Hey there little red riding hood, you sure are lookin' good

[Anonymous]

Arrow pulled up the hood of her red jacket and looked herself over in the mirror, pursing her lips. It was still kind of hard to believe that was /her/ staring back at her, and Sabela's tips had been making a difference after all. Her black hair fell in straight layers around her face, blue eyes looking larger and standing out even more with the mascara and light eyeliner. Puckering her lips, she finished applying her lipstick and then stood back and gave herself a once over, hardly recognizing herself.

Okay, she had to admit it. She was pretty modest about her appearance and all, but she had to admit, she looked...pretty. Like she was staring at someone else. She turned her shoulders so she could look at herself from and angle, and pulled down her hood, trying to go for a 'mysterious' pose.

Then she giggled, feeling ridiculous, and flipped her hood back--and fixed her hair when that mussed it a bit. Okay, enough of that! She was all ready, and now all she needed was Fin.


Fin really hoped that he looked okay. He was pretty sure he did. Looking in the mirror, he would totally sleep with himself. His hair was gelled up in an old school rocker style, leather jacket, leather pants, boots and a white shirt borrowed from Shiloh. And a wolf ears and a tail, yellow wolf eyes and fangs completed the look.

He rang the bell for Arrow, heart thumping with excitement. They had planned their costumes, but he had no idea what she was gonna be wearing and he couldn’t wait to see her.

When the door slid open, he gave her a fang filled grin, voice slurred slightly, “Hi! Whoa! You look really hot!” Fin couldn’t stop staring. She was always pretty, but right then, she looked amazing. And those legs….

When Arrow opened the door, for a few seconds all she could do was stare. Whoa! She almost didn't recognize him, what with the yellow eyes and ears and stuff. That was a really good costume...he'd really gone all out and her costume was so simple. Then again, she was just Little Red.

The stare was broken, though, when Fin spoke and she gave a laugh and felt her face heat up. That was blunt! Self-consciously, she started to pull down her skirt, which was rather short for her, but then remembered Sabela's words and jerked her hands away. "Oh, wow...thanks!" she said, grinning, and opened the door wider so she could slip out. "You do, too," she added, quieter. Oh man...her heart was starting to race and she felt like a dork, lost for the right words or what to do even though she was thrilled to see him.

Finally, the words came to her, and without thinking, she reached up to pet an ear. "Whoa. Those feel so real...where'd you get those?"

Fin was grinning like a moron, oogling his girlfriends legs. It was nice thinking that. That he had a girlfriend. And she did look great, “I like your makeup. It makes your eyes stand out.”

Fin regretted those words the moment they left his mouth. They were so girly! Boys never noticed makeup. Luckily, Arrow reached up and pet one of his soft ears, which flicked under her hand and Fin made a pleased sound, “I made them. I..uh…I’m kind of a shape shifter. It never really came up.”

He flushed a little, his gaze dropping to the floor, “It’s not…creepy or anything…I hope.”

[Rhi-Rhi]

"Wah!" Arrow yanked her hand back when his ear flicked, and for one split second she thought it was just some crazy animatronics (yeah, like that made total sense) until he spoke up.

...A shape-shifter?

"You mean..." Arrow's eyebrows rose, confusion flickering across her face as she tried to process what he'd just said. "You mean, uh...that's...real?" She blinked several more times, then on an impulse turned and grabbed his tail--which felt ridiculously real to the touch; she could feel the tail and bone beneath the thick fur, and it was warm. Surprised, even though it just confirmed everything, she let go of it just as fast. "So you can just...make stuff? How? That's all attached to you?"

Then realizing she was firing off a lot of questions without addressing his concerns, she switched gears and grinned up at him. "That's not creepy or anything, that's just...whoa. I just never knew people could actually do that or that you could--ah! That's so cool! What else can you do?" she asked, reaching up again to touch his ears, tickling the fur lightly so they'd flick the same way she'd done with her dog.

Damn. Her boyfriend just kept getting cooler and cooler...

[Anonymous]

Arrow's hands on his sensitive tale sent a shiver of pleasure through Fin and he flushed slightly though he felt panic start to rise when she kept bombarding him with questions. It wasn't until she assured him it wasn't creepy that Fin finally relaxed a little.

Smiling, Fin gave a small shrug, "I can do just about anything as long as it's mostly humanoid. And I can't change my mass, just what it looks like. Oh, and, nothing inorganic." Wow. Way to sound like a total dweeb there Fin.

His ear flicked wildly under Arrow's fingers when she teased it and Fin gave a low, teasing growl, "If you don't knock that off, we aren't going to make it the party!"

[Rhi-Rhi]

Nothing inorganic, huh? "Ohhh, so you can't, like...become a giant gelatinous blob, then?" Arrow asked distractedly, still grinning and amusing herself with his ears. "Does it hurt when you change? Like bad growing pains or skin ripping or anything? What happens if something gets cut off? What happens if--"

Her barrage of questions came to a screeching halt when he growled--Whoa, vocal alterations, too?!--and the sound sent an unexpected shiver through her. Arrow paused, raised an eyebrow, and started to ask what that had to do with getting there or not, but she only got so far as opening her mouth before realization sank in and she blushed.

Oh. The, uh, tail and ear stroking.

"Oh! Eheh, whoops..." She laughed sheepishly and snatched her hand back. Right! Yeah, his shivers hadn't entirely escaped her notice, but in the heat of the moment she'd been too fascinated to think. "Sorry about that."

[Anonymous]

"Well, no. Not really. I can be a gelatinous humanoid-ish shape..." Wow. Not sexy at all. Fin gave an internal wince as that came out of his mouth, "And nope, it doesn't hurt at all."

Fin couldn't help making a sad sound when Arrow pulled her hand away. It had felt very good, but it was hard to keep calm with her doing that. And he had no idea how far he could push Arrow. Making out with her was a pretty big accomplishment. He still hadn't gotten to feel her up.

But he didn't want to rush her. So he held his arm out and smiled, "Let's get to the party pretty lady. I want to show off how stunning my date looks and then refuse to let anyone but me dance with you."

[Rhi-Rhi]

Still blushing, Arrow laughed and linked her arm with Fin's. Alright, so maybe this stuff with Sabela wasn't so bad after all, since it was apparently working--though she wasn't so sure she'd ever get used to all this staring and complimenting. (Not that she actually minded it; heck no, she kind of liked it!) Even with all the make-up and hair straightening and wardrobe changing, she still didn't feel pretty, she just felt like...herself.

"Heh, you'll have a pretty easy time of that," she said, turning with him to head out and toward the common room. She glanced down, suddenly more interested in her feet as more nervous energy took hold. "I, uh...don't actually know how to dance. I mean, kinda? I only went to like one school dance and...yeah..."

Oh jeez, hopefully that wasn't going to be a problem. She looked up quickly as another thought sprang to mind. "I like it, though! It's fun. I just...don't really know what I'm doing..."

[Anonymous]

Fin didn't need to be a psychic to know how Arrow was feeling. She had been there before, when she had started shifting and had always gone as stunning women. The attention was strange and nice and unexpected.

Fine covered Arrow's hand over her arm and started toward the ballroom the party was held in, "I'm pretty sure I'll have to beat people off you with a stick. You just don't realize how pretty you look." Fin leaned down and lightly kissed her cheek, "And I don't really know how to dance either." He super didn't know how to dance as a guy. But, well, he would just figure it out as he went. See what the other guys were doing and imitate that, "The key is to act like you don't care you don't know what you are doing. Besides, there should be plenty of liquid courage around!"

Pausing at the door, Fin pressed the button and the doors slid open, allowing them into the massive ballroom. It was filled with candidates, decorations and tables with food and drinks spread throughout the room. Fin had to resist the urge to squeal with delight. Manly! Think manly thoughts!

[Rhi-Rhi]

Arrow couldn’t help but laugh at the mental image of Fin beating people off of her, even though she knew it was an exaggeration. There were plenty of prettier people out there—but for once she didn’t care as Fin fed her newfound confidence that was only boosted when he also admitted he didn’t know how to dance.

Good! So she wouldn’t be alone in that. And it somehow felt…nice to know that this super awesome, cute guy was just as lost in that area as she was.

Sighing in relief, she pressed close to him as the doors slid open and the ballroom opened out in front of them and, like Fin, it was hard not to squeal.

It all looked so fun, and after all the craziness of the past weeks and months, fun was a welcome sight. No Pilots, no crazy drills or lessons or anything, just a bunch of kids having a blast. And it felt somehow different from that last party, which had felt more awkward than anything, especially with that snake girl stalking her. But now she didn’t have to worry, because she had Fin, and he didn’t care if she knew what she was doing or not.

Her eyes scanned the crowd, the food and drinks and decorations, and for a moment she stood frozen as she didn’t even know where to begin. Then she couldn’t help it and gave Fin’s arm an excited tug. “Oh, man, I don’t even know where to start!”




“I do!” Fin grinned, scanning the room for the open bar. For all the harsh lessons, Pilots threw a good party! He caught sight of Val on the dance floor, which was rather a shock, but he didn’t think there was more than one blond with a half mask in a wheel chair. He was dancing with some cute guy in a tux. Go him!

He located the bar and smiled at Arrow, “Let’s start at the bar. Everything is more fun when you are shitfaced. Plus, the drunker you are, the better dancer I am!” Moving around the edge of the dance floor, Fin led them to the bar and ordered two drinks, something fruity and sweet for Arrow and a beer for herself. She wasn’t really sure what guys drank and beer seemed safe.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Arrow was never much of a drinker at all, but that was really only because she didn't know what to drink, didn't know what tasted good and what tasted like burning. But she trusted Fin, and the drink he'd ordered her looked colorful and good. Gingerly, she took a sip of it--and then another, surprised by the flavor. It tasted like some sort of fruit soda, with only the slightest alcoholic bite to it.

"Whoa, what is this?" she asked, taking a bigger swallow of it. "This is really good!"

She wasn't worried about getting tipsy, not here with Fin. At the other party with the snake girl and a lot of random stranger? Yes. But here? Nah. It seemed like it might be fun! She just wasn't sure how many drinks it would take to get there.

[Anonymous]

"Oh, I donno. I just asked for something fruity." Fin hadn't thought to ask if Arrow drank, because, really, who didn't? He took a swig of his beer, looking around them at the party. He was gonna have to track down Val and Rhys at some point. And Shiloh was supposed to text him when he was heading down.

But for now, he wanted to be Fin with Arrow just a little longer. He felt a small stab of guilt. He...needed to tell her. But, well, when did you bring that up? Not tonight, he didn't want to ruin the night.

"Hey sexy lady. Drink it a little lower and then let's go dance!"

[Anonymous]

"Well, it's really good, whatever it is," Arrow repeated, and flushed a little when he called her sexy. She'd certainly never felt sexy in her life, just gangly and awkward, but the compliment made the butterflies stir.
   
    Fin had a way of making her feel it.
   
    She took a few more gulps, drinking it lower, and when she got just below the half-empty point she started to feel it, a weird, giddy, uncoordinated rush. It was subtle, though, just enough to make her relax, make her not care that there were other people out on the floor. She laughed, holding her drink out. "Whoa, I think I feel something," she said, and took his arm with her free hand. Everything was more fun when you're shitfaced? Okay, she could see why.
   
    "Heh, wanna teach me to dance now?"


“Well, that is what alcohol does.” Fin grinned, leading Arrow onto the dance floor. He chugged a bit more of his beer as well, wishing he felt his drinks that fast, “I gotta warn you babe, I can’t really dance either. So we can teach each other.”

The music was loud and had a nice beat too it. Fin glanced around a little, trying to get a better idea of how guys danced. Hand against the small of Arrow’s back, he started to move his hips against Arrow’s in what he hoped was a masculine way.

    "It's okay," Arrow called over the music. "That actually kinda makes me feel better!"
   
    Because he was so cool and suave and hot, so it was nice knowing that there were some areas he was just as awkward in. Laying her free hand on his shoulder, she started to mimic his movements, laughing and blushing as his hips moved against hers. Whoa, she'd say that was kind of forward if that wasn't how everyone else was dancing, so she rolled with it. She had no clue what she was doing except kind of shuffling her feet and swaying her hips, but it was fun--and, really, it was just an excuse to be close to him.

“You are a total natural.” For all Arrow kept insisting she couldn’t dance, she knew how to move her hips just fine. He was so glad he could control his body, or Arrow would be feeling just how good of a dancer she was next time she brushed against him.

He leaned closer, nuzzling against her ear, “You’re really hot like this.”

    An excited shiver raced down Arrow's spine when he nuzzled her ear, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling. His words made her face heat up again and she buried it against his neck to hide how red she'd gotten. Her? Hot? Oh gods, he really thought so?
   
    "Really?" She laughed against his neck. "I'm not even doing anything."

“You are doing a lot.” Fin grinned, his own face a little flushed as they danced. Kissing her ear lightly, he stepped back, wanting to not crowd her too much. “I better be careful or people will try and steal my date.”

    Arrow couldn't help but giggle and hunch her shoulders when he kissed her ear, finding the sensation ticklish. Finally, when she felt her blush had receded, she lifted her head and smiled at him.
   
    "Then you better protect me 'cause I don't wanna get stolen," she said. "I like it just fine here."

Swaying his hips, Fin nodded, “Don’t worry. I don’t plan on letting you get stolen. I’m the Big Bad Wolf, remember?”

A few more songs and Fin wanted a break. He lightly nudged Arrow, “Hey, let’s get some more drinks, okay?” Taking her hand, he moved through the dancers, back to the open bar, “What do you want?”

    "Um..." Arrow bit her lip in thought, then laughed. "Oh, how about another of the last thing you got me? That was good!  You should try it!"

Fin nodded and ordered another one for her and another beer for himself. Damn men and their man drinks, “Here you go.” He leaned over and gave her a light, quick kiss, “Remember that you asked for it, so you can’t accuse me of getting you drunk so I can take advantage of you.”

    Arrow laughed at that, taking her drink and giving him a playful nudge in the side. "Ohh, you wouldn't," she teased, taking a long sip of her drink and leaning against him. "Better be careful. The story had a woodsman!"

“Whoa now. Woodsman? You have a woodsman and you didn’t tell me? I can’t say I approve of that.” He wrapped his arm around her, his hand stroking her hip.

    "Well...the story does at least. I just have a wolf," she laughed, reaching up to pet one ear.

Fin was going to reply, but then she was petting the ear and he just melted against her, giving a happy sigh, “Ahhh. That feels nice. These things are sensitive.”

    Grinning, Arrow started scratching behind that ear, leaning back against his weight. "Wow, guess that's why dogs like it so much, huh? Can you hear better with them and everything?"

“Yeah…ahh….so good.” Fin draped around Arrow, relaxed and happy, “I can, but the music was too loud, so I have to adjust my hearing.”

    "Ohhh...that makes sense. Ehehe, Fin, you're getting heavy!" she laughed, giving his ear one last scratch. "Should we go sit down?"

“Is that code for go sit and make out in the corner? I would really like that to be code for making out in the corner.” Fin straightened up, though he kept his arms around Arrow, grinning at her.

    Well, when she'd said it, she'd just meant sit down, but...she had to admit, she liked kissing him, and flashed back to how amazing their last ones had been. Ducking her head, feeling her cheeks heat, she cleared her throat. "Sure...wanna make it code for that?"

“If that means you are more likely to ask for it, sure!” Fin headed off to where the tables and chairs were set up, leading Arrow along with him.

Most of the candidates were out dancing or drinking by this time, only a few were at the tables. It wasn’t hard to grab a table away from most of the people, “This okay?” He didn’t want to seem like he was luring her off to some dark alley or anything.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Sliding into the seat next to Fin, Arrow blinked over at him and raised her eyebrows inquisitively, oblivious to his concerns. There were people around everywhere and, while off away from them a bit, it didn't feel secluded. "Hmm? Oh, yeah! This is perfect." About as perfect as you could get in the military facility!

    “Great.” It was a little nerve wracking for Fin. He was used to well…pervy boys. All her relationships had been either platonic or boys that loved her shape shifting and huge chest. He had never dated anyone before, let alone someone shy.
   
    Holding out her chair, Fin slid into his own once she was seated, leaning down to rest his head against her shoulder, “Ear scratches now?”

    Arrow laughed at the request and cuddled closer, reaching up with a hand to start scratching behind an ear. It was so weird feeling those very real ears on his head, but neat, too, and it fascinated her how he did that. Worked out for both of them, really; he liked getting them scratched, and she liked playing with them.
   
    "Is your tail this sensitive, too?" she blurted without thinking, leaning back against him.

    Fin’s arms wrapped around Arrow’s waist, leaning lightly against her. It was hard to remember to not drop all his weight on her, as her scratches made him want to melt, “Donno. Probably. We’ll have to go somewhere a little more private if you want me to take my pants off.”

    "Oh!" Arrow gave a startled laugh, blushing, and started scratching behind his ear more vigorously. "Oh, no, that's okay!" While she was all for kissing, she wasn't so sure she was ready for anything that meant taking off pants. Or...seeing him without pants...which, alright, so she wouldn't mind him losing the pants. It wasn't like she hadn't daydreamed about that, but that was pure fantasy!
   
    The reality, well...
   
    Let's get used to this making out thing, first, before anyone thought about losing clothes.
   
    "I don't think that part was in the story, anyway," she added, giving his shoulder a playful nudge with her own.

    “I’m pretty sure the wolf was naked. So I’m behind here.” Fin lifted his head, sliding a hand up to cup the back of her neck and tugging her down for another kiss. He loved how she felt and tasted. And he really, really wanted to get to touch her breasts. Maybe tonight would be is lucky night!

    "Really?" Arrow gave Fin a mischievous smile. "'Cause if I remember right, wasn't he cross-dressing?"
   
    But then Fin was tugging her in for a kiss, and far be it for her to resist it. Hand pausing on his ear, she leaned into it and kissed him back, heart hammering in her chest. She'd been waiting for this, and missing it, but she was still too ridiculously nervous to go for it before he did.

    Shit. Shit shit SHIT! That comment stabbed deep into Fin’s guilt. He kept wanting to tell her and it just made him feel like shit that she didn’t know. He hadn’t wanted to ruin tonight, but he couldn’t stand it anymore.
   
    Breaking the kiss, Fin sat back, giving Arrow some space, eyes averted, “Um…so…I…as you..uh…know…I’m a shapeshifter, Right? Well, um…normally…I don’t look like this. Normally…I’m a girl. Finaa. You…uh…kinnda met me.”

    "...Huh?"
   
    Arrow stared at Fin in uncomprehending confusion. Of all the things she'd been prepared for him to tell her, that had not been it. Slowly, Arrow closed her mouth, then sat back. Finaa? The girl she'd met washing Nuriel? She flashed back to that moment and remembered how Finaa had immediately bonded with her, helped her out. How nice she'd been. How comfortable she'd felt around her.
   
    She hadn't realized that comfort was familiarity.
   
    A wave of confusion washed over her and she suddenly wished she hadn't had those drinks so she could think a little easier. "So...you...you're not...Fin?" she asked, wrestling with what that meant. "I mean...are you still...?" There was no delicate way to phrase it that she could find, and she was terrified of the answer. Had he lied to her about anything else? While Arrow had accepted he--she?--was a shapeshifter and was okay with that, and while her mind could make that leap into acknowledging she normally took on a different form...had this whole thing been made up? Was "Fin" just a character she was playing? Or had she really gotten to know the real person?

    “Yes and no. I mean, I am. Sort of. I’m not really…anything. I don’t have a real form anymore.” Fin shifted, looking miserable. He was terrified Arrow was going to hate him, reject him, “It’s all cosmetic! Nothing about my personality is different. I’m the same person, just…look different. Like the ears and the tail. I promise. I just like to be a guy sometimes, the parts are different and I ran into you and I liked you and just…”
   
    His ears flattened against his head, and he lifted his head to watch Arrow’s expression, “I didn’t mean to not tell you, but I liked you and I was scared if you knew you wouldn’t like me anymore.”

    Just like the ears and tail. That analogy made Arrow relax a little as he seemed to read her thoughts--oh, wait, he probably did--and answered the questions that had her inwardly panicking. Just cosmetic. Same personality, same person, no acting, just liked to be a guy sometimes. Arrow took it all in, slowly processing it, watching his face as he spoke--
   
    And he looked completely miserable. He felt completely miserable. If she'd had any doubts as to his sincerity, then that settled it--and she didn't; she didn't want to, because she liked him so much, more than she'd liked anyone like this.
   
    After a long moment, Arrow reached out and touched his hand. "I believe you," she said. "It's...well...like you said, it's cosmetic...and...I like you." She bit her lip. No different from getting a hair dye, right? Or the ears. "And, um...I liked your girl self too. I mean, uh, I don't...well, Fin--Finaa?--I've never really liked girls, you know? Not like that. I dunno if I do. But I like you. And, well..."
   
    She shrugged uncomfortably. "I'd probably would've been scared if I was you, too..."

    Fin almost started crying when Arrow spoke. She believed him, all that guilt, all that stress, breaking apart. It was such a weight off his chest, “R-really? Thank god. I wasn’t trying to fool you, I really wasn’t. And…it’s okay. About, um, liking girls and stuff. I’m not really…anything anymore, male or female or…just…I can be a guy around you.”

    Not anything anymore. That made sense; if you were a shapeshifter, what was your real form? And she'd accepted that he was one...she'd just never really given it much deep thought. Then again, she'd only found out he was a shapeshifter tonight.
   
    "You...don't mind doing that...?" Arrow asked slowly. "Being a guy? Er...that sounds kinda weird and selfish..." she muttered after, wincing. "Oh! Um, what should I call you? I mean, should I call you Finaa? Or Fin?" She rubbed the back of her neck.

    Honestly, he liked being a female better, he was more comfortable in that form, but he was fine with any of his forms. Fin gave a small shake of his head, “No, I mean…not really. I like…having my face, the face I grew up with. But, when I’m with you, I can be like this.”
   
    He gave a small, nervous laugh, “And either name is fine. Which ever you like better. It doesn’t really matter to me.”

    "Well...I got used to Fin. But I could call you Finaa. I mean, that's your name, right? You really don't mind either way? You sure?" Arrow asked, her hand still covering his.
   
    She gave a sheepish chuckle, still a little jittery from his confession, but growing calmer. "And, I mean...heh, guess this explains why I hit it off with Finaa so well, huh?"

    “Really, either is fine.” Fin didn’t really care, Fin was just a nickname for Finaa anyways. The mention of hitting it off with Finaa had Fin looking miserable again, “I’m sorry. For not telling you then. I really am. I just…you don’t like girls and…I was scared.”

    "It's okay. I mean...well, yeah, you should've told me. But I understand why you wouldn't want to right then." Arrow gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm not mad or anything. I mean, yeah, it was...shocking...bu t I get it. You're still you."

    Fin nodded, so happy that Arrow was okay with it. He squeezed her hand back, then leaned forward, hugging Arrow, “Thank you. For understanding. I really like you and, well, I hope I didn’t totally ruin the mood…”

    Arrow hugged him back tightly. Maybe she should have been more upset about this, felt some sort of betrayal instead of just feeling worried that she hadn't known the real him, but...she didn't. This was her friend, her boyfriend, and he'd just opened up to her about something big. He could have probably gone on and never told her for who knows how long, but he chose not to. He trusted her with this big secret, and cared enough to tell her even under the fear that she might ditch him.
   
    That was big stuff. If anything, it made her trust him more.
   
    She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Nah. You didn't. Not at all."

    “You…are amazing. And I totally don’t deserve you.” Twisting slightly, Fin pressed his lips against Arrow’s, seeing if she was okay with him kissing her again. Maybe it was still too soon after his confession.

    Part of Arrow was still in shock, but when he kissed her, she didn't stop him. Leaning into it, she returned the kiss a bit more boldly than she might have otherwise, as though to let him know that she still accepted him, that this was okay. He was still Fin, the same hot, cool, sweet person she'd liked since that first day. If his ears and tail hadn't changed that, why should this?

    Fin was more than happy to deepen the kiss, his hand sliding up her neck and into her hair. She was so amazing and sweet and forgiving and pretty and he really, really didn’t deserve her.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Arrow's hands slid up to Fin's shoulders, clutching him tightly and going with the kiss. She still hadn't really figured out what she was doing, but Fin seemed to like it so she went with it. The hair on the back of her neck prickled and she shivered as his own fingers wove through her hair and--well, screw what Sabela had said about making him dangle! She liked this, she liked him, and she just didn't think she was capable of it.

She gave his bottom lip an experimental nibble before she finally pulled back and drew in a deep breath. Her eyes met his, cheeks flushed. "I really like you, Fin..."

[Anonymous]

While he was glad Arrow was taking this so well. He had played this out over and over in his head and he really hadn't expected her to be so okay with this. He had been lying to her and felt like the biggest asshole in the world.

And now she was telling him she really liked him. Fin blinked, the beers making his brain feel a little slow, "Really? Like, I mean, really?" Fin had never really been in a relationship before and he didn't want to rush things.

"Because I really, really like you too. A lot."

[Rhi-Rhi]

"Yes! Really really," Arrow giggled, still a little tipsy, as she leaned her head against Fin. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. I really like you. And, well..." She grinned. "I'm glad you like me, too."

Fin cuddled Arrow close, stroking her hair, "So...I mean...what now? I'm not really sure what this means." The beer was still fueling his libido and he hoped it meant he got to do more than kissing.

Oh gosh. If Fin didn't know what it meant, then Arrow sure as heck didn't! He was the one who was supposed to know! She'd just been following his lead, here!

"Um, well...like..." Oh, that hair stroking was making it hard to think, sending pleasant chills down her spine. "Does this mean we're going steady?"

"Steady? Like...only dating each other? Or...um...only having sex with each other?" Fin fidgeted. He had no problem only dating Arrow, he really liked her, but he wasn't sure he was ready to give up that intamacy with Shiloh and her other friends.

"Oh, uh...I, um...I dunno," Arrow said, keeping her head against Fin's shoulder to hide her blush. Honestly, she hadn't even begun to think about sex. Well, okay, that was a lie, she'd had some racy daydreams featuring Fin, but...crap! Maybe she'd gotten totally ahead of herself and now she was going to scare him away!

"Uh, uh, like...dating." She grimaced and turned her face against his shoulder. "I'm not really sure how this works."

Fin kept stroking her hair, "Well, okay. Yeah. I can do that. I really like you and I don't really want to date anyone else. I just...um...I am sleeping with some of my friends. It's all platonic though!"

"Oh. Oh, that's okay!" Arrow said quickly, lifting her head to look at him. Right. Slow down. They like...only just started this relationship thing, so no need to rush into it and get totally exclusive, right? "Yeah, that's fine. So like, just dating each other, then?"

"Is that okay? I mean, I really like you and I don't want to ruin this." Fin felt a little panic raising in his chest. He didn't want Arrow to get upset or annoyed by this.

"No, no, that's fine. They're just your friends, right? And we've only just started dating, so..." She laughed and nuzzled his shoulder. "I'm fine taking it slow."

"I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything...and yeah. just friends. It's just like Shiloh. I promise, there is nothing romantic going on." Fin still felt a little nervous. And just that someday he might have to stop sleeping with Shiloh. And he wasn't sure he....was okay with that.

"Ohh, okay. Yeah, I don't mind that." Asking him to give that up yet would be unfair, and she just...wanted to make this work, wanted to see where it would go. She wrapped an arm around his waist, cuddling closer. "Is that the Pilot?"

"Yeah, the one on the phone earlier. And my friend Rhys." That...was a lot more complicated and not something Fin didn't want to think on that much. He leaned down, kissing Arrow again.

Before Arrow could think any deeper about this Rhys fellow, Fin was kissing her again and she was content to forget it. Leaning into the kiss and turning her body into his, she wrapped both arms around his waist and closed her eyes.

Fin attempted to be smooth and reached over, tugging Arrow so she was on his lap, arms cuddling her close against his chest, deepening the kiss.

Arrow made a little sound of surprise, but shifted and adjusted herself so she was seated more comfortably in his lap. This whole kissing thing was getting easier with practice--and it was one thing she was content to practice over and over.

Moving very slowly, Fin's hand moved along her side and up between them, lightly cupping her breasts. And then waited for her to react.

A little electric jolt went through Arrow and her eyes cracked open, then widened in surprise. Fin. Was touching her boobs. Fin was touching her boobs! Oh gods! She clenched her eyes shut again fast. Would he think they were too small? Not big enough? Would he notice the slight padding in her bra? Her heart began to race and she was sure he could probably feel it under his hand, her skin flushing hot.

She'd daydreamed this, and hoped he'd want to touch her, but what if it wasn't good enough? But ack! Act cool, act cool! Keep kissing!

Fin didn't move his hand, his heart pounding. She wasn't screaming at him about birth control. This was good. And her breast felt perfect under her hand, perky and cute. He gave a low moan, pressing closer to her.

[Rhi-Rhi]

That moan drew another shiver from her and Arrow melted against him, some of the initial panic fading. Okay, that had to be a good sign and oh gods a boy was touching her boobs. A small sound escaped her, muffled against his mouth, and her hands clutched at the back of his shirt, balling the fabric in her fists.

[Anonymous]

The padding in Arrow's bra was kind of cute. Fin remembered the days he had padded his bras, before puberty had made sure that was never a problem again. As they were still in public, Fin didn't push too far, kept his hands over her clothes as he kissed her.

Was now any okay time to ask her back to his room? How did dates work? Should they go dance more, then ask her back?

[Rhi-Rhi]

Finally, Arrow broke the kiss and looked up at Fin, still a little stunned and nervous--but still making no move to bat his hand away. So far, he didn't seem to mind. Maybe he didn't notice? What now? She had no idea how this stuff worked or even what base that was. Wasn't like she was sheltered, she knew what went on, people talked, she got the same education as others in her caste, and she'd seen movies and stuff, some pretty racy. But it was different when it was real (and she wasn't perfect like those movie stars) and suddenly she felt like she didn't know a thing at all.

Licking her lips, she flushed and looked back down. "Wow..." she breathed. "You're, um...good."

Ohmygod. How lame could she get?

[Anonymous]

"Thank you. You're pretty good too." Finaa was slightly flushed and shifted, his pants feeling tight, "Though, um...we should really either go back to the party or you should let me drag you off somewhere. Because it's really, really hard to hold back with you being so tempting."

[Rhi-Rhi]

Arrow's blush deepened. Drag her off somewhere? Oh goodness. She shifted a little in Fin's lap and froze when she felt...something slightly different down there. Was that...? Oh man. It probably was.

She hugged Fin a little tighter and kissed him lightly. Did she want to? Was she ready for that? Well, she liked him, a lot, and she liked what they'd done so far (which wasn't much) and this was probably one of her only chances. Sabela's words popped into her head as she deliberated. It was pretty embarrassing, still being a virgin at this age. Would that bother Fin? What if it weirded him out? What if he didn't like her body? Her small boobs? She liked him a lot and i would be mortifying if he was...disappointed.

...Maybe she was jumping way too far into the feature and that wasn't what he meant at all. Maybe it was just more making out. She was okay with that. Augh! She didn't know what he meant!

Hiding her face against his neck, she said quietly, "What do you wanna do?"