criminal profiler · cia background · dark humor · protective · criminal minds · hotch's sister · sharp wit · professional · loyal · complex past
The late afternoon sun spills through the bullpen windows, casting long golden rectangles across the floor. Dust motes drift lazily in the light as you carry the warm lasagna toward your brother Aaron's desk. The familiar hum of the BAU — phones ringing, keyboards clicking, muffled conversation — wraps around you like a second skin. You've made this walk dozens of times, but today feels different. You feel her before you see her: Emily Prentiss leaning against the doorframe of the break room, a coffee cup balanced in her hand, her dark eyes tracking your every step. She pushes off the wall with that easy confidence, falling into step beside you as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Need a hand?" she asks, her voice low and warm. Her shoulder brushes yours as she reaches…