Ficlet: Fix (CM, Rossi/Prentiss)
smittywing wanted a little something to help her with finals. This is a little moment between Rossi and Prentiss, totally PG, no spoilers. (In my head it's in her and wojelah's Cause of Snow 'verse, but you don't need to read those for this. Though you totally should read them because they're awesome.)
She'd say it's a whim, not a big deal at all, except Emily has a long standing promise to be scrupulously honest with herself. Her mug has been empty for two hours now, long enough that she's starting to get the pulled-skin feeling of an incipient withdrawal headache, and she can't even remember what case she's been 'working on' when she stands up and heads over to the counter.
Dave--Rossi--Dave looks up briefly as she sidles in beside him to grab the carafe. He doesn't say anything, just goes on about peeling back the paper on a second tipple of cream. (Not creamer; the 'powdered abomination' disappeared a week after Dave rejoined the BAU.) He tosses both containers into the trash, stirs the coffee two exact swirls before doing the same with the swizzle stick, and then turns to her with a raised eyebrow.
"Long day?" he asks--and she realizes she's just been standing there, staring at him while she cradles her mug like an offering between both hands.
"Uh, yeah." She flashes him a self-deprecating smile before she sets her mug back down and grabs a couple packets of sweetner. "Paperwork, you know? I kind of zone out after a while."
"Oh, believe me. I know." He doesn't seem to move deliberately, but between one breath and the next she can feel him closer, within her personal space. She looks up, but it doesn't look as obvious as it feels. He's still got his back to the counter, though he's angled slightly towards her, giving them a modicum of privacy. He takes a sip of coffee, finishing off with the happy little sigh he makes after anything good. "Something wrong?" he asks more softly, but still within the bounds of propriety. Still two co-workers having a chat.
Doesn't stop her from wanting to look over her shoulder, though. But she needs to relax, because the more fidgety she is, the more she'll give herself away. Give both of them away. So she takes a sip of her own coffee, grimacing a little at the late-afternoon bite, and then consciously relaxes her shoulders as she lowers the mug. "Just a little jittery," she confesses, because there's no way he's missed it. "I'm not very good at these kind of things, if you haven't noticed."
The eyebrows go back up. "What kind of things? Discretion? Professionalism? Because you seem to do damn fine to me."
She shakes her head. "No." She hides her mouth behind the mug. "Flirting."
He laughs. A suprised bark of a laugh, one that probably has Morgan and Reid looking up at them. Emily reminds herself to not look. "Emily Prentiss. I constantly underestimate how much you underestimate yourself." He pushes away from the counter, and in so doing manages to casually turn towards her and lean in. "Don't worry. If you were anymore effective, they'd have to fire me for public indecency."
He winks at her. Actually winks. Before she can do anything more than close her gaping mouth, he's walking away, Rossi-normal, like he doesn't have a care in the world.
Emily shakes her head. Well, then. If she's doing that good, he can prove it to her tonight.
She'd say it's a whim, not a big deal at all, except Emily has a long standing promise to be scrupulously honest with herself. Her mug has been empty for two hours now, long enough that she's starting to get the pulled-skin feeling of an incipient withdrawal headache, and she can't even remember what case she's been 'working on' when she stands up and heads over to the counter.
Dave--Rossi--Dave looks up briefly as she sidles in beside him to grab the carafe. He doesn't say anything, just goes on about peeling back the paper on a second tipple of cream. (Not creamer; the 'powdered abomination' disappeared a week after Dave rejoined the BAU.) He tosses both containers into the trash, stirs the coffee two exact swirls before doing the same with the swizzle stick, and then turns to her with a raised eyebrow.
"Long day?" he asks--and she realizes she's just been standing there, staring at him while she cradles her mug like an offering between both hands.
"Uh, yeah." She flashes him a self-deprecating smile before she sets her mug back down and grabs a couple packets of sweetner. "Paperwork, you know? I kind of zone out after a while."
"Oh, believe me. I know." He doesn't seem to move deliberately, but between one breath and the next she can feel him closer, within her personal space. She looks up, but it doesn't look as obvious as it feels. He's still got his back to the counter, though he's angled slightly towards her, giving them a modicum of privacy. He takes a sip of coffee, finishing off with the happy little sigh he makes after anything good. "Something wrong?" he asks more softly, but still within the bounds of propriety. Still two co-workers having a chat.
Doesn't stop her from wanting to look over her shoulder, though. But she needs to relax, because the more fidgety she is, the more she'll give herself away. Give both of them away. So she takes a sip of her own coffee, grimacing a little at the late-afternoon bite, and then consciously relaxes her shoulders as she lowers the mug. "Just a little jittery," she confesses, because there's no way he's missed it. "I'm not very good at these kind of things, if you haven't noticed."
The eyebrows go back up. "What kind of things? Discretion? Professionalism? Because you seem to do damn fine to me."
She shakes her head. "No." She hides her mouth behind the mug. "Flirting."
He laughs. A suprised bark of a laugh, one that probably has Morgan and Reid looking up at them. Emily reminds herself to not look. "Emily Prentiss. I constantly underestimate how much you underestimate yourself." He pushes away from the counter, and in so doing manages to casually turn towards her and lean in. "Don't worry. If you were anymore effective, they'd have to fire me for public indecency."
He winks at her. Actually winks. Before she can do anything more than close her gaping mouth, he's walking away, Rossi-normal, like he doesn't have a care in the world.
Emily shakes her head. Well, then. If she's doing that good, he can prove it to her tonight.