Author's Note: Hi all! I am posting the second part, because let's face it... JJ and Hotch need more love. A lot of this is the same scene, from his POV. But there is a little peak at the morning after. I need to write a longer Jotch fic again!
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Jack was with his aunt Jessica, and as much as Hotch adored him, he was a bit relieved because he was feeling out of sorts. He had overheard the girls talking, and it sounded like JJ had another date tonight with the same man she'd been out with previously. He desperately wanted her to be happy, but it didn't mean a part of him didn't feel a sting of jealousy. He'd wanted to be with her for years, but being her boss, he always worried it would be too much pressure on her. Or that perhaps, things would go badly and that would leave awkward work circumstances. At first, she had seemed happy with Will, but as time went on... He could see she wasn't. He had been trying to work up the nerve to talk to her about his feelings but he wanted to give her time on her own to figure things out. Of course, he'd waited too long and now she was going on a date with someone else.
He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose when he heard his phone go off.
You around? JJ needs you. Been stood up.
The message came from Garcia, and his heart went out to JJ but he felt a confusing mixture of emotions. Why was Garcia asking him?
Did she ask for me?
He could see the ... as Garcia was typing back.
Trust me. She wants you as much as you want her. Get your stubborn ass to the restaurant. Stat.
His heart stopped momentarily. Garcia knew? Of course Garcia knew. That woman did not miss a thing.
On my way. Text me address.
A part of him couldn't help but smile as he pictured the shock on Garcia's face. He imagined she did not expect him to agree so easily, but he wasn't missing another opportunity. He prepared himself. Obviously, it was entirely possible JJ just needed a friend for the time being and was not ready to even discuss the possibility, but he couldn't wait any longer. He'd respect her wishes, but needed to get it off his chest.
Though he wouldn't show it, he was anxious. He clutched the steering wheel much too tight, and tried to ignore the sweat on his hands. He hoped she wouldn't notice. When he stepped out of the car, it felt like his heart got caught up in his throat. He could see her through the window of the restaurant, her head hanging low as she texted someone. He could see the hurt and betrayal on her face as she struggled to make sense of what took place.
When he made it into the restaurant, he told the greeter he was with JJ, gesturing to her table. The greeter stopped for a minute, unable to hide the shock on her face, and then smiled ear to ear. "Oh that's such good news. We've all been wondering who could stand the poor girl up? You can head on over, sir."
When he saw the pain on her face, a part of him wondered if that was evidence of her feelings for the man who stood her up, or perhaps it was just the betrayal and embarrassment. Whatever the cause, it took him a moment to remind himself that he was an FBI Agent, and could not afford to be hunting the man down to give him a "talking to."
"Are you okay?" he asked, and he saw the blonde jump slightly.
"I'm... What are you doing here?"
Hotch watched her for a moment, trying to figure out what her face was saying. "Garcia messaged me," he said as he opened a menu. It was important to seem confident. That would help her to feel safe, and secure. At least he hoped so. "I really quite like unagi."
He waited for her to speak, but she didn't. Her mouth was slightly open as her eyes looked him up and down. He could tell she was desperately trying to figure out what was going on, and what to say.
"How about we get the dinner for two with an extra side of unagi?"
"That... sounds good?" He could hear the hesitation in her voice. He wasn't going to give her time to second guess anything.
"Excuse me, miss?" Hotch said, trying to get the attention of the nearby waitress. "Can we please put in an order for the 'dinner for two' with a side of unagi, and can we get that to go?"
"Absolutely, sir." She gave him a quick smile as she noted it down. She, too, seemed happy that JJ's "date" had shown up for her.
"To go?" JJ asked as the waitress walked away.
"To go," he said. "You are seeming a bit overwhelmed, which is understandable given how you must be feeling tonight. We can go eat wherever you would like."
She nodded, though he could tell there were several things racing through her mind. "Why are you here?"
"Garcia told me it was important that I get my, and I am quoting word for word, stubborn ass to this restaurant stat to be here with you."
He felt amused as he saw her face flush.
"Typical Garcia, but why wouldn't she just come herself?" JJ asked.
He paused for a moment. He had to carefully figure out what to say. Perhaps it was time to rip off the band-aid.
"Probably because she knows of my feelings for you." He tried to feign nonchalance, but secretly his heart was pounding as he wanted for her response.
"Your feelings? I know you care about me, and I appreciate that -"
"My feelings. It never seemed appropriate to bring them up. I would never want you to feel obligated to do anything or say anything just because I am your boss. I also often wondered if it was too soon after Will. However, now that you are dating someone who clearly does not deserve you, I thought it might be time for me to say something."
His words had left her speechless, and while he understood that, it did nothing to ease his anxiety. Did she feel the same? Was he sounding like a jerk telling her at a time like this?
"I don't know what to say," she said softly. "I-"
"You don't have to say anything right now. I don't want to pressure you. I know that you were expecting to be here with someone else, and not your boss of many years. You are under no obligation to say anything. You are under no obligation to do anything. If you'd like to go back to my place, we can sit down and eat. We can talk about things. We don't have to decide anything tonight. You can go home right after. Hell, if it's what you want, you can take half of the sushi and go eat it on your own."
She watched him intently for a few moments before speaking. "I'd like to go back to your place, eat and then not talk at all," she said.
"That is also an option," he said. He tried to act normal, but he was taken back. He had thought perhaps she would want to talk more, and then go home. It seemed she was implying she wanted more, and he liked that but did not expect the reaction at all.
It was the next morning and the sun illumination the room, highlighting her beautiful body tangled up in the covers next to him. She faced away from him, and he could see the nakedness of her back. They hadn't done much talking, but she had made it clear that her feelings for him were true.
Things moved much faster than expected, and he could see the mess of clothes on his floor. He knew there were more thrown throughout the house. He reached over to stroke her hair.
"Good morning," he said as he leaned down to kiss her on the head. Worry. Anxiety. Would she regret what had happened?
His heart felt like it might beat out of his chest as she turned around, and kissed him on the lips momentarily. "Good morning, handsome."
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. They still had a lot to talk about. There were a lot of factors, and if they were going to make this work, they would need to discuss them. Like how fast they moved? Whether they told the team? Whether they told their kids? But as he held her close, he knew that whatever they decided, they would make it work. He didn't believe in the "soulmates" sort of thing, but a part of him felt like this is how things were meant to be. They were right together, and all the pieces seemed to come together. Whatever happened, he would do whatever he could to make her happy, because though they hadn't said the words yet, he had loved her for a long time.