Work Text:
Franklin, Alaska is certainly one of the smallest towns the team has ever been called out to. The area houses just a handful of buildings: a school with a K-12 student population of just under thirty students, a small general store with the bare minimum accessories, a gun store, a few houses, and the police department/bar/local inn crammed into just one building.
Honestly, Emily knows if she were to really try, she can run from one side of town to the other in just under an hour.
So, upon hearing that there's only four single bed rooms available to split amongst the seven of them (because they had brought Penelope along to assist on site), the brunette's not at all surprised. They've all bunked together at some point or another, but with all rooms having just one bed is going to make the partnering slightly amusing.
"Four?" Derek repeats, trying his best to hide the disbelief in his voice.
The sheriff shrugs, slinging his thumbs into his pants pockets. "Your team is at least double the size of our entire department," he explains, gesturing towards the front desk/bar. "Rest of this place is full."
"Thank you," Hotch says genuinely, giving the man a nod before he heads up the stairs.
Derek frown deepens, palms coming up defensively. "I'm not sharing a room with Reid," he states, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Spencer looks up from the files in his hands, sitting on the loveseat directly across the couch where Derek stands. He nods his head once, not taking much offense to the words.
Penelope, perched on the couch with all of her gear laid out in front of her, reaches her hand back and clasps her hand over Derek's. "Dibs."
Emily flicks her gaze over to the five remaining people in the room. She could care less about her rooming situation, as long as she doesn't share a bed with Rossi or Hotch— gross.
(Or Reid, she silently hopes. Kid's a nightmare when he sleeps. He kicks.)
She's bunked with JJ enough times that it's almost guaranteed they'll get a room to themselves.
She jumps just barely when she feels a gentle, yet firm grasp on her knee and glances up to shoot a smile over to its owner. JJ gives a simple shrug of her shoulders, eyes glinting in amusement at the inevitable argument that will come up to decide the share of the final two rooms between Rossi, Hotch and Spencer.
Hotch scowls at the predicament he finds himself in.
He could go ahead and use his authority to give himself and Rossi the two remaining rooms, stuff Reid in with Prentiss and JJ. The more empathetic part of him rationalizes just how cruel it would be to do that, though, especially since they would all either have to share the bed or have one of them end up on the freezing cold floor.
Spencer has been tense ever since the sheriff had offered four room, fidgeting with a pen and tapping his foot nervously. Hotch knows that out of everyone, the youngest member of the team values his privacy. Even if he were to be given a room, Hotch can almost guarantee they would find the genius asleep in one of the SUVs outside.
It's certainly happened before during this type of situation.
Hotch closes his eyes and lets out a long, hard sigh. He opens them to shoot Emily a glare, because he knows the little shit would never let this one go.
The shit eating grin he gets in response isn't exactly reassuring.
He brings his hands up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Reid, you take a room and Dave and I will share," he says. "Go get some sleep and meet here at 7."
"Fine by me," Rossi says. "Besides, Reid kicks."
Spencer's scowl deepens. "No I don't!" he protests weakly.
"Yes, you do," everyone unanimously replies, causing the youngest member of the team to pout slightly.
"See you all in the morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed," Penelope exclaims, somehow managing to grab all her equipment and drag Derek up the stairs to their room.
Derek only turns briefly to catch the keys Hotch tosses their way, both of their go-bags clutched in his other fist. "Woman, what on earth does that even mean?" he asks, his tone incredulous and dripping with affection. Penelope's response is too quiet for everyone else to pick up, the only noise sounding out as their door opens and swings shut.
Spencer walks over and gratefully takes his own room key from Hotch. He slides his go-bag over his shoulders with his satchel before disappearing up the stairs, taking them two at a time before the sound of his door shutting echoes through the lobby.
Rossi holds the keys to the second to last room on his index finger, smirking over at Hotch. "So, Aaron, are you a little spoon?"
Hotch tosses the keys to the last room into JJ's awaiting palm before turning back to Rossi wearily. "Let's just go to bed without this being any more awkward than it already is," he pleads as the two head up the stairs, go bags in the hands of their respective owners.
The two remaining women hear Rossi chuckle before the sound of another door closing echos throughout the building.
They burst into quiet laughter as soon as they're left alone in the lobby.
"I can't even imagine how that's going to go down," JJ gasps through soft giggles, her hand coming up to stifle the noises she makes.
“Are you kidding? Hotch is 1000% going to be the little spoon,” Emily retorts gleefully, eyes shining mischievously. “You think he’ll fire me if I start calling him SSA Little Spoon?”
“I think Hotch knows there’s a lot of area to these woods,” JJ deadpans with a playful smile. “And work would be really boring without you, so I wouldn’t push your luck.”
Emily sweeps the rest of the files from the coffee table up into her hands, stamping them down carefully onto the table to organize them all a bit better. “Hotch can try whatever he wants, I’m not scared. I know you’ll come to my rescue.”
JJ’s eyebrow arches as she gathers the few remaining papers, handing them off to the other woman. “And risk being an accessory to your shenanigans? Think I’ll have to sit that one out.”
Emily pouts, snatching the papers from the blonde. “Okay, rude,” she mutters, finally standing from the chair that she’s been occupied in the entire day. She stretches out her limbs the best she can with the paperwork she has.
JJ herself stands from the couch with a soft, tired sigh. She gently sticks her hand out and boops the tip of Emily’s nose with her finger. The brunette scrunches her nose up adorably, making the younger woman’s heart flutter. “Better behave then, I guess,” JJ replies quietly, shooting Emily a soft smile.
Emily holds the files close to her chest, too tired to really care how openly she stares in adoration at the blonde as she walks over to the fireplace and flicks the gas off. The room immediately casts into darkness, the chill already seeping into her bones. “Yes, ma’am,” she finally mumbles in agreement.
The smile JJ flashes her is enough to render Emily breathless. The blonde seizes the lapse in the brunette’s judgement to snag their go bags, flitting away to the bottom of the staircase before Emily can protest.
“Ready to head up?” JJ asks, using the back of her hand to stifle a yawn.
Emily nods mutely and gestures for JJ to lead the way.
The room is small and rustic: wooden walls and floors, a wooden chair of questionable age and reliably standing in the corner of the room closest to the door, some type of rug at the foot of the twin size bed, a single tall, thick window that takes up a huge portion of the back wall, sliding doors that lead to a closet, and a simple bathroom with a one person shower, wash basin and toilet.
Emily grimaces slightly. The window is designed to trap in the heat from the sun when it rises, but also allows the bitter cold to get sucked in and trapped. The lack of a heater, vents or fireplace almost guarantees a cold night.
The blanket on the bed at least looks thick and insulated, perhaps the only saving grace from the unrelenting chill of the Alaskan wilderness.
JJ cautiously sets their bags on the bed, immediately digging through her own for a set of her nighttime clothes. “You want first shower?” she offers, turning her head to watch Emily set the files on the chair.
The older woman’s smile is nearly apologetic as she walks to the other side of the bed, pulling her own bag close as she riffles through it. “As gross as I feel, I’m scared I’ll end up falling asleep in there,” she admits, pulling out a thick gray sweater, black leggings and a pair of fuzzy black socks covered in cartoonish orange bats.
JJ nods her head, pulling out her own sleepwear: an old t-shirt that’s at least two sizes too big on her and a pair of thinner silver leggings. “Understandable. You at least wanna change in there?”
Emily peers around the blonde and into the small, dark bathroom. “I actually think I’d have more room in the closet,” she observes, scooping up her clothes. “At least I’m familiar being in there,” she adds jokingly, laughing lightly when JJ swats playfully at her when she makes her way over there.
There’s a comfortable silence that falls between them as they go about their nightly routine. JJ manages to change in the bathroom, taking off her makeup, washing her face, brushing her teeth and hair before gathering it all up into a messy bun. Emily changes in the closet, gathering all her clothes from the day up into her arms and dropping them unceremoniously into her go bag until JJ exits the bathroom. Emily takes similar steps to the blonde: brushing her teeth, removing her makeup, brushing through her hair but opting to leave it down.
By the time the brunette leaves the bathroom, JJ’s already bundled under the covers, taking the side of the bed nearest to the window. Emily’s grateful for that, careful to sink into bed right beside the blonde and trying to ignore just how close they are in the bed.
They’ve done this for so long now: playfully flirting with each other, leaving touches that linger just a bit longer each and every single time, become so accustomed to each other that Emily can say with certainty that she knows JJ better than she even knows herself. But they never define what this thing is between them, nor do they ever push for anything more than what they have.
[Even though Emily’s come so close to kissing JJ a handful of times by now, and even thought at one point the blonde would kiss her. But nothing like that had ever happened between them, no matter how much the older woman wanted it to, had hoped JJ wanted it to happen too. Nothing that would tip their delicate relationship into something more.]
Emily turns so that the two of them are back to back, hoping to every divine being that ever existed that JJ can’t hear her heart hammering in her chest. She burrows herself under the blanket, sighing out softly at the warmth that immediately encompasses her body. She snuggles her face into the pillows and the blanket, swallowing thickly. “Good night,” she murmurs.
“G’night,” JJ’s softly replies.
The heat the blanket provides seems almost temporary, however.
Within just ten short minutes, Emily feels herself trembling and her teeth chattering. The room feels like an icicle, the chill seeping under the blankets and coiling around her limbs. She’s silently seething at mother nature, her brain shouting very explicit insults about Alaska, because this is a god damn joke.
How is it possible that one place could be this god damn cold!?
JJ stirs beside her, groggy voice sounding very close to Emily’s ear, meaning she must have turned over in the bed. “Are you okay?” she whispers in concern, Emily’s brain nearly short circuiting because suddenly the younger woman’s hands are laying on her waist.
“This room is a god damn freezer,” the brunette manages to grit out through her teeth, considering it a small victory that she doesn’t stutter over any of her words.
JJ’s chuckle is low and husky, briefly causing Emily’s thoughts to travel to some not Alaska filled explicit thoughts. “You’re always so cold,” the blonde tuts softly, fingers hovering over the older woman’s front hesitantly. “Come ‘ere and be my little spoon.”
Emily swallows audibly, body inching towards the heat that JJ’s body provides. She slowly turns around to face the younger woman, eyes cast downwards shyly. “I’m not a little spoon,” she protests weakly, her arms slowly coming up around the blonde’s torso. “I’m a knife.”
JJ snorts quietly, wrapping her arms loosely around the other woman’s frame. “You can try and convince the others of that all you want, princess.” Her fingers come up to run gently through Emily’s thick, dark locks. “But I think you and I both know how much you adore being the little spoon.”
Emily’s never been so grateful for the darkness than in that moment, how easily it hides the bright red blush that blooms on her cheeks. She rests her head comfortably in the crook of the blonde’s neck with a gentle huff. “Yeah, well…”
She pauses for a few seconds before plucking the front of JJ’s shirt. “I can’t believe you’re in a t-shirt,” she finally whispers in disbelief, a weak attempt at changing the subject.
JJ’s chuckle rumbles in her chest and vibrates under Emily’s cheek. “I can’t believe you’re sleeping in socks,” she retorts just as quietly.
Emily’s sniffs in offense. “Some people like being able to feel their toes in the mornings, thank you very much,” she defends, looking up at JJ when she simply laughs as a response.
“You’re adorable,” the blonde openly admits, smiling warmly down at the woman in her arms. “You know that?”
Emily absolutely melts at this, a different type of warmth spreading throughout her limbs. With JJ’s tone so sincere, so full of adoration, the older woman can’t even deny the statement. She just nods her head and breathes out against the blonde’s collarbone, willing her brain to just start working properly.
JJ shivers in response, her arms involuntarily tightening around Emily’s waist.
“You okay?” the brunette asks innocently as a direct response to the tremors that she feels throughout JJ’s body.
“Never better,” JJ swears softly, resting her chin on top of the other woman’s head. “You good?”
Emily nods slightly, snuggling further into JJ with a soft sigh. “Yeah. You’re really warm.” A brief pause. “Thank you.”
JJ’s response is a simple, soft kiss placed on Emily’s hair. Her fingers rest just on the back of the other woman’s head, gently massaging the area to lull Emily to sleep. “Good night, Em.”
Her cheeks burn pleasantly when she feels soft lips plant a kiss on her collarbone. “Good night, Jayje,” comes Emily’s soft, tired reply.
The two drift of to sleep, entangled in each other comfortably. The last thought Emily has as she loses consciousness is that maybe, just maybe, Alaska isn’t so bad after all.