Spencer Reid x BAU ! reader
Youāve always cared for Spencer Reid, but the words never seemed to come out right. When he starts closing himself off, you realize heās been hiding more than just the stress of work, heās been hiding from you.
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Youād known Spencer for years. Not just as your teammate at the BAU, not just as the genius who could memorize every statistic known to man, but as Spencer, the quiet, brilliant, infuriatingly awkward boy who somehow managed to make your chest tighten whenever he laughed. Youād cared for him from the very beginning, though you werenāt sure heād ever noticed.
Lately, though, something had changed. He was quieter than usual. More withdrawn. The way he used to chatter about his obsessionsāastronomy, classical music, random historical factsāhad dwindled to curt nods and distracted murmurs. You tried to ignore it, telling yourself he was under stress from cases, but a small voice in your chest whispered otherwise.
Tonight, you found him in the lab, alone, hunched over a stack of case files. The overhead light cast harsh shadows on his sharp features, making his dark circles look deeper than usual. You hesitated, unsure whether to interrupt him or give him space.
āYou okay?ā you finally asked, sliding into the chair across from him.
He looked up, startled, and blinked at you. āIā¦ Iām fine,ā he said, but you didnāt believe him.
āSpenceā¦ā you murmured, leaning forward. āYouāre not fine. Somethingās wrong. Youāve beenā¦ distant.ā
He shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting to the papers in front of him, then back to yours. āItās nothing,ā he said finally, voice tight. āJustā¦ a lot on my mind.ā
You sighed. āYouāve always done this. You hide things, you isolate yourself, and you expect everyone else to justā¦ understand.ā Your voice softened. āBut I donāt just want to understand, Spencer. I want to help. You canāt shut me out like this.ā
For a long moment, he said nothing. You watched as the tension in his shoulders eased slightly, and finally, he spoke. āIām scared,ā he admitted, almost in a whisper. āScared ofā¦ messing things up. Scared of losing the people I care about.ā
āYou wonāt lose me,ā you said firmly. āIāve cared about you for years, Spencer. Thatās not going to change because youāre scared.ā
His lips pressed into a thin line, and for the first time in days, he looked at you like you were the only person in the room. āIāveā¦ Iāve been hiding from more than just stress,ā he confessed. āIāve been hiding from you. I didnāt want you to see meā¦ like this. Vulnerable. Afraid. Maybe broken.ā
A pang hit your chest. āSpence,ā you said softly, reaching across the table to cover his hand with yours. āYou donāt have to hide from me. Not ever. I donāt care if youāre scared or broken. I care about youāall of you.ā
His eyes glistened, and he finally gave a small, almost shy smile. āYouā¦ really mean that?ā
āI do,ā you said, and when he didnāt respond right away, you leaned closer. āSpencer, Iāve always cared about you. Iāve justā¦ never been able to find the right words.ā
He swallowed, taking your hand in both of his. āI thinkā¦ I think Iāve been waiting for someone to say that. And now that you haveā¦ I donāt want to hide anymore.ā
You smiled, letting the tension drain from your chest. āThen donāt. Not from me. Not ever.ā
For the first time in a long while, the quiet genius sitting before you didnāt seem so unreachable. The weight of unspoken words lifted, replaced by something tentative, fragile, and promisingāa connection that had been there all along, waiting for the courage to be acknowledged.
And in that moment, you knew that no matter how many cases came, no matter how much chaos the world threw at the BAU, you and Spencer Reid would face it together, no longer hiding, no longer afraid.
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