DISCLAIMER: Criminal Minds and it's characters are in no way mine, and, assuming you don't count my borderline obsession with it, I have absolutely notta to do with the show or CBS or anything else related.
A/N: in case you missed it in the summary this is pure fluffy angst- ye be warned!
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Two years.
Two years to the day. How could she forget the first time she saw him; she hadn't even gotten the job in the research department yet. After all, that was why she was there. Looking, she reflected, like a wounded mouse- at least it hadn't been raining, not like tonight.
Two years.
How could she have let this go so long? How could she be infatuated with a man she'd never met, never spoken to- and for two years?
Two years.
In two years she'd walked by him, delivered reports to him, and cried herself to sleep over him. Or maybe over herself, she didn't know anymore. All she knew was there was no chance someone like him could ever care about her, let alone ever notice her. She was too quiet, too small, too her. She scared people; she knew she did. She always had. At least she scared the people that did notice her. Sure, from time to time she'd actually be included in some office get-together, but it always left her feeling more out of place than before.
Two years.
Two years of wanting nothing more than to speak to him, to chat about nothing, too hear his voice directed at her.
Two years.
For two years, she tried to forget, tried to ignore, tried to hide from this man who didn't even know she existed. How could he know. He was beautiful; probably had women throwing themselves at him- beautiful women. He was smart, she knew that even before she'd heard him talk- he had to be to be a profiler. And of course he was funny; so many times she'd had to force down her laughter at things he said to his colleagues.
Two years.
After two years, .she had only one friend here. She'd always tried to get her to talk to him. She'd seen her watching him and offered at every chance to introduce them. "Come on honey," she'd say, "he won't bite," playfully adding "-unless you want him to. Let me introduce you. You may be surprised." But every time she found a reason not to let her. Every time she wondered why- why her friend wanted so badly to have them meet?
Two years.
Two years and here she was the same wounded mouse, a little older but otherwise unchanged. These were her thoughts as she stood in the rain that September night waiting for the bus. Waiting to be taken away from this place she loved and hated so. As she watched for the large blue and white bus that would take her home, she watched cars stream past, saw their lights turning into and out of the drive to the grey building. She watched partners meet, picked up by their loved ones. She watched friends carpooling, happy they had each other. Her face was wet, but not from the rain- she raised a damp hand in a futile effort to wipe away the tears. "Can I give you a ride?" The voice shook her to the core, looking up all she could do was nod. He opened the car door, moving books and files to the back seat. A meek "thank you," managed to escape her trembling lips.
Two years.
It had taken two years, but he had finally dared. Finally spoken to her- the charming woman that had captivated him for so long. And as she spoke those two little words, Spencer Reid thought, "two years was well worth the wait."