stella mia

Hello! This is my blog where I write & post all my fanfiction blurbs! Everyone's welcome & I'm free to take requests as well.

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I don't write smut (sorry!) but I have no problem with writing suggestive content!

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re4!leon kennedy x reader

Paying for your father's mistakes, you were now kidnapped and held for ransom. You thought no one would come for you. At the sound of a snarky remark on the intercom, was there a chance for your hopes and prayers to be answered? now playing ‧₊˚♪𝄞࿐₊˚⊹ the fate of ophelia - taylor swift wc: 6.5k! tags: angst! violence! swearing! author's note: i’ve been meaning to attempt writing for leon for so long, school just made it a little hard to get this done on time :’) hopefully it’s not too ooc! ───────────────୨ৎ────────────────

The binds that held your wrists behind your back were rough, delicate skin now red and irritated. As you were thrusted around in a cell of the underground of some mansion lobby, you were pushed to your knees as the blindfold was now removed from your eyes. Squinting under the bright light, you felt as though you were a mouse in a gruesome lab experiment, being poked and prodded, tied down against your will.

Still dizzy from the dose of drugs they shot you with before throwing you in the back of a van, the prick of the needle still noticeable from your neck, you felt as though you were going in circles yet you were still firmly planted to the floor. You found yourself unable to talk, not that there was much to say in the moment, you knew no information would be handed to you for free.

There was a screech coming from speakers that surrounded the underground cell that deafened you for a moment, your senses heightened due to the vertigo you were feeling from the drugs. A tapping sound followed the earsplitting roar of the microphone, the sound definitely more dull than the first. “Hey asshole,” a voice now rang out, startling you more than the initial roar of the speaker.

“You might want to come back to the main floor, I’ve got a surprise for you, your liege” just by his tone, you could tell his words were meticulous. Was this someone separate from the bad men that took you? You shook away the thought, the action making your head spin, you shouldn’t get your hopes up.

The men that were pinning you down now stood up, finally giving you room to breathe. They looked down to you, crazy eyes locking with yours as they decided if it would be best to help their master or keep an eye on you. It wasn’t as if there was anywhere to run, your hands were still tied and you barely had the energy to sit on your knees let alone stand up.

In silent communication with one another, they begrudgingly pushed you away from the back door, quickly making their way through and locking it behind them. Lying flat on your face, you could feel the tears welling in your eyes, how did you even end up in this position? What had you personally done to be taken and shoved around?

You thought back to your father, a rich man from the state of Washington. Recently falling into hefty debts from years of flying under the radar, he had lost everything. Not only did your home city hate you, the whole country did. He had, unbeknownst to you and your family, stolen everything from those around him for a very long time. And now, you were paying the price.

Pathetically, you continued to lie on the floor as you allowed yourself a few measly sobs. If no one would come save you, you would at least feel sorry for yourself. As your cheek rubbed against the linoleum flooring, cool and smooth, the tears continued to spill out almost uncontrollably. You felt your heart beating quick, the pounding reaching your head as it began to throb.

The sound of heavy boots hitting the ground in a run startled you, you had believed you would be alone for longer. You sucked in a breath, embarrassed at your own foolish emotions. There was no sympathy for a girl in your position, many would believe you deserved this. With some personal encouragement, you rolled onto your back, finally making your way off the floor and on your feet.

The padding grew louder, and you leaned up against the bars to inspect whoever would be making their way down the basement hall. Your breath heavy and chest heaving, you watched as a blond man found his way to your cell. You remained quiet as he finally stopped in front of you, taking a few breaths himself before finally making eye contact.

Unsure if this was a trick, a test to see if you’d scream and cry for help. The man watched the raise of your brow, the skeptical look on your face and cracked a smile. “So, come here often?” Now, you were really confused. You were taken aback by his introductory sentence, the shock written all over your face. At the jingle of keys, you snapped out of your confused trance.

“Excuse me?” You caved and spoke, eyes noting his actions, then looking back to his face. In the midst of inserting the key into the lock of your cell, he let out a hefty sigh.

“Nothing- I just… I thought I could make the process go better than the last time I did it.” You tilted your head at his words, was he some kind of government lap dog who did nothing but save kidnapped individuals? Your curiosity got the better of you, “What happened last time?” your tied hands now fidgeting behind you as they wait patiently for the answer.

“Girl ran away, must’ve thought I was pretty scary looking despite being the one wielding a candelabra for a weapon.” There was a small tug at his lips, slightly curving into a smirk. You admired his honesty and his wit, you would have probably swooned if you weren’t in your current situation. The door unlocked and swung open, yet you continued to lean on the cool metal bars. 

“I can barely walk,” you stated as he now stood behind you, cutting the rope binding your hands. You winced as you finally broke free, arms numb at the constant pulling sensation. You weren’t stuck in your cell for long, but you knew more would await the two of you during your escape, you had to move quick. 

“Thank you and all, but let’s skip the pleasantries and move. I have a feeling there’s gonna be more up ahead, they’ll come to us before we can go to them if we stand still” your voice came out clear and stern, taking initiative. He must’ve been surprised at your clearheadedness, the shock obvious on his face as he now holstered his knife back into the sheath attached to his chest harness.

He gave you a curt nod, still taken aback and began to lead the two of you. “Any chance you remember how they brought you in?” He asked, hand tight on your waist as you walked together. You shook your head, you had been completely out of it, plus being blindfolded and drugged didn’t help. A holographic map popped out of his intel watch, a scan of the mansion you were currently in.

“Didn’t even know the government had all that fancy tech,” you said from beside him as you winced in his grasp, a big bruise had probably formed on your ribs from all the thrashing around of earlier. A playful scoff left his lips as he continued to look at the map before him, you just now noticed how blue his eyes were. No, you had to stay focused. The drugs still fluttering in your system and messing with your thought process.

He finally looked up, eyes squinting and nose wrinkling as he mapped the way out in his brain. “Got it, let’s roll” his grasp returning to your side as you both began to walk again. You were really leaned against him, hips constantly bumping and stumbling on your legs, yet you both made it down your first long corridor and through the door.

“Who sent you here?” you finally asked, the question had been swirling in your mind since you first laid eyes on him. The seriousness of your tone hadn’t phased him, continuing to walk with you practically on his hip, his lips turned into a small smile. “I owed your father a favor, I’m finally returning it” he said casually, keeping his nonchalant demeanor with the tone of his voice.

You narrowed your eyes from beside him, now looking up to his face as you continued to practically drag yourself. “Surprised to hear that, I’m guessing you know everything that’s been going on with him then” your voice lowered a notch, almost embarrassed at your current family situation. He continued to lead the way, but looked down at you beside him, “I’ve been through enough to know not to judge someone from their mistakes” his voice carried something more than just empathy. You searched his eyes, but was cut off as he opened another door, his attention now elsewhere.

“Clear,” he said mostly to himself. He set you down on a couch that seemed to be in a lounging area. Your eyes wandered around the room, the antiques that adorned the walls and shelves that held books from past centuries. “Holy shit,” you swore under your breath at all the cool historical artifacts. Beside you was a typewriter, dusty yet still in pristine condition, your fingers ghosting the letters.

“There’s a dead end before this room, must be something in here to bring us further” his voice was low, calculating as he scanned the room for anything that stood out in particular. “You’re talking secret passages? Like in the movies?” you raised a brow as your eyes continued to linger on the machine beside you.

No paper to print on, you shifted your body to type words out just for the hell of it. The drugs still swirling in your system, allowing you to make actions without thought of the consequences. So, when a bookshelf began to spin around because you had typed the word “Ophelia”—the name of the mansion you were currently stuck in which you took note of on Leon’s map projection from earlier—you nearly jumped out of your skin.

Leon did a 180 at your sudden gasp and watched as the bookcase gritted against the ground, spinning to reveal a passage. He looked to you, noticing the way your fingers remained on the keys of the antique device. “Seems like you beat me to it,” a playful scoff left his lips as a smirk began to form. You looked up at him with wide eyes, heart still beating fast from the sudden scare. He offered you a hand to which you grabbed carefully, now leaning on him once more as you made your way down the dim hallway.

After what seemed like forever, you finally made it to flat ground. The concrete spiral staircase had lead to a grand area that resembled an indoor pool. You held Leon close, not only from fear of stumbling but a shiver went down your spine just from the sheer vibes that the room emitted. Something was irking him as well, eyes darting back and forth as you walked carefully around the area. Luckily, he found some supplies that kept him able to go on, and some herbs for you that would hopefully end the effects of the drugs still in your system.

“Thank you,” you drank the bottle of water he had snagged before he found you. Still somewhat dizzy, he sat you down at one of the benches that surrounded the pool. “You stay put, I’m gonna do a perimeter sweep to find an exit, then I’ll come back here” he looked into your wide eyes, he saw your hesitation to be left alone. He searched his pack, all you could hear was shuffling as you slumped against the cool metal.

“Take this,” he handed you a pocket knife, showing you how to open and close it “use it on anyone that’s not me, got it?” His words were authoritative but his tone came off soft. You looked down at the small weapon and gave him a curt nod as you studied it. His heavy boots began to fade as he walked through the multiple floors of the area, now seemingly eerily quiet without him.

Eyes analyzing the area, watching how the water glistened in the soft lighting, the diving boards that were right across from you in the big hall, and the clock that seemed to be stuck at 4:13. You wondered if the bookcase had closed behind you, then your mind wandered to the possibility that it could be not the only entry way to this area.

You toyed with the closed pocket knife nervously, admiring the shiny sleek red casing, then noticing the initials “L.S.K” engraved on the back. Heat rose in your chest at the sentimentality of it all. He had seemed like quite the serious man, occasionally cracking a dumb line or two, but head set tight on those broad shoulders. The etching reminded you that he was human just like you, now grounding you on the possibility that you could make it out of here, alive.

Looking up to the spiral of the building, the looping of railing with multiple floors reminded you of hotels you had stayed at in the past, the typical pool dead center between the rooms. Yet this time more dim, an eeriness looming with the darkness that got thicker the higher he went. You watched Leon continuing on further and check all the doors, some locked and some not leading to anything worth of exploring. He looked so small from where you sat, yet you must have looked even smaller when he took the chance to glance down at you making sure you were safe.

About ten minutes after, a door had lead to a hallway in the main part of the mansion, a content sigh escaping from his lips before he jogged back over to the railing. As he peered down, his stomach dropped at the sight of the bench where you were previously situated on now empty. His legs were faster than his brain, already running down before he could process that you were gone.

Once he reached the ground floor, his eyes darted around the room, heart racing as he searched in hopes that you were just hiding. He called your name out as he carefully circled the perimeter of the pool. The dim lighting caught ahold of something shiny on the bench where he had left you, the red polish of the pocket knife glimmering. He cursed at himself, heart still hammering in his chest as he began to study the map on his watch.

He had just found you, how far could you have gone? He pocketed the knife, his knuckles white as he balled his hands into fists trying to hold in his anger. He knew what happened to girls like you, this wasn’t the first he was hearing about Ophelia mansion on a private island not too far from the United States. Many daughters of rich men had gone missing, luckily for the families, they weren’t big enough names for it to be released to the public. But you, you were the first of the top of the ton to be kidnapped and held for ransom.

When he accepted the mission, taking it into his own hands to save the daughter of an old accomplice, he had hoped you would also be the first to make it out. So as he now ran back up all those flights of stairs, lungs on fire at the sheer speed he was upholding in hopes to make it to you on time, he held onto that hope that he would be able to get you out of here alive.

As he finally returned back to the hallway, the lights began flickering and held an eerie silence. He padded through as quietly as possible, heavy boots making careful steps towards the end of the hall, the single door emitting a glow. His pistol now in hand, he wrapped a hand around the knob, twisting and swinging it open in a fast motion, gun ready to aim and shoot. Slightly blinded by the bright light, he squints through the brightness, yet once his eyes adjusted he was met with another lounging room like the previous.

Holstering his gun quickly, then swinging the door shut behind him, he cursed under his breath at the sight of the similar room. “This place is a fuckin’ maze” his hands grazed multiple books, pulling at each one in hopes for another secret passage way. His eyes finally catch an antique typewriter. His calloused fingers ghosted over the buttons, what had you written? He looked around the room some more in hopes the answer was in plain sight.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

In a dim lit room, you were currently holding your head in your hands at the rising headache from being knocked out with some sort of heavy object. Your temple was bleeding, dirty hands stinging the wound yet you knew applying pressure was important. You attempted to look around, find anything of use or even figuring out where they could have hid you now. On wobbly legs, you got up and carried yourself to the door with an open slit, eyes peering through as you analyzed the area on the other side.

A sudden bang at the door startled you to the point of imbalance, falling to the ground with a gasp. A gut-wrenching chuckle arose from the other side of the metal door, red eyes watching you from the opened slit, eyeing you on the ground like a predator. You were shocked at the noises slipping out of your mouth, whimpering on the dirty flooring and calling for help, calling for Leon.

“Get up,” the voice was rough and commanding which gave you the impression it was better to follow through what it asked of you. Reluctantly and slowly, you arose from the floor and held yourself, keeping a distance between you and the door. The sound of the moving metal hurt your ears, the headache lingering as the door began to swing open. A tall figure loomed over the entryway, attempting to beckon you to come closer, yet you stood still. 

A sharp grunt erupted from his chest almost as a threat. You were so physically exhausted yet your body allowed room for more movement, careful steps approaching the man. Your entire body shivering, teeth chattering as you got closer which felt as though was happening all too quickly, constantly wishing there was some way to run away. Yet, you knew the state of your body, and you knew there were no openings for you to slip through.

As you now stood in front of the tall man, his eyes peering down at you from where he remained stagnant, his sudden movement quicker than you could process. In his grasp then swiftly thrown over his shoulder with no effort, you decided against kicking and screaming. From sheer panic and terror, you felt yourself black out in his hold, body now limp against the hard muscle.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

The bookshelf finally began to swirl around, Leon’s fingers barely had any time to lift from the keys of the typewriter. A small sigh of relief, he was able to progress forward without needing to pick up an axe or tear the bookshelf down with his own barehands. He ran down another stairwell, a small breeze cooling the sweat shining on his forehead, clearly anxious about the results of this search and rescue.

His gun held tight in his grasp, he finally hit flat ground and cautiously peeked through the open doorway. A room adorned with pool gear racking walls and shelving met him on the other side. The wooden planks creaked under his boots, Leon winced as he made his way through the room. He eyed the countless bags filled with chlorine, the smell alone wrinkling his nose. The sound of a chain being dragged outside of the small shed-like room pulled him away from his observations. Careful and as quietly as possible he peeped through the small window of what he presumed was the exit. 

The sight of you being lifted by a pulley above the large swimming pool where he previously lost you had him breathless, throat now dry as he tried to quickly devise a plan to get you back to safety. His eyes searched for anything that could help him in the room he was currently hiding out in, yet nothing seemed to stand out. He cursed and cursed until he brought himself to get another look at you.

The drop was high, reaching the third floor railing that surrounded the large indoor pool. Thankfully, you seemed to be out cold, who knows how you would react if you saw the view below you. Carefully, he swung open the door and glanced both ways to ensure no one else was around. Once he deemed that it was in fact vacated, he approached the rim of the pool and then dropped his gaze to where the chain was being held by a cranking device. 

Either he could shoot you down, quick and more efficient, or he could take his time to crank you down which would lower his guard from behind. Deep in thought, the sudden screech of the speakers that surrounded the pool area had made him lose his train of thought. The ringing still lingering in his ear as a voice came through the scratchy noise emitting from the speakers. 

“Welcome to the final attraction, Mr. Kennedy” a malevolent voice boomed, echoing off the walls as Leon’s jaw clenched. “Seems you’re just in time to witness exactly what I do with these rich little girls once their times are up,” the menacing tone making its way through the devices, sinister and threatening, “I know their daddies cannot pay the price!” a booming laugh pierced his ears. Gun clutched tightly, his head darting around to figure out the most efficient way to get you down and to safety.

Yet he’s greeted with a large silhouette emerging from the shadowy end of the pool hall, slowly making its way through hefty footsteps that Leon swore rumbled the ground. He eyed the cranking device, watching as the tall man-like creature approached the metal rod that held the chain hoisting you up. Almost as if in a duel, the two raced to reach the crank first, yet Leon seemed to be no match for the long strides of the man, hand already on the rod quickly bringing you down as Leon could do nothing but watch, distressed.

The cool steel of his pistol in his hand a reminder of his past rescue, his eyes glancing to the coil of chains bunched, corroded and clangorous. Estimating his moves to be as quick and efficient as possible, his eyes trailed the chain to where the cuffs around your wrists were attached above the massive pool. With the quick aim of his pistol, he shot the rusty metal and the chain broke at the impact, leaving Leon to follow your figure as you crashed into the deep end of the water.

The tall figure seemed stunned at the agent’s quick-thinking, large hands still gripping the crank with a dumbfounded look on it’s scarred face. Leon dived in the water without second thought, pistol holstered back in its typical spot and arms guiding him in the water as he swam down to retrieve you, the dive deep, taking up all the saved up breath in his lungs. His hand finally caught your wrist, watching the way you seem to still be entirely unconscious and slowly brought you up to the surface. He panted as he resurfaced, lungs burning and head dizzy yet he paid no mind to it with you in a worse state in his arms.

He glanced around, trying to make out where the tall creature had gone before he deemed the pool area secure enough to swim you back to flat ground. Laying on your back, strands of hair sticking to your face, he watched you from his knees, his own clothes sticking closely to his body. Just as he was about to check your pulse, fingers at the ready, the floor began to rumble once more leaving the hair at the back of Leon’s neck to raise at what the commotion indicated.

Quickly raising up, standing in front of your dormant figure, gun at the ready as he took aim at the figure. The three shots in the heart seemed to do nothing but stun the creature for only a small period of time, irking Leon at how unfavourable this scenario decided to play out. He pulled out his knife and sprinted towards the tall man who had his hands out ready to grab the agent, yet Leon ducked and slid down through its legs. The stab in its exposed back had the fleshy writhing critter attached between its shoulder blades dying, the large figure plummeting to the ground following suit.

The eerie quiet of the pool hall returned, bringing Leon back to his senses, holstering his weapons and running back to you. Your lips were turning a pale blue, goosebumps forming up your arms as your body slowly began to stop fighting the chill from the frigid waters of your earlier plunge. He checked your pulse, his breath hitching at how faint it felt against the pads of his fingers, dropping further every second. When he went to check your breath, index resting below your nose as he waited to see your chest rise, the sight never arrived. His brain halted, his heartbeat echoing in his mind growing louder.

He immediately found the rhythm of CPR, hands at the center of your chest pressing up and down, then tilting your head up to perform mouth to mouth. About a minute in, you finally came back to life, choking on some pool water that was now spilling out of your mouth and onto your already wet clothing. “Jesus, you sure know how to scare a guy” he huffed and finally plopped down on the tiled flooring that surrounded the rim of the pool. His own breath came out heavy, recovering from all the events that happened in that short period of time.

Your own breaths were heaving, trying to regain your composure after nearly drowning. Finally glancing back to the man who just saved your life, you watched the way his own expression seemed as though he was rattled down to the bone. “Thank you” was the first thing you were able to muster up, voice hoarse and tingling the back of your throat, now sensitive from all the coughing. He sent a nod your way without laying his eyes on you, brain already on how the hell he’s going to get you out of here.

After a few more moments of recollecting yourselves, he helped you to your feet before you both decided to venture up the multiple floors of the pool area once more. “You know,” you began with a shy voice, trailing behind the agent as you walked up another flight. “I was shocked you came to save me, not only because of my father’s current predicament but because… I don’t know, I just was lonely before all this began and never thought someone else was able to have me on their mind” you spoke rather quickly, almost as if you wanted to have it out in the open as fast as possible. The moment was quiet for a beat, then he turned around slowly after coming to a halt.

“I just…” you felt the need to continue and ramble, “I know you’re here for an official mission, I just feel like this is somehow exactly what I needed to escape the solitary confinement that was my life back in Washington” you scratched the back of your neck sheepishly. “Well, without the almost dying and all that!” you added quickly, eyes widening at how badly your words must seem now that they were exposed.

He remained quiet for another moment before cracking a small grin. “Anyone back at home ever tell you that you’re a little odd?” The tilt of his head was what sent you to embarrassment hell, here was this government agent teasing you just for speaking your truth. Head hanging low and gaze focusing on anything but the man in front of you, a stifled laugh came from Leon in front of you. Your body tensed, face red and fists clenched at your sides. 

“Wasn’t that funny…” you huffed and shoved past him, cringing at the sloshing and squeaking your shoes made with every step. Turning your attention back to the situation at hand, you opened another door and stuck your head inside. A long hallway, one door at the very end, you cocked a brow then pointed back to the door as you now faced him. “Think I found something,” you allowed him to lead the way, following suit behind him.

As you both ventured down the renaissance painting clattered walls, he finally spoke up, “I can’t blame you for how you felt back in Washington” he started. You whipped your head his way, tearing your eyes away from the original paintings that you had so wanted to rip off the walls and somehow take home with you.

“Back when I was your age, I was one of the so-called ‘lucky survivors’ of the Raccoon City incident. After it though, I had felt so out of place. I wasn’t doing the job I had wanted to do, what I had signed up to do.” You watched as he gritted his teeth, the clench of his jaw apparent in the moonlight that shone through the passing windows. “Yet, I was recruited by the president to save his daughter after much training and even though it was brutal—both the training and the mission—I was happy to be out of that melancholy part of my life where I felt like just the shell of a man.”

You swore there was a draft in that long stretch of the hallway because the chills that ran down your back at his words truly struck you to your core. Here you were complaining about being lonely when this man who is currently saving your life by essentially sacrificing his own had been through tenfold of what you have. You froze in your steps, your damp back now bathing in the moonlight from another window as you watched the rough exterior of the man who seemed to have a soft center.

“Leon,” your voice just above a whisper as you averted your eyes, hands held close to your chest and head hanging low. He noticed the absence of your squeaky shoes and turned around to face your meek silhouette. “I’m so sorry for complaining, I didn’t even know…” the tone of your words struck a chord in his chest, feeling warmth spreading throughout.

“Don’t even worry about it, this happened years ago” his own gruff tone down a notch, trying to maintain the soothing atmosphere that had fallen over the two of you despite the circumstances. He placed a gentle hand on your shoulder, signalling you to raise your head and look into his deep blue eyes. Leaning ever so slightly into the touch, he met your sympathetic gaze with a slight lift of his lips. 

“Come on,” he tipped his head in the direction of the long hall that you both had yet to explore. “Let’s get out of here quick, yeah?” His words carried something more than just instruction, he was attempting to smooth over the gloomy heart-to-heart. With a curt nod from you, the two of you returned to walking in your soaked clothing, the squelching filling the silence.

The door led to a staircase that brought you both to the upper level. With nothing to lose, you began to follow him one step at a time, bones already aching. At the top, you were greeted with a spare bedroom that seemed to be collecting dust. God, this place really was a maze.

Still trailing closely behind Leon, he opened the main door of the room and was met with a large hall with multiple other entryways that he can only assume were other bedrooms. The staircase at the center seemed to be the next best thing to return to the main floor of the mansion, so the two of you marched to the bottom step and began to make your way up. The main doors in sight, you both began to jog to the gateway that lead to the outdoors.

Big shoulders pushing the door open, he came to a halt at the same insidious voice from earlier, eyes narrowing at the man who stood in front of the stairwell railing. Quickly arming himself, shiny pistol in his right hand as his left kept the door open. “Run, now.” He yelled over to you who was standing outside of the humongous wooden doors. The door slammed behind him, leaving you stunned now staring at the barrier between you and Leon.

You pounded on the door after you regained your composure, finally aware of what he was doing. “Leon!” Your fists already aching from the constant hammering, voice still sensitive from the events of earlier, all the while tears began to stream down your cheeks. You couldn’t be left alone to fend for yourself and above all, you couldn’t leave him behind.

The howl of the wind, clouds threatening to rain as they swirled quickly in the sky, the moon catching your figure as your back hugged the wall, scared to leave any angle unguarded. All you could hear from outside the large doors were gunshots and the clanging of objects hitting the walls. Sliding down to the brick path way, you waited and hoped that he would come out unscathed or that he would come out at all.

Long moments passed, some filled with sound and some with an eerie silence lingering on both sides of the door. Eventually the scraping of the hefty door alerted you that someone had made it out, and your heart nearly dropped at the sight of the blond hair caught in the moonlight. You ran towards him, arms open and enveloping him as he holds his body onto the open door. The unexpected sign of affection had taken him aback, holstering his gun and arms ghosting your figure as a sign of uncertainty.

You had yet to loosen your grip, head too focused on the fact that your own saviour was in one piece, that he was safe. Finally, you looked up from where your head was buried in his toned chest and wiped the tears that were threatening to fall with a hand you had freed from his waist. “You scared the absolute shit out of me,” you finally managed, having taken a step back from where he finally stood tall, the wooden door banging back into place.

“Didn’t think you’d be all worried about me,” he was out of breath, looking down to where you stood in front of him. As his chest heaved, he watched you look around nervously as the wind got stronger. “Hey, we’re going to get out of here,” he placed a strong hand on your shoulder, turning your attention to him.

Eyes basically pleading, you placed a gentle hand on his in a less affectionate manner and more a ‘we do got this’ type of way. Both of you began to walk down the tree-surrounded path which casted bizarrely shaped shadows against the cobblestone beneath your shoes.

Leon was on call with someone which gave you time to admire his face once more underneath the moonlight. The beauty marks that adorned not only his face but scattered down his neck which peaked through the compression shirt he was wearing. You gulped at the way his bicep flexed naturally as he put a hand to his earpiece making sure he could hear every word.

He stopped you in your tracks, “Helicopter’s gonna be here any minute” and pointed towards the empty field that strayed outside the main pathway. You felt uneasy just at the mere thought of passing through trees that stood tall in the darkness. Another hand steading you through the thought of crossing through the looming shadows, you made it through together and finally met the moonlight on the other side that illuminated the field.

“What’s the first thing you’re gonna do when we finally get back?” Your question slipped through as you look up at the moon, arms wrapping around yourself for comfort and to keep warm. He holstered the pistol that he had been admiring, fingers dusting off the grime from all the fighting. He lifted his head, tilting it in a way that reminded you of a curious puppy.

“Why? Got plans you wanna make?” His typically nonchalant demeanor faded as the words came out of his mouth. The quirk of his brow sent a chill up your spine, a stuttering mess of words escaping you. “W-what? No… I- I was just wondering what you do when you’re not fighting bad guys… and all that,” quickly averting your warm face from his playful gaze that you seemed to be spotlighted under.

A lighthearted huff came from him making you turn your head over to him, you now being the curious one. “Worry about all the cases that are waiting for me at my desk,” he finally answered, arms crossed tightly in front of his chest. You could feel the weight of the words he just uttered despite his humorous attitude. “That sounds extremely unpleasant,” you offered your sympathies with a playful smile of your own across your face.

“Sounds better than all the press that’ll be waiting to talk to you,” he shrugged, mischievous expression now taking over his features. A large sigh left your lips at the mere thought. You had forgotten about the life you had been ripped from, even just for a little bit. Right now standing by his side, you felt like your own person, with a different life.

“Too bad I can’t continue to be your damsel in distress,” you teased as you spotted the chopper in the sky, the noise filling your ears as the strong wind blew your hair in all directions. He seemed a little shocked at your advance, especially the subtlety of it all.

Once the helicopter had landed not too far in front of the both of you, you glanced his way taking in the way he stood tall in front of his fellow colleagues. So professional yet so different from the typical government agents you had grown accustomed to living the life as the daughter of a rich man.

spencer reid ⋆˚꩜｡ THE BOLTER THE BOLTER PT.2 BUSY WOMAN

spencer reid x reader

Being an FBI agent was already time consuming, being a busy female FBI agent with a pretty face? Didn't make finding a partner any easier. Question was, were you really busy or were you waiting for the right man? now playing ‧₊˚♪𝄞࿐₊˚⊹ busy woman - sabrina carpenter wc: 4.8k tags: fluff! slightly suggestive (?) author's note: i was so excited to finally attempt this idea, hopefully i executed it well! ───────────────୨ৎ────────────────

Maintaining a dating life was hard while being an FBI agent. Being an FBI agent and female? Dates could become very entertaining once you revealed your job of choice. Most men were arrogant or didn’t believe you until you pulled the badge out of your purse. Other men were very opinionated at the fact that a woman of all people would be able to join the FBI. All this meant that majority of dates fell flat, and you didn’t even concern yourself about the comments they spilled at the dinner table. You enjoyed your job, you enjoyed helping people, why should it matter what a man who worked in a cubicle crunching numbers said?

Penelope, with the help of Emily, liked to sign you up for dating websites, sometimes with or without your knowledge. Which meant that occasionally after a long day, they’d be pushing you out the door while telling you all about this ‘great guy’ they knew who was waiting to meet you at a restaurant near by. Now, you were far from desperate for a boyfriend, clearly you were doing fine getting by on your own. Yet, you recognized the way men looked at you, even during cases, no matter what area of the country you were in, a man would always come up to you with a trashy pick up line or an outright vulgar comment.

You were no celebrity, but you were quite the eyesore for someone who belonged to a group of the FBI. But, your job was more important than your dating life, clearly having no time for it anyhow. The rest of the team knew how hardworking you were, always staying later in the office filling in reports or working hard to add more to profiles. So, when they suggested to get drinks on a Friday night, you thought twice about your answer.

“Come on, one drink is not going to kill you,” Emily nudged as she sat on the edge of your desk, looking down at the way you typed quickly, your eyes still on the computer screen. “Well, that date that you and Pen sent me on last night did, I need to catch up on what I missed” the constant clacking keyboard at high speed making her ears ring.

She sighed as she looked around the office, “Even Hotch is joining us tonight, he knows we all deserve a break after that last case” she said in a persuasive tone, almost trying to inflict some fear of missing out in you. Your typing stopped abruptly, now swivelling your chair towards where she sat. “Fine, one night only” you gave in once you saw her pleading eyes, she would have persisted even if you hadn’t agreed. A smile grew on her face immediately, already on her way to go tell the rest of the team you would be joining.

Once work was officially over, you hesitantly got up from your desk and closed your computer, wanting nothing more to stay back and continue. After grabbing your coat and purse, you made your way to the glass doors of the BAU. Half the team were already standing there, laughing away at something said between Penelope and Morgan. “And there she is, the busiest lady of the century” Emily bumped your shoulder, to which you rolled your eyes at the comment. “Sorry for wanting to get my work done in advance guys” a small smirk made its way onto your face.

“She’s not wrong,” Spencer began as he came up behind you, finally arriving to the group. “Technically, it’s better to finish everything first so while you’re out, your brain focuses less on what still waits for you once you return” he explained, gesturing with his hands as he spoke to which you allowed your eyes to linger on the movement. The whole group was stifling their laughs behind your back, “Exactly, thank you for understanding, Spencer” you threw a smile his way, turning around to the rest of the group once more. “Now, where’s boss one and two?” you joked with a hand on your hip.

As if they heard your question, the two finally appeared, hesitancy written all over Hotchner’s face meanwhile Rossi looked excited to talk over drinks. Finally, you made your way down the building and down the street to the local bar. You were one of the firsts in the booth, sitting in the middle with Spencer squished beside you. “Sorry, Penelope’s a little pushy” you whispered in his ear, the amount of noise around the two of you increasing. He watched the way you place your hand delicately on his arm as you continued speaking in whispers. “What do you want to drink?” You leaned back now, looking for his reaction to your question. His brows furrowed, eyes averted from your face to which you took as deep in thought.

Yet, the dim lighting was helping his case, the heat rising from his chest and up his neck at the way your hot breath had fanned his ear. He now approached you slowly, steadying himself by placing his hand on the edge of the table, bringing his own mouth to your ear, “What are you having?” You leaned back, yourself now deep in thought, you hadn’t even thought that far, your mind still on the documents that waited on your desk. “I think I’m just going to have a margarita,” your hand still rested on his arm as you answered his question straight into his ear.

The rest of the team busy, Penelope joking about doing body shots off of Morgan, JJ waiting to go ask the bartender the order, and the rest trying to convince Penelope to not do body shots off of Morgan. “I think I’ll just have a club soda,” Spencer approached you once more, knuckles white as he gripped the table, voice practically quivering at the continuous warm breath tickling his neck.

You backed away for the last time, a smile resting on your face as your glance went from him to JJ across the table. Raising slightly, now leaning over the bar’s table, your voice louder than the other conversations below you, “a margarita and a club soda!” JJ gave you a nod, walking off to the bartender to give him the table’s order.

The team now turned to you, Penelope giving you a knowing smirk with Morgan’s arm over her shoulder.“So, how was last night’s date?” She raised her eyebrows suggestively, to which you deadpanned at. “You’re not serious, that man didn’t even last through dinner! He asked me what I do for a living, I told him I work for a unit in the FBI, he thought I was trying to gaslight him.” Your brows furrowing the more you spoke, not wanting to willingly recall the previous night. “Really…?” Her face fell slightly at your words, she truly thought she had found you a good match.

Spencer beside you now speaking with Hotchner on something work related, ever the over worker, just like yourself. You held an ear out for the conversation, more interesting to you than the men who constantly thought your choice of a job was unsuitable for a woman with your looks. “Anywho, truly stop signing me up for blind dates because if one other man takes up my precious work time, I might have to set fire to your precious computer room, thanks Pen!” She gasped playfully, knowing there’s no real malice behind your words.

Thankfully for you, the drinks arrived and you were quick to grab yours. You weren’t an alcohol enjoyer usually, but a few drinks after back to back stressful cases did aid in soothing the mind. But, after shooting down a couple of margaritas, you somehow found yourself on the dance floor of the bar with the ladies of the team.

“God, do I love this song!” You said a little too excited as you swayed your hips, hitting every beat to the typical 2000s song that played through the speakers. Dancing in somewhat unison, Morgan was watching from the table with a grin growing on his face. Rossi and Hotch paying less attention, nothing new from you ladies, but would still claim responsibility over all of you like the good father figures they were. Spencer couldn’t keep his eyes off you even if he tried. And oh, did he. Morgan caught this, a deep chuckle erupted from his chest at how lovestruck Spencer seemed as he watched the way you moved.

He couldn’t even recognize the tense woman who was either always glued to her office chair or with files fused in her hand as she now danced with her hair down. Mouth slightly agape as if he couldn’t believe the sight, Morgan scooted closer to Spencer, “you’re staring” he teased as he set down his half empty glass. As if he snapped Spencer out of his gaze, he jumped slightly at the sound of the voice beside him. Red ears gave him away, clearly he had been caught as if he thought he wasn’t being obvious.

“Whoever ends up with that one is a lucky man,” Morgan continued almost to get more of a response out of the man sitting next to him. “If only she’d take the time to really find a guy, she’s always working late. It’s like that cubicle is her second home.” He took a swig of his drink, watching the way Spencer seemed to want to speak up on your behalf, almost as if to say “what’s so wrong with being dedicated to your work?” Morgan knew Spencer well enough to know he thought of you as highly intelligent and responsible.

Out of the group, you always gravitated towards the so-called ‘pretty boy’ of their team. Almost two peas in a pod, you constantly had both your noses buried in files, and got along splendidly as he had observed from the way you spoke together during the plane rides to cases in other states. Penelope and Emily seemed to be in the dark about how he felt about you, Morgan keeping his observations to himself. He would’ve like to tease Spencer more about it, having the whole team pestering him to the point where he would have had enough and out right tell you how he felt.

“Now, Penelope seems to think she’s uninterested in dating, but from what I’ve seen, that girl’s waiting for the right man to come along” Spencer caught the glimmer in Morgan’s eye, almost as if to hint at something the former didn’t know. He cleared his throat, looking into his own glass of clear liquid, gulping at the thoughts that roamed in his brain unwillingly.

Did he wish he had a chance with you? Of course, you were truly a sight for sore eyes and you were such a joy to be around once he finally got past your shyness. He enjoyed nothing more than your talks in the early morning when the office was still somewhat empty, handing over a cup of coffee just the way you liked it that he happened to have time to pick up.

You were always thankful for how observant he was with you. He knew you through and through, the way you took your coffee, the snacks you liked from the vending machine and how you constantly had your files organized in alphabetical order, even as they laid on your desk waiting to be reviewed.

So, now as he sat in the bar’s booth looking at the way you enjoyed yourself on the dance floor. Hair flying free, hips swaying, drink still in hand and raised high as you dipped slightly in your kitten heels, he had never seen a more beautiful sight. The song ended too quickly much to his chagrin, now making room for you to sit back down next to him as you approached the table. A stumble in your step and giggles pouring out of your lips indicated the amount of alcohol you had that night, much more than your typical dosage.

“God, that was so much fun!” You exclaimed, setting your empty glass down on the table a little too hard. The other ladies also seemed a little dazed, leaning on one another as you now leaned your body towards Spencer. “Why can’t more men take me out dancing? Now, this is my kind of date” you complained in Penelope’s direction which she answered in a cackle, setting you off to laugh alongside her.

He welcomed the warmth that was now rubbing up against him, the scent of your shampoo still lingering. Hotchner and Rossi had already left due to the late hour, the booth now containing more room than there was initially. Yet, you still kept yourself close to Spencer, like two magnets. Or at least that was what Morgan was thinking as he watched the sight before his eyes. Spencer wanting nothing more than to evaporate into thin air at that very moment due to the way Morgan was staring, almost as if to say “see? she wants you pretty boy.” Which meant nothing to him because you were drunk and clearly not in the right state of mind to be intentionally leaning up against him.

And now somehow, you ended up in the passenger seat of Spencer’s car. The radio was playing low, some classical music that must have been coming from a CD he inserted earlier in the day. Almost acting as an anchor for him to keep his head steady on his shoulders and not look at you beside him. As he got in the car earlier, he watched the way the moonlight shined on your face, the way your lips glistened due to the copious amount of chapstick you consistently applied, even while drunk.

The peak of the song brought him back to the road, he was still in the midst of driving after all. It’s not the first time he had brought you back, the last time after a long case trip where you had forgotten your car keys in the already locked office. You brought him back to the moment as you finally spoke up, the sounds of your shifting in the seat alerting him that you were in fact not sleeping.

“Men truly suck, you know?” Your words were slurred slightly, head leaning against the rest looking in his direction. Your eyes trailed along his profile, from his forehead to the slope of his nose, to his lip until the tip of his chin. Until now, you never really allowed yourself to look at him so directly. He didn’t answer your question, almost sounding rhetorical because he already knew the answer. Yes.

“Even the ones that I like,” you paused for a beat, taking a large breath “they don’t notice that I like them and you would think they would, right? I mean look at me,” you huffed. He was clearly trying not to. Especially with how you were now crossing your arms over your chest, accentuating your figure and the curve of your breasts in your tight office blouse even in the dim lighting of the night. He cleared his throat, eyes darting back to what mattered. Driving. The road.

You continued to ramble, ignorant to the thoughts swirling in his mind, “but he’s so completely oblivious and I’m tired of it” And he paused at your use of a pronoun, luckily arriving at a stop sign. The street was deserted, so he stayed a second longer than he needed to.

“I didn’t know you had your eye on someone,” he gulped, swallowing his feelings down. Even if it was obvious through the tone of his voice, you clearly didn’t acknowledge it in your drunken state. Of course you had found someone you liked. Penelope and Emily with their never ending blind dates were bound to work one day. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, reminding him back to how he gripped the table in the bar, ensuring to not lay a hand on you like you had him. He still can feel the ghost of a touch on his arm, the way your hot breath tickled his neck as you whispered ever so gently.

Sadly, he didn’t get an answer in response because he had now arrived at your front door. He quickly parked then ran across to open your door, wanting to help you up out of the passenger seat safely. At all the thoughts that swarmed his head, he attempted to shake them away. He didn’t get jealous. He was calm and cool-headed. As he grabbed your wrists, he pulled you up and out of the car. Took you a few seconds to balance onto your feet, still wobbling as he closed the car door behind you. “Where are your keys?” He asked as he kept a close arm on the middle of your back faintly.

You suddenly lifted your arms after walking up the front steps of your home. “Search me” he recognized the tone in your voice. You were teasing him even in your drunken stupor. “Real funny,” your actions enabling a smirk on his face, now illuminated by your porch light. You fluttered your arms, yet he watched the look on your own face. The playful smile that rested on your lips matched the arch of your brow.

He saw you in such a different light earlier, carefree and nowhere near like the overworking girl in the cubicle next to him. But now, at the sight of you being playful with a hint of vulnerability to your actions, he liked this version the most. Clearly showing signs of trust towards him, you wanted him to take the time to search you. He couldn’t tell if you would do this with anyone else, and he knows he’ll never know the answer to that question either.

Yet, he followed your instructions regardless, delicate hands passing down your arms through the pockets of your coat. The action itself bringing him closer to you, now looming over you as his fingers dug through the pockets, eyes staring into yours making the process seem more intimate than it truly was.

Before he knew it, you leaned forward just barely and he couldn’t tell if it was due to the moment or the fact that you were still off balance. Yet, he still wouldn’t allow himself for this to be the moment where he met your lips for the first time. He would feel as though he took advantage of you, despite you being the one to approach him first. He just couldn’t do that to you.

He backed away, hands now resting on your shoulders to stop your action before you regretted it the next morning. Well, that’s if you’d even remember tonight. You narrowed your eyes at the action, not really having any awareness of what you’re doing in the current moment. “Did you find my keys?” You mumbled, body leaning against the hold he continued to have on you. Freeing one hand, he jingled the keys in front of you with the other, a tight-lipped smile on his face.

He opened your front door, leading you inside safely and then up to your bed. You practically dived into the mess of sheets, heels falling off as you kicked your legs in a childish manner. Spencer had never truly entered your room. Sure, he’s been to your house when you hosted for the group every so often.

You were busy, but you never seemed too busy for your fellow teammates. Somehow always making time to invite them over for holidays, yet still grumbled about all the work the following week would present you with at the dinner table.

He admired the paintings hung on your wall, he didn’t peg you for the art collector type. The faint glow of your bedside lamp illuminated your already sleeping figure, he stared at the way your hair spread across the pillow. Tucking your legs underneath your covers, he then closed the light and stood there for a moment.

Almost as if a thought that he didn’t want to follow through with had occurred in his mind, he quickly glanced away from you. He made his way downstairs and locked the door behind him, driving away with warmth spreading through his chest as he relived the moments of tonight.

The next morning was extremely unpleasant. The drive to the BAU was filled with traffic, the pounding headache had lasted throughout the entire ride, and the sun was too bright for a morning like the one you were having. Grumbling to yourself as you walked to your cubicle, for once you were annoyed with the amount of work that rested on your desk. The other girls of the group were in the kitchen, you could hear the collective groaning from where you put your bag down.

“Great, so it’s not just me who feels like exploding?” You voiced as you rubbed your forehead, your free hand grabbing your mug from the cupboard to finally have your morning coffee. In unison, you all winced at how loud the cupboard closed. Morgan walked over from behind, a large grin on his face like he just won the prized pony.

Penelope groaned, “it’s not funny, mister” then took a sip of her coffee. “Oh, but it is babygirl, you should’ve seen you ladies dancing last night” a chuckle left his lips as he held his own warm mug in his hands. Your eyes widened, “there’s no way that’s true…” you stated as you poured milk into your coffee, the dark turning a now milky brown. He gave you a curt nod, that smug smile still on his face.

“Please tell me we didn’t do anything embarrassing…” you lamented, your head down in defeat as you awaited to hear what he had to say. “You girls were wild, dancing on tables, twirling around with your fruity drinks in your hands, it was a crazy sight” he began as Spencer approached. You looked over to him now, eyes practically pleading. “Please tell me what he just said isn’t true,” to which Morgan gave Spencer a little nudge.

“It isn’t true, but there was a lot of dancing involved” he answered with his hands in his pockets, unsure why Morgan was now giving him a look. Emily sighed like her dignity was saved, hand on her chest as she held a relieved look on her face. With your mug in hand, you walked over to your cubicle, not wanted to hear more about what happened the previous night.

Spencer eventually arrived back to his own desk which was situated beside yours, his own steaming mug resting on a coaster. Instead of sitting down and getting back to work, he came to stand next to you. “You stated that you were sick of men,” he began which startled you, still not fully there mentally.

“Excuse me?” You raised your brows, not understanding where this was coming from. Not that the words he uttered were shocking, but more the lack of context at his remark. He nervously crossed his arms in front of his chest. “When I drove you home, but the whole night if I’m being honest” he continued, finally clueing you into what transpired last night.

You shook your head, “wait- you drove me home last night?” the grip on your mug tightening as you furrowed your brows. His eyes widened, you really didn’t remember much from the previous night. “Oh… yeah you said something about some guy you had your eye on not noticing your advances” he paused for a second, almost trying to recall your exact words as if he didn’t have an eidetic memory. “You said that even the ones you want to notice you don’t, you seemed pretty bummed… despite being obviously pretty buzzed.”

You groaned, head hitting the back of your chair as you looked up to the dull ceiling. “Yeah… well, I guess that’s just men” the sigh that left you was one of frustration, he watched the way you seemed to be in surrender. “I have no doubt someone will eventually be the right guy, you’re just too good for all of us” he had let out a small laugh, nervous but coming off as dry. Your eyes trailed to his face, the anxious expression that was written all over it as you studied his features.

Suddenly, you remembered doing the same action the night before in the passenger seat of his car. “I didn’t know you had your eye on someone,” the words now ringing in your head. Had he truly not noticed the way you acted around him? Sure, you weren’t all over him at every given moment. But he must have noticed how different you were around him than around the others, right?

He continued to talk about the conversations that transpired in the bar’s booth, but you began to tune him out as your eyes narrowed. You followed his movements, the way his hands mimicked the words he was saying, and the tilt of his head as he spoke. You gulped, just now getting another flashback to the way his hands searched your jacket prompted by you even though you would never be that forward in a million years.

You always had the mindset of work coming first. If there was free time, there was more work to be done, even if that was outside of the office. So, when Penelope and Emily first approached you with a blind date you begrudgingly gave it a try, already having it in your mind that it was a waste of time. And you were right. But not only because the man was as dull as they came, but you already had your heart set on someone who understood the workload and stress of the job.

Never having the courage to act on it though, the brief moments of your racing heart was the only thing you allowed yourself to enjoy in your few moments of break. You never permitted yourself to more than just those few fleeting seconds, was that why he never noticed? It was an unconventional way, you knew that. But, you had hoped it would seem a little more noticeable than it actually was.

“Spencer,” you spoke up, stopping him mid sentence. You mustered up the courage to put a hand on his where he sat on the edge of your desk. “You know,” you began, slightly tremble in your voice despite the extreme amount of confidence flowing through your system at the very moment. “For you, I’m never busy” you looked up into his eyes, searching for an understanding to what you’re attempting to say. “You’re the exception from my own rules, got it?” The slight tilt of your head is when it finally clicked in his head, almost as if it put an emphasis on your words.

Were you actually trying to let him know that you’d rather be with him over engulfing yourself in the multiple files that scattered your desk? Hinting that you would leave the busy life you’ve built for yourself to spend time with him? He searched your eyes, noticing the way your brows furrowed and the small smile that appeared on your face as he explored your features. It was like deciphering a code of some sort, trying to understand the meaning behind your wording.

You weren’t one to be outright bold, he knew that. He knew you. Your advances for anything were timid and reserved, just like yourself. So, now that he cracked the code of you, what was he going to respond? He wanted it to be obvious to you in a way that only the two of you would understand.

“You’re willing to accommodate for me?” A smirk made its way onto his face, accentuating the weight of his words. The smile on your lips grew at his comprehension. Now placing your hand in his, the same one from moments before, he intertwined your fingers discreetly. “Well, I’m glad you can make room for me in your busy schedule” he voiced, his thumb caressing the back of your hand as if it was already second nature.

You gulped at the gesture, never allowing yourself to feel more than this. Sure, you’ve dreamed of it, but only during the allotted hour of break you had scheduled daily during work. Now, those fantasies can be a reality with him at your side, maybe eventually slowly shedding that constantly occupied mindset as time passes on.

spencer reid x reader

Following your mutual confession, there are things you've come to notice that you missed out on during your time apart. Domestic life might just be the mender of that. now playing ‧₊˚♪𝄞࿐₊˚⊹ the bolter - taylor swift wc: 3.1k tags: fluff! angst! author's note: A part two was requested and here she is! Thank you so much for all the support in part one :D part 1 ───────────────୨ৎ────────────────

After your first case together, you had gone to dinner for the first time. Someplace small but he promised you the food was amazing. As you held his hand over the table, which caused a few rosy cheeks, you spoke about everything new with the two of you. The way the conversation flowed was as if no years were lost. Telling tales of college parties that you attended, and all the PhDs he accumulated. 

That night, he drove you back to your hotel room, which you were still bitter about. “It’s just a temporary solution…” your voice trailed off as you held both of his hands, facing him yet averting your eyes sheepishly. A comfortable silence fell over the both of you, just standing there as you enjoyed each other’s presence. He rubbed circles on the back of your hand with his thumb, eyes on you as you slowly met his gaze. “I’m so glad we bumped into each other again after all this time,” he started with a delicate tone, “I’d uhm, I’d like to go out again” the tips of his ears were blushing, a trait you grew to love when you were children. You lifted on the tips of your toes, giving him a peck on the cheek. “I had an amazing time tonight Spence, I would love to do something again soon” he watched you intensely, almost unsure if you were sincere, all this resembling a dream. The grip he had on your hands faltered slightly, feeling a little bashful at the return of his feelings. “I’ll see you tomorrow at work?” The tilt of your head was what sent him over the edge, a strand of hair falling in front of your eyes. He always thought you were the prettiest girl, even when you used to wear that ponytail every day and flashing a smile full of braces. But, as he stood in front of you now, hair framing your face just right and a smile that met your eyes, it reminded him of the girl he fell in love with all those years ago. You were a gem, someone he’d love to admire every day. At his lack of words, you raised a brow playfully. “Still in there?” A giggle spilled from your lips as you looked at his bewildered expression. Now leaning in slightly, mere inches away, you looked in his eyes. “Hopefully you’re not going to pull a me and dip tomorrow, right?” But before you could wait for an answer, his lips met yours quicker than the blink of an eye. The kiss was delicate, his lips slotting perfectly with yours as you kissed him back. It was a quick peck, but sweet nonetheless. “What was that for?” Your voice was a little weak, full of shyness at the sudden action. “It’s actually one of the most common things to do when you bring your date to their doorstep,” you had to stifle a laugh at his seriousness. “Never change Spencer Reid,” you brought your thumb up to his lips, wiping off the lipstick print that was giving you butterflies the more you thought about it. You both said your goodnights, eyes lingering on him as he walked down the hall to the elevator. As you closed the door to your room, you leaned on it with red cheeks. After all these years, not only did you reunite with him but you kissed him? If only your younger self knew that this day would come, you would have joined the BAU sooner. You laughed at the thought, not knowing how simple your return would be. The first month in Quantico Virginia was amazing, working well with the team who welcomed you like you were meant to be there all along. The cherry on top was being able to go out after a long day with Spencer, either hitting restaurants he considered hidden gems or watching independent films at small cinemas. You were still on the hunt for a small apartment in the area, visiting them on weekends when you weren’t called into the office for a case. One weekend, you had unknowingly visited an apartment in the same area where Spencer lived. Only finding out when you bumped into him at a coffee shop, “Spencer? I wasn’t expecting to see you here!” you exclaimed with wide eyes, latte in hand. Now looking just as shocked as he poured an excessive amount of sugar into his cup like always. “I live in the area, well 3 blocks down to be specific” he snapped the lid back on and took a sip.

Your brows raised up even further, “wait- really? I was just looking at an apartment around here” a wide smile now on your face, this interaction starting to influence your decision making. You left the coffee shop together, hand in hand as you walked down the streets to his place. This would be the first time you visited, so you were secretly excited to see how he decided to decorate his own space, still having the image of his childhood bedroom in your mind.

Once you made your way inside, you were immediately met with the smell of old books and the cologne you noticed he wore every so often. A smile spread across your face, immediately in love with the look of his place. It was so him. You eyed the large bookshelves that decorated the wall next to a book nook window, a chess board just in front that he left mid play. “This place is amazing, are you kidding me?” You removed your sneakers, mirroring his actions, and walked in behind him. You noticed that despite the clutter of nerdy paraphernalia that adorned desks and shelves, there was a method to his madness. “It’s nothing crazy, just a place to store everything that interests me” he spoke as you continued to look around, now skimming through all the books on the tall bookcases.

“Gosh, there’s a whole part of your life I still have no idea about” you whispered to yourself, eyes still on the novels, but it was loud enough for him to hear. He cleared his throat, coffee cup still in his grasp. “Sorry, I don’t know why I said that” your words came out rushed, back continuing to face him as your fingers grazed the spines of the books. He came up behind you, feeling the ghost of his body brush up against you as he picked up a book from above your head. “You’re not wrong, but that’s why we have now to figure everything out about each other, right?” You slowly turned around from below, looking up at him now as he skimmed through the book he picked out. Still awkward around him, you hated to bring up the past that you chose. Even with you there though, he seemed entirely comfortable in his space.

“Why don’t you stay here?” The question was nonchalant, escaping his mouth as if he had asked if you wanted something to eat. You looked up at him with wide eyes, watching the way his own skimmed over the pages of the book too quickly for the average person. “You’re not serious…” your voice trailed on, expressing your disbelief. Continuing to loom over you, he put the novel back in its slot and looked down at you, puzzled. “You’re looking for a better place than your hotel room, and I have room here” he stated, clearly having reasonable arguments almost as if he thought about this before.

You searched his eyes, trying to figure out the logic behind this decision. But, you were met with nothing but loving eyes and a sure smile, heart melting at the sight. “Wouldn’t be the first time we share a room, right? Remember that one week you slept in a sleeping bag beside my bed?”He quickly straightened his stance, almost embarrassed at the memory. With a fragile touch, you placed a hand over his heart still maintaining eye contact. “It was sweet, you having my back even then,” he watched as your smile grew with rosy cheeks. Placing a hand over where your own hand laid on his chest, he bent down to peck your lips. Another soft kiss, this one tasting of sugary coffee and warm caramel. It still felt like a daydream to be able to kiss him, your free hand tugging gently at the curls on the nape of his neck as you deepened the kiss.

A small satisfied moan escaped his lips just before you released for air. “Are you extremely sure you want a girl living in your space?” You tugged at his tie, pulling him a little closer as his hands shakily found their way to your waist, almost out of disbelief at your action. Your lips met his once again, relinquishing in the fact that you could kiss him freely. A smug smile appeared on his face once you broke the kiss, “I think I can make an exception” the smirk tugging tighter, “anyone’s better than Morgan” a few chuckles left the both of you as you remained in his arms.

Time seemed to pass faster as you lived in the same space. You had lived alone for so long now, but there was something pleasant about knowing someone was waiting for you on the other side of the door. And coming home together after long cases felt so right, crashing into bed with achy bones. But, with every good thing, trouble follows. It didn’t start right away, but even Spencer was someone who lived alone for a long while before this newfound arrangement. Things constantly finding new places to reside was beginning to bug him more than he thought, and he wasn’t one to get annoyed at such little silly nuisances. But, when it was his things that began to get moved around, he’d have trouble finding it as easily as if you never moved it in the first place.

“Hey, could you come here a second?” He said from another room as you sat in the book nook, novel lying on your lap. Once you arrived, you noticed the way he stood back facing the door, looking at something on the shelf of your shared room. Hesitantly, you approached him and stood beside him, “what are we looking at?” you questioned with the tilt of your head, ponytail following the movement. “There’s something missing on my shelf here,” he paused almost as if waiting for your response. “What’s missing?” You grabbed hold of his arm, still studying the empty area on the shelf, then looking up at him beside you.

The room was quiet for a minute. Not everyone had a memory like he did, which could be frustrating at times, but he needed to remain patient. “I had a notebook here, red with a cord to bind it shut. You haven’t seen it?” Your face dropped, your hand copied the action as your grasp on his arm fell. Swallowing thickly, you walked over to the closet where a few of your boxes still resided after all this time. “It was full… so I might have stored it away to make more room for newer things… in one of these boxes” you pulled the door open to reveal numerous filled boxes. He gawked at the amount of cardboard that took up the small space, “Hotch asked me to bring it in for the case we’re currently in the middle of working on” a sigh of defeat escaping him. You crossed your arms in front of your chest, starting to feel guilty at something you should have definitely asked him about first.

You both took the time to go through multiple boxes, sitting on the floor with items sprawled around you. “Oh gosh, remember when I joined the girl scouts?” You lifted up the beige sash that was decorated with all types of badges and pins. He watched the nostalgia wash over you, the sentimental smile that spread onto your face as you placed it back into the box. It was his turn to pull something out from the cardboard, “where did you get this?” It was a baseball that was signed with someone’s number, your cheeks went red immediately. “Oh! That…” you laughed awkwardly as you went to quickly grab it from his grasp. He narrowed his eyes at your reaction, immediately backing away from your reach.

“Whose number is this?” He read it out loud, almost as if to recall your memory even though you had it memorized by heart after all these years. “Some guy in college,” you attempted to say it as casual as possible. But, you were a couple of profilers, you couldn’t get away with it that easily. You watched the expression on his face and acknowledged your defeat, “I caught it at one of the college baseball games I attended, the guy who threw the home run was cute and signed the ball for me” you kept your attention on the baseball rather than his face, “i thought it was a tacky pick up but ended up calling him” you stopped, but he detected that there was still more to the story.

He didn’t push, but he wanted you to continue despite the rumble of jealousy that he felt in his chest. He wasn’t one to get jealous, heck, he knew this was so long ago, but it was the fact that you kept it after all this time. You even brought it with you to Quantico, it must still mean something to you. “We dated three years after that first phone call” you admitted, fingers fidgeting with the edge of the cardboard box. You didn’t like to accept that there was a part of your life where you were okay not being with Spencer, a whole other life that he still had no idea about. He didn’t know how many boyfriends you had, he didn’t even know there were other men who you loved for a period of time.

“But that was so long ago,” you continued with an honest tone, “it was an amicable end, that’s why I kept the baseball” you approached him on all fours, now putting your hands into his. “It was a good time in my life, sure he made me laugh and didn’t treat me wrong in any regard” you stopped as you drew mindless circles in the palm of his hand, “but he wasn’t what I wanted… he wasn’t you” you finally looked into his eyes, his doe brown eyes that you’ve loved all your life. He pulled you in, arms hugging you tightly as the ball rolled away from where you now embraced. You welcomed the gesture, now wrapping your arms around his neck as you sunk into his warmth.

Eventually, you found his red notebook, problem officially solved. “I don’t mind if you move things around, just ask me first so I can tell you another ideal place for it” he said from in front of you, now helping you put the boxes back into the closet. As he spun around, he watched the baseball in your hand, looking at the way you seemed to be making a decision. “I think it’s time to let it go,” you gave yourself a curt nod, “I mean I already have what I finally want” you stated before leaving the room. He heard you open the garbage bin in the kitchen, the heavy ball hitting the bottom of the bag with a pang. His heart practically skipped a beat at the gesture, only now the words hitting him as he looked at the empty space in front of him where you just uttered them.

Time truly did fly faster, life felt easier alongside each other. You kept learning things about each other that you missed out on. Like how Spencer did the crossword every morning, now you sat beside each other on the couch as you filled it in together. Despite his extreme knowledge of all English words, he let you have a few go’s at some of them before he could answer them all. He got to learn about your love for knick knacks, which you have scattered around the apartment. Majority of them being souvenirs from trips you went on, or memories from college or even old friends. Each one that adorned the shelves was dear to you, and he listened to every story that came along with them.

And you kept collecting things. When a case was in a different state, before you left you would choose some cheesy fridge magnet to stick in your home. Now, you nearly had all 50 states even before a full year had passed. He supported your obsession with all things cute and little that you could collect, it was something that grounded you as you worked in such a dark environment. And every time you passed the fridge, you admired all the hard work you had gotten done with him by your side, working well in unison.

As you both continued to go into work together, spending the day with your noses in files and cracking cases, you began to realize that even work brought you closer together. You were able to see how much you both loved your jobs, Spencer always being the knowledgable one and you the one who was good at reading between the lines. You fell in love with him more every day, being able to see the little Spencer in the one who you spent every waking moment with. Who knew you would find each other again, reconnecting as if no time had passed? Starting your relationship off strong, it made sense how you found him again. Your heart brought you back to him.

spencer reid x reader

Not having seen him since high school, you were nervous once you saw his face again. I mean how could you not be when you ran at the first sight of love? now playing ‧₊˚♪𝄞࿐₊˚⊹ the bolter - taylor swift wc: 4.2k tags: fluff! angst! mentions of violence! author's note: This is the very first time I ever post a fic, so I hope you all enjoy! part 2 ───────────────୨ৎ────────────────

Getting transferred to the BAU at Quantico was a tedious task, all the moving and all the paperwork had been extremely tiring. As soon as the elevator doors shut, you released a breath you didn’t notice you had been holding. The first day is always hard, god knows you’ve had some bad first days in the past. The elevator dinged soon after, shaking you out of your thoughts, indicating you had reached the floor where the BAU is situated. Your fingers nervously picked at the edge of the box containing your belongings; little mementos from past jobs and little knick knacks to adorn your new desk. As the doors opened, you were met with a friendly face.

“Agent Prentiss, it’s great to see you again” your eyes beamed at the woman you had become familiar with in the past few weeks. She had held your interview, immediately welcoming you to the team (with Agent Hotchner’s approval of course) and informed you that you’d be starting sooner than you thought. And sooner meant moving within a week, which had been a bit of a hassle. Currently living in a hotel room until you could officially move, not the best of situations but your new salary made it a little easier. 

“Let me show you to your new desk, plus you finally get to meet the rest of the team” she ushered you through the glass doors with a smile on her face. In the past, a smile was so rare in an FBI setting, it was nice to know things would be different here. She pointed to the empty desk and you both walked over, finally putting down your box to which she eyed with a strange expression. “Oh… just my good luck charms” you waved it off sheepishly.

A few people gathered around your newly claimed desk, now welcoming you with smiles and handshakes. “It’s nice to meet you all, I look forward to working with you” you offered a warming smile in return. A moment later, a lanky male began to walk your way, nose buried in a case file. 

“Did you guys read the newest case? These files seemed to be outdated for the killings to be this recent-“ he finally looked up to notice the circle around a desk he thought had always been empty. Then his eyes wandered up to the unfamiliar face. But, there was something about your eyes that reminded him of someone…

“Spencer Reid?” Your eyes widened, fingers now frozen from their fidgeting with the cardboard. He stood there awkwardly, the team’s eyes darting back and forth between the two of you. “I- Uh…” He cleared his throat, ears now a shade of pink at his lack of words. 

Your smile was from ear to ear, clearly amused at his reaction. “Gosh, how many years has it been?” You still had that gentle tone when it came to him, sweet unlike how the other kids used to treat him. He eyed your appearance, noticing how your freckles grew darker—probably due to taking more sun—and how your hair framed your face, no longer always in a ponytail. He hadn’t realized a silence had fallen over the group due to his lack of speech. He cleared his throat once again, hoping he didn’t appear meek once he spoke out.

“H-how have you been?” He stuttered, internally cursing at himself for his lack of composure. With a tilt of your head, your smile grew wider, now reaching your eyes. “I’ve been really good, it’s crazy to see you here of all places. I had no idea you worked at Quantico.” He gave you a tight lipped smile, clearly nervous to speak and fumble once more.

“I used to go to high school with Spencer,” you continued before he could try to answer, clearing the situation up for the team who continued to stand there slightly confused. A few ah’s and oh’s were heard amongst the group, a few more glances exchanged as well. Penelope was stifling her giggles, clearly amused by the entire interaction.

As the team walked away after welcoming you once more, Morgan began to tease Spencer—Penelope included—and you observed Spencer’s face, remembering back to the kid who wore thick framed glasses. Occasionally they’d break, bullies use to harass the poor kid, smashing his glasses during lunch or after school just because he was the smartest in the grade. A silent huff left you, remembering back to those days, but you were happy that Spencer seemed to have a place here at the BAU with the rest of the team. 

Prentiss let you know there would be a roundtable meeting in 15 due to a new case, to which you acknowledged with a nod. She gave you another warm smile, “I’ve never seen Reid like that, must have been one hell of a kid back then, huh?” Looking away sheepishly, a shy smile spread across your face. “Something like that…” you trailed off, slightly embarrassed to indulge more information. With the click of her heels, she walked back to her own desk but not before giving you a friendly wink. 

Hoping this whole ordeal didn’t make it easier for them to profile you, you gave another glance in Spencer’s direction. He had stuck his nose back into the case file from earlier, clearly trying to do his homework before the meeting. He seemed to not have changed much, still entirely engaged in learning. But physically was another story. Clearly taller than you now, you noticed the way he kept his hair grown out, probably out of habit. But even the way he comported himself, there was a difference in confidence to the young boy who would be scared to walk home from school alone to this highly intelligent man who was a needed resource in his facility. Something about it was attractive, or maybe it was the way he dressed. The converse sneakers hadn’t changed either, but the sweater vests were doing it for you, indicating he was highly sophisticated just like his profession. He still had this nerdy look to him that he seemed to not have grown out of but there was something about it that drew you in, you couldn’t put your finger on it.

You shook your head before going further, looking down at your desk with hot cheeks. You couldn’t profile Spencer. Especially not on your first day, especially not before you’ve had a chance to get to know the grown up version of him. Giving yourself a curt nod, you snapped back into reality and you grabbed your notebook and a pen, making your way to the meeting room Prentiss had pointed out earlier as she walked you to your desk. Deciding to stand, especially not knowing if there’s some type of preferential seating, you clicked your pen anxiously while waiting for everyone to make their way into the room. 

JJ now stood in front of the screen, giving you another welcoming smile to which you returned. “Don’t be nervous, you’ll fit right in with the rest of us” she began, the room still empty. “Especially with you knowing Reid, and I have a feeling you’ll get along great with Morgan and Garcia too” you gave her a small nod, the smile returning to your lips. “Yeah… I never expected to see him again” you paused, finally removing your finger off the pen from its continuous clicking. “After high school, I moved out of Las Vegas and that was that, I said goodbye to everyone and I was off to college” you averted your eyes, not entirely sure why you were sharing. Somehow, you felt as though the story was obvious enough, something cut the cord that tethered you and Spencer together and that happened to be pursuing education. You had always thought it would be him to leave you first, to figure out that the town was too small for him to grow, especially with his extreme intelligence. But you needed to leave, and you didn’t feel as though anything was tying you down, even if you were hoping for something to. The room fell silent, but the look on JJ’s face was one of sympathy and sincerity. Without any indication, you accepted the understanding disguised as silence just before the rest of the team shuffled into the room, making their way into the chairs that surrounded the table.

“This case had to be dug up from past files, the murders starting all the way back in 1996” JJ began to explain the case, images being displayed on the projector of the multiple bodies attached to the homicide. “The killings stopped in 1997, and the recent killings in Miami appear to have the exact same MO and the same signature is being left just like in 97” the new bodies now being displayed on the screen, lipstick being used to draw a target on the victims foreheads then the same shade of lipstick on their lips despite all being men. “Remind me never to use that color again” Penelope spoke up, wincing at the images on the screen. “And how do we know it’s the same UnSub? Any copycat can use a specific shade of lipstick if they knew about the past murders?” Emily questioned, eyes now focused on JJ rather than the bodies still being projected. You wrote down a few points the team have already made, anything that could be of use when trying to solve this case. 

“Other than it being the exact same shade, the method of the kill is exactly the same as the ones in the past. All the new victims have been bled dry, embalmed even,” JJ shifted through multiple photos, showing close ups of the bullet’s entry point, and even the techniques used when embalming cadavers. “The UnSub likely works or worked as a mortician, or at least knows the practice. The target with lipstick follows a bullet to the forehead, done post mortem. All these point to the method of the previous victims.” You kept your focus on the images, trying to see if you could point out a distinct difference between the past murders and the fresh ones, but your thought process is cut short when the screen turned off and the members of the team begin to gather their files and notes.

“Wheels up in 20,” Hotchner said before leaving the meeting room. Your eyes meet Spencer’s as he walked towards you, hands firmly wrapped around the strap of his messenger bag. “Come, I’ll bring you to the plane” he nodded his head toward the exit of the room, eyeing the open notebook in your hands. Quickly, you shut it—a little nervous your points might be inconclusive—and gave him a shy smile.

Once you got to the plane, you sat next to the window, Spencer sitting in front of you. You swallowed thickly, a little nervous to stay continuously around him, already anxious about this first case. Derek sat beside you, giving you a smirk once he sat comfortably. “So, we’re all waiting to hear what Reid was like in high school” he cut the silence. Your eyes trailed from him to the rest of the team, all waiting to hear intently, even Hotchner was curious now looking up from the file in his hands.

“Uhm,” you cleared your throat then shifted your gaze to Spencer across from where you sat. Cheeks a little rosy, he fidgeted with his fingers as he suddenly looked away from the rest of you. “Well, we met during freshman year, both of us in the same homeroom” you began, eyes shifting between everyone with a shy smile on your face. “He was always answering every single question, clearly too smart to only be in the ninth grade but he fit the typical freshman look. Scrawny, short and a baby face,” Derek let out a chuckle which surprised you. “Sounds like our boy,” Emily chimed in, a smile on her own face. 

You let out a small laugh, “Well he definitely grew since last I saw him” you glanced his way once more. His eyes finally met yours, now you’re the one to look away first. “I wasn’t that short,” he huffed, finally chiming in, now looking at the team. The plane ride was full of gathering information to create a preliminary profile, using the clues that were from the past homicides and what you had so far from the recent ones. 

Once the plane landed, you stepped out and welcomed the hot air of Miami, Florida. Getting acquainted with the Miami police was the first step to the case, the chief of police giving your team the space to work and access to the past files. As you sat at the round table of the precinct, you and Spencer were skimming through pages trying to find anything to add to the profile. This time, he was the first to break the silence, “It says here that the second victim from 1996 was found in a specific part of the woods that is commonly used during hunting season, which would make sense of the drawn target on their foreheads but I can’t seem to understand what would drive the UnSub to murder these specific victims.”

You looked up from the file of the fourth victim, eyes meeting Spencers as you tried to make some sense of what he just said. Your fingers tapped at the wooden table in a rhythm, gears turning in your mind as you continued to stare right at him. He cleared his throat, now wondering if you even heard what he had said in the first place. “All the victims have been male correct?” You finally spoke up, eyes squinting as your mind continued to turn your analysis into words. His mouth opens to speak, but you interrupt him before he can, “Well we can’t rule out that this could be the work of a woman, lipstick can often be depicted as a sign of womanhood, but if our UnSub had some sort of stressor in her life before reaching this crucial change from childhood to becoming a woman, she could be using that anger to relive her own trauma” your fingers finally stop tapping the wood, signs all aligning. There’s a pause of silence as the two of you continued to stare at each other. He cleared his throat, quickly looking away from your intense gaze. “Sorry, I’ve just never seen you in action before” there’s a subtle smile on his face as he spoke. You felt your cheeks warm, “oh uhm” you were speechless. What do you say to a compliment given to you by someone you haven’t spoken to in years? The awkwardness is interrupted by the sound of JJ’s heels walking into the meeting room. “Any updates on the profile? I have to set up a press conference as soon as possible to alert the media of the recent homicides” you both spun your heads to look in her direction, almost as if you had gotten caught doing something you shouldn’t have been. She narrowed her eyes, darting between the two of you.

“How’s the profile coming?” There was a teasing tone in her voice, but still trying to remain professional. You looked down to the files in front of you, the table filled with papers and images resembling your own scattered mind. “Actually, she deduced that the UnSub might be female” JJ turned her head towards you, waiting to hear the reason for this claim. “Well, my first thought was to reason the signature being lipstick. I remember being a pre-teen and being excited to start wearing make up and such, so I thought about the fact that some girls get ripped of that journey to womanhood. If there was some kind of stressor between the period of early adolescents, maybe this could be the reason for these homicides” you fidgeted with your fingers as you explained your logic. She gave you a curt nod, “Good work so far you guys, i’ll be away for a few hours to make some calls to arrange the conference.”

As her heels clicked away, the room filled with silence once more. You couldn’t tell if that awkwardness continued to linger as your eyes skimmed over the files again, nothing actually entering your mind with Spencer across from you. Looking up as subtle as possible, your eyes began to roam his face. There was a softness in his expression that seemed to never leave, even in the current environment. His eyes flickered rapidly through the words, reading as quickly as he used to read your english class novels. His brows furrowed as he focused on the contents of the text, tongue darting out to wet his lips, now fully in concentration mode. You had to stifle a laugh, needing to focus on your own files, but you couldn’t help but notice he truly hadn’t changed much since high school. His face got more mature sure, and his doe eyes were even more enticing… and your eyes couldn’t help but wander to his lips. 

You gulped, eyes quickly darting back to the text in the file. Suddenly, you decided to sit up straighter, startling Spencer in the process. “Sorry…” you paused awkwardly, “…back problems.” His breath hitched, clearing his throat then dove his nose straight back to one of the files. But you could still see a hint of red peeking through the collar of his shirt, the heat rushing from his neck to his face ever so lightly. 

Attempting to focus back on the files, Spencer dropped the one in his hands to the table. “Can I ask you something?” He said rather abruptly, your eyes immediately met his flushed face. “Sure,” you mirrored his actions, albeit with shaky hands. “Why’d you leave?” His voice was unassertive, not demanding an answer but hoping for one nonetheless. Eyes wide, you opened your mouth to immediately respond but were met with no words. You winced at your own ridiculousness, why wouldn’t he ask you that question after all this time? You couldn’t help but hope you had swept this under the rug many years ago. He knew you hated confrontation, that much hadn’t changed. “Spence,” you finally uttered a word, his name coming out of your mouth softly.  You averted your eyes, embarrassed at your own answer, “I thought you were going to leave me first” you admitted. The silence was dreadful, the clock ticking in the background making your mind spin.

“Why would you think that?” He finally asked after a moment of quiet. Another beat passes, the clock still ticking. “Because there were bigger opportunities waiting for you…” your voice came out just above a whisper. You could feel his eyes on you, almost boring into your face as you continued to focus on anything but him. “And I knew I wasn’t one of them” teary-eyed, you finally made eye contact. He watched the way your eyes glistened, tears threatening to fall as he goes mute. He understood what you meant, he knew you were far from wrong. But, that didn’t stop the hurt your leaving abruptly did to him, fresh out of high school, that very summer you were already gone god knows where. 

“I wouldn’t have left without you,” Spencer’s voice came out just as gentle as yours. As you sat on opposite ends of the table, your eyes darted from him to his open hands that laid on the mahogany. “I didn’t want to make you wait,” you brought your hand to wipe the tears rimming your eyes. “But I did wait” he said quickly, “you have no idea how long I waited to hear from you, either you coming back to town or through a phone call” he swallowed thickly, retelling the sensitive story of his want for you to reappear in his life. “But I lost hope, I knew after a while I had to let go of the idea that you would ever reach out” he shrunk into his seat, licking his lips out of a nervous habit. You sat there with your head in your hands, heart beating and head pounding. How could you be so selfish? Had you been that blind to Spencer’s feelings about your friendship, had he really cared about you that much? But you knew in your heart you wanted more, you did back then and now when you looked at him it’s all you could think about. With a lump in your throat, you looked up through the hair in front of your eyes. “Spencer, I couldn’t stay because I was in love with you” you managed to get out in one fell swoop. If you thought the silence was awkward before, imagine how uncomfortable the room felt now. Heat rushing through your entire body, you began to ramble “I had to leave, I knew you hadn’t felt the same and even if you did, I couldn’t hold you back from what I knew you could accomplish” you paused to take a singular breath, “and now you’re here. Who knew I would run into you again? I certainly never planned to, I was too ashamed to ever face you again after leaving.” As the silence grew longer, you hesitantly focused your eyes on his face. You couldn’t read his expression, almost as if he’s still trying to piece everything together in his mind. “So you left… without telling me? What if I had felt the same?” His voice was so delicate, almost holding back something he had been wanting to say. You crossed your arms in front of your chest, defensive with your response, “I knew you didn’t feel the same.” You swallowed thickly, the lump in your throat making it hard to continue speaking. But you persisted, if you were about to be in the same unit as him for who knows how long, you had to get past this. “So I left before I could get hurt, and I’m sorry I hurt you in the process” you bit at your lip anxiously. The silence was eating at you, but eventually he sat up. He opened his mouth to speak, hesitating at first. “I did though,” he paused at the sight of your widened eyes. You were quick to narrow them, almost as if you hadn’t wanted to get your hopes up. “I was in love with you too, and you leaving? It killed me, killed me even more when I realized you weren’t coming back for me,” he stood up now, coming straight towards you and and sat in the chair beside you. He slowly offered you a hand, “but that’s in the past right?” He watched the way your expression fell at his words, the frown prominent on your face. 

Averting your eyes, hand now in his, you shook your head as if to say ‘it never left’. His eyes softened at the action, “gosh I feel like I’m back in high school right now” he said gently, a soft scoff escaping him. “Remember the dance in our sophomore year? you were the only girl that would dance with me,” you finally turned your head to face him, reading his expression. “How could you not know I was in love with you?” His voice tender, eyes full of love. You gulped at the sight of him, his own eyes glistening slightly as he looked at you. “I was so mad when you left, I genuinely felt lost” he began again, eyes never leaving yours, “but now that we’re here… we have a second chance, right?” His hands enveloped yours radiating the warmth from his body.  You felt as though you were dreaming, after all these years being in the same room as Spencer Reid, and he was confessing to you? You stopped yourself from shaking your head, you knew you weren’t dreaming this time. As you sat in front of him, you realized that not only had he changed physically, even mentally smarter than that boy all those years ago, but his personality had changed as well. Senior year Spencer would have never confessed to you like this, holding your hand through this emotional moment with his eyes on you. Hell, he probably was too scared to screw up your friendship to even dare and confess. Maybe this second chance was what you both needed. “So, what does this mean?” Your voice slightly raspy due to you withholding tears for so long. “Well, we’ve got a case to solve first” he began, his hands never leaving yours. “Then maybe we could talk about it over dinner?” He hesitated slightly, still nervous to ask you out despite the mutual feelings that continued to linger after all these years. 

“I’d love that,” the smile returned to your face, heart racing for all the right reasons. He let go of your hands, and scooted the chair closer to you. File now in his grasp, he hands you another and you got right back to work, serious faces on as you continued to study the case. The tension in the room was finally gone, now filled with questions and comments on certain victimology patterns and other notes to add to the profile.