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“Will you just hold still, please?” JJ asked, her fingers grasping firmly to Emily’s chin to inspect the growing bump on her forehead.
“Jayj, I told you I’m fine. Even Reid said--”
“ Reid isn’t a medical doctor, contrary to popular belief. He can’t tell you you’re fine and you’re so stubborn, you barely let the medic look at you,” JJ complained, clicking her tongue as she wet a towel in warm water so she could at least wipe off the dried blood that crusted to the cut. JJ could see the outline of the butt of the gun and chewed on her lip when she considered how close the unsub got to--
“Hey, you have to breathe,” Emily said calmly, taking the damp cloth from JJ’s trembling hand and holding her cheek delicately in her palm. “Hey, look at me, I’m alright,” Emily whispered with a small huff of laughter. “I’ve been dead before, Jayj, a little bump on the head is nothing,” Emily teased.
It was supposed to be a joke, but it was the exact reason JJ was struggling to handle Emily being injured. She had just gotten Emily back and sure, she had known Emily wasn’t really dead, but she had to mourn with the rest of the team and had spent years without being able to take care of the person she loved. Even though it was just a small cut, JJ was there to dress it now and she wasn’t going to let that opportunity pass her by.
“Will you look at me?” Emily requested. Her voice breaking at the last word caused JJ to glance into her eyes to see them full of worry and apology.
“Will you let me take care of you?” JJ countered, raising her eyebrows at Emily who nodded slowly in surrender. She handed the cloth over to JJ who patted at the wound slowly, wiping away the excess blood and dirt that snuck into it. Emily winced and reached up to grab JJ’s wrist, signaling her to stop.
“I--” Emily licked her lips and gulped, pressing her lips together as if struggling to hold back words.
“It’s almost done and then I can go,” JJ said. She wasn’t sure why Emily didn’t want her there, but she knew when she was unwelcome. She rinsed out the cloth and set it on the counter before grabbing the bandage she had set aside earlier. Emily was taller than usual from where she sat on the edge of the sink and JJ rose on her tiptoes to blow cold air on the cut, drying the leftover water, before sticking the bandaid on.
She was about to step back when Emily’s arms encircled her waist, keeping her as close as they could possibly be. She felt Emily’s breath against her face and couldn’t help but inhale sharply in surprise. Emily smelled like the earth after a rainstorm and made her heart rumble like thunder as she pressed her palm against JJ’s back, rubbing in small, comforting circles. JJ’s eyes darted between Emily’s dark chocolate eyes and her smooth lips as if she had no control over it.
“I don’t want you to go, Jayj,” Emily whispered, reaching up to stroke JJ’s hair behind her ear. JJ leaned into the light stroke and closed her eyes, wishing that the new intimacy between them wasn’t made up in her head.
“What do you want?” JJ asked in a careful whisper, her fingers digging into Emily’s shoulder in what she would have thought was painful jabs. Her body felt like fire, her skin tingling as Emily sighed and rested their forehead together.
“All I’ve ever wanted was you.” The words were sweet, but the way Emily’s lips pressed against JJ’s was even sweeter. She had waited years to be able to kiss Emily, to hold her as close as they were at that moment, but to actually have Emily in her grasp was so much better than she could have ever imagined. Emily held onto her waist softly and kissed her as if she had wanted to do it for just as long as JJ had.
It was the perfect ending to one chapter and beginning to the next; the one where they fought alongside each other, went home with each other, grew with each other, and loved each other more than they had ever loved another. When Emily pulled away, JJ gazed into her eyes and it said everything either of them needed to know.