Author's Note: This is my story for the Christmas fic exchange on Chit Chat on Author's Corner. This story is writing for MorganxGarcia. I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.
My Pairing is SSA Aaron Hotcher and SSA Emily Prentiss.
My Prompts are Rocking Around the Christmas Tree; a fire in a fireplace, tinsel, and a gingerbread house.
Supervisory Special Agent in Charge Aaron Hotchner took one more look around his living room and made sure that everything was set. He smiled when he saw that it was. He wanted tonight to be perfect because tonight was going to be the night that he told Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss that he loved her. He knew that tonight was the perfect night to do it. After all it was Christmas and he was hoping that his Christmas wish was going to come true.
When he heard the soft knock on his front door his heart skipped a beat. He knew that he had a big grin on his face but there was nothing that he could do about it nor was there anything he wanted to do about it. He wanted to make sure that Emily knew how happy he was that she had came over like he had asked her to. When he pulled open the front door he let out a low chuckle when he saw that Emily had on a sweat shirt that had a gingerbread house on it. As his eyes took in all of her he saw some silver tinsel that was in her hair and he chuckled again.
He held out his hand and said "Come on in Emily. Thank you for coming over tonight."
Emily put her hand in Aaron's and let him pull her into his house as she gave him a smile. "I told you Aaron that I would be here. I am just sorry that it is so late. I hope that I did not wake Jack up by knocking."
Aaron smiled and shook his head. "Jack is out for the count Baby Girl. He fell asleep around eight this evening. I think he wore himself out playing with all of his new toys. Besides that Jack has discovered the joy of Christmas songs and he kept putting the song Rocking Around the Christmas Tree on repeat and then he would run around the Christmas tree while the song played."
Emily laughed lowly at that as she took her coat off and placed it on the coat stand by the door. She was not sure why but she was nervous all of a sudden. Her breath caught when Aaron leaned towards her and then she let it out as he moved back a little and held his hand out to her. She chuckled again when she saw that he was holding a piece of tinsel in her hair.
"I thought I had gotten it all out but I guess not." Emily said with another chuckle.
Aaron smiled at Emily. "No worries I got the last piece Baby Girl. Shall we go into the living room? I have something that I want to talk to you about."
Emily nodded and her heart fluttered in her chest as she realized that Aaron had called her Baby Girl not once but twice now. She wondered what it was that he wanted to talk to her about. As her eyes sought his she saw something shining in his that she could not put a name too. She gave him a smile when he wrapped his arm around her waist and led her from the foyer to the living room.
Aaron heard Emily's intake of breath when she caught sight of the blanket and pillows on the floor. He knew then that he had done the right thing by starting the fire in the fireplace. He never used it but he thought that tonight would be the perfect time to use it. He led her over to their little spot and helped her sit down on the blanket before he walked around and sat down beside her.
He turned to face her and he took her hands in his as he looked deep into her eyes. "First I want to say Merry Christmas Emily. Secondly I want to say that I have done nothing but think these last few months and that is the reason I have been so quiet around you most of the time. I realized about four months ago that I was falling for you Emily. I needed to take a step back and make sure that what I was feeling for you was true love and not just something because you had been hurt. The last two days I have been planning this because I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted to make sure that everything was the way it should be and I needed to talk to Jack and since I have done all that I can finally do what I have wanted to for so long. I love you Emily and I am in love with you. I love the way you smile, I love hearing you laugh, when you walk into a room that I am in you brighten it up. I want to be with you Emily. I need to be with you."
Emily's heart started beating wildly in her chest as she looked deep into Aaron's eyes and saw the truth shining in them. "I love you too Aaron and I am in love with you. I was planning on telling you tonight even if you did not feel the same way as me. Knowing that you love me like I love you is the best Christmas gift I have ever received in my life."
Aaron smiled and leaned forward just a bit and brushed a chaste kiss across Emily's lips before pulling back. He turned a little and reached for the Christmas gift that he had gotten her and handed it to her with a smile on his face. He watched expectantly as she unwrapped it and he was soon rewarded with her gasp of surprise and pleasure. His heart pounded inside his chest as he watched her open up the locket.
Emily could not contain her gasp of surprise or pleasure as she saw the gold locket. She gently lifted the locket out of the case it was lovingly encased in and opened it up slowly. Her mouth dropped open in surprise when she saw that on one side of the locket was a picture of her and Aaron and that on the other side of the locket was a picture of her, Aaron and Jack. She smiled as she remembered when the two pictures were taken about six months ago.
"Oh Aaron it's beautiful. You did not have to get me anything though." Emily said.
Aaron smiled and said "Yes, I did Baby Girl. I love you and I wanted to show you how much. Now if you close the locket and turn it over you will see something inscribed on the back."
Emily closed the locket and turned it over and gasped as tears rushed to her eyes. On the back of the locket it said To the best wifeand Mom that a man and Son could ask for. Love, Aaron and Jack.
Emily looked up into Aaron's eyes and saw all the love he felt. She could not stop herself from throwing herself into his waiting arms. As soon as his arms closed around her she kissed him with all the love that she felt towards him before pulling back a couple minutes later.
Aaron pressed his forehead against Emily's and said "It was Jack's idea to get the locket inscribed. He asked me if he could call you Mom and I told him yes. I also meant what the back of the locket says Emily. I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?"
Emily's heart was beating rapidly as she whispered "I would be honored to be Jack's Mom and I would be honored to be your wife Aaron. Yes, my answer is yes a billion times yes."
Aaron smiled and took the ring out of his pocket and slid it onto Emily's left ring finger before gently taking the locket and having her lift up her hair so that he could place the necklace around her neck and once he had it clasped he bent his head and kissed her neck.
"Merry Christmas Baby Girl. I love you." Aaron whispered as he gently laid Emily down on the blanket.
"Merry Christmas Aaron. I love you too. This is the best Christmas ever." Emily whispered back.
Aaron wrapped his arms around the love of his life's waist as they both fell asleep in front of the fire that was roaring in the fireplace.