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It had been a year since Will had died, and though JJ had made it through the worst of it, the ache was still there, lingering in the quiet moments. She’d learned to carry it, to find balance in the chaos of her job, but there were days when the loss felt more overwhelming than others.
Today was one of those days when she felt a little lighter. The team was at the firing range, the usual banter and friendly competition a welcome distraction. JJ stood poised at the shooting line, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows over the concrete floor. She adjusted her stance, ready for another round.
“Alright, I’m going to crush this,” Luke declared with a grin, stepping up behind her and adjusting his own gun. "I’ve been practicing!"
JJ shot him a playful look over her shoulder, a small smirk on her lips. “Sure you have.”
“I’ll make you eat those words,” Luke teased, and the rest of the team laughed, their voices filling the air with an easy, comfortable energy.
Garcia was sitting off to the side, tapping away on her tablet, while Ross and Tyler made exaggerated bets on who was going to take the crown today. Tara was sipping her water, her eyes flicking between the targets and the rest of the team.
But Emily?
Emily was watching JJ.
And it wasn’t just the way JJ held the gun with expert precision, or the way her form seemed so effortlessly perfect as she lined up her shots. It wasn’t even just the fact that JJ always won these contests, often without breaking a sweat. No, it was something else. The way JJ moved—how she seemed to exist outside of time when she was in her element—was magnetic.
There was something else, too. Something more personal. Emily couldn’t quite pin it down, but as she stood there, arms crossed and her eyes trained on JJ, the feeling swelled in her chest.
Emily wasn’t trying to stare, but JJ had a way of drawing you in. And right now, it felt like JJ’s every movement was calling to her. Every shift, every breath was like a quiet dare, a challenge. It was… almost too much.
JJ, sensing the weight of the moment, glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes met Emily’s, and for just a second, Emily didn’t look away. She should have. She really should have. But she didn’t.
JJ’s lips twitched, a slow, knowing smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. Her eyes sparkled, mischievous and confident.
Without breaking eye contact with Emily, JJ raised her gun and fired. A single shot, her hand steady, her form perfect.
The shot rang out, but JJ didn’t even flinch. Her eyes never left Emily’s face.
Bullseye.
The round hit the target dead centre without so much as a glance toward it.
A stunned silence fell over the group.
JJ turned her head slightly, her smirk widening. She let the moment hang in the air before speaking, her voice light but dripping with confidence. “You think I can’t feel your eyes on me, Emily?”
The team looked between them, noticing the charged silence between the two women. Tara raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly toward Luke, who was watching the exchange with wide eyes.
“Oh, this is gonna be good,” Tara murmured.
Emily blinked, taken off guard, but there was no hiding the flush creeping up her neck. She cleared her throat, trying to play it off. “I was just admiring your technique, that’s all.”
“Admiring, huh?” JJ stepped back, adjusting her stance again, her gaze still locked on Emily. “Well, you’re welcome to keep admiring. But if you’re gonna keep looking at me like that, you might want to stay behind the line.”
Emily’s pulse quickened. That cocky, confident JJ—the one who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind—wasn’t just making a joke. She was provoking Emily, in that way she always did when she knew she had the upper hand.
The others were trying to contain their amusement, but they were failing miserably. Garcia couldn’t hold back the giggle that slipped out, and Luke had to bite his lip to keep from bursting into full-blown laughter.
Emily, recovering from the surprise, raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Is that a challenge, JJ?”
JJ didn’t break her gaze. “I don’t need to challenge you. You know I’ve already won.”
The cockiness in her voice sent a strange thrill through Emily. There was something undeniably magnetic about the way JJ carried herself, the way she was so sure of everything she did. It wasn’t just about skill; it was about confidence in who she was.
“Maybe we’ll see about that,” Emily shot back, her voice smooth. “You’re not the only one here with a good aim.”
JJ chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “You’re cute when you’re competitive. But you’re not me.”
The rest of the team exchanged knowing looks. Emily felt like the spotlight was on her, like everyone was waiting for her to either accept the challenge or back down. The truth was, JJ had her beat in more ways than one, but there was a part of Emily that didn’t want to let that smirk go unanswered.
“I’ll take you on,” Emily said, stepping forward, her voice steady despite the flutter in her chest. “One shot. No second chances.”
JJ’s grin widened, and for a split second, she seemed to soften, that playful glint in her eyes flickering with something deeper. Maybe something personal. “Alright. One shot.”
Emily felt the weight of the moment settle between them, a quiet tension that neither of them could ignore. It wasn’t just a contest. It wasn’t just about the gun, the targets, the competition. It was about the quiet thing that had always existed between them, unspoken but undeniable.
Emily picked up her own gun, her fingers steady despite the nerves gnawing at her. She lined up her shot, her focus sharp. She could feel JJ watching her, could sense that look in her eyes—appreciative, but never soft. She wasn’t going to make this easy.
Emily fired.
The shot rang out and hit just shy of the bullseye, a clear miss compared to JJ’s perfect mark.
JJ let out a low whistle. “Impressive, but no cigar,” she teased, stepping back, her eyes never leaving Emily’s.
Emily sighed, trying to play it cool, but inside, her heart was hammering. “Guess I’ll have to work on my aim.”
JJ laughed softly, and there was something else in her voice—something that made Emily’s heart stutter. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll get there. But not today.”
The team erupted in laughter and playful jabs at Emily, but JJ’s gaze lingered a little longer than necessary. It was a look full of unspoken words, a look that said far more than a single shot ever could. For a moment, Emily forgot about the crowd around them. It was just the two of them, locked in a gaze that spoke volumes. And though she didn’t say it, Emily knew.
She’d do anything to make JJ smile like that again.