Criminal Minds – Getting Down and About
The things you do for your friends
Once upon a time, Rossi would have considered himself nothing more than a fantastic profiler, a talented silver tongued devil, and a charming man all around, however he had had to add one more thing to the list – good friend.
Good friend, David Rossi, if only all of his former lovers and colleagues could see him now, they would laugh themselves to pieces just imagining him being the kind of person who would call himself a good friend because he was an honest person, and if he called himself as such, it was because he believe it. What would be even more shocking would be that people thought he was a good friend.
Some might even consider him a great friend, namely Aaron Hotchner.
Hotch and Rossi went back a while, but then they had been fairly friendly colleagues and little else. Hotch was a good guy, and he appreciated Rossi's asshole attitude like even Ryan and Gideon never did, so the moment Rossi returned to the BAU after his long absence, it was easy to slip back into their relationship way back when, even if now Hotch was the superior agent.
The rest of the team was made of young, eager and whip smart agents that Rossi would never have expected to see chasing the worst of humanity, if only because they all seemed much more suited for other positions within the FBI. Nevertheless, he learned to appreciate their talents and their drive for the work, even more so as they embraced him and even helped him bring to justice the man he'd been after for decades.
Kids as they could be, they were fine men and women, and even better agents. Hotch had picked them well, trained them until they were as sharp as a sword's edge, and they returned it with such loyalty it made Rossi grin, glad his friend was the one to sit in that pedestal, his agents looking up at him and seeing a man they could respect because, in the good times and the bad, Hotch never failed to have their back.
Even Rossi came to see Hotch as a protector of sorts, always willing to step in the line of fire, whether in the Bureau or on the field, taking on stern lectures and angry glares so his agents could focus on their job and nothing of the silly politics he, as their leader, was more than willing and skilled in handling with one hand behind his back writing a dead on profile.
Yeah, Rossi liked Hotch, Aaron. He knew he shouldn't, but in his head he profiled the man. A failed marriage that still made him hurt, a son scarred by his mother's violent demise, and a deep determination never to let life take what it pleased, but to fight back at every turn.
Man was a fighter, and Rossi liked it maybe the most about him.
"So, are you going to ask her out or should I hand her a note in your name?" – Rossi dryly asked Hotch one night. The team had just returned from a successful case in Montana and everyone had eagerly agreed to go out for drinks, even usually reserved Reid and straight laced Hotch. The eldest members of the team remained sitting, drinking and talking as the youngsters danced, laughed and mingled.
"I don't know what you're talking about" – Hotch replied lightly.
"The woman who's been giving you looks that you have been returning, don't take me for a fool, Aaron"
"It... Hasn't been that long since Beth–"
"You two were fine together, but it was never really about love between you two, was it? So I don't see what the problem is"
"I'm not sure if I'm ready to... Invest my time in another relationship that will likely end badly"
"Spoken like a true FBI agent, I'm so proud of you, Aaron. Nevertheless, it is much too bitter for my ears, so tell you what. Either you tell me you are not interested in the least in that woman or you walk over there and ask her for a drink. Either way, you have ten seconds before I take matter into my own hands" – Hotch tried to hold Rossi's gaze but the older man had faced more threatening forces than a stubborn Aaron Hotchner to back down so easily.
"I don't even know where to start talking to a woman in a bar" – Hotch finally confessed, looking so damn young and unsure he couldn't even recognize him.
"Tell you what. She was a friend with her, so how about we invite them both over, you try and talk to your lady and I distract the friend?"
"Are you sure?"
"Eh, I've spent worse nights and far less drunk, now c'mon" – he got on his feet and waited for Hotch to do the same – "Now smile and look pretty, don't frown and definitely don't bring up our last case. Somehow I doubt cannibalism would appeal to many women, and if it does, we'll need to make a quick break for it and ask Garcia to keep an eye on her" – his friend's rolled eyes was very reassuring, somehow, and together they went up to the woman and her friend.
She was around Beth's age, dark eyed, with brown hair falling down her back, while her friend was taller than Hotch, with a strong grip when Rossi shook his hand.
"We love to" – Clara, she'd introduced herself as, said with an interested smile at Hotch. Her friend, Cole, snickered behind them and beside Rossi.
"Hope your friend ain't some shit bag looking for a good time" – Cole said, sounding almost like Morgan, all smiles and friendliness, his bite all in his eyes. Rossi returned the veiled threat with a slight nod.
"I've never known Aaron to be a fickle man" – he replied easily, trying to reassure his companion as well as give a warning of his own.
"Good to know. So, while we leave the lovebirds, care for a drink?" – something in Cole's tone made Rossi pause, but then he just shrugged.
"Why not. What's your drink?"
Cole was a good conversationalist, very funny, intelligent and interest in old cars, as was Rossi, so they had little trouble finding things to talk about. He was also very flirty, and the more he drank, the more he winked at Rossi and asked more personal things. It didn't bother Rossi, the man was very handsome, and it wasn't like he'd never looked or been looked at. Besides, it was nice to know he could attract a younger, interesting man without really trying.
"Am I wasting my time here?" – Cole asked after several hours of talking.
"To this day, I've never had a problem with thinking of myself as fluid, if that's enough of an answer for you"
"But you're not taking me back to your place and ravishing me tonight, are you?"
"To be fair, even if you were Clara I wouldn't do that. I'm a gentlemen, I get to know the people I ravish" – Cole laughed charmingly – "Tell you what, I don't know if this could go anywhere, but if you're willing to waste a little more of your time with an old man..."
"Why not"
Hotch was also not the kind of man who went home on a first date, so Clara and Cole went one way, Hotch and Rossi the other.
"You and Cole seemed friendly enough"
"Just helping you woo your lady. How was it, anyway?" – a rare smile graced Hotch's face.
"We have a date tomorrow, should no cases come around"
"Here's to hoping"
"What about you?"
"Eh, Cole is a good guy, we've decided to get to know one another before making any kind of decisions. I'm not exactly a spring chicken"
"No, you're not"
"You're not funny at all, Aaron Hotchner"
"Good thing I wasn't aiming for it"
"Can you imagine? If this works out, they'll make us double date"
"... Let's keep that horrific image to ourselves for now"
"What, you don't want to double date with me? I'm wounded"
"I plead the Fifth"
"Coward"
"I've been playing chess with Reid, I've learned how to be tactful"
"Whatever you say"
"Are we still on for golf tomorrow?"
"You know it. Don't forget the little guy"
"I won't, Jack's really excited about it"
"He should be, I'm a great teacher"
"You're terrible, is what you are. I'll be teaching my own kid, alright"
"Eh, I'll be around if you need me"
"I know" – Hotch grinned at him and Rossi snorted as the younger man turned his face.