Reid could hear his name being called "-cer. SPENCER!" God, why was everything so loud, and bright?

The young genius focused his eyes on the man above him "Hotch?"

"Stay with me Spencer!" Hotch stared into his eyes. "How do you feel?" Hotch grabbed his jacket and ripped it open, followed by his shirt, buttons pinging around the room.

"Hotch.." Reid offered slowly, voice still raspy "I was...wearing a vest...remember?" Hotch saw the bulletproof vest under his fingers. In all honesty, he had forgotten, he was so panicked and overcome with anguish at the thought of losing Spencer. He breathed out a sigh of relief as he laid his forehead on the vest. Spencer gave a thin laugh "I'll be fine." the younger man placed his hand on the older man's arm with a smile as Hotch looked into Reid's eyes. Hotch stared at the angry red abrasion surrounding the younger man's pale skin, there were burst blood vessels; he touched the thin line of bright red with the pad of his thumb but brought his hand back as the younger man hissed in pain and turned his head.

Paramedics came in the room "Sir, you may have a concussion, we need to get you on the board and take you out to assess you. Can you tell me what today's date is?" Hotch reluctantly backed away and let the two women work.

Hotch walked over to the rest of the group as Prentiss told him "I'll ride with him to the hospital." Hotch nodded and began directing the rest of the officers who had rushed into the room.

Reid woke up only to stare at a white ceiling.

"Ugh, I hate hospitals…"

Emily put her book on the table nearby

"Well, luckily you were wearing that vest, otherwise you'd be in a morgue." Reid laughed before wincing in pain.

"Don't be so dramatic."

Emily scoffed at him and lightly punched him on the arm "Says the man who was dancing on stage in heels! And who hid his double life from his team, God, I want to slap you right now!"

Spencer looked at Emily to see she wasn't truly angry.

"Sorry, Em."

Morgan, JJ, Rossi, and Hotch came in the room.

"Long time, no see pretty boy!"

Reid looked nervously between his team mate's faces.

Rossi offered up "I never knew you could play violin. I'm going to have to hire you for some of my book signings." Reid smiled at Rossi knowing that there were no hard feelings when JJ spoke up

"We were thinking about getting Henry piano lessons, but with how much he loves his 'Unka Spence' we'll never be able to talk him into it now. I hope you know you're giving him lessons?" Spencer beamed up at her "I'd be more than happy to!"

Morgan looked at the man "I don't get it. How can you stand to be in heels all day?" Spencer laughed at him, relief clear on his face. "It takes getting used to…"

"And how could you possibly manage to fool a team of profilers?!"

Reid spoke up "Well, Kasper acts in many of the ways Reid doesn't. You guys don't see me as someone with overtly sexual dialogue or mannerisms. I played up on that, as well as my feminine figure, add a slight accent, and there you go. Complete personality change. I hope it doesn't change the way you look at me though…"

Morgan ruffled his hair while Rossi hurried to reply "Not at all, kid."

Morgan spoke "Though you may have Garcia beat when it comes to acting skills. Just don't tell her I said that!"

The team laughed before JJ spoke "We'll let you get some rest", the team passed Hotch on the way out of the room.

Silence stifled the room as Hotch took the chair next to the young genius' bed.

"You're going to be sore for a while. Despite the vest- the impact force of the bullet, and the beating you got from our unsub did some soft tissue damage and some of your organs are bruised. Your neck only sustained surface tissue damage, it will hurt for a while though. You also have a minor concussion, but the doctors don't believe that there will be any long term problems, mostly just headaches and sensitivity to light for the next week. You're going to have to take it easy the next 3-4 weeks."

Reid smirked "After this case- that sounds pretty nice, actually."

Hotch stared at the younger man's face "Spencer, what you said...on stage…"

Hotch could feel the young man tense up before putting his hand on Aaron's own hand.

"Ho-Aaron" he corrected "It's okay, you don't have to say anything. And if you want me to request a transfer I will understand."

The men stared at each other "What you said on stage was the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me. I never knew you had feelings for me all these years, but I'm...blind sometimes when it comes to my own feelings. And I know that's no excuse, but I am so sorry I hurt you. I've cared for you for a while, more than I do for the rest of the team, but you being Kasper brought those feelings into light and forced me to examine them. And, when the gun went off and I thought I had lost you...I thought I had lost my chance with you as well. I was terrified that something was going to happen to you. That you would never know that I am in love with you too." Reid looked at the older man with wide eyes, sitting up with a grunt of pain.

"You…? You are?" Aaron smiled at him

"Hopelessly so." Reid launched forward, grabbing Aaron's head and kissing him passionately.

Aaron quickly returned the kiss, allowing his tongue to explore the the moist cavern while drawing moans from the other man. Aaron quickly pulled the eager man into his lap on the chair and deepened the kiss, wrapping his arm around the narrow waist and pulling him closer. The men broke apart for air before Hotch stated "Spencer, we have to stop. Someone could come in at any moment and…" Hotch looked away "Well...it's been a while since…" the younger man looked confused momentarily before Hotch pressed the other man's hips down in order to feel the insistent hardness below him.

Spencer smiled back at him, grabbing a hand and placing it over the answering hardness stirring in his pajamas bottoms "...me too." The men sat in the chair and just held onto each other, enjoying the company and comfort they both needed.