#nonbaureader

He took another moment for his eyes to adjust to the light, as his vision cleared, he watched as the smaller white curtains billowed from the air coming out of the air conditioner housed under the window of his room. It was like unseen hands were playing with the fabric, tossing it back and forth. Hotch yawned once, stood, and made his way to the bathroom. He hadn’t overslept which was good. It would give him time to shower and do a proper shave, and if the traffic wasn’t bad, he’d be able to get some good coffee before heading to the first lecture of the day. He never had high praises for the coffee at the Quantico Field Office’s break room, but somehow the caffeine offered at the sad beige-looking conference center in the heart of D.C. was worse.

He could taste the bitter acidity of it on his tongue as he thought about it, so he moved to the sink and washed his face, then brushed his teeth. He relieved himself before turning on the hot water in the shower. As the water came to an acceptable degree, he stripped off the white t-shirt he often slept in, and his boxers, leaving them on a chair near the desk. He walked past the bathroom mirror, already fogging up not taking time to notice of his reflection. He wouldn’t do that until he had to. As he stepped into the shower and closed the glass door around him he felt the aching in his feet and joints. The Friday session had been grueling with lots of standing and walking around and then loads of boring conversations that dulled his brain to hell and back. He was expecting more of the same today and was already dreading it. 

As he cleaned every inch of his body with his lightly scented body wash, his fingers lathered the soap, he ignored the feeling of softness on his stomach and upper legs. Instead, he focused on the muscles he could still feel. His daily wash was like a ritual in grounding. If he had the time or the belief in meditation he might try that, but he never had - even if his therapist had suggested it multiple times. Aaron let his mind wander to the annual Technologies and Crime convention that the Cyber Crimes Unit annually hosted. All of the higher ranking members of the FBI were required to attend, or at least a member of each team. Really, the event was more for the administrators who often stayed in their offices while everyone else went out on the field. Not that those positions and jobs weren’t important, but those agents did seem older and less familiar with technology than some of the younger agents.

Not that he considered himself young, but he at least knew how to convert a PDF into a Word document and how to attach a file to an email. The specific topics being covered this year were AI and fraud, cryptocurrencies, and possible attacks on the failing infrastructure system in the U.S. which had actually been interesting. He chose to attend the sessions that dealt with the legal side of these issues as he had possibly the smartest tech whiz on his team, Penelope Garcia, to cover their backs whenever any technology was concerned. For a moment, when he’d drawn the short straw with Rossi, he considered bribing Garcia to go in his place, but one, bribes weren’t technically legal, and two, Penelope was sure to start fights with the presenters about how they were incorrect about their codes or something, and he wanted to avoid that conversation with Strauss if he could. So, he sighed, packed his bags, and left that Thursday for D.C. 

Aaron finished with his shave, moved back to the bedroom, and dressed. As he slipped on his shoes, he looked over the room. It was nice. It didn’t need to be, but it was. The hotel was some sort of upcycled, repurposed office building that had an open floor plan and industrial exposed architecture. He tried to think about what it must have been like working there before it had gone under. He cringed at the thought and quickly moved out of his room. He made sure to grab his suit jacket and car keys along with his badge. As he moved into the hallway and toward the elevator, he considered the hotels to be very much like hospitals. Bland, cold, hopefully clean. Spaces meant to comfort and emulate home but somehow had an uncanny-valley-esque effect on him. He was suddenly relieved that he was checking out early tomorrow morning. Excited to see Jack and pick him up from his mom’s house. Excited to see his team. There would be relief in the familiar. If this was a flaw of his, he didn’t hate it as much as he hated some of the other things about himself. 

y/n lay flat on her back, letting the chlorine water of the pool, unnaturally blue, wash over her body. The heat of the morning sun wasn’t too hot, yet. She’d hoped the pool would be empty, but a few guys and girls were sitting on the edge, and even more kids with moms who looked tired or hung over. y/n didn’t blame them, she’d be wasted too right now if it there hadn’t been such a bad fight last night between her friends. She was glad then, to be the sober friend so she could stop anyone from doing more than emotional damage to each other. Her reputation as the ‘mom friend’ had seemed to stick past college. She didn’t mind really, she just wished there was one time when she could be fully carefree, maybe have someone looking out for her back instead of doing the same for others all the time. A splash of water from one of the kids cannonballing close to her hit y/n in the face. y/n stood up, adjusted the straps of her swimsuit that were a size too big for her, and waded to the deep end where the boisterous children hadn’t congregated yet. 

y/n closed her eyes and kept one hand on her swim top. The last thing she wanted to do was flash some, and the shoddy construction of her swimsuit didn’t give her much confidence. As she looked up at the blue sky spackled with light grey clouds floating above her, she considered that the trip had been ill-conceived since the beginning and that she really should have seen this outcome in the cards. She had been farther out from her friend group and always had been. All five of them met at college and lived on the same floor in one of the oldest dorms on campus. They ended up taking a lot of the same classes and forming a pretty tight friend group.

Four years later, they’d all moved on to jobs or marriage or another degree. Personally y/n found herself in y/s. It wasn’t wholly bad. She made money and had a place to stay, but in terms of fulfillment and success, she felt like her life was a lot less than many of her friends; their relationships, jobs, and houses. Even the idea of it made her annoyed, not at them, but at herself. She hated pity, especially if she was the one being pitied. “Suck it up, Buttercup” was a phrase she stated a lot, but it seemed harder to do that now while her mind was more empty. Since college, it had been harder for them to all get together as they moved away and started their adult lives. They always texted in the group chat during Spring Break or Summer that they should get together again. Then there would be a slew of anecdotes from their time in uni, pictures from the beach or study abroad, laughter, and nostalgia for a time that seemed ephemeral now that they were older. 

Finally the most active and the planner of the five friends actually made a plan and asked everyone to list good dates when they actually could see each other for a weekend. Just them girls, no husbands, boyfriends, or children allowed. It would just be them and fun in the sun. They’d all made it work because they knew if they didn’t have a meet-up soon, they’d never do it, and even if this was their last hurrah, at least they’d kept their word: ‘friends for life.’ y/n had to fight with her boss for a weekend off at her second job, but she’d accrued the time and had good relationships with her co-workers who said they’d cover her shift if their boss, a real stick in the mud - gave her trouble. Then there was the problem of the ticket prices. y/n didn’t make a lot, and a flight was out of the option. They’d all picked D.C. because it was the closest to all of them combined, and there was a lot to do there, sightseeing, decent food, and such, so y/n had gotten an Amtrack ticket. It took twice as long for her to get to the hotel, but it was twice as cheap, so she was happy even if she was tired. 

Apart from planning problems, the first issue came up when the first girl had to drop out because her kid caught the flu. This woman, Kelly had drawn far away from everyone since her marriage. Only one of their friends, Grace, had gotten an invite to Kelly’s wedding. So it wasn’t a huge deal, even though that thought made y/n feel bad. y/n often wondered if Kelly was happy with her four children, her husband, and her big house out in the suburbs of Maryland. From her Facebook posts, it seemed like it, but it was hard to tell. Then Veronica’s luggage got lost at the airport, or the airport in Denver where she’d had a layover. After she finished complaining over the group's first drinks of the vacation, all four of them, y/n, Grace, Veronica, and Kira went into town and watched Veronica spend an exorbitant amount of money to replace her lost things. She brushed off her causal spending and y/n and Kira’s eyes grew wide at the check out. Veronica sheepishly looked at them and said, “Drinks and dinner on me tonight, gang.” Veronica knew she was much better off than her friends, thanks to her parents. No one in the group was mad about this. Veronica didn’t flaunt her money, or she hadn’t in college. Actually, she’d helped them all out a lot, including buying y/n’s textbooks sophomore year. y/n had promised to pay her back, and after months y/n had saved enough to do so. When y/n presented Veronica with the money, she declined it instantly and told y/n to spend it on something she wanted, or needed. After y/n had gotten back to her apartment, she cried. She wasn’t sure why, but she had. 

The last issue, the big issue that had gotten y/n out of bed early to avoid her friends was a fight between Grace and Kira. It just wasn’t a fight, it was a friendship-ending fight. Of all five of them, Kira and Grace had remained the closest, mostly because they lived in the same town and in the same apartment. They still hung out like all of them used to. They had the same circle of friends and, surprisingly to everyone, the same boyfriend. There was no getting around it. It had started while Kira and Tom were taking a break. He’d slid into Graes DM’s trying to not look shady, acting like he wanted emotional support, but he ended up wanting more, and Grace had given it to him. Then, when Kira and Tom had patched things up, Grace promised herself she’d never do that again, but it turned out she, nor Tom had that much willpower, or decency to stop seeing each other on the sly. The truth came tumbling out of Grace’s mouth in a much less composed way. She’d begged and pleaded to all of them, to Veronica and y/n more than Kira for forgiveness, but everyone was too stunned to do anything for a while. Then Kira started sobbing profusely and then screaming, and that’s when y/n pushed Grace out of the room and toward her own which she was sharing with Veronica.

Not that Veronica couldn’t afford her own room, it was that y/n couldn’t and Veronica had taken pity on her. Again that work pity had popped up, and y/n shook it off. At least there was one person who y/n had little pity for, and that was Grace. It ended up being a long night as y/n sat with Grace and listened to her ramble once she’d stopped crying and moved to the bar in the lobby. After an hour, y/n got a text from Veronica asking to trade places and y/n agreed. Veronica was kind and generous, but not the best with comforting people in the face of big emotions, or any emotions, so y/n told her where she was, swung by their room to grab an unopened bottle of wine she’d bought at the store earlier, and made it to Kira’s room where she spent the next two hours listening and finally tucking her friend under the covers. 

The fallout from the fight last night had effects that changed y/n’s anticipated vacation and catch-up, and greatly dampened her mood. The first was that Veronica had bought Grace an early flight home that morning which would leave in an hour and save them all some awkwardness. Veronica had also bought herself a ticket home as well. The richest of the group had justified her choice to leave early because she was sad about the situation and didn’t want to be sad before she went on her big summer vacation in Italy in two weeks. This had all been explained in the new group chat, sans Grace,  in a load of bright messages that y/n had woken up to that morning. y/n realized this was probably for the best, but it still made her sad. She had hoped for it to be like the old days and it wasn’t. Nothing about growing up and finishing college and getting a job had been what she’d expected, so she didn’t know why she’d hoped for a change this time. 

y/n blinked away the sleepiness in her eyes and sat up on Kira’s bed. Her friend was still asleep and y/n replied to Veronica’s texts saying she’d be at the pool, and to come and see her there before Veronica’s flight left which was shortly after Grace’s. y/n decided to not waste her time off. She’d planned for it and spent money on it, and wanted to have a good time even if it was by herself. y/n had also grabbed her backpack last night with her clothes and the color of her new swimsuit jumped out at her from the other clothes inside. With a smile, y/n grabbed the two pieces and put them on in the bathroom. y/n turned on the bright light and examined herself in the mirror. The swimwear was from SHIEN and not well made, but it looked good on her. It was y/f/c. There were g/s rings on the top and bottom. The two pieces of fabric were connected in the front with a ring and both sides also had rings with straps that connected at the back. The neck closure was just a traditional sting bikini-style top. The two halves of the bottom of the suit were also held together at the sides with rings. With the design of the suit, there was lots of exposed skin, but y/n was comfortable with that; it would allow her to get a nice tan which didn’t happen when she was at work all hours of the day. The rings weren’t real s/g, they were a cheap plastic knockoff.  She left Kira a note with where she’d be and then grabbed a towel, her sunscreen flip-flops, and a tote bag with her essentials before heading out the door. 

y/n was just fully relaxed after being splashed when her senses picked up something she didn’t want to hear. She lifted her head slightly further out of the water so she could hear and it confirmed that Veronica and Grace were walking in her direction. There was a clattering of suitcases on the ground and y/n quickly pressed herself to the side of the pool so that neither of them could see her, or more specifically, so Grace couldn’t see her. y/n did want to say goodbye to Veronica but not at the expense of having to see Grace. She knew that was selfish, but she and Kira were good friends, and y/n hadn’t fully processed what Grace’s betrayal had meant for them as a group yet. It would change the whole dynamic and she didn’t want to hear Grace apologize again, to grovel at her feet. She was angry with Grace and what she’d done. For now, she wanted to be justifiably angry. Plus, if Veronica was leaving early, she could stay hidden, both were forms of coping. y/n’s chest was pressed against the wall and the texture of the pool scratched her skin slightly. She listened as Grace talked to Veronica. She groaned for a while and Veronica reminded Grace that she expected to be paid back for the flight and highly recommended she stay below the radar for a few weeks before talking to y/n or Kira. Grace agreed and then the sound of someone walking away and pulling a suitcase behind them. 

y/n held her breath, not that that was going to do anything, and let it out when Veronica said, “You’re safe y/n, you can come out of hiding now.” y/n let out a chuckle and pushed herself off the wall so she could see Victoria. She watched as her friend ditched her bags and moved to the gate separating the pool from the outside of the hotel and didn’t notice as the ring holding the front of her suit together cracked and the fabric on one side of the suit slowly started creeping down to the opening. Veronica moved to the side of the pool and knelt near y/n who was about to get out of the pool, but Veronica said, “You don’t have to get out y/n. You look like you’re having fun and you should enjoy it.” y/n looked up at her friend and could tell she was being serious. After all, y/n would get Veronica’s perfect travel outfit wet if she tried to hug her goodbye, so instead she asked, “Are you leaving now too?” 

Veronica nodded and replied, “Yeah. You know how crazy flights are right now with all the cancellations and it’s going to be a long wait anyway, so I might as well get there early. It can’t hurt.” y/n nodded along even though it had been years since she’d flown. y/n was looking for something to say apart from bye, but couldn’t find the words. Veronica smiled and said, “I enjoyed catching up with you yesterday, y/n. I promise to come down and see you more often, okay?” y/n nodded suddenly feeling emotional. She blinked rapidly a few times before saying, “Please. I’d like that Ver. I’m sorry it ended like this.”

Veronica snorted and said, “You don’t need to apologize y/n. Grace does. Now, can you promise me something before I go and let you get back to the pool?” y/n nodded not sure what to expect. Ver took a breath and looked over at the street where her Uber would be to pick her up in a second before turning back and said, “Do something fun today. Go out, eat something good, drink something nice. You deserve it.” y/n felt herself soften and the tears recede. She and Ver were not much alike, but Veronica was a good person and could read her well. y/n finally replied, “I will. Promise. Now you’d better go, those four bags aren’t going to carry themselves to the Uber.” Veronica laughed loud and bright as she stood up and replied, “I bet if I paid them enough they would.” As she got to her bags and started pulling them toward the waiting car y/n shouted, “Oh get out of here, and have a safe flight!” Ver gave a final wave and then moved beyond where y/n could see. 

y/n turned around to relax again, and this was when her swimsuit fully betrayed her. The other half of the front ring snapped and it fell into the water leaving her front fully open. If it hadn’t been for y/n covering her chest in embarrassment, she would have flashed everyone at the pool. As y/n gripped the thin fabric to her chest with one hand, she turned around with the other and grabbed onto the wall again. To add insult to injury, her left strap also fell apart, the thin stitching fraying with y/n’s small movements in the water. y/n let out a breath and firmly kept her hand in place as she rested her head on the hand that was holding her to the wall. She thunked her head softly against her arm a few times. Her suit falling apart felt like a metaphor for this trip and her adult life in general. The cheapness of her clothes was a reminder of her economic status that none of her other friends seemed to worry about, even if they should. After a moment of accepting the situation, y/n looked behind her shoulder to see the rest of the pool. For some reason it seemed like the number of people enjoying the water had increased, especially the children present even though she knew it wasn’t possible. No one apart from Veronica had come or gone from the space. y/n took a breath and considered her options. The most obvious would be to just get out of the pool, but now the kids were running around as their moms paid less attention to them. 

The simple choice was to use both of her hands to heave her body from the pool to the side, but that would require both of her hands and would result in her top opening or coming off altogether, and with the kids around, she didn’t want to flash them, or anyone for that matter. The next option was to shimmy all the way around the pool with one hand, make it to the ladder in the shallow end, and climb out that way. However, the ladders were both near couples and she couldn’t bear the idea of having to make her way out of the water with the younger and attractive couples looking directly at her and realizing what was happening. Then there was the option of calling for help, either from one of the younger people closer to her age, or to one of the parents, but everyone suddenly seemed so involved: gossiping, sleeping, reading, scolding a child for running around. Although everyone seemed occupied, it also felt like everyone was also looking at her. Like they knew what was happening and having a little laugh about it at her expense.

y/n turned quickly back to the wall when one of the moms did look her way. y/n closed her eyes and knew she was making up the other people’s reactions. No one really cared about her and that was part of what made her so aware. Where was her mom friend when she needed one? y/n also knew she was tired; she’d hardly gotten any sleep last night and it was wearing her out. y/n wished she wasn’t so self-conscious. With those thoughts, she also tried to think of any other means of escaping her current situation that didn’t involve someone who was at the pool in that moment and she realized she could just wait for someone who seemed less judgy to come outside and she’d flag them down to help her. It’d be embarrassing as hell, but she’d likely never see them again, as she was leaving tomorrow. 

This idea seemed great until it felt like hours before anyone else came outside. The first few people weren’t great candidates. They were either elderly or had kids, or were attached at the hip. y/n was beginning to give up hope and feel the skin of her fingers wrinkle from the water. She was also cold now, half from being in the shadow of the tall hotel, and half from the humiliation of being in such a position. Finally, someone came out of the building’s side entrance and toward the pool. The hotel was really nice, above her budget, and the pool area was buffeted by greenery and an interior courtyard that had a path leading to the parking out in the back. So unless a guest wanted to use the pool, sit in the courtyard, or take the scenic route to their car, there wasn’t much need for the path sitting a few feet from where y/n now clung to the wall shivering. But the man who walked out the door and was quickly getting closer seemed like an apt candidate to help. He looked older, but not too old, and he was moving at a leisurely pace. He was wearing a suit and held a briefcase which meant he was probably leaving to go somewhere important and would quickly forget this inconvenience ever happened to him. 

Aaron took the long way out to his car. Through the lobby and then around by the courtyard and pool. The little courtyard was cute, enclosed by plants with a small fountain in the center of the space. There were benches around the space that would be nice to sit at and have a coffee and read for a while. Aaron assumed the space didn’t get used very often. Not many people came to hotels to just stay on the property. He stood there for a moment enjoying the quiet, the solitude he was sure he wouldn’t find at the conference. Beside the small trickle of water from the fountain, he could hear splashing from the pool. The water looked bright blue and he imagined himself spending a few hours there instead of the cold convention center.

Apart from his qualms about his older body, he would love it, and he could always wear a t-shirt over his trunks. After heaving a sigh, he checked his watch, and if was very much time for him to head out. He was already stalling, so he moved toward the pool. His mind was in another place when he heard someone calling, “Sir. Sir, could you…” Aaron’s head snapped toward the pool when he realized the small voice was calling him. It had to be him because he was the only one there and he was the only “Sir” around. He caught the eyes of a woman close to him. She was on the edge of the pool and he could just see her head and shoulders. As soon as their eyes met she suddenly turned her eyes away and flushed like she was embarrassed about something. Hotch blinked a few times trying to determine if he was the source of discomfort, or if it was something else. 

He finally cleared his head and stepped forward and asked, “Yes. Sorry, can I help you?” The woman only seemed to be more flustered as she replied, “I’m sorry to bother you, but could you get my towel from the chair over there?” and then much more softly, “Sorry,” again. Aaron’s eyes flitted from her to the chair and back. It was an odd request. By all means it looked like the woman could just get out of the pool and get the towel herself. However, Aaron paused here. He never wanted to assume someone’s story even though that was a huge part of his job.

He reminded himself that he didn’t know this person’s background or medical history and that she might not be as able-bodied as he assumed. After all, she had seen embarrassed to ask for help and her avoiding his eyes was indicative of her discomfort about something. Hotch had decided to help y/n before he understood why she had asked for help. ‘Be a gentleman’ Aaron reminded himself. It was what Garcia always called him when he opened the door for her or got her a little treat. He didn’t feel like he deserved the title, but now was his chance to live up to the name. He stepped toward the gate as she said, “I’ve got you. I’ll be right there.” 

There were other people at the pool, but Hotch didn’t pay attention to them. He moved to the chair the woman had gestured at and picked up the white towel that was warmed from sitting in the sun. He moved back toward y/n and as he got closer he realized what was happening. He noticed that only one of the straps on the woman’s suit was attached, and the style was clearly not meant to be asymmetrical. As he moved forward y/n with the towel, he averted his eyes to make sure he didn’t get a look at y/n’s chest which she was covering to the best of her ability. He knelt at the lip of the pool and asked, “Um, how would you like to do this?” 

y/n flushed looking up at the man. He was attractive, more so now that she had a closer look at him and the sun wasn’t shining directly in her eyes. She wanted to nod her head at the stupidity of thinking the man was hot, but couldn’t avoid memorizing the shape of his face in the back of her mind. For a second she wished he was ugly, it would make her situation less awkward. y/n shook her head slightly to clear it before saying, “You can just drop it down. I’ll figure it out. Sorry to have bothered you.” Hotch bit the inside of his cheek and replied, “Don’t be sorry. Stuff happens.” Hotch felt bad just leaving like that and he continued, “I can hand this to you and I’ll turn around. And when you’re comfortable I can help you out if you like. That way you don’t have to cross the pool in a wet towel. No one else will have to know.” He said the last part softly like he understood what y/n was going through; deeper than just in that moment. y/n looked up at him and tried to avoid shaking with how cold she was. The man seemed so sincere that she nodded her head and pushed off the wall slightly as he handed her the towel in her free hand. True to his word the tall man turned away, giving y/n a nice look at his long legs. She stopped herself from leering and pulled the towel under the water getting it wet. She pulled it around her and wrapped it in the front so it would cover her chest. She let her hand that had been giving her privacy for a while rest and it ached with how hard she’d been pressing against her skin. When y/n was happy that the towel was secure to her body, she moved back to the wall and said, “I’m good now.” 

Aaron turned around and knelt back down. y/n looked up at him and said, “You don’t have to do this. You’ll get your suit wet.” Hotch brushed off the woman’s concerns. He could sense the tiredness in her voice and he wouldn’t leave now until he knew she was okay. He did, however, slip off his suit jacket and tossed it onto an empty chair. Then he slipped off his shoes and socks. The warmth of the ground warmed the soles of Aaron’s feet as he crouched down again and said, “There. Now it’s not a problem. Can you give me your arms? I’ll pull you up.” y/n didn’t really think as she nodded and lifted her hands out of the water and into the strong grip of the stranger's hands. Aaron pulled back and up slightly, heaving the weight of the woman and now sopping fabric out of the pool. It wasn’t hard work, but y/n’s knees went a bit slack as she got back on dry land and Hotch quickly moved to hold her under her armpits.

It wasn’t until Aaron had more contact on y/n’s body that he realized she was shivering, but hiding it well. Without asking, Hotch carefully helped y/n to a seat next to the one he’d tossed his jacket on. y/n let him lead her and she watched as he moved toward the towel bin to get her a fresh, dry towel. He grabbed one from the bin and then moved back to y/n whose eyes were on the ground. She felt a bit disoriented but better now that she was sitting down. When Hotch was in front of her again he pulled the new towel’s edge in his hand and moved it to y/n’s chest. He half suggested, half commanded, “Why don’t you slip off the wet towel and I’ll tie this in the back?” y/n nodded listlessly and did as the man said, letting the cold towel fall into her lap. She placed her arms over the dry fabric and she watched as the man moved behind her to tuck the ends of the towel over itself to keep her modest. 

Hotch moved back in front of y/n and rubbed her arms trying to get her grounded and her circulation going. y/n snapped back to herself when she realized that the man’s sleeves were wet, pressed to the arms and skin underneath. She looked up at him and in a clearer voice said, “Thank you so much. Really, I’m fine now.” Aaron stopped his hands midway up her arms and said, “Don’t mention it. You should maybe get inside. Drink something sweet to get your blood sugar up.” y/n nodded and said again, “Thanks so much, this is so embarrassing. Could I pay you back the kindness? If you’re going to be back tonight I’ll grab you a drink at the hotel bar. Or a better bar if you know one in town.” Aaron’s face broke out into a smile and he said, “I’d like that. How about we meet at the lobby at 8:00?” y/n smiled back, suddenly not so cold, and said, “That’s perfect for me.” Hotch stood and started moving to his car, knowing he was late now. As he rolled up his sleeves he said, “I’m Aaron Hotchner, by the way.” y/n waved sheepishly and said, “I’m y/n y/l/n. See you tonight, Aaron.” By the time her words were out of y/n’s mouth Aaron was almost out of sight, but they had a plan and it made y/n feel much better than she had this morning, something she’d have to think about all day. 

Once Hotch got to his car he let himself relax. Yeah, he was going to be late to the convention, but he didn’t care. Others had been late yesterday so he drove toward the coffee shop, he felt lighter now. Better. Something to look forward to tonight. Being able to do something just for the fun of it, something that would be so easy for Morgan, Penelope, or Em was a nice change of pace. It would help him get through what he was sure to be a long day. 

y/n also felt better. Mostly because she’d been seen by someone. It was a stranger, but a kind one. One that hadn’t begrudgingly helped her and then left instantly. No, Aaron had done more than he needed, and even though she felt like a teenager being set up on a blind date, she was excited for the evening. y/n went inside and grabbed a glass of juice from the cold juice bar, an amenity that hotels she normally stayed at didn’t have, before moving back to her empty room and falling into bed. An hour later she found that Kira had texted her and invited y/n up to her room where she went and described what had happened that morning. Kira seemed excited for y/n and even after y/n asked if she was sure it was fine that she left her friend for a few hours, Kira said, “y/n, you should go. Have some fun. God knows you deserve it after last night and this morning. Put on something pretty and get a drink, and just have a good time, okay?” y/n smiled in a way that showed the small wrinkles near her eyes and said, “Alright, I think I can do that. God you would have loved the way this guy looked this morning. Tall dark and handsome. It’s like I won the jackpot or something.” A few moments later Kira and y/n were in fits of laughter as her friend came up with a more and more outlandish way for y/n to get a picture of Aaron without him knowing about it. 

y/n stood in the lobby at 7:55. She was wearing a nice outfit, but nothing overdone. She reminded herself that this wasn’t a date, multiple times, but had given her makeup a good attempt. Kira had helped her make sure it looked good. y/n was sure that this outfit wouldn’t fall apart on her. It was a skirt she’d had for ages and a shirt that flattered her. She paired it with some black tights and creepers, which she kept shuffling around in while she waited for Aaron. The ding of the elevator made y/n turn her head, and she smiled as Aaron walked out. He had changed from his business attire. Now he was in a pair of slacks and a dark polo shirt. The man kept looking better and better each time y/n saw him. She raised a hand and gave a small wave as he walked over to her. When Aaron got in front of her he said, “Hey, y/n. You’re looking well.” y/n was flustered by the compliment and replied, “Um, thank you. You’re looking well yourself. Those dark colors compliment you.” Hotch let out a little breath and watched as y/n eyed the bar skeptically. She looked back at him and asked, “So what’s the plan, Stan?” Aaron also looked over the crowded, overpriced hotel car and replied, “Well, there’s a place three blocks from here that has better and cheaper drinks than… that.” He eyed the bar, and from his periphery saw y/n relax. He wasn’t sure why she calmed, but did add, “That is if you’re comfortable walking with me.” 

y/n took a second to think about what Aaron had said. Not that she was reckless, but she’d done dumb things in the hope of love before. Stupid really given she was a woman. That had been years ago, and she’d been single for so long it had become her norm. This had been helpful last night as her friends looked singleness in the face for the first time in years. It seemed that y/n’s old habits in dating hadn’t fully left her, and only Aaron mentioning that she’d be walking alone with him reminded her how stupid she had been. However, Aaron didn’t seem like the type of man who would harm her. He had helped her that morning and she slowly said, “No, I don’t mind. It will stop me from drinking too much probably which is a good thing. I fly out tomorrow morning, so no drunken foolishness for me.” Aaron smiled and said, “Alright then. We’ll get you back after one drink.” The pair moved outside into the cool air of summer. It was slightly humid and the walk was short. The bar was small and cozy. It was full of neon signs, and although y/n had offered to buy their drinks, Aaron picked up the tab anyway. He got a gin and tonic while he ordered y/n’s favorite drink. She asked for it to be a double as she was only having one. 

They found a table in the corner and y/n and Hotch clinked glasses and each took a drink. There was an awkward pause as neither knew what to say. y/n finally came up with the words she wanted to, “Thank you for this morning. I hope I didn’t make you late for whatever you were heading to.” Hotch let out a chuckle as he replied,” I was happy to help. I was a bit late, but I wanted to be honest. I even got a coffee before heading to the conference.” y/n smiled happy to know she hadn’t been an inconvenience. She always assumed that corporate conferences were boring as shit and asked, “What was it a conference on?” 

Aaron took a moment to think about this response. He rarely started out that he was in the FBI. He found that it garnered immediate distrust with many, so he went with the easier option of, “Tech and AI.” The comment piqued y/n’s interest. Aaron didn’t look like a pretentious tech bro, and he was older than most of the men that she’d seen who were Musk fanatics. She probed for more information and asked, “Oh like ChatGTP is ruining students and enabling plagiarizing, or that The Patriot Act is good and we need for of that for State security?” Aaron hadn’t expected those two options and replied slowly, “More along the lines of the Patriot Act, but mostly cybercrime and cyber security.” y/n found herself relaxing again. ‘So he’s not a tech bro type.’ y/n continued speaking, “To be honest I never fully understood The Patriot Act. We covered it in high school APUSH, but it was at the end of the year and we breezed over it so fast. I just know its bad and scary but even that’s just from people I hear talking about it.” Hotch took a sip of his drink and said, “Well, it’s, complicated, that’s for sure. I could try and fill you in, but it’d take more than one drink for that.” He paused before asking, “So what brought you here?” 

y/n thought about why she’d exactly said yes to her friends. Why did she spend so much money? y/n said, “Well it was supposed to be a girl's trip, but it didn’t end so well. I guess I was hoping to rekindle some of that college energy, but I didn’t. I’m excited to go home if I’m being honest.” y/n stopped talking, realizing she was saying more than she intended. She tried to blink back her emotions and Aaron placed a hand on her shoulder. He understood what it meant to be sad somewhere else, somewhere far from home. Not an earth-shattering sadness, just a longing for something long gone. Something that had passed away with time. He swallowed and replied, “I’m sorry. I hope at least tonight is fun, has been fun?” y/n looked up at him and smiled, saying, “It has, it’s been great. I might actually get another drink, kind of fun. I’m down to learn about The Patriot Act after all.” Aaron couldn’t stop his laugh and caught y/n eyeing the dance floor. After he got her a second drink he’d suggest it, and he’d have a story to tell Morgan for once. If things felt good between the two of them when they got back to the hotel, he might offer y/n his number. He picked up his glass and y/n did too. They looked at each other and clinked glasses again. Aaron started the toast again by saying, “To learning U.S. history,” and y/n said, “To silver linings.” As they finished their drinks, Aaron looked down and noticed y/n’s hand brushed up against his. He moved his fingers slightly and brushed her fingers with his. The night was early and they both had flights in the morning, but there was still time to make it one to remember.

Text Break Banner by @cafekitsune

Tag list: @geminitapestry @silk-spun @potatovoyager @princessjax @samaldonado5 @looking1016 @zoeyredbird1 @alicewonderao3

Want to be added to my tag list? Please check out this post (linked) 

What could have happened that the woman would hesitate like that? He sensed that an answer had been on the tip of her tongue, and she’d stopped herself from speaking because she thought it was better. Hotch furrowed his brows, got out of his chair quickly, and grabbed his suit jacket. He flipped the screen of his laptop down, then grabbed his shoulder bag from the couch. No matter what Jack might have gotten up to, not knowing if something bad had happened to his son, nothing would stop him from getting to Jack. 

Hotch hurriedly locked his office door behind him and as he started striding toward the stairs that would get him to the elevators, Rossi exited his office and offered a quizzical look at his friend. It was unlike Aaron to flee the office, even on days that felt like they were drawing on for an eternity. Hotch beat Dave to the question forming on his lips, someone would need to know where he was in case something serious came up in his absence. “Jack had some trouble at school and they said I should head over there.” Rossi frowned and said, “The bullies again? Remember my offer of teaching Jack how to punch is still on the table.” The worried look on Aaron’s face prevented Dave from joking further. Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “I don’t think so, I hope to be back in a half hour or so. Look after the team while I’m gone, please?” 

Rossi nodded his head in understanding and watched as Aaron took the stairs quickly down to the bullpen and out of sight. Dave closed his eyes for a second. He knew things had been hard for Aaron and Jack after Haley. There was no avoiding the hurt that lingered like a shroud around the two of them. He knew that Hotch had done his best to help and support Jack, but that didn’t make Aaron’s pain any less. If anything it made it worse because the guilt still haunted Aaron like a spector. Jack’s anger had grown and manifested at anything that it could get its teeth into, and often its victim was Aaron, who was trying his best. Dave bowed his head and saw the grief with Aaron. Rossi knew grief, it had been his companion for many years. And it hurt to see it on Hotch, but there was little he could do but support Aaron to the best of his ability and let time do its healing. And healing was a slow seamstress. Dave looked over the bullpen at the team working and smiling and turned back to his office, he felt like he needed a drink, but for now, bitter coffee would have to do. 

Aaron drove at a speed that was technically street-legal. The churning of his stomach and the constant red lights had him worried and agitated at the same time. Jack’s school wasn’t too far away, but he’d hit the lunch-hour traffic which made the drive at least twenty-five minutes long. Hotch jacked up the air conditioner to silence his stressed-out thoughts. If something very bad had happened, then he would have been told. And there was nothing on the news, no lockdowns, or active shooter drills. However, sending Jack off to school every morning knowing that that was a possibility didn’t make him feel good. 

It was the fear of the unknown that made Aaron press his foot down on the accelerator further. Hotch arrived at the school and everything looked normal from the outside. With hurried footsteps, he made it to the front office to check in. Jessica could see how nervous he was and the intensity of his expression. Aaron’s eyes, when they were dark and worried, had opened many doors for him, and broken many unsubs in the interrogation room. The receptionist swallowed and said, “Just grab a visitor badge and you can head to the nurse’s office, Mr. Hotchner. I’ll sign you in. The Vice Principal is already there.” 

Aaron grabbed one of the laminated passes and said, “Thank you,” as he headed out of the glass office and toward the nurse’s office which was located at the end of the central hall adjacent to the janitor’s closet. Knowing the Vice-Principal was present with Jack told Aaron more information, but not enough to know exactly what had happened. If he found out that his son was being bullied again, he was going to send some strongly worded emails to those boy’s parent’s this evening. As he was drafting the letters in this mind, he made it to the nurse and opened the door. As soon as he saw Jack’s tear-stained face, and that he was clutching a Kleenex in his hands, Hotch stepped further in the door and the nurse and Vice Principal moved aside and let him go to his son. Aaron knelt next to the bed that Jack was sitting on and embraced him firmly. Jack let out some sniffles and Aaron reassured him before asking for any information, “It’s okay, Jack. It’s okay.” 

After a few moments, Hotch attempted to move away, but Jack’s hands gripped the fabric of his shirt. Aaron moved his right hand from Jack’s soft hair that reminded him of Haley to under Jack’s legs as he stood. Unamused at how he’d been kept waiting, Aaron asked in a cool tone, “Would you tell me what’s going on, Vice Principal Westbrook?” The silence that stayed in the room as the Vice Principal picked at the hangnails on his fingers and looked at the floor had Aaron hot under the collar. Jack didn’t look bruised or hurt in any way, just very upset. Upset enough that he had wanted him. Before Dr. Westbrook could come up with a scripted answer, Jack said, “They hurt her, Dad.” Aaron frowned, pulled Jack back from his chest a bit, and asked, “Hurt who, bud?” Jack sniffled and replied, “Ms. y/l/n. He punched her in the face and her shoulder.” The words tumbled out of the boy's mouth and only had Aaron more concerned. Jack was crying again, and Aaron handed him back his crumpled tissue and pressed Jack to his broad chest again. Jack set his head on his dad’s shoulder and took comfort in the solid presence and scent that was always there for him when he needed it. 

Jack had done a lot of growing up in his short years. He’d discovered a few things about life that he wished he hadn’t. How people you loved sometimes went away, maybe just for a bit, or sometimes forever, but that didn’t mean they weren’t still there loving him. His dad was a prime example of this -- and even if Jack couldn’t articulate this, or might change his mind later, it was still true in the moment. As his little fingers clutched at Aaron’s shirt collar, Hotch turned to face Dr. Westbrook again. 

The slim man seemed to be trying his hardest to avoid eye contact with Aaron, and giving a straight answer to anything, but Hotch wouldn’t let him get away with this. Ms. y/l/n was someone who had become very special to Jack this year when he got into her class. Aaron also had a kind of parasocial relationship with y/n, as she had been very helpful with Jack and dealing with his grief and the bullying he’d been dealing with that year. Jack had brought her up early in the year and when Aaron had met with Ms. y/l/n for the Meet-The-Teacher night, Hotch could tell why. She was so bright. Her presence illuminated her cozy room which she had decorated with bright posters and lights. It seemed even the sharp corners of the room were softened by y/n’s presence. She had given Jack such praise for his manners, his reading skills, and how he treated his classmates with kindness. Aaron had almost felt like a lost that night, as he could only listen and nod. He had to really pay attention when some of the other parents started asking questions. Apart from the fact that y/n was clearly an adept teacher and classroom manager for her age, she was also pretty. Pretty in a quaint way. He’d left the school that night feeling oddly lighter than he had in months. 

The next time they met was at the first parent-teacher conference. That was where Aaron had learned that Jack was dealing with bullies. The administration hadn’t even informed him of this issue. y/n was very kind about it and wanted to make sure that Aaron had the right support for something like this. y/n hadn’t meant to question his parenting skills, but as a single dad, she wanted to get a better feel of how emotions were handled around the Hotchner household. Not just sad feelings, but anger and resentment too. It wasn’t until a month later when the bullying had gotten really bad, that Aaron realized, thanks to y/n, that he wasn’t equipped to handle this alone and had brought in the help of a family counselor. He had more contact with y/n after that, as she checked up on Jack and kept Aaron informed about his son’s grades and other issues that popped up in the classroom. 

Hotch could understand why Jack would be upset that y/n had been hurt somehow. He was also angry, and asked in a firm voice, “What happened to Ms. y/l/n?” The VP sighed and said, “Well it was just an unfortunate situation, Mr. Hotchner, but no one was seriously hurt and we’re launching an investigation into the situation that happened.” This evasive answer didn’t satisfy Aaron and he replied, “Great, but what happened to Ms. y/l/n, and why is my son so distraught about it? What happened?” 

Dr. Westbrook realized that he couldn’t talk his way out of not answering Aaron as he had with the other parents he’d had to have had this conversation with. The man relented and said, “Well this morning a group of Anti-LGBTQ+ protesters amassed at the front of the school and held up degrading signs and shouted at anyone coming into the building through the front entrance.” Hotch already didn’t like where this was headed. The political climate had many up in arms due to the acceptance of others, and they made it their goal to try and complain and intimidate those who didn’t agree with them and their views. The VP continued, “Well they were blocking the flow of traffic and harassing the faculty, so we had some city police move them off campus. Unfortunately, they set up on DeGhatty Street on the sidewalk by the area for recess.” Hotch nodded, getting a better picture of what had happened. But there were still missing pieces. The next bit Dr. Westbrook rushed through, but Aaron caught the story even if the VP was trying to make it hard to. “Well it was the second shift of recess, the time that Jack has, and the protesters became more agitated. They weren’t getting the engagement they wanted, and they started yelling at the kids. Ms. y/l/n was on recess shift and tried calling the school’s two SROs, but they were dealing with an incident in the cafeteria. The screaming was distressing to some of the students and one student started moving toward the group by the fence…” 

Hotch stopped the man and asked, “Was it Jack?” The Vice Principal nodded his head no and replied, “No Mr. Hotchner. It was another student, but other monitors and students did say that your son was watching from a pretty close distance.” Hotch narrowed his eyes but didn’t detect that the man was lying. Dr. Westbrook swallowed thickly under Aaron’s gaze and shaky continued, “Well Ms. y/l/n saw the student moving toward the protesters, and she moved forward to cut the student off. The group was unhappy about that, and they accosted her and made some false statements and allegations about her. She did her best to verbally defend herself and move back to protect the students and get them all inside, but one of the men in the group, allegedly, grabbed her shoulder, screamed at her, and then lost his composure and hit Ms. y/l/n in the face and chest.”

The image that the man was painting made Aaron feel his anger flash up in him. Not only was the VP using protective language for the protesters, he, nor the school had done a proper job of protecting their students or teachers. No wonder Jack was distraught. Thinking of Jack, his son had settled and Aaron knew they would have to leave in a bit. This was still a school and there were other things that had to be done, but Aaron asked, “Are the protestors gone now? I drove down DeGhatty to get here, and I didn’t see anyone. Also, how is Ms. y/n? Is she alright?” 

Dr. Westbrook nodded and seemed relieved that the conversation had turned away from the events of that afternoon. He cleared his throat and straightened his blue striped tie which didn’t match his grey suit before replying, “The local police came down and dispersed the crowd and told them they didn’t have a right to protest on the school’s block without a permit, which is true. As for Ms. y/l/n, Nurse Patty here looked her over and we decided it was for the best to send her home for the day. Ms. y/l/n seemed shaken up.” Aaron refrained from letting out a long sigh. Now was not the time nor the place. But the feelings and questions that flooded Aaron were that he wondered why the police hadn’t been called earlier, why the school didn’t seem up on its legal code, and the utter condescension that came with having to send y/n home for the rest of the day. What did the Vice Principal expect from her after being punched in the face? y/n had “appeared shaken up?” How the hell would he have reacted in that circumstance? 

Aaron didn’t want any of this frustration at this situation to make Jack feel like he was angry at him, but he would have a conversation with his son later about when to step back in a situation. But he’d worry about that later. For now, Hotch said, “Okay. Thank you for explaining. May I take Jack home now?” Dr. Westbrook seemed to deflate and nodded his head yes. The nurse moved over to Jack and gave him a pat on the head and handed him a lollipop. The older woman said, “Have a good rest of your day, Jack. If you’re at school tomorrow and you feel bad at any time in the day you can come and see me, okay?” Jack nodded softly and Aaron shot her a thankful smile before tightening his grip on his son and moving out of the door and back toward the front office. Hotch quickly signed out with Jessica and returned his visitor badge to the counter. 

Once he was back out into the warm, almost, summer sun, Aaron dipped his head down to Jack's ear and said softly, “Hey, Buddy. Would you be okay with hanging you with Dad’s friends for a while while I work in the office? You could camp up with me or you could see Uncle Spencer, Uncle Morgan, or Aunt Penelope?” The prospect of seeing his friends had Jack perk up and his distress diminish as he said, “Hm-hm. I wanna see Aunt Penny and Uncle Derek.” Hotch smiled and replied, “Okay. We’ll just be there for a few hours and then, if you’re good, we can go to ice cream after Daddy’s done with work.” That last piece of information really made Jack happy, and Aaron relaxed for the first time since the school had called him. It didn’t take long for Aaron to get Jack strapped into his car seat and head back to the Quantico Field Office. 

Hotch spent the rest of the afternoon working and looking after Jack; mostly making sure Jack wasn’t getting into too much trouble with the team. Derek showed Jack around the bullpen, and Spencer did some physics magic which the whole BAU oohed and ahhed at, even Aaron and Rossi, from a distance. Then Penelope took Jack into her office and they spent around an hour together laughing and talking. There was something about Garcia’s energy that matched Jack’s so well, and his easily distracted self could be entertained for hours. Hotch made sure to set up a fancy coffee delivery for tomorrow morning for the team out of his pocket. He knew all of their orders by heart now. He did this as a thank you to the team. Not that any one of them would complain about having Jack distract them, however, being a babysitter was very much not in their job description, especially when they were in the office, so wanted to make sure they knew how appreciative he was of their support. Each one of them had been there for him and Jack on numerous occasions when Hotch thought that he couldn’t go on. He realized how lucky he was to be surrounded by this support system. Jack had them too, and also his friends and teachers at school. Ms. y/n came to mind as he finished scheduling the coffee order. The thought of someone laying hands on her gave him a constricting feeling in his chest. 

Aaron let out a breath and looked outside his windows into the bullpen where he watched Prentiss, Morgan, and JJ kneeling next to Jack who was speaking animatedly about what looked like soccer practice. Hotch moved his eyes back to his laptop screen and pulled up his personal email. With a few clicks of his fingers, he had gmail pulled up. He hit ‘new message.’ He typed in y/n’s email into the ‘to’ box. It felt so strange to be the one initiating a conversation, especially a new one, but he cared about Ms. y/n, and he knew his nerves wouldn’t settle down until he’d checked in on her. 

y/n was the one to normally start a conversation either to check up on Jack or let Hotch or Mr. Hotchner, as she called him, what had happened with Jack at school. Aaron had only once emailed y/n for details about Jack’s day when he’d come home upset about something that he couldn’t quite decipher. She responded promptly and told him everything she knew about the situation. Essentially they had only emailed in a professional capacity before, and this felt different. For a moment Aaron wondered if anyone else had called or messaged her. If her friends from school or elsewhere were getting a story about the wild day she’d had, or how she was hurting. The thought made Hotch’s heart clench for some unknown reason. He typed out this message: 

To: y/n.y/l/n@_____ISD 

From: [email protected] 

Subject: Checking-In 

Good afternoon, Ms. y/n,

 I heard from Jack and the school today that you were hurt today while trying to keep your students safe. I wanted to thank you for putting yourself in that position for the sake of the students, especially Jack. He is very worried about you and keeps asking if you’re okay. He and I both share that sentiment. I hope the school fully supports you in what you need at this time. If there is anything I can do to make your life easier these next few days, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I would be happy to drop off food or just be a support if you need it. Wishing you the best, 

Aaron Hotchner 

Hotch hit the send button and listened to the little swoosh of the sent sound. Although he did feel better after sending the email, it was also odd. He didn’t want to come off as a parental figure to y/n. Not that he wasn’t older than her by a good few years, he was, but the idea of him coming across that way made him uncomfortable. And the fact that that idea made him uncomfortable only made him question what he wanted to come off as instead. Mostly, Aaron didn’t want to seem patronizing. He knew y/n was tough and could handle things, but his concern and care had overrode those thoughts. Hotch pushed those thoughts from his mind; he had good intentions sending the email and if it came off in another way, then at least he’d tried his best. 

Aaron looked at the clock at his wall and it was five minutes to five. Unlike a normal day, where Jack would have an afterschool activity or Jess would pick him up for a few hours before he would swing by and get Jack for the rest of the evening, tonight was different, and he started packing his things up in his briefcase. He took some of the important files and the rest he left for tomorrow. He’d come to the office early if Jack felt up to going to school tomorrow. Once Hotch had most of his things ready, he moved outside of his office. Jack was playing a game with Spencer, and Aaron called out, “Jack, come up here and get your backpack and lunchbox, please. We’re about to go home.” Jack looked up at his dad and said, “Just one sec, Dad.” Aaron gave his son a look, and Jack sighed, got out of his seat, and made it up the stairs to Aaron’s side. As Jack moved past Spencer, Reid gave his head a little pat and once Jack had passed the lithe agent, Aaron gave Spence a smile before turning to his son and moving with him to the office. 

Jack only had one binder and one maths assignment out on Aaron’s office couch. Jack had promised his dad that he would be good in the office, and being good meant doing five minutes of a math worksheet and complaining about how hard it was before the little boy moved out into the bullpen to see the team. Aaron didn’t blame him. Jack had had a hard and stressful day, but he did expect his son to pick up and get ready to go on his own. 

Jack was getting old enough for those things now, but Hotch still packed his lunches every day or made sure his son had money for his lunch account. By the time Aaron had his suit jacket back on and his briefcase and shoulder bag in hand, Jack had put his paper and notebook away and was struggling to zip up his small Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles backpack. Aaron leaned down and helped him close the bag and handed it back to Jack. Aaron led his son out of the room and locked the door behind him for the last time for the day. Hotch nodded to Rossi who was also locking up his office and then followed Jack down the stairs. The pair made it through the bullpen, and Jack waved at the team as he passed them. Aaron said, “Thank you” to each of them as well in his low voice. As Hotch got to the edge of the BAU’s area, turned, and said more loudly, “Thanks for today, everyone. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Morgan, Prentiss, Reid, and JJ nodded and said bye. 

True to his word, Hotch took Jack to get ice cream at a local spot not far from their house. Jack was ecstatic to be having sweets before dinner. Aaron had to remind his son that he still had to eat some other food once they got home and settled. Jack agreed excitedly as they walked into the pastel-colored storefront. There weren’t many people inside and no one in line, so it took only a few moments for Jack to order his chocolate swirl scoop with add-ins of Oreos and strawberries. Aaron got a scoop of brown butter vanilla for himself and then paid as Jack got them spoons and napkins, then found a comfortable table in the corner of the building near the window. After paying, Hotch sat down across from Jack who said, “Thanks, Dad.” Aaron smiled and reached over and patted the top of his head, replying, “Of course, Buddy.” Hotch cherished these moments. There would only be a few more years that ice cream before dinner was a big thing, and time in some things, such as kids growing up, moved so quickly. Not only was this time for them to have a bit of fun, but it was also a teaching moment for Jack. But Aaron was going to enjoy his ice cream first. 

Aaron dipped his plastic spoon into the slightly yellow-colored ice cream. There were specks of vanilla bean in the scoop that was slowly melting in the afternoon sun. Hotch took his spoon and slipped it in his mouth, sucking off the sweetness. Hotch let the cold ice cream sit in his mouth and melt with the body heat inside. The taste was sweet, but not cloyingly so which he enjoyed. The aftertaste of the browned butter hit as he swallowed. Aaron didn’t allow himself to have anything this indulgent very often, so when he did, he tried to enjoy and appreciate it. For many years, Hotch knew that his faster metabolism had gone in his early thirties, and treats were a thing he sought out less and less for himself. However, as he watched Jack enjoy his ice cream and as the soft music played in the space while the cars drifted by outside, he realized that this was something not only Jack needed, but something he needed as well. Aaron was brutal on himself and his body, and maybe he was trying too hard. He wanted and tried to be the best version of himself for the team, but more importantly for Jack, and he might have been taking it too far on his end. He relaxed a bit into his bench seat and took another bite of ice cream, this time just enjoying it for the sake of the experience. 

After their paper bowls were empty, Aaron took a breath and looked at Jack who was playing with his spoon and asked, “Jack, did you know what those people who were at your school today were talking about?” The boy stopped fiddling with his cutlery and made a face that said he was thinking before saying, “I think so. They were mad about gay people and shouting. They were really angry and I don’t know why…” Hotch nodded his head and tried to think about how to best respond. He had talked to Jack about the LGBTQ+ community, not so much like that but in the more simple and kid-friendly way of emphasizing that anyone can love anyone else as long as it’s not hurting anyone. That there could be two moms or two dads, and that not everyone felt like a boy or a girl. Jack looked up at his dad and asked, “Why were they so angry?” 

Aaron swallowed and replied, “Well, sometimes people don’t like something, or don’t believe in something. And they can think that, but the thing is that they try and want to make other people think it too. And when people don’t agree with them, they get angry. Because if you can’t make someone agree with you, then you can at least make them scared. And what do we know about being scared, Jack?” It took a second before Jack replied, “It’s okay to be scared but being different doesn’t mean being scary.” Aaron nodded proudly and Jack added on, “So they were just big bullies?” Hotch knew it was more complex with that but for now, it was a good analogy and he nodded yes. 

This conversation gave Jack a new thought and he asked, “You told me that I shouldn’t give bullies time, but Ms. y/l/n went up to them and tried talking to them.” Aaron nodded and replied, “Yes. You’re right. That’s what I’ve said to you. Things are different with Ms. y/l/n because she’s an adult, and she was trying to keep you and all of the students safe. But you’re right, for you, Jack, I would say to stay away from a situation like that, but there are some other things you can do too.” Aaron knew that Jack was a helper, and always had been. So in a situation where his son might feel helpless, he wanted to give him an option to do something that would give him power in the scenario and to do something that he was good at. 

Aaron stated, “So what you can do, Jack, is to find the other kids like you who might be upset. Because those people were saying upsetting and hurtful things. So you can find those kids who are hurting and make sure they’re doing okay.” Jack nodded along, this was something he could do. Aaron also added, “And if things seem bad, like if you feel unsafe or the other kids feel unsafe, the best thing you can do is get help from an adult. From someone you trust or know. Does that make sense?” Jack nodded and sat forward, mirroring Aaron’s posture as he shook his head yes. Hotch smiled and said, “Good, If you have more questions about today you can ask me anytime, okay?” 

Just as Aaron and Jack were getting ready to head home, Hotch’s phone pinged with an incoming message, and he checked it. The email was from y/n and he tapped on the screen opening the message which read: 

To: [email protected] 

From: y/n.y/l/n@_____ISD 

Subject: Re-Checking-In 

Good afternoon, Mr. Hotchner, 

Thank you so much for checking in on me. That is very kind of you. I’m just sorry that Jack or any of the students at recess had to see and hear what they did. As for what the administration thinks about what I did today, I think I’m going to find that out tomorrow, but don’t want to know really, nor should I speculate about it in an email. You are niceto offer your help. I think I’m just going to order a frozen pizza from the store and call it a night. I’m a bit banged up, if it was any more than this I think I’d have to go to the ER (that last bit is hyperbole). Thanks again for checking in Mr. Hotchner. I hope Jack isn’t too upset. Tell him I said hello, and that I’ll see him tomorrow at school! I hope you have a pleasant night, 

Ms. y/n. 

Aaron frowned slightly. There was a hesitancy in y/n’s tone here. Especially with how the school might react to what had happened. That, and the fact that y/n seemed to be in a lot of pain didn’t make Hotch feel good. It made him want to go over and see her even more. He paused to make sure this was still being done with good intentions. That his desire wasn’t just trying to find an opportunity to see y/n again. The feelings in his gut were still one of concern, even if his heart was doing something different. Hotch pushed aside the new feelings in his chest, something for him to contemplate later, and composed a reply to y/n: 

To: y/n.y/l/n@_____ISD 

From: [email protected] 

Subject: Re-re-Checking-In 

y/n, I’m glad you can bring some humor into this situation. That’s a relief. It sounds like you’re in a good bit of pain. Are you sure you don’t need to go to the ER? Also, would you let me pick you up a pizza? It’s no big deal at all, and that way you can save money on the delivery. Sorry, I don’t mean to overreach, but I am willing to give a helping hand if you want. 

Aaron Hotchner

Hotch really hoped he wasn’t sounding too desperate, or that y/n would think his offering to help her save money made her feel poor. He didn’t mean it that way. He’d tossed a few options out for her to reach out if she needed, or wanted help, or just some company. From what Aaron could tell about y/n was that she was fiercely independent. She’d seemed so put together for someone in their mind a/r. From what he could tell from y/n’s weekly email updates, she made a lot of her own classroom content and tried very hard to connect with each of her students. Not only that but from the two times they’d met at school, there were no indications that she had a partner or parents close by to help her with things. Aaron assumed this mainly because she’d told him how she’d had to learn how to fix the leak in her bathroom faucet from YouTube just so she didn’t have to call in a plumber. That was another time when Aaron had wished he could just whisk himself over to her duplex and lend y/n a hand. Before he could overthink what he’d sent there was another reply: 

To: [email protected] 

From: y/n.y/l/n@_____ISD 

Subject: Re-re-re-Checking-In 

Ummm, you’d do that, really? I don’t want to be a bother, Mr. Hotchner. I know you have to take care of Jack and everything… 

y/n y/l/n

Now a hint of a smile turned up the corner of Aaron’s mouth. He and Jack had made it to the car at this point and Hotch typed out: 

To: y/n.y/l/n@_____ISD 

From: [email protected] 

Subject: [Re]-Checking-In 

y/n, 

I’d be happy to take even a small load off of your shoulders. After what you’ve been through today it is the least I can do, and I can get someone to sit with Jack for an hour or so while I come over. To make communication easier, here is my cell Number: (804) 572 - 4459. If you’d like, however, to keep this over email, that’s fine as well. It might be a moment before I get back to you as I have to get Jack home and get him dinner, but I’ll be open after that and talk to you again then. Do you have any allergies or dietary restrictions I should know about before I go grab your pizza? 

Aaron Hotchner 

The drive home was quiet as Jack thought about what his dad had said. The sandy-haired boy had a few more questions which Aaron did his best to explain. When the questions turned toward religion, it had been a church group protesting, Hotch did his best to turn the conversation back to the key points. He rarely talked to Jack about church or religion, wanting his son to be able to make his own choices in faith, or not to have any at all. That hadn’t been a choice for Hotch as a child, and he wanted Jack to not have the burn of guilt that faith could bring unless it was something his son came to on his own terms. Plus religion had become a bit of a sore subject for Aaron after Haley’s passing. How could a fair God take away someone as good and pure as Haley? It didn’t make sense, and he didn’t have the will to study theodicy. So he pushed those thoughts to the background and focused on getting home. 

It didn’t take long for Aaron to get dinner ready for Jack. While he reheated some leftover pasta and veggies, Jack did his homework, and they both had a small dinner. Hotch also texted Jess to see if she was open to swing by for an hour to which she replied, “Yes. I never miss a chance to hang out with my coolest nephew. Are you going on a date or something?” Aaron rolled his eyes at the text, he suspected sarcasm and replied, “Something like that. Making a house call to a friend in need. I’ll tell you more later.” A moment later Jess sent a thumbs-up emoji and said, “I’ll be over in about forty minutes once my boys are settled, probably playing Fortnite or something *sigh*” Hotch liked the text and checked his messages to see a text from a new number which he correctly assumed was y/n. She had sent a simple, “Hello, it’s me, y/n. For your pizza question, I have a/d/r so knock yourself out with that. I’m not a picky eater. Also here’s my address, ________. I’m not doing anything tonight, I couldn’t even if I wanted to, so you can come over anytime, but before nine would be great as I have to wake up early. Thanks so much again. This is very, very nice of you. - y/n.” Aaron liked the text and replied, “Sounds good. I’ll make sure to make it to yours before nine. - Aaron.” 

Jess arrived promptly at 6:30, and Hotch let her know it was the normal bedtime routine that night. A half hour of TV, upstairs, teeth brushed, and in bed by 8:30. Jessica nodded and said, “Gotcha. You owe me a story for this one.” Aaron chuckled and said, “I’ll let you know. There’s an open bottle of Pino in the fridge if you want some. I shouldn’t be gone long.” Jess couldn’t help herself from saying, “That's what she said,” and Hotch flushed crimson. Unlike Haley, Jess had gotten the more crass humor of the Brooks family. 

Aaron left the room, keys in hand before any more jokes could be levied at him. He really didn’t plan on staying at y/n’s long. However thanks to the recent comments, Aaron couldn’t help but feel like he was a teenager sneaking out of the house to see some girl after curfew. Hotch shook his head at the silly notion and reminded himself that he was an adult man, and such thoughts were above him. However, he couldn’t stop the small thrill that ran through him as he entered y/n’s address into his phone. He swung by the local store and picked up two frozen pizzas that he thought y/n would like and matched her allergy and dietary restrictions she’d sent him earlier. He also moved to the pharmacy section and picked up some pain relievers, liniment oil, and cotton pads, just in case y/n didn’t have any of those things at her apartment. After all, she had said she was going to get stuff delivered to her, and he didn’t know if those were things she had planned on getting and then just didn’t tell him because she hadn’t wanted to be a burden. At least, that was how Aaron justified the extra purchases. 

Hotch texted y/n that he was on the way and the closer he got to her place, the more nervous he felt. It was strange. He hadn’t felt this way in ages. He had to keep attempting to suppress the feeling, but it kept creeping up on him like frost on the ground in the morning; an inevitable thing that he knew would change and probably go away with time. It was a week away from summer, there shouldn’t be frost on the ground at all. Hotch felt exasperated at his state and realized that maybe he was just too cold of a person and the frost stuck with him. Outside of y/n’s place, Aaron said, “Get ahold of yourself Hotchner, and be helpful for once, goddammit.” His little pep-talk got him to the door with the groceries. The lights were on inside and Aaron knocked lightly on the front door. There was a very muffled, “I’m coming” and all of a sudden the piercing darkness was broken by a stream of yellow light that poured from y/n’s open door. Aaron blinked for a second as he took in y/n. She seemed pretty relaxed in an oversized t-shirt and shorts that were nearly swallowed by the length of her shirt. She was barefoot and leaning against the door frame taking him in as well. Apart from the angry bruises on y/n’s face and her split lip, she looked comfortable here. ‘This is her home, of course, she’s comfortable’ Aaron reminded himself. 

While Hotch’s eyes had been adjusting to the light, y/n’s eyes were getting used to the dark. Jack’s father had always been an attractive man even though she’d only seen him briefly in the drop-off and pick-up lines and even less for any extended period of time. But Mr. Hotchner had a face, and attitude one didn’t easily forget. There was an intensity about him, a fierceness that could easily draw one in or scare one away. 

y/n wondered why the other teachers didn’t talk about him more. Maybe it was all the things he and Jack had gone through, horrible horrible things that kept people away. It made sense that Mr. Hotchner was in the FBI. He had a high-intensity job. All that energy had to go somewhere, and when he wasn’t being a parent to Jack and doting on his son, he must be doing dangerous and exciting things. Far more exciting than her job at least. y/n noticed his jeans and polo, a new outfit on him, and most certainly not his normal pressed suit and tie. y/n wasn’t complaining. His arms filled out the sleeves and his waist seemed a little less trim. y/n felt like a total fool for just standing there, realizing that he was also waiting to come inside, or maybe just drop off the bag of groceries he’d brought her so kindly using his own money and taking time out of his night. 

y/n snapped back to reality and berated herself and thought, ‘You’re fun little thoughts are getting out of hand. Please like he’d care about you like that.’ It was true, y/n had allowed herself to think, just a bit about the mysterious Mr. Hotchner. It was harmless, just small vignettes of them laughing about a joke, or holding hands -- kid's stuff, or at least it had been until he showed up outside her doorstep. y/n shook her head and said, “I’m so sorry Mr. Hotchner. I get hit in the head and my manners fly out the window. Would you like to come in, or just hand those things over? I can pay you back for them. Do you have PayPal or Venmo?” The words came out quickly, more quickly than y/n had hoped. There was no hope in sounding nonchalant now. A flush started forming on y/n’s face and she wanted to put her face in her palm, but had enough dignity left to not do that in front of the parent of her student. 

Aaron let out a little sigh of relief knowing that he wasn’t the only one who thought meeting like this was a bit, different. He wondered for a second why y/n had accepted his help, but pushed that aside and said, “Please Ms. y/n, you can just call me Aaron. I’d like to come in for a moment. See if you’re alright if you don’t mind?” y/n nodded and opened the door wider for Hotch. Aaron slid past her into the warm comfort of her space. It was lit mostly by lamps and the furnishings seemed soft and cozy which would match y/n’s personality. It was a bit more sparse and minimal than Hotch would have imagined, but maybe the chaos of a classroom called for order at home. The lights in the kitchen were on and the brightest. Hotch heard the soft click of the door behind him as he looked over the space. 

y/n stepped forward and said, “Well, please just call me y/n. Unless I’m in the classroom, Ms. makes me feel like a 19th-century spencer waiting for Harlod Hill to come into town.” y/n rolled her eyes at her choice of words. ‘Yes y/n, let’s talk about The Music Man in front of Mr. Hotchner, why don’t you?’ In an attempt to recover and hide her embarrassment, y/n stated. “I was just pouring myself a glass of wine when you knocked, um, would you like one? I can also take those groceries from you.” Aaron offered y/n a soft smile that only made her heart beat faster as he extended the bag of groceries and said, “I’m good for now. Thank you. Have you had anything to eat yet tonight?” y/n took the paper bag and their fingers brushed, the warmth of their skin spreading despite the frozen contents inside the bag. y/n cleared her throat and turned toward the kitchen in an attempt to hide how flustered she was. The cool linoleum tile of her kitchen managed to cool her down, and she placed the pizzas in the freezer. She tried to say casually over her shoulder, “I haven’t eaten yet, no. You can sit down anywhere if you like…” y/n didn’t know exactly if Mr. Hotchner wanted to stay long and she felt silly for having offered him a drink in the first place. Maybe he didn’t drink. By the time y/n had situated the food, Aaron had taken a seat in one of the chairs sitting catty corner to her tan couch. Trying to play it cool, y/n moved to her counter and poured herself the glass of wine she had been planning before she’d put her foot in her mouth. y/n contemplated that maybe this was why she was good with kids. The nuances of adulthood could pass over children’s heads so easily. They didn’t feel the awkwardness that y/n did right now. Nor the racing of her heart as Aaron filled one of her seats. 

She moved over to the couch and asked again, “Can I please pay you back for the groceries? It was nice of you to bring them, and for you to check in on me. I got a few angry emails from parents saying that I exposed their children to danger today, so yours was a nice change.” Aaron’s eyebrows pulled together. The comment about payment passed him by. He wasn’t going to let Jack’s favorite teacher pay him back, even if she asked a hundred times. But the more pressing issue was the emails from other parents. If y/n’s actions didn’t look good, then he didn’t know what they were. He asked in a low voice, “Why were they upset?” y/n bit her lower lip and cringed as the pain stung from the split in her mouth. She had forgotten it was there for a moment. Perhaps she shouldn’t have brought up the other emails. Depending on how the district’s admin took her situation, it wouldn’t help her to spread information. 

y/n chose her words carefully as she replied, “Well some were mad that I got hurt in front of their children and some were angry that their kids were exposed to those protestors in the first place.” y/n looked at Aaron and his slightly annoyed and sympathetic gaze made her feel better, safe. She hadn’t really processed what had happened to her yet, and she’d been alone since she’d been sent home. It was good to have someone here, and y/n took a sip of her wine and set her glass down on the table before leaning her head back on the couch and sighing deeply deflating slightly. 

In a smaller voice, a voice that gave away the pain she was feeling y/n said, “Maybe I shouldn’t have done anything. I just didn’t like the things they were saying. Kids are much more cognizant than people like to think and for those who have gay parents, or siblings, or might be part of the community themselves, they shouldn’t have to hear that stuff.” y/n pinched the bridge of her nose and continued, “This had to happen the week before summer break?” As y/n had her eyes closed, Aaron took the chance to give her face a better look. The bruise under her eye was turning a nasty purple that would fade to an even more ugly yellow color in the following days. The split on her lip looked nasty as well. The tender pink skin must hurt as she talked. He got what she was saying about kids knowing more than others expected. Jack was a prime example of that. Of course, Jack had been through more pain and grief than many his age. It would only make sense that he was more perceptive. The claims from the other parents sounded like bullshit to him though. 

y/n turned her face to him and said softly, “Sorry for unloading on you. I haven’t really had anyone to talk to about this yet. I don’t mean to hold you up.” Aaron nodded his head no and said, “You’re not bothering me, and you’re not holding me up. What were the protestors saying exactly, had you seen them before?” y/n’s eyes softened. She hadn’t really allowed herself the opportunity to picture Aaron like this in person, so kind and concerned. She’d just let herself think silly little snippets, but this gentleness hadn’t filtered into the equation. y/n moved her gaze to the ceiling and said, “Oh they were saying all the homophobic classics. Fags go to hell, god hates queers, and they were accusing the teachers on the staff of being groomers and turning the students gay, all that jazz.” Hotch rolled his eyes. These points were so tiring at this point, and he was annoyed with y/n for having to deal with this. y/n looked at Hotch and said, “And I haven’t seen any of those people before. Not like I’d be looking for those types of people on a daily anyway. They must have come down from upstate.” 

Hotch let out a small huff, his lawyer side kicking in as he asked, “You seemed hesitant about the school’s response to what you did today, and some other parents showed concern. Do you think the district might not support your actions?” y/n sat forward and took another drink of wine, more this time. It was helping her calm down. Not that she normally needed wine to unwind, but it had been a long day, and there was a very attractive man unexpectedly sitting in her home. That last fact was still a wonder to y/n. Like a dream. y/n considered that she might have gotten a very bad concussion and was being wheeled right now to a hospital. But she was brought back from her wayward thoughts when Hotch cleared his throat. y/n shook her head. She was letting her brain get away with itself far more than normal. But she blamed it on the pain, painkillers, and stress of the whole situation. That stress was slightly intensified by Mr. Hotchner’s question, but y/n realized it was better to say it out loud instead of keeping it in to eat at her. 

y/n sighed and said, “It really depends. You’ve heard about that Mom’s for Student Purity campaign at the beginning of the school year, I’m sure?” Hotch nodded his head slightly. He had heard of it but hadn’t thought much of it. Only that there had been some issues and poor behavior at the school assemblies. Aaron had assumed that the district had taken care of the situation and that’s why he hadn’t heard more about it. As hard as Hotch tried to be involved in Jack’s academic life, and he did show up to every game, play, and parent-teacher conference, he didn’t have much time for the school board meetings. That had been Haley’s forte and the thought pained him momentarily. Aaron wished he could live up to the expectation that y/n must have had of him as he said, “I’ve heard of them, but not much. I’m sure they’d have something to say about today.” 

y/n let out a little snort and replied, “Tell me about it. The district has been having a constant battle with them. Ever since the president and the vice-president of their organization got elected to the school board it’s been hard to keep them at bay. They’ve tried implementing book bans, vetting curriculum, and getting the librarian fired. Right now they’re not in the majority and their ideas are unfounded and impractical to implement, but they’re making things hard. Every time the district shoots them down, they start a new campaign and it gets more troublesome. I know this will come up in a performance review and if they don’t like it, they’ll find a way to make it hard for me. They’ve done it to others already. I can imagine the comments, ‘Teacher causes brawl in front of students leaving them disturbed.’” 

Hotch took a moment to think about how hard that must be. To have to be so careful that making a choice to do the right thing could get y/n in trouble. How the system was setting her up to have to make hard choices at the expense of her employment possibly. All of these loopholes reminded him of his own work in a way, though he didn’t have to deal with kids all day. Even though some of the police and sheriff’s departments the BAU worked with acted like children. y/n sighed and said, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to complain. I love my job. I love working with my students. I love to see their joy and to have concepts click in their heads. They bring me so much happiness every day. It’s just the other part of the job, having to tip-toe around people and admin, it kind of dims that excitement I had when I was a new teacher.” y/n finished off her wine as Aaron took a moment to think. y/n had a great way of telling stories, it wasn’t a surprise that Jack was drawn to her tone and humor. It drew him in. He turned his head back to y/n who was now longingly looking between her wine bottle on her counter and her empty glass, as if trying to decide if she should risk another glass. 

Hotch asked carefully, “Have you taken anything for the pain?” He didn’t want to say that she looked rough, but her face looked like it hurt, and from y/n’s small grimaces, it clearly did. y/n nodded and said, “I did. I had some painkillers when I got home. I think I have another hour before I can take another round.” Aaron didn’t make a comment on y/n’s choice to mix alcohol with painkillers, nor the fact that she was drinking on an empty stomach. He’d recommend that she have some dinner in a minute, but for now, he said, “Well, I think if you iced your face for a bit and used some liniment oil on your lip it would reduce the swelling. It’s still going to hurt for a few days, but the bruising should be a little better, and it might tide you over until you can take your next dose of painkillers.” y/n nodded and said, “There’s a bag of ice in the freezer. I was doing that earlier but then fell asleep. I woke up in a nice puddle.” y/n grunted slightly as she got to her feet and made her way toward the kitchen. Aaron followed her with his gaze and he asked, “Can I refill your wine glass, and maybe you can try that oil, it’s pretty soothing. I know from experience.” 

y/n turned her head toward Aaron, he was being so nice to her and she wasn’t sure why. She didn’t come across people who were just nice for the sake of it often, and it filled her with warmth. She nodded her head yes and tried to imagine Aaron, who was always so put-together and composed, not bruised and bloody. The thought sent a pang through her. She wondered how often his getting injured happened, and if he’d let her help him like he was helping her. y/n shook her head. This was already feeling like a fantasy, she couldn’t possibly hope for more than this. Things like this didn’t happen, not to her. y/n grabbed the bag of ice that had refrozen after her nap, and grabbed a towel from the drawer next to the fridge, cradling the cool bag in her hand. y/n moved back to the couch and sat back down. The butterflies in her tummy had fluttered their wings like they did when they stopped to get warmed on the gray pavement outside of her house in summer. She wished she could still them, but at the same time, it was such a rush, they almost made up for the pain in her face. She wished she could get a better read on Mr. Hotchner. She knew about his son, and his circumstances, but even so, he was unpredictable like a comet. Why he’d offered to help her apart from out of kindness was hard to pin down, and she didn’t dare ask him outright. Why she’d accepted was another mystery. Did wanting to be in the company of a good man make her a bad person? Was she sexualizing him, taking advantage? 

Before her thoughts could take her further, y/n pressed the bag to her face, covering her and dimming the flush that was blooming on her cheeks. y/n pressed a little too hard and grimaced at the cold and the pressure. Just as she did this, Aaron sat down with her wine and the grocery bag. Hotch softly said, “Gentle now.” y/n looked up at him, half of her face covered, and smiled. She felt like I might cry, but she didn’t know why. How pathetic she must have looked to him. Not able to take care of herself. But she’d been trying. She’d been trying to prove she could care for herself forever. Now one had trusted her, not after the accident. Not after her life had been turned around. But she didn’t talk about that. She didn’t even talk about it with herself anymore. There was no point in self-pity, she’d lived, externally unscathed. For as perceptive as Mr. Hotchner was, he couldn’t know everything inside her, maybe that was what she was waiting for. Someone who could explain why bad things happened to good people. y/n swallowed back her emotions and wiped away one stray tear, and Hotch sat in silence watching her with concern. Wondering why her mood had shifted so suddenly. 

After a few minutes, y/n pulled the ice pack off her face and set it on the table. She then picked up her fresh wine glass and took a smaller sip, savoring it this time, as she did this, Aaron put his hand into the grocery bag and pulled out the cotton wipes normally used for removing makeup, then the liniment oil which was in a small dropper topped bottle. He opened the bottle and took off the paper cover keeping the clear liquid inside. Hotch screwed on the cap and then dropped a few drops of oil onto the pad. He considered that if this was for Jack, he’d use his hands, and let the warmth of his skin soothe the hurt. But this wasn’t Jack, and Aaron remembered that as he started raising his hand to y/n’s mouth like she was someone he could just tend to like family. Hotch froze mid-movement and turned noticeably red. He cleared his throat and said, “Sorry,” as he set the pad into y/n’s waiting hand. She was as shocked as he was at how he’d reached out for her. y/n murmured a barely audible, “Thanks” as she took the pad and, this time, more carefully pressed it to her split lip. Aaron filled the silence with what he hoped were some helpful reminders. It felt too awkward if he didn’t speak after his slip-up with his hand, plus, he was going to have to leave in a few minutes. He didn’t want to stay out late and the darkness outside was only getting darker. 

“If the school or the district ends up giving you any serious trouble, make sure your union rep is with you when you have to explain the situation. And, heaven forbid, there is some complaint and the union can’t do anything, I have a few lawyer friends I can get you in contact with.” y/n nodded her understanding, Her eyes widened at his lawyer comment. Who doesn’t this man know? Aaron continued, “You should ice your face on and off until you go to bed, and make sure you get some dinner before you sleep. You can also use this oil in other places if you’re aching elsewhere, just make sure not to get it in your eyes.” y/n watched him list off these things so collectedly. Not even having to think about them. She considered that he would make a good teacher if he was inclined toward that profession, but then again, he was the leader of an FBI Unit, how much more of a teacher can you get than that? y/n snapped her head up, realizing Aaron was saying something to her. Hotch smiled and repeated, “Can I see?” He gestured toward her lip and y/n let out a little breath and said, “Okay,” as she removed the pad from her lip and looked into Aaron’s dark, thoughtful eyes.

Hotch sat forward in his chair. y/n’s face was in the light of a lamp and he could see her full-looking lips which were pretty except where they were marred by the scar and scab of dark clotted blood. It didn’t look bad enough to need stitches, but just barely. He’d seen so many scars like these on Morgan, Reid, Emily, and his own mouth that it didn’t bother him. What did bother him was that what was a painful and annoying injury being inflicted on y/n. That would sting for at least a week. Sure it sucked when it happened to him or a member of the team, but they’d signed up for that, the most y/n should have to expect in terms of harm on the job was a paper cut. Clearly, he had been mistaken. 

Since they had both returned to their seats, y/n and Aaron had started drifting closer together like moths drawn to a flame. Hotch was about a foot away from y/n and could feel the ghost of her breath on his face and the hint of her barely touched second glass of rose now forgotten on the table. Without thinking, he moved his large hand up to the side of her face. The warmth of his hand on the side of her face had y/n rest her chin in his palm, and she closed her eyes. Not exactly sure what or why he was doing this, Aaron brushed his thumb over y/n’s top lip and then softly over her bottom lip. She winced as the pad of his thumb brushed over her scab, but didn’t pull away from his touch. y/n opened her eyes and Hotch dropped his hand. He leaned in slightly, entranced by y/n, her presence, just wanting to be a bit closer to her. y/n did the same. 

The moment was shattered when y/n’s phone loudly went off. Aaron dropped his hand like a lead weight, and y/n’s head snapped toward her phone on the side of the table. She turned her gaze back toward Aaron, but the moment had been broken. He looked silly, almost ashamed of himself. He’d pulled back and away and his posturing also made y/n feel like a fool. What had she been thinking? y/n got up grabbed her phone and answered, stepping farther away, but not so far away that Hotch couldn’t hear. What did she have to lose after acting so immature in front of him anyway? She could hardly think how she’d act when she saw him again, especially in the classroom. 

Putting the phone to her ear, she listened as her doctor asked if she’d picked up the refill of the medication that she had needed since her accident. y/n dipped her head. She’d completely forgotten about going to the pharmacy after her day and replied, “No not yet. I’ll pick them up right after work tomorrow.” There was a short reminder that those meds were helping y/n and she shouldn’t go without them. y/n nodded and said, “I know. I’ll pick them up tomorrow. I have enough to make it till then.” Hotch watched y/n cave in on herself as she walked away from him. He hadn’t meant to make her feel bad, or silly. He felt silly. Like someone who hadn’t been thinking about what he was doing. He shouldn’t have put y/n in that position and he was sorry for it. He’d have to find a way to apologize and leave y/n to her night before making some other kind of monumental error in judgment. 

Hotch heard y/n wrap up her call and her footsteps came back toward him. He stood and moved into the open space of the living room. The front door was just a few feet away and he felt like running out of it. But he stayed in discomfort and said, “I’m sorry for what I did earlier, y/n. That was inappropriate. I, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” y/n dropped her eyes again and said, “It’s alright. You were really kind to come over here and listen to me ramble and complain for half an hour. Not even my friends did that, and I’ll make sure to heed your advice. It’s clear you have a lot more practical life experience than I do. You don’t need to apologize for anything.” Aaron nodded, trying to accept her words for a situation he’d created. He wished he could explain what he’d been thinking, but he couldn’t because he hadn’t been thinking. The final nail in the coffin was when y/n said, “I hope you have a good night, Mr. Hotchner.” The change back to his last name, y/n hoped sounded regretful, but to Aaron, it only sounded hollow. Now it was Aaron’s turn to drop his head and he moved toward the door, stopping for one second as his fingertips brushed the cool metal, so unlike y/n’s warm skin. 

y/n didn’t like this. She didn’t like this at all. She hadn’t really known why she’d said yes to him coming over other than she wanted to see Aaron. She had enjoyed feeling his hand on her face. It was fast and strange like a dream, but she’d liked it, and part of her wanted very badly to understand why she’d wanted him here. And she didn’t think she could do it alone. She assumed that Aaron was as lost as she was. It seemed like he was. The words of y/n’s therapist rang in her ears, “Sometimes being strong is letting people in instead of keeping them out.” Just as Hotch’s hand latched onto the door knob y/n said, “Mr. Hotch… Aaron. I can’t exactly tell you why I asked you here, apart from the fact that I wanted you here, and I really enjoyed having you here, for all of it. I mean, like, before the phone call. I don’t know what this is,” she gestured between them, and continued, “But I’d like to understand it more. Maybe when the semester is over we could get coffee or something. Or if you don’t want that, I understand too.” 

There was a moment of silence that felt like an eternity before Aaron turned. His expression looked lighter, and maybe there was a ghost of a smile on his face that said, “I’d like that y/n. I enjoyed tonight too. You have my number now, so you let me know once you have the headspace to come up with a day for our meeting. I look forward to it.” y/n smiled too and raised her hand and waved. Hotch then moved outside and closed the door behind him. As he walked down the drive he felt better. Much better, and happy he’d come, even if he hadn’t been sure why, he had a better picture now, and he felt less guilty about it. He’d have something to tell Jess when the time was right, but for now, he could look forward to getting to know y/n better, and get to know himself too. 

Inside, y/n looked at the door for a second before she moved to it and locked it. She then moved to the couch and dropped into the cushions with a sigh. Once she’d grounded herself, y/n grabbed her glass and took another sip. The bag of ice was once again going unnoticed on the cushions and melting. y/n pulled the glass from her lips and contemplated how her face didn’t hurt so much anymore. Perhaps it was the painkillers, or the wine, or maybe, just maybe, it was the courage to tell Aaron the truth, and the possibility to know more about that feeling between them.

Text Break Banner by @cafekitsune

Tag List: @silk-spun @geminitapestry @alicewonderao3 @potatovoyager @looking1016 @princessjax @iniyalovesall

Want to be added to my tag list? Please check out this post (linked)