Hotch and Morgan sit with the rest of the football team at lunch. That's just how it was. It's not as if they had anyone else to sit with or anywhere else to go. Most of the guys were alright. Some more than other. All more than Shawn. Shawn was the type of guy that gave jocks a bad name.
There were certain perks that came with the status. They were invited to all of the best parties. They could be with almost any girl of their choice. No expense was spared if they needed tutoring. And it was all of these things that made students of lesser social value try to please them. So, when someone like Shawn was paired up with a tutor like Reid, who felt his envy by feeling wonderment, it was all too easy to bend him into what Shawn wanted.
Reid was the smartest student at their high school, hands down. He was also the youngest and one of the weirdest. He'd been attending high school with Hotch and Morgan and Shawn for two years and in that time Hotch can't remember seeing him with anyone unless he was tutoring them. He didn't sit with anyone at lunch, choosing to sit i the library by his self. Never hung out with anyone. Even the one time Hotch had seen him out of school at the grocery store, the young man was alone buying bare necessities.
He'd considered speaking with the young man. He knew Morgan had as well. It had been a topic of conversation between them. But that was all before Shawn had a hold on him. Shawn's parents had offered to pay Reid to tutor him and the young teen had accepted. Shawn would compliment Reid on his appearance or his socks. Things that would make the younger man blush. Things no one had ever said to him before.
But Shawn was not a kind master. He'd convinced Reid that he must call him sir by playing on the boy's manners. "Come eat lunch with us," Shawn says to Reid. He's holding the small man's wrist in his tight fist. "Oh, no, I... I have a project to work on. In the library," he stammers. Reid is pretty sure that someone like him would only be invited to the jock's table if something bad was going to happen.
Shawn grabs his throat while he's still thinking and looks him in the eyes. "Sit with me," he commands. Spencer swallows and nods his head. Shawn lets go and motions for Spencer to sit. He is seated between Hotch and Shawn. "Gentlemen, Reid is going to join us for lunch. Isn't that charitable of us?" Shawn says. Some of the guys laugh. Spencer hasn't any food with him so he sits quietly and looks at the table. His hands rest in his lap.
"Are you hungry?" Hotch asks. "I don't mind sharing," he adds. Derek voices his agreement with that. Spencer looks surprised and then skeptical. What were they playing at? "It's alright. I'm not very hungry," Reid says softly. Morgan offers him a sandwich and Hotch hands him an apple. "It's peanut butter. I think the jam is strawberry. My mom makes it herself," Morgan says.
Spencer looks the sandwich over before taking a small bite. "Mm, it is strawberry," Spencer says. Morgan offers him a giant, bright smile. "Did you know that many Australian people don't eat peanut butter with jam? When offered, they will reject the idea as being disgusting." Hotch and Morgan quirk an eyebrow but smile at the young man.
Shawn clears his throat. "I want you to come home with me today," he tells Reid. Reid turns quickly. "I can't. Today's not one of the days that I am... available to stay late. I'm sorry." Shawn leans close to Reid and whispers to him. It makes them all uncomfortable and Spencer continues to stare unseeing in front of him. "So, can you come over?" Shawn asks again. "Yes, sir."
Hotch and Morgan both frown at this. They aren't sure what goes on between the young man and the beast on the team. but they don't think it's anything good. After lunch Hotch is determined to speak with the younger man. He stops him in the hallway when no one he knows is watching. "Is he going to harm you?"He asks outright. Spencer looks up in surprise. "He said something that made you change your mind. Did he threaten you?"
Spencer bites his lip. "He offered me double pay and I could not refuse." Hotch purses his lips. "Was there a reason you couldn't tonight? I can probably get coach Richards to keep him late, if you want me to." Spencer shakes his head. "I was just going to be with my mom. I can't turn him down... But thank you," he smiles softly. Hotch smiles back and nods.
At the end of the day he watches Spencer follow Shawn out. Shawn is poking at his and pulling at his hair and it fills Hotch with anger. "Why does he go with him?" Morgan asks him. It snaps him out of his thoughts. "Shawn's parents and paying him and he needs the money, apparently." Morgan frowns at the look on Hotch's face. "You like him?" Morgan asks. Hotch doesn't say anything.
"I'm not going to judge you, Hotch. I already know where your interests lie. If it bothered me, I would have already said something." Hotch looks at his friend warmly for a moment. "I barely know him. I just..." He doesn't know what to say. "I get you man. Maybe we can offer him more than Shawn's parents do and take him after school."
Both Hotch and Morgan worked after school most days. But both came from middle class homes. Morgan has a mother and two sisters that he's helping to support. Hotch is filling in where his father spends bill money on alcohol so that his stay-at-home mother and his little brother don't have to worry. It was unlikely that they could come up with as much as Shawn's parent's can.