Say Something

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the ideas.

I am so sorry that you haven't had anything from me for a long time but the Summer has been a hard one and work has been taking over but here is a short sotry that I owed someone.

This is a long overdue request for alexandriaZ, who wanted a Rossi/Strauss. Not a pairing I have tried before. Hope you like it alexandriaZ. This story is set around the time of Rossi's return to the FBI.

This fic was inspired by the Great Big World song, 'Say Something'.

. . .

Say something, I'm giving up on you
I'll be the one, if you want me to
Anywhere I would've followed you
Say something, I'm giving up on you

. . .

How many times a day did it happen? How many times could they let it happen and not expect others to pick up on the tension?

Yet, here they were again.

Without specific rhyme or reason they found themselves together. It was bound to happen as they worked together, they were colleagues. Ok, one was the superior, but still they were on the same floor of the same building. This time their meeting was as simple as them both needing to walk down the same corridor at the same time. However, the simplicity of the situation did nothing to clarify their situation. Neither willing to let the other have a clue how they were feeling.

"Morning," Strauss finally managed in a forced clipped tone, as there was no point trying to ignore him. David Rossi was not a man who was easily ignored.

"I do believe it still is," Rossi replied in a sarcastic tone as he flicked his wrist to check his watch, "Yep, definitely still before noon."

Each of them took more evenly spaced steps as they made their way towards their final destination. The only sound between them was that of their footsteps.

Strauss cleared her throat and spoke as she stared straight ahead. "I returned your last report . . . Hotch will explain the reasons."

"You mean there was another excuse other than to piss me off?" Rossi batted back with a deliberate arch of his eyebrow, though he could tell she had missed the action as she was staring blankly ahead. However, at the same time, he didn't miss the slight falter in her pace. Maybe that had been a bit low, even for him.

"Contrary to popular belief, you are not an all knowing God in these corridors. Things have changed since you last graced us with your overwhelming presence. Improve your reports or get use to having then sent straight back." Strauss turned towards Rossi and glared, daring him to back chat her once more.

Realising they had reached the end of the corridor, Rossi swung the glass door to the bull pen open, holding it for his superior, through the temptation not to was immense. Obviously Strauss had believed he was likely to let it go when he suddenly felt her soft hand on his. The jolt of electricity that shot through him at the skin on skin contact unsettled Rossi. Their eyes met and he was quick to realise that the feeling was mutual. She had the same look of shock in her cool eyes as he imagined he did. Damn such uncontrollable physical reactions.

Pulling his hand away he took a step back, their eyes still locked onto each other. It was the first time since he had been back that they both let the facade slip. Stumbling back a step or two, Rossi focused on his recovery. This was way too public for any of the things they needed to say – though the words were close to spilling out.

"I'm sorry," he heard her mutter as her eyes dropped to the charcoal grey flooring. He inwardly cursed as he failed to find anything productive to say. In the end all he could do was watch as she marched passed him. The gentle sway of her hips accentuated by the smart dark pencil skirt she was wearing – women half her age would be proud to have legs like that he thought. Berating himself once more for inappropriate thoughts, Rossi made a beeline for the kitchenette. Strong coffee, no matter how bad, was what he needed to improve his focus.

"She chewed you off one already?" Morgan spoke as he arrived at the counter beside Rossi.

"Sorry?"

"Strauss. The look on your face when you held the door for her . . . shock doesn't begin to describe it. We've all been there . . . Well, most of us. She has this way with words that can ruin your day in a single sentence."

"Yeah, something like that," Rossi muttered, wanting a hole to open up and swallow him, this needed to be sorted before people figured their past.

Morgan wasn't getting the hint, or he was already use to the older profiler's lack of conversation. "Let me guess, a problem with your reports. They don't meet her high standards. For a few cups of decent coffee, Boy Genius will take a look and straighten things out for you. He always checks mine over. Has even been known to complete a few for me if you know what I mean," he added with a wink. It was no secret that Morgan had a tendency to slip random files into Reid's in tray.

. . .

Rossi was the last to enter the small conference room, having gone via the kitchenette for a coffee refill. Head down, he took the final seat, centre back of the table, directly opposite the screen. Looking up, he spotted straight away that the team had been joined by their Section Chief. Damn! Was she trying to make his day harder than it had to be? If she was then she was succeeding.

Making his eyes focus on the images that JJ had now brought up on the screen, Rossi's lip curled up involuntarily in disgust. Not at the images but the situation that was building between him and Strauss. Something had to be said soon, but who would be the one to say it? Someone had to say something.