An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 6/? Fandom: Criminal Minds (US TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid Characters: Aaron Hotchner, Spencer Reid, Penelope Garcia, David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, Derek Morgan (Criminal Minds), Jack Hotchner Additional Tags: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Cute Jack Hotchner, Case Fic, Tw conversion therapy, tw homophobia, tw internalized homophobia, Canon-Typical Violence, Season/Series 07, BAMF Aaron Hotchner, BAMF Spencer Reid, First Kiss, Protective Aaron Hotchner, Pre-Slash, Slash, POV Aaron Hotchner, POV Spencer Reid, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Pining, Autistic Spencer Reid, no beta we die like haley, no one forgets spencer's 30th birthday damn it, Slow Burn, Hurt Spencer Reid, POV Alternating Summary:
While Aaron Hotchner trains for his upcoming triathlon, fate intervenes and instead of meeting Beth, he crosses paths with Spencer.
A brief, and entirely unexpected spark ignites between them.
However, there’s little time to dwell on it. Both men are abruptly called into work, where Erin Strauss hands them a case unlike any other. For two years, queer couples who've attended an exclusive “Retreat and Therapy Centre” have turned up dead in their homes, one by one, after their stay.
Now Hotch and Reid must go undercover as a couple inside Daniel Bartlett’s secluded program, posing as partners in need of “treatment.” Their mission: uncover who is targeting the attendees before another pair ends up dead.
The closer they get to the truth, and to each other, the more dangerous the unusual assignment becomes.

















