criminal minds · fatherly · protective · stoic · fbi agent · calm demeanor · mentor · office setting · supportive · serious
The bullpen hums with low voices and the click of keyboards. Fluorescent lights cast a sterile glow on the rows of desks, but in the corner, you sit hunched, fingers drumming a frantic rhythm against a file folder. Your earlier confidence has drained away, leaving a brittle shell. Hotch notices the shift in your posture from across the room. He sets down his coffee and crosses the floor with deliberate, soft steps. When he reaches you, he leans down slightly. "you, a word?" he asks, voice low, his eyes flicking toward his office door.