Hesitance
Chapter Three
"Dr. Reid, I need to examine you; it's standard procedure."
"I know, I know. I'm fine though, really." Reid dodged the EMT's suspicious eyes and Hotch's narrowed gaze and ducked into an SUV that would take him home. He sighed and stretched out the kinks in his back as he settled against the seat, letting his eyes drift closed for just a second. When he opened them ten minutes later, the SUV was inching forward in heavy traffic, and Morgan was behind the wheel.
-.-
The drive to the private airfield was mostly silent as Reid feigned sleep, but for the sound of the leather steering wheel making plaintive noises as it stretches under Morgan's tense grip. Rossi was waiting for them, having already made it to the airstrip. Emily and Prentiss were nearly there, and Hotch had stayed behind to tie up the remains of the paperwork. The FBI issued SUV that Morgan drove, however, was caught in traffic, at least an hour away from the airfield.
"Reid," Morgan saw how Reid flinched when he leaned in slightly to turn up the air, and the leather groaned just a little bit louder, "I know you're awake, and I'm not letting this go."
"It's nothing," Reid mumbled, and tried to give Morgan a reassuring smile. He could not, however, meet Morgan's eyes. Glowering, Morgan glanced through the windshield before finally throwing the car into park. "Show me," he said, and his tone brooked no argument. Nor did the hand clamped around Reid's wrist. It didn't hurt—yet. But the young doctor knew the pain was always yet to come. He rolled up his sleeve, and Morgan cursed.
"Who did this to you?" Reid flinched back from the murder in his eyes, the cold steel in his quiet voice.
"It…it was an accident," Reid felt sweat break out on his brow, as it always did when he had to lie, "I fell and someone grabbed me—to keep me from falling,"
"Don't gimme that crap Reid. No one bruises that bad from just being grabbed. No; for it to be this bad—" Morgan skimmed his fingertips over the purpled skin and Reid clenched his teeth, "—he would've had to hold you down, wouldn't he?"
Reid tasted bile in his mouth, and his eyes stung.
"Morgan," he whispered, hating himself for how broken he sounded, "Just let it go. Please." He still couldn't meet Morgan's heavy, livid gaze, but when he tugged on his hand, Morgan let go, put the car in drive, and simply stared through the windshield for the rest of the crawling drive to the airfield.
When they arrived, Reid couldn't quite meet J.J.'s eyes when she smiled and called him 'butterfingers'. He just dropped into a seat at the back of the jet, fastened his belt, and steadfastly stared out the window, ignoring the frown on Hotch's face, and the worried crease of J.J.'s brow.
-.-
"Tell me,"
Reid bites his lip, feels the slide of Morgan's hand on the inside of his leg and fights back the gasp of pure pleasure that follows.
"I—I can't. Please, I can't…" But Morgan winds his hand into Reid's hair, tugs just enough for him to feel it, but not enough to hurt. It puts them at a perfect angle, and Reid feels Morgan's mouth on his, coaxing him into response; it's soft, but firm. So like the man himself.
All at once, though, Reid feels the pain begin. Morgan's fingers twist cruelly into his hair, yanking at the strands until he is forced to rise on tiptoe, straining. There are tears in his eyes and a mouth at his ear saying in a voice that is not Morgan's, "You will always be mine, Spencer."
-.-
"Reid!"
He came to gasping, his eyes wet, and his collar throbbing where the belt from the seat beside him dug into the bite mark. Morgan leaned over him, shaking him gently. Reid pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes to stem the flow of shocked tears and forced his breathing to even. Then, and only then, did he sit up, ignoring the way Morgan hovered over him.
"Are we back yet?" Reid asked in a voice much calmer than he felt.
"A few minutes more. It looked like you were having a nightmare, so I woke you." Morgan's headphones lay around his neck, and Reid could hear a tinny voice fighting to be heard over the ever-present hiss of air in the jet.
"Thanks," he said scratchily, and rubbed lightly over his neck, wincing. Morgan's gaze sharpened instantly, and Reid snatched his hand away. "It's nothing," he said quickly, but Morgan wasn't to be placated.
Startled by the sudden banking of the plane, Reid realized too late Morgan's intentions, and, by the time the plane had righted itself, Morgan had Reid braced in his seat, on his knees in front of the doctor with his hand in a circle around his wrist once again.
"If you want me to stop I will, but I need to see."
"The others…?" Reid asked hoarsely, and Morgan shook his head.
"They're sleeping. Even Hotch." Morgan rested a hand on Reid's knee and squeezed gently. "Just tell me to, and I'll stop."
Reid nodded, swallowing around the lump in his throat and stammered, "Just… just d-do it quickly."
He wished he were impossibly small as Morgan opened his collar and gently inspected the bite, murmuring ominous promises as he did so. When Morgan's nail accidentally rasped over the welt, Reid gasped and grabbed Morgan's shoulder tightly.
"Tell me his name," Morgan whispered, and Reid wished, really wished he could. He shook his head instead, and Morgan let out a shaky breath, giving Reid one last weighty stare before removing his hands and sitting back, allowing Reid to button his shirt hastily. Reid sat back in his seat just as the fasten seatbelt sign flicked on and a voice announced their imminent arrival overhead. Reid inanely dug through his satchel as the rest of the team stirred around him, but even as the plane descended, he couldn't shake the feel of Morgan's eyes on him.
I'm sorry it took so long guys; my usb broke and I lost the two chapters I'd already finished for you, and that was a pain in the ass, not to mention the fact that pretty much everything I've ever written is now lost, including some really personal stuff that I'm never going to get back. But! I'm halfway through the next chapter, which is going to be longer because it explains how Reid and Jonathan met, so you can look forward to that over the next few days.
-.-
Angst aside, hit that review button! If you've taken the time to read, surely you can take the time to review?
K. Torres