Someone like you

He had found the vegetarian restaurant after many hours of searching online for one in the area. When he had finally found a place, he had stopped in a couple of weeks beforehand to grab some food to sample and see if it was any good. Luke had been pleasantly surprised by just how delicious the food was and it made him eager to take Penelope in for lunch. This had been their first visit together and from the way she had reacted to the food he knew that he had done well in finding the place and that they would likely make it a regular lunch spot. They had now been seated in the quaint café for nearly two hours enjoying the food and having their usual wide range of conversation.

"I don't know if you're aware, but she was flirting with you," Penelope spoke this as she leaned more over the table and spoke in a lowered voice. She then shot her eyes to where the petite blonde waitress stood at the counter after she had topped off their drinks. Luke simply nodded his head as he took a bite from his sandwich, grabbed a napkin, wiped at his mouth, and then took a sip from his lemonade. He had noticed as this same waitress had waited on him whenever he had come in before, and she hadn't been all that subtle with her flirting. "And she's very pretty too, right?" She continued and he tossed her a slight smile with no affirmation to what she had asked, as he looked directly across the table and locked eyes with her. "You should ask her out," He scowled up a little at her suggestion but kept the smile on his face. "C'mon, Luke, you told me there hasn't been anyone serious since Lisa, and that ended a few years ago. Don't let this go to your head 'Newbie'," She teased and his smile widened a little. "But you're a major hottie and you have the whole 'Latin lover' thing going for you, which is a fantasy for a lot of ladies," He arched his brow a little at that nugget of information that seemed like her own confession. "So, it's time to get back out there, and find your someone."

"Well, what about you?" Luke asked casually as he lifted his drink and took another sip while he watched her curiously over the brim. He fully expected her to misunderstand his question.

"Me? No, we're not talking about me, Mister," She spoke as she shook her head and grasped her drink, took a sip, and then settled the glass back atop the table. "Besides, I got back out there not so long ago and I got burned 'again', remember?" Luke's smile faltered at her words. Over the past 6 months that she had come back to the BAU to work the Sicarius case and had decided to stay on, they had grown closer than they ever had been before. During this time, she had told him about her few past relationships and it baffled and sometimes angered him to hear how she had been treated. He thought she was so amazing and that any guy would be so lucky to have her as theirs. He wanted her as his. "You do remember Tyler Green, don't you?" Luke's face soured at hearing the name and he rolled his eyes a bit. "Right, exactly! I thought that what Battle did to me, pretending to like me just to shoot me was the worst feeling. But what Tyler did felt even worse because deep down I knew he was just using and manipulating me to get inside intel on the case, and 'I' let him do it."

"So, that's it, you're swearing off romance, love, and a happily ever after?" He questioned.

"For myself, yes, but I plan to live vicariously through my friends," She said this as she pointed at him and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Case in point, you should ask that waitress out because just based on the way she keeps glancing over here at you, she would definitely say yes," Penelope said as she hoped to change the subject and take the focus off of her and her nonexistent love life.

"Well, I'm not interested in her," Luke replied and Penelope's brow furrowed.

"Why the hell not? She's drop-dead gorgeous."

"But that's not the only thing I want in a relationship, Penelope."

"Yeah, I know but it sure helps if your significant other is attractive, doesn't it?"

"Look," He took a deep breath and then rested both of his elbows on the table as she leaned in closer. "The truth is there is a woman that I'm interested in," This news caused Penelope's eyes to double in size and a mischievous smile to curl her lips.

"Oh, do tell."

"Well, she's amazing," He began with the goofiest of smiles plastered on his face. "And she is drop-dead gorgeous too," He proclaimed as he repeated her words. "She's also sexy, very smart, has the biggest heart, and she is so kind and generous," He continued with a smile as he looked off as if lost in a memory, and Penelope found herself smiling along with him as she listened to him. "Oh, and she's really funny too, and without even really trying to be. She always makes me laugh whenever I'm around her."

"Wow, this sounds serious," She said as she reached over and gently swatted at his arm. "You never mentioned that you were seeing someone, Luke … Wait," Penelope's frown returned as she looked at him. "How are you seeing someone when we're always hanging out?"

"Well, I haven't actually gotten around to asking her out yet. I've just been admiring her from afar," Luke confessed.

"Oh my God, it's me, isn't it?" Penelope pushed out with her face horror-stricken, and Luke's face held a similar look as he sat silently with enlarged eyes unsure of what he should say. "I'm the reason you haven't asked her out, aren't I? It's because you've been spending all of your free time hanging out with me, trying to cheer me up. And you've been neglecting your own social life. Oh no, I've been cock blocking you. I'm a cockblocker," She exclaimed lowly with a serious look on her face and Luke couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out. "It's not funny Luke. I do enjoy your company, and I never thought that would ever be something I'd say, but it's true. I mean, you've become one of my closest friends these past months."

"Yeah, and I feel the same way too. I enjoy hanging out with you, Penelope."

"But you shouldn't give up your personal life to do it. Now, I feel like I've been throwing some pity party and you've been my only guest," She stated and he frowned and reached his right hand across the table and placed it on top of her left hand.

"No, it hasn't been like that at all. I spend so much time with you because I want to and I truly enjoy your company. And I've had plenty of opportunities to ask my 'crush' out. I just don't know how to do it again."

"Again?" Penelope chimed in quickly. "You asked her out before and she turned you down?" She further questioned becoming angered by the thought of some hussy rejecting Luke, whom she had come to regard like a best friend and family.

"Not exactly, she just kindly told me she wasn't interested in having a romantic relationship with me, and I completely respected that. I mean, the heart wants what the heart wants, right?" He tossed on something from one of their past conversations about Tyler Green as a way to make her understand and she nodded her head to his words. "Not every woman I like is going to like me back, and I'm okay with that. So, I tried to let the thought of being anything more than a friend fade, but sometimes I get this feeling that she does like me, but I'm just not sure, you know?" Again, she nodded at his words because she had been there many times herself. "And what if I ask her out again and it freaks her out to the point that she tells me that she doesn't even want to be my friend anymore?"

"Don't ask her out again because she's clearly an idiot," She proclaimed and pulled a chuckle from Luke's lips as he raised both brows while he regarded her. "Luke Alvez, you are an Adonis," He smiled kindly at her complimentary words. "And you are kind and considerate, employed, and you have Roxy," They both chuckled at that bit. "You're quite the catch. So, you shouldn't be afraid to ask any lady out, and if any woman doesn't appreciate what you have to offer, then forget her."

"Believe me I have tried to forget her, but she's pretty unforgettable, and I do plan on asking her out again I've just got to figure out how to do it."

"You grow a pair and just do it," She said with a smirk as she playfully rolled her eyes at him, while he smirked back at her.

All right then, how should I do it, oh wise one?" He asked very curious to know her thoughts about it. He felt like he was committing insider trading but he didn't care if it would get him what he wanted in the end. "How exactly should I ask her out?"

"Had you asked me that three years ago I would have said spend a couple of weeks sending her flowers, leaving her sweet little notes, you know to soften her up, and then finally ask her out. Now, I say life is too short. You could be here today and gone tomorrow so you should just carpe diem it up," Penelope said. "Go right up to her, grasp her hand in yours, look her dead in the eyes, and tell her exactly what is in your heart, and then lay a juicy kiss on her," She waggled her brows as she said this.

"And what if she smacks me?" Luke countered though he was positive that wouldn't be the reaction.

"Then she's definitely not interested in you romantically and you should never, ever broach the subject with her again," She answered and he grew somber at the thought as he nodded in agreement. "But what if she smiles, Luke?" She mimicked said smile as she spoke this and he reciprocated her smile as he gazed at her. "Or even better, she kisses you back? So, you should go for it."

"You really think I should?" Luke questioned.

"Yes, I really think you should. Just speak whatever is in your heart," She replied with a nod of her head. After a moment's pause, Luke took a deep breath as he nodded his head and averted his eyes down to her hands which rested atop the table. He then reached across the table and gently grasped her hands into his and then looked her dead in the eyes.

"I love you," He proclaimed in a slightly shaky voice. "And I don't mean a platonic kind of love, I mean that I am in love with you, and I think I have been since the moment I met you. I've wanted to tell you for a long time now. I've even imagined different ways that I would tell you but I just never worked up the nerve to. But life is too short and honestly, I'm just really tired of being set up on dates with women that I know I will never have anything significant with because the entire time I'm with them I'm thinking about and wanting to be with you. You may not feel the same way about me, and that's okay. You still deserve to know how I feel about you, and if you ever give me the chance, I would spend the rest of my life doing everything in my power to make you happy. And you'll always know how much I love you," He finished his words, took a deep calming breath, and waited for her reaction.

"Luke, that was … wow," Penelope tried to find the words as she clutched her free hand to her chest. "That was so beautiful. I hope you remember all of that because you need to tell her those exact words, just the way you said them to me because there's no way she would ever reject you after hearing that," He was a little surprised by her words and again she invoked a laugh from him.

"Penelope Garcia, how can you be so smart but so thick-headed sometimes?" He questioned as he continued to chuckle at her and she furrowed her brow and frowned up in offense and confusion to what he had said. She opened her mouth to tell him off but he didn't give her a chance to. He hurriedly leaned across their table while he tugged her hand which he still held in his grasp. He then captured her lips with his and engaged her in a soft, sweet kiss. It pleased him to hear her gentle moan and then he became filled with elation when he felt her tongue graze his lips, which prompted him to part his lips and deepen their kiss. After another moment he reluctantly pulled from the kiss and then watched her as she sat across from him with her lips parted and her eyes closed. When she finally slowly opened her eyes again and looked across to him, she graced him with the prettiest smile. And a huge smile also spread across Luke's face.

The End