Followed

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

                Turning the knob until it clicked, Devyn pulled the pot off the stove, and moved a couple of steps towards the sink before straining the pasta into the colander. Hotch glanced over his shoulder at the swear slightly muffled by the clatter of the pan, before climbing from the couch where Jack sat, and stepping into the kitchen.

“Devyn?”

“Sorry, sorry…Just burnt myself a little…I’m okay.” Chuckling, Hotch plucked the towel off the counter, and stepped around her, covering his hands with it before picking up the colander.

“Do you need any help?” he asked, as she moved the faucet and ran cold water over her hand. Peering around the kitchen, Devyn shook her head, and smiled.

“No…just gotta plate and dinner is ready.”

“Thanks for cooking, Devyn…” She shrugged at the thank you, flipping off the water and flicking the excess water into the sink before moving back towards the stove.

“It’s nothing, really. I don’t get to do this very often, I really enjoy when I do.”

“I can imagine Sean would rather cook.” There was a light scoff as Devyn pulled plates out of the cabinet and a slotted spoon from the drawer.

“It’s not so much that he would rather cook…it’s more that he remarks, as politely as he can, on how he would have made it…or he pokes his head in to offer various suggestions. I tried to make pasta one night, just pasta and a basic sauce with garlic bread – I wanted something simple –and by the time he was done ‘suggesting’, there was a Cesar salad, a chicken pate, and…I don’t know, I think some sort of truffle. That was the last time I cooked for anyone,” she admitted, with a soft laugh as Hotch shook his head.

“That sounds about right,” he replied, tilting the colander as she put the pasta onto the plates.

                The three lowered themselves around the table, ate the simple but delicious meal around light and pleasant chatter. As the plates were cleared, Hotch and Jack moved down the hall to get the young boy cleaned up and changed into his pajamas. It brought a smile to Devyn’s face, seeing Hotch so together.

                When time passed, and Jack was in his room for the night, Hotch sat back on the couch, clicking through the channels as Devyn rustled around the kitchen once more.

“Are you looking for something in particular, Dev?”

“Nope, found it,” she replied, moving into the living room with two wine glasses, half-filled with a white wine. Smiling at him, she held out one glass, and pulled her feet beneath her as she sat upon the couch. “Thank you, Aaron…for having me stay here tonight.”

“Don’t worry about it, Dev. You’re pretty much family, you are always welcome here.” She smiled, and sipped the wine, resting the base of the glass on the palm of her hand as the fingers of her other hand held the stem.