#hotchxrossi

[piqtescue]

the look??? im in love with them being in love???

[more gay scenes of these two over @ bau.archives on tiktok- rarely will be posting vids on tumblr]

[masterwords]

Seven Lonely Days

Pairings: Aaron Hotchner/David Rossi

Warnings:  Just fluffy.  Turn away if you don’t like fluff.

Genre:  Criminal Minds

Notes:  After writing some heavy stuff lately, I just wanted to write something cute and sweet.  Sick fics are always a winner for sweet.

It began with a phone call from Emily Prentiss at 10am on a Thursday morning.  Dave was in New Jersey consulting on a case with Reid while the rest of the team was at home.  They were all set to fly back home and were just sitting around on the jet waiting for take off.  

“I'm sorry to bug you, Dave, but I did something bad...” she began, and he sighed.  His mind ran through all of the things she could have done.  It was Emily, though, and the list was endless.  “I came to work with a cold on Friday.  I had too much to do without you and Reid here, so it's basically your fault really. Anyway, on Tuesday, Hotch started looking a little extra tired...you know, his eye bags were packed and ready to go on a two week vacation...”

“Did you get him sick, Emily?” Dave asked, cocking an eyebrow.  Silence followed, guilty silence.

“I said it was your fault.  No one was here to stop me.  I think I sneezed on him...maybe...I don’t remember.”

“Emily,” Dave muttered, shaking his head.  “Why?”

“I haven't even told you the worst part.  The part that's REALLY your fault.”

“He hasn't even called me...”

“Well, yeah, about that...he can't.  I mean I guess he could have texted, but he's probably just hoping he can figure out a way to make it go away by the time you guys get back...anyway, he can't talk.  I made him lose his voice. I mean its totally gone.  It's really been nice but I knew you'd be mad that I broke him and didn't tell you.”

Dave sighed.  This wasn't the first time Hotch had lost his voice.  A school aged child lived in their home, forever bringing home an assortment of bacteria and viruses and handing them to the two men on a silver platter.  It was rare that Dave caught much of anything, which he claimed was due to his Italian genes or how mean he was, but Hotch got the brunt of it.  Jack's kindergarten year had been particularly high on the nightmare illness scale, involving pink eye, strep throat and an ominous stomach virus that seemed to make the rounds and repeat forever.  First grade had, so far, been mostly just stuffy noses and an occasional fever for the boy that never amounted to anything for anyone else.  Leave it to Emily Prentiss to spread something when a child falls short.  

“Emily, is he sick?”

“Oh yeah.  Totally.  He's asleep on his desk right now.   Been like that for hours now.  We're just gonna leave him there until you guys get in...”

“We aren't even in the air yet,” Dave said, hoping she would read the tone of his voice.  She didn't.  Or she ignored it.  

“Garcia has been checking on him, it's fine.  I boxed up his files for you, since I figure you'll just take care of all of...that...for him.  I've got his voicemails and emails, that's going really well. We've got things covered.”

From the sound of it, Dave knew things were in fact not going well, but there wasn't anything he could do.  He was okay with them letting Aaron sleep, but he was worried about the messes they were making for him.  When the cat's away, he thought.  A few minutes of banter later and he had to say goodbye, the plane was ready to take off.  Reid had been listening to the entire conversation and he just grinned.  

“Glad I wasn't there...” he muttered.  Dave smiled.  Of course, what Reid meant was that he didn't want to get sick, but Dave also thought he probably meant he didn't want to be around either Emily or Aaron when they were sick – neither of them was very nice when they didn't feel well.  Emily was the worst.  She was sharp and sarcastic, she loved to make mean jokes and often they were aimed at Reid...with love, of course.  Aaron just got dark, he brooded a lot, got somehow quieter if that was even possible but Reid knew that it was more a show than anything – he was a softy.  The way he lit up when Garcia would dote on him, even if he told her repeatedly to stop, was a dead giveaway.

“You and me both, kid,' Dave muttered, leaning back in his seat.  He looked at his phone and pulled up the last message from Aaron, it was simply a sweet goodnight message from the night prior.  No mention of not feeling well.  He considered texting Aaron but was afraid of waking him so he just turned it off and slid it back into his pocket.

The plane ride back was short and fun, the two of them had engaged in an amusing game of Hearts, because Reid didn't care for poker and Rossi didn't like chess.  They'd left the option for Go Fish on the table if Hearts hadn't worked out – anything to pass the time.  By the time they'd reached Quantico, they were in a dead heat with games won and lost, swearing for a rematch in the near future.  When they entered the building it was quiet, everyone either hard at work or out at lunch.  The two men were greeted with cheerful smiles and hugs, most of which they returned...except for Emily, she was greeted with a sideways glare from Dave and an elbow bump followed by hand sanitizer from Reid.  

“He still sleeping?” Dave asked, brushing past her toward the stairs. She nodded and shrugged.  

“Snoring. We had to close his door,” Emily said, smiling.  Morgan chuckled, but collected himself quickly until he saw Dave shake his head and smile – then he let the rest of the laugh out.  Reid had already begun wiping his desk down with bleach wipes, starting with his phone and chair, not paying attention to what anyone was saying.  Emily leaned over and whispered into Reid’s ear, grinning wildly.

“I licked it all,” she said before rushing away for more coffee.    

“You're all rotten.  You should be ashamed of yourselves,”  Dave said quietly, shaking his head.  They wore business clothes, pressed and polished, but they were all just overgrown children.  

He ascended the stairs quickly, making a stop at his office to deposit his bag and the case files they'd taken with them.  His office smelled stale and dusty after nearly a week of not being used, and he'd locked the door so even housekeeping wouldn't go in while he wasn't around so before heading to Aaron's office he opened the door wide and turned on the fan he kept in his desk drawer.  Being as high up as they were, and having so many windows, it got very hot in his office, he used his fan often even in winter.  Once he felt good about his space, he slipped out quietly and down the hall to his partner's office, peeking in through the slivers between the blinds. Aaron was hunched over at his desk, arms folded, head nestled down inside the crooks of his arms.  There was a blanket sprawled over his shoulders and a mug beside him, Penelope's doing no doubt.   He entered quietly and closed the door behind him before approaching the desk.  He placed his hand on Aaron's back, softly between his shoulders, feeling his partner's shallow, ragged breaths.  

“Aaron?” he asked quietly, letting his hand trail up onto the man's neck, it was clammy and warm, hair matted with sweat at the nape.  He felt Aaron stir beneath him.  “I'm home.”

Aaron rolled his shoulders first, then turned his head, his eyes slivers squinting into the dim light of the room, clearly disoriented.  He opened his mouth to say something, mouthed Dave's name but what came out was hardly more than the ghost of a voice and followed by a wince and a hard swallow.  A cough came next, and another wince.  His features were pale, dark circles under his eyes like the sleep on his desk has been his only sleep the entire week and Dave was pretty sure that was the case.  

“Emily did this to you,” he muttered and Aaron nodded, running a hand through his messy mop of hair that needed a trim.  “Let's get you home.”

Aaron tried to speak, tried to say he had too much to do, but the sound that came out was like something out of a horror film, like razor blades and daggers, zombie feet scraping along the ground, and Dave just shook his head.  

“You need to go home before you get someone else sick.  Don't be like Emily.”  There, that was it.  Dave had him up and out of his chair fast with that one.  Guilt could do wonders. They packed up their things quickly and made their way out of the building without much to do, everyone had already known it was going to happen.  Dave left both of their offices open intentionally, his to be dusted top to bottom, and Aaron's with a little post it note on the door that said to use a lot of bleach and wear gloves.  

At home, everything was still and silent and very, very clean, proving Dave correct in assuming that Aaron hadn’t been sleeping in his absence.  Jessica had taken Jack to visit cousins at the coast for spring break, which was nearing its end, and Dave knew his job was to just get Aaron healthy enough not to infect Jack when he returned in a few days.  The last thing they needed was to be the family that brought the first real illness into Jack's classroom.  Without missing a beat, Dave hopped up the stairs and began running a hot shower while Aaron moped up the stairs behind him.  By the time he'd made it to the bathroom, Dave was ready for him with all of the things that made him feel better – a tub of Vicks that was probably a decade old (stored in the back corner of the cupboard), Tylenol and a hot steamy bathroom.  He left Aaron to get himself settled and began unpacking his bags, throwing in a load of laundry and pouring a glass of wine while he milled around the house, inspecting all of the nooks and crannies that Aaron had organized and cleaned.  A week spent alone and even though he’d probably worked more hours at the office than usual, he’d still managed to knock out much of his to do list as well.  It was so quiet without Jack.  At first, it had been overwhelming, going from living single to life with another adult and a small child and he'd been on edge a lot, retreating to the silence of his den often.  Now, he didn't know how he ever lived without the sounds of these people.  He sat himself in his favorite chair and sipped his wine, thumbing through his mail absentmindedly, waiting for Aaron to come padding down the hall after his shower.  It was a dance, taking care of Aaron, knowing when to lead and when to follow. He wouldn't run his own shower, he'd hold out, pretending he didn't need it, but if you ran it for him he couldn't stay away.  That was where you lead.  Then you waited, waited for him to do his thing, because he needed the time to himself, to sit in silence and be alone with his thoughts and his aches.  Sometimes he'd read a book, or listen to sad old country music, or just be silent and fall asleep in the tub depending on how sick he was.  Tonight, it was Patsy Cline – he was sick, but he wasn't dying.  It was a good sign.  Dave settled into his chair and waited, enjoying the simplicity of being back at home, not stuffed into a hotel room next door to Reid.  The two of them had enjoyed each other's company, but were absolutely ready to be on their own by the end of each day.  

His phone rang as he sat in his silence, and he considered not answering it but it was Emily and it could have been important, though he was fairly sure it wasn't.   

“Rossi,” he began, leaning his head back against the cushion and taking a long gulp.  A glass of wine in the afternoon, when he should have been at work – life had few pleasures as indulgent as this.  He intended to soak it up.

“Okay, don't be mad at me but I might have done something...bad...” she began and he sighed, the  deep sigh of the long suffering.  

“Haven't you done enough?” he asked, rolling his eyes.  He heard the shower shut off, but Patsy was still crooning away.  

“Hey. This was your fault, remember?  You should never have left.  Anyway, I might have said something I shouldn't have to someone...important.  Just a little thing.  I think I said something to the effect of telling him to fuck off with his bureaucratic bullshit, I’m not sure though, I blacked out.  I think Hotch might be in trouble...I just saw an email come through that's pretty strongly worded recommending disciplinary action with a thinly veiled threat attached.  Should I just delete the email or....?”

“No, you idiot, don't delete it.  He'll take care of it when he can talk,” Dave said calmly, secretly thinking to himself that she deserved a pat on the back.  He probably would have said the same thing, maybe just without the profanity attached.  “I've got to go, I hear him coming down the hall.  Stop answering his voicemails, no more phone calls for you, let them be.  You're not qualified.”

“That's what I told Morgan!  I blame him.”  

“Goodbye Emily,” Dave said, clicking the phone off just in time to see Aaron shuffle into the den, in pajamas and a robe, big wool socks and wet hair.  He regarded the other chair with a sour face before dropping to his knees in front of Dave's chair, leaning his head on the other man's lap like a sad dog.  Dave tangled his fingers in Aaron's wet hair, twisting it in circles and patting it back down mindlessly.  

“I go out walking...after midnight...” Dave began, singing softly, losing himself in the twirling of Aaron's hair and the warm feeling of wine on an empty stomach.  “Out in the moonlight...just like we used to, I'm always walking...after midnight...searching for you...”  He'd heard Aaron listening to Patsy and it had settled into his brain, sweetly, somberly there.  He listened to Aaron's shallow breathing, the little coughs he tried to stifle because they burned his throat terribly.  He turned his eyes up at Dave as he sang, smiling sweetly, his eyes tired and blinking slowly.  He wanted to tell Dave he was glad to see him, glad he was home, that he'd missed him, but he had to settle for just a silent smile.  Dave kept singing, softly, and Aaron watched him, letting himself drift away on the sound of his lover's voice.  He missed Dave so much.  After being alone all week, spending half of it feeling like garbage, all he wanted was to have Dave beside him, forcing him to take care of himself instead of indulging in his self-destructive tendencies.  He was convinced that his team was starting fires left and right without him there, but he didn't worry too much about putting them out, there would be plenty of time for that.  After all, how much trouble could they get into in an afternoon?

[wonderfulworldoffanstuff]

Found Family - Chapter 1 - Much_depressed - Criminal Minds (US TV) [Archive of Our Own]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

My hossi fic

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https://archiveofourown.org/works/29852493/chapters/73455771

My Mortch fic

(why tf is that link like that....????)

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https://archiveofourown.org/works/40414269

My mcu Tony centric fic/series

(Again?? Wtf is this with the link??)

[hotchisdaddy]

THIS IMAGE MAKES MY SHIP SO HAPPY! Hotch isn’t wearing his blazer, Dave is smiling, and Hotch is leaning on Dave’s shoulder. These things make my heart so incredibly happy. I CANNOT STOP SMILING.

[ssa-hotchner]

Criminal Minds Mafia AU! The old timers, Hotch and Rossi have been through thick and thin on the streets, and their early cons and schemes have given way to an empire and legacy that will last forever. They have complete control over the city, and anyone who messes with them or their team will pay dearly.

[masterwords]

Brick Wall

Pairings: Hotch/Rossi

Warnings:  It’s a fluffy whump, some hospital time, minor injuries

Genre:  Criminal Minds

Notes: Working on Take Your Time was bumming me out, so I decided to throw together a super fluffy soft whump just to make myself feel better. I’ll get Part Three of Take Your Time up tomorrow.  :)    

The smell of hot dogs and popcorn and spilled beer hung in the air around the baseball diamond.  Cheering families and friends packed the bleachers, fluffy marshmallow clouds dotted the sky on a perfectly chilly April afternoon.  They even had an organ playing all of the old baseball classics.  It was a big day, the championship was on the line, and the anti-sports members of the BAU had actually shown up to support their athletes.  Emily and Penelope had margaritas in their coffee cups and Spencer had a sign that read “BAU” in big black letters and nothing else because everything that Emily and Penelope told him to write was wildly inappropriate for a work related activity.  Dave walked Aaron up to the dugout and then left, promising he'd come back at half-time (which he'd been told numerous times wasn't a thing in baseball, and he knew it because he was a very big baseball fan in fact) because he had errands to run (he didn't, he just wasn't interested in sitting in bleachers with other government employees and their families).  He sat in his car and read a book instead, every so often pulling out his binoculars to check out the FBI's handsome First Baseman, which was the only thing that even kept his car in the parking lot at all. No matter how much he loved a thing, it was difficult to find a reason to spend time doing work things outside of office hours.  He loved his team but the rest of these people...well, he had some not very nice things to say about where they could stuff their big foam fingers.  As the game progressed and the FBI started falling behind, he closed up his book and put on his Chicago Cubs ball cap, deciding that he could suck it up to add his voice to the cheers for his people. He made his way across the grass, toward the packed bleachers full of colleagues who were throwing foamy beer and peanut shells all over each other.  He stayed on the grass beside the bleachers after seeing the state of the ground, no way he'd be taking his expensive shoes into that war zone.  

“Rossi!” Emily called, waving him over to a spare seat beside her.  He shook his head no and approached the fence instead, peering into the dugout at his friends awaiting their turns at bat.  JJ was up next, taking her practice swings, while Derek and Aaron were waiting in the wings with other members of the FBI, some he recognized, others he didn't.  The DEA, their opposing team, was two runs ahead and it was already the 5th inning.  

“Stop trying to be big damn heroes and just get on base!” he shouted at them, and the whole team looked up at him.  “All I'm seeing are big showoff home run swings with no results.  You win the game by getting on base!”  Aaron laughed and shook his head, Derek and a few other guys flipped him off, JJ altered her swing a little because she was a good listener. They managed to put up four runs in the inning and Dave was ready to credit it entirely to his pep talk.  

In the 8th inning, things were neck in neck, tempers were flaring.  A championship was on the line and one team would be subjected to a year's worth of shit talking and humiliation if they lost, there was a lot of ego out on that field.  It was a blur, how it happened, but Dave would swear on his life that he'd seen the collision happen before it actually did, and Emily backed him up because she saw him take off running around the fence in front of the bleachers before either of them was even on the ground.  Derek was out in right field, Aaron at first base when the ball was popped up between them, a chance to end the inning. They both took off at full speed, eyes squinting into the sunlight, arms outstretched to catch the ball and slammed into each other so hard that Aaron collapsed immediately, folding like a house of cards, and Derek stumbled a few steps before doing the same.  The ball landed two feet away from them, just outside of the foul line and bounced away.  JJ was playing catcher and dropped her glove, threw her mask to the ground behind her and took off running for them.  She and Dave reached them first, JJ going to Derek, Dave to Aaron, both men just lying on the ground in obvious distress.  A hush fell over the crowd and then all of the coaches and players were flooding the area, crouching beside the injured players.  

“Get back!” Dave shouted, waving his arms at all of the people rushing to stand over them.  Aaron was lying on the ground, grimacing and holding his left shoulder, his arm lying limp at his side.  Dave leaned close to him, placed his hand on Aaron's forehead, brushed the wispy, sweaty hair back.  Just a small gesture to make sure Aaron knew he was there.  The coaches were calling for the field medics who, after a short time stabilizing both men's injuries the best they could, carted them off on stretchers (humiliating for both of them) toward the ambulance waiting nearby. It being a work activity, they had planned for these sorts of things. Once the injured parties were off of the field, people began making their way back to the stands and the dugout, leaving JJ and Dave alone.  

“We don't have enough players...” JJ muttered and Dave inclined his head in her direction.  “We'll have to forfeit.  Let's get it over with so we can get to the hospital.”  

“Emily and I will sub in,” Dave said, adamant, unwilling to argue.  “They didn't just get carted off in an ambulance for a forfeit.”  JJ grinned and hugged Dave tight around his neck, taking off running toward the coaches who were currently meeting and probably discussing the inevitable forfeit. Dave made his way toward where Emily and the gang sat looking stricken, but they'd known it wouldn't do any good to add to the chaos in the field.  

“What happened?!” Emily shouted, and all three of them charged at Dave.  He held his hands up in surrender and told them to calm down, it was okay.  

“They're being taken to the hospital to be checked out, it's protocol even if their injuries aren't serious.  L&I bullshit.  Emily, you're coming with me, we're going to close out this game.  Garcia?  You and Reid find out where they're taking our guys and follow them, we'll be there as soon as this game is done.”

“Aw, Rossi, nooooooo, I hate sports!” Emily protested, sucking down the last drops of her margarita desperately.  He gave her a look that simply said she had no choice and started walking toward the dugout, Emily following dutifully a few steps behind him.  It didn't take long for Garcia to figure out where her friends were taken and she and Reid hit the road, him grabbing the keys to her car quickly.  She looked at him offended, she was totally planning to give him the keys anyway.  

The game didn't take long to finish, and while Emily and Dave didn't add much as far as talent or depth (she was more than a little buzzed, and he was out of shape and wearing loafers), they did add some level of moral support that eventually lead to the FBI edging out the DEA by one run.  That one run happened to belong to JJ, splintering her bat as she sent the ball into the next field over.  

“Games might be won by getting on base, but a home run sure doesn't hurt anything...” she muttered, prancing by Dave with a grin.  The three of them hung around in the congratulatory huddle for a few moments, threw a few well placed insults in the direction of the DEA (it never got old), and then piled into Dave's car to head for the hospital.  

By the time they arrived, Garcia and Reid were settled into seats in the lobby playing around on their phones.  They were the only ones in the lobby, an odd sight for a weekend day, but a welcome one.  When they saw the rest of their team, they jumped up and began spitting out all of the limited information they had - both Derek and Aaron had been taken back for x-rays, both of them were arguing that they were fine and didn't need all the fuss, and they should know soon what's going on.  The five of them settled into seats and Dave regaled them all with the story of the final inning and JJ's winning at bat.  By the time the story had finished, the nurses had come out to take Dave back to be with Aaron, and Emily to go with Derek, much to Penelope's chagrin.  Emily asked if they could take Penelope instead, but she wasn't his proxy and they didn't want to take the time to go back and get his permission. Emily didn't want to go back, she was just in one situation after another that she wanted no part of that day and she was losing her buzz quickly.  

They had Aaron sitting up on a bed with a big ice pack bandaged to his shoulder looking miserable and grouchy when Dave entered.  

“What took you so long?” Aaron asked, raising an eyebrow at Dave, whose pants were significantly dustier than they had been and his shoes were caked in dirt.  

“Oh, Emily and I just jumped in and helped win the game.  We saved the day, no big deal.”  Aaron laughed and then groaned, his hand coming up to rest against the ice pack gingerly as if it might help steady his shoulder, stop the pain. He felt like he had a knife jammed into his joint.    

“Thanks Dave,” he muttered.  “You didn't need to do that.  Your shoes are ruined.”

“I'd rather buy new shoes than put up with those knuckleheads insulting us all year.  What's the story here?” he asked, indicating the ice pack, the shoulder, the whole thing.  

“Dislocated shoulder.  The doctor asked me if I ran into a brick wall, then he saw Morgan.  Just waiting to see the results of the x-rays before they put it back in place and let me go.”  

“They give you anything?” Dave asked, noting that Aaron looked like he was in quite a lot of pain as he sat there, every time he talked or moved he seemed to flinch.  

“Not yet.”

Dave came around to the side of the bed and sat down on the cold vinyl chair.  Aaron had a serious look on his face, that look that said he was lost in his head trying to control his pain, and he didn't like to chit chat when he had that look so Dave sat quietly.  They waited for around ten minutes before the doctor and a nurse brushed into the room to let them know that the x-rays showed no concerning tears or other damage, so they could do a simple manipulation to put the shoulder back into place and let him go.  

“We'll give you a shot, a pretty strong muscle relaxer, and get to it.  You have the look of a guy who doesn't want to be here.”  

“Perceptive,” Aaron grumbled, letting the nurse prep him quickly and give him the shot.  

“That'll kick in soon, and it'll probably last you the rest of the day.  Once you're feeling good and loopy, we'll get started.  Push the call button when you're there.”

It didn't take long for Dave to notice the far away look in Aaron's eye and he pressed the call button so they could get the show on the road.  With very little preparation, they unwrapped the ice from his shoulder and went about manipulating the bones back into their places.  Dave watched Aaron wince, close his eyes, squeeze the edge of the bed with his good hand until it was over, then they iced him back up and sent them on their way.  Aaron swayed a little on his feet and leaned heavily against Dave as they walked, Dave's arm looped around his lower back.  In the lobby, everyone was waiting for them, and Derek looked like he was having a great time playing with Garcia's hair, high as a kite.  Aaron scowled at him, and Derek just laughed.  

“They were callin' me brick wall back there earlier...” Derek muttered, blinking slowly, grinning.  Emily sat bolt upright, sure this was something she wanted in on, it sounded good.  

“I heard them say that once, didn't realize they were talking about you. What's the story there?”

Aaron scowled, first at Derek, and then at Dave when he opened his mouth to lay the story out.  “Not a word,” he snapped, attempting to lead the way to the parking lot now to avoid further humiliation.  Derek launched into the story as they all stood up and followed to their cars.  

“My house for celebratory drinks and dinner?” Rossi asked, helping Aaron into his car.  Everyone agreed, even Aaron, by way of just not disagreeing.  They all piled into cars, picked up supplies, and met at Dave's house an hour later, time enough for Dave to get a few items pulled and prepped for dinner and to get Aaron settled comfortably on the couch watching a golf tournament intently on the TV.  Emily plopped heavily down beside him, a glass of wine in hand, and made a sound of disgust, grabbing for the remote.  

“Ugh, what's wrong with you?” she asked, clicking around until she found some trashy reality television, people yelling at each other on TV thrilled her.  He groaned but didn't argue or even move, the muscle relaxers were doing their job well.  “So, I mean, I've been wondering...exactly how strong does a man have to be...” she began, and this time Aaron let out a longer groan, rolled his eyes, and hefted himself up to his feet, shuffling toward the kitchen where he knew at least one person wouldn't mock him relentlessly.  Unfortunately, Derek was there, seated at the table telling JJ and Penelope and Reid again how they'd all called him Brick Wall at the hospital and how he'd gotten three different nurses' phone numbers.  Aaron grunted, padded across the room and into Dave's arms, leaning his forehead against his partner's shoulder miserably.

“Make it stop,” he muttered, and Dave laughed.  

“Oh, let him have his fun,” the older man replied, rubbing Aaron's back softly with his oven mitts on.  They were in the shape of animals with open mouths, a gift from Jack for Christmas.  Something Dave would never have kept in his house, not in a million years, before that kid stole his heart. Aaron groaned.  “Go lay back down.”  

“No.  Emily hijacked the TV and turned on one of those real housewives of hell shows.”

“Oh!  Oh, Emily wait for us!” Penelope called, grabbing her wine glass and teetering through the house on her high heels, JJ following shortly after with a beer, leaving just the four men in the kitchen now.

“Hey, I'm sorry Hotch,” Derek said, resting his head on his hand now.  “I shoulda looked where I was running, that was your catch.”  The kitchen started smelling incredible as Rossi whipped up his pasta carbonara, an easy fast meal for him to make that he knew everyone loved.  He could make it in his sleep, and it was usually what he made for Aaron when the other man needed some comfort food.  

Aaron sat down at the table and sunk into his chair, struggling to keep his head upright.  They weren't kidding about him being knocked out the rest of the day.  “S'ok.  I should have let you go for it.  Did I even hurt you at all?”    

“Man, my ribs are all messed up.  You ran into me hard enough to dislocate your damn shoulder...come on, don't pretend you don't know how hard you hit.”  Aaron smiled a little at that, and both men chuckled then groaned – laughing wasn't pleasant for either of them at the moment.  

Reid was just sitting and staring, utterly confused by what he was witnessing and completely out of place in every conversation in the entire house.  He stood up and offered to help Dave with dinner, which Dave allowed reluctantly. They got dinner on the table quickly, and everyone enjoyed themselves (except Aaron who was struggling just to stay upright after the heavy dose of meds they'd pumped him full of) and helped clean up afterward.  It was rare that they got to spend this kind of time together without being interrupted, but they figured word had gotten around about the hit their team took on the field today so even if a case did pop up, it would go to another team.    

Once dinner was cleaned up, they all made their way into the den for a movie, piling onto Dave's furniture with drinks and blankets, arguing over what movie to watch.  Morgan asked just not to have it be a comedy, to which Emily replied that she would only watch a comedy.  By the time the arguing ceased, JJ had decided to put in Jaws, eliciting groans from everyone in the room except Morgan who was pumped.  Garcia, Morgan, JJ and Reid all piled onto one couch, Morgan leaning heavily against Garcia, all of them sharing a blanket.  Dave, Aaron and Emily took the other couch, Aaron being too tired and too heavily medicated to sit upright, had laid down with his head in Dave's lap, his feet kicked up over the arm of the couch.  He was tucked in under his heated blanket that he kept folded in a basket behind the couch, and Dave held his ice pack in place every time it threatened to slide away.  He was asleep before the movie even started.  Not a single person was surprised.  

[masterwords]

Firecracker (Part One)

Pairings: Aaron Hotchner/David Rossi

Warnings:  Car accident/drunk driver - be safe out there tonight, peeps!

Genre:  Criminal Minds

Notes:  You thought I was going to leave today with only a cute little fluffy story?  No way man, ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh (as my 5 year old son says in his sassiest voice).  This is intended to be a two part - New Years Eve and New Years Day, inspired by Firecracker by Ryan Adams.  See you tomorrow!  

Part One:  New Years Eve

Single on New Years Eve hadn't been in Aaron's plans.  In July, he'd been seeing Beth for nearly two years and they were having a great time, not taking anything too seriously.  In August, he'd made reservations at a very upscale restaurant in DC where they could sit and watch the fireworks at midnight on New Years, he'd planned it all out.  Then Hong Kong happened, and when it came to decision time, he'd come to the stark realization that as happy as he was with her, and as lovely as she was, it wasn't what he wanted.  She wasn't what he wanted, and he was getting far too old to settle for things he didn't want.  She would make someone else very happy, she was just that kind of a person, but he knew it was no longer him and he wouldn't drag it out and hurt her or force her to give up a job that would make her happy. They parted on good terms, mutually, and that was the end of it.  He never really told anyone, except in passing, it was just his way.  It wasn’t a big deal, it was just a thing that happened.

And so, on New Years Eve, Aaron found himself seated in his car dressed in a beautifully tailored suit and tie, waiting for Jessica Brooks, Haley's sister and actual angel who had, on multiple occasions, saved his life.  He hadn't wanted to give up the reservations he'd made, they were too hard to come by and it was something he'd always wanted to do, so when Jack was invited to a New Years slumber party at a friend's house, he knew exactly who he'd ask to join him.  When she walked to the car, he caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye and for a split second thought he was seeing Haley, her hair pulled back away from her delicately beautiful features.  He felt his heart catch in his throat for a moment and swallowed it back down, shaking his head and jumping out of his car, careful not to slip on the sheet of ice parading as a sidewalk.  He opened her door for her just as she reached him and closed it behind her with a smile, slipping and sliding back around to his side.  Dress shoes and ice were not an ideal mix.  

“You look beautiful,” he said softly, putting the car in drive and heading for DC.  She blushed.  

“Thanks,” she replied, playing with her hair.  It had been a long time since she'd been dressed up for anything, and she had half expected Aaron to find someone better to take with him to dinner, used to always playing second fiddle.  She knew him well enough to know that she wasn't his first choice, but he was too afraid of his first choice to do anything about it – she saw it all.  She'd fantasized about dinner and fireworks on New Years Eve since she was a child, but she never imagined she'd be going with her dead sister's ex-husband, that detail hadn't occurred as a possibility in her youthful mind.  

“Are you nervous?” he asked her, eyes trained on the road ahead of him, feeling the tires slide more than once beneath them on the slick roads.  “I am.  I was bluffing when I made these reservations...”

She laughed.  “You...nervous?  Aaron, when are you not nervous? And when have you ever let your nerves stop you?  You wouldn't have the life you do if you let nerves stop you, even once.”  

He was taken aback, he'd forgotten who he was talking to for a moment he supposed.  She sounded just like Haley.  The two of them were so alike, unwilling and unable to put up with anyone's nonsense. Especially his.  Aaron smiled and drove, silently, peering at her out of the corner of his eye every now and then.  

“So,” she started, but realized they were pulling into the garage for the restaurant and decided she would breech the subject of who he really should have asked to come later.  Maybe over dessert, after a glass of wine but before they got to the champagne.  Confronting Aaron over anything personal was a delicate matter, one misstep and you would set in motion the self-destruct sequence which had no manual override code.  You were dead in the water.  But if you played your cards just right, you could get into the fortress and it was worth all the time you spent devising your strategy.  Instead of confronting him now, she simply asked him this:  “Do you know what you're planning to order?”

“I'm not sure,” he lied, and she knew it so she laughed.  They both knew he'd looked at the menu the day his reservation was confirmed and he'd already had his order plugged into his calendar, in the unlikely case that he'd forgotten.  “You?”

“Absolutely not,” and she was being truthful.  She hadn't even looked, she wanted to be genuinely surprised by the beautiful options and the outrageous prices.  She wanted the romance, especially before she ruined it all by asking him why he hadn't asked someone he could kiss at midnight to this fancy dinner.  She may never get another opportunity to live out this fantasy, unless she married a prince or someone equally as majestic.  In truth, she didn't want to do any of that, so this was perfect, and if she played her cards right, she’d still find someone to kiss at midnight.  They exited the car, allowing the valet to take it to a spot, and found themselves being escorted into the building by a hostess in a black satin dress that sparkled as she walked.  Up a flight of gorgeous, wide stairs beside the picture windows overlooking the entire city and the Potomac, overlooking thousands of people below who were waiting in the freezing cold for fireworks that were hours off yet.  She'd been one of those people many times, huddled with her family to keep warm, drinking hot chocolate and cider and coffee, children running and playing around them.  Their table, once seated, was beside the same window – a view of everything.  

“Oh, Aaron,” she gasped, hardly able to contain herself.  He just nodded.  

“Yeah...” he mused, unable to tear his eyes away, even when the waitress came by with glasses of wine and the menus.  Service was flawless, the food impeccable, and the company was top notch.  They'd always been good friends, in fact he'd been friends with Jessica before he'd started dating Haley, she was just a genuinely fun person, and she'd never once been interested in him romantically which helped.  He was glad he'd asked her, because their friendship lately had been one more built on his own convenience than anything else and he felt terribly guilty about it.  When dessert came out, he had a faraway look on his face, and that was when she decided to strike.  

“So,” she said, dangling a piece of chocolate mousse off of her fork before pushing it into her mouth, slowly, savoring every morsel of a dessert that cost more than an entire day's food for her regularly. “Why didn't you ask Dave to come with you tonight?”

Aaron stared at her, dumbstruck.  “What?” he asked, choking on the wine he'd just sipped, pretending he hadn’t heard what she’d said.  It burned up into his sinuses, causing him to cough more, pressing his napkin to his mouth.  She just smiled and took another slow bite.  

“You heard me.”

“I...” he stammered, but he knew he was poached.  “I don't know.  He's at Penelope's party with the rest of the team and their families, and he'd said he might be bringing a date along...I guess I just...”

“You, Aaron Hotchner, chickened out?  Is that what you're telling me?  I never thought I'd see the day.”

“No, that's not...I just...” still stammering.  He sighed.  “How long have you known?”

“Not important.  What is important is what you plan to do about it. You're single again and you're not getting any younger.  Why not tonight?”

“Because I'm here with you, and we're going to watch the fireworks above the city.  Because you've dreamed of this your whole life and you're my family.  Another day, maybe.”

“No. Tonight, Aaron.  You go, leave me here.  I'll find a way home...I always do.  I'm seeing the fireworks, you're going to make some.  There's gotta be some handsome waiter I can find who'll kiss me at midnight and give me a ride home before I turn back into Cinderella.  Just...please pay first, you know I can't afford this on what you're paying me.”  

Aaron just sat, all the color having drained from his face, and thought maybe he'd blacked out for a minute.  Finally, he just sighed and resigned himself to doing what she told him to – he always had, and to the best of his knowledge, it had never steered him wrong.  

“Here,” he muttered, handing her more than enough cash.  She laughed and tucked it into her purse, wondering how it must have looked to anyone who happened to look at them at that moment.  She hoped maybe it gave off some Pretty Woman vibes, she could handle that.  “I'll go take care of the bill but that's...that's for you to have fun.  Enjoy yourself. And...call me if you need me to come get you?  Are you sure about this?”

“I'm always sure, Aaron.  Go.  Get the New Years kiss you want before its too late.  Time stops for no one, not even you.”

…..............................................

There were cars lining the block up and down by Penelope's apartment and Aaron had parked quite a distance away, cursing the slippery sidewalk in his dress shoes.  At one point he'd resigned himself to walking in the snow, which was soaking through into his shoes, just to stay upright.  He was a sight by the time he'd reached her door, his pant legs wet at the ankles and his shoes dripping, but he hadn't fallen and that was a miracle.  It took only a short time after he'd knocked before the door was flung open, revealing Emily's cheerful face which, at 10pm, was definitely barely holding onto consciousness.  

“HOTCH!” she cried, wrapping her arms around him, spilling what was left of her drink down his back immediately.  He smiled anyway and hugged her back, glad to see her.  He scanned the room as everyone turned his direction, noting the groups of people chatting all over the small apartment.  Garcia came teetering over on heels that made her as tall as he was and shook her head, shooing Emily away.  

“Here, let me take your jacket...I have some club soda...” she said, unbuttoning his jacket without even waiting for him.  

“It's fine, Penelope, really,” he protested, but she'd already slipped it right off of him without a care in the world and brushed off toward the kitchen.  He followed her, a few steps behind, peering through the groups to see if Dave was in there somewhere, until finally finding him in a corner playing a game of poker with Will and Morgan and a few men he didn't recognize.  None of them had looked up when he entered, which was exactly what he'd hoped for.  It would give him time to get a drink or two in before he did anything stupid.  

“I thought you had plans tonight!” Garcia said, dabbing at his jacket delicately with a grin.  “I'm so happy you came!”  He just smiled, sipping at whatever it was that had been handed to him by JJ standing nearby.  

“I had dinner with Jessica, but she gave me the boot.”

“Oh, she did not!  Why?”

Did he lie?  Tell the truth?  No, certainly not the truth...but he hated lying to Penelope.  “There is just something she wants me to do.” His eyes darted toward Dave almost automatically, before he could even stop himself, and she followed the gaze and then nodded.  She nodded.  He could hardly believe it.  Was he so obvious?

“I understand.  Loud and clear.  Well...good luck, sir!  But I don’t think you’ll need it.”  

The party raged on, and after a second drink from JJ and a good visit with her, he'd approached the poker table where all of them shouted out greetings when they saw him.  He recognized the other players now from around the building, and they'd all rearranged themselves to make room for him between Morgan and Dave.  

“Good to see you,” Dave said quietly, dealing Aaron in without even asking.  Aaron just nodded, feeling a knot growing in his stomach. He wasn't going to be able to do it, he knew already.  The clock was ticking closer and closer to midnight, and he was convincing himself more and more that it was a bad decision.  That it was too bold. That he could ruin a decades old friendship in a split second.  He'd lost three hands of poker before the room erupted in a countdown to midnight.  

10!

9!

He started sweating and put his cards down on the table, rubbing his clammy palms together.  He felt like he was going to be sick.

8!

7!

6!

Was his left arm numb?  Was he having a heart attack?  

5!

4!

3!

Why on Earth had he gone along with this?  What could be gained from being so stupid?

2!

1!

He leaned over, and with sweaty, trembling hands, took Dave's face and pulled it to his, pressing a kiss hard against his lips.  He drug it out just a moment, ready to let go when he felt Dave's hands come up against his chest – was he pushing him away?  No, his hands slipped up and grabbed Aaron’s shoulders, pressed harder, kissed back.  Aaron felt lightheaded and he couldn't stop himself shaking, his ears were ringing long after they'd separated and were just looking at each other.  Aaron glanced around the room, and to his surprise and elation, almost no one was bothering to look in their direction – they were all still kissing their chosen partners.  Reid and Garcia had seen it, and Garcia was clapping wildly, bouncing on her heels. Reid just looked...mortified?  Embarrassed, maybe, but he was smiling.  Aaron looked back at Dave, who was now shuffling the deck of cards again like nothing had happened.  

“Happy New Year,” he said softly, turning to look at Aaron again with a warm smile.  “Took you long enough.”

“Shut up.”

“Jessica put you up to this?”

“Maybe.”

“Smart woman.  Let's get out of here, huh?”

Aaron just stared at Dave a moment, watched as he put the shuffled deck of cards into the middle of the table and grabbed his leather jacket off of the back of his chair.  They left without saying a word to anyone except to thank Penelope for a lovely party.  

Once outside, they got into Dave's car, because it was closer and Aaron didn't think he'd be able to walk gracefully to his own.  Dave's car smelled like leather and something sweet like cherries or pipe tobacco, though he knew no one was allowed to eat or smoke in the vicinity of his vehicles.  Aaron settled into the seat and leaned his head back, enjoying the nervous swimming sensation he was now experiencing, like he'd just had his first ever kiss all over again.  Dave drove quietly toward his home, intending to take advantage of what had just begun that night – he wasn't like Aaron, he didn't mess around, he wasn't a patient man and now that Aaron had made the first move, he wanted to make sure it didn't end there.  

At 12:17am, plans changed.  The car that slammed into the back of them came flying out of nowhere, sending them fishtailing on the black ice until they hit a light post head on. Moments later, the car that had hit them bashed into the passenger door, and everything went black.  

Next Chapter ->

[masterwords]

Firecracker (Part Two)

Pairings: Hotch/Rossi

Warnings:  Car accident, injuries, hospitals

Genre:  Criminal Minds

Notes:  I wrote four different endings for this story, and sad as it is to say, this is the best of them.  I don’t know why I just couldn’t make it happen.  Either they were too sad and didn’t fit what I had in my mind, or they got too fluffy (fluffier than this).  I tried to strike a middle ground.    

Previously On:  Part One

Firecracker

On the morning of January 1st, at approximately 12:36am, two men were brought via ambulance into the hospital.  Both unconscious and bleeding, but one would walk out of the hospital three days later (though, walk might be a bit generous)  and one would be trapped for nearly two weeks.  These men loved each other very much, though they'd only recently discovered this fact.  

It was January 5th, and slowly Aaron made his way across the hospital parking lot on his crutches.  It was icy, too icy for him to be out, but he was stubborn.  He'd been discharged a full day, trying to figure out how to do life with crutches and constant, exhausting back and hip pain, the kind that gets worse at night and keeps you wide awake even if you're on drugs.  The bureau was making him take at least a week off before he could do light duty at his desk, and the only reason he didn't fight it was that it gave him a chance to come here, to visit Dave.  This would be his first time seeing the other man since the world exploded around them into shards of broken glass and radiator fluid and smoke.  Dave had been air lifted to a different hospital than Aaron due to the severity of his injuries and he'd heard all of Emily's warnings about how he looked, how he was, she'd been beside him as his proxy with Aaron incapacitated.  She was there now.  Jessica hadn't left Aaron's side since the hospital had called her, but he was about to let her go, once he entered the building.  She just had to make sure he didn't slip on the ice, she said, but he thought it was more than that.  The last time she'd left him, he ended up in the hospital and she wasn't eager for a repeat.  

“You sure you're going to be okay?” she asked, standing in the hospital lobby with him.  He nodded.  

“I'm okay,” he said, his voice low and soft.  Funny, she thought, except for the crutches hanging at his side, he looked the same.  He always had bumps and bruises, his face just always seemed to be grimacing in pain, that was just as much a part of him as anything.   So, if you asked her right now if he was okay, she might be inclined to say yes.

“I'm just going down the street to do some grocery shopping for my dad, I'll be here as soon as you need me.  Do not leave this building without me, Hotchner.”  

He nodded again and made a small humming noise in his throat, agreeing to her terms.  He was more worried about how he could leave Dave's side once he showed up, not how quickly he could get back out. Jessica had been in constant touch with Emily, she'd prepared Aaron the best she could, now she just had to hope for the best.  In truth, she really had no idea what was going on, she was just fumbling through it hoping she didn't make anything worse.  

“Aaron?” she called, watching as he approached the elevator.  She'd wanted to say something – she loved him, maybe?  That it was going to be okay?  She wasn't sure, nothing sounded right, so when he turned his head to look at her, she just gave him a little smile and a wave, and he smiled back at her.   Aaron entered the elevator and pressed the button for the 4th floor.  He wobbled on his crutches when the elevator lurched upward and gripped them tighter, flinching at the quick shift in his tight hips.  He slipped out of the elevator a few moments later and made his way down the hallway.  He knew which room number he was looking for, but an odd sensation came over him when he approached it – he didn't want to go in.  Up until that point, he was at the mercy of word of mouth and his imagination, now it was about to be real.  The room was darkened, curtains pulled closed, and he saw Emily sitting in a chair beside the bed reading a book.  

“Prentiss,” he muttered, standing in the doorway, and she looked up at him surprised.  Took in the sight of him, he didn't look half bad.  His nose was broken, blossoming bruises out under each eye, but it was almost beautiful the way it made him look.  He was wearing a black leather jacket and crisp, dark blue jeans with a black t-shirt, not a look she was used to seeing on him, but not one she minded if she was being honest.  

“Hey,” she said, standing up awkwardly, smoothing her pants.  “How are you?”

He groaned a little, deep in his throat, and she thought maybe he was shrugging but it was hard to tell as he leaned heavily on the crutches.  “I'm alright,” was what he said, and she had to laugh. It was not a surprising answer.  She stood awkwardly for a moment, just taking in the sight of him standing before her – there were a few moments in there that she wasn't sure she'd ever see either one of them again, and yet here they were.  Suddenly she shifted.

“Oh, oh my gosh, here please sit...” she stammered, pulling the chair out away from the wall and closer to Dave's bed.  Aaron smiled, a little embarrassed at being fussed over, and made his way to the chair.  He regarded it sourly, knowing that sitting was going to be terrible, his hips didn't like to bend these days.  It was slow going, and his right hip ground in its socket, causing him to freeze a moment to make sure it was going to stay in place – it felt weak and loose as he sat, but finally it eased itself into position and he found himself seated.  It took his breath away, his entire midsection ramrod straight and stiff as a board.  

“You're okay?” Emily asked again, raising an eyebrow.  He nodded.  

“I'm okay.  Just...sore.”  

She nodded.  “Okay.  Well, I think I'll get out of here for a while, take a shower, let you two be alone.  He's been awake a few times today, I hope he wakes up while you're here.  Call me if you need anything, okay?”  She wanted to hug him, but that felt like too much for this moment so she patted him on the shoulder and left without saying anything else.  He finally looked at Dave, after she left, and he could hardly believe they'd been in the same car.  By all accounts, he should have taken the brunt of it, the car having crashed into his door at the end, but the hit from behind had already slammed Dave into the steering wheel, chest first – old car, no airbag, only lap belts.  He lifted his arm and placed his hand atop Dave's, it felt so warm and soft.  He knew his was cold, his hands and feet were always cold.  Sitting in silence was okay, he liked the silence after the last few days of being constantly doted on – by Jessica, by Penelope, texts and calls from the team, bosses, human resources, doctors, therapists...he craved the silence.  

“Aaron?” he heard his name, a ghost of a whisper, and looked at Dave.  Eyes closed.  Was he hearing things?  No, a moment later Dave's eyes fluttered open and he felt his hand twitch beneath his own.  “Your hands are cold...”  Aaron chuckled and leaned forward.  

“To match my heart, as my brother would say,” he replied, keeping his voice low and soft.  Dave smiled, at least he thought he did.  It was hard to tell.  

“Your...brother is...an idiot.  How are you?” Dave asked.  Aaron sighed.  

“I'm okay,” was his response.  “I'll live.  You?”

“I guess I'll live too,” Dave replied, his voice hoarse.  He swallowed hard and tried to smile at Aaron.  Otherwise, he didn't move.  Not even a little.  It startled Aaron, so used to watching Dave be animated, talking with his hands, exaggerated facial expressions.  He was so subdued.  

“Have they been treating you okay?”

“You know...how I feel...about hospitals.”  It was hard for him to talk, his lungs were so tight.  He wasn't in pain though, they were keeping him feeling very very good.  “Have you seen my car?”

Aaron shook his head, shifting painfully in his seat.  “No.”  

It went like that all week.  Small talk, sometimes about work or New Years Eve or Dave's car, a movie, and then Dave would sleep again. He'd sustained broken ribs and punctured lungs, internal bleeding and a concussion.  His injuries had been too much for the small hospital they'd been closest to, but he was doing well in this facility and was looking at being able to leave after just over a week.  Aaron stayed for hours at a time, and when he wasn't there it seemed like someone else from the team was waiting in the wings, and people Aaron didn't recognize – family, friends, restaurant owners, Dave knew everyone.  His room was exploding with cards and flowers and balloons, but he looked most forward to when Aaron would come and they'd find some old black and white western on the tiny television in the corner and Aaron would get up onto the bed beside Dave to sit and watch in silence.  Sometimes Aaron brought in food, once Dave was cleared to eat what he wanted again – milkshakes, ice cream, pizza, nothing even remotely healthy.  The nurses would give Aaron a disapproving look, but he just shrugged it off.  When Jessica would come to pick him up, he felt like a kid who didn't want to leave the birthday party, and as the time wore on Dave stayed awake and aware longer, was getting up to use the restroom on his own and walking almost better than Aaron who was still almost entirely dependent on his crutches to do much more than shuffle from the bed to the bathroom and back.  His back and hips were a wreck, but he didn't care much.  He could live with it.  

Finally, the day came when they would discharge Dave.  Aaron didn't come to the hospital that day, instead he busied himself at Dave's home, making sure everything was ready.  Jessica, of course, did most of the work while he did what he could.  Even Jack helped.  Emily was picking Dave up, with Morgan riding shotgun – he'd insisted, just in case she needed help.  Really, he just wanted to feel useful. Getting Dave into the house was a challenge, mostly because he didn't want any help and was getting a little mean every time someone tried to put their hands on him.  He moved slowly but he was steady on his feet and he wanted to make sure they all remembered that.  Emily had tried to make him go to his bedroom but he insisted on the den, he'd spent more than enough time in a bed lately he said and she couldn't argue with that.   Wanted to, of course, but didn't.  

“Be nice,” Aaron scolded, leaning in the doorway without his crutches, arms folded over his chest.  Dave looked up at him and smiled.  

“I am.”

Emily shot Aaron a look and rolled her eyes, Derek following suit a moment later as Dave fussed over being handed a blanket.  The two of them didn't hang around long after that, and Jessica took Jack down to the playground as his reward for helping out with the house.  When everyone else had gone and it was just the two of them, finally, Aaron shuffled slowly over to where Dave sat and held out his hands to pull the other man to his feet.  They both groaned in unison, Dave's chest and Aaron's back giving them hell, but soon they were standing face to face, just the two of them, for the first time since New Years Eve.  

“Now...where were we?” Dave asked, and he reached up slowly, painfully pulling Aaron's head closer to his.  He saw Aaron wince but he never pulled away.  Their lips touched and it was like they were transported back to New Years Eve, to the moments before everything had gone so terribly wrong.  Sometimes you were lucky enough to get a second chance.