Root always passed out on trips. She, unlike Shaw, slept with great ease in noisy areas; she was really good at it. On this long ride, Root slept in her seat next to Shaw, her headphones in both ears, even though she couldn't hear out of her right ear, she kept it in- only hearing muffled music. Shaw watched her calm eyes dart around under her lids while she slept before tearing her gaze back down to her book, an old dark fiction novel Reese had gifted her. As much as she had wanted a new mod to one of her weapons, now that Shaw had time to read, she found that this was actually a book she enjoyed.
Sameen closed the book, sliding in the bookmark before closing her eyes. The small dings and distant crying of an infant made it too difficult to really sleep, he Shaw practiced relaxing her body. It was something Root had tried to teach her and only potentially succeeded in doing.
Root opened her eyes, glancing at Shaw, and tipped her head against her shoulder. She looked down as Sameen reached over to hold her hand. It surprised her sometimes when Shaw chose to publicly show any sort of affection.
"God, I just want to collapse," Root huffed as she tossed her bag on the ground.
She fell onto the bed, making room for Sam too. Shaw slid over next to her, helping with her jacket. Root smirked and propped herself up on her elbows.
"So, will you be serving me for the entire trip?"
"Nope, that was your only voucher," Shaw joked as she placed Root's leather jacket on the sandy coloured sofa.
Root sat up and waited for her to turn around before kissing her. "Thank you so much, Sam."
"I'm glad that you're enjoying it this much without even leaving the room."
"As much as I'd love to just stay in here and mess around, I do actually want to explore St. Barts."
"Good, because this would've been a long distance to travel just to bone," Shaw blatantly murmured.
Root chuckled and pulled Shaw back onto the bed. "But maybe tonight, sweetie?"
"Yeah, Root, maybe tonight," Sam nodded, a low purring chuckled rolling in her chest.
"I thought you wanted to explore St. Barts, Root?" Sameen huffed, drinking from her bottle of water.
Root glared up at Sam, rolling her eyes as she held on tightly to her backpack. "I didn't mean a long hike, babe."
"You can chase down Decima and Samaritan agents in heels-"
"But long hikes, no. I can't do that."
"I know you can, come on it's just a bit longer."
"That's what you said, 3 miles ago."
Sameen nodded and went back down to her, "I promise the hike is worth it, Root," She begged, pouting.
"Oh, my god, you know I can't resist your puppy dog face," Root nodded, punctuating her statement with a quick peck.
She tightened the straps of her backpack and followed Shaw- who began walking at a slower pace- as they scaled up the mountain. Root hopped up next to Shaw, following the beaten path through the trees and bushes while the sun began to set.
"This is fun," Root added to the conversation, "I'm just more of a nerd, you know."
"I do know, that's why I'm with you."
"You're into nerds?"
"I like people who aren't like me."
Root nodded with a slight smile and chuckled, "I love you, too."
"Wait," Sam interrupted, grabbing Root's arm.
"What is it?" Root asked in a hushed tone.
"Do you not hear that?"
"I'm a bit deaf, so, no."
"It's… it's like a high pitched beeping."
"Beeping?"
"Yeah."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Is there a pattern?"
"I can't tell," Sam whispered, continuing up the mountain.
"Are you sure you're not just hearing things, sweetie?"
"Maybe I am." She shrugged as the trudged up the last 500 yards.
Root followed her, listening closely for the beeping, but failing to hear anything that wasn't from the island's inhabitants or the whipping windy air. It took a while, but after a few more minutes, they scaled the mountain to its peak, a beautiful vantage point for St. Barts.
Sam leaned up against a tree, drinking from her water bottle again and looking out across the beautiful warm ocean that reflected the deep orange-red and warm yellows that marked the setting sun. She turned her head, looking back behind her to see the dark night that crept at their backs in aquamarine and deep indigo. Shaw looked at Root's silhouette as she gazed over the wooden gate. She tipped her head to the side as she watched her set her bag down and sit on a bench. Shaw joined her, slumping down against her shoulder.
"Worth the long walk," Root admitted with a content sigh.
"Yup," Sam nodded, unzipping her bag and pulling out two bars. "Here."
"Thanks."
They looked over the island, surrounded by nothing but nature, the beauty of silence seeming to get to Root as she rested against her girlfriend. She looked up at Shaw and kissed her, smirking as she felt Shaw lean into her.
"Thank you for the trip," she whispered against her lips.
Sara pecked her gently and shrugged, leaning back, "Thanks for surviving."
Root glanced at her, looking as Shaw's eyes looked around them. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing. I just…" Shaw let out a small sigh, "You just make me nervous, and I just don't know how to handle it."
"What's wrong?" She repeated. Shaw shoved her hands in her pockets and stood up. "Look, I know it's been two years without the action we used to have, but this is safer. Until we get a notice from-"
"That's not it, babe."
"What?" Root asked cautiously, feeling her heart rate increase. Shaw knelt on the ground, resting her hands on Roots knees. "Not in public," She shakily joked.
"Root, you know that's not what I'm doing."
Root nodded, trying to keep herself composed as Sameen pulled out a small box from her pocket. She cracked it open with a small strained creak to reveal a necklace designed with an odd piece in the middle, enclosed in resign and speckled in gold, with black metal around it on a burnt silver chain. Root instantly pulled Shaw in close, wrapping her hands around the back of her girlfriend's neck and kissing her. She smirked as she felt Sameen slide her hands up the insides of her legs, sliding a bit closer.
"So-"
"Yes!" Root exclaimed as Shaw hooked the necklace around her neck.
Root looked down at the necklace, cocking her head to the side as she looked down at the piece in the center of her new jewelry.
"What is this?"
"It's one of the only surviving pieces from the original motherboard of the Machine."
"What?" Root asked, "how'd you get it?"
"Harold had some pieces from the library's version of the machine he scavenged to protect us. I guess he kept it as a totem for the past because once we moved into the subway, we didn't need these anymore."
Root nodded and looked down at the pendant again, "This is… I have no words for just how sweet this is, Sam, thank you."
Sameen shrugged and nodded, "I thought you'd want something a bit closer to your heart." Root glanced at her necklace and nodded with a slight shrug. "Don't act like you didn't know how important this was to me, Shaw." She pulled her back in for another kiss, tightening her legs around Sameen's body.