Valentine's Day

part three

You couldn't remember watching the film. Between the relaxing soundtrack and overall comfort, you must have dozed off. The only thing that woke you was Aaron nudging your hand from his side of the couch. You lifted your head and started to stretch, but a barely-audible whine made you stop. Jack had fallen asleep on your lap. His entire body was curled up into a little ball against your leg. You put your hand back on his upper back and rubbed softly.

"Both of you were out within minutes," Hotch whispered with a satisfied smile. You couldn't tell if it was from Jack going to bed without any issues or something else, something that had been in the air since he walked into the pizzeria. "Come on, buddy, we have to get in bed. Say goodbye to y/n." He spoke softly as he squeezed the young boy's arm. Jack rolled over so just the back of his head was on your thigh.

"Are you going to come back soon? I had a lot of fun." He stared at you with glazed blue eyes that melted your heart. There was no question that he was Aaron's son. They shared the same dimples, nose, and the faint crinkle above the left eyebrow.

"Absolutely," You answered without waiting for Hotch's response. Jack sat up then wrapped his arms around you. In your ear, he whispered,

"My dad likes you a lot and so do I." You didn't have time to react before Hotch picked the kid up and swung him over your shoulder. Jack tried his best to do a wink, leading Aaron to chuckle nervously as he walked into the hallway, leaving you alone with your thoughts. Kids always said weird things. You wouldn't be surprised if Jack meant that his dad saw you as a good friend, or even if he was making it all up. It wasn't like it made a difference to you. That's what you kept telling yourself, at least. He's your boss. Your tall, alluring, incredibly attractive...

"Are you okay?" Ten minutes went by in what felt like two seconds. Hotch was suddenly back in the room with a concerned expression. He had all of the dirty plates in his hand, making you wonder how long you were in your whirlwind of thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine, sorry. Still a little sleepy, I guess." You tried your best to play it off with a halfhearted shrug. His stormy eyes remained on you for one more beat as if they were trying to catch the lie, then his lip curled slightly.

"Do you want to head out soon?" He asked while he brought everything back into the kitchen. You followed him in a daze. The unmistakable scent of cologne nearly filled up the room, which meant he had to have put some on after Jack got in bed. Without fail, your thoughts returned back to the kid's question.

"Um, not sure. Do you want me to go?" You decided to test the waters slowly, as if it could swallow you with one wrong step. Aaron's demeanor shifted into something you've only seen when Beth was in the office. Even though his face was buried in the sink with the dishes he was washing, you could see his eyebrows contort in an attempt to find the right answer.

"Not really." The words were packed to the brim with tension. Once he turned off the water, he turned his body to face you with something in his expression that  you couldn't quite identify. His throat moved slightly when he swallowed what seemed to be nerves. There was a long moment of overwhelming silence. The quiet things dancing between your bodies crashed into you like a wave. Jack's words kept replaying in your mind and you thought about the possibilities. You had never noticed any type of affection from Aaron. Sure, you were closer to him than anyone else on the team, and he always made it a point to compliment you no matter what. It was routine at this point for him to assign you whatever assignment he was also working on, unless it was even slightly dangerous. Hotch was always hesitant to put you in harm's way, despite that being the job description. He also isn't much of a physical guy, but you noticed he was always touching you in the smallest ways. Bumping your shoulder, placing his hand in the small of your back, and every once in a while, you would be the first person he'd hug after a tough case. Your stomach sunk to the ground when you started to connect the dots. It didn't make sense to make anything of it before tonight. He had a girlfriend, but now he's single. He's single and staring at you in his kitchen after work hours on Valentine's day.