#domestic hotchner

[basketonthedoorstepofthefbi]

"dance recital" - hotch x mom!reader!

your family attends your daughter's dance recital

1480 words, domestic family fluff

cw: none? unless u hate kids then don't read this xD

a/n: i am looking at requests and actually have a couple of them started! inspiration just struck and i needed dance dad hotch xD plz keep sending requests i love getting them

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Lizzy had been practicing for weeks, at home, in the car on the way to school, even in the waiting room at the dentist’s office. If there was a free moment, she was up on her toes, practicing her dance routine.

When she turned four, she was so excited to sign up for dance class, and now her very first recital is later today. She takes it very seriously, and you attribute that entirely to her hardworking father. 

You’re standing in the kitchen, packing the picnic lunch you’ll be sharing as a family after her recital in the park. PB&J, no crusts, for Jack. Even though he’s nearly ten and he should be eating his crusts, you can’t help but to baby him a little. He’s been such a good big brother to Lizzy. You were anxious about that when you were pregnant with her, since Jack was so used to being the only kid. And there would always be the looming presence of Haley and the family he was a part of before you came along.

But Lizzy became the center of Jack’s world when she was born. He’s so doting and always playing with her, from when she was an infant to now. 

Nutella and peanut butter sandwich for Lizzy, because she has a sweet tooth just like her mother. Turkey and cheese for you and Aaron. “D’you want mayo, honey?” You call out to wherever Aaron is in the house. He was in the living room just a few minutes ago, but with your two crazy kiddos, he could have ended up anywhere. 

“Just the mayo, no honey,” Aaron jokes and nearly makes you jump as he enters the kitchen, padding silently behind you despite being the largest person in the house. Must be that fancy tactical FBI stealth training. 

He stops at the counter, leaning against it and facing you. Your eyes meet his and his voice is low when he speaks to you. “You need to make a big deal out of this,” he prefaces, nodding to the doorway. You don’t fully know what he’s talking about, but you understand enough, so you set your butter knife down and turn around to face the doorway. Aaron makes a drumroll on his thigh. “Come on in, kids!” 

Jack enters first, in a bright orange t-shirt that is definitely a size too big. Written in blue, puffy fabric paint, no doubt by Jack himself, are the words PROUD BIG BRO. Jack’s also holding Lizzy’s hand, escorting her into the kitchen. She’s in her violet tutu and has her hair up in two haphazardly pulled-back pigtails that could only be described as the work of her father. She’s walking on her tiptoes, with her free hand arched up in a semicircle shape, mimicking all the ballerinas in her books. 

You’re beaming, and take the sight in silently for a moment before bursting into uproarious (for one woman) applause. “You guys look so great!” You exclaim, grinning at the kids, and then back at your husband. He’s got this sly look on his face and you want to smooch it off. “When did you make this shirt?” You ask Jack, stepping forward and grabbing his face with both of your hands. You kiss his forehead and ruffle his hair.

“Dad and I did it while you were at the store last night,” Jack explains. 

“I love it, baby,” you tell Jack, and he beams. You stroke the apples of his cheeks with your thumbs before releasing him. 

Lizzy lets go of her brother’s hand and leaps for you. “My big girl is all dolled up for her first recital,” You lift her up, hugging her close. “Did Daddy do your hair for you?” you ask.

“Yes! He sang our song and I didn’t cry!” she says. You always sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to Lizzy while you brush her hair because she’s very tender-headed. It makes your heart soar to learn that Aaron did it, too. 

“I’m so proud of you!” You kiss Lizzy’s face all over until she squeals and wriggles to get away. “Why don’t you guys go play in the living room for a little bit, and we’ll get going soon,” you suggest. Jack races Lizzy into the living room, leaving you and Aaron in the kitchen alone. 

“You did her hair,” you say as you smirk up at Aaron. 

“Yeah, I know. It's not as good as when you do it,” he settles back against the counter and you roll your eyes. He’s holding his palms out, wiggling his digits. “I’ve got sausage fingers, and she cries if you pull the twist-tie too hard. It’s heartbreaking.” 

“And you made a shirt with Jack,” you say, ignoring his self-deprecation. Your smirk has turned into a full-force, Category Five Grin. 

Aaron realizes what you’re doing as you inch a little closer. He takes your wrist delicately, tugging you toward him, and you kiss his lips three times in succession, each a quick thank-you for all he’s done. “You’re the one driving her to classes twice a week,” Aaron deflects. “And Jack to school, and to soccer practice, and doing all the shopping and-“

“Aaron,” you roll your eyes in warning. You hate when he butters you up like this. You’re just doing your job, just like he is when he’s away on cases. 

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop,” he holds his hands up in defense, and you snatch them like they’re precious jewels. You kiss him again, this one longer and lingering. 

You finish packing your family’s lunch into the cooler. Lizzy’s recital is at a small amphitheater in the park, and after you drop her off with her teacher backstage, you and your boys find a good spot on the green to set up your picnic blanket. 

Aaron makes this small grunt when he squats to sit down on the ground and you hold back a snicker. Jack does not read the room and calls him an old man. 

You’re giggling as you sit down, Aaron tugging you to sit between his legs. You affectionately run your hand through Jack’s hair a few times before the first class comes up onto the stage. 

You watch the first class, and the second, clapping politely. Then, the four-and-five-year-olds are announced, and you are on your feet immediately. You hear a bit of rustling and Jack and Aaron are standing up, too. You grin when you see Lizzy with the other little kids, holding the hands of the boy in front of her and the girl behind her as they all walk in a line. 

Their dance is simplistic and whimsical and joyful, set to a light, poppy tune that makes you think of spring. You’re grinning and watching Lizzy float across the stage. She’s not the most graceful, but she hits every move at the right time.

You hear rustling behind you and turn over your shoulder to see Aaron and Jack subtly performing the dance with the class. They’re not moving nearly as dedicatedly as the group on stage, but they’re helping Lizzy from the audience. It’s so sweet you want to cry. 

When Lizzy’s group is finished, the three of you on the lawn explode in applause. Aaron wolf-whistles behind you and Jack is cheering, “that’s my sister!” 

After the other classes go, you’re allowed to head back and pick up Lizzy. She’s giggling with the other kids in her class, but she freezes and grins like it’s Christmas morning when she sees you. 

“Mommy!” she squeals, and runs to you. You lift her up off the ground in a hug and spin her around, before passing her off to Aaron. He does the same thing. “Dizzy! Dizzy!” She’s squealing, and Aaron finally sets her down. 

“Dizzy Lizzy, huh?” Aaron teases, running his thumb and his forefinger down one of her pigtails. “You did so good, sweet girl!” He was never the best at baby-talking to Lizzy, but now that she’s a little girl, he speaks to her so excitedly and she always beams when she learns her father is proud of her. 

“You got the leap at the right part!” Jack exclaims proudly, and you watch as Lizzy hugs her big brother. 

You point out the picnic blanket with the cooler and tell Jack to take Lizzy ahead to it. Jack loves being responsible, so he takes Lizzy by the hand and leads her towards your family’s setup. 

Hanging back with Aaron, you look up at him and brush his dark hair off his forehead. “You learned her dance?” you ask with a small smirk on your face. 

Aaron’s dark eyes gaze into yours and he wraps an arm around your shoulders, tugging you close to him. “She was doing it every chance she got,” he shrugs, like it’s totally no big deal. “You’re telling me you don’t have it memorized?”  

[ssahotchnerr]

As a former cheer/dance kid, I love the idea of having a little girl doing the same programs (★ ω ★) Also Reader is definitely Team Mom and in extention so is Aaron (if not more(he steals the position from her)) BAU! Aaron who starts leaving work early (which basically means leaving when everyone else does) so he can make it to practices and support his little girl. Compition days that start at 6-7 AM and he has coffee ready for Reader and a smoothie for the kiddos who aren't thrilled to be up so early but comply to getting ready because he put the good strawberries in their smoothies. (also can I be 🍄 anon please (^///^) )

YES wait stop i'm gonna CRY :((( <3333

comp days are usually saturday's, aaron's one day to sleep in if he's able, but he's the very first one up 🥺 as he's making smoothies, he feels slightly guilty about the noise it's making for everyone who's still asleep 😭 and when he goes room to room to get jack and baby girl up, he's met with small whines and lil drowsy sighs of protest 🥺 he's carefully lifting each kiddo out of bed, bringing them to the kitchen - with blankets still wrapped around them and one of his hands is clutching onto a beloved stuffed animal - he's seating them at their spot of the table in front of a smoothie, which lifts their mood instantly 😭 it's still dark out and jack's nearly falling asleep at the table LOL. hehe aaron's attempting to wake them up with small talk as he makes your coffee - asking baby girl if she's ready for the day, if jack's excited to see his sister compete, etc.. when you enter the kitchen, all ready yourself because aaron got everyone up, he just gives you a sweet kiss along with your to-go mug and asks if you need him to do anything else 🥺🥹 - which is usually a no because you have everything sorted/ready waiting at the door the night prior - so there's a little more time to sleep in and you aren't rushing out the door forgetting things. you just bury yourself cozily into him 🥰 pressing your face into his chest while his arms wrap around you tightly <333333 simply enjoying each other before a hectic day starts where you won't see him too much. the only thing that pulls the two of you away - except for the clock - ellie tries to steal the rest of jack's smoothie LOL

[em-prentiss]

Emily who constantly has cold hands and feet. Who wears socks half the time and not just because she can slip and slide on the floor with them. Who dresses in fancy silk pajamas one night and sleeps in one of Aaron’s shirts the next. Who has perfected five meals and sticks to them. Who has enough books that they spill out of the bookshelf and pile in stacks on the floor. Who stubs her toes on said stacks and curses wildly enough that Aaron buys and builds her another bookshelf. Who spends hours ignoring Aaron because she’s solving word puzzles.

Aaron who is constantly running hot. Who is annoyed at the piles of clothes that Emily leaves on the floor. Who is the designated cook in the house. Who takes paperwork in his study and leaves the door ajar for two certain people to slip through. Who doesn’t like cleaning but will do it because he hates the sight of a dirty house. Who automatically brews two cups of coffees when he goes to make his own. Who considers a pair of sweatpants and an undershirt to be pajamas. Who has more ties than t-shirts. Who enjoys the early morning cartoons on the couch when the rest of the house is asleep. 

Aaron and Emily who rotate laundry and dishes, because they both hate them equally as much. Aaron and Emily who try their best to stay awake at a movie Jack puts on, but they’re asleep by half of it (yes, Emily will deny it). Aaron and Emily who switch sides of the bed, because often they’re so tired when they fall into it, they don’t take into account whose pillow they’re sleeping on. Aaron and Emily who have bizarre amounts of ties and shoes respectively but can’t scold each other about them. Aaron and Emily who make pancakes on Sunday mornings. Who fold laundry together on Sunday nights, because while it is a horrible task, it’s a horrible task they’re sharing. 

Aaron and Emily who build a home with no slamming doors, no choking clouds of disappointment, no raised voices or sky high expectations.

[14buddy22]

I’ll Spend The Rest of My Life Making it Up to You Series

Summary: You were in an abusive relationship. Problem was, you had been in it for 10 years before coming to terms with your abuser. It took one special person to help you. That special person had a significant role in your life before you met your husband, your abuser. What happens after years of not seeing them? What’s going to happen to you? Will you survive the cycle of abuse? Will you get help? Will you get out? Are you strong enough to break the cycle?

Buckle in, you’re in for a rough ride folks, but you’re in for a rewarding treat.

Part 1: Who Did this to You?

Part 2: Flashbacks and Fear

Part 3: Telling him you’ll be okay

Part 4: The Letters

Part 5: Let Me Take Care of You

Part 6: The Nightmare That Became A Realization 

Part 7: First Dates and Life Goals

Part 8: Having Support 

Part 9: This is the (Happy) End

Completed :)

[fanfics4all]

Domestic Abuse

Request: Yes / No Thank you @badthingshappenbingo​ for my card! 

Don’t be shy, request things! <3 Have a nice day/night

Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader 

Word count: 4981

Warnings: Mentions of abuse, bruises, injuries, scared to leave someone, 

Y/N: Your Name 

A/N: I won't be tagging anyone since this could be triggering!

Prompt(s):

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(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

I should have left before we moved. Hell, the whole reason we moved was because people started noticing the bruises I couldn’t hide as well. Fifteen years with Chris was now my nightmare. He wasn’t always a bad guy, but then again they never are, are they? We were high school sweethearts and got married five years after we graduated. We had our son Cameron just a few months later. It wasn’t until Cameron turned four that the abuse started. Maybe it was the stress from his job and having a child so young that made him start, but it’s no excuse. I was scared of him. For the first time since I knew Chris, I was scared of him. 

It was a Friday night and Cameron was sick. I hadn’t been out of the house that wasn’t for groceries, taking Cameron to school, or an appointment in months. I had asked Chris if he could watch our son while I went out and had a girl's night. Mistake number one. 

“You’re his fucking Mother, you take care of him. That’s your damn job.” He growled. 

“Chris I haven’t been out in forever. The girls just want to-” 

“Oh, bullshit!” He shouted and stood up. 

“You just wanna go out and slut around some fucking club like the stupid whore you are! Am I not fucking enough for you? I mean come the fuck on Y/N, you don’t need to work because I fucking provide for you and that fucking kid, who now I’m not even sure if he’s fucking mine because you’re such a whore-” 

“Of course he’s yours! I haven’t been with another man since high school!” I shouted back. Mistake number two. He raised his fist and slammed it into my face. 

“Don’t you fucking talk back to me!” He shouted so loud I was worried he’d wake Cameron up. He didn’t need to see his Father like this. Tears slowly fell down my face as I looked up at the man I didn’t even recognize now. 

“C-Chris, please… J-Just lower your voice or you’ll wake Cameron.” 

“I don’t give a shit! You have a great fucking life with me and you’re sitting here trying to go out and cheat!” He screamed. He gripped me by the shirt and lifted me off the ground. 

“You get the fuck in the kitchen and grab me a beer then fuck back off to take care of that kid like you’re supposed to.” He growled in my face and I nodded, terrified of what else he’d do. He shoved me away and I fell back to the floor. He sat back on the couch and glared at me. 

“Fucking hurry up.” He said and I scrambled to do as he asked. I rushed into Cameron’s room and he was still out, thank God. 

A few weeks later Chris was on a business trip and it was just Cameron and myself. I was so relieved to be rid of Chris for a bit, but I knew he’d be keeping track of me and checking the cameras he had hidden in the apartment. I had only found a few, but I had no idea how many there were. It didn’t help that just before he left he beat me as a reminder that I was stuck with him. He wanted to make sure I wouldn’t show my face in public, so I had plenty of bruises to try and cover-up. I did my best, but Cameron could still see a bit on my face. I had to lie and tell him I fell in the shower last night. 

It was the last day Chris was gone and I needed to get more groceries. I made a quick list and grabbed my purse. I walked over to Cameron’s room and smiled as I saw him playing with his trucks. 

“Hey baby, you wanna come to the grocery store with Mommy? I’ll get you a treat if you’re good.” I said and he smiled brightly at me. 

“Otay Mommy!” He said and walked over to me. I picked him and and lightly tickled his stomach. He giggled and pushed my hands away. 

“Let’s get your shoes on.” I said and walked to the front door. I sat him on the little bench near the door and helped him put his shoes on. 

“Do you want me to carry you or do you wanna walk to the car?” I asked.

“Walk!” He said and I nodded. I helped him hop off the bench and opened the door for him. He walked out and I turned to lock the door. 

“Pencer!” I heard Cameron shout and his little footsteps running off. I turned my head and saw him running towards our neighbor, Spencer. Cameron ran right up to him and hugged his leg, making Spencer look down at him. 

“Hi.” Cameron said with his adorably goofy grin.

“Hey, Cameron.” Spencer said kneeling to his level. I quickly locked the door and rushed over to them. 

“Cameron! I’ve told you not to just run off without me.” I said and he just smiled at me. 

“But Pencer home.” He said and I gave Spencer a sheepish smile. Spencer stood up and Cameron walked over to my side, holding my hand. Spencer studied my face and his brows furrowed. He looked me over completely and cleared his throat. 

“Are you alright, Y/N?” He asked and I forced a smile that I really hoped looked genuine. 

“I’m fine. Cameron and I are just going grocery shopping since Chris is coming home tomorrow…” I said and he raised a brow. 

“I-I don’t want to seem rude, but what happened to your cheek?” He asked and I felt my heart skip a beat and my eyes involuntarily widened a bit. 

“Oh nothing, I just fell in the shower last night.” I said with a nervous laugh. Spencer stepped a bit closer and I flinched. I silently cursed myself for reacting when I knew Spencer would never hurt me. He was always so sweet, even if we didn’t talk a lot. He wasn’t home a lot and we simply had some small talk when we did see each other in the hallway. Cameron loved seeing him though, he always thought Spencer was cool. 

“Who did this to you?” He asked in a whisper. I bit my lip and looked down at Cameron who was still smiling up at us. He didn’t hear Spencer. 

“Spencer…” I whispered and shook my head. He looked down at Cameron and knelt down. 

“Hey Cameron, have you ever seen an abacus?” He asked and Cameron looked at him confused. He shook his head and looked up at me. 

“It’s an old calculator.” Spencer said, but he still looked confused. 

“It’s helps people count.” I said. 

“Oh! No.” Cameron said. 

“Why don’t you and your Mom come inside and I can show you?” Spencer asked and looked up at me. 

“Can we Mommy?” He asked. 

“Uh, we should really go get the groceries.” I said and Cameron frowned. He gave me those adorable little puppy eyes and I sighed. I knew Spencer was just trying to distract my son so he could get some answers out of me. 

“I-I guess a minute wouldn’t hurt…” I said and Cameron lit up. 

“Yay! Fank you Mommy!” He said and hugged my leg. Spencer opened his apartment and Cameron rushed inside. Spencer motioned me to follow him and I hesitantly walked inside. It was very neat and there were books everywhere. Spencer placed his bags near the door and locked it. Cameron was picking up a book and looking it over. I walked over to him and gently took it out of his hands. 

“We don’t pick up other people’s things without asking them, baby.” I said and he frowned. 

“Sworry Mommy…” He said. 

“It’s alright, he can look at it if he’d like.” Spencer said. Cameron smiled and I handed the book back to him. 

“There aren’t any pictures so I don’t think you’ll enjoy it very much.” Spencer chuckled. Cameron frowned and put the book back where he found it. 

“Can I see the abracadabra?” He asked and we both laughed a little. 

“Abacus, baby.” I said and he looked at me confused. I shook my head and kissed his forehead. Spener walked into another room and came out with a very nice-looking abacus. He placed it on his coffee table and motioned Cameron over. He walked over and looked in awe of the beads. 

“See you just move them up and down like this.” Spencer showed him. 

“Each bead represents one and each row is a different place value and you just-” 

“Spencer.” I cut him off and he looked up at me. 

“He’s five. He’s not going to understand.” I said with a small smile and Spencer blushed. 

“Right, sorry. Cameron, why don’t you play with this for a bit while I talk to your mom?” He asked and Cameron nodded with a huge smile. He was moving the beads and just having fun counting them. Spencer stood up and walked towards me. He motioned to the other side of the room and I glanced at my son. 

“Be gentle, baby. Don’t break it, okay?” I said and Cameron nodded. I sighed and walked over to Spencer while keeping my eyes on my son. 

“Who did this, Y/N?” He asked. I was so scared to tell him. I never wanted anyone to see me at my lowest, besides Spencer probably has his own shit to deal with. 

“Spencer…” I sighed and shook my head. I looked at him and it was clear he knew something was wrong. He saw my bruises that were way too dark still to cover. He probably saw the way I tensed up when he stepped closer to me. 

“I can help you, Y/N. I work for the FBI, if someone is hurting you I can help.” He said and my eyes widened. 

“Y-You work for the FBI?” I asked and he nodded. 

“Hold on.” He said. He walked over to his bag by the door and came back after he found something. He held out his badge and I carefully took it. 

‘BAU SPECIAL AGENT Dr. Spencer Reid’ I read and looked back up at him. 

“I-I can’t tell you… He’ll kill me, or my son, or both of us. I don’t have anywhere else to go and I don’t have enough money to leave him. He’s in control of everything…” I whispered as a tear fell down my cheek. 

“Hey slow down, I’ll help you. I promise I’ll help you, my team will help you, but I need you to tell me who’s doing this to you.” He said and I shook my head. We both knew who I was talking about but Spencer needed me to say it. I flinched as I heard my phone ring and quickly dug through my purse to find it. Once I pulled it out my throat tightened. Chris was calling me. It was probably because I told him I was going to get groceries, but was still in our apartment building… My hands started shaking and Spencer gently took my phone for me. He looked at who was calling and saw it was Chris. He looked in my eyes and probably could see just how scared I was. 

“Y/N I need you to say his name if I’m going to help you.” He said. I bit my lip and stared at him as the phone slowly went silent. There was ding after ding, signaling Chris was texting me. I gulped and took a deep breath. 

“I-It’s C-Chris… He hits me, that’s why we moved here…” I admitted quietly. 

“Does he hit Cameron?” He asked and I shook my head. He nodded and looked over at my son.

“Why don’t you go sit with Cameron? I’m gonna go call my boss and we’ll get this sorted.” He said and I nodded. Spencer walked into the other room and I took a seat on the couch as I watched Cameron play. He turned to look at me and his smile fell. 

“What’s wrong Mommy?” He asked and walked over to me. 

“Nothing baby, Mommy just got something in her eye.” I said and forced a smile. He didn’t look totally convinced, but it worked for now. He turned to play with the abacus more and showed me how well he could count. 

It wasn’t long before Spencer walked back in and sat next to me. He still had my phone, but I guess he turned it on silent. 

“Hey Cameron, how would you like to go visit the FBI office?” He asked and I looked at him with wide eyes. 

“Yeah! Please, Mommy?” He asked. Spencer gave me a small nod and a reassuring smile. 

“S-Sure baby…” I said and he jumped with joy. Cameron rushed to the door, but before I could scold him Spencer gently placed a hand on mine. I didn’t flinch. 

“Do you know if he’s tracking your car?” He asked and I shook my head. 

“I-I don’t know… m-maybe?” I said and he nodded. 

“Okay, then you need to drive your car and follow me. I’ll keep your phone so you don’t need to worry about whatever he’s saying, okay?” He said and I nodded. 

“Come on, Mommy!” Cameron called. I got up and scooped him into my arms. 

“I can walk Mommy.” He said and I smiled. 

“I know, baby, but I just want to hold you right now.” I said. We waited for Spencer to lock his door before we all headed down to the garage. I placed Cameron into his car seat and he was very excited to go see the FBI office. I wish it wasn’t because his Father is a monster, but he didn’t need to know that. I kissed his head and shut the door. I turned to find Spencer standing there watching us with a smile. 

“Just follow me.” He said and I nodded. He stepped closer to me and gently grabbed my hand. 

“I promise me and my team will keep the two of you safe.” He said and I nodded. 

We each got in our cars and I filled the ride with Cameron’s favorite songs. He was singing and smiling the whole way there. Cameron was the only thing keeping me from breaking down right now. The ride to the office building wasn’t horribly long and I parked right next to Spencer. He gave me another reassuring smile and led the way up to the BAU. When we got off the elevator he led us inside and Cameron was looking around in awe. We walked through some glass doors and into a room filled with desks and a few private offices. 

“Hey, pretty boy!” A man called and Spencer looked over at him. The man walked up to us and set his eyes on me.

“Oh and who might this be?” He asked with a smirk. 

“This is my neighbor, Y/N, and her son Cameron. Y/N, this is Derek Morgan.” Spencer introduced us. I noticed him stare at my cheek and I glanced away slightly. 

“It’s nice to meet you.” I said. 

“Reid.” A man with a deep voice said. Spencer and I both looked at him and he was dressed in a suit. His face was hard and I couldn’t read any emotions from him. He motioned to another room. Spencer nodded and looked back at me. 

“Maybe Cameron should hang out with one of my team members?” He suggested. I held him a little tighter and Spencer could tell I was scared. Spencer came closer and leaned next to my ear.

“Do you want him to hear everything we need to know?” He whispered and I gulped. Spencer pulled back and I gave him a small nod. 

“I can watch him.” A blonde girl said with a kind smile. 

“Y/N, Cameron, this is JJ.” Spencer introduced. I placed Cameron down and knelt down. 

“Can you be good for Miss. JJ?” I asked and he nodded. 

“You can just call me JJ.” She said and I nodded. 

“Okay, I’m gonna be in that room over there with Spencer if you need me okay?” I said and he nodded. 

“Otay Mommy!” He said and walked over to JJ. 

“Do you catch bad people?” He asked and she smiled. 

“Yeah, we do.” She said as she took him over to a desk. I got up and smiled. Spencer gently nudged me and I looked over at him. He motioned me to go ahead and I followed the emotionless man into the room. It had a small couch against the wall and a round table in front of a TV. Spencer closed the door after him and the man pulled the curtains closed. 

“Y/N, this is my boss.” Spencer said. 

“Aaron Hotchern.” The man said and held his hand out. I took it and gave him a sheepish smile. 

“Please, take a seat.” He motioned to the couch and I sat down. Spencer sat next to me. Aaron sat in one of the chairs in front of us. 

“Now, Reid informed me that your husband abuses you and keeps track of you?” He asked and I nodded. 

“He’s been blowing up her phone, Sir.” Spencer said and passed him my phone. Aaron scrolled through my phone and his eyes hardened. 

“He’s threatening your life and the life of your son.” He said and my heart skipped a beat. 

“Please, you can’t let him hurt Cameron.” I begged, letting a few tears slip. Spencer held my hand and gently squeezed. 

“We won’t let him hurt either of you.” He said and Aaron nodded. 

“Can you tell me how long this has been going on?” Aaron asked. 

“About a year. It started maybe a month after Cameron turned four? We moved here because I-I couldn’t hide the bruises as well anymore and Chris didn’t want to get caught…” I whispered. Aaron and Spencer shared a look before Aaron got up. 

“I’ll be right back.” He said and left the room. 

“What’s he going to do, Spencer?” I asked. 

“He’s going to talk to the rest of the team and we’re going to help you.” He said and my eyes widened. 

“Don’t worry, JJ won’t let Cameron hear anything. I promise.” He said and I nodded but bit my lip. 

“Did you know more than 50% of domestic violence incidents go unreported?” He asked and I looked at him confused. 

“W-What?” I asked. 

“It’s because they’re scared of their partner.” He said. 

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked. 

“Because you’re being strong by letting us help. You told me when you really didn’t have to. You could have just picked Cameron up and walked off to the grocery store and pretended nothing ever happened. You could have stayed scared and continued being with Chris. But here you are.” He said and I stared at him in awe. 

“I-I still am scared.” I said and he smiled. 

“I know, but that’s okay.” He said. 

“Why did you decide to help me? You could have just ignored us too.” I asked and his smile grew a bit. 

“It’s my job to help people, I was on my way to work anyway.” He said and I actually giggled. 

“Well thank you. I owe you big time.” I said and he shook his head. 

“Y/N, it’s my job. You don’t owe me anything.” He said. 

“Well, I’d still like to thank you somehow, maybe if I get some money back I can buy you dinner?” I asked and he blushed. 

“U-Uh you don’t…” He cleared his throat. 

“You don’t have to do that.” He said and I smiled. 

“But I’d like to. If you can save me and Cameron from what Chris has become, then I’d really like to thank you somehow.” I said and he slowly nodded. 

“I-I think this is the first time I’ve really seen you smile. I’ve noticed how they all looked forced, but I just assumed it was from work stress or from taking care of a small child.” He said and I blushed. 

“Cameron is the only thing that makes me smile anymore. Well that and you helping us.” I said. The door opened and a blonde girl with an interesting-looking dress, along with a black-haired woman, walked in and Aaron followed after her. He shut the door and she sat down right next to me. Aaron sat in the chair and the black-haired woman sat next to him. 

“Don’t you worry about a thing sweetie! We are going to take good care of you and that little bundle of joy out there. I’m going to hack into that tracker he has on your phone and Morgan is searching your car to see if he’s tracking that too. Then I’m going to work some of my magic and get you back in control of your accounts and you’ll be right as rain!” She said in an extremely happy tone. I stared at her with wide eyes and looked over at Spencer. He nodded with a smile and I looked back towards the girl. 

“T-Thank you… You can really do all that?” I asked and she smiled. 

“Of course I can! I’m a tech wizard!” She said and I smiled. I couldn’t stop myself from hugging her. 

“Thank you so much, uh…” I said with more tears falling. She returned the hug and rubbed my back. 

“Penelope. Right well. I’m going to go be your fairy godmother now. You’re in great hands.” She said and winked at Spencer. He blushed and she left the room. 

“Y/N.” Aaron said, and I looked over at him and the woman. 

“This is Agent Emily Prentiss.” He introduced. I wiped my eyes and smiled. 

“Hi Y/N, I’m going to need to ask you about what Chris did.” She said as she pulled out a notepad. I took a deep breath and nodded. 

“Okay, I need you to tell me everything he did in as much detail as you can. I’ll also need to take pictures of the bruises without makeup.” She said and I cringed a little. No one really knows how bad they were. 

“O-Okay.” I said. 

“We can take you to the hospital and make sure there isn’t more serious damage.” Aaron said. 

“Oh no, that’s okay.” I said. 

“We need to, Y/N, for the report.” Spencer said and I gulped. 

“Cameron can’t see, Spencer…” I said. 

“Do you have anyone you trust to watch him?” He asked and I shook my head. 

“Both my parents are dead, I don’t have any siblings, and my friends are all friends with Chris… I told you, I’m alone in this.” I said, a tear slipping down my cheek. 

“I can’t lose him, Spencer…” I said, more tears falling. 

“Hey, you won’t lose him, okay? I can see if JJ can watch him, she has kids his age.” He said and I bit my lip. 

“That’s too much I can’t ask that.” I said. 

“Y/N, we really need to take you to the hospital.” He said. His sweet, kind eyes were begging me to agree. 

“We need to make sure there isn’t more serious damage.” He added. 

“T-There is…” I whispered. 

“Y/N, I need you to tell me everything.” Emily said. I took a deep breath and looked up at her. I saw my phone light up and his name flash on the screen. I gulped and Aaron picked up the phone to look at it. 

“I know this will be hard, but I need you to talk to him. Can you do that?” He asked and my eyes widened. 

“Hotch, you can’t ask her to do that. She’s terrified.” Spencer said. The phone stopped ringing and Aaron sighed. 

“He’s going to call back, let me get Garcia and she can track it.” He said and left the room. 

“B-But he’s out of the state, he’s not coming back until tomorrow.” I said confused. 

“He could have come back early.” Emily said and I felt my throat tighten. My breathing became heavy and I felt a strong need to get Cameron and run as far as we could. 

“Hey Y/N, it’s okay, you’re safe here. Just breath.” Spencer said and gently turned my head to face him. 

“H-He’ll kill us…” I whispered in a shaky breath. 

“No, we won’t let him, just take a deep breath.” He said and took an exaggerated breath. I tried to follow him and eventually calmed down by the time Aaron and Penelope returned. She sat down and opened her laptop. 

“Alright, next time he calls I’ll be able to know exactly where he is. 

“You need to keep him talking for as long as possible,” Emily said as she moved to sit next to me. I nodded and my phone lit up again. Chris. My hands were shaking and I felt Spencer place his hand on my thigh. 

“It’s okay, he can’t hurt you here.” He said and I nodded. I took a deep breath and answered the phone, putting it on speaker. 

“Hey, honey.” I said, trying to sound as normal as possible. 

“Where the hell are you? You said you were going to the grocery store and now I can’t see where the fuck you are.” He growled. 

“I was just taking Cameron to the park first.” I said, hoping my lie sounded convincing. 

“You didn’t fucking ask permission to go to the fucking park! You probably left our son at him by himself and went to go get fucked like the stupid whore you are!” He shouted. 

“No, Chris I-” 

“Shut your fucking mouth! I’m going to fucking kill you and find a proper bitch to take care of MY son.” He said and hung up. I dropped my phone and started breaking down. Spencer wrapped an arm around me and gently rubbed me up and down. 

“Garcia, anything?” Aaron asked. 

“He’s on the highway, it looked like he’s going to her phone's last location which is-” 

“Here…” I whispered. I quickly stood up and headed for the door. 

“Y/N, where are you going?” Spencer asked, following me to the door. 

“Home.” I answered and went to open the door, but Spencer stopped me. 

“He said he’d kill you.” He said and I sighed. 

“He’s said it before and hasn’t done it. He’ll just hit me.” I said and Spencer shook his head. 

“I can’t just let you leave and go back to that. He came home early all because you didn’t go to the grocery store. You don’t know when he’ll snap.” He said and I shook my head. 

“What if today’s the day that he hits Cameron?” He asked and I turned to face him. 

“I would never let that happen.” I said and he sighed. 

“Please, Y/N, we can help you.” He said and I dropped my hand from the handle. 

“I-I have pictures… of what he did to me…” I said and they all looked at me. 

“Where are they?” Emily asked. 

“My phone, in a hidden folder.” I said. She picked it and and started looking for it. 

“Hotch.” She said and showed him the phone. He nodded and looked over at us. 

“Y/N, you and your son need to stay here. If your husband is really coming to try and kill you then this is the safest place. Is Morgan still searching her car?” He asked Penelope. 

“Yes Sir.” She answered. 

“Good, I’ll let him know Chris is on his way and we can meet him down there.” He said and Emily nodded. 

“Reid, you can stay up here with Y/N.” He said and Spencer nodded. They all left the room and it was just Spencer and myself. 

“W-What about Cameron?” I asked. 

“JJ will watch him still, Hotch won’t let him know anything.” He said and I nodded. 

“I want to see him. I need to hold my baby, Spencer.” I said. 

“You will okay? Just calm down a bit.” He said and gently pulled me in for a hug. 

“Just breath, Y/N. Then I’ll go get Cameron and you can hold him as much as you want.” He said, rubbing my back. It took me a little bit, but I managed to calm down. Spencer was a huge help and I pulled back, smiling at him. I wiped my tears and reached into my purse to check that the makeup was still in place. Thank God most of it was and I just had to fix it a little bit. 

“Let me go get Cameron.” Spencer said and walked out of the room. I closed my eyes and tried my best to keep my breathing normal. 

“You’re safe here.” Spencer’s words repeated in my head. 

“We’re safe here.” I whispered to myself. 

The door opened and I looked over to see Cameron laughing as Spencer tickled his side. I smiled and the sight made my heart skip a beat. Spencer was such a good person. Cameron looked over at me and his smile only grew. 

“Mommy!” He said and squirmed in Spencer’s hold. Spencer let him go and he ran up to me. I pulled him onto my lap and hugged him tightly. 

“Mommy, too tight…” He mumbled and I pulled back a bit. 

“Sorry baby.” I said and he looked at me confused. 

“What’s wrong, Mommy?” He asked and I shook my head. 

“Nothing baby, everything is gonna be okay.” I said and kissed his head. I looked up at Spencer and he nodded at me. Everything is gonna be okay.

[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

[criminalmindsgonewrong]

someone to watch me die.

chapter five: June 1994

It's Summertime and an old friend is getting married.

Read on AO3

warnings: domestic violence (against women and children), substance abuse, addiction, miscarriage.

[aaronsguccitie]

*taps mic* hello <3 humbly asking for Aaron with a baby prompts <33 if anyone’s got any <333

[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.

[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.

______________________________________________________________

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[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‼️🍊‼️

[ssahotchnerr]

thanksgiving morning; a very sleepy aaron dragging himself out of bed (although he has the opportunity to sleep in for once), to cuddle and doze on the couch with you and jack :(( all of you are huddled together under a big blanket that has reindeer and christmas trees and presents on it, pjs still on, just to watch the parade and enjoy the full day to his heart's content with his favorite people <3

[masterwords]

I have specifically hotchgan brainwrot about snuggling and sharing beds 😊😊😊

uuuuugh. yes.

i am currently writing about them on vacation and always fall into the trap of "what can they possibly do that is better than just having the luxury of staying in bed as much as possible?" LIKE. is there a sight to see that is better than hotch's bed head or derek's sleepy eyes? what can a location offer that is worth more than warm skin and soft snores? i romanticize the hell out of the mundane and domestic.

[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​

[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

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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.

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[ddaz3d-and-cc0nfused]

𝙳𝙰𝚈 𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙻𝚅𝙴: Christmas Movies w/ Aaron Hotchner

a/n: i couldn't help myself and made this a continuation of the ornament fic, but this can be read separately!

masterlist | ficmas masterlist | AO3

Aaron doesn't remember the last time he's ever been on a date, let alone go out with anyone that wasn't Haley.

He was conflicted, because he knew that his ex-wife would want him to be happy and find love within someone new, but Jack's babysitter? The one that's been there since she had passed away? It was a battle of morals as he asked you out. Of course, you said yes.

Now here you two were, cuddled up on his couch as Jack went through some Christmas movies you had brought over from your house. It had been a few days since Jack had made that ornament for him, and it sat prettily near that FBI vest ornament, exactly like you had promised.

You both saw him get up from the floor, a dvd case in hand as he waddled over to the both of you.

"What'd you pick bud?" Aaron sounded from your side. Jack handed him the movie, the man laughing a bit as he saw what he had given him. "The Nightmare Before Christmas? Are you sure? This one might be a little scary." You scoffed with no malice, sitting up from his side so you can talk to the little boy too. "Scary, Aaron? C'mon, he's a big boy, aren't you, Jack?" You asked him with a smile, Jack standing there proudly as he declared that he was. "Alright, if you say so." Aaron relented.

The little boy cuddled into the blanket near the end of your feet— his choice — his eyes trained on the TV as he 'ooed' and 'awwed' at the bizarre film. Personally, the movie had always freaked you out just a little bit, the claymation putting you off as you pressed yourself more into Aaron's side.

"You look more uncomfortable than he is." Aaron mumbled into your ear. You shivered as his hot breath fanned against it, but nonetheless you turned your head to look at him, a slight pout in your face as the back of your hand lightly hit his chest. "Shush. He wanted to watch it, and some sacrifices must be made." You whispered. You couldn't see it that well, but Aaron was smiling softly. "I'll let you pick the next movie." He said before pressing a kiss to the side of your head.

"You better."

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