Shaw looked warily up through her eyelashes, casting her gaze toward the couch. Root was in the same position, playing at casual and relaxed. But Shaw wasn't buying it. Nothing about Root was casual. Never had been, but especially not now.
The gloves had come off. Shaw finally told her what she wanted to hear, had opened the door to her, and now she couldn't close it. Root wasn't content with the one night. She'd been actively trying to seduce Shaw ever since. She only just toed the line on aggressive. Where she wasn't all over Shaw, she found every reason possible to get close, and if she could, to touch her. She hadn't tried climbing into Shaw's bed in the middle of the night, but she talked about it. Actually, she talked about it, and sex, and Shaw, at every opportunity. She also wore very little clothing. When Shaw called her on it, she'd acted confused and pretended it was no big deal. In her words, Shaw had already seen her naked, so why continue with pretenses?
Which was technically true. And she had very carefully avoided picturing her like that ever since. But Root parading around in her underwear wasn't helping. Even when she wasn't pushing Shaw, just playing the role of temptress more than anything else, it was driving her crazy. She hadn't intended for the first time to happen, and while she hadn't regretted it, that didn't mean she wanted more. Well, she kind of did, but she had rules on that for a reason. It had been fun, and a much-needed release, and even a little revelatory, but that was the end of it.
Not if Root had her say. Today alone, she'd found a half dozen reasons to brush her fingers against Shaw's skin, in addition to pressing herself up against her ass to get something from a cabinet that Shaw very much doubted she needed. Also, she'd been walking around in just an oversized t-shirt and a lacy thong since this morning. Right now, she was spread out on her stomach, taking up the entire couch while she read a book. Her long legs were crossed in the air behind her, curling enticingly over her ass, on display with the way her shirt was riding up. It was, every inch of her, completely intentional. And while Shaw hadn't caught her looking for a reaction, Shaw knew she wanted one. She wasn't planning to give one, but she felt she had to be extra careful now not to do anything that might be misconstrued.
She couldn't deny that it was tempting. Her one night with Root had satiated her hunger at the time, but it also woke up a new hunger. One Shaw never anticipated and couldn't seem to be rid of. She didn't think she'd discovered a sudden attraction to women; Root was still the only one of the female species that had ever enticed her. And it was a combination of knowing what she could to do Shaw that appealed and also...just her.
Root was an unusual sort, there was no question. Shaw had known that the day they met. Since then, she'd found her to be well-suited to deal with Shaw's moodiness, adept at dodging her personality flaws, and fun to banter with. On top of that, she was interesting. Shaw didn't find very many people interesting, but Root was multi-layered in ways she was still coming to understand. Even when Shaw was annoyed because she was talking too much, she at least had intelligent and unexpected things to say. She was incapable of being boring.
Shaw had come to like living with her. It wasn't the easy thing she'd had with John, but that was okay. It was different, but not bad. More heated, both of them stubborn and opinionated. But also more fun. John was a quiet guy, and that had worked for her, but Root was funny and bitchy and too smart for her own good.
So the sex was good. Great, even. That should have been the end of it. But now Shaw found herself thinking of how much more they could enjoy living together. Sex like that was worth a repeat. Maybe more than one.
Which was exactly why she wasn't doing it. Dangerous territory to get into. Sure, it was fun at first. But when it wasn't anymore? When one or both of them wanted to go back to being just roommates? How would that work? What if it caused strife? Or just her luck, Root would get attached and start to want more. She didn't seem the type, but Shaw was still wary of it.
No, it was better this way. And Root's seductions would fade with time. Not that Shaw would go so far as to assume she just wouldn't be attracted to her anymore, she couldn't know that. But she wouldn't put in this much effort if Shaw never reciprocated.
Shaw glanced up again, a careful, measured action designed to be easily disguised if Root turned out to be looking back. She wasn't. Either she was very confident that her actions would get the result she wanted, or this wasn't seduction at all. Shaw was one hundred percent on the former. Cocky bitch. Would probably do her some good to be rejected for once. Shaw had already inflated her ego by sleeping with her. No need to make it worse.
This continued for days. Shaw was not a patient person, but it wasn't worth a confrontation, either. Root was careful with the boundaries she crossed, always knowing when to pull away, when to dial it back. It almost annoyed Shaw that she was so astute. For now, the pros of keeping her around outweighed the pros of kicking her out. And roommate shopping. Ugh. Shaw was willing to do anything to not go through that again. Possibly even sleep with Root again, if that was what it came to. Not that she pictured Root drawing that particular line in the sand. But if she did, to go there in comparison to her other option...
Shaw leaned back against the counter and watched Root in amusement. Today she was in a sheer tank top and no bra and cheeky underwear made of some silky material that clung to her skin and criss-crossed over her ass. Admittedly, it made Shaw want to slide her hands under those strings. And the stark black color on her pale skin was striking enough to draw the gaze, as if her ass wasn't already eye-catching enough. She was really pulling out all the stops now.
Shaw just continued to refuse to engage.
Root bent over to look in the fridge, her legs ramrod straight. Shaw snickered. Her next move was to brush up against Shaw as she passed her, her ass over Shaw's stomach, as if it wasn't intentional. Shaw pinched her, just for a reaction, and was rewarded with a surprised squeak. Root shot an alluring smirk over her shoulder, which just made Shaw want to do it again until she drew blood. Only minutes later, Root was pretending to need something in a cabinet behind Shaw. She didn't bother to stop her or shift away; Root would just follow. This was a tired move, except Root never seemed to tire of it, despite it never eliciting any reaction from Shaw. She kind of liked that press of her body, though, even if nothing was going to happen.
Truthfully, she enjoyed most of it. Such as the great view. She didn't need to sleep with Root to get something out of her little show. And there was no harm in looking. Root was so eager to put it on display, hoping to draw Shaw's eyes. So she looked, and she appreciated, and if she sometimes pictured Root when she was masturbating, so what? No harm, no foul.
Shaw tapped her plastic spoon against her teeth, her pudding forgotten with Root's barely-covered breasts in her face. Root came down from her tiptoes with whatever it was she was reaching for in her hand, bringing her face down to Shaw's. When she didn't immediately move away, Shaw smirked at her. "Cute. And what is this supposed to get you, exactly?" She cocked her head to one side.
Root smirked back. "Get me? Whatever do you mean?"
Shaw rolled her eyes. "Not cute. We both know what you're doing by now, as if it wasn't already clear."
"Doing?" Root's eyes twinkled at her.
"We fucked, Root. We both got what we wanted. Now, get over it."
She pouted. Actually pouted; full-on, bottom lip out, eyes wide, everything. "You think you're so easy to get over?" Shaw didn't answer. "You changed my life, Sam." She arched, pressing their breasts together. "Can you blame me for being a little hung-up?"
"Yes," she replied quickly, but still didn't push her away. "Unhang, now."
Root giggled, her teeth catching on her lower lip. "But I like it here," she whispered, rolling her hips a little. Shaw had to work not to visibly react, not to clench her jaw the way she wanted to.
"Root."
"Sameen."
Shaw sighed, finally putting space between them, tired of that little smirk staring at her. She really did think she was going to win this. Shaw might have dug her elbow into Root's ribs a little harder than she needed to. But better that than risk putting hands on her. She stalked into her bedroom, seeking the only safety she had left.
It wasn't a permanent fix, though. Even with her best efforts, she could only avoid Root for so long. She was cornered again that same day, er, night. Midnight, to be more precise. She snuck out for a late-night snack, and apparently, Root had been awake and heard her. When Shaw turned around and saw her, she found her in just the underwear now. The bite in her throat got stuck for painfully long seconds. "What are you doing?"
"Can't sleep," Root whispered. Like there was someone else around to hear them in the middle of the night.
Shaw shook her head. "Mhm. And the lack of clothing?"
Root glanced down as if she hadn't realized she was basically naked. "Oh. Sorry. I sleep nude most of the time."
Convenient. Shaw just rolled her eyes. "Are you just going to wear less and less in the hopes that I will fuck you again?"
"Why? Will that work?" She grinned, her teeth flashing in the dark room, lit only by the dim light over the stove. Her smile wasn't the usual, though, not as...blinding. There was none of her usual cockiness behind it.
Shaw just shook her head slowly.
"Too bad." Root didn't seem disappointed, or even defeated. Just...less flirty. For a moment. She edged closer. "I was thinking of you."
Shaw tried not to draw a line between that statement and her lack of clothing, but her brain went there anyway. "Shocker," she said after far too long.
"I wasn't," Root said, as if she knew what Shaw was thinking. "Thinking of that. I was actually just...thinking of you." She closed most of the few remaining inches between them. "I find I don't enjoy talking to most people. You aren't most people."
"I like to think not," Shaw said cautiously.
Root stole a bit of her sandwich, pressing it past her lips, her tongue flicking out to catch crumbs. Shaw didn't protest, too busy fighting the need to stare at her mouth, her breasts, to not pull her closer the way she wanted to. Fuck, she hoped Root couldn't tell. But Root was tired and distracted and for the first time in weeks, wasn't in seduce mode. Somehow, it was the most irresistible she'd been to Shaw so far.
"You're easy to talk to."
"And what did you want to talk about?" Shaw asked, mostly just to have a response of some kind.
Root smiled softly. "I don't know. Anything." She stole another bite. "You don't seem to be sleeping, either."
"I guess not." But she didn't have anything on her mind. Besides Root. Which she would not say aloud.
Root had never asked her for conversation before. She just...made it. She always had something to talk about, and she was pretty good about drawing responses from Shaw, no matter the subject. But she'd never asked Shaw to start, asked her to pick the topic. Shaw didn't know how to do that. And so, lost in this, she said nothing.
"Do you have family?"
Shaw furrowed her brow at the question. Root rarely asked anything personal about her. Shaw did the same, and that worked for them. They didn't dig with each other. Their get-to-know-you had been built on actually living together, on fighting over what to get for take-out, joking about sex, and debating the idea of a moral compass. They'd connected on intelligence and straightforwardness and pushing each other. She didn't even know Root's last name.
"No."
"Do you miss them?"
"No."
"You don't get lonely?"
Shaw bit her tongue so as not to snap. But Root's far-off expression suggested she might not even be really looking for an answer.
"Same for me. But sometimes...sometimes I feel kind of empty, like I'm missing something. I don't know if that's loneliness. I know the family I was given would be useless at filling it. But still." She took another piece of bread while Shaw stared at her like she was an alien.
"Some people think you can just make your own family. You know, choose the people who are important to you, who value you, and make them like family. Have you ever had anyone like that?"
Shaw had no idea what was happening right in front of her. So she simply said, "No."
"Me neither." Root sighed. "I just want to feel connected to someone...someday. I think it would be nice to know you always have that one person you can count on. Someone who really...gets me," she finished softly.
Shaw didn't have a response for that, and she still wasn't sure what was going on, or if she was even truly awake.
Root didn't seem to care. She just met Shaw's eyes for the first time since approaching her and smiled softly in a way Shaw didn't understand. She bent down and brushed a kiss against Shaw's skin, not quite meeting her mouth. Shaw was too stunned and confused to stop her. "Goodnight, Sam," she whispered.
And then she was gone, and Shaw was left to wonder again if she was dreaming. She honestly couldn't tell. With a disgusted sigh, she gave up on her snack and crawled back into her own bed. She dreamt of sad eyes and even sadder kisses.