#patron saint: hotchley | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

themetaphorgirl · 7 months

Note

I hope you’re doing okay today Darling!!

I’ve been craving a soft Aaron and Spencer Drabble, I’m not even sure of the circumstances but just Spencer absolutely refusing everyone any sort of interaction or affection, he just want to be with his bubba, only wants him to cuddle him, carry him, all that fun stuff - maybe it’s at like a weird stage in the future where Spencer is acknowledging Alex and James getting together and wanting to give Alex some space so his focus just moves to Aaron in the meantime?? But also Aaron low-key loves it… idk, do with that what you will!!

Sending love always! 💙

This blended with wanting to write some Hotchley, so please enjoy this very squishy and sweet drabble.

----------

Being invited to the Lincoln House Saturday movie night was a huge deal.

It wasn’t like Aaron’s friends didn’t approve of her or anything- Haley knew they liked her, and she and Penelope were definitely friends. But there was a specific kind of closeness that the nine of them shared, an inner circle that she didn’t belong to. And that was okay.

(Also, if she was honest, Aaron’s twin sister made her a little nervous. Alex was unfailingly kind and nice, but Haley couldn’t help but feel intimidated by a girl with straight As, fluency in multiple languages, and a ballet scholarship. And she knew that Alex would not hesitate if she did anything at all to break Aaron’s heart.)

But she had caught Aaron’s eye in the hallway during a passing period on Friday, and he had crossed through the crowd to catch up to her. “Hi,” she said, a little breathless, hugging her books to her chest.

“Hey, I was hoping I would run into you,” he said.

He said something else but she didn’t quite catch it. She was too busy staring at him. Aaron was beautiful, with his serious dark eyes and his high sharp cheekbones and the cut line of his jaw. His hair was swept back from his forehead, not a strand out of place, and his uniform fit him perfectly.

“Oh, yeah,” she said, hoping she answered him correctly and wondering if he would ever feel as thunderstruck looking at her as she did when she looked at him.

“Yeah, it’s my turn to pick the movie for movie night this Saturday, and Penelope suggested I ask you to come hang out with us,” Aaron said. “We’ll probably start around four o’clock. Would that be okay?”

“Yes!” she said. “I mean…yes, yeah, that sounds like fun.”

“Great,” he said, and when he smiled at her his eyes lit up. “You can text me if you need to. Or Penelope, uh…you have her number too, right?”

“Yeah, I do, don’t worry,” she said.

“Hey, Hotch, I have a question for you!” a kid in a red Lincoln tie called, and Aaron walked away, his expression falling back in serious lines. Haley resisted the urge to sigh dreamily. It wasn’t a date, but she was going to spend more time with him, at least.

She tried on half a dozen outfits before she decided on exactly what she was going to wear. “Aren’t you just hanging out with the angry Lincoln kid and his weirdo friends?” Harper said as she lounged on her bed and scrolled idly through TikTok. “You really don’t have to dress up.”

“I’m not dressing up, I just want to look nice,” Haley objected. “And Aaron isn’t angry. He’s just…serious.”

Harper snorted. “Could’ve fooled me,” she said. “He looks like the human version of a thundercloud. I think his face would crack if he smiled.”

“He’s nothing like that, he’s so sweet,” Haley said. She looked herself up and down in the mirror. “This is cute but not trying too hard, right?”

“Yeah, you like fine,” Harper said. She glanced over her shoulder. “Somebody’s texting you.” Haley picked it up and smiled. “Ooh, what’s that face for?”

“Aaron wants to meet me early at the Honeybean for a coffee run,” she said. “I’m going to go right now?”

“Oh, an actual date?”

“No, no, we’re just hanging out,” Haley said. She spritzed on her favorite perfume and immediately second guessed herself, maybe it was too much. “And I won’t say no to getting coffee with a cute boy.”

“He’s not that cute, he’s just tall!” Harper called after as she left the room. Haley rolled her eyes. Aaron was cute, she’d heard the other girls in theatre club talking about him. But Harper was right, he was always so serious and solemn. She wondered what it would take to get him out of his shell.

It was a chilly day, on the verge of drizzling, and she regretted not grabbing a jacket on the way out. I’ll get a hot coffee and that’ll fix it, she thought. Her heart skipped a beat as she opened the door to the coffee shop. Be cool, Brooks. You’re just hanging out with Aaron and his friends.

She caught sight of him immediately. His dark hair was unstyled, falling soft and floppy over his forehead, and he was dressed in jeans and a dark blue zipup hoodie she’d seen him wear to rehearsals. But to her surprise, he wasn’t alone.

“Hi!” Aaron said, his eyes lighting up.

“Hi!” Spencer echoed happily. He held Aaron’s hand and smiled up at her.

“Sorry, he just really wanted to come with me,” Aaron said, absently running his hand over Spencer’s tousled hair.

“No, no, it’s fine!” Haley said. “Hi, Spencer.”

“We’ve been sent to pick up everyone’s coffee orders,” Spencer informed her. “Emily hasn’t had caffeine yet today and there’s a distinct chance she might murder Dave without it.”

“Well, we can’t have that,” Haley laughed.

She stood next to Aaron in line, close enough to smell the spicy clean scent of his body wash. “So are you going to auditions for the black box show?” she asked.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “One musical might be enough for me.”

“Oh, no, you have to!” she said. “You were so good. And I could totally see you in this show.”

His ears turned faintly pink as he ducked his head, almost shy. “I think you’re just desperate for more guys to audition,” he said.

She elbowed him lightly. “I mean, yeah, but also you’re really talented,” she teased.

Spencer tugged on the hem of Aaron’s hoodie. “Hotch, I can’t see what’s in the case,” he said. “Could you pick me up, please?”

Aaron picked him up easily and set him on his hip. “Better?” he asked.

“Yes, thank you,” Spencer said. He wrapped his arms around Aaron’s neck. “Can we get something for Alex?”

Aaron laughed. “Yeah, I think we can do that, if you see something you think she’d like,” he said.

Haley smiled at the sight of them. She still wasn’t exactly sure how Aaron’s family worked- she was starting to get the sneaking suspicion that neither Alex nor Spencer were actually related to him- but he was clearly fond of the little boy, and Spencer clearly adored him. They were so sweet.

“Hi, you ready to order?” the barista at the register asked.

Aaron dug his phone out of his pocket. “Yeah, hi,” he said. He balanced Spencer comfortably on his hip as he pulled up his list. “I need a large cold brew with light iced, nothing in it, and a large strawberry green tea…”

He wasn’t kidding when he said he’d been sent on the coffee run; he ordered half a dozen drinks as he read off his list. “Bubba, can we get Birdy a coffee cake? She likes those,” Spencer said.

“Yeah, of course,” Aaron said. He bounced him lightly. “And do you want a cake pop?”

“Yes, thank you!” Spencer said.

Aaron turned to Haley. “What would you like?” he asked.

She blinked. “Oh!” she said. “Oh, you don’t need to get me anything.”

He smiled at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling up. “But I want to,” he said. He leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “Besides, Emily sent me with her black Amex, so the sky’s the limit.”

“Oh, well, in that case,” she laughed. “A hot caramel macchiato, please.”

“Did you know that in Italian macchiato means ‘stained milk’?” Spencer said.

“No, I actually didn’t,” Haley said.

Aaron set Spencer down carefully. “Here, Bug, you can carry these,” he said, handing him the snacks. He brushed his dark hair back from his eyes, almost nervously. “Do you mind helping me carry these?”

She nodded and he held out one of the drink carriers. Her fingertips trailed over his as she took it. “Thanks,” she said, and he smiled at her, a little bashfully.

“We should, um…we should probably go,” Aaron said. “We need to get the movies started.”

“Movies, plural?”

“We’re going to watch the Indiana Jones trilogy!” Spencer piped up. “I’m excited. I’m not well-versed in pop culture but I like Stephen Spielberg’s works so far.”

“Oh, really?” Haley said. She was never sure what was going to come out of Spencer’s mouth next, but she did have a mental list of questions a mile long. “What’s been your favorite so far?”

“Jaws, I think.”

“Jaws gave you nightmares,” Aaron pointed out, holding the door open with his hip as they walked out of the shop.

“So did ET!” Spencer objected. “And everyone promised me it was a kid’s movie!”

“ET gave me nightmares when I was a kid too,” Haley said. “The scene when he’s all wrinkled up and dying? Terrifying.”

Aaron laughed. She smiled up at him, and this time when she brushed her hand against his their fingers intertwined, just long enough for him to squeeze and then let go. “I was scared of Snow White,” he admitted. “When I was like three. The whole hag thing.”

“When the film premiered in 1937, movie theaters kept having to replace their seats because kids were getting so scared of the evil queen that they would wet their pants,” Spencer said.

“I didn’t get that scared,” Aaron said wryly. He glanced up at the rapidly darkening sky. “Jesus, it’s going to pour today, isn’t it?”

Spencer slipped his hand into Aaron’s. “It never rains like this in Las Vegas,” he said.

“You’ll get used to it, Bug,” Aaron said, squeezing his hand. “For now let’s just get back to Lincoln, okay?”

The rain held off just long enough for them to make it into the lobby; Haley shook a couple of raindrops from her hair. She has never actually been inside Lincoln House before, and she tried not to make her gawking too obvious as they climbed the stairs. Everyone knew Lincoln was for the “troubled kids,” kids that were on the edge of getting expelled from their own schools but had some kind of exceptional academic or athletic or artistic talent that made them desirable enough to St. Thaddeus to offer them a scholarship. The building certainly didn’t look as nice and and new as her own dorm did- the paint was peeling in places and the architecture was shabby and outdated- but there was a kind of warmth and coziness to it, especially when they made it to the common room.

“Hotch, thank god, I need caffeine,” a girl in ripped jeans and a vintage tee shirt said. Haley had seen her around multiple times before; she had never seen her in correct dress code once. “Which one’s mine?”

“Jesus, Emily, give us a second,” Hotch said. He set his drink carrier down on the table and took Haley’s from her. “Everybody can figure out their own.”

Spencer zipped over to where Alex was sitting and held out one of the paper packets as the rest of the kids swarmed the drinks, bickering as they searched through them. “Aaron said we could get you a coffee cake,” he said.

Alex beamed at him. “Thank you, dearest,” she said, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

“I got a cake pop!” he said happily.

A tall boy with soft sandy brown hair leaned over the back of the couch and held out a cup for Alex. “Chai latte?” he said. Alex tilted her head back to be kissed and he happily obliged before handing her the cup. Haley hid a smile. She’d heard the rumors, but they were cute to see in person.

“Who ordered a macchiato?” JJ called. “None of us ever get macchiatos.”

Haley raised her hand. “That’s mine,” she said, and half the assembled group whipped around to look at her.

“Oh damn, Haley, when did you get here?” Derek said, grinning at her.

“I came with Aaron,” she said.

Penelope made a face. “Who’s Aaron…oh! Hotch!” she said. “I always forget he has a first name.”

“He, um, he asked me to help him with the coffee run,” she said. She glanced around; he wasn’t in the common room and she felt a little awkward. “He invited me for movie night.”

“Oh yeah, we know,” the girl in the ripped jeans said, smirking. Alex shot her a look from across the room and she shrugged.

“Okay, I’m here, we can start now,” Aaron said as he walked back into the room. He had changed from his jeans to a pair of joggers, and he held a stack of DVDs in his hand. Penelope zipped over to take it from him. “Everybody’s met Haley, right?”

“No, no, not everybody,” Penelope said as she popped the first disc into the DVD player.

Aaron pointed them out. “That’s Emily, that’s Dave, that’s James,” he said. “You know Penelope and Derek, I think you’ve met JJ…and you definitely know Alex and Spencer.”

JJ handed Haley her coffee. “Hopefully we don’t scare you off,” she said.

“What do you mean? We’re delightful,” Dave said dryly from behind his laptop.

“Okay, I’ve got it, movie’s starting,” Penelope announced. She found her spot on the floor between Spencer and JJ; the younger kids had made a nest of blankets and pillows. “Everybody find a place to sit.”

Haley glanced around. Aaron beckoned to her; he’d claimed a seat on the couch and there was enough space for her. She sat down gingerly next to him and smiled.

Rain started tapping against the windows ten minutes into the movie, and pouring hard by thirty. She sipped her coffee and scooted herself a little closer to Aaron’s warmth, as close as she dared. Snuggling would probably be too bold, but she wouldn’t be mad at all if it happened.

Spencer scrambled up from the floor. “Bubba, I’m cold,” he said.

“You want my hoodie?” Aaron asked. He unzipped it, and as he pulled it up it rucked up the hem of his shirt, just enough for Haley to catch a little glimpse of his stomach. “There. Better?”

“Yes, thank you,” Spencer beamed. The hoodie hung down to his knobby little knees. “Can I sit next to you?”

Aaron blinked. “Uh…you don’t want to sit with the girls?” he asked.

Alex sat up a little; she had been leaning back against James and skimming a book while the movie played. “You can come sit with me,” she said.

“No, thank you, I want to sit with Bubba,” Spencer said, clambering up to Aaron’s other side. Aaron glanced over at her, almost apologetically. But it was so cute, she couldn’t be put out. Spencer tucked himself against Aaron’s side, his knees drawn up to his chest, and Aaron draped an arm around him.

“Okay, I’m ordering pizza, last call for any special requests,” Dave announced. Derek sat up eagerly. “I’m not ordering a whole pizza just for you, Morgan. Haley, anything you’d like? We’re getting cheese, pepperoni, sausage…and Hawaiian, because Penelope makes wild choices.”

“Hawaiian pizza is delicious,” Penelope announced.

“I’m good, those all sound great,” Haley laughed.

Aaron leaned closer to her. “Oh, watch this, this is my favorite part of the first movie,” he whispered in her ear.

Haley shivered happily. He was close enough that his breath could warm her skin, and she hoped she didn’t actually blush.

So far, though, movie night was going well. Aaron’s friends were fun, they bantered and bickered with each other and commented on what was happening in the movie. She just wished she could have a little more one on one time with Aaron, but she couldn’t blame him for being distracted by his little brother. The storm was getting louder and louder outside, and Spencer was leaning heavily into the protection of Aaron’s side.

“Pizza’s here!” Dave announced as the credits started to roll, and immediately the nine of them were up and moving like a well oiled machine, setting out plates and napkins and drinks. Haley got up too, even though she wasn’t sure what she should be doing.

Alex handed her a plate. “Having fun?” she asked.

“Oh! Yes, I’m having a great time,” Haley said.

Alex smiled at her. The older girl was more dressed-down than Haley had ever seen her; her long red hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she wore leggings and an oversized flannel shirt that Haley suspected belonged to her new boyfriend. “Aaron has been so excited,” she said. “We’ve been telling him he should invite you for ages, but he’s been nervous.”

“Really?” Haley said.

“Really, but you didn’t hear it from me,” Alex said. “Sorry about Spencer, though. He’s been having a little trouble adjusting to James and I dating and he’s been a little clingy with Aaron lately.”

“No, it’s fine, it’s adorable,” Haley said. “It’s really cute that they’re so close.”

Heavy footsteps thundered up the stairs. “Jesus, those stairs suck,” Dave panted. “Okay, come get your pizza.” Derek bounded past him. “Quick, somebody stop Derek before he takes a whole one for himself!”

“And everybody go quick so we can start the next movie, I want to know what happens,” Emily said.

Haley got herself a piece and sat back down; Aaron took his seat next to her with a plastic to go container of salad. “Aren’t you hungry?” Haley asked.

“No, just not much of a pizza guy,” Aaron said, dumping a truly insane amount of ranch dressing over the salad. “What did you think of the first movie?”

“It’s great, I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to watch them,” she said.

Aaron grinned, one corner of his mouth tilting up more than the other. “They’re my favorites,” he confessed. “I’ve seen them a million times and I never get sick of them.”

She leaned closer to him, her arm bumping up against his. “That’s how I am with Cinderella, I’ve seen it so many times I could probably quote it in my sleep,” she said.

Suddenly Spencer popped up and they jumped apart. “Did you know Cinderella’s glass slipper is probably a mistranslation? The original French text actually indicated it was a fur slipper,” he said.

“I didn’t know that, that’s so interesting,” Haley said.

Alex leaned forward from her seat. “Spencer, do you want to come sit with me?” she asked.

“No, thank you,” he said, climbing in between Penelope and JJ in their blanket nest again.

Emily stood up, wiping pizza sauce off her chin. “All right, let’s start the second one, let’s go,” she announced.

The second movie was definitely a little more intense than the first. It wasn’t like Saw 5 or anything, but it was still more than she usually liked to watch…but on the other hand, when she jumped and squeaked in surprise at what was happening on the screen, Aaron wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

She tried to play it cool but she had a feeling she was failing miserably. They both sat stiffly for a bit, but eventually she relaxed against him and he did too, his hand curling around her shoulder and his thumb rubbing her upper arm lightly.

It didn’t last.

Spencer scrambled to his feet as Penelope and JJ shrieked at the screen. “Aaron, can I sit with you?” he asked, glancing briefly back over his shoulder at the TV and immediately turning back. “It’s scary. I don’t think I like it.”

“Yeah, yeah, c’mere,” Aaron said. Haley missed the warm weight of his arm, but Aaron picked up his little brother and settled him on his lap. “You’re okay, Bug. It’s just a movie, you’re safe.”

“It’s scary,” Spencer mumbled into his chest.

Haley couldn’t possibly be mad that they were interrupted. Aaron held Spencer on his lap for the rest of the movie, patting his back and talking to him softly during the scariest bits. It was so sweet. Most boys she knew hated their little brothers, but Aaron was so kind and so gentle.

By the time they finished the second movie Derek had brought out a massive bag of candy to pass around, and Spencer was yawning heavily. “Bug, go get your pajamas on,” Alex said. “You look like you’re about to fall asleep.”

“I’m not tired,” he whined, nuzzling his cheek against Aaron’s chest.

Aaron kissed the top of his head and set him on his feet. “Birdy’s right,” he said.

Spencer rolled his eyes. “I’m going to stay awake, you know,” he said, but he headed down the hall.

“My money’s on him falling asleep before Sean Connery shows up,” Derek said.

“How do you know he’s in it?” Emily said.

“I roomed with Hotch last year, he watches these movies on repeat.”

Haley raised an eyebrow at Aaron, her lips quirking up. He shrugged. “I wasn’t lying, I’ve seen these a lot,” he said, half laughing.

Spencer made it back just as the third movie started, dressed in his pajamas with a soft ivory colored blanket clutched in his hand, and he made a beeline for Aaron. He lifted him back into his lap and snuggled him close, wrapping the blanket around him. It didn’t take long for the little boy to drop off, his breathing slowing down and deepening. Aaron rocked him a little absently as he slept, patting his hip.

By the time the movie finished all the kids were a little sleepy, and Spencer was out like a light in Aaron’s arms. “Oh, those were fucking great,” Emily said. “I can see why Hotchner is obsessed with them.”

“Yeah, they’re just so long,” Penelope yawned.

Alex got up from James’s side. “Here, I’ll put him to bed,” she told Aaron. “You should walk Haley back.”

“Are you sure?” Aaron said. “I can always just-“ But Spencer had woken up just enough to stretch his arms towards Alex, and she picked him up easily. “All right, well…I’ll be back soon.” He turned to Haley. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty late,” she said. “Bye everybody, thanks for letting me join.”

They said goodbye in a happy flurry, with plenty of offers for her to come back any time. That was encouraging, she knew enough that if they didn’t like her they wouldn’t ask her back.

The rain had stopped but the night was damp and cool, the cobblestones slick under her shoes. She slipped a little and Aaron grabbed her hand, and after the initial shock they kept walking hand-in-hand.

“Thanks for coming over,” Aaron said. “Sorry Spencer was taking so much of my attention.”

“No, it’s fine, he’s so cute,” Haley said. “It’s sweet to watch you two. He loves you so much.”

Aaron smiled. “Yeah?” he said. “I hope so.”

He walked her to the front door and reluctantly let go of her hand. “That was a lot of fun,” she said.

“Yeah, it, uh…it was,” he said, ducking his head as if he was suddenly shy.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she raised herself up on tiptoes, squeezed his arm to brace herself, and kissed his cheek. “Goodnight, Aaron,” she said.

Even in the dim light she could see him turning red. “Goodnight, Haley,” he said, his voice squeaking a little as he smiled at her dopily. She squeezed his arm one last time and then ran inside, her heart skipping excited little beats.

#au: patron saint of lost causes #caitlin writes things #patron saint: spencer #patron saint: hotch #patron saint: alex #patron saint: hotchley #patron saint: jalex #patron saint: dave #patron saint: james #patron saint: emily #patron saint: aaron #patron saint: jj #patron saint: derek #patron saint: penelope #patron saint: haley

28 notes · View notes

fragolinaa · 4 years

Photo

It's the Babes!

Caitlin, I will take Hotchley away from you if you do them dirty. I have my eyes on you...

Honestly, they should be protected. I adore them.

Patron Saint by @themetaphorgirl! Hotchley

#aaron hotchner #haley hotchner #hotchley #my art

152 notes · View notes

themetaphorgirl · 11 months

Text

Haley made this TikTok about Aaron.

#au: patron saint of lost causes #patron saint: hotchley #patron saint: haley #patron saint: aaron

24 notes · View notes

themetaphorgirl · 1 year

Text

So Maeve prompted this one, but also I knew Brenna would love it and I couldn’t resist.

(trigger warnings for blood and barf. you can probably guess which boys are responsible.)

(Also yes, Haley is directing scenes from the Deaf West production of Spring Awakening.)

—————

Spencer rubbed his nose. He hated it when he was thrown off his schedule- everyone else was in the library and that’s where they were supposed to be- but Alex and Aaron were helping Haley with a project for her directing project, and he would rather be with them in the Roosevelt common room than in the library with the other kids. And besides, Emily needed help with her math homework.

“Okay, so…yeah, I think the blocking will be best if you angle like this,” Haley was saying. “Cheating out. Do you remember what cheating out means?”

Alex huffed, blowing her hair off her forehead. “Not really,” she said. “I’m not very good at being a theatre kid.”

“Me neither,” Aaron said.

“No, no, you’re both great,” Haley said. “So what’s the sign for-“ She paused. “Are you sure Spencer can be in the room for this?”

Alex leaned back. “Bug, cover your ears,” she said. He obeyed, so he couldn’t hear what Haley said, but he understood the sign language.

“Totally fucked?” he said.

“Spencer,” the twins scolded in unison.

“You should have told me to close my eyes!” he protested.

Emily put down her pen. “Suddenly I’m interested in being in a musical,” she said.

“Hush and let the baby help you with your pre-cal,” Aaron said. She offered a one handed gesture and he rolled his eyes.

Haley fiddled around with her laptop. “See, I kind of want the blocking to look like this,” she said. “Oh, hold on. My laptop is about to die and I left my charger in my room.” She got up, smoothing down her uniform skirt. “I’ll be right back, I’ll run upstairs and grab it. Do you guys want anything? I have drinks in my mini fridge.”

Aaron tilted his head back. “Do you still have those strawberry Dr. Peppers?” he asked.

“Yes, I do, I’ll bring you one,” she said. She patted his cheek absently and Aaron smiled at her, sweet and a little dopey. “Anyone else want anything?”

“We’re good, thanks,” Emily said, and as soon as Haley left she wadded up a piece of paper and chucked it at Aaron, bouncing it off his head. “Jesus Christ, Hotchner, you have it down bad.”

Aaron turned red. “I do not,” he said.

“No, you do,” Alex said. She got up off the floor and pushed her long hair back from her face. “Here, let’s try that blocking again.”

Spencer rubbed his nose again. “How much longer?” he asked plaintively.

“Not too much longer, kiddo, we’ll go get dinner in like forty-five minutes,” Aaron said.

“I’ve got some snacks in my room, I’ll grab you something,” Emily promised.

“You’re just trying to get out of your math homework,” Spencer called after her as she hurried down the hall.

He sighed heavily. His nose was starting to run and he rubbed at it again in irritation. He was ready to eat dinner and starting to feel cranky, and he was tired of helping Emily with her math while the twins practiced with Haley. If only there was a good excuse to leave.

Something dripped onto the white pages of his notebook, and it took a second to register that his nose was bleeding. He stared at it in horror.

Without thinking he slid down from his seat and wandered over to the twins, still talking through the blocking Haley had just taught them and working on the ASL they were incorporating. He tugged on Aaron’s shirt, too dazed to think things through.

“What’s wrong, Bug?” Aaron asked.

He swallowed hard and tasted pennies. “My nose is bleeding,” he said in a tiny voice.

Aaron stared down at him. “Nope,” he said, all the color draining from his face. “Sorry, I…nope…”

“What? What’s wrong?” Alex said, but Aaron’s eyes rolled back and he started to crumple. “Oh god! Aaron!”

She managed to catch him before his head hit the floor, letting out a soft oof at the impact and lowering him down carefully. Spencer’s lower lip wobbled as he felt more blood drip down his chin. “What’s wrong with Aaron?” he asked.

“He’s- oh my god!” Alex explained. She looked wildly from Aaron’s limp form, his head resting on her knee, to Spencer with blood running down his face. “Jesus Christ. Emily! Emily!”

To her credit, Emily came running. “What the fuck, Alex? Somebody better be bleeding or dead,” she said. She froze. “Oh god. I was only joking.”

“He’s not dead, he’s got a weird thing about blood and he passed out,” Alex said, smoothing Aaron’s hair back from his forehead. “Can you go get Haley? I can’t take care of both of them at the same time.”

“I can help,” Emily offered.

“Em, I love you, but Aaron is going to throw up when he comes to, and Spencer is gushing blood.”

“Got it, got it, on my way to get Brooks.”

Spencer shifted his weight and made a distressed little whine. “I want it to stop,” he said.

“I know, I know, baby, I’ll hold you in just a second,” Alex said. “Can you get a tissue and put it over your nose?”

“No, I can’t, I don’t want to move,” he whimpered, cupping his hands over his nose. Blood was pouring between his fingers and running down the front of his shirt. “I w-would like be h-held please.”

“I promise, I’ll get you the second Haley comes back,” Alex said.

Luckily Haley ran into the room in record time. “I couldn’t understand what Emily was saying but it sounded like something was wrong with Aaron,” she said. “Oh god!”

“Please take him, they both need me and I don’t have enough arms,” Alex said. The girls traded places, carefully transferring Aaron’s weight from Alex’s lap to Haley’s, and as soon as he was safe Alex swept Spencer up into a hug.

He gripped her shoulders, smearing blood on her uniform shirt, and burst into tears. “It’s okay, baby, it’s okay,” Alex soothed, sitting down on the couch and snuggling him on her lap. “I’ve got you, you’re okay.”

He didn’t feel okay, but he pressed his cheek against her collarbone. Emily walked into the room and set a small trashcan next to Aaron and Haley. “For the big disaster,” she said. She handed a box of tissues to Alex. “For the little disaster.”

Alex took several tissues and pressed them over Spencer’s nose, pinching the bridge lightly. “Just breathe, honey, I’ve got you,” she said.

Haley brushed Aaron’s hair back from his forehead. “If he doesn’t wake up in thirty seconds I’m going to- oh thank god, he’s opening his eyes,” she said. “Hey, baby, it’s okay.” She looked up at Alex. “Is he really going to-“

Aaron groaned, lurched up faster than should be physically possible, and grabbed the trashcan in just enough time to throw up. “Haley, I hate to break it to you, but if you’re going to date Hotchner then you need to be ready for the kid to puke at the drop of a hat,” Emily said dryly.

“And he’s got a weird thing about blood,” Alex said, almost apologetic. “He took one look at Spencer and…that’s all it took.”

“Wow, he goes down fast,” Haley commented, rubbing Aaron’s back as he threw up.

Spencer pressed his cheek against Alex’s collarbone, hiding behind her long hair like a curtain as she rocked him gently. It felt like the pressure of her hand on his nose was helping but he was too scared to check.

Emily crouched down in front of them. “Hold out your hands, squirt,” she said. He obeyed reluctantly; she poured blueberry-scented hand sanitizer into his bloody palms and wiped him down gently with more tissues. “Oh, Jesus, this is disgusting. You’re like the human version of the elevator from The Shining.”

“You want to take Barf Boy?” Haley asked.

“You know what? I think I’ll stick with Carrie White over here.”

“You’re mixing up your horror movies,” Aaron mumbled, his head still deep in the trash can.

“Ari, let’s just focus on getting you to stop vomiting, okay?” Haley said.

Emily tossed the bloody tissues, then dug around in Alex’s bag for Spencer’s blanket. “Here, baby, hold your blankie,” she said. He was too tired and too upset to argue that it wasn’t a security blanket.

“I think I’m okay,” Aaron rasped.

“Yes, well, we’ll take it slow,” Haley said as she ran her fingers through his hair. “No sudden movements.”

“Is Spencer okay?” Aaron asked.

“He’s fine, I’m guessing it’s just allergies,” Alex said. She kissed the top of Spencer’s head. “If I carry him out, will you close your eyes? I have some of his clothes in my room and he needs to change, he’s covered in blood.”

“You’re also covered in blood,” Emily said. “Is there anything left in his little body?”

Aaron instantly turned green again, leaning back heavily between Haley’s legs with his head on her shoulder as she kept petting his hair. “I could not open my eyes if you paid me,” he promised, covering his eyes with his hands.

#au: patron saint of lost causes #caitlin writes things #patron saint: hotch #patron saint: alex #patron saint: wonder twins #patron saint: hotchley #patron saint: Emily #patron saint: Haley #patron saint: aaron #patron saint: spencer #aaron can’t handle blood because he was in the car accident that killed his mom #criminal minds au #criminal minds fanfiction

23 notes · View notes

themetaphorgirl · 11 months

Note

Did the kids have a bet on when James and Hotch will be with their S.O because at that stade I’ll be on Hotch side to be with Hayley before James could muster any “Hey do you want to go to see this movie just the two of us” to Alex 😭😭

Oh, there is an entire betting pool on James and Alex. With Hotch and Haley it’s still up in the air, they think he has a one-sided crush (but she is CLEARLY crushing on him too!)

#au: patron saint of lost causes #patron saint: jalex #patron saint: hotchley

10 notes · View notes

themetaphorgirl · 1 year

Text

who wants some adorable Hotch and Haley??

This was prompted by @fragolinaa with ASL knowledge provided by @thesassprincess!!! two of my favorite people in the whole world!!!

also Aaron is both Brenna and Maeve’s favorite, so I’ve been writing a lot of Aaron things lately ahahahaha. He’s such a sweetheart. but also shoutout to the commenter from the early days of Patron Saint who told me that the way I wrote Hotch had no personality at all. I still stress about it to this day. but hopefully he’s a lot more interesting to read now!!

----------

Oh my god, Haley thought. He doesn’t know this is a date.

She sat in the back of the car, listening to James and Aaron talk about an upcoming test, as horror slowly sank into the pit of her stomach. Surely he’d figured it out by now that this was a double date.

Aaron twisted around in the passenger seat. “Birdy, when we get back, would you mind helping me run through my calculus study guide?” he asked. “James thinks we’ll be back too late for me to get Spencer to help.”

“I mean…I suppose,” Alex said, looking up from her book. “You don’t want to wait for tomorrow?”

“No, we can do it tonight, a movie and dessert shouldn’t run that late,” he said.

Alex poked him in the arm. “Turn around before you make yourself carsick,” she said.

He blushed. “I’m not-“ he started to say. He shifted towards Haley. “She’s joking, I don’t-“ He turned back around quickly. “So what time is the movie?”

Haley hid a smile. “Not till six, so we have plenty of time,” James said.

It would be okay if it wasn’t a date. She was happy to spend time with him, especially off campus.

But the school year was ending in a month, and she wouldn’t see him all summer, and what if he met another girl before they came back in the fall?

James pulled into a parking spot and Haley got out, unsure of what to do with herself- which was a rare and unsettling feeling for her.

“While you guys are getting tickets, I’m going to run to the bathroom,” Alex said as she slid her book in her purse. “Haley, do you want to come with me?”

“Uh…yeah,” she said.

James helped her smooth her long red hair free of her purse strap. “We’ll meet you at concessions,” he said. “Aaron, you’re getting Haley’s ticket, right?”

Aaron blinked. “Oh, yeah, sure,” he said. “I can do that.” James shot him a weird look.

Haley followed Alex inside the theater and into the bathroom. As soon as the door closed Alex whirled around. “Oh my god, he doesn’t know this is a date, does he?” she said.

“I don’t think so,” Haley groaned. “Oh my god. I thought I made it super clear.”

“How exactly did you ask him?” Alex asked.

Haley ran her fingers through her hair. “We were at the Honeybean!” she said. “We were in line, and James said you wanted to see the movie, and Aaron said he wanted to see it too, and then he asked me if I wanted to go, and I said yes, absolutely, could we go together? And he said yes.”

“Oh, no,” Alex said, leaning against the sink as Haley started to pace.

“And then James was like ‘oh perfect, Alex and I will be together and you two will be together’, and then we picked out the day and the time, and then Aaron was like ‘meet us in the parking lot at five’ and I was like ‘perfect, it’s a date’.”

“But neither of you…actually…agreed that it was a date,” Alex said.

“No,” Haley said, shoulders slumping in misery. “You guys thought it was a double date too, right?”

“Oh, absolutely, that’s why James gave him that weird look, he assumed Aaron was getting your ticket because it was a date,” Alex said. “I even talked to Aaron about it the other day and called it a date. It’s weird that he didn’t pick up on that.”

“Do you think James will ask him about it?” Haley said.

Alex sighed. “There’s no telling,” she said. She rested her hands on Haley’s shoulders. “Listen, Brooks. Underneath Aaron’s stern, serious, intelligent facade is a very sweet, very shy, very dumb teenage boy. Emotionally dumb. And underneath that, he is so in love with you he’s seasick in your presence.”

“Really?” Haley said.

“Really,” Alex said. “Hopefully he’ll figure it out this is a date on his own. Or you’ll get the chance to talk. But in any case, I promise that he’s absolutely thrilled that you’re hanging out with us.” She brushed the pads of her thumbs under Haley’s eyes. “Don’t cry, your mascara’s running. Let’s clean that up.”

Haley dabbed at her eyes with a wet paper towel and touched up her makeup. “I look like I’m dressed for a date, right?” she said, surveying herself in the mirror. “I’ve been saving this dress for ages so I could wear it to something important.”

“You look beautiful,” Alex reassured her. “I’m sure he’ll figure it out. Eventually.”

They walked back out into the lobby; James and Aaron were waiting near the concessions. “What snacks do you guys want?” James asked.

Alex linked her fingers through his and he kissed her temple. “Nothing too crazy if we’re getting dinner afterwards,” she said.

Aaron frowned. “I thought we were just getting dessert,” he said.

“Nope,” James said.

Aaron looked down at Haley. “You’re not much of a popcorn person,” he said. “M&Ms, right?”

She smiled. “Yeah,” she said. “We can share them if you want.”

His ears immediately turned red. “Uh…yeah, that’s…we can do that,” he said.

Haley hid a smile. He might not have figured out they were on a date, but Alex was right, he did have a crush on her.

When they took their seats in the theater she ended up between the twins, Aaron on her left and Alex on her right. James plunked down next to Alex with their small popcorn and cherry Coke. “If this movie sucks, I’m suing,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this for ages.”

Alex tossed a piece of popcorn at him and he caught it in his mouth. “You’ve never even read the book,” she laughed.

“Yes, I have,” he protested. “You let me borrow it last summer.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Haley pried open the M&Ms box. “The third book in the series is better,” she said, tipping some of the candy into her hand. “I don’t read a whole lot, but I like those.” She offered the box to Aaron. “Have you read it?”

He smiled at her shyly and took some. “No, I don’t usually have a lot of time to read,” he said. “Alex is making a list of books I need to catch up on.”

“You should send me a copy of the list, I need to read more,” she said.

The four of them chatted idly, their conversation settling as the trailers started to roll. “You can have some of my drink if you want,” Aaron offered. “Diet Coke?”

She nodded and took a sip, more for the excuse to smile at him than anything else. Even in the dim lights she could see him blush. God, he’s cute, she thought. I wish this was an actual date.

By the time the movie started, Alex and James had drifted into each other, the armrest pulled up between them so she could lean on his chest and he could wrap his arm around her shoulder. Haley bit back a sigh.

She kept her hand on the armrest between herself and Aaron, giving him as many opportunities as possible to accidentally brush against her as he reached for his drink. Luckily it kept happening, his fingertips grazing her knuckles, until finally about twenty minutes into the movie she curled her palm upwards and caught his hand lightly.

He immediately slipped his fingers through hers. He was staring straight at the screen, but she could see him smiling. This is good, she thought. This is progress.

They held hands in silence, her heart skipping beats. She worked up to tracing her thumb along his in a slow, steady pattern. His hand was so much bigger than hers.

Every so often she caught James and Alex leaning into each other to kiss- not often enough to be gross, but just enough that jealousy puddled in the pit of her stomach. God, why couldn’t he have just known it was a date, she thought. That could be us, but he’s so dumb.

Forty-five minutes into the movie Aaron glanced over at James and Alex, rolled his eyes at them kissing, and looked back at the screen. After a beat his hand suddenly twitched.

Haley frowned, but he slid his hand away from hers, leaned over her, and tapped Alex’s arm. “What?” she whispered.

Aaron started signing. Haley watched, trying to keep up. She knew the twins were both capable in ASL, after Alex had started teaching Aaron and Spencer what she was learning in class, but she knew very little. Their facial expressions were hard to see in the dark, but she tried to figure out what they were talking about. Aaron seemed frustrated to the point of despair, and Alex was barely holding back a laugh.

James leaned around Haley. “They do this sometimes,” he whispered. “It’s a twin thing.”

“Do you know what they’re saying?”

“Not really. They’re so good at languages, and I barely passed the school language requirement, and only because Alex tutored me.”

Haley watched them. They kept repeating the same signs- they both had their hands curved like lowercase d shapes, their fingertips tapping, but Alex made the sign more upright, and Aaron tilted his hands forward. Alex kept shaking her head, and finally Aaron flopped back in his seat, slumping down and staring blankly forward in a daze.

Haley sat quietly, hands in her lap, watching him out of the corner of her eye. She couldn’t figure out what had just happened.

Suddenly Aaron got up and half-jogged down the steps to the exit. Haley’s heart sank.

“I know what happened now,” Alex whispered. She shifted towards her. “This means dessert.” She signed the way Aaron had, the lowercase d shapes tilted forward. “And this means date.” She tilted her hands back up and made the same gesture. “Remember when I told you that I said it was a date? We were signing. And I think he got confused.”

“Oh my god,” Haley whispered. She slid down in her seat, trying not to laugh too loudly in the quiet movie theater. “So he thought-”

“That’s why he kept talking about dessert.”

The two of them burst out laughing, attempting to smother the sound and failing. “Okay, okay, wait, can you teach me something really quick?” Haley said, trying to stay quiet. “Before he gets back.”

She was ready by the time Aaron sat down next to her again. “Here,” he whispered, handing her another box of M&Ms. “I thought that…” He paused. “Never mind. It’s stupid.”

He was clearly frazzled, his dark hair falling over his forehead as he avoided making eye contact with her. Haley squeezed his forearm. “Wait,” she whispered, and she waited for him to look up.

She pointed to him, then to herself, and then touched the tips of her thumb and middle finger together and drew her hand from her chest like she was plucking an invisible string from her heart.

Aaron’s eyes lit up. He signed back, and she knew what he saying.

I like you too.

Impulsively she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, her hair falling against his shoulder. He smiled at her in a daze, and this time he reached for her hand on purpose, closing his strong fingers around hers and squeezing tight as he moved the armrest out of their way so they could be closer.

#au: patron saint of lost causes #caitlin writes things #fragolinaa #thesassprincess #the diana to my anne #wow i love maeve #criminal minds fanfiction #aaron hotchner #haley hotchner #hotchley #patron saint: hotch #patron saint: haley #patron saint: alex #patron saint: james #patron saint: hotchley #patron saint: jalex #wow these are the sweetest babes #boarding school au

29 notes · View notes