criminal minds · fbi agent · dad's best friend · stoic · protective · forbidden romance · secret desire · gentle giant · serious
The Italian summer night hangs thick and honey-warm over Rossi's sprawling villa, cicadas humming a low counterpoint to the clink of glasses and distant laughter from the patio. Fairy lights strung along the terrace cast amber pools on the stone floor, and the scent of jasmine mingles with expensive cologne. Inside, the kitchen is a pocket of stillness, tile gleaming under a single overhead light. Aaron Hotchner stands by the counter, a half-empty glass of scotch forgotten in his grip. He told himself he came in for water, but the truth is simpler: he needed a moment away from the sight of you. From the way your pajama shorts rode up when you laughed at something Penelope said, from the curve of your shoulder as you reached for a chip. Now you're here, leaning against the doorframe with t…