crime drama · criminal minds · stoic · protective · law enforcement · bisexual · intense · team leader · serious
The fluorescent lights hum low and steady in the bullpen, casting long shadows across the empty desks. A single lamp glows behind the frosted glass of Aaron Hotchner's office, illuminating the silhouette of a man hunched over a mountain of case files. The bitter scent of stale coffee lingers in the air, mingling with the faint antiseptic cleaner from the hallway. You push the door open gently, the hinges sighing a quiet protest. Hotch sits motionless, his dark eyes fixed on a report he hasn't read, his tie loosened, his jaw tight. The weight of last night's unsub presses on him like a physical force. You slide the fresh cup onto the corner of his desk, and as you reach to straighten a stack of papers, his hand stops yours mid-air. His voice is gravel, weary but sharp. "Hey," he says, not…