Undercover Love

Smells Like Stress

"I know."

He knows.

He knows and he's willing to run with it.

So that's what they do.

Except the only place they run to is the bed.

Their bodies are the closest things they find to gravel or pavement.

In the end Hotch feels the same as he does after a long run. Except this time he's found a running mate.

There's many ways to phrase what they did.

It wasn't PG-13, that much is clear.

"You did what?" Emily isn't supposed to tell anyone. They agreed to that. Then again they both know she's never been good with any order he gives. Why start now with a friendly agreement?

"She did the grand slam with the boss man," JJ says earning a high five out of Garcia.

"No," Emily warns with a warning finger placed high in the air. "None of that."

Garcia bites her lip to try and obscure her grin," so.. are you and the boss man going to be knocking boots frequently?"

Emily rubs her temples," please don't refer to my sex life as 'knocking boots'. It just sounds so wrong."

JJ stands up from her the pink rolling chair, that was pushed to her when she first walked in," well I've actual work to do." She leans back into Garcia's room to grin," 'cause after all I'm not banging the boss so I don't get to be off the hook."

"You two are awful." Emily leaves the room but Garcia calls out," are you coming to Reid's party together? What his birthday! And then thanksgiving! Or Christmas!"

_¡|《》|¡_

"He just got back from a budget meeting!"

Emily stops dead in her tracks," what?"

Rossi doesn't look up from the file in his hand," you're looking for Aaron, no? He's in a meeting with Strauss. Unless you've got an emergency I wouldn't bother him."

Emily looks over at Rossi and then to Hotch's closed office door. "What kinda meeting?" She only told JJ and Garcia. Strauss couldn't have put their secret together that quickly.

"Something wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," Rossi tosses his file down onto his desk and walks slowly over to where Emily's standing.

Emily shakes her head quickly," no! Uh no. No. I'm fine... just needed to talk to Hotch is all."

Rossi looks skeptical but nods," yeah. Let me know if I can do anything, kid."

Emily nods him off and Rossi knows she won't tell him.

"Emily," he says as she's steps away," he was in a budget meeting when Strauss called him halfway up the stairs. He's gonna be in a mood."

Emily keeps her eyes on Hotch's door," alright. I'll be cautious."

_¡|《》|¡_

"You're late," Emily says, she slides Hotch now re-heated plate to him.

Jack was excited to have dinner with Emily, Jessica and Hotch. Instead he had dinner with Jesscia and Emily.

"Yeah," Hotch seats down at the chair where Emily slid the food. "I'm sorry."

Emily throws her coat on and takes her purse. She's not sure how dating works with Hotch so she walks over and puts a hand on his shoulder," you okay?"

He twirls the fork in his hand but no food as touches the silver utensil," I'm fine."

"Your shoulders are tense," she squeezes his shoulder for effect.

He lays the fork down," yeah. They're always like that."

Emily's other hand snacks up to his other shoulder," you'll have to give Garcia's magic massages a try. The woman has a gift."

She presses her thumbs into the groves of his neck," but you wouldn't let her, would you?"

Hotch leans back against her fingers and Emily takes this a silent notion for her to go on," you're not eating."

"Yeah," he whispers," I do that, too."

Emily hums a little and moves down his neck," so you come home late frequently, your shoulders are always tense and you don't eat. Anything else I need to know?"

He stiffens but almost immediately eases back," I'm awful at keeping promises and I hear I'm a bit of a drill sergeant."

Emily stops rubbing and lets her hands slide down his chest, she gives him two soft pats and delivers a kiss, so faint he hardly realizes she's done it, to the top of his head," we worry about you."

He doesn't nod or make a sound of acknowledgement.

She uses her thumb to rub his chest," you've always got things brewing in this head of yours and you never let us in."

Hotch still doesn't say anything.

Emily pulls away from him and he can feel the warmth, that her body provided, leave. "Good night, Aaron."

As the door closes he says," good night, Emily." She doesn't hear him.

He pushes away the plate of food and stands.

Jack.

He walks slowly to back to Jack's room. There's a trail you can follow down the hall. A small, almost unnoticeable, apple juice stain. A red mark on the wall from a marker. Then at the base of his door blue glitter from a project gone wrong with Garcia.

Jack lays fast asleep in his firemen's bed.

Hotch pushes Jack's hair from his face," good night, buddy."

Hotch closes Jack's door and heads back to his own room.

"Good night, Aaron."

Aaron.

He could get used to that.

Well, there's another chapter. Hope you enjoy!
-SH