And If I Fall, Let Me Part I: At Your Service - A. Hotchner x OC & Jemily

Friends don't look at friends that way

"Maybe they have accepted the imminent danger of their jobs, or the fact they're making enemies with every decision," he added as an option. Alex nodded.

"Yeah, or that," she sighed, looking at her phone for a second, "Time to go?"

Hotch, after checking his watch, nodded.

"Can I put my tie back on?" he asked, cocking his head at her. A slow smirk spread over her lips.

"We're done with breakfast, right?" she gave back, slipping off her chair. When Alex stood before him, holding out her hand for the cup and plate, he couldn't resist staring up at her lips for a split second too long. What a loaded question, he thought to himself, does she know what she is doing? Clearing his throat, he stood up as well, handing her the dishes before he could do something incredibly stupid. The thought that he wanted to pull her between his legs, lean in, and kiss her hit him like a train, and for a second, all he could think about was how her lips would feel against his. To her credit, Alex turned to the dishwasher, ignoring what had probably been written all over his face.

"You're allowed your tie again, Agent Hotchner," she winked at him when she was done, "I'll get something to look official, too. Give me five minutes."

All he could do was nod, and watch as she slipped out of the room. Get it together, Hotchner. Maybe his team had been right with their silent glances. He was in trouble.

****

Maybe she shouldn't have flirted with him, Alex thought to herself, while she quickly buttoned her burgundy blouse. Apparently, a stupid little crush from eight years ago did in fact just come back. Now is not the time, Evans.

"Right," she muttered to herself, grabbing a hair tie. She could french braid it in the car as well. It would maybe help overcome the more than reckless thought that had formed in the part of her brain she should keep under lock and key around Aaron Hotchner. For her own safety.

"You're ready?" Alex asked, hurrying down the stairs again. She found him in front of the mirror, fixing his tie. When their eyes met in the mirror, there was something in his she hadn't seen before. Aaron looked at her as if the slip up in the kitchen had not been a surprise or something he hadn't wanted. He was looking at her with an intensity that made her mouth go dry.

"I'm ready," he said, breaking the eye contact that had her transfixed on the last stair. Shaking herself out of it, she sat down to slip into her shoes, ignoring the sudden nervousness in the pit of her stomach. You're imagining things, Alex told herself. Sure, she had felt the tension between them eight years ago, and it wasn't different now. But there was a big difference between her flirting and teasing him because she was somehow getting one of his rare reactions, and acting on the longing for him she had very successfully suppressed all these years. She wouldn't start and allow herself any useless daydreams now.

"Great," she mumbled as she got again, grabbed her bag and keys, and looked at him again. Gone was whatever had been there before. Yup, you're imagining what you'd like to be there. Don't go there.

She threw him a neutral smile, before opening the door. It was time to focus on something she could control.

****

Secret Service Unit

When they finally entered the building, Hotch couldn't say he wasn't a little glad. He had spent most of his car ride trying his best to stay casual, work-oriented, even though ever since breakfast, all he had thought about was her, in the most unprofessional way possible. It wasn't helping that she slipped away into her office with an apologetic smile while Prentiss and Reid were looking at him like they knew exactly what he was thinking.