10 things I hate about you - Hotchniss

not enough

"What?!", Emily exclaimed, her eyes widened in disbelief. "No, you're joking."

"I'm not", Aaron sighed and looked down.

He had just told her about the latest news. Agent Miller would take his place from next week on, and neither of them liked that.

"Why didn't you say 'no'?", she asked. She was standing in front of him in her room, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"I couldn't, it would've been so obvious-"

"Have you even thought of saying anything?", she interrupted him and looked at him with teary eyes.

"Emily-", he whispered and looked down.

"So you didn't."

"I've told you from the beginning that I always want to do my work perfectly and that I suck at relationships", he tried to explain.

"Oh, well that kinda makes up for everything, right?", she snapped.

"You said you know my worst parts and still want me!"

"Yea, I did", she hissed. "But I thought that you would want me, too."

"I want you!"

"Yes, but not strong enough", she replied dryly and wiped away a tear that rolled down her cheek.

"I don't want this to get between us", Aaron said. "Only because I don't work with you anymore doesn't mean that we cannot see each other anymore ."

"You don't get it, don't you?", Emily sighed. "Yes, this change sucks and I already hate this new agent. I know that Wilson made this decision, not you. But I know that you made the decision to not even try to change his mind because your fucking work means more to you than any person will ever do! That's what's getting between us, that's what's hurts the most. I know how important work can be to someone, hell, my mother puts everything below her work, even her own child! But you, I really thought you could change."

"Em-"

"No, just leave, okay?", she whispered. "I don't want to see you right now."

Aaron stood there a few seconds, not able to move. He wanted to say something, to save the situation, but it was like he had swallowed his own tongue. And then, without another word, he slowly turned around and left her room.

As soon as he had closed the door behind him, the tears finally rolled down Emily's cheeks. Yes, she had known that it wouldn't be easy, but she hadn't thought that it would hurt that much. She had never meant a lot to her family or her friends, but she had expected that she would at least mean something to Aaron. After all, he had wanted her, too.

"Love sucks", she whispered to herself as she opened a new package of cigarettes. Suddenly, it hit her like a truck. Love. Oh God, she loved him. Of course she did, how could she even believe that she didn't?

Sighing to herself, she lit up the cigarette and leaned out of the window, letting the tears fall down her face.

Aaron was still shocked from what had happened. She hadn't broken up with him, had she?

All he wanted to do was to turn back time and to change his talk with Wilson, because she had been right. He should have tried to change the situation.

Yet, the important event for that night kept him and the whole security team busy the rest of the day. He had to admit, Elizabeth Prentiss was truly paranoid. Nevertheless, he had to do his job correctly, even if it wasn't keeping an eye on Emily.

The evening came around quicker as he had expected and soon, he found himself walking around the front door like a night watchman. God, he felt ridiculous. And a really bad watchman as well, since all he thought about was Emily.

He hadn't seen her since he had left her room, and he kept asking himself whether she had gone to the event or not. The light in her room was turned off, so he suggested that she had.

Aaron had no idea for how many hours he had already been watching the front door, but he suddenly recognized a very familiar smell. Cigarettes. Following his nose, he discovered Emily sitting on the bottom of the stairs to a side entrance, smoking of course.

"Emily?", he asked carefully.

She startled up and froze as her their eyes met: "What are you doing out here?"

"Watching the front doors."

"Phew", she sighed. "My mother acts like she has the fucking president in there."

Aaron let out a small chuckle, but Emily remained silent.

Slowly, he sat down beside her. "I'm sorry for what happened earlier", he whispered. "I'm such an idiot, really."

"I know.", she replied, not looking at him.

"And I totally understand that you are mad at me. The last thing I ever wanted to do is to hurt you."

"We both can't change it anymore", she shrugged, looking at the cigarette between her fingers. "And yes, I'm still mad at you. But you can call yourself lucky that I'm crazy about you, otherwise I wouldn't remind you about the promise you gave me this morning."

"That I'll stay over night?", he smiled.

"Yea", she nodded.

"I'll be there", he whispered and slight smile formed on her lips.

"You better think of a way to make it up to me."

"Oh, trust me, I already know something", he whispered and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

Emily just smiled and continued to smoke, both of them enjoying the silence.

"How is it in there?", Aaron then asked.

"Loud, full, many young man who my mother wants me to like", she sighed.

"Wait, what?"

"Jealous much?", she shrugged.

"Hey-", he protested, but someone else interrupted him.

"Hotchner?", they suddenly heard Wilson's voice.

"I should get going", Aaron sighed.

"See you later", Emily said. "And don't you dare to be late."

"I won't", he replied and stood up.

"Hey Aaron", Emily then added and he turned around again.

"Yes?"

"I send in my application for the FBI today", she smiled proudly.

_

Most people were already gone and the last few were about to leave the mansion. Aaron watched them, walking up and down impatiently. He wanted to get to Emily as soon as possible, to show her that he really meant it.

Just as he had thought the last guests had left and he could finally leave, too, Wilson walked up to him.

"I know it's been a long night, but how about writing tonight's report and checking on the protocol now so we don't have to do it later?", asked.

Usually, Aaron would've said 'yes', but he knew that he couldn't leave Emily alone that night. Not after what he had already done to her. 'Not this time', he thought to himself and then said: "I'm sorry, but I don't have any time tonight. I'll hand in my report and protocol tomorrow. Good night, Wilson."