I DO NO OWN CRIMINAL MINDS OR THE CHARACTERS FROM THE SHOW.
Authors Note: I know the time line with Henry's birth and Rossi's arrival is a little off but I slightly changed for story purposes.
Written for Flamegirl22 for the Christmas gift exchange, my pairing is Rossi/Reid and my prompts are Christmas tree, snow, sugar cookies and Where Are You, Christmas.
Christmas had never been a big deal for Spencer Reid.
Growing up with no father and a mother that refused to celebrate what she saw as a government plot to force increase spending on an already over-taxed economy. Spencer never had Santa Claus or the birth of Christ as a focus for this time of year. His mother refused to fuel a belief in either entity focusing only on her own increasing paranoia and determination to keep her only child from either view. While other children in his elementary classes were excited and joyful looking forward to Christmas plays, programs and presents, Spencer kept to himself. He had learned the hard way not to share his knowledge regarding the holidays with other children in his school. Too many parents had complained of their children crying over Spencer's matter of fact way of letting them know Santa did not exist. As time went on, Spencer just kept his thoughts quiet and let them have their joy.
He envied them.
He did get presents from his mom and dad for a while, until his dad left and his mom stopped remembering to buy them. He never received a single present from the time he was nine until Ethan bought him one the last Christmas before he left the FBI training facility.
Since joining the BAU, Spencer had been introduced to the many delights that he had envied as a child. The whole team of people he had worked with had played a part in bringing joy to the season especially Penelope and JJ. Christmas had become something to look forward to for Spencer and Henry had made it what it was always meant to be. Henry had given his analytical mind a reason to believe in Santa and Jesus and though he wouldn't admit it to his teammates, he was rather happy with the change.
It wasn't until David Rossi had come back from retirement that Spencer met someone that was even more disenchanted with Christmas. Rossi's reasons had to do with a case involving kids. The case had caused him to associate Christmas with sadness and until a recent resolution he had been haunted by a killer being free.
Spencer was by no means the right person for the job but he had decided to return the favor bestowed on him. He was going to bring Christmas joy back to David Rossi.
He knew it would probably be comical to anyone who knew him and he could almost hear the peals of laughter in his head already. But the team, his family had made it special for him and he wanted to do the same for Rossi.
The problem was he had no idea what to do.
How does a socially awkward man who didn't have Christmas until he was twenty-one bring Christmas to a fifty-eight year old cynic? He could cheat and ask Garcia but Spencer knew if he did that she would take over and this was something he wanted to do himself.
Besides he wasn't sure Rossi could survive a Garcia Christmas just yet.
The two weeks since Reid had decided to take on the 'Rossi Christmas Project' had been
disastrous. Every plan he came up with fell through, every idea he had refused to work out and Reid was on the verge of calling the whole thing off. At this rate not only would Rossi not get any joy from the day but Reid was afraid he was destroying his own holiday as well.
Reid baked sugar cookies and left them on Rossi's desk only to have Garcia see the less than perfect treat causing her to throw them out and replace with her own. Sure hers were pretty and tasted better but Spencer had worked hard to make those cookies from scratch. It took six batches to get one batch just right only to find them in trash.
Next he decorated Rossi's office with a small Christmas tree covered in blinking colored lights and purple garland only to find the tree moved to the break room after lunch. Rossi had smiled, said thanks and asked JJ if she minded picking up some white lights and silver tinsel to make a tree more appropriate for his office décor. Morgan had laughed at the purple garland. Reid had been hurt but hid it well, after all he wanted Rossi to be happy and if he were happier with the elegant tree instead of Reid's creation then Reid understood.
Spencer then bought him a CD with his favorite song Christmas song, 'Where Are You Christmas'. He found the CD on his desk the next day with a note thanking him for the loan and letting him know Hotch and Prentiss had pick up some classical and jazz Christmas songs and he was welcome to borrow them if he was interested. Reid was devastated but again hid it, even going so far as to laugh with Morgan and Emily when they teased him.
Inside he felt left out all over again, just as he had as a child. With each 'improved' gift and each laugh at his effort, Spencer felt rejected. He began to grow quiet, withdrawn. It was several days later that it began to snow. Reid didn't like the cold but he did like snow and watching the fat flakes falling outside the window brought back a spark of happiness to the young genius. When lunch time rolled around and everyone was getting ready to order, Reid told them he had already had plans. Ignoring the questioning look, he quickly gathered his coat and scarf and made his way to the elevator.
Rossi was watching from the railing outside his door as Reid exited the bullpen. He had noticed the change in Reid's behavior over the last several days and had been on his way down to talk to the young man. Watching the change in Reid's face as he caught sight of the snow made Rossi realize maybe he already knew the problem.
Rossi hadn't been a big fan of Christmas for a while now but the little things Reid had been doing had brought back some long forgotten memories of why he used to enjoy this time of year. True, Reid's taste ran differently from his own and Reid was no Betty Crocker in the baking department but Rossi was touched by each effort. The problem was he didn't show his appreciation and until now he didn't realize how his behavior might have come across to the insecure, young doctor. It was time to change that.
Excusing himself from the lunch plans, Rossi headed for the elevator and began to search for Reid. The snow was falling rather quickly and a light layer had dusted the sidewalk and parking lot. It wasn't hard to see the footsteps leading toward a local coffee shop around the corner from FBI headquarters. Reid was sitting on a bench outside drinking a cup of coffee and watching the snow fall with a small smile on his face. It was the most relaxed and happy Rossi had seen the young man in the last week and he was hit with a pang of guilt for his part in causing Reid's upset.
Rossi walked into the coffee shop without Reid's notice but kept his eyes on him while waiting for his order so that he wouldn't lose track of him if the kid decided to leave. For the first time in a long time Rossi felt the stirrings of what Christmas could be as he watched the enchanted look on Reid's face. Reid was young and looked even younger but in that moment on the bench in the snow Rossi could see what Spencer as a child would look like and his mind drifted back to his own baby boy, James David. The child he never got to know, the child none of them knew had ever existed. Would his child have found so much joy in something as simple as snow? It made Rossi want to wrap his arms around Reid and protect him from all the bad, hurtful things in the world.
Rossi took the coffee from the barista and walked outside, slowly making his way to the bench sitting down beside Reid. Reid turned his head, eyes growing wide as he saw Rossi but quickly turned his face forward and lowered his eyes to the cup in his hands. The quiet went on for a while until Rossi cleared his throat startling the young man and bringing his eyes back to Rossi's face.
The uneasy look on Reid's face nearly broke Rossi's heart as he knew he was partly to blame for putting it there. With a sigh, Rossi started to talk. He told Reid about how the children on the long ago case had made Christmas hard for him to enjoy, he told him of his mother's love of the holiday and how losing her made the holidays difficult and finally he told him of the child he had loved and lost and only got to hold one time. Reid listened without saying a word and sensing Rossi's struggle to share kept his eyes forward watching the snow as it slowly covered the sidewalk in front of them.
When Rossi had finished speaking the quiet stretched between them but it was a comfortable, easy silence broken only by the far off sounds of Christmas bells at a distant church. A quick glance at his watch showed Rossi that the lunch hour was almost up so he rose from the bench, tossing his empty cup into a nearby trash can. Reid threw his empty cup away as well and pulling his coat closer to his slim body followed beside him.
Not a word was spoken between them as they walked back nor when they rode the elevator to their floor. The remainder of the team glanced at the two as they each returned to their work area noticing the quiet but not sensing any discourse. The afternoon passed quietly and Reid found himself lost in thought as his eyes kept returning to the falling snow outside the BAU windows. As closing time inched closer Reid gathered his paperwork together and delivered it to Hotch. As he exited Hotch's office instead of heading back downstairs he continued his walk stopping outside Rossi's open door knocking softly. A quick glance up showed Rossi who was at the door and he quietly invited Reid inside and waited for him to speak. After a brief pause, Reid asked Rossi if he had any plans for Christmas dinner next week. Quickly letting him know that he wouldn't be cooking but that he had a standing order at a local diner close to his apartment and it would be plenty of food for two if he was interested.
Rossi watched the hopeful look on the kids face and found he was unable to say no. The happy smile that lit up Reid's face filled his heart and he couldn't stop the answering smile that covered his own. Reid gave a quick wave as he backed out of the office and headed back downstairs, he had a lot of planning to do for Christmas dinner with Rossi.
Christmas was a big deal for Spencer Reid.