Emily Prentiss One-Shots

Emily/Elle

Title: Love, hope, and other things - strangely_appealing (AO3)

Summary: When they kiss, it's breathless and tastes like alcohol (but also something more, something distinctly Emily's), and it's everything Elle wanted it to be (needed, really). When they part, Elle knows she needs it to happen again.

Rating: General 

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They got introduced in a meeting on counter-terrorism. Emily Prentiss was charming, professional and if she did know who Elle was, she hid her surprise at the fake name well. It felt foreign on her tongue, 'Elle Greenaway' - almost falling off Elle's lips. She tried so hard to live into the new identity, and just when it stopped feeling so unnatural, Elle was back at square one just from five minutes worth of conversation. If this was any indicator, this woman was going to be trouble.

Elle had a new name, a more or less stable job in Interpol, and a squeaky clean record (no questionable shootings in sight). Her new identity's a favour from Gideon - not long after she left, he called and proposed a deal: she sees a therapist once a week, and he provides her with a new life. She took it.

Her name was all Reid - Sylvia (as in Sylvia Plath) Douglas (as in some obscure 15th-century Scottish poet). She kept in touch with both of them. After Gideon left the bureau, their talks were few and far between, but sometimes he would call in the middle of the night just to check on her. Elle appreciated it.

Elle also appreciated her life in London. She was as happy as one could get when in need to avoid any meaningful relationships because your whole life is a carefully calculated lie. She got accustomed to being alone, got herself a cosy apartment and a feisty cat. Elle was content with her life. She also felt threatened with its new development in the form of Emily Prentiss. The woman was a ghost from the very past that Elle went to great lengths to forget. But something in her face, something haunted, told Elle that maybe Emily Prentiss also had something to forget, to run from, that maybe they are more alike than she initially thought. After all, Elle was a ghost herself.

That night, when she got home, she texted Reid for the first time in months.

"I met Emily Prentiss today," it said.

He called her a couple of hours later, asking a hundred questions per minute, closing off with a definitive "I always thought given the chance you would really like each other".

That got proven very shortly after. There wasn't much to not like about Prentiss, as it turns out. Elle liked woman's friendly exterior, her professionalism, sure, but there was something lurking underneath it, in those oh so tired eyes, something familiar - and that, Elle was drawn to. It was hard not to profile Prentiss, especially so when Elle could feel the woman's eyes studying her. Elle would be lying if she said that she wasn't just a little bit intrigued.

They worked pretty closely now. Late nights with paperwork with just the two of them in the office, knowing exactly how another one liked their coffee - that kind of close. Elle found herself gravitating towards the other woman (eyes searching for her in crowded rooms, smiles sneaking onto Elle's face involuntarily), wanting to trust Prentiss with her real name. It was dangerous just thinking about it, so Elle did the right thing (since when has she become so proper?) and tried to minimise contact, which did more harm than good to both of them. She felt Emily's eyes searching her face for clues, her expression pained - her own gut twisting, twisting, twisting with guilt. Closeness was never the risk Elle was willing to take, not up until now at least. But somehow, she was confident that Emily would understand. Maybe she was the only one who truly could.

It was 2 am and Friday and way too late for anyone sane to be at the office - it was just the two of them. Elle strode to Emily's office, briefly noticing how dark it was outside, surprising even herself with her calmness. She was greeted with a surprised and somewhat vulnerable expression on Emily's face. Elle was struck by how beautiful the woman in front of her was. It felt like a punch in the gut and compromised her ability to breathe for a second.
The silence was stretching out.
- I need to tell you something - Elle said slowly. Emily silently nodded for her to continue. - My real name is Elle Greenaway.
Elle watched the recognition dawn on the other woman, her eyes searching frantically for any kind of reaction and finding none.
- Elle suits you better - was all Emily said after excruciatingly long moments of silence.
- Reid chose the name - at this, Emily snorted.
- Of course he did.
Emily gestured for her to sit on the couch as she reached for whisky. They drank and told stories of the good days and not so good ones. Elle had almost forgotten how good it felt to be close to somebody, not just physically but emotionally. She felt dizzy with the feeling and with more than a couple of drinks in her system. She also felt the urge to kiss the other woman growing with every inhale. When Emily's shoulder brushes against hers, it's impossible to resist, really.