Valentine's Day

part two

"Jack, come grab these for me!" Aaron called out as he opened the front door to his apartment, struggling to balance the two pizza boxes plus the pink heart cookies and soda he had picked up before you ran into him. You tried to take them from him, but he pulled away with a smile that was barely noticeable. You rolled your eyes playfully.

"Dad!" A tiny voice came from around the corner, followed by a stampede of small footsteps. Jack appeared with a smile that reached both ears and a chocolate mustache.

"Oh my god, you got into the chocolate milk without me?" Hotch teased the little boy as he handed him the cookies and bottle of soda. Jack shook his head.

"No, I didn't. I swear"

"First rule of crime," Aaron dropped to his knees with a faux stern look. "Don't leave any evidence." In one quick flick of his thumb, the mustache was gone, causing Jack to burst into a fit of laughter. You couldn't help but giggle quietly, too.
"Hi! I'm Jack Hotchner."

"It is so nice to meet you, Mr. Jack Hotchner," You beamed, maintaining the tone of sincerity that the kid had. Another round of laughing took over the boy.

"Jack, this is y/n. I work with her." Hotch finally introduced you as he started to set up the pizza on the island in the kitchen.

"She's just as pretty as-"

"Why don't you go get in your pajamas?" The older man cut Jack off before he could finish the rest of his sentence. The little boy nodded then took off to his room, leaving you and your boss alone to your own devices. You slowly made your way into the same room as him. It was weirdly quiet once again. Every once in a while, Aaron would glance up from the pizza and plates, but you could tell he was nervous about something. You stood opposite of him at the island, only a couple feet of marble countertop between you.

"What was Jack saying I'm just as pretty as?" You asked. You kept your eyes connected to his as you leaned forward slightly on the counter. He cleared his throat.

"I have no idea." He handed you a plate of the pizza you had ordered before you had a chance to pressure him any further. Jack came barreling down the hallway in a stormtrooper onesie (he made sure to show you the hood that doubled as a helmet) only seconds later. He grabbed his dinner from his father along with a cup of milk then took a seat on the couch. Hotch looked at you with an apologetic expression in reaction to his kid's energetic behavior. "He's excited you're here."

"What makes you say that?" You asked sarcastically with a genuine laugh. Aaron rolled his eyes playfully and slightly bumped against your shoulder as he walked past, causing your heart to trip over itself. It was strange seeing him in this setting. Domestic, happy, no guns or blood in sight. What made it even more weird was the fact that you were there with the two boys. This was the first night you even met Jack, let alone join in on their movie night. You couldn't stop yourself from wondering if there was something more, especially with the comment the little boy made. You tried to mask your thoughts as you joined them in the living room. The couch had three seats with a tiny stormtrooping taking up the middle one. You took the spot on the left, taking a few moments to move against the leather to find a comfortable position.

"So, what're we watching?" You asked. Both Hotchners glanced over at you, wide eyed and trying to balance a piece of pizza in their mouths. Your hand naturally shot up to cover your grin.

"I think Jack was saying something about The Never Ending Story." Hotch reached to the coffee table to grab a napkin for the small bit of sauce in the corner of his lip. Your attention stayed glued to it. The tip of his tongue darted out for a second to get the rest, causing a rush of heavy heat into your body and a film reel of images to spin in your mind. You saw the man every day yet he never had this strong of an effect on you, especially not for something as simple as getting sauce off of his lips.

"That means I get to stay up forever!" Jack's voice pulled you out of your velvety daydreams. You cleared your throat and returned to reality. With a hand cupped around your mouth, you leaned towards the boy and said, "I don't think your dad thought this through," making him explode with giggles. Hotch pretended not to hear your comment as he pulled up the movie then turned off the lights, leaving the three of you illuminated only by the screen.