The café was packed, but your table felt like an oasis of calm. Reid sat across from you, enthusiastically explaining something about eidetic memory, his eyes lighting up with every word. At times, you weren’t sure if you were captivated by what he was saying or by the way his lips curved as he spoke.

“Did you know people tend to remember more when they’re emotionally involved?” he asked, resting his chin on one hand.

“Emotionally involved?” you replied with a smile, trying to keep up.

“Yes, like now,” he said, a nervous glint flickering in his eyes.

You laughed softly, but the air shifted when a deep, familiar voice interrupted.

“Mind if I join?”

Hotch stood there, his suit impeccable, his intense gaze cutting straight through you. Reid tensed immediately but stayed silent.

“Of course, Aaron,” you answered, noticing the subtle raise of his eyebrows when you used his first name.

Hotch took a seat beside you, placing a file on the table. “I wanted to talk to you,” he said with his usual serious demeanor, though a hint of softness lingered beneath it.

“Oh, we were…” Reid began, but Hotch raised a hand—subtle yet commanding.

“It’s fine. I can wait.”

Reid tried to resume the conversation, speaking with his usual nervous passion, but Hotch’s calm presence was impossible to ignore. His eyes stayed locked on yours, even as Reid spoke. The tension between them was palpable, and you felt caught between two energies, so different yet equally compelling.