Title: Love Story
By: realityaskew
Pairing: Hotch/Prentiss
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own nothing from CM.
Summary: Angtsy. Hotch and Prentiss's story.

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The whole thing had started off as one big messy mistake. He had gotten the final divorce papers from Haley so he did the only thing he could do. He got drunk. He got really drunk. It was one of the few coping skills he learned from his father. She happened to be at the same bar on a date. He was making a fool of himself and it was part of her nature to save people so she saved him. She apologized to her date and drove him back the hotel he was staying at. He was ranting and raving the whole way there, about life, about Haley, and about anything that floated into his mind. It was unprofessional which was very unlike him but the alcohol was doing what it was meant to do. When they arrived in front of the hotel he was pissed off and frustrated and she had listened, actually listened to every drunken word he said. He did something stupid. He kissed her. It wasn't like most first kisses where there's hesitation and it's soft and sweet. The kiss was hot and passionate full of raw anger and she kissed him back with just as much rage but she doesn't know why. Eventually she pushed him away and told him to leave. She did something stupid and she couldn't take it back. He wanted to say something but his mind was blank. He got out of her car and went back to his hotel room taking a long cold shower.

For the next few weeks work is strained and awkward. They don't talk to each other unless it's absolutely necessary. They don't look at each other unless it's absolutely necessary. They don't go near each other unless it's absolutely necessary. He thinks whatever type of relationship they did have working or professional is destroyed. He's going over some paperwork late one night and there's a knock on his office door. She comes in and he's surprised to see her. She closes the door behind her and walks over to his desk. He stands up. There's silence between them for a long while before she apologizes. He doesn't understand why she's the one saying sorry. Before he can ask why she pulls him into a surprising and fervent kiss. His first instinct is to pull away but after a few moments he deepens it. They stop when they hear Garcia approaching. She doesn't say anything as she leaves. He's stunned and his lips are still tingling. It's so surreal almost like it never happened.

Later that night she's sitting on her couch finishing up some work on her laptop when there's a loud pounding on her door. She gets up and looks through the peephole only to see him standing outside of her apartment still dressed in his work clothes. She hesitantly opens the door and the first thing he does is grab her and pull her into a fiery kiss. He ends up staying the night but he's gone before the sun even rises. This goes on for weeks. He'll show up at her apartment or she'll show up at his and they'll make love. It's always passionate and frantic. Neither one ever stays until morning. When they see each other the next day at work it's like it never happened. They never talk about it and don't think about it until it happens again which it always does. When they are together they can't get enough of each other. They feed off each other.

One day it gets to be too much. She's in love with him and he's in love with her but it's only supposed to be sex. They use one another to vent their frustrations about work and the world but the unexpected happened and they fell in love. Neither one will admit what they really feel. He's so confused he breaks off whatever they have between each other. He needs to figure things out. She's being pressured by Strauss to spy on him and rat him out but she doesn't tell him and she wont do it. Everything is getting to be too much for her and she packs up and leaves. She doesn't say goodbye or leave a number or address. Months go by and he doesn't here from her. He doesn't expect to, he broke her heart. Eventually he finds out about Strauss and what she did for him. He can't believe it. He's lost without her and he knows what he has to do.

After begging JJ he finally finds out where she's staying. She got transferred to New York and he jumps on the first plane and flies all the way there to get her back. He finds her but doesn't know how to approach her. He follows her around for a few days until he can't take it anymore. She's dropping a friend's kid off after watching her all day. He always knew that she wanted to be a mother and he knows that one day she will make a great one. She makes sure the little girl gets safely into he house and her mother's arms and she turns around only to smack right into him. She's shocked to see him. She can't speak. She can't think. She can't breathe. He does the only thing he can do. He grabs her face and pulls him to her. Their kiss is long and gentle. It's filled with everything he feels for her. She kisses him back and when he reluctantly pulls away he can feel her tears running down her cheeks and his hands. "I love you," he tells her, "I love you so much." "You broke my heart." She tells him. "Give me a second chance," He begs, "I need you." She looks him in the eyes and knows he is telling the truth. She kisses him back long and hard. She needs him too. What they have can't be explained to anyone but they know what it is. It's love.

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