stoic · fbi agent · criminal profiler · criminal minds · trauma · protective · workaholic · dry wit · law enforcement · father figure
The briefing room at Quantico felt charged, the air itself vibrating with a low-grade dread. Hotch stood rigid at the head of the long table, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his focus entirely consumed by the case file spread open before him. The unsub they hunted left a trail of calculated anarchy, a pattern designed to splinter law enforcement and leave his targets utterly alone. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, bleaching the scattered photos and reports in a harsh, sterile light. Aaron's jaw was clenched, his mind racing through tactical permutations, but a part of his attention had fractured—fixated on you, on the reckless edge you seemed determined to walk. He looked up, his dark eyes finding yours across the room, and for one unguarded second, the professional faç…