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He really should have seen something like this coming. He knew his team well and at their core they had the best hearts of anyone he knew, but they were meddlers. The whole lot of them. They had to poke and prod and nose around, peeling back his defensive walls and plowing right into the things he wanted to pretend weren’t affecting him. Which was how Aaron Hotchner came to be standing outside the glass doors of the BAU at five thirty on a Tuesday morning staring at a large bundle of mistletoe suspended over the doorway. And given his team, he honestly couldn’t rule anyone out as being the guilty party.
Garcia was always the first suspect. She was the one who covered every inch of the bullpen and offices in Christmas Cheer as soon as December first rolled around. She even decorated his space, though she always kept it tasteful and toned down. And Garcia was enough of a romantic to enjoy something like mistletoe. He could already see her eyes glittering with delight at the thought of all the people who might get caught coming in and out of the bullpen from the elevators and other offices down the hall.
Hotch’s next suspicion landed on his best friend Dave. Dave had been after him all year about getting out there and dating again. Rossi definitely believed in playing the field and enjoying himself and often teased Hotch for his much more conservative and straight-laced ways. But would Dave go this far and risk himself getting caught? Probably. Rossi would probably stand there and grin as female agents strolled by and gave him the courtesy of a kiss.
Shifting his briefcase to the other hand, Hotch’s thoughts wandered to the next culprits. JJ and Emily both enjoyed walking the fine line between appropriate almost-not in equal measure. Something as simple as this would be right up either of their alley. He could see them both now giving him sultry, knowing smiles as they applied extra lipstick before pressing kisses to his cheeks. Just platonic enough to not make him completely uncomfortable at work while still ruffling him.
The elevator doors pinged and slid open. Hotch turned and watched Morgan step out, assessing him as he approached.
“What’s up?” Morgan wrinkled his brow and came to a stop beside his boss and friend.
Hotch pointed at the top of the doorframe, “Know anything about that?”
Morgan’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of the bundle of sprigs. “No. Garcia?”
“Maybe.”
“Could be anyone. Could be someone from another department altogether.”
Shaking his head, Hotch huffed out a chuckle, “I think only our team is just crazy enough for this.”
“I hear ya. It’s this job, we all need the stress relief.” Morgan pulled the glass door open, “You first, this doesn’t have to be weird.”
Hotch gave him a slight nod before hurrying up to his office. Five minutes later a familiar squeal of delight had him glancing out his window. Garcia was standing at the doors staring up at the leaves, bouncing on her heels and clapping. If she had placed it, she was doing a good job faking. Hotch decided to step down and talk to her.
“Oh, Bossman! Did you see this?”
“I did Garcia, know anything about it?”
She stared at him a second, “Oh, no, I didn’t do this. I swear to you. I’m all for the Christmas spirit, but a tradition of being forced to accept advances from other people, I’m not okay with that. At a party where everyone is likely to play along is fine, but this? No.”
“Okay. I just wondered.” He hesitated at the glint that came to her eyes.
“But there’s no reason we can’t, ya know, play along. Right?” She gave him her best smile.
“What?”
Rolling her eyes and blushing slightly, “I’m here, under the mistletoe. I’m game if you are.”
Hotch felt his ears and cheeks start to burn, “I, uhh.”
She put out her hands, inviting him closer, “Please?”
Glancing around and finding the floor still empty, he sighed and stepped forward. His pecked a kiss to her cheek and in return she pulled him down and placed a sweet kiss to his forehead, providing him a front row view of her ample cleavage.
Hotch took a step back when she released him, taking several deep breaths to calm himself.
“Merry Christmas Aaron.” She gave him another smile before turning toward her own office.
Lost in thought as he stared at the space she had been standing in, Hotch didn’t hear someone approaching.
“I swear it wasn’t me.”
Turning to the older man, Hotch raised one eyebrow in question.
Rossi gestured up, “If it’d been me, I would have put it over the door to your office.” He assessed his friend, “I see Garcia is here.”
“Huh?”
Dave tapped his own forehead right in the middle.
“Crap.” Hotch went to wipe the mark off.
“No, don’t. For today, leave it. Be a good sport. I’m sure we’ll all look like that by the end.” Rossi smirked and waggled his eyebrows suggestively, causing his friend to grin and roll his eyes.
“Fine. But everyone else better get caught too.”
==
An hour later Hotch was working he way through agent reviews when his phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he picked it up, “Yes?”
Giggling, JJ answered, “Good morning Hotch. Could you come help with a couple boxes?”
“Sure, where are you?” He stood, leaving his office.
“Elevator.” The call cut off.
Hotch didn’t register the voices until he was already pushing the door open. The three ladies of the BAU were standing just outside the elevators, grinning. He was instantly on alert.
Emily caught his arm and Hotch swore internally over the fact none of them had qualms about entering his personal space. “C’mon Hotch!” She almost-whined. “We already pounced on Morgan headed for coffee and I’m pretty sure Rossi was stalking the door.”
Hotch sighed, which apparently was permission as JJ and Emily pressed kisses to his cheeks in tandem. A flash let him know Garcia’s part in this little setup. When they had backed away, but were still holding his arms, “Are you happy now?”
All three nodded furiously.
“Good. Now, any ideas who put that thing up there?”
“No, we have no idea.” JJ shrugged, “We thought one of the guys did it.”
“Well, I sure didn’t and Morgan and Rossi claim they are innocent. Their micro expressions said they were being honest.”
“Reid then?” Emily asked.
“He’s not in yet. Why would Reid do it?” Hotch answered. When they all suddenly looked like they wanted to be elsewhere, “What?”
“Nothing. You’ll have to ask him when he gets here.” Garcia took advantage of being further away and fled toward her office.
Just then the elevators slipped open again and Morgan, Rossi, and Reid stepped out. The two older agents had faces covered in lip prints and were wearing them proudly. The youngest was zeroed in on Hotch, who realized too late that he was still under the mistletoe.
Reid smirked, “I see you found it too.”
“Too? You put this up? Why?” Hotch watched him close the space between them.
“So I could do this.” Reid took Hotch’s face in his hands, pulling him close and brushing his lips across Aaron’s. After a moment to see how Hotch would react, Reid pressed in again, drawing Hotch into a deep and sensual kiss definitely not intended for the middle of the office surrounded by their coworkers.
When they broke apart to catch a breath, both bodies still pressed together, from behind him Hotch heard Dave say, “About bloody time.”
“Come on ladies, let’s give them a few minutes to calm down.” Morgan looped his arms around Emily and JJ, pulling them toward Garcia’s office with Dave trailing after.
Reid looked up at Hotch, “I, umm.” He chuckled nervously, causing himself to bump into Hotch.
Hotch felt Reid’s half-hardness bump the arousal he hadn’t realized he was starting to sport himself. “Let’s take this conversation to my office. Shall we?”
“Please.”