LIKE A GIRL ｡ CRIMINAL MINDS

THIRTY FIVE

"Not at all," he played it off with a soft laugh. He straightened his posture, creating a more significant height difference between the two. Daisy found herself frowning as he looked down at her. She wasn't exactly a fan of the shift in their power dynamic (not that there was one). She could see in his face that he was enjoying it. "You can have my room."

Daisy quirked an eyebrow almost suggestively, though she stopped herself as soon as she noticed she was doing it. "And where will you go?"

Hotch's lip twitched, having seen the little gesture. He glanced down at his shoes, then nodding towards the hallway. "I'll take Jack's room."

"Very responsible of you," Daisy hummed, her eyes narrowing slightly at his tameness. She'd gotten used to his little quips over the past couple of months - the sneaky inappropriate comments that he had somehow been getting away with. It wasn't as if she'd stopped them...she didn't want them to stop. But, now that they were alone, he wasn't his usual teasing self.

She took a step closer to him, so he had to crane his neck down further. There was something in his eyes that begged her to challenge him, to tip him a little further over the edge so he didn't have to play his cards again.

She pushed herself onto her tippy-toes, almost meeting his line of vision. She watched him try to resist the smirk creeping onto his face. "I'm your boss. Being responsible is in my job description."

"Alright, then, sir," she reached up and used her good hand to pat his chest. She could feel his heart beating under her palm. She lingered for a second, her lips only centimetres from his. At her taunting tone, his smug smile only broadened. "How about a drink?"

"You're funny," Hotch scoffed, lifting his hand to push her hair out of her face. "Not when you're supposed to be taking painkillers, Alvarez."

"Stop calling me Alvarez," she whined, her head falling onto his shoulder. Hotch's arm snaked around her waist, supporting her. He could tell that she had like energy left in her, but she wasn't going to admit it. "My name's Daisy."

"Coming from the one who calls everyone by their first name except me," he retorted, though it sounded like he was mostly joking.

"That's not true," Daisy turned her head, looking up at the side of his face. "I don't call Rossi 'Dave', or Strauss 'Erin'. Not if I can help it, anyway."

Hotch stared back at her, their noses brushing against each other. The tension was killing both of them, but what could they do about it? They could kiss, they could have sex again, they could do literally anything. But both knew they wouldn't. Daisy wasn't going to make a move again, not after last time. So, it was completely up to Hotch.

However, it didn't stop the desire for Daisy to close the gap between them. His breath was warm on her face, and his eyes were flickering towards her lips. She wanted to encourage him to grow a pair and do something, but she couldn't seem to find it in her to do so.

So, she made it easier for the both of them and stepped away from him, creating some distance. "Um, I'm tired. Where's the bedroom?"

Hotch didn't get a chance to answer before Daisy bolted down the hall in search for said room. He couldn't stop the smile that escaped him, and he followed her through the small apartment and into the master bedroom, which ended up not being too hard to find. "Are you ever going to give me a break?"

"Where's the fun in that?" despite herself, Daisy beamed. She looked over at him from the wardrobe, where she'd found the sweater he'd let her borrow a while back. She held it up, as if to ask for permission, and he nodded, walking over to help her out. He took the article and threw it on the bed, his hands reaching for her sling. Daisy groaned a little as the weight shifted. "Ow."