𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅, 𝒂𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒆𝒓

viii. late night drinks

it was nearly midnight when the door of dinner swung open, aaron hotchner walking in as exhausted as ever with the rest of his team following behind him. the group of adults seemed to go find a booth while aaron went to find a worker, the place was nearly abandoned at the later hour but as he approached and reached the counter, looking over it in need to find someone, anyone when he found her. he found rosalind sitting on the cold floor, on her knees, one hand pressed to the ground while she held a brush in the other, scrubbing the floor as she arched her back. aaron was about to clear his throat when her backside raised higher, skirt raising, revealing more of her pasty white skin as he looked away, hitting the bell and when he turns her head popped up, a bright smile on her face as she got up, wiping her knees as she placed the brush into the bucket by her side.

"agent hotchner." she blew a single blonde curl out of her eyes, wiping her hands on her too short skirt as he pointed over to his team who were all sitting together, rosalind scanned them to find her sister to see jj with her head on elle's shoulder, practically fast asleep. she smiled at the sight and asked agent hotch what they wanted, he gave her each team member's order and told her he'd help her carry everything and she thanked him. "how's andrew?" he asked after she had given in the order and sat down across from him, the counter in front of her now the only thing separating the two but they weren't that far away from one another, especially not after she leaned in to talk to him, glancing over his shoulder every now and then to where his team was tiredly making small talk to one another. "i actually just spoke to him, promised to read him a bed time story tonight and he cried when we hung up."

"im guessing he doesn't like being away from you too much." rosalind nodded, he was definitely a mama's boy. "he's my world and i know im his, having him was probably one of the best things that has ever happened to me." she smiled, although the birthing process was a nightmare, taking nearly a full day, it was all worth it when she saw him for the first time. it had just been the two of them, it had just been the two of them for the first year of his life, percy was in ireland filming a miniseries. he said he wanted to be there for her and their son but work was rare so he couldn't. they had still been together when she had andrew but with time and distance their relationship seemed to die down and when he finally came home they agreed to go platonic, it was for the better, their relationship would never work out and andrew needed two happy parents, they wouldn't be happy if they were together.

"im still surprised you have a child, no offence but you're so young." hotch comments and his eyes couldn't help but explore her face, full cheeks, slightly pink, big eyes, plump lips, face clear from any sign of age. she was young, so young, so beautiful. he pushed the last thought out of his mind but the closer she got to him, the harder it got. he hadn't been uncomfortable by the space between and couldn't help but lean in as well, not too close, keeping a professional space between their faces. "how do you do it?" he asked and she pulled away, grabbing a glass and bottle of red wine. she placed it down in front of him and started pouring some of the liquor into it before sliding it over to him, he was in no position to decline the offer. "i won't lie, it's not easy but once you see your baby boy you won't care." she knew from the moment she saw him that she would do anything for him, there were mothers in the world that wouldn't kill for their children but from the first second she saw him, she knew she was capable of anything if it meant protecting him. it was hard ending her relationship with percy but all she knew was that she loved andrew more than she loved his father, more than anyone. "and about being young," she reached over and took a sip of his wine, he didn't mind sharing with her. "being young doesn't make me naive, agent hotchner, ive been young all my life, it doesn't mean anything." she handed the glass back to him and he took a sip of the wine, it was sweet as it slid down his throat and heated up his belly.

"i didn't say that."

"you thought it, im profiling you." he watched as she took another sip of his wine, staining the glass this time with her cherry lip gloss. when he took a sip he could taste it, "so, why did you come here of all places, agent? the late-night drinks, the greasy burgers or the good company?" she smiled at him, the smile fluttered something inside him, something he tried to push past. "all the above," he answered honestly, he wondered how long it would take for their food to get done, he needed to go sit with his team, he should not be here, sitting so closely to rosalind jareau. "you know, agent." she tapped a bubblegum pink nail on the table, his eyes fell there and stayed there as he sipped his wine. "being a father is gonna be hard but until your boy is born you can always come over and see andrew, to prepare."

"that does sound a bit inappropriate." he noted as she shook her head, "it's fine, we're never really home alone. percy and the girls are always there." she brushed off the topic of it being inappropriate and he gave her a curt nod, "ill see when im free." as he said that their food was done and the two grabbed the two different trays of food. aaron was thankful he wouldn't have to spend any more time with rosalind but when they got to the table, derek and elle insisted on her sitting down with them and because she and aaron were the last ones to find seats, they ended up pressed together beside elle and jj. the night flew by in a haze and soon rosalind was driving her and spencer to her apartment while the others took a ride from aaron.