Temporary cold front

"A romantic opportunity may experience a slight hitch, thanks to the pesky lunar influence, which could have you dipping into a rather chilly mood. If being demonstrative and warm is difficult, then neutralise this temporary cold front with a simple but affectionate gesture."

Garcia's words keep ringing in Emily's ears as she paces her floor. It's been a while since that morning, but nothing has happened between then and today. Surely the "lunar influence" has nothing to do with the text message she just got from her… She has no idea what to call him. Boyfriend? Situationship? He has called her his girlfriend a couple times now and she's not corrected him or asked for clarification, so maybe he is her boyfriend. But it doesn't quite feel right.

She straightens out the dress he'd bought for her and sighs. He was right, red suits her. The cut of the dress is good, too. She looks at herself in the mirror and wishes she hadn't got the text, that way she could actually be excited for their date. Now she's only terrified. Her pondering is stopped by the doorbell ringing. She takes a deep breath and opens the door.

"Hey baby." The man smiles widely upon seeing her. He's dressed in a black suit and red accessories to match her. She would appreciate this detail a lot if he hadn't implied this night will end in heartbreak, so instead it feels ironic. They look impeccable together like this, and it hurts. "You look amazing in that dress."

"Hey." She steps back to allow him in.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go." Emily grabs her purse and starts walking out the door. He grabs her by the arm and looks at her, confused.

"What's this? Don't I get a kiss?" She forces a smile and leans close to him for a kiss. He wraps both of his arms around her waist and pulls her close. She can feel how hungry he is for her, and pulls away just as his hands start approaching her butt cheeks, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Come on, Andy. We have a reservation."

After Andy and Emily have eaten in a beautiful, romantic restaurant, they finish their date off with a walk in the park and lemonades from a food truck. Andy has had a smile plastered to his face, and he's holding on to Emily's hand a little too tight. They've kept their conversation light and done everything to appear happy. To passersby, they would look like any sweet couple madly in love, but Emily knows it's time to stop pretending.

"Alright. What was that text about?"

"Oh. That." Andy's smile disappears instantly. He lets go of her hand and stares at the ground under his steps. "Yeah, I guess we have to talk about that."

"So? Something about not being able to see me?" Emily is anticipating this to be their breakup. He's going to dump her and blame it on some external factor to avoid blame, like all the others before him. She tries her best to keep her voice from shaking. Usually this part comes a bit later, but it seems all relationships can't be the same.

"Just for a while. There's an issue with my plumbing and I can't stay at home for two months while they figure it out and fix it." Huh. Emily was expecting something much worse. This can't be so bad, unless… No, he's clearly still hiding something.

"Oh. Where will you stay?"

"Well…" Andy grimaces. "You're not gonna like it."

"I'm a big girl, Andy, I can take it."

"I'm staying with Ava and the kids." Emily stops in her tracks and chuckles in disbelief. Andy turns to her and tries to touch her arm, but she dodges him.

"You're going to live with your ex-wife for two months? I didn't even know you got along again."

"Well, initially there was a lot of hurt, obviously. But the kids are so young, and we want to give them a good childhood so we're trying really hard to be friends. Or at least friendly."

"Wow. And you can't visit me because…?" She doesn't need to finish the question. The answer is clear across his face. "She doesn't know about me." She starts walking again, shaking her head, and he falls into pace next to her.

"No."

"And you're not going to tell her."

"No." There it is. Emily raises her eyebrows at this, asking for an explanation without asking. She doesn't know if Andy reads her expression or feels the need to explain himself for other reasons, but she's not too surprised when he keeps talking. "I got with you so soon after we decided on divorce, and we met before that happened… I don't want her to think you're the reason for it."

"So, what? You're just going to call me whenever you get away from your family long enough, whisper in a videochat in a dark room after they've gone to bed?" Like a teenager hiding his first girlfriend from his parents so they don't embarrass him, she thinks. He didn't say it, but it sounds like he's ashamed of her. Or worse, she's the consolation prize he settled for after the divorce.

"I don't know, but I was hoping we could figure it out." Andy's voice conveys hope. He stops again, turning her to look at him. She's pressing her teeth together to keep her expression as neutral as possible. Poker face feels easier when interrogating suspects and murderers. "I know our circumstances aren't exactly ideal, but I really like you, Emily. I want to see where this could go." He lifts his hand and places a finger under her chin, lifting it up. "Please?" She does her best to lift the corners of her mouth into something of a smile.

"Okay." That one word is all she can say without letting her true feelings seep through her teeth, so she doesn't say anything more. This one word of approval, of agreement, is enough for Andy to feel better, and he pulls her into a sweet kiss. He's such a romantic at heart, yearning for a lifelong commitment and Emily can't help but think he's rushing into this just so he doesn't need to be alone.

"I knew you'd understand", he whispers into her hair as he hugs her. She is glad her face is hidden against his chest, because she can't help but roll her eyes. It does feel nice to be hugged and kissed this way, but something about this screams 'you're making a mistake, Emily Prentiss, a big mistake'. She should probably call it off now, but a part of hers is afraid to let go – if he won't love her, who will?

They part ways and get into separate cabs, because he has an early morning and needs to get some sleep. He knows her well enough not to try to convince her to let him stay at her place on a night like that and has thus gotten a hotel room. They share one more tender kiss before his cab drives off and she gets into hers. The driver asks for the address, and she's so lost in thought that she speaks on autopilot. When the cab stops and she pays her fare, she doesn't even realise she's not at her own front door until she gets out. The cab drives off and she stares after it, wondering what the hell she's going to do now. The lights are on in the kitchen, and she can see the resident pouring a single glass of scotch. He's alone. What the hell, she thinks and walks up to the door. She stares at her feet and knocks, and after a while the door opens. She is met with a stunned silence as the man standing across from her reads her downward-tilting face. She raises her eyes at the lack of greeting and sees a pained, tired face staring back at her.

"Come in. I just opened a bottle of whiskey, should I get you glass too?"

"Thanks, Rossi."