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"Hmmm, I missed you too." The reformed killer half moaned feeling the Persian's calloused fingers against her skin tracing along the thin scar from the sniper's bullet hidden under her clothes.The action would have had the hacker reaching for the taser taped under the counter if her Goddess hadn't already told her Shaw would be coming in the door twelve seconds before she'd felt the warm breath against her back.The greeting had become something of a ritual between them every time they had to be apart for longer than a few minutes. It was going on three years since they defeated Samaritan and Shaw was still unsure that she and Root had really managed to survive it or if it her reality was just another simulation messing with her mind."Root what happened?"The hacker pretended not to hear the question being kissed into her spine as she continued rinsing out the coffee mug at the sink. She hummed to herself as she turned only to find Shaw's restraining hold on her wrist. "What is that?" Shaw asked again the hardened edge layering her tone."Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and stake what's it look like sweetie?" Root answered flashed one of her flirtatious smiles at the un-amused expression on her lover's face.Shaw's jaw flexed in annoyance ignoring the bone-tired feeling in her body as she dropped her gear bag to the floor. "and she's been helping me with my cooking skills so yes it's all edible." The hacker explained proudly "What I just wanted to make my girl a welcome home breakfast." Root admitted truthfully when her lover's only response was a hardened glare when she turned in the half circle of Shaw's arms.Shaw knew she was deflecting her question."Root, What the hell happened to you?" the sociopath questioned. Shaw knew for a fact that the bandage on the taller woman's shoulder hadn't been there three days before when Shaw had left to start hunting down their latest number."I'm fine Sameen," the hacker insisted letting out a long-exasperated sigh when Shaw just dragged her over to the table and pushed into a chair "You could have just taken it off you know." Root reminded her once Shaw was finished cutting the strap of her tank top off to get a better look at the bandage. "Don't be such a baby," Shaw grumbled rolling her eyes as she slipped the switchblade back into her pocket."Root," Shaw warns lazily as the hacker's fingers close around her wrist before she could completely peel back the first layer of tap and gaze. "It's not the right time yet." Root argued taking an apple from the fruit bowl with her free hand. "Trust me on this please." She pouted when Shaw just raised her eyebrow in answer. "Please?" Root repeated taking a bite from the bright red apple as she held the other woman's eyes. "If it was really bad then I would be more than happy letting you play doctor but it's not." The stubborn brunet pointed out as she chewed.Shaw would have argued back but she was momentarily distracted by the smell of overcooking bacon on the stove. "How about you let me decide the severity?" she suggested once the stove had been turned off and the pan was hissing in the sink. "I already said I'm fine Sweetie." Root reminded her expertly tossing the core into the trash and picking up another full apple while Shaw dropped into the empty seat with a full plate of only slightly blackened food in front of her."Now, are you going to tell me what the heck happened already?" Shaw grunted around a mouth full of pancakes and stake. "Or am I going to have to go ask your All Knowing Big Sister?" Root raised an eyebrow chewing another bite from her apple slowly as she propped her legs up on the empty chair under the table."4.6% and falling the longer you wait." Her God whispered in Root's good ear after running the numbers on the slim chance of Shaw letting the new wound go."Fine." The hacker sighed exasperatedly as she finished off another apple and sending the remains into the bin with the first. "Just don't make fun of me alright?" she hissed adorably as she turned so Shaw could reach the patch on her shoulder.Shaw was prepared for anything as she snapped on some surgical gloves ignoring Root's amused expression when she'd retrieved the first aid kit from under the sink. "What the hell?"Root bit her lip shivering under Shaw's touch as the confused Persian traced her fingers along the scattered lines of the arrow-shaped sound wave embedded in the hacker's skin."What do you think?" Root wondered flirtatiously."19-8-1-23?" Sameen asked tracing the pads of her fingers over the bold print of the numbers making up the arrow's shaft as they followed the curve of Root's shoulder blade. "What the hell does that mean?"Root giggled at the look on her sociopaths face while she tried to reason the combination out."She's adorable when she's annoyed." Root commented softly her head tilted to the side as she listened to the Computer Goddess talking in her ear. "No, I don't think I will." She mused in that infuriatingly soft tone of hers."She'll figure it out sooner or later." She giggled. "Okay." She huffed after what Shaw knew must have been promoting from her computerized Goddess."This one is an A." Root hinted taking Samee's hand and placing it on the third number of her tattooed arrow. "and this one is a W." the hacker went on moving the Marine's hand to the fourth letter.It only took her another full minute to work out what the other numbers meant."You are such a nerd."
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"Hey, sweetie…."The corner of Shaw's mouth twitched in the hint of a smile as her voice filled her ear as the other woman invades Shaw's personal space. "Afternoon," Sameen answered unconsciously leaning back into the other woman's hold. Samaritan simulation of not the hacker was still her safe place. Always and forever."You left before I got up." she purred resting her chin against the sociopath's shoulder tracing the shell of Shaw's ear with her nose."Your big sister tried to call you in again," she admitted turning around to face her as Root braced her arms on either side of Shaw's body trapping her between the counter and the former killer's body. Root sighed still hearing the bitter edge to Sameen's tone while her hands traced the scar Blackwell's bullet had given her."Won't you two ever get along?" Root asked buttoning up her rumpled shirt self-consciously earning a scoffed "Nope." And an eye roll from Shaw at the same time the Machin whispered "2.5% probability….and that's only at your requests.""Sam, what's that?" Root asked when she pulled back from flirtatiously nibbling along the cords of her girl's neck. Shaw's right wrist was wrapped tightly in gaze. At first, the reformed killer had thought it was just because Shaw had been working at a boxing bag but on closer inspection when Shaw's hands came up to frame her face while Shaw kissed her back she realized it was something else."Dinner," Shaw answered dropping her arms to her sides as she turned around to save the plates Bear had been trying to steal from while his owner's attentions were otherwise occupied. "Yours is over there Big Guy." She reminded the dog jerking her chin over to the food bowl beside his bed."Maybe he just likes our dinner better than that CQB K-9 diet you've had him on." At that Shaw rolled her eyes looking back over her shoulder to one of Root's pointed an eyebrow raised looks as the long-haired brunet folded her arms over her chest. "So, someone got lucky…." Shaw sighed grudgingly knowing Root wasn't close to letting the addition on her wrist go."Sameen." Root sighed seeing thought her deception easily "Can I at least take a peek so I can be sure you're not going to get an infection?" she relented seeing Shaw's defensiveness building back up at the standoff."I do have medical training you know." Shaw shot back in annoyance earning the slightest hint of a smile from the woman standing across from her. "Trust me I am well aware of your skills Sweetie." Root cooed gently coaxing Shaw out of the kitchen and over to the couch once the dinner plates were set out on the table."Okay so you two not talking either means it's somehow worse than I think or…." Root announced when the room remained uncomfortably quiet after they had settled on the sofa. The comment was as much to Shaw as the Machine who had been worryingly silent since Root had brought up the bandages. And that to Root meant that her Goddess was in on whatever Shaw was hiding."Show her."Shaw still winced at the Machine's chosen voice when she cut in stopping the real Root mid-rant. "What did we talk about with the voice thing?" the Persian growled softly looking pointedly into the closest computer camera. She knew it was silly to keep bringing it up when Root thought it was the coolest thing ever that her Goddess chose her to be her voice."My apologies Asset Shaw." The Machine answered now talking in the voice of her creator and father. "Show her." the computerized voice repeated, "If you persist in keeping the information from her my Analog Interface will just take matters into her own hands.""She's not wrong." Root interjected one of Shaw's pocket knives already in her hand when Shaw glanced in her direction."Really?" Shaw asked bluntly her eyebrow raised at the possible threat while Root twirled the blade between her fingers. "Just show me already Sameen." Root growled adorably thrusting the knife toward Shaw's face while the ex-military woman just rolled her eyes and started unwrapping the bandage on her wrist.Dinner was getting cold and Shaw was really starting to get hungry again. "Happy?" she asked tossing the wrappings onto the coffee table as she turned her arm into the light so Root could see.The thing started at her wrist from start to finish it was the size of a standard poker card. Easy to hide if needed.At first, Root thought it was just a taser gun Shaw had tattooed into her arm but then she noticed that while that may have been the basis for the drawing the body of the ink drawn weapon was actually a well-hidden trouble cliff."18-15-15-20?" Root looked up into Shaw's eyes with a puzzled expression.
The numbers were scrolled over Shaw's pulse point in the electrical static of the teasers discharge secrete. They looked blurred like the static of a sound wave."My lucky numbers." Shaw shrugged as her stomach growled audibly making her pause in the act of scratching Bear's belly to glance into the kitchen and the still waiting food on the table. "And all this time I thought I was your lucky number." Root sighed wistfully clicking her tongue to send Bear off the couch as she pulled her compact lover to her feet but the smile on her lips betrayed her real feelings as her fingers traced little circles around the double 18 on Shaw's pauls point.
"Whoever said you weren't?" Shaw wondered sending the humming computer in the corner one of her rare genuine smiles as she led the way back into the kitchen with Bear following loyally at her side.