Title: 90 Degrees
Author: ruzila
Pairing: Morgan/Prentiss
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Rating: NC-17
Word Count (if applicable): 5,032
Warnings/spoilers: Spoilers for 5x10 "The Slave Of Duty".
Summary/prompt: Summary: Derek tries to find the right angle with Emily and finds it in more than one way. Prompt 4 - A power outage or some such locks two of the team in an office (if one of the characters has one) or a lift or some other space with no-one else, and no time-frame on when they'll be out. What do they talk about? This can be shippy, angsty, cracky. Whatever you fancy, pick any two characters from teams past and present.

***

"Emily?" he called after her. She had just dropped off her portion of the Nashville file. Derek still wasn't sure if he should let his concern go or if he should have spoken to her sooner. There was no doubt in his mind that something had gone off with Prentiss when they apprehended the unsub. He had seen her aggressive a time or two in an interview, but never once they caught who they were seeking.

She spun around and glanced tiredly at him. "Yeah?" she asked without any suspicion on her face or in her tone. It probably helped that he used her first name. Or maybe there isn't anything wrong. Derek would prefer someone coming to him any day over having to possibly trek somewhere he wasn't wanted. However, his concern for her was enough of a push for him to continue.

"I know it's late but...you got a minute?" he asked gently with worried eyes. His words or look must have registered. Her eyes suddenly regarded him warily but she stepped back into his office. It had to be the first time Morgan truly appreciated having the solitary space. "What's up?" she asked. "Close the door," he said with a motion of his head toward it.

His request naturally did nothing to dissuade the guarded way she looked at him but Emily did what he asked then took a seat in front of him.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Derek chuckled, hoping humor would diffuse the tension. It seemed to work. Emily looked at him expectantly but settled a little more comfortably in the seat. "I'm just worried about you," he explained. "And I don't want anyone passing by to hear something that might not be any of their business." Morgan gave her a small warm grin and his gaze was earnest.

"You don't want anyone hearing that you're worried about me? I'm touched," she quipped dryly, almost deadpan if her lips hadn't twitched into a smirk. The tease made him mirror her dry smirk and alleviated some of his anxiety. Prentiss seemed more like herself in that moment. Hopefully Nashville was just a fluke. He continued to wish so as he proceeded.

"You were kind of intense there. -Apprehending Joe Belser," he started cautiously, completely losing any trace of a smile and his concerned gaze returned quickly. "I just wanna make sure you're okay."

Her face transitioned into an expression that looked like she understood what his worry was about. "I am. ...But maybe I wasn't too good at compartmentalizing today," she said then exhaled in a manner that resembled a sigh. Emily briefly ran her hand through her hair and met his gaze awkwardly right after. "Is there already a complaint?"

"Nah. This wasn't about that," he answered assuredly and lounged back further into his chair. "And I'm not worried about it if it happens. ...You shouldn't be either."

Emily smiled softly at that, reminiscent to the smile she gave him in Kansas City a few years ago. He never forgot that look. Nice guys might finish last but he appreciated the compliment she bestowed him. It wasn't often that women looked at him as a good guy. Even if he only had himself to blame for that. However, Morgan returned to his concerned gaze.

"But..." He took a breath and also exhaled kin to a sigh after the word, pausing for a second before continuing -appearing as hesitant as he felt about pressing into a possibly unwanted area. "...it isn't like you to go postal. The only time I think you've come close was when you...had a personal connection." He searched her eyes and worriedly asked again. "You sure you're alright?"

Her gaze didn't waiver although the grin that tugged her lips was gone. "Morgan..." She started in a tone that made him regret not leaving well enough alone. "The victims were all strong women in high power professions that happened to be brunettes... Maybe I identified with them a little?" He felt like an ass for not making that connection. "Entering that house to witness Belser tormenting someone that could've been me--"

"Say no more," Derek stopped her verbally, also physically signaling her with his hand briefly lifting from the arm of the office chair. "I would've probably slammed him into the wall a couple of times myself if I realized." His eyes transitioned from apprehension to apologetic which seemed to prompt that soft smile again from Emily.

"Are you still worried about appearances?" she teased through the grin. It was his turn to look at her questioningly. "Because I really think we should go out and drink to that. But not if you're worried appearances." Prentiss was teasing him and opened the door to getting teased a little differently. His curious brow was gone and fiendish grin stood in its place.

"I say let's give them something to talk about," he returned with a waggle of his brow in addition to the mischievous smile.

She let out something in between a snort and guffaw. "You're way too easy."

"Lucky you," he shot back in his continual flirty manner as he rose to his feet, prompting a scoff from Emily. Derek broke his gaze to pick up his messenger bag up from behind him, stack the files together on his desk and slip them into the bag.

"Who are you kidding? I know you too well... Fran Morgan raised a gentleman. You might have half the women in this building fooled into thinking otherwise, but I know better." Prentiss followed suit and got up from the office chair, folding her arms in front of her as she spouted back in a teasing matter-of-fact tone.

"Yeah, well... This gentleman is thirsty. And gets the day off tomorrow. Let's see what you believe by the end of the night," he continued to jest, picking up the strap of his bag and slinging it over his shoulder -obviously waiting for her.

Emily walked away from the chair and pulled open the door, glancing nonchalantly at the corridor (or so she thought, the act didn't evade Derek) before returning, "Are you telling me my virtue isn't safe with you tonight, Morgan?" She was teasing but her voice had taken a threatened tone, putting him on the spot. Yet Prentiss didn't allow for an answer and immediately diffused the question. "You do remember I've been out with you a time or two," she scoffed. "...Better try another angle."

He was reminded of Kansas City again as they walked to the bullpen. And as he had then, he couldn't return any kind of joke or tease. Only a chuckle left him as he relished the feeling that came with being seen through her eyes. All the rumors and jokes about him didn't faze Emily Prentiss. Derek appreciated it more than he could ever manage putting into words.

Something nagged at him that very moment. He appreciated her view of him more than he probably should. He had all of this with Tamara Barnes. Well, maybe not all of it. Tamara wasn't privy to the player reputation he held in the Bureau. Neither did she know anything of his past. Maybe that was the difference. Emily knew him in a way he wasn't sure that Tamara ever would.

"Or not," Emily said with a slightly timid and awkward grin, pulling Derek out of his thoughts.

His eyes darted up over at her and he instantly chuckled. She was standing there staring at him with all her belongings in hand. He must have zoned out for a good minute. "Hey, it's been a long day. Cut me some slack. My A-game isn't coming right away," he immediately responded through a sheepish smile and led the way out toward the elevators.

"You mean you were shooting me B-game back there?" she scoffed, feigning offense. "That's it. -You're buying me the first round. Unbelievable." She shook her head in disbelief as she continued chastising him playfully. "Not that A will prevail over B, but really Morgan. -Come prepared or don't come at all." Now she beamed at him which made him laugh out loud.

He simmered and pushed the call button, "Yes, Ma'am." Derek glanced over at her with his lips still tugged into a smile. His eyes gazed warmly and he decided to leave the teasing for a moment. Sort of. "I'm glad you're okay," he said genuinely, bringing attention to what he stopped her in his office for.

The elevator arrived with its usual chime as the doors opened. His gaze didn't waver from Emily. She lost the tease in her expression. In fact, he could have sworn a little red appeared on her cheeks as lowered her eyes. A momentary act as she looked up and returned an appreciative gaze with only a hint of a smile while nodding an acknowledgment before stepping into the elevator.

Derek joined her and they stood casually side by side -facing the doors as they closed.

"You're still buying the first round," she quipped as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Before the chuckle left him at her having the last word, or the elevator cleared the fifth floor landing, the power suddenly went. No warning. Not a flicker or a hum. It was as if there was an off switch to the lift and someone decided to flip it. What the hell? The last time Morgan was in a malfunctioning elevator... it left him decidedly refraining from making any kind of joke.

"Uh... Maybe I was naive to think the Bureau couldn't get its power turned off? We have a back up generator. ...Don't we?" Emily asked with nothing more than an earnest question in her tone. Meanwhile, adrenaline flowed a little more freely in Derek than he would have been comfortable admitting to. "I thought we did," he answered in agreement, doing a pretty damn good job at hiding his discomfort in the four words.

The thought immediately crossed his mind to press the emergency button but he just as quickly reneged the idea, not wanting to look the part of the punk that he felt like. Prentiss could push the button. He opted for looking like an idiot with no solutions rather than a pussy. "This is probably a fluke. It'll get going again."

Only, it didn't.

He was relatively sure Emily was eying him at this point. There was no doubt when she leaned past him to press at the buttons. "Someone is supposed to answer this thing, right?" Her movement was a good enough green light for him to move. Derek went for his cell phone which afforded them some light.

"You'd think so. In all my years of service at the Bureau, this isn't something I've ever heard happen at the office," he answered, using the light from the screen to illuminate the panel of buttons.

The emergency call button wasn't working. Or no one was answering. For the life of him, he couldn't guess how the hell something like this could happen at Quantico. QUANTICO! Maybe the outskirts of Kansas with a twister suddenly hitting or an office up in Maine with a severe blizzard falling. But not on a Goddamn Marine camp that was a stone's throw away from the U.S. Capitol.

His last encounter with a faulty elevator had affected Morgan more than he thought. Sweat started to dampen his skin. Something Prentiss evidently saw as he aimed the phone at his eyes to check his signal. "Hey, you okay?" Her voice was soft and her concern could not be mistaken.

"Something's up. Since when don't we get a signal in the elevator? At least one bar." Derek had chosen to only nod his head as an answer, changing the focus while he spoke. Emily wasn't stupid. She knew avoidance well and knew him well enough to know that she needed to go along with him for the time being.

Prentiss took out her cell phone and checked her signal. "Wow. Yeah. That's... Uhm, wow, " she muttered with her eyes on its small screen. The last interjection was almost a whisper as if she didn't know what else to say. He could feel her eyes on him again as soon as the backlight of each cell shut off. Derek avoided looking directly at her and quickly pressed a button to turn the light back on then shone it around as he took a quick assessment of their surroundings.

"I know there's a camera--" He angrily waved the cell in its direction. "-- SOMEBODY has to know we're stuck in here. Or at least that there are people in the damn elevator." He angrily closed the phone and returned it to his hip then unslung his messenger bag -tossing it to a corner before bringing both hands to the elevator doors. Derek tried forcing his fingers between them.

"Hey..." A hand rested on his shoulder as gently as her voice sounded. "It's only been a couple of minutes. I think we're better off taking our chances in here for a little while longer."

Morgan emitted something between a grunt and groan to indicate his displeasure although ultimately submitting to her suggestion. "If this is a joke... They better get to the fucking punchline with a quickness," he grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets and taking a few steps back to the rear wall then leaning against it. Prentiss apparently found him amusing. She giggled and his head immediately snapped in her direction.

"I'm sorry," she offered instantly while putting her things in the opposite corner yet not succeeding in erasing the amusement in her voice. "I'm not... I...It's just ...I never saw this coming. I'm not laughing at you, I swear."

He really didn't believe she was. Her laughter was always infectious and Derek could see the lunacy of the situation even if he remained slightly unnerved. At least I'm not stuck in one of these again with Reid. -That thought needed revisiting: He wasn't stuck again with Reid. Derek Morgan was stuck in an elevator with Emily Prentiss.

The reality of the matter was that the elevator in question was well maintained since it WAS in Quantico, and had never demonstrated any life threatening problems. It seemed strictly an issue of power which would not affect the hydraulic brakes on the lift. He started feeling pretty damn stupid. "Yeah, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind to get you behind closed doors."

Surprisingly, there was no swat or instant scoff. There was a pause and she much too calmly asked, "Is that your A-game?"

Her skin being fair, he could make out most of her features in the dimly lit space. But it didn't help him at all. Prentiss wasn't smiling and he couldn't tell if she was teasing by her inflection. Her eyes didn't appear to be scowling but then, he could hardly see them.

"Why are you so interested in my game?" he answered in an attempt to tease as a nervous smile graced his lips. Emily most likely wouldn't be able to see the trace of unsurety that they held. "You said it wouldn't work. Give me some credit, Emily. I know you'd never put up with my bullshit."

Silence.

Uh oh. The silence started feeling very awkward. His grin waned. Derek was back to feeling like a horse's ass. And then she spoke.

"Well, yeah. If it's gonna be bullshit then you're right. I'm not interested."

"What?" he chuckled (nerves were still the culprit), he was utterly confused and considered her reply a joke rather than believe what he thought she was saying. Emily turned and stepped in front of him with her arms folded over her chest. "It's simple. Did you really want to get me behind closed doors?" she asked a lot quieter than necessary.

What the fuck? Maybe he wasn't the only one affected by being stuck in the small space. He wasn't sure how the hell to answer her question. If she was joking, the laugh would be on him for treating it seriously. There was something about how she stood in front of him, demanding yet...not.

"Is that a real question?" he asked with his grin returning.

Her shoulders shifted. An obvious sign of annoyance. SHIT! "You keep answering my questions with questions, Morgan. I think this is as good a time as any to tell me if you're just joking around or if you're really--"

He kissed her. He lowered his head and met her lips with his own, needing half a second to properly connect the pairs. Emily felt rigid in front of him and he fully expected to get slapped or for her to take a step back away from him. What he didn't expect was for her to unfold her arms and pull him close. Leave it to Prentiss to go toe to toe with him.

Derek immediately slipped his hands from his pockets, planting one in the middle of her back and the other just a tad lower. She continued to return his kiss as vehemently as he gave it to her. It had been a simple play at her lips at first, coaxing them apart until he could taste her.

The second his tongue made contact with hers... Well, if Emily still held any question about his desire for her -it was answered not only by a low lustful moan, but a stiffening appendage that pressed into her abdomen. They continued to kiss until his erection ached and his hands slid south, firmly clutching her ass.

"Em," he muttered against her lips, pulling back from how deep he had been probing her mouth. "I want--"

And it was apparently her turn to smother his words. She pressed her lips harder against his, seeking his tongue out with her own. He had no idea when her hands had stopped pulling him but he felt them yanking his t-shirt out of his pants. If this was indeed a contest, she was winning by a long shot.

Derek started feeling dizzy with desire. Did she actually want to-- Her hands ceased fumbling with his shirt and went for the buckle of his belt. He swallowed hard while keeping up with her mouth and his arms out of her way. She moved like a woman on a mission which he didn't fully understand but sure as hell wasn't going to question.

Patiently, he waited for Emily to make a decisive move. Once she unfastened his belt and pants then went to work on her own bottoms, Derek pulled back and grasped her hips. He walked her to the corner under camera then spun her away from him to face the wall. "Just in case the power comes back and that camera starts working."

"Good thinking," she murmurred, finishing the task of lowering her clothing. She didn't seem the slightest put off by the change of position. He had to be at an all time high in the number of fantasies that were about to be fulfilled. Sex with Emily, doggy style, in an elevator, at work. "Hurry the fuck up!" she demanded and upped the ante on the fantasy list.

"Patience, Princess." His voice coaxed lustfully more than teased as he shimmied his pants off then slid his hands up from her hips and pushed her blouse up her torso. Derek held the garment in place with one hand while the other quickly removed the shirt he wore then grasped his erection that protruded through the opening of his boxers.

It was a crying shame the space was so damn dark. He silently prayed this wouldn't be the only time he would ever see her ass while guiding his length between her legs. She backed into him in an angry protest and hissed an intake of breath when his dick slid between her folds. Derek didn't make her wait long but he also didn't fill her up right away. He allowed her excitement to lubricate him properly before sliding inside.

There was so much question about what they were embarking on. Arousal clouded rational thinking and maybe that was the case for her too. However, his mind didn't allow him to forget who he was with. But with every reminder, desire offered a valid rebuttal. Neither was his conscience aided by the woman in question who moved without hesitation.

His hands held her hips once more, keeping her pelvis canted properly to drive deep into her repeatedly. Sweat rolled down his torso as Emily spoke in tongues. She cursed in a variety of languages that Derek only understood a few of. Her hands were splayed out on the elevator walls until she neared climax. One hand flew back and gripped his wrist tight. He walked in a few steps and palmed her abdomen while the opposite hand reached around to her center.

He could only assume that she was on some kind of birth control when they began. With any other woman, he would never have made that assumption. But just as she trusted him, he trusted her. Desire could cloud but not completely stupefy a person.

Her grasp of his wrist had not eased and he took it as a sign to remain close, aiding her pleasure with two fingertips then seeking his own when her walls clamped tight around him. In the end, Derek had Emily sandwiched against the elevator wall with his arms wrapped around and his cheek against her hair. She patiently waited for him to catch his breath.

At least, it felt that way. She was perfectly still and her breath evened before his. He hoped it was only because he had done most of the strenuous work, not that he had possibly fallen short of any fantasy she might have had. He swallowed and finally pulled back but not before kissing at the side of her jaw, even if her hair interfered.

"That...was..." Derek stammered and reached for her pants before his own then pulled both up in sync.

Emily turned, leaning back against the elevator as she adjusted her clothing. "Really damn good?" she asked slightly breathlessly. Her voice was a little difficult to decipher, especially since she didn't sport any kind of smile. He watched her instead of searching for his shirt.

"Yeah. It was for me. You?" he asked, gradually closing the space between them as her movement slowed and he finished situating his pants.

"Mmm, I said it, didn't I?" Finally a smile ghosted her lips, giving him the green light to proceed. He lowered his head and rested his forehead against hers.

"Now who's answering a question with a question? And you said it like a question. Don't even try it," he taunted through a grin before wrapping his arms around her once more and kissing her again.

It was a stark contrast from the first time they shared the contact: Soft, slow, and light.

"But I did. And there's nothing you can do about it," she returned at his mouth with more gumption than he held yet continued the gentle connection.

He couldn't help but chuckle and straighten up, loosely keeping his arms around her. "Maybe I can try getting us out of here again and see if I can't make you eat those words."

"Maybe," she repeated. "Though I can think of something better than words for you, if you're hungry." Emily shot back even sassier yet her gaze appeared to focus on his chin with how her head was positioned.

His impish grin amplified. "Mmm, I really hope you're not referring to food. Though I guess I can take you out to dinner," he teased huskily.

That got her attention. She held what seemed like an unsure expression amidst a searching gaze in the dimly lit space when she finally looked up at him. "I was," Emily answered without the taunting quality she had been dishing at him. "I didn't think there would be a problem with a dinner out."

Derek cocked his head to a side, maintaining his grin while looking curiously at her. He had no idea where the sudden change came from. "Fran Morgan raised a gentleman, remember? ...One that happens to have a freaky side behind closed doors."

He chuckled then decided to continue when Emily didn't respond with anything in the pause.

"Which you didn't seem to mind," he pointed out the obvious gently, rubbing her back softly where his hands held her. "And if I remember right, you also thought your virtue was safe with me. ...Did I just mess that all up?" he asked timidly with honest concern in his voice by the end and in his eyes, if she could see them.

"With how you first worded it, I... Well, it just sounded like... you were heading into fling territory. I'm not a saint. Maybe I built you into something that you're really not. I can readily own up to getting carried away in the moment if that's what it was. I don't want an obligatory dinner. And I'm not asking for any kind of promise either. I just want the truth. And from me, this would never have happened if I thought it was just..." Her head shook slightly as if she struggled to find the right word. "...some...stress relief!"

"Hey, hey," he ushered as her voice raised in the end.

While Derek still didn't understand why she had taken his joke the wrong way, he decided to address her fears instead of being critical. It was no different than the courtesy she gave him during his fit when the elevator had stopped. He gave Emily a chaste kiss and wrapped her snug in his arms, keeping his forehead against hers as an indication that he was looking in her eyes in case she couldn't see his.

"Can't say I knew what you were thinking--Hell, I wasn't remotely expecting this. Not in a million years. But you mean a lot more to me than just some stress relief, Emily. ...Even if it was really, really good stress relief," he couldn't help adding in just a little bit of tease. "So hell yeah, I plan on taking you out to dinner. Tonight. Tomorrow. Whenever you feel like putting up with my bullshit," he chuckled again softly at the end.

Her apprehension finally faded and she melded against him. "Well then... my virtue seems in tact. As sophisticated as our building might be, I somehow doubt the security cameras have infrared--"

Lights suddenly returned with a loud whine then the elevator resumed descending. Morgan quickly picked up his t-shirt and tried to stay off camera as he pulled it on while Prentiss hurriedly grabbed her belongings from the floor, checking herself in the hazy reflection of the stainless steel on the walls. The doors opened immediately after Derek had slung his bag back over his shoulder. He didn't have time to even glance at Emily before they were exposed to the lobby.

Two security agents stood scowling on the other side. "Are you two alright? We were apparently hit by some kind of computer terrorist who had his fun hacking into the building security, including our power. You two are BAU, right? If it weren't for the computer specialist in your department, we were about to send in a HRT team to extract you."

Morgan kept a poker face, acting put off yet giving a nod of understanding. "If anyone can backhack, it's our girl. ...So is the situation under control? You need us around or can we get out of here?" Derek banked on their haggard appearance displaying the long day they had and security releasing them with no hang ups.

"Please," one of the agents immediately responded, motioning them to walk by and stepping out of the way accordingly. "Yeah, that tech of yours is amazing. She said she'll have the report to us in five so no need to keep you two any longer," the other added as he also moved to the side.

There was a pang of guilt that struck Derek as he didn't respond further and not only appeared to leave Penelope behind, but gave no indication that he was heading anywhere with Emily. "I know I said--"

Prentiss cut him off with a hand at the small of his back. He glanced to find her shaking her head as they walked to the parking garage. "Weren't you the one worried about people hearing things that weren't their business?" she said with a smirk. "Save it for wherever we're going. You'll have plenty of time to talk over dinner and drinks. Hope you didn't think you were getting out of buying that first round."

"No, I didn't. I've got my sights set on buying that nightcap too," he said with a sly grin. "After all... you said I should come correct or not come at all. Careful what you wish for, Princess."

She feigned annoyance good enough for anyone to believe. Anyone but him. He saw the underlying smirk on her features that enhanced when he chuckled. "That was before I got stuck in an elevator, Morgan. ...You wouldn't take advantage of me in my fragile state now, would you?" Emily asked innocently through that smirk and a knowing glance.

"Baby...You know I would," he replied with a waggle of his brow, opting to play the flirt and continue their banter. "Half of the women in this building could tell you that. Even though there's only one who could ever testify to it." Derek sported a knowing glance of his own, then leaned in -still careful of his surroundings but whispered, "And you're the only one who matters."

"This angle just might work," Emily said with a soft laugh, extending a finger and poking him as she parted his side toward her driver's side door.

Derek only smiled before heading to his own vehicle with plans of leading the way to dinner, drinks and proving he was the man she thought him to be.

***