The chime on her phone surprised her given the hour, she checked the time on her phone to see it showed that the time was 9:12 pm. She finally opened the doorbell app and frowned up in confusion at the smirking face staring back at her. She moved to the door, unlocked it, and flung the door wide open.

“What do you want now, Luke?” She asked with a slight growl as she squinted her eyes at him suspiciously. In reply, he crossed the threshold even without a verbal invite. She closed the door, locked it, and then turned to watch him. He moved his hands from behind his back to reveal a bag of food in one hand, and a bottle of her favorite wine in the other.

“I brought you dinner,” Luke said with his smirk still in place as he moved to the counter and began setting out their food.

“I said I wanted lunch,” Penelope countered as she took steps toward him.

“I know, but I was in the neighborhood and I was hungry. And then I started thinking that maybe you might be hungry too,” He offered but at seeing her disbelieving gaze he decided to confess. “All right, I was worried about you so I wanted to stop by and check on you,” He finally admitted, and her stance and the hard glare she had been casting at him since he walked in immediately softened.

“That was nice of you, but you didn’t have to do that,” Penelope spoke kindly as she moved to the food and was pleasantly surprised to see it was a tray of her favorite pasta meal from her favorite Italian restaurant. She then moved around the counter and to the cupboard where she kept the glasses. She grabbed two glasses and moved back around to where Luke was now seated at the counter. She took the stool next to his and silently grasped the plastic fork he held out to her and started to stir the food around, while he poured them some of the wine.

“How are you holding up? You know, after these last couple of days being back at the BAU?”

“Firstly, I am not ‘back’, back at the BAU. I am just on loan for this one and only case,” She clarified as she pointed her left pointer finger at him, and Luke hurriedly nodded his understanding. “And secondly, I will admit that last night was … rough,” She could see the instant concern cross his handsome face a second before the scowl marred it. “I had a couple of nightmares that kind of kept me up. It’s been three years since I’ve had to see such gory pictures, and the ones from this case are the goriest I think I have ever seen before.”

“I’m so sorry, Penelope,” Luke said gently and so sincerely she looked over at him. He reached over his left hand and rubbed it across her back. “I’m sorry I broke my promise to you and pulled you back into our cases. That was selfish of me, and if you need to stop now, I will respect that.”

“No, it’s okay,” She replied with a small smile as she dropped her eyes from his and focused back down on her plate. “I want to help and know you wouldn’t have asked if you didn’t really need my help.”

“No, I was actually being mostly selfish. I mean, we do need your help and are grateful for it, of course, but,” Luke admitted and Penelope frowned a little in confusion as she looked back over at him. “I’ve really missed you,” He said with a slight shrug of his shoulders and the smile was quickly back on her face. “I know we facetime every once in a while, but it’s not the same and it’s not enough, you know?” She quietly nodded her head and she did know exactly what he meant because she had missed him as well. “I gotta tell you, your jabs at me work best face-to-face,” Luke teased with a chuckle and she giggled along with him.

“I’ll keep that in mind and I'll make sure to schedule a weekly lunch date with you just so I can insult you,” Penelope said jokingly.

“I really wish you would,” He happily agree with a gracious smile. “But mostly,” His look grew somber again as he regarded her while he continued to speak. “I miss feeling your bubbly energy and seeing your beautiful face,” Luke declared and Penelope gasped slightly in surprise. “Did I say something wrong?” He questioned aloud as he noticed her surprise and rigid shoulders.

“No, it’s just …” Penelope stumbled over her words as she contemplated whether she wanted to broach this subject with him. She instantly feared it might lead to an embarrassing outcome that would no doubt make her further distance herself from him. “You think I’m beautiful?” She asked wearily as she side-eyed him to gauge his facial expression without looking at him head-on.

“Yes, I do,” He replied with a nod. “Because you are very beautiful, inside and out,” After a few seconds he spoke again. “Penelope, look at me please,” He coaxed and she slowly turned her head and locked her eyes on his. Then her eyes widened a little as she watched him lift his left hand and cup the right side of her face. “I think you’re gorgeous and so fucking sexy, and I’ve thought so from the second I laid eyes on you.”

“You have?” Penelope squeaked out in a shaky voice as shock filled her.

“Yes, I have and your not-so-nice attitude toward me, in the beginning, didn’t deter those thoughts. In fact, it just made you hotter and made me want you even more.”

“You …” She gulped down the lump in her throat before she continued. “Wanted me?”

“I said ‘want’,” He corrected her. “And yes, I did then and I still do now. Am I making you uncomfortable by telling you all this?” He asked as he stroked his thumb across her cheek. She could only shake her head no to the question in what she felt was a too surreal moment. “That’s good because,” He took a deep breath to calm his frayed nerves, and then he went on with his sentence. “I’d really like to kiss you.”

“Ri-right now?” She sputtered out still in shell shock from all the things he had confessed to her.

“Well, technically whenever I’m around you, but yeah, right now would be good too. I thought I’d finally get to kiss you on that wonderful night three years ago, but I was too nervous to try. I was sure I’d get a second chance at it on our second date but…”

“A pandemic hit and stopped the world for a couple of years,” Penelope finished for him and he nodded in concurrence.

“It took three years but here we are, on our second dinner date,” Luke stated. “So, may I kiss you, Penelope?” Her mouth fell open as a small smile of joy tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“Ye-yeah,” She finally pushed out as her smile widened and he cast her a matching smile.

“Yeah?” He repeated because he wanted to make sure she was really okay with things.

“Yeah,” She affirmed as she vigorously nodded her head, and his hand which was still cupping her cheek slid around to grasp the back of her neck. Luke then tugged her closer as he leaned over toward her, and then ever so softly pressed his lush lips against hers. Both sighed in their contented happiness and joy as they deepened their kiss. And they shared the same thought, that this was definitely worth the wait.

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The End (or is it?)