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They don't have an explicit rule against public displays of affection. There has never been a moment where they sat down to talk about physical touch in general outside the comfort of their own home and so there isn't an agreement on this topic, they're both just well aware that some places are adequate and some others aren't. JJ knows Emily can't have it as the chief of the BAU, and it would obviously jeopardize her position as an agent as well, so when they're on the job they play the rules by the book.
Thing is, when it's just them, things don't go quite like that.
Emily escaped the team using the good old phone call excuse. She in fact called Penelope but the conversation didn't last more than two minutes, not even enough time to get her to the roof. She took the stairs (rookie mistake, she cursed herself) and got there with a heavy breathing five minutes later. Five whole minutes of knee pain, too.
It was a starry night, she could count the constellations and even name them all, barely keeping track of where the moon was. It's been so long since she has been able to stargaze and she's tempted to do it now, spend a couple of minutes just looking at each and every one of them, but she doesn't. They are beautiful, but they didn't distract her enough to make her forget about what brought her all the way up there so unfortunately, she reached for the pack of cigarettes inside her left pocket and the lighter on her jeans, opposite side of the holster.
It's a disgusting habit and she knows it— god knows she does. It's the main reason she's hiding right now just to do it.
But it started years ago, when she had to intention to becoming an addict — and she doesn't call herself an addict, of course, but JJ has no shame in doing so. And she wouldn't kill someone or steal just for a cigarette, no. It's not like that. And t's perfectly normal to get moody and cranky after not having a cigarette post-lunch. And to crave cigarettes while drinking. Everybody feels that way too.
At least it's what she tells herself.
And she doesn't mind if she's an addict or not, really. As long as it doesn't affect her job, her personal life or her relationships she should be fine.
So she lights up one and the first hit is magic. It's bitter and salty and tastes like pure nicotine but it's perfect, all she needs right now to calm her down and slow her thoughts. She blows the smoke away with her lips pursed and the smell of it floods in her nostrils, and the leather of her coat.
It's the first time that night she's able to take a deep breath without feeling like her chest might collapse and give up on her. They have been under so much stress lately that Emily got used to feeling like shit all day everyday, and she's always expecting the worse. So for once or twice a day, the relief she gets from this is unmatched. Indescribable. Simply perfect.
Until she's sitting down, legs spread open, blowing smoke to the moon and she starts to hear footsteps. They're heavy and full of presence so it has to be Tara, because she's also been walking around like a Mad Men. Emily can't blame her, though.
But she hates that someone is about to ruin her fun, even though it's just Tara.
“I know, I know—” she starts, blowing yet another cloud into the opposite side of which Tara is coming from. “It's bad, I stink, you hate it. Any news?”
“I'm glad you remember what I told you yesterday and no, no news. I just came to check on you.” She stops right in front of the grey-haired woman's figure, crossing her arms under her chest. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, I'm very much serious.” Another hit, but this time she inhales it for longer than she should have (another rookie mistake, congrats Emily!) and ends up coughing like her lungs are asking to be expelled.
“This was your fault by the way.”
“My fault? Really?” Both her brows arched and Tara rolled eyes, hiding a chuckle.
“Yeah. Did you tell anyone else I'm here? JJ will kill me if she knows I'm smoking at a hospital.”
And just like if she was summoned, another set of footsteps echoed against the floor and this time they sounded angrier and faster, but in heels. So Tara rushed to move her body to cover Emily, giving her time to throw away the cigarette to at least pretend she wasn't doing anything. Not a great idea.
“I can't believe you Emily, I can't.” The older woman wiped away the remains of her fingers and hoped for the best as Tara took the steps back, giving JJ full view of the teenager who has just been caught smoking their first joint.
“Babe, I wasn't— This isn't— let's all calm down,” Emily offers her a smile, raising a hand for the blonde to hold. Takes her a couple of seconds resisting to finally accept it and Emily is quick to pull her closer, arm going around her waist. She's still sitting down, legs open, so she fits JJ between them and looks up at her like a lost puppy that desperately needs a family.
“You stink,” the younger grimaced and looked away, sighing. “And I don't want to be near your stinking ass right now.”
“Baby… come on, I've been under a lot of stress lately." Pursing her lips into a pout Emily left a track of kisses along JJ's abdomen and arms, covered by a soft white blouse. “It just helps ease the tension.”
And JJ hates herself for falling for that, but she does. She's too tired to fight and too anxious to say anything other than a hum, nodding her head. “We'll come back to this later,” she says, and it's like the magnets under her skin were turned on and she feels the urge to get closer to Emily. “This conversation is not over.”
“Ow, Em— you got yourself a surrogate mother.” Tara jokes, breaking away of her phone just to tease them.
“First of all fuck you,” she mouths as JJ takes a seat on one of Emily's legs, nearly on her lap. “You're just jealous 'cause you don't got a lady anymore.” And it sounded snarkier than intended, but did the job of shutting Tara's provocations and mocking sounds for now.
“I'll exit myself before you two have tongues in each other's mouths, so I say my goodbyes.” But her eyes meet Emily's for a few seconds and she smiles, winks and throws her a glance that silently said you won, enjoy.
“Bye Lewis,” a sleepy JJ said, head shoved in the crook of her neck. A trill run down her spin as the blonde whispered against her skin, the warm breath causing her goosebumps. “I'm too tired to stand up.”
And Emily noticed, the grip around her waist getting tighter. She held JJ like a baby and the level of dizziness from her exhaustion also made her feel like she had a toddler in her arms, and this one was equally stubborn and chatty just like one too.
“I'll order us dinner tonight, prepare you a bath too.” Emily lowered her voice as she placed a kiss on top of JJ's head. “You've been up since three am, you need to rest.”
“And you got any sleep? It's been a little more than twenty four hours now, Em.” As she finished her sentence the older woman heard a muffled yawn and JJ lowered her head so she would rest on Emily's chest with eyes closed.
“I promise you I'm fine,” another kiss to distract her from the current spotlight, Emily, and a small tug to her hip. “I've had enough energy drinks.”
“Can we go home? I think he'll be fine and Luke will stay here. Penelope hasn't called and there's nothing new… We can always start fresh in the morning.” Feeling proud of herself for being able to form a sentence whilst almost falling asleep, JJ smiled. “I made sense.”
“You did, and I'm surprised. I thought I'd have to carry you to the car.” Emily's turn to laugh, searching for something buried inside her coat's pocket.
“Oh but you will.” The blonde nibbled what she could reach of the exposed skin of Emily's neck and kissed along her collarbone, smiling. “Can we go now?”
“Absolutely,” Emily finally meets her lover's glance, the lightest shade of blue she has ever seen, filled with the stars that didn't belong in the sky. “Did I say I love you today?”
And she receives the quickest answer ever, “I won't kiss you when your mouth tastes like dirt, but nice try.”
She opens her mouth then closes, laughs but deadly stares at her in disbelief. The exaggerated reaction doesn't seem to work on JJ who stumbled at her feet after standing up but managed to stay.
“But I love you, smokey.”
“I love you too, Jay.”