Criminal Minds x Reader

Can't Sleep Without You [A.H]

The argument had gone on for hours, words flung back and forth until you barely recognized either of your voices. Aaron's face was shadowed with anger, his jaw clenched tight as he loosened his tie with a frustrated yank. You stood across the room, drained, with puffy eyes that had done too much crying behind closed doors. You had thought the tears would make things easier to get through, but now, standing there under his tense gaze, everything just felt hollow. You were both exhausted, every word of the argument stripping down your patience and hopes.

"I don't understand" he said, his voice louder than it needed to be, tinged with something painful. "You don't get to just shut down whenever something goes wrong. This is a relationship, not some-" he trailed off, struggling to find words that wouldn't sting even more than the ones he'd already thrown.

You tried to keep up, but your voice was worn thin. "I'm not trying to shut down. I'm just- I'm trying to hold on, okay? But it feels like..." you paused, sighing, the last thing you wanted was to add to the storm between you two. "It feels like nothing I do is enough."

His eyes narrowed, but you could see the exhaustion there too. "Y/N it's like you can't even trust me enough to work through this. You're just- You're ready to throw it all away the second things get hard"

You felt that sting, felt it curl around the heartache that already ached between you. But you had no more fight left, not tonight. "I'm not throwing anything away," you said softly, your voice growing quieter with every word, "But maybe I'm just not enough for you"

He ran a hand up his face, rubbing the tension out of his temples, his eyes dark as he lowered them from yours. When he looked back, his gaze softened, and he noticed the pillow tucked under your arm and the way you knelt by the wardrobe, pulling out a spare blanket.

He frowned, his voice a mix of exasperation and confusion. "What are you doing?"

You didn't look up until you had the blanket in hand and rose to face him. "I'm going to the sofa" you said quietly, voice flat and resigned. "Or the car if you want more space. I know you need time. I get it. And if it wasn't so dark outside, I'd just go back to my apartment"

You saw the alarm flash across his face, his brows knitting together as he took in the full meaning of your words. He stepped toward you, his expression shifting as he spoke, a hint of something raw in his voice. "Why would you even think of doing that?"

You shrugged, looking down at the blanket clutched in your arms. "Because, maybe, this is what you need. Some space. Before we end up making a decision we can't take back, I'll give you some air to breathe. Time to think"

His face softened, the anger replaced by something worried and vulnerable. He opened his mouth to speak but then paused, choosing his words carefully. "I don't want space from you" he said firmly, his voice lower now, steadier. "I don't want to be away from you. The last thing I'd ever want is for you to leave, even for a night. We barely have enough time together as it is. You know that"

You looked up at him, words caught in your throat, his closeness suddenly feeling different, gentler, like an unspoken truce.

"I can't sleep without you. And I don't want to" he continued, taking the pillow and blanket from your arms and setting them down on the bed. His touch was careful but sure as he pulled you close, his arms wrapping around you, strong but gentle, like he was holding on to something precious he didn't want to lose.

Your resolve faltered as you leaned into his embrace, the weight of your pain and worry finally spilling over in the form of tears you barely held back. "I just want this to work, Aaron. I'm sorry. I didn't mean- I just didn't know what else to do"

He pulled you closer, brushing a hand over your hair, his breath warm against your forehead. "Honey, I'm sorry too," he murmured, his voice as tender as you'd ever heard it, "We'll figure this out. We're both tired, and I know we've still got a lot to say. But we're together in this"

You let his words sink in, the relief washing over you as you relaxed into him, both of you still in your work clothes, letting go of the tension piece by piece. Without another word, you both settled onto the bed, his arms wrapped around you as if afraid you'd slip away in the night. And there, tangled together, you both held each other through the silence.