Anastasia Brooke has been a member of the BAU for four years. She loves every single one on the team like family.
And they love her equally as much too. However, a certain individual starts to realise that he wants to love Anastasia a little differe...
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Light fingertips flutter across your stomach, pulling you from your slumber. You can feel Hotch's lips pressing sweet kisses against your bare shoulder. Faking sleep for a little longer, you let him continue exploring your body with his tender caresses.
He nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck, drawing you closer into him. Turning in his hold, you snuggle into his chest, basking in the warmth that radiates from him.
"Morning beautiful." Hotch whispers against the top of your head and you tilt your neck, looking up at him.
"Good morning." You reply, pecking his lips lightly.
"Sleep okay?" He asks, smiling down at you as he tucks some strands of hair behind your ear.
Nodding your confirmation, and asking if he did too, your mind drifts to the words he had said last night, before you drifted off. With the alcohol, the argument, the sex and the exhaustion, you don't know whether you imagined it or not.
Hotch slips forms your grasp, telling you he's going to shower and that he'll then go grab something for breakfast once he's done. Following his lead, you get up and head into the other bathroom, deciding against showering with him.
The scalding water washes over you, relaxing you instantly. You'd made the decision to shower on your own so you could have a little bit of space, allowing you to think about everything that had transpired last night, and to prepare for the conversation that you still needed to have with Hotch.
Last night, with Hotch arriving at your door and saying all the right things, it had been pretty perfect. It was everything that you didn't realise you wanted to hear.
You didn't even want to think of his declaration of love, too worried that you may have imagined it, in your not fully conscious state.
And although you were glad there wasn't gonna be any more awkwardness between you and Hotch, the situation you were in now was slightly worse. Not only did you need to think about whether or not you were going to take the task force position, you had to take into consideration your relationship with Hotch and how your decision would affect him too.
Where did he see this going? Were you in a relationship? Did he actually see this being something that lasted long term? Could you spend twelve months apart after seemingly just getting together? Would he expect you to decline the position now you were together, if you were together? Would you be able to continue to work for the BAU if you were exclusive? Would you be expected to move units?
"I can hear your brain going a mile a minute from over here." Jumping at the sound of his voice, you turn towards him, watching as he shrugs off his jacket, placing a white paper bag on the small table near the front door.
You didn't even hear him leave, and didn't even remember getting changed, let alone finishing your shower. You always had a tendency to operate on auto-pilot when you were overwhelmed.
