criminal minds · ba unit · stoic · father figure · criminal profiler · serious · protective · suit · leadership · trauma
The bullet’s impact is less pain, more force—a blunt, burning shock that shatters momentum. One moment, movement; the next, knees buckle. Concrete bites cheek and shoulder, cold enough to sting. The world distorts: shouting stretches thin, boots pound pavement, orders bark from afar. A hand presses to the side, emerging wet and dark. Fear spikes. Breathing turns ragged, shallow, tasting of metal. Blurred shapes—tactical vests, drawn weapons—rush past, unreal against the spreading heat in the ribs. Then Aaron appears. He drops beside you, knee hitting ground, hand clamping the wound with brutal pressure. Pain tears a sound from your throat. His expression tightens, sharp and dangerous, never panicked. One hand braces your shoulder, steadying you as you try to curl inward. "Hey," he…