After one month of on and off moving, Taylor and I are officially moved in. Today will be the first time I actually go home to her. We talked earlier and she said it was a quiet day, so she was home by 5pm. On the other hand, I am leaving the office after the sun has set.
I was away for three days on this last case. I missed her a lot. And after a heavy case like this one, she is all I need. I am glad to know I will see her face as soon as I cross the door.
Exhausted, I unlock and walk inside. The smell of cooking and a hint of her candles hit my nostrils. Also, there is music playing. Taylor shows up from the room as she hears the door.
"Hey, dinner is almost ready" she says as she comes to me
"It smells great" I reply and kiss her.
"Everything alright?" she wonders
"Of course"
"Aaron..." she tilts her head. "Tough case?" she assumes
"Yeah" I admit.
"I'm sorry" she wraps her arms around me. She makes me feels so vulnerable and I don't exactly hate it. I hold her tightly for a moment and I kiss her head.
She pulls her head away, just enough to look at me. "How about you go take a shower to relax a bit while I make the table?" she suggests
"Ok. Thank you" I kiss her lips
"Anytime" she smiles.
I take my tie off and start unbuttoning my shirt on the way to the bathroom. I look at the speaker "Is Taylor Swift going to continue playing as I shower?" I wonder
"Definitely" she answers
"Great..." I chuckle, rolling my eyes
"You better get used to it, Hotchner!" she shouts as I turn the corner.
I smile as I shut the bathroom door. It feels good to get home and have someone to talk to and feel vulnerable to. And the warm meal waiting for me isn't bad either. It has been a while. I just have to make sure she is not the only one doing nice gestures for me.
I take a little longer to come out of the shower because my mind drifted off at one point. I feel really tired, but I am also starving and I don't want to leave Taylor alone after she prepared us dinner for the first time.
"Whatever you are making has me drooling" I admit as I join her
"I was missing my mom again, so I made one of her recipes. Spaghetti and the most delicious meatballs you will ever taste" she says as she sets the last plate down
"Let's see..." I reply as I sit down with her.
Taylor doesn't touch her food until I try mine. She watches me with a smile as I chew my first bite. I quickly realize that she wasn't lying. I didn't even know she cooked this good.
"Wow... Is there something you are bad at?" I ask as I am already taking another bite
"Drinking" she reminds me
"Right..." I chuckle.
"On that note, do you want to have some wine with that? It will help you relax from the long day" she suggests.
I agree, but I shouldn't. She has mentioned that the smell of alcohol makes her nauseous since she got sober.
"I'm ok" I answer eventually
"Aaron, seriously, you can have a drink. Just make sure you have a mint before you kiss me"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Go open a bottle, babe".
I stand up and I kiss her head on my way to the kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink?" I ask as I pour myself a glass
"Can you grab me a Coke from the fridge?"
"Of course".
I return to the table with my glass and her Coke. "Thank you. So, besides the sad parts did anything interesting happen at work? Any gossip?" she asks as we eat
"I don't engage with gossip" I remind her
"You don't, but you are one of those who know everything about it. So, spill" she insists
"You didn't hear it from me; Anderson is dating Victoria from Child Abductions"
She gasps "The 6-foot blonde goddess? Go Anderson!".
"How was your day?"
"It was quiet. No major incidents, just had to go through a few articles and speeches before they go out. I am starting to enjoy my new 9 to 5"
"Less hours, more money. Who wouldn't?"
"Well, let's wait until some bomb drops and I have to become Judy Smith" she says sounding stressed
"I am sure you will handle it gracefully. They wouldn't have asked for you if they weren't sure" I reassure her
She smiles "I want to believe that too".
When we are both done, I clean the table and load up the dishwasher. My eyes are closing but I make it in bed just in time. Taylor lies besides me and I hold her hand as I finally shut my eyes.
•••
The morning comes quicker than I'd like. My alarm sounds, making me get out of bed. Taylor is already up, so I make the bed before leaving the room. I find her by the door, already on her way out. I check my watch and it is too early for her to be leaving.
"Good morning" she says as she notices me. "I got called in a little earlier today. But I packed myself some lunch from last night's leftovers and prepared one for you too. The container is in the fridge. There is extra coffee for you but I didn't have time to make breakfast. And as you say, please make sure you eat something before you leave" she speaks quickly as she steps in her shoes
"Good morning. Thank you very much. And have a good day" I reply to everything she said to me
"You too" she says and reaches up to kiss me. "Are you feeling alright?" she asks as she pulls away
"Just tired. It'll pass" I answer
"How about you take a day off today? You look very tired"
"No, I'll be fine--"
"And you feel a little cold--" she says as she touches my cheeks
"I am not a child, Taylor"
"Adults get sick too, no matter how stubborn they are" she insists
"I promise, I am fine. I will call you later" I kiss her goodbye
"Ok, tough guy. But if you somehow kill yourself, even accidentally, I am going to go full unsub" she threatens
"Oh, no" I chuckle
"I am serious. Love you. Bye"
"Love you too". As soon as the door shuts, I drop the act and almost collapse on the couch. I am feeling more tired than usual but I have to go in.
YOU ARE READING
Back To December || Aaron Hotchner
FanfictionJJ is going on maternity leave for her second baby, so she brings in the BAU her most trusted friend to replace her for the foreseeable four months. Agent Taylor Wilson is very dedicated to her job, and almost nobody can say a bad word about her. Ev...
