Shaw looked at the hacker, who was lying asleep on the sofa, engulfed in a red blanket. Her right arm dangled of the sides, right next to a humming laptop on the floor. The brunettes hair was framing her face, hiding most of it, but not the fact that she was slightly drooling on the sofa, leaving a small wet spot right under her face.
Shaw shook her head smiling at the sighted in front of her in disbelieve. It was kind of fascinating how Root could look so peaceful and innocent while asleep and for some weird reason Shaw found some comfort in watching Root. The moment was short lived when her mother cleared her throat.
"So are you gonna tell me why your friend is drooling all over my new couch?"
Shaw teared her gaze away from Root and looked up at her mom, tilting her head slightly to the side she walked past her into the kitchen while saying, "She is not my friend!"
She grabbed the coffee-can, poured herself some of the dark liquid, before she sat down by the kitchen table and relished in the smell of bacon and eggs, mixed with coffee and tea her mother was making.
"Then what is she?" her mother questioned as she followed Shaw curiously inside the kitchen.
"Brunette?" Shaw shrugged, filling her plate with some of the delicious breakfast.
"Thats not..." her mother started annoyed until she saw the smirk on her daughters face.
"You are making bacon and eggs? Are you sick?" Shaw asked bemused.
The woman just shook her head at Sameen and poured herself some of the freshly brewed tea, "I know you like that nasty stuff so I made it…" she answered as she dropped some dried rose pedals in her tea.
Still waiting for an answer her mother turned around trying to hide a smile as she gave her daughter a questioning eyebrow.
"She is just an annoying nerd that I cant seem to get rid off!" Shaw finally answered with a mouthful of bacon.
Shaws mother nodded slowly, as she stirred in her tea, starring off in thought for a moment, before her eyes settled back on Shaw.
"So couch-girl... Is she also a med student?" Shaws mother asked, sipping some of her tea.
Shaw started to fill her plate again, with some more breakfast, taking a huge bite of it before answering.
"No… And her name is Root."
Her mothers face scrunched up into confusion before shaking her head.
"Root… what a silly name! Those Americans and their weird names, pah!"
Shaw could see her mother contemplate about something, as she fiddled with the spoon inside the teacup. Slowly a light smile stretched on her lips,
"So how did you meet your 'not friend', … why is she here?"
"Whats with the 20 questions?" Shaw mumbled annoyed while chewing on her food.
"Sameen what have I told you about table manners, chew with your mouth closed, you look like an animal about to… ."
Shaws mother was interrupted by a disoriented Root, who stumbled into the kitchen, one hand holding her head, the other holding onto the door frame.
Both Shaw and her mother looked up, studying a very hang over Root. Looking closer Shaw noticed the pants hugging Roots slim figure were way to short, ending right under her knees, the t-shirt which Root was wearing was also way to short, showing of some of the bare skin underneath.
Sameens eyes narrowed on the hacker, "Are those my clothes?"
Root didn't even acknowledge Shaws question as she pushed herself inside the room, walking over to Shaw.
"Please tell me you got some Aspirin!" she drawled out, taking a seat next to Shaw and dropping her head down on the table.
"You had like what? One drink?"
"More like 2 Sameen!... Pretty pleeease!"
Shaw shook her head annoyed but got up and gathered a bottle of water with some aspirins, before sitting back down and pushing them in front of Roots face.
"Don't take them on a empty stomach!" Shaw said disinterested, paying her breakfast full attention again.
"Hmm, thanks sweety!" Shaw rolled her eyes annoyed at the brunette and then continued to inhale the plate of eggs in front of her.
Shaws mother pressed another plate of bacon and eggs in front of Root, giving her shoulder a light squeeze, "Eat girl, you'll feel better!"
Suddenly Roots head snapped up, probably to quick because she dug her fingers into the table as her head spun. Her eyes were going wide as she looked into the dark brown ones of Shaws mother.
Shaw could see Root gaping obviously she had been oblivious to the fact that Shaws mom was living here too.
"Uuuh..." Root eyes switched from Shaws mother back to Shaw, back to her mother and back to Shaw, it was getting ridiculous. If Shaw hadn't known better she would say that Root was experiencing a stroke. She had to admit it was kind of satisfying to see Root at a loss of words, so she let her suffer a moment longer.
"Root, thats my mom and uh, mom… well thats Root!"
Root quickly got up, the chair clattered loudly to the floor behind her and her legs gave out only slightly at the sudden movement. Root quickly cradled her head with her left hand, closing her eyes tightly shut for a moment, she tried to hold out her other hand towards Shaws mother who was quick to hold onto a unsteady Root, while quickly picking up the chair that had fallen to the ground.
"Whoa dear… easy, you better sit down."
"I'm sorry… " Root breathed out, shacking her head in embarrassment.
Shaws mother gave her a reassuring pet on the back, before grabbing her purse,"I have to go to work now, see you two tonight!", she said and gave Shaw a last 'don't let her puke anywhere' look, before leaving.
"What was that about?" Shaw questioned after her mother had fled the scene and leaned back on her chair to get a better look at Root.
"Nothing. You just.. you could have told me that your mother is here!."
"Well my mouth was kind of occupied last night Root and I think bringing up my mom would have kinda killed the mood.. ."
Root tilted her head to the side giving Shaw a lopsided grin.
Sameen shook her head and reached out for her coffee, enjoying the silence for a moment.
"Besides, I think you still have some explaining to do Root!"
Root looked back at her irritated. "Now isn't really the right time Shaw!"
Root leaned forward and started to fiddle with the silverware to occupy her nervous hands. Shaw could see right through what she was doing, eating to give her time to answer Shaws questions… .
"Then when is Root? I think I deserve some answers!" Shaw said angrily leaning in towards Root.
The brunette put her food down, she tilted her head to the side, "The less you know the better!"
"Root, I have waited long enough… you tell me whats going on now or you can leave!"
Roots eyes were calculating studying Shaws face closely. She let out an shaky breath.
"Sameen… its not time y..."
"Well, then get out!" she interrupted getting more angry by the second, she pointing towards the door.
Roots eyes went wide in disbelieve, she let her head drop, looking down at her shaking hands which were balling into fists.
"Sam.."
"OUT!"
Roots head snapped up, she grabbed Shaws wrist, desperately holding on to it she leaned towards Shaw bringing them closer together.
"Just hear me out!" Root tried again, her nails digging into the flesh of Shaws wrists. Her eyes steady on Shaws dark angry ones, pleading her to stay and hear what she had to say.
Shaw slowly backed down from the laser stare the brunette was giving her, slowly she nodded, leaning back against her chair again.
Root kept holding on to Shaws wrists, not letting her go. She looked away trying to find the right words to say.
"I already lost to much people, I cant loose you to Sameen… I promise you that I will tell you, but just believe me when I tell you that I cant do it just yet… ." Roots eyes were shining with tears, as she looked pleadingly into Shaws eyes, willing her to understand and believe her.
Shaw looked away from Root, eyes focusing on something in the distance, she shook her head, this wasn't enough, whatever Root was doing it was more than just dangerous and guessing that if Root was involved it could be considered stupidly reckless.
"Fuck Root… You need to give me more than that."
Root slowly let go of Shaws wrists, bringing a hand up to scratch herself nervously behind her right ear. She nodded slowly licking her lips and wiping at the tear that was rolling down her face.
Not saying anything she slowly pushed herself up, and Shaw watched her walk out of the kitchen. She could feel a lump form in her throat, without a second though she got up herself. She didn't really want Root to leave, she just wanted answers.
"Root?"
The hacker stopped, back turned towards Shaw she slowly turned her head to the side to look at her, "What?"
"You left with Martine… no call, no text, nothing. Then after 2 weeks you just come back like no big deal and expect me to not ask questions? You don't think I see your shaking hands and the bruises that I know aren't from me and don't get me started on the cut behind your ear… ."
Shaw didn't know where all this was coming from, but it felt good to let it out, she deserved to know what was going on, she wanted to help with whatever Root was doing, even if it was only to make sure Root wouldn't get herself killed doing it.
"No Shaw… I expect you to trust me." Root answered, wiping furiously at the tears falling down her cheeks.
"What if whatever you do gets you killed Root… You said you needed my help, here I am, trying to help you do whatever the fuck it is you do!"
Roots rushed back to Shaw, fingers buried themselves inside Sameens collar, pushing her back until her back hit the wall. Forcefully, Root crashed their lips together, hips crushing the smaller woman between them and the solid surface behind her. The hacker was already panting, she pulled back, her face only inches away from Shaws, her eyes shining with something that Shaw couldn't pinpoint.. The hacker leaned forward pressing her forehead against Shaws closing her eyes.
"Murphy's law, Sam!"
If Root had meant to be reassuring, she was failing horrible, Shaw thought.
"Murphy's a douche." Shaw whispered back.
A small chuckle escaped Roots mouth at that. She brought her arms around Shaws shoulders, closing her eyes just for a moment.
"You just have to trust me."
Shaw squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, no Root, I don't trust you enough to know you are not going to do something stupid and get yourself killed in the process. She was going to find out what Root was up to, but the hacker didn't need to know that.
"You know you look ridiculous in those clothes right?" Shaw whispered her eyes lingering on Roots lips.
"You teared my shirt remember?"
Shaw smirked at that, leaning forward she captured the brunettes lips again. The kiss was soft this time becoming deeper and more intimate, saying everything they couldn't put into words. After a moment it was becoming to much again and Shaw broke it off, resting her head back against Roots, not opening her eyes.
"Can I crash here for a couple of days?" Root asked unsure.
Shaw nodded, not opening her eyes, just resting against Root. "Should I even ask?"
"Probably not."
Shaw leaned back slightly, resting her hands on the brunettes waist.
"I have to go."
"Hmm?"
"Work… I have to go to work."
Shaw took a deep breath, enjoying the moment for just another second, before pushing Root back and walking back inside her room, putting on her lab coat and making her way to work.
Shaw wasn't going to let Root get away with that, she had never agreed to stay away or do her own investigation. So when she was off work her first stop was to get bugs she could plant on the brunette, yea Shaw wasn't really proud of that but if she maybe could help out from the distance what did it matter.
Shaw swung the door open, dropping her bag on the kitchen counter, she walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer. She snapped off the lid and took a long drag from it, before walking out of the room inside the living room.
Her eyebrows raised to the ceiling as she saw Root and her mother hunched over a computer. Root looked frustrated trying to explain something to Shaws mother while her mom nodded exaggeratedly but was obviously not understanding a word Root was saying.
"Whats up weirdos?" Shaw said, as she dropped down on the sofa, kicked off her shoes and turned on the TV. Both woman gave her an annoyed look.
"She fixed my computer." Shaws mother said happily, as she walked past Sameen, pushing her daughters legs off of the table they sat on and walked into the kitchen.
Root finished off writing something on the computer and then walked over to Shaw and dropped down on the sofa next to her.
"Hey sweety, how was your day."
Shaw ignored her and switched through multiple programs on the tv not able to decide. She could feel the brown eyes curiously burn into her, when suddenly she felt a pull on her beer bottle.
"Get your own!" Shaw said grumpily before pushing Roots hand away. When there was no retorted or anything coming from Root, she looked over.
Root starred disinterested at the tv and Shaw noticed that she thankfully had put on different clothes.
"Is that my hoody?"
"And your pants, took forever to find a pair that fits!" Root shrugged.
Shaw starred at her wide-eyed.
"You went through my clothes?"
"Computer girl come help me in the kitchen." her mothers voice interrupted before Root could answer. She gave Shaw a small smile, unnecessarily she put a hand on Sameens tight to push herself up and walked into the kitchen.
Shaw leaned her head back against the sofa, closing her eyes only for a moment.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fingers closed around her shoulder blade and she rapidly blinked her eyes open, head snapping up, to look into brown amused soft eyes.
"You fell asleep?"
Shaw squinted looking around, "No!"
Root chuckled slightly, making Shaws chest feel tighter. "Dinners ready."
They walked inside the kitchen and Shaw sat down, already starting to inhale the food in front of her, before Root had even sat down.
"Where is my mom?"
"She had an urgent call from work, said it was important and left."
Shaw nodded, and they ate the rest of their meal in silence, Root nibbling on her food and Shaw ravishing it. This felt awfully domestic to Shaw and worse she didn't mind it. When they were finished Shaw got up and cleaned the table, turning the dishwasher on. She grabbed two bottles of beer out of the fridge, walking back inside the living room. When Root didn't move she called after her, "You coming or what?"
In a second Root was sitting down next to her on the sofa and Shaw snapped off the lids of the bottles, pushing on in front of Root and taking a sip from her own.
"What happened to your hand?" Shaw asked, as she spotted that Roots hand was bandaged. How was she only noticing this now?
Root looked down at her hand, balling it into a fist and letting go again.
"I cut myself when I chopped the vegetables..." Root answered embarrassed, scratching herself behind her ear.
"Let me see!" Shaw said, stretching out her hand towards Root. The hacker genuinely smiled at her, shaking her head.
"Its not that bad…. I was just a bit clumsy."
Shaw narrowed her eyes at the hacker, but then shrugged her shoulders and turned the tv on.
After 5 minutes of aimlessly switching through programs, she turned on her xbox and threw a controller at Root and dropped down on the sofa again with her own.
Root looked at her with that annoyingly attractive smile again, "What are we playing?"
"Counter Strike.."
Before Shaw could even choose a side Root had already picked the 'terrorist' with a smirk. She leaned back, pulling her feet up and sat down cross-legged on the couch. They were two lonely island on either side of the couch now.
After the 7th round Shaw was angrily smashing the buttons of her game controller, she had lost every game but the first one to Root. This was not possible, how could that nerd beat her at a game like this? When her character was killed yet another time as he was shot through the wall, Shaw turned towards Root, angrily squeezing her fingers against her game controller.
"Stop cheating Root!"
"Im not cheating, you'r just terrible at the game sweety..!" Root laughed, starting to stretch her legs out and poking Shaws tights with her feet.
"Stop that!" Shaw spat out angrily, before pushing Roots feet of off her.
"Playtimes over!" Shaw said seriously, leaning forward angrily focusing all concentration she had left on the tv, starting the next game.
After she lost the next four games too, she was more than a 100% sure that Root was cheating, but two can play that game. She starred intensely on Roots side of the TV watching what Root was doing and when her character got close to Shaws, she reached her hand up and pushed random buttons on the brunettes controller and Root snorted when she saw that Shaw had somehow managed to kill her own character while trying to interfere with Roots game.
Annoyed she threw Roots game controller on the floor, crossing her arms in front of her defensively.
"Whatever.. your able to cheat in a crappy video game, but we both know who would win a real fight… ." Shaw hissed still annoyed.
"You'r cute when you get all angry over a video game!" Root smirked.
Shaw rolled her eyes annoyed, starring forward still pretty pissed off. She could feel Root lean in from the side, her lips coming close to her ear.
"I let you win next time." Root breathed out.
"Bite me!" Shaw answered shrugging Root off.
She knew the second she said it, that it was a bad idea as Roots teeth sunk into the sensitive skin on her neck, making her involuntarily moan out loud. She pushed the hacker roughly off of her, leaning forward and taking a long sip of the beer that had been long forgotten.
Root chuckled next to her, also taking another sip of her beer, closely watching Shaw. Sameen switched back to real-time tv again, leaning back, her arms still crossed angrily.
After they had made it 10 minutes into the movie Shaw could feel Root shuffling closer. Shaw was aware of what Root was doing and it was kind of hilarious, how Root leaned forward ever so often to 'take a drink' and then proceeded to not so subtly slid closer to Shaw.
Shaw could feel a cold pale hand reaching up to her crossed arms, trying to uncross them, as Root leaned into her side, trailing kisses along her jaw.
"Im sorry… ." Root whispered, trying to intertwine their fingers. The brunettes hair tickled on her face and neck, making her shiver slightly. She wasn't sure why Root had felt the need to apologize.
She turned her face to look over at Root, who looked a bit unsteadily into her own.
"Are you drunk?" Shaw asked, trying to suppress a smile.
Embarrassed Root hid her face inside the crook of Shaws neck. Shaw shook her head smiling slightly, how could she have feelings for such a lightweight?
A cold pale hand traveled up her torso, cupping her cheek and pulled her down into a searing kiss.
Root pushed the persian woman down, laying herself down next to her, before breaking of the kiss.
"Your cold!" Shaw stated, before bringing an arm around Root and pushing her into her side. The brunette snuggled up into her side, her head resting on top of Shaws chest.
"Not anymore."Root whispered. She closed her eyes, listening to Shaws heartbeat, as she sneaked a cold hand under Shaws shirt, drawing out nameless patterns on warm skin.
