severity_softly: (cm - m/p ahjskg)
[personal profile] severity_softly
Title: Footsteps
Author: [livejournal.com profile] severity_softly
Pairing: Morgan/Prentiss
Rating: PG
Summary: A hot tub is more consistent than a man (but not what Emily needs).
Spoilers: Paradise
Notes: ~800 words. Written for the Emily Prentiss Appreciation Day. Takes place after Paradise and references Emily and Derek's conversation at the beginning of the episode. And oh, well, I always wanted to try my hand at this pairing anyway! :) Thanks to [livejournal.com profile] innerslytherin for the beta!


Emily heard the footsteps behind her. She wasn't worried. She knew who it was already. She couldn't mistake the sound of Morgan's gait: comfortable, cocky, even steps, usually--though when he was hurt, one step was slightly shorter than the other.

She sort of hated that she knew all that. The team was close, but Emily was certain the way she had Morgan's entire body memorized was playing with fire. She'd compensated by pushing him away before she let him get too close. It was easy. He was fun to tease because he teased right back, but lately it was getting harder. Lately Emily had found herself feeling lonely more and more when she went home at night. She'd nearly brought an orphaned girl home with her from a case, and she'd actually been disappointed when she'd figured out that Detective Cooper in New York was married with child, even if a long distance relationship was the last thing she would have even wanted.

"Hey, where you going?" Morgan's voice cut through her thoughts, and she smiled, her back still to him as she walked to her car.

"I told you. Date," she dismissed.

"Right, right. Didn't you stand that date up a couple night's ago?"

There was a grin in his voice, and Emily turned to look at him, walking backwards. "I think I'll be forgiven. I had a good excuse."

"Maybe," Morgan conceded, and then Emily backed into her car, and she sucked in a surprised breath when she couldn't go anywhere and Morgan was right in front of her. "You know, if you're looking for a way to warm up..."

Emily stared at him a moment, going a little cold when she realized that Morgan may have caught on to her. For that matter, he might have caught onto her a long time ago. "If I'm looking for a way to warm up, my hot tub is far more consistent than any man," she said finally.

She wanted to kick herself when Morgan's brows drew together. He pressed his lips together, and then nodded, and she could see him covering up wounded pride, building up that wall of charm again, charm that masked the real man underneath.

He wanted her too, and this time, she'd really rejected him.

Shit.

"Touche," Morgan said, giving her another grin and nudging her shoulder playfully. "I'll see you bright and early," he added, and then started to walk away.

She nearly let him too. She watched him go, and then just when he was almost out of earshot, she blurted, "I don't know how to respond to that." It wasn't what she'd meant to say, but she straightened anyway, curling her fingers in the edge of her blazer and not looking away.

"Respond to what?" Morgan asked when he turned around.

The playful flirting, the fact that you want me. I told you ages ago I was no good at this, and I can't figure out what you want. He'd walked most of the way back to her before she found something to say, and even then, it was just a vague, "That," with an equally vague gesture attached.

Morgan stared at her. She pressed her lips together and frowned, then looked away, thinking.

"Never mind," she said, shaking her head. After a moment, though, the missed opportunity started to tug uncomfortably at her. It wouldn't let her go. What did she have to lose? She doubted Morgan would hold this against her if it didn't go the right way, or that Hotch would fire either of them if he found out. Finally, she shifted her purse to pull out a paper and pen, then started scribbling. Oh, this was stupid. "You know, you're still not invited."

Morgan's expression actually took on a hint of irritation then, and she couldn't blame him. She knew she sounded like she was just pressing a dead issue now. "Yeah, I heard you loud and clear," he said, and turned again.

She reached out and grabbed his hand. "You're not invited," she said again, catching and holding his gaze. She drew a deep breath. "You're expected." She squeezed his hand, the paper she'd written on between their skin, and pulled away, leaving her address, in tight, slanty cursive, in his hand.

His eyebrows lifted in surprise, and her heart gave a weird kick in her chest, but when she turned to get in her car without looking back, she couldn't wipe the grin off her face.

Date: 2008-10-28 03:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] delphini-2.livejournal.com
Awww That was so sweet !

Emily deserves some lovin'

Thanks for sharing :)

Date: 2008-10-28 09:19 pm (UTC)

Date: 2008-10-28 10:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mcgarrygirl78.livejournal.com
Oh he is so going to be there : ) I liked this, awkward Emily is made of win.

Date: 2008-10-29 01:11 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] severity-softly.livejournal.com
Well, you can't be confident about everything. :) Thanks!

Date: 2008-10-28 10:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] meaghsley.livejournal.com
Awww, unsure Emily is cute. This is a very sweet piece.

Date: 2008-10-29 01:12 am (UTC)

Date: 2008-10-28 11:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] prettychemistry.livejournal.com
Love you. Seriously. You (in combo with innerslytherin) write every character so well, and this was just so believable. I was never sure I cared for this pairing, but now I don't think I'll be able to ignore it! The last line was perfection.

Date: 2008-10-29 01:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] severity-softly.livejournal.com
There's sadly not enough of this pairing, and I'm not really much of a het writer, so I doubt I'll be much help on that front. :(

And thank you very much! Glad you liked it!
Edited Date: 2008-10-29 01:14 am (UTC)

Date: 2008-10-28 11:18 pm (UTC)
shinealightonme: (reid is love)
From: [personal profile] shinealightonme
This is perfect - awkward enough to be adorable but not painful.

Date: 2008-10-29 01:14 am (UTC)

Date: 2008-10-29 01:14 am (UTC)
innerslytherin: (1cm - shemar is just THAT damn sexy)
From: [personal profile] innerslytherin
She watched him go, and then just when he was almost out of earshot, she blurted, "I don't know how to respond to that."

This is perfect. It hearkens back beautifully to the date/Vonnegut discussion they have in "Fear and Loathing", and it shows that Emily can play it cool, but when it really matters, there's a little bit of an awkward girl inside her.

Mmmm. And Morgan's hurt little reaction when she really rejects him....ROWR. You do this beautifully.

Date: 2008-10-29 01:25 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] severity-softly.livejournal.com
That's exactly what I was going for. *G* Like I said above, you can't be confident about everything, and she's really good at confidence in pretty much everything else. On top of that, I have a feeling that when it comes to relationships, given her relationship with her mother, and the fact that she says she always screws this stuff up in that episode, she might have trouble trusting in romantic situations too, trusting the other person, or even possibly herself. But now I'm just babbling.

Thank you so much, dear! <3333333

Date: 2008-11-02 12:32 am (UTC)
ext_59462: ([morgan] damn cell phone)
From: [identity profile] secondheartbeat.livejournal.com
!!!

I know I'm more than a few days late on this, but that makes me so happy. I love that she fumbled with her flirting. She would totally end up too flustered with all that. Shoooot. I hope there will maybe just maybe be a follow up.

where is the rest?

Date: 2008-12-07 11:01 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
I need to know what happens and there just isn't enough of this pairing out there.

Re: where is the rest?

Date: 2008-12-08 12:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] severity-softly.livejournal.com
I agree, but this was a one shot.

Re: where is the rest?

Date: 2008-12-09 12:15 am (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
sorry to hear it. you write these characters very well. spot on. i'm sure the rest are really good, but i'm just not into the slash. thanks for posting this one.

Re: where is the rest?

Date: 2008-12-09 12:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] severity-softly.livejournal.com
Thanks. I dabble in het on occasion, but it's usually in small doses and never smut. I do have a soft spot for this pairing , though, so I may dabble again. Who knows?

Date: 2009-08-05 02:32 am (UTC)
innerslytherin: (3cm - emily/derek kiss)
From: [personal profile] innerslytherin
MMMMMMM. Read this again tonight. Such a graceful fic about awkwardness. :D I love it.

Date: 2010-07-15 09:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sunny-serenity.livejournal.com
I'm late to this CM game but have totally been on the Prentiss/Morgan ship since I was flipping through the stations and saw two gorgeous beautiful people poking around a house with an undercurrent of concern and guns in hand. I wasn't privy then to context but now that I am, this is a PERFECT ep tag. I love the mutual insecurity you've made us aware of through this fic. Awkward girl is awkward and highly adorkable.

Date: 2010-07-16 12:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] severity-softly.livejournal.com
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

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