Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm just borrowing them ;)
The Things I Do For You
"Hey Sameen" Root chirps far too cheerfully for Shaw's taste as she makes her way into the subway.
"Root" she replies in greeting but it comes out sounding more like a warning.
"Someone's grumpy today, well grumpier than usual" she replies, sitting next to Shaw who tenses. Her glare which could bring a man to his knees has no effect on the Hacker and it kind of makes Shaw want to shoot her. Just, you know a leg wound or something but then she would have to clean it up which kind of defeated the purpose.
"What's wrong sweetie?" Root asks, leaning into her personal space. Shaw repels the movement and Root simply follows until she can't back up any further.
"What makes you think there's something wrong?" she replies. Root gives her a look, head tilted to the side and lips pursed. There's a spark of mischief in her eyes and Shaw finds herself hoping there's a new number or the machine has something-anything to keep the hacker busy and, more importantly away from her. She felt stupid enough executing this little plan she had come up with in what she was sure was a moment of complete insanity, the last thing she needed was Root figuring it out before it was complete.
No such luck.
"You know what would make it better?" Root purrs suggestively, barely leaving any space between them.
"Grenades?" Shaw replies hopefully and Root laughs.
"Maybe not quite that good but..." She pauses and with a flourish she produces a chocolate bar from deep within the recesses of her coat pockets.
"This might make things just a little better." Shaw eyes the bar. It's tempting, the good kind of chocolate with the peanut butter but she's suspicious-it looked a lot like a bribe. She raises an eyebrow in question and Root dangles the bar in front of her. She snatches it, ignoring the indulgent smile Root gives her as she tears off the wrapper and begins to devour it. It lasts all of a minute and Shaw licks the remnants off her fingers, a satisfied quirk at the corners of her lips that may have been a smile.
Root, who had been looking at her the same way Shaw had looked at the food suddenly spaced out and Shaw figures the machine is talking to her. Where had it been five minutes ago?
"Gotta go sweetie" Shaw gives a slight nod as Root leaves and she waits until the coast is clear before putting her plan into action.
She's never going to live this down, she's sure of it but oddly enough she can live with that.
Damn Eeyore Root and the things she does for her.
Shaw starts with the balloons, blowing them up one by one and tying them together with colourful string before hanging them in various places around the subway. She had considered streamers but that was seriously pushing it. She had to pick up the cake in half an hour- the only thing she doesn't mind.
Bear trots in followed by Finch (thankfully Reese was away on a mission). He didn't say anything but he sent her a questioning look which she ignores as she leans down to pat Bear. Finch clears his throat she rolls her eyes, reluctantly giving him her attention.
"May I ask what's going on?" Shaw raises an eyebrow, she had assumed it was kind of obvious.
"I have it on good authority it's Root's birthday today " she replies as she begins to pack the supplies away.
"And this is a...oh, you mean you...?" he says, high tailing it out when he receives the classic and potentially deadly Sameen Shaw death glare but not without one last curious look. Shaw begins to suspect this is more trouble than it's worth.
"I must be losing my mind" she says to Bear who barks in reply, agreeing with her or encouraging her she isn't sure. She gives him one last pat before she leaves, taking a look at her handiwork on the way out.
It's not half bad.
The cake is double chocolate and shaped in a circle, the top resembling a camera lens (Shaw couldn't help herself.) Box in hand she heads back to the subway but pauses half way as a thought occurs to her. She didn't have to get Root a gift did she?
"Crap" she mutters, taking a detour to one of her least favourite places: the mall.
It takes her over an hour but eventually she finds something she deems suitable, cursing herself for even considering this whole idea. Who needed a birthday present anyway?
Getting back to the subway was almost a relief and Bear greets her as she enters, sniffing eagerly at the cake box. Shaw holds it out of reach, entering the subway car with the box above her head. Finch is typing away and he gives her an amused smile but wisely he remains silent.
"Can you ah, keep this away from Bear?" she asks, placing the box on the desk next to him. He opens it, taking a look at the cake before nodding in understanding.
"Bear and you?" he says and she narrows her eyes at him.
"Hey, I have self control" she grumbles. He doesn't look convinced but she decides she has better things to do, namely gift wrapping so she leaves him be, casting one last warning look over her shoulder.
Shaw is trained in many different things, ranging from direct combat to more subtle means of assassination but wrapping a gift? Not in her skill set and, as she soon discovers is not easy especially for something oddly shaped.
She fiddles for over an hour, making two separate trips to a nearby store after the paper got shredded out of sheer frustration (and ok she wasn't the most gentle of people.) Eventually she decides she's had enough and the half-hazard job would have to do, A for effort and all that.
She leaves the gift on the bench, wondering into the car.
"Any idea when Root will be back?" she asks.
"No sorry" Finch replies.
"Uh miss Shaw?" he says just as she's about to leave. She turns back around, leaning against the doorway.
"What you're doing for miss Groves, it's lovely." he says sincerely, the hint of a smile on his face.
"Please don't tell that to anyone, it will ruin my reputation." she replies though she does not appear unhappy.
"Don't worry, I don't think anyone is capable of doing that" she smirks and he shakes his head, smiling.
"Thanks though, for uh, you know helping." she says, slightly uncomfortable and he nods.
"Anytime."
Since she has no idea when Root will be back nor does she have any real way of finding out except the machine but there was a possibility that would ruin the surprise she decides to clean out and reload the weapons stash.
Root returns to the subway hours later, absolutely exhausted and a little worse for wear and she's shocked to find balloons strung about and Shaw asleep, a pile of weapon parts and ammunition surrounding her, an oddly shaped brightly coloured package standing out among the mess. Root enters quietly but as soon as she's in range of Shaw her head snaps up.
"Hey sweetie" she says and Shaw relaxes, lowering the gun she had pointed at Root.
"You're finally back. So, uh happy birthday I guess." Shaw says shrugging. Technically it's now a few minutes past midnight but instead of pointing that out she goes back to cleaning the weapons. She's shocked when, moments later she finds herself being squeezed, a very un Shaw like squeak escaping her.
"Thank-you sweetie" Root mumbles in her ear. Shaw tolerates the hug for far longer than if it had been anyone else and eventually Root lets go though she still remains close.
"I got you something" Shaw says, picking up the gift and shoving it towards her.
"Awww, you shouldn't have" she says, giving Shaw an adoring look.
"I know" she deadpans back but Root is too busy tearing through the paper to pay attention.
"You got me a new taser!" Root says excitedly, turning it over in her hands.
"Just don't use it on me" Shaw replies but secretly she's pleased to see the look on her face.
"And here I thought you enjoyed it" she flirts and Shaw rolls her eyes.
"There are other things I enjoy" she says and not long after Root soon discovers there a so many interesting (and delicious) ways to eat cake.