They stood there staring at the servers.

"Remember the Northern Lights?" Root asked, pulling Shaw close to her, holding her from behind. "These are my Northern Lights."

And Shaw remembered the Northern lights, the ISA, the feeling that she'd belonged, that she was valued for who she was. The feeling of being valued as an asset, the feeling of differences between Shaw and other human diminishing with the more headshots she got.

And the other Northern Lights, with Root curled behind her in the bed, the warmth from her body seeping into Shaw's bones. The way Root had held her, like this, as she watched through the night. The 7 blinking lights weren't as impressive as the light show which had entranced Shaw, but Shaw appreciated them for the safety they afforded Team Machine now Samaritan was online. Shaw worried though; if the rest of the data were replicated across other Data Centres, then if this one went offline, they were all sitting ducks.

"Do you have an alert set up for this DC?" Shaw asked. Root nodded, moving her hands from Shaw's hips to wrap her arms around the smaller woman, watching the lights, resting her cheek against Shaw's head. Shaw heard a noise and looked around.

"We should go," Shaw said.

"We need to wait until shift change, then we can go straight out the door." Root watched the lights a little longer, then strode off somewhere, Shaw trotting after her when she noticed Root was gone.

The way out of the Data Centre was a lot easier, and they stopped off at a all-night diner for a meal, Shaw double-dinking Root on the handlebars of the bike. Root dug listlessly at her fries as Shaw consumed a burger.

"There's only certain paths through the city where we can pass, sight unseen," Root said finally. "I can lead you to the subway, or I can take you to a safe house until tomorrow, when your new identity gets the keys to her own place."

"Subway only has Finch's and Bear's beds. How many beds does the safe house have?" Shaw asked around a mouthful of burger.

"Two," Root said. Shaw nodded and took another massive bite. Root watched Shaw with a satisfied smile.

They went to the safe house, and Shaw knew that this was it, this was the last time she could let Root kiss her without acknowledging that it was something they did now. Just sometimes, when Shaw wasn't expecting it. Except this time, Shaw was expecting it, which meant that Root probably wouldn't kiss her. But it was such a prime opportunity, with them alone in a safe house, about to slip away into undercover identities with no idea how long it would be before they saw each other again. Maybe tonight Root would even slip past first base finally.

"Your room's over there," Root said, and Shaw looked confused for a moment. "You're welcome to bunk with me," Root continued, seeing Shaw's confusion. "But if you do... we're going into deep cover, Shaw. I don't know when I'll see you again." Root pouted, and Shaw rolled her eyes, walked over the couch and flopped down, pulling out a multitool to pull out the chip in her arm. Root sat next to Shaw and held out her forearm too. Shaw dug through the kitchen cupboards and came back over, dousing the blade and pliers of her leatherman with something antiseptic before pulling out Root's microchip.

Shaw leaned forward to put both chips on the table, then went back to the kitchen to rinse her leatherman.

"You came after me," Root pointed out. "Again." Root stepped closer and took the multitool from Shaw, putting it on the counter as she moved closer. "You're always looking out for me."

Shaw shrugged, but let Root approach. Let Root slide her arms onto her shoulders and then behind her neck.

"Its not... a condition of you staying," Root said. "You can stay whether or not..." Root's eyes looked down at Shaw's mouth, suddenly uncertain. "You have your own room, this time." Root was slow when she leaned in, thumbs on Shaw's cheeks and Shaw didn't look away, didn't flinch.

Shaw let Root kiss her, then kiss her again.

Root pulled away and bit her lip, looking at Shaw's mouth again. Shaw was frozen in indecision. Root clearly wasn't going to progress, and no matter how much Shaw wanted to take this further, she didn't want to expose herself as someone who could tolerate Root, as someone who... wanted... someone who liked... someone who...

"Well, goodnight," Shaw said finally. She turned and went to her room, not closing the door but turning away too fast to see Root's dejected face.

Shaw could hear Root pacing in the hallway, through to the longue, back through the kitchen and back into what Shaw presumed was Root's bedroom. Shaw got up eventually, stood in her open doorway, leaned against the frame and held out her arm to obstruct Root on her next pass. Shaw inclined her head a little, toward the bedroom, and Root's face lit up, even in the darkness of the dim light of the kitchen range. Shaw stalked back to bed, bare legs pale as she tucked herself back into bed. Shaw faced the middle of the bed, not wanting to be the little spoon again, not wanting to be that vulnerable. Root tucked herself in facing Shaw, slid her hands under the pillow.

"Can't sleep?" Shaw asked finally. Root rearranged her head on the pillow.

"Adrenaline," Root said. "That and... wondering." Shaw didn't take the bait. Eventually Root broke the silence. "I don't get it. You can take me in a fight but you let me kiss you, but you aren't..." Root sighed into the darkness.

"I don't care," Shaw said abruptly. "I don't care about anything, and that is one of the ways you bug me. If I let you get to me, you'll just escalate."

"Is... is that all?" Root asked, her voice small, even as one hand smoothed its way down Shaw's cheek.

"If I wanted you, I'd have had you already," Shaw said dismissively, rolling over, away from Root.

Shaw never felt bad, even when she deliberately hurt someone's feelings. But Root was so close and quiet in the dark. Shaw rolled back over, looked over at Root's back, which was now facing her. She stretched, bringing her body closer to Root's silent form. She waited a while longer before moving closer again, surprised when the distance was shorter than she remembered. The third time she moved in, her chest abutted Root's back. Shaw waited again, what felt like a really long time, before she let her hand drift over Root, pulling Root tight against her. She pretended not to notice when Root rested her hand on top of Shaw's.

Shaw felt protective over Root; not just now, when she was wrapped around Root, but when she was cleaning Root's wounds, when she was locking Root in a cage, when she was shooting at bad guys who were aiming at Root, even when Root could fight for herself, even when Root was alone with a gunshot wound on a hotel corridor floor, when Root was going alone into a dangerous situation. But especially now, when Root was in Shaw's arms, all soft and warm and smelling good even after a night of hard work.

"If you don't care, if I just bug you... why am I in your bed again?' Root asked, and the smugness of her tone almost had Shaw forget about pretending to be asleep to answer something like 'your pacing was keeping me awake and at least this way I get to keep an eye on you'. Instead Shaw just sighed and pulled Root tighter.

Notes:

I have to refit a DC and... you only get a moment to appreciate the lights before the next thing breaks.