Reid woke suddenly, unaware of his surroundings and confused by how warm he was. His vision cleared far too easily, and he winced as he realized he'd never taken out his contacts. He was definitely going to regret that decision, and he quickly resolved to wear his glasses for the rest of the day. Then his gaze finally fell on the male in front of him, and everything from the night before came rushing back at the same moment that a warm hand slid into place along his jaw.

"Morning," Hotch's low voice rumbled, and Reid's hazel eyes met the older man's warm brown ones. "Did you sleep well?"

With a smile, the Omega stretched slightly and nodded. "Mhm," he hummed before settling back into the same position he'd woken in. "You?" His voice was barely a croak, and he made a mental note to get coffee as soon as he could. Despite the fact that he'd woken up abnormally quick, he still felt groggy and knew if he closed his eyes, he'd be out like a light.

The dark-haired man smiled softly, and Reid felt Hotch's thumb brush along his cheekbone. "Much better than I have been," the Alpha admitted quietly, and Reid knew what it cost the other man to be so openly truthful about it.

Wanting to show he appreciated the sacrifice (of sorts), Reid arched his neck to brush his lips against the older man's. He heard Hotch's breath catch, and he wondered—not for the first time—at how much trust Hotch was putting in him, how much power the other man was relinquishing into his hands. It was more than a little astonishing, and he felt almost helpless at the thought. His past partners had never been capable of such a thing with him, even after months of intimacy. Anyone could argue that Hotch had known him for years, but there was a stark difference in trusting someone with their lives and trusting someone with their feelings.

Reid could easily recall all the times someone on the team had hurt him with an unintentionally callous remark or action, and it wasn't simply because of his eidetic memory. Certainly, he didn't allow offhanded comments or friendly teasing to bother him as badly anymore, but it was only because he'd grown to realize that while he would trust anyone on the team to keep him safe in the field, he would never as easily trust them to be consistently as careful with his emotions. And after he'd come to that conclusion, it had been a lot easier to ignore or dismiss comments considered to be hurtful, unless they truly struck a weak spot.

So to have Hotch depending on him with the expectation of Reid leaving his emotions intact—well, it was overwhelming, to say the least. He honestly wasn't sure he deserved such implicit faith from the Unit Chief.

The Omega was startled slightly as Hotch's forehead connected with his, and he looked up at Hotch questioningly. "Whatever you were thinking was upsetting you," the dark-haired man answered the unspoken question, his tone matter-of-fact. Reid knew Hotch wanted to ask but wouldn't, and he was guiltily going to take advantage of that.

Instead, he changed the subject by glancing over his shoulder at the clock on the nightstand and commenting, "You know, we can both make it downstairs in time for breakfast if we shower together." He felt Hotch's entire body go still, and he turned his head back to face him, unable to resist chuckling as he saw the Alpha's eyes were closed.

"It's taking a considerable amount of restraint for me not to kiss you already, Reid. I know I couldn't continue to refrain from it, or more, if we showered together," Hotch rejoined, voice sounding remotely strained.

Reid felt the absurd urge to roll his eyes and instead snorted before kissing Hotch soundly on the mouth, pulling away only after he'd coaxed the other man into reciprocating his lazy, open-mouthed kisses. "As long as we're in private, you can kiss me all you want, Hotch. That doesn't bother me if you're doing it at appropriate times. Anything more we'll have to play by ear, but if I don't like something, I can guarantee you will know it." Hotch still seemed slightly stunned, his eyes open and wide, so Reid continued, "Knowing all of that, if you are uncomfortable with us showering together, we won't do it. But please don't concern yourself on my behalf. I handled you when you were nearly mindless from pheromones while I was in heat; I think I can manage when you are this controlled."

There was a long pause in which Hotch simply continued to stare at him, and the Omega waited patiently. Finally, the dark-haired man swallowed and nodded, practically croaking, "All right." The warmth of his arm around Reid's waist lingered only a moment longer, and then Hotch was moving to stand on the other side of the bed.

The brunette sighed softly and stretched once more before resignedly pushing himself up and sliding his feet to the floor. He stood as well after checking the time on the clock in the hopes that he'd be able to gauge how much time they had left if things did somehow get out of hand. The sound of the shower turning on had Reid making his way to the bathroom, smiling slightly as he noticed Hotch was already standing beneath the spray, the shower curtain left half-open.

"There's no way that water is warm yet," he commented, drawing closer and shaking his head when he realized the Alpha had chill bumps dotting his skin. With a soft sigh he braced himself for what was sure to be at least somewhat cold water, and then he stepped in behind Hotch, pulling the shower curtain closed the rest of the way. He didn't touch the other man; he wanted Hotch to lead them. So instead he stood as closely as he thought would be appropriate, wanting to offer heat in some form, even if it was only a bare minimum.

Reid's concern wound up being unnecessary because Hotch turned to him and reached out to gently tug him underneath the now-warm spray. His hair quickly plastered itself to his forehead, and he frowned before pushing at it almost futilely. He opened his mouth to say something when Hotch pulled him into a slow, hot kiss, tongue easily slipping past his already-parted lips. In no time at all, his back was being pressed against the cold wall of the shower, Hotch's chest pressed against his own and keeping his torso warm. An odd, tingling chill shivered down his spine, and he pulled the other man closer with a soft hum.

"We should probably use some shampoo, at least," Reid murmured against the Alpha's lips. "We really don't have that much time."

He felt Hotch hesitate and pull back slightly before asking, "Do you mind if I...?"

Reid wasn't immediately aware of what Hotch was asking, but he caught on after he saw the older man's wary (and perhaps even almost shy) expression. He smiled gently and shook his head. "Of course I don't, Hotch," he answered softly, turning slightly to grab the shampoo bottle before pressing it into the older man's hands. He then tucked his chin close to his chest in a silent offering.

There was another moment of hesitation on Hotch's side, but then Reid heard the bottle click open, and several seconds later hands were on his head, fingers gently massaging the shampoo against his scalp and lathering it in his hair. He closed his eyes and waited patiently. He knew this sort of intimacy was something Hotch had been missing; it was obvious in the abnormally relaxed breathing he could hear from the Alpha. He made a mental note to try and make more of an effort for the little things.

The Omega was startled out of his thoughts when he was gently urged forward, coming to a stop beneath the warm spray of water. It was oddly relaxing to have his hair washed by someone else; Hotch was being far more gentle than Reid ever was on his own locks, and the gentle tugs on his scalp caused his skin to buzz pleasantly on the edge of arousal.

Almost as though an internal alarm was set off, Reid lifted his head and shook his dripping hair out of his eyes as best he could. "Though I prefer two rinses, one will have to do. I'll do yours and then—" Something shifted in Hotch's eyes that the younger man couldn't quite discern before it was gone, but it was obvious by the way Hotch's lips pressed together that the Alpha wasn't in favor of Reid's offer. "...or not. You would probably be quicker on your own. I can go ahead and get dried off while you're finishing up, then."

The grateful look Hotch briefly sent his way didn't quite manage to unravel the knots that had suddenly developed in Reid's stomach.

Reid slowly turned the corner, peeking his head around and earning a faceful of blue glitter as Jack exclaimed, "Freeze!" He did as ordered, blinking a few times in an effort to get some of the small sparkles off his eyelashes. "What did you do with the amulet?" Reid kept his mouth shut, partially refusing to answer and partially "unable" to do such. Jack eyed him momentarily before pinching some white glitter and tossing it at him. "You can speak, but no sudden movements or I'll turn you into stone."

Not relishing the thought of being turned into stone, the hazel-eyed male replied, "I hid it someplace you'll never find it. Not without my help."

"Take me to it," Jack commanded, his hand hovering near the pouch that held his different magical abilities (aka the different shades of glitter). "I can do much worse than turn you to stone."

Reid was momentarily unsure how to proceed. He actually still had the "amulet" in his pocket, and he knew his reflexes were fast but probably not fast enough to cast his own magic before Jack froze him (or worse). Making a hasty decision, he bowed his head slightly. "As you wish," he agreed formally. He peeked up at Jack in time to see the boy nod once in permission for him to stand, and he slowly climbed to his feet. Not wanting to seem too suspicious, he started walking down the hallway, only to dart to the left and into the kitchen the moment he could, grinning to himself as Jack shouted in surprise from behind him. He quickly went around the bar, ducking down so he wasn't visible above it.

When Jack's footsteps sounded in the room, Reid went the opposite way of them, sneaking into the dining room before making a break for the living room, knowing if he could make it that far, their game would last just the slightest bit longer—and really, it would be more fun that way for them both.

A soft yelp escaped his throat as he ran into something, resulting in him falling backward. An almost vice-like grip on his arm kept him from landing hard on the floor, and instead he was pulled forward again, into a warm chest. He stared up at Hotch in surprise, stating almost reflexively, "We weren't expecting you home so early."

One brow quirked above a dark brown eye, and the Alpha murmured, "So it would seem." Reid wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, but it didn't matter since Hotch's brow furrowed. "Do you have glitter in your hair and eyelashes?"

Cheeks flushing red, the Omega cleared his throat and shrugged one shoulder, his gaze skittering away from the intense one of the older man. "Well, I suppose technically, yes, but it's, uh, magic dust," he explained almost haltingly, wishing Hotch didn't have such a firm hold on him since all he wanted to do was slink away to hide.

"'Magic dust,' huh?" the dark-haired man muttered, his voice thick with amusement; it only served to make Reid blush even more darkly as he valiantly fought to avoid Hotch's gaze.

"Daddy, you caught him!" Jack's sudden exclamation startled both men, and Hotch's grip loosened just enough for Reid to slip away from him, which the younger man took full advantage of. He dashed past the dining room table and turned into the hallway as he heard Jack explaining, "He stole my magical amulet!"

If Hotch responded, Reid didn't hear it, and he barely made it into the bedroom at the end of the hall before he was caught. He wasn't able to close the door quickly enough, however, and he struggled almost futilely against it for a moment before allowing Hotch to force it open. He stumbled back a few steps as the Alpha strode into the room, lips twisted into a slight smirk. "Two against one isn't fair," Reid blurted in an attempt to save himself.

Hotch's lips formed a full smirk at that, and his eyes seemed to gleam. "Which is exactly why I told Jack to wait in the living room while I handled it."

It felt like Reid's heart was in his throat, and for a moment he couldn't do anything but stare at Hotch with wide eyes. It was one thing to play with Jack and have him give chase, but with the one-sided bond, it would be almost impossible for him to run from Hotch without some sort of repercussion for running. Judging by the expression on Hotch's face, the older man was well aware of it, and was probably even counting on it. Almost unconsciously he took a step back, his mind scrambling for a way out as he noticed Hotch's eyes narrow.

There was movement from the other man, and Reid twisted around in an effort to sidestep him, but an arm hooked around his waist, and he squeaked as he was suddenly pulled off the ground. The next thing he knew, he was bent at the waist over Hotch's shoulder, his upper body and head hanging upside down. He was too stunned to say or do anything in response, and it took him several moments to catch his breath. By that time Hotch had already strode down the hallway and was nearly to the living room.

Reid grunted softly as he was dropped onto the couch, and he sighed and held up his hands in surrender, closing his eyes. "I give up. You are obviously the greater wizard. The amulet is in my right pocket." He felt Hotch's fingers pressing into said pocket, and then a moment later Jack was crowing in victory.

It was short-lived, however, because Hotch chose that moment to ask, "So what do you two plan to do about all the glitter on my floor and furniture? And yourselves."

Reid opened his eyes to glance at Jack, and he made a split-second decision that he was almost positive he would regret later. "This," he answered before launching himself at Hotch. He took the startled Alpha to the ground and called out, "Jack, freeze him!"

A moment later blue glitter rained on both of them.

And the battle resumed.

Hotch won, which wasn't really a surprise. Typically, he might have gone easy on them, but Reid suspected he'd done the exact opposite because they had attacked first.

The Omega finished getting cleaned up, having given up on ridding himself of all the glitter in one wash, and donned his pajamas before walking out of the bathroom. He was remotely surprised to see Hotch leaning against the foot of the bed, and he tilted his head curiously in a silent question.

"Jack was practically asleep after his his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light," Hotch answered with a small smile.

Reid laughed softly as he drew nearer to the Alpha. "I could tell how excited he was when you played along with us. And he talked about you a lot while you were gone today. He really loves you, you know."

Hotch's smile became more wistful, and he murmured, "I know. I hate being selfish, wanting to stay with the BAU when cases take me away from him so often, but I can't imagine letting Jessica raise him entirely by herself, even if I'm not doing a great job of it."

Reid was stunned, though he knew he shouldn't be. It was just like the older man to think that way. "Hotch, it's not a matter of one or the other. Though it may not seem like it at a glance, your son takes priority over your job. You're coaching his soccer team, which already expresses a certain amount of commitment since I doubt other parents would allow it if you weren't there often enough. When he's sick, you stay home with him and maybe check in with us once on your own if we're out of town for a case, but for the most part we call you when it's only strictly necessary, and that is usually when you ask for an update. And if you have plans to go somewhere, then you stick to those plans even if you're tired after a case and have to ask Jessica to go with you because you don't trust yourself to drive. And don't say you haven't because I heard you telling Rossi that one day.

"If you weren't a good dad to him, then Jack wouldn't love you as much as he does. You're doing the best you can, and he knows it. And before you even think it, yes, your best is more than good enough. During our talk today, Jack never once spoke about you or your job with any resentment. You're his real-life superhero, Hotch, and I don't think he could be any prouder of his dad than he already is. Believe me; I know what it's like to have a father who's home nearly every night but doesn't put in the commitment because he's leading a mostly unfulfilled life. Mine ended up collecting newspaper articles about me instead of letters or phone calls from me." Reid paused in his tirade to offer a light smile to the dark-haired man in front of him, and after a moment's debate he reached out and placed one hand on Hotch's; he ducked his head to hide his amusement as a twitch of muscles gave away the Alpha's surprise.

Clearing his throat, he finished, "So I don't know what brought on those sorts of insecurities, but I can tell you right now that if Jack ever heard them, he would think it was his fault. He has the same selfless tendencies and compassion as his dad does."

Reid wasn't expecting the sudden tug on his arm, and he made a noise of surprise as he stumbled forward and fell against Hotch. Arms wrapped around him and held him there, and the Omega did his best to relax into the embrace as he felt Hotch's chin hook over his shoulder. "Thank you," the older man whispered, his voice almost hoarse.

"You don't need to thank me," Reid murmured, slowly wrapping his arms around Hotch in return.

The Alpha chuckled softly, releasing a quiet sigh. "Sometimes it's best to either say 'you're welcome' or nothing at all," he commented wryly, and Reid found himself smiling even if Hotch couldn't see it. Slowly, he settled into the embrace, and after a few minutes of comfortable silence, Hotch pulled back from him, arms loosening their hold before finally returning to the Alpha's sides. "We should sleep. I imagine you're tired after catering to Jack all day."

Reid smiled and shrugged one shoulder in a noncommittal gesture. "Actually, I'm not any more tired than I would normally be, but I can tell you are. You start blinking quite frequently when you're trying to fight your fatigue. In fact, it's pretty much the only time I ever see you blink." Hotch quirked a brow but otherwise didn't comment, for which Reid was grateful. The last thing he wanted to do was admit that he'd discussed Hotch's lack of blinking with Garcia before, which definitely would have come up since he didn't always have the best filter when explaining himself.

After another beat of silence, the older man stood fully and headed for the door. Reid stopped him before he could get past. "I know we've been swapping, but let me take the couch again tonight. You never rest as well on it as you do in your bed, and I can get the same quality of sleep in either place."

"Thank you, but that's not necessary, Reid. And you may think as much, but you're far better rested when you've slept in the bed," Hotch corrected, and the younger man scowled.

"I'm not letting you sleep on the couch, Hotch," Reid stated firmly.

Hotch crossed his arms and leveled a very familiar look at him. "And I'm not going to allow you to sleep on the couch whenever it's my turn. So it would seem we're at an impasse, Dr. Reid."

The Omega didn't answer immediately; instead he studied the older man before him, cataloging any differences in his stance or facial expression. Something akin to intrigue or excitement lurked in the Alpha's eyes, and that was when he realized he wasn't dealing with Hotch so much as his Alpha. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation, but it was obviously some sort of challenge from the less controlled part of Aaron Hotchner—would Spencer Reid give in or stand his ground? Reid lifted his chin and replied evenly, "Then I guess we'll just have to share the bed, Agent Hotchner, if that's the only way to make you sleep in it."

Hotch's lips twitched against a smile, and a moment later the dark-haired man sighed almost in relief, his shoulders relaxing. "Don't worry about profiling me just now. What tipped you off to something being wrong?"

"You called me 'Dr. Reid,' Hotch. The only time you ever do that is when introducing me to LEO's," the brunette man remarked amusedly. "I thought responding with you more professionally might humor your Alpha but not irritate him or make him feel smug. I didn't think bending to your will was a good idea, nor was fighting back. Those sorts of things usually trigger different responses that ultimately lead to the same thing."

"We're not quite in the clear yet, unfortunately. Now that you've issued an ultimatum, you're going to have to follow through. I'm not sure how long I could keep him at bay right now. Perhaps playing with you and Jack wasn't my best decision," Hotch murmured apologetically.

Reid laughed softly and shrugged as he reached out and circled his fingers around Hotch's wrist. He gently tugged the other man over to the bed before retreating to his own side. "It's not a big deal. Like I've said before, I know how to keep you from doing anything I don't appreciate or feel is necessary," he explained as he pulled back the covers and slid beneath them. He took off his glasses and set them on the nightstand before adjusting the pillow to his liking and settling down into a comfortable position as he felt the bed dip indicating Hotch was doing the same. "Night, Hotch."

Hotch's voice was soft and warm as he responded, "Goodnight, Reid," and settled in for a peaceful night.

"Okay, Boy Genius, what on earth did you do this weekend? You have enough glitter in your hair to decorate a child's 'Get Well Soon' card," Garcia commented with a bright grin.

Reid groaned and compulsively ran his hand through his hair a few times before shaking it slightly. "Jack and I pretended we were wizards, and the only thing I could find that would work well as magic dust was a mostly unused kit of glitter."

The tech analyst clapped her hands together and somehow managed to grin wider. "Aw, that is so cute! Did you two have fun?"

"Jack definitely seemed to enjoy it, but he was rightly more excited when Hotch decided to play along after we pretty much dragged him into it. He figured out the rules a bit too quickly, and we lost our upper hand. I expected it, though; Hotch's intelligence coupled with his Alpha's instincts? There was no way to beat him, especially when he conned Jack into helping him at the end." Reid smiled fondly as he thought about it.

It was silent for a moment too long, and his gaze refocused on Garcia to see her staring at him almost curiously. They both opened their mouths to ask each other a question when Hotch's voice cut across the bullpen.

"Morgan needs us in Chicago."

Their reactions were almost instinctive. Reid was on his feet immediately, scooping up his messenger bag as well as his go bag, and he could hear Prentiss doing the same thing. Garcia touched his arm to grab his attention. "We'll talk more about this later. You guys go help Derek and return home safe, all right?"

In a rare gesture of affection, he took her hand in his and squeezed, smiling at her as her expression softened. "We'll see you in a few days, Garcia. It'll probably be the typical case. I can't imagine he's gotten himself arrested again," Reid murmured in an attempt to lighten the mood.

It made the blonde laugh shortly. "Right, the typical case."

But of course in the BAU no case was ever quite "typical," this one less than most.