"I got this."
~Trevors Dance Studio~
"I don't got this. "
The many bodies of people made you anxious. The thoughts that filter through your head makes you press a hand to your temple, and the detective jumps at the feedback in the coms.
"Is everything alright?" He checks.
"We're good." Hotch assures. He placed a hand on your shoulder, looking down.
"Are you okay?" With the coms on, you can't exactly have that conversation. You just nod.
"Yeah, just a lot of disgruntled couples here." You say with a weak smile.
He takes your hand, gesturing to the entrance. You look down at your joined hands with a blush.
"R-Right, we're a couple."
You do your best to collect yourself, right before the both of you enter. People fill up every area, and you can see the friendly smile of the instructor at the front. He begins giving instructions on the places you need to be, and how the program will go. For the most part, you follow Hotch's lead. Keeping a lookout for the traits Hotch had given in the profile.
"To our left, married. His band is missing which means that isn't his wife. His posture suggests protection, or maybe unease. They've been fighting. They're close but her shoulder is pointing in the opposite direction." You give your run down to Hotch. When you look up, he's wearing something keen to a look of admiration.
"W-What?"
"You were worried that you couldn't pull it off." You return your focus to the people in front of you, more for a distraction. The instructor turns the music on, starting with his presentation.
"In this class we encourage peer teaching more than anything. Usually it's required to master the steps on your own, but it's much easier when you have a partner in the same shoes as you, so to speak." The joke earns a few giggles, and he goes on. The sound filters in, and he does small steps, showing how they should be carried out with your partners.
"It's okay if you miss the first few steps, trust me when I tell you it's not a big deal." He calls over a woman, you assume is his assistant, and they begin demonstrating. After a few minutes, you're ushered to the dancefloor. Hotch takes your hand.
"Are you ready?"
"You should be asking your toes that question." He spins you gently, bringing you to the front of him. A hand settles on the small of your back. Hotch scans the room effectively, all while keeping pace with the steps being shown. Your eyes are directed at your feet as you try not to mash his feet.
"Relax, look up and breathe." So you do, or try to.
He guides your hands around his neck, and now your eyes can't truly focus on anything but him. You'd been so caught up that you hadn't realized how rare it was to see Hotch in casual wear. He's sporting sweats, and a dark t-shirt. Far different from his constant suits. He looks so domesticated. You move with him, thankfully it's a slower song.
Now that you're not so worried about the movements, you can widen your suspect pool. Your eyes drift around.
"In a few minutes we'll be instructed to switch partners, I need you to pay attention to everyone you dance with. He's picking his victims through the interactions. If you get anything, even if it's just a hunch,"
"My word is breathe, I know. Don't worry, I may suck at dancing but my vocabulary is fine." You smile.
For the next few minutes, you sort of enjoy the little dance. It's a bit weird that you're having this moment with your boss, but there's something keen to relief when you're with Hotch. Maybe because he's the only one who knows of your little situation.
Chapter 4
Start from the beginning
