Penelope traced hearts into Luke's shoulder while he slept. Last night had been the best of her life and seeing his sleeping form beside her made her heart swell. His hair was messy but his face look relaxed. His arm was draped over his forehead and he looked to innocent. Penelope loved that she was able to see this side of him. She was in trouble. Penelope was hopelessly in love with Luke Alvez.

His eyes squinted open at the sunlight through the window. With a yawn and smiled and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her into him. Luke kissed her forehead.

"Good morning," his voice was hoarse from sleep. "How did you sleep?"

"The best I have in years." Penelope kissed him gently.

"What do you think about getting a key to my apartment?"

Penelope sat up. Her hair a mess from the evening activities. Her lips parted in surprise.

"To let myself in? Here? Whenever I want?"

"Usually that's what having a key means," Luke chuckled. "We're already together all the time. We're working together, we hang out, and now this, it just makes sense that you can come and go when you want. Maybe we can pick out a dresser for you. Keep some things here so you don't have to bring a bag every time."

"You're going all domestic on me." Penelope gasped playfully. "Luke, are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"

"Maybe I am," Luke sat up. "If I asked you to be official with me, would you?"

"Hm, let me think about that." Penelope placed her thumb and finger on her chin as if she was thinking. "I think I would."

"Should we get brunch for the occasion? Before this moment gets rudely interrupted by work?" Luke climbed out from under the covers. Penelope's eyes traced the muscles of his back and she sighed with a smile.

Luke let her borrow a t-shirt from his closet and a pair of sweatpants. She felt comfy as could be in his clothes. She threw her outfit from the day before in the wash before they set out for brunch. There was a coffee shop down the road that they had a couple of times, but they also served breakfast before 12 p.m.

They sat by the window and watched the people pass by, in their line of work there was a hypervigilance while being out. Luke had ordered an americano with a bagel sandwich while Penelope ordered a caramel latte and avocado toast. He held her hand on the table as they waiting for their order.

"I thought you were in love with Derek." Luke studied her expression for any clues of her reaction.

"What?" Penelope coughed to play off the surprise. "Derek, like, Derek Morgan?"

"You hated me so much when I first started after Morgan resigned. I figured you wouldn't have really accepted anyone as his replacement, I had heard you guys were really close, and that there may have been some feelings there but he was seeing someone else. That was some of my hesitancy," Luke admitted.

"I loved Derek. I still love Derek but not that way. There was a time that I considered," Penelope trailed off. "But it just never happened."

"I don't know if I should say sorry or.. thank god," Luke exhaled as he spoke. He squeezed her hand. "It's his loss. You are the most amazing woman I have ever met. I was worried…I wouldn't live up to him for you."

"Luke. You don't have to compare yourself to anyone. I'm sorry for the way I treated you before. You're right, I was bitter about Derek being replaced and you were trying so hard to get me to like you and I was getting over those feelings. Then I did get to know you, and you are one of the greatest people to ever come into my life." Penelope smiled. Before Luke could respond, their brunch and coffees arrived.

It wasn't long into their meal that their texts from Emily came in calling the team together for an update. Luke tipped the barista and the pair headed off to Quantico.

-Garvez-

Luke grabbed water from the staff kitchen with JJ. She was talking about the morning dates she started having with her husband, Will, and how it's made their relationship a lot better. JJ informed Luke that with marriage comes managing work schedules, kids schedules, and then trying to find time for each other somewhere in the chaos. That it's easy to drift away, but it's important to work together to come back stronger than before.

"I think I want to marry her someday." Luke leaned back on the counter, water cup in hand.

"Penelope?" JJ sounded surprised.

"Yeah." Luke glanced over to JJ. "We've known each other for years, we've worked together, she knows me probably better than I know myself. I love her."

"Does she know this is how you feel?" JJ smiled.

"She knows I love her."

"If this was years in the making, then why wait?" JJ took her coffee and left Luke to ponder the question. Maybe she was right, he considered, maybe this was years in the making and it was time for him to commit, sure it's quick, but maybe this was how it was always meant to happen. As enemies, to friends, to best friends, to lovers.

-Garvez-

A year had passed since Penelope and Luke made their relationship official, not only to each other, but the rest of the unit. They had sat down with Emily to fill out the liability paperwork and it was approved without issue. She had decided to stay on at the BAU.

Their Gold Star case had been resolved, and Elias Voit was behind bars for the Sicarus network and all the people he had killed with his family safely in witness protection.

Penelope was rummaging through her pastel pink dresser amongst the gray of Luke's bedroom for her favorite tank top. When she couldn't find it, she decided to check his tank top drawer for something to beat the summer heat wave.

She found a green muscle tank that she had gotten him for his birthday, proclaiming he needed more color in his life and green would look great on him. Green wasn't usually her color, but she was desperate today with the 100 degree weather they had been having.

When Penelope pulled the tank top out a little box fell from the fabric. Penelope froze. The little jewelry box was a perfectly symmetrical square. Curiously, she took the lid of the box off to see a velvet purple ring box within.