[Criminal Minds] The Waiting Behind

night.Quantico. Office of the BAU Director.

Aaron Hoter, the BAU leadership director with outstanding working ability, is sitting at the table, frowning deeply, which has almost become his trademark.Slowly shifting his eyes from the laughing and squabbling Man outside, he landed on the documents on the desk.

for a long time. Hotch finally moved.He picked up the document as if he had made up his mind, but the black and white letters on it were particularly dazzling——

MARITAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.

divorse agreement.

After closing his eyes, he finally made up his mind to turn to the back, lightly pressed the ballpoint pen in his hand with his left hand, and signed, all in one go.

Aaron Hoter's name is prominent, and the scribbled handwriting seems to reflect the owner's bad mood.

Hotch didn't look at the document anymore, leaned back on the seat decadently, stretched out his palm and rubbed his mouth, extremely melancholy.I don't know how long it took, got up and turned off the lights.

The office was dark.it's all over.

Life still seems to be like that.Everything seems to have changed, and it seems like nothing has changed.

As always, he was busy with work: selecting cases, flying the plane, arriving at the destination and starting investigation and analysis non-stop, catching the murderer, and returning.Except for the clear and cold room every time I go home.

Hotch glanced back at the small apartment again, since he had moved out of the home that held so many fond memories with Haley since signing the divorce papers.Touching the scene to make people fall in love is one aspect, but what's more, he has no way to accept the same scene but only has the time of being alone.

Although this apartment is relatively small, it is more than enough for him to live alone.At least the room doesn't look so empty, does it? Hotch raised the corners of his mouth in self-mocking, and left.

The sound of the door closing.

Only the silent and desolate room was left.

Hotch was driving on his way to work.A year has passed in a blink of an eye, and it turns out that time is the easiest thing to kill emotions.For such a long time, he has developed from heartache to struggle to numbness and finally to the point where he even understands Haley's choice very well: it's not that he doesn't love, but that he can't be together.

If he was a year ago, Hotch would never have imagined himself sitting down with Haley and talking about her new boyfriend.But he did it, even thinking about it, he himself finds it unbelievable.Fortunately, after the divorce, Haley seemed to have returned to the calm and understanding person she used to be. Every time she was delayed to pick up Jack because of work, she was no longer hysterical.Maybe it's because the angle is different now, the relationship between the two has eased a bit, and occasionally they can sit down to drink tea and chat like friends, watching Jack not far away playing by himself.Occasionally, Jack turned around and called them childlike, and the two looked at each other and smiled, which felt like a smile that wiped out all grievances.

But no matter what, he still loves Haley, and Haley still loves him. Both of them are still the most special existence in their hearts, beyond lovers, they are family members.Moreover, there is Jack who they all really love.Thinking of Jack's growing cuteness, and the last time he was sitting at the table obediently eating the macaroni he made, Hotch's heart softened, but it wasn't that bad.

After parking the car, Hotch is ready to fix his own breakfast.

In the familiar coffee shop, Michelle still greeted her with a warm smile, "Good morning, Hotch. Do you need anything?" Her attitude was friendly and natural.

"Morning. Toast with coffee, milk, and a cube of sugar, thank you." After that BAU party was not so obvious, the relationship between the two seemed to return to normal. Hotch didn't see Michelle looking at him with longing mixed with slight affection and complicated eyes, just a normal slightly familiar and enthusiastic attitude, like treating an ordinary friend.Kind but not eager.

Hotch is very pleased with this change, maybe Haley is right, he is a good man, but he can't give his wife enough sense of security.An understanding and gentle girl like Haley has lost the last bit of patience with him, let alone a young girl like Michelle who doesn't understand the world.Sometimes, liking is just a temporary thing.A lifetime is so long, no one can guarantee it.

In fact, Michelle didn't know what her mood was, and felt that her relationship was like entering a strange circle.Obviously, it was so embarrassing and painful when I was found out that my hidden feelings were silently rejected. It seemed that after crying bitterly, everything felt so far away and seemed untouchable.The relationship is indeed still there, and I still feel a little nervous when I see him appearing in front of my eyes, but it seems that I have become terribly calm when looking at the relationship with Hotch.I no longer think of this person when I see something related like before.

Is this good or bad?It turns out that feelings are really the most unreliable thing in the world. Michelle smiled and shook her head, handing over the packed breakfast: "Your breakfast. Haveaniceday, Hotch."

"You, too."

One turned around without hesitation.

One calmly lowered his head and was busy.

Lopsided.

Another day has passed, and Michelle is doing the cleaning work. Today she is on a normal day shift, so she can have a good rest at night.Suddenly Alison pushed forward and elbowed Michelle. Michelle raised her eyes questioningly, and saw that the blond enthusiastic girl was winking at her ambiguously, "Hey! Your flower protector is here again!"

Looking towards the door, it was indeed him. Steve.

Michelle lowered her head with complicated eyes, and Alison's chirping voice still came from above her head, "I've been here very frequently recently, rain or shine, if you don't agree to such a good suitor, I'll take it!" Knowing that Alison is just Just kidding, Michelle looked up and smiled, but said nothing.Taking off her apron and taking her bag, Michelle walked straight to the man standing there smiling silently.

"Steve, you really don't have to…"

Michelle looked at the handsome man who came to report recently with a headache, and really didn't know how to persuade him.After that party, Steve would drop by every now and then, sometimes to order food, sometimes just for a cup of coffee.At first, Michelle thought that he just liked the atmosphere here, but some time ago, Steve often came to accompany her for a walk when she was off work and then separated.

Poured a few times and nothing.But if there are too many times, even the dullest people can feel something is wrong.Not to mention Michelle, who is already very smart.That period of time happened to be when she accidentally discovered that she had unspeakable thoughts about Hotch who had saved her life. She was already very upset, and she began to avoid it without a trace.

until that day.Contrary to the usual evasion and avoidance, Michelle walked silently with Steve, and suddenly stood still.

Steve also stopped, looking down at the girl in front of him.The wind blew gently, brushing up the girl's hair scattered around her neck, revealing a fair and slender neck.

It is indeed beautiful.Very exciting. Steve thought.Quietly waiting for the girl to speak, although he damned didn't want to hear it at all, because the girl's silent resistance during this time made him guess what the girl was going to say next.

"Steve, do you want to ask me out?"

The question was not the same as imagined, but he still answered honestly: "Yeah." Then, before the girl could say anything, Steve spoke first, still with the same gentle smile, "I know what you want to say. But I I just want to tell you that I think you are a very good girl, and I seriously want to try to date you. Even if you don't want to now, I hope you will give me a chance to pursue you again and ask you to agree."

"Even if there is someone I like in my heart?"

Dazed for a moment, Michelle saw a very shallow smile slowly blooming on the other party's face, "You promised to let me continue to pursue?"

"Hey! How did you hear what I mean!" Michelle felt that her thoughts and the other party's thoughts seemed to be not on the same frequency, and she couldn't laugh or cry.

"Isn't the subtext of what you said just now said that if I don't mind you hiding someone in your heart, then give me this chance?" Steve raised his eyebrows easily, and looked at the girl in front of him with a funny look on his face when he suddenly froze. ...Didn't you find it?She was indeed more interesting than he had imagined, and she was extremely real. She put on a protective clothing like a hedgehog, but she didn't find that she was almost naked/naked/naked inside.

The lines on Steve's face became softer and softer, the gray eyes met Michelle's, the firmness and earnestness revealed in them gave Michelle the illusion that she would be burned, she wanted to move away but found herself restrained. Steve wraps his arms around Michelle's shoulders, forcing Michelle to be at eye level.

"If you said what you said just now was just acting like a baby, and you were dissatisfied that I didn't answer your question directly. Then let me tell you——"

"Yes."

As Steve's categorical words fell word by word, Michelle felt extremely shocked all over her body, as if she was in a huge fireworks feast, and the fireworks went off——

"I don't mind your past.

I don't mind if you have someone hiding in your heart.

Because I will enter your heart bit by bit, slowly pull that person out, crushing bit by bit...

Until one day your here..."

Steve pointed to Michelle's heart through the void:

"It's all about me."

Looking back at the gentle and calm man in front of her smiling like that day, Michelle seemed to be able to feel the incomparable shock that day.Whether it was before or now, he was the only one who made her unable to even say the words of rejection.

"Steve...you..." Michelle hesitated to speak, not knowing what to say, but the words were finally drowned in Steve's usual gray eyes.

"So, how about going to the movies tonight?" Steve didn't seem to see Michelle's hesitation, but he knew in his heart that the girl was still thinking about rejecting him again.Since she is still unwilling to take a step back, let him go forward instead.

"…Okay, but Steve…" He finally chose to speak, and he was the one who was hurt the most by delaying this, Michelle would rather be the bad guy herself.

"Just, as a friend." Steve stopped Michelle again for unspoken words, but felt helpless in his heart.What kind of magical power does that person have that made Michelle choose to reject herself again and again. If they were really together, then she would never have a chance, but they are not together now, why is Michelle unwilling to try?