Aaron woke up just as they were passing through Wilmington, Delaware. He straightened in his seat, blinking to adjust to the midday sun pouring into the windows.
"How are you feeling?"
Derek's soft inquiry pulled at Aaron, their earlier conflict slowly fading into memory. "Okay. Better, I mean," he clarified. "The nap helped."
"Good."
They worked hard to keep work stress from spilling into the time they spent together off hours. But sometimes, it couldn't be avoided.
"Back in New York, you said that my opinion mattered to you."
Aaron saw Derek's forearm's flex as his grip tightened on the wheel but he kept staring straight ahead.
"Well, it does," Derek replied tightly. "And?"
"What I feel for you goes beyond the job, Derek," Aaron said. "You want my opinion? Fine, here it is: you are an amazing profiler and with a little more time, you could run the New York office." He shifted just enough so that he could give his full attention. "And I'm not ready to lose you."
Derek spared him a pained glance before turning his attention back to the road. "We need to really talk don't we?"
Criminal Minds, Aaron Hotchner/Derek Morgan, The Road Ahead
Aaron woke up just as they were passing through Wilmington, Delaware. He straightened in his seat, blinking to adjust to the midday sun pouring into the windows.
"How are you feeling?"
Derek's soft inquiry pulled at Aaron, their earlier conflict slowly fading into memory. "Okay. Better, I mean," he clarified. "The nap helped."
"Good."
They worked hard to keep work stress from spilling into the time they spent together off hours. But sometimes, it couldn't be avoided.
"Back in New York, you said that my opinion mattered to you."
Aaron saw Derek's forearm's flex as his grip tightened on the wheel but he kept staring straight ahead.
"Well, it does," Derek replied tightly. "And?"
"What I feel for you goes beyond the job, Derek," Aaron said. "You want my opinion? Fine, here it is: you are an amazing profiler and with a little more time, you could run the New York office." He shifted just enough so that he could give his full attention. "And I'm not ready to lose you."
Derek spared him a pained glance before turning his attention back to the road. "We need to really talk don't we?"
"I'd say so."