Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds
It is still dark when they arrive at Quantico.
With a sigh Reid steps out of the car and closes the door, leaning against it while allowing a sigh to pass his lips.
He turns to look to his left just in time to see Hotch's car pull up behind the SUV he just vacated and he turns back to watch the sky.
His back aches from having sat in the car seat for such a long time but such is the tedious adventitious circumstance one has to suffer through when having a case which is only a five hour car-drive away from Quantico. Because taking the jet for that would, even in their case, be completely ridiculous.
By now the stars have dimmed some and the moon stands high in the sky, casting the world around him in a white and blue glow.
He hears Morgan getting out of the car and turns to watch the man as he rounds the vehicle. "Did Prentiss wake up?" He asks, trying to make friendly conversation.
Morgan chuckles and pushes his hips against Spencer's, ushering him to move to the side so he too can lean against the door. "Yes, she did." He answers.
"You two should head home." Hotch's voice reaches his ears and Reid turns to look at his boss. He looks tired, probably from hunting down the killer and then driving home all in one day and Spencer presses his lips together, not answering Aaron's question.
Truth is, he doesn't have a car at the moment and by now it was so late he couldn't actually take the bus. But he always felt bad for asking others to drive him home, have them go through the trouble of taking another route home just because he couldn't just be normal for once and buy himself a car.
"I forgot something inside, after that I'll be off." He tells Hotch with a small smile, the lie falling off of his lips so easily he even astonishes himself.
Hotch raises an eyebrow at his answer but Reid thinks his boss is too tired to argue with him tonight. "Just be sure to get some rest." Hotch says.
Reid nods and slowly starts to walk towards the entrance of the office.
Before he enters the building he stands still and turns to look at the moon again.
The moon truly is a light that brings light to the darkness of the night. It shines a constant glow across the face of the earth and makes the dark corners just the littlest bit lighter.
The moon is the reason that sometimes, after a hard or emotionally difficult case, Reid sleeps with his curtains open. Because the light of the moon ensures that his room is a little less dark and he can watch the shadows of the tree in front of his window on his wall.
It allows him to lay in bed, to give his body the rest it needs, without too much thoughts and fears coming to his mind.
Yet sometimes cloud drift through the air, obscuring the light of the moon and in those moments Reid shivers underneath his blankets, fearful of the dark as a little child.
A sigh passes his lips.
Tonight the sky is void of clouds and he would be so happy to lie in his bed. All the dimmed moonlight he could wish for after a case that has left him wondering his own death.
But he has no ride home, refuses to ask Morgan again, because the man always drives him home. And no matter how much he may care for Morgan, no matter how much he relies on the man to keep him safe sometimes, tonight he does not feel like invading on Derek's free time.
So he'll spend tonight at the BAU, behind his desk for walking home would take hours. And he wishes he wouldn't have to do that and he vows silently to go buy himself a car in the near future.
"Hey, Pretty Boy?"
Morgan's calling out to him and Reid turns, bewildered for he thought the man had already left for the night.
"Don't pretend to have a ride home while it's obvious you don't have one." Morgan says with a small glare. A softer look then crosses the man's features and Morgan continues: "I might not want to drive to the other side of town but I've got a spare bedroom and hot chocolate at my place."
Reid feels his heart flutter at the offer, at the prospect of actually sleeping in a bed tonight and having Morgan care for him that much. "A-ah, well –"
"Get in the car, Spencer." Morgan says, smiling.
Reid blinks, surprised Morgan is actually using his first name and he wordlessly walks towards Morgan.
The man smirks and reaches out to ruffle Spencer's hair, saying: "Can't let you spend the night on your own at your desk, Kid."
With a small smile Reid walks to Morgan's car, both men silent.
And when Reid steps in the car and looks at the moon one last time he realizes that tonight it could be dark for all he had cared.
Because he would be spending the night with Morgan. And even though he would be sleeping in a different room, in a different bed, it was enough. Because Morgan's light shone so much brighter than that of the moon.
The End