A Name In The Clouds - doMAYstic day three

Criminal minds, Gen rating.

Aaron Hotchner & Jack Hotchner & the rest of the team

 Also available on AO3

“Alright,” Hotch looked around with a satisfied look on his face, “All the furniture is out, the carpet is covered, and everything is taped off. We can start painting now, Jack.”

The boy nodded happily, handing his father a large paintbrush and taking the smaller one for himself as he waited for his father to open the large can of sky-blue paint. 

Hotch smiled at his son, brushing a hand over Jack’s hair before explaining that the brushes were only for the details. They would be using the rollers first. He opened the can and poured some paint into the pan before grabbing a roller and demonstrating to Jack how to paint his walls. 

Honestly, if it were up to Hotch, he’d probably called a painter to do this. But when he asked Jack what he wanted to do while his father – and the rest of the team – were on a two-week leave, the boy had insisted that they paint his room together. It was about time anyway, Hotch had decided as he looked at the faded pastels that had once been the color scheme that Haley picked for the nursery. Jack had chosen the new color himself and had begged for cloud wall-stickers to go with it. It had taken almost two whole days to prep the room, what with Jack being not quite old enough to be of much help and too young to not get in the way, but now they were finally painting.

He handed the boy a roller and a pan, setting him to work on the wall that would be mostly covered by his bookcase once all was said and done. Hotch watched him for a minute or two, laughing as Jack already managed to get himself covered in paint. He joked around, feeling lighter than he had in a long time.

Jack’s laughter lifted the constant ache in his heart. Hotch grabbed the other paint pan and his own roller and moved to the wall opposite Jack. This was the wall that mattered a bit, he figured, so it would be best if he got it done now, while Jack was still distracted. He occasionally looked over his shoulder, smiling each time as Jack haphazardly covered the wall in paint with pure jubilee. It didn’t matter that he got more paint on himself than he did the wall, it mattered that he was having fun. Twice, Hotch hurried over to smooth out a big glob of paint. Twice he got happy kisses from his son. He felt elated. 

The room wasn’t large, but Hotch was still surprised when he finished just before lunch. Jack had tapped out a little while ago and had left the room to go play. Hotch quickly checked whether the walls were drying correctly before he too, left the room and went to find Jack to go grab some lunch. 

He found him sitting on the stairs, playing a game on Hotch’s phone. “Hey Jack,” sitting down next to the boy, he took a moment to watch Jack play Fruit Ninja, “Are you winning?”

Jack shrugged, “No. But it’s fun.” 

“Good.” Smiling, he wrapped his arm around the boy and pulled him tightly against his own body for a moment, “You about ready to go get some food?”

He nodded, immediately putting the phone away as he started listing off all the things he wanted to eat. Hotch just smiled as he gently took his phone back and eased Jack into his shoes before putting on his own. He took a moment to ensure his car keys were in his sweatpants’ pocket before heading out and helping Jack get into the car. 

Jack was still happily dreaming out loud about hamburgers and corndogs and milkshakes when Hotch pulled into a drive-in, too tired to want to get out of the car after painting an entire room in a few hours. He stopped the engine and turned around, “What do you want, Jack?” 

Thankfully the boy didn’t take too long to decide and soon enough they were munching on cheeseburgers and talking about what changes Jack wanted to make to his room. “First we have to let the paint dry, though,” Hotch reminded him. Jack nodded seriously, but immediately continued explaining exactly where he wanted his new bed to be. New bed, because Hotch had accidentally ruined the old one when he tried to drag it out of the room. Jack had slept in bed with him ever since. Hotch honestly couldn’t wait to have the bed to himself again. So yesterday they had picked out Jack’s new bed, a loft bed with a cozy reading corner underneath. 

Hotch let him babble on as he collected the wrappers and napkins and tossed them into the trash. He cheerfully replied to Jack’s big plans but refused to really consider them until the paint was dry and the big furniture had been moved back into the room. Mildly distracted by the road and his son, he didn’t notice Derek Morgan leaning on the hood of his large truck until he was already pulling into the driveway. Next to him stood Reid, JJ, and Prentiss. Rossi’s Lincoln was pulling into the parking spot on the road just as Hotch killed the engine. 

He exited his car, smiling as Morgan immediately came over to help Jack out, “I heard you needed some help?” 

“Yeah,” Reid chimed in, “Something about how you snapped a bed in two…?”

Hotch threw him a frown, “It was badly constructed.” 

“By you, I assume.” Rossi walked onto the driveway, pressing the remote to check his car was actually locked. He chuckled at Hotch’s helpless shrug. “I have to admit I was surprised to get a summons,” crouching before Jack, he continued, “I’m honored though.”

He could feel his heart swell with pride as he watched his son nod. Hotch smiled. He quickly fished his keys back out of his pocket and headed for the door, wanting to check if the paint was dry yet. 

The team followed him inside, happily chatting amongst themselves. Hotch excused himself to go check on the paint. He quickly realized he needed have worried. The warm sun and the slight breeze that blew through the open windows had made quick work of the wet paint. He let out a relieved breath before heading back downstairs and giving the good news to the people there. 

Mere minutes later Prentiss and Reid had picked the masking paper off the floor and JJ and Rossi busily were almost done peeling off the tape. Morgan had set himself to figuring out how Jack’s new bed went together, with some help from Hotch while Jack walked back and forth between everyone, asking questions and making jokes. 

The furniture went back into the room easily, now that there were so many hands to help. Reid effectively distracted Jack with magic tricks, making sure the boy wouldn’t accidentally get in the way. Hotch was surprised to see that Jack’s room was put back together in no time at all. He was about to call for pizza to thank everyone for their help when a small hand pulled on the corner of his sweatshirt. “Daddy, where did the clouds go?”

“The clouds?” For a moment he didn’t understand what Jack was talking about, but then he remembered the wall-stickers they had bought together with the paint. “They’re on the kitchen table, Jack. But first we should –”

“I’m gonna go get them!” Quick footsteps rapped on the staircase as Jack disappeared out of sight, “Don’t let anyone leave yet!” 

Hotch shared a confused look with Rossi before simply shrugging and dialing the pizza place. He was halfway through ordering when Jack reappeared, wall-stickers in one hand and a handful of sharpies in the other. He waited with remarkable patience as his father finished up his call but then cried out, “Everyone come with me! I wanna show you something!” as he waved the whole group into his newly decorated bedroom. 

They followed him back in, smiling at each other as they wondered what the boy had in mind. He didn’t make them wait for long. Handing the package of stickers off to his father, he asked him to open it, then began handing the stickers out. One for each of the adults. “These are clouds. Clouds look over you when you’re sick or scared or happy, too. Mommy is in the clouds, I know she sees me too. And Mommy will always look after me from the clouds.” For a moment, Jack struggled to contain his tears. “Daddy looks after me too. And auntie JJ and auntie Emily and uncle Derek and uncle Spencer and uncle Dave, too!” He looked around at them with eyes bright. 

“So it’s like you’re my clouds too!” Jack exclaimed, waving the remaining stickers above his head. “And clouds are in the sky and my walls are the sky!” 

Hotch smiled, suddenly realizing where this was going. “You want us to put our own cloud up on your wall?” He asked softly, feeling just a little overwhelmed with his little man’s whole speech. 

Jack nodded fervently, “And write your name and maybe whatever you want to write.” He paused for a moment, “And read it to me before I go to bed… Cus Mommy can only see me from the clouds and I can’t see her. But I can see all of you, even if you’re my clouds.”

Hotch swallowed his tears, watching the people around him do the same thing. “I think we’d all love to write you something. And I will read them to you as many times as you want.” 

“Mommy’s cloud goes above my bed! Everyone else can pick their own spot.” Jack smiled wide, hugging the stickers to his chest, “And then, and then…” His voice softened to a whisper, “Mommy can look out for all of you, too.” 

 fin.

DoMAYstic2022 – SFW – Criminal Minds – Friendship – Found Family – Aaron Hotchner – Jack Hotchner – Rip Haley Hotchner – David Rossi – Emily Prentiss – Jennifer JJ Jareau – Spencer Reid – Derek Morgan – Prompt: Painting Walls

pictures of trickery

Summary: While perusing Madame Bouvier's shop, the smell of sage stirs up panic in Hotch. (Mr. Scratch aftermath, sort of.)

Warnings: panic attack, blood, memories, death (canon imagined), fear, food

Pairings: Hotch/Morgan

Words: 3.6k

Notes: 50 Type of Kisses Prompt #38 - Whispering “I love you” before a chaste, delicate kiss. This is @whump-town's fault. It's a lot of sweet but that always comes at a price with me.

Read on AO3: Pictures of Trickery

The sunlight made him feel almost euphoric, the way it seeped into his sinews and propelled him full of life down the crowded sidewalk. Jack's hand bumped against his every now and then, they moved close, in synch and he had to bite down the urge to grab the boy's hand in his...he was too old for that now, and his palm ached with the emptiness it left behind. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to this growing up business. Jack's proximity to him would have to be enough, and just as he was settling into the knowledge, Jack perked up at the sight of his favorite coffee shop and suddenly then he was grabbing Aaron's hand in his and dragging him inside.

“Jack,” Aaron had only a moment to complain before they were inside, and he couldn't fathom pulling him back out. “We're meeting Derek for lunch with Henry and his family. We don't need anything.”

“Just a drink, please dad?” He wanted an Italian soda; Aaron already knew exactly what he was going to order. He could never remember the silly name of it but the shocking electric blue would leave Jack's mouth the same color for hours after, his sugary breath smelling like coconut syrup and something vaguely fruity. He'd find the toothpaste in Jack's sink neon at bed time and shudder.

“A small one,” he agreed, finally. That was all it took before Jack was chirping his order at the barista followed by his dad's boring Earl Grey. No sugar, no milk, just hot leaf water as he and Derek liked to call it. He was nothing if not predictable, a man with simple but particular tastes. Emily had pulled him from his chamomile obsession recently with a package from London studded with new teas, and though he'd tested each of them prior, something in the Earl Gray struck him and became, for a time, all he would consider.

Her boxes of tea were the fulfillment of some strange love language the two of them shared, piquing the other's interest with just a taste and running away cunningly into the shadows knowing the madness that would consume them.

This was not something Derek enjoyed, but he'd come to realize he had no control over it.

this moment

Yes, it's a reference to Graceland Too. I am nothing if not basic. Anyways. This is the: Hotchley's first night in their new apartment they brought together fic. Mostly fluff, very little pain, just two adults realising they survived and that life will be okay, no matter what they thought as children. As per usual, no proofreading. The ending feels stilted but... going with it!

Much thanks to @masterwords for adding onto my post and inspiring me and @eldrai for listening to me ramble about this fic and for giving me ideas for scenes. You're both very much loved by me, and everyone should follow them and read their fics!

Trigger Warnings: past child abuse

read on ao3!

The sun is slowly exiting the sky, allowing the moon to take certain stage as the day slowly ends and the night finally starts to begin. Soon, the sky will turn from pink to blue and the stars will start to twinkle. The world will start to shut down as lovers entwine their fingers with those special smiles they can only give the other. The brightness will fade, the darkness will set in once more, but those fairytale couples won't be afraid of anything because they'll have each other. And everyone else will be slowly falling into the warm embrace of sleep. They also won't feel any fear.

Aaron Hotchner spent seventeen years dreading the night. Because the night meant the curtains closed and nobody could see what was happening. The sun setting meant the smell of alcohol and blood would disrupt the peace and serenity. The stars wouldn't shine down on him, not in the basement. Night meant there would be no light and the monsters wouldn't crawl out from under his bed, they would walk through the front door and lock it behind them so nobody could escape.

But then the monster died. And the grief took over. The panic about what would happen to Sean once he, who always understood his mother far better than the little boy who could hardly remember a father strong enough to hold him, let alone harm him, left. Because he would leave. As much as it hurt him to walk away, as guilty as it made him feel, he would leave.

He needed to. He deserved to.