10 things I hate about you - Hotchniss

personal

Emily wasn't even able to listen to all the boring topics her parents and their guests talked about. She felt numb, wasn't able to eat anything and kept staring at the wine in front of her. Internally, she was just begging for this to be over as soon as possible, but she knew that they wouldn't leave that quickly.

"Emily!"

Her mother's stern voice made her look up. All eyes were on her, obviously her mother had just asked her something.

She cleared her throat and said: "Excuse me, what did you say, mother?"

"How about you show Nate a bit around?"

Her eyes wandered over to the boy sitting next to her. He was around her age, maybe a bit older. Obviously, he gave his best to appear friendly and caring. Oh, how her mother would love it if she acted like this.

"Sure", she whispered and slowly got up, followed by Nate.

Elizabeth Prentiss had already taught her from young age on that she always had to be polite to the children of important people, especially to their sons. As she had always said: "If the right boy likes you, that could save my deal." Yea, her deal. It was all about her work.

Nate had green eyes and blond hair, and all he did was nodding politely while she carelessly showed him their mansion. She was tired, her soul and body not yet recovered from what happened two days ago. She had felt a bit better after what Aaron had done for her before she had had to attend the dinner, but it was still so painful.

"This is the garden", Emily mumbled and to her surprise, Nate spoke up: "Do you wanna sit down?"

She just shrugged and they sat down on one of the banks.

"Don't get me wrong", he sighed. "But I know that you hate showing me around and I totally get it, don't worry."

Emily didn't reply.

"You don't talk a lot, do you?", he asked. "You are actually the first person I have ever met in this business to be that quiet, which is pretty cool. I feel a connection between us."

She had to give her best to not punch him right then and there. Never before had someone said something this stupid to her.

"Can't we just sit here and stay silent?", she then sighed. "Our parents can't see us from here so we don't have to communicate about things we obviously don't even give a shit about."

"You don't give a shit about politics?", he looked at her in shook.

"Are you really as stupid as you seem or do you only act like you are?", she snapped.

"Wow, relax", Nate chuckled, raising his hands. "I'm just surprised that the ambassadress' daughter is not interested in politics. It's our fate to take an act in politics."

"No, it's just our parents' wish, you idiot", she mumbled.

"Wha-"

"Look, I'm really sorry, but I have to go - somewhere", Emily cut him off and jumped, quickly walking away.

Tears streamed down her face as she climbed up the stairs to her room. God, why was such a bitch to everyone? The pain shooting trough her body was just too much, and at the same time she felt so numb. This weird mixture made her tired, and all she wanted was to hide in her bed and not come out for the next ten years.

She slammed the door shut and let herself fall on her bed. Tears were running down her cheeks, dripping on the sheets. Why had she been so stupid to ever fall for someone like Jason?

The door opened and Agent Hotchner walked in. By then, he had finally figured that knocking was senseless.

"Forget it", Emily immediately hissed. "I'm not going back down there again."

"You don't have to."

"I don't?"

"I told your mother that you are sick and really had to get your rest", he shrugged.

"And she believed that?"

"Trust me, I'm an awesome liar", he replied.

For the first time in a long, a small smile formed on Emily's lips. "Why are you so nice to me, after all that I've done?", she then asked.

"Because I believe that down there", he pointed at her heart. "You are a really good person. It were just politics and, well, your mother that made you act like you do and ruined you. And I know that you don't like yourself at the moment, but trust me, you are not that bad."

Emily was stunned by his words. "But I was so mean to you... I gave you some really hard times around here!"

"Hard times are always a good training", he shrugged. "And I think I mastered them pretty well."

A low chuckle escaped from her lips and she froze again. Did Aaron Hotchner seriously just made her chuckle? Her former enemy?

"I think we just didn't have a really good start", he continued.

"Can you tell me something about yourself? Please", she then whispered. Emily had no idea why, but she loved listening to him. She could stay there and listen to him forever.

"Well, you weren't that wrong", he sighed. "I live for my job, I don't have any sense of humor and sometimes, I have troubles to trust women. I used to have a girlfriend, Haley, we've been together for a really long time since high school. But I am destined to be the worst boyfriend ever, I didn't give her everything I could. She left me. Hurt pretty bad."

"Is that why you said you knew how much it hurts?", she asked quietly, keeping her eyes on him. He just silently nodded.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine", he quickly said.

"No, it's not", Emily shook her head. "This shit hurts like hell and I'd wish this kind of pain to nobody. Not even you."

A smile formed on his lips and even she smiled.

"What about you?", he then asked back.

"Well, apart from everything you already know, you were right", she admitted. "I am into profiling. I find it interesting and working at the FBI would help the world so much more than only talking about politics. But my mother would never let me apply for the academy. I guess she'd rather die."

"You could just apply on your own", Aaron suggested.

"To risk being killed by my own mother?"

"Well, as far as I can tell, you've taken that risk many times already", he smiled.

Emily chuckled before looking up in his eyes: "Well, I have to admit, you are not that bad after all, Aaron Hotchner."

"Same goes for you, Emily Prentiss."