Summary: Rossi is Rossi, Reid is Reid, Hotch is Hotch.

Warnings: Slash and adult themes.

Copyrights: Criminal Minds belongs to CBS, not me. I can wish though.

Special Thanks: Beta made possible by Starofoberon; love you darling! Also, handing out love to everyone who took time to comment and review; feedback is awesome. : )

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Rossi was a problem, and Hotch didn't know if it was one he could handle.

The late night call hadn't come from Reid, but instead from Rossi. The question was one he thought he'd dodged a long time ago. The wording was slightly different then what he had pictured, but similar enough. How long had he been into Reid?

Hotch had thought this bridge with Rossi had been crossed, but he was wrong. They'd both been too wrapped up in keeping their own secrets, and they hadn't noticed the obvious.

"What did you mean then with all that talk about my hands being 'tied'?" Hotch was shouting in the phone, but he'd made sure to close the door to his den so as to not wake his son. He'd waited up for Reid to call, though he hadn't expected Rossi to call him up with such a provocative question. One that technically wasn't fully accurate as he hadn't been into Spencer. Yet.

"I was trying to tell you, as the Unit Chief to our team, that I was going to break the rules. To keep you apprised of my actions. To tell you, without telling you? You couldn't agree to it even if you wanted to. I figured you suspected that I was interested in Spencer. Aaron, seriously, how did you miss that?"

Hotch stopped short his tirade for a moment. Rubbing a hand over his mouth, he couldn't help but wonder how he did miss that. He knew David and Spencer were close, but not in the same way that Reid was with Morgan. It was different than that. He just never thought… "Seriously, no more round-about linguistic crap. You are telling me that you're interested in Spencer Reid, the genius, aka doctor, of our team. Romantically interested?"

"I thought I already told you this," Rossi sighed agitatedly, on the other end of the phone.

"So, you left my office, actually thinking I was okay with that?" Hotch turned his neck enough to crack some of the tension building across his shoulders. If only Rossi knew how lucky he was to be on the other coast.

"It doesn't really matter what you're okay with," Rossi blankly stated, "Hotch, I'm not looking for permission. I was trying to tell you because you're a friend, so you wouldn't find out after the fact."

"There's one rather prominent problem with all of this," Hotch bit out, shaking his head as he rubbed his temple.

"Yeah, no kidding," Rossi started to laugh on the other end as Hotch glared silently at nothing. David, thankfully, stopped, instead cleared his throat. "We should have this conversation when we're back in Virginia. All three of us."

"Look," Hotch sighed, ceasing the restless pacing he'd been practicing since he picked up the phone. He moved back to his desk, dropping exhausted into the chair. "We really can't. I promised Reid I would keep this between us. By us, I mean me and him."

"Yeah, that's really not going to work," Rossi's voice held an all too familiar edge, and Hotch sat up instantly at the sound of it.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing," Came the all too quick refusal. "Okay, well, I did kiss him, but that doesn't really count since he passed out anyways."

"W-what?"

"Yeah, it's a long story. Sushi, psychopathic knife wielding cooks, well intentioned waitress, sake, bullfrogs… I'll tell you about it when we get back."

The phone cut out, and Hotch couldn't stop staring at the 'Call Ended' message his cell flashed him. All Aaron could keep thinking was that Rossi really didn't know how lucky he was to be on the other side of the country right now. He really had no clue.

If nothing else, the phone call had managed to clear any remaining confusion the two had held on the subject of their resident genius Doctor Spencer Reid. Hotch was involved with Spencer, and Rossi wanted to be.

Aaron hadn't been there for what happened when Reid awoke the following morning. Hotch also wasn't able to get a hold of Spencer through his cell. When their flight had landed, and still he couldn't get hold of Reid, he was worried. This time after he hung up, his phone chirped back. It was Reid's cell, but the voice belonged to Rossi. When Rossi told him that Hotch needed to talk to Reid, he was trying not to be angry with his old friend.

"That's exactly what I've been trying to do."

"Hey, take it easy. Breathe."

Was Rossi really trying to coax him down? Hotch did stop, and took a deep breath. It helped, a very little bit. If David could tell how strung out he was over the phone, then he really was losing his grip.

"All right, what happened?" Hotch tried to clear his mind and think this new development of an unreachable Reid through.

"What happened when?" Hotch could feel his teeth grinding at Rossi's dodgy reply.

"Everything after I hung up with you last night."

o-O-o

David Rossi had never made moves on someone who was drunk.

Admittedly he did have sex with people who were drunk, though those were ones who'd already started the act of trying to seduce him before they downed the alcohol. People trying to seduce David weren't an oddity. Hey, an FBI agent, distinguished writer, credited with bringing down some of the worst criminals, and working with the first group to ever set up the Behavioral Analysis Unit in the FBI? It turned a lot of people on.

Yes, he really did have groupies.

Reid wasn't trying to seduce him, he knew that. However, for not trying to seduce him he was doing an awfully good job. Kid could sell seminars on the damn thing. Except for the part where after being kissed you go rigid as a stone and promptly pass out.

When he laid the younger man into his bed, brushing the hair from his face, he heard Reid distinctly say Hotch's name. Correction, purr like a kitten, smile, and then say Hotch's name. You didn't need to be a profiler to get where Rossi's mind went next, or who he called.

The next morning, Rossi awoke early, showered, and came out to find a very scared looking genius sitting up in his bed. His eyes went doggedly to Rossi, an unspoken question in them.

Reid was exhausted, his body sore and stiff. When he awoke the to the disposition of his limbs, the first thing he did was check the sheets. They were clean, which was a good sign.

Nothing happened.

His eyes darted over to Rossi's own bed, tumbled sheets and blanket twisted and pulled down. He resisted the urge to gulp. Okay, so nothing happened in his bed. He wasn't about to check Rossi's; he couldn't bring himself to do it.

When the older man came out of the shower, dressed in his standard button-up plaid shirt and blue jeans, Reid tried not to shrink away like a scared kitten. Rossi shrugged at the silent greeting, hanging up the hotel towel before he started gathering up his belongings and placing them back into his luggage bag.

"No, Reid," Rossi said over his shoulder, as he found his toothpaste and made a second trip toward the bathroom. "Give me some credit."

Reid could feel the heat rise to his face as he cast his eyes down to his fists. His knuckles were white as the sheets knotted in his grasp. Rossi didn't have to ask what he was thinking. Sadly, Reid shook his head in dismay. They never had to actually ask what the other was thinking.

"You should get ready," Rossi mumbled from within the bathroom, a toothbrush working around in his mouth. "The plane leaves at ten, and we need to check into the airport by eight to get though security."

Rubbing a hand over his face, Reid tried to collect himself into a semblance of normalcy. Pushing the covers down, he got off the bed and drug out his own luggage pack. Flipping through the zippers he found a fresh change of clothes and his toothbrush.

"You plan on pretending nothing happened?" He surprised himself with how easily he asked the older man the question which was plaguing his mind.

"On the contrary," The smile in his voice was unmistakable as Rossi picked up the keys from the night stand. "I'm going to pick up some coffee and a better breakfast then the continental crap they have downstairs. Any requests?"

"N~no," Reid looked bewilderedly back from his luggage to the other man, "Just the usual." Rossi smiled as he shook his head at Reid's quizzical expression.

"After we eat," David said, as he left on his customary errand for real food.

Reid picked up his things and went to the bathroom. Turning on the shower, he wondered if he should be grateful for how eased Rossi seemed, or worried. He hadn't been completely hammered last night. He remembered what happened. Though he rarely took alcohol on toe to toe, he'd never had a drunken blackout of events.

He knew he'd been pinned between a wall and Rossi. He knew the other man had kissed him. Hanging his head down under the near scalding water that poured down, he also knew something else he wished he could forget. He didn't want the revelations of that night. Not of Rossi's interest, nor of his feelings for Hotch.

Scrubbing down, albeit with more aggression then was required, a pink Spencer Reid stepped out of the shower and toweled off. He may have awakened confused, but now he was simply pissed.

On his return with blueberry muffins and coffee, Rossi was greeted with the sight of Spencer pacing about the room. One arm was crossed about his chest, bracing the other which held a hand raised by his head. Reid's fingers were ticking on his chin, counting off, shaking loose, then repeating the unconscious actions. The movements of his fingers an outward manifestation of Spencer's inward thought processes. Setting down the retrieved food and drink, Rossi stood, crossing his arms while he waited. He knew it would come to this. He also knew he had to wait for Reid to finish compiling before he could expect a rational conversation.

Reid finally stopped, giving Rossi a look that could cut glass. "I'm not one of your fan girls."

"Never said that you were," Rossi shrugged, handing over a cup of coffee and muffin to the decidedly agitated man.

"Your actions speak differently," Reid grumbled, though accepting the meal.

"Actually, they do," Rossi gestured to the corner table in the room, the hotel's attempt at a breakfast nook. David waited for Reid to take a seat before he continued. "Speak differently, that is."

Reid blinked at him, frowning as he started to pick the top of his muffin. "You say it like it's a good thing."

"I'd like to think so," Rossi said as he sipped on his coffee.

"I don't see you in that way," Reid said, his eyes fidgeting about the room. Anywhere that wasn't on the man across from him.

"Never assumed you did," Rossi nodded at the man, "but I think you will." Reid froze up, his eyes going wide as he did look at David this time. Rossi gave a small shrug, hiding a grin behind his cup, "I'm a very persuasive kind of guy."

"Not, really, not going to happen," Reid coughed into his hand. He'd almost agreed with Rossi out of habit. He knew Rossi was a persuasive man, but Spencer had never been on the receiving end. Sighing, he set down his muffin, giving Rossi his full attention. Reid knew Rossi pretty well, and unless he flatly refused him there was no way Rossi would give up. "We can't. We're fellow SSAs on the same team, and I'm also~" Reid gritted his teeth, but bit the figurative bullet, "I'm seeing someone."

"Both those points are valid," Rossi granted, giving Reid as much attention as he was receiving which only caused the younger man to fidget under the intense stare until he looked away.

Spencer was silently cursing his luck to be surrounded by some of the most dominant males in the FBI.

"They're both also irrelevant." Rossi's easy dismissal though sent Spencer for a loop. Of course he himself had dismissed Aaron's initial reasons easily, but he'd never said they were irrelevant. He also hadn't vicariously called Hotch irrelevant either, not as Rossi had just done in so few words. That brought some ire back into the young profiler as he returned to the once forgotten staring contest.

"I don't agree."

"I'm not saying that I want you to cheat on Hotch." Rossi waved his hand in the air between them. Reid swallowed his tongue, and whatever retort it had held. "For one thing," Rossi said as he held up a finger, "You're using a defense that subjugates itself. You're seeing Aaron, your, our, boss on the team. Kind of takes the strength out of both of those particular arguments."

"You knew?" Reid questioned Rossi when he had somehow managed to find his tongue. Rossi was silent, smiling, but he was toying with an idea in his head. Finally, shrugging his shoulders in defeat, he continued.

It would be best to explain in full what had happened.

"When I first went to Hotch on Friday, I told him I was going to pursue you. Romantically."

"Hotch knows?" Reid's voice pitched up several octaves. His jaw dropped open as he looked at Rossi.

"He knows I'm interested in you, and that I can't be dissuaded. But, Reid~"

"You told Hotch that?" Reid demanded as he stood, slamming palms onto the table between them and bringing his face close enough to scrutinize Rossi. Rossi blinked, taken aback by the closest thing he'd ever seen to rage taking over the younger man.

"Well, yes, in his office Friday morning, but~" Rossi actually flinched when Spencer's hand grabbed his mouth, muffling the explanation.

"Don't," Reid breathed. Releasing his grasp on Rossi's mouth, he left the table, and his coffee, to finish packing.

"Spencer," Rossi tried again, but Reid shot him a death glare that would have had Strauss running for cover.

The remainder of the morning, from the hotel, to the car, to the airport, and even on the plane was filled with redundant single word conversations.

"Reid" – was usually the one word Rossi would try to open with.

"No" – was the favored reply the younger man would snap back. On more then one occasion Reid's fingers would twitch toward his belt, where his gun was thankfully not holstered.

Small favors.

As they neared Quantico, Reid's phone went off. The brown haired man grimaced as he looked at the screen. Agitatedly he shut the device off, letting it fall into his lap.

When they reached the garage of the BAU Rossi parked the Bureau's SUV, but hit the locks for the doors. "Reid, you really need to talk to me. You can't dodge this."

"I have nothing to talk with you about," Reid growled, leaning over the seat to grab his carry-on. "Open the door."

"No," Rossi deadpanned, turning as best he could to look fully at the angry man in the passenger seat. "Reid, I don't want to offend you, or drive you away as a colleague. I respect you," Rossi sighed as he could see the distant look in Reid's eyes. Bringing his hand up to the side of Reid's face returned the genius to the moment at hand. "I legitimately like you, as a person, as a friend, an equal, and something more than all of that. I need you to understand that."

Reid looked petrified, but at least his eyes were focused on David now instead of staring off into space. Reid had moved to back away, but there wasn't anywhere to go in the confines of the SUV unless he intended to jump to the back seat. Spencer toyed with the idea briefly, but squashed it. Swallowing harshly, he gave a small nod. "Rossi, I'm not mad at you, but, I really need…"

"Time?" Rossi asked, pulling his hand away from Reid.

"I'm not changing my position," Reid said flatly, his eyes dark as he shook his head. "I just need a little time to clear my head. Oh, but, that," Reid pointed between them, a frown pulling his brow down, "Don't ever do that again, or I'll be more than just mad at you."

"I'll ask for permission next time." Rossi humored him as he released the lock for the doors. Reid didn't bolt from the vehicle, but it was close enough to worry Rossi. Stepping out of the driver's seat and opening the back to get their luggage, Rossi kept his eyes on Reid's shaking hands, the abnormal pale hue of his skin.

"You don't look well," Rossi dared, pulling out his suitcase. Reid paused, his breathing was hitched as he cleared his throat.

"I'm fine."

"You're not," Rossi hung his head, drawing in a deep breath. "Reid, I never wanted to upset you."

"It's not you," Reid mumbled, pulling up the handle on his rolling luggage. Shaking his head, he stopped to look at the man beside him. He was still shaking, he still looked pale, but his eyes were focused and clear. "Rossi, I do care for you, and I know you. You always go after whatever you want. Don't worry, I meant it when I said I'm not mad at you."

"I hear a distinct 'but' in there," Rossi said as he waited for what was troubling Reid to come out.

"Hotch," Reid's brown eyes blinked up at the older man, as though the answer was obvious. "I need to clear my head, but I'm fine." Spencer said as he walked away from the SUV towards his own car. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Rossi closed the back hatch of the SUV, frowning as he watched the younger man walk away. Going back to the driver's side, he opened the door to retrieve his sunglasses from the dashboard. A blue blinking light drew his attention to the seat Reid had occupied. Reaching down, Rossi pulled the cell phone from the seat. A message for "missed call" flashed on the screen.

Rossi looked back into the garage, but Reid's car was already pulling away. He'd opened his mouth, but dismissed the urge to call after the other man. He couldn't hear him regardless, and he wasn't going to case the Volvo from the garage. Cocking his head, Rossi opened the phone, closing his eyes as he saw the name on the caller ID. Sighing, he pressed the redial, pulling the phone up to his ear.

"Reid?" Hotch's voice rang through after the first ring, a distinct worry in his tone, and Rossi's heart fell.

It had been a long time since he'd heard that emotion used in Aaron's voice. He didn't want to think of himself as a bastard, but even still he gritted his teeth. He couldn't hold back his feelings any more than Hotch could keep his voice the calm stoic sound they had all come to know.

"No, guess again."

"Rossi." David grimaced. Aaron's pissed off inflection wasn't missed, but that was one he'd been on the receiving end of recently.

"You need to talk to your boy," Rossi said as he looked back to where the Volvo had left.

"He's not a boy," Aaron bit back the ire that was prominent in his voice. "Besides, I know that. That's exactly what I've been trying to do."

"Hey, take it easy. Breathe." Rossi could hear the silence, and then the deep breath pulling on the other side of the line. Aaron really has it bad, Rossi silently noted.

"All right, what happened?" Hotch said, though only a little less frantic than before.

"What happened when?" Rossi asked, slightly confused.

"Everything after I hung up with you last night."

Rossi recounted everything to Hotch, not leaving one detail out as he drove from Quantico. As he spoke on the phone, he headed toward Hotch's home, not his own. "But there's one problem."

"Just one?" Came Hotch's sarcastic remark on the other end.

"Yeah," Rossi quirked his brow, as he turned the car, drawing nearer toward Hotch's house. "Reid's pissed. He said he wasn't mad at me, but this is currently a matter of basic math. Sorry old boy," Rossi said as he pulled into Aaron's driveway.

Hotch was standing on his stoop, waiting for Rossi's arrival. Hanging up the phone, David got out of his car, regarding Hotch carefully.

"There's only three people in this equation, and if he's not mad at me, he's mad at you. I really don't know why," Rossi said as he handed Aaron Spencer's cell. Hotch looked at the cell, and David could see the desire in the dark haired man's stance, in his crossed arms and clenched fists. David had no intention of exchanging punches, but if Hotch decided to hit him, David would allow it. Lifting his chin, he waited for Hotch to decide.

Hotch silently, slowly took the offered cell phone from Rossi, his brow never lifting from the anger that pressed a weight down on it. "Could it be," Hotch started, glancing down at the cell in his hands before returning his glare to Rossi, "That you never explained to Reid the part where we didn't know what either of us were talking about in that conversation Friday morning?"

Rossi blinked, surprised that he truly had forgotten that part. He'd tried to tell Spencer that, but he wasn't listening that morning, and when he had him locked in the car he'd only been thinking of easing the distress in the younger man.

"Since, to Reid, it sounded like I just let him go to that motel room with you. Knowing that you intended to make a pass at him. That I said nothing, did nothing, about it." Hotch softly commented, but the glare, and the anger didn't dissipate. The more angry Hotch became, the more certain Rossi was that the white knuckled fist was going to find a home on his face. By this point, he conceded that he deserved it.

No wonder Reid looked like he was going to be sick, and here Rossi had assumed it was because of him.

"I'm ready!" Jack called as he bounced out of the house, his backpack bobbing on his back as he came to stand beside his dad. "Hey uncle Rossi!" Jack beamed, before running over to give David's legs a quick hug.

That was the first time Rossi saw any of the agitation leave Hotch's frame, or saw the man breathe, since he pulled in. Hotch leaned down, zipping up the small red and blue windbreaker before checking his son once over.

"I'm going to visit my cousins tonight," Jack looked up to Rossi, explaining away his attire.

"Just for tonight," Hotch said, brushing his son's golden bangs from his eyes. Going to his car, he lifted Jack into his car seat and buckled him in. Waiting until he had the door closed before he turned back to David, "I can't exactly take him along for a lover's quarrel, now can I?"

"Uncle Rossi," Jack called out as he rolled down the window of the car, "You're coming with us, right?" Hotch shot David a warning glare, but Rossi ignored it as he smiled over Aaron's shoulder at the boy.

"You bet I am," David grinned back toward the cheering boy, before giving Hotch a small shrug. "I said all three of us needed to sit down and talk when we got back. Sooner's better then later."

Hotch's eyes fluttered closed as he tried to unclench his fists. David walked around him, moving to the passenger side of the car. Jack's voice happily called from the vehicle, followed by an equally jubilant Rossi urging him to, "Come on! Let's go!"

o-O-o

Restraining or harnessing his anger, Hotch went to the car, giving Rossi a look that could kill before opening the door and turning the keys in the ignition.

When they arrived at Michael and Jessica's home, Aaron walked Jack up to the door that opened just as their feet landed on the porch. Jessica beamed full of light as she stooped down and pulled Jack into a big embrace. Lifting up her nephew, she kissed his cheek before looking back to Aaron.

He had called her from the car, with a quick explanation and request for Jack to stay the night. She seemed to understand what was happening despite the brief bits of information he choose to use in Jack's presence.

"Thank you Jess, I know this was last minute. I'm sorry~" Aaron started, but stopped when Michael came from behind the woman. He offered to take Jack from her, and the boy slid between the two. Aaron saw the bandages on his hands, caught the fear in Jessica's eyes when he noticed the white of the fabric. Michael brought Jack into the house, his voice jubilant as he announced Jack's presence to the sound of his sons' resounding cheers.

"You!" Jess snapped, stepping out onto the porch, shoving a finger into Aaron's troubled face. "Don't you dare!" She said quietly, to the dark eyes that searched her face, "Later, but for right now you need to focus. We'll take good care of Jack, but you need to concentrate on Spencer." Aaron's face clouded, his feet rooted as he looked down at the woman before him. Jess sighed, using a heartfelt smile she'd learned, practiced, but this time she actually meant. Reaching arms up around Aaron she pulled his shocked frame into a strong embrace.

"Spencer means a lot to me," she whispered into Aaron's shoulder. Smiling warmly she pulled away. "I want him back!" Slapping a hand on Hotch's shoulder, she pushed him down the first step of the porch. Grinning, Jess gave her brother-in-law a small wave before skipping lightly into the home and closing the door.

Aaron stood there for a moment, torn, unable to reconcile what he had just seen.

"Hey, Hotch," Rossi called from the car.

Peeling his eyes off the door that Jess had disappeared through, he turned around to see Rossi waving his phone in his direction, "I can't get Spencer to pick up at his house. What if he's not there?"

"Then we find him." Hotch returned quietly, as he shrugged off the eerie feeling eating at the back of his mind. Returning to the car, he once more turned the keys. Shaking his head, he couldn't help but feel as if the things around him were all deciding that today was a good day to fall apart.

TBC~

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Next chapter will be up shortly. : )