I love you.

Three simple words. Eight letters. Yet they held so much weight. The last man you said those words to cut you deeper than you ever though possible, you from then on you were cautious. For a while you didn't think you'd ever love again. You believed somehow that your ex had broken you.

That was until you met Derek Morgan.

Love with him was different. You realized that while your last love had been toxic love, love with Derek was genuine. It was selfless. It was sensual and hopelessly romantic. It was a deep connection that drew you to him like a magnet. Yet you couldn't bring yourself to say it. Not yet.

Derek had told you six months into your relationship that he felt all those feelings that you'd held inside. While he hadn't been burned like you, he had convinced himself he wasn't made for a committed relationship. All that changed with you.

When he told you at six months that he loved you, you were convinced he would leave you when you couldn't say it back. You couldn't bear the thought, but you just had a sick feeling that he would. But he didn't.

"Don't feel pressured, mamas," he had said, taking your hand, "I don't want you to say it back until you're ready. As long as you still want to be with me, I can wait however long you need."

Your heart and your mind were saying it in that moment. You knew you felt it. You just couldn't get it out yet, and you were moved to tears at how understanding he was.

You had been hoping that when you were ready to say it, that it would be during some super sweet, romantic moment. You never imagined it would be a whole six months later, just after your one year anniversary, during an argument.

"Why am I mad? Because went in there without backup, you idiot!" You shouted, trying to get as far away from your boyfriend as possible. You were seething, white hot anger making your face burn and your head pound.

"What was I supposed to do?" Derek shouted back, still following you as you wove your way through the emergency vehicles, "Just let him get away?"

You turned on your heel, stopping so abruptly that he ran into you. Your eyes narrowed, and you pushed your pointer finger into his safety vest, "I'd rather him get away than have you die."

You turned back around and continued your stomping towards the SUVs.

"Catching unsubs is our job, Y/N," Derek argued pointedly, "You know the risk."

"There is a huge difference between the risk of our jobs and purposefully putting your life in danger by making irresponsible decisions," you spat, whipping open the door to the SUV you had driven there.

The door slammed shut as soon as you opened it, with Derek's large hand on the side, "No, you are not driving away, not like this."

"Like what?" You sassed, "Concerned for your well being?"

"What is wrong with you?" He exclaimed, exasperated, "I'm fine. Shouldn't you be happy that I'm fine, and that we caught the guy? You sure didn't act like this when Hotch went in that one time without-"

"Because I'm not in love with Hotch," you stamped your foot, arms crossed as searing hot tears sprung from your eyes. In seconds, you were sobbing.

Your mind was thrown into a frenzy. You could not believe you just said it, in the middle of an abandoned parking lot, after screaming at him for the past ten minutes. You were also terrified at the fact that he could have died before you had the chance to tell him. It was all too much.

"Woah, woah, woah," Morgan took a step closer, "Is that what this is about?"

You felt humiliated, vulnerable. You knew you looked absolutely insane with your makeup demolished, your messy tears, your shaking body and your quivering lips.

"Yes," you choked out between sobs, "If you'd have gotten killed in there, I-I wouldn't have...you'd never...I-I couldn't..."

"Okay, okay," he pulled you to him tentatively, holding your shaking body as close as possible, one hand holding your back while the other held your head to his shoulder, "Breathe for me, babygirl. I'm right here, just breathe for me."

Your sobs continued until you finally felt as though you had no tears left in your body. You hiccuped against him, completely drained.

He kissed your head, "So you're in loveeeeeee with me?"

You pulled away to look at him, giving a shaky laugh, "Yeah, I am. I love you, Der. I love you. I really do."

The words felt good, surprisingly natural coming from from your lips. They felt right.

His eyes softened and he still held your body close, "You better kiss me right now, woman."

Not needing to be told twice, you giggled, leaning up and capturing his full lips in yours.

"Found them!" You heard Prentiss yell, "They're making out by the SUVs!"

You groaned, pulling back and burying your face in Derek's chest embarrassedly.

"We're never living this down, no matter how much we explain, are we?"