JJ pulled into the IHOP parking lot, and got out of the car. She hadn't liked driving, it'd meant that she couldn't look at Emily, or at least not as much as she wanted to. The brunette just had this sexiness about her that JJ had never really let herself see before. Now that she'd noticed it, she couldn't get enough of it. The way that Emily's brown eyes pierced through her when she looked at her, it was as if they saw through her. She felt like she melted under their gaze, and as JJ walked into IHOP with Emily at her side, she felt that gaze on her. She turned her head to see Emily looking at her and smiling.
"What's going through that pretty little head of yours?" She asked, smiling herself. Damn that smile is contagious! She thought.
"Oh, nothing," Emily replied in a sing-song voice, her grin growing wider.
"Come on," JJ persisted, hooking her arm through Emily's. The move sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine. It felt so nice to be able to touch Emily like this and not worry that Emily didn't want it, or would pull away.
"How many, two?" The hostess asked.
I wonder if she knows that we're not just here as friends? JJ thought briefly to herself as she nodded. The hostess lead them to a booth in the corner by the window. JJ scooted in to one side while Emily slid in across from her. The hostess put down the menus in front of them.
"Your waitress will be with you shortly." She said before leaving.
"Thanks," JJ said, flashing a quick smile before turning her attention to the menu. She glanced over it, but decided that her initial craving this morning of chocolate chip pancakes still sounded the most appealing. She closed the menu and looked up at Emily.
"So what're you getting?" She asked her friend who was still perusing the menu.
"Hmm…I'm not sure yet. French toast sounds pretty good. On the other hand blueberry pancakes are so good too." JJ saw her friend bite her lip unconsciously as she tried to decide. JJ couldn't help but find it adorable and wish that she was the one biting that lip instead. As if feeling JJ's eyes on her, Emily looked up. "What?" She asked, giving JJ a wicked grin.
"Oh nothing." JJ teased, winking at the brunette.
"Come on, what were you thinking?" Emily persisted.
"Just how nice your lips are and how cute you look." JJ replied. She looked down in embarrassment and felt her cheeks start to flush. She glanced up quickly out of curiosity. She wanted to see Emily's reaction. She was surprised to see Emily's cheeks turning red. Wow she's cute when she blushes! JJ thought then looked quickly down again, feeling her own blush deepen. JJ felt a soft, strong hand take hers and looked up to see Emily smiling at her and holding her hand.
"You're pretty cute yourself." She said and winked, though JJ could see her blush deepen as well. Emily released JJ's hand and looked back at her menu, obviously trying to calm herself and get rid of her blush. "Let's see…" she muttered. "Yep, I think I'm gonna have to go with the French toast." JJ watched as Emily closed her menu and set it on the table. "It's tasty stuff French toast. With a little powdered sugar on it? Yum. One of my favourite breakfasts."
Emily's rambling, JJ realized. She's nervous. I make her nervous. I don't know if I've ever seen Emily act nervous before. She's always so strong, and confident, and sexy… JJ surprised herself slightly. She still wasn't used to having those types of thoughts about Emily. She especially wasn't used to it being ok to think those types of thoughts. Yesterday afternoon she would have berated herself for thinking that. She would have thought that she couldn't think those thoughts about a girl, especially not Emily, because Emily would never be ok with her if she knew that JJ was having thoughts like that. But here she was, the very next day, out to breakfast with Emily, admitting some of these thoughts to her. It felt surreal. It didn't seem possible. But here they were. And they'd kissed. More than once. And the kisses had been amazing, and not regretted at all. When Emily's lips touched hers, it felt like her body was on fire. Her lips tingled at the memory and she couldn't help but smile.
"Not like blueberry pancakes aren't tasty. Or pancakes in general." Emily was saying.
"Em?" JJ interrupted.
"Huh?" Emily replied.
"Breathe, sweetie." JJ grinned at the slightly embarrassed look on Emily's face. Then she saw Emily's face change, into a slightly surprised look.
"Sweetie?" Emily asked.
It was JJ's turn to look embarrassed. She hadn't used the term as one friend might to another. She'd used it as if talking to a significant other. And Emily, being the brilliant profiler that she was, had caught it. When will my cheeks stop turning bright red around her? JJ thought as her cheeks did just what she wished they wouldn't. JJ was relieved to see a young woman, walking towards them.
"I'm Claudia, I'll be your server today. Can I start you off with something to drink?"
"Well I think we're ready to order too." JJ replied glancing at Emily who nodded in confirmation.
"Ok, what can I get you?" Claudia asked, poised and ready to scribble down the order on her pad of paper.
JJ looked at Emily who indicated that she should go ahead first.
"I'll take the chocolate chip pancakes with extra whipped cream if that's possible please." JJ said smiling at the young woman who began writing as soon as JJ spoke.
"Not a problem. And for you?" The waitress turned her attention to Emily.
"I'll take the French toast please." Emily said.
"Ok, I'll have that out for you as soon as possible." The waitress smiled and walked away.
"She's kinda cute." Emily said.
JJ felt a jealous pang well up in her chest, then she looked at Emily and saw that she was grinning evilly. JJ kicked her under the table. It was a light kick but Emily feigned hurt through her laughter at JJ's reaction. JJ rolled her eyes. She glanced at the young waitress, walking away.
"Yeah, she's pretty cute." She replied hoping to elicit a similar response from Emily as she'd given a moment before. She wasn't disappointed. Emily opened her eyes wide and swatted at JJ. They giggled a little, then JJ turned the conversation serious. She wasn't sure she was ready to have this conversation, but she knew they needed to. Besides, she wasn't sure she was ever going to be ready for this conversation, so, she figured, may as well get it over with now.
She cleared her throat. "Em? What're we…what do you…how do you…I like you. I didn't think I could like a girl. And I didn't want to let myself like you, but I do. I don't date people I work with, but with you…." JJ trailed off. She hated putting herself out there this much. She wasn't sure exactly how much Emily reciprocated her feelings, she had no idea where Emily stood on the possibility of a relationship. She suddenly felt very insecure. She glanced at Emily. Emily was just sitting there looking at her, she looked slightly startled, and her mouth was open like she was trying to say something.
JJ watched as Emily opened and closed her mouth several times.
"I like you too Jayj. I really like you. I never noticed it until recently, but I think I've been developing feelings for you for a while now. There's just something about you…I can't seem to pull myself away. I try to make it a rule not to date people from work either, but I feel like with you it'll be ok. I don't know why. I just…I don't want to pass up this opportunity. I feel like if I do I'll be kicking myself for years to come."
It was JJ's turn to be startled. Ok she had started to accept that Emily liked her, but not that much. Not as much as JJ was afraid that she liked Emily. But here Emily was, sitting there across the table from her, talking openly about wanting to be with her, with JJ. JJ shook her head and looked at Emily.
"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that? I'm just…I'm not sure I quite believe my ears." JJ finally muttered.
Emily smiled. "I'm not sure I believed mine either. And I can barely believe the words that I'm saying, but I promise you they're true. They may not be that thought out, but they're true. I like you JJ. And I know you don't date people you work with, but I really hope…I wish that…please consider making an exception. I at least want a chance to be with you, to date you, to…" Emily blushed as she trailed off.
JJ thought she might be able to finish Emily's sentence for her and she blushed herself. She took a moment to regain her composure then said, "Em, I want that too. I can't explain exactly how my feelings for you came about, but…I feel I owe it to myself and to you to find out where they can take me…take us. Hotch said something to me last night. He said that we bring out the best in each other, we just don't seem to be able to see it, but I want to see it. I'm starting to see it. I feel…When I'm with you I feel like a whole new person…and I like it. I don't think I'm saying any of this well…I'm not sure that what I mean and what I feel is actually coming across in this…" JJ felt flustered. She knew how she felt, or at least she was figuring it out. She liked Emily. She felt like a renewed person when she was around her now, and she loved how that felt.
"So the media liaison is at a loss for words? Wow." Emily broke the awkwardness of the conversation.
JJ grinned and rolled her eyes. "Ok, ok rub it in. I make my living talking to the media and I can't even talk to the girl I like." It felt so comfortable with Emily, even with all of the awkwardness. There was an underlying comfort that JJ felt. Part of it, she knew, was just because she and Emily had been such good friends before.
"So you're not gonna not give us a chance?" Emily asked.
"Well it's a good thing you're not the media liaison what with your double negative." JJ winked at Emily then turned serious. "I want to give us a try. A real try…" JJ was interrupted by the arrival of their food. Claudia set their plates down in front of them and flashed them both a big smile.
"Can I get anything else for you two?" She asked.
Emily and JJ looked at each other then turned back to the waitress. "No thanks." Emily said.
"Ok well just let me know if you need anything." Claudia replied and left.
"She seems like a nice kid. What do you think? Early twenties? Twenty-one? Twenty two?" Emily said turning her attention back to JJ.
"I think that if you keep complimenting the waitress every time she leaves I might just have to get jealous. And I'd guess maybe twenty or twenty-one." JJ replied half joking and half actually slightly jealous. Emily looked at her and smiled.
"You're so cute. JJ, trust me, you have nothing to worry about."
JJ blushed. Emily thinks I'm cute! God, I feel like a school girl with a crush! But this is so much better, because she likes me back! "I want to date you Em." She blurted out and blushed deeper. "You're…I…" JJ reached her hand across the table, the food forgotten for the moment. Emily reached out and took JJ's hand. "Em I really like you…" JJ lowered her voice. "It scares me a little how much I like you…" JJ swallowed hard. She was nervous. She was having trouble finding the words to continue.
"JJ? Will you go out with me tomorrow night? I know it's a Sunday, and we have work Monday, but I don't want to wait until next weekend. Please?" Emily asked. She looks nervous too, JJ realized. She just asked me out! I just got asked out on a date by Emily! And I want to go!
JJ nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that." JJ felt her stomach grumble. "But meanwhile how about we eat this food!" JJ said pulling back her hand and picking up her silverware. She cut a piece of chocolate chip pancake and put it in her mouth. The pancakes were perfect, light and fluffy with just the right amount of chocolate chips…not over the top at all. "Oh my god! These pancakes are delicious. Here you gotta taste this." JJ cut off another bite and reached out her fork to Emily who ate it off the fork. JJ pulled her hand back and blushed. Wow, we're acting like a real couple!
"Wow those are amazing." Emily said, once she'd swallowed the bite.
They continued eating, and had the occasional awkward glance towards each other. From time to time they caught each other's eyes. Every time that happened JJ felt her cheeks start to flush. She couldn't believe how much she liked Emily, and how much she liked sitting there eating breakfast with her.
"So who exactly plans the dates when it's two girls? I mean do you or do I or do we take turns?" JJ asked, trying to figure the situation out.
Emily looked slightly surprised. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it. It's not like I'm more experienced at this than you are." She replied. "But I'll plan this date. Trust me. Ok?"
"I do." JJ said, realizing she really did. She trusted Emily like she'd never trusted anyone before. "You plan, you pay, right?" JJ said and winked at Emily who just smiled.
"This time." Emily replied, and winked back.