Rumors
Title: Rumors
Authors: arwen_lalaith, inward_audacity
Category: Friendship
Rating: FRT
Characters: Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss
Summary: Tag to Lessons Learned. He hadn't been able to believe it when not only did he have a second chance to strike up a friendship with the brunette he'd met the other day, he got to work beside her for the foreseeable future as well. What he hadn't counted on, though...was her.
Emily and Reid caught the elevator just as the doors were about to close. By the time they'd gotten back to Quantico from Guantanamo Bay, it was quite late - she knew that she should finish up her reports while it was still fresh in her mind, but right now, she just wanted to fall into bed and try to make some sense of her new role as part of this team. She hoped this weariness was just the result of the case and the fact that you could never really anticipate your first case.
She almost bumped into the elevator's other occupant in her exhaustion, stumbling back. “Morgan...” she said quietly, then glanced down at her watch. “What are you still doing here? Everyone else has already gone home.”
“Work never sleeps, Prentiss,” he shrugged. “Anyone want to go grab a bite? I'm starving.” He glanced between her and Reid, “You must be pretty hungry, you probably haven't eaten all day.”
“I'm out,” Reid held up his hands in surrender, “There's a Babylon Five marathon on tonight.”
Morgan chuckled. “You sure know how to live it up, kid...”
Emily looked a little sheepish. “No thanks...I really just want to go home and sleep.”
“Come on,” he urged, “I don't want to eat on my own. Besides, you didn't have dinner... Why don't you show me a good Middle Eastern place in town? I've never had Middle Eastern food.”
She didn't reply until the doors slid closed behind Reid, then her eyes flicked back to Morgan, then finally down to the floor. “Look, I said no, okay?”
He raised his brow, but backed off nonetheless. “Okay, I'm sorry. I'll just eat on my own.”
She leaned back against the wall of the elevator, unconsciously tapping her foot impatiently. “Can't this thing move any faster...” she muttered under her breath, anxious to escape the tension in the confined space.
“Do you hate me that much that you can't even stand to be in the same room as me?”
“What?” she asked, taken aback, “Who said anything about hating you?”
He shrugged and hit the button to open the elevator doors. “You wouldn't look at me when I try to talk to you, you obviously can't wait to get out of here... I can take a hint, Prentiss.”
She reached across him to press and hold the button, keeping the doors closed. “You've got it all wrong.”
“Don't worry about it. I won't let it affect our work.”
“No, just listen,” she insisted, “I just...I don't need anymore suspicion than I've already got. Someone sees us getting a meal alone together, people talk...that's how rumors get started.”
“That's what you're worried about?” he asked increduously, “Rumors? Why do you care what other people think, anyway?”
“You know what people are saying about me already - I don't need to add to that the suspicion that I'm only here because I'm fucking someone on the team.”
“Well, I don't really care what anyone says. Rumors will die down once something new comes up. Besides, I'm pretty sure you've proven yourself; without you, we wouldn't have solved the case.”
Emily mashed her lips together in a thin line. “You don't know that. And just because you flatter me, it doesn't mean I'll change my mind.”
“I'm not trying to change your mind,” he said honestly, “And that's not flattery. Reid told me that the CIA, with all the resources and time they had, they couldn't figure out one thing about Jind Allah. You got it right in ten minutes. You're good at what you do.” He shook his head. “But you obviously don't believe me. So, can I go now?”
She sighed and released the button. “Fine, whatever.”
Glancing over his shoulder as he stepped out, he said blithely, “Good night, Prentiss.”
Authors: arwen_lalaith, inward_audacity
Category: Friendship
Rating: FRT
Characters: Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss
Summary: Tag to Lessons Learned. He hadn't been able to believe it when not only did he have a second chance to strike up a friendship with the brunette he'd met the other day, he got to work beside her for the foreseeable future as well. What he hadn't counted on, though...was her.
Emily and Reid caught the elevator just as the doors were about to close. By the time they'd gotten back to Quantico from Guantanamo Bay, it was quite late - she knew that she should finish up her reports while it was still fresh in her mind, but right now, she just wanted to fall into bed and try to make some sense of her new role as part of this team. She hoped this weariness was just the result of the case and the fact that you could never really anticipate your first case.
She almost bumped into the elevator's other occupant in her exhaustion, stumbling back. “Morgan...” she said quietly, then glanced down at her watch. “What are you still doing here? Everyone else has already gone home.”
“Work never sleeps, Prentiss,” he shrugged. “Anyone want to go grab a bite? I'm starving.” He glanced between her and Reid, “You must be pretty hungry, you probably haven't eaten all day.”
“I'm out,” Reid held up his hands in surrender, “There's a Babylon Five marathon on tonight.”
Morgan chuckled. “You sure know how to live it up, kid...”
Emily looked a little sheepish. “No thanks...I really just want to go home and sleep.”
“Come on,” he urged, “I don't want to eat on my own. Besides, you didn't have dinner... Why don't you show me a good Middle Eastern place in town? I've never had Middle Eastern food.”
She didn't reply until the doors slid closed behind Reid, then her eyes flicked back to Morgan, then finally down to the floor. “Look, I said no, okay?”
He raised his brow, but backed off nonetheless. “Okay, I'm sorry. I'll just eat on my own.”
She leaned back against the wall of the elevator, unconsciously tapping her foot impatiently. “Can't this thing move any faster...” she muttered under her breath, anxious to escape the tension in the confined space.
“Do you hate me that much that you can't even stand to be in the same room as me?”
“What?” she asked, taken aback, “Who said anything about hating you?”
He shrugged and hit the button to open the elevator doors. “You wouldn't look at me when I try to talk to you, you obviously can't wait to get out of here... I can take a hint, Prentiss.”
She reached across him to press and hold the button, keeping the doors closed. “You've got it all wrong.”
“Don't worry about it. I won't let it affect our work.”
“No, just listen,” she insisted, “I just...I don't need anymore suspicion than I've already got. Someone sees us getting a meal alone together, people talk...that's how rumors get started.”
“That's what you're worried about?” he asked increduously, “Rumors? Why do you care what other people think, anyway?”
“You know what people are saying about me already - I don't need to add to that the suspicion that I'm only here because I'm fucking someone on the team.”
“Well, I don't really care what anyone says. Rumors will die down once something new comes up. Besides, I'm pretty sure you've proven yourself; without you, we wouldn't have solved the case.”
Emily mashed her lips together in a thin line. “You don't know that. And just because you flatter me, it doesn't mean I'll change my mind.”
“I'm not trying to change your mind,” he said honestly, “And that's not flattery. Reid told me that the CIA, with all the resources and time they had, they couldn't figure out one thing about Jind Allah. You got it right in ten minutes. You're good at what you do.” He shook his head. “But you obviously don't believe me. So, can I go now?”
She sighed and released the button. “Fine, whatever.”
Glancing over his shoulder as he stepped out, he said blithely, “Good night, Prentiss.”