"You sure know how to make a girl swoon, huh?"

Aaron smiled down to the younger woman walking by his s ide. He hadn't been able to get a spot right by the school that day so he had parked three blocks down, and his eyes immediately caught a familiar figure walking in the sunlight. Apparently Emily Prentiss had felt like it was too nice a day to spend her trip to school in a cab.

She had walked thirty blocks.

"Swoon?"

Emily blushed at the realization of the words she had used. "I know what I said," she defended.

Aaron gave a loud laugh, his eyes on his son who walked right before them. "I like to think I'm polite."

She bit her lip. Everything he had done for her in the few days he'd known her wasn't because he was polite.

"Or maybe it's something else."

The brown eyed woman knew he was looking down to her and could see her blushing, but she didn't try to hide it.

"Daddy! We're here!"

Aaron knelt to the ground and took his son into a hug. "Make me proud, boy." He playfully messed up Jack's hair and watched as he smoothed it back down before rushing inside.

Emily smiled up to the older man once he was standing again. "He seems like a very happy boy," the teacher commented, her breath picking up when she felt him step closer to her. "And he's one of my best students."

"Not too loud?"

The teacher laughed. She knew exactly what Aaron was saying.

Little Jack Hotchner sure was an excitable child.

"He's perfect," Emily said softly, looking up to her neighbor and watching as he smiled down to her. "Well I better get going."

Eyes widening, Aaron reached into the small bag he had been carrying, pulling out a shiny red apple for the brunette beside him. "I almost forgot," he chuckled, his eyes meeting the surprised ones of his neighbor. "A gift from Jack."

The brunette woman let out a laugh. "That's so sweet." She took the apple and held it in her free hand. "Well I'll tell him thank you."

Aaron took a breath, throwing the caution he had tried to make himself extremely aware of out the window as he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to the beautiful woman's soft cheek. "Have a good ay, Emily."

Emily knew he heard her let out a strong breath as he started to walk away, and she could feel her eyes practically bugging out of her head.

"Emily!"

The brunette turned around and saw Alexis staring at her from the gates, and she hurried over to her with her head shaking. "You'll never believe what just happened."

...

Walking into her apartment building, Emily flushed at the look her doorman was giving her. She knew he had watched her interactions with her handsome neighbor for the past few days, and the smile he was sending her made her heart beat faster. "Don't," she warned playfully, taking the letters that had arrived for her from the older man.

"What can I possibly say, Ms. Prentiss?"

She forced herself not to laugh at the innocence the older man tried to pull off, and her jaw dropped when she turned to see Aaron standing before her. "Aaron," she breathed, brushing her hair from her eyes. "Hi."

Aaron bit back his smile. "You seem surprised to see me. You know I live here too, right?"

"Right," she chuckled. "It's just, Jack told me his mother was picking him up so I didn't think I'd see you home so early."

Home. "I finished my work early," he nodded, his hand on the brunette's back so he could lead her up the stairs, and he smiled back to the grinning man who stayed by the apartments entrance doors. "How was work?"

Emily tried her best to keep her breathing in check as they walked up to the fourth floor of the building. "Easy," she laughed, "which is different."

"I bet," the engineer laughed loudly. He walked her to just outside her apartment door and leaned against the wall. "So I was wondering, would you like to have dinner with me Friday night?" Aaron watched her stop in the middle of unlocking her door, and he nodded. "I'd like to make up for the meal I left out in the hallway for you last night. That wasn't very polite."

The teacher could have laughed. "Are you kidding? You didn't have to do anything for me at all."

"I wanted to."

Biting her lip, Emily gently nodded her head. "Ok," she smiled, whispering the words as if someone were eavesdropping and she didn't want them to hear. "I'd love to."

Aaron grinned.

"Are we going to bring young Jack along? God knows he picks a good apple." Walking into her apartment, Emily grinned, hearing him laugh walking down the hallway just as she shut her door.