Emily Prentiss One-Shots

Emily/Tara

Title: Old Habit - angestreet (Ao3)

Summary: When a smoke break with Tara takes an unexpected turn, Emily reveals more than she intends.

Rating: Not rated 

A/N ~ Hope you all had an amazing pride month :) Stay Safe and Happy Reading Loves<3

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Emily should have seen the question coming.

She and Tara were on the rooftop of the Quantico parking garage, where they had retreated for a sneaky cigarette. It wasn't a particularly picturesque spot, but it offered a partial view of the Potomac River, and, more importantly, a place to hide from Garcia's condemnation.

Their colleague's concern was undoubtedly sincere, a fierce expression of friendship. But Emily and Tara knew perfectly well it was a disgusting habit. They had both tried to quit — Tara in earnest, Emily half-heartedly — and they had both failed. So hiding it was, lest Garcia chase them down with another lecture about lung cancer and COPD.

Safely out of sight on the rooftop, they had talked shop for a while, bouncing around Emily's maverick theory that the killer they were tracking was government trained. Then, despite the disturbing subject matter, or perhaps because of it, Tara had brought out something stronger.

Emily had baulked at the sight of the joint. "We're federal agents!" she had whispered furiously, her hushed tone unnecessary in the deserted concrete lot.

Tara had just laughed. "It's legal now, grandma," she told Emily.

In a past life, Emily would have known that already. She might have even campaigned for the change, if only to annoy her mother. But a lot had changed since her pothead phase, and by virtue of her position, or age, or maybe both, this particular update to Virginia law had passed her by.

Embarrassed by her prudish outburst — and more than a little stung by Tara's rejoinder — Emily had agreed to partake. It wasn't until midway through her second toke she remembered cannabis might very well be legal now, but smoking it atop the Quantico parking garage was almost certainly against FBI policy.

Fuck policy, she had thought. Fuck everything.

It had been one of those weeks.

It had also been a long time since Emily had gotten high. She sat back, trying to enjoy the slow encroach of the buzz, as Tara rambled on about dating — not her break-up with Rebecca, for once, but a more general lament about the trajectory of her romantic life.

Tara was off on a tangent, complaining dating wasn't getting any easier or less depressing, worrying she had missed the boat. Emily was only half-listening, a pleasant haze just starting to curl its tendrils around the corners of her mind.

Then, all of a sudden, Tara turned her soliloquy onto her smoking partner.

"What about you?" she said.

Emily shifted at the question, head swirling. "What about me?" she said.

Tara reached over and took the joint, waiting for an answer.

Emily scoffed, hoping it would suffice. But Tara just raised her eyebrows, expression clear: you can do better than that.

"There's no about me," Emily clarified.

"Come on, Prentiss."

"Come on what?" Emily said abruptly, suddenly anxious to end the conversation before she fell too far outside of her faculties.

"Don't you feel the same?" Tara said.

Emily sighed. She had been on the receiving end of this particular conversation with Tara before.