j u l e s .
I walk over to Derek's closet and rummage through it for two minutes, debating on what to wear. I toss on one of Derek's oversized black t-shirts, pairing it with a pair of his sweatpants and one of his hoodies.
I walk outside, heading downstairs to go see what's taking him so long.
When I walk out of the apartment complex, I see him standing with a dark-haired girl in the distance. Elle.
I take a few steps closer so I can hear what they're saying, but not too close so that they don't see me.
I put my hands in the sweatpants pockets ad I listen carefully.
Derek groans, "You can stay at the BAU and we can stay friends!" He exclaims.
Elle is leaving the BAU? What the hell?
"I don't wanna be just friends!" Elle exclaims.
Derek scoffs, "Too bad. I want her, I don't want you." He explain.
He wants me?
"What do you see in her?" Elle asks.
Derek steps closer to Elle, "I see everything in her. I see the whole damn world when I look at her. I see my whole future with her. Julianna Hotchner is the love of my life. I love Jules, that's the whole reason I gave her the nickname Jules - so that I had my own nickname to call her instead of Annie. I wanted something that suited her and something that only I called her because I love her." He exclaims.
Holy shit. He loves me.
"Really?" Elle asks, her eyes longing.
"Yes! I love Jules!" Derek exclaims as Elle's eyes flicker over his shoulder, glaring at me.
Shit! She saw me.
"Go tell her that then..." Elle sighs.
"Elle..." Derek begins.
"Goodbye Derek." Elle says, turning on her heels and walking back to her car.
Derek walks over to me, his eyes flickering up and down my body.
"You like my fit?" I ask, a cocky grin on my face.
"You look amazing." Derek replies, a huge smile coming across his face.
"Thank you kind sir." I reply, a blushed smile dancing on my lips.
He nods, leaning down a bit, giving me a kiss on the forehead as he does.
Derek backs away, "How much did you hear this time?" He asks.
"Almost everything. I came out almost immediately after you did." I explain as he nods.
"You-" I begin as he cuts me off.
"I love you." He says, breathlessly.
"I-I love you too." I respond, taken by total surprise.
"You do?" He asks, just as surprised as I am.
"Yeah. I-I just- We're confusing. I mean, what the hell are we?" I ask.
"Shit I don't know." He says, shrugging his shoulders playfully.
"That doesn't help!" I groan.
He chuckles, "I'll be whatever you want me to be princess."
"Oh my god Derek!" I exclaim in embarrassment, my cheeks turning bright red.
He chuckles, "I gotchu again! No, but for real, you're my girlfriend or at least I hope you are, or else I just look really stupid right now." He explains.
"You always look stupid." I sigh, giggling breathlessly.
He chuckles, "That is correct, minus when I'm in bed with you." He replies.
"Oh my God, Derek, Stop!" I exclaim.
"What?" He asks, a cocky grin plastered on his face.
"How do you always manage to make things so dirty?" I ask, rolling my eyes.
He chuckles, "It just comes naturally sweetheart. Better get used to it."
"Shut up." I sigh, walking towards the apartment complex as Derek runs up after me, joining me by my side.
•••
"Jules! C'mon! Hotch is gonna kill us if we're late!" Derek calls out from the living room.
I rummage through Derek's room to make sure I have everything.
"Jules!" Derek calls out again.
I sigh, "Hold on! Just making sure I have everything." I reply.
He walks into his room.
He chuckles, "Don't worry about getting everything. We can get it when we come back next year." Derek explains, leaning against the doorframe.
Next year?
I freeze in my tracks, turning on my heels to face him.
"Next year?" I ask, blushing.
Derek chuckles again, "I mean yeah. You're in this with me, right?"
I smile softly, "Hell yeah, I'm so in." I say, tossing my go bag around my shoulder and running up to him, my hand meeting his almost immediately, lacing our fingers together.
"Well look at you two!" Derek's mom says in awe as we walk into the living room.
Derek chuckles at his mom's remark as I blush, smiling softly. His hand leaves mine as he walks up to his mom, giving her a tight hug.
Derek pulls out of the hug, "Bye Mom. I'll see you again next year." He says sincerely as she nods, wiping tears from her eyes and cheeks.
"Stay out of trouble, please." She responds as Derek chuckles, taking a few steps back as his mom comes toward me, pulling me into an immediate, tight hug.
"Take care of his heart please." His mom whispers in my ear as I nod.
"I will. I promise." I respond in a whispered tone.
"Keep him out of trouble for me." She says, pulling out of the hug as I nod.
"Thank you for letting me stay here." I respond in a soft tone.
She smiles and nods, "Of course sweets. You're always welcome here."
"You ready to go?" Derek asks, twirling his keys in one hand, our go bags in the other.
I nod, heading towards the door with him. His mom walks downstairs to the car with us, giving us both another hug and kisses on our cheeks.
Derek opens my car door as I slip inside. I giggle as he runs to his side, jumping into the car almost immediately. He starts the car, pulling out of the parking spot as his mom waves.
I roll down the window, "Bye!" I call out.
"Bye! I love you both!" She calls out, waving her hands crazily, blowing us both kisses as we drive off.
•••
"Where have you two been?" My dad asks as we both arrive at the airstrip.
"Good Morning to you too Dad." I reply, rolling my eyes jokingly.
Derek chuckles, "We were getting mauled by my mom and her goodbye hugs and kisses." He replies as Hotch nods in understanding.
We climb onto the jet, sitting on the couch as Hotch tells the pilot we're reading.
Luke's face rises with panic as he realizes Elle isn't on the jet.
"Uh- I think we forgot Elle." He says, looking around the Jet.
"Oh no, we didn't. She left." Derek says, lying down on the couch, pulling me down to lay with him.
I giggle as I cuddle close to him, looking up at him and then looking back to Luke and the rest of the team.
Hotch clears his throat, "Elle turned in her letter of resignation last night and flew back to Quantico this morning." He explains.
"Did she say why?" Luke asks as Derek coughs, choking on his water.
"She left because of you!?" Emily exclaims in utter shock.
"She uh-" Derek begins as I cut him off.
I shake my head, "No. I think she actually left because of me. She got mad at Derek for choosing me." I explain.
Luke chuckles, shaking his head.
Reid glances at me, "How'd he choose you?" He asks, curiously.
I giggle, "He uh- he told Elle that he loved me and he only saw a future with me and that he could see himself marrying me." I jokingly say, acting as if we're in the middle school.
Hotch spits out his water almost immediately as Emily giggles, helping him clean it up.
"Awe! That's so cute!" JJ responds, a soft smile on her face.
I glance over at my dad as a soft smile appears on his face.
I read his lips carefully as he mouths words slowly.
"I'm proud of you kiddo. I love you." He says with a soft smile.
"Thank you. I love you too." I respond.
My dad being openly proud of me. That may be my biggest accomplishment in life so far.