do you picture me like I picture you?
tags: slow burn, fluff, reader insert, soft emily prentiss, developing relationship, bau!reader
Loser, love-sick Emily (and we’re going to pretend like she can totally get away with taking random photos on presumably a government-issued camera) (also the gif is so large but I had to)
This was written for day 1-2 of @emilys-bangs flufftober! prompt: film reel
After her first few cases with the BAU, traveling around the country and photographing gruesome crime scenes, Emily decides that she wants to start capturing lighter subjects again. Long before she began working in the field, before the Bureau, photography was her escape, and now she wants it back. And when you join the BAU a few months later, she finds her new favorite subject.
The first time she photographs you is when the team is sent to the middle of nowhere Kansas. You and Emily were set up on lookout duty, waiting for a potential suspect to show up. You’re looking off into the distance, transfixed by the wheat fields rippling like golden waves under the wind. Emily isn’t watching the fields at all. Her eyes are fixed on you, studying how the sun reflects off your hair, a few strands blowing in the breeze. Slowly, she lifts her camera before she can stop herself. The shutter snaps, sharp in the quiet, and your head whips towards her.
Your eyebrows furrow in confusion, “Did you see something?”
She quickly lowers the camera from her face, realizing you had caught her. “No, I was just,” she shakes her head and messes with the strap of her camera. “Just some amateur photography.”
“Who knew you were such a tortured artist, Prentiss?” You tease, causing a slight shade of pink to rise to her cheeks.
“Yeah, yeah, get back to work.”
The second time isn’t in the middle of nowhere. Instead, you and the team are in a bustling city, specifically Chicago. After hours in the local precinct, mulling over every detail, the team calls it a night. As everyone makes their way towards the SUVs lined up in the parking lot, you pause to look at the lights of the city. A yawn escapes your lips, but turns into laughter at something Reid had said.Â
Emily watches the scene from a few steps away. Your laugh breaks into the freezing air, chasing away the weight of the day. Streetlights halo you in pale gold, exhaustion under your eyes, but softened by that impossible smile.
With the quick shutter of her camera, she captures the scene.Â
You turn, catching her in the act. “Are you trying to be sneaky again, Prentiss?”
Emily shifts her weight, tugging at the strap of her camera, trying to cover the flush she feels creeping up her neck, but she quickly masks her embarrassment with a smirk and a quip, “Maybe you’re just my favorite subject.”
This time it's your turn to blush. With a wink, she’s off to one of the SUVs, and you’re standing there watching after her.Â
The third time comes during a rare weekend off. You invite Emily over for wine, takeout, and a movie, which is an offer she couldn’t refuse. It’s late into the night, and the two of you are sitting impossibly close on the couch. You brush it off as a consequence of the amount of wine the two of you have consumed, but you are thankful for the closeness. Your heart racing every time her hand brushes your leg or she leans into you, laughing at one of your jokes.
Later in the night, you stand to grab another drink. You’re standing there, hair slightly messy, quietly humming along with a song playing on the television. The soft lamp turns the room golden, and Emily can’t help but stare. The softness of the moment is one she finds herself wanting to capture for every aspect of it, as you stand there completely at ease.
Instead of her bulky camera she uses at work, she grabs her phone and snaps a photo to capture the moment. When she sees the image on the screen, she can’t help but smile.
A few months after the two of you start officially dating (after many months of almost dating), it's Emily’s birthday. The two of you are on another case because, of course, something big happened four states over, and you and she can’t get off to celebrate her special day.Â
It's almost midnight, by the time you’re able to rest. Grease-stained napkins litter the tiny hotel coffee table as the two of you are sitting on the couch in your hotel room, splitting a pizza from the only place open at this hour.Â
“I’m sorry I couldn’t take you to that place in Georgetown tonight,” you say, watching her pick at the last crust.
She leans over to kiss your cheek, shaking her head, “Don’t even worry about it. I’m just glad we’re together.”
“Well,” you grin, reaching for your bag, “I do have something for you.”
Emily looks up, confused, as you reveal the wrapped present you managed to tuck into your go-bag that morning without her noticing. Her eyebrows lift in suprise, “You brought me a present?”
“Of course,” you say, sliding the gift towards her, “What kind of partner would I be if I didn’t?”
Emily carefully unwraps the gift, almost reluctant to ruin it, and then stops suddenly. Nestled in her hands is a sleek, compact camera—a stark contrast to the large Bureau-issued camera that has seen far too many crime scenes. No, this one is just for her.
She’s quiet for a moment, cradling the gift in her hands like she is afraid she’ll break it. Finally, she looks up at you, her voice soft, “You got this for me?”
You swallow. “If you don’t like it, I can return it,” you say too quickly, then add, “But you told me once that you used to be into photography before all of this,” you gesture to the stack of files across the room. “I wanted you to have one that was all yours, not one that’s tied to crime scenes or evidence tags. Just tied to whatever makes you feel light again.”
Deep brown eyes glisten in the dim hotel lighting as she looks at you. She gently sets the camera on the table and leans forward, hands framing your face. The kiss is deep, slow, and filled with all the words she hasn’t found yet.
When she finally pulls back, she rests her forehead against yours. “It’s perfect,” she whispers, and you can’t help but smile.
“So, does this mean I’m still your favorite subject?” you ask, grinning at her, causing her to laugh, warm and unguarded.
