dancingqueen0019

[dancingqueen0019]

me: I watch criminal minds for the plot

the plot:

[dancingqueen0019]

Saving Grace Ch. 11

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Author's Note: Once more, enjoy! If you see an issue, please report it to me :) I tried going for what I thought a Domestic Hotch would be like, idk if it's any good or not.

Warnings: Domestic Hotch and slightly protective Hotch. Also, slight touching, but as always, if you think something needs to be added, please let me know! I'm learning more and more what could be considered a warning so please be patient with my learning, I mean no harm.

Everything felt different from before. 

Before the kisses, the touches, the words spoken in honey like tones. 

Before last night, I thought Aaron wanted to take things slow, almost snail-like slow. That out of fear of being discovered by my boss and his friends, and the fear of dating so soon after his wife would be holding him back. He did not do that last night at all. Our deep conversation opened something up within him. It got him over some sort of bump and from there on he just did what he wanted without reservation. 

I could have slept for ages longer, but I felt something gently tracing my arm. At first it caused me to stir, and the more I focused on the sensation, the more I realized how delicate and ticklish it was. I frowned slightly from being woken up and squirmed from the touch. The hum in my ear was in a very low timbre, thickened from the lack of speaking over several hours, and a kiss was placed just above my ear. 

“Let me sleep, please.” I begged after I peeled my eyes open and saw that the clock only read 6:30am. I only have a few days to sleep in on break and I want to use the remainder to sleep in. The hand tracing down my arm stopped and instead slipped under my shirt and rested on my bare stomach. 

“I just can’t help but enjoy how beautiful you are.” Aaron lulled out and a small smile pulled at the corners of my lips. “Besides,” he shifted himself closer to me, “all I want is to be as close to you as possible.” 

The hand on my stomach drifted lower until it started to graze the meeting point of my stomach to pubic mound. His fingers toyed with the mixture of red stretch marks and the curls of hair. The sensation made me feel all warm inside, knowing now how he prefers seeing and feeling hair rather than bare skin. His lips kept busy on the side of my head, creating a path of kisses from hair to the shell of my ear, and down to my neck. 

“It doesn’t take a profiler to figure out what you are after right now Aaron.” I mused out, determined to keep my eyes shut so I didn’t have to face the day. Aaron on the other hand, was determined to have me face the day already. 

Sighs left my lips when his fingers slipped down to my closed thighs and easily pushed his way through them to reach my core. Not entering, just grazing, teasing. My body flushed when I felt Aaron push his hips against me once more, but this time I felt just how awake Aaron was. 

“If you need me to stop, just say so” He whispered into my ear right before he started sucking on my earlobe. Desire to sleep and desire to continue this, fought with each other for a moment before I gave in. My head turned as far as it could and in return Aaron kissed my cheek, my eyes opened and were met with a smile. 

“There’s those beautiful eyes” 

His arms let go of my body as I rolled over to face him, hands landing on his stomach and chest. I let out a tired sigh, “Good morning” and another kiss was placed on my face. 

“How did you sleep?” He asked, keeping his lips against my forehead. Aaron rubbed my back with his large hands, but every so often a hand would dip lower to squeeze my ass. He was so gentle and domestic in the morning, much to my liking for sure. I could only hope that he would be like this all the time when he is over here. 

I arched my back to stretch some of the sleep out of my body before telling him how wonderful my sleep was until I was woken up too early. His chest vibrated with a soft chuckle before he promised that we could take a nap later today. 

We laid there for a bit longer, basking in the warmth of our bodies until we came up with a plan for the day. Since we were up early, we might as well get some work done. First, the gym, then coffee and breakfast out. Aaron said he needed to get some work done so I managed to convince him to bring his work here. That way we could stay together as we both got some much needed work done. He hesitated at first, citing that there were a lot of confidential documents involved and that he also didn’t want me to be around such dark work. 

Assuring him that I wouldn’t pay any attention to what he was doing, he gave in. So, we quickly got up and I changed into black high waisted biker shorts, a black sports bra, and I added a light jacket with it to keep myself a little bit warmer. Aaron was waiting downstairs for me and thankfully he took Murphy out for me and fed him as well. We decided to take his car so that we could stop by his apartment on the way to breakfast. On the ride to the gym, Aaron looked a bit tensed up but I chalked it up to it being early in the morning. 

Aaron went straight to the treadmills while I started stretching out my body to prepare for a leg day workout. The gym wasn’t too full yet, but as I finished my warmup and headed to the racks to do my series of weighted squats, there were plenty of people in there. I took the last open set of racks between two different groups of guys. I’ve been coming to the gym regularly since college and ever since I moved in with Lucas I had been coming with him and his buddies. That being said, I’m not too phased anymore with being nervous around strange men when working out, I just have to trust that they are here to do their thing so that I can do mine. 

Now I was doing just fine, already halfway through my set when I felt eyes on me. I racked back up and added my last set of weights on to, hopefully make me max out, when I snuck a quick look around. There was a creep kind of just watching me, but I didn’t want to make it obvious that I caught him looking at me. A while ago I discarded my jacket so I was just left in my shorts and sports bra. Ignoring the sudden urge to cover myself back up, I felt myself stand a bit straighter as I scanned around the gym for Aaron. I couldn’t see him and I felt myself panic a bit. Trying hard to push the feeling of watchful eyes away, I prepared to go forward with my last set. One of the guys to my left saw how much weight I had on the bar and he kindly offered to spot me so I took his offer up. He stood off to the side a bit the first couple of squats but quickly became distracted by his friends. By the time I went to stand from my 5th squat, my legs had started shaking and I could feel my face start to flush. I knew I only had a couple more good squats left in me before I needed to call it quits. 

Usually I try to keep eye contact with myself in the mirror so I can focus better on my breathing, but some movement behind me caught my eye. That creep from earlier got up from his machine and started making his way to the front, near me. Maybe he’s just taking the long way to the front doors I said to myself to ease my nerves. 

I was wrong.

Panic replaced the nerves as he very obviously made his way to me. His eyes were dark and hungry looking in a vile way, and his shirt was drenched in sweat. Unlike Aaron’s well kept hair, this man had a very ragged look about him. Automatically I went down into my last squat, despite my legs feeling like they were on fire. My muscles ache and my eyes shifted in the mirror to try to locate Aaron. 

Like a knight in shining armor, more like navy running shorts and a gray shirt, he was making his way back to me. He proved his skill as a profiler and saw that not only was my body in obvious discomfort from my workout, but my face read that I was panicking. He made a beeline to me and swooped in at the last second to wrap his arms around my middle. Dipping down to squat with me and holding me close, he helped me through it. Once I was stable on my feet he went to ask if I was okay, but stopped himself when he saw that I was staring intensely at the now frazzled man not even three feet from us. 

“Go rack up honey.” Was all he said before turning back around to face the man. 

“Anything you need?” He asked the man in a nonchalant tone. The man’s jaw tensed up and shifted around as he ground his teeth together. He shook his head curtly and stared at Aaron for a moment more before walking away, bumping into Aaron’s shoulder for good measure. I stood there meekly between the bars of the weight rack, waiting for him to say something. 

He simply turned back to me and asked if my workout was okay and if I was ready to go. I swiftly picked up my jacket and slid it onto my arms as I answered him and grabbed my water bottle. Aaron kept his arm around my side and led us out of the gym, eyes constantly scanning the area and the moment the front doors opened his hand pulled me closer to him and I winced. 

“Sorry, my bruises are really sore today.” I stated, even though he still kept his hand where it was, not releasing any pressure. 

“I’ll turn the seat warmer on for your seat, that should help a little bit for the ride home until I can get a heating pad for you.” He replied, still scanning the parking lot as we got near his SUV. Aaron opened my car door for me and made sure I was buckled in, despite my protests, and quickly walked around the car to get into his side. The moment the car was on he turned my warmer on and locked the doors. No words were said as he backed out of the parking lot and pulled onto the main road. No words were said as we checked his mirrors every 10 seconds, as if he expected someone to be following us. And there were definitely no words said as he made his way downtown to his apartment building. 

I wanted to thank him for coming to my rescue back in the gym, but I also wanted to ask him why he acted like I was someone needing a bodyguard. I glanced over to his hands gripping the steering wheel with tensity radiating off of his arms and chest. Electing not to say anything until we arrived at his apartment, I gently twisted myself in my seat to a more comfortable position with my legs stretched out in front of me. 

Aaron pulled into a parking garage under the apartment complex and let out a small breath, almost could have been mistaken for a sigh. “I’ll be just a couple minutes. Would you like to wait here in the car?” He asked, sending me a blank look. The heck is his problem? 

“Uh, yeah, that’s fine with me. You go on ahead.” 

Aaron left the keys with me and I locked it once he closed his door, per his order. The moment the elevator door closed to what I would assume would be the lobby I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. 

“Something crawled up his butt” I said out loud to myself before grabbing my phone to check any missed messages. There was one from Mac, asking if I would be able to talk today about his student Tristin. I shot back that I wouldn’t be home for a little bit longer, but would call as soon as I could. Mindlessly scrolling through my phone, waiting for Aaron to get back I felt my stomach starting to grumble from lack of food. 

It was nearing ten minutes of waiting for him when the elevator doors finally opened back up, holding Aaron inside. My eyes tracked his face and body as he walked back to the SUV and I deduced that while he looked less tense, he was still on edge. He looked like he was working hard to mask  whatever thoughts were plaguing his mind. 

I unlocked the doors as he approached and he gently placed an expensive looking set of leather bags on the back seat. One looked to be an office bag and the other was more of a carry on style. While he was inside I changed how I was sitting to be more comfortable, so now I was sitting with my left leg under my right leg. In a half criss-cross sitting position. Aaron slid into the driver’s seat, and immediately put his seatbelt on. 

Before he turned the car on he looked over to me, studying me for a moment, “You okay?” He asked carefully. His hand moved slowly to turn the car on. 

“I’m totally fine, I was going to ask you the same thing though. You look like you are going to punch someone.” I replied in a cautious way. Aaron froze for a moment but then slid his right hand over the center console and onto my left thigh. The warmth of his touch made my thighs burn in addition to the soreness from my workout. 

His thumb rubbed up and down over the dark polyester material. “I-I um, didn’t like how that man was looking at you. Maybe you didn’t notice him, but I was watching him for a while while he watched you. Did you really not notice him for that long?” His tone shifted into an almost accusing voice. 

“Honestly I didn’t notice him at first. Only when I went to the rack to do my squats. How long did you notice him?” 

“For much longer than that.” He replied

“And you didn’t cut in before that?” I shot back. 

Silence. 

His hand moved away from my thigh and back onto his lap like he was wounded. 

“You’re right, I didn’t cut in and I should have. To be honest I was hoping that it was my mind just making me paranoid that someone was looking at you, but I hated that it was right.” He spoke with his eyes downcast, looking like a child prepared to be scolded. 

I’m frustrated that he didn’t come to me sooner, frustrated that he probably now thinks I can’t even go to the gym without putting myself in some sort of harm's way. My mind drifted back to my apartment when he had to search the whole place after the loud bang outside. That impulse of needing to make sure everything is safe probably weighed heavy on him. How draining that must be.

Twisting my body to face him, I reached my right hand across and turned his face so he was looking at me. “I was safe, and I’m okay. I’m sorry that this paranoia has been getting to you lately and if there’s something I can do or say, please tell me or teach me. Normally I’m at that specific gym with my brother or with one of his buddies, so I always have someone either right there with me or within eyesight. Maybe I just took that for granted a bit, but something that you need to trust is that I know how to take care of myself. Do you really think my brother would leave me here all by myself without teaching me how to disable a man?” I joked with a light smile on my face. 

He responded with a half-smile, “Can only imagine how tough you are.” 

“You’ve got no idea, big boy. Now, I am starving, and you don’t want to see me get hangry.” I retorted with a gentle pat on his cheek. His head shifted in my palm to kiss it. 

With our bellies full of too much food, we pulled in my apartment driveway with little motivation to actually do work. Sitting there in silence a big blow of air pushed its way past my lips, “We have work we have to do.” I said in a matter-of-fact tone. 

“Unfortunately that’s true.” Replied Aaron, just staring at the front door. 

“Shower first?” I turned to him in hopes of procrastinating all the emails and grades I needed to put in. HIs lips lifted in a small smile, “Shower first.” 

It was as if we were teenagers in the following moments. In one swift moment we both looked at each other with a newfound playful glint, then practically jumped out of the car. I had a time advantage because I had to only open the door while Aaron had to grab his two bags. The rush of excitement flowed through my fingers as I fumbled with the key, but hearing the second car door slam shut pushed me to unlock the door. 

Once inside the door I spun around to see Aaron maybe 20 feet from me. A quick thought flashed through my head and a mischievous grin spread across my face, something Aaron picked up quickly with a cocked eyebrow. Grasping the front door in my hands I laughed loudly as I went to shut it in his face as he bounded his way to me. 

I took a few steps back to kick my shoes off and shrieked when the door went flying open and two strong arms wrapped around my waist. Soon I was airborne and spinning in circles, the air was filled with Aaron’s laughter and my failing attempts of telling him to put me down.

“Sweet girl, do you really think a closed door is going to stop me? I’ve had my fair share of kicking them in at work.” He said with his mouth close to my ear. 

Aaron’s arms were wrapped around my waist and I laid mine on top of his. My head twisted to the side to look at him, but at this angle my eyes were staring directly at his lips. His breath fanned over me and it smelled of dark coffee, and for some reason it was so comforting. 

My tongue slipped out and swiped over my lower lip, “Can’t deny that the thought of you breaking a door down is incredibly hot.” Aaron let out a huff and pulled back slightly to get a better look at me. 

“Really?” He asked and I nodded my head to confirm, “Hmm, I’ll keep that in mind. Now, about that shower…” His lips trailed down the side of my neck until he reached my exposed shoulder. A giggle left my lips as I squirmed out of his embrace. I stood a few feet away from him with my hand outstretched to him. “Come on big boy” I said with a wink.  When I turned around to climb up the stairs, Aaron’s hand made swift contact with my bottom and a sharp yelp left my lips. I threw him a look over my shoulder that playfully said Excuse me? Aaron cocked a smile and chased me up the stairs and into my bedroom.

#aaron hotchner #aaron hotch x reader #criminal minds #domestic bliss #budding romance #thomas gibson #fbi

[dancingqueen0019]

Saving Grace Ch. 10

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Author’s Note: Hello again everyone! I’ve got a few chapters typed up this time so prepare for plenty of content to come out. Some chapters are longer, other’s shorter...but they all have our favorite man :)

Warnings: There is a decent amount of death talk, however I bunched it into one spot. That is designated between a series of lines. If car crashes and death are not your thing, scroll past the series of solid lines (you don’t miss anything of great importance). 

On Tuesday morning I gingerly slid myself into my packed car and waved goodbye to my family as I pulled out from the long driveway. Lewis and I had mostly broken in Dipshit and the cows were ready to go for the Fall. 

Grandma sent me home with a cooler full of frozen meats, breads, and cookies so I wouldn’t miss her cooking for too long. I promised I would be out soon to help around the house and gave her a kiss on the cheek. 

Murphy enjoyed his time by chasing the goats all weekend and even learned what a cow looked like and what a cow hoof to the head felt like. His fault for trying to go near her calf though. He quickly ducked back under the fence and ran straight for me to cuddle him and tell him that he would be okay. 

At this point, I had enough time to get home, unload the cooler, put Murphy away, and change clothes for my lunch date. I was looking forward to meeting up with Lindsey, but even more so for getting all the chunky baby cuddles in with her little one Mavery. Until I have kids of my own, I relish any opportunity to hold, play with, or even babysit my friend’s kids. I’ve become the “Aunt” of my coworkers and a couple of them have already booked me to watch their kids for a much needed date night with their spouses/partners. 

Murphy settled in on the passenger seat and let out a high pitched yawn. I rubbed his ears and went to turn up the radio. My phone buzzed in the cup holder and when I got to a stopsign I picked it up to notice a message from Aaron. 

Aaron: Good morning. Are you on the road yet?

Me: Yes, already left. I can’t wait to see you tonight :) 

Aaron: Drive safe darling

My breath caught in my throat for a second and an ooey gooey feeling spread across my chest, he called me darling. He’s never done that before and that makes me pretty darn happy. 

The drive home felt much quicker than normal and I managed to get everything inside with time to spare. It was a bit warm today so I changed into jean shorts, grey short sleeved shirt, and a rust colored cardigan. When I told Aaron what cafe we were meeting up at, he mentioned how that was one that he and his team would frequent for lunch. They would also apparently send someone out before their flights take off to grab a series of snacks and sandwiches for the plane ride so they could have the comfort of home despite where their flight took them. I thought that was pretty sweet that they tried so hard to keep a sense of normal in their abnormal lives. 

Lindsey was there already with a table held by the time I pulled into the parking lot. Mavery was sleeping in her car seat and her toddler Myatt was coloring on the paper menu. “Hii! Sorry, I know I’m a bit late.” I said as I gave her a quick side hug and then sat down next to her. The cafe was newly redecorated in light wooden tones with bright shiplap walls and lots of pastel flowers and thick greenery. The original owners sold it and the much younger new owners wanted to revamp the space in hopes of drawing in more customers.

“Oh please, you are right on time. These squirrels were becoming impatient so we left early. I ordered you a drink, it should be here any minute.” She said with a wave of her hand before helping Myatt pick up the spilled crayons from the floor. I looked over the menu and settled on a pesto chicken parm sandwich with fries of course. After our drinks arrived and we placed our orders, Lindsey and I got to talking while I helped Myatt color in his photo. We went on to gossip about our students and the other teachers for a bit. Myatt’s food came out first, so his mom started cutting up his food for him and Mavery woke up crying for her food. I unbuckled her from her carseat and placed her on my lap facing sideways. 

Lindsey handed me her small jar of pureed apples with a ‘thank you’ and a small spoon. I opened the jar and dipped the spoon into the liquid so she could get a taste of it. She only started eating baby food recently so I didn’t want to overwhelm her. Her mouth smacked together happily and the little noises made me smile big. She is quite a character when it comes to food, and her animated features just make her seem like a living cartoon character. When mine and Lindsey’s food came out, she offered to take Mavery so I could eat but I waved her off and said that she didn’t need to do that. I wanted her to have a break and be able to eat her food while it was still hot. 

As Mavery smacked her hands together in a clumsy clap while she gummed on the apples I looked up and saw a big black SUV pull into the parking lot. For a moment I smiled to myself and thought about Aaron being the one driving that car. 

To my surprise, he was the exact person who left the driver’s seat in jeans and a college shirt, and opened the back seat door to let Jack jump out of the car. The shocked gasp that left my lips caught Lindsey’s reaction and with a piece of lettuce hanging out of her mouth she asked “What?” and followed my gaze to the parking lot. “Him? Do you know him?” She asked as she wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. 

“Uh yeah, sorry. That’s just one of my students and their Dad. I have always thought about how weird it would be to see my students in public and this is the first time it’s happened.” I said with a light laugh and turned my attention back to Mavery. I was sitting so that the main entrance was in front of me, so if Aaron came in looking for a table, then he would be able to see me clearly. The first set of doors opened up and Jack quickly raced to open the second set of doors for his Dad. I picked the spoon up from the apple jar and continued to feed Mavery a couple more small bites and dabbed the corner of her mouth with the napkin. I felt eyes on me so I glanced up slightly to see Aaron staring at me with a small smile on his face, his dimples slightly showing. I returned the smile and he continued to stare at me with joy, but also a hint of something else I couldn’t make out because his attention was shifted away due to Jack pulling on his arm.

They walked to the other side of the Cafe and waited for their waitress to come by. “Is he a good student of yours or is he a little you-know-what.” Lindsey asked as she ate the last of her sandwich. I smiled and shook my head, “If I had to be a bit biased, I would say that he’s the best student I’ve had all year. Couldn’t say enough good things about that kid.” 

Lindsey pushed her plate to the side and said that she would take Mavery so I could eat my food. I lifted her up high and she started giggling really loud. Bringing her back down to my face, she placed her hands on my face and babbled a bit before I lifted her back up in the air again and made loud kissy noises so she would laugh more. She jammed a hand into her mouth and laughed around it, I scrunched up my nose and spoke in a baby voice, “Whatcha got in your mouth Mavery? You got your hand? Ohhhhh, that looks like a yummy hand. Come here pretty girl!” I brought her down one last time and gave her a kiss on her forehead. 

Mavery kept babbling as I handed her over and Lindsey kept talking to her. Myatt and I got deep into conversation about race cars and Lightning McQueen while I ate my sandwich and fries. Every so often I would look behind him to catch a glimpse of Aaron and Jack now chowing down on their food before returning to my table. We sat for a bit longer after I finished eating to just enjoy the company, but I knew that the kids would dictate soon enough that it was time for this party to be over. The waitress came over with our bills and Lindsey handed Mavery back over to me so she could take Myatt to the bathroom one last time. Once she left, I noticed Jack and Aaron were making their way over to me. 

Jack got excited once he saw me lock eyes with him and he quickly dodged between tables to reach me. A huge smile was planted on his face and I couldn’t help but smile back at him. 

“Hi Ms. Y/N!” He said as he gave me a side hug. I slipped my arm around his back and gave him a hug back. 

“Hi Jack! Did you enjoy your lunch?” I asked and he nodded enthusiastically. He went into great detail on what he got for lunch and how this is one of the best Cafes he’s been to. Aaron finally made it to the table at this point and greeted me. He rested his hands on the back of the chair Myatt had been sitting in previously. 

“Ms. Y/N I didn’t know you had a baby.” Jack said and that caught me off guard completely. I coughed a couple times from choking on some spit and I shook my head, “Oh uh, no Jack. Ms. Y/N did not have a baby. Maybe one day she will have one though.” Aaron said adamantly and gave me a pointed look.

His lips formed a smirk and I mimicked it before turning to Jack, “This is another teacher’s baby. Would you like to say hi to Mavery though?”  He said ‘hi’ and waved to her and I grabbed her little balled up fist and waved it to say hi. “Are you excited to be going to camp this week? You’ve been talking about it in class a lot.” 

He blushed at that a bit, “Yes I am! Dad and I wanted to get lunch before he dropped me off. It’s going to be sooo much fun.” His smile matched his father’s to a t. He leaned more into me when talking so I wrapped my arm closer around him as he whispered to me, “Can I share about camp during Circle Time next week? I really want to tell everyone how it went.” He fidgeted with his fingers while he waited for my response. 

I hummed a bit before saying, “I have an even better idea. Why don’t we have everyone make a poster explaining what they did on Fall break. I think the majority of our class had something planned.” His mouth dropped open a bit and he bounced up and down in excitement. 

“That means we get to do a really big show and tell and then, and then I can hear what Zach did. I forgot to get his mom’s number so we could hang out over break so now I have to wait for class to start again.” Jack rambled on excitingly and I couldn’t help but nod along and hang onto every word he said. Lindsey and Myatt came back to our little group and Lindsey introduced herself to Aaron. Jack briefly talked to Myatt about the coloring page that Myatt had colored in while waiting for food earlier, and Mavery kept herself occupied by chewing on my clean fingers. 

“Uh Jack buddy, we have to get going in just a minute so we aren’t late. Say your goodbyes.” Aaron said carefully to Jack and he took that as his que to wrap up his conversation with Myatt. 

I looked up to Aaron and his eyes darted between me and Mavery before he smiled warmly and softly said, “It was good seeing you again Ms. Y/N. Have a good afternoon.” Jack gave me one last hug before departing with his dad. Lindsey took Mavery from me and buckled her into her carseat before leaning across the table to me. 

“He’s not that bad looking. A bit older, but still a solid man.” I rolled my eyes at her jokingly, “And,” she continued, “did you see that he didn’t have a ring on?!” This time I hit her forearm lightly and urged her to quit it. We said our final goodbyes in the parking lot and I made my lonely drive back home. After I fed Murphy an early dinner I got to work on laundry and sorting through bills so that I wouldn’t have to worry about that while Aaron was here. 

My phone buzzed in my back pocket and unsurprisingly it was Aaron asking for my dinner order from whatever sounded good. I shot back my Chinese takeout and headed up to my room to make sure that it and the bathroom were cleaned and organized. I lit the giant sandalwood candle on my bedside table and moved a couple things around so the flame had nothing to catch fire on. Aaron should be at my place in the next twenty minutes, so I just took my time watching a TV show waiting for the doorbell to ring. 

When the doorbell finally did ring I raced Murphy to the door and swung it open wide to see a beaming Aaron holding his overnight bag in one hand and food in the other, “You know,” I started as I opened the door, “it seems like everytime you come over you have food with you. I think that is one thing I can always count on now.” He chuckled as he removed his shoes and I took the Chinese bag from him. 

“Well, I’m glad that I can be useful for one thing at least.” He joked as he pulled me in by the waist and gave me a kiss on the cheek. There was a playful glint in his eyes, something I haven’t seen before. He almost looked ten years younger with that look and I wanted to keep that look on his face for as long as possible. He seemed relaxed and calm. 

“Ohh, I can probably figure out at least two more ways for you to be useful.” I patted his chest with my hand twice as I walked to the kitchen island. Aaron took the food out while I grabbed two glasses and filled them with ice water. I sat down sideways on the barstool so I could face Aaron face on and he turned a bit so his left knee knocked into mine. We started eating pretty quickly and fell into easy conversation of how our breaks have been. His was pretty quiet and mundane, which for Aaron is something he wants, but he felt out of place with not having much to do. 

I suggested that he find a hobby he can stop and start whenever  or TV show he can binge watch when he has enough downtime to help combat that restlessness. That of course led into a whole discussion of what shows and movies are more superior and even if he did have enough time for a hobby, what would he even be interested in doing. “Well, what about collecting things? You go to so many states, maybe you could bring back something like a postcard from them?” I suggested. 

He immediately shook his head, “Nuh uh. That would be way too similar in my head to serial killers keeping trophies. Wouldn’t want to mimic that too much incase I bring back more than just a postcard.” He said quickly as his eyes avoided mine. I knew what he meant. He didn’t want to look at the postcards and be reminded of the people he either saved or didn’t. 

I sucked in a quick breath, “Okay, no postcards then. Got it. Uhh, let's run down the list of usual collectors things. You’ve got stamps, rocks, art pieces, figurines, coins..”

“Coins!” His eyes shot up to mine again and a light look took over his face. 

“Coins?” I reciprocated with raised eyebrows. That didn’t take long to find a possibility. 

He sat his fork down momentarily, “Yes, coins. When I was younger I was getting into collecting them and I became obsessive over finding a rare 1944 coin that was worth thousands of dollars. Never found it and started growing out of it I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders and gave me a small smile. 

“Huh.” 

“What?” He asked sheepishly and fidgeted in his seat a bit.

“Nothing, I just wouldn’t have thought you to be a coin guy. If I had to pick a collectors item for you I would have said something like model planes or cars.” I shrugged and turned back down to stab my fork into the chinese food once more. 

“What about you? Did you collect anything as a kid?” Aaron asked as his knee knocked into  mine a bit. He took a long drink of water and grabbed another crab rangoon. 

“Yes, actually I did. It’s a bit nerdy, but it makes sense for me. You know, grandparents owning a ranch, being around horses all my life, riding at rodeos…” I led on and he caught what I was saying. 

“Horse models?” 

“Ohh yeah. I would convince my Dad to buy them and my Grandpa to build the shelves for my room. For a time I wanted to get rid of them, until I learned how valuable the collection was. Truly I think that my mother just wants to keep them for any grandkids she may have.” I said with a small smile on my face. It was a happy memory to have of my Dad, him adamantly saying that he wouldn’t buy me any more, but anytime we went into the tractor supply store I would refuse to leave until I had a new horse. Eventually he tried to go to the store without me, but when I would stand pouting with my arms crossed in front of his truck, he had to give in. 

We finished dinner and moved to the couch upstairs. I put on some background TV but we mainly just sat there talking. Wrapped up in each other’s arms. He extended his legs to stretch out onto the ottoman, and I laid perpendicular to him so that our bodies made an L shape. My head and hair was splayed out onto his lap and every so often he would run his palm over my hair. I tried keeping a neutral look on my face, but my inner thoughts were eating at me. 

I really want to know about his wife. I know it's personal and he probably doesn’t want to talk about it, but I’m nosey. As much as Aaron tries to maintain a calm exterior, there have been moments where he has slipped up. Just tonight even he broke a little. We were starting to walk up the stairs, with me in front, and there was a loud bang from outside. I wasn’t too phased by it, figuring my neighbors dropped something, or something broke, but Aaron’s spooked look in his eyes told me he was phased by it. He whipped his body around to look behind him on the stairs. He startled me by barking out a “Stay here” before slinking back down the steps and out to the main floor. 

I heard doors opening, shutting, and locks locking. I swore I heard the dull clicking of the window locks before a deep sigh sounded out. Aaron gave a tight smile and said that it was nothing and urged me to go upstairs. 

“Something is weighing on your mind.”  Aaron observed, and I blinked a couple of times to clear my head. 

Releasing my lip from my teeth I meekly looked up, “Sorry, just kept thinking about something.” 

“What is it?” He asked as his fingers gently traced my cheek. I closed my eyes briefly and gathered my two seconds of courage. 

“I was just thinking about earlier, when you went to check the house. Is that something you normally do because of your job or is there another reason?” I whispered out and for a moment I thought he didn’t hear me. That is until his hand paused heavily on my hairline. 

“It..it has to deal a lot with work. There was a time when my work carried over to my home life and it still affects me.” He spoke out with a faraway glance in his eyes. 

I pushed my luck even further and asked the big question, “Was it related to your wife?” 

His eyes closed and he took a long breath in, “Yes.” 

A thick sour taste was in my mouth now and I became a bit afraid to ask for more context, but I headed into this wanting to know so there was no going back now. I reached behind me and grabbed his hand, “May I ask what happened?” 

His hand clenched under mine and his head turned to the side, the tension in the air becoming thick, “I can share my story first if it helps any.” I offered up and he nodded, still not looking at me. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I swallowed the lump in my throat before speaking, “Technically speaking, the whole thing was ruled as an accident, however it was natural once you break it down.” 

“We were heading out to my Grandparents for the weekend and Mom went a couple hours ahead with Lucas while Dad and I stayed behind to finish a couple errands. There’s many things I don’t remember so some of this story is my personal recollection and the rest is what I’ve been told over the years. I remember sitting behind my dad with my stuffed dog. We were actually almost to the house according to my Mom when all of a sudden the car started spinning and then I blacked out from the impact. 

“My father had a spontaneous brain aneurysm burst and it killed him immediately, which is where natural death comes in. When he passed, the car spun and it threw us off of the road. When I finally woke up, I was hanging out of the window facing the ground. The car was pinned against a tree and I couldn’t move. By the time the ambulance got to us, I wasn’t really alert. 

“What I was told was that I was in an upside down V position with my lower chest hanging over the bent metal of the door frame. According to the doctors, I would have bled out if it hadn’t been for my stuffed dog wedged between me and the bent metal. It didn’t stop it from cutting into me completely, but it stopped it enough so I could hang on for a few hours. I spent 18 months in the hospital recovering from surgeries to my chest and abdomen, reconstructing my ankle, and repairing my femur. They had to keep me in a coma for a couple months and the doctors weren’t sure I was going to pull out of it. 

“Once I did get out of the hospital I went right into physical therapy and my Grandfather managed to befriend a couple of college students who were doing equine therapy. I wanted to be back on a horse so bad so once the doctor cleared me, I started my therapy on horses. That lasted at least a couple of years. I had my mobility back, but my Mom still wanted me enrolled just in case I needed a bit longer. It took a huge toll on my family though. My Mom lost her husband and bestfriend, Lucas and I lost our Dad, and my Grandparents lost their bonus son. We really weren’t a family for awhile, my Mom was hyper focused on me for a long time so my Grandparents were raising Lucas. Even though Mom was by my side for everything, I could sense that she wasn’t really with me though mentally once the day was coming to an end. She didn’t sleep much and I could hear her cry throughout the night. It changed all of us, sometimes it was a good change, but for a long time it was just a bad change.” Finishing up the more abbreviated version of my story I looked back up to Aaron to find him finally looking back at me. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

His lips were turned down into a frown and his dark eyes looked even darker somehow, “I’m sorry.” He whispered out and I looked at him puzzled.

“For what?” I asked and he smoothed my hair out once more. 

“That all of that happened to you. It's one thing to lose a parent that young, but it's another to be heavily involved in it like you were. Do you still deal with any physical trauma from it? I know it was a long time ago, but are you okay?” He asked worriedly and a warm feeling spread across my chest. 

“Just a couple of scars. Some of them healed over time, others I got surgically lightened, but I left the rest as a reminder to what happened. It is a part of me that I can move on from, but can’t remove from my life. As sad as it was, I don’t want to forget what happened.” I shifted myself up so I can now sit on my feet next to Aaron and he slipped an arm around me to pull me in close. 

I laid my head on his shoulder softly and played with the hem of my shirt. 

“My job killed my wife.” Aaron said after a minute of silence and I froze up at the statement he just made. He continued talking, “There was a mad man, a monster, that wanted revenge and he chose my family. Even after placing them in witness protection he still found them and he shot her. I found him and I..” He paused and I lifted my head up to look at him. Aaron was staring ahead with another faraway look in his eyes so I placed my hand on his cheek. He startled a bit at my touch and I peered into his eyes, understanding what he was trying to get at. 

“You did what you had to do.” I said in a firm voice. 

He pulled me over to sit on his lap and he buried his head into my shoulder. It took a moment before I wrapped my arms around him and ran one set of fingers through his hair. A sudden sob halted me though and my heart clenched at the sound. “Let it all out honey.” I cooed softly in his ear and his grip became tighter on me. I had to hold back from wincing and pulling out from his embrace.

We sat there for a couple of minutes as he cried into my shoulder, his tears soaking my shirt. “I miss her so much. She was the first woman I ever loved and she was the mother of my child.” 

I pressed my lips into his hair, “I’m so sorry Aaron. I’m so sorry that you were put through that. I’m sorry that she was taken from you and Jack.” He nodded against my shoulder and he stayed quiet. 

I went to shift myself backwards but Aaron pulled me back to my original spot, “Please stay” He whispered. He went on to speak softly about how he hasn’t been able to really mourn since he has to be strong for Jack and continue with his job. He turned his head so that his ear was smooshed up against my breast, I’m confident he could hear my heart beating loudly in his ear though. 

“Thank you for sharing about her though. I hope I didn’t push you to say something too soon.” I said and he lifted his head back up to me.

“No, you didn’t. Thank you for getting me to share. I needed to get it off my chest.” He reached up and kissed my cheek. He pulled back and asked with brows furrowed, “Do you know how great you are?” I smiled and scrunched up my nose at him. My head shook slightly side to side and his lips turned upwards, “Well then,” He quietly started, “let me show you.” 

His hands grabbed my cheek and the back of my neck to pull my face to his and his lips bruised themselves against mine in a firm kiss. A numb feeling was spreading itself over my brain, making it go hazy until he released the hand on my cheek and pressed it against my back. Before I could hold it in I let out a yelp in pain and before I could process what happened, Aaron had yanked backwards and let go of my back.

“What’s wrong?” He yelled out in shock, his eyebrows immediately furrowing together. My hands reached around my backside to apply the smallest amount of pressure to stabilize myself. Aaron’s focused eyes followed my movements and grabbed the bottom of my shirt. 

I pushed myself up and off of Aaron before he could lift my shirt up, taking a couple steps back to create some space. “It’s not your fault, I promise I’m okay.” I tried soothing him but it didn't appear to do anything. His mouth was silent but his body wasn’t. Any person would be able to tell that he didn’t believe a word I said as he sat there rigid and on edge. 

“Let me see.” He said in a low tone.

“No, it’s okay Aaron. It’s nothing really, it was just an accident.” I said in hopes that he would just drop the conversation. It wasn’t that I was ashamed of what happened, just more so embarrassed. 

He rolled his eyes and stood up, taking a giant step forward so that he was towering over me. “I said,” He grabbed the bottom of my shirt again, “let me see.” 

My shirt was pulled up several inches until it bunched up under my bra. The breath that left Aaron’s lips told me that he saw the deep purple bruises that blossomed over my back. At first I didn’t want to look up into his eyes, afraid of him seeing the embarrassed blush that creeped over my cheeks. 

“Who did this?” He rasped out in a gruff tone. When I didn’t answer him right away two fingers hooked under my chin to force my gaze upon him. His eyes were dark and hard, a long way from the playful glint at dinner. I suddenly wished to myself that we were back at dinner again, almost scared of his reaction to my bruises. 

I brought myself back to the moment and a quiet, “It was no one..” started to slip past my lips but I couldn’t finish as Aaron cut me off. 

“I promise you, Y/N, I will deal with whoever did this to you. Just, please tell me their name, darling.” His voice kept its gruff tone until it became pleading at the end. My lips pursed together and I shook my head slightly.

“It was no one Aaron, it was an animal. A horse. I..I was thrown off yesterday.” I explained quickly and he still didn’t look convinced so I reached into my back pocket, “Here! I’ll prove it to you. There was a video taken.” 

I held the phone out for Aaron to watch. My mom was filming on my phone so that we could keep a record of how far Dipshit has come since the beginning. Lewis and Grandpa were standing next to her commenting on my form and how it looks from their perspective. In the video Dip and I were trotting around in large circles and I got a bit cocky and urged him into a faster gait. 

Dip didn’t like that and threw his head downwards so that he could start bucking his back legs into the air. I held my own for the first several bucks and tried my hardest to pull his head back up so that he couldn’t continue bucking. That ended up not working and soon I found myself debating if I should get off or not or if I should ride my way through this. 

Lewis and Grandpa were giving conflicting shouts of what to do. Mom’s voice could be heard somewhere on the video between the both of them, telling me to ‘just hang on’ and that ‘you’ve got this’. That didn’t last long as Dip reared up and when he came back down, I was flung over the front of him, landing on my stomach. The air was knocked out of my lungs from the impact and whatever air had started seeping back in was pushed back out as Dip trampled over me. 

Mom’s horrified gasp was accompanied by a lot of ‘Oh shit, fuck’ s from Lewis and Grandpa. Lewis had ducked between the fence and started sprinting to me as did Mom while Grandpa went after Dipshit. Lewis had turned me over onto my back so that my airway wasn’t blocked. He started running his hands over my shirt to check for any blood or broken or swollen joints. The raspy inhale of air sounded over the camera that Mom was still holding. I don’t think she knew she was still recording at this point. 

“Oh honey! Honey, you’re going to be okay. Lewis help her.” She shrieked out and Lewis knelt down next to me, taking my face in his hands. 

“Y/N, breathe. I need you to calm down and get air back in you.” Lewis said as he lightly tapped my cheek. My eyes were wild in the video and my arms were flailing around, knocking into Lewis’ legs. After a couple more breaths I managed to get my breathing under control and I coughed to get the tight feeling out of my throat. 

Mom must have noticed that the camera was still recording so she fumbled around for a couple seconds before figuring out how to stop the video feed. 

Aaron took a ragged breath in and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and looking back down at me. “Are you okay? Did you get checked out?” He said in a hard but quiet voice. 

I placed a small smile on my face to tell him that I was okay, “Yes, I’m okay. Incredibly sore, but I’m okay. Mom took me to the hospital, nothing was broken, just really bruised.” He leaned his forehead down onto mine and took another deep breath in. I closed my eyes and relished the moment with him. His hands dropped from my back, the shirt following too and replaced themselves on both sides of my cheeks. 

“I’m sorry,” He whispered and kissed my forehead, “I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I’m glad you are safe now. It’s been a full night for both of us now.” I wrapped my arms around his side and pulled him closer to me.

“Want to go shower? Maybe cool down a bit?” I suggested and he hummed in response. We pulled away and made our way into the bedroom. 

I turned the water on hot in the shower so that the bathroom could start steaming up. Aaron sat on the bed, looking into the bathroom as I moved around and grabbed a second set of towels for him. I grabbed my makeup remover and wiped off as much as I could before I released my hair from its hold and scratched my scalp to ease the roots of my hair. 

I could feel Aaron’s eyes on me as I started to discard my clothes, one-by-one and put them into the laundry hamper. First was my shirt, putting my bruises on display, along with the rest of my scars from my accident. Next was pulling my pants down, leaving me in just my bra and underwear. I slowly slid my pants down my legs and stepped out of them, tossing them into the hamper. I glanced over to Aaron and he was intently watching me, with firm dark eyes. I inwardly smirked to myself and slipped my arms out from the bra straps. 

My heartbeat was rapid in my chest, mentally preparing myself to remove one of my last pieces of dignity. I peeled the cups of my bra down and gently laid it on top of the rest of the clothes. I turned towards the shower, my backside fully showing to Aaron, and opened the shower door to turn the water on to hot. As I stood there waiting I took a deep breath and reached my arms above my head to stretch. My hair fell backwards as I arched my back and pushed my chest up to the ceiling. Bringing my arms back down I let out my deep breath and tested the water temperature with my hand, making sure it was warm enough for me to step into. 

Stepping in, I was enveloped in the hot water. At least it matched how I was feeling on the inside. My eyes peered through the open shower door to see Aaron sitting on the bed still. He was hunched over with his elbows on his knees, his hands somewhat clenched together. It looked like he was struggling to stay composed, and the small chewing on his bottom lip only confirmed that for me. We bore into each other’s eyes for a beat before I soothed out, “Come join me.”

#aaron hotch x reader #Criminal Minds #teacher #thomas gibson #love #jack hotchner #fbi

[dancingqueen0019]

4th of July: Aaron Hotchner x Reader

Author’s Note: I’ve debated posting a Blurb for Aaron Hotchner for this Holiday for a few reasons. Some people enjoy celebrating this Holiday, while others don’t. Whatever your reasoning is, I respect it and I ask that my fellow readers respect that as well. This Blurb will hold neutral stances on topics and will strictly focus on the firework aspect of the 4th.  I’ll also add something to my Masterlist as well. 

With being friends with lots of active Military members, you quickly learn a couple of lessons. 

Everything can become a party

Have a fire extinguisher (or two) on the ready

I had invited Aaron out to a friend’s lakehouse to have a BBQ and light off some fireworks on the boat dock. He gladly accepted since Jack would be with his Aunt this year and he needed to get out of his apartment for a bit. The both of us headed out in his car already dressed up in 4th of July regalia. I had on blue jean shorts and a flag printed tank top while he had on black shorts and a red polo. 

The drive out there was quicker than I imagined, and it probably was since I was holding cold food that needed to be put back in a fridge ASAP. Aaron’s hand rested on my thigh during the whole trip and would occasionally give a squeeze here and there. 

By the time we had arrived, everyone was ready for dinner. Aaron helped me get the food to the buffet before leaving to grab a beer and start chatting with his new friends he’s made over the past few months. Anytime I hung out with my brother and his friends, I always tried to make sure that Aaron was there for part of it. All of them mean a lot to me, so I want to make sure that everyone gets along. I hugged and waved to other people as the chorus of ‘hellos’ and ‘you finally made it’ echoed around the yard. 

Dinner went quickly and we eagerly drank and played yard games under the scorching sun. Once the sky was starting to set, some of the kids there started lighting up sparklers before being ushered by their parents to back away from the mountain of fireworks sitting on the dock. At this point, I was feeling pretty buzzed and Aaron had his fill of beer. We were planning on staying the night, but he didn’t want to overdrink tonight. We sat together in a circle with some other couples in lawn chairs and talked about our future plans. 

Suddenly a shrill filled the sky and a thunderous bang pounded into everyone’s chest. We all sat close enough to really feel, see, and hear the glorious light show. I nearly jumped out of my skin and a few people laughed at me before turning their attention to the continuous popping sound of fireworks. Aaron gave my leg a firm squeeze and silently stood, grabbed his beer, and walked towards the house. 

I peered over my shoulder and saw him walk in, figuring he was either using the restroom or grabbing something he left inside. I turned back around and enjoyed the show for another few minutes until I remembered that Aaron wasn’t back yet. Turning back around again I saw him standing in the window on the second floor with a new drink in hand. 

It dawned on me then that he only went inside because we were too close to the fireworks and his ears couldn’t take it. I wanted to kick myself in the butt for not suggesting we head inside together sooner. I leaned over to one of the wives and said that I would be heading in to check on a couple of things. She tried to politely convince me to stay but I told her that it was important. 

Once the back door shut behind me I quickly sprinted up the stairs and called out for Aaron. It was quiet enough in the house that he heard me from a long ways away. “Hey honey.” He said and extended his arm out to wrap around my waist. 

“Hi,” I panted out, “I came in to check on you. Ears doing okay?” I kissed his cheek and peered down into his cup. Aha, whiskey, I knew he would hit the hard stuff sooner or later. 

“Yeahh, they were starting to hurt and I don’t want to risk it if I don’t have to. I’m fine in here by myself if you want to head back out with your friends.” He looked out at the sky and his face was illuminated by the green and yellow flashes. I told him that I wanted to be with him. 

He shifted to stand behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. Our drinks were discarded onto the side table of the living room couch and we just stood there in silence. Every so often we would comment on how cool something looks or which firework was our favorite. Aaron turned my face to him and gently pressed his lips down onto mine as the finale of fireworks started. I pulled away slightly before reaching up to kiss him harder. 

Suddenly a large boom pulled us away and I let out a large gasp at the bright orange and yellow flames coming from the dock. Looks like there was a malfunction and the rest of the fireworks were burning on the dock. “Oh shit!” We say together with wide eyes. A bunch of the guys started running towards the fire and some found buckets to fill with lake water to extinguish the fire. 

The wives and girlfriends gathered the kids and sprinted into the house to keep them safe while Aaron and I just stood there. “Should we help??” He asked slowly and I shook my head, “Nah, let the idiots who thought this was a good idea figure out how to put it out.” 

He let out a laugh and kissed my head, “Oh I love you so much Y/N.”

#Aaron Hotch Hotchner #aaron hotch x reader #Criminal Minds #4th of july #fireworks #blurb

[dancingqueen0019]

Saving Grace Ch. 9

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Author’s Note: I’m baaaaccck! Sorry to disappear on you guys there, I have had one heck of a Summer break. A total of 3 college classes and working a part time job has not left any time to write. In response, I give you a roughly 9 page chapter (according to Google Docs). 

Warnings: None that I know of, if something should be added, tell me and I’ll add it in

Fall break quickly came and I found myself packing the car with all of my gear and Murphy’s gear. We would spend a couple days out there helping move cattle and doing more training with the horses. Can’t lie though that I’m excited to come back home so I can go out with Aaron for a couple days. 

I also had a standing coffee date with one of my teacher friends and her two kiddos. My phone buzzed in my back pocket and I recognized the number as my mom’s. I placed the phone between my shoulder and head, “Hey mom, I’m loading the car and then I’ll be on my way. What’s up?” I lifted the last bag of gear into the trunk and wiped my hand on my jeans. 

“Good to hear. I just wanted to see what you wanted for dinner. Your grandma is nagging me about it.” She said with a sigh.

“Oh uhh, how about her lasagna? I haven’t had that in awhile. Unless you guys have had that recently.” I shut the car door and walked back in to grab Murphy. We agreed on dinner and I started my journey out. The hourish long drive went by quickly and soon I was pulling up to the front gates. It looked like Mom had finally convinced Grandpa to buy some goats as they were walking across the gravel driveway. Murphy was howling at the sight of them and I gently swatted at him to get him to hush. 

The moment I was out of the car my Mom rushed over to greet me and give me a big hug. “Ohh, hi sweetie. How was your drive?” She opened the side door and grabbed a couple of my bags for me as I got the rest and followed her into the house. 

“It was good, roads were pretty empty today so it went quickly.” I sat my bags at the bottom of the stairs and peered into the kitchen to see my Grandma cutting peeled apples at the table. She shouted out gleefully that I was finally back home and I went over to give her a hug and a kiss. She was busy preparing my favorite apple pie to go with dinner tonight. That was one thing I could always count on, Grandma making sure that everyone was well fed and happy. 

I sat down and chatted with her for a bit before unpacking some bags and then headed out to the arena where Grandpa and one of their neighbors, Lewis, were lunging a horse I didn’t recognize. Grandpa walked over and stood on the other side of the arena fence and leaned his forearms onto it. “Hiya doll! Boy, I am sure glad to see you.” He said in a deep tone and patted my hand. I smiled back at him and asked what Lewis was doing here. 

“Oh he went out with his girlfriend to the auction and let her pick out any horse she wanted. Of course she just had to have the pretty paint horse with no riding experience instead of a tried and true trained horse.” He said in absolute disbelief and let out a big huff. I tried to hide my laugh at the situation, but I couldn’t. Grandpa just shook his head and before I could say anything he continued on, “And then, come to find out, Lewis wants us to break in this horse and make it trail worthy. Damn horse can’t even figure out it’s head from its ass.” He leaned in further and whispered to me, “I hate to break it to him, but this animal has sawdust for a brain. Big fella doesn’t have a thought behind his eyes.” 

“Who? Lewis or the pretty paint?” I said with a smirk on my face and Grandpa let out a howling laugh. The pretty paint jumped at the sound which made Lewis shout at us for spooking the damn horse. 

The rest of the day was spent working with the horse, which we have nicknamed Dip, short for Dipshit. Lewis is too sweet for this world. He is big and burly, but he melts once his girlfriend is around. Years and years ago he had a major crush on me and would swoon anytime I got within five feet of him, but I’m glad that it's no longer me. Lewis stayed for dinner and dessert, and took a plate home for his mother. After he left we just sat in the living room catching up on any topic. When I finally made it to my old bedroom I checked my phone to see a few missed messages from Aaron asking if I made it out to the ranch okay and was wishing me a good night. 

I responded to those and then changed into pjs and went to bed. I would have to be up by 4:30 am so I can get started on morning chores and work more with Dipshit and my own horse. 

MORNING: 

The three of us saddled up to head out to the farthest parts of the ranch to round up the cows and check the land over. With me on my red dun gelding named Red Beard and Grandpa on his buckskin mare Tito we headed out early to meet Lewis and his bay gelding Sampson. 

All of us were geared up in jeans, flannel shirts with a shirt under it, and our work boots. Grandpa and I had on our cowboy hats and Lewis had on a ratty baseball hat. Our saddles held our lassos and our rifles or shotguns that we carried for protection against wild animals. 

In our family we only take the guns out when needed and put them back away once they are no longer needed. We aren’t a crazy gun family that keeps them plastered on the walls in our house or have them laying around. It’s a tool, a way for us to provide meat for our family, and a way to protect ourselves when we can’t get out of a situation. My brother had to use his rifle to put down a coyote when it had big enough balls to go after a sick calf left behind by its mom.  He tried chasing it off first, but when that wouldn’t work, then he fired on it to remove him completely. It’s in situations like those that we use our guns. The most recreational we get is when I would do target shooting while riding, but it was in a very controlled and disciplined setting. It also provided useful when I’ve had to fire a gun before in the field while riding to protect myself from a bear. 

The ride up there provided much needed peace and time to reflect over lots, as well as a chance to catch up with Grandpa and Lewis. Today is Sunday, so I would only stay until late Monday night or leave bright and early Tuesday so I can go home and get ready for my coffee date. I’m grateful for the time I have here with my family, but I wish there was more time with them. There were points in college where I would think about dropping out to just live and work on the farm. However, then I wouldn’t have met my students and fallen in love with my town, made fast friends with my coworkers, and of course met Aaron. 

I wonder what he’s up to right now. Helping Jack pack for camp? Editing papers for work? I can only imagine how methodical he would be helping Jack pack for any time away from home. Probably made sure to label all his son’s clothes and pack everything according to what day and what the predicted weather is. He said that the camp’s theme this year was Junior CSI. At first he told me during one of our nightly phone calls that he was nervous about sending him to a camp that had similar aspects to his job. In asking why he was nervous for his son to perform similar duties in a lower capacity, he became quiet and hesitant. Just came up with the best answer of ‘I don’t need him to remember all of it’. 

Not quite sure what he meant by that, but there was definitely more that he should have shared. I’m curious that if I share about my loss of a parent that he would be a bit more willing and comfortable to share more information about his ex-wife passing. 

We continued trekking across the flatlands and up through the treeline. Grandpa and Lewis were talking up ahead but I wasn’t paying attention until they called out that they spotted the herd. I urged Red Beard into a trot and caught up with them. “So,” I said, turning to them, “what is our big plan?” Grandpa sat a little higher in his saddle and gestured with his hands the plan.

“I’m going to have Lewis ride along on the left, and you will ride along the right. I’lll monitor the back end and urge any stragglers along. Make sure though that you keep them in tight and keep riding up and down your sides since we don’t have someone to cover the front.” He grabbed his lasso and made sure that it was wrapped the right way before pushing his hat down lower on his head. 

“Alrighty. Let's get to it.” Lewis urged Sampson into a fast trot and we quickly followed behind him. I swung Red Beard into position and started maneuvering cattle forward while scanning the herd for any cows that looked ill or needed additional attention. We had a couple miles to ride through so this would take awhile with the slower pace we were settling. If we had more people, then we could risk riding at a faster pace. Finding people though to help us can be a difficult thing since the ranching/farming lifestyle isn’t so popular, and the people that do commit to it have their own chores to do, so coming out to help others is a hard thing to do. As much as it would hurt Grandpa and Grandma, I think that within the next couple of years they will have to think about selling their cattle or at least leasing their land out to other farmers in order to continue making money and not have to sell the whole place. The intention was that either Lucas or I would take over this place once they were ready to hand it over. I doubt that Lucas could permanently live out here once he's done with the Marines. Though there is much work to do here, I don’t think it would be enough for him and he needs more city stimulation to keep him steady. 

The journey home was slow but steady and we eventually made it back around 2:30. Mom was there holding the gate open for us to move all the cattle into the holding ring. Our next objective would be to give all of them their next vaccines and do a hoof check to make sure that they didn’t need to be trimmed. I slid off of Red Beard and tied him up to the post and mom walked over to me, “Your phone has been buzzing away in there. Phone call from Lindsey and several messages and a phone call from an ‘Aaron’. Didn’t ever hear you mention Aaron before.” She said nonchalantly. 

I faced my saddle with wide eyes before letting out a deep breath, “What were you doing snooping on my phone?” I let out a light laugh to let her know that I wasn’t mad at her. 

She scrunched up her nose and smiled, “Well missy, that’s what happens when you leave your phone on the kitchen table with the ringer on. Better me than Grandma, she was about to answer that phone call from Aaron but I stopped her.” 

I rolled my eyes and shook my head lightly, “Yeahh, you are probably right. In answer to your question, I haven’t mentioned him before because he’s a student’s parent. There’s more, but this isn’t the time to share anything.” 

“Are you talking to him outside of school related subjects?” She asked caustily as she rubbed Red’s neck. I peeked up and gave her a meek smile. The same smile I would give if I was caught grabbing cookies off of the baking pan right after they cooled. 

“Yes. I just need you to trust me that all is good. We can talk later.” I said with a bit of hope in my voice that she would leave the subject and not be upset about it. 

She pouted her lips and pulled them over to the side but slightly dropped her shoulders, “You aren’t a child anymore so I can’t baby you. However, you are my baby so I trust you, but I do want to hear about it later. I love you and I want to protect you.” I slung my arm around her shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek. 

“Love you too Momma. Come on, let’s get going.”

LATER THAT NIGHT

After taking care of the cows I went to grab a shower and finally checked my phone. Lindsey wanted to confirm that we were still good to meet, and I’m sure she wanted to vent about her kids. They were 2 years old and 6 months old so she had her hands full 24/7. The messages from Aaron were just more well wishes about my day and the last one was more concerned, “Are you doing okay?” sat at the bottom of my phone and I couldn’t help but feel the warmth in my stomach from being looked after. 

I sent him a quick text explaining that my phone was left at home all day and I just got a moment to check it. As I was texting Lindsey back, my screen changed to Aaron calling me. 

I sat down on the edge of the bed and hit the answer button. “Hello!” I said in a happy tone. 

He breathed out a big puff of air, “Hi Y/N. I’m sorry, I know you are spending time with your family but I just wanted to check in on you.” He said in a tight voice before he sheepishly added on, “I uh-I was a bit worried.” 

I bit back a smile, “No it's okay, don’t be sorry. We just don’t get good cell reception when out in the field so I don’t bother bringing my phone. How are you and Jack?” 

“Jack is good, he’s already packed up and ready for camp. We’ve just been going to the park and practicing more soccer skills or building Lego sets.” He said in a less tight tone but there was still something in his voice that made me question what he was holding back. 

“I'm glad to hear that Jack is enjoying his break so far. Now what about you? Are you doing okay? You seem a little on edge.” I picked at the frayed corner of my quilt before stopping myself at what he said. 

“Uh-yeah, sorry.” He paused and let out a sigh, “I know you are somewhere safe, but I couldn’t help but think that something was wrong because you haven’t responded at all.” I was going to respond but before I could he let out a short sigh, “This job has admittingly made me a bit paranoid. Especially if the people I care about are safe. I was trying hard to not bother you today and convince myself that I didn’t need to check in so many times.” 

I pouted a bit at that and felt a bit sorry for him. Honestly, I didn't even think about what this job could do to him when he’s supposed to be relaxing on vacation. Yes, I was there to support him after that tough case, but that was because it was right afterwards, and not just a random Sunday evening. “Aaron, there’s no need to apologize. I feel bad that your job has cost you a bit of your peace of mind. You shouldn’t have to worry about these things, but I’m starting to understand more and more about why it would worry you. I am safe here, unharmed and happy. You are doing what you think is right, by checking in on me. I can’t fault you for that and neither can you. I’ll be coming home on Tuesday to have lunch with a friend and her kids. You said Jack leaves on Wednesday right?” 

I wiggled my boots off of my feet and pulled my socks off so my feet could breathe a bit. He confirmed that Jack would instead be leaving after lunch on Tuesday because the owners of the camp opened up an early access spot and invited Jack to come sooner. I wedged the phone between my shoulder and head while I started unbuttoning my plaid shirt, “Oh that’s a neat opportunity. So, if you don’t have any plans then Tuesday night would you want to come over sooner then? Would that help ease any paranoia?” 

He let out a bit of a laugh, “Yes, I would like to come over sooner. That would help a lot. I can pick us up something for dinner if you want. By the time I get back from dropping him off I should be at your place around 6:30 I’d imagine.” 

I placed the phone on my nightstand and hit the speakerphone button. I really needed a shower but I didn’t want to stop talking to him. Of course if we were here together I would have just suggested conserving water and taking a shower together so we didn’t have to stop talking. 

Or maybe we would stop talking and start kissing, I thought to myself.

“Yeah that sounds like a good plan to me. Are you boys doing anything else for the rest of the night?” I asked as I unbraided my hair and ran my nails against my scalp. It felt sooo good to massage my roots from being in a tight braid all day. Suddenly there was a knock at my door and it opened a couple of inches. 

“Hey Y/N, your mom wanted me to tell ya that dinner is ready. Just waiting on you for prayer and to eat. Also wanted to ask if you were still good to break Dip in tomorrow.” Lewis asked in a louder voice since he was mostly speaking through the solid wooden door. 

I moved over to the door and opened it since I was still decent, “Of course! I’ll start breaking him tomorrow morning. I have an inkling that it’ll take most of the day anyways. I’ll be down in a few minutes for dinner.” He thanked me and walked down the stairs. I shut the door and grabbed my phone, switching back off to the normal ear speaker. “Sorry about that Aaron. I have a couple minutes left before I have to go.” 

“Oh no, you’re good. I’m just happy to hear your voice. I’m home for the night while Jack is at a last minute sleepover with Will and JJ’s son. You met them at the park when you watched Jack for me earlier in the school year.” I could hear some rustling in the background and the squeaky opening of styrofoam. Sounded like someone got some takeout for dinner. 

“Yes I do remember meeting them. Sounds like a quiet and peaceful night for you. I’ll text you later on when we are done with dinner and such.” I said happily and a small smile made my way across my face when Aaron said his goodbye to me and added that he was looking forward to seeing me soon. 

When I made my way downstairs a sheepish smile took over as everyone was sitting at the table and mom gave me a knowing look. I slid into my spot at the rectangular table between Grandpa and Lewis and soon enough the sound of constant chatter and laughter filled the room as we ate. 

After Lewis left and I cleaned up the dishes with Grandma, I finally made my way upstairs to actually shower. I’m sure I could be smelled across town based on how hard we worked today. My bathroom was actually attached to my bedroom which was a huge plus for this old house. I think that back in the day, this would have been considered a very rich house because three bedrooms had their own bathroom. Over the years, things have been updated, but we decided to keep the original wood flooring and the same clawfoot tub in my bathroom. The yellow wallpaper needed to be replaced soon as it was starting to peel in the corners, but it could wait a while until things on the farm slowed down. 

By the time my hot shower was done, the sun was over halfway set and I wanted to enjoy the rest of it on the porch with Murphy. I pulled on my sleep shorts, shirt, and a light cotton robe to sit out. My hair was in a sloppy bun, but it didn’t stop the water from dripping down my neck every so often. Grandma was sitting outside in her rocking chair so I joined her in the one next to her. Murphy ran up to me from sniffing around the grass and got on his hind legs, asking to be picked up. 

My Grandma scoffed at me, “You’ve got that dog spoiled, child. Back when I was a kid I would have gotten yelled at for picking up a dog and holding it like a baby.” 

I smiled back at her and simply said, “Oh come on, he’s just a little puppy. I have to make sure he’s loved on.” I gave her a pleading look and she shook her head at me. 

“You are your father’s daughter, that’s for sure. Marching at the beat of your own drum.” She extended her wrinkly hand and patted my forearm. Grandma really loved my father like he was her own son. It hurt everyone when he died, but it scared Grandma the most because she claimed she ‘felt it’ in her bones that day that something bad would happen. Ever since then, if she feels that eerie feeling, we just stick around the house. Whether or not we actually believe in this premonition, we appease her so that we don’t worry her. 

The screen door opened and Mom stepped out with a glass of iced tea. She sat down on the porch step and Murphy launched himself off of my lap to go snuggle up with Mom. She stroked his velvety ears and asked out loud, “Have you heard anything from Lucas recently? Last letter came a couple weeks ago.” 

The communication between Lucas and the family was sparse, but that was to be expected since he’s busy on whatever assignment they’ve put him on. We typically wouldn’t be so worried about keeping our phones on us all the time and keeping a strict eye on the mail, but when he’s gone for work we become obsessed with any form of communication. Mom keeps his letters posted on the fridge like a child’s artwork so that it’s a constant reminder of where he is and she and Grandma can reread them throughout the weeks until the next one comes. 

“Not really, no. I had a phone call with him last week, but that was for only a couple minutes. Just the usual, ‘I’m safe, I’m eating and drinking. How are you?’ Kind of a conversation.” I said quietly and mom just nodded her head. I know having Lucas so far away makes her sad and worried until he is physically in front of her again, so we try to tiptoe around the conversations about Lucas. “I’m sure that there is another letter in the mail though. You know how those first timers always mess up the order of delivery and I’m sure that he will have cell reception soon enough.”

Her shoulders relaxed and she nodded her head again, “Yes. I’m sure that is what it is.” She looked over her shoulder to me and gave me a smile, “Enough of this, tell me how your students are.”

The three of us spent time talking about my students and everything else that is happening until Christmas break. Grandma eventually went in and told Grandpa it was time for bed and Mom took over the remaining rocking chair. Murphy curled up on the welcome mat and started drifting off to sleep. “So,” Mom started and I glanced over to her, “what would you like to tell me about this Aaron guy?” 

I swallowed the small lump in my throat as I started to become nervous. She said she wants me to find someone, however Aaron is so much older than I am so I am nervous that she won’t approve of that. Just put it all out there, I said to myself in hopes of encouragement. 

“His name is Aaron Hotchner. He is the father of one of my students, Jack. I met him at the Meet the Teacher night and he wanted to have a separate meeting about his son. We just got talking from there and realized that we really enjoyed each other’s company. We are still figuring our own things out, but I can confidently say that he is a very honest and sincere man. That he cares deeply about his son and for me and my wellbeing.” I said pretty quickly in order to get it all out. 

“And what does he do for a job? Just because he’s a good father doesn’t mean he’s stable.” 

“He is an FBI Agent, so he is very stable in his line of work. His department tracks down serial killers, mass murders, and all the other creepy killers you’d see on TV shows.” Mom’s eyes got a bit wide at that and nodded in approval. 

“His department?” She asked for clarification and I nodded. 

“Yes, his department. He is the leading agent, however there is one person above him that oversees the unit as a whole. He was a prosecuting attorney before switching over to the FBI.” I boasted out of pride of how accomplished he is. I started chewing on my thumb nail out of nerves as Mom sat and mulled over this new information. 

She took a breath and started to say something before stopping herself and then starting again, “Now, I may not be well versed in the qualifications of government jobs, but I know for a fact that it takes several years to become a prosecuting attorney. Then to become a leading agent sounds like he would have to be an agent for a while before becoming a leader.” She looked at me with raised eyebrows in hopes that I would catch on to what she was meaning. 

I knew exactly where this was heading but I wanted to play dumb, just in case. “Yup, he’s really smart at his job. Graduated from George Washington University, and he’s made a name for himself.” I looked down at my lap when Mom gave me a ‘Oh come on’ look. 

I sighed and looked back up at her, “His age? I’m sure that’s what you’ve been trying to get at.” She nodded eagerly, “Okay, okay. He is about 15 years older than me.” 

“Ohh Y/N. You’re kidding me right?” She asked in disbelief. Yeah, she’s not happy, that’s for sure. I stayed silent and she got her confirmation that I was not kidding. 

“You are too young for him. He’s too old for you! He has a life established, you said so yourself that he has a son and he is extremely qualified in his position. You are just starting out. Is this even going to last with all of these differences?” She said in a loud tone and I shot her a look with furrowed brows. 

She licked her lips and let out a huff, “You, my child, are young and precious. You would make any man happy, but really? Someone much older than you is how you want to live your life? I just worry that you are going to be taken advantage of. That he will force you to settle down into his way of life instead of letting you explore and do all the things that you want to do.” 

We sat in silence for a minute as I leaned my head down onto my fist to mull it over. I hated admitting that she did have a few points, but she just doesn’t realize how happy I am and how I wouldn’t allow myself to settle for his way of living if I didn’t want to. A soft hand rested on my shoulder and I took that as my cue, “I understand and hear what you are saying Mom. I really do. Trust me, I’ve had the same thoughts that you’ve had and I’ve taken the time to think those things over for myself. He really is a genuine man. A little stubborn at times, but he is truly a good guy. He isn’t taking advantage of me in any capacity. You just need to trust me that I will do what is best for me. If things don’t turn out right, then I will get out of it.” 

She rubbed her forehead to ease the tension and finally said something after a few moments, “Okay. You are right, I have to trust you. I’m not exactly happy with the age situation, but give me some time to think about it and come around to it. He truly makes you happy?” 

I sat up and faced her straight on with a big dopey smile, “Yes Momma, he makes me really happy.” 

#aaron hotch x reader #Criminal Minds #age gap #jj jareau #spencer reid #bau #fbi #jack hotchner #derek morgan

[dancingqueen0019]

Saving Grace Ch. 8

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Author’s Note: Sorry for a long wait. I started my new job so I wanted to become a little established before I continued writing. 

I think I will make it a goal to update every Sunday for sure, and if I have extra time then I will update more often. So some weeks might be one update and another might be two depending on my schedule.

I’m working on figuring out how to make a tag list so if you want to be tagged, please let me know and I’ll add you when I figure it out.

Warnings: None that I know of, if something should be added, tell me and I’ll add it in

I was late. Like really late. The kind of late where you think you remembered to unplug the curling iron but once you get halfway to your destination, you second guess your memory. Presently I was running through my house, collecting the last bits of papers to go into my teaching bag so I could attempt to make it to work on time. Of all the days to run late, I just had to be running late for Hero Day. Somehow I managed to get dressed and do my hair, but I had to bring my makeup along. I was planning on making lunch, but it looks like I just have to order something. 

Once I jumped into my car I was ready to leave, but Aaron started calling me. I connected the phone to Bluetooth speaker and put my seatbelt on. “Hey Aaron, what’s up?” I ask quickly as I put the car into reverse.

I could hear Jack in the background, “Ah not much, I just wanted to say,” his voice got quiet all of a sudden, “I can’t wait to see you today. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to stay longer than the school activities.” Even though his sweet voice sounded very eager and hopeful, I still let out a tense sigh. “Everything okay?” Aaron asked and I immediately regretted sounding tense. He didn’t know that I was having a rough morning so it wasn’t fair for me to be rough with him.

“Yeah, just…one of those mornings. I’m running so far behind and I woke up super late. Just rushing to get to school so I can set up and make sure everything is perfect. You are more than welcome to stay past the Hero Day speeches. I don’t know how many parents will stay, so you may end up being the only one. The school is allowing parents to stay, however the moment you walk out of the building they won’t let you back in for the day due to safety concerns.” I said in a less rushed tone. I only had about five more minutes left to my drive, but with my skill, I could make it there in less than that. 

“That sounds good to me. I’ll let you go so you can drive without distraction, don’t speed please.” His voice held a bit of concern and it made me smile. We said our goodbyes and I made it to school just a couple minutes later. When I made it up to my empty classroom I got to work on turning on the lights, setting up the wax warmer, and getting all the chairs in place for the Heros. I had purchased an array of pastries and muffins so I put those out with plates, napkins, and utensils on the kidney bean shaped table. 

This morning I made sure that I had on my favorite outfits which was a black long sleeve shirt, light grey plaid high waisted pants, and nude pointed flats. 

I was finishing with the pastries when Mr. Mac walked into my classroom, “Ohh don’t you look hot today!” He called out as he casually fanned himself with his hand. I rolled my eyes and looked up to him, “Oh stop it. I just had to throw something on. Hey! Those are for my guests.” I slapped his hand away from the muffins.

“Well,” He started as he took a big bite of muffin despite my efforts, “This isn’t my classroom, so therefore I am a guest.” He laughed at me as I gave him a look of displeasure. I grabbed the watering can for the classroom plants and turned around to water them. I heard choking behind me, “Holy, honey how have I never noticed how big your ass is?” He gasped out and I threw him another look behind my shoulder. 

“I don’t know but you shouldn’t be looking. Don’t need Ben coming after me because you can’t keep your eyes to yourself.” I jokingly said and he laughed a bit. Mac went on to talk about how much of a drag today is going to be and all the behavior meetings he is having to schedule for Tristin. I shared with him how even some of my students are noticing his behavior. 

I heard little feet running across the room and all the sudden my waist was being hugged from behind. I sat down the watering can and I twisted around to see Jack attached to me, he was smiling up at me with his dimples showing. “Good morning Jack! Are you excited for today?” I placed a hand on his back to return the hug he was giving me. 

“Yes! I even dressed up for it and Dad helped me do my hair.” He turned his head to show me the hair gel that slicked and coated his hair. He was dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and had a button down shirt on. I complimented his outfit and looked up to see Aaron standing at the entrance of my room with a travel coffee mug in his hand. He was wearing dark grey dress pants with his brown belt with matching shoes, light blue shirt, and dark tie. I know he wears similar things to work everyday, but each time I see him in a new outfit, my heart stops for a moment. 

“Good morning.” I said sweetly and a small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. Mr. Mac left the room and Aaron walked further into it. He extended the travel mug out to me, “Good morning, Ms. Y/N, I brought you some coffee. I figured you needed it with such a big morning.” 

I gladly took the mug and took a long drink out of it. It was flavored with sugar and hazelnut creamer. I sighed happily and whispered, “Much better. Thank you Mr. Hotchner” 

Jack was busy putting his book bag away so Aaron took this chance to step forward and put his hand on my arm, “I just want to say how incredible you look this morning. Even for being late. Can’t help but agree with that other teacher that you do have a big ass.” He sent me a wink and I gasped. 

“How? You weren’t in the room yet?” I sat the coffee down on my desk and crossed my arms. More students and parents filed into the room. 

“I could hear him down the hall.” Aaron said chuckling and then moved away from me so it wouldn’t be weird that I’m too close to him. I turned and said good morning to my other students now and told the parents that they are more than welcome to eat the pastries. 

I excused myself from Aaron and stood outside the classroom to greet everyone. As everyone filed into the room before the bell rang I closed the door behind me and started our morning meeting. 

“Goood morning class!” I called out and in response everyone said, “Gooood morning teacher!” 

“As everyone knows, today is Hero Day, so we finally get to present all of our hard work to our visitors. Before we do that we need to do our Morning Meeting after school announcements.” The bell rang and the morning announcements started up along with the Pledge to our flag and the Pledge to our school. As the announcements droned on I sat behind my desk and finished lining up our Morning Meeting pieces and drank some more coffee. 

I felt like eyes were on me and when I looked around the room I saw Aaron staring at me. A blush heated my face and he must have saw it because he smiled softly. The other parents were eating their pastries and quietly conversing with each other. 

Once the announcements were done I turned the Smartboard on and stood up in front of everyone. “Alright class, time for our Morning Meeting. Go ahead and come down to the carpet with your white boards and markers.” The scuffle of chairs and rattling in desks filled the room and soon enough everyone was ready to go. “First we need to update our date. On your whiteboards please write down the numerical date. When you are done, hold it in your lap.” 

I grabbed a dry erase marker and once everyone had their date I wrote it down on the board. We continued the same process for the month, year, and day of the week. The rest of our Morning Meeting consisted of our color and number of the day in sign language, as well as an emotional check in and a rundown of the schedule. I capped the marker and sat it back in my magnetic holder. I placed my hands on my hips and gave the next instructions, “When I say go, I would like you to do 3 things. First, put your marker and board away. Second, take out your presentation and put it on your desk. Third, turn your listening ears on and mouth on silent.” They all nodded and I made sure that as I was talking I was keeping my voice quiet so they would have to focus on what I was saying, and then in my normal voice said “Go!” 

We started the presentations by pulling sticks to keep the order randomized and unbiased. It went by smoothly and the students had fun asking our visitors questions. I pulled the next two sticks out of the jar, “Alrighty, next we have Jack and then we have Everly.” I fixed myself in my seat so I was leaning forward more to watch the presentation. Aaron stood next to Jack and placed a hand on his son’s back to offer up some more encouragement. 

Jack stood up a bit more and held his paper out in front of him, “My name is Jack Hotchner, and my Hero for Hero Day is my dad. My dad is a Hero because he catches bad guys for his job. My dad is an FBI Agent which is a really cool job. He gets to travel to every state and he brings me back souvenirs from his trips. He is my Hero because he teaches me that we should be brave, even when scared, and we should help one another.” Jack spoke proudly and as he went on, he gained more confidence. Aaron smiled affectionately at Jack and we locked eyes for a moment. I was proud of all my students, but I was really proud of Jack. He continued on with his presentation and when he was done we all cheered for him.  

The majority of the parents left after all the kids presented but a couple stayed behind for a bit longer, of course, Aaron being one of them. We moved through math and reviewed our spelling words for this week. Everyone was working diligently at their stations for sight words and I held a small group at the kidney table. 

Four of my students struggle with reading and on most days, an older student comes by to help them read, but since the morning activities messed around with our schedules, I took on the job. Our small group consisted of reading small 15 page books that were larger print. They were all easy words, except every page had a word that was a bit challenging. It could be the length, use of vowels, or chunked letters like TH, PH, and IT. This was the last thing we had to do before they went to art class. One of the boys, Eli, was having trouble figuring out how to pronounce ‘should’. After a few methods I ended up placing Eli’s hands on my cheeks and let him feel the shape of how his mouth should be and the vibration while I exaggerated the word. Aaron had been watching the rest of the class and Jack had gone up to him every so often to show him the progress that was being made. He was obviously a very good dad because he would become so invested in what his son was saying and made sure that even if it was a small thing, that he had his fullest attention. While I was helping Eli, Aaron turned his attention onto me and watched curiously at our interaction. When Eli finally pronounced the word correctly I smiled widely and gave him a high-five. 

I glanced down at my watch and frowned because there were only a couple minutes until art class started. I had my small group pick everything up and the rest of the class followed as well. Once everyone was in line to go, I had the parents stay behind as we walked down the hallway to the art room. Upon returning to the classroom I had the parents join me at the kidney table to discuss what they thought about the morning activities and what they’ve observed so far from class. Anna Townsend, Glenn Parker, Heather Swanson, and Aaron were the remaining parents. Since the first time meeting Ms. Townsend I had a better idea of who she was as a human and mother. 

With the fullest sincerity, I am looking forward to the last day of school that I must deal with her or her daughter. As a mother, she is nonstop in emailing me and leaving voicemails on my work phone about anything and everything under the sun. Whether it was my method of teaching, how her daughter Lillian was doing, or even factors about the school that I can’t control, I was on the receiving end of all of it. As a human being, I feel sorry for her…almost. She seemed to have too much time on her hands so she took it out on the most random things. Lillian will tell me every so often about mom’s new hobbies. She went from candle making, to yoga, to knitting within three and a half weeks. I can only imagine how she treats workers like restaurant staff and grocery employees. She gives off the vibes of either being completely rude to them 24/7 or being overly sweet, there is no in between. 

Heather is her friend, but she is nowhere near as bad as Anna. I’ve spoken to Heather multiple times because she is one of the room moms and she is at least honest and sincere in what she says and does. She follows Anna in lots of aspects of life and doesn’t speak up, but on the parts that she doesn’t follow Anna, she is a good person.

Glenn is a hardworking dad. He works third shift at the car manufacturing plant so he doesn’t get to see his twins, Logan and Maddy, too often. Today was a great way for him to really see what his kids are learning and spend time with him. His wife came in at the beginning of the year to meet the teacher night while Glenn was at work. She told me about him, but this was my first time meeting him. And Aaron, well, he’s just Aaron. 

“So,” I started as I sat down at the table, “how is everyone enjoying Hero Day? Any questions or comments about that or what you’ve observed from class so far?” I looked around the table and the general mood seemed positive so I wasn’t too worried about anyone saying anything bad. That is, until Anna opened her mouth.

“Well, my little Lillian has told me that she still isn’t sitting next to her friends and I think that that is completely obscured. You distinctly said that she would be sitting next to her friends after you did your little science experiment. What do you have against my daughter?” She said in a complete rush and a wave of her hands. I knew for a fact that the other parents and I shared the same wide eyed, slightly slacked jaw expression. I blew a slow breath out of my lips before recomposing myself to speak.

I placed my hands in my lap and twisted my fingers together under the lip of the table as I spoke as evenly as I could. Something about this woman just makes me both infuriated and nervous at the same time. I know that sounds crazy since those are contradicting words, but that’s the best I could explain it. My tongue swiped past a small part of my bottom lip, “Ms. Townsend, I was not aware that Lillian had issues with her current seating assignment. From my perspective, I have seen that she actually thrived from sitting next to others. As I recall from the first time we’ve had this conversation, I separate and arrange students in a way that benefits most to all. For instance, all five of your students,” I motioned with my hand to the parents at the table, “are my highest performing students. There are studies out there that show that by pairing high performing students to those who struggle, it actually encourages both to do better academically, emotionally, and socially.” 

There was a brief pause before I continued, “I have absolutely nothing against Lillian, she is, as I said, one of my brightest students. She is so sincere and helpful, as well as just a good human being. If she is having issues with her seating assignment then I implore her to talk to me and I would be happy to help arrange something with her.” We sat locked eye to eye with each other, I fought myself to remain collected whereas Anna was almost seething. Our eyes kept staring at one another until she abruptly stood up and grabbed her purse from the ground. “I will be having a talk with Lillian tonight. Good day Ms. Y/N. Heather?” She motioned for Heather to join her. Heather looked between me and Anna. I sat with my back straight and Heather finally made her choice, “I-I’ll be out in just a few minutes.” She meekly said and turned quickly back to face me in order to not see the look on Anna’s face. Good choice too since Anna rolled her eyes and sighed loudly through her nose. 

Glenn sat there awkwardly, too afraid to get in the middle of what Anna said. Aaron looked like he was trying hard to hold back a smug smirk. Ohhh I was going to ask him later what that was about. He sat so that he could see both Anna and I at the same time. After Anna left, the room got tense and quiet. I didn’t know what to say after that, but thankfully Glenn did say something. 

“There was something in the news, I had caught a glimpse of it, but it uh said that when you pair students, like you do, that it helps them. Now I can’t speak for everyone else, but I think what you are doing for our kids is right, ma’am and I thank you for that” Glenn said cautiously so that his words were strung together slowly and calculated. I softly smiled at him and Aaron cleared his throat before speaking up, “I agree with you. Ms. Y/N is doing a fantastic job with all of our children. She has my utmost confidence in her ability to teach.” I swallowed the lump in my throat and my mouth twitched upwards under his intense gaze. I knew he wasn’t just speaking to Glenn and Heather, he was directly meaning his compliments to me. 

We sat there talking for a few more minutes as Heather left and Glenn went outside the room to take a phone call. Aaron’s hand reached across the table and grabbed my arm, “You okay? That other mom seemed a bit intense with you for no reason.” he asked softly. I placed my hand on top of his and gave it a quick squeeze. 

“Yes, I’m okay Aaron. Just frustrated by her and honestly caught off guard by her outburst. This Fall break needs to come quickly, I need a week away from here. I love it, but just need a break.” I sighed and he smiled sympathetically. 

“What do you have planned for break? I have most of the week off but I signed Jack up for the majority of it at this themed camp. He’s been wanting to explore more so this was perfect.” Aaron sat back and placed his arms in his lap. I nodded my head and explained to him how Jack mentioned the camp earlier and how excited he was. 

“Not much to be honest. I plan on spending a couple days out at the ranch, but other than that I am locking myself in my house and enjoying the silence from the classroom.” We both laughed lightly at that, “Might spend a day shopping or go to the gym. I have a uh,” I cleared my throat, “guy friend that I would like to call and see if he’s available to go out with.” Aaron smirked at me and started to say something but Mr. Mac walked into the room.

“So sorry to interrupt. I need you to take a look at this, it’s time sensitive.” He thrusted a couple pieces of paper towards me and I started to scan over them. It was all about the behavioral meeting over his student Tristin, the one Jack told me about. The documents were email correspondence between Mac and Tristin’s stepmom. In addition, it was the notes from the school counselor in regards to their sessions. My eyes got a little wide at some of the notes and tisked at the part about Trisitin expressing his feelings through dark and disturbing artwork. 

“Wow,” I said blew a puff of air out and glanced up at Mac, “You have a lot going on with just this. Do you need me to help you go over this? I can stay after school today.” I read back over the papers once more and handed it back to Mac.

He held them close and crossed his arms in front of himself, “That would be great. I know what I’m doing, but it’s just a whole lot of crazy.” 

He said his goodbyes and Aaron went to speak again but Glenn walked back in the room. Aaron caught my eye and he look exasperated because he just wanted to speak. “Sorry, there’s been a work emergency. I’m going to have to leave now. Is there any way I can say bye to my kids?” Glenn asked as he picked up his jacket from the chair. I checked my watch once more, “Yes, of course! I should be picking them up from art class about now. How about you walk down with me and then you can say goodbye and leave from the art room?” I guided Glenn to the door and looked back to Aaron sitting there patiently. 

“You are welcome to stay. I’ll be back soon.” I said with a wink and walked down the hall with Glenn next to me. 

After picking up the class once more we headed back to the classroom and worked until it was lunch and recess time. Aaron said goodbye to Jack since he needed to do some reports today. He was sticking around to talk to me in private before he would leave. I closed the door behind me and moved the privacy shade down halfway on the door window. I made it halfway across the classroom rug before a set of arms were wrapped around me and a strong head was pressing into mine. A loud sigh escaped his lips as he mumbled, “I’ve been wanting to hug you all day.” He leaned more into me and I laughed lightly as I wrapped my arms around his middle. 

I hummed, “This is a nice hug, that’s for sure. Question for you though.” 

Now he hummed a reply and I said, “Would you want to come over during Fall break? I can cook for us or we can go out and do something. I know we are supposed to keep things lowkey until the end of the school year, but I wouldn’t mind going out.” 

He pulled away slightly, “Of course I want to come over. How would Wednesday and Thursday work?” I pulled back and smiled at him nodding. 

“I’ll see you Wednesday, just come by whenever.” I pecked his cheek and pulled out from the hug. Earlier I had food delivered to school so I sat down in my big comfy chair and pulled the hot food from its bag. I took a few bites and talked to Aaron before he had to leave. He stood in front of my desk so that it was blocked from the view of the door. He placed his hands on my desk as I took a long drink of my tea and peered up at him. Gingerly sitting the tea down I swallowed what was in my mouth and Aaron leaned forward. I followed his movements and rose out of my chair slightly to meet him. His dry lips and my wet ones met and they mingled together. My hand slipped onto his cheek and held him there as our heads tilt and I gave him one more peck. 

“I’ll see you later.” He whispered and pulled away. I sat there stunned until he started opening the door. 

“Goodbye, sir.” I said cooly and his shoulders tensed for a moment before he left. 

School dragged on for the rest of the day until Mac came in with all the paperwork regarding Tristin. We sat there for three hours after the kids left pouring ourselves into what was said in the reports and what can be done for him. I finally made it home around 7pm and it was pitch black. 

A twinge of sadness went through my chest as I knew the house would be void of human interaction, but nevertheless I went inside to take care of Murphy. He had been cooped up for far too long so I am letting him sleep in bed with me tonight. Making sure the doors and windows were locked up tight I took Murphy out back and prepared his dinner for him. My phone buzzed with a text from Aaron:

Aaron: Make it home alright?

Me: Just walked in a couple minutes ago. 

Aaron: Good. Is the house secured? 

I smiled down at my phone.

Me: Yes, everything is locked up. Don’t worry

Aaron: Can’t help it. Was called into an emergency case, don’t know how long I’ll be out of town. Just wanted to make sure you were okay before our flight took off.

My smile turned into a frown while reading that

Me: Of course, thanks. Hope your flight is quick, text me when you land. Be safe, come home soon. 

I put my teaching bags away and started up the dishwasher as Murphy ate. He played fetch for a bit and then tug-of-war to finish getting his energy out. When we went upstairs I put the tv on in my room for him to watch while I quickly showered and then got into bed for the night. 

Pulling the covers up high on my body I turned over onto my stomach. I slept for a good three hours before waking up to the text from Aaron that said that he landed and then another one wishing me goodnight from his hotel room. I know his life is a bit unpredictable, but I’m looking forward to being a part of it.

#aaron hotch x reader #Criminal Minds #Smut #fluff #teacher #jack hotchner #david rossi #emily prentiss #jj jareau #spencer reid #derek morgan #Penelope Garcia

[dancingqueen0019]

all your stories on mobile is like that which is unfortunate because id love to read all your works!

Okay, I believe I fixed it. I switched my laptop and phone over to Dark Mode and everything checked out on my end. If there is an issue still, please let me know! Happy reading

[dancingqueen0019]

Hey everyone! User error here. I’ve been typing all my chapters in Google Docs so when I copy and paste it into Tumblr it will only be visible for users in the regular mode and not Dark Mode. I’m so sorry about that. I’m going to try to update all my chapters so it’s Dark Mode friendly. Only part of the chapters are visible because the Bolded and Italics in GD don’t carry over to Tumblr so I have to manually go through and change them which is what makes it visible for Dark Mode. It’ll take me a bit to get that done so please be patient, but it will be fixed :)

[dancingqueen0019]

hey, just wanted to warn you that your last hotch fic is kind of impossible to read in dark mode on mobile 😅

Oh shoot, okay. I have zero clue how to fix that. What part was impossible to read? Was it the whole thing or was there a specific aspect?

[dancingqueen0019]

Aaron Hotchner x Pregnant Reader

Author’s Note: Just a small little blurb in honor of Mother’s Day (a day late, I know) Enjoy!

Warnings: None that I know of, if something should be added, tell me and I’ll add it in

Mornings for me never meant I was able to sleep in. Every so often I was able to, but that was before everything. Before I met Aaron, before I was married and became Jack’s bonus mom, and before I found out I was pregnant with our newest members of the Hotchner family. 

Weekend mornings typically meant that we had to go to Jack’s soccer games and visit family members, and now that I’m 30 weeks along, it really turned into wrestling events in my stomach. I was already half awake when I heard giggling and shushing outside mine and Aaron’s bedroom door. I smiled to myself but quickly wiped it off as the door creaked open. 

The comforter shifted and the bed dipped down lightly as Jack crawled into bed. I was laying on my right side with my pregnancy pillow so he got as close as he could. I finally broke my ‘sleeping’ state when he kissed my cheek. I looked up to him and saw he was grinning from ear to ear, the dimples matching his father’s. He was kneeling on his knees over my face, “Good morning Mommy, happy mother’s day!” He said in a bright and cheery tone. 

I lifted my head up and placed a hand on his cheek, “Good morning my little love, how did you sleep?” He sat down facing me and placed a hand on my very large belly. 

“Good! Look, Daddy and I made you breakfast this morning Mommy. Bring it in Dad!” Jack called out and the door opened once more. I turned my head to see a giant tray of waffles, apple juice, orange slices, and sausage links being brought in by Aaron. He had a big smile on his face as he brought it to the bedside table. I thanked Jack for the lovely breakfast and Aaron helped me sit up comfortably. The struggle to move by myself had slowly increased over the past few weeks. 

“Jack, did you come up with this? I am so proud and impressed.” I said as Aaron placed the tray over my lap and sat down on the bed in front of me. Jack curled up to my side and nodded, “Yes I did. Dad helped with the sausage, but I cut the orange and put the waffles in the toaster. You have a card too! One from me and one from Dad.” He picked them up and handed them to me. 

I opened the one from Jack first and it was a handmade card that said Happy Mother’s Day and there was a drawing of the three of us and my big belly. I leaned down and kissed Jack on the head before grabbing the card from Aaron. He wrote about how lucky he was to have found me and how these two babies are blessed to have me as a mom. In the card was a giftcard to my favorite spa to get my nails done, along with a pregnancy massage. 

I shared my breakfast with Jack and Aaron ended up giving my legs and feet a soft massage while we sat there enjoying the early morning. I had horrible swelling with the twins so Aaron got into the habit of massaging my legs and feet every morning, even if he only had a couple of minutes to spare. “I really want my siblings to be here now. Can they come out yet?” Jack asked hopefully and Aaron shook his head slightly.

“No buddy, sorry. They need to stay in there for a few more weeks before they can come out. Trust me, I want them here too.” Aaron replied and shared a look with me. It was one of warmth but also a hint of nervousness. In the dark of night Aaron would share his fears with me about the health of the twins and the physical toll it’s taking on me. I officially went on bedrest last week and hardly left the house, it has been very lonely so far. Jack is nice company, but with Aaron gone for all of that time, I get no adult interaction. None of my friends, family, or coworkers could stop by so there was no ‘adult’ talk. 

Eventually breakfast was over and as Jack ran downstairs to play with his action figures, Aaron filled in the empty spot next to me. He wrapped his arm around me and I shifted myself to lean more into him. His lips found the top of my head while his other hand gently rubbed my swollen stomach. He whispered softly to me, “Happy Mother’s Day. I hope you know how loved you are and how thankful I am that I have you.” 

I hummed and looked up to him to give Aaron a kiss. This kiss was firm and needy. One that said ‘I love you, I’m worried about you’. It lasted for a moment longer than needed but we were interrupted anyway by Jack coming back into the room saying there was someone knocking on the door. Aaron went down to see who it was and to my surprise, Penelope walked in with a huge basket in her hands and a vase of flowers in Aaron’s. “Ohhh pretty Momma, it is your day to be spoiled. I bring happiness and gifts!” She exclaimed proudly. I laughed at the colorfully dressed blonde and gladly accepted the basket. Aaron sat the vase of flowers on the bedside table and stood back as Penelope sat the basket down and helped me go through it.

There were chocolates, a picture of our small family with the rest of the team, and what looks like a new nursing top for when the babies are born. For the babies, she included more outfits, wooden toys, and beautiful blankets that were handmade. I hugged her tightly and said thank you for the gifts. “These babies are going to have the best aunt, thanks to you Penelope. All of this is too much, really. The tulips are absolutely gorgeous too.” 

She smiled widely at Aaron and I, “Oh, please. I’ll take any excuse to spoil my family. I’m making my rounds today on all the moms so I shan’t stick around long because I know you have some plans and you need your rest. Remember, I have my number saved on speed dial in your phone so if you need anything, I will be there.” We briefly talked for a couple more minutes before she had to get going to JJs. 

Aaron walked her out and came back upstairs to help me out of bed for the day and walked in front of me down the stairs in case my balance gave out. I stood at the kitchen counter, letting my legs stretch until I felt a trickle down my leg. “Oh come on! I swore I didn’t have to pee. Aaaron!” I called out for him as I tried and failed to look past my belly to see how much pee I dribbled out. He was such a good man when it came to the less than pretty parts of pregnancy. Aaron emerged from the laundry room and grabbed some paper towels to clean up my mess. I stepped back and grabbed a hold of my stomach as a sharp pain pushed its way across my whole stomach and to my back. I let out a small groan and as Aaron wiped the puddle up we both shared the same look. These babies are coming today. 

“Hey Jack,” He looked up at me, “I guess your wish is coming true. Mommy just went into labor.”

#aaron hotch x reader #pregnant #mothers day #jack hotchner #penelope garcia #criminal minds #fluff #blurb #fbi

[dancingqueen0019]

Saving Grace Ch. 7

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Themes: Budding Relationship, Fluff, Awkward Love, Slow-Burn ish, Age Gap (roughly 15 years; Aaron 40ish and Reader 25)

Warnings: Mention of murders, natural death of parent (reader’s parent), slight cursing (?), school drama (slight bullying, additional school assistance)

Author’s Note: Chapter 7! Hope you enjoy. According to Google Docs its 5 and a half Pages. This hasn’t been edited so I apologize for grammar/spelling errors.

I will not be posting for this weekend. I’m leaving for my cousin’s college graduation and I am moving back home for summer.

I stared out the window of the car, everything blurring together as we sped down the highway. I leaned my arm on the window and placed my chin on my fist as I thought back to last night. 

“You are absolutely incredible Y/N” He whispers as he pulls my frame closer to his. The whisky rolling off his tongue and his cologne mingling together invaded my senses. I looked up to him with hooded eyes and…

“Y/n? You good sweetie? I asked you a question.” My mom said from the driver’s side as she briefly looked over to me. I fidgeted in my seat and sat back up straight, “Uh yeah, sorry. I dazed off there for a moment. What was the question?”

She shook her head at me, “I asked you two questions. Firstly, did you decide on what color tile we are going to look for? And secondly, you have got to update me if there’s anyone in your life. You never know when you might meet someone. It could be love at first sight, sparks flying all around.” 

Yeah, I thought to myself, there definitely have been sparks. The light touches, subtle grazes over my body. 

“Y/N!” My mom started snapping her fingers at me, “Are you sure you’re okay?” She looked over to me a bit longer to study my face. I pulled my baseball cap down further on my head. 

“Yes, I’m sorry mom. Just have a few things on my mind. I really think I want to go with something dramatic. Like big black tiles for the wall with the sink and dark grey on the floor. As far as your second question, no mom. There is no one and if there was, I would update you.” I said as casually as I could. I hated lying to my mom, but to be honest I didn’t want anyone to know about Aaron and I’s new relationship. The only person I would consider telling right now would be Sammy and that’s just because she’s my best friend and wouldn’t judge me as much. 

Last night with Aaron was…something else. We needed to spend a couple hours away from each other so that we could figure out our thoughts and feelings. When he came back into the house though with groceries in hand, the air felt different. I didn’t know he had come in because Murphy was outside for the time being. I told Aaron I left the front door unlocked when he texted me he was on his way. I had quickly cleaned my bedroom and made sure my bathroom was in order, took a quick second to make sure the blankets were folded in the living room before I went downstairs. 

The floor had been swept and I kept the kitchen window open to let in some cool Fall air. The wax warmers in my house were changed over to a caramel scent from its usual clean linen. Inhaling deeply enough in the car, I almost was able to smell it now.

Last Night:

I was standing at the counter facing the backyard while I made some more iced tea. My hips swayed softly to the music and I hummed along to it. Some verses would pass my lips and when I needed to concentrate on what I was doing I hummed the rest. Looking up briefly I watched Murphy sniff along the fence line where the neighbor’s new dog had just been a couple minutes prior. 

In the middle of squeezing the remaining liquid from the tea bag, two hands rested themselves on my hips and I jumped. “You know, it’s very dangerous to leave your front door unlocked. Unwanted guests could come waltzing in.” Aaron’s smooth voice said firmly. He was close enough to me that I was able to lean back into his touch. I angled my face on his shoulder to look up to him, “I guess it’s a good thing that you are a wanted guest.” 

He took a quick look at my lips before pressing his to my head, his hands giving a soft squeeze. “I didn’t know what you wanted for dinner so I grabbed ingredients to make a creamy herb chicken.” I hummed at the sound of what he was planning on making. 

“That sounds delicious. Do you need help preparing it?” I asked and stood back up so I could finish with the iced tea. His left thumb rubbed my hip and he dropped his right hand, “No, I shouldn’t need help. Just some good company.” 

“I think I can manage that. Let me put this in the fridge so it can cool more. Would you like a drink though?” I asked as I moved away and set the pitcher in the fridge. When I turned back around I was pleased to see Aaron still dressed down. He was in jeans and a brown pull over jacket. “Yes, please. What whisky do you have?” He asked as he unpacked all the ingredients and I walked over to the bar. I held up the couple of bottles and he settled on Woodford Reserve. I poured him a glass and grabbed an empty wine glass for me. Setting his glass next to him, I walked around him to the fridge to grab the chilled wine I had been working on the past few days. It was kept on one of the lower shelves so I bent over at the waist to get it, the rhythmic chopping of veggies halted for a moment while I was bent over and it began again when I stood back up with the bottle. 

“Here we are, just what I was looking for.” I said with a bright smile.

Today:

“Here we are, just what I was looking for.” I said with a bright smile.

“This? This is what you want to tile your bathroom with?” My mom asked inquisitively as I held up the shiny black large subway tiles. I knew she wasn’t going to approve of it fully because we didn’t have similar style choices, but I thought that this would be a statement piece. Especially with a manly man like Lucas living there, and I liked the upscaled look anyways. 

I nodded and placed it in the cart. So far we had those tiles, greyish white paint swatches, and the gold light fixtures I had put on hold earlier this week. “Why do I have a feeling that you and your brother are essentially creating a cave? You’re going to decorate the whole house in black and grey and make it really depressing.” She rambled on while pushing the cart further down the aisle to the floor tiles. We spent the next several minutes butting heads as we went over what color tile would look best with the black and grey. I was busy staring at the pricing of everything while my mother walked off to ask a stranger for their opinion. 

“Sir, do you mind helping me? My daughter and I can’t agree on what color tile for the floor. Which one would you think goes best with these?” She adamantly asked and I heard them walking back over to our cart. I turned around and my breath caught in my throat. Of all the people that could be at Home Depot, Aaron was standing there. We stared at each other for a brief moment before he cooly asked me, “What can I help you decide on?”. I turned and pointed at the tiles sitting in the basket of the cart. 

“Personally I want these black tiles to go on the wall of the half bath, but we can’t agree on the floor tile. What do you think?” I moved to the side a bit so he could come closer, but he didn’t. Probably to maintain the facade that he’s a stranger, but I really wanted him to be closer. Mom was oblivious to what was going on as she talked and talked about different options. We stood there and talked as a group for a few minutes before mom decided to walk off and grab another paint swatch. I turned towards Aaron and whispered quickly, “What are you doing here? I thought you were going to pick up Jack.” He smiled softly at me and leaned in to speak, “Don’t worry, I am on my way to pick him up. His aunt needed a couple of things.” 

I narrowed my eyes at him teasingly, “Uh huh. For a moment I thought I had myself a stalker.” Aaron’s dimples showed through and was going to lean in further until his eye caught something behind him and he backed up. I turned to see my mom walking down the aisle with her head down judging the paint swatches in her hands. She came back up and asked if we had decided what tiles to use. 

Aaron clapped his hands together, “I think she did decide what she wanted. She sure seems to know what she wants.” 

Last Night:

“You sure you know what movie you want?” Aaron asked teasingly as four different DVDs were laid out in front of us on the couch. I leaned forward towards the ottoman, elbows on my knees with my head resting on my hands. Dinner was great, just as Aaron promised, and now we were upstairs with our drinks trying to pick out a movie to watch. I looked back at Aaron, “Of course. I always know what I want, Aaron.” 

I turned back around to debate on movies once again, and I felt Aaron’s hand slip under the back of my shirt. I had put on a flannel shirt on top of the tank top and when I leaned over the two must have lifted up slightly. In my wine haze I closed my eyes for a brief moment and relished in the strong hand pressed against my lower back. I peeled open my eyes a moment later and randomly picked the first movie I laid eyes on. I stood up and put The Hangover in, “Maybe it isn’t the best choice to watch with an FBI Agent since there’s lots of illegal activity, but it’s still a good movie.” I sat back down on the couch with my legs tucked up under me, sitting criss cross. Aaron had his feet resting on the ottoman and he lifted the giant blanket up for me so I could sit back under it. I smoothed it out and Aaron hit play on the remote. His left arm came up and rested on the back of the couch, around my shoulders. As the movie continued and our drinks became more and more empty, the more relaxed we became. Laughter would bubble out and every so often Aaron would remark every illegal thing that the foursome did with how long they would be in prison for. The wine mixed with my body and started making me sleepy so I relaxed a bit more and leaned onto Aaron’s body. 

My legs shifted so they spread out to the left and Aaron stayed upright so I could use him for support. I could feel his heartbeat pounding through his chest, but I didn’t dare look at him. Slowly the movie came to an end and our glasses were long empty. We sat for the next hour talking softly in the darkness. The only source of light came from the kitchen light downstairs. I shifted myself so I was facing him and placed my arm on top of his along the back of the couch. My hand was near his head and as he spoke about his past I gently toyed with his short black hair. He shared more about college and his beginning years of being a lawyer and why he wanted to become an agent. 

Somehow in the next minute I found myself leaning forward, and Aaron was leaning forward too.

Today

We finished shopping at Home Depot and made our way back to my house. Tonight we were going to have dinner and make a plan for painting the rooms and tearing out the bathroom walls. When we made it back inside the house, mom played with Murphy for a bit before helping me prep dinner. We talked for a bit but it started to get dark and she needed to get back to the grandparents. “You promise to call me if you need anything out here. I’ll happily drop whatever I’m doing to help you.” She said while hugging me bye. I promised her I would and I made sure to lock the door behind her when she pulled down the driveway. 

I laughed to myself and started picking up the kitchen. I thought it was just comical that Aaron was there at Home Depot when we were. I let out Murphy one more time before heading upstairs for the night. The blanket was still there on the couch and as I folded it, I let myself remember last evening.

Last Night

Aaron’s hand slid along my cheek, fingers twisting into my hair as he looked at me intensely. “You are absolutely incredible Y/N” He whispers as he pulls my frame closer to his. The whisky rolling off his tongue and his cologne mingling together invaded my senses. I looked up to him with hooded eyes and closed the gap between us. Our lips pressed together, molding along as I slipped my hand to the back of his head. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and pulled on it, a small whimper escaped before I could contain it. Aaron was the first to pull back, only by a little bit, and he slightly panted from kissing me. The whisky now fanning along and mixing with the wine that I had finished. Maybe it was the dark, or maybe it was something else but his eyes managed to look a bit deeper as they studied my reaction. I probably looked horrendous with my jaw slacking open, but to be fair, I was in a bit of shock. 

“Wow.” I managed to get out and we started laughing at ourselves. Acting like dumbstruck teens having their first kiss. 

“Wow.” Aaron echoed back and I smirked at him, “W-was that okay?” he softly asked. I leaned my head forwards and rested our foreheads together. 

“That was perfect. Kind of want to do it again.” I lightly bit my bottom lip and Aaron made a noise from the back of his throat. His hands flew to my waist and pulled me to straddle his lap, the blanket tangled between us. With me being slightly taller than him now I angled his face upwards and kissed him feverishly once more. His large hands spread wide on my hips and somehow tugged me even closer to him. 

We couldn’t stop kissing each other and I never wanted to either. My hands grasped the front of his pullover as he moved his lips down the side of my face to my jawline. A gasp flew out of my mouth as he sucked the skin there before taking my earlobe between his teeth. The gentle bite followed by the soothing suck of his lips put my brain into overdrive and I started acting on what I really wanted. His hands moved to the lower part of my back and he leaned us forward, bracing me as his lips and teeth grazed down the front of my neck and to the top of my tank top. 

He paused there, right at the top of my breasts and I let out a whine. My eyes were closed tightly and they pinched together more when he stopped, causing my face to scrunch. “I-we- We should stop. I really want to continue, I really do, but don’t you think it’s too soon?” He mumbled against my skin. The vibration of his lips sent sparks through my chest, which made it all that much harder to agree with him. I sat back up and said that he was right. He assured me that he did want this, but it was just a little too soon for him. 

I put my hands on his cheeks and kissed his head to reassure him that I wasn’t upset with him. Aaron took the glasses downstairs and made sure the house was secured before coming back upstairs to my room. I was already in the bathroom doing my nightly routine. The door was cracked so Aaron was able to watch me as I took my makeup off and applied creams and hydrating oils to my face and gently massaged them in. I brushed through my hair and threw it into a low braid for the night before Aaron joined me to brush his teeth with me. 

When we crawled into bed and Aaron turned out the light, he pulled me closer to him. “Thank you for breakfast and dinner again, it was lovely.” I spoke out into the still night. He hummed and replied with a welcome before settling down into the covers. He was laying on his back and I was laying at an angle on my side, with my head resting on his chest. I let out a yawn and whispered goodnight to him. To my glad surprise, Aaron lifted my head by my chin and planted a chaste kiss onto my lips. 

“Goodnight Y/N, sweet dreams.” He said softly against them. Quickly enough we both fell into a deep sleep. 

Today

I climbed into bed by myself tonight. A little sad that I spent the past two nights with sweet company, but I willed myself to sleep. I would be seeing him soon enough for Hero Day as he was coming in as Jack’s hero. That thought brought me comfort as I hugged the pillow he had been using for the past two nights. I inhaled deeply and it smelled like his cologne. Smiling to myself I closed my eyes and went to sleep. Tomorrow is Monday, and those never go smoothly.

#aaron hotch x reader #aaron hotch hotchner #criminal minds #jack hotchner #teacher #smut #fluff #jj jareau #derek morgan #emily prentiss #penelope garcia #spencer reid #david rossi

[dancingqueen0019]

Saving Grace Ch. 6

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Themes: Budding Relationship, Fluff, Awkward Love, Slow-Burn ish, Age Gap (roughly 15 years; Aaron 40ish and Reader 25)

Warnings: Mention of murders, natural death of parent (reader’s parent), slight cursing (?), school drama (slight bullying, additional school assistance)

Author’s Note: Chapter 6! Hope you enjoy. According to Google Docs its 6 Pages. This hasn’t been edited so I apologize for grammar/spelling errors

I’m not sure how long we slept but it felt like eternity. The fog of what happened last night and the truth came to the forefront of my mind. Being in bed with a man 15 years older than me should in theory creep me out, but it doesn’t. Maybe there was something wrong with me, or maybe biologically we just clicked, but I was here for it. 

I begged my body to sleep, partially because I wanted another hour to catch up, and partially because I didn’t want to move away from Aaron. In my mind I wanted all of this with my whole heart; Aaron, Jack, a relationship, stability. There was just now the question of whether or not Aaron thought the same.

In the time we slept, we had moved around the bed frequently. Our bodies and subconscious acted on both of our growing feelings and molded our limbs together. When I started waking up I felt a thick arm around my waist and the steady rise and fall of a chest pressed to the back of mine. I willed myself to go back to sleep but I couldn’t, my body was charged up. 

I looked down at the arm holding onto me to see that the large hand was splayed out. Fingers laid firmly on top of my lower stomach. The butterflies in my stomach woke up and fluttered around as I twisted myself to face Aaron. In doing so he groaned in his sleep and lifted his arm so I could move easier. He was laying higher on the pillows than I was so my head was tucked under his. His arm gave me a firm squeeze to keep me close and let out a deep sigh. I couldn’t see his eyes to tell if he was awake or not, but the kiss on my head told me he was. 

“Morning.” He mumbled sleepily. 

I reached out and placed a hand on his chest, “Good morning. How’d you sleep?” 

He released his grip slightly on me, “Really good. To be honest I haven’t slept much lately so this helped.” We laid in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the warmth of each other. “Would you like some coffee?” Aaron asked in a soothing tone. 

“Coffee would be great. I need to get up and shower too.” I responded, not wanting to think about what I might have looked or smelled like. I was supposed to shower last night but I didn’t, I pushed it off too much and figured I would do it today. Little did I know at that time that my house would have overnight company. 

“You go shower, I’ll put some coffee on.” He pulled away from me and got up. I rolled over and looked at the alarm clock. I cursed under my breath when I realized it was 10am, I totally forgot about Murphy I was so tired. Slipping into my fuzzy slippers I went to run down the stairs to let him out. Poor dog needed to relieve himself outside for the past couple of hours now. However before I could make it halfway down the stairs I heard Aaron talking to someone, “Come on Murphy, let’s go outside. Good boy, go potty.” 

I bit my bottom lip out of embarrassment that my house guest was taking care of my dog. I finished coming down the stairs and Aaron looked back to me, “Thought you were going to shower.” He said and then turned back to the coffee machine.

“Yeah but I forgot about Murphy. Thank you for taking him out though. I’ll shower after I get his food ready.” I moved a bit faster to grab his bowl and prepare his breakfast. Aaron watched me closely as I cut up the fruit and veggies. Eyes tracking all of my movements until the coffee was done brewing. He poured himself a cup and drank it straight while I put Murphy’s bowl down and brought him back inside. Excusing myself, I went upstairs to shower. I pulled the sheets up on the bed before closing the bathroom door behind me. I turned the fan and my speaker on so I could listen to some music to perk me up. 

I took my time showering and even took the extra effort to shave my legs and armpits. I stood naked in front of the mirror, brushed my teeth and combed my hair. Wrapped in a towel I exited the bathroom and snatched the lotion off of the bedside table. The towel came undone slightly as I reached down to lotion my legs.

“Shit! Sorry, I should have knocked.” A stammering Aaron stood in the cracked doorway and I laughed at how he kept stammering apologies. 

“You say you are sorry but you keep staring, Aaron.” I said as I stood back up and adjusted the towel to cover myself better. “What did you come up here for?” I asked him and he blinked a couple of times and focused back on my face and not the towel. 

“Oh-uh, I was just going to grab my phone. Jack’s aunt, Jess, has him for today. Just wanted to let her know that I was home already.” He kept his head down as he walked to the other side of the bed to grab his phone and he walked back out so I could get dressed. I pulled on a pair of black leggings and a cream colored tank top to start off with. I planned on adding an actual top later on. Aaron was standing next to the couch when I walked out. 

“I went ahead and ordered breakfast to be delivered here. Just a ‘thank you’, for last night.” He mentioned as he finished sending a text to Jess. I quickly refolded the blanket on the couch, “Ya know, if you didn’t say it was just a ‘thank you’ breakfast I would have assumed it was a breakfast date.” He chuckled at that and nodded his head, “Breakfast date it is then. A makeup for the lost dinner date. Kind of a strange date to start off with though,” I looked at him puzzled, “with me crashing here early this morning. The free therapy session. Probably was the strangest first date you’ve had.” 

I shook my head slightly and held back a laugh, “Trust me, I have had wayy worse first dates. This was honestly one of the better ones.” Now it was his turn to look puzzled, “You must have had some bad first dates then.” 

I placed my arm on his and leaned in slightly, “I’ll tell you at breakfast.” I winked at him and headed down the stairs. Murphy was waiting for me to take him back out outside. He chased the bunnies from the yard and found some new sticks to chew on under the tree. Heading back in I found Aaron at the door paying the delivery man and he turned around with two bags of food. While I poured myself my cup of coffee and added in my creamer he laid out the food at the dining room table. 

Sitting down I made a noise of excitement as I recognized the cafe he ordered from. “I love their baking. You can’t find too many good mom and pop places but this one is probably my favorite.” I grabbed a chocolate chip muffin and a couple sausage links and Aaron picked up the croissant sandwich. We split the serving of hash browns and settled into breakfast talk. 

“How is–” We both said at the same time and awkwardly paused and smiled at each other. Aaron told me to go first, I swallowed the piece of muffin before speaking. “I was going to ask how Jack was. I noticed in class that he was more sad than usual.”  

“I was just about to ask the same thing actually. In answer to you though, he is doing okay. I’ve been in this job since before he’s been born so in some ways he’s used to me being gone. It was easier when his mom was alive though. Now it seems to bother him more each time I’m gone.” He spoke solemnly when he mentioned his wife. I placed my hand on top of his, causing him to look up at me. In the morning light I notice how his brown eyes hold so much depth. Not just the trauma from his job and personal life, but also the swirls of colors. Whiskey, carmel, and mixes of light and dark brown made for pools of endless stories. 

A squeeze on my hand followed by an “Y/N?” snapped me from my thinking. I shyly smiled and pulled my gaze from him. I cleared my throat and said, “Sorry, I was just going to say that I understand how difficult it would be for Jack to miss you so much. I do notice that he does tend to get upset about you being gone, but he hasn’t had a massive reaction to it in school. One time he was on the verge of tears, I do admit that I should have contacted you about it, but he recovered from it and moved on. Unfortunately I can’t spend my entire day focusing on Jack since I have twenty other students, but I can assure you that he and I have been working together to regulate his emotions. Academically, he’s way above everyone else. His testing scores are immaculate and he continues to refine his skills. Emotionally wise, he could use a little bit of assistance, from my observation.”

Aaron sat back for a moment to process this information, “Okay. What do you suggest that I do to help him then? Me being gone isn’t going to change exactly so I need to make sure he’s functioning properly.” I nodded and took a drink of coffee. 

I further explained to Aaron that we can request tha Jack be put on a 504 plan to receive assistance with anxiety and regulate his emotions. It would give him the extra assistance that I may not be able to give him at the moment, and it would carry on through his record for the rest of his schooling so he can continue any assistance he may need. “He isn’t a bad kid by any means. You know that and I know that. I just wanted to make that clear because parents hear the terms 504 and IEP and they immediately think their kid is not the greatest. We can schedule a formal meeting with myself, Dr. Smithfield, and Mrs. Tobey who is in charge of these assistance programs. All of us will sit down and talk to you privately, and then bring Jack in, to discuss if this is something he would benefit from. I told you before the school year started that I would help Jack in any way that I can.” 

Aaron smiled big at that last part, and I could see the gears turning in his head. “Y/N I don’t know what to say. Thank you, firstly for looking after him. I would be more than happy to schedule a meeting. You–” he paused and licked his bottom lip, “you’ve been a second chance, a saving grace for not only him but me as well. I find that Jack comes home and doesn’t stop talking about your classroom and everything he did. He looks forward to being with you and quite frankly I look forward to being around you too. Jack is still very much recovering from his mom’s passing, but you’ve helped him see that there still is good in the world.” My eyes started watering at that and I quickly wiped them away, but Aaron knew what I was doing. He grabbed my hand again and smoothed his thumb over the top of it. “As for me, you’ve made the days a lot more bearable and I am starting to look forward to completing my day.” I looked at him with big dewy eyes and I smiled at him. 

I took another sip of coffee to calm my nerves, “Oh Aaron, you don’t have a clue how much it means to hear that. My actions and behavior towards Jack is organic and as for you…” I stopped myself from saying what I really wanted to say. To tell him that I liked him more than just my student’s father, that I wanted to see where this went. Aaron caught onto that last bit that I was avoiding telling him. He raised his eyebrows and motioned me to continue talking. I blushed and put my head down. 

“Were you about to admit that you’ve developed feelings for me?” He asked slowly and I looked up in answer to him. His breath hitched for a moment, “Y/N, I, I’m not sure what you expect from this relationship,” I felt my blood run cold and my body prepared itself for rejection, “but what I can tell you is that I’m starting to value you more than just being Jack’s teacher. There’s so much more that we need to learn about one another so I don’t want to rush into things. On my part too I hesitate to start anything with you because of two main things. Firstly being our ages. You are so much younger than I am and we are at different points in our lives. I’ve settled into my life and you are just starting yours. The second thing that I hesitate on is that I’m not sure how soon is appropriate for a widower to start dating again.” 

I swallowed the massive lump in my throat and took a long breath in to soothe the anxiety I was feeling. He’s right in what he says, I just don’t want to hear all of it. “I understand and respect what you are saying, Aaron. Right now I know that I have to sort through what feelings I have for you and what I want out of whatever this is. I share the same sentiment that I value you more than just a student’s father. If you can’t start a relationship right now because of mourning or out of respect for our late wife, I understand 100%. What I can tell you on my part is that I want to see where this is going, I want to play out the feelings and get to know one another. Who knows, we might just be horrible for each other and nothing comes of it. Just because we are having breakfast and you spent the night doesn’t mean we are getting married next week.” He let out a short laugh through his nose, “As far as the ages, I’ve done my own reflecting. Yeah, people may not understand such a big age gap, but it’s not their relationship. There are plenty of people out there that have larger or similar age gaps. It was a little weird at first, but I honestly don’t mind you being older than me. The beauty of my life just starting out is that nothing is set in stone, I can shift my wants and needs depending on where life takes me.” 

I didn’t notice that I was speed talking until I stopped and had to take a deep breath. I think I was too scared that if I talked slow enough, Aaron wouldn’t have stuck around to listen or he would have decided what he was going to do about us. He finally spoke up, “What do you want out of life? What are your wants and needs right now?” 

I picked at the table cloth as I meekly spoke up, almost afraid that my answer wouldn’t be right for him, “I love my job, so I want to be a teacher for as long as possible. However, I wouldn’t mind being a housewife or stay-at-home mom if I have to be or if my future husband’s job can support us. With that being said, I want a husband, someone that compliments my likes and dislikes, but also shows me a whole new world. Someone that will stick around instead of running when things get hard. I want a big family, that’s for damn sure. I don’t care if I have them, adopt them, or they are step children, I just love kids and I’ve always wanted them. Personally, I want to move further from here so I can have a big house with a yard big enough for those kids and any dogs, but I can stay in this area too.” 

Aaron’s smile just kept getting bigger and bigger as I spoke, to the point that dimples appeared and his smile lines became pronounced. I smiled back at him until he started laughing. What the hell is he laughing at? I just answered the man’s question. He placed one hand on his gut while he laughed and when he opened his eyes he realized the horrified look on my face. He waved his other hand out in front of him and quickly said, “Oh no! I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at what you said.”

I glared at him before he continued, “I laugh because it’s the same exact answer that I would have given if you asked me. You are just making this so much harder because I am liking you even more now.” I sighed at that and slowly got rid of the glare on my face. He reached forward and placed a hand on my cheek, “I promise you, I’m not laughing at you. I thought I was going to be able to take things slow with you and pace myself from growing attached, but I think that is going to be harder than I thought.” 

I leaned into his touch a little bit, “Why you gotta scare me like that? I was getting ready to kick your ass out of my home.” He replied that he wouldn’t doubt my ability to kick his ass out. “So, we agree to just see where this goes? Keep it lowkey for the time being? I doubt my school will like to hear that I am…What are we?” I asked, hoping for a good answer from him. 

“Dating?” He asked slowly to gauge my reaction. I smiled warmly at that and he reciprocated it, “Yes, dating. I doubt my school will appreciate me dating a student’s father while they are in my class.”  Aaron nodded in agreement and said that we should keep things quiet until after the end of the school year. I enjoyed hearing that he was already thinking that far out.

Together we cleaned up breakfast and had some normal small talk about what our weekend plans were. He said that Jessica and Jack were camping this weekend and wouldn’t be back till after dinner on Sunday. I had day time plans with my mother tomorrow. She was coming over for lunch and then we were heading out to Home Depot to pick out tile and paint swaps for the downstairs bathroom. I figured it would be easier to just get started on my house projects now rather than push it off and still be working on it when Lucas gets home. 

Aaron was a bit surprised to hear that my mom and I would be doing all of the demo and renovation ourselves so he offered his assistance when he would be home. As far as today, there was nothing on our schedules unless an emergency case came up for Aaron. I was currently leaning my back against the kitchen counter and Aaron stood closely in front of me with his hands on my hips. He still smelled like my body wash and his face was beautifully relaxed, “I know I need to return back to my apartment and get an actual change of clothes. When I’m done with that though, would you like to have dinner with me tonight? I can swing by the grocery store and pick up whatever you are in the mood for and cook for you. Actually cook this time instead of ordering it.” 

I placed my hand on his white clothed chest and lightly scratched the surface with my nails. He closed his eyes for a brief second and I happily said, “Yes! I would love that. Do you want or need me to go shopping with you or can I do some quick cleaning while you’re out?” He nodded and told me that he was good to go by himself. His black bag was quickly packed while I finished filling up the dishwasher and wiped down the table. Before he left he gave me a quick hug and kissed my head once more. There was a light blush on my cheeks as he pulled away and walked back out the front door. 

I don’t think I can take this, going slow, thing seriously.

#aaron hotch x reader #aaron hotch hotchner #criminal minds #fluff #smut #fbi #bau #jack hotchner #david rossi #jj jareau #derek morgan #spencer reid #penelope garcia #emily prentiss

[dancingqueen0019]

Saving Grace Ch. 5

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Themes: Budding Relationship, Fluff, Awkward Love, Slow-Burn ish, Age Gap (roughly 15 years; Aaron 40ish and Reader 25)

Warnings: Mention of murders, natural death of parent (reader’s parent), slight cursing (?), school drama (slight bullying, additional school assistance)

Author’s Note: Chapter 5! Hope you enjoy. According to Google Docs its 8 Pages. This hasn’t been edited so I apologize for grammar/spelling errors

Life definitely pulled a fast one on me. On Sunday, Lucas and I drove out to the ranch to visit with mom and the grandparents. We stayed for lunch and dinner and we helped with some chores around the place. There were a couple of fences that needed fixing and the cows needed to be moved from the upper pasture to the lower one so that they could hire someone to replace the back fence line. We try to do most of the work ourselves, but with Lucas leaving, there isn’t enough manpower or time to do it completely. Mom was excited to hear all about my teaching from this past week and the upcoming events. I made Lucas swear that he wasn’t going to say a word about Aaron, and thankfully he kept his mouth shut. 

She did as if there was anyone who caught my eye but I mainly brushed that off. My mother was a strong woman, especially since my father died. For the first couple of years, my grandma moved in with us so that she could help around the house and watch us. If she didn’t, I’m sure the house would have fallen apart. Eventually mom got back on her feet, but something became hard in her. She never dated again or made any indication of having feelings for another person. She thrusted herself into taking care of her children and her parents. She doesn’t know that there were times when I would wake up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water and I could hear her sobs and cries for my father. 

Moments will flash before my eyes of mom and dad doing domestic things together. Maybe they were actual memories, or maybe I convinced myself that the cute things that couples do in romance movies were things that my parents did. There is one memory though that I know is 100% real, and it's only because there’s a picture to prove it happened. Lucas was messing with mom’s new camera on the kitchen table and snapped the slightly out of focus moment of dad creeping up behind mom with mud covered hands. He was working outside and I was idly playing in the mud when I convinced him to make mud pies with me. He told me to be quiet and I followed him into the kitchen. Mom was at the sink washing dishes when suddenly dad grabbed her bare arms and made her jump out of surprise. Which was quickly followed by a shriek of horror that her arms were covered by mud. 

In response she flung the wet washcloth at dad and soapy water went flying through the air. A mixture of soap and mud created a mess over themselves, the counters, and floors. Bubbles drifted up to the ceiling and some went out of the open window. I loved that memory, it was one that I thought of often. Especially when I was doing the dishes. 

On Monday, I got the call from Lucas while my students were at lunch that things changed drastically and he had to be deployed that night. He had already called mom and told her the news, which she didn’t take too well too, but he needed me to drive him to his drop off location. I called my building principal, Dr. Smithfield, and he said he would take care of my class the rest of the afternoon. I packed my bags and left.

I cried when saying goodbye to him and I cried when I walked in the door to an empty house. I had planned on more time with him, but we didn’t get that. Murphy stuck to my side, as if he knew why I was upset, and I even let him sleep in my bed that night. 

On Tuesday, I called in sick so I didn’t have to pretend to be super cheery for my students. I texted with my mom and asked if she needed anything, but she wasn't responding. Probably left her phone like she usually does on the table while she’s out working. My next thought was to call Aaron. He did say to call him if I needed anything, but he was probably too busy at work to do anything, plus what could he do. He doesn’t have the authority to bring Lucas back, so besides that I don’t know what he could do. 

He could come over and hold you. Make you dinner here. I thought hopefully to myself. 

At least I have dinner tonight to look forward to. Unfortunately that means that I have to shower and put makeup on. Maybe brush my teeth too, that would probably be good. My rambling list of basic care that needed to be done was cut very short by my phone ringing. 

“Hey, Aaron.” I said with a touch of tiredness in my tone. There was a loud noise of commotion in the background before what I assume was a door shutting closed. 

“Y/N, hi. Jack said yesterday that you had left halfway through the day, I tried calling your work phone to reach you and a sub picked up. Is everything okay?” He spoke in a timid tone, waiting for my answer. I started choking up just a tad, “Yeah, well no. I will be soon. Lucas was deployed yesterday afternoon. He told me that things were bad over there which is why he had to leave weeks ahead of schedule. I just needed a personal day, tell Jack I’ll see him tomorrow.” 

He paused for a moment before responding, “Y/N I’m so sorry to hear that. I don’t have long to talk so I’m sorry I have to add to the bad news. There’s been a case and our plane leaves in two hours. I have to cancel our dinner plans tonight and reschedule when we get back.” 

I sucked in a breath and a small sob came out instead. “Y/N, please don’t cry.” 

“N-no, I’m sorry.” I wiped away the tears, “I understand. Your job is really important, that has to come first. Hopefully this case ends quickly. Sorry, I’m just really emotional right now.” I threw myself back down on my bed and the remaining tears rolled down the sides of my face and pieces of hair stuck to the wet skin. 

“I’ll keep you updated on when I’m back. I gotta go now.” We said goodbye to each other, but I didn’t notice that before we hung up that he heard the last sob that pushed past my lips. I thought the phone had clicked before that. I placed my phone on my nightstand and rolled over to take a nap. 

It didn't last long though. The mixture of the doorbell ringing, Murphy braying, and my headache pounding was just enough to put me on the verge of calling it quits. I slowly pulled myself from my bed and trampled downstairs. I was wearing a long shirt but I forgot to put shorts on in my mental state so I just had underwear on with it. My braided hair probably looked atrocious so I tried flattening it down with my hands before pulling the front door open.

There he stood, looking like a knight in shining armor in his dress pants and white collared shirt. His eyes studied me, gazing over my body, almost checking to make sure that I was physically okay. However I think he just wanted to sneak a peek. He opened the second glass door and let himself in, without talking he pulled me into his arms for a strong hug. 

Instantly I put part of my weight onto him so I could sink into the hug. His arms wrapped around my upper and lower back squeezed tighter and I shifted my head so that it was on his shoulder. The cologne he wore broke through my stuffy nose and it brought me comfort. He slowly swayed us from side to side and quietly whispered, “I couldn’t leave town without saying bye. I felt like I had to see you one more time.” 

I whimpered at that and he shushed me, rubbing his hand up and down my back. My shirt bunched under his touch so now his lower hand partially laid on top of the band of my underwear. His thumb on that hand smoothed itself over my skin over and over again, tracing the same path. “It means a lot, you stopping by here. Thank you Aaron.” I mumbled against him. 

“Is there anything I can do for you?” He softly asked me. I shrugged my shoulders slightly, “I honestly don’t know. Promise to be safe? I can’t spend the next several days, or however long, worrying about two people.” I felt his chest fill with air twice before he answered.

“Of course,” he placed his head on top of mine, “I promise I will be safe, as long as you take care of yourself. Okay?” I nodded in response and he pulled away a little bit. I snuck my arms around his waist and he put his hands on either side of my face. “I should be going now. I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize, please. You can’t be sorry for your job Aaron.” His brown eyes softened at that and a smile twitched onto his face. Before I could process what was happening, he tilted my head down a fraction and kissed my forehead. It was a firm kiss and I closed my eyes, hoping to commit this moment to memory. “I’ll see you soon, Y/N.” He slowly pulled back from me and opened the door. 

I stood at the door watching him pull away from the driveway and for a moment I felt like part of me left. A small fraction drove down the driveway with him in that black car. It was going to be a long week. 

Wednesday:

The school day went by so slow, it felt like pulling teeth. Jack was down in the dumps about his dad leaving and I had so much sympathy for him. Luckily I was going out to drink tonight with Sammy and the rest of our teacher friends. Normally we wouldn’t go out on a school night but tomorrow was a work from home day. All students had the day off and teachers got to catch up on their to-do list so I could drown my sorrows. Aaron had texted me late last night that he had landed and once again when he made it to his hotel room. I was thankful that he made it there safely and we texted for a little bit before he had to go to bed. 

After getting home and taking care of Murphy I went ahead and got ready to go out. I just put on light wash jeans and a low cut black bodysuit with my white shoes. Sammy came over early to get ready as well and of course then we just started drinking at home. We had a sober friend driving tonight so we continued to drink until they came by. The bar wasn’t really full, since it was a Wednesday, but plenty of us were there to make it more of a party. We sat around drinking for the next three hours and I admit that I had more than I should have had. 

I really wanted to drown my problems. The music was throbbing in my ears but it was a welcomed distraction. I was sitting at the table with Sammy, Mr. Mac (Whose real name is Mac), Daniel, Alice, and a couple others from my school that I don’t really talk to. Mac went to the bar to order a round of shots for our table, so I took that time to check my phone. No messages from Lucas or my mom, but there was a message from Aaron. The message came in ten minutes ago and it was already 11:30 so I wasn’t sure if he was still awake or not. 

I put all my focus on unlocking my phone in my drunk state and managed to get to the messages. 

Aaron: Are you still awake?

Me: Yess. You?

He read the message right away. 

Aaron: How are you today?

Me: Drunk, so good. You??

I could feel the alcohol buzzing through my veins mixed with the delight of talking to him. 

Me: You need to come home and drink with me, I’m funnn

Aaron: Yeah I can tell you are drunk. I’ll be home soon.

A stupid drunk smile plastered itself onto my lips. Mac came back to the table with shots in hand. We quickly threw them back and headed out onto the dance floor. All of us piled onto one another and continued dancing and taking drinks of our cocktails. Mac stole my phone and snapped a picture of Sammy and I on the dance floor. We were pressed up against one another, she was behind with her hands thrown up to the music and I was smiling over my shoulder to the camera with my drink in my hand. He slid my phone back into my back pocket and continued dancing. 

We went home probably an hour later and I stumbled up the stairs into my room. I peeled all the clothes off of my body and flopped down into the bed naked. I was out like a light in a minute. 

Light buzzing woke me up at 8:30 and I cursed myself for setting an alarm that early. I had a couple notifications from my mom, just wishing that I had a good day today and that she will see me this weekend, and one from Aaron.

Aaron: Looks like you enjoyed yourself last night. Let me know when you are up for the day

The fog in my brain almost caused me to type back asking what he meant, but then I scrolled back up to see that somehow the picture of me and Sammy was sent to him. I must have had my messages open when Mac took the photo and he must have sent it by accident. I threw my palm onto my forehead, how stupid could I be? 

Me: Morning :)

Aaron: Good morning, got any picture proof of that?

My eyes slightly widened at that before a blush crept its way to my neck. I opened my camera and pulled my blankets up higher so my body wouldn’t be on display. My half open eyes and sleepy smile stared back at me before I hit send.

Me: That picture last night was sent by accident, sorry about that. 

Aaron: Ah good, you are awake. 

Aaron: Thought it was a good picture of you though

That blush was full force now. I sat up slowly in bed and sat cross legged. 

Me: Well thanks. How is your case going? 

Aaron: Can’t say much, but we should be closing in soon. It’s been rough, that’s for sure. 

Me: My offer still stands, come by if you need or want to talk. 

Aaron: Thank you Y/N. Have a good day today

Me: You too Aaron. 

I pulled on a shirt and headed downstairs to let Murphy out. I locked the door behind me so he could have plenty of time to do his morning business and I went back upstairs to shower. The hot water woke me up and released the tension in my muscles. I stood there for a few minutes just letting the water rush over me until my skin was beet red. I grabbed my scalp scrubber and lathered my hair in shampoo. My poor roots were so sensitive to the scrubbing that it hurt a little bit but it felt good too. 

I let the conditioner sit in my hair for a couple of minutes while I washed my body with lavender soap. The ick of the bar washed off and I felt content with that. After I finished rinsing everything out of my hair I stopped the water and wrapped myself in a big towel. I grabbed my hair brush and slicked my hair back before walking downstairs to let Murphy back in. He trotted back in and went straight to his bowl. Looking down at his empty bowl he threw his head back and howled. I laughed at him and picked up his bowl to fill it up. He’s on one of those fancy diets so he gets his normal food with raw fruits and veggies, powdered supplements, and oil to make his fur shiny. 

As he gobbled that food up I grabbed the coffee from the fridge and made myself a large thing of iced coffee and started making myself breakfast. Today my plans consisted of grading assignments, going over the notes the sub left, and having a meeting with my grade level at 2pm. I headed upstairs with a plate of food and my drinks so I could get busy with work. I swapped my towel for cropped black leggings and one of my college sweatshirts. I stripped the sheets off of my bed and put those in the wash and went back to the office to enjoy my breakfast. 

Murphy switched between laying on my feet and then sunbathing in the glass door that led to the balcony.  Before I knew it, it was lunch time and I had all assignments caught up and I went over the sub notes. Thankfully nothing bad happened while I was gone so there wasn’t anything that I needed to discuss on Friday. Murphy stretched out and pawed at my leg. I took him on a quick walk up and down the street to stretch his legs and returned to make lunch. I had plenty of leftovers to heat up so I grabbed the pizza and started the oven up. 

I really wanted to text Aaron but I didn’t want to interrupt his work day. Instead I put my phone down and looked over one of my new books. I had roughly an hour until my meeting so I read for a bit and then put my freshly washed sheets back on my bed. I was pretty happy with how my room was turning out. The queen sized bed had dark emerald green colored sheets and a matching cream comforter, and it was adorned with a mixture of cream and green pillows. The rest of my room had my light wooden dresser, bookshelf, and nightstands. For now I was doing my makeup in the bathroom, but I’m having a vanity shipped here so that I can have more room in the bathroom storage. The walls were still pretty bare for now, with the exception of my round black mirror above the dresser and a shelf above my bed filled with vintage sepia photos. 

Saturday: 

I woke up around 4am to the phone ringing and for a moment I contemplated throwing it against the wall. With my eyes half closed I pulled the phone off of the charger and picked it up. “Hello?” I grumbled out and rubbed my face in hopes of waking myself up. 

“Y/N, I’m so sorry I woke you, but I wouldn’t have called unless it was important.” Aaron’s warm voice soothed over the phone. I blinked a couple of times and looked at the alarm clock. 

“S’okay, what's up? Are you home now?” I let out a small yawn before he responded in a timid voice. 

“Yeah, our plane just landed 20 minutes ago. I-I wanted to take you up on your offer, this case didn’t end well.” He let out a stressed sigh and I felt bad for him. I was more awake now so I forced my eyes open, “Of course. Come on over, just text me when you are here so I can unlock the door.” 

He promised he would be there in the next 15 minutes so I grabbed my silk robe and headed downstairs to wait for him. I sat down in the armchair and scrolled through my phone, trying to stay awake but sleep kept pushing itself further into me. I remember nodding off and then being woken to my phone ringing again. 

I got up and unlocked the door, unbothered to even check who was calling me. Aaron looked more exhausted than I did. His hair was free of product and his shirt was loosened up. His eyes looked almost wild, like he had just seen the most horrific sight. I pulled my robe tighter around myself and held the door open while he walked in. He kicked off his shoes and neatly placed them next to mine and silently followed me upstairs. In his left hand he had a small black duffle bag, which I assumed had his work clothes in it. 

“What can I get you? Food or drink? If you need to shower feel free to use mine.” I talked quietly while we went up the stairs. He mulled over my offers and said that a shower would be nice. I grabbed him an extra fluffy towel from the linen closet and showed him to my bathroom. I discarded my robe and sat back down on the bed waiting for him. I wasn’t sure what he was expecting from this but he said that he needed to talk so that’s the least I can do for him. I went over in my head all the typical, ‘I’m sure that must have been hard’ and ‘I can’t imagine the stress you went through’ responses to things. 

Lucas would tell me stories from his previous deployment, but I had no clue what to expect from an FBI agent. I heard the shower turn on and I laid down on the bed and against my will my eyes started drooping lower and lower until they finally closed. The bed dipped down towards my feet and I peeled my eyes open. In front of me was Aaron sitting with his shoulders hunched over. His wet hair left little marks on the white cotton shirt. I sat for a moment laying there, just watching him. The thin white material mixed with the water still on his skin made the shirt cling to him. 

I fought the urge to sit behind him and rub the tension out of his back. Thankfully I didn’t have to fight myself for long as he stood up and turned around to find me watching him. He had on black sweatpants and to be honest I think this would be the only time I would ever see him in relaxed clothing. “I-” he started before pausing to collect his thoughts, “Thank you for the shower, I needed that. I’m used to bad cases, but for some reason this one stuck with me.” 

I patted the other side of my bed to get him to sit closer while I pushed myself up to sit against the pillows and headboard. I folded my legs under me and twisted my body so that I was facing him, “I think that in your profession, if you stopped letting every case get to you then you wouldn’t be human anymore. When we went through our Master’s program we met with so many teachers that quit their jobs because they lost themselves to it. They burnt out and stopped letting everything get to them and they said that they hated how they felt.” 

He hummed in response and took a deep breath, “I haven’t done this,” I gestured between us, “before so whatever it is you need me to do, just tell me.” I said softly. He nodded and said that he just needs me to listen, he needs to get it off his chest. 

Before Aaron started talking he readjusted himself on the bed so that he was laying on his back, facing the ceiling. I had to hold back a giggle because he reminded me of a person laying on the bed talking to their shrink. Once he started talking though, he didn’t stop for another three hours. I sat there quietly, nodding along and offering words of encouragement to talk it out. His hands would move around to animate his story, but when his left hand dropped and landed on my upper knee, he kept it there. I’m not sure if it grounded him, or if he just wanted some sort of physical contact, but I didn’t dare move his leg. 

When he was done talking about this case, he immediately jumped into another case that was bothering him from a year ago. At this point I had no clue how he kept going without passing out, but another wave of exhaustion hit me. I slid down the bed, Aaron’s hand pulling away from my knee temporarily, and laid on my side to face him. I kept my left arm laying out from my body and he replaced his hand back to now grab mine. Despite the horrible stories that came out of his mouth, the warmth of his speech pattern kept me calm. 

“You look like you are going to fall asleep.” He remarked when he finally took a look at me. I smiled and blushed a little, ”Sorry. I’m trying so hard to stay awake for you, I promise.” 

“Are you okay if I stay? Just for a couple more hours?” He timidly asked and I opened my eyes enough to see him shyly looking down at me. As if he was a little child, but I could tell that if I said no that he would be hurting. A sleepy smile pulled at my mouth and I mumbled out a yes. He reached over to the lamp and turned in off before settling back in. 

I didn’t move from his side but he didn’t seem to mind as he pulled the covers higher around us. The last thing I remember is him saying goodnight and his lips pressing into my hair. 

#aaron hotch x reader #aaron hotch hotchner #criminal minds #emily prentiss #jj jareau #derek morgan #spencer reid #david rossi #jack hotchner #fluff #smutt #teacher #slow burn #fbi #bau

[dancingqueen0019]

Saving Grace Ch. 4

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Themes: Budding Relationship, Fluff, Awkward Love, Slow-Burn ish, Age Gap (roughly 15 years; Aaron 40ish and Reader 25)

Warnings: Mention of murders, natural death of parent (reader’s parent), slight cursing (?), school drama (slight bullying, additional school assistance)

Author’s Note: Chapter 4! This one is a bit shorter today. I am finishing up school for the Summer so I can’t make a longer chapter until later this week. Hope you enjoy it though

Additional Warning: This chapter contains talk of deployment and other military aspects, so if you are affected by that please proceed with caution (nothing gory, it’s just sad conversation)

“You’ve got to be shitting me Y/N! A student’s dad? You’re going out on a date with his dad?!” My best friend Sammy screeched over the phone as I folded laundry on my bed. I cringed a bit at the loud noise since I was still tired from last night. I rolled my eyes at the phone, “Yes, it’s his dad. I will say though, he’s very very good looking and so easy to talk to.” 

She laughed a bit over the phone and I blushed, “Knock it off Sammy. I know it’s weird, trust me. I hardly slept last night because I kept going over all the details and implications of the whole situation. What happens if other parents find out? What happens if Dr. Smithfield finds out? Is this even going to go past a dinner date? What wil—”

“Alright, alright. You knock it off now, you’re giving me a headache. Listen, I think you should just go in with no expectations for what will happen after the date and just see where things go. As far as the parents and Dr. Smithfield goes, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. You said it was going to be at his place so it’s not like you guys will be out in public. I do have one condition though.” Sammy said in all seriousness, I dropped the neatly folded hand towel on the pile.

“And what is that?” I asked sarcastically.

“You have to tell me EVERYTHING annnd you have to convince Lucas to take me out on an actual date.” She said mischievously and I could only imagine that if she was over right now she would be elbowing me in the side. Lucas had asked Sammy out on a date nearly four months ago and while she thought it was an actual date, he didn’t. That thing inside his head didn’t compute that you have to make an effort to plan at least the first date. Since then they’ve just talked off and on but I know deep down they both wanted to try it again.  

“I will see what I can do but there’s talk of him deploying within the next few weeks. Who knows if it’ll be tomorrow or four weeks from now.” I begrudgingly said and grabbed the folded shorts to put back in the dresser. 

She sighed over the phone, “Man, that’s unfortunate. I don’t want to impose on your last few weeks with him so I’ll be okay and wait for him to come back. When you get his shipping address would you send it to me? I can send him some care packages.” I confirmed with her that I would give her the address but I also told her that it wasn’t necessary to avoid him. 

We talked the rest of the time while I put my clothes away until she needed to get ready for a get together with her work friends. We both met freshman year of college in one of our education classes and since then, we’ve been inseparable. She got a job at the other elementary school in the same district so we at least live close together and I get to see her at district events. 

Lucas would be back any moment, I sent him out to go get donuts before we deep clean the house. He finally got all the boxes in the office put away, but since he will be leaving sooner or later, those boxes are going to not only pile up in the office but also spill out into the living room. He’s been deployed once before, but that was back when I was still in school and he was living back home with mom. His absence didn’t make a huge difference for me in the sense that we weren’t physically living together anyways, but now that we share a space, I can only imagine how difficult it’ll be for me. Additionally, just missing him and worrying about him too will be enough to drive me crazy for the next six to seven months. That’s if his mission goes smoothly and he doesn’t decide to stay longer like some of his buddies have. 

I have a few projects in mind though to keep me busy such as painting the living room and my bedroom, as well as redoing the whole half bathroom. I’ll probably go through everything in the house and organize it, even though we did that when I moved in. I’m sure Sammy will come over a lot and keep me company, and I have my mom living an hour away so I can go visit her and the grandparents. During college my mom decided to move in with her parents so that she could care for them because grandma had a heart attack and grandpa’s bad knee was giving him too many issues to keep up with the house and caring for the stables. 

My grandparents owned a decent sized ranch and had a couple of horses, cows, and goats to fill the area up. Back when Lucas and I were younger we would have riding lessons out there and I continued to learn Western saddle well through high school. Personally my favorite was roping and barrel racing, whereas Lucas liked bronco bucking as well as barrel racing. The horses left on the farm included our two horses from high school as well as grandpa’s old draft horse that he was adamant on purchasing. 

“Hey! I’m back Bug. I ate all your donuts on the way back though.” Lucas shouted from the bottom of the stairs. I sprinted out of the room to the top to see him standing there with the donut box in hand, “You wouldn’t dare.” I retorted with squinting eyes. 

Bug was the nickname he had for me when we were kids. It really wasn’t a good one to begin with but it stuck because he had terrorized me with a giant bug when I was six. From that day, I’ve always been Bug to him. “Yeah? Looks like you’ll have to catch me if you want them.” He said with a shit eating grin on his face. As quickly as he said that, he was backing away and running out the back door. I flew down the steps and slid across the hardwood floors because of my socks, but I managed to recover and tear open the back door. I quickly scanned the backyard to find him slipping out the gate and I went after him. He still had the donut box in hand so I couldn’t tackle him so I knew I had to be careful. “You jerk, I just wanted the donuts, I don’t need to work out today!” 

He started back around the other side of the house so I cut through the front door and ended up surprising him when he jumped over the black metal fence. He almost dropped the donuts in doing so, but thankfully he recovered. We both laughed and panted a bit from the sudden burst of exercise, “I’m glad you stopped,” I said between breaths, “or else I would have used the garden hose next.” He chuckled at that, “Yeahh, then your donuts would have been ruined Bug, and that’s not the best way to start the day.” 

We sat outside on the small concrete slab with the donut box between us. We ate in silence for a moment before he spoke up, “So, Addams isn’t deploying with us this time. He is on medical leave from his surgery, but he said he would keep an eye on you and the house while we are gone.” I looked down in my lap and swallowed the chunk of donut. I hated this moment, he had the same talk with me and mom before he deployed last. It’s the ‘Here’s what’ll happen when I’m gone, if I don’t come back here’s what you need to do’ talk. I pucker my lips and sadly said, “Thank you. I don’t plan on doing anything crazy so I’ll keep my head down for a while. Murphy and I will be just fine while you are away, and I’ll keep an eye on mom. Is there anything else?”

He took a deep breath, “Yeah, I updated my living will.” I paused in chewing the next bite of my glazed donut before resuming, “Now that you are living with me I am leaving the house in your name and Murphy will be under your care if something happens. The Marines will be sure to take care of you and help you with anything, again if something happens.” The silence after he said that was thick and heavy. It was like added weight was pressing down on my shoulders, but all I wanted to do was shake it off and run. I knew this talk would happen, but I hated the way he said things. Tears stung the corners of my eyes but I blinked them away as quickly as they came. 

I took a shaky breath in before finally looking at him, he sat with his elbows on top of his legs so he was leaning towards me. The look on his face said it all, he was more worried about me being by myself than his own life. He’s my big brother so of course he was worried about me, but I’m not the one risking my life every single day. “Okay, that works for me. I’ll sign whatever papers you have for me. Thank you for looking out for me.” I put my hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. He stood up and said he would go get them, but by the way he walked slowly into the house meant he was giving me time to process everything. Once the door closed I let the tears I was holding back flow out and down my cheeks. They were big hot tears of sadness and anger that he was leaving. 

I let out a couple of sobs before my phone started ringing. I wiped the tears from my eyes so I could see properly to read that it was Aaron calling me. I forced a couple huffs of air out and picked up. “Hello?” I asked and instantly cringed because my voice was shaky. 

“Y/N? Is everything alright?” His warm voice was laced with worry and if I had to guess, he was probably frowning and had his eyebrows pulled together. 

“Um,” I cleared my voice a bit, “yeah sorry. Lucas was informing me about his pending deployment. Wha-what can I do for you?” He quickly said that he could call back later, he was just checking to see what day would work for me for our dinner date. “No, it's okay. Off the top of my head, I am free except for Wednesday.” We agreed that Tuesday would work best and before he hung up the phone he wished me well and said that if I needed anything that I should call him. 

Throughout that I didn’t notice that Lucas had reappeared with the updated will and a pen tucked between his ear and head. “Sounds like you two have a good thing going on. Can I count on him to watch out for you too?” I whipped my head to the side and wiped the stray tear that leaked out. 

I smiled softly, “He is a good man. I’m not 100% sure what we have going on but I intend to play things out. From what I can tell though, you can trust that he will be there for me.” Lucas nodded and sat back down. 

“As your big brother I don’t need to know the dating details of your life, but I want to make sure that you are cared for. Don’t think for a second that I wouldn’t go AWOL to come home and beat him to a pulp if he hurts you, because I will.” He said in a tough tone as he was puffing his chest out. I rolled my eyes at him and agreed with what he said though. He handed me the pen and I signed my name on the document. 

We cleaned up breakfast, turned on the stereo, and got started on our deep clean. During that time we talked about my work, his buddies, Aaron, and I brought up him asking Sammy out on a date. He blushed when I brought her name up and agreed that he would ask her out before he left. The time passed quickly and soon enough we were placing an order for Chinese take out for dinner. As I was feeding Murphy his dinner Lucas called out for me. “Buggg, your boyfriend is texting you.” My heart instantly warmed but I kept a neutral expression on my face. 

“Oh stop! He’s not my boyfriend, we aren’t dating.” I returned back to my phone to see what he had sent.

Aaron: Are you doing okay?

I partially smiled at that.

Me: Yes, I’m doing a bit better.

Aaron: Good, I just wanted to check in on you. What plans do you have tonight?

Me: We just ordered Chinese, haven’t planned much past that and a movie. What about you and Jack?

Aaron: He’s having a couple friends over from soccer to spend the night. Hope your evening gets better.

Me: Oh I do not envy you at all haha. Thank you, same to you.

Dinner was delivered and we cracked open a few beers to enjoy while we watched our movie. I was deeply going to miss these moments together until he came back. God and the rest of the universe could only keep him safe now and I sat there silently praying and begging that he would come home quickly and in one piece. 

Out of the blue Lucas turns to me, “I swear, if I come back and this Aaron due has you knocked up, I’ll kill him.”

#criminal minds #aaron hotch hotchner #aaron hotch x reader #emily prentiss #derek morgan #spencer reid #penelope garcia #david rossi #fbi #bau #fluff #smut #teacher #jack hotchner

[dancingqueen0019]

Saving Grace Ch. 3

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Themes: Budding Relationship, Fluff, Awkward Love, Slow-Burn ish, Age Gap (roughly 15 years; Aaron 40ish and Reader 25)

Warnings: Mention of murders, natural death of parent (reader’s parent), slight cursing (?), school drama (slight bullying, additional school assistance)

Author’s Note: Chapter 3! This one is a long one, I apologize for that. I will make the next two shorter to give you guys a bit of a break.

School started about two months ago now and so far it was going pretty well. The students and I got along very well and everyone was well on their way to transitioning to how I run my classroom. When I had first met Jack I couldn’t get over how adorable he was and he almost immediately earned a soft spot in my heart. Of course I kept my eye on him due to Aaron and I’s meeting, but overall he is one of my best students. This past week we’ve been working on our writing and storytelling skills in order to prepare for our upcoming Hero Day in two weeks. The Hero Day is a chance for students to invite their modern heros to class and give a short story about why they are their hero. It really could be taken as a ‘Bring your parent to school’ day but not every child has someone to bring so we altered it to hero. Most students have their parents or aunt or uncle written down, others have family friends, and one student is adamant about inviting his mailman. I mean hey, if the kid really connects with the mailman, more power to him. 

I had just gotten back from escorting the students to the lunch room when my personal phone went off on my desk. Aaron was calling me which surprised me a bit. Usually we’ve been contacting through email and text messaging so whatever this was about must have been a phone call worthy enough. “Hi Aaron, what can I do for you?” I said in a bright and cheery voice. 

“Hey, Y/N,” he started in a quieter voice before sounding tense, “there’s been a work emergency and I am in a bit of a bind. Jack’s aunt is out of town and the sitter isn’t answering my messages, would you–”

“I can take Jack home from school if that is what you are asking, yes. I’ll stay with him till you get home. He can come to my house if that’s okay with you or if there’s a spare key then I can bring him back to your place.”

He sighed out in relief, “Oh Y/N, thank you. I will pay you for your time, I just don’t know how long this will be. I will make sure to keep you updated though. It might be easier for him to go to your place if that works with you. You don’t understand how grateful I am right now.” 

I smiled sweetly over the phone, “Don’t worry, I’ll explain to him what’s going on after they come back from recess and lunch. And please, there’s no need to pay me, I am happy to help you.”

He had to hang up pretty quickly after that so I spent the rest of my free time resetting the classroom and making sure my afternoon lessons were ready to go. 

Jack was a bit sad to hear that his dad couldn’t pick him up from work, but I promised him that we would have a lot of fun together back at my place until his dad came. The rest of the Friday afternoon finished quicker than I imagined and now Jack and I were packing up our bags. “So, what do you say we go and get a Friday treat? You pick, we can do ice cream, milkshakes, slushies. What sounds good?” His eyes got wide at that and he smiled really big. He definitely got his smile from his dad. “Wow, really?” I nodded, “Can we get slushies from Sonic?” 

We practically ran down the hall together to get to my car, someone was very excited for his Friday treat. If Jack wasn’t with me, I would have gone anyway. There isn’t anything wrong with a treat every once in a while. On the way there we talked about how he liked the lessons today and what he did at recess. Since the whole grade goes out for recess, Jack gets to meet more people and form more friendships. The other teachers and I tend to gossip during our free periods so we tend to have a pretty good idea of who is friends with who and what drama is going down in everyone’s classes. 

“Yeah, I’m not sure about Tristin, he’s in Mr. Mac’s class. He’s been saying some mean things to a couple of the other girls and boys. Today he was so mad that he actually pulled on the new girl’s braids. I don’t know what happened but it was really sad.” Jack piped up from the back seat as we waited for the Sonic worker to bring us our drinks. I frowned and turned a bit in my seat to look back at him on the passenger side, “He pulled another person’s braids? Did the recess monitors see any of that?” 

He flattened his lips into a line and shook his head no, “I don’t think they saw and no one said anything. I wanted to, but my friends told me it wouldn’t be a good idea. They said that Tristin would come after me if I told on him.” 

“Oh, well that’s all very sad, isn’t it?” He nodded in agreement, “I think maybe next time something happens you should speak up. It’s the right thing to do because then it shows the person who Tristin hurt that you are there for them.” I said in hopes that he would listen to my advice. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll speak to Mr. Mac and see if he has any clue what happened. Maybe then something can be done.” 

Our drinks came out pretty quickly after that and then we continued our drive back to my place. We talked the rest of the way about what he normally does when he gets home from school and I gave him ideas of what activities we can do while waiting for his dad to get off work. The first thing we agreed on was finishing up his work from today and then taking Murphy to the park. From there we will see if Aaron will be able to pick him up or I’ll start making dinner for the both of us. 

Murphy was excited to be let out of his kennel. But even more excited to see that there was a new human for him to meet. His heavy body trampled over the ground with ears flopping backwards as Jack dropped to his knees to greet him. Just like his dad, Jack began rubbing right behind Murphy’s ears, remarking how the dog was a good boy. He let out a gut laugh when Murphy reached up and licked under Jack’s chin to get the syrupy leftovers of the slushie. 

“He’s a funny dog!” Jack remarked as he received more puppy kisses, I chuckled and stroked Murphy’s back. 

“Yes he is! He loves getting belly rubs and treats. Do you want to give him one after I let him outside to go potty?” He nodded at me and stood up. We walked to the kitchen and Jack sat down at the island to finish his slushie while I opened the back door for Murphy. Jack opened his backpack and pulled out his daily folder with his assigned homework. There wasn’t much since it was Friday and little kids shouldn’t receive much homework anyways in my opinion. All that he should have left is working on his Hero Day writing and some math, along with his weekly reading log. My phone buzzed in my pocket notifying me I got a text message.

Aaron: How is he doing?

Me: He is good! Just got home and already doing his homework. We are going to head to the park right after he is done if there’s time. 

Aaron: Sounds good. Will probably be here for a few more hours. Thank you Y/N

Me: Hope it gets better :) 

Murphy and I headed back in and I pulled a treat out of his “cookie” jar and walked over to Jack so he could give it to him. He hopped down from the island bar seat and had Murphy sit down before giving him the treat. Murphy loudly crunched on it and licked his lips to get any remaining crumbs off. 

For the next 30 minutes we sat together at the island working on our own things. We made small talk and I stopped every so often to check his work for him and help him find the right math answers. Not that Jack needed much help anyways, he was arguably the smartest student in the room. On my side, I sifted through emails and looked ahead to the upcoming week to see what I needed to prepare. Next week we will be starting to learn more about counting on a number line, simple subtraction equations, and we are starting our first spelling quiz. They’ve had time to work dependently and independently on their sight words and now we get to see where everyone is on their spelling. 

Soon enough we packed his bag back up, grabbed Murphy’s leash and headed to the park. There was one in my neighborhood so there was no need for us to drive there. It was still pretty warm for it being early October so I figured we wouldn’t stay too long, especially with having to prepare dinner. Surprisingly, there were a few students from school at the park so Jack was able to have someone to play with. The playground wasn’t the biggest, but it was still function able. There were swings and a climbing area with several slides. The neighborhood supplied some basketballs and bouncy dodge balls for kids to play with if they forgot theirs. Murphy and I found a bench to sit on while Jack went off with his friends. 

A few minutes had passed and a gentleman came walking over to me, he looked nice enough but I wasn’t so sure what he wanted so that made me a little uneasy. Murphy picked his head up out of curiosity and inspected the man, “Hi ma’am. My name is Will LaMontagne, my boy,” he pointed towards the blonde haired boy playing with Jack, “Henry, is friends with Jack from school. My wife works with his dad. I saw you walk here with Jack, I’m just curious how you know him?” 

I held up my hand to block out the sun so I could see this, Will, person better. “Oh, I’m Jack’s teacher, Ms. Y/N. Aaron said there was a hold up at work and no one could look after Jack, so I’m just watching him until Aaron can come get him. Would you like to sit down?” 

Will sat down on the bench next to me and continued talking, “My wife had told me that Aaron was fond of his son’s new teacher this year. You’ve really helped Jack which in return has helped Aaron. We’ve all been trying to help look after both of them for the past year now.” He said with a strong southern drawl. He opened his water bottle and took a long drink from it and wiped his forehead from the sweat that had gathered there. 

Continuing to look out at the boys I said, “He briefly mentioned their situation to me before the school year started. I don’t know the full story nor is it my place to ask about that, but I shared with him that when I was Jack’s age I went through something similar. I kind of just keep an extra eye out for Jack, he’s a really sweet and smart boy though. Shame that he has known such a big trauma early on, same for Aaron too.” Will took a deep breath next to me and straightened his legs out, “Yes it is,” he started, “this job is hard on the kids the most so I know deep down Aaron appreciates the help. He may not say it, but he does.” 

The boys came running back to us a few minutes later to show us the cool rocks that Henry found, “Do you think Uncle Spence will like ‘em?” the little boy asked hopefully. His dad looked at the rocks, pretending to inspect them with great care, “Well, I’ll be” he started and looked up to him, “I think you found some very special rocks. Uncle Spence will be happy to get these buddy.” Henry smiled from ear to ear and his little body hopped up and down in excitement. 

“Henry! This is Murphy, he’s a funny looking dog but he’s nice.” Jack said, motioning to Murphy who was laying under my legs. He slowly pulled himself to his feet and walked out to greet the boys. His tail wagged and thumped against my leg as both of them began patting him on his head. “He is a funny looking doggie.” Henry said laughing, which in return got all of us smiling. 

Will and Henry only stayed a little bit more because they were at the park originally for a play date, so Jack and I decided it was probably close to time for us to head back too. It was already 5:15 at night so dinner needed to be made soon. We decided on spaghetti, green beans, strawberries and of course garlic bread. As I prepared dinner, Jack sat in one of the armchairs reading his school books. I looked up from cutting the strawberries and saw that he wasn’t sitting in the chair any longer, but instead he was laying on the ground with Murphy. More like, laying on Murphy since his head was on the dog’s stomach. As I approached them both from behind, I heard Jack reading out loud to him and the sight made me all warm and happy inside. 

Very quickly and quietly I pulled my phone out from my back pocket and snapped a picture to send to Aaron later. The oven timer beeped to let me know that the bread was done so I made my way back to the kitchen, “Hey Jack,” his head poked up from the floor, “dinner will be ready in just a minute. How about you finish your page and go wash your hands for me.” He responded with an okay and I started putting food on the plates. 

Dinner was eaten very quickly and Jack even offered to help me clean up the dishes. I rinsed them off in the sink since he couldn’t reach quite that high and I didn’t have a step stool, and he put them in the dishwasher. “How much longer till dad gets here?” He asked quietly. I had no answer for him, nor had Aaron texted me any updates in a few hours. “Let me text him and ask. I don’t know if he’s in a meeting so I don’t want to call and interrupt.” He nodded and closed the dishwasher door so I could start it. 

Me: Hey there, just checking in. Things are all good here, Jack just misses you.

About ten minutes went by with no reply so Jack and I headed upstairs to watch a children’s movie. After a long discussion about what movie would be best, he decided on Monsters Inc. Him and I tucked in with our own plush blankets and Murphy forced his way to be right next to Jack and laid his head on Jack’s leg. “You know, I think he likes you a whole lot now.” I mentioned to Jack and he patted Murphy’s belly, “I really like him too. Wished that dad’s apartment would let us have a dog.” The intro credits started so Jack’s attention was drawn away from any conversation and instead he focused on the movie. My phone buzzed in my lap signaling it was Aaron. 

Aaron: Sorry, things were more messy than I thought. Tell him that I will be on my way within the next hour. Thank you again, Y/N

Me: No, you are totally fine! I will pass the message onto him. I snapped these pictures earlier, he is having a good time here. 

I attached the photo of him and Murphy, along with a photo from dinner. Jack’s face was covered in pasta sauce and he was leaning forward with a cheesy grin on his face with his fork and knife in each hand. 

Aaron: He does seem to be having a good time. Definitely needed those pictures.

I sat my phone back down and turned to tell Jack the news and he was really happy to hear that. We continued to laugh at the movie and Jack even got up to mimic some of the scenes. He said that it was his favorite movie and obviously that's the case since he was able to quote a lot of it. Eventually he tired himself out after that and playing tug of war with Murphy, so he ended up curled up next to my side and very quickly fell asleep. Aaron had texted me a minute ago that he would be there later than expected, but he would call when he’s on his way. 

Two more hours had passed and by now it was 10:30. I had put on another movie just for myself since Jack was still asleep when my phone started ringing. 

“Hello?” I whispered in order to not wake Jack.

“It's Aaron, I am so sorry Y/N that it’s this late. I am on my way, I will be there in 20 minutes.” He sounded both tired and tense over the phone. Poor guy, I thought to myself. He has got to be exhausted too. On any given night I would have been passed out by 9pm but I tend to stay up pretty late on the weekends so I was good to go. We hung up after that and I figured I should go get Jack’s bag ready to leave. I slowly shifted myself off the couch and propped Jack up with a few pillows before making my way downstairs. It only took a couple minutes to put everything in his bag so I started a pot of coffee and emptied out the dishwasher. 

Aaron texted me that he was out front so I padded my way across the room in my pjs to open the door for him. The October air was chilly against my bare legs but I didn’t mind it as much. During Monsters Inc. I had excused myself and changed into an oversized shirt and a pair of shorts, as well as put my hair up into a sloppy bun and put on my glasses. On any day I don’t need my glasses, but I typically like to wear them when I’m working or late at night. Aaron walked quickly up to the door and I let him in. “Hi, Jack is sleeping upstairs. We were watching movies in the living room.” I said as he closed the main door behind himself. He wasn’t wearing his suit jacket and his tie looked to be long gone. The top two buttons were undone and the relaxed look went further with the sleeves of his light blue shirt rolled up to his forearms. 

I had to tell myself to blink and not stare at him so openly, I had to admit though that he is very good looking. I mean, despite him being several years older than me, he still had a good physique. His wide shoulders and tall frame made him look very commanding. “I just wanted to say it again but thank you Y/N. I trust that Jack minded his manners all evening?” 

I nodded my head and walked back towards the kitchen with him following behind a bit slower. “Oh, of course he did! And please, I really enjoyed watching him so it was not a problem, I promise. By the looks of it, you had a rough evening.” He scoffed and leaned his forearms against the counter. Stop staring, I said to myself, it’s just arms…just..incredibly toned arms…and they belong to Aaron.

“Yeah,” he said and that startled me enough to look back at his face, “it was a rough one, and that’s saying a lot coming from my line of work.” His eyebrows pulled together like they did when I had that cut on my forehead. I didn’t realize that my hand traced that small scar until Aaron asked, “How is your cut? Did it heal okay?”. He moved around to my side of the kitchen island and stood about a foot away. His hand pushed the wisps of hair out of the way to look at it.

“Um yeah, yes. Yes, it did heal okay.” I said in a quiet voice. I didn’t trust myself to speak too loud. My eyes finally had the courage to look up at his face, only to see that he was staring right at me with a fierce intensity. His eyes darted around and the hand that was on my forehead pressed itself a little firmer against it to hold me in place. 

All that my brain could yell at me was He’s a student's father. You’ll be fired for this! What I wanted was to stay like this. Something about Aaron made me feel safe and I couldn’t help but feel drawn to him. But we couldn’t pursue anything. Right? 

“I uh, made some coffee. Would you like any for the ride home?” I meekly said. Aaron pressed his lips together and slowly dropped his hand from my face.

“Coffee sounds lovely, thank you.” He stepped back and went to sit down on the barstools. As I grabbed him a to-go mug and poured the coffee in I took a moment to tell him about Jack’s afternoon. 

“So Jack has all his homework done for the weekend, and when he was done we went to the park with Murphy. I met someone that knows you, Will LaMontagne?” Aaron confirmed who he was and made mention that they were good friends. When I went to hand Aaron his coffee his hand clasped around mine for a moment before pulling away. It was just long enough though for the silence to creep back in and our eyes flicked to one another to hold a warm gaze. “Um, would you like anything to put in it? I have milk, sugar, and I still have some creamer in the fridge.” I said quickly and folded my hands across my stomach. 

“No, thank you though. I suppose I should get going soon. I don’t want to impose for longer than I should and it’s been a rough day.” He said quietly and took a long sip of the black coffee. I got a little sad at that, I would love to sit and hear about his day, good or bad. Plus then you could make a move on him, I remarked to myself. I internally groaned at the thought of letting him out that door and leaving me to an empty house, but he did need to get Jack home. 

“Well, I’m sorry to hear it was a rough day. If you ever need to talk about it, I’m all ears. Feel free to stop by, I’ve got plenty of coffee or if you need something stronger, then I’ve got alcohol stocked up too.” He smiled at that and said he would keep the offer in mind. He slung the small backpack over one shoulder and we walked up the stairs to get Jack. I pulled Murphy off of Jack so Aaron could scoop him up and hold him against his chest. 

I stood on the front porch with my arms crossed and watched as Aaron buckled Jack into the backseat and then closed the door. To my surprise, Aaron walked back up the front path to me. He was fidgeting with his hands before he stopped about two feet away from me. The wind picked up a bit and I really could smell his dark smelling cologne, and let me tell you, my goosebumps were not from the wind. “I uh, I just have one more thing to say..” he started in a nervous voice, “I know you are his teacher and you are much younger than me so it makes this all the more wrong, but would you like to come over for dinner sometime? As a date, that is, when Jack is away.” The words rushed out of his mouth and so did the air in my lungs. My brain honestly stopped for a moment before I had to force myself to breathe. “Right, sorry. That crossed a line, you uh, you have a good night Ms. Y/N.” He said before taking a step back and started towards his car again.

“Wait!” I called out to him and he spun around so quickly with hope on his face. I took a few more steps so that we were within a foot of one another. A dinner can’t be that bad, it’s just one dinner, nothing can really happen, can it? I bargained with myself before a big smile spread across my face. “Dinner would be nice, I don’t really have any plans in the near future so whenever it works for you.” Relief flooded his face and his shoulders dropped a few inches. “I will check my work calendar and call you sometime this weekend.” Aaron said happily and reached down to grab my hand before planting a kiss on the knuckles. Our eyes locked and my heart felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest, he has got to hear it beating, I’m sure of it. 

We said goodnight to one another and he waited for me to walk back into my home before driving away. I locked the door behind me and sat down in the armchair to review what the hell just happened. I figured it was all good though because a stupid smile was plastered on my face and it wouldn’t go away as I headed upstairs for bed.

#aaron hotch x reader #smut #fluff #criminal minds #emily prentiss #jj jareau #derek morgan #spencer reid #penelope garcia #david rossi #jack hotchner #teacher #love #age gap #aaron hotch hotchner

[dancingqueen0019]

Saving Grace Ch. 2

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Themes: Budding Relationship, Fluff, Awkward Love, Slow-Burn ish, Age Gap (roughly 15 years; Aaron 40ish and Reader 25)

 Warnings: Mention of murders, natural death of parent (reader’s parent), slight cursing (?), school drama (slight bullying, additional school assistance)

Author’s Note: Chapter 2 Here we go! Hope you enjoy :)

Humming along to the music coming from the stereo, I swiftly mopped the kitchen floors clear of the dried paw prints left behind from my brother’s dog Murphy. When I graduated college I spent hours on the phone with my older brother Lucas, complaining about finding cheap but decent housing. He at the time also complained about having to find someone to watch his town home while he was deployed and suddenly our combined brain cells decided that the best way to solve our problems was for me to move in with him and split the rent and bills. That way I get good housing near my job, and he gets a dog/house sitter while he is gone.  

Mr. Hotchner texted me the day after, asking to meet the following day after lunch. He is supposed to be here within the hour so now is the frantic last minute cleaning. It had rained last night and of course Murphy, a two year old basset hound that belonged to Lucas, bolted past me before I could wipe his paws and he tracked mud throughout the kitchen and living room. Lucas just left to go work out with his Marine buddies so the house should be perfectly quiet for me. 

Once I was done mopping the floor I checked the fridge to make sure that the freshly made tea and lemonade was cooling off, and I double checked that the coffee grounds were still fresh. I wasn’t sure what he would want to drink, if anything, but I wanted to at least provide a variety. As the fridge door closed the doorbell sounded once. A rush of nerves pushed up from my stomach and into my throat, I am so nervous about offending Mr. Hotchner again. Murphy growled twice and when the doorbell rang out once more he took off for the door in order to protect his home. I didn’t realize that my feet were stuck to the ground like bricks, but I pushed myself forward in a moment. My knee length olive green dress swishing around  Murphy kept braying over and over again until I reached him and nudged him back with my foot. 

“Hi, sorry about–Murphy, get back, let the poor man in–please come in Mr. Hotchner.” I scooted backwards to let him in as I pulled Murphy away by his collar. Mr. Hotchner stepped into the house saying hello and immediately bent down to pet Murphy on the head. “He isn’t aggressive, I promise. Murphy just loves to talk to everyone he meets.” 

“Oh he’s a good boy,” Mr. Hotchner said as we rubbed the corner of his ear and Murphy leaned into it, “I wanted to thank you again for meeting with me. I just have a couple things that I would like to discuss with you.” He stood up and wiped his hands on his jeans. He was much more relaxed looking today with his red polo and jeans in comparison to the very formal suit. I smiled gently at him, “Of course, we can head into the dining room to talk. Uh, would you like anything to drink? I have tea and lemonade in the fridge or I can put on a pot of coffee if you prefer that. I know we decided our time after lunch, but I can make you something to eat if you need anything.” 

My rambling didn’t stop until we reached the dining room. It wasn’t a long distance from the front door since it’s a town home. Lucas got lucky when finding this place because the housing market skyrocketed after purchasing it. The main floor was dark hardwood floors with light gray walls and it was big enough for the full sized kitchen, small gathering area, dining room and half bath. The stairs at the front door lead to a much bigger living room and the three bedrooms with two bathrooms. There was a small backyard off the back of the kitchen and there was a large balcony off of the upstairs living room. The master bedroom should have gone to Lucas but he didn’t care for all the extra space so he gave it to me and the third bedroom we share as both of our offices and storage for his Marine gear. 

Our decor was pretty vague since he doesn’t care about decorations and I had just recently moved in. All over the home there were picture frames and canvases leaning against walls, small clutter decorations being moved nearly everyday until they found their place, and bits of memorabilia laying about. The one thing we agreed on right away was the small collage of family photos in the sitting area. It was really just two arm chairs, bookcases, and a coffee table. The collage had Lucas’ official Marine head shot, some other pictures from out in the field, my graduation photos and the last family photo we took. 

“You are too kind, I’ll take a glass of lemonade if you don’t mind” I motioned for Mr. Hotchner to the dining room table where my laptop and papers were prepared. “So, Mr. Hotchner,” I started as I headed back with two glasses of lemonade, “what can I do for you?” He took a long drink out of his glass and turned towards me. 

“I’m sure you can tell by his records that Jack is a very bright boy in academics, but I do worry about his social growth. It isn’t that he’s rude towards his peers, he just sometimes struggles to fit in. This past year has been extremely hard on the both of us so my worry for him is pretty strong.” He spoke with an adamant tone to his voice but his body language said he was hesitant. His hands kept folding and unfolding onto the table and I’m pretty sure that if he had a piece of paper in front of him he would have fiddled with it out of nerves. Even though he held eye contact, I felt like there was something off, something he wasn’t saying quite yet. 

Nevertheless I smiled gently at him and reached my hand out slightly on the table, keeping it flat, “I understand your concerns Mr. Hotchner and I appreciate you coming to me early to address them. Since it’s a new year, every student will have a fresh start and I will present everyone multiple structured opportunities to find similarities between themselves and others. Is there anything specific that I need to watch out for in Jack’s behavior or social actions? You said you are not worried about the academics and I agree since I’ve taken a look at his records already.”

When he didn’t respond right away I took that moment to pull out a few assignments I am going to have the class to complete within the first few weeks. The typical ‘All About Me’ projects that give students the chance to share their interests and form relationships off of them. “Speaking of Jack’s records, I went ahead and removed the secondary person from there. I do want to ask though if there is anyone else that you want added. If not, that is completely fine.” 

“His Aunt, Jessica Brooks can be added. I’ll go ahead and fill out the paperwork.” He said quickly. I slid the contact list towards him to fill out. Before I could speak he added, “Why I’m worried about Jack’s ability to fit in with his peers revolves around the death of his mother. I’m afraid that he will feel left out when his peers talk about their mothers. Now obviously you can’t get the students to not talk about their moms, so I would ask that you just watch him and make sure that he isn’t being too affected by just anything.” 

My heart ached for Mr. Hotchner, but more so for Jack. I know what it’s like to lose a parent, especially at a young age. His voice almost became cold and it clicked in my head that that’s why he ran out of the classroom the other night. I spoke cautiously to him as if he was a wounded animal, “I can assure you that Jack will be well watched when he is in my care. If he needs anything whatsoever, I can be his ally in the school. When I was around Jack’s age, I too lost a parent,” His eyes flicked up to mine and the pen stopped scribbling, “My father and I were in a bad car wreck and the paramedics couldn’t revive him when they got to us.” I licked my lips and squirmed in my seat, a little bit more nervous under his watchful gaze, “Not knowing the circumstances of your situation, I would just like you to know that I do have experience in at least a similar situation and I can offer up help or advice when needed or wanted. Jack is not alone in his healing process and neither are you.”

“Will he be okay? Will my son be okay?” He almost whispered out, afraid that somehow Jack would hear. This time I put my hand on top of his, “Mr. Hotchner—“

“Aaron, you can call me Aaron.” 

“Aaron, I can’t guarantee that Jack will be 100% okay, but I do believe that he will heal with time. I believe that things happen for a reason and I believe that Jack and I were meant to be assigned the same room. That you and I were meant to meet.” 

He blinked a couple times and took a deep breath, so I continued on before the silence got worse, “My brother and I healed from our father’s passing. To be honest there are bits that I still remember but I’ve gotten therapeutic help to process them when I was still a child. We didn’t speak of him for a long time until my mom realized that we were starting to forget the small things about him. The songs he would sing to us, the way he would chase us around the house acting like any animal we asked him to be. You know your child better than anyone else so you have to make that decision on how much you want to carry on, but I can tell you from my personal experience, it did help to talk about him. We cried about it together but we really started healing because we still kept him alive.” 

Aaron nodded solemnly looking down and the corner of his lips twitched upwards for a moment, as if his conscience said something funny or reminded him of a memory. His eyes met mine again as I pulled my hand away, but this time they weren’t empty looking, “Thank you Ms. Y/N, I believe Jack will benefit a lot from having you as a teacher. I want to extend my condolences to you and your family.” This time the corner of my lips twitched upwards, “Oh and same to you, I only knew losing a parent, I could never imagine how you are dealing with your healing process. Now,” I switched my body back towards the laptop, “if you want to be called by your first name I must say that you must do the same.”

We continued to talk for another hour and a half about my schooling, future lesson plans, and anything else we could think of. Somehow during all of it we moved to relax in the armchairs by the bookcases. I found Aaron’s company very calm and quiet, but once I got him talking about him coaching Jack’s soccer team he wouldn’t stop. “You wouldn’t believe how invested I got one of my coworkers into this. Him and I are treating this like everyone is on professional teams, while of course still keeping it kid friendly, but we just get into it…” He continued on talking animatedly with his hands, explaining more soccer formations. 

I had suggested to him a few articles about coaching soccer, so I sent them up to the printer in the upstairs office. He waited downstairs as I headed into the room to retrieve the papers. Unfortunately this was the messiest room in the town home since Lucas hasn’t organized all his gear. I wasn’t watching where I was going and I bumped into the leaning tower of heavy duty boxes that came crashing down around me. I landed on my left hip with a thud and within seconds Aaron was running up the stairs calling out my name. I groaned as I tried shifting my weight off of my left hip and turned to find Aaron standing in the doorway. “Are you okay?” He asked rather harshly, spooked almost. 

“Wha–”

“Are you okay? You’re hurt aren’t you?” I didn’t have time to reply as he walked around the boxes and knelt down in front of me. His hands gently grabbed my face and his eyebrows pulled together. Any hint at the relaxed Aaron from three minutes ago was gone and instead a very stiff man was in front of me. I felt something sticky running down my face, “You’re bleeding. Come on, I need to get you cleaned up. Is anything else hurting?” 

 “Just–just my left hip. Probably from falling.” I replied quietly and in response he nodded and moved his hands to support my arms and side as he helped me stand up. I could have stood up by myself but he almost insisted that I let him help. As if I was too fragile to do it myself. 

Aaron kept a hand on my side as I walked in front of him to the bathroom in my room. I pulled out the first aid kit from one of the drawers in the vanity. “Here,” he took it from my hands, “let me.” I sat down on the closed toilet lid and waited patiently as he took out the band-aids, gauze, and ointment. That rush of falling and him suddenly being in front of me caused my brain to be delayed two seconds, that or I was really hit hard in the head. I took that time though waiting for him to openly stare. His eyebrows were still pulled together and his movements were deft and sturdy, unlike his ragged breaths. Looked like he was done running a marathon by the way he breathed. 

He stood in front of me so that my legs were between his. He gently angled my face with his fingers under my chin so that the cut would be in the light. I felt kind of twisted at that moment, here I was with the father of one of my student’s in a very intimate position. It wasn’t sexual by any means, but it was still very close. At the same time though, I felt good and safe in his care. His ragged breathing started to even out as he wiped the blood up, he leaned over to the trash can to throw the gauze away and to grab the bottle of rubbing alcohol and a Q-Tip to disinfect it. Instinctively I reached out when the stinging liquid touched my cut. I didn’t realize at that moment that I had grabbed his thigh to steady myself from the rubbing alcohol. “Sorry” we both said at the same time. I licked my lips, “I could have done this myself, you shouldn’t have gone out of your way.” 

“No, it’s kind of my fault, we got to talking and I had you print out those articles for me. I’m almost done here, is your hip feeling any better?” Aaron grabbed the band-aid and I pushed my hair out of the way for him as he applied it to my forehead. He stepped back and inspected his work, “My hip is sore, but I’m sure that if I walk it off I’ll be fine in a day.” 

He sighed at that. Sighed? What, as if he wasn’t pleased at my answer. “I’ll be just fine, thank you Aaron for helping me. I’ll go get the papers and meet you downstairs if you want.” I walked past him and back into the office to retrieve the papers. Aaron went down the stairs and I followed closely behind him. The front door was pushed open and my brother came thundering in with two more of his friends in tow. “Oh shit, sorry. Thought your meeting was already over, do we need to leave?” He dumped his workout bag right at the door and finally stood up to take a look at me, “What did you do? Tried reading and walking again?” 

I blushed a bit at that and rolled my eyes, “Yeah, and crashed into your utility boxes that are now all over the floor of the office. Maybe now you’ll get around to cleaning that up like you said you would.” He gave me a sheepish grin and his buddies started teasing him about it. 

Lucas stepped forward and extended his hand to Aaron, “You must be…Mr. Hotchner right?” 

Aaron grabbed his hand, “Oh uh, Aaron please, and you are Lucas I presume?”, they gave firm shakes as Lucas nodded. “Pleasure to meet you Aaron, thanks for giving your child to my sister as a guinea pig.” 

I gasped at him and lightly hit his shoulder as Aaron let out a chuckle, “That’s enough out of you.” Lucas held his hands up in defense as Aaron spoke up, “No, I have to thank your sister for working at my son’s school. There are plenty of children and parents who give teachers a run for their money. I’m afraid I need to get going though, I have to go pick up Jack from his aunt’s. Lucas, it was nice to meet you. Gentlemen.” He nodded at the other two standing in the entrance. Everyone moved out of the way so I could escort Aaron to the door to see him out. “Thank you again for stopping by, I look forward to having Jack in class. I enjoyed our time, despite the dramatic ending.” I pulled the door open so he could step out, and he turned back to look at me. “I did too, you have put me at ease about Jack coming back to school. I hope your head heals quickly. Have a good afternoon, Y/N.”

We smiled at each other, “Yes, you too, Aaron.” 

His smile still stuck in my brain as he drove away, “Don’t think about it.” Lucas said from right behind me as I nearly jumped out of my skin. Turning coolly to face him I plainly said, “I have no clue what you are saying.”

#aaron hotch hotchner #aaron hotch x reader #fluff #smut #criminal minds #jj jareau #derek morgan #spencer reid #emily prentiss #david rossi #penelope garcia #slow burn #jack hotchner #teacher #age gap

[dancingqueen0019]

Master List

*Will be updated as more chapters/stories are added*

Key: Smut(*) Fluff (^) Blurb (/) Mature Content (!)

Disclaimer: If you are under 18 years old, PLEASE do not interact with any Mature Content. 

Additionally, this whole account will try it’s hardest to remain neutral in political matters in order to create a drama free, safe place for humans on whatever side they may find themselves on. If you don’t agree with me, I’m sorry, but I won’t change what I have in place. Despite your political beliefs, you should be able to enjoy reading as a way to escape mainstream media. Love to you all!

Criminal Minds

Aaron Hotchner

Saving Grace: Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 6 Ch. 7 Ch. 8 Ch.9 Ch. 10 Ch. 11

Holiday Pieces: Mother’s Day/^ 4th of July/

#Criminal Minds #Aaron Hotch Hotchner #jj jareau #Penelope Garcia #derek morgan #spencer reid #emily prentiss