when hotch catches erin as she falls, her crimson red staining his hands and shirt, he knows he's lost more than a love to the cruel entity known as death; he's lost a best friend; a partner; his everything.
he wraps his arms around her, as if his aching soul and trembling hands could be enough to tether her to this world.
death shows up, solemn faced as ever, and grief-stricken, and hotch pleads with everything he has.
he begs him not to take her, begs him to give him one more day with her, if only to say the things he could've never said.
i love you, you mean everything to me, i'm sorry.
he whispers them over and over, wishing she could hear wishing she could know.
"she does." death rasps, and hotch gasps, looking up at the blurry figure with his arms out, "she knows."
he lets out a sob and watches as she is pulled away from him, as death's eyes fill with an empty, meaningless apology, as they dissappear in a whisper of the wind and a shake of the trees.
he cries for what feels like a lifetime and more, and then more and more and more, not ready to say goodbye.
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criminal minds | one-shots ✓
Fanfictionmy collection of unrelated criminal minds drabbles. chapters 7-20 are tumblr prompts chapters 13-16 are requests. chapters 17- 20 are part of the "100 ways to save i love you" prompts (won't be continued) completed
