Title: Try Again

Author: Kadeeleigh

Rating: Mature/Explicit language and situations

Pairing: Hotch/Reid Slash

Summary: A chance to re-write history

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters residing in the world of Criminal Minds…I just like to take them out to play.

SSA Aaron Hotchner woke slowly from a dream. He noticed immediately that something wasn't right, when he realized that Spencer wasn't beside him in bed. It was early, and he was not ready to wake up yet, but the absence of his lover was disconcerting. Aaron began to sit up, when his cell phone rang. He grabbed the phone from the nightstand, and checked the caller ID. The display said that the caller was Reid...not Spencer, but Reid. Puzzled at this, and the fact that their private ring tone was conspicuously absent, he answer cautiously.

"Hotchner." said Aaron gruffly.

"Hotch? Aaron? Is that you?" asked a panicked Reid.

"Spencer, Babe...I'm here. Where are you?"

"Oh, thank God...you remember." Reid took a deep breath before he continued. "I'm at my old apartment...the one in DC."

Aaron was confused. "I don't understand...why are you there? Didn't you sub-let?"

"Look around you, Aaron...where are you?" asked Spencer carefully.

Darkness still enveloped his bedroom, so he leaned to his left and turned on the light. The sudden brightness blinded him for a moment, but as his eyes adjusted he realized that while the room he was in felt familiar, it was definitely not where he and Spencer had gone to bed last night. "Spencer...what the fuck is going on?"

"You're at your old apartment, aren't you?" The question sound more like a statement. "Stay right where you are, I'll be there in a few minutes. Babe...don't move until I get there. I'll be ten minutes...please trust me."

oOo

Reid voice over:

"The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past." - William Faulkner

Hotch felt ridiculous sitting in his old bedroom waiting for Spencer. 'I'm a Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI, and I'm hiding in bedroom waiting for my 160 pound boyfriend to come rescue me.' Aaron chastised his inner monologue...he trusted Spencer implicitly, and he knew without question, that if the young genius told him to wait, he would wait...no matter what.

It was a little less that ten minutes later that Hotch heard a frantic knock at his front door...scratch that...his former front door. Relieved that he would finally have some answers, Aaron hurried to unlock the door. The sight that greeted him caused him to literally stumble backwards in shock. Standing before him was his Spencer, but no...this wasn't his lover...this was something he couldn't explain...something he couldn't begin to wrap his head around.

Spencer looked at him sheepishly before walking into the apartment and closing the door. "What ever you do, Aaron...do not laugh. This is not in the least bit funny."

Standing before him was a throwback version of his lover...long hair, glasses, brown corduroy pants, and minus about 15 pounds of muscle. "Spencer...what the hell?"

"I'll tell you what I know in a second. First, can I please have a kiss...I am feeling extremely unattractive right now, and could use the validation."

Aaron chuckled, before pulling the young genius towards him, kissing him passionately, while running his fingers through Spencer's long hair. The senior agent pulled away, and smiled. "God...I didn't realize how much I missed your hair."

As Hotch looked into Spencer's eyes, he saw vulnerability and pain...things that had all but disappeared over their time together. "Spencer...aside from this all being very strange, you're worrying me. What's going on?"

The young genius took a deep breath before beginning. "I've been through all the possible scenarios...time travel, parallel universes, alternate realities, worm holes. Each scenario has some supporters within the theoretical physics community, depending on your school of thought. It was rumored that Einstein actually solved the equation for the unified field theory back in the forties, but destroyed his work, fearing that man wasn't ready. More recent science fiction novels often utilize the 'all possible worlds' theory of quantum mechanics to explain the differing realities. They theorize that all possible realities exist, to take into account human decision-making and free will. Time travel theories tend to be slightly more cumbersome, as the ramifications of the butterfly effect or chaos theory can alter reality at the atomic or subatomic level. On the other hand, I suppose that some religious sub-cultures might consider our situation a cosmic 'do over'."

Aaron was totally lost. "I realize that I asked you what was going on, but that...that was not...I don't understand..."

Spencer approached his supervisor. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror, Babe?"

He grabbed Aaron's hand, and slowly walked him into the bathroom. He flipped the light switch, and stood behind his lover as he turned him towards the mirror. Hotch looked at himself carefully. He had to admit, there were a few less wrinkles than he remembered from yesterday, and he was also positive that the T-shirt he was wearing had been thrown out years ago. He also noticed a few fresh cuts on his face. Spencer looked over the older man's shoulder, as he gently ran his fingertips under the hem of his lover's shirt. Confused, Aaron frowned, but relaxed to allow Reid to pull the garment over his head. His body felt stiff, and raising his arms to rid himself of the t-shirt was difficult. He felt Spencer's hands slowly tracing the lines of his chest and stomach, which was always a distraction.

"Spencer...please...tell me what..."

Before he could finish his thought, Reid gently nudged his boss's chin, until he looked back towards his reflection. It took a few seconds for Hotch to comprehend what Spencer was trying to show him, but once his mind began process all of the tiny details, he could only look at Spencer mutely.

No scars...his chest, his stomach...no violation. Hotch spun around quickly and grabbed Reid by his upper arms, and pushed him against the bathroom wall. "Time travel? That's what you were trying to explain...an alternate reality?"

Spencer nodded slowly, glancing fearfully as his lover's fingers digging angrily into his flesh.

No Foyet...at least not yet.

But, that would mean... "Haley...Haley's still alive?"

Aaron suddenly realized how hard he was squeezing Spencer, and released him quickly. "Babe...I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry." he said as he pulled his partner into a tight embrace.

Aaron could see the hurt in his eyes. When he realized what the genius was thinking, he moved swiftly to pull the young man towards him holding his face in his hands. "Look at me, Spencer. Look...at...me. Yes, I would love to be able to save Haley. I would also like to save Sam...hell, I'm all for not getting stabbed myself. But none of that...absolutely none of that, would change anything between us. Do you understand that? Nothing can change us...nothing."

"But you could have your family back. That's what you've always wanted...you told me yourself, 'What I want I can't have'. You told me that..." pronounced Reid sullenly.

Aaron smiled, and began to laugh. Spencer looked away, confused, obviously not seeing the humor in the situation. "Babe...oh god, how do I put this...what I said to you that day...was my incredibly awkward attempt at trying to tell you that I had feelings for YOU, not Haley. You and Jack are all the family I will ever need. I love you."

Spencer, who up to this point had been doing anything and everything he could to not look at Aaron, finally met his lover's eyes. "But..."

Hotch quickly stopped Spencer's protest with a passionate kiss. "That conversation is over...we have other things to worry about...the most important being, when are we?"

The two men clung to each other for several moments, until Spencer finally spoke. "In my jacket...I stopped on the way and got a newspaper. I thought it might help, but I didn't want to look at it without you."

oOo

Aaron made a pot of coffee, before joining Spencer on the couch with two steaming mugs and a plate of croissants. "This was all I had in there that even remotely resembled breakfast," said Hotch with a smile.

"It's perfect, thanks...now sit...I don't think that we can put this off any longer."

The Doctor's hands shook as he picked up the newspaper that had been sitting folded in his lap. Aaron squeezed his thigh in encouragement, and left his hand on the young man's leg. The weight of his lover's hand gave Spencer the confidence he needed to finally open the paper for both of them to see.

The young genius opened the rolled up Washington Post slowly, taking the time to flatten out the pages that had become twisted and sweat stained on his way to Aaron's.

"Babe...it's okay...quit worrying if it's straight," said Aaron more sharply than he had intended.

Spencer looked chagrin, and handed the paper to his supervisor reluctantly. Hotch smiled at his agent, and opened the paper to the front page, spreading it over both of their laps.

The two men looked at each other, then at the paper. The publication date of that day's Washington Post stared back at them. "March 10th, 2009," whispered Aaron. "What does that mean?" he asked the man beside him.

"Okay..." began the young genius, "March 10th of 2009...we had just gotten back from Oregon. Ian Coakley, remember?"

"Oh my god...that's why I feel so sore...I was in a car accident yesterday." exclaimed Hotch.

"I was gonna mention that you looked a little worse for wear."

"Hey..." said Aaron indignantly.

Spencer laughed and pushed the newspaper to the floor, before climbing onto his lover's lap. "You will always be the most handsome and sexiest man in the world to me," declared the young man before placing a soft, loving kiss on the older man's lips. "Besides, you get beat up so often that I already take that into consideration..."

Hotch laughed aloud, then growled playfully as he grabbed the young doctor and threw him down on the couch, tickling him unmercifully.

The laughter served to release the build-up of tension in the two men. Finally able to truly relax, the younger man laid his head in his supervisor's lap, Hotch's left hand securely on Spencer's chest, his right playing with the young man's long hair.

"So...we're back from Oregon...what's next?" asked Hotch.

"Well..." said the young genius, "...if we haven't already affected anything by being here, I should be recovering from Anthrax at this time next week."

"Annapolis is beautiful in the Spring." said Hotch whimsically. "But...aside from that...what are the chances we could prevent you from getting Anthrax?"

Spencer ruminated on the question for a moment before answering. "I think...that it will be a good opportunity to see how much control we might have in the outcome of predetermined events. Given that we already have the known parameters of the event, and, assuming that we're willing to let the events unfold as they did the first..."

"Unfold the way they did the first time? Are you suggesting that we let that psychopath infect those people in the park?" asked Aaron incredulously.

"It's the only way to ascertain exactly how much affect our knowledge will have on our own behavior, and how our altered behavior might change the outcome of events." concluded Reid factually.

Hotch stared at his subordinate warily. "We have to..."

"Aaron, we can't."

"What do you mean, we can't?"

"Think about it, Babe. Let's say we want to go out to the park with a surveillance team. Maryland is not our jurisdiction. We could say that we received an anonymous phone call, but again, our involvement would be limited to informing the Maryland Police. The best case scenario would be that the locals catch the guy. What do you think the chances are that they'll apprehend him before he has the chance to test his disbursal method?"

Aaron considered the situation. "Slim to none," he mumbled.

"Exactly," said the young genius. "In the best case scenario, there are actually more people exposed...and we still aren't going to be called in until the CDC is. For this event, the best change that we can hope for is that we can accelerate the investigation, so that we can find the antidote sooner rather than later."

Slightly defeated, Aaron nodded in agreement.

"And, you need to be prepared for the possibility that I will be exposed again."

"NO," growled Hotch protectively. "That is not going to happen."

Spencer smiled broadly, and wrapped himself tightly around his lover. "It may have to happen...to save the others, it may have to."

"I don't accept the inevitability of that," said Hotch defiantly.

"I'm not saying that it is inevitable, only that we should be prepared. My exposure to the Anthrax may be a necessary by-product of finding the antidote."

Spencer began placing feather-light kisses down his lover's neck, knowing how ticklish this area is. Hotch started to giggle and squirm away from Reid, until he could stand it no more. He grabbed the young man and threw him down on the couch, pinning his arms above his head, and keeping his neck a safe distance from those lusciously wicked lips.

A knock at the door interrupted what had promised to be an extremely passionate attack on the young doctor currently lying underneath Aaron. Spencer looked up at his supervisor quizzically. "Were you expecting someone?"

Hotch rolled his eyes at the young genius as he pushed himself off the couch. "If I was expecting someone, it was almost four years ago...it must have slipped my mind."

Spencer sat up and began running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame the longer locks.

Aaron did the same as he headed towards the door. He checked himself in the mirror hanging in the entryway and, satisfied, he opened the door. To his surprise, a very tiny Jack Hotchner came barreling through the door.

"Daddy...Daddy...Daddy!" Jack yelled happily as he ran towards his father, and straight into Aaron's arms. Aaron picked up the boy and gave him a huge bear hug, before turning his attention to his very much alive ex-wife.

Haley stood at the front door, frowning, arms crossed, glaring at Aaron suspiciously. "Aaron, I thought you told me that you were free this weekend. If you have to work, its not fair to Jack..."

It took the Senior Agent less than five seconds to carefully compartmentalize all of the emotions he was currently experiencing. His efforts were made infinitely easier when he spotted a man standing behind Haley, with one hand on her shoulder.

"Whoa...Haley." said Hotch. "I'm not working this weekend...where did you get that idea?"

"Well, if you aren't working, what is he doing here?" she asked, nodding in Spencer's direction.

Aaron grinned and handed Jack to Spencer before addressing his ex-wife. "Well, its quite possible that he's doing the same thing here, that he..." indicating the man now standing in the entryway to his home. "...is doing there. Haley...you and your friend have a very nice day, and we'll have Jack back by 7:00pm tomorrow."

"Aaron Hotchner...are you insane? Do you actually think that I am going to let you take Jack with you and some person he barely knows, to do who knows what? He's been going through enough right now, and I won't let..."

The two agents looked at each other in shock, before turning their attention to the furious woman at the door. "Haley...can you please keep it down..." Hotch began, before being cut off by his ex-wife.

"What are you thinking, Aaron?" asked Haley. "Jack, let's go. Daddy is apparently busy today and doesn't have time..."

"No, Mommy...I'm with Daddy and his friend. Go now." Jack crossed his arm defiantly and refused to make eye contact with his mother.

Aaron braced himself for the verbal battery to begin. Instead, she looked at the young genius with curiosity, her eyes examining the situation carefully. Her ex-husband, shirtless, in his pajama bottoms, looking completely relaxed...the awkward young man looking totally at home with her son in his arms, and the curious way that Aaron used his body as a shield, protecting his agent. "How long, Aaron?" she asked quietly.

Aaron smiled warmly as he looked back at Spencer. "Not nearly long enough...definitely not as long as the two of you." said Aaron gesturing to the man in the doorway of his apartment. "Haley...enjoy your weekend. See you tomorrow night."

Haley turned to go. "7:00 pm, Aaron...not a second later." Hotch nodded his head dutifully, as he swung the door shut, giving the couple barely enough time reach the hallway as it closed.

"Daddy...I'm hungry," said Jack as soon as the door closed.

"Didn't your Mom feed you this morning, Buddy?"

The toddler smiled shyly and nodded. "...but we didn't have pancakes."

Spencer grinned happily. "Hey! Can we go to that breakfast place near the Mall? The one with the blueberry crepes? I love that place. We can go there, right Aaron?" asked Spencer eagerly.

Hotch eyed his genius suspiciously. "Sounds good to me, but isn't that a little far away?"

"Well, I'm hoping that if I'm good, and eat all of my breakfast, you might take Jack and I shopping."

Aaron looked back at his lover in confusion. "Shopping?"

"Well, yea." said Spencer matter-of-factly. "There is no way that I can let you be seen with me looking like this...people would think you were crazy."

oOo

By 11:00am, the trio had finished both their breakfast and their shopping. Reid was loaded down with several bag, which contained long sleeved dress shirts, non-corduroy slacks, a couple of pairs of jeans, and most importantly, two new pairs of chucks. As they loaded the back of the SUV with their purchases, Reid took the opportunity to run his fingers through his newly shorn locks, and put on his freshly minted Ray-Bans. "I feel much better now...how about you Jack?"

The toddler nodded in agreement, as he clutched his brand new soccer ball. "Daddy got me a ball," he said loudly as the two men laughed.

"He sure did, Buddy," said Reid as he ruffled the young boy's hair.

"Okay...let's all go to Spencer's apartment." said Hotch, in his most authoritative tone.

Spencer eyed his boss suspiciously. "Babe, my place is fine, but it isn't child-proofed...and isn't your apartment closer?" asked Reid.

"Foyet. I feel like he's already watching me." said Aaron quietly. "Knowing what I know, I can't put you or Jack in danger."

"Alright...my place is a good plan, then." said Spencer with a smile. He placed his hand on Aaron's shoulder, and gave a comforting squeeze. "We'll figure this out, and get Foyet before he ever knows what hit him."

As Spencer entered his old apartment, he realized immediately what Morgan and Hotch had meant when they talked about muscle memory. As he took in the sights and smells of his apartment, his body began moving of its own volition. Keys were thrown into the bowl by the table, coat over the chair in the corner, shopping bags in the closet, and a beeline to the coffee maker.

Aaron watched the young Doctor with amusement. "Wow...feels like you never moved out."

Spencer poked his head around the corner of the kitchen. "Did you say something, Babe?"

Hotch turned on the television for Jack, and kissed him on the top of the head before joining Reid in the kitchen. "I said...that you act as if you never moved out of here."

"I know...its incredibly amazing, and also kind of creepy how our minds work. I bet if you opened the refrigerator, I'd be able to tell you everything that's in there." Spencer shivered a little at the thought.

"You have an eidetic memory...I would be surprised if your couldn't tell me what was in there." commented Aaron as he wrapped his arms around the young genius. "Grab us some coffee, and I'll get Jack some juice. We need to make some kind of plan."

Spencer smiled at his lover. "I know how much you like to feel like you have control, which, in this situation, is virtually impossible...but you seem to be handling it much better than I anticipated. So...when should we plan on your inevitable breakdown?"

Hotch chuckled heartily, and pulled Spencer into a tight embrace. "That is an unfair characterization. I feel like I've been really open-minded about this whole thing..."

Spencer put his hands gently on Aaron's face, and looked deep into his lover's eyes. "Your head is about to explode, isn't it?"

"YES it is." affirmed Hotch with absolutely no hesitation. "How can you be so okay with this?"

"One of the downfalls of being a grown-up is that reality is unavoidable. You became a husband and a father. There was no more room in there for believing in magic, or monsters or infinite possibilities."

"And you? asked Hotch curiously.

"Aaron...to me, magic is a reality...monsters still lurk in dark corners, and while many things are improbable, I have yet to label anything as impossible. I don't lay in bed at night wishing for Neverland, but I like to think that I'm still a kid at heart."

Aaron smiled at the young genius. "I don't think we should totally dismiss that Peter Pan thing...you would look really sexy in that outfit...I could be Captain Hook!"

He pulled his young lover close, and began to place light kisses down his neck. Spencer giggled and squirmed out of Aaron's embrace just as Jack rounded the corner.

"Daddy...I'm hungry again."

oOo

Empty pizza boxes, Chinese food cartons and coffee cups littered Spencer's apartment. The agents had spent their weekend charting time-lines, revisiting painful memories and formulating a plan. When exhaustion hit on Saturday night, Aaron carried his sleeping son to Reid's spare room. The two agents then climbed into Spencer's bed and cuddled together, sleeping little, but comforted by the closeness and warmth.

Finally, as Sunday evening approached, the trio put away the charts and graphs that Spencer had made, the notes meant to comfort Aaron, various DVDs, and Jack's collection of drawings, with the three of them happily standing outside a big blue police box. At 6:30pm, Aaron and Spencer drove an exhausted little boy home to his mother, and after two days, they were finally alone.

Together, they had agreed that despite Hotch's misgivings, he needed to maintain a presence at his apartment. With no idea how long Foyet had been watching before Aaron had been attacked, an abandoned apartment would not hold his interest. They wouldn't have to track him...they knew exactly where he would be in less than two months...standing in the shadows, knife in hand, waiting.

Spencer could feel the tension radiating off of his lover as they entered the apartment. The young genius took the lead, and quickly turned on all the lights in the apartment, while Aaron remained at the entrance with his gun drawn. Once he had cleared all the rooms, Reid made his way back to where Hotch was waiting. Pulling the older man into the apartment, and shutting the door behind him, The Doctor's mission this evening was to make sure that his lover relaxed enough to get some rest after their sleepless weekend.

Spencer had a plan. While Hotch went to his bedroom to change, the young genius set to work setting the mood for the evening. He started by preparing a bubble bath for his lover, carefully lighting an aromatherapy candle that he had picked up at the Mall...the promise was total relaxation, and he hoped it would do the trick.

Peaking his head into the bedroom, he was able to grab the older agent before he could to get re-dressed. Laughing and swatting away Aaron's roaming hands, he led him to the bathtub and stood watch until he got in. "You do nothing but relax." said Spencer firmly. "I'll be back in a few minutes to wash your back."

Aaron smiled lovingly at Reid's efforts to normalize the totally bizarre situation they had found themselves in. "Go on...I can tell you have more planned for this evening. Far be it from me to argue...you always have the best surprises."

Spencer smiled broadly, and bent over to give Aaron a quick peck on the cheek. "Don't wash anything that you might potentially want me to wash...I'll be right back."

Reid had already ordered take-out from a great Thai restaurant right down the street from Aaron's apartment. He was a little embarrassed to admit that he had found it on one of his many trips past his supervisor's home, shortly after he had discovered his boss sleeping in his bed while they were out of town on a case. Had he known then, what he knows now, he would have driven straight to the apartment, no time for a meal, and not taken NO for an answer.

With the food warming in the oven, the table set and the candles lit, Spencer made his way back to the bathroom. He slipped through the door quietly, and sat down on the stool Aaron kept by the tub. He began to gently massage his lover's scalp, and was rewarded with a groan of pleasure from the older man.

"Babe...if you keep doing that, I will never get out of this tub. I will simply stay here and pretend that none of this is really happening."

"You'll get all pruney...and eventually cold and hungry...and all of this will still be happening. Better to come with me, eat some dinner, then allow me to do what I can to tire you out." With that, he grabbed his naked lover by the hand, and pulled him to his feet, quickly wrapping him in a warm towel.

The food was as good as Spencer remembered it to be, and was happy to see that Aaron had finished his meal. Dinner complete, the young doctor cleaned the table, and sent his lover to relax on the couch. As he rinsed the dinner dishes, he could see that, rather than relaxing, Aaron had begun to study the time-line that they had put together that weekend.

"No, no, no." yelled Spencer from the kitchen as he dried his hands on a dish towel. "We are done for the evening, and besides...I have other plans for you tonight."

His interest piqued, Hotch put the papers back on the coffee table and stood, with a playful grin on his face. "Plans, huh? What kind of plans?"

"Secret, romantic plans, and thank you very much for ruining the surprise." said Spencer sullenly. As he hugged his lover from behind, he whispered seductively into Aaron's ear. "I am going to make sure that you get some sleep tonight...so get into the bedroom, get undressed, and I'll be there in a second."

A shiver ran up Hotch's spine at Spencer's warm breath on his neck. The senior agent closed his eyes, and let his head drop back onto the younger man's shoulder. Reid chuckled as Hotch sighed. "How did you get this sexy, Babe?

"Lots and lots of practice, my love. Now...get into the bedroom, and you'd better be naked when I get there."

"Yes, Sir." responded Aaron happily, before he turned and practically ran to the other room.

Spencer finished cleaning up, and made his way into the bedroom. He found his lover naked, lying face down on the king sized bed, his arms crossed above his head. The young genius smiled as he undressed, joining his boss on the bed, stretching himself out on top of his lover, comforting him with the weight and heat of his body. Aaron groaned in pleasure, and wiggled his hips, purposefully grinding his ass against Spencer's already hard cock.

Spencer giggled, and pushed himself up, so that he was straddling Aaron's hips. He leaned forward and began to gently massage the older man. He started at his scalp, alternating between a firm fingertip massage to the usual pressure points, and gently pulling handfuls of dark hair.

Aaron moaned in pleasure, and Spencer could feel the tension in his body lessen. Satisfied that his attentions were having the desired effect, he worked his way from Hotch's scalp to his neck, paying special attention to the muscles directly underneath the skull. The shoulders and arms came next, until Aaron could stand it no more. He flipped over onto his back, causing his young masseuse to topple unceremoniously off the bed.

"Hey!" exclaimed Spencer with a pout, as he pulled himself up off the floor and back onto the bed. "A little impatient, are we?"

Hotch palmed his swollen member with a smile. "I can't wait anymore, Babe...either we make love right now, or I end up humping the bed and cumming on the comforter. That's fine for me, but after all the work you did, I thought you might want to participate."

Hotch pulled Reid down into a passionate kiss, hands roaming hungrily over the young man's slender frame. "You are so skinny," commented Aaron between kisses. "There is barely any ass here at all!"

"Don't tease me about my weight," whined Spencer. "You know how self-conscious I am...I may have to bring up the fact that you are obviously having a mid-life crisis, and are using a young and impressionable child prodigy to satisfy your base sexual urges."

"You're so right...I want you to satisfy all of my base urges...you are so, so sexy, and I feel like we haven't made love in ages."

Spencer looked at his lover with a thoughtful expression. "Well, technically, at this time in our lives...let's see...you and Haley haven't been together for a little over a year and a half, and I'm still a virgin...I can see why we might be a little anxious," whispered Spencer seductively.

"Oh, god, Babe...you're killing me," said Hotch as he threw his head back onto the pillow and covered his eyes with one arm. "If I can't have you right this second..."

Reid giggled. "I'm right here...give me a minute." The doctor leaned over and opened the nightstand drawer, rummaging around to locate his prize. Not finding what he was looking or, he threw a confused gaze towards his lover. "Where's your lube?"

At the thought of the answer to that question, Aaron's face turned a bright pink. Reid could see the look of embarrassment, and became concerned. "Aaron?"

Hotch closed his eyes tightly, and grinned. "I don't have any."

"You don't have any what?" asked Reid in confusion.

"Lube...stop it...I don't want to talk about it." said Aaron.

"You don't want to talk about lube, or you don't want to talk about why you don't have lube?"

"Before...before wanting you...I didn't bother."

"You didn't bother what?" asked Spencer tenderly, stroking his lover's cheek.

"I didn't bother...I didn't have the need for..."

"You didn't pleasure yourself? What? You were a monk?" asked the young man with concern.

"I did pleasure myself, as you so indelicately put it, occasionally...in the shower. It wasn't until I knew...until I knew how much I needed you, that I...that I...fuck, this is embarrassing...I had never bought any lube until I decided that I needed to make love to you."

"And when was that?" asked Spencer gently.

"When I climbed into your bed for the first time...last week in Oregon...I loved you from the minute you snuggled against me...it felt right. It felt perfect...so perfect...damn you."

"That story might be even more romantic if you hadn't waited almost 4 years for me to make the first move!"

Aaron laughed heartily and pulled the young genius to him. "It was worth the wait then, but right now...I believe someone promised to fuck me until I pass out."