breakeven // aaron hotchner

1

the day elia cho stepped out of the elevator and into the bau was the day that the earth stood still for aaron hotchner. 

"e-elia" he breathed out, his eyes fixated on her as she sauntered into the bullpen. 

"who's elia?" rossi asked, his eyebrow quirked, turning his gaze towards the girl walking into the bullpen.

she was beautiful, rossi could admit that. 

"um...a friend from college." aaron sputters out, and rossi smirks, his gaze going from aaron's face to the girl.

"looks like more than a friend to me"

aaron just shakes his head, his hand fiddling with the ring on his left finger. he automatically looked down at her hands as she extended her left hand to shake strauss'

no ring.

he hadn't realized it, but rossi heard him release a breath that he'd been holding in. a breath of relief. aaron had no right to feel this way. not after what he'd done. he'd broken every promise he'd ever made to her. he didn't have any right to feel any kind of relief that she wasn't married or engaged. after all, he was.

elia smiled at strauss as she walked off, and before she could take another step, she felt the wind being knocked straight out of her chest. but if there was one thing elia cho could do, it was maintain her composure. she walked over to the two men standing on the walkaway positioned above the bullpen. 

"aaron" she breathed out, a tight smile on her lips.

aaron had never heard a sound quite as beautiful as her voice in that moment. it was silky smooth. same as her hair. which was once a dark brown, now a light caramel color. she'd changed her bangs a little bit but they were still there. she'd changed out her contacts for a pair of golden wire glasses. and her eyelashes were longer. thicker.

"hi" he breathed out, still staring at her in shock.

rossi wanted to snort as loud as he possibly could at the way aaron was so star struck and the rest of the team watched the interaction carefully. 

"how are you?" she asked, gently brushing her bangs away from her eyes. 

her hair was up in a loose ponytail, and aaron noticed the occasional loose strands that had fallen out of the hair tie. and he noticed the lines on the backside of her shoulder. she had...gotten a tattoo?

"you got a tattoo" he said, not even bothering to answer her question.

elia had never wanted a tattoo. tattoos weren't her thing. she always said she was too indecisive for them.

"no. i'm too indecisive for a tattoo. it's athletic tape." she nodded. 

"oh" aaron nodded, he knew it.

he knew her.

"you got married" she chuckled, nodding her head towards the ring on his finger. 

aaron froze. he didn't know how to respond, and david being the way that he was, decided he wanted to dip his toes in the water. just to see what temperature it was. 

"oh, do you know haley?" rossi asks.

aaron felt his stomach drop straight onto the floor. he watched as elia clenched her jaw, taking in a slow deep breath as she processed the words that had just left rossi's mouth. 

"no. i don't." 

elia cleared her throat, wanting desperately to get away from the awkward tension.