suckerforhotchniss - Tumblr blog

suckerforhotchniss · 2 years

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my god

no wedding, one funeral

Summary - It’s their wedding day. It’s supposed to be the happiest day of their life. Unfortunately her past finds out just in time to make sure it doesn’t happen.

word count - 2.7k

it’s short and it’s sad and i would say i’m sorry but we know it’s a lie. it also could have been a lot worse, but i’m easing myself back into summer 2021 mode and this is the best i could do lol. love u besties<3

The night before

He’s smirking at her as he leans against the door, watching as she grumbles to herself as she packs an overnight bag. She turns to face him with squinted eyes at his chuckle and he can’t help but smile at her.

“This is so stupid.” she says, zipping the bag up.

“Yet you’re doing it,” he comments with a grin and she throws the pillow at him, a sarcastic smile on her face as he jumps from it.

“Have you ever tried to say no to Penelope?” she asks, “it’s like kicking a puppy.”

“It’s just one night,” he says, walking to her and she turns to face him, “you heard her. It’s back luck for the bride and groom to be together the night before.” he smirks, trapping her into his arms by her waist and she smiles, hooking her arms behind his neck.

“Mhmm,” she hums, “what will you be doing with your last night of freedom?” she says, tilting her head and he laughs.

“That’s what it is, huh?” he asks with a smile, “you want one final night of unmarried bliss?”

“Of course,” she plays along, “marriage seems so boring.”

“Our marriage will be the most boring of them all.” he smirks, before kissing her softly, his heart still, even almost three years later, jumping at the feel of her smile.

“So boring.” she whispers, kissing him again.

She groans at the heavy knocks on the door, pulling away completely and grabbing her bag.

They can hear Jacks excited shouts as Penelope walks through the door, the two of them more excited about the upcoming wedding than the actual couple.

“Come on love birds!” Penelope shouts, “We have dinner reservations!”

“That’s my que.” Emily says, and he smiles, latching their hands together.

“See you tomorrow, Mrs Hotchner.” he smirks, and she chuckles before she kisses him, her hand on his cheek softly.

“See you tomorrow, Mr Prentiss.” she teases, tapping his cheek as she smirks at him.

“I can’t wait to be boring with you forever.” he whispers close to her lips, and she smiles, her eyes full of love.

“Me too.” she smiles.

“You have three seconds or I’m coming in! And I’ve seen it all with the two of you!” Penelope shouts, causing Aaron to cringe internally at the memory.

“I love you.” Emily says to him and he nods, kissing her just one last time.

“I love you too,” he smiles, “Now go.” he says, pushing her away playfully.

She laughs, walking backwards out of the door. He follows her out, stopping next to Jack as the little boy jumps excitedly on the couch.

“I’ll see you tomorrow buddy.” Emily smiles, ruffling his chair as he smiles up at her.

“Wedding day!” he shouts and the three adults laugh.

“Wedding day!” Penelope shouts. “This is so exciting.” she squeals, pushing Emily out of the door. He can still hear the blonde woman even after the door is shut and their half way down the steps of their porch. Jack waves at Emily from the window as they drive off, and once the car is gone he turns to his dad.

“Can I try my suit on again?” he grins, happiness beaming off him and Aaron laughs.

“Not today buddy,” he says, “but you can help by getting me the box from the table.” he says and Jack jumps down of the couch, runs into the kitchen and grabs it.

“What is it?” the boy asks.

“A present for Emily for tomorrow,” he smiles, “Do you want to grab the drawing you and Jess made for us?”

“Yes.” he says suspiciously, “but you’re not allowed to look until after tomorrow!” he shouts as he walks into his bedroom.

Aaron chuckles to himself as he heads into the master bedroom, smiling with complete happiness, eager for tomorrow and the rest of his life.

He smiles as he looks at the wedding bands, the two of them resting in the palm of his hand, and he can’t help the joy that beams in his heart knowing the bands will rest forever on their fingers, they’re future one he can not wait for.

He crumpled up the paper in his hands, smiling as he turned on his heels. He’d waited so long to find her, he just couldn’t believe he’d found her at the perfect moment.

Aaron doesn’t get chance to see her at all that morning, everyone rushing around as they prepare last minute things.

He doesn’t see her until she’s walking down the aisle. A smile on her face as she looks at him, and he could cry. Thinks he would cry if he wasn’t so captivated by how beautiful she looked. The long white dress fitting in all the right places.

She winks at Jack when she reaches the top, the little boy giggles as he tries (and fails) to wink back.

“You look beautiful.” Aaron whispers to her and she smiles.

“Are we all ready?” the man says and everyone takes their seat.

They don’t use their own vows, the two of them deciding they didn’t need them. That their love is their own, and that was enough.

He smiles as he says I Do, the love in his eyes almost blinding as he looks at her.

She opens her mouth to say the two simple, but important words when the doors swing open, and they look in that direction.

“Hey stranger,” the thick Irish accent says, his eyes on nothing and nobody except Emily, moving closer with every step, and when her hands drop from his hold, Aaron turns to her. “Didn’t anyone tell you it’s rude to marry a man while engaged to another?” he asks her.

There’s no time for her to speak, no time for anyone to even register what was happening, and by the time anyone even saw the gun they were too late, the bullet already flying towards her.

He fires the gun into his own head before anyone can grab him. Everything happening to quick for anything to be done about it.

It was already over before anyone realised it started.

Jack stands in shock, Emily’s blood covering his white shirt at the impact of the bullet. Morgan grabs him and follows the rest of the team towards the exit, Dave on the phone to 911 as he heads out, the place completely empty apart from Aaron, Emily, and the guy with the gun.

The guy no one apart from her recognises.

“You’re okay,” Aaron whispers to her, watching in agony as her white dress turns a heartbreaking shade of red. “Just stay with me. Just stay with me.” he says, running a hand over her cheek and into her hair. His mind is running wild about the man’s final comment before he shot, but there isn’t time for him to think about it. The woman he loves is bleeding to death in his arms on their wedding day.

“Aaron—” she tries, “I—” but she can’t, she’s in too much pain, she can’t really breathe and she’s so tired. But she has to tell him. He has to know.

“Shh,” he says with a smile, “tell me later.” he nods, tears falling down his cheeks but he smiles at her.

She swallows, tries to force herself to speak, to use her last bit of strength to tell him the truth, about Ian. The man now laying dead not four inches from her.

But it’s too late, blood pours out of her too quickly, there isn’t enough time, and she slips away, her final thoughts on how he’ll never know the truth, about how he’ll never have answers. He’ll never have a why. Her final hope is that he doesn’t go looking for one.

“Em?” he whispers as her eyes fall closed, tears running down her cheek. “Emily?” he says, shaking his head. He looks down at his hand, raw red with her blood and he can’t accept it.

“Emily, baby, wake up.” he pleads, his hand on her cheek. “please.” he cries, before dropping his head, pulling her body closer into his as he holds her for the final time.

It could have been hours, it could have been minutes, he doesn’t know. He doesn’t care. But suddenly Dave is leaning by his side, a sad look in his eyes as he places a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s time,” he whispers, “you have to let her go.”

“I—” Aaron tries but there’s nothing to say.

“I know,” the other man replies, slowly pulling him away from Emily. He can’t even look, he won’t, he can’t have this image of her in his brain.

Aaron slowly stands as he releases her body, watching as she is carefully picked up, and wheeled away from him, and he almost drops to the floor and screams when he releases he’ll never see her again. That this was it.

“Let’s go, okay?” Dave says gently, slowly walking the man out of the building. The red on his once white shirt screaming at him.

Jack screams and runs to him almost instantly, and Aaron snaps from his trance to pick him up, holding the crying boy in his arms.

“Is Emmy gone?” he whispers, the name he’d not used since he could say Emily falling from his mouth, the name laced with sadness and grief.

“Yeah,” Aaron answers quietly. “She’s gone, buddy.” he rubs a hand over the boys back, holding back his own tears as he comforts his son as best as he can.

Two mother figures dead.

One in the same house.

One right in front of him.

The team watch with their own tears as Dave and Jessica lead them out and into a car.

“Who was that?” JJ asks them as the dead man is wheeled in front of them.

“I have no idea.” Morgan says, “He seemed to know Emily though. And she knew him.”

“Engaged?” Penelope says to no one in particular, as she remembers the strangers words.

The team don’t move for a long while, far too many unanswered questions surrounding them.

They bury her on what would have been her and Aaron one month anniversary. It’s a hot day, the sun shining down on all of them as her coffin is lowered into the ground.

There are five people here who he doesn’t know. All stood off in the corner, and he wonders if they knew the man who shot her. If they know why she was killed. He wonders if they can give him the answers he needs.

He goes to them when everyone starts to separate, and all eyes go to the tall man who stands in the middle of them as Aaron gets closer.

“Im sorry,” Aaron says, “Did you know Emily?”

“We did. A long time ago.” The man says in a British accent, and it catches him by surprise. “Clyde.” he says, holding his hand out.

“Aaron.” he says, taking it, his eyes looking at him with suspicion.

“How did you know her?” he questions, and their eyes dart to the floor.

“It was a long time ago,” he says, “we were just here to pay our respects.”

“Did you know the man who killed her?” he asks, “Do you know why she was killed? Shot. On our wedding day?”

“Aaron,” Clyde says sadly, “I’m really sorry for your loss. But we were just old friends.” he lies, and the lie tastes bitter on his tongue. But he has no choice. It’s classified, even though Ian is dead, his organisation is not. And then can not risk anymore lives.

“The man who killed her,” Aaron starts, not believing a word out of Clydes mouth. “He mentioned that they were engaged.. but Emily never mentioned anything about that. Never even talked about a serious relationship. She would have told me if she was engaged once, unless there was a reason she couldn’t.” he says, and Clyde swallows.

“Aaron,” the woman says, and he looks at her. “Emily meant a lot to all of us, and if we could give you the answers you wanted, we would. But we can’t. She is—” she stops, taking a shaky breath before continuing. “She was so important to me. To all of us. But there isn’t an answer here. Not with us.” she lies.

Aaron remains silent, holding back his own tears as he inhales.

“I’ve never heard a thing about either of you.” he tells them, “she never said a word about any of you. Couldn’t have been that important.” he says and he knows it’s rude, knows he’ll feel bad about it when all this is over but right now he’s angry, he’s heartbroken and he’s confused. And the group in front of him are lying to his face. So he simply walks off, heads back to his team and they all head to the wake.

“We should have told him.” Tsia says, “Ian’s dead. We’re not in danger.”

“When I get proof he didn’t assign someone else to hunt us down, I’ll tell him all he needs to know. But right now, its safer to keep it classified.” Clyde says, as they watch the grieving family drive away.

Dave sits next to Aaron as he stares at his glass. He doesn’t speak, allows Aaron to start the conversation.

“She had a whole secret life.” he starts, “five random people at her funeral, and they knew her, a random man comes to our wedding and shoots her after talking about being engaged—”

“Maybe she had a bad relationship before she moved here—”

“If it was that, she would have told me about it by now. I know that.” he says, shaking his head. “It’s more than that…” he trails off.

“You need to grieve. You need to get through this. And Jack. And then when you’re ready, I’ll help you do whatever it is you need to do—”

“I need answers.” he interrupts. “I need to know why the woman I love is dead.”

“Sometimes the answers don’t help.” he says gently. “Sometimes it better to accept it. To grieve, to move on.”

“A random man walked into our wedding and killed her. A group of strangers who talked about how Emily was important to them showed up at her funeral.” he says, looking at Dave. “She died… She was killed because of something, because of…” he stops, releasing a shaky breath, “I don’t need to accept it, Dave. I need to understand it.”

“And I’ll help. We all will.” he tells him. “But right now we all need to grieve.”

Aaron nods, taking a sip of his drink as Jack walks over, the sadness on his face enough to make him sick.

“I miss Emily.” he whispers as he climbs into his dads arms, and Aaron wraps them around him.

“Me too,” he whispers.

He sits on their (his now, he supposes) bed. His opening hand holding the two rings that feel heavier now than they ever had before, the two rings holding a future in them that they will never have.

He thinks back to how hard she tried to tell him something in his final moments, he wonders what it would have been.

A secret life?

A bad past relationship?

He can’t help but think back to the man’s final words, engaged running around in circles in his mind.

Who was he? Was she really engaged? How long ago was this?

He lays down, staring at the ceiling as tears roll down his cheek, the scent of her overwhelming as his head rests in her pillow.

He falls asleep wondering if he ever even knew her at all, or if everything they had together was a lie.

fin

#you are crazy #so unhinged #killing emily your specialty😄😄#THIS IS EXCRUCIATING PAIN FOR POOR AARON HE CANT EVEN KNOW WHY THAT HAPPENED!!!#HE CANT GET CLOSURE #love you for including clyde even though he had to lie🫶🫶🫶#and tsia!!!!#hotchniss #hotchniss fic

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suckerforhotchniss · 2 years

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There is love in my mother's disapproval.

It is there in the way she looks at me,

The way she loathes my existence.

It's not visible but it's there.

There is love in my father's resentment.

It is there in the way he talks to me,

The way he is ashamed of me.

It's not apparent but it's there.

There is love in my family.

It is there in broken dreams.

It is there in domestic scars.

So much love that you almost mistake it for hate.

#mhmmm🤔

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suckerforhotchniss · 2 years

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There is no logical explanation to the emptiness I feel whenever I finish a book

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suckerforhotchniss · 2 years

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when theo finally tries to move on from pippa because he knows his attachment to her is because he associates her with his mother/sees her as a second chance at being with his mother youre like yay good for you! but then he’s with kitsey and the part of being with her that makes him the happiest is seeing mrs. barbour and how happy their relationship makes her, and then you realize he’s still trying to fill the void his own mother left, and he keeps describing similarities between him and his father and then you realize that all his serious romantic relationships with women are inextricably tied to his mother and that’s why he can never be happy with kitsey or even pippa, who he’s only able to obsess over because he knows so little about who she is that he can project whatever he wants onto her, and—

#donna tartt #the goldfinch #alice reads real books😮

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suckerforhotchniss · 2 years

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i’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that the secret history is 500+ pages but it only has 8 chapters. like damn, i can’t do a “just one more chapter”, it’s more like a “just one more paragraph”

#so true #the secret history #alice reads real books😮

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suckerforhotchniss · 2 years

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i miss it here😢😢😢 i’ve been reading and translating so much of the ancient’s best and brightest that i cannot seem to find time and/or motivation to write something that would actually come out of my own mind

maybe trying to think of a part 2 for the cia au👀

#thinking thoughts #hotchniss

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suckerforhotchniss · 2 years

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Mayhem

summary: hotchniss. hurt/comfort. the explosion and the aftermath. read on ao3

wc: 3.6k

tw: canon-typical violence, explosion

this is a birthday gift for my love @sequinsmile-x. thank you for being you. thank you for always being there for me and all of us. you are an a n g e l and I feel lucky to know you. you make my life better and I couldn't be more grateful. thank you for all the fts, for all your kind words and encouragement, for all your support, for our shared brain <3 I love you so very much. happy birthday!!

40 minutes. She’d left him alone for 40 minutes, squeezing his hand reassuringly as she left to go check on Cooper in the hospital. That was all it took for him to get himself blown up. She was going to kill him, that much was clear. He just had to be alive first.

Emily finds out about the explosion when Garcia calls her as she drives back from the hospital. Morgan's also on the call, and it gives her a sense of relief, even if a little. It's temporary though because it means only one thing - that the explosion happened either to her best friend or to him. And Emily can't lose either of them.

The call crashes, and she's alone in the car with her thoughts, panic rising up to her throat, choking her. Emily pushes it back down, she has to - it's not the time to break down. She has a job to do, and their relationship is still a secret, and that makes forgetting everything else and running to him to make sure he's okay impossible. They're directing everyone away from the Federal Plaza and to another building, and Emily has to force herself to actually follow the cars going there instead of driving where her heart wants her to go.

It's chaos. People are running around the precinct, shouting something, trying to get the phone lines back up. All she feels is shame when she sees Reid and Rossi already there, realizing she didn't even think about them before, Aaron her only thought. She still has a sliver of hope left in her but then JJ appears from behind her and pulls her into a hug, and Emily is relieved, she really is, but now there's only one person left who's not there with them. Who hasn't contacted them, her, hasn't said he was fine. When Garcia finds the footage and they all watch it on the computer, Emily realizes that that was because he wasn't.

It makes her freeze. His body is being lifted from the ground and then thrown down roughly on a loop before her eyes as they watch the video over and over again, and Emily feels herself shut down. Each time the blast hits him, tears start blurring her vision, and she struggles to turn it all off, to focus. Only when JJ turns to her with concern swimming in her blue eyes, Emily looks down at her hand and sees a trickle of blood where she's ripped her cuticle to shreds. She stands up, weakly gesturing in the direction of the bathrooms, her other hand gripping the SUV keys tighter and tighter in her windbreaker pocket. The fear threatens to suffocate her if she stays any longer, so Emily runs out of the bullpen and thanks the universe JJ doesn’t see her forgo the bathrooms.

That’s all she can think about in the car. She’s alone with her thoughts again, shaking fingers looking up the route to the place of the explosion on her phone while her brain offers her a million different scenarios, every next one worse than the others before it. It almost feels unreal, that footage she saw not even 10 minutes ago - the way he flies through the air as if he weighs nothing when she knows how it feels when he sleeps half on top of her, warm and broad in the early hours of the morning. He’s almost too heavy for her but she doesn’t mind, the feeling of safety it always brings her unmatched, comforting in a way she never knew she needed and never knew she could have.

Emily is out of the car before she even parks it correctly, the keys barely making it back into her pocket, threatening to hit the ground as they almost fall out of her unsteady hand. She spots Morgan instantly, the rage on his face making the worry she feels rise up to her throat. It takes her five seconds to make it to his side and when she does, she immediately digs her fingers into his shoulder.

“Derek.”

“Prentiss,” his eyebrows fly up and then quickly furrow. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Derek,” she repeats, a barely noticeable tremor to her voice. “I need to...I need to get there.”

“Well I’m trying to do the same here, believe it or not,” he spits, turning to the man he’d been talking to before Emily interrupted them. He’s so distracted by his argument with him - Captain Warner, the tag on his uniform reads - he doesn’t even question Emily’s arrival. “You’re Marine Corps, right?”

The man turns away from him, looks down, and Derek moves to catch his gaze. “Right?”

“Please,” Warner says, his tone full of poorly concealed irritation. “Go back to the marshaling point.”

“I’m not doing it. I’m not just gonna let my man lay there like that!”

Emily is watching the silent battle between the two when she hears it, faint shouting from the distance that has her whole being freezing on the spot.

“Help! We’re here!”

It’s coming from the direction all her instincts are telling her to go, and before she can think about it it’s exactly what she does. She takes off running not thinking twice, the pain in Aaron’s voice her lighthouse, the only call she needs.

“Aaron!”

It falls from her lips of its own accord, a pained cry broken in half when strong arms catch her by the middle, effectively stopping her from running further. Emily’s feet fly up into the air as she tries to fight the arm around her waist, and she roughly lands back on the ground only to come face to face with a very concerned Derek, whose hands are now on her shoulders as he studies her face.

“Emily,” he yells, eyes almost angry. “What are you doing?”

“I have to get to him, Derek,” she answers and hates the plea she can hear in her own voice. “I...”

She trails off, realizing what she’s just admitted, and sees the moment it clicks on Derek’s face. His hands turn gentle on her shoulders when he registers the devastation in her eyes and he frowns, unsure how to proceed. His internal battle is clear to Emily as she watches different emotions fly over his features in seconds, and her legs almost give out from relief when Derek just nods curtly, clearly shaken by the fear in her eyes. He’s never seen that before.

“Okay,” he nods again. “Just please don’t go without me, it isn’t safe.” He stops for a second as if carefully weighing his next words. “He wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

Emily nods, corners of her lips curling up ever so slightly. He squeezes her shoulders again before turning back to the Captain, his face darkening once again.

“Captain,” he starts. “Never leave a man behind. You do remember that, don’t you?!”

It comes out with more anger than he’d expected but seems to do the trick when Warners’ only response is a quiet ‘okay’ thrown half at them and half at the ground. Derek grabs Emily’s hand tightly in his own as they take off running, this time both of them, to where they can see two bloody figures on the asphalt and hear their desperate screams for help.

〰

Her legs do give out when she gets close enough to Aaron and Kate. There’s enough blood around them on the ground for Emily’s eyes to widen in shock and horror, but she barely registers anything but that and him. Aaron is kneeling next to Kate, his hands frantically searching her body for the source of the bleeding, and only when Emily plops down next to him he seems to notice there’s someone there except for Joyner, even though Derek had already said his name a couple of times.

The expression in Aaron’s eyes scares her for what feels like the first time in her life. The look in them is wild, something absolutely feral lurking underneath the brown she now knows the exact shade of. It’s a terrifying mix of fear, anger and pain, but as soon as the recognition hits him, it changes. Fear clouds his eyes, the strongest, most prominent emotion, and his eyebrows furrow in confusion. She barely notices it, too lost in the daze, in her desire to find him and make sure he’s unharmed.

“Em?”

It’s quiet, shaky, intimate in the way he’d never say her name in public. Emily is still searching his face for any signs of pain, looking over his body to see if he’s bleeding anywhere when his hand flies up and lands on her cheek. It makes her eyes lock with his, seems to snap her out of the trance she has found herself in.

“Aaron,” she croaks out and puts her hand over his on her face.

“What are you doing here, Emily? It’s not safe.” His tone is panicked, eyes wide, and she doesn’t like it.

“I know, I know, I just…” she trails off and swallows. Her hand moves to cup his face as if of its own accord. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” he nods, “you should go. Morgan-”

“No,” Emily shakes her head. “I’m not going anywhere. Let me help.”

Aaron hesitates. He takes his hand off her cheek, puts it on her shoulder instead, his resolve breaking under the determination on her face. Just as he’s about to protest again, Kate quietly calls his name.

“Yes, I’m here. We’ll get you out of here.”

Emily’s heart clenches, tears spring to her eyes as she watches him diver his attention to the woman on the ground. She wordlessly puts her hands next to Aaron’s, feeling for the spot on Kate’s back she needs to put pressure on, and his grateful gaze almost makes the tears spill free. It’s all she needs.

Morgan shouts for the ambulance for what feels like the hundredth time, and finally an EMT arrives. His bag is already open by the time he drops next to them, tools ready. Emily stands up to talk to Derek when the boy, who’s been seemingly helping them - Sam, she learns - flashes them an evil smile and takes off running. Morgan sprints after him, leaving her standing there, lost and confused, smoke filling her lungs and fear squeezing her heart.

Emily helps load Kate into the ambulance, but if asked later, she wouldn’t remember it. She sees what it does to Aaron; sees the deep lines on his face, his darkened expression, and the sadness in his eyes almost breaks her. The ride to the hospital is quiet: he keeps his gaze on Kate and holds her hand, and Emily holds his other one, her forehead pressed to his shoulder. When he faintly squeezes her hand, her tears finally roll down her cheeks.

〰

In the end, it’s quick. Like a snap of fingers, it’s over in a blink of an eye - Morgan is alive, and Garcia almost suffocates him with the force of her hug. Emily stands close to Aaron, waits for the moment his seemingly endless supply of energy finally runs out and he collapses into her outstretched arms, ready to support him whenever he needs it. Even though Derek doesn’t say anything, their secret is out - there’s nothing to doubt in the way she leaves no space between them, in the way he has her hand in his. When Aaron goes to see Kate, Emily is right there with him, too.

He uncovers the body, one hand lifting the sheet. Tears fill his eyes, and Emily knows that if there was anyone else in the room he’d never let himself show this, fall apart like this. But it’s only her, and when a tear falls, he doesn’t wipe it away. Instead, he lets Emily take his hand and hold it, lets himself draw the strength he needs from her, something he knows she’d always give him willingly. She closes the space between them and kisses his clothed shoulder.

“She, uh…” he starts, voice low and hoarse. “She has a son.”

Emily gasps, can’t help herself. It hits her like a ton of bricks. Tears press at the back of her eyes, all her previous jealousy forgotten, shame replacing it. She tightens her hold on his hand silently telling him to continue.

“He’s going to have to live with her ex-husband now, I think. I just can’t imagine…”

She steps around him, bends a little to catch his gaze. His red, pained eyes make her want to weep, but she stops herself. She knows what he means, where his thoughts have immediately taken him. Jack. JJ’s future child. Their future.

Emily stops herself, knows that now is not the time. Instead, she kisses his shoulder again.

“Do you want me to go? Give you some time with…”

Aaron shakes his head as her hand comes up to wipe his tears. He catches it and kisses her fingers, lips lingering against her skin as if her mere presence is the balm his soul needs, the very thing that holds him together. And maybe it is.

He sits down, still holding Kate’s cold, lifeless hand. A hot tear lands on the sheet, and Emily crouches down, leaning her forehead on his. She doesn’t know if the wetness on her cheeks is hers or his, but if the ragged breath he takes is anything to go by it’s both of theirs. They sit like that for a while before she speaks again.

“It’s not your fault,” she whispers. “You know that, right?”

Aaron pulls back and looks at her. Really looks at her, as if in that moment her words have snapped him out of some strange, pain laced reverie he has been in for the longest time. The hurt in his eyes makes her want to flinch but she doesn’t, instead pressing her forehead to his again as she cuts off the protest she is sure is coming.

“It isn’t. It’s their fault and I won’t have you thinking otherwise.”

He says nothing. A fresh tear rolls down his cheek and slips into his mouth. Emily tastes it on her lips as she kisses him, just a simple, short kiss of reassurance. I’m here for you. I’m here.

〰

He heads straight for the jet in the morning. Emily is exhausted; they all are, a week of sleepless nights catching up to them. They had three hours to sleep, and she tried to rest. He didn’t. He sat at the desk in their room, staring into the files with unseeing eyes, words blurring in front of him on the pages. Emily tried closing her eyes, but her mind would instantly fill with images of him bleeding out on that asphalt, so at some point she’d stopped trying. When the sun started to rise, she sat herself on his lap and hugged his head to her chest, and that’s how the new day started. The first of many without Kate. Without another piece of him. Of her. Of all of them.

Even through her exhaustion she stops him. ‘Severe acoustic trauma in his right ear’, the doctor had said, and if Aaron thought he was flying home he had another thing coming. Her hand on his shoulder makes him turn, and he sees Emily standing there with car keys in hand, her bag flung over her shoulder.

“Come on,” she says simply and starts heading into the direction of the SUV.

“What?”

She stops, turns to him, hands on her hips.

“You’re not flying, Aaron. You heard what the doctor said, you can’t. And if you’re not flying I’m not either. We’re driving home.”

“Em, no-”

“Yes we are,” she cuts him off. He’s glaring at her even though he knows it doesn’t work on her, standing still. Emily sighs. “They already know, Aaron. It’s already out there. And if you’re not worried about yourself, at least let me be. Okay?”

She steps closer as she talks, her face soft even though her voice is firm, leaving no room for argument. Aaron stares at her for a minute, but he sees her genuine concern and relents. He’s always been powerless against her.

“Princess!” a distant shout comes from the ramp, and it makes Aaron wince. “Are you coming or not?”

Emily seethes. Her face hardens immediately as she takes long steps towards Derek, and Aaron watches her point a finger at him, irritation on her face. Morgan’s face changes from smug to surprised and then to apologetic in the span of 60 seconds, and then she’s coming back. Emily walks past him, opening the car door.

“Come on.”

Aaron throws his bag onto the backseat and climbs in.

“What did you say to him?”

Emily tilts her head at him in confusion. “Who?”

“Morgan.”

“Oh,” she replies. “I told him to shut the fuck up when he’s around people who have acoustic trauma. He’s too loud.”

Aaron smiles. The first real smile since the start of this absolute hell of a case. Her protectiveness makes him love her even more, something he didn’t even think was possible.

“I love you.”

She smiles back at him.

“I love you too.”

And that’s enough for her.

〰

When they get to hers, it’s late. Aaron had called Jack from the car right before the boy’s bedtime, their conversation somewhat helping improve his mood. Jack would stay at Jessica’s for some time, they’ve decided, so Emily takes him to hers. Her bed was bigger, her shower was better. If he wanted to refuse, he didn’t, and, as he thought to himself, that was probably the right decision.

“Go sit on the couch, I’ll change and bring the supplies to redress your cuts.”

“Em-”

“No!” she says, exasperation seeping into tone. “Please don’t argue with me on this.”

Desperation in her voice almost brings him to his knees. Aaron nods, but follows her to her bedroom without sitting down. Emily takes off her shirt as she walks, but then stops and turns around when she hears him.

“Aaron, I asked you to sit down.”

He doesn’t reply, staring intently at something on her instead. Emily follows his gaze and sighs when she sees a dark bruise across her middle, the shade of it already more purple than blue. Aaron steps closer, his hand stretched out as if to touch it, but he stops just shy of her.

“It’s okay,” she says quietly, and his fingertips brush her battered skin.

“What is this?”

“I tried to run to you, back when the street was closed because of the explosion,” Emily states simply, swallowing. “And Morgan, uh…stopped me.” Their eyes meet, and Emily hates the way her voice shakes. “He said you wouldn’t want me to get hurt.”

It comes out barely as a whisper, and Aaron crosses the space between them in seconds, pulling her into a hug. Emily blows out a shuddering breath as she hugs him back, not ready to give in to her desire to cry just yet.

“I should thank Morgan on Monday, then,” Aaron muses quietly, and it makes her chuckle.

“If you think you’re going to work on Monday, you’re wrong,” she replies, pulling back to look at him. “Go sit, I’ll be right back.”

True to her word, she is back with him in less than a minute, wipes and bandages in hand. Emily crouches down in front of him and spreads everything on the couch.

“This will probably sting.”

The wipe stings less than the tears that gather in her eyes as she cleans dried blood off his skin. She hasn’t had time to fall apart yet, was too busy keeping him together. This is what gets to her, he knows, the physical manifestation of evil on him, his pain her Achilles heel. Aaron catches her hand and presses it to his cheek.

“Sweetheart.”

“Sorry,” she sniffles. “Sorry. I just…”

Aaron hooks a finger under her chin to make her look at him.

“I know, baby, I know,” he says soothingly. “Come here.”

He pulls her up and into his lap, her arms immediately going around his neck, her face in his chest. He buries his face in her hair, tangling his hand in it and inhaling the all too familiar scent.

“Sorry,” she mumbles, “I was just so…helpless, and I fucking hate that, and…”

Aaron doesn’t reply, just keeps pressing kisses to her hair, her forehead. It was her time to fall apart, and he would be there for her, just as she was for him all this time.

“I’m okay, Em,” he replies. “I’m okay. Look at me.”

She does, tear tracks on her cheeks. He wipes them away.

“I’m okay. These are just scratches. We’re okay.”

“Just scratches?” she asks incredulously. “I saw you being flung across the road, Aaron, that was so fucking terrifying!”

His heart squeezes in his chest at the pain in her voice, at the sob that rips from her throat. His hands are soothing on her back, but she’s still shaking in his arms, furiously wiping at her face.

“I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” she reassures him. Her kiss is a gentle thing pressed against his mouth, just a touch of her lips to his. “These last few days were just…” she blows out a breath, “a lot.”

They sit like that for a couple of minutes, just breathing each other in. At last, Emily pulls back, wiping at her nose and stands up.

“Let me look at your leg. I know the doctor had to pull shrapnel from it, so we need to rebandage it.”

Aaron nods, not having it in him to speak. He tugs on her hand to kiss her again, swipes a finger under her eye to catch the last of her tears. Emily smiles. It’s a small smile, but it’s enough for him.

As long as they have this, they will be okay.

#fucking amazing as always

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suckerforhotchniss · 2 years

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Problem Child Emily Prentiss + Text Posts (19/?)

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suckerforhotchniss · 2 years

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i had a breakdown today

#matilda the musical

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suckerforhotchniss · 2 years

Text

Solemates

(full credit for the pun name goes to @sequinsmile-x she's a genius. i love you bestie)

summary: hotchniss. fluff. emily's shoes hurt her feet :/ read on ao3

wc: 1.9k

tw: none except for a nasty blister emily has but there're no details

it's my writing anniversary AND i hit 200 followers today so here's fluff to celebrate! enjoy <3

〰

He notices it almost right away. He knows her too well, it was bound to happen. His arm is around her waist at all times as they accept congratulations, all flushed cheeks and shiny eyes, her hand covering his on her hipbone. The party has been going on for more than three hours already, and Aaron can feel Emily gravitating towards him more and more as the alcohol flows through her system, her hands creeping under his suit jacket. He’s suddenly grateful she’s convinced him not to wear a tie. She would’ve been playing with it by now.

He shakes his head and leaves her with a kiss to go to the bathroom and to call Jessica, a happy sparkle in her eyes making his chest tighten. They had initially protested the idea of an engagement party, but Penelope told them that she’d throw it anyway and they’d better like it. And here they were, with all of their friends and even Elizabeth, who somehow got roped into organizing the party. She’s been watching them quietly, from afar, the entire time, sipping her champagne, a strange look on her face, almost suspicious in its nature. She was never the one to reveal her emotions - and Emily absolutely got it from her - so Aaron couldn’t see through her expression. JJ secretly told him that she saw a small smile when Emily and he were dancing. He hoped it was a good sign.

Aaron comes back to see his now fiancée sitting on a barstool, observing everyone with a soft smile on her face. The team was tired, time flying by and the evening giving way to the night, the date on their phones changing. She looks almost ethereal in this lighting, all pale skin and the emerald green of her dress, and he can’t help but come over and wrap an arm around her shoulders. Emily’s head immediately hits his chest.

“Hi,” she says.

“Hi,” he replies and leans down to kiss her head. “Let’s go home, it’s late.”

Emily looks up at him, a look on her face he could never say no to. “No, let’s stay a little longer. Please?”

He hears what she hasn’t said and chuckles. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Garcia you actually love the party,” he says, and Emily narrows her eyes at him. “Okay, we can stay.”

Emily smiles and puts her head back onto his chest as his hand rubs up and down her bare arm. They sit like that for a while, watching people they love being happy, carefree, something they all lacked in everyday life, their jobs too intense for that. The songs change to slower ones, and they both smile as they watch a drunk Morgan spin an equally drunk Penelope under his arm.

“Do you want to dance?” Aaron asks quietly. “We didn’t get to do it yet tonight.”

Emily looks up at him with a smile that falters almost immediately, and Aaron frowns. She shakes her head.

“Oh no, I’m not that drunk.”

Aaron laughs, but his quizzical expression stays on. He narrows his eyes at her.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Emily says, smiling up at him. “I just want to sit here.”

“Sweetheart,” he says, coming to stand in front of her, a hint of concern under a soft smile already on his face. He’s always been able to read her like a book. “You’re gonna have to dance at our wedding and you won’t be even nearly as drunk as you are right now. Dance with me. Please?”

Emily’s eyebrows crease together before she can stop it, overshadowing the desire to smile at the mention of their wedding, and Aaron raises an eyebrow at her. “Em, are you okay?”

She nods, but his hand is already grasping hers and pulling her to stand. She doesn’t school her expression on time, the wince when she lands on her feet clearly visible to him, and Aaron frowns as he helps her sit back on the stool.

“Seriously, Em, what’s wrong?”

He’s so concerned her heart almost physically feels it. Emily sighs and drops his gaze, looking at the floor before speaking.

“It’s these fucking shoes, Aaron,” she says, not missing the way her own sentence comes out as a quiet whine. “They’re so beautiful, and no, I still don’t regret buying them, but they’re killing me.”

He almost chuckles at her words, but quickly sobers up after the warning look she sends him. He smiles at her sadly, his hands coming up to settle on her waist.

“Baby,” he says quietly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Emily shrugs, offering him a soft smile when one of his hands brushes some hair away from her face. “I thought it would go away on its own somehow,” she answers and rolls her eyes when he shakes his head with a smile. “I know, I know.”

Aaron kisses her, quick but soft, something about her imperishable stubbornness about her own pain making him feel more for her, which he doesn’t think is possible even though it happens every time. He moves a chair from the nearest table and sits down in front of her, watching her eyes grow wider, two pools of darkest hot chocolate growing warmer with mirth and affection by the second.

“C’mere,” he murmurs, his voice getting lost in the background music and conversations, and leans down, gently taking one of her feet in his hands. Emily gasps when she feels his lips on her knee, tender and soft as he undoes the shoe, and a flush rises in her cheeks. She shakes her head at him but never breaks the eye contact, smiling too as she feels him smile against her skin. One shoe undone, Aaron straightens his back and carefully puts it on the floor beside him. When he looks back, Emily is watching him with her lower lip between her teeth, still blushing, eyebrows raised. He simply leans down again to undo the other shoe.

“Emily, I’m heading out...” Elizabeth’s voice suddenly says and then trails off as she takes in the scene in front of her. Emily sighs, half expecting her mother’s face to scrunch up in disgust, pursed lips and one raised eyebrow her favorite expression. But Elizabeth silently looks between both of them for a second, and then a corner of her lips turns up the tiniest bit. “Congratulations again, Aaron, Emily. Call me when you need a good wedding planner.”

She leaves as fast as she’s appeared, a man in a suit holding the door open for her and then escorting her to the car. Emily starts laughing the second she sees Aaron’s cheeks turn a little pink, and he just continues with his task as he hides his face behind her knee. Emily leans down to be closer to him.

“I love you,” she whispers. Aaron lifts his head with a smile as he puts her other shoe on the ground beside the other.

“I love you too,” he whispers back and kisses her quickly, then pulling back to assess the damage. A hiss of pain leaves his mouth as he carefully looks one of her feet over. “You’re bleeding.”

“Fuck,” Emily breathes and drops her head back. “I knew it.”

Aaron stands up and puts his chair back in place, looking around in the most matter-of-fact way possible. Spencer is already asleep in his chair, and JJ is trying to wake him up gently to take him home; Morgan is trying to make a very cheerful Penelope go home, and Emily is looking at her with friendly envy, admiring her ability to fly in her high heels. Rossi is just watching them with a smug look on his face, and Emily rolls her eyes lovingly. Her family.

Aaron collects their things, brings her purse, and puts it in her lap. Emily looks up at him expectantly.

“What now?” she asks. “I’m not walking barefoot. Should’ve just left them on.”

Aaron smiles. “I have a plan.”

She doesn’t even get the chance to raise her eyebrow or say anything because he’s lifting her up in the next moment, one arm under her knees, the other one securing her back. Emily yelps and winds her arms around his neck, clinging to him.

“What are you doing?” she says, slight indignance lacing her voice as she looks around and then at him, eyes wide.

“Taking you home,” he says simply, and she can hear the poorly concealed laugh in his voice.

“Oh my god,” she scoffs, dropping her head into the crook of his neck. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am,” Aaron replies and kisses her temple. “Dave, give me her shoes, please.”

Dave grumbles something about having to bend down and his poor back but does get the shoes, dangling them from Aaron’s fingers.

“Practicing for the wedding, Aaron?”

“Good night, Dave,” he replies, dismissing his friend with his usual frown. “See you all at the office on Monday,” Aaron directs to the team, listening to a bunch of goodbyes and one loud squeal from Penelope. Emily just waves at everyone with a small smile, still tense in his arms.

They step outside, the heat of the day no longer present, having fallen away to nothing but a nice summer chill. Without anyone present, Emily lets herself relax, cuddling closer to his chest to stave off the inevitable shiver.

“Are you really going to carry me all the way home?” she mumbles, his warmth immediately making her sleepy.

“Yes,” he says softly. “Take my blazer off my arm and put it around yourself, okay?”

She does as he said, kissing his cheek in the process.

“If your back hurts in the morning I don’t want to hear about it.”

Aaron laughs, smiling even though she can’t see it, her never-disappearing defenses and loving teasing endearing to him.

“Noted, sweetheart.”

〰

When they reach their house, she’s almost asleep against him. Emily lifts her head as the door closes behind them and smiles at him.

“You can put me down now,” she says, giving him a soft kiss. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” he answers even though he knows all too well she always will. “Go get into bed, I’ll be right up.”

Emily takes her shoes and climbs the stairs, taking her dress off as she goes and leaving it on a chair by the bed. The shoes get dumped in that general area too, and she takes her makeup off as fast as possible to slip into their bed and fall asleep. She’s already sitting propped up against the headboard, inspecting the caked blood on her feet when he comes into the room with wipes and band-aids.

“Here,” he says, putting the band-aids on the nightstand and lightly batting her hands away from her feet. “Let me.”

Aaron gently wipes the blood away, his other hand stroking her thigh. When he’s done, he disposes of the wipe and looks up at her with a sly smile.

“Next time you’re wearing those shoes put a band-aid on before okay?”

Emily glares at him with no real malice behind her expression. She leans in to kiss him, both of her hands on his face.

“I can’t wait to marry you,” she whispers when she pulls back.

His smile warms her heart, just like she hopes it forever will.

#lina strikes again #in love #absolutely in love #i love them #i miss them #wtf this is better than the show’s writi mg #writing*

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