A/N: Another, JJ/Hotch story here! I definitely love writing them, so hope you all enjoy reading them. This one in particular is written for Chit Chat on Author Corner's Round 8 Challenge: The Valentine's Day Gift exchange. So, this story is written for Tokala. I really hope you like it.

Prompts: Burning Love by Elvis Prestley; candy hearts; love poem; and a disastrous date, preferably not between the main characters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, or Smallville.

Chapter 1:

"And then Clark confronted Lex in Clark's fortress of solitude…"

Oh God, JJ thought frantically, how much more of this can I take?

She stared ahead at her date for the night, Bruce, a budding actor that definitely looked like he belonged on television. He had the looks for it, tall, dark and handsome, but what he had in looks he lacked in personality.

She wondered, as she watched him continue on, if he could possibly be for real? All JJ had asked was what his favourite TV show was; and one hour, and one plate of chicken fettuccine alfredo later, she was now thoroughly informed about seasons one to seven of Smallville. And if JJ recollected correctly, Smallville was currently on its tenth, and final season. Thank goodness for small miracles, he had to stop when he got to ten.

She couldn't help it, she let out a small wistful sigh, but luckily, or rather unluckily, Bruce didn't notice and kept right on.

"Then the fortress crashed all around them and that's how season seven ended," Bruce said eagerly.

He looked so animated, so lively, that JJ didn't have the heart to interrupt him. She had a feeling that Bruce, as good-looking as he was, did not get out much. And JJ silently cursed her best friend, Garcia, for setting her up on this disastrous date.

Truthfully, JJ had no choice in the matter. About a week ago, JJ, Penelope, and Emily had had a girl's night over at JJ's watching romantic comedies all night, when Garcia had asked what everyone's Valentine's plans were. When JJ had burst out laughing, she had to explain that as a single mother of a three year old—she'd broken things off with Will about three months before—Valentine's plans were definitely not on her mind. She hadn't even had a date since she'd ended her relationship.

Apparently, that had been unacceptable to her friends, well, at least to Garcia. She had proclaimed that no one should be alone on Valentine's Day, hence the trial-date with Bruce. She was to give him a try and then not so subtlety suggest that they spend the romantic holiday together; Garcia's orders.

Yeah, like that was going to happen, she scoffed in her head. She had just been able to hold her incredulous snort in check.

What JJ should have said in response to Garcia's question was that she knew exactly who she wanted to spend Valentine's with. She just couldn't.

"Now, when season eight started there was no sign of Lex," Bruce said conversationally. "That's because Michael Rosenbaum… the guy who plays Lex wanted out… which if you ask me, sucks. What's superman without…"

JJ took this time to take a look around. It was a shame Bruce was such a dud because the setting for their date was quite nice.

The date had started so promising; Bruce had picked her up with a bouquet of roses in hand, he'd opened doors for her along the way, and then he'd proceeded to take her to one of the most in demand restaurants in the city, La Vita e Bella, only to bore her to death.

Looking around, the restaurant's lights were dimmed, but she could still make out the other customers, mostly couples, enjoying their fine dining. She suddenly felt a hint of jealously in the pit of her stomach.

Why couldn't she have what they had? Where was her good time?

And then as she was scanning those happy faces something or someone, rather, caught her eye.

Hotch.

There he was, sitting across the room in one of the few, semi-private booths. He was alone, at the moment—you didn't get a booth to sit alone, though, making her wonder. And he was smiling at her; it seemed he'd spotted her as well.

His smile turned into a quizzical look as he spotted Bruce, still in animated mode. She shot him a sheepish smile, with an added subtle shrug of her shoulders.

Bruce was now waving his hands, forcing her gaze to go back to the man that was her date, away from the man she wanted, but apparently couldn't have.

She remembered that one night four months ago they'd shared. It had been the most wonderful night of her life, only to end in bitter disappointment.

%%

JJ lay back in bed, breathing heavily, trying to come down from the high she'd just experienced. The high she'd just received at the hands of her boss Aaron Hotchner.

She looked up to see that he was sitting up in bed, back to her, and she could clearly hear that he was attempting to recover as well.

She had to grin at that. It felt so powerful to get a man known for his control to just let loose. Because that was exactly what had happened between them that night after driving Hotch home, both of them had finally let it all go with each other.

After months of indecision, steamy secret looks passed between them, and the occasional touch here and there, they'd done what they'd both wanted to do for a long time now. They'd acted on the tension that had been building steadily since the day JJ had offered to make him dinner, after he'd admitted to her he didn't want to be alone—Jack had been with Hailey's parents, the first time away from him since her death.

As she stared at his strong back, JJ realized that once was not enough. She crawled across the bed and made her way to sit in front of him. He didn't look at her, but that didn't deter her.

She trailed her fingers up his bare arms and then down across his chest. She leaned into him and placed kisses where her fingers had been, burning a trail across his body. She was rewarded for her efforts when his arms came up around her to run gently along the smooth plains of her back.

She smiled into the kisses and changed her path upwards, to nip first at his jaw, then to the corner of his mouth, and back again. She paused long enough to straddle his body and then went in for another mind-blowing kiss.

But when Hotch turned his head away, she pulled back to frown at him.

"Aaron?" she asked.

"JJ," he murmured, not looking her in the eye. "We… we can't do this… not again."

It was like a slap to the face or a glass of ice cold poured down her back.

"Oh," she said emotionlessly.

Quickly, with lightening fast reflexes that she didn't know she'd possessed, she was off the bed and collecting her clothes from around the room.

"JJ." He said her name so sadly, like he regretted what they'd just done.

What the hell was this? Why had he slept with her if he obviously didn't want to?

She was hurt, but she wasn't going to show him that. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing his simple statement was breaking her heart.

"JJ, I'm—" he started but she cut him off.

"Don't you dare say you're sorry," she said furiously, pointing a finger at him accusingly.

Apparently, she was going to show him how angry she was.

She swiftly started to put on the clothes that only an hour ago he was so eager to remove. Once on, she turned to him again.

"I'm leaving," she said, voice full of bitterness.

She started to storm out of his bedroom. She realized she was acting like a scorned, drama queen, but she had seriously thought that this moment right then was the start of something wonderful.

"JJ, wait," Hotch said forcefully.

He'd caught up with her just as she was pulling the front door open. His hand came out of no where to shut the door. She didn't turn around or acknowledge his presence. He'd give up sooner or later.

She heard him let out a long suffering sigh.

Why was he suffering? She thought resentfully. This is all his fault!

"JJ, at least let me explain," he said, still sounding remorseful.

She turned around on him, shooting him a glare she only used on the truly evil and said, "What's there to explain? You don't want me. I got it. You know, Hotch, I never took you for the kind of man to just sleep with someone and then dump them."

Having said what she wanted to say she turned back around to try the door again. But his damned hand was still in place.

So, the only thing she could do was turn around once again and hear what he had to say. That, or scream—and she knew they both did not need that kind of attention. So, she'd hear his stupid excuse; she vaguely wondered what line he'd give her.

"Two reasons," he started simple.

She crossed her arms over her chest, barely containing the eye-roll that she so wanted to shoot him; of course he'd really meant 'two excuses.'

"JJ, I'm your boss," he said pleadingly. "If things were different… maybe… but if everyone found out about this one, or probably, both of us would get fired… you want to risk that?"

Oh.

She had forgotten the whole Bureau fraternization rules. She wanted him… but she also loved her job.

"Two," he started again, after pausing for her reaction. "JJ, what about Will?"

Her eyes widened, her mouth formed an 'o' shape just before she murmured it out loud.

"Are you two still together?" he asked, an edge of hardness in his voice.

The look on her face must have said it all.

"JJ, we can't do this," he reiterated more firmly.

She nodded her head. This time when she turned towards the door and tried to open it he let her.

%%

She let out a sigh, coming out of that bittersweet memory, to find that Bruce was still sitting at her table, and yes he was still talking.

It had taken them awhile to go back to normal after that night, or as normal as it could be between two people who'd seen each other naked.

She snuck another glance at her former boss and one time lover. He was still alone, but his gaze was riveted to his phone now.

He had been right, at the time. Their jobs would have been on the line, jobs she knew both desperately loved. Neither had been willing to risk losing their jobs over a potential relationship. And then there had been Will.

Her feelings for Hotch had not gone completely unnoticed by all. Will had noticed something. He had commented on numerous occasions how she was more distant, less affectionate with him. He'd even accused her of cheating on him; something that had been completely untrue until that one night with Hotch. And yet she still stayed with him. After all, if she couldn't be with Hotch, the father of her child was the next best thing, right?

Eventually, after a couple months of confusion, she figured out that the answer to that question was 'no, it wasn't.' And she'd broken things off with Will, not to his surprise. It had definitely been a long time coming. Now they shared custody of Henry, pretty amicably, all things considered.

She hadn't thought about that night in awhile, at least not since she'd been shipped out of the BAU for a position with the Department of Defence. Having no reminder of it in her face every day made putting it behind her a lot easier. But seeing Hotch only a few tables away reawakened the emotions and wishes she'd long ago buried.

She snuck another glance at him; he was smiling now, looking off into the distance. Her heart skipped a beat; she always loved his rare smiles.

Could things be different now? Now that she was no longer his employee, his subordinate, could they be together? She was free; no more Will… was it possible?

JJ's heart began to race with the possibility. She realized that she'd never stopped wanting him, that she wanted him now.

She was getting ready to give Bruce an excuse to leave and to get up and join Hotch when the thing, or rather person, that he'd been smiling at suddenly appeared at Hotch's table.

A tall—much taller than her, JJ compared—blonde beauty leaned into Hotch as he put his arms around her. The woman gave him a kiss on the cheek and Hotch reciprocated, to JJ's horror.

"JJ, did you want to say something?"

Someone was talking to her, but her gaze was riveted to the horror in front of her.

"What?" she managed to say.

"You look like you want to say something," Bruce said sheepishly.

So, it seemed that he hadn't been completely unaware of him being a conversation hog. He gave her a kind, knowing look.

What was she dong here, leading him on?

"I…" her voice came out squeaky. "I've got to use the washroom."

Abruptly, she got out of her chair and practically ran out of the dining room. Once inside, she was thankful that no one else happened to be there because she felt like she was going to be sick.

She went over to the sink and leaned over it as she tried to catch her breath. Apparently, she was still in love with her former boss. Seeing him with another woman was excruciatingly painful.

Why hadn't Garcia told her Hotch was seeing someone? Out of all her friends, only Garcia knew about her feelings for her boss-man and how far things had gotten between them. Garcia knew JJ'd want to know if he'd moved on with someone else, if only to avoid situations like this. She was definitely going to call her friend and give her a piece of her mind.

She had to get out of there first; she couldn't date anyone else as long as she felt this strongly. She realized that now. She had to go apologize to Bruce and get as far as possible from this restaurant and its patrons.

She made her way out the door and straight into a strong, very hard, chest.

"Sorry about…" she trailed off as she glanced up at the owner of that chest.

"You aren't planning on ditching that poor man, are you?" Hotch asked her, amusement in his eyes.

So, that's it for now. I'm planning on this being a 3-shot (five chapters at most) and hopefully I can get an update in tomorrow.

Just wanted to say thanks to ilovetvalot and tonnie20019169 for managing these lovely challenges!