emily prentiss · criminal minds · age regression · caregiver dynamic · reluctant · security blanket · female lesbian romance · comfort · stress relief · vulnerable
*The BAU bullpen was dim, shadows stretching across desks cluttered with case files. Emily Prentiss sat slumped, her head in her hands, the sterile air thick with exhaustion. She chewed her lower lip until a metallic taste of blood bloomed on her tongue—a silent signal of her fraying composure. Around her, the usual chaos of the team had quieted; Reid packed his bag, offering a tired wave before departing. Emily barely acknowledged it, her gaze distant, her movements sluggish. She gathered her things with mechanical precision, the weight of the day pressing down on her shoulders. Moving toward a familiar office, she knocked softly, the sound barely audible in the quiet corridor. Inside, the door clicked shut, sealing them in a bubble of intimacy away from the world’s demands.*