A/N: This was written for the Chit Chat on Authors Corner "Mix & Match" challenge. My couple was Hotch and Emily and my prompts were cupcakes, bubbles, stars, and flowers, of which I had to use three. Enjoy! Thanks to SussiRay for some inspiring chit-chat :D
"Oh, you shouldn't have," Emily said, taking a bouquet of daisies from Hotch, not for the first time. It was their shtick anytime they needed to discreetly question someone working at a flower shop or stand. They'd certainly talked to much stranger people.
"Consider it a—"
"I told you, you're allowed to forget our anniversary. Once," Emily said, leading the way back to the police department. "You don't need to buy me flowers to make up for it."
"Okay, then. I bought you flowers as part of an undercover act. Can I take you to dinner tonight if we use some of our sleeping time?"
"Only if we bring some work with us, and only because I'll need to eat," Emily replied.
"Emily," Hotch said forebodingly. "You could at least act like you forgive me. That would be nice."
"There's nothing to forgive you for," Emily insisted smoothly. "You get one free pass. I'm simply acting like we're on a case, which we are. Save the relationship stuff for when we get home, okay?"
Hotch was a stony man, but only to a certain extent. Emily had learned as they had grown closer that women and children were his undoing. Jack could get his way with just about anything, though thankfully he was a good kid and didn't push the limits. And Hotch was in utter hell anytime he and Emily were at odds.
As a result of their conversation on the way back from the flower shop, Emily saw Hotch grow more and more flustered as the day wore on into night. The forgotten anniversary had been just the night before, and since they still lived in their own apartments and hadn't spent the night together, Hotch hadn't realized his mistake until that morning on the jet when someone had had mentioned that one of the murdered couples had been celebrating their anniversary when they had been slaughtered in their bed. This didn't make for a very easy day for Hotch, who'd asked Emily how long she'd waited at the restaurant for him the night before and had found out that she'd been there for an hour, all the while calling his cell phone which he'd mistakenly let die at the end of the day.
Emily felt bad for the guy. So when it came time for her, Hotch, and Reid to take a few hours and catch some shut-eye, she slipped her hand into Hotch's at his and Rossi's hotel room door. "You don't have to use your free pass this year," Emily said. "It'd be a shame for you to use it on the first one. If you want to make this one up with dinner, that's fine."
"Thank you," Hotch said with an endearingly relieved smile. "I was still planning to take you somewhere, though. Just a warning, it's more of a…fun place. I figured we should bring some work with us, like you said, so it won't be the candlelit dinner and dancing like we'd planned. But it's at least nicer than a greasy diner."
"Hey," Emily said, her tough demeanor crumbling around her, "I just want some time with you. That's all. We get a good date night in once a month and you always do a great job giving it a special touch."
"Yeah?" Hotch said, pulling Emily close and placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Mm-hmm. Always thoughtful and tasteful. So tonight can be tacky if need be. Where're we eating?"
"It's called the Stars of Hollywood. The chief of police recommended it when he was talking to Dave, Morgan, and me earlier. I looked it up a few minutes ago, and it's a theme restaurant where all the wait staff are dressed like celebrities. Sound like fun?"
Emily furrowed her brow. "Sounds…incredibly corny. Is it close?"
"Five minute walk. But I'm pretty sure we'll look out of place in suits. Let's change."
—
The exterior of the establishment was, unfortunately, not suspicious at all.
It wasn't until Hotch held the door open for Emily, and a bouncer gave them a funny look, that either agent grew suspicious.
"Hotch, this can't be the same place," Emily said warily as they were led to a small table.
When a waitress wearing only a G-string and tassels walked out from the kitchen and a spotlight lit a stage against the back wall, Hotch cleared his throat. "The other place must be the one that had an s at the end of Stars. I'm not sure…this one had a z, didn't it?"
"You didn't check this first? Hotch, we're leaving—"
"Hi there, I'm Brittany-Lynn. Have a seat, cupcake," said the scantily clad waitress they'd just seen. She looked right at Emily, who stubbornly stood, and played with the ends of her bottle blonde hair. "Can I get you a drink?"
"Actually, I, uh, think we're at the wrong place," Hotch said, getting back up. "We were supposed—"
"Ladies and gentlemen," boomed a voice over loud speakers in every corner of the large building, "let's give a nice, warm, Hollywood welcome to Special Agent Destiny!"
A few drunken cheers sounded around the room as a brunette in a mini skirt, platform heels, and a skintight blazer took the stage with a fake FBI badge held out in front of her.
"I'm thinking this is the place the police chief was recommending, at least," Hotch said, an eyebrow twitching.
"We're leaving," Emily said with finality, nudging Hotch toward the door.
"I'm so sorry," Hotch said, trying not to laugh as they withstood the strange look from the bouncer on their way out.
"We're going to McDonald's," Emily said, pointing across the street to the golden arches. "We're getting cheeseburgers and fries and we're going to make some headway on this case so we can get home, at which point you will begin to make up for the forgotten anniversary and for bringing me to a strip club. Are we clear?"
"Crystal."
"Good. Take notes. I want a nice night in, for you to cook me dinner, and for us to watch a movie together."
"What do you want to see?"
Emily thought for a moment and grinned. "Magic Mike."
"Never heard of it," Hotch said absentmindedly, starting across the road when the pedestrian light turned and the traffic stopped.
Emily took hold of Hotch's hand again as they walked. "Yeah, I figured."
A/N: Please leave a review!