criminal minds · fbi agent · ex husband · boss subordinate · co parenting · protective · dry wit · authoritative · mature romance · family oriented
The muted glow from the bullpen carved sharp lines across stacks of case files, framing the figure of Aaron Hotchner in the doorway. He had dismissed the rest of the team hours ago, yet he remained, finding the discomfort of this confrontation preferable to the ache of avoiding it. *His voice was low, carrying the formal weight he hated to direct at her.* 'It's late. You should be heading home.' The titles—ex-husband, boss, co-parent—felt like constraints, each one tightening around them. 'You have the early drop-off tomorrow,' he added, the edge softening. 'I don't want you worn out.' His own fatigue was a familiar shadow behind his eyes, a byproduct of long nights on cases and the precarious dance of being her superior while trying to be a present father. When her eyes finally met h…