#the uh attempt at latkes i guess???

[koshercosplay]

i'm being hate crimed in this subway car at 11pm by having to stare at this ad for an hour

[duchesschameleon]

dreidel, dreidel, dreidel

summary: Aaron and Jack’s Hanukkah education continues with playing dreidel and some shenanigans ensue. (continuation of light the candles)

pairing: Aaron Hotchner x GN Jewish Reader words: 2.3k a/n: Happy Hanukkah everyone! I’m so excited I finished this in time for the first night (I just lit my menorah) and I hope you enjoy it! There are some resource links at the end to explain dreidel, show pictures of what one looks like, and to the song referenced in the fic. The song is also linked as you’re reading the fic. As always, feel free to ask me questions about Hanukkah and I will answer to the best of my ability!

Jack insists that you teach him how to play dreidel so he can play it at Rossi’s annual holiday party. Aaron smiles at the two of you sitting on the couch as you show him the dreidel and explain the game. Thankfully, you’d been able to find a dreidel that had the sides labeled so it’s easier for Jack to pick up on the game and learn the different Hebrew characters.

Of course, you’d also sang the dreidel song which Aaron laughed at. You shot him a glare; you’d never claimed to be a good singer. The song is just helpful, especially for kids. And one of the few Hanukkah songs you can teach Jack. Jack sings along, catching on quickly. You smile, happy that he seems to be so interested in Hanukkah and celebrating it. Aaron’s hand falls on your shoulder, squeezing as he joins in the song. You feel so surrounded by warmth and love, despite only being with Aaron for a few weeks.

They’ve made this spot for you in their lives, and even when midway through Hanukkah the BAU had caught a case and had to travel, Aaron made sure you weren’t alone for lighting the electric menorah you had grabbed from your desk. The one he’d given you. Even if you were lighting it at 10 pm, after a long day at the local precinct, he was there with you. By the eighth day, he was trying to say the prayer with you, stumbling over the unfamiliar words. It’s a sense of comfort, not being alone and having someone to take in the beauty of a fully lit menorah with you. Of course, an electric one isn’t as beautiful as the real candles you have back home, but Aaron tells you that Jack wouldn’t be opposed to one more night of Hanukkah, of a fully lit menorah, maybe some latkes, and definitely some dreidel.

Which is how you found yourself here, on the couch beside Jack playing dreidel while the candles burn low in the menorah in the windowsill. Aaron’s hand stays on your shoulder as he comes around the couch to sit next to you, curling into your side.

“So, do we use the same dreidel for the whole game? Or do we each have one?” Jack asks you.

“Usually, all the players use the same dreidel. It’s more fair that way,” you explain.

“Fair? Why would using a different dreidel be unfair?” Jack looks confused, his eyebrows furrowed just like Aaron’s.

You pause, searching for the right way to explain this to Jack. “Well, some dreidels tend to land on one symbol more than others. To keep the game even and fair, everyone uses one dreidel so there’s no chance of cheating,” you say slowly.

Jack still catches on though, clearly inheriting Aaron’s brains. “So there are some dreidels that land on gimel more? So that means I’d win more!”

“Yes, I guess that’s what that means,” you laugh, “but c’mon, that takes the fun out of the game doesn’t it? And what would that get you anyway, more chocolate? We aren’t playing for money.”

Aaron huffs out a laugh next to you and you lightly elbow him in the ribs. “More chocolate isn’t a bad thing!” Aaron says in defense.

“He can always ask for more chocolate! He doesn’t need to cheat to get it. And shouldn’t you be putting a stop to this?” You raise an eyebrow at Aaron, and he matches it, leaning in to peck you on the lips.

“Can we bring the dreidels to Uncle Dave’s next weekend?” Jack asks, drawing your attention back to the game at hand. All the dreidels Aaron had bought and the ones you’d brought over from your place are strewn across the table.

“Sure we can,” you start slowly, “were you, uh testing them out?”

Jack nods, his smile wide and blinding. “Yup! I know which ones mine. We can teach everyone else! You said before they don’t know the game. That means I can tell them that we each pick a dreidel.”

You bite your lip, holding back laughter. “So, you want to help me teach everyone dreidel?”

“Yeah! It’ll be fun. Please?” Jack asks, his big, brown eyes pleading with you. You sigh and nod and Jack lets out a whoop of excitement, throwing himself back into the couch cushions. You laugh and turn more fully towards Jack, reaching your fingers out to tickle him. He laughs and Aaron joins in, the both of you tickling Jack mercilessly until he’s laughing so hard he can’t breathe.

At bedtime, Jack gives you a big hug and you kiss his cheek as he scampers off down the hallway. Not much later, you’re giving Aaron a kiss goodnight as you leave the apartment, a little more excited for Rossi’s holiday gathering the following weekend.

A few days later, Aaron calls you into his office around lunchtime. You go, glancing at the pile of consults on your desk and wondering if you’d missed something on one of them. He motions for you to close the door as you enter and you do, your suspicion growing.

“Did I miss a paperwork deadline? Why the closed-door meeting?” you ask, a slight panic to your voice.

“No, no this isn’t work related,” Aaron reassures you and you take a deep breath as you sit in one of the chairs opposite his desk. “It’s about Jack. And Dave’s party.”

You nod, silently urging him to continue.

“Jack wants to help you teach the team dreidel, as you know. He also wants to, well, he wants to omit or slightly alter some of the rules,” Aaron explains. You raise an eyebrow as Aaron continues, “He says it’s their fault they never asked you how to play before, so he wants to make, well his own rules.”

You nod slowly, catching his drift. “So, Jack wants to fudge some of the rules to his advantage? This have anything to do with the questions he was asking the other night?”

Aaron bites his lip as the tips of his ears turn red.

“Ok then. Could be fun, teaching this team a lesson.”

Aaron huffs out a laugh at that and you smile at him. He releases you, saying that’s all and you return to your desk.

Dave greets you with a hug and a kiss on each cheek as you walk into his house, a bag on your arm filled with supplies Jack had requested, via a text from Aaron’s phone.

“Let me take that for you,” Dave says, reaching for the bag.

“It’s fine, I’ll bring it to the living room. I need to show it to Jack anyway.” Dave motions his understanding as he retreats to the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner.

You make your way to the living room, delighted to see not only traditional Christmas decorations but some blue light strands and even some blue and silver tinsel. The menorah Aaron bought for him and Jack is on the mantle, all nine candles in place, and you can see gelt on the coffee table. It makes you smile, Aaron being so insistent that there are Hanukkah decorations and even bringing his own. You feel his presence at your back, broad and close and you can just smell his aftershave and you turn to smile at him.

“Jack insisted on the menorah. Even though Hanukkah ended, he wants to see it fully lit one more time. And give you the opportunity to teach the team the prayers, if you want,” he explains, ever aware of the personal boundary that comes with prayer.

“We’ll light them once everyone’s here and the foods in the oven,” you say, “maybe we can pull up that song you found that actually has the prayer in it?”

Aaron nods, remembering the YouTube spiral Jack inspired in a desperate attempt to find more Hanukkah songs. He wraps an arm around your shoulder, giving you a hug before he goes into the living room and sits on the couch near where Jack and Henry are playing by the tree. JJ looks up from where’s perched on the arm of a chair Will’s occupying and smiles when she sees you. You make your way over to them, saying hello and placing the bag under the coffee table.

“What you got in there princess?” Derek asks, leaning down to peek in the bag.

“You have to wait and see,” you say, slapping his hand lightly. Jack meets your eye and beams, and you wink back at him. He scrambles up to give you a hug and squeezes tight, his excitement palpable.

Once everyone arrives and the food is in the oven to cook or stay warm, the whole team settles in the living room. You quickly explain the menorah and light the lights with “Hanukkah Blessings” playing from Aaron’s phone and then it’s time for dreidel.

Jack bounces on his knees, excited to share this game and explain his version of the rules. He’s perched next to you on the couch as you take everything out of the bag. You put the dreidels in a pile, and Jack takes his out of his pocket and places it in front of him. The team tries to keep their faces blank as you pull out gelt, some money, and a few pieces of paper out of the bag.

“So, this year we’re playing dreidel. Jack is going to help me teach you guys how to play. Dreidel is the spinning top game kids – and adults – play during Hanukkah. The little pieces of paper tell you what the symbols mean. They’re Hebrew characters and not all the dreidels have them written on them. The goal of the game is to win the pot. Depending on what your dreidel lands on, there are different actions. Jack, do you want to explain?”

He nods, “There are four sides to the dreidel and each has a different symbol. We start by each putting some money into the pot. Then, we take turns spinning our dreidels. If you land on nun, you do nothing. If it lands on gimel, you win and take the pot. If you land on hei, you take half the pot, and if you land on shin you put money in!” Jack explains, pointing out the characters on the dreidel.

Everyone nods along and then there’s a scramble to claim a dreidel. You notice Jack pushing one towards Henry and smile, knowing he’s looking out for his buddy. Spencer tests a few out before choosing one and shoving the others towards Morgan and Emily. Aaron catches your eye from across the table and your smile turns a little sharp, excited for the chaos that is about to ensue.

“Jack! How do you keep winning?” Morgan yells after the third time Jack landed on gimel, winning a sizeable pot. You have to hand it to him; he’s done a great job hiding the fact that he has a loaded dreidel. Spencer definitely knows what’s going on and has thankfully kept his mouth shut, choosing instead to play along and see the fallout. You’re fairly certain JJ has caught on to the plan, eyeing the piles of money in front of Jack and Henry. You bite your lip, trying to hide your smile and just shrug in Morgan’s direction.

“Lucky kid?” you say, as you put a dollar in the center of the table to start the pot again. Morgan grumbles as he does the same and Will commiserates with him. “It’s not like there’s a strategy to dreidel, it’s really in the luck of the spin.”

And oh, that was the wrong thing to say. Emily’s eyes light up in recognition and she gasps. “No way!” You and Aaron lock eyes and wince a little, knowing that the game is up. You’d both been holding back laughter and enjoying seeing the team get more frustrated as the two kids rake in the money while their own piles dwindled.

Dave catches on next, humming and sitting back in his armchair. He raises his glass of scotch to you and Aaron, conceding the game and just shakes his head.

It’s Penelope who gasps next and points an accusatory finger at you, “You didn’t! Are these even the official rules of dreidel?” she asks, her voice a little shrill.

You blush and look down, knowing you’ve been caught. You pat Jack on the shoulder as you tell him, “you had a good run buddy.” Jack looks at his pile and nods, understanding that the game couldn’t go on forever. Morgan squints his eyes and looks at Jack. He starts shaking his head and you know he’s putting the pieces together. “Technically, these are not the official dreidel rules. But you guys never asked about playing it before, so we figured we’d have some fun with it,” you explain with a shrug.

“Wait wait wait, we?” Morgan asks, pointing fingers at you and Jack before turning to Aaron, “Hotch you let your son hustle us?” Aaron just shrugs and takes a sip of his drink. “Do you even play dreidel with real money?”

You shake your head, laughter bubbling in your chest. Will looks betrayed too, but JJ ruffles his hair and points out the pile Henry has. It placates him a little, knowing that Henry wasn’t caught up in the shenanigans. Jack belly laughs as Morgan shakes his head and talks about never playing dreidel again with him. Penelope and Emily have their heads together and you’re a little scared that they’re planning revenge, but you turn your attention to Spencer instead who’s now seated on the floor next to Henry and spinning the different dreidels with him for fun.

“We are never talking about this again,” Derek says, pointing a finger at you. “I cannot believe you let Jack hustle us at dreidel! And change the rules!”

Penelope laughs and places a hand on Morgan’s arm, “Morgan, think about it, now we have the perfect prank for any newbies on the team!” she exclaims. “BAU initiation – you must get hustled by the kiddos at dreidel!”

resources: all about hanukkah

all about dreidel

Hanukkah Blessings

taglist: @qvid-pro-qvo @averyhotchner

[creepycreepyspacewizard]

Holiday ficlets?! May I please have something Hanukkah-themed with any combination of Kylo, Hux and Mitaka?

Kylo was waiting on the sidewalk for him, just like he did every weekday morning.

He was staring up at the apartment so Dopheld waved, almost knocking over the candles he’d set up the night before. He didn’t wave back, but he rarely did, so that didn’t worry Dopheld too much.

That he was waiting for him at all was proof enough that he cared.

It was strange-Dopheld couldn’t pinpoint exactly when happening to meet on the way to work had changed to deliberately walking together, but the ritual had quickly become the highlight of his day.

Dopheld had been living alone in this city for over a year now, a few thousand miles from his family, and while he loved his career his hours made finding friends a little difficult. At least he’d found a sense of community thought the local synagogue- Kylo didn’t even seem to have that.

To say his coworker was enigmatic would be like saying water was slightly damp. Kylo talked very little about himself, though he could talk for hours on any number of other subjects given half a chance. He’d once explained calligraphy so well that Dopheld felt he could do it without ever having held a brush in his life, and yet Dopheld still wasn’t clear about his actual role at the company.

This morning he was being quiet, the collar of his stylish but impractical jacket turned up high around his ears.

One of these days Dopheld was going to ‘accidentally’ bring an extra scarf out with him. He just couldn’t stand seeing those adorably huge ears turning red all because Kylo chose aesthetic over dressing appropriately for the weather.

Dopheld was just about to say something about that when Kylo muttered toward the asphalt, “I really miss my mom’s cooking this time of year.”

Kylo almost never mentioned his mother. From what Dopheld understood she’d passed away just before Kylo had moved here, a year after his father’s death. She’d been a politician or something of that type, and rarely at home when Kylo was growing up. Though that seemed to conflict with what he was saying now.

Just as Dopheld was about to ask a follow up question Kylo sighed and went on, “She hardly ever cooked. Leia wasn’t the cooking type. Han had the kitchen renovated for a wedding present and I swear she only went into once a year. He did all the cooking, him and my uncle Chewie. But man… her latkes were the best.”

Dopheld eyebrows went up at that so fast he almost felt the urge to cover them with his hand, but Kylo glanced at him, and blushed, and wasn’t that just the cutest thing.

6’3” guys with more muscle than a rhino had no right looking so cute.

“My mom’s latkes are good, but you should try her sufganiyot,” Dopheld chuckled in an effort to make him feel at ease. “If you’d lived within five miles of our house you wouldn’t have had a choice, I swear she can’t make less than fifty at a time.”

Kylo smiled though he didn’t meet his eye. A laugh was almost unheard of from him, but a smile was more than good enough.

“Oh the doughnuts…” He said with another sigh. “I used to climb on the counter just to watch them go in the pan. I thought it was almost magic back then.”

They paused as they waited for the crossing signal, Kylo nervously running his fingers back through his long hair.

“I didn’t realise you were Jewish,” Dopheld said quietly. It had never come up in all Kylo’s many monologues, but then he didn’t really talk about himself, just his interests.

The gesture Kylo made was almost a shrug and almost an attempt to hide further into his jacket.

“It’s complicated. Mom… Leia was adopted and Han didn’t really believe in anything specific. I…” He stared off into the distance for a few seconds then shook his head. “Sorry. I saw your menorah, and I guess it brought back some things.”

Dopheld bit his lip while his brain tried to argue itself in circles. They walked to work together every day but they rarely saw one another after work- apparently Kylo had a lot of gym sessions, and Dopheld tended to work late at the beginning of the week. But that didn’t mean Dopheld didn’t want to spend more time with Kylo.

And right now Kylo seemed like he’d appreciate the company.

“You know,” he said with all the bravery he could muster, “Hanukkah is supposed to be a social thing, and I guess I’ve inherited my mom’s cooking skills because I have absolutely no portion control so, well, you know, if you want, you could uh… would you like to come over to my place after work tonight? I could do with someone to help me with all that food…”

Kylo gave him one of those rare bright smiles.

“I’d like that. Thank you.”

The relief was so palpable Dopheld almost melted into the sidewalk.

“Great,” he said around a grin that was so wide he knew he looked like a fool but was powerless to resist. “We can walk back together.”

Kylo only nodded in reply, but while they waited at the next crossing light he hooked his pinky finger around Dopheld’s own.

This was going to be the best holiday he’d had in ages.

He’d have to text his mom for recipes the instant he got to his desk.

❄️Holiday Ficlets ❄️