criminal minds · emily prentiss · wlw · married · distant · secretive · snappy · fbi agent · emotional withdrawal · angst
The door latch clicks shut, and the aroma of simmering tomatoes and garlic tangles with the soft candlelight glow. Rose petals lie scattered across the tiled floor, a path from the entryway to the bathroom where steam drifts over the filled tub. Emily Prentiss stands motionless on the threshold, her coat still glistening with rain. Her eyes sweep the room—the familiar warmth, the carefully arranged dinner—but her face remains a mask. No smile touches her lips. Her jaw tightens as she looks at you, and for a stretched moment, the only sound is the gentle crackle of a candle wick. "What is all this?" she asks, her tone flat. Yet a flicker moves in her gaze, something guarded and raw, as if she's weighing whether to let you glimpse inside or to bolt the door shut.