Title: The Tenth Time (aka U is for Underneath)

Challenge: The Great Alphabet Meme 2

Prompt by Anonymous

Author: Kuria Dalmatia

Rating/Warnings: FRAO/NC-17 (frank discussion about sex).

Characters/Pairing: Hotch/Reid

Summary: There's this myth about sex, especially between those "meant to be", that it's perfect and it's wonderful every single time. It usually isn't.

ARCHIVING: my LJ and FFNet account... anyone else? Please ask first.

COMMENTS: Unbetaed. February 2011.

Feedback always welcome.

DISCLAIMER: The Mark Gordon Company, ABC Studios and CBS Paramount Network Television own Criminal Minds. Salut! I just took them out to play and I promise put them back when I'm done. I'm not making any profit just trying to get these images out of my head.

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The sex is…well…okay. Which is really disappointing when Spencer dares to think about it, because theoretically sex with Aaron Hotchner is supposed to be spectacular, amazing, mind-blowing, the best ever, and something right out of erotica.

Not something that inspires the description of "mechanical" and "methodical" and the dreaded "meh."

It's like waiting all year for a chemistry set for his birthday—the one that he's asked for and cut out ads for and even put the mail-order form on his father's desk—and instead receiving model kit for a 18th century sailing ship. It's a nice gift. It's an okay gift. But it wasn't what Spencer wanted and something seriously considered exchanging for something better.

Spencer knows it's bad when he's considering "trading up" and honestly, he's not the type to give up after a few less-than-stellar rounds. But in the nine times they've had sex, it's still bad. Granted, they've kept to the "simple" stuff—kissing, handjobs, blowjobs, frottage, and the barest of fingering—yet Spencer knows that if they graduate to actual intercourse, it's going to be just as bad if not even worse.

All this work. All this effort to get through the fortress of Hotch to get to Aaron so that he can act upon the feelings he know they both have for each other.

His reward?

Spencer has masturbation sessions better than any sex he's had with Aaron.

And what a pathetic thought that is.

Tonight.

Well.

He has a feeling tonight is going to be just like the other times. Which doesn't quite make sense, if Spencer is honest with himself. Sure, there's a learning curve and everything—Spencer is Aaron's first male lover—but the thing about sex between two men that it's supposed to be a hell of a lot easier than sex between a man and a woman.

There is certainly a lot less guesswork involved.

So this time, Spencer sits in bed and watches as Aaron exits the master bath, fresh from his shower. The bathing-before-sex is something Spencer suggested. After all, when they graduated from kissing to "hands below the waist", they had just come off a thirty-four hour child abduction case in which neither had a chance to much more than a quick wipe down with a paper towel in the men's room.

They stank, and it wasn't in the appealingly sexy kind of way either. It was the stench of stale sweat mixed with coffee, grease, and fried onions.

And that's when it hits Spencer on what could be one of their problems: by washing off, they've basically eliminated scent from the equation.

The second part kicks in as Aaron walks to the side of the bed and slides underneath the covers. Quickly, Spencer compares all their encounters and, except for the first two times, they've gotten each other off and promptly went to sleep. They were tired—their jobs were mentally and physically demanding so it was only natural to want to go to bed after achieving an orgasm—so Spencer initially thought nothing of it.

Yet now, Spencer realizes that what they are doing probably falls into the same category of what Aaron was used to while he was married.

Married.

Alpha male.

And when Spencer and Aaron finally get together, Aaron takes the lead because that was what he is supposed to do as an Alpha male. Spencer yields because it is such a natural thing to do.

Spencer wants to slap himself upside the head because for all his touted genius, he knows he's being downright stupid about this whole thing with Aaron.

Aaron, frankly, doesn't know any better. He does what he thinks is right. He kisses and caresses and nibbles in safe, known locations. Things that have worked before. Things that he knows. And it's safe and it's polite and it's not aggressive because aggressiveness can be misconstrued for a whole lot of things because of what they do for a living. Spencer's efforts in making sure that he doesn't spook Aaron contribute to the whole "bad sex" problem. And Aaron, being Aaron, isn't about to say how crappy the sex is because crappy sex is better than no sex and Spencer's hand is probably a nice change of pace from his own.

So as Aaron settles down and rolls to his side facing Spencer, Spencer peers down and can't help the predatory smile across his face.

Aaron frowns a little, confused.

That's when Spencer pounces.

The tenth time? The tenth time is going to be good. Maybe not spectacular. Maybe not mind-blowing, but it's going to be good.

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