A/N: A Derek and Emily quarantine story, entirely AU. As always, I do not own any of the characters or content of CM.
Also, side note for anyone who also reads my Andrew/Emily fic, The Future is Just Beginning... I've gotten several comments about adding more smut to that one. To be frank, the amount and length of the smutty scenes in that piece likely will not change and is part of why I started these "What If" one-shots. Most of these will contain more smut than any of my other pieces. Sorry if you don't like that.
When Quarantine first started, neither Derek nor Emily thought it would affect them all that much. They were in an essential job, still going into the office every day. The director had made the call that they limit their traveling to one case per month but they started doing virtual consults and interviews that kept them plenty busy. But as the weeks went on, they realized just how much they missed being able to go out with the team every now and then. Especially since, staying mostly in DC, they had every weekend off.
Hotch had Haley and Jack to go home to, JJ had Will and Henry, Garcia and Kevin were living together and even Reid had announced he was isolating with his mystery woman Maeve. So, after four weeks, Derek made Emily a proposition.
"You want to move in together for the remainder of quarantine?" Emily asks with brows raised, wanting to confirm she heard him correctly.
Her questioning makes Derek lose his confidence, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah, I just thought that since… you know we both live alone that… it might be nice to have some company… as friends?" The last part comes out as a question and it's almost cute how frazzled he's become.
It takes a moment for Emily to reply, still a bit shocked. "Yes." She finally says with a resolute nod of her head.
"Yes?" It's Derek's turn to question now.
"Yes." Emily confirms. "So, where do you want to do this? We each have an extra bedroom and pros and cons to our places."
Derek had automatically assumed his place, since he was the one proposing the idea, but now that she was asking he realized she was right to question. Emily's place was significantly closer to work, had an amazing view and a hot tub but not a lot of living space. Derek's house was spacious, with a large backyard and being completely remodeled could compete with Emily's modern apartment but beyond the added 30-minute commute, it only had one full bath between the two bedrooms. "I'll let you decide. I'm perfectly ok with either place, as long as I'm not sitting in an empty house on the weekends anymore."
Emily decided on Derek's place. His house was in the suburbs with a sizeable trail close by that would be great for runs now that the weather was getting nicer and since they could carpool most days, she didn't mind the drive.
As the weeks progressed, Emily and Derek were both surprised by how much they were enjoying each other's presence. Emily loved the way their partnership at work had extended to the kitchen, as they both enjoyed cooking and frequently found themselves working together to make meals. As for Derek, it was one thing to know that he and Emily got along well and would be comfortable living together during quarantine but as time went on, Derek couldn't imagine going back to living alone. He found himself thoroughly enjoying Emily's presence in the house, even in the quiet moments when she would be reading a book while he caught up on some HGTV.
Neither of them let on to their thoughts, Derek nervous about starting something with his partner and Emily because she didn't think a lady's man like Derek Morgan could ever fall for a girl like her. However, on a seemingly normal Thursday in May, things changed.
It was a rare day that the two were not carpooling to work together; Derek had an early morning meeting and Emily decided that rather than get a head start on work or go to the gym, she would just drive separate. On a normal morning, Emily would use the bathroom first to shower then head downstairs to finish her hair and makeup in the half bath while Derek showered next. The change in schedule however, meant that Derek used the bathroom first and Emily caught sight of him as they switched places, bare chest still slick with water and wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.
Emily had seen Derek shirtless plenty of times before, in the gym during their training sessions or on a case being patched up by paramedics, but something about seeing him in the privacy of his own home was different. Emily was already having a hard time fighting her feelings for him and the physical reminder of just how sexy he is was the last thing she needed.
When she made it into the office later that morning, she caught sight of JJ and Garcia whispering by the coffee station, Garcia looking distraught. "What's going on?" Emily asked as she slid up beside them, pulling out the coffee pot to refill the travel mug she had emptied on her commute.
"She thinks Derek's leaving." JJ informed, keeping her voice low.
"I don't think. I know!" Garcia whispered sharply.
"What?" Emily shook her head in disbelief. "Where did you hear that?"
"I saw his name on a transfer application this morning. You're staying with him, has he said anything?" Garcia asked.
"No. He hasn't mentioned anything like that." Emily furrowed her brow, trying to think back on anything over the last few weeks that would indicate otherwise.
Garcia's bottom lip protruded in a pout. "Well, I'm going to go ask him what on earth is going on."
"You can't. He's in a meeting with Hotch and the assistant director right now."
Garcia huffed out a fine and a promise to corner him later before stalking off.
"He really hasn't said anything?" JJ asked. Emily frowned, shaking her head.
####
Emily, like Garcia, tried to corner Derek later that day but there was never a good moment. By the time 5pm rolled around, Emily still hadn't had a chance to talk to him. Stopping by his office one more time on her way out, she found it empty and sighed. She left, figuring she would just talk to him that evening at home.
No, it's not my home, Emily thought to herself as she drove. And if Derek really is transferring, I guess I won't be staying there much longer. By the time Emily pulled into Derek's driveway she was mentally exhausted. She didn't know what the BAU looked like without Derek and it wasn't something she wanted to think about. Sighing, she made her way up to the guest bedroom she was staying in, kicking off her heels and unbuttoning her blouse.
Deciding a hot soak would calm her mind, she grabbed her silk robe and made her way to the bathroom. She turned the faucet on, allowing the water to begin filling the tub as she stripped the remainder of her clothes and pinned up her hair. She could feel the air thickening as steam rose from the water, stepping slowing into the tub and sinking down, feeling the heat immediately begin to ease the tension in her muscles.
Emily closed her eyes, trying to relax her mind as well but finding that much more difficult. It had been one thing to push down the feelings she had for Derek knowing that at the very least she had a great friend and partner in him but the thought of losing that as well… She sighed, shaking her head as if the motion would shake the thoughts away, too. She needed a distraction.
Slipping a hand down between her legs, she found her clit easily. She teased for a moment, flicking back and forth before rubbing circles against it. Her fingers moved slowly, thinking the longer she drew this out the longer her mind would be focused on something other than Derek, but the idea backfired. As she moved one finger down to slip inside, she recalled the image of Derek from this morning and imagined he was in the tub with her, imagined it was his finger thrusting inside of her. She moaned at the thought of how good his fingers would feel, rough from his work as a contractor.
"Derek, please." She moaned, her fingers moving faster as the fantasy continued in her mind, body begging for release.
####
Downstairs, Derek had finally made it home for the day, tossing his keys in the bowl on the counter and making his way upstairs. Stretching his neck, he sighed; it had been a long day. As he made his way down the hall, he could've sworn he heard his name from behind the closed bathroom door. Stilling, he waited for a moment before he heard Emily's voice call out, "Derek!"
Had he paused for a moment longer, perhaps his brain would've comprehended the sultry tone of her voice and let her be but he worried she was in trouble, imagining she had slipped and injured herself or 100 other scenarios other than the one he walked into. Instead, when he opened the door he found Emily in the tub, head tossed back, face flushed and water sloshing around her as she drew her hand from between her legs.
She must've been aware enough to hear the door open, because suddenly her eyes were open and she shot up. "Derek! Oh my god!" Derek quickly turned, allowing her what little privacy he could at this point and facing away from her.
"I'm so sorry, I heard you call my name and I thought you were hurt or… I'll uh, I…" He wasn't sure what to do now. Now that his brain had caught up with him he was flattered and the knowledge that she got off to the thought of him helped the case he was hoping to present this evening but damn, this wasn't how it was supposed to go. "I uh, I ordered takeout for dinner. It should be here any minute now so I'm um…. I'm just going to head back downstairs."
####
Emily was horrified. She groaned as Derek closed the door behind him, knowing she had to face him eventually. Rather than prolong the inevitable, she stood, climbing out of the tub and going about her evening routine. A few minutes later, dressed in a pair of joggers and a tank, she made her way downstairs, finding Derek in the kitchen unloading the bag of takeout.
"Hey." She smiled nervously as she moved to the fridge, pulling two beers out and offering one to Derek.
"Thanks," Derek said as he took the bottle from her. "I got Thai from that little place around the corner and I made sure to get extra of those steamed dumplings you love."
"Thank you," Emily spoke softly, taking a seat on the bar stool next to Derek and filling her plate with food. The silence grew as they ate, neither wanting to address what had happened. Finally, Emily decided she needed to be the one to speak first. "Derek, I, I don't know what else to say other than I'm really sorry about what happened. I think maybe it would be best if, if I went back to my place and…"
"Please don't." Derek interrupted.
Emily looked at him, surprised. "Don't?"
Derek sighed. "I imagined this night going so differently."
"Believe me, so did I."
"No, I mean, look I know you talked to Garcia today, so you heard about my transfer." He began.
"It's true?" Emily asked, shocked.
"Not yet. It's a possibility that's dependent on you, or well, on us."
"Us?" Emily was getting more confused by the minute.
"Emily, these past few weeks have been so different than I expected. When I first proposed we move in together for quarantine, I genuinely had no other intentions than for us both to have company but I've found myself falling for you, Emily Prentiss. Garcia was talking the other day about how much she's realized she likes living alone and can't wait for Kevin to find his own place again. Me, on the other hand, I can't imagine you not being here."
"Derek…" Emily's voice was shaky as she struggled to believe she could be hearing him right.
"Listen, we've flirted jokingly with each other for years but I don't think I'd be wrong to say there is some seriousness to it and if what happened upstairs is any indication, you are at least somewhat attracted to me." Emily blushes at the mention and Derek can't help but smirk. "If it makes you feel better, I've had dreams about you too, princess."
"I don't understand what this has to do with you transferring."
Derek looks down, taking a deep breath before meeting Emily's eyes again. "I want to date you, Em but if you're open to the idea I don't want to have to hide because of fraternization rules. I've been thinking about a transfer ever since the Rodney Harris case anyway; I've been doing this for over a decade and I'm getting a little burnt out. If you want to do this, then I'll transfer to a lead position in tactical training."
Emily was silent. Here was this man, her partner and friend whom she'd convinced herself would never be interested in her telling her the exact opposite, that he was interested in her.
"Please say something, princess."
"I want to date you, too." Emily finally spoke.
"Yeah?" Derek smiled widely.
"Yeah." She nodded. "And I probably shouldn't admit this but I don't want to go back to living alone either."
If it was possible, Derek's smile grew even larger as he leaned in and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Good," he whispered just before connecting their lips in a long and passionate kiss.
Breaking for air and resting their foreheads against one another, Derek grinned before asking his next question. "Now, care to share what exactly you were imagining when you cried out my name earlier?"
Emily groaned, pulling away. "Can we please pretend that never happened?"
Derek frowned playfully, giving Emily his best puppy dog eyes. "How am I supposed to know what your expectations are if you don't tell me?"
Emily sighed. Knowing he wasn't going to let it go, she decided to switched tactics. "All I'll tell you, is that the only part of you I got to experience in my little fantasy was those wonderful hands of yours. So why don't you show me just what else you can do." She punctuated her proposition by cupping his manhood over his jeans.
Derek gulped, nodding. "That I can do."
####
Her imagination didn't do him justice. Not even close. After a heated make-out session in the kitchen, Derek had carried Emily up to his bedroom, quickly bringing her to her first peak with his fingers and tongue. Emily had writhed and moaned on the bed, fingers gripping the sheets, the headboard, anything she could get her hands on.
Emily gasped when he finally sunk into her. Derek hovering above her, his mouth latched onto the nipple of her left breast while his hand squeezed her right. He moaned when she ran her hands along his back, her fingernails scratching lightly. Lifting his head he moved back up to capture her lips in a tongue filled kiss.
Derek sped up his thrusts, raising her legs higher against his side and she whimpered as the shift had him hitting perfectly inside. "Are you close?" He asked. Emily nodded, urging him to keep going, right there. Derek complied, keeping a steady pace as he dragged his hand down her body, thumb rubbing her clit with enthusiasm as he watched her jaw drop open.
"God, you're gorgeous." He whispered in admiration as orgasm seized her. He continued his movements as her muscles contracted around him, finally letting go a half dozen thrusts later and collapsing onto the mattress beside her.
"So, did the real thing live up to your fantasy?" Derek asked when they finally caught their breath.
Emily smiled, turning to face him and capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. "So much better."