Work Text:
Rossi’s house smelled like garlic, roasted chicken, and Rossi himself—warm, cozy, and just faintly like old books. The team had gathered for a much-needed night off, and tonight, the living room was a controlled chaos of blankets, snacks, and half-empty mugs of wine.
The lights were dimmed; the only illumination came from the flickering glow of the TV. The laughter and occasional commentary from the team filled the space like a familiar melody.
Emily sat next to JJ on the couch, her legs tucked under her. JJ had a blanket draped over her shoulders, and Emily could feel the warmth radiating from her as the movie played.
“This is ridiculous,” Tara said from across the room, pointing at the screen. “Why are they running toward the explosion? You’d think they’d, I don’t know… run away?”
“Because,” Rossi said with a dry smile, “if they ran away, the audience would be disappointed. Suspense, dear Tara, suspense.”
Luke laughed from his recliner. “Or they just really like the sound of explosions.”
Tyler nudged him, “Or maybe they want to die dramatically. You wouldn’t understand, old man.”
Garcia squealed softly from the floor, hugging her knees. “I love this movie, though! Look at the costumes! Look at the hair!”
Rebecca, sitting cross-legged with a bowl of popcorn, added, “I swear, some of these stunts are impossible. But I’m living for it.”
Through all the chaos, Emily and JJ had slipped into a quiet little bubble of their own. Every now and then, Emily would glance at JJ’s profile, soft in the flickering TV light, and feel her chest warm. JJ’s hand shifted ever so slightly on the blanket, inching closer to Emily without either of them acknowledging it.
Halfway through the movie, JJ let out a soft laugh at a joke that didn’t land with the rest of the room. Emily leaned a little closer, brushing against her shoulder. JJ didn’t move away. Emily’s hand found its way under the blanket, gently brushing JJ’s.
Minutes passed. The couch slowly became a nest of shared warmth. One quiet stretch, and JJ leaned her head onto Emily’s shoulder. Emily stiffened for a moment, heart thudding, before melting into the contact. She tilted her head, resting it lightly against JJ’s, and suddenly, it felt perfectly natural—like they’d been this close all along.
No one in the room noticed. Or if they did, they didn’t comment. Rossi had his attention glued to the movie. Garcia was too busy texting live commentary. Luke and Tyler were arguing over who would survive the next scene. Tara and Rebecca were huddled together on the other side of the couch.
Emily felt JJ shift slightly, turning toward her. She hesitated for only a heartbeat before draping an arm around JJ, pulling her closer. JJ melted into it, letting out a content sigh.
They stayed like that, quietly sharing the warmth, letting the chaos of the living room swirl around them without breaking the bubble they’d built. The movie played on, explosions and dramatic music filling the background, but Emily and JJ weren’t watching—they were just… together.
Emily leaned her head against JJ’s, smiling softly. “We make a terrible movie-watching team,” she whispered.
JJ snorted quietly. “Yeah, but we’re great at the snuggling part.”
Emily laughed softly into JJ’s shoulder, and JJ hugged her tighter. It was simple. It was happy. And for tonight, it was perfect.
Rossi barely glanced up from the TV when Emily let out a quiet laugh, her head brushing JJ’s shoulder. But Luke, sitting on the floor near the coffee table, did a slow double-take.
“Uh… guys?” he said, a teasing lilt in his voice. “Is it just me, or are Emily and JJ… snuggling?”
Tara elbowed him. “Oh my God, Luke! You noticed? Finally.”
Garcia, sprawled on the floor with her laptop, squealed. “Ohmygodohmygod! They’re so cute! Look at them! Snuggling! I literally can’t. They’re practically a human burrito of love!”
Rebecca, holding a bowl of popcorn, grinned. “I did notice. They’ve been leaning into each other for a while now. I thought they were just… cold.”
Emily froze, her face heating up instantly. “Wait—what? No! We’re not—”
JJ raised her hands defensively, laughing awkwardly. “Yeah, what? We’re just… sitting close. That’s all. Totally normal.”
Luke laughed, holding up his hands. “Uh-huh, sure. Just ‘sitting close.’ You two are basically fused together.”
Tara snorted. “Please. If that’s ‘just sitting close,’ I want whatever your definition of cuddling is.”
Garcia waved a hand dramatically. “Mental snapshots! I’m saving this forever! Just in case the love story actually starts someday!”
Emily buried her face in her hands, muffling a laugh. “We are not a love story!”
JJ peeked at her over Emily’s hands, trying not to laugh too loudly. “We’re not. Just friends. Okay? Friends sitting really close on a couch.”
Luke leaned back, grinning. “Friends who somehow manage to look like a romantic comedy in one frame. Got it.”
Rossi, shaking his head with a small smile, muttered, “I should’ve known. You two have been side-by-side for decades—it was bound to look like this eventually.”
Emily peeked up at JJ, whispering, “Do we… say anything?”
JJ shrugged, smirking. “Nah. Let them think what they want. It’s funnier this way.”
And so the movie continued, the team happily teasing, laughing, and snacking, while Emily and JJ sat side by side, heads occasionally brushing, awkwardly trying to act like “just friends” while secretly enjoying the warmth and closeness.
As the movie played on, Emily shifted slightly on the couch to grab a handful of popcorn, and her hand brushed JJ’s. Neither moved away—both pretending it hadn’t happened—but Emily’s heart skipped a beat anyway.
She glanced down at JJ, and the flickering TV light caught her face just right. JJ’s blue eyes reflected the glow of the screen, bright and clear, and for a moment, Emily couldn’t look anywhere else.
Her breath hitched. The warmth from JJ’s shoulder beneath her head, the gentle rise and fall of her chest, the soft curve of her lips as she laughed at something on the screen—it all pulled at Emily in a way she hadn’t expected.
Emily’s fingers twitched slightly, and she felt herself leaning just a little closer, though she didn’t move consciously. She tried to tell herself it was nothing, just the coziness of the couch—but her heart wasn’t listening.
And then it hit her—like a quiet, sudden understanding she hadn’t let herself admit before.
She was mesmerised.
She had always been… drawn to JJ.
Not just as a friend. Not just as a teammate. Something more. Something deeper.
Emily’s eyes stayed locked on JJ’s, shimmering in the flickering light, and she realized—with a mix of awe, fear, and something dangerously exciting—that she had been feeling this way for a long time.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she quickly looked away, pretending to check her popcorn, even though her heart was pounding so hard she was sure JJ could feel it.
JJ, oblivious to the storm in Emily’s chest, laughed at a joke on the screen and shifted slightly closer—her shoulder brushing Emily’s. And Emily’s pulse didn’t slow. Not even a little.
The glow from the TV danced across JJ’s face again, and Emily’s chest tightened so suddenly she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Her eyes widened, and before she could stop herself, she shoved the blanket off her shoulders and stood abruptly.
“I… uh, I need… the bathroom,” she stammered, voice barely above a whisper.
JJ looked up, confused. “Emily? Are you okay?”
Emily only nodded shakily, her hands trembling slightly as she moved past the team. “Yeah… just… bathroom,” she muttered, hurrying down the hall, trying to force her heart to slow.
Once inside, she locked the door and sank to the floor, her back against the wall. The warmth of Rossi’s house and the laughter echoing faintly from the living room couldn’t reach her here. Her chest heaved uncontrollably, breaths short and sharp.
“Oh God… oh God…” she whispered, curling in on herself. “What… what is happening?”
The truth hit her all at once, like a wave crashing over her. She was in love with JJ. Her best friend. Her teammate. Someone she’d trusted with her life countless times.
Her hands flew to her face as tears spilled down her cheeks. “How… how did I not see this before? Why now? Why like this?”
Her breaths became shaky gasps, and a low, trembling sob escaped her. She pressed her forehead to her knees, curling tighter, feeling the panic swell in her chest. Everything she had tried to control—the feelings she had buried, the careful boundaries she’d maintained—had shattered in a single moment on that couch.
“I love her… I love her…” she whispered repeatedly, the words tasting both terrifying and undeniable. “I can’t… I can’t… I can’t believe I’m… I’m in love with my best friend!”
Her tears fell freely now, and she rocked slightly, trying to calm herself, but the tight knot of panic refused to loosen. Every beat of her heart reminded her of the truth she had finally admitted to herself, and it was almost too much to bear.
Outside, the faint sound of laughter and dialogue from the movie continued, completely oblivious to the storm raging inside Emily.
JJ noticed Emily had vanished from the couch almost as soon as she’d stood up. At first, she thought maybe Emily had gone to grab more snacks or needed a quick break, but minutes passed, and something in her gut tightened.
She got up quietly, slipping down the hallway toward the bathroom. As she approached the door, she froze.
A faint, uneven sniffle carried through the wood.
“Emily?” JJ whispered softly, knocking gently on the door. “Hey… are you okay?”
There was no answer—just another quiet sniffle, followed by a shaky breath. JJ’s heart clenched.
“Emily,” she said again, voice soft but firm. “I’m coming in, okay?”
She slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.
Emily was sitting on the floor, back against the wall, knees drawn up to her chest. Her face was buried in her hands, shoulders trembling, tears streaking through her fingers.
“Emily… what’s wrong?” JJ asked, kneeling down beside her. Her voice was gentle but concerned.
Emily looked up at her, eyes wide and glossy, and for a moment couldn’t speak. Then the words tumbled out in a rush, raw and unfiltered.
“I just… I just realized I’m in love with my best friend!” she blurted, voice cracking. “And I don’t know what to do, and it’s too much, and I’m so scared!”
JJ’s eyes widened, shock and concern mingling as she reached out, resting a hand on Emily’s trembling shoulder. “Hey… hey, it’s okay. Shh… it’s okay.”
Emily buried her face against JJ’s shoulder, shaking with sobs. “I didn’t mean for it to happen. I didn’t want it. I just… I can’t stop thinking about it. About you.”
JJ wrapped her arms around Emily, holding her close. “I know,” she murmured softly, pressing her cheek to Emily’s hair. “It’s okay. You’re safe here. You’re safe with me.”
Emily clung to JJ, letting her sobs shake through her body, the panic slowly ebbing as JJ’s quiet, steady presence anchored her. And for the first time in hours, she felt like she could breathe.
JJ held Emily close, letting her cry into her shoulder. Her own heart ached at the raw honesty, but she stayed steady, grounding Emily with her presence.
“Shh… it’s okay, Emily,” JJ whispered, brushing a damp strand of hair from her face. “You’re not in trouble. You’re not wrong. You’re not alone.”
Emily’s sobs slowed slightly, though her chest still heaved. “I… I’ve never felt this way before. Not like this. And it’s you… it’s always been you.”
JJ pressed a kiss to the top of Emily’s head. “I know,” she murmured softly. “And it’s okay. It doesn’t have to make sense right now. You just needed to say it. That’s enough for now.”
Emily tilted her head up just slightly, tears still running down her cheeks. “I’m scared, JJ. What if this ruins everything? What if I… I mess up our friendship?”
JJ shook her head gently, smiling through her own emotion. “Hey, listen to me. Look at me.” Emily’s eyes met hers, watery but searching. “You didn’t ruin anything. Not a thing. And I promise you… we’ll figure it out. One step at a time. You’re safe with me, Emily. Always.”
Emily let out a shaky breath, pressing herself closer. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I… I feel like a weight’s been lifted, but it’s still… so heavy at the same time.”
JJ nodded, holding her tighter. “That’s normal. Feel everything. Cry, panic, laugh, whatever you need. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got you.”
Emily rested her head against JJ’s chest, finally letting herself breathe again. The sobs softened into quiet hiccups, and a strange sense of relief began to replace the panic. For the first time, she felt seen—truly seen—and cared for in a way that made all the fear and confusion worth it.
JJ stroked her hair gently, whispering over and over, “It’s okay, Emily. It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
And slowly, the storm inside Emily started to settle, leaving her trembling but comforted, held firmly in the arms of her best friend—the one person she trusted more than anyone else in the world.
After a few minutes, JJ gently pulled back just enough to look at Emily’s face. Her eyes were still glistening with tears, but calmer now, and the rapid tremor of panic had slowed.
JJ shifted, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of her. “Hey,” she said softly, reaching out. “Can I… can I hold your hands?”
Emily blinked, surprised, but nodded. JJ took her trembling hands in her own, intertwining their fingers slowly, deliberately. The warmth of JJ’s palms and the gentle pressure of her fingers grounding Emily made her chest tighten in a way that was both comforting and electrifying.
Emily looked down at their joined hands, then up at JJ. Her lips trembled into a small, tentative smile. “This… this feels safe,” she whispered.
JJ smiled back, soft and reassuring, thumb brushing over the back of Emily’s hand. “Good,” she said quietly. “Because you are safe. I’ve got you. You don’t have to do anything. You don’t have to figure anything out right now.”
Emily’s breath hitched slightly, and she let her forehead rest against JJ’s knee, just letting the connection linger. “I don’t even know how to explain this… the way I feel,” she murmured.
JJ shook her head gently, tightening her hold just a little. “You don’t have to explain. I hear you. I feel it too. Right now… this is enough.”
For a long moment, they just sat like that, hands intertwined, breathing in sync. The panic, the fear, the confusion—they were still there, but softened by the quiet intimacy between them. Emily realized she had never felt so seen, so safe, and so understood by anyone in her entire life.
And JJ’s presence, calm and unwavering, made the thought of facing the future—whatever it might bring—a little less terrifying.
Emily’s hands were still entwined with JJ’s, their fingers laced together tightly. She was staring at JJ, still trembling slightly, when JJ took a deep breath and spoke, her voice soft but steady.
“Emily… I think I love you too,” JJ said, her blue eyes locking onto Emily’s. “I think I always have.”
Emily froze, her breath catching in her throat.
JJ continued, voice low, filled with honesty and vulnerability. “Even when I was with Will, all those years… I could never explain how I felt about you. How I feel about you. And… I think what I’m saying is, I just realized—I’m in love with my best friend too.”
Emily’s eyes widened, tears springing anew, but this time they were a mixture of shock, relief, and something warmer—something like joy. She couldn’t even form words; her chest felt tight and light at the same time.
JJ reached forward, brushing a tear from Emily’s cheek with her thumb. “You don’t have to say anything. I just… I needed you to know. That’s all. I’m not asking for anything. I just…”
Emily finally found her voice, a whisper trembling through her lips. “I… I didn’t think… I never thought…”
JJ smiled gently, squeezing her hands. “I know,” she said softly. “I didn’t think either. But it’s okay. We’re here. And we’re safe. And… we’ll figure it out together.”
For a long moment, they just sat there, foreheads touching, hands entwined, letting the weight of their confessions settle. Then Emily let out a shaky laugh, the sound bubbling up from deep inside her.
JJ blinked, then a laugh of her own escaped, soft at first, then growing as the tension melted away. Soon, they were both laughing—half from relief, half from disbelief.
Emily wiped a tear from her cheek, still giggling, and finally mumbled, voice muffled and incredulous, “What the… fuck.”
JJ’s laughter faltered into a grin, shaking her head. “Yeah… I know. I think we both just completely lost our minds.”
Emily buried her face against JJ’s shoulder, still chuckling. “I can’t… I can’t believe this is happening. I’m in love with my best friend. You’re in love with me. We’re… actually saying it!”
JJ hugged her tighter, laughter softening into a content sigh. “I know. I think it’s terrifying. And amazing. And ridiculous. All at the same time.”
Emily peeked up at her through tear-streaked eyes, still laughing. “Ridiculous is the perfect word. I mean… what the fuck.”
JJ laughed again, pressing a gentle kiss to Emily’s temple. “Yeah… what the fuck indeed. But you know what? I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Emily exhaled, letting the warmth of JJ’s arms settle around her. “Me neither,” she whispered, finally feeling a little lighter than she had in months. “Not a single thing.”
And so, amidst the laughter, tears, and the lingering shock of honesty, they stayed like that—side by side, hands intertwined, finally letting themselves just be, together, in a moment that felt impossibly right.
A few moments of quiet laughter and shared relief passed, the kind that makes your chest ache in the best way. Then the bathroom door creaked open.
Emily and JJ froze, still pressed together on the floor, fingers intertwined, foreheads brushing.
“Uh…” a familiar voice said from the doorway.
They looked up to see Penelope Garcia standing there, laptop tucked under one arm, eyes widening as she took in the scene: flushed faces, tear-streaked cheeks, and the way they were holding each other.
“Why… why are you two sat on the bathroom floor crying?” she asked, brow furrowed in mock confusion.
Emily and JJ blinked at her, completely caught off guard. Emily stammered, “Uh… we’re not… I mean, it’s—”
JJ groaned softly, pressing a hand to her face. “Garcia… it’s… personal.”
Garcia tilted her head, eyes narrowing knowingly, a sly grin spreading across her face. “Ahhhh… I see,” she said, almost as if she’d read their minds. “Emotional vulnerability. Confessions. Tears. Definitely intimate revelations. Got it.”
Emily’s cheeks heated, and JJ’s hand squeezed hers slightly tighter.
Garcia winked. “Alright, well… I’ll just leave you two to process that. But, a friendly reminder: please keep it down if you decide to, you know… have sex in Rossi’s bathroom. I can’t have the rest of the team hearing everything.”
Emily choked on a laugh, and JJ’s jaw dropped in stunned amusement.
“Garcia!” Emily squeaked, burying her face in JJ’s shoulder.
“I know what I know,” Garcia said, shrugging, utterly unapologetic, before backing out of the room with a flourish, muttering to herself about “love confessions” and “romantic code red events.”
Emily and JJ sat there in stunned silence for a moment, then broke into laughter again, holding each other a little tighter, the absurdity and truth of the moment mingling perfectly. JJ finally exhaled, brushing a few stray tears from her cheeks and smiling softly at Emily. She pushed herself to her feet, her hand reaching out toward Emily.
“Come on, Chief,” she said playfully, her tone light but her eyes warm, fingers intertwined with Emily’s.
Emily looked up at her, still flushed and slightly trembling, but the warmth of JJ’s hand gave her courage. She laughed softly, taking JJ’s hand, letting herself be pulled to her feet.
JJ squeezed her hand gently as they straightened, smoothing down their clothes and taking a deep breath. “Alright,” she said, a grin tugging at her lips. “Back to the land of the living… aka Rossi’s living room.”
Emily followed, still holding JJ’s hand, her heart pounding in that strange, exhilarating mix of panic, relief, and something entirely new. “Yeah… back to everyone pretending they’re just watching the movie,” she murmured.
JJ smirked. “Exactly. Let’s not give away all our secrets just yet.”
They walked down the hallway together, side by side, hands still intertwined, and pushed open the door to the living room. The glow from the TV lit the room in soft flickers, and the team barely looked up from their snacks and commentary.
Rossi was lecturing Luke about how unrealistic the stunts were. Tara was arguing with Rebecca over the hero’s choices. Garcia had her laptop open, still typing furiously.
Emily and JJ slid back onto the couch, side by side, trying to act casual—though the tight squeeze of their hands between them gave away more than either of them intended.
Garcia looked up for half a second, then gave a tiny smirk as if she’d already known everything and returned to her work. Emily rolled her eyes at her, whispering, “I swear, she’s telepathic.”
JJ chuckled softly, resting an arm along the back of the couch behind Emily. “Yeah… and somehow she’s enjoying every second of it.”
Emily’s heart fluttered, but she leaned slightly into JJ’s side, letting herself relax. For now, the chaos of the living room, the teasing, and the movie’s explosions felt safe—because JJ was right there, holding her hand, and somehow, that made everything feel… right.