Undercover Love

A Not So Dinner Date

Wednesday 1:00 P.M.

"Dinner dates canceled."

That changed just about everything.

"You're, surprisingly, a great cuddler." That's as simple as she can put it without going on rant about him. How easy it is to melt into him. How he smells like soap and aftershave. How his hands curled on her hip are slowly driving her insane.

"I feel as if the word cuddle should challenge my masculinity," Hotch says in a voice that Emily takes as his joking voice.

After a quick nerd out session the chose Doctor Strange as their movie and settle down on the couch.

Since the couch is long enough for Hotch to lay long ways they decided that Emily could just curl into his side.

It worked, surprisingly well.

"It doesn't challenge your masculinity?" Emily asks quietly.

"It probably should."

She smiles and stares, not at the T.V. as she should be but at her hand which has found a nice place on his chest. "This isn't weird for you?" She whispers looking at him," you know, this."

He looks down at her, she's not sure who's looking at her. Of course she knows that SSA Aaron Hotchner, Hotch, and Aaron are all him but it's confusing at times.

"You mean laying here acting like a perfect couple? Of course." He smiles, dimples her mind reminds her," it could be worse. We're friends, I'd like to think, with a lot in common. So, I know it's weird but we have to do it. I... It's just not slave labor, you know?"

She tries not to smile, to not nearly as pleased as she really is. He just said he doesn't mind this. Them.

"Yeah, exactly." She lays her head back against his shoulder and tries to focus on the movie. Except she ends up thinking about the last couple years. The team had faced a lot. They had faced a lot and yet they are alright. Aren't they.

"Do you remember when I first joined the BAU?"

He looks down at her, he actually looks happy from the crease where a smile should be to his eyes," it's hard to forget the first time I saw you in like twelve years." She almost blushes but he adds," I was a bit of an ass that day."

She rolls her eyes," a bit?"

He smirks and that reminds him of something she had said that day. "I was just thinking um, that day you said that someone called you and let you know that we were landing. Who... who told you we were landing?"

Emily smiles and remembers Garcia smiling and talking about 'believe it or not Hotch does have chinks in his unchinkable armour.' "Maybe... Garcia."

Hotch sighs and shakes his head," you know, the more I dig up things the more I learn that she has a history of going behind my back."

Oh the things you don't know. She smiles," she saw me walking around unsure about what to do and she told me to wait until you guys were off the jet. Something about chinks in your unchinkable armour."

Hotch shakes his head," she's unbelievable. Did I ever tell that she's the one that she put gliches in our transfer papers? She even the case file and said JJ gave it to her."

Emily smirks," I always figured she did."

"Yeah. Since the very day I hired her she's done nothing but surprise me."

She smiles," you really picked a grand bunch didn't you?"

Wednesday 10:00 P.M.

"I can't believe I let you con me into this." He'd only had two shots of vodka but still..

"Neeeext question!"

"Given the choice of anyone in the world, who would you want as a dinner guest? And why?" She waits patiently for his answer.

He looks down at his shot glass," just the team I guess."

"The team?" She repeats in disbelief. "Poor bastard." She knocks back a shot.

"Does it even matter how I answer the question? You take a shot no matter what."

Emily smiles and shrugs," they're my emotions Aaron."

Everthing that is happening is so strange. They are calling each other by their first names and playing some drinking game that Hotch is 95% sure she made up just now.

Seriously, a game named Vodka can only sound so legit.

Hotch clears his throat and reads the next question card to Emily in a tone of voice that can only be described as sceptical," what do you value most in a friendship?"

Where she has taken a shot after everything she's said, he himself has had two. Both because she told he had to take them. 'It's only fair.'

"Trust."

He nods, reasonable answer.

"Nexxt."

"If you knew you were going to die suddenly in one year, what would you change or do? Why?"

Hotch pours himself a drink," I'd try and make up for some stuff. Actually apologize to Haley's father. Try and save a couple more people. Make sure the team is left under proper care." He tosses back his shot and Emily does the same.

"You know, you're honestly the most selfless person I've ever meet."

He shrugs off her unwanted extra attention," Haley always said it was my best and worst quality."

She pushes the cards to him," next?"

He smiles, he looks grateful," what roles do love and affection play in your life?"

That grateful smile falls off.

"Shots. Shots. Shots." Emily jokes pouring them both a drink. "Lord."

Hotch waits for the answer, reluctant to hear her it. "You.. you don't have to answer. We can stop."

Emily knocks back another drink," you know, the two of us really make a basket case."

Hotch nods," I make a pretty good case all by myself."

It's up people!
-SH