hotchaway fic u should totally read and comment on⊠https://archiveofourown.org/works/85536476
The night that was initially supposed to be occupied by unwinding quickly turned into a long overdue conversation between Elle and Hotch.
He quietly suggested she come to his hotel room to spend the night after closing another successful yet disturbing case, hoping it would be like their usual nights of relaxation and sex. For months theyâd been sneaking around, but they never came to an understanding of what they were really doing. Whether it was serious or just something done to distract themselves from their troubles.
It was a dangerous game and they both liked the thrill, but it could only go on for so long.
Hotch wasnât sure whether it was the frustration from the case that conflicted with her emotions, but he could tell that there was something off about her.
âAre you ok, Elle?â He clocked her mood almost as soon as she walked in and immediately walked over to check on her. She hummed in approval as she set her stuff down, not saying a word.
He wasnât sure how heâd went from passionately kissing her down her neck to them somehow arguing yet again. They argued occasionally over little things but made up shortly after, usually by him kissing it better, but this time it was different.
âTell me whatâs wrong.â He continued to pry once he noticed the sensation of his lips against her neck didnât seem to be working on her.
âI told you Iâm fine.â Her cold expression said otherwise. They continued going back and forth about how she was actually feeling, and the heated argument somehow wandered towards his avoidance towards her, and then finally what everything they had been doing truly meant.
âWhy canât you admit you still want Hayley.â She snapped suddenly, leaving him speechless. Elle tried not to acknowledge her existence when they were alone together, but she could no longer do so in the moment.
She knew the only reason they had even slept together in the first place was because he was hurting and needed to get her off her mind that didnât involve work. Elle made the perfect distraction, atleast for him. Now, she found herself only able to think about him, needing for somerhing to divert her thoughts from him.
The wounds from Hayley walking out on him were still fresh, and everyone could tell, the team, and especially Elle. Since the divorce he had become colder and emotionally distant, and in the months he and Elle had been sleeping together, he still struggled letting her in. Some would say itâs what the gruesome manner of their job would do to one, but she knew Hayleyâs departure had taken a grave toll on him. All Elle ever wanted was his vulnerability, but he didnât owe that to her after simply sleeping together and she knew it.
She couldnât bear the unknown scent of perfume, that most likely belonged to Hayley, that still lingered in Hotchâs bed months after she hadnât laid in it, or the unreadable facial expression that appeared on his face when she was mentioned, or the fact that their marriage didnât end because they stopped loving each other. The constant themes of Hayley in their relationship made it feel so wrong, even though he wasnât committing infidelity.
Her last straw was when she recently noticed he still wore his ring to work and was wearing it now, which caused her now sudden outburst towards him.
After moments of quarreling and shouting over each other, there was a silence between them as both were unsure of what to say or do. Hotch only looked down at her with an expression she knew all too well.
âDonât look at me like that.â Tears threatened to spill out of Elleâs eyes as she avoided Hotchâs gaze.
âLike what?â He looked down at her with the utmost sincerity in his eyes, as if she were delicate and could shatter at any given moment. It was the same worried expression he had when she first came back after getting shot, only this time it was different.
In all honesty she was near her breaking point. She could no longer maintain the emotionally tough walls she had built up in front of the team.
âLike you love me, because I know you donât.â Her voice came out soft, yet it was laced with such spite and anger. She was ready to surrender, done with the sneaking around and the doubt she felt about him, about them.
Done with wondering if he was thinking about Hayley while he held her close at night.
Done with being second to someone he couldnât hold anymore.
âI love you.â His voice now less stern. He stepped towards her, but she only shook her head. A tear streamed down her face as she wondered how his lies could sound so much like the truth. She searched his face for it, yet couldnât decipher whether he was speaking from the heart or solely based on what she wanted to hear so she wouldnât leave. She had stayed by his side despite all his lash outs and episodes of anger because all she ever wanted was his love, and there he was finally giving it to her.
âHow can you stand there and lie to my face, Aaron?â She finally broke down, no longer able to hold in her tears. Hotch cupped her face and wiped the tears that stained them, and though she tried to fight it, she melted into the warmth of his touch and the cool sensation of metal from his wedding ring that came along with it. She couldnât deny that she was in dire need of his comfort and reassurance.
âIâm not⊠Iâm not Elle.â He cooed softly and rested his head against hers. The sound of his continuous lies were like music to her ears, she knew she had to turn it off but didnât know how. She wanted to believe him, and she wouldnât be surprised if he was telling the truth, but she knew she deserved better than this. She needed someone who was proud to be with her, someone who was emotionally there.
She knew how complicated it would be from the start, they both did. She knew the day after everything started when he pretended nothing had happened when they spoke in his office. He gave her the cold look heâd given everyone else, but what else was he supposed to do?
âAaron, stop..â She protested but she was paralyzed by his touch, unable and willing to move away from it. He left kisses from her forehead to her cheek, and finally to her lips. He always knew how to reconcile with her after an argument, but this time she knew she couldnât accept his apology.
She had to let him go.
âI canât do this with you anymore.â She finally pulled herself away from him. Hotch looked down in defeat with no other choice than to let her go. He couldnât keep her captive with his alleged love, so he watched her back away from him. That cold, signature expression was now back on his face again. The walls she spent months trying so hard to break down.
She left the room, drying her tears on her own knowing like an idiot, sheâd go back to him like she always did.
updated May 3 2026. I'm separating the dialogue prompts into their respective sections. Went through Anger & Angst Lists the last few days & separated them into smaller lists. Will be working on the horror/Apocalyptic list next!
PLEASE reblog if you use any of these/wanna share with your writer friends!!
heyy! sorry for the late response i am #cooked but here are some of my fav hotchaway hcs
â (established relationship) hotch keeps a picture of elle alongside one of jack and haley in his wallet. it helps ground him whenever he looks at it, but it also reminds him of how much heâs lost and has left to lose.
â they go on runs together and unsurprisingly, elle can outrun him.
â elle likes borrowing hotchâs quarter zips.
â in the early days of their relationship, they never wake up together. hotch always leaves early for work, or elle leaves early out of guilt.
â they can go whole nights without talking, especially when itâs been a long case. theyâre attuned enough to know that the silence isnât out of awkwardness, just exhaustion and the contentment of being with each other.
â it took them ages to get together because neither would communicate properlyâout of pride or out of fear, they wonât ever admit.
and lastly a happy one because iâve kind of been playing with your feelings thus far
â when hotch learns to text regularly or send updates, he sends pictures like these
I find it interesting how in season one the writers took several scenes to state how smart Elle is, often using Spencer as comparison, as if to say that what he knows, she does too, not to mention that talking archetypes he is âthe smart one.
The writers in âThe making of Criminal Minds: Season 1â when presenting her character, the describe her as âexceptionally smartâ.
We see this in the pilot when Elle completes Spencer sentence disclosing the details of an old case.
We see it in Compulsion when she is trying to find out why the footpath killer stuttered, talking with Derek she tells him what she knows about stutter and he tells her she sounded like Spencer.
When we learn in Machismo that she speaks spanish.
When in Charm amd Harm she completes another fact Spencer said, saying it was common knowledge, then she mentions yet another fact Spencer then completes.
Iâve always said the public didnât understand Elle as the character she was supposed to be and this is yet another proof.
What she was supposed to be was the new girl with a big dream whoâs very smart and worked hard to be there and always feels like she has to prove her worth and her competence, who struggles to fit in yet yearns for home and family, yearns to belong somewhere.
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