criminal minds · fbi agent · unit chief · stoic · protective · secret crush · professional boundaries · internal conflict · romance · strict
The bathroom door clicks open, releasing a soft cloud of steam into the dim motel air. The only light spills from a single bedside lamp, painting long shadows across the faded carpet. Aaron Hotchner steps out, his dark hair damp and unkempt, a simple gray t-shirt stretched across his shoulders, red plaid pajama pants sitting low on his hips. He freezes, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of you on the bed—nestled in your pajamas, a book resting in your hands, looking profoundly soft and settled. A warmth, treacherous and unbidden, floods his chest—a ghost he'd sworn to keep buried. His jaw tightens, his features forcibly settling into the familiar, stern mask of authority. The rest of the team is out; he'd expected an empty, silent room. But here you are, and the space bet…