It had been a trying couple of months for the BAU. The team went to New York to assist in a terrorism case, Morgan thought about taking a new position within the FBI. Agent Joyner and Hotch were involved in a SUV explosion which cost Agent Joyner her life and injured Hotch. The team had been working almost non stop. The team was currently working a case in Ohio. A string of killings had a strange connection to a serial killer who had been executed a few years back. As it turned out it was the girlfriend of the executed killer who was the killer. She was not going to be taken easily and choose suicide by cops as a way to be reunited with her dead boyfriend. When the gun blast went off, Hotch dropped to the ground in pain. His ear drum had been slightly ruptured in the SUV explosion and he was risking permanent damage by flying and exposure to load noise. He should not have been in the field, it was too soon.
"Hotch!" yelled David.
Dave ran to Hotch. He picked him up and cradled his arms. "It's going to be alright. I've got you."
Dave sat with Hotch for hours in the emergency room. The way Dave took care of him, complicated Hotch's already complicated feelings toward him. Even though he had awful pain in his ear after the gun shot, in a strange way it felt good when Dave put his arms around him.
That night as Hotch lay in his hotel room, he kept replaying that one kiss they shared 10 years ago.
The next morning the team was preparing to fly back home. Hotch had to drive back to the BAU, as it was unsafe for him to fly.
"Are you going to be alright driving back alone? I would drive it with you if I could but the team...".
Although Dave wanted to drive with Hotch, he was relieved that his work commitments would prevent it.
"I know Dave, and I would like your company, but the team needs your leadership in my absence" Hotch replied with ambivalence in his voice. "Thank you."
"No problem. Take your time traveling home. Take care of your self for once."
Hotch did take his time returning to the BAU. He was feeling better physically, but his emotions were all over the place, and focused on Dave. He knew he wasn't gay, or was he? He wasn't telling the truth when he told Dave he had never had inclinations for a man since their kiss. He did...but only for Dave. Sometimes when he was being intimate with Hayle, he thought of Dave. "What am I going to do? I am so fucked", he thought.