You were probably the member of the BAU who Hotch was the nicest to, at any given moment. You never had parent figures, and you were young, inexperienced in regards to the real horrors of the work that they do, like Spencer— Hotch couldn’t let you break, it was parental instinct. So, despite the occasional ribbing from Rossi, he made it his mission to be there for you, like the father you never had.

He didn’t own you, he knew that, and he was massively grateful to anyone who helped keep you safe. Massively, because if he couldn’t keep you safe at least he had a support system.

You’d been injured after a rather rough case — having been in a close encounter with the unsub — but you’d only managed to escape critical injury had Spencer not tackled you out of the way. Understandable, since you and Spencer had a big thing for each other.

The whole team knew it, really, you two just refused it. Hotch was happy about it, he loved seeing the two of you happy, even if you didn’t realise your massive crushes for one another.

Hotch stepped into the hospital room, just come out from a conversation with a doctor, and— oh, upon seeing you, he felt his heart break just a little. You were so fragile to him, and here you were, injured. “Hey.” All he could manage.

God, Morgan deserved a raise. A damn big raise for saving you, just in time.

He stepped closer to you, examining you, remembering the terrified look on your face when you thought you and Morgan had both been injured, your unconscious face as you were loaded into the ambulance. If you were upset even now, Hotch didn’t think he could bear it, however justified. “How’re you feeling?”