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Girls night. A monthly ritual the ladies of the BAU had adopted and had sworn to uphold, religiously, every single month. Penelope had made each woman swear on their collective friendship to try their best to honour the commitment and for the most part, unless there was a case; the 4 women manage to follow through with their ritual without fail. Tonight’s girls night was at Penelopes house. Of course, she put on a show.
Several bottles of white wine were chilling in the fridge ready to be opened and devoured. Little nibbles covered her coffee table as Penelope stood in front of it, trying to think of anything she’d missed. The list of food and drink she was ticking off in her brain was savagely interrupted by the vivid memory of her and Luke in her apartment.
Her opening her front door as he ravaged her neck with kisses, cupping her breast as he moved from her neck to nibble her ear. The heat swarming her body as she heard the click indicating her front door had been unlocked, she turned in his wanton grip to meet his face. Placing her hands round the back of his head she pulled him hungrily towards her and desperately attacked his lips. Relying on him to open the unlocked door she felt his hand leave her hip- a touch she immediately craved once she lost it- to open the front door and back her into her living room, kicking the door shoot with his foot whilst simultaneously removing his jacket and throwing it in the general direction of the sofa.
Biting her lip, he released her from the intensely soul shattering kiss as he gripped her shoulders and looked into her eyes, his dark with passion and love. This man loved her. She was almost certain. A man doesn’t kiss you like that, doesn’t handle you like that if he doesn’t feel anything for you. She was snapped out of the memory by a knock at her door.
‘Oh my God’ she said breathlessly as she steadied herself on the arm of the sofa. Exhaling the breath and and immediately taking another one in through her nose, she smoothed her dress with her clammy, shaking hands; the daydream still at the forefront of her racing mind and headed over to the front door Luke had nearly bulldozed through a few days prior.
She ignored the buzz of her phone, a unique sound she had saved to her phone to let her know when Luke messaged her; a buzz she had heard- and ignored- since what Penelope called ‘the incident’ happened.
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‘Hey, I just wanted to let you know I really enjoyed our time together, chica. Let me know when I can take you on our date redo 🥰'
‘Garcia, are you OK? Haven’t heard back from you. Hit me up. Newbie.’
‘Pen, can we talk please ?’
‘Penelope, if you regret what happened, I won’t mention it again, just talk to me. Please.’
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Penelope took a final, calming breath before painting on a signature smile and opening her front door to her 3 ecstatic friends on the other side, each holding a bottle of wine, Emily holding 2, naturally.
‘Heyyyyyyyy’ the 4 women squealed in unison, Emily stopping mid word as she noticed the flush in Penelopes cheeks.
Once the noise from the others had quietened down, Emily cleared her throat to speak
‘You OK, P? Your face is super red ?’
‘Huh ?’ Penelope replied as she looked in the mirror at the side of her door, softly gasping when she noticed the blotchy, fire engine red patches that covered her face ‘Oh my G- yes ! I’m fine, I’m fine it’s probably from the finger foods I’ve been cooking, I’m fine, I’m fine- entre mes amis !’ She chirped as she looked at a suspicious Prentiss.
‘You sure ?’ Emily pressed, unconvinced.
‘Sure as can be !’ Penelope reiterated, motioning for the girls to come in ‘come, that wine won’t drink itself !’ as a smiling JJ and Tara skipped into her living room, Emily moved at a glacial pace, refusing to break eye contact with Penelope, trying to catch a micro expression that would betray her.
‘Kay,-‘ Prentiss muttered slowing looking away from Penelope, putting one of the bottles of wine she was carrying into the crook of her arm and using the hand she had just freed to point 2 fingers at her own eyes, and then turning them round to point at Penelopes eyes, silently signalling that she was watching her, before finally looking away.
‘-JJ line those glasses up and pour 4 large ones, I’m gasping !’ Emily shouted into the kitchen as Penelope nervously closed her front door and shook her hands next to her body.
The night progressed drunkenly as the ladies quickly made their way through bottle after bottle of wine. Penelope amuse bouches were greatly received, however did little to line their stomachs. The laughter which emanated from the women was as intoxicating as their bodies as they discussed everything from work, even though that was one of the rules of their girls night- no work related content- to their families and personal lives. There was nothing these women didn’t know about each other.
‘Soooooo-‘ JJ said with a cheeky smile, ‘-are we gonna discuss the elephant in the room ?’ she asked quizzically, eyebrows raised, looking directly at Penelope.
‘Mmmmhmmmm’ Tara mumbled in agreement, her mouth too full with chips to form coherent words.
‘What ? Elephant in the room- where are we going with th-‘ Emily began to ask, before looking at JJ, who’s head was tilted towards Penelope, eyes wide as if stating the obvious with a look. ‘-ah right, right say no more.. yeah let’s talk about that, Pen!’
‘Wh- what are you all talking about ? I’ve no idea what you mean?’ Penelope replied nervously.
‘Oh come on, Penelope. We’re your best friends and we’re profilers. Don’t play dumb, CHICA’ Tara said, laughing at her deliberate use of that last word.
‘Ahem-... nope still none the wiser’ Penelope countered, downing the last remnants of her drink, getting up from the sofa and picking up the glasses, an obvious attempt at a diversion that the other 3 women were not having at all.
‘Ah ! Ah !- I don’t think so, Garcia. SIT. I’ll take care of the top ups. You’ve got some ‘splainin to do missus !’ JJ said as she giddyly got up from her seat and took the glasses from Penelope. Motioning with her hands full for her to sit back down. She swayed over to the kitchen island to refill the dwindling glasses.
Penelope sat with a huff and looked over at the expectant women. Clicking her tongue in her mouth she sighed and resigned herself to the conversation that was about to be had.
‘I take it this is about Newbie ?’ Penelope questioned.
‘Hey- this is serious business if we’re gonna talk about what happened on that plane, we’re gonna use his name, Penelope’ Tara gently warned. This calmed Penelope slightly. Realising no-one knew what had happened with her and Luke right here in this very apartment not 36 hours since made her relax just a tiny bit. They meant everything that went down with Voit on the plane. That she could handle.
‘You want to talk about Luke ?’ Penelope corrected.
‘That’s right’ Tara confirmed, as she and Emily shuffled to the edges of theirs seats, smiling over at JJ as she rushed to fill their glasses, practically running over to the sofa.
‘Wait for me !-’ JJ shouted as she crashed down onto the couch, nearly drenching everyone with the wine as she fell ‘-oops ! Here ya go ladies.. a toast... to Penelope and Luke ! And to Emily now owing me 100 bucks !’ She smirked, winking towards the unit chief as her and Tara clicked their glasses together laughing gleefully.
Penelope looked on perplexed as Emily sat shaking her head at JJ. Holding her finger up and waving it in protest, Prentiss took a sip of wine but refused to cheers.
‘Hang on, we made that bet in the event of Luke and Penelope getting together, are they together ? No. Have they been together ? No’ Emily said smuggly.
‘Ah ! We don’t know that for sure ! That was some serious tension on that plane after Voit called them out. Also, as a side note, that had to hurt, Pen. Of all people ? Him ? Wow’ Tara said putting her hand on Penelopes arm, the same way she had when Voit has commented on her situation with Tyler and Luke.
‘So wait, have they been together ? Oh my god Penelope, have you fucked Luke ?!’ Emily screeched, a mixture of excitement and dread in her voice.
‘N-no what are you talking about ?! No ! I have not’ she replied, the familiar blush that Emily had noted at the beginning of the night returning with fervour.
‘The conviction in your voice is surprisingly convincing but the flush all over your cheeks is seriously betraying you, Penelope.’ Emily noted as she tapped the side of her wine glass.
‘I don’t think she has-‘ JJ said to Emily, ‘-no I’m just saying it’s pretty inevitable now they’ve both been called out on their obvious bullshit’
‘Why is it inevitable?-‘ Penelope almost spat ‘-and if it was so obvious, why did none of you call either of us out ? Why did it take a serial killer ? Is that why you were all silent on the plane ? Because you all knew and didn’t have the decency to tell me ?’ Penelope continued. She wasn’t mad but she wanted to divert the conversation by any means and so feigning annoyance, she thought, would hopefully induce her friends to stop their questioning of this thing with Luke. They were all drunk. And she was afraid that she’d overshare if she was pressed any further.
‘Erm, I wasn’t silent on the plane-‘ Emily interjected with her hand in the air, ‘-I wasn’t there... soooo’ she finished, hoping her light comic relief would lift some of the tension.
‘Penelope, don’t be ridiculous. We all knew, of course we did. And you knew we knew. Diversion isn’t going to work. You need to face this head on- no shame.’ Tara said, bursting Penelopes bubble. In her drunken haze she had fought all she could and no longer felt like trying to defend herself against something that she didn’t want to fight.
‘OK, what do you want me to say girls ? Huh ? Do you want me to admit that I’d ride him into battle ? Do you want me to say that his perfectly chiselled jaw would make the most perfect seat ? Or that just looking at him forces my ovulation to start??’ she said forcefully, feeling the heat in the lower half of her body rip through her at her own words.
‘I fuckin knew it !’ Tara said with a wicked smile across her face.
‘Penelope Grace Garcia !’ JJ exclaimed as she looked over at Emily who was choking on her drink.
‘Jesus Christ’ Emily muttered as she stood up and walked over to the kitchen to wipe her mouth and pour herself another – large- glass.
‘What ?-‘ Penelope asked innocently, like she hadn’t just spilled her sins all over her best friends lives. ‘-You kept pushing, you wouldn’t leave it.. I only gave you what you wanted !’ She concluded, clinking her wine glass against JJs, giggling quietly at the shock that still lingered all over her face.
‘Maybe you should focus on giving Luke what he wants, Penelope’ Tara commented, her eyebrows raised, tongue brushing the side of her mouth.
‘Which is??’ Penelope pondered
‘You. Just.. all of you.’ Tara confirmed.
‘I feel like he’d totally talk you through it’ Emily said with a smirk, to the shock of everyone round the table.
‘Excuse me?’ Penelope said, shocked at her boss’ frankness.
‘Oh, God dammit, did I say that out loud ? Sorry PG... but he totally would. You’re onto such a winner there ! Up high !’ Emily replied, her hand in the air, waiting for Penelope to high five her, Penelope met her hand with hers, dumbfounded.
‘So you wouldn’t mind ? Luke and I are co workers ?’
‘Yah, I’m acutely aware of that fact, Penelope, but hell no. I mean the paperwork would be a pain in my ass but your happiness usurps even that.’ Prentiss responded, winking at Penelope.
The night drew to a close and Penelope waved the girls off with warm hugs and air kisses. She was leisurely making her way back and forth between the kitchen and the living room, clearing the wine glasses and the food off the coffee table. As she was moving the last of the plate, another, more intense flashback of a memory took over her mind. The plate she was holding was replaced with a phantom hand as the memory completely took over her conscious being. The memory, a continuation of the one she had had before it was interrupted by her girls night.
Lukes hand were pawing up and down her body. The gutteral moans from deep within his body turning her on even more as she felt the backs of her legs hit the coffee table. Having no-where else to walk to, she felt herself fall into a sitting position on the hard wood. Luke covering her body with his, he gently laid her down. Peppering kisses all over her body, he started at her neck. Biting, then kissing the soft spots there. Sucking her pulse and then kissing it. The feeling of his wet tongue on her soft skin driving her to the brink of madness. Involuntarily, she could feel her hips rising upwards, desperate to meet his own. Luke noticed the movement and placed his hand under her ass, his lower body grinding into her, granting her hungry wish to feel his desire for her. She moaned into his ear as the contact was made, his mouth and teeth still worshipping her. He whispered salutations as he overwhelmed her body with the love he had wanted to give her. Over 8 years of longing compacted into this one perfect moment.
‘You’re so fucking beautiful, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, Penelope’ she heard him say through the lavender haze of love she was currently experiencing.
‘Im going to kiss every inch of your unbelievable body, I’m going to make you feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, because that’s what you are. And then I’m going to fuck you into another dimension.’ He finished as her resolve snapped. The craving for his lips overtaking her body.
‘Oahhhh’ she muttered as she pulled him upto her lips by his hair. The wet, desperate, rough kiss so vivid she could almost taste him. The sensation of his hips grinding into hers so colourful she could almost feel the size of him now between her legs.
‘Oh my G-!’ She snapped out of the memory and dropped the plate, smashing it against the hard wood floor as she once again, steadied herself against her sofa. Picking up her phone she looked at the messages she had failed to open from him, her own over inflated pride and ego stopping her from communicating with him. She read the messages slowly as she chastised herself internally for her rudeness towards him. For her nonchalance. For her cruelty. She wiped tears from her eyes as her thumb hovered and hesitated over the call button. She shook her whole body in protest as she snapped out of her stupidity. Pressing the call button she lifted the cell phone to her ear. Listening to it ring only twice before the caller picked up.
‘Please don’t speak, just listen. I’m sorry I have ignored you. I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you, both in the past and more recently. I’m sorry I am the way I am. But I really need to see you. I really need to sit and be with you.... I REALLY need you to talk me through it, again.’
‘Are you at your place?’ A familiar, low, sexy voice questioned hopefully.
‘Yes’ Penelope replied bluntly.
‘I’ll be there in 10 minutes. To... talk you through it.’ Luke responded, the way in which he did so sending electrical pulses shooting round her body like fireworks on the 4th July.