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"You look gorgeous," he smiled.
"Says the one looking fantastic in his pure black suit" I replied, causing Aaron to lower his head almost shyly. I nudged his forearm with my elbow.
"Is Jack having a good time?" I asked to change the subject, looking up at him, smiling.
"Yes," he nodded happily. I wanted to shake my head - he just couldn’t bear it if anybody praised him. "He really likes Henry, but they can't play together that much, so I guess they're having the time of their lives now," Aaron laughed lowly.
As my gaze jumped down into the garden, I saw the two boys gathering around Reid. In his hand, there was something so tiny I couldn't see, and he held it to the boys to take a careful look at it.
"Is Spencer showing them a magic trick?" I heard Hotch's voice.
"I really much think so" I nodded excitedly. "Jack is so invested, you'll have to take courses from Reid" I laughed.
"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of, " he sighed.
"Look, look" I patted his hand excitedly a few moments later. Spencer pulled a wedding ring from behind Henry's ear right at the second when Aaron looked at them.
"This kid is just…" he shook his hand, laughing. "But you're freezing, aren't you?" he changed the subject instantly.
"I'm… yeah, well, the breeze is a bit chilly" I admitted. I did not take the question too seriously and quickly got over it. Because of the summer night, I didn't bring a cardigan or a scarf to cover myself with, but luckily the wind was not blowing much, so I didn't feel cold all the time. My gaze jumped back to Spencer, who was pulling long, colorful scarves in a row out of his own jacket sleeve, and I watched mesmerized.
I was suddenly dragged back from my thoughts by the feeling of soft, warm silk settling on my shoulders.
"Hey, gentleman" I caught his gaze, looking back above my shoulders at Aaron. He put his coat on me.
I felt myself blushing as his scent hugged me around. It wasn't harsh, wasn't pungent - just the contrary. It was such a restrained aroma, but very noticeable; a little bit spicy with a touch of sweetness, but altogether a really formal scent. It fitted his slightly stern, but very much so powerful personality, and reminded me of courtrooms and sleepless nights spent together working on files and the jet and… just strengthened my feelings.
"Aren't you gonna be cold now?" I asked with a racing heart.
"It's okay" he shook his head, the motion accompanied by a light smile.
"Thank you" I whispered gracefully.
"DAD!" a kid's high voice suddenly cut the moment in half.
"Hey, buddy" Hotch messed up his son's hair after he literally flew through the door from the house to the balcony.
"Hello, Jackie" I smiled at him. I just adored the relationship between the little boy and his father. Aaron would give anything in the world to keep him safe and happy, and it showed literally in every movement he made.
"Spencer just taught us a magic trick!" Jack jumped up and down, looking at me for a second and at his father for another. "Can I show you? Please?"
"Of course, kid" Aaron nodded.
"But I need one of you to help me to do it" Jack pouted.
"Can I just watch how you perform it?" Aaron asked before I could even open my mouth. "I'll be your audience. Every magician needs an audience" he nodded.
"Then Ada will be my assistant! Magicians have them as well" Jack looked at me, excitedly. I laughed loudly.
"Okay. What do I have to do?" I turned towards him.
"Help me make this coin disappear" he explained as he revealed the penny in his tiny hand. I sat on the chair in the corner of the terrace to be at his level, so he could show me anything he wanted. Aaron stood next to me, watching us curiously.
"So" Jack sighed deeply. He was so cute in his suit with the tiny bowtie, my heart just melt. He looked just like Hotch. "Here is this coin, you see?" he held it out in his palm.
"Yes," I nodded.
"Now I close my fingers" he explained his movements. "Please blow on my fist" Jack looked up at me with sparkling eyes. I did just like he asked. We saw him moving his fingers around, making roll the penny inside and be at the right place so the magic could happen. He was really focusing on this task, I was sure he forgot we were watching him. I looked up at Aaron, who was on the other hand trying so much to hide his wide grin. When Jack thought he was finished, he put on a shocked expression.
"Look, it disappeared!" he exclaimed, opening his hand. He kept his fingers close together, so the coin, which we could see between his index and middle finger, wouldn’t fall to the ground.
"Oh my God!" Aaron and I gasped in sync. "Jack, where did it go?" Hotch asked just as excited as his son was.
"Maybeeee…" the boy smirked at me, then with his little hand he reached behind my left ear. "Maybe behind Ada’s ear!" he shouted, then bursting out laughing. He showed us happily the coin, now holding it again in his palm.
"Jack, you’re amazing," I giggled with him. "Spencer will be so proud if we tell him how fast you learned." The little boy pulled up his nose, laughing waggishly at my words.
"Show me that magic coin of yours," I asked, holding my hand to him. He, instead of placing the metal in my hand, climbed into my lap and by a bit of wiggling, he made himself comfortable. I looked up at Aaron, to see his reaction. His eyes were sparkling with pride and joy, and… some sweet and tender feelings.
"Is that a regular penny?" Hotch asked.
"Yes," his son nodded seriously.
"So you did the magic all alone?" I asked, amazed.
"Hey… uh, sorry." Suddenly Prentiss peeked out the door but backed down instantly when saw Jack sitting on my lap, Hotch's coat on my shoulder, and the named agent standing close to us.
"Emily!" Jack shouted. "You want to see what Spencer just taught us?" he asked excitedly. All three of us laughed at his sweetness.
"Don't you want to dance for a while first?" Prentiss asked back. "I just came to tell you that the music is on," she looked at us.
"I want to dance," Jack said seriously. He jumped out of my hold, ready to leave as he stated.
"We're coming too," Hotch nodded, smiling. Emily looked at me then at Aaron, and with a mysterious smile on her lips, she held Jack's hand, who was standing close to her already.
"So you're going to be my first dance partner?" Prentiss asked him as they walked in.
"Dance with me, would you?" Aaron spoke when it was the two of us again.
"Of course! Gladly" I heard myself answering without hesitation, just before my brain could even process the question properly. I took his coat off my shoulders and headed it towards him.
"Don't you want to keep that on?" he frowned. I couldn't come up with a right, clever comeback, but luckily for me, Aaron continued. "Okay, but just so you know, without the coat I'll have to hug you really close while dancing" he stated, looking straight into my eyes and making my heart stop right at that instant. "To keep you warm," he explained. I bit on my lower lip to prevent myself from grinning.
"Fine, I can… live with that consequence" I smiled. Aaron took his black coat, put it back on, then held his left towards me. I blinked at him in confusion and disbelief. While we had eye contact for long seconds, I felt my lips curling back into a wide smile, my cheeks turning into deep red color, burning. Hotch's gaze jumped a few times between my eyes and his hand. When I slowly took it, his warm fingers clasped mine as if they would find their home. Aaron wanted to walk inside, but I didn't move, which made him turn back.
"Is it too much? Or fast?" he asked, clearly reading all my thoughts.
"No, I just… I don't know if that is happening what I think is happening, or you're just drunk" I admitted, laughing. His hand kept holding mine firmly anyway, which I considered a good sign.
"You're a profiler" his eyebrows lifted a bit, encouragingly. "What do you think?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'm just projecting my feelings into some actions. I see things for more than they are, to be what I want to see" I replied.
"You're a great profiler. If I were you, I would trust my instincts" Aaron said under his nose, for the first time letting his eyes fall on the ground. I gently squeezed his hand, to which a shy, weak smile appeared on his lips.
On the dance floor, Aaron led our moves confidently. He spun me around, we were stepping back and forth and laughing at the top of our lungs. After I turned and faced him again, I laid my palm on his shoulder blade, keeping him so close to me that our chests touched. It was safe to say that we both enjoyed the proximity. My cheeks were close to his face, I suddenly decided to nudge my skin to his. He didn't pull away; we kept on dancing temple to temple, and I came to the realization that I'd never have felt more home before than in his arms, right there, right at those moments.
"Would you have dinner with me tomorrow?" he murmured some time later. I slowly nodded a few times, surely trusting my instincts by that time.