Written by Ilovetvalot.
To Parry or To Feint
Chapter Three
“Jealous? Of the others?” Emily repeated, furrowing her brows as she studied the angular lines of his profile. He was handsome, that was a given, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was more drawn to the man that dwelled with in him rather than his outward appearance. “I’m not sure I know what you mean,” she prodded softly, not wanting to cause him to shut down just when he had started to open up.
“The fact that everyone has someone but us,” he murmured huskily, careful to avoid her eyes. Feeling that he needed to give more, to explain his thoughts, he added, almost jerkily, “I mean, JJ has Will and Henry, Reid has his mother, Garcia has Kevin, Morgan has whatever the flavor of the moment is. Hell, even Rossi has his dog. I think he loves that mutt more than he did his three ex-wives combined.”
“You have someone, Hotch,” Emily replied softly. How could he think he was alone? Had he withdrawn so far into himself, farther than she had thought, to imagine such things?
“You sound so convincing when you say that,” he muttered, smiling bitterly. How could he tell her that he wondered every morning, noon, and night if he was doomed to walk the rest of this life alone, no son, no family? No one to love.
“That might have something to do with the fact that I mean every word I say,” Emily responded evenly, walking through the open door he had just provided her. Recognizing his unspoken need, she added, confidently, “Your son isn’t gone forever, Aaron. He’ll be home soon.”
“God, I hope so,” Hotch whispered, resting his slack hands over his knees. Her words seemed to float around him, providing a protective halo that he hadn’t felt in entirely too long.
“He will,” Emily murmured, convicted that she was right. Another outcome simply wasn’t a possibility. Not for Jack. Not for their team. And most of all, not for this amazing man sitting beside her.
Turning to stare directly at her, he caught the flash of knowing in her eye as he asked, softly, “What about you though, Emily?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Emily evaded, suddenly uncomfortable with the shift this conversation had taken. The shields that protected her so well were slightly lowered at that moment, and she felt that he had made an unexpected parry into her personal soul.
“Who do you have?” Hotch asked, keeping his eyes on her as he mentally catalogued her expression, unexpectedly wanting to keep that memory in his mind.
“I suppose,” Emily said softly, her voice uncertain, “right now, I have you.” She held her breath as the words hung in the air between them, wondering if she had inadvisably crossed the invisible line that hung between them like the third rail.
It was only when she watched as he slowly leaned toward her, that her lungs seemed to remember how to function. As he slowly covered her parted lips, she heard his quietly spoken, “And for that, I’ll be eternally grateful.” Feeling his soft, dry lips touch hers tentatively, Emily gasped slightly at the contact, her eyes fluttering shut. She’d envisioned a lot of different possibilities for the way this evening would end, but this had never entered into her imagination.
That wasn’t to say that she hadn’t fantasized more than once about the way his lips would feel moving across hers. Nothing, however, compared to the reality. The way his mouth molded itself to hers…the feel of his tongue stroking hers like wet velvet. The actuality was so much better than any dream she’d ever had. Determined to enjoy this stolen caress, she purposefully slammed her shields down against the outside world and concentrated on the slow sweeps his tongue made against hers…the feel of his warm palm cupping her cheek….the slightly coffee tinged taste of his kiss.
Slowly yielding against his chest, she moaned involuntarily as she slowly felt him break the kiss. “Hotch,” she asked shakily, wondering how she was speaking when she wasn’t even certain she could think, “What was that?”
Smiling slightly, he cocked his head as he stared down at her moist lips, still slightly parted in shock. “That was me deciding whether to parry or to feint.” The beauty sitting beside him had just taught him a lesson that he would never forget, and he was certain that he wanted to spend more time being tutored in her presence.
“Did you make up your mind” she asked, praying for the former rather than the latter. For once, she wanted to step outside of the painted lines, but only if he was coming with her.
“Parrying, in my opinion, was always so much braver than a cowardly feint,” he whispered, bending his head to capture her lips again
To Parry or To Feint
Chapter Three
“Jealous? Of the others?” Emily repeated, furrowing her brows as she studied the angular lines of his profile. He was handsome, that was a given, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was more drawn to the man that dwelled with in him rather than his outward appearance. “I’m not sure I know what you mean,” she prodded softly, not wanting to cause him to shut down just when he had started to open up.
“The fact that everyone has someone but us,” he murmured huskily, careful to avoid her eyes. Feeling that he needed to give more, to explain his thoughts, he added, almost jerkily, “I mean, JJ has Will and Henry, Reid has his mother, Garcia has Kevin, Morgan has whatever the flavor of the moment is. Hell, even Rossi has his dog. I think he loves that mutt more than he did his three ex-wives combined.”
“You have someone, Hotch,” Emily replied softly. How could he think he was alone? Had he withdrawn so far into himself, farther than she had thought, to imagine such things?
“You sound so convincing when you say that,” he muttered, smiling bitterly. How could he tell her that he wondered every morning, noon, and night if he was doomed to walk the rest of this life alone, no son, no family? No one to love.
“That might have something to do with the fact that I mean every word I say,” Emily responded evenly, walking through the open door he had just provided her. Recognizing his unspoken need, she added, confidently, “Your son isn’t gone forever, Aaron. He’ll be home soon.”
“God, I hope so,” Hotch whispered, resting his slack hands over his knees. Her words seemed to float around him, providing a protective halo that he hadn’t felt in entirely too long.
“He will,” Emily murmured, convicted that she was right. Another outcome simply wasn’t a possibility. Not for Jack. Not for their team. And most of all, not for this amazing man sitting beside her.
Turning to stare directly at her, he caught the flash of knowing in her eye as he asked, softly, “What about you though, Emily?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Emily evaded, suddenly uncomfortable with the shift this conversation had taken. The shields that protected her so well were slightly lowered at that moment, and she felt that he had made an unexpected parry into her personal soul.
“Who do you have?” Hotch asked, keeping his eyes on her as he mentally catalogued her expression, unexpectedly wanting to keep that memory in his mind.
“I suppose,” Emily said softly, her voice uncertain, “right now, I have you.” She held her breath as the words hung in the air between them, wondering if she had inadvisably crossed the invisible line that hung between them like the third rail.
It was only when she watched as he slowly leaned toward her, that her lungs seemed to remember how to function. As he slowly covered her parted lips, she heard his quietly spoken, “And for that, I’ll be eternally grateful.” Feeling his soft, dry lips touch hers tentatively, Emily gasped slightly at the contact, her eyes fluttering shut. She’d envisioned a lot of different possibilities for the way this evening would end, but this had never entered into her imagination.
That wasn’t to say that she hadn’t fantasized more than once about the way his lips would feel moving across hers. Nothing, however, compared to the reality. The way his mouth molded itself to hers…the feel of his tongue stroking hers like wet velvet. The actuality was so much better than any dream she’d ever had. Determined to enjoy this stolen caress, she purposefully slammed her shields down against the outside world and concentrated on the slow sweeps his tongue made against hers…the feel of his warm palm cupping her cheek….the slightly coffee tinged taste of his kiss.
Slowly yielding against his chest, she moaned involuntarily as she slowly felt him break the kiss. “Hotch,” she asked shakily, wondering how she was speaking when she wasn’t even certain she could think, “What was that?”
Smiling slightly, he cocked his head as he stared down at her moist lips, still slightly parted in shock. “That was me deciding whether to parry or to feint.” The beauty sitting beside him had just taught him a lesson that he would never forget, and he was certain that he wanted to spend more time being tutored in her presence.
“Did you make up your mind” she asked, praying for the former rather than the latter. For once, she wanted to step outside of the painted lines, but only if he was coming with her.
“Parrying, in my opinion, was always so much braver than a cowardly feint,” he whispered, bending his head to capture her lips again
