Shaw stayed away from the studio for almost a week. Her room at home wasn't terrible and she just did her midterm project there. She told herself it was because she was busy with work and going to the gym. Reese and Joss were more than willing to hang out with her at her apartment, so that was a good distraction, too. Not that she needed a distraction from anything. She wasn't hiding.

Hopefully, Root had dealt with Hanna. Shaw didn't care if they stayed friends or not, but she didn't want any more interruptions while she was in the study room. The semester was almost over and Shaw still hadn't made an original painting for her final project. Finch had told her in no uncertain terms that she wasn't allowed to submit a landscape. What was the point of emphasizing a personal style if she wasn't then allowed to just make art in that style?

Opening the door to the third floor hallway, Shaw started toward her studio. Almost every studio space had its door ajar and music and conversation spilled out into the hallway. This was what Shaw had been dreading before the semester started. Thankfully, the studios were pretty soundproof with their door closed. She hurried passed the noisy rooms to her own, private studio.

She took a deep breath as she reached for the door handle. It wasn't any sort of nervousness that made her hesitate to go inside. Shaw wasn't capable of that. She was just annoyed at the prospect of Root being clingy or awkward about the sex.

Shaw shouldn't have given in like that, but she had been drunk and Root was always so hot. It had been quick, pretty simple really, and Shaw couldn't wait to do it again. She rolled her eyes at herself. There wasn't going to be an 'again'. Root was too much drama. Shaw didn't need that. She needed to open the door and draw something, so she could at least get a B.

Walking into the room, she held back a groan when she saw Root working on a new sculpture. She must have had the same idea. The semester was over in three weeks and neither of them could afford to lose time because of awkwardness. Shaw closed the door quietly.

Root looked toward the door and gave Shaw a small smile. "All cleaned up."

Glancing around the room, Shaw just shrugged. "Thanks."

"Yeah."

Root turned back to her sculpture and Shaw shifted awkwardly in the silence. She never thought she'd be the one who wanted conversation, but Root was ignoring her, focusing on her project instead. Taking her bag off, Shaw moved to her desk and sat on her stool, pulling her coat off. She seriously needed to get Root out of her head.

Laying out and taping down brown paper took some time and it was ten minutes before Shaw had her space ready and her charcoal sticks in her hands. She was going to try and sketch something out before she started painting. It couldn't be a landscape, so she thought she might as well use all the figure drawing practice she'd been doing recently.

She looked over her shoulder. Root was still focused on her sculpture, sitting on her stool in front of her rolling table, bent forward. She used a small tool to work on what looked like a dragon head. Her hands were pale with dried clay and her hair was tied up in a messy bun. Shaw wanted to go over there and take her hair down, push her fingers into tangled waves, and tug until Root gasped. Sighing, Shaw focused on her own work.

No ideas came to mind, so she just started drawing. A woman's face came together on her paper and she realized that she was drawing Root's face, her mouth open and brow furrowed. It was the image that had been stuck in Shaw's head all week, of Root coming undone above her. It wasn't quite right, though.

Root's eyes were wrong, and her nose, too. Her hair didn't quite fall in the right way. It didn't matter anyway. Shaw wasn't trying to draw Root. This could just be any woman on the street. With a growl, Shaw tossed her charcoal onto her side table and sat up.

Stretching, she turned around to face Root. Obviously, Root wasn't having the same issue. Not that she was making art of Shaw. Her sculpture was only half done, but it was recognizable as a woman. One foot sat on the dragon's head, and a helmet was tucked under the woman's arm. Only the dragon's head had any real detail. Still, it was an impressive amount of work for only a few days.

Shaw stood and crossed the small room. Root glanced at her, eyes running up and down her body before returning to work. Feeling awkward just standing there, Shaw went back and grabbed her stool, setting it next to Root. She dropped down heavily and planted her feet.

"Looks good," Shaw muttered. "When's it due?"

"A week or so," was the distracted answer. "Finals."

Shaw just nodded, pursing her lips. "Cool."

Root smirked and leaned back. She dropped her hands into her lap and finally turned her attention to Shaw. She looked tired with dark shadows under her eyes and chapped lips. That was why Shaw didn't get involved with anyone. It just ended up being stressful.

"So," Shaw tried, nodding at the sculpture, "are you worried?"

"You don't have to make small talk," Root told her, a shadow of a smile on her lips. "I talked to Hanna and we're taking a break. A friendship break. Just for a bit. She won't be coming in anymore. I just need some peace."

"Oh." Suddenly feeling foolish for coming over, Shaw stood again. "I'll leave you alone."

"No," Root breathed, reaching out and wrapping a dusty hand around Shaw's forearm. "Sit. You're not draining to be around like everyone else."

That seemed to be some sort of compliment, so Shaw sat. Root took a deep breath, keeping her hand on Shaw. Sleepily blinking, she looked at her sculpture and put her tool down on her side table.

"I'm not worried," she said, answering Shaw's question. "I'm pretty fast. Thankfully my other grades for the class were all planning. I just had to meet with Claypool and tell him I was changing my subject."

"Can we talk about how the sculpture teacher's name is 'Clay'pool?"

Root laughed, tension draining from her shoulders. "It's pretty funny."

Smiling, Shaw watched the way Root's eyes crinkled as she laughed. She remembered the first time they met and Root seemed like some wild trickster. That wasn't entirely off the table, but she definitely seemed like more of a person now. Shaw wanted to know her better, weird as that was. Her hand was warm on Shaw's arm, almost nice.

"What about you?" Root asked. "Any final projects?"

Shaw grimaced. "Yeah. An original, non-landscape painting. I've got… Well, nothing."

"You could probably get away with drawing from life. It's not just coming from your brain, but I think it counts as 'original.' Go birdwatching or draw your roommate or something."

"Hmm." Shaw raised her eyebrows, thinking it over. "That's not a bad idea."

Root grinned. "I'm full of not bad ideas."

Standing again, Shaw frowned when Root finally took her hand back. There was a pale swipe of dusty, dried clay on Shaw's arm and she brushed it away with her other hand. She watched as Root picked up her tool again, ready to get back to work.

After all of Root's joking, Shaw was starting to think that drawing her wasn't the worst idea. Maybe not nude. Shaw might give in to temptation again. Sex with Root was still too fresh in her mind. Still, she was already drawing Root's face and Root could probably use the break from her sculpture.

"Hey," Shaw tried, picking up her stool. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"As hard as it is to say," Root sighed, looking up at her, "I'm not in the mood for sex right now. Maybe another day."

"Glad to know it's still on the table," Shaw snorted, "but that's not my favor."

Winking, Root put her tool down again. "Well, then, what can I do for you?"

"Can I draw you?" Shaw asked. "Not naked. Just… Your face, I guess. For my final."

Raising an eyebrow, Root crossed her arms. "Wow. I'm flattered."

"Don't be," Shaw muttered, rolling her eyes. Asking had been embarrassing enough, but Root's knowing look only made it worse. She took her chair back to her drawing table and sat down. "Forget it."

She started taking off the tape that held her brown paper up when a hand appeared in her vision, stopping her. Root pressed against her back, looking at the sketch. Normally, Shaw didn't care who saw her art, sketch or otherwise, but the unreadable expression on Root's face as she looked at Shaw's memory of her made Shaw feel vulnerable. It was unpleasant.

She shrugged Root off and took the paper off the table, rolling it up. Root handed her a rubber band, resting a hip on the edge of the drawing table. She just watched Shaw roll the band on and toss the drawing onto the stack in the corner. Shaw made a mental note to look through those before she sent them to her mom.

"You can draw me," Root said, breaking the silence. "I'll pose for you."

Shaw rolled her eyes, but she bent under her table to pick up her large roll of brown paper. It was significantly thinner than it had been at the beginning of the semester. She might have to start the other one soon. As she cut a piece and attached it to her table, Root brought her stool over and sat beside the table. She started to take her hair down.

"No," Shaw said, stopping her. "Leave it up. Looks good."

A soft pink filled Root's cheeks and she shifted awkwardly. "Ok." She smiled. "Thanks."

"Whatever."

Picking up her charcoal pencil, Shaw looked Root over carefully. Her eyes were tired, but sharp and Shaw felt like she might be getting measured, too. She ran her eyes over a delicate nose, strong jaw, long neck and gently sloping shoulders. It would be fun to paint that later.

Shaw took a breath and started drawing. This time, she worked slowly, carefully sketching lightly and looking at Root as much as she wanted. Root just watched her draw, her hands clasped in her lap. It was odd to see her sitting so still. She usually moved constantly, standing to work and pacing as she thought.

"I might fall asleep on you," Root murmured. "I've been staying up late to work on my project."

"I'm not catching you if you fall over," Shaw joked. She traced the outline of Root's lips. "You could always lay down. I don't mind turning my head."

Root smiled, but shook her head. "If I fall asleep, I'm not getting up for a while and I really need to work on my sculpture."

Shaw just nodded and focused on Root's mouth. They fell back into silence. It was so easy to just sit with Root and not feel like she needed to say anything. Root was right. It wasn't exhausting to spend time together. Despite herself, Shaw imagined how that ease would translate to other places. She could imagine watching television with Root, making fun of idiot characters or just sharing a blanket during a movie.

She realized she didn't know anything about Root. What kind of movies did she like? What was her job? Was she a secret Republican? Shaw moved on to drawing Root's perfect nose. Movement from the corner of her eye made her look at Root and she watched as Root's head dipped and jerked back up. She really was falling asleep.

Shaw decided to take pity on her. "So, where are you from?"

"What?" Root shook herself, trying to stay awake. "Sorry. What?"

"Where are you from?" Shaw asked again. "Originally."

"Oh," Root sighed. She shrugged. "Texas."

Shaw smiled as she worked. "Where's your accent?"

Chuckling, Root leaned an arm on the drawing table. It changed the angle of her face, but Shaw didn't care. She could work with whatever. Root's nose was finished and she moved on to her right eye.

"I do my best not to seem like I'm from Texas." Root smiled at her, still looking sleepy, but a little more alive. "I haven't been back in almost ten years anyway."

"Why not?"

"Nothing to go back for." She peered down at Shaw's drawing. "Is this your project?"

"No," Shaw answered, switching to Root's left eye. "I'm doing an oil painting. I won't ask you to sit for that, though."

Root used a finger to smudge the charcoal of her lips. "Whoops. Gotta start over."

Quickly, Shaw swiped Root's cheek with her charcoal pencil, leaving a black smudge. It was stark against her pale skin. Root narrowed her eyes at Shaw, but she didn't wipe it away. Instead, she just sat back and returned to her original position. Shaw smiled smugly and picked up her kneaded eraser to fix the drawing.

"What about you?" Root asked. "Where are you from?"

"All over. My parents are Marines." She left out the fact that her father was dead. "I guess 'home' is upstate New York now. I don't go back too often."

"Does that mean you'll be around over winter break?"

Shaw raised her eyebrows, giving Root an appraising glance. "Will you?"

"Maybe."

Shaking her head, amused, Shaw put her pencil down and stretched. "Well, you might need some company now that your on a friendship break. I hope you find someone to pass the time with."

She gave Root a sideways glance and met her sparkling eyes. Satisfied that her message got across, she went back to work. Maybe when she finished, she'd invite Root to get some food. There wasn't really the time for it, but Root looked terrible and some solid food might do her good. Not that Shaw cared about Root's wellbeing. She just needed her model to stay alive.

"What do you do for a living, Sameen?" Root asked. "Every art student needs a part-time job."

"How do you know I'm not filthy rich?" Shaw challenged, sketching the slope of Root's neck.

Root snorted. "No one practices on brown paper because they have too much money. If I saw stacks of sketchbooks, maybe I'd believe you."

"Fair." Shaw tapped her pencil on the table, trying to think of the best way to describe her job without revealing her criminal activity. "I.. am a secret shopper." She secretly shopped from banks, so that wasn't too much of a lie. "It pays pretty well."

"I can imagine you spying on poor retail workers." Root smiled. "I'm… a courier. Of sorts."

That was vague enough that Shaw wondered if Root was hiding something, just like she was. Well, that was interesting. She decided it was enough of an excuse to spend more time with Root and try to figure out what she was keeping a secret. If that meant they went to Shaw's favorite 24hr diner after this, than so be it.

"I'm almost done," Shaw told her, quickly sketching out her shoulders and then moving on to her hair. "Are you just planning to work all day?"

"Yeah." Root shifted in her chair. "I'm almost done with the dragon's head and then I have to work on… It's a lot."

Shaw took in Root's hair and the way it fell in loose strands from her messy bun. "Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"No, I…" Root scratched her forehead, frowning. "I can't remember the last time I ate, actually."

"That's not good. Let me buy you lunch and then we can come back and work."

Grinning, Root nodded. She finally looked less than exhausted. "Ok! I could use the break."

"I figured," Shaw muttered as she finished up the sketch. "Alright, let's go."

She dropped her pencil onto the side table and stood. Root followed her example and stretched her hands up over her head, groaning. Her shirt rode up and soft, skin appeared above her dark jeans. Shaw wanted to touch it, to reach over and press her tongue to Root's navel and slide her hands up to cover small, wonderful breasts.

Instead, she tugged on her ear and turned away. She quickly put on her coat, then squatted to pull her wallet out of her backpack. Once she was ready, she smiled at Root who had put her own black coat on. They left the room together, walking down the noisy hall to spend time together outside of the confines of their shared studio space.

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After a few more days of sketching Root as she worked on her sculpture, Shaw had started her oil painting. It was going well, thankfully. She'd turned her drawing table around so she could watch Root as they both worked. This way, she could use her as a reference without making her take long breaks from her own project.

They'd spent every day together since their lunch. It was just in the study room with trips to restaurants for lunch and dinner, but it was more time than Shaw had spent with anyone in a long time. She'd joked about spending Winter Break with Root, but now she thought that might not be so bad. Reese was going home with Joss for the break and that meant Shaw would have the apartment to herself.

She put her brush into the cup of water she'd set on her side table. After some debate, she'd decided to paint Root's portrait on unstretched canvas. Finch always lectured them on the importance of using a traditional frame and stretching their canvas, but Shaw liked the flexibility of loose canvas. This way, she could roll it up and tuck it away, keep it safe.

Root grinned at her from across the room, pointing a sharp tool at her. "You're going to finish that episode tonight and see how wrong you are. I'm serious. Your theories are so wrong, it's actually funny."

"That's so rude," Shaw muttered, rolling her eyes. "You're just mad that I figured it out and you didn't."

"Whatever makes you feel better, Shaw. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

They laughed and she shook her head, picking up her brush and swirling it around in the water. They were watching the same show, but Root was a few episodes ahead and she refused to let Shaw catch up. It was annoying, but Shaw didn't really mind. Maybe they'd just watch the next show together.

She was probably getting too interested in Root. If Reese found out, he'd tease her mercilessly, but Shaw had only told him about how annoying Root was. It wouldn't be too hard to leave her when Shaw graduated in the spring. Of course, Shaw had also applied to the Master's program at their school, so she might just stay here another few years anyway. Not that she'd choose to stay here for Root.

Blinking, Shaw reminded herself to work and dabbed her brush on a paper towel before dipping it in the color she'd mixed for Root's skin base. The portrait wasn't going to take her more than a week, maybe even less if she really focused. Root's sculpture was almost done, too. She was finishing the detail on her sculpture's armor and then she only had the head left to finish. That reminded Shaw of a flyer she'd seen around campus.

"Hey, I saw you had an art show coming up."

Root nodded, dragging her tool down her knight's arm. "Yeah. It's for the Master's program, but my work will be in it."

"You'd better finish, then. Isn't it tomorrow?" Shaw scratched her chin and started painting again. "I can go get lunch and bring it back for you."

"Thanks." Root smiled at her, straightening her back. "I'll be done by tonight and leave it in the kiln. It'll be ready. I'm not painting it."

Shaw licked her lips, tracing along Root's jaw with her brush. "How many people are going?"

"Who knows," Root answered. "I haven't been paying attention. I'm not going."

Finishing her stroke, Shaw looked up at her, taking in the way her brow scrunched with concentration. "Why not? Don't artists love getting lavished with praise?"

A laugh burst from Root and she had to take her tool away from the clay to press the back of her hand against her eyes. Gasping, she looked at Shaw, eyes sparkling with mirth. "Do you? Tell me, would you go to an event like that and stand beside your piece so art snobs can judge you as much as your art?"

"Well," Shaw muttered, frowning, "no."

"Yeah, me neither." Root's cheeks were flushed, and she pushed her hair out of her face, leaving a streak of wet clay. "Especially not alone."

Shaw turned back to her painting. "You don't have anyone to go with you? What about Zoe?"

Root shrugged, sighing. "No, she's got her own finals work, and she's on the planning committee, so she'll be busy. I was going to go with Hanna, but that's not happening anymore." She flashed Shaw a tight smile before starting to work again. "It's not a big deal. I love an excuse to wear a sexy dress, but I'll find another."

The image of Root wearing a skintight black dress flashed across Shaw's face and she had to take a deep breath. She'd only seen Root in comfortable clothes, or no clothes at all. Running her eyes over Root's face, she tried to picture it with make up. Did Root wear dark lipstick, or flashy red? Colorful eyeshadow or a subtle smokey eye? What about her hair?

"I'll go with you," Shaw offered before her brain caught up to her mouth.

Root froze, her tool pointed at her sculpture like a weapon. She seemed like she wasn't even breathing. After a second, she looked at Shaw, lips parted. Her exhaustion had lessened since they'd started spending time together and her face was full of color.

"What?" she breathed. "You'd come to my art show?"

Shaw nodded, trying not to look upset that she'd slipped up. "Sure. We can make fun of the other works. And the art snobs."

Root smiled at her in a way she never had before. Her face softened, the lines between her eyebrows and around her eyes disappearing. Her lips barely formed a smile, only the corners turning up. It was piercing and loud, even as her face was almost blank. Shaw felt her heart pound in her chest and she had to look away.

Her eyes dropped to the pencil sketch she'd done on her canvas. It was only partially filled in with her first layer of yellows, but Root's eyes looked up at her, traced in graphite. Shaw wasn't sure why she was so affected by someone who was basically still a stranger. She cleared her throat.

"Anyway," she mumbled, "I'm free tomorrow night, so just let me know."

"It's a date!" Root announced cheerfully. When Shaw looked back up at her, she was grinning her usual playful grin. The new look was gone and Shaw almost missed it. "Meet me in the lobby at six?"

Shrugging, Shaw nodded. "Sure. We-" She licked her lips. "We could get dinner beforehand? Why waste our fancy clothes on an art show?"

Root didn't answer immediately, but the same deafening look appeared in her eyes. "Ok," she almost whispered. This time, she looked away. "Yeah. I'll… I'll text you."

"Whatever." Shaw looked down at her side table and re-dipped her brush in paint. "Remind me to give you my number before I leave tonight."

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Shaw followed Root into the lobby, her eyes fixed on the way Root's hips moved in her burgundy dress. It was simple, sleeveless, tight to her waist with a thin, black belt, and then tight again to her knees. It was practically a business dress, but Shaw was not having work-appropriate thoughts. Root glanced back at her, the curve of her neck bare beneath a tight bun.

Shaw wanted to grip that throat with both hands, thrust into Root as she panted and gasped. She bet Root would be willing. Maybe she'd struggle against being controlled, but that could be fun, too. Root's pupils widened and Shaw wondered if her thoughts were clear on her face.

They walked through the doors to the gallery and Root slowed to walk beside Shaw. The room was full of people, some clearly art students and some more prestigious critics. Shaw spotted Finch peering at a painting on the wall and took Root's hand dragging her away toward the drink table.

There were several wine bottles on a long table and a man in a suit stood behind it. Shaw looked over her options, pretending to know anything about wine. After a moment of consideration, she turned to Root and realized she was still holding onto her hand. She dropped it like it was burning her and cleared her throat.

"Ladies' choice," Shaw said, gesturing to the wines. She winked at the bartender. "I'll have what she's having."

Root laughed and leaned forward against the table, her hips pushing into the edge. "I'll take two glasses from Zoe's bottle."

"Yes, Ma'am."

The bartender reached under the table and pulled out a bottle of very high quality scotch. Shaw whistled. Root smirked at her, laying her hand on Shaw's bicep. It wrapped around casually, the bag of her hand brushing against Shaw's side.

"It helps to know the person who planned the event."

Root was so close to, her hand so close to Shaw's breasts, and Shaw had to take a deep breath. The bartender set two glasses in front of them, generous pours of scotch, and Shaw quickly picked one up and handed it to Root, giving her an excuse to take her hand away. Instead, Root took the glass with her other hand, not moving away at all.

She met Shaw's eyes as she took a small sip. The whole night had been a little surreal. Shaw didn't think she'd ever been on an actual date, but this was dangerously close to one. They'd had great conversation about art over dinner and now Root was giving her dark, suggestive glances. Shaw licked her lips and picked her own glass up.

They started toward the first art piece as Shaw took a drink. The alcohol slipped smoothly over her tongue and down her throat. It had been a long time since she'd been able to afford scotch this nice, and it was so satisfying. Root pulled her to a stop in front of a large painting.

They spent an hour wandering around the space, avoiding Finch and mocking overhead comments from critics. Occasionally, they'd circle back to the drink table for more of Zoe's hidden stash. By the time they got to Root's sculpture, Shaw had a slight buzz. She wasn't sure if it was from the alcohol or Root's company.

Finally making it to Root's sculpture, Shaw had to lean close. She hadn't seen the finished product yet. Root had stayed late at the studio the night before and Shaw had brought her dinner, but then gone back home. She was more of a distraction than a help to Root.

The knight's face was her own. Her scowl was captured perfectly in clay and her long hair flowed down in the ponytail she always wore. She look strong and powerful in the armor, her helmet held under her arm, its own ponytail streaming in invisible wind. The dragon's head was incredibly detailed, with hundreds of scales and terrifyingly long teeth. Shaw loved it.

She looked at Root, confused. "It's me?"

"You spent so much time looking at me," Root said, smiling, "that you didn't notice me looking back."

The thought of being seen so intimately would have scared Shaw if she got scared. It seemed more important than the sex they'd had. She looked back at the sculpture and her calm, confident face. The woman Root had created looked like the person Shaw wanted to be.

"Do you like it?" Root asked her nervously. "I should have asked."

Shaw grinned at her. "It's fucking awesome."

They laughed, and Shaw ran her hand down Root's arm, unable to keep herself from touching her. Root sipped her drink, meeting her eyes. The date had just been pretense, really. Shaw wanted to spend more time with Root and she'd been worried about just saying that. Dating hadn't been in her plan and it still wasn't, but there was nothing wrong with having a friend. Or, having sex with that friend.

Taking her arm back, Shaw put it on her hip, lifting her glass and squinting at the sculpture. "Hmm, I see what the artist was going for, but did she really capture it? The small, female knight is unrealistic. Only a tall, really buff dude could beat a dragon that large. This artist needs more real world experience."

Root raised her pinky and sniffed delicately. "Honestly. These feminists are pushing their agenda and it's ruining their art. They should leave women to the men."

Chuckling, Shaw winked at Root. Now that she'd seen her art in the space, she was ready to leave the gallery. They could go back to Root's place and Shaw might even spend the night. Zoe would be busy with the event for a few more hours, and then there was clean up. She realized she didn't know where Root lived.

"Hey, where-"

A heavy arm falling onto her shoulder interrupted her and she looked up to see Reese staring down at her with a smug smile. On his other side, Joss was peering at the sculpture. She glanced between Shaw and Root, clearly picking up on the situation. She laid a hand on Reese's arm.

"We just wanted to stop by," she said to Shaw, smiling. "You never go to anything on campus, so we thought we'd see what had finally caught your attention."

"I think we know," Reese murmured. He smirked at Shaw. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?"

Shaw glowered as Root took in Reese's arm around her shoulders. The smile had dropped from her face. "This is Reese and Joss. Reese, Joss, this is Root."

Reese shifted, drawing himself up to his full height. "Oh."

Shaw remembered that she'd only told him negative things about Root and winced. He was going to play the protector now. Hopefully, he didn't say anything too rude.

"Nice to meet you," Root said, eyes flicking between his face and Shaw's. "Are you Shaw's friends?"

"Boyfriend," Reese said before Shaw could answer. His grip on Shaw tightened. "So, you can just go. Stop bothering her."

Root's face paled, her fingers turning white as she squeezed her glass. Suddenly, she looked just like she had after her talk with Hanna, tired and stressed. Shaw wanted to leap forward and assure her that everything was fine, that she wasn't dating Reese, that there really was something between them.

"Oh my god," Root breathed, pressing her free hand to her eyes. "I'm so stupid."

"Root, no-"

"I'm such an idiot." Root glared at her, dropping her hand. "I really thought you liked me, but I was just deluding myself again. I can't believe I put myself in this position again. Excuse me."

She hurried away and Shaw tried to go after her, but Reese's arm held her back. Root disappeared out the front door as Shaw pushed Reese away and followed. Finch wandered into her path, opening his mouth to speak, but Shaw just handed him her glass and moved past him. When she got outside, Root was gone.

Shaw looked around at the wide road in front of the building, turning in every direction, but Root was gone. Growling with frustration, she brushed her hands over her hair. The door opened behind her and she spun around to see Reese and Joss exiting. She stomped over to him and punched him in the chest.

"You're such a fucking asshole," Shaw hissed. She was so angry, she couldn't even take pleasure in Reese's hiss of pain. "Why would you do that?"

"You said she was a pain-in-the-ass stalker." Reese frowned at her. "I got her off your back."

Shaw groaned, lifting a hand to punch him again, but dropping it. It wasn't his fault. It was hers. If she wasn't so shitty at being a person, this wouldn't have happened and she and Root would be making out in the back of a taxi right now. She looked away.

"I was lying," she muttered through clenched teeth. "She's cool."

"Oh, sweetie," Joss sighed sympathetically. She smiled kindly. "You really like her?"

"Yes!" Shaw tossed her hands into the air annoyed at her confession. "She's so smart, and she's talented and interesting and patient, but impatient at the same time? It's so easy to talk to her or just sit and not talk to her. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, she's so fucking hot!" She dropped her face into her hands. "I'm so mad!"

Reese chuckled. "You know, this is exactly how I'd imagined you'd behave when you finally liked someone."

"I don't- It's not-" Shaw huffed. "It's not that kind of 'like.' Not like you and Joss. I just like hanging out with her and kissing her."

"You've kissed?" Joss gasped. She waved her hands in the air, gathering her thoughts. "No. You'll tell me all about it later. Call her now. Do you have her number?"

Nodding, Shaw reached for her pocket before realizing she was still in her tight dress. All of her things were up in their studio. "I'm going to go call her from my studio."

"Ok." Joss patted her shoulder. "You'll be fine. I'll think of some way that you can get revenge on John."

He took a step back. "What? I was doing what I thought was best with the information I had."

Shaw just rolled her eyes and stalked past them. She wasn't going to stick around to get even angrier. She needed to call Root and figure out how to apologize to her. Yanking open the door to the stairwell, Shaw took off her heels so she could run up to the third floor. She was glad for her extra gym time, because she was barely out of breath when she got to the top.

She walked down the hallway, the only sound her bare feet on the tile floor. It was almost eight pm and everyone was gone for the day, or at the show. For the first time, she wished it was still loud. Maybe it would drown out her thoughts.

Opening the door to her studio, she walked inside, turning the light on. She tossed her shoes to the side and walked to her backpack, still tucked under her table. Squatting, she pulled her phone out and unlocked it. There were no messages from Root.

She sighed and stood up, opening the phone app. Her thumb hesitated over Root's name. Normally, her self-preservation techniques worked in her favor. She would keep her distance, not ask any personal questions, tell Reese the bad stuff, and stay free of connections. This time, with Root, she'd half-assed those techniques.

Reese got the bad stuff, but Shaw had gotten to know Root, spent time with her, had sex with her in their shared space instead of making sure to keep it separate. Root had thrown her off her rhythm that first day. She'd just kept surprising Shaw with her thoughtfulness, her playfulness, her… heart.

That must be the difference. Shaw knew that when she painted Root's eyes, they'd have heart. Her lips would pout, her cheeks blush, and her hair tease her shoulders. Maybe that was Shaw's missing piece. She wasn't going to change her art. She'd go right back to humanless landscapes after this project, but that didn't mean she had to kick Root's heart out of her life.

Pressing Root's name on her phone, Shaw held it up to her ear. It rang, and a second later, Root's phone rang from her table. Frowning, Shaw walked across the small room and found Root's phone on her drawing table. She'd left it, too. Ending the call, Shaw felt her stomach twist painfully.

The first time in her life she wanted to reach out to someone and she couldn't. She didn't know where Root lived and she couldn't call her. Shaw dropped onto Root's stool, feeling defeated and frustrated. What was she supposed to do now? Just wait until the next day when Root showed up? Her project for the semester was done. She didn't need to come back to the room, except to get her phone and she could just wait until Shaw wasn't there.

The door to the studio opened and Root walked in, smiling with relief when she saw Shaw. Jumping to her feet, Shaw stared at Root with wide eyes. She didn't know what to say to her. Now that Root was in front of her, the tension was leaving and she wasn't sure what she was left with.

Root closed the door and leaned against it, panting. She brushed a loose hair from her face. "Hi."

"Hi." Shaw crossed her arms defensively. "What are you doing here?"

"Wow," Root said, tilting her head. "So defensive. I'm here to make amends."

Pursing her lips, Shaw just shrugged, unable to stop herself from holding back. "Ok. Sorry Reese upset you."

Laughing, Root shook her head. "I've got you all figured out."

That made Shaw nervous and she shifted awkwardly. "Yeah?"

"Yes." Root put her hands on her hips, pushing off the door. She took a deep breath. "You're all technique and no heart. I was looking at it all wrong. I was looking for heart, but that's not you."

Shaw licked her lips. This was an analogy, obviously, but an analogy for what? "So, I'm technique. What about it?"

"So..." Root repeated, grinning. She slowly meandered toward Shaw, eyes fixed on her like she was prey. "You don't get emotional like I do. I'm all heart, just feelings everywhere, but you're technique. It's about the big picture. You definitely like me; I'm very sure of that. It's just different."

"Exactly," Shaw breathed, relieved. "I want to be friends, but not… More than Hanna, but not a relationship."

Raising an eyebrow, Root stopped a foot in front of Shaw and stepped out of her heels. "I can do that. Sex, friendship, art. It's kind of my dream, honestly."

"Well, then, I'm a dream come true." Shaw smiled. She moved forward, closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around Root's waist. "I'm sure you have other dreams I can bring to life."

"I'm sure," Root hummed, lowering her head. Brushing her lips against Shaw's, she pulled her head back just enough to speak. "If that guy really is your boyfriend, and you're just cheating on him… Well, I'm happy to help."

Shaw just closed her eyes, pushed her hands into Root's hair, and yanked her down for a bruising kiss. They were going to have sex in the studio for a second time. Shaw was looking forward to the rest of the semester, and the spring one, too. If she got into the Master's program, then they had years to go.

Root nipped at Shaw's lip and she opened her mouth, letting Root's tongue in. The only problem would be keeping her criminal activity from Root, but it would be fine. She'd just make an excuse about needing alone time. Root starting tugging her dress down and Shaw lost her train of thought. It was time to buy that cot.