Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal minds just having fun with the characters ...
Author's Note: Time is running out to cast your vote in the Profiler's Choice Criminal Minds Award at the Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum. Voting ends on November 30th and there are plenty of good stories that could use your vote. Contest is ran by ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969 and they can be contacted for questions by sending a PM to Profiler's Choice CM Awards. Hope you take the time to read the stories that earned a nomination (including a few of mine).
On a more personal note, this story is my first attempt at Hotch/Reid slash. Not something I normally write but this story idea just wouldn't leave me alone. There are some sexual themes mentioned in the story and adult language/innuendos so considered yourself warned. There isn't anything graphic though. Please review and let me know what you think.
Sharing a room in a hotel usually wasn't much of an issue, given that they could get rooms with two beds. Here in Alaska, there weren't many lodging options and they had to take what they could get - which in this case meant seven team members split among four rooms. Rooms with a single queen size bed. As Aaron Hotchner propped a pillow up against the headboard on one side of the bed and settled back against it, case file in hand, he wondered how the others were making out.
After Morgan's 'I'm not sleeping with Reid' comment, which Hotch could see had troubled the younger agent, Garcia had paired herself with Morgan. The idea troubled Hotch a bit, given the tendency that those two had to border on inappropriate workplace behavior, but he trusted them to keep things professional. JJ and Emily had naturally paired off, leaving two rooms to divide between him, Reid, and Rossi. Given his status as unit chief Hotch could easily have taken a room by himself and paired Reid and Rossi up, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to do that to the young genius. As for sharing a room with Dave that wasn't exactly high on his list of things to do because the older agent snored so loudly it was almost impossible for him to get any sleep. Hotch doubted the earmuffs he had brought along in case he needed them would even drown the sound out enough.
So, Dave had gotten the room to himself which left Reid rooming with him, which worried Hotch because of the feelings he had been harboring about the young man. It wasn't that he was surprised that he found Spencer Reid sexually attractive. Hotch had long ago personally accepted his bisexual status. He was able to admire the sexual attributes of both sexes, something that no one else he currently knew was aware of now that Haley was gone. Haley use to joke that she was probably the only wife who could make a comment about a football player having a nice butt and have her husband agree with her. In fact, Haley had accused him on more than one occasion of staring a bit too much at the young genius and wanted to know if she should consider Spencer Reid competition.
~Which probably only fueled her dislike of my job so much as it probably wasn't just the long hours but the wondering if I was thinking more about Reid than her while on cases.~
But he had loved Haley, and though he couldn't deny that he looked and admired other people's qualities, it had never gone further than that while she was alive. Since Haley's death though, once he had gotten past the grief of losing her, he had found himself studying Reid more and more. He loved the innocence expressions that still graced the genius' porcelain face despite the horrors he had seen on this job. Loved seeing the thoughtful looks as Reid pondered the latest puzzle. Loved to hear the verbal rambles that he so easily started going on myriads of topics, and hated when he felt his position required him to put a stop to them. Hotch found himself wondering what the touch of Reid's fingers would feel like on his own body as the unit chief watched him go through a file. Found it harder and harder to tear his eyes away from the lithe body of his youngest agent when Reid walked.
Hotch couldn't ignore the sensations that the thoughts about Reid were causing in his own body, causing the boxers and sweat pants that he wore to start feeling a bit less roomy. ~And here I am worrying about how Morgan and Garcia will conduct themselves, ~ Hotch thought, trying to banish the inappropriate thoughts about his subordinate out of his mind which made him realize another drawback to sharing a room - taking a cold shower to curb his body's reactions would draw undue attention as he had already taken a shower before changing into the sweats and long sleeve shirt he was wearing to bed.
Trying to focus on the file in front of him, Hotch tried to banish thoughts of Spencer Reid from his mind. The attempt was successful until the click of a door caused him to look up. He found himself staring as Reid stepped out of the bathroom clad in red and black flannel lounge pants and a white T-shirt that seemed too big for the slender frame. Absently, Hotch ran his tongue across his lower lip, unable to look away as Reid nervously walked toward the bed.
"Is everything okay?" Reid asked, his voice revealing the uneasiness he was feeling. An uneasiness that was only being made worse by the fact that his boss was staring at him.
"What?" Hotch asked, the sound of Reid's voice bringing him out of his own thoughts. "No. Nothing is wrong," he added quickly when he realized that his staring had prompted the question.
Looking unconvinced, Reid continued toward the bed. With a sigh, Hotch closed the file. There was no way he was going to be able to concentrate on it tonight, not with Reid beside him on the bed.
"We should probably try getting right to sleep. I want to get an early start in the morning," Hotch said, trying to keep his tone of voice businesslike.
Reid merely nodded as he approached the bed. Having tossed the file onto the night stand beside the bed, Hotch grabbed the pillow and laid it flat. Turning off his lamp, he slid down in the bed and got settled pulling the blanket and comforter up over him. As he was staring up at the ceiling to avoid being caught staring at Reid again, the only way Hotch knew Reid had climbed into the bed was the movement his weight made with the mattress. He expected to feel some shifting as Reid made himself comfortable, but instead things were still. The other thing he noticed was that the younger agent hadn't turned out the lamp on his side of the bed.
"Um, Reid, are you going to turn out the lamp?"
"Is it bothering you?" Reid asked, almost timidly.
"Well the only time I sleep with a lamp on is when Jack is in the room with me because he's afraid the monsters will get him in the dark."
"Sorry," Reid said.
Hotch could swear he heard a tremble in the one word reply and silently cursed himself at mentioning Jack. He recalled hearing Reid mention to Morgan and JJ that he was afraid of the dark on one occasion. Hotch briefly considered telling him not to worry about it, when the room was plunged into darkness. Figuring that further mention of it would probably only make the situation worse, Hotch remained silent. As he usually slept on his side, Hotch turned over and tried to find another comfortable position, his fingers brushing some part of Reid's clothed body as he did so.
He heard another whispered 'sorry' from his roommate despite it wasn't his fault. He felt Reid shift in the bed. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the small shadow of the younger man as Reid tried to hug the edge of the bed. It was also then that he noticed that Reid wasn't using any of the blankets.
Sighing, Hotch sat up, and untucking the comforter from his side of the bed, draped it over top of the younger man. It didn't take a profiler to see that Reid was uncomfortable with the sleeping arrangements and Hotch wondered if he shouldn't have braved rooming with Rossi for Reid's sake.
Not knowing what he could do about the situation at this point, Hotch settled back down in the bed. He was just drifting to sleep when a thud followed by a cry of pain brought him back awake. Turning in the bed, he saw the other side of the bed now empty. Glancing around, he didn't see any shadows that could be Reid but he did hear movement coming from the floor. Crawling across the bed, and turning on the lamp, Hotch peered over the side of the bed to find Reid, tangled in the comforter, trying to sit up on the floor.
Trying not to laugh at the comical sight, Hotch asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Guess I was closer to the edge than I thought."
"You think?" Hotch commented lightly. "You know, contrary to what others at the bureau say, I don't bite," the unit chief commented.
"That's a shame."
The words were said so softly that Hotch would have chalked them up to his own imagination if it wasn't for the deep shade of pink that Reid's pale features began to take on. Hotch could feel the smile that came to his face at the thought that Reid might possibly have feelings for him as well. Knowing there was one way to find out, and that it was a big risk, Hotch decided to take the chance. Inching close to the side of the bed, Hotch reached out with one hand to cup Reid's chin. The touch of Reid's skin beneath his fingertips had the slight roughness of facial hair trying to make itself known once again. Knowing that what he was about to do could result in the loss of his badge if Strauss found out or he was reading Reid wrong, Hotch still leaned over and pressed his lips against Reid's.
Hotch had just enough time to register the thought of how soft Reid's lips were when he felt the pressure against his own lips increase as the young doctor returned the kiss. As Hotch felt the younger man's tongue press against his lips, he opened his mouth to allow Reid's tongue entry. All thoughts of how wrong this action was due to their work relation went right out the window as Hotch loss himself in the taste of Reid's lips. Once again, Hotch could feel his boxers feeling a bit tighter as he let go of Reid's chin and let his fingers find their way into the wavy locks of the younger agent.
Finally, the two broke the kiss, both men feeling desperate for air. Sliding back from the edge of the bed, Hotch smiled at Reid, "the bed is much more comfortable than the floor," he told him slightly.
Reid looked up at him for a few moments looking like he didn't know whether to climb up into the bed or flee the room. Hotch patted the bed next to him, and slowly Reid untangled himself from the comforter and stood up. Hotch laid down, resting his head on his pillow, as Reid threw the comforter up onto the bed and climbed in beside Hotch. The older man threw the blanket he was using over the younger man and then sat up, reaching for the comforter to spread it out. As Reid turned the lamp back off, Hotch laid back down. Waiting only long enough for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, once he could make out the outline of Reid's figure as the younger man tried to get comfortable, once again favoring the edge of the bed, Hotch reached out and gathered the younger man in his arms. He could feel the tenseness in the genius' body, though his action met no physical resistence.
"What are you doing?" Reid asked softly, his head resting on his unit chief's shoulder.
"I just want to make sure you don't fall out of the bed again," Hotch told him lightly wrapping his arms around the younger man.
"I'm not sure this is the best idea," Reid said nervously.
Hotch felt disappointment at the words. He had thought Reid felt the same way as he did but perhaps he had been wrong. "I'm sorry. I just thought the kiss meant something . . . " he said releasing his hold on the younger man.
"It did! It does!" Reid said quickly. "But what about work? If Strauss found out . . . "
"Screw Strauss," Hotch replied.
"She's not really my type," Reid replied, the quick witty remark surprising Hotch who was use to seeing certain social cues going over the young man's head. He was still using Hotch's shoulder as his pillow despite the older man no longer having his arms around him. Reaching out, he pulled Hotch's arm back across his body. "If you feel that way though, I don't mind having your arms around me. You can practice keeping the monsters at bay for Jack."
Hotch applied slight pressure with the arm that Reid had pulled back across his body and then wrapped his other arm up and around the slight frame too.
"I know we're crossing professional boundaries here, Spencer," he said softly, the younger man's first name rolling effortlessly off his tongue, "but right now I don't care about that. Tonight, I just want to hold you in my arms."
"And tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow, we 'll both be professionals and do our jobs as we always do and solve this case. Then, when we get home you and I need to talk about this and decide what we want to do."
"I can live with that arrangement," Reid said softly, snuggling closer to Hotch as he closed his eyes.
Hotch lifted his head from his pillow and pressed a kiss to the top of Reid's head. There was no doubt about it, they had crossed professional lines tonight but for once in his career, Hotch didn't care about the job. What he cared about was the younger man he had wrapped in his arms. He had let the job destroy a great love once before, and he would be damned if he would let that happen again. Not that he wanted to give up his career, but if that was what it took to keep Spencer Reid in his life in this capacity then so be it.
Yes, they would talk when they got home but Hotch would make sure that Reid knew that there were only two things that he cared about; his son and showing Spencer just how much he loved him.