a friend from college-jemily

black bird

Emily stared at her reflection. Her soft brown eyes, raven hair, and pink lips glistened in the golden sunlight that peaked through her bedroom window. She ran her fingers through her hair and laid it softly over her shoulders so that it barely covered the Y and the E of her navy and white Yale crewneck. She grabbed JJ's backpack and flung it around her shoulder and made her way to the soccer game.

JJ was feeling physically ill, as if at any moment, she could blow chunks all over her teammates. Her first college start was insanely exciting but incredibly nerve wracking. To try to keep her composure, she sat down on the bench, closed her eyes, and took deep breathes in and out until the butterflies in her stomach disappeared. She took her position on the field and when the whistle blew, the nauseating feelings she had earlier were long gone. At least she thought they were. A few minutes in to the match, JJ's teammate chased after a ball that had gone well out of play. While she waited for her teammate to throw the ball in, her eyes drifted up to the stands, where only a few rows up sat the smiling raven haired woman that made those butterflies in JJ's stomach return at full force. She was used to playing in front of tons of people, coaches from all over the country travelled to Pennsylvania to see her play in high school and she stepped up to the moment every time. But playing in front of Emily was different in a way JJ couldn't explain. She heard Emily yell "go JJ" as her teammate tossed to ball down the line for her to chase after. JJ caught up to the ball and dribbled it twice before she lost her footing and face planted on the turf, sending the ball far away from the goal. As JJ got up, she saw her teammates chuckling, her coach a bit unimpressed by her klutzy forward. "C'mon Jareau!" She said, clapping with encouragement. JJ kept her head up and didn't let herself get too embarrassed. She tried to shut Emily out and focus on the match. JJ quickly pounced on the ball and had a few good looks at goal if it hadn't been for a great effort on the part of the Dartmouth goalkeeper. As the game approached halftime, Anna had a great slide tackle the shook the ball lose at mid field. Another Yale team member gathered the ball and sent it forward to JJ. It snuck past the defenders perfectly and JJ had a straight shot at goal. After a few dribbles, she felt pressure from a Dartmouth defender so she rattled off a rocket in to the far left corner of the goal. At the same time, JJ's body was catapulted and as her body slid across the turf, everything went momentarily blank.

When JJ gathered herself and looked up from the ground, her teammates and coaches had surrounded her. Her arm was burning from the impact with the turf and she couldn't quiet see straight out of her left eye. She reached up to feel it but it throbbed from even the lightest touch. "Great shot, kid." Her coach said, looking at her with a proud but concerned smirk. The trainer helped her sit up and evaluated her for a head injury. "JJ, I think you've got a mild concussion. Let's get you up and get you some ice for that eye, huh?"
Anna and Sarah helped her over to the bench, and just like that, JJ's first start became to a glorious and painful end.

"Hey, are you okay?" Emily asked as her friend shuffled toward her after the game.
"I'm okay," JJ said with a smile. "Just a mild concussion and what I'm sure is about to be the ugliest shiner you've ever seen."
"It makes you look tough," Emily joked. She put her arm around JJ and congratulated her on her goal. "I know we said we'd grab something to eat after the game but if you're not up for it..."
"You know, I could really go for a dining hall sundae right about now," JJ suggested. "Oh, and don't want to forget to do this." She took Emily's backpack off her back and handed it to her.
"Oh, right," Emily said, returning JJ her bag. "I'm really sorry about that, by the way. I was in a rush and didn't even think to make sure it was my bag."
"Totally fine."

JJ piled her sundae high, very conscious of the stares she was receiving no doubt for looking like a gluttonous pirate walking around with her massive dessert dish and an eyepatch over her left orbital to help keep it from swelling too much. "I can't believe that happened."

"I almost went to throw hands with that girl after the game. The way she just shoved her was completely unnecessary. Hope that red card teaches her not to lay a hand on my JJ again," Emily shuttered, shaking her head in disgust.
"Your JJ, huh?" JJ smirked.
"I mean, your my best friend," Emily laughed.
"I like it," JJ felt herself blushing like she always did. Emily reached over and placed her hand over JJ's.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Emily asked. "I mean, that was a really bad hit."
"I'm definitely sore. But I'll be fine," JJ grimaced in reassurance. The two besties finished their ice cream and slowly walked back to JJ's dorm.

JJ sighed as she sat at the edge of her bed.
"You know, Em, I really can do this myself. You don't have to take care of me," JJ said as she watched Emily pull out a set of pajamas from the closet.
"Nonsense, Jennifer Jareau," Emily snapped back. "You have a head injury and an eye as big as a doughnut, I'm helping you put your pajamas on."
"If you insist," JJ said, softly biting her lip as she stared at Emily's perfectly shaped ass as the brunette shuffled around in the closet. How she knew where to find JJ's pajamas was beyond her because JJ barely knew, but she appreciated the help. Even though it was the concussion that was most worrisome, JJ's arm was pretty scratched up as well and it would be difficult for her to take off her clothes. JJ had changed in to a fresh set of training gear following her early exit from the game, but she had still managed to build up the nervous sweat one gets from being in the presence Emily Prentiss. JJ grasped at the bottom of her shirt and began to lift it but was met with searing pain in her arm.
"Em, could you actually, uh..." JJ didn't even finish her thought before Emily was there helping her lift off her shirt and then her sports bra off. JJ noticed how Emily lingered for a second before grabbing her silky button up pajama top. She wrapped it around JJ pulling the injured arm softly through the short sleeve. She bent down to button the top, slowly and meticulously closing each button until she reached the button just above JJ's breasts. Their eyes met and JJ stared in to Emily's dark brown orbs. Emily smiled as she broke the tension.
"Let's get you some ice for that eye, huh Pirate Jen?" she laughed. Emily gently pulled off the eye patch to reveal a dark blue and green circle forming under JJ's crystal blue eye.
"How bad is it? It's bad right?" JJ asked.
"Hmm, I don't know. I think it's kind of hot," Emily winked as she placed the ice pack over the bruises. She opened up JJ's blanket and pulled it back over her once her friend was laying comfortably. Emily sat on the edge of the bed and asked if there was anything else JJ needed. JJ shook her head but then removed the ice pack from her eye.
"Actually, the trainer wanted me to monitor my pupils, with the knock to the head and everything, so could you," JJ sat up and leaned closer to Emily. She opened her eyes as wide as the swelling would let her. Emily leaned in closer too. And then a little closer, and closer, until her nose was almost touching JJ's. Then she whispered, "your pupils look amazing." She  leaned back up right as the friends laughed and JJ placed the ice pack back on her face.
"Thank you so much for everything, Emily. For coming to the game, for the sundaes, for taking care of me. I know this probably wasn't how you envisioned spending your night, but I'm really grateful for you," JJ blurted out.
"Don't mention it. It's what friends are for," Emily said as she walked toward JJ's bedroom door. As she put her hand on the doorknob, she turned back around and said, "sleep tight, blackbird."
JJ's eyes shot open. "What did you just call me?"

a/n: shit's about to go down