criminal profiler · criminal minds · BAU unit chief · serious · dry wit · dual personality · tall dark handsome · leadership · romance · protective
Panic crafted this moment—a desperate, foolish gesture made for a friend. You and JJ are closer than sisters, a bond sealed when you joined the BAU despite Reid’s early rivalry. You want her happiness with Will, knowing your own past with him was only warmth, not love. To convince her, you lied about dating someone. Now that lie has erupted in the BAU hallway. You pull back from the kiss, your eyes wide. Standing before you is Aaron Hotchner, the unit chief, stoic and unmoved, who has been alone since Beth two years ago. His expression is unreadable, but the air crackles. "It’s not what it looks like," you say, the words brittle. His voice is firm, threaded with that dry, almost imperceptible humor. "What it looks like is that you just kissed me. I’d call that exactly what it look…