Episode: Memoriam

"But I do give good phone."

Hotch's head shot up, turning towards Emily, who gave him a sideways glance telling him to let it slide. By now he was pretty much used to Garcia's... antics, but that didn't mean he wasn't thrown every once and a while.

Hotch glanced back down at the case file, pushing all thoughts about phones, Garcia's antics and a certain brunette agent who was standing beside him out of his head. It would not have been very good if he had started linking those three things together into a coherent thought.

As they progressed through the conversation about Reid's dad, Hotch felt strange. It was weird not to be there, working a case with the other half of his team. At the moment it was just him, JJ, Todd, Garcia and Emily. He was feeling a certain lack of masculinity that he assumed came with the fact that his office was full of women. Of course, JJ and Todd going off training and Garcia was doing whatever she did during work hours while they weren't doing a case left Emily blissfully free to be engaged in discussion, which he had been debating as he had been sitting up in his office. Unfortunately for him, though, when Emily did come up to talk to him it was to tell him that Derek and Rossi needed them to consult on Reid's case.

He had never been so sure that something or someone was out to get him.

His mind flashed back to their earlier discussion, when he had also been sitting up in his office, this time going over new case files. Having been bored by that and looking around desperately for something to do, his eyes had landed on the trio standing in the middle of the bullpen, laughing and talking. Grabbing a case file off his desk, he wandered down towards them, catching just the end of their conversation.

"I think JJ may have snagged the last viable donor," The musical tone in Emily's voice made him perk up more than any cup of coffee would, practically forcing him to join the conversation.

"Donor for what?" He realised how intrusive he sounded as he glanced up from the file, eyes going straight to hers.

"Ah, nothing I'm just reacquainting Agent Todd here with the layout." JJ responded quickly. He filed away the fact that JJ was hiding something, intending to ask Emily when he got her alone.

Probably sometime in the next decade. Probably.

"Nice to see you again, SSA Hotchner," He found the formality weird. Nobody on his team had called him that ... ever.

"Ah, please, Hotch," He almost shuddered at the thought of someone spending the next month or so calling him that every time she saw him.

He left soon after that, seeing the conversation taking a turn. He left with an inaudible sigh, mentally trying to get his act together.

Hotch was snapped back to reality by Emily's voice as the call ended. Garcia was busy punching away at keys as he glanced at Emily who nodded towards the door. The two of them left quietly, Hotch blinking as he entered the brightly lit hallway. He had never really noticed how dark it was in Garcia's lair.

"Hey, want some lunch? I noticed you were busy with like, a million case files and I was going to grab something anyway," He turned his head towards Emily, who was walking over to her desk, pulling a wallet out of her coat.

He blinked. Once. Twice. Three times before stuttering out an answer.

"Uh, yeah that sounds good, thanks. I'll grab some money, hold on a sec."

"Nah, it's fine, you can cover the next coffee run. Preferably any that take place before 8 in the morning," She grinned at him, stuffing a bill into her pocket and waving at Hotch as she pushed out the glass doors.

Hotch wondered what Dave would say if he saw the way he was watching her walk off.

OoOoOoOoOoO

It was when she returned that he got his chance. Ah the wonders a sandwich could do for a man who was most definitely NOT in love with his subordinate.

"Here you go, one BLT for you on whole wheat. Is that coffee I smell?" Hotch smiled at the excitement in Emily's voice as she noticed the coffee that was brewing.

"Yeah, want some?" She nodded quickly, grabbing a clean mug from the rack. Just as she was about to reach for the pot, though, he stuck his hand in front of it.

"Nuh-uh, this better count as my payback."

"Right, 2 in the afternoon definitely constitutes before 8 AM."

"It's before 8 AM tomorrow. I think that counts."

Emily rolled her eyes, then with the lightning fast reflexes that came from about 12 years on the job, she dodged Hotch's arm and grabbed the pot, grinning to herself as she poured.

"You're getting slow in your old age, Hotch," Emily smirked as she sipped from her dark mug.

"And you're so much younger than me."

"What, are you calling me old?" Emily feigned hurt and Hotch rolled his eyes. There was a comfortable silence for a few moments as Hotch bit into his sandwich, noting how Emily hadn't even needed to ask for his order. She was always being perceptive, noticing little details like that.

Also he was still not in love with her.

"So, donor for what?" He bit into his sandwich to hide his self-righteous grin as Emily choked on her coffee, coming up gagging slightly.

"Blood donor," She replied, rubbing her eyes.

"Oh? I think there are lots of viable donors for blood. There's a blood bank just down the street."

"Really? Well I retract my previous statement, then."

"Ah, I'm glad. I donate blood sometimes and I'd hate to find out that I wasn't viable."

"I think you'd be a very viable donor," Hotch glanced up, meeting Emily's eyes for a fraction of a second, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Instead of elaborating though, she yawned and sat down.

Hotch sighed and began to busy himself making tea while he tried to figure out the enigma that was Emily Prentiss. He was still coming to terms about his feelings. Hell, it had only been about a month, but he was already trying to deny his feelings. He was sure Dave had caught on (hell, Morgan and JJ had seen them sleeping together). It wasn't like he'd actually acted on his feelings! It wasn't even like he had any plans of acting on them until he was sure. Until they both were.

Hotch glanced at Emily out of the corner of his eye as the water began to boil. She was sipping from her mug, looking out over the bullpen, a million miles away, the look on her face so serene that he had to fight to look back down.

Ok, so maybe he was a little bit in love with her.