Work Text:
“Here are the reports you wanted Honeybee.” Emily commented as she walked into Aaron’s office without looking up. The shocked splutter was her only indication that Aaron wasn’t alone. “Hey Rossi,”
Rossi, who was still attempting to clear his coffee-clogged airways, vaguely waved a hand at her as he coughed and sputtered across Aaron’s office. Aaron, behind his desk, watched Rossi’s struggles with bemusement and smiled at Emily as she set the reports on his desk.
“Thanks Emily, do you need anything?” Aaron asked calmly, he was certain that he didn't need to perform the Heimlich manuvere on Rossi. This time.
“No, although if Rossi finally dies, can I have his office?” Emily remarked and Aaron half-shrugged his shoulders. As much as he didn’t want Rossi to die, the momentary peace and quiet would be a benefit.
“Sure,” Aaron replied as Emily grinned at him and left his office. Aaron looked back at Rossi, who had regained the full use of his lungs as well as the power of speech.
“‘Honeybee?!” Rossi asked incredulously. “Where the hell did that come from?”
“It’s just a nickname,” Aaron replied firmly. He knew what Rossi was insinuating but as always, Rossi had the wrong end of the stick.
“Hotch? Aaron? Agent Hotchner?” Emily asked, her irritation growing as Aaron continued to ignore her. He was in his Engrossed Stage; when he was so focused on work that nothing else existed and getting his attention was almost impossible. As frustrating as it was, it also provided a rare opportunity to call him any and every name until his attention returned. “Aaron? Sweetie? Babe? Hardass? Drill sergeant? Grumpy? Buttercup? Sunshine? Honey? Honeybee?”
“Honeybee?” Aaron asked, finally looking away from his file. The sound of Emily’s laughter reached his ears and he embarrassingly realised what had happened. Again. “Sorry Emily, how long have you been there?”
“Not too long,” Emily replied with a teasing grin. “Long enough to know that you now respond to ‘Honeybee.’”
“Emily-” Aaron began but Emily cut across him.
“I’m not giving this to Garcia, this nickname’s mine and mine alone.” Emily stated and there was something about the smile on her face, the amusement and glee in her eyes that found Aaron unable to argue with her. “Besides it suits you, like you, a honeybee is sweet with a little sting to it.”
“Just-just don’t do it in front of everyone.” Aaron requested and Emily shrugged her shoulders.
“I can try.”
“Good enough.”
And so Honeybee had remained as his nickname, one that Emily only used when it was the two of them alone. Whether when the others were asleep on the jet, when they were at the table in a bar while the others danced, on late nights in the BAU like tonight. It also meant that his birthday and Christmas presents now included at least one gift with a bee motif as well as Emily sending him pictures of various items adorned with bees and either a joking suggestion to buy it for him or a witty ‘it’s you’ comment. It was just a private joke between them. Just for when they were alone. Only he hadn’t been alone tonight and now Rossi knew of their secret.
As if Rossi hadn’t already been convinced of the imagined clandestine romance between him and Emily.
“Shut up Dave,” Aaron warned as Rossi held his hands up defensively.
“I didn’t say anything,” Rossi protested. Yet.
As soon as he was back in his own office, with a fresh cup of coffee, Rossi pulled out his phone. For once he was relieved that Garcia had bombarded him into downloading Whatsapp and teaching him how the ‘groupchat’ feature worked. Because he had something very important to share with the rest of the team.
David Rossi
So apparently Emily’s nickname for Hotch is ‘Honeybee’. Make of that what you will.
Derek Morgan
What?!
Penelope Garcia
That’s so cute! Hotch the Honeybee!
Jennifer Jareau
I’ve never heard her say that before.
Spencer Reid
Alliteration is a common guide for devising a nickname.
Derek Morgan
So does that mean they’re together or not? Because it’s getting boring waiting on them to figure it out.
David Rossi
No confirmation on them being together but it's obvious that something is definitely going on. No one could call Aaron Hotchner ‘Honeybee’ and still be alive unless there was something going on.
“Do you want to do the honours or will I?” Aaron asked Emily as they stood at the coffee maker. They could see Rossi in his office, furiously texting as the group chat flashed on Aaron’s phone screen repeatedly.
“Go for it,” Emily replied as she smiled at the particular mug Aaron had in his hand. A cream travel mug that was decorated with images of honeybees. It had started as a silly nickname but there was something genuine that had grown between them due to it. She didn’t want to stoop to obvious cliches and claim it was as ‘sweet as honey’ but, admittedly, it was.
Aaron Hotchner
You guys do know that Emily and I are in this chat and can see the messages?
Emily and Aaron watched as Rossi literally tossed his phone across his office before he sheepishly got up from behind his desk to collect his phone. Meanwhile the chat itself quickly filled with various emojis and apologies, with Morgan being brave enough to actually send a bee emoji before the chat fell silent once more. Rossi looked out of his office window, flipped them his middle finger before he pointedly shut his blinds.
“He’s going to sulk all evening now,” Emily commented. Rossi didn’t handle embarrassment or reminders about his struggles with modern technology too well.
“Maybe it’ll remind him to mind his own business,” Aaron remarked. “If you’re free tomorrow night, Jack wanted to know if you wanted to join us for pizza.”
“Sounds good,” Emily smiled, pizza nights with the Hotchner boys were also rapidly becoming a more frequent occurrence. A combination of greasy pizza, sodas and laughing at the jokes that were clearly aimed at adults while watching a kids movie with Jack; there was very little that could be better than that. “Now buzz off Honeybee,”
“Hilarious,” Aaron commented dryly as Emily returned to her desk and he to his office. He hadn’t initially been fond of the nickname that Emily had bestowed upon him. However, the sparkle in her eyes, the amusement and delight in her smile after each and every time she referred to him as ‘Honeybee’; well, that was too much for him to resist. He couldn’t bear to let Emily lose that spark of joy. Besides, the nickname had grown on him.
To Emily, he was Honeybee.
Her Honeybee.
And that was fine with him.