#derek morgan fiction

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Poor Competition

Pairing: Derek Morgan x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.4k

Warnings: fluff, minor angst

Summary: You and Derek have butted heads ever since you started at the BAU. Your team sets both of you up so that you're forced to confront your problems instead of running from it.

Square Filled: team dinner (2022) for @cmbingo

Author’s Note: any and all comments are appreciated <3

x

No one wants to say it out loud but they’re so sick and tired of your and Derek’s behavior lately. All everyone wanted to do was have a nice dinner together to celebrate the success of the most recent case, but you two are ruining it by bickering every five minutes. If it’s not about the food, it’s about each other's clothes. If it’s not about where the other lives, it’s about your work success.

You hate doing this to your friends but nothing you say will make Derek see that he is the one in the wrong. Every time you try to put your two cents in, Derek just has to comment about why he’s better than you. Derek did this, Derek did that. Derek is the one who caught the unsub even though it was your idea on how. Derek is the one who figured out where the unsub was even though it was based on your profile. It doesn’t seem to matter what you do, Derek just has to do it better in one way shape, or form.

It’s really pissing you off.

He’s been your rival ever since you started with the BAU. Things were civil in the beginning until he started to outshine you in everything. It didn’t matter what you did, he just had to do it better. He made you feel stupid so you gave him a taste of his own medicine. It’s been a battle that has never been settled between you. If he decides to hate you then you’ll hate him right back.

“I was given an office and moved out of the bullpen. It’s been amazing to have my own personal space.”

“You only got that office because Penelope felt sorry for you.”

“At least she was thinking of me.”

“I’m glad you moved out of the bullpen so I don’t have to hear every story begin with ‘So I hooked up with this one girl’.”

“Hey, that was one time!”

“Will you two stop?” Emily explodes with annoyance. “I’m going to speak for everyone here that we’re tired of your bullshit. Work it out or you’re not invited to anything anymore.”

You feel bad that this bickering is affecting the rest of the team. You and Derek lower your heads in shame as the rest of the conversation continues.

“We’re sorry,” Derek sighs and shovels a fork-full of food into his mouth.

After the dinner is over and you’re back home in the sanctuary of your home, you get a message from JJ.

Hey, do you want to go with me to the carnival in town this weekend? I think it could be good to go with Will and the kids.

Sure! Sounds like fun.

Cool. I’ll text you the time later when we figure it out.

The rest of the work week went by slowly because you and Derek were always fighting. The only thing you’re looking forward to is spending time with JJ, Will, and the kids. You show up at the carnival twenty minutes early just in case there is a long line to get in.

Hey, I’m here. Where are you?

By the ticket line.

You push through the crowd to get to the ticket line but you don’t see her. Usually, Henry runs into your arms as soon as he sees you but you don’t get that greeting. You turn to check out another place when you run into a hard chest. You look up to apologize to the person but see it’s Derek.

“Oh, it’s you. What are you doing here?”

“Reid asked to hang out here. What are you doing here?”

“JJ asked me to hang with her and the kids.” It doesn’t take a genius to figure out you two have been set up. Everything has been paid for but if Derek is the only one who is going to be here, you’re not staying. “Let’s just leave.”

You turn to leave when Derek scoffs loudly.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He points to the gate entrance where Hotch and Rossi are standing on either side of it to prevent you two from leaving. “Looks like we’re stuck here.”

“Yeah, we’re stuck but we don’t have to be stuck together. Let’s stay a few hours separately and then leave together.”

“That’s the first smart idea you’ve had,” he says sarcastically and leaves your side.

You mock him in a deep voice before going off on your own. It’s fun going on rides by yourself without having to worry about another person but that gets old very quickly. You hate going to these things alone because you want to enjoy it with someone who gets excited to be here. You love rides and carnivals but it’s not as fun without someone to enjoy it with. The games get boring and meaningless without someone to impress.

You stop to grab some cotton candy, your favorite carnival snack. The only thing you’re looking forward to is riding the Ferris Wheel alone. The sun is setting which makes getting on the ride the perfect time. There is already a long line by the time you get there but you wait patiently for your turn. Someone bumps into you from behind causing you to smack into the person in front of you.

“I’m so sor--oh, it’s you,” you sigh.

“Why are you following me?”

“I’m not. You just happened to be in the same line as me at this exact time. It means nothing.”

You go back to eating your cotton candy and minding your own business when you feel eyes on you. You look around and lock eyes with a much older man by the bathrooms. He is leaning against the wall right by the women’s restrooms. He might be waiting for someone but with the way he’s looking at you, you doubt it. 

He smiles creepily so you move to the left and out of view of him. However, he moves to the right so he can look at you some more. You shift closer to Derek until you’re practically touching him.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asks and looks at you.

“Sorry,” you sigh and move back into the man’s view.

You peek over at the man who is still staring at you. Derek looks over to see what you’re looking at and sees the man. He immediately steps out of line and approaches the man calmly. Derek leans close to the man and says something that causes the man to look back at him in fear. Before Derek is done talking to him, the man scurries off and disappears into the crowd. Derek smirks slightly and walks back to his place in line. You hide your smile behind your cotton candy but Derek sees.

“Shut up and eat your cotton candy before I pour water on it.”

That makes you smile even more. You two get to the front of the line, but fate has it that you’re stuck sitting in the same car. Derek sits on one side of the car and you on the other and no words are being said. The Ferris Wheel lifts you higher so you can get a better view of the beautiful sunset. The light hits your face at the right angle making your skin glow.

“What?” you sigh, feeling his eyes on you.

“Why do you hate me?”

That question shocks you from how sudden it is.

“That’s not the question you should be asking. The question is why you you hate me?”

“What? I don’t hate you. Why would you think that?”

“Are you serious? Ever since I started at the BAU, you’ve always had to one-up me. You just had to be better than me. You did it the first chance you got. You embarrassed me in front of everyone, and it doesn't matter what I seem to do, it’s not good enough for you.”

Derek never realized what he was doing to you. You were only like this way toward him because he was doing it to you. He feels really bad once he realizes how much this affects you.

“I thought you were trying to one-up me all the time.”

“Wow, what a couple of idiots we are,” you chuckle. “So, we’ve been fighting for nothing?”

“Seems like it.”

“Wow,” you nod and look down.

Derek slides from his side of the car to yours.

“Can we start over? You’ve done some pretty amazing things for the team. I’d like a chance to get to know that part of you.”

You look up and notice the way the sunlight is making his dark brown eyes shine.

“I’d like that,” you smile.

Funny how all it took is a conversation for you and Derek to become the best of friends.

x

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[hotchsreader]

Small Things

Word Count: 1.5k

Quick little fic about jjxreader

You're having a bad day, and JJ notices. She brings you into her office for a quick talk, a talk happens but so does a kiss...

Link on ao3

Today had been a clusterfuck. Everything you thought you had all planned out for the day started unraveling the minute you stepped through the doors of the BAU. JJ had gone over the case you guys were taking the night before, but since the need to travel wasn't needed due to the case taking place so close to home, the team was able to go home to sleep and get there early to plan the way they were going to handle everything. The problem arose when a new victim had turned up, even though they had gone over everything related to the case and never saw something like this happening. you started to feel like there was something you had missed, and that this girl dying had somehow been your fault. 

“Are you okay?” You heard Spencer behind you, not getting too close to protect you from the others noticing something was wrong.

“Yeah… yeah I’ll be fine Spence. Thanks for asking.” You didn’t even look up at him, you just rearranged a few things on your desk hoping that he would get the hint and leave you alone. You wanted to desperately to be left alone and to deal with things on your own. You were never one to ask for help, and today was not the day you were going to start. 

“Hey.” You heard a softer voice speak behind you. You wanted to turn around and yell in anger but you knew who was there, and you never wanted to hurt her. She meant well and was just checking on you. 

You turned around, with tears in your eyes, and looked at her. She didn’t say another word. She came up to you, grabbed your hand, and led you up the stairs to her office. That was how the two of you worked most of the time, words were no longer needed, and all it took was a second to see how the other was acting to gauge what was needed. JJ knew if you were out there for any longer, you would have a meltdown, and it would absolutely embarrass you to the point of no return if that were to happen. 

As soon as you both entered her office, she set you down in a chair and she sat in the one opposite you. She held your hand and looked up at you, her face a mix of concern and empathy. You hated when people looked at you with concern, you wanted to be the person no one had to worry about, you could handle everything on your own, and JJ knew that. But here she was, worrying about you because no matter how hard you tried to prove to her that you didn’t need anyone to care about you, she refused to listen to you. You wanted to keep your head down and to look at your legs instead of up at JJ but you knew she wouldn’t let you do that. You forced yourself to crane your neck up and look at her, and as soon as you did a tear rolled out of your eye and you flung your hand up to stop it from going any further. 

“What is going on?” She asked, not in a harsh tone, but in one that you knew meant she wanted the truth and not some half-assed answer you would give anyone else. 

“Today didn’t go how it was supposed to JJ, we were supposed to find the Unsub before anything bad happened again. This all feels like I failed somehow. I feel like I was supposed to stop this from happening, I had it all planned out how we were going to catch him but he still managed to take another girl's life before we could.” The last few words came out broken through the sobs that were tearing their way out of your body. You had tried so hard to keep them in, but in front of JJ, it didn’t matter how hard you tried. She had this way about her that made you feel comforted and safe, and your emotions knew you didn’t have to hide around her. She was the type of person who could break down walls you or she didn’t know were there. She was herself, and it brought out the best in everyone around her.

“What happened today was not your fault. It was no one's fault. We cannot fully predict another person’s actions no matter how hard we try. We can try our damnedest but sometimes people act irrationally under pressure and they do things that even we as profilers cannot see happening.” She rubbed her thumb over your knuckles to keep you grounded in what she was saying, to keep you present. You knew from the moment you stepped foot in this office that she would be able to make you combat the hard feelings that were swirling around in your head. 

“Also, asking for help does not make you weak. You are the strongest person I know, even now with tears running down your face, actually especially now.” 

You sighed, “You’re just saying that to make me feel better aren't you?” 

She didn’t smile. She looked stone-faced, which made you a bit nervous, scared that you somehow had made her mad at you, which was the absolute last thing you wanted.

“I am completely serious here. You are a strong person, and your being upset right now shows how much you care about your job and the people you help. That is something that no one can take away from you and something that shows the amount of strength you have to be able to continue to do this job every single day.” She didn’t break eye contact with you the entire time she spoke. Her face had begun to get softer the more she spoke to you, showing how genuine she was about how she felt, about how strong and caring you were.  

You both just sat there for a few moments, you soaking in what she said, and her letting you deal with whatever was going on in your mind. You never really understood why it was so hard for you to ask for help, or why you held yourself to such a high standard. You would never think poorly of one of your teammates for crying or even just having a hard time on a case. You would think they just simply cared about their job enough to still be human and have strong emotions. 

“I know you’re going through your feelings right now, and just know whenever you’re ready to talk, or even if you just want to sit here and be together I can do whatever. I also have some cheese puffs in my drawer over there if you want some.” 

This made you smile, “JJ, you have my favorite snacks in your drawer?”

A blush passed over her cheeks, which filled you almost with a sense of pride that you made her happy. 

“I maybe have your favorite snack in my drawer, and I maybe bought them when you told me what your favorite snack was. I wanted them in case you ever needed or wanted them.” She turned her head away from you for a second and you just sat there and smiled at her.

JJ was the first person on this team to make you feel appreciated and that made you feel a part of the team. She was the type of person who would make every single person in the room with her feel comfortable and allow them to have time to speak. If someone talked over someone around her she would make the point to make sure they got the chance to speak about whatever they were trying to say. She was just simply put, a good person. Of course, she had your favorite snack in her drawer, only she would. 

When she turned her head back to you, you leaned forward and kissed her. It was a soft kiss at first, allowing her to back away if she didn’t feel the same way about you. Once she pressed harder into you and deepened the kiss you knew it was over for you both. The kiss quickly became more passionate. You pressed your hand against her cheek and she ran her fingers through your hand, pulling a bit which made a moan escape your lips. You could feel her smile against your mouth. You went to reach to move her top off of her shoulder when you both heard someone walk by her office and Hotch, your boss, began talking. 

You quickly stood up, began to rearrange your clothes, and fix your hair. You smiled down at JJ who was looking up at you with stars in her eyes. She started laughing a mix of panic and just pure amusement. Neither of you planned for this to happen. It was just a friend helping a friend in need, and then it progressed to what felt like two school girls doing something while the principal was doing his rounds. It honestly was the best thing that came out of this terrible day. You couldn’t have asked for anyone better to make everything feel right again. 

You reached down and kissed JJ on the forehead, “That was…”

JJ didn’t hesitate to finish your sentence, “Yeah.” With a quick smile, you both walked out of her office, knowing you were going to finish that later.

[oneshotnewbie]

❝𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐬❞

𝐸𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝑥 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟 (& 𝐵𝐴𝑈 𝑇𝑒𝑎𝑚)

𝐴𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒: 𝐽𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑎𝑠 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦.

𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑡: "𝐼 𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝐻𝑜𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑘. 𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 „𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑠“? 𝐻𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡. 𝐼 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛. 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑢𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚 – ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑."

ᕚ---ᕘ

"Emily." you called quietly, but with an undertone that was unmistakably frustrated. You stomped down the stairs from Hotch's office and walked past everyone else on the team, your goal strictly set on the black-haired girl. "We need to talk."

Emily Prentiss looked up, her eyes flashing with amusement as she saw the seriousness in your face. She was sitting at her desk, organizing some files, but it was obvious that she had been waiting for this confrontation - yes, maybe even enjoying it.

"Oh?" she leaned back in her chair, folded her arms under her chest and gave you a challenging grin. "What have I done now?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." You folded your arms too and took a step closer. "I asked you yesterday to tell Hotch that I wouldn't be coming because I was sick."

"And I did," Emily raised her eyebrows, acting innocent and casual. "Well, more or less." You snorted deeply when you heard her answer and let your arms fall to your sides. "What the hell did you tell him?"

Emily couldn't hold back the grin any longer. She practically beamed as she repeated the sentence that had obviously caused a lot more of a stir than she had originally expected. "I told him that you died for our sins."

For a moment, the room was completely silent. You stared at her with your mouth wide open, as if you couldn't believe what you had just heard. Then the pent up frustration burst out.

"Are you out of your mind? That really upset him, Em!" you raised your hands as if to illustrate the absurdity of the situation she had maneuvered you into. "He just hugged me! Aaron Hotchner hugged me!!"

The woman in front of you started to giggle, but you were far from finished. "He told me he was going to kill you in a shootout on the field! He seriously thought I was... dead. Thanks to you!" you emphasized the last word, as if you wanted to make sure Emily understood the full extent of the misunderstanding.

That was the moment when she finally lost control of herself. She pressed her lips together, her shoulders began to shake, before she suddenly burst out laughing. She threw her head back slightly and grabbed the edge of the desk with one hand, as if she had to hold on. Her laughter was loud and infectious, and it didn't take long for other team members to take notice.

"What's going on here?" Derek Morgan was the first to come over to you when he heard Emily laughing. He leaned casually against his desk and looked at you intently. "Someone wants to let us in on the joke?"

"Oh, believe me, you want to hear it," the black-haired woman gasped between her fits of laughter and you looked at her intently, your eyes shooting daggers at her.

Spencer Reid, who had just been working on his laptop, looked up curiously from his desk, already putting on his glasses and giving you a questioning look. "What happened?"

"Emily..." you rubbed the bridge of your nose as if you were trying to muster up the last bit of patience. "Emily told Hotch yesterday that I died for our sins instead of just telling him I was sick."

Morning let out a loud laugh as he processed the sentence. "Oh my god, that's epic. I wish I'd thought of that."

"Wait," JJ said, who had also come over and stood next to Reid, one hand holding onto his desk chair. "Hotch really thought you died?"

"Oh yeah," you confirmed dryly, biting your lip. "He was completely distraught. He hugged me tightly and said he didn't expect to ever see me again. That was really bizarre."

"I would have wanted to see his face," Morgan said, suppressing his wide smile as you gave him a deadly glare. "Hotch is usually so calm and collected."

"Not half an hour ago," you said, shaking your head. "It really shocked me when I saw him like that."

"It was just a little joke," Emily said when she finally caught her breath, even though the grin was still on her face and stretched across her rosy cheeks. "I thought he would understand."

"Emily!" you said in frustration, tilting your head to the side, rolling your eyes. "It's Hotch! Of course he didn't understand!"

Reid, who had been listening quietly and not interjecting until now, just shook his head, obviously confused. "But why did you even say that? What was the purpose?"

"I've had a tiring night and a long day. I needed some entertainment." she answered him simply, quickly turning her gaze back to you, grinning mischievously.

"Entertainment?" you raised an eyebrow, and braced your hands on her desk, bringing your face closer to hers. "You seriously made Hotch believe I was dead. It's a damn miracle that he didn't show up at my door in the middle of the night or that my phone didn't explode with messages."

"This may have gotten a little out of control," Emily finally admitted, raising her hands in a gesture of innocence. "But in my defense, it was a damn good joke."

"He hugged me," you repeated, stunned, shaking your head again as if you were still processing what had happened. You slowly raised your hands in the air, drawing a vague outline as if you were trying to reconstruct the hug. "He never does that. Never."

Morgan was now standing next to you, looking up from his phone before watching you. His eyes twinkled with amusement, as if he was waiting for you to realize at any second how absurd the situation really was. "I bet he was really worried. He may seem harsh, but everyone knows he cares about us like we're his children."

"Exactly," JJ agreed. "And if he really thought you were... well, you know, dead, then I can imagine that hit him really hard."

"Oh, I know," you said with a sigh and dropped your hands to your hips, the despair on your face replaced by a slight smile as you considered the absurdity of the situation. "He looked really upset. I didn't know what to say."

"How did you resolve it?" Reid asked curiously, tilting his head to the side and pushing his glasses up on his nose. He looked at Emily searchingly, as if he wanted to analyze every little reaction and consider the logic behind her actions. "I mean, it must have been a pretty weird moment."

Your fingers ran nervously through your hair as you took a step back, frowning in resignation. "I told him that Prentiss was lying and I was just sick. But he looked at me like I was a ghost."

"You should have just left it at that," Emily said, her laughter now completely dead and her shoulders relaxed as she looked past you to Reid. "That would have kept the tension going a little longer."

Your head snapped back to her and you glared at her. "I was about to shake him and tell him I was alive. He almost pinned me to the ground, that's how tight the hug was."

"The man is usually so stoic," said Morgen, shaking his head and his eyes wandering to the floor as if he was trying to keep himself from laughing again. "He'll never forgive you for that, Prentiss."

"I'm not sure I'll ever be able to talk to him normally again without him seeing me as a walking dead man." By now you were sitting on the edge of Emily's desk, your fingers tapping your thigh thoughtfully.

"Well," Emily said with a winking smile and placed her hand on your lower back. "You should just be glad he didn't arrange a memorial service for you right away like he did for me when I died."

JJ gave Reid a knowing look and laughed softly before placing a hand on his shoulder when she saw that he was still deep in thought. "It's fascinating how people react to such information. You'd think that a logical mind like Hotch would be immediately suspicious. But in a moment of emotion, he apparently took the information at face value."

"Spencer, sometimes you just can't act logically when you think someone you know has died," JJ said calmly as she gently tapped him on the shoulder.

"That was an extreme example," you replied, still shaking your head. "I really don't know what you were thinking, Em."

Emily shrugged and grinned cheekily at you. "Life is too short not to have fun. And besides, when else do I get the chance to annoy Hotch?"

"Scared?" you asked, needing to know if you had understood correctly. "He's ready to take you out on the field at the first opportunity..." you raised your hands again, this time to imitate a gun and pull the trigger with your fingers.

Morgen let out another laugh, followed by JJ. "Oh, I bet that'll be a fun conversation the next time he sees you."

Emily shrugged again, as if she didn't care at all. She grinned and reached forward to drop her hands from your waist and straighten some files on her desk. "I'll take the risk," she said casually, giving you another cheeky wink. "You only live once, after all."

You couldn't help but chuckle at that answer, though you bit your lip to keep it from happening. "You're incorrigible," you muttered as you pushed yourself off and slowly walked back to your desk.

"It's one of my many talents," Emily called after you, giggling softly once more. She reached for a pen on her desk and began to playfully twirl it between her fingers, giving Morgan and JJ an amused look. "And hey, you're still alive, so it's all good."

You sighed deeply again as you reached your desk and plopped down in your chair. As you immersed yourself in your work, your eyes kept wandering to Emily, who still had a satisfied smile on her face.

You turned to the others, whose faces were contorted in amusement and wide smiles. "Tell me, what's wrong with this woman?"

Everyone shrugged and scattered to their desks. It was clear that this incident would be a topic of conversation for a long time - and that Hotch might actually be plotting revenge.

[thisgirlisonfayeeer]

BAU!Reader Instagram (Pt. II)

note: aaahh!! thank you for the love for my first post! I'm quite fond of the instagram format posts so here's more 🥹🫶🏼

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mrshotch

BAU Jet

Liked by ahotchner, emprentiss and 24 others

mrshotch my team favorites ❤️

bbgirlgarcia I miss my kisses @/derekmorgan! 🥺

derekmorgan @/bbgirlgarcia almost home babygirl 😘

mrshotchner i left my phone for 5 minutes @/derekmorgan!! 😤 you two look cute though won't delete

jjlamontagne @/mrshotch right???

derekmorgan @/mrshotch 😇

emprentiss awww yuck i know for a fact I'm @/mrshotch's favorite

mrshotch @/emprentiss yes you are and I already miss you so much!!

ahotchner @/mrshotch not your husband?

mrshotch @/ahotchner you're also my boss so no 😁

derekmorgan smells like trouble in paradise 🫢

2 days ago

——————————

mrshotch

Banff

Liked by dave.rossi, dralexblake and 124 others

mrshotch 30 degrees out here yet somehow I feel hot 🥵 how did i get so lucky @/ahotchner 😍

dave.rossi good to see you kids enjoying your vacation

derekmorgan damn @/ahotchner 🔥🔥

emprentiss your camera might be broken how did @/ahotchner look this good?

ahotchner @/emprentiss 🙄

bbgirlgarcia 😮 our boss!! used!! an emoji!!

4 weeks ago

——————————

mrshotch

Liked by ahotchner, bbgirlgarcia and 34 others

mrshotch I asked him if he'd still love me if I was a worm, we had a long argument about it, and now we're good ☺️ love you @/ahotchner 💕

ahotchner I still don't know why you'd be a worm, but I'll love you the same sweetheart

bbgirlgarcia GOD I SHIP YOU TWO SO BAD 🥰🥰

doctorreid But that's not even a worm. That's a millipede which are arthropods under class diplopoda. Millipedes have legs which you can see right there. They have an exoskeleton whereas worms don't have them. Fun fact, millipedes are actually some of the oldest creatures to live on land.

emprentiss why did I even read all of this

doctorreid also what worm would you even be @/mrshotch? there are lots of worms which are classified under three main phyla: Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, and Annelida. I think Hotch will love you if you were an earthworm. But if you were a tapeworm or ringworm or any other parasitic worm, I don't think so.

derekmorgan @/doctorreid🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️

mrshotch @/doctorreid🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

jjlamontagne @/doctorreid🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

5 weeks ago

——————————

mrshotch

Liked by ahotchner, emprentiss and 63 others

mrshotch 3rd valentine's with the boss/husband 💕

mrshotch thank you @/bbgirlcarcia for hooking me up on the cute pen 🤗

bbgirlgarcia @/mrshotch just give us more hotch babies asap!

mrshotch @/bbgirlcarcia on it 😉

emprentiss @/mrshotch ew too much information

derekmorgan @/mrshotch ew too much information

emprentiss @/derekmorgan jinx u owe me a soda

ahotchner I love you, sweetheart

mrshotch @/ahotchner I love you too, bub 😘💕

7 weeks ago

[starsm00n]

I don’t care, if he has brown eyes. I’m on my knees.

[strawbeerossi]

Criminal Minds Masterlist

Navigation || Request a fic || Taglist

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A Secret Girlfriend (Spencer’s Version) || Fluff

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See It In Your Eyes || Fluff

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Daydreaming One + Two + Three || Fluff

One Shots

One Margarita || Fluff

[andreafmn]

Running in Circles | Chapter 11

Word Count: 3.5K Warnings: mentions of death and illness

Summary: (Y/N) Rossi is following in her father’s footsteps by joining the BAU team as a profiler. The girl genius knew almost everything but she could have never predicted falling for Aaron Hotchner, her boss, and her father’s friend. in their world mutual feelings are not enough to push them together. Will all the adversities and obstacles they face pull them together or push them apart forever?

A/N: slowly but surely rolling this story out... i refuse to DNF a WIP

<- Previous

David Rossi’s house had always been grand. At least for the better part of his life. But for (Y/N), it had always been massive. Even once she had grown up and moved out, she saw it as too big. She never had the feeling that she had imagined it bigger as a child. It had always been gigantic, and it would always be.

“You know, I made some fresh tagliatelle for today,” David smiled as he opened the car door for his daughter. “And I think it’s the best batch I’ve done in a long time.”

“It better be,” she teased jokingly. “Mom wouldn’t have accepted any less.”

“You’ve got that right,” he laughed. “She’d turn over in her grave if I ever made her pasta wrong.”

The Hotchner duo were already waiting by the front door when the Rossis arrived. Jack was the first to run into the house, claiming he was starving and needed to be fed. But as soon as the TV was on, it was like his hunger had vanished.

While the boy was entertained by some cartoon on the television, David ushered the other two outside. He took his cooking seriously and did not like much interruption when it was possible. So, with two glasses of red wine and a lit fireplace, (Y/N) and Hotchner sat on the back porch to talk.

“Morgan, Reid, and Prentiss are coming by later,” (Y/N) muttered out, trying to fill the silence. “JJ had a family thing, and Garcia is out of town.”

“I know,” he chuckled softly. “Dave told me when I was on my way to the cemetery.”

“God, I never want to think about today again.” Warmth crept up (Y/N)’s neck as embarrassment filled her veins. “I can’t believe I threw a tantrum like that at my age. I am absolutely mortified.”

“You don’t have to be, (Y/N). Grief isn’t always a pretty thing,” Hotchner said, taking her aback. “You’re allowed to feel what you feel, and sometimes it comes out in an ugly way. But it’s perfectly reasonable to have a break like you did. I mean, if it took this long, it was bound to happen sooner or later. And it was, in all honesty, not as bad as you think.”

“I yelled at my dad for simply being religious,” she sighed. “It was completely uncalled for. And I even did it in front of Jack. I can’t believe I did that.”

“I don’t think he’ll even remember after today,” he chuckled as he took a sip from his glass. “Seriously, (Y/N), it’s not something you even need to apologize for. I’ve seen and been worse than that.”

“I seriously doubt that,” the young woman snorted. “At least not the way I exploded today.”

“I’ve had my moments, (Y/N). We’re only human, at the end of the day,” the man shrugged as he absentmindedly slipped his hand over hers. “But you don’t have to feel bad for feeling strongly, and I know your dad definitely doesn’t hold it against you. All he cares is that you’re okay, and so do I.”

“I’m okay now,” she smiled softly, trying her best to conceal the red that was creeping up her neck. Thankfully, it was cold enough that she could blame the weather for her sudden change in complexion. “And I wanna thank you for coming today. I wasn’t sure you would.”

“Oh, Jack wouldn’t have let me live it down if we hadn’t gone,” he chuckled. His fingers interlaced with hers, squeezing softly and making her wonder. “He said we couldn’t leave you alone today. I mean, he was up long before I was.”

“God, I love that kid.”

“Yeah, he loves you too.”

There was a moment when their eyes met, and they couldn’t drop each other’s gaze. (Y/N) tried to find meaning behind the brown of his irises. Because he always left her wondering. Whether his lingering touches meant something more than comfort. Whether he showed his carefree side to her because he felt a different connection to her than the rest of the team. Whether stares like that one meant he was thinking the same way.

But the sound of David’s voice scattered the thoughts away, making the pair jump away from each other, their hands returning to their respective laps. “I brought some blankets to keep you guys warm,” he said as he placed the blankets on the arm of the couch and a tray on the edge of the fireplace. “I also brought you some cheese and crackers while we wait for the rest of the team to get here. They shouldn’t be long.”

“Thanks, dad,” (Y/N) smiled. “Did you have something to eat yet?”

“Oh no. I can’t spoil my appetite for later,” he chuckled. “I wanna make sure I savor tonight’s dish. I’ve been braising a chuck roast since this morning, and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into it.”

“Well, if there’s not much to do inside, why don’t you join us, Dave?” Hotch offered, much to (Y/N)’s dismay. “No point in you being by yourself.”

“As intriguing as that sounds, I’m not interested in spending my evening out in the cold,” the older man said before the sound of the door squeaked behind him. “But I think someone else might join you.”

“Hey, Jack. What’s up, buddy?”

00“I’m bored, dad,” the kid whined, draping himself between (Y/N) and his father. “And I’m hungry. I wanna go to (Y/N)’s house. She has toys there.”

“I’ll leave you to it,” David chuckled as he cheersed the man before disappearing back into the house.

“We can’t go to (Y/N)’s house right now, Jack. I told you we were gonna have dinner with David tonight.”

“But he doesn’t have any toys,” the boy complained. “His house is really boring.”

“Tell you what, little man,” (Y/N) interjected. “My dad may not have toys here, but he has a lot of stories about my mom, and today is about her, right?” The kid nodded eagerly. “Well then, let’s go invade his personal space.”

Jack grabbed (Y/N)’s extended hand, walking into the house with Hotch trailing behind with the platter that had just been set before them. They rushed through the kitchen and past the living room, looking for the one person who could talk about Iris’ past.

They had made it almost all the way to the man’s study before they found him in the hall, staring at a painting. Without turning his head, David started talking. “This is one of the first paintings Iris made in her garden,” he said. Before him hung a realistic painting of a small girl, a bird in her cupped hands, and an array of colorful flowers on the background. “I think it might just be my favorite.”

“Who’s the girl?”

“That’s me,” (Y/N) smiled at the boy. “When I was really, really little.”

“And your momma painted that?” Jack questioned excitedly. “It’s really pretty.”

“She did,” David responded with a sad smile. “She painted almost all the art in this house. She was a very talented woman, my Iris.”

“What happened to her?”

“Jack,” Hotch reprimanded his son. “I’m sorry, he…”

“It’s alright,” the man smiled. “She got very sick while she was pregnant with our little (Y/N). But the doctors didn’t catch it until it was too late because of that. After she gave birth, we started her on the most aggressive treatment we could, but it had spread too much, too fast. A little after (Y/N) turned three, she passed away.” “She was getting weak at the end, and a single painting would take her weeks,” he said. “You can see that they get smaller here by the end of the hall. But even if she couldn’t hold the brush for too long, she would…”

David’s voice drowned out as he continued walking with Jack, not noticing that his daughter stood frozen in her spot while he went on. There were things she knew about her mother’s past, but there were others he had kept hidden. Much like that one sentence, he had muttered absentmindedly to tell the tale of her mother’s demise.

Tears welled in (Y/N)’s eyes once more, this time sprouting from a deep well of emotion that she had trapped inside herself a long time ago. There was a part of her that always knew, that always felt as though she had been the reason her mother had died. But there had never been any confirmation, not a single word spoken to confirm what she had thought. All up until that day. Without even meaning to, her father had opened one of the deepest wounds she thought had healed.

She felt Hotch’s hands on her arms before she heard his voice, her mind hazing over as the thoughts flooded her head, making it close to impossible to focus on reality. “Hey, (Y/N),” he whispered as he cradled her face, bringing her back to the moment. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“It’s my fault,” she whimpered, her eyes meeting his through a watery gaze. “My mom’s dead because of me.”

“Of course not,” he stated. “She was sick, (Y/N). The cancer got to her, and there was nothing anyone could do. That’s all that happened.”

“They would have found it sooner if she hadn’t been pregnant with me,” she cried. “She could have treated it earlier if it wasn’t because of me!”

Hotchner wrapped his arms around her before she could crumble to the ground, watching as her emotions overtook her. With an already overwhelming day, learning more about her mother’s death had tipped her over. It was then that he could see just how young she still was. As mature and intelligent as she was, she was still starting off in life—not even thirty yet.

“What happened to your mom is not your fault,” he said, his chin resting on her head. “Having you was the choice she wanted to make, and most definitely the right one. From what I can tell, she loved you very much, (Y/N).”

“You were her greatest treasure,” David added, startling the pair apart. “She wanted nothing more than to have you, mia bella. Iris would have given up everything so you were born, and I would have as well.”

“I’ll leave you two to talk,” Hotch whispered to (Y/N), motioning to Jack to get closer. “Let’s go see what’s on TV, okay?”

Once the Hotchner boys were gone, the young woman fell into her father’s open arms, resting her head on his shoulder and allowing him to comfort her in the way she so desperately needed.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she whimpered quietly. “You always said she got sick after I was born, not while she was still pregnant. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t mean for you to find out this way, little bird,” he sighed, drawing comforting circles on her arm. “I never wanted you to feel guilty for your mother’s death. All I ever wanted was to protect you, sweetheart.”

“She would have probably been alive had she not been pregnant, right?” (Y/N) said. “You’d still have her if it wasn’t for me.”

“I carry a part of her with me every day of my life,” he smiled. “And neither I nor Iris would have it any other way. I couldn’t imagine my life without you, little bird. You are my entire life, just like you were hers.”

David gently led her to the other room as the doorbell rang, kissing her head softly before going to open the door.

Soon enough, the house was filled with more familiar faces sporting flower bouquets and wine bottles, saying hello because there were no other words on a day such as that. All they could offer was their presence and their love, and whatever else they could need.

And at that moment, what they needed was a warm meal and lighthearted conversation. Being with the team was enough to calm (Y/N)’s sadness. At least for the time they were there, she could pretend she was okay.

She sat between Morgan and Hotchner with a gorgeous plate of pasta and roast before her and no appetite. She had spent so much energy already crying that she had nothing left to eat.

“Everything okay, pretty girl?” Derek whispered to her as he noticed her demeanor. “You not gonna eat?”

“I’m not really hungry,” she sighed. “Can’t really stomach anything right now.”

“You wanna get some air?” 

“Maybe after. I don’t wanna interrupt everyone’s dinner.”

“If you’re sure,” he said, squeezing her hand comfortingly. “But you let me know if you need to step away at any point.”

“Thanks, Der,” she smiled. “I appreciate it.”

What neither of them noticed was the piercing stare Hotchner kept on their joined hands. He wasn’t sure where the feeling had come from, but he could feel it bubbling deep inside his gut. Without even thinking, he slipped his arm behind her chair, his fingers softly drawing circles on her shoulder.

“You doing okay?” he found himself whispering to her, his heart quickening as her eyes met his. “It’s been a hell of a day.”

“Yeah, I’m okay,” she smiled. “Just not very hungry.”

“Do you want something lighter? I can get you some crackers and cheese instead.”

“No, I’m fine, really,” she said. “I’ll probably just take this and eat it later tonight.”

“If you’re sure,” he conceded. “Just let me know, and I’ll get it.”

“Thanks, Hotch.”

“Don’t mention it.”

It didn’t go over anyone’s head that the unit chief had kept his arm behind (Y/N)’s chair while they finished dinner. But to them, it was simply a way to keep the grieving woman at bay. No one thought that he was staking a claim on her after that green emotion settled in his chest at Derek’s comfort. Not even he did.

Even after they had all finished eating and had gravitated to the backyard for the last glass of wine, Jack dead asleep on (Y/N)’s lap, Aaron remained close to her. Back on the couch they had been hours before, he kept a protective arm around her back. It didn’t mean anything, he told himself. He simply wanted to make sure she was okay.

Still, his eyes memorized the way the light of the fire danced on her skin, painting her with a warm hue that made her look heavenly. He felt it then, as he watched her take a sip from her wine glass, a smile on her face and his son asleep against her, that flutter in his chest he thought had died with Haley.

At that moment, he blamed it on the alcohol. Aaron couldn’t be feeling what he thought he was for (Y/N). Not only was she his subordinate, but she was the daughter of one of his oldest colleagues and friend—not to mention she was almost half his age. No, he had simply drunk too much, he told himself. His quickening heart rate and the flush that warmed his skin were because he couldn’t tolerate booze like he used to. Nothing more, nothing less.

Suddenly, David tapped on his glass with his ring, calling everyone’s attention and breaking Aaron out of thought. “Well, I want to take a moment to thank all of you for coming over tonight and celebrating Iris’ life with (Y/N) and me,” he said. “I know none of you got to meet her, but I can say with great certainty that she would have loved each and every one of you. Iris was an extraordinary and beautiful woman, and I am glad her legacy lives on in the form of (Y/N). “She was, in a way, the second greatest love of my life. And I say second because she gave me my first,” he said, smiling warmly at his daughter. “I am grateful for the time I had with her and I am immensely blessed to be able to have a piece of her with me for the rest of my life. But I will say, my biggest regret in life will always be not getting the chance to show her just how much I loved her in life and asking her to marry me. If I had to do anything over again, I would have married her the day I met her. I had already bought a ring by the next week, but somehow, I never got the courage to ask her. So, tonight, I wanna raise a glass to Iris Cassidy on the 25th anniversary of her passing. I loved you then and I love you still, mia fiore. Until we meet again, my darling Iris. Salut.”

Everyone raised their glasses, echoing the cheer before taking a sip of their wine. As they did, David pulled out his phone, and a minute later, colorful fireworks adorned the night sky. One after another, they illuminated the darkness in various shapes and colors, marking a true celebration of life.

It was at that moment that Aaron noticed the fresh tears falling from (Y/N)’s eyes. The lights of the fireworks reflected on the streaks of her cheeks, glimmering in an array of colors as she stared at the sky. But it was the first time in the day that her tears were accompanied by a bright smile. And when she found him staring, he couldn’t help but smile back as he hugged her closer to him. Completely ignoring the pitter-patter of his heart as he felt her warmness seep into his body.

The scene was almost like out of a movie. As the fireworks lit up the sky, gentle music played through the backyard speakers. The group talked amongst themselves quietly, engrossed in whatever conversation was important at that moment. It was almost as though the world had stopped. There was no evil lurking behind their doors waiting to be caught. There was only them and that moment in time—frozen, preserved.

But it wasn’t the team that caught the unit chief’s attention. No. It was the young woman next to him who had seemed to drift off to sleep just like his son. Jack had wrapped his arms around (Y/N), resting his head in the crook of her neck while she rested hers on his shoulder. Her eyelids fluttered as she slept, finally comfortable enough to rest—or too tired to stay awake. Still, she looked calm, at peace. And she looked beautiful.

They were thoughts that shouldn’t have been running through Aaron’s head. Not about (Y/N), at least. And definitely not while her father was only a few feet away.

“Guess the day finally caught up to her,” David whispered as he sat next to them. “When she’s like that, all I can see is the little girl that always asked me to read her to sleep. Granted, those days didn’t last long. She learned how to read on her own, and Good Night, Moon, and Oh, The Places You’ll Go didn’t cut it anymore. Treasure those moments, Aaron. They go quicker than you can imagine.”

“Thankfully, Jack has yet to grow out of his kid’s books,” he chuckled softly, highly aware that any move he made could wake (Y/N). “But one thing’s for sure, once they’re down, they’re down, huh.”  

“That’s true,” he laughed. “I want to thank you, Aaron, for being here today. She needed someone, and it wasn’t me. (Y/N) always seems so strong, but she carries her heart on her sleeve and so much hurt on the inside. She needs someone she can rely on.”

“Today was the least I could do after all she’s done for Jack and me,” Aaron smiled, looking down at the sleeping woman. “I owe her a lot.”

“What she does, she doesn’t do it for anything in return,” David said. “She got that from her mother. She’d give the clothes off her own back for anyone that needed it.”

“She really would.”

“I just wished she found someone who could see just how amazing she was. I know this job makes it hard to meet people, but she deserves someone who treats her as special as she is.”

The words made the man tense up, causing (Y/N) to wriggle in her sleep. If he hadn’t known any better, he would think David had read his mind. But coincidences, rare as they may seem, were real.

“You do too, by the way,” the man teased as Aaron thought of a good enough answer to give him. “It’s about time you start dating, too, you know.”

“Here we go again,” he chuckled softly. “I don’t need to date.” Which wasn’t entirely a lie. Especially since the one he was most interested in was not an option. “I’m just focusing on work and Jack. That’s enough.”

“For now,” the older man grinned. “But I guess you’re young enough to still take your time. Just not too much.”

“I’ll take it into consideration.”

“Good,” David said before taking a beat. “But you better leave (Y/N) at home. Looking at you two right now, anyone would think you’re a couple.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled awkwardly. “Wouldn’t want anyone to make that mistake.”

But oh, how he yearned for it to be his reality.

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[emilyinsuits]

the way he so softly and gently grabbed her arm to get her attention and then put a firm strong hand on her shoulder to tell her upsetting information. ANWAYS i’m fine

[moowithmidnight]

There’s no way DEREK MORGAN- even at his most misogynistic- would be the one to shame Emily for her unconventional sexual history in the Doyle arc

Fuck you CBS writers, I’m ignoring that

[fictional-at-heart]

Criminal Minds 9x24 “Demons”

I’ll post some good ol’ Reid whump, cause this episode hit ALLLL the whumpy needs!🤭

[writersrkive]

NAGISA'S ARCHIVES...

Hello! I'm Nagisa and I kinda know how to use Tumblr so... please be patient with me and enjoy my works.

English is not my first language, my apologies for the mistakes.

Criminal Minds

Aaron Hotchner

> C o m i n g s o o n . . .

Spencer Reid

> C o m i n g s o o n . . .

Derek Morgan

> C o m i n g s o o n . . .

Avatar (2009) / TWOW

Lo'ak Sully

> Protector

Jake Sully

> C o m i n g s o o n . . .

Neteyam Sully

> C o m i n g s o o n . . .

Spider Socorro

> C o m i n g s o o n . . .

Tsireya

> C o m i n g s o o n . . .

[manwathiel-elensar]

My most recent update. This one has not been easy to write for some reason. I'm so glad this chapter is done now 😆 Enjoy!

Tw: non-con, PTSD, suicidal themes

[ssafloofyfoxx]

SSA DEREK MORGAN DESERVES A CHILD I STAND BY MY FUCKING CHOICES THAT MAN WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT FATHER

[alexstalkers]

Criminal Minds is a an obsession..😩😩 Spencer Reid fanfic coming soon?!???🥺🥺❤️😍

[scarlettjemily]

right where you left me

Pairing: Jemily

Summary: Emily dies in the field, leaving her fiancée JJ to cope with her loss. JJ can’t move on. Heavily inspired by right where you left me by Taylor Swift.

Warnings: very sad, very angsty. my poor jj. Is Emily actually dead tho?

Word count: 3.5k

‘Help, I’m still at the restaurant’

“Try this, my darling. It’s delicious,” the brunette woman said, spiraling some pasta on her fork and reaching across the table for the blonde woman to have a taste.

“Mmm, Em, that is good! Damn, I should’ve ordered that for myself,” JJ said, chewing and holding her hand in front of her mouth as she finished the bite.

“Do you want to swap? I’m happy to. Here,” Emily offered without a second thought. If her girlfriend wanted the pasta instead of the dish she had ordered, Emily would give it to her. She reached to grab JJ’s plate and swap it with hers, but JJ let out a sweet giggle that automatically warmed Emily’s heart.

“No, no, Emily, baby, that’s yours. You don’t need to swap with me. Thank you, though,” JJ said, unable to help the wide smile forming on her lips. The mere fact that Emily would swap their plates made JJ so thankful to be with this woman.

“Okay, well, I’ll get another plate, and we can go halves. I want you to have it,” Emily insisted, flagging down the waitress and getting a separate plate before JJ could refuse.

JJ leaned back in her chair. “You spoil me. I love you so much,” she said, shaking her head and finding it hard in the moment to comprehend how much she loved this woman. She stared at the woman across from her, subconsciously using her foot under the table to find Emily’s leg. She felt calm and content when she had some form of contact with her girlfriend.

“I love you too, Jayje. Always,” the older woman replied, giving her an innocent wink.

They continued to eat, talk, and laugh, just like they’d done many times at this restaurant since they had been together.

‘Cross-legged in the dim light, everything was just right’

The women were sitting at their favorite restaurant together, next to each other on the same side of the table. They sat cross-legged, their ankles locked, hands laced together. They had become that couple they used to laugh at—totally cringey but stupidly in love.

“You’re so beautiful,” Emily whispered, their foreheads less than an inch apart. “I love when you pin your hair up like this; it’s my favorite.” Emily felt as though she was floating, infatuated with the woman in front of her.

“I know, I did it especially for you,” JJ giggled, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. “Happy three years, my love.” She leaned in, pressing her lips against Emily’s. She scooted impossibly closer to her girlfriend, enjoying the kiss too much to pull away.

Emily let go of JJ’s hand, placing it on the side of her neck, lightly gripping her jawline as they kissed. “Jennifer,” she mumbled against her lips, not wanting to pull away either.

“Mmm?” JJ mumbled, pulling away for a second to press a series of small kisses on Emily’s lips.

“Marry me?” Emily said, pulling back to stare deep into JJ’s eyes. She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she watched JJ’s face flash with a million emotions at once.

A squeak left JJ’s lips as she flung her arms around Emily’s neck, pulling her in for another kiss. “Yes, yes, a million times yes,” she whispered against her lips.

JJ let out a little sob when Emily pulled a ring box from the front of her dress. She held out her hand so Emily could slip the ring on. “Emily… it’s so beautiful,” she breathed out, still trying to process what was happening.

The two women sat cross-legged in the dim restaurant, basking in the moment of their engagement.

‘Wages earned and lessons learned’

“Emily, please let me come with you. He’s here for you. He wants to kill you. Fuck, no, you shouldn’t even be going,” panic rushed through JJ’s body. She didn’t want Emily on this case; the possibility of Ian Doyle hurting her was too high.

“JJ, this is because of me. Everything that happened is because of me. He’s here and killing people because of me—”

“That’s more of a reason for you not to go out!” JJ screamed frantically. She couldn’t let Emily get hurt; she felt crazy, her fiancée wasn’t listening to her worries.

“No. You’re not coming with me. I cannot have you get hurt, JJ, because of something I did. I would never forgive myself,” Emily grabbed JJ’s face, holding her in her hands and staring right into her eyes. She needed to convey how serious she was.

“But what about me?! I will never forgive myself! Please, Em—” tears began to well in JJ’s eyes. Her shaky hands gripped the other woman’s arms as they still held her face.

Emily leaned in, pressing a kiss to JJ’s forehead. “I love you so much, and I promise everything will be okay. Morgan will be with me; he has my back, baby. I will see you once the job is done. I promise.” She tried giving her fiancée a smile to make it seem like everything was okay, but not even that could mask the worry she was feeling.

“I love you too,” JJ choked out, her chest trembling with every breath.

Emily’s hands trembled as her whole world stopped. She looked down, trying to comprehend the wooden stake protruding from her abdomen. She tried to speak, but only hot red blood dripped from her lips. She dropped to her knees, her body going eerily cold. She fell to the ground, her hands going straight to the wood. She pulled them back, her hands smeared with blood.

“Emily?! No, Emily, stay with me!” Morgan yelled, dropping next to Emily. He immediately started screaming for help, trying to alert the people around him to how serious this was; she was not in a good way.

“Morgan,” she barely got out, spitting blood as she tried to speak.

“No, Prentiss, don’t speak. You’re going to be okay,” he said, looking around. “Someone help!” He screamed again and again.

“No, Morgan, please,” her hand lifted to touch his arm. “Don’t let him get to JJ,” she whispered, tears now dripping from her eyes. “He will kill her,” she coughed out as her eyes started to get heavy.

“I won’t need to protect her, Em. You’re going to be fine. You can protect her. You’re going to be fine,” he said, not sure if he even believed what he was saying, but she needed to be okay. She just couldn’t die; she couldn’t.

“Tell her I’m sorry,” was the last thing she was able to say.

‘I swear you could hear a hair pin drop, right when I felt the moment stop’

She almost didn’t wait for the car to stop. JJ flung the door open and ran into the emergency entrance. She didn’t even see the people around her as she sprinted down the hall, needing to see Emily. Needing to know she was okay.

She halted when she saw the familiar faces of her team. Her eyes searched frantically for the looks on their faces. “Where is she?! What’s happening?!” JJ had never been so frantic, her heart slamming against her chest. Her head felt detached from her body; she couldn’t process anything.

“Hotch just went in there now to get an update. JJ, come sit down,” Morgan tried to lead her to a chair, but JJ stepped back.

“No, I don’t want to fucking sit down! I need to know if she’s okay!” She was in so much shock, she couldn’t even feel her hands shaking. Her hand gripped her hair, pulling it hard as she tried to get oxygen into her lungs.

Hotch stepped through the double doors, the whole team standing instantly. “She didn’t make it off the table. She’s gone,” he stated in his monotone voice that hit the whole team like a truck.

JJ stopped. Everything stopped. It was completely silent; no one said a word. They were all staring at Hotch in shock. You could hear a hairpin drop in that exact moment.

“No… No…” JJ groaned, hunching over. She shook her head, refusing to believe what was happening. “Please, no.” Her knees gave out, but someone caught her before she hit the ground.

“JJ, I’m sorry,” Morgan croaked out, holding her up so she didn’t fall.

JJ screamed, pushing Morgan away with all her strength. “You promised to have her back! You were meant to look out for her!” Her voice cracked through her sobs; she was completely hysterical. She couldn’t feel anything. She lifted her fist to bring it down hard on Morgan’s chest, but he caught it before it could hit him.

Morgan held her tightly while the whole team watched her struggle to fight him off. They all didn’t know what to say, each person trying to grapple with the fact that Emily was gone.

JJ stopped fighting, letting Morgan hold her. “No, please, let me see her,” she begged, pleaded, desperately. Her fiancée couldn’t be dead. “Em, please, no, she wouldn’t leave me.” Each second that passed, JJ fell deeper into hysterical sadness.

‘Did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen? Time went on for everybody else… She's still 23 inside her fantasy. How it was supposed to be.’

“It’s only been three months, Hotch. I don’t think she’s ready to be back,” Morgan said, standing with Hotch in his office, the door closed. The light was dim as they looked out the window at the blonde woman who was sitting at her desk. She seemed frozen, staring at the desk across from hers—Emily’s desk.

“I know, but she insisted, and while Doyle is still out there, I would feel more comfortable knowing she’s by our sides, where he can’t get to her too,” Hotch replied, his face unreadable. Though anyone could see he was worried for JJ’s wellbeing. No one knew how to help her; for some of the team, this was the first time they had seen her.

Morgan remained silent, watching JJ from the window. He felt responsible for Emily’s death, for letting Ian Doyle get to her. He couldn’t voice these thoughts, especially not to JJ—it wasn’t appropriate. None of them could truly understand the depth of loss JJ was experiencing.

JJ sat at her desk, staring across at her fiancée’s desk for the first time since Emily died. She was eternally grateful that nobody had touched it; she wouldn’t have been able to handle that.

Ever since Emily’s death, everything had frozen for JJ. She had been numb ever since, unable to recall a single emotion she had felt since that day—except for the nothingness that now consumed every moment of her life.

“Jayje?”

JJ’s focus broke at the sound of her name. She slowly turned to see Penelope kneeling down next to her. “Hmm? What?” she mumbled, subconsciously tucking her loose hair behind her ear.

“Are you sure you’re okay being here?” Penelope had been JJ’s closest friend during this time. She never forced JJ to open up or talk. She’d sit with her while she cried; sometimes JJ would ask if Garcia would just be at her house, sitting on her couch, while JJ slept in her room. Whatever JJ wanted, Penelope did because that’s what Emily would have wanted. In a way, it helped Garcia grieve as well.

“No, not really. But Garcia, I don’t think it’s going to get any better, so I might as well be here,” JJ replied honestly. Penelope nodded, conveying her understanding.

“That’s okay. How about we start small today?” Penelope hesitated slightly but knew she had to propose the question. “Did you want to pack up Em’s desk?” She braced herself for JJ’s reaction, knowing it wouldn’t be positive.

JJ’s heart froze. “No,” she shook her head frantically, a sheen of sweat instantly prickling her skin. Panic hit her entire body with such force. “No fucking way,” she burst out of her chair, heading straight to her boss’s office.

She didn’t bother knocking on the door that displayed a golden ‘Aaron Hotchner’ plate. “Take my desk, Hotch,” she spat out as she flung the door open.

JJ looked hysterical, her deeply sunken eyes surrounded by pale skin. This wasn’t the JJ that anyone knew. “If you need a desk for the replacement, take mine. Do not fucking touch Emily’s desk. I will have her desk,” JJ declared, tears soaking her cheeks but she was so used to crying that they didn’t even faze her. “Please don’t take her desk, Hotch. Please don’t take her from me,” she begged, desperation evident on her face, her body shaking with sobs.

“JJ, you need to go home. You are not ready to be here,” Hotch struggled with emotions at the best of times, but he couldn’t bear to watch JJ break again. “I will get Penelope to pack your desk, and Emily’s desk stays exactly the same. I promise you, JJ. Not a single pen will be touched, but I’m ordering you to go home.”

‘…At the restaurant, when I was still the one you want’

“Here’s your pasta, Miss. Enjoy, and let me know if I can get you anything else,” JJ smiled at the waitress before she walked off to tend to other tables.

JJ picked up her fork to start eating the dish in front of her—Emily’s favorite dish. A small smile flashed over her lips for a second as she thought about the many times Emily had fed her food at this exact restaurant. Their favorite place. They had their first date here, and Emily proposed to her here.

A small tear formed in one of her eyes as she reminisced about all their memories together. The feeling of tears had become a source of comfort since Emily’s death a year ago.

Today, she found the strength to come back to this restaurant for the first time since Emily passed. She sat in silence, lost in memories of when Emily was still the one sitting across from her.

‘I cause no harm, mind my business. If our love died young, I can't bear witness. And it's been so long’

“Rossi, I’m telling you, you’ve still got it. This pasta is amazing,” Derek Morgan praised his coworker for the pasta he served up for the team. The whole team was at Rossi’s house celebrating his birthday. He had cooked his signature pasta dish for them to enjoy.

“Well, thank you, Derek. I’m so grateful you could make it. Although this new woman of yours? Why isn’t she here?” Everyone around them laughed, knowing he had just started dating someone new.

Derek shook his head, laughing. “Hey, why is it always my dating life we talk about? Bother one of the others! Penelope? Hotch? JJ?” He pointed to each of them. “Interrogate them!”

JJ forced a small laugh. It still hurt to hear anything that alluded to Emily, but she was better now. She didn’t crumble at every thought or mention of her. It had been just over two years since her fiancée had passed, and nothing had changed. There was no way she would ever find anyone like Emily. She had no business looking for someone to date; she had had Emily. She was the love of her life, and now she’s gone. She may be young, but the love she shared with Emily was enough to last the rest of her life. She didn’t want anyone else. Not ever.

‘Everybody moved on, I stayed there. Dust collected on my pinned-up hair. They expected me to find somewhere, some perspective, but I sat and stared… Right where you left me’

“Hey JJ, we’re all going out for drinks. You coming?” Morgan shut the drawer of his desk, looking over at his team member who was sitting at her desk. She was twirling her hair atop her head, securing it with a pin, loose strands of blonde hair falling and framing her face perfectly.

JJ gave him a small smile, shaking her head. “No, no, you go without me. I’ve got dinner plans.” She stood up from her desk, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Have fun though. I’ll see you tomorrow.” With a small wave, she left the office.

“Why did you even ask? You know Fridays are her restaurant nights,” Penelope said, appearing next to him.

“Because it’s been three and a half years since Emily died, and she goes to that damned restaurant by herself every Friday. You don’t think she needs to maybe try to move on?” Morgan replied, not intending to be rude or invalidate JJ’s feelings. He had watched his friend disappear that night, and she had never been the same.

“Derek Morgan, I’m going to tell you this nicely, but don’t bother.” Penelope placed her hands on his shoulders, giving him a slight shake. “That woman will never move on from Emily. She was her everything, and if she has to go back to that restaurant every week just to cope, just to be this version of JJ that we get, then we shut our mouths and let her. Because the JJ we had two years ago was just a hollow shell.”

Derek sighed and nodded. “You’re right,” he mumbled. He understood it; he did. But he just wanted to see JJ happy, and she just wasn’t happy. Not since Emily.

‘You left me no choice but to stay here forever’

Five years. They got him. After five years, they finally caught the man who killed Emily. JJ didn’t know what to think, what to feel. She’d pictured this moment almost every day for the past five years, but she still felt nothing?

She knew she should feel relieved or happy, and on some level, she did feel that way, but not as she imagined. She still felt completely numb, just stuck.

The only way JJ knew how to cope was to go through the motions. She did the same thing every day, every week, every month. She had no choice; it was the only way she stayed sane.

“JJ, can I please speak to you in private?” Hotch came up to JJ’s desk as she twirled her hair up.

As usual, his face gave nothing away, but JJ assumed he wanted to see if she was okay or make her take time off. She lazily pinned her hair and stood up. “Hotch, I know what you’re going to say, but I’m fine. I don’t need time off, please—”

“JJ, this is serious. Please listen,” his voice low. The rest of the team had already left, but he didn’t need or want people listening to him. He walked quickly towards his office; the door was shut, and the blinds were drawn.

JJ followed him, halting on the steps as he turned, his eyes piercing into hers. She was getting slightly confused, but nothing Hotch did really surprised her these days.

“Five years ago, I made a choice. The hardest choice I’ve ever had to make in not only my career but my life.” Hotch’s seriousness had increased tenfold.

JJ’s heart raced, watching liquid pool on the rims of his eyes. “Hotch, what is going on?” JJ asked, having no clue what was coming.

“It’s on me, no one else. If you want to be mad, be mad at me. I did it to save her life but also to save your life. You don’t have to like it, but you have to understand she would never forgive me if anything happened to you.”

JJ’s hands shook. Her heart slammed in her chest, echoing in her ears. She couldn’t hear anything else. “Hotch… what are you saying to me right now?” she breathed, barely audible, waiting for what felt like a lifetime for him to say it.

“I’m saying I’m sorry,” he stepped aside, motioning to his office, knowing JJ didn’t need to hear anything else.

JJ’s body moved before she could process any thoughts. Her bag hit the ground as she made her way to Hotch’s office door. She didn’t hesitate to open the door, slip in, and shut the door immediately, waiting for the definitive click. She didn’t really know why, but she couldn’t make herself turn around. She stood facing the door, her knuckles white from the grip she had wrapped around the handle.

As soon as she was in that office, she could feel it.

“Please speak,” JJ croaked out. She needed to hear her; she couldn’t trust her eyes right now.

“Jayje?”

It was her. JJ let out a sob, her back still facing the other woman. Everything hit her at once; dropping to her knees, she began to sob loudly. A guttural groan left her lips when she felt arms wrap around her body. Instinctively, she turned to lean into the other woman, like no time had passed.

“Please forgive me, JJ, please, I’m so sorry,” Emily’s voice was laced with worry; she couldn’t quite gauge exactly how JJ was feeling. She held the blonde woman tightly against her chest; there was no way she’d let her go ever again. “You have to know this was the only choice to keep you alive.”

JJ shook her head, sitting up straight. “Stop. I don’t care,” she looked at the woman in front of her, and it was like everything around her melted away. “I don’t want to hear it; I don’t want to talk about it, not yet,” she grabbed the brunette’s face, taking in every aspect of Emily’s face. Not wanting to forget a single thing.

“You were dead. You were dead, and now you’re not. I don’t care,” she wasn’t lying when she said she didn’t care. She had Emily back. It felt like her body had suddenly switched on; for so long, she felt absolutely nothing, but all of a sudden, the woman she loved was right in front of her, and she could feel again, like time had restarted.

She smiled a truly genuine smile, the contrast stark against the tears still spilling down her face. “I love you,” she whispered, their foreheads pressing together.

Emily’s shoulders dropped; she let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. The whole time she was away, she wasn’t able to have any contact with JJ or know anything about her. She had no idea if she’d return to JJ, finding out she’d moved on.

Emily pressed her lips against JJ’s in a desperate kiss; it had been five years since she’d felt the warmth of JJ’s lips against hers. She held her head gently, reluctantly pulling away from the kiss. She smiled, tucking a stray hair behind JJ’s ear. “I was terrified you might’ve moved on,” Emily confessed, vulnerability evident in her voice.

“Emily, you left me no choice,” she said, motioning between the two of them.

“I would’ve stayed here forever.”

[snailsandpuppy-dogtails]

I Do, Do You? chapter 2

WC: ~3,500 of fluff and small angst. Gratuitous use of figurative language It's probably a better read over on AO3

~After one short week, the wedding day has arrived! Our hopeful couples will finally come face to face with their betrotheds.~

Voiceover: “First impressions are everything, they are the standard by which we tell people to hold us. Whether they choose to believe it or not, how this first meeting goes will set the tone for their future interactions. How they present themselves and how they handle themselves today will create the foundation of the schema by which their partners view them and their relationships.”

Penelope looks around at the venue. The outdoor ceremony and reception are in a few hours; sunset, taking advantage of that very desired “golden hour” for filming and photos and then dining and dancing under the stars.

Production has chosen a neatly manicured grassy lawn bordered by maple and beech trees, the finely kept backyard to some historic Virginia property. Fairy lights crisscross and swoop above, and a rectangular marble dance floor is set into the middle of the area, later to be surrounded by long picnic tables lined with tealights and eucalyptus wreaths, but now holds rows of dark wood bench seating for wedding guests.

She likes the romantic details, clearly imagining the warm amber glow of the orbs above mixing with the soft twinkle of stars and lightning bugs, the sweet smell the humid night air will pull from the trees. The only disappointment is the shadowy figure her mind keeps drawing in place of a groom. Will he like her? Will she like him?

Workers and crew are buzzing around constructing the rose and laurel arch, arranging the petal carpet they’ll walk down, and setting up camera and microphone equipment. Penelope watches, staving off the same nerves she’s been mostly successful at ignoring all week preparing with dress, shoe, and accessory shopping, trying to write vows for someone she doesn't know, and deciding on the finer details of nails, makeup, and hair. This first impression could be the most important of her life, and while she wants to knock everyone’s socks off, she also wants to be as true to herself as possible. But with the day finally here and everything finally decided on, there’s nothing left to take her mind off what she’s about to do.

—-

Violins strike in the distance, Penelope squeezes her eyes shut swallowing down the acid rising in her throat, A hand tightens around her shoulder. “Pen? It’s time…”

Inhaling deeply, she opens her eyes, taking one last look in the mirror, checking her dress.

It’s a unique trumpet style gown made of a substantial, buttery, white matte silk satin, woven throughout with silvery blue threads that cast a glow. The plunging sweetheart neckline sweeps up into delicate off-the-shoulder illusion straps. The fine, white organic pattern seemingly floating across her décolletage isn’t so much what she’d call lace, but rather piped icing. The bodice fits like a dream, cupping her breast, and further down, clings to her hips, then flares out in a wide trumpet mid-thigh with five corners around the hem that kick up in swift peaks, every step making it look like the daturas her mom kept paintings of all over the house.

She knew the moment she tried it on it was meant for her, the top half a delicious, cakey confection, the bottom half an intoxicating and deadly flower.

“To hell with the show,” a deep cool voice calls from the door, “say the word and I’ll have us down the road in five seconds. Savannah took a separate car just in case…but you are a Goddess, any man would be lucky to find you walking up that aisle to him”

Penelope smirks, eyes still trained on her own figure, “Are you finally suggesting we run away together?”

“Penelope Garcia, it is your wedding day, behave.” he chides.

Her eyes connect with Derek’s, mischievous and smoldering, then JJ’s over her shoulder, she smiles, taking the bouquet of tall sunflowers from the dresser next to her, linking an arm with JJ’s. Something about this feels right. Something she can’t put her finger on. Or at least that’s what she’s telling herself. “Lead the way, my lady love.”

—--

There’s a light knock, fine knuckles rapping on wood. Luke, Matt, and Phil turn as Tara answers the door.

Emily’s standing in the doorway meeting them all with an apologetic look, her eyes cutting to Luke. They know what it means– new case. Killers don’t stop just because it’s inconvenient timing for agents.

“Look, you still have some vacation accrued…” she starts, “I’d approve the time off.” But he hears the ‘but’ in her voice, he knows the pressure they’re under, and with Reid away on family business, they’re already a man down.

He looks around the room at his friends and sighs, “No. I couldn’t leave all the fun to Matt and Tara. Do I at least get to see my bride walk down the aisle before informing her I’m ditching her?”

Coming from anyone else it would sound snide, but she knows he means it. She feels guilty that he means it.

“I’ll give you 24 hours to work some of that charm, you can meet us in Flagstaff tomorrow, my gift. I wouldn’t want her to dislike me immediately, but you know how time sensitive these things are.” She’s grinning, he can see the relief on her face, how the corners of her eyes loosen.

He wants to be mad. She of all people knows why he’s doing this, they’ve had this discussion specifically, but he can’t be mad, ultimately it’s his decision. He’s already retreating into the comfortable, he’s already going for the known unknown and making excuses for his choices. He wants to be mad, but he can only be mad at himself.

Phil pours another shot of amber liquid into a small glass and holds it out, “Come on, Emily, we were just about to toast the happy groom.”

—

He’s anxious, nervous, excited…and happy… If he doesn’t think about what he has to do tomorrow. He doesn’t know half the people here, and he won’t know the person standing up next to him, but he finds none of that really matters. What he knows is she’s adventurous, willing to take a risk, and hopefully, wants love, too.

Luke looks at the crowd of people that have gathered, his family and friends on one side, hers on the other.

His mom and sister, Isabella, and her two boys and husband are in the front row, Tara, Emily, Matt, Kiristy, and all their kids right behind them. He catches Matt’s small smile, a small comfort, before he quickly flickers back to her side, not wanting to be caught staring, but unable to resist the work part of him kicking in.

The people in her front row are three men and a woman. A petite blonde in a short flowing blue dress, her sister? is sitting next to a stern-faced black man in a charcoal suit husband? They’re both wearing rings, but… no. Next to him is an older man in a gray button down and black slacks, and next to him on the end closest to the aisle is a younger hispanic guy. An odd collection of family. The younger man doesn’t appear to share many facial features with the older man next to him or the blonde, in fact none of them look related at all, but they all sit like family, they all act like family. Behind them a woman in a dusty pink dress sits with a small boy playing with two blonde boys next to him, and beside them is a tired looking white man. Again, they don’t look like a family, but are acting like one. Her family and friends seemingly intertwined, the line indiscernible.

He’s about to say something, introduce himself, ease the building tension he can feel between the guests and the situation, her front row and himself, when a ladybug lands on the back of his clasped hands.

The tickle distracts him, and instantly, looking down, good luck springs in his mind. Looking up, he makes eye contact with his sister and holds out his left hand with the scarlet beetle vibrating its wings on his ring finger for her to see. He stays silent not wanting to startle it and send it off. As he does, the violins strike and procession music begins, the beetle, as if on cue, flys away.

Luke follows it’s ascent briefly down the aisle, and then his eyes land on a figure silhouetted behind doors in the distance, and as they do, a placid calmness takes over. There was nothing to worry about, his bride, his wife, his person, was waiting. Long ago he’d made his peace with fate, as a soldier you have to, things would work out the way they were meant to…some days it just took a small reminder.

—

The distance isn’t long, but she feels miles away, this striking woman walking towards him. There’s gasps and howls, applause and awes from in front of him as guests catch his expression and follow his line of sight.

Flowing blonde hair billows in gentle waves with her veil, her dress dances at her feet. His eyes drink her up and take in every detail, every curve, every angle and every texture. She’s wearing the most radiant shade of white, it’s beautiful and unusual, and all he can think is that she looks like the moonflowers he’d spend hours watching twirl, hidden under the shade of their branches as a kid in his grandmother’s backyard. She looks like memories long forgotten and mysteries veiled in night’s shadow and he’s more than intrigued and more than drawn and he’s more than wanting to take her in his arms and spin her until they’re both dizzy, like the flowers used to make him feel. And he feels, again, more than he’s ever felt, that this must be fate.

His gaze is intense, she’s been trying to hold it the whole way, caught in how the setting sun reflects off his bright eyes making them seem as crystal as fresh cracked rootbeer candy. He’s absolutely gorgeous, stunning, the living embodiment of “tall, dark, and handsome,” but there’s not a streak of darkness she can detect in his eyes shining back at her or his dimpled crooked smile bright like a lighthouse. She kicks up rose petals floating down the aisle, and as dumb as it sounds, in that moment she feels she like a ship lost at sea, and he, this stranger, is the beacon of light leading her to safe harbor…or a siren threatening to send her crashing into the sharp rocks under.

His smile starts off small, but the closer she gets the bigger it becomes, toothy and consuming, and she can feel hers by contrast shrinking smaller and smaller, the pit in her stomach, dormant, suddenly swelling larger and larger.

Now in front of him, so close, all these eyes, attention on them, on her, his attention on her- she breaks away looking down as discomfort shyness? takes over.

Too handsome, don’t stare. Looking at someone this close this long is wrong, like staring at the sun. Too much, try to focus.

But this is him! The man you’re marrying. You’re not reserved! You, Penelope Garcia, are confident and secure and you're every bit as shine worthy. Look. At. Him.

It’s dead quiet, awkward, she’s looking away, looking down, she won’t look at him. He wants to pull her back to where they were a moment ago, to alleviate whatever distress she’s feeling, to let her know they’re in this together. That she can trust him. “Hey,” he reigns in his stupidly large smile, heavily forcing it into a more acceptable, smaller thing and gently takes hold of her bent elbows, thumbs stroking her soft arms in a way he hopes she finds soothing, because he certainly does.

His palms are warm and the pads of his thumbs are rough, the touch sending sparks flying up her arms and through her chest, a sensation like thrusting on the light, but she still can’t will herself to look from the flowers in her hands.

Dipping a little, determined to draw her back, Luke introduces himself quietly, “I’m Luke.”

“HE SAID HIS NAME IS LUKE” is yelled to the guests by the man closest to the bride, some laugh. Penelope straightens up instantly, whipping around, “Carlos!” is hissed in warning, and the older man next to ‘Carlos’ smacks his bicep. Carlos only smiles, “Look at Luke, sis, he’s the one you’re marrying” then winks.

Penelope glares, but turns back, apricot lips spreading, tension eased, “I’m Penelope, nice to meet you, Luke.”

And just like that his megawatt smile is once again firmly in place, grinning at her like she’d just unveiled the secrets of the universe. “Nice to meet you, Penelope,” he nods, then looking over her shoulder, adds, “And you, Carlos.”

Penelope’s vows had been funny and charming, she was effortlessly engaging and endearing. Luke felt his own paled in comparison, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now. This next part was where he laid his cards, this part had been a point of contention in the family, his mother nixing it, Isabella taking Luke’s side, her husband taking their mother’s…

He shifts his weight as he makes eye contact over the paper, tucking it away, he takes Penelope’s hands. Looking into a stranger’s eyes shouldn’t be this comforting, but what he finds when he looks at her feels like the safest parts of himself. He isn’t sure just how long he’s been standing there getting lost in thought, or what his face is doing, but he notices a fresh blush on her cheeks and feels her give his fingers a squeeze prompting him to go on.

Playing it cool was apparently completely off the table.

Luke clears his throat and smirks, continuing, “Before we uh…before we go on, I want to be upfront and say, someone very important to me was left out of today’s ceremony, Roxy. I wanted her here, but some people weren’t sure how you’d react…I was going to have her stay home so you, my bride,” and he can’t help but smile when he says it, noticing how she smiles too, “didn’t get scared off, but she’s a big part of my life, I’d do anything for her, she’s my girl, my everything…I’m hoping you can make room for her in a similar way, eventually.”

As the words come out he sees the shift in her expression, eyes widening, jaw slightly dropping before resuming the indulgent smile, her hands becoming clammy and her body pulling away. The tell tale signs of panic and fear. It isn’t what she thinks-

Or at least he hopes it isn’t what she thinks. “Leaving her out feels like lying, so my friend Phil did me a favor and picked her up about an hour ago…Sorry, ma.” he says as he turns, then calls down the aisle in a deep commanding voice, “Roxy, com’on”

Penelope blinks and rocks back, jerking to face the same direction he is.

There’s no way he calls his kid like that, right?

Out from behind the left row comes a wolfish looking happy hound now prancing down the aisle, a dark green bow tied around her neck.

Trotting up to Luke, she stops short sitting on her haunches.

“This is Roxy,” Luke says before kneeling and fiddling with the bow.

Following suit instantly, Penelope kneels too, hands petting and face nuzzling her head. “She’s your dog? Roxy’s a dog Oh hello, you sweet girl.” she coos.

Rings free from the knot on her bow, Luke takes Penelope in at a much closer range, nose nearly brushing her cheek, her eyes scrunched up with the biggest smile he’s seen on her yet and it’s for his girl, it’s for Roxy. His lungs seize, momentarily unable to breathe, his heart clenching and his stomach flipping. He couldn’t have dreamed a better reaction, or a more beautiful sight.

Pocketing the rings, Luke stands, offering his hands to help his new bride back up, “We’ve got one last part to this, if you still want to…”

Slipping her hands into his, letting him right her, she agrees, “I do, do you?”

“-Aht.” the officiant cuts them off, “That’s my job.”

He notices her hand is trembling, or maybe it’s his holding hers unsteady, he’s so focused on not letting the emerald ring slip from his fingers he’s not sure what the rest of him is doing. Luke looks down, and it’s both, both of them shaking and he lets out a little breath. She’s just as nervous as he is. He notices her nails then, not an inch of her left unadorned, had been painted with white flowers.

Women appreciate it when you notice the details, mijo, calls in his head, his grandfather’s voice, compliment your bride.

“Perfection down to the tips of your fingers…I like your nails.” He says it quietly, something just for them, something the mic doesn’t even pic up on.

“Oh, thanks,” Penelope’s hand, instinctively jerking away, is held fast by Luke’s, “just don’t look too closely, I was up pretty late practicing my fingering techniques-” She says it loud and clear, a dismissive thought explaining away the chips at the edges. Loud gasps from who she assumes are his guests, and a deep “Oh shit” followed by giggles can be heard from hers. Luke chokes and blushes, letting go of her hands to cover his face, a weakly chuckled “oh my god” slipping between his fingers.

“-no! No.” Penelope corrects sternly to Luke and then the guests, praying the entendre not stick, urging they know it’s a misunderstanding. She grabs his wrist pulling down an arm covering his face, “-for my clarinet!” she explains, “Which I play!” then to the crowd, begging they understand, “My clarinet. I play the clarinet.” Her cheeks burn. She can’t believe she just did that in front of this beautiful man, in front of his family, in front of cameras.

Luke, eyes still shimmering with amusement, body shaking with laughter, nods, not trusting himself to look up. “Whatever you say,” he hums.

She shakes his wrists, pleading, “No- I’m serious,”

He does his best to straighten out his face, to let her know he’s taking her seriously, swallows and looks her in the eye, “I believe you.”

“Okay.”

“Okay,” he agrees.

The commotion dies down, guests ready for things to move on.

Everything else goes smoothly, the rings slide on (though she’s sure her fingers have swollen from stress), and they’re beautiful, and they fit.

They each breathe a sighing smile when they look between their newly adorned hands, but this is it, their first kiss, she and her new stranger. Butterflies suddenly blossom and take flight, Penelope watches as he moves in, wondering how this fine, adorable and impossibly perfect man will kiss her, if she’ll have to cover their faces with her veil, a kiss just as electric as she’s feeling from his fingers. Her eyes catch his, dipping briefly, and jump back up, he’s so close, her mouth parts…

And then he misses.

No.

Doesn’t miss.

He didn’t kiss her.

He kisses her cheek, and a terrible little thought flickers through her mind:

He doesn’t like you.

Delusional girl, you’re not his type.

Already this man, her husband, is rejecting her.

But despite the disappointment, she can’t help instinctively leaning in, eyes closing, gently rising on her toes and pressing her cheek to his lips and damn does she want that feeling just a little more south. He smells like heaven and feels divine, her fingers curl on his biceps and she thinks she feels his tighten on her waist. His lips are full and soft and firm. The musculature there in that brief contact enough to make her fantasize, even here in front of all these people, and for the first time she’s suddenly overwhelmed with the possibility that she’s made a massive mistake.

Fudge, Penelope, what did you get yourself into?!

When it’s time to ‘kiss the bride’, his anxiety comes back. He wants to kiss her, wants to feel the rush and pull of those playful, funny, pink lips, but he isn’t sure she wants that, if she’s ready for that, isn’t sure what’s right to do… kiss a stranger in front of her family? Kiss his wife in front of her family? Asking would ruin the moment, so instead, he makes a split second decision, ducking for her cheek.

The chaste option.

He tried to read her body language but couldn’t make up his mind, feeling hope, personal desires, might be playing a part, it just disappoints himself. He feels her pressing into his lips and gripping his arms, but everything about this has him mixed up, he can’t read if it was a welcome invitation or a move to control the distance.

At least it wasn’t a hug.