Blood and Battle | Criminal Minds (gxg)

Chapter 39

Thirty minutes later I stand outside the door to the archives. My hand reaches for the doorknob but I pause. I haven't said a word to her since I kissed her. But she's the only thing I've thought about. I take a deep breath and push the door open.

She stands with her back to me, leaning over a table covered in boxes and files. I close the door softly and watch as she runs a hand through her hair. My breath catches in my throat.

I approach slowly, making sure she knows I'm there. "Hey," I mumble as I step beside her. I keep a few feet of space between us. She shifts her gaze, her eyes traveling across the side of my face.

"Those two boxes right there." She gestures towards a stack in front of me. "I got these two, and then we'll move on to the next shelf."

I stay silent and flip the lid off the box. I flip open the first file, then the second. By the third, I can't take the silence. I put the folder on the table in front of me and spin to face her, keeping my eyes on the floor.

"Elle, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I shouldn't have done that on Friday, you're right, we can't, we need to be–"

She cuts me off by pulling me into her, her hands around the back of my neck and her lips smashing into mine. 

I quickly overcome my shock and lean back as I let her take control, my arms wrapping around her waist. Her hand tangles in my hair as she licks my bottom lip. I part my lips and her tongue slides into my mouth, exploring. She moans softly against my lips as our tongues connect in my mouth, our hips pressed against each other.

My heart beat quickens as I taste her lip gloss on my tongue, the sweet flavor making me melt.

We break away to breathe. My eyes stay on her mouth as I half-heartedly mutter, "professional?" She smiles and leans in for another kiss.

We finally break away and she smirks at the shock on my face. 

I smile at her expression. "Something changed your mind." I'm not really asking.

"You did." She holds my face in her hands. The tip of her nose brushes mine. I breathe deeply, inhaling the smell of her skin. 

"After we kissed, Carli, I... all I knew was how badly I needed to do it again." Her voice softens, her words spilling from her lips.

I smile and kiss her again, soft, long. My left hand rises up her back, pulling her even closer by her waist and shoulders. 

Too soon, I break away. "I want to keep kissing you, but we have a job to do," I remind her.

She takes a step away, remembering where we are. "Oh, shit."

I laugh as my hands rest on her hips while hers cup the back of my neck. Another few moments and we unwillingly pull away.

I smile and return my attention to the file I left, forgotten on the tabletop. I don't need to be touching her to know the cold tension in the room has been replaced by her warmth.

A few minutes later Elle suddenly stands straight. "C," she calls.

I come around to her side of the table, resting my right hand on the table and my left on her waist.

"You found it?" I examine the file in her hands. We glance towards each other, our heads leaning close. I smile and kiss her gently on the corner of her mouth. I hand her the car keys in my pocket. "You drive, I'll call Hotch," I tell her.

I take her hand and lead her to the door. She stops me before I open it. "Wait."

"What's wrong?" I glance back at her, concerned.

She smiles before kissing me again, her lips sipping on mine. For a moment I forget everything, the job and the dangers and the rest of the world. There's only Elle.

"Okay, we can go now."

I smile and bite my lip as I open the door. We leave the room, vanilla and lavender hanging in the air.

---

"Hotch, it's me. We've got the file, coming to you now," I say into the phone.

"Good. And the other thing?"

I glance at Elle with a smile, watching her drive. "We're good, Hotch."

We say goodbye and he hangs up. "'We're good?'" Elle repeats, raising an eyebrow.

I tilt my head. "Sending me to help might have been Hotch's way to get us to make up," I smile.

She laughs, the sound filling me with butterflies. "Guess it worked." She smiles as she rests her right hand on my thigh.

My smile widens as I put my hand over hers. "I guess it did." We sit in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company.

I break the quiet after about ten minutes. "Elle, there's some things we should talk about."

She nods. "Ground rules."

"Yeah," I give her a sad smile. "We can't tell the team."

"Definitely not," she agrees as she gives a small smile. "Anything else?" she asks playfully, looking over at me as we stop at a red light.

I lean forward and kiss her before the light turns green. "No, that's pretty much it." She hits the gas pedal as the light changes and squeezes my thigh. With the radio on low and the windows down, we talk about the case until we reach the police station.

We make eye contact, and a silent understanding passes between us.

"You're beautiful. Have I ever told you that?" I say calmly as I admire her features.

"In a way." She smiles, her dimples only making me fall harder. Her hand holds mine, her thumb grazing the back of my palm.

"But you don't have to say anything, Carli. Because I know." She pauses, the intensity of her eyes drawing me in. "I've always known."

────

We walk off the elevator together, her hand in mine. The garage is nearly empty; we finished our case late and most people already went home. I walk her to her car. We stand quietly for a few minutes, neither of us wanting to let go.

Finally, I do. "I'll see you tomorrow, Elle."

She looks at me curiously before responding. "You keep a go bag in your car, right?"

The corner of my mouth curves up into a smile. "I do." 

I walk to my car and pop the trunk, grabbing the bag and returning to her. I get in the passenger seat and toss the bag into the back. "Let's get out of here," I whisper, my eyes on hers.

Fifteen minutes later we're at her apartment. She opens the door and walks in, tossing her bag and holster on the coffee table before disappearing into the next room. 

I hang my coat on the rack near the door, dropping my bag on the floor. I feel her arms around me as she hugs me from behind, her lips brushing my neck. I roll into her and wrap my arms around her waist.

"I have wine," she mumbles as she trails kisses from my neck to the corner of my mouth.

I draw back slightly, the fingers of my right hand brushing her chin. "Elle, I think we can skip the wine."

She smiles and I lean forward, her lips meeting mine. I kiss her once, and again, harder, my hands dragging her into me. Her lips part and my tongue pushes in, meeting hers. Our lips mesh together as I moan softly into her mouth. Her hands in my hair, my tongue in her mouth, she leads me into the dark.

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a/n
FINALLY
took them long enough
thanks so much for all the love <3
that's all lol hope everyone's having a good day
:)