"Spence, you've had three cups of coffee in the last half hour. How are you not bouncing off the walls?" JJ laughs.
I take another calm swig of the lukewarm coffee, very aware of Derek's eyes once again fixed on my skull.
"I've always had a high caffeine tolerance." I say easily, finishing the dregs and tossing the crumpled cup into the bin on the jet.
JJ is making rounds, tossing files at us all. I awkwardly reach out for the one she throws at me.
Not only do I miss, it also slices the tip of my finger.
And Derek is still watching me, so if I fake the wince that should have been an instantaneous reaction, two seconds too late, he'll be doubly suspicious.
I release a soft mouthful of air instead, curling my finger to avoid blood splashing on my clothes.
Derek saw what happened. Derek saw my lack of reaction, the opposite of a normal reflex.
We've all had paper cuts on the jet. I could have mimicked any of them, but I froze.
I didn't curse, like Derek does. I didn't murmur a soft cry of pain, like the girls would. I didn't even scowl, like Hotch would have done.
When you react less to a situation that Hotch, you know you're in trouble.
Derek's eyes are still lingering on my face, so I slide the file in front of my eyes, obscuring his view.
I do smirk a little bit when he sighs in annoyance. I can practically feel his scowl.