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geekystudmuffinTitle: To Love and Protect
Authors:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
innerslytherin and severity_softly
Pairing/characters: Hotch/Reid, Jack Hotchner
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Following trouble at Jack's school, Spencer and Aaron have a parent-teacher conference to attend.
Word count: ~8,000
Notes: Self-betaed, so feel free to point out any errors. This was supposed to be April's installment, but we got behind--so you guys just get two installments this month. :) Also, we're starting to skip a little farther ahead of current canon time.
This is part of the "Fathers Are Not Born" universe, all of which can be found at this tag. This is part SIX. Each installment may also be read as a stand alone fic, however it will hopefully add to your enjoyment if you read the series as a whole. :)
Aaron wasn't home when the call came. Haley was out of town. When the answering machine picked up, Spencer was reading the latest scientific journals that had been delivered to the house, and his head didn't pop up from the magazine until he heard the name of Jack's school.
Jack had had a fight with another kid and had to be picked up.
"Shit," Spencer muttered. He grabbed his shoes and his car keys and started out the door.
He went straight to the office when he got to the school and told them he was there for Jack Hotchner. The secretary nodded.
"Of course, Mr. Hotchner. Jack is in with the assistant principal right now, but if you'd like to wait there..."
"I'm not Mr. Hotchner," Spencer said, frowning at her. "I'm Dr. Reid. I thought you had a list of people who are approved to take Jack home from school. You do realize, don't you, that Agent Hotchner is with the FBI? His son's security is important."
She blinked at him for a moment, then said, "Oh, of course. May I see your ID?" Annoyed that she hadn't asked him immediately, Spencer held out his badge for her, then waited as she checked a list. "All right, Dr. Reid, if you would just have a seat?" she said, and turned back to her work.
Several minutes later the assistant principal's office opened and Jack came out, his head down. A tall man with gray hair and glasses followed him out.
Spencer spared a glance at the man, then got down on one knee in front of Jack. "Jack," he said quietly, and lifted his hand to tilt Jack's face up. Spencer's gut twisted when he saw Jack had a bruise under his eye. "What happened?"
Jack shook his head quickly and turned his face away.
Spencer glared up at the man. "What happened?" he demanded.
"Nothin'," Jack mumbled, not looking up.
The man looked at Spencer, perhaps sizing him up. "I'm Mr. Vendiver, the assistant principal here. You aren't Jack's father; I remember meeting him."
Spencer scowled at him, unwilling to be cowed. "Dr. Reid. Jack's parents aren't available to pick him up this afternoon. I'm on the list."
Vendiver nodded. "It was a minor skirmish. He and the other boy were on the playground during afternoon recess and the teacher on duty broke it up before anything major happened." He cleared his throat. "All the same, young Mr. Hotchner, I hope you now realize the serious nature of physical violence. I don't want to see anything like this happen again."
Jack made a noise that might have been agreement.
"He's being sent home for the rest of the day, and he can come back to school tomorrow if he promises to behave himself properly," Vendiver added.
Spencer's scowl faded a little as the sudden realization that Mr. Vendiver was implying Jack started this. He stood and Jack wrapped his arms around Spencer's leg, letting out a little whimper. Spencer rested a hand on his head, stroking his hair gently.
Mr. Vendiver tilted his head at the gesture. "Ah, you're Jack's babysitter? You're a bit young for an unc--"
"I'm not a babysitter or an uncle," Spencer interrupted, his voice flat. Then he lowered it and asked, "Jack started this?"
Jack didn't answer. He just tightened his arms around Spencer's leg.
Vendiver frowned. "He hasn't been saying much since the incident," he informed Spencer. "The other boy said Jack hit him first, and there are witnesses who corroborate that story."
Spencer nodded slowly, then drew a breath. "Thank you," he said, though he didn't really feel like thanking the man. "Jack," he said, looking down. "Hand."
Jack didn't look up when he reached up and took Spencer's hand. He let Spencer guide him out of the office and to his car, where he let Spencer strap him in without a single word. Spencer frowned, wondering if he should call Aaron and tell him, or if he should just send Aaron a text closer to the time school let out and tell him he picked Jack up already. It wasn't as though Aaron could really do anything now but worry.
Spencer got in the car and pulled off, the car filled with silence for a couple of miles before Spencer said, "Daddy's not going to be very happy about this." He bit his lips together, then added, "I'm not very happy about it either." He wasn't going to issue punishments, though. That was Aaron's job.
Jack slumped in the back seat and mumbled something indistinct. Spencer glanced at him, cocking an eyebrow. After a moment Jack repeated, louder, "It wasn't my fault."
"That's not what your teachers say," Spencer prompted.
"Doesn't matter." Jack was looking out the window, his face turned away from Spencer.
"Why not?" Spencer asked, staring ahead at the road.
Jack didn't answer.
Spencer sighed. "You either tell me or your dad, and personally I think using me as a buffer is a better option than waiting for him to interrogate you."
Jack just folded his arms across his chest and didn't speak. After a while Spencer could hear him sniffling like he was trying not to cry, and when he looked back in the mirror, Jack's cheeks were shiny. But Jack still didn't speak.
Spencer's gut twisted again. He'd made Jack cry. He swallowed the little feeling inside him that told him he'd just done the worst thing he could have, and kept quiet. The uncomfortable feeling didn't get any better as they drove; Jack kept crying quietly, and when they got to the house, Spencer carried him in, stroking his hair.
God, when had he turned into this?
He settled with Jack in the recliner, cuddling him against his chest, and kissed the top of his head, his chest aching. "Jack, you can talk to me."
Jack wrapped his arms around Spencer as best he could and buried his face against Spencer's shirt. "No," he whispered. "Can't talk to anyone."
"Why not?" Spencer asked, starting to rock gently in the chair.
Jack whimpered. "It wasn't my fault." He started crying again and wouldn't answer Spencer for a long time.
"Why not?" Spencer asked. "You shouldn't be starting fights; you're not going to get off the hook on that, I'm sure. But if it really wasn't your fault, we need to know."
Jack shook his head against Spencer's chest, violently enough that he clipped Spencer's chin with the top of his head. Then he let out a wail of pain and cried harder.
Spencer kept rocking in the chair and stroking Jack's hair. God, it hurt to listen to Jack like this. "Shh," he said gently, then was quiet for a long time, letting Jack's crying subside on its own. He couldn't help but think he wished he'd had a father to cuddle him like this when he cried. He'd spent far too much time crying alone when he was young. When his mother was able, she usually could tell when something was wrong, but she wasn't always able, and Spencer had learned young that he could be as much a burden to her as a help, so he hid it whenever possible.
"Was the other boy mean to you?" he asked, once Jack started to quiet.
"You're mad at me," Jack whispered, and gulped a breath.
"I'd really like it if you answered me," Spencer replied softly.
"I don't want to tell you." Jack was still whispering, but his breathing was beginning to even out. "You'll be madder."
"You don't know that unless you tell me. It's a fifty-fifty chance. Those aren't terrible odds." Spencer kissed the top of Jack's head again. "And no matter what, it won't change how I feel about you." He knew he should say the L word more often. He'd already said it a few times, but it was still hard.
Jack sniffled loudly and pulled back to look up at Spencer. "You'll still love me?" he asked.
God, he really did need to say it more. This wasn't Aaron, who knew it without needing reassurance. Spencer wiped Jack's cheek, ignoring the sticky wet spot he could feel more on his shirt now that Jack had pulled away. "I'm not ever going to stop loving you," he promised.
Jack sniffled again and squirmed around to put his arms around Spencer's neck. He buried his face against Spencer, then whispered, "Mark Trotter and Harry Fields were teasing me."
Spencer drew a deep breath and pulled Jack closer, resuming the rocking and stroking of Jack's hair. "What were they teasing you about?"
Jack was quiet for a long time. Spencer was just about to ask again when Jack sighed. "Daddy."
Spencer's brows drew together immediately, a funny little jolt going through him. Daddy? He tightened his arms a little. "What about Daddy?"
Jack let out a noise that sounded like he wanted to cry again but was out of tears. "Daddy and you," he whispered, hanging on to Spencer too tightly.
That sent a wash of cold through Spencer once he realized what Jack was saying. Kids at school were making fun of Jack because he and Aaron were two men dating each other. As soon as the cold hit, it was followed by a surge of anger, both that Jack was being teased, but also because he knew the relationship that meant so much to him--and to Aaron and Jack, Spencer was sure--was hurting Jack.
"I'm sorry, Jack," he murmured, holding on to the building anger.
"I love you," Jack said, his voice shaking. "I love Daddy. I told Mark to shut up and he wouldn't. He said normal people have moms." Jack's whole body was shaking, Spencer realized. "I have a mom. I love Mom! But he said that didn't count."
Spencer clenched his jaw and tried to stay calm, even as angry tears threatened. He was glad Jack's face was still buried against his shirt. He gave Jack another squeeze, and stroked a hand over his back. "People--" He drew a deep breath. "Kids don't understand." He knew Jack wasn't shaking from physical cold, but Spencer dragged the blanket hanging over the back of the couch over Jack for comfort anyway. "They make fun of things they don't understand, and it's not nice, but it's not your fault," he whispered, wishing he knew something better to say. Aaron would know what to say, but he wasn't here.
"You're not mad at me?" Jack asked. "I told him not to talk about my mom and dad and you like that. But he said I wasn't normal either and he didn't want to sit next to me in art any more. He said I was weird and my family is weird. So I pushed him." Jack ducked his head under the blanket and curled up tighter against Spencer. "He knocked me down," he said in a tiny voice.
"You're not weird. Your family is different, but it's okay to be different." Spencer sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, then shifted to get his phone. He texted Aaron that he had Jack at home while he continued to talk, still rocking Jack gently. "It's hard to believe that now, I know." He sighed again. "You shouldn't have pushed him, but I know what it's like. I'm not mad at you at all."
"You know what it's like?" Jack's voice was a little stronger, though he didn't come out from under the blanket. "How?"
"I was different from everyone else when I was growing up. I got teased a lot." Spencer pulled the blanket down and waited for Jack to look at him, then he kissed Jack's forehead and gave him a little smile. "I was way weirder than you--you're the normalest of all normal people compared to me," he said, hoping Jack would smile. "Those kids don't know what they're talking about."
Jack looked confused. "You're not weird."
Spencer laughed softly. "You call it 'silly' when I'm weird."
Jack pursed his lips, then shrugged. "You are silly a lot." He wasn't looking quite so devastated now, though the bruise under his eye seemed darker.
"I know," Spencer said, and tightened his arms. Jack rested back against him, tucking his head under Spencer's chin. "Does your eye hurt?"
"Uh-huh." Jack sighed. He reminded Spencer of Aaron when he did that. "After Mark knocked me down I got up an' hit him for real. He hit my eye and then the teacher grabbed us both." Jack snuggled closer. "Is Daddy gonna be mad at me?"
"I don't know," Spencer said. "I'm going to talk to him, though, okay?" Jack made a little whimpery noise and wrapped an arm around Spencer again. "Do you want some ice?" At this point, it probably wouldn't do much good, but it might make Jack feel better.
"Kiss it," Jack said, lifting his face.
Spencer huffed a little laugh, but kissed next to the bruise so he wouldn't hurt Jack. Jack seemed satisfied, though, and settled back against his chest. Spencer started rocking again, and Jack let out another sigh. Spencer could feel his little body start growing heavier; no doubt he'd exhausted himself first fighting, then crying.
Spencer stopped rocking and closed his eyes, listening to Jack's breathing and eventually drifting in and out of consciousness himself.
***
Aaron's morning had started before six when he got a call on his home phone from the Assistant Director. He'd rushed through shaving and dressing and barely remembered to wake Spencer and ask him to get Jack ready for school before dashing out the door to a meeting in Washington with the Assistant Director and several important people. He'd spent the entire morning frustrated because there was little need for him to be present, and by the time lunch had rolled around, he wanted nothing more than to go home and go to bed.
Of course, once the meeting had ended, he'd still had several hours worth of work to catch up on at Quantico. He'd been unpleasantly surprised to get a text message around two o'clock from Spencer, saying he had Jack at home already. Aaron had debated calling home, but decided that Spencer would have called if he'd needed help. He had meant to call on his way home, to see if he needed to pick up cold medicine or children's aspirin or something, but traffic had been horrible and he'd just plain forgotten.
When he walked into the living room and found his lover and his son curled up together under a blanket, though, all the day's tension washed out of his muscles. He smiled, just watching them for several minutes before he went over and leaned down to kiss Spencer's forehead.
Spencer sucked in a breath and made a little noise, then blinked open his eyes to smile at Aaron. He tilted his chin up for a real kiss, and Aaron leaned down and kissed him slowly. "How was work?" Spencer whispered, barely audible.
"Rotten," Aaron said, "so I hope you have dinner ready and you're going to rub my feet." He smiled back at Spencer, lifting a hand to brush against his cheek, then kissed him again. "Jack not feeling well?"
"He's feeling fine," Spencer said, and he made a face Aaron couldn't quite read. "Except that he has a black eye," he added, then pressed his finger to Aaron's lips to keep him quiet.
Aaron stared at Spencer, not understanding. His son wasn't even six yet. Six-year-olds didn't get black eyes. "What?" he whispered.
"He got in a fight," Spencer murmured. "Let me take him upstairs and we'll talk, okay?"
Aaron kept staring at him, but Spencer gathered Jack up in his arms and gave Aaron a look, so Aaron stumbled back a few steps and dropped down on the couch. One week. One week Haley went out of town on vacation with her fiancé and counted on Aaron and Spencer to get Jack to school every morning, feed him right, give him his vegetables... and Jack got in a fight. Aaron stared at the doorway long after Spencer had vanished to take Jack upstairs.
He heard the door upstairs click shut, and then Spencer sighed, and when he came back, he sat on the couch next to Aaron, watching him. "It's not really his fault. Well, it is, but... I don't blame him." Spencer shrugged sort of awkwardly.
I am calm, Aaron thought. He had a feeling it was more wishful thinking than anything. "What happened?"
"Some kids were teasing him." Spencer's voice was still placating, but Aaron saw his jaw tighten for a moment. "And he pushed one of them."
"Teasing him," Aaron repeated. His voice was flat, but he could feel the beginnings of anger. He thought he had taught his son better than to react with violence. He had never raised a hand to his son--never. And neither had Spencer. "Jack started the fight?"
"Yeah, and the other kid knocked him down. He'll be fine," Spencer said, but he was frowning deeply.
"He'll be fine?" Aaron repeated again. "Our son started a fight. Our son answered words with violence. How can that be fine?" His voice was growing heated and he took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
Spencer's frown only deepened, and he raised his voice too. "I know that wasn't the right answer, Aaron, but he should be protected. If the teachers aren't protecting him--"
"Protecting him? From what, Spencer? Kids tease each other. It's part of life. It's not a pleasant part of life, but it never goes away, either, so he has to learn while he's young that the way to respond isn't with violence."
"Oh right, and the teachers just feign ignorance. If they don't say anything, it'll resolve itself. You and I both know it doesn't," Spencer snapped.
Aaron looked at him, surprised by his anger, though he knew he shouldn't be; this was more personal for Spencer, after all. "And did the teachers feign ignorance when our son pushed someone?" he asked, making his voice calmer again.
"No. That's when Jack got blamed for something that should have been stopped before it escalated," Spencer said, lowering his voice, even if it was no less upset.
Aaron sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "What happened?" he asked quietly.
Spencer shook his head and looked away. When he spoke again, he sounded deflated. "Apparently Jack hasn't exactly been discreet about the fact that his daddy is dating another man."
Aaron felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. "They were teasing him because of us," he said. And suddenly he felt guilty that he'd been angry with Jack at all. Jack loved them both, and it was a natural reaction to defend your family. Aaron knew he himself would defend his family with deadly violence if necessary.
"Yeah," Spencer said, still not looking at him. After a moment, Spencer sighed and sat back on the couch, pulling his knees up against his chest. "Apparently, the other kids said that Jack was weird and that his family was weird, and they weren't sitting with him anymore." Spencer shook his head and looked at Aaron. "I probably would have hit other kids when they said the same thing to me, if all of them hadn't been older and aware of the fact that I would fit into a locker."
Aaron laughed, but it always made him feel sad when Spencer talked about his childhood. He shifted and put an arm around Spencer. "Did the teacher know what the other children were saying?" he asked, resting his head against Spencer's shoulder.
"I don't know, but I want to go down there tomorrow and find out," Spencer said.
"Wait, how did all this play out?" Aaron asked, frowning. "I'm assuming we got a call from the school? Then what?"
Spencer recounted the afternoon for him, and Aaron couldn't help but be grateful for at least the millionth time that he'd fallen in love with someone who clearly adored his son, and was equally adored back. When Spencer was finished, Aaron sighed and kissed him.
"At least you made him feel better," he said, smiling faintly. "I'll still have to punish him for starting the fight...if I can think of a way to do that while still telling him it's right to defend your family. God, it's hard to be a father. I suppose I'll have to call the school tomorrow."
Spencer frowned at him. "You don't want me to go?"
Aaron sat back. "I don't see why you should. If I'm going to respond appropriately to the situation, I ought to be the one who gets the full picture." Spencer had never really been the disciplinarian of the two of them. He could enforce Aaron's decisions, but he mostly tended to spoil Jack a little. Aaron suspected it had a lot to do with the fact that Spencer himself had never been spoiled as a child.
"Are you going to respond appropriately?" Spencer asked, frowning again.
Aaron blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Are you going to make sure it doesn't happen again?" Spencer asked.
"I certainly hope so. That's the whole point behind coming up with a fitting punishment while still trying to convey that he was trying to do the right thing but chose the wrong methods."
Spencer rolled his eyes, then gave Aaron a frustrated look. "I'm not talking about Jack."
Aaron stared at him for a moment. "Spencer, I'm not going to go down to the school to start yelling at teachers. We don't like it when the lawyers tell us how to do our jobs. I sincerely doubt a teacher is going to like it if I show up and tell her how to maintain order in her own classroom."
"We're adults. They're charged with protecting impressionable, vulnerable children. Maybe someone should tell them how to do their jobs," Spencer said.
Aaron frowned. "They stopped the fight. We have no evidence that they heard what was going on beforehand, and I can't imagine they would have allowed it to continue if they had. I just don't see what good can be accomplished by going to the school and yelling at--"
"How could they not hear it? Kids aren't very good at keeping their tormenting quiet. They could have stopped it," Spencer snapped, cutting Aaron off, and Aaron was mentally dragged back to Texas until Spencer spoke again. "He was sobbing in my arms, Aaron." Spencer's eyes were pleading, then went a little shiny, and he looked away. His back was stiff. "I'm sure he'll be up from his nap shortly. I'll let you respond appropriately, and I'll stay out of it." He stood suddenly and swept past Aaron to the kitchen.
Aaron sighed and rested his head in his hands for a minute. He knew bullying was a sore spot with Spencer. He didn't know the extent to which it had taken place in Spencer's life--he had a feeling Spencer had actually opened up more to Morgan about that than even to his lover--but he should have expected this to be personal for Spencer. After a moment he stood up and followed Spencer slowly.
He'd never had to deal with bullying. His family had money and reputation. Too much reputation, as it had turned out, because it had kept his mother married to his father longer than she should have been, while her son wore long sleeves and pants all summer to hide the bruises. It had taken the fall down the stairs and a subsequent miscarriage to provoke her to leave his father, and fortunately her second marriage had been to a man whom Aaron had taken as his personal role model. Maybe I did grow up with a bully, Aaron thought wryly as he paused in the kitchen entry and took in the tense lines of his lover's back. Spencer was pouring himself a drink. But it's different when the bully is your own father.
Aaron crossed the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Spencer, burying his face in Spencer's neck. "I'm sorry," he murmured.
"Mnn," Spencer responded. It didn't sound very happy at all, and when Spencer tilted his head back a little, Aaron noticed he was drinking.
"I am," Aaron insisted. "I focused too much on the fighting aspect." He tightened his arms. "Do you really think the teacher knew what was going on? Did Jack say if this has ever happened before?" God, what was the right thing to do? How could he respond properly to this?
"He didn't say," Spencer said, voice flat, then he turned around in Aaron's arms, but didn't return the embrace, he just looked at Aaron. "I think we need to find out."
Aaron's arms slid down to rest around Spencer's waist. "Do you think you can talk to the teacher in a non-accusatory way until we're sure she did hear it?" he asked, trying to smile.
"No," Spencer admitted, sounding almost adorably petulant. Aaron didn't react, though, not wanting to upset his lover more by making light of how upset he was.
"I'd really rather not alienate his teachers unnecessarily," he said instead. "If it's necessary, that's a different matter. I can't expect the other children to always behave themselves, but considering how much tuition I'm paying for a private school, I think it's perfectly reasonable for me to expect the teachers not to express homophobic attitudes."
"Or turn a blind eye," Spencer said, still frowning.
"It's the same thing, in my opinion," Aaron said. He thought for a moment. "You're right. We should go talk to them and find out for sure if the teacher knew what was going on. It's possible she could have been clear across the playground. Even if she heard what the other boys were saying, she might not have had time." He had to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt, since Jack hadn't said one way or the other. "I'd like it if we went together, Spence."
"She could just lie," Spencer pointed out, seemingly ignoring Aaron's offer to go together. "If she knew about it, I'm sure she knew she should have stopped it, and won't want to admit that."
"And we're profilers," Aaron countered. "We'll be able to tell if she's lying."
"Right, and it'll still be our word against hers in the eyes of the school board." Spencer glared at the wall for a moment, then took a sip of his drink. After a moment, he sighed and slumped against Aaron's shoulder, seemingly starting to realize how stubborn he was being.
"I'm not sure we really want this to be a matter for the school board," Aaron said, rubbing Spencer's back. "Unless you're interested in getting me reassigned somewhere cold and far away." He sighed and leaned his head against Spencer's. "Anyway we have to think about what would be best for Jack. It if comes down to it, I'll talk to Haley about switching his school. We'll make this right for him somehow." He couldn't help feeling guilty that it was his fault, though. And he felt even guiltier that he was unwilling to give up his relationship with Spencer to protect his son.
Spencer didn't say anything. He just sighed again and finally wrapped his arms around Aaron. After a few silent moment, he kissed Aaron's neck.
"I love you," Aaron said quietly. "And I love that you care this much about Jack. I love that you have made him your son as well as mine." He tightened his arms around Spencer. "Thank you for being invested in his happiness. Thank you for being here for him." Even when I wasn't, he didn't add.
Spencer made a miserable noise. "I'll never be able to hate you enough for turning me into this," he murmured, and kissed Aaron's jaw.
Aaron thought about that for a moment. "You know, that's what Haley said to me, too, but she was nine months pregnant at the time."
Spencer snorted, and tightened his arms on Aaron as a small, silent laugh shook him. Then he let go. "That's it. I'm leaving," he said dramatically, and started to try to pull away, but Aaron held him there.
"Mmm, you're not going anywhere," Aaron said, smiling against Spencer's neck. He pulled Spencer closer and kissed him slowly.
"Mmm," Spencer hummed, and slid a hand into Aaron's hair, deepening the kiss without letting it grow more hungry, his lips lingering on Aaron's.
Aaron enjoyed the languid feel of the kiss, feeling incredibly grateful for his lover. "I love you," he whispered, his lips brushing against Spencer's. He kissed Spencer again, then paused when he heard a noise from the entry to the living room.
He pulled back and looked over Spencer's shoulder to see Jack, half hiding around the corner and watching them. He smiled, nudging Spencer around so he could see his son better. "Hey, buddy. Awake now?" He tried to make his voice gentle.
Jack nodded, but didn't move. "Am I in trouble?" he said, his voice shaking a little.
Aaron felt Spencer tense slightly against him, but he just shook his head. "You and I need to have a serious talk, but you're not in trouble." He let go of Spencer and knelt down. "I can't believe you don't have a hug for your dad. You getting too big for that?"
"No," Jack said. After a moment, he stepped out from behind the doorway and walked towards Aaron. Aaron had force himself not to frown at the purpling bruise under Jack's eyes.
Instead he pulled Jack into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Oh, Jacks, I love you," he murmured. He kissed his son's hair and stood up, lifting Jack with him. "Let's go talk in the living room, okay? I hear you didn't have a very good day."
***
"I still can't believe he managed to do this the one week Haley's out of town," Aaron said. He was in his best 'I-am-an-FBI-agent-so-don't-fuck-with-me' suit, which Spencer always found incredibly hard to resist, even if it made Spencer want to fuck with Aaron. They had parked outside the school and sent Jack inside ahead of them, and Spencer's heart rate had gone up just thinking about confronting the teacher. Aaron had called the principal's office on their way in and expressed a strong desire to speak with the teacher. She had promised it would be no problem at all.
"She can't blame you for something he did when you weren't even around. Something his teacher should have stopped." Spencer ignored the exasperated look Aaron threw him. He kept telling Spencer not to make up his mind before they talked to her, but Spencer was already mad. He did promise to let Aaron do the talking, though, at least until they'd gotten answers, and Spencer thought that was enough of a concession.
They got out of the car and started toward the office, Spencer staying a step behind Aaron... which was something he never minded at work, letting Aaron take the more "dominant" position. Aaron looked more intimidating than Spencer would ever look. Right now, though, he couldn't help but wish he looked more intimidating. God, what has Jack done to me?
Just before they got to the school door, Aaron paused and looked over at Spencer. "I love you, Spencer. Thank you for coming with me." His expression relaxed enough for him to smile faintly at his lover. Then he pulled the door open and he was all business again.
In the office they were greeted by the principal, who introduced herself as Dr. Tyler. Aaron gave her their names, but didn't elaborate beyond that. She tried opening with pleasantries, but Aaron didn't respond and didn't smile. After a moment she said, "May I ask what this is about?"
Aaron's expression tightened. "This is about our son being involved in a fight yesterday. I was given to understand the teacher involved would also be present. If that's not the case, please tell me when she will be available, and we'll come back then."
"No, no, she'll be here momentarily," Dr. Tyler said. "In the meantime, would either of you like coffee or tea?"
Aaron shook his head in a tiny dismissal, which Spencer tried to copy. They settled into a chilly silence until someone tapped at the open door and came in. Dr. Tyler looked relieved.
"Ms. Inson, come in. Are you familiar with Mr. Hotchner and Dr. Reid?"
She smiled at them. "We haven't met, no." She stuck out her hand, and Aaron shook it, but didn't return the smile. Spencer's arms were crossed over himself, and she didn't offer her hand to him. She either read his body language, or she'd dismissed the younger, slighter man.
Or maybe it had to do with the scowl Spencer was wearing.
"They're interested in hearing what happened yesterday." Dr. Tyler glanced at Spencer, then back to Aaron. "Why don't we sit?"
Ms. Inson nodded. When they were all seated, she said, "How is Jack? I know he was quite upset when we separated them yesterday."
"He'll be fine," Aaron said curtly. "Please, what happened yesterday?"
Ms. Inson looked at him for a moment, then took a long breath, clearly a bit shaken by his demeanor. "Well, it was afternoon recess. I was on playground duty with another teacher, but he had just stepped inside for a moment with a student who had skinned his knee. I heard shouting and looked over and saw Jack with two other students. It was clearly a confrontation, so I started making my way to them, but before I got there, Jack pushed one of the other boys." She paused, possibly expecting Aaron to interrupt, then continued. "The boy pushed him back and Jack fell, but he got up and took a swing at the other boy. They traded one or two punches before I got to them and pulled them apart."
Spencer clenched his jaw and stared at her, unable to not profile her behavior. She was starting to look at little uncomfortable, but he wasn't sure if that was because Aaron was unsettling her (he hoped he was), or because she wasn't telling the whole story.
"Are you aware of the circumstances that started the fight?" Aaron asked.
She hesitated. "They... haven't been getting along as much as they had before. I had noticed it, but I never thought it would lead to an actual fight."
"And are you aware of the circumstances that caused the recent tension between the boys?" Aaron asked.
She licked her lips and glanced at the principal.
"Ms. Inson?" the principal prompted.
The teacher cleared her throat and said, "It's because of your relationship, frankly. Jack's classmates think it's strange that his father is with another man."
Aaron's expression tightened, but Spencer spoke up faster, nearly snapping. "And you think that's all right to let them continue to tease Jack over something like that?"
"I-- no, I don't," she said.
"Did you say anything to the other boys about it?" Spencer said, his voice rising a little.
"Mr. Reid--"
"Doctor Reid," he corrected, cutting her off. He normally didn't care when people called him Mister. It was a pretty common occurrence. But in this situation, he would use what he could to be intimidating if he couldn't do it the way Aaron did.
"Doctor Reid," she said. "Boys tease each other all the time." She gave a nervous laugh that only made Spencer angrier.
"'Boys tease each other all the time'? That's your answer?!" he said, incredulous, then Aaron's hand closed over his, and he forced himself to quiet, though he was still glaring at the teacher.
"It's true that boys tease each other all the time," Aaron said quietly. "But that doesn't make it acceptable. Unfortunately, people also rape and murder each other all the time, and yet my job is to ensure that those people are caught and punished. Just as part of your job is to protect the children that we parents leave in your care. Furthermore, I pay a lot of money for our son to attend this school, under the assumption that he will receive a quality education. If this school employs homophobic teachers who express their biases by not responding to inappropriate teasing, I can hardly believe Jack actually is receiving a quality education; you can understand, then, how I might be reconsidering our decision for Jack to attend this school."
The teacher had been growing paler as Aaron spoke, and finally she burst out, "You can hardly think the children will treat him any differently anywhere else! Jack tells everyone about you and your boyfriend. I would think you'd want a little discretion from him."
Aaron stared coldly at her. "I'm not sure what you're saying, Ms. Inson. Are you trying to say that I should be ashamed of my lover? Are you trying to say that my family is somehow less valuable than one that consists of a man, woman, and three children? Are you trying to say that Jack should be ashamed to have parents who love and encourage him?" He turned his gaze on Dr. Tyler. "I can't believe you would allow this sort of attitude in your institution, Dr. Tyler. I'm very disappointed."
Dr. Tyler was visibly shaken. Of course, that may have been more because she would be losing money if Aaron pulled Jack out of the school. "I-- I apologize, Mr. Hotchner."
"Yeah, because apologies make it all better," Spencer said, his tone waspish.
Dr. Tyler opened her mouth, then didn't say anything and looked at Aaron as though she thought Aaron might rescue him from his obviously angry lover.
"I'm not really the person in need of an apology, anyway," Aaron said, his voice chilly. "I require an apology to Jack. Not only from Ms. Inson, but from the two other children involved in the incident. I suggest you also consider treating their bullying of our son appropriately. I can assure you that my ex-wife will not be pleased to hear about this, either, though perhaps it's fortunate that she's out of the state this week."
It was definitely fortunate, Spencer thought, though he wasn't sure if it was fortunate for the school or just fortunate for him and Aaron.
"Mr. Hotchner," the principal broke in, "we can't simply penalize the other boys at this stage. They won't under--"
"They'll understand perfectly, Dr. Tyler," Aaron interrupted her. His voice was even cooler now. God, it was sexy watching him acting so confident and authoritative. "At the moment, they understand that they got away with treating Jack as if he has something to do with the fact that Dr. Reid and I are in a romantic relationship. At the moment, they understand that further bullying on this topic will be tolerated, if not tacitly encouraged, by Ms. Inson. Let me make very clear that if I hear from Jack or any other source that an incident like this has occurred again, my son will be leaving this school. I assure you, I'll have no trouble getting him into Willow Heights."
Dr. Tyler blanched and shook her head. "That won't be necessary, Mr. Hotchner." She picked up the telephone on her desk. "Hi, Selene, could you have someone bring Jack Hotchner, Mark Trotter, and Harry Fields down to my office?"
Ms. Inson stared at her. "You...you're going to make me apologize?"
Dr. Tyler met her gaze. "I am."
Ms. Inson frowned. "And what if I refuse?"
"Then you will be suspended from your post until we determine whether or not you remain a proper fit for this institution," Dr. Tyler said, and Ms. Inson's mouth dropped open.
Aaron squeezed Spencer's hand lightly, and that was the first time Spencer realized he had been holding Aaron's hand the entire time he'd been giving the two women a dressing-down. There was a frosty silence in the office that wasn't broken until someone tapped on the door.
"Come in," Dr. Tyler called.
The door swung inward and revealed Jack, looking stubborn, and two other boys. Spencer knew it was probably his imagination that they both looked big and mean. One of them, the taller of the two, had an unhappy expression on his face.
"Dad? Spencer?" Jack said quietly. His stubborn expression faded and he looked in bewilderment at Spencer.
"Hey, Jack," Spencer said, his expression softening a little so he could smile faintly at Jack. Spencer was relieved when the confusion on Jack's face melted into a smile.
At least until one of the other boys said, "Oooh, Spencer," then Jack and Spencer both turned to frown at him.
"Shut up," Jack said, under his breath, as if he thought Aaron wouldn't hear that way.
"Jack," Aaron said quietly, and Spencer couldn't help but be glad he didn't sound angry. He held out a hand to Jack, who hesitated, then moved forward to take it. "Ms. Inson has something to say to you."
Her chin went up, her lips thinning, but then she sighed. "Jack, I'm sorry that I didn't respond more quickly to what Mark and Harry said to you. I should have put a stop to it before you felt you had to start a fight."
Jack's stubborn expression returned when he looked at her, but after a few moments, he nodded slowly. "Okay," he said, and Spencer didn't think he'd ever heard him sound quite so cautious.
Ms. Inson looked up at Aaron and Spencer, and Spencer's lips tightened.
"I shouldn't have allowed them to make remarks about your father and...and Dr. Reid," she added. "Your family is different than other people's families, but it doesn't make you weird."
Jack kept watching her, but he nodded slowly. "Okay," he said again. "I know that. But I guess it's okay that you didn't at first."
Aaron squeezed Spencer's hand, as if preemptively cutting Spencer off from telling Jack it wasn't okay, then rubbed Jack's shoulder gently before he looked to the principal.
She nodded and turned to the other two. "After Jack's parents leave, we're going to have a serious talk. But first I want to explain to you that teasing or bullying someone is never right. Jack shouldn't have hit you for what you said, but that doesn't mean what you said was right. Jack's family is no better or worse than your families. He has parents who love him, and that matters more than the fact that he has two dads."
"It's not normal," said the shorter boy.
"Harry," she said reprovingly. "It may be unusual, but again, that doesn't make it better or worse. You will both apologize to Jack for the way you've treated him."
"I don't wanna," said the taller boy who must have been Mark.
"Whether you want to or not, you're going to say it," Ms. Inson said.
Mark looked up at her defiantly. "I'm not gonna mean it."
Harry tugged Mark's shirt, and whispered too loudly. "Just do it. They're gonna call my mom again," he hissed.
Mark heaved a loud sigh and looked at Jack. "Sorry for teasing you about your two gay dads."
Jack didn't say anything.
"What do we say, Jack?" Ms. Inson asked.
Aaron straightened up. "We don't say anything if the boy has already stated his apology is just for show," he retorted. "Perhaps Harry would like to speak for himself."
"I am sorry," Harry said quickly. "We shouldn't have picked on you." He bit his lip for a minute, then blurted, "You're lucky your dad cares about you."
Jack looked confused for a moment, staring at Harry, then he pressed his lips together and nodded. "My dads," he corrected, then added, "Thank you."
Mark nudged Harry, glaring at him. "You're a wimp," he said.
"Mark!" Dr. Tyler said sharply. She frowned and looked at Aaron and Spencer. "I'm sorry about this. Truly. Mark, you and I are going to have a long talk."
Aaron nodded. "Jack, do you feel okay about going back to class?"
Jack nodded. "Can Harry go, too?"
Aaron looked at the principal, his eyebrows raised, and she nodded. At that, the two boys started to the door, clearly relieved. Jack glanced up before he left and gave Aaron and Spencer a tiny smile that melted a lot of Spencer's anger. Not all, but a lot.
They were assured that Mark would be dealt with, and it wasn't much longer that Aaron and Spencer were back in the car. Spencer wasn't sure why, but his chest was aching as he stared out the window.
He huffed an odd laugh after a few moments. "Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you're being all strong and protective like that?"
Aaron laughed quietly. "I wasn't too much of a bully myself?" he asked. He reached out and covered Spencer's hand with his own.
"It's okay to be a bully if you're doing it for the right reasons instead of the wrong ones," Spencer murmured.
"Hmm." Aaron squeezed Spencer's hand. "I'm glad you were with me. And Jack was glad, too." After a moment he glanced over. "And I'm glad you talked me out of punishing Jack for the way he responded to it."
"I told you, I would have done the same thing, if I hadn't been sure it would mean almost certain death," Spencer said, giving an unhappy laugh that Aaron just barely returned. He pressed his lips together and looked away for a long moment, and Aaron stroked a thumb over Spencer's hand. After a while Spencer sighed and squinted at nothing outside the car. "It wasn't my gay dads. It was my crazy mother. I made the mistake of talking about it when I was really young, and it followed me. 'Four eyes Spencer and his crazy mother--no wonder your father left'." Aaron sucked in a breath, his hand tightening. "I wanted to hurt them so badly."
"I don't blame you." Aaron was quiet for a while. "I wish I could have been there to protect you," he said finally. "I wish you had had the father you deserve, instead of a man who deserted you both. I am constantly impressed and inspired by the man you've turned out to be, Spencer. Despite the conditions of your childhood and all the people who hurt you or took advantage of you, you chose to spend your life learning new things and helping people. It was one of the reasons I fell in love with you. You have been hurt so much, and yet you still have compassion for others."
Spencer nodded slowly, then turned and gave Aaron a smile that was weak, but grateful. He sighed and turned back. "I just keep thinking... even last night, I was so angry... I just kept thinking that I wished I'd had someone to have done this for me. But I figured, at the time, that I was enough trouble for Mom as it was, on top of what she was already dealing with." He licked his lips. "And... Jack should have people to do this... because... because we can." God, he was babbling. He rubbed a hand over his face and stopped talking.
Aaron squeezed his hand again. "I think if you asked your mother, you would find she never viewed you as trouble," he said softly. He cleared his throat. "It's possible I over-reacted to the news that Jack had started a fight because of my father. While I was furious about Jack's being teased, I also couldn't ignore that my son had committed violence... Does that make sense? Or did I react wrong?" He sighed. "Sometimes I think I'm horrible at this."
Spencer laughed. "You're better at it than I am." He shrugged. "I wasn't happy about it, and I know why you were upset... but little kids don't know what to do with their anger." Spencer lifted their hands to kiss Aaron's. "He's a good kid, though."
Aaron smiled over at him. "Thanks in part to you," he said softly. "Mmm, maybe we should take the rest of the day off."
A slow smile crossed Spencer's face, and he turned to look at Aaron. "I think you should let me make a mess of you. You're a little too crisp right now."
"Too crisp?" Aaron repeated, his smile widening. "Hmm. I suppose that might be an acceptable way to pass the morning." He flipped on the turn signal and headed for home.
The next installment in the series: Loose Lips
Authors:
innerslytherin and severity_softlyPairing/characters: Hotch/Reid, Jack Hotchner
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Following trouble at Jack's school, Spencer and Aaron have a parent-teacher conference to attend.
Word count: ~8,000
Notes: Self-betaed, so feel free to point out any errors. This was supposed to be April's installment, but we got behind--so you guys just get two installments this month. :) Also, we're starting to skip a little farther ahead of current canon time.
This is part of the "Fathers Are Not Born" universe, all of which can be found at this tag. This is part SIX. Each installment may also be read as a stand alone fic, however it will hopefully add to your enjoyment if you read the series as a whole. :)
Aaron wasn't home when the call came. Haley was out of town. When the answering machine picked up, Spencer was reading the latest scientific journals that had been delivered to the house, and his head didn't pop up from the magazine until he heard the name of Jack's school.
Jack had had a fight with another kid and had to be picked up.
"Shit," Spencer muttered. He grabbed his shoes and his car keys and started out the door.
He went straight to the office when he got to the school and told them he was there for Jack Hotchner. The secretary nodded.
"Of course, Mr. Hotchner. Jack is in with the assistant principal right now, but if you'd like to wait there..."
"I'm not Mr. Hotchner," Spencer said, frowning at her. "I'm Dr. Reid. I thought you had a list of people who are approved to take Jack home from school. You do realize, don't you, that Agent Hotchner is with the FBI? His son's security is important."
She blinked at him for a moment, then said, "Oh, of course. May I see your ID?" Annoyed that she hadn't asked him immediately, Spencer held out his badge for her, then waited as she checked a list. "All right, Dr. Reid, if you would just have a seat?" she said, and turned back to her work.
Several minutes later the assistant principal's office opened and Jack came out, his head down. A tall man with gray hair and glasses followed him out.
Spencer spared a glance at the man, then got down on one knee in front of Jack. "Jack," he said quietly, and lifted his hand to tilt Jack's face up. Spencer's gut twisted when he saw Jack had a bruise under his eye. "What happened?"
Jack shook his head quickly and turned his face away.
Spencer glared up at the man. "What happened?" he demanded.
"Nothin'," Jack mumbled, not looking up.
The man looked at Spencer, perhaps sizing him up. "I'm Mr. Vendiver, the assistant principal here. You aren't Jack's father; I remember meeting him."
Spencer scowled at him, unwilling to be cowed. "Dr. Reid. Jack's parents aren't available to pick him up this afternoon. I'm on the list."
Vendiver nodded. "It was a minor skirmish. He and the other boy were on the playground during afternoon recess and the teacher on duty broke it up before anything major happened." He cleared his throat. "All the same, young Mr. Hotchner, I hope you now realize the serious nature of physical violence. I don't want to see anything like this happen again."
Jack made a noise that might have been agreement.
"He's being sent home for the rest of the day, and he can come back to school tomorrow if he promises to behave himself properly," Vendiver added.
Spencer's scowl faded a little as the sudden realization that Mr. Vendiver was implying Jack started this. He stood and Jack wrapped his arms around Spencer's leg, letting out a little whimper. Spencer rested a hand on his head, stroking his hair gently.
Mr. Vendiver tilted his head at the gesture. "Ah, you're Jack's babysitter? You're a bit young for an unc--"
"I'm not a babysitter or an uncle," Spencer interrupted, his voice flat. Then he lowered it and asked, "Jack started this?"
Jack didn't answer. He just tightened his arms around Spencer's leg.
Vendiver frowned. "He hasn't been saying much since the incident," he informed Spencer. "The other boy said Jack hit him first, and there are witnesses who corroborate that story."
Spencer nodded slowly, then drew a breath. "Thank you," he said, though he didn't really feel like thanking the man. "Jack," he said, looking down. "Hand."
Jack didn't look up when he reached up and took Spencer's hand. He let Spencer guide him out of the office and to his car, where he let Spencer strap him in without a single word. Spencer frowned, wondering if he should call Aaron and tell him, or if he should just send Aaron a text closer to the time school let out and tell him he picked Jack up already. It wasn't as though Aaron could really do anything now but worry.
Spencer got in the car and pulled off, the car filled with silence for a couple of miles before Spencer said, "Daddy's not going to be very happy about this." He bit his lips together, then added, "I'm not very happy about it either." He wasn't going to issue punishments, though. That was Aaron's job.
Jack slumped in the back seat and mumbled something indistinct. Spencer glanced at him, cocking an eyebrow. After a moment Jack repeated, louder, "It wasn't my fault."
"That's not what your teachers say," Spencer prompted.
"Doesn't matter." Jack was looking out the window, his face turned away from Spencer.
"Why not?" Spencer asked, staring ahead at the road.
Jack didn't answer.
Spencer sighed. "You either tell me or your dad, and personally I think using me as a buffer is a better option than waiting for him to interrogate you."
Jack just folded his arms across his chest and didn't speak. After a while Spencer could hear him sniffling like he was trying not to cry, and when he looked back in the mirror, Jack's cheeks were shiny. But Jack still didn't speak.
Spencer's gut twisted again. He'd made Jack cry. He swallowed the little feeling inside him that told him he'd just done the worst thing he could have, and kept quiet. The uncomfortable feeling didn't get any better as they drove; Jack kept crying quietly, and when they got to the house, Spencer carried him in, stroking his hair.
God, when had he turned into this?
He settled with Jack in the recliner, cuddling him against his chest, and kissed the top of his head, his chest aching. "Jack, you can talk to me."
Jack wrapped his arms around Spencer as best he could and buried his face against Spencer's shirt. "No," he whispered. "Can't talk to anyone."
"Why not?" Spencer asked, starting to rock gently in the chair.
Jack whimpered. "It wasn't my fault." He started crying again and wouldn't answer Spencer for a long time.
"Why not?" Spencer asked. "You shouldn't be starting fights; you're not going to get off the hook on that, I'm sure. But if it really wasn't your fault, we need to know."
Jack shook his head against Spencer's chest, violently enough that he clipped Spencer's chin with the top of his head. Then he let out a wail of pain and cried harder.
Spencer kept rocking in the chair and stroking Jack's hair. God, it hurt to listen to Jack like this. "Shh," he said gently, then was quiet for a long time, letting Jack's crying subside on its own. He couldn't help but think he wished he'd had a father to cuddle him like this when he cried. He'd spent far too much time crying alone when he was young. When his mother was able, she usually could tell when something was wrong, but she wasn't always able, and Spencer had learned young that he could be as much a burden to her as a help, so he hid it whenever possible.
"Was the other boy mean to you?" he asked, once Jack started to quiet.
"You're mad at me," Jack whispered, and gulped a breath.
"I'd really like it if you answered me," Spencer replied softly.
"I don't want to tell you." Jack was still whispering, but his breathing was beginning to even out. "You'll be madder."
"You don't know that unless you tell me. It's a fifty-fifty chance. Those aren't terrible odds." Spencer kissed the top of Jack's head again. "And no matter what, it won't change how I feel about you." He knew he should say the L word more often. He'd already said it a few times, but it was still hard.
Jack sniffled loudly and pulled back to look up at Spencer. "You'll still love me?" he asked.
God, he really did need to say it more. This wasn't Aaron, who knew it without needing reassurance. Spencer wiped Jack's cheek, ignoring the sticky wet spot he could feel more on his shirt now that Jack had pulled away. "I'm not ever going to stop loving you," he promised.
Jack sniffled again and squirmed around to put his arms around Spencer's neck. He buried his face against Spencer, then whispered, "Mark Trotter and Harry Fields were teasing me."
Spencer drew a deep breath and pulled Jack closer, resuming the rocking and stroking of Jack's hair. "What were they teasing you about?"
Jack was quiet for a long time. Spencer was just about to ask again when Jack sighed. "Daddy."
Spencer's brows drew together immediately, a funny little jolt going through him. Daddy? He tightened his arms a little. "What about Daddy?"
Jack let out a noise that sounded like he wanted to cry again but was out of tears. "Daddy and you," he whispered, hanging on to Spencer too tightly.
That sent a wash of cold through Spencer once he realized what Jack was saying. Kids at school were making fun of Jack because he and Aaron were two men dating each other. As soon as the cold hit, it was followed by a surge of anger, both that Jack was being teased, but also because he knew the relationship that meant so much to him--and to Aaron and Jack, Spencer was sure--was hurting Jack.
"I'm sorry, Jack," he murmured, holding on to the building anger.
"I love you," Jack said, his voice shaking. "I love Daddy. I told Mark to shut up and he wouldn't. He said normal people have moms." Jack's whole body was shaking, Spencer realized. "I have a mom. I love Mom! But he said that didn't count."
Spencer clenched his jaw and tried to stay calm, even as angry tears threatened. He was glad Jack's face was still buried against his shirt. He gave Jack another squeeze, and stroked a hand over his back. "People--" He drew a deep breath. "Kids don't understand." He knew Jack wasn't shaking from physical cold, but Spencer dragged the blanket hanging over the back of the couch over Jack for comfort anyway. "They make fun of things they don't understand, and it's not nice, but it's not your fault," he whispered, wishing he knew something better to say. Aaron would know what to say, but he wasn't here.
"You're not mad at me?" Jack asked. "I told him not to talk about my mom and dad and you like that. But he said I wasn't normal either and he didn't want to sit next to me in art any more. He said I was weird and my family is weird. So I pushed him." Jack ducked his head under the blanket and curled up tighter against Spencer. "He knocked me down," he said in a tiny voice.
"You're not weird. Your family is different, but it's okay to be different." Spencer sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, then shifted to get his phone. He texted Aaron that he had Jack at home while he continued to talk, still rocking Jack gently. "It's hard to believe that now, I know." He sighed again. "You shouldn't have pushed him, but I know what it's like. I'm not mad at you at all."
"You know what it's like?" Jack's voice was a little stronger, though he didn't come out from under the blanket. "How?"
"I was different from everyone else when I was growing up. I got teased a lot." Spencer pulled the blanket down and waited for Jack to look at him, then he kissed Jack's forehead and gave him a little smile. "I was way weirder than you--you're the normalest of all normal people compared to me," he said, hoping Jack would smile. "Those kids don't know what they're talking about."
Jack looked confused. "You're not weird."
Spencer laughed softly. "You call it 'silly' when I'm weird."
Jack pursed his lips, then shrugged. "You are silly a lot." He wasn't looking quite so devastated now, though the bruise under his eye seemed darker.
"I know," Spencer said, and tightened his arms. Jack rested back against him, tucking his head under Spencer's chin. "Does your eye hurt?"
"Uh-huh." Jack sighed. He reminded Spencer of Aaron when he did that. "After Mark knocked me down I got up an' hit him for real. He hit my eye and then the teacher grabbed us both." Jack snuggled closer. "Is Daddy gonna be mad at me?"
"I don't know," Spencer said. "I'm going to talk to him, though, okay?" Jack made a little whimpery noise and wrapped an arm around Spencer again. "Do you want some ice?" At this point, it probably wouldn't do much good, but it might make Jack feel better.
"Kiss it," Jack said, lifting his face.
Spencer huffed a little laugh, but kissed next to the bruise so he wouldn't hurt Jack. Jack seemed satisfied, though, and settled back against his chest. Spencer started rocking again, and Jack let out another sigh. Spencer could feel his little body start growing heavier; no doubt he'd exhausted himself first fighting, then crying.
Spencer stopped rocking and closed his eyes, listening to Jack's breathing and eventually drifting in and out of consciousness himself.
***
Aaron's morning had started before six when he got a call on his home phone from the Assistant Director. He'd rushed through shaving and dressing and barely remembered to wake Spencer and ask him to get Jack ready for school before dashing out the door to a meeting in Washington with the Assistant Director and several important people. He'd spent the entire morning frustrated because there was little need for him to be present, and by the time lunch had rolled around, he wanted nothing more than to go home and go to bed.
Of course, once the meeting had ended, he'd still had several hours worth of work to catch up on at Quantico. He'd been unpleasantly surprised to get a text message around two o'clock from Spencer, saying he had Jack at home already. Aaron had debated calling home, but decided that Spencer would have called if he'd needed help. He had meant to call on his way home, to see if he needed to pick up cold medicine or children's aspirin or something, but traffic had been horrible and he'd just plain forgotten.
When he walked into the living room and found his lover and his son curled up together under a blanket, though, all the day's tension washed out of his muscles. He smiled, just watching them for several minutes before he went over and leaned down to kiss Spencer's forehead.
Spencer sucked in a breath and made a little noise, then blinked open his eyes to smile at Aaron. He tilted his chin up for a real kiss, and Aaron leaned down and kissed him slowly. "How was work?" Spencer whispered, barely audible.
"Rotten," Aaron said, "so I hope you have dinner ready and you're going to rub my feet." He smiled back at Spencer, lifting a hand to brush against his cheek, then kissed him again. "Jack not feeling well?"
"He's feeling fine," Spencer said, and he made a face Aaron couldn't quite read. "Except that he has a black eye," he added, then pressed his finger to Aaron's lips to keep him quiet.
Aaron stared at Spencer, not understanding. His son wasn't even six yet. Six-year-olds didn't get black eyes. "What?" he whispered.
"He got in a fight," Spencer murmured. "Let me take him upstairs and we'll talk, okay?"
Aaron kept staring at him, but Spencer gathered Jack up in his arms and gave Aaron a look, so Aaron stumbled back a few steps and dropped down on the couch. One week. One week Haley went out of town on vacation with her fiancé and counted on Aaron and Spencer to get Jack to school every morning, feed him right, give him his vegetables... and Jack got in a fight. Aaron stared at the doorway long after Spencer had vanished to take Jack upstairs.
He heard the door upstairs click shut, and then Spencer sighed, and when he came back, he sat on the couch next to Aaron, watching him. "It's not really his fault. Well, it is, but... I don't blame him." Spencer shrugged sort of awkwardly.
I am calm, Aaron thought. He had a feeling it was more wishful thinking than anything. "What happened?"
"Some kids were teasing him." Spencer's voice was still placating, but Aaron saw his jaw tighten for a moment. "And he pushed one of them."
"Teasing him," Aaron repeated. His voice was flat, but he could feel the beginnings of anger. He thought he had taught his son better than to react with violence. He had never raised a hand to his son--never. And neither had Spencer. "Jack started the fight?"
"Yeah, and the other kid knocked him down. He'll be fine," Spencer said, but he was frowning deeply.
"He'll be fine?" Aaron repeated again. "Our son started a fight. Our son answered words with violence. How can that be fine?" His voice was growing heated and he took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
Spencer's frown only deepened, and he raised his voice too. "I know that wasn't the right answer, Aaron, but he should be protected. If the teachers aren't protecting him--"
"Protecting him? From what, Spencer? Kids tease each other. It's part of life. It's not a pleasant part of life, but it never goes away, either, so he has to learn while he's young that the way to respond isn't with violence."
"Oh right, and the teachers just feign ignorance. If they don't say anything, it'll resolve itself. You and I both know it doesn't," Spencer snapped.
Aaron looked at him, surprised by his anger, though he knew he shouldn't be; this was more personal for Spencer, after all. "And did the teachers feign ignorance when our son pushed someone?" he asked, making his voice calmer again.
"No. That's when Jack got blamed for something that should have been stopped before it escalated," Spencer said, lowering his voice, even if it was no less upset.
Aaron sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "What happened?" he asked quietly.
Spencer shook his head and looked away. When he spoke again, he sounded deflated. "Apparently Jack hasn't exactly been discreet about the fact that his daddy is dating another man."
Aaron felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. "They were teasing him because of us," he said. And suddenly he felt guilty that he'd been angry with Jack at all. Jack loved them both, and it was a natural reaction to defend your family. Aaron knew he himself would defend his family with deadly violence if necessary.
"Yeah," Spencer said, still not looking at him. After a moment, Spencer sighed and sat back on the couch, pulling his knees up against his chest. "Apparently, the other kids said that Jack was weird and that his family was weird, and they weren't sitting with him anymore." Spencer shook his head and looked at Aaron. "I probably would have hit other kids when they said the same thing to me, if all of them hadn't been older and aware of the fact that I would fit into a locker."
Aaron laughed, but it always made him feel sad when Spencer talked about his childhood. He shifted and put an arm around Spencer. "Did the teacher know what the other children were saying?" he asked, resting his head against Spencer's shoulder.
"I don't know, but I want to go down there tomorrow and find out," Spencer said.
"Wait, how did all this play out?" Aaron asked, frowning. "I'm assuming we got a call from the school? Then what?"
Spencer recounted the afternoon for him, and Aaron couldn't help but be grateful for at least the millionth time that he'd fallen in love with someone who clearly adored his son, and was equally adored back. When Spencer was finished, Aaron sighed and kissed him.
"At least you made him feel better," he said, smiling faintly. "I'll still have to punish him for starting the fight...if I can think of a way to do that while still telling him it's right to defend your family. God, it's hard to be a father. I suppose I'll have to call the school tomorrow."
Spencer frowned at him. "You don't want me to go?"
Aaron sat back. "I don't see why you should. If I'm going to respond appropriately to the situation, I ought to be the one who gets the full picture." Spencer had never really been the disciplinarian of the two of them. He could enforce Aaron's decisions, but he mostly tended to spoil Jack a little. Aaron suspected it had a lot to do with the fact that Spencer himself had never been spoiled as a child.
"Are you going to respond appropriately?" Spencer asked, frowning again.
Aaron blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Are you going to make sure it doesn't happen again?" Spencer asked.
"I certainly hope so. That's the whole point behind coming up with a fitting punishment while still trying to convey that he was trying to do the right thing but chose the wrong methods."
Spencer rolled his eyes, then gave Aaron a frustrated look. "I'm not talking about Jack."
Aaron stared at him for a moment. "Spencer, I'm not going to go down to the school to start yelling at teachers. We don't like it when the lawyers tell us how to do our jobs. I sincerely doubt a teacher is going to like it if I show up and tell her how to maintain order in her own classroom."
"We're adults. They're charged with protecting impressionable, vulnerable children. Maybe someone should tell them how to do their jobs," Spencer said.
Aaron frowned. "They stopped the fight. We have no evidence that they heard what was going on beforehand, and I can't imagine they would have allowed it to continue if they had. I just don't see what good can be accomplished by going to the school and yelling at--"
"How could they not hear it? Kids aren't very good at keeping their tormenting quiet. They could have stopped it," Spencer snapped, cutting Aaron off, and Aaron was mentally dragged back to Texas until Spencer spoke again. "He was sobbing in my arms, Aaron." Spencer's eyes were pleading, then went a little shiny, and he looked away. His back was stiff. "I'm sure he'll be up from his nap shortly. I'll let you respond appropriately, and I'll stay out of it." He stood suddenly and swept past Aaron to the kitchen.
Aaron sighed and rested his head in his hands for a minute. He knew bullying was a sore spot with Spencer. He didn't know the extent to which it had taken place in Spencer's life--he had a feeling Spencer had actually opened up more to Morgan about that than even to his lover--but he should have expected this to be personal for Spencer. After a moment he stood up and followed Spencer slowly.
He'd never had to deal with bullying. His family had money and reputation. Too much reputation, as it had turned out, because it had kept his mother married to his father longer than she should have been, while her son wore long sleeves and pants all summer to hide the bruises. It had taken the fall down the stairs and a subsequent miscarriage to provoke her to leave his father, and fortunately her second marriage had been to a man whom Aaron had taken as his personal role model. Maybe I did grow up with a bully, Aaron thought wryly as he paused in the kitchen entry and took in the tense lines of his lover's back. Spencer was pouring himself a drink. But it's different when the bully is your own father.
Aaron crossed the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Spencer, burying his face in Spencer's neck. "I'm sorry," he murmured.
"Mnn," Spencer responded. It didn't sound very happy at all, and when Spencer tilted his head back a little, Aaron noticed he was drinking.
"I am," Aaron insisted. "I focused too much on the fighting aspect." He tightened his arms. "Do you really think the teacher knew what was going on? Did Jack say if this has ever happened before?" God, what was the right thing to do? How could he respond properly to this?
"He didn't say," Spencer said, voice flat, then he turned around in Aaron's arms, but didn't return the embrace, he just looked at Aaron. "I think we need to find out."
Aaron's arms slid down to rest around Spencer's waist. "Do you think you can talk to the teacher in a non-accusatory way until we're sure she did hear it?" he asked, trying to smile.
"No," Spencer admitted, sounding almost adorably petulant. Aaron didn't react, though, not wanting to upset his lover more by making light of how upset he was.
"I'd really rather not alienate his teachers unnecessarily," he said instead. "If it's necessary, that's a different matter. I can't expect the other children to always behave themselves, but considering how much tuition I'm paying for a private school, I think it's perfectly reasonable for me to expect the teachers not to express homophobic attitudes."
"Or turn a blind eye," Spencer said, still frowning.
"It's the same thing, in my opinion," Aaron said. He thought for a moment. "You're right. We should go talk to them and find out for sure if the teacher knew what was going on. It's possible she could have been clear across the playground. Even if she heard what the other boys were saying, she might not have had time." He had to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt, since Jack hadn't said one way or the other. "I'd like it if we went together, Spence."
"She could just lie," Spencer pointed out, seemingly ignoring Aaron's offer to go together. "If she knew about it, I'm sure she knew she should have stopped it, and won't want to admit that."
"And we're profilers," Aaron countered. "We'll be able to tell if she's lying."
"Right, and it'll still be our word against hers in the eyes of the school board." Spencer glared at the wall for a moment, then took a sip of his drink. After a moment, he sighed and slumped against Aaron's shoulder, seemingly starting to realize how stubborn he was being.
"I'm not sure we really want this to be a matter for the school board," Aaron said, rubbing Spencer's back. "Unless you're interested in getting me reassigned somewhere cold and far away." He sighed and leaned his head against Spencer's. "Anyway we have to think about what would be best for Jack. It if comes down to it, I'll talk to Haley about switching his school. We'll make this right for him somehow." He couldn't help feeling guilty that it was his fault, though. And he felt even guiltier that he was unwilling to give up his relationship with Spencer to protect his son.
Spencer didn't say anything. He just sighed again and finally wrapped his arms around Aaron. After a few silent moment, he kissed Aaron's neck.
"I love you," Aaron said quietly. "And I love that you care this much about Jack. I love that you have made him your son as well as mine." He tightened his arms around Spencer. "Thank you for being invested in his happiness. Thank you for being here for him." Even when I wasn't, he didn't add.
Spencer made a miserable noise. "I'll never be able to hate you enough for turning me into this," he murmured, and kissed Aaron's jaw.
Aaron thought about that for a moment. "You know, that's what Haley said to me, too, but she was nine months pregnant at the time."
Spencer snorted, and tightened his arms on Aaron as a small, silent laugh shook him. Then he let go. "That's it. I'm leaving," he said dramatically, and started to try to pull away, but Aaron held him there.
"Mmm, you're not going anywhere," Aaron said, smiling against Spencer's neck. He pulled Spencer closer and kissed him slowly.
"Mmm," Spencer hummed, and slid a hand into Aaron's hair, deepening the kiss without letting it grow more hungry, his lips lingering on Aaron's.
Aaron enjoyed the languid feel of the kiss, feeling incredibly grateful for his lover. "I love you," he whispered, his lips brushing against Spencer's. He kissed Spencer again, then paused when he heard a noise from the entry to the living room.
He pulled back and looked over Spencer's shoulder to see Jack, half hiding around the corner and watching them. He smiled, nudging Spencer around so he could see his son better. "Hey, buddy. Awake now?" He tried to make his voice gentle.
Jack nodded, but didn't move. "Am I in trouble?" he said, his voice shaking a little.
Aaron felt Spencer tense slightly against him, but he just shook his head. "You and I need to have a serious talk, but you're not in trouble." He let go of Spencer and knelt down. "I can't believe you don't have a hug for your dad. You getting too big for that?"
"No," Jack said. After a moment, he stepped out from behind the doorway and walked towards Aaron. Aaron had force himself not to frown at the purpling bruise under Jack's eyes.
Instead he pulled Jack into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Oh, Jacks, I love you," he murmured. He kissed his son's hair and stood up, lifting Jack with him. "Let's go talk in the living room, okay? I hear you didn't have a very good day."
***
"I still can't believe he managed to do this the one week Haley's out of town," Aaron said. He was in his best 'I-am-an-FBI-agent-so-don't-fuck-with-me' suit, which Spencer always found incredibly hard to resist, even if it made Spencer want to fuck with Aaron. They had parked outside the school and sent Jack inside ahead of them, and Spencer's heart rate had gone up just thinking about confronting the teacher. Aaron had called the principal's office on their way in and expressed a strong desire to speak with the teacher. She had promised it would be no problem at all.
"She can't blame you for something he did when you weren't even around. Something his teacher should have stopped." Spencer ignored the exasperated look Aaron threw him. He kept telling Spencer not to make up his mind before they talked to her, but Spencer was already mad. He did promise to let Aaron do the talking, though, at least until they'd gotten answers, and Spencer thought that was enough of a concession.
They got out of the car and started toward the office, Spencer staying a step behind Aaron... which was something he never minded at work, letting Aaron take the more "dominant" position. Aaron looked more intimidating than Spencer would ever look. Right now, though, he couldn't help but wish he looked more intimidating. God, what has Jack done to me?
Just before they got to the school door, Aaron paused and looked over at Spencer. "I love you, Spencer. Thank you for coming with me." His expression relaxed enough for him to smile faintly at his lover. Then he pulled the door open and he was all business again.
In the office they were greeted by the principal, who introduced herself as Dr. Tyler. Aaron gave her their names, but didn't elaborate beyond that. She tried opening with pleasantries, but Aaron didn't respond and didn't smile. After a moment she said, "May I ask what this is about?"
Aaron's expression tightened. "This is about our son being involved in a fight yesterday. I was given to understand the teacher involved would also be present. If that's not the case, please tell me when she will be available, and we'll come back then."
"No, no, she'll be here momentarily," Dr. Tyler said. "In the meantime, would either of you like coffee or tea?"
Aaron shook his head in a tiny dismissal, which Spencer tried to copy. They settled into a chilly silence until someone tapped at the open door and came in. Dr. Tyler looked relieved.
"Ms. Inson, come in. Are you familiar with Mr. Hotchner and Dr. Reid?"
She smiled at them. "We haven't met, no." She stuck out her hand, and Aaron shook it, but didn't return the smile. Spencer's arms were crossed over himself, and she didn't offer her hand to him. She either read his body language, or she'd dismissed the younger, slighter man.
Or maybe it had to do with the scowl Spencer was wearing.
"They're interested in hearing what happened yesterday." Dr. Tyler glanced at Spencer, then back to Aaron. "Why don't we sit?"
Ms. Inson nodded. When they were all seated, she said, "How is Jack? I know he was quite upset when we separated them yesterday."
"He'll be fine," Aaron said curtly. "Please, what happened yesterday?"
Ms. Inson looked at him for a moment, then took a long breath, clearly a bit shaken by his demeanor. "Well, it was afternoon recess. I was on playground duty with another teacher, but he had just stepped inside for a moment with a student who had skinned his knee. I heard shouting and looked over and saw Jack with two other students. It was clearly a confrontation, so I started making my way to them, but before I got there, Jack pushed one of the other boys." She paused, possibly expecting Aaron to interrupt, then continued. "The boy pushed him back and Jack fell, but he got up and took a swing at the other boy. They traded one or two punches before I got to them and pulled them apart."
Spencer clenched his jaw and stared at her, unable to not profile her behavior. She was starting to look at little uncomfortable, but he wasn't sure if that was because Aaron was unsettling her (he hoped he was), or because she wasn't telling the whole story.
"Are you aware of the circumstances that started the fight?" Aaron asked.
She hesitated. "They... haven't been getting along as much as they had before. I had noticed it, but I never thought it would lead to an actual fight."
"And are you aware of the circumstances that caused the recent tension between the boys?" Aaron asked.
She licked her lips and glanced at the principal.
"Ms. Inson?" the principal prompted.
The teacher cleared her throat and said, "It's because of your relationship, frankly. Jack's classmates think it's strange that his father is with another man."
Aaron's expression tightened, but Spencer spoke up faster, nearly snapping. "And you think that's all right to let them continue to tease Jack over something like that?"
"I-- no, I don't," she said.
"Did you say anything to the other boys about it?" Spencer said, his voice rising a little.
"Mr. Reid--"
"Doctor Reid," he corrected, cutting her off. He normally didn't care when people called him Mister. It was a pretty common occurrence. But in this situation, he would use what he could to be intimidating if he couldn't do it the way Aaron did.
"Doctor Reid," she said. "Boys tease each other all the time." She gave a nervous laugh that only made Spencer angrier.
"'Boys tease each other all the time'? That's your answer?!" he said, incredulous, then Aaron's hand closed over his, and he forced himself to quiet, though he was still glaring at the teacher.
"It's true that boys tease each other all the time," Aaron said quietly. "But that doesn't make it acceptable. Unfortunately, people also rape and murder each other all the time, and yet my job is to ensure that those people are caught and punished. Just as part of your job is to protect the children that we parents leave in your care. Furthermore, I pay a lot of money for our son to attend this school, under the assumption that he will receive a quality education. If this school employs homophobic teachers who express their biases by not responding to inappropriate teasing, I can hardly believe Jack actually is receiving a quality education; you can understand, then, how I might be reconsidering our decision for Jack to attend this school."
The teacher had been growing paler as Aaron spoke, and finally she burst out, "You can hardly think the children will treat him any differently anywhere else! Jack tells everyone about you and your boyfriend. I would think you'd want a little discretion from him."
Aaron stared coldly at her. "I'm not sure what you're saying, Ms. Inson. Are you trying to say that I should be ashamed of my lover? Are you trying to say that my family is somehow less valuable than one that consists of a man, woman, and three children? Are you trying to say that Jack should be ashamed to have parents who love and encourage him?" He turned his gaze on Dr. Tyler. "I can't believe you would allow this sort of attitude in your institution, Dr. Tyler. I'm very disappointed."
Dr. Tyler was visibly shaken. Of course, that may have been more because she would be losing money if Aaron pulled Jack out of the school. "I-- I apologize, Mr. Hotchner."
"Yeah, because apologies make it all better," Spencer said, his tone waspish.
Dr. Tyler opened her mouth, then didn't say anything and looked at Aaron as though she thought Aaron might rescue him from his obviously angry lover.
"I'm not really the person in need of an apology, anyway," Aaron said, his voice chilly. "I require an apology to Jack. Not only from Ms. Inson, but from the two other children involved in the incident. I suggest you also consider treating their bullying of our son appropriately. I can assure you that my ex-wife will not be pleased to hear about this, either, though perhaps it's fortunate that she's out of the state this week."
It was definitely fortunate, Spencer thought, though he wasn't sure if it was fortunate for the school or just fortunate for him and Aaron.
"Mr. Hotchner," the principal broke in, "we can't simply penalize the other boys at this stage. They won't under--"
"They'll understand perfectly, Dr. Tyler," Aaron interrupted her. His voice was even cooler now. God, it was sexy watching him acting so confident and authoritative. "At the moment, they understand that they got away with treating Jack as if he has something to do with the fact that Dr. Reid and I are in a romantic relationship. At the moment, they understand that further bullying on this topic will be tolerated, if not tacitly encouraged, by Ms. Inson. Let me make very clear that if I hear from Jack or any other source that an incident like this has occurred again, my son will be leaving this school. I assure you, I'll have no trouble getting him into Willow Heights."
Dr. Tyler blanched and shook her head. "That won't be necessary, Mr. Hotchner." She picked up the telephone on her desk. "Hi, Selene, could you have someone bring Jack Hotchner, Mark Trotter, and Harry Fields down to my office?"
Ms. Inson stared at her. "You...you're going to make me apologize?"
Dr. Tyler met her gaze. "I am."
Ms. Inson frowned. "And what if I refuse?"
"Then you will be suspended from your post until we determine whether or not you remain a proper fit for this institution," Dr. Tyler said, and Ms. Inson's mouth dropped open.
Aaron squeezed Spencer's hand lightly, and that was the first time Spencer realized he had been holding Aaron's hand the entire time he'd been giving the two women a dressing-down. There was a frosty silence in the office that wasn't broken until someone tapped on the door.
"Come in," Dr. Tyler called.
The door swung inward and revealed Jack, looking stubborn, and two other boys. Spencer knew it was probably his imagination that they both looked big and mean. One of them, the taller of the two, had an unhappy expression on his face.
"Dad? Spencer?" Jack said quietly. His stubborn expression faded and he looked in bewilderment at Spencer.
"Hey, Jack," Spencer said, his expression softening a little so he could smile faintly at Jack. Spencer was relieved when the confusion on Jack's face melted into a smile.
At least until one of the other boys said, "Oooh, Spencer," then Jack and Spencer both turned to frown at him.
"Shut up," Jack said, under his breath, as if he thought Aaron wouldn't hear that way.
"Jack," Aaron said quietly, and Spencer couldn't help but be glad he didn't sound angry. He held out a hand to Jack, who hesitated, then moved forward to take it. "Ms. Inson has something to say to you."
Her chin went up, her lips thinning, but then she sighed. "Jack, I'm sorry that I didn't respond more quickly to what Mark and Harry said to you. I should have put a stop to it before you felt you had to start a fight."
Jack's stubborn expression returned when he looked at her, but after a few moments, he nodded slowly. "Okay," he said, and Spencer didn't think he'd ever heard him sound quite so cautious.
Ms. Inson looked up at Aaron and Spencer, and Spencer's lips tightened.
"I shouldn't have allowed them to make remarks about your father and...and Dr. Reid," she added. "Your family is different than other people's families, but it doesn't make you weird."
Jack kept watching her, but he nodded slowly. "Okay," he said again. "I know that. But I guess it's okay that you didn't at first."
Aaron squeezed Spencer's hand, as if preemptively cutting Spencer off from telling Jack it wasn't okay, then rubbed Jack's shoulder gently before he looked to the principal.
She nodded and turned to the other two. "After Jack's parents leave, we're going to have a serious talk. But first I want to explain to you that teasing or bullying someone is never right. Jack shouldn't have hit you for what you said, but that doesn't mean what you said was right. Jack's family is no better or worse than your families. He has parents who love him, and that matters more than the fact that he has two dads."
"It's not normal," said the shorter boy.
"Harry," she said reprovingly. "It may be unusual, but again, that doesn't make it better or worse. You will both apologize to Jack for the way you've treated him."
"I don't wanna," said the taller boy who must have been Mark.
"Whether you want to or not, you're going to say it," Ms. Inson said.
Mark looked up at her defiantly. "I'm not gonna mean it."
Harry tugged Mark's shirt, and whispered too loudly. "Just do it. They're gonna call my mom again," he hissed.
Mark heaved a loud sigh and looked at Jack. "Sorry for teasing you about your two gay dads."
Jack didn't say anything.
"What do we say, Jack?" Ms. Inson asked.
Aaron straightened up. "We don't say anything if the boy has already stated his apology is just for show," he retorted. "Perhaps Harry would like to speak for himself."
"I am sorry," Harry said quickly. "We shouldn't have picked on you." He bit his lip for a minute, then blurted, "You're lucky your dad cares about you."
Jack looked confused for a moment, staring at Harry, then he pressed his lips together and nodded. "My dads," he corrected, then added, "Thank you."
Mark nudged Harry, glaring at him. "You're a wimp," he said.
"Mark!" Dr. Tyler said sharply. She frowned and looked at Aaron and Spencer. "I'm sorry about this. Truly. Mark, you and I are going to have a long talk."
Aaron nodded. "Jack, do you feel okay about going back to class?"
Jack nodded. "Can Harry go, too?"
Aaron looked at the principal, his eyebrows raised, and she nodded. At that, the two boys started to the door, clearly relieved. Jack glanced up before he left and gave Aaron and Spencer a tiny smile that melted a lot of Spencer's anger. Not all, but a lot.
They were assured that Mark would be dealt with, and it wasn't much longer that Aaron and Spencer were back in the car. Spencer wasn't sure why, but his chest was aching as he stared out the window.
He huffed an odd laugh after a few moments. "Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you're being all strong and protective like that?"
Aaron laughed quietly. "I wasn't too much of a bully myself?" he asked. He reached out and covered Spencer's hand with his own.
"It's okay to be a bully if you're doing it for the right reasons instead of the wrong ones," Spencer murmured.
"Hmm." Aaron squeezed Spencer's hand. "I'm glad you were with me. And Jack was glad, too." After a moment he glanced over. "And I'm glad you talked me out of punishing Jack for the way he responded to it."
"I told you, I would have done the same thing, if I hadn't been sure it would mean almost certain death," Spencer said, giving an unhappy laugh that Aaron just barely returned. He pressed his lips together and looked away for a long moment, and Aaron stroked a thumb over Spencer's hand. After a while Spencer sighed and squinted at nothing outside the car. "It wasn't my gay dads. It was my crazy mother. I made the mistake of talking about it when I was really young, and it followed me. 'Four eyes Spencer and his crazy mother--no wonder your father left'." Aaron sucked in a breath, his hand tightening. "I wanted to hurt them so badly."
"I don't blame you." Aaron was quiet for a while. "I wish I could have been there to protect you," he said finally. "I wish you had had the father you deserve, instead of a man who deserted you both. I am constantly impressed and inspired by the man you've turned out to be, Spencer. Despite the conditions of your childhood and all the people who hurt you or took advantage of you, you chose to spend your life learning new things and helping people. It was one of the reasons I fell in love with you. You have been hurt so much, and yet you still have compassion for others."
Spencer nodded slowly, then turned and gave Aaron a smile that was weak, but grateful. He sighed and turned back. "I just keep thinking... even last night, I was so angry... I just kept thinking that I wished I'd had someone to have done this for me. But I figured, at the time, that I was enough trouble for Mom as it was, on top of what she was already dealing with." He licked his lips. "And... Jack should have people to do this... because... because we can." God, he was babbling. He rubbed a hand over his face and stopped talking.
Aaron squeezed his hand again. "I think if you asked your mother, you would find she never viewed you as trouble," he said softly. He cleared his throat. "It's possible I over-reacted to the news that Jack had started a fight because of my father. While I was furious about Jack's being teased, I also couldn't ignore that my son had committed violence... Does that make sense? Or did I react wrong?" He sighed. "Sometimes I think I'm horrible at this."
Spencer laughed. "You're better at it than I am." He shrugged. "I wasn't happy about it, and I know why you were upset... but little kids don't know what to do with their anger." Spencer lifted their hands to kiss Aaron's. "He's a good kid, though."
Aaron smiled over at him. "Thanks in part to you," he said softly. "Mmm, maybe we should take the rest of the day off."
A slow smile crossed Spencer's face, and he turned to look at Aaron. "I think you should let me make a mess of you. You're a little too crisp right now."
"Too crisp?" Aaron repeated, his smile widening. "Hmm. I suppose that might be an acceptable way to pass the morning." He flipped on the turn signal and headed for home.
The next installment in the series: Loose Lips
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Date: 2009-05-17 01:43 pm (UTC)Thanks so much!