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geekystudmuffinTitle: Winning Her Over
Authors:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
innerslytherin and severity_softly
Pairing: Rossi/Prentiss
Rating: Hard R/NC-17
WC: ~ 6,300
Summary: Dave decides to woo the mother of his child.
Note: This is the second installment to our new series, which is an AU from the What Happens in Vegas Universe. Other installments of the Change of Plans AU can be found here.
Two days after finding out he was going to be a father, Dave Rossi made a stop on his way to work. The flower shop girl's eyes widened at the words 'three dozen', and widened again when he said he wanted three dozen reserved for next week, too. He shrugged and snagged a card.
Some of this might have been an accident, but I don't ever want you to think that my being with you is an accident, he wrote. You are the best thing that's happened to me in years. Love. He didn't sign it, because he was afraid she might kill him if he was responsible for the team finding out about them or about the baby. Not yet, at least.
Then he made the clerk take copious notes as he explained that the dozen with the note were to be delivered to the BAU, then another dozen each to his house and to a restaurant where he'd made reservations for tonight.
Excessive, possibly. But who better to spend his money on than the woman who was pregnant with his child? He headed to work and did his best not to act fidgety.
In reality he ended up looking out his office window into the bullpen about twice a minute, waiting for the flowers to show up. He knew the others would make a production of it, but he didn't care. This was his gesture to show that he didn't mind if they knew. It was up to her to decide what to do with that.
The flowers showed up early enough that not many people had come in, thankfully. Only Hotch and JJ were in, of the team, and Hotch had been on his way back to his office from JJ's when he saw the flowers on her desk. Dave saw him dart a quick glance toward Dave's office, and then return his gaze quickly to the files in his hands, but Dave would have sworn Aaron was grinning as he headed up the ramp.
Smug bastard, Dave thought, for what had been probably the tenth time since the night before, but he was smiling too.
He ran out of coffee before Emily showed up, and as luck would have it, he was refilling his cup when she came in. He watched her longer than he should have, then jerked his gaze back to his coffee. He forced himself to head back to his office, though he walked slowly enough that he saw her reaction.
She sucked in a breath, looking a little stunned at first as she stared at them, then she shook herself and a hesitant smile crossed her face. And then she glanced up at Dave, looking somewhere between overwhelmed and happy. She must have realized after a moment she was about ready to give them both away because she jerked her gaze back and pulled the note from the roses.
Dave smiled down at his coffee cup, pleased that she seemed to like them. His steps slowed as she read the card.
Her smile grew less hesitant as she read it, and she seemed to not quite know what to do with whatever she was feeling. Then she dropped her head in her hands for a moment. When she straightened up, her smile was even wider until she saw Morgan head through the doors, then she pressed her lips together and tried to school her expression into something less giddy.
Dave didn't bother hiding his own broad smile, since he was turning away from Morgan and towards his office. He did pause, though, to see what would happen.
"Wooo, someone must've had a good date," Morgan remarked as he came into the desk. "Did it come with a card? What's it say?" He made a playful grab for it, but Emily held it out of his reach.
"Hey," she said, "how about a little privacy." She was grinning again though, and Dave had to wonder how badly she'd have to threaten to hurt Morgan before he'd stop.
"Oh, come on, whoever sent you those flowers didn't seem to care about your privacy," Morgan pointed out. "He's got all your co-workers wanting to know what's going on."
"The person who sent them didn't sign his name, so I'm sure he does," she said, and stuffed the card in her pocket.
"I hope at least you know who it was," Morgan said, and Dave rolled his eyes.
As he passed Aaron's office, his friend said, "Are you sure that was a good idea?"
Dave grinned at him. "Nope. But she'll let me know either way."
He heard Aaron chuckle as he went into his own office.
It was late afternoon before Emily came in to see him. She shut the door behind her, tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him, though he could tell there was not heat behind it. "That was subtle," she said.
He leaned his head back and smiled at her. "Have you ever known me to be a subtle kind of guy? But I didn't sign it. In case you didn't want to tell people."
She watched him for a moment, her eyes smiling. "You don't have to give me gifts because I'm... you know."
"I do things because I want to, Emily," he said quietly. "Not because it's expected or because I ought to. And I meant everything I said."
A slow smile crept across her face. "You usually do," she said. She crossed the room and moved to his side of his desk, then sat on the edge, facing him. "Would you have sent me flowers a week ago?"
"No," he admitted. "But only because I didn't think it would change anything between us." He sighed and shifted to face her more directly. "To be completely blunt, I didn't think it would be fair to pursue anything more, because I didn't plan to have children." He raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Not exactly an issue just now."
She pursed her lips. "If I keep reminding you that you don't have to do this, you're eventually going to get pissed, aren't you?"
"Eventually?" he countered, his smirk not fading. "If you mention it again ever, that'll be too soon. I told you. I do things because I want to."
She sucked in a long breath, then glanced at the windows in his office before sliding off the desk and into his lap. "Thank you," she said, and his smile went wider, even as he wondered how long it would take before the uncertainty was gone from her voice.
He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. "I want you in my life, Emily. I care so much about you..." God, she was beautiful. But he wasn't sure if she was ready for him to say he loved her, even if she might suspect it. Hell, it was hard to say if she suspected it, given that uncertainty she had. "Will you have dinner with me tonight? Somewhere nice but quiet?"
She smiled and leaned in to kiss him slowly. "I'd like that," she murmured, then made a pleased noise and kissed him again. "This is completely inappropriate, but you started it."
He laughed. "How did I start this?" He kissed her back without giving her a chance to answer, though. "You are so amazing, Emily Prentiss." He smiled warmly at her.
"You might be the craziest man I know," she murmured, and kissed him gently and stood. "Though I guess we only have a few months before it won't be anything we can hide."
"Who are you callin' crazy?" he grumbled, but he caught her hand gently and squeezed it. "I don't care about hiding it at all. If I am crazy, it's crazy about you. Aaron already knew that, by the way. It was just the particulars he needed me to tell him."
"You wouldn't care if every one knew right now that we were together and I was pregnant with your baby," she said, almost a dare for him not to contradict her.
He lifted his chin. "Go tell everyone out there," he dared her back. "I'll come with you and hold your hand."
She arched a brow and held out a hand, but when he reached for it, she jerked it away and gaped at him. "Damn it, Dave," she said, and smacked his thigh. "You always have to win, don't you?" she added, frowning, though he could tell she was amused.
"Usually, yes, but in this particular case, it isn't about winning." He smiled wryly at her. "It's about getting you to realize I'm serious. People are going to find out eventually, and quite honestly, I'm pretty damn proud that you want to be with me. So..." He shrugged. "Like I said, I don't care about hiding it."
She stared at him for a moment, her lips parting. He could almost see his words sinking in, and then she closed her mouth and swallowed, dropping his gaze for a moment. "You would honestly...?" She trailed off and shook her head, then leaned down and kissed him again. "Thank you," she murmured.
He brushed his fingers against her hair and kissed her softly. "Yes," he said. His thumb stroked her cheek, then he tilted his head towards the door. "I understand if you're not ready to tell them yet. Though you've been in here quite a while..."
"Right," she said, then straightened, giving him a faint smile. "Are you picking me up?" she asked, turning to head for the door.
"Six-thirty work for you?" he asked, nodding.
"That works great," she said.
***
Dave showed up promptly at six-thirty and Emily still hadn't decided if the dress she had on was right. When she opened the door, though, she immediately decided it was a yes. Dave's face lit up when he saw her, his gaze heating. "You look fantastic," he murmured, smiling. He was holding a bouquet of roses.
Emily shook her head. "More roses?"
"Bulk discount," he joked, holding them out.
"This is getting extravagant," she told him, giving him a mock serious look, then taking them and giving him a slow kiss.
"We might have two different ideas of what extravagance is," he replied, sliding an arm around her waist and holding her close. "Mm, you are so beautiful. Every man in the place is going to be jealous."
God, it was ridiculous how happy he made her, and how good he made her feel about herself. Not that she lacked self confidence in most areas of her life, but men had never been one of the areas she'd excelled in, and Dave... he was just perfect for her. She just wished it was easier to trust this to all keep going the way it was.
"I believe you believe that, you know," she said, sliding her free hand into his hair. "You can stop saying it."
"Now, see, this isn't about convincing you. It's about appreciating the fact that I get to look at you." He smiled at her. "You might want to put shoes on, though. It's cold out there." He kissed her softly and released her, looking around the room.
She just laughed. "What would I do without you, David Rossi?" she teased, padding into the kitchen to put the roses in water.
"Probably end up with frost-bitten toes," he joked back. "How long have you been living here? It's a nice place."
"Just a couple of years," she said, watching him walk around the place. "It's a shorter commute. Makes a difference when you can't count on regular hours all the time."
He nodded. "I hear you there. Sometimes it seems like we don't spend much time at home, doesn't it?" He had his hands in his pockets, leaning in to look at some of the framed photographs on the wall. "Did you take these?"
"Yeah," she said. "Long time ago, but they're some of my favorites." She put the vase in the middle of the counter and walked over to stand behind him, looking at the black and white photos. "My mother was stationed in Mérida when I was eighteen, the Yucatán Peninsula. I took these there."
"Beautiful, smart, and artistic," he said, glancing over at her. From another man it might have sounded patronizing, but Dave just sounded sincere. "You have a good sense of what's photo-worthy. Do you still shoot? Aside from crime scenes and arson spectators, I mean."
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I think my 'artistic abilities' left me when I became an adult." She shrugged. "It was an outlet for a while, though. I stopped... trying to fit in and make friends. Seemed pointless after a while, but this helped. And I just stopped moving around as soon as I could."
He nodded. "Might have to dust off that camera pretty soon," he said, studying her favorite shot more closely. "We're sure to have a photogenic baby."
She just been thinking that it was after Rome that she'd stopped trying to fit in, and when Dave said that, she tried to ignore the surge of emotion when it hit her, not for the first time, that she was going to have a baby with someone who actually wanted her this time. It may have started as just a good time, but she couldn't deny they both cared deeply about each other.
She made a little noise, and pressed herself against his back, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her cheek to his shoulder blade. "That's the Monumento a la Patria," she murmured.
"A monument to Mexican independence, isn't it?" he said, covering one of her hands with his own. "I fully expect you to raise our daughter to be trilingual, at least," he said. She wondered if she ought to thank Hotch; whatever he'd said to Dave last night, it seemed to have made him a lot more comfortable with this whole thing.
She smiled faintly and tightened her arms. "Daughter?"
"Of course. Just as beautiful as her mother."
Emily snorted, but didn't move. She had no desire to let go. "You're helping with the Italian lessons," she murmured after a moment.
He turned in her arms and held her. "Of course," he murmured, and kissed her. "Emily." He hummed and rested his cheek against her hair. "I'm happy with you."
"I'm glad." She pressed herself more tightly against him. "This feels good."
She felt his fingers against her hair. "Did you take pictures in other places, or just Mexico?" he asked.
"I started after Rome. After I left." She sucked in a slow breath that was a little less steady than she would have liked it to be. She was glad she had told Dave about what had happened. In a sense, she had needed to after all those years. But that didn't make it any less vulnerable. "So there was Québec, too. Those are upstairs."
His chuckle was a warm rumble against her. "Going to show me your etchings?" he murmured. His fingers were still roaming gently over her hair in a tender, comforting gesture.
She rolled her eyes and pulled away, kissing him gently, then taking his hands and guiding him up the stairs.
She could hear him still chuckling as he followed her. They'd got most of the way up the stairs when she remembered the clothes strewn across her bed and stopped. Dave made an inquisitive noise, and she turned to look at him. "Stay here a minute."
He raised his eyebrows, but shrugged, so she went up the rest of the way and threw the clothes into the closet, shutting the door firmly. Then she went back to where he was waiting.
"Hiding the bondage tools and whips, weren't you?"
"Are you asking because you wish I'd left them out?" she asked, grinning.
"Mm, I'm open to experimentation," he said, and winked.
She laughed. "Damn, I wish I would have kept that rubber dress Morgan tried to get me to wear."
He snorted and followed her the rest of the way upstairs. "So, Québec? I had a case take me there once, in the late eighties."
"Yeah?" she said, leading him down the hall to where the study was. A few of the pictures were hanging above the love seat. "It was too cold for me," she joked.
He grinned. "You were there in the winter, or you like hot summers, too?" He followed her into the study, then paused by one of the bookshelves. "Look at that, you have one of my books."
She breathed a small laugh and rubbed the back of her neck. "Is there anyone in this field that doesn't have at least one?" she said.
"I dunno, I'm not sure Erin Strauss ever actually read one, but she did get one autographed." He grinned at her and came over to join her in front of the Québec pictures, sliding an arm easily around her waist.
"She doesn't strike me as your biggest fan," she said dryly, and leaned against him.
"Not exactly, but fortunately she can't quite say no to me, either. I'm on pretty good terms with the director, since we went through the Academy together. She doesn't think she ought to piss him off by pissing me off." He snorted. "I fucking hate politics, but I'll use it if necessary, and she's always afraid I'll use it against her. Now this one I recognize. Château Frontenac in the old part of the city, right? And that would be your mother in this one."
She glanced up at him, then nodded. "That would be, yes. Have you met her?"
"A couple of times, but only casually, because we were at the same functions." He kissed her hair. "Not often enough to allay my anxiety at telling her I knocked up her daughter."
She made a noise somewhere between shock and laughter, and then started coughing. "Oh God," she managed, then punched him lightly in the side.
He flinched, laughing, then pulled her close for a proper kiss. "My mother, on the other hand, is going to be ecstatic," he murmured. "And, as Aaron said last night, she's going to absolutely love you."
"Mmm," she hummed, and kissed him again. "We probably should have a few of those serious talks we mentioned before meeting the parents happens." And who knew when she'd be able to pin her mother down, but he probably knew that.
"A very good point," Dave agreed. He brushed his lips along her cheekbone. "I thought we might--Oh shit." He pulled away and looked at his watch, then let out a noise that was half laugh and half disappointment. "Well, I thought we might have one of those talks over dinner, but our reservations were for twenty-five minutes ago." He glanced over at her. "I guess you don't have to put your shoes on, after all."
She made a face and pressed her hand to her face. "Oh God, I'm sorry," she said, dropping her hand and giving him an apologetic look. "I hope they weren't hard to get."
He snorted and waved a hand. "Doesn't matter. The hostess will keep the roses and they'll make me wait next time. Who cares." He pulled her close and kissed her again. "What really mattered was that I wanted to take you out, anyway. But we'll just order in tonight." He pulled back a little, watching her. "If that's okay with you."
All she could do was stare at him, blinking. After a moment, she managed to say, "More roses?" God, this was a dream. She had to wake up soon.
He looked sheepish. "Those were the last of them," he offered. "If you really want to go, I can call Gianara and do some groveling."
"No," she said. "I don't care about the restaurant." She swallowed hard. "This isn't real."
His eyebrows drew together. "What isn't?"
"This." She tilted her head at him, wondering how to explain it without sounding like a lunatic. "Three dozen roses in one day, the way you look at me... you... wanting to be with me like this."
"How can this not be real?" Dave asked, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek. "You're an amazing, incredible woman, Emily. You've fascinated me from the moment we met, and the more I've grown to know you, the more I respect and like you." His gaze was warm, the expression on his face open and unreservedly affectionate. "And somewhere along the line," he murmured, stepping closer, "I fell in love with you."
She suddenly felt a little like it was hard to breathe, but it felt good too. Too good. Frighteningly good. "Were you in love with me last week?" she managed.
His eyes widened, then he frowned again. "Yes," he said, his voice steady. "And the week before that, and every day since Vegas. That night with you was supposed to get you out of my system. Instead it did just the opposite. It got me hooked."
"God," she breathed, staring at him. She wasn't sure whether the fear or the overwhelming happiness was stronger, but a moment later, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him hard, her heart hammering in her chest. "God, Dave," she panted when the kiss broke, then she slid her fingers into his hair and kissed him again.
He wrapped his arms tightly around her, making a quiet, happy noise. As the kiss drew out, he ran a hand up and down her back, the other circled firmly around her waist, making her feel safe. "What did you think I meant when I said I wanted more than one night?" he whispered when the kiss ended. He was smiling.
She shook her head, but she could feel the smile growing on her lips. "I don't know. I'm not very good at this," she admitted. Her eyes were stinging, so she just kissed him again.
"Mmm, I think you're fantastic at this," he said, sliding a hand down to cup her butt. "Maybe you should let me show you how I feel."
She sucked in a breath, then pressed against him, willing to pour the emotion she was feeling into showing him how she felt too. She could show him how she felt more easily than say it right now. "I think you should," she whispered.
He smiled and kissed her softly, then murmured, "Where's your bedroom?"
Instead of speaking, she pulled away and took his hand, leading him there. She was glad she'd taken the time to clear her clothes off the bed. On the way down the hall, he unzipped her dress, tracing the bare skin of her back with a fingertip. When they got to the bed, he slid the dress off and lowered her down without speaking. Then he was on his knees, kissing up her legs and stroking her skin. "I love you," he whispered.
She let out a shaky breath, watching him as he reached her knee, his lips brushing it tenderly. She had the sudden urge to tell him again he didn't have to do this, and then she suddenly realized why. "No one's ever treated me like this before," she breathed before she was able to censor herself.
He lifted his gaze to meet hers. "Then give me a list and I'll go hunt down all the assholes you've dated before," he murmured. He kissed her thigh. "You deserve to be treated like a queen."
"I think you have an unrealistic opinion of me," she said, but she slid her hand into his hair. Her fingertips ran down his neck. "You're unbelievable."
He gave her a lopsided smile. "Someday I'll make you believe me." His hands slid her panties off and he brushed a kiss against her.
Her breath caught and she let out a little noise of want. "God... David," she whispered.
He hummed and stroked his hands up her body, and then set about showing her just how much he loved pleasing her. He was so patient and thorough, his tongue gentle and relentless by turns as he took his time finding new ways to heighten her arousal.
He didn't let up until she was writhing against the mattress, gasping his name as she came, her fingers curled tightly in his hair. When he lifted his head, he made a pleased noise. She could feel him watching her without opening her eyes.
"Dave," she panted, and nudged his shoulder to get him to come up to her so she could kiss him.
He obeyed, crawling up to settle down beside her. She could taste herself when he kissed her, his fingers stroking her hair. She pressed against him, relishing his arms around her, though it was only then that she realized he was still clothed. It sent a flush of embarrassment through her, but his hand stroked down and settled against her stomach, and he whispered, "You are so beautiful."
She smiled, sliding her hand over his for a moment, giving it a small squeeze and pressing it against her skin. "You are so... clothed," she told him, and started opening the buttons of his shirt.
"We can do something about that," he said, grinning at her. He let her push his shirt off his shoulders, then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly.
"I was planning just that," she told him, her hands slipping to his pants. She got them unfastened quickly, and he helped her get them off. Then she was rolling them over and straddling his hips. She hooked her hand in the center of her bra and raised an eyebrow. "Want this on or off?"
He raised an eyebrow too. "You even need to ask? I'm very fond of your boobs." He grinned at her.
She snorted. "You know, some would say it's sexier when you leave some to the imagination," she said. "Not that you haven't seen them." She reached behind her and unhooked her bra anyway, and let it slide down her arms.
He lifted his hands to cup her breasts, stroking his thumbs lightly over her skin. "I like imagining them too," he admitted, his voice husky. "But God, I like looking at you."
She closed her eyes, sliding her hands over his and closing her eyes, relishing the feel of his palms against her skin. "I'm glad," she murmured.
"You're gorgeous, Emily Prentiss," he said. She felt one hand slide up to stroke her cheek, brushing her hair away from her face. Then he shifted under her, his hand slipping back down to her breast. "Gorgeous and sexy."
She rocked her hips against him. God, at this rate, she could easily get excited again. She made a pleased noise, then leaned down to trail her lips over his jaw, then down his neck. "Have I mentioned that you smell good?"
"Maybe once, but you're welcome to say it again." Dave sounded breathless as he stretched. One of his hands moved to stroke her hair.
"You smell good," she whispered. She slid her hand down his side, and moved lower, kissing across his chest, fully intending to return what'd he'd given her. When she reached his stomach, she felt him shiver under her, and smiled against his skin.
"Mmm, Emily, don't feel like you have to," he murmured, still stroking her hair. "I didn't give that in order to get anything."
"I know," she whispered. "I want to." Her fingers circled the base of his cock, and she bent to draw her tongue along the head, watching his face.
"Oh, gnnh..." he managed, staring down hungrily at her. His fingers slid through her hair and he smiled lazily. "God."
She smiled back and slid her lips over his cock, taking him as deeply as she could. She focused on drawing out his pleasure, paying attention when he gasped and moaned, then repeating the things that got the biggest response.
It wasn't long before he was tensing and gasping out, "Emily--close..." He lifted his hand from where it was resting on her hair, obviously expecting her to pull away, but she didn't. She sucked harder, watching him, and then he groaned and came, the heat of his release pulsing into her mouth. She moaned and closed her eyes, continuing until he was spent, then pulling back to smile at him.
"God, you're amazing," he mumbled, smiling. She wanted to laugh at the hazy, satisfied expression on his face. "C'mere," he said, reaching for her. "I want you in my arms."
He smile went wider, and she climbed up to kiss him, then let him pull her down against him and wrap his arms around her.
Dave held her close, his fingers making slow sweeps over her skin. "I love you," he whispered, turning his head to kiss her hair. "And I want you. And I want us." He took a slow breath. "I hope I can make you believe that."
She nodded, and kissed his jaw. "I believe you mean it, but... I don't trust it yet," she admitted. She tightened her arm on him.
"It's okay," he said quietly. "I can be patient."
They lay like that for a long time, Emily's head on Dave's chest while he held her securely. She could hear his heart beating a steady rhythm under her ear, and though she wasn't yet sleepy, she felt incredibly relaxed. It wasn't until she also heard his stomach gurgle that she realized they still hadn't eaten. She giggled.
"Hmph. Maybe we ought to order that supper now." He squeezed her gently, then sat up.
"No, stay," she said, tugging him back down. She reached over him for the bedside phone. "Pizza, right? What do you want?" she asked, and then dialed directory assistance for the number of a local, non-chain pizza place near her.
When she'd ordered, she settled back down beside him, her hand sliding to her stomach automatically. "Thank you," she whispered.
"What are you thanking me for?" he asked, sounding bemused. He was stroking a hand lazily over her skin.
She shook her head, not quite sure how to explain it--for wanting to be a father, even if it wasn't his plan; for loving her like this; for getting her pregnant, and that was one she just wouldn't say. She breathed a little laugh. "Everything."
He smiled and kissed her. "Well, you're welcome. I guess I oughta say thank you, too. If we're covering everything." He brushed her cheek with his palm and kissed her again.
She laughed softly against his lips. "You've said enough nice things for a lifetime. You don't have to thank me too." She kissed him again, running her fingers over his chest.
"Hmm." He pulled her a little closer. "I am grateful, though," he murmured. "That you've let me in. Let me be a part of this." His fingers slid through her hair. "I suppose we have some things to figure out."
"Yeah," she said, nodding. She hooked a leg between his and hummed a contented noise. "Where do we even start?" she asked, and she was completely serious. There was so much to consider.
"Heh. No idea." He sighed. "All right, first of all, I guess we need to decide how open to be about everything, since that can affect all our other decisions." He kissed her forehead. "I already told you I have no interest in hiding this. I'm willing to if that's what you want, but..."
"No," she said immediately, when he started to trail off, and shook her head. "Dave, I don't think there's really any option but to be honest. Not only is everyone going to figure it out anyway, but those who don't, who aren't on the team, are going to want to know who the father is, and... I don't want to lie about something... that makes me so happy." She shifted to give him a smile. "So... how in the hell are we going to tell them?" she asked, laughing faintly.
"Good question," he said, laughing with her. But his arms had tightened around her when she said she was happy, so she knew her answer had made him happy. "I guess I could just sign the flowers next time." He shook his head. "I really have no idea. But I guess we don't have to figure that out right away. Just sometime in the next month or so, huh?" He grinned.
"Month or two," she agreed, returning his smile. She drew a deep breath and relaxed back against his chest. "You think you can finagle a way to keep Strauss from firing us both?" she said after a long pause. She hated politics, and she hated Strauss, but the idea of either of them having to leave the BAU was worse than any of that. And Dave didn't seem to have a problem handling her most of the time.
"Piece of cake," he said. "Hell, most of those fraternization rules are about agents and Academy students. Since you and I technically have the same rank, that shouldn't cause too much trouble. Anyway, I can always mention that Strauss might not want to piss off your mother." He snorted, which she hoped meant he was joking.
She gave him a warm but reproachful look anyway, but then just kissed him. "Mmm, so if the rumors are true, then, that means you screwed around with a lot of students your first go around at the BAU?"
"You know, a lot of them are coming to the FBI as a second profession," Dave pointed out. "Most of them weren't much younger than me." Then he grinned. "But no, there was one student I dated, that's all. I don't think I deserve as much credit for those rules as you seem to think."
"As everyone seems to think," she corrected and laughed. Just then, there was a knock at the door, and she jumped slightly. Then kissed him. "Be right back," she told him, and hurried out of the room. She grabbed a robe from the bathroom on the way down, so she could answer, and was back upstairs to the bedroom quickly, carrying a bottle of Coke and the pizza. "Our very romantic dinner has arrived."
He'd pushed his shoes off and was sitting cross-legged on her bed, an admiring expression on his face. "I'm glad to see you had a robe somewhere," he teased, but he took the Coke and opened it. "It's romantic because we're together. That's what matters." He glanced up at her and shrugged. "I enjoy nice restaurants and the like, but it's really the company that I want most."
She tilted her head at him, then climbed onto the bed, the pizza box lying there in front of them. "You're a slightly maudlin creature," she told him, kissing his cheek and resting back against the headboard. "Sorry about the cups, but I thought I'd break wine glasses trying to carry all that up at once," she teased, handing him two plastic tumblers.
He laughed and poured their drinks. "I don't know, drinking Coke out of wine glasses might be a little strange, too," he teased. "When I take you out for our official 'first date', you can have one glass of red. I'm pretty sure my sister drank toasts at my first wedding, and she was three months pregnant with my nephew at the time." He took a piece of pizza and leaned back. "So. How do you feel about Occoquan?"
She glanced over at him, unsure what he was asking for a moment, then realizing he was talking about living together. She sucked in a slow breath, then let it out. She supposed she knew they'd have to live together, but she hadn't thought about that part yet. "It's nice," she said, getting a slice of pizza for herself. "God, this is a weird first date." She snorted. "Maybe we should... find a place together." She huffed a little laugh and slumped against his side. "Because we won't have enough to worry about; let's both move."
"Sure," he said easily. "Find something we both like, something suited for raising a kid. Good school district and all that." He laughed. "Oh my God, I'm going to be a dad. We're going to be parents, Emily."
"I know," she said, turning her head to look up at him. She was grinning, she knew, and she had a feeling she was still happier about that than he was, but he didn't sound unhappy.
He leaned down and kissed her, then took another bite of pizza. "So I know a real estate lady. Smart, has two kids of her own, I think. She sold me this last place, and could probably find us something perfect." He grinned. "So our second date is house-hunting, huh?"
She laughed and kissed his jaw, then sat back up. "We've got plenty of time," she said. "We don't have to move tomorrow."
"Well, we oughta start looking," he countered. He looked more relaxed than she had seen him in the past two days. It was nice. "I've only got a few more months to enjoy the convertible, too. I'm not getting rid of the truck, so the car's gonna have to go." Then he grunted. "I suppose I ought to learn more about how to pamper my pregnant girlfriend first, huh?"
"Oh, yes," she said, nodding, and then kissed him slowly. "I think that's definitely a good idea."
Authors:
innerslytherin and severity_softly Pairing: Rossi/Prentiss
Rating: Hard R/NC-17
WC: ~ 6,300
Summary: Dave decides to woo the mother of his child.
Note: This is the second installment to our new series, which is an AU from the What Happens in Vegas Universe. Other installments of the Change of Plans AU can be found here.
Two days after finding out he was going to be a father, Dave Rossi made a stop on his way to work. The flower shop girl's eyes widened at the words 'three dozen', and widened again when he said he wanted three dozen reserved for next week, too. He shrugged and snagged a card.
Some of this might have been an accident, but I don't ever want you to think that my being with you is an accident, he wrote. You are the best thing that's happened to me in years. Love. He didn't sign it, because he was afraid she might kill him if he was responsible for the team finding out about them or about the baby. Not yet, at least.
Then he made the clerk take copious notes as he explained that the dozen with the note were to be delivered to the BAU, then another dozen each to his house and to a restaurant where he'd made reservations for tonight.
Excessive, possibly. But who better to spend his money on than the woman who was pregnant with his child? He headed to work and did his best not to act fidgety.
In reality he ended up looking out his office window into the bullpen about twice a minute, waiting for the flowers to show up. He knew the others would make a production of it, but he didn't care. This was his gesture to show that he didn't mind if they knew. It was up to her to decide what to do with that.
The flowers showed up early enough that not many people had come in, thankfully. Only Hotch and JJ were in, of the team, and Hotch had been on his way back to his office from JJ's when he saw the flowers on her desk. Dave saw him dart a quick glance toward Dave's office, and then return his gaze quickly to the files in his hands, but Dave would have sworn Aaron was grinning as he headed up the ramp.
Smug bastard, Dave thought, for what had been probably the tenth time since the night before, but he was smiling too.
He ran out of coffee before Emily showed up, and as luck would have it, he was refilling his cup when she came in. He watched her longer than he should have, then jerked his gaze back to his coffee. He forced himself to head back to his office, though he walked slowly enough that he saw her reaction.
She sucked in a breath, looking a little stunned at first as she stared at them, then she shook herself and a hesitant smile crossed her face. And then she glanced up at Dave, looking somewhere between overwhelmed and happy. She must have realized after a moment she was about ready to give them both away because she jerked her gaze back and pulled the note from the roses.
Dave smiled down at his coffee cup, pleased that she seemed to like them. His steps slowed as she read the card.
Her smile grew less hesitant as she read it, and she seemed to not quite know what to do with whatever she was feeling. Then she dropped her head in her hands for a moment. When she straightened up, her smile was even wider until she saw Morgan head through the doors, then she pressed her lips together and tried to school her expression into something less giddy.
Dave didn't bother hiding his own broad smile, since he was turning away from Morgan and towards his office. He did pause, though, to see what would happen.
"Wooo, someone must've had a good date," Morgan remarked as he came into the desk. "Did it come with a card? What's it say?" He made a playful grab for it, but Emily held it out of his reach.
"Hey," she said, "how about a little privacy." She was grinning again though, and Dave had to wonder how badly she'd have to threaten to hurt Morgan before he'd stop.
"Oh, come on, whoever sent you those flowers didn't seem to care about your privacy," Morgan pointed out. "He's got all your co-workers wanting to know what's going on."
"The person who sent them didn't sign his name, so I'm sure he does," she said, and stuffed the card in her pocket.
"I hope at least you know who it was," Morgan said, and Dave rolled his eyes.
As he passed Aaron's office, his friend said, "Are you sure that was a good idea?"
Dave grinned at him. "Nope. But she'll let me know either way."
He heard Aaron chuckle as he went into his own office.
It was late afternoon before Emily came in to see him. She shut the door behind her, tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him, though he could tell there was not heat behind it. "That was subtle," she said.
He leaned his head back and smiled at her. "Have you ever known me to be a subtle kind of guy? But I didn't sign it. In case you didn't want to tell people."
She watched him for a moment, her eyes smiling. "You don't have to give me gifts because I'm... you know."
"I do things because I want to, Emily," he said quietly. "Not because it's expected or because I ought to. And I meant everything I said."
A slow smile crept across her face. "You usually do," she said. She crossed the room and moved to his side of his desk, then sat on the edge, facing him. "Would you have sent me flowers a week ago?"
"No," he admitted. "But only because I didn't think it would change anything between us." He sighed and shifted to face her more directly. "To be completely blunt, I didn't think it would be fair to pursue anything more, because I didn't plan to have children." He raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Not exactly an issue just now."
She pursed her lips. "If I keep reminding you that you don't have to do this, you're eventually going to get pissed, aren't you?"
"Eventually?" he countered, his smirk not fading. "If you mention it again ever, that'll be too soon. I told you. I do things because I want to."
She sucked in a long breath, then glanced at the windows in his office before sliding off the desk and into his lap. "Thank you," she said, and his smile went wider, even as he wondered how long it would take before the uncertainty was gone from her voice.
He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. "I want you in my life, Emily. I care so much about you..." God, she was beautiful. But he wasn't sure if she was ready for him to say he loved her, even if she might suspect it. Hell, it was hard to say if she suspected it, given that uncertainty she had. "Will you have dinner with me tonight? Somewhere nice but quiet?"
She smiled and leaned in to kiss him slowly. "I'd like that," she murmured, then made a pleased noise and kissed him again. "This is completely inappropriate, but you started it."
He laughed. "How did I start this?" He kissed her back without giving her a chance to answer, though. "You are so amazing, Emily Prentiss." He smiled warmly at her.
"You might be the craziest man I know," she murmured, and kissed him gently and stood. "Though I guess we only have a few months before it won't be anything we can hide."
"Who are you callin' crazy?" he grumbled, but he caught her hand gently and squeezed it. "I don't care about hiding it at all. If I am crazy, it's crazy about you. Aaron already knew that, by the way. It was just the particulars he needed me to tell him."
"You wouldn't care if every one knew right now that we were together and I was pregnant with your baby," she said, almost a dare for him not to contradict her.
He lifted his chin. "Go tell everyone out there," he dared her back. "I'll come with you and hold your hand."
She arched a brow and held out a hand, but when he reached for it, she jerked it away and gaped at him. "Damn it, Dave," she said, and smacked his thigh. "You always have to win, don't you?" she added, frowning, though he could tell she was amused.
"Usually, yes, but in this particular case, it isn't about winning." He smiled wryly at her. "It's about getting you to realize I'm serious. People are going to find out eventually, and quite honestly, I'm pretty damn proud that you want to be with me. So..." He shrugged. "Like I said, I don't care about hiding it."
She stared at him for a moment, her lips parting. He could almost see his words sinking in, and then she closed her mouth and swallowed, dropping his gaze for a moment. "You would honestly...?" She trailed off and shook her head, then leaned down and kissed him again. "Thank you," she murmured.
He brushed his fingers against her hair and kissed her softly. "Yes," he said. His thumb stroked her cheek, then he tilted his head towards the door. "I understand if you're not ready to tell them yet. Though you've been in here quite a while..."
"Right," she said, then straightened, giving him a faint smile. "Are you picking me up?" she asked, turning to head for the door.
"Six-thirty work for you?" he asked, nodding.
"That works great," she said.
***
Dave showed up promptly at six-thirty and Emily still hadn't decided if the dress she had on was right. When she opened the door, though, she immediately decided it was a yes. Dave's face lit up when he saw her, his gaze heating. "You look fantastic," he murmured, smiling. He was holding a bouquet of roses.
Emily shook her head. "More roses?"
"Bulk discount," he joked, holding them out.
"This is getting extravagant," she told him, giving him a mock serious look, then taking them and giving him a slow kiss.
"We might have two different ideas of what extravagance is," he replied, sliding an arm around her waist and holding her close. "Mm, you are so beautiful. Every man in the place is going to be jealous."
God, it was ridiculous how happy he made her, and how good he made her feel about herself. Not that she lacked self confidence in most areas of her life, but men had never been one of the areas she'd excelled in, and Dave... he was just perfect for her. She just wished it was easier to trust this to all keep going the way it was.
"I believe you believe that, you know," she said, sliding her free hand into his hair. "You can stop saying it."
"Now, see, this isn't about convincing you. It's about appreciating the fact that I get to look at you." He smiled at her. "You might want to put shoes on, though. It's cold out there." He kissed her softly and released her, looking around the room.
She just laughed. "What would I do without you, David Rossi?" she teased, padding into the kitchen to put the roses in water.
"Probably end up with frost-bitten toes," he joked back. "How long have you been living here? It's a nice place."
"Just a couple of years," she said, watching him walk around the place. "It's a shorter commute. Makes a difference when you can't count on regular hours all the time."
He nodded. "I hear you there. Sometimes it seems like we don't spend much time at home, doesn't it?" He had his hands in his pockets, leaning in to look at some of the framed photographs on the wall. "Did you take these?"
"Yeah," she said. "Long time ago, but they're some of my favorites." She put the vase in the middle of the counter and walked over to stand behind him, looking at the black and white photos. "My mother was stationed in Mérida when I was eighteen, the Yucatán Peninsula. I took these there."
"Beautiful, smart, and artistic," he said, glancing over at her. From another man it might have sounded patronizing, but Dave just sounded sincere. "You have a good sense of what's photo-worthy. Do you still shoot? Aside from crime scenes and arson spectators, I mean."
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I think my 'artistic abilities' left me when I became an adult." She shrugged. "It was an outlet for a while, though. I stopped... trying to fit in and make friends. Seemed pointless after a while, but this helped. And I just stopped moving around as soon as I could."
He nodded. "Might have to dust off that camera pretty soon," he said, studying her favorite shot more closely. "We're sure to have a photogenic baby."
She just been thinking that it was after Rome that she'd stopped trying to fit in, and when Dave said that, she tried to ignore the surge of emotion when it hit her, not for the first time, that she was going to have a baby with someone who actually wanted her this time. It may have started as just a good time, but she couldn't deny they both cared deeply about each other.
She made a little noise, and pressed herself against his back, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her cheek to his shoulder blade. "That's the Monumento a la Patria," she murmured.
"A monument to Mexican independence, isn't it?" he said, covering one of her hands with his own. "I fully expect you to raise our daughter to be trilingual, at least," he said. She wondered if she ought to thank Hotch; whatever he'd said to Dave last night, it seemed to have made him a lot more comfortable with this whole thing.
She smiled faintly and tightened her arms. "Daughter?"
"Of course. Just as beautiful as her mother."
Emily snorted, but didn't move. She had no desire to let go. "You're helping with the Italian lessons," she murmured after a moment.
He turned in her arms and held her. "Of course," he murmured, and kissed her. "Emily." He hummed and rested his cheek against her hair. "I'm happy with you."
"I'm glad." She pressed herself more tightly against him. "This feels good."
She felt his fingers against her hair. "Did you take pictures in other places, or just Mexico?" he asked.
"I started after Rome. After I left." She sucked in a slow breath that was a little less steady than she would have liked it to be. She was glad she had told Dave about what had happened. In a sense, she had needed to after all those years. But that didn't make it any less vulnerable. "So there was Québec, too. Those are upstairs."
His chuckle was a warm rumble against her. "Going to show me your etchings?" he murmured. His fingers were still roaming gently over her hair in a tender, comforting gesture.
She rolled her eyes and pulled away, kissing him gently, then taking his hands and guiding him up the stairs.
She could hear him still chuckling as he followed her. They'd got most of the way up the stairs when she remembered the clothes strewn across her bed and stopped. Dave made an inquisitive noise, and she turned to look at him. "Stay here a minute."
He raised his eyebrows, but shrugged, so she went up the rest of the way and threw the clothes into the closet, shutting the door firmly. Then she went back to where he was waiting.
"Hiding the bondage tools and whips, weren't you?"
"Are you asking because you wish I'd left them out?" she asked, grinning.
"Mm, I'm open to experimentation," he said, and winked.
She laughed. "Damn, I wish I would have kept that rubber dress Morgan tried to get me to wear."
He snorted and followed her the rest of the way upstairs. "So, Québec? I had a case take me there once, in the late eighties."
"Yeah?" she said, leading him down the hall to where the study was. A few of the pictures were hanging above the love seat. "It was too cold for me," she joked.
He grinned. "You were there in the winter, or you like hot summers, too?" He followed her into the study, then paused by one of the bookshelves. "Look at that, you have one of my books."
She breathed a small laugh and rubbed the back of her neck. "Is there anyone in this field that doesn't have at least one?" she said.
"I dunno, I'm not sure Erin Strauss ever actually read one, but she did get one autographed." He grinned at her and came over to join her in front of the Québec pictures, sliding an arm easily around her waist.
"She doesn't strike me as your biggest fan," she said dryly, and leaned against him.
"Not exactly, but fortunately she can't quite say no to me, either. I'm on pretty good terms with the director, since we went through the Academy together. She doesn't think she ought to piss him off by pissing me off." He snorted. "I fucking hate politics, but I'll use it if necessary, and she's always afraid I'll use it against her. Now this one I recognize. Château Frontenac in the old part of the city, right? And that would be your mother in this one."
She glanced up at him, then nodded. "That would be, yes. Have you met her?"
"A couple of times, but only casually, because we were at the same functions." He kissed her hair. "Not often enough to allay my anxiety at telling her I knocked up her daughter."
She made a noise somewhere between shock and laughter, and then started coughing. "Oh God," she managed, then punched him lightly in the side.
He flinched, laughing, then pulled her close for a proper kiss. "My mother, on the other hand, is going to be ecstatic," he murmured. "And, as Aaron said last night, she's going to absolutely love you."
"Mmm," she hummed, and kissed him again. "We probably should have a few of those serious talks we mentioned before meeting the parents happens." And who knew when she'd be able to pin her mother down, but he probably knew that.
"A very good point," Dave agreed. He brushed his lips along her cheekbone. "I thought we might--Oh shit." He pulled away and looked at his watch, then let out a noise that was half laugh and half disappointment. "Well, I thought we might have one of those talks over dinner, but our reservations were for twenty-five minutes ago." He glanced over at her. "I guess you don't have to put your shoes on, after all."
She made a face and pressed her hand to her face. "Oh God, I'm sorry," she said, dropping her hand and giving him an apologetic look. "I hope they weren't hard to get."
He snorted and waved a hand. "Doesn't matter. The hostess will keep the roses and they'll make me wait next time. Who cares." He pulled her close and kissed her again. "What really mattered was that I wanted to take you out, anyway. But we'll just order in tonight." He pulled back a little, watching her. "If that's okay with you."
All she could do was stare at him, blinking. After a moment, she managed to say, "More roses?" God, this was a dream. She had to wake up soon.
He looked sheepish. "Those were the last of them," he offered. "If you really want to go, I can call Gianara and do some groveling."
"No," she said. "I don't care about the restaurant." She swallowed hard. "This isn't real."
His eyebrows drew together. "What isn't?"
"This." She tilted her head at him, wondering how to explain it without sounding like a lunatic. "Three dozen roses in one day, the way you look at me... you... wanting to be with me like this."
"How can this not be real?" Dave asked, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek. "You're an amazing, incredible woman, Emily. You've fascinated me from the moment we met, and the more I've grown to know you, the more I respect and like you." His gaze was warm, the expression on his face open and unreservedly affectionate. "And somewhere along the line," he murmured, stepping closer, "I fell in love with you."
She suddenly felt a little like it was hard to breathe, but it felt good too. Too good. Frighteningly good. "Were you in love with me last week?" she managed.
His eyes widened, then he frowned again. "Yes," he said, his voice steady. "And the week before that, and every day since Vegas. That night with you was supposed to get you out of my system. Instead it did just the opposite. It got me hooked."
"God," she breathed, staring at him. She wasn't sure whether the fear or the overwhelming happiness was stronger, but a moment later, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him hard, her heart hammering in her chest. "God, Dave," she panted when the kiss broke, then she slid her fingers into his hair and kissed him again.
He wrapped his arms tightly around her, making a quiet, happy noise. As the kiss drew out, he ran a hand up and down her back, the other circled firmly around her waist, making her feel safe. "What did you think I meant when I said I wanted more than one night?" he whispered when the kiss ended. He was smiling.
She shook her head, but she could feel the smile growing on her lips. "I don't know. I'm not very good at this," she admitted. Her eyes were stinging, so she just kissed him again.
"Mmm, I think you're fantastic at this," he said, sliding a hand down to cup her butt. "Maybe you should let me show you how I feel."
She sucked in a breath, then pressed against him, willing to pour the emotion she was feeling into showing him how she felt too. She could show him how she felt more easily than say it right now. "I think you should," she whispered.
He smiled and kissed her softly, then murmured, "Where's your bedroom?"
Instead of speaking, she pulled away and took his hand, leading him there. She was glad she'd taken the time to clear her clothes off the bed. On the way down the hall, he unzipped her dress, tracing the bare skin of her back with a fingertip. When they got to the bed, he slid the dress off and lowered her down without speaking. Then he was on his knees, kissing up her legs and stroking her skin. "I love you," he whispered.
She let out a shaky breath, watching him as he reached her knee, his lips brushing it tenderly. She had the sudden urge to tell him again he didn't have to do this, and then she suddenly realized why. "No one's ever treated me like this before," she breathed before she was able to censor herself.
He lifted his gaze to meet hers. "Then give me a list and I'll go hunt down all the assholes you've dated before," he murmured. He kissed her thigh. "You deserve to be treated like a queen."
"I think you have an unrealistic opinion of me," she said, but she slid her hand into his hair. Her fingertips ran down his neck. "You're unbelievable."
He gave her a lopsided smile. "Someday I'll make you believe me." His hands slid her panties off and he brushed a kiss against her.
Her breath caught and she let out a little noise of want. "God... David," she whispered.
He hummed and stroked his hands up her body, and then set about showing her just how much he loved pleasing her. He was so patient and thorough, his tongue gentle and relentless by turns as he took his time finding new ways to heighten her arousal.
He didn't let up until she was writhing against the mattress, gasping his name as she came, her fingers curled tightly in his hair. When he lifted his head, he made a pleased noise. She could feel him watching her without opening her eyes.
"Dave," she panted, and nudged his shoulder to get him to come up to her so she could kiss him.
He obeyed, crawling up to settle down beside her. She could taste herself when he kissed her, his fingers stroking her hair. She pressed against him, relishing his arms around her, though it was only then that she realized he was still clothed. It sent a flush of embarrassment through her, but his hand stroked down and settled against her stomach, and he whispered, "You are so beautiful."
She smiled, sliding her hand over his for a moment, giving it a small squeeze and pressing it against her skin. "You are so... clothed," she told him, and started opening the buttons of his shirt.
"We can do something about that," he said, grinning at her. He let her push his shirt off his shoulders, then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly.
"I was planning just that," she told him, her hands slipping to his pants. She got them unfastened quickly, and he helped her get them off. Then she was rolling them over and straddling his hips. She hooked her hand in the center of her bra and raised an eyebrow. "Want this on or off?"
He raised an eyebrow too. "You even need to ask? I'm very fond of your boobs." He grinned at her.
She snorted. "You know, some would say it's sexier when you leave some to the imagination," she said. "Not that you haven't seen them." She reached behind her and unhooked her bra anyway, and let it slide down her arms.
He lifted his hands to cup her breasts, stroking his thumbs lightly over her skin. "I like imagining them too," he admitted, his voice husky. "But God, I like looking at you."
She closed her eyes, sliding her hands over his and closing her eyes, relishing the feel of his palms against her skin. "I'm glad," she murmured.
"You're gorgeous, Emily Prentiss," he said. She felt one hand slide up to stroke her cheek, brushing her hair away from her face. Then he shifted under her, his hand slipping back down to her breast. "Gorgeous and sexy."
She rocked her hips against him. God, at this rate, she could easily get excited again. She made a pleased noise, then leaned down to trail her lips over his jaw, then down his neck. "Have I mentioned that you smell good?"
"Maybe once, but you're welcome to say it again." Dave sounded breathless as he stretched. One of his hands moved to stroke her hair.
"You smell good," she whispered. She slid her hand down his side, and moved lower, kissing across his chest, fully intending to return what'd he'd given her. When she reached his stomach, she felt him shiver under her, and smiled against his skin.
"Mmm, Emily, don't feel like you have to," he murmured, still stroking her hair. "I didn't give that in order to get anything."
"I know," she whispered. "I want to." Her fingers circled the base of his cock, and she bent to draw her tongue along the head, watching his face.
"Oh, gnnh..." he managed, staring down hungrily at her. His fingers slid through her hair and he smiled lazily. "God."
She smiled back and slid her lips over his cock, taking him as deeply as she could. She focused on drawing out his pleasure, paying attention when he gasped and moaned, then repeating the things that got the biggest response.
It wasn't long before he was tensing and gasping out, "Emily--close..." He lifted his hand from where it was resting on her hair, obviously expecting her to pull away, but she didn't. She sucked harder, watching him, and then he groaned and came, the heat of his release pulsing into her mouth. She moaned and closed her eyes, continuing until he was spent, then pulling back to smile at him.
"God, you're amazing," he mumbled, smiling. She wanted to laugh at the hazy, satisfied expression on his face. "C'mere," he said, reaching for her. "I want you in my arms."
He smile went wider, and she climbed up to kiss him, then let him pull her down against him and wrap his arms around her.
Dave held her close, his fingers making slow sweeps over her skin. "I love you," he whispered, turning his head to kiss her hair. "And I want you. And I want us." He took a slow breath. "I hope I can make you believe that."
She nodded, and kissed his jaw. "I believe you mean it, but... I don't trust it yet," she admitted. She tightened her arm on him.
"It's okay," he said quietly. "I can be patient."
They lay like that for a long time, Emily's head on Dave's chest while he held her securely. She could hear his heart beating a steady rhythm under her ear, and though she wasn't yet sleepy, she felt incredibly relaxed. It wasn't until she also heard his stomach gurgle that she realized they still hadn't eaten. She giggled.
"Hmph. Maybe we ought to order that supper now." He squeezed her gently, then sat up.
"No, stay," she said, tugging him back down. She reached over him for the bedside phone. "Pizza, right? What do you want?" she asked, and then dialed directory assistance for the number of a local, non-chain pizza place near her.
When she'd ordered, she settled back down beside him, her hand sliding to her stomach automatically. "Thank you," she whispered.
"What are you thanking me for?" he asked, sounding bemused. He was stroking a hand lazily over her skin.
She shook her head, not quite sure how to explain it--for wanting to be a father, even if it wasn't his plan; for loving her like this; for getting her pregnant, and that was one she just wouldn't say. She breathed a little laugh. "Everything."
He smiled and kissed her. "Well, you're welcome. I guess I oughta say thank you, too. If we're covering everything." He brushed her cheek with his palm and kissed her again.
She laughed softly against his lips. "You've said enough nice things for a lifetime. You don't have to thank me too." She kissed him again, running her fingers over his chest.
"Hmm." He pulled her a little closer. "I am grateful, though," he murmured. "That you've let me in. Let me be a part of this." His fingers slid through her hair. "I suppose we have some things to figure out."
"Yeah," she said, nodding. She hooked a leg between his and hummed a contented noise. "Where do we even start?" she asked, and she was completely serious. There was so much to consider.
"Heh. No idea." He sighed. "All right, first of all, I guess we need to decide how open to be about everything, since that can affect all our other decisions." He kissed her forehead. "I already told you I have no interest in hiding this. I'm willing to if that's what you want, but..."
"No," she said immediately, when he started to trail off, and shook her head. "Dave, I don't think there's really any option but to be honest. Not only is everyone going to figure it out anyway, but those who don't, who aren't on the team, are going to want to know who the father is, and... I don't want to lie about something... that makes me so happy." She shifted to give him a smile. "So... how in the hell are we going to tell them?" she asked, laughing faintly.
"Good question," he said, laughing with her. But his arms had tightened around her when she said she was happy, so she knew her answer had made him happy. "I guess I could just sign the flowers next time." He shook his head. "I really have no idea. But I guess we don't have to figure that out right away. Just sometime in the next month or so, huh?" He grinned.
"Month or two," she agreed, returning his smile. She drew a deep breath and relaxed back against his chest. "You think you can finagle a way to keep Strauss from firing us both?" she said after a long pause. She hated politics, and she hated Strauss, but the idea of either of them having to leave the BAU was worse than any of that. And Dave didn't seem to have a problem handling her most of the time.
"Piece of cake," he said. "Hell, most of those fraternization rules are about agents and Academy students. Since you and I technically have the same rank, that shouldn't cause too much trouble. Anyway, I can always mention that Strauss might not want to piss off your mother." He snorted, which she hoped meant he was joking.
She gave him a warm but reproachful look anyway, but then just kissed him. "Mmm, so if the rumors are true, then, that means you screwed around with a lot of students your first go around at the BAU?"
"You know, a lot of them are coming to the FBI as a second profession," Dave pointed out. "Most of them weren't much younger than me." Then he grinned. "But no, there was one student I dated, that's all. I don't think I deserve as much credit for those rules as you seem to think."
"As everyone seems to think," she corrected and laughed. Just then, there was a knock at the door, and she jumped slightly. Then kissed him. "Be right back," she told him, and hurried out of the room. She grabbed a robe from the bathroom on the way down, so she could answer, and was back upstairs to the bedroom quickly, carrying a bottle of Coke and the pizza. "Our very romantic dinner has arrived."
He'd pushed his shoes off and was sitting cross-legged on her bed, an admiring expression on his face. "I'm glad to see you had a robe somewhere," he teased, but he took the Coke and opened it. "It's romantic because we're together. That's what matters." He glanced up at her and shrugged. "I enjoy nice restaurants and the like, but it's really the company that I want most."
She tilted her head at him, then climbed onto the bed, the pizza box lying there in front of them. "You're a slightly maudlin creature," she told him, kissing his cheek and resting back against the headboard. "Sorry about the cups, but I thought I'd break wine glasses trying to carry all that up at once," she teased, handing him two plastic tumblers.
He laughed and poured their drinks. "I don't know, drinking Coke out of wine glasses might be a little strange, too," he teased. "When I take you out for our official 'first date', you can have one glass of red. I'm pretty sure my sister drank toasts at my first wedding, and she was three months pregnant with my nephew at the time." He took a piece of pizza and leaned back. "So. How do you feel about Occoquan?"
She glanced over at him, unsure what he was asking for a moment, then realizing he was talking about living together. She sucked in a slow breath, then let it out. She supposed she knew they'd have to live together, but she hadn't thought about that part yet. "It's nice," she said, getting a slice of pizza for herself. "God, this is a weird first date." She snorted. "Maybe we should... find a place together." She huffed a little laugh and slumped against his side. "Because we won't have enough to worry about; let's both move."
"Sure," he said easily. "Find something we both like, something suited for raising a kid. Good school district and all that." He laughed. "Oh my God, I'm going to be a dad. We're going to be parents, Emily."
"I know," she said, turning her head to look up at him. She was grinning, she knew, and she had a feeling she was still happier about that than he was, but he didn't sound unhappy.
He leaned down and kissed her, then took another bite of pizza. "So I know a real estate lady. Smart, has two kids of her own, I think. She sold me this last place, and could probably find us something perfect." He grinned. "So our second date is house-hunting, huh?"
She laughed and kissed his jaw, then sat back up. "We've got plenty of time," she said. "We don't have to move tomorrow."
"Well, we oughta start looking," he countered. He looked more relaxed than she had seen him in the past two days. It was nice. "I've only got a few more months to enjoy the convertible, too. I'm not getting rid of the truck, so the car's gonna have to go." Then he grunted. "I suppose I ought to learn more about how to pamper my pregnant girlfriend first, huh?"
"Oh, yes," she said, nodding, and then kissed him slowly. "I think that's definitely a good idea."
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Date: 2009-05-28 01:17 am (UTC)Love this series.
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Date: 2009-05-28 03:35 am (UTC)I'm holding you both responsible for my current obsession with this pairing (and that's totally not a BAD thing).
Can't wait for more!
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Date: 2009-05-29 11:20 pm (UTC)mmmm, achy and beautiful!!!!
great job ladies, thank you so much for sharing
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Date: 2009-05-29 11:27 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2009-07-04 03:14 am (UTC)A blunt one since hurt writers can't write, but I'm really looking forward to the next installment.
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Date: 2009-07-04 01:46 pm (UTC)Soon - We've been sort of emotionally tied up in our
I'm glad you like this series. I think it's currently my favorite. :D