Character pairing: Hotch/Reid
Song prompt: A Beautiful Lie
"Hotch can I have a word?" Reid asked from the doorway of his boss' office.
"Certainly Reid. Come and sit down. What seems to be troubling you? Is everything ok?" He had always felt a paternal bond for the younger agent, especially since Gideon had left.
"With me? No, I'm fine. Better than fine actually. It was you I wanted to talk about."
"Reid, now really isn't the time. Isn't there some work you should be doing?"
"Before Haley died, you were close to Emily. After Haley died you two drifted apart. Why was that?"
"Get out! Anything about my personal life is none of your business. And I not have you insinuate that there was something going on with Agent Prentiss and myself. Is that clear?"
"Actually it does somehow involve me. As we all do spend a lot of time together our personal lives spill over into our work lives. And I'm curious as to why, when it is obvious even to me that you love her, did you push her away. Did you think that being alone was the respectable why to mourn your ex-wifes death?"
"Reid, I'm deadly serious. Stay out of my life. Close the door on your way out."
"I'll just say this before I go. She loves you. She comes to my house almost every night crying for the love she felt she has lost. For the life she was hoping for with you. I think you need to realise that you were not the only one emotionally invested in the relationship."
"Reid. I'm sorry. I didn't not realise. Don't you think I regret the way I pushed her away. But it was for the best. What was best for her."
"How? She still cries for you. How is that better for her?"
"Do you know how often I lie awake in bed at night and think about my life. What Em – Prentiss and I had, it wasn't real. It was a beautiful lie."
"Do you honestly believe that?"
"I believe that it has to be true."
"Then what you have is perfect denial."