❝   i can help you with it!   ❞ it's an excited blurt that tumbles past her lips. KANAE DOES NOT ALWAYS THINK BEFORE SHE SPEAKS. impulse a static in her chest. ❝ ah ... i just know it's hard to braid the back of your own head. ❞

               carol   made   a   rather   aggressive   throat   clearing   sound   as   she   walked   behind   him,   her   eyes   fixed   on   the   homework   paper   in   front   of   jack.      when   his   eyes   met   hers,   she   quickly   shook   her   head.      she’s   not   supposed   to   offer   help   unless   he   asks,   and   she’s   certainly   not   supposed   to   just   give   him   the   answer   either.      it   was   up   to   jack   to   make   those   mistakes   and   to   learn   from   them.      a   valuable   lesson   aaron   wanted   him   to   learn,   and   she   understands   why.      you   don’t   get   handed   things   in   life,   you   need   to   work   for   it   even   if   it   means   some   failure   along   the   way.      but   she   just   couldn’t   help   herself   this   time   around.

long  hair,     falls  in  black  threads:     against  shoulders,     across  neck     -     like  shadows      ( dancing  across  your  body )      it's  gotten  longer,     i  think.     longer  than  it's  ever  been  before.     [ . . . ]     her  fingers,     calming:     the  way  nails  across  scalp     &     the  comb  through  tangles  that  hurt,      ( you  have  to  take  care  of  yourself )      parroted  in  your  head  with  @r3f1ect's  voice,     she  refrains  today     &     you  still  hear  it.     heavy,     in  your  chest.     strands  dragged  into  the  nape  of  your  neck,     eyes  close  themselves:     lost  in  the  waves  that  crash  into  the  sand  of  your  mind     [ . . . ]     you're  a  kid  again,     with  the  warmth  of  japan's  summer  air     &     cicada's  loud  in  the  trees.

               a   smile   spreads,   and   her   cheeks   take   on   a   faint   pink   hue   at   the   compliment.      it   will   always   be   a   struggle   to   accept   compliments   on   her   appearance,   she   can   thank   ed   for   that.      he   may   have   been   dead   twenty   years,   but   even   now   his   venomous   words   still   haunt   her   memories.      hands   rest   atop   aaron’s   arms,   the   feeling   of   being   held   by   him   always   soothes   her   worries   away.      eyes   close,   swaying   gently   to   the   faint   music   from   the   band   on   the   stage.      they   had   just   intended   on   walking   through   the   park   to   enjoy   the   evening   when   they’d   heard   the   music.      of   course   they   followed   the   sound,   and   that’s   how   they   ended   up   here   with   a   few   other   people,   dancing   to   the   classical   tunes   at   sunset.

               this   wasn’t   their   typical   scene,   not   in   the   slightest.      a   bar   with   music   and   a   dance   floor   wasn’t   a   place   they   often   went   unless   it   was   with   the   team.      however,   with   all   air   traffic   being   grounded   and   unable   to   fly   home,   their   options   for   date   night   had   been   rather   slim.      normally   they   would   fly   home   after   a   case   and   grab   a   bite   at   some   quiet   little   diner,   maybe   have   a   glass   of   wine   and   then   crash   because   cases   were   often   exhausting.      not   just   on   the   two   of   them,   but   the   whole   team.      being   as   late   as   it   was   and   an   unfamiliar   city,   this   type   of   scene   was   pretty   much   the   only   place   they   could   grab   some   food.      the   hotel’s   restaurant   was   closed,   as   were   most   places   in   the   city.      the   only   places   left   were   the   clubs,   and   well…      she’d   been   starving.

               so   they’d   ended   up   here,   in   the   night   club   that   seemed   to   be   bustling   with   life.      mostly   young   people,   drinking   and   dancing,   enjoying   their   lives   without   a   care   in   the   world.      sometimes   she   envied   them,   having   no   idea   about   the   horrors   that   really   went   on   in   the   world.      she   had   just   finished   her   drink   when   hotch   spoke,   and   she   glanced   from   him   to   the   dance   floor,   then   back   to   him   again.      ❝   this   isn’t   exactly   my   kind   of   dance   music.   ❞      this   was   a   dance   club,   no   chance   in   hell   they’d   play   something   slow.      she   would   love   to   dance   with   him,   but   looking   at   the   crowd   over   there?      she   didn’t   really   fancy   being   bumped   into   by   sloppy   drunk   kids.