Karner Blue
Title: Karner Blue
Pairing: Reid/JJ, or Reid & JJ
Prompt: dead battery via cm_het_drabble
Rating: G
Warnings: None. Sugary-sweetness? A ridiculously unimportant spoiler for The Fisher King I & II maybe?
Notes: I have a tendency to torture these two, so I gave them a reprieve ;) Also, what started out as a dead battery turned into a flat tire. Oh, well. I was still inspired by the prompt, so that's what matters, right? Ha.
"This is ridiculous," JJ sighed, wiping a hand across her sweaty forhead. "I know the federal government is practically bankrupt, but really? No spare tire?"
Reid peered over her shoulder into the empty compartment. "It would appear not. Looks like there's a jack, though."
"Well, that's useful."
"Not really."
JJ turned to look at him and rolled her eyes. "I know, Spence." She slammed the trunk shut and leaned against it. "I'll call Hotch. Go sit down. You look like you're melting." She gestured at the damp hair along his hairline. "And undo a button or two. Or at least lose the tie." She pushed at her rolled-up sleeves and reached for her phone.
A minute later, she came to settle herself beside him on the scorched-grass shoulder. "Help is on the way," she deadpanned, toeing off her shoes. "I thought I told you to ditch the tie."
Reid shrugged. "I'm fine. This is unusual weather for upstate New York. Highs in June are usually only in the low 80's in Saratoga County."
"Tell me about it. Oh, well. At least we've got a view." She pointed out at the long expanse of nothing in front of them and laughed.
"Lupinus perennis. Wild blue lupine. It's a legume."
"Lupine, you said?" JJ's voice piqued.
"Mmmhmm. Why?"
"Come here." She got to her feet and thrust them back into her shoes, making her way carefully down the embankment.
She tottered a little, sinking into the ground in her heels, and Reid caught up to her and grabbed her by the arm. "Those are not meant for hiking. Be careful."
JJ kicked them off again and took him excitedly by the hand, leading him barefoot through the brush. "Shhh," she said. "Come on."
Reid's forehead knit together in question, but he followed, treading quietly in the footsteps she left. They reached the edge of the field of blue, and JJ dropped to her knees, pulling at his hand. He crouched beside her. "What are we doing?"
"Be quiet for a sec," she whispered. "Just look."
"What am I looking for?" he whispered back, his hot breath at her ear.
"That," JJ answered, pointing to her left where a tiny, blue butterfly was balanced on a leaf, opening and closing its wings like a heartbeat. She still had a grip on Reid's hand, and she squeezed it tightly in her fingers. "The Karner blue butterfly. I forgot until you told me what the flower was," she said. "They're extremely rare."
"Lycaeides melissa samuelis. They're on the endangered species list. The larvae feed exclusively on the leaves of the lupine. Males..."
"Shhh," JJ hissed again, giving him another squeeze, this time impatient. "I know. Have you ever seen one?"
"No."
"Then shut up and look."
Reid dropped to his knees and watched as the butterfly flitted around from blossom to blossom. The action got old fairly quickly, however, and he found himself more interested in JJ's face, which was focused and rapt, her eyes almost the same shade as the wings. He watched her mostly in profile as her lips parted and her gaze followed its arc. When it finally flew out of view, she turned to look at him, her whole face bright. "Did you see?"
"I saw," he said quietly.
"Aren't they beautiful?" she asked, leaning on his shoulder to stand back up.
Reid nodded slowly as he supported her by the elbow then got to his own feet. "Beautiful," he agreed. He paused for a moment as JJ brushed off her pants. "Do you like butterflies? You know a lot about them."
JJ nodded, leaning over to brush the dirt off of his knees, as well. "I collected them," she said. "When I was a little girl." Her voice was small, and her cheeks pinked up suddenly. Reid couldn't tell whether it was the heat or whether she was embarrassed.
"That makes sense," he said as they climbed back up the embankment.
"Why?"
Shrugging, Reid helped JJ step over the flimsy guiderail, then reached back across for her shoes. "It just does," he said, handing them to her. "They're pretty. Anyway!" He looked away, flustered. "You should... you should really check for ticks. I think you should do that. Right now. Before they get here with the spare and you get distracted, and..."
JJ's mouth lifted at the corners as his color turned to match her own. "Yes, Doctor."
Pairing: Reid/JJ, or Reid & JJ
Prompt: dead battery via cm_het_drabble
Rating: G
Warnings: None. Sugary-sweetness? A ridiculously unimportant spoiler for The Fisher King I & II maybe?
Notes: I have a tendency to torture these two, so I gave them a reprieve ;) Also, what started out as a dead battery turned into a flat tire. Oh, well. I was still inspired by the prompt, so that's what matters, right? Ha.
"This is ridiculous," JJ sighed, wiping a hand across her sweaty forhead. "I know the federal government is practically bankrupt, but really? No spare tire?"
Reid peered over her shoulder into the empty compartment. "It would appear not. Looks like there's a jack, though."
"Well, that's useful."
"Not really."
JJ turned to look at him and rolled her eyes. "I know, Spence." She slammed the trunk shut and leaned against it. "I'll call Hotch. Go sit down. You look like you're melting." She gestured at the damp hair along his hairline. "And undo a button or two. Or at least lose the tie." She pushed at her rolled-up sleeves and reached for her phone.
A minute later, she came to settle herself beside him on the scorched-grass shoulder. "Help is on the way," she deadpanned, toeing off her shoes. "I thought I told you to ditch the tie."
Reid shrugged. "I'm fine. This is unusual weather for upstate New York. Highs in June are usually only in the low 80's in Saratoga County."
"Tell me about it. Oh, well. At least we've got a view." She pointed out at the long expanse of nothing in front of them and laughed.
"Lupinus perennis. Wild blue lupine. It's a legume."
"Lupine, you said?" JJ's voice piqued.
"Mmmhmm. Why?"
"Come here." She got to her feet and thrust them back into her shoes, making her way carefully down the embankment.
She tottered a little, sinking into the ground in her heels, and Reid caught up to her and grabbed her by the arm. "Those are not meant for hiking. Be careful."
JJ kicked them off again and took him excitedly by the hand, leading him barefoot through the brush. "Shhh," she said. "Come on."
Reid's forehead knit together in question, but he followed, treading quietly in the footsteps she left. They reached the edge of the field of blue, and JJ dropped to her knees, pulling at his hand. He crouched beside her. "What are we doing?"
"Be quiet for a sec," she whispered. "Just look."
"What am I looking for?" he whispered back, his hot breath at her ear.
"That," JJ answered, pointing to her left where a tiny, blue butterfly was balanced on a leaf, opening and closing its wings like a heartbeat. She still had a grip on Reid's hand, and she squeezed it tightly in her fingers. "The Karner blue butterfly. I forgot until you told me what the flower was," she said. "They're extremely rare."
"Lycaeides melissa samuelis. They're on the endangered species list. The larvae feed exclusively on the leaves of the lupine. Males..."
"Shhh," JJ hissed again, giving him another squeeze, this time impatient. "I know. Have you ever seen one?"
"No."
"Then shut up and look."
Reid dropped to his knees and watched as the butterfly flitted around from blossom to blossom. The action got old fairly quickly, however, and he found himself more interested in JJ's face, which was focused and rapt, her eyes almost the same shade as the wings. He watched her mostly in profile as her lips parted and her gaze followed its arc. When it finally flew out of view, she turned to look at him, her whole face bright. "Did you see?"
"I saw," he said quietly.
"Aren't they beautiful?" she asked, leaning on his shoulder to stand back up.
Reid nodded slowly as he supported her by the elbow then got to his own feet. "Beautiful," he agreed. He paused for a moment as JJ brushed off her pants. "Do you like butterflies? You know a lot about them."
JJ nodded, leaning over to brush the dirt off of his knees, as well. "I collected them," she said. "When I was a little girl." Her voice was small, and her cheeks pinked up suddenly. Reid couldn't tell whether it was the heat or whether she was embarrassed.
"That makes sense," he said as they climbed back up the embankment.
"Why?"
Shrugging, Reid helped JJ step over the flimsy guiderail, then reached back across for her shoes. "It just does," he said, handing them to her. "They're pretty. Anyway!" He looked away, flustered. "You should... you should really check for ticks. I think you should do that. Right now. Before they get here with the spare and you get distracted, and..."
JJ's mouth lifted at the corners as his color turned to match her own. "Yes, Doctor."