Ghosts • Aaron Hotchner

Chapter Twenty

Things after that were different. It was never officially said, but Hotch and Fallon were together starting at that point, it was just an understanding. There was no, 'will you be my girlfriend?', they just started referring to each other with such titles. Of course, they were the only ones that knew. They had gone on a few dates, and she had spent the night at his place a few times, but it was nothing too serious. All they knew was that they both cared for each other, and that they were taking it slow. 

The couple had been on several successful dates, over the course of a few months, and were opening up to each other more than ever. Fallon learned that Hotch was a closeted hopeless romantic, and he liked to watch rom-coms when he was by himself. Hotch learned that when Fallon was sad, she'd watch the Titanic so that she could cry and use the movie as the excuse. The two had keys to each others' apartments, and Hotch had a drawer at Fallon's, and Fallon had a drawer at Hotch's. 

Things were going very well, and as far as they were aware, none of the team knew. They were careful to keep it strictly professional when they were at work, but they didn't go over the top to try and hide their relationship because then it would have been obvious that they were hiding something. 

"Aaron, when you go out can you grab frozen meatballs? I don't feel like making homemade ones tonight," Fallon called over her shoulder, as Aaron got ready to run to the store for a few things. 

"Of course," he said. He came back into the kitchen, gave her a brief kiss, and then grabbed his keys, before leaving. Fallon quickly finished preparing their meat sauce, and then headed upstairs to the guest bedroom where Jack was napping. 

"Hey buddy," Fallon said, as she gently sat on the edge of the bed. Jack was already slightly awake, which was a good thing. If he had slept any longer, he wouldn't have slept that night. 

"Hey Fally," Jack said, sitting up in the bed.

"Are you ready to take a bath so that we can eat, once Daddy gets home?" Fallon asked, and Jack nodded in response. 

"What's for dinner?" He asked as Fallon followed him into the bathroom to help him get ready for his bath. 

"We're having spaghetti and meatballs," she informed him as she turned the water on. 

"That's my favorite!" Jack exclaimed, making Fallon beam. 

"Really? I had no idea," Fallon replied. That was a lie, Aaron had told her that it was his favorite, so she made it often. Every single time, she got the same reaction from him, and she loved it. 

Fallon helped Jack take a bath, making sure that the water was the right temperature before he got in, and then she sat there in case he needed any help. Jack was old enough that he knew how to wash himself pretty well, but on occasion he would ask for help, and Fallon wanted to be there in case that happened. 

The bath was quick, and soon Jack was out and changed into his pajamas, since it was already pretty late, and he would probably go to bed soon after dinner. It was as if it were on cue, because as soon as Jack and Fallon headed downstairs to set the table, Aaron walked through the door with two grocery bags in his hands. 

"I got the meatballs," he told them, and Jack smiled and laughed. He kicked his shoes off, and then headed over to the two in the kitchen, kissing Jack on the forehead, and pecking Fallon. "I'll pop these in the oven for a few minutes."

"Thank you," Fallon said. By the time she and Jack had the table set, and the rest of the food on the table, the meatballs were done. Fallon watched with a smile on her face, while Aaron helped Jack get food onto his plate, before taking some for herself. One of her favorite things about Aaron was how good of a father he was, and how much he loved Jack. 

Fallon and Aaron listened as Jack talked about his day at school, and then once dinner was finished, they all did the dishes together. Aaron washed, while Fallon and Jack dried. It was their own little family, and Fallon was so glad that Jack had taken a liking to her so quickly. It had only been about four months since she and Aaron had officially gotten together.

Fallon was right in her assumption earlier, when she assumed that Jack would probably go to bed shortly after dinner. It was maybe an hour and a half later when Jack was passed out on the couch, watching The BFG, snuggled in between Fallon and Aaron. 

Aaron carried Jack upstairs, and Fallon trailed after, watching the interaction between Aaron and his sleeping son. She didn't know what she did to deserve a man like him, but she was glad that they were going so strong, after such a short amount of time. It gave her hope that they would last forever.