ty @deanskitten - Tumblr Blog

For my AO3 readers, you'll get the "real" version in a few days. Tumblr will, too. Just watch me repost.

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Fem!BAU!Reader

Is this full of cheap tropes, you ask? Why, yes. It is.

-> You know that trope where two people love each other, and it's obvious to everyone around them how they feel, but then these two idiots are oblivious? Yes. EXACTLY THAT.

Told from both POVs 👀 (each section is clearly delimited)

Word count: ~23k

Tags: case fic, canon typical violence, tooth-rotting fluff, friends to lovers, only one bed trope, idiots in love, mutual pining, smut, unprotected sex (they talk about it first), oral sex (f&m receiving), showers, feelings, semi-public sex, hints of sub!hotch, etc. (lmk if I missed any)

A/N: This has been "proofread" to the best of my ability, however, it's very long for a one-shot, and English isn't my first language. My lovely beta readers aren't done helping me with it, but I just wanted to share the "raw" version on here because you have been waiting long enough. Stay tuned for the "real" version in the upcoming days. You can wait for it or read my unedited awesomeness.

@criminalskies This one is for you, Rome. Thank you for being my greatest fan 💖

As much as people considered him an adrenaline junkie for always looking for his next fix with the way he loved and lived for his job and the next case, Aaron had become more thrilled about the trip rather than the prospect of chasing down unsubs in the past year.

He had attributed this to the fact that he wasn’t getting any younger, but truthfully, he wasn’t sure he believed it himself.

He loved his job and everything it entailed, but somewhere along the way, saying “wheels up” had started to mean that a familiar warmth settled in his chest, and the longer the flight, the longer that warmth remained.

Aaron wasn’t sure when he had started to love flying out hundreds of miles away because he had never been one to appreciate being away from Jack, but recently, he had learned to cherish the hours he spent in your company before the electrifying and thrumming energy in his veins would keep him alert and focused for days, and the hours after that energy subsided when exhaustion sank deep inside his bones, when the only thing he could feel was gratitude for your presence.

While getting notified that the team had been called away for a case on a Friday night was a downer, Aaron looked forward to the long flight to Alaska.

Jack wasn’t home this weekend, and he wouldn’t be home for the rest of the week because he was with Jessica visiting Roy, but Aaron still let Jessica know he would be gone for a few days so they could set aside times for him to talk to Jack.

Aaron changed into a clean suit and he made his way to the tarmac, happy to find your car already parked there. He was smiling to himself as he approached you while you seemed deep in conversation with the pilot.

He was a bit worried that you hadn’t had time to go home at all after leaving Quantico, but he was relieved to see you had changed into warmer clothes.

The pilot motioned he had to go just in time for you to notice your boss, and Aaron felt a bit relieved he wouldn’t have to fight anyone for your attention.

“Funny how the world always needs us when I’m about to read a good book,” you laughed.

The sound never failed to make his lips curl into a small smile.

“What were you about to read this time?”

Aaron always asked because he had come to learn that your taste in books was flawless. He often read what you read so he could discuss it with you. At first, he read the same books so he’d have an excuse to talk to you, but he actually enjoyed what you “suggested”. He wasn’t sure whether you did it on purpose, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to talk about literature with you.

The people on his team were all brilliant, and they all had a specific skillset, but Aaron loved how all-around intelligent you were. It was like you had lived a hundred different lives, always able to talk about anything with anyone, having a profound knowledge for different topics and wonderful additions to any discussions. Most of all, you could keep up with Reid, and that had amazed him, and the rest of the team, from the start.

Yet, you never flaunted your brilliance in anyone’s face. You clearly opted to remain quiet from time to time, and that was the true mark of someone’s intelligence in his eyes. Choosing not to show off, not to claim your IQ was above average in a room, well, it still caught him off guard how truly fantastic you were.

“Fifty Shades of Grey,” you conceded.

Aaron couldn’t control his reaction quickly enough, staring at you with wide eyes, probably a bit slack-jawed. Normally, he would hide his contempt for some literary choices, but he didn’t manage to conceal his consternation early enough.

Fortunately, you cackled when you seemed to notice his shocked expression, and Aaron sighed in relief.

“You’re messing with me,” he remarked.

“Of course I am. I prefer my knowledge of BDSM material to remain strictly professional… Well, most of the time,” you specified with a cheeky grin.

Aaron wasn’t sure if you were still messing with him, but he was doing mental gymnastics trying to keep up with all the information you were throwing his way.

You looked way too smug to have startled him into silence, opening your bag and proferring a book. “Hotch, please don’t have a heart attack,” you started, “I was just about to read The Great Gatsby. I saw it in your living room the other day when I helped Jack pick up his LEGOs, and I’ve never read it.”

Aaron noticed it was his own worn-out copy of the book. “How’d you sneak out with my book? You thief,” he accused, his tone gentle and far from accusatory.

“What are you going to do? Arrest me?” you goaded with a smile and an attitude that should come with a height you didn’t have. As endearing as it was, he always feared you’d use it on the wrong person someday. “I just borrowed it. I figured this time, I should read something you suggested.”

Had he suggested it and…

No. He hadn’t.

“But I didn’t–”

You just grinned, and Aaron heard the familiar sound of engines rolling behind him.

The rest of the team was arriving.

Your nose crinkled adorably, and you put the book back in your bag. “Just hush. I’ll give it back.”

He shook his head, his hand smoothing down his tie to remind himself he had a job to do as he noticed a familiar, comforting warmth settling in his chest.

Everyone eventually gathered and made their way onto the jet, sitting and preparing for takeoff.

He was reminded once again that flying out was one of his favorite things about the job when he looked over at you beaming at something outside the window.

Aaron loved seeing how bright your eyes got at any time of the day or night when you were on the jet. It was one of the things that melted his cold exterior into nothingness.

Unlike everyone else on the team, remarkably, you had never complained about the lack of sleep the BAU allowed. Instead, you had seemed to choose to be inhabited by endless amounts of sunshine; to be a burning beacon of hope in the darkest nights.

He had asked you why you loved planes so much when he got over himself and decided he could talk to you like a member of his team rather than a plant Strauss had put on his team without permission. The reason behind your amazement with the whole sky still made his stomach flutter when he saw you light up as you watched fields of clouds or the ground thousands of feet below you. When you had answered him earnestly with a dazzling smile that made your gaze sparkle with youth, he had started to shed his unnecessary defenses.

He had realized then that your delightful nature wasn’t an elaborate plan Strauss had come up with to spy on him and the team. The truth had thus started to blind him each time his eyes landed on you from afar; you were just immaculately pure, and he couldn’t help staring at your authentic perfection, mesmerized by your ability to glow even through the more gloomy and dreadful parts of the job.

Your passion for planes had opened the door to many friendly discussions, and much to his enjoyment, to many private screenings of Top Gun with a seven-year-old who clutched the F-14 and the F-18 toys you’d gotten him for Christmas in each hand.

Aaron felt your eyes on him as the team settled on the jet, but he almost never indulged or bathed in your attention when he was in work mode. He needed to be centered, and as much as you could be the center of his world when it was just you and Jack around him, as he watched how your eyes sparkled when you beamed at fighter planes instead of Maverick in Top Gun, he wasn’t sure he could even begin to admit how much you meant to him outside of work, and even less so when he had to focus on gruesome details outlined in the files splayed out in front of him.

Nevertheless, he remembered how you had talked his ear off about your undying love for aircrafts late one night, over a model plane he’d bought for Jack but ended up building with you, nursing a glass of scotch. He fondly remembered you telling him that the jet was one of your favorite things about working with the BAU, that there was something eerily magical about looking out the small windows and see day turn into night before it turned into day again.

But what had taken his breath away was learning that your dad had trained as an army pilot, and even if he had been a commercial pilot most of his life, he had taken you all around the world and taught you all about planes, making you appreciate them for the miracle that they were. Aaron often thought about what you had said that night, something about how seeing the world had left you with a profound admiration for the journey rather than the destination, solidifying his own belief that home was a person rather than a place.

He hadn’t been that surprised to learn that you had managed to get licensed to pilot smaller planes and helicopters considering your love for flying, but he was still happy that criminology had won over everything else because you were a wonderful addition to his team.

Your license had come in handy a few times when the team needed to get somewhere on short notice, especially in remote areas where cars weren’t necessarily the fastest way to get around.

Aaron realized belatedly that he had been staring at the empty seat next to you, and he was finally able to focus entirely on the case details when Dave shot him a knowing look.

“You look too giddy for a triple murder,” Emily declared, teasing you as she often did when you looked too happy to be flying somewhere.

“Alaska is one of the only places on Earth I haven’t been to yet,” you explained.

You shrugged, an attempt to calm the restless energy that coursed through your veins. It wasn’t appropriate to grin from ear to ear when your weekend plans to curl up with a good book had been cut short by Hotch calling and informing you that the BAU was requested to help with a triple murder in Anchorage. By all means, smiling wasn’t the expected reaction. But it was Alaska.

“Really?” Derek crooned.

You bit your lip, averting your gaze. “I’ve been everywhere but here.”

“Well, you’ll see it’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” David interrupted.

Sure, but you’ve been here countless times before.

You wrapped your arms around yourself to refrain from fidgeting.

“I just always wanted to see the Northern Lights,” you confided.

Hotch tilted his head and furrowed his brow, but before you could wonder what the look behind his eyes meant, Spencer chimed in with his own added insight.

“You’re in luck. They usually occur from late August through April.”

“We’re right in the middle of it,” JJ pointed out.

You weren’t ready to admit you had googled it before you had even put on a new pair of pants as you got ready to join the team on the jet.

“When the sky is dark and clear, you should be able to witness the skies light up on an average of four out of five nights in Anchorage,” Spencer added.

“Great. Thanks, Spence!”

You smiled at Spencer’s enthusiastic nature as he proffered more information. He loved sharing random information he had stored away somewhere at any given moment. However, as much as you admired his brain, you didn’t know how to make him stop talking once he started.

“Let’s focus on this case first,” Hotch declared curtly.

You and Hotch were friends outside of work, you knew how kind he was, but it was still commendable how he shifted from sweet and warm to assertive and detached like a seasoned actor.

Hotch knew you better than the rest of the team, and it was obvious he had gathered from the way you scrunched your nose that you didn’t want Spencer to bury you in facts.

You mouthed a “thank you” in his direction and a lopsided grin appeared on his face before it disappeared again.

Hotch put his laptop in the middle of the table, and Penelope’s face showed up on the screen seconds later. “Garcia, present the case, please.”

“We have a triple murder in Anchorage. Locals reported seeing a tall man fleeing the scene in the early hours of the morning,” she began.

You noticed Emily looking at the crime scene photos. “The bodies aren’t displayed. Remorse, maybe?”

“It’s possible,” David observed.

“Do we think he acted alone?” JJ inquired.

“Were the victims killed at the same time or in short succession?” you asked. “Are we dealing with more than one killer?”

Hotch shook his head. “As far as we know, the victims died promptly one after the other. There doesn’t seem to be torture involved but they were tied up.”

“Do we know if sexual gratification was obtained from the chains? They’re oddly specific,” Spencer mused.

“No traces of semen or saliva at the scene,” Hotch clarified.

“And no torture,” Derek added.

“So he’s probably not a sadist,” Emily concluded.

“The bodies are partially covered up, the corpses weren’t desecrated in any way… And look at their hands,” Spencer remarked.

The hands were crossed over the bodies, much like you’d expect to see someone’s hands if they were displayed in a coffin at a funeral home.

“And there are flowers at their feet. There’s definitely remorse,” JJ noted.

“Not a cold-blooded killer then,” you reported.

“Most of the killers we encounter aren’t cold-blooded. They’re just very hot-blooded,” Derek asserted.

“What could be his stressor?” David prodded.

“That’s what we’ll have to find out,” Hotch denoted.

Spencer continued, “The victimology is all over the place, so he may not be looking for surrogates.”

“If this is a spree killer, it won’t end well,” Emily explained.

Hotch furrowed his brow deeper as he gave her a curt nod. “Be on the lookout if this ends up in a confrontation. Suicide by cop is probably going to be his way out.”

“We should split up,” Derek proposed.

Hotch straightened his spine, his boss mode kicked into gear. “JJ and Prentiss, go see the local law enforcement. Gather what they have so far– Reid, start a geographical profile. Try to find anything that ties the victim together. And Morgan and Rossi, go see the M.E. We need to make sure torture wasn’t involved, and we need to know if there was any sexual component to these crimes.”

“What about me, Hotch?” you queried, aware he hadn’t mentioned your name.

His eyes were set and heavy, as they often were on a case. “You’re with me, we’ll go talk to the rangers before we head to the precinct.”

You nodded.

He narrowed his eyes on you, but he addressed the team. “Try to get some rest before we get there.”

It didn’t take long for the team to scatter on the jet, some worked, some slept, but whenever you were on a plane, excitation kept you awake. It was usually a good thing, you could put your restless energy to good use as you took in every last detail about the current case, and even if you got to distant locations more tired than you should, you were ready and eager to help.

You looked out the window, seeing beautiful sights and shades of blue below you.

You chanced a glance at Hotch, finding him absorbed in case files. He didn’t look up or acknowledge you, but you knew what he was like when he was working. He wasn’t dismissive on purpose, he was just dedicated.

You closed your eyes for a few minutes, your headphones silencing the world around you. You wanted to make it look like you had tried to get some rest, at the very least.

The rangers turned out to be too deep into the national park for you and Aaron to reach them on foot, so he opted to go back to the precinct, sharing a comfortable silence on the way back.

It took a few hours before Aaron watched you yawn at the data in front of you, and a warmth in his chest gave him a momentary reprieve from the gruesome case before his conscious reminded him he had no right finding you this attractive when a spree killer was on the loose.

“You’re staring again,” Dave sniggered.

Aaron shook his head and turned away to pour himself some coffee from the communal pot. He decided to pour you one too.

He was aware that you never slept on the jet. You always looked out the window and as much as he found you adorable whenever you were mesmerized by the scenery below you, he worried about you not getting enough sleep. There was nothing he could do about it though, so he brought you coffee when he himself needed one, since you slept about as much as he did.

“When are you going to man up and tell her you like her?” Dave asked.

It wasn’t accusatory. And Aaron had learned not to deny it to Dave because he wasn’t exactly subtle about it when he was caught staring from afar.

“She doesn’t–”

“You’re blind, Aaron.”

“Thanks, Dave.”

Aaron managed to get your coffee the right shade of drinkable for you, and he made his way to you, ignoring Dave’s remarks.

“Thank you, dear,” you said mindlessly as he put down the mug in front of you.

He smiled at you before he focused on the things in front of him again.

Hotch disappeared at some point in the afternoon to go talk to the police chief and you were left gazing at his empty seat, missing his quiet but calming presence.

“You know you’re obvious,” Emily commented.

Not again.

“I don’t know what you mean,” you denied with a sputter, aware it wouldn’t work out that well for you.

“Sure you don’t.”

“Emily–” you warned.

“You should tell him.”

You shook your head at the absurdity of her comment.

“He’s my boss, Em.”

“And he’s smitten, too,” she clarified with a huge smirk.

“Sure–” you started.

“He is. You should see the way he looks at you when you’re not looking,” JJ added.

“Stop it. I can’t start believing that. Delusional isn’t an adjective I want to add to my profile.”

JJ shrugged. “Fine. All we’re saying is, you should tell him. You might be surprised.”

“Surprises aren’t always a good thing, JJ.”

“Maybe. But this one could be.”

You nodded, if nothing but to keep them from adding to it. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“That’s all we ask,” Emily added.

Hotch came back with food in hand and after a while, it became obvious you wouldn’t get the break in the case you had hoped for tonight. It was nearing midnight when Hotch called it and told everyone to go get some rest at the hotel.

Aaron called Garcia in the car to find out where she had made arrangements.

“You’re staying at the Alyeska Resort,” Garcia quipped, too chippy for this time of day in Quantico.

Aaron knew enough about Anchorage, Alaska, and about traveling in general, to know that if a hotel name ended with the word ‘resort’, it wasn’t cheap and thus it meant something not good for the BAU’s budget.

“Garcia–”

“Local LE put you there. I have nothing to do with the booking.”

He did not respond.

“I swear!” she tried to insist. “They just asked me how many rooms you’d need.”

Aaron knew that she was lying when her voice got all high and squeaky. But he also knew she knew he knew she was lying and that she would have to answer his questions later, thus it meant she was doing this for a good reason.

“We’ll talk about this later,” he declared as he hung up.

His fellow team members in the SUV with him seemed entirely too content to be staying at a luxury resort rather than a small-town motel, and if he wasn’t preoccupied with the budget meeting next week, Aaron would admit he loved the prospect of sleeping in a comfortable bed a lot more than the too small double bed that would have been waiting for him otherwise. He looked forward to a warm shower as well. The humidity and the cold air in Alaska had a way of creeping into the clothes he had brought with him.

“We’ll go back to Chugach State Park tomorrow first thing,” he announced.

You always stayed behind with him and took the last rooms once the others were all set and on their way up. He loved that you never really left him alone. He felt much more like a team member rather than a boss since you had joined.

Unfortunately, your good heart also meant unwelcome surprises.

Apparently, there was a mix up and only one room was left, and since the others had already left the lobby with their key cards, you didn’t have much of a choice when it came to whom you’d end up sharing a room with.

Aaron didn’t mind sharing a room with you, heck, he was used to having you around and he would never turn down the opportunity for some alone time with you, but this was work and he had to maintain a façade of professionalism.

He ended up talking to the manager at this ungodly hour only to be told Garcia had booked this number of rooms precisely, and that there wasn’t anything else available tonight.

Garcia, an eternal night owl, also didn’t pick up the phone even after he called a few times. It was earlier in Quantico. She wasn’t asleep, so she was clearly ignoring his calls.

As if you sensed his growing despair, you patted his arm, silencing the entire world for a few seconds.

“It’s fine, Hotch. We can share a room.”

He knew it was fine, that didn’t mean he had to go down without a fight. Why was Garcia even doing this?

“I’m tired. Let’s go to bed,” you added.

He wouldn’t get in the way of you sleeping, that was for sure.

He walked behind you until you opened the door to the room, and as luxurious as it was, only one bed stood in the middle of the room.

Just great.

The floor didn’t sound better than the too small double bed he could have gotten now.

The silence was heavy, and as much as he loved sharing companionable silences with you, this one unsettled him.

“I’ll take the floor,” he clarified, mostly to clear the air.

You turned towards him, raised eyebrows as if to defy him to add to it. “You will do no such thing, Hotch. You will put that lovely head of raven hair right there on the pillow next to mine. The bed is huge, and I will not take no for an answer.”

Lovely head?

He shook that thought away as soon as it emerged. You were tired. You clearly hadn’t meant to call him lovely.

As much as he knew how kind and sweet you were, he also knew he couldn’t say no to you, and he surely wouldn’t try and fight you on this one because he was bone-tired, and he’d give just about anything for a few hours of decent sleep in a real bed.

“Yes, ma’am.”

You beamed at him, a huge grin that made his heart leap in his chest.

“Besides you’re too old for the floor.”

He scoffed. You often made jokes like this, and if anything, it made him feel younger to be around you.

“Well, that just means you’re young enough for it,” he quipped.

You nodded, your grin as present as ever. “I am. But I said we’re sharing.”

“That you did.”

He got around to showering even though he was dead on his feet, and when he walked back into the room, you were frowning and crinkling your nose at something on your phone.

“Everything okay?”

He brought you out of your trance with his question as he exited the bathroom, your phone discarded as you picked up your go-bag.

“Yes. My turn?”

He nodded.

He was reading something in bed by the time you got out of the shower, and if you had packed pajamas that wouldn’t keep you warm, you didn’t mention it and neither did he.

You noticed he was holding his copy of The Great Gatsby, smirking at you as you approached the bed.

“Are you up for a bedtime story?” he drawled, his voice betraying he was as tired as you were.

You carefully got into bed with him, keeping an arm’s length of distance between you as you watched him propped up against the headboard, his eyes navigating sentences in the book.

He looked so different when he was technically off the clock. As much as you could tell he was stressed out, he was just at ease around you when you weren’t surrounded by colleagues or an entire precinct of police officers.

“See, I know you’re joking but I like your voice,” you shared.

In the soft glow of lamplight that stood beside him, Hotch cradled his book in his hands, his slight frown softening as he looked at you lying on your side beside him.

“Do you really want me to?”

You nodded, biting your lip nervously. “Maybe a few pages?”

With a gentle smile playing on his lips, he cleared his throat, and as he began to read, his voice, deep and resonant, filled the room, transporting you to the vivid world of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece. His voice eventually painted a vivid picture of Jay Gatsby, a man driven by dreams and unrequited love. The words, like brushstrokes on a canvas, drew a believable portrait of the roaring 1920s, a world brimming with both opulence and sorrow.

You yawned, hiding your face into the plushy pillow.

“We should probably get some rest,” he commented, his gaze filled with a tenderness you only saw directed at Jack.

He was about to put the book away, but you stopped him with a firm hand on his arm. “Just read me your favorite part?”

Hotch shook his head, but you knew he was unable to say no to you when it was just you two.

He just looked at you, the book open on his large hands. He went through a few pages, stopping around the middle, and he didn’t lose a beat once he found what he was looking for. “Every extravagant party, every shimmering light in this mansion, pales in comparison to the beauty that radiates from within you. Your presence, my dear, turns this mansion into a home.”

As he concluded the sentence, he closed the book gently, his gaze never leaving yours. It was a beautiful passage. You could see why he had chosen it.

The room seemed to hold its breath as well, helping you bask in the lingering emotions evoked by the passage he had just read.

You knew how you felt about him. It was incredibly hard to forget you were irrevocably in love with your boss on any given day, especially since he was your best friend on top of that.

You had fallen for him somewhere along the way, and now you didn’t know how not to love him. It was just so easy to love him, it was as easy as breathing, and it was as natural, too.

“Let’s get some rest,” he whispered.

You inhaled shakily, about to comment on the book itself rather than feeding him another compliment when he shut off the light beside him, rendering the room dark.

You were nervous about spending the night close to him. You were scared your sleeping form would do or say something.

But hopefully, exhaustion would make that nearly impossible, and at any rate, he would be sleeping, too.

“Goodnight, Hotch,” you muttered sleepily.

“Goodnight.”

Aaron wasn’t sure if your soft snores had woken him, but he realized he could hear them so distinctly because he was tangled around you.

He immediately shifted away, appalled he had done this to you, but you followed, seeking warmth in your sleep. He knew when he saw you come out of the shower that you’d be freezing, and who was he to deny you warmth?

But was it selfish and inappropriate to let you cuddle into his chest when you didn’t approve or consent to this at all?

He allowed himself to hold you for a few minutes, right until his conscience screamed at him to let you go.

He got up and draped the covers over you, picking up his phone and realizing it would wake him in about 45 minutes anyway.

Sharing a bed with you, sharing his warmth with you, he longed for it. He wanted it. But he would never have it. You were his subordinate. This couldn’t happen, and it shouldn’t.

You were undoubtedly his best friend, and that would have to be enough.

As perfect as you were for him, he had to be a good man and keep a lid on his feelings for you.

You deserved better than having your boss admit to having a crush on you, to having an older widower with a son pledge his love for you.

And as much as he wanted to shield you from the world, as much as he always would, he knew you could do better.

He couldn’t believe this might happen, as much as he wanted it to.

You mumbled his name in your sleep, and as much as he longed to stay put and wrap his arms around you again, he needed to do be a good man for you. He needed to be better than this.

He put on his suit, reminding himself he was here to work, and he went for a walk, hoping it would help clear his head.

But the thing was, the more he walked, the more he realized he couldn’t escape thoughts of you.

He saw a bench overlooking the mountains, and instantly, he longed to show it to you. He longed to pick up his old copy of The Great Gatsby, and to read to you while your head fell on his shoulder, absorbed by the magic of Fitzgerald’s words and the beauty of Alaska.

He thought about you stealing his shirts instead of his books, and somehow, even if he knew it could never happen, imagining you wearing his shirt left him happy enough to face the day ahead. He walked back towards the hotel, seeing the coffee shop down the street and immediately opting to bring you coffee if it meant he’d have a chance to hear you call him “dear” again.

Unfortunately, you woke up to an empty room, and as troubled as you were that he wasn’t still holding you when your eyes opened, you understood him better than he understood himself at times.

He cared for you in his own way, and you knew how problematic it was, not only for him, but for your work situation.

He probably woke up in a panic, unable to comprehend why you were voluntarily scooped up into his arms, trying to warm up. You had felt him move and you had followed, hopeful his doubts would leave him alone but they never left him alone long enough for him to indulge. After all, you knew he liked hugs and physical proximity, but maybe he didn’t crave them from you.

Still, you had felt what it was like to be held by him, and as saddened as you were that he hadn’t stayed, you knew Hotch. You knew he processed things like a turtle shuffling towards the sea.

The door of the room opened before you could gather your own thoughts, and he walked in, offering you a cup of coffee from the coffee shop you had seen down the street last night.

“Thanks, dear,” you smiled at him.

He furrowed his brow, averting his gaze, but you saw a slight color taint his cheeks.

“Another body just turned up.”

You nodded and he left again, surely his presence was required somewhere else.

You tasted the coffee, feeling it turning on your brain cells one by one as you realized how perfect it was. Hotch always nailed your order. He might not know how to approach this thing that seemed to simmer between you, maybe you didn’t either, but he cared, in his own way, and that was all that mattered.

You glanced around the room, your eyes stopping on the book. You picked it up from the bedside table, skimming over a few pages and smelling it, finding comfort in the fact that it smelled old.

You put it back, and you swiftly got dressed and ready to head to the precinct.

As you walked across the lobby, Derek, Emily and JJ were waiting for you, and you joined them, hoping to tag along with them to go to the precinct since Hotch had clearly already left.

“Well, someone was up early and got coffee, but she didn’t think about her beautiful coworkers,” Emily teased.

You realized you still held the cup of coffee in your hands, not finished with it yet.

If you mentioned Hotch had brought it to you, you’d never hear the end of it. You already had to deal with JJ and Emily telling you Hotch was smitten, you didn’t need Derek to add to it.

“We can probably stop on the way to the precinct. The coffee from the communal pot almost made me gag yesterday,” you clarified.

“It’s your treat, though, mama,” Derek noted, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

“Fine,” you conceded, aware you needed to get to the precinct sooner rather than later. You also didn’t have enough fight in you to argue about whose turn it was to pay for coffee.

With the geographical profile that Reid provided, the team eventually deduced that the unsub was a ranger as well, and the remaining rangers explained that Peter Tipps was probably located near the river deep inside the park where he had a cabin, and that the only way to get there was by helicopter or with ATVs.

It had taken less than 48 hours for the team to make a connection between the victims, and for Reid to have a geographical profile ready.

It took Aaron less than two hours to get a warrant.

Really, the hardest part of this whole thing seemed to be convincing the oldest ranger with his impressive Tom Selleck mustache, the captain of the other rangers, to allow the team into the park to make the arrest.

“The only ranger I have who can fly this thing is in his Florida, and the other one is Tipps,” the mustache explained again, seemingly decided not to let anyone touch his helicopter while a spree killer roamed free.

“And as I’ve told you, repeatedly I might add, I can fly it,” you interrupted.

Aaron gestured for you to show the ranger your license in hopes of speeding up the process.

Aaron stared at the captain, waiting for him to come up with another half-assed excuse when he had a perfectly capable pilot right in front of him.

The mustache finally nodded as he looked at your license carefully, way more carefully than he had probably ever looked at anything else in his entire life.

Aaron added, “We have reason to believe he could be killing them near Knik River. The M.E. found traces of the river’s microorganisms in the victims’ lungs. How close is the cabin to the river?”

“Maybe a hundred meters or so. But like I said to sweetheart here,” the captain looked at you with a smile, “the only way to get to Peter’s cabin is by helicopter or with our ATVs.”

Aaron knew what you looked like when you were trying to breathe through your frustration. He also knew that the ranger was pushing your buttons.

Aaron wanted to intervene because that man was clearly intent on getting on your last nerve today, but you just smiled as he reluctantly proffered the keys to the chopper.

Aaron admired how you kept a level head under most circumstances. He knew it wasn’t easy to be a woman in law enforcement, and it certainly wasn’t easy to be a woman in the FBI.

He loved that you showed men like him you were better than them every chance you got, though. You were truly one of the best agents he had ever seen, and he considered himself lucky to get a chance to witness the shocked expressions on some men’s faces when you demonstrated just how capable you were. Truthfully though, he hoped one day all women in law enforcement would not need to demonstrate they belonged there just as much as the men. The greatest agents Aaron had had the privilege of working with had been majoritarily women, and they still were.

The captain explained how to get to Peter’s cabin with the chopper, a detailed map of the park in hand to serve as visual support, and it was agreed that Aaron would go with you and the mustache while the others took the ATVs.

Aaron took you aside to check how you were doing while the rangers coordinated with the rest of the team, knowing the mustache probably hadn’t gotten to you, but it was his job to make sure you were okay.

“All good?” he asked.

“My dear knight in tight-fitting pants, you know I don’t care that Whiskers here is an accomplished jackass.”

Aaron fought the urge to laugh. He had been somewhat certain that the ranger hadn’t gotten to you, but the nickname you had just invented for him confirmed Aaron’s hunch.

You always came up with nicknames for people around you, especially for those who insulted you in any way, and Aaron wondered if you had ever given him one when you first started working for him. He had to give it to you though, you came up with the most amusing nicknames he’d ever heard, and he lived with a seven-year-old. Nonetheless, at some point, you had become his friend, and his protectiveness over you had even awarded him the title of “knight”, whatever other words it was buried with. He was incredibly proud to have earned that title.

You landed near the site of the cabin, aware that the sounds of the chopper would alert the unsub of your presence, but fortunately, Peter was probably used to the rangers coming and going on his land, so he might believe the roaring sounds to be his colleagues rather than law enforcement coming to arrest him.

Hotch gestured towards the pier, and you saw what looked like an unmoving body. The captain canvassed the perimeter around the cabin while you and Hotch headed towards the pier.

You walked up to the body while Hotch covered your six, and you noticed rigor mortis had already set in when you put your hand on the woman’s neck.

That was when you dramatically heard branches cracking near you, and you turned towards the line of trees, finding Peter coming out of the woods with bloody tools.

You didn’t notice he was pointing a gun at you before the ranger rejoined you, and as much as you had figured Peter Tipps out at the precinct, confrontations like these usually didn’t end well because spree killers weren't often desperate.

“My boy, it doesn’t have to end like this. Think about your mama.”

Wow. That ranger really didn’t know when to shut up. Not only had he infantilized the unsub, Hotch had been very clear that the talking should be left to you or him.

“I’m doing this for my mama!” Tipps howled.

You held your hands up, mostly to show you weren’t carrying your weapon right now, to convey that you weren’t a threat. “I know you are, Peter. People wronged her, and you want her to get justice before it’s too late, right?”

You had uncovered along with JJ that the women who were killed in the past days were all women who had wronged his mother.

Peter simply nodded, defeat evident on his features.

You looked over at Hotch, aware he got your plan to humanize Peter with just a look.

You had to relate to Peter, you had to make him think he wasn’t a monster.

You gestured towards Hotch to let him know that you were ready.

Hotch always figured what you wanted to say with very little, and you were sure this was why he so often paired himself with you. You made a great team.

You subtly drew your weapon, keeping it as concealed as you could.

“But you’re not a killer, Peter,” Hotch clarified.

“Yeah, are you sure about that?” Peter seethed.

You nodded as you started to approach him. “I am. It’s eating at you. The guilt, the remorse… you want to do right by your mom and that’s honorable. But this isn’t the way.”

The team all knew time was of the essence, Penelope had called earlier to let you know that Peter’s mom was circling the drain.

“Come on, if we leave now, you’ll still get to say goodbye,” Hotch reminded him. It was talking down a suspect 101, hoping that talking would get to appeal to someone's humanity, and in this case, to Peter's love for his mom.

Hotch was now closer to Peter than you were, and within a split second, you knew how problematic that was when Peter’s finger hovered close to the trigger.

Hotch had read the situation as well and he ducked, but Peter had managed to shoot at Hotch. You had no choice but to shoot Peter, successfully hitting him in the knee, hoping you weren’t too late reacting for Hotch.

You saw Hotch move and get up, and he seemed unscathed apart from being winded by the bullet hitting his vest.

Peter was wailing in pain and his screams echoed around the surface of the river, resonating loudly enough to make you wince.

You had probably hit him right in the kneecap. You so rarely missed your target.

Peter dove into the river next to him before you could run to him to cuff him, and this time of year, the water wasn’t only cold but very agitated. It would take a great swimmer to survive this if the cold didn’t numb his senses as he went in, and if you hadn’t shot his leg and rendered it mostly unusable.

You saw Hotch run towards where Peter had gone in, and you yelled at him to not be stupid about this. You tried to reach for his arm to hold him back, but Hotch was out of reach and he dove in right after Peter, ignoring your loud protests and screams not to be reckless.

Your heart was in your throat as you hoped for Hotch to resurface, ready to dive in right after him with the ranger looking at you.

You ran towards the river but Whiskers held you back right before you could dive after both of them.

“Sure hope your man is a good swimmer,” he added.

Wow. He really didn’t know when to shut up. How you hated his guts.

You couldn’t even breathe as you waited for Hotch to come back up. You felt your heart beating out of your chest, your own heartbeat loud in your ears as you clenched your fists and prayed to any deity that would listen to make sure that Hotch would be okay.

But Hotch knew how to swim. He was a triathlon athlete. He could do this. If anyone could pull this off, it was him.

You saw him resurface and cough up enough water to fill a glass, holding on to an unconscious Peter. He brought him towards the edge of the pier, and the ranger let you run towards them. You brought them both out with the ranger’s help, realizing just how cold the water was as you held Hotch’s shoulders.

The ranger tried to revive Peter, but you could only focus on Hotch.

You helped him out of his vest, seeing him wince and hiss as he moved. You knew what it felt like to get hit with a vest, and you knew he was putting on a brave face for you.

Aaron knew that not shaking from the cold wasn’t a good sign. He had to warm up, and fast.

“Hotch! Are you okay?”

“Mm’ okay. Just cold,” he replied, the shivers finally overtaking his body, and he sighed in relief. Feeling the cold was good. It meant he was cold, but not cold enough to be in danger.

You tried to warm him up, but he needed to take off the wet clothes before he froze to death.

He watched you yell orders at the ranger as you heard the ATVs approach, and while you didn’t have authority or power here, when the ranger met Aaron’s troubled gaze, he actually listened to you without a single protest.

“Let’s take the chopper and bring you back to warmth.”

Aaron hopped into the chopper, and you tried to put the heating as high as it could go but he knew that helicopters like these weren’t equipped with proper ventilation systems like cars. Still, it warmed up enough to make him feel his toes again, and you clearly didn't care if you were sweating through your eyeballs.

Aaron watched you pilot the helicopter back to the helipad at the entrance of the park and he was once more overwhelmed by how amazing you were. He watched you through a daze as you gripped the joystick and led him towards warmth, his chest already fuzzy with feelings for you. He noticed how you frowned at everything around you when you were nervous, and he knew how quiet you got when you were determined to do something right. The sun started to set, and it painted beautiful hues across your face, just in time for him to watch a bit of sweat glisten on your forehead. He wasn’t nearly as warm as you were right now, but you clearly didn’t care that sweat was about to cloud your vision as the helicopter slowed.

He felt you put the chopper down and before he knew it, he was running with you towards one of the SUVs appointed to the team, not letting him get a word in about driving. You ordered him to lie down in the backseat, and he just obeyed without a single word, grateful for the blanket being draped over him before the door closed.

Aaron listened to you ramble on and on in the car, knowing you were nervous and trying to distract yourself. Last night when you had mentioned you liked his voice, he had been too much of a coward to tell you just the same.

He noticed your shaky hand put the heating as high as it could go, and when you parked the car near the hotel, Aaron’s teeth had stopped chattering together.

He let you lead the way as you brought him up to the room, and he shut up when you brought him into the bathroom and turned the shower on for him.

He looked down at himself, realizing he had to discard his wet suit. He frowned at his pants, seeing your point about them being tight-fitting now more than ever.

“I need to remove my clothes,” he stammered, his voice still unsteady because of the cold seeping through his bones.

You nodded as if it was your cue to leave, as much as he wanted you to stay.

“I’ll be right here,” you mentioned, pointing towards the room.

Aaron wasn’t used to someone caring about him, even less so this way. You always cared. You cared enough to ask him to eat, to ask him to take a break, to ask him to get some sleep. You always showed him you cared.

He loved that about you.

He nodded, and told you to tell the team about what had happened and why you had left in a hurry, hoping he made enough sense because his mind was frighteningly numb.

The hot water scalded him as he felt the spray on his skin, but he appreciated the fact that he could feel every extremity and limb within minutes of standing under it.

He took his time showering, careful to avoid the forming purple bruise on his ribcage.

He wasn’t sure if Peter had made it, but he chose not to think about the case. The team’s work was done as far as he knew, and he needed not to think about anything for a while.

He needed not to be reminded of the fact that he had woken up with you in his arms, and the fact that he wanted nothing more than for that to happen again.

You called the team to let them know everything that had happened, they informed you that Peter was alive and that local LE would take care of the rest, you all agreed that everyone would meet back at the hotel to get dinner together after a record-time arrest in just over two days.

You changed into more comfortable clothes while Hotch showered, and you picked up the book again from the bedside table. You waited a few minutes to make sure you didn’t hear a distinct thump signaling he had fallen, and eventually, you texted him that you were going down to the lobby.

Fortunately, his phone had remained in the helicopter when everything went down, so it hadn’t been ruined by water damage. You heard his phone buzz on the other side of the door, now aware your message had gone through.

You made your way down to the lobby with the book in hand, determined to read that passage he had read to you last night.

You also weren’t equipped to see him come out of the shower all wet and warm, and since you hadn’t given him his bag before he went in the shower, you wanted to spare him from having to walk around the room in just a towel.

Not that you didn’t want to see him, but you figured he deserved a bit of privacy considering he already had to share a room with you.

You wanted to ask if his ribs were okay, but you decided to wait until he was out of the room to do so.

You sat down in the lobby with his book minutes later, picking up where you had left off last night. You much preferred having him read to you, but you couldn’t say you weren’t excited to get to his favorite part.

You couldn’t tell how long you had been reading when you finally finished the book, but you were completely taken aback by its beauty when JJ sat down next to you, Emily not far in tow.

“How’s Hotch?” JJ asked.

“Fine,” you replied.

You put the book down, your thoughts all over the place before meeting their watchful gazes, seeing how both of them looked too smug for your own taste.

“You know, the mustache man said you were awfully worried about your boyfriend,” Emily teased with quirked eyebrows and a huge smirk.

“Let’s not do this, please,” you gently warned.

You could stomach the teasing, the jokes and all. But Hotch had been hurt today, and worried or not, you didn’t want to think about what could have happened.

The upside of working with profilers is that they knew when to let things go.

“Are you okay? Pen said today was–” JJ started.

You still missed your dad dearly. You knew today’s date by heart, always dreading it for a week before and crying over it for a week after.

You nodded. “Sometimes I just can’t believe it’s been two years already.”

“I promise, it’ll get easier,” JJ reassured.

Logically, you knew she was right. But that didn’t mean you didn’t miss your dad.

Aaron found the room empty after his shower, missing your presence acutely. He knew whenever you weren’t around because it was such a huge contrast to having you around. He was aware you had probably left the room to spare him from having to walk around in just a towel, and he smiled to himself because that’s how thoughtful you were.

He looked at his texts, seeing yours before he saw those back and forth with Garcia, then he let his thumb over the call button for Garcia. He needed to know why she had done this for the team and to him. Surely something had escaped him.

He pressed the call button.

He heard the line click.

“I spoke with the park rangers, Garcia,” he immediately announced.

He heard nervous energy ruffling papers and furiously clicking on keys.

“Sorry, sir. But the poor soul won’t tell anyone she lost her dad two years ago.”

Oh. Right. You lost your dad two years ago. You were still grieving when you joined the team. He remembered that. Why didn’t you tell him about today?

He was your friend. He even had the audacity to assume he was your best friend.

Maybe it was his fault, he should have remembered.

He should have known when he figured out that Garcia wanted to do something nice for you.

“Oh.”

“I am appealing to your humanity, Hotch. Please–”

He sighed, far from mad. “Just two things: How did you pull this off and how did we end up in the same room?”

“It’s best if I don’t tell you, and for the other part, ask your other coworkers. I’m not the one who wanted to meddle here–”

Dave. It had to be. He had been making comments for months, giving him looks for longer than that, and he was a true Italian mom, always putting his paws in other people’s plates.

“Noted.” He paused, knowing better than to question her kindness and her methods. “Oh, and Garcia?”

“Yes, sir?”

He didn’t know how she pulled the last part off, but he knew she hadn’t done it alone. She didn’t know you were the last ones to head up when the team reached the hotel. Someone told her, and someone else meddled.

“Thank you,” he said softly.

If anything, Garcia might have just salvaged his friendship with you. He felt like a fool for not remembering the anniversary of your dad’s death.

Aaron hung up and sent you a text that he was on his way down.

The second he saw you standing alone in the hallway near the elevator, he hugged you. He didn’t initiate hugs nearly enough in your friendship, but hugs were meant to be comforting and you deserved comfort if he could provide it, especially when you needed it but wouldn’t ask for it. His bruised rib protested a little, but he attributed it to the fact that the book you held was biting his skin.

You finally hugged him back, your arms wrapping around his waist, and he breathed a little easier.

“Penny told me she blabbed to you all that it’s been two years since my dad passed.”

He leaned back enough to look into your eyes, but he pulled you back in within seconds. “I’m sorry.”

His arms wrapped more tightly around your shoulders, he could feel your heartbeat strong and steady against him, and as worried as you had been earlier, he was here and he was alive because of you and your quick thinking.

He settled his jaw on your crown, and he felt you shake a little as you drew in a full breath.

He felt warm puffs of air hit his chest, and he realized again how his body was perfect against yours. As tall as he was compared to you, his chest was perfect for your cheek to rest on, his chin was at home on top of your head, and his arms had been molded to accommodate your frame.

It occurred to him in that moment that he didn’t initiate nearly enough hugs because he didn’t know how to let go.

He moved back to look into your beautiful eyes again. “I asked the concierge this morning, and we should be able to see the Northern Lights tonight.”

“Gosh, I really hope so.”

“Why do you want to see the Northern Lights? If I may ask.”

His hands were still on your shoulders, not that you seemed to mind the comforting touch.

You smiled as you surely remembered a fond memory. “My dad loved North to Alaska by Johnny Horton. He sang it to me all the time as a kid. And he promised me he’d bring me here one day so we could look at the Northern Lights and say hello to my mom… but then, you know… Life happened.”

He recalled something you had shared with him not so long ago.

“Your mom is from around here, right?”

“Yeah.”

He gave you a small smile, gently caressing the length of your arms. “Thank you for telling me.”

“Thank you for asking.”

He saw the rest of the team gathered not far away in the lobby, and he was grateful the hallway had shielded you both from sharing this intimate moment with them. Not that he would have cared much. You were his friend, the team knew that.

He saw your eyes linger on his lips, and he was too absorbed in what it could mean to form a coherent sentence.

Your hand patted his chest gently, and he was too stunned to do anything but stare at your hand on him.

“I’ll just go freshen up and put the book back. See you in five down here?” you offered.

Aaron nodded, completely lost on the feeling of your hand on his thundering heart.

He was left standing there, instantly missing you as he watched you disappear into the elevator.

While normally everyone would be cranky because of the jetlag on the first few nights, the team was in a good mood. Enough so to go out together and eat at the hotel restaurant.

Even Hotch was in a good mood and drinking with the team. He drank from time to time with the team, but this time, he had more than one drink which was unusual for him.

The food the waiters brought to your table was delicious, and each time you listened to the team ramble about one thing or another, you found yourself looking at Hotch to see if he laughed.

“So, Hotch. Anyone new in your life since Beth?” Derek asked, waggling his eyebrows at his boss as if it was normal for him to ask about his private life.

“No,” he replied.

Hotch never shared much of himself with the team, and no one knew the details of what led him to break up with her. He mentioned that Beth went to work in Hong Kong, but you had seen Beth a few months later in the grocery store. Surely, her contract hadn’t been that long, or long enough not to warrant trying to make it work long distance.

If you were honest with yourself, you were relieved not to have to see him love another woman. You wanted him to be happy, but you wished he could be happy without it hurting you.

You were somewhat relieved he wasn’t dating anyone, although Hotch being Hotch, he could just be denying it in front of the team until he was ready to come out and say it, but you had a feeling he was telling the truth because you spent a lot of time with him outside of work, and as his best friend, you hoped he would have told you if he was dating someone.

You looked up at him and offered him a small smile. He gave you one back.

Derek narrowed his eyes at you. “What about you, honey?”

“I’m—No.”

You tried not to flush, but you didn’t like sharing details regarding your private life, especially around the team, and especially around Hotch.

You couldn’t date most of the time because of your job, but in the past months, it was mostly due to the fact that Hotch was the only person on your mind. While you could technically go for a knock-off version and have the team comment on their striking resemblance to Hotch, you were more than happy to have the real thing in front of you, even if you never got to have him the way you wanted.

Derek instantly started teasing Spencer about something when he seemed to notice your reluctance to discuss this, so you sipped on your drink, finding it empty already.

You walked away to get yourself another drink, knowing it would be your last for the night.

The bartender was cute enough, and if he was pouring more gin than he was supposed to in your drink, you weren’t about to report him for it.

You turned and looked back at Hotch, and as much as he seemed absorbed in a conversation with Rossi, his eyes narrowed on you for a few seconds.

Even from this distance, you found him absolutely gorgeous. He was gracefully imposing, and if that was only the first thing you noticed, now you knew he had a heart of gold as well. It truly baffled you that women weren’t falling at his feet every time he walked into a room. The man was absolutely flawless. He could be displayed in a museum for passersby to gawk at him, and you’d be prepared to pay good money to stare at him all day long.

“I get off at 11,” the bartender suggested with a smile as he placed your drink in front of you.

Had you been in the mood and not overly in love with your boss, he could have been your type. But only one man mattered to you, and he didn’t even know you were in love with him in the first place.

Aaron witnessed the bartender getting too close for his taste from afar, and unfortunately, Dave saw it, too. Aaron wasn’t one to show much on his face, but he couldn’t help clenching his jaw and his fists when he saw the bartender flirt with you.

“Please go talk to her or I will,” Dave said, clearly an attempt to goad him into acting on it.

Aaron didn’t question everything for once in his life, and he just reached you in a few strides.

“You aren’t allowed to flirt with customers,” he bit at the bartender.

Aaron cornered you against the counter, towering over you.

“Are you okay?’’ he asked, concerned.

“Yes. Are you?’’

“I am,’’ he replied. He was breathing easier now that he had silently told the bartender to keep his distance with a warning look. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

You nodded and followed him out.

The team was so used to you two disappearing together that no one questioned it when you announced you were going for a walk.

If Dave waggled his eyebrows and smirked at you both, Aaron purposely ignored him.

“Thanks for getting me out of what would have been a very awkward conversation,” you muttered.

Aaron gave you a tight-lipped smile. “People hit on you all the time. You didn’t need me.”

“I always need you,” you admitted.

Aaron ignored the flutters in his chest at your revelation.

It wasn’t dark enough for the Northern Lights yet, but he sure hoped they’d show up before you left in the morning. He really wanted you to see them.

“This place is so beautiful,” you whispered into the night.

“Yeah,” he agreed, looking down at you with a soft smile. “Beautiful.”

He walked around the resort with you, and he loved sharing silence with you because you never felt the need to fill it with talk.

You started yawning the longer you walked, and Aaron chuckled next to you, finding your exhaustion endearing.

As much as he wanted to stay and enjoy walking with you, he knew you were tired. He was, too.

“We should catch some sleep.”

“Yeah,” you agreed reluctantly.

He saw you look up one last time, a bit saddened himself that you wouldn’t get to see the Northern Lights like you wanted.

“Let’s go back to our room.”

Aaron knew you could make it up there even if you were tired, but he wouldn’t have you falling on his conscience if he could help it. His hand on your lower back, he guided you towards the lobby and the elevator.

“You know I can get there safely, right?”

You didn’t look as though you minded his hand, you usually never did anyway.

He gave you a small smirk. “I know. I just like knowing you’re safe.”

“My knight in tight-fitting pants!” you teased again.

It had become a running joke by now. You had teased him about his tight pants for months, but not once he had had the courage to change his wardrobe because he had caught you staring.

He scoffed but he still kept his hand firmly in place.

The silence was heavy as he let you both in, and he realized he really wanted to hug you again.

Usually, when you hugged him, it wasn’t necessarily spontaneous. You hugged him on special occasions, like the Christmas party at Dave’s, the New Year’s Eve party at Garcia’s, or any of the birthdays and holidays the BAU celebrated. Sometimes, you hugged him after leaving a dinner party with him and Jack. Or after one of your many private screenings of Top Gun. But those were different.

Now, he wanted to hug you. He wanted to initiate it.

Sometimes you had hugged him for comfort, but you always asked first. You were always careful not to overstep the boundaries of your friendship, and Aaron didn’t know if he could ask right now.

He wanted to hug you for other reasons than comfort. It was selfishly motivated, just wanting to feel you close.

Aaron tried not to think about how your clothes hugged your silhouette flawlessly as he trailed after you into the room. It was dangerous to let himself think of you, with or without clothes on. Whether you wore a magnificent dress on a night out with the team, slacks and blouses at work, even hoodies with jeans in less official settings… You were always a sight.

He let you get the first shower, and he debated calling Jack, but it was too late for him to do so even with the few hours of difference, so instead he sent a text to Jessica to tell her to give Jack a kiss for him.

Aaron looked outside minutes later and he realized one of your wishes could come true tonight, and he really wanted to be the one to share it with you. Selfish motives or not, you were still his friend and he wanted to get to see your face the first time you saw the Northern Lights.

He picked up the warm blanket he brought everywhere from his go-bag, and he waited for you to come out of the bathroom.

He was too giddy to care about optics when you emerged from the bathroom smelling delicious and wet, and he just beamed at you and grabbed your hand.

“Come on. I want to show you something.”

He saw you notice the blanket stored under his arm, and you clearly wondered what was happening. You weren’t reluctant as much as you were confused, at least, that was how he saw the shocked expression on your face as your eyes lingered on his hand in yours.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

“Of course, I do.”

“Then come with me.”

Within minutes you were outside and all bundled up, and Hotch brought you towards a small bench overlooking the mountains and he smiled as he saw you tear up at the sky above you.

“Oh, Hotch! Oh, they’re so beautiful!”

Dancing waves of color and light pulsated through the skies in vibrant hues of green, yellow, blue, pink, and violet. Each color looked even more beautiful as they were reflected on the mountains.

You felt Hotch’s eyes on you, and as uncomfortable as you should have been for tearing up right now, you weren’t. You were always comfortable around him, even if you were crying at the beautiful and surreal spectacle Mother Nature was giving you.

You turned to look at him, completely taken aback by how beautiful he looked right now.

The silver sheen of the moon glowed on his features, and the many lights of the skies swam around in his hazel eyes. He was always gorgeous, but he was simply breathtaking right now.

You turned back towards the Northern Lights before you blurted out that he was magnificent, and your heartbeat slowed as you took in the sight of the colorful lights dancing ethereally in the sky.

“Beautiful,” he added after a while.

You agreed.

You shivered after a while, too taken by the lights above you to care about the humid cold seeping through your clothes.

“Here—” he said, offering his warmth. You slid next to him, engulfed by heat as he laid the blanket over you.

You did your best not to melt into his side, but Hotch just clasped your shoulder and brought you even closer to him.

You ended up putting your legs on top of his, slotting them between his. He held you so close that you could feel his warm breath as his nose brushed your temple.

It didn’t take long for you to be warm and comfortable.

Hotch offered to go back the more you shivered, but you wanted to stay a little while longer.

“Can we stay a little bit longer?”

“We can stay as long as you want.”

After a while, it occurred to you this was very domestic and you wanted to thank him, but nothing came to mind except a compulsion to hug him.

“Can I hug you?’’

Every time you had asked him, he had smiled and agreed. But you still always asked because he was your superior, and you never wanted to make him uncomfortable.

“Of course you can. You don’t have to ask every time.’’

You moved to straddle his lap, and he brought the blanket around you both. It shielded you from the cold wind.

You put your head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent as you nuzzled your nose into his neck. His hands roamed gently over your back, warming you with his touch. His body was warm, and the blanket around you was enough to make you stop shivering. At least, you weren’t shivering because of the cold anymore.

After a while, you made a move to pull back, but he held onto you firmly.

You looked at him, puzzled.

“Not yet– Just, please… Not yet.”

You didn’t know what this was about, but you’d never deny him a longer hug.

You nodded and remained firmly in place against him, your bodies melting into one. You put your arms around his neck, your gaze meeting his. His eyes were full of affection for you, warm and kind, his brow softening the longer he looked at you.

You seemed suspended in time in your little cocoon. You traced his face with featherlight touches and fingertips, and when he closed his eyes to breathe in slowly, you smiled to yourself.

You put your forehead against his as you caressed his nape and the bottom of his hair, and when your hands gently grazed his neck, he took a few deeper breaths.

You were too far gone to pull back now.

This was months in the making, if you were totally honest with yourself.

The blossoming friendship after he had finally warmed up to you, the quiet nights in with Jack, the model planes, the many screenings of Top Gun, the inside jokes, the playful banter, the lingering hugs, and the book last night? The interrupted cuddles in bed this morning?

You had managed to go through the entire book earlier, and his favorite line was nowhere to be found, as if he had created it out of thin air, as if he had been inspired to share his own poetry within the confines of the Roaring Twenties and Gatsby himself. Hotch must have known you’d eventually notice it wasn’t in the book, and then what?

And then this?

Bringing you to an isolated bench like he had scouted the place for the best spot to watch the Northern Lights…

You cradled his face, and his breath hitched.

How long had it been since someone had touched him like this? How long had it been since someone offered him the tenderness he deserved?

Hotch’s eyes opened and they were locked on yours. His gaze darted down to your lips, you opted to lean down as a smile grazed his features.

There wasn’t a fire or a blaze of glory. Your lips met quietly, silently, and yet, the heat that radiated through your entire body burned every one of your extremities. You needed him. You had to touch him, you had to cherish him.

The kiss picked up as his lips parted for yours, and when his tongue shyly met yours, you shuddered because, with just this, you knew you’d never want to kiss anyone else ever again.

The kiss was gentle, tentative, shy… But it was also smooth sailing amid the chaotic ocean that your mind was swimming in. The thoughts and voices in your head were loud, but his lips on you were louder.

“I know it’s against Bureau policy, but what if we used that bed of ours, not to sleep, for the rest of the night?”

“Are you sure?”

I’ve never been surer.

“Yes.”

Hotch nodded and he brought you to your feet. He brought you inside and if his hand was firmly clasped with yours in the elevator, you chose not to wonder what it meant.

For once, you wouldn’t question anything. You would allow yourself to be in the moment, you would allow yourself to feel and to be with him fully.

He opened the door quietly, bringing you inside by the waist.

He pulled you closer, cradling your face as if you were precious. His gaze was soft, and knowing him, he was looking for any sign that you would back out or run away from him, but you were certain. His hands and arms on you were all you needed to know you were meant to be right here.

The earlier kiss was enough to know his lips were perfect on yours, and every breath he had shared with you had given you a new outlook on life.

You needed him like you needed air.

“You’re beautiful,” you uttered low as your hands came to rest on his chest, pulling on his lapels to get him ever closer even if your bodies were almost draped on top of each other already.

He chuckled and looked down, so you smoothed your hand up and down his chest, carefully not to press down so you wouldn’t hurt him.

He looked up again, a fond expression behind his eyes.

“You are breathtaking,” he whispered, his eyes darting in quick succession between yours.

A small smile ghosted over his lips before he ran his thumb over your lips.

“Kiss me,” you pleaded gently.

Apparently, he didn’t have to be told twice.

He leaned down and his knees buckled the second his lips were on yours. You tried to hold him up, but you walked him back towards the bed before you both fell.

The back of his knees met the edge of the bed and he sat, bringing you down with him. You straddled his lap and ran your fingers over his forehead before smoothing his hair back and letting your fingers graze his scalp.

He shivered under you, still smiling up at you as his hands roamed over your back gently, stroking it and pulling you in. You grinned as his eyes met yours, the pale hazel now dark brown.

Hotch picked you up and shifted you both, laying you down and hovering above you as his hands trailed up and down your body length.

He rested his weight on his elbow next to you, just looking at you with sparkling eyes and a dazzling smile.

He positioned himself halfway between your legs and he brought your leg around his waist, his touch warm at the back of your knee.

You could feel all of him pressing against you, but it wasn’t enough. You needed more. You needed to touch him. You needed to know how warm his skin was, how smooth his skin was, how rough the shadow of stubble growing on his cheeks was, and how beautiful he looked when he wore nothing but you on top of him.

You helped him shed his jacket as he helped you remove yours, and you let your fingers rest around his waist, tentatively moving his shirt out of his pants before you unbuttoned it.

He let you and when you traced his scars with gentle fingers, he closed his eyes. He reopened them only when you started kissing them one by one, taking your time to savor them.

“You are beautiful,” you repeated as your lips met each scar and raised edge of him. You saw the angry purple bruise on his rib, and you kissed that one even more gently.

You would worship him if he let you.

He removed your shirt and your chests met in the dark, the warmth of your combined bodies was enough to make your head spin.

He kissed you again until you couldn’t breathe, until the only air you would ever want again was the one he was pouring into your lungs himself.

“We don’t have to do anything.”

“Aaron—”

He smirked, a playful grin on his lips.

“What?” you asked.

“You never call me ‘Aaron’.”

“What if I start?”

You knew what this meant, both to you and to him. It was silently acknowledging that in this moment, and whenever you would call him ‘Aaron’, he wouldn’t be your boss or your coworker. He would just be ‘Aaron’.

He just beamed at you, and you knew you had made him happy with something small.

You fondly caressed his cheek, and you looked deep into his eyes. “Do you want this?”

“Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea.”

He didn’t know precisely when something had shifted in his brain earlier, but he knew that he couldn’t stop himself from wanting this and you now that he had had a taste.

Aaron unbuttoned your jeans and removed them with your adamant nods to do so, and when he stared at your lace panties, he could have sworn he felt himself twitch in his pants.

He kissed his way down your belly, and up again. He kissed every inch of skin he could find, and every sound you made became his new favorite from now on. Every time you rocked up against him, you made him stir in his pants.

He was kissing you again and this time, he unclasped your bra.

“Is this okay?’’ he asked between soft kisses.

“More than.”

He used one of his legs to part yours, making you encircle his waist with your legs resting around him. His hand traveled up and down your leg, making him thrust his hips into you instinctively each time your lips and tongues fought together. He trailed your thigh with his fingertips before grabbing the back of your knee to pull you closer against him, thrusting again.

You were positively thrashing for more friction under him, and he was drunk on how it felt to have you like this, to have you desperate for him the way he had so often imagined.

He moved to kiss your neck, leaving a trail of soft kisses before he sucked on your pulse point. Your moans echoed around in his head, making him harder than he had ever been before. He kissed every part of your neck, from the spot below your ears to the column of your throat. He gave gentle kisses before he sucked and bit your velvety skin, trying to fight the urge to mark you as his.

He purred when you grabbed his head and smoothed your fingers into his hair, and he moaned inside your mouth as his clothed erection met your clothed warmth.

The more he moved against you, the more your hand massaged his scalp before your nails started grazing his skull, the more he kissed your delicious skin, the more he tasted your lips on his, the more he felt his balls tighten and threaten to make this embarrassing.

Aaron knew coming in his pants wouldn’t make a good first impression. He stilled his movements, trying to breathe through everything that he felt.

“Everything okay?” your gentle voice calmed him instantly.

He nodded. “Just very– You’re very–”

Oh, perfect, Aaron. Make a fool of yourself.

“Well, so are you.” You smiled at him, and when you rutted your core against his erection, he had to bite his lip to refrain from getting too excited.

“I’m too close,” he admitted, averting his gaze. He was embarrassed, but he couldn’t help it. You were so perfect, and so–

Your eyes sparkled with affection, and he wasn’t sure if he had voiced what he needed to voice correctly because you stared at him with nothing but adoration.

Your hand came to caress his cheek, tender and delicate. “Let’s slow down and just kiss for a while, then. What do you say? Want to make out?”

He smiled at the proposition, more than willing to just kiss you for a few minutes.

Your lips were on his again within seconds, this time less hungry and more tentative, exploring and savoring.

The pleasure centers in his brain didn’t let up, but a few minutes of gentle kissing was enough to calm down.

“I’m sorry,” he finally muttered against your lips, burying his face in the crook of your neck.

Your hand was in his hair before he knew it, stroking his head with soothing patterns. “You have nothing to be sorry about, Aaron. It would have been incredibly hot if you had spilled because of this, but I’m glad because I’d rather have you come a bit later. And somewhere else.”

Oh.

He was in for a treat. You would be the one to tell him when and where to come. He knew you were the kind of person who led others, well, he didn’t know. But he had thought about it.

“What do you want?” he pondered.

“Take off your pants,” you indicated.

Aaron shed his pants, standing in his boxers before you, watching you wearing only a pair of lace panties which would haunt his fantasies for days to come.

He wanted to palm himself to relieve some pressure, but he was in a trance where only your voice would get him to do anything.

“Now, come here,” you gestured.

He draped himself over you again, his lips finding yours instinctively.

“You are so perfect,” he croaked.

Aaron made it a point to kiss every part of you with the utmost love and adoration he had for you.

“Beautiful,” he muttered against every inch of your bare skin.

He left a trail of goosebumps everywhere he touched you, everywhere he kissed you, and if you shivered again, he knew it wasn’t because you were cold.

Aaron looked at you like a work of art made to be worshipped and appreciated, and he wouldn’t let an inch go to waste.

“Fuck. You’re so perfect,” he whispered.

He dove in to capture a nipple between his lips, and he rolled his tongue on it, making you buck upwards for more.

He smiled when he saw how responsive you were and he got to work, kissing and suckling on your breasts before coming back up to your mouth. He kissed you so well you couldn’t help but arch up into every touch, into every flick of his tongue as it met yours.

Aaron wanted nothing more but to ease the throbbing he felt, but above all, he wanted to see you squirm under him some more.

He normally would let you get your way from start to finish, but he felt like he had something to prove this time, and he would prove it. But not without your explicit consent to do so.

“I need to hear you say it.” It was implied that you both knew what ‘it’ meant.

You just smiled at him, and he was helpless to do anything but smile back.

“I want this, and I want you. Now stop messing around and remove my panties.”

He chuckled at your decisiveness. “Yes, ma’am.”

He hooked his fingers into the waistband, gently pulling them down and letting his gaze linger on you.

“You can stare all you want once you remove your boxers, Aaron,” you expressed with undertones of teasing and affection.

He shed his boxers, baring himself to you. He saw your eyes go wide and your body tense up as you took in the sight of him, but you relaxed as he resumed kissing you, his soft kisses trailing your neck sloppily.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll make it fit,” he said cheekily as he breathed against the column of your throat, feeling your breath hitch next to his cheek.

Your fingernails grazed his back, and his entire plan ran out the window, his shudder short-circuiting his brain.

“Please–” you moaned.

Aaron wasn’t sure what you were asking for, but he was done questioning his instincts.

He moved down until he was face-to-face with your pussy, and he smiled up at you, watching how your breath hitched again, how your inner thighs seemed to be trembling, how your pussy wanted to clench around something, and he started kissing your legs. He dragged his fingers on your thighs, making you thrash and try to find some friction. He was drooling and aching to taste you, overwhelmed by the urge to lap at you and feel you flutter on his tongue. He wanted to nestle his nose in your cunt and never forget the scent. He wanted you to use his face to make yourself come.

He wanted to flick his tongue over your clit until you mewled his name for everyone to hear.

He wanted you to shove your cunt in his face, asking for more and he wanted to growl as you tried to put your legs around his face.

The thoughts made it hard for him to not touch himself for some relief, but it was easy to focus on you.

He delivered a gentle kiss on top of your pussy. “Beautiful. Perfect.”

“Aaron–” you hummed, a gentle reminder or a warning, he didn’t know.

He hooked his arms under your thighs, bringing you ever closer to getting what you wanted.

“Will you let me find out how sweet you are?” he asked, ready to dive in.

You moaned loudly as your eyes met, and you nodded, signaling him your consent again.

“Tell me,” he urged you, refraining from shoving his face into you.

“Taste me. Make me come on your tongue.”

Aaron groaned but he didn’t lose a beat. He dove right in, lapping at you the second his tongue was on you.

He grunted loudly as he tasted your juices.

“So delicious. I knew you would be.”

You shuddered and arched your back, your pussy shoved into his face, but Aaron managed to keep your hips firmly in place after a few tries. He was tasting you everywhere his tongue could reach, and when he finally swirled his tongue around your clit, he smiled against your cunt because you couldn’t control your hips thrashing any more than he could.

Aaron vowed to remember every sound you made because he wasn’t sure music would ever compare to the melody you were composing for him right now.

He started moving his face along with his tongue, his nose teasing you. He sucked on your clit before he lapped at you again, alternating flicking his tongue over you, sucking your clit and shoving his tongue as deep as he could inside you, his nose buried in your intoxicating scent.

One day, if you let him, he would have you sit on his face. He would have you sit there until the only sounds you’d make were whines and pleads to stop.

He looked up at you as he sucked particularly hard on your clit, your hand pulling at tht roots of his hair and making him thrust his hips into the mattress. He watched you grab a pillow and bite into it, and he had to stop altogether.

A needy whine escaped your throat, and his cock twitched at the sound.

He picked up the pillow, pulling it away from your beautiful face.

“Let me hear you.”

“The team–” you started.

He shook his head. He didn’t have a care in the world right now. Not if you were agreeing to be his tonight.

“I need to hear you if– I need to hear you.”

You nodded, and Aaron went back to it.

It didn’t take long for you to moan incoherently, and to thrash against his face violently. How he loved feeling your legs trying to strangle him, feeling your fingers pull his hair to get more friction on his face.

“What do you need, sweet girl?” he asked, his voice a bit muffled by your cunt.

“Your mouth. Your tongue. Like this. But maybe a finger?”

Aaron did as he was told, and you were so worked up as he started moving his finger in and out of you that he didn’t care if the entire hotel was hearing you moan and cry out his name. He didn’t even care if there was a noise complaint.

After chanting his name like a cheerleader for a few seconds, Aaron growled against your clit as he shoved his hips into the mattress repeatedly, the tension not easing. He felt himself throb in need, surely almost purple and the vein on the side of his shaft protruding.

He was so turned on by what he was doing to you that he couldn’t help trying to find some relief himself.

He arched his finger inside you and combined with his tongue on your clit, you were shaking from head to toe. He knew he was about to be rewarded for his efforts.

“I’m so close.”

Aaron doubled down and spat on you, making you even wetter.

He sucked on your clit once more and this time, you incoherently mumbled his name as your hips shot up the bed, your cunt fluttering on his tongue as you fell over the edge.

Aaron almost came as he heard you mewl out his name, and if the team was able to know this had happened, he couldn’t find it in himself to care, not when you were so delicious and perfect.

He moved to lie down next to you, ghosting his fingers over your burning skin as you rode your orgasm. He watched the goosebumps he conjured with his touch, and he watched how your nipples hardened under his caress. He held you with one arm and let the other dance on you, carefully letting you know you weren’t alone.

He kissed your cheek after a little while, and if he was leaking pre-cum onto your stomach, you didn’t seem to mind.

You watched him through hooded eyes, and it occurred to him that it was supposed to be like this. He didn’t want to be sentimental right now, there would be time for that. But he was certain this was meant to happen.

You swiped your thumb on his chin, removing traces of you from there. You had drenched his face, but he loved knowing you were all over him. He leaned down to kiss you and as you were about to wipe your hand on the sheets, he caught it and brought it up to his mouth.

He put his mouth around your fingers, sucking down the juices you had gathered from his face. Your breath hitched and when he moved your hand towards your mouth, you only opened up like you were stuck in the same trance as he was.

You sucked on your own fingers, the sound making him hiss. He replaced your hand with his, your tongue delightful on his digits, the feeling absolutely marvelous and making him twitch violently.

“You’re so delicious. We shouldn’t let this go to waste.”

He was ready to curse your name when you made a move to reach for his pulsing cock. It was painful to be this hard, but he swatted your hand away just as you were about to wrap your hand around him.

He wanted to prove you’d always be his first priority. He wanted you to remember tonight as him showing you you came first.

“I’m giving you another before I let you touch me.”

“Please– Just a little,” you pleaded with the cutest pout he had ever witnessed.

The thing was, he wasn’t sure he could say no to you in any setting.

He nodded and grabbed your hand, bringing it onto his cock. You were gentle and slow, moving it on him just enough to make him close his eyes and make him hiss as you relieved some of the tension there. How often he had imagined your hand on him like this, but it had never come close to the real thing.

He put his hand on top of yours and he opened his eyes again, his eyes locked on yours as your combined hands made him shudder in delight.

Your thumb gently roamed over the tip and Aaron hummed, stopping your movements.

“Too close.”

You brought his face close to yours, and he followed. He would always follow your lead. He would follow you anywhere. He kissed you tenderly, the flutters in his chest violent compared to the throbbing in his balls.

“You’re perfect, Aaron.”

If your hand had still been on him, he would have spilled right into it as you voiced that. He was grateful he had stopped you before.

He let his hand wander down to your core, decided to bring you over the edge again before he did anything else.

“What do you want?” he breathed.

“Just this. Hold me. Use your fingers.”

Aaron nodded and kept his eyes locked on your face. He let his index move over your clit, rubbing it in circles and from side to side, finding what pattern made you moan louder. He alternated between this and thrusting it inside you, coating you in your own juices and making the rubbing smoother. He loved how you clenched around his digit when he gently thrusted it inside you. He brought it back up, playing with your clit how he had figured you like as he read how your body tensed, and how your moans graced his ears, and when you were left moaning and panting, trying desperately to cling to him more than you were already, he gathered you’d like his next move, planting a small smack on your clit with his palm.

Your eyes rolled back inside your head as you screamed, and Aaron figured he had read you correctly. You certainly liked mixing pleasure and pain a little.

Aaron was transfixed by how incredibly beautiful and perfect you were, and he couldn’t help but want to capture your sounds with his mouth. He kissed you with everything he felt for you, and he felt your legs thrash on the bed just as you tried to catch his hand between your legs. He felt you throb on his finger right as you shouted his name into his mouth, right as you fluttered on his digit, and he was dangerously close to coming on your stomach right then and there as he held you through the waves of your orgasm.

“Breathtaking,” he uttered low against your lips.

Aaron kissed you gently, and you kissed him lazily as the gears in your head slowly came back online, and the second your gaze was clearer, you reached for him again.

“Please… I need you now.”

He chuckled, but there was no mocking involved.

“Me too, sweetheart. You have no idea. You have no idea what you do to me.”

Aaron always kept condoms in his go-bag, but he wasn’t sure they weren’t past their expiration date. He never used them. Too tired during cases to try and find someone, and sex to him meant too much to try and get it on with a stranger. The only ones used in that box had been with Beth, and she had been gone for many months, not to mention their last moments weren’t particularly intimate. He still wasn’t sure why he kept some in his bag to this day, but he would have to find out whether they were still good now.

He gestured to get up, but you held him back with force. He was often impressed by how strong you could prove to be. He remained firmly in place, holding you close.

“What are you doing?”

“Condoms,” he explained.

“Oh. I’m clean. Only ever been with two other men, and yeah… I got tested recently as part of our annual physical. As you know.”

Aaron nodded.

Right.

He was clean, too. He had been tested as recently as you.

But surely you didn’t want to do this without protection so early on in your–

Your what?

He didn’t want to think about whether you only wanted this once.

“I’m clean, too,” he clarified.

“I trust you. And I don’t want anything between us. But if you want to wear a condom, I understand, and I’ll respect that.”

“No, I– I only ever did this with Haley without protection, and bringing up my dead ex-wife right now is surely a dick move, but–”

You just smiled as you patted his chest.

“Say no more, Aaron. Where are your condoms?”

Aaron loved how considerate and thoughtful you were. He loved everything about you, and even if he wasn’t good at saying things, he could say a lot with his mouth.

He kissed you passionately, bringing you close to his body to make sure nothing got between you.

He didn’t let you catch your breath for a little while, pouring his affection for you into the kiss.

He eventually moved away, cradling your cheek as his eyes met yours again. “What I meant was, I’m clean. We don’t need–”

“I’m on birth control, too,” you added.

His erection had started to waver, but your hand wandered on his thighs, and when you started pumping him, he hummed low in his throat as he hardened fully once more within seconds.

“Will you let me feel you?”

Aaron nodded and positioned himself between your legs. You put your legs around his waist, granting him access and he grabbed his dick to align it with your entrance.

He breached you with just the tip, making you curse because of how large he was. He gently caressed your leg with one hand, holding himself up with the other and he slowly sank in, inch by inch.

He allowed you to breathe through it until he was fully sheathed.

You knew you were clenching and fluttering around him, and you were trying to remain sane as he met the deepest parts of you. You had no doubt that you had been made for him, in every sense of the word.

“You feel so good,” he groaned.

“Oh, fuck, I love–” you paused, catching your feelings in time. You were no expert but declarations of love during your first time having sex with someone weren’t really supposed to happen. “Your dick,” you added.

“You’re so perfect,” he added breathlessly.

“Move, please.”

Aaron didn’t have to be told twice. He started moving in and out gently, letting you adjust to his size while still giving you a pleasurable mix of pain and elation.

You made him lean down more, his weight now almost resting on top of you, not letting an inch between you.

He thrusted in and out of you with more speed, punctuating his thrusts with kisses.

He was frantic, his movements uncoordinated and unrehearsed, his groans filling the room around your moans.

You knew he was close, and you were certain he was about to explode.

You wanted to look at his face, and the way it contorted with pleasure. You clenched around him the more he prodded a deep and soft spot within you, making your body shudder and your legs tremble each time he hit it.

You felt the coil in your stomach tighten the more he hit that spot, and he was hitting it repeatedly. No one had ever reached it like this before.

Your nails raked the length of his back, spurring him on to thrust his hips into you faster.

You closed your eyes to revel in how marvelous everything felt when you heard him hiss.

“Keep your eyes on me.”

You opened them again, and his free hand found yours, your fingers intertwining and linking your bodies in another place. There was something special about feeling pinned under him.

He kissed you again, his tongue unforgiving as it clashed with yours.

He groaned loudly and you heard him growl as his hips stuttered. He was losing his rhythm, but you were losing it, too.

“Let go, Aaron. I’m right there with you.’’

He snaked a hand between your bodies, and it was the only thing that could get in the way that you would allow.

He put a finger on your clit and his finger circled it even faster than earlier, and his desperate hand between your bodies trying to get you there before he exploded was enough to send you over the edge again.

You felt him let go as you had told him to. He went slack-jawed as a long drawn-out moan escaped his lips. You felt him paint your inner walls with copious amounts of his seed, shot after shot, groan after groan, burying himself inside you delightfully.

The second he would pull out, there would be a huge mess. It was obvious. You heard the wet sounds squelching, his slow thrusts slapping your pussy and almost as if he wanted to make sure his seed was deep inside you as he milked his own orgasm with your clenching walls until his hips stilled.

He rested his whole body weight on top of you.

You were gently grazing his back, caressing it soothingly. He shuddered against you, clearly loving every single gentle touch you were giving him as he came down from his high.

He softened inside you enough to pull out, but you wanted him to remain inside you a little longer.

He grabbed you and picked you up before you could even think straight again, remaining inside you as he brought you towards the bathroom. The motions made parts of your mixed juices drip out on him, but you were glad evidence of you two was on him, not just inside you.

He turned on the shower as you kissed him tenderly, unable to stop clinging to him, and if you had your way, you would hold him all night.

He brought you inside the shower before he let you down on shaky legs, making sure to hold you up against him, for which you were grateful since your legs seemed to be stuck in subspace with half your cognitive faculties.

“I don’t want you to sleep in a wet spot,” he whispered next to your temple.

You nodded as you caressed his cheek, loving how considerate and thoughtful he was with you.

You held each other under the spray until Aaron started cleaning you up with gentle hands. He clearly wasn’t trying to make it sexual or trying to indulge in feeling you up, but you loved sharing a comfortable intimacy with him so early on in your–

Fuck.

Your what?

Relationship?

You didn’t want to ruin this by thinking about what it meant. Not just yet.

“Would you let me wash your hair?” you asked sheepishly, wanting to do something nice for him, wanting to care for him as well as he cared for you.

You were so caring and loving that he had a hard time believing you thought about this as a one-time thing, but he wouldn’t assume.

He dropped to his knees without further thought to allow you to wash his hair, and feeling your fingers massage his scalp had no right feeling this good. If he wasn’t truly spent, he would be getting hard again for sure.

He closed his eyes as you worked on his hair, choosing not to be in his head too much and to enjoy this. He refrained from touching you the way he wanted to. You wanted to do this for him so he would let you.

Once you were done, you motioned for him to get to his feet, and as soon as his eyes met yours, you asked him to kiss you because clearly it had already been too long since his lips had been on yours.

He kissed your lips, your shoulders, your nose, your cheeks, your head, and he would kiss every inch of your body again if you wanted. He would make sure you knew how beautiful he found, how much he loved every part of you.

Bringing you back to bed after showering with you felt as intimate as the shower itself, and when he put on a pair of boxers and offered you a t-shirt, he didn’t stop to think about how he wanted to see you wear every last shirt he owned.

You’d talk later. Right now it didn’t matter.

You immediately cuddled into his side as you got into bed, and Aaron liked the weight of your head on his chest. It centered him and it made the incessant questions in his head finally stop.

“You smell like me,” he declared to the room.

You hugged his waist more firmly, nodding as he planted a kiss at the top of your head.

You yawned a few times, and he chuckled as he watched you try to fight sleep. You would fall asleep in his arms in no time, and he would definitely not let go this time.

You started to move away, but he held you back before you could even reach your pillow.

He would be your pillow tonight. He longed to watch you fall asleep on his chest.

He wouldn’t let you move away again anyway, not tonight and not ever if you wanted him the way he wanted you. “Please—just—”

“Aaron, if we cuddle, this means something.”

“I want it to mean something,” he replied sincerely.

How he wanted it to mean something. He wanted it to mean everything.

You nuzzled your nose into his chest, firmly gripping his waist until your hold went lax and soft snores filled the room. He smiled, watching your precious form find rest on top of him.

Exhaustion and jet lag probably took over because he was out like a light in no time.

You woke disorientated a few hours later. Surely, you had been so worn out that a dreamless sleep had found you. But as the gears in your brain started turning again, you remembered him and you tried to reach for him but he wasn’t in bed next to you.

He was up and looking out the window, but he didn’t look panicked or like he regretted anything that had transpired tonight. His shoulders didn’t look tense and from what you could gather, his brow wasn’t furrowed. He did look deep in thought, and you wanted him to know he didn’t have to face the unkind thoughts alone, knowing full well his mind was his worst enemy.

You approached him quietly so as to not startle him, and you put your arms around his waist, planting a kiss in the middle of his bare back. He relaxed as soon as you wrapped yourself around him more firmly, and he let out a big breath.

“How beautiful is this?’’ he whispered, focusing on something out the window.

You could see the Northern Lights still dancing on the horizon, right on top of the mountains, and the way Aaron looked completely mesmerized was enough to make you agree to anything he might say.

“I could see myself living here when I retire,’’ you confessed.

Aaron turned around in your embrace, and a kiss grazed your forehead.

“Would I be included in those plans?’’

Your arms still around his waist, you looked up into his eyes, smiling at him. “If you want to be.’’

He cradled your face then, his expression softening. “There’s absolutely nothing I wouldn’t want with you.’’

You were relieved to hear it. It seemed obvious Aaron wasn’t the kind of man to do one-night stands, especially with his coworkers, but somehow, hearing him say he wanted some kind of life with you in not so many words settled your stomach.

“You’re going to retire first, though.”

“And I want you to be there when I do.”

“Really?” you double-checked.

“Listen, I know it’s scary to talk about the future like this. We just– But you…” he paused, kissing your cheek, “feel right.” He moved to the other cheek, your hold on his waist tightening. “This– It feels right.”

You rested a hand in the middle of his chest, feeling his heartbeat calm and strong in the palm of your hand.

“It feels perfect. And it’s not scary. Maybe it should be, but I’m really calm.”

You grabbed one of his hands, putting it in the middle of your chest so he could feel your heartbeat as well.

Stuck in this little moment, feeling each other’s heartbeats, he leaned down to kiss you again, and when your hand found its way into his hair, he shuddered against you.

You felt him twitch in his boxers and you smirked at him. You hadn’t realized he was hard again, but you had started to gather that your hand in his hair proved to be a reliable method to make his knees buckle, or at the very least, make him shiver in delight.

“May I?” you asked, reaching for his erection.

“We don’t have to–”

“Hush.” You palmed him through his boxers, his eyes rolling back inside his head as he groaned. “I want to. Do you want me to?”

“Yes.”

You brought him towards the edge of the bed, and you kneeled in front of him as you gently took off his boxers.

“I’m going to make you feel good.”

He nodded.

You caressed his legs, kissing his inner thighs before you spat on his cock, making him hiss. It twitched, and you decided to wet his length with your tongue, tracing the side of his cock with it before you licked the throbbing vein with gusto.

You could tell he was having a hard time staying still, and when you sucked him down into your mouth with your hand accommodating what you couldn’t take in in one go, he moaned so loudly you thought you would never hear such a lovely sound again.

You moved up and down, stretching out your mouth with his width and length, trying to make this a memorable experience for him.

You flicked your tongue over the tip as you bobbed your head, stroking his dick covered in spit with your hand, his hips gently pushing off the bed.

His hand came to rest on your head, but he removed it as soon as you choked a little around him. You grabbed it, put it back on your head, and you looked up at him through your eyelashes, giving him permission to let loose.

His soft expression was all you needed to work harder.

You buried your nose in his pubic hair soon after, the tip gently grazing his pubic bone, and you swallowed around him to wet his length more and make it easier for the back of your throat to accommodate him. It had been a while since you had done this, but the stretch felt good, better than you remembered.

You moved your hand up and down as you licked him up and down again, letting your lips kiss his cock and his vein, and you took him in your mouth again, sucking him harder and faster, immediately making him thrust into your mouth involuntarily.

“Oh god,” he groaned.

You didn’t let up. His hand in your hair tightened as you sucked harder, and it only spurred you on.

“So close–”

You hummed around him to signal your approval.

It didn’t take long for his thighs to quiver, but he pulled on your hair gently to make you stop.

“I’d much rather have you again,” he said hoarsely.

You smiled up at him from under your lashes and he swiped the tears on your cheeks away. You had teared up as he hit the back of your throat, but it had felt so good to feel him harden and pulse in your mouth.

“I’m on top this time.”

Aaron nodded and moved to sit with his back to the headboard. You straddled his lap and sank down on him without losing a beat. You put your hands on each side of his shoulders, gripping the headboard as you adjusted to his size.

He gritted his teeth when you started moving.

“You’re so perfect–”

You shut him up with a searing kiss, making him moan into your mouth as your tongue met his and you knew he could taste himself on your tongue.

He started rubbing your clit with his thumb, his eyes sparkling with affection for you.

“You’re good with your fingers, god–” you muttered.

“Sweetheart–”

He started thrusting up to meet your movements when you lost your pace to the sensations he brought you. He hit a particular spot inside you as you rocked your hips, and as you moaned loudly, unable to be quiet and not really wanting to since he had asked to hear you earlier, he seemed to realize he had hit that sweet spot.

“Right there,” you whined, chasing your peak on him as you tried to move your hips so he’d graze it again.

“Hmm…”

He hit it again with a forceful thrust.

“Oh fuck, right there, Aaron.”

“Let go, sweetheart.”

Hearing Aaron call you sweetheart repeatedly was enough to make you lose it, apparently. The coil in your stomach tightened dangerously before it was ripped loose, and you started shaking as wave after wave of pleasure overtook your entire frame.

His hands were lazily stroking your back as you slowly came back down from your high.

His shallow thrusts upwards were messy and uncoordinated, he was clearly close from feeling you come around him, the tip of him still grazing your g-spot deliciously.

You felt him twitch more violently as you rolled your hips, his hands gripping your waist tightly.

“Can I–”

You stopped moving altogether.

“Not yet. Hold it a bit longer.”

You slowly rolled your hips on top of him again, his length pulsing the more you moved. He was close, but you wanted to make this last.

You were slow on purpose, and he followed your lead, his thrusts delicate but deep.

“Please sweetheart–” he whined.

You knew he was close even before you slowed it down, and you felt his thighs quiver under you.

“Let go, Aaron.”

You felt him pulsate and shoot up inside you, trying to clench around him to suck every last drop inside you and keep it there. You fluttered around him, and Aaron smiled lazily at you as his mind slipped into subspace. You kissed his sweaty brow, and his hands caressed your back gently, pulling you closer to hug you against his chest.

“Told you I’d make you feel good.”

He hummed, still inside you, and you loved feeling him this close, to know you had rendered him shaky from head to toe. You looked forward to edging him again in the future, although for way longer than this. Edging and orgasm denial could be so delicious if you knew how to do it just right, and you had a feeling Aaron would figure that out with you.

“We should probably shower again so we don’t make a mess here.”

You smiled at him, and this time, you kissed him everywhere in the shower like he had done for you earlier, showing him that love, care, and affection didn’t have to be one-sided.

It wasn’t long before you were back in bed, and in no time Aaron fell asleep with his head on your stomach as your fingers gently caressed his hair, his soft moans becoming long sleepy breaths.

He woke up to you draped over him, and saw that you’d both have to get up and get ready to go back home shortly.

He lazily traced your face to make sure he could almost paint it from memory once you left the confines of this room, his legs still entangled with yours, your limbs warm and heavy from sleep within his.

He loved this. He wanted this every morning from now on.

You softly woke up, hiding your face in his chest as he kissed your temple, and his hands roamed over your back, keeping you close.

He leaned down to kiss you, and as your morning breaths mingled, it became clear to you that he’d never want to share this with anyone else.

You were it.

He looked at the time again, and he realized you had to go before the others woke up and realized you weren’t already down for breakfast, especially since you were the early birds of the group after all.

But you indulged in more lazy kisses, so he did too. Kissing you was a privilege he would never take for granted.

He kissed you without stopping, almost preventing you from leaving the room altogether as the kiss got heated.

“We have to go down,” you mentioned between kisses.

Aaron nodded but he held on to you firmly, his lips still too hungry for yours.

After some time, you got up and put on your clothes, and he let you, aware he had to leave the room at some point, too.

Aaron pouted as you put your clothes on, mostly because he really loved seeing you without them, and he pouted as he put his own clothes on, too. He was strangely protective of what had transpired last night, and putting on his suit again saddened him because he knew you wouldn’t get him out of it for a few hours.

You made to exit the room with him in tow, but he pulled you back and he hugged you firmly against his chest, unable to let go quite yet.

He knew he was being clingy, but he couldn’t let you go. He didn’t want to. He was scared that stepping out of this room would mean the magic was over. That you’d realize you deserved better than him, that you’d realize this was–

“I know who Jack gets his pout and puppy eyes from,” you tutted.

He smirked. You loved his son. He knew that. But each time you mentioned him, each time you spared a thought for him, it made something flutter in his chest.

“You give him what he wants when he uses them.”

“And what do you want?” you asked.

He waggled his eyebrows. “Just one more kiss.”

You nodded and you kissed him gently, but you didn’t allow him to let him pull you too close, and he understood, because if he had his way, you’d never leave the room in time to go unnoticed by the others.

“We’ll be together on the jet in less than an hour,’’ you added between pecks on his cheeks.

“But I won’t get to do this on the jet,” he pouted again.

“I mean, you could. But you’d be risking giving Rossi a heart attack.’’

Then, he was hit by an idea. A promise to not let the magic be over quite yet.

“Come over tonight.’’

You looked surprised by his offer. “Sorry?’’

“Come over tonight. And bring a bag with enough clothes in it to stay for a few days.’’

“What about Jack?’’

“Jack is with Jessica for the rest of the week. They’re visiting family.’’

A hand clasped your mouth. “Shit… What are we going to tell Jack?’’

Jack loved you as much as you loved him. This would be the easiest thing. He would just have to tell Jack you’d stay over sometimes, that you were more than just his friend. Jack wouldn’t have a problem with it. Aaron knew it for a fact because Jack had already asked if you were his girlfriend, and that he’d love to have you around more.

“The truth. When you’re ready,” he replied, confident.

“And what is the truth?” you asked with a smirk and quirked eyebrows.

How adorable you looked, how perfect you were…

He gathered his courage, he inhaled, and he smiled at you. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

It sounded corny to his own ears, and thankfully, you laughed it off.

“You’re so corny.”

He shrugged. “I’m just old-fashioned.”

He was waiting for your answer and while his heart was in his throat, he was sure you weren’t making him wait to torture him.

“Of course, I’ll be your girlfriend, Aaron.”

“I know we’ll have to figure a few things out, but–”

You cradled his face fondly, your care for him evident. “Look, I’m in this and you have me, any way you want me. But let’s not talk about this now. Let’s keep Alaska magical.”

This was the easiest thing he would ever agree to. Keeping this experience completely untainted by normal life, by your reality outside of here. Keeping Alaska magical was something he could do.

He nodded. “Later.”

“Later.”

Once on the jet, you tried to avoid looking anyone directly into the eye since they would probably be able to tell you didn’t sleep much last night if they saw your face, and they really didn’t have to know why you hadn’t slept.

“Did you see the Northern Lights last night after all, dear?’’ Rossi inquired.

“I did.’’

“And?’’

You beamed at the memories still fresh and imprinted on your brain. “Magical. Almost stayed up all night to watch them.’’

Derek frowned at that.

“Why do you look so pissy, Derek?” Emily asked.

“The couple next door went at it last night,” he declared to the team.

You were somewhat relieved he was saying the ‘couple next door’ because that could be anyone. It was a big hotel, and it didn’t mean anyone had heard you and Aaron, or that they had figured out you and Aaron were next door to Derek. Especially since you weren’t particularly subtle about it last night when Aaron had told you he wanted to hear you.

Emily smirked as her eyes narrowed on you, caught red-handed as you admired Aaron.

Fuck.

“Wait, weren’t you both in the room next to Derek?” Emily asked.

Shit.

She knew. You’d told her. You always texted each other room numbers. As women on cases in remote areas, you always did this. And you had mentioned in passing that you were sharing with the boss because Emily knew about your ongoing crush on him.

Aaron sat with his back to the team and looked at you with a silly smile, proud rather than embarrassed.

Rossi smirked knowingly. “Why are you beet red, honey?”

You looked at Aaron, opting not to let him get out of it so easily. “You should ask Aaron.”

“Aaron, is it?” JJ teased.

If Emily knew, JJ knew. It was a known rule among the BAU members.

You tilted your head to the side. “I think they want an explanation, boss.”

Aaron flushed and furrowed his brow, but he didn’t look angry you had thrown him under the bus. You were both in this after all.

He still had a small lopsided smile partially hidden, and his eyes glistened with adoration for you.

“The Alaska atmosphere and the Northern Lights really have a way of showing people there’s magic happening right in front of them,” he added with a grin, his eyes never leaving yours.

The girls gushed as Derek chuckled. David clasped Aaron’s shoulder in pride.

Spencer frowned. “Actually–”

“Shut up, pretty boy,” Derek interrupted. “Sure sounded magical last night,” he added, waggling his eyebrows at you.

Aaron was bright red, and you knew this wouldn’t be too good for his blood pressure. You moved to sit with him now that the cat was out of the bag.

The team all asked questions before you took off and ultimately, after their curiosity had been satisfied and it sizzled out, they left you alone.

You vowed to remember Alaska fondly, its magic not lost on you, not now and not ever. Rossi could say whatever he wanted; Alaska would always be dear to you.

Aaron knew how much you loved looking out the window when flying, offering you his own seat next to the window, but you shook your head.

“If you sit there, you won’t see out the window as well.”

“It’s fine. The view’s perfect from here,” you replied with a smile as you continued to look at him.

He smiled back. You wondered what you had ever done to deserve someone like him.

You silently wondered when saying “I love you” would be considered too soon. You thought about googling it right until you decided you were done wondering, and you pulled him to his feet to bring him towards the back of the jet.

You started kissing him the second the curtain was closed, and he kissed you back, but you both kept the kissing PG-13 because the team was only a few feet away.

You felt how much he cared for you in every gentle touch, and you felt it overwhelm your senses because he felt things for you as much as you felt things for him.

“Sorry. Couldn’t wait until Virginia,” you explained.

At the same time, he blurted out, “I love you.”

You brought him towards your face by his tie, his forehead resting against yours just like last night, right before your lips had met for the first time. “I brought you back here to say it first.”

He smirked widely. “Okay. I take it back.”

You tutted. “You’re not allowed to take it back.”

He kissed your nose at that, his smile so wide and beautiful, you almost wanted to take a picture to make sure it would last, to ensure nothing would ever get in the way of seeing him this happy again. But truthfully, picture or not, you would remember this moment forever.

“Good, because I’m never going to.”

“I love you,” you whispered.

He kissed you with gentle lips, not letting it deepen too much but still making his case when it came to the heavy yet soothing declarations you had both made seconds before.

“I want to do so much more than just kiss you,” he groaned.

“Thoughts on joining the mile-high club?” you suggested with a smirk, running your hand up and down his tie.

He looked at the curtain, his brow furrowing for a second. “We should wait until everyone’s asleep.”

Wait, what?

“I thought you’d say no,” you replied, laughing nervously.

“I think you underestimate what you do to me.”

“Do I?”

He picked you up and sat you on the counter, your legs coming around his waist instinctively. He moved closer into the space, and you felt him stretch the seam of his trousers as his core met yours.

“That–” he paused, gently thrusting so you’d know he was hard, “is just a small token of my appreciation for you.”

You scoffed, a giggle escaping your throat. “Small? You’re kidding, right?”

He scoffed in return.

“Can’t you just order the team to sleep?” you suggested.

“I can ask Reid to explain 19th-century medical practices to everyone?”

Brilliant man.

Derek would be the first one to put his headphones on and shut his eyes.

Then Emily.

Then JJ.

Rossi wouldn’t listen anyway. He just tuned Spencer out if he wasn’t already asleep.

Spencer would tire himself out rambling after a while. He would kip on the sofa.

It would leave you and Aaron. The only two people who almost never slept on the plane.

“Oh, you’re a brilliant man.”

With a plan, you went back to the team, but no one gave you a second glance, surely because no funny noises had been heard from behind the curtain.

The plan was put in motion and if someone suspected it was a ruse, no one said anything about it.

Aaron brought you into the bathroom the second everyone was asleep, and immediately put his lips on yours like he’d never get the chance again. To be fair, there wasn’t a second to lose. When you unzipped his pants and moved him out of his boxers to pump him, spitting on your hand to stroke him gently, his eyes rolled back inside his head and he let you take the lead.

You brought him close quickly, your strokes careful and calculated.

He snaked a hand into your panties, and you were proud of yourself for wearing a skirt today. He slid down your panties and pocketed them before he let his hand rub your cunt gently.

“Fuck, you’re so wet already,” he said as his finger breached you.

You smiled at him, trying hard to remain silent. He didn’t lose a second with foreplay at your request, moving to align his cock with your entrance. He picked you up in the small space, and you slowly sank down on him as he held his cock for you to slide down on.

He trembled as your walls fluttered around him, and he gasped into your mouth once he was fully sheathed inside you.

Aaron held you up as best as he could, and he put a hand on the wall behind your head and the other under your ass to thrust into you while still holding you up. He gained a nice rhythm, but you could tell he was close and that he wouldn’t last long from how erratic his thrusts already were.

“Touch yourself, I’m close,” he whispered through gritted teeth.

You put your hand between your bodies to bring yourself closer to the edge, feeling him throb and pulsate, his dick’s movements echoing around your walls.

The second you started touching yourself, you were shaking violently, and you had to muffle your moans into his mouth as you came with overwhelming shudders, using your lips to silence his groans as he shook from the sheer pleasure of burying his seed inside you once more. You felt him twitch and shoot up inside you, and the thought that he was so deep inside made your heart beat faster, and combined with the risky aspect of it all, you felt like you were riding a very long wave of pleasure after pleasure.

He carefully pulled out and picked up toilet paper to clean what was seeping out of you before he cleaned himself up rudimentarily, his touch gentle as he wiped your inner thighs.

“Thank you.”

He just smiled at you, discarding the soiled toilet paper and flushing it down the toilet.

You made sure his pants were holding up as he put himself away, you watched him gave himself one last look in the mirror before he moved to exit the bathroom first since he was closer to the door.

You held him back by the elbow. He was forgetting something.

“My panties, Aaron.”

He smirked. “I’m just making sure you come get them back tonight.”

“You’re still dripping out of me. Literally.”

He just grinned. “You’d better keep your legs close together then.”

Oh.

You thought you had sensed it last night.

He would follow your lead when you were in bed, you were sure of it. But this? Asking for it? Submitting himself to you and your treatment of him if he–

Oh.

He really was your perfect match.

“You’re gonna pay for that,” you declared.

“Oh, sweetheart… You probably know I look forward to it.”

You shook your head in disbelief.

You’d have fun. You’d never be bored. It was obvious.

“Besides, you still have to give me my book back,” he added, his grin plastered on his face.

“About that…” you started, playing with his tie.

His smile faded for a second, his brow tightening but his body didn’t tense up. “You know, don’t you?”

You nodded. “And believe me, I looked for that one line.”

“I did a character study on Jay Gatsby when I took elective literature courses in college. I wrote it down in my analysis, well– I wrote how someone’s presence can make any place feel like home, and how Daisy was his home. I may have paraphrased my essay when I said it to you so you’d think it came from the book, but–”

You cradled his face gently, your thumbs rubbing his cheeks. “How long have you been trying to tell me without actually telling me?”

“I don’t know for sure when I– but uh– I knew for sure how I felt when I saw you covered in mud, running with Jack under the rain across the soggy soccerfield with the model airplanes we had spent hours building together.”

You remembered that fondly. He had falsely scolded you for ruining the model airplanes before he had showed up to work the next day with a huge smile as he presented you a cup of coffee from your favorite coffee shop close to Quantico, only offering it to give it to you if you promised to help him build new ones for Jack.

You had ordered new model airplanes to assemble with him by lunch, and by dinner, you had sent him a screenshot of your order.

Maybe you had been trying to tell him without actually telling him for a while, too.

Aaron exited the bathroom and he walked back to his seat, relieved to see that everyone was still asleep on the jet.

You joined him moments later, waddling like a penguin to keep your legs shut. He was aware you had probably peed to avoid getting an infection, but that didn’t mean deeper substances weren’t threatening to drip out of you. How he loved knowing he was inside you.

Aaron got to work, and while you never slept on the jet, too mesmerized by the outside world to get some shut-eye, this time, you actually seemed tired.

You rested your head on his shoulder, and Aaron looked at you trying to scuffle closer. He dropped his paperwork to put his arms around you, and he kissed the top of your head as you nuzzled your nose into his shirt. He grinned widely as he realized you were well and truly his, Alaska magic or not.

You’d still have to talk, but he wasn’t worried in the least. He’d make sure this would work.

He held you close, letting the paperwork wait, and for the first time in years, he allowed himself to close his eyes as he held your sleeping form. He allowed himself to rest on the jet because he knew for sure he’d wake up to a reality far better than what his dreams could ever offer.

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

ty