A/N: Just watched 'The Eyes Have It" and thought of this little drabble as an explanation as to why they're so close in Season 4 and 5. It's incredibly fluffy (no smut in this one, folks!) and all mistakes are my own. Reviews are always welcomed!
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Criminal Minds or 3:10 to Yuma or its characters.
It started out innocently enough. They'd been through a lot; he's blown up in New York and she's beaten by Cyrus in Colorado. On a Friday night when the team goes for drinks after another rough case, they're the last ones left at the table.
Emily stared into her vodka soda as Hotch swirled his beer. It's normal for the silence to take over. They've been doing this a lot lately, just sitting and enjoying the fact that someone's there. Hotch's cell phone interrupted the quiet and he answered it.
Emily frowned. He's getting upset as he talked, and she unabashedly eavesdropped on the conversation. It's about Jack, so she assumed that it's his ex-wife on the line. He hung up with a sigh and dropped the phone onto the table in front of them. She raised an eyebrow and he shook his head.
"Haley's taking Jack out of town for the next few days to see her parents." He took a drink of his beer, knocking the rest of it back. "It'll bump my weekend to next Saturday."
Emily nodded sadly. If it was moved to the following weekend, there was no guarantee that Hotch would be there if a case came up. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be, it's not your fault. It's the terms that come with divorce." He set his glass forward so that their waitress could take it. "You want to stay for another?"
Emily finished her drink. Either they could stay there and drink the night away with a handful of strangers, or they could go somewhere else. The usual arrangement would be that they would say their goodnights and take a cab home to be alone. But Emily can't leave him alone tonight, not when he looked so sad. So she took a deep breath and made him an offer. "How do you feel about going back to my place for a bit? We could order a pizza and watch a movie. Just chill out if you want."
Hotch stared at her. He had been to her apartment a few times when she had invited the team over, and they were friends after all. He checked his watch. It was getting late, just about past midnight. They were on a stand down for the next three days, so neither of them had anywhere to be in the morning. In the back of his mind he knew the risks and the fact that he was feeling something that he knew wasn't appropriate for the woman sitting across from him. A public place was fine, but secluded in her apartment? He realized he was hesitating and that she was still waiting for an answer, so he took a leap. "Sure, let's go."
Emily nodded and searched in her purse for her wallet, but Hotch threw down enough to both cover their drinks and give the waitress a hefty tip before she could blink "Hotch, it's ok. I can get mine."
"It's fine, Emily. Did you drive?"
"No I got a ride with JJ. You?"
Hotch shook his head. "Dave. Cab?"
Emily nodded and waited for him to slide out of the booth. Hotch waved the waitress over to hand her the money and thanked her for her service. The woman gave Hotch a smile and wished the two of them a good night and left them to leave. Once outside, Hotch went to work at flagging down a taxi which was effortless. The two climbed in the back and Emily gave the driver her address.
The ride was quiet, with Hotch making simple chitchat with the driver and Emily staring out the window. It was starting to rain and she watched as the droplets of water meandered their way down the glass. She noticed that they were turning onto her street and she dug for cash in her wallet, handing it to the driver before Hotch could. She grinned at him and thanked the driver as he pulled over. Hotch just shook his head and followed her out of the taxi.
They walked up the steps to her brownstone and Hotch waited patiently for her to open the door. Once inside, she took her heels off and hung her jacket up. She watched Hotch hang his coat up next to her and she noticed that there were droplets of water in his hair from the brief moment that they'd been outside. They were glistening in the strong light of her foyer and when he looked at her, she knew she was in trouble. But here they were, and she wasn't about to kick him out.
"Make yourself at home." She started talking so that she could distract herself from the obvious tension that was building between them. "What can I get you? Another beer? Or I have wine too, I think I'll have a glass if you want to join me."
He nodded. "Wine would be great. It's been awhile." He followed her into the kitchen and accepted the wine glass that she passed him.
"I have a cab sauv and a merlot, and I remember seeing some white around here somewhere."
"Whatever you like is fine with me." He watched as she popped the cork on the merlot, pouring the dark liquid into each of their glasses. They both take sips and she's the one to break the silence again.
"I'll order the pizza now. Any preferences?"
"No." He's one of those people that likes everything, and she's grateful for that.
"Okay, I'll get an all-dressed." She dialed the number for the pizza place just around the corner and placed the order quickly. They have twenty to forty minutes to spare. "Couch?" He nodded in agreement, following her to the living room. She showed him her DVD collection and he's silently impressed. "What do you feel like?"
He shrugged. "Nothing specific. I'm not a big fan of romantic comedies unfortunately."
"Have you seen this?" She held up a copy of the remake of 3:10 to Yuma. "I just got it the other day."
"No. Looks fine." He sat on the couch and watched her put the movie in. "Are you a fan of Christian Bale?"
"You got me." She joined him on the couch, curling her legs under her. "That dark hair and intense gaze gets me. I'm sure many women agree."
"I'm sure they do." The opening credits started and he forced himself to look away from her. He sipped his wine slowly, sneaking glances at Emily when he could. She was completely enthralled in the movie, and he noticed that her glass was empty. He got up and grabbed the wine bottle from the kitchen, returning to pour her a glass.
Emily smiled her thanks. "Do you mind if I grab a blanket? I'm a little cold."
Hotch shook his head. "Of course not."
Emily looked under her coffee table and pulled out one of her fleece blankets. "Here, come a little closer. We can share."
He hesitated but agreed and slid closer to her, feeling the cloudiness of his mind with the addition of the wine. She handed him half of the blanket and smoothed it out over her lap. There's only a few inches between them now, and Hotch is sure that he's not the only one that has noticed. Emily doesn't seem concerned and has curled up next to him, so he decided to just go with it. After all, it's been awhile since he'd been this close to a woman this beautiful, outside of their work of course. So he does something that surprised both of them and put his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.
Emily looked up at him. He met her gaze, and his eyes momentarily slipped down to her lips. It was only a flicker, but she caught it and can't ignore it. Her eyes widened. "Hotch?"
Hotch looked up at her, staring into her eyes. He's decided that he's tired of thinking and ignoring the chemistry that's been building between them for months. It's a short kiss and he released her immediately, both surprised at himself and silently hoping that he hasn't messed up the closest friendship and working relationship he's formed with someone. His eyes searched hers and he started to apologize. Maybe he's read it all wrong. "Emily, I'm-"
But then she leaned forward and kissed him back and all thought escaped his brain except that he can't screw this up. He can't lose her too.
She's pushed her hands flat against his chest to clutch his sweater, deepening the kiss. She's making out with him on her couch like they're a couple of teenagers, something that she's only dreamed about and then subsequently pushed back into her subconscious. She should feel bad but she doesn't, especially when his hands slid up her arms and pull her closer into him.
Emily moaned and the fog from his brain lifted. His shirt is untucked and her pants have somehow come unbuttoned. He pulled back, heaving for breath, and looked at her swollen lips and disheveled hair. He says the first thing that comes to his mind. "You're beautiful, you know that?"
"Thank you." She blushed, which hasn't happened in years. He's such a sweet man and she's not about to waste the time she has with him. She reached across him and turned the TV off, the movie long forgotten. "So, do you think you might want to move this to somewhere a little more comfortable?" The butterflies in her stomach intensify at the chance of his rejection. It's too fast and she should know better but she doesn't care. She can feel his arousal against her and knows that he can feel the connection they have.
"Emily, are you sure?" He searched her eyes for any signs of doubt. "You know that's not the reason I came here."
"I know it's not, but we're here now. I know it's selfish and that we have to go to work on Monday and god knows it might be awkward, but at this point I honestly haven't wanted anything more." She's brutally honest with him because she can't push the feelings away. Not after he's been so attentive. "But if you can't, then I understand that too. And I can walk away."
"Don't." He leaned in and kissed her so softly that she's just as breathless as before even though it only lasted a second. He groaned at the sound of the doorbell, announcing the arrival of their pizza. "Can you get that?"
She nodded and hopped up from the couch, forcing herself to focus for a minute. She grabbed her wallet and fished out a twenty, opening the door for the young man waiting and taking the pizza. She handed him the money and thanked him, and couldn't shut the door fast enough. She turned back to look at the man she had left on the couch and caught his eye. "I hope you're okay with cold pizza."
Hotch nodded mutely and looked up as she came closer, taking his hand. He stood as she pulled him up, and she's right back into it immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed him deeply. They stumbled backwards and Emily laughed as she released him and led him quickly to her room.
Once inside, she has him out of his shirt in a flash. Her own hit the floor seconds later and she's not laughing anymore. The look in his eyes gave her chills, and she felt the nerves bubbling up into her stomach. But she doesn't have time to feel anything but pure want as he gently pushed her onto her bed, but she's okay with that.
CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM
Emily yawned as she curled into Hotch's side. "Can you stay?"
He nodded. He's started to catch his breath again, and he's not even close to being ready to leave. The woman next to him is insatiable, but he has no complaints because he can't get enough of her. "Hungry?"
"Hmmmm, I could eat." She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Will you bring me pizza in bed, Agent Hotchner?"
"I think I can arrange that, Agent Prentiss." He leaves a lingering kiss on her lips and gets up, pulling his boxers on quickly. He walked into the kitchen and finds a plate in her cupboard, piling pieces of pizza onto it and grabbing a few napkins. Returning to the bedroom, Hotch stared at the brunette spread out with only a thin sheet covering her. He set the plate down next to her and she gave him an appreciative smile.
"Thank you." She started to devour a piece as he ate quietly next to her, stretched out on the bed. They eat quietly, and Emily is finished before him. "Do we need to discuss anything?" It's the elephant that's coming back into the room and she wished that they didn't have to deal with it.
Hotch finished his pizza before turning to her. "Emily, you know the rules of the Bureau. This isn't supposed to happen." He winced at how it came out. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that."
"No, it's okay. I understand what you meant." She leaned her head against his arm. "We can't say anything." It's not a question because she knows the answer to it.
"I'm sorry." It's the last thing in the world that he wants to do, but he has to hide her. They can ruin her and he can't let that happen. "But, that doesn't mean that we can't…continue this. We just have to be cautious."
"Good, because I don't like any possibilities that involve this ending." Emily slid closer to him, molding herself into his side. "Mom's the word."
"That includes JJ and Penelope." He smirked as she rolled her eyes. "How do you think the entire office knows about Derek's catch of the week?"
Emily nodded in agreement. She loved both of her friends, but when an ounce of gossip was presented they often spread it like wildfire. She herself had been guilty of the same on occasion. "It's between you and me. You can be my dirty little secret."
Hotch frowned at her but she easily wiped it away with a soft kiss. He pushed her back and leaned over her to return the favour briefly. Pulling back, he gave her a serious look. "Emily, if it could be different, I would want it to be. I care about you."
"I know." Her thumb moved across his cheek. "I care about you too. Let's just not worry about it for a little bit, okay?" She yawned and he fell back into the mattress, pulling her against him.
"Okay." He reveled in the fact that he could hold her in his arms, and watched her fall asleep. He pushed all of the thoughts in his mind away and just focused on her. He pressed a kiss against the top of her head and closed his eyes.
He had her for now, and that's all that he needed.