Ariel

Then Dave looks at him with a raised brow and a small smile, so he simply turns his phone upside down as he clears his throat and returns his attention to what’s being said. That move, though, draws the attention of the rest of the team, especially Morgan’s, who tries to fight back a laugh, and even Garcia stops speaking to find out what’s going on. 

His phone stops buzzing, so he lets out a sigh of relief and nods towards the technical analyst to prompt her to go on. 

Despite his relief, though, his mind can’t stop thinking, working overtime, because he desperately wants to know what you want from him. Maybe he should have left to answer after all, that would have ended his misery sooner, because now the buzzes again, just once, telling him there’s a new message. 

This makes Dave shake his head before he leans closer. “This seems important, why don’t you talk to her?” he asks with a knowing smile. 

“It’s okay, she can wait,” he lies. 

It’s not okay, though, and he’s the one who can barely wait. You didn’t just work together there, there was something between you, something fleeting but meaningful, and you matched oh-so-perfectly in his eyes, so it’s a tragedy that you don’t have the chance to build something together back home.

Although, what if? What if you’re calling because you’ve changed your mind about this? What if you’ll permanently stay here, working in Langley Falls? 

With a barely audible groan, he picks up his phone and reads the message. ‘Can you call me when you’re free for a moment? Thanks.’ Now, that’s ominous. What could that be about? 

After the briefing, he tells the team they have half an hour until take-off, so he rushes into his office ‘to get his bag,’ but let’s be honest, a group of profilers probably already know he’s going to call you back in the privacy of that room. But he couldn’t care less about what they know, what they think, his brain is laser-focused on you alone now. 

He dials the moment the door closes behind him, and he counts the seconds after hitting the call button. One. Two. Three. Four. God, when will you pick up? Seven. Eight. And then, finally, he hears your voice. You don’t sound panicked, but you don’t sound entirely calm either. You’re nervous, which is new, he always assumed you were always calm and collected, no matter the situation. 

You tell him that you’d like to talk to him, voice shaking a little from the uncertainty, but you want to meet in person, because it’s a topic you’d rather not discuss over the phone. So, he tells you to come over to his place, deep down hoping he will have the chance to help you calm down, that maybe you can be together one last time before you disappear from his life again. 

──── ୨୧ ────

By the time he gets home, you’re already waiting for him in front of his door, and he guesses you sneaked into the building after someone arrived or left. He doesn’t mind, you’re a welcome guest in the building in his eyes, but seeing you in person isn’t as cathartic as he expected it to be. Not because he suddenly realizes he doesn’t like you anymore, but because you look exhausted, and nervous as you’re fidgeting with your ring, and he’s worried something’s seriously wrong. 

“Hi,” he says with a small smile before he opens the door of his apartment. 

You nod, but don’t say anything, although at least you try to force a smile on your face. You follow him inside, and while he tells you to make yourself at home and sit down, you refuse to do that, instead you stand in the middle of the living room, nervously tapping your foot on the floor. 

For a brief moment, he thinks you’re on drugs. But then, out of the blue, you start talking. 

“I’ll be quick, I promise. I just… felt like you should know what’s going on, because you’re almost just as involved in it as I am,” you begin, sounding a little too serious to his liking. 

What could that be? The case they worked on back in Pakistan? Are they targets now? He doesn’t say a word, he can tell you need the time to pull your thoughts together, so no matter what he says, you’re just gonna wait until you know what to say. 

“Okay, there’s no easy way to say this, I have to rip this band-aid off, so here you go: I’m pregnant.”

Now he understands your behavior. You’re on the pill, but that’s not a hundred percent effective, and there was that one time when he was stupid enough to leave the condom in his bag when you had sex somewhere else, somewhere semi-public when neither of you could keep your pants on. 

But deep down he’s not mad, not even close, on the contrary, he’s surprisingly happy to hear that. He doesn’t let it show just yet, though, he wants to know why it’s bothering you so much – is it because you’re worried about his reaction, or because you decided not to keep the baby? 

“What do you want to do now?” he wonders, trying to keep a neutral tone. 

You blow out the air from your lungs, then shrug. “I don’t know. I’m eight weeks in, so we have time to decide what to do. I don’t want to force you to do something you don’t want, but you’re the father, I can’t make the decision alone,” you explain. 

“You don’t want to keep it?” 

“I don’t know, it depends entirely on what you think about this.”

Hotch finally lets his smile show as he steps closer to you and takes your hands. “It’s unexpected, sure, but I don’t mind. And maybe Jack will be happy to be a big brother too,” he adds. 

For the first time since you arrived, you finally let out a real, happy laugh, and he loves that sound. When he sees a stray teardrop falling down your face, one that’s probably the result of your relief, he reaches out to wipe it away with his thumb, then leans closer to place a kiss on your forehead. You let out a shaky breath when he kisses the tip of your nose. 

So, he goes on, and finally kisses you, not holding back at all, he’s just as passionate as was back in Pakistan, because he wants you to know he’s been thinking about you since you parted ways, and now he loves the chance to keep you forever. As much as he loved Haley, she wasn’t so happy about him traveling that much, which led to a divorce, but you do the same, so you will understand that he’s doing it while you’re home with the baby. 

And God, he can’t help himself, he subconsciously reaches for the hem of your shirt to pull it over your head, moving forward until your back hits the wall. You seem just as desperate for his touch as he is for yours, and he genuinely believes that he’s been starving ever since he came home. He missed you every day, he missed everything about you – your quirks, your sense of humor, and your good looks too, as shallow as it is. 

“Bedroom?” you ask when he pulls away for a moment to look you in the eye, silently asking for your permission to go further.