A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and for all the reviews for the third chapter!
Okay the beginning here is a liiiittle angsty... it will get better...promise!
Last chapter... Here we go!
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds...
Chapter 4
Hotch woke up feeling like complete and utter crap. It wasn't the bourbon though. He wished this shitty feeling was a result of alcohol but he had only had a sip and then decided that drinking himself into a stupor wouldn't help him. No, he would have to go to work the next day with a clear head. He didn't know what he would do when he saw Emily. But he knew that being hung over wouldn't help the situation.
He staggered over to the bathroom and got in the shower all whilst replaying the previous night in his head. Under the jet of warm water he thought about sitting in that stupid restaurant clutching those pathetic pink roses being asked over and over again if he was ready to order. And every time he had to say no and that his date wasn't there yet.
As he thought about what had happened he could feel himself getting more and more aggravated. He wasn't mad at Emily. Hell, she probably had no idea who was sending her those gifts and in their line of work you kind of got a little wary about things like that. So the chances that she would actually show up had probably been pretty slim. But he had been so caught up in his own fantasies and his pining for her that he'd fooled himself into thinking that an intelligent woman would happily meet up with a complete stranger.
Damn it! The feeling of anger took him over and he kicked the shower wall. Toes against tiles in a battle the tiles won.
"Son of a bitch! That fucking hurt!" Expletives were flying from his lips as he jumped on one foot clutching his now bleeding toe.
* * *
Emily woke up with a mind-blowing headache. She couldn't blame the Martinis, she'd only had three and they weren't that strong. No, this particular headache was a result of her letting her guard down. She'd been so excited about being that person to someone. Being the one to make someone smile only by doing something as simple as just smiling herself.
She slowly got out of the comfort of her warm bed and into the cold air of the bathroom. Standing in the shower as the warm water washed over her she let her mind slip back to the night before. She would never admit to it if asked but she had really hoped that the mystery man would turn out to be Hotch. His strange behavior the last few months had made her hope of feelings between them stronger than she'd dare realize.
But this couldn't have been him. He'd never do something like this. He'd never stand her up. He, if anyone, would have the balls to tell a woman upfront that he wasn't interested. No, this was someone playing a mean prank on her or someone who didn't dare confront her. The more she though about it the angrier she got. She shouldn't be depressed. She should be pissed off... and thankful that she got off the hook as easy as she did.
Screw him! He wasn't good enough for her anyway!
Invigorated by her new point-of-view Emily arrived at the BAU a little earlier than usual. She glanced at Hotch's office but the lights were off. This was obviously one of those unusual days when he wasn't the first to arrive. Well, she had paperwork that wasn't going to do itself (unfortunately) and what better time to do it than when she was here all alone. So she went to the kitchenette to get some coffee to try and rid herself of her headache before getting started.
* * *
A little later than he'd usually arrive Hotch hobbled into the bullpen. There he was met by the scrutinizing eyes of Dr. Reid.
"Hey, Hotch. What's happened to you?" Reid asked looking down at Hotch's feet.
"Nothing. I'm fine." Hotch growled back.
Not spotting the irritation in the tone of Hotch's voice Reid continued.
"There's obviously something wrong... you're limping. You weren't yesterday so this must have happened in your home. Did you know that most accidents happens at home...it's quite interesting actually..."
Looking up he could not miss the death glare that Hotch was sending his way so he swallowed whatever statistic he was about to deliver and watched in silence as Hotch stalked off towards his office.
"What was that all about?" Morgan asked as he walked up behind Reid.
"I have no idea. All I did was ask why he was limping. I think he's in a bad mood. Maybe you should go talk to him."
"I am not going in there." Morgan stared at Reid. "You do it."
"No way!" The genius exclaimed. "He'll bite my head off again."
"So? You only use it to store information. What about me... what would all the ladies have to look at if I didn't have my pretty head? Plus you know that he responds best to you when he's in a mood..."
"Oh, no! I'm not falling for that again. I'm lucky to be alive after the last time. You know the time he'd been in a six hour meeting with Strauss and you said I should ask him if he wanted to grab a beer. I thought he was going to shoot me..."
"Come on kid, that was four years ago. Get over it."
* * *
Emily stood in the kitchenette for the second time that morning struggling with the coffee maker which apparently had decided to stop making coffee.
"Come on you stupid thing... Work!" She hissed at the machine.
"Ooh! Someone's got a bee in her bonnet!"
Emily turned around and was met by an explosion of colors and patterns. And a tiny pink top hat on top of big blonde hair.
"Care to share why you are having a fight with an inanimate object, Pussycat?" Garcia asked half smiling.
"He's such an ass!" Emily exclaimed throwing her hands in a defeated gesture.
"Uh, who is?" Garcia asked a bit confused.
"I don't know! That's the problem..."
"Okay, Lollipop you lost me there... Someone is an ass, you just don't know who?"
Emily looked at the technical analyst standing in front of her now with a concerned expression on her face. She decided to tell Garcia about her mystery man.
"About a week ago I started getting these notes..."
"Oh! Threats!?" Garcia cut her off.
"No, no... nothing like that... They were love notes actually and they came attached to gifts. And the gifts were really sweet. They were all of my favorite things. But nothing was signed so I don't know who they were from..."
"Oooh!" Garcia squealed. "You have a secret admirer!"
At this point Garcia was bouncing up and down clapping her hands. But when she saw the expression in Emily's eyes she stopped.
"Why am I the only one excited here?" She asked.
"I was... I was really excited too... until last night..."
"What happened last night?" If Garcia had been sitting down she would have been on the edge of her seat.
"We were supposed to meet. He'd chosen this really romantic restaurant to meet at and then he didn't show up." Emily answered looking down on the floor. "I sat there for three hours."
"Oh, my vision... I'm so sorry." Garcia said as she walked over to Emily and scooped her up in a tight hug.
* * *
Rossi had seen the exchange between Reid and a limping Hotch from his office and had hurried into Hotch's office.
"Aaron... you look like crap. What happened?" He asked
"I feel like crap." Hotch didn't see the point in stalling, Dave would eventually figure out what had happened. "She didn't show up."
"I'm sorry Aaron... I don't know what to say."
"It's okay, Dave. I guess we should have thought of this possibility."
"Maybe we should have... But, Aaron don't let this deter you. You should still tell her how you feel."
Hotch didn't answer so Rossi took that as his cue to leave. As the door closed Hotch looked up at where Dave had stood seconds ago. And he remembered what Dave had told him when he had stood in that very spot almost two weeks earlier.
"Do yourself a favor and stop pining for her and do something about it!"
He was doing it again. He was pining for her and now he was also feeling sorry for himself. But there was no time for a pity party here. He wanted Emily Prentiss. He was in love with her and it was about time he did something about it.
He looked out into the bullpen but he couldn't see her. Okay... so he'd just wait till she got back. He wanted to do something about it... he just wanted to do it in the privacy of his office. And this gave him the chance to prepare a speech.
* * *
Emily walked back into the bullpen, without coffee seeing as the coffee maker had decided to go on a permanent strike. She sat down at her desk and was cheerily greeted by Reid.
"Hey Emily, what's up with you?"
"Oh just shut up, Dr. Reid..." Emily snarled back.
"What?! Do I have a bullseye painted on my forehead today?!" Reid snapped back.
"Why? What do you mean?" Emily asked a lot less snappy.
"Hotch is also in a bad mood today..."
"Hotch?! Why is he in a bad mood?"
"No idea... and I'm not planning on finding out either... I like my job... and my head"
This confused Emily. Hotch was rarely in a bad mood. His somewhat sombre demeanor and lack of visible emotions made some people think that he was a sour ass. But she knew that he wasn't. He was quite sweet actually. It was just the heaviness of their job and his high integrity that made him seem that way.
Starting on some paperwork she reached over to grab her pen. As she did that she saw the bowl of kumquats still on her desk. Her first thought was to throw them out... But then it hit her. Then she remembered...
She remembered who she had told about her favorite word. It had been during a case four months earlier and she wanted to lighten the mood a little so she told him that kumquat was her favorite word. He had shot her a small glare as she had asked what his was. He had said that it was "apprehended suspect" and she had said that that was two words. That had almost lured out both dimples.
She quickly got up from her chair and rushed up the stairs and into Hotch's office not bothering announcing herself. She closed the door behind her and turned to face him.
She could tell that he was about to say something but she didn't give him the chance.
"You're my favorite too... and I love you"
He stared at her a few short moments. The surprise clear on his handsome face.
"I'm sorry, what?!"
"I love you. I figured it out, Hotch... I'm sorry I didn't do it earlier but I've figured it out now. The gifts... they were from you. You are the only one who knows that kumquats are my favorite fruit... because I told you it's my favorite word four months ago..."
He didn't respond. He just looked down at his hands. She was getting really nervous now.
"I love you too..." He said softly without looking up. "Is that why you didn't come last night?" He looked up at her. "Because you didn't know that it was me..."
"Wait... what do you mean? You're the one who didn't show up. I waited three hours at Marcel's last night."
Confusion spread across both their faces.
"I waited three hours for you..." Hotch said with a small smile. "At Little Fountain Café..."
The realization of what had happened made Emily laugh. Probably because of all the pent up tension suddenly letting go of her. They had both been waiting for each other for three hours last night... just in different restaurants.
"So... we both just sat their like fools?" She smiled. "How did that happen?"
"I blame Rossi..." He answered. At her confused smile he added. "I'll explain later." And then he got up from his desk and over to her and wrapped her in his strong arms.
His lips close to her ear he whispered "I love you, Emily."
"I love you too, Hotch." Emily answered and then she let her lips touch his. Just a sweet and gentle kiss but with a promise of more to come.
As they broke apart Hotch looked at her and smiled a smile displaying both dimples.
"I'm sorry this got so complicated...Maybe I should have just gone with my first instinct..." He said only half joking.
"And what was that?"
"To grab you and drag you to the nearest supply closet."
Emily didn't say anything. She just turned on her heel and walked towards his door.
"Wait! Don't go. I was only joking..." Hotch hissed. "Where are you going?"
Emily turned again to face him with a bright smile playing on her lips and a dark twinkle in her eye.
"To see if the supply closet's free..."
The End
A/N: Woohoo! That was it.
Thank you so very very much for reading "Men don't pine". Hope you liked it... I liked writing it... so much so that I can easily be persuaded to do a couple of follow ups...
Please review!
// Sussi