→ [Victimology | Aaron Hotchner]
Pairing~ Aaron Hotchner x Fem!Bau!Reader
Genre~ fluff/angst/slightly suggestive
Warnings~ typical criminal minds gore, slight sa
a/n~ k so this part has slight sa and unwanted touching so if youre sensitive for that PLEASE DNI aldo MINORS DNI!!!! also this is not proofread so pls dont come for me!
I watched her leave, a sudden sting of nervousness crawling up my spine. It wasn't like me to worry like this, to feel this unsettled, but something about the lack of her presence made it impossible to ignore. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to remain composed, but the gnawing concern wouldn’t relent. Every instinct I had was screaming that letting her out of my sight was a mistake, and I hated that I couldn’t shake the feeling that this time, something was different, something was wrong.
I rushed out of our shared room, heart beating twice as fast, to JJ and Emily’s. I knocked softly on the hotel room door, my hand trembling at the thought of anything happening to Y/n. “Hey Hotch, what's happening?” Emily opened the door, the sound of her voice distant as I tried to voice my concern.
“Is Y/n here? She said she was coming to get something from you guys and it's been a while. I just wanted to check in.” The furrow of JJ’s brows made my heart sink. “Hotch, she's not here.” I shook my head, not wanting to believe their words.
“I'm going to get Morgan, Reid and Rossi. Hotch. We will find her.” I heard Emily’s voice reassure me but still I couldn't shake the feeling in my gut.
Y/N's eyes fluttered open, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she struggled to lift her head and make sense of her surroundings. Her legs felt weak, almost as if they might give out beneath her, but she pushed herself to stand, forcing her body to cooperate. She scanned the room, desperate for any clue that might tell her where she was.
I scanned the room in front of me, taking in the elegant details. The floor-to-ceiling windows, the marble dining table, the white kitchen. It was the kind of place that seemed untouchable, the last place you’d expect to find a killer. ‘How could someone who lives like this be capable of such things?’ I thought.
A voice broke my trance. “Finally awake, are we?” It came from down the hall, and I turned to see a tall man emerging from the shadows, a slow smile spreading across his face. “I’ve waited far too long for this moment.”
My heart pounded as confusion washed over me. “What...what's going on? Who are you?”
He let out a quiet laugh, gaze dropping to the floor for a moment before meeting mine. “Who I am isn’t important. But you… you are exactly who I’ve been waiting for.”
“No,” I stammered, squeezing my eyes shut, willing myself to wake up from this nightmare. “No, I’m not. Why are you doing this? What did those other women ever do to you?”
He moved closer, sitting down on the couch across from me, his expression hardening. “Those women… they weren’t you. They didn’t understand, didn’t appreciate everything I was offering. They were defiant, ungrateful.” He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “But enough about them. This is about us now.”
He leaned forward, his gaze fixated on me with an unsettling intensity. “You, though... I knew the moment I saw you that you were different,” he murmured, almost reverently. I took a step back, trying to maintain distance, but there was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.
“You don’t have to do this,” I pleaded, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not who you think I am.”
His expression hardened, a flicker of anger crossing his eyes. “Don’t say that,” he snapped, voice low and dangerous. “You’re exactly who I’ve been waiting for. You just need to believe it.” He reached out as if to touch my face, and I flinched away, heart pounding in my ears.
“Please,” I tried again, desperate to find some semblance of reason in his eyes. “This isn’t love. It’s not real.”
He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “You’ll understand soon enough.” He stood up, towering over me, I felt my breath catch. “But first, we need to make sure you don’t end up like the others.”
The team all assembled at the precinct after discovering that Y/n’s missing. "Earlier, we asked Garcia to look into any males who recently went through a divorce, but what if we're looking at this the wrong way? What if, instead of a divorce, the unsub's wife or girlfriend passed away? It would explain a similar sense of loss but with an entirely different emotional catalyst." Aaron nodded at Spencer's words
“Alright Garcia, get me names of every male ages 25-35 who's recently had a death of a wife or girlfriend.” Aaron’s voice rang through the phone “Yes sir I've got a few. James Sterling lost his wife last mo- oh wait nevermind his wife was blonde.”
Aaron let out a frustrated groan, raking a hand through his hair. “Hotch, don’t worry. We’ll find her,” Derek said, echoing Emily’s earlier reassurance. Just then, Penelope’s voice crackled through the phone. “I got a hit!”
The team snapped to attention, every ounce of their focus now on the speaker. A sudden wave of relief washed over Aaron, his shoulders dropping as the tension he’d been holding onto began to melt away.
“Alright Thomas Peters, a 27 year old male recently lost his fiance. They were together for 4 years. He proposed to her in Central park, they had their first date at the cafe in Greenwich Village, and she lived in Brooklyn.” Garcia rattled off, “Alright baby girl what's the address.” Derek cut her off “Yes, 5468 9th Avenue!” Penelope’s voice rang out with urgency, and just like that, the team sprang into action. Before they burst through the door, Rossi placed a hand on Aaron’s shoulder, stopping him. “We’ll find her, Aaron,” he said, his voice steady and reassuring. “And when we get her back, do me a favour, take your girl on a date. You both want to. Just do it.”
Aaron’s eyes flickered with surprise, a brief moment of hesitation in his expression before he nodded, the weight of their situation still heavy on his shoulders. But there was a flicker of hope there, too, a glimpse of what could be if they succeeded. Rossi's words hung in the air, a promise and a challenge, pushing him forward with a renewed determination.
"You're so beautiful. The things I want to do to you," he murmured, his voice dripping with a twisted sense of desire. A shiver ran down my spine, every word making my skin crawl. I took a step back, but he matched it, inching closer with every retreat I made, trapping me in this terrifying dance. My back hit the wall, and I froze as he caged me in with his arms.
“No. Please don’t,” I squeaked out, my voice barely above a whisper, but he only smiled, an unsettling gleam in his eyes. His hand slid up my thigh, and I could feel the warmth of his touch seeping through the fabric, my heart racing in pure panic. He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my ear.
“Shh, don’t fight it. This is what you were meant for,” he whispered, and I felt a surge of desperation rise within me, every instinct screaming to push him away.
He took my wrists into one hand trapping them. I moved my face away avoiding his lips. I felt hot tears rolling down my cheeks as I shook my head. Aaron please get here “Don't worry darling, you’ll learn to love it.”
I let out a scream, the sound tearing through the silence, but it was cut short by a sudden, searing pain. My head snapped to the side, and I tasted the sharp tang of copper on my tongue, warm blood filling my mouth. Dazed, I blinked through the tears stinging my eyes, trying to gather my thoughts, but the pain was all-consuming, grounding me in this horrifying reality. “You whore, I'm giving you everything and you're still an ungrateful bitch!” his voice ripped out in anger.
“Alright Prentiss, Reid sides of the house. Rossi, JJ back door. Me and Morgan will go in through the front.” Aaron felt his voice shake as they entered. Derek kicked down the door allowing the swat to head into the house first.
Just as the last sliver of hope slipped away, I heard a loud crash and the front door burst open. "No!" Thomas roared, his grip tightening painfully around my hair as he yanked me up, forcing me to my feet. I gasped, the room spinning, but through the haze, I saw them, Aaron and Derek, weapons drawn, eyes wide with a mix of urgency and fear.
"Let her go," Aaron commanded, his voice steady but edged with a fury I’d never heard before. Derek took a cautious step forward, hands raised in a calming gesture.
“You don’t want to do this,” Derek said carefully, his eyes locked on Thomas. “It doesn’t have to end this way. Just let her go, and we can talk about this.”
I felt the cold press of a blade against my throat, and I stiffened, a small cry escaping me. “Don’t come any closer!” Thomas warned, his voice cracking. I could feel his entire body trembling behind me, the grip on the knife unsteady. “I’ll kill her! I swear I will!”
“Thomas, look at me,” Aaron said, his tone softer now, soothing yet commanding. “You don’t want to hurt her. She’s not her. You have a chance to stop this, right now.”
For a moment, I thought it might work. Thomas’s hand wavered, his breathing ragged, and I could feel the tension easing, just slightly. But then his grip tightened again, the knife digging in a little deeper, and I winced, feeling the sting of the blade bite into my skin.
“No!” he screamed, shaking his head violently. “No one else understands! No one else-”
The shot rang out before I even registered Aaron moving. One second, Thomas was there, holding me captive, and the next, his body jerked, the knife slipping from his grasp as he collapsed to the floor. I stood there, frozen, my knees buckling as I felt the warmth of Aaron’s arms wrapping around me, pulling me to safety.
“It’s over,” Aaron whispered, his voice steady even as I felt him shaking. “You’re safe now.” I glanced up at him “I was so scared Aaron. I'm sorry. I should've stayed in the hotel room.” I cried out. He shook his head as he brought me to the ambulance. “No, don't you dare apologise for what that monster did to you.” I sobbed on his shoulder.
The team made their way onto the jet, Aaron helping Y/n every step of the way. He mulled over Dave’s previous words. Seeing her leaning on his shoulder, asleep beside him, her hair fell beautifully in front of her face. Her glossed lips parted softly as she let out soft breaths. Seeing her so peaceful made his heart swell with comfort.
(Narrator POV)
The team landed and without wasting any time, they made their way home leaving Aaron and Y/n alone at the office.
“Hotch I can drive myself home, it's not a big deal.” Y/n tried to reassure Aaron, her tone light but persistent.
“No,” Aaron replied firmly, his eyes never leaving hers. “I don’t care. I’m taking you home, and you’re taking the next week off.”
Y/N scoffed, a defiant smile tugging at her lips. “Hotch, are you serious? I need one day, two at most.”
Aaron shook his head, stepping closer until there was barely any space between them. He took her hands in his, holding them with a care that made her heart skip a beat, as if any tighter grip would break her. He met her eyes, and for a moment, he was lost in the warm amber depths, his own expression softening.
“Y/N, please,” he began, his voice thick with emotion. “The moment I realised you were missing, I felt the same helplessness I felt when Haley-” His voice broke at the mention of his late wife, and he closed his eyes for a second, trying to regain his composure.
“Aaron, you don’t have to,” Y/N interrupted, her voice gentle, her hands squeezing his, offering comfort even in her own fragile state.
“No, I- I want to.” He thickly swallowed, gaining his voice to speak once more “When I thought I lost you, I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time. I didn't think I'd feel this way for anyone else in my life.” His confession hung in the air, raw and unguarded, and Y/N could see the vulnerability in his eyes, the way he was silently pleading for her to understand.
A smile tugged at Y/N's lips, her heart swelling with every word. Aaron took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly as he continued, “Y/N, I love you. I know this is a lot, and I don’t expect you to feel the same way, but-”
She didn’t let him finish. In one quick move, Y/N reached up, pressing her lips to his, silencing his doubts with the kiss she’d been holding back for so long. For a moment, Aaron froze, stunned, but then he melted into her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer, as if afraid she’d disappear if he let go.
The two pulled apart, both breathless, and Aaron’s eyes softened as he whispered, “Y/N, will you-” But she interrupted him again, a playful smirk dancing on her lips. “Yes, Aaron. Now shut up and let me kiss you.” Without giving him a chance to respond, she pulled him back in, capturing his lips with hers, feeling his smile against her mouth as he wrapped her up in his arms once more.
As the two made their way home Aaron kept glancing over at Y/N, a soft smile tugging at his lips every time their eyes met, as if making sure she was still there, still real.
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