PROJECT EMILY
Chapter 11 – Midnight Ramblings
Author's Note:
Sorry for the long delay folks. As I've said before (I forget when – it's been THAT long) my FFN profile page will always let you know what I'm doing, project-wise.
Got distracted by my twoshot smutfest (DISCIPLINARY ACTION REQUIRED) which was my first PWP. Believe it or not, pure smut is much more difficult for me to write than the [hopefully] more emotionally nuanced developments here in my beloved PROJECT EMILY. Ergo, it took me forever to finish off (ahem) Hotch, Emily, and Morgan in D.A.R.
Thanks to those of you who've reviewed previous chapters. YOU FOLKS are why I'm always itching to write! And as ever, many loving thanks to my beta, SussiRay! I [heart] you BIG TIME, baby! :D
Anyway, back to the sweet awkwardness that is our dark-haired duo's first night together.
Disclaimer:
I own nothing but an overly active imagination. (And a desire never to leave Season 5.)
xoxox
Emily woke up in the dark.
Her eyes opened on a room much dimmer than her own bedroom, an unfamiliar weight across her waist. As the events of the evening gradually seeped back into her consciousness, her thickly lashed orbs widened in amazement. Oh my god, that all really happened. It wasn't just another wishful dream.
She tried not to tense up or even twitch, but as much as she was delighted to wake up in Aaron Hotchner's embrace ( , , , really not a dream? REALLY . . .? ) she was no longer used to sleeping with anyone in the same bed.
Her mind started racing in circles like a hamster on a wheel as she started to think ahead. Way to kill the afterglow, girl. Why don't you just STOP and smell the roses first, idiot? Plenty of time to smack yourself later. Deciding that she should really appreciate her good fortune before freaking out, Emily made a concerted effort to deepen her breathing and relax.
Concentrating on the textures and sounds surrounding her, the slim but curvaceous brunette realized that she was spooning against Hotch, with her ass tucked in snugly against the now quiescent source of so much pleasure. At some point in the night they had drowsily crawled under the covers and fallen asleep, pressed together like happy human velcro. Then during their slumbers they must have rolled into their current positions.
Which she loved. There was no denying it. Waking up in Aaron's arms, with the two of them fitting so comfortably together, and he curved so protectively around her, it was just as wonderful as she could have possibly imagined.
Which was also why she couldn't let it alone. There was a reason she'd been alone for a long time. Hell, there were plenty, and one of them was NOT an inherent sense of optimism and trust in the future. Her famous ability to compartmentalize didn't develop out of the blue.
Okay, chickie, time to exercise some of that skill and try to appreciate the bounty that's fallen into your lap for the moment. She tried not to quiver with laughter as a rejoinder popped unbidden into her head, Well actually, right NOW you're pretty much in someone else's lap, so to speak.
She also tried not to shriek in surprise when a sexy voice rumbled in her ear, "Care to let that hamster rest for a bit, Emily? It is the middle of the night at the moment."
Hey! Waitaminnit! How did he know that I . . .
Almost as if he had heard her silent reply, Aaron Hotchner continued calmly, "You didn't get into Yale by just sitting back and coasting. But there's no need to plan ahead or worry about anything at this very moment." He underscored this sentiment by rubbing the smooth skin of her stomach soothingly with his hand.
At least, Emily knew he meant it to be calming, but his nearness was still so new to her that glancing down at his left hand made her instantly wish it were rubbing somewhere else. Down girl. Have your wicked way with him later. First, time to talk. She tried not to grind her teeth as she fleetingly thought about how much she hated that phrase. Well, at least this time it's just about a minor thing. I think.
Rolling over onto her left side to face him, the svelte agent stared at the man she'd been coveting for so long and wondered if he'd think it was minor too. While she might be able to predict some of his moves in the field, she had no idea what he thought about certain personal issues. Her mouth quirked up in amusement as she tried to imagine Hotch shooting the breeze around the break area.
His dark eyes gazed back calmly at her, with no sign of regret. This released a tight band from across her shoulders that she hadn't even been aware of until just then.
As they looked at each other across the length of the pillow they shared, Emily finally exhaled and forced herself to relax. Before bringing up her questions and suggestions, she allowed herself to just caress him with her eyes.
There was some faint outside light seeping in through the curtains, enough for her to trace the handsome planes of his face. Emily's night-adjusted vision also allowed her to see the faint curve of his lips. She stopped herself before looking further south. That way led to a guaranteed urge to just roll him over onto his back and start another round of non-verbal communication. The sexy brunette grinned at the thought.
Trying not to get distracted by the feel of his large hand resting in the curve of her waist, she placed her palm on Hotch's smooth chest. Her long lashes fanned against her cheeks as she considered how to phrase her question. Great. Where's my infamous bluntness when I need it most?
Hotch was content to watch Emily ponder her questions, since he could see that she was clearly trying to figure out how to approach some topic. In the meantime, he was simply going to enjoy soaking in her presence, just as he'd been when she was sleeping.
The team leader had woken up before her, and used the time to reacquaint himself with the simple pleasure of being tucked in close to a soft female form. Hotch had been enjoying the light fresh scent of Emily's hair. Hmmm . . . she must use some kind of citrusy shampoo to get it so shiny. Nice. He didn't really like heavy, musky perfumes.
He'd been married for a long time, but hadn't allowed himself to realize just how much he missed one of the basic joys of being in a loving relationship since his divorce, that of close physical contact. It wasn't necessarily sexual, although that part of the evening had been delicious as well.
It was just simply the pleasure of being touched and held, of holding someone else. He loved his son Jack more than he could have ever imagined before becoming a father, but that was not a relationship of equals.
And it wasn't just any woman he was holding now, but one he cared about and who he thought cared about him, at least on some level. Unlike the period leading up to Haley's departure though, there was no undercurrent of anger or disappointment in the room.
Aaron knew exactly when Emily awoke, since not only did her breathing change, but her body went from soft and relaxed to slightly tense. It didn't take an expert profiler to interpret THAT transition.
The woman in question finally made eye contact again. "Hotch, I think I should move to the spare room." She looked adorably solemn. "I really love this . . . " Okay, chickie, say it. Say the girl word. ". . . snuggling, and sleeping together." She smiled softly. "But . . ."
Struggling not to tense up himself, Aaron prompted gently, "But . . .?"
"But do you really want Jack to wander in here in the morning and see us like this?"
Relaxing imperceptibly, Aaron thought, Well at least she didn't say she thought this was all a horrible mistake. Her tense awakening moments could've meant all kinds of unpalatable regrets.
He attempted to exercise some of his iron self-control in order to stop himself from imagining what it would be like to always wake up with Emily in the mornings.
Realizing that she was waiting for his response, he gentled his features and spoke softly, as befit the late hour. "Thank you . . ." Don't say Prentiss! DON'T! ". . . Emily. That's very thoughtful of you to consider." Dammit man, stop sounding like you're at a staff meeting!
"Would you like to move later? Jack won't be awake for hours yet." He tried not to sound too hopeful.
"Ummm . . . well, since we're awake now anyway . . . " Besides, it scares me how much I'd like to get used to this. The slim brunette tried not to tense up again at that realization. She began to ease herself away.
Aaron moved his arm and suggested, "Why don't I get my robe for you? Stay here where it's warm." He quietly rolled out of bed and padded over to the master bath.
Emily tried not to act like a college fratboy and howl at the moon or wolf whistle at the sight of Hotch's strong back, bare ass, and taut thighs walking away. The firm muscles in his thighs and buttocks worked smoothly as he strode decisively across the room.
She had always wondered just what luscious terrain lurked beneath those crisply tailored suits he wore, most often when he was walking back to his office from the bullpen. That was when it was safest to stare quickly at him, imprint the image on her mind, and not get caught by the man in question. Tonight, she finally got to enjoy a sight she had spent many minutes dreamily imagining in the past: a nude Aaron Hotchner walking unselfconsciously across the room.
Hot DAMN! There IS a bright side to being an altruist!
She suddenly realized that this was the first time she'd gotten to see Hotch nude from the rear, since all of their recent activities involved face-to-face positions. Or face-to-crotch. She grinned wickedly and had the greatest difficulty not bursting into gleeful laughter.
Naturally, the BAU leader arrived back at her side right then, dressed in an old Academy t-shirt and boxers. Quirking an amused eyebrow at her cheerful countenance, he guessed, "You're not going to tell me what caused that grin, are you?"
"Nope!" Her lips continued quivering as she thought to herself, Awwww . . . clueless Hotch is just adorable! And with that, her willpower gave out and she started giggling like a schoolgirl.
For the second time during her visit, Emily had to bury her face in the pillow to muffle her laughter. Looking at Aaron's faint, indulgent smile as he humored her mysterious good humor was NOT helping her regain her composure. In that position, she missed the sudden gleam that appeared in the unit chief's eyes.
Hmmm . . . she's giggling like I've tickled her mercilessly. Let's see if the same cure works again. The gleam darkened into a deep glow in his dark eyes.
After she had exhausted her store of nervous energy with a last bout of mirth, Emily rolled over and sat up. Suddenly shy, she looked down as she stood up nude, turning around to slide her arms into the thick robe Hotch was holding out for her, just as a gentleman would hold a coat for a lady.
This time, she missed how the raven-haired man's gaze heated to a blazing intensity. He took in her smooth fair skin, the rosy nipples puckered from the air-conditioning, and her slim, toned limbs moving gracefully.
Well, since I'll have to wash the sheets in the spare room anyway, I might as well make it worthwhile. He tried not to grin, and looked down to see that his train of thought had had its usual effect. Oops.
He wanted to step forward and wrap his arms around Emily, the way his robe would wrap around her. However, he suspected it wouldn't stop there. He'd also want to press her delicious, albeit terrycloth-covered, ass against his erection and then . . . No, we'll never make it to the guest room at that rate.
After Emily had shrugged herself into his robe, tied the belt, and they started looking for her belongings, both adults discovered that the last task was not going to be as simple as they thought.
Turning on one of the bedside lamps, the younger profiler couldn't help but feel a little smug at the fact that Aaron had been so intent on getting her naked earlier that he'd flung her clothes all over the room. Very un-Hotchlike.
More soft giggles issued forth, but this time, the ebony-haired male didn't need any translation this time as to the cause. They both continued to hunt around the room for her clothes.
Huh. How did my lace thong wind up THERE? Retrieving the offending garment from UNDER his dresser, she stifled the urge to leave it hidden somewhere for him to find later. Bad Emily! BAD!
Evidently the late hour was really encouraging all of her baser impulses. She straightened up, tucked the thong in a pocket and turned to face the owner of the robe. "Ready."
As they walked down the hall to the guest room, Emily tried not to be ridiculously pleased as Hotch gently placed a hand on the small of her back. Clearly she didn't need any guidance to walk that short distance, so it was just nice that his gentlemanly courtesy extended here, now that they were so clearly off duty. Stop it, girl! No more nervous giggling! What're you? 14 again?
Preoccupied as she was with her inner monologue, Prentiss never stopped to consider that perhaps Hotch wasn't succumbing to his southern upbringing so much as a basic need to touch her, even if only through the fabric of his robe.
When they reached the doorway of the spare room, Aaron gestured for both of them to go inside. Glancing at the nearness of Jack's door, the younger agent understood the need for another closed door before any further conversation. Yup, waking up Jack just now would really suck.
Turning around, she preceded the team leader into the guest room, thereby missing his subtle engagement of the thumb lock as he flipped the light switch. A soft warm glow lit the room from one of the beside maps.
His outwardly calm demeanor belied the devilish thoughts roiling through the older profiler's mind. Well, at least the robe is less complicated than all of her other clothing. He glanced briefly at the garments she carried. Time to scatter them to the four winds again.
As soon as Emily turned back to face him, Aaron stepped in close and leaned down to kiss her. Firmly grasping all of her clothing, he tossed them carelessly off to the side as he plundered her mouth.
Helpless to stop the aching whimpers coming from her throat, Emily was in no condition to object.
Had she been in any state to answer questions - such as "SSA Prentiss, do you wish SSA Hotchner to cease and desist these activities?" - she would've replied with an emphatic, "Hell, no! That would really, REALLY suck!"
Now that her arms were freed, Emily wrapped them around Aaron's waist. As their kiss deepened, she slipped her hands under his t-shirt to slide them across his back. Meanwhile, his large hands gently but firmly framed the back of her skull as his thumbs rubbed gently.
Breaking apart briefly, Hotch teased in a low voice, "Well, you seemed a little tense again . . ."
Responding in kind, Emily smiled and replied, "I see. As a host, you're simply trying to make sure your guest can fall asleep later." Her eyes twinkled.
"Definitely," he murmured, capturing her lips again. His hands slipped the robe from her shoulders to pool at their feet.
xoxox
Afterword:
Okay, I know some of you folks might not exactly be fans of Haley (to put it mildly), but I try to remember that they started off loving each other. And while clearly our beloved Emily is the perfect person for him NOW ^_^ he was a different person when he met Haley in school.
Also, as warned, I'm a slow writer, but I am ALWAYS thinking of stuff to put into my stories. It's just that the whole pesky 9-to-5 paid job thing (not to mention the rest of life as we know it) does tend to eat up writing time. But I squeeze in writing time whenever I can: on my commute, at lunch, etc.
Next up, Hotch's patented sleep aid (chapter 12 – which I am currently in the midst of), and then chocolate chip pancakes a la Hotch (chapter 13 – end of phase 1 of PROJ. EM.). Yumminess in more ways than one – woohoo!
