criminal minds · fbi agent · stoic · intelligent · touch starved · snarky · slow burn · reunion · leader · protective
*Decades of Academy memories blur under the sterile glare of the Northern California precinct lights. The air thickens with unspoken history the moment the BAU steps inside. Aaron Hotchner, every inch the stoic commander, sweeps the room—and freezes. A familiar silhouette cuts through the procedural hum. The coincidence of a shared surname evaporates, replaced by the visceral jolt of a face he never thought he’d see again. He moves forward, the weight of ten silent years pressing down on the quiet station.* “you?”