Stars | Aaron Hotchner

9

My alarm clock screamed, causing me to groan. I slapped my hand on the shelf until it turned off. I flipped over on my back, Ammo walking over and lying down next to me, luring me with cuddles.

"I have to get ready for work, Ammo," I said sadly as I pet him.

It's been a week since we kissed. Things carried on how they normally do, with secret looks and flushed cheeks. Maybe even a little worse. We haven't talked about it, not that we've been given the chance. We just came back from Washington DC, there was a serial killer who cut off victims' fingers and fed them to other victims.

I rubbed my eyes and rolled out of bed. After a shower, makeup, and a blow dry, I headed to my closet and picked out my greige suit pants with a loose linen white shirt. I wrapped my holster around my waist, then bent down and snapped my ankle holster on. I've favored pants since my birthday, it conceals the holster Hotch gifted me.

Walking onto the elevator at the BAU, someone was running towards me as the doors were closing.

"Hold the elevator!" They shouted. I quickly put my arm in the way, causing the doors to open again.

"Thanks, hot stuff," Morgan said, coming to stand next to me. I laughed in response. As the elevators slipped open, we walked through the glass doors into the bullpen.

     "What do you think is going on in there?" Morgan asked, looking up at Hotch's office. My eyes swept over the rest of the room and up to the closed shades of his office.

     "Must be something serious. He never shuts the blinds." I said, putting my bag onto my desk. At that moment, Strauss walked out of the office, Hotch right behind her. She walked down the steps and out the glass doors as Hotch stood over us on the top step.

     "Agent Gideon, a word?" He said before turning back to his office. I eyed Morgan and Reid who were sitting at their desks, and made my way up the steps.

     "Please shut the door." He said, leaning against his desk and crossing his ankles in front of him. I sheepishly shut the door behind me.

     "Word got around that I lectured you last week. Strauss wanted to know why." He said, crossing his arms. I sighed in response.

     "What did you say?" I asked, walking further into the room.

     "I told her that you unnecessarily put yourself at risk." He said, standing up. He walked until he was behind me, out of my vision. "But any of us would have done the same thing." I could feel his eyes on me. I cleared my throat.

     "What did she say?" I asked, turning around to face him. He was closer than expected, making a breath hitch in my throat. Every single nerve ending in my body longed to touch him.

    "Catherine, you're not in trouble." He said, getting closer.

     "I- I don't understand," I said, looking up at him.

    "She said what you did was noble." He responded. We both stood inches away from each other, not moving.

     "What do you think?" I asked.

     "I think what you did was incredibly stupid."

     "Would you have done the same thing?"

     "Yes." He sighed, his breath circling me. 

     "Why did you call me in here?" I asked, breathless.

"I can't-," he paused, letting out a breath. He brought his hand up to my face and hesitated, before slowly sliding his thumb across my bottom lip. "I can't seem to stop thinking about you."