Chapter Text
You walked into the FBI’s headquarters. You had been here many times but it always felt weird. You didn’t work here, but your roommate Aaron Hotchner did. He was forgetful, especially on Monday mornings. Between Jack and his job, it was hard for him to keep track of his things. Today was one such morning. He had left a file on the kitchen counter and you were bringing it to him.
This had happened many times before and the security staff knew you well, you even had your own visitors pass. You were supposed to get a new one every time but the 5th time you came in in a month they let you laminate one and keep it. When the elevator dinged and brought you to the familiar bullpen Penelope Garcia walked up to you.
“Hey [Y/N], what are you doing here?” She said bringing you in for a hug.
”Hotch forgot something at home again.” You replied simply. “His memory seems to be getting worse every day.” You joked.
“Well, at least he has someone like you to bring him whatever he forgets.” You nod and walk over to Aaron’s office.
”Special delivery for one Aaron Hotchner.” You held out his file and walked in. His office door was wide open but he didn’t notice you until you spoke.
”Oh hey, oh my god I have been looking everywhere for that! Where was it?”
”Kitchen counter next to a pan of eggs. Thanks for breakfast by the way. You didn’t need to do that.”
”And you didn’t need to bring me my file but here you are.”
Derek, JJ, and Penelope were all standing around looking into Hotch’s window. Spencer walked up to join them.
”Morning guys…” he turned his head to the window. “What are you all looking at?”
”[Y/N] is here again.” JJ answered.
”Hotch forgot a file.” Penelope continued.
”Seriously?” Reid sighed disappointment hidden in his voice. “That’s the 8th time this month.”
”And it’s always [Y/N] who comes to the rescue. We have a bet going to see if he’s really just Hotch’s roommate.” Derek piped in.
”Isn’t Hotch straight and wouldn’t he tell us if he had a boyfriend?” Spencer questions.
”My guess is he’s worried we won’t accept him.” JJ said.
”I don’t think they are dating.” Emily said walking up to the rest of the team. “Hotch acts the same around [Y/N] as he acts around us.”
“Then why is [Y/N] always bringing Hotch the things he forgets, why does he sometimes bring us all coffee if he’s coming in, why is he always babysitting Jack?” Garcia rambled.
”Well if they are roommates then it makes sense that [Y/N] and Jack would be comfortable around each other.” Reid explains.
”And it would save money.” JJ piped in.
“Any way thank you for bringing me the file.” Hotch continues.
”Any time,” You pause. “Well, I would appreciate it if you could remember your stuff more often.” You laughed.
”I’m trying but with everything going on…” Hotch trailed off. You placed a hand on his shoulder.
”Aaron it’s ok. I know it’s been hard recently.” You give him a soft smile and he returns it. You both hear a loud gasp from outside and turn your heads. It was most of Hotch’s team huddled together talking and looking at you. As soon as they saw you they all turned to pretend to do something else.
”Why does your team act so weird whenever I’m here?” You ask.
”They think we are dating.” He said bluntly.
”Oh…” Your voice trailed off. “Why?”
“We live together and I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Is that it?”
“And they are crazy.” He said, you smiled at the simple joke.
“Well, I should get going. You aren’t the only one who has work to do.”
Hotch walked [Y/N] out of his office to the elevator. [Y/N] went down and Hotch came back to his team.
”What was that gasp about?” He asked. There was a thick silence. Everyone looking between each other but not at Hotch. It took many minutes for someone to break the silence.
”Good morning everyone,” Rossie said smiling. “I saw [Y/N] downstairs on my way up, what did you forget this time Hotch?”
”It was just a case file I was working on at home.”
”Why does [Y/N] always bring it to you?” Penelope questioned.
”Because he’s my roommate. I left the file on the kitchen counter, he saw it and brought it to me. It’s not that big a deal.”
”It wouldn’t be if it was a 1 time thing but this is the 8th time this month.” Spencer noted.
”I am going to say this once and only once, [Y/N] is my roommate. Nothing more. We are just friends.” Hotch said. His tone made it clear he was not angry but he was serious. He walked back into his office without another word, closing the door.
It had been a week since you had been at the BAU. Hotch was on a case in New Mexico and you were in charge of Jack.
You and Jack had a pretty good relationship. You were always there when Aaron couldn’t be and Jack was a sweet kid. After a year and a half of living with him and his dad, Jack was like a son to you. It was when you were driving him home from soccer practice that he said something unexpected.
”Are you going to be my new mom?”
”What… I… no I… where did you get that idea?”
”Well you live with us and you are always there for me.”
”Ok fair, I do always try and be there for you when your dad can’t but me and your dad are just friends.”
“But Dad looks at you like he looked at Mom.” Jack said softly. This had interesting implications. It could be that Aaron had feelings for you or it could just be that he cares about you. Jack was a smart kid but you couldn’t be sure if you believed him about this. And Jack hadn’t had another parental figure in his life since his mom died, you were the closest thing.
“Well, I don’t know about that one bud. I’m sure he cared about your mom differently than he cares about me.”
“But he does care. Like a lot.”
“I know that but it’s not the same way he cared about your mom.” You paused. “But if he did and I was your parent I would be a second dad, not your mom.” You laugh at the last bit and Jack laughs along.
”Well I like you and I hope you stay with us for a while.”
”I like you too bud, you’re a good kid.” You smile back at him through the window and see his happy face.
Aaron was home when you and Jack returned. He immediately ran into his dad’s arms and started telling him about his day. Hotch happily listened for a while until you started dinner and told Jack to do his homework. Once Jack had run off into his room you and Aaron started talking.
“So, how was New Mexico?” you asked as you started making tacos.
“Hot and tiring. 7 victims before we got the guy.”
“Wow. Well, at least you got him.”
“Doesn’t mean it was easy. How was your week?”
“Not very eventful until today. Jack asked me if I was going to be his new mom.” Aaron looked at you in shock.
”Seriously… What did you say?”
”I told him that our relationship isn’t like that and if I was going to be his parent I would be a second dad. It’s not that big a deal is it?”
”I just didn’t think he would ask you something like that.”
”He’s a smart kid, he assumed because we are friends who live together with him that we were a thing. It’s the same line of logic your team is following.”
”Yes but they are adults who tend to think outside the box.”
”Yeah, Jack is doing that too. He is your son I’m not exactly surprised. Why are you freaking out about it? I don’t think it’s a big deal.”
”I just don’t want him to get his hopes up just for you to start dating a girl and leave.” You stop cooking to properly look at Aaron.
”Hotch, I care about you and Jack. I am not going to get up and leave for some girl. Especially since I don’t like girls.”
”You know what I mean.” Hotch said blushing a little. “I don’t want to break his little heart again.” He was referring to his ex-wife. Her death was a tragedy and Jack was still trying to wrap his feelings around it all. Hotch wasn’t much better. They had been having problems before her death but it still hit him hard.
”I promise I’m not going to randomly take off and abandon you and Jack.” Aaron smiles at this, the blush on his face deepening slightly. “Do you remember how we met?”
“Yeah, you were helping out at Jack’s school, the Thanksgiving food drive.”
“I owed my friend a favor. She couldn’t make it but I could.”
“Jack insisted we go and help out. He was playing with the other kids and we were standing next to each other handing out soup.”
“We talked for hours and became friends, and 2 months later when my apartment burned down you offered to help.”
“But I had to go on a case. You agreed to watch Jack if you could crash at my place. When I got back we stayed up and talked for hours.”
“And I stayed with you until they rebuilt the apartment. But I didn’t move back in there,”
“You stayed here with Jack and I.” The two of you relayed the story to each other. You both hadn’t told anyone else the story but you told it to each other whenever either of you were feeling upset.
“But that does bring up another point.” You said putting fillings into tacos. “What is our relationship? We are roommates but I am becoming a second parent to your son. I’m not complaining I just… I don’t know what we are.” Aaron was slow to answer.
”I don’t know. I know I’m incredibly grateful and lucky to have you in my life. I know everyone including Jack thinks we are or should be dating.” He paused. “Sometimes I wonder what it would be like and what it would change if we were together.”
”Are you even into men?”
”Yes, I have been for a long time I just never really acted on it because of Haley.” It had been 2 years since her death and 1 and a half since you had moved in together. You and Aaron spent a lot of late nights talking about his ex-wife and her death.
”Well if we did start dating I don’t think it would change much. We already spend a lot of time together, Jack likes me, your team would stop betting on if we are a thing.” You paused. “Would you like to go on a date? See what it’s like?” You asked after a moment, blush plastering your face.
”Yeah I would like that. Let’s not tell anyone yet though. You know how my team can be.”
”Yeah I do.” You laugh. “How about we go get coffee tomorrow? You just got off a case so you have the day off and I don’t work on Fridays.”
”Sounds like a good plan.” He smiled.
”Sounds like a date.” You corrected jokingly.