#muses are almost updated
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campingwiththecharmings ¡ 7 months ago
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was going through my WIPs yesterday and noticed that the next installment of good neighbors is pretty much finished. i'm gonna try and finish it up and post it sometime this week, if anyone's interested 😊
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geodethecrow ¡ 4 months ago
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the difference that an hour of work makes, damnn
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angelsdvsts ¡ 1 year ago
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give this a ♡ and i'll write us 1-2 starters !
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the-hungdeli-hermit ¡ 1 year ago
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finally wrote up a somewhat proper explanation as to why Roulette doesn’t like Chai at the start of her rather tumultuous journey. I don’t know if this can be considered a long read post but here’s your warning. Oh, and you can scroll down for some lineart pieces (really proud of those two) and another mention of a NIN album.
because we love NIN in this house
At first glance it might seem like Roulette hates Chai’s guts to an unimaginable degree, but “hate” is too strong of a word here, even in her own opinion. Yes, she does find him rather annoying, arrogant, idiotic in his antics and just in general the biggest dumbass she’s ever laid her eyes on. At the same time, she knows it’s rather pointless to be as nasty as she is to him at times, yet she feels as though she can’t stop now, like she has to be mean to him. Acting all nice and calm towards him after everything she’s said to him would be like admitting some so sort of defeat to herself.
(And she’s can be a stubborn bitch sometimes, even when she knows how she’s acting towards him is incredibly mean and stupid (her first meeting with him basically clouds her judgment; the reason for initially disliking him is really petty, a spur of a moment situation))
The issue runs deeper than that though. Ru is angry with Chai not just because he feels like a caricature of every lazy loser who thinks they’re the hottest shit out there, but because she is extremely envious of him, both his character and position. Seemingly a nobody from God knows where gets a prosthetic for garbage collection and then becomes an ambassador for one of the departments of a multibillion tech company just… because? A literal college-dropout, a slacker who doesn’t take his job seriously and just seems to leech off of the company he works for? And people even like him?!
Is it really because of his positive attitude? His stupid smile? Or… is he just that charming and lovable compared to her? It seems as though everything comes to him easily, without him even trying, that he is just that incredibly lucky.
Of course, Ru doesn’t knows his situation, what he’s been through to get to this point in time and who he had to face. Heck, we don’t even know what his past was like, but we can only assume that it wasn’t that great. She thinks her comments don’t really affect him much, that he brushes them off with ease and just goes about his life being all “rockstar” or something. 
And he does, but some of them just hit way too close to home without even meaning too.
She dreamt big too, you know? Big dreams of her own, that she couldn’t fulfil due to her life circumstances. And here he is, a reminder that more often than not, hard work is not enough. Just one lucky moment can be enough change your life completely, and her hard work couldn’t compare to that. 
At least she got lucky this time, getting accepted into Vandelay Tech as a mere HR-assistant. She thought she could change her life around completely, start fresh in a new and unfamiliar environment.
And she did, but wherever you go, you’ll always have yourself, right? And you can’t really outrun your own problems like that. It might give you more motivation to work on yourself, but in the end… who is to say that it’ll actually help you?
Their relationship will improve eventually, but only after someone will be saved once and at least one attempted murder/voluntary manslaughter? Hard to tell 
Also LISTEN TO ��With Teeth BY NINE INCH NAILS IT LITERALLY DESCRIBES HER CURRENT STATE AND FEELINGS. YOU CAN JUST READ THE TITLES OF THE SONGS AND ALREADY GET A GOOD PICTURE
Actually JUST LISTEN TO NINE INCH NAILS IN GENERAL. And I’m not just talking The Downward Spiral or Pretty Hate Machine (both are wonderful, of course), but listen to other works too.
And now, the little art pieces:
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Still experimenting with style and how to draw Roulette. The last post with her was leaning more into being somewhat realistic, while this one is just… cute. Which I really like! And of course, the second is more of an experiment with lineart. Still love my Sakura Pigma Micron pens to death, they just hit different. The scratchy look turned out lovely on the second piece.
oh yeah, and these two are the same person
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personaei ¡ 5 months ago
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ooc. one of these things is not like the other! one of these things just doesn't belong!
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as-rare-as-trees ¡ 2 years ago
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Repost of a Wang Yibo in watercolor I did in 2020 taking ispiration from my favourite photoshoot of his
#my art?#why a repost and not a reblog you might ask?#because I feel like I was too annoying in the original caption but I don't want to edit the post#anyway reposting because I took it out to hang it on my wall again and was like -wth?? how did I do this??-#like yeah it's not perfect etc#but I'm 99% sure I would NOT be able to do sth like this rn#I continue to believe I do my most elaborate pieces while possessed i would not know how to explain this#or my mahmood poster#or my wwx in the red dress#or lwj with the pearl dress (which you don't know but trust me)#every time I start working on sth I feel like the meme of patrick star with a hammer in hand and a wood plank nailed to his head#do i actually learn sth when I do art?? or do I just somehow manage to do things#and then if I find the magical motivation or a willing spirit I manage to do it again?#otherwise I just cry and struggle and quit?#don't know guys this is too much of a mistery#anyway bazaar photoshoot <333#wang yibo#my beloved#actually#for this or like mahmood I can almost understand#i guess that since it was strictly a copy of a reference it was a tad easier knowing where to place the colors for example#tho still I don't know how the rendering had such a result#update: okay I'm going through a sketchbook of that time period and I was practicing a lot with watercolors so maybe that helped#also I was truly using wyb as my muse and guinea pig#i have a piece of him in acrylics and one done with chalks this with watercolor some attempts with crayons#okay ow getting kinda sad cause I'm realizing I used to do art so so often even if it was all copying references#and I think I was also still reading at the time? uhmmmmmmmmm#jhjhkh lots of pencil and pen drawings as well somebody had just watched cql#i do have some xiao zhans but I have always had more difficulty drawing him dkw#arting
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spectruff ¡ 1 year ago
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decided to play muse dash because i had nothing else to do and i experienced this weird glitch twice on the miku map specifically. has anyone else experienced this after the most recent update?? (touhou collab 3)
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byanyan ¡ 1 year ago
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okayyyyy finally finished up some updates to byan's google site again. it's a lot of minor stuff, as usual — a note about being single ship (which i meant to add like. forever ago now :x), some minor updates to the bio (mostly just updated tattoos and scars i think??), added links to significant headcanons, updated some verse descriptions slightly, fixed up without fully updating the mains page bc some blogs were moved/archived/deleted, andddd... added an npcs page!! which is probably the biggest addition but also still not that significant lmao
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qveenofgluttony ¡ 2 years ago
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With the ball less than an hour and a half away both of the Bee women are furiously trying to get themselves ready for the big night.
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geodethecrow ¡ 6 months ago
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ohhhhh im hungry-nauseous. fuck.
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cherryblossms ¡ 2 months ago
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yall i have so many underdeveloped muses that i don't even write anywhere and here i am looking to add more, somebody stop me lmao
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orphiicheartd ¡ 6 months ago
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Why did nobody tell me the promos link still lead to the old h.sr blog lmao
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dxsole ¡ 1 year ago
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I'm working on Mikail's playlist today and damn there really is something about corrupt priest vibes that is v nice musically
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aparticularbandit ¡ 1 year ago
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In which I plan to go to sleep earlier than normal and my computer starts doing that weird glitching stuff it does when it needs to update so I have it restart....
And it's stuck on the "Don't turn off your computer" screen so.
Probably definitely needed to do updates apparently.
-sigh-
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ari-ana-bel-la ¡ 28 days ago
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Could you write a Dad!Oscar, where yn is constantly in a game of hide and seek with everyone (engineers, other drivers, mechanics, team principals, everyone) and everyone finds it adorable
Hide and Seek
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Oscar was crouched beside his car, speaking quietly with one of his engineers about the updates to the front wing, but even as he focused on the words, his ears were trained on the familiar giggle echoing through the paddock.
"Behind the tire rack again?" his engineer asked with a grin, eyes darting to the left where a soft peal of laughter rang out again, barely muffled.
Oscar didn't need to look. "Third time today," he muttered fondly, standing and brushing his hands on his fire suit. "She thinks no one ever looks there. She’s very proud of her hiding skills.”
His five-year-old daughter, Yn, was once again playing her favorite game—hide and seek in the paddock. It had started as a simple distraction during a long race weekend, but it had quickly become tradition. Engineers, mechanics, other drivers, even team principals—they were all drafted into her ongoing game. And none of them minded. In fact, most of them actively looked forward to seeing the little girl scurrying behind tire stacks or squeezing beneath tables, giggling as she waited to be “found.”
Oscar turned just in time to see Lando tiptoeing past the pit wall, hands on his hips, eyes darting around theatrically.
"Yn! Hmm… where could she be?" Lando called in a sing-song voice, drawing out the vowels.
From the corner, a soft snort of laughter exploded from behind a row of stacked tires.
Lando froze and gasped dramatically. "Did I just hear a mouse?"
Giggle.
"Wait a minute…" he turned, creeping closer to the tires with exaggerated stealth, "...was that… a racing mouse? Wearing tiny sneakers?"
This sent Yn into fits of laughter, and she burst from her hiding spot, sprinting out into the open with a squeal. Lando pretended to slip and fall over, face-planting into a patch of unused mats, groaning dramatically.
"No! She’s too fast!" he wailed, throwing an arm over his eyes. "I’ve been defeated!"
Yn giggled uncontrollably and spun in a circle before spotting her father just a few meters away.
“Daddy!” she shrieked, running up to him at full speed.
Oscar, mid-conversation again, crouched down instinctively and caught her, lifting her high into his arms. "Hey, sunshine," he said, grinning. “You winning?”
She nodded fiercely. “Lando almost found me! But I’m too sneaky. Can you hide me, please please please?”
Oscar laughed, glancing at Lando, who was peeking over a mat and winking.
"Where do you want me to hide you?" Oscar asked.
“In your jacket!” Yn announced, eyes wide with excitement. “He’ll never find me there!”
Oscar didn’t miss a beat. He sat down in his chair, unzipped his team jacket and helped her nestle into his lap. She curled up with a little sigh of satisfaction, her tiny hands holding the inside of his suit like it was a security blanket. He zipped the jacket halfway back up, not really covering her, but enough for pretend.
She giggled again as he gently hushed her, “Shh, shh… the hunter is near.”
Lando sauntered over, hands on his hips. “Now, where oh where could Yn have gone?” he mused, very pointedly looking everywhere but at Oscar’s lap.
Oscar raised an eyebrow, keeping a very serious expression. “Haven’t seen her.”
“Hmm…” Lando stepped closer, bent to peer under a bench. “Maybe she went back to the hospitality suite? Or—wait. Maybe she climbed into the tire rack again.”
Oscar shrugged. “Could be. She’s pretty quick.”
A tiny giggle trembled from within his jacket. Lando froze.
“Wait… was that wind?” he asked, blinking. “Or do I hear… a giggle?”
Oscar opened his mouth solemnly. “Wind.”
“Oh,” Lando said. “Weirdly adorable wind.”
The jacket shook slightly. Oscar patted the little bump under the fabric gently.
“I guess I’ll have to keep looking,” Lando sighed dramatically. “I’m the worst seeker ever.”
A tiny head popped up from Oscar’s jacket, grinning triumphantly. “You didn’t find me!”
Lando gasped and staggered back. “What?! You were hidden in there? Impossible! That's cheating!”
“It’s not cheating,” she insisted, climbing out into Oscar’s lap, “It’s being smart.”
Lando crossed his arms, pretending to pout. “I’ve been outsmarted by a five-year-old again.”
“You always are,” Oscar teased, poking his friend in the ribs with a laugh.
“Okay,” Lando said, spinning to face her. “Next round, I’m going pro. No mercy.”
“I’m going super pro!” she shot back, pointing at him.
Oscar chuckled, hugging her tight. “Go easy on him, sunshine. He’s not that smart.”
“I heard that!” Lando called as he jogged away, already scanning for hiding spots.
Oscar stood, setting Yn gently on the ground. “Alright, off you go, professional hider.”
She gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered, “You’re the best hiding place ever,” before darting off again.
Oscar just smiled and watched her run, her pigtails bouncing, her laughter echoing through the paddock.
As she disappeared behind a catering cart, a group of engineers turned, pretending to be confused. One whispered loudly, “Was that the wind again?” and the others nodded seriously.
The whole paddock was in on it. She was their little ray of sunshine, their game master, their daily joy. And Oscar wouldn’t trade a single moment of it for the world.
Even during a debrief later, when a mechanic leaned in and whispered, “She hid in the tire warmers again. You might want to go rescue her before she cooks,” Oscar didn’t mind.
He smiled, stood up from his seat, and headed to retrieve his daughter.
Because no matter how many races he drove, no matter how many podiums he reached, this—this chaotic, loving, laughter-filled paddock life with his daughter—was the greatest win of all.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♥︎♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
Authors Note: Hey loves. I hope you enjoyed reading this story. My requests are always open for you!
-♡○♡
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kiwriteswords ¡ 4 months ago
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Because You're Just a Man [Aaron Hotchner x Reader]
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Masterlist (updated!!)|| Ao3||Word Count: 10k|| AN: Who's going to explain to my boss that seeing this prompt caused me to get ZERO work done today. I'm getting more comfortable with writing smut again and this was honestly my favorite piece I have ever written so far! Also! Thank you for the encouragement on my original post @honeypiehotchner @ssamorganhotchner and @hoe4hotchner <3 Tags/Warnings: female reader, mdni, canon typical themes, sexual themes, flirting, hotch and reader pushing each others limits, jealous!Hotch, simp!Hotch, unprotected sex, horny hotch, horny reader, provoking hotch hours. Summary: Based on the prompt from @urfriendlywriter: "You're making it really hard to be a gentleman right now."
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The hum of the BAU office felt different at night--quieter, but still charged with the weight of unfinished cases and the scent of stale coffee.
It was late, most of the team had already left, and the bullpen was washed in the dim glow of desk lamps and the occasional flicker of the overhead fluorescents. You sat at your desk, typing halfheartedly on your laptop, stealing occasional glances at the one person still in the office.
Hotch.
He sat in his glass-walled office, posture perfect as ever, his tie loosened just enough to suggest he’d been at this for hours. His jaw was tight, his fingers moving steadily across reports, and even from here, you could see the muscle in his cheek flex every time he clenched it.
God, he was impossible.
You’d been seeing him--or at least talking about the possibility of seeing him--for weeks now. There had been stolen moments, almost-confessions, a tension so thick between you that even the team had started noticing. But Hotch, ever the professional, ever the stoic leader, hadn’t given you much to go on. A lingering glance? A stray touch? A sharp inhale when you got too close? Sure. But he never acted. Never said anything.
Nothing concrete, anyways. 
And it was starting to drive you insane.
At first, you thought maybe he was just slow to act. That he wanted to be sure. But the more time passed, the more you started to wonder: Was he even attracted to you?
You knew he cared. You’d seen it in the way his eyes lingered when he thought you weren’t looking. In the way he checked in after cases, always ensuring you were okay. But physically? He was impossible to read. He was so composed, so disciplined, that you couldn’t tell if he was holding himself back or if he simply didn’t feel the way you did.
So you decided to test him.
Nothing outrageous, nothing too obvious--just enough to see if you could shake his composure.
You leaned back in your chair, stretching your arms overhead, the hem of your blouse riding up just a fraction. If he was looking, he didn’t show it.
Fine.
You stood slowly, making a deliberate show of gathering your things. You could feel the soft stretch of your pencil skirt as you shifted, the way your blouse clung just right in the low light. You weren’t normally one to be overly conscious of what you wore to work, but tonight? Tonight, you wanted him to notice.
File in hand, you took your time walking toward his office, letting the faint click of your heels punctuate the silence.
He didn’t look up right away, but you knew he knew you were there.
"Still working?" you asked, voice just a little softer than usual.
Hotch finally glanced up, dark eyes flicking to yours before settling back on the paperwork in front of him. "Looks that way." His voice was smooth, measured. Controlled.
You stepped inside, setting the file down on his desk--closer than necessary. Close enough that you could smell the subtle, clean scent of his cologne, something rich and warm beneath the sharpness of his aftershave.
"You should take a break," you mused, tilting your head slightly.
He exhaled slowly through his nose. "I don’t have time for a break."
"Not even for me?" You rested your hand against the edge of his desk, fingers just barely brushing the wood as you leaned in--just enough to make it impossible for him to ignore the proximity.
That did it.
It was quick, almost imperceptible, but you saw it.
The slight shift of his jaw. The way his fingers tightened around his pen just briefly before setting it down.
A rush of satisfaction curled in your stomach.
So, he does notice.
But the moment passes as quickly as it came. Hotch barely spares you another glance, flipping the page of his report with that same unreadable, impassive expression. If he was affected, he sure as hell wasn’t showing it now.
You narrowed your eyes slightly, watching him.
That’s how you want to play it, Hotchner?
Fine.
You could almost see it--the way his mind worked, the methodical discipline he relied on to keep himself locked up tight. He was compartmentalizing. Shoving down whatever impulse had flickered through him the second he caught your scent, or felt the heat of your body just inches from his desk.
He wasn’t indifferent. He was deliberately refusing to acknowledge it.
That realization sent a slow hum of intrigue through you.
This wasn’t going to be as simple as you thought. If you wanted to get a real reaction out of him, you’d have to be smarter about it. Subtler.
You straightened up, deliberately not lingering the way you had been. Let him think you were backing off.
“Don’t work too hard,” you said lightly, turning toward the door.
You swore you felt his eyes on you as you walked away--but when you glanced back, he was already staring at his paperwork again, jaw tight.
Oh, this was going to be fun.
Back at your desk, you settled into your chair and let your fingers drift over your keyboard, not really typing, not really thinking about work anymore. Instead, your mind was spinning, plotting.
What else would get to him?
A slow smirk tugged at the corner of your lips.
You had all the time in the world to figure that out.
oxoxoxoxoxoxox
The conference room was buzzing with low chatter, the sound of files rustling, and the distant whir of the coffee machine in the bullpen. The team was gathering for a briefing, and you were one of the last to arrive, slipping in just as Hotch stood at the head of the table, setting down the case file.
You slid into the chair across from him, casually smoothing the hem of your skirt as you crossed your legs, slow and deliberate.
His gaze flicked up--so brief, so controlled, that anyone else would have missed it. But you didn’t.
Your stomach hummed with satisfaction.
His eyes dropped immediately to the folder in front of him, fingers adjusting his watch before flipping open the case file. His movements were precise, methodical. A man rebuilding his walls, brick by brick.
Good. You weren’t done testing their strength yet.
Morgan and JJ were still chatting, waiting for Garcia to finish setting up, so you leaned forward, resting your chin on your hand, watching Hotch as if you were actually interested in the file he was reading.
“You didn’t go home last night, did you?” you mused.
Hotch’s jaw tightened just slightly. “I was finishing reports.”
You hummed, tilting your head. “Right. That explains why you’re so grumpy today.”
“I’m not grumpy,” he replied, voice smooth, but the way his grip subtly flexed around his pen told you otherwise.
“You kind of are.” You let the amusement curl in your voice. “At least a little.”
His exhale was barely audible, a long, slow breath through his nose. He still wasn’t looking at you, keeping his attention on the paperwork in front of him, but his fingers tightened around his pen just slightly.
You smiled.
And then, because you wanted to see just how much he was holding back, you stretched--a lazy, innocent stretch, your back arching just enough to accentuate your figure, your blouse shifting ever so slightly.
Hotch froze.
Just for half a second.
But it was there.
The slight pause in the movement of his pen. The subtle way his jaw went even tighter. The fraction of a second where his eyes flicked toward you before snapping back to his papers.
You bit back a smirk.
This was working.
You tapped your fingers against the table, feigning nonchalance. “You know, Hotch, if you ever actually relaxed once in a while, I think the world would keep turning.”
His lips parted slightly, as if he was about to respond--but at that moment, Garcia’s voice burst through the moment, her usual chipper tone filling the room.
You didn’t miss the slight tension in Hotch’s shoulders as he very purposefully turned his full attention to the case.
He was trying so hard.
And it was only making you more determined.
xoxoxoxoooxox
The night air in Quantico was thick with humidity, the kind that settled into your skin and made the inside of the BAU feel heavier than usual. It made you wonder if this is where they decided to save bureaucratic dollars, by turning the air conditioner off when people worked after office hours.
Most of the team had already left, the bullpen dimly lit except for the faint glow of desk lamps and the occasional flicker of the coffee machine cycling through its last brew of the night.
Hotch was still in his office, as always.
And you were still here.
At first, your little experiments had been entertaining--a game to see if you could shake his impossible composure, test the limits of his discipline. And while you had noticed the cracks--those fleeting glances, the small shifts in body language--he never let them grow into something more.
And it was starting to piss you off.
It wasn’t as if you expected him to shove the desk between you aside and kiss you breathless (though the thought was an incredibly tempting one). But you needed something. A sign. A confirmation that this thing--this slow, unbearable push-and-pull--wasn’t just in your head.
Because if he wasn’t interested, if all of this was just a cruel trick of your own imagination, then what the hell were you doing?
You pushed away from your desk, snatching up the case file you’d been pretending to work on, and made your way up the stairs to his office.
His door was open, but he was in his usual state of intense focus--pen in hand, elbow resting on the desk, brows drawn together. His sleeves were rolled up now, exposing the lean muscle of his forearms, and his tie was loosened just enough to be tempting.
You leaned against the doorway, tilting your head. “You do realize the case is over, right?”
Hotch didn’t even look up. “Paperwork isn’t.”
You rolled your eyes, stepping inside. “You work too much.”
“I’ve been told.”
There was something infuriating about his ability to stay perfectly neutral. You stepped closer, rounding his desk slightly, just enough to lean against the edge.
Close enough to be impossible to ignore.
“You ever think about taking a break? Doing something fun?”
His eyes flicked up at that--just for a second--but his expression didn’t change. “I have fun.”
You huffed a laugh, crossing your arms. “No, you don’t.”
His lips pressed into a thin line.
You took it further. “When was the last time you let yourself actually relax?”
“I don’t have the luxury of--”
“Oh, come on, Hotch,” you interrupted, frustration leaking into your tone now. “You’re always like this. So composed, so in control.” You leaned in slightly, voice dipping into something just a little more pointed. “So unaffected.”
Something flickered behind his eyes. A warning. A silent caution that you were pushing too hard.
You ignored it.
You tilted your head, considering him, your frustration bubbling into something sharper.
And then, because you couldn’t stop yourself, because you were tired of second-guessing and waiting for something that might not even be there, you let the words slip:
"You must be the most disciplined man on the planet, Hotchner." You let it sit for a beat before adding, deliberately flippant, "Or maybe I’m just not your type."
That did it.
It was instant.
His pen stilled, fingers tightening around it before setting it down with deliberate care. His jaw tensed, the muscle there flickering under the low light. And then--finally--he looked at you.
Not a glance. Not a fleeting acknowledgment.
A look.
Slow. Measured. And dark in a way that made your breath hitch.
For the first time, you felt something shift in the air between you--something crackling, something dangerous.
He didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he leaned back in his chair, rolling his shoulders, his gaze locked onto yours like he was considering his next move. Like he was deciding.
When he finally spoke, his voice was lower than before. “You really think that?”
Your stomach tightened.
You shrugged, feigning nonchalance even as your pulse picked up. “Well, I don’t see you proving me wrong.”
His exhale was slow, controlled--like he was reining himself in.
And suddenly, you weren’t sure if you were the one poking him--or if you had just walked straight into something you weren’t ready for.
The room felt smaller.
Hotch hadn’t moved--not an inch. He was still leaning back in his chair, arms resting on the desk, posture as composed as ever. And yet, something had shifted.
Maybe it was in the air between you, thick with unsaid things.
Maybe it was in his eyes--still dark, still unreadable, but no longer distant.
Or maybe it was in the silence, the heavy pause after your words had landed, stretching just long enough for doubt to creep in.
Maybe you were right? Maybe you were wrong? 
"You really think that?"
He repeated. His voice was low, controlled, but there was something new in it. Something deliberate.
You lifted a shoulder in a shrug, determined to keep your ground, even as your heartbeat knocked against your ribs. “Well, again, I don’t see you proving me wrong.”
Hotch inhaled slowly, tilting his head ever so slightly as he studied you.
And then--he smirked.
It wasn’t full, wasn’t obvious, but it was there. The barest hint of amusement curling at the edges of his lips, just enough to make your stomach tighten.
“You’re impatient,” he murmured.
Your brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”
He tapped his fingers against the desk once--just once--before leaning forward. Not much, but enough that the shift in proximity sent a shiver down your spine.
"You expect me to react on your timeline," he said, voice smooth, steady. "You think if I don’t, it means I don’t feel it." His eyes flickered over your face, slow and deliberate. "That I don’t want to."
Heat licked up your spine.
His words were careful, calculated--but there was something beneath them. A warning.
Your pulse quickened, but you refused to let him see it. You lifted your chin slightly. "Am I wrong?"
Hotch exhaled sharply, the ghost of a laugh under his breath, before shaking his head.
“No,” he admitted. “But you are underestimating me.”
Your stomach flipped.
You felt the weight of those words, how easily they unraveled the confidence you’d built up.
Underestimating him?
Your lips parted slightly, but before you could speak, he continued, voice dropping just slightly:
“If I wanted to give in, I would have already.”
The sheer certainty in his tone sent a thrill down your spine.
You swallowed, throat suddenly dry. "So why haven’t you?"
He held your gaze steady and unwavering.
"Because I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of winning this little game you're playing."
Your breath caught.
So he knew.
He’d known this whole time.
Bastard. 
Every shift in your tone. Every touch that lingered just a little too long. Every glance, every tease, every attempt to get a reaction out of him.
He had seen all of it.
And he had been letting you play.
Your heart pounded against your ribs, frustration and thrill curling into one. You had been trying to push him, to get under his skin, but now it was you who felt unsteady, heat pooling low in your stomach.
"You think this is a game?" you challenged.
Hotch’s gaze flickered lower--just briefly, just enough to make your breath hitch--before snapping back to yours.
“I think you’re trying to get a reaction out of me,” he murmured, voice like velvet. “And I think you’re getting frustrated because I won’t give you one.”
You sucked in a breath, hands curling at your sides.
“And that’s why you’re underestimating me.”
Your throat tightened.
He’s turning this on you.
You had walked into this office thinking you were the one in control, that you were the one poking at his restraint.
But now, sitting there, completely composed, unshaken, he was making it clear:
He had never been the one losing control, but you did have an effect on him.
He was letting you think you were winning--letting you push, letting you test, letting you play.
But the second he wanted to break the tension, he would.
And not a moment sooner.
Silence stretched between you, and you realized that if you said anything now, you’d only be proving him right.
So you did the only thing you could.
You stepped back.
Not much. Just enough to put a few inches of space between you. Just enough to breathe.
Hotch’s lips twitched slightly, almost like he knew he had won this round.
"Goodnight," he said, voice as smooth as ever.
Your nails pressed into your palm, heat still simmering low in your stomach, but you forced yourself to stay composed as you turned.
And as you walked out of his office, one thought burned in your mind.
You had severely underestimated Aaron Hotchner.
And now, you were more determined than ever to make him break.
xxoxoxoxoxo
The local precinct smelled like stale coffee and cheap disinfectant, the kind of place that saw too many long nights and not enough successful arrests. The team had been working with the local PD all morning, briefing the officers, pouring over evidence, and establishing a strategy for catching the unsub. The air was thick with tension--case tension, but also something else.
Hotch tension.
You had been careful, playing it safe the last couple of days after your last conversation with him. He had successfully flipped your game back on you, made you second-guess your own approach, and that had annoyed you. But more than that--it had intrigued you.
You had underestimated him.
But that only made you want to try harder.
So now, standing in the middle of the precinct, surrounded by officers, detectives, and your team, you found your next move.
It happened when one of the younger officers--a rookie, maybe mid-twenties--sidled up beside you while you were scanning over a map of the unsub’s hunting ground. He was cocky, too casual for a case like this, but harmless enough.
“You guys always get put on the bad ones, huh?” he asked, shaking his head.
You hummed, glancing at him briefly. “Something like that.”
He smelled like cheap cologne and bad news. 
His eyes flicked over you--not in a way that was offensive, but in a way that was obvious. “So, what’s it like working for him?” His gaze drifted past you, and you knew exactly who he was referring to.
You glanced toward the other side of the room, where Hotch was standing with Rossi and Morgan, discussing logistics with the local captain. He was doing what he always did--keeping his tone measured, his posture unwavering, his presence demanding attention even when he wasn’t speaking.
“What do you mean?” you asked, playing dumb.
The rookie smirked. “I mean, he’s kind of intense, right? Seems like the type of guy who doesn’t let his team breathe.”
You let out a short laugh, shaking your head. “Oh, he lets us breathe. Just not when we’re wasting time.”
The officer chuckled, leaning slightly closer. “And what about after hours? He loosen up at all then?”
It was an innocent enough comment. It wasn’t inappropriate, wasn’t particularly suggestive, but it was loaded--an implication lingering beneath the surface.
And that’s when you felt it.
The shift.
It wasn’t obvious. No one else in the room would have noticed. But you did.
His energy--you could feel it surrounding you without him even making as much as a subtle eye movement. He was all around you. All at once. Just not physically. 
The way Hotch’s posture stiffened, ever so slightly.
The way his conversation faltered for just a fraction of a second before continuing.
The way his fingers twitched, like he had the urge to look over but refused to.
You had just done something dangerous.
And you liked it.
A slow, wicked idea unfurled in your mind.
You didn’t even have to flirt with the rookie. You just had to let him think he had a shot. Let Hotch think that someone else might be in your orbit.
So you smiled--just a small, amused smile--as you said, “Why? You looking for some FBI mentorship?”
The officer grinned. “I wouldn’t say no.”
And then, because you could, because you were feeling reckless, you let your fingers lightly trail over his forearm. A barely there touch. A casual, fleeting thing.
But it wasn’t casual at all.
You felt the shift further before you even looked up.
And when you finally glanced toward Hotch--when you saw the way his gaze was locked onto you now, the sharp, barely restrained tension in his features--you almost lost your own composure.
His expression was unreadable, but his eyes?
His eyes were burning.
A rush of heat surged through your body.
Oh.
You had found something.
But before you could process it, Hotch’s voice cut through the air--calm, too calm.
“Agent,” he said sharply. “A word.”
Your stomach dropped.
And not in the way that made you nervous.
In the way that made your pulse spike.
You turned slowly, heart hammering, as Hotch gestured for you to follow him.
He didn’t wait for you--just walked toward one of the quieter hallways of the precinct, expecting you to keep up.
You did.
His legs were so long--such long strides. 
Your mind was racing, trying to figure out if he was mad or if this was something else--if you had finally managed to push too far.
When he finally stopped, he turned abruptly, standing so close that you almost collided into him.
His jaw was tight. His breathing controlled.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, voice low.
You blinked up at him, playing the part of the innocent. “Excuse me?”
His eyes flickered with something unreadable. “The officer.”
Your heart thumped. You knew what this was now.
It wasn’t anger.
It was something else entirely.
A slow, knowing smirk curved your lips. “Oh,” you said, tilting your head. “You were paying attention.”
His nostrils flared slightly.
“You’re playing a dangerous game,” he murmured, voice even lower now.
Your pulse thrummed in your throat. “Am I?”
Hotch’s gaze locked onto yours, something sharp, something restrained--but this time, barely.
For the first time, you knew you had him.
And now?
Now you were dying to see what happened when Aaron Hotchner stopped holding back.
The hallway was too quiet.
Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was just you, hyperaware of every single breath, every shift in the air between you and Hotch. The precinct buzzed faintly in the distance, but here, in this small, dimly lit corridor, it felt like another world entirely.
Hotch hadn’t moved.
Neither had you.
The space between you was barely a few inches, and yet, the tension crackled like a live wire, sparking in the narrow gap separating you.
His jaw was tight. His shoulders squared. His hands twitched--just slightly, like he was debating what to do with them.
Hotch exhaled through his nose, slow, measured, but there was something off about it--something that told you it wasn’t just an exhale. It was restraint.
Tightly coiled, barely-leashed restraint.
You had never seen him like this.
He was always so careful. So composed. So in control.
But right now? Right now, there was something just beneath the surface, something barely held together by the thread of his discipline.
And it was because of you.
You could feel your pulse hammering against your ribs, heat rising up your spine, but you didn’t step back.
Neither did he.
“I didn’t realize talking to an officer was against BAU protocol,” you mused, letting the words hang in the air between you, testing, pushing.
Hotch’s eyes darkened. “That’s not what this is about.”
Your lips curled slightly, your confidence returning in full force. “No?”
His breath hitched--just a fraction, just enough.
Then, before you could blink, he took a step closer.
It was subtle. Barely there.
But it was deliberate.
You were trained to decipher human behavior, after all. This man--he was one of the hardest shells to crack, but something told you how to put the pieces together now. 
Your spine straightened instinctively, the sudden nearness setting off a slow burn low in your stomach.
For the first time, it felt like he was the one testing you.
“You think I don’t see what you’re doing?” he murmured, voice dangerously low.
A shiver trailed down your spine.
You forced yourself to hold his gaze, even as the heat between you thickened. “And what am I doing, Hotch?”
His jaw ticked. “You want a reaction.”
You tilted your head slightly, barely suppressing a smirk. “Do I?”
His exhale was sharp this time, less measured, less composed. His fingers flexed at his sides, like he was physically keeping himself from moving.
Then, before you could process what was happening, he leaned in--just enough that his breath ghosted over your skin, warm, sharp.
“You really want to test me?” he murmured.
Your stomach flipped.
Your lips parted slightly, a retort forming, but nothing came out.
Hotch let the moment hang, suspended, the air thick with something neither of you wanted to name.
Then--just as quickly as he had closed the space--he pulled back, his expression unreadable once more.
His discipline snapped back into place like a steel trap, as if he had never let it slip at all.
But you had seen it.
You had felt it.
And as he straightened, adjusting his tie, clearing his throat, you knew.
He wasn’t unaffected.
Not even close.
“Get back to work,” he said finally, voice smooth, controlled.
But he didn’t look at you when he said it.
And that?
That told you everything you needed to know.
You thought you had won.
You felt the tension, saw the moment Hotch nearly cracked, heard the shift in his breath. You knew now--knew for certain--that you affected him. That you weren’t imagining things.
That Aaron Hotchner wanted you.
And yet, as you walked back into the main room of the precinct, trying to steady your own breathing, trying to refocus on the case, something gnawed at you.
Because when he had pulled back, when he had gathered himself, when he had smoothed his tie and sent you back to work like nothing had happened--there had been something in his expression.
Not regret. Not hesitation.
Something else.
And you realized it too late.
You had just handed him the upper hand.
oxoxoxoxoxxoox
It started small.
You were seated at the long table in the precinct’s war room, reviewing files, mapping out patterns on a whiteboard with Morgan and Prentiss, when you felt it.
A gaze.
Hotch was across the room, engaged in a discussion with Rossi and the lead detective, his voice even, steady. Composed.
But he was watching you.
Not directly. Not obviously.
But you could feel it.
The way his eyes flicked toward you between sentences, the way his attention lingered just a second too long before returning to the conversation at hand.
It shouldn’t have rattled you.
But it did.
Because you had spent so long trying to get a reaction out of him. And now, suddenly, he wasn’t ignoring you. He wasn’t brushing it off.
He was watching you back.
And worse?
He wasn’t hiding it anymore.
Your stomach twisted in a way you weren’t used to.
You forced yourself to refocus, flipping through the files in front of you, but it was impossible to concentrate, not when you could still feel his eyes on you, his presence like a gravitational pull you couldn’t ignore.
And then--he upped the ante.
It was in the small things.
Like the next time you spoke to him--when you handed him a report, expecting him to simply take it like he always did, business as usual.
But instead, his fingers brushed yours as he took the file, slow, deliberate.
The touch was barely there, but it sent an electric jolt up your arm.
You glanced up at him, startled, only to find his gaze already on yours. Steady. Controlled.
Like he knew exactly what he had done.
Your lips parted, but he simply nodded, expression unreadable. “Thank you.”
And then he walked away.
Your breath stuck in your throat.
Oh, he’s good.
It only got worse from there.
During the next strategy meeting, you found yourself seated beside him--not an unusual occurrence, but this time, you felt it.
The space between you was almost nonexistent.
His arm rested along the table, his fingers occasionally brushing the edge of your notepad, each accidental touch sending a slow hum through your body.
But the worst part?
The absolute worst part?
Was when you went to reach for your coffee mug at the same time he reached for his.
Your fingers brushed again, but this time, he didn’t move away.
Not right away.
Instead, his thumb lingered against your skin for a half-second too long.
And when you looked up at him, startled, he just--
Smirked.
It was small. Subtle. So quick that if you hadn’t been looking, you might’ve missed it.
But it was there.
You swallowed hard, gripping your coffee mug like it was your lifeline, because suddenly, the temperature in the room felt ten degrees hotter.
And he just continued on like nothing had happened.
Like he hadn’t just turned the game back on you.
You barely heard a word Morgan was saying, barely processed anything but the way Hotch’s arm remained just close enough that if you moved, even slightly, you would touch again.
He was toying with you now.
Testing you.
And suddenly, you understood.
He had been waiting for this.
Letting you push him. Letting you get bold.
Because he had known the whole time that the moment he pushed back, you wouldn’t be ready for it.
You inhaled sharply, forcing yourself to refocus, forcing yourself to push through the way your stomach twisted, the way your pulse hammered against your ribs.
Fine.
If he wanted to play, you could play.
But you were starting to realize something you hadn’t expected.
Aaron Hotchner was a much more dangerous opponent than you had ever given him credit for.
And now, you weren’t sure if you were winning--or if you were about to completely lose yourself in him.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
The bar was dimly lit, the kind of place the team liked to celebrate in after a case closed--a quiet enough spot to talk, but loud enough that no one paid much attention to a group of FBI agents drinking in the corner.
The case had been a difficult one, drawn out and exhausting, but the unsub was in custody, the victims’ families had answers, and--for tonight at least--you could all breathe a little easier.
You nursed your drink, watching as Morgan and Prentiss laughed at something Garcia said, Rossi swirling his whiskey in his glass as he smirked at whatever banter they were trading.
And then there was Hotch.
Sitting beside you, as always.
Close enough that you could feel the warmth of his presence, but still distant in that way only he could manage--always composed, always aware of himself, of his surroundings.
Always in control.
You had spent the entire night testing that control.
At first, it was subtle. A lingering touch when you handed him his drink, a fleeting brush of your fingers against his wrist when you leaned in to speak over the noise of the bar.
Then, bolder.
A teasing remark, the way you laughed just a little softer when he said something dry and sarcastic, the way your hand rested lightly against his thigh just as you shifted in your seat.
You had expected a reaction.
You wanted one.
But instead of pulling away, instead of scolding you, instead of doing what he always did--remaining unaffected, unshaken--Hotch did something worse.
He played along.
He didn’t move your hand. He didn’t shift away.
He let it happen.
And the worst part?
He let you sit with it.
Let you feel the weight of your own actions, the way the tension between you thickened, the way your pulse picked up when his dark eyes flicked toward yours, unreadable but aware.
He was so much better at this game than you were.
And you were losing.
You needed to tip the scales back in your favor.
So you made a choice.
You reached for your drink, fingers brushing the rim, and took a slow sip--letting your lips close around the edge of the glass, letting your tongue flicker just slightly against the rim as you pulled back.
It was innocent enough.
But the moment you placed your glass back down, you shifted in your seat--legs crossing deliberately, brushing against his knee as you tilted your head, looking up at him from beneath your lashes.
And then you said it.
Low. Soft. Just for him.
"You know, Hotch…I don’t think I’ve ever seen you flustered before."
It was a direct challenge.
A blatant, deliberate provocation.
And this time?
He reacted.
The shift was instantaneous.
His fingers tightened hard around his glass, his jaw clenching as his breath hitched--so subtly that no one else would have noticed, but you did.
His lips parted slightly, his tongue flicking against the inside of his cheek like he was considering his next move.
Then, finally--finally--he turned to look at you fully.
And the intensity in his gaze?
It nearly knocked the breath out of you.
His voice was low, rough around the edges, laced with something you had never heard from him before.
"You’re making it very hard to be a gentleman right now."
Your stomach dropped.
Your fingers curled slightly against the table, and you swallowed, suddenly feeling so much smaller beneath the weight of his attention.
You had wanted this.
You had asked for this.
And now?
Now you weren’t sure if you were ready for what happened next.
Because the way Hotch was looking at you?
Like he had been holding back for so long--so painfully long--and was finally, finally reaching the edge of his control?
It sent a shiver down your spine.
And suddenly, for the first time since this little game started…
You realized you might have just gotten in over your head.
Your stomach clenched, heat flooding through your body in waves, but you didn’t move.
You couldn’t.
Not when he was looking at you like that.
Not when his fingers flexed against his glass, his jaw clenched so tightly that you could almost hear the strain in it.
Not when you realized--really realized--that you had finally done it.
You had finally pushed him to his limit.
And now, for the first time, you were the one feeling unsteady.
A slow smirk threatened at the corner of his lips, barely there, his fingers tapping against his whiskey glass before he finally--finally--pulled his gaze away from yours.
But not before he leaned in, just a fraction closer.
Just enough for you to feel his warmth.
Just enough for his breath to ghost against your skin when he murmured, “Finish your drink.”
Your breath hitched.
You forced yourself to swallow, gripping the glass as your pulse pounded in your ears, suddenly hyperaware of the fact that he hadn’t given you an order before.
Not like that.
Not in a way that made your thighs press together beneath the table.
You took a slow sip, the whiskey burning down your throat, but it wasn’t the alcohol that was making your head spin.
It was him.
You were utterly and completely drunk on him. 
Hotch leaned back in his chair, as if regaining some of his composure, but you could see it now.
The way his fingers still flexed against the glass.
The way his chest rose and fell just a little deeper than usual.
The way his entire body was coiled tight, like he was waiting.
And the worst part?
The absolute worst part?
You had no idea what he was waiting for.
A few minutes passed, conversation continuing around you, but it felt like background noise now--like nothing else in the room mattered except the heavy weight of whatever this was sitting between you.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, Hotch glanced at his watch and pushed back his chair.
The shift sent a jolt of anticipation through your body.
He leaned down slightly, voice low in your ear.
"Let’s go."
Your stomach flipped.
You set your glass down, fingers slightly shaky as you grabbed your coat, barely managing a quick glance at the team.
Morgan smirked. Rossi raised an eyebrow. Prentiss definitely noticed something.
But you didn’t have time to care.
Because the moment you stepped outside into the cool night air, the second the door shut behind you, you barely had time to turn before Hotch’s voice--low, measured, dangerous--cut through the silence.
"Tell me something."
You looked up, breath catching. “What?”
His gaze burned into yours, dark and unwavering.
"Was this just a game to you?"
Your throat tightened.
You blinked. “What?”
His jaw clenched. “All of it,” he murmured. “The teasing. The touches. The way you looked at me back there.” His eyes flickered to your lips before snapping back to your gaze. “Was it just a game?”
The air between you was electric.
Your stomach churned, your pulse hammering in your chest, because this was it.
This was him--finally, finally dropping the act.
And the rawness in his voice?
The realness in it?
It made you realize exactly what you wanted.
Your lips parted slightly, a shaky breath escaping before you whispered, “No.”
Hotch’s entire body reacted to that word.
A sharp inhale. His fingers twitching like he was holding himself back.
And then--finally--he stopped holding back.
His hand lifted--slow, deliberate--fingers grazing your jaw as he tilted your chin up.
Not demanding. Not rushed.
Just assessing.
Just waiting.
Like he needed you to give him permission.
Like he needed to know you wanted this as much as he did.
And God, did you want this.
Your breath stuttered, but you didn’t look away.
Instead, you leaned into his touch, exhaling softly as your fingers curled against the lapels of his jacket.
That was all it took.
Hotch moved.
His lips were on yours, firm but controlled--measured, like he was still trying to hold back, still trying not to lose himself completely.
But you wanted him to lose it.
So you made a sound--soft, desperate--pressing yourself closer, and that was it.
His restraint snapped.
A sharp inhale against your lips, his hands gripping your waist, pulling you flush against him.
His body was warm, solid, hot, and suddenly you were gripping him, fingers twisting into his shirt as his lips parted, deepening the kiss, letting out a low, gravelly noise that sent a shockwave down your spine.
The street was too open.
The world was too present.
But Hotch--Aaron--was kissing you like it was the only thing that had ever mattered.
And the second his hands tightened around you, the second his teeth grazed your lower lip, you knew.
You had both lost this game.
And you couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
The kiss was heated, sharp, and all consuming, a slow unraveling of every ounce of tension you had been building for weeks.
Hotch’s hands were firm against your waist, fingers flexing like he was still battling the instinct to pull you closer, like he was still trying to cling to the last fragments of control that were slipping through his fingers.
You weren’t making it easy for him.
Your hands fisted into the front of his shirt, tugging him forward, pressing yourself into the solid warmth of his chest, needing more--needing all of him.
And God, the way he reacted--
The sharp inhale against your lips, the way his fingers dug into your waist, the soft, barely-contained groan that rumbled deep in his chest--
It was like nothing you had imagined.
He wasn’t careful.
He wasn’t measured.
He was starved.
Hotch tore his lips from yours, breathing hard, forehead resting against yours, his grip still tight on your hips as if he was physically keeping himself from devouring you completely.
Your own breath was uneven, your hands sliding up his chest, nails scraping lightly against his shirt.
“Aaron--”
His groan was immediate, like hearing his name like that sent a direct current through his body.
Then his hands moved.
He skimmed them up your sides, tracing the curves he had so painstakingly ignored for weeks, months, forever--his fingers ghosting over the fabric of your blouse before one of them slid into your hair, tilting your chin just so before he kissed you again.
Harder.
Rougher.
No restraint now.
It sent a shockwave through your body, heat pooling low in your stomach as his teeth scraped your lower lip, his other hand gripping your waist like he needed you, like he couldn’t stop himself anymore.
And God, you didn’t want him to stop.
Somewhere in the back of your mind, you were aware that you were still outside the bar, still in public, still far too exposed for what was rapidly spiraling into something uncontainable.
Hotch must have realized it at the same time because he broke away, breathless, dark eyes burning into yours.
“Come with me.”
You didn’t even hesitate.
The ride to his place was a blur.
You barely remembered getting into the car.
Barely remembered the way his hands tightened on the wheel, the way his jaw ticked as you sat beside him, thighs pressing together, anticipating.
The air in the car was thick, electric with everything unsaid, everything about to happen.
And the second the door to his apartment closed behind you--
It snapped.
Hotch was on you before you could take another breath.
His lips crashed into yours, his hands gripping your hips, backing you against the wall like he needed to feel you, like he was making up for every second he had spent denying this.
Your breath hitched, your arms looping around his neck, nails dragging along the short hairs at the nape of his neck as you kissed him back, tilting your head to let him deepen it, let him take what he wanted.
And God, did he want.
His hands wandered, gripping your waist, sliding up your back, fingers teasing the hem of your blouse before slipping beneath it, palms searing against your skin.
He let out a low groan, his mouth moving to your jaw, down to your neck, hot, open-mouthed kisses trailing lower, sending a pulse straight to your core.
“Aaron--”
Another groan.
His fingers tightened on your hips, his breath warm against your skin.
“You--” He exhaled sharply, voice wrecked. “You have no idea what you’ve been doing to me.”
You shivered, gripping his shoulders. “Then show me.”
Something snapped in him at that.
His hands slid to the back of your thighs, and before you could react, he was lifting you, guiding your legs around his waist, pressing you firmly against the wall, his body pressing flush against yours.
Heat flared through you at the sheer strength of him, the way he held you so effortlessly, the way his lips found yours again, his tongue sweeping into your mouth, owning the kiss in a way that made you dizzy.
He walked you to the bedroom like that, lips never leaving yours, never giving you a moment to breathe.
And when he laid you down, settling between your legs, hands braced beside your head, his breath coming out ragged--
You realized you had been so, so wrong.
You had thought you were in control.
Had thought you were winning this game.
But the way Aaron Hotchner was looking at you now?
Like he owned you?
Like he was done holding back?
You knew.
You had never stood a chance.
And you wouldn’t have it any other way.
The room was dim, bathed in the soft glow from the city lights spilling through the window. The air was thick--heavy--with heat and want and weeks of barely restrained tension finally snapping apart at the seams.
Hotch hovered above you, one hand braced against the mattress, the other tracing along your jaw, his thumb dragging over your lower lip, teasing.
You exhaled sharply, your chest rising beneath him, fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt. You had never seen him like this--eyes dark, his breath uneven, his entire body wound so tight, like he was fighting every urge to just take you right then and there.
He was still holding back.
You weren’t having that.
Your fingers tugged at his collar, pulling him down until his lips crashed against yours again, hot and desperate, teeth scraping, tongues meeting, consuming.
A low sound rumbled in his chest--a groan, gravelly and wrecked--as his weight settled between your legs, pressing firm against you, and God, you could feel everything.
Your thighs tightened around his waist, your nails dragging down his back, and that was it.
He broke.
Hotch's mouth moved--leaving your lips, tracing a path down your jaw, to the curve of your throat. He sucked, bit--just enough to make you gasp, his tongue sweeping over the sting.
"Aaron," you breathed, your hands threading into his hair, tugging hard.
His reaction was immediate--a deep groan against your skin, his fingers gripping your waist, his hips pressing flush against yours in a slow, torturous roll.
You gasped, arching up against him, heat flooding through your body as his hands wandered, sliding beneath your blouse, fingers tracing over your stomach, exploring.
“You drive me insane,” he muttered, lips dragging down your collarbone, his breath hot against your skin. “You and your games.”
You smirked, gasping as his teeth grazed a particularly sensitive spot. “I think you liked them.”
Hotch exhaled a sharp breath, pressing his forehead to your shoulder for a moment, laughing, but it was low, dark--not amusement, but something else.
Something dangerous.
Then he lifted his head, his fingers tilting your chin just so until your eyes met his.
“I let you play, sweetheart.” His voice was silk and steel, deep and gravelly, thick with desire. “But now?”
He smirked--smirked--and leaned in, lips brushing against yours in a whisper of a kiss.
“Now it’s my turn.”
A shiver ran through you, your pulse pounding, your entire body on fire.
Then, in one swift motion, he sat up, pulling you with him, his fingers tugging at the hem of your blouse. His eyes met yours, giving you one last out.
But there was no hesitation.
Not from you.
Not from him.
Your hands covered his, pushing the fabric up, and then it was gone--tossed aside, forgotten.
His eyes--God, the way he looked at you.
Dark. Devouring. Like he was memorizing every inch.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, voice thick, rough.
Then his hands were on you again--roaming, claiming--his lips pressing, trailing, worshiping.
Your head tipped back, another breathless gasp escaping as his hands found the clasp of your bra, his fingers making quick work of it before sliding the straps down your shoulders, his lips following their path, tongue flicking, teasing.
You arched into him, needing more, your own hands tugging at his shirt, desperate to even the playing field.
Hotch chuckled--deep, dark--before obliging, sitting back just enough to yank the offending fabric over his head.
Your breath hitched.
You had seen him in varying states of undress before--worn-down hotel rooms, bulletproof vests over tight shirts, dress shirts rolled up to his forearms.
But this?
Seeing him like this--the broad lines of his shoulders, the toned muscle of his chest, the faint scar near his ribs--
Your fingers traced over it instinctively, your touch featherlight.
Hotch inhaled sharply.
“That’s not fair,” he muttered, his voice wrecked, a teasing edge beneath the gravel.
You barely had time to process before he was kissing you again--deep and desperate, his hands sliding down, over the curve of your hips, fingers gripping, pulling you closer.
You gasped, hands curling around his biceps, feeling the tension in them, the way he was still holding himself back, still reining himself in.
So you tested him again.
Rolling your hips just so against his.
Hotch groaned, a sharp, wrecked sound against your lips. His fingers dug into your thighs, his control finally fraying--
“Fuck,” he exhaled, forehead pressing to yours.
You smirked, barely able to breathe.
“That’s all it took?” you teased. “I thought you had more self-control than that, Hotchner.”
His breath hitched.
Then--
You barely had a second to react before he had you pinned, his body flush against yours, his lips ghosting over your ear.
His voice was low, dangerous, devastatingly wrecked.
"You're going to regret saying that."
Your breath caught.
Then his hands moved--and you shattered.
Your pulse pounded, every inch of your body burning under Hotch’s touch, under the way he was looking at you now--like he had waited for this, ached for this, and was finally letting himself have it.
You swallowed, fingers tightening against his shoulders, feeling the tension in his muscles, the way he was still holding himself back--even now.
"Then make me," you whispered.
Hotch moved.
His lips crashed against yours, harder this time, rougher, his hands gripping your waist like he needed to touch you, like letting go wasn’t an option anymore.
You moaned into the kiss, arching against him as his hands slid down, fingers tracing the curve of your hips, exploring, learning you.
You were already dizzy, already losing yourself in him, but you didn’t care.
You didn’t want careful.
You wanted him.
You tugged at his belt, fingers fumbling with the buckle, but Hotch caught your wrist, breath ragged, his forehead pressing to yours.
His eyes--dark and burning--searched yours, his fingers tightening around your wrist like he was waiting for something.
"Are you sure?" His voice was rough, strained, but still careful.
Your heart ached at the question, at the way he was still thinking about you, still making sure this was something you wanted.
You lifted your other hand, tracing along his jaw, feeling the tension there, the restraint.
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," you whispered.
Something in him snapped.
His lips were on yours again, his hands sliding lower, gripping your thighs as he lifted you, guiding your legs around his waist before pressing you firmly against the mattress.
His body was solid, strong, his weight pressing into you in a way that had your breath catching, heat spreading low in your stomach as his mouth wandered--down your jaw, your throat, lips and tongue claiming you inch by inch.
Your fingers tangled in his hair, gasping as his hands explored, learning the shape of you, teasing, tormenting--
"Aaron--"
The groan that ripped from his throat was wrecked, his fingers digging into your skin as his hips pressed flush against yours.
"You love saying my name like that, don’t you?" His voice was low, teasing, but you could hear the strain in it.
You smirked, tilting your head back, offering him more as his lips traced a path down your collarbone. "I like what it does to you."
His breath hitched.
Then his teeth scraped, just enough to make you gasp, his hands finally making quick work of the last barriers between you.
Fabric was pulled away, discarded, forgotten.
And when his gaze lowered--when his hands finally moved where you needed them most--
You shattered.
Hotch devoured every reaction, every gasp, every moan, learning you, memorizing you, until you were a writhing, trembling mess beneath him.
And when he finally, finally pressed into you--
It was slow. Deliberate.
Like he wanted you to feel every inch of him.
Like he wanted to ruin you.
Your fingers clawed at his back, legs wrapping tighter around him as he groaned, head dipping into the crook of your neck.
"You feel so--" His voice broke, his breath ragged, his lips pressing against your shoulder as he rolled his hips--
You gasped, arching into him, pleasure crashing through your veins.
Hotch cursed, a low, deep sound against your skin, his movements slow, controlled, but hard, perfect.
He was relentless.
He set the pace, dragging it out, making you feel every second of it, torturing you with the way he pulled back just enough before thrusting deep, the friction sending sparks down your spine.
Your moans were breathless, your nails scraping down his back, but it only spurred him on.
"You wanted this," he groaned, his breath hot against your skin. "All those games--"
You gasped as his hips snapped harder, his fingers digging into your thighs.
"You wanted to see if you could break me."
He rolled his hips again, making your eyes squeeze shut, pleasure coiling tight in your stomach.
"Do you feel broken now?"
You let out a sound that wasn’t even words, your fingers fisting into the sheets, your entire body on fire.
Hotch smirked against your skin, but his composure was fraying now--his thrusts turning more erratic, his breath coming faster, his muscles tensing beneath your hands.
He was losing it too.
And God, it was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen.
His head dipped, lips crashing into yours in a deep, desperate kiss as the tension finally snapped.
Pleasure ripped through you, white-hot and overwhelming, your entire body trembling as his name tore from your lips.
Hotch groaned, his movements turning sloppy, frantic, chasing the edge--
And then he fell, his body shuddering against yours, his lips parting in a low, wrecked moan as he collapsed, breathless, his forehead resting against yours.
For a long moment, neither of you moved.
Your bodies were still tangled, limbs entwined, your hearts pounding in sync.
Then, finally, Hotch exhaled--a slow, deep breath--before lifting his head to look at you.
His gaze was soft now, but sated, his thumb brushing lazily over your cheek, tender.
"You really are trouble," he murmured, voice thick with exhaustion, but teasing.
You smirked, tracing your fingers down his chest, lingering. "And yet, here we are."
Hotch huffed a laugh, shaking his head. "You’re insufferable."
You grinned, pressing a lazy kiss to his lips. "You love it."
His smirk widened slightly.
"Maybe."
Then he kissed you again--slower this time, softer.
Like he was memorizing the taste of you.
Like he already knew this wasn’t the last time.
And God, neither of you wanted it to be.
You blinked, the haze of exhaustion settling in as reality began to sink in.
You had slept with Aaron Hotchner.
And it hadn’t been careful. It hadn’t been measured.
It had been raw. Consuming.
Desperate.
You swallowed, turning slightly in the bed, suddenly hyperaware that he was rolling off of you.
For a moment, your stomach twisted--should you leave? Would this change things between you? Was he already regretting it?
But before you could spiral, before you could even begin to untangle your thoughts, you heard it--
The quiet sound of running water.
You furrowed your brows, shifting up slightly onto your elbows, and then you saw him.
Hotch was standing near the bathroom sink, his back to you, shirtless, his lean muscles flexing as he ran a washcloth under warm water.
Your breath caught.
And more than that--he wasn’t panicked. He wasn’t rushing.
He was taking care of you.
Your throat tightened.
He turned a moment later, towel in hand, his dark eyes immediately finding yours.
“You should lie back,” he murmured, voice softer now, the roughness of the night before smoothed into something gentle.
You blinked at him, lips parting, but you didn’t argue. You simply did as he asked, sinking back against the pillows, watching as he approached the bed.
The mattress dipped as he sat beside you, his warm hand skimming lightly over your thigh before he pressed the warm cloth against your skin.
The sensation made you exhale, your body still aching in the best way, but his touch was tender, careful.
"You don't have to--"
Hotch gave you a look.
You stopped.
Because you realized--he wanted to.
He continued in silence, wiping away the remnants of the night before, his touch slow, thoughtful. His fingers brushed against you so gently that your chest tightened.
The air between you was different now.
The tension of the past weeks, the game you had been playing--it was gone.
All that was left was this.
Him.
You.
The weight of what you had just done, settling between you like something neither of you could take back.
When he was finished, he set the towel aside, fingers tracing over your hip absentmindedly before finally speaking.
"Are you okay?"
You blinked.
The question caught you off guard.
Not because you weren’t--God, you were--but because you hadn’t expected him to ask.
You swallowed, nodding. "Yeah. I am."
His lips pressed together slightly, his fingers brushing against your skin again, almost like he needed to feel you still there.
Your stomach twisted--not in doubt, but in something else entirely.
Something dangerous.
Something real.
So you asked.
"What about you?"
Hotch exhaled slowly, like he was steadying himself, and then--finally--he met your gaze.
And you knew.
Whatever restraint he had left--whatever pieces of the mask he had been holding onto--it was gone.
"I'm not sure I know how to stop wanting you now," he admitted, voice low, raw.
Your breath hitched.
Because that?
That was the first real truth he had given you.
Your fingers curled against the sheets, your heart hammering in your chest. "Then don't," you whispered.
Hotch exhaled sharply, shaking his head slightly, his fingers tightening just slightly against your hip.
"You don’t understand," he murmured. "I’ve wanted you for so long."
Your stomach flipped.
You opened your mouth, but he continued before you could speak.
"I tried--" He exhaled again, rough, like he was frustrated with himself. "I tried to ignore it. To pretend it was nothing. That it was just...passing attraction."
You swallowed. "Was it?"
Hotch let out a short, almost humorless laugh, shaking his head.
"No," he admitted. "It never was."
Your breath caught, your fingers gripping the sheets tighter, because this--this--was more than you had ever expected him to admit.
"You drove me insane," he murmured, voice dropping lower. "The way you looked at me. The way you challenged me. The way you--" He exhaled, shaking his head. "The way you said my name."
Your heart stuttered.
"You noticed that?"
Hotch huffed a soft laugh, his fingers trailing up your arm, his touch leaving a burning path in its wake.
"I noticed everything," he murmured. "The way you crossed your legs during briefings. The way you stretched when you were tired, your shirt lifting just enough to make me lose my train of thought. The way you knew exactly what you were doing--"
You let out a breathless laugh. "I didn’t always know."
Hotch tilted his head slightly, studying you.
Then, slowly, his lips curled into something dangerous.
"No?"
Your stomach flipped. "No."
His fingers brushed your jaw, thumb tracing over your lower lip.
"You really think you weren’t getting to me?" His voice was low, rough, something dark beneath it.
Your breath hitched.
"You were always getting to me," he admitted. "And you loved it."
You swallowed, suddenly feeling very small beneath the weight of his gaze.
Because God--he was right.
You had.
You had loved it.
But what you hadn’t realized was that he had loved it, too.
"I--"
Hotch moved before you could speak, pressing you back into the mattress, his lips ghosting over your jaw.
His weight was warm, solid, comforting.
And for the first time, there was no hesitation.
No restraint.
Only truth.
"I’m done holding back," he murmured against your skin.
You shivered.
"Good," you whispered.
And when his lips met yours again, soft and slow, hands sliding under the sheets this time--
You knew.
This wasn’t just a game anymore.
This was real.
And neither of you were walking away from it.
Not now.
Not ever.
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