DAVID ROSSI x Erin Strauss!

(it was bound to happen, they were made for each other. This is by far my favourite one-shot I've written so far, so I hope you enjoy it too.)

~~~

"Lady in red is dancing with me, cheek to cheek."

David Rossi walked out of the annual FBI Christmas Ball with his date, Hadley, latching proudly onto his arm. They'd taken a taxi to the event so that they could relax and have a good time. Hadley was a "here for the good time" girl, nothing too serious, and was exactly his type: blonde, blue-eyed, and easy.

"See you Monday, Dave," Aaron Hotchner called out before he retired for the night.

Before he could answer, Hadley, gripped his arm, gaining his attention, "Dave, I forgot my scarf. Can you get it for me?"

That didn't surprise Dave at all. Hadley was an airhead but her looks made up for it.

"Of course."

"We'll wait with her," Hotch offered. He and Prentiss were waiting for their taxi to drive too.

Dave turned and darted through the double doors back into the FBI headquarters. He flashed his ID, which got him access to just about everywhere in the building and then took the stairs up to the floor where the ball was being held.

As he opened the stair door, he was shocked, to say the least, but also intrigued. Erin Strauss was standing on a stool in her beaded, floor-length evening dress, silver heels left to the side, removing tinsel from the Christmas tree in the entryway. She was elegantly poised, reaching for a strand that was just a few hair's breadths far away.

Nothing new there...It was just like Strauss to push herself to the limits.

"Oh, bugger!" she cursed as the stool wobbled beneath her feet, trying to reach out to the wall to steady herself.

"I'd be careful, if I were you," David declared, coming up behind her.

He watched her shoulders tense as he helped her regain her balance. Teasing her, he tested his boundaries, "A woman your age could break a hip doing that kind of thing."

Erin turned around on the stool and shot him a glare. "I managed to avoid you for nearly three hours of this miserable party, but it doesn't look like it was long enough. To what do I owe this pleasure, Agent Rossi?"

"No need to be so sarcastic, Erin," he remarked carelessly. "I was just getting my date's scarf."

She gave him a look, and then turned, mumbling, "Hmmm..."

Dave stopped in reaching for the scarf. He knew better than to ask, but he was an epicure for punishment. "What was that for?"

"Nothing," she said in a monotonous tone of voice, looking over her shoulder at him, and then looked back at the tree, adding, "I'm not surprised she'd forget something."

Dave scowled at her back. "Haven't you learned not to judge a book by its cover, Erin?"

"Yes," she replied, the smirk evident in her voice, "but the summary mapped on her backless dress made it pretty easy, to sum up..."

He opened his mouth to respond but changed his mind. He snatched up the scarf and said, "I'm out of here. You leaving soon?"

"No," she replied. "I'm in the cleanup crew."

"Looks like you are the cleanup crew," he countered.

She reached for a string of fairy lights. "Yes, well, the other members of the crew were too drunk or conveniently forgot and went home. Someone has to do it, so..."

He gave a low whistle. "That's rough."

"Yes, it is, " she stated. She gave him a slight smile.

"Nothing for you to worry about. Your date is waiting. Merry Christmas, David."

Merry Christmas, Erin."

Erin wasn't looking forward to the rest of the clean up by herself. Truthfully, she could've asked other people to help or even assigned some subsidiaries to help her, but it was the spirit of Christmas.

She didn't want to do that to those who had people to celebrate with. She'd just go home, spend time with Lulu, her Pekinese, and then go to bed. Not a thrilling night. At least this way, she was somewhat productive.

The whole party had been kind of dull for her. She wasn't in the mood to chat with Chief Harrison and some of the other cavalry. They all had stories of their glory days that made the rest of the guests and herself feel like has-beens.

She'd glanced over at Aaron Hotchner and Sam Cooper and had seen how much fun they were having with their dates. She'd noticed Agent Prentiss was Aaron's date; she'd have to look into that when she had time—interoffice relationships were frowned upon.

And of course, she noticed David Rossi. He was almost impossible to ignore.

Since the first time she'd met him over twenty-five years ago, he'd poured out rough captivation, and charm like no other person she'd ever known. People were magnetically drawn to him in all circumstances. He was sardonic, wise, humorsome, and yet had a modesty about him that made people comfortable. He'd oozed power from day one, something she'd had to fight so hard to achieve. She envied him, and that made him her natural enemy.

But opposites attracted, and hate truly was akin to love. As much as she despised his womanizing ways and easy demeanour, she couldn't help but be fascinated by him. She even enjoyed quarrelling with him whenever she had the chance, and she sincerely respected him.

Getting fed up, Erin put back on her heels and shawl and headed towards the elevator. When the doors opened, she was surprised to see Rossi step out. She frowned at him.

"David," she mumbled, finishing the rest of her champagne.

"In the flesh." He looked at the glass and put on a fake look of aghast. "Did you save some for me?"

She swallowed the rest of the liquid quickly, placing the empty glass on the banquet table.

"What are you doing back here?"

"Call me a sucker for lost causes," he said, shrugging off his overcoat and white scarf, "but I'm here to help. I didn't think it was right for one person to do all the cleaning."

Erin felt a foreign warmth in her chest. She wasn't used to people doing favours for her, at least not at work, and certainly not from David Rossi.

"What about your date?"

"Hotch and Emily are bringing Hadley home."

Erin snorted. "She looks like a Hadley."

David gave her a look. "Sometimes I can't believe you. I'm here to help you out, and you still insult me." He shook his head and began stacking chairs for removal.

She stood there, her hands balled into fists at her side. What was it about him that made her such a bitch? It was more than just his status in the FBI. Maybe because he never really looked at her, never noticed her, even though he seemed to like the Nordic blonde type, her type, the same way she liked the tall, dark, Italian look.

Whatever it was, she needed to get over it and get on with her life.

"I'm sorry," she said, her tone more abrupt than she had intended. She wasn't used to humbling herself at all.

Rossi glanced back at her with a grateful smile and winked at her. "Don't mention it."

She felt her cheeks heating, and then turned away and began dismantling the tree.

An hour passed, and they'd finished most of the cleanup and also another bottle of champagne. They were having some fun, too, dancing in their slightly drunken state. Dave had figured out how to run the loudspeaker and had put on a jazzy station playing Christmas carols, and they'd sung along with a lot of the songs.

Her laugh reverberated through him, he loved that when she was with him she wasn't Chief Strauss the wicked Ice Queen. When she was drunk, the real Erin Strauss came out. She was sweet and caring, up for a good time and breaking the rules.  When she was with him she was just Erin, she was fun, she was deeply sexual and he loved that she gave him hell. He'd not had this much fun with a woman since his twenties.

Erin Strauss was a challenge, she always challenged him. She was strong and independent, something he loved, but he also loved to see the cracks, her flaws, all the little quirks that made her who she was.

"I'll admit that it's nice, not being public enemy number one, what did you say to your team to get them to be so nice to me?"

"Nothing. Good people know good people Erin, and you, under that mask you keep in your desk drawer sometimes, are a good person."

She wiped her brow. "Well, that's all of it, I think."

Dave scoped out the empty ballroom. "Not a shred of tinsel to be found. We're a good team."

She met his dark coffee eyes and felt that strange rush of pleasure wash over her again.

"Yes, ...we are."

For a moment, they stared at each other in companionable silence. That was a rare thing for Erin Strauss and David Rossi, and both found it enjoyable, if not a bit alarming.

Erin looked up at one of the doorways and saw something hanging from a light fixture. "Oh. There's something."

They both wandered over and looked up to see what it was. Hanging in a cluster of white berries and green ivy was a beautiful sprig of mistletoe.

In all of her fifty-two years, Erin Strauss had never been kissed under the mistletoe. She'd thought it ridiculous to do such a thing. It was a deliberate set up for romance; there was nothing truly sweet or romantic about it. However, standing under the mistletoe with David, her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and she found herself both scared and exhilarated.

Dave, on the other hand, had kissed hundreds of women in his life under the mistletoe. It was meaningless fun that sometimes led to adventures that he found himself regretting now. As he looked into the crystalline blue eyes of Erin Strauss, he saw hesitancy along with a hint of want, and he knew that wouldn't be the case with her.

He had a feeling he'd never forget this.

"Erin," he said softly, taking a step forward.

Erin, taking no time, leaned forward and closed the gap, astonished at her own actions. Breaking apart, they both were flushed, all previous tensions released in one kiss.

"Are you a good person Agent Rossi?"

Leaning in for another kiss, his whine was enough of a response.

"Not when I'm with you Erin Strauss, you make me want to do unspeakable things."

"What kind of things ?" She asked teasingly, his hands had already started their journey up her waist.

"Stay the night and you'll find out."

"What will the others think?."

"Others?" He asked, his mouth had already dropped to her neck, just below her ear.

"They'll start rumours if they find out. We don't have sleepovers at each other's homes David. We do hotels."

"As hot and sexy as that is, a thousand fantasies have been born from the thought of Erin Strauss in my bed."

"It's Sunday, it's a school night." Her retort was delivered with a straight face, even if she did lean into him as she said it.

"The director gave us Monday off, that includes you Madam Section Chief, I checked."

"I'm still going in."

"Of course you are, but you can afford to be a little late."

How could she resist that? How could she possibly resist him? If she was honest with herself that was part of the reason she stayed past all the other guests. Sure it was almost midnight and she did have every intention of going into the office tomorrow. The Director may have given them the day off but she had much to prove right now, she needed to be back in that office, doing the job she loved, despite what it may have cost her through the years.

"You're a thoroughly bad influence on me David Rossi."

"Good, but don't you come all innocent with me Erin, you know exactly where I wanted tonight to lead. I know you want it too, otherwise, you wouldn't be wearing THAT dress below this wrap."

It was true, she knew what she wanted when she came here tonight, even if her mind didn't agree with it. Alcohol can make the heart make all the decisions.

And she'd worn the dress. To a casual observer, it was a pretty standard dress, relatively plain, beaded at the front, but made more glamourous by the shawl she'd chosen to team it with. To David though, the dress was different, it held meaning and power, it was the start of everything after all.

"Mmmm come on Erin," His hands teased her waist, travelling higher until they reached just below her breasts, "you know you wanna stay. You know you wanna get wrapped up in my arms, in my sheets, in my bed.."

She trembled in his arms, just the sound of his voice was enough to make her melt, but his hands, oh his hands, even though the soft material of her dress made her skin burn. Never had she wanted anyone more.

Sliding her hands down from his shoulders and across his chest, she slipped them underneath his jacket and around his back. He knew what was going to happen next, Erin always ran her hands down his back, her fingertips down his spine, right before she was going to kiss him.

When her lips met him, he was ready for them. David responded to her kiss with all the passion she evoked in him, and damn that was a lot of passion. The way she felt in his arms, the way she tasted when she kissed him like this, it was as if she was pouring herself into him, she demanded, she controlled and she surrendered, all in one action.

Drawing back a little her eyes met his, she knew he could see it, her desire for him was all over her eyes, just like it always was.

"Take me to bed David." She said the words with such a straight face, the Strauss's face. God he loved it when she did that, Erin Strauss had always been sexy, he'd always thought of her as alluring, always wanted her, but the section chief in her was such a good motivator.

"There's just one thing I have to do first," David spoke softly and yet firmly. Reaching up to his right hand he removed the clip from her hair, it was lovely when it was up, but when it was down it was so seductive, the woman had to know she had powers, that drove David Rossi mad.