"It reminded me of you"
JJ slid her hand into her purse and felt the book for the tenth time that morning. Was this weird? No, she told herself, it's not weird unless you make it weird. You buy presents for Garcia and Reid all the time, right? She nodded her head firmly. Right. Stepping out of the elevator on the sixth floor, she made her way through the halls on her way through the bullpen to where her office was, hoping she'd catch Emily before everyone else got there. It wasn't too far-fetched a hope, Emily was a workaholic and often showed up as early as she and Hotch did, which was saying something.
Pushing open the glass doors to the BAU, JJ immediately noticed that while Emily's computer was on and there was an open file on her desk, the brunette was nowhere to be found. Noting that her coffee mug was gone too, JJ changed her trajectory to get to the kitchenette near the break room, trying not to psych herself out. Why did this feel so weird when she frequently doted on her friends? It wasn't that she and Emily weren't friends, she may not have been with the BAU very long, but Emily fit into their family perfectly, like she was always supposed to be there. It's weird because you have a stupid crush on her. JJ grimaced internally at the thought and pushed it away.
She had pegged Emily for being some flavour of Sapphic when they'd first met, the woman absolutely exuded gay vibes, but she hadn't gotten confirmation until a few months ago, after a case in Maine and Emily had opened up, something she normally didn't do. Knowing that her friend was vulnerable despite how well received she was, JJ—in a show of solidarity—had told her she was bisexual, to let her know she wasn't alone and no one was going to treat her differently. Emily had seemed grateful at the time, laughing when Garcia chimed in with the fact that she was pansexual and now they could be "the Queer Musketeers." It had been the first time JJ'd seen a laugh actually reach Emily's eyes and she knew from that second, she was going to be a goner.
Still, it wasn't so bad at this point, just a little crush. A little harmless daydreaming, nothing that would interfere with work or their budding friendship and that's what mattered. She found the brunette parked in front of the coffee pot, watching the liquid trickle into the carafe with impatience. Emily turned at hearing JJ's footsteps and offered the blonde a smile. "Hey," she greeted. "Have a good weekend?"
JJ hummed and nodded, reaching past Emily to retrieve her favourite mug from the cupboard and setting it on the counter. "It was okay, I went antiquing with my sister-in-law."
"That sounds fun. Did you get anything?"
JJ was grateful that Emily had turned away from her to pour coffee into her cup so she couldn't see the blush on her face. "Actually, I got you something."
Emily didn't even try to hide her shock, her eyes going wide under raised eyebrows. "Me?"
"Mm-hm. It was practically a steal." JJ pulled the book out of her purse and handed over the small, green, leather bound book as nonchalantly as she could.
"Carmilla?" Emily queried, reading the title. "I love this book!"
"It reminded me of you." JJ replied, proud of herself for not mumbling. She was rewarded with one of Emily's Real Smiles, which she returned readily.
"Thanks, Jayje!" She said sincerely, tucking the book under her arm, grabbing her full coffee mug and going back to her desk, JJ's gaze following her out.