of her clothes actually came off, he found what spots made her weak, and he made sure to ask that she was still okay, that she wanted to continue. Her every response was a near breathless 'yes', but she had the idea that consideration must be built into the man's very DNA if he was like this even while drunk.

And she had no doubt that he was as drunk as she was. Sure, his tolerance might be much higher, but his face was a flushed mess just as hers and they were both slaphappy long before the attraction had taken hold.

Even after all her clothes were off though, despite how soaked she was, John had made an effort to actually please her first.

Her first real sexual act with someone else hadn't taken her virginity, and she had a feeling that her current inebriation was the only reason the events continued.

Only then did he let her help undress him, and even was considerate enough to let her be on top since it was her first time.

Which led to the present.

At the moment, the only article of clothing present on either of them was present on the wrong person, since Cat now wore John's flannel upon herself. Despite being comically oversized on her, to the point the the rolled sleeves still reached her wrists, she felt surprisingly comfortable in it.

Especially when taking into account all of the sweat.

Sounds of passion left her throat in a shameless manner, the sheer pleasure of their current activities far more than she'd have anticipated.

He was big, she assumed well above average. Considering the biggest thing she'd ever been able to use was her fingers, it was a large transition. It wasn't exactly helped by the fact that since she'd never torn her hymen, she still had to suffer through the painful process of breaking it.

However, John was far more caring than she'd expected. When she first took his member within her, the pain of breaking her hymen had been more than she'd expected, and when her body had clenched up, John's soothing words and strong comforting arms had been their to hold her and help her as she adjusted.

Once the pain was gone, it was a matter of testing.

With no pain to distract her and the immense heat between her legs, the feeling of him brushing up against something inside of her had sparked far more pleasure than she'd have thought possible.

John had informed her that it was merely her G-Spot, and that hitting it was something she'd wanted.

Cat had absolutely no cause to argue.

The sounds of skin slapping skin were prominent within the room, and Cat's hands pressed harshly against her lover's chest with unrestrained need as she rode him to her heart's content.

John, to his credit, was nowhere near what Jade would have called a log. Rather than lying down and letting her have her fun, John sat up, one arm holding him up while the other wrapped itself around her waist. She could feel his hunt breath upon her neck, hear his low grunts in tandem with her admittedly loud moans.

If Cat were sober, she'd have worried that the other occupants of the house would hear them.

That was far from her concerns at the moment.

Underneath her, John's own hips moved as well from what had to be an awkward position for him. But nonetheless, every single one of her eager and excited bounces was met with a harsh and deep thrust into her core.

Not many words were spoken, except or the occasional swear or the mutterings of a lover's name, but that was fine with Cat.

This was far more intimate than she'd have ever expected in her life. The passion was intoxicating.

She wanted this man to hold her and never let her go. At least for the time being.

She'd heard that girls get more sensitive with each consecutive orgasm. It made Cat wonder how she hadn't already exploded for the second time.

But this… this was far more pleasure than John's mouth could've possibly achieved.

At some point, it started getting difficult to focus on anything but the pleasure, the rhythm of each bounce fading. Each time he filled her core, Cat found it almost impossible to focus on anything but the pleasure.

The only thing that held anywhere similar to the focus of her obviously impending orgasm was the boy responsible for it.

Suddenly, she let out a gasp of pleasure, interrupting her various moans as she felt John's lips upon the skin of her neck. His teeth touched her skin as well, but didn't bite. Rather, he focused on suckling, something far more pleasurable than Cat could've guessed.

At this point, it was mind numbing, and Cat found her hands sliding up from John's chest and over his shoulders, arm hanging down his back with her opposite hand entwined itself with the messy black locks of her lover's hair.

"J-John… I'm… I'm gonna…" It was hard for her to focus on even getting the words out, the pleasure was just that much. It hadn't even occurred to her that all of this happened without ever once touching her clitoris. Otherwise, she might've have truly passed out from the pleasure.

John's eyes opened and met her own needy and desperate gaze.

And she found herself holding onto John for dear life when her world was suddenly spinning.

And then the fabric of John's flannel was pressed against her back by the bed.

What followed… well, Cat didn't know too many big words, but utterly heavenly was underselling it.

Suddenly, John's hands were wrapped around her smaller body as best as he could manage, his face inches from her own as he began thrusting into her at a fast pace.

And Cat may as well have started screaming rather than moaning.

From this simply angle, John was not only hitting her g-spot, but he was hitting far deeper than he had before, to the point that he was actually hitting something within her.

Something that seemed to be giving.

And then Cat could feel his testicles slapping against her rear as what he'd been hitting seemed to give way, feeling like his was reaching directly into her stomach.

She couldn't help the way her hips began gyrating against him, nor the way her teeth grinded together, her eyes clenching shut. She couldn't help the way her hands gripped him, nearly tugging his hair straight from his scalp.

It seemed as if every action or every sound she made only spurred him on, as John's pace only seemed to get faster.

The pleasure built up once again, and at this point, Cat was honestly trying to hold it back. Not only because she didn't want it to end just yet, but because there was a familiar pressure in her stomach from her impending orgasm that was for more powerful than she could've expected.

The point came when she couldn't gyrate her hips anymore, and due to the speed of John's thrusts and how little she could focus, her legs were left bouncing in tandem with John's thrusts, waving through the air each time her stretched her.

Her screams were eventually gone, replaced with loud whimpers of nervousness as it got harder and harder to stave off the inevitable.

Her eyes cracked open, and she could barely focus enough to see John staring down at her with a caring gaze, never once slowing his pace as his member penetrated well past her cervix.

And then, John's lips fell down upon her own.

And any and all focus she had was immediately shattered.

The only thing Cat could do in that moment was hold John tight, her muscles convulsing, her legs twitching as she felt herself tighten down upon her lover, creating the sensation that he'd gotten bigger.

Her orgasm washed over her like a tidal wave, the pleasure almost unbearable as a gush of fluid erupted from her core, spraying all over John's crotch as she screamed into the kiss.

A muffled, guttural grunt was the only indication Cat would get of John's own orgasm, before she found her eyes flying wide open as John pushed himself as deep as he could into her, her walls stretching to accommodate the entirety of his member.

A thick liquid substance was suddenly filling her, creating a clogging sensation of sorts and her stomach and legs were suddenly warmed by the sensation of John spilling his seed directly into her deepest, most intimate parts.

She could feel it leaking out, sliding down between her rear and more than likely soiling the bed.

Only when there was no more left to give and Cat was completely filled did John finally slump, just barely catching himself by his elbows in order to avoid crushing her.

He rolled so that he plopped down onto the bed next to her rather than on her, causing his member to withdraw from her depths, and leaving her only with the feeling of a foreign substance slowly leaking out of her.

However, she had too little energy to care, panting in the aftermath of their activities.

She wasn't sure at which point she'd rolled over and found herself wrapped in her lover's arms.

She was unsure of when the covers ended up on them.

She wasn't sure when she fell asleep.

She was just sure that she went to sleep happy.

It took mere seconds for Cat to realize one thing when she awoke.

Hangovers sucked .

Granted, she didn't feel the urge to puke like she'd heard was normal with hangovers, but the throbbing ache in her skull was enough for her.

And any discomfort was dulled a lot by the feeling of… whatever she was wearing, not to mention the nice covers currently blanketing her.

Even her teddy bear felt nice… though, it did feel bigger than she remembered. And different.

And what was that wrapped around her own body?

Her eyes slowly blinked themselves open as she let out a yawn, before laying her head back down on the pillow as her eyes adjusted, the blurry view fading away.

What greeted her was most definitely not her room. And not her teddy.

The snoring sounds left the familiar face of a sleeping John, causing Cat's face to blush red as her hair as she realized her current predicament.

Her blush wasn't helped in the slightest by the fact that she now realized that she was stark naked… with the exception of John's flannel shirt.

It didn't help her embarrassment that her bare leg was slumped over his own nude body.

With each thing she noticed about the morning, a detail from the night prior would return to her memory. From her opting to get a bit buzzed, to her getting a little drunk alongside her new friend.

And the events that led them spending the night as lovers.

And despite her embarrassment… she honestly didn't want to move.

Even with the hangover wracking minimum effects on her, she didn't want to move because she was simply too comfortable. Not only did the covers feel pleasant, but John was rather warm. Compared to the chilled air of the bedroom, it was much more pleasant.

Not to mention that she didn't want to wake him up.

So, she closed her eyes and decided to lay her head back down upon his shoulder, opting to simply bask in the comfort her newfound friend had provided.

Outside of some chirping birds that could be heard outside the window, the only sound within the bedroom was her own soft breathing, and John's snoring.

Was this what sex felt like? She felt… completely stress free. Like there was absolutely nothing wrong with her life.

She wasn't thinking about her brother, she wasn't thinking about how her parents always put her on the backburner…

She wasn't thinking about how her friends treat her like a child. She wasn't thinking about how Hollywood Arts was an escape from her admittedly dysfunctional home life.

And she wasn't thinking about how alone she felt at times.

She was only thinking about how good she felt. And how grateful she was the boy currently holding her against him in his sleep.

She liked him.

Granted, that was probably obvious since she had just had sex with him. But she knew that sex didn't necessarily mean that she really liked him.

But from what she did know about him… he was nice. He was gentle. He was caring. He was considerate.

It certainly didn't hurt that he was easy in the eyes. Even his messy hair had a unique charm to it that even she could see.

And now that she was more coherent… It was definitely a nice bonus that he was quite muscular.

She wished she was more confident with guys. Not to mention a little less ditzy. She'd like to find someone like John someday.

Honestly, she'd like it if they could stay in contact with him after today. Sure, that could be the alcohol and the attraction talking, but that didn't change the fact that John seemed genuinely nice.

He treated her as a normal person, not a child, and it helped that he seemed genuinely kind and honest when he spoke to her last night.

Well, before they ended up in bed together.

Unconsciously, her hand untangled itself from around his neck, leaving the other one there while she began to trace circles upon his chest at the idea.

Cat knew it might've been the sex talking, but she couldn't help but to be attached. She really thought he was a good guy, and she loved to have him as a friend. Honestly, more than that.

But… Jade always says that sex doesn't mean that there's real romance. Don't take it that way.

Actually… who said they couldn't at least try? Now that Cat thought about it, maybe the sex had advantages.

After all, it wouldn't be too awkward to ask him out on a date, would it?

Tonight seemed a bit too early since they'd only meet a day prior, and with it being Sunday, she had school tomorrow.

But… maybe he'd be free on Friday?

Any further thinking of these thoughts were interrupted by the snoring suddenly beginning to go quiet, causing Cat to open her eyes as she looked up at John's face.

His expression was no longer peaceful, but more tense.

And then he was letting out a loud groan.

"Jesus Christ…" He grunted out, raising a hand to his head and rubbing it slightly. "Now I remember why I don't get blasted like that."

Cat couldn't help the smile on her face from hearing him speak. She couldn't help but to find those words amusing. Considering how her own hangover was now merely a dull ache, something told her he had been far more drunk than she'd originally thought.

He brought his hand away and raised his head, looking around for a moment before his eyes landed upon Cat. And then they flew wide open in shock, a look of recognition on his face.

And just like that, Cat felt nervousness bubbling within her, wondering if she'd done something wrong. Her smile faded with each second that his expression remained unchanged, and she found concern mixing with the growing nervousness as time passed.

Until he finally spoke.

"You… you remember everything that happened last night, right?"

And just like that, the nervousness and concern disappeared in place of her usual confusion.

"Yeah." She answered, raising her head up off of him as she nodded, before tilting her head. "Why?"

John simply stared for a moment, before he cracked a grin and let his head fall back onto the pillow, with only laughter answering her.

Now she was even more confused.

"Just had to make sure." He answered in amusement as he looked over at her. "Otherwise, that's a prison sentence waiting to happen."

Well, of course Cat's concern would return with that statement.

"What?!" She honestly couldn't help but to slightly panic when she heard those words.

She wasn't quite sure what to think when John chuckled in response.

"Cat, it's fine." He assured her, and she could feel his arm tightening in a gentle manner around her, an attempt of reassurance along with his words. "As long as you remember, there's no problem."

"Why would it be a problem if I didn't remember?"

"Because then you're not in a sound state of mind to provide consent." John explains. "Hell, if you're drunk, that would still have been a problem if I hadn't been drunk too. Otherwise it would've been considered date-rape."

"Oh…" Of course that's why he'd been concerned. She'd heard about stuff like this before, so why for the life of her hadn't she thought of that?

'I'm so stupid…' Cat couldn't help but to mentally berate herself at her obliviousness. The fact that had never occurred to her made her feel terrible.

"But, we both remember. No harm, no foul." John assured with a sigh of relief as he turned his gaze to stare up at the ceiling for a moment.

Then his smile turned playful.

"By the way, I'll need my shirt back."

Cat couldn't help but to once again blush bright red when she heard that. Despite knowing that would be the case, it was still a little embarrassing to be reminded that she was wearing someone else's shirt.

Not to mention the fact that the shirt wouldn't even cover much with it unbuttoned like it was.

"Sorry."

"It's fine!" John assured with a chuckle of amusement as his gaze fell back down to her. "You gotta stop feeling bad and apologizing so much."

Cat couldn't help but to disagree, considering how oblivious she was ninety percent of the time. "People get angry when they have to explain a lot, though."

"Then they either have to learn patience or they aint got anything worth listening too." John responded simply, shrugging his shoulders as best as he could with the red head who was nearly lying on top of them.

Silence befell the room after those words. John seemed to simply be enjoying the moment, but Cat was honestly trying to think of something else to say, or how to broach the topic she wanted to talk about.

Eventually, she finally smiled as she settled on her next words.

"Thanks for last night." She thanked him as she laid her head back down upon his chest.

"Thank you ." John returned her gratitude with his own, looking down at her. However, his smile slowly morphed into a frown. "Was last night really your first?"

Cat's own smile faded into a frown of her own at the question. "Yeah… is that bad?"

"Depends on who you ask." John answered with a shrug. "A lot of people would regret that something that's supposed to be an important moment of life happened while drunk with a random stranger."

"Well… I don't." Cat admitted, and she found her finger tracing circles upon his chest once more. "Honestly… I appreciate how good you made it feel. From what I hear, most guys don't care that much when it's just a one night stand."

"Where's the fun in that?" Cat could hear the amusement in John's tone as he asked it, but his next words were filled with nothing but honesty. "I can't enjoy it if my partner doesn't. Makes me feel like an asshole."

It wasn't often she heard someone actually curse, so it was a little jarring. And yet, it sounded so natural flowing from his lips.

"Well… thank you."

"No problem."

Once again, silence fell over the two of them, and Cat was beginning to wonder how to either start up another conversation or just get her question over with.

However, John beat her to the punch.

"Well, we better get up and get dressed." John said, sounding almost disappointed as he said it as he began to sit up, forcing Cat to let go of him as she sat up as well. The cover fell to her lap, leaving one of her breasts exposed by the unbuttoned shirt she was wearing. "I don't know about you, but I'll be lucky if my Papaw doesn't grill my ass."

Any chance to maintain contact with him was slipping with every moment as he got up off the bed and left her sitting there.

After a moment of contemplation, she got up and rejoined him.

Redressing was a far different affair to undressing, as they both gathered up their own clothes without a word and began redressing themselves. Cat opted to toss the red flannel onto the bed as she put her bra back on, followed by her shirt.

Was she really going to let this chance slip by? All she had to ask was if they could at least be friends.

Maybe…

Finally, an idea had hit Cat, and she turned around to see John reclaiming his flannel, slipping back into it with practiced ease.

"Um… John?" She couldn't help but to sound nervous, her voice small as she caught his attention.

"Yeah?" He asked, his eyes meeting Cat's own as he waited for her to continue speaking.

"Would it be alright if… if I gave you my number?"

His expression morphed into one of surprise at the question, causing Cat to instinctively wonder if she may have made a mistake in asking.

Relief flooded her when he shrugged in response and gave her a smile.

"Sure. I don't have any problem with making a new friend."

"Okay… and… well…" Cat couldn't help but to bite her lip. He was fine with her number, was there any reason to push it farther? Test her luck, per say?

"Yeah?" John's curious gaze seemed to bore into her, causing her to think and choose her next words carefully.

"... are you doing anything on Friday night?"