A/N

For ClaudiaRain, who guided me through the whole story. Never gave up on me.

And for Lizzy, who believed in me.

And for jteam6920. Root and John will live forever in our imagination.

And for all the wonderful comments which made me happy!

SOFT AND HARD SPOTS...

"Always knew you had a soft spot for me." - Root to John

(S05E01)

When he took her up the stairs to his apartment, John wasn't still one hundred percent sure how... to take this. How to take her. But he wanted. Oh damn he wanted.

They didn't get far. Once his apartment door was closed he pulled her into his embrace again and kissed her. Starting to undress her in finding the zipper of her dress, hungry for her skin on his skin. Root met him, pulling his jacket off of him, tugging at his shirt. And when he felt her hands on his hips to open the belt of his trousers and the buttons of his fly, he couldn't suppress a loud moan. It felt too good to be true, and he was so turned on that it took all his willpower to prevent him from coming right there in his boxers when she slipped a hand in and touched his length with her bare fingertips. To distract himself, he took her hand away with one hand and opened her bra with his other one. Pulling her slip down after it. Root had to giggle when she nearly stumbled over her dress and her slip fell down around her ankles, but got caught by John.

"Let me." He rasped and helped her, kneeling before her. When he was ready, his feasting look wandered over her lean curved body up to her face.

"I never... realized how beautiful you are." He said, almost breathless.

"Look at yourself." Root answered softly, touching his still bandaged chest when he came up to her. "How much does it hurt?" She asked.

"I forget when you're touching me." John moaned loudly again when she let her hands slide deeper, pulling his boxers down. He didn't stop her this time and leaned down to her. Couldn't hold back. Made a decision. Kissed her more hungrily.

He captured her wrists, tugged them tightly behind her back, moved them against the wall. Root was pressed close to him, so close she could feel... everything. She was surprised by his sudden initiative, but a wanting flared in her that sought satisfaction – only he could give. Passion took over. She felt his erection first against her thighs, then sliding against her. Felt the tip of him part her, but not taking her. Feelings overwhelmed her that were almost painful in their intensity. Their tongues were tangling. Their breath mingling. The kisses he gave her were hot, burning. Root moaned, head back on the wall. "Take me."

"Not yet." John rasped although he felt as if he would burst, hard with desire. But he just wanted to keep her waiting a little bit longer, extending the yearning. He trailed kisses and bites down her neck when she whispered in his ear: "John, please."

Hearing the pleading in her voice, he looked in her eyes, understood, let go of her wrists and gathered her legs up. She wrapped them around his waist and sank onto him. He almost lost his balance upon their union, taking his breath away. He had never expected it to be intense... like this. He felt high and could tell from her wetness that she did, too. Their thrusts met, grew wild, erratic, faster, till they adapted to the same rhythm. John sensed Root tightening around his sensitive length, being close to the brink and kissed her again, made her moan into his mouth when she climaxed. And having felt her pleasure, he let go, too.

After some minutes John gathered Root in his arms and carried her to his bed. When he set her down, she pulled at him and he fell beside her, sweating and catching his breath. For a long time, neither Root nor John said a word.

"Should've known you would kill me." He finally murmured very low, but she heard it.

His confession made her smile.

"I never thought I could wake your feelings in such a way, John." She whispered back, amused. She crawled onto his side and put her head on his shoulder, watching his face.

John felt her warmth, the contact of her naked skin on his naked skin, and it gave him a feeling of some light back in his dark life. He realized he couldn't have resisted her even if he had tried.

Her voice had a teasing touch. "Guess I have to take the initiative now?"

Now John turned his head to her, smirking. "I thought more about seducing you. Slowly. Guess you're not that type?"

A little hurt, she sent him a reproachful look. "I could be."

His smile didn't change when he turned to the side, resting on his elbows, and pulled her in for another kiss. "Patience, my wildcard."

"You're calling me wildcard again?" Root wasn't sure if she liked that, having their last argument vividly in mind.

John grinned. "I thought you wouldn't like babe, pet, or boo?"

Root boxed him in his arms and fought playfully with him for a moment, but as his mouth brought her nipples to hard, aching peaks, kissed her belly and wandered down her body finding her sensitive spot, she fell back on the sheets. "I give up." She moaned.

"You better." John responded and wanted to focus on her only, when he had competition in the form of Root's hand and fingers. "Let me." She murmured breathless, taking his hand – and she satisfied herself with it in front of him. John was fascinated at how relaxed she was... in his presence. And he was quite turned on.

"Seen enough?" She asked in her afterglow, looking at him.

Slightly, he shook his head and smiled. "You made me climax just by watching you."

"John." She laughed. "I never met anyone like you before."

"That good or not?" He asked and rested on his elbow again, an intense look at her.

"I knew you were a gentleman, John, when I was Caroline Turing." She admitted low. "Remember? The way you gave me the dark chocolate, the way you put your jacket over my shoulders and the way you hold my hand while running away from HR and the FBI..." She tilted her head. "Can you forgive me for hurting you?"

He shook his head again. "Leave it. At least for tonight, wildcard. We're here now." Softly.

"Does this mean I am forgiven?" she asked.

"As much as I would love to be Jesus," the corner of John's mouth twitched, "Just what exactly is there to be forgiven?"

Root looked him straight in the eyes.

"That I betrayed your trust when I was pretending to be Caroline Turing. Plus I abducted our precious Harold. Once? Twice."

He looked straight back, weighing his answer carefully.

"Do you really seek or need it, Root? The forgiveness?"

She averted her eyes, blushing.

"I might... from you." She said low.

"I think we're past that, aren't we?" John said softly.

"Meaning you wouldn't have taken me into your bed if... we weren't." Root concluded, still with a questioning voice.

"I think you worship me much more than I deserve." John murmured wryly.

"John." Root took his hand. "Can you be serious?"

"It's alright, wildcard." He sank back onto the sheets, staring at the ceiling. Comfortable right now.

"No, it's not. I'm serious about it."

"Me, too." He sighed and closed his eyes, getting slightly tired. "Can we drop this now?"

"Just when I stop teasing you, you continue. Not fair."

He smiled half-heartedly. "Thought this was the language you understood best?"

"Not always." She looked at him. "Your way is different..."

Root hesitated one moment, but seeing that she got no answer she huddled beside him, enjoying his nearness. His arm slid around her, pulled her closer and she smiled. Drifted away, fast. With him.

Somewhere around midnight, John woke up again. Felt her beside him, still not gone. Happy about it. Slowly, he started to believe that Root had meant what she had said.

Longing for her again, he pulled her onto him with one fluid moment, so he could feel her weight and her skin on his body, although his ribs still hurt a little bit.

His hands reached round to cup her breasts, and that's when he realized she was awake, too.

"Need more of you." He rasped in her ear and trailed down to the curve of her waist, a tantalizing play on the soft skin at the top of her thighs. Root allowed the sensational feelings to take over, his touch giving her chills when she felt something hard nudging against her thighs. She arched against him, couldn't get enough of him. Like he couldn't get enough of her, obviously. His hands reached for the sensitive spot between her legs again and Root moaned with pleasure. He really knew now how to play her, making her burn and long for more of him. Answering his actions, she wrapped her hand around the silken hardness of his shaft, stroked purposefully until he gasped and then she let his length glide in her. Pushed herself on him, put pressure on him inside her. Hearing him sighing with pleasure, too. "Wildcard..."

Root had never expected John to be so passionate... tender, caring, loving, yes... but in such a need of her?

He was breathing harshly, his erection hot and thick in her. Fitting. Again, she arched against him when he rubbed a sensual point in her, but in the heat of the moment her head collided with the part of his chest where he was still hurt and John couldn't suppress a painful groan. Root reacted at once and stopped the passionate moment. "Sorry, John. I..."

He just rolled them both to the side, still intertwined, and panted in her ear: "Don't stop." The feelings were still too powerful and let him forget the pain.

Instead of answering she took his left hand and put it back on the aching point between her legs. John laughed low. "Bossy?"

"Leading." Was her low answer, too.

"Think... I'm still not up to the one hundred percent initiative yet." He murmured.

Now it was her turn to smile. "See? Should leave the seducing to me, then."

He knew her well enough to know she was teasing him but her suggestion seemed interesting. Maybe it would show him a part of her... he couldn't evaluate, yet.

"How about more action, then?" He rasped in her ear.

Root laughed and continued to stimulate him. Sliding away from him, then taking his length inside her again, slow and fast, alternating. In a delicious way. Liking the position he had them both in, spooning her and stimulating her, too. She slid up and thrust down again, holding him so tightly she could feel him throb. Harder. Faster. Again and again. Friction and ecstasy combined. She felt his shaft thicken, her own muscles tighten. One final thrust and they both cried out, John pulsing into Root when she pulsed around him.

Soon after, they just rested there. John held Root still in his arms, pulled at the sheets and drew them over them. Deeply satisfied.

"How are your ribs?" She asked him, finally.

He laughed quietly. "Okay." He answered.

"I'm hungry." Root confessed.

"You know where the food is." He simply said, smiling.

"You want some food, too?"

He looked at her and shook his head. "Need a little rest."

Root kissed him and left the bed, going into the kitchen.

He heard her making noises there and let sleep take over, full of trust that she would return to his side.

It was late morning when he woke up again due to a loud noise from the street, some cars honking. Feeling the warmth of the naked body beside him, he opened his eyes, checked his watch and saw Root sleeping on her stomach. He smiled upon realizing that she didn't leave and stayed with him. He hadn't been wrong about her.

Slowly, he touched her hair and felt that it was as silky and fine as he had always imagined. Tenderly, he let his fingers trail down her back and caressed her curvy ass - when he saw the goose bumps. No more sleeping beauty?

He stretched himself carefully on top of her, whispering in her ear: "Awake? More?"

She suddenly giggled. "Early bird in action?"

"Not really. But crazy for you." He admitted.

She nestled close to him. "I expect breakfast after."

He had to grin. "Anything else, my lady?"

Root seemed to hesitate a moment. Then, she turned around. Watched him. "John."

They had gone from the teasing to something serious, he could see it on her face. He straightened on top of her and looked down on her.

"What else?" Gently.

"Will you show me?"

He just observed her, waiting for her to explain.

"Our ways of doing things are sometimes...completely different..." She paused.

He raised his eyebrows, not really understanding what Root wanted to say.

She came up to him, touched his hand. They had done exceptionally well so far, but she wanted to show him how much she really cared for him. Wanted to try it his way, so she continued.

"...and I know so is your way of making love. - Will you show me?"

He watched her closely and caught her eyes, a small smile on his lips. Very surprised if he understood her correctly.

"You really wanna put yourself in my hands? No interference?"

She simply nodded and kissed him shortly, knowing he was teasing her a little bit. But the serious tone stayed in her voice.

"I... I... never did that before, John. I always took what I wanted and left. Or I was forced to do... what others wanted." Her short laugh sounded very disheartened and John remembered that she had experienced a lot of bad things as well. "With your care, you won me over. I trust you... absolutely." She had spoken the word that had a special meaning for them both.

"Then I won't let you down." He answered earnestly, sensing what she was getting at.

And Root felt that John touched her now with a new... reverence and sensibility. There were his tender hands on her body, and all the surprising feelings... the way he stroked her, kissed every bare inch of her skin, caressed her sensitive spot and touched it later with the tip of his tongue. Tasting her. Growing intimate with her body.

She adapted to his slow ways of lovemaking, let herself fall into him, followed his lead and was overwhelmed at every reaction of her body to his.

She never felt herself suited for him, but now he showed her that she was... in every way. Never before had she submitted to such an extent. She let him take her in a slow, tender, delicious, sensual, erotic way she hadn't known before. And as a long and wonderful orgasm – so different from the ones she knew - finally hit her, she couldn't hold back a gulp for one moment.

He held her gently after, trying to calm her. "Are you okay?"

"I am." She tried to say, leaning her head cautiously on his bandaged chest. "I'm more than okay..."

He only smiled and pulled her closer.

"You see, trust can sometimes be rewarded."

She always had a snappy answer ready, but this time she was without one. Could he be right? She laid there for some time in his arms, was quiet and felt protected like never before.

It was like the world was standing still for a moment, pausing all its action to give them space to breathe and relax. The only thing they allowed was the Machine watching over them and... maybe celebrating (if such a thing were possible).

After the wonderful breakfast he had made for her, Root was hearing the voice in her ear again. John, who knew that special look on her face just waited for her to tell him that she was leaving. They were finally at that point he had dreamt of and dreaded at the same time. Was it more than an intense one-night stand? More than a pastime?

"I'll have to go." Oh, how he knew those words. He watched her, silent. And now? He still was not really sure... if she wanted to return. He waited tensely for her next comment.

"Dinner is ready... when?" Root just asked, unsure of the outcome herself, but wanting to return so badly that she couldn't stop from asking.

"Wait..." He inhaled deeply. "That means you will come back tonight?"

Root stared back at him, then started to smile. "I will. Are you sure about that?"

He rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitched. "Would I ask, then?"

"John." She smiled. "I'm simply not used to this kind of situation. - But I would love to return, after doing her bidding. - Let me... come home to you, John." Still smiling, she kissed him.

"I'll wait for you." He promised and Root left.

John let her go, content in knowing this would be how life would go on between them from now on. But as long as his wildcard returned, it would mean more. It would mean new chances. For them both.