Author: SoThatHappened

When Shaw woke up her head was hanging off the edge of the couch, the first thing she saw was the inside of a red bucket. Thankfully it was empty. Her head was pounding, like someone was in there with an axe and a sledgehammer tearing down everything that existed. Her temples were throbbing, it ached to the point where she didn't think she could lift it. Shaw rolled onto her back with a groan of effort her brain rattling and thumping in protest of the movement, but then suddenly grateful it was resting against a pillow. Shaw stared at the ceiling and realised she wasn't in her home. Oh god.

She recognised the couch she was on, she recognised the coffee table and the smell of the blanket that she was draped over her. Root. Oh. Fuck.

She tried to press her brain to bring anything back from the night before but she could barely think clearly through the persistent hammering. She pressed a hand to her forehead and lay there in silence for a moment wondering what could possibly make this worse. Silence surrounded her, she glanced over at Root's clock and saw that it was after 8am. The fact the apartment was so quiet made Shaw wonder whether Root had gone out already.

She pulled herself up, her head spinning and throbbing, and peered over the back of the couch into the rest of the apartment, Root's door to her bedroom was shut. Everything was still quiet. It didn't sound like anyone else was home.

Shaw strained her brain trying to remember how she got here, why she was here even. Whatever had happened it clearly hadn't gone well because she was on the couch, with a bucket. The bucket was empty thank god. But she was still on the couch. Clearly Root was still in a mood. But at this point Shaw was more annoyed at herself, why the fuck had she come here. What had she said? She wondered if it were possible that she had made this worse. If Root had woken up this morning and left before she was forced into facing Shaw.

Shaw swung her legs onto the ground dodging the bucket and stared at the wall ahead of her. You fucking idiot she said to herself, then pulled herself off the couch and reached for her pants that she had disagreed beside the coffee table, yanking them on and then wandering over to the kitchen. Raid her fridge and then leave she warned herself, you've made enough of a mess already.

But as she walked into the kitchen she could immediately smell bacon, and as she glanced over at the table saw eggs on toast with a side of bacon waiting on a plate in one of the seats. Shaw came to an abrupt halt and stared at the plate for a moment. Root obviously wasn't here, which could only mean...that food was for her. Why would Root make her breakfast? That seemed weird. But Shaw's stomach was growling, and she could barely think of anything else but using that toast to absorb whatever whiskey was left swishing around her body.

Shaw sat down and pulled the plate closer to her, her mouth was dry, and tasted like crap with a faint hint of strawberry. But that was quick to change as she starting stuffing her face. She was so immersed in the fact that her hunger was being cured that not only did she forget about her headache but she also failed to notice Root's bedroom door opening, and Root walking across her living room and into the kitchen.

"Oh good," Root's voice suddenly said from the other side of the kitchen and Shaw's head shot up. "I was worried you weren't going to eat my breakfast."

The knife and fork immediately fell from Shaw's hands and hit the edge of the plate, she stared at Root with a mouthful of food and wide eyes. Root had a bottle of orange juice in her hand and took a sip from it, not moving her eyes off Shaw. There was somewhat of an annoyed look on her face crossed with amusement. But Shaw was pretty close to mortified.

"You know" Shaw mumbled quickly chewing the rest of the mouthful and swallowing it. "I think this could be a learning experience for everyone, don't leave food around hungover people."

Root rolled her eyes and walked over to the table that Shaw was sitting at. Shaw said a brief and silent prayer. Root picked up a piece of Shaw's toast and took a bite from it before dropping it back onto the plate.

"Relax Sam" Root said "I made it for you, I'm going out for breakfast, with Adina."

Shaw just stared at her, again, too much information for her to process with a pounding headache and passing embarrassment.

"Adina?" Shaw asked and Root just glanced back at her.

"Tall, pretty blonde from yesterday?" Root asked. "Gorgeous blue eyes? I'm sure you noticed her"

"I don't know" Shaw said "I clearly wasn't looking as closely as you"

Root just smirked and looked at the sour expression on Shaw's face, as she picked up a piece of bacon and frustratedly took a bite from it.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Shaw snapped.

"Not a great feeling is it?" Root said and Shaw just glared at her.

"Who goes out for breakfast?" Shaw asked incredulously. "Breakfast dates are not a thing."

"And you'd know," Root arched an eyebrow "You're at the forefront of the dating realm aren't you?"

Shaw just stared at her, Root kept smirking. Shaw kept getting more and more annoyed. Her head hammering.

"I have to go, expert" Root said with a wink as she turned towards the door and Shaw immediately got up from her chair.

"Root" Shaw said and Root turned around to look at her. Shaw's hand shot up to hold her headache as it created black spots in her vision with the speed that she stood up.

"Can you just... wait a minute" Shaw said with a breath and Root just looked at her, almost with that same soft look that she usually always gave Shaw.

"I have some errands to run before I meet Adina" Root said "I'm already late."

"Screw Adina" Shaw said immediately then quickly added. "Not...literally."

Root smirked a little and Shaw just frowned.

"I want to talk to you, about last night" Shaw said and Root folded her arms.

"Which part?"

"Well, I was hoping you would enlighten me."

Root practically rolled her eyes. "You don't remember any of it?"

"That depends." Shaw said slowly.

"On?"

"I'm sorry" Shaw said flat out. "I catastrophically fucked you over and... you didn't deserve that."

"Well I don't know what you think happened last night" Root said the corners of her mouth twitching into a playful smile "but it wasn't that bad."

Shaw just looked at her. You know what I mean she thought and Root could see it on her face.

"I know you're sorry, Sam" Root said "And I believe you, but it's harder for me to trust that you won't just do it again."

"You're going to breakfast with Adina" Shaw said as if to prove a point.

"Irrelevant, Sameen" Root said shaking her head and Shaw just frowned.

"No, it's not" Shaw said "You never gave me a chance to say I wouldn't do it again."

"You had every opportunity to tell me that, you didn't need to wait for me to give you a chance" Root said and looked at Shaw clearly still hurt.

"If you sleep with Adina it's over" Shaw said and folded her arms and Root raised an eyebrow.

"You're exactly not in a place to decide that" Root said.

"I'm asking you not to" Shaw said. "I made a mistake and I'm not good at this grovelling thing, I have never had anyone that's made me want to get on my fucking knees and beg for their forgiveness over something so stupid, but I fucking will if it means you won't sleep with Adina."

Root just stared at her, she could see that focus Shaw had in her eyes. That determination to make this right. Strategy. A plan. Something solid. That was Shaw. She was an ex Marine, she was good with that. Hard facts. Logic. Steps. That didn't apply well to emotions. That didn't apply well to Root.

Root was a mess. That was a fact. But Root could also see the look on Shaw's face, deep deep down she was devastated. Root could tell. She could almost see that Shaw wanted things to go back to the way they were, and Root did too. For now. Simple and easy. No mess.

"Do you want to know what happened last night" Root said changing the topic and Shaw looked confused for a moment before nodding. Root moved away from the door and closer to Shaw.

"You apologised to me" Root said "I think that's why you broke in, you got distracted by the frozen yoghurt and how pretty I was a couple of times, but you got there."

Shaw felt her cheeks grow warm and her jaw clenched. Everything was blurred but she remembered Root. Her dark hair pushed back behind one ear, those warm eyes following her movements even though she was still angry and upset.

"Even your pretty face can't deter a sincere drunk apology" Shaw said and Root smiled a little. "I'm sorry I broke in here, I'm surprised I didn't wake up on the street though."

"I was going to wait till you fell asleep to throw you out, but I settled for writing asshole across your forehead in permanent marker" Root said with a shrug and Shaw's hand automatically shot up to her forehead desperately trying to feel pen marks. Root just laughed, it filled the room.

"I'm kidding Sam" Root said. Shaw just sighed and ran a hand through her messy hair.

"It's really hard to grasp how mad you still are" Shaw said honestly and Root just pulled her leather jacket on.

"I think you can probably figure that out" Root said and pulled the door open. "I really have to go, lock up behind you."

Shaw just nodded and watched her go. The door shut and suddenly the apartment felt empty. Shaw eventually went back to her breakfast and realised two things.

One, Root had let her stay here overnight. Two, Root had made her breakfast.

On the scale of forgiven to rage, Shaw safely made the assumption she was no longer raging. But she was still far from forgiveness.

Shaw cleaned up Root's place before she left, making sure it was cleaner than before she even got here. When she left she still had a thumping headache, the hangover was retreating a little but that didn't matter considering her head was still punishing her for idiotic choices.

She stopped at the closest cafe and got a triple shot latte. The coffee warmed her soul as she left, but she couldn't help thinking about Root who was currently on a breakfast date with someone who was as far as she could tell a lot more mentally and socially stable than herself. Maybe that's what Root needs, Shaw thought to herself as she wandered the streets of Manhattan. Maybe Root needs normal. Someone who can be there emotionally. Then Shaw realised how stupid that was. Root couldn't have normal even if she wanted to, the woman had been in a psychiatric facility for fuck sake.

And that was the whole problem wasn't it. Root didn't want normal, Root had wanted Shaw. And Shaw had flushed that opportunity down the drain.

Shaw looked at the time, it had been a few hours since Root had left. Surely that little breakfast date would be over by now. Shaw tapped her earpiece.

"Root?" Shaw asked "You busy?"