THIRTY FIVE

unedited


also there's a fuck ton of fluff in this and i- BLEURGH yuck i hate that shit but y'all seem to eat it up so here you go xoxo



THIRTY FIVE. HOTCH'S APARTMENT


AFTER A QUIET DRIVE BACK FROM THE BAU, DAISY FOUND HERSELF INSIDE THE PLACE HOTCH CALLED HOME. He had taken every precaution possible, from having her sit in the backseat to making her walk in front of him so he could keep an eye on her. It was only when they reached his door did he step inside first.


"Make yourself at home," he said, gesturing to the enclosed space before he turned to the alarm to punch in the code. He expected her to be jumping about and making comments about his way of living, but he was pleasantly surprised to see her being incredibly respectful of his space. He always thought so negatively of her, when she actually was very thoughtful.


"What's Jack like?" she asked, gently picking up one of the many photo frames scattered through the living room. The apartment was cosier than she expected it to be - a nice contrast to the unit chief's personality. Woollen throws hung over the back of the sofa, and the yellow lights made the two bedroom home seem warm and welcoming. "Is he cooler than you?"


"Definitely," Hotch mused, slipping out of his professional persona once he closed the door. He put her bag and coat on the dining table, then discarded his gun and badge while she wandered around. At the mention of his son, he  felt the familiar pang in his chest. He missed that boy every moment they were apart. "I don't think he's got a bad bone in his body."


Daisy smiled at his words, her eyes flickering up to the man. He was looking back at her with a soft expression. His frown lines weren't so clear, and in the lamplight he seemed so...pretty. She put the picture down and tilted her head, watching him carefully. "You know, you're a lot sweeter to be around when you're not on the clock."


"I think that's the closest I'm going to get to a compliment, so thank you," Hotch shook his head, a deep chuckle reverberating through him. His feet took him to the kitchen, where he opened the almost empty fridge.


"You're very welcome," Daisy teased, walking across the room and over to him. The fridge didn't look too different from her own. It wasn't an uncommon sight in their line of work; there was no point in stocking up on food unless they were grounded. "Now, Aaron, I have a very important question."


Hotch glanced over his shoulder at the use of his first name. He couldn't help but feel a tickle in his stomach at the way she said it; how the word rolled off her tongue. There was a part of him that hoped she'd asked the kind of question that would lead to something exciting. "And what's that?"


"Do you have a sheet to put over the couch?" she inquired, causing Hotch to falter slightly. Oh. She noticed his change in expression and poked his arm, clearly amused. "Sorry to disappoint."


"Not at all," he played it off with a soft laugh. He straightened his posture, creating a more significant height difference between the two. Daisy found herself frowning as he looked down at her. She wasn't exactly a fan of the shift in their power dynamic (not that there was one). She could see in his face that he was enjoying it. "You can have my room."


Daisy quirked an eyebrow almost suggestively, though she stopped herself as soon as she noticed she was doing it. "And where will you go?"


Hotch's lip twitched, having seen the little gesture. He glanced down at his shoes, then nodding towards the hallway. "I'll take Jack's room."


"Very responsible of you," Daisy hummed, her eyes narrowing slightly at his tameness. She'd gotten used to his little quips over the past couple of months - the sneaky inappropriate comments that he had somehow been getting away with. It wasn't as if she'd stopped them...she didn't want them to stop. But, now that they were alone, he wasn't his usual teasing self.


She took a step closer to him, so he had to crane his neck down further. There was something in his eyes that begged her to challenge him, to tip him a little further over the edge so he didn't have to play his cards again.


She pushed herself onto her tippy-toes, almost meeting his line of vision. She watched him try to resist the smirk creeping onto his face. "I'm your boss. Being responsible is in my job description."


"Alright, then, sir," she reached up and used her good hand to pat his chest. She could feel his heart beating under her palm. She lingered for a second, her lips only centimetres from his. At her taunting tone, his smug smile only broadened. "How about a drink?"


"You're funny," Hotch scoffed, lifting his hand to push her hair out of her face. "Not when you're supposed to be taking painkillers, Alvarez."


"Stop calling me Alvarez," she whined, her head falling onto his shoulder. Hotch's arm snaked around her waist, supporting her. He could tell that she had like energy left in her, but she wasn't going to admit it. "My name's Daisy."


"Coming from the one who calls everyone by their first name except me," he retorted, though it sounded like he was mostly joking.


"That's not true," Daisy turned her head, looking up at the side of his face. "I don't call Rossi 'Dave', or Strauss 'Erin'. Not if I can help it, anyway."


Hotch stared back at her, their noses brushing against each other. The tension was killing both of them, but what could they do about it? They could kiss, they could have sex again, they could do literally anything. But both knew they wouldn't. Daisy wasn't going to make a move again, not after last time. So, it was completely up to Hotch.


However, it didn't stop the desire for Daisy to close the gap between them. His breath was warm on her face, and his eyes were flickering towards her lips. She wanted to encourage him to grow a pair and do something, but she couldn't seem to find it in her to do so.


So, she made it easier for the both of them and stepped away from him, creating some distance. "Um, I'm tired. Where's the bedroom?"


Hotch didn't get a chance to answer before Daisy bolted down the hall in search for said room. He couldn't stop the smile that escaped him, and he followed her through the small apartment and into the master bedroom, which ended up not being too hard to find. "Are you ever going to give me a break?"


"Where's the fun in that?" despite herself, Daisy beamed. She looked over at him from the wardrobe, where she'd found the sweater he'd let her borrow a while back. She held it up, as if to ask for permission, and he nodded, walking over to help her out. He took the article and threw it on the bed, his hands reaching for her sling. Daisy groaned a little as the weight shifted. "Ow."


"Sorry," he muttered as he unclipped it, keeping her arm elevated with his other hand. Daisy grunted as she lifted her shirt over her head, leaving her in her comfortable sports crop (she really only wore bras when she needed to show the girls off, otherwise they were the bane of her existence). Hotch helped pull the shirt off, and he led her over to his chest of drawers, where he pulled out one of his white t-shirts.


The intimacy of it all made Daisy's heart nearly burst out of her chest. The tenderness of Hotch's touch, the pure care he put into making sure she didn't feel anything but the unavoidable ache; he was doing everything right. His head was so close to hers, and every so often their mouths would come so close to touching, but just...wouldn't. It was getting frustrating, especially with the building feelings inside her.


She was wearing his clothes, sleeping in his bed, breathing the same contained air as him. Her eyes flickered up to meet his as she pulled a pair of his sweatpants on. "Look at us."


"What?" Hotch's brows raised once more. He'd moved from her to the bed, prepping it so that she could sleep comfortably. It was as if the moment before hadn't happened. He was back to his usual self, and Daisy wasn't too happy about it.


"We're both sober," she said, walking around to the other side and pulling the covers back. Hotch paused and looked over as she crawled into bed, tucking a pillow under her arm. She grinned at him and patted the spot he was setting up. "Hotch, you're not gonna sleep in your three year old son's room when there's plenty of space in here."


Hotch seemed reluctant. "But what if-"


"Oh my God," Daisy threw her head back into the cushion and groaned. "Don't pull the chivalry card with me, man. I get enough of it from literally everyone we work with."


"Fine," Hotch sent her an amused look, before he started putting the pillows and covers how he liked them. He thought it was funny how she'd left him the side he usually slept on. Maybe she knew he preferred it, or she liked the other half better. Either way, they'd both be comfortable.


After he prepared his side, he went back around the apartment to make sure everything was turned off. He got changed and sorted himself out, returning to the bed to Daisy typing something into her phone. As he climbed under the covers, he saw that she was texting Spencer.


"Everything okay?" he asked as she pressed send, before turning the device off and putting it on the bedside table. She turned her head and nodded, feeling the heat radiating from his body only a few feet away from her.


"Yeah, Spence just wanted me to update him on everything," she muttered, her eyelids starting to droop as tiredness overcame her. She shifted a little so that her head was entirely buried in the pillow, which had been stacked on two more.


A moment of silence fell over the pair, the lamps providing the same warm light that spread throughout the apartment, and the muffled sounds of traffic outside let them know that the world was still functioning. Hotch noticed how she shivered a little, and he scooted a little closer, wanting to wrap his arms around her. "Daisy..."


Daisy lifted her head to look over at him. His face was shadowy, but she could see every line, every hair, every twitch in his muscles. She couldn't believe their proximity. "Yeah?"


Hotch paused, swallowing. "Are you okay? About everything that's happening?"


Daisy thought for a moment. "Not really."


He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it. When she didn't pull away, he moved across and let her lie on his chest. "We're gonna take care of it, okay?"


She nodded once, her cheek resting against his rising chest. "I'm just worried about the people I'm close to, you know? Like my sister, and my friends."


"We'll make sure they're safe," Hotch said softly. He could feel her hand trembling in his, and he gripped it a little tighter. "But he's not going to get that far."


Daisy looked up at Hotch's face. He could be so gentle when he wanted to be. She managed a small smile. "Thank you, Aaron. It means a lot that you're doing this for me."


Hotch leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Daisy relished in the feeling, knowing that it was the most she'd get. "It's not a problem. I hate to admit it, but you're starting to grow on me."


"Really?" Daisy pulled the covers up and snuggled into him, letting her heartbeat steady as she finally felt the kind embrace of safety. "I had no idea."


★☆


the amount of fluff in this bus,,, astronomical


the audacity of me


also i've had a bit of a ~depressive episode~ the past couple of days and i've been struggling to write so hopefully this isn't shite


and i also appreciate that you guys like the book and my writing!! however, i can't always update as much as i'd like (even though i update A LOT just saying), as i am mentally ill and also have university and work !! thank you for your support, but comments that are constantly egging me to update stress me out and put me off writing in general :) so pls don't spam me with comments telling me to update cause i can promise you they don't encourage me they just annoy me and i end up looking like that one picture of britney spears edited onto a depressed person in bed



this one


and also like,, idk i'm just not vibing with my writing i just feel like its shit and i could do better????? hahahahaha anyway


hope you guys are keeping well and safe x


oh shit! also! it's my birthday next friday??? and umm if i can keep updating maybe we'll break 100k by then?? at the rate we're going it might not be impossible?? um anyways that was just a thought

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