Hi everybody! This is my first fiction... or the first that I publish (I write often, but I never publish things, I just give my « work » to some of my friends) so it won't be exceptionnal! And I apologize for the mistakes you'll probably find in the story, I'm French. So, feel free to correct me.
The Hotchners men have one particular tradition. A tradition that they would never forget to apply, it's « milktime ». Indeed, everynight after dinner, father and son would cleared the table and do the dishes before bringing back cookies and milk to the lounge. Once the conversation had begun since a long moment and his plate was empty, Jack always climbed on his father's lap to have a better access to the his cookies.
During their « milktime » Jack wasn't often really quiet. He was doing the all conversion. In fact, his father was always wondering how the little guy could find the time to breath. He would talk for hours about everything and nothing, about school, his friends, his teacher -who was the best ever- and all the things that make him happy. It was different from the « Daddy's work time at home » as Jack called its. In these kind of moments, he was so discreet -and knew how to entertain himself without needing a constant supervision- that his father forgot about his presence.
But tonight, after a little time, the silence came back. The young boy was playing with his cookies but didn't say a word. Hotch looked at his son for a moment before asking him :
« Did you want to talk to me about something buddy ? »
The boy hesitated slightly, before looking at his father and asked him with curiosity :
« How do you make a girl like you? »
Hotch stared at his son in disbelief. He already thinks about girls? While the young child was just waiting patiently for an answer, Hotch was trying his best to find what to say and how explain to a 5 years old what love is. And the only « answer » he could think about was :
« Why are you asking me this? » Yeah, good job Aaron, you couldn't find something else?
Jack didn't seem surprised at all by the question, but had some difficulties to answer it :
« I… Hum… Because I… wanttomakeagirllikeme… »
Hotch wasn't sure that he heard correctly what his boy said.
« Hum, you want to make a girl likes you, that's it? » Jack nodded.
« Okay, well, hum… » It was a beginning wasn't it?
« So, do you want to tell me her name? »
At that, the young boy looked a bit panicked.
« Her name? Hum, it's… it's… One moment Daddy... » Hotch looked at his son who was desperatly trying to think of a name as quickly as he could. He couldn't have forget his lover's name? No, of course not! Or… Please, don't tell me it's his teacher. Come on Buddy, answer me. Maybe this is the little girl with blonde hair, what was her name? He saw her when he brought Jack at Danny's party. Yeah, it's probably her. When he came back to take his son home, the two of them were still playing together.
« It's… Her name is, she… Why are you asking me her name? I asked you a question first! »
Hotch couldn't believed it. It wasn't exactly the answer he had expected. Such a clever boy, but what sass. Think Aaron, what can you say? Come on…
« Okay… I'm sorry buddy, but I can't give you an answer if I don't know what she looks like and what she likes doing. » This time, the boy didn't compain,
« She is very very pretty. And very nice too. And she smells good! »
« That's a start. So, the first thing you should know and never forget is that you have to be a gentleman. »
Jack frowns slightly and pouted, « But Daddy what does a gentleman do? »
Don't laug Aaron, don't laugh, he is so cute. « That's simple buddy, I'll explain you… For example, with you, I'm polite, I help you with your homeworks and things you don't understand and… »
« Okay, okay Daddy, I think I understand now. But Daddy? Do I have to make her eat brocoli and spinach? And do you think I have to give her a spanking too? »
Hotch couldn't help but let out a small laugh. So beeing a gentleman is giving a girl what children call disgusting food and spankings. He really had to note that somewhere.
« Not exactly honey. You have to be nice with girls. I'll give you other examples okay? So, you have to open doors for them, and to be very polite. You have to carry their things too, like school bag and her lunch... You have to do these kind of things. »
The five years old nodded, and seems to be elsewhere. He was certainly concentrating on what he had just hear. Then, he looked at his father and asked him with serious eyes :
« And that's all I have to do? »
« You can give her some gifts and you can... »
« Gifts like what? »
« Hum, like flowers, girls are fond of flowers. Or chocolates and cakes. You love cookies right? » Jack nodded slowly his head. « It's the same thing for girls, they like cookies too, just like you ».
« But it can't works Daddy, she isn't 5! »
« Oh, I see… So, how old is she? »
The little boy sigh before looking at his father straight in the eyes as if he had say something stupid :
« Daddy, if you are a gentleman you can't ask a girl her age, it's not polite. »
« Oh, yes, you're right bud ». God, the child knew how to return a problem in every ways. « You can make her a drawning too! That's a good idea isn't it? »
« A drawning? I'm not sure… Maybe I could get her a necklace or a ring! » he says with a bright smile.
« I don't know if you have enough money for this kind of things, why don't you get her a… »
« But I can work! I can make some limeade and I'll earn money! I'm sure she'll love a jewel, she always wear a Watch and necklace. And sometimes she has earings too Daddy! »
Oh God… Jewels… Now he wants to buy her jewels? Find something intelligent to tell him…
« You know what my dad told me when I fell in love for the first time? He told me that you can't buy love. If you do many gifts to a girl, or precious gift, you can't know if she loves you for who you are really or if she loves you for what you bought her. » That's it! See? You aren't that idiot when you think… Pride of himself he look at his son, who was now poutting and doing his « badguy's eyes ».
« Eh, what's the matter? What did I say buddy? »
Crossing his arms on his chest, Jack reply to his father :
« You're mean Daddy, she isn't like what you said. She always is very nice to me. » Okay Aaron, so you can deal with unsubs but you can't manage to talk with your own son without making him angry… Find something, quick…
« Okay, that's bed time! » Yeah… Perfect! Send him to his bed, that's the best solution ever... « You… You want to invite her to dine at home? »
The boy smiled with all his teeth before bouncing in the entire leaving room.
« Well, tomorrow you'll ask her if she do something on saturday, okay? »
« 'Kay! Daddy, can I ask her if she wants to sleep at home too? And can we make cookies? Oh, and we need to buy her chocolates too Daddy! »
« Wooow, five seconds buddy, calm down… We'll go shopping tomorrow after school, okay? We'll buy flavour, sugar… and chocolates. But for now, it's bedtime. »
Jack looked deep in thoughts a long moment, and let his father took him to bed. The last thing Hotch saw before Switch off the light, was his son looking at him with sleeping eyes, and telling him
« Thank you Daddy… 'Night. »
« Good night Jack. Love you ».
That's all for the first chapter! Let me know what you think. Have a nice day!