Garland Shenanigans, for madeofsequins, Morgan/Prentiss, FRT
Title: Garland Shenanigans
Author/Artist: darkhawkhealer
Recipient: madeofsequins
Pairing: Morgan/Prentiss
Rating: FRT
Word Count: 1,302
Warnings/spoilers: Spoilers for everything up to and including 5.05, Cradle To Grave, implied AU from there.
Summary/prompt: A couple's first Christmas in their new joint place.
A/N: Thanks to the beta.
Emily rolled over and propped her chin on Derek's chest, smiling when he lifted a hand to lazily skim along her hip. "So I can't help but notice we've survived our first Thanksgiving together."
One corner of his mouth curled up in a smile as their legs tangled together. "That we did."
"You know what comes next, right?"
Derek's tone was full of mischief, even as he strove for innocent. "A baby in a baby carriage?" Emily thumped him on the chest, prompting a laugh as he rolled over and reversed their positions. He smoothed away stray strands of dark hair as she tried -- and failed -- to glare at him. "Okay, Christmas. What do you normally do to celebrate?"
"I want a tree," she announced.
"We can do that. I suppose you want to decorate the house with lights?"
Emily arched an eyebrow at him. "Lights will be going up, yes, but generally I make someone else do that. And we need to get out the red and green place mats."
"You know we're not home often enough to use the place mats, right?"
"I still want them."
Derek shrugged. "Okay. Well, my ornaments break every year. Are we going to have to go to K-Mart and get enough for the tree?"
Emily's eyes widened, horrified. "You get your ornaments at K-Mart?"
Derek grinned. "We can't all afford to shop at Tiffany's."
"Okay, well. Since I can still afford it, we are not shopping at K-Mart. You just worry about the tree, handsome, and leave the rest to me."
***
"Here?"
Emily tilted her head and studied the thick tree. "It looks a little uneven."
"Left or right?" Derek asked, voice muffled from behind the branches.
"Maybe a little to the left," she decided, tapping her forefinger against her lip as she studied the tree. She could already see where each and every ornament would go. "There," she instructed, then darted forward to screw the tree in place on the stand.
Derek held Clooney back while Emily poured water into the stand and then turned to her box of ornaments. "Coffee or hot chocolate?"
Emily flashed him an hopeful smile. "Kentucky hot chocolate?"
He frowned, puzzled. "Kentucky?"
Emily's smile widened into a grin. "That Maker's Mark in the cupboard counts as Kentucky bourbon. A shot of that makes hot chocolate taste the best."
Derek chuckled and shook his head, herding Clooney into the kitchen. "Kentucky hot chocolate, it is."
Fifteen minutes later saw Emily wandering into the kitchen and ducking under Morgan's arm to watch as he poured the drinks into two mugs. He tightened his hold around her waist and pressed a kiss to her hair before brushing past her to reach into the pantry. "What did you want the popcorn for, again?"
"I want to make garland for the tree," she replies, pulling a marshmallow apart with her fingertips and popping a bit into her mouth.
Derek shot her an incredulous look over his shoulder. "You know the dog's going to eat it straight off the tree, right?"
"He will not!" Emily fed Clooney the last piece of her marshmallow and scratched behind his ears. "He's a good boy, aren't you, Clooney?"
Clooney barked and rolled over for a belly rub, and Emily knelt down accommodatingly.
***
Emily followed Derek through the doorway and walked wearily to the sofa, tired from their latest case. She took a deep breath, appreciating the smell of the Christmas tree that permeated a room, and turned to turn the tree lights on before she finally sat down. That was when she noticed the bits of string dangling from the tree and around the floor, little bits of missed popcorn littering the floor here and there. "Oh, Clooney!"
Derek shook his head and pulled her into a brief hug. "I'm sorry, baby," he murmured.
Emily pouted up at him, then sighed and patted Clooney on the head. "I guess he can't help being a dog."
Derek plugged in the tree lights and pulled the remaining bits of string from the tree, picking up the stray bits on the floor. "Why don't we take a nap," he offered, "And then after that we'll make some hot chocolate and put the lights up outside?"
Emily let herself get pulled onto the sofa and then stretched out, her head coming to rest on Derek's chest while his arms encircled her. The case had hit everyone hard, and a nap sounded like heaven.
***
Emily took a sip of her hot chocolate and called out, "Left! No, a little to the right! No, that's not even!"
Derek dropped the string of lights and straightened, glaring down at her. "Emily!"
"Alright, alright!" Emily giggled and reached down to pet Clooney where he leaned against her leg. "There. That's perfect. Clooney likes it too, don't you boy?"
On command, the dog barked repeatedly, working himself up until he was rolling over like an overgrown puppy.
"That damn dog likes you more than he likes me, and I'm the one that feeds him, the traitor," Derek grumbled.
"That's because you like me," Emily responded smugly, "And Clooney likes anybody you like."
Derek eyed her balefully. "Don't make me come down there."
She laughed, the happy sound ringing up to him and setting off the dog barking again. "Promises, promises!"
Derek shook his head, the distance and the early dark hiding his full-blown grin.
***
Christmas day dawned earlier than either one of them were completely ready for, with Clooney whining at the door.
"Want to flip a coin to see who lets him out?" Emily mumbled.
"Sure," Derek squeezed her slim waist and slid a kiss over her bare shoulder. "And while you're up looking for that coin, can you let the dog out?"
Emily smiled a little and sighed, leaving the warm bed and pulling on her robe. "You're lucky you're so handsome," she told him. "Come on, Clooney."
Derek drowsed, arms wrapped around Emily's pillow, until she came back, two mugs in hand.
"Up," she nudged him, unsympathetic at his groaning as he arranged the pillows and settled against the headboard. He took the coffee from her and held out his arms, watching as she shed her robe and slipped back into bed and settled against him.
"Merry Christmas," he told her, turning her face towards his to press a gentle kiss to her lips.
Emily smiled and kissed him again. "Merry Christmas," her eyes lit up. "Presents?"
Derek laughed and turned to the nightstand on his side of the bed, reaching into the drawer and pulling out a light blue box wrapped in a white ribbon. "Presents."
He turned back to Emily and laughed again, this time in incredulity at the matching blue box in her hand.
"It seems we both had the same idea." Her voice was laced with amusement as they traded boxes. Her slim, delicate hand picked at the white bow as she looked at him with a hint of uncertainty. "You first?"
Derek arched a brow at her tone, then said, "Together."
On three, they opened their boxes, Emily with a quiet murmur of delight and Derek with a low sound of pleasure.
"You know this means we have to go somewhere tonight so I can wear these," he told her, fingering the cuff links.
Emily gave him a look as she handed him her necklace and turned her back to him, moving her hair out of the way so he could help her with it. He managed the delicate rose gold clasp with a minimum of difficulty and kissed the back of her neck, causing her to shiver.
"First Christmas," he murmured, drawing her back into his body.
"Mm," she agreed. "I'm already looking forward to our next one."
Author/Artist: darkhawkhealer
Recipient: madeofsequins
Pairing: Morgan/Prentiss
Rating: FRT
Word Count: 1,302
Warnings/spoilers: Spoilers for everything up to and including 5.05, Cradle To Grave, implied AU from there.
Summary/prompt: A couple's first Christmas in their new joint place.
A/N: Thanks to the beta.
Emily rolled over and propped her chin on Derek's chest, smiling when he lifted a hand to lazily skim along her hip. "So I can't help but notice we've survived our first Thanksgiving together."
One corner of his mouth curled up in a smile as their legs tangled together. "That we did."
"You know what comes next, right?"
Derek's tone was full of mischief, even as he strove for innocent. "A baby in a baby carriage?" Emily thumped him on the chest, prompting a laugh as he rolled over and reversed their positions. He smoothed away stray strands of dark hair as she tried -- and failed -- to glare at him. "Okay, Christmas. What do you normally do to celebrate?"
"I want a tree," she announced.
"We can do that. I suppose you want to decorate the house with lights?"
Emily arched an eyebrow at him. "Lights will be going up, yes, but generally I make someone else do that. And we need to get out the red and green place mats."
"You know we're not home often enough to use the place mats, right?"
"I still want them."
Derek shrugged. "Okay. Well, my ornaments break every year. Are we going to have to go to K-Mart and get enough for the tree?"
Emily's eyes widened, horrified. "You get your ornaments at K-Mart?"
Derek grinned. "We can't all afford to shop at Tiffany's."
"Okay, well. Since I can still afford it, we are not shopping at K-Mart. You just worry about the tree, handsome, and leave the rest to me."
***
"Here?"
Emily tilted her head and studied the thick tree. "It looks a little uneven."
"Left or right?" Derek asked, voice muffled from behind the branches.
"Maybe a little to the left," she decided, tapping her forefinger against her lip as she studied the tree. She could already see where each and every ornament would go. "There," she instructed, then darted forward to screw the tree in place on the stand.
Derek held Clooney back while Emily poured water into the stand and then turned to her box of ornaments. "Coffee or hot chocolate?"
Emily flashed him an hopeful smile. "Kentucky hot chocolate?"
He frowned, puzzled. "Kentucky?"
Emily's smile widened into a grin. "That Maker's Mark in the cupboard counts as Kentucky bourbon. A shot of that makes hot chocolate taste the best."
Derek chuckled and shook his head, herding Clooney into the kitchen. "Kentucky hot chocolate, it is."
Fifteen minutes later saw Emily wandering into the kitchen and ducking under Morgan's arm to watch as he poured the drinks into two mugs. He tightened his hold around her waist and pressed a kiss to her hair before brushing past her to reach into the pantry. "What did you want the popcorn for, again?"
"I want to make garland for the tree," she replies, pulling a marshmallow apart with her fingertips and popping a bit into her mouth.
Derek shot her an incredulous look over his shoulder. "You know the dog's going to eat it straight off the tree, right?"
"He will not!" Emily fed Clooney the last piece of her marshmallow and scratched behind his ears. "He's a good boy, aren't you, Clooney?"
Clooney barked and rolled over for a belly rub, and Emily knelt down accommodatingly.
***
Emily followed Derek through the doorway and walked wearily to the sofa, tired from their latest case. She took a deep breath, appreciating the smell of the Christmas tree that permeated a room, and turned to turn the tree lights on before she finally sat down. That was when she noticed the bits of string dangling from the tree and around the floor, little bits of missed popcorn littering the floor here and there. "Oh, Clooney!"
Derek shook his head and pulled her into a brief hug. "I'm sorry, baby," he murmured.
Emily pouted up at him, then sighed and patted Clooney on the head. "I guess he can't help being a dog."
Derek plugged in the tree lights and pulled the remaining bits of string from the tree, picking up the stray bits on the floor. "Why don't we take a nap," he offered, "And then after that we'll make some hot chocolate and put the lights up outside?"
Emily let herself get pulled onto the sofa and then stretched out, her head coming to rest on Derek's chest while his arms encircled her. The case had hit everyone hard, and a nap sounded like heaven.
***
Emily took a sip of her hot chocolate and called out, "Left! No, a little to the right! No, that's not even!"
Derek dropped the string of lights and straightened, glaring down at her. "Emily!"
"Alright, alright!" Emily giggled and reached down to pet Clooney where he leaned against her leg. "There. That's perfect. Clooney likes it too, don't you boy?"
On command, the dog barked repeatedly, working himself up until he was rolling over like an overgrown puppy.
"That damn dog likes you more than he likes me, and I'm the one that feeds him, the traitor," Derek grumbled.
"That's because you like me," Emily responded smugly, "And Clooney likes anybody you like."
Derek eyed her balefully. "Don't make me come down there."
She laughed, the happy sound ringing up to him and setting off the dog barking again. "Promises, promises!"
Derek shook his head, the distance and the early dark hiding his full-blown grin.
***
Christmas day dawned earlier than either one of them were completely ready for, with Clooney whining at the door.
"Want to flip a coin to see who lets him out?" Emily mumbled.
"Sure," Derek squeezed her slim waist and slid a kiss over her bare shoulder. "And while you're up looking for that coin, can you let the dog out?"
Emily smiled a little and sighed, leaving the warm bed and pulling on her robe. "You're lucky you're so handsome," she told him. "Come on, Clooney."
Derek drowsed, arms wrapped around Emily's pillow, until she came back, two mugs in hand.
"Up," she nudged him, unsympathetic at his groaning as he arranged the pillows and settled against the headboard. He took the coffee from her and held out his arms, watching as she shed her robe and slipped back into bed and settled against him.
"Merry Christmas," he told her, turning her face towards his to press a gentle kiss to her lips.
Emily smiled and kissed him again. "Merry Christmas," her eyes lit up. "Presents?"
Derek laughed and turned to the nightstand on his side of the bed, reaching into the drawer and pulling out a light blue box wrapped in a white ribbon. "Presents."
He turned back to Emily and laughed again, this time in incredulity at the matching blue box in her hand.
"It seems we both had the same idea." Her voice was laced with amusement as they traded boxes. Her slim, delicate hand picked at the white bow as she looked at him with a hint of uncertainty. "You first?"
Derek arched a brow at her tone, then said, "Together."
On three, they opened their boxes, Emily with a quiet murmur of delight and Derek with a low sound of pleasure.
"You know this means we have to go somewhere tonight so I can wear these," he told her, fingering the cuff links.
Emily gave him a look as she handed him her necklace and turned her back to him, moving her hair out of the way so he could help her with it. He managed the delicate rose gold clasp with a minimum of difficulty and kissed the back of her neck, causing her to shiver.
"First Christmas," he murmured, drawing her back into his body.
"Mm," she agreed. "I'm already looking forward to our next one."