Hotchniss One Shots

"Birthday"

I included this prompt because I forgot that I mentioned Emily's birthday coming up in a previous chapter.

ALSO! HAPPY BDAY EM. OCTOBER 12!  The parallel here makes me so happy <3

XXX

Emily woke up to the familiar scent of Aaron, who was lying beside her in bed. His arm instinctively raised and wrapped around her.

"Happy birthday," he said in a low, morning voice, grinning happily.

"It's my birthday?" Emily joked, opening her eyes and processing what was happening around her. "But that was last year."

He smiled, beginning to sit up and straighten out his blue t-shirt.

"Hey, where are you going?" she asked, placing a hand over his thigh to keep him from getting out of bed.

"To make you breakfast."

She smiled and shook her head. "You're too sweet for me," she said, sitting up and picking up both of his hands.

"Waffles?"

"Aaron," he said through a smile, running her hands slowly over his shoulders. "You're adorable."

"I can't say I've ever been described as adorable before. . . but I'm not opposed to it coming out of your mouth."

"How did you get us the day off?"

"I'm the boss," he said firmly.

Her hand dropped back to his thigh, daring to move it up slowly. "Yeah you are."

Aaron picked up her hand before it could go anywhere else, then kissed her knuckles tenderly. "Breakfast."

"Jack isn't up yet."

He smiled slowly. She was right. Besides, he could get Jack to help him make her breakfast when he woke up.

"What are you now, fifty?" he joked, earning a firm hit to the shoulder.

"Oh shut up, you're older than me."

"Only by four years."

"Four and a half," Emily corrected him, intertwining their fingers. She grinned widely. "You're old," she laughed.

He shook his head and pushed her back onto the bed, only causing more laughter. "And you're not going anywhere."

"Oh, come on old man. What are you gonna do?"

"I'll show you," he growled into her ear, bringing himself down to straddle her on the bed.

They were interrupted by the sound of footsteps outside of their closed bedroom door, followed by the sound of a door closing.

"Jack's up," Emily said from beneath him, causing him to reluctantly lift himself off of her.

When she began to sit up beside him, he glanced at her, an eyebrow raised. "Ah, ah. You have to wait until Jack and I surprise you with breakfast."

"It's not much of a surprise now, is it?"

"No, I suppose not, but it will make his day to see your face light up when he gives you a waffle he poured his heart into making," Aaron smiled.

Before he left the room, Emily called his name. "Hey, dimples," she said, barely able to get the nickname out of her mouth without bursting into laughter.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he responded. He could have used a much different nickname, but he decided not to. It was her birthday, after all.

"I love you," she said through her laughter.

Those words coming out of her mouth never ceased to make him grin. When his dimples appeared, it only made her laugh more, revealing her perfect smile.

"I love you more."