"Why didn't you wait for backup?" He yelled. "I didn't want him to get away." I said, walking further into the room. "You disobeyed my direct order." He said, still yelling. "Would you have rather me let him get away?" I said, getting louder. Not quite as loud as him. "You could have been shot." He said, still yelling. He took a step closer to me. "I know." "You could have been killed." He said, softer. "I know." I said, almost a whisper. "Your insubordination could have ended in death Catherine." He yelled inches away from my face. "I know." I said, getting louder. "I don't know how you could be so careless." He said, continuing to yell. "I'm sorry." "You're sorry?" He said, yelling. He put his thumb and middle finger on the bridge of his nose. "Hotch, I-" his lips came crashing onto mine.

"You will now report to Aaron Hotchner" Never did Devyn Carter think those words would change her life. Started: December 16, 2020 Completed: March 4, 2021 Highest rankings: #1: hotch: December 29 #1: hotchner: August 2 #1: aaron: February 10 #1: jenniferjareau: February 27 #1: spencerreid: March 16 #1: drspencerreid: April 19 #1: hotchxoc: July 31 #2: cm: January 5 #2: davidrossi: January 5 #2: fbi: March 16 #2: aaronhotchner: March 16 #4: ellegreenaway: January 26 #5: criminalminds: December 23 X I do not own any of the Criminal Minds characters, only my own X

Arabella never meant to fall for him. He's her boss. A single father. A man still carrying the weight of too much loss. But the night Aaron Hotchner calls and asks her to watch his son, something shifts. It starts with Jack-movie nights, soccer games, inside jokes. But somewhere between bedtime stories and quiet cups of coffee, Arabella finds herself drawn into the spaces Hotch keeps guarded. The silences. The glances. The way he looks at her like she's the first steady thing he's allowed himself in years. Their connection is unspoken, fragile, and slow-achingly slow. But some loves aren't born in sparks. Some are built in quiet moments-until they become impossible to ignore. Just this once, she lets herself want more. Just this once, he lets her in. And neither of them is ready for what that means. Best ranking: #5 - aaronhotchner