*trigger warning*
Chapter Thirteen: Touch My Soul

[Cough Syrup~Glee Version]

The thing about owing people favors is that sometimes you forget and at the last moment, you put two and two together. The day after everything went down with Hotch, Anya wanted nothing more than to ignore him, but that wouldn't be okay. They had a paperwork day and she refused to let it get to her. It was cold outside, but not deathly cold, just the occasional jacket would suffice, Anya enjoyed her times like this. Nothing to do with the weather, just the fact that she had a day off, an actual day where no one was bothering her.

Anyways the point of the matter was, Anya, opened her big fucking mouth when she shouldn't, it was typical of Anya's behavior of her to think she could save a man like Aaron Hotchner. In her defense all she wanted was sex, all she craved was for him to rip her clothes off her body and do unspeakable things to her like literally degrade her, do nasty vile things to the point where they are too embarrassed to speak to each other.

She was currently, dancing around her living listening to a song in french while wearing her dusting slippers, which were meant to dust her floor, she had on the most chaotic outfit, overall shorts, one of the clasps was undone and you could see her crop top underneath and her toned stomach.

She was painting a picture, while her hair was up in a messy bun, a rag thrown over her shoulder, and paint was everywhere, it was more like a finger painting at this point, and she would occasionally fix her lines with the brushes. Things were peaceful, life was peaceful until there was a knock at her door. She walks over to the door pushing it open, there leaned up against the wall was her mortal enemy.

"Yo ho ho!" he cheers as she rolls her eyes.

"Who let you in the building?"

He holds the door open with his hand. "Oh, I scaled the wall using my elite Navy SEAL training." Anya tilts her head at his arms folded over her chest. "The neighbor let me in."

"What are you doing here?"

He sighs with a smirk on his face. "Picking you up" Anya makes a face. "For my brother's wedding?"

She laughs, "Yeah not, likely, Hotchner."

"Look, I'm sorry about the other night. You caught me off-guard."

Anya places her hands down. "This thing is just too complicated. All right? We--we work together, you are my boss. And we've turned mutual sabotage into an art, so it is impossible to trust each other. Also, you're like the man version of Icy Hot. Are you cold? Are you warm? Is this tingling sensation nice or is it deeply uncomfortable?"

"Tingling sensation."

Anya folds her arms over her chest again. "Okay, you know what I mean. "

He sighs. "Look, I can't go to this thing alone, and they're expecting you to come with me. And don't forget you still owe me." he points to the inside of her place. She sighs, "Mm, I'll be in the car" he closes the door and she sighs, shaking her head and running off.

She goes and packs up her bags before changing her outfit, into more appropriate attire, a black skirt with black pantyhose, some black doc martens, and a white turtleneck with a black and white button-up sweater. The car ride was silent at first. Anya was staring out the window, while Aaron was stealing glances between her and the road.

"Okay, so what do I need to know about your family?" She asks with a small smile plastered on her face.

"My mom's great, she'll love you and tell you that she wants to keep you forever. My dad is uh...complicated. Last time I was home, we fought."

Anya looks over at Aaron, "What about?"

"A Lot of things. By leaving med school--he won't let that go. And my girlfriend had just broken up with me and he and my brother were being assholes about it."

Anya sighs. "It's so hard to Imagine you with a girlfriend, I mean you married Hailey right out of High School. Right?"

"Technically we didn't get married til after I left med school we just kinda ran off and eloped, no I never let my parents be around Hailey or Jack that's why he isn't coming with us. Because he would find a reason to make Jack hate me."

Anya shakes her head, her blood starting to boil. "No, That kid adores you, no one could make him hate you, You are the best dad ever."

"How do you even know?"

Anya looks over at Aaron again, "Because I know what it's like to have a shitty dad."

Aaron looks at her with worry, "You want to talk about it?"

"After my mom died, my dad blamed me every day, at first I took it as his way of coping with the loss, then...he started doing drugs, opioids at first, then it was over-the-counter stuff, and then when that high wasnt enough he did the hardcore stuff, meth, heroin, cocaine. I remember one day I wanted to make him happy, I got up early to make him breakfast, you know I was eleven, so my sense of direction was like shit, I go to give him the food and the plate falls out of hand crashes all over the floor its in pieces, there's food everywhere, My dad looks down at the plate, he yanks me up by my shirt and tosses me outside, at first I thought he was going to beat my ass cause of the mess, I had my fist up ready, he dumped my head into the kitty pool while using the water hose all at once, he just held my head under the water, I kept squirming around kicking trying to fight my way out of it, I felt my lungs burn, the air leaving my body, I'm pretty sure I died, I woke up to my sister yelling at my dad, a Louisville slugger in one hand and her fist balled up in the other. I remember thinking I was seeing shit, I was just laying there in the grass coughing up so much water. My sister helped me dry off and made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone at school. After that, the abuse got worse and I had to either learn how to protect myself or get my ass beat. "

Aaron nods taken back by the entire story, he grabs the steering wheel tighter his knuckles becoming whiter, the rest of the car ride was silent, it wasn't an awkward silence either, it was a comfortable one, a relaxing one, for the first time in a long time the room wasn't so fucking tense. They arrived at the lodge, which was high in the mountains,

"It's gonna snow." Anya sings as they walk towards the check-in counter.

"How do you know that?"

She smirks. "Because it's a thing where I can smell the weather."

"Well, that would make you the lamest X-man ever." Aaron places his bag on the floor as Anya rings the bell on the counter. A guy pops up slowly with a giant smirk on his face.

"Whoa, Hi!"

He smiles. "How Can I Help you?"

"Aaron Hotchner, I've got two rooms."

The man begins typing. "Hotchner, with an H."

"Yeah."

The man nodded again, typing more. "Two Hs"

"Just the one,"

The man makes a sly face at Aaron as Anya covers her laugh. " And Sent, sorry just sent an email." Anya and Aaron make a face at each other. "Okay and...." he pops back up staring at the two with a scared look. "I am so sorry. I, um– I only have one room."

"Now Jaf?"

"Jaffery. My friends call me Jaf and We're not there yet" The guy explains as Anya bites back a few laughs.

"Okay, Jeffery, I need two rooms. Could you please help me?"

He laughs. "Sorry. I mean, I need my mom to move out but. I got two weddings this weekend, right?"

"I know, we're in one of them,"

Jeffery nods smiling, "Oh--Oh you're the couple oh congratulations,"

"Oh, No, no, no, no."

Aaron shakes his head, "No, No, No, it's my brother's wedding, we're just here for it."

"Oh well, I wish I could help you out, but think about where I'm coming from on this. I've got a lot of people here."

Anya sighs, "Okay, Just stop, stop, stop." she waves a hand at Jaffery, "It's fine," she smiles.

"No, it's not fine."

She gives Aaron a look, "it's not worth ruining his day when he clearly can't do anything about it. Anya turns back to him. "Jeffery, thank you so much. We will take the one room."

Jeffery smiles at her, "Thank You so much! She is right; it is not worth ruining my day. Great, um, so you are gonna be in the room, uh 216, and um no keys. Everything's unlocked."

Anya pinches the bridge of her nose while Aaron is glaring at Jaffery, they follow the floor map to their room and Anya is the first to enter.

"Wow, it's not bad," the pair round the corner, looking at the bed. "You will sleep there." Anya points to the nice carpet on the floor.

Aaron feigns a laugh. "I should've made you stay with Jeff and his mom." Anya places her bag on the bed, as Aaron looks at his watch, "Okay, we've got half an hour until the rehearsal dinner. You want the first shower?"

Anya tucked a hair behind her ear, "Sure." she unzips her bag grabbing a few items as the man sighs, it was becoming darker outside, and it was only because they were up in the mountains. After fifteen minutes Anya was standing in the mirror applying her mascara, her mouth agape slightly. The door to the bathroom opens and out walks Aaron a towel wrapped around his waist, the rest of his chest was exposed, and his hair was wet, and falling on his face,

"Took you long enough,"

He walks behind Anya staring at her through the mirror, "Oh, I was shaving my legs," he smirks as Anya rolls her eyes.

"Oh," she smirks, putting away the mascara and picking up her signature lipstick. , she pulls the cap off, just as Aaron grabs her elbow,

"Flamethrower?"

She stares at him, wiggling the lipstick around in between her fingers. "I like red." How could he possibly know the exact shade of her lipstick?

"So do I."

they stare at one another, before she says nothing, turning around and kissing him harshly.

"This does not mean we are okay?"

Aaron nods. "Mm-hmm," they stumble towards the bed and he lays her down and she removes the towel from around him. "Thank You god!" she says as he chuckles "Come here." she grabs his hands and pulls him on top of her, and he hovers over her. "I want to feel your weight,"

"I don't want to crush you."

She shakes her head a few moans climbing up her throat. "I have lived a very good life." he laughs and places his entire body weight on her, "are you sure you want to do this?" she just nods and begins peeling off her clothes, the two eating at one another.

It was official, they were late for the rehearsal dinner. Anya lay down on the bed, a sheet covering her body, while Aaron runs a finger gingerly across her elbow,

"OH, best...game..ever."

Aaron laughs "Yeah,"

"Oh shit! We are seriously late for dinner," Anya starts getting up off the bed.

Aaron sighs, "Just--just stay here!"

"What will your parents think? Oh, hi, Mr. and Mrs. Hotchner. I am so sorry we missed your son's rehearsal dinner. We were too busy giving each other multiple orgasms."

Aaron laughs. "I promise you, nobody will care. I'll just text them, that we hit traffic and we'll see them tomorrow at the wedding"

"Yeah but what if they know we already checked in?"

Aaron makes a face. "Why do you care so much about what my parents think?"

"Well, it's people-pleasing 101: they are people, thus I want to please them."

He shakes his head, "Yeah but why?"

"Well, I already explained the logic, also, why don't you care what people think?"

He sighs, " I learned a long time ago that it's impossible to make people like you."

Anya shrugs, "I guess you're right, it's not like I'm ever gonna see them again." she watches as Aaron turns slightly and sees that he is thinking, she looks at him studying him. "God what are you thinking?" she grabs the side of his head with both hands. "I just want to juice your head like a lemon,"

"There's no need for violence, little one. What do you want to know?"

She thinks while placing her arm around his neck, he grabs at a few of her fingers with one hand, "Okay the other day...when you caught me snooping at your desk...uh, I saw your planner."

"Questionable ethics, Tinkerbell,"

She sighs, "Yeah, Okay, I know. But there were some red marks in the margin. D'S S's some X's. What are those?" Aaron sighs looking down at the ground. "What?" she gasps "-NO," she gets up off the bed wrapping the sheet around her, and sits down on the floor next to him. "Tell me. Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me."

"D is for "dress." and P is for "pants." S is for "Skirt," I make a mark when we fight, and X is for when I wanna kiss you."

"Wow," she smiles before looking away, "-You're like an OCD stalker." they both laugh,

"Your turn."

Anya leans back against the bed with a small smile on her face. "My turn what?"

"You gotta tell me something I don't know about you." Aaron looks down at her with loving eyes,

She sighs thinking for a moment, "Okay." "Oh..when I wore that little black dress to work the other day."

"Mm-hmm!"

Anya smacks her lips together, "Well... I lied about having a date at the AC. I asked Fred out later that day." Aaron makes an O-stunned face, "What? You were all smug and skeptical and I had just..had this super hot sex dream about you."

"I knew it!"

They both laugh.

"Yeah, and then you said you were going to the bar and I didn't want you to think I was a loser...just sitting there all alone," she explains as he looks over her with soft eyes,

"You wouldn't have been alone, you would've been with me." he kisses her head, and she smiles. Before planting a kiss on his lips. They smile at one another holding each other in their arms. The night continues with them talking and laughing before Anya wakes up in bed, she turns over and sees Aaron's side of the bed empty she sits up. Staring at it sleepily, she remembers him going to bed with her and yet his side was neatly made. She, of course, pulls all the blankets to her side intentionally messing up the work he did on his own, he comes back with breakfast and coffee and the two get dressed before heading across the lodge to the wedding venue, Aaron helps Anya down the stairs as they enter the venue. He lets her walk ahead of him as her heels click against the floor,

"Your tie is crooked." she beams as he sighs,

"No, I'm not falling for that again."

Anya laughs, "Come here," they stop in the doorway.

"Really?" She nods, fixing his tie, "Wow thank you."

"You're welcome." She adjusted his jacket.

"No attempt at strangulation. Wow, you are developing as a person."

She laughs, "Yeah, well, I need you alive for all the things I'm gonna do to you later."

"Hmm. You look gorgeous in this dress, it matches your eyes,"

It was true, the almond-colored dress was great with her eyes, it stopped three inches above her knee and made her breast look amazing. She had all eyes on her and yet she wasn't the one getting married. Aaron's mom did say she would keep Anya forever, which made her laugh, they met her dad during the ceremony and he was very brass with them short on the matter. Anya made a compliment how beautiful the bride was and that Sean did nice work. Which makes Aaron feel a little sad, the ceremony was finished quickly and now it was time for the reception. Everyone was partying and mingling, Anya was at the bar drinking when the bride walked up.

"Oh my god," she grabs a champagne flute. "Sean's family is driving me crazy." she sips it quickly. "And these heels are like a medieval torture device. You wouldn't happen to have a joint would you?" Anya shakes her head while sipping her drink. "Meth? Rat poison? I'll take anything?"

"Sadly, I am fresh out of rat poison, but congratulations."

The bride nods. "Thank you, You're Anya, right?"

"Yes."

The bride smiles. "I've been dying to meet you. Sean says you are the reason Aaron even came today,"

"Oh, no, I am sure that's not true,"

The bride looks at her with a slightly serious look, "Oh I am sure it is, It did work out for the best in the end, didn't it? I mean Aaron and I were never good together."

Anya chokes on her drink. "I'm sorry you were--you were with Aaron?"

The bride has a shocked look on her face. "Oh my god, how did he not tell you? It wasn't anything serious. The entire year we were together. I don't think we ever really connected."

Anya's eyes look like they are gonna bulge out of her head. "You were together for a year? Like a calendar year, like twelve full months? And then you and Sean..."

"We're a much better fit in every way," the bride laughs and Anya feels the urge to punch her in the face. "I mean it was a little bit awkward at first but..." Anya looks across the room at Aaron who smiles as she nods. "I'm sorry I should go say inappropriate things to my other guest now."

Anya downs her drink as the bride nods. "Please leave me alone," she mutters walking away, she needed air and sooner rather than later, she found herself outside staring at the snow-covered trees and snow falling all around her. It was hard to enjoy the view when that kina bomb had been dropped on you, and for what? Did she feel like she was better than Anya? What was the reason to say something like that to someone you think is dating your brother-in-law? Who is also your ex? Who have you also slept with and dated for a year?

Yeah, Anya needed air or to be sick or to possibly jump head first off of the balcony in front of her. Who fucking knows. She felt disgusted and it wasn't just because of the bride and her history with her date. If that is what you could even call this. Whatever this was? What was going to happen when they left this blissful state and got back to the real world? Where everything isn't this nice anymore.

She watches the snowfall as Aaron walks up. He tries to lighten the mood with how her nose was spot on, referring to the current state of the weather.

"Anya I.."

She shakes her head, "Is she the reason you brought me here? To show me off, like some prized pony."

"No. it had nothing to do with her."

Anya shakes her head again, "Then why didn't you tell me, Aaron Huh?"

"I don't know....I was embarrassed."

She shakes her head staring back at him. "Hey, no you don't get to be embarrassed, they should be the ones embarrassed, honestly it's gross and wrong and disgusting and I am thankful that you wanted to show me off like a prized pony because I am both A beautiful and majestic and B prize-worthy."

"You know the weekend I got into the FBI, my dad took Sean fishing with two other surgeons. He said that I wasn't invited because I would've felt out of place. Sean had always been the golden child, and so when Beth left me for him, it just...."

Anya sighs, she had felt his pain way too much, that sense of embarrassment and dread, hell she wore it like a coat of armor, and yet she was so confident and happy. Anya hadn't felt great this entire trip and yet she was hiding it, truth be told, she was sick and it was most likely one of her usual flare-ups that happened once or twice a month, perks of being immunocompromised. You get sick so quickly and she was sick again, but she was downing champagne like it was painkillers and trying not to show she wanted to hurl, that she was burning up.

She turns to face Aaron. "So today must suck you for huh?"

"Well, it could be worse," he turns to look at her, "I could be here alone. "

"Well...this situation most definitely calls for some booze." she shits him on the chest as he laughs, "Let's go." they interlock arms and he laughs more as they walk away. Back inside and put their jackets away. Anya immediately hands him a flute of Champagne, just as they see his parents, his mom asked them where they were and Aaron explains how they needed air.

"Anya, when you first met Aaron, what did you think?" His dad asks as Anya smiles warmly.

"Huh? Well, I thought he was very good-looking, cold, domineering, and freakishly uptight." Aaron laughs along with his mom.

"I thought you had to have the ambition to be domineering." Anya makes a face as Aaron's mom scolds her husband. "I'm kidding."

"And I thought Anya was very smart, but she was also a spineless kiss-ass."

Anya smirks. "Yeah, it was hate at first sight," Aaron's mom just hums warmly while the two stared at each other, a fork was being hit against a glass drawing everyone's attention to which Sean informs his dad that it was his cue to say his speech, to which Anthony says he would wing it, he mentions nothing of his other son, or how proud he was of him. Anya takes a walk through the venue feeling the alcohol slowly working, not fast enough, unfortunately, and now she is staring at a beautiful decorative tree to which Jeffery explains how it was brought in for the wedding. Anya then runs into Elaine as she was looking for Aaron, who excused himself to go somewhere.

The women talk and Elaine explains how Aaron talks about Anya all the time, he tells his mom about how much Anya challenges him and drives him crazy and that she is just as strong-willed as he is. She then says how she was worried that he left being a prosecutor for the FBI, that she was worried he had hit rock bottom especially after Hailey died, but now looking at her, she can tell that it was the best thing to ever happen to him.

Anya then still doesn't understand, she's confused, is this how he always felt about her or was his mom just saying this to be nice? Elaine lastly says she has never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at her, which still doesn't give Anya the idea of how much Aaron likes her, of how this isn't some game for him, that he truly cares for her. Of course, before Anya can respond Sean is coming by saying how his mom should get his dad, how he is drunk and spewing hate.

You can imagine Anya's surprise when she rounds the corner with Elaine to see Anthony yelling at Aaron, but how he got all these certifications, how he used to be the best prosecutor the state had ever seen and now he was a washed-up lawyer now working as a unit chief for the FBI. Then he says how he is licking stamps and flirting with some interns. How if he doesn't want to be a doctor he should at least do something marginal noble, as if catching serial killers isn't noble.

"You don't think that catching serial killers is Noble? Saving innocent lives?"

"I--don't think that he's catching serial killers, Sweetheart. I think he's making coffee for somebody who's catching serial killers. And by the way, it's none of your business." Anthony sips his scotch.

"Don't speak to her that way." Aaron snaps as his dad looks taken aback by the sudden protectiveness of this woman. This woman he barely knew, but that wasn't true at all, he knew Anya, more than she knew herself.

"Okay, well since you know nothing about your son. I'll just–I'll– I'll fill you in real quick. Aaron is the person in charge of the entire Behavioral Analysis Unit. Everyone reports to him and almost all of them are scared shitless of him. I've seen grown men run around like ants, trip-checking their case notes because Aaron always finds their mistakes.."

"Anya you don't have to... it's fine."

Anya makes an apologetic face apologizing to Aaron and his mom. "I'm sorry, I realize I am making a really big scene I like all of you..." she turns to Anthony, "Except you, for the record Aaron has taken down a million serial killers, some of which are scarier than you or who you think you are, and he has never batted an eyelash, his boss who is only the title, is a total fucking cunt, who can barely keep her shit together Aaron is practically running that place. Because of him, there are a lot of bad people put away and so he is not a doctor who the fuck cares, he's smart. Your son is tough and he has made me a lot better at my job by having to compete with him. Don't get me wrong he drives me insane which is hereditary, but your son is amazing. And the fact that you can't see that is a goddamn shame." Anya looks around realizing all eyes are on her. "In conclusion kudos to the bride and groom, your shitty people, and yeah let's go home. Anthony, it's been a real treat, and Elaine lovely meeting you." she mouths "I'm sorry," to Aaron as they lock arms and leave, they check out of the suite and head for the ride back.

Anya felt good, she had finally felt at peace with everything happening in her life, the car ride was silent as the two hands intertwined, Anya hummed peacefully as they drove down the road,

"So what now?" Aaron's voice seems to break through the barrier,

"Naked time?"

He chuckles. "After Naked time?"

"Rehydration?"

Aaron's face turns slightly tense. "Anya I've had a lot of women..."

"I seriously hope there's an end to that sentence."

He laughs. "I've had a lot of women tell me that I'm--I'm not the kind of guy you settle down with. I'm the one-night stand,"

"And you think that's what I'm doing?"

He takes his gaze from the road for a second. "I hope not." he smiles at her and she smiles back and for a split second, the world was on their side.

"I don't understand you, I thought you hated me."

Aaron shakes his head. "No, never, in fact, there is something I want to show you." he smiles at her again but for a split second. Because before either of them knew it, a truck was barreling in their direction, and they were crushed beyond belief, their perfect little bubble was so perfect anymore. No, there was another obstacle, another thing, stopping them from being in love.