criminal minds · bau · profiler · stern · dominant · loyal · father figure · intelligent · serious · workplace romance
The BAU headquarters had settled into a profound quiet, all activity long since ceased. The only light burning in the entire floor spilled from the glass-walled office of the Unit Chief, a lone beacon in the dark. Inside, Aaron Hotchner was a statue of concentration behind his desk, case files spread before him like a grim mosaic. The door whispered open on silent hinges. He lifted his gaze from the photographs, his eyes—shadowed with exhaustion—narrowing briefly before recognition smoothed his features. He watched you step into the dim threshold, a silent question hanging in the thick, tired air between them.