"Ich mag deine neuen Haare. Es fällt auf deine Schultern. Und es ist alles braun." Sameen said, in halting German. "Is that right?"

Root laughed from her place on the floor. "Is the opinion right? Or the formation of your sentence?"

Shaw rolled her eyes, giving her the middle finger. "If you make me compliment your hair one more time, I'm leaving."

Root chuckled, stretching her legs out on the cool wood floor. "This is your room…"

Shaw just glowered at her. Root smiled back. It had been a couple weeks since their talk on the track, but they'd hardly had any time alone. Harold, Lionel, and John managed to be around them constantly, at school and on the weekends. Alicia and Mr. Ingram were always scheduling family dinners and activities. Root knew that Shaw was going to kill someone if she had to play scrabble with them again.

They hadn't had sex yet, but Root wasn't worried. Now that she knew Shaw wanted her, too, it was just a matter of logistics. They were still in school, and that made it hard to get privacy. She was pretty sure Shaw was going to ask her to sleepover, but she was waiting for her to bring it up. Root didn't want to sound over eager.

They were hanging out at Sameen's house now, closed away in her bedroom. Shaw was lounging on her bed, and Root was sitting on the floor, giving her some space. They had a German test tomorrow and Shaw was woefully unprepared. Root had offered to come over after school and help her study. Shaw had agreed, begrudgingly, obviously wishing she didn't need Root's help, but she did and so here they were.

Root watched Shaw wrap her blanket around herself. She'd claimed the bed because she was cold, whining until Root pulled her books out for her. Root had just chuckled and demanded a kiss in return. Root noticed Sameen's eyes looking her over and self-consciously pushed her hair behind her ear.

She'd cut it herself the night before, tired of having half-blonde, half-brown hair. The blonde just made her feel like a kid again, so she'd cut it off right at the shoulder. She was pretty pleased with herself and the dark brown made her feel more mature. With less weight, her hair had started to curl slightly.

Shaw grumbled, letting her textbook fall to the floor and tucked the blanket up under her chin. "I hate German."

Root leaned back on her hands, gazing up at Sameen. "Well, you need three years of a language for most colleges, and you only have two. If you take it next year, too, you can get four years and be an overachiever."

Shaw curled her legs up, lying fetal under her blanket, only her face and hair poking out. "I'm an under-achiever. I achieve underneath."

"I'm not sure that's a real thing," Root joking, rising to her feet. She moved to the bed and climbed over Sameen, dropping onto her back against the wall. "How do you achieve underneath?"

Shaw rolled to face Root, grinning. She wiggled her eyebrows, suggestively. "Oh, one can achieve a lot from underneath."

"You think you're so smooth," Root laughed, punching Shaw in the arm.

Shaw just smiled, smug, and dug deeper into her blankets. "How are you not cold?"

Root raised her feet up, showing off her mis-matched socks. "I kept my socks on. For warmth."

"I'm under a fucking quilt and I'm still freezing."

"Here," Root said, sitting up and reaching over Sameen, "Let me turn the radiator on."

Shaw twisted awkwardly, pressing her head on the bed to look at what Root was doing. Root fiddled with the knob on the radiator until the sound of water flowing could be heard. Root leaned back, still sitting on her knees.

"That better?" she asked, smiling down.

Root saw the moment Shaw decided to kiss her. They moved at the same time, lips crashing together. Shaw shoved her blanket down, until her legs were clear. Then, she flipped them over, covering Root's body with her own. Root groaned as Shaw's hands reached under her shirt and spread over her stomach.

Root let her legs fall open, Shaw's hips fitting perfecting in the new space. Tangling her hands in Shaw's hair, Root held her in place, opening her mouth and deepening the kiss. There was too much cloth between them, both of them wearing sweatpants. It was already freezing in mid-October, but Root felt like she was burning up.

Shaw started lifting Root's shirt, but a knock sounded on the door. Before Root knew what had happened, Sameen was standing across the room, leaning against her closet door, looking at her nails. She blinked as the door opened. Had Shaw teleported?

"Hello, Sameen, how- Oh," Alicia said when she saw Root on Shaw's bed, face reddening as she took in Root's spread legs and flushed neck. "Root. Hello."

Root smiled and waved, her eyes flicking over to Shaw. She sat up. "Hello, Mrs. Corwin."

Alicia peaked around the door and pushed it fully open. "Sameen, you didn't tell me Root was here. I just finished dinner."

Shaw shrugged and crossed her arms. She glared at the floor. "I was going to text you."

"I wish you had."

Root realized this was probably her cue to leave. "I'll go home now. Sorry for the trouble." Root slid off the bed and reached for her shoes, but stopped when Shaw started talking.

"No, stay." Root saw Shaw glance at Alicia. "Can Root stay for dinner? And then the night? We could have a sleepover. You're always bugging me to make friends."

Alicia hesitated, looking between them. "It's a school night. Have you done all your homework?"

"Yes!" Shaw glared at Root, daring her to challenge the statement.

Root giggled. "Yes, Mrs. Corwin. We were just studying for our German test tomorrow."

Alicia still looked unhappy, but she nodded slowly. "Alright, I'll bring your plates up so you can eat while you finish studying." She turned to go, then looked at Shaw. "No staying up late."

Shaw rolled her eyes. "Ok, fine, whatever. We're going to tire ourselves out anyway."

Root blushed, looking down at her lap. Alicia already didn't like her, and now Shaw was antagonizing her. If they were going to be a thing, then Root would have to get on her good side. Then again, Root had no idea why she was on her bad side now. Maybe it wasn't worth the effort. Alicia shut the door again.

Root smiled at Shaw. "You tease her, but she lets you do what you want. Do you like living with her and Mr. Ingram?"

Shaw shrugged and moved closer to Root again, dropping onto the bed and crossing her legs. "They're fine. I like them, I guess."

Root shifted to sit beside Shaw, their knees bumping against each other. "Do you know how long you'll be staying with them?"

Shaw shook her head. "No. I turn 18 soon, so unless they adopt me, or let me stay here for no reason until I graduate, then I have to leave or figure something out."

Root frowned. She knew that Shaw was 17, and that she could go away, but it hadn't occurred to her that it could happen at any moment. Shaw's birthday was in May, so they'd at least have until the end of the year. Root wanted to ask what Shaw would do if she couldn't stay with Alicia and Mr. Ingram anymore, but she just sighed.

"Oh," Root said, sadly, "I hadn't realized."

"Yeah," Shaw sniffed, looking away, "The reality of being an orphan."

Alicia reappeared in the doorway and put the two plates onto the short dresser, next to the TV. "Here you go. There's also ice cream in the freezer." She looked at Root, frowning. "If you're hungry, you can get more food. I know you aren't well taken care of."

Root nodded, embarrassed. "Thank you, Mrs. Corwin."

"You can wash whatever clothing Sameen lends and bring them back to school. She'll bring them home again."

Shaw looked at her, confused. "Why would she borrow my clothes?"

"Well," Alicia said, crossing her arms, "you can't expect her to wear the same thing to school two days in a row, can you?"

Shaw looked back at Root. "Oh."

"And I'm guessing this wasn't a planned sleepover?" Alicia said, her eyebrows raised.

Shaw just crossed her arms, petulantly. "I'll lend her something."

"Good, just let me know if anything is too wide and I'll see what I can do in the morning."

"Too wide?" Shaw stood up, looking between Root and Alicia. "Too wide? You think I'm wide?"

Root laughed. "I mean, compared to me, everyone is wide."

Shaw's eyes widened. "You take that back, Root. I am fit."

"No one said you were fat!" Root smiled, and swung her legs around, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You're very fit and attractive, Sameen. I'm the beanpole."

Shaw squinted her eyes in disbelief. "You guys are so rude."

"Let me know if you need new clothing," Alicia joked, winking. She headed out of the room. "If you have another growth spurt."

Shaw grabbed a pillow off the bed and threw it at the closing door. "Rude!"

Root couldn't help but laugh. Shaw looked so indignant. "You're like a tiny hulk!"

"Unbelievable," Shaw breathed, getting up to grab her plate from the dresser and dropping back onto the floor. "I invite you to my house and you insult me." She stabbed her green beans with a fork. "Ridiculous. So much for friendship."

Root stood and padded over to grab her plate. "You're very strong," she said, walking back to the bed. "So strong. The strongest."

Shaw just glared at Root, watching her settle onto the bed, her plate on her lap. They ate in silence for a moment. Root tried to eat slowly. It had been a long time since she'd had a homemade meal like this, and she wanted to just scarf it down. She wouldn't be so skinny if she had a parent cooking for her like this.

"Hey, Root?" Shaw said quietly, putting her plate on the floor. "Can I ask you another personal question? I think we're closer now."

Root sighed. "Yeah, go ahead."

"What did Alicia mean? That you're not well-taken care of? Did she mean your parents?"

"Yeah," Root muttered, her appetite lost. "They suck. Tied for worst."

Shaw tilted her head, giving Root a thoughtful look. Root felt like she was being analyzed and she hated it. She wasn't a scared child in need of being pitied. She was practically an adult, taking care of herself and supporting herself.

"Are they still on their trip?" Shaw asked. "Am I ever going to meet them?"

"Probably not." Root looked at Shaw, rolling her eyes when she saw Shaw frowning. "They disappeared on the day Hanna died and I haven't seen them since."

Shaw's eyebrows drew down. "But that was four years ago."

"Yeah," Root snorted. "So, they're probably not coming back. I just steal money from their bank account to pay for stuff. I don't really need them."

"You're not worried about them?"

"Not really," Root answered, shrugging. She stood up and walked her plate back to the dresser. "They went on trips all the time before that, too. I think they just decided to stay away. Forgot about me, or didn't care enough. It doesn't matter. I'm doing fine."

Shaw sighed, and shrugged. "I guess. That sucks, though. I'm sorry you have shit parents. At least I had good parents while I had them. They took me on their trips."

Root smiled, reaching down to take Shaw's plate and put it beside her own. Root climbed back onto the bed, laying down on her side and looking at Shaw.

"What happened to them?"

Shaw climbed to her feet, groaning. "I'm not sure. They died five years ago on a work trip. It was in Norway, or something. I just remember the creepy, old CPS guy coming to my house and putting me in foster care. I was 13 when they died."

"I'm sorry, Shaw." Root scooted back in the bed, making room. "Maybe I can try to find out."

"I don't need to know," Shaw answered. She put her hands on her hips, one knee on the bed. "I don't want to find out they were up to something bad, or illegal. Just… promise me you won't look it up."

Root drew an X over her heart with a finger. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

Shaw rolled her eyes, but she crawled onto the bed, throwing her leg over Root and grabbing her shirt. She pulled it over her head easily, Root lifting up to give her some space. Leaning forward, Shaw kissed her again, hands pushing Root's bra up out of the way.

Root wondered if she should tell Shaw that she was a virgin, or if it would be better to just pretend she knew what she was doing. She wasn't sure how much the sex would hurt, or if it even would at all. Shaw nipped Root's lip lightly, teeth just brushing the place where she'd bit Root's lip open a few weeks ago. Root took Shaw's face in her hands and moved it away.

"I need to tell you something," Root breathed, distracted by Shaw's hands on her breasts. "I'm a virgin."

Shaw's hands stilled, and she frowned down at Root. "Really?"

Root blushed. "Yeah. I mean, there aren't a lot of gay girls around here."

"Do you…" Shaw trailed off. She sat back, hands moving to her thighs and leaving Root cold. "This isn't going to be really important to you, is it? I'll be gentle and all of that, but I'm not going to scar you for life, or anything, am I?"

"No," Root laughed, taking Shaw's hands and putting them back on her chest. "I just wanted you to know, so you'd be patient with me."

Shaw smirked, brushing her thumbs over sensitive skin. "Sex is easy. A hand here, a tongue there. Nothing to it. You'll learn quickly." She leaned forward and kissed Root softly. "If you're bad, we'll just have to keep practicing."

"Oh no," Root said sarcastically, grinning. "More sex. What will we do?"

"I've got some ideas."

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Later, Root and Shaw lay naked under the sheets, tangled in each other, skin sticking together with sweat. Root smiled happily, her face tucked into Shaw's neck. Shaw was holding her close as they lay together. It was almost too hot for Root, but she wasn't ready to move away.

"That was amazing," she sighed. "We have to do that every night now."

Shaw chuckled. "Maybe not every night, but sure, we'll do it again."

Root lifted her head, smiling down at Shaw. She trailed a hand over a tan hip, making Shaw shiver. "I think I might have passed out for a second there."

"It's getting to be a trend." She smirked. "You were burning up." Shaw reached down to grab Root's hand and move it off of her. "I thought you might have a fever or something."

"You think I'm hot!" Root laughed as Shaw rolled her eyes. "It was good, though. For real. I didn't know sex would be so exciting. I still feel like I'm tingling."

Shaw frowned for a moment, before looking away. "Yeah. It's never felt like that before. It was… exciting."

Humming, Root pulled Shaw's face back to her, wiggling her eyebrows. "I'm the best you've ever had? Imagine what it'll be like when we really know each other."

Shaw knocked Root's hand aside, and pushed the covers back. She untangled herself from Root and stood up. "Don't go catching feelings," Shaw muttered, moving to her dresser. "We're just friends, that's what we said."

"I know," Root assured her. She dragged her eyes down Shaw's back as she rifled through a dresser drawer. "I'm not suddenly in love with you."

Shaw's back was covered with red marks, scratches from Root's nails. The sex really had been amazing. Root had felt like she was exploding when Shaw was inside her, like she was burning up from the inside. Her heart was still beating faster than normal, and it felt like it was never going to slow down again.

Root could admit that she was a romantic. She loved love stories, and she kind of wanted one for herself, something dramatic and life-changing. Still, she hadn't expected her first time to be so good. Shaw had been gentle at the right times and rough at the right times. Root knew that she could lose herself in Shaw's smell and touch.

"Ok," Shaw said, pulling out a pair of pants and a shirt. "Put these on."

She tossed them onto the bed, and Root grinned, looking at the pattern. "Dogs?" Root asked, smiling at Shaw. "You wear dog pajamas?"

Shaw glared at her, fist clenching around a pair of white cotton underwear. "You don't have to wear them. Sleep naked. Freeze for all I care."

"No," Root laughed, gesturing for her to throw the underwear. "I love them, Sameen. I'm just teasing." She caught the underwear in the air and lifted her legs to put them on. "It's nice that we're similar sizes."

Shaw stepped into her own underwear. "Lucky for you. Otherwise, you'd be wearing a crop top to school tomorrow."

"I like crop tops." Root quickly pulled the pants on, holding back a joke about them being too short. "Do you have any?"

"Yes," Shaw answered, as she pulled a shirt over her head. "I'm not lending it to you for school, though. You can wear it to Harold's pool party."

"I'm excited for that." Root put her own shirt on. "Are you excited for winter break? It's only a few weeks now."

Shaw closed the drawer and walked back to the bed. "I'm not excited for midterms."

"Ew." Root shivered dramatically. "Midterms."

Snorting, Shaw climbed under the sheets, scooting close to Root . "Roll over."

Root did and Shaw snuggled up against her back, just like she had the last time. It was nice to be held, and Root knew she could get used to it. She reminded herself that this was all temporary and that Shaw might be gone before the summer started. It was hard to imagine high school without Shaw now. Root wanted to stay wrapped in her arms forever.

She wondered if she should feel different after she lost her virginity, but she didn't really. Something had changed, but she wasn't sure what it was. Her stomach, she realized. The pain that had been in her stomach since the beginning of the school year was gone. Instead, Root felt warm inside, and happy.

She was glad that it was gone. She'd felt out of sorts for over a month now. Shaw was changing her, she supposed. Root cared for someone now, even if it was just as a friend, and she'd opened up and been vulnerable with someone. It had been a long time since that happened. She pushed herself back into Shaw, and settled into bed. For the first time in a long time, Root felt safe.