Root looked at Shaw as she stood.

"Have you been bugged?" Root asked. "In any of the time Samaritan had you, do you know if they…"

"They... put something behind my ear, in the simulations. Before the simulations? I can't feel it now though. Usually I just cut it out but… nothing there."

"Government agencies have a thing for ears. I know Harry already swept you, but do you mind if I check?"

Shaw shrugged.

Root stepped forward, cupped Shaw's face, fingers probing behind Shaw's ears, moved to the base of her skull. She looked down at Shaw's exhausted face, really here after all this time. Really alive and warm where Root's fingers were touching her. Root looked down, watched as her hands cupped Shaw's face on their own, watched her thumb brush over Shaw's lips, watched as Shaw turned her face into Root's hand, kissed her palm. Root leaned in, placed a soft and tentative closed-mouth kiss on Shaw's cheek, and when Shaw moved her face out of Root's palm, her mouth, surprised when Shaw didn't object, too worried by the tense moment to take it further. She could feel Shaw's exhaustion against her own lips, could feel how soft Shaw was, how soft her lips were, something she didn't have time to notice last time.

When Root pulled away, uncertain, Shaw leaned forward and caught her mouth again, clumsy but adamant, lips open and damp.

Root pulled back a little, still very close.

"Everything checks out?" Shaw asked cockily.

"Absolutely," Root replied, and Shaw could taste the word in her own mouth. Shaw inhaled sharply, held her breath.

"Great. I gotta shower," Shaw said brusquely, ashamed of her need for Root, she was already disoriented and unsure of her own reality again - but Root tasted exactly the same as she remembered - not from their last kiss but from her tainted memories. Not that she would turn down this opportunity, but… she was on edge, more so than usual. Usually she wasn't suspicious until much, much later in the simulations.

Shaw stared at herself in the mirror, trying to make sense of the shape of her face. Wondering if Samaritan was just trying a new tactic.

If so, she could fall into old patterns. Have her time with Root, the only time that meant something. Go kill the rest, if they turned on her, then herself. But first…

First she could have Root again. For a day. Maybe more. The only peace she'd found in months had been with Root, in a false embrace - but that didn't mean she didn't feel it, couldn't remember the way Root had touched her.

There was a knock on the door. "Food's ready," Root called.

Shaw shrugged on the shirt Root had given her, pulled on the underwear and pants Root had provided. All black. A bit tight, a bit long, but decent.

They smelled like Root, and Shaw raised the shirt to her face, breathed it in with her eyes closed.

She left her own clothes in the hamper, stepped back into the apartment.

Root had made omelets and steak. Watched nervously as Shaw shoved them both in her mouth as fast as she could, no manners, just a hunger that Root was happy to sate.

"You're a damn good cook," Shaw said finally through a mouthful of steak. Looked up at Root watching her. "You eating?"

Root sat down, took an omelette from the serving plate, dug at it with her fork, still watching Shaw.

"You got my message," Root said finally.

"Four alarm fire? Yeah. Gave me hope. Got me out of there."

"Good," Root said, turning back to her food. "I was coming for you. The Machine... Didn't want to tell me where you were. Thought it was too dangerous."

"I can take care of myself."

"I know you can. But while we're here, please let me take care of you," Root said earnestly. Shaw looked up. Ordinarily she would have rolled her eyes but instead she nodded.

Shaw took her plate to the kitchen, rinsed it, dropped it in the dishwasher. She waited with thinly veiled impatience as Root finished her meal and packed away the leftovers, ran the dishwasher, watched her, hands resting on the kitchen counter behind her. Root stepped into her when she was done, looked down at Shaw.

"Now, where were we?"

Shaw's arms came up of their own accord, and she could feel her chest heaving as she pulled Root into her, Root braced herself on the counter behind Shaw for a moment, then rested her hands on Shaw's back. It felt like Shaw was... crying, but Shaw didn't cry. Even if she thought this was a simulation, Root didn't think Shaw would cry, much less so if she thought it was real. It spoke to how much Shaw had been through, that she had let her defenses down this much. Shaw had been tortured before, Root knew. And before today, Root would never have been able to even imagine Shaw crying. Emotions other than anger were foreign to Shaw, yet here she was showing affection and… sorrow, all in the space of an hour.

"I'm here," she said finally. "I'm really here, I promise." Shaw pulled back far enough away to look at Root, then, hands on the lapel of Root's shirt she pulled her in, planted a kiss on her surprised mouth, face wet with tears, kiss just as unexpected and haphazard as the last one. Shaw dropped her head back to Root's chest, sobbed against her.

"Sorry," she finally mumbled, muffled against Root's chest. "Some sort of physiological response. Just something my body seems to be doing. Something I seem to have trouble making it not do right now."

"No apologies," Root said, pulling Shaw tighter against her, glad that Shaw wasn't watching the deluge from her own face. Root's hands wandered Shaw's back, ran over the shirt she'd provided, feeling the warmth of Shaw in her arms, like she'd wanted for so long, still confused as to why Shaw was allowing this, still wondering why Shaw was here. Why Shaw had let her take her home, unaware of that part of all the simulations, unaware that this was the pattern of Shaw's life now. Aware, though, that the mental strain had caught up with Shaw, was making a mess of her, and that she might not be able to discern reality from the simulations of the past.

Shaw swiped at her face, pulled away finally.

Shaw looked exhausted. Root cupped Shaw's face, wiped away the rest of the tears. Leaned in and kissed Shaw gently, so gently, like she was afraid she'd set off another crying fit. Like Shaw was something fragile. And Shaw, slowly, hesitantly, kissed back, so softly that Root melted against her. The hand not on Shaw's face grasped for Shaw's hip, found it, wrapped around it as Root forgot how to balance, pressed against Shaw.

Shaw pulled away first, set her face against Root's chest again.

"You're exhausted. No wonder you're…" Root was going to say 'compliant', but thought better of it. "You're all worn out. Come on, get to bed."

"You were up all night too," Shaw pointed out.

"I have errands," Root said nervously.

"No. Finch told you to stay with me. You need your rest too."

Root nodded. "I'll shower and join you. Lie down, Sameen." Root guided Shaw to the bed, lifted the covers, settled her under them. Ran her hands over Shaw over the blankets. Looked at her like she was something precious.

"Sleep if you can. I won't be long." Root said. She hesitated, then kissed Shaw on the forehead. Shaw gave a contented sigh and rolled onto her side.

Notes:

Let me know how you're liking it. Canada is amazing. So many peach flavours things, but I am yet to see a beaver.
Heh, beaver.