Root wove her way down the street, the humid February air blowing her hair out of her face. She leaned to the side, steering her bike around a wet patch of road. The uneven Bishop streets were riddled with puddles after the last big rain. So far, the year had been very grey.

It had rained most days since New Year's. Luckily, Sameen's birthday had been clear, but it was looking like the Valentine's Day concert might get rained out. Root sighed as she turned the corner, pushing herself onto her toes. Her backpack bounced as she hit a bump.

She and Sameen were slowly making up. They'd been back together for a month and a half, but it could be awkward at times. Root wasn't back to normal, not really, and she knew Sameen was still a little angry at her. Root didn't blame her; she'd been pretty awful.

Root slowed to a stop in front of Lambert's Auto. Hopping off her bike, she sighed again. The whirring noises coming from the garage made her head hurt. Since her injury, everything was too loud and too quiet all at once. That's one of the reasons hiding away in the clubhouse had been nice. The only noise was the occasional train and various nature sounds. She'd been able to work on her new digital display and cry about life in peace.

She was adjusting, though, and it was nice to have friends to talk to again. Root leaned her bike against the building and walked inside, the overhead bell chiming loudly. The waiting room had been redone in the last couple of months and the new white tiles were blinding in the late afternoon sun.

"Hello, Sam," Mr. Lambert greeted from behind the front counter. "Haven't seen you here in a while."

"Hi, Mr. Lambert," Root smiled, her stomach turning at the use of her birthname. "I've been pretty busy. Is Sameen here?"

"She is," he nodded to the glass door leading into the garage. "You can go back, but don't be too distracting. I need that car done today."

Root nodded and crossed the room, heading out on the floor. She spotted Sameen's butt from across the floor and smiled. She'd missed watching Sameen work on cars, covered in sweat and grease. Hurrying over, Root kept her eyes fixed on Sameen and slipped her bag off her shoulders.

"Hey," she said, tossing her bag onto the work table, "how's it going?"

Sameen pulled her head out of the engine and turned around. A large black smudge ran from her temple to her jaw. She pulled a rag from her pocket and started wiping her hands.

"It's going," she shrugged. "You?"

"I'm alright." Root hopped up onto the table and took in her girlfriend. "You look good like this. Blue collar and butch."

"'Blue collar and butch?' Yikes," Sameen rolled her eyes.

Root laughed, kicking her feet. She watched as Sameen slipped her arms out of her coveralls and tied the sleeves around her waist. Her white A-frame was see-through with sweat and faded black grease on her upper arms accentuated Sameen's muscles. Root licked her lips. If she played her cards right, maybe Sameen would pick her up later.

"To what do I owe this visit?" Sameen asked, leaning back against the open car. "Or did I forget we had reading to do?"

"You did forget, but I came to ask talk about tonight. I think the concert is going to be rained out."

"Oh no," Sameen said, sarcastically, "how will we survive?"

"Right," Root nodded with a grin, "my thoughts exactly, but what do you want to do instead?"

"Well-"

"Shaw!" Mr. Lambert yelled from the door to the waiting room. "I need that car done before you leave! Don't just stand around yapping with your girlfriend!"

Sameen gave him the middle finger and turned back to the car.

"Grumpy asshole," she muttered, tossing her rag onto the floor and sticking her hands back into the engine. "He was nice enough not to fire me after Halloween, but he's still a prick."

Root pursed her lips. John had told her about what happened, how Sameen had beaten Lambert unconscious at Martine's house. Root had been working on her computer in the clubhouse and lost track of time. Honestly, she'd been planning to celebrate Halloween, but all the work she was doing in the train had distracted her.

She hadn't expected Sameen to get as mad as she had. Root expected her to just shrug and move on. They'd been friends for over two years now, but Root didn't always understand how Sameen handled emotions. Sometimes she felt nothing. Sometimes it was just a little bit. Sometimes she seemed to understand Root perfectly.

Of course, the past few months, Root had been acting strangely on purpose. How was Sameen supposed to understand her like that? Root ran her eyes over Sameen again. She tried to picture her hitting Lambert, the scrunch of her angry face, her muscles tense.

"Root?" Sameen asked, peeking over her shoulder, frowning. "You ok?"

Root flushed. "Uh. Yes. Sorry," She shook her head. "I was thinking about your hurting Lambert. I have to admit, the thought of you punching someone, knuckles bloody, teeth bared…It's kind of hot."

Sameen raised an eyebrow, straightening up. "Really? You like the thought of me almost killing someone?"

"I mean…" Root shrugged, half-grinning, "how sweaty were you?"

"Oh my god, stop," Sameen went back to working on the car. "I can't with you. Let's get back to tonight's plans."

Root sighed loudly. "Fine, but the next time you take on someone twice your size, call me."

"If you keep taking my calls, I'll keep calling you."

Taking a deep breath, Root looked away. She wasn't sure if that was meant to hurt her, but it did. Grinding her teeth, Root tried to let it go. It was an important day, their one year anniversary, and it was Valentine's Day. She could let Sameen get in a few shots; God knows, Root deserved it.

"I was thinking we could…Oh, wait," Root sighed. "If the concert is cancelled because of the rain, then we can't go to the hill either."

"We could do something indoors," Sameen suggested, holding a car part up to her face. "Roller skating? Movie night? We could just hang out in the treehouse."

"No," Root scratch the tabletop with her nail. "We always do that stuff. What about something new?"

"New?" Sameen tossed the part back into the car and moved to the workstation. She dug through her toolbox, brow furrowed. "There's that ice rink in Kingsville. We haven't been there."

"Oh no," Root laughed dryly. "I am too long to ice skate."

Sameen paused, hands buried in tools. Slowly, she turned to look at Root. "Too long? Is that a short joke?"

Root straightened her legs in front of her and wiggled her feet. "I'm a long lady, Sameen. All angles and awkward limbs. I have terrible balance."

Sameen smirked. "So…you're scared?"

"Not scared," Root frowned. "Cautious. I don't want to fall and break my butt."

"I'll protect you," Sameen assured her, lifting an arm and flexing. "I can catch you."

Staring at the dirty bicep, Root had to admit that sounded appealing. She shook her head.

"No. I'm saying no. I'll crush you and then we'll both break our butts."

Leaping forward, Sameen wrapped her arms around Root's waist and lifted her into the air. Sameen ran around the garage, Root hanging over her shoulder.

"See?" Sameen boasted, "I've got you!"

Root pounded her fists against Sameen's back, laughing. "Put me down! You're crazy!"

Sameen jogged back to her car and lowered Root's feet to the floor. Her strong arms stayed around Root's waist and she moved in close.

"Don't you trust me?" Sameen asked, blinking up at Root. "I'll never let you fall."

Root grinned down at her, flustered. She knew her shirt was getting dirty and Sameen smelled like steel and sweat, but Root didn't move away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Sameen's shoulders and lowered her head for a kiss.

Pulling away, she sighed softly. "Ok, Sameen. I'll go ice skating with you."

"Great!" Sameen slapped Root's butt and slid back to the car. "Let me just finish this up and we'll head out."

Shaw picked up a wrench as the door to the waiting room opened again. Mr. Lambert stuck his head out.

"Shaw!"

Sameen glared up at him, holding the wrench up. "Cool your jets! I'm working!"

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Root slowly pulled herself along the side of the rink, eyes glued to her feet. Beside her, Sameen skated with ease, smiling as she watched Root struggle.

"You know, you could just hold onto me," Sameen repeated for the fourth time. "I'll help you."

"No," Root gasped, fingers white on the railing, "I'm fine. This is fine!"

Sameen chuckled and shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Root sighed. She knew she was being silly, but she couldn't help it. Sameen was much closer to the ground than she was. Sameen glided ahead of her spun around gracefully, her ponytail blowing behind her. Root rolled her eyes.

"Ok. I'll trust you. Come here."

She reached out with one arm, wobbling slightly. Grinning, Sameen took Root's hand and pulled her out onto the ice. The edge was still within reach, so Root tried to relax. Even if Sameen let her fall, she could still grab onto the short wall.

"Take a deep breath, weirdo," Sameen joked, squeezing Root's hand. "The ice won't attack you."

"I know," Root said, slowly skating along, "logically, I know that, but falling hurts!"

Sameen just rolled her eyes and tugged Root forward. They'd had dinner after Sameen got out of work and then come straight to the ice rink. It had been disappointing to find out the place closed in a couple hours, but it hadn't started raining yet, so they could always do something else after.

Root eyed Sameen and wondered what to say. There were a lot of subjects that were hard to talk about, Root was discovering. The X-Files reminded them of the cake that had been ruined. Reading brought up Sameen's destroying Root's books.

"Do you have a letterman jacket?" Root asked, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"For soccer? No," Sameen shook her head, "but I have the letters."

Root raised her eyebrows. "They just gave you the letters and not the jacket?"

"It's so dumb," Sameen scoffed. "Bishop High can't afford to buy us all jackets, so they gave us the varsity letters and told us to do it ourselves."

"Wow. You should buy a jacket, so I can steal it."

"What?" Sameen asked. "Why?"

Root smiled down at her. "So, I can make everyone jealous! I'm dating the star of the soccer team, I should have something to show for it!"

"You have me, the star of the soccer team, to show for it. You don't need a jacket."

"Oh, come on!" Root turned to her, but lost her balance. "Oh no!"

Her feet slid out from under her, but Sameen's strong arms wrapped around her waist and kept her upright. Root's hands flew up to grab Sameen's shoulders. Their faces were so close their breaths mixed and Sameen ducked down to kiss Root.

Root's eyes fluttered shut and she lost herself in the warmth of Sameen. Whatever emotional struggles they were having, she could always trust her body to want Sameen. Her fingers brushed the back of Sameen's neck and the arms around her pulled her closer. Smiling, Root pulled away.

"Thanks," Root breathed, heart racing. Sameen's eyebrows raised and Root flushed. "For saving me. Not for kissing me. I mean, thanks for that, too, I guess."

Sameen smirked, smug. "I said I would, didn't I? I mean, save you."

"Oh, Sameen," Root grinned. "My hero! Next Halloween, you should be Wonder Woman!"

Sameen's eyes tightened and she stiffened. Halloween was one of their touchy subjects. Root stood up carefully and dropped her arms. She moved to lean against the side of the rink.

"How long do you think this is going to be awkward?" Root asked, quietly. She rested her hands on the short wall, looking off into the seating area. "Are we ever going to be able to talk again?"

Sameen skated to her and hopped up to sit next to Root's arms. Her blank expression gave nothing away as she watched the other skaters interact. After a moment, she shrugged.

"I think so. It's just…hard to think about. I was really mad at you."

"I know," Root nodded, scratching the top of the wall with her fingernail. "I'm mad at myself. The whole thing with Hanna-"

"Ugh," Sameen shook her head. "I'm declaring that topic off-limits for at least a year."

Root looked up at her, a smile tugging at her lips. "A whole year?"

"Yes," Sameen said, crossing her arms. Her nose scrunched up. "She's the worst and I hate her."

"She's your Tomas."

Sameen scratched her nose, looking confused. "Sure, but Hanna's worse."

Root scoffed and kicked the wall with her ice-skate. "Please. What happened with Tomas was way worse than what happened with Hanna."

"No way," Sameen protested. "I didn't cheat on you."

"I didn't cheat on you either!" Root rolled her eyes. "One, we were broken up and, two, she kissed me and I pulled away. You lied to me for months for no reason and dated someone else even though you knew I liked you."

Sameen hopped off the wall and squinted at Root. "Sure…But that's because I was working through some stuff. You hung out with Hanna to get back at me."

"And also because we're friends?" Root pushed her lips together. "I'm sorry, but lying to me all summer and then dating someone I have actual reason to hate is worse than my being upset at losing my mom and then being friends with someone you hate for petty reasons."

Sameen glared at her for a minute, obviously trying to think of a comeback. They'd never talked about Tomas after they'd made up. It had been relief to be friends again and Tomas had left them alone before graduating at the end of the year. Root had forgiven Sameen for that. She knew Sameen struggled with emotions and had needed the outlet. It was upsetting that Sameen couldn't see Root had needed the same thing.

"Alright," Sameen relented, "maybe Tomas was worse. Maybe."

"Thanks?" Root laughed. "I'll accept that."

She took Sameen's arm and tugged her onto the ice. Slowly, they started to skate again, Root clinging to Sameen and Sameen leading them along. This wasn't the end of the discussion, she knew, but it was nice to know Sameen was thinking about it now.

"So," Root started as they curved their way around the rink, "where did you learn to skate?"

Sameen's skates pushed against the ice with a scratch. "My parents taught me. In Prague."

The familiar image of a tiny Sameen formed in Root's head. It was always hard to picture Sameen younger, especially now that they were almost adults. Was Sameen ever a child? Did she skate between her parents, holding their hands?

"What's that look for?" Sameen asked, pulling Root back to the moment.

"Have I ever told you that it's impossible to imagine you young?"

"What?" Sameen frowned at her. "I was young. I was small."

"I'll resist pointing out that you're still small and instead ask what you looked like."

"Gee, thanks," Sameen rolled her eyes. She tugged Root around a curve before answering. "I had crazy hair. It was really curly and wild. My mom could tame it sometimes, but we usually just tied it back. I had chubby cheeks until 7th grade. I was so mad because everyone would call me cute."

"But Sameen," Root pouted, "you are cute!"

"Gross," Sameen mumbled, her cheeks turning pink. "I'm tired of skating. What's next?"

Root laughed at Sameen's unsubtle attempt to change the subject. She'd missed her so much. She'd missed how easy it was to tease her and how happy Sameen made her.

"I know where we can go."

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Sameen stared up at the cloudy sky, the grass tickling her back. It was too cloudy to see the stars over the hill, but Root was holding her hand and that was exciting enough. She turned her head to look at Root, barely visible in the darkness. Her eyes were closed as the damp air blew across her face.

Sameen couldn't believe they were already a month and a half into the new year. It felt like only days had passed since she and Root had made up. They were doing the things they'd always done, but it felt different now, more deliberate. She felt every choice she made mattered now.

The sound of thunder floated to them on the wind. Sameen sat up, keeping her grip on Root's hand. She pulled her knees to her chest and looked around, squinting. Without the moon, it was too dark to see anything.

"Hey, Sameen?" Root's voice asked from behind her. "Do you really think you'll go to med school?"

Sameen turned around to face Root, crossing her legs in front of her. "I'm planning on it. Why?"

Root shrugged, her eyes still closed. "No reason."

"Root," Sameen poked Root's side, making her giggle, "Why do you ask?"

Finally, Root opened her eyes, but didn't look at Sameen. "I was wondering…Do you want to go to college near each other?"

Sameen lay down again, stretching out on hill, her shoulder pressed to Root's. "Sure. Why wouldn't we?" Her stomach tensed. "Unless you want to break up after we graduate?"

Root pulled her hand from Sameen's and rolled onto her side, lazily laying her leg over Sameen's. Her face was soft and Sameen couldn't stop herself from reaching up and running a hand over her cheek. Root leaned against her, turning her face to speak into Sameen's palm.

"I don't ever want to break up with you again," she mumbled, eyes on Sameen. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Sameen whispered back, her voice barely audible over a clap of thunder. "Even though you're a mess."

"I'm a mess?" Root asked, incredulous. "I'm a victim of circumstances. You're the mess!"

A smile tugged at Sameen's lips and she sat up, pushing her lips against Root's. She kept pushing until Root's back hit the ground and Sameen hovered above her. Root's mouth split into a grin and Sameen pulled away.

"Ok," Root giggled, "A mess who knows how to kiss."

Sameen ran her hand down Root's side and along her smooth bare legs. Root was perfect, long and pale and vibrating with energy. Sameen drank her in, trying to memorize her face. She couldn't tell what she felt at the moment, but she knew it was something nice.

Leaning forward, she brushed her lips against Root's, sighing into her mouth. Root's head tilted back, her dark hair disappearing into the grass, her skin glowing in a flash of lightning. Fingers ran over Sameen's back and Root's nails scratched along her spine. A loud crack of thunder shook the ground and the sky opened up, drenching them both immediately.

"Sameen!" Root screamed, hurrying to her feet.

They ran down the hill as fast as they could, the wet ground making the descent dangerous. Sameen reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys. Reaching the ground, she slammed into the driver's side door and pushed her key into the lock.

The light in the car turned on as she yanked the door open. Leaping inside, she reached across the seats to unlock Root's door. Root jumped inside, closing her door behind her. The silence in the car was loud as the rain pounded down against the windows. Sameen ran a hand over her ponytail, water pouring onto the leather seats.

"Are there still towels in here?" Root asked, yanking her sneakers off. "We should dry your seats."

"No," Sameen replied, kicking her own shoes off. "I took all that stuff out. All that's back there is Lionel's sweaty gym bag."

"Gross," Root laughed, leaning her head against the window. "How's he doing? I haven't talked to him lately, but he looks good."

Sameen shrugged and pulled her shirt off, tossing it into the back seat. Her damp cotton sports bra, clung to her skin.

"He's fine. A little mad that it's harder for him to get fit than for me and John."

"Understandable," Root nodded, smiling tiredly. "Not all of us can look like Greek gods."

Sameen smirked, clenching her abs. Root's eyes dropped to her stomach and her eyes fluttered. Carefully, Sameen climbed over the armrests, settling into Root's lap and wrapping her arms around Root's neck.

"You think I'm hot?" she smirked, pressing herself against Root and trapping her against the seat. Sameen tilted her head, wet hair dripping down onto Root's thigh. "You think I look like a god?"

Root's breath hitched and her fingers twitched against Sameen's side. Her hands climbed higher and Sameen drew a breath as they slid under her bra. Sameen shifted, twisting her fingers into Root's tangled hair and tugging softly.

Root's head fell back, her mouth dropping open. Dipping down, Sameen bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, then licked the sore spot. Root's whimper echoed through her chest and her hips jerked forward.

"You're pretty hot, too," Sameen whispered into Root's mouth, leaning back when Root tried to kiss her. "I want you to touch me."

Root pushed forward, crushing their lips together and slamming Sameen against the dashboard. Pain shot through her back and Sameen gasped. Her voice caught in her through when Root bit her neck, her hands behind Sameen's back, supporting her.

Root pulled away and looked at Sameen, eyes dark. "Let's go home. Do this in a bed."

Nodding, Sameen climbed back into the driver's seat and pushed the keys into the ignition. She stepped on the clutch, shifted into reverse, and slammed the gas. Laughing, she turned her headlights on.

"Please don't kill us!" Root cried, fumbling as she put her seatbelt on. "There's no sex when you're dead."

Sameen just rolled her eyes and buckled her own seatbelt as they raced towards home. She glanced over at Root, running her eyes over the legs propped up against the window.

"Hey, Root?"

Root's turned her head to look at Sameen. "Yeah?"

"Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Anniversary, Sameen."