This is going to be quite different as it has to do with arranged marriage. The thought popped into my head today and I quickly typed it up. It's an ongoing story at the moment and I don't know where it'll end up but I guess that is half the fun. I do have another story but I don't want to post it until I have completely finished, which is hopefully soon.

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or any of the characters. The following story is purely fan-made fiction.

✦XO✦

Penelope came out of the bathroom releasing her wet hair from the wrapped towel around her head. She watched Luke from his reflection in the mirror in front of her. He was sitting up against the headboard with his legs spread out straight in front of him and his laptop on his lap. It was his daily routine, come home from work, wash up, change, eat and sit on his laptop until it was time to sleep. She smiled at how predictable he was as she combed her hair. She knew exactly when and where to find him. Their been married for about a year now so being familiar with his routine wouldn't be surprising.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror as she slowly combed through her hair. About a year into this marriage and they were pretty much still strangers to each other. Their marriage was arranged by their family and friend. It was during her best friend Derek wedding that her family fell in love with him. He was reserved and quiet but there was this heart warming and alluring aura around him that didn't just capture her family but her attention as well. When Derek returned from his honeymoon, her very persistent father and sister asked Derek over for dinner to ask more about him. Her father really had this instinct that this guy was the one to calm and humble his rebellious daughter.

She turned on the hair dryer to the lowest setting so the noise didn't disturb him and began drying her hair. She needed noise, afraid she might sniffle and draw attention to herself. If her mother was still alive, she would of already been married close to 10 years by now with two little kids running around. But after her mother passed away, her father left the decision of marriage on her. He never pressured her even after his own family told him it was time she start settling down. But now she was over the age of thirty and she couldn't live her life alone. All her friend were married or engaged and she hardly saw any of them. Even her younger cousins were getting married. But she had refused to marry let alone even think of dating anyone after her last date. Her last date, Sam, whom she meet through a dating website, just wanted sex and was never interested in her. Which honestly broke the last thread of hope that she was able to be loved. She had believed in love so much but she also knew that not everyone was so lucky to receive it. She happened to be one of them. She only fell in love twice in her life, a puppy love with her high school crush and a very serious and real (fake for him actually) relationship that scarred her. She fell into to depression shortly after but faked her happiness to the world. She worked out her depression and lost a lot of weight. She went from being obese to overweight and it built her confidence. She tried dating again but all of them were just interested in taking her to bed on the first date and if they didn't the call for a second date never came. Which made her lost hope entirely and she finally believed she was one of those people who weren't meant to be loved.

But her father was right, she was beginning to feel lonely but she continuously refused to date or get married. When the topic of dating or marriage would come up she would end it by saying she was happy being alone and didn't want the responsibility of another. But deep down she was lonely and unloved. The love she received from her family and friend only went so far. She never really felt the true feeling of being loved by someone. She loved but never received love in return. What was wrong with her?

The night Derek came over to dinner, she was upset that her father would think of marrying her off to a complete stranger. Well he wasn't a stranger, he was one of Derek best friend and Derek promised her that Luke was a great guy. He was the only child to his parents who died when he was in college. The only family he had was his maternal uncle who lived on the other side of the country. He continued to tell them more about him when she got up and ran to her room. Her sister had followed her to her room and yelled at her for being stupid and stuck up. Penelope sat their taking everything her sister said to heart. Her sister never yelled at her before because she never gave her a reason to until then. She quietly sat there listening to her sister tell her how much her dad fought with his family to the point he stopped talking to them for a while because they were forcing him to get her married. How much her dad wanted to see her married regardless of the fact he told her he was happy whether she did or didn't get married. He didn't want to see her feel as lonely as he did after losing they mother. There will be a time where he would be gone and she would be left alone. When her sister calmed down she held her hand while sitting in front of her. She knew how much life had been unfair to her even though she never said anything about it. She was able to see it in her eyes. Her sister wiped Penelope tears asking to at least think about it that night as Luke paternal uncle would have been gone by the end of the week and they would only talk to them if she was ready.

The night of Derek wedding, her father had approach Derek and asked about Luke. To her father surprise Derek been meaning to bring up this topic months ago. He was hesitant since she refused to get married. Luke uncle was also looking to get Luke married. Luke had left the decision of marriage in the hands of his uncle. Penelope stayed up the whole night thinking about what her sister said. She wanted to be in love before she got married but honestly who was she kidding no one would ever love her. He would refuse her the moment he saw her like everyone before him. The next morning she walked over to her dad and agreed to meeting him.

She turned off the hair dryer and looked around the room from the reflection. This was the room Luke brought her to when her father, sister and Derek came to visit him and his uncle. She walked into the middle of the room trying to put as much distance between them as possible. She had her back toward him hoping he would let her down easy. When he spoke she quickly turned to look at him. Did he just say he is married. He corrected himself and began to tell her using the least amount of words possible. He was married to the love of his life, Scarlett, but she met with a tragic accident. He lost her and they didn't know it at the time but she was pregnant. He had lost his child too. Since then he had thrown himself into his work and his uncle into a frenzy of getting him remarried. She was surprised how someone could say so much in just a few words. But when she really looked it was his eyes doing most of the talking. He was a broken man who only found stability in his work. He was very much afraid of her as she was of him. She couldn't help but look down and nod in understanding. But what he said next broke her and also made her look towards him laughing. Of course he wouldn't be able to love her, who has. He was looking towards the floor with a guilty expression but looked up when he heard her laughing. He looked surprisedly hurt when she said she wasn't expecting to be loved. They looked at each other for a while and without exchange of any words came to an understanding. This was going to be more like a marriage of convenience. Both would get they family off their back about marriage and still live their lives as they see fit.

She got up and went to the kitchen to make tea and coffee for him. They had gotten married in court and never had a honeymoon. They made they appearance as husband and wife but at home they were pretty much stranger. She worked from home for an IT company. He worked for an import export company where he was on his way up to being managing director. She fulfilled her duty as his wife and he as a husband. It wasnt really hard to find their rhythm. He didn't have much expectations and his routine had become so predictable that she easily worked around it. The fear they had of the other disturbing the foundation they worked hard to build for they sanity soon faded. They danced around each other so easily that the first time they were intimate wasn't as nerve racking as they thought.

They both understood they both had needs even through they didn't love each other. He had been frustrated for a few days and he tried his best to hide it but she had been studying him. He spent a bit to long in the bathroom or the faucet in the shower would be turned to the coldest temperature when she went in after him. She finally approached him and asked him the reason for his frustration. He tried his best to avoid the truth but her pushing further lead him to pulling her into a kiss. He then quickly pushed away and apologized for being selfish. But she needed him as well. She sat in front of him quietly as she took off her top. He had questions in his eyes and to answer him she started unbuttoning his shirt. He grabbed her by the back of her neck again pulling her into a hungry kiss as she continued to try and unbutton his shirt. Sex was either love or lust but between them it was neither. She often thought about it in the beginning of the marriage. She didn't want to have to sex again that wasn't based of love. But he never pushed it and for it she was greatful. But after living with him she began to understand him and felt safe with him. Their first intimate night together, she didn't feel used like she did whenever she got intimate with her boyfriend in the past. His touch was gentle and caring but love was no where in sight. She found herself oddly fine with it. They woke up the next morning like nothing happened. But since then all it took was a touch of some sort or a look to express their need.

She poured the tea into her cup and grabbed his cup of coffee. She was happy with her life even if it was loveless. She walked over to his side putting it on a coaster he had on his table. She never used a coaster and thought it was useless. She often found him placing one under her drink until she began doing it herself. It was tiny things like this where they learned about each other habits. Like how he would come out of the shower and throw his wet towel on the bed instead of hanging it up. She would dramatically lift the towel in front of him and say wet towel hook and show him how it was done. It took a bit long but it soon became a habit to hang his towel the moment he came out of the bathroom.

She stopped and placed her tea down on the coaster she specially picked for herself that had a cute dog on it. She needed to do laundry. She walked to the bathroom and picked up the hamper and was walking towards they walk in clothes as she spoke to him, "Going to go do laundry, your clothes are in the suitcase." He mumbled a "hmmm" without looking up from his laptop. Of course his clothes were still in the suitcase. That was one thing she never got him to change about himself. But as an apology whenever he would leave the city he would always bring something back for her and leave it in the suitcase. So when she went into the suitcase to get his clothes she would find it. She wonder what he brought back today. It was lying right on top as usual. It was a squeaky black and white toy cat. She squeezed it with her back towards him as a way of saying thank you. She smiled as she placed it in her pocket. She would took out each article of clothing one by one checking its pocket because he was famous for leaving things in them. It was a short trip so there as only one outfit and pjs in the suitcase. The last to come out was a white shirt as she searched for it's pocket, she saw a red stain. She straighten the shirt in front of her to look at its sleeve. Her eyes widen when she found the red stain to be a lipstick mark. She felt her heart squeezing "I wont be able to love you" rang in her ears as she ran her thumb over it. She took a deep breath and threw the shirt in the hamper before closing the light to the closet and leaving the room without looking towards him.

✦XO✦