(9) the dog days are over

The team is sitting at the round table, brainstorming. You're still working on the case where people were pushed down buildings. A new body turned up yesterday.

"I don't understand how we could have been wrong about him." Prentiss comments about the guy you had in custody.

"Sometimes a profile only fits on paper." Rossi replies.

Reid raises his head from the file he has been studying nonstop: "Think about who often shares the exact background as another person."

Morgan chuckles: "Reid you're not seriously floating around the idea of an evil twin, are you?"

"No, I'm not. I'm floating the idea of an eviler twin. Traditionally the concept is, good twin and evil twin but in this case its evil twin and eviler twin."

Prentiss and Morgan look at Reid like he's crazy. Rossi chuckles.

You, however, agree: "You know, that doesn't sound unlikely to me. One of the reasons we assumed he was our guy were his degrees. But what if someone close to him used him for his knowledge. And the reason he's so nervous about it, is because it's his sibling."

"It could be a close friend or something like that. Why do you think their siblings?" JJ looks at you.

You shrug your shoulders: "Reid's intuition is often correct."

"Except when it comes to looking out for his colleagues." Aaron remarks.

Everyone falls silent. Reid sinks down in his chair like he wants to disappear. When you notice the team collectively looking at the scar on the side of your neck, you intuitively cover it with your hand.

"How about we take a five-minute break." Rossi diffuses the situation. Thankful, you give him a smile and get up. You're certain that no one else would have said something; and you know damn well that Aaron wasn't about to apologize.

When the others are at the door, you point at Aaron: "Your office, now. You too, Reid."

Your tone doesn't leave room for discussion. On the way there, you feel the anger radiating off Aaron. You shoot Reid a look that you hope is reassuring to him.

Louder than necessary, Aaron closes the door to his office. Arms crossed, he stares daggers at Reid.

"What was that about?" You ask calmly.

"I think we all know what that was about." His voice is flat, but you know that he's suppressing the desire to yell.

You look at Reid: "You should say something."

There is conflict in his eyes, and he sounds like he's about to cry when he finally speaks up: "It wasn't my fault."

Aaron opens his mouth, but Reid goes on: "What happened was awful and I hate myself for putting you and her through that. And I understand that you're angry with-"

"Angry?" The guttural sound that Aaron makes causes Reid and you to flinch. "I'm not angry, I'm fucking livid." That's the first time you heard him curse at work.

"Why? I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yeah, for now."

"What that's supposed to mean?"

"How long until you'll return to field work? When someone asks you to? Because Reid would rather send a colleague to die than think about what he's doing."

While Reid inhales sharply, you let out a sigh.

"I am not some kind of chess piece that gets pushed around. I decided to work here. I decided to be out in the field. Was it reckless of Reid to let me trade myself for Maeve? Yes, most certainly. But it was my decision. And I had to suffer the consequences. I am really, really sorry for the pain that inflicted on anyone else, but please, stop hurting each other even more."

Reid's eyes dart between you and Aaron who just stares at you like Reid wasn't here. "You promised." You mouth at him. You see him blink away tears.

It's quiet for almost a minute. None of you move.

"Okay." Aaron suddenly says, barely a whisper. "Okay." He repeats, louder this time.

"Okay." Reid replies, slowly making his way back to the door. He certainly wants to get the hell out of the room, but you see the smile on his face.

When you're alone you step closer to Aaron and take his hand. He still seems upset.

"You know, I am scared as well anytime you're out in the field. Just the thought of you getting hurt and me not being there…" You gulp and shake your head. "It's really hard that I can't be with you."

He gently grabs you face: "You are with me."

You put your hands on his forearms: "What do you mean?"

"You are with me. I can feel it. And I think that's what was so traumatic about you being shot. I couldn't feel you anymore."

You press a kiss to his lips. Aaron sighs into your mouth, moving his lips with yours. Then he pulls you into a hug. Breathing in his scent, you bury your face in the crook of his neck and close your eyes. You're so close to him that everything else slips away. It feels like you're floating.

When you come back to earth, you say: "Let's go solve this case. I finally want to take Rossi up on his promise to cook for us."

- - - - - - - - -

And solve the case you did. Reid was almost right about the twin thing. It was the cousin, but close enough to earn pats on the shoulder from everyone who doubted him.

"So, what time?" You ask Rossi when the team is back at the BAU.

He takes a look at his watch: "9 p.m. sharp." Directed at Aaron, he adds: "The reports can wait until tomorrow."

"I didn't say anything."

"I know you were thinking it."

"Possibly."

In the elevator, Aaron grabs your hand. It surprises you that he does that while still at the Bureau. Sure, you might steal kisses from each other, but you never display your relationship like that outside the conference room or his office. That doesn't mean you don't like it. The opposite is the case. You feel proud. You know the standing Aaron has in this institution. Him publicly showing his affection for you is a big deal. Especially considering how stern and unemotional he always presents himself while at work. You brush the back of his hand with your thumb. Not taking his eyes off the doors of the elevator, he smiles.

Despite how you just interpreted his gesture, you expect him to let go of your hand as soon as said doors open to the lobby. He doesn't. Instead, he squeezes it reassuringly.

On the way out, you notice a few agents observe you. Some just casually looked at Aaron because they know who he is, but then do a double take when they see your hands intertwined. The agent who used to drive you meets your eyes; evidently surprised by what he's seeing. You wink at him, causing him to blush and quickly look away.

As Aaron starts the car, your eyes dart over his face. He seems a little smug.

"What?" You ask.

"I liked how jealous everyone looked."

"Do you now?" Your voice is teasing.

He turns to you: "You're the hottest person to ever enter that building. And you're with me."

"That's what this was about? You wanted to show off?"

"I wouldn't call it that."

"What would you call it then?"

He drives off the parking lot and nonchalantly answers: "Foreplay."

You choke on the air you just breathed in as Aaron goes on to drive to his apartment at a questionable speed.

You're fidgeting the entire way up to his door.

"Did I make you horny, baby?" He chuckles while running his hand up and down your back.

You turn and push him towards the wall. Surprised, he collides with it. You get in his face, grabbing his crotch roughly. His leg twitches as you keep stroking his cock. You kiss the side of his neck before you whisper: "Two can play this game." Then you let go of him and walk to the kitchen to get a bottle of water form the fridge.

While drinking, you observe a visibly aroused Aaron, who is obviously trying to decide if he should give in or tease you back. He discloses his decision by grabbing you by the wrist and basically dragging you to the bedroom. You giggle.

Without missing a beat, he starts to take your clothes off. You return the favor and open his dress shirt. Kicking off his pants, he pushes you onto the bed and pulls your panties down. Before you can even grasp what he's doing, his mouth is on you. He presses kisses from your pubic hair down to your clit. You twitch when he reaches his destination and starts to lick it. His tongue soft, he begins to circle your clit with it. You let out a moan and spread your legs further. It feels different now that he has a beard. Despite him being gentle with his tongue, the beard makes it feel rough. It's just on the verge of being painful. You love it.

Aaron hums when you grab his hair. You look down at him. His eyes closed, he fully indulges in the task of eating you out. You head falls back when he speeds up his movements ever so slightly. Blindly, you reach down and find his hand to push it towards your entrance. The stimulation feels great, but you want more. You want him inside.

An appreciative moan escapes your lips when he pushes his middle finger into you. He lifts his head a bit and kisses the insides of your thighs, rubbing his beard against them. Your hips rise and you push yourself against his hand. He begins to move his hand more forceful, his palm smashing against your labia.

Your breathing picked up in speed and your legs tense. You want to cum like this. The sensation is perfect. Aaron leans down and sucks on your clit again, amplifying the stimulation. "Fuck yes." You whisper.

And just like that, he stops.

Your head shoots up and you prop yourself up on your elbows.

"No! I was so close!" You feel like crying.

Unimpressed, Aaron walks over to the nightstand and gets a condom. You scoot further onto the bed. It feels like your veins are on fire. You're angry, but also really, really horny. It's a confusing mix.

Laying down on you, he immediately pushes the tip of his dick into you. You wiggle beneath him, trying to get more of him inside of you. He smiles and kisses you with open lips. You put your arms around him and hold him close, pushing your tongue into his mouth.

With a groan, he thrust his hips forwards and plows all the way into you, his pelvis smacking against yours. "Oh my god." You yelp.

He leans up and puts his hand around your neck. Your eyes widen. You haven't done this since your neck became a complicated matter. Aaron observes your face vigilantly. At first, you're not sure about this. But then he increases the pressure on the side of your neck and the familiar sensation makes your eyes fall shut. You moan.

Violently, he keeps fucking you. Not letting go of your neck. The anger you felt transformed into a burning desire and for the first time you actually yell during sex: "Oh god! Harder!"

The last syllable gets lost when he squeezes your throat, making it almost impossible to breathe. His hips studder at the sound you make, but he recovers quickly and speeds up his movements. When he lets go of your neck, you cough and breathe in violently. The endorphins rush through you and his dick stretching you makes you moan one last time before –

"No! Fuck you! You bitch!"

Without warning, he pulled out of you.

Your eyes shoot open and this time tears start to run down your cheeks.

Aaron leans down and kisses you. You push him off you: "Why would you do that?"

You're so angry you can barely see.

"You provoked me to." He murmurs.

"To ruin my orgasm? Twice!?" You go to get off the bed. The frustration is about to drive you insane.

He grabs your arm and pulls you back down.

"No, fuck off!" You try to get rid of his grip, but it only makes him grab you harder. You hate that it turns you on. You hate that you want to fuck him so badly that you started to cry.

When you turn away again, Aaron pushes you face first down into the mattress. Your curses get muffled by the pillow.

He spreads your legs with brisk movements of his feet, pushing his hand under your hips to lift them up a bit. Then he thrusts back into you. Burying your face in the sheets, you yell at the overwhelming sensation. Your body cannot decide if it wants to fight him or fuck him.

Aaron yanks your head up by your hair, forcing you to arch your back.

"Do you want me to make you cum?"

When you don't answer immediately, he lets go of your hair to smack your ass. Harder than you expected. You whine. But then the burning sensation turns you on even more.

"Yes!" You finally reply. "Please, please…"

You don't get to finish the sentence because he grabs you by the throat again and bites into your shoulder. From an outside perspective what he does to you probably looks brutal. But it's not. His hand on your neck is placed carefully, so that you can breathe properly. He bites hard enough to make you whimper, but not to actually hurt you. And his thrusts are as forceful as you always ask them to be.

Clawing into the sheets, you let out a groan, your bent neck not allowing you to fully moan. Spread out on the mattress like that makes it feel like earlier, when you feel like you were floating. The sheets under your stomach bunch up between your legs and the fraction stimulates your clit as if you weren't already about to lose your mind.

A perfectly hard thrust that makes Aaron's dick brush your g-spot sends you into your long-awaited orgasm.

Your entire body goes rigid, and you smack the mattress with your hand. Aaron moans into your ear and stops moving. Being edged cruelly long, you not only feel euphoria but also relieve. You let out a sob as you collapse.

Then you just lie there. Motionless, you enjoy the aftershocks of your insane orgasm and the soreness of your body. Aaron lays down next to you, lovingly tracing imaginary lines on your back with his fingers.

You're not sure how much time went by until you open your eyes and turn your head to look at him.

"Are you okay?" Is the first thing he asks.

You nod: "You?"

He smiles: "Yeah."

"I never want to do this again."

His face falls: "You didn't like it? Why didn't you say something?"

"Oh, I liked it. But I won't be able to endure that again."

Aaron chuckles: "Me neither."

You hum, put your head on his chest and close your eyes again.

- - - - - - - - -

Sitting between Reid and Prentiss, your eyes wander over Aaron as he's standing on the other side of the room, talking to JJ. You take another sip of the ridiculously expensive wine Rossi poured you. Only you, by the way. His way of welcoming you back.

Prentiss keeps eying the glass. You eventually hand it to her: "Go on, take a sip."

"Finally!" She grabs it and tries the wine. "That tastes illegally good."

"I know right." You give her a smile and keep sipping on it, not really able to participate and in the conversation Reid and she are having. Aaron looks really good in his light blue dress shirt. He rolled the sleeves up, showing his forearms.

After you answered with "Hmh." the third time, Prentiss pinches your shoulder.

"Ow! What the hell?" You look at her.

"It's unbearable how much you swoon over Hotch."

"I think it's nice." Reid comments. "Statistically, most couples-"

"Not now, Spencer." Prentiss interrupts him.

You give him a smile: "I think it's nice too."

"When is he going to move in with you?" She asks.

Irritated, you look at her: "We haven't talked about that." Now that she asks, you're surprised you didn't think about that before. Probably because you are used to how you two are doing it right now. Sleeping at each other's places regularly, seeing each other at work most days…You simply haven't thought about it.

"I don't think it's necessary." You add. "I like it how it is."

"Does Hotch as well?" Prentiss asks, following your gaze towards Aaron.

You furrow your eyebrows: "I think so. Why are you asking me these questions?"

She shrugs her shoulders: "Just wondering."

Squinting, you keep asking: "Did he say something to you?"

"No!" She answers too quickly and too loud.

You raise an eyebrow.

"Not to me directly…I just overheard Rossi asking him and he said something about not being sure if you want that and not wanting to pressure you."

"Oh boy…" You mumble. That moment, Aaron turns to check on you. He gives you a smile that makes your heart skip a beat.

Penelope walks up behind you, causing you break the eye contact to look at her. She's really bubbly and happy the whole team is together.

You try to talk to her but eventually, you say: "Excuse me." And get up.

Tapping Aaron's shoulder, you interrupt his conversation with JJ: "Sorry, can we talk outside?"

"Of course." He gives JJ a nod and immediately follows you into the garden.

You walk all the way to the other side so that you're hidden in the shadows and the others cannot see you. It's supposed to feel intimate. A moment just for the two of you.

"Are you alright?" He takes your hands.

You nod and squeeze his. Then you gently get out of his grasp to put your arms around his neck. You lean in and kiss him full of longing.

Aaron puts his hands on your waist and keeps you close when he leans his head back to look at your face. Your heart is beating hard, and you can't remember being so nervous ever before in your life. You study his face to calm yourself down. Even in the dark his features are striking.

You want to ask him, but you are so scared. You take a few deep breaths and let go of his neck to grab his upper arms instead. Oh, his muscles…focus!

Aaron apparently feels the stress radiating off you, because he patiently waits for you to say something, caressing your sides encouragingly.

You've been brave before. You've been bold before. But this is something entirely different.

What finally gives you the courage to ask, are his wide eyes with nothing but love for you in them. "Aaron, will you marry me?"