Disclaimer~ I neither own, nor claim to own the characters or settings depicted herein. I merely own the stories and plots in which I have created.

A/N:: I absolutely love Criminal Minds and thought,'Why not contribute a little slash?' I decided to do Morgan/Hotch because these two are equals, and, let's face it- there isn't as much love for these two as there are for Morgan/Reid or Hotch/Reid, which, don't get me wrong, Reid is awesome, but these two feel just so right for each other- maybe it's just me.

~:Just one Dance :~

"Then I say this calls for celebration!" Garcia smiled, voice raising with her excitement.

And she had good reason to be excited. The usub they had been hot on the trail of had been caught. The sick bastard had murdered his wife because he thought she was cheating, and it was later found out that, unknowingly, she was pregnant with their unborn child.

Everyone had a certain case that affected them, struck a nerve and chilled them to the bone. But at the end of the day, they had all, in their own way, learned to let it go. With the job that Hotchner held, he couldn't afford to feel sorrow for every victim. Namely because there was always going to be more. But still... it didn't take away from the guilt Hotch and the rest of BAU felt at the eyes that would never blink, or cry again. Or maybe it was the heart that wouldn't beat or love again- the people- ripped away from life too early and those who ad hadly lived.

Hotch sighed, staring down at his completed casefile. He wished he could go back home to his wife, Haley. But she had left him- taking their only son with her. Lately things between them had been so strained that he rarely chanced the opportunity to talk to Jack. It was the separation from his son that hurt the most. Even before the split up, Hotch could tell that the relationship was on the rocks. He wanted to salvage the relationship, for Jack and for the sake of all they had been through, but he couldn't pretend he was still in love with Haley. Even Haley hadn't seemed as in-love as she had once been.

"Hey, Hotch," Hotch looked up from rubbing his temples in a mix of frustration and fatigue, only to see the cause of some of his frustration- Morgan. "You should go out with us tonight."

Hotch stared, not quite processing what was being said to him. "What?"

Morgan smiled his 'I'm-a-handsome-tough-guy' smile and added,"I pulled a few strings with the club owner and got us the whole club, private. So everyone can just relax."

"You know bars and clubs aren't my scene, Morgan."

"Exactly why it's a private sitting. You have to come. Everyone needs a little time off. Plus Garcia and the girls are coming." At that, Hotch had to force an awkward smile. Garcia was great at what she did. Amazing, actually. She was also genuinely nice and understanding. But her position didn't do any favors for Aaron Hotchner's current, most infuriating problem.

Admiration. Some would call it 'guy-love,' that's how it all started. After the break-up with Haley, Hotch just felt more grounded near Morgan. And there certainly was a lot to admire about the guy. Strong, handsome, headstrong, independant, knew what he wanted. He hadn't realized when, but sometime between his break-up and now he had allowed his admiration to morph into something that could never be between the two men. Something that would never be. Love.

"Hey, Hotch?"

"Ah, yeah," Hotch said, coming out of his thoughts and back into reality. "I'll have to think about it."

Reid, genius he was, had told Morgan that Hotch would try to find a subtle way of declining, but then again, you didn't have to have Reid's IQ to see that one coming. Morgan shook his head,"C'mon, we gotta leave now," and another well-timed smile was placed as Morgan stated it all with utmost confidence.

Hotch looked down, then up. 'What could it hurt?' He rose, filing away the casefile and walking directly behind Morgan to where everyone was huddled outside. The ground was covered in a light flurry of powder white. Since when did it snow in March? 'Just great.' Hotch thought.

Garcia greeted Morgan with a sigh. "Just how long did you two intend to keep us waiting out here?" Her gaze briefly shifted to Hotch in acknowledgment, then back to Morgan. "It's freezing out here."

"Actually, it's not 'freezing' as you put it. But the weather is quite abnormal for the land elevation and season. In fact, just as we were standing out here, it began to snow, indicating, in comparison to the previous noted degree in Fahrenheit that the temperature has changed exactly-"

"It's nice of you to join us," Prentiss interrupted with a smile and lifted her brow at Reid, who of which, didn't seem to get the inclination and was about to go on when Rossi cut in as well.

"I think it's about time we go."

Everyone separated into two groups, Morgan, Garcia, Hotch, and JJ in one car, and Rossi, Reid, Gideon, and Prentiss in the other. Morgan was in the driver's seat, which made Hotch nervous, as he happily joked with Garcia, in the seat directly next to him. Hotch wasn't exactly concerned that Morgan would crash the vehicle and kill them all so much as he always got a nervous heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach everytime he wasn't the one driving.

And then there was that other problem. That little green obscenity that he wished would just blow away with the wind. Jealousy. Aaron Hotchner was actually jealous of Garcia. Jealous of the way Morgan looked at her. Jealous of the way they talked so freely and openly to each other. He was even jealous of their ongoing flirting and the pet-names they had for each other. Morgan wasn't exactly 'promiscuous' per se, but Hotch would admit that the man had had a fair share of women. Hotch had never even seen Morgan involved with a man, aside from his past. There was no way he would return his feelings, but Hotch had already come to accept that as a fact.

"Hotch, we're here," Morgan's hand gently reached back and touched Hotch's shoulder.

"Huh?" Hotch looked around, noticing that the car was empty. "Oh."

"Are you feelin' alright Hotch?" Morgan's hand moved to Hotch's forehead, and he made a noise with his tongue that sounded like a disapproving click. "You've been really outta it and your head is warm, you might have a fever." Morgan's hand lingered a moment longer. "I'll take you home."

"No, that's okay. I'm fine." Hotch wasn't about to offer that his body was warming up for a whole other reason other than what Morgan thought.

"If you say so," Morgan said, sounding unconvinced. Getting out of the car, Morgan closed his door before opening Hotch's. Hotch was starting to feel dizzy from all the attention and he had to remind himself that Morgan was just being... well Morgan.

As they walked into the club, just like Morgan promised, it was empty. There were bottles of multiple drinks on the counter, but otherwise there wasn't even a bartender. Morgan's eyes followed Hotch as the man sat down in the shade of the back corner of the rather large club. Quickly looking over, Morgan saw Garcia give him an approving smile and a 'good-luck' thumbs up. He smiled. His girl always knew the right thing to do. He was feeling more confident by the moment.

Just in-case though, Morgan grabbed a drink for himself and one for Hotch. As he sat close to Hotch he seemed to have startled the man. What seemed to even further startle the man was when music suddenly came on.

Garcia had been looking for some sort of jukebox, but there was none to be found, which was a surprise considering this was such a high-end club. In her exasperation she falsely claimed that 'Reid wasn't intellectual enough to deduct where the music system was.' Of course she didn't mean it, but she knew that Reid wouldn't back down from a strike to his intellect. When the music started, it loudly played upbeat, very club-like music.

Hotch nervously sipped his drink and it that burned a path down his throat. He was never really much of a drinker. But he needed some sort of encouragement. The lyrics to the song implied that the vocalist was sining about something far more explicit than their lyrics plainly denoted.

"Hotch..." As Hotch looked up Morgan leaned in. Their faces were mere centimeters from each other.

"Do you wanna' dance?"

Hotch looked around, feeling self-consious. But as he looked around, everyone was just having fun. Rossi was swaying his arms back and forth while trying to get Gideon to dance, yet to no avail. JJ and Prentiss were even smiling as they danced with drinks in-hand. Garcia was 'getting her freak on,' as Morgan would put it, and Reid was doing an awkward version of the robot.

Hotch couldn't suppress the small laugh that came out at the sight of everyone. "Why not?" He answered with a smile. But his mood shifted slightly as the song changed.

The song did a whole lot less implying, and a whole lot more outright telling.

Morgan coughed slightly as the explicit song gave him very inappropriate mental images of Hotch.

"Whoo!" Prentiss half screamed, half yelled as she downed her drink and walked over to the light box, dimming the lights.

Hotch took a breath, thinking that it was now to act upon his feelings, or never. He leaned close to Morgan, and they collided. Evidently, Morgan had been thinking the same thing because he had leaned forward at the exact same time.

After a quiet moment, Hotch felt Morgan's arms go around his waist and felt his hot breath in his ear. "Is this okay?" He asked.

Hotch nodded, but then realized that Morgan wouldn't have been able to see it, so he added,"Yeah."

Standing a little bit away, Garcia watched as two figures, Hotch and Morgan, swayed to the unfitting song. She quietly made her way to the intricate stereo system and changed the song. After a brief moment of silence, Liz Phair's song, "Why Can't I" began to play, settling down everyone's moods and letting a tranquil peace calm the room.

As Hotch leaned into Morgan's kiss, the door opened and Morgan immediately pulled away and walked over to Garcia, who handed him something. Upon closer inspection, Hotch realized it was a key and handed it to the lady who had just walked in.

She smiled, a little too familiar with Morgan before shaking her head,"Oh, you guys don't have to leave yet, stay as long as you like."

Reid shook his head. He was trying to stay away from the alcohol, but his self restraint only held out for so long. "Actually I need to get home."

JJ nodded in agreement before leading Prentiss out of the club, the girl looked like she would have one hell of a hangover in the morning. Garcia shut off the stereo and walked out with Gideon and Rossi right behind her. That left Hotch, Morgan, and the girl who had blue streaks in her hair.

"Nah, we have to go. I think I've kept him out a little past curfew." Hotch didn't know whether to feel flattered or insulted.

"I see," she gave a small smile as they exited.

Gideon, Prentiss, JJ, Rossi, and Reid were all crowded into the first car, which had already taken off, and Garcia was waiting patiently in the backseat of Morgan's car.

As Morgan got into the front seat, Hotch put his hand on the door, hesitating. It crossed his mind that maybe, perhaps Garcia might've wanted to sit there. But as it was, she seemed content in her seat in the back, so Hotch got in- earning a quizzical stare from both Morgan and Garcia.

Hotch couldn't hold back his foreboding feeling where Morgan driving was concerned anymore. Morgan had had a total of three drinks, while he had only had half of a drink. "I'm going to be driving," Hotch said with pleading eyes.

Morgan nodded, handing his keys to Hotch.

The car ride back to the office was, well to be frank- quite uncomfortable for all three parties. Morgan wanted so badly to 'spill the beans,' and just plain old gush. about the night to Garcia. He knew she would be so proud of him, that and she could probably offer great future advice. That wasn't exactly possible at the moment though because he couldn't talk about Hotch with Hotch sitting right next to him, and he didn't think Hotch would approve of him spreading personal information, as it could get both men- and all involved parties, in trouble.

Relationships between co-workers of the BAU were strictly off-limits. It compromised too many situations. But even with this knowledge, Morgan couldn't help feeling what he felt for the stoic Aaron Hotchner.

Hotch was okay. He wasn't thinking about what was going to happen, just focusing on driving.

Garcia on the other hand was full to bursting with questions. How had the night gone? Was everything okay? Were they a couple now? The questions started to eat away at her patience so she directed her attention to the window and the passing scenery. Oddly enough, that was exactly what Morgan was doing.

As they arrived, it was empty, signalling that the others had already gotten into their respective vehicles and headed home. Garcia got out, closed the door, and headed to where her car was parked. As Hotch got out, Morgan's arms wrapped around him holding him back slightly, but not too tightly so that he could still get loose if he wanted.

"What is it?" Hotch asked turning his head slightly into Morgan's neck.

"Can you come back to my place?"

"You know that tomorrow I- we- have to-"

"Just one dance," Morgan said, his go-getter smile in place.

Hotch smiled back, wishing he had such a dazzling smile, or at least had practiced what expressions to make. He wanted to go further. If tonight was the only night, the only opportunity available, then he would take it. Because being with Morgan just felt so right. Like it was meant to be- although the circumstances of their relationship weren't fair. As right as it felt for the two of them, the world, the BAU wouldn't accept it. It felt like so many odds were against them.

"How about you... come back to my place?" Hotch said shyly, which was a thing of wonder to Morgan. Being shy wasn't exactly the norm for the man.

"I'd like that." Morgan said, arms dropping to his sides."

Hotch got into his own car, closing the door and fastening his seatbelt. He took a deep steadying breath as he turned the keys in the ignition and shifted to drive. Morgan's car was right behind him, following to his house.

'I hope I don't completely ruin this,' Hotch thought, glancing at his rearview mirror. There was no way he'd emotionally recover from the loss. It was sort of like a high school crush. At least that's the only relatable thing Hotch could compare what he felt to. He wasn't a teenager anymore, though. He couldn't bounce back from heartbreak as easily as one either. And he wasn't fooling himself. He wasn't getting any younger- at some point he would just give up altogether. But he didn't want to. He wanted to hold onto what he felt for Morgan. It was, perhaps, the strongest thing he felt since Haley.

Morgan clenched and unclenched his hands around the steering wheel. He had only asked for a simple private dance, but he had been hoping for so much more. Hoping beyond hope to be intimate with Hotch. Even if it was little more than a kiss, he would be satisfied. And that was saying a lot. When he got with women he went for gold. All the way, or no way at all. But never a man. Buford had created a- a something in him. He didn't want to call it a fear. Just a resistance to any real intimacy. And the thought of being intimate with a man wasn't too alluring all by itself. But Hotch wasn't just a man, any man. He was a powerful leader, respected in all rights, good at his job, a terrific father to his son Jack.

If Morgan went far with Hotch tonight he knew he wouldn't "fuck" the man. Rather he would make love to him. Sweet, slow, tender and loving. Something he could pour all his emotion into. Someone...

As Hotch pulled into his parking lot, Morgan parked alongside him. Both got out, though Hotch was more more focused on getting to his front door and not humiliating himself, than making sure Morgan was following him. Morgan on the other hand was forcing his eyes upward and not on the sight of Hotch's hips and perfect ass-

"Are you coming?" Hotch interrupted his thoughts, nodding his head towards the open door.

"Uh, yeah- I was just admiring the view." His eyes unconsciously drifted downward and he had to force them up, not for the first time tonight. "Beautiful... lawn," he said with a smile.

"Ah, um- yeah." It didn't look that beautiful. Sure, every once in a while he would hire someone to take care of it, but as of late, it stood unattended. In fact, it looked horrendous. Paranoia had gotten the better of him, and he realized that gardeners could be a weak link in the security of his house. It could attract an unsub. Sure, the rationalization wasn't all there, but after practically living and breathing his work, Hotch, just like all the other members of the Behavior Analysis Unit, needed some piece of mind, some kind of assurance. The grass was green and long in some areas, but most of it was clipped short- a dry yellow color blanketing the area. At least it was weed-free, for the most part.

Getting a good look at the lawn, Morgan did a double-take. He saw that his words warranted the odd, almost baffled expression on Hotch's face. The grass was no paradise, that's for sure. Morgan had simply assumed it would be neat, orderly and exceptionally taken care of. It just seemed to fit the personality of the man before him. His desk was always well organized, never a paper-clip out of place. Then again, there simply wasn't enough time for such frivolous things such as gardening. Unsubs never stopped killing just to give them a break, and even when breaks did come, rarely were they uninterrupted or not cut short.

"Would you like to come in?" Hotch asked, raising a brow.

Morgan tried to play it off. He looked up into the sky. It was clear and both the full moon and the array of stars were visible. A refreshing breeze blew by and he breathed in deeply. "I think I'd like just a bit more time out here."

Hotch's expression softened and he looked up as well. It'd been a long time since he'd admired nature's natural beauty. A long time indeed. The moon was so full. He remembered how he used to wish on the moon, instead of the stars. Everyone used to complain about stars not working, that it all was a hoax, an old wives' tale. But no one ever said wishing on the moon wouldn't work. Hotch closed his eyes.

Morgan sat down on the steps and pulled Hotch down to sit with him.

"Agh," Hotch yelped, as he lost his balance and his eyes bolted open. He was on a fast collision course with cement stairs and prickly dry grass.

Morgan immediately caught him, pulling him close to his chest with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, I should've-"

"It wasn't your fault," Hotch said, dismissing Morgan's regret with a smile.

Morgan shook his head pulling Hotch back into his hold. "It would have been my fault and I-" Morgan cut himself off, shaking his head harshly.

Hotch laid his hand under Morgan's chin to turn it towards him. "Sit with me?"

Morgan nodded and they both sat on the uppermost stair after Hotch quickly closed the front door. "It feels good out here. Not too hot."

Hotch nodded his reponse,"Yeah." Then he closed his eyes again.

"Listen, if you're tired, you can go to bed Hotch. No need for me to keep you up." After a moment, "Hotch?" Morgan asked, noticing the man's eyes were still closed.

"You know, some people... wish on the moon," Hotch said, looking Morgan directly in the eye.

Morgan snickered. "You mean shooting stars, right? I mean, I've never heard before of anyone wishing on the moon."

Hotch frowned slightly. "You mean it's wierd?"

Morgan quickly caught the innuendo. "Oh, uh, no! That's not what I meant. I mean, I've just never heard of it- is all. It's," Morgan searched for the word,"original."

'Original, huh?' Sure it wasn't bad, but the implications weren't all good.

"So what did you wish for?" Morgan asked with a nervous smile. He was never nervous when persuing someone. The fact that Hotch could do this to him- well, he couldn't describe in words how it was, how it felt. Hotch was silent for a moment. "Or can you not tell me because it won't come true?" Morgan added with a smirk.

Hotch shook his head and gave a smirk of his own. "This isn't a shooting star. The same rules don't apply. I can say it aloud and it'll still come true. Actually I think saying it aloud makes it come true," at that moment Hotch's face flushed lightly.

"Oh really? So do tell, what is this mystery wish?" Morgan's face was animated, alight with happiness.

"That a certain Derek Morgan would kiss me tonight, after keeping his promise." Aaron's face was stoic, an odd expression for such an emboldened statement.

Morgan leaned in, so close that their breaths mingled. "And what promise would that be?"

Hotch's face went stern,"The dance, remember?" But his expression relaxed as Morgan nodded.

Morgan looked up at the moon. "And I have a wish too."

"Do tell."

"That I'll be able to romance a Mister Aaron Hotchner tonight. Maybe even go all the way."

Hotch's breath seemed to catch and whatever air that did manage to escape came out louder than he would have liked. Was this the effect the Morgan had on all the women who swooned over him? If so, it was very powerful, very alluring.

Hotch got ahold of himself long enough to shake his head and draw a deep, even breath. He re-thought about the women Morgan had been involved with- how it never lasted beyond anything physical. "If we do this tonight, Morgan, I want to be sure you're serious. I don't do one-night stands."

Morgan looked Hotch directly in the eye and he felt himself tear up. 'What if he doesn't agree to anything permanent- a relationship?'

"Hotch, I want nothing more than to lie in bed with you every night. Protect you from every unsub. Melt away your every fear. I know it's too soon, but when you're ready, I'm every bit as happy to pop the question."

"Huh?" It was a lot to take in.

"When you're ready... Aaron, will you marry me?"

As hard as Hotch had been trying to hold it in, he couldn't. The floodgates had opened and he couldn't contain the tears, no matter how pathetic and weak it made him feel.

"I love you," Morgan whispered in his ear, kissing his neck.

Hotch wiped his face and took a few shuttering breaths. "I love you too."

After standing up and walking hand-in-hand inside, Morgan closed and locked the door, before gently pulling Hotch's hand to his lips and kissing it.

They danced, both laughing when they fell out of step, or accidentally stepped on each other's foot. It was fun. More fun than Hotch could remember having in his stressful relationship with Haley. He still loved her, the mother to his only son, but not quite the same as he used to.

Morgan proved his strength, backing up his claim that he'd been working out, by lifting Hotch up and carrying him to his room.

It grew quiet as the two laid on Hotch's bed.

Morgan smirked, causing Hotch's face to break out into a huge grin, easily easing the tension.

"We don't have to do this tonight."

"I want to... Derek." The name felt foreign on his tongue, he'd get used to it, but for right now, there was a thrill in saying it. In crossing that fine border.

Morgan leaned in to kiss him, hands skillfully undoing buttons while his tongue danced alonside Hotch's.

It didn't take long till Hotch realized, breathlessly, that they both were naked. This really was about to happen.

"Do you have-"

Hotch nodded towards the table at the right that had two drawers. Opening the first drawer, Morgan saw the condoms, and towards the back, the lubrication.

After lubing himself up, Morgan looked to Hotch, who parted his thighs invitingly. Settling down between them, Morgan tried to push himself into Hotch.

Hotch grunted, face scrunching up in pain. It wouldn't go in. It didn't fit, despite Morgan's best efforts and any attempts just caused pain to Hotch.

Morgan didn't exactly have plain vanilla sex, but he had never done this kind of intercourse before, much less with another man.

"I'm sorry," Morgan said with a wholly sincere expression.

"It's okay," Hotch said before shyly adding,"we can keep trying."

Morgan felt his face heat up as he nodded, resettling between Hotch's splayed legs. The only possible way he'd fit would be if he loosened Hotch a little.

Morgan leaned in, tongue slipping into Hotch's mouth, while his left hand rubbed his erect nipple. The right hand, however was busy with the lube bottle. After a coating his fingers, Morgan slipped his forefinger inside of Hotch.

Hotch bucked a little at the odd sensation. Morgan then slipped a second finger in, causing Hotch to let out a muffled cry. Morgan moved his fingers around before making eye contact with Hotch and adding a third finger after Hotch nodding the 'go ahead.'

For Hotch, the third finger was most painful, stretching him. Morgan gently removed his fingers as he slipped on another condom, and lubed it up. He looked straight into Hotch's eyes as he went inside the tight heat of his lover.

With a noise of discomfort, the head of Morgan's member popped inside of the still tight opening. Hotch nodded for him to keep going as his nails grazed Morgan's back.

Once fully sheathed in Hotch, it took all of Morgan's self-restraint to not ride him into the mattress. When the initial discomfort had faded, Hotch pulled slightly on Morgan's shoulder and Morgan drew out before pushing back in. Without even knowing it, Morgan hit Hotch's sweet spot, making him gasp out in absolute pleasure as his vision whited out for a moment. Noticing the expression, the look of pure bliss on Hotch's face, Morgan aimed for that same spot, but sped up his movements as he took Hotch into his free arm and pumped him in time with their love-making.

Hotch let out a noise, deep in his throat as he came, body tightening around Morgan who moaned out a few seconds after.

Morgan collapsed onto Hotch, thankful that the man wasn't weak or fragile and could bear his weight.

After catching his breath, Morgan gently pulled out before being drawn into a long deep kiss by Hotch.

"Wow," was all Hotch could say, his breath coming out in gasps and his mind feeling empty.

"Yeah," Morgan replied, equally as breathless. He was embarrassed because he had not come that prematurely for a while.

Morgan embraced Hotch and they lay there until the stick mess became uncomfortable. Morgan went into the bathroom grabbing two face towels before running them under warm water and cleaning up both Hotch and himself.

"I want a bath," Hotch stated with a satisfied smile. "Will you join me?"

"Yes."

Morgan soothingly massaged Hotch's shoulders as they waited for the tub to fill. When it did, Hotch gestured for Morgan to get in and after he did so, he himself got in, leaning back against Morgan's chest.

The next day as Penelope Garcia walked in the familiar office, she caught Hotch whispering something she couldn't quite hear to Morgan. Whatever it was made him raise an eyebrow and give a cocky grin before winking.

"So how was last night? I heard you two took off together," she asked, low enough so only the two could hear.

"You did? From who?" Morgan asked in quick succession.

Garcia grinned mischievously. "So you did, huh? Thanks for filling me in."

Hotch shot Morgan a look and Morgan simply shrugged his shoulders in a manner that said "Oops".

"So... what were you two boys up to last night?" Garcia asked, grin still fixedly in place.

"Just a little-" Hotch started.

"Dancing." Morgan finished.

Both men looked at each other, their gazes hot and heavy. Hotch cleared his throat before turning and making his way to his office. Morgan did the same, instead, heading in the direction of his own desk to fill out paperwork that had suddenly become urgent.

Garcia smiled. Those two had done more than just dancing. And she had a skip in her step as she went to collect a twenty from both Reid and Prentiss.