Disclaimer: Dow'n CM and the characters... Nothing new there... Sadly T_T Chinese food isn't mine either
Author's note: I came to thinking – why is it that Hotch wants to be called Hotch? So I had to include that... Anyway – here's the Date... Or – the beginning of it :D
"Hotchner, table for two."
The waiter nodded. "If you'll follow me sir, ma'am."
Hotch smiled at Annie and lead her in front of him. He felt the urge to close his eyes and sniff her neck but controlled himself. But she really did smell nice.
"Here you are," the waited said, holding out a hand indicating the table. He waited as Hotch pulled out one of the chairs for Annie who blushed and sat down. Hotch accepted the menu and sat in the other chair.
"I'm glad you like Chinese food. I think it's my favorite cuisine," Hotch said to his date glancing over his menu.
"You don't order take-out much?"
"I'd like for Jack to grow up eating home-cooked meals. And, well... I don't eat out much anymore."
She smiled at him and rested her chin in her hand. "Anymore?"
"We would go out sometimes – the team." She smiled encouraging. "But we rarely got Chinese."
She looked a bit disappointed at his answer.
"Why only rarely? Chinese is healthy interesting food."
"One of the team members is... uh... bad with chopsticks..." A grin spread on her face.
"Define bad..."
"Let's just say, he didn't get much to eat that night." Annie laughed. "To make up for his lack of coordination-skills he does have an IQ of 187 and eidetic memory."
"I'm impressed."
A small hopeless feeling spread in Hotch's stomach and replaced the nice feeling her laugh had left. He was an intelligent man but not nearly as intelligent as Reid.
"There's actually still American people who can't eat with chopsticks? I though Chinese was nearly as big as burgers!"
Hotch could have sighed with relief. "I think he even compared the chopsticks with pencils." He smiled as she laughed again.
The waiter returned and they ordered their food and a bottle of beer for both of them.
"So Hotch," Annie said when the waiter left them again. "Why Hotch?"
He frowned at her question, not quite getting what she meant, "Why Hotch what?"
She smiled. "Why are you called Hotch?"
He leaned back in his chair, thinking for a moment. "Well. In the team we mostly use last names – Reid, Morgan, Rossi – but Hotchner is.. well... Hotchner was my father." Annie smiled and nodded. "And I kind of wanted to be called something a little more personal."
"What about Aaron then? Who calls you that?"
"Haley used to." He felt a small pang of guilt in his chest. He didn't really understand why. "Jessica still does. My dentist." She smiled. "My brother, Sean... That's about it I think."
"I like Aaron. I always wondered why my brother wasn't called Aaron but Allen."
"Your brother's name is Allen?" She nodded. "Allen Adams?" She gave him a little smiled and nodded again. "Allen and Annie Adams?"
"Allen, Amy and Annie Adams."
"You have a sister called Amy?"
"Yes. My parents' names are Agnes and Axel."
Hotch felt his poker face crumble. "Agnes, Axel, Allen, Amy and Annie Adams?" The smile grew on his face. "Why?"
"Let's just say, that my parents really weren't that bright. Or creative... And Axel and Agnes worked perfectly for them, so..." She let her voice trail of. "They named almost all of their kids AA. My last sister's called Charlotte..."
Hotch laughed at her comment. She took a sip of her beer her cheeks flushed and a small smile on her lips. "That's pretty amazing..." He finally said tracing a hand through his hair.
"So, can I call you Aaron?" Her question surprised him and he suddenly noticed the butterflies in his stomach.
"Uhm – sure... That would be fine." He cleared his throat. "This being a date and all."
Her eyes lit. "This is a date?"
"Well, uhm... I kind of thought of it as one. But if you..."
"I thought of it as a date too!" She said eagerly and blushed. She fingered a lock of her hair. "It's just nice to... to be on the same page – if you get my drift."
They looked at each other both feeling rather shy and embarrassed when the waiter returned with their dinners. They picked up their chopsticks and started eating in silence neither knowing what to say. Annie admired the way Hotch – no Aaron – used his chopsticks.
"So uhm..." she cleared her voice. "What does your brother do?"
And that part about AA – gonna come up again, I have everything planned xD