One Question, Hotch/Rossi (Criminal Minds), PG [contains SPOILERS]

[severity_softly]

Title: One Question
Author: severity_softly
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Rating: PG
Pairing: Hotch/Rossi
Word count: ~750
Summary: Dave shows up at Aaron's apartment after the case in Louisville.
Notes: This is a tag to episode 5x02, Haunted. Contains SPOILERS for 5x01 (Faceless, Nameless), and 5x02. Betaed by innerslytherin.


When Aaron answered the door, Dave was standing on the other side, his posture neutral. Aaron hesitated, then sighed and let Dave in.

"It's midnight," Aaron said.

"I noticed," Dave replied. "Why aren't you in bed?"

Aaron huffed an unamused laugh. "I could ask you the same thing."

Dave turned around to face Aaron and rested against the arm of the couch. "I'm awake because I'm worried about you. You're awake because you're refusing to sleep."

"I told you not to push it."

Dave sighed. He was trying not to push it. He really was, and that was saying a lot about how much he loved Aaron. It was hell having to bite his tongue, but he was willing to do it now. For a while. "Have I been?"

Aaron stared at him for a moment, then just sighed and walked to the drinks cabinet to get a glass of bourbon. He was drinking too damn much lately. Dave was trying to bite his tongue on that too. He'd never been through what Aaron had, and as much as he could imagine what Aaron was going through, he could never really know. So instead of saying anything, Dave just shifted to sit on the couch and watched Aaron.

Aaron just stood there for a moment, stiff, his only movement was lifting the glass to his lips a few times. But finally he sighed and crossed the room to sit on the couch next to Dave. Dave held a sigh of his own and forced himself not to pull Aaron into his arms like he wanted to.

"I just have one question..."

"Dave--"

"Well, a statement, really," Dave continued. He turned his head to meet Aaron's gaze and held it. "I thought you said you loved me."

Aaron blinked for a moment, looking confused, then frowned. "I do."

"Then why are you acting like you have nothing to live for anymore?"

Aaron stared at him, then finished his drink in one gulp and got up to refill it. Dave watched silently. There were more photos and files for Foyet laying around than the last time Dave had come over. They were scattered over the coffee table like Aaron had been going through them just before Dave had knocked.

"This is my son we're talking about," Aaron murmured.

"I know," Dave replied, but then Aaron raised his voice.

"No you don't," he said. "You can't, Dave. How many sons do you have?"

Dave narrowed his eyes, but yet again, bit his tongue.

"I love you, but there isn't anything in the world that can compare to how much I love my child. I'm sorry, but there just isn't." Aaron pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I know."

"No you don't," Aaron snapped again.

Dave looked down and scowled at his hands where they were folded in his lap. "Do you know how much it would destroy me if you killed yourself?"

He saw Aaron shake his head out of the corner of his eye. "Don't do this to me."

Dave's gaze snapped up to Aaron's, going hard. "Don't do this to me."

"I'm not having this conversation," Aaron said, taking another large gulp of his drink.

"Yes, you are," Dave insisted. "Obsess about Foyet all you want. I'm not going to say anything. I think it's unhealthy, but I understand. When it comes to destroying my happiness, however, I think I have a God damned say."

"God, you're such a selfish--"

"Yeah, I know. But I want you. I want you whole." Dave paused and watched Aaron for a long moment, then said, "Come here."

Aaron shook his head again. "Dave, I don't--"

"Come here," Dave repeated.

Aaron's jaw worked, looking like he was chewing on another protest, but then he just huffed and crossed the room to sit on the couch again. Dave reached up and tentatively stroked Aaron's hair. "I love you, Aaron," he said. Normally they didn't need to say it out loud, but Aaron needed to know that there were still people who needed him to stay alive. "I love you," he repeated.

Aaron frowned and dropped his head, his expression going pained. He drew a shaky breath, and then finally leaned against Dave. Dave wrapped his arms around him and held him against his chest. God, he couldn't lose this. Some days it was the only thing that kept him sane. He kissed the top of Aaron's head and pulled him tighter. "I love you."

Comments

[kyrdwyn.livejournal.com]

Yes, Hotch needs to hear this, to know there are people who love him and who want him to live.

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

I agree. :)

[winky3018.livejournal.com]

OH you are going to make love this pairing aren't you?

Love Dave not giving up and making damn sure that Aaron doesn't either! This ep was really difficult to watch, I like your endingi!

*hug*

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

LOL I like dragging people into my ships, so yes! :)

Thank you!

[clair3.livejournal.com]

that was really sweet of Rossi! there should be more of this pairing!

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

There really should be! Thanks!

[thelana.livejournal.com]

Loved it tons. Somehow Hotch/Rossi just seems to be the perfect pairing for such quiet moments (to me). A lot of the dialog had a borderline Gen feel to me.

In the latest episode, I really was missing some kind of Hotch/Rossi scene. I didn't have a problem with Rossi's position, except that it would have made more sense if we had given a better reason as to why he came to the conclusion that that was the way to proceed.

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

I actually had the feeling when I started writing it that it was going to have a gen feel. I think maybe that's because Aaron is probably in a state of mind where he's afraid to be too close to people who might want to help him right now, so he's creating distance. I don't know.

And I agree so much re: wanting to know Dave's reasons. Hopefully I addressed that a little, though I know I didn't completely.

Thanks!

[dragonladyk.livejournal.com]

Personally, I think it's that Dave has figured out Foyet raped Hotch in some fashion, probably without even being told because of the Awesomeness of Dave. Rape victims tend to feel safer with the opposite sex of their rapist (hence letting Prentiss take lead on this) and need more than anything to be allowed to make their own decisions even if they're bad ones. Otherwise they never get over the rapist. (Hence Dave just letting Hotch have all the leash he wants.)

DragonLady

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I'm not convinced Hotch was raped, though I'm not convinced he wasn't. My first reaction was that Foyet had emasculated Hotch.

Anyway, IF he was raped, you make a very good point.

[dragonladyk.livejournal.com]

And I can see that, except that Foyet said Hotch's scars would be "just the same" and I can't imagine a narcissist like Foyet doing himself that kind of damage.

Also, in the Universe as We Know It, Hotch's response to Prentiss offering to drive him to work would be, "You're my female subordinate; that's not appropriate and would look unseemly. And I want Dave." (I mean, "Omnivore," who'd he drag around with him? Dave. And more Dave. And Dave again... Oh, talking about the marriage two eps ago? Look, it's Dave.)

Now, suddenly, Dave is not the tolerated comforter, but Prentiss. It just screams rape victim behavior to me. :/ Rather like the fact that the smell of blood seems to freak Hotch out now (he bailed on every crime scene pretty fast). The cologne of a rapist if he wore it is known to trigger a post-traumatic response in his victim... So. Yes.

But either way? Dave knows by the magical way Dave Knows. ^^

I need a Dave icon...

DragonLady

[thelana.livejournal.com]

You know, that is a really way-too-cool-to-be-canon explanation. And to think of it, all it would require is one missing scene where Prentiss (after having seen something on the chart+seeing that Hotch is obviously lying) tells Rossi off screen before the scene where Rossi comes into the hospital room and gives the speech on how they are going to catch Foyet.

Darn, and now I think a fic on this subject, Rossi being told it and just being floored by it and not knowing how to react, plus Rossi and Prentiss conspiring on how to handle it would be a really neat thing.

[dragonladyk.livejournal.com]

You know, that is a really way-too-cool-to-be-canon explanation.

Not really. In his first ep Dave figured out that Hotch and Haley had split, without Hotch saying a word, when the rest of the team was clueless. ^^

DragonLady

[thelana.livejournal.com]

Well, but to me it sort of presumes some sort of "the writers want to tell a rape story, but either weren't allowed to do so openly or want to be very shady about it" scenario. And while it's fun, how do you distinguish at this point whether that is a real option or just wishing thinking/tinhattery?

I guess I just have seen too many cases of fans being convinced that a show was secretly telling this or that story in subtext and of course being proven wrong in the end. So I tend to be kind of sceptical on these things, no matter how cool or compelling the idea is. (for what its worth, I think it would be awesome and daring for the writers to tell a rape recovery story like this; I'm just not sure that I trust them enough to be doing that [see Reid's drug recovery non-story])

[dragonladyk.livejournal.com]

And while it's fun, how do you distinguish at this point whether that is a real option or just wishing thinking/tinhattery?

Ed Bernero stated in a CMF chat around the time of the premier that the staff was in big trouble with the network over something early this season, but he wasn't going to be specific because he was still hopeful he could convince them to play ball. That's neither wishful thinking nor tinhattery, IMO, especially given our cultural stereotypes and general squickishness over men being raped (women or children being raped, on the other hand, that's fine and sometimes not even an R rating. But I digress.).

I'm hoping that the network will give the okay and we'll get a definite plotline (this time, it looks like, with some actual research instead of the Utter Lack of Realistic Anything Reid's was), or else they'll shoot it down but allow Ed B. to talk about it afterwards.

DragonLady

[thelana.livejournal.com]

I have heard of that quote and I'd love to read it myself :) But technically the quote could also mean other things, from asking permission to have an inter-team hookup to asking permission to have Hotch kill Foyet when they catch him and get away with it.

What can I say, I'm one of the "ye of little faith" people :)

[wojelah.livejournal.com]

1) What kyrdwyn said.

2) I love this: "Aaron's jaw worked, looking like he was chewing on another protest" - so very Hotch.

3) This is just lovely and ow.

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[kitsune-flame.livejournal.com]

I think this is how the episode should have ended. Hotch getting comfort from a good friend, like Reid, instead of the insistent hovering that Prentiss was doing. But this could just be me being biased.

Thanks for sharing.

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

The hovering and I'm-worried-face!Prentiss don't really work for Hotch. He needs someone who'll treat him like normal even when things are far from it.

Thanks!

[resolucidity.livejournal.com]

*wibbles* That was awesome, dear.
(Welcome Back)

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

Oh don't say welcome back, you smug thing.

Thank you, hon. *hugs*

[katewallace.livejournal.com]

Thank goodness for Dave! Someone's got to get Aaron to unwind and realize that he doesn't have to save the world to get Jack (and Haley) back safe and sound. And while I would have rather seen Dave in the last scene with Hotch, at least someone had the nerve to confront him about his behavior instead of standing off to the side and going "WTF!" And I'd like to see a scene soon where Hotch goes and apoligizes to Garcia for snapping at her. (hint...hint... :) )

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

Aw, I doubt he will, though. He's not really in the state to realize he's even in the wrong, I don't think. :(

Thank you!

[dragonladyk.livejournal.com]

This fic? Was Ode to the Awesomeness of Dave. ^^ He's come SO FAR since he first started, and this fic just shows this perfectly.

DragonLady

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

Thank you! He really has. :)

[jalabert.livejournal.com]

Hee.

I'm not laughing because this was funny--it's anything but. However, my first reaction was to wonder whether Reid knows. Does Morgan know? Does, JJ or Prentiss or anyone Hotch has been romantically linked with in fanfiction know? (There should be a line outside his door...)

But seriously, this is a very poignant, emotionally-charged fic. I like how the situation forces Dave's hand.

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[hotch-fan.livejournal.com]

I get here a little late to read this, but is just amazing.
This is exactly what I wanted to see in the end of that episode, someone who could confront directly Hotch, (Dave preferably) and make him see that he wasn't alone.

Thanks for sharing : )

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

Dave is one of the few ballsy enough to confront Aaron, and maybe the only one Aaron would listen to anyway. :)

Thanks!

[kimmeke-86.livejournal.com]

Great fic!

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

Thanks!