IT’S HERE IT’S HERE EVERYONE CHEER
doomed
summary: idk like. hotchniss, but make it pretty healthy communication for once
word count: 1.5k
pairing: aaron hotchner x emily prentiss
genre: a lil angsty a lil hurt/comfort? i guess?
a/n: …i told y’all i would snap one day and i guess that day is today welcome to my first hotchniss fic skkdkdjdjd pls go easy on me idk how much i love it but it pulled itself together kinda surprisingly and kinda nicely lmao but please do let me know what you think! big thanks to @aubreyprc for giving the heavily unedited unfinished version of this a read and pushing me to post it so yeah anyway. have at it i guess lol happy reading
Their relationship seemed doomed from the start, there was no way around it.
Emily was notorious for trying to hide her feelings in an attempt to save herself from being vulnerable to the people around her. She felt deeply, but she never let it seem that way. In hiding her emotions, from even the people closest to her, she came across as closed off, unavailable.
Aaron was freshly divorced, coming out of the only real relationship he’d ever had. It had grown broken beyond repair, and he was left with the knowledge that he was the one who could have done something about it, but didn’t. He didn’t dare admit his slight remorse to anyone, he just buried those feelings, and came across as closed off, unavailable.
Yet despite the two agents putting up walls trying to steel their hearts against opening up and getting hurt by anyone other than themselves, they managed to fall fast and hard for each other. Two intentionally emotionally unavailable individuals with the softest of spots for each other. It seemed doomed from the start, and they both knew it.
It was a whirlwind, their relationship; there was no use trying to point out a ‘beginning’, though they still argue with each other about who felt what first, who would’ve made which move first. It was irrelevant, of course because neither of them made any semblance of a move until...until they did.
What started as a collection of feelings elicited by meaningless, yet somehow eyebrow-raising, moments, ended up as straw after straw on the metaphorical camel’s back. Their individual camels’ backs broke on the same day, or night, really, while Emily was sticking out being beaten by a manipulative, crazed cult leader, and Aaron had to listen to her scream out in pain. As soon as she and Reid were rescued from inside and she was examined by paramedics, Aaron approached her, and they both felt something shift in their already equivocal dynamic. She stood to greet him, he placed a light hand on her arm, and that was all it took to finally push them to do what they hadn’t even consciously realized they’d wanted to.
But again, it seemed doomed, and it was something they avoided talking about. If no one brought it up, it must be a non-issue, right? Despite how well their relationship had progressed, this was one thing they felt themselves dancing on eggshells around. They didn’t talk about the future, they didn’t talk about the past; without explicitly agreeing to each other, they both felt very content taking it day by day and seeing where things go. It kept things light, without commitment, not serious enough to warrant a proper conversation about things. But they would never admit any of this out loud, because the truth is, neither of them actually felt that way.
Emily had become skilled at taking things as they come, which is exactly why she wanted one modicum of control over some aspect of her personal life. From a young age everything was determined by her mother, even through her adult life where, yes it was helpful to have someone to pull strings and help her get a leg up towards what she wanted in a career, it still felt like her mother was telling her what to do. If it were up to Emily, she would sit with Aaron and try and define things, figure out what they’re doing, where this is going.
Aaron liked having control over things, liked eliminating as much of the unknown as he could; as a professional, he doesn’t have nearly as much control as he’d like, with so many moving parts to each aspect of what they do at the BAU, things don’t go as smoothly as he wished they did, despite him already being at the head of the ship. So he took whatever measures he could to control and predict and prepare for things in his personal life, especially since the downfall of his relationship with Haley. If it were up to Aaron, he would sit with Emily and draw clear lines in the sand and figure out exactly what they have going on and where they would like it to go.
But they kept their feelings to themselves, in an effort to do what they thought the other wanted, what the other led them to believe they wanted.
This seemed doomed. They both knew it, felt it, but refused to admit it to anyone in the hopes of keeping them okay, in the hopes of preserving the good thing they have going on.
So, neither of them said anything, but that didn’t stop Emily from worrying; she was constantly walking on eggshells around her own thoughts on the matter, that’s how little she didn’t want to go near this, unpack this. But Emily was worried. Realistically she knows that Aaron is an adult and knows what’s best for himself, but she can’t help thinking about Haley and the divorce and how isn’t this kind of fast and isn’t this a lot and is this just something to keep him busy post-divorce and is this his way of finding a new Haley? She hated that this was nagging her, because she really didn’t think so lowly of Aaron at all; but ever since she saw him once a little bit ago with Haley when Jack was getting dropped off, the idea would not leave her alone. I’m not Haley, she thought to herself, and I can’t be Haley. I don’t know how to be. And her impulsivity finally backed her into a corner when she says what’s been at the back of her mind for weeks, ever since she got that one seedling of an idea in her head that she couldn’t get out.
They’re sitting in silence when she blurts out, “I’m not Haley.”
“Wha—”
“No, Aaron, you let me finish,” Emily says quickly. “I am not Haley. I can not be another Haley Brooks, because...because I’m not Haley Brooks. I can’t offer you what I don’t have so if— if that’s what you’re looking for I’m prepared to cut our losses and quit while we’re ahead. There’s no use in dragging this — whatever this is — out if it won’t actually be going anywhere.”
“Emily, I—” he inhales sharply. “Have I given you that impression? That I just— that I’m looking for someone to replace Haley?”
She glances up at him, her eyes meeting his for a split second before averting her gaze again.
“Emily,” he whispers, “What— what you and I have is nothing like what Haley and I had. And that is a good thing, that’s okay, I’m— I’m not looking for what Haley and I had.”
They sit in silence until Aaron speaks up again.
“What Haley and I had was— was good, it was great, until it wasn’t anymore. She and I...she will always have a special place in my heart, but not in the way you do.”
He clasped her hand in his, tracing soft circles into the back of it with his thumb.
“Do you trust me?” he asks.
“Of course,” she responds. “Yeah, I trust you. With my life.”
“So trust me when I say you’re what I’m looking for. I need you to be you.” Emily looks down and smiles at their interlocked fingers. “Is that okay?” he asks again. “Can you do that for me?”
“Aaron,” she whispers, laughing quietly. “Yes, I can do that, Aaron.”
He takes her face in his hands and plants a soft kiss on her lips, then pulls her into his side. She leans her head on his shoulder, and they’re sitting in silence again, until she speaks up, one last thing on her mind.
“So...where is this going, then?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” he jokes. Emily smirks as he presses a light kiss into her temple. “But, I’d really like to find out.” He pauses. “That is,” he adds, “as long as you would too?”
“Yeah,” she replies, looking down bashfully, “I— I’d like that.”
They’re both pretty sure they know where this is going.
He’s pretty sure it’s love. She is too, though neither of them would dare speak it out loud, not yet.
And while no, they didn’t draw any real lines in the sand or make any rules or deadlines, this was somehow enough to quell the fire fueling their deeply rooted worries, insecurities, and demons, enough for them to finally enjoy the bright spot they’re living in together.
Did it seem doomed? Sure. But they were both ready and willing to ride it out and see where life takes them. Doomed or otherwise, they’d be together, and that was more than enough to make everything worth it.
join my taglist here!
taglist (my 'anything and everything' besties lmao ily for getting this hotchniss notif even if you didn’t want it <3) @reidyoulikeabook @multixfandomwriter @sonnydoesrandomshit @spencerreid9 @mercy-burning @averyhotchner @rigatonireid @luvofyourlifeliv @spacedikut @reidingmelodies @reid-me-a-story @drspencerreidd @alltooreid @suburban--gothic @taralewiz @reidsacademia @altsvu @emilyprsntiss @opheli-yeah
also tagging some besties i know would be/already are excited about this @aubreyprc @eprcntiss and @hotchnisscardigan lol love you guys
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