A Fated Encounter 1

by SpencerandHotchlover

This story is extremely AU. Hotch still works at the BAU, but in this one Reid decided to go into another profession after a girl he had sex with in college turns out to be pregnant. Reid and Hotch meet totally by accident in Starbucks and sparks of sexual attraction immediately happen between the two. This is a M/M relationship. Haley is dead already.

1. Chapter 1

A Fated Encounter 1

Aaron Hotchner sighed and entered the Starbucks and looking around him quickly before he went to stand in the long line in order to get himself a coffee. He took his coffee just black, with no cream or sugar, and normally he would never have entered a place like Starbucks preferring to make his own at home, but he was really in the mood for a cup right now and his coffeemaker had just gone on the fritz and he hadn't had time to get a new one. He wasn't really looking forward to going shopping as he hated it, so perhaps he could get Garcia to get him one online and let him pay her back. Now there was a good idea Hotch thought deciding that he was going to do just that since he knew that Penelope Garcia loved to shop and wouldn't mind doing him this favor.

Hotch sighed deeply and looked around at the very busy Starbucks waiting patiently for his turn to order.

Finally it was his turn and he ordered a plain black coffee along with a bear claw. He paid for his order and looked around at all the tables that were filled with happy customers. Great, he thought, he should've known better than to come into a Starbucks on a Monday at this time of day when he knew they were bound to be busy.

Finally he spotted one seat at a table that looked like it had a father and his twin sons who looked like they were no more than four or so.

The man was tall and lanky, Hotch profiled automatically. He had longish brown hair, that was also a bit shaggy as if he had put off seeing a barber for a little and warm golden brown eyes. He was dressed casually in a heavy sweatshirt, jeans and boots. There was something about him, a gentleness in his body language and expression that drew Hotch to him. Sure he had dated some since his wife Haley had been killed by the Reaper a couple of years ago, although none of them had gotten past the causal stage Hotch was startled at his sudden attraction for although he had fooled around a little bit in college he had never had a serious relationship with another man before, but there was something about this guy and that he found himself attracted to.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Hotch asked politely when he had walked over to where the man and his two sons was sitting. "You appear to have the only available place to sit."

"Yes this place is rather packed," the stranger agreed his voice so dry that Hotch nearly blinked until he saw the humorous twinkle in the man's eyes.

"Oh sorry I didn't introduce myself I'm Aaron Hotchner."

"Dr. Spencer Reid, and these are my sons Lochlan and Landon. Boys say hello to Mr. Hotchner," Reid instructed his sons gently with a smile.

"Hello," both boys said smiling shyly not looking up from their hot chocolate and pastries.

"I'm sorry, they're a lot like me when I was their age, very shy around strangers."

"It's okay," Hotch assured the man with a half smile. "So how old are they?"

"They just turned four last month," Reid replied then asked politely. "Do you have any children?"

"Yes," Hotch replied, "a son, Jack."

"How old is he?"

"He turned five, four months ago," Hotch replied.

"So what do you do for a living?" asked Reid wanting to find out all he could about this man who he was very attracted to and had been ever since he sat down just a few minutes ago. He really wanted to ask him out, but he was also very cautious for he had his sons to think about and he would never put them in danger. Although he had children he had never been married his twin sons were the result of a one night stand with the girl just after his graduation from college. The girl had wanted to get an abortion, but he had offered her $50,000 to have the baby and to sign over parental rights to him or her. Where had that money come from a normal person would ask and he would reply that he had created a product and then sold it to a larger company to distribute for quite a lot of money. The company had offered him $5 million for the product because they saw a lot of potential for it and indeed it had became a major money maker. He had graduated college with three doctorates and four BAs he had taken his time deciding what he wanted to do with his life. He had wanted to join the FBI, the Bureau Analysis Unit, but he had decided against it as he didn't ever want to put his sons in danger because of his job. Finally he decided to do something that could be done from home as he needed something to keep his mind occupied, but he wanted to be there for his sons as much as possible. Now he was rich, famous and very well known in certain circles and he was surprised that his table companion hadn't recognized him since he had been in the paper and several business magazines in the last three years. He was labeled the boy genius as he was only 25 and yet he had made several fortunes in the last few years and was now worth more than $100 million dollars, but then again Aaron Hotchner might not read those magazines.

The mother of his sons, whose name was Clara had come back and tried to get him to marry her by using her wiles on him, but all she wanted his money and as should have been obvious she had not succeeded. Sure he was shy around the opposite sex until he got to know them, but he was also too smart to fall for her obvious manipulations. She had claimed that she wanted to be part of her sons lives and he'd had to remind her that she had willingly signed away her rights and hadn't seemed to broken up about it when they were born. He had warned her that any attempt to try to contact his sons or him and he would get his very high-priced lawyer on her and take her to court.

Spencer had known that all Clara wanted was for him to marry her so that she would inherit his money and that she didn't care one iota about him or his sons. In fact he wouldn't have been surprised to discover that practically before the ink was dry on the marriage certificate she would arrange some kind of accident for him and then raise his sons so that she could have all his money. He wouldn't be surprised if she arranged to drop his sons off at an orphanage and then live as a very rich woman for the rest of her life.

Oh Clara was clever enough to wait a few years before she arranged for his death as she wouldn't want to draw suspicion onto herself, but he had seen through her act almost immediately and sent her packing. Normally he wasn't the confrontal type, but he wasn't about to let Clara take advantage of him and therefore his sons. He had his sons to think about now and they were his whole life.

"I'm with the FBI, the behavioral analyst unit," Hotch explained calmly.

An immediate interest sparked in Spencer's eyes for that had been his first option for a career until he had been told that Clara was pregnant and then he had changed his mind. He had been stupid not to use protection, Spencer admitted to himself, but he has also been very drunk. He had been 20 and had gotten into this nightclub with a fake ID that had passed the inspection of the bouncer at the door. He had wanted to see what all the fuss was about, but he swore after that night that he would never drink again for apparently he didn't have the tolerance for it, since he had gotten quite drunk on just a couple of beers. He had woken up with a humongous headache with Clara still asleep spooned into his side. That he had woken up with a woman next to him had been something of a shock, but he had vaguely remembered the two of them stumbling into his apartment and attacking each other before the door closed. Clara was several years older than him at 25, but went to the same college he did as he had seen her around campus. He had secretly had a crush on her for over year and so at the time he had not been unpleased to be waking up next to her. As soon as Clara had woken up though she had gotten dressed without even bothering to take a shower and fled without even a goodbye.

It was several months later and he had tried to contact and talk to her, but she had been avoiding him when she contacted him out of the blue. It was then that he learn that she was pregnant and that she needed money for an abortion. Everybody on campus knew that Spencer had plenty of money since he had sold a program he had created to the government when he was just 18.

Spencer had immediately offered her $50,000 dollars if she didn't get an abortion and that he would take the baby as soon as he or she was born.

Clara had agreed as the money offered was just to much to pass up out of hand and when he had learned that it wasn't just a single baby but twins he had been ecstatic as he had always wanted a family of his own despite the fact that his mother was a paranoid schizophrenic which was an inheritable disease. It was more than possible that he would develop it himself the older he got, but he wasn't about to let Clara have an abortion if he could prevent it for those babies were of his blood despite the fact that it was possible they could develop his mother's schizophrenia later in life.

He wanted a family for he had always been lonely as a child, with no friends, as no one wanted to know him because he was so smart and graduated high school by the age of 12. He had an IQ of 187 and had came off as a know-it-all despite the fact he had never tried to. It hadn't helped that he was much younger then normal high school and college students and nobody wanted to know a kid who they thought of as an arrogant know-it-all that didn't belong, no matter his IQ.

"That's very interesting," Reid said his tone mostly calm with just a hint of longing underneath, although the fascination in his eyes was impossible to miss for someone as observant as Aaron Hotchner.

"So, I take it from your tone that you thought about joining the Bureau," Hotch observed.

"I see I can't get anything past you," Spencer chuckled. "I did and it would have been my first choice for a career. I've always wanted to help people, but then I found out that the one girl I had sex with was pregnant and I decided that it would be to dangerous a profession for raising a family."

"You're not married," Hotch, did calmly.

"How do you figure that?" Spencer asked with a raised eyebrow. "I could have married the mother of my sons you know as it would've been the honorable thing to do."

"Well, for one thing you're not wearing a wedding ring so either you were married and got divorced at least a year ago or you would have a white line around where the band had been if it had been less then that or you never married in the first place and paid off this woman you slept with so you could raise your sons as I can't see her just handing them over to you."

"She wanted to get an abortion," Spencer almost growled, although he kept his voice down so as not to disturb his sons who were still busy eating their snacks and not paying attention to their conversation. "I wasn't about to let that happen if I could prevent it. I admit, although I'm ashamed of it now, that it was just a one night stand and I didn't use any protection, but in my defense I was also drunk. I was young and stupid at least where woman were concerned and so I made her an offer she couldn't refuse. She was talking about the life growing within her as if he or she was no more then a dog that had to be put down because of rabies and that's when I knew that I didn't love her like I thought. It was just a crush, but when you are young, no matter how smart you are, you mistake a crush for true, everlasting love."

Spencer fell silent surprised that he had told an almost complete stranger this, but he had known that for some odd and mysterious reason that he felt a connection to this man and had from the moment he had introduced himself. He somehow instinctively knew that he could trust Aaron Hotchner with anything and he would never betray that trust by revealing what he had been told, unless given permission to do so.

"You were taught to revere life," Hotch said with such certainty that it made Spencer blink.

"I was," Spencer confirmed after a moment of surprise.

"Why are you so surprised?" asked Hotch with a slight smile trying not to chuckle at the expression on Spencer's face. "I am a profiler after all and I am fairly good at my job. The BAU has a 91% success rate."

Spencer let out a chuckle at that for he knew that he had walked into that one.

"You got me there," Spencer admitted as he looked at his sons who would just finishing their snacks.

"Can we go to the zoo now, daddy?" asked one of the twins although Hotch wasn't familiar enough with them to tell which one it was.

"Of course," Spencer agreed as he ruffled each of his sons hair. "Go throw our plates and cutlery in the trashcan. You know where they are."

"Yeah!" the twins cheered excitedly.

"We'll see you later," Spencer told Hotch politely never expecting to see the man again, although he would soon discover how very wrong he was about that.

"See you, it was nice meeting you," Hotch agreed also never expecting to see Spencer Reid or his family again.

"And you," Spencer said is a two men shook hands politely. Both men were startled when sparks almost seemed to leap between their joined hands, but both dismissed it as a trick of the light or their overactive imaginations.

The two of them would soon discover just how wrong they were about that.

~~~Hotch and Reid~~~

Aaron Hotchner sat up in his bed quite suddenly, bathed in sweat having woken from very a intense sexual dream, all of them starring Spencer Reid in a leading role. Hotch sighed for this was not the first sexual dream he had and in fact he'd been having them ever since he and Spencer Reid had met just over three weeks ago now every single night. Hotch knew with certainty that he wouldn't be getting anymore sleep tonight and in fact he had not averaged more than 4 or 5 hours a night ever since he had met Spencer Reid in Starbucks. What could it all mean? Hotch wondered. He had barely talked to the man for half an hour that one time and yet ever since then he had been having such intense sexual dreams about him that he had to wash the sheets every day, because not only were they soaked in his sweat, they were also covered in his ejaculations from his cock where he had released his seed in his sleep and that hadn't happened since he had been a much younger man. What was he going to do for if this didn't stop soon he was going to go insane from lack of sleep as he had gone into work tired more than once in the last couple of weeks. He had even started to snap at the members of his team and he knew all of them wondered what had him in such a foul mood, but it wasn't like he could tell them that it was due to lack of sleep because of intense sexual dream because for one thing he would be to embarrassed to ever say such a thing and for another it was no one's business, but his own.

Hotch again went over the meeting with Spencer Reid in his mind for what was probably the thousandth time in the last three weeks and knew that that the other man hadn't done anything at all to cause him to have sexual dreams about him, and in fact he had been rather shy and a little nervous, but whether or not Spencer Reid had caused it, it had happened all the same.

Finally Hotch sighed and rose from the bed glancing at the clock seeing that it was only 4:30 in the morning. He had to be up in a couple of hours anyway, although he would've liked to spend that time sleeping he know he wouldn't be getting anymore sleep that particular night thanks to the dreams. In a way he looked forward to those dreams every night as he had not had such intense climaxes in well… ever actually, not even with his now deceased ex-wife Haley or when he had been a much younger man

Hotch was sure that making love to the man himself would make the dreams pale in comparison not that he could ever actually see that happening for he had always slept with women and never a man, although he had fooled around a little in college, but that had never been full blown sex.

Hotch headed into the bathroom knowing that now he would have to take a cold shower in order to get rid of his hard on as even masturbating probably wouldn't help in this case. After that he was going to have to unmake his bed and put on fresh sheets and put the soiled bedclothes in the washing machine yet again as he'd had to do every morning since he started having the dreams.

If these dreams he was having every night didn't stop soon he didn't know what he was going to do for lack of sleep not only had him snapping at the team, but almost at his son and he knew Jack wouldn't understand why he was snapping at him.

Well, first things first Hotch decided as the cold water made his cock go flaccid again, he was going to do his own research on Dr. Spencer Reid just to make sure he was who he said he was and there was no way he was going to ask Garcia for help because for one thing he would have to explain why he wanted the information and it would be to embarrassing to even attempt to do such a thing and for another this was no one else's business. Hotch knew he was decent on computers, although he wasn't even half as good as Garcia, but he at least should be up to finding out on his own some basic information about the young man he had met at Starbucks, although it still wouldn't explain the sparks that had lept between their joined hands or the intense sexual dreams he was having every night, but it would be a start anyway.

Hotch kept himself busy for the next couple of hours by doing choirs, he threw his dirty clothes as well as the bed sheets into the washing machine and when they were done into the dryer, he dusted, but didn't vacuum as he didn't want to wake up his son, and he cleaned the kitchen that he had been to tired to do the night before.

After all that was done, he want to take another shower, this one hot and got dressed in a suit for the day.

By the time he finished getting dressed it was time to get cook breakfast and once that was done get Jack up so he could begin to get ready for school.

An hour later Hotch entered the BAU and headed straight to his office to get a head start on the paperwork that was on his desk. He wanted to get as much of it done as he could just in case the team got called on a case.

Hotch looked up when there was a knock on his door and saw through the glass that it was Rossi and gestured him to enter.

"What can I do for you, Rossi?" Hotch asked as he put down his pen trying his best to appear casual and relaxed, although he knew that his old friend wouldn't be fooled.

"The team was just wondering why you haven't made an appearance. You know that you normally come out to the bullpen at least once or twice by now," Rossi commented as he sat in one of the chairs in front of Hotch's desk without an invitation. "I was also deputized to come in and see if you wanted to join us for lunch. Since it appears to be a slow day we thought we'd go out somewhere instead of ordering in like we normally do."

"No, tell the team that they can go to lunch," Hotch said, "as I still have too much paperwork to do to even consider going anywhere." Not to mention he didn't want to risk snapping at any of the team, because he had been doing that way to much in the last couple of weeks as it was, just because he was so damn tired and so he had made the decision to stay out of the way as much as possible unless they actually caught a case.

"You know, the paperwork isn't going anywhere and you do need to eat," Rossi pointed out, logically.

"You can bring back a sandwich or something," Hotch suggested. "You know what I like and I will of course pay you for it."

Rossi waved off the offer payment and then hesitated for a moment. "You know the team has noticed that you been very… grouchy lately. You've been snapping at everyone so is there something you want to talk about? You know if you get off your chest whatever it is it'll make you feel better."

"There's nothing to talk about," Hotch told the older man calmly. "I just haven't been sleeping well lately that's all."

"Bad dreams?" asked Rossi with a raised eyebrow.

"Something like that," Hotch said noncommittally not bothering to lie since he knew his old friend would see right through him if he did. Of course he didn't tell Rossi that it wasn't bad dreams that was disrupting his sleep, but sexual ones so intense that he couldn't go back to sleep afterwards no matter how tired he was.

Rossi raised an eyebrow again, but instead of curiosity like last time it was to tell Hotch that he knew that he wasn't telling the complete truth for he knew his old friend better than anyone else. Hotch met Rossi gaze steadily and finally it was the older man that was forced to lower his eyes. Rossi knew exactly how stubborn Hotch could be and if the younger man didn't want to talk about what was bothering him then there was no way in hell that anybody would be able to get anything out of him.

"If those bad dreams are keeping you from sleeping maybe you should go see a doctor and have him prescribe something for it?" Rossi suggested.

"I'll do that if I have to," Hotch said. "I'm hoping this problem will solve itself though."

"The problem must be really bad if you're willing to go see a doctor," Rossi commented with some surprise that his suggestion had been so easily accepted for Hotch hated going to the doctor with a passion unless he absolutely had to, which wasn't really surprising considering that he had been in the hospital more than once for things like gunshot wounds and there was one time where the team had thought he would die after he had been tortured by the Reaper or at least never be well enough to resume his job.

"It's so bad I'm really not getting more than 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night," Hotch informed his friend running a hand through his gelled up hair and then running a fist across his tired eyes.

"We've noticed," Rossi told his old friend dryly as the team had indeed noticed the dark shadows under their boss's eyes

"I'm not surprised," Hotch said with a wry tired half smile. "You are all profilers after all and you've been trained to notice things that aren't necessarily obvious. Believe me if I don't start getting some more sleep pretty soon I probably will go see a doctor as I am really tired of having no energy not to mention snapping at everyone, although I'm not sure what the doctor could actually do besides prescribe something for me to sleep and you know how I hate taking medication, except aspirin."

"I know it," Rossi said with a smile of his own, "but it sounds to me like you have a real problem. Humans need their sleep in order to function and it doesn't sound like you're getting very much of that."

"No I'm really not and in fact I've barely managed to stop myself from snapping at Jack and you know he's too young to understand why I would do that," Hotch said.

Rossi knew Hotch adored his son and normally he'd never snap or yell at him so his old friend not getting enough sleep really was a problem.

"You better figure out a solution soon then because while the team understands why you're snapping at them you're right in the fact that Jack's still so young that he won't," Rossi said. "I suppose I had better go as the team is waiting."

"I'll see you when you get back," Hotch said waving his old friend away dismissing him and Rossi took that for the hint it was and headed for Hotch's office door opening it and stepping through, making sure to close it behind him.

Hotch looked up just in time to see that Rossi was immediately surrounded by the rest of the team as soon as he had stepped away from the door of his office and Hotch had no trouble figuring out what the team wanted to know, although it looked like Rossi was fielding their questions expertly, though Hotch had expected no less from his old friend.

Finally Hotch turned his attention back to his paperwork and mentally groaned as he began reading the forms and then filling out the appropriate spaces after he was done tuning out the distant chatter of the rest of the team so he could concentrate on the forms in front of him.

As he worked he tried to figure out what to do about Spencer Reid, although he had yet to come to any kind of decision.

Spencer Reid not only invaded his dreams but also his every waking thought as well so that it was extremely hard to concentrate on anything at all, especially paperwork and his lack of sleep due to the dreams was not helping the situation at all. The dreams about him and Spencer were beyond pleasant, and in fact they were so intense and pleasurable that Hotch actually craved those dreams so much that it made him wonder what the hell was going on as that wasn't like him at all.

Hotch knew that something had to be done and soon or he was going to go insane from lack of sleep if nothing else. But really what could he actually do about the situation? He still had his research on Spencer Reid to do, but he would be doing that this evening after Jack went to bed and his next course of action would depend on what he discovered.

Hotch did his best to concentrate on his paperwork for the rest of the day and by quitting time he'd made a sizeable dent in the stack and was pleased with his progress, although he knew there would always be more.

Finally Hotch grabbed his suite coat off the back of his chair and headed for the door knowing that he had to puck up his son from his sister-in-law's house and for a change he wasn't going to be late.

~~~Hotch and Reid~~~

Several months later Spencer and his twin sons were sitting at one of the tables at the same Starbucks where he and Hotch had met them when the man himself walked in the door.

Hotch calmly stood in line and ordered himself a cup of coffee looking around the Starbucks casually as if searching for a seat.

When he spotted his target his expression didn't change by one iota and his gaze swept past Spencer and his children as if he hadn't even seen them, but inside he was jumping up and down in excitement and joy, a reaction that as very unlike him.

The thing was that he hadn't admitted even to himself until recently that meeting Spencer had done something to him. It had taken him awhile to realize that he liked Spencer more than just as a friend, or causal acquaintance even though they had only talked for a few minutes one day. He had never seriously dated a guy before. Sure he had fooled around a little in college, who hadn't, until he had met Haley and fallen in love.

He had almost totally forgotten about those times and never told another living soul about making out with another guy, not even his now deceased wife. After he and Haley had gotten married he had been loyal to her and never looked at anybody else romantically whether it was a guy or a girl for he had been totally in love with his wife at least for the first few years. After he had joined the FBI and was gone a lot he had still loved Haley, but all her complaining about his traveling all the time or his long hours started to get on his nerves after awhile. He didn't really blame Haley totally for the break up of their marriage as it had been partly his fault, but on the other hand she could have at least tried to understand that being an FBI agent required a very great commitment at least timewise.

The rest of the team had noticed how much of a grump he had been for the last several months. It wasn't that he meant to be such a grouch, but in his defense he hadn't been getting much sleep as he kept having very intense dreams every night since he had met Spencer.

He had never been seriously interested in another guy before, but knew he was capable because of his experiences in college.

The rest of the team wasn't exactly sure what the matter with him was, although they had all guessed at one point or another that he was sexually frustrated having not had sex in awhile and Hotch almost laughed out loud at that one for they had no idea how close to the truth they really were.

It had been exactly 1 year, 6 months 14 days 15 hours and 20 or so minutes since the last time he'd had sex with anyone and hadn't just taken care of his own needs. He wasn't as young as he used to be so his libido wasn't in as constant overdrive as when he had been a younger man, but he still had needs and he was hoping that Spencer would fill them, although he wasn't even sure if he was interested in his own sex or not as he did have sex with a woman in order to have his twin sons, but so had he so he couldn't really know could he? For all Hotch knew Spencer Reid could be bisexual, just like he had discovered himself to be recently.

Normally Hotch never would have considered such a course of action as having sex with somebody of his own gender, but his wet dreams had been so unbelievably intense lately that if he didn't get some real sleep soon he was going to go insane. It was bad enough that he was snapping at the team and had just barely prevented himself from snapping and being a grouch around his own son, but he had never had such intense feelings for anybody before, not even Haley.

Hotch had gone over and over the encounter with Spencer Reid in his mind thousands of times by now and he knew with absolute certainty that Spencer hadn't done anything deliberate to cause these feelings of intense desire that had stirred within him after their brief meeting three months ago. It was just something indefinable about the man himself. Perhaps it had to do with the the way that Spencer treated his sons, which was gently and lovingly just like any good parent would, or maybe it was the good-humor and intelligence that was sparkling in his golden brown eyes.

He had checked into Dr. Spencer Reid in the three months since their brief meeting at this very same coffee shop and what he'd found made his heart ache. Spencer Reid, only child of William and Diana Reid, the father had left when he was ten and his mother was a paranoid schizophrenic who had been institutionalized by Spencer when he had turned 18. Little Spencer Reid had been forced to grow up on his own and to look after his mother from a young age. He had graduated high school at age 12 and gone to college soon after. He had an eidetic memory and an IQ of a 187.

What wasn't in the information he had found, but that Hotch could quite accurately guess, due to knowing how the world worked, was the fact that he had almost certainly been picked on and bullied because he was so much more intelligent and younger in both high school and college. Hotch well knew how cruel kids and adults could be and yet despite all that Spencer Reid seemed to have turned out surprisingly normal. A man who was loving, compassionate, intelligent and didn't let other people make him become jaded or turn him cruel and cold or at least indifferent.

Hotch paid for his coffee and then headed to get himself a seat near Spencer and his sons. Why he felt if he had had to be near the man that he had talked to for perhaps half an hour three months ago he didn't know, but he also knew that he felt more at peace with himself with Spencer near. Normally he, Aaron Hotchner was a very confident man, but in this situation he felt slightly out of his depth, which wasn't something he normally felt at all.

"Well, howdy, stranger!" Spencer called waving Hotch over. "Care to join us?"

Hotch's expression didn't change, but he headed in Spencer's direction while his insides jumped for joy as he hadn't actually been intending to talk to him at all, just to observe him from a distance.

In all his years he had never felt like this about anyone not even Haley. He was like a teenager in the midst of his very first crush.

Sure he had crushed on other people before, but they had all been women and not for many years.

"Hey, how are you?" asked Hotch his tone as normal as he could make it under the circumstances.

"We are just fine," Spencer replied trying his best not to blush. He had not expected to run into the man he had a huge crush on since they had met three months ago. He had been having very intense dreams ever since he had met Aaron Hotchner and he had really hadn't been getting much sleep and he always woke up having ejaculated all over the bed. He was just glad that his sons were past the stage that they liked to climb into bed with him on a regular basis, because they would have no idea what was going on and you couldn't really explain having soaked sheets to two 4 year olds, no matter how intelligent.

He had never had such intense sexual dreams in his life not that he had dated much in the last few years, as all the women wanted was his money and not just him Dr. Spencer Reid of Las Vegas.

After he had met Aaron Hotchner and started having those wet dreams every night for more than a week he had done a lot of research as to why that was even though it wasn't really his area of expertise. What he had found he wasn't sure he believed but there had been a lot of research done on the subject of dreams and what they could mean. According to all the internet sources and books he had read he and Aaron Hotchner were soulmates, meant to discover each other and be together for the rest of their lives and the sparks that had leapt between their hands the minute they'd touched had been the first sign as it was almost like a recognition signal.

The next step would be to kiss on the lips, and then finally to make love. Once they did make love they would be bound together for the rest of their lives. He, Spencer Reid, was an extraordinarily intelligent, logical man who usually didn't believe in things he couldn't see or touch, but the almost tangible connection between him and Aaron Hotchner was impossible to deny. There hadn't been a day in the last three months that he hadn't thought of Aaron Hotchner at least a dozen times a day, although it was probably more like a hundred, Spencer thought with an inner weary smile.

The stories that had rung the most true for him were the ones that came from places like China and Japan as both countries had multiple legends about soulmates that went back thousands of years.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you here," Spencer greeted as Hotch sat down with his coffee and his pastry. "The boys and I come here every week." Spencer didn't say that he had been looking for Aaron ever since they had met and he had never reappeared until now.

"I've been extremely busy these last three months," Hotch said only half truthfully not willing to admit quite yet that he could have come here on several occasions, but had avoided doing that until he couldn't stand it anymore.

Hotch wasn't about to admit it, at least not anytime soon and that he had had an almost irresistible urge to come back to this Starbucks that was slightly out of the way of the team's usual lunch hangouts

Spencer's eyes narrowed a little at that as if he could sense that Hotch wasn't telling the complete truth.

"Me and the rest of the team have been gone quite a bit and it seems like we've hardly been home at all."

"So been catching the bad guys?" Spencer teased a little.

Hotch rolled his eyes at that. "We've caught about a dozen in the last few months. The last few months have been busier then normal as most the time we get at least a few days break in between, even if that's staying in the office and doing the endless amount of paperwork that is required."

"The government runs on paperwork," Spencer said, "but then so does any business."

"So what do you do for a living?" asked Hotch as this was one thing he had not been able to discover when he had been doing his research. He knew that he had asked Garcia she would have found out, but then Penelope Garcia was a computer guru and he was anything but. He was okay with computers, but she was absolutely brilliant and could practically make them sit up and beg. He hadn't wanted to bring any of the team in on this as he still wasn't sure where this was going, if anywhere. He had only met the guy one time after all and no matter how attracted he was to Spencer Reid he wasn't sure that they would ever meet again.

He had come into this Starbucks on the same day of the week that the two of them had met three months ago, not really expecting to find who he wouldn't admit even to himself, that he was searching for.

When he had spotted the person he had been looking for his heart had leapt for joy and he felt like a teenager again.

"I work from home," Spencer answered. "I write computer programs actually."

"Oh? What kind of programs?" asked Hotch.

"Well," Spencer began looking a little self-conscious. "I have created several programs that have made catching criminals easier. Since it was always my dream to join the FBI and the BAU in particular I thought this was a good way for me to contribute since I had to change my plans when I found out I was going to be a father. I sold my first program when I was 18 and the money I got would have set me and my sons up for life, but I'm not one to be idle and I would go insane unless I kept my brain occupied."

Spencer kept his hands wrapped around his coffee cup in order to prevent himself from touching the man across from him inappropriately, although it was extremely hard.

"I do other things other than write computer programs since it doesn't take me very long to do that. Really it's just something to keep me busy since I don't need the money."

"You're the one that created the facial recognition program?" asked Hotch finally remembering a comment that Garcia had made about how she was in love with the programmer of several time saving programs that had been specifically created to help catch criminals easier.

Spencer shrugged modestly.

"Our technical analyst Penelope Garcia practically worships you or at least your programs and has often said that they have made her job much easier."

Spencer blushed at that.

"Dad, can we go to the park now?" asked Lochlan.

"Of course," Spencer agreed. "Say goodbye to Mr. Hotchner and then go throw away your plates and I'll be right there."

"Bye," both boys told Hotch before leaving the table.

"Goodbye boys," Hotch said with a smile.

"I know this is kind of sudden," Spencer began hesitantly, "but would you like to join me for dinner?"

"Like as in a date?" asked Hotch with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Only if you want to think of it like that," Spencer demurred hastily blushing again. "If not it can just be two friends having a pleasant evening."

"I would like that very much," Hotch said a smile gracing his face. Spencer Reid blushed easily it seemed and it was a trait that Hotch found oddly endearing

"Would eight o'clock be okay?"

"That's fine," Hotch agreed. "Here's my cell number," he added handing over one of the business cards he kept in his wallet.

"And here's mine," Spencer said as he wrote down his number on the back of the napkin that was laying on the table.

~~~Hotch and Reid~~~

It had been arranged that the two of them would meet at the restaurant and luckily for him it was his day off, although he was aware that he could be called in at anytime, such was the nature of the beast or at least his job.

Hotch whistled as he began to get ready dressing casually but also slapping on some aftershave after he had taken a shower.

He was really looking forward to this date although he was aware that he had never dated another guy before. Sure he had fooled around a little in college, who hadn't? Going to college was really the first opportunity to get away from home and away from parental supervision and do what you wanted without fear of reprisals.

But for some reason he couldn't define his whole body tingled as he thought about Spencer Reid. Sure they'd only known about each other for three months and had only run into each other twice, but somehow Hotch knew deep down that they would be spending the rest of their lives together and that suited him just fine. Normally he wasn't the fanciful type at all, but he couldn't help feeling like he did and for the first time in to long he was truly happy.

Hotch finished getting dressed and then made sure to lock the door and set the alarm to his apartment before heading to his car to head to the restaurant to meet Spencer.

Hotch drove to the restaurant in silence and when he got there he strode inside confidently looking around.

"Can I help you, sir?" asked the waitress who was standing behind a little pulpit with a name sheet on it. "It'll be at least a 30 minute wait as we're quite busy tonight."

"Oh no, ma'am, I'm meeting someone here," Hotch said politely with a smile. "Spencer Reid. He should have made a reservation."

"Ah yes," the lady said with a smile as she gave Hotch the once-over, liking what she saw. "Dr. Reid comes here often, although he isn't here yet. I'll show you to his usual table or if you prefer you can wait for him right here."

"I'll wait for him right here, thank you," Hotch told the waitress politely not really noticing how pretty she was considering that his attention was elsewhere.

Hotch sat on the bench that was up against one of the walls and waited patiently knowing that he was a few minutes early. It wasn't long before his date came through the door and looked around him a little worriedly. When he spotted Hotch sitting on the bench waiting on him the worry slid from his expression and changed into a smile that seemed to light up the room and made Hotch's cock twitch in anticipation. Down boy, he firmly, but silently ordered that part of his anatomy. We'll get our chance soon.

Spencer strode over to where Hotch was sitting just as Aaron rose to his feet.

"I'm glad you came," Spencer told him quietly and something in his expression putting Hotch on the alert.

"You were expecting to be stood up?" asked Hotch curiously.

Spencer shrugged casually, "It's happened before."

An irrational surge of anger went through Hotch at Spencer's quiet words and he swore to himself if he ever met up with those former dates they would live to regret what they had done to his Spencer.

What? These feelings weren't like him at all and since when had he come to think of Spencer Reid as his? Since the first time they had met three months ago, Hotch realized suddenly, although he hadn't really thought about it at the time and in fact not until just now.

"Don't worry, I won't ever stand you up," Hotch promised protectively. "If I have to be out of town on a case, I'll make sure I call you and trust me it will happen, a lot. Being an FBI agent, especially in the Bureau Analysis Unit wrecks hell on love lives and families."

Spencer nodded feeling a warm surge of emotions go through him at Hotch's words as his statement implied that he wanted to do this again.

Spencer realized suddenly that what he wanted was to take Hotch in his arms and kiss the breath out of him, but he was going to let the other man take the lead as he wasn't usually that alpha male type and it had taken all his courage to ask Aaron Hotchner out on a date, although he was ecstatic that the other man had accepted immediately and hadn't rejected him.

A slow smile curled up onto his mouth and he squeezed Hotch's hand to show his appreciation. "I'm starving, shall we go and eat?"

"Yes," Hotch said squeezing Spencer's hand in return. The meaning that Hotch managed to convey in that one word made Spencer feel warm all the way down to his toes.

The two of them followed the waiter to their table, which was in a semi-dark corner and there was only room enough for two people.

"So, the waitress said you came here fairly often," Hotch said broaching the subject that had been on his mind.

"If that's your way of asking if I bring other dates here the answer is no since I really don't date much. I bring my sons here occasionally just to get out of the house."

"Why don't you date much?" asked Hotch with a raised eyebrow astonished at Spencer's answer as he figured that women would be after him just for his money alone and combine that with his personality and handsomeness and Hotch had figured that women would be all over him.

"Well, if you haven't figured it out already, I'm fairly shy where dating is concerned. A lot of it has to do with the fact that a lot my dates are only after my money and don't care one iota about me personally. Besides it pays to be cautious as there are many predators out there. I also have my sons to think of and I'm not about to bring someone into my house that they don't like or that doesn't like them. I don't make a big deal about having money and although some people I dated have known most of them don't have a clue. You really have to read the magazines that I've been featured in and most of those have been the scientific ones or the ones that features things like new computer programs. Also part of it is that I just haven't found anyone that I'm fairly compatible with. Someone who is intelligent and can carry on a conversation about almost anything. Most women don't pay attention to me when there's somebody more, I believe the word is buffed standing close by, even if they are as dumb as a bag of stones. I'm sure you know how people think and how the human race almost instinctively go after someone who is handsome or beautiful, not somebody ordinary like me."

"You are far from ordinary," Hotch protested automatically, but sincerely, although he also understood that most women or men for that matter wouldn't give Spencer a second glance. A lot of it had to do with his posture as most women wouldn't even notice someone who tended to fade into the background and who didn't deliberately draw attention to himself. It didn't help that Spencer was relatively shy at least around the opposite sex. Most people wouldn't go after someone so shy or even notice them.

"I'm glad you think so," Spencer said with a smile that lit up his face.

"I can see what you mean though," Hotch told him thoughtfully as he took Spencer's hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. "You were one of those that faded into the background as much as possible in high school, although with your intelligence that probably wasn't possible very often."

"No, it wasn't," Spencer agreed calmly trying not to think about how he had been relentlessly bullied in both high school and college. "Considering I graduated high school when I was 12 and the other students were at least five years older then me. Most of them considered me a kid or a nerd or an upstart that didn't belong there. I made absolutely no friends at all."

"Teenagers don't appreciate being shown up, or at least that's their way of thinking," Hotch said. "Most of those teenagers grow out of it and into decent adults, although there are some, especially those that bullied, that turn into criminals of one kind or another. Believe me I know considering my job."

"I know, I've got a lot of reading on the subject," Spencer admitted. "I know a lot about how people who bullied or got their way in more subtle ways turned into criminals once they were grown."

Hotch looked astonished at this as Reid seemed to know just as much as any profiler.

"Don't look so astonished," Spencer teased Hotch lightly. "I told you that my original goal was to be a member of the BAU until I found out that my one night stand was pregnant. A lot of this knowledge I got from reading on my own before I decided that a career with the FBI was out because of my sons. Once I read something I never forget it because I have an eidetic memory and also I read 20,000 words per minute. I could quote you pages from a book I read five years ago word for word if I really wanted to showoff."

"I have a feeling you would have fit right in on the team," Hotch admitted with a wry smile.

"Maybe," Spencer said not as confident as Hotch was. "I'm afraid that I'm very socially awkward as are a lot of people who have a high IQ like mine are. It took every ounce of courage I possessed in order to ask you out and I still feared rejection."

"You don't seem to socially awkward to me," Hotch said with a raised eyebrow.

"That's probably because I feel easier and more relaxed around you then I do most other people. Why that is when we really just met I don't know," Spencer said with a shrug, although he did have a clue as to why that was, but not one he was ready to reveal quite yet.

Hotch didn't respond, although he seemed to be mulling over what Spencer had told him.

"Just get me into a social situation sometime and you'll see how socially awkward I can be," Spencer said with a deprecating chuckle. "Crowds make me nervous, so I don't get out much, although I certainly get out more then I would because of my sons. My sons for the most part are just normal, rambunctious little boys, which they get from their mother, not from me and I try my best to encourage that. I hope telling you all this isn't going to scare you off like it has some people I've dated in the past few years. Most of the former people I dated don't seem to be willing to put up with all my little oddities or my brilliance."

"No, it doesn't scare me off," Hotch told him his eyes sparkling in the low light. "Every human on the face of this Earth has oddities and things about them that make them unique, if we were all the same life would be very boring indeed and I and the rest of my team would be out of a job. Anybody who doesn't believe that really has no idea what humans are really like,"

"That's one way to look at it, I suppose," Spencer said his tone calm, although inside he was relieved that he hadn't scared his date off.

"Every human is different," Hotch told him firmly. "Some people are just so shallow, with no depth that they don't see you for the brilliant, kind, loving man that you are."

"Thank you for the compliment, but you really don't know me that well," Spencer said blushing.

"It's not a compliment, if it's truth," Hotch said. "I've only known you for a short amount of time, but I can see how you are with your sons, how loving and gentle you are. Also you don't wave the fact that you have a lot of money in other's people's faces like some people do when they're better off than somebody else. A lot of times somebody that has a lot of money whether that's inherited or through hard work prances about all arrogantly demanding things just because they are rich. The problem is that a lot of businesses cater to that kind of person and therefore make them believe that they deserve better treatment then others who are not in their social stratosphere. Believe me I've seen it multiple times in my line of work."

"Yes, I've met a few people like that too," Spencer agreed enjoying his time with Aaron immensely. "It seems to happen more often with those that have inherited their wealth or have had trust funds set up for them by their parents. It seems to give them a sense of entitlement that most of the time they do not deserve."

What Spencer didn't say out loud but was in his thoughts was that his father had been a lot like that, and more than likely still was, all, thinking that he deserved special treatment even though he had not been rich until he had started working as a lawyer.

When William Reid had abandoned him and his mother Diana when he had been ten he had been devastated, but later had grown up enough to realize that his father was a selfish and arrogant man that didn't want to deal with his wife's worsening paranoid schizophrenia or his son's profound intelligence. He had left them in that house to rot and hopefully disappear so that he would have clean hands and a clean conscious and wouldn't have to be concerned with his disappointment of a family anymore.

William Reid had no idea that he had two grandsons and even if he had known Spencer had no intention of letting his father anywhere near his sons and would take him to court if it ever proved necessary in order to assure that William Reid stayed away from him and his sons.

Hotch was enjoying this date more than he had any other, especially the ones he had had with Beth a few months ago. He had dated some of course, but he hadn't ever really been casual with his affections, at least not since he was a young man, and he had still been grieving for his late wife Haley which had contributed. He still blamed himself for what had happened to her and even though they had been divorced at the time he still loved her. He was just glad that he had been able to save his son. Spencer Reid was an articulate, intelligent, well read man and knew about a variety of subjects including quite a few that could've helped solve some cases quite a bit sooner than they had been several years ago.

"So who watches your sons when you have to be somewhere?" asked Hotch curiously.

"Oh I have a live-in housekeeper," Spencer explained. "The boys have known her all their lives and adore her. She's an older lady and her husband passed away several years before the boys were born and all her children are grown. I was really lucky to have found her actually. I contacted a temp agency and I went through quite a few before her."

Spencer made a face as he remembered those other numerous housekeepers.

"None of the others worked out?" asked Hotch as he saw Spencer's expression.

"No," Spencer said with a grimace. "All the others were young, beautiful, and it was clear all they wanted was a rich husband and not have to worry about doing anymore work. They made me extremely uncomfortable and not a single one of them was any good with the boys. Sara though, knows how to handle children, cook, clean and do everything a housekeeper is supposed to do and so I hired her permanently. Now she's part of the family and like a grandmother to the boys and to me. She adores them and spoils them rotten when she thinks I'm not around. I make sure I pay her extra, for every time she has to look after the boys for a few hours, despite her protests."

"I'm glad you have someone to help you look after your sons as I know looking after one child is a lot of work and if I didn't have Jessica my former sister-in-law to look after Jack then I would never be able to continue working at the BAU, since we are gone a lot." Hotch didn't mention how Strauss had offered him early retirement after his wife had been killed by the Reaper so that he could look after his son. It had been shortly after his wife's death and Hotch had seriously considered taking it, but had turned it down in the end.

The day was coming soon that Hotch would have to tell Spencer that working with the BAU was dangerous and he had been shot several times so it was possible he could die on one of the cases, although he was always careful, except for right after his ex-wife's death, when he had been grieving.

The waiter arrived just then with the check and Spencer snatched it up before Hotch could. "I'm the one that asked you out to dinner," Spencer told Hotch his tone brooking no argument, "so I'll be paying the check."

"Alright," Hotch conceded with a smile. "I'll just invite you out to dinner next time and I'll be paying."

"That's fine," Spencer agreed with a grin glad that he had gotten Aaron to give in so easily. "I'll look forward to it."

"How about this weekend?"

"Sounds good. Just about anytime at all is ok as I can work whenever I want and from home."

"Well, I promised to spend Saturday with, Jack but he goes to bed at eight, although Sunday would be better since he's going over to a friend's to spend the day after church."

"So about two? We can spend the day together?" Spencer asked

"Sounds good," Hotch agreed trying not to sound to eager. "The team gets most weekends off, although we do work occasionally so unless I get called in I don't have to go back until Monday."

"We'll set something up for Sunday then," Spencer agreed as the two of them walked out to their separate cars.

"You're welcome to call me anytime and if I'm not busy I'll answer," Hotch said. "Don't worry if I don't answer as it means I'm either on a case or in a meeting and I'll call you back as soon as I can. I have enjoyed tonight more than I have any other date in a long time."

"So have I," Spencer told him wanting to kiss Aaron so badly, but holding off because he wasn't sure that he or Aaron were ready and besides it was only right to explain some things to him first.

Hotch also thought about kissing Spencer, but decided to hold off until they had more privacy for he somehow had a feeling that it would be explosive and he didn't want to be disturbed.

"I'll see you Sunday," Spencer murmured kissing Aaron on the cheek, which sent tingles through his whole body before heading to his car and climbing inside.

Hotch stood there after Spencer's car had pulled away feeling the tingling in his cheek from where it had been kissed and thought bemusedly he'd never thought in a million years that he could've fallen in love so fast or with another man, but he knew with absolute certainty that he was and he was fairly sure that Spencer Reid felt the same.

Hotch unlocked his car door and climbed in starting the engine and headed back to his apartment with a smile on his face and no longer feeling as grumpy and out of sorts as he had since Haley's death.

~~~Hotch and Reid~~~

Sunday

Hotch whistled as he prepared for his date. It had been decided that the two of them would stay in Hotch's apartment and watch movies while ordering out dinner, so that they could be alone together and also get to know each other a little.

When the knock on the door came Hotch strode forward and checked to see who was on the other side before opening the door to let Spencer into his home.

"Welcome," Hotch said as he hugged Spencer close to him after shutting the door.

Spencer looked around and saw how nicely the apartment was decorated as he followed Hotch down the short hall and into the combination den/living room area.

"Nice place you have here," Spencer commented looking around him studying the arrangement of furniture.

"Thank you," Hotch replied. "Really it is just a place to sleep since I'm not here much due to my job. I haven't had much of a life outside of work since I divorced actually."

"Well, hopefully I can change that," Reid murmured.

"I hope so to," Hotch said with a smile. "What would you like to drink?"

"Coffee, if you have it," Spencer answered immediately. "If not just water will do."

"You don't drink beer?" asked Hotch surprise in his tone. He should have known really for at the restaurant a few days ago Spencer had ordered coffee and their waiter hadn't even offered him the wine list, although the man had for him. What that implied was that the servers at the restaurant knew Spencer and his preferences, so hadn't bothered to offer him any alcohol.

"No, not really," Spencer offered with a shrug and an embarrassed smile. "Ever since that incident that resulted in my sons, I discovered that I'm not much of a drinker as I just don't have the head for it."

"Some people don't," Hotch said becoming ever more fascinated with Spencer Reid as he wasn't like most people, not that there was anything wrong with that and in fact it made him unique. "There's nothing wrong with not being able to drink alcohol, although I'm sure that Derek Morgan would disagree with that."

"Derek Morgan?" asked Spencer wondering if this was somebody else that Hotch had dated in the past and feeling a hot surge of jealousy go through him at that thought.

"Morgan is part of the team I mentioned," Hotch calmly explained, although he had seen the jealousy on the Spencer's face and it made him want to smile. One didn't get jealous, unless one was attached. In other words if the two of them hadn't had feelings for each other their would be no reason to be jealous. "The team is like a family and we watch out for each other. There's no reason to be jealous, Morgan is interested in our technical analyst Penelope Garcia that I mentioned before, although neither at the moment wants to admit it. Morgan is a major flirt and player, if you know what I mean and why he just doesn't stake his claim when it is clear that he and Garcia both have feelings for each other I don't have a clue."

Spencer's jealousy vanished like the wind at that. "Why don't you tell me about the rest of the team as I'm sure I'll meet them at some point."

"Alright," Hotch agreed as he came and sat beside Spencer on the couch with a beer for him and a glass of water for his guest. "Well there is JJ, which is an abbreviation for Jennifer Jareau and she is the teams communication liaisons with police departments around the country and she also handles press conferences. Once you meet her don't be surprised if she starts treating you like a little brother, but she is that way with the rest of the team and think of them all like family and in fact Garcia is godmother to her son Henry. Next is David Rossi who came out of retirement when Jason Gideon who was the unit chief left after a case a few years ago. He is also something of a ladies man and has been married three times, which kind of burned him from ever getting married again since he's also divorced three times. He is an excellent profiler though as it is JJ even though technically it's not her job. Last but not least is Emily Prentiss who came on to the team just a few years ago after another member left and at first I didn't want to accept her figuring that her parents had gotten her the position, since they both have considerable influence, but I have since been proven wrong about that and she is a damn fine profiler and we are lucky to have her on the team."

"Your team is important to you, you called them your family, will they accept our relationship?"

"Yes," Hotch answered immediately without a single doubt in his voice. "So long as I am happy and they see that they won't have a single problem about our relationship. Once they get to know you every single one of them will be family to you too."

"Family," Spencer said almost dreamily and also a little wistfully. "I really don't have much family except for my sons and I suppose we should include Sara as well under that definition."

"Family, isn't always defined by blood or marriage," Hotch told Spencer softly. "Family is all about the people who care for you and who would do anything in order to protect you. Family, is about the people who are always there for you when you need a weep on a shoulder or for all the important events in your life. They are people, who remember your birthday, or your anniversary or who wishes you congratulations on a job well done. Family isn't necessarily your parents or your siblings, but can be people you're really close to as well even if that's not the exact dictionary definition."

"You make it sound so lovely," Spencer said looking pensive and a little sad.

"It is, and yes, I know how your father left you when you were 10 and how you had your mother committed to an institution when you were 18 as I did a little research on you on my own time. I didn't mean to invade your privacy I just wanted to make sure that you were you said you were since people have tried to get close to me or one of the team in the past with ill intentions."

"It's okay, I did a little bit of research on you to," Spencer admitted a little sheepishly. "It's a dangerous world out there and I wasn't about to get attached to someone and then bring them around my sons if you weren't who you said you were. Both of us are good at reading people, but it's better to be safe and all that."

Hotch was relieved that Spencer wasn't upset with him.

"Well, now that we have discovered that both of us are genuine why don't we put in a movie and cuddle on the couch?"

"Sounds like heaven," Spencer said with a smile kissing Aaron's cheek wishing it was his lips instead, but not wanting to push it since that would be the second stage of the bond and he had yet to inform Aaron about what he suspected. He wasn't sure that Aaron would believe it and in fact he wasn't sure he believed it, but all legends had at least a grain of truth to them and there had been those shocks when he and Aaron had touched for the first time by shaking hands and that happening couldn't really be explained by static electricity or any other way at least scientifically.

Spencer tried not to worry about how Aaron would react when he told him about the legend and how he believed that they were soulmates meant to be together as most people didn't believe in such things. Things that they couldn't see or touch or at least explain scientifically. On the other hand Aaron Hotchner was an FBI agent, a profiler and he was bound to have encountered things that could not be explained easily, but still...

The two of them decided on a movie and Hotch slipped it into the DVD player taking the remote from the table beside the couch. The movie started and both men sat close together and after awhile Hotch put his arm around Spencer's shoulder as the movie progressed and it wasn't long at all before he was leaning his head on Aaron's broad shoulder and snuggling close to him. Hotch glanced over at the man that had come to me so much to him in such a short amount of time and smiled kissing the top of his head, again feeling that surge of warm, fuzzy contentment as soon as he did.

What was going on with these feelings that didn't seem entirely his own he didn't know, but he suspected that Spencer did or at least had a theory about what was going on. Those sparks that had lept between their hands the minute they had touched when they had first met had been far from normal and couldn't be explained by any normal means that he could think of, not even something like static electricity. Also Hotch knew his own feelings and he had felt such a sense of… connection the minute he had sat down at Spencer's table at Starbucks, even before they had touched by shaking hands, the first time they had met and he honestly couldn't say that about anybody else, not even Haley.

He felt... Hotch groped for a word for a moment ...complete. Like he wouldn't be able to live if anything happened to Spencer or at the least he'd never be truly happy again without the younger man by his side. Normally it took him awhile to get close to someone, at least a couple of months since he wasn't normally one fall love at first sight, but in this case he felt as if he had known Spencer for years and not just months and the fact was that the two of them hadn't had any contact except that once three months ago when they'd first met, until just a few days.

The movie credits rolled and Hotch who had only been half watching pushed stop and came to a decision. He was going to ask Spencer if he felt the same way he did. If he felt complete and utterly happy so long as he was near. He was going to ask if he had a theory about the sparks that had lept between their hands the first time they had touched and if he felt like he would never be completely happy again if something was to happen to him. He, Aaron Hotchner was usually a man that demanded answers even if phrased politely, but with Spencer he would ask as gently as he could for he didn't want to frighten or upset him as he wasn't one of the criminals he caught and interrogated. In fact he was a man that he was coming to care about and love deeply and he didn't want to ruin that by being to rough or demanding.

"Spencer, I have a question for you and I want you to answer me as honestly as you can," Hotch said as soon as he had turned off the DVD player and TV.

Spencer sat up and looked at Hotch's serious expression and he knew immediately what was coming.

"Go ahead and ask me your question," Spencer said his voice steady, his expression unreadable, although there was visible anguish in his golden brown eyes.

Hotch could tell just from Spencer's body language that he knew what was coming and he was dejected expecting him to not believe the answer and for him to say he was lying. It was clear that Spencer expected to be rejected and to be ordered out of the apartment and to never darken his life again. What had Spencer gone through to expect such treatment? Humans could be cruel, Hotch knew that for a fact and considering his job he was more aware of human nature then most. Had Spencer been through a similar experience or even several of them for him to expect to be thrown out on his ear at the slightest opportunity?

"Why did sparks leap between our hands the first time we touched?" Hotch asked as calmly as possible trying not to let his emotions show. "Why do I feel such a feeling of completeness when we are touching and when you're gone I miss you so much that's it's extremely hard to not go and see you to make sure you are safe? I've never felt such strong emotions for anybody, not even my now deceased ex-wife Haley. I loved her, but the feelings weren't so… intense and I didn't constantly worry about her happiness and safety."

"I'm not sure you are going to like the answer or believe it," Spencer said slowly looking up into Hotch's dark eyes. "Hell, I'm not sure I believe it and I'm the one that did the research on the subject right after we met."

"So tell me what you discovered and let me make my own determination," Hotch said softly gently putting a hand on Spencer's cheek in a gesture of comfort causing the other man to automatically lean his head in that direction as if to absorb his touch.

"Well, you'll soon discover that I'm always am doing research on subjects that interest me and once I read something I never forget it. My place has an enormous library and every single book in there I've read at least once," Spencer a little hesitantly. Spencer paused for a moment and then continued, "After we met I started doing research, about a week later actually, especially when I started having intense dreams about you and me every night." At admitting that Spencer dropped his eyes to the floor and blushed a bright red.

Hotch had no trouble figuring out what kind of dreams Spencer had been having just from the way he dropped his eyes and blushed, but the truth was he had been having the same kind of dreams.

"Hey, there's no reason to be embarrassed, I've been having the same kind of dreams," Hotch admitted placing a finger under Spencer's chin and raising his head gently until their eyes met.

"You have?" Spencer's whole face lit up at Hotch's gentle words, so much so that he almost literally glowed and Hotch felt as if he had been punched in the stomach at Spencer's ecstatic expression. He realized almost immediately that he would do almost anything the see that expression on a regular basis.

"I have and I've never had such intense dreams in my whole life," Hotch admitted with a wry grin. "Everytime I had one of those dreams about you I woke up drenched in sweat and to find the sheets covered in my seed where I had climaxed in my sleep."

Spencer blushed again, for the same thing had happened to him every single time he'd had one of those sexual dreams too. Spencer relaxed a little at Hotch's words and then continued what he had been saying. "Well, I went to the bookstore and looked for books on the subject of dreams interpretation and though those were interesting and informative they really didn't have what I was looking for. Finally I figured that the internet would have what I was looking for and I simply googled my search terms. Google came up with thousands of sites, but the ones that really rang true for me were the ones from Japan. The Japanese have thousands of legends and myths, but the ones that I found that pertained to what I was looking for were the ones about soulmates." Spencer stopped there and gave Hotch time to absorb his words.

"Soulmates?" asked Hotch. Hotch was well aware of what the word meant, and how soulmates were written about in fiction, specifically romance novels, but he had never really thought that such a thing could be more then a fictional device dreamed up by authors to sell more books.

"I know how hard it is to believe," Spencer said in a rush his whole posture one of extreme nervousness. "Even now, I have trouble believing it as normally I am not one to believe in things that cannot be scientifically proven, but it fits what happened to us perfectly."

"Why don't you tell me the contents of these legends?" Hotch suggested trying not to sound outwardly skeptical as he didn't want to discourage Spencer from talking. Oh he had no doubt that Spencer was telling the truth about what he'd read mostly because he was all nervous and it was clear that he was trying not to get up and pace.

"Well, as I said there are thousands of legends and at least hundreds of one's about starcrossed lovers and just plain romance. While all of them are about lovers meeting for the first time, although they don't always fall in love at first sight, there are plenty of ones where that does happen."

Spencer then went on to describe just a few of the legends he had read in the last few months and Hotch had to admit that some of those legends fit what had happened to him and Spencer to a T.

"So you see us shaking hands and touching bare skin to bare skin was kind of a… recognition signal if you will," Spencer finally said. "It activated the first stage of the bond."

"Which wouldn't have happened if we weren't extremely compatible," Hotch said.

"No, it wouldn't have happened if we weren't kind of meant to be or if both of us hadn't at least been subconsciously ready for a lifetime commitment to another," Spencer said blushing a little and looking everywhere except directly into Hotch's face.

"What's the second stage?" asked Hotch just a little curiously.

"Kissing," Spencer said as calmly as possible as the thought of kissing Aaron Hotchner was something he had been dreaming about every night since he had met him. Of course he had dreamed of much more than a few kisses, but still..., "and not on the cheek like we've done a few times, but on the lips."

Aaron nodded mostly to himself as that made a certain amount of sense. "And the final stage?"

"I'm sure you can guess what the final stage is," Spencer said blushing a truly brilliant red, which Hotch found oddly endearing that Spencer embarrassed so easily and was determined to make him blush as often as possible, for his own enjoyment.

"Making love? Not just having sex, but actually giving ourselves to each other? In other words making a lifetime commitment."

"Once we complete the third stage, we are kind of bound together until death do us part," Spencer said as calmly as possible. "From what I read it has to be consensual and both of us must empty our seed into the others body at least the first time in order to seal the bond. If there is no love there is no bond so if somebody was say raped or the sex was only one way it wouldn't form any kind of bond."

Hotch digested that for a minute and while he usually wasn't the most romantic guy in the world it did make a certain amount of sense. The reason bonds like what Spencer was describing didn't get created every day was because most people didn't truly love each other with everything they had. If you truly loved someone you loved them for their faults and quirks as well as their good and bad qualities. In other words you loved them completely and not just for their good traits, but for the bad ones as well. If you truly loved somebody you wouldn't leave like Haley had him, just because you found certain traits annoying or hard to put up with. If they truly were soulmates Hotch knew that their relationship wouldn't be perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but that it meant that they would stay with each other through all the arguments, and disagreements and not leave at the first sign of trouble. Few couples had the sticking power to stay together through anything and the ones that did truly and deeply loved each other and were willing to stand by them no matter what.

The almost magical aspect of the bond that was between them was daunting and a little scary to Hotch who didn't normally believe that such a thing as magic was real had no choice in this case as what was between him and Spencer couldn't really be explained any other way. He had never felt so at peace with himself as when Spencer was near and he already loved Spencer's twin sons as if they were his own.

"Spencer, I am not going to throw you out just because you told me something so fantastic and hard to believe," Hotch told the other man, that was sitting beside him on the couch, putting his hands on opposite shoulders and looking directly into Spencer's golden brown eyes. Spencer relaxed a little as he saw love and affection in Hotch's dark brown eyes. "I'm not saying I believe what you told me and it's clear you're not sure you believe it either, but that doesn't mean that we don't have a connection. I would be very foolish to throw away what I've found with you and if there's one thing I've never been it's foolish."

"I'm happy you feel that way," Spencer told him his voice quivering in relief a little, "because I've already grown more than attached to you and if we did happen to break up, well, let's just say I would never be truly happy again. I would carry on for the sake of my sons trying to hide how unhappy I was, but even though they are only 4 they are very perceptive and extremely intelligent."

"Like you were at that age?" Hotch teased him gently and Spencer smiled at him, although the relief in his eyes was profound.

"They remind me so much of me at that age that it is almost uncanny," Spencer admitted as he took Hotch's hand in his and put his head on the other man's shoulder.

When Hotch put his arm around Spencer's thin shoulders and kissed the top of his head the other man relaxed completely knowing that everything was going to be okay and that the person the fates had chosen as his mate wasn't going to reject him.

"They don't have my eidetic memory, but then on the other hand only 3% of the human population has that kind of memory so it's not really all that surprising. I would have been completely thrown for a loop if either one of them had inherited that particular trait."

"Just so you know I'm in this for the long haul," Hotch told Spencer quite seriously. "I have no intention of abandoning this relationship. All that's left really is for you to meet my son, Jack and to see if he likes you, but I have no doubt that he will fall in love with you and also be happy that he is going to have two extra playmates."

"Lochlan and Landon have already fallen in love with you and have talked of little else even though they were too shy to say more than hello to you," Spencer told Hotch with half a smile. "The two of them are very intelligent and observant and saw how relaxed and happy I was around you, which is pretty unusual except with people I know extremely well."

"What makes you so nervous around strangers?" asked Hotch curiously. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to since it is personal."

"I don't mind," said Spencer a little hesitantly, "although I usually avoid answering the question if somebody I don't know well is nosey enough to ask, but with you it's different as I know you won't take advantage of the information to hurt me emotionally." Spencer hesitated again for just a minute as he was about to reveal something that not many people know about him, but that was only because he didn't really have any close friends outside his family. "I have what is called Asperger's syndrome, which means I am socially awkward and also fairly clumsy. People with this form of autism are highly intelligent, and sometimes clumsy as I said just a minute ago. Normally there would be no way a normal person to get as many degrees as I have in such a short amount of time, but thanks to my high intelligence, eidetic memory and slight form of Asperger's it wasn't to difficult. Also thanks to the Asperger's syndrome I tend to miss social cues a lot of times, which makes most people look at me sideways. Like if I suddenly change the subject in the middle of a conversation out of the blue. I tend to fixate on things, which is also part of this disease and I am slightly OCD, which means I like to have everything in there place and not have it moved to somewhere else. People with my form of autism tend to be fragile emotionally and easily hurt by others. Most people like me tend to be isolated and have very few friends, because they don't like to go out and meet new people and large groups or crowds tend to make them extremely nervous. In my case I'm also a slight technophobe which means I prefer books to reading off a computer screen and I still refuse to get email. I've improved that particular fault, with a lot of hard work and mainly thanks to my sons, but I'm still more comfortable with my books then with a computer. Yes, I wrote those computer programs and it was fairly easy to do that, but the reason I was able to was only because I overcame my phobia enough to at least be fairly comfortable sitting in front of a computer screen, even if I still prefer my books."

Hotch listened as Spencer described what most people would consider his weirdness, but Hotch thought that despite all his phobias and his Asperger's syndrome Spencer Reid was unique. Nobody in this world was perfect and while most people would hurt Spencer emotionally without a second thought or caring about his feelings, he never would, and that would be true even if he hadn't gotten involved in a relationship with him. Geniuses like Spencer Reid came along very rarely, perhaps once in a generation, although he didn't know the exact statistics. People with such high intelligence tended to be a little unusual as if the fates decided if you were going to be a genius they had to make sure that you weren't to perfect so that you didn't become arrogant. Sure there was a lot of people that were geniuses in the world, but most of them didn't have Spencer's kindness, empathy, sense of right or wrong or large heart. A lot of geniuses seemed to have the need to let people know that they were much smarter than them and seemed determined to make the world acknowledge their greatness, while Spencer Reid just quietly lived his life as best he could. He had even overcome his phobia of crowds enough so that he and his sons could get out do things, although it was clear he was still uncomfortable surrounded by strangers.

"Thank you for confiding in me and trusting me," Hotch told him softly pulling Spencer close to him and kissing his forehead.

Spencer melted into Hotch's embrace and knew that there was no other place he'd rather be. Normally he hated to be touched especially by complete strangers, but he felt comfortable with Hotch touching him and in fact he desperately craved it.

"Thank you for being so understanding," Spencer told Hotch softly, but sincerely.

"Hey, none of that," Hotch told him looking directly into Spencer's eyes. "There is no reason to thank me for being understanding because I know that none of us are perfect and personally I think you are unique and special."

Spencer blushed and earnestness in Hotch's eyes and then lowered his head embarrassed.

"There's no reason to be embarrassed, Spencer," Hotch told him causing the other man to raise his head and the blush to fade from his cheeks. "I have my own faults as does every human on the face of the Earth and the people that made you feel all embarrassed about yourself don't have a clue about the real world or how unique and special you really are. So what if you're socially awkward and slightly clumsy? People who make fun of you for that never really took the time to get to know you, which is their loss. I on the other hand am not about to make the same mistake."

Spencer sat up a little straighter at Hotch's earnest words for he could tell that Aaron meant every single one.

"Now, how about some dinner? Jack will be home in just a couple of hours, since tomorrow's a school day."

Spencer's stomach growled as if on cue causing both men to relax and laugh out loud.

"Well, it looks like food gets my vote," Spencer joked finally relaxing completely.

"What would you like and I'll order it," Hotch said.

"Just about anything is fine with me as I'm not that picky. I like Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Thai, German, French, as I said I'll eat really just about anything. An eating disorder is one thing I do not have any problems with," Spencer joked. "Put food in front of me and I'll eat it."

"I'll order some Chinese then," Hotch said, "as I'm really in the mood for it."

"That's fine," Spencer said with a smile.

"Is there anything in particular you would like?" asked Hotch.

"Just some moo goo gai pan is fine," Spencer replied. "Oh and some fried rice."

Hotch picked up his cell phone and called his favorite Chinese place which was in his contact list and ordered some moo goo gai pan and fried rice along with his own favorite, which was the sweet and sour chicken.

"So do you want to stay and meet my son? Or would you like to save that for another time?" asked Hotch.

"Shouldn't you explain to him first about our relationship?" asked Spencer a little hesitatingly. "And how you're dating another man? I mean it hasn't been that long since his mother passed away has it?"

"No, it hasn't been that long really, about a year and a half give or take," Hotch admitted. "We were divorced before that, but Jack still had his mother and in fact lived with her until she died."

"Do you think he's going to resent you dating someone else so soon after his mother's death?" asked Spencer sounding just a little anxious.

"Maybe a little bit in the beginning," Hotch admitted, "but that's going to happen no matter when we introduce you as I'm sure Jack doesn't want to see his father in a serious relationship with somebody other then his mother. Those feelings though understandable will fade the more he gets to know you and so I think the sooner we introduce you to him the better it will be. I love my son, but I can't put off getting into another relationship forever and Jack as young as he is will understand that since he's a very intelligent little boy a lot like your own sons come to think of it."

"Alright then," Spencer agreed smiling slightly. "How about for our next date I invite you over to my place? I'll have Sara cook us up a fine dinner as cooking is one talent I do not possess, well other then the basics."

"Sounds good," Hotch agreed with a smile. "When do you want to get together?"

"Just about anytime is good for me really because as I said earlier my schedule is flexible so whenever you're free is fine, although I would appreciate a little warning so I can tell Sara."

"How about tomorrow night unless we get called on a case," Hotch suggested.

"Anxious are you?" Spencer teased him a little making Hotch smile.

"Being parted from you is pure torture," Hotch admitted quite seriously. "I feel happy and more content with you near then when you're not by my side."

"Trust me I feel the same way," Spencer told him, "but we have barely started this relationship and so we need to take time to get to know each other before we consider the next step."

"I agree," Hotch said. "We need to give it time, especially for our children to get used to us being together."

"Why don't you bring Jack tomorrow night and make it kind of the family dinner. I'm sure my sons would appreciate having another child around their age to play with for a few hours," Spencer suggested.

"Alright," Hotch agreed. "That's probably a good idea as it will give Jack time to get used to me dating again as I really haven't dated much since Haley passed away."

Just then the doorbell rang, which told both men that the food had arrived and so the conversation was dropped for the moment in favor of filling their stomachs.

~~~Hotch and Reid~~~

A week later, it was Saturday and Hotch had the weekend off, which was good because he and Spencer had a date planned and he didn't want to be called away on a case, which had happened a time or two in the past before he had met Spencer. He and Spencer had already been out several times in the last week, although those dates had only been for a couple of hours since Hotch had always had to work in the morning, not to mention a son to look after. Luckily it had been a slow week and they had been stuck in the office doing paperwork and had not been called to help with a case. The dinner that Spencer's housekeeper had put together had been as high a quality as you could get in any restaurant with the added bonus of the two of them not having to worry about other people staring at them, because they were two men in an obvious romantic relationship, which didn't bother him, but Hotch knew that it did bother Spencer to a certain extent, so it was just as well that their romantic diner had been private. Hotch had also gotten to meet Sara and found the older lady a loving, charming soul who obviously adored Spencer and his sons. Sara was a rare breed as she was obviously a true caregiver, who weren't really very common and made sure the three men under her care had good healthy food to put in their stomachs, that the beds had clean sheets, that the laundry was done and so forth. Spencer and his sons blossomed under her loving care and Hotch and Jack also or at least they had the one time they had met her.

Since it was the weekend though he and Spencer were going out for a nice dinner and then they were going to come back here so that he, Spencer and Jack could spend time together, before he went to bed. They had agreed to behave themselves until he did, but when he did it was going to be a different story entirely. In the past week the two had ended up more than once necking heavily in the car and once in Aaron's apartment after Jack was in bed. The two of them had not taken the second step to deepen the bond by kissing on the lips for both knew that they needed to take their time, especially Spencer since he was so shy about relationships, but Hotch also, for he to had been hurt when the mother of his son had wanted a divorce just because he was gone so much. It had been decided between the two of them just to take it slowly and let Jack as well as Spencer's twin sons get used to seeing them as a couple before they took the next step, although so far Jack seemed to adore Spencer, but Hotch wanted his son to truly get to know the younger man before he and Spencer took their relationship to the next level. They were both committed to their newfound relationship, but that didn't mean they didn't need to be as careful as any new couple who had many pitfalls that had to be navigated.

The doorbell rang and Hotch opened the door to the babysitter and ushered her into his apartment. "Thank you for agreeing to babysit my son on short notice," Hotch told the young woman with a warm smile.

"No problem, Mr. Hotchner," the girl Cecilia replied also with a smile. "It's nice to see you dating again."

Hotch and Cecelia knew each other well since she babysat Jack when his former sister-in-law Jessica couldn't because of another commitment and in this case Hotch hadn't even contacted her for he wasn't in the mood to get into an argument about him dating another man. He knew the day would eventually come, probably sooner than he would like, where Jessica and him would argue and yell at each other about his relationship with Spencer, but that time was not now—thank God. No, now, he was supposed to meet Spencer at the restaurant that they had chosen and after that they were coming back to the apartment to spend some time with Jack.

"I'll see you later, buddy," Hotch told his son as he grabbed a heavy jacket. Hotch leaned down and Jack ran into his arms and Hotch hugged his son close to him kissing his soft cheek. "I'll be back in a couple of hours buddy, you behave for Cecilia now, hear?"

"It's all right, daddy, Cecilia and me always have lots of fun together," Jack said kissing his father's cheek. "I'll see you when you get back." Hotch kissed his son's cheek again then rose to his feet heading for his apartment door.

"Bye, daddy," Jack called just as Hotch exited the apartment and was closing the door behind him.

"Bye, buddy," Hotch replied blowing his son a kiss before closing the door to his apartment gently.

~~~Hotch and Reid~~~

A similar scene was happening at the Reid home as Spencer started to get dressed for his date, by taking a shower, and then getting dressed in casual, but fairly expensive clothes, of a blue dress shirt that looked almost silver in certain lights as it seemed to shimmer depending on the level of lighting, a pair of beige slacks that had been pressed by Sara to get out the wrinkles, and a pair of black loafers with white socks. A few years ago Spencer never would've dressed so fashionably as he had always worn things that made him look like someone out of the 1920s and 30s. Thanks to Sara who had educated him on style, although not without a struggle, but she had been stubborn and persistence saying that he was much to young to dress like an old man, he now dressed much better and didn't look out of place anymore when he went out in public. He had retired his old clothes and given most of them to the Salvation Army at Sara's request, who had said that they were to good to just throw out.

Finally Spencer brushed his hair and tied it back since it was a little long and then he was ready. He headed downstairs to find Sara so she could inspect him, before he headed to say goodnight to the twins. He found Sara in the kitchen of course and as soon as he opened the door she turned around and inspected him critically finally nodding.

"You look very nice. Your Aaron will be drooling," Sara complimented him.

Spencer laughed and said, "I can't imagine Aaron literally drooling as he isn't really the type."

"Figuratively then," Sara said unperturbed. "His eyes will pop out when he sees you. Believe me if I was only 20 years younger…"

"Thank you," Spencer said blushing at Sara's implied compliment.

"You're welcome, I already love your Aaron as he is just perfect for you, believe me I can tell even though we only met that one time. He's already brought about so many wonderful changes in you. You carry yourself with more confidence then you did before you met him and believe me that is not a bad thing."

"Aaron makes me feel so… alive, I guess is a good word. He makes me feel like a giddy teenager in the midst of their first crush. I've never felt like that before," Spencer told Sara honestly his eyes lighting up as he thought of his Aaron.

"It is good that you finally have a chance to experience what most teenagers do when there are a lot younger than you are. I understand why you really never really fell in love even with that girl in college."

"Clara," Spencer said remembering the girl that he'd had a minor crush on, that he had mistaken for true love at that time, during his last couple years of college and the one he'd had unprotected sex with and also his sons mother. "I never really loved her, although at the time I thought I did and I never felt about her what I do about Aaron. I don't know if I am falling in love or not, but I believe that I am and I can only hope that Aaron feels the same. He said that he did…and I'm pretty sure he was being truthful, but what if I'm seeing things because I want to? What if I'm imagining all the little obvious tell he gives off and he's not actually sexually attracted to me?"

"Spencer," Sara said he gently as possible trying to stop the young man she considered another son from talking himself into a panic. "You are good at reading people and trust me you are probably not imagining things. What I know of Aaron Hotchner is only what you have told me and what I have observed for myself, but he seems like a nice person and not one that would mislead you. If he wasn't truly interested in you he never would have agreed to go out on a date with you. If he is messing with you though, I'll rip him a new one and that's a promise and I don't give a damn if he does work for the FBI it won't stop me," Sara said looking fierce for she wouldn't stand for the man she considered her son being hurt again like all those hussies he had dated before had done. "Besides you can't let the fear of being hurt again rule your life if you do you let the people that hurt you before win, even if they will never know it and I know you don't want that."

Spencer let out a shaky laugh, but gave Sara a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You're right, I can't let my fear of being hurt again rule my life. I need to see where this relationship with Aaron is going and if I don't I know I will regret it for the rest of my life. I know deep down that Aaron would never hurt me at least not intentionally." Spencer paused seeming deep in thought. "Have you ever felt an almost visible connection with someone? Every time that Aaron and I are together I get these feelings in my stomach almost like a whole flock of butterflies has taken up residence and when we touch it's almost as if visible sparks leap between our joined flesh. I know this doesn't sound like me at all, but then again I've never felt like this before either."

"Yes dear, I have felt every single feeling you have just described when I met George, my late husband," Sara said. "We were as close as two people can be both physically and mentally. I'm not saying we didn't have our spats, as all couples do, but we still were as close as two people can be, up until his death a few years ago. You, my dear, are falling in love and that is not a bad thing at all as you need someone else in your life besides me and your sons. Someone who will care about you no matter what and will not abandon you at the first opportunity and if this Aaron Hotchner is that person then I will welcome him into our family gladly just because I want to see you truly happy again."

"I am happy," Spencer protested weakly.

"There are different levels of happiness dear," Sara told him in a motherly tone. "Sure you are happy with your family, but that is not the same thing as having someone that you truly love as a life partner. We humans are complicated creatures, as I know you are aware and in fact we are the most complex organisms on this planet, but we also have certain instincts and one of those instincts is to seek out the most compatible person to spend our life with and also to reproduce."

"Well, I've fulfilled part of the our species biological imperative anyway as I have reproduced even if it wasn't with a life partner," Spencer said with a blush because Sara could be quite blunt at times. "If all goes as I hope it will with Aaron, I will soon fulfill another edict of the human condition by taking a life partner even if they're not female."

"Everything will be fine," Sara assured Spencer. "Now you'd better get going if you don't want to be late meeting your Aaron."

Spencer shook his head, but stood up a little straighter. "You are one-of-a-kind," Spencer told Sara kissing her cheek. "I don't know what I or Lochlan and Landon would do without you in our lives."

"Be in a lot of trouble," Sara teased him. "Taking care of twins by yourself would probably drive you insane as one baby is a lot of work much less two. I know they are past the baby stage, but still children need at lot of love and affection, especially in their formative years."

"Yes, raising children is a lot of work and I know I probably wouldn't have survived at least not so well without you so thank you for helping me raise my sons and for always being there for us when we really need you."

"It's no trouble at all," Sara assured him kissing Spencer on the cheek. "Believe me you saved me from being a lonely old lady. With my husband having passed away and my children all grown and out on their own, I was all alone. Oh sure my children come to visit me a few times a year, but the rest of the time I was by myself and I'm not one that enjoys being alone all the time. I do need my solitude every once in awhile sure, but doesn't everybody?"

Spencer's lips twitched trying to repress a smile and he said, "Well, I guess we can agree that we saved each other then."

"That we did," Sara agreed patting Spencer's shoulder affectionately. "Now you better go say goodbye to your sons and then get going."

Spencer nodded and turned to leave the kitchen.

~~~Hotch and Reid~~~

"Aaron, hey!" Spencer hailed his boyfriend as he got out of the car as Aaron approached the restaurant.

Spencer had been sitting in his car waiting for Aaron to get there for the last few minutes as he didn't feel like entering the restaurant alone. Really he was shy about trying new restaurants, especially someplace as fancy this, but he was willing to do it because with Aaron at his side he felt more confident in himself.

"Hey yourself," Hotch said as he walked rapidly towards his date and once he reached Spencer he kissed him directly on the cheek, really wanting it to be his lips instead and he didn't particularly care who saw as he had missed the other man more than he had ever thought he could miss anyone.

"Well, shall we go inside?" Hotch asked with a smile and Spencer nodded trying to look more confident then he actually felt. "We are both a little early, as our reservations aren't until seven."

The two men headed inside the restaurant hand in hand.

The restaurant they had a reservation at was fairly upscale and much nicer then the ones that Spencer usually went to by himself or with his sons as he was usually more of a casual restaurant type person, but this is where Aaron had made reservation, so he wouldn't just have to try to get over his nervousness.

This place though was way more fancy then he normally went to, but for Aaron he was will to try for his sake.

Once they were seated side-by-side both men pursued the menu.

"Do you want to order an appetizer and share?" Spencer suggested reading the menu in just a few.

"That's an excellent idea," Hotch agreed. "So what do you suggest?"

"Well I thought we could share the blooming onion," Spencer said. "I've had them before, although not at a place as upscale as this and they're always pretty good. I usually end up taking a large potion of it home."

"That's fine with me," Hotch assured his date. "I've had them before to and you're right it is too much for just one person."

The two men talked casually until the waiter came to take their orders and once he had left again they continued their quiet conversation slowly getting to know more about each other.

Their dinner arrived within half an hour and the two men held hands under the table as they ate as it was the only contact they allowed themselves while they were in public.

"So how's the job been going?" Spencer asked Hotch in between bites of food.

"Well, we haven't been that busy lately," Hotch replied, "except for the paperwork, which always seems endless."

"Of course," Spencer repeated.

"I haven't had to go out of town in the last week or so, as you know, although I don't expect that trend to continue," Hotch said. "I won't be surprised if the team is called out of town sometime within the next few days. I'll make sure I call you and tell you if I'm leaving."

"That would be much appreciated," Spencer said giving Aaron's hand a squeeze under the table.

"I don't really like traveling so much or at least not anymore, and that's mainly thanks to you. I know it's part of my job and I do like catching unsubs so they can't hurt anyone else, but I hate being away from you, now that I have finally found you."

"I don't like you being gone either," Spencer admitted a little shyly, but felt better when Aaron smiled at him and squeezed his hand in appreciation of his words. "I know it's your job and I know you are very good at what you do, but it would be nice if I had you home more. I won't try to get you to change since I know you love doing what you do. Besides I know you love your job despite all the traveling you have to do and if I tried to get you do something else it would poison our relationship. If you wanted to change jobs and it was your decision it would be different then if I decided to force the issue."

"Thank you, for that," Hotch told Spencer sincerely leaning over enough to kiss him on the cheek, causing Spencer to flush a bright red, which Hotch found oddly endearing and adorable. "You're right for despite all the traveling, the paperwork and occasional frustration I do enjoy catching people who hurt others."

"I love you and asking you to change...well it's not something you do if truly care or love someone," Spencer said in Hotch nodded in agreement and thought that Spencer was far wiser then his now dead ex-wife had been as Haley had tried to get him to do that exactly that.

The two men continued to talk quietly and all too soon Hotch was asking for the check and once that was paid the two of them left the restaurant hand-in-hand and Hotch escorted Spencer to his car.

"I'll follow you to your apartment," Spencer told Hotch who nodded kissing his date on the cheek before replying.

"Alright," Hotch agreed heading for his own car and unlocking the door.

Just a minute later Hotch had started the engine and headed out of the parking lot Spencer following.

~~~Hotch and Reid~~~

Several months later Hotch whistled as he got ready for work. His relationship with Spencer was going well, even if more slowly then he would like, but Hotch was determined to let Spencer set the pace since he was the one that was so shy about relationships. Hotch could hardly blame Spencer for being shy in the dating arena considering how several people had hurt him in the past. As Spencer had told him several months ago doing that emotionally charged conversation where he had revealed that they were soulmates, he was fairly fragile emotionally and people he had dated in the past had hurt him quite badly. When Hotch had learned that he had instinctively wanted to hunt those people down and teach them some manners, but he hadn't through sheer force of will. Despite the protest of a certain interested part of his anatomy Hotch had made a firm decision to let Spencer set the pace. Luckily for him, Spencer had relaxed considerably in his presence and their relationship seemed to be on the verge of something more. Hotch was already committed to the relationship and he was willing to wait considerably longer in order for Spencer to be ready to take the next step, but he had a feeling that it would be happening soon. They hadn't even kissed yet, at least not on the lips, but Hotch had made sure Spencer understood that it was his decision as to when he was ready to go further, which had caused the other man to relax considerably and let go of the pressure he was putting on himself.

They had been times where they didn't see each other for a week or more, because he was gone on a case, but they did make sure to call each other every day just to stay connected and even then it was still hard to be separated. The team had noticed that their boss had been happier in the last several months then he had been in a long time and they suspected that he was dating someone, but even when they asked Hotch just changed the subject, which was confirmation enough for the others since as profilers they were fairly observant. Hotch knew that he was eventually going to have to introduce Spencer to the rest of the team and vice versa, but now was not the time.

Hotch's cell phone rang then and he picked it up wondering who could be calling at this early hour as it was just after six in the morning.

"Hello?" Hotch said into the phone.

"Good morning," came the cheerful voice of Spencer Reid. "I just wanted to call you before you head off to work and wondered if you were free this evening."

"I should be, unless we get called in on a case," Hotch said. "Jack is visiting a friend of his for the next several days and they are responsible for getting him to school along with their own son."

"Good, then you're free to join me for dinner at my place."

Hotch perked up at that for any chance to see Spencer made a normal day into a great one.

"I could be there about seven," Hotch told him.

"Alright," Spencer agreed and Hotch could almost hear the smile in his voice. "I suggest you pack an overnight bag and plan to spend the night."

Hotch's whole body stiffened in excitement and his cock immediately twitched for he knew with those words exactly what was coming and he was more than ready. If his suspicions were correct they were about to complete stages two and three of the bond all in one night and he could hardly wait.

"I'll be there. I'm praying we don't get called on a case," Hotch said, fervently.

"I sincerely hope not," Spencer said sounding just as eager, "as I'm looking forward to seeing you just as much as you are me. Both of us have been waiting long enough for this night and I thank you for your patience with me."

"Spencer, I was patient because I care about you. If I had tried to force you to do something you weren't ready for I would be no better then those idiots that you dated before we met," Hotch told his soon to be lover over the phone gently.

"Thank you, Aaron," Spencer said his voice choked, but Hotch understood what the younger man was trying to say with those three simple words.

"There's no need to thank me, but you're welcome all the same," Hotch told him his voice extremely gentle and understanding. "Sometimes it takes awhile to heal, from a bad relationship and get out there and try again."

"What you aren't saying is that some people never do heal," Spencer said his tone pensive.

"Yes," Hotch admitted honestly.

"I just want you to know that you helped me heal from my previous relationship just with your mere presence," Spencer told him his voice sincere and Hotch could almost see him curled up in his favorite position on the couch in his study with the phone to his ear as he talked to his boyfriend. "You've been so patient and understanding with my insecurities and I know that most people wouldn't have been as all they want is sex and more sex, not really caring about how they get it."

"Yes, well, the world is full of idiots and I'm more aware of that than most," Hotch almost growled causing Spencer to laugh, which brought a smile to Hotch's own face.

"I'll see you tonight and if you can't make it just make sure you call me, so I don't worry."

"I will," Hotch promised. "I love you, bye."

"I love you too," Spencer said as he hung up the phone while Hotch did the same on his end.

Well, now he really had something to look forward to tonight, but getting through his work day now was going to be pure torture with the thought of making love to Spencer for the first time in his thoughts. It would be worth it in the end though of that Hotch was certain.

~~~Hotch and Reid~~~