"Derek Morgan, I love you." She said to her best friend. How easy it was to say to him, how true it was in every way, but how much it hurt knowing he looked at her and saw a sister. It wasn't her fault, was it? How could anyone avoid falling for this man, her man? But how could she spend six years as his friend and still not tell him the truth? She had to tell him somehow. But how? She couldn't ruin it. Not what they had. Not when crazy days like today filled with crazy people like the past weeks' unsub needed dealing with, and not when they needed one another to stay strong.
"I love you to, baby girl." He said back. He smiled and hugged Penelope Garcia to his chest. It was easy to imagine their future together, easy to imagine loving her as a girlfriend, then a fiancé, then a wife, but telling her that he saw her in that way was an entirely different story. He knew she had been cautious ever since Kevin Lynch broke up with her, but he also knew the year he had spent helping her recover had made their relationship stronger. But even with the ability to picture their perfect future in his mind, he couldn't help but keep himself from asking for her to… he didn't even know. He wanted to ask her on a date, but they went to dinner all the time. He wanted to kiss her, but then… her reaction could be deadly. Truthfully deadly. If Penelope Garcia turned him down, he was sure that part of him would die. A large part. The part his baby girl held entirely in her grasp. He smiled at Garcia, and walked towards his office with her under his arm, trying to control his thoughts. Then her voice cut through them. "Do you want to get something to eat?" she asked. He smiled at her.
"Paperwork can wait." He said, changing his direction.
As they got out of his car next to a Chinese restaurant, they laughed about the idea of Prentiss and Hotchner going out. They had had to act as though they were a couple as bait for an unsub. This caused the team no end of amusement. Derek and Penelope walked in to find their restaurant crowded and stuffed full with a 45 minute wait. Derek sighed, and then thought of something. He led Penelope back to his car, then drove her to his house. He led her inside, despite her confusion, and began cooking her a meal. She laughed as he danced around his kitchen, smiling. After thirty minutes of his impressive skills being shown off, they were eating. They finished dinner and started a movie, glad for a night alone to just be. But Penelope couldn't help herself. Derek Morgan, god of all gods among mortals, had just made her dinner and was now sitting next to her, watching a movie. She snuggled closer to him, trying to keep herself from diving onto his lips.
Derek was screaming inside. He wanted her, so much it hurt. And then she scooted closer. He maintained control, if just barely. Then her hand innocently touched his thigh. He couldn't help it. He turned swiftly, facing her now. Her eyes held a tone of surprise, which he barely noticed. Then his lips were on hers. He kissed her, making up for every time he wished he had. She barely had time to be shocked, and then she was kissing him back. They stayed like that for a while, moving slowly against each other, lips in perfect sync. Then he pulled away, inhaling her scent and laughing a throaty laugh. She looked at him, eyes filled with love. As soon as they had caught their breath, they dove into the kiss again.