Paranoid
Title: Paranoid
Author: Alsike
Fandom: X-Men/Criminal Minds x-over
Pairing: Emma Frost/Emily Prentiss
Rating: PG
AN/Disclaimer: Not my girls.
Prompt: 018. Waterproof (IDEK)
Apologies: Maybe a year after Human.
Emily coughed.
Emma stopped what she was saying and stared at the receiver. “Are you sick?” she asked with a tone that implied disgust more than anything else.
“I’m fine, I have a cold.”
“Why are you sick? You don’t take care of yourself at all do you?”
“Emma…”
Her voice sounded strained, and Emma cursed herself for not noticing it sooner. “This is not okay.” She hated thinking about Emily being sick, hated picturing her ghost-pale face and hollow eyes, hated knowing that she’d push herself too hard, that she didn’t know when to quit and just look after herself. (She hated herself for not being able to drop everything to take care of her, and for being paranoid and needy and desperate, like only Emily could make her.) “You being sick is not okay. It’s your fucking job. What did they have you do this time? Stand out in the rain while-“
“Emma! Cut it out!” She stopped abruptly, coughed again, and sighed. “I don’t need to hear this now.”
Emma’s mouth tightened, but when the dial tone was the only thing that greeted her disapproval, she didn’t know what to do.
---
“Did you make her work while she was sick?” Emma snapped at Garcia when she picked up the phone.
Garcia was somehow never fazed by this sort of beginning to a conversation. “No. She showed up, but Hotch took one look at her and put her on desk duty. When she started coughing he kicked her out to go to the doctor. Bronchitis.”
“I knew she was sick. I knew she wouldn’t stay home.”
“Have you considered apologizing?”
Emma paused. “What makes you think we had a fight?”
“Babes, when my girl is looking more glum than a measly case of bronchitis deserves, and you call me to check up on her, I know you’ve had a fight.”
---
It was raining when she landed in Dulles, and she ignored the driver’s efforts with the umbrella as she stalked out to the car.
It had taken forever, having to finish her last class, pray for no emergencies, and then the travel.
The moment the car pulled up in front of Emily’s apartment building, she knew she wasn’t there, but she buzzed up anyway, while she considered her next move. Nothing. She closed her eyes and reached out.
“The Mall,” she said to the driver, who stared in a rather horrified manner at her disregard for her damp appearance.
The Lincoln Monument was not accessible by car. She walked through the rain as it intensified. She could feel her target getting closer. She started to run.
“Why the fuck do you do this to me?”
Emily was standing under the overhang, looking out on the Potomac River. She was bundled up in a heavy coat, but still looked pale and cold. A drenched Emma charged up the path toward her and was suddenly embracing her.
Emily turned into her and held her back. “I felt you coming.”
Hot breath hit cool cheeks, and then they were kissing, sharing the precious warmth they held inside.
“You’re all wet,” said Emily, still snuggled into the curve of her body.
“Why aren’t you at home in bed?”
“I was feeling better.” She shrugged. “And had a little cabin fever. Hotch won’t let me go back to work until Monday.”
“You’re such an idiot.”
Emily gave her a look. “I’m not the one who is drenched to the bone from running around the country searching for me.”
“It’s alright,” Emma said, pressing her cheek against her hair. “I’m waterproof.”
They stood there, like that, for a few minutes. Then Emma sneezed.
Emily shook her head. “The rain’s letting up a bit. I need to take you home and put you in the shower.”
Emma looked out over the river. The rain was clearing up and a few clouds had parted, letting in a few rays of late afternoon sunshine.
“I’m all right,” she said. “If you want to stay a little bit longer.”