RED

blueberry muffins, panic, and planes

word count: 2535

Normally, Aaron woke up alone. Sometimes, if it was his weekend with Jack, he'd crawl into Aaron's bed at night, but that was rare. This morning was different. His arms were wrapped around Emily, who was still asleep. She stirred, burrowing closer to him. The first glimpses of the morning sun filtered through the window, barely illuminating the room. For the first time in a while, Aaron felt truly content.

He lay there for a moment, simply enjoying the warmth of Emily in his arms, the steady rhythm of her breathing, and the peaceful expression on her face. It was a rare moment of tranquility in a life filled with chaos. He couldn't help but smile at how right this felt, how natural it was to wake up with her beside him.

But then reality started to creep back in. His mind, always trained to be aware of the time, told him it was morning, and not just any morning—it was a workday, and they had a briefing to attend. The team would be expecting them downstairs soon.

Aaron glanced at the clock on the nightstand, and his eyes widened slightly in panic. They had overslept. They needed to be downstairs with the rest of the team in just 20 minutes. His heart skipped a beat, not just from the sudden urgency but also from the realization of what this situation might look like to their coworkers. They had agreed to keep their feelings under wraps, and this wasn't exactly the most discreet way to start the day.

"Emily," he whispered softly, gently shaking her awake. "Emily, we need to get up."

Emily stirred again, blinking sleepily as she slowly came to. It took her a moment to process where she was and whose arms she was in, but when she did, a soft smile crossed her face. That smile quickly faded as she saw the concern in Aaron's eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.

Aaron hesitated for a moment, not wanting to alarm her, but knowing they couldn't afford to dawdle. "We overslept. We need to be downstairs in 20 minutes."

Emily's eyes widened as the reality of the situation hit her. "Oh shit," she muttered, quickly sitting up and disentangling herself from him. "We have to go!"

As she reached for her clothes, the realization hit her like a ton of bricks—her room was across the hall. She needed to get back to it and change without being seen by anyone on the team. The thought of getting caught sneaking out of Hotch's room was enough to make her stomach twist in knots.

"We'll make it," Aaron said, his tone reassuring even as he buttoned his shirt. "Just be careful. We don't want anyone to see you."

Emily nodded, her heart racing. "I'll be quick."

She dressed quickly, only needing to grab her shoes and jacket. Aaron walked with her to the door, where they both paused, listening for any signs of movement in the hallway. When it seemed clear, Emily took a deep breath.

"Okay, here goes nothing," she whispered, giving Aaron a quick, nervous smile.

"Go," Aaron urged softly, his eyes filled with both concern and affection. "I'll meet you downstairs."

Emily cracked open the door, peering into the hallway. Seeing it was empty, she slipped out, moving quickly and quietly towards her own room. Every step felt like a mile, and her heart pounded in her chest as she kept glancing over her shoulder, half expecting to see one of her teammates round the corner at any moment.

She reached her door and fumbled with the keycard, her hands trembling slightly. Finally, the door clicked open, and she slipped inside, closing it behind her with a soft thud. Leaning against the door, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.