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the-ghost-of-mine · 3 years

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🖤

Fluffy idea: Reader is a teacher at the witch academy similar to Zelda. The two of them sneak around each other for decades until both of them try to clumsy confess their love/seduce each other. :3

Darling Heart, I Loved You From The Start

AN: SO I don't think this is what you were thinking AT ALL. It is rather angsty, it made my heart hurt to write, but very fluffy at the end. I enjoyed writing this so so much, so I do hope you enjoy🖤 Title from Hardest of Hearts by Florence and the Machine

You have been a teacher at the Academy for decades, tiptoed around the force that is Zelda Spellman, fell in love with her from the very moment you laid eyes on her, from the very moment she first opened her mouth. You saw the glances from her too, her eyes raking your form when she thought you weren’t looking, tried to suppress the squirm at being under her scrutinising green eyes. You had watched her marry that pig of a High Priest, had cried yourself to sleep that night, at the fear and regret in her eyes as she descended the Academy steps, already aware of the mistake she made. Your skin crawled at that way he spoke to her, degraded her, treated her as lesser than him, when in truth she was so much more, a hurricane where he is a mere gust of wind. Even before their marriage, watching her jump through hoops for him, vying for his attention left a bitter taste in your mouth.

You noticed the change in her immediately after her honeymoon. The bright floral dresses, the sickeningly sweet smiles, her obeying his every command without protest, without even a roll of her eyes, a sniping comment. You had tried to get through to her, find the Zelda, your Zelda that you knew was in there, but she merely smiled brightly at you, spoke in that simpering voice that made you sick to your stomach. You cried yourself to sleep many nights then, too, wanting to help her but not knowing how.

You had been lucky to escape Faustus' clutches when he poisoned the Coven, had moved to the Spellman property with the others, the few that were left. There was a softness in Zelda's eyes when she met yours, and she had placed you in a room close to her own, and you had heard the cries in the night, the cries of anguish and torment, and you comforted her, sat up with her until the sun rose. You were content to be her friend, let her lean on you as that and only that – never expected anything more from her. You gave and gave, and never took, and that did not go unnoticed by the redhead, it never had. She had always seen you, even though her determination for power and status led her in the opposite direction to the gentleness and safety you exuded.

Now, she has risen as the High Priestess of the Church of Lilith, and she glows despite the pressure, revels in being needed. The nights are still full of torment, and emotional pain like nothing you have ever witnessed, but you continue to sit with her through the night, refusing the sleeping draught you have been offered by Hilda to aid you in your own sleep, plagued with your own nightmares of your coven laying dying on the ground, scattered victims at their own High Priest's hand. You can’t sleep peacefully, not when she can't, her body wracked with sobs in the next room.

Months have gone by, and Zelda is healing, slowly, with the help she accepts from you, and Hilda, always so protective of her. The remainder of the Coven are back at the Academy, but Zelda asks you to stay, and you oblige, happily remain in closer quarters with her.

You sit now in the parlour with her, tumbler of whisky in hand, and you gaze at the luminous glow of the moon in the otherwise black sky, and Zelda sits beside you, eyes flitting over features in the soft glow of the fire, and the waxing of the moon.

“I don't think I’ve ever thanked you. For being so wonderful to me.” Her voice is hoarse when it breaks the silence, and you turn your head lazily to look her in the eyes, pulled from some unknown reverie.

“You never have to thank me for that, Zelda. Kindness costs nothing.” You reply, and Zelda gazes into your eyes, a smile curling at her lips.

“But it isn't just kindness, is it? Don’t think I haven’t noticed. The way you have gone above and beyond for me. Hilda tells me you don’t take your sleeping draughts.”

Your mouth opens and closes again, unsure of what to say at first, not wanting to reveal too much. You would do anything for Zelda, you know that, but you’re not sure you can let her break your heart. “I couldn't sleep peacefully knowing the state you would be in, only in the next room. I couldn’t leave you to deal with that alone.”

Zelda blinks rapidly then, trying to keep the tears at bay. “I remember, you know. When I was under that spell. You tried to help me. Talked to me. Never gave up on me. I saw it all, and I remember it all.”

You feel your heart may break in two then, knowing that she was aware of her every movement in those moments, a marionette for Faustus' enjoyment. You squeeze your eyes shut, inhaling a shaky breath. “I'm so sorry that I couldn’t help you. I-I didn’t know how.”

Zelda wraps an arm around you and pulls you against her, and you rest your head on her shoulder as she combs her fingers through your hair. Her scent is an assault on your nostrils, a most pleasant one, causing a lightness in your head. “Don't be, darling. Don’t be sorry. It's over now, and you tried. You noticed I wasn’t myself and you tried.” She sniffles, and her voice is thick with tears. You peer up at her, gently wipe a tear from her rosy cheek. “Why have you stayed?” She asks suddenly, and you sit up, confused by her question.

“Why wouldn't I stay?”

“This coven has been met by nothing but hardships, treated so poorly, abused under the power of someone heinous. You were never under any obligation to stay.”

You take a deep breath, worrying at your lip with your teeth, staring at the carpet. You don't notice when you break the skin, but your breath hitches when Zelda gently grips your chin, pulls your lip from your teeth with her thumb. You know you’re going to take the plunge now, confess feelings for her that you have been harbouring for decades, the love and adoration that anchored you to her, despite feeling it will all be in vain, that Zelda Spellman will never be yours.

“I stayed for you. I have cared for you-" You stop, silently scolding yourself for trying to downplay your feelings for her in some final act of self preservation. “I have loved you, for the longest time. I will always be wherever you are, whether you feel the same way or not.” You wipe at your eyes, hands trembling, unable to look at her.

Her warm hands cup your face, stroking your cheek, and your eyes drift shut, even when she turns your face in her direction, willing you to look at her, they remain firmly closed as tears seep from your lids. “Look at me, please.”

You oblige her, and tears are rolling down her own cheeks, and her eyes are pained, searching yours. “How long?”

“I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, Zelda Spellman.” You whisper, and she releases the breath she had been holding, face crumpling with unfettered emotion, and she brings her lips to yours, pressing salty kisses there. She sobs against you, clings to you, hands clawing at your shoulders, your arms, before firmly wrapping around you and pulling you flush against her. Her tears soak your face, mingle with your own, but you don't care, hold her tightly in return, kiss her with equal desperation and hunger, tongue meeting tongue. You both eventually come up for air, breathing heavily, and Zelda rests her forehead against yours.

“I will always treat you with kindness, love and respect. Always. You will be my equal in everything. I’ll never hurt you, Zelda, could never do that to you. It pains me that you ever thought you deserved anything less.”

A hiccupping sob escapes her lips at your words, and you hug her to you, let her nuzzle into your neck, rock her gently as she trembles with overwhelming emotion.

“I love you too, by the way. I never thought you felt the same.”

You laugh then, kissing her forehead. “That's because for someone incredibly intelligent, Zelda, you can’t always see what’s right in front of you. Not when it comes to emotions.”

“Hmm. I suppose you’re right.”

“I'm always right. I was right in loving you, remaining by your side for all this time.”

“I’m so very glad you did.” Zelda murmurs, presses a tender kiss to your neck, content at being rocked in your arms, feeling safe and loved, perhaps for the first time in her centuries of life.

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the-ghost-of-mine · 3 years

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Oh the Emily angst I never knew I needed!

half of my heart won't do

unit chief!emily prentiss x reporter!fem!reader

a half-baked relationship may as well not exist, but that doesn't mean you have to relish in its ending

word count: 1.7k

warnings: cursing, alcohol consumption, a devolving relationship where one person was never truly invested

a/n: just in a silly angsty mood i guess. emily prentiss could break my heart any day of the week

⭒⭑⭒

“You’ve got to stop calling me when I’m in the office.”

Her voice is sharp, exacting, and verging on the edge of cruel. The angry breath Emily lets out alerts you to the fact she’s incredibly tense, and you wish you could be there in her office to relieve the pressure growing at the base of her shoulder blades. You know that if people caught on that she was on the phone with a reporter, someone with barely more credibility than a column journalist, she’d be in trouble. Her position within the BAU, and FBI would be in jeopardy.

You know this, have practically drilled it into your skull by now, but you can’t stop yourself. Emily is intoxicating — you couldn’t get enough of her if you tried. She’s magical, and every other fantastical adjective under the sun. The agent lit up your darkest days, but it’s growing more and more apparent you don’t do the same for her.

“I’m sorry,” you say sincerely, not wanting to put her in a worse mood. It was the last thing on your list. “I just wanted to see if you got in safe. There was a hell of a wind storm out there last night, and I hadn’t heard from you.”

Emily feels the tiniest twinge of guilt for her abrasiveness. Perhaps she had been too unkind, but she’s been under monumental pressure from Strauss about closing ranks and being selective about what news agencies get releases. If anyone catches wind she speaks regularly to a reporter with bright eyes and kissable lips her time as unit chief is over before it really even began. She’s worked too hard to get where she is to have it taken out from under her feet.

The subtle intake of breath lets you know she’s going to speak again. “It couldn’t have waited until I came over tonight?”

“Em, how was I supposed to know you were home?”

Another pause from her end of the line. “You weren’t called to a crash site to get the scoop.” The comment stings, and you pull away from the phone involuntarily. Emily has never made a comment about your profession before, never even acknowledged it past it being a logistics issue, so to have her make the dig now is insulting and hurtful.

It’s Emily’s turn to be on the returning end of static. She knows now that she’s been too unkind, your ragged breathing letting her know you’re trying to pick your next words carefully, but she’s incredibly stubborn and will stick to her guns. The pair of you have almost gotten caught one too many times talking on the phone. She’s told you countless times not to call during work hours or wait for her to call you, but you never listen. Her patience is beginning to slip, her ability to deal with you rapidly draining.

“I think—” you start, and she does her best to listen until JJ knocks on her open door, letting Emily know everyone is in the conference room waiting for her. The brunette nods her head in understanding and returns her attention to you.

“I’ve got to go, the team is waiting for me. This case is local. If you need anything for a story contact Agent Jareau.” She doesn’t wait for your response before hanging up. You’re left sitting at your desk, mouth agape, wondering where the hell you go from here.

⭑

The rest of your day is a train wreck. After the phone call with Emily all you can think about is how she dismissed you casually, and how she's been doing it a lot lately. Her words swim around your head and you can’t focus. Your interview with a prominent White House staffer goes completely awry, destroying the relationship the news agency has with the administration and leaving your editors with no choice but to send you home. It’s incredibly frustrating, and you can tell they don’t want to discipline you in this way, but there’s nothing else they can do. You’re on another planet thinking and overthinking about how your secret girlfriend treated you on the phone.

As soon as the key twists in the lock of your brownstone the tears begin to fall. They’ve been pent up for hours, and you no longer have the strength to hold them back. No one is here to see them anyways. You disregard every safety precaution Emily taught you and don’t check the house for intruders before making your way to the bathroom. Articles of work attire are thrown onto random surfaces as you pass them by, not caring about the optics of a messy home. The water scalds your skin but you don’t bother to change it. Part of you, no matter how fucked up it is, believes you deserves the discomfort for not being able to figure out why Emily was so short with you this morning, or why she’s been quick to anger the past few weeks.

Slumped against the slate tile of the shower fall you replay every interaction you’ve had with her for the past month. There haven’t been many — the BAU have been called out of town the past three weeks, and when they weren’t in the field Emily was catching up on paperwork. Once you get thinking about it, you can’t remember a time where she reached out first. The realization shocks your system, and the steam of the water makes it hard to breathe. You sputter the entire way out of the bathroom and down the hallway, finally stopping once you crack open a window and let the frigid air hit your face.

Time passes in a daze as the realization hits you that Emily is not as invested in this as you. You can’t be bothered to make dinner or order takeout, so you decide to skip a meal outright. A bottle of bourbon calls your name from its perch on a shelf in your living room, and you pour what might possibly be the strongest old fashioned in the word. The drink is gone in two seconds flat, punched back in a single sip, and you continue the process. Alcohol probably isn’t the best way to deal with the idea that Emily no longer wants to be with you, but it’s the only way you can think of. Three more drinks has you splayed out on the couch, slipping into unconsciousness surrounded by glasses and used tissues — you’re a bit of an emotional drunk.

A series of frantic knocks wakes you. Emily is on the other side of the door, looking more upset than she sounded on the phone earlier. “Why didn’t you answer right away? You had me worried.”

“Oh,” you chuckle dryly, “So you’re allowed to care about my well-being but I can’t care about yours?”

She doesn’t like your answer, purses her lips in displeasure, but doesn't respond. Instead, she shoulders past you and rolls her eyes at the now empty bottle of bourbon. “Christ, are you drunk?” she asks, “It’s a Wednesday.”

“Any day is a good one to drink when you realize your girlfriend doesn’t want to be with you anymore but won’t break it off.”

Emily’s head whips around to face you. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Her feigned ignorance annoys you tremendously. You might not be a profiler, but it wouldn’t take a genius to realize Emily hasn’t been putting in the same effort as you and doesn’t seem to care to. “Oh come off it,” you groan, suddenly without tolerance for actions. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

The silence is all the confirmation you need. She’s still refusing to free you, and herself, so you take the step for her. “I always knew I put a little more effort into us, but fuck, at least before you were better at pretending things were almost equal. Did I ever have more than half of you?”

“I—” Emily starts, but thinks better of fighting against the truth. “No. I’m sorry.” Her head hangs low in the dim glow of the table lamp, and even though you knew what her answer was going to be it still leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

“Are you?”

She opens her mouth, closes it, and opens it again. The tension in the room is palpable and sobering, leaving you without the dull fuzz around the edges that would have made this whole conversation much more bearable. “I should be.”

You’re not surprised with her candor, it’s one of the things that drew you to her in the first place, but this is the first time it’s wielded at you so violently. “Well, I guess that settles things,” you sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose in hopes it will stop the tears from slipping out. “I wish you all the best.”

For someone who just admitted she was never seriously interested in the relationship she was pursuing, Emily doesn’t seem to like that it’s over. “We can try and work something out,” she bargains, “I could try and love you.”

The proposed compromise makes you laugh, and it tears and scratches at the sides of your throat as it exits you, hoarse and so full of sadness. “Love? You have to like me Emily, and you don’t. That’s fine, but we need to end it now before I get hurt more than I already am.”

Wordlessly, she nods and turns to leave out the front door for the final time. Emily had neglected to take off her jacket or shoes, tracking mud through the foyer that you’ll have a hell of a time cleaning up later, but neither she or you cares at the moment. You don’t even bother to watch her leave, instead wandering to find another liquor bottle you can use to cope with. Emily twists the handle, pushes the door free of its jam, and pauses. She isn’t sure if saying will hinder her cause, but she decides to speak anyways, calling out loud enough so no matter how far away you were you’d know exactly who she was talking to.

“You deserve a hell of a lot more than the half a heart I couldn’t even give you.”

A single tear falls into your refilled glass as you toast in the mirror to the bitter feeling that is loneliness.

⭒⭑⭒

consider reblogging and giving feedback if you enjoyed! it helps a lot x

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the-ghost-of-mine · 3 years

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❤️

break the mould (emily prentiss x reader)

Summary: There were plenty of moments where you could have put a stop to what was happening, but the thing about being in love with someone, was that when they finally kissed you, the reasons for staying away were forgotten and all that mattered was the woman you loved might, just maybe, love you back.

Word Count: 8k (It’s a long one folks<3) AO3 Link

A/N: This one was a journey! It took a long time to write and actually made me sad so I hope it was worth it. I think I’m proud of this one but we are all aware I’m dependent on feedback so we’ll see what you all think before I form an opinion<3 Thank you so much @prentisspoppet for proofreading it for me because I couldn’t look at it a second longer - you’re a lifesaver!

Warnings: alcohol, cheating, affair, swearing. angst!! happy ending though<3 16+

Keep reading

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the-ghost-of-mine · 3 years

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So you must be a hero

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the-ghost-of-mine · 3 years

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she’s got you mesmerized || series masterlist

summary: Spencer’s in love with you, but you’re in love with Emily. Inspired by the song Heather by Conan Grey.

pairing: spencer reid x f!reader (unrequited), emily prentiss x f!reader

category: angst

masterlist

only if you knew

now i’m getting colder | part 1 // part 2

wish i were

brighter than a blue sky (epilogue)

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the-ghost-of-mine · 3 years

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They Don't Know About Us

Word Count: 4000

Summary: When Y/N starts to see someone Morgan is determined to find out who the mystery partner but little does he know the answer is a lot closer to home.

Characters: Emily x Reader, Morgan, Hotch, Reid, Garcia, JJ, Rossi

Warnings: Fluff, humour, lots of Morgan and reader banter

A/N: My first Criminal Minds fic! This was a request on here, I apologise for how long it took me to finish xD I was a little worried at first that this turned into more of just a Reader interacting with the team than Reader x Emily but I hope you all still enjoy it either way! I'm also now open to Criminal Minds requests! :D

Feedback is what motivates me to work so please let me know what you think! Reblogs are also greatly appreciated.

Taglist is open!

Masterlist

"I know, I'm late I'm so sorry." You mumbled trying to get to the empty seat next to Morgan as quickly and quietly as you could not wanting to draw any more attention to your late arrival, your eyes glued to the floor to avoid Hotch's disappointed gaze. You were rarely late but time had slipped away from you the night before, it was almost one in the morning when you realised you were still on the phone and you were in at eight for this case. Even the loss of just those few extra minutes in the morning seemed to have thrown you off your rhyme. All eyes were on you as you sunk down into your chair but you tried your best to avoid it. Instead, you directed your attention to the case, pulling your tablet out from your bag and loading up the file Garcia had forwarded to you.

You risked one glance up at the other members gathered around the table and you met Emily's gaze. The kind smile she gave you immediately put you at ease. She had a way of doing that, always making you feel comfortable no matter the situation. She was the one who had helped you adjust to your job at the BAU and she was there for you ever since. You smiled back before turning your attention to the case in front of you.

"Happens to the best of us Y/N, just don't let it happen again," Hotch said in that understanding yet firm tone he seemed to have perfected. It always made you feel like you were being scolded by your father. "Garcia, go ahead."

"Right! Of course Sir." She seemed to snap into action at that, immediately launching into a rant about the case. You listened carefully to what evidence had been gathered so far, typing up some small notes on your tablet as you did. Luckily this case was working up to be one of your less complicated ones. Not that anything was ever easy in your line of work but the profile and victimology were already starting to become obvious even just with a brief overview. You hoped that meant you would only be away for a couple of days, the team was only supposed to be working a couple of days that week but this case had changed that. Thinking you would be free at the weekend you had made plans for a date that you were not willing to miss. Not that you would ever admit to the others that you had a date this early into a relationship.

This relationship was a little close to home for the team - and most definitely against protocol - which left you nervous about telling everybody. You were positive they would be accepting but still, with everything being so new a part of you was worried. More than anything you just wanted this all to work out. Before you even realised the briefing was done and everyone was packing up their things.

"Wheels up in 30," Hotch announced before heading out of the room towards his office.

Once you caught up to the fact that it was time to leave you stood up from your seat and began to gather everything, both your personal belongings for the case and your thoughts about this whole situation. It seemed that everyone was ahead of you and had already left to grab their go-bags for the flight but then you felt a hand gently tap on your shoulder. When you turned around you were met with Morgan smiling down at you.

"What's got your head all in a spin sunshine?" He asked with a joking tone but you noticed the way he tilted his head ever so slightly watching carefully for a reaction. Morgan was always a good friend to you and you appreciated his concern. You had both clicked instantly when you joined the BAU and you relentlessly teased each other, always finding new ways to wind each other up. You were sure you drove the rest of the team crazy at times.

"I hate being surrounded by profilers." You laughed, honestly it was impossible to keep a secret in that place without someone finding out. "It's nothing honestly, just a late night and I forgot to set my alarm. I'm lucky I woke up at all."

"Hmm, right okay." Morgan nodded clearly trying to mask the fact that he did not trust your response. He leaned back against the chair next to you folding his arms over his chest before looking up to meet your eyes again, a smirk breaking out across his face. "So is "late-night" his first or last name? A nickname maybe?"

"Oh seriously." You scoffed rolling your eyes at his response with a poke at his arm. "Neither smartass. I don't have a boyfriend and I can guarantee that the only other person even remotely near my apartment last night was the takeaway delivery driver."

"Oh Y/N, I've seen how you've been acting recently. You have absolutely been getting some and I'm going to find out who it is." He promised quickly dodging the elbow you aimed at his side as you let out a shocked gasp at his comment.

Morgan had that all too familiar look on his face that you saw too often, the look that meant absolutely nothing was going to get him to give up on his mission. He was nothing if not determined, you had to give that to him. In the end, you decided that if he was so determined to prove his profiling skills and figure out who your mystery partner was you might as well have some fun with it too. After all, he was only half wrong in his theory and it would be hilarious to watch him chase the answer when it was just under his nose the entire time.

There was something about yourself that would be essential for Morgan while trying to figure this out that you hadn't yet told the whole team. It was something that you were still working to figure out yourself.

"You know what Morgan, you're on. I promise if you figure it out I'll be honest and admit that you're right." You smirked giving into his game. You held your hand out to him, the final sign that you were really agreeing to this bet.

"Oh, this is going to be fun." He chuckled reaching out to firmly shake your hand.

~~~

"Y/N!"

It had been about twenty minutes since your conversation with Morgan now and you were getting ready to fly out for the case. You were walking towards the elevator, the go-bag you kept in your desk in hand when you heard Garcia calling your name from down the hallway. You turned to see her hurrying towards you with a bright smile on her face. It wasn't unusual for her to come and say goodbye before a case, in fact, she did it almost every time but something told you she had another motive today.

"Here you go!" She said cheerfully handing you a warm cup of coffee in one of her brightly coloured travel mugs. "I know you don't do well with early mornings so I brought you a little pick me up for your flight out."

"Aw Penelope, thank you. I appreciate that." You smiled happily accepting the mug from her. You both stood there for a moment, Garcia gently nodding her head seemingly absentmindedly as she stared at the mug in her hand. It was obvious she wanted to say something else but was holding herself back. You waited, knowing she would break and ask any second.

"So who is he?" She asked finally looking up to meet your gaze again. Her face was lit up with the excitement of new office gossip. You were willing to admit that usually, you indulged Garcia when it came to workplace drama. Anytime you found out anything of interest you went straight to her office to fill her in.

"Oh, not you too." You laughed in defeat. Yep there it was, that was exactly what you were waiting for. You had no doubt that Morgan would go straight to her for help. "Did Derek put you up to this?"

"No! Well not really, I mean kind of. He may have asked me to do some discreet digging - which I'm now realising may mean not mentioning it to you - but I thought why not come straight to the source and ask you because I'm your very best friend and you always give me all your gossip." Garcia rambled her voice picking up speed with each word.

"Right." You nodded slowly backing up to hit the elevator call button. You were determined to win this and not give away any clues until the time was right but you knew Garcia would be able to see right through any of your lies. "I'll see you when we get back Garcia."

"Oh seriously! You're going to deprive me of the gossip?" She gasped giving you those puppy dog eyes that would normally trick you into talking.

"There is no boyfriend!" You protested, after all that wasn't a lie. It was the part Morgan was most adamant about but also the part he was most wrong about. "You're going to go and do your online digging now aren't you?"

"No." She said quietly once again dropping her gaze to the floor as she tried to avoid your knowing stare. Garcia was one of the worst liars on the team and the drop in volume as she spoke was one of her biggest tells when she was lying. "Only a little."

You shook your head, laughing at her constant need for information and turned around at the sound of the elevator finally dinging behind you. The doors slid open and you stepped instead hitting the ground floor button. Just as the doors started to close over in front of you Garcia waved her goodbye and disappear down the hall, no doubt to start her digging.

~~~

The desk in front of you was becoming littered with more and more old case files as the team connected the unsubs M.O. to more unexpected cases in the surrounding states. Your mind was buried in the task of trying to come up with a baseline for victimology and you had zoned out of everything else happening in the precinct around you. So much so that you missed the sound of someone approaching you from behind.

"Hey, baby girl," Morgan sat up on the desk behind you and tapped his foot at your chair so it spun you around to face him.

"No." You said firmly, that stubborn look on your face as you folded your arms over your chest. You leaned back in your chair quirking an eyebrow at the smug look on Morgan's face.

"What do you mean no?" He asked confused, taken aback by your sudden reaction.

"I mean no. No baby girl. You, Derek Morgan, have lost your baby girl rights since you asked Garcia to do some digging on me."

"Wait," Morgan's usual casual attitude slowly melting into concern. His hand's fell to his side in defeat when he noticed the annoyed look on your face. You tried your best to keep a straight face and not give the fact that you were simply teasing Morgan. "You never said I couldn't bring in back up."

"Exactly how many people have you asked about it?" You questioned now realising he had roped more than just Garcia in on your bet.

"Just Garcia and Reid. Well, JJ too and Rossi was in the room so he joined in." He admitted weakly. "But in my defence, Garcia told Reid, not me!"

"So everybody but Hotch and Emily?" You laughed finally letting your act break. Admittedly you were getting a kick out of just how determined Morgan was becoming with his investigation and it was amusing to imagine the team trying to figure it out while you knew who had more information than they were admitting.

"Uh-" Morgan hesitated for a moment, clearing his throat before he shifted awkwardly and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "I'm pretty sure Hotch knows too, and Emily just claimed she knew more than us and didn't want to help."

A smile that you couldn't hide tugged on the corner of your mouth at the mention of Emily's response. It sounded just like her and she was right, she really was the only one in the team that knew the whole truth. You fought back the fond reaction and hoped Morgan hadn't caught onto the meaning behind it.

"So, has all that extra help gotten you an answer yet?" You asked, already knowing from his frustration that he was no closer to finding out than he had been back at Quantico.

"No." Morgan sighed heavily with a shake of his head, the irritation of not knowing obvious in his voice. "I mean seriously woman how well are you hiding this mystery man?"

"I told you, you won't be able to figure it out. Especially if you keep with that line of thought." You chuckled. The subtle hint you dropped seemingly going unnoticed by Morgan. "Well, I've just been talking to them and when we get back to Quantico they're taking me out on a date. We're meeting at the office so I guess you'll just have to wait until then won't you?"

"Seriously?" Morgan sat up straight a wild grin breaking out on his face. He lit up with excitement like a kid at Christmas. "You're actually going to tell us who it is?"

"Only if you behave for the rest of this case." You threatened pointing a finger at him.

Morgan crossed his hand over his chest right over his heart and leaned forward to ruffle your hair. "Pinky promise, I'll be on my best behaviour."

~~~

The members of the team that had stayed behind to work on the geological were all gathered in the conference room, finally finding five minutes to grab lunch. When the phone in the centre of the table started to ring Derek leaned forward and hit blinding at it with his pen until he finally hit the answer button and heard the sound of the call connecting.

"Talk to me, baby girl." He grinned leaning back in his chair to sip on his coffee.

"Who's in the room with you?" Garcia's voice was laced with an unusually guarded and serious tone, the tone of voice she only used when she had learned something serious about someone involved in the case that she couldn't share with everyone.

"Uh, it's just me, JJ and Reid. What's going on?" Morgan frowned glancing around the table at the others.

"Okay, so I did that digging you asked me to." Garcia rushed, that familiar excitement filling her voice again as she came to life again. "And I found something strange, well actually the strange thing is I found nothing. You know me Derek I don't find nothing unless there is nothing to find. Y/N has no strange phone calls or credit card charges. I mean really the only people they have called in the last week were me, Hotch, Emily like six times and the sheriff's station for your case."

"How could they be dating someone and not calling them?" Morgan asked furrowing his brow in confusion. This wasn't the first phone call he'd had with Garcia about your challenge for him and they were both deep in thought about who it could possibly be. He tapped his pen absentmindedly against the table as he seemed to get lost in thought.

"Maybe, and I know this is a long shot, they're talking to them face to face like we did before technology." JJ gasped sarcastically, raising her hands like she had just something controversial. She'd been sitting on the sidelines of the bet simply listening to the debates and occasionally offering an opinion while also trying to keep the team focused on the case.

"Actually I was thinking about it and since Y/N has been leaving the office for lunch a lot more when we've been back at Quantico it's quite possible whoever they're seeing is on the same schedule as us for their lunches to line up. They could be seeing them at the office and that's why there's no phone trail." Reid explained without even looking up from the map he was analysing.

"Maybe it's Hotch." Garcia mused. Morgan could imagine the contemplative look on her face as she leaned back in her chair at Quantico.

Her comment had Reid finally looking up from the work in front of him to meet Morgan's confused gaze with a matching one of his own.

"Uh, no, I don't think so." JJ laughed at the matching expressions on their faces and her own amusement at Garcia's bizarre theories. Before Garcia could add any more to her train of thought or anyone could disprove her theory the door to the conference room swung open. You stuck your head around the door and smiled at the group.

"Hope I'm not interrupting. Rossi wants us now, I think we're ready to deliver the profile." You explained.

"You're not interrupting at all." JJ smiled back at you starting to clear off the table to follow you out of the room. "We'll call you back later Garcia."

"Later crime fighters." With that Garcia ended the call and everyone moved to follow you out to deliver the profile at the sound of the call disconnecting.

~~~

The case had finally finished up and you were exhausted, it was a long flight back and now you were sitting at your desk trying to get a head start on the paperwork. All day your mind was only able to focus on one thing, your date. If you were being honest you were only doing paperwork to kill time before you had to leave. You smiled to yourself as you glanced down and noticed the time in the bottom corner of your screen. The reservation was for eight and with the drive, you had arranged to leave the office at about seven-thirty. It was seven twenty now.

You shut down your computer and started to gather your things into your bag. You had left an extra go-bag under your desk with a change of clothes for the date since you knew you wouldn't have time to go home and change. Grabbing that bag you slung it over your shoulder, ready to change once you got to your car. Meanwhile, you could feel everyone in the bullpen watching you closely as you got ready. You spun your chair around to find the team crowded around Morgan's desk behind you. They were watching both you and the doors to the office, waiting for any sign of your date.

"Waiting for something?" You teased rolling your chair over to Morgan's desk to sit next to Garcia who had perched herself on the edge of the desk, a cup of coffee in hand.

"You said twenty past, I'm just trying to figure out if you lied to us or if they're late," Morgan shrugged watching you closely like he still didn't quite trust that you would actually tell them who you were seeing.

"They'll be here any minute now." The sound of the door to Hotch's office opening caught your attention and had you turning to watch him and Emily walk over to join the group. "Perfect timing."

You were sure that to the rest of the team your comment must have seemed like you were simply remarking that Hotch and Emily would now be here to see you off with your date but they missed the look in Emily's eyes. That look of knowing, the excitement that you were so familiar with. Your eyes locked with hers and a gentle look passed between the two of you. You stood then, sliding your chair back under your desk before making your way over to stand next to Emily.

"Ready to go?" Emily asked lightly brushing her pinky against yours before finding the confidence to slide her hand into yours, lacing your fingers together.

"Yep." You nodded squeezing her hand while staring up at her lovingly. It felt right to finally be going public with your relationship. You were quickly falling hard for Emily and you wanted everyone to know that she was the woman you loved, she was the reason you were so happy recently.

There was a sudden gasp from Garcia as she finally registered what was happening in front of her. She reached forward and grasped onto Morgan's upper arm, both of them sharing a shocked look. You watched as Morgan looked back at you and started to laugh.

"Oh very funny you too, you really had me there for a second." He said rolling his eyes sarcastically.

Emily glanced down at you and grinned while you tried to fight back the laughter that threatened to sneak out at Morgan's untrusting response. Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Hotch similarly trying to hide the rare grin that broke out across his face. He shook his head slightly and quickly stared down at his hands schooling his features back into his usual serious look. Hotch had known from the beginning, you were never fully certain that he knew as he never brought it up and you never officially told him but something always told you he knew. After all, Hotch knew everything that happened in the BAU.

"Wait you guys are joking right?" Morgan asked, his uncertainty clearing rising as he looked around at everybody else to see how they were reacting. JJ just laughed at him, she'd had her suspicions from the beginning and wasn't one bit surprised. Garcia on the other hand was still in shock, her mouth hanging open as she sat there completely speechless. Reid was staring down at his hands with a furrowed brow trying to figure out how he could have missed the signs while you all worked so many cases together since you started dating Emily. Rossi seemed interested and yet completely unphased by the dramatic reveal, simply sitting at the edge of the group and watching it all unfold in front of him.

Instead of answering him, you decided to wrap your arm around Emily's waist and leaned up to gently press your lips against hers. Emily smiled into the kiss and you brought your free hand up to career her cheek. You pulled away and watched each other for a moment before turning and walking right out of the office - hand in hand - without another word.

Instead of answering you leaned up and gently pressed your lips against Emily's, bringing your free hand up to caress her cheek. With that, you turned and walked out of the office - hand in hand - without another word.

Everyone watched you both disappear down the hall towards the elevators in stunned silence as they processed the announcement. Morgan gestured vaguely around the room waiting for someone to offer an explanation before dropping his hand to his side again.

"Did anyone know about that?" He asked finally breaking the silence that had settled over the room.

"What? That Y/N was gay or that they were dating Emily?" Hotch questioned.

"Both!"

"I've known that they were gay since they joined the team and I've known about them and Emily for weeks now. I mean honestly you lot call yourselves profilers, why do I even pay you?" Hotch sighed before walking back in the direction of his office to finish up the case for the night.

"You don't pay us," Rossi muttered under his breath as he watched Hotch walk away. He followed his lead shortly after and returned to working on his write up.

"Huh." Morgan nodded slowly. "Well, that was certainly an eventful night."

"I still just can't believe I missed it," Reid mumbled under his breath.

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