Deception - Hotchniss

Chapter 13

So. . . Hey. Remember me? It's been a few months. . . Anyways, here's another chapter at last!

They flew in to Portland in the evening, around seven. Emily gave directions to her cousin's place while Hotch drove there from the airport. It wasn't a long drive, at only about twenty minutes. As they drove up the long driveway, both Aaron and Emily gawked at the sheer size of the house.

Once they got to the front door, carrying their bags, Aaron glanced at Emily beside him. She looked tired already. Somehow, she still managed to look good even when she had just been on a plane for nearly six hours. "Are you ready?" he asked calmly.

She looked at him and took in a sharp breath. "No," she said and laughed nervously. "Yes. Maybe." She scanned the landscape around her. Perfectly trimmed bushes and trees, and a lawn that was mowed to perfection like everything else. "What if we just leave right now? I could tell my mother that I got sick, with the flu. . . no, that's too basic. What about pneumonia? No. . . Tuberculosis-"

"Emily," he interrupted her, "Come on."

She bit her lip and looked back at him. He looked nice, wearing an olive green shirt and jeans. "You're right. She'd never believe that one, anyways."

He furrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth to say something, but the front door opened just in time.

"Emily!! Hey! Come on in!" Anna exclaimed excitedly, reaching out to hug her cousin.

The three of them walked inside and immediately, Emily and Aaron were captivated by the architecture of the place. Somehow, the inside of the place was even ore perfect than the outside. "Wow, Anna, this is gorgeous. I'm glad I'm finally able to see this place."

Anna shrugged bashfully. "Oh, well, the place was built in the late 1800's. You can thank James' dead relatives for that," she explained, earning a laugh from Emily. Then she turned her attention to Aaron. "Aaron, good to see you again," she said, then saw that he was carrying both Emily and his bags in his hands. "You can just drop those here, I'll have someone bring them up to your room."

"Thanks," he said with a warm smile, setting the bags aside on the ground.

They both followed Anna around the house for the next few minutes, all the while meeting some other members of Emily's extended family in the process. Emily watched as Aaron greeted every member of her family with a smile or a handshake, and couldn't help but feel a little proud.

Anna mentioned to them that Elizabeth wouldn't be there until tomorrow, as she was caught up in some meetings before she could catch a plane. It was a story Emily had heard one thousand times before. Nonetheless, it gave her time to come up with something to say when she inevitably asked why in hell she was dating her boss.

"Well, you two are probably tired from your trip. . . And, well, I really just want to show you your room," Anna said with a gleam in her eyes, "Just between you and me," she said, gesturing towards Emily, "You two got my favorite room in the whole place."

Emily laughed as they followed her up the stairs. It was just down the hall, and to the right, somewhat secluded from the other rooms in the hall. As soon as they walked into the room, Emily was in awe.

The natural light from outside poured into two, large windows, lighting up the entire room. A large vanity sat next to a mahogany dresser. The whole room had a sort of woodsy- feel to it that was rather comforting. The next thing, that both Emily and Aaron's eyes landed on, was the single bed in the center of the room.

It was a big bed, but it was definitely going to make for an awkward conversation later on. . .

"So," Anna began, "this is it!"

"This is awesome!" Emily said, reaching out to hug her cousin for the third time since they arrived. Aaron agreed that it was very nice.

"I'm glad you both like it. There are extra blankets in the closet, if you need them. It does get a little chilly up here at night, I should warn you," she said and smiled. "Anyways, I'll leave you to it!"

"Thanks again," Aaron said as she left the room with a small wave of her hand. Then, she closed the door behind her. He looked back at Emily, who wiggled her eyebrows at him in excitement. "Your family is lovely," he said sincerely, looking around the room.

"Lovely," she said, and couldn't help but let out a sarcastic chuckle. "You'll fit right in with them."

His eyes looked back at her and he furrowed his eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Emily just simply smirked and looked down at their bags by the door. "Soo. . . Do you want top drawer?"

He smiled faintly and shook his head as she avoided the question. "It doesn't matter to me, but, I think there's a bigger situation that we should work out sooner rather than later," he said, glancing back at the bed.

Emily followed his gaze, feeling that familiar awkwardness reenter the room around them. "Yeah. . . Sooner rather than later," she repeated.

"It's a big bed," he shrugged.

They both stared at it, arms crossed, in silence, for the next few moments before she spoke up.

"Oh, come on, it's not like we're sixteen, Aaron," she said, slightly annoyed by the silence around them.

He turned to look at her and smiled. "Sure," he agreed after a moment. "But you better not try anything funny, Prentiss."

She scoffed at him. "Says the biggest flirt I've ever met," she said, walking to get her bag.

"Ah," he stepped in front of her path, "fake flirt, to you,"

She rolled her eyes and stepped away from him, smiling to herself as she picked up her bags and threw them down by the dresser. She really just didn't feel like unpacking right now. She looked back at Aaron, who was still standing in the middle of the room, his hands resting on is hips.

"What?" she inquired.

"Don't you think we should have some type of rules or something? I mean, with the whole family thing- what to do and what not to do?"

"Want me to make you a pamphlet, Hotch?"

He shot her a glare. "Seriously."

"What do you mean? Like kissing?" she asked without hesitation, smiling a little at the insinuation.

He cleared his throat as she took a few steps closer to him. "That's not what I-" he paused. "Well, now that you bring it up. . ."

"Okay," Emily couldn't help but notice that he began rubbing his fingers by his side. His tell. "So, probably none of that unless it's really needed, right?"

"Sure. Hugging?"

"Good alternative, but definitely not too much of that, either. It'll look too platonic after a while."

He took a step closer and smirked softly. "So, you're saying that you want me to kiss you sometimes?"

He immediately got a shove in the shoulder. "Don't be a douchebag, or you're going to be sleeping on the floor."

He put his hands up in surrender. "Dully noted." He backed up, "but picture this," he began, "It's the night of the wedding, and all of the couples are dancing and having a good time."

He stepped forward and outreached his hand, "Emily Prentiss, may I have this dance?" he asked, in a very formal tone.

A little confused, she replied, "You may," and took his hand, which he immediately brought to his lips to kiss softly.

At this, she couldn't help but show a smile.

"Okay, okay, you win."