Post ep for 5x09.
Disclaimer: I don't own Person of Interest or the characters.
"Where are you staying tonight?" It had been a long day for everyone, after the bombs at the precinct then the reunion with Shaw and then the catching up everyone had to do and now it was late the next evening and they were all ready to call it a night and get some much needed rest.
"I hadn't thought about it," Shaw replied to Root's question, watching as the rest of the team left, leaving her and Root alone again.
"I have a place you could stay, if you want." Root wasn't quite ready to say goodbye, not after the months of being apart. She'd stuck by Shaw's side all day and she didn't want to let her out of her sight now, worried if she did that she'd never see her again.
"With you?"
Root nodded.
"Is it safe?" Shaw asked. She hadn't let the team take her back to the subway station, she didn't want to compromise them or The Machine and she didn't want to compromise Root now. After what happened at the park today, she could trust herself with Root but she didn't want to lead Samaritan operatives straight to her, would never forgive herself if she did that.
Root nodded again, "it's one of my safe houses, not one of Harry's so we'll be safe there."
"Lead the way," Shaw said after a moment of thought, not ready to part with Root yet either.
X
Once they arrived at the safe house, Root pointed out the bathroom where Shaw could shower and change if she wanted.
"I'll find some clothes for you to wear," Root said as she watched Shaw walk towards the bathroom. Shaw shot her a look over her shoulder which Root knew meant that the clothes better be appropriate for her to wear. Root grinned after her, glad that some aspects of their relationship hadn't changed in Shaw's absence.
Root found a t-shirt and a pair of shorts with a drawstring that would probably fit Shaw. She put on her own pajamas and then sat and waited for Shaw to finish in the bathroom, thinking over the events of today and how relieved she is to have Shaw back safe.
Shaw exited the bathroom not long later, wearing nothing but a towel and Root was momentarily distracted by all the exposed skin and at least had the decency to look sheepish when Shaw caught her starring. Root gestured to the clothes she'd laid out on the bed for Shaw to wear which Shaw grabbed then retreated back into the bathroom to get dressed.
X
"You can take the couch or bed, your pick," said Root, not sure what to do now as they both stood in the room, ready for bed.
Shaw silently moved to the side of the bed and climbed in, lying down flat on her back. Root took that as her answer and as much as Root didn't want to leave her, she turned to make her was out of the room and towards the couch.
"Root," Shaw said, the sound going straight through Root, thrilled at hearing her name come from Shaw's lips, something she wasn't sure would happen again until they'd met in the park.
Root turned, eyes roaming over Shaw as she lay in her bed, waiting for her to say more, "don't leave me alone."
Root could hear the slight desperation in Shaw's words so without hesitation and without any words of her own, Root nodded then made her way to the other side of the bed and climbed in beside Shaw.
"What side do you normally sleep on?" Shaw asked once Root had settled in the bed to her right.
"The middle."
"Not tonight, you don't," replied Shaw, a smile playing on both their lips before Shaw turned off the beside lamp, plunging the room into darkness.
They lay side by side for a while, in not quite comfortable silence but close enough. Root was the first one to break it, not being able to hold the words in any longer, "I missed you, so much."
"I missed you too," Shaw said, having admitted as much earlier, both of them had, but it was different actually saying the words to each other now.
"I got your message," Shaw said not long later, having left that part out when she filled in the team of her time with Samaritan, "you gave me hope when I needed it, reminded me I wasn't alone."
Root smiled into the darkness, "you'll never have to worry about being alone again."
They fell into silence again after that and Root was surprised when she felt the bed move beside her and Shaw's hand came in contact with her arm. It didn't stop there though, as Shaw slid her hand down Root's arm until she reached her hand where Shaw twined their fingers together.
Root hadn't realised how tense she'd been but she felt herself relax at the feel of Shaw's hand in hers, that one small touch meaning so much to the both of them, they really were no longer alone.
The darkness and Shaw's touch made her brave so Root rolled over, bringing her right beside Shaw, their joined hands now pressed between them. Shaw followed suit so they were now face to face, mere inches apart.
"Hey," Root whispered, the streetlights from outside illuminating Shaw's face.
"Hey," Shaw whispered back, biting her lip as a smile spread across her face in return.
"Is this ok?" Root asked, not wanting to do anything that Shaw wasn't comfortable with.
Shaw nodded.
"What about this?" Root asked as she brought the hand that wasn't between them up to rest on Shaw's cheek.
Shaw nodded again, reveling in the feeling of Root's skin against her when it wasn't just a simulation. This was real.
"And now?" Root asked as she brought their foreheads together. She didn't want to push Shaw too far, wanted to give her time to adjust to being back home.
Shaw was the one that closed the small amount of space between them to press her lips against Root's.
This kiss was unlike their first kiss. Where there first kiss had been rough, hurried, a simple press of the lips in goodbye, this kiss was soft, slow, exploratory and it definitely didn't feel like goodbye.
Root was grinning when she pulled away, unable to help herself, after everything that has happened, she couldn't believe she was here, with Shaw, that she was finally out of Samaritan's clutches.
"Thanks for not giving up on me," Shaw whispered, a smile on her face as well.
"Never," Root replied as she brushed a strand of hair behind Shaw's ear before she pressed another quick kiss to her lips.
Root pulled away further then and settled onto her back as Shaw pressed up against her side, Shaw's head pillowed on Root's chest and they eventually drifted off to sleep in the comfort of each other's arms.
X
Root was almost afraid to open her eyes the next morning, hoping that yesterday wasn't some cruel dream, that she'd wake up now only to realise Shaw was still missing. But she immediately became aware of a warm weight at her side and knew none of it had been a dream.
"You're finally awake," a voice from beside her said as Root opened her eyes and looked at the figure lying next to her, still pressed up against her even though Root could see by looking down that Shaw was wide awake.
Root hummed in response and was pleasantly surprised when Shaw tilted her head up and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, "what's the time?"
"Almost ten."
"Really?" Root asked, surprised, she hadn't slept in this late in a very long time.
"I even tried to wake you but even that was unsuccessful."
"I was too comfortable with you in my arms, Sweetie," Root said, the teasing lilt in her voice that Shaw had missed so much in her absence.
Unlike last night, the silence they fell into now as comfortable as they lay in bed together.
"I was worried I was going to wake up and realise yesterday was all a dream," Root admitted not long later, her hand tracing lazily over Shaw's back.
Shaw shifted then and Root regretted her words immediately but was relieved when Shaw settled back beside her, on her side again, just like the night before.
"Shouldn't you be the one needing to convince me this is real?" Shaw joked half-heartedly, wanting to clear the look of sadness Root had in her eyes.
"This is real," Root said, conviction in her voice as her hands moved to cup Shaw's jaw, the sadness in her expression being replaced by determination.
"I know," Shaw responded, one of her hands threading through Root's to hold it in place, "yesterday was the only time you ever pulled a gun on yourself to stop me from killing myself. In all the simulations I knew you cared about me but I never knew you cared that much, that's how I know that I'm really here with you now, that this isn't just another simulation."
Root kissed her then, putting everything she felt for Shaw into the one kiss, wanting Shaw to have no doubt about how she felt about her. She'd said it earlier, she can't live without Shaw and she was going to show Shaw just how much she loved her, if that kept her grounded, helped her to know that this was real.
"You're real," Shaw grinned as Root pulled back, looking a little dazed by the intensity of their kiss.
"And I'm going to keep reminding you of that every day for the rest of our lives together," Root replied before she pressed another searing kiss to Shaw's lips.