For Old Times' Sake

Chapter 6

Stepping out of the bathroom, you went back to the table where Hotch and Jack were waiting. Jack had already started, sauce smeared all over his cute little hands.
"Are you alright?" Aaron asked.
Giving him the widest smile you could, you nodded and started eating. He joined in, and the three of you ate in silence.
"Do you work with Daddy?" Jack suddenly piped up.
"Yes Jack, I do. In fact, I've known your Dad for a long time now. We were best friends in school."
"Daddy told me once that he had a best friend like I have Chester."
You eyed Hotch. "Had?"
He shrugged, an embarrassed expression on his face. "So, Jack. Tell me about Chester."
As you conversed with the little boy, Hotch watched the two of you, mesmerised by the way the sunlight played with your hair, the way you elegantly ate, the way your smile lit up your eyes, eyes that he could see grief hidden in.
After all, he had heard you silently sobbing in the bathroom two minutes ago.

A while later when Jack had gone out to play, the two of you set about gathering all of your boxes to bring upstairs to the room that would be yours.
"Jesus, my back," Hotch said, straightening up after setting down the last box on the hardwood floor.
"Grandpa." You teased. He laughed. "Who are you calling Grandpa, Grandma?"
This time you laughed, forgetting your breakdown earlier. "Come on, help me unpack."
You started to open the boxes marked 'CLOTHES', taking out the neat piles of folded garments and putting them inside the closet.

"Why were you crying in the bathroom, Y/N?"
You froze in front of the closet. Mind racing, you tried to think of an excuse.
"Um." You turned around to face him. "I was just overwhelmed."
"By what?" He looked genuinely confused.
"You."
Suddenly, you weren't making excuses anymore.
A silence blanketed the room before you continued.
"Remember how we were in school, Aaron? Inseparable. If we went places without each other, people asked us where the other was. Until you met Haley, people were convinced that we were toge-"
"You're going to marry her someday," Hotch said, a soft smile on his lips.
"What?"
"Mom used to say that about us. I always brushed her off, but I never really knew myself. I missed you too, Y/N. Have you ever thought about why I approved your application?"
You frowned. It had never occurred to you.
Aaron came towards you, his eyes locking with yours as he took both of your hands in his. "I missed you too, Y/N. Every day without you, I missed you. That's why when your application arrived on my desk, I didn't even have to think twice. All I wanted was to hear you call me Hotch again."

"But you hated it when I called you Hotch."
 "I hated the name. I didn't hate you using it. " He now had a disarming smile on his face.

You smiled too, the grin on his handsome face was infectious.

"Hotch." You said, ruffling his hair affectionately like you used to years ago to get a rise out of him.
"Grandma." He retorted, hurriedly running his hands through his hair.
Both of you burst out laughing, and for a moment, it felt like you were back in high school.

***After the work is done***

It was about 11 P.M. by the time everything was in place and dinner was over. Having officially moved in, you went to Hotch's room, leaning on the doorframe to watch him put Jack to sleep.
Hotch lay beside him, propped on an elbow and reading 'The Velveteen Rabbit' aloud to the already dreaming little boy.
You walked over to them, sitting on the edge of the bed near Hotch's feet.
"You're so good with him," you whispered.
"Yeah. He means everything to me. I don't know what I would do without him in my life." Hotch said, straightening up. "Let's get to bed, we have work tomorrow."
You nodded, walking out. As Hotch started to go to his room after mouthing a goodnight, something made you call out to him.

He turned to look at you.
"Will you sleep with me?"
He raised his eyebrows.
"Um, I mean it's a new room, and I don't want to sleep alone so."
And then he laughed at you.
"Hey, quit it with the giggling. I like the death stares better."
"Oh you do, do you?" he was still laughing as he draped an arm over your shoulder, leading you to your new room.

"I thought you were a grandma, turns out you're a baby."
"At least I'm a hot baby."
Hotch laughed again, making your heart swell.