Until the Twelfth of Never
SSA Aaron Hotchner (Criminal Minds)/AFAB!Reader
DESCRIPTION: A lonely evening without your husband causes some positive reflection, that is until he comes home again.
CONTENT: Pure fluff, brief and minor allusions to sex, mentions of Haley Hotchner's death, mentions of loneliness.
A/N: Aaron Hotchner, my beloved! Initially, this fic centered around another song, but then I reworked it to a song that fit much better. I apologize for not posting, I've been working on other fics and preparing for my new job. I wanted to make this fic realistic to what it would be like to be married to Hotch, so prepare for some angst. All that said, I hope you enjoy it!
Evenings with your husband were usually tranquil. Evenings without your husband were far more tranquil, at least for the most part. As you cared for your stepson, who you loved with all your heart, he kept the house lively. He came into your room and showed you his drawings, or you helped him with his homework, eventually tucking him into bed at night. It was those moments you cherished with Jack. The moments where you could read a story to him about faraway lands and slain dragons or the defeat of monsters or hear him talk about his day at school. However, no matter how much you loved that little boy, there was always a space in your heart missing from your husbandâs absence.
You worked during the day, picked Jack up from school, and then returned home to a relatively clean house. Then you cooked dinner, ensured Jack got cleaned up for the evening, tucked him into bed, and watched television until it was time for you to sleep. That was consistently the hardest part of the day, where you fell asleep next to an empty side of the bed. Almost every night and every day, like clockwork, before you sleep and before you wake, you reach out and put your hand on Aaronâs pillow, feeling the soft material under your hands. Some days, you spray his cologne on his pillow to trick your brain into thinking heâs there.Â
You learned rather quickly that itâs very hard to be a wife to a husband who rarely comes home.Â
In some ways, you donât feel like you have ever a right to complain. His not being home was the same thing that brought the demise of his marriage to his late ex-wife. The solitude and the silence can be pleasant, but your husband is your other half. You miss him like any wife would. However, when he was home, it was like he never left. He was still the kind, silly, dedicated, and wonderful father and husband he was before he left. When he was home, he always made time for you and his son. Heâd take you three out to dinner or the movies and spend plenty of time with each of you in ways where it matters. Heâd take his son to school and back, take him to baseball games, and watch Jackâs favorite shows with him. Heâd spend time with you in the mornings and at night, ensuring you were happy and all your needs were fulfilled. Heâd cook dinner for his family and spend every waking moment with the both of you.Â
This week was another week Aaron was gone. He was supposed to return by the weekend, and then heâd return to your arms again. Until then, it was you and Jack. Except for the rest of the week, based on his wishes, he was with his Aunt Jessica. He wanted to see his cousins on the Brooks side of the family. You and the Brooks family got along fine, which is very fortunate for you. You had no ill will towards Haley (nor the rest of the Brooks family, for that matter); in fact, often, as a family, you would visit her grave.Â
Needless to say, the Hotchner household was very quiet with your husband or your stepson. As you made dinner, funny enough, one of Jackâs favorites, fettuccine alfredo with broccoli and chicken, you turned on one of your CDs, an assorted mix from songs of the 1950s. Aaron got one of his coworkers, Penelope Garcia, to burn the CD for you. It was a mix of songs that both you and Aaron enjoyed and ones that made Aaron think of you. Songs like âEverybody Loves a Loverâ by Doris Day, âCanât Take My Eyes Off Youâ by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, âPlease Mr. Sunâ by Tommy Edwards, âFortune Tellerâ by Bobby Curtola, and so on and so forth.Â
One of Aaronâs favorite tracks on the mix was âThe Twelfth of Neverâ by Johnny Mathis. Aaron said it was one of his favorite love songs from that era; the slow melody and beautiful lyrics really spoke to him. In fact, he loved the song so much and associated it with your relationship and marriage entirely that it was your first dance song at your wedding. It was one of the first tracks on the CD since Aaron found the song so representative of your love.Â
The music from your CD player blasted throughout the house, with no worry of waking any sleeping children or husbands. Currently, the second track of the mix was playing, â(I Got Spurs) Jingle Jangle Jingle.â Although the lyrics no longer applied to you, you had told Aaron it was one of your favorite songs in college.Â
â'Cause I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle (Jingle, jangle)
As I go ridin' merrily along (Jingle, jangle)
And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single" (Jingle, jangle)
And that song ain't so very far from wrong (Jingle, jangle).â
You sang along with the track from nearly the top of your lungs. You danced around your chicken as the pasta was cooking towards al dente. Your broccoli was also being steamed, and the chicken pieces were already cooked. Your hips swayed to the rhythm of the song, the funky orchestra carrying the tune of the music while Kay Kyser sang the lyrics.Â
You always preferred to cook with music on. There was nothing like a dull life, you thought. You needed music to carry you through the good times and the bad, the lonely moments or the otherwise not. You twirled by the counters, imagining that your sleep shorts gave you the same twirl as a skirt from the early 1950s.Â
ââŚOh, Lillie Belle (Lillie Belle)
Oh, Lillie Belle (Lillie Belle)
Though I may have done some foolin'
This is why I never fell.â
You laughed a little to yourself as you sang along to that last lyric. You remember that promise you made in college: never fall for a man who stole your heart. Of course, that all changed when you met Aaron. Upon meeting, the attraction was instant. You met through a mutual friend of your fatherâs, and even though he was noticeably older than you, that didnât seem to matter too much. You were a grown woman; you could make your own decisions. You didnât expect that decision to be falling in love with and eventually marrying Aaron Hotchner, becoming a mother figure to a beautiful boy in the process. Still, you wouldnât ever regret your heartâs desire.Â
â⌠Oh, I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle (I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle)
As I go ridin' merrily along (I go ridin' merrily along)
And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single" (And they sing, "Oh, ain't you glad you're single")
And that song ain't so very far from wrong (And that song ain't so very far from wrong).â
As the third chorus came in with a womanâs voice, you found yourself totally entranced in the music. You did the twist as you stirred your pasta, singing your heart out. Some of you wished that Jack or Aaron were here to enjoy this moment with you, but concurrently, you were having a great time with yourself. The music kept you company, and the gentle hum of the stove fan kept you grounded in reality.Â
Though I may have done some foolin'
'Cause I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle (I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle).â
You kicked up your feet and continued to sway around the kitchen. While you were by no means a professional dancer, you knew how to dance well enough that you could carry your body to the melody. As the last chorus kicked in, you huffed out a sigh with a smile. All that dancing knocked the wind out of you. You went back to stirring the pasta, finally tasting it to see if your pasta was fully cooked. It was. After draining your pasta, you put it back in the pan to add the sauce as the next song begins.Â
Part of you stopped to smile when you heard the opening notes of the next song on the tracklist: âThe Twelfth of Neverâ by Johnny Mathis. Part of you wanted to skip to the next track, avoid the slight twinge in your heart when you heard the song and thought of your physically absent husband, but thatâs not what Aaron would want. If Aaron were here, heâd grab you to slow dance, singing along to Johnnyâs baritenor with his low baritone.Â
âYou ask how much I need you; must I explain?
I need you, oh, my darling, like roses need rain
You ask how long I'll love you, I'll tell you true
Until the twelfth of never, I'll still be loving you.â
You sang along under your breath, your eyes closed as you stirred. You sang along to the following verses, swaying gently from side to side, imagining Aaronâs big arms wrapped around you. You wished you could feel his arms wrapped tight around your waist, kissing your neck as you cooked. One of his favorite things to do when he was home was cook together. You kept singing until you felt a presence and heard a familiar voice sing along to the song.Â
Melt my heart like it will snow.â
Your eyes shot open as you turned to the sound of the voice, and there stood your husband in the flesh, leaning against the doorway, looking at you like you were a fresh drink of water in the scoring heat. Such love was apparent in his eyes; it almost made your eyes tear up. You nearly dropped the spoon, placing it quickly on the counter and almost sprinting into your husbandâs arms.Â
Opening his arms for you, Aaron immediately pulled you into a tight hug, pressing kisses to the top of your head. âIâve missed you, my angel.â he pressed another kiss to your forehead. âIâve missed you so, so much.â
Tears were beginning to brim in your eyes as you looked up at Aaron, a smile growing on your face. âI didnât even hear you come in! When did you get home?â
âA few minutes ago. I heard our mix playing, and I had to come to see what you were up to.â his arms grew tighter around you, one of his hands slithering up your back to cradle your head. âI see that youâre cooking.â
âIâm sorry; if I knew you were coming home, I wouldâve made some for you too.â
He smiled. âNot to worry, sweetheart, I ate on the plane ride back.â
Effectively abandoning your dinner, you let yourself melt into your husbandâs touch as the last verse of the song began to play, the two of you singing along and swaying to the rhythm.Â
âI'll love you 'til the bluebells forget to bloom
I'll love you 'til the clover has lost its perfume
I'll love you 'til the poets run out of rhyme
Until the twelfth of never, and that's a long, long time
Until the twelfth of never, and that's a long, long time.â
At your wedding, you promised to love each other for the rest of your lives, come what may. The song currently ending perfectly encapsulated your relationship with your husband; you two swore to love each other through the hard times and the good, regardless of what life threw your way. You and Aaron would always have each otherâs backs, and that is what this song meant to you: that you would love each other until the twelfth of neverâwhich, indeed, was a long, long time.Â