[proof one – 1 BC]

The building Lexa was living in was the nicest and newest of the school housing at Crew College. All of the students who had requested to stay over the summer were moved in there so that maintenance and remodeling could be done on the other dormitories around campus during the three month break between school years.

There was definitely a serial feel to the apartment that Lexa had been assigned, but she was just grateful to have a place to live that was air-conditioned and where no one would bother her. The best part, though, was that the cost was just added into her tuition with the rest of her room and board, so she could worrying about paying it off later along with the rest of her school loans.

As far as Lexa was concerned, heartbreak was embarrassing and the less she had to see people, the better. After Anya left, she spent most of the summer holed up and nursing her fragile ego. For once in her life she didn't care that she wasn't accomplishing anything at all other than watching the entire series of Sex and the City. To be honest, she found the series fascinating. It felt kind of like a National Geographic documentary and Lexa decided that straight women were a very strange breed indeed.

It was the end of July before Lexa started to feel lonely and think maybe she should find some friends other than Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha.

One Friday morning, Lexa came home from the gym to find that someone had written on all of the whiteboards that were fixed to wall outside of everyone's apartment. Someone in apartment 37 was having a party that night and had, apparently, invited the entire building. It seemed a little desperate to Lexa, but, then again, she wasn't in much of a place to judge.

If Lexa had been the subject of a HBO show, it would have been called Masturbation in the College Town and it would have been very boring and consisted mostly of Lexa opening her fridge about once an hour and staring at its contents but not taking anything out before she closed it again, talking to the television with wonderment about straight people, and watching porn like clockwork every day at 9 pm and then getting herself off.

Therefore, she decided, she should probably attend the party.

[proof two – 1 BC]

Party Goals

- be fun and casual

- play a game if one is available

- talk to at least four three people

- laugh twice

- go barefoot to achieve maximum carefree levels

- leave hair down and curly

- do not talk about geometry even when applicable to the conversation

[proof three – 1 BC]

As Lexa stood in front of the mirror in her bathroom, applying her signature eyeliner, she couldn't help but wonder, what would she be walking into that night? She had only been to a handful of parties in her time at college and the only thing she had enjoyed about any of them was the salacious dancing she got to do with Costia.

Lexa may have been an academic juggernaut, unwilling to compromise when it came to her studies, but she was also a 21 year old woman who loved having sex. And she was very good at it. She had suspicions that her skill in the bedroom was why Costia had stuck around as long as she had when it started to become obvious that they wanted very different things in life. The only thing that worried Lexa was that she had never had sex with anyone other than Costia and perhaps she had fine tuned her techniques to her ex's preferences to such a degree that when she finally did sleep with someone new, she'd have to start from square one, all over again. Surely the general principles had to be transferable, though…

After finishing her makeup and giving herself a pep talk that involved a great deal of shoe shopping analogies considering she wasn't wearing any, Lexa was ready to go.

The problem was it was only 7 o'clock and the party didn't start until 9.

With nothing better to do, Lexa made herself a cosmopolitan, just to loosen her up a bit so she wouldn't seem so stiff at the party, and put in Season 4, disc 3, and read over her list of party goals for the tenth time.

[proof four – 0 hour]

At 9 o'clock on the dot, Lexa knocked on the door of apartment 37 and tried to smile. It hurt her face, though, so she just tried to look sort of neutral as the door swung open and revealed a very skinny, rather gaunt looking boy with brown, scraggly hair and too large a mouth for his face.

"Hey!" he greeted her with a broad smile.

"Hello," Lexa replied. "I'm here for the party."

"Awesome, come on in!" He stepped aside and flung an arm out, gesturing to the interior of the apartment.

Lexa walked a few steps into the place and saw that there were already a few people there – two were sitting on the couch, and four were gathered around the kitchen table. They all looked as if they had been there for a while already, so Lexa figured they were close friends of this gaunt child that had greeted her.

"So," the pale boy said, getting Lexa's attention again as she surveyed the scene. "I'm Jasper, that's my roommate Monty." He pointed out a dark-haired boy at the table who looked a great deal less sickly than Jasper, but a good deal more innocent. Lexa gave him a curt nod.

"My name is Lexa. I live in apartment 19." She stuck her hand out for the boy to shake, and he seemed more than happy to have an excuse to touch her. His hand was very sweaty, though, so Lexa removed her hand from his as quickly as possible and tried to nonchalantly wipe it off on the leg of her cut-off jean shorts.

Apparently, she was unsuccessful at going unnotived, because a blonde girl that was staring at her intensely said, "Hey Jas, why don't you stop sweating on the pretty girl and introduce the rest of us?"

And then she winked at Lexa.

Lexa tried to smile again.

It didn't work.

The girl cocked her head to the side as if she couldn't quite figure out what Lexa was doing with her face.

Thankfully, the sickly boy spoke again.

"Shut up, Clarke," he said, blushing. "Okay, so, princess over here would be Clarke." Clarke glared at Jasper. "That's Bellamy," a broad-nosed, burly fellow waved at her good-naturedly. "This is Raven," a slight, but gorgeous, dark-haired girl gave her some very seductive elevator eyes. "And Lincoln and Octavia are over on the couch, probably feeling each other up." The two on the couch were locked in a rather tight embrace, making out with no regard for who might be watching.

"Yeah, we don't actually know them," Raven said, in a snarky tone. "They just wandered in about an hour ago. I think they're just a couple of sex addicts who think this is a hotel room they've rented for the night."

A beer can came flying into the kitchen from living room, and the girl on the couch said, "You know, green is a very unattractive color on you, Raven."

"And you throw like a little bitch," Raven retorted. "That didn't even make it to the table!"

Lexa continued to stand awkwardly just inside the door until Bellamy said, "We're playing Quarters, wanna join us?"

"Yes, alright," Lexa answered and moved quickly to take one of the empty seats around the table that was beside Raven.

With her goals at the forefront of her mind, Lexa leaned back in what she hoped was a casual, easy sort of posture, with her fingers laced together across her stomach. She was willing to try anything tonight to loosen up.

"Why don't you take the next turn?" Bellamy grinned and handed a quarter to her.

"Okay," Lexa said, grabbing the quarter from him and feeling an immediate panic set in. Her jaw tighten as she glanced around the table top, trying to figure out what the hell she was supposed to with this quarter when the only other things present were a smattering of shot glasses and a few bottles of alcohol. There wasn't a game board or cards or anything. What kind of game was this?

"Have you played this game before, Lexa?" Clarke asked, drawing Lexa's eyes up to meet her own.

"Of course I have," Lexa lied, chuckling unconvincingly. "It's been awhile, however. I'm just more a Yahtzee kind of girl."

"Wild child, right here, folks," Raven laughed.

"Well, let me refresh your memory," Clarke said, smiling sweetly. "Basically you just bounce the quarter on the table and try to get it into one of the shot glasses. If you make it, you decide who takes the shot and then that person shoots the quarter. If you miss, the person on your left goes."

"Really?" Lexa asked, a spark of excitement flaring up in her eyes that she quickly tried to stamp out. "That's easy! That's just—" the word geometry died on her lips as soon realized she had been about to slip into full math geek mode. She wasn't going to do this tonight. She was going to be cool.

There was more to it than just geometry, of course. There was a good deal of physics involved as well. She would have to get not only the angle correct, but the force right as well. Still, it wouldn't be anymore difficult than pool, and Lexa was amazing at pool. Whenever Costia did talk her into going out to a bar, it was usually with the promise that they would go to the billiards hall downtown.

Standing up quickly, Lexa leaned over so she could get a good aerial view of the table, mentally calculating the distance and angle of the nearest shot glass, taking into account the weight of the quarter and force she would need to apply. Then she sat down, scooted her chair back slightly and lined up her shot. The quarter dinged against the tabletop once before it gracefully soared into the shot glass.

"Maybe you have played this before," Monty said, an impressed look on his face.

[proof five – 1 AD]

By 10 o'clock, more people had shown up at the party and Lexa was starting to feel small and extremely uncomfortable. She'd only had to do three shots, but that was good. Lexa wanted to be fun, but not sloppy, especially when surrounded by so many strangers.

Jasper had already asked her for her phone number and assured her that she could come over any time she wanted to hang out. Apparently he didn't have a job, either, though he seemed proud of this fact whereas Lexa was ashamed that she wasn't doing anything this summer. Other than trying to figure out how to be a human being without Costia in her life, of course.

Clarke had been watching her very closely as they played and had given Lexa the shot every time her quarter landed in one of the glasses. So, when Lexa excused herself from the table, she wasn't all that surprised to see Clarke do the same, grabbing a bottle of tequila and a shot glass as she stood.

Lexa had only made it as far as the living room when Clarke came up next to her.

"Come do a couple shots with me on the balcony," she suggested.

Lexa nodded and followed her out on to the small balcony that opened off the living room.

"So, Lexa," Clarke started, leaning on the railing and facing her once Lexa had closed the balcony door behind them again, "where have you been all my life?"

"Excuse me?" Lexa asked, her voice cracking. She was not used to people hitting on her so blatantly as most of the people she had interacted with during her three years at college knew she was with Costia.

Clarke laughed easily and shook her head. "I just meant, I've never seen you around before. And I mean, Crew isn't that large. I feel like I've seen most people in passing at least once or twice."

"Oh, um, you know," Lexa said, trying to match the ease Clarke was projecting. "I had a girlfriend since freshman year and I just kind of stuck with the same crowd. Since we broke up, though, I'm trying to branch out a bit."

Clarke smiled. "So you're into women and you're single," she surmised with a smirk. "Must be my lucky night."

Okay, yes, definitely hitting on her now. Be cool, Lexa, she told herself.

"Maybe it is," Lexa said, being sure to look out over the balcony as she did so. "I haven't decided yet."

"Fair enough," Clarke said, her voice dropping a bit as she looked sideways at Lexa, biting her lip slightly.

Lexa couldn't help but smile. She had forgotten how good it felt to be wanted.

"Damn," Clarke whispered.

"What?" Lexa asked, turning to face the girl again.

"Nothing," Clarke muttered, clearing her throat. "You just have the kind of smile that people launch ships over."

Lexa raised her eyebrow questioningly.

"Helen of Troy…the Trojan War….you know, the face that launched a thousand ships," Clarke rambled. "It was my subtle way of telling you that you're gorgeous."

"Oh," Lexa said quietly, blushing. "You're not so bad yourself, Clarke."

Clarke scooted closer to Lexa, handing her the shot glass full of tequila, a very hungry look in her deep blue eyes. After Lexa had accepted it and throw it down her throat, Clarke took the tiny glass and refilled it, taking the shot herself this time.

"So, I have to ask," Clarke said after her shot. "Why in the world aren't you wearing any shoes?"

Lexa honest-to-god laughed, something she felt like she hadn't done in years.

[proof six – 1 AD]

Over the next hour or so, Lexa learned quite a few things about Clarke.

Her last name was Griffin; she was an art history major; she had just graduated, but did so a year early, so they were the same age; she was taking the next school year as a post-bac before she applied to grad schools; and she lived in an apartment off campus with Raven and Octavia.

Lexa had also discovered that Clarke was very good at subtly touching her—running her hand down Lexa's arm when she laughed, leaning into her shoulder with the guise of hearing her better, and eventually, gently brushing her fingers through Lexa's curls as she complimented her hair.

Lexa was drunk, to be sure. So was Clarke. She was also beautiful with her blonde hair swept over her head and framing her face in the light from lampposts the dotted the parking lot below them.

Lexa had hardly thought about Costia since she and Clarke had come out onto the balcony. She wanted that. She wanted to keep not thinking about Costia. She wanted to do something unexpected and unlike her, so she flirted back.

Lexa put her hand on Clarke's hip as she took another shot. She wiped a stray drop of tequila off the corner of Clarke's lips. When Clarke told her about the new perfume she had bought that day, she leaned in to her neck so she could smell it better. She was bold and fearless and anything but weak. And she hadn't talked about geometry once, not even when Clarke had asked what she was majoring in.

[proof seven – 1 AD]

"Hey ladies, sorry to disturb you," Raven said, a knowing grin on her face as she leaned out onto the balcony. "But it's 12:30, princess." Raven said this last part directly to Clarke with a very pointed look while holding out what looked like a small, blue cosmetic bag to Clarke.

"Mm, right," Clarke said, extracting herself from Lexa, who had been tracing indistinct triangles on the small of her back just under her shirt. "Thanks for reminding me, Ray."

She grabbed the small bag and turned back to Lexa. "This'll just take a minute. But, when I get back, do you wanna…go back to my place? I'm kind of hungry. I was thinking I might make some pasta or something if you wanted to join me."

Lexa looked down at the small bag curiously, but figured it wasn't any of her business. She was also much more concerned with the way her stomach was twisting with anxiety at Clarke's proposition. It wasn't that she didn't want to go back to her apartment with her. It was just that nothing like this had ever happened to Lexa before. Other than with Costia, of course.

She met Clarke's intense stare and nodded her, afraid her growing nerves would become apparent if she said anything just then. She didn't want her voice to waver and Clarke to get the wrong idea. She didn't want to come off as anything other than completely confident and laid back.

"Great," Clarke said, "I'll just be a minute."

When she was gone, Raven smiled widely at Lexa. "If she puts on CrazySexyCool, you're in."

"What?" Lexa asked, the alcohol clouding her mind as she watched Clarke's retreating figure.

"The TLC album. Clarke always puts it on when she wants to get laid," Raven clarified, continuing to grin.

"Noted," Lexa muttered, turning beet red.

[proof eight – 1 AD]

As soon as Clarke had returned from the bathroom, the two had slipped out of Jasper and Monty's apartment, mostly unnoticed.

"Get it Clarke!" could be heard as the door swung shut, leaving them alone in the hall. Lexa was pretty sure it was Octavia who had yelled it.

"Sorry about that," Clarke said, sliding her hand into Lexa's as they headed down the hall and down the stairs.

"Are all your friends so supportive of your sex life?" Lexa commented without thinking about what she was implying. "I mean, uh…not that we…have to do that."

"I'm down for whatever you're comfortable doing, Lexa," Clarke told her honestly as they left the building. Biting her lip seductively, she continued. "But I was hoping I'd get to see you with your clothes off."

"Oh, that's cool," Lexa replied, trying to make it sound like this sort of thing happened to her all the time and she was as equally up for having sex with a stranger as Clarke seemed to be.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Lexa spoke again. "Were you serious about the pasta, though? Because I'm famished."

Clarke laughed. It was a raspy chuckle that Lexa found to be extremely sexy. "Oh I was completely serious about the pasta. Can't expect you to fuck me on an empty stomach, now can I?"

Lexa shivered. Clarke was practically purring into Lexa's ear at this point and she definitely had a thing for forward women.

[proof nine – 1 AD]

One bowl of spaghetti later, Clarke and Lexa were sitting side by side on the couch in Clarke's living room.

Lexa was starting to feel nervous again, and more than a little awkward, when Clarke stood up, saying, "Mind if I put some music on?"

Lexa shook her head and watched Clarke saunter over to the entertainment center where an iPod was docked in what looked to be a pretty impressive speaker system. She had to bend over slightly as she scrolled through the music and Lexa stared longingly at her ass, wishing she had any moves whatsoever.

Clarke definitely caught her as she turned around. "See something you like, Lex?"

Lexa nodded and gulped.

"You're very—" Lexa started, but lost her train of thought as she recognized the music Clarke had picked out. A small chuckle came out of her mouth, but it was soon replaced with a cocky smile.

"What are you laughing about?' Clarke asked.

"Oh nothing," Lexa smirked. "Raven just told me that you put on TLC when you want to get laid."

"I'm going to fucking kill her," Clarke sighed loudly, running a hand through her hair. "But I'm pretty sure you already knew I wanted to get laid."

Lexa nodded again, never breaking eye contact with Clarke.

The blonde moved to stand in front of her, staring down at Lexa lustfully.

"Are you okay with all this?" Clarke asked, a desperate husk evident in her voice that made Lexa wet.

"Yes," Lexa said simply.

That was all Clarke needed to hear, apparently, because she straddled Lexa immediately, and then pressed her lips against Lexa's firmly until she started to respond, her mouth working eagerly to catch up with her shocked mind.

[proof ten – 1 AD]

Clarke felt so good on top of her. The weight of her body rocking suggestively on Lexa's lap, her soft lips, the way she moaned when Lexa slipped her tongue into Clarke's mouth. It was all so good.

Clarke had her hands sunk into Lexa's hair and she was tugging on it roughly, tilting the girl's head back and kissing her deeply, letting her tongue explore Lexa's mouth. Lexa felt like she was in a dream, and she was just trying to keep up with Clarke. Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, she remembered that tonight was a night for being bold, so Lexa moved her hands from where they had been not doing much of anything on Clarke's hips, and slid them down onto her ass, groaning loudly as she did.

Clarke laughed her raspy chuckle again and husked, "Ass girl, huh?" in her ear before moving to kiss and bite at Lexa's neck.

Emboldened even further by Clarke's obvious enjoyment, Lexa pulled her hands back slightly and slipped them inside of Clarke's jeans and underwear, squeezing roughly at Clarke's ass cheeks. The action earned Lexa a moan and strangled, "oh fuck."

Before Lexa had even registered what was happening, Clarke had pulled back and yanked her shirt off, sending it flying somewhere onto the floor. Then she unhooked her bra, pulled it down off of her arms and tossed it aside as well. She slid her hands back into Lexa's hair after that and pulled her head into her chest.

"Suck on my tits, Lexa," Clarke whispered.

Lexa felt a gush of wetness between her legs as she opened her mouth and did what Clarke had told her to do, sucking a hard nipple into her mouth as Clarke continued to grind down onto her lap. She licked and sucked and bit at Clarke's breasts moving back and forth between the two, growing wetter and more frustrated as with every moment.

Finally Clarke stood up, pulling Lexa with her. "Bedroom?" she asked.

"God, yes," Lexa moaned.

Clarke surged forward again, attaching her lips to Lexa's once more as she started to back her slowly out of the living room and down the hallway, pulling Lexa's shirt off as they went. Lexa took care of her bra herself just as they reached Clarke's bedroom door.

Clarke pushed her roughly against the wall just outside, wasting no time cupping Lexa's breasts and rolling her nipples between her thumbs and fingers, tugging at the buds, while Lexa did the same to her.

The sound of the front door opening caught their attention and they both turned their heads toward the voices of Raven and Octavia for just a moment before Clarke pulled Lexa into her room and kicked the door closed behind them.