Criminal Minds x Reader

Self-Image [A.H]

In the dim glow of the bathroom mirror, your reflections stared back at the two of you, Aaron's distorted view of himself clearly visible in it. You could feel the weight of his insecurities crushing him, suffocating him in their grasp.

He was still in his work clothes, his tie loose and his hair tousled after what seemed to have been an endless case. The dark circles under his eyes were beginning to worry you more and more every day, along with the meals too often skipped because his head was elsewhere.

You brought him home with a gentle tap on his shoulder. You brought him back to you, to the intimacy of you two, with a kiss on the cheek. He closed his eyes letting go for just a moment, the fear of the dark too strong to overcome as weary.

You traced the lines of his body with firm fingers, touching each curve and contour you could reach. His breathing strained him, his body trembling under your stroke.

You had often found yourselves in this position since you had been together. Aaron had always been a staid, serious man, engrossed in his work and with a low opinion of himself. Not professionally, but on a rather personal level. Always more concerned about others than himself, he forgot to take care of his body and mind, his office was like a house to him. However, he could not escape from his thoughts by compiling all the files he had on his desk as he thought, so he dragged them with him to the doorway and under the blankets when he hugged you.

So then, as you slowly removed his clothes and he leaned into your touch, you couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in your chest. You hated seeing him like that, feeling so down on himself.

You wrapped your arms around him, a silent reassurance that he was loved and worthy.

You continued to observe him, noticing how he would glance at your reflection in the mirror, but then quickly look away. You could see the pain and doubt in his eyes, and it broke your heart. You knew that he didn't see himself the way you saw him, and it hurt you to think that he didn't believe he deserved love.

You took him under the shower stream with you and you massaged his hair, hoping that at least some of his dark thoughts would wash away. You loved him and your job was to help him love himself too. No matter how long it would take, how much strength you would have to put into it. You were as much a safe place for him as he was for you.