Buttoning her dungaree shorts, Cecile was ready to bail out at the last minute when her phone rang with a message and she huffed, stomping on her carpet as she realised that it was time to leave. Hotch's engine purred outside her house as she found a pair of Nikes to wear. The door was nearly left unlocked, until she remembered last second and nearly dropped her phone as she tried to respond to the message. 'Hey,' Jess greeted eagerly while rolling her window down.
'It's cold, roll the window up before I climb in that car and freeze to death,' Cecile jokingly snapped as she walked to the back door of the car and she slipped into the seat beside Jack. 'Hey, if it isn't my little Suzie,' she teased while giving him a kiss.
'I'm not Suzie,' Jack laughed as he ate a Cheerio from a small pot.
'I think you are Suzie,' Cecile retorted before turning to the woman on the other side of Jack. 'Hello, I'm Cecile. It is lovely to meet you, my plus one for the night,' she joked while sticking a hand out for the woman to shake.
Tall with brown hair, the woman looked like a polar opposite of Jess. 'I'm Gemma. Jess has told me so much about you. I was starting to get worried that she would leave me for you,' she joked while tapping Jess on the shoulder.
'Oh, you're much more my type,' Cecile joked back. 'But don't worry, either of you, my days with girls are long since over,' she added casually.
Hotch's eyebrows shot up as he glanced at her for a few seconds through the rear view mirror. 'Sorry, what was that?' He asked curiously. His gulp wasn't missed by Jess or Cecile as they watched his flustered reaction. 'Jack, do me a favour and cover your ears for a second,' he requested. Small hands were then covered by larger ones as Cecile made extra sure that Jack wouldn't hear what they were about to say. 'You said that you were heterosexual. Do we need to talk about this?' Hotch asked seriously while Jess and Gemma pretended that they weren't there.
'I was young. And girls aren't men. And men are pigs. If it wasn't for women, I wouldn't have let you so much as look at me before I pepper sprayed you,' Cecile retorted before uncovering Jack's ears and wrapping an arm around him.
Hotch opted to leave the topic as they pulled up as Rossi's house. Once everyone was out, Jack was swooped up by his dad, but as the pair walked towards Cecile, she shook her head. 'Gemma is my plus one, I will be escorting her,' she defiantly explained while extending an arm for her to take.
Gemma and Cecile giggled their way up the pathway before ringing the bell and calling for Rossi to open the door for them. His smile was wide as he widened his arms and planted a kiss on each of their cheeks. 'Come in, come in,' he invited merrily, before the three others soon followed.
Guided to the garden, the team and their partners were already there. Strauss was playing it off like she was there as a work colleague, but the looks they gave her told her another story. Will had managed to close up his case in time to come, Henry sleeping in his arms. Glasses of prosecco were offered to each of the arrivals as they took a seat around the large table.
Eyes curiously glanced at Gemma and Cecile who were whispering to one anther. Rossi seemed pleasantly surprised before he glanced at Jess and Hotch who were sat on either side of them, Jack quietly eating more Cheerios between Cecile and Hotch. 'So what does a UX designer do?' Cecile quietly asked as her fingers played with her cutlery.
'I make websites more usable. So, buggy or badly displayed sites will be sent my way. I focus more on artsy details, while my team look at the technical side, or the flow of the page,' Gemma informed her in a hushed tone.
Engrossed in the conversation, neither woman noticed everyone else eating until Jack's drink was spilt and began running towards their laps. Jumping up quickly, Cecile managed to grab Jack before the liquid got on his lap. 'Oops, no worries baby. Let's get some tissue to clean this up,' she comforted while placing Jack on Hotch's lap since the drink moved away from him. 'Gem, I'll grab you a dress I brought with me. Do you mind if it's a bit short? Aaron, I'll need your keys to get my bag,' she rambled quickly.
Hotch handed Cecile his keys quickly while Gemma stood and assured Jess that it was fine. Rossi ushered both women out, showing one to the bathroom and the other to the front door. He waited for Cecile to grab a spare dress before directing her to the kitchen for some tissue. 'I think you five get along well,' he remarked while looking for the large kitchen roll.
'I'd hope so. It'd be awkward if we didn't,' Cecile laughed as she began looking for the roll as well.
'There's nothing wrong with two women. I hope you know that,' Rossi tried to comfort as he finally located the paper.
Hesitantly taking some squares from him, Cecile nodded with her eyebrows furrowed. 'Rossi, I'm not homophobic,' she reasoned while awkwardly crossing her arms over her chest at the suggestion.
'I know. But, I wish I made you feel more comfortable before tonight. There's no shame in it. I'll take this out to Aaron and Jessica, maybe you can help Gemma,' Rossi suggested as he walked out of the room, leaving her to ponder his words.
Walking to the bathroom Gemma was left in, Cecile knocked and was practically pulled into the small room. 'Sorry, I can't get the dress off, can you help me?' Gemma asked, turning her back on Cecile as she pulled her hair in front of her.
Unzipping the dress, Cecile then grabbed some of the squares and wet them, patting the juice off of Gemma's knees while Gemma pulled the dress over her head. 'Sorry, I'm shorter than you are, and I like my dresses short,' she joked when the length of the dress was noticed.
'Oh, no. I like it. Jess needs to get a taste of her own medicine,' Gemma replied as she began wiping her own legs down. 'My shoes are soaked,' she complained while glancing at the wet heels in the corner.
'We don't share shoe size, but you'll be fine. I promise that you won't find any stray needles in the garden. At least, I hope not. Jack is meant to play out there,' Cecile soothed as she zipped the dress up after Gemma's silent prompting. 'Also, have I done something that makes you feel uncomfortable about being with Jess? Because, it goes without saying that I don't care who you like,' she added eagerly.
'Oh, no. You've been really nice to me. And after the comment in the car, there is no way I would feel uncomfortable. Why?' Gemma asked as she shifted the dress around to sit properly.
'Rossi said something. It's probably nothing really. He could have misunderstood something,' Cecile concluded before unlocking the bathroom door and flushing the ruined tissue.
Joining the party again, Jess' eyes widened for a moment at the sight. 'Your chair is soaked too, it is just water now, but you'll get wet,' she explained as Gemma stood behind her old chair.
'Take my chair. I'll sit Jack on my lap,' Cecile suggested as she ran her hand along Gemma's back while passing her. 'He's just a baby anyway,' she added while pinching Jack's cheeks and glancing at the damp chair. 'Or, that's wet too. I'll sit on Pooh Bear's lap then,' she concluded.
Hotch handed Jack to Cecile who wordlessly hugged him and then slid onto his lap. Leaning her arm against his chest, she felt him tense his stomach at her contact. 'You're not being very subtle about this,' he murmured in her ear.
'We have always been close. And stop tensing, I know you aren't a walking six-pack. I prefer you this way,' Cecile grumbled in return as his hand slowly ran up her back, his fingers finding her hair.
Loving the feeling of someone playing with her hair, Cecile said nothing, but her eyelids drooped as she fought back sleep. Without being aware of it happening, her head slowly fell against Hotch's shoulder as Jack jumped down and began running around with Reid and Morgan who had taken to playing football (English football because I am British, so, soccer for Americans????). Just as his fingers stopped fidgeting with her hair, his hand slipped to her back, and he began tickling her skin. Darkness ran through her awareness as Hotch kept his eye on her.
Wrapping Jack's discarded coat over what he could of her shoulders, Hotch sat and listened as everyone spoke. 'So, Jessica seems quite happy,' Strauss mentioned when her eyes accidentally met Hotch's.
'Yes, she is feeling better. Thank you. I hope everything is going well for you. How are your kids?' Hotch asked formally.
'They're well. But they were home, sick, after catching something that made them quite sick,' Strauss replied while sipping her drink slowly.
Rossi soon leaned over, trying to play his attitude off as casual while Jess and Gemma got up to join in on the football game. 'How long have Cecile and Gemma been together?' He quietly asked, his tone blunt.
Prentiss snorted, nearly sending her drink flying from her nose as she heard his words. Eyes dangerously darted to her as she excused herself, walking over to everyone else, she whispered something to Reid who began smiling, barely holding back a laugh of his own. Morgan was curious as he noticed the exchange, but Gemma managed to swoop in and score a goal, taking his attention.
'Gemma and CeCe met each other on the drive here. If anything happened, it was while they were getting dressed,' Hotch replied as Rossi and Strauss glanced at each other sceptically.
'Then why is Gemma her plus one?' Rossi asked nosily.
'You asked me to bring Jess, and Cecile offered to use her plus one so that Jess could have someone here with her,' Hotch explained calmly.
Nodding slowly, Rossi let his words roll over his mind as he thought. 'So, what is Jess' relation with Gemma?' He asked next.
Shaking his head, Hotch finished his drink before carefully placing it back on the table. 'You know I can't talk for someone else,' he replied dryly.
Despite some resistance, conversation soon changed. The cold night was getting colder, and eventually Cecile was shivering until she woke up. Hotch had begun rubbing her arms, but her legs were out and she was frozen. 'Bloody freezing,' she complained while trying to pull Jack's coat over her more, and failing. Eventually, she sat up and placed her head in her hands before rolling her body around, cracks and clicks echoing.
'You were out cold. Was today tiring?' JJ asked as she took Henry from Will who needed to use the bathroom.
'No, he was playing with my hair,' Cecile yawned out while offering one final stretch. As she did so, her phone dinged with a message and she blinked the bleariness from her eyes until the screen was readable. Suddenly alert, she pushed her phone into her pocket and tried to remain calm as she soothingly fiddled with the pendant on her necklace.
Hotch noticed Cecile's tensed posture immediately, and pushed her hair out of the way before leaning close to her. 'What's wrong?' He quietly asked as his hands snaked around her and rested on her lap.
When no response came, Hotch was about to ask again when Cecile suddenly stood and ran her hands over her clothes like imaginary dirt sat on them. 'I'm going to play with Jack. He's getting picked on out there, see you guys,' she blurted while running off to see everyone else.
Running to Jack, Cecile swooped him up in her arms and planted a big kiss on his cheek. 'You're awake! Help?' He asked before pointing towards the ball and she placed him back on his feet as they ran towards everyone else.
After a few moments of playing, Hotch walked towards them. Although jokes about him surprising them by trying to play were made, he didn't talk to anyone or even pretend to want to play. 'It's time to leave. Let's go,' he quietly admitted while moving to Jack and pulling his coat around him. 'And the other arm, good job,' he praised in the dark garden.
'The night's early. Come on, let's play,' Cecile called as Jess and Gemma walked back to the table for their things. The team had continued playing while the two spoke off to the side. 'I can put Jack to bed in the lounge and then we can spend more time with the team. I've barely been here for long,' she complained.
Shaking his head, Hotch reached a hand out to grab Cecile, but she pulled away. 'CeCe, what has gotten into you? Let's go. I had to force you to come out a few hours ago,' he complained while glancing at her, exasperated.
'I'll get a taxi, or catch a ride with someone else. Prentiss has to drive past my place to get back home anyway,' Cecile admitted as she glanced at her team who were too caught up having fun to notice them. Jack was with Jess who was helping Gemma place her wet clothes in a bag Rossi offered.
Hotch's hand shook again as he gestured for her to take it. 'CeCe, can we just talk about this? You told me that you want to work on our communication, but now you won't discuss anything. I won't force you to come with me, but talk to me,' he requested with a stern look in his eye, reaching for her again.
'Aaron, if you touch me, I am going to kiss you here and now,' Cecile warned, well aware of Strauss' prying eyes. Just the look of Hotch told people how little he valued public displays of affection. He was far too private for such things, nothing more than holding hands, or quiet comments between two people in love.
Playing her game, well aware of how often she had no intention of following through, Hotch grabbed Cecile's hand, she wasn't trying to pull away anymore. When he did so, pulling her towards him, she immediately pushed herself towards his chest and she moved her hands to his jaw as she pushed her lips to his.
A/N: hope you enjoyed the drama that is Cecile and her dramatic reveal of their relationship. Only 4 more chapters now xx