Criminal Minds x Reader

Clung to You [A.H]

The case had been grueling from the start. A string of abductions in a quiet town on the outskirts of Missouri had led the BAU to hunt down a killer whose profile was as twisted as his methods. You'd volunteered to interview a witness in a remote area, confident you could handle yourself, confident because you had to be. Hotch trusted you, and you didn't want to let him down.

You didn't realize, however, that your confidence would be the very thing to cost you.

It happened fast. Too fast. One moment, you were walking to your car after the interview, a gentle breeze rustling the trees around you, and the next, a shadow appeared in your peripheral vision. A sharp pain struck the back of your head, and the world tipped sideways. Darkness consumed you.

When you came to, your wrists were bound behind you, your head pounding like a drum. The room was dimly lit, the smell of damp earth and something metallic filling your senses. You tried to focus, tried to piece together what had happened. The unsub. You'd stumbled right into his trap.

The hours blurred into one another as the unsub taunted you, his words cutting as sharply as the blows he delivered. You bit down on the pain, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a scream. But inside, you felt a terror you hadn't known in years.

You clung to one thought, one person. Aaron. You knew he'd find you. He always did.

And then it happened.

A crash echoed through the decrepit space, and your captor spun, shouting something you couldn't make out. The door splintered open, and there he was. Aaron Hotchner. His presence filled the room like a force of nature, his gun steady, his jaw set. The unsub lunged, but he moved faster, a single shot sending the man crashing to the ground.

The moment the danger was gone, his focus shifted entirely to you.

"Y/N" he breathed, his voice a mix of relief and urgency as he holstered his weapon and rushed to your side. His hands were gentle but sure as he cut the bindings from your wrists, his touch grounding you in a way you hadn't realized you needed.

"Aaron" you managed, your voice barely above a whisper.

His hands cupped your face, his dark eyes scanning yours, searching for signs of life, of reassurance. "I'm here. You're safe now"

The second he untied you, your body moved on instinct. You collapsed into him, your arms wrapping around his neck as you clung to him with every ounce of strength you had left. The pain didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered except the feeling of his arms coming around you, holding you just as tightly.

"I've got you," he murmured, his voice breaking just slightly as he pressed his cheek to the top of your head. "You're okay. I've got you"

You felt his shirt grow damp beneath your cheek and realized it was your blood soaking into the fabric. "I-I..."

"Don't speak." he said softly, stroking your hair. "Save your strength. You're going to be fine"

You didn't know how long you stayed like that, trembling in his embrace, but eventually, you became aware of voices in the background. The team, the medics, the flurry of activity around you. But all you could focus on was him.

Aaron.

He lifted you as if you weighed nothing, cradling you in his arms as he carried you out of that hellish place. You buried your face against his chest, unwilling to let go, unwilling to face the reality of what had happened.

When he finally set you down on the edge of the ambulance, you caught his gaze again, and something shifted. His usual stoicism cracked, the raw emotion he'd been holding back spilling through. His hands framed your face again, his thumbs brushing away the tears you hadn't realized were falling.

"You're safe" he repeated, almost as if saying it enough times would make it true for both of you.

You nodded faintly, your fingers clutching the fabric of his shirt. "You- You came for me"

You knew it was his job, but that didn't stopped you heart from beating a little faster.

"Always" he said, his voice steady but thick with meaning. "I'll always come for you"

The medic interrupted then, gently cleaning your wounds and bandaging what they could before urging Aaron to give you some space. But he didn't step away, not entirely. His hand found yours, his thumb tracing soothing circles over your knuckles. Surely it wasn't professional, but did it matter at the moment?

When the medic finished, he crouched down in front of you, his expression soft but serious. "Y/N" he called you.

You blinked down at him, your chest tightening at the unspoken words lingering in his eyes.

"I thought I lost you" he admitted, his voice quiet but carrying the weight of everything he couldn't say.

Before you could respond, before you could think, he leaned in, his lips brushing against yours with a tenderness that made your breath catch. It wasn't rushed or frantic — it was deliberate, his way of telling you what words couldn't.

When he pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, his breath mingling with yours. "I love you" he whispered.

Tears welled in your eyes again, but this time, they weren't from pain or fear. "I love you too" you said, the words tumbling out before you could stop them.

For the first time, you saw him smile — a real, unguarded smile that made your heart swell despite everything. You clung to his hand, to his presence, knowing that no matter what came next, you wouldn't face it alone.

You'd found your strength in him, and he'd found his in you.