Though he and Erin had talked almost every night when he was out on their new case, Dave still found himself missing the woman. And it was something that Derek teased him about mercilessly, though only when it was the two of them, as if he knew that it wasn't wise to do so in front of Hotch. Thankfully, the case didn't take them too long to solve, even though it had been very gruesome, and he found himself looking forward to going home to Erin. Especially since they were returning so late that there was no way she would have stayed behind to wait for them.
A wide yawn tore from his mouth as they stepped into the bullpen, and he shook his head a little as he climbed the stairs up to his office. He took care to leave some distance between Aaron and himself, since things were still cool between them. As soon as he was closed behind his office door, Dave picked up his pace, only for Penelope to pop out of her office and beckon him to her side with a crook of her finger. "What can I do for you, Kitten?" he asked as he leaned against the wall outside her door, giving her an easy smile.
"I wanted to prepare you for what you'll find in your office tonight, Dave. Erin didn't want to go home until you were back, which is why I'm still here. We drove in together today, since it just made more sense to only take one vehicle this week. And she's been a bit fragile this week, with you gone. I didn't realise that it would affect her quite so much, honestly. So, go, check in on her, and then we'll head home, and you can join us an appropriate length of time later." She leaned in and hugged him quickly, pressing her lips against his cheek before she pushed him away. "I'm still not entirely comfortable with things, but I know that she needs you, and that makes this a little more palatable."
"I know," he said, giving her a fleeting smile before turning and making his way down to his office. The door was unlocked, so he shoved his keys back into his pocket before heading inside, turning on the lights. He didn't see Erin right away, and so he made his way over to his desk and let his bag thump down on it heavily. Almost on cue, Erin groaned a little, and he turned his head to see her shifting on his sofa, turning her face into the cushions as she tugged the blanket a little higher over her shoulders.
A soft smile spread across Dave's lips as he drifted over to her side, crouching down before he reached out and caressed her arm lightly, not wanting to startle her into wakefulness. "I'm home, Topalina," he whispered in her ear, and her face eased into a relaxed, open, expression before her eyes blinked open, focusing on his face. "Penelope told me that you were waiting here for me. You didn't have to do that, I would have seen you at home."
"I know, but I don't know how much longer I'll have that, David. You can't stay with me forever, so I'll have to steal whatever moments I can. I thought that I might as well start to get used to sleeping on your sofa first, even though mine is much more comfortable. Leather squeaks too much, you need to get a suede one."
He laughed as he shook his head, tugging the blanket off her body before getting to his feet and folding it neatly, storing it underneath the coffee table before holding out his hand. Erin clasped it as she pulled herself to her feet before she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. "Suede, huh?"
"It's softer, and if I sleep here often, well, you want me to be comfortable, don't you?"
He sighed a little, realizing in that moment that Penelope was entirely correct, Erin was coming to rely on him more than he had thought. "I do want you to be comfortable, but you probably shouldn't lurk here. There are some people who wouldn't understand, and I don't want you to get hurt, darling."
The endearment slipped from his lips before he could catch himself and use her pet name, and Erin blushed a little as she looked away from him. Tears started to roll down her cheeks, and he frowned before pulling her close to his chest once more, stroking her back gently as she cried for a moment. "And I don't want to lose you, too. Or Penelope. I know, I'm being stupid, and clingy, but you're the only two who cared to stay, and I guess I've rebuilt my world around you. And I don't know where we'll go from here."
"Oh, Erin," he murmured before bending his head and kissing her temple. "We'll be okay, and though I can't speak for Penelope, you can be assured that I won't leave you, no matter how clingy you think you're becoming. Because first and foremost, I am your friend, and friends don't abandon each other in times like these."
She took a few deep breaths before stepping away from him and looking up into his face. "You are a godsend, David Rossi. You and Penelope both. I'm going to go home now. We'll see you there shortly?"
"Of course, Erin." He led her over to the door, and they stepped out onto the catwalk together. Penelope was just locking her door and she gave them a wide smile as she waved to Erin. "See, Kitten's waiting for you to join her."
"I see that." Erin again gave him that sad sweet smile before she hugged him tightly once more. "Hurry back."
Dumbly, he nodded, watching her make her way over to Penelope's side and take hold of her hand, allowing the younger woman to lead her down the stairs. Dave felt like a small piece of his heart was leaving with her, and he shook his head when Derek looked up at him, giving him a knowing smirk. Turning to go back into his office, he caught sight of Aaron, who had a dark look on his face which only grew when their eyes met. "I don't know what game you're playing at, Dave, but it's just going to end up with you hurting," he huffed out before going back into his own office, shutting the door firmly behind him.
Dave knew that he was right, but he still wondered what Hotch might say to other people. While his reputation could take the hit, Erin's might be irreparably damaged. Breathing out through his nose, he took a seat behind his desk before booting up his computer and calling up his email client, looking it over to see if there was anything he needed to take care of before heading home. There was an email from Alex Blake there, and he clicked on it quickly before leaning forward to read what she had written. A small smile whipped across his face when he saw that she was asking a few questions about who Erin was now, and he quickly answered them, hoping that what he was telling her would help smooth the waters between her and Erin, because God knew that she needed another friend to turn to as she dealt with the aftermath of the annihilation of her family.
Once the email was sent, Dave picked his bag back up and made his way down to the elevators, unsurprised when Derek got up and followed him. "That was a little tense," he said as they waited for the elevator to arrive.
"Well, Aaron needs to know that the status quo might be changing soon. We are muddling our way through a new phase of Erin's life, and she seems to only have us for support right now."
"I get it, but I'm not certain if Hotch will. But we'll have your back in this."
"Thanks," he replied as he stepped into the elevator, turning to press the button for the ground floor. Looking up, he saw that Aaron had come down to the doorway, giving him a long look. Drawing in a deep breath, he raised his hand and waved to his friend, trying to let him know that he, at least, was trying to salvage the pieces of their friendship before it was too badly damaged. There was a faint whisper of a smile on his friend's lips before he turned sharply on his heel and went off in the direction of Reid's desk. "I know that things are going to be rocky from here on out, especially since there are things developing between Erin and myself that Penelope is not happy with."
"You're in love with her, and it appears that she's falling in love with you. I get it. And I'll tell you again, you need to tread carefully. Not just because of her tenderness right now, but because I know you haven't gone to the Director yet about this. If he gets wind of this quasi-relationship before you get the courage up to tell him, the results could be disastrous, for both of you."
"I know, but there's just not anything to tell him right now. We aren't in a serious relationship, not yet, and the love we share might not be lasting. I don't want to upset the applecart, so to speak." Derek scoffed a little. "What?"
"The way that you look at her? Tells me that this is not some flash in the pan thing. So, I guess I'll echo Baby Girl's advice here. Tread lightly with her heart, and take care with when you tell the Director about things. You don't want someone else doing it." Dave nodded, knowing that he was receiving sage advice, and he just needed to figure out how to navigate this new turn of events.