I noticed at the end of this ep that Morgan and Reid were both curled up on the couch on the jet. I thought it was super cute and wanted to write a fic about it. It lowkey looked like someone had awkwardly draped a blanket atop Reid, so I thought maybe I'd work that in there too. THEN I got an awesome suggestion from Petunia that Reid was having trouble sleeping so Morgan plays with his hair a little in his platonic brotherly way, so I figured all of these signs pointed towards me making this fic happen. Figured it was time for some nice Reid fluff without him being beaten up first. Thanks for reading!

S2 E4

When they had finally caught the unsub, a collective sigh of relief fell over the team. It had been a long couple of days catching this guy. No one had gotten much of a break, everyone only getting a few hours of sleep each day.

Hotch and Reid had both refused to leave the station. Hotch was too invested in the case, taking each casualty very personally. And Reid argued that if Hotch didn't need to go get sleep he didn't either. As much as they tried to argue with the kid, he managed to convince them to let him keep working.

He'd been doing much better during cases recently. Mostly because the team members forced him to eat and sleep, but, regardless, they thought they'd let this one slide.

This led to an extremely caffeinated, shaking Reid who was practically bouncing off the walls. He looked like a small breeze would make him collapse, but nevertheless, he was spouting off random information to JJ on their way back to the car. She smiled nervously, making eye contact with Morgan.

"Help me" she mouthed as Reid continued on his rant without taking a breath. Derek smiled, the kid was gunna hit a wall soon, he was just on a sugar/caffeine/adrenalin high. He approached the two, attempting to stop the kid in his tracks. He grabbed him by the arms, and Reid immediately stopped rambling about whatever he'd been talking to JJ about, but he did not stop speaking.

"which is super interesting because—hey what are you doing Morgan, why are you grabbing me HEY that's my coffee what the hell I just got the ratio of coffee to sugar just right did you know that the coffee bean is actually a fruit that grows on a bush-" "Kid" "-the berries are red and they usually have two or three fruits that grow per flower but the peaberry which is one of the most expensive types of coffee bean-" "Kid" "-is a mutation in which only one fruit grows making it bigger and more flavorful which is why-" "KID STOP!"

Reid's mouth shut instantly. He was still buzzing under Derek's touch. Derek threw his coffee cup in a nearby trashcan and a whine escaped Reid's mouth.

"How many cups have you had kid?" Reid's eyes immediately began bouncing around, clearly attempting to calculate the number of cups he'd consumed. When he didn't answer immediately, Morgan figured that was enough of an answer in itself.

"Too many, okay? No more caffeine for you. You need to get some sleep."

Reid shook his head, "I'm not tired, plus there's so much to do. I can get all of my paperwork done on the plane which will allow me more time later to finish the other work I have on my desk and by the time I finish I will be able to go home and get an adequate amount of sleep before coming back to work tomorrow which hopefully we'll have another case by then and-"

"Woah, woah slow down pretty boy. You don't have to get everything done tonight, alright? Let's just get to the jet."

Reid nodded; mouth clamped shut. They loaded into the car and set off for the jet. Reid's leg was bouncing up and down and his fingers were unconsciously tapping the door. Derek shared a look with JJ who smiled and rolled her eyes. They were just waiting for the kid to hit the wall.

When they pulled up to the airstrip, he was still humming with energy. However, they could tell it was starting to slow. His blinking was becoming slightly lethargic.

The team loaded onto the plane, Reid plopping down in a chair next to the door. He'd specifically sat there because it was the closest to where the coffee maker was. He figured everyone would fall asleep and hopefully he'd sneak some more coffee. However, Derek seemed to see his plan. He sat at the couch across from the boy, staring at him with a knowing look.

Reid tried to avoid eye contact but eventually couldn't help but look up. Derek looked at him disapprovingly and Reid sighed.

He slowly started putting the paperwork he'd pulled out of his satchel away. The plane door closed, and it started moving, preparing for take-off. The lights dimmed and most everyone was curling up in their chairs, getting some shut eye. Reid placed his satchel on the ground, turning his head to look out the window.

Derek cleared his throat, causing Reid to turn his head in confusion. He smiled at the kid and patted the couch next to him. Reid rolled his eyes, smiling slightly. He stood, quickly moving to the couch next to his friend.

Derek moved his body so that Reid could curl up against him. He leaned against Derek's body, already closing his eyes a bit. His body was still shaking slightly, caffeine still running through his veins. Derek wrapped his arms around the kid, bringing him close to his chest. Derek could feel his heart thrumming in his chest, still buzzing.

"Shhhh, relax pretty boy."
"I can't" Derek looked down at the kid's face. His eyes were closed but he was clearly still feeling the effects of all the coffee he'd drank.

"It's ok kid, calm down, you're okay." Reid took a deep breath, attempting to unwind. Derek brought one of his hands up to the kid's head and begun carding through his hair. Reid immediately leaned into the touch, a sigh escaping him.

Derek gently ran his fingers through his hair, untangling knots carefully. His hair was a lot softer than he would have expected. Reid had let it begin getting longer recently, which caused his hair to start getting a soft curl on the end.

The kid's head lulled against his shoulder, unconsciously asking for more. Derek continued, raking his fingernails against Reid's scalp. He immediately whined at the touch and Derek smirked.

Reid began slowly putting more and more of his weight against Derek's chest, almost curing against the man. His legs were awkwardly bent due to the length of the couch, but he didn't look uncomfortable.

The shaking in his body was slowly stopping. Each minute he seemed more and more relaxed in his big brother's arms. Derek's grip tightened as he slowly became limp, his muscles finally relaxing. He probably would've fallen off the couch had he not been there holding him up.

A few minutes passed and Derek realized that the kid's breathing had evened out. He stopped playing with his hair, pausing to make sure Reid was actually asleep. When he didn't move a muscle, Derek smiled. Carefully, he maneuvered Reid so that he was actually laying down on the couch. The kid's feet dangled limply on the ground, so Derek placed them carefully on the couch next to him.

Unconsciously, the kid curled in on himself slightly, muttering something unintelligible in his sleep. His hands found their way under his own head and he snuggled into the arm of the couch like it was a pillow. Derek chuckled, grabbing his headphones from his bag.

Gideon walked by them a moment later, walking to the kitchen, probably grabbing some coffee. He gave Spencer's sleeping form a smile. Gideon paused, reaching into the plane's small closet and grabbing out a blanket.

He gently draped the blanket over the kid's body. He and Derek shared an adoring look in regard to the kid before Gideon continued moving to the kitchen.
Derek put his headphones in, turning on his music. He placed a hand on the kid's ankle, keeping some contact with him. He turned his face towards the window, closing his eyes. He might as well get some shut eye too.