I want to thank Greengirl82 for helping me along with this story. I know it doesn't end how you suggested lol, but hopefully you'll still like it! Also a quick thanks to Romiross for giving me the prompt in the first place. I know you mentioned it forever ago and I'm sorry it took so long!
Hotch knew he had to do something. There was no way that he'd be able to get through the night thinking about Dave and Emily out on a date. Dave didn't care for her the way he did. Hotch was positive that the only reason he asked her out was to make him see how much her being with someone else upset him.
He couldn't take it any longer. He quickly got up and made his way towards Dave's office and barged his way in without knocking.
"Aaron," Dave began, "what brings you by?"
"What are you playing at?" Hotch asked with anger in his tone.
Rossi got up from his seat and moved closer to the younger man. "What are you talking about?"
"Prentiss! I'm guessing there's a reason you asked her out?"
Dave knew it was going to come to this. So he cleared his throat and told him what he had already rehearsed in his head. "No one else was asking her. She's beautiful Aaron, no one can expect her to be single forever. Besides," he started as he sat on the edge of his desk, "I asked you if you had feelings for her and you told me no, so I took a shot."
"You knew," Hotch declared as he took a step closer, "how I really felt about Prentiss—"
"Her name is Emily," Dave interrupted.
At his words all Hotch saw was red. How could a man who has been his friend for years go after the woman he loved? Dave may not know how deep his feelings for the brunette were, but he definitely knew he had strong feelings. "I know what her name is," Hotch snarled as he arched his arm back and sent it flying towards Dave's face.
There was a loud crack as his fist collided with his nose and Dave let out a cry of pain.
"What the fuck," Dave exclaimed as his hand shot up to cover his nose.
"Sorry," Hotch mumbled as he made his way out of his office and down the steps. "Where's Emily?" he demanded frantically.
"I think she went to the locker room to get ready for tonight," Reid answered.
Hotch took off and the two agents shared a look of surprise at how Hotch was acting, but all Hotch cared about was finding Emily.
Hotch barged into the ladies locker room without any care that someone other than Emily might be in there. He turned the corner and paused as he saw Emily looking in her locker. "Prentiss!"
Emily banged into her locker door as she stumbled back from fright. "Jesus Hotch, make some noise next time," she mumbled as her hand rested on her heart. When her senses started to return to her she realized where he was. "You do know you're in the ladies locker room right?" Emily asked with a smirk on her face.
"I think it's a bad idea for you to go out with Dave," Hotch blurted out.
"Why is that?" Emily asked slightly annoyed by how Hotch was acting.
"Because it's against the rules."
"Who cares?" she barked then continued doing what she was doing.
"He has three divorces against him, he won't know how to treat you," he tried.
Emily looked up at him in disbelief. "Hotch it's a date. I'm not going down to Vegas to marry him. I have no interest in being wife number four thank you."
"Then why go out with him?" he asked.
"I don't know, to have a good time, to get a free meal. Because we have a lot in common. To get all dressed up and look pretty." She took a deep breath then locked eyes with Hotch. "Because he asked."
"You deserve better."
Emily slammed her locker door shut. "Are you fucking kidding me right now Hotch? Do you see the long line of eligible bachelors waiting to ask me out? No? That's because there aren't any! I haven't been out in months and I don't see why you think I shouldn't go now. It's a date, that's it. Now if you don't mind I'd like you to kindly leave so I can get ready."
Emily pushed Hotch towards the door. "Wait," he halted his movements. "What if I told you I had a good reason for you not to go out with him? What would you say then?"
"I'd say I don't care. Now please leave," she tried unsuccessfully to kick him out.
"Go out with me," he blurted out before he could stop himself.
"Come again?"
"That's a reason isn't it? I want you to go out with me instead. He doesn't deserve you and he only asked you so he'd kick my ass into gear to let you know how much I care about you. Please Emily, don't go out with him."
Emily dropped her hands and stared at him in disbelief. "I don't believe you," she whispered. "Since when do you even like me? You barely tolerate me as a friend. You always call me Prentiss, and you've never shown any signs of wanting me."
"Just because I don't show my feelings doesn't mean that I don't have them. I can't even express to you how I feel about you. I'm not good with words Pre—Emily. You know that." Hotch took a step closer to the brunette. "Give me a chance Emily, go out with me."
"I can't. I already told Dave I'd go out with him," she shrugged nonchalantly, as she headed towards her locker again.
"But Emily—"
"No!" she turned around to face him, anger clearly etched on her beautiful face. "If you really cared about me like you said you would have done something before Dave asked me. You wouldn't have waited until someone else took a chance."
"So you're just throwing my feelings to the side? Acting like they don't matter?" Hotch asked her in disbelief.
"Of course they matter Hotch," Emily sighed, "but it doesn't mean I'm going to cancel a date with someone else because you all of a sudden realize you want me. I'm sorry," she whispered as she saw him crestfallen face.
"Well then," Hotch cleared his throat to remove the hurt he knew was in it, "I'll let you get ready then," he said in defeat as he headed for the door again. "Oh by the way," he halted as his hand landed on the door, "your date might be taking place in an emergency room, seeing as I broke your dates nose," he stated then pushed the door open and strolled out, trying desperately not to let the fact that Emily turned him down bothered him.
Emily watched as the door shut and she leaned against her locker. Hotch punched Dave? For her? How did she never see that Hotch liked her? How could she be such a bitch to him when he confessed how he felt? Emily knew that wasn't easy for him, and maybe after her date with Dave she could go to Hotch and see what could happen but she couldn't cancel on Dave because of Hotch. That's not right, especially since he got a broken nose because of her. Emily had no doubt in her mind that she'd be thinking of Hotch the entire time through dinner.
