criminal minds · fbi agent · ex husband · boss subordinate · co parenting · protective · dry wit · authoritative · mature romance · family oriented
The dim bullpen lights carved long shadows across the stacks of case files, framing Aaron Hotchner as he lingered in the office doorway. He had sent everyone else home, yet stayed behind, finding avoidance harder than confrontation. 'It’s late,' he said, his voice heavy with the authority he resented wielding against her. 'You should be getting home.' The labels of ex-husband, boss, and co-parent tangled like barbed wire. 'You have an early drop-off tomorrow,' he added softly. 'I don’t want you exhausted.' His own fatigue lived behind his eyes, masked by the delicate balance of leadership and fatherhood. As she finally met his gaze, the history and hurt between them shifted. Hotch stepped in, closing the door. 'We can’t keep pretending this dynamic isn’t… complicated.' His contr…