#bau-tiful

[pagetbrewsterfansite]

How can people talk about Criminal Minds friendships & soul mates & NOT mention or show the BEST one on the whole show . . . . .

#paget brewster #criminal minds #emily prentiss #perfection #favourite #bau-tiful #wheels up #quotes #incredibly beautiful #insanely talented #hilarious #joe mantegna #david rossi

[stupiidgood]

Shawn can’t stop being a br.at for even 10 seconds

Incorrect Quotes Generator || feat. Aaron Hotchner @theseourbodiesrp

#theseourbodiesrp #tag tbd #🍍 looking for some hotch stuff (shawn and hotch) #🍍 bau tiful (aaron hotchner)

[wispystar]

☁︎·̩͙✧

spencer reid . iv

✦ = finished | ✧ = not finished

Feel free to recommend me some more fics! If there is any author that doesn’t want their work on here pls let me know and I’ll remove it. Series are at the bottom. Be warned for spoilers. I will not be adding spoiler warnings so tread lightly. please lmk if links arent working

back to <- spencer reid . iii

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Bets by @eideticreid

genre: fluff, fem reader, bau reader | summary: You and Spencer have managed to keep your relationship a secret from the BAU, but who wins the bets when the team finally realise your secret?

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books and bruises by @recollins

genre: fluff, slight angst, fem reader, established relationship | summary: reid has a secret girlfriend that the team doesnt know about then something happens to spencer and the team meets her by chance and everyone is surprised and start piecing together why reid declined to go out all those times and stuff

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Bonding by @fandom-monium

genre: fluff, slight angst, gn reader, bau reader | summary: In which you suddenly transfer into the BAU, and Spencer is too socially awkward. (alternatively, the failed attempts Spencer makes trying to connect with you.) “You’ve been profiling me, Doc?”

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Caught by @a-bau-tiful-mind

genre: fluff, fem reader, established relationship | summary: Spencer has a girlfriend and the team doesn’t know about her until they catch him kissing her.

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Crashing by @writersblockedx

genre: fluff, fem reader, established relationship | summary: It just so happens that girl’s night is taking place at Y/n and Spencer’s favourite restaurant.

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Complimentary Colors by @street-smarts00

genre: fluff, slight angst, fem reader, bau reader | summary: After recently joining the team, you and Spencer could never get along. What started off as you two ignoring each other turned into bickering at work. What happens when a stressful moment for you turns into an opportunity to get to know this fascinating coworker of yours?

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"Didn't Know" by @reidsaurora

genre: fluff, fem reader, bau reader | summary: Y/N doesn't even realize that she's been cranky, gaining weight, and extremely picky with what she eats. On the contrary, Spencer does notice, and knows exactly why she's been acting this way.

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Don't Go to See Her by @aperrywilliams

genre: slight angst, fluff, fem reader, bau reader | summary: After the team saved Austin, the signs point that she and Spencer are romantically involved. Reader is not amused by the idea. Are her suspicions correct?

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Enough is Enough by @curlswithcreativity

genre: fluff, fem reader, bau reader | summary: Y/N is tired of waiting for Spencer to ask her out… so it’s time to take matters into her own hands

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Falling For you. by @boldlyvoid

genre: fluff, fem reader, bau reader | summary: spencer reid x BAU!reader but they’re in a secret relationship, and basically she gets him to watch all these romcoms, so when he makes a reference to something like Notting Hill or You’ve Got Mail and then the whole secret is blown.

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Forgetmenot by @thepsychewrites

genre: angst, fluff, gn reader, bau reader | summary: You and Spencer are feeling the aftermath of the biggest fight you have ever gotten in, one that was fueled by Emily’s return, both in life and to the BAU. Will he be able to save your friendship? More importantly, is he finally ready to confess the one lie he has kept from you? 

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hate by @hercleverboy

genre: slight angst, fluff, fem reader, bau reader | summary: #36 ↠ “Do you trust me?” “No.” #41 ↠ “You say you hate him but your red face is telling me otherwise.”

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honey and glass . ii by @sarcasmandships

genre: angst, fluff, gn reader, fbi reader | summary: i am in love with spencer reid but he only has eyes for jennifer jareau

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In Another Life . ii by @ssimagines

genre: angst, slight fluff, fem reader | summary: You and Spencer have been together for nearly a year. In a surprising turn of events, you find yourself looking for a way out.

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Lunch Meetings by @spookydrreid

genre: fluff, fem reader, established relationship | summary: surprising reid at work and meeting the team

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I love you, please don't break my heart by @unholyobsessions

genre: fluff, fem reader | summary: Falling in love is stupid, or it was until you met him.

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Maroon . ii by @wtfevenismypage

genre: fluff, fem reader, bau reader | summary: you're all at Rossi's mansion for the weekend for poker, pasta and cigars. Spence is getting Rossi's place ready with him, and the guys and won't shut up about how much he fancies you, and the guys all encourage him to tell you and you're at Emily's with the girls getting in the car for the weekend. They know how you feel about him, and how he feels about you. One evening, you're all super drunk and Spence blurts out his feelings for you.

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Not Your Backup by @imagining-in-the-margins

genre: fluff, angst, femr eader | summary: Following JJ’s confession, Spencer and JJ argue about her unwarranted jealousy of his girlfriend.

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Reunited by @angelbaugh-writes

genre: angst, fluff, gn reader, bau reader | summary: coming back to the team after your breakup with spence

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Sundays by @definitelynotkatesblog

genre: angst, fem reader | summary: Reader helps Spencer grieve the loss of a loved one, and loses parts of herself in the process.

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secret by @avenging-fandoms

genre: fluff, fem reader, bau reader | summary: having a secret relationship with reid bc y'all are both working in the same field

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Spencer's Secret by @thatgirlstrawberry

genre: fluff, fem reader, established relationship | summary: In which Spencer doesn't answer his phone and the team goes to check on him and an unfamiliar person answers the door

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too little too late . ii by @multiharlot

genre: angst, fluff, fem reader | summary: spencer and y/n have been together for about eight months and she’s beginning to pick up on some things she wish she could remain oblivious to.

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The Next Three Years by @think-blot

genre: fluff, fem reader, established relationship | summary: The past three years of your life were the best they could possibly be all because of Spencer Reid. You wish you could take the next step but his job keeps him from making it. Then he comes back from a case, ready for you to finally meet the team, and you’re none the wiser to what he has planned. 

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Third by @mindfullycriminal

genre: angst, fem reader, bau reader, established relationship | summary: A bombing suspect causes Spencer to react without using logic, and you’re forced to accept your place in his life.

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touches . ii by @lipstickstainz

genre: fluff, angst, gn reader, bau reader | summary: Spencer doesn’t like to be touched. But what happens, when he gets comfortable around you? | tw/warnings: normal crimi violence, gun, blood, injury

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too late . ii by @reidamancy

genre: angst, fluff, fem reader | summary: Spencer and you never got closure after you broke up. But hidden feelings and confessions reveal themselves when you’ve been abducted. Now Spencer is forced to analyze a voicemail you left for him to try and save you before it’s too late. | tw/warnings: detailed descriptions of kidnapping , knife and gun usage, slight mentions of blood and drugs

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Unrequited . ii by @cacoetheswriting

genre: angst, fluff, fem reader, bau reader | summary: feelings are shared in a stressful moment | tw/warnings: normal criminal minds violence, reader being held at g"npoint

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Wallpaper by @httpnxtt

genre: fluff, gn reader (derek calls reader princess once), bau reader | summary: reader is determined to make spencer smile even if it means changing his wallpaper to see his smile for a second.

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soulmates by @sometimesiwritebadly

genre: fluff, angst, fem reader, soulmates au, established relationship | summary: You and Spencer live in a world where soulmates can read each other’s minds. | notes: this can be read as a series or individual fics

—-

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#♡ — fics #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid angst #spencer reid fluff #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds fluff #criminal minds angst #spencer reid fic #spencer reid imagine

[reiderwriter]

Hello!I hope you are having a great day!I always love reading the fics that you repost (obviously the ones that you post too) so I would like to ask if it's possible that you recommend me some fics spencer reid x reader and the reader is hotch's daughter?Thank you in advance!!❤️❤️

Hi! Sorry it took me so long to get to this, and I'm sure this list isn't going to be extensive as I'm not great at fic recs, but I dis get some help from the lovely @dreatine and @imagining-in-the-margins so please send thanks both their ways as well! 💕

SFW:

Father Figure by @/imagining-in-the-margins

Hotch's Daughter by @pinkcoffeecup

Request by @radiant-reid

Kick Me by @imaginesfor-thesoul

When Dad Isn't Home by @a-bau-tiful-mind

NSFW: (under the cut, minors dni)

Who's Your Daddy? by @gubler-me-up

Kept Secrets by @speedreiding

My Boss's Daughter by @/imagining-in-the-margins

The One Thing You Can't Have by me!!

I hope these requests aren't too late and are what you were looking for!

#reiderreplies #fic recommendation #reiderslibrary

[a-bau-tiful-mind]

She Has a Tell - Criminal Minds Drabble (Spoilers for 14x15!)

Nothing cures writers block and raises dead writers like stressful season finales!  

Here’s how I’d go about the end of “Truth or Dare”. Really quick drabble! Hope you enjoy it! Unbeta’d! 

This is how I’d write the episode if I had to keep the clickbait-y, cliff-hanger scene in while keeping my ideals for the characters.

“Last chance. Something you’d never say aloud, not even to your partner here. Your deepest, darkest secret. Impress me or I kill him.” Casey said, waving the gun at both JJ and Reid.

“Okay, okay,” the blonde complied, the inner turmoil apparent on her face. Her two throwaway confessions didn’t phase the unsub. She knew what she could say, but if she were to make it believable enough for the killer she knew she’d be breaking Spence’s heart.

“Come on!”

Just as she turned to stare into the eyes of her best friend, accepting that she may have to hurt him in a way she swore she never would, she recalled a recent memory.

I know the lady’s bluffing because she has a tell.

That was it, Jennifer concluded. Before the crazed man could catch on and pull the trigger, JJ stuck out her bottom lip and blew her breath upwards to cool her perspiring face, “Spence, um,” she stuttered and shifted her eyes around hoping the killer would chalk it up to nerves about her deep confession, but as the subtle look of realization dawned on Spencer’s face, she knew she could continue, “I’ve always loved you.” Despite knowing Spencer was aware she was being untruthful, the hopeful look he played up tugged at her heart. She thought back to the young man that asked her to that football game all those years ago, when the hope was palpable and not just some facade for a crazed unsub trying to prove that everyone was as guilty as he was. “And I was just too scared to say it before and now things are just really too complicated to say it now. I’m sorry, but you should know.”

“Hot damn, that’s what I’m talking about! Now those are some last words right there. But not good enough to save your life!” Casey said pointing the barrel at JJ, not getting to pull the trigger before being gunned down by Reid. JJ’s heart rate began slowing down as Spencer freed her from the duct tape.

Before they could say a word to each other, the team rushed in with the other authorities, and the two agents were rushed to be examined by medics outside of the shop. As the EMT finished up dressing Spencer’s hand wound, JJ concluded her conversation with Rossi and walked over, “Luke was right. Two guns.” JJ commented, impressed with both his acting and gunman skills.

“And?” Reid smirked, waiting for her final admission for the night. 

“You were right,” she admitted reluctantly, “I may have a tell or two.”

“Quite a few, actually,” Spencer quipped back lightheartedly. “Don’t worry, though, they came in handy.”

“Like that ankle holster! Since when did you become 007?” She joked back as they walked to the car.

“Classified.” He smiled, opening the passenger door for her.

#Criminal Minds #criminal minds angst #Criminal Minds Fanfiction #criminal minds fanfic #spencer reid #dr spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid angst #jj jareau #jeid #criminal minds imagine #spencer reid imagine #requests are open #a-bau-tiful-mind #FRIENDSHIP MATTERS YALL

[liar-or-lawyer]

BAU-TIFUL

#edits #cmedit #cmladies #cmcast #cm icons #cm #criminal minds edits #criminal #criminal minds #dr spencer reid #Spencer reid #emily prentiss #jennifer jereau #jj #Penelope Garcia #derek morgan #david rossi #Jason david #elle greenaway #aaron hotchner

[thedumpsterqueen]

Standards of Performance, Chapter 6: Buckshot and Tequila

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

AO3 Link

Finally, I write most of the chapter before the day I’m supposed to post it. This was mostly done on my laptop (which I’m not used to) as we just moved and my PC is barely set up, so forgive anything that looks weird or wonky. As always, I hope you enjoy. I love getting all your kind messages <3 (Also message me if you want to be on the taglist - I suppose I should be better about that!)

Summary:  You’re the BAU’s newest intern, desperate to prove yourself amongst an established team of much more experienced profilers. Agent Hotchner, the seemingly infallible team leader, sets strict expectations for your performance. He commands your respect without even trying, but is there something more to your relationship than a simple desire to impress your stony-faced boss?

Chapter: 6, Buckshot and Tequila

Chapter Summary: Events during a new case test your ability to keep your feelings hidden, and a night out takes an unforeseen turn. 

Words: 3736

Rating: Explicit, 18+. Warnings on AO3.

Pairings: Hotch x Reader, Hotch x You

Turns out, lying to Hotch was easier than you thought.

It helped that you were lying to yourself too, of course - that you pretended your gaze didn't linger on his form whenever he was in your vicinity, that the swell of pride in your chest when he agreed with something you said was purely professional. There were times, though, that the facade was much harder to maintain. The most recent case had been one of those times.

You had been tracking down an unsub abducting children in a rural Iowa town. Three kids had gone missing in the span of two weeks, and after Garcia matched the victimology and MO with neighboring states, it looked to be close to a dozen in the years before that. The case started off rough enough - locals refused to believe it could be one of their own, police resisted the BAU’s guidance, the usual - but it came to a head when a fourth child went missing during the investigation.

Thankfully, the team figured out the identity of the unsub relatively quickly. Reid did a geographical profile of all the locations where victims were taken and found a public health clinic that had branches in each area. Garcia cross-checked the employee records to find that only one doctor had done travel shifts at each clinic during the time the children were taken, and within minutes, you were rushing to his address.

The SUV carrying Hotch, Rossi, and Prentiss arrived long enough before yours that by the time you pulled up, they were already kicking down the door and entering the home. The first thing you heard after you flung the car door open was the deafening crack of a weapon firing, and despite your lack of training with firearms, it was apparent that it was not an FBI-issue pistol.

You would never describe yourself as fragile - you couldn't be, not in this line of work. But when you registered the implications of that sound, your knees buckled, instantly bringing you down onto the dusty ground outside the farmhouse. The rest of the team sprinted in, guns drawn. You faintly registered Prentiss yelling inside, then more gunshots, but your head was ringing so loudly from the visceral panic that you couldn’t make out anything specific.

When Hotch burst back out onto the porch, you thought you might honestly sob with relief. That is, until you caught the glint of the sun in the slick, dark blood dripping down the sleeve of his suit.

That was when you puked.

Something about the sight of Aaron Hotchner bleeding felt so wrong that even as you struggled to your feet and stepped over the pile of sick you left in the dirt, even as you got closer and saw the rivulets of blood drip down to his fingertips and dot the wooden floors of the porch, you felt like you were in a dream. Your mind couldn’t grasp the sudden shock of his mortality, that he could bleed, that he could die, even, and he very well might, depending on what vessels were hit. You made it up the steps, only managing to call out his name - his first name - your throat still burning from bile. Despite the chaos of the current moment, he still whipped his head around at the sound of that, as if hearing the name Aaron desperately falling from your lips was more attention-grabbing than the rest of the team gathering around him trying to stem the bleeding.

“It looks worse than it is,” said Rossi, peering through the holes in Hotch’s mangled sleeve. “It was just buckshot, and he barely hit you. Nothing a few stitches won’t fix.”

He turned out to be right, thank god, and later that afternoon, Hotch was freshly bandaged and sitting across from you on the return flight to Quantico.

So, yeah, the “lying to yourself” thing wasn’t going so well at that moment. Hotch was absorbed in paperwork while the rest of the team napped - because of course he was; even being shot didn’t sway his apparently relentless refusal to relax - and each time he winced at the movement of his arm, your vice grip around your chest tightened a little more.

He must have sensed you staring, because he looked up, frown softening slightly as he saw the concern on your face.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine,” he assured you with a half smile.

Teetering on an emotional precipice, too scared to respond for fear of falling over the edge, you went back to your reading. After a few minutes of listening to him write while not turning a single page in your book, he set his pen down and took a breath.

“You were screaming my name,” he said, quietly, despite you two being the only ones awake.

“What?”

“Earlier,” he clarified, “when we went into the house. I could hear you outside, yelling my name.”

You looked at him, incredulous. “Of course I did. I heard the shotgun go off. Clearly,” you gestured at his arm, “I had a reason to be worried.”

He shook his head and cleared his throat, as if you didn’t understand the question. “Dave and Emily were with me. Any of us could have gotten hit. You only yelled for me.”

Oh.

You shrugged. “You’re the team leader. It’s my instinct to call for you when something goes wrong."

It was a lie, and a bad one at that, but Hotch gave you an unreadable look and let the subject drop.

The rest of the flight was uneventful, and when you finally made it back to your apartment, you had no plans other than to sleep off the stress of the case and the embarrassment of Hotch calling your actions into question. Garcia, however, wasn't about to let that happen.

BAU-tiful People Group Chat

Garcia: *added You to the conversation*

Garcia: Ok, my lovely children, I know you’re all tired, but I miss your faces, so I’ll see u at Whimsy tonight at 9! Notice I didn’t use a question mark bc it is NOT a question!

You knew from overhearing the team talk that Whimsy was a bar downtown they liked to frequent, but you’d never been invited before. Despite your overwhelming exhaustion, the idea of going out with the team, of finally feeling accepted by them, was enough to make you amenable to the concept. It may have seemed insignificant on the surface, but Garcia adding you to their group chat was the biggest welcome gesture you’d received yet.

Morgan: Only if you wear that dress you know I like ;)

You lived for the day they would realize they were actually flirting with each other instead of just pretending to.

Prentiss: Garcia… you’re killing me… but you know I’ll be there.

JJ: Contacting the babysitter as we speak.

Morgan: Fuck yeah!!! Pretty Boy, you in?

Reid: Can’t we ever go somewhere quiet?

As the group chimed in with various iterations of, “Shut up, Reid,” you hesitantly typed out a text to confirm your attendance. You were excited, of course, but nervous to be the new kid at their favorite hangout. After today's events, though, the desire not to be sober won out over nerves.

You: I’ll be there! Thanks for the invite!

Rossi: Hope you kids are ready for me to drink you under the table, as usual.

Morgan: Eyyy, you KNOW we party hard! See y’all tonight.

____________

Turns out, Morgan was not exaggerating. Not even a little bit. By the time you arrived, 15 minutes late, everyone looked to be at least 3 shots deep. Garcia ran over to greet you, squealing, and wrapped you in a suffocating hug.

“I’m so glad you came! What do you drink? Tequila? I’ll grab the next round!”

You laughed and confirmed that tequila sounded great, and as she scurried off to the bar with Morgan on her heels, you had a chance to look around.

The atmosphere of the club surprised you - it was all glass and steel and modernity, packed with people dancing to something with intense bass - not the low-key joint you’d pictured the team wanting to unwind at. But as you watched JJ, Prentiss, and Rossi cheer on Reid as he threw back a shot, doubling over in hysterics as he coughed and sputtered at the taste, you realized that this place was just loud and energetic enough to keep them from thinking about anything other than work. In that way, you definitely saw the appeal.

“I come bearing shots!” Garcia yelled as her and Morgan made it back to the table. “Grab yours… here we go- whoops! Alright, everyone got theirs?”

She turned to you, grinning behind a pair of hot pink spectacles. “Cheers not ONLY to rescuing four kidnapped children alive, but also to our lovely intern and her first Whimsy outing!”

The team erupted in cheers and you smiled back, downing the tequila. You chatted with the group while Garcia ordered more drinks, and then more drinks, and soon you felt a pleasant buzz filling your head.

“Morgan, you better ask me to dance right now before I go find another man to do the job,” Garcia said with a wink in his direction.

Morgan grinned and mock-bowed, holding out a hand for her to take, and led her off to the dancefloor.

“Should we join them?” JJ asked around the table.

“Someone’s gotta make sure they don’t do anything worth getting kicked out for,” Prentiss shot back. You giggled and followed the girls, leaving Rossi and Reid behind at the table in the midst of a heated debate about childhood brain development that you couldn’t even hope to comprehend.

Not long after you started dancing, you felt a gentle tap on your shoulder and turned around, looking up into the stunning green eyes of a man who looked to be about your age. It was hard to really tell what he looked like in the dim lighting, but by the way Prentiss was giving you a thumbs up and mouthing, “Go for it,” from your side, he was good enough for you.

“Do you want to dance?” he asked above the music. You smiled and nodded in confirmation, letting him wrap his arms around your waist and pull you to his hips.

He knew how to move, that was for certain. He ground against your backside lightly, snaking his hands around your stomach. You weren’t used to this kind of thing - dancing with random men at bars, letting them touch you like this - but the combination of the music and the booze and the relief at the last case being over was making you feel more free than you had in recent memory.

You exchanged grins with Morgan, who was dancing a few feet away in a much more R-rated manner with Garcia. The man behind you (whose name you didn’t know, but who cared?) leaned down to kiss your neck and you arched against him in response, reaching up to run your hand through his hair.

Throughout the song, you had rotated back to facing the table where the rest of your team was sitting. You glanced over, saw Reid and Rossi still deep in discussion, along with another man in a black button-up with a very familiar side profile and-

Hotch.

Hotch was here, and as if the powers that be were insistent upon proving to you that the opposite of serendipity existed, at the exact moment you had that realization, he turned and made direct eye contact with you. Drunk, wearing a skintight dress, a random man grinding on your ass, and staring right back at your Unit Chief at the motherfucking Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Your heart dropped to your stomach, and if you had been drunker, you might have hurled tequila all over the dancefloor. Instead, you pulled away from the mystery man behind you, ignoring his shocked, “Wait!” and beelined to the bar.

“Tequila. Shot. Please, I’m sorry, just saw someone I didn’t expect to,” you blurted out to the bartender, swearing you could feel Hotch’s eyes on your back from across the club.

The bartender, probably having seen much worse, nodded in understanding and poured your drink. You gulped it down, wiped your mouth, and leaned on the bar to get your bearings.

It’s not weird. It’s not. It’s a bar, it’s outside of work hours, it’s perfectly fine that you’re buzzed and dancing and having fun. Everyone else is!

Really, it wasn’t that you were worried about your job, or even that he would judge you (he probably would, but that was unavoidable regardless of the setting), it was just that you hadn’t mentally prepared yourself for the possibility that he would come. He was in the group chat - obviously, if he had seen Garcia’s invite - but had never struck you as the social type, the kind of boss that would interact with his team outside of work.

“Did you see that Hotch is here?” Prentiss asked breathlessly, appearing at the bar beside you.

Apparently, you weren’t the only one surprised.

“I did,” you whispered back, despite the thumping music and the rowdy patrons making it logically impossible for your words to reach the table 20 feet away. “Does he usually join you guys?”

“Never,” she said, before thinking and correcting herself, “Not in years, anyways. When Haley… we used to drag him out, but we stopped after a while.”

“Why do you think he came tonight?"

She shrugged. “Who knows? Far be it from me to explain why Hotch does anything.” An idea seemed to pop in her head, and she grinned. “Maybe it’s because of you!”

“M-me?” Your reaction to the suggestion wasn’t nearly as nonchalant as you’d tried for, but Prentiss was too drunk to notice.

“Yeah, gotta help initiate the intern on her first night out, right?” She grinned and clapped you on the shoulder, then turned away to head back to the dancefloor, leaving you alone. You sighed, gathered yourself as much as you could considering the effects of the tequila, and turned around to go greet him.

“Hey, Agent Hotchner. Didn’t expect to see you tonight!”

“Yes, well. Thought I’d show up for a bit; it’s been a while.” He gave you a tight lipped smile then looked back down at his glass of whisky, the awkward energy palpable.

Probably because he just saw you basically dry-humping some random dude.

“Well, I’m glad you came! Feel free to, uh, come dance if you want! Morgan and Garcia are showing us all up,” you said, gesturing to where Morgan and Garcia were in fact drawing the attention of several onlookers.

He chuckled at that. “They’re certainly a sight to behold, aren’t they?”

You nodded in agreement and headed back to the bar, the brief conversation pointing you towards yet another drink. Talking to him was so easy , sometimes, and others it was like pulling teeth to get a human response out of him. Could you blame him, though? Your last one-on-one interaction was you basically inviting yourself over to his apartment with takeout and listening to him spill his guts about his dead wife and kid, and he probably felt uncomfortable with you after that, and then you went right to this case without any chance for things to go back to normal, and then he got shot, and oh my god, you didn’t even ask him how his arm was doing, how fucking rude can you be, dumbass? and-

“Whoops! Shit, I’m sorry!”

You looked at the person you’d just bumped into in the midst of your internal crisis.

“Hey, it’s you!”

The man you’d been dancing with earlier, now much more obviously handsome in the brighter lights of the bar area, grinned in recognition.

“Hey, I thought I’d scared you off there!”

You laughed and shook your head. “No, I’m sorry. Just saw my boss and freaked out a little bit.”

“Oh shit, your boss is here?” he asked. “That’s uncomfortable, damn. I’m sorry.”

“No worries, it’s just… yeah. Anyways. Wanna pick up where we left off?” you asked, more desperate than ever to get Hotch out of your head. If he didn’t want to see you having a wild night, he shouldn’t have come to the club.

He took your hand, looking pleased. “Lead the way.”

It really was so much easier, you thought, to let yourself feel attraction for guys like this. Uncomplicated, willing to take what you give them, no backstory to speak of. They weren’t riddled with tragic history, unattainable in both position and personality, not to mention impossible to even imagine ever returning your feelings. Guys like Cooper (you’d finally learned his name somewhere amid the grinding and groping) were easy and fun and they didn’t keep you up at night agonizing over whether that thing you said at work was impressive enough.

But then again, they didn’t give you the roller-coaster feeling in your stomach that Aaron Hotchner did every time you locked eyes.

And lock eyes you did - an increasingly frequent number of times, actually. It seemed like whenever you turned to face his direction, he was staring you down. He always went back to his conversation with Rossi and Reid, but you noticed that he seemed to get more and more pissed off with every song that played. His frown was deepened, his expression dark, and you could tell even from a distance that his knuckles were white from gripping his glass.

You shrugged it off as Hotch being Hotch - who knew what that man was thinking? And besides, you were trying to forget him, damn it. At least, that was until a particularly raunchy song came on and you were in the middle of getting your ass felt up, when you felt a hand squeeze your shoulder and whip you around, bringing you face-to-face with your boss himself.

“Hey, what’s going on? Is something wrong?” you asked, utterly bewildered as to why he was interrupting you.

He ignored you, instead staring down Cooper, who very quickly decided Hotch wasn’t one to fuck with and walked away.

“Hotch! Is there a case? Should I grab the others?”

He shook his head. “Can you come with me, please?”

Perplexed, you acquiesced (not that you had much of a choice, with the way he was gripping your elbow) and followed him through the crowd, out the back door, and into an alley. He let go of you then, sighing and crossing his arms.

Your mind was wild with questions - did you do something you shouldn’t have? Get too drunk? Everyone was drunk, though, and you weren’t even half as wasted as some of the others. Did Reid or Rossi tell him something bad about you? Were you about to somehow get yourself fired off the clock?

“The boy you were dancing with was bad news,” he said, after an uncomfortably long period of silence.

What the fuck?

“What the fuck?” you repeated, this time out loud, and you knew you shouldn’t be talking to him like this, but you were too caught off guard to conduct yourself more appropriately.

“He was a drug user,” Hotch said, as if that would explain everything.

“A drug user,” you repeated back, no less confused.

“Cocaine,” he continued. “He was high - his pupils were dilated, he was rubbing his nose, and he's been to the bathroom several times.”

“So… you’re going to arrest him? For doing cocaine?” you asked, still baffled as to what he was insinuating.

“What? No,” he said, “I’m trying to warn you not to get involved.”

You had entered some parallel universe, you decided. There was no other explanation for your boss, a man you’d known all of four months, dragging you outside a bar on a Friday night and telling you not to dance with a hot stranger because he was on cocaine.

You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself before you really did get yourself fired. “Sir, I appreciate the concern, but I don’t think it’s really any of your business.”

His face hardened at that. “It is exactly my business,” he said, eyes boring a hole through your skull, “to watch out for things that may compromise my team.”

“Compromise your team?” you repeated his words again. “I was dancing, not getting engaged to the guy.”

“Should I allow you to dance with a sexual sadist if it’s just dancing?” he pressed, using the stern voice that usually caused any sort of dissent to whither and die right in your throat.

It didn’t work this time, probably because he was acting fucking insane. “Are you seriously comparing a sexual sadist to a guy who does cocaine while he’s out partying?”

“It’s not just while he’s out partying, by the way he conducted himself, he was a chronic-”

“It doesn’t matter!” you said, nearly yelling now. “You had no right! I'm sorry, what are you, my dad?!”

His eyes flashed at that. “If I hadn’t already had to sit through an 8 hour surgery not knowing if Garcia was going to make it out alive because her date shot her, then perhaps I would have no right. But as it stands, I do. Please be more careful with who you associate with, even if it’s just dancing.”

He spat that last part out, more vitriolic than you’d ever seen him, and stalked back inside. You were left outside in the alley, alone, reeling from confusion surrounding the entire interaction and shock at the emotional charge he’d leveled at you.

Reentering the bar, you saw that Hotch’s seat had been vacated and his jacket was gone. You rolled your eyes, and on your way to the bathroom, nearly ran into Cooper again.

“Hey!” he said. “What was that all about? You good?”

You looked up at his face and for the first time, noticed faint traces of white dust around his nose. He looked keyed up, jumpy - his pulse racing and visible on his carotid. You sighed.

“I’m good. Just not in the mood right now, sorry,” and pushed past him into the bathroom.

Hotch was an emotionally stunted asshole with a control complex, but he was also never fucking wrong.

#hotch x reader #hotch x you #aaron hotchner x y/n #criminal minds fanfiction #aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner imagine #hotch #hotchner fanfic #criminal minds smut #thomas gibson #agent hotchner #mgg #jennifer jareau #emily prentiss #spencer reid #dr reid #criminal minds #david rossi #derek morgan #slow burn #fanfiction #writing #ao3 #criminal minds headcanons #sub!reader #standards of performance #dom!hotch #daddy hotch

[geniusgub]

north//chapter three

here’s the new chapter!! please enjoy and leave me your feedback! as always, let me know if you want to be on the taglist by sending me an ask :)

genre: fluff, angst if u squint

pairing: season nine spencer reid x female oc

warnings: none

word count: 11.3k

SPENCER

The elevator doors pop open on the sixth floor on a bright, sunny day, and the smile on my face is the biggest it’s ever been and I don’t think there’s any way I’ll be able to wipe it off. This morning, Amelia confessed that she had never seen Doctor Who before, and then she encouraged me to ramble on and on about my favorite parts and favorite characters and she asked questions and my smile never went away, even as we said our goodbyes and through the dirty train ride. But having seen Amelia will make my day better and the walk to my desk seems so much brighter and happier than normal.

"Good morning, Spencer," Alex smiles at me as she passes my desk, setting her bag down and sending me a wave. 

"Morning," I return her smile, taking the last sip of the coffee from my cup, the one from my meeting with Amelia, giving it one more longing look before tossing the cup in the trash.

Alex watches me closely as she sheds her jacket and scarf, draping it over her chair. "Weather's rough, right? It's getting really cold,"

I spin in my chair and my eyes trace up to where the wall and the ceiling meet, staring out the windows there. "Yeah, it's pretty rough out there,"

"Christmas is soon though," a smile comes to her face as she sits and takes a breath. "Do you have any plans yet? Do you think you'll go to see your mom?"

I shrug my shoulders and push away the sharp pain in my chest at the mention of my mom and at the mention of such a joyous holiday that’s supposed to be filled with friends and family. But instead, I’ll do the same things I’ve done the last few years- sit by myself at home and reread a book from my shelf. "Not sure yet. Haven't really thought about it,"

Alex hums, not pleased with that answer, and spins her chair around to face her desk. "Okay, well, don't wait too long or else you won't have any plans, and nobody should be left alone on Christmas," I choose not to respond. I just turn my chair back to face my desk and get to work.

"Good morning, wonderful crime fighters!" Garcia exclaims, bounding into the bullpen as Morgan holds the door open for her. Her bubbly attitude brings JJ and Rossi over to my desk area and even though I was trying to avoid any conversation, I spin in my chair to join the circle that forms. "I've brought cookies to lighten the mood that this horrible, horrible cold weather is reigning down on you BAU-tiful people," she grins happily at her recycled pun as she pops the top off the tin in her hand. Everyone, except for me because group food is not and has never been my jam, reaches their hands in and grabs some cookies, mumbling a few thank yous to our dear friend.

"So what's up with everyone?" Morgan asks, glancing around at the team. "We're always together but we don't always get to talk about our lives. So, come on, I know someone's got something,"

There's a moment of silence between the team where everyone wants someone else to speak up first, especially me. I wish I could duck my head down and hide under my desk because I know they will all want to ask me about what’s going on in my life and I'm not ready to tell them yet, and I’m not the best liar. I want to keep Amelia a secret. I want to keep her for myself. But if I try to make myself smaller in any way, then a team of profilers will notice immediately and I'll get called out. It's a lose-lose for me. And maybe it's irrational to want to keep her my secret. Last time I did that, it didn't end well and I’ve never forgiven myself for that. But even still, I want to keep Amelia for myself.

"Well," JJ laughs when nobody speaks up, "Will and I took Henry to the zoo for the first time over the weekend and he absolutely loved it,"

That brings everyone into a conversation and I'm glad I can let my mind wander off to Amelia. She always looks beautiful, but she looked especially stunning today. She wore plaid jeans with a black sweater tucked in, a black knit scarf, and her normal black boots. Of course, she had a black peacoat on to shield her from the weather, and the strap of her camera was slung over her shoulder instead of around her neck. Her hair was up in this messy braided updo that I don't even want to spend time wondering how long it took her to execute. Her nail color changed for the millionth time, now to a pale blue. Her necklace was almost completely hidden behind her scarf but I noticed that she wears the same one every day, a small butterfly. But today, there was just something about her smile and her laugh that made me feel extra warm inside. It made me feel like I wanted to scoop her up and bring her back to my apartment and never let her leave.

"Reid? Hey, Reid!" There's suddenly a hand snapping in front of my face, bringing me out of yet another one of my daydreams.

Everyone has vacated the area and Alex is crouched in front of me, brows furrowed in confusion. I lift my head, blinking a few times to bring myself back to reality. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Alex tilts her head, resting her arms on her legs. "Are you okay? You haven't been yourself lately. You've been a little bit distracted," she sighs and I can tell that she's wondering if she should say something. She ultimately makes a decision in her head to not say it and instead just waits for me to answer. But her holding back her thoughts frustrates me. I thought we were close so why would she hold anything back from me? When has she ever held anything back from me?

"Say what you were gonna say," I insist, sitting up more in my chair. "You were gonna say something. Say it,"

Alex chews on her lips and lets out a long breath, glancing around to make sure that nobody is too close. "Well," she hesitates one more time, "I know that you're still hurting about Maeve and-"

"No," I cut her off before she can even finish her sentence, "it's not about that. It's-" I push my hair out of my face as my breath gets caught in my throat. I take a replenishing breath and shake my head, turning back to the paperwork on my desk, "I'm fine, okay? I promise. Thanks for, uh, looking out for me,"

"Maybe you should consider going to therapy," Alex is clearly not ready to let this conversation go.

"I'm fine," I say yet again, giving her a tight-lipped smile, not even glancing her way again.

I hear Blake sigh and then walk around, seeing her sit down at her desk. There's part of me that feels bad for being so secretive to my closest friends. But I want to keep Amelia for myself. The team likes to know everything and they like to bring up significant others all the time. I don't want Amelia brought up like that. I don't want Morgan teasing me about her, or Garcia insisting on a double date, or JJ wanting to know how we met. But besides, Amelia isn't even my girlfriend. Right now, she's just a girl that I get coffee with before work. I wish she was more, but she's not.

Garcia comes back into the bullpen, holding a hoard of IPads in her arms and one case file for me. "It's case time, my loves!"

There’s a collective sigh that falls over the group as everyone pushes themselves out of their seats and towards the round table room, ready to endure another day of sadness. There’s no good day to get cases but really, there couldn’t be a worse time to get a case. Amelia and I ran out of time this morning and her story about the time her and her best friend got lost in California on a spring break vacation got cut short, and she promised to finish it tomorrow. She also swore that I could tell her all about my time at CalTech and about my favorite classes, all while she lets me fiddle around with whichever camera she happens to bring that day, even though I could possibly break it. I mean, she couldn’t get any more amazing. Technology is not my strong suit, whether it’s a computer or a phone or even a camera, but she’s still going to let me tinker with it. I didn’t think that she could get any better. 

After the catastrophe with Maeve, I never thought I'd ever have feelings for another person again. I thought that I'd die alone and loving Maeve. I thought she was my soulmate. I thought that the connection we had was one in a million and that I would never connect with someone on a romantic level again. Seeing her die right in front of me was like no other death I had ever witnessed and nobody, including and especially me, thought I would ever recover from that.

As much as I don't want to admit it and as adamantly as I will deny it, I've been through a lot. Childhood aside, my work at the FBI has been grueling. I've been taken hostage, I've mourned the death of my best friend who actually wound up to be alive and I’ve mourned the death of my unit chiefs wife, I've conquered drug addiction and two relapses alone, I’ve spent months mulling over the death of my girlfriend, and I've seen more death, destruction, and horror than anyone ever should.

It's unfair, really. All I wanted to do with my life and with my career was to help people and do something bigger than myself, but in turn, I've ruined myself. And after everything I've seen and how it has changed me, I’ve been expecting to work myself to death and die alone. I'm a loose cannon and it's obvious. I try to keep myself reined in, but I know that won't last for long. The years that I’ve spent at the FBI have imprinted on my brain and I thought that Maeve would be my refuge, but she was ripped away from me. Then and there, I knew that I would never love again. 

But then Amelia waltz's into my life. She comes bouncing in with her black heels, vintage cameras, tea bags, nose piercing, beautiful smile, and melodious laugh. She makes me feel like a normal person. She doesn't treat me like an FBI agent, or like someone who has endured the traumas that I have, and maybe that's because I haven't told her about any of my trauma, but I intend to keep it that way for as long as I can. Amelia comes laughing into my life with her denim skirts that aren't appropriate for the cold weather, curly blonde hair wrapped in patterned scarves or tied back in scrunchies, love for red wine, entrancing blue eyes, and her affinity for strawberries.

It's impossible to not fall in love with her and I hate myself for that. She makes it incredibly easy, so maybe it's not my fault that I can't get her out of my head. Maybe it's not my fault that I look at the empty spot on my desk and wonder what it would be like to have a picture of her there. Maybe it's not my fault that I hold her pinky in mine for far too long when we say our goodbyes. I wish I could blame my feelings all on her. I wish I could blame Amelia for how fast I'm falling for her.

I fall in love with the energy she radiates. I fall in love with the way she speaks of her creative process while painting a new piece or drawing a new picture. I fall in love with the way she claims she has a foolproof formula for finding hidden treasures in any given thrift store. I fall in love with the way she always has a new story to tell yet listens to every word I have to say. She speaks with such passion and fire in her eyes that it draws me in. Amelia has even taken to setting an alarm on her phone to make sure I leave on time for work and every few days, she makes sure to show up before I do so that she can order both of our drinks so that it's not always me ordering for her and "wasting my money on her hot, flavored water."

Amelia and I keep up our morning coffee meetings for two months. We meet as much as we can, only taking the time off when I'm not away on a case. It's actually normalizing my sleep schedule too and I'm getting more sleep than I have in two years- or since Maeve died. When these meetings started, I used to not be able to sleep out of pure excitement of knowing I'd be able to see Amelia again. But then she started to text me the night before, sometimes to remind me to set an alarm so I'm not late or to remind me to bring a magic trick to show her (magic tricks are now common occurrences in the mornings) or to just tell me that she's looking forward to seeing me tomorrow. It’s always an odd sensation to get that third text because most people aren’t usually excited to see me.

The word date never surfaced in any of our conversations. I'm not sure if any of these meetings would be considered a date. Typically, dates happen at night, but these coffee meetings are happening bright and early in the morning. And maybe I'm too scared to even bring up the word date because then that will solidify what we're doing, if we even are doing anything. I'm too scared to admit that I'm falling way too hard and way too fast for Amelia.

But as terrified as I am of the way that I feel about Amelia, I wish so desperately that I wasn’t. I wish I could climb to the roof of my apartment building and scream at the top of my lungs that I’m falling in love and that I want everyone to know. I want to be able to see her outside of the confines of a tiny cafe just a block away from my apartment. I want to be able to see her out on the town, laughing and bouncing on her toes in the adorable way that she does. I want to do anything else in the world with her besides just sitting and drinking tea or coffee. I want to know even more about her. I want to know absolutely everything. I need to know everything.

ONE WEEK LATER

SPENCER

"So you got shot in the knee?"

"Yeah. The doctors told me that I might never walk without a cane again,"

"I'd like to see you with a cane," Amelia snorts, tucking her face behind her cup of tea as she succumbs to a fit of giggles. The sight makes me laugh too, trying to hide my joy behind my cup of coffee. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh. It's just-" she takes a long breath to calm herself, and, with a giant smile, she continues, "an FBI agent with a cane? I can't picture it,"

"Well, I wouldn't be allowed in the field. As much as I thrive in the police departments, I love being in the field. It gives you a rush, you know?"

"Mm, no. I don't know," Amelia laughs, "but I can imagine what you're talking about. An adrenaline rush. I've never caught a bad guy in action like you do. I mean, the closest I've ever come to that is catching one of my siblings stealing cookies late at night,"

A fond memory comes to mind, one involving a dinosaur-shaped cookie jar and a little hand. "I've caught my godson doing the same,"

"So, Spencer," Amelia's voice is lighter as she moves away from the previous topic of me taking a bullet in the field. She shimmies her shoulders just a little bit, then gestures to the Christmas drawings on the window. "Do you have any plans for Christmas next week?"

Oh, the dreaded question. Each of my team members had asked me that during our case last week and I had to lie every single time. I don't want them to feel bad for me when I tell them I don’t have any plans and I’ll be spending Christmas alone. Alex might try to invite me to dinner with her family, and JJ would probably do the same and swear that Henry had been asking about his godfather, but it's just out of pure pity. I don't need any more pity from my team.

"Um," I have to keep my voice from cracking as I drown out myself in a sip of coffee, "no,"

"No?" Amelia repeats, but her face doesn't change at all, not like she’s sad or she’s pitying me. "Me either. I told you, my family's in Texas and I'd only be able to go out there for two days. So as much as I'd love to go, it doesn't really make sense, you know?"

"Yeah, that makes sense. My mom is in Las Vegas so I know what you mean,”

Amelia looks down at her cup of tea, fiddling with the teabag. "You know, if you don't have anything to do on Christmas, maybe we could spend the day together?" She suggests, glancing up at me with a nervous smile. "I was planning on spending the day alone but if you also don't have anything to do, maybe we could do something together," she goes quiet for a moment and I wait, wondering if she's finished with her request. Or maybe it’s just that I’m speechless and I have absolutely nothing to say in response to that request. Yeah, that’s more likely. She, again, looks down at her cup and I can see her fingers shaking slightly as she toys with the teabag. "And besides, I love our little coffee dates but it'd be nice to see you outside of here,"

And there it is. It all comes out with just those few sentences. Not only does Amelia see these meetings as dates, but she wants to see me outside of the cafe. She wants to spend Christmas with me, a day that you usually spend with your family or your closest friends. She was so nervous to ask me about this that her hands are shaking. When has this ever happened? Usually I'm the anxious one. I'm the one here who does the nervous laughing and fumbles over my words and taps my feet and fiddles with my hair. She's usually the one who takes charge of the conversation and laughs louder and initiates our pinky hold when we have to say goodbye. Being anxious is my thing and if Amelia is taking that over, then that must mean that this request took a lot to say.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," she adds quickly before hiding, again, behind a sip of her tea.

I’ve let myself hold back with Amelia for far too long- for two whole months. I’ve gone two months without growing some balls and asking her out and I can’t handle it anymore. I need to see her with a different background behind her other than a tan leather booth. So I don’t give myself a moment to think or stress before I speak. "I'd love to," 

Amelia's eyes dart up to me and her smile starts to grow. "Really?" I nod wordlessly, too scared that I'll say something dumb and ruin it if I open my mouth. "I would've thought you'd say no," The alarm on Amelia's phone goes off, telling us that it's time for me to leave for work. She gives me a sad smile and silences it, chewing on her lip. "Time for you to go. You've got people to save, Dr. Reid,"

The two of us stand and wrap ourselves in our coats and scarves before heading out the door, into the bitter, cold wind. Amelia turns on her heel and holds out her pinky to me. I switch my coffee to my left hand and wrap my right pinky around her, watching her nose start to go pink from the weather surrounding us. Amelia smiles, and the timer in my head starts to run, counting up the seconds we stand in front of each other and just smile. We’re already standing here longer than yesterday but not as long as Tuesday two weeks ago. And the longer we stand here, the pinker Amelia’s nose gets, and the more my heart melts.

"Get warm soon," I tell her softly, worried that if I speak too loud, I’ll ruin the moment.

"You too," she smiles, wrapping her finger even tighter around mine as a way to tell me not to leave just yet. "I know you'll let me know if you have a case. But if you do," she lets out a breath, dropping her smile until her dimples disappear, "get home before Christmas."

///

I inhale deeply and brush my fingers through my hair, trying to make it seem somewhat presentable as I turn the corner to Amelia's apartment, double-checking that I'm at the right one. I smooth down my sweater and check that my converse are tied twice before knocking on the door. I can hear music from inside her apartment but I can't tell exactly what the song is yet, but based on what today is, I can only assume it’s a Christmas song.

I wait patiently for a moment behind a closed door, still second-guessing my slightly more casual outfit of converse, jeans, and a Christmas sweater. And after only a minute I'm convinced that Amelia has backed out and doesn't want me around for this sacred holiday, and I’m almost convince o turn around and leave. Maybe I could walk home and find a bookstore and get some takeout. I'm about to do just that and I’m mentally mapping out the best route home when the door swings open and Amelia stands there with her stunning smile.

"Hi, Spencer!" She exclaims, popping the door all the way open and letting me feel the heat that radiates from the inside. "Come in, please," Relief washes over me as I step inside her warm apartment, my eyes darting around the walls and decor of her home. "You can just put your stuff anywhere. It doesn't really matter to me. Make yourself at home. Be comfortable," I recognize the song now as It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas, playing from her beloved record player that I’ve heard a surprising amount about. She bought it when she first moved to Virginia and it was the first thing she bought for her apartment, before she even bought a bed or food or utensils.

I pull my messenger bag off and set it beside the door, ridding myself of my peacoat and my scarf, hanging them up on the coatrack. Amelia is still standing beside me but before I take the time to admire her like I usually do, I really stop to look at her apartment. It's exactly how I pictured it to be. It reflects her personality perfectly.

The walls are comprised of dark brick and there are different pieces of artwork scattered along the walls of her entire apartment, like stray photographs and polaroids put up with wash tape, or a canvas painting in a frame, and a floral tapestry behind the television. To my left is a huge shelf of books and records followed by a wall full of picture frames with pictures I can only assume are of her family and friends. To the right of the door is a cozy looking living room with a tv and the active record player, and a fireplace with a log already lit. Beside the living room is the kitchen, and across from the kitchen is a set of floating stairs that leads up to what I presume is Amelia's bedroom. In front of the stairs is a door out to a small balcony overlooking the city.

"Hey," Amelia reaches over and pokes my shoulder, laughing, "stop profiling my apartment. I cleaned up for you, there can't be too much for you to judge,"

"Profiling isn't actually judging, per se," I blurt out facts before I can stop myself. "Profiling is actually just noticing behavior,"

Amelia crosses her arms over her chest, etching on a smile. "Sometimes I wonder how your head isn't physically bigger with all that information you've got stored up in there. Really, it keeps me up at night sometimes," she says quickly, and then rolls her eyes at herself. She gestures towards the kitchen, "Well, I've got- oh, Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas,” I echo, following her into her kitchen, trailing just a step behind her.

As she walks in front of me, I get the chance to admire her. Today, she's decided to wear a black and white plaid tweed skirt with a red knit turtleneck tucked into it. Her legs are bare otherwise but she's wearing dark wool socks with a pattern on them, almost identical to the ones I’m wearing. Her hair is down in curls and flowing down to her waistline, but there's a green clip on the left side of her head that's holding back some of her hair. Her face is glowing, like usual, and her nose and ear piercings are in, like usual. It takes me a moment to realize how much smaller she is now that she's not wearing the heels she always has on. I'd peg her at around 5'2" and that's a major difference with me at about 6'1”. But even though I’ve observed countless outfits of hers, she's just as beautiful today as she is every other day.

"So I thought that, since it's only noon, we could make some Christmas cookies," she suggests, showing me her kitchen island full of cookies and bags and ingredients. "I have ingredients for quite a lot of cookies because I meant to make them myself but never got around to it. I have ingredients for gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies and oatmeal cookies and probably way more,"

"Sounds good to me. I like all of those,” The thought of making all those cookies with Amelia sounds much better than sitting and doing nothing. I don’t have time to make cookies like this on my own and I didn’t get to have any of Penelope’s, so making cookies with Amelia sounds like the perfect way to spend Christmas.

Amelia sits down at a barstool and gestures for me to sit beside her, and it’s a weird sensation, for a split second, to be sitting beside her instead of across from her. She reaches for a bag of flour and a bowl, but her hand stops midair when she looks over at me and a smile breaks out on her face. "I like your sweater,"

I glance down at my sweater, just shrugging at my own appearance as if I wasn’t freaking out about it ten minutes ago. "It's just a sweater," It’s one that I’ve had for as long as I can remember and one that could probably pass as ugly, but it has a pattern with snowflakes and stripes and reindeer. I almost didn’t wear it because I thought that maybe Amelia would think it was ugly.

"But Spencer, I always see you in your work clothes. You're always wearing sweater vests and button-ups. You're still wearing jeans and converse but the sweater is a change. I like it, that's all,"

She turns her back to me to grab something else and her compliment makes me chew on the inside of my cheek. I wipe my hands on my pants before I take a deep breath. You can do it, Spencer. You grew enough balls to accept her Christmas invitation. You can do this. "I like your outfit," Oh thank god I managed to say that without sounding like a total idiot.

When Amelia turns back around to set the sugar on the counter, she's blushing. "Thanks,"

I read over the recipes she has printed out and then set them aside, standing up again so I can attempt to start helping her. We decide to start with the Pillsbury sugar cookies since all we have to do is put those in the oven, so we start arranging them on a tray.

"I should warn you," I mumble to Amelia as we bump hips, "I'm not the best baker,"

"It's not too hard," Amelia says nonchalantly. "I'll give you some tips. A smart man like you can pick it up, don't worry, love,"

The simple pet name makes me blush but we're both so preoccupied with putting the frozen cookies on the tray that Amelia doesn't notice. The simple pet name makes my heart beat faster and almost burst out of my chest. Once the cookies are on the tray, she puts them in the oven and then turns to me.

"Okay, which cookies do you wanna make first?" She grabs the recipes and holds them up for me to see as if I hadn’t looked at them before. 

"What do you think we should do?" She looks up at me with her big, beautiful eyes, and I almost get lost for a moment, but I pull myself back when she rustles the papers again. "I've never done this before and you seem to have a lot of experience so-"

"You've never made Christmas cookies before?" Amelia gasps, the papers falling onto the table as her jaw drops in disbelief, and I shake my head at her. "Okay, then we're gonna make gingerbread cookies first because they’re a classic. They're my favorite and they're the most fun to decorate so hopefully you’ll like them too. I can't believe you've never done this before!"

She whips around and starts to assemble a new set of ingredients, telling me now and then how much to measure out, even though I've memorized the entire recipe. But nonetheless, I let her take the lead and take the previous cookies out of the oven.

"Okay, come here," Amelia says when my back is turned to her. She has the gingerbread dough rolled out on the island and a few different sized molds laid out, flour caked on her hands. "Getting the dough onto the pan is an art itself," I let out a little laugh, but then she turns her head with a threatening look as if to say I’m serious, that isn't threatening at all. "I'm serious. First, you've gotta use the mold to cut. Then you've gotta wiggle the mold. Then you've gotta get the dough off the counter and that's the hardest part because if you didn't put down enough flour then you’re screwed. It's an art. You laugh, but it's true,"

"I believe you," I put my hands up in surrender, reaching for one of the molds. I stand beside her and it takes me a moment to process how close I actually am, and I only do when I feel her body heat on me. "So, like this?" I push the mold into the dough and then wiggle the plastic back and forth until it's completely separated from the mass of dough, just like she told me to. But then when I lift the mold, the snowflake-shaped piece of dough completely lifts and folds over, ruining the dough. I let out a defeated sigh, looking up at Amelia with a dramatic pout, silently begging for help. "It is an art,"

Amelia giggles, bopping my nose, and I can feel some flour residue getting left there, making me scrunch up my nose. "Yes, it is. I'm glad you've realized, let me help you,"

///

An hour passes and we've finished baking all the gingerbread men, we're baking chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, and we've eaten half of the sugar cookies. We're chatting aimlessly about anything and everything and I'm starting to really actually enjoy this. I’m happy to be seeing Amelia outside of the cafe and I’m happy to be so comfortable with her, and to see her literally and metaphorically let her hair down. I thought I would be riddled with anxiety and would have to make some excuse to go rushing out, but now I don’t think I ever want to go home. I would be content with never leave this artsy apartment and making cookies with Amelia for the rest of my life.

"I'm gonna try to make you but as a gingerbread man," Amelia says as she sits down with a piping bag full of icing and half of the gingerbread men. I've got the other bag of icing in my hand and the other half of the gingerbread men in front of me, waiting to be decorated with far less finesse than Amelia’s cookies.

"You're an artist. You've got an unfair advantage," I pout yet again, starting to make uneven lines and lopsided eyes on my cookies. I grimace at my creations and my pout only grows when I glance over and see that Amelia’s look perfect.

"It's not a competition," Amelia responds, not even looking up from her interpretation of me in gingerbread form. "And remember what I said, everyone sees art differently. There’s no right or wrong in art,” she lets out a small squeal and then throws her piping bag down, leaning closer to me to show me the cookie. “Look! It’s you!”

The gingerbread man has an attempt at curly hair along with a button-up shirt, a tie, slacks, and converse. Honestly, the cookie version of me is pretty cute, but maybe I’m biased because Amelia made it. Amelia is elated at my pleased reaction and goes on to decorating more cookies, so I prop up her creation and keep on going.

I settle into my barstool and keep my eyes down, swinging my feet back and forth. There's a question on the tip of my tongue that I'm too scared to ask. It's been there for weeks. But this question implies follow up questions about me and I don't want to risk that. But I’ve been pondering this question since I met Amelia and I think that I would be willing to risk the follow-up questions if it means I get some sort of answer.

"Amelia," I say quietly, earning a hum in response, "I have a question,"

"Yeah?" She's soft-spoken, clearly focused on her cookies.

"Why don't you talk about your family?"

I look up just in time to see her grip on the piping bag falter, and she has to readjust her hold. But before she can do that, her hand reaches for the butterfly necklace that's forever around her neck and she tugs on it gently. That tells me that the necklace has a connection to her family, I just don't know how. Nope. Stop it right there. She told me when I came in to stop profiling her, even though it was clearly a joke, I shouldn’t start doing it now. 

"I, um," she lets out a breath and lets her eyes wander behind me, presumably at the wall of picture frames, "I just don't really like to talk about my family," that's all she says before she goes quiet. She readjusts her grip on the piping bag and goes back to work, deciding the conversation is over. Heat rises to my cheeks and my anxiety increases when I realize that my curiosity has gotten the better of me and I’ve ruined the good thing we have going on here with that simple question. So I just decide to shut my mouth and keep decorating my cookies. "You don't talk about your family either,"

It’s the question I was dreading, but it’s the one I was expecting. So I just shrug my shoulders as nonchalantly as possible. "You're not the only one who doesn't like to talk about their family,"

Amelia doesn't respond to that. It's one of the first times in our two months of knowing each other that I've seen her act shut off. The only time she ever acted out of character was asking if I would come over today, and she was only a little bit nervous for a few minutes. She's always so bubbly and open to any question or topic I have, so to have her sitting as close as ever but feel so far away is frustrating and the need to fill the grave I just dug myself.

"Amelia, I didn't mean to offend you with-"

"No, it's okay," she shakes her head, once again, her fingers adjusting around the piping bag. "It's a common thing that people talk about and I've never brought it up and you're a profiler so naturally, you would bring it up. It's fine, Spencer. I promise,"

"It doesn't seem fine. You're not even looking at me,"

"You're profiling me again," Amelia responds, her voice wavering.

I put my piping bag down and move closer to her, gently taking hers out of her hand and placing it down on the table. "Amelia, I-I didn't mean anything by it. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to,"

She looks up at me and I can see that her eyes are glassy, and it stings to know that I’m the one who made her feel like that. "I’m sorry. I didn't mean to be doing this on Christmas," She sniffles, reaching her fingertips up to wipe at her under-eyes. I have an overwhelming need to comfort her back to happiness, especially since I made her so unhappy. So even though my hands shake in the slightest, I hold my arms out towards her. Amelia notices right away, her eyebrows raising. "Seriously?" I nod. "You won't shake or hold my hand but you'll hug me?"

"You need a hug so I'm here to give you a hug,"

Amelia’s face lights up and she steps forward, wrapping her arms around my waist tightly. I circle my arms around her shoulders and tuck her head under my chin, smiling at the way she fits perfectly under me. This is comfortable and I feel warm and when she wiggles her body to get closer, it brings a smile to my face. I feel safe. I haven't felt like this is a long time. I might never want to let go, but I think Amelia might have the same idea.

"Does this mean I get to hug you more often now?" Amelia mumbles into the fabric of my sweater. "Don't get me wrong, I love our pinky promises but I also love hugs,"

My eyelids flutter closed and I nod against her head. "Yeah, we can hug more often," I flatten my hands on her back and pull her closer. "I really am sorry about asking about your family,"

"Well, I brought yours up afterward so it's fine," 

We're only pulled apart when the timer on the oven dings and lets us know that the oatmeal cookies are finished. I reluctantly pull myself off of her and grab the oven mitts, pulling the tray out while Amelia returns to frosting her gingerbread men.

"Hey, Spencer?" Amelia calls as I'm scooping cookies off the pan. "Do you have any information about gingerbread men in your big genius head?"

She asked, so I answered. I go off and tell her how gingerbread men date back to the 15th Century and how the first documented use of them was at the court of Elizabeth I. I go on for maybe ten minutes about the history of these edible men and maybe it's more than she was bargaining for, but she never interrupted and she listened to the whole thing. That's rare these days. Even my closest friends on my team cut me off constantly and sometimes tune out my facts.

"I didn't know any of that. School really doesn't teach students anything they wanna learn about," Amelia laughs, adding two more gingerbread men to the pile of cookies.

We finish creating our mountain of different types of cookies at around 4 so we decide that we should start making dinner, that way, we can relax the rest of the night and not have to be rushing around the kitchen. The sun starts to set and the snow starts to fall as we set out on a new adventure of cooking dinner. Amelia goes to turn up the heat and I notice her take a moment to pause in front of the balcony doors to stare out at the fresh blanket of snow. But the second she turns and comes back to the kitchen, I whip my head down to the lasagna recipe in my hands to memorize it. Yet again, I decide to let Amelia take charge of this recipe because I would rather not mess it up.

///

We pop our tray of lasagna in the oven and then set a timer for the proper amount of time. "Alright," Amelia says, clapping her hands together and bouncing on her toes, "that'll be done in about twenty-five minutes. So maybe we could watch a movie? We've been baking all day so it'd be a good idea to get off our feet,"

It’s a no brainer to agree to the suggestion and I follow Amelia into her living room like a lost puppy with his tail between his legs. She gestures for me to sit on the couch while she drops to the floor in front of the tv, sitting up on her knees to shut off the record player. Then she pulls out a wicker basket filled to the brim with movies. "What are we watching?" 

"I've got plenty of Christmas movies because they're my favorite. I've got ones like," she holds up the case to each movie as she names it, "Polar Express, The Grinch, Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, A Christmas Story and way, way more. Plus I've got the claymation ones like Year Without a Santa Claus, Rudolph, Jack Frost, Frosty the Snowman, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town," she looks up at me. "So which one do you fancy, love?"

There's that damn pet name again.

"Um," I let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of my neck, "I've actually never seen any of those before so I guess just put on your favorite,"

Amelia's eyes widen. "You've never seen any of these before?" I shake my head with a coy smile, my cheeks turning pink. "Wow, I guess it's my turn to educate you, Spencer. I might never get the opportunity to do this again so I'm going to take advantage while I can,"

Amelia jumps to her feet and pops one of the movies in the DVD player. She doesn't tell me what it is but she grabs the remote and comes to sit next to me on the couch. She's not too close to me but she's close enough to make my hands sweaty. I lean down to unlace my shoes and set them aside before getting myself a bit more comfortable on the couch, but not too comfortable. I’ve overheard far too many arguments between Morgan, JJ, Emily, and Garcia about how sitting too close to girls in moments like these can make a guy seem like, in Garcia’s words, a douchebag. And the last thing I want is for Amelia to think I’m a douchebag. So even though I feel I’m a mile away from her with just a couch cushion between us, I don’t move to close the distance.

"I put on The Polar Express because this is one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time," Amelia explains as the main menu comes up and shows the opening titles. "It's a good intro to Christmas movies, I guess, I don't really know,"

"Sure," I nod enthusiastically. "I like learning, I'm ready to watch. Go ahead, play,"

Amelia presses play and then reaches behind her for the blanket draped over the couch. She folds it over her lap and then glances over at me, holding up the corner of the blanket. "Do you-" she trails off, asking me if I want to share. I nod, scooting just a bit closer so we can both comfortably fit under the blanket. Our thighs are touching and it takes everything in me not to cuddle up even closer to her. She invited me over here so she must not think I’m a douchebag, right? This is okay, right?

The movie starts and it's quite different from the movies I'm used to watching. But I can tell it's a movie that has sentimental value to her so I pay close attention to it. It’s not filled with history or framed with subtitles or spewing information at me to instantly memorize. It’s just a lighthearted children’s movie that celebrates Christmas and teaches kids to not let others judge you and to believe in what you want to believe. I would have never watched a movie like this without Amelia and the longer I sit through the movie, the more I wish it wouldn’t end.

But eventually, I lean down to whisper in her ear. "None of the kids have names. Only Billy does,"

Amelia giggles, her head tilting closer to mine but keeping her eyes locked on the tv. "Yeah, you're right. I'm not sure why, they just don't,"

I hum, looking back up at the tv, not completely satisfied with the answer but willing to accept it. I try to focus back on the movie and figure out why these kids are sliding down tiny conveyor belts but I feel Amelia's eyes on me, locked on the side of my face. My attempts to ignore her gaze go in vain because I'm looking back down at her within another minute. She's looking up at me with her bottom lip between her teeth and her blue eyes widened, eyelashes fluttering. She looks horribly stunning and I fear I let my eyes linger on her lips for too long.

"What?" I whisper, wondering why she's staring at me when she should be watching the movie, a movie she claims is one of her favorites.

"Nothing," she says, but makes no attempt to break eye contact with me. "Nothing, I just-" she trails off yet again.

My hands had been placed at my sides but I can't help it when one of them moves to Amelia's cheek, barely even touching her soft skin at first, too afraid that she would flinch. A part of me is almost surprised when she doesn't pull away, but why do I keep getting surprised by her? She's remarkable. She asked me to spend Christmas with her so I wouldn't be alone. She cares about me in some capacity. She's showing me her favorite movies and baking cookies with me and she cares about me. I care about her and she cares about me. Why am I holding back?

"Can-" I clear my throat nervously, "can I kiss you?"

Amelia's eyes flutter for a moment before she nods, tilting her chin upwards. For a moment I think she's going to initiate the kiss, but then she doesn't. She just waits there, leaving me to feel her warm breath on my face and her cold skin under my fingertips. But she respected my boundaries when it came to handshakes and hugs, so even though I've already asked and she's already accepted, it makes sense that she would respect my inevitable boundaries with something as germy and personal and bacteria-filled as a kiss. So that means I have to finally take charge and I don't even have time to figure out if that terrifies me or excites me.

With my hand on her cheek and my heart about to beat out of my chest, I draw her forward and press my lips to hers in the softest and sweetest, most wonderful kiss. She tastes sweet, like strawberry lip balm and gingerbread, and I find my senses being filled with the taste of her. My brain had intended for a simple kiss, but after said simple kiss, I had to have more of her. Amelia doesn't resist as I deepen the kiss, bringing my hand to her neck to bring her closer. Her hands start at my chest but eventually travel up to my jawline, fingertips resting there softly, just barely coaxing me forward. Our lips move perfectly in sync and I could swear, as cheesy as it sounds, I feel burning on my skin from the fallout of the fireworks that erupt above us. I feel Amelia smile as she shuffles a bit closer to me on her knees, her body making even more contact with mine than before when we were just sitting. 

My mind is screaming at me to pull away, to push her off of me and run home and curl up in bed, and to ignore Amelia forever. My head says to shield her from this horrible part of the world that I expose myself to and to protect her innocence. That's all I want to do. I want to protect her. As it often does, my head says no but my heart says yes. I can't deny what I'm feeling for Amelia. I can't deny that I haven't slept over my alarm for two months because I'm far too excited to see her every morning at the cafe. I can't help the way my heart speeds up when she walks in and waves at me, or the way I can't help but beam when she laughs, or how I don't want to leave when the alarm on her phone sounds. That's what leads me to wrap my free arm around her waist and bring her chest to mine, the fabric of her sweater clutched in my fist and my lips fervently sliding against hers.

The sharp cry of the oven alarm is the only thing that can get us to pull apart, far too quickly for either of our likings. Amelia pulls away with a sharp inhale, her eyes closed for just a moment longer than mine. "I'll-" she moves one of the hands from my jaw to wipe at her bottom lip, "um, I'll go get that,"

Amelia begrudgingly untangles herself from my arms and then from the blanket around her legs, feet silent on the floor as she hurries to pull the lasagna out of the oven. I'm left on the couch for a moment, completely stunned and actually quite pleased. I’ve never been kissed like that. I didn’t even know I could kiss like that. I didn’t even know I had it in me. But once the momentary shock wears off, the tension sets in and I know I need to follow Amelia. I reach up to pause the movie so we don’t miss anything before following Amelia into the kitchen, seeing her close the oven as she places the tray of lasagna on the stove. Her cheeks are flushed but I can't tell if that's from the kiss or the heat from the oven.

The apartment is tense now that it's silent and Amelia's back is turned to me. Despite the obvious verbal consent, I fear I've ruined everything. I asked to kiss her and even though she accepted, she's quiet. She's busying herself with dishing lasagna and I'm realizing that the only other time she acted this shut off was when I asked about her family. Does that mean I need to apologize again? Oh my gosh, I really don’t know how girls work. I’ve already upset her twice in one day and made her act in ways I’ve never seen before. Maybe I should have listened more when Morgan complained about his girl problems. You know what? Maybe I won’t apologize this time. I’ll try a different approach.

"That wasn't-" I mumble, lingering in the entryway to the kitchen, "weird, right? That didn't totally ruin things, right?"

Amelia's hands pause mid-air for a moment but then she continues dishing food. "No, it wasn't weird,"

Okay, Spencer. If you've ever needed to be bold, now's the time. She obviously likes you and you've accepted that you like her too and that you don't want to lose her, and right now, you're losing her to whatever her brain is telling her. Don't let that happen. Do something.

"So," I take a step closer to her and place my hand on her waist, spinning her around to face me, "so you wouldn't mind if I kissed you again?"

Amelia doesn't even respond, she just grabs my cheeks and kisses me again. I instinctively push her against the counter and hold her there, my hands clutching her waistline as her hands start to thread through my hair. This kiss is needier than the first one, almost as if it's solidifying to both of us that we're really doing this and that these feelings are actually mutual. That the first kiss didn’t scare either of us off and we’re not going anywhere.

I'm the first to pull away when I run out of breath, but I have not a single intention of moving away from her. I still feel Amelia's lips brushing mine and her warm breath fanning across my face, delicate fingers pushing my hair off my forehead. It's shaggy and falling over my forehead, but she arranges it perfectly so it's out of the way. She smiles nervously at me and then she shrinks, and I realize she had to go on her tiptoes to kiss me. "I, um," she laughs, letting her hands fall to my shoulders, "I've had a crush on you for a while. Like, since we first talked,"

I slide my hands down to her hips, feeling the rough tweed fabric under my fingertips. "Really?"

"Yeah," she smiles bashfully. "I thought you were really cute and I may have walked into you on purpose because I was too scared to approach you when you were reading,"

My eyes nearly pop out of their sockets at the realization that the camera fiddling was just a ruse. "What?" Amelia giggles, ducking her head into my shoulder to hide her blush from showing. "No! No hiding!"

"It's true!" She pulls her hands from my shoulders and covers her face. "You were reading and you were doing it so fast and I was confused at how you were actually retaining the information and you looked so cute with your hair up like that and I wanted to talk to you but I didn't know how to. When you got up, I just walked over and then grabbed my camera and-" I grab her wrists gently and pull her hands away from her face. Amelia's face is bright red in embarrassment but she smiles as I slide my hands into hers and lace our fingers together. "I thought you didn't hold hands,"

"You also thought I didn't hug or kiss until tonight," I remark, bringing our hands down to our sides. I lean in one more time and press our lips together, and this time the kiss doesn't need to be quick or passionate or wet. It's slow and sweet. It fills me with the familiar warmth that only Amelia has been able to provide me with.

"You're just full of surprises," Amelia giggles, twisting her head to kiss my cheek. "We should eat before it gets cold, right?"

"Yeah, probably," I don't want to let go of her but I reluctantly do, letting her continue her task of dishing lasagna for the two of us. We resume our positions on the couch, sitting even closer than before. Amelia rewinds the movie quite a bit, making sure I’ve seen every frame that we missed while we were engaged in other activities. She claims she doesn’t mind seeing it again, that she watched this movie last week anyway so rewinding it for me isn’t a big deal at all.

I do my best to pay attention throughout the rest of the movie like Amelia wants me to do, but it's proven to be a challenge. All I want to do is look down at the angel sitting beside me and kiss her and play with her hair and talk to her about any topic that might pop into my head. But she's fixated on the movie and I don't want to tear her away from something that she's so invested in. So I stay silent and sling my arm over the back of the couch in an attempt to get more comfortable. I do it unintentionally, but Amelia takes this as an invitation to cuddle up beside me. She brings her knees up to her chest and rests her head on my shoulder, effectively tucking herself into my side. I'm not complaining, because even though I wasn’t intending to do the ultimate douchebag move and basically silently invite her to cuddle with me, I’m not complaining. I grin for the rest of the movie.

///

"So did you like it?" Amelia asks eagerly, sitting up on her knees as the credits rolls, an expecting grin plastered on her face. "I know you're used to watching movies in different languages and-"

"It was pretty great, actually," 

"You're not just saying that because I told you it's one of my favorites?"

"Not at all. It bothered me that the children didn't have names, besides Billy, but other than that, it was a wonderful movie. I can see why you like it so much," I tell her. "And it's only seven. Are we gonna watch something else?"

"Well," Amelia chews on her lip, pulling away from my embrace slightly as she plays with the hem of her skirt, "the depends on you. If you wanna head home, I know you have work tomorrow and-"

"Actually," unintentionally, I cut her off yet again. But she looks up at me with bright eyes, hopeful that I'll want to stay, "I don't expect that you got me anything but I brought you a gift,"

I quickly leap up to avoid seeing her reaction, returning to my messenger bag in the doorway, reaching in for the perfectly wrapped gift. I spent hours on the floor of my bedroom wrapping the present, and then unwrapping it when the paper creased, then wrapping it again, then unwrapping it when the paper ripped, and then finally leaving the wrapping after what seemed like the millionth try. It was a process but it was worth it because it looks absolutely perfect.

When I return to the living room, Amelia is gone. I sit down with the gift in my lap, assuming she'll be back soon. And sure enough, she comes bounding down the floating stairs a second later. "I did actually get you a gift," she says, jumping back onto her spot on the couch. "Just something little," I pass my gift off to her and she does the same with me until we're holding each other's presents. It's odd actually, because I've given and received gifts with my team and with my mom, but never like this. Never with a girl I have a massive crush on. Never with someone who I care on another level for. Never with a girl who seems to put the sun in the sky.

I gesture for Amelia to go first, placing her gift in my lap, to be opened next. She gives me an excited smile and nods, obeying my quiet warning to hold it carefully as she searches for a spot to pull the paper back. "They're-" she pulls the paper clean off and beams, "45's,"

"Yeah," I nod anxiously as she reveals my present. "You told me you love records and this bookstore I love sells records too. I found these and I thought of-" I clear my throat, "well, they made me think of you,"

Amelia looks through the small stack of records in her hands, narrowing her eyes at me. "Most of them are classical, Spencer,"

"You need more classical music in your life, Amelia," I sass back at her, earning a small scoff in returning, bringing up a small quarrel we had a few weeks ago. "You can't spend your days listening to Christmas music, Frank Sinatra, and Taylor Swift,"

Amelia glances up at me with a small pout. "I could try,"

I laugh, pointing to the records in her hand. "Well, now you don't have to,"

"Thank you, love. This is wonderful, really. I'm gonna put one of these on right after you open your gift," she places them on her lap and then points at the present in my lap. "Go ahead. It's your turn."

I tear back the wrapping paper and first find a pack of coloring pencils, which seems like an odd gift, considering how many times I’ve established that I’m bad at art, but then I find a black leather journal behind it. Upon further inspection, I find that there are drawings on the front of the journal. My name is written in beautiful calligraphy on the top of the cover, and all around the front are small pictures. I find things like coffee cups, cameras, a deck of cards, an imperfect square with the pattern of one of Amelia's scarves, a record player, beakers, plenty of books, and much more.

"It's a sketchbook," Amelia explains softly. "You were saying how you wish you were better at art, so now you have the means to practice. And I was thinking about when you go on cases and you could bring it with you and I tried to put things on the front that would maybe, I don't know, comfort you." She pauses and I look up at her, waiting for her to continue with what she wants to say. Because just by the tight-lipped smile on her face, I know she wants to say something else. "Selfishly, I put references to me on there,"

I set my gift onto the coffee table and then move the records aside, pulling Amelia into my arms again. She happily accepts this embrace, arms circling my shoulders. "I love it," I tell her. "Thank you. I'll definitely bring it on cases with me. I can't ensure that anything I draw in it is good, but-"

"But you've got a pretty great teacher right here."

///

Amelia watches with an overly dramatic pout as I button up my jacket and put my scarf on, glancing out the window to check out bad the snow is. She crosses her arms over her chest as I put my messenger bag over my shoulder, making me laugh. "Don't make me feel even worse for leaving,"

"If I make you feel really bad, will you stay?" Amelia practically begs, even though she's already reaching for the doorknob. She knows I have work tomorrow and I have to be up early. She opens the door and then leans against the frame, still clearly not ready for me to depart.

"Hey, why don't you sleep in tomorrow? We don't need to meet up tomorrow morning. Get some extra sleep. It's almost midnight,"

Amelia's pout grows. "What? But what if you get a case? Then I won't see you for a few days, at least,"

"Then," I hadn't entirely thought this through because she totally has a point. WWDMD? I know exactly what Derek Morgan would do. Of all the times I’ve thought about Morgan today, I know exactly how he would respond in this situation. I reach out to grab her waist and pull her into a half hug, smiling, "then I'll make it up to you by taking you out on a proper date when I get back,"

Amelia's smile grows and she starts to nod. "That sounds like a plan," she goes up on her toes to kiss me but her lips only brush mine before pulling away again. "What if you don't get a case? Are you still gonna take me on a date?"

I put on a pensive face that makes her laugh. "I'll think about it," I press my lips to hers, unable to handle the short, torturous distance anymore. The kiss doesn’t last nearly as long as I want it to because we’re standing the hallway at midnight where anyone could catch us, letting the heat out, after a long day of making cookies and watching movies, and it’s absolutely freezing. So when we pull away, I have to will myself to not groan or grimace.

"Let me walk you out," Amelia hums, grabbing her keys before walking out with me. Our pinky's interlock as we walk down her apartment hallway, towards the door outside. "Will you text me when you get home? I just wanna make sure you get home safe," we stop in front of the door and she wraps her arms around my waist. "I know you're a fully capable FBI agent and all but it's late and I worry about that stuff,"

"Of course I will," I hug her tightly, pressing my lips to her cheek. "Thank you for inviting me over. I would've just been sitting alone and reading books all day without you,"

"Thanks for coming over," she echoes, pulling away from our ultra-warm hug and letting a chill run down her spine. "I would've watched movies alone all day. So thanks for being with me. I'll miss you tomorrow,"

"I will too, but I'll text you when I get home and I'll talk to you tomorrow to let you know if I get a case or not,"

"I'll be glued to my phone," Amelia winks at me, getting me to laugh one last time for the night. "Now go, before it gets even later."

“You go back to your apartment first. I know it’s right there but I, uh,” I glance behind her, down the dim hallway, “I worry about that stuff,”

Amelia smiles in the most smitten way I think I’ve ever seen, and for once, I think I’ve actually done something right. “Yeah, okay,” she nods, and she pushes herself up on her toes to kiss my cheek on more time. “Bye, Spencer. Merry Christmas,”

“Merry Christmas,” I echo, watching her scurry back to her apartment and unlock the door, stepping into the warmth. Her head pops out once more and she sends me a wave, blowing me a kiss before she disappears. The air I exhale reverberates off the wall and the smile on my face is undeniable, even as I dance on the cusp of frostbite during my walk home. A girl like that is mine? A girl like that who blows kisses and bakes cookies all day and cuddles during movies? She’s mine? Amelia is mine. She really is and as soon as that thought echoes in my head, a laugh escapes my lips. I must be the luckiest man alive.

  hello there! if you’re still reading here then please tell me your favorite snack!! plz im v hungry thank u sm okay here’s the taglist

 TAGLIST

@etheralgubler @babybobbybones @whollytaciturn @reidswords @thegingerfairchild @matthewreid @shrimpyblog @garcias-batcave @anamelessfacelessnerd @nastyhar @gublergirls @mandapanda8 

#spencer reid #dr spencer reid #criminal minds #criminal minds fic #matthew gray gubler #spencer reid fic #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid fanfiction #mgg #nikos north fic

[astridstark13]

All my lovely writer friends: I love your work. You are doing amazing.

@a-bau-tiful-mind @acciosnapes @actuallyspencerreid @bolontiku @buckyscrystalqueen @dontshootmespence @deviantconnorarmy @heycasbutt @ionlyreadfivebookslastweek @lady-kaaesien @lets-imaginerwby @malfycs @multifandomficsforyou @mmmatchasay @madlittlecriminal @my-personal-writing-wonderland @obviously-best-potions-master @another-snape-story @ouat-in-spare-oom-of-rivendell @rk800downloading @reid-187 @realmofthemind @sdavid09 @specialagentlokitty @severussnapeimagines @slytherinquill @sethrine-writes @whispering-moonlight @wilfords-pink-afro

If I have forgotten one of you: I am deeply sorry and still love you very much. Its just a huge amount of writers I follow and sometimes its difficult to remember every name.

[ajokeformur-ray]

Headcanons for a Criminal Minds and Death Note crossover?

Anonymous said: What would it be like if Spencer Reid met L? Could you maybe write something about how they meet? Not as a relationship or anything, more like how they would react to each other. Thanks!

Combining these bc they cover similar ground and I don’t wanna release repetitive content. Enjoy!!!

Death Note:  @amoureux-de-la-litterature  @cardboard-box-of-stuff  @xiumincancallmebabyanytime @hagridsbeasts @shingeki-no-julchen @miyakokurono @sanity-is-overratedxp @distressed-honking @my-aestheticdaydreams @phantom-fangirl-stuff

Criminal Minds: @sanity-is-overratedxp @cardboard-box-of-stuff @missingaim @miyakokurono @hyoomintypo

It would have to be a reaaaaaally rough case for the BAU to invite L over.

L is canonically able to speak multiple languages so a translator isn’t needed (he’d probably correct a translator).

Common courtesy decides for the team that Watari gets invited to, as a guest alongside L.

The only team members to really try to understand L on a personal level would probably be Hotch, Rossi and Spencer.

The others would work with him, of course, and Garcia would try (and fail) to get background on him: there’s nothing.

Many would find that suspicious but the team learn that L, especially, values his privacy like no other.

To answer a request within a request, I think Spencer and L would get on well and maybe even maintain a correspondence with each other beyond the case.

They would be the ones to solve the case together, spending hours puzzling over the smallest of details. 

L would solve the case because of something obscure that Spencer says, though most people would dismiss it as nonsensical ramblings.

They would have spent their first days on the case half working on the task at hand and half analysing each other somewhere in the back of their equally beautiful (BAU-tiful) and complicated minds.

Rates of cold cases, unsolved cases, etc. would go down on an international level, and serial killers would probably become an urban legend kind of thing; they never get past murder #2 before L and the BAU caught them.

They’d all have a lot of respect for each other and L would be an honourary BAU member and they are honoured guests if ever they holiday to Japan.

The BAU would be sworn to secrecy over L’s real identities though, for sure. 

#sacredwarrior88 #criminal minds #criminal minds imagine #death note #death note imagine

[pagetbrewsterfansite]

Emily Prentiss is a Very Smart & Capable Woman!

It's insulting to her to be portrayed as a bumbling idiot.

She is not dating hotchner nor jareau.

She deserves someone who understands & appreciates her & with whom she feels safe enough to be 100% herself always.

#paget brewster #criminal minds #emily prentiss #perfection #favourite #bau-tiful #wheels up #quotes #incredibly beautiful #insanely talented #hilarious #highly intelligent #capable

[stupiidgood]

“I want you. Right up against the window.” (from Hotch)

“I'm sorry--this window?”

Shawn makes a production out of laying one hand on the glass and then leaning against it, her eyes locked with Hotch’s the whole time.

Shawn smirks and shrugs one shoulder. “I don't see anything stopping you. But you do know it means people could see us, right?”

#//shawn deserves to get railed by her hot bf!!! #//but not without being a lil shit first because! thats her way! #theseourbodiesrp #🍍 bau tiful (aaron hotchner) #🍍 are you a fan of delicious flavor (asks)

[literallyprentissstwin]

Week 10: Monday, July 16th to Monday, July 23th 2018 

bonjour & welcome to this new reading list which is already the tenth one wooow. i´m really really sorry for the delay and i almost couldn´t post it today, but i managed to do so bc i needed distraction. 

so as always, i collected some of my fav fics :) please leave some love to the authors & give them feedback! 

enjoy! 

aileen xx 

1 - Big God by @lotus--writings 

oook wow. the angst was real. it had me shook. but it´s so good. it´s very well written and i loved reading it a lot. interesting plot as well! xx

2 - I Want to Tell You part 3 (Spencer Reid x Reader) by @spencerreidreads this story is really good and the perfect mix of everything. the end aka the convo with PG had me in tears. ooo and spence should finally make a move. well done xx

3 - Take Care of Yourself by @dontshootmespence 

ok, first of all: i never heard of stomach migraine before but they sound suck-y. spence is so caring and soft. i love him a lot. and i loved this fic xx 

4 - Caught Up in the Moment (Spencer Reid x Reader) by @a-bau-tiful-mind

 oooh god, this was perfect and the end was kind of unexpected. also, i can relate to that part about barnes lol. i love the team and spence and Y/N are cute af. great work xx

5 - What Does This Mean? by @spencer-is-too-perfect 

this is a reminder to myself to actually reread this story bc i only had the chance to slightly skim (?) it and i feel really really bad about this, but what i read about it so far sound SO GOOD. reid is just amazing. i def need to catch up on the whole story. 

6 - Infiltrated: Epilogue by @stunudo 

i´m actually so sad that this series is over bc it is so so good. you´re so freaking talented. i loved this epilogue a lot. i love and miss Hotch. i´m def gonna reread this series as often as i can and i can just highly recommend it. great work xx

7 - A Place to Call Home by @butsomeofusarelookingatthestars 

yes, my fav luke writer is back. i´ve missed u heaps. this story was a blessing. i love me some overprotective luke & i love that you integrated a men talk between Luke and Will. i think they have good friendship potentio (@ cm writers!!). this whole thing is perfect. i´m in love. 

8 - Article of Faith: Chapter 21, Chapter 22 by @dontshootmespence 

i seriously can never get enough of this series. it´s just so good and so different (good different!!!). it´s a masterpiece. also i´m living for this relationship billie and spence have. but i´m also curious to see what matt finds out. literally can´t wait for more. 

9 - Pancakes by @ionlyreadfivebookslastweek 

the beginning actually kind of broke my heart. like i felt so so bad. but i´m so happy everything turned out well in the end. yey for happy endings! 

10 - Redamancy: Pt. 10, Pt. 11, Pt. 12 by @xocriminal-minds-imaginesxo 

i´m so in LOVE with this istg. this series is life and i´m so happy that i came across it. i really don´t have enough words for it. all the plots each parts have are so different and good and cover all emotions. it´s perfect. great job xx 

11 - What Do I Do? by @gabriellewritermua 

i had the privilege to preread this story and i liked it from the very first second. it´s very well written and i loved the plot and the way the characters are written. well done! xx

12 - First Time Out by @dontshootmespence 

ok seriously??? how are people so creative with requests?  like teach me? this was so good and had me at the edge of my seat. a lot of suspense, my favv child Jack and a protective hotch. i mean can it get any better? i don´t think so. well done, nicole xx 

13 - I Will: Pt. 4, Pt.5 (Final) by @xocriminal-minds-imaginesxo  

again, another reminder to myself yall. i just discovered this multiparter and i really need to start at the beginning bc these two parts here got me hooked and i def need to check out all the previous parts yup. i love me some angst. 

14 - Tie My Heartstrings (Derek Morgan x Reader) by @spencerreidreads 

this story right here is an entry to my challenge, thank you for participating. :) yey, a derek morgan fic. my heart is already happy. but DEREK BOI WHAT ARE U DOING? like ugh, can i smack u? but then again, the ending was so cute i´m in love :)

15 - Smooth as a Bump in the Road by @dontshootmespence 

this was hilarious. i love spence so so much. he´s just so cute and i could hug him all day long. also, i miss his and derek´s friendship so much on the show. great work xx 

16 - The Best Job in the World - BAU x Reader by @curlsincriminology 

i loved everything about this story. EVERYTHING. i also loved JJ in this story like a whole lot, this little legend. perfect! well done x

17 - Talent >> Derek Morgan by @eideticreid 

woowza, another morgan fic. DAY MADE! this one was really good and the plot was really creative. you´re writing is so good, i´m jealous. 

18 - Sweet Lullaby by @tenaciousarcadeexpert 

aww, this one was soo soo soo cute. i def need to see more of matt and his family. this fic gave me life :) 

19 - the hardest goodbye´s are the ones we never get to say by @holoitsmeagaintoo 

this fic is also an entry to my challenge & also to you, thanks for participating :) so so so good. i loved it so much. it´s a really good way to integrate the prompt and the angst was there, i could feel it. well done xx 

20 - Just Us Now - Spencer Reid by @bookofreid 

oh god, Dad!Reid. ily. tho this plot was so so sad :( but i love their dynamic and now i want the writers to give this man a damn child. 

21 - Similar by @spncmshsvu 

okay, wow...wow. this was heavy angst, but i loved reading it. like holy cow, i don´t know what else to say except that i´m speechless and that this story was really well done and that you´re super talented.

22 - Movie Night by @xocriminal-minds-imaginesxo 

another reminder to myself yey. this story seem to be pretty awesome and i´m sorry i hadn´t have time to really read it. so consider this a reminder to myself for reading it asap. i bet it´s great :) 

23 - rubix. by @uncomfie  

yes, my fav derek morgan writer on earth is back. this is pure perfection. seriously, how are you so talented? i loved it a lot but you probably could already guess so. ilysm  <3 

24 - I´m Still Scared by @dontshootmespence 

this had me at the edge of my seat. also, my fav genius worries too much. the middle of the fic was quite a shocker but i´m super happy that everything ended up being good. 

25 - Graduate With The Truth II Spencer Reid by @alittlelessthanacirclefics

 i´m in love omg. emma and spence are perfect omg. also the end!!!! i´m in love...great work! xx

26 - She´s a secret by @docspencerreid 

another entry for my challenge! thank you for participating! omg this plottwist was so unexpected like seriously. the angst is real. this was so good well done. the end had me shook. maybe do a part two? 

27 - Morality Above All by @dontshootmespence 

ok seriously? please tell me that this isn´t stilla topic today, bc if so, i have no words. JJ was super badass and i miss hers and hotchs dynamic so much. really good story and very well written! 

28 - Roles Reversed by @ionlyreadfivebookslastweek 

this was funny bc i never expected derek morgan to ask spencer reid for relationship advice. this was everyting. 

29 - Cold Nights by @xocriminal-minds-imaginesxo 

a derek morgan fic, i´m in love. he is so underrated. and this story was so good and i loved it with all my stone cold heart! 

30 - Even You Can´t Save Everyone by @stunudo 

yey, another entry for my challenge! thanks for participating! but why don´t you just stab me in my face? like really. first of all. thanks again for participationg. i´m glad you were a part of this, bc tbh you´re one of my inspo´s on here. beyond that, this fic was perfect. the angst. i feel blessed. well done. 

31 - Familiar Strangers by @illegalcerebral

idk why but tumblr is still being a d** when it comes to those parts of this series. like i was damn sure i saw it in my notes, but it is gone AGAIN: @ tumblr: please fix yourself. so as a matter of fact that i need a lot of catching up bc this series deserves the world and i need to read this bc ELLE <333333 i tagged the whole masterlist so i can reread everything. guys, please read this fic! it´s amazing! 

32 - Second Chance: Part 6 by @docspencerreid

and another remind to me, bc i need to catch up on a lot of parts of this story. but nevertheless it deserves a spot on here. go check it out and give her some feedback bc this story is great! 

so this was last weeks reading list. i really hope you liked it. don´t forget to leave some love and feedback to the authors. see you all next sunday :) (hopefully)

#aileen´s reading list #week 10 #spread positivity #fandom #love #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #too much talent on this list

[shamelessfandomcollector]

Spencer Reid

Personal favourites are bold

Imagines:

Linger

It’s Not What It Looks Like

Paramour & Prose

Strand By Strand

Ten Ways To Say ‘I Love You’

by dearspencerreid

Never Enough Cookies

The Perfect Gift (high school AU)

by dontshootmespence

Happy New Year

by maruwrites

Sensibilities

Experience

Cold

No

Dangerous Woman

by theunholygrails

We Exist Now, Together

In the Library

The Art of Romantic Tropes

Office Hours + What I Go to School For

It’s My Destiny to Be Yours

by reidlings

Meeting the Team

by silentwaters4

I Didn’t Say That

by bookofreid

Dance Partner

by thelovelylittlestorythatcould

Cute-cumber

by captainreid

Dream a Little Dream

by criminal-minds-fanfiction

Please Don’t Tell Anyone

Coffee?

Famous - Part 1 - Part 2

by fandom-what-ifs

Are You Blushing?

Treat You Better

Second Opinion

Up To Something

Locked In

Geeky Dudeoir

The Sweet Heist

Are You Sure About That?

by give-me-a-moose

Five Times Spencer Reid Got Relationship Advice, and the One Time He Didn’t Need It

What, Did You Join a Boy Band?

Caught

by a-bau-tiful-mind

Oh, Spencer Took That One...

by wonderboygenius

Accidental Confession

Older Reid/Younger Reader

Put Your Needs First 

by hisirishsoufflegirl

Unexpected Cheer

Speed Reader

by mentallydatingspencerreid

Headcanons:

the first time you call him ‘baby’

by dearspencerreid

reader is a youtuber 

by daryldamnson

#spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid headcanon #spencer reid headcanons #spencer reid fic #spencer reid fanfic

[dontshootmespence]

Cast your mutuals as cm episodes

Okay this was hard and took forever. Also it goes by the seasons (and MY fav episodes) instead of by mutuals so here we go.

First episode that came to mind was L.D.S.K. and that one goes with @veroinnumera because LDSK was arguably one of the best episodes of season 1, like just totally skilled and amazing, kind of like one of my many talented tumblr children who only recently started writing fanfic, but is amazing at it. :D

Next episode if Riding the Lightning, and I love the episode because it’s not a usual CM formula episode, kind of like @phoenix-transcending who always writes outside the box ;)

The Fisher King Part 2 is one of my fav openers of a season and one of the first people to inspire me to write fic was @bookofreid

Sex, Birth, Death is arguably one of the most gut-wrenching episodes not involving the team. It’s early on in the series and absolutely brilliant, also like @criminal-minds-fanfiction one of the CM fandom’s angst queens.

Jones is the first episode we meet William LaMontagne Jr. and due to my continuing conversation with @rmmalta that JJ and Will are meant for each other and not someone else on the team, I have to pair the two.

Seven Seconds, the episode in the mall, is one that always has my heart in my throat no matter how many times I see it and similarly, my wifey @remember-me-forever-silent-angel‘s writing always has me on the edge of my seat and wanting to vom (in a good way :D)

Taz @ilikepipecleanerswitheyes has an amazing URL that i might cry if she ever changed and I must give her the episode the URL comes from, Season 3 episode 7, Identity.

One of my more recent mutuals, the lovely @bitchinprentiss is a super Reidiss fan, which means that I must give her one of the best episodes for the two of them, Minimal Loss.

Demonology is a very Emily-centric episode and I think that means I gotta give that to my babe @prentissluthor.

Amplification might be one of my fav episodes in the entire series, and someone who is equally brilliant is @illegalcerebral.

Someone’s fics that always make me cry because they are so amazing is @spencerthepipecleaner and that means I gotta give her the episode that always makes me cry, 100.

Mosley Lane was the first episode directed by the babe MGG so that one goes to @spencereidings.

JJ (episode lol) has to go to the super JJ fangirl @marvelfanlife.

I love the episode Coda because of the super amazingness that is Spencer with children. It is bursting with adorable. Kind of like @princesswagger14.

Another Emily heavy episode is Lauren, which I have to give to our very own Emily @criminal-navy-writings.

I’m gonna give my babe @comehealinmyarms Dorado falls because it’s an amazing episode and has awesome Emily x Morgan moments.

Snake Eyes is a very sexy episode and someone who has written some seriously sexy fics is @spencerdamnreid.

Profiling 101 is a fantastic episode where the team teaches a class about profiling, and someone who I believe is an amazing example of how to write amazing fics is @stunudo.

Hit and Run are episodes that always give me the feels and someone whose fics give me all the feels is @sapphicpage.

The Wheels on the Bus is a fav episode of mine and for some reason @static-001 is calling out to me in association with it.

I cannot explain why but Zugzwang makes me want to pair it with @kalie-bee.

#6 is an episode where I didn’t see the ending coming and someone who’s written fic like that (at least to me) is @ubdqwriting.

The Replicator is an episode I always go back to and someone who’s fics I always go back to when I’m in need of inspiration is @livingtheobsessedlife / @ssa-avenger because she was the impetus for me starting to write my own fic.

Route 66 is the episode where Hotch’s stab wounds from Foyet come back to haunt him. It has an awesome dreamlike quality which I associate with @dearspencerreid.

Hannah @reiding-and-writing is the sunshine of the CM fandom and that means I have to pair her with a very heavy Penelope Garcia episode, The Black Queen.

The lovely @imagicana is another JJ superfan so I gotta pair her with 200.

The episode Gabby, where the little girl goes missing, really hits me in the feels and that’s making me think @captainreid.

Someone who always puts a smile on my face is @original-criminal-fanfics and an episode that always makes me laugh and puts a smile on my face is Rabid, where Spencer and Penelope have their fitness test.

Angels and Demons is the last we see of the lovely Alex Blake and LOKI i can’t tag you! 

If the Shoe Fits is the Cinderella inspired episode, and although her AU is Beauty and the Beast and not Cinderella, it makes me think of @beautiful-bau-beau.

I gotta give @k8callahan Nelson’s Sparrow because it’s when one of her “FAVORITE” characters bits the bullet.

The lovely @b-a-u-tiful makes me think of Mr. Scratch because it’s an awesome later episode and she is one of my more recent mutuals.

@spxcxrrxid I don’t know why you make me think of A Beautiful Disaster but it’s what happened lol.

The Crimson King is the debut ep for Luke! And someone who writes amazing Luke fic is @lookwhatyoumademequeue.

@wonderboygenius you make me think of Taboo another Luke centric episode!

THAT WAS HARD! I’m sorry if I forgot anyone I suck balls. :D

[a-bau-tiful-mind]

Caught Up in the Moment (Spencer Reid x Reader)

Hello everyone! I am finally crawling out of the hole I was in for personal reasons with some new stories! I am working on old requests that are still in the inbox. As a token of my appreciation for continuing to follow and support my work despite me being MIA, requests are open again and are currently being filled! I’m going to try and fill three a day! Anon’s prompt is “the reader knows spencer likes her but she's never thought of him like that until one day the had to go get files and spencer kisses her in the moment the he freaks out because he knows she doesn't like him but she's just like let me try something and kisses him and she feels a spark and the she asks him out.” Unbeta’d! Spencer Reid x  Reader Fluff

“You know, I think you guys would be cute,” Emily said, trying to convince you for the umpteenth time to ask Spencer out. You, JJ, and Em were the first ones at the BAU today and congregated into the break room.

“Em, he’s a co-worker and one of my very good friends, I just don’t see it happening.” You’ve told her and the other girls this thousands of times. They were hellbent on you and Spencer dating and the idea of it left you feeling weird. Spencer was clearly attractive and you both got along very well, but you knew you were better as friends.

“You should see the way he talks about you when you’re not around. He has such a crush on you, it’s so sweet.” Jennifer said, sipping from her mug.

“If that’s true, it’s just a crush. It’ll go away. He will have no problem finding someone amazing.” You meant that, too. Spencer was a fantastic guy who deserved the world, you just weren’t the girl that could give it to him. 

“And what about you? Don’t you want to find someone amazing?” JJ pressed. It never really was on the forefront of your mind. You loved your job, your friends, your dog - you didn’t need anything else at the moment.

“When the time is right.” You immediately wanted this conversation to end. It didn’t help that Emily was seeing a guy now, leaving you and Spencer the only single ones on the team. You understood why they wanted you two together, it would package up the BAU family picture so nicely. “I’m going to go get started on the paperwork from last night. I’ll be at my desk if you need me.”

At around noon the entire team had been getting work done and everyone besides you, Spencer, and Emily went off to grab lunch. You were catching up on emails when Prentiss walked out of her office, “Y/N, Spencer, could you guys go to the record room and find the DNA match records for the case I sent to your tablets. Our guy is up for retrial.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Spencer said, picking up the iPad and pushing in his chair. “Ready, Y/N?” You followed him to the elevator and descended to where all files were store. You climbed the step ladder and pulled down boxes concerning the case, handing them to Spencer.

“Not too bad,” You joked looking at the seven full boxes of documents.

Spencer chuckled, “Yeah, I say about an hour tops.” He was clearly kidding, even with his speed-reading abilities this was a heavy task.

“For you, maybe. I’ll be here until next week,” You couldn’t withhold the groan from your voice. The last thing you wanted was to be holed up in the quiet, boring room. Spencer was usually good company but he wasn’t necessarily social while focused on a task.

The boxes were a complete mess, there was no sort of organization to them; just  manila folders as far as the eye could see. About two hours in, you couldn’t contain your frustration anymore wanting to know who to blame for your headache, “Who the hell went through these last?”

“Barnes.” Spencer smirked, knowing how you felt about her.

“I swear that woman was sent to earth to ruin my life,” You murmured mostly to yourself as you scanned through yet another folder of incessant details. “This is hopeless.” “It’s here somewhere, don’t worry.” Spencer said, smiling at you sympathetically.

You guys fell back into your groove and the minutes kept ticking by. Another hour in Emily came down to bring you food and coffee, “I’m sorry, guys. I know this isn’t how you wanted to spend your Monday. I promise once I’m done signing off on the latest case I’ll be down here to help.”

“We’re almost done,” Spencer explained, “It’s got to be in one of those last two boxes.”

Twenty minutes later you were finishing up your second to last box and you were very close to losing your mind. Just as you started to worry that the DNA match was gone, you opened the folder and your eyes widened and you squealed, “Spence!”

“You found it?” He asked, excited to be done with file-flipping.

“YES!” You jumped up and down, celebrating the small victory. Once you came back down to earth you noticed Spencer had gotten up too, smiling at you but his eyes were intense. You suddenly felt really self-conscious, “What?”

Before you could get your answer, his hand slid behind your neck, tilting your head up towards him and his lips were on yours. Your eyes widened at the bold gesture and you were so caught off guard you couldn’t really react.

Spencer broke the kiss and you could see him retreat back into himself, his cheeks bright red with embarrassment. He looked down at his feet, “Y/N, I am so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. That was so inappropriate. I just have had feelings for you for so long and now I’ve ruined everything. Can we please forget that just happened? I’m really sorry.”

You saw how genuinely sorry and nervous he felt and wanted to fix it, then you got an idea. You put a gentle hand on his face, feeling the heat of his blush, “Hey,” you said softly, careful to not to make him anymore anxious, “Can I try something?”

When he finally got the nerve to look up at you, you copied his movements and kissed him again. You were pleasantly surprised with how good it felt, your lips tingled with a spark. When you broke apart yet again, Spencer rested his forehead against yours. You smiled up at him and said, “Want to go out sometime?”

“More than anything in the world.”

#criminal minds fanfic #Criminal Minds Fanfiction #criminal minds fluff #spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #dr spencer reid #criminal minds imagine #spencer reid one shot #criminal minds one shot #spencer reid fluff #criminal minds drabble #spencer reid drabble #spencer reid x reader #criminal minds reader insert #criminal minds x reader #spencer reid x you #request #a-bau-tiful-mind