Angel

Before Her Own World Went Dark

The last time she was injured on the job she was completely alone, she had nobody. She had been investigating a drug ring when she went undercover- she wasn't as experienced then and they caught on to the fact she wasn't actually involved at all in the process pretty quickly - she was waterboarded, left with broken ribs, a broken wrist and a broken elbow then hung up to dry. Although Cyrus wasn't as extreme - the pain bubbling in her ribs when she moved was a reminder of her past trauma and played in her mind whenever it jolted around her insides - she didn't want to be alone this time

"good morning Angel" Aaron's voice came softly from the chair in the corner of the room. His voice laced with a smile as he looked up from the morning newspaper - a sleazy politicians face splashed over the front cover with tales of sex scandal and corruption to follow

"I thought you had left me" Aurora said through a wince as she tried to sit up in bed - it had been a month since the sect raid and the pain in Aurora's rib was getting slightly better but she was still tender. Her bruising made her look like an alien she thought - purple, green blue and yellow colours blending together around her side where the ribs had broken. Every day since that case Aaron had spent the night with Aurora watching films or TV shows - she introduced him to her favourite romances like pretty woman and Roman holiday and he introduced her to his favourite feel-good films like Stephen Kings stand by me though that one had Aurora crying in his arms

"sorry love" he said walking over to her bedside and placing a cup of tea on the table "I was watching you sleep" she would have found it worrying coming from anyone else but the thought of being watched by a man like Aaron hotchner filled her stomach with butterflies and sent a flush to her face

"you're such a stalker" she said with a soft laugh as she warmed her hands on the side of her mug "have you been awake long?"

"i've been up a while but I haven't been watching you too long" he said, stroking down her hair which miraculously never tangled in her sleep "sometimes I just get so overwhelmed that you exist" he muttered underneath his breath - she heard but she didn't make light of it.

"what time is it?" she asked, pulling her legs out from under the covers "I should start getting ready for work!"

"I think you should have the day off Angel" he said ushering her back to bed "you've been working yourself to the bone since the Cyrus case - it's clearly not doing you any favours. You're exhausted and you're in pain"

"oh and you know this how?" Aurora bit back, her face falling "you have no right to tell me if i can or cannot work, I thought I made that perfectly clear the last time you told me I shouldn't work" she knew she shouldn't scold but she also equally knew her limits - of course her limits were being pushed but who was she if not pushed to her breaking point

"I'm just looking out for you!" he said running has hands through his unstyled hair

"I can look after myself Aaron!" she said sharply "I don't need you to look after me I've been perfectly fine on my own!"

he just blinked. they stood in silence until Aurora dropped to the bed, her limbs lifeless, and placed her head in her hands "I'm so sorry" she whispered as he came to sit beside her "I am so sorry, I'm just not used to anyone trying to help I guess"

"hey it's okay" Aaron said softly rubbing her back as the tears formed in her eyes "I know that it is going to take a lot of getting used to but I'm here now and I intend to be here for a long time and I intend to help you as much as I possibly can okay?"

"I'm sorry" she said lifting her head and finally looking at him "you're too good to me Aaron. I don't know what I did to deserve you"

"Oh I don't know Rori" he uttered softly pressing kisses to her shoulder "but I do know that I won't try to force you to do anything. You know your thoughts and feelings better than I do"