Title: You're Only As Young As the Woman You Feel
By: snoozie2105
Pairing: JJ/Rossi
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: As ever, I do not have any claims to CM or its characters.
Author's note: Many, many thanks to Michele, for giving me the last part and for her support, encouragement and friendship. And thanks to Annika and Tracia for reading and providing feedback!
Summary: It's Rossi's birthday ...

***

Of all the days for Hotch to wander into her office and want to talk about a case, just as she was shutting down her computer ... of all the days for Reid and Morgan to ask her to settle a stupid bet, just as she was finally on her way to the elevator ... of all the days for an accident to cause traffic to be detoured around Quantico, just as she realized she might make up some time by taking a shortcut through town ... of all the days for her cell phone to die, just as she picked it up to place a very important call ... why today?

Jennifer Jareau breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled in at Pinky's and saw David Rossi's SUV in its usual spot near the entrance. Good. God only knew what she'd have to do to make up for being an hour late to meet him, especially when getting together on his birthday had been her idea, but at least he was still there ... he hadn't given up on her.

As soon as she walked in, she spotted him at the bar, grinning like the cat who ate the canary, completely engrossed in an undoubtedly deep conversation with a redhead whose store-bought breasts were dangerously close to spilling out of her too-small top.

Her first instinct was to march right over to where he sat and tell him that she knew, despite his proclamations that he was older and wiser, that he was the same arrogant womanizer he had always been, and that she had been stupid to believe that they might be on the verge of something, something they'd ignored for too long, something she had finally decided to do something about.

Her second instinct was to do what any self-respecting woman would do, so she straightened her shoulders and strode over to the bar, cool and confident, glad that she had taken off her suit jacket to reveal the sexy yet tasteful sleeveless v-neck shirt that showed off her toned, tanned arms to full advantage and just enough cleavage to make any red-blooded man want to see more, and laid a hand on his shoulder as she cleared her throat.

Rossi felt JJ's presence before he felt her touch, but given that she had been an hour late and hadn't bothered to call, and that he had downed four Scotches on an empty stomach as he waited, he decided he didn't much care that he'd been caught. He was actually enjoying himself, liking the attention. Yes, Candy was a total airhead, but she was attentive, and she was very obviously interested. Some days he couldn't make heads or tails of JJ.

"Jennifer," he said easily, glancing over his shoulder, "glad you decided to show up. Meet Candy."

JJ ignored his tone and plastered a smile on her face as she replied, "I was delayed. Thanks for keeping David company until I could get here."

"Oh, it was my pleasure," Candy giggled, not bothering to look up at JJ, her eyes fixed on Rossi. "He said he was meeting someone, but I can't for the life of me understand why any woman in her right mind would keep this lady killer waiting ... he is positively fascinating ... and damn sexy too!"

At that Rossi shrugged sheepishly and blushed as if to say, "I try." He was well on his way to getting hammered, and JJ was well on her way to getting well and truly pissed. It took every ounce of self control she possessed to not remove his hand from Candy's knee, then take Candy's arm and forcibly send her on her merry way. One minute and she'd had enough of this floosie.

"As I said, Candy, thank you for visiting with David, but I'm here now, and we've got to go – we have dinner plans."

"We do?" Rossi asked.

"Yes," JJ said firmly. "We're having dinner at Rosinella's. And if we don't leave now, we're going to be late."

He shook his head, confused. "No ... I'm sure that when we made our plans, we said drinks ... we didn't say anything about dinner ... I would've remembered Rosinella's."

Candy observed the exchange and clearly saw that there was definitely more than met the eye to these two. She placed her hand on the back of Rossi's neck and drew him close. "You can stay here with me here, if you'd like, handsome," she drawled. "I'm not going anywhere ... at least not right now."

Before he could reply, JJ spoke up. "He doesn't like. Now, come on, David ... we've got to leave if we're going to make our reservations."

He shot her an annoyed look. "How do you know what I like? What if I want to stay here and have another Scotch? With Candy?"

So this was the price she had to pay for being late – dealing with a drunk David Rossi, who apparently was more obstinate than a sober David Rossi. "You'll thank me in the morning," she hissed, not caring if Candy heard, as she forced his eyes to meet hers. "You don't want to stay, and you know it. You want to go with me."

The anger that flashed in her eyes and the grip she had on his shoulder got his attention. He allowed her to help him off the barstool and watched as she threw three twenties on the bar to cover his bill and have enough left over for a generous tip. He mumbled goodbye to Candy and let JJ lead him out.

When the door closed behind them, she whipped around, her ire still evident. "What the hell did you think you were doing in there?"

"Waiting on you!" he shot back, feeling slightly unsteady. "I thought you'd stood me up! You didn't call, you didn't text ... I thought you'd blown me off!"

She closed her eyes and asked for patience and strength. "I would've called to tell you I'd be late, but my cell died," she explained testily as she took his arm again. "You're damn lucky I got here when I did, or else you'd be on your way to a motel that charges by the hour with Candy!"

"I'm a grown man, Jennifer ... I can take care of myself and make my own decisions."

"Uh huh," she replied, unconvinced, as they walked toward her car. She dug her keys out of her purse and unlocked the doors. "Get in. We're leaving. We'll get your car tomorrow."

He did as he was told, but when she got on the road to Little Creek, he asked, "We didn't really have dinner plans, did we?"

"No ... the only place you need to be is home. You can drink as much as you want, and I can keep an eye on you."

"I told you – I can look out for myself."

"Not tonight you can't. Your near-miss with Candy proved it to me. When I get you home, I'm going to make you drink some water and take some Tylenol and eat some food."

He glanced over at her and sighed to himself, noticing, even in his slightly inebriated state, how beautiful she was, especially when she was mad, and how he needed and wanted her. Spending the night with Candy was the very last thing he wanted to do. He much preferred JJ.

Thinking that if she reacted badly he could blame his actions on the alcohol, he reached out and ran his hand up and down her smooth thigh. "Are you gonna put me in my pj's and put me to bed?"

"In your dreams," she snorted.

"Oh, bella," he chuckled, encouraged by the fact that she didn't move his hand or, worse yet, slap his face, "if you only knew the dreams I've had about you ...."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" She kept her eyes fixed on the road, afraid to look down and actually see him touching her.

"Don't play dumb with me – it doesn't suit you. You know exactly what I mean."

She felt her pulse quicken and her mouth go dry. "I'm not sure that I do," she lied. "Do we need to stop at a grocery store and pick up sandwich meat?"

"Don't try to change the subject, either. Don't be afraid."

Damn; there was no deterring him. "Afraid?"

"Yes – afraid ... of me," he continued, noticing that she swallowed hard and gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Of yourself. Of what we feel for each other."

"You're drunk, David," she dismissed, shaking her head. "No talking – just put your head back and rest ... I'll wake you when we get to Little Creek."

He exhaled deeply, and did as he was told, again. She was the only woman who could make him mind, and besides ... he could see that he wasn't going to get anywhere while they were driving, as long as she thought he was talking out of his head. He'd waited this long; he could wait a little longer.

~*~

An hour later, Rossi had downed two and a half glasses of water, taken four Tylenol for good measure, and had eaten a sandwich the size of his head. JJ didn't seem as upset with him as she had earlier, and if he were honest, he wasn't that upset with her, either. He had never, ever been stood up, and while he told himself felt better knowing that his record was still intact, he really felt better knowing that she was there, at Little Creek, with him, where she belonged.

She sent him to the couch while she cleaned up the kitchen, and when she finished, she tiptoed to the living room and found him sound asleep. For once he looked peaceful, she thought, settling herself on the edge of the coffee table, marveling that he was the one man who could make her blood boil but at the same time make her feel as good as any man ever could or would.

She watched him sleep a few moments longer, then got up to retrieve a blanket from the foot of the couch. He stirred as she draped it over him.

"Jennifer ..." he whispered, his voice heavy with sleep. "What are you doing?"

"Covering you up," she replied. "It's getting cool out, but not cool enough to turn on the heat – this blanket should be enough. Go back to sleep; 'll see myself out."

As she stood he grabbed her arm. "I thought you said you'd stay."

"That was when you were nearly three sheets to the wind and showed no signs of slowing down. You're fine."

Fully awake now, and feeling a bit more like himself, he sat up and ran a hand through his hair. "Damn ... if I'd known this, I would've kept drinking."

"Surely you don't mean that," she laughed softly. "You'd have a hell of a hangover. If there's one thing I can't do now that I could do when I was younger, it's drink."

"There are a lot of things you can't do – or shouldn't do – as you get older."

"You're speaking from personal experience?"

"Yes, I am. Trust me. I should know."

"Well, why don't you tell me, then? Name a few things besides drinking that you can't do as you get older?" she asked as she got up from the coffee table and settled herself on the opposite end of the couch, facing him. "I'm listening."

"Okay," he replied, accepting her challenge, captivated by the light he saw in her eyes. "Stay up late."

She frowned. "That doesn't count – most nights I can't make it past 10:30. Give me another."

"Remember things like you used to."

"Again, David," she answered, shaking her head, scooting closer to him, "you don't have to be of advanced age for your memory to start going. When my friend Natalie had her first baby, she swore she couldn't remember anything and blamed it on being pregnant. And you know that some memory disorders begin relatively early in a person's life. Try again."

"Do we have to keep talking about this? It isn't making me feel all that great."

"I would've thought it would make you feel better. What you've just said sounds like anything any normal person might experience at any stage of his or her life. Come on, David – one more. One more and I'll prove to you just how silly you're being; yes, you're getting older, but you've got a lot of good years ahead of you."

He sighed. "You really want to know what bothers me most?"

She nodded as she scooted even closer, so that they were touching, and took his hands in hers. "I do. And I promise I won't argue with you."

Maybe it was her closeness, maybe it was her concern, maybe it was the electricity that crackled between them, but he felt himself opening to another person in a way he wasn't sure he ever had. "I ... I-I can't ... perform ... like I used to."

JJ's eyes grew wide in disbelief. She couldn't believe she was hearing this. Not from the David Rossi. He was insecure in his "abilities"? His abilities which were apparently known far and wide? By more women than she cared to count?

He was being serious, though, judging from the look on his face. His confession, if she wasn't mistaken, and she was almost certain she wasn't, was also an invitation. An invitation to step inside, to get to know him. He had trusted her with a secret that no man she knew would ever admit.

Emboldened, she caressed his cheek with her hand and gazed into his eyes. "That may be so, but I'm willing to bet that you're better than you've ever been."

Time stopped for him as her lips came closer and closer, finally touching his. The kiss they shared was hotter than either had ever known, full of passion and love, full of emotions they'd dared not express until now.

At long last, JJ pulled away, bring Rossi with her. Without speaking, they hurried up the stairs, tossing various items of clothing aside. By the time they reached his bedroom, she wore only a lacy bra and matching panties, and he was down to black silk boxers.

He turned from her long enough to throw te covers back, then picked her up and laid her on the bed, gazing down at her approvingly as she finished undressing herself and slipped her fingers underneath the waist band of his black silk boxers – a not-so-subtle hint that she wanted them gone.

When he stood naked before her, she couldn't help but stare. "Sweet Jesus," she whispered as she rose to her knees and reached out to caress his arousal. "And you think you've lost it?"

He groaned at her touch, unable to answer coherently. God, she was driving him wild. He couldn't remember the last time it had been like this. He wasn't sure it had ever been like this.

She continued to stroke him as he settled his hands on her hips and pulled her closer. His kisses grew harder, more intense, as his work-roughened hands tormented her sensitive breasts, then sought the very core of her femininity. The sound of her shallow, rapid breathing and the feel of her heart pounding against his chest nearly drove him over the edge. It was time ... time for him to take her as he'd dreamed.

They made love wildly, desperately, JJ on her knees on the edge of the bed, Rossi standing in front of her. There would be another opportunity later for him to take his time with her, to make love to her like she deserved, but now, there was no holding back. He had to have her, to take her, to make himself feel that he truly was alive, that this, being here, touching her, was what was real, what was true.

When they'd exhausted their fury and emotion, he collapsed on top of her, physically and emotionally spent. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him close, keeping him deep within her.

"Still feel old?" she asked as she pressed a gentle kiss to his neck.

"I feel like a damn teenager," he answered, his breathing still labored. "That was ... that was ..."

"Amazing? Wonderful? Spectacular? Marvelous? Beyond belief? The best you've ever had?"

He nodded seriously. "The best I've ever had. The best I ever intend to have."

"You sound pretty sure of yourself, Agent Rossi," she teased, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"I am. I got a new chance on my birthday, and I'll promise you here and now that I'm not going to squander it."

"Not even with a Candy type?"

He grinned and kissed her nose. "Nope – you don't have to worry about me, bella, I promise."

"Good," she giggled. "Because you know what they say – you're only as young as the woman you feel ...."

"If that's the case, then I'm gonna feel you every chance I get, starting now ...."

***