Back to you - Hotchniss

don't know how to stop

Their case had brought them to Indiana, much to Hotch's disgust. He couldn't stand the thought of having to be around Emily without knowing what was going on between them, but he didn't show it - he'd probably be the last person to let any emotions slip in front of his team.

Emily, on the opposite, kept herself busy with the case. She had thrown herself that much in it that she had actually forgotten about the incident with Garcia and JJ, so she hadn't yet come back to them concerning that topic, and the blondes were more than grateful about that.

It was only when JJ and Emily found themselves alone in their conference room in the local police department, that the brunette remembered.

"So, what were you and Penelope talking about earlier?", she asked and leaned against the table.

"Uh - oh, nothing", JJ quickly said and turned her look to the investigation board again.

"You know that I can make Garcia talk within a second", Emily rolled her eyes.

"Fine", the other sighed, figuring that it was senseless to lie to her best friend. "Garcia saw that Hotch came from your place when she called him in for the previous case, so we were wondering... you know."

"She tracked him?!", Emily gasped, and the look on her face told JJ that Garcia would have some troubles as soon as they'd be back.

"You know how she is, she can't help it", she defended her.

"One day I am going to help her to stop doing such things". the brunette hissed.

"Hey, we don't need to get violent", JJ chuckled. "So, any answers to our thoughts?"

"If you are referring to a possible relationship between my ex-fiancé and me, the answer is definitely no", Emily replied.

JJ tried to figure our whether she was lying or not, but she guessed that she wouldn't find out anyways - sadly, Emily Prentiss was a brilliant liar.

"So just friends?"

"Let's say we're just two people who try to figure things out", Emily sighed and turned her head as the others approached the room. "But yes, I hope I can denote us as friends."

Their eyes met for the split of a second, and Emily immediately felt her heart skip a beat. Hotch broke the eye contact almost too quickly, revealing that something was bothering him.

They briefed on their new findings, and talked about the next steps. After a while, Emily headed to the small kitchen in order to get a coffee, and he joined her shortly afterwards. Heavy and uncomfortable silence surrounded them as they stood next to each other, waiting for the machine to do its work. Emily was the first to get her coffee, and before leaving him to himself, she turned around again.

"Are you coming over tonight?", she asked in a low and seductive voice that only he could hear, though they were alone in the room.

"I don't think that having that conversation on a case is very beneficial", he muttered, avoiding to look her eyes.

"I wasn't thinking about any conversation at all", she winked and made her way back to the team. However, she didn't miss how he had clenched his jaw at her words.

He knew he shouldn't even consider it, as it would only make things more difficult. The more often they did this - giving in to their desire for the other - the realer it got, and neither of them knew whether they were ready for this already.

Though Hotch hadn't reacted very thrilled about her suggestion, she wasn't surprised when there was a knock at the door to her hotel room, shortly before mid-night.

"Took you quite some time", Emily said as she opened her door, her eyes immediately meeting his.

There was something different in them; they were dark and full of desire, as always - but she could've sworn that she saw something else in them, too: doubt.

"I thought you didn't want to talk", he said calmly and unbothered as he walked past her.

"I don't", she smiled.

"Then shut the hell up", and with these words, his lips were on hers, doing what they could do best. Even more turned on by his words, Emily yanked him closer to her, needing to feel his body against hers.

Both of them knew that they were dancing with fire, and that they'd get burned soon - but they didn't mind, at least not in that exact moment.

Hotch was glad that Emily had set an alarm this time, and they woke up through the violent sound of the alarm on her IPhone the next morning.

"How much time until we have to drive to the station?", she groaned as he silenced her phone.

"One hour", he replied and got up. Emily lifted her head sleepily, only to discover that he was about to dress already.

"You can shower here", she shrugged and climbed out of the bed, too. After she had put on a long cardigan, she walked over to her travel bag and took out fresh clothes.

"I'm just going to get back to my room before I meet anyone of the team on the way", Hotch then said as he kept watching her.

"Fine by me", she just nodded, and if she hadn't grabbed her necklace with the engagement in that moment from the bedside table, he would've probably never spoken up. However, as Hotch saw what she was doing, he couldn't ignore it any longer.

"What does this mean to you?", he blurted out.

"What?", she immediately asked back, saving herself some time to think of an answer.

"You know what I mean", he sighed. "This has already happened the third time and I wanted to be patient, but I need to know."

There was a period of silence. Emily looked down at the necklace in her hands and swallowed thickly. Of course she wanted more, she wanted him; but she was just too scared of it going down the way it had already gone down once. She didn't want to get hurt again, and most importantly, she didn't want him to get hurt, neither.

"I'm so sorry", she then whispered.