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For SunnyInOregon with much love and thanks for pestering me to get this story done. My gratitude to Pandorabox82 and Rogue for their awesome beta skills. I do not own Criminal Minds nor any of the characters mentioned herein. I merely borrowed them for my own amusement and returned them to the box relatively unscathed.
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It had been a difficult case for all of them, especially Hotch. The UNSUB had been kidnapping, sexually assaulting and murdering little boys between the ages of 5 and 7. The boys reminded him of Jack and the final abduction had nearly caused him to crack.
The only solace he had found had been at night when he could go back to the hotel room he shared with his best friend, David Rossi. There he knew he didn't need to maintain his grim facade of control. He could rage and release the pent up feelings of fear and loss of control.
For some reason he and Dave had always had an unspoken agreement that they could show those feelings to each other in private. Feelings that none of the rest of the team were allowed to see. Now, though, there were new feelings growing… feelings he didn't think he could ever show anyone.
Recently he had begun to look at Dave in a new light, and he found he liked what he saw. The older profiler was steady and smart. He knew what he wanted and went after it, whether it was an UNSUB'S weapon or a woman. That was part of the problem though. Would he ever look twice at Aaron?
Especially since he'd been so gun shy after his third failed marriage. Sure he'd dated, but he'd be seen with a woman once or twice at most before casting them off. Not exactly the womanizer he had a reputation for being, as he was always a gentleman; Aaron still didn't think he could ever catch the soulful brown eyes of his friend.
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Dave Rossi looked across the table worriedly at his coworker and best friend, Aaron Hotchner. He looked like hell after the case they had just finished and Dave wished the black haired agent would use the time on the jet to get some much needed rest rather than doing paperwork.
"Hey, Hotch, why don't you leave that for me and get some shut eye? You said you wanted to spend some time with Jack as soon as you get home. You'll be no good if you're exhausted. I'll take care of the reports and leave them on your desk for you to sign off."
Hotch looked up at Rossi from his report writing questioningly. "What am I going to owe you if I agree to this? There's always some catch with you, Rossi, when it comes to paperwork."
Dave held his hands up in surrender. "Nothing this time, I swear. I just want you to be able to spend some quality time with my nephew."
Aaron thought for a few moments before agreeing and handing the folder over to Dave, their fingers brushing as he did so. Both men felt a tingle at the light touch but neither reacted for fear of alerting the other.
Dave had also felt a shift in their friendship lately. Something fundamental had changed. He wasn't ready to name it, but he felt it could be a good change for the both of them, if they were to explore it. He decided now wasn't the time though, not with the case they'd just had and got to work on the reports he took from Aaron.
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When the jet landed Aaron was shocked but thrilled to see his sister in law Jessica with his six year old son Jack waiting alongside the small runway. He immediately ran over and scooped up Jack and hugged him tightly to his chest, making a mental note to send Garcia the kitschiest arrangement of flowers he could find the next day. He knew she was behind this. He was so relieved to have Jack in his arms again, he didn't even care when the boy began to get heavy along with his go bag and briefcase. They bid Jess goodbye and went on their way.
"What would you like to do, Jack? Daddy has the rest of the day off so we can do anything you want." The widowed father asked the small boy. He didn't care what Jack wanted to do, if it were realistic, they would do it. He just wanted to spend time with his boy, not doing paperwork.
"Really? Can we go to the zoo? I want to see the elephants!" Jack asked, his eyes sparkling with joy at the idea of spending the whole day with his hero. He loved his Daddy more than anyone else in the world, even Uncle Dave and he loved him a LOT.
"The zoo sounds like a great idea, Jackers. Let's go! We can even have lunch there if you want to." The child's joy was enough to nearly bring him to his knees after this case, but he held it together. The short drive to the zoo allowed him to collect himself and put the case aside so he could concentrate on his son.
They spent the afternoon trekking the zoo, seeing everything Jack wanted to see, barely slowing down for lunch. From elephants to pandas and everything in between they were observed. Aaron even wished they had invited Reid, for his encyclopedic knowledge on well, everything. He would have enthralled Jack with his facts about all the animals. Maybe next time he'd invite the younger man along.
By the time it was time to go, Aaron was carrying Jack and thinking about something easy for dinner. He was just about to the SUV when his cell phone rang. He smiled softly when he saw who was calling. "Hotchner," he said in his usual clipped tone just in case it was business.
"Aaron, it's Dave. I was thinking, since it's Friday and we're off next week, why don't you and Jack pack some gear and come out to the cabin with me for a few days? Unless you already have plans I mean." Damn it, where's that Rossi confidence and charm, he thought to himself. You want this, so go after it, man!
"Wow, Dave, it's kind of short notice. Right now I'm just worried about getting Jack home from the zoo and fed before he passes out completely." The protective single father answered, looking down at his son.
"Perfect!" exclaimed Dave happily. "My place is on your way home from the zoo. Come on over. I'll have dinner ready by the time you get here. And I'm not taking no for an answer!"
Aaron sighed and relented before clicking off his phone and lifting Jack gently into his car seat and fastening it securely. They took off for Dave's as if the car knew the way on its own, Aaron's mind dwelling on the older profiler and how his feelings had changed of late. He found himself following him with his eyes, glancing -almost to the point of staring- when no one else was looking, even imagining what it would be like to kiss him. Before he knew it they were in Dave's driveway and his palms were sweating and his heart was racing like this was a date.
Almost before he had the car pulled into his spot in the garage, Dave was at the door, looking more alluring than he'd ever seen him, his feet bare with a kitchen towel tossed carelessly over his shoulder. Aaron quickly retrieved 6 year old Jack from his seat in the back and carried him to the couch in the den. They weren't strangers to Rossi's home, but something felt very different about tonight.
"What on Earth did you two do this afternoon? I've seen dishrags that weren't as limp," Dave said with a jovial chuckle when Aaron came back to the kitchen. He pressed a glass of good red into the younger man's hand and encouraged him to sit and relax. "Dinner will be done in about five minutes. I always forget your lead foot when I give times."
Aaron took a drink of his wine and raised his eyebrow at Dave as if to say "What lead foot?"
Dave just chuckled and went back to the stove, stirring this and whisking that, affording Aaron an opportunity to stare unimpeded as the Italian cooked. After all too short a time in Aaron's opinion, Dave declared the meal finished, and sent him to retrieve Jack.
"Hey wake up buddy, it's time for dinner." Aaron ruffled the sandy locks of the child who was his entire world. "C'mon, can you stand up and we'll go get washed up? Once you're awake I have a surprise for you."
"Kay, Daddy. Where are we? I want ronis and cheese for dinner." Jack babbled off, still half asleep, not recognizing they were at the home of his second favorite person in the whole world.
"Let's go wash up and we'll see about that surprise, ok, Buddy?" Aaron spoke gently, avoiding the topic of dinner since he had no idea what Dave had concocted. He led the boy to the powder room and helped him potty and wash his hands before scooping him up and helping him cover his eyes tightly so as not to ruin the big surprise. Walking into the kitchen, he quietly shushed Dave as he passed the boy over to him.
"Open your eyes, Tiger!" Dave whispered in Jack's ear with a grin. He couldn't love this boy more if he were his own, and the fact that he now seemed to be falling for the boy's father just made his feelings for the two Hotchners even stronger.
"Uncle Dave! Daddy said he had a big surprise for me, but this is the best ever! First the zoo and now dinner at your house!" The little boy threw his arms around Dave's neck in a huge hug. "Can we spend the night? I wanna sleep with Mudgie in my room!"
"That's up to your Dad, Tiger. You know you're always welcome. I think I even have some of your extra clothes here from last time you stayed over with Mudgie and me," Dave answered helpfully, hoping they would indeed spend the night. He wanted to reveal his feelings to Aaron, because he was tired of hiding them.
"Please Daddy! Uncle Dave says it's ok! Please!" The six year old begged as only a six year old can. Aaron smiled and quickly relented, knowing he would never hear the end of it from either of the two looking hopefully at him if he said no. Besides, he didn't want to say no, this gave him a good excuse to spend more time with Dave.
"I think I still have some clean clothes in my go bag, I don't think one night will be too much of an imposition. We can stay if you like, son," Aaron pronounced calmly even though his heart was beating a sharp tattoo in his chest.
Jack squirmed in Dave's arms to get down, so the boy was set free and ran to his father, nearly tackling him in a hug. "Thank you, Daddy! This is better than the bestest birthday ever!"
Dave came and rescued Aaron from the stranglehold his son had on him, taking the boy to settle him at the table for dinner. He waited for Aaron to join them and served the fresh garden salad and spaghetti Bolognese. The chef in him was thrilled to see the boy eat heartily of both without being prompted. Dave watched surreptitiously as Aaron ate his meal, casually sipping the wine that had been refilled when they sat down at the table. "I'll take your silence as approval of my cooking," he asked jokingly.
"Dave, you know very well Jack prefers your cooking to mine. There's no need to rub it in," Aaron answered good naturedly.
Almost as soon as his plate was cleaned, Jack was yawning and sleepy eyed again. His father went to gather him up, when Dave stopped him. "You go relax in the family room, I've got Jack. It's been a while since I've gotten to put him to bed."
Aaron struggled for a moment or two to let go of this nightly routine but relented only after Dave agreed to let him get the dishes. So each went about their way, Aaron finishing first, Dave having to read extra stories because "he did better voices than Daddy". It was 30 minutes later that Dave found Aaron in the living room, nursing another glass of wine.
He stood quietly in the door for a moment, just admiring Aaron in the light of the fire. Dave had always admired Aaron's good looks, but now those good looks were actually having an effect on him, one he found he rather liked. He wanted him, everything about him and tonight he was going to tell him. Walking over to the bar he poured himself a healthy glass of scotch and joined Aaron on the couch, sitting closer than their friendship status dictated.
Aaron looked up from his musings, having not realized Dave had joined him until he sat down. He noticed the closeness but didn't mind it so didn't move away from Dave, simply looked at him quizzically. "Did you get Jack down ok?" he asked, concerned at the time it had seemed to take.
Dave laughed softly, "Apparently I do better voices so I had to read him five stories."
"Five," Aaron demanded, a little put out with his son. He'd have to have a talk with the boy in the morning about being demanding.
"Easy, Aaron, you know I can't say no to him. He didn't even ask for the last two," Dave answered, laying a gentle hand on Aaron's arm. He couldn't hide the jump in his pulse or the dilation of his pupils at the touch, nor did he try, as he looked directly into Aaron's deep brown eyes.
Finally, he'd had enough skirting the truth of his feelings and he leaned in the few inches, pressing a soft kiss to Aaron's lips. Dave kept the pressure light, not wanting to scare the younger man away, until finally Aaron began to respond, leaning into the kiss with a quiet sigh.
When he felt Aaron respond, Dave took a chance and tried to deepen the kiss, parting his lips and teasing Aaron's lips with his tongue. This seemed to startle Aaron out of his reverie and he broke the kiss, pulling back looking at Dave wide eyed.
"What..um..what was that?" Aaron asked nervously, afraid to hope it meant what he wanted it to mean. Dave was a ladies man, he didn't DO things like this. Surely this must be some sort of prank Morgan or Reid put him up to. But a prank wouldn't explain the physical reactions in Dave he was witnessing. Did Dave share his own feelings?
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that without asking," Dave said quietly looking down at his hands, worried that Aaron was angry or worse, repulsed by the kiss. Aaron had just looked so desirable in the flickering firefight, Dave could no longer help himself.
"I suppose I should explain," the experienced profiler said, hoping his words wouldn't fall on deaf ears. "In my past relationships I've made many mistakes, but I've never cheated or lied or left the relationship prematurely. I know Haley hurt you badly, convinced you that you weren't worthy of love because of your dedication to this job. You've been denying yourself love since then, and it's time for you to give someone a chance to show you that you deserve to be loved.
"I'm not above making up for the love you've been denying you could ever feel. Give me that chance Aaron, let me be the one to show you how to love again."
By the time Dave had finished, there were tears in Aaron's eyes. Tears of happiness, because those were the words he needed to hear to tell him his feelings weren't unrequited and that Dave did indeed feel the same.
Rather than answering with words, Aaron kissed Dave, this time taking the kiss deeper himself, their tongues mingling as Aaron reached out and wrapped his strong arms around Dave, pulling him close. Dave readily went into Aaron's embrace, enjoying the feeling of being held tight by this man. When the kiss broke, Dave looked up at Aaron, smiling.
"Let's go up to bed, your son will be up early. I'd like it if you'd sleep in with me, I just want to hold you. I don't think either of us is ready for the next step at this point," Dave said, almost shyly. Aaron couldn't possibly refuse him such a request, so he followed Dave up to the master bedroom, did his nightly preparations and climbed into the huge bed next to his partner.
Dave smiled wide when Aaron came to bed, immediately pulling him close. Aaron went easily into his arms, resting his head on Dave's chest, thinking to himself how easily he could get used to this. Dave was thinking the same thing as he planted a kiss on Aaron's head, soothing his fingers through his short, inky, black hair.
"Will you and Jack come to the cabin with me for a few days? I know I asked before but things have changed between us and I don't want you to be uncomfortable. What are we going to tell Jack? He may be young but he's the son of a profiler, he's going to pick up on things."
"We'll tell him the truth in a way he can understand. That Daddy and Uncle Dave care for each other very much and want to spend more time together. I hardly think he's going to object to more of your cooking," Aaron said with a self-deprecating laugh before kissing Dave once and falling asleep in his arms.
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The next morning the men woke early to keep Jack from finding them in bed together before they could talk to him. Aaron knew he wouldn't care, he just wanted to tell him rather than have him walk in on them together. They agreed to keep displays of affection to a minimum until he had been told as well, which was difficult for Dave. He was a very tactile man and enjoyed touching his partner with gentle caresses and quick kisses. It was killing him to keep his hands to himself with Aaron's ass encased in those sinfully tight jeans he was wearing, too.
Once Jack was up and fed, he and Aaron headed home for a few hours to do some laundry and pack some things to stay at the cabin for a few days with Dave. Aaron was nervous, he'd explored his sexuality in college but never to a full extent and he knew nights sharing a bed with Dave might become difficult if he wasn't ready to move forward with the relationship.
While Jack napped, he decided to call the one other person he trusted. They had bonded after Haley's death and had she been single at the time, he might have pursued a relationship with the blonde, but he was glad he hadn't now as she'd become his best friend other than Dave. No one, not even the other man knew how close they were, which was fine for both of them, it allowed them to fly under the radar when planning pranks. This time though, he needed her advice.
"Hey, Penny, it's Aaron. Can you come over? I um, I have a date," he stammered nervously into his cellphone when the eccentric tech analyst answered.
"What? Oh! Oh of course, Mon Capitan! I'll be right over. Do you need me to watch the Junior G-man so you can go?" She was thrilled to hear of her friend dating and would do anything to see that things went smoothly for him.
"No. No, he's coming with. I just need help deciding what to wear…and I need some advice," he stated a little more calmly, having heard she'd be right over. She just lived a few minutes away and often dropped by on weekends to hang out and watch movies or watch Jack so he could go to the market.
"Never fear, the fashion squad is on the way. I'll be there in 10, Garcia out."
Aaron paced his bedroom nervously as he waited for Garcia to arrive. In his head he listed off reasons not to take the next step with Rossi. Surprisingly there were few. As his supervisor, he knew his health and disease status were both clean. Mentally, they were a match as well, Dave being more extroverted to his own stoic, introvert personality. Dave was even his type physically. The only setbacks he could see were Jack's reaction and how the team would take it. The archaic no fraternization policy that Dave was often teased about being responsible for, wasn't even a problem as it had been retired.
"So what's stopping you?" He heard from behind him as Penelope entered his bedroom. She laughed at the chaos atop his bed and began pairing up outfits.
"Was I thinking out loud again?" he pondered once he got over his initial shock.
"Kinda. So what's her name that has you so twitterpated all of a sudden, Hotch?" the blonde inquired as she cleared them a space to sit and talk.
Aaron blushed faintly, causing Penelope's eyes to go wide. She'd rarely seen the man's feathers quite so ruffled.
"His name is Rossi," he answered almost shyly.
"Rossi? As in Dave? As in Agent Awesome? Rossi?," she squealed. "Omygod Hotch, this is wonderful! I'm so happy for you! I assume he feels the same? I'll leave him penniless if he dares hurt my bestie!" She growled protectively.
"Easy, Penny," Aaron laughed. "I think it's safe to say he feels the same way. He kissed me first and he's invited us to come stay at the cabin with him during this week off. Luckily it coincides with Jack's spring break at school. He even quoted Billy Joel. The Beatles would have been too obvious, I guess."
Penelope nodded approvingly. Eyeing the clothes on the bed, she started rearranging outfits now that she knew the destination and purpose. "You need more down time clothes, honey. Four pairs of jeans is just sad. With an ass like yours you need to be displaying it!"
"Pen! You better not say things like that in front of Dave!"
"Believe me, he'll agree and probably want to take you shopping. In Italy. Let me give you a little piece of advice on that one. GO!!!"
Hotch sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying not to laugh. "You are exhausting, Garcia."
"And you're going to get laid tonight, sweetheart. I think you deserve it."
Aaron's face pales at the mention of sex and closes his eyes, trying to block out the negative thoughts and emotions.
Penelope sees his reaction and quiets, taking his hand. "Hotch….Aaron, what's going on? What is this bringing up for you?"
"I'm scared. I haven't been with anyone since Haley. And the scars from what Foyet did…what…what if Dave looks at them and can't get past them?"
"Oh sweetie, Dave cares for you. I dare say he might even love you. He's not going to be bothered by them. They are a part of you, but they don't define you. They show how hard you fought to stay here with us. He's seen the scars before hasn't he, when you room together on cases? It isn't like they're something he doesn't know about."
"I know I have no reason to be self-conscious, but I hate them. I want to feel perfect for him, you know?"
"Aaron Hotchner you look at me right now! You are a beautiful, terrific, perfect man with so much love to give and so much waiting to be given to you. Don't let Foyet ruin what you and Dave have before it even starts. Let Dave decide what he thinks is perfect about you. I'm willing to bet my fuzzy pen collection that he thinks pretty much everything is perfect about you, including those scars."
"Thank you, Penny. For always having the words I need to hear. I love you, my dearest friend."
"That's what best friends are for. I love you, too. Now let's get you packed for a fun week at the cabin."
They spend the next few hours talking and laughing as they pack. Jack wakes up and joins in the fun, insisting on packing an entire bag of toys along with his clothes and essentials. Finally they get everything loaded into Aaron's SUV and it's time to head to Dave's. They give Penelope hugs and kisses, thanking her for everything and promises to call her when they get home. She sends them off with waves until she can no longer see their taillights and she gets in her own beloved Esther and heads for home.
"Jackers, once we get to Uncle Dave's there's something he and I want to talk to you about, ok?" Aaron prepared his son for the news of the new relationship talk.
"Ok Daddy. Am I in trouble? Did Mudgie and I do something wrong?" Jack worried.
"No, buddy, not at all. This is something good. We'll talk about it more when we get there, I promise. Are you excited to go to the cabin with Uncle Dave?" Aaron soothed the boy.
"Yeah! I can't wait to run around outside with Mudgie and go fishing with Uncle Dave!" Jack exclaimed.
"That does sound like fun, buddy. Did you bring movies for nighttime? And books for storytime? You know how much Uncle Dave likes storytime," Aaron double checked his son's packing.
"He's good at reading stories, Daddy. He does better voices even than Uncle Spencer!" Jack enthused.
"Wow, that's pretty amazing. You love Uncle Spencer's stories. What would you think if someday Uncle Dave could read you stories every night? Uncle Dave could read to you and Daddy could tuck you in. What would you think of that?" Aaron pondered aloud.
"Really? Every night? What about the bad guys? Who would catch them?" Jack asked concern in his little voice.
"Don't worry, Uncle Dave and I will still catch the bad guys. This would be between bad guys. You know Daddy will always catch the bad guys to make it safe for you." The profiler and father consoled his son as only he could.
The two continued to chat lightheartedly as they made their way back to Rossi's mansion for the night. They would leave for the cabin early the next morning. In the meantime, there were movies to be watched and stories to be read and pasta to be eaten and an old dog to be loved on.
They arrived at Dave's late in the afternoon much to Jack's delight. There was still enough light in the backyard to run with Mudgie while Aaron and Dave sorted out unloading one SUV and loading the other. As soon as Jack was out of sight though, Dave pulled Aaron into his arms for a deep kiss, filled with longing and affection.
"I missed you today. I couldn't wait until you got back and I could do that again," Dave said against Aaron's lips as he went in for another kiss.
The younger man smiled and returned the kiss with pleasure, happy to be in Dave's embrace. "I told Jack we wanted to talk to him about something important tonight. I don't want to wait. I want to be open with him."
"Good, that means I don't have to keep my hands to myself when he's around now. I can be affectionate with my lover, the way an Italian is supposed to be," Dave said teasingly.
"Let's go talk to him now then, it's getting too dark for him to be outside alone anyway." Hotch smiled at the teasing from Dave, and at being called his lover. He offered his hand to Dave and the men followed the sounds of laughter and barking.
"Hey Jack, come on over. Your dad and I have something we want to talk to you about," Dave called out to the boy he thought of as his own. He was thinking of the future already, in fact, and of making the boy his if Aaron would someday allow it.
Aaron and Dave sat hand in hand on the glider on the deck. Dave patted his lap for Jack to climb up and sit. The boy noticed their clasped hands but didn't think anything of it, he held hands with his friends all the time. Once Jack was settled, Dave set the glider in motion, nervous energy in his legs keeping them going. He knew Jack would be fine with their relationship but he was nervous about his reaction just the same. This was the one bit of approval they needed on Aaron's side to move forward with the relationship so it all hinged on Jack's reaction.
"Jack, you know that you dad and I are good friends, right?" Dave waited for Jack to nod before continuing. "Well for a while I have been thinking that I didn't want your dad to be just my friend. I wanted to spend more time with him and do things that people who are more than friends do. Do you understand so far?"
Jack nodded slowly. "I think so. You want Daddy to be your girlfriend. But daddy's a boy and you're a boy. Can boys date boys?"
Aaron smiled, relieved that Jack was taking this so easily. "Of course they can. Bert and Ernie are boys aren't they? They date each other. Mr. Ratburn on Arthur has a husband. Lots of men date each other. And women date each other too. Aunt Penny dates both men and women. So see, really the easiest way to explain is just to say, people date people."
"You're a smart boy, Jack. Yes, I want your daddy to be my boyfriend. That sounds a little silly for someone my age, though, so how about partner? What do you think of that?" Dave asked Jack but he was looking deep in Aaron's dark eyes when he said it.
"There's something else I want to ask you too, Jack. I want you to really think about this because it's important and serious. I want you to think about maybe calling me Papa instead of Uncle Dave. I want to be your other dad someday and this will help you get ready for when that happens."
Aaron was stunned silent with Dave's question to Jack. Yes, he was falling for the man, but this was out of the blue. They hadn't discussed it at all. He looked down at Jack for his reaction.
"Two dads?! That would be so cool! But I think I should talk to Daddy first. Is that ok?" The six year old asked hesitantly.
"I think that is the best idea in the world. Why don't I go start dinner while you two talk it over." Dave settles Jack into Aaron's lap and heads into the house to cook dinner for the three of them.
"Ok buddy, what's up? What do you want to do?" Aaron asks openly, letting Jack know it's ok to express himself. He never wanted to be like his own parents, teaching Jack that having his own thoughts and feelings was wrong and that he had to always agree with authority figures.
Jack sniffled and looked up at Aaron, tears in his eyes. "I want to say yes, but I'm scared if I do it will hurt mommy's feelings."
"Oh Jack, no. Mommy would never be hurt that you have someone to love you and look after you. And she knew Dave and liked him. So you have nothing to worry about. She would be happy that he loves you and wants to be there for you." He reached down and wiped away his son's tears, hugging him tightly to his chest. "I want you to do what your heart says is the right thing for you, ok?"
"I think I'd like to go talk to Papa if that's ok, Daddy?" Jack asked quietly, his choice made.
"Of course it is, son. Go on in, you know where the kitchen is. Be sure you wash up before helping," Aaron encouraged, happy with the choice the boy had made. He knew things were moving quickly, but it didn't scare him in the least. After all, he had known his partner for the better part of 20 years at this point. It wasn't like they were strangers.
Aaron remained on the swing until well after the sun went down, thinking. He wondered how the rest of the team would react to them being together. Neither of them were they type to bring relationship issues to work, but this could change that. He was glad the frat rules were a thing of the past, but he was still going to have to hand off Dave's annual performance review to Strauss in favor of professionalism. She would surely love that.
He was lost in thought when Dave came to find him for dinner. "Aaron? Is everything alright, you didn't answer when I called you to wash up."
Aaron stood and pulled Dave to his chest, holding him close and kissing him tenderly. After a moment, he pulled back and whispered "Thank you," as he gazed deeply into the shorter man's eyes. "You've no idea how touched I am that you asked Jack to call you Papa. He adores you, you know."
"The feeling is mutual. I never got a chance to be a father, James wasn't meant for this Earth. But I love Jack like he was my own, and if things go the way I'd like, someday, he will be. I know that's a long time off, I just want you to know, I'm not looking at this or you in the short term," Dave said seriously, hoping to convey his growing feelings.
Just as he was about to answer, Aaron's stomach rumbled loudly, killing the moment and leading both men to burst into a fit of laughter. "I think that's the signal that I'm not feeding you enough, come on!" Dave exclaimed, taking Aaron's hand in his as they headed in to join Jack at the table.
Dinner was relaxed, and enjoyable for the budding family unit. They talked and laughed, making plans for the coming week at the cabin. Since they were on stand down, not vacation, they couldn't be called out on a case, so they were guaranteed a week of relaxing, fishing, hiking and spending time together, just the three of them.
Bedtime was a festive affair, with the newly christened Papa reading stories and Daddy tucking in. Mudgie stationed himself at the foot of Jack's bed and flatly refused to move when it was time for lights out, showing Dave for the big softie he was at heart, as he pet the dog on the head before leaving the room.
The couple retired early as well, heading for the master with only a look to confirm for Dave where his partner wanted to go. They made their way down the hall, turning off lights and locking doors as they went.
"I'm really looking forward to this time away with you," Aaron said quietly when they reached the master and closed the door for the night.
"Really? Why's that?" Dave asked with a smile, sensing now wasn't a time to joke with his new lover. There was something about the softness of his tone that said he was opening up, making himself vulnerable and that was a very rare and special thing that he didn't want to bungle by teasing him.
"It's going to show if we're really compatible as a family or not. You've already asked Jack to look at you as a father, we both know that we want to be together, and in spite of your track record, I know you don't take family lightly."
Dave's eyes softened as he listened to Aaron. His words were a balm on his weary heart. Just knowing he wanted this, wanted them to be a family gave him hope for their future together.
"You're right, I don't take family lightly and I meant it when I said if things progress, I want Jack to be mine too. I want to take care of him and be responsible for him. I want us to be together, Aaron. I want the three of us to be a family." Dave leaned in and placed a tender kiss on Aaron's lips.
Aaron pulled Dave into himself, deepening the kiss as his hand came up to cup the older profiler's jaw, caressing his face with long fingers. Dave moaned into the kiss, his tongue begging entrance to Aaron's mouth. Lips quickly parted, Aaron stroked and danced his tongue with Dave's, groaning at the heady sensations.
Dave swiftly took control of the kiss, bringing his hands to the trim waist of his lover, then lower, to cup his muscular ass. He heard him gasp and pulled their hips together, causing the gasp to become a moan. Dave broke from the kiss panting for breath and experimentally rocked his hips against Aaron's.
Aaron cried out in pleasure and barely kept his knees from buckling. When he gained his breath after the kiss, he looked at Dave and said with a growl, "Let's go to bed."
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In the morning, Aaron lay awake for some time, just watching his lover sleep. He knew Dave wanted to get an early start, but he was enjoying the quiet time to really think about what had transpired over the last few days and how things had changed between them. It had been a long time since he'd felt this way, but he was sure of his feelings. He'd never been one to waffle over something so important anyway.
Leaning down, he pressed a tender kiss to Dave's mouth, waking him gently. "Good morning, sleepy head. It's after 8. We need to get going."
Dave let out a tired moan and tried to pull Aaron back down into bed with him. "Mmmm, come here and I'll make it a good morning, babe."
"As wonderful as that sounds, Jack is going to come knocking on our door any minute and I really don't want to explain the birds and the bees of homosexuality to my 6 year old. Besides, you're the one who wanted to get an early start for Little Creek," Aaron smiled as he reluctantly broke from Dave's hold.
Dave groaned and rose from the bed, padding naked to the bathroom. He called back, "You could join me in the shower, you know." Aaron was contemplating doing just that when the small knock came at the bedroom door.
"Daddy, Papa? When are you gonna get up? I'm hungry and Mudgie wants to go out," Jack's voice was just this side of whiny, so the widowed father knew the boy must be at the end of his patience.
"One second, Jackers! Let daddy get a robe on. Papa is in the shower. What do you want me to make you for breakfast," Aaron called through the door, praying the boy wouldn't insist on Dave making an elaborate breakfast.
"Can I have raisin bran? I'm too hungry to wait for Papa to cook," the boy answered, relief in his voice that he'd found an awake parent.
Aaron appeared at the door and scooped up his impatient son. "Raisin bran it is, my boy. How about some juice to go with it? Apple or orange?" From then on Aaron kept up a steady stream of chatter with Jack as they both ate breakfast, waiting for Dave to get ready.
When Dave came down to the breakfast nook dressed and ready, he and Aaron switched places with a quick kiss so Aaron could shower and dress. Once he and Jack were finished eating, Dave enlisted the boy's help walking Mudgie in the backyard before they embarked on the 4 hour drive to his cabin.
Aaron finished his shower in record time, he had something he wanted to tell Dave before they left. He threw on a pair of the "ass hugging" jeans that Penny insisted he wear and a polo shirt, put on some cologne that she suggested and hurried down the stairs. He found his boys out back laughing at Mudgie's antics. It's now or never he thought to himself as he walked across the well kept grass.
He walked straight up to Dave, pulled him into his arms and kissed him, slowly and tenderly. Pulling away, he said quietly, so only Dave could hear, "Haley's last words to me were to show Jack what love looks like. I have struggled with that, I never felt I deserved to be loved after what happened to her. Over the years and especially the past few months that has slowly changed because of you. You make me want to be better, a better man, father, partner, everything. I have fallen in love with you, Dave. You are my best friend and I want you to be my partner in life. Will you help me show Jack what love is?"
A slow smile spread across Rossi's handsome face as he listened to Aaron's quiet confession. "Bello, mi amore. My life has been a series of mistakes and missteps since I lost Carolyn. I think all that was practice so I would be ready for when you came along. I've been in love with you longer than you know and nothing would make me happier than to teach our son what love looks like, in all its forms."
The men kissed again, solidifying their bond of love, before loading their small family in Dave's SUV for a fun-filled week at the cabin at Little Creek.