Written for Valentine's Day- I mean, Singles' Awareness Day. Because I've been single for nineteen long years. And I needed to write some angsty fluffy light slash lately. Finally did it. Feeling a lot better.
Using their first names was refreshing for a change. They're not on a case. They're in the office. Alone. Together. With Spencer being assertive. Derp.
I wish I owned Criminal Minds. But I don't.
Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.
Zora Neale Hurston
The office was almost completely empty of any and all of its workers. Almost.
Spencer Reid knew his boss was not going anywhere that night. Valentine's Day was a night where everyone went out with one of his or her friends. Even if it weren't for a date of sorts involving love, they would go out as good friends and such. At least, the other members of the BAU did. Aaron Hotchner? Not so much.
He stood in the doorway, watching Aaron fervently work on his third report that day and slipped his hands into his jacket pocket. His boss looked up, tilting his head and blinking slightly. Spencer quietly walked inside, gesturing to the paperwork with a nod of his head. "You've been at that for a while."
He sighed a little at this, putting down his pen and motioning to it all. "I'm almost done, would you believe. "
Spencer didn't speak for a moment after this. Aaron picked up his pen again and began to write once more, and his companion walked over to see what he had done. He sat down in front of him, leaning forward and biting the inside of his mouth before taking a deep breath and posing a question. "…are you doing anything tonight? For Valentine's Day?"
Aaron shook his head. "No. Just—get this finished and spend a night with Jack. Valentine's Day is a commercial holiday for restaurants and everyone else. Flowers and candy and a night out with your loved one…" His voice trailed off before he looked back down at the work in front of him and scribbled his signature on another file.
"I don't accept that, Aaron."
Spencer's sharp comment got the BAU chief's attention, and he instantly looked up at this again. The young man was still sitting there, but there was a sort of fierce look in his eyes now that Aaron had only seen when he was working cases close to his chest. He looked back at the man, unblinking and unmoving. "Excuse me?"
"I don't accept that… you're not doing anything tonight," Spencer repeated, thinking carefully and gesturing slightly. "Look, I know it hurts that everyone else is—out on a friendly date except you. But… you're not even opening yourself up to the opportunity. You're closed off, and I hate that about you." He did not budge from Aaron's hardening glare. One could say Derek stood up to him more than a few times in his career, but no one could say they did not blink from the wicked glower of one growingly-irritated single father.
Spencer could now say he had.
Aaron refused to budge as well, his mind clawing desperately for a reason to not go out and spend the one day of the year dedicated to love… with a man who had more than enjoyed his company on many cases. It was true he had liked Spencer coming on little interrogations and trips with him, but he did not know how the other felt. He never really spoke his mind unless they were really in private. And even then, it was Aaron taking point and leading the conversation.
Not tonight.
When he opened his mouth, Spencer shook his head. "No excuses."
God dammit.
"Okay. What did you have in mind? Since you're clearly not going anywhere with anyone, you must've had a plan in mind all day long." Aaron pursed his lips, a frown forming on his features. "And don't tell me you had nothing going on. Because I can already smell that lie from a mile away."
With but a slight smirk, the genius stood up and nodded out the door. "Movie and dinner. You and me. Not as a couple, but as… y-you know. As friends. One in four Americans don't celebrate Valentine's Day anyway. We can be two of the eight, if you do the math."
The frown slowly disappeared.
For the first time in many months, Spencer saw Aaron's lips twitch into a small smile.
Fffffff. Where is my smiling Hotch? Where is it?
Hope you enjoyed this. I may update this some day. May not. It depends.