Author: SoThatHappened

When Shaw's shift finally ended she changed back into jeans and a t-shirt, then grabbed her bag from behind the bar and staggered out into the night. The sun was starting to come up already. Her body felt tired. She didn't know how long this cover would stick for so she would have to get used to these late nights. Or maybe she'd have a different assignment in a few hours, it was impossible to know.

Shaw looked up at the sky, it was dark and inky, but just towards the horizon she could see the light cracking. She started walking towards the nearest subway station, then out of nowhere someone appeared beside her. Shaw was armed, she was barely fazed by the presence of another person. But as she turned to see what they wanted she was almost shocked to see Root.

It wasn't that she had forgotten about Root's strange little stop by at the club earlier, it's just she had assumed Root would go home, considering at the time Shaw had over 5 hours of her shift left.

But, there she was. Shaw just stared at her, unable to form words. Root smirked a little seeing the baffled look on Shaw's face.

"You're still here?" Shaw said finally then glanced down at Root's legs. She still had nothing on but those leather shorts. Not that Shaw minded. But it wasn't exactly warm. "Aren't you...cold?"

Root stared at Shaw for a few extra seconds before glancing down at her legs.

"It's fine" Root said with a shrug and Shaw narrowed her eyes.

"You weren't here the whole time were you?" Shaw asked and Root smirked.

"I worked up a bit of a sweat at the loading docks" Root said nonchalantly and Shaw just stared at her.

"Doing what?" Shaw asked then quickly added. "Do I even want to know?"

Root laughed a little. Music to Shaw's ears.

"No" Root said "but only because you'll get jealous"

Shaw lifted an eyebrow. "Jealous?"

"Bad boys and big guns" Root said and Shaw bit her lip.

"You know I'm more of a bad girls with big guns kinda person" Shaw said and Root just glanced at her sideways. That wasn't subtle Sameen she thought to herself. But it was definitely hot.

"So," Shaw said. "What are you doing now?"

"At 4am?" Root smirked. "I was hoping you'd have some ideas."

Shaw watched Root for a few more steps and then stopped walking, a frown denting her forehead as she looked at the pavement. Root noticed she had fallen back and stopped walking, turning around to look at her in confusion.

"What?" Root asked.

Shaw looked up at her. "What are you doing?"

"You just asked me that" Root said.

"No" Shaw said "No, I mean what are you doing here, with me? Last time I checked you were less than impressed with the idea of being around me."

"Was that before or after you broke into my place?" Root asked and Shaw just sighed.

"I just don't get it" Shaw said quietly and Root took a step closer to her. "I thought you hated me."

"Well you're wrong about that" Root said softly looking at Shaw, who was staring at the concrete again trying to internally process what was happening.

"But just because I don't hate you doesn't mean everything is fine" Root said. "That hurt, a lot. But these things fade eventually."

"I spent all day thinking you'd slept with Adina" Shaw admitted and glanced at Root.

"Good" Root said "I wanted you to get it, but..." her voice trailed off as she looked at her hands. "I was never going to fuck her."

Shaw lifted an eyebrow. "Really?"

"You seem genuinely surprised" Root smirked "I have self control you know, unlike some people"

Shaw frowned and looked away. "I'm sorry" she said for about the hundredth time.

"Stop saying that now" Root said.

"I don't want to" Shaw said.

They both stared at each other, it was a gaze more like. An unbreaking gaze. As they looked at each other, the ambient sounds of the city surrounding them. But it felt quiet, it felt calm. They were both thinking the exact same thing. I want to kiss her. But neither of them made the move.

Shaw moved away first, looking over Root's shoulder and seeing another glimpse of the sun starting to come up.

"Come with me" Shaw said suddenly and turned her attention back to Root who quirked an eyebrow curiously.

"Where are we going?" Root asked as she started following Shaw.

"The bridge" Shaw said.

"Why?"

"Shut up."

They mostly walked in silence, it seemed only right at this time of the morning to be quiet, soft. Not make too much sound. Everything kept moving and making sound in the city at night, but it seemed dulled, like the volume was turned down while people slept.

Root couldn't help but sneak glances at Shaw as they walked. She looked tired, her hair was messy and loosely pulled back, a couple of wavy strands fallen around her face. Root wanted to reach out and touch her, she was right there. But she didn't.

She wondered why Shaw was taking them to the bridge, she didn't care to be honest. What mattered was Shaw had a plan, that involved both of them. And whatever it was, Root found it stupidly cute. It annoyed her how easily Shaw captured her heart. She didn't want this to happen. She didn't. Fuck buddies weren't meant to be quite this cute. Don't fall in love Root reminded herself. Do not. Fall. In love.

When they got to the base of the bridge Shaw tossed her bag onto one of the benches and looked towards the skyline of Manhattan, the light was still coming. They'd have to wait. She climbed onto the bench and sat on the back of it. Root raised an eyebrow.

"Patience" Shaw said and Root smirked.

"Whatever" Root said trying to pull off a believable nonchalance.

"I still don't get it you know" Shaw said and Root looked towards her. "You're here, even after what I did."

"You want me to be though, right?" Root asked and Shaw just looked at her, straight in the eyes.

"Why would you ask me that?"

"That's not an answer" Root said. Shaw rolled her eyes.

"If you just want to hear me admit that I do," Shaw said "then yeah."

Root just looked at her. "Good."

"I still don't know where that leaves us" Shaw said. Us. Stop it Root scolded herself.

"Me either" Root said and Shaw just frowned.

"Shouldn't at least one of us know?" she asked and Root laughed.

"It's not as simple as that Sameen" she said and Shaw shook her head.

"This is why I don't have feelings" Shaw said "you need a fucking handbook to understand them"

"You have feelings Sam" Root said and Shaw rolled her eyes.

"No I don't" she said.

"Anger is a feeling" Root pointed out and Shaw smirked. "Hunger is also a feeling."

"I get your point" Shaw said "I just don't have the full spectrum"

"I think you do" Root argued and Shaw just stared at her.

"But what?" Shaw said "The volume's just turned out?"

Root looked at her and nodded.

"Hm," Shaw huffed "Common theory."

Root looked at the grass in front of them. There were a thousand things she wanted to say, but she couldn't manage to bring any of them to the tip of her tongue.

"If you don't trust me anymore I get it" Shaw said suddenly and Root looked at her. It was incredible seeing a different side of Shaw. The side no one else got to see. It's not like this side was reserved just for Root, or maybe it was. And she kind of hoped so. Shaw was such a closed off person about so many things, there were walls and walls and walls before you could get anywhere close to her. But with Root, it felt like she was right there. She didn't just mumble three word answers. She started the conversation, she thought about what she wanted to say. She asked questions. She didn't feel so far away, so untouchable.

"We're not in a relationship so telling you it won't happen again is just ridiculous" Shaw said "but I do promise to tell you next time"

"Tell me you're going to fuck someone else?" Root asked and Shaw just stared at her.

"If it makes me feel less like I'm cheating on you, then yeah" Shaw said and Root's mouth fell open.

"So you feel guilt too" Root smirked "interesting."

Shaw rolled her eyes and bumped Root with her elbow just enough for her to lose her balance a little and quickly grab onto the seat before she fell off the back.

"I didn't do it because..." Shaw started then just shook her head and looked away. "Never mind."

"No" Root said "Finish that sentence."

Shaw looked at her with a frown.

"It's complicated" Shaw said.

"As is life" Root shrugged.

"I guess I was trying to figure out whether I did it because of who I am, or because of you" Shaw said and glanced at Root, catching sight of those dark eyes.

"And?" Root asked expectantly.

"Both and neither" Shaw said. "I'm not the type to break agreements, I'm also not the type to cage myself in, which leaves you"

Root chewed on her bottom lip.

"But I didn't do it because of you" Shaw said almost adamantly.

"You didn't?" Root asked and the sound of that question made Shaw question everything she was trying to process.

"That's why I said it was complicated" Shaw said with a frown and Root just looked at her.

"How about this then," Root said "we just put this matter aside for a little while"

Shaw almost seemed shocked at that idea.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Shaw asked "It was ruling most of your judgements yesterday."

Root rolled her eyes. "Going around in circles doesn't make it any easier either"

The sun was beginning to creep up, just getting high enough so that it was shining toward the buildings, starting to illuminate them in a golden glow. Shaw looked towards the skyline but Root was still looking at Shaw. She was beautiful. She was so goddamn beautiful.

When Root finally moved her eyes off Shaw and looked towards the skyscrapers a small gasp fell from her lips at the sight of Manhattan at sunrise. She immediately looked back at Shaw who was expectantly waiting for a reaction.

"It's magic" Root said with wide eyes and Shaw just smiled.

"Yeah" Shaw said looking at Root. "It is."