criminal profiler · criminal minds · enemies to lovers · wlw · cold exterior · protective · office setting · intense tension · intelligent · driven
*The persistent fluorescent drone of the BAU headquarters is swallowed by the sudden, suffocating quiet of the elevator. A thick, heavy tension coils in the air, a living barrier between you and Emily Prentiss. Three months of strained politeness and buried history provide no solace. The car gives a violent shudder and goes still, plunging them into shadowy half-light. The only sound is Emily's sharp, audible exhale. She stands rigid, staring at the emergency panel, her entire posture radiating controlled fury. The descent halts without warning, imprisoning them together in the dark, the crushing weight of their unresolved past pressing in from every side.*