Shaw woke up still facing the window later, disoriented. There was someone over her, hunched over, sitting in the gap behind Shaw's knees with her own knees folded over Shaw's, feet in front. Fitting them together like two triangles. Like a complicated math puzzle Shaw was too tired to figure out. Isosceles or some bullshit.
The fact that someone was looming over her didn't worry Shaw; not now. She'd been half expecting it, had felt the bed shift under someone else's weight a half hour ago. It was Root, gazing out of Shaw's window at the night sky, leaning forwards, her forearms resting on her knees, face tilted upwards. Root's nose was sharper in the green shadows, her mouth softer. Shaw thought about how soft that mouth had been against her own just a few hours ago.
Shaw watched Root a moment in ethereal emerald light, saw the fine features of her face outlined, her jaw, her cheeks, her brow, her… her lips, lips that had been pressed against Shaw's not too long ago. Soft lips, lips that Shaw hadn't resented being pressed against her own even though she had plenty of reasons to harbour resentment against Root; then again Shaw had put her own licks in, had shot Root once, punched her once, enough to make up for the drugging and the tazing. Maybe they were on even footing. Maybe they could just be… people, travelling together for a few days, maybe they could...
"You have your own window," Shaw said finally, knowing Root knew she was awake.
"Thanks for the shirt," Root said absently, and Shaw looked over to see that Root was wearing one that matched her own, with no pants Shaw could see. "My pants are nearly dry. Yours too," Root said. "We have to be on the road soon."
Shaw groaned and rolled her face into the pillow, and Root put a hand on Shaw's back, over her ribs.
"We've got a few hours," Root said. "And I can sleep while you fly. Sorry to wake you, but the view is nowhere near as spectacular from my room." Shaw looked up, but again Root was looking at Shaw instead of the lights.
Shaw sighed, too bone-tired to roll her eyes. "There's a blanket in the closet," she said finally, knowing that Root would know since they had identical rooms. "But don't wake me up again until we really have to go, and even then only if you have coffee for me," she added.
Shaw could feel Root get off the bed, heard her retrieve the blanket then settle herself again in the same place, still looking at the stars. She felt Root's body sag and fall backwards, and she reached out to catch her before she could fall, lowered her slowly to the mattress. The blanket had slipped off, and Shaw's hand found itself against Root's bare thigh, cold under her hand and surprisingly soft. Shaw sighed and tossed her covers over Root, the blanket over the top as well and turned back to the lights out the window. All the galaxies in the world, and Root had to stroll into this one.
Shaw looked out over the bare mountains covered in snow, illuminated by the Northern lights, dancing columns of light rolling across the countryside, watched with the cold legs of Root pressing, tangled, against her own as Root sighed and shifted in her sleep, and Shaw thought that if any place was safe, it was here, in Nowhere Ontario in a noname hotel with locks as flimsy as cardboard and gaps under the doors and a serial killer in her bed and…
A second serial killer in her bed, for company, Shaw though, smirking to herself.
Shaw woke to Root's humming. It was later, and while the night sky was still dark, the lights had gone.
Root turned as Shaw rolled over, and Root threw something at her, Shaw struggling to cover her face to protect herself.
Shaw's pants, dry.
"Time to go," Root said, in the serious voice she used on missions. Shaw shucked the clothes on under the covers, waiting for the rest of her clothes to hit her as well, but Root held them in one hand. Shaw could see her bra in Root's hand and blushed.
Shaw got up, stepped towards Root threateningly. Root held out the clothes, eyebrows cocked, and Shaw crossed her arms across her chest, shucked off the shirt she had slept in, unable to back down from a challenge. She took her bra, put it on while making consistent, aggressive eye contact with Root, daring her to look down. Root handed over Shaw's shirt and looked away finally, swallowing hard as she picked up a mug and a takeaway bag, giving them to Shaw next.
"Time to go," Root said again, packing up the saddlebags. Shaw shoved the breakfast burrito in her face while shrugging on her jacket and coat, followed it with the coffee - scalding hot and black.
Root had said she'd sleep while Shaw flew, but every time Shaw looked over, Root was watching her through sleepy, half-closed eyes.
