The Nights We Stay Awake (TemperancexReader)

60. "Cooking class"

Y/n pov

It's one of those chilly mornings where i'm out grabbing coffee, trying to get my thoughts together before the day really kicks in. The smell of roasted beans hits me as soon as i step into the cafe, and i breath it in like it's oxygen. I've always loved this place- the way it's a little quieter than the others, with its warm lighting and cosy corners.

I order mine and Temperance usual and wait by the counter, scrolling aimlessly on my phone for updates from the current case the team is working, when i hear a familiar voice behind me.

"Y/n?"

I turn around an there's Jenny- Hotch's girlfriend, looking as put together as always. She's holding a to-go cup and smiling at me, clearly surprised to see me here.

"Oh, hey, Jenny!" I say, smiling back. "Didn't expect to bump into you here."

"Small world, right?" she says with a laugh, stepping up to stand beside me as we wait for our orders. "How's everything going? How are you feeling?"

I shrug, giving her a half-smile. "I'm good. Better than i was, at least. Still dealing with some lingering pain, but nothing i can't handle.

She nods, her expression softening with understanding. "That's good to hear. Aaron's mentioned you a couple of times- said you're tougher than half the people he works with. And trust me, that's a high compliment coming from him."

I chuckle. "I'll take that as a win."

We fall into easy conversation, talking about work, the holidays, life in general. Jenny's one of those people who's easy to talk to, and i find myself enjoying the causal back-and-forth.

"I've been meaning to ask," she says after a few moments, "how are things going with you and Dr. Brennan? Aaron told me you two finally... you know, made it official."

I can't help the small grin that spreads across my face. "Yeah, we did. It's been amazing, honestly. A little scary, but worth it."

Jenny raises an eyebrow, smiling knowlingy. "Scary?"

"Yeah, well, we've got a lot of history. And i'm still figuring out how to navigate all of this without screwing it up."

She laughs, shaking her head. "That's just part of it, trust me. Aaron and i- well, we're still figuring things out too. But that's what makes is interesting."

Our coffee arrive, and we step aside, finding a small table to sit and chat for a bit longer.

"You know," Jenny says, leaning forward a little, "Aaron's been mentioning how he wants to do more stuff together. Maybe we could do a double date sometime? Get to know each other better."

"Double date?" i ask, taking a sip of my coffee. "That could be fun. What do you have in mind?"

"Well," she starts, grinning mischievously, "Aaron's... lets just say, not the best in the kitchen. I've been trying to teach him a few things, but it's slow going. I was thinking maybe we could all take a cooking class together. It'd be fun, plus maybe Aaron will learn how not to burn pasta."

I laugh at that, imagining Hotch in the kitchen, looking just as serious as he does when he's leading the team. The idea of him fumbling over over a recipe is almost too much.

"That sounds like a blast," i say, nodding. "Temperance could probably use a lesson or two herself. She's brilliant at a lot of things, but sharing a kitchen? Not so much."

Jenny grins, her eyes lighting up. "Perfect. We'll set it up then. I'll talk to Aaron, and we'll find a good time that words for all of us."

We exchange numbers, and before long, we're wrapped up our little impromptu meeting. I feel lighter somehow, excited at the prospect of doing something normal, fun- something that doesn't involve work or hospitals or worrying about the future.