#domestic hotch

[slutforsilverfoxes]

Oliver and His Company

[A/N: This can be read as a standalone, but if you want context on Aaron & reader’s relationship, find their story here and here! Enjoy 🖤]

4 times Aaron Hotchner refused to admit that he’s a cat person…

1) A Spicy Upgrade

“I swear, Em, it was like an out of body experience,” you tell your best friend through the phone tucked between your ear and shoulder as you balance grocery bags in one hand and fish your keys out of your pocket with the other.

“So everything was just backwards?” Emily laughs.

“Yes!” you cry, equal parts miffed by your dream and excited to have somehow slotted the key into the lock in the correct orientation without looking. “Pen was, like, fifty shades of beige, and everyone else was super bright and colorful! Hotch was wearing a suit worthy of Elle Woods herself,” you assert.

“I would pay a stupid amount of money to see that,” your best friend snickers. “Can we please get him a pink suit?”

“Not gonna lie, he looked pretty hot,” you muse quietly as you shuffle down the hall to the kitchen. “I’ll work on…that…”

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” you answer immediately, sorry to have worried her. “Just found my man in an interesting position. Call you later, love you, bye,” you rush out in a whisper, ending the call and snapping a photo for your personal album before the opportunity disappears. Clearing your throat, you place the last of the grocery bags on the counter with a solid thud. “Whatcha doin’ down there?”

Aaron’s answer is muffled given the fact his head is currently in the spice cabinet, the rest of his tall form tucked under him, ass comically up in the air for better leverage. You bend down with a groan and open the adjacent cabinet to pop your head in, meeting his sheepish smile and reddening cheeks. Pressing your lips to his, you murmur, “I didn’t quite get that.“

“I said-” He pauses to capture your lips in another sweet kiss, and the butterflies that have taken up residence in your belly since the first day you met Aaron Hotchner stir to life. “I read online that it’s easier for cats to open doors with handles than knobs, so I’m fixing all the doors before you move in.”

“You’re what?” You bump your head against the top of the cabinet in shock, letting out a harsh curse that you’re glad Jack isn’t around to hear.

“Oh, honey,” Aaron tuts softly, unfolding himself from his spot to help you out and delicately rubbing the tender area on the back of your head.

“You- by yourself- you’re swapping out every single handle in this house for Oliver?” You don’t mean to sound incredulous, but there’s no way this man is real. Then again, he bought this house six months into your relationship so that you could each have an office space and ample room for Jack and one or two additional little Hotchners to grow up- although he hadn’t divulged the latter part of that plan to you when he gifted you a key.

“I know it sounds ridiculous-”

“No,” you cut him off immediately, molding your palms against his cheeks to pull him in for a kiss, your lips quirking up in a victorious grin. “It sounds like something a loving cat dad would do.”

Aaron scoffs before muttering, “Just don’t want him getting stuck, that’s all.”

“Right,” you draw out the word, one eyebrow raised playfully. “Totally not cause you’re a cat person. And that’s why I spotted an empty box sporting a picture of a cat tree as tall as you in the garage?”

“I never said I dislike cats, I’m just a dog guy!” Aaron insists, his words falling on deaf ears as you playfully hum a tune from The Aristocats while arranging the groceries in the fridge and he returns to his project.

2) A Sleepy Surprise

Toeing your shoes off in the mud room, you call out, “Boys? I’m home!” The novelty of getting to say those words has yet to wear off even though the last of your moving boxes are piled up on the curb, waiting to be recycled.

There’s no answering pitter patter of feet in the hallway nor voices greeting your arrival, but the sneakers lined up next to yours- one large pair in understated colors, one much smaller pair with Darth Vader on one shoe and Luke Skywalker on the other- tell you your little family is definitely home. You place your car keys on their designated hook before making your way down the hall, pausing at the threshold of the living room with a smile on your face at the sight before you.

Aaron’s lying on his back, his tall form taking up the entire length of the couch, with Jack tucked into his side and an orange ball of fur curled up on his chest, rising and falling with each peaceful breath of his. You let out a content sigh, warmth blooming in your chest from the overwhelming sense of comfort and love these three have brought into your life. Holding your hair back so it doesn’t tickle your darling boy’s face, you press a delicate kiss to his cheek and his mouth turns upward for the briefest of moments. Then you nuzzle your nose against the soft fur between your cat’s ears, and he stirs with a half-hearted chirp before curling up even tighter on his literal man-made bed.

“You’re home,” Aaron murmurs, his voice thick with sleep.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” you whisper with a guilty pout, carding your fingers through his hair. “Go back to sleep. I’m going to make dinner.”

He grabs your hand before you can get too far, and you turn back to find just who exactly Jack inherited the puppy dog eyes from. “We can order in tonight. Stay with me?”

You gesture to the full couch and ask, “Where?”

Aaron tips his chin down to see Oliver purring contentedly on his chest, and he taps his head until the cat sits up with bleary eyes. “You’re in your mom’s spot.”

You stifle a laugh as your cat pointedly yawns in your boyfriend’s face, then takes his time using Aaron’s solid body to stretch before flouncing away in search of a bed with less attitude. Aaron looks up at you with a self-satisfied grin and pats the newly vacated space. Shaking your head as you ease yourself down to lay across his body, you chide, “That was mean.”

“Never too young to learn about sharing,” he pontificates.

“Mm, yes, what a poignant lesson from father to son,” you respond, voice muffled against Aaron’s chest.

“Step-cat, at best. And don’t you even say it- I’m not a cat person.”

“Sure, babe.”

3) A New Purr-spective

“Jack-Jack,” you call out with a knock against the doorframe to get the little Hotchner’s attention. He looks up from his latest art project with a smile and says, “Yeah?”

“Daddy washed your uniform so you’re all set for tomorrow’s game. And I wanted to ask you about…this,” you offer hesitantly, flipping the shirt in your hands around so he can see Hotchner displayed at the top and the number matching his jersey. “Would it be okay if I wore this so we can match?”

“Does Daddy have one, too?” His excitement- and nonchalance about you sporting their last name- has relief flooding through you, and you mirror his eager smile.

“Of course! Except his is even cooler cause it says ‘Coach’ on the front,” you respond with a click of your teeth. “I made one for Uncle Dave, too!”

“Awesome. You’re the best!” Jack proclaims.

“No, you are.”

“Nu uh, you,” he insists.

“Nope! You!” You let the word be drawn out as you make your escape down the hall, peals of laughter from Jack’s room echoing behind you.

“I have received official approval to wear my shirt,” you announce as you cross into the master bedroom, only to find the space empty. You can hear Aaron’s voice in hushed tones from the walk-in closet, so you approach quietly thinking that he’s on the phone.

“…not exactly your textbook psychopath, right?” He pauses, then continues, “Right. So there must be a piece of the profile we’re missing, something that explains the evolution of the kills with the alarming disorganization of the crime scenes. Do you think we could be dealing with two unsubs?”

Aaron’s phone is on the bedside table, and he’s using both hands to wrestle one of his dress shirts onto a hanger. Then, you spot his silent partner- Oliver’s sitting in his bed, in the nook that Aaron built into the closet for him, languidly cleaning his paws as your boyfriend theorizes aloud.

“So,” you start, crossing your arms and leaning against the wide doorframe, “you still maintain that you’re not a cat person?”

You can see the back of Aaron’s neck turning red at having been caught, but he studiously carries on putting the clean laundry away. Without turning to face you, he asserts, “I’m just… using him as a soundboard. Animals are excellent judges of character.”

“Congratulations, Ollie,” you offer proudly to your son, “you’re the very first cat to join the Behavioral Analysis Mew-nit.”

“Now that’s bad, even for you,” Aaron chuckles, and you bark out a, “Hey!” with faux umbrage. “When are you going to admit you love this cat?”

“I do love this cat,” your boyfriend counters, finally turning to face you. He curls his arm around your waist to pull you against him and speaks between kisses dotted along your nose and cheeks, “I’m just not a cat person.”

Smoothing your hands across his chest with playfully narrowed eyes, you mutter, “The Hotchner doth protest too much, methinks.”

4) Paw-sitively Whipped

“Bedtime, my little bubbas,” you raise your voice to be heard over the churning of the dishwasher as it starts up, drying your hands on a towel while you walk into the living room. Jack is sprawled out on the floor, flicking a feather toy on a stick back and forth that has Ollie frantically giving chase. You’re honestly not sure which little guy is more entertained by the game. “But I’m helping Oliver get his exercise! Daddy says he’s looking chunky lately,” Jack negotiates.

You and your cat turn to Aaron in unison, the man in question suddenly engrossed in an article on his phone. “Daddy’s lawyer genes certainly passed on to you, huh, Jack?” The little Hotchner grins proudly up at you in response, but even that sweet face doesn’t break your resolve. “C’mon, my love, we left off at a really good cliffhanger last night, remember?”

“You’re right,” Jack gasps, suddenly inspired to get ready for bed. “I’ll be ready in two minutes!”

“Make it three- you need to brush your teeth for a full two, Jack,” Aaron calls as he zooms past you to his bathroom.

“Okay!”

“Alright, Weight Watchers,” you snort, tweaking Aaron’s nose while he looks up at you sheepishly, “who’s on reading duty tonight?”

“I’ve got it,” he declares, tugging on your hand to guide you into his open lap. You settle against him with a sigh, nuzzling into the crook of his neck and pressing lazy kisses to his skin. Aaron turns his head to capture your lips in a sweet kiss that quickly grows more heated, and you let out a whimper when he cups the back of your neck to hold you more firmly to him until Jack’s little voice rings out down the hall.

“I’m ready for bed!”

“And that’s your cue, Daddy,” you laugh, patting his chest fondly before detaching yourself from him.

“We’ll pick this up later,” he declares in a murmur, and you can’t resist a smack to his shapely ass before parting ways in the hall.

You run through your own nightly routine, then make your way back to Jack’s room to say goodnight. You find Aaron with his son settled on his lap as he reads, and Ollie is settled on his favorite boy’s lap, purring up a storm. Your boyfriend is absentmindedly scratching his chin, pausing only to turn to the next page in the book. Then Aaron shifts to hold the book with both hands, and Ollie bats at his arm until he relents and resumes petting him. He looks up to find you standing in the doorway, the ghost of a smirk twitching at your lips, and you mouth, You are so a cat person.

He smiles back and shakes his head in response, refusing to give in.

…and the 1 time he finally did.

When you open the front door, you’re surprised to find the house dark. Given your shared line of work and healthy dose of paranoia, you and Aaron always leave at least one light on when the house is empty. But then you hear Jack giggle, “She’s coming!” and Aaron quietly shushing him, and a smile graces your face at whatever adorable surprise awaits you.

You flip on the light to find the foyer decorated with balloons dancing across the ceiling and streamers hanging down, each one adorned with pictures of you and Aaron, you and Jack, and your little family together. Your eyes immediately well up with tears seeing all the memories you’ve created and thinking about all the love you’ve been blessed with thanks to this family.

You walk through, awestruck, touching the Polaroids and printed pictures as you pass them. By the time you reach the living room and your eyes settle on Aaron with Jack standing pressed against his leg, your little boy holding your cat in his arms, you’re damn near sobbing.

“This is why you sent me to get my nails done, huh?” you ask through a half sniffle, half laugh. “You boys certainly were busy.”

Aaron smiles at you and holds out his free hand, and you grab onto him like a lifeline, letting him pull you in before bending down to press a flurry of kisses along Jack’s squishy cheeks. Ollie lets out a squeak of protest in the same timbre as Jack’s ticklish giggle, and you relent your attack with a pleased grin.

“Jack has a very important question to ask you,” Aaron murmurs, then winks at his son.

Jack raises Ollie up as high as he can, not unlike the scene out of The Lion King, and a glint of light flashes at you from your cat’s collar.

“Aaron,” you breathe out, moments before Jack excitedly asks, “Will you marry us, Y/N?”

“Nothing would make me happier,” you answer softly, looking up at Aaron as if he hung all the stars in the sky to find your adoring gaze reflected in his eyes.

—————

Lying in bed that night tangled up between the sheets and Aaron’s legs, you absentmindedly trail your fingers across his chest and muse, “Mighty interesting that a vehemently self-proclaimed not cat person would use a cat to propose, isn’t it?”

“You’re still on this, hm?” he murmurs from above you, and you can hear the smirk in his voice.

“Merely making an observation,” you answer back lazily, then roll over until you body is nestled between his legs, your hands pressed against his chest so you can look at him directly. “I lied, I’m still on this,” you concede with a playful grin. “Look me in my eyes and tell me you’re not a cat person, Aaron Hotchner.”

He hums, then leans up to capture your lips in a series of soft, slow kisses that nearly make you forget your name, let alone the challenge you’ve posed. “Can’t do that, honey,” he finally admits between pecking your lips.

“Cause you are!”

He laughs, his fingers ghosting up and down your spine. Aaron notices you shiver under his touch and pulls the sheets up higher on your body while you settle against the warmth and security of his broad chest. “Honestly, I have been since day one.”

“Oh yeah?” You attempt to goad him, but your sass come out muffled thanks to your lips pressed to his skin.

“Well, yeah,” he shrugs nonchalantly as if you haven’t been lovingly arguing about this for over a year now. “He was your cat, and I’m a you person.”

Pushing against him to stretch up and level him with a raised eyebrow, you clarify, “Wait. He was my cat?”

“Of course, sweetheart. Now Ollie’s ours.”

“Everybody thinks you’re such a hardass, but you’re really a big teddy bear, Aaron,” you tease before pressing your lips to his.

“I’m admittedly both,” he concedes with a chuckle, pausing to kiss you again before adding, “and a reformed cat person.”

—————

[A/N: I absolutely adored writing these two and I enjoyed getting to sprinkle in a healthy dose of cat puns 😂 Thank you all for reading!]

AH tags 🖤 @gothwifehotchner

[emberfrostlovesloki]

Space-Time Continuum [Hotch x Reader]

Photo credits: Left (@everydayschristmas) Center (@masterwords) Right (@happyheidi)

Prompt: Aaron and the reader take down the last of the Christmas decorations. As they work and spend a relaxing afternoon together, Aaron realizes he wants to ask the reader to move in with him and Jack. 

Pairing: [established relationship] Aaron x fem!Non-BAU!reader. The reader uses she her pronouns 

Category: fluff/comfort 

Word Count: 4.4K

Content Warnings: mention of Haley’s passing, implied intimacy. If I missed any, please let me know. 

A/N: Hi loves! Here is another fic based on the amazing @imagining-in-the-margins January/February Writing Challenge about New Beginnings. This story is inspired by the dialog prompt: “The time will pass anyway.” This is pure domestic fluff. I can just imagine Aaron looking forward to asking you to move in with him. I hope this story warms you up as winter keeps wintering. If you like this story, likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated. If you’re starting school (uni) next week, or you're already back, just know I’m proud of you! Love Levi - ❤️

List with all stories 

_y/n_ = your name

_y/f/c/b_ = your favorite caffeinated beverage 

_y/f/c_ -= your favorite color 

_y/f/s_ = your favorite scent  

_t/c_ = tea or coffee

_y/f/c/b_ = your favorite caffeinated beverage 

_y/f/p/b/s_= your favorite perfume or body spray 

_u/sf/d_= up, straight forward, or down (depending on your height)

_f/b/c/m/m_ = your favorite book, coming, manga, magazine 

_y/n_ woke up warm. Aaron had his arms wrapped around her and he was already half awake. He murmured, “Moring.” _y/n_ smiled into his chest and replied, “Good morning. Have you looked out the window yet? The weather said it might snow overnight.” Hotch shifted in the bed and sort of repositioned _y/n_ to his left side while he used his long muscled arm to pull the curtain on the window to the side. _y/n_ could have done this herself, but she wanted to bask in the warmth of Aaron’s broad chest just a moment longer. After a second Aaron said, “Well the weatherman was finally right. It snowed. Still is actually.” _y/n_ hummed to see for herself. Outside small flurries gently fell from the side and to the frozen pavement three floors down from Hotch’s apartment. It looked like about five inches had fallen overnight. _y/n_ was very grateful that it was the weekend and that she and Hotch could sleep in for a bit longer. They could also let Jack sleep in too. When _y/n_ and Aaron had gotten serious, Hotch’s son had taken to _y/n_ quickly. Over time when she started staying over more often, not just on the weekends, she’d started getting Jack ready for school if Hotch was rushed to get to the office for a case. Then _y/n_ dropped Jack off at school for the first time and they’d sung songs in the car on the way there. Aaron was so relieved that Jack and his partner had bonded. It warmed his heart that _y/n_ loved his son so much. Even though _y/n_ was younger than him, _y/n_ had great parental instincts and often spoke to Jack when he threw a fit or got into trouble as well as he would. _y/n_ was very good at putting difficult concepts into understandable, neat packages. It was one of the things Hotch loved about her. If they had a fight, or needed to talk, he always had her full attention, and if she didn’t understand where he was coming from, she tried to see it from his shoes. That was something he’d never been great at in his personal life. After a moment of quiet, _y/n_ sat up and asked, “So, what are the plans for today? I hope they don’t involve a lot of going outside.” Hotch chuckled, knowing that _y/n_ didn’t love dealing with the cold and snow. Aaron stretched giving _y/n_ a small peak of his stomach and elastic of his briefs for a second. Aaron cleared his throat and said, “Well I need to shower first. But one thing that’s been on the list forever is taking down the Christmas tree and decorations. It feels overdue.” _y/n_ nodded. The tree had been up for some time after the holidays. Neither of them had had time with the return to work bustle. Then Hotch had been sent to cases back to back and had been too exhausted to think about it last week. But not that he was rested it felt like as good a time as any. _y/n_ nodded and said, “Sounds good. We can figure the rest out as we go. I’ll change, start breakfast, and get Jack up while you shower, okay?” Aaron smiled and replied, “Sounds great, _y/n_.” 

Under the hot water, Hotch lathered his body with soap. As the foamy lather rinsed off his body and down the drain, he contemplated how relaxed _y/n_ could be. He appreciated that she didn’t have to have every second planned. He’d had to do that more at work recently. There had been a threat to national safety and the team had made it in time, but Strauss was still slightly unimpressed with how long it had taken the BAU to take down the threat. He had started seeing things in timed chunks and thinking about efficiency, even in his personal life. He didn’t enjoy the feeling. But _y/n_ was a reminder that it didn’t have to be that way at home. It was doubly admirable because _y/n_ had stress in her life too. Stress with family, and work, and friend, and her crappy apartment that was literally falling apart. It wasn’t the same kind of stress he faced, but it was still stressful, and Aaron admired her ability to put those things aside and still see life with optimism and happiness. After a few more minutes under the flow of water, Hotch turned off the tap and stepped out of the shower. He dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist. He moved over to the sink to wash his face and brush his teeth. 

_y/n_ heard the shower start running as she quickly made the bed. She made sure the sheets and comforter were neat and tucked in at the corners. She then moved to Aaron’s closet and grabbed a comfy outfit for the day. She settled for some soft leggings and a _y/f/c_ shirt that she layered under a knit cardigan. As _y/n_ pulled through her clothes in the walk-in closet, she realized how much of her stuff had migrated to Aaron’s. At least half of her wardrobe now resided in Hotch’s space. It had been a slow transition, but once Aaron had bought her favorite _y/f/s_ed body wash, hairspray, and sanctuary products, it was pretty much an invitation for her to start getting more comfortable in his space. And boy was his space more comfortable than her leaky, small,  cold, old apartment much farther from her job than Aaron’s. _y/n_ smiled knowing she was so welcome here. Even if she didn’t get to spend as much time with Aaron and Jack as she liked, when she was here, it felt just like home. With her outfit on, _y/n_ moved to the kitchen and started making the batter for some pancakes, eggs, and bacon. She woke Jack, and then Aaron joined them and they had a relaxed morning. Jack watched some cartoons, and _y/n_ and Hotch worked on a puzzle from Rossi from Christmas. In the early afternoon, they all started to work on taking down the tree. Aaron got the boxes from the closet and they all set to work. 

After an hour of work, Jack gave Aaron his biggest puppy dog eyes possible, and after a minute, Hotch said, “Alright Jack, what do you want?” Jack’s face burst into a smile, and the little boy replied, “Hot chocolate!” Hotch sighed. It was still cold enough out for a sweet cup of cocoa and it wasn’t too late for his son to have one more small sugar rush before naptime. With a fake look of defeat, Aaron said, “Well alright, but just a small cup. I can’t have you bouncing off the walls while we’re all trying to take down the Christmas decorations. Isn’t that right, _y/n?_"_y/n_ nodded with mock seriousness saying, “Of course. Dad’s right. Remember when you ate all of your Halloween candy two months ago? You couldn’t sleep and then you couldn’t wake up for school the next day?” Jack’s face took on a little frown, as he nodded yes. Aaron’s eyes moved over to _y/n_’s, and he gave her a smile that was just meant for her. Hotch got up from his seated position and said, “Let me see if we have the stuff to make it here.” Hearing this, _y/n_’s ears perked up, and she said, “Oh. We do. Or we did, but I used the last of the milk in my afternoon _t/c_. Sorry, Aaron. I forgot to put it on the list. I was going to run to the store later tonight to get stuff for dinner. Hotch didn’t mind and said, “You don’t have to apologize, _y/n_. I’ll just run to the coffee shop on the corner. Do you want anything?” _y/n_ grinned at his consideration and said, “No. I think drinking _y/f/c/b_ right now would have more than just Jack bouncing off the walls.” Aaron chuckled and said, “Alright. Well if you change your mind, you can text me.” _y/n_ nodded and tipped her head up and back, as he stood behind her and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. He then moved to his son, ruffled his short dirty blond hair that always reminded him of Haley’s. When Hotch was at the door, _y/n_ called out in a clear voice, “Be safe on the roads. I’m not sure they’re all done thawing, even with the sun coming out.” Hotch replied, “You got it,” and then slipped out of the door. 

_y/n_ listened as Aaron grabbed his keys from the stand on the kitchen counter, then as the door swung open and clicked closed. Now that Hotch was gone, _y/n_ moved to the space where he’d been next to Jack. She could feel his residual body heat on the carpet, and it comforted _y/n_ to no end. Jack was reaching for an ornament above a level that his arms could grasp. Without saying anything, _y/n_ got up and picked the boy, so he could reach the ornament. It took a moment for _y/n_ to realize that Jack was crying now fully. _y/n_ set him down, got on her knees in front of him, and wiped away one of the tears coming from his eyes. _y/n_ hadn’t expected this and asked, “What’s the matter, Jack? Why are you crying, sweetheart?” Jack sniffled and said, “I don’t want Christmas to end. I don’t want to go back to school. I don’t want you to leave.” As _y/n_ processed the emotions Jack was feeling, Jack continued in a voice obscured by a small hiccupy cry, “Why can’t everything just stay the same? Why can’t it be Christmas all the time?” _y/n_ didn’t fully understand where the core of these feelings were coming from, but she could agree with the sentiment. The week of Christmas had been so nice because they’d all just got to hang out and be together. The stress of work and the often boring tasks of cleaning the dishes or taking out the trash seemed so much less terrible when they were happening with Aaron and Jack. Sure, part of that was that she and Hotch shared the tasks and split things between them, but it was more than that. Just being with Aaron made life better. The small things felt alright when she was near him. It wasn't that she tried to hide anymore. In the early days of their relationship, _y/n_ had feared that the simple joy of being near Aaron would scare him away. After all, he was an intense man, but as it turned out, under all the suits and his tough exterior, he needed someone who cared for him as much as _y/n_ needed him back. Now, in front of Jack, _y/n_ tried to think about the right thing to say. She thought about her own experience first. The feeling of being jerked around sometimes with Aaron’s inconsistent schedule, and the constant danger he was in didn’t help either. _y/n_ didn’t talk about that often. What good would it do? She had slowly become content with praying or wishing him a safe return when Hotch told her he was heading on on a case. If it was hard for her, then it must be much harder for Jack, who couldn’t fully understand exactly what his dad really did. Not yet at least. Add onto that the fact that Jack had been in the house while Haley died. One hour his mom had been alive, and another, she was gone. _y/n_’s heart ached for Jack, as she said in a soft, reassuring voice, “That seems nice, Jack. I think I’d like that too. But that’s not how life works.” Jack sniffled and said in an angry voice, “Why can’t it? Why can’t it be nice all the time?” _y/n_ took the ornament from Jack’s small hands and quickly put it away before taking his hands in hers. She replied, “Because time, as mean as it can seem, knows what’s best for us.” Jack had such big eyes as he asked, “How? How is it good that we can’t have it be nice all the time?” _y/n_ bit the inside of her cheek and tried to think of an appropriate and understandable way to talk about the need for balance in life.

With a small breath, _y/n_ realized that she could use his candy incident as an example. _y/n_ cleared her throat and said, “Well, think about Halloween. Did you think you were going to like having all of your candy in one night?” Hesitantly, Jack nodded yes. _y/n_ replied, “Good. Do you think you’ll do that again next year?” The little boy shook his head, no, and _y/n_ smiled at how hard he nodded. _y/n_ ran her sleeve under his nose that was dripping and said, “Sometimes life is like that too. It sounds fun to have Christmas, Thanksgiving, and your birthday all back to back. It might even seem nice to have that happen forever. But once we have it a lot, or too much, the thing doesn’t taste or feel very good anymore. It just turned into another day or toy or sweet. But, if you just let time pass, then you get these really special pockets that mean a lot. Not that every day isn’t special, just that it’s good to have some normal ones too. Does that make sense buddy?” Jack stood still for a moment while he processed what _y/n_ had said. After a few seconds, he said, “I guess so. I just wish it didn’t take so long.” _y/n_ waited to say anything because she felt that Jack would say something more, and he did in a voice just above a whisper, “Mommy really loved Christmas too.” _y/n_ nodded and blinked back tears. She didn’t want to seem sad in front of him and make him cry again. _y/n_ leaned forward, taking him in her arms, and said softly in his ear, “I bet she did. I bet they were the best Christmases ever, but just because we’re taking the decorations down doesn’t mean you have to forget her. We can remember your mom every single day. Just like your mom loved you every single day.” _y/n_ could feel Jack nod against her shoulder. When _y/n_ pulled back, she asked Jack, “How about I pick you up and we get the last of these ornaments? Maybe you could tell me about some of the happy memories you have with your mom during Christmas?” Jack agreed, and _y/n_ helped him onto her shoulders and let him talk and remember. By the time Aaron got back, Jack was happy and animated again. Hotch walked into the room and smiled at the scene before him. The sight of _y/n_ and his son in the light of the Christmas lights still on the tree. Jack ran over to him and hugged his legs like he’d missed him a lot. Hotch smiled and said, “Your hot chocolates on the table Jack. Why don’t you drink it in the kitchen?” Jack smiled and said, “Sure Daddy.” The child let go of his father and moved into the kitchen on excited legs. _y/n_ who was still standing stepped toward him and kissed him softly. His mouth was still cold from being outside. His lips were slightly chapped, but _y/n_ didn’t care as she warmed them with her mouth. When they pulled away, Aaron reveled in the scent of _y/f/p/b/s_. He said, “Sorry I was so long. The light was out on the corner and there was a line almost out the door at the shop. _y/n_ smiled and said, “It’s alright. Jack and I had a good conversation.” Aaron raised an eyebrow and set his arm around _y/n_’s lower back. He noticed that all of the ornaments were off the tree and said, “How about we tackle the lights? I can take the bottom strand and you take the middle?” _y/n_ agreed and they set to work. 

Hotch sat down with a small grunt. They could hear Jack from the other room pull out his chair and sit at the table. _y/n_ and Aaron would go to check in with him in a minute, but Aaron wanted to take just a minute alone with _y/n_. These moments were rare these days with their busy schedules. Aaron started unspooling the lights around the bottom of the tree. He looked over at _y/n_ and asked, “So? What did you and Jack talk about while I was gone?” _y/n_ gave him a little grin and said, “Oh you know, just the inevitable, unstoppable march of time. I don’t think you’d understand it. It’s adult stuff.” Hotch, chuckled, the sound came deep from his core and reverberated up his chest. He shifted around _y/n_ to continue removing the lights and said, “Well I’m willing to learn, _y/n_. If you’ll teach me?” _y/n_ smile grew. She loved it when Aaron played the bit. Hotch being more than a few years older than her had worried _y/n_ for a while. They wondered if the differences in culture and knowledge would make them an unequal couple. A couple set up from scrutiny. But, as it turned out, age was just a number when you were both that in love with each other. Out in public, they did get a few stares, but Aaron’s practiced glare worked well on everybody, so _y/n_ didn’t worry. Over time, _y/n_ had started joking about their age gap much to Hotch’s amusement, like they were doing right now. _y/n_ cleared her throat and said in a mock educational tone, “Well, I told Jack that you can’t have all the nice things at once. You kind of have to spread them out so they become more enjoyable. Life gives us lots of nice things, but an equal amount of mundane things. So the highs and the lows feel big, and we need to enjoy them and understand them as much as we can.” Aaron let out a breath. He loved the way _y/n_ spoke about everything. Condensing ideas into little ways of understanding like he did with information in a case. Even if it was just silly banter, Aaron loved it. He loved all of _y/n_ and a realization he’d been contemplating for some time now, clicked. 

Gently he said, “Well that was quite an analysis. Thank you. I think I understand the space-time continuum much more clearly now.” _y/n_’s clear laugh washed over him like a shooting star. He stopped with the light strand and said, “Mind if I add to your lecture?” _y/n_’s eyes glistened as she nodded yes. Without overthinking it like he did most things in his life, Aaron said, “Yes, it’s important to highlight the big things. The weddings, birthdays and holidays. But there’s pleasure in the small things too. Seconds make up minutes, which make up days that go on and on forever. We only have so much time in those moments. So who you spend them with becomes pretty important if you think about it in that context. Who do you share that time with.” _y/n_ looked at Aaron with wide eyes. They wondered if this was happening right now, in early January. _y/n_ wanted to be at eye level with Aaron and sat next to him. _y/n_ asked, “What are you saying, Hotch?” _y/n_ needed to hear it from him, to know they weren't making this up. It was important because as relaxed as _y/n_ was on time, she did value knowing where their relationship was going. And Aaron had agreed that they should move in together before progressing to a thing like a proposal. But moving in was the next big step for them. Aaron took in her beautiful curious face. He pondered how _y/n_ never could keep her emotions at bay. How honest _y/n_ was without even having to try. He smiled and said, “I want you to move in with me, _y/n_. When the time is right and you're comfortable with it, I’d like you to live with Jack and me. I want to spend all my time when I’m not working with both of you. Does that sound good to you?” _y/n_’s face lit up and she had to stop herself from laughing because Aaron looked so serious, and _y/n_ felt like she was swimming in a tub of serotonin. _y/n_ pulled Hotch to his knees and into a tight hug. _y/n_ looked _u/sf/d_ at the love of her life and said, “Of course, I’ll move in with you both, Aaron. When I’m here, I’m home. I’ve felt that way for about a year, but this makes it official. Aaron Hotchner, I feel more at home here than I’ve ever felt in my whole life.” All Aaron could do at hearing _y/n_ say something so special was to kiss her forehead and say, “You make this house a home, _y/n_. You have no idea how much joy you bring here.” _y/n_ traced a hand down his shoulder and to where Aaron’s heart was steadily beating in his chest. The rhythm of the muscle kept track of each second they stood in each other's presence. The idea of being home, made _y/n_ think about Jack’s comment about her leaving, and _y/n_ said, “Speaking of Jack, he was afraid that I might go away. I think maybe we should tell him about this. I think he’ll be happy.” Aaron’s brow furrowed slightly and he repeated, “Jack thought you were going to leave.” _y/n_ brushed a hand over Aaron’s knuckles and replied, “Something like that. But I think that’s more of a long conversation we can have later. Once he’s in bed.” Aaron nodded just a tiny bit. Jack’s happy behavior and _y/n_ saying they would talk about it later allowed him to relax and believe _y/n_ was right. This conversation, whatever it was, could wait. He did want to let his son know that _y/n_ was going to be a more permanent fixture in their lives going forward. 

Jack was ecstatic at hearing the news and _y/n_ pulled him into her arms and said, “I’m not going anywhere, Jack. I’ll be here for you and your dad for a long time to come. Aaron moved behind his son and embraced both of his greatest loves. That evening, after a lengthy conversation about Jack and making sure Jack felt the most secure as possible, Hotch and _y/n_ moved to bed. As Aaron stroked a hand over her naked back, her body was pressed to his under the covers. He kissed down her jaw and the ghost of stubble rubbed against _y/n_ skin. She made small contented noises, and his hand traced lazy circles over her back. Hotch asked in a bit of a husky voice, his thoughts more on the feel of _y/n_’s skin under his fingers than his statement, “Would you send me a copy of your lease tomorrow? Maybe I can find some loophole to get you over here more quickly. I want all of you here.” _y/n_ shifted up onto her elbows, giving Aaron a better look at her bare body. _y/n_ smiled and said, “Sure love. But I think even your JD is going to have a difficult time getting me out of this lease. My landlord was such a pain when I renewed for half a year instead of the full twelve months.” Aaron smiled and said, “We’ll see about that, but I think there are more pleasant things to think about right now, don’t you think.” _y/n_’s eyes gleamed with desire in the dark space as she said, “Say less.”

It wasn’t until the next weekend on Saturday that Aaron had the time to look over _y/n_’s lease. They were sitting in his office in the field office. Aaron’s long sigh had _y/n_ look up from her _f/b/c/m/m_ and say, “Is there no way out of it?” Hotch ran a hand through his hair frustratedly and said, “Apparently not. That is unless you want to pay the last two months' rent plus interest without a chance of you getting your deposit back.” _y.n_ cringed at the idea of how much money that was.” Aaron looked up at _y/n_ and she seemed disappointed, but not crushed. He said, “I was hoping to get you out of there sooner.” _y/n_ leaned closer to the desk and took his hands in hers saying, “The time will pass anyway. It’s just two months and the important thing is I have you. I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.” A smile tugged at Hotch’s lips. He appreciated how differently _y/n_ interacted with time. Aaron was used to tight timelines and all-nighters on cases. Aaron reflected again about how _y/n_ saw life. Even though she had her moments of stress or insomnia, just saw time as a thing that happened. She saw the good and the bad but chose to focus on the good when she could. Like the fact that she was moving in with him at all. She didn’t complain that she would have to wait to have that dream come true, because the dream was in front of her at all. Aaron hoped that with _y/n_ living with him, some of _y/n_’s view of life would rub off on him. He hoped to just see things as they were. To accept the good and let go of the bad, even in cases. With _y/n_ and Jack by his side, that didn’t seem so impossible after all. He’d take it a day at a time. As _y/n_ had said, “‘The time will pass anyway,’” and it was going to be wonderful to pass it with her.

______________________________________________________________

Tag List: @tgskitten @geminitapestry

Want to be added to my tag list? Please see this post, CM Tag List (linked)

Want to request a fic or mood board? My requests are open. Please see this post before requesting, CM Request Post (linked)

[mila-bee]

They literally walked off into sunset together 🥺😫😭

I’m going to need 3-5 business days to recover 🥺

[carlgrimesloverr]

domesticity

aaron hotchner x fem!wife reader

summary : aaron wasn’t always the doting husband, and jack wasn’t always the sweet son- but somewhere along the line they became just that

takes place during : literally anytime you want after haley dies (i like imagining it’s s7 hotch)

warnings : none, it’s literally just fluff 🤧

word count : 396

it was late. far later then you should be up. but you promised jack he could stay awake until aaron returned home. that was supposed to be three hours ago, and now it was one in the morning and you stood there groggily making bagel bites for your lovely son.

five minutes after the snack was ready, hotch burst through the door, breath heavy as if he had just ran up from the driveway into the small house.

you had moved about two years ago out of hotch’s apartment, finally ready to let go of all the horrors that had gone down there. you decided to move into your childhood home, your parents eagerly ready to part with it and move somewhere warm - like florida.

there was something so soothing to hotch about living in your childhood home. he loved the way he could finally see into your life before you met. hotch was so ready to settle down again, maybe try to re-start the family he attempted to build with haley.

you loved watching aaron sit down at the counter and smile as jack rambled on about your long day. how he had a soccer tournament, and it’s ok that his dad missed it because you were there- and he actually called you his mom. you were ready to cry. then, you two went home and watched two harry potter movies (you now only had the deathly hallows pt 1 + 2, but you promised aaron you’d watch those with him), and then you settled down for the long haul of waiting. jack would never admit that he fell asleep only half an hour before hotch arrived, he boasted that he lasted the whole night.

somewhere along the line, and you definitely weren’t sure when, being aaron hotchners little best friend turned into being his wife. somewhere along the line, jack not even wanting to look you in the eyes became him falling asleep on your chest. and somewhere along the line, tough aaron hotchner who slept in his office and wouldn’t open up became soft, sweet aaron, who’d sleep in late on sunday’s only for jack to pounce on him, and would come home after an unusual disturbing case and just hold you. the wild hotchner you had first met became the domestic aaron who you fell in love with.

[ssahotchnerr]

what do you feel like soft!aaron would like to do on his rare weekends off with you and jack?

cw: mentions of food, just a whole lotta domestic fluff <3

-

friday night, once everyone is home from work and school, is known as pizza night in the hotchner household <3 it's rarely ever ordered via takeout (only if aaron is gone/you have no ingredients) and it's made right from scratch. aaron and jack are always in charge of prepping the dough, and it's safe to say by the end of the night, the kitchen is completely covered in flour. aaron was the one who originally started this whole ordeal- one time he threw flour at you and jack thought it was the funniest thing in existence. so now not only does the kitchen end up covered each week, aaron does as well- all thanks to you and jack ganging up on him heheh <3 while they're making their mess, you're in charge of prepping all the toppings. each of you get to make your own little personal pizzas, which is then followed by a movie jack picks out. also!! dave will sometimes join the infamous hotchner family pizza nights <3 which is basically him just telling you the right way to do pizza. jack usually crashes early and falls asleep during the movie- he had a long day of school and pizza-making is hard work >:( while aaron carries him off to bed, you're in the kitchen quickly cleaning up the mess so you and aaron don't have to worry about anything else for the rest of the night besides each other ;)

saturday: jack's soccer games!!! this is a whole family affair, and you love nothing more than to go support your boys and cheer them on hehe <3 it also means you get an extra excuse to stare at aaron which you clearly can't complain about 🥰 the only downside however, is that the other soccer moms have all taken to aaron as well 🙄 but that's okay because before each game, aaron is the one giving you a kiss in front of them 🥰 he insists it gives him good luck for all his coaching duties, but he mainly does it to remind the other moms who he belongs to <3

sunday is more of a day to relax before yet another busy week starts again. you all sleep in, and occasionally get brunch if you want to get out of the apartment. it's also more of a homework/studying day for jack. he'll be all set up at the table with aaron, who is seated right besides him and helps when he has a question and quizzes him if he happens to have a test coming up <3 later that night once jack is in bed, you and aaron curl up on the couch together, because it's pretty much inevitable that he'll be taken away on a case sometime during the week :( so you have to get in all the cuddles you can :( you litter his face with kisses, reminding him to be safe and that he better come home to you and jack :( aaron gets so 🥺 because he knows how worried you get, so he just holds you so so so tightly and assures you that nothing can keep him away from the two people he loves the most in the world and that he'll be as safe as he possibly can be just for you <3

[14buddy22]

I’ll Spend the Rest of My Life Making It Up To You Series

Part 7!! WC: 3.4K I know it’s short, but I feel bad that I haven’t finished it. Life’s just been BUSY. I promise we’re getting to the end of this fic, but I want to give the ending it deserves. It’s coming. I promise. 

Series Masterlist // Masterlist!

Today was the day. You were finally getting out of your relationship with Jake. You were done. You were ready to move on. You had to. If you didn’t leave now, all it made you think was that you maybe should go back to Jake.

However, your nightmare only made you realize how terrible it would be for you if you did go back to Jake. When Aaron showed you the letters and the pictures of you, it made you sick to your stomach to know that Aaron actually read those letters, that he actually saw those pictures.

As if he wasn’t the one who you called to bring you to the hospital after Jake had beat you, he saw the aftermath of everything.

It was a quiet morning. Jack got picked up by JJ to go hangout with Henry for the day. Aaronwanted his sole focus to be on you today. You two were meeting with his friend who was an attorney. You were nervous. You silently moved around the kitchen, getting a diaper bag ready for Mason as Aaron helped collect the images and letters from his office and into the evidence box.

As you and Aaron got into the car to head to the law office, you couldn’t help but start to over think. You thought about every bad thing that could go wrong. What if you lost Mason? What if Jake wins and you don’t have full custody? What if Jake ends up killing you?

“Hey, you’re thinking too much. Stop. Let’s talk to the lawyer. He’s very good at what he does. It’ll be okay.”

You grabbed his hand from the gear shift and pulled it into your lap. You squeezed his hand and gently rubbed your thumb back and forth. That was something you always did with him to calm yourself down. Just knowing he was by your side calmed you down a little bit.

As you, Aaron, and Mason made your way into the building, you clutched the carseat carrier a little tighter. You were doing this. You and Mason were going to enter a better life. This was the beginning of a long trial, but 10 years of domestic abuse was enough, you needed to be better for your son, for YOU.

“Aaron Hotchner. The Unit Chief of the FBI’s BAU.”

Aaron stuck out his hand and shook it. You assumed this was his friend. You were right when their handshakes pulled each other into a hug and both men broke out into a smile.

“This is Y/n and her son, Mason.”

“I remember her when we were in law school. Always wondered why he let you go. My name’s Brian Smith.”

You smiled slightly and shook his hand. You followed him into his office and pulled Mason out of the carseat, holding him in your lap. You needed him to slow your heart rate down. You felt like your heart was going to explode. You were excited that this was happening, you were scared of what was going to happen, you were mad with yourself for letting Jake do this to you, for letting him get so far. While you would have never blamed Aaron out right, part of you blamed him for breaking up with you all those years ago, but you couldn’t tell him that when he’s been nothing but kind, generous, and protective of you and your son these past couple of days.

Brian sat on the other side of his desk, looking through the evidence box briefly.

“I want to start off by saying that Aaron has kept me updated on details of what has happened in your marriage to Jake and I just want to apologize for what you’ve been through. Domestic violence cases are rough and tough to handle and I’m sorry for what you’ve been through. Just know that I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure you and your son are safe. Whatever evidence you may have to convict him on aggravated assault, that will need to be turned in, when we serve him, I’m hoping that he’ll sign what we serve him with, but depending on how the state will handle the assault charges, that will depend.”

“I don’t want him to have custody of Mason. I want him to go to prison for what he did to me. 10 years, sir. 10 years I endured this abuse, he shouldn’t be allowed to talk to another girl, shouldn’t lay a hand on another woman.”

“I understand that, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn’t get custody of Mason and that he serves some time is prison.”

You let out a sigh of relief. You were proud of yourself. You were doing this for you. You were doing this for your son. You were doing this to show every other woman who were in abusive relationships that it is possible to get out.

You know that some women didn’t have the resources you did, but you want them to know that you had evidence. Take the pictures of the bruises, cuts, scars. Keep a diary of everything they said or did to you. That’s more than enough evidence.

After a long afternoon of discussing everything, what you wanted, and how you were going to proceed from there, you felt like the weight of the world was being lifted off of you. Well, maybe not off of you, but it was being held by Aaron and your lawyer. You were still holding a piece of it, but it wasn’t completely all on you anymore, and that, you were grateful for.

“Hey Aar, do you mind taking Mason to the car? I just need to use the bathroom and I’ll be out.?

“Yeah, of course.”

He turned to Brian and shook his hand, thanking him and saying if he needed anything to reach out whenever.

Aaron took Mason from your lap and said, “Come on, buddy.”

Your heart stilled at seeing Aaron with Mason. Aaron was the type of father that Mason deserved. Your son deserved more than what you gave him. Having Aaron in Mason’s life just for a bit was something Mason needed. If you and Aaron never got into a relationship again, you knew that he would not treat Mason any differently than how he treats Jack. He would raise Mason how he was raising Jack and you were happy with that.

As Aaron and Mason left the office, you said, “There’s one more thing Brian. I want to give you this. Aaron doesn’t know this exist and I really don’t want him to know we talked about it. This is only if we go to court. It’s letters I kept when I was pregnant with Mason and the video evidence of the last time he was physical with me.”

“Y/n, thank you. I know it has to be hard.”

“It is, so I’d really like to just move forward with this so we can be done. Please. I know you’re doing your job. I know you do it really well. Aaron doesn’t trust everyone, so you must be the best of the best. I thank you for what we’re about to go through. Really, thank you, Brian.”

“You know, when Aaron broke the engagement off, he came to stay with me. She showed up at my apartment that night. He knows he messed up. Even back then, all those years ago, he had known he messed up. When I tried telling him he needs to go fix it, he said that you’d never be able to be with him again. He told me that if he ever had the chance to be with you again, he’d spend the rest of his life making it up to you.”

You looked at him, not really knowing what to say. You always wished Aaron had come back into your life, to fight for you harder, but when he didn’t, you didn’t think you could go crawling back to him either.

“Thank you, Brian. We’ll be in touch.”

As you walked out of his office and walked down to the front of the lobby, you saw Aaron talking to someone else. You placed your hand on his back and he said, “You ready to go?”

You nodded and he wrapped up his conversation and then you two were back on your way to his car. As Aaron got Mason into the backseat, he said, “Pick where you want to go to lunch, my treat.”

There was no point in arguing that you would pay for lunch because you were never going to win. As Aaron got into the truck, you put the directions on for a restaurant you had been wanting to try for a while, but you hadn’t been able to go to because of Jake.

As you two ordered your food, you gave Mason his bottle. You and Aaron were making small talk. You weren’t really sure why it was so quiet, but maybe it’s because you both had so much to talk about that nobody knew where to begin.

“Now that this is actually happening, maybe I should see if I can get a place to stay in.”

“No. Absolutely not. He’s capable of so much more, y/n. I can’t let you get hurt even more if you move out.”

“I don’t want to owe you anything. I mean, how does this look for Jack? Your son needs to come first, Aaron. It can’t be Mason and I, it has to be Jack. How does Jack feel? Jack went from it being just you and him, now it’s you, him, me, AND a baby? That’s a lot, especially for a kiddo his age. I know he’s smart, but Aaron, this is a lot of change for him.”

“After this is all over, I want to marry you. I want to raise Mason in the place I’m raising Jack. Jack wants to be a big brother. He’s been talking nonstop ever since JJ had another baby. Jack’s been wanting me to have a baby with someone. I’m not saying I’m just doing this and helping you out to make my son happy, but, why should I have to go look for the love of my life again when she’s right in front of me?”

“Aaron. You need to really think about this.”

“I have! I’ve spent the past 15 or how ever many years it’s been thinking about you every single day. I’ve wanted you to be mine. You were my true love and I let you go. This is how the universe repays me for letting you go. I told myself that if I ever got the chance to have you in my life again, I’d spend the rest of my life making it up to you, and it’s true. I’m going to do anything and everything in my power to make you and Mason happy.”

You moved your hand on the table and grabbed his. When you held his hand, it felt different, like a spark that was reignited again. Yes, the entire week that you’ve been with Aaron, you fell in love with him all over again. You didn’t think you could, but you did. As you sat at the table with your hand in his, you couldn’t help but think about what your future held, but how much of your past you’d still be holding onto.

You wanted to hold onto the good memories you had with Aaron, and even the bad with him. You needed to remember the moments that broke you down because you only built yourself up stronger after.

“I’ll talk to Jack when I put him down for bed tonight. I think that’ll be best. But I want you to know, you have nothing to worry about. He loves you. He loves Mason. He’s been so happy, such a different kid since you’ve been around. He’s been without Haley for a few years now, but you could be a mother-figure to him just as I could be a father-figure to Mason, if-if you’ll let me.”

You want nothing more than to pick up your life with Aaron. You wanted a family. You wanted to be Mrs. Hotchner. You wanted more Hotchner kids with him. You wanted anything that Aaron Hotchner would give you. Well, you didn’t want him to give you a brokenheart like he gave you once before. You would gladly accept an engagement ring or his last name.

“Hey Aaron?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we make this official? This could be our first date, again.”

“Come on? You didn’t like our first date? I took you out to a really nice restaurant. That was a week’s worth of working to afford that dinner.”

“Hey! I offered to split but you wouldn’t let me! You even called ahead and put your card down so they wouldn’t let me pay!”

You and him began to laugh, thinking back to your first date. You remember being so excited. Your friends wanted you to go out, telling you that you’d meet your prince charming at the bar, but you kept telling them that you just had a feeling about Aaron.

Good thing you trusted your instinct, because he was your prince charming. But a fairytale ending didn’t always have the perfect beginning or storyline along the way, but you wanted to believe it was going to end well.

“Aaron, do you seriously not know why I chose this place?”

“You said you wanted to try it.”

“Yes, I’ve been wanting to try it, but you know why? The restaurant we had our first date in closed down. The owners passed away and the kids didn’t want the business. Aaron, we’re eating in the restaurant that once stood where we had our first date. We’re eating basically at the same table we sat at, well location wise, where we had our first date.”

Aaron began to look around. He couldn’t believe how he missed it. Something so meaningful to him, your first date, and he didn’t remember. Yeah, the building changed, but he should have remembered something so significant. He remembered walking out with you after the date, he knew that when you began to dance to the music that was coming from the band across the street that he was going to marry you someday. He just knew. But how come it didn’t click in his head that you wanted to come here.

“Then, Y/n Y/l/m, this is the best first date I’ve ever been on with you.”

“Now? Instead of all those years ago?”

“Yeah, because I have a glimpse of who we’ve become. How far we had to work to get here. You and I are having our first date where we did many, many years ago. Today, I get to see the beautiful mother you became when I remember on our first date how much you talked about getting married and having kids. I remember you telling me upfront about having children and getting married because your past boyfriends didn’t want that, but you did. But now, to see you as a mom, it makes me so incredibly happy. All you just need is to get married. Something I should have given you. But I have my second chance at you. I’m not letting you go. Never again. You, me, Jack, and Mason. We’re going to be a family when this is all over. I want this more than anything in the world.”

He tensed up and you glared at him even more. Why would he tense up? If this was the Aaron Hotchner you knew, something wasn’t right. But that thought was cut off when he continued.

“Okay, no, I don’t want this more than anything in the world.”

What? What the hell was he saying? How was your heart breaking into pieces by Aaron AGAIN? Why did you have to come back to him. You thought he’d heal your heart. But he’s tearing out your heart, stepping on it, shredding it to pieces.

You let out a breathless, shaky, and sad “What?”

“The one thing I want nothing more in this world is for you to be safe and happy. Y/n, of course I want you in this world, but if you won’t be happy with me, then I want you to be happy with someone else. I want you and Mason to be safe. My line of work is dangerous, if you won’t feel safe with me, then I understand. You need to put yourself and Mason first. You hadn’t done that much, especially not putting yourself first. So, I want you to think about you and Mason. I can’t be selfish and say I want you and Mason because I had you once and I let you slip through my fingers. If you want something or someone else, it’s okay.”

Oh, you were down bad for this man. You loved him so much. The way emotion was written all over his face. This was the Aaron you knew. Not the hard exterior man who everyone else knew at the BAU. This was the real Aaron Hotchner. This was the big softie who would cry at sappy movies when the guy gets the girl at the end after it’s least expected. This was your Aaron Hotchner who cried when you brought him flowers many years ago. This was also the Aaron Hotchner who cried when you left him after he broke off the engagement. This was your guy, the one who wasn’t afraid to show emotions in front of you.

“Aaron, no. This is what I want. I want you. Mason wants you, I mean, look! He’s been staring at you talk this entire time I’ve been trying to feed him. I’ve wanted you since you asked me out on a second date many years ago. I’ve wanted you even when I was with Jake, but I gave up the idea of having another chance with you when I married him and saw you in that church seat, not interjecting at the wedding. Do you know how much I wanted you to? To run away with you and not look back. I wanted you to save me back then, Aaron. But you’re saving me now, not only me, but my son as well. I want you. I want Jack.”

You squeezed his hand and looked back at Mason to see Mason staring right at Aaron. Mason began to reach his hands out towards Mason, beginning to babble away. You watched as Aaron reached his arms towards him and you passed Mason over.

You saw the raw emotion on his face once more. You saw how he looked at Mason with so much adoration, so much comfort, happiness. You had always wanted Aaron to be happy. Just holding your son, there as a part of you that knew you were going to end up okay. Yes, of course, you had 10 years of a traumatic relationship with Jake that you needed to begin seeing a therapist for. But, part of you, that you had talked to through with your co-workers, was meant to find happiness. You think Mason, Aaron, and Jack were your happiness. Going to therapy and having them in your life would make you okay. You would be okay eventually.

As you asked your waitress for the check, Aaron spoke up.

“You’re not paying for our first date.”

“Yes I am, this is the least I could do. You rescued me, Aaron. You didn’t have to but you did. You gave my son and I a safe place to stay, without making me pay for anything. You’ve given me resources. You’ve done more for me than I could have ever asked. I’m paying for our second-first date. You saved me, If you were dying, I’d try and save you with my life. I’d give you my kidney.”

“Not if I give you mine first.”

Aaron smirked at you and it was the glimmer happiness in his eyes that made you think back to your first date even more. He looked at you like you were the greatest thing in the world. To him, you were the greatest thing in the world, obviously next to Jack. You also saw a glimmer of hope. In hopes that everything would turn out okay with you and Mason, as well as Aaron and Jack.

Next Part

Tagging: @8crazy-freak8​ @angelmather1​ @rousethemouse​ @lex13cm​ @mrs-ssa-hotch​ @comfortzonequeen​

[doctor-mccoys-sanity]

Gideon was so the father of the BAU, in S1 Ep5 they’re discussing a kidnapping and he just starts peeling an orange and handing it out to them all, they all reach out to take pieces from him without them even saying anything about it‼️🍊‼️

[freckles-things]

Losing the Shadows // Part 2

Pairing: eventual Aaron Hotchner x Reader; platonic Aaron Hotchner x Reader

Summary: A nightly phone call does not bode well for Hotch. Neither does it for Y/N or her daughter. Hotch comes to the rescue and saves the day night. At least slightly.

Warnings: violence, domestic violence, hospitals

Part 1

--------------------

It had been a few days since the incident at the Bakery. Hotch and Y/N had made out a date for the kids to meet up again while saying their goodbyes outside. Due to contrasting schedules that day would only be a week later, to the huge disappointment of Cassedy and Jack. He had wanted to check in on her in the time since, he didn’t have her number though. In all the chaos he had given her one of his cards and she did have the intention to write her number onto another one of them. However, the sugar high kids had demanded attention and so both of them had forgotten about it. Now that he was back home from his team’s latest case however, he was looking forward to fall into bed and just go to sleep. He checked in on Jack, who was peacefully sleeping, and then went to bed.

Only a few hours after he fell asleep, the ringing of his phone woke him up. Instantly on alert, thanks to years of training, he grabbed for it and expected to see Strauss’ or Rossi’s name. What he did see though, was an unknown number. He frowned slightly but accepted the call anyways:

“Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner”, he stated, expecting it to be a call from the BAU. There was a moment of silence however before he heard stifled sobs on the other side of the line and the tear strained voice of a child was to be heard.

“Mr. Aaron, is that y-you?” She was whispering and sounded absolutely devastated. If Hotch hadn’t already been awake, he would be now. He recogniced that voice.

“Cassedy, Sweetheart, is that you?”, he asked gently. Whatever was going on, he didn’t want to scare her even more by his usual rather stern approach to those situations.

“Y-yes. C-can you h-help, please?” The plea broke his heart, but he couldn’t let the emotion show. It wouldn’t help anyone if he lost his cool right now and his number one priority was to find out what was happening right now.

“Of course, darling. Can you tell me what’s going on?” Her sobbing became even stronger at the question and her breathing was way too fast. She tripped over her words while trying to explain what was going on before giving up. He had understood though, the words “mommy” und “Stan” and didn’t need much more. What he did need however, was to make sure that the little girl on the phone was safe.

“Hey Cassedy, you need to calm down a little, alright? I’m on my way to help you and mommy, okay? Can you take a deep breath for me, Sweetheart? And another one. Very good. Now, can you do me a favor and count to fifty very slowly?” As she started counting, he muted himself and grabbed the landline, calling Jessica to ask her to come and keep an eye on Jack. Hearing the slight panic in his voice, she had known him for far too long for him to hide that, she agreed without asking any questions. After ringing off, he unmuted his mobile just in time for Cassedy to reach fifty.

“Very good, Sweetheart. Can you try and explain again what’s going on?”, he gently tried again.

“Stan is being mean to Mommy. She s-send me to my h-hinding place and gave me her phone. She s-said to call the police and to not c-come out, n-no matter what I hear. She’s been crying and s-screaming and now it’s all silent. But I’m scared to go out and I couldn’t remember the n-number of the p-police and your contact was the first. Can you please come and help?”

“You’re doing so very well, Sweetheart. Stay in your hiding spot, alright? I’m on my way to help, I promise. I’m going to be there in just a few minutes, okay? I’m going to call one of my colleagues, just in case, and we’re going to make sure that mommy’s alright.”

And that was exactly what he did. He called Rossi, who was the only one of the team, who knew what had happened at the bakery, Hotch had told him over coffee one afternoon. Rossi agreed without any further questions and immediately made his way to the address Hotch had given him while Hotch did the same. They arrived roughly at the same time, though Hotch was definitely more panicked. He had tried to keep Cassedy on the line to make sure she was safe but had lost the connection roughly in the middle of the way over. Which had prompted him to break even more traffic laws than before.

Rossi joined him as soon as he arrived, carefully analyzing the other man to make sure he was indeed fit to deal with the situation. He didn’t necessarily like the the look his friend was giving him, but the situation on had demanded his attention. Hotch instantly moves towards the door, noticing that it was already open.

“Seems like the door was broken open by force”, Rossi quietly observed, throwing another gaze at Hotch. He carefully pushes the door open, immediately stopping at the sight that greeted them. The hallway was an absolute wreckage. Things were thrown around; furniture was upturned, and shards of glass and ceramics littered the floor.

“Mio Dio, we should be careful”, Rossi whispered. Both drew their guns, slowly and carefully following the path of destruction through the kitchen into the living room. Taking a few steps into the room, Y/N’s unconscious body came into their view. They swiftly made sure that there was no one else in the room, before Hotch hurried over to her, making sure that she was not fatally hurt. Rossi stayed at the door and moved to check the rest of the house for unwanted intruders. As soon as Hotch realized he moved to follow, but Rossi just shook his head.

“Stay. Make sure she’s alright. I can handle the rest and look for the Bambino.” Hotch just noded and focused on Y/Ns still form. She was bleading from a head injury and bruises were already blooming all over her body. Thankfully though, her breathing and pulse were steady. He grabbed a towel from the kitchen and gently pressed it against the bleeding wound to stop the blood flow. His sighed sadly at how small she looked, lying on the floor like this. His other hand came up to gently cup her cheek, his thumb lighly rubbing over a smear of blood. He hadn’t expected something like this to happen. Stan had seemed slightly aggressive, but he had made the impression that he was just glad to be gone. So why would he come back to hurt Y/N? He heared footsteps coming back down the stairs and looked over his shoulder to see Rossi coming back towards him.

“He’s not here anymore. I couldn’t find the Dolcezza, though. Maybe you should have another look? I don’t think he would take her with him after everything you told me. It sounded like he wanted to get rid of the responsibility to be taking care of a child after all.”

Worry instantly took over Hotch’s thoughts, but he had to admit that Rossi’s explanation did make sense. The destruction also did seem to be contained to the lower level of the house and the three rooms. I didn’t look like someone had afterwards gone in search of a child. He gazed at Y/N again and sighed, gently brushing some stray hair from her face. This was turning out to be quiet a mess. He was glad to have met Y/n and Cassedy though.

“I’ll take care of her, Aaron. See if you can find the kid, I’ll call for an ambulance, alright?”

Hotch nodded and got up, accepting the comforting pat of his shoulder Rossi bestowed upon him and started to search the house for Cassedy as well. He checked the upstairs romms without any success and then, just to make sure, checked the downstairs rooms again, which also turned out to be unsuccessful. Calling her name hadn’t helped either as there had been no response from the little girl.

“No success either?”, Rossi asked him, a worried frown appearing on his face. Shaking his head no, Hotch scanned Y/Ns body for any change in health. He thankfully could see none. Where could Cassedy be hiding? Maybe there was a secret room or hideaway, a quick mental calculation of the house’s layout made this option seem very unlikely though.

“The ambulance is on its way”, Dave motioned to the phone still placed on the ground and something clicked within Hotch’s brain. How could he have been so stupid and forgotten all about the phone.

“That’s it, Rossi! Cassedy called me via mobile phone. I’ll try to call her back, see if she picks up.” He grabbed his mobile while his friend chuckled slightly and hit the redial button. It didn’t take long for someone to pick up.

“Cassedy?”, he asked immediately. The small voice of the child, still terrified and hidden away answered him yes.

“Can you come out of your hiding place, Sweetheart?”

“I’m scared Mr. Aaron, I don’t want to come out. It’s not safe.” If Hotch had thought his heart couldn’t break any further, he was sorely mistaken. No child should ever feel scared like this.

“That’s quite understandable, Cassedy. Me and my colleague are here now, and we are helping you mommy. We want to make sure that you’re alright, too. Won’t you tell me where you’re hiding?”

“How do I know it’s you?”, came the slightly petulant voice over the phone and despite the situation he couldn’t help but chuckle. It was a warranted question, though. And he was glad that she was being cautious, even though, in all honesty, the need for it was quite sad.

“We can agree on a codeword. Once you tell me where you’re hiding, I’ll come to you and say the codeword, then you know it’s me. Is that okay?” They agreed on a codeword, and Cassedy told him that she was hiding in a secret compartment of her wadrobe. He quickly made his way back upstairs and into her room. Kneeling down before the wadrobe he loudly said the codeword and waited for a reaction. Almost immediately the door opened, and a small body threw itself into his arms. He wrapped her into a secure hug and picked her up. Tears were running down her face and she was sobbing again. He gently swayed her from side to side and rubbed her back comfortingly, muttering soothing word into her hair. He heard the sirens of the approaching ambulance but didn’t want to go downstairs. He didn’t want the little girl in his arms to see her mother unconscious and bleeding on the floor and he knew that Rossi would handle everything. Cassedy however started to squirm in his arms once the sound registered and pleaded to see her mommy

“Your mommy is going to be alright, Cassedy. I promise that you can see her soon. The doctors are going to help her a little and she’s going to be up and about in no time.” At least that’s what he hoped.

“Mommy’s hurt?” Her big hazle eyes stared at his, still reddened and glazed over with tears. And as much as he wanted to protect her, he had enough experience by now to know that lying to her would have even worse consequences than telling her the truth.

“Yes, Sweetheart. Mommy is a little hurt right now. My colleague, Mr. Rossi, is with her right now. He’ll make sure that the doctors take care of her until we can follow them.” She just nodded and laid her head against his shoulder. Hotch pressed a kiss to her temple and looked around the room.

“Shall we pick out some clothes and toys for you? I can’t leave you here all alone after all and you might spend the night somewhere else.” Letting herself be distracted Cassedy nodded and helped him to pick out some clothes, a stuffed toy and two books to take with them. She brought him her dinosaur backpack, that Jack would absolutely love were he to see it, and watched him as he put everything inside. Meanwhile Hotch listened to the paramedics leave and picked the little girl back up again as well as the backpack. He heard Rossi come upstairs and felt Cassedy tense in his arms.

“It’s alright, Sweetheart. That’s just my colleague I told you about, remember?” She nodded slightly and looked shyly at Rossi.

“Hello Mr. Rossi”, she whispered at him. Dave gifted her with a blinding smile and a warm greeting, complimenting the dinosaur backpack and conspirationally telling her his favourite dinosaur. That seemed to make her relax a little as he followed Rossi down the stairs, Cassedy still in his arms. Once they reached the downstairs, he gently hugged her face against his chest, so she wouldn’t see the destruction, and followed his colleague back outside to the cars. Staring confusedly at his outstretched had, Hotch cocked an eyebrow in question.

“Your car keys, Aaron. Taking two cars doesn’t really make sense and you might need your car more than I do later on. Also, you’ve got the booster seat.” Smiling slightly, he handed over the keys and strapped Cassedy into Jacks booster seat, which was still in the car from this afternoon when Jessica had used his car to go and get Jack. He chose the seat besides her, to make sure she was alright. It was Rossi however who roped her into a conversation about dinosaurs and an adventurouse story of how he’d once seen a real dinosaur skeleton while driving the three of them to the hospital. Hotch was thankful for the few minutes he could use to take several deep breathes and calm down, properly taking in everything that had happened in the last hour.

Another hour later found the three of them in the waiting room of the hospital while Y/N was being checked by several doctors. Hotch had spent about half an hour going through the first book that he and Cassedy had packed, a story about a young wizard destined to protect the once and future king from harm without revealing his magical abilities. After that Rossi had asked the little girl if she wanted to accompany him into the cafeteria and promised her hot chocolate. Hotch used the time to message a short update to Jessica, letting her know that he would be here a little while longer. Sighing, he leaned his head back against the chair. It felt like their meeting at the bakery was an eternity ago, even though it had just been four days.

“Agent Hotchner?”, a female voice sounded through the waiting room. He immediately stood up and moved towards her.

“Yes? How is Miss L/N doing? Is she going to be alright?” The nurse smiled at him and nodded slightly.

“Yes, Miss L/N was very lucky. She does have a rather strong concussion but compared to how severe the head injury looked at first, that’s a huge relief. We first thought there might be swelling of the brain, but the test all came back negative. Other than that, she has a broken arm that was easily set and two broken ribs as well as a few heavily bruised ones. I’m happy to say that those are all set and will easily heal as well. Miss L/N is expected to make a full recovery in due time. However, we will keep her for the night to monitore the head injury just in case. She should be fine to be released tomorrow if there’s someone who can take care of her.” Hotch took a relieved breath, a hand raking through his hair.

“That’s good to hear. Will her daughter be able to see her for a moment before we come back tomorrow?”

“Well, she is asleep. As long as you don’t disturbe her, you can have a short moment with her. Afterwards you should leave and get a bit of sleep. Come back at around 10 am tomorrow, the doctors visit should be over by then and she might be able to leave.”

“Thank you”, Hotch muttered gratefully. The woman nodded at him and gifted him with another smile before disappearing again. Hotch settled back on his chair to wait for Dave and Cassedy. They reappeared a few minutes later, holding steaming cups of baverages in their hand. Carefully balancing two cups Cassedy moved towards him and handed him one of them. Hotch smiled at her and thanked her quietly. He gratefully took a gulp of coffee and waited until all of them had emptied their drinks, before sitting down next to the little girl.

“I spoke with one of the doctors, Cassedy. You mommy’s going to be alright. She’s asleep right now and she has to stay the night to make sure that everything heals nicely. We can go and see her for a moment, but we have to be really quiet, so she doesn’t wake up, alright?” She nodded along enthusiastically, her little curls bouncing around her head.

“We can’t spend the night here, Sweetheart. Would you be alright spending the night with me and Jack? You’ll have your own room, and we can watch the newest dinosaur documentary Jake picked out last week for breakfast before coming back here.”

He knew that the situation wasn’t ideal, that she barely knew him and Jack and might be uncomfortable spending the night. He disregarded the fact that regulations would usually force him to give the child into custody for the night. He didn’t see the need to, and he knew that Rossi wouldn’t tell on him. She surprised him however when her tiny hand grabbed his and she nodded.

“Please. You’re safe Mr. Aaron.” Well, there went his crumpeling heart. It was uncanny how protective he already felt over her after meeting her two times. He gently ruffled her hair and slowly got up, keeping her hand in his.

“Do you want to go and see mommy now?” She nodded and followed him. Dave followed a few steps behind, wanting to see that she would be alright, too. They spent about 15 minutes in the small hospital room. Y/N looking a little better already now that she wasn’t covered in blood. The dark bruises however were still a startling contrast to her pale skin. He and Rossi had a short conversation about what had happened and her injuries.

“If her daughter is anything to go bye, Y/N must be absolutely lovely. I hope to see her again, once she’s back on her feet. You take the car to get the bambino home, I’ll take a cab. I’ll let Strauss know that you won’t be coming in tomorrow, the days after the team is off the rota anyways. Let me know how it goes, will you!” Before Hotch could thank him, the man had disappeared out of the room. Sitting down in the chair besides the bed, he gently grabbed Y/Ns hand, careful not to wake her. Studying her for a few minutes, he felt relived to know that she would be alright. He leaned foreward, resting his elbows against the bed and gently pressed a kiss against the back of her hand.

“I promise it’s going to be alright. I’m going to keep you safe from now on, Cassedy as well of course”, he quietly murmured against her skin before letting go of her hand and softly placing it back on the bed.

He gently extracted a sleeping Cassedy from where she had curled up on the bed besides her mother, slowly carrying her back to the car and carefully strapping her in. The drive back home was uneventful and so he carried the little girl back into his home only 20 minutes later. He was greeted by Jessica in the hallway, who looked at the two of them with obvious surprise. He quietly motioned for her to wait a moment while he put Cassedy to bed in the guestroom, leaving a nighlight on so she wouldn’t wake up in the dark, before placing her stuffed toy besides her.

Then he made his way back downstairs where Jessica was waiting in the livingroom, having poured two glasses of water for them. He smiled at her and exhaustedly sank back onto the couch.

“I didn’t expect you to come home with a kid.” She stated mildly.

“Neither did I”, a small smile tugged at his lips. “Do you remember when I told you about what happened at the bakery a few days ago?” Jessica nodded, realisation on her face.

“Cassedy called from her mother’s phone earlier, asking me for help. Said that her mother’s partner was back, and she’d told her to hide and call the police. When Rossi and I got there he was already gone. He’d done a lot of damage… We had to call an ambulance and made sure that Y/N was well taken care off. And well, Cassedy needed somewhere to stay for the night. I didn’t want to send her to a place full of strangers after the scary night she just had.” He sighed and sipped on his water. They talked for a few more minutes, agreeing on what needed to be done the next day, before the exhaustion became too much. He insisted that Jessica take his bed while he slept on the couch, since it was far too late for her to drive back home. Giving in, she gave him a reassuring hug and vanished upstairs. Despite his racing thoughts he fell asleep soon after, not even changing his clothed to something more comfortable.

The next morning passed surprisingly uneventful. Aaron had woken up first and prepared everythingfor his and Jack's weekend ritual of pancakes for breakfast. Doing double the amount so both their guests would get some pancakes as well. He went to change into jeans and a sweatshirt, brushing his teeth and showering while the coffee was brewing. He then went to wake Jack, explaining the situation to him, not wanting Cassedy to get overwhelmed by unsuspecting questions. While he helped Jack to get dressed and brush his teeth, learning all about last weeks classes, he heard Jessica getting up as well. Sending Jack downstairs to help his aunt, he went to check in on Cassedy. He knocked gently on the door and to his surprise, he expected her to still be asleep, was answered rather timidly. He gently opened the door, mindfully only taking a couple of steps into the room to not make her uncomfortable.

“Good morning, Sweetheart. Did you sleep well? I hope you haven’t been awake for too long, being bored to death?” She giggled quietly and shook her head.

“Good morning, Mr. Aaron” He smiled as well, slowly taking a few more steps to open the window blinds and let some light in.

“You can just say Aaron, Darling. Shall we get you dressed? Jack and his Aunt Jessica are already downstairs preparing breakfast. You picked the right day for a sleepover, it’s Pancake Saturday.” With pancakes as motivation, she got up, brushed her teeth and with Hotch’s help got dressed in the clothes they’d packed the night before. After a ginormous amount of pancakes and a promised dinosaur documentary later, Jessica stayed to watch over Jack while Hotch and Cassedy made their way back to the hospital.

Hotch found the nurse from last night, who informed him that they were free to visit since the doctor’s check up was already finished. As soon as they had reached the room, Cassedy ran to the bed and threw herself in her mother’s arms. Y/N winced slightly in pain but hugged her daughter firmly to her chest anyways.

“I’m so glad to see that you’re alright, Darling!”, she whispered into her hair. Hotch understood the double meaning of the words that not only meant that she’d been well cared for for the night, but that Stan had not found and hurt her either.

“Aaron made us pancakes for breakfast, Mommy. They are even better than yours.” Y/N laughed slightly and looked up towards Hotch.

“Well, maybe I should ask Aaron to teach me how to make them then. I’m sure he has a special ingredient to make them even better than my pancakes.” Aaron smiled back at her and shrugged guiltily, but she just smiled at him.

“Thank you, Aaron. I understand that you were our knight in shining armour last night and I can’t thank you enough for that!” Aaron understood that she kept her words purposefully light for Cassedy’s sake and nodded in understanding.

“Don’t worry about it”, he gently answered. “So, when are you allowed to leave? The nurse last night said you might be allowed to leave today.”

Y/N ruefully shook her head, looking a bit sad.

“I don’t know. They said I might leave today if someone takes me in or moves in with me. My remaining family doesn’t live close enough for that though, so I guess I’ll stay here until I’m well enough for them to let me leave on my own.”

Hotch felt a twinge of sadness at her words, realizing that she had no support nearby and must feel like she had to deal with the situation all on her own. He’d spoken with Jessica this morning and told her what the nurse had said to him. She’d immediately encouraged him to take Y/N in for the time being, insiting that it was bound to be good for both of them. That Y/N and Cassedy might not feel safe at their home right now anyways and that both kids would profit from having someone their age nearby. She’d jokingly told him that she’d appreciate another babysitter and that Y/N would still be perfectly capable to look after the children even with a broken arm and ribs. On a more serious note, she’d told him that Hotch himself might benefit from the situation as well, letting someone in and learning to trust again.

“Well, I have an empty guest room that is bound to be way more comfortable than this hospital room. You’re very welcome to stay with us until then”, he offered instantly.

Y/N looked up in utter surprise at the offer, staring at him for a moment before shaking her head.

“Oh no, we couldn’t possibly take up any more of your time. You’ve already done so much for us!”

“You truly wouldn’t be a bother. The room is unused anyways most of the time and Jessica, my sister-in-law, would be grateful to not have to be on babysitter duty all the time when I leave for work. And I could teach you my super secret pancake receipt.”

“Please Mommy?”, Cassedy chimed in, and Hotch could see that her daughter’s plea was the thing to tip her over.

“Alright, if you’re really sure that we’re not going to be a bother?”

“Absolutely. I’ll let the nurse know so they can prepare the release papers for you.”

And this was the start of Y/Ns six week stay at the Hotchner household, which indeed visibly benefited all of them and did include loads of pancakes.

------------------------

Soooo, who caught the BBC Merlin reference?

Thanks for all the nice comments and feedback to part 1. I have no idea what I’m doing, I haven’t written a single thing in years (This writer ist rusty, lol). Also please take note that English isn’t my first language - feel free to point out any major mistakes.

---------------------

Taglist

If you do experience domestic violence please do get help:

@mojo366 @kymimi

----------------------

Albania: +355 116117

Armenia: +374 114119

Austria: +43 800222555

Azerbaijan: +994 12151

Belgium: +32 80003030

Bosnia and Herzegovina: +387 1265; +387 1264

Bulgaria: +359 80011977

Croatia: +385 116006

Republic of Cyprus: +357 1140

Czech Republic: +420 116006

Denmark: +45 1888

Estonia: +372 116006

Finland: +358 800005005

France: +33 3919

Georgia: +995 322395111

Germany: +49 80001160116

Greece: +30 15900; +30 8011116000

Hungary: +36 80505101

Iceland: +35 45611205

Ireland: +353 1800341900

Italy: +39 1522

Kosovo: +383 80011112

Latvia: +371 116 006

Liechtenstein: +423 3800203

Lithuania: +370 880066366

Luxembourg: +352 621612774

Malta: +356 179

The Republic of Moldova: +373 80088008

Montenegro: +382 80111111

Netherlands: +31 8002000

North Macedonia: +389 70/75/77 141700

Norway: +47 116006

Poland: +48 600070717

Portugal: +351 800202148

Romania: +40 800500333

Russia: +7 88007000600

Serbia: +381 800222003

Slovakia: +421 800212212

Slovenia: +386 801155

Spain: +34 016

Sweden: +46 20505050

Switzerland: +41 223452020

Turkey: +90 2126569696

Ukraine: +380 800500335

United Kingdom: +44 8082000247

United States of America: +1 8007997233

[greg-montgomery]

the idea of your personal things around aaron's house is so sweet to me...your toothbrush next to his and jack's, your favorite shampoo in his shower, your pj's all wrinkled laying on his bed that's not made yet because you both left in a rush that morning, the juice you always drink in the morning waiting for you in his fridge, a frame in the living room of his favorite picture of you that he took, the book you're currently reading is right there on his nightstand...you're everywhere in his home because you are a huge part of his life. you're everywhere in his home because you're everywhere in his heart.

[atropxs]

aaron would make you run a turkey trot on thanksgiving

[ddejavvu]

Hotch x pregnant coworker reader? Hooked up when drunk, got her knocked up, and now they’re trying to figure out the rest. The teams just like 🧍. Fluff!!!! Love your writing btw 💜

there's a fic just like this called 9 Months of Getting To Know You by @hotch-stufff !! i feel sick i still haven't gotten to read the entire thing but it's a staple hotch fic imo so i hope you enjoy it :)

[inkdrinkerworld]

I wanna poke Aaron’s dimple repeatedly

[emberfrostlovesloki]

New Year's Day Mood Boards and HCs [Aaron/Emily/Spencer]

Aaron Hotchner

Headcanons

After putting Jack to bed, you and Aaron stayed up until midnight to ring in the New Year.

Aaron lets you sleep in the morning as he makes you and Jack breakfast in bed.

You both take Jack on a playdate at a park before dropping him off at Haley's.

You then go out to a vintage store and look around.

When you get home, you pull out all the letters he's written you over the year or so you've been dating. You reminisce on good times and the love you share.

In the afternoon, you talk about your resolutions. After that, you decide to take a nap. Aaron goes out to start working on his resolution. He'd decided this year he was going to ask you to marry him, and it was time to start looking for a ring. He'd already talked to Jack about it last week, and Jack is on board.

When he comes back, he wakes you, and you spend the rest of the night relaxing and being intimate.

As Aaron embraces you, he knows it's going to be a good year ahead.

For the Emily and Spencer mood boards + HCs, see below the cut.

Emily Prentiss

You and Emily had a long night out. Almost staying up till 3 a.m.

You both sleep in late and wake up with a bit of a hangover. Because of this, you both just relax and look over your photos from the last night. Derek and Garcia are hyping you both up in the comments.

When you've showered and dressed, the first order of business is to stop and get coffee.

You decide to take Emily on a shopping trip at a store of her choosing, and she wears the new shoes out of the store with a grin on her face.

Back at Emily's penthouse, you have lunch and get ready to meet the team at a bar downtown.

As you make your way to the gathering, you blast your favorite playlist and hype each other up. Just happy to be alive and together in the moment.

At the bar, you get cocktails and talk about the previous night and what everyone did.

Emily takes your hand under the table and squeezes your hand as you recount their evening's event. Not everyone needs all the details, after all, it was a wild night.

Spencer Reid

You and Spencer went to Derek's for the countdown but left shortly after that. You were both tired.

In the morning, you wake up and have a nice breakfast together.

You sit outside on your building's terrace, chatting and sipping your drinks.

Once inside, Spencer puts on the stereo and asks you to dance with him. You happily oblige and sway side to side to the soft music.

Spencer suggests reading for a while, and you both settle into the couch for a few hours of reading.

When you get hungry, you order your favorite takeout and put on a TV show while you wait for the food.

After eating, you start a puzzle and work on it for an hour or so.

It gets dark, and you both get in your pajamas and slip into bed. You both enjoy the quiet before having to return to work in a few days. It was good to have a soft romance. Something just the two of you share.

______________________________________________________________

Aaron's mood board photo credits:

Top Row: Left (@hotch-girl) Center and Right (@flowersforfrancis)

Middle Row: Left (@teainkstudies) Center (@life-and-love-in-a-myst) Right (@pamwmsn)

Bottom: Left (@handsoftumbllrr) Center (@trashbagaesthetics) Right (@milla984)

______________________________________________________________

Emily's mood board photo credits

Top Row: Left (@genterie) Center (@moonsbypadfoot) Right (@lsdandwine)

Middle Row: Left and Center (@foxy-eva) Right (@callmehira)

Bottom Row: Left (@pagesofjasmine) Center (@strawberriescherrieswine) Right (@sweet-child-of-night)

______________________________________________________________

Spencer's mood board photo credits

Top Row: Left (@poseidonsarmoury) Center (@reidobsessed) Right (google)

Middle Row: Left (@happyheidi) Center (@entrop-y) Right (@peacefulandcozy)

Bottom Row: Left (@triflingthing) Center (@ropoto) Right (@bookboundnewsletter)

[vahineri]

It’s investigation time. Technically he should wear his mask because he’s still a well-known lawyer but it’s an “artistic” choice.

(I already regroup all the layer when I though about the mask lmao sorry I’m lazy sometimes)

[carlgrimesloverr]

mr scratch

aaron hotchner x fem!BAU!wife reader

summary : sweet, strong, husband aaron hotchner during / after mr scratch

takes place during : s10 + s12 (an onwards)

warnings : talks of hallucinations, death, drugging

word count : 302

aaron hotchner who after mr scratch couldn’t sleep right - you’d catch him walking in the halls, in a daze

aaron who doesnt trust himself alone with jack because what if something went wrong. what if

aaron who at first couldn’t even sleep next you you. your own husband, afraid of what he’d do to you

aaron who you found on the ground after being drugged, disoriented and rambling

at first he pulls his gun on you, and you freeze.

after much convincing the poor man collapsed, crying and apologizing to you about how he would never hurt you ever and he can’t ever forgive himself

aaron who quickly realized that mr scratch would never surrender, so why did he? but you wouldn’t listen and just forced him to get checked out

aaron who you held in the ambulance so tight he felt suffocated, but all you could think about was your sweet husband alone with that killer

aaron who took weeks to tell you what he hallucinated - you dead just like haley, and jack an orphan

aaron who eventually goes into witness protection but urges you not to (you go anyways, jack is your son too even if it’s not biological)

aaron who almost forces you to go back to the BAU, because somehow on the job you always were home and even off the job he never was

aaron who just watches you play with jack so sweetly he can’t help but be grateful he retired just because he gets to watch moments like these

aaron who eventually stops having nightmares about scratch, but he wont admit to that. wont even admit to ever having nightmares

aaron who grew closer to you after scratch, and after witness protection - after all of it. but closer is better for him.

[ssahotchnerr]

This is such a Hotch thing 🥹

omg absolutely 😭<333

it's routine; after dinner aaron takes all your kiddos to start getting ready for bed while you're finishing cleaning or whatever. after a while, you just hear that coming from down the hall 😭😭

his lil singsong baby talk voice <33333 along with your little ones babbling and laughing along with him <33333 hehe you quickly finish up whatever you were doing, you peek your head in the bathroom. your babies' faces light up at the sight of you, are SO excited to see you and aaron just looks up at you with a lil goofy smile on his face🥹, he just looks so so happy and relaxed to be home and his love for the kiddos (and you heheh <333) is just so evident on his face <3333 ughgng he's just so content with life at the moment and can't picture his life being any different <3333

and afterwards 🥹 aaron wraps up the babies in big fluffly towels and gets them all cozy in their jammies for bed <333 and finishes up the night by reading a bedtime story 🥹 domestic bliss hehe <3