Scotch // Aaron Hotchner

Chapter four

I was quiet for a minute before I softly replied, "We can talk now.".  Hotch looked over at me and gave me a small smile. I had never seen him act like this. It was weird but it was oddly comforting. I gave him a small smile back, "I'm not mad at you Hotch."

"You're not?"

"No, I was just confused by what you said after.  First you said you regretted it-" Hotch interrupted me mid sentence, "I never said I regretted it.". That upset me. He had said he regretted it. I started to yell a little. "You did Hotch. You said you regretted it."

Hotch looks over, "I said I was drunk Natalie. I said I wasn't thinking right because you're my co-worker.  I don't regret kissing you."

I look over at him and smile, "You really don't?"

"No, Natalie I don't.". He smiles back. The car falls silent again. Neither of us knowing what to say or what to do. I reach over and turn on the radio to drown out the silence. It was set on the general pop station for the area. Some pop song starts playing. I look out the window and it starts raining. Hotch looks over at me, "I love the rain."

I smile back at him, "I love it too. I have since I was a child." I go back to looking out the window and see us drive right by the hotel. "Hotch you passed the hotel."

"I know but I have an idea."

He drives for another 10 minutes before we stop.  He pulls off into a gravel parking lot that has a tiny building off to the side of it. Its dark outside. "Hotch, just checking but you're not about to murder me right?

He grins, "Not yet Natalie. Maybe in a month."

We share a laugh. I follow Hotch around the building. He leads me up a path that leads to a little gazebo where you can see what looks like a river in the background. He holds out his hand and I take it. He takes me up the stairs too the gazebo. I let go of his hand and look off into the river. I close my eyes and listen to the water just flowing. It starts to rain harder. I shiver a little bit. Who knew that I would be cold in Mississippi of all places. I sit down at one of the seats. I think back to when I was a teenager and how I would just dance in the rain.  I get up from the bench. 

"Natalie where are you going?"

"I'm going to dance."

I walk out into the rain and just look up. I stand there with my arms out for a minute just feeling the rain. I started spinning and just moving around. I open my eyes and look over at Hotch. He's staring at me.  I yell over at him, "Are you gonna keep staring at me like a creep or are you gonna come join me?".

He chuckles and walks out into the rain with me. "How does one dance in the rain?"

"Here give me your hand." I take his hand and I pull him in close. "Here okay now follow my lead.". He puts his hand on my waist and we move as one. I look into his eyes and he stares back into mine. We do what looks like a waltz. It's nice. We dance like that for what seems like hours. Eventually he pulls me in closer and I rest my head on his shoulder. We rock back and forth for a few minutes. He tries to pull away eventually. "Don't pull away"

"Why not Natalie?"

"Because then the moment will be over and I don't want it to be."

He put his hand on my chin and lifts my chin up so that I'm looking him in the eyes. "Will this ruin the moment". He puts his mouth on mine and kisses me. I kiss him back and we stand there kissing each other in the rain. He pulls away before it can become anything more.

"Did that ruin the moment?"

"Not at all." I say with a grin. I shiver a little bit. Hotch notices and puts his jacket on my shoulders. "Thank you". He nods and I start walking towards the exit. He follows and holds his hand out for me to take it. I take it and we walk out hand in hand.  We reach the SUV and we both climb in. He starts the car and we start driving. I look out the window and sit there. I'm happy. I haven't been this happy in a while. I'm just looking out the window when I notice something moving in a field next to the road. "Hotch back up"