For Old Times' Sake

Chapter 23

Hotch was running harder than he ever had. The rain hadn't stopped and wasn't going to anytime soon.
For five minutes only, Hotch had stopped and tried to call a cab. But the rain was merciless and he was almost sure he would have no luck. The urgency of his heartbeat pounding in his ears told him to run, to use his training and make it on foot.

Why was he running? He had no idea. It wasn't like Y/N was going anywhere. She would be at Emily's apartment, fretting about how rain sucked and made it impossible to do anything. But he knew that in a while she would lie down near the biggest window and stare outside as the entire city was drenched. And she would smile and step out when it was over, sink her feet into the soft wet grass and inhale the scent of the Earth.

That was it. That was why he was running. He didn't want the rain to stop before he got there. He wanted to pull her into it, kiss her and dance with her in it. He wanted to see her smile, and laugh, and tell him she loved him. And he would say it back.
Over and over again, for the rest of his life.

Tears blurred his vision and he tripped, falling flat on the pavement. But he was up in a second, barely registering the pain. He was close, he was almost there. Thank God Emily lived close to HQ. He couldn't even feel the ground beneath his feet, it was like he was flying.
The truth was that he had been running for ten minutes, and the adrenaline in his veins was beginning to wane. His muscles were burning now, and his cheek was throbbing from his fall.
But his brain knew only one thing: he was close.

Not soon enough, Emily's door was in sight, and he breathed an audible sigh of relief. He nearly collapsed after ringing the doorbell thrice, panting noisily.
Sure enough, Y/N opened the door, a cross look on her face.
When she saw him, though, shock replaced annoyance and she immediately took him in her arms.

"AARON! What are you doing? Why are you heaving like this? Do you want hypothermia? What the hell-" Pulling him inside, she dragged him to her room. After seating him on a chair, she grabbed a bunch of towels and began to rub him down.
"Here, take your shirt off, it's going to give you a cold." He obeyed, the words he wanted to say lodged in his throat. As he pulled his shirt off, Y/N's hands towelling his hair vigorously slowed to a stop.

He looked up at her, hoping she wasn't going to tell him to do it himself.
Y/N felt a discomfort mixed with a strange longing in her heart. She stared at him for a second before pulling away.
"No-" he started to get up, cringing as his soaked trousers stuck to his legs.
"Why are you here?" she asked, seeming to remember they were fighting.
He stood there dumbstruck, dripping on the floor.
"I- I..." he stuttered, emotions getting the better of him as
tears welled up in his eyes again.
"Hotch-"

"I love you."

The words shocked her into silence, and she dropped the wet towel.
"What did you say?" she whispered after what felt like an eternity.
His heart racing, he walked over to her and pulled her close.

"I said I love you, Y/N. I love you so much, and I didn't even know. You have always been there, through the good, bad, ugly, everything. And I repaid you by being the worst guy in the world to you. I am so sorry. For every single moment of pain I have caused you. Any and every punishment you want to give me, I will accept happily. But please, please not this. Please don't push me away again, please..." and with that, he started sobbing.

Y/N was crying too, and now she couldn't help herself. Her hands found their way into his hair, threading into its wet tangles.
"I love you too, Aaron. I always have, and I always will. You're all I've ever wanted," she said, taking his lips with her own.
He was freezing, and her spine stiffened as his cold hands slipped under her top, stealing the warmth of her skin for themselves.

Soon enough, he was pulling her clothes off and her thoughts were overpowered by a warm fuzzy feeling that seemed to spread through her body.
As he scooped her up and dropped her onto the bed, she got rid of whatever else they had on.
A fiery blush crept up her neck and cheeks, making Hotch smile.
He pressed his forehead to hers, taking her into his lap.

"You are the most exquisite creature I've ever seen in my life."
That only made her blush stronger, but she was smiling too now.
He kissed her again, and in no time, they were writhing in passion, choking out declarations of love and admiration in between intense bouts of lovemaking.

No one disturbed them as they lost themselves in each other in the grey haze of the rainy afternoon, almost as if the entire universe had gone quiet to witness their union.