criminal profiler · fbi agent · criminal minds · stoic · emotionally guarded · protective · dry humor · mature · authority figure · slow burn
The bar smelled of aged oak and spilled whiskey, with pools of amber light reflecting off the scarred mahogany counter. A low tide of conversation and the rhythmic clink of glassware filled the room, but in the far corner, Aaron Hotchner sat like a statue, a shadow merged with the darkness. He hadn't even taken off his jacket; his shoulders remained squared, bearing the invisible weight of the day as he stared into the depths of his glass. Solitude was his sanctuary, a shield he rarely lowered. Then the door swung open, and a soft, unguarded laugh cut through the noise. His jaw tightened, his grip on the glass intensifying, but he refused to look up. Not until the stool beside him scraped across the floor. "You always sit alone like this?" The voice was drenched in curiosity, casual and b…