miss athena, i think you like jack's dad.
miss athena, i think you like jack’s dad.
pairing: aaron hotchner x f!reader
summary: you're an assistant elementary teacher for jack hotchner and its career day!! (s9 ep22) warnings: reader is f, reader is called “athena” !!, slowburn, mild angst (alright?!), pure domestic stuff (had to balance it out tbh), reader is sean’s batchmate, high fucking tension, RAEDE RMIGHT BECOME A STEPMOM ANYTIME?!?!, hotchner is so hot when im imagining him whilst writing this, and enjoy reading ig <3
wc: 3k
masterlist
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In a classroom full of excited grade-three students, nobody could sit still. The air was buzzing with miniature firemen, miniature veterinarians, and a whole flock of eight-year-olds who couldn't wait to meet real-life "bad guy catchers."
This entire field trip had only come together because of Jack’s dad—Aaron Hotchner.
The homeroom teacher, Mr. Miller, hadn't been sure about the excursion at first. For weeks, the permission slips had sat in a pending pile on his desk because they hadn't gotten a final answer back from the Unit Chief himself. A high-level FBI agent’s schedule was notoriously unpredictable, and the school board was hesitant to greenlight a trip to Quantico without a firm host.
It was only the day before when the email finally came through: Aaron Hotchner had personally cleared a paperwork-heavy "desk day" for his team, arranging an interactive tour of the Behavioral Analysis Unit so the kids could meet the profilers and explore the public sections of the building.
Athena smoothed down the front of her beige cardigan, making sure her teacher’s lanyard was straight before double-checking the student head-count clipboard. She was relatively new to the elementary school—having joined the staff as an assistant teacher only three months ago—but she had quickly become a favorite among the kids. Especially Jack.
"Alright, line up single file, everyone!" Mr. Miller announced over the chatter. "Hold hands with your buddy, stay behind Miss Athena, and remember your inside voices!"
Jack Hotchner bounced on the balls of his polished dress shoes near the front of the line, wearing a tiny dark suit jacket and a tie that made him look like a miniature corporate executive.
"Miss Athena!" Jack called out, tagging along right beside her as they ushered the children toward the waiting yellow school bus outside. "My dad said he cleared his whole schedule today! He even promised Uncle Dave wouldn't eat all the donuts before we got there!"
Athena laughed softly, the sound bright and warm against the chilly morning air. She knelt down briefly to adjust the collar of Jack’s tiny dress shirt. "That sounds like a very high-stakes mission, Jack. Do you think your dad can keep Uncle Dave away from the donuts?"
"Yep! Dad is the Unit Chief. Everyone has to listen to him," Jack said proudly, his dark eyes shining with that familiar, stoic confidence.
Looking at Jack always gave Athena a quiet, bittersweet pang of nostalgia. She had known the Hotchner name long before she ever set foot in this school. Years ago, back in high school, she had been in the exact same graduating class as Sean Hotchner—Aaron’s younger brother.
Sean had been the charismatic, artistic rebel of their batch, constantly clashing with his family's high expectations. Aaron, who was several years older and already deep into law school and his early prosecution career at the time, had felt like an imposing, mythical figure to Sean's high school friends. Athena remembered seeing Aaron back then: tall, quiet, exquisitely dressed in dark suits, appearing like a solemn shadow at Sean’s graduation ceremony or pulling up to the curb in a dark sedan to lecture his younger brother about curfew.
She had been just a kid then—a quiet batchmate of Sean’s who barely mustered the courage to say hello to the sharp-eyed older Hotchner brother.
Now, nearly fifteen years later, life had spun its strange web. Sean had moved across the country to pursue his culinary passion in New York, and Athena had ended up right here in Virginia, working as an assistant teacher in Jack’s classroom.
When she had first met Aaron at parent-teacher orientation two months ago, the recognition had been instant, though wrapped in quiet shock. Aaron had aged into his authority with terrifying grace—broader shoulders, silver threading through his dark hair, and a deep, guarded stillness that spoke of heavy burdens. He had blinked, staring at her name tag, before his low, gravelly voice had cut through the quiet classroom: “Athena? Sean’s friend from West Springfield?”
They hadn't spoken much about the past since then. Their interactions were strictly professional—quick updates at afternoon pick-up, polite nods in the hallway, and brief check-ins about Jack’s homework. But every time his dark, intense eyes locked onto hers, Athena felt a subtle, electric pulse beneath her skin that she rigorously tried to ignore.
The yellow school bus pulled up to the formidable gates of the FBI Academy at Quantico, sending a ripple of awe through the third-graders.
After passing through security, Athena and Mr. Miller guided the trail of wide-eyed children through the glass doors and up the elevator to the second-floor bullpen.
The moment the elevator doors chimed open, the quiet, serious atmosphere of the BAU was completely shattered by the arrival of twenty-two cheering eight-year-olds.
"Welcome, third graders!" a bright, bubbly voice called out.
Standing near the round table was Penelope Garcia, wearing a brightly patterned yellow dress and colorful glasses, alongside Derek Morgan, Spencer Reid, JJ, and David Rossi.
"I'm Agent Garcia, and this is the super-secret headquarters where we solve gigantic puzzles!" Penelope announced, clapping her hands together as the kids gasped in unison.
While Morgan demonstrated how handcuffs worked to a group of amazed boys, and Reid got enthusiastically drawn into a complex debate with a seven-year-old about whether dinosaurs could be profiled, Athena stood near the perimeter, keeping a watchful eye on the class.
"Miss Athena?"
A tiny voice tugged at the hem of her cardigan. Athena looked down to see Maya, one of Jack's classmates, clutching a stuffed bunny and staring up at her with big, curious hazel eyes.
"Yes, sweetie? Do you need to use the restroom?" Athena asked softly, crouching down to Maya's eye level.
Maya shook her head, leaning in closer as if sharing a top-secret state assignment. "No... I noticed something."
"Oh yeah? What did you notice?"
Maya pointed a tiny, dramatic finger across the bullpen toward the glass-walled office at the top of the iron staircase.
Aaron Hotchner was standing by his desk, listening to Rossi while signing off on a stack of case files. Even from a distance, his presence was staggering—charcoal suit, immaculate posture, and a face carved out of stern granite. But as if sensing he was being watched, Aaron’s dark eyes swept over the railing, skipping right past the chaotic group of children and landing squarely on Athena.
For a long, suspended beat, neither of them moved. Aaron’s expression softened by a fraction of a millimeter, his dark gaze lingering on her face with an unspoken, quiet intensity that made the air in Athena's lungs feel suddenly thin. He gave her a single, microscopic nod of acknowledgment before returning his attention to Rossi.
Athena swallowed hard, her heart doing a completely un-teacher-like flutter in her chest.
Maya leaned in closer to Athena's ear and whispered loudly, "Miss Athena, I think you like Jack’s dad."
Athena nearly choked on her own breath. Her head snapped back to the little girl, a bright, involuntary flush climbing rapidly up her neck and flooding her cheeks.
"Maya!" Athena squeaked out, her voice cracking slightly as she looked around frantically to make sure no agents had heard. "What—why would you say that? Agent Hotchner is Jack’s father, and we are just... we're just making sure the field trip goes smoothly!"
Maya crossed her arms, looking terribly wise for an eight-year-old. "Every time he walks near you, your face goes red like a strawberry. And Jack says his dad talks about you at dinner."
Athena’s entire system short-circuited. "He... what?"
"Jack said his dad asked him if Miss Athena likes white chocolate or milk chocolate best," Maya added casually, shrugging her shoulders before spotting Garcia handing out FBI star badges. "Ooh, stickers!"
Before Athena could process the psychological bomb that had just been dropped into her lap, Maya scurried off toward the round table, leaving the assistant teacher frozen on the carpet, her face burning hotter than a furnace.
He asked Jack about my favorite chocolate? Athena thought wildly, her fingers clutching her clipboard so hard her knuckles turned white. No. No way. Jack probably just brought it up randomly. Aaron Hotchner is a senior federal executive. He doesn't... he wouldn't...
"Is everything alright, Athena?"
The deep, low baritone resonated right beside her ear, dropping like warm velvet over her frazzled nerves.
Athena jumped slightly, turning around to find Aaron standing less than two feet away. He had descended the iron stairs without making a sound. He had taken off his suit jacket, rolling his crisp white dress shirt sleeves up to his forearms, revealing the lean, strong frame beneath.
"Agent Hotchner!" Athena gasped out, trying desperately to pull her professional composure back together. "I—yes! Everything is wonderful. The kids are having an absolute blast. Agent Reid is currently explaining carbon dating to little Timmy."
Aaron looked over at Reid, a tiny, fond twitch appearing at the corner of his lips. "Reid tends to forget his audience is under thirty."
He turned his full, undivided attention back to Athena. His dark eyes searched her flushed face, taking in the rapid rise and fall of her chest and the rosy tint on her cheeks. His brow furrowed slightly in quiet concern.
"You look flushed," Aaron noted, his voice dropping into a softer, more private register that instantly cut through the noisy bullpen around them. "Are you feeling alright? The building's air conditioning can be unpredictable."
"I'm fine! Absolutely fine," Athena said a little too quickly, tucking a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Just... busy keeping up with twenty-two eight-year-olds."
Aaron held her gaze for a long moment, his intense, analytical profiler’s gaze scanning her face with a quiet curiosity that made her heart hammer against her ribs.
"I wanted to thank you," Aaron said softly, stepping just an inch closer—close enough that she could catch the faint scent of cedarwood, rain, and black coffee clinging to him. "For organizing this with Mr. Miller. Jack hasn't stopped talking about today for two weeks."
"He was so excited," Athena smiled, her genuine warmth finally pushing past her embarrassment. "He’s so proud of you, Aaron. He stood in front of the whole class yesterday during prep and told everyone his dad was the bravest man in the country."
Aaron froze. A rare, profound vulnerability flickered across his dark eyes, the stoic Unit Chief melting away to reveal simply a devoted father who loved his son more than life itself. He looked down at his polished shoes, a quiet, genuine smile touching his lips.
"He said that?" Aaron murmured softly.
"Word for word," Athena whispered, stepping closer to him without realizing it, her eyes soft with affection. "You're doing an amazing job with him, Aaron. Truly."
Aaron looked back up, his gaze locking onto hers with a fierce, grounded warmth that felt entirely intimate amidst the chaos of the room.
"I have a lot of help," Aaron said quietly, his eyes dropping briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes. "Jack talks about you at home, too. A lot, actually."
Athena’s breath caught in her throat. Maya's words echoed in her head.
"Does he?" she asked softly, her voice barely audible over the chatter of the kids nearby.
"He does," Aaron admitted, his tone dropping into a low, gravelly hum that sent shivers straight down her spine. "He told me you like white chocolate truffles from the bakery on 4th Street."
Athena stared at him, her lips parting slightly in shock. "I... I do. How did he—"
"I might have asked him," Aaron cut in smoothly, a faint, dangerously charming smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth—a look so devastatingly handsome it nearly knocked the wind right out of her. "I wanted to make sure I got the right gift to thank Jack's favorite teacher for all her hard work this semester."
Athena stood paralyzed, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs as the realization settled over her like warm sunlight.
Aaron Hotchner—the intimidating, unshakeable Unit Chief of the BAU—had intentionally used his eight-year-old son to spy on her dessert preferences.
Before she could form a coherent sentence, Jack came running over, clutching a plastic FBI badge in his hand. "Dad! Miss Athena! Look! Agent Morgan said I'm officially an honorary profiler!"
Aaron broke his hold on Athena's gaze, looking down at his son with an affectionate grin, placing a heavy, warm hand on Jack's shoulder. "That's high praise, buddy. Did you thank Agent Morgan?"
"Yep!" Jack chirped, looking up at Athena with a bright, innocent grin. "Miss Athena, can Dad come with us on the bus back to school?"
"Oh, sweetie, your dad has a lot of very important work to do here," Athena said gently, shooting a quick, apologetic look at Aaron.
"Actually," Aaron interjected smoothly, checking his wrist watch before looking back at Athena with a slow, deliberate warmth in his dark eyes. "My schedule is completely clear for the rest of the afternoon. And since I'm the official parent sponsor for this trip... I believe I'm required to accompany the class back to the school."
Jack cheered, sprinting back toward Reid to brag about his dad riding the school bus.
Athena looked at Aaron, her eyes wide with amused disbelief. "You? On a yellow school bus?"
"I can handle high-risk situations, Athena," Aaron murmured, taking a small step closer to her, his shoulder brushing lightly against hers as they watched the kids line up. "Besides... I hear the commute gives us about forty-five minutes to talk."
"Talk about what, Unit Chief?" Athena teased softly, tilting her head up to meet his intense, devoted stare.
Aaron leaned down slightly, his deep voice brushing against her ear, laced with a slow, deliberate promises of a slow-burn that was finally catching flame:
"About Sean, about white chocolate... and whether you'd mind if I took Jack to that bakery on 4th Street after school today to pick some up for you."
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Athena blinked, a breathless, genuine laugh escaping her throat as a brilliant smile lit up her face. "I think... I could live with that, Unit Chief."
"Good," Aaron murmured, a small, triumphant warmth softening his dark eyes before he straightened his posture, turning toward the center of the room. "Let's get these kids loaded onto the bus."
The ride back to the elementary school was forty-five minutes of joyous, chaotic energy.
Aaron sat near the middle of the bus, his long legs folded neatly into the cramped space of a green vinyl bench seat. Jack sat proudly beside him, holding his dad's hand while chattering endlessly about Spencer Reid’s dinosaur theories.
Sitting across the narrow aisle was Athena, her clipboard resting on her lap, holding Maya’s stuffed bunny while answering a barrage of questions from three little girls in the row behind them.
Every few minutes, whenever the bus hit a bump or the children got particularly loud, Athena’s eyes would drift over to Aaron. And every single time, she found his dark gaze already resting on her—steady, quiet, and completely undivided. There was no pretense, no high-stress investigation, and no heavy suit jacket hiding the man underneath. Just a father enjoying a rare afternoon with his son, quietly weaving himself into the rhythm of her world.
When the yellow bus finally pulled into the school driveway, the class spilled out in an orderly scramble, heading straight toward the playground for afternoon recess before dismissal.
Mr. Miller walked up to Aaron near the school gates, shaking his hand warmly. "Agent Hotchner, I can't thank you enough. The kids are going to be talking about this for the rest of the year."
"It was our pleasure, Mr. Miller," Aaron replied politely. "Thank you for letting us host."
As Mr. Miller walked back inside to file the field trip logs, Aaron remained near the edge of the brick walkway, watching Jack race across the woodchips toward the swings.
Athena stepped up beside him, tucking a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear as the cool afternoon breeze swept over the schoolyard.
"You really didn't have to ride the bus, you know," Athena said softly, looking up at his profile. "I'm sure you have a mountain of paperwork waiting for you back at Quantico."
"It can wait," Aaron said quietly, his hands resting casually in his trouser pockets as he turned his head to look down at her. The afternoon light caught the amber highlights in his dark eyes, making the stern lines around his face look softer, gentler. "Some things are more important than paperwork."
Athena felt a quiet flutter in her chest, leaning her shoulder lightly against the cool brick wall of the school building. "Is that right?"
"It is," Aaron murmured. He paused for a beat, his gaze lingering on her flushed, smiling face with a slow, deliberate focus that made her heart skip a beat. "Sean mentioned you a few months ago, you know. When I told him I was moving Jack to this district."
Athena’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Sean talked about me?"
"He said you were the sharpest, kindest person in your graduating class," Aaron revealed, his voice dropping into that low, gravelly register that seemed reserved only for her. "He told me if I ever ran into you, I should make sure I kept you around."
A soft, genuine blush bloomed across Athena's cheeks, but this time she didn't look away. "Sean was always surprisingly observant when he wanted to be."
"He was right," Aaron added softly, his tone completely sincere, devoid of any professional distance. "Jack adores you, Athena. And... I can see why."
The air between them grew warm and still, the distant laughter of the children fading into background noise as their eyes locked. There was no rush, no sudden leap across boundaries—just the quiet, undeniable foundation of mutual respect and a subtle spark beginning to steadily catch flame.
The three o'clock bell chimed loudly across the courtyard, signaling dismissal.
Jack came running up the path, his backpack slung over one shoulder and his plastic FBI badge pinned proudly to his shirt. "Miss Athena! Can Dad and I walk you to your classroom before we go to the bakery?"
Athena laughed, looking from Jack’s eager face up to Aaron’s amused, expectant expression.
"I'd like that very much, Jack," Athena smiled warmly, stepping into stride alongside them.
As they walked down the quiet school hallway together, Aaron’s shoulder brushed gently against hers—a small, steady touch that spoke volumes about the slow, beautiful burn of whatever was building between them.
The hallway was empty, save for the low hum of the fluorescent lights overhead and the distant, rhythmic sound of cars pulling into the carpool line outside.
Jack scampered ahead to the classroom door, practically vibrating with excitement as he turned the brass handle and pushed it open. "I'll go get my jacket and my backpack from my cubby, Miss Athena!"
"Don't forget your lunchbox, Jack!" Athena called out after him, stepping into the warm, familiar scent of dry-erase markers and construction paper.
Aaron followed her inside, his long, measured stride bringing him into the room with that same commanding, magnetic presence. He looked around the third-grade classroom—at the colorful alphabet charts, the reading corner stacked with oversized pillows, and the small wooden desk in the corner adorned with a tiny jar of wildflowers and a framed drawing Jack had made weeks ago.
Aaron’s dark eyes rested on the drawing. It was a crayon sketch of Jack, Aaron, and Athena standing under a lopsided yellow sun, with “BEST TEACHER” scrawled across the top in messy blue lettering.
A remarkably soft expression crossed Aaron's face. He walked over to the small table, his large hand coming up to gently rest his thumb against the edge of the wood frame.
"He drew this for you?" Aaron asked quietly, his deep voice dropping into a low, rumbling hum that seemed to vibrate straight through the quiet room.
Athena walked over, setting her clipboard down beside the jar of flowers. She looked up at him, her heart doing a familiar, erratic rhythm against her ribs. "He did. About three weeks ago, after we finished our reading unit. He told me he wanted to make sure I knew I was part of his team."
Aaron turned his head slowly, his dark, intense gaze locking onto hers. He stood close—close enough that Athena could catch the subtle scent of cedar, starch, and crisp afternoon air completely enveloping her senses.
"Jack doesn't let just anyone into his circle, Athena," Aaron murmured softly, his posture completely relaxed for the first time all day. "Neither do I."
Athena’s pulse fluttered in her throat. The quiet, slow-burn friction that had been simmering between them since parent-teacher orientation felt warm and steady—not rushed, just an undeniable truth hanging gently in the air.
Before she could speak, Jack came trotting out from the cubby area, his dark blue windbreaker zipped up to his chin and his backpack slung over one shoulder. He stopped a few feet away, looking back and forth between his dad and Athena with a sly, conspiratorial grin that looked far too mischievous for an eight-year-old.
"Dad," Jack said loudly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're forgetting something."
Aaron blinked, breaking his hold on Athena's gaze to look down at his son, his brow furrowing in genuine confusion. "Am I? Your lunchbox is in your bag, Jack."
"No, not that," Jack sighed, shaking his head dramatically like a little professor dealing with an uncooperative student. He pointed a small finger right at Aaron. "You said on the bus that if Miss Athena liked the field trip, you were going to ask her if she wants to get dinner with us sometime!"
Athena choked on a sudden breath, her eyes widening in pure, unadulterated shock as a bright, involuntary flush flooded her cheeks.
Aaron froze completely. The stoic, unshakeable Unit Chief of the Behavioral Analysis Unit stood rooted to the linoleum floor, his jaw tightening as a faint, incredible shade of crimson crept up the back of his neck, right above his crisp white collar.
"Jack," Aaron said, his voice dropping an octave into a low, warning tone that lacked any real bite. "That was a private conversation."
"It's not private if it's about Miss Athena!" Jack countered innocently, looking up at Athena with big, hopeful eyes. "Did you know that Dad spent ten minutes in the kitchen yesterday asking Uncle Dave how to ask someone for coffee without sounding like a boss. Uncle Dave told him to just use his words!"
Athena couldn't help it. A breathless, melodic laugh escaped her throat, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as she looked up at Aaron.
Aaron looked down at her, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a long, heavy sigh. The stoic facade was completely shattered, replaced by an intensely charming, flustered vulnerability that made him look human, handsome, and entirely irresistible.
"I am going to have a very serious talk with David Rossi about his advisory role," Aaron muttered under his breath, though a tiny, helpless smirk pulled at the corner of his lips.
"Well," Athena said softly, her voice light and teasing as she stepped a fraction closer to him, her eyes dancing with quiet warmth. "I think Uncle Dave gave pretty good advice, Unit Chief. You could just use your words."
Aaron lowered his hand, his dark eyes meeting hers. The lingering flush was still on his neck, but his gaze grew steady, rich with a deep, grounded affection that set her heart completely at ease. He took a small, deliberate step toward her, his posture tall and protective.
"Alright," Aaron murmured, his deep baritone dropping into a soft, private register meant only for her. "Using my words... I would really like it if Jack and I could ask you to have a dinner with us after school. And maybe... we could sit on the bench outside the bakery for a little while in that white chocolate truffles in the 4th street before we get dinner?"
It wasn't a sudden, whirlwind date. It wasn't a grand, dramatic leap across boundaries. It was simple, quiet, and perfectly tailored to the slow, careful way they were building something together.
Athena looked up into his eyes, her heart swelling with a gentle, radiant warmth. "I would love that, Aaron. Truly."
Jack let out a victorious little “Yes!” and clapped his hands together, pumping his fist in the air. "I told you it would work, Dad!"
Aaron looked down at his son, shaking his head with a fond, affectionate smile, placing a broad, warm hand over Jack's shoulder. "That's enough profiling for one day, buddy. Let's head to the car."
"Bye, Miss Athena!" Jack beamed, waving as he headed for the classroom door.
Aaron lingered for one last, quiet second. He reached out, his long fingers gently brushing against Athena's arm in a soft, grounding touch that lingered long after he pulled back.
"Thank you, Athena," Aaron murmured softly, his dark eyes holding hers with a promise of tomorrow. "For everything today."
"See you tomorrow, Aaron," she smiled warmly.
Aaron offered a faint, lingering smile before turning to walk out into the quiet hallway alongside his son, leaving Athena standing in her classroom with a full heart, a quiet blush, and the beautiful anticipation of what was yet to come.
