Growing Close

Their worlds are closer than they would ever imagine, but what does that mean?

Bella = Beautiful

Nonna = Grandmother

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

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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The next morning Penelope became slowly aware she was delightfully-warm and still snuggled up against David. It created a silly-happy, bubbly feeling inside her. She smiled, realizing her arm was trapped between his chest below and his arm atop hers.

Mmmm, she thought. It feels like he's as fuzzy underneath this t-shirt as his arms indicated. Her mindfulness grew to include her leg laying on top one of his. Moving her knee up his thigh, she felt the soft fabric of his underwear. That gave her nether regions a different kind of warmth.

She rolled away, just so she could see his face and still keep contact.

"I could get used to this," she whispered. She had waited for this time with him. He looked so peaceful. Extricating her hand, she caressed the side of face; ear to goatee, back around his jaw. His skin was so smooth, so soft… she loved touching it. His dimples weren't showing of course… but she could picture them as if he were awake.

This was David Rossi. Renowned author. Started the BAU with Gideon. Legend of the FBI.

This was also David, who she was so fond of and enjoyed her time with, so much. She knows she had kept it at a slower pace - but she had enjoyed only being Penelope and not always having to talk agents and cases and gore. She enjoyed being treated like David treated her. She always worked so hard to keep light and airy and girlie… but with David it was easy. He made it easy for her.

Replacing her hand on his chest, his hand seemed to automatically came up to cover it.

A smile came to her face as David stirred. She caressed his chest and he in turn started caressing her arm. He took a deep breath and stretched. She wasn't going to lie. She wished she was wearing the nighty she brought for their sleepover.

"Hmmm, goodmorning, Bella," and he reached to kiss Penelope's forehead before he even opened his eyes. Once he looked at her, he smiled.

He pushed himself up and over her, cradling her head in his hand and rubbing their noses together. "May I kiss you, Bella?"

Penelope smirked and nodded while Dave reached forward. A closed-mouth, chaste kiss turned hot quickly as they opened up to one another and explored each other's mouths. They had kissed and made out before… but there was something about being in bed.

"Mmmm… lazy, Sunday-morning kisses are the best. You're making dizzy." She pushed herself up toward him, entwining their legs and rolling on top him.

He enjoyed the closeness that came with their new position. Sounds of delight escaped his mouth, knowing he had to halt before he couldn't stop.

"Penelope… shall I make you breakfast? You have to be hungry given we really didn't eat dinner," Dave chided. Just then, both their stomachs seemed to rumble and they laughed. They both got up and 'ready' for Sunday brunch.

They made their way downstairs. In the kitchen, Dave started sautéeing mushrooms, onions and peppers.

"So… 'Garcia'?"

Penelope nodded.

"Is this where your penchant for spice comes from?"

"Guilty," she giggled.

"What is it that you really do 'in IT'? I believe you used the phrase 'run-of-the-mill' when we met," Dave asked with a shit-eating grin.

"Ah, yes…" she ducked her head just a bit. "Well… I'm the BAU Tech Analyst. I primarily do the database searches they can't do in the field. I analyze it all to get them where they need to go faster. So I support the teams wherever they are, mostly when they're on cases or tracking down cold ones. I usually stay in the office at Quantico, but sometimes I travel with a team if they need on-the-ground support."

David nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah," she continued. "I work with Agent Gideon's team primarily." She sighed. "They get the toughest cases."

"So, Aaron Hotchner?" David asked, to see if the name rang a bell.

Penelope nodded. "Yeah, Hotch is our Unit Chief." Great, she thought to herself. David knew her boss too. She pushed through. "Do you know Morgan? Reid? JJ?"

"None of those names sound familiar," David offered and allowed a pause. "Well. We never had such a fancy person helping us 'in IT' when I was at the BAU," he smiled. He inserted the veggies he had cooked into a beautiful, ginormous omelet, topping it with shredded cheese. He divided it and sat it down with the coffee and juice he already had out on the breakfast bar.

Penelope took a bite and groaned in appreciation. "So, so good, David. You make such good food."

"Well, I want to win you one way or another," Dave laughed out loud. He reached over gave her the tiniest smooch before the final bites of their omelet.

Penelope turned her head toward Dave, her eyes relaxed and soft. She waited, apparently to have his full attention. She started to speak once he looked directly at her. "You don't have to win me, David. I'm honored to be with you already."

"I guess so much of my life has been defined by the BAU and my books… and I don't have the best track record when it comes to relationships, which we haven't even talked about." David sighed hard. "I just didn't know, now that you know more about who I was, who I am, if…"

"If what," Penelope asked. "If I'd still want to be with you?"

"I guess yes, and I'm guilty… I just wanted to be in the moment with you." He looked up at her again and put his arm on the back of her stool, lowering his voice. "It is so very easy to be in the moment with you, Penelope."

Penelope considered him. She was in awe, again, of how he made her feel with every touch, every word. They were basically done with breakfast. She rose and pushed their plates forward a bit. Then she urged David to turn toward her fully and she stood between his legs that had fallen open. Putting her her arms around his neck, resting on his shoulders, she leaned in and delivered a deep, lasting kiss. She whispered back once they broke for air.

"I feel the same, David."

They cleaned up breakfast and last night's dinner amicably. When the last of the dishes were dried and put away, Penelope was the first to speak again. "Can we sit on the couch? More coffee and cuddles?"

The two sat close and held hands. Penelope eventually turned her body and put her legs over David's lap. David rubbed her legs with one hand and squeezed her knee with the other. He took her free hand occasionally and kissed her fingers, brush his lips across the top of it, pressed her palm… at that point she would inevitably caress his face and pull them together so their lips could touch.

"I don't know that last night really impacts us?" He offered. Not receiving an answer, he continued. "Can I tell you something?"

Penelope smiled, nodding.

He waited another beat. "I'm glad if we're saying that there is an 'us'… is that what we're saying?"

Penelope's eyes went from concerned to soft as she squeezed where her and David's fingers were inter-laced. "I'd like there to be an 'us'… I really think I would enjoy being an 'us' with you." She smiled and her eyes, face seemed to brighten, her shoulders relaxed.

"Do you think Gideon will…" Penelope started to ask, her voice sensitive.

"No. He won't cause you problems, Bella," David assured. "I did my very best - and I like to think I'm still pretty good at it - at making sure he knows you're off-limits."

She looked at David before her with a questioning look that asked 'really?'

David understood she needed more comfort. "My Nonna used an Italian phrase like a mantra when I was a child. 'Non preoccuparti'. …say it with me?'

"Non pre-occu-parti," they said *almost* at the same time, Penelope slightly behind David.

"Again," he urged.

"Non preoccuparti," they said together.

"Do not worry," David whispered. The second half of that is 'Non prendere in prestige guai'… 'Do not borrow trouble.'

Penelope retracted her legs, rose up on a knee then straddled him in one fell swoop. She caressed his face with both of her hands, ran her fingers through his hair. She looked deep into his eyes, trying to convey everything that was bubbling up inside of her. She was not usually the one at loss for words, but right now… she needed him.

His hands rested on her hips and pulled her closer. Penelope ground against him and her bosom was in his face as he held her. She bent down, planting kisses on his face. Across his forehead, down his temple. Each cheek, at the base of each ear. She nuzzled, licked and placed open-mouth kisses down his jaw, up the other side. It seemed her goal was to cover him in kisses.

"I'm growing so very fond of you," she breathed, burying her lips in his thick, dark hair.

She pulled back to look into his eyes, but they were closed. From her perch on his lap, she thought he looked… content. He finally opened his eyes and focused on her. She grinned, with her eyes more than her lips even. She held his face in her hands again and pressed her mouth against his. She tasted his lips. They were so tender, so sweet.

They kissed deep and leisurely. Massaging lips, tangling tongues. They moved their bodies sensually, languidly, against one another. Their hands roamed. Their body parts brushed over and over against the other's. Penelope continued to grind against David's growing arousal. She felt her body lift as he started to meet her thrusts.

She still wasn't sure if it meant anything that they found their worlds more closely-tied than either realized. Part of her wondered if they should talk more and make some sort of decision - or declaration - before they had sex. But this moment had been building for weeks. She really didn't want to wait any longer.

"Baby?" Penelope managed. David looked up at her as their bodies slowly-but-surely gave pause. "Will you take me upstairs and make love to me?"

"Oh yes, Amore mio… I will."

Amore mio = My love