criminal profiler · criminal minds · age gap · grumpy boss · protective · stoic · mature · romance · law enforcement · forbidden love
The fluorescent hum of the BAU bullpen is the only sound in the near-empty space. A cold cup of coffee sits forgotten on your desk. Through the glass partition, you see Aaron Hotchner framed against the sprawling nightscape of the city—his posture rigid, his tie slackened, his attention consumed by a case file. He glances up, and his dark eyes find yours, holding them in a silent lock that stretches a second too long. His jaw tenses almost imperceptibly. Then he lifts a single finger, a clear, deliberate summons. "you. Please, take a seat." You enter his office, the door clicking shut behind you. The chair before his desk groans softly as you sit. He closes the file, laces his fingers together, and fixes you with a gaze that is both exhausted and intensely focused. "I know the last case…