Episode: Proof
"How's Reid?" Rossi pursed his lips thinly.
"He's angry and frustrated. I'm surprised everybody isn't." Hotch retorted.
"Eh, some of us had an inkling." Rossi smirked innocently as Hotch whirled on him, surprised.
"What? I'm good at what I do!" He paused, edging into untouched territory.
"So are you gonna get psychological counselling for the team or handle it internally?"
"No, I think that if we all just got together, maybe a cooking lesson at the home of one of-"
"Oh not you too."
"-to boost morale."
Rossi sighed. "Is this an order?"
"No!" Hotch replied gleefully. "It's just a ... it's a very... tempered suggestion."
"Yeah, tempered suggestion," Rossi grumbled, storming off. Hotch followed after him practically rubbing his hands with glee.
"Just what got you into this weird-ass mood, anyway, Hotchner?' Rossi growled, wondering if there was a scenario where it was possible for his house not to burn down.
"Maybe if a certain mansion became available for use I'd tell you," Hotch replied smoothly.
Rossi growled and stormed off, muttering something about burning tofu and a lack of alcohol.
OoOoOoO
"Well," Emily began carefully, sipping on her wine as the team drank theirs. "I actually have some news that I want to tell you guys before we get started on..." She paused, looking down at what Rossi had made. "Whatever this is."
"This is real Italian cooking, Emily."
"Yeah, no hate, Prentiss!" Derek grinned, plucking a noodle from Rossi's dish as the man turned to grab a towel to wipe his hands on.
"What's the news, Gumdrop?" Garcia interrupted, poking Derek and making him drop the noodle unto the counter.
"Um, I should probably correct that and say that we have some news," Emily bit her lip, tensing for the oncoming storm as she slid in beside Hotch, nudging JJ aside.
"No way..." the blonde at her side gaped and looked around wildly at the other members of the team, all of which looked as shocked as her.
"When did this happen?" Garcia cried, arms flailing in the air as she tried to get a grasp on what had just happened.
"After Emily got back," Hotch replied, arm sliding around her waist and tugging her closer to his side.
"Rossi, man, I can't believe you were right." Derek shuffled around in his pocket and pulled out a 50, slapping it into the older man's hand. Rossi folded it slowly, tucking it away in his own pocket, grinning at the couple.
"And that is how you gamble, my friends."
"Did you know that statistically around 40% of people say they've dated a coworker and 30% of those office relationships end in marriage?" Reid frowned, looking over at Hotch and Emily thoughtfully. "Are you two getting married?"
"Not yet, I don't think so," Hotch looked down at Emily and leaned down, planting a chaste kiss onto her lips. "Yet, being the operative word."
"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW." Garcia and JJ cooed as Derek rolled his eyes and Reid stood there, blinking and looking out of his depth.
"So I'm thinking we have one pair for cooking," Rossi cast a glance at the two and then scanned the rest of the team. "JJ and Spencer, you go together and Garcia and Derek..." Rossi frowned as Garcia pulled Derek into a hug. "Well, I'm sure you've got stuff covered."
The groups set their glasses down, grabbing ingredients and beginning to set to work. Rossi gripped Hotch's sleeve, pulling him away from Emily for a moment as she tossed a cooked noodle at Derek.
"Are you sure about this, Aaron? Isn't it just a little bit too soon?" Hotch stopped, the smile being tugged from his face.
"At first I wasn't. I didn't know what I was getting into. But I woke up the first morning of this case and when she wasn't at my side... we've only been together for a few days and already I just know, Dave. I know it may be sudden and maybe we still have a lot to work out but I'll do anything to make this work."
Rossi smiled at the younger man, his smile growing as Emily came over, poking Hotch for his sappiness and then taking his wrist and tugging him into the kitchen, the dark haired man laughing as Emily said something to him about the consistency of the water. For a moment it was picturesque, a snapshot of what their team really was.
And then Derek "accidentally" dropped half his plate of cooked spaghetti onto Rossi's head.
We Will Not Grow Old – Lenka
