It's a Small World

Penelope basks in her Saturday nights with David… until she doesn't.

Slight spoilers for S1E17

I own no characters or cannon of Criminal Minds. Many thanks and blessings to those who created them.

Bella = Beautiful

Tesoro = Treasure, Sweetheart

Thanks to my sweet, beautiful beta Sunny. In short order she's become my confidant, brainstorm partner and sister. I am the luckiest girl alive!

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Another number of Saturday nights later, Penelope realized dinner at David's had become an enchantingly welcome and regular occurrence in her life. She cherished it. There was always dinner. Always wine. Oftentimes cleanup yet sometimes he managed to convince her to not. Sometimes music and dancing. Sometimes a movie. Sometimes a fire. Always-thus-far: cuddles. There were always many embraces, endless kisses… all of which had translated to touches and heavy petting sessions. While they had brought each other to orgasm with their hands, they had not yet - what she would call - made love. She hoped that would change.

Penelope appreciated that David knew if unable to attend, it was only because duty called. And he appeared to trust it - unlike so many of the dopes she had dated before him. He never asked too many questions which was great, too. His company, his house, their time together, was slowly becoming this captivating 'norm' in her life. Truth be told, he was becoming a norm in her life - when they were together or when they weren't. Texts and coffee dates and a couple of walks after working late - those all tided them over during the week.

Tonight she approached David's front door and entered, as he had asked her to do a few weeks ago now. She slipped off her shoes and put her bags down at the foot of the stairs. She was delighted he had asked her to 'just plan' on spending the night, 'in case she wanted'.

She tip-toed toward the exceptional smells of the kitchen looking for David. A ridiculous excitement came over her. She realized she never really 'snuck' up on him - the man had eyes and ears on every side of his body!

Peeking around the corner of the archway, she tried her best not to make a sound. Yet, she was foiled! Before she took another step she felt his arms around her. He swung her around into the kitchen proper as she yelped. She started laughing uncontrollably, having to catch her breath like she did so often with him.

"Stop it!" She shrieked. "Stop it, David!" She batted at his hands until he let her down.

When he let her down, her backside was flush against the front of his body and a tingle surfaced all over her skin. She smiled when she heard a groan rise up from him. His arousal was evident and spurred hers on. She turned around in his arms and put her hands around his neck. The man was so freaking gorgeous.

"Mmmm… you showered not too long ago," she murmured, running her fingertips over the dewey, natural feel of the skin covering his neck. She found her way to the very top of his chest peeking through his shirt collar. She took a deep breath, taking him in. He hadn't had scotch or a cigar yet today - maybe they could enjoy that later outside on the deck.

"How did you know I was here!?" She swatted at his shoulders in mock-protest... quickly dissolving into caresses.

"Bella," he sympathized, falsely. "I can smell you from a mile away." He nuzzled the tenderness where her neck and shoulder met. Oh, he had memorized her scent the night they met. She was faint flowers and sweet vanilla. Given the chance, he'd be surrounded by her - and her scent - all day, every day. He snuck his tongue out for a taste of her pulse.

"Are you saying I stink!?" She pouted.

"No, no, no… quite the opposite," his voice low and turned on, continuing to lave her skin with ministrations.

She still stuck out her lip. "Well I thought Mudgie was the one who was supposed to be able to smell stuff from a mile away."

Dave chuckled and swung her around again before he put her feet on the ground, gave an appreciative growl and hugged her tightly.

"Okay then," she giggled. "Hi," she whispered and David dipped his head so their lips met. The kisses were immediately intimate, immediately heated.

God she loved how David kissed her. Their lips moved silkily against each other, until they each parted their mouths so their tongues could dance. His lips were so soft. His goatee gently followed his lips, tickling her skin wherever he went.

She massaged the back of his head, lacing her fingers through his thick, dark, barely-dry hair. She probed further with her tongue into his mouth. She explored, mapped, trying to master all of the ways their tongues danced. This inevitably elicited a moan from the older man, further melting him into her arms. It felt good to be able to take him - even just a little bit. It seemed he may be as happy as she was with their courtship.

There was no denying being at David's - being with David - provided her escape. The degree to which she was able to relax during their time was disproportionate to the actual duration of their dates. It was as if she walked through his doorway, into his arms, and all the stress and yuck from the week before dissipated. She guessed she could stand (or sit, or recline, or lay) literally anywhere - and kiss him forever. Penelope felt David's shoulders shift under her arms and she looked up at him.

"Hey… how was your week?" the older man asks, sensing the relief seeping off of her. Something was different tonight. Something caused her more stress or the release of stress… he wasn't sure.

"Oh, you don't need to hear about my dumb week," she scoffed and tried to draw him closer.

"Sweet Bella," he muttered. "There's no chance your week was dumb." Dave settled his hands around her waist trying to still her body, and her spirit. "Now, I know you relax when you come here… but tonight is different." He caught her eyes and encouraged her to hold his gaze.

He continued. "It's as if I can feel the stress falling off of you. Is something wrong? Your co-workers? Your work?"

Penelope knew she eventually had to tell David what she did. It's just that they were in this little bubble and she was enjoying it so much. She'd *really* like this to work out - if that was even possible in this day and age. But it's like she felt like she had to shelter it, protect it.

"Everyone is okay," she offered tentatively. "I just think two members of my team… had different ideas about how… it… was going to end."

"How *what* was going to end, Kitten?"

Penelope stumbled over thoughts and words and chastised herself for talking about work. She'd had a chance to debrief with JJ and Reid, and their observations still bugged her. Reid said there was a 'fundamental difference' between how the two approached the situation. JJ said that Gideon seemed 'particularly distressed' when they heard the Unsub killed the cop killer.

She thought about Gideon and Hotch at the final scene, how she listened to their feeds and the accounts from outside. She had reviewed the reports of how killing the Unsub went down.

Penelope's heart hurt for both of them. Gideon believed to his core that talking through a situation was ultimately the best option, always. No matter what kind of difficulties it caused. But Hotch, on the other hand, equally measured risk, reward and what was most advantageous for all involved. He ended up taking the shot. Perhaps he was redeeming himself for the Iowa case… regardless, she trusted it was the right move.

"Unfortunately, I can't really talk about it because it's restricted." She looked up at him, willing him to drop it. "Let's just say that two of my co-workers had a difference of opinion and… it didn't end well. They're okay, it was just bad."

David was thoughtful and intentionally quiet. He noticed Penelope bristle and he tried to think about what his next question could be. The woman was in IT but worked in a field with restricted information; that was curious. She obviously didn't want to talk about it, apparently couldn't talk about it, but something was off.

"How about you? You're okay?"

She scoffed at him. "Oh yeah, I, I… I did fine. I mean I was fine. …I am fine."

David looked at her, questioning her rambling.

"David, I really just want to go back to the kissing!" Penelope begged him.

David let the conversation be and continued kissing his girl, stimulating her lips with his. Without even thinking, he moved his lips and found her ear, down the length of her neck, across her collarbone… stopping wherever her dress necessitated. He kissed the breadth of her chest and found his way back up the other side of her face. His hands found her hips and he drew them together, wanting to give her a sense of how excited he was to see her. He was hoping she would spend the night and he got the sense that she wanted that as well.

The wetness between Penelope's legs was starting to distract her. She was quite certain her panties were soaked and if she didn't cool her jets her arousal was going to start dripping down her thigh at any moment. David chose that moment to palm her ass and bring them impossibly closer together. She could feel the hardness of his erection through his jeans and her dress, and simply craved more of him.

"God, Pen, I want you. So much," David uttered against her skin as he continued to touch her wherever he could reach. The kisses continued all along her neck and chest, every inch covered with his touch.

Penelope took David by his biceps, turning and backing him into the counter. Straddling one of his thighs, she rubbed her most-delicate bits against his jean-clad muscles. She rode his thigh back and forth, up and down, getting the tiniest bit of relief. Her breasts responded and sent waves through her when they hit his chest. "I want you too, David," she whispered, nipping and sucking at his neck. She continued until she needed to breathe but she held him there while she gathered herself.

"So," she said, taking a deep breath and resting her forehead on David's chest. She let out a low moan, first caressing his biceps and eventually running her hands from his shoulders to elbows and back. She looked up and smiled. "I did bring an overnight bag… I'm looking forward to later," she emphasized with a slow, sweet kiss of promise. "Aaaaaaand," she drew out, "I'm hungry." She laughed. "So I need you to go work your magic," she winked.

David's chin dropped to his chest and he let out a rough and raspy groan after which she heard him whisper in her ear. "You're lucky I have such stellar self-control, sweetheart," watching as he turned toward the ingredients on the island. She didn't know if he wanted to hide it, but he adjusted his impressive erection under the fly of his jeans.

Penelope sat on a barstool, enjoying a glass of wine while she watched David cook. She may have squirmed in her chair once or twice, sharing a smirk with her soon-to-be lover. David sliced the most beautiful mushrooms, sautéd them and was adding pasta and a stock to the pan, stirring. She loved watching him cook. It was almost - almost - as arousing as making out with the man. He moved like silk, if silk moved, she thought. And she dared to imagine how his movement in the kitchen - dancing, smooth, intentional - would translate to the bedroom. She sighed to herself, smiling, sipping her wine as she continued to watch him.

Then, the doorbell rang.

"Tesoro… would you please get that for me? I need to pay attention to the risotto for another couple of minutes."

"Of course," Penelope enthused as she headed for the front hall. "Are you expecting anyone?" She called. He had never had a visitor in the weeks she'd been over for dinner. Hopefully some sort of door-to-door sales she can quickly dismiss.

David replied, saying something she couldn't hear. She couldn't hear because as she opened the door, her eyes went wide and she lost all auditory sense. It took her a beat to even find her voice again.

"Hi… Sir?"