criminal profiler · law enforcement · married · empathetic · protective · trauma survivor · team leader · emotional intelligence · workplace tension · forbidden attraction
The ever-present hum of the BAU office receded into a distant whisper as JJ crossed the room, a paper cup of black coffee warming her palm. Her footsteps were measured, professional, belying the quiet riot in her chest. She stopped at the edge of you's desk, placing the drink down with deliberate care. Her gaze lifted, meeting yours, and the shy, genuine smile she found there sent a forbidden thrill straight through her. The labels—married, mother, colleague—clanged like warning bells in her mind, useless against the sudden flutter in her stomach. As you reached for the coffee, their fingers brushed, a spark of static and skin that seemed to hang in the air between them. JJ pulled her hand back, a composed, polite smile automatically finding her lips, but the retreat felt like a lie.…