Title: To Love and Be Loved
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Romance
Ship: Penelope Garcia/Aaron Hotchner
Rating: PG13
Prompt: #02 – Simple
Word Count: 1,149
Summary: She was surprised by how simple it was. To be with him; to love him.
To Love and Be Loved
She was surprised by how simple it was. To be with him; to love him.
He approached her station after work one day, looking about as nervous as he ever had. She smiled, she couldn't help it. This was the man that should have had his picture right next to 'control' in the dictionary.
"Welcome to my domain, Honey, what can the Oracle do for you?" she asked, beaming at him.
The nerves that stretched his shoulders taut suddenly deflated. He smiled, head bowing ever so slightly as if thanking her for relieving him of his stress. "Actually, I was hoping to do something for you… or perhaps, both of us…"
Brows furrowed, she twirled a pen in a lock of her loose blonde hair. "You're gonna have to be a little more specific, sweetie."
"Dinner… You and I, tonight," he replied, a brow cocked.
He waited patiently and she stared, agape.
"Sir?"
"Actually…" He smiled. "I was hoping you might call me Aaron… If things go well, at least."
Blinked rapidly, she rather expected the image of him standing there, with a warm smile on his face, to disappear entirely.
But nope, he was still there, and she had an offer for dinner… tonight… with her boss. Now, to some, that might seem like the beginnings of a sexual harassment case, but to her it was something entirely else. She could freely admit, to herself, that Aaron Hotchner was a good looking man. Maybe not in the same league as Derek, but they were different kinds of men to begin with. And with the last few years of him finding himself, especially as a father to Jack after the death of his ex-wife, Aaron had become a lot more likeable and easier to relate to.
"Dinner it is," she finally agreed, red lips spreading in a becoming smile.
"Great." Lifting a hand, he rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture he would have no doubt profiled the death out of. "I'll pick you up, say… eight?" His brows rose in question.
She gave a sharp nod.
And when he left and she was sure he was far enough away, she gave a squeal of excitement. It looked like Penelope Garcia was going on a date and she couldn't be more excited.
Dinner was surprisingly comfortable. While on the outside it seemed they had very little in common, there were other things they could relate to. He was a leader, always had been, and she was a unique individual, always happy with who she was and unwilling to change that. So they both had strong personalities, which meant a lot of arguing, but in this case, the good kind. He would state a point and she would argue the opposite, sometimes just for the fun of showing another side of things and seeing how he would take it. And, as usual, he accepted defeat when she handed it out to him, just as he accepted his triumph when he was right.
Over wine and dessert, they laughed at a story he told involving Jack and his childlike innocence, asking questions of the teacher that she wasn't ready or willing to answer. Cheeks flushed, Penelope giggled, covering her mouth as Aaron laughed through the story, so comfortable and at ease sharing his son with her. She'd seen and met Jack a few times, but she felt like she was getting to know both her boss and his son in a new light.
"So finally, Mrs. Walter's tells him…" He paused, wiping his eyes as tears of laughter sprung up. "If you wanna know where babies come from, you'll have to talk to your father…"
"Ooh," she sighed, shaking her head, "I bet that wasn't what you were expecting when you got home."
He chuckled, nodding. "No, not at all… But it was kinda nice… Funny and awkward, but…" He grinned. "I like being able to answer his questions… Uncomfortable as they are."
Penelope smiled gently. "You and Jack must be really close."
"Yeah… Now…" With a sigh, he sat back in his chair. "It's hard to imagine how close we might not have been if not for the tragedy of…" He trailed off, his smile dimming.
Reaching out, without thinking much, she took his hand. "Losing someone, that hurt lasts a long time…"
Catching her eyes, he half-smiled. "It does… And I won't say I'm completely over it, but I will admit that I'm looking forward to exploring what life has left for me."
She grinned. "And I'm looking forward for you."
With a chuckle, he nodded. "I've had a great time tonight, Penelope."
"Me too."
She felt an expanding in her chest, like her heart was swelling with affection and happiness.
"I'd like to do it again."
Her smile felt so big it made her cheeks ache. "Me too."
And that was the start of them. Of dinners and wine and time spent between just the two of them. They were careful to keep work separate from their private lives and so for the first while, they didn't mention it to the rest of the team. For now, it was just meant to be an exploration of who they were and who they could be to each other.
As the days and weeks and eventually months passed they became closer and learned sides of each other they hadn't imagined. She was introduced to Jack, again, and this time she got to know him as not just his dad's friend, but as his dad's girlfriend. And with every case, every night she stayed over at Aaron's house, tucking his son into bed and listening to him tell Jack a story, she fell in love with his family and him.
Years ago, when she first joined the BAU team, she hadn't imagined that one day she would be in love with Aaron Hotchner, and neither did she think he would love her. But as she stood in the door way of Jack's bedroom, she smiled warmly as Aaron closed the book and stood from the bed.
"Night buddy," he said gently.
"Night daddy, night Penny," Jack replied, turning over on his side and burying his face in his pillow.
With the door left open a crack, Aaron took her hand and led her away, back to their bedroom. He would try to work and she would force him to put the folders away. She would turn the TV on for background noise, because she just couldn't sleep without it and he would turn it down and tire her out in other, more fun ways. And holding her, snoring lightly into her hair, he would fall asleep with his sweetheart in his arms while she would doze, beyond content with this life she'd gained.
It was simple to love him, and even more so to be loved by him.