Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds
"We can only learn to love by loving." – Iris Murdoch
o o o o
She'd lost track of the amount of couples walking hand in hand while she waited for her boyfriend, Aaron, to come pick her up for their big 'Valentines Day Date'. Haley had been watching people stroll through the dismal Seattle day for over an hour, counting the couples that were supposed to be her and Aaron.
"Damn it! Where the hell are you, Aaron! You were supposed to be here over an hour ago!" Haley yelled at nothing in particular. She was in her, and his, favorite dress, a silk black slinky thing with red silk sash around the waist. Her toenails were painted a dark red to match the sash and she was wearing the new black sandals she'd bought just for the occasion. Her blonde hair had been curled and primped and fried and dyed and highlighted and everything those women in that beauty salon could come up with. Her fingernails were painted, her face made up, and she was actually wearing mascara around her big hazel eyes. Here she was… all dress up and no place to go.
"You don't need to yell so loud, Baby." The soft voice in her ear startled her as much as the hand on her waist. Haley screamed and whirled around to find a very apologetic looking Aaron standing behind her.
"God, you scared me! Where the hell have you been?" Haley yelled out her anger and terror. "Why are you so late?"
Haley threw one of the two sham pillows she had been hugging her arms around at the wall where it hit with a thud before falling on top of the poor, unsuspecting cat, who ran for cover in the bathroom.
"I'm sor-"
"What gives you the right to make big plans with me and then leave me waiting for an hour and a half? No, an hour and forty-five minutes! On Valentines Day no less!" She ranted as she walked over to the window. "And then you came here saying your sorry?"
Haley threw the other sham in the same direction as the first, but before the pillow had missed the awfully expensive vase her parents had given her as a gift. Unfortunately, this one didn't.
There was a crash and Haley whipped around again to see the broken vase in shatters all over the floor with water and lilies strewn around the shards. "Damn it!"
"Haley, I'm sorry I'm late," Aaron said slowly approaching the raging woman.
"Like hell you should be sorry!" Haley seethed before turning to really look at him. "Oh my, God. What happened?"
Aaron smiled woefully at her. His usually impeccable brown hair was tousled over his overly serious brown eyes. A yellowish coloring was spread over his cheek and his arm was in a black sling. "Baby, please don't panic?" Haley nodded numbly. "I was chasing down an suspect with Thomas and I got sideswiped by a car."
"What!"
"Haley, you said you wouldn't panic…"
"Are you okay? We have to get you to the hospital!"
"Baby. Come here," Aaron motioned for her to come over to him and Haley walked over and gingerly wrapped her arms around his middle, burying her face in his dirty, white button-down. "I'm fine, Haley. I promise. I've already been to the hospital and they told me I'm fine. I'm sorry I'm late."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Haley looked up at Aaron, who smiled down at her and kissed her softly on the lips. Haley leaned into the kiss as she tightened her grip on his neck. "Aaron…" Haley whispered as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Aaron's free hand wrapped around Haley's waist and pulled her closer to him until there was no air between their bodies. Aaron smiled into the kiss when he heard Haley moan softly into his mouth. The smiled turned abruptly into a gasp as she turned his antics against him. Her fingers slipped under his dress shirt to slide like silk against his sides and stomach. She skimmed her hands around his sides to move up his back.
"Haley… God, Haley." Aaron groaned into her neck as he dropped feathery kisses along her collarbone. Haley bent her head down and captured his lips in hers once more.
Aaron felt like he was drowning in strawberry as Haley kissed him. Her smell was almost as intoxicating as her nearness. His hand tightened on her hip unconsciously as her kisses left a wet trail down his neck. The cool air that met the damp skin sent shivers down his spine as Haley ran her hands over his back. Aaron shuddered as she gently bit down on his shoulder before dusting small wet kisses on the tingling flesh.
Haley wanted, needed, to feel his skin against hers. Forget the arrangements; they were late anyway. Haley pulled her hands out from under Aaron's shirt as he murmured into her hair in protest of their absence. She smiled mischievously up at him and kissed him, lips parted in persuasive invitation.
But the kiss was a distraction as she deftly started unbuttoning Aaron's shirt.
"Haley. Haley. Baby, stop." Aaron reluctantly pulled apart from her even as he caught his breath, murmuring a regretful protest as she follow, arms warm around his neck. "Haley, now isn't the time. I can't –"
"Shhh," she silenced him with a kiss. "Please. Let me… just this once, this one time. Please." Nimble fingers continued to undo the buttons as Haley kissed Aaron's lips repeatedly. When all of the buttons were undone, Haley slid a hand over his heart, feeling the strong, reassuring beats keeping pace with her own. "Please…"
Closing his eyes as her breasts brushed against his chest with every breath she took, Aaron nuzzled his nose into her soft blonde hair, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. "Sweetheart, this is going to be difficult…"
Haley chuckled as she placed open-mouthed kisses along his shoulder dragging the shirt over his shoulder and down his good arm.
"We'll have to make do," she smiled as she kissed his jaw line then his cheek. Haley gently reached around his neck to unclip the buckle of his sling. "Hold your arm up. Don't let it drop," she whispered in between soft kisses.
Aaron bit his bottom lip as Haley slipped the sling from around his arm. Very carefully, she slid the shirt away, removing it completely. Before replacing the sling, she laid a weightless kiss against the skin when the discoloring seemed darkest.
Looking down at the floor, Haley leaned into Aaron. He wrapped his arm around her waist and dropped his forehead to rest against her head, pressing the occasional kiss to her hair.
And so they stood for long moments, until Aaron felt Haley shaking against him.
"Haley? Baby, what's wrong?" Aaron asked worriedly as he tried to get Haley to look up at it, but her fascination with the knots in the wood floor grew with every word he said. "Haley? Haley, look at me." He removed his hand from her hip to clasp her chin and force her to look at him. He wasn't prepared for the tears rolling down her cheeks.
When Haley looked into Aaron's eyes, she knew she'd loose all control over her tears. She threw her arms around his neck and burst out sobbing. She hid her face in his shoulder as she cried.
Aaron ran his hand soothingly over her back, murmuring nonsensical reassurances in her ear, having no idea why she was crying or what had upset her. Slowly the sobbing subsided and reduced to the occasional hiccup, until Haley was just sniffing back the last of the tears.
Haley looked up at Aaron and brushed a bit of dark hair out of his eyes. His hair had grown longer since she'd followed him to Seattle when he'd been transfered to the field office here. She liked his hair better this way, but knew it wouldn't last this length much longer. His brown eyes were soft as they looked at her, and she remembered thinking, when she first met him, that they were a guardian angel's eyes, always watchful. "I could have lost you today," she whispered, still reluctant to loosen her hold on him. "I was so mad at you and you were hit by a car. Aaron, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. I love you."
Aaron felt his heart clench when she said those words. This was the first time she'd ever said the 'L' word. Hoping his ears weren't deceiving him, he smiled happily down at Haley. "You didn't lose me, Baby. I'm right here. I always will be. I couldn't leave you. I love you. So much.
Haley sniffed one last time before she graced him with a soft smile. "Are you sure you're alright, Aaron?"
"Yes, I'm fine." Aaron looked down at her smiling eyes that held only traces of the tears that had consumed her minutes ago. Her lips were parted slightly, a silent plea. Leaning forward, their lips met and Haley sighed happily as his hand tangled in her hair.
A/N:
Thanks for reading, I hope you like it, and, please, tell me what you think! Good or bad!
Love, Thalia
