Damaged Goods - Emily Prentiss x Reader

easier if you hate me

(2536 words)

'Stay on your radios tonight.' Emily called out across the parking lot. 'Anything unusual, and I mean anything, radio it in to the rest of us.'

'Yes, Chief.' Luke replied.

'Yes, Chief. Thank you, Chief.' Tara mocked Luke as she climbed into the car with him.

You slid into the passenger seat of an SUV with Emily, trying to figure out how the fuck you were about to get through the next eight hours with her in such an enclosed space.

'There's water and snacks in the glove compartment if you need anything.' She said, fastening her seatbelt as she pulled out of the parking lot.

'Oh,' you replied, tugging it open to see for yourself, 'thanks.'

She drove towards the west side of campus, parking up next to some trees and shutting the car off.

As soon as the car fell into silence you started to feel awkward.

'Why me?' You asked.

'What?' Emily replied absentmindedly, as she peered out of her windows at the accommodation block.

'I just wondered if there was a reason you asked me to do the stake out with you?' You clarified.

'Do I need a reason?' Emily asked back.

'No, I just...' your eyes flitted around as you started to feel insecure for asking. 'Nevermind.'

'There's five of you, isn't there?' Emily reminded you. 'One of you needed to come with me.'

'Okay.' You said, wishing you'd never brought it up.

Two hours later you were still looking at a deserted campus and feeling the time move painfully slowly.

'When was your last stake out?' Emily asked.

'God, I don't know.' You thought out loud. 'Ten months ago maybe? It was that one outside our Unsub's house. The guy who kept teeth as trophies.'

'Oh shit yeah.' Emily replied. 'Damn, I forgot about that.'

'I had Tara with me.' You remembered. 'I think that was when me and her got so close.'

'Lucky you.' Emily remarked. 'I had Luke.'

'Oh god!' You laughed, figuring how that'd have gone down.

'He sings!' Emily told you, smiling as she looked sideways at you.

'What?!' You asked.

'He literally sings when he's bored.' She explained.

'No way!' You laughed, as Emily's eyes lingered on your smile for a few seconds.

As the car fell silent you looked out to the accommodation windows as one of the only lights left on switched off. You wrapped your hands around the tops of your arms and readjusted yourself in your seat.

'If you're cold there's a blanket in the back.' Emily said, flicking her head back to check it was still there.

'Since when do we have blankets in our SUVs?' You asked, looking back yourself.

'Since I was the one who arranged the stake-out and remembered how cold it gets when you can't switch the heat on.' Emily remarked.

You scoffed, shaking your head.

'Do you want it?' She asked, reaching backwards from her seat.

'No, it's okay.' You told her. 'I can handle it.'