"Have you seen a package lying around here?"

"For the tenth time, no."

Root sighed theatrically. "I asked you yesterday, Sam. Today is a new day."

"In which I still have not seen your package," Shaw shot back, not looking up from her textbook. In a sudden fit of curiosity, she asked, "What is it anyway? Why is it so important?"

"New software for a program I'm working on. Very expensive software." Root leaned one hand on the kitchen chair beside her, the other on her hip. "It should have been here by now. Or so tracking said..."

"Sorry. Can't help you." Shaw dropped back against the couch, temporarily abandoning her assignment.

Root sauntered over to join her on the floor, dejected and sullen. "I'm bored." Shaw rolled her eyes. In retaliation, or just for fun, Root threw her long, bare legs over Shaw's lap. "Let's go out."

Shaw raised her eyebrows pointedly in Root's direction as she shoved her legs away. She ignored how good her soft, warm skin felt as she did it. "I have to finish this."

Root peered over at her work. "Uh-huh. You're the epitome of focus and progress."

"Shut up." There was no bite in her words, though. She wasn't wrong. The project was boring and tedious, and going out sounded much more entertaining. Especially if she was going with Root.

It'd been three months since their hook-up. Life had pretty much gone back to normal, except it came along with the continued addition of Root's constant displays of skin and intensified flirting. But Shaw had held firm and pretended nothing had changed. Root was learning to play along, albeit while still in her new, seductress personality. But she was ever so slightly less...pushy. It helped. Other than going through two sets of batteries in her vibrator, Shaw was fine.

And between the new tension in the house and her ever-increasing workload with school, getting out sounded better and better the longer she thought about it. She could use to cut loose. Preferably with shots, something skintight, and Root grinding against her on a dance floor. Yep.

"Find us a party, I'm in."

Root cheered, rising back to her feet and taking her tempting heat with her. Shaw almost lamented the loss. Almost. Instead, she pretended to focus on her work, needing something other than Root to occupy her mind. The only perk to her course load and the worsening difficulty level was that it gave her something to do that wasn't fantasize about Root. She had thought by now, it wouldn't be so bad. At best, she'd be long over Root and have moved on to other partners, and at worst, she'd be lacking in suitable other partners, still craving Root, and on her way back to what had gotten her backed into a corner in the first place. Instead, she was somewhere in the middle. She wasn't desperate, not the way she was before, but her desire for Root seemed impossibly stronger. Maybe it was because Root was trying so hard and Shaw was denying them both, perhaps living together made it worse. Maybe it was the gun imagery. She told herself that it did make sense, and she just needed to give it more time.

Hooking up hadn't changed anything on that front. She'd met someone a week ago and gone home with him. It had been okay. Good, but not earth-shattering. And it hadn't made even a dent in her other problem. She was guessing she couldn't erase Root with sheer number of other partners. Not that she wasn't willing to try. If she was lucky, she'd meet someone tonight. It would be good to give it another go, especially since Tomas seemed officially off the table. And maybe, this one was better than the last, she could finally stop picturing Root on her knees every damn time she got in the shower.

If Root was hooking up with anyone, Shaw couldn't tell. She didn't bring anyone home, and while Shaw didn't monitor her movements, she was pretty sure Root had been spending every night in her own bed. Maybe if she found someone, too, she'd back off. Shaw could certainly dream.

There had been no more weird, midnight conversations, either. Shaw still wasn't sure she hadn't dreamed that. She'd never seen Root like that, never heard her talk like...well, like a normal empath. Root had feelings like every other human Shaw didn't understand, but she didn't use or display them in the same way. So to hear her whisper longings about what sounded almost like finding a soulmate in a dark room in the middle of the night...Shaw didn't even know where to start. And so she hadn't brought it up in the weeks since. It was easier to pretend it had been just a dream.

"Shaw! Get your sweet ass dressed!"

At Root's call from the bedroom, Shaw dropped her work for good. Finally. She tore into her closet for her favorite outfit and boots, throwing her hair up into a sleek ponytail. Root appeared in her doorway as she was putting on mascara.

"Ready?"

"Almost." She peered at Root's reflection. "That was fast. You're usually primping for like, an hour."

"Am not," she protested. "Just because I take longer than you doesn't mean I'm a beauty queen."

"Whatever." She tossed the tube onto her nightstand. "Now I'm ready."

Root eyed her appreciatively, giving Shaw her own opportunity to admire Root's outfit. It was indeed skintight. And short. And ended in a skirt. She couldn't help but think, Easy access. She shook away the idea and the images it wanted to bring to mind.

"Well, let's go already." Shaw marched to the door without looking back.

The party was in full swing when they arrived. Shaw was instantly more relaxed. She moved easily with the thumping beat as they threaded through the crowd. Root hooked two fingers into a belt loop to keep them together. When they stopped at the drink table, Root pressed into her from behind, molding their bodies together. Pushing her away would only encourage her, so Shaw pretended not to care and reached for two cups.

"Only one for me, gorgeous. I need to stay sober tonight."

Shaw snorted at the words pressed right into her ear. She blamed the way the music threaded through Root's voice for how sensual it sounded. She tilted her head to yell back, "Why? That's no fun!"

Root's lips brushed her ear again. "Because you want me to behave. Because I'm horny, and alcohol makes it worse." Her tongue flickered out, a touch so brief it could be missed. "Still want me to behave?"

Shaw's one-word answer earned an unbothered, "Then I stay sober."

She handed Root the drink, turning to face her in the same motion. Along with the alcohol came the sage advice, "You should try getting laid."

Root smirked. "Haven't I done that?"

"Maybe with someone who is also interested?"

Root leaned closer, even as she replied, "That's what I came here to do."

Shaw laughed. "You might want to start by ungluing yourself from me!"

She pouted down at Shaw. "But you feel so good!" Her hand ran up Shaw's torso teasingly.

Now she was rolling her eyes. "Go find a playmate, Root."

Root laughed begrudgingly, but before she could move, a six-foot giant shoved in beside them, eyeing them both like they were his candy. "Are you lesbians?" he shouted.

Root and Shaw exchanged a look.

The blind man continued on, "Because I think you're too hot to be lesbians!"

"I doubt you think much," Root mumbled into her drink.

Shaw bit her lip to keep from smiling and told the wannabe linebacker, "There's no such thing, asshole."

He seemed confused, but got over it quickly and added, "The girl-on-girl thing is hot, though!" He waggled his eyebrows, as if they were looking for his approval. "Will you make out for me?"

Shaw snarled as Root's head whipped up. "We are not here to entertain you!" she declared.

He was undeterred. "C'mon, at least dance!"

"Fuck off, dumbass!" Shaw shot back. "Even if we were here to pick up a couple of guys, you wouldn't be one of them!"

His attitude flipped on a dime. "No need to be a bitch." Shaw and Root exchanged a look that said 'who, us?'. "Just a couple of fucking prudes," he spat, before turning and muscling through the crowd.

Root looked down at Shaw again, a thick silence pressing between them. And then they both burst out laughing. In between gasping breaths, Root asked disbelieving, "Did he just simultaneously judge our sexuality, insult our looks while trying to compliment us, ask us if we were teasing him, beg for more, and then call the supposed lesbians slash teases...prudes?"

Her words were scattered with laughter, too high and too far apart to make much sense, but Shaw managed to follow. And through her own laughter, she nodded and said, "I think he did! All of it! In like, three sentences! How're we lesbians and/or random women who are gonna just make out for him, and prudes?"

Root shook her head, still gasping for air. "And we're the problem here?"

"No, just the bitches!"

That set off a whole new round of laughter. By the time they calmed, they were breathless and red-faced. Root was still pressing Shaw into the table, only now, her hands had at some point wandered behind Shaw, down into her back pockets. She really did take every opportunity, didn't she?

But she was serious about getting Root laid, and she herself was now aching for someone to leave with. They could use a night apart from each other. So she put space between them, already reaching for another drink. She most definitely was getting drunk tonight.

"Playmate. You. Now."

Root smirked like she'd just shown her hand. "But we're having so much fun." Shaw glared. "Fine, fine. But I still want to dance."

Shaw nodded, not willing to fight that battle. Plus, Root remained her preferred dance partner. Even when she knew she should keep that distance between them. It was too much fun, and she was so good at it.

With her fresh drink, Shaw started making her own rounds. She realized quickly that a lot of people were already paired up. The first single man she spotted was someone she shared a class with, and knew for a fact was not actually single. His girlfriend was with family, she'd heard, some type of emergency. Even if she wanted to go there, he wouldn't; he was madly in love. The second was the douche who had verbally assaulted her and Root. This was going real well...

She managed to insert herself between two jocks just as her drink was running low, but noticed after only a few moments that they were more interested in each other than her. Damn. She made a half-hearted attempt to excuse herself and moved on.

With her third drink in hand, she surveyed the room dejectedly. Her options sucked tonight. Maybe it would be better to ditch Root and go somewhere else. Another party, perhaps, as this one was clearly a dud, or a bar. She didn't care which right now, so long as she could find a single and straight male.

Another glance around didn't find Root. Hopefully, she could take that as a sign that she was off getting some. One less thing for Shaw to worry about. At this rate, she half-expected Root to just climb into her bed in the middle of the night. She wouldn't put it past her. And Shaw wasn't sure she would say no, in the moment.

She slammed her drink back and got another. Just as she was lifting it to her mouth, a pair of arms encircled her. Only the familiar weight in the pit of her stomach at that touch saved the owner of those arms some serious pain. "Whoa there! Slow down on the hard stuff!"

Shaw pushed Root's arms away, but they came right back. Annoyance filled her. She was horny and couldn't find company other than that of the one person she didn't want. Well, that was disingenuous. She did want. The weight in her stomach was only growing, sinking lower and becoming something warm and pleasant. It wasn't a new sensation anymore, foreign and unexpected, but it was strong tonight. Playing off the alcohol and her own need and begging her to do something she would regret later. She'd meant it when she said this wouldn't become a thing for her. Roommate. Not fuck-buddy. Too many potential issues.

"The hard stuff is the only interesting thing at this party!" she shouted back.

Root didn't actually care if she drank, judging by the way she moved on quickly, tugging Shaw toward the mass of writhing bodies. "Dance with me!"

Shaw didn't say no, because dancing with Root was the one fun thing she had in front of her tonight. Yeah, she was concerned it would encourage Root, but higher function quickly reassured that part of her Root was already encouraged by literally everything Shaw did. Since she couldn't win on that front, she might as well get from it what she could.

Root had either drunk more than she'd said she would, or she was too far gone on something else, because she was extra handsy and a bit of a clumsy dancer tonight. Shaw had to keep grabbing her hips to guide her, which, in hindsight, might have been intentional on Root's part. Her own hands were back on Shaw's ass. Sometimes they wandered elsewhere, and Shaw only swatted her away when she got close to her chest. Root bucked drunkenly against her thigh, sweat beading on her chest. Shaw resisted the urge to lick her. She spun her around to take the temptation away, leading Root to grind her ass into her while Shaw pressed her chest into her back. Root seemed content to take Shaw's directions, moving as easily with her commands as she did the music.

The ache in her body worsened with Root so close, with every roll of her hips. But she couldn't stop. For just a moment, for just this short period of time, she didn't want to stop. She wanted to enjoy this. She wanted to luxuriate in how good Root felt. She wanted to feel like she could want her.

But it had to end eventually. It always did. And tonight, it was when someone else cut in. The statuesque blonde didn't seem Root's type, but what did she know? Even as she selfishly hoped to keep Root to herself, she pushed her toward the other woman. Root glanced over her shoulder, detecting the clear 'go for it', but double-checking anyway. Shaw just nodded once and moved away.

She could push Root toward someone else and let nature take its course, but she didn't want to watch. How unfair would that be, when only one of them was getting any? Something that felt kind of like how she'd heard jealousy described grew in her chest. But she ignored it and got another drink.

Two sips in, and she was being approached by her own blonde. He was tall, thick in the shoulders, and carried himself with confidence. Just her type. Shaw forced herself to look interested.

"Here alone?" he opened.

"Yep."

His crooked grin grew. "Imagine that. So am I."

Shaw bit back her immediate response, which wasn't likely to lead to where this was supposed to go. Instead, she said, "Imagine that. And...now what?" She tilted her head to one side.

"Now I think we should share a dance." He held out a hand.

Shaw didn't feel all that much like dancing anymore. But a little moving to some music could allude to what kind of potential lover she had in front of her, and so she took his hand. It was a little sweaty, but she was fine to overlook that. In this overpacked room, everyone was too hot, and her own grooving with Root mere minutes ago hadn't helped her state of things, either.

Mister Nameless drew her close and started moving their bodies. She took it as a good sign that he didn't feel the need to exchange names or other pleasantries. Hell, she might not even bother going home with him. She could find a dark corner or his car or an alleyway and get what she needed.

His dancing was almost on par with his looks, and finally, Shaw was feeling hopeful. Root wouldn't be the only one satiating certain needs tonight after all. And come morning, they'd both be feeling like themselves again.

Her partner leaned down and told her, "I'm going to go get a drink?"

She noticed he didn't offer her one. But she just nodded. She'd probably had enough to drink already anyway. The crowd in front of her shifted, allowing her a glimpse of Root from across the room. She was leaning against a wall, her blonde friend way more than friendly close. The stranger leaned in to say something to her, something that made Root grin and lean toward her, her hand on her shoulder. Her head ducked the way it did when she was holding in laughter, and when it rose again, Shaw knew her eyes were shiny with amusement. Root laughed much easier than she did, which never bothered her, but she was playing it up for this woman. To draw her in? Shaw couldn't tell from where she stood. And she was most definitely not going to go over there to try to find out if she was faking or genuinely liked her. Another stab in her chest that she ignored.

She lost sight of them and took it as a sign. A moment later, with her back to that side of the room, there was no way for her to witness any further interactions. She could fucking marry the bitch, if she wanted to. It changed nothing. Even if she was pretty sure Root wasn't the marrying sort...

"I'm back," was announced unhelpfully as her quarry returned. Shaw eyed him up and down, trying to make a decision. "Oh, uh...did you want one?" He gestured to his beer.

Now he asks? Shaw didn't need some hot guy fetching her drinks so she'd go home with him, but offering after the fact just feels idiotic. She bit her tongue and shook her head.

Reassured, he smiled widely. "You're a great dancer!" Mhm, sure. "Did you ever take lessons?"

They were shaking ass to hip-hop at a frat party, not practicing ballet or a contemporary jazz routine. But all she said was, "No."

Her one-word answer didn't seem to discourage him. "Well, you look good," he told her. She knew she did. But she didn't need his compliments any more than she needed him to fetch her a drink. Shaw stopped contemplating and pulled him down to kiss her.

She was aggressive, going tongue-first and hoping he didn't slobber. He was happy to play along, pulling her close and kissing her back with equal fervor. No slobber, thank heavens. Shaw let his hands drift down a little farther, let him know he could push some boundaries. They were headed in the right direction.

Until he was torn away from her like she was the baby and he was the candy. Standing between them was a five-nothing brunette who was clearly stronger than she looked. "Look, bitch," she spat, "I don't know who you are, but he's taken."

"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me." She looks over the newcomer's shoulder to her dance partner. "Really?"

The would-be cheater was fire-engine red and wouldn't look at her. Pathetic.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" The woman moved to shove Shaw, but all it got her was her wrist caught in a painful grip and a glare strong enough to wither most full-grown men. Yeah, she was stronger than she looked, too.

"Don't. Don't talk to me at all. Why don't you save it for the asshole who is cheating on you, and not waste it on the person who didn't know what he was doing?" She falters, and Shaw looks him over one last time. "I'm suddenly really uninterested, anyway."

She casts her glare around them at those who have taken interest in the spectacle, and each one of them shies away from her harsh look. She scowled and headed for the exit.

But she didn't try to find another party, nor head for a bar. Her fire is unexpectedly cool now, almost completely extinguished. All of a sudden, the idea of searching for a suitable partner just seems so exhausting. They're all taken, taken and pretending not to be, misogynistic, or something else too grievous to overlook. She wanted sex, not drama.

Shaw went straight home. A hot shower, food, and bed, in that order, sounded like the only way she wanted to end her evening.

She was just biting into her sandwich when Root stumbled in. She no longer looked drunk or horny; in fact, she seemed as tired as Shaw. Immediately Shaw just knew she wasn't stumbling home after a hook-up. She just didn't know why.

Root got as far as closing the door and toeing her boots off, but then she just stopped, like she wasn't sure what came next. She watched Shaw eat, bland and disinterested. Actually, Shaw wasn't even sure she was watching her, so much as staring off into space in her general direction.

Shaw went first. "Didn't think I'd see you tonight."

"Me neither."

For a moment, no one said anything, and then Root, as if realizing something, straightened and asked, "You didn't make any friends?"

Shaw snorted. "More like enemies," she mumbled into her next bite.

"Tell me about it," Root replied in a vague way that had Shaw wanting to know more. She dropped her jacket and shuffled into the kitchen.

Shaw offered to share the last brownie from the latest batch, wondering if it would make Root smile. It did.

The chocolate seemed to revitalize her a little, or perhaps it was the sharing, Shaw couldn't tell. But not even Root's brownies could wake either of them back up. The night had disappointed them, leaving them to go home alone and eat chocolate. It sounded so dumb and cliche that it made Shaw want to roll her eyes.

Instead, she asked, "What happened to your friend?"

"She was boring," Root replied easily, as if she didn't care. There's no music to shout over anymore, but that doesn't stop Root from leaning to whisper, "I can only stand so much small talk." Was that meant to allude that she hadn't been as ready for action as Root was? Maybe she was the type for exchanging names. Root pulled back and looked at her appraisingly, appreciation in her gaze, skating over Shaw's sleep shorts and tank top. "But you're not boring." Shaw rolled her eyes out of habit. And then Root asked, "Why didn't you take me home?"

"Root." Maybe she shouldn't have given her the chocolate. Her come hither expression is familiar, if muted, and doesn't change with the warning in her tone. "We talked about this."

"No, actually, I don't think we did."

She's right. They didn't. Because Shaw doesn't like the talking part. There had been teasing and flirting and innuendos galore, with lots of artful dodging on Shaw's part. But no talking. There had been no direct conversation surrounding that night since that night. Which was how Shaw preferred it. They'd woken up the next morning, well, afternoon, and gone about their days, and that had been it. But Root had made it perfectly clear, repeatedly and at every opportunity, that she was game for a repeat. So far, Shaw was mostly just pretending not to notice the invitations. That didn't count as a conversation, no matter how clear her actions might technically be.

"Wanna talk about it?" Shaw doesn't wait to see what she has to say to that healthy dose of sarcasm. She just balls up her napkin and drops it to the plate, adding, "Fine, this is us talking about it. I needed sex. You gave me sex. We were both left very satisfied. Finite."

Root laughed quietly, the sound somehow managing to flood Shaw with heat. "Finite? Cute." Shaw ground her teeth. "But no, not so much. I mean, yes, mostly. Sort of. First of all, in case I wasn't clear, yes, I was very satisfied. See, the thing about true satisfaction, good, hit-where-you-really-need-it kind? It can leave a craving." Before Shaw could come up with something witty, she went on. "The satisfaction fades, and in its place is the same horniness. Only, now I know exactly what I want." She met Shaw's eyes, her long lashes playing over brown irises. "I know what she feels like. Sounds like. Tastes like." Shaw's body agreed heartily with every word. "I know how good it is. And how much more I want it."

It took Shaw far longer than she'd have liked to find her voice. "Anyone ever tell you that you can't have everything you want?"

"All my life," Root said with a wry smile that hinted at a past Shaw knew little about. "But I have never been very good at backing down."

"No shit," she muttered.

Root looked over her slowly, but for once, it wasn't a move meant to elicit a response. It was just slow and appreciative and...there. Like Root had always looked at her. Only now with that underlying hint of knowing.

She wasn't wrong. Shaw had been attracted to her before, curious and wondering. But now, to know what they could do together, how good it could be, it was so much more. She wanted more. Risks be damned, it was fucking amazing sex. And shit, if the convenience of it didn't make it even more alluring! They didn't have to play these stupid games with strangers quite so often if they could satiate the itch with each other once in a while. Plus, there was something reassuring in the knowledge that it would just be good. She didn't have to work to have an orgasm with Root. She could just let go and enjoy herself fully.

Abruptly realizing she was on the verge of talking herself into something, Shaw moved away from Root. She disguised the move as throwing away her plate, but knowing Root, she wasn't fooled. "Night." That was all she could manage as she moved from the room with carefully controlled movements to keep her from bolting.

Her closed door didn't make her feel safe, though. Because Root was still right there. Root didn't even have to be the one to do anything. She might behave for one night, but Shaw could just as easily erase those boundaries she'd just put in place. She saw that now. She could deny wanting another go with Root every time she had to look Root in the face, but the reality was quite different, and she knew it. Just between her and herself...it might be her who crawled into Root's bed.

Shaw huffed and rolled onto her side. She needed to stop thinking of Root and get some sleep. Or, well, at least the sleep part. It would be nice if her ability to multi-task would show itself right about now, but no. It was on vacation, apparently.

After rolling around fruitlessly for over an hour, she threw the covers back with a growl. This wasn't working. And she wasn't going to waste valuable study time and get herself frustrated by trying to push it. Or she wouldn't even stay in the apartment. A good hour or so in the gym might wear her out. Perhaps two, just to be safe.

So she dressed in the first clean workout gear that her fingertips found, a pair of running shorts and an old tee. They would do. Not many were at the gym at two in the morning, anyway. She carried her shoes in one hand as she crept out of her room. Root's door was firmly closed. Shaw turned to the kitchen, looking for a water bottle. She had one in hand and half full when she felt the hands on her body.

She wasn't surprised, not really. Two in the morning, two in the afternoon, nothing was off limits to Root. And hey, at least this wasn't taking place in her bed. Shaw sighed and turned the water off. "I'm hitting the gym. Go back to bed."

"No."

Surprise forced her to turn around and face the firm, and possibly angry, figure behind her. "Excuse me?"

Root's hands fisted in her faded shirt. "You heard me."

Shaw rolled her eyes. "Fine, don't sleep. Whatever."

When she tried to move away, Root adjusted her grip, pulled Shaw toward her, and then shoved her into the counter. Shaw was too stunned to react for a moment. "No, I mean you."

"What?" she asked stupidly.

"You're not leaving."

Shaw considered if she could have lost her mind in the last two hours. "Root, you're not-"

"Not what?" she interrupted. "Not allowed to stop you? Not able to stop you?" She grinned wolfishly. "Oh, I promise you, I can do both." It sounded like a challenge, and Shaw's spine snapped straight at the sound of it. Root pushed against her, temporarily trapping her between her body and the counter. Not that Shaw couldn't move her whenever she decided she was ready. "I'm tired of this."

Shaw's brow furrowed at the seeming change of subject. "What?" She was starting to feel a little dumb, but she just couldn't keep up with what Root was saying.

Root leaned closer. "This," she whispered. "Of wanting you so badly, and never getting any relief." Shaw realized that while she was fighting for sleep, Root had been fighting with herself. "I was trying to be patient," she sighed. "Really was. But I can't wait any longer."

Her hands started to wander, which Shaw immediately put a stop to. "You don't get to decide-"

"I am deciding," Root interrupted. She managed to wedge her thigh between Shaw's legs. "Right now. I'm going to fuck you, Sam. Against this counter. Cause I'm done waiting for you to come to me again."

Shaw swallowed roughly. As much as she loved the idea, she rebelled against it. Root was not in charge of this. She didn't decide when it started or ended, any more than she had decided when Shaw would give in to her. She grasped Root's wrist more tightly, felt bones grind together. "What, I don't get a choice?"

"Not if you're making the wrong one." Root's tongue traced the shape of her ear. Shaw's jaw clenched. "Stop denying us both."

But Shaw was pulling her hands away from her body, ready to put space between them for the second time in one day. She would damn well deny Root as long as she wanted.

Until Root wiggled her hands free at the exact same time, surprising Shaw in her dexterity, and went for her breasts. She kneaded her roughly, oh so fucking good, and Shaw's body was taking too long with the commands from her brain to stop her. Root nibbled on her ear, rolling her hips over Shaw's leg.

She couldn't stop them both, so she went for Root's hips, pushing her away just enough that Root couldn't get any friction. She moaned in protest. "Look, I appreciate that your night didn't go the way you wanted. But this isn't-"

Root just kept interrupting her. "No, this is exactly what I want." She sighed heavily. "This is all I want."

"It's not all about you!"

Root pulled back, showing Shaw the sudden fire in her eyes. "No? Just you? Because when you were horny and in need, you got everything you wanted."

"That's-"

"And now when it's my turn, I don't get a say?" Root shoved again, this time sending a jolt of pain up Shaw's spine. "Am I a toy to be used and discarded when you choose? It's not all about you, either, sweetheart."

Shaw had never seen this side of her before. Strangely, she liked it, even as it was taking advantage of her. It was commanding and strong and hot. And completely right.

Root had her hand halfway down Shaw's shorts before Shaw could even move to stop her. And she pushed on anyway, as if Shaw's grasp had little effect. Either she got stronger when she was horny, or Shaw had missed something.

"Now I need you," Root whispered into her ear. Shaw grit her teeth at the goosebumps that trailed across her neck. "Now I need to come," she insisted, even as her hand worked to get in between Shaw's legs.

"Really?" Shaw gasped. "Because I don't think you're gonna come by making me come."

Root just laughed, a sound low and dark. "Why don't you just sit back and let me take care of things." She bit down, making Shaw's grip falter and allowing the fingers inching closer and closer to achieving that remaining stretch to their goal. She couldn't hold back a gasp at Root's touch. Root hissed, "Now there's a good girl."

Shaw reacted violently, shoving Root away from her as she tore her hand from between her legs. "You just never know when to shut up." Root reeled back, hitting the table behind her. Shaw followed, pinning her there.

But Root wasn't one to be kept down. She fought back, started to gain ground. Shaw pinched her carotid and jugular, hard, knowing she would be suddenly starved for air, her heart skipping beats. Root's elbow met her jaw in response, then dropped into Shaw's arm and forced her grip loose. Shaw fell forward into her body, her numb fingers flexing. Root bit down again, this time on her bottom lip, then her chin, her jaw, her neck.

Shaw flinched, crying out at the harsh gestures. At least one of those was surely bleeding. Even as her hands dug into Root's hair to pull her dangerous mouth away from her body, she couldn't deny that she was painfully aroused. She needed to end this, now.

"Too much, babe?" Root grinned. "Need a safe word?"

Shaw bodily picked her up and slammed her into the table, knocking the wind from her. "Fuck you. And your safe words. You'd call first anyway."

Root shook her head violently, gasping for air. "Wouldn't," she gasped.

"Yes, you fucking will." Shaw grabbed her underwear and yanked.

Author Note: I realize this got kind of harsh at the end, but even in my AU creation, I cannot see Shaw and Root as anything other their canon selves with sassy attitudes and harsh words and willingness to get physical. Hopefully, that doesn't take away from Shaw's moment of giving in!