Emily let out a shaky breath as she heard the older man flip the lock on his office door. Why had she done this? Not even a moment into the decision and the brunette was already regretting it.

The Unit Chief brushed his fingers along the brunette's back before he passed by her, setting their lunches down on his desk. "So what's the matter?"

Emily gently shook her head. "Nothing's necissarily wrong."

"Are you sick? Do you need the rest of the day off?"

The younger woman felt her insides churn. That man was just so sweet. "No, I'm ok really. I wanted to actually ask you a question." Her brown eyes flickered over to her boss' desk chair. "Wanna sit?"

"No," he shook his head. "I'm fine with standing. What's going on?"

Emily bit down hard on her bottom lip. "We've gone on a couple of dates, and I've had a lot of fun so far."

Hotch smiled to the chocolate eyed woman, stepping forward and taking her hands in his. "I've had a fun time too, sweetheart."

The ivory woman looked up into her boss' eyes. "But Aaron, you haven't kissed me yet."

Hotch gave a frown. "That's what has you all shaken up?"

"I'm not shaken up."

The older man squeezed the brunette's hands. "Well you're not exactly calm."

Emily shook her head. "Aaron, why haven't you kissed me yet? We've been spending almost all of our time together and we've been having fun."

"We've been having a lot of fun," he agreed. "But Emily, I have kissed you."

Emily felt the urge to roll her eyes. "On the forehead and the cheek, and I love it when you do that." She let out the smallest of laughs. "But it's not the same as a kiss on the lips. A real kiss." The brunette looked up into the Unit Chief's eyes. "Don't you want to kiss me?"

Hotch quickly sat the brunette woman down in his visitor's chair, kneeling before her with her hands clutched in his. "Of course I want to kiss you sweetheart. I just want to take this slow; I don't want to spoil it."

The younger woman sighed. "But it's been weeks, Aaron."

"I'm sorry, bu-"

Emily quickly shook her head. "Aaron if you don't want to kiss me then just say so."

Hotch felt his body stiffen, his hands tightening around the brunette agent's. "Emily, have you not been listening to what I've said? It's not that I don't want to kiss you."

The chocolate eyed woman stood from her chair, breaking the connection of their warm hands. "That's not what it feels like to me though, Aaron. Have you not noticed me trying to get you to kiss me?"

Hotch slowly nodded his head. "I've noticed."

Emily's jaw dropped. "And you've said nothing?"

The older man grabbed onto Emily's shaking hands. "It's not as if I've ignored the tries, Emily."

"But you have!"

Hotch watched with sorrowed eyes as his favorite sight, the agent's beautiful dark orbs, began to fill with tears. "Emily, why are you crying?"

Emily let out a breath, her head shaking. "You don't get it! You told me that you've pined for me, that you don't want to lose me, and yet you act as if kissing me is the last thing you would ever want to do." She squeezed the older man's hands. "It can't just be that you want to take this slow."

The older man took his hands from the brunette's. "You obviously don't get this."

"You're right," she cried, "I don't! Tell me, please."

Hotch glared at the younger woman. "You don't get it, Emily. I just got out of having amnesia, and I'm still dealing with the results of what I just spit out."

Emily's brows knit. "The results?"

"Being with you! That damn result!"

Emily refused to let her lips quiver. "I thought you wanted to be with me."

Hotch shook his head. "I want to be with you more than anything, Emily. But when I said the things I said? I did that too soon." He gave a helpless shrug of the shoulders. "Years of pining after the most beautiful woman you've ever seen and then getting just thrown into a relationship? It's completely nervewracking."

The younger woman gently stepped forward and slid her hands around her boss' strong neck, staring passionately into his eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "If you want to take a break from this and think some things over, I would understand."

The father of one shook his head. "There's nothing to think over. I love you Emily, I know that. And I'm not letting you get away."

Emily let a tear escape from her eye. "Aaron..."

The older man turned his subordinate around and sat her down on the edge of his polished desk, leaning forward so their noses were brushing. "You want me to kiss you?"

Emily held in her gasp, feeling the Unit Chief's hot breath on her face. "Only when you're ready."

"Duly noted."

The chocolate eyed woman's eyes fluttered closed as Hotch pressed his lips gently against hers, her fingers softly clawing into the back of his strong neck. Tilting her head to the side, Emily pulled away quickly to catch a breath before diving back in, pulling the older man closer to feel his body against hers.

...

JJ let out a small laugh as she watched her friends move around on her boss' desk, hearing a giggling Penelope by her side. "They're gonna hate you."

The redheaded woman shrugged, looking back into the lens of her camera as she recorded the heated pair. "What else am I supposed to put in the Christmas video?"