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geekystudmuffin2010-07-04 01:41 pm
innerslytherin) wrote in geekystudmuffin2010-07-04 01:41 pm
O Captain My Captain (1/3), Hotch/Garcia, NC-17
Title O Captain, My Captain (1/3)
Authors![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
innerslytherin and severity_softly
Pairing: Hotch/Garcia
WC: ~21,400
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Slight AU - After the arson case in Indiana, Penelope decides that her adored boss needs to learn to relax a little, and she's just the woman to help. For his part, Aaron is surprised at how relieved he is that Kevin is out of the picture, even if he isn't sure what to do about it.
Note: Thanks toresolucidity for the beta! Spoilers for "House on Fire" and set during Season Four.
Penelope Garcia was a free spirit. She didn't exactly balk at rules and regulations, but she certainly thought there was no need for all the rules that existed out there. She admired the way Prentiss and JJ could put on suits and carry guns and be tough and strong and female in a man's world, but she didn't want to be that girl herself. Penelope liked kittens and flowers and bright colors and looking on the bright side. She liked vivid fantasies and being the happy-go-lucky girl on the team.
None of that explained why she so completely adored her suit-clad, straight-laced boss.
He'd thanked her. She'd spent all that time thinking he would come back from Indiana and yell at her for all the liberties she'd taken while she was helping with the investigation, and he'd thanked her. He'd told her that her contributions were important.
Later that evening, when she was ready to leave Quantico and head home, she popped her head into the bullpen and saw that the light was still on in his office. After a moment's thought, she went and tapped on the half-open door.
"Come in," she heard him say, and she stepped inside. His eyebrows lifted when he saw her, but then his expression softened.
"Sir, you realize there is intelligent life beyond the walls of this building, right?"
Hotch's lips quirked, which she counted as a slight victory. "Of course there is," he said. "The rest of the team's already gone, and you're about to leave too. I'd say that means there's more intelligence out there than there is in here." He leaned back slightly in his chair and watched her. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.
Her smiled faded just a little, but not entirely. It just went a little more thoughtful. "Not really, but I'll get over it," she admitted, then pushed the thoughts of the case they'd just finished out of her mind again as much as she could. "I think you should contribute to the external think tank and go get some rest."
Hotch studied her for a moment more, then stood up. "I'll walk you out," he said, giving her another almost-smile.
"Oh," she said, grinning, her tone taking on a flirty edge. "Such a gentleman. People might get the wrong impression, you know, but I'm not going to argue if anyone thinks the sexiest unit chief around is on my arm." Of course, she wouldn't mind if that was actually the case, either, but she had a feeling that would never happen. Men like Hotch didn't want women like her.
She had the sudden, fleeting impulse to offer her arm to see if he'd take it, but as much as she wanted it, she knew it would look bad on him, so she squashed the idea.
Hotch snorted, but he gave her a look that warmed her straight to her toes. "Every time you say something like that, I tell myself to have you take a drug test," he said. "I suppose I must be weak, though, because I can never make myself do it." He grabbed his briefcase and crossed the office, shutting off the lights on his way out.
"I hope you haven't kept Kevin waiting while you finish things here," he murmured. She couldn't miss the brief spasm of emotion that crossed his face; he was lonely, and it broke her heart.
"No," she said, trying to maintain a cheerful tone. "Kevin's actually in the process of moving to Seattle. His mother isn't well, and the field office had an opening..." She shrugged. "He's probably in Seattle as we speak, actually. We both decided it would be too hard to maintain a long distance relationship, considering the demands we both have on us personally."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Hotch said. He reached up and touched her shoulder briefly, then dropped his hand quickly. Too quickly.
She shook her head. "It's okay. Really." He looked a little like he didn't believe her, and she understood. Kevin had been wonderful for her. But there was no use mourning the loss of their relationship. He'd promised to keep in touch, and she understood why he had to leave. "No really," she repeated. "I understand. If I was in his shoes, I'd be off taking care of my mom too. You do what you have to do to protect your family." It was exactly the reason she'd encrypted the files they'd found on her computer after she'd been shot. The team was the closest thing to family she had.
Hotch nodded slowly. "Even if that requires sacrifices," he murmured, and sighed. "Sometimes I wonder how you put up with any of us, Penelope." He glanced at her, and she wondered what questions he wanted to ask her but didn't. He was such a private man, but she felt sometimes like maybe the team had become his family, too.
"I'm not really sure how, either," she teased. "But I do know why."
He arched an eyebrow and glanced over at her. "I suppose I should just be grateful that you apparently have a good enough reason to stay," he remarked.
"That you should, my friend. That you should." She grinned at him at he hit the elevator button and stood back to wait. "I do like my job," she told him after a moment. I just don't like doing yours.
He smiled at her, turning the evening into a success. "Are you still doing counseling with that victim's group?" he asked.
Her smile went wider. "Three times a week, unless a case keeps me here." They got into the elevator. He smile faded just a little when she thought about how the team had found out about that. She'd screwed up so badly and nearly got herself killed, just because she wanted to help the people she talked to.
He shook his head faintly, but his lips were still turned up. "I don't know if I ever told you how much I admire that," he said. "That you can do this job and then turn around and go give more of yourself to people who have been hurt."
Her grin came back again, and her heart skipped in her chest. He rarely just doled out praise like this, and she wondered if he was still trying to make up for putting so much on her shoulders this last case. Either way, it felt good. "If you keep saying things like that, I'm gonna start thinking you're sweet on me." She winked at him.
His smile widened again and he looked down at the floor. "I'd better stop then," he said. "In the interest of avoiding a harassment lawsuit." He glanced back up at her and then the elevator doors opened in front of them.
She laughed. "Harassment?" She nudged him with her elbow as they walked. "Oh, no, honey, you'll just wind up with me in your lap." Pushing you against a wall, she thought, but she'd decided what she'd actually said was safer. "I might wrinkle your suit."
Hotch laughed. "Suddenly I understand why only Morgan can keep up with you," he said. "The rest of us still have the ability to blush."
She laughed louder and looked at him, and he was blushing. Just barely. "Aw, it's cute!" she said. "Plus, I think getting you to blush gives me bragging rights of some sort."
He just gave her a look and then shook his head, though he still looked amused.
"Oh, come on," she said, dropping her gaze to the floor. She wondered if she was about to cross the line with what she was about to say, but it wouldn't take a profiler to tell once she said it. "You can't tell me you don't get hit on on a regular basis now that you're single." She glanced back for his reaction.
He gave her another look, and this time the amusement was mingled with disbelief. "You're joking, right? For one thing, I'm pretty sure no one here is going to start hitting on me, and I don't exactly do much outside of work and home. For another...you're joking, right?"
She snorted. "No," she said, as if it were the most ridiculous question she'd ever heard. "Don't tell my smoking hot chocolate stallion I said this, sir, but you are hot stuff."
He stared at her for a minute, the blush deepening, then said, "That's it, if you exercise your 'bragging rights' about making me blush, I'm telling Morgan what you just said."
She shrugged. "He'll get over it." She grinned at him. "Seriously, you need to get out."
"Did you just ask me on a date, Penelope?"
Her smile tried to slip away when her heart jumped into her throat. She wondered if he saw it, then she pushed the smile back on. "If I did, I doubt you'd say yes. Oh, no, I'm not interested in heartbreak."
"You're not implying I'm emotionally unavailable and married to my job, are you?" he joked.
"No," she said, shaking her head and suddenly unable to come up with something witty to say.
He caught her reaction and paused, looking contrite. "I was joking," he murmured. "I'm sorry if I..."
"No," she said quickly, and stuck her finger in his face. "Whatever you're about to apologize for, stop." She smiled at him and let her hand drop.
He blinked at her, then nodded. "All right." They'd reached the parking lot as they talked, and now he looked around. "Where are you parked?"
"I'm right over there," Garcia said, pointing across the lot at her car.
Hotch nodded and touched her shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
She pursed her lips at him, wondering if she could get away with asking him out under the pretense that it wasn't really a date. Then she decided on, "You and I are going to work on this never getting out thing. Friday. We don't have to work Saturday."
"I have Jack on Saturday," he said, which wasn't an outright 'no'.
She nodded. "We don't have to stay out late. If I drink too much, I might try to take advantage of you anyway," she teased. Though she knew she really might if she was drunk enough.
He shook his head, looking amused. "I suppose after I bore you thoroughly once, you'll figure out why I don't get out much."
"Not going to happen," she said. "Friday night. Bring your dancing shoes," she added, grinning broadly, then walking away before he could protest.
***
Aaron spent all day Friday wavering between avoiding Garcia and seeking her out to tell her something had happened to prevent him from joining her. Nothing had, though he knew he was capable of making something happen. It was just that that struck him as cowardly, even if he really was a little bit afraid of going out dancing with Penelope Garcia.
He liked Penelope, and he certainly enjoyed spending time around her. She made people feel good, and that was a rare gift. But Aaron was used to going out with the entire team, or occasionally Dave. The idea of going out with Penelope without the buffer of the other team members meant there would be no Morgan to dance with her and no Reid to entertain her with trivia.
By the time the workday was drawing to a close, though, he'd decided he would be ashamed of himself if he tried to back out. He hadn't actually approached her about anything during the course of the day, anyway; maybe something had come up for her and she was going to back out.
Most of the team had left by the time she poked her head in his office. Some days he was half-inclined to tell her she spent too much time at work too. But right now, he wasn't sure he could manage more than a friendly smile.
"You're seriously not going to dance in your suit, are you?" she asked, eying him.
"I do own casual clothes," he said, "even if you have trouble believing that." He'd brought a pair of khakis and a nice shirt, and hoped he wouldn't look too out of place with whatever she had in mind. "Are you waiting on me now?"
"Yep, I sure am, sweet cheeks," she said, grinning at him. She glanced down at herself. "And I'm ready, and fully capable of dancing in heels. I'm not dancing with you if I only come up to your shoulder. Now come on. Chop, chop."
There was something completely irresistible about Penelope Garcia, Aaron reflected as he made his way to the locker room and changed his clothes. He caught himself checking his reflection in the mirror, then remembered that he was really only doing this to make Penelope happy. Oh, he would probably enjoy himself, but he wasn't going to meet people or anything like that. His lips twitched. It still felt strange to do things like this without Haley. Without thinking of himself as a married man.
Shrugging and hanging his suit up in his locker, he headed out to find his 'date' for the evening.
She was waiting for him at the elevator, and he found himself smiling faintly at the picture of her, all bright colors against the backdrop of cool tones that made up the building's corridors.
"Oooh, very nice," she said, appraising his look. "Have you met Esther? I mean, I know you've seen her..."
His eyebrows shot up. Oh, hell, no. He'd agreed to go out dancing with her, but she'd said nothing about setting him up. "Esther? Garcia..."
She flapped her hand, grinning wickedly. "Shh, you'll love her." She glanced around, then took his hand and pulled him into the elevator.
"I didn't agree to this," he said, letting a warning tone creep into his voice. He had a feeling he was much less intimidating when he wasn't wearing a suit, though.
She just pulled him closer and hugged his upper arm after the door closed, then let him go, the grin not fading from her face.
"I can already tell I'm going to regret this," he muttered.
She didn't say anything as they descended to the lobby, then she lead him through the parking lot. He was wondering if they were going to meet this Esther at wherever she was taking him, when she stopped in front of her car, gesturing at it. "Hotch, meet Esther. Esther, meet Hotch."
Aaron blinked, then nodded, laughing. "All right, you got me." He glanced at Garcia, then looked back at the car. "Esther is beautiful," he said. "I take it you're driving, then?"
"Uh-huh," she replied. "Now get inside her. She likes that." She waggled her eyebrows, and he felt himself blush again. God, this was going to be an interesting night. She got inside and leaned over to unlock the passenger side door.
He cleared his throat. "Uh, where are we going?" It was ridiculous how flustered he was getting. It was because she made him change out of his suit. The suit was like armor; he could let things roll off his shoulders more easily when he felt like he was in uniform. But casually dressed, letting Penelope drive, he had no control. It was nerve-wracking.
"The Auld Dubliner," she said, glancing over at him as she pulled out. "I figured as long as I'm dragging you out, I should take you somewhere you know so I don't totally push you out of your comfort zone." She paused, then stopped so she could look at him fully. "Unless you'd rather go somewhere we're less likely to run into anyone on the team."
"I'll go with the comfort zone, thanks," Aaron said, meeting her gaze questioningly. "I didn't know there was any reason to avoid the team."
"There isn't," she said, and when she continued, she suddenly sounded a little unsure. "I thought maybe you might think there was." She shook her head, turned her gaze back to the parking lot, and started driving again.
He frowned slightly as a thought occurred to him, but then dismissed it. She couldn't possibly think of this as a date. For one thing, there was just no way he would appeal to her, regardless of the shameless way she flirted. It was just all good fun. "It isn't as if I'm ashamed to be seen hanging out with you," he said, leaning back in his seat. "After all, usually you're with Morgan, so you're obviously a step up for me."
"No, I just thought... you might think it would look inappropriate." She shrugged. "Or unprofessional, or one of those other things you worry about."
"The team goes out frequently, and Dave and I go out for drinks sometimes. I really don't have a problem with it, Penelope."
She snorted. "Oh, I would love to see you dance with Dave. I'd shell out the big bucks for that."
"Don't tell him that," Aaron said, chuckling. "The man has no scruples. He'd spike my drink and drag me out on the dance floor."
Garcia laughed loudly and headed for the club. "Maybe next time, we can bring him." She bit her lips together a moment later, then said, "You know, if I don't scare you away this time."
Aaron snorted and shook his head. "That's a big 'if'," he teased.
"Heh, that's what I thought," she said. For a minute he wondered if he'd offended her, but then her lips twisted into a smile.
They spent the rest of the trip to the bar talking, and when they got there, she parked in a well lit spot, and headed inside. She walked straight up to the bar, then turned around and appraised him. "You look like a wine guy," she said, then turned around and told the bartender, "Two Long Island iced teas, please!"
"You're trying to get me drunk," Aaron said dryly, but he didn't change the order. He couldn't help reaching for his wallet, even though he was of the opinion that since Penelope had dragged him out here, she ought to pay. Chivalry was too deeply ingrained. She waved off his money, though, and he shrugged. "I'll get the next round," he promised.
"No. I made you come out, and I'm making you drink the good stuff. I'll buy," she said, and gave him a stern look until he put his wallet back in his back pocket.
"Yes, ma'am," he said, then thanked the bartender when their drinks appeared. He took a sip and turned to look around. The bar was crowded, but not uncomfortably so.
She smiled and took a sip of her drink, watching him. After a moment, she'd drained about a quarter of her drink already, and she tilted her head at him. "Thanks for agreeing to come out, even if it was sort of against your will."
He couldn't help smiling back at her. "It's fine. I'll relax in a minute," he promised.
"Well, if you didn't, I'd say you have a pretty amazing liver," she said, pointing at his drink. "Seriously, if you don't relax after half of that, they should probably dissect you for science."
He snorted. "There are some people who probably think I don't know how to relax," he said, and took a long sip. "So tell me, why are we here? I mean, am I just...a project now that you have some free time again?" He looked at her, his lips quirked up.
"We're here because I like you," she said, biting her straw for a moment before taking another drink.
That sent a pleasant warmth through his chest, and he decided it was the best answer she could have given. He smiled broadly at her and then looked down, nodding. "Okay."
She watched him for a moment, smiling back at him. "You should smile like that a lot more." He touched the bottom of his glass. "Drink, and tell me when you hear a song you like. You can switch to something lighter with the next one. You won't be hung over with Jack tomorrow, I promise."
"Hmm." He glanced up at her. "You could tell me when you hear a song you like." It was the dancing he wasn't sure he felt comfortable about, and frankly it might be easier if Penelope just dragged him out on the floor. He hadn't danced with another women besides Haley since...well, he couldn't really remember.
He shrugged off the fleeting discomfort and took another sip of his drink, letting it spill warmth through his body. "You're just trying to loosen me up and take advantage of me," he teased.
"I wouldn't put it past me," she said, giving him a look that made him feel warmer.
"You know, I'm not really good at this any more," he said, smiling. "It's been a long time since anyone flirted with me. I think I've forgotten how to banter."
"I would say it's probably more like it's been a long time since you've acknowledged someone flirting with you," she said. She hopped up on a bar stool near him, and dropped her hand on his where it was resting against the bar. "Anyway, it's not always about witty banter." Her thumb stroked his, then she pulled her hand away and propped her chin on it.
Aaron's eyebrows shot up and he sucked in a breath at the odd flash of heat that sent through him. Then he cleared his throat and took a drink rather than try to find something to say in reply. The song switched to something slower, and he realized the problem with him having to choose a song. He felt like an idiot if he tried to dance to fast music, unless it was something in a ballroom. But asking Penelope to slow-dance with him might give her the wrong idea.
She looked at him, pursing her lips. She looked suddenly unsure. Then she must have noticed the music, because she tilted her chin up like she was listening. He wasn't sure if it was because she suddenly seemed at a loss too, or not. When she looked back, her lips pulled to the side, and she gestured at his hand. "I'm sorry, sir. If I'm... I mean, if I'm making you uncomfortable, tell me and I'll stop."
"No, it's fine," he said quickly. He didn't want his discomfort to rub off on her; that would doom their evening before they really got started. "I obviously haven't had enough to drink yet," he added, quirking an eyebrow. "What sort of music do you like, anyway?"
"A little of everything," she said, smiling again, though it wasn't quite as broad as before. "Well, I'm not a fan of country, but I doubt we're going to get any Garth Brooks in here."
He laughed. "Probably not." This was ridiculous. He hated feeling this awkward around Garcia. She was always one of the bright spots in his day, and this reaction was just silly. "You know, you really don't need to call me 'sir' while we're getting drunk together in a bar."
Her smile went wider then, and he relaxed again. "What do you want me to call you?" she asked.
He returned the smile. "Hotch, Aaron, anything but sir. It sort of defeats the purpose of my changing out of the suit."
"Okay," she said, swiveling in her seat and suddenly looking like a kid in a candy store. "Aaron."
That ought to feel strange, considering Dave was the only person who called him by his first name. But actually he liked the sound of his name from her lips. Maybe it was because the team was all the family he had left these days, not counting Sean. He just smiled at her and finished his drink. Then he looked down in surprise at his glass. He hadn't realized he'd had that much already.
"Oy!" she said, and waved down the bartender. She was smiling sweetly enough that it wasn't rude, though, and the bartender said, "Another? Two?" and walked away.
She snorted and downed the rest of her drink. "I guess we're not switching to something lighter. You know, I'm a lightweight, and smaller than you, so you may have to take me home tonight." She waggled her eyebrows.
Aaron couldn't help but laugh. "I'm constantly amazed that you get away with this sort of behavior," he said. "Your supervisor must really like you."
She just snorted again and started laughing harder. Clearly, she was a little bit of a lightweight, and it seemed to be hitting her. "Are you kidding?! He adores me!"
"Oh, does he?" Aaron asked, amused. "That's lucky. It must be your charming personality."
"Oh, well, I can be very magnetic," she said. Their drinks showed up a moment later, and she took another sip as the bartender walked away with their empty glasses. "As soon as we're done with these, we're dancing. Whatever they're playing when we're done. That way, no one has to pick. Deal?"
Aaron stuck out a hand to shake. "Deal." He grinned as she took his hand and gave it a single, business-like shake, then released him. God, he was really beginning to be glad he'd agreed to this. Penelope was right, he didn't get out enough.
"Until then, how about I kick your cute little ass at trivia?" she said, grinning and biting her straw again. She was sort of adorable when she did that.
"Oh, you think you can kick my ass at trivia?" he retorted. "I'll have you know I was a nerd when I was kid."
"Psh, please. I'm still a nerd. I have the credentials and everything. I just happened to be adorable and lovable, too, so people forget sometimes." She got them the little remotes so they could play along with the trivia game on the bar's TVs, and they settled in to play.
Five rounds in, he had her beat four to one. "You are such a fucking cheater!" she exclaimed, then lifted her chin in a mock-haughty pose. "I'll have you know that if I wasn't drinking, you'd be begging for mercy."
He couldn't help the way his eyes widened when Penelope Garcia said 'fuck', but he tried to cover it by laughing. "I did try to warn you I'm a nerd," he said, and tapped her chin gently before finishing his drink.
"It's not nerdiness. What did you do to my remote?" she accused, but she was grinning. She glanced at his glass, then downed the rest of hers. She paused, then reached across his body to take the hand furthest from her so she could turn him away from the bar. A moment later he was being dragged onto the dance floor. "We did make a deal!" she called over the music.
Aaron found himself grinning back at her and realized that his drinks had definitely gone to his head. But he didn't really mind. He was relaxed and enjoying himself, and he found himself not really caring how silly he might look while dancing. Penelope looked happy, and it made him happy that he could make her smile.
The song was fast enough that they could dance without touching, just sort of bopping along to the beat. Garcia wasn't really the best dancer in the world, but she made up for it with enthusiasm and a sort of flair only she could pull off. Not that Aaron thought he was all that great, but he and Haley had danced on occasion, so even if he was out of practice, he wasn't bad.
As the first song faded into another, Aaron started feeling more daring. He took Penelope's hand and guided her through a spin, then pulled her back. They were actually dancing more in each other's space now, but he didn't mind. He found himself grateful that she'd insisted they come out tonight.
She said something he didn't hear, and when she leaned it to repeat it, her chest was brushing his. "You're pretty good!"
"Thanks." He laughed. "You're pretty enthusiastic about it yourself," he said, and hoped she wouldn't realize that he hadn't exactly said she was 'good'. He spun her again, then had to catch her when she overbalanced a little.
She just laughed, her arm sliding around his shoulder. "Enthusiastic?" she said in his ear. "Oh, nice try."
"Enthusiasm is good," he murmured, his arm automatically circling her waist. He did enjoy dancing, and he was feeling wonderfully loose and warm.
He spun her again, and she came right back to where she'd been. "I haven't seen you like this in ages, it seems like," she said, her fingertips touching the back of his neck when her arm went around him. "I sort of wish I'd set up surveillance."
He snorted, but he smiled at her. "Maybe you're good for me," he teased, though it was the truth. She was good for everyone, he thought.
"Heh," she laughed, a funny sort of sound, but she just smiled back at him.
She really was wonderful, he thought, enjoying her smile. He was grateful that Kevin hadn't asked her to go to Seattle with him. It seemed impossible that he hadn't, but maybe he knew how much the team needed her. "Thank you for dragging me out tonight," he said.
"My pleasure," she said, then surprised him by touching a fingertip to the corner of his lips. "That makes it all worth it."
His brows drew together in a question. "What does?"
Her lips were easy to read, though he didn't so much hear her as she whispered, "Your smile."
He dropped his gaze, a little embarrassed, but then he looked back up at her, his smile strengthening. "I'm enjoying myself."
"Me too." He felt her suck in a breath, then the hand next to his mouth fell away. A moment later, though, the hand against the back of his neck slid up into his hair and before he knew it, she was pulling him down to press her lips to his.
He kissed her back automatically, a rush of heat going through him. His arm tightened around her waist and he pulled her closer...and then he realized what he was doing. He was kissing Garcia. What was he thinking? He tensed and pulled away, staring down at her as regret welled up inside him.
She followed him briefly, but then must have realized he'd tensed. She tensed too, and pulled back to stare at him, her eyes wide and her mouth dropping open, as if she'd shocked even herself.
"Oh... My God," she managed after a moment. She pressed her hand to her mouth, and then bolted off the dance floor and back to the bar, where she climbed on to a stool and beckoned the bartender.
"Fuck," he muttered, and followed her. He arrived at the bar as she was downing the first of two shots the bartender had placed in front of her. Aaron's first impulse was to take the second himself, but it suddenly occurred to him that he was probably going to be the one taking her home.
He rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Penelope," he murmured, but he had no idea what to say after that.
"I'm so sorry," she blurted. "I'm... I've been drinking and you're infuriatingly handsome, and... God, I shouldn't be saying that." She stopped talking and downed the second shot, then without looking at him, grabbed a napkin and held it toward him. He frowned at it, confused, but when he didn't take it immediately, she shook it at him and said, "You have lipstick on you."
"Oh." He took the napkin, then blotted it against his mouth and glanced down at it. She made a noise of frustration and took the napkin back out of his hand and wiped it firmly across his lips, then shoved it back into his hand.
He blinked down at the napkin, then, without knowing why, he folded it, lipstick-side in, and put it in his pocket. "It's all right," he said, not looking at her. "I understand what it's like to be lonely and want...someone." He looked up, smiling crookedly at her. "I'm a convenient stand-in for the person you're missing." He patted her shoulder, then gestured at the bartender to bring him another drink. "But we shouldn't let this make things awkward."
"Right," she said, nodding, but she wasn't quite meeting his gaze, and when the bartender walked up, she held up two fingers. "Two more, and whatever he wants." Aaron gently took her hand and brought it back down to the bar. He started to shake his head at the bartender, who looked like he really didn't want to serve her anymore anyway, but before he could speak, she turned and gave him a sharp look. "You're not my boss here," she said.
"I know I'm not," he said quietly. "I'm your friend. And you'll really regret this if you have much more." He didn't release her hand. "Penelope, it's fine. Really." He wasn't actually certain that it was, but he was determined to do whatever he could to make it better. "Let's just have some water and then I'll take you home. Or we could dance some more first."
She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. "Just take me home now," she said. Her expression was a little pained, and it made his chest squeeze uncomfortably.
"I'm sorry, Penelope," he said, stepping a little closer. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He wanted to hug her, and he knew that was inappropriate, but she looked like she needed it.
She laughed, but it didn't sound happy. "Hotch, I kissed you."
"I kissed you back," he pointed out. "Look, let's just...Let's try to have a good time still."
She looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "The last thing kissing me back did was make me uncomfortable. Until you stopped." She shook her head and slid off the stool. "I want to go home," she said, then swayed when she took a step toward the door and grabbed his arm.
"Okay." He nodded and caught her, holding her up. Her admission wasn't helping him put the kiss behind him, though. In fact it just made him want to kiss her again, but he knew they'd only done it because they were drinking and lonely, and they would both regret it in the morning. "Do you trust me to drive Esther? I haven't had as much as you have."
"I trust you with everything," she muttered, and handed her keys over to him when they got to her car. Then she slumped in the passenger seat and stared out her window.
He breathed an unhappy laugh and fought the urge to brush her hair back from her face or something. Instead he made sure she got her seat belt on, then pulled out of the parking lot. Esther was a joy to drive, and he found himself wishing it was warm enough to put the top down.
When they got to Garcia's apartment building, he insisted on walking her inside. He still hadn't forgotten the way Battle had shot her right in the courtyard of the building. He already blamed himself enough for Elle, and while he knew Penelope's getting shot wasn't his fault, he couldn't let his guard down.
She protested that he didn't have to help her in, but let him anyway. When they got to her door, she unlocked it and turned around, then she slumped against the door frame. It was a little upsetting that she'd gotten this drunk because of him, but there was nothing he could do about that now.
She didn't look at him, but she sighed. "It's not about being lonely for me, Hotch," she said quietly. "I'm not lonely. My life is pretty damn full, actually, and I'm fine with being single. Lord knows, I've done it enough to have made peace with it." She sighed. "You can take Esther home so you don't have to pay for a cab. I've got nowhere to be tomorrow." She bit the inside of her lip, then looked up and touched his chin lightly. "Goodnight," she said, and turned and went inside.
He felt even worse as he went back out to the car. If it wasn't about being lonely, what was it? Maybe he'd read more into it than he should have. He shook his head. He really wasn't thinking clearly any more. Obviously whatever had happened, he'd misunderstood somehow. And that wasn't really surprising, considering. She might be used to being single, but he wasn't yet.
He drove home slowly and went to bed, but it took him a long time to fall asleep.
***
Haley dropped Jack off mid-morning the next day, and Aaron and Jack spent the morning playing quietly in the house while waiting for Sean to get into town. As soon as his brother arrived, they went out for pizza, and then Aaron and Sean watched Jack play while Aaron told his brother about the events of the night before.
He ended up by confessing his confusion over the whole thing and asking Sean if he would follow him over to Penelope's to take Esther back.
Sean agreed, and Aaron took Jack with him in Penelope's car. Jack really hadn't seen a car like hers before, and spent the drive asking about it. When they got to her apartment, Aaron moved the booster seat to his own car. Sean took Jack's hand as they walked up to the door. Aaron insisted he didn't need an escort, but Sean had given him a mischievous smile and insisted he was tagging along for moral support.
Aaron knocked, and there was a long pause while they waited, though Aaron saw the peephole go dark as she looked through it. When she opened the door, she was wearing a smile that didn't look quite real. "Hey, captain. Returning my girl?"
"Pink!" Jack yelled, pointing out the color of her shirt, and she looked down at him, gasping dramatically and crouching down.
"Oh my gosh, you've gotten so big!"
Jack just giggled.
"I promise I took good care of her," Aaron said, wishing he could read her expression. "I think Jack's fallen in love with Esther, though."
"Aw," she said, grinning at Jack. "Next time you come visit, if Daddy says it's okay, you can come ride in her, okay?"
Jack clapped his hands and cheered, and Penelope looked up at Sean. "You're the handsome brother, right?" she said, standing and sticking out a hand.
"Oh, you got that right, honey," Sean said, taking her hand and leaning down to kiss it. "And the charming brother, and the talented brother..." Aaron smacked his arm and Sean started laughing. "Sean. I think we met before, at Quantico."
"Oh, yes. All the ladies were properly impressed with the younger Hotchner when you came by, as I recall." Her grin had gone more natural when Sean had kissed her hand.
Aaron gave a dramatic sigh. "You know, it isn't fair. No matter what I do, Sean always gets all the attention." He couldn't help smiling, though. At least she seemed relaxed around Sean.
"I know, it must suck to be the brother who ended up with no sense of humor and all the responsible genes," Sean replied. He grinned at Penelope. "I'm doing my best to be a bad influence on Jack so he'll grow up to ride a motorcycle and grow his hair out."
"You should start with a leather jacket. They make them for kids, you know. I bought one for one of our coworker's kids, and he's just a couple months old!" She looked down at Jack. "And his hair is plenty light enough to dye with Kool-Ade. Hey, Jack, do you want blue hair?!"
"Yes!" Jack shrieked.
"Mommy'd like that, huh?" she said.
"YES!"
Aaron couldn't help laughing. Haley would have a fit. Somehow that made the idea seem more appealing rather than less. Still, it wouldn't be a good idea.
"Maybe when you're a little older," he said, glancing at Sean. His brother looked amused.
"You know, you're really not the sort of girl I would expect Mr. Stuffed-Shirt Aaron to hang around with," Sean said. He sidled up to Penelope and draped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm much cooler." He gave her a sad look. "And I didn't get to ride in Esther."
Aaron felt a flash of annoyance, but he tried to repress it. After all, there was no reason for Sean not to flirt with her. Sean had flirted outrageously with Elle the time they'd met.
"Oh, fine," she said dramatically, slipping her arm around his waist. "You can ride in her too next time you're here, if Daddy says it's okay." She glanced at Aaron and seemed to try on a smile for him, but it went sort of strange again.
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "I learned a long time ago that I can't tell Sean what to do," he said dryly. For some reason Sean seemed exasperated by that response, but he laughed.
"He's a lawyer, so you have to explain things a few times, but he eventually gets it. There's a reason I decided to be a chef."
Aaron snorted and leaned down to pick up his son. "Okay, Jack, we'd better go leave Penelope alone so she can enjoy her afternoon."
"Bye, Pen-po-pee!" Jack said.
Penelope snorted, barely managing to hold in a laugh, then said, "Bye, handsome."
Sean lingered, smiling warmly at Penelope. "It was very good to see you again," he said. "If you're ever up in New York, look me up, I'll save a table for you at the restaurant."
"Sean," Aaron said, then realized he'd spoken rather shortly. He held in a sigh and waited for Sean to leave Penelope alone.
Her eyebrows rose slightly, but she glanced back at Sean a moment later. "I will," she promised, and squeezed him a little before letting him go. "Now shoo. Your brother misses you already."
Sean grinned. "I miss you already," he murmured, and kissed Penelope on the cheek.
Aaron sucked in a breath and clenched his jaw, fighting to keep his temper. Sean had flirted with Elle, but he hadn't been so brash with her. "Sean," he repeated, and turned to go. "I'll see you Monday, Penelope," he called, looking back over his shoulder at her.
"Um, yeah," she said. She was actually blushing. Penelope, of all people, was blushing. "Bright and early, and bright eyed and bushy tailed, and other expressions that start with 'bright'." She paused, watching them go. "Bye."
Jack waved enthusiastically at her.
Once they were outside, Aaron directed a glare at Sean, who seemed maddeningly unconcerned about his brother's annoyance.
"There was no call for that," Aaron said.
Sean raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I don't know. I think there was a loud call for that. I learned a lot, didn't you, Jack?"
"Huh?"
"All about blue Kool-Ade." Sean grinned slowly. "And red lipstick."
"Red lipstick!" Jack repeated, sounding gleeful. "I want Kool-Ade. I'm firsty."
Aaron held in a sigh. "We'll get you some Kool-Ade at home," he promised. "Once Uncle Sean has promised he'll stop flirting with all of Daddy's coworkers."
Sean smirked. "I don't know, somehow I don't think you'd care as much if I were flirting with Reid."
"Sean, could you not push it, please?" Aaron said.
"Push what? If a coworker is all she is, there's nothing to push, is there?" Sean asked, and Aaron glared at him, but he was spared from having to reply as they passed Penelope's car and Jack whined, making grabby hands at it.
"I wanna ride in that car!" he whined as they walked by. "That car!"
"You can ride in it next time you see Penelope, okay?" he asked, knowing full well it would probably be months before they saw each other again. "We're going to take Sean's car now, and we'll get Daddy's car from work."
Sean laughed. "You make sure to ask Daddy about Penelope every time you see him, Jack," he said.
"Jack, don't listen to your uncle," Aaron told Jack.
"Daddy, c'we go back 'n' see Pen-po-pee?"
"We just left," Aaron told him.
"She's pretty," Jack said.
Sean laughed. "Aaron, I'd make your move now. Jack is infinitely cuter than you."
"I am not making a move, Sean," Aaron said, annoyed. "And I would prefer that you not make a move on my coworkers. For one thing, she's the best tech we have, and I don't want her moving to New York. Can we please drop this topic of conversation?"
"Fine, fine, dropped," Sean said. He was smirking, though, so Aaron didn't doubt that the topic would come up again in the near future.
"Daddy, what does 'make a move' mean?" Jack asked. "Like this?" he said, then sort of danced crazily in Aaron's arms.
Aaron cleared his throat. "Exactly," he said, and Sean barked a laugh.
***
"Hi. Um. Hi."
David Rossi was blinking at Penelope. She'd called him up to her office a few moments ago, told him it was important, and now she couldn't seem to speak.
But she couldn't think of who else to talk to, either. Morgan hadn't exactly been very cool about Battle, and while that hadn't turned out so hot in the long run, she hadn't forgotten how it had hurt when he'd told her he might be too attractive for her. Well, not exactly that, but that was beside the point. JJ didn't need the drama with the new baby, and Emily... well, Penelope just wasn't sure Emily understood her sometimes.
And the idea of talking to Reid about what happened with Hotch was laughable at best.
So Dave was standing in her office door, and Penelope was making a face at him that she was sure looked a bit like she'd bit down on a particularly sour lemon.
He knew Hotch really well; he had known him for longer than the rest of the team. He would know what to tell her to do. But she couldn't say it. "Never mind," she blurted, and turned back to her computer screen. Maybe he'd just go away... but it was doubtful.
"Never mind?" he repeated, sounding confused...and intrigued. "Sorry, that doesn't work." He shut the door and she could just hear him leaning against it. He would have his arms folded over his chest in a "you can't make me move" posture, and he would be wearing his most stubborn expression.
"Let's see," he said, "I know you and Derek haven't had a fight, so that can't be it. Not that I'm always the best person to put him in his place anyway. If it were one of the girls, you clearly wouldn't be talking to a man about it. Reid...doesn't piss people off. So I'm guessing this is about Hotch somehow."
"I hate profilers," she groaned. "This was a terrible idea. A terrible idea in a string of terrible ideas." She dropped her head against the desk with a thunk.
"What did he do?" Rossi asked. She heard him take a few steps, and then the extra chair creaked as he sat down. "Tell Uncle Dave all about it and I'll go beat him up."
She lifted her head and turned a sharp gaze on him. "Firstly, uncle? Not unless you're the uncle that sneaks the kids beer and tells them dirty jokes. Secondly... what did he do? Seriously? Which one of us is more likely to do something... just... amazingly stupid?" She made a face.
Dave snickered. "You clearly don't know the same Aaron Hotchner I do, but that's okay, I'll let you go on thinking the man is God. So what did you do, and do I get to spank you for it?"
She whined, because she really should have had some comeback for that, but she just didn't. "Oh, I don't know, maybe I took him to the bar, and made him dance with me, and then kissed him," she blurted, all in one quick stream of words, then she pressed her hands to her face and whimpered. "Maybe. There's a slim possibility that that's exactly what I did," she added, her voice muffled by her hands. God, she was going to die of embarrassment, first from what had happened with Hotch after she'd kissed him, and now from telling Dave about it.
Dave was silent for a few seconds. Apparently she'd managed to shock even him. Then he chuckled. "Good for you. Did he kiss you back?"
"No-- yes-- sort of," she groaned, then dropped her hands and glared at him. "Good for me? You cannot be serious," she accused.
"Of course I'm serious. He needs something to lighten him up. You're one of the few people I know who has the innate cheerfulness, the dogged persistence, and the blind naivety to think it can be done." He paused. "I take that back, you're the only person I can think of. Reid isn't innately cheerful."
Her glare didn't fade. "Do I look cheerful to you right now?" she asked through her teeth. "Because I got news for you; I'm not."
Dave patted her cheek comfortably. "Doesn't matter. No matter how tragic your life, you always find something good about it. It's one of the many lovable things about you, Garcia. So what happened after you kissed him? I suppose it's too much to hope that you dragged him home and ravished him."
"Oh my God," she groaned, and pressed her hand across her eyes. "He got all tense and Hotchly. I panicked, drank more, and made him take me home."
"Oh, well, see, you should have at least made him dance with you some more." Dave rubbed her shoulder gently. "Hotch is a fantastic guy, but his emotional walls have gotten even thicker since Haley left. Which means if you want to get his attention, you can't just throw bottle rockets at his walls. It takes a grenade launcher. You oughta try the drinking, dancing and kissing thing again."
"Right, because the last time went so well," she said, then sighed and gave Dave a pleading look. "He's myboss," she said. "He... he's my boss and he's Hotch."
"And? What's your point? He's also just a man, and he's already very fond of you. Just the fact that he agreed to go drinking and dancing with you speaks clearly to that fact." After a moment Dave gave her a more serious look. "Penelope, in all seriousness, I think if you've decided to dump Kevin, nice guy that he is, and go for Aaron, you've made a very smart decision. And I honestly can't think of a woman who would be better for him than you."
She shook her head and looked away. "Oh, I'm sure he can think of several." Her lips twisted. "Men like Hotch don't go for women like me." She looked back at him. "Men like him find women like me frivolous."
"Frivolous? Penelope Garcia, you are anything but frivolous. Just because you like to look pretty and laugh and smile and make people feel good about themselves...that doesn't make you frivolous. And Aaron Hotchner knows that better than anyone, I guarantee you. He wouldn't have a frivolous person on his team."
She sighed. "You know what I mean."
"No, I don't think I do. I think you're having a crisis of confidence because you went after something you want and it took him by surprise." Dave sat back in his chair. "Let me guess, he apologized, right? Which you translated into something like, 'Oh my God, Hotch is grossed out by kissing someone as unconventional as me, and now he's going to break out into hives and then fire me', yes?"
She glared at him, then kicked him in the shin. It was light, but enough to get her point across.
"Hey!" He glared back at her, rubbing his shin. "Fine, you don't want my help, fine." He stood up and headed for the door.
She thought about letting him go, and turned in her chair to face his retreating form, then crossed her arms over herself. "It's not that much of a crisis of confidence. Jeeze, grossed out? Hives? What do you think I think of myself, Dave? I'm may not be perfect, but I'm not the Swamp Thing."
He glanced over his shoulder and the tiny smirk on his face told her she'd fallen for a Rossi trick. Damn him. "I'm glad to hear you say that, Penelope," he said, turning to face her again. "Because frankly you're a very beautiful and colorful woman who makes Hotch smile more often than...well, anyone but me. And I'm not going to make out with him when I get drunk. So I'm telling you. Go for it. Make another move. Because I guarantee you, he's too damn chicken to make one himself."
"It's not that easy," she protested, then made a noise of frustration. "What am I supposed to say, 'Hotch, let's go out again, so I can get you drunk and press you up against the nearest wall'? Are you not getting the part where he's my boss? Or the part where he's going to be even harder to loosen up next time, if he's expecting some sort of stealth sexual ninja attack?"
Dave chuckled. "You know, you could just come out and say it. 'Dave, will you help me?' Try it, it's not hard." He made a beckoning gesture with his hand, but when she just glared at him, and shrugged. "Okay, you and Derek make plans to be somewhere, I'll make sure Hotch and I end up there. And then things will work out from there."
"What?" she said. "What do you mean 'things will work out'?" Dave wasn't exactly known for getting personal gestures right the first time. Or the second time. Or even the third time...
"Hell, I don't know. We could always get you drunk and point you in his direction." She didn't pull her punch. "Ow!" Dave complained, rubbing his arm. "All right, what if I get obnoxiously drunk and you get Morgan to give me a ride home."
"Wow," she said, voice flat. "What an incredibly bad plan."
"I didn't think it was that bad. We just need to get the two of you together in a casual setting again. One where the rest of the team won't be around to interrupt."
"I wish Sean were as handsome as his brother. And, you know, here, and working at the BAU, and not-- Shit. I just wish Aar-- Hotch--" She gave up trying to talk and shoved Dave's arm. "Oh, just go away. You've got me all hot and bothered now." She gave him a look. "Mostly bothered."
He smirked at her. "I get that a lot," he said, and winked. Then he took her hand in both of his, waiting until he had her attention. "Seriously, Penelope. That man wants you, he just hasn't realized it yet."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, then looked back at him. "How are you so sure of that?"
"I know him. And I also know how much he agonized over your role in this last case." Dave gave her a warm look. "And I know how often you make him smile." He nodded at her and left.
Part 2
Part 3
Authors
innerslytherin and severity_softlyPairing: Hotch/Garcia
WC: ~21,400
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Slight AU - After the arson case in Indiana, Penelope decides that her adored boss needs to learn to relax a little, and she's just the woman to help. For his part, Aaron is surprised at how relieved he is that Kevin is out of the picture, even if he isn't sure what to do about it.
Note: Thanks to
resolucidity for the beta! Spoilers for "House on Fire" and set during Season Four.Penelope Garcia was a free spirit. She didn't exactly balk at rules and regulations, but she certainly thought there was no need for all the rules that existed out there. She admired the way Prentiss and JJ could put on suits and carry guns and be tough and strong and female in a man's world, but she didn't want to be that girl herself. Penelope liked kittens and flowers and bright colors and looking on the bright side. She liked vivid fantasies and being the happy-go-lucky girl on the team.
None of that explained why she so completely adored her suit-clad, straight-laced boss.
He'd thanked her. She'd spent all that time thinking he would come back from Indiana and yell at her for all the liberties she'd taken while she was helping with the investigation, and he'd thanked her. He'd told her that her contributions were important.
Later that evening, when she was ready to leave Quantico and head home, she popped her head into the bullpen and saw that the light was still on in his office. After a moment's thought, she went and tapped on the half-open door.
"Come in," she heard him say, and she stepped inside. His eyebrows lifted when he saw her, but then his expression softened.
"Sir, you realize there is intelligent life beyond the walls of this building, right?"
Hotch's lips quirked, which she counted as a slight victory. "Of course there is," he said. "The rest of the team's already gone, and you're about to leave too. I'd say that means there's more intelligence out there than there is in here." He leaned back slightly in his chair and watched her. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.
Her smiled faded just a little, but not entirely. It just went a little more thoughtful. "Not really, but I'll get over it," she admitted, then pushed the thoughts of the case they'd just finished out of her mind again as much as she could. "I think you should contribute to the external think tank and go get some rest."
Hotch studied her for a moment more, then stood up. "I'll walk you out," he said, giving her another almost-smile.
"Oh," she said, grinning, her tone taking on a flirty edge. "Such a gentleman. People might get the wrong impression, you know, but I'm not going to argue if anyone thinks the sexiest unit chief around is on my arm." Of course, she wouldn't mind if that was actually the case, either, but she had a feeling that would never happen. Men like Hotch didn't want women like her.
She had the sudden, fleeting impulse to offer her arm to see if he'd take it, but as much as she wanted it, she knew it would look bad on him, so she squashed the idea.
Hotch snorted, but he gave her a look that warmed her straight to her toes. "Every time you say something like that, I tell myself to have you take a drug test," he said. "I suppose I must be weak, though, because I can never make myself do it." He grabbed his briefcase and crossed the office, shutting off the lights on his way out.
"I hope you haven't kept Kevin waiting while you finish things here," he murmured. She couldn't miss the brief spasm of emotion that crossed his face; he was lonely, and it broke her heart.
"No," she said, trying to maintain a cheerful tone. "Kevin's actually in the process of moving to Seattle. His mother isn't well, and the field office had an opening..." She shrugged. "He's probably in Seattle as we speak, actually. We both decided it would be too hard to maintain a long distance relationship, considering the demands we both have on us personally."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Hotch said. He reached up and touched her shoulder briefly, then dropped his hand quickly. Too quickly.
She shook her head. "It's okay. Really." He looked a little like he didn't believe her, and she understood. Kevin had been wonderful for her. But there was no use mourning the loss of their relationship. He'd promised to keep in touch, and she understood why he had to leave. "No really," she repeated. "I understand. If I was in his shoes, I'd be off taking care of my mom too. You do what you have to do to protect your family." It was exactly the reason she'd encrypted the files they'd found on her computer after she'd been shot. The team was the closest thing to family she had.
Hotch nodded slowly. "Even if that requires sacrifices," he murmured, and sighed. "Sometimes I wonder how you put up with any of us, Penelope." He glanced at her, and she wondered what questions he wanted to ask her but didn't. He was such a private man, but she felt sometimes like maybe the team had become his family, too.
"I'm not really sure how, either," she teased. "But I do know why."
He arched an eyebrow and glanced over at her. "I suppose I should just be grateful that you apparently have a good enough reason to stay," he remarked.
"That you should, my friend. That you should." She grinned at him at he hit the elevator button and stood back to wait. "I do like my job," she told him after a moment. I just don't like doing yours.
He smiled at her, turning the evening into a success. "Are you still doing counseling with that victim's group?" he asked.
Her smile went wider. "Three times a week, unless a case keeps me here." They got into the elevator. He smile faded just a little when she thought about how the team had found out about that. She'd screwed up so badly and nearly got herself killed, just because she wanted to help the people she talked to.
He shook his head faintly, but his lips were still turned up. "I don't know if I ever told you how much I admire that," he said. "That you can do this job and then turn around and go give more of yourself to people who have been hurt."
Her grin came back again, and her heart skipped in her chest. He rarely just doled out praise like this, and she wondered if he was still trying to make up for putting so much on her shoulders this last case. Either way, it felt good. "If you keep saying things like that, I'm gonna start thinking you're sweet on me." She winked at him.
His smile widened again and he looked down at the floor. "I'd better stop then," he said. "In the interest of avoiding a harassment lawsuit." He glanced back up at her and then the elevator doors opened in front of them.
She laughed. "Harassment?" She nudged him with her elbow as they walked. "Oh, no, honey, you'll just wind up with me in your lap." Pushing you against a wall, she thought, but she'd decided what she'd actually said was safer. "I might wrinkle your suit."
Hotch laughed. "Suddenly I understand why only Morgan can keep up with you," he said. "The rest of us still have the ability to blush."
She laughed louder and looked at him, and he was blushing. Just barely. "Aw, it's cute!" she said. "Plus, I think getting you to blush gives me bragging rights of some sort."
He just gave her a look and then shook his head, though he still looked amused.
"Oh, come on," she said, dropping her gaze to the floor. She wondered if she was about to cross the line with what she was about to say, but it wouldn't take a profiler to tell once she said it. "You can't tell me you don't get hit on on a regular basis now that you're single." She glanced back for his reaction.
He gave her another look, and this time the amusement was mingled with disbelief. "You're joking, right? For one thing, I'm pretty sure no one here is going to start hitting on me, and I don't exactly do much outside of work and home. For another...you're joking, right?"
She snorted. "No," she said, as if it were the most ridiculous question she'd ever heard. "Don't tell my smoking hot chocolate stallion I said this, sir, but you are hot stuff."
He stared at her for a minute, the blush deepening, then said, "That's it, if you exercise your 'bragging rights' about making me blush, I'm telling Morgan what you just said."
She shrugged. "He'll get over it." She grinned at him. "Seriously, you need to get out."
"Did you just ask me on a date, Penelope?"
Her smile tried to slip away when her heart jumped into her throat. She wondered if he saw it, then she pushed the smile back on. "If I did, I doubt you'd say yes. Oh, no, I'm not interested in heartbreak."
"You're not implying I'm emotionally unavailable and married to my job, are you?" he joked.
"No," she said, shaking her head and suddenly unable to come up with something witty to say.
He caught her reaction and paused, looking contrite. "I was joking," he murmured. "I'm sorry if I..."
"No," she said quickly, and stuck her finger in his face. "Whatever you're about to apologize for, stop." She smiled at him and let her hand drop.
He blinked at her, then nodded. "All right." They'd reached the parking lot as they talked, and now he looked around. "Where are you parked?"
"I'm right over there," Garcia said, pointing across the lot at her car.
Hotch nodded and touched her shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
She pursed her lips at him, wondering if she could get away with asking him out under the pretense that it wasn't really a date. Then she decided on, "You and I are going to work on this never getting out thing. Friday. We don't have to work Saturday."
"I have Jack on Saturday," he said, which wasn't an outright 'no'.
She nodded. "We don't have to stay out late. If I drink too much, I might try to take advantage of you anyway," she teased. Though she knew she really might if she was drunk enough.
He shook his head, looking amused. "I suppose after I bore you thoroughly once, you'll figure out why I don't get out much."
"Not going to happen," she said. "Friday night. Bring your dancing shoes," she added, grinning broadly, then walking away before he could protest.
***
Aaron spent all day Friday wavering between avoiding Garcia and seeking her out to tell her something had happened to prevent him from joining her. Nothing had, though he knew he was capable of making something happen. It was just that that struck him as cowardly, even if he really was a little bit afraid of going out dancing with Penelope Garcia.
He liked Penelope, and he certainly enjoyed spending time around her. She made people feel good, and that was a rare gift. But Aaron was used to going out with the entire team, or occasionally Dave. The idea of going out with Penelope without the buffer of the other team members meant there would be no Morgan to dance with her and no Reid to entertain her with trivia.
By the time the workday was drawing to a close, though, he'd decided he would be ashamed of himself if he tried to back out. He hadn't actually approached her about anything during the course of the day, anyway; maybe something had come up for her and she was going to back out.
Most of the team had left by the time she poked her head in his office. Some days he was half-inclined to tell her she spent too much time at work too. But right now, he wasn't sure he could manage more than a friendly smile.
"You're seriously not going to dance in your suit, are you?" she asked, eying him.
"I do own casual clothes," he said, "even if you have trouble believing that." He'd brought a pair of khakis and a nice shirt, and hoped he wouldn't look too out of place with whatever she had in mind. "Are you waiting on me now?"
"Yep, I sure am, sweet cheeks," she said, grinning at him. She glanced down at herself. "And I'm ready, and fully capable of dancing in heels. I'm not dancing with you if I only come up to your shoulder. Now come on. Chop, chop."
There was something completely irresistible about Penelope Garcia, Aaron reflected as he made his way to the locker room and changed his clothes. He caught himself checking his reflection in the mirror, then remembered that he was really only doing this to make Penelope happy. Oh, he would probably enjoy himself, but he wasn't going to meet people or anything like that. His lips twitched. It still felt strange to do things like this without Haley. Without thinking of himself as a married man.
Shrugging and hanging his suit up in his locker, he headed out to find his 'date' for the evening.
She was waiting for him at the elevator, and he found himself smiling faintly at the picture of her, all bright colors against the backdrop of cool tones that made up the building's corridors.
"Oooh, very nice," she said, appraising his look. "Have you met Esther? I mean, I know you've seen her..."
His eyebrows shot up. Oh, hell, no. He'd agreed to go out dancing with her, but she'd said nothing about setting him up. "Esther? Garcia..."
She flapped her hand, grinning wickedly. "Shh, you'll love her." She glanced around, then took his hand and pulled him into the elevator.
"I didn't agree to this," he said, letting a warning tone creep into his voice. He had a feeling he was much less intimidating when he wasn't wearing a suit, though.
She just pulled him closer and hugged his upper arm after the door closed, then let him go, the grin not fading from her face.
"I can already tell I'm going to regret this," he muttered.
She didn't say anything as they descended to the lobby, then she lead him through the parking lot. He was wondering if they were going to meet this Esther at wherever she was taking him, when she stopped in front of her car, gesturing at it. "Hotch, meet Esther. Esther, meet Hotch."
Aaron blinked, then nodded, laughing. "All right, you got me." He glanced at Garcia, then looked back at the car. "Esther is beautiful," he said. "I take it you're driving, then?"
"Uh-huh," she replied. "Now get inside her. She likes that." She waggled her eyebrows, and he felt himself blush again. God, this was going to be an interesting night. She got inside and leaned over to unlock the passenger side door.
He cleared his throat. "Uh, where are we going?" It was ridiculous how flustered he was getting. It was because she made him change out of his suit. The suit was like armor; he could let things roll off his shoulders more easily when he felt like he was in uniform. But casually dressed, letting Penelope drive, he had no control. It was nerve-wracking.
"The Auld Dubliner," she said, glancing over at him as she pulled out. "I figured as long as I'm dragging you out, I should take you somewhere you know so I don't totally push you out of your comfort zone." She paused, then stopped so she could look at him fully. "Unless you'd rather go somewhere we're less likely to run into anyone on the team."
"I'll go with the comfort zone, thanks," Aaron said, meeting her gaze questioningly. "I didn't know there was any reason to avoid the team."
"There isn't," she said, and when she continued, she suddenly sounded a little unsure. "I thought maybe you might think there was." She shook her head, turned her gaze back to the parking lot, and started driving again.
He frowned slightly as a thought occurred to him, but then dismissed it. She couldn't possibly think of this as a date. For one thing, there was just no way he would appeal to her, regardless of the shameless way she flirted. It was just all good fun. "It isn't as if I'm ashamed to be seen hanging out with you," he said, leaning back in his seat. "After all, usually you're with Morgan, so you're obviously a step up for me."
"No, I just thought... you might think it would look inappropriate." She shrugged. "Or unprofessional, or one of those other things you worry about."
"The team goes out frequently, and Dave and I go out for drinks sometimes. I really don't have a problem with it, Penelope."
She snorted. "Oh, I would love to see you dance with Dave. I'd shell out the big bucks for that."
"Don't tell him that," Aaron said, chuckling. "The man has no scruples. He'd spike my drink and drag me out on the dance floor."
Garcia laughed loudly and headed for the club. "Maybe next time, we can bring him." She bit her lips together a moment later, then said, "You know, if I don't scare you away this time."
Aaron snorted and shook his head. "That's a big 'if'," he teased.
"Heh, that's what I thought," she said. For a minute he wondered if he'd offended her, but then her lips twisted into a smile.
They spent the rest of the trip to the bar talking, and when they got there, she parked in a well lit spot, and headed inside. She walked straight up to the bar, then turned around and appraised him. "You look like a wine guy," she said, then turned around and told the bartender, "Two Long Island iced teas, please!"
"You're trying to get me drunk," Aaron said dryly, but he didn't change the order. He couldn't help reaching for his wallet, even though he was of the opinion that since Penelope had dragged him out here, she ought to pay. Chivalry was too deeply ingrained. She waved off his money, though, and he shrugged. "I'll get the next round," he promised.
"No. I made you come out, and I'm making you drink the good stuff. I'll buy," she said, and gave him a stern look until he put his wallet back in his back pocket.
"Yes, ma'am," he said, then thanked the bartender when their drinks appeared. He took a sip and turned to look around. The bar was crowded, but not uncomfortably so.
She smiled and took a sip of her drink, watching him. After a moment, she'd drained about a quarter of her drink already, and she tilted her head at him. "Thanks for agreeing to come out, even if it was sort of against your will."
He couldn't help smiling back at her. "It's fine. I'll relax in a minute," he promised.
"Well, if you didn't, I'd say you have a pretty amazing liver," she said, pointing at his drink. "Seriously, if you don't relax after half of that, they should probably dissect you for science."
He snorted. "There are some people who probably think I don't know how to relax," he said, and took a long sip. "So tell me, why are we here? I mean, am I just...a project now that you have some free time again?" He looked at her, his lips quirked up.
"We're here because I like you," she said, biting her straw for a moment before taking another drink.
That sent a pleasant warmth through his chest, and he decided it was the best answer she could have given. He smiled broadly at her and then looked down, nodding. "Okay."
She watched him for a moment, smiling back at him. "You should smile like that a lot more." He touched the bottom of his glass. "Drink, and tell me when you hear a song you like. You can switch to something lighter with the next one. You won't be hung over with Jack tomorrow, I promise."
"Hmm." He glanced up at her. "You could tell me when you hear a song you like." It was the dancing he wasn't sure he felt comfortable about, and frankly it might be easier if Penelope just dragged him out on the floor. He hadn't danced with another women besides Haley since...well, he couldn't really remember.
He shrugged off the fleeting discomfort and took another sip of his drink, letting it spill warmth through his body. "You're just trying to loosen me up and take advantage of me," he teased.
"I wouldn't put it past me," she said, giving him a look that made him feel warmer.
"You know, I'm not really good at this any more," he said, smiling. "It's been a long time since anyone flirted with me. I think I've forgotten how to banter."
"I would say it's probably more like it's been a long time since you've acknowledged someone flirting with you," she said. She hopped up on a bar stool near him, and dropped her hand on his where it was resting against the bar. "Anyway, it's not always about witty banter." Her thumb stroked his, then she pulled her hand away and propped her chin on it.
Aaron's eyebrows shot up and he sucked in a breath at the odd flash of heat that sent through him. Then he cleared his throat and took a drink rather than try to find something to say in reply. The song switched to something slower, and he realized the problem with him having to choose a song. He felt like an idiot if he tried to dance to fast music, unless it was something in a ballroom. But asking Penelope to slow-dance with him might give her the wrong idea.
She looked at him, pursing her lips. She looked suddenly unsure. Then she must have noticed the music, because she tilted her chin up like she was listening. He wasn't sure if it was because she suddenly seemed at a loss too, or not. When she looked back, her lips pulled to the side, and she gestured at his hand. "I'm sorry, sir. If I'm... I mean, if I'm making you uncomfortable, tell me and I'll stop."
"No, it's fine," he said quickly. He didn't want his discomfort to rub off on her; that would doom their evening before they really got started. "I obviously haven't had enough to drink yet," he added, quirking an eyebrow. "What sort of music do you like, anyway?"
"A little of everything," she said, smiling again, though it wasn't quite as broad as before. "Well, I'm not a fan of country, but I doubt we're going to get any Garth Brooks in here."
He laughed. "Probably not." This was ridiculous. He hated feeling this awkward around Garcia. She was always one of the bright spots in his day, and this reaction was just silly. "You know, you really don't need to call me 'sir' while we're getting drunk together in a bar."
Her smile went wider then, and he relaxed again. "What do you want me to call you?" she asked.
He returned the smile. "Hotch, Aaron, anything but sir. It sort of defeats the purpose of my changing out of the suit."
"Okay," she said, swiveling in her seat and suddenly looking like a kid in a candy store. "Aaron."
That ought to feel strange, considering Dave was the only person who called him by his first name. But actually he liked the sound of his name from her lips. Maybe it was because the team was all the family he had left these days, not counting Sean. He just smiled at her and finished his drink. Then he looked down in surprise at his glass. He hadn't realized he'd had that much already.
"Oy!" she said, and waved down the bartender. She was smiling sweetly enough that it wasn't rude, though, and the bartender said, "Another? Two?" and walked away.
She snorted and downed the rest of her drink. "I guess we're not switching to something lighter. You know, I'm a lightweight, and smaller than you, so you may have to take me home tonight." She waggled her eyebrows.
Aaron couldn't help but laugh. "I'm constantly amazed that you get away with this sort of behavior," he said. "Your supervisor must really like you."
She just snorted again and started laughing harder. Clearly, she was a little bit of a lightweight, and it seemed to be hitting her. "Are you kidding?! He adores me!"
"Oh, does he?" Aaron asked, amused. "That's lucky. It must be your charming personality."
"Oh, well, I can be very magnetic," she said. Their drinks showed up a moment later, and she took another sip as the bartender walked away with their empty glasses. "As soon as we're done with these, we're dancing. Whatever they're playing when we're done. That way, no one has to pick. Deal?"
Aaron stuck out a hand to shake. "Deal." He grinned as she took his hand and gave it a single, business-like shake, then released him. God, he was really beginning to be glad he'd agreed to this. Penelope was right, he didn't get out enough.
"Until then, how about I kick your cute little ass at trivia?" she said, grinning and biting her straw again. She was sort of adorable when she did that.
"Oh, you think you can kick my ass at trivia?" he retorted. "I'll have you know I was a nerd when I was kid."
"Psh, please. I'm still a nerd. I have the credentials and everything. I just happened to be adorable and lovable, too, so people forget sometimes." She got them the little remotes so they could play along with the trivia game on the bar's TVs, and they settled in to play.
Five rounds in, he had her beat four to one. "You are such a fucking cheater!" she exclaimed, then lifted her chin in a mock-haughty pose. "I'll have you know that if I wasn't drinking, you'd be begging for mercy."
He couldn't help the way his eyes widened when Penelope Garcia said 'fuck', but he tried to cover it by laughing. "I did try to warn you I'm a nerd," he said, and tapped her chin gently before finishing his drink.
"It's not nerdiness. What did you do to my remote?" she accused, but she was grinning. She glanced at his glass, then downed the rest of hers. She paused, then reached across his body to take the hand furthest from her so she could turn him away from the bar. A moment later he was being dragged onto the dance floor. "We did make a deal!" she called over the music.
Aaron found himself grinning back at her and realized that his drinks had definitely gone to his head. But he didn't really mind. He was relaxed and enjoying himself, and he found himself not really caring how silly he might look while dancing. Penelope looked happy, and it made him happy that he could make her smile.
The song was fast enough that they could dance without touching, just sort of bopping along to the beat. Garcia wasn't really the best dancer in the world, but she made up for it with enthusiasm and a sort of flair only she could pull off. Not that Aaron thought he was all that great, but he and Haley had danced on occasion, so even if he was out of practice, he wasn't bad.
As the first song faded into another, Aaron started feeling more daring. He took Penelope's hand and guided her through a spin, then pulled her back. They were actually dancing more in each other's space now, but he didn't mind. He found himself grateful that she'd insisted they come out tonight.
She said something he didn't hear, and when she leaned it to repeat it, her chest was brushing his. "You're pretty good!"
"Thanks." He laughed. "You're pretty enthusiastic about it yourself," he said, and hoped she wouldn't realize that he hadn't exactly said she was 'good'. He spun her again, then had to catch her when she overbalanced a little.
She just laughed, her arm sliding around his shoulder. "Enthusiastic?" she said in his ear. "Oh, nice try."
"Enthusiasm is good," he murmured, his arm automatically circling her waist. He did enjoy dancing, and he was feeling wonderfully loose and warm.
He spun her again, and she came right back to where she'd been. "I haven't seen you like this in ages, it seems like," she said, her fingertips touching the back of his neck when her arm went around him. "I sort of wish I'd set up surveillance."
He snorted, but he smiled at her. "Maybe you're good for me," he teased, though it was the truth. She was good for everyone, he thought.
"Heh," she laughed, a funny sort of sound, but she just smiled back at him.
She really was wonderful, he thought, enjoying her smile. He was grateful that Kevin hadn't asked her to go to Seattle with him. It seemed impossible that he hadn't, but maybe he knew how much the team needed her. "Thank you for dragging me out tonight," he said.
"My pleasure," she said, then surprised him by touching a fingertip to the corner of his lips. "That makes it all worth it."
His brows drew together in a question. "What does?"
Her lips were easy to read, though he didn't so much hear her as she whispered, "Your smile."
He dropped his gaze, a little embarrassed, but then he looked back up at her, his smile strengthening. "I'm enjoying myself."
"Me too." He felt her suck in a breath, then the hand next to his mouth fell away. A moment later, though, the hand against the back of his neck slid up into his hair and before he knew it, she was pulling him down to press her lips to his.
He kissed her back automatically, a rush of heat going through him. His arm tightened around her waist and he pulled her closer...and then he realized what he was doing. He was kissing Garcia. What was he thinking? He tensed and pulled away, staring down at her as regret welled up inside him.
She followed him briefly, but then must have realized he'd tensed. She tensed too, and pulled back to stare at him, her eyes wide and her mouth dropping open, as if she'd shocked even herself.
"Oh... My God," she managed after a moment. She pressed her hand to her mouth, and then bolted off the dance floor and back to the bar, where she climbed on to a stool and beckoned the bartender.
"Fuck," he muttered, and followed her. He arrived at the bar as she was downing the first of two shots the bartender had placed in front of her. Aaron's first impulse was to take the second himself, but it suddenly occurred to him that he was probably going to be the one taking her home.
He rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Penelope," he murmured, but he had no idea what to say after that.
"I'm so sorry," she blurted. "I'm... I've been drinking and you're infuriatingly handsome, and... God, I shouldn't be saying that." She stopped talking and downed the second shot, then without looking at him, grabbed a napkin and held it toward him. He frowned at it, confused, but when he didn't take it immediately, she shook it at him and said, "You have lipstick on you."
"Oh." He took the napkin, then blotted it against his mouth and glanced down at it. She made a noise of frustration and took the napkin back out of his hand and wiped it firmly across his lips, then shoved it back into his hand.
He blinked down at the napkin, then, without knowing why, he folded it, lipstick-side in, and put it in his pocket. "It's all right," he said, not looking at her. "I understand what it's like to be lonely and want...someone." He looked up, smiling crookedly at her. "I'm a convenient stand-in for the person you're missing." He patted her shoulder, then gestured at the bartender to bring him another drink. "But we shouldn't let this make things awkward."
"Right," she said, nodding, but she wasn't quite meeting his gaze, and when the bartender walked up, she held up two fingers. "Two more, and whatever he wants." Aaron gently took her hand and brought it back down to the bar. He started to shake his head at the bartender, who looked like he really didn't want to serve her anymore anyway, but before he could speak, she turned and gave him a sharp look. "You're not my boss here," she said.
"I know I'm not," he said quietly. "I'm your friend. And you'll really regret this if you have much more." He didn't release her hand. "Penelope, it's fine. Really." He wasn't actually certain that it was, but he was determined to do whatever he could to make it better. "Let's just have some water and then I'll take you home. Or we could dance some more first."
She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. "Just take me home now," she said. Her expression was a little pained, and it made his chest squeeze uncomfortably.
"I'm sorry, Penelope," he said, stepping a little closer. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He wanted to hug her, and he knew that was inappropriate, but she looked like she needed it.
She laughed, but it didn't sound happy. "Hotch, I kissed you."
"I kissed you back," he pointed out. "Look, let's just...Let's try to have a good time still."
She looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "The last thing kissing me back did was make me uncomfortable. Until you stopped." She shook her head and slid off the stool. "I want to go home," she said, then swayed when she took a step toward the door and grabbed his arm.
"Okay." He nodded and caught her, holding her up. Her admission wasn't helping him put the kiss behind him, though. In fact it just made him want to kiss her again, but he knew they'd only done it because they were drinking and lonely, and they would both regret it in the morning. "Do you trust me to drive Esther? I haven't had as much as you have."
"I trust you with everything," she muttered, and handed her keys over to him when they got to her car. Then she slumped in the passenger seat and stared out her window.
He breathed an unhappy laugh and fought the urge to brush her hair back from her face or something. Instead he made sure she got her seat belt on, then pulled out of the parking lot. Esther was a joy to drive, and he found himself wishing it was warm enough to put the top down.
When they got to Garcia's apartment building, he insisted on walking her inside. He still hadn't forgotten the way Battle had shot her right in the courtyard of the building. He already blamed himself enough for Elle, and while he knew Penelope's getting shot wasn't his fault, he couldn't let his guard down.
She protested that he didn't have to help her in, but let him anyway. When they got to her door, she unlocked it and turned around, then she slumped against the door frame. It was a little upsetting that she'd gotten this drunk because of him, but there was nothing he could do about that now.
She didn't look at him, but she sighed. "It's not about being lonely for me, Hotch," she said quietly. "I'm not lonely. My life is pretty damn full, actually, and I'm fine with being single. Lord knows, I've done it enough to have made peace with it." She sighed. "You can take Esther home so you don't have to pay for a cab. I've got nowhere to be tomorrow." She bit the inside of her lip, then looked up and touched his chin lightly. "Goodnight," she said, and turned and went inside.
He felt even worse as he went back out to the car. If it wasn't about being lonely, what was it? Maybe he'd read more into it than he should have. He shook his head. He really wasn't thinking clearly any more. Obviously whatever had happened, he'd misunderstood somehow. And that wasn't really surprising, considering. She might be used to being single, but he wasn't yet.
He drove home slowly and went to bed, but it took him a long time to fall asleep.
***
Haley dropped Jack off mid-morning the next day, and Aaron and Jack spent the morning playing quietly in the house while waiting for Sean to get into town. As soon as his brother arrived, they went out for pizza, and then Aaron and Sean watched Jack play while Aaron told his brother about the events of the night before.
He ended up by confessing his confusion over the whole thing and asking Sean if he would follow him over to Penelope's to take Esther back.
Sean agreed, and Aaron took Jack with him in Penelope's car. Jack really hadn't seen a car like hers before, and spent the drive asking about it. When they got to her apartment, Aaron moved the booster seat to his own car. Sean took Jack's hand as they walked up to the door. Aaron insisted he didn't need an escort, but Sean had given him a mischievous smile and insisted he was tagging along for moral support.
Aaron knocked, and there was a long pause while they waited, though Aaron saw the peephole go dark as she looked through it. When she opened the door, she was wearing a smile that didn't look quite real. "Hey, captain. Returning my girl?"
"Pink!" Jack yelled, pointing out the color of her shirt, and she looked down at him, gasping dramatically and crouching down.
"Oh my gosh, you've gotten so big!"
Jack just giggled.
"I promise I took good care of her," Aaron said, wishing he could read her expression. "I think Jack's fallen in love with Esther, though."
"Aw," she said, grinning at Jack. "Next time you come visit, if Daddy says it's okay, you can come ride in her, okay?"
Jack clapped his hands and cheered, and Penelope looked up at Sean. "You're the handsome brother, right?" she said, standing and sticking out a hand.
"Oh, you got that right, honey," Sean said, taking her hand and leaning down to kiss it. "And the charming brother, and the talented brother..." Aaron smacked his arm and Sean started laughing. "Sean. I think we met before, at Quantico."
"Oh, yes. All the ladies were properly impressed with the younger Hotchner when you came by, as I recall." Her grin had gone more natural when Sean had kissed her hand.
Aaron gave a dramatic sigh. "You know, it isn't fair. No matter what I do, Sean always gets all the attention." He couldn't help smiling, though. At least she seemed relaxed around Sean.
"I know, it must suck to be the brother who ended up with no sense of humor and all the responsible genes," Sean replied. He grinned at Penelope. "I'm doing my best to be a bad influence on Jack so he'll grow up to ride a motorcycle and grow his hair out."
"You should start with a leather jacket. They make them for kids, you know. I bought one for one of our coworker's kids, and he's just a couple months old!" She looked down at Jack. "And his hair is plenty light enough to dye with Kool-Ade. Hey, Jack, do you want blue hair?!"
"Yes!" Jack shrieked.
"Mommy'd like that, huh?" she said.
"YES!"
Aaron couldn't help laughing. Haley would have a fit. Somehow that made the idea seem more appealing rather than less. Still, it wouldn't be a good idea.
"Maybe when you're a little older," he said, glancing at Sean. His brother looked amused.
"You know, you're really not the sort of girl I would expect Mr. Stuffed-Shirt Aaron to hang around with," Sean said. He sidled up to Penelope and draped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm much cooler." He gave her a sad look. "And I didn't get to ride in Esther."
Aaron felt a flash of annoyance, but he tried to repress it. After all, there was no reason for Sean not to flirt with her. Sean had flirted outrageously with Elle the time they'd met.
"Oh, fine," she said dramatically, slipping her arm around his waist. "You can ride in her too next time you're here, if Daddy says it's okay." She glanced at Aaron and seemed to try on a smile for him, but it went sort of strange again.
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "I learned a long time ago that I can't tell Sean what to do," he said dryly. For some reason Sean seemed exasperated by that response, but he laughed.
"He's a lawyer, so you have to explain things a few times, but he eventually gets it. There's a reason I decided to be a chef."
Aaron snorted and leaned down to pick up his son. "Okay, Jack, we'd better go leave Penelope alone so she can enjoy her afternoon."
"Bye, Pen-po-pee!" Jack said.
Penelope snorted, barely managing to hold in a laugh, then said, "Bye, handsome."
Sean lingered, smiling warmly at Penelope. "It was very good to see you again," he said. "If you're ever up in New York, look me up, I'll save a table for you at the restaurant."
"Sean," Aaron said, then realized he'd spoken rather shortly. He held in a sigh and waited for Sean to leave Penelope alone.
Her eyebrows rose slightly, but she glanced back at Sean a moment later. "I will," she promised, and squeezed him a little before letting him go. "Now shoo. Your brother misses you already."
Sean grinned. "I miss you already," he murmured, and kissed Penelope on the cheek.
Aaron sucked in a breath and clenched his jaw, fighting to keep his temper. Sean had flirted with Elle, but he hadn't been so brash with her. "Sean," he repeated, and turned to go. "I'll see you Monday, Penelope," he called, looking back over his shoulder at her.
"Um, yeah," she said. She was actually blushing. Penelope, of all people, was blushing. "Bright and early, and bright eyed and bushy tailed, and other expressions that start with 'bright'." She paused, watching them go. "Bye."
Jack waved enthusiastically at her.
Once they were outside, Aaron directed a glare at Sean, who seemed maddeningly unconcerned about his brother's annoyance.
"There was no call for that," Aaron said.
Sean raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I don't know. I think there was a loud call for that. I learned a lot, didn't you, Jack?"
"Huh?"
"All about blue Kool-Ade." Sean grinned slowly. "And red lipstick."
"Red lipstick!" Jack repeated, sounding gleeful. "I want Kool-Ade. I'm firsty."
Aaron held in a sigh. "We'll get you some Kool-Ade at home," he promised. "Once Uncle Sean has promised he'll stop flirting with all of Daddy's coworkers."
Sean smirked. "I don't know, somehow I don't think you'd care as much if I were flirting with Reid."
"Sean, could you not push it, please?" Aaron said.
"Push what? If a coworker is all she is, there's nothing to push, is there?" Sean asked, and Aaron glared at him, but he was spared from having to reply as they passed Penelope's car and Jack whined, making grabby hands at it.
"I wanna ride in that car!" he whined as they walked by. "That car!"
"You can ride in it next time you see Penelope, okay?" he asked, knowing full well it would probably be months before they saw each other again. "We're going to take Sean's car now, and we'll get Daddy's car from work."
Sean laughed. "You make sure to ask Daddy about Penelope every time you see him, Jack," he said.
"Jack, don't listen to your uncle," Aaron told Jack.
"Daddy, c'we go back 'n' see Pen-po-pee?"
"We just left," Aaron told him.
"She's pretty," Jack said.
Sean laughed. "Aaron, I'd make your move now. Jack is infinitely cuter than you."
"I am not making a move, Sean," Aaron said, annoyed. "And I would prefer that you not make a move on my coworkers. For one thing, she's the best tech we have, and I don't want her moving to New York. Can we please drop this topic of conversation?"
"Fine, fine, dropped," Sean said. He was smirking, though, so Aaron didn't doubt that the topic would come up again in the near future.
"Daddy, what does 'make a move' mean?" Jack asked. "Like this?" he said, then sort of danced crazily in Aaron's arms.
Aaron cleared his throat. "Exactly," he said, and Sean barked a laugh.
***
"Hi. Um. Hi."
David Rossi was blinking at Penelope. She'd called him up to her office a few moments ago, told him it was important, and now she couldn't seem to speak.
But she couldn't think of who else to talk to, either. Morgan hadn't exactly been very cool about Battle, and while that hadn't turned out so hot in the long run, she hadn't forgotten how it had hurt when he'd told her he might be too attractive for her. Well, not exactly that, but that was beside the point. JJ didn't need the drama with the new baby, and Emily... well, Penelope just wasn't sure Emily understood her sometimes.
And the idea of talking to Reid about what happened with Hotch was laughable at best.
So Dave was standing in her office door, and Penelope was making a face at him that she was sure looked a bit like she'd bit down on a particularly sour lemon.
He knew Hotch really well; he had known him for longer than the rest of the team. He would know what to tell her to do. But she couldn't say it. "Never mind," she blurted, and turned back to her computer screen. Maybe he'd just go away... but it was doubtful.
"Never mind?" he repeated, sounding confused...and intrigued. "Sorry, that doesn't work." He shut the door and she could just hear him leaning against it. He would have his arms folded over his chest in a "you can't make me move" posture, and he would be wearing his most stubborn expression.
"Let's see," he said, "I know you and Derek haven't had a fight, so that can't be it. Not that I'm always the best person to put him in his place anyway. If it were one of the girls, you clearly wouldn't be talking to a man about it. Reid...doesn't piss people off. So I'm guessing this is about Hotch somehow."
"I hate profilers," she groaned. "This was a terrible idea. A terrible idea in a string of terrible ideas." She dropped her head against the desk with a thunk.
"What did he do?" Rossi asked. She heard him take a few steps, and then the extra chair creaked as he sat down. "Tell Uncle Dave all about it and I'll go beat him up."
She lifted her head and turned a sharp gaze on him. "Firstly, uncle? Not unless you're the uncle that sneaks the kids beer and tells them dirty jokes. Secondly... what did he do? Seriously? Which one of us is more likely to do something... just... amazingly stupid?" She made a face.
Dave snickered. "You clearly don't know the same Aaron Hotchner I do, but that's okay, I'll let you go on thinking the man is God. So what did you do, and do I get to spank you for it?"
She whined, because she really should have had some comeback for that, but she just didn't. "Oh, I don't know, maybe I took him to the bar, and made him dance with me, and then kissed him," she blurted, all in one quick stream of words, then she pressed her hands to her face and whimpered. "Maybe. There's a slim possibility that that's exactly what I did," she added, her voice muffled by her hands. God, she was going to die of embarrassment, first from what had happened with Hotch after she'd kissed him, and now from telling Dave about it.
Dave was silent for a few seconds. Apparently she'd managed to shock even him. Then he chuckled. "Good for you. Did he kiss you back?"
"No-- yes-- sort of," she groaned, then dropped her hands and glared at him. "Good for me? You cannot be serious," she accused.
"Of course I'm serious. He needs something to lighten him up. You're one of the few people I know who has the innate cheerfulness, the dogged persistence, and the blind naivety to think it can be done." He paused. "I take that back, you're the only person I can think of. Reid isn't innately cheerful."
Her glare didn't fade. "Do I look cheerful to you right now?" she asked through her teeth. "Because I got news for you; I'm not."
Dave patted her cheek comfortably. "Doesn't matter. No matter how tragic your life, you always find something good about it. It's one of the many lovable things about you, Garcia. So what happened after you kissed him? I suppose it's too much to hope that you dragged him home and ravished him."
"Oh my God," she groaned, and pressed her hand across her eyes. "He got all tense and Hotchly. I panicked, drank more, and made him take me home."
"Oh, well, see, you should have at least made him dance with you some more." Dave rubbed her shoulder gently. "Hotch is a fantastic guy, but his emotional walls have gotten even thicker since Haley left. Which means if you want to get his attention, you can't just throw bottle rockets at his walls. It takes a grenade launcher. You oughta try the drinking, dancing and kissing thing again."
"Right, because the last time went so well," she said, then sighed and gave Dave a pleading look. "He's myboss," she said. "He... he's my boss and he's Hotch."
"And? What's your point? He's also just a man, and he's already very fond of you. Just the fact that he agreed to go drinking and dancing with you speaks clearly to that fact." After a moment Dave gave her a more serious look. "Penelope, in all seriousness, I think if you've decided to dump Kevin, nice guy that he is, and go for Aaron, you've made a very smart decision. And I honestly can't think of a woman who would be better for him than you."
She shook her head and looked away. "Oh, I'm sure he can think of several." Her lips twisted. "Men like Hotch don't go for women like me." She looked back at him. "Men like him find women like me frivolous."
"Frivolous? Penelope Garcia, you are anything but frivolous. Just because you like to look pretty and laugh and smile and make people feel good about themselves...that doesn't make you frivolous. And Aaron Hotchner knows that better than anyone, I guarantee you. He wouldn't have a frivolous person on his team."
She sighed. "You know what I mean."
"No, I don't think I do. I think you're having a crisis of confidence because you went after something you want and it took him by surprise." Dave sat back in his chair. "Let me guess, he apologized, right? Which you translated into something like, 'Oh my God, Hotch is grossed out by kissing someone as unconventional as me, and now he's going to break out into hives and then fire me', yes?"
She glared at him, then kicked him in the shin. It was light, but enough to get her point across.
"Hey!" He glared back at her, rubbing his shin. "Fine, you don't want my help, fine." He stood up and headed for the door.
She thought about letting him go, and turned in her chair to face his retreating form, then crossed her arms over herself. "It's not that much of a crisis of confidence. Jeeze, grossed out? Hives? What do you think I think of myself, Dave? I'm may not be perfect, but I'm not the Swamp Thing."
He glanced over his shoulder and the tiny smirk on his face told her she'd fallen for a Rossi trick. Damn him. "I'm glad to hear you say that, Penelope," he said, turning to face her again. "Because frankly you're a very beautiful and colorful woman who makes Hotch smile more often than...well, anyone but me. And I'm not going to make out with him when I get drunk. So I'm telling you. Go for it. Make another move. Because I guarantee you, he's too damn chicken to make one himself."
"It's not that easy," she protested, then made a noise of frustration. "What am I supposed to say, 'Hotch, let's go out again, so I can get you drunk and press you up against the nearest wall'? Are you not getting the part where he's my boss? Or the part where he's going to be even harder to loosen up next time, if he's expecting some sort of stealth sexual ninja attack?"
Dave chuckled. "You know, you could just come out and say it. 'Dave, will you help me?' Try it, it's not hard." He made a beckoning gesture with his hand, but when she just glared at him, and shrugged. "Okay, you and Derek make plans to be somewhere, I'll make sure Hotch and I end up there. And then things will work out from there."
"What?" she said. "What do you mean 'things will work out'?" Dave wasn't exactly known for getting personal gestures right the first time. Or the second time. Or even the third time...
"Hell, I don't know. We could always get you drunk and point you in his direction." She didn't pull her punch. "Ow!" Dave complained, rubbing his arm. "All right, what if I get obnoxiously drunk and you get Morgan to give me a ride home."
"Wow," she said, voice flat. "What an incredibly bad plan."
"I didn't think it was that bad. We just need to get the two of you together in a casual setting again. One where the rest of the team won't be around to interrupt."
"I wish Sean were as handsome as his brother. And, you know, here, and working at the BAU, and not-- Shit. I just wish Aar-- Hotch--" She gave up trying to talk and shoved Dave's arm. "Oh, just go away. You've got me all hot and bothered now." She gave him a look. "Mostly bothered."
He smirked at her. "I get that a lot," he said, and winked. Then he took her hand in both of his, waiting until he had her attention. "Seriously, Penelope. That man wants you, he just hasn't realized it yet."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, then looked back at him. "How are you so sure of that?"
"I know him. And I also know how much he agonized over your role in this last case." Dave gave her a warm look. "And I know how often you make him smile." He nodded at her and left.
Part 2
Part 3
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From good to over the top in the best way.
Is there an over the top worst way? I would tend to think worst would be more leaky from the bottom, but I guess its all in the perspective?
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Sean laughed. "Aaron, I'd make your move now. Jack is infinitely cuter than you."
LOL!!!! Priceless!!!! This is very good, I can't believe I didn't stumble across this sooner. I just love this pairing more and more.
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YOU MADE ME SPIT MY FOOD ON MY COMPUTER SCREEN