it was one of those rare nights when the team actually managed to get together outside of the job, a lowkey party at a bar just off the beaten path. the music was loud enough to feel but not too overwhelming, and the place had that perfect blend of neon glow and warm dim lighting. a round of drinks sat on the table, and the conversation flowed easily as the team laughed and celebrated a brief moment of respite from the heaviness of their work.

you were sitting beside jj, as usual, your shoulders brushing against each other every now and then. it was almost instinctual at this point, the way you gravitated toward her, and the way she welcomed it. the two of you had always been close, but lately, there was something else in the air between you. a tension, an energy that neither of you could quite explain but was impossible to ignore.

tonight, that tension felt especially potent.

you’d noticed it from the moment she’d arrived at the bar, her dark jeans and leather jacket giving her a slightly edgier look than her usual polished work attire. her hair fell loosely around her face, and she looked more relaxed than you were used to seeing. and yet, there was still that undeniable spark of intensity in her eyes when she caught your gaze.

the music shifted, a slower, more sensual song filtering through the bar. jj leaned in closer to say something, her lips brushing against the shell of your ear, sending a shiver down your spine.

“what did you say?” you asked, your voice a little too breathy for comfort.

“i said, ‘are you having fun?’” she repeated, her tone casual, but there was a flicker of something else in her eyes. mischief, maybe. or curiosity. you weren’t sure, but it had your heart beating a little faster.