Hey! My first priority is to always thank everyone who was so kind enough to review and add my stories to their favorites list. So I need to thank everyone who did that for Welcome Home. It makes my day when I know people have enjoyed what I've written. Secondly, I would like to somewhat introduce this story. I thought of the little idea when I was studying for my Chemistry midterm about two weeks ago, lol. I have no idea how it came about, but it was really all I thought about for a while until I was done with the midterm. And it's August, so the outside weather in the story does not match to the weather outside now, lol. There's the tiniest drop of angst, but not too much because my last four stories have been of it. I thought I would maybe just ease away from it a little bit no matter how much I love it, lol. So maybe this story isn't as good as some of my other stories or whatever you are all reading, lol. But I do enjoy how it turned out. I'm done with my note and hope to find out what everyone else thought of the story too, so please remember to review when you finish. You may even PM me if you like. I'll always look to improve, so comments and any of the sorts would be appreciated and welcomed! =D

They were just frozen water droplets from the air.

They were simple.

They were tiny.

They were beautiful.

And they had Emily Prentiss mesmerized.

She thought it was a phase. It would be a phase she would grow out of in time. But it wasn't. It wasn't something she could stop wishing for. It wasn't something she could stop watching. And it wasn't something she could stop loving.

It was just snow, but it warmed her soul.

That was an oxymoron she would tell herself whenever she thought about it.

But it was the truth.

She wouldn't deny it.

She could walk for hours in the snow. She loved whenever the little white flakes stuck to her raven hair. She could touch the snow for as long as her hands willed. She loved how they were all individual pieces until they disappeared slowly into her gloves. She could watch for hours as they fell from the sky. She loved the way it slowly covered her world.

And Emily always thought it was magical whenever it snowed. Ever since she was a child, she thought it was magical. Everything was bright. The snow illuminated every little corner in sight. It felt like another world. She was in an alternate universe that always seemed better than the reality she was living in. And it made her smile.

So it was simple really.

Emily was addicted.

It was the middle of January in New York. They were there for a seven days for a case. And for seven days the winter weather was typical for the city. The skies got too dark too early. They had to work faster. The weather was freezing. Everyone wore an extra layer. The winds were much too strong. They had to turn their face whenever it hit them. The bitter cold was like billion of needles against her visible skin. Despite all of that though, it didn't snow for those seven days when they worked the case. Snow was not in the forecast. The city streets were not covered in the white powder that she secretly wished for.

Emily had experienced snow throughout her life. She experienced it when her mother was stationed in Russia and Germany. She experienced it when she visited her grandfather in France. She experienced it when she worked in St. Louis and Chicago. She experienced it when she moved to Washington D.C. And she experienced it now whenever it snowed in Virginia.

Snow in New York would be a first for her though.

She wanted to experience it. She wanted to add it to her ever growing list she kept in the corner of her brain. They all managed to be special.

The snow in Russia when she was young was still one of her favorites. She loved the sound of the snow crushing underneath her tiny feet and the flakes on her tongue every time she stuck it out. She would've been playing hours in the snow until her mother called her inside. And late at night she would quietly stay up to watch the flakes fall after one another with her favorite doll in her arms. It was passed her bedtime and she was supposed to be in bed, but her father would always let her stay up for an extra fifteen minutes sitting by the window sill. Her mother didn't know of it.

"It'll just be our secret, sweet pea," her father whispered as he held out his pinky.

"Deal." And with a smile on her face, she hooked her pinky to his before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Whenever she visited her grandfather years later as a teenager, there was always a new blanket of snow. His home and the snow were her haven that time. She was having the boy troubles that no one could help her with. She didn't want to worry about being accepted. She didn't want to think about whose list she would be on next. She just wanted to get away from all of it. So she hid out there every time her mother would let her go. It was just for a few days, but it was always enough. Her grandfather would bring her a cup of cocoa late at night every time he caught her sitting up in his living room with a thick blanket wrapped around her tight.

"Watching the snow again?" His question always took her away from her thoughts.

"Yeah… I like it. It's always really pretty," she quietly replied.

"Just like you," he told her with a laugh. "How's my favorite pumpkin tonight?"

And when she turned around to him, he handed her the steaming cup of cocoa with exactly eight mini marshmallows because that was how she liked it.

"I'm your only pumpkin," she said quietly offering him a small smile.

There was a brief moment of silence before he spoke again.

"Do you want to talk about it, pumpkin?"

She would look down when he asked that simple question. More than anything Emily wanted to talk about it. But she knew he wouldn't understand. And she didn't want him to be ashamed of her. She was already ashamed of herself.

"It's okay." She looked up once more and gave him her best smile.

"I'm always here if you want to." He bent over and gave her a kiss on her head before turning back around to his room, leaving her alone with the snow.

And the night after Father Silvano was sent back to Rome, she remembered walking in the snow covered streets of D.C. She remembered the blood from her nose dripping on the photo she still kept as she stood in front of the church. Her heart ached as she thought about Matthew and all of his troubles. She wished she could've done more. The tears hung on the edge of her eyes when she imagined how different her life could've have been without Matthew. But as she kept walking and walking, she remembered the good. She remembered the way he held her hand and the way he always hugged her when she wanted him to. And when she finally realized her fingers were almost near frozen and that she needed to get out of the snow, Emily smile a little to herself because maybe after all the struggles he had went through for her and for himself, he was finally at peace.

That was why she wanted the snow in New York.

Emily had wanted another memory.

But when she fell asleep with arms tight around her waist and her legs tangled with his underneath the thick comforter, it still hadn't snowed.

So Emily didn't know when it started. She didn't know what she was secretly hoping for began falling. She slept soundly until she turned in his arms. Her eyes opened for a brief moment. She saw the faint glow in the room. Snow always did that. And when her gaze took a quick glimpse out his window, she saw them.

Billions of ice crystals fell from the sky.

The small smile crept onto her face. She moved again. His arms tightened a little more. Turning her head slowly and pushing herself slightly up, she carefully placed her lips against his bare shoulder. His hold of her loosened. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before looking passed him to the small neon numbers glaring in the room. It was almost three. Shifting her eyes between the man beside her and snowflakes that were continuing to follow one another to the streets below her, Emily wondered for a moment how she was to leave the comfortable bed and his warm embrace for the snow. But in a minute, she gently began easing the arms away from her waist. She froze and bit her lip when he stirred a little. She didn't want to wake him. So another kiss was placed on his shoulder to clam him once more. She smiled when his breathing steadied into a rhythm. And for the next few moments, she quietly continued to slip out of his arms and pull her legs from his.

Once she was able to do that, Emily slowly slid from underneath the thick comforter. Her eyes traveled along her bedside, and she picked up the powder blue dress shirt that she had discarded from his body a few hours ago. The shirt hung loosely on her tall thin naked frame and came to stop mid thigh, but she didn't mind it. His scent still lingered on the shirt so she liked it. She buttoned the button in the middle to somewhat hold the shirt in place before softly moving her feet toward the window.

Her hands pressed against the cold window. She looked from side to side as the snowflakes danced against one another in the glowing sky. They held her attention for a moment before moving her gaze slowly down. And from the twenty third floor of the hotel, she managed to see the snowed covered city streets and lights. Her eyes moved straight ahead next as she watched the snow glide against the tall buildings in front of her. The small smile that had previously formed on her face had expanded a little more.

Her first glimpse of New York snow.

And she already loved everything she was seeing.

Emily turned back around. He was still asleep. She looked around the room for a moment before settling her eyes on the one seat couch beside her. With a little muscle, she moved and turned the seat to face the window as close as she could. She sat down and hugged her knees to her chest as she sank into the soft seat.

Maybe she missed the beginning, but Emily was glad she watching it now. It was her luck really because there wasn't supposed to be snow anyway. She noted New York to the list in the corner of her mind as she stared out the window. Everything appeared endless as she moved her eyes up to the sky. She bent her arm on the edge of the couch and laid her head on it. She continued to admire the flakes falling as she yawned a little. The flight was supposed to be at nine. She was a little tired. The case was long. But then she smiled when remembered the last few hours. She wanted to soak up the New York snow in front of her. She could hold up the sleep for just a bit longer. There was no telling when she would experience it again.

So Emily needed a minor distraction. Her mind started traveling back to all the snow she had seen and felt. She remembered the snow from Russia. She remembered the pinky promises and her special secret with her father. She thought of her nights at her grandfather's home up in the snowy mountains and she felt the tears edge her eyes just a little. She missed him. She missed the cocoa he would hand her with the amount of marshmallows she liked. She smiled a sad smile to herself as she wondered if her grandfather would be proud of her now. Maybe he was proud of her and the snow in New York was him telling her so. And she thought of Matthew. She hoped he was happy. She hoped he knew she thought of him.

Her eyes began to water more than before. She quickly wiped the tears away. She felt a sudden chill in the room and tugged on the long sleeves before focusing back to her view.

"What are you doing up?"

She heard the curious question behind her. And when she lifted her head and turned behind her, Emily smiled at Aaron Hotchner's face.

"Hey."

It was almost six months since they both gave in.

They didn't know when it started. But when they realized it, they denied it. It wasn't really happening between them. It was just their simple imagination of feelings and tension that seemed to spiral out of control with each passing second. The invisible forces got stronger though. They were in Montana. He went to check on her. He had to check on her because she lost her control earlier in the day. She rarely did that. She always compartmentalized. So something had to be wrong. And she clung to him. She clung to him as she buried herself into his arms. When she slowly pulled away, her ragged breathing filled the dark room and cut the silence. She leaned her forehead against his.

"Everything's okay," he had whispered to her. He touched her face. Her scent filtered into his nose and registered in the corner of his brain.

Apricots and vanilla.

He liked it.

She nodded.

"I'm sorry," she apologized to him softly with a chuckle.

She didn't want him to think she was weak. She didn't want him to see her vulnerable.

He gave her a small, but comforting smile.

She liked it.

"You're okay."

After that, her mind whirled because she leaned a little more into him. He didn't push her away. So a little further she fell into him, and she caught his lips in hers. He kissed her back. He held her a little tighter. She gently bit his lip and he returned the favor seconds later. And when they pulled apart a moment later, they remained silent. Then it took just eleven seconds before they caught each other's lips again.

"It's snowing," she informed him, stating the obvious as his eyes were to the window.

A smile illuminated her face as she stood up from her seat and took his hands, leading him to stand in front of the window.

"I can see that," Hotch quietly whispered with a chuckle.

His hands moved to the small of her back and she leaned into him. They stood there quietly enjoying the sight before them until he took a step back, pulling her along with him, to the seat she previously occupied. Draping her arms over and around his still bare shoulder, Emily curled up and sank into him, her feet planted firmly on his thighs. He was in nothing but the briefs he put back on when he woke moments ago.

"Did I wake you? I didn't mean to wake you. I was trying to be extra careful and extra quiet." Her voice was low and her gaze out the window as she leaned her head an inch closer to his. She intertwined her free hand with his hand beside her. His thumb instinctively began rubbing her knuckles.

She wasn't looking at him, but a faint smile appeared on his face. She sounded like a child. Hotch brought pulled their joined hands and tangled arms around her tiny waist.

"It's fine," he reassured her softly.

Emily remained silent. Hotch turned his head slightly, staring at her. She was in her own little world. Her face was perfectly content with the view in front of her. His eyes remained on her as her eyes remained on the falling snow. He wasn't going to disturb her. She didn't realize what he was doing until a few minutes later when she looked out from the corner of her eyes.

"What?" She felt the blush rising in her cheeks and the shy smile forming on her face.

"Nothing." His response was hardly audible. He gave her a smile, and with the glow in the room, she made out the dimples that faintly appeared on his face.

Emily knew her cheeks were pink by that moment. She was grateful that his chances of seeing them in the light were slim to none.

Even if it was almost six months, they were still new.

He was still giving her butterflies. He was still making her heart jump. He was still putting her stomach in knots.

She was keeping them in check though. When it came to work and the aspects of everything in their professional lives, there would be no interference. They would try their best to keep everything as if before anything had started. He called her Prentiss. She called him Hotch. But when all of the work and stress of the job were stripped away, they were back to the new stages in their lives.

He would be Aaron to her. She would be Emily to him.

Emily closed the remaining distance between them as her nose and lips pressed against his cheek. She didn't move and either did he. They stayed still for a while until her eyes turned back to the snow that continued to fall from the sky.

There was no beginning. There was no end.

"I've been secretly waiting for it, you know? Since we came to New York, I've been secretly hoping it would've snowed." Her comment was followed by a soft laugh.

Hotch moved his other hand to the long naked legs against his body, gently running his hand back and forth. She loved whenever his hands were on her body.

"I never knew you were a fanatic," he murmured with a soft laugh similar to hers.

That was another thing. They were still learning about one another. Little by little they were learning the things they never got to see during work.

He laughed more than most people would assume of him. When he was relaxed without the work surrounding him, he laughed and he smiled. The corner of his eyes crinkled. That was Emily's favorite part. That meant the laugh was real.

She liked the quiet. She didn't want much. She just wanted her head on his shoulder and his arms around her when she closed her eyes. He was her boss. She was his subordinate. And even with the almost unconventional and dangerous relationship, he provided her with stability. She needed it. She welcomed it.

Turning her head, Emily looked at him.

"The snow and I go way back. I have a lot of good memories. They're piles as big as the snow right now. Playing, walking, and watching… which I still do today too. But surprisingly, this is my first glimpse of New York snow. I've been here before and I've been around the world, but I've never been here when it snowed. I didn't want to miss it." A childlike smile formed on her face.

That was the reason why she was awake.

"And I'm glad you're awake now. My first New York snow is with you." Her voice was shy and low. She knew her cheeks were still pink in the glow of the room.

Hotch tugged her closer. The arm over his shoulder moved up as her hand rested behind his head with her fingers massaging the nape of his neck.

"Would you like to go play in the snow now, Emily?" He teased her quietly.

His amused eyes were set on her. The smile on her face grew a little bigger, enjoying the side of him that was seen by less than a dozen of people.

"Not right now." A faint laugh escaped between her lips.

"Really?" Hotch raised his eyebrows at her.

Emily pressed her forehead to his.

"Really… I'm good where I am."

He gave her a soft kiss.

"Maybe next time?"

She smiled again.

"Yeah… next time."

Silence fell between them as the snow caught her attention again. Her fingers continued to stroke the nape of his neck as his hand continued to run down her legs.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

She was almost scared to break the stillness between them.

He nodded against her head.

"It looks like we're in a snow globe, doesn't it?"

His lips pressed on her cheek.

She sank deeper into his embrace. Her head nuzzled into his neck and she pulled the arm around her waist a little bit closer to her. Hotch took a deep breath.

Still of apricots and vanilla.

He smiled unconsciously to himself.

"I wouldn't mind." Her voice was low.

"You wouldn't mind what?"

"Being in a snow globe." He heard the twinge of sadness in her voice.

"Why would you want that?" Hotch was almost afraid to ask her.

Emily didn't say anything for a moment. She only held their intertwined fingers tighter.

"Then maybe we could stay like this a little longer."

She didn't look at him with her comment.

No one knew about them. They were each other's secret. Three weeks after what was between them was still going on, she told him if it was going continue she didn't want to tell anyone. It wasn't that she was ashamed. It wasn't that she was embarrassed either. She didn't want to get him in trouble. She didn't want what they were doing to hurt his job. She didn't want the stares. She didn't want the gossip. She didn't want to go through all of that over again because once of that in her life was enough.

She just wanted him. She just wanted them in their simplest form.

He understood what she wanted when his lips touched her forehead and his arms held her tight.

Hotch didn't say anything for a moment. He held her as close as their bodies would fit in the seat. He nudged her head with his, signaling her to look at him. And when Emily did, he saw her glassy eyes and gave her a faint smile, hoping maybe that would make her feel a little better. She returned her own faint smile for him. He kissed her softly like he had done before, and she lingered on his lips when they pulled apart.

"I love you."

It was just a tiny whisper, but Emily heard every syllable. Her heart skipped a beat. She didn't expect that, and she was a profiler. Her mind spun. And when she stared at him, she saw it.

He meant what he said. He meant every word. He didn't need her to say it back. He wasn't going to pressure her.

He just wanted her to know that.

She leaned into him once again; her lips caught his for a moment. Her head buried into his neck soon after as they allowed the silence to envelope them; their eyes focused on the New York snow that continued to fall.

The words Hotch said didn't escape her mind though. She wasn't scared. She didn't want to run. She was surprised. Emily honestly didn't know he would have reached that step at this time or if ever. This plateau was unexpected. He had been covered in scars, but he loved her. He told her he loved her. She couldn't remember the last time she heard those words in her relationships. She couldn't remember even reaching this far in her relationships.

But then she remembered this was different. Every element between them was different. Everything they had done and everything they had said were different. From the second they both realized what was happening between them to now as she was nestled to his body, they were just different.

She remembered the denial. They wouldn't give in. But then she remembered his hold of her that night in Montana. She remembered their first kiss. He stayed that night in her room. They spent hours tasting and holding one another like they have done it before. And then she thought of the side he rarely let other people in on. But he let her in. She thought of how he made her smile whenever she needed it. He made her laugh when they were together. He held her when she didn't even ask. He just knew.

Nothing about them was easy.

But yet everything between them was easy.

And as Emily turned her gaze away from the snow to their intertwining fingers, she felt the small smile forming on her face. Their hands always fit together. Her head always fit into his neck when she settled in his arms. He fit like a missing puzzle piece every time he entered her. His body elicited feelings she never knew existed.

She loved him too. Maybe she had loved him all along. She just never realized until he said it first.

"You okay?" His soft voice broke her from her thoughts.

"Yeah… I'm good." She paused for a moment before murmuring again. "I was just thinking about something."

Her head turned, allowing her lips to press onto his neck.

"And maybe I'm a little tired."

His hand rested on her knees.

"The flight's at nine. You want to get to bed now or stay a little longer here? I'll stay." She felt him smile.

He would stay up with her for however long she wanted.

"It's okay. I think I got enough in my mind to remember tonight." She lifted her head up and kissed him, her lips nibbling on his bottom lip for a tiny moment before she pulled away.

"Thanks for staying up with me for my first New York snow experience."

He had given her another memory with the snow to tuck into her heart.

"And thanks for the offer, but I think I'll save it for next time." She touched his chest. The childlike smile appeared on her face once more caused him to smile himself, his dimples making another brief appearance.

"I thought next time would be playing in the snow." His gentle teasing made her chuckle quietly.

"We can always do both." Her voice was sweet and hopeful.

Hotch couldn't help, but smile some more. She was full of surprises.

He gave her a slow nod and whispered back, "We can always do both." Her lips touched his momentarily, her gratitude towards him.

Emily slowly moved from his body, her feet touching the soft hotel carpet. With hands still holding, she slowly stood up, and he followed suit. She didn't bother removing the dress shirt as she climbed into his bed. Hotch immediately pulled her to him and tugged on the thick comforter to cover them. She didn't think she needed it. His arms around her and his dress shirt would provide all the warmth she'd need for the remaining night.

With her back to his chest, Emily darted her eyes to the window again.

She realized that even if they weren't in a snow globe, she still would always have him to hold her.

It was all she needed.

"Aaron…" It was barely audible.

"Hmm." She felt his breathing slightly on the back of her neck.

She turned in his arms. Hotch stared at the face across from him. Her heart pounded a little faster in her chest.

"I love you too."

Her words were a tiny whisper just like his. But they rang in his ears. He pulled her as close as they could get. Her covered chest pressed to his bare chest. Their naked legs weaved together in their own design underneath the covers.

"I just wanted you to know that."

Hotch smiled softly before his lips touched hers sweetly.

"Goodnight, Emily."

She closed her eyes and relaxed in his arms as the snow continued to fall to the city streets below her.

And as she allowed herself to begin slowly succumbing to the sleep, Emily knew the snow would remain magical no matter how old she would ever be.