Aaron couldn't help but feel anxious about returning home. It was Valentine's Day, and if the jet was quick enough, he could maybe pop into the florist he used, pick up a bouquet of roses, and then head over to see Erin. He had already called Lauren to ensure that it would be all right for him to get there a little after seven, and she had agreed, and Patti Jo to make certain that she'd have a few roses left for him when he swung by the shop, so all he needed was the case to wrap up and the jet to have a great tailwind to get them to their destination as soon as possible.

"You are certainly distracted today, Hotch. Hot date with Beth tonight?"

He looked up at Rossi, giving him a small nod, knowing that the white lie was better than telling him that he was anxious to get home and visit their boss in rehab. There was no way that he would understand that, and if anyone else on the team overheard him talking about Erin in a tender way, they'd think he had gone completely off the rails, and disparage her in the process. "That is the plan, if we can just get this wrapped up."

"I will do everything in my power to make certain that happens," Rossi replied as he reached out and clapped him on the shoulder before heading over to the coffee pot and pouring himself a fresh mug of the brew. Just as he took a sip, their phones vibrated in tandem, and he knew that there had been a break in the case. Pulling out his phone, he looked at the display and saw that Morgan was calling them, and he answered.

"I'm sending you my location now, we have found the unsub, and will need your backup."

"We'll be there as soon as possible," Aaron answered before slipping the phone back in his pocket. Nodding to Rossi, they made their way out to the car and he drove at a breakneck pace to where Morgan was, quickly getting things under control and taking the unsub down.

"I told you that I'd have you home in time for your date," Rossi said as they boarded the jet. "There are two hours separating us from home, and you are not to worry about doing any of the paperwork for this case. I will handle it, and maybe Morgan will help if I twist his arm hard enough."

Aaron smiled a little as he nodded. "If not, I'll finish it up on Monday."

"No, we have this." He nodded to his friend and made himself comfortable in his seat as the pilot took off, bringing them home. While they were flying, he called Patti Jo and let her know when he would be by before texting Lauren and giving her an ETA. "Getting everything ready for your date?"

He nodded as he read the woman's reply, smiling as he shoved the phone into his pocket. "Yes, I just had to confirm a few things, like my rose order."

"That's romantic," Morgan said as he dropped into the seat next to Rossi. "I take it that you have a hot date planned, then."

He just raised an eyebrow at the man until he backed off before settling back in his seat and staring out the window to watch the clouds swiftly pass by. Soon enough, they were landing at the airstrip, and Aaron hurried off the jet, grabbing his bag and driving off into the night without much of a backwards glance, his thoughts centered only on Erin.

"I stayed open late, knowing that you were coming. LeRoy has supper waiting for me."

"And I appreciate that you stayed open late," he replied as he paid before taking hold of the roses. "This is gorgeous. I don't know where you found roses like this."

"I may have saved the best for you, since this is the fourth order in a short amount of time from you. You must really love her, whoever she is."

Those words took Aaron aback, and he could tell that his surprise showed on his face. "I do care for her, yes, but I don't think it's love. Not yet." Patti Jo gave him a knowing smile, and he shook his head. "Honestly, we're just good friends at the moment, as I want to build something a little more solid than my previous relationship."

"All right. But I'll look forward to creating a new bouquet for you soon enough," she said as she showed him to the door. "Have a good Valentine's Day." He nodded as she locked up the shop before going back to his car and continuing on to the facility and Erin.

Lauren answered the door and gave him a wide grin. "She's waiting for you in the dining room. It's a little late for supper, but there's always time for dessert."

Aaron fought to keep from rolling his eyes as he moved past the woman and slipped out of his jacket, hanging it on the coat tree before heading in the direction that Lauren pointed. The table Erin was sitting at had a small candelabra in the middle, while the rest of the lights were dimmed, and he knew that just had to be Lauren's influence. Shaking his head a little, he approached the woman and held out the roses. "Pretty flowers for a pretty woman?"

Erin smiled, a blush staining her cheeks as she accepted the bouquet. He watched her breath in the heady scent of the flowers as he took a seat, a tender smile spreading across his lips. "You just brought me flowers last week, I didn't need more."

"Yes, well, I'm not one for fancy chocolates, so this was the next best choice. Though I can stop…"

"No, I love them, I just don't want you to feel like you're wasting your money on me."

The tender look on her face had him instantly shaking his head. "It's not a waste to bring you a few moments of happiness in this dreary setting. Except it seems that Lauren wants things to be romantic tonight."

"She is persistent, I'll give her that. But can we say that she's wrong?"

That was the first time that Erin had brought up the fact that things were perhaps moving in a direction that surprised both of them, and he shook his head a little. "I don't think that she's wrong, either. But I know that I want to tread lightly, so as not to derail your progress here. Because your health is the only thing that matters in the long run."

Erin nodded as she picked up her fork and began to flake off a piece of the cake in front of her. "I'm glad that we both understand how important this process is to me. But if you promise that we'll work this process together, perhaps we can see where this is headed. Because I would very much like that." He slowly nodded as he began to eat his own slice of cake, finding it delicious. Once the dessert was gone, he knew that Erin would have to go back to her room, and that he would have to head home, and he found that he was regretting the need to go home so soon.

"I suppose that this is the end of our evening together," Erin said as she pushed the plate away from her, getting to her feet. Aaron quickly stood as well, feeling anticipation fill his body as he continued to look at her. "Thank you for making this day end in such a special way."

"You're welcome, Erin." He took a step forward, one arm wrapping around her body as he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her. It was a tender, gentle, kiss, but then she was deepening the embrace as she spread her hands out on his chest, her fingertips digging into the meat of his chest as his other arm encircled her waist, tugging her close as he slipped one hand down to cup her ass.

She pulled away from the kiss after a few minutes had passed, and he felt her breaths wash out across his skin as she stared up into his eyes. "I, I need to go now. I'll see you soon?"

"Yes," he replied as he stepped away from her and headed towards the door. "I will be back soon, I promise."

"And you always work hard to keep your promises," she murmured as he left the room, and he felt a warmth spread through his body at the clear trust Erin had for him with that statement. And suddenly, he wondered just how well Patti Jo had seen into his heart to know that the first stirrings of love were starting to take root in his heart.