special affair x hotchniss

eleven

nine chapters to go y'all! how are we feeling?🥳

happy readings and stay safe besties! -salem🤍

TW: minimal swearing, NSFW suggested
word count: 3237

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JJ: "It is always so simple, and so complicating, to accept an apology." Michael Chabon.

Emily had gotten up early. The woman showered, changed, and did the rest of her morning routine extra quickly. She had made it home from Denver late last night. So, now Emily was dreading going to work after delaying seeing Hotch. Emily hated fighting more than anything, especially with Aaron.

The woman made her way towards Farmers & Distillers. It was a restaurant she knew Aaron liked to eat at. Emily ordered her food to go. Specifically, bourbon battered french toast for Aaron, and a coconut chia breakfast bowl for herself. Emily thanked the worker before walking out the door. Breakfast was the least she could do. It wasn't much to make up for her dismissive attitude towards him, but it was a start.

The raven-haired woman made her way to the BAU. She walked into the bullpen and up to Hotch's office. Emily knocked before opening the door. Aaron wasn't there yet. The woman simply set up everything. Emily made herself comfortable as she waited for him.

About twenty minutes later, Aaron came rushing into his office. In his hands were two bags full of various breakfast food. The two looked at each other, obviously not expecting to get the other food.

"Where did you go?" Emily asked and had an amused look on her face. Aaron set down the bags on his desk and dropped the rest of his things.

"I went to Ted's Bulletin. I got you the pancake stack," Aaron said and pulled out the container from the bag. Emily smiled softly. "I'm guessing you went to Farmers & Distillers?"

"You guessed correctly," Emily said and nodded her head. The two of them just stood there for a second. The thick, awkward tension in the air didn't help.

"I'm sorry," both of them said at the same time. Both chuckled as they were both nervous on the other side of the desk. They both took a deep breath and looked back at the other. "I'm sorry. Okay, you go first."

Both of them laughed as they ran their hands down their faces. They were terrified to have this conversation. Aaron gestured for Emily to go first. The woman took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry that I took out all this anger on you. You didn't deserve that. I guess I was just stressed out by everything. The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt you and I did that. I felt terrible the entire time we were apart. I'm sorry, Aaron," Emily said and gestured towards the omlette and hash browns that she had gotten him. The man smiled softly at Emily. "Things are just overtly complicated between us and Andrew. I care about you, a lot. And it's just not fair that I'm putting the two of you against each other. I didn't think I was ever capable of doing something like this. I'm sorry. I feel awful about blowing up at you and lying to Andrew. It's eating away at me."

"I'm sorry as well," Aaron said and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I got selfish. I know you're with Andrew. Believe me, I know what I was signing up for, but I just got really jealous. He still has this control of you that I'll never understand. At the snap of his fingers, you'll fly half way across the country for him. And I just—I don't know."

"You do know. You're just not telling me," Emily said and fidgeted with her fingers in front of her. Aaron's eyes landed on the tell.

"I just got jealous because you still love him," Aaron said and sighed softly. "Even if he is two thousand miles away from you. You still love him."