Infatuation [a.h.]

chapter 11

"Come on, Artemis. Let's head out," you beckoned the bulldog. She came prancing next to you, excited to go out on your Sunday walk.

You were still on cloud nine after your date with Aaron from the night before. It was better than you could have imagined. And you were counting down the seconds until you would be able to go out again with him.

As you walked on your familiar path, Artemis was leading the way, her little brain running on autopilot. You brought your earbuds along for your walk and were listening to your favorite band as you passed the dog park, taking a quick glance to see all of the other dogs running around and playing with one another. For the time being, you decided to keep walking and stop at the dog park on the way back.

You were just passing one of the little strips of stores that lined the streets when your ringtone cut through your music in your earbuds. You pulled Artemis off to the side of the walkway, answering the call. "Hello?"

"Y/N. How are you?" Aaron asked. You couldn't help but smile at hearing his voice.

"I'm doing alright. How about you?"

"I'm good, great actually. Hey, listen. I have to give the phone to someone who wants to ask you something," he told you. You heard the phone being moved around between people. Aaron's voice came over the phone quietly, inevitably in the distance from where the speaker was. "Here, buddy. Press it up to your ear like that. Go on. You can talk now."

"Y/N?" Jack's small voice called out.

"Hey Jack. What's up?" You thought that it was cute that the little Hotchner wanted to call you. You could only imagine how the phone probably looked huge in his small hands as he held it up against his ear to speak to you.

"Do you like soccer?" he asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"I do like soccer," you told him.

A few moments of silence fell over the phone as you waited for Jack to continue the conversation.

"Go on, Jack. Ask her," you heard Aaron tell his son.

"Okay. Y/N, do you, uh, want to come to my soccer game later?" Jack asked quietly.

"Sure Jack. That sounds like fun." You started to walk back to your apartment, now having to get ready to go out to his game.

"Okay! Here's Dad," Jack said quickly into the phone. You heard the phone being shuffled around in between hands again as you figured Jack was giving the phone back to Aaron.

"Go get into your uniform," Aaron called out to his son on the phone. "His game is at 4. We can pick you up on the way if you want."

"That sounds good," you said with a smile on your face, not that Aaron would see it. "You know, you don't have to use your kid to get me to go out with you again, Aaron," you teased.

You heard a steady chopping sound in the background of the call, making you curious as to what he was doing on his end of the phone. "Nice joke, Y/N. That was all Jack's idea. I, however, may have suggested to him that you weren't up to much today. Besides, I wanted to spend some more time with you after last night."

"Oh yeah?" you said smugly.

"Mhm. I didn't want to wait to see you until tomorrow when I got home from work," he said. His words made you feel even more excited, especially because you were growing impatient that you wouldn't see him until the next day.

"Are you cooking something? It sounds like you're cutting something up."

"It's my turn this week to bring snacks for the boys on Jack's team. I'm cutting up some orange slices for them all," he explained.