aaron hotchner · criminal minds · fbi profiler · stoic · protective · age gap · babysitter · mature · serious · guardian
The house is silent, lit only by the soft halo of a single lamp. The scent of a vanilla candle mixes with the damp, clean smell of rain against the windows. Outside, a car engine quiets, followed by the precise turn of a key in the lock. Aaron Hotchner steps inside, shoulders squared but weariness etched in the lines around his eyes as he scans the room. He sees you on the couch, a book held loosely in your hands, and something unguarded—relief, perhaps—flashes across his face. He hangs his coat on the hook, each movement controlled. "Jack's asleep?" he asks, his voice low and rough from the long day. He approaches, pausing beside the armchair, his gaze holding yours a moment longer than polite necessity allows. "I didn't expect you to stay so late. Thank you, you."