Emily Prentiss One-Shots

Emily/Hotch

Title: this is where I wanna be (where it's so sweet and heavenly) - em_prentiss(Ao3)

Summary: Aaron, Emily, and the small steps they take towards each other (infinitesimal, tentative, but they get there)

He hasn't slept in days, he's running purely on caffeine and adrenaline, and she's wearing that red tank top. That's why he says it, he reasons to himself later, when he buries his face in his hands and feels the heat of his cheeks on his palms.

"You have freckles."

Rating: General

~
~
~
~

Consolation

He doesn't notice her come up behind him. "Hotch," Emily says and he startles, his eyes snapping to hers. "The victim's families are here."

He nods and turns off his phone, but not before she catches the picture of Jack on the screen, bright and smiling. "I'll be right there," he slides it into his pocket and turns to leave. He rubs a hand over his face, as if trying to erase the tight line of his mouth, unclench his locked jaw.

She moves before she can stop herself. It's a gentle press of her fingertips against his suited arm, but it halts him in his tracks. She withdraws her hand and knots her fingers together.

"He'll be okay," she tells him, her eyes wide and earnest. His chest tightens again as he clenches his fist, the bare space on his ring finger burning in accusation.

Aaron sighs. "Prentiss, I appr-"

"Trust me, he'll be fine," Emily interrupts. She waits for a beat before adding, "I was."

His furrowed brows raise in surprise. "Yeah," Emily smiles and shrugs lightly. "My parents divorced too. But that's not the point." She says.

"The point is Jack knows you love him, and he knows Haley loves him too. That's the most important thing. Everything else you can work out," Emily insists, so forcefully he believes her instantly.

"Yeah?" He asks. He hates the desperation in his voice, the way he's seeking after her reassurance. But when she nods the noose around his heart loosens. "Yeah."

"I mean, I turned out okay, didn't I?" She smiles softly, her eyes warm and kind. Aaron huffs out a laugh before he can stop himself. "You did," he whispers.

Emily smiles slightly. She opens her mouth to say something when JJ stands at the doorway. "Hotch, the families are waiting."

Aaron nods and heads to the offices where the families are. "Coming, JJ."

Emily follows him, almost knocking into his back when he stops abruptly before opening the door. He turns to her, "Thank you, Emily," he says quietly.

She beams at him. Her elbow knocks his lightly and she smiles, "Of course. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."

Aaron nods. He opens the door and they walk in, sitting down side by side on the couch to talk to the families. Her last thought before they introduce themselves is that he called her Emily.

Company

His bag is slung over his shoulder and he stands beneath the hot sun, eyes skipping over Reid in the driver's seat as he waits for them to drive away.

Aaron closes his eyes. For a brief moment he lets himself wallow in his misery at the thought of driving seven hours on his own. He shouldn't have bothered; the feeling doesn't last long.

"Praying for them to reach the airport safely?" A familiar voice teases, closer than he expects. Aaron's eyes fly open and he startles at the sight of Emily, the plate of brownies in her hand as she smiles at him.