A/N: A brief story but the first of several I have lined up to post. For those who follow my other storylines, I have updates for those coming soon. I apologize for the wait; it's been a long month with finishing the semester and moving, amidst other things.
This OS is based on 5x21 Exit Wounds. Again, I do not own any of the stories or characters of Criminal Minds.
There were only four rooms available for the team to share while they were on the case in Alaska. It wasn't truly as big of a deal as some of the team members made it out to be, they'd had to double up before. Hotch and Rossi had agreed to room together, Penelope had claimed Derek as her roommate, and JJ and Emily both agreed to let Reid have his own room, having roomed together several times in the past.
The first night there, JJ was moving around like crazy in her sleep, rusting the covers and shifting the bed, keeping Emily awake. Knowing Penelope was pulling an all-nighter to finish background checks, Emily decided to see if she could bunk in with Derek.
She knocked lightly on his door and was quickly met by the sight of him in sleep pants and a white tee. "Hey princess," he greeted. "Everything ok?"
"Could I uh, could I bunk with you? JJ's won't stop moving in her sleep. I tried to nudge her, which has worked in the past but she…" Emily's words were cut off as Derek raised a finger to her lips and told her she didn't need to explain. With a whispered thanks, Emily entered the room and the two got settled. Derek took the floor, as he had already offered to do for Penelope, giving Emily the queen-sized bed to herself despite protest.
Derek fell asleep quickly, having learned how to maximize short bursts of sleep after years on the job, but he woke up not even an hour later to the sound of Emily's voice. Please. He's just a little boy – please.
Derek stood and walked towards the bed, frowning at the lines of worry etched on Emily's sleeping face. He understood all too well the nightmares that could come from the horrors of their job. "Em," He called softly, trying to wake her up. I can help, I can get you out, both of you. Please. "Emily." Derek called a bit louder, punctuated with a soft shake of her arm as he knelt down beside the bed.
Emily gasped as her eyes opened. "Derek?"
"I'm here." He assured, brushing a strand of Emily's hair behind her ear. "Are you ok?" Emily took a deep breath and nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?" Derek asked softly. Emily bit her lip and shook her head, not wanting to speak about her past life and hoping Derek would simply think she was dreaming about a case. Thankfully, Derek respected her choice. "Ok. I'm right across the room if you need anything." He rose from his position beside the bed and took a step toward his makeshift spot on the floor when Emily's voice stopped him.
"Stay with me?" She whispered. He could tell by her tone of voice it was a question and when he turned to face her again he saw her worrying her lower lip. Emily hated the vulnerability she was portraying but she knew Derek would understand the desire for comfort after a nightmare and wouldn't hold it against her. Sure enough, Derek simply nodded and made his way to the other side of the bed, settling in underneath the covers.
Derek held out an arm and Emily immediately re-positioned, settling her head against his covered chest and wrapping an arm around his torso as Derek folded his around her shoulder, holding her close. "Rest now, Em." Derek murmured into her hair.
They both fell into a peaceful sleep, that is, until they were awakened by Penelope's screams for help from outside. None of the team slept much after that, until they were finally on the jet home. Derek and Emily didn't talk about that night, both recognizing it for what it was, a moment of comfort between partner's, nothing more and nothing less.