Author's Note: It took me a terribly long time to finish this chapter. But it's nearing seven thousand words, so I hope you'll find that the wait was worth it. And speaking of having to wait – there's only one more chapter left. Just the thought of bringing this story to an end gives me goosebumps for a myriad of reasons, but I'm inexplicably excited to write something new. At the same time, I am so incredibly grateful for the amazing audience I've garnered over the course of this emotional roller-coaster. I'm so blessed. I will undoubtedly miss this universe, but hopefully I'll be able to create an entirely new one that you all will find just as fascinating.
Anyway, I do hope you enjoy this penultimate installment. Thank you, as always, for reading and reviewing! And yes, just as you all have been hoping for, the latter portion of this chapter is rated M. Enjoy.
Disclaimer in Chapter One!
Emily awoke to the sound of subdued – but still high pitched – mumbling. She had been on the verge of waking for moments, but the desire to keep sleeping was one that was much too good to pass up. Now, however, she was curious as to who was sharing the room with her; though she could guess easily enough.
The fawning began the moment she opened her eyes. "Emily," JJ breathed, exhaling a sigh of undisguisable relief as Garcia immediately scooted her chair closer to the edge of the bed. "Oh, thank God. The doctors say you're doing much better; how are you feeling?"
Emily managed a small smile, allowing them to carefully pull her into a much-needed hug. "I'm alright, girls," she assured, her eyes crinkling at the corners as both blondes gazed at her as if they had been separated for years. She could imagine the pain and fear they had gone through when they had first heard of her injury; she had felt the same pressure crushing her chest a million times, both in this job and the many she'd had before her BAU days. It was never particularly friendly, but it reminded them that they were alive; and that was all that counted in the end.
She took Garcia's hand in hers first, then gave JJ's a squeeze. "Really."
Garcia mustered something like a watery smile. "I see you've already been through the gift basket." She motioned with lavender-tipped fingers to the cellophane-covered basket on the bedside table, surrounded by bouquets of flowers from friends and family – and people Emily barely came into contact with in the office. "You liked it?"
To answer her, and to take the anxious expression off of JJ's face, Emily stuck her legs out from beneath the hospital blanket and wiggled her toes. Keeping her feet warm was a pair of fuzzy yellow and pink striped aloe-infused socks. "You bet I do." She looked from one of her best friends to the other, her smile only widening. "Thank you. And the chocolates...those were good, too." A beat passed, and her eyes fell closed. "Aaron liked the dark raspberry ones."
It was the exact prompt JJ had been wanting. She couldn't help but feel guilty once more as she leaned in closer to the brunette – the brunette that was still hooked up to a nearby IV. "About that," she said tinily. "About...Hotch. Emily, I hope you know Pen and I are absolutely sincere when we say we're sorry for hounding you about your private life the other night." Was it really only a couple days ago? "It was out of line, and completely invasive, and –"
"And we really are sorry –"
This time, it was Emily's turn to raise a hand, hoping the other two would understand it as a gesture to get them to stop their apologies. They did. "Jayje...Pen..." She shook her head and breathed out a little laugh that surprised the two others. "It's okay. I get it, you two got excited and wanted all the latest gossip. I'm that exact same way all the time, you know that. It's a side effect of having this job, wanting to know every last detail about everything. Add that to being a woman, and well...it's an inexorable, built-in characteristic. I just wasn't having the best day when you two brought the subject up, which is why I reacted so snappily; but the past is the past. Knowing that neither of you meant any harm is all I need."
She leaned back against the pillows. Once again, a smile tugged at her lips, curving them slightly as she thought of their kiss in that fateful moment. As deadly and tragic as it had been at the time – for they had thought it would be their last embrace –, it had made her feel paradoxically alive. Even as her energy had been quickly waning, she had felt like a live wire. All because of him. "Besides," she said, and she had not a care in the world that a hint of coyness was coloring her tone, "...he and I don't exactly have anything to hide anymore, do we?"
JJ's and Garcia's eyes sparkled with renewed mirth and giddy interest. "You're darn right you don't, chickadee. You two are something else entirely. A something I like very much."
"He makes you happy, doesn't he?" JJ's voice was soft, matching Garcia's newly sobered expression.
"He does. So much." You can't even imagine.
JJ and Garcia shared a satisfied, almost relieved glance. "We're glad to hear it," the former said in earnest. "And even a blind man can see you do the same for him. He's a different man entirely around you, Emily."
Without even a second passing, she whispered, "He's his true self when he's around me."
Comfortable, sweet, and humbled silence reigned for a moment, before Emily turned back to her favorite girls once more. "Now, tell me about all the shopping we're going to be doing the moment I can get out of here."
~.~.~
The men walked in next. Emily's heart nearly broke at their obvious concern for her wellbeing. Never before had she been a part of such a tightly knit group, so wonderful and meaningful a family. It wasn't the first time the other five had stopped by to see her in the hospital; but it was the first time they would actually have enough time to sit down and talk.
She wanted – no, needed – to reassure them that she wouldn't be leaving them anytime soon. Their job was a risky one, but there was no need for guilt on anyone's part. She was safe. She was overwhelmingly content.
"Wow," Emily teased, her eyes crinkled once more, "who know simply staying in the hospital for a day or two would grant me the reward of seeing such handsome men?"
"You're a funny one, Prentiss," Morgan said, right before he crushed her to his chest in a nearly desperate hug. She was his partner for Pete's sake! Nothing was allowed to happen to her. Absolutely nothing.
"Careful now, Derek, don't break her arm. The poor girl's dealt with enough, wouldn't you say?" Rossi. His voice warmed Emily's heart, and she smiled easily as he came over and dropped a fatherly kiss in her hair. "It's good to see you up and joking around, cara. Having to go to work without having your snark and sass has been absolute torture; I know we can all attest to that."
"I'll keep that in mind and remind you the next time you pick on me for my sarcasm, Rossi," Emily retorted, laughing freely.
However, it was when she saw the sullen, almost nervous look in the remaining man's eyes from across the room that Emily's laughter subsided. Her heart panged. "Hey...Derek, Dave, I'm unspeakably glad to see you two. But...do you think you could give me a second?"
They graciously left without a word, understanding, and suddenly, Emily found herself alone with a fidgeting Spencer Reid.
"Hey, Spence."
He gave a tight smile before slowly making his way over to the foot of her bed, where he sat seconds later. "Hey, Emily." His eyes remained on his hands as they twisted this way and that; until one of hers came to rest atop his. "H-how are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling a lot better," she said unwaveringly, their gazes locking finally. "Hopefully I can get out of here in the next day or so; I'd love to be able to enjoy the book you gave me in the warmth of my own home. Thank you for that, by the way."
Reid nodded, his smile widening for but a moment before he remembered just what he had been meaning to say to her ever since he saw her fall in an arc to the floor. "Emily, I'm...I'm so sorry."
His voice broke, and so did her heart. "Spencer, don't you dare apologize to me."
"Hotch sent me in as backup for you if anything were to happen and I didn't –"
"The last thing I remember is you trying your absolute hardest to negotiate with our unsub and calm him down," Emily interrupted patiently. "Neither of us could have predicted he would snap in such a way and start shooting his way out."
"Right," Reid said absentmindedly, "but is it so wrong for me to wish that..." His voice trailed away.
Emily knew just what he had been about to say, however, and she didn't like it one bit. "Reid, look at me." She waited until he did. "I would do that all over again a thousand times if it meant I could keep you from getting hurt." He opened his mouth to protest, but Emily, stubborn as she was, wouldn't let him. Somehow, she had the strangest feeling they would have this very same conversation another time; but it was just that, another time.
"This is the job," she said on a sigh. "I'm used to it, like all of you are. I'm accustomed to the risks we take every day. That day, in the field, we were partners. I have nothing but respect for you, so please don't feel guilty." Emily could see it in his eyes; she could see just how sorry he was. "It is incredibly sweet of you to care so much, but don't fault me when I feel the same way," she said gently.
"I don't," he murmured, downcasting his eyes.
"Good." She gave him a charming smile. She knew enough about Spencer Reid to know he had lost too many people he loved; and she wasn't planning on becoming another name to add to that last anytime soon.
It was all Emily could do to hope and pray she would be able to communicate that to the other five people waiting outside her door.
~.~.~
"Hey."
"Hi, there."
Emily almost hadn't notice him slip into the room as the others filed out with repeated and gentle goodbyes. She leaned into his touch when his hand cupped her palm, his body unfolding onto the bed and his lips pressing against her forehead as she sighed. "You feeling a little better? Now that you have some rest in your system and you've gotten the chance to really sit down and talk with the rest of the team, instead of having them just visit in passing. I'm sure that was nice."
She lolled her head to the side and gave him a lazy smile. "A lot better," she said, and though her voice was still a little rough around the edges, maybe even a little raspy, it soothed his soul and tugged at his heartstrings. Very subtly, he moved so that she would be somewhat leaning back against his chest. "It was good to see them, to reassure them that I'm okay. I think that will let me get even more rest tonight." Their gazes met. "I slept well. Thank you."
"For what?" The question came out in a whisper against the shell of her ear, and Emily couldn't suppress the shiver that followed.
She shrugged cutely. "I always sleep well when you're next to me. Even after all this mess, I noticed that that's one thing that hasn't changed."
"I'm glad." Hotch's smile was small but genuine, his eyes shining with obvious affection as he toyed with the ends of her hair. "I spoke to your doctor," he revealed finally. "He has already sent prescription pain medication to the pharmacy; and I think he just might have let slip that tomorrow will be your last day trapped here." He laughed a little at just how happy her expression became. They had already been confined to the same dull room, the same dreary routine of changing bandages, re-applying gauze, taking more blood tests, for what seemed like weeks – when in reality, it had only been a handful of days.
It would be good to get fresh air. To start anew.
"We can...go home?"
Hotch closed his eyes, his face buried in her hair. "Soon, sweetheart. Soon." He turned his head, and this time, his teeth grazed the skin beneath her ear and stayed there as he began to whisper delicious things to her, things that both soothed her and made her heart beat quicker. "We'll go home, whether that means your place or mine. I'll make you a dinner, though it certainly won't be as good as anything you would make. Maybe I'll put on some music again; and all you'd have to is stretch out and rest. Sleep, breathe, relax. Heal."
Without even a second of warning, Emily danced her fingers across his chest and caught his lips with hers, smiling a little at his surprised gasp. Their kiss was short and sweet and slow, and it even made Emily a little sleepy again; but she knew, no matter the outcome of the night and the ones that would follow, she would be okay. She would be safe, because he was there. She would be safe, because she loved him.
As if he could read her mind, Hotch spoke three words against her skin, reminding her that her emotions were not unrequited in the slightest.
Emily hummed pleasantly, careful to not make any sudden moves that would jostle her chest as she shifted around a bit in the bed. "I can't wait," she said on a sigh, peering at him earnestly.
"Neither can I. So get well soon or else."
"As you wish, Agent Hotchner."
~.~.~
"I don't think I've ever been this glad to be home in my entire life."
Hotch chuckled a little as he guided Emily to a seat in her main room, his arm never once leaving her waist. He knew she didn't need the physical support anymore; she had all but yelled at him when he had insisted to push her wheelchair all the way to the hospital lobby. He just liked retaining that bit of connection, a touch of skin against skin. It calmed him in a way he was sure he would never be able to understand. For now, watching Emily nestle into her familiar couch cushions, he was happy.
Happy and incredibly hungry. It was this that he was thinking of when he heard Emily's stomach give a little grumble as well, and when their gazes met for the hundredth time that day, they shared a little indulgent grin. "Whoops," Hotch murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Looks like we forgot to pick you up something on the way home. Do you want anything specific for lunch? I could always order in." A beat passed. "Though I had initially planned on cooking you lunch," Hotch admitted.
Emily smiled lazily, tucking her legs beneath her as she settled further back against the cushions. "I'm not terribly hungry," she said coyly, beckoning him forward even as he readily closed the distance between them. "You could technically still impress me with your culinary skills. That is, if you're still up for it."
Hotch sealed his mouth to Emily's, reveling in her quiet resulting squeal. "You bet I am. And not only that; while I put together something to eat, I'm going to draw you a nice bath. Your favorite, even. And while I cook, you can just relax and get some of the alone time I know you've been wanting; some time to reflect on your thoughts in silence, am I right? By the time your bath is done, I'll hopefully be done preparing our meals."
Emily was speechless; he had sweetened the deal beyond her comprehension. "You are absolutely perfect," she said on a breath, never once tearing her gaze from his.
"Given the events of these past few months, I would definitely consider myself the exact opposite. You, on the other hand..." He left her with one last kiss. "I'll go draw you a bath now. Are the lavender salts still your favorite?"
He remembers. Of course he does. "You know they are." Slowly, gracefully, she unfolded her body from the chair and padded barefoot around the room in the general direction of her bathroom, waiting patiently as she heard Hotch hum a slow romantic tune to himself from mere steps away. I could definitely get used to this, she told herself. Oh, yes. Absolutely.
~.~.~
The water was blissfully warm. She couldn't have imagined a more perfect setting; the air was perfumed with the subtlest yet most elegant fragrance, the bubbles' iridescent glow only served to make her happier, the room was peaceful and still.
But she was lonely.
She had been in the bath for long enough for her fingers to begin to wrinkle, and the thoughts that had needed to be pondered had long since disappeared from her mind. It was quiet now, too quiet, and she found herself missing his company more than she had in much too long. Breathing came easily to her now; her lungs were working well, and while she could very easily make out a new puckered scar on her chest very near to her heart, an upside was that she no longer needed pain medication to function. She felt more alive than she had in what seemed to be years, and she wanted to share that energy with him.
Emily wanted to be able to touch him again. Nothing too brazen, though she couldn't deny that had been on her mind lately; just a simple dance of her fingers along the length of his arm, against the fine lines of his face, the broad structure of his chest and back, his corded neck, his strong shoulders.
She ached for them to reacquaint themselves in that way once more. But she wasn't going to rush things. She was just going to let things...run their course.
Emily sighed into the quiet room, then smiled down at her blurry reflection in the water a beat later. She knew what needed to be done.
"Aaron?" she called out.
He was at the door in a heartbeat, and she loved it. She remembered the way he used to follow her around like the most adorable of little lost puppies; she remembered the way he had kissed her to sleep multiple times, a casual tune being crooned into her ear. She could get lost in the memories, and she was certain she wanted to create more. Especially when she heard his voice in response: "Yeah, Emily? Is there anything you need me to get?"
Her smile widened. "No, not really. Could you come in here for a second, though?" A beat passed, then the door creaked open slightly, just wide enough for Hotch to be able to peek his head in. "Hey."
His eyes crinkled at the corners. "Hey. Need me to bring you water or something?"
"No, I – Aaron, you really don't need to hide behind the door," Emily said with something reminiscent to a pout – one he definitely could not deny. "I'm covered. Or at least, mostly covered." She let out a contented sigh as he finally crossed the threshold and came to sit at the edge of the tub. The cherry on top was when he took her hand in his.
"How are you feeling?" He tucked a strand of damp hair behind her ear, deliberately tickling the smooth skin of her jaw in the process. "You hungry yet?"
"I'm feeling better than I have in months," she said frankly. "And no, I'm still not too hungry; but what's with all the questions?" Their low-timbred chuckles mingled in the air around them.
"I guess I can't help it. Not when I'm...around you." He brought her hand to his lips. "What did you call me here for, Em?" he whispered against her skin.
Don't you know? "I guess you could say I got a little lonely. It got a bit too quiet in here for my liking, and I hoped you weren't too busy being Master Chef so you could keep me company. Selfish, I know," she teased.
"That's not selfish at all," he said, indulging her like he always did. "I was just about to come over to tell you lunch was just about ready; I just put it in your refrigerator to cool down some. But what did you have in mind?"
"Well..." Emily bit her lip, her eyes sparkling as he gazed at her. "I haven't washed my hair yet. Want to give me a helping hand?"
His actions gave her the answer she needed, for not even a second had passed before he was reaching for her sweet-smelling shampoo and portioning a dollop in the palm of his hand. He loved running his fingers through her hair; after all, what sane man would give up this opportunity?
As much as she tried to prevent it, Emily let out a little moan as his fingers began to perfectly massage her scalp, twining throughout her hair and giving it a salon-quality wash. It felt so incredibly good. She almost wanted to doze off, for she was quickly falling under the spell his rhythm and tenderness were evoking.
His rumbling voice was an added benefit. "Feel good?" He laughed a little at her pleased nod. "I'm glad to hear it. You seemed kind of tense..." At that, his hands moved downward. Warm water lapped at his fingers and shifted bubbles, granting Hotch with the tiniest glance as to what he was missing. "Oh, and you still are," he breathed, his forehead wrinkling as he began to knead out the kinks in her shoulders and neck. He watched with burning interested eyes as she moved back further into his hands, her eyes falling shut and her lips parting almost imperceptibly at his touch. He liked it. He liked it a lot.
"Relax, okay, sweetheart?"
Emily licked her lips. "I don't think that's possible at the moment," she admitted, her voice wavering as he got to a particularly sensitive spot. "Wanna know why?"
He was enchanted as she turned in the water to look at him face to face. Miles and miles of such perfect skin...it was overwhelming. A part of him knew just what her answer would be, and it was just the same as his; but he had to hear her say it. He wanted to see those words fall from her cherry lips. He needed it. "Tell me."
"I want you." There was no hesitation in her tone. A gasp resounded in the room as his head descended and his lips found the curve of her throat. "Aaron, oh my God..."
"You're a goddess." His fingers teased the corners of her mouth. "Have I told you that lately?"
"Join me," she implored, not needing anymore fanfare as she took hold of his hand and tugged him forward just a titch. "The water's still so warm..."
"That might not be the best idea," he said coyly, though his mind was telling him just the opposite. His brain shorted as she sucked lightly on his fingers; and for the first time since he had entered the master bathroom, he finally drank her in. Glistening wet skin, damp and curling hair, flushed cheeks and bright eyes...his desire for her was overpowering. "Emily..."
All she had to do was look at him yet again for him to push all qualms aside and climb in with her. His clothes joined hers in a pile on the cold floor, a pile that got the tiniest bit wet as his weight displaced some of the water in the tub; but how could he worry about something so trivial when the water felt so good and when Emily – all of her – was so near?
She purred as he began to run his fingers around her ankles, stroking the creamy skin there. Emily knew this hadn't been what he was expecting when he had driven her home...but she also knew it was something they had both been yearning for. It would be that last little step towards reparation. It would easily heal old wounds.
Emily pouted playfully. "You're still too far away," she sighed. The bathtub was rather large, and though it had been an interesting game to fit their limbs comfortably, she wanted to be able to lean back against his chest and fit together like spoons; she didn't particularly like having to strain her arms by reaching across to do something as tame as holding hands, and she knew he wasn't entirely pleased by the separation, either.
"Where else would I be able to sit? I didn't want you to have to move around too much..." Her eyes smoldered, and they shared a dazzling smile. "...but I'm beginning to get the feeling that that's going to be inevitable. Am I right?" For a moment, he forgot how to function; the way she was looking at him took his breath away.
"I was under the impression that Aaron Hotchner was always right."
She was a drug, and he was addicted. "Come here," he whispered, beckoning her forward and murmuring his approval when she straddled his thighs. Hotch took a moment to slowly kiss her neck, the column of her throat, her collarbones. He kissed down her chest as well, stopping only when he came to the new scar under her breast.
"Aaron," she groaned, fisting a hand in his hair. How was it that he was making her feel this way already? "I promise you I'm fine." More than fine, she wanted to say, for it felt so good to have his skin pressed up against hers. "It doesn't hurt anymore."
Her eyes fell shut as she felt the tip of a finger gently run over the pink line. It hadn't needed stitches, and for that she was grateful. Emily knew Hotch still housed some guilt, but she wanted that gone. She wanted to show him that it hadn't been his fault.
She wanted to show him now.
"Aaron," she repeated, and she almost gasped when he pulled away and she saw just how dark his eyes were. She smiled when his gaze instinctively dropped to her lips. "Kiss me."
Hotch very willingly did just that. It was like beautiful fire when their lips met; he was obsessed with the feeling of being so close to her. Yet he was so far away, too. The kiss deepened, and he was rewarded with a tightening of her fingers in his hair and a thoroughly satisfied moan. The skin of her hips felt amazing beneath his touch and beneath the water that was sloshing over the rim of the tub – but again, neither of them minded. It could be cleaned later. This was something that simply could not be passed up.
"I love you," he panted, and it was his turn to groan when she bit down on the shell of his ear, her tongue teasing him along with the rest of her body. She wasn't just a goddess; she was a vixen, his temptress. "Emily, oh my God, I love you so much."
His admission made a giddy feeling rush through her body at top speed, but while the sentiment was most definitely reciprocated, she had only two words for him in response. "Show me."
Hotch's heart was pounding now, his breathing unsteady. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't," she insisted, her expression earnest and soft. "I know you won't." Once again, there was that sweet lazy smile. "I trust you, Aaron."
His thumb brushed across her swollen lips. "You're sure?" Hotch didn't know what part of her statement he was asking about; his open-ended question applied to whether she was sure he wouldn't hurt her or if she was sure she actually trusted him. There was room for misinterpretation, but he made no move to clarify. Hotch knew Emily would understand. She always did.
This time was no different. "Cross my heart," Emily swore. She left the and hope to die part unsaid, for it wouldn't have been right, given her latest scare. She hoped for nothing of the sort; she hoped for nothing but the fact that they could stay like this forever.
Their gazes spoke a million words: You want me to make love to you? Is that it?
Yes. Please.
I would be lost without you.
There was nothing else that needed to be said. It seemed like they spent an eternity looking into each other's eyes, and that didn't change as Hotch moved in the tub, readying both Emily and himself for that final connection. "Promise me you'll tell me if –"
She cut him off by taking his hand in hers and putting it over the scar on her chest. She then covered his hand with hers, and together, they felt her heartbeat; strong, sound, and unyielding, just like Emily herself.
It made Hotch smile with gratitude. And then he was pushing into her as gently as possible, and she was urging him forward with kisses beneath his jaw and a squeeze of his hand, and when he was finally seated deep within her, so deep that he couldn't for the life of him tell where he ended and she began...that was when he truly understood the meaning and beauty of perfection.
It was an indescribably glorious feeling when he finally began to move within her. He was lighting nerve-endings on fire, touching places on her body she had never known existed; he was bringing her back to life, showing her an Emily Prentiss – a fiery, gorgeous, and free-spirited woman with flames of passion dancing behind black eyes – she had thought was long forgotten. Each piston of his hips drew from her a different sigh, a different moan, and Hotch committed them all to memory. But Emily wasn't resting idle. Rather, she raked her nails down his back and sucked hard on his neck, knowing from past experience just how much he loved the sensations the combination evoked. They'd both be sore by the time the sun set and night drew near to closing, but it was an aching they would exchange for nothing else in the world.
However, the more they moved around in the bathtub, the more the water cooled, and while it wasn't expressly uncomfortable, both Hotch and Emily knew the ecstasy coursing through their bodies would be all the more incredible between warm sheets. It made her smile, the fact that he was being so incredibly careful with her, as if she were the most delicate of pretty porcelain dolls. He went out of his way to make sure no part of her would be strained; after all, while her doctors had issued her a clean bill of health, they had warned her against overworking herself, and Emily didn't particularly want to have to increase her dosage of painkillers after a tryst like this, no matter how much she was enjoying it at the moment.
And she really was. Thus, Emily made no objection as Hotch stepped out of the tub and hoisted her up around his waist, water dripping down their still-connected bodies and onto the tile floor. They didn't bother reaching for the white fluffy towels that were mere inches away; that would mean they would have to let go of one another for even a split second, and just the thought of doing something so heinous made them grip each other firmer.
"Your sheets are going to get wet," Hotch said matter-of-factly. "Your mattress probably won't dry as quickly as you'd like."
"I don't care," Emily said on an exhale, smiling up at him beatifically as he placed her carefully back against her pillows. "All I care about at the moment is you."
He wrapped them snugly in the sheets, holding Emily flush against him. Just when she was least expecting it, his mouth descended on her breasts, taking one nipple – then the other – between his teeth; and all the while, the rhythmic drive of his hips brought her to heights more brilliant than she had ever known. "I was about the say that exact same thing," he ground out.
Her mouth fell open as a pair of fingers found her clit. "Stop talking," she rasped, her voice unapologetically needy. "Aaron –"
He simply smiled wider, and delivered a particularly deep thrust. "Have you always been this bossy?" Her muscles were already beginning to tighten and clench around him in the most delicious of ways; he knew it was just a matter of time before she was flung headfirst into the bliss only they had been able to give each other.
"Aaron, Christ, I'm so close!"
And there it was. He reveled in it; it gave him such an unbelievable high. He needed more. He needed all of Emily Prentiss for as long as she'd bless him with her intoxicating presence in his life. "Come for me, sweetheart," he urged, his eyes bright and just the slightest but wild. His pace quickened, her touch on his skin became rougher. "Come on, Em; let me hear you scream."
Now who's bossy? she wanted to retort, but any and all attempts at resistance were futile. A groan of beautiful defeat welled in the back of her throat, and she thrashed about on the bed as his touch became hotter, his kisses became more intimate, his encouraging became louder –
Just one more thrust –
"Oh my God, Aaron! Aaron!"
"Yes," he panted deliriously, just seconds away from reaching that coveted precipice as well. "Yes, sweetheart, that's it. Just like that. Oh, Emily..." With the added touch of her shaking fingers to his hypersensitive flesh, Hotch fell apart with a shout that had Emily screaming at a different decibel entirely; and they tumbled back down to the bed together, a pile of sweaty and shuddering limbs.
They held each other for a long, lingering moment, not wanting to do anything that would break their newly re-established connection. Emily could barely hear over the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears, and neither could Hotch, really, but that didn't stop him from pressing the lightest of kisses to her temple, breathing her in in the process. "I love you so much," she heard him say against her hair, and immediately, she whispered the words right back to him. "My beautiful Emily..." His lips curved into a dazed smile, and Emily felt hers doing the same in result. "You're all mine." How did I get to be so lucky?
"I'm yours," Emily agreed readily, resting her head on his chest. Their bodies were no longer damp from the bath, but the sheets were getting colder and Emily desperately wanted to hold onto the warmth he was providing her. She shot him a seductively feline grin. "And you, Aaron Hotchner...you're mine."
"Always," he swore, linking their fingers together. His heart skipped a beat at the look of adoration he found reflected in her gaze. "For as long as you'll have me."
Her eyes now closed, Emily blindly kissed his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. It was a sensation she would never get tired of experiencing. "Then, in that case, I hope you plan on staying around for a very long time."
"I most definitely do." The moment Hotch said these words, however, he pushed himself up onto his elbows and eventually maneuvered into a sitting position. Emily kept silent, her eyebrows furrowing, but when Hotch made to move out of the bed, she just had to object.
"And just where do you think you're going, Mister?" She knew he loved the coy, flirtatious tone coloring her voice; but she seriously did not want him to leave, and especially now! There was no man on the earth that was better at cuddling than Aaron Hotchner. He had proven that fact a thousand times over, yet she wanted him to prove it again.
Hotch smiled at her, but gently pried her fingers from his wrist. "There are just a couple things I need to get, okay? I'll be back in a heartbeat, I promise."
"I miss you already."
It was those words that spurred Hotch to move even quicker, and within the span of what couldn't have been five minutes, he was back with an armful of towels, bathrobes...and their forgotten lunch.
Emily's expression immediately softened. "Oh, Aaron..." She thanked him with a kiss on the cheek as he wrapped her in the fluffy pale blue cotton. She was in a state akin to Heaven when Hotch began drying her hair, his breath hot on the back of her neck. He was a gentleman, as he always had been; and she absolutely loved it.
"I figured we might as well have lunch here," he said, giving her a crinkly-eyed smile and laughing into her sweet-smelling hair at the resulting roll of her eyes. "Since someone didn't feel like moving out of bed."
"Can you really blame me?" Emily kissed him slowly as he finished feeding her a juicy strawberry, giggling some as he moaned, having tasting the flavor on her tongue. "You're here. Why would I want to go anywhere else?"
Hotch tickled her side. "You need to stop stealing the words right out of my mouth, Emily. Really, I don't want to move from this position either." He gave her hand a squeeze, their foreheads resting against one another now. "If only we could stay here forever."
She hummed as he gazed into her dark eyes. She wondered what he was seeing; she wondered if it was the same sentiment that was filling her heart and soul. "Who is to say that we can't, Aaron?"
"You know what?" he asked, completely overcome with love for the woman in his arms. He was never going to leave her side ever again; he would be her partner in every definition of the word, as long as she allowed him. "You're absolutely right, darling. You are absolutely right."
Author's Note: Thank you sincerely for taking the time to read. If you have the time, please leave a review; no matter short or long, signed or anonymous, they are absolute treasure in my eyes. I'll need all the energy I can get in order to finish this last installment. I have it outlined already, of course, but putting pen to paper and bringing all the words together to form something more profound...I'm excited and anxious at the very same time. Your support means the world to me.
Only one more chapter remaining! Let me know if you have any ideas for an epilogue.
