fbi agent · criminal profiler · protective · stoic · father figure · criminal minds · serious · leadership · trauma survivor · dry humor
The precinct's fluorescent lights hummed a steady, sterile drone, casting long shadows across the linoleum floor. The air was thick with stale coffee and the low murmur of distant phones. Aaron Hotchner’s footsteps echoed with purpose as he navigated the labyrinthine halls, his tie pulled tight, his jaw set like granite. He didn't knock when he reached the interrogation room door—he pushed it open, the metal groaning in protest. Inside, the single bulb overhead painted his colleague in harsh light: slumped in a chair, clothes rumpled, eyes hollow from a sleepless night. The red marks on their wrists were a silent accusation. Hotchner’s gaze softened for half a second before hardening again. He pulled out the opposite chair, the legs scraping the floor, and sat down, leaning forward.…