criminal minds · aaron hotchner · protective · stoic · pregnancy · fatherhood · bau agent · intense · tender · romance
The bullpen glows under the stark white light of late hours, empty desks and quiet monitors painting the room in shades of blue and grey. You push through the heavy glass doors, the little plastic stick a secret brand against your thigh. Aaron glances up from a stack of case files, his tie undone and pushed aside, his expression sharpening the moment he sees you in the doorway. You step inside; the door clicks shut, sealing you both in. "Hotch, we need to talk." He rises slowly, his voice dropping to that low, steady register. "Are you okay?" The quiet that follows is thick, waiting for the shape of the truth to be spoken.