It Started When...

three.

After a 2 hour flight on the jet, we arrive back at the Bureau following the 4-day case. We quickly finish the rest of the paperwork, having completed most of it on the plane, and it's around 4 pm when the team start to leave.

I collect my things and turn to head out of the bullpen, briefly stopping by JJ at her desk to say "Dinner at my place, 7 o'clock." and continue out of the building.

It's a few minutes to 7:00 and I finally have everything organised for my dinner date with JJ. This is not the first time she's coming over for a meal or drinks, but everything's different and I can't quite figure out if I'm nervous or excited.

I'm checking myself in the mirror, hoping my outfit isn't too much. I'm wearing black skinny jeans and a satin white halter top, with small black boots. My short blonde hair is curled and I'm wearing natural makeup, with a bit of eyeliner and simple earrings. 

Hearing the doorbell echo through the house, I take one last look at my appearance in the entryway mirror and open my front door to see the beautiful blonde on the other side. Her hair is tied back into a ponytail, with her side bangs swept to the right. She's wearing a deep v, purple dress that rests just above her knees, with black heels and her signature silver hoops. I give myself a moment to take in her beauty before I speak.

"Jennifer," I eventually say, with a smile, "You look, stunning as ever."

"As do you, Danielle," She replies, as I guide her through my house to the backyard.

As she sits at the outdoor dining table, which is prepped with flowers, candles and wine, I head into the kitchen and serve our meal. 

I come back out with two plates of creamy chicken pasta, placing one on the table, in front of JJ, taking the other to the opposite side, and placing it in front of me as I take a seat.

As we are seated opposite each other, at my backyard dining table, it begins—our first date.

"Thank you for inviting me over, Danielle," She says, initiating a conversation.

"Well, thank you for coming. I was thinking, it would be a good way to properly talk about things and truly get to know each other."

"You've done a wonderful job with this date"

"Oh, so it's a date? Good, that's what I was going for," I reply, trying to crack a joke.

"I'm glad I didn't get the wrong idea." She chuckles. Gosh, she's beautiful when she smiles. "Is this your first date, with a woman?" She continues. This is where the first-date conversation begins.

"It is. You?"

"Yes. I've never actually realised that I was anything other than straight. Until you."

"Well, I'm honoured."

"What was it like for you? When did you know you were into women?" She asks.

"You know when you get a celebrity crush? Well, I've had many celebrity crushes, on both guys and girls. I was often attracted to women in movies, but I never thought anything of it. She's beautiful, you know, so what? It wasn't until multiple people started asking and assuming I was bisexual that I sat down and thought to myself, am I into women? That's pretty much when I started having sex dreams and decided that I wasn't going to put a label on my sexuality. Why should I have to? From then on, I never said that I was straight and I never said that I wasn't." I think that's the first time I've said any of that aloud.

"For me, growing up, I was very focussed on getting out of East Allegheny." She responds, "I didn't have time to even think about relationships, let alone my apparent attraction to women. It wasn't until I started working here, that I met you. I knew from the get go that I was attracted to you, and had feelings stronger than friendship, but it wasn't until you went undercover that I found myself infuriated at the thought of what he could do to you. And then I saw you there. After that moment, I couldn't stop thinking about you, I knew my feelings and wanted to be with you as soon as possible."

At this point, we were holding hands across the table, tears in each of our eyes.

"Jennifer Jareau, will you be my girlfriend?" I ask, tears running down my face, probably ruining my makeup.

"Absolutely!" She answers, with a laugh and I can't help but smile. "When should we tell the team?"

"We shouldn't. They're profilers, let them figure it out."