Wowie, it has been a looong time.

I don't usually like to word vomit in author's notes, but maybe I'll go back and delete this later like most of my other stories.

I didn't think I'd ever get back into fanfiction, but life whacks me in the face and says "you can't write your own stories, so use someone else's characters." And I'm rewatching Criminal Minds so one of my OG OTPs is all up in my face and I'm like okay.

I've actually written two Hotch/Reid stories with about 30,000 words total between them, and they are both much longer than I planned for them to be so I guess I'll just post them here in the meantime until I can figure out AO3. I keep going back and editing things which is why I didn't want to post them immediately but welp, here we are.

This is actually a prompt for a Colbert/Stewart fic I started several years ago and never did anything else with (hilariously enough, the main date I set in that story is the exact same date I use for this one. It actually kind of worked in canon, although this is a bit of an AU deviation). I had no end planned for this story and it's really taken a life of its own, so don't expect this to be amazing. I'm just writing this for fun.

So yeah, that's about it. Also, if you decide to travel to my profile and find my other Hotch/Reid stories, THEY ARE TERRIBLE. I wrote those hoes 10+ years ago and they suck so bad haha. My writing then is not a reflection of my writing now in any way, just to note.

Chapter One: Rain

[If a butterfly flaps its wings on one side of the world, can it cause a tornado to form on the other side?]

…

Spencer Reid held an incredible power in his hand. A brilliant shining crimson jewel rested in his palm. The mysterious properties of this gemstone failed to be defined by any of the universe's known logic. Not all questions can be answered, but even the genius recognized that something like this did not come from any corner of their universe.

This would potentially open up many a discussion about parallel worlds and scientists would be reeling for years, decades, millennia to come. The evolution of humankind with this one eerie object is impossibly endless.

Unfortunate that it was abused, dripping with the blood of the person he loved.

…

[Ironic that butterflies sure don't live very long.]

.

.

.

February 10, 2012

He taps his pencil along his desk, the lights already dimmed in the bullpen for the night. The clock on his desk reads seven forty-two P.M. The forecast calls for snow, but he frowns as he realizes he rushed a little too quickly out the door this morning after his alarm failed to wake him up and he forgot his jacket. It had been a strangely warm day for a February with the aid of the sunlight, but the dark clouds rolled in and before long the temperature had dropped to necessary coat weather. His sweater vest cut off at the shoulders so only a thin button-down covers his arms. He sighs at the impending cold heading his way.

Suddenly, a small ball of something bounces off the back of his head and he spins around in his chair.

"Hey Pretty Boy, don't fall asleep in the office!"

A laugh erupts from his friend as Reid narrows his eyes at him. Derek Morgan tossed a crumpled paper ball at him to get his attention.

"I can assure you that I don't suffer from nocturnal lagophthalmos, and I am certainly still awake," Reid quips and Morgan curls his mouth.

"Okay," he simply says, clearly not having a clue what the genius just remarked.

"It's a condition where you fall asleep with your eyes open, and it's actually more common than you think. The average percentage of people who suffer from it—"

"Reid, I think it's a bit late for a science lesson," Emily Prentiss giggles from behind Morgan. She had her bag draped over her shoulder.

"We're headed out for the night," Morgan says. "Coming with?"

"Nah, I'm almost done with this paperwork," Reid shuffles the remaining papers in front of him.

"All right, stay warm," Morgan pats his back and him and Prentiss exit the bullpen, making their way to the elevator.

Reid flips through the papers again and again, not really paying them any mind. The due date for this paperwork was on Monday, so he had the upcoming weekend to deal with it. His mind wanders as he glances over at a particular person's office nearby. He begins to fidget as he waits for the person inside to leave.

Within a few moments, the door opens and someone emerges. Reid attempts to act like he doesn't notice him leaving, but shoots him a look anyway and happens to catch his gaze.

"Hey, Reid," his boss Aaron Hotchner carefully walks down the stairs onto the floor of the bullpen and approaches his desk. "Did you wait up for me?"

"Is that okay?" Reid worries if he's troubling him and Hotch gives him a small grin.

"I actually have a quick stop to make so you can join me if you want," Hotch says. Reid shuffles his papers hurriedly into his bag.

"I'm ready," he jumps up and tosses the strap of his bag over his shoulder. After a subtle nod to each other, they both head for the elevator.

…

Reid and Hotch formed an interesting relationship. A few months ago, Reid approached Hotch in his office one Friday night and asked if he wanted to grab a quick bite to eat together. The awkwardness levels of their exchange soared off the charts, but Reid kept it together enough to ask in a coherent sentence. To his surprise, as he had to admit he was certainly expecting rejection, Hotch actually agreed. It was early enough that a nearby sandwich shop remained open, and they enjoyed a quiet evening together. Reid mainly rattled off random statistics and after a while, he panicked and apologized for probably boring the hell out of his boss. Hotch instead gave him a curious smile.

"I don't mind."

After finishing their meal, Hotch offered Reid a ride home. He accepted, but the ride proceeded in silence besides the sound of his heart pounding.

"Have a good night," was all Hotch said after dropping the younger man off. Reid collapsed on his bed after finally stumbling his way back into his apartment. A huge breath expelled from him that he failed to realize he had been holding.

To say Reid didn't have immense romantic feelings for Hotch would be the same as telling a lie.

He felt that acting on such feelings may be inappropriate due to their work standings, but also wanted to at least be closer friends with the older man. Reid never had much in the way of real friends growing up, but he pretty much considered his team to be his friends in the close-knit family sort of way. Their personal lives always remained separate (to which most members of the teams agreed that their work life and personal life were interchangeable), but they always found free time occasionally to enjoy a good group meal together or even gather at a bar.

But eventually, Reid distinguished that he felt differently for Hotch than he did for the others on the team. Where most in the group saw Hotch as authority figure with a "dad" vibe, Reid saw him as someone he wanted to get to know better.

At first, these feelings were confusing for the young genius. Not everything in the world could be understood with science and logic, so things like romance were beyond his initial comprehension. Regardless of gender, regardless of age, Reid recognized that his heart beat stronger for Hotch and after some time Hotch started looking more attractive day by day, even though his appearance remained largely the same.

Conflicted with these emotions, Reid decided to make a move and invite Hotch out separately. The first night was one thing.

But when Hotch asked him a few weeks later on another Friday for a trip to a Chinese place he had been wanting to try, Reid stared at him for what felt like an eternity before stammering an answer.

"Of course!"

And from there, on an occasional random Friday that they weren't out of town for the job, they met up for dinner at a new place and just talked about…whatever. Sometimes they would run out of topics and the job would come up, but that was to be expected since work took up so much of their lives.

At one instance, Reid randomly remembered the statistic for how many romantic relationships form from initially meeting as coworkers, but he kept that one to himself.

…

Hotch raises his eyebrow when he notices Reid without a way to protect himself from the cold. They approach the front doors to the building and realize snow is already blanketing the ground.

"Where's your jacket at?" Hotch asks.

"Uh, my phone updated last night and my alarm didn't go off so I was in a rush to make it to work on time and forgot my coat," Reid chuckles nervously. Hotch pauses before removing his suit jacket and handing it to Reid.

"Here."

"Ahh, no," Reid holds his palms out against the blazer. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"I've got a coat in the car," Hotch remarks.

"Then I can wear that."

"But the walk to the car is pretty far."

"Based on the distance between the exit and the parking lot, I estimate it'll take anywhere between 52 to 68 seconds to reach your car. With the current temperature of thirty-one degrees and in my current wardrobe, my chances of catching an illness as light as a cold is probably—"

Reid loses track of his thought when Hotch just tosses the blazer over his shoulders. Without waiting for a response, Hotch waltzes out the door. A blush finds its way to Reid's cheeks as he follows after his boss in silence.

…

Arriving at their destination, Reid takes a moment to adjust Hotch's suit jacket and extends his arms through the sleeves. The blazer is slightly too big for him, but Reid ignores this. Since Hotch had been wearing it all day, it gave off a faint cologne scent that made Reid feel warm.

"Oh, a confectionery shop?" Reid sees a window lined with various delicious looking cakes and treats. "I've heard of this place."

"I've been here a few times before," Hotch says as they step inside. "They have the best strawberry cheesecake I've ever had."

Hotch already had his sights set on a particular display, but Reid trails behind to glance around at all the glass shelves lined with that day's fresh baked goods. Another wall held a variety of candy that could be dispensed into a bag and sold by weight. Now that he is here, he may as well buy something but he is overwhelmed by how many options there were to choose. Hotch mentioned the cheesecake so maybe that would be the place to start.

"Hey Hotch, I'm think I'm going to buy some cheesecake. Do you want a piece?" Reid wanders over to where Hotch is standing and notices a shelf lined with heart-shaped chocolate boxes. Hotch turns to face him with a moderately sized box in his hand.

"Sure, I'll take a slice if you're offering," Hotch answers. "Strawberry for me, please."

Reid's heart begins racing, staring at the box in Hotch's hand. The dark-haired man steps away from him to make his way to the front counter to pay.

Valentine's Day, the holiday made for candy and flower companies to explode in profits, is only a few days away. Reid usually ignored the significance of the day since it is usually reserved for couples, but the day can also be used to exchange chocolate and gifts between friends and family as well. Penelope Garcia normally took it upon herself to shower the bullpen with candy hearts and Hershey Kisses, usually to everyone's delight.

In the back of Reid's mind, something echoes for him to get a gift for Hotch.

The thought made him a bit nervous. Should he pass it off as just a gift from a friend? Would it be appropriate to admit that he was infatuated with the older man? They are both adults, after all. There shouldn't be any harm in telling him the truth. Reid knew nothing would come of it, so maybe the time had finally arrived to get his feelings off his chest.

…Well, that was his initial thought until he had witnessed Hotch purchase the box.

"Ahh, is that for someone?" Reid asks, although the question is more for a conversation starter since of course Hotch didn't buy it for himself.

"Yes," Hotch holds it out to Reid, and he notices that it's wrapped in a shiny golden bow. "This is a bit unusual for me since I haven't bought a Valentine's gift in a long time, but someone has caught my eye recently."

The statement is bizarre. Reid had been spending quite a bit of time with Hotch recently and not one word had ever been uttered regarding a romantic interest in someone.

"Oh," Reid says, a little quieter than he means. "Are you looking to pursue a relationship?"

Hotch stares at the box longingly for a moment before responding. "I don't know if I can make time for a relationship right now unfortunately, but I guess I just want to express that I'm interested."

Reid tries not to make it obvious that he's bothered by this and just smiles instead. "I hope it goes well!" He walks over to the door to leave before Hotch grabs his shoulder.

"Wait, I thought you were buying cheesecake," Hotch says.

"Oh yeah," Reid gives a light chuckle. He decides to pick out two pieces of strawberry cheesecake and rushes to pay for them when he strolls by the Valentine's shelf again and pauses. He proceeds to reach for one of the smaller heart-shaped boxes.

…

The bag Reid holds feels much heavier with context. The knowledge that his purchase of Valentine chocolate for Hotch would probably be a waste, Reid sighs and a visible breath can be seen emitting from his mouth in the winter air.

Hotch was curious about the chocolate Reid bought and decided to ask about it. Reid remarked that it was just an impulse buy, but he knew it wouldn't help to lie to a profiler.

"I hope whoever you give it to accepts your feelings."

It would be a bittersweet gesture when he discovered the truth, but Reid chose to be honest and would sort through the rest later. His friendship with Hotch was very important to him, after all. He hoped that things would at least remain the same between them afterwards.

They tread together silently to Hotch's car, the light crunching of snow beneath their feet resonating in the quiet air. The snowfall began to pick up, dropping large wet flakes that accumulated rapidly on the ground. Reid shivers for a moment, the body warmth from Hotch's suit jacket disappearing long ago.

…

It happens much too fast for Reid to even react. The person in the black attire walking toward them pulls a gun and before Reid can blink, the booming noise shatters the peace of the night and a splash of red emerges into his vision. It only takes a few seconds for the figure to duck into an alleyway nearby and blend into the night. In that same amount of time, Reid hears the crumpling of his boss's body beside him.

It takes Reid far too long to process what even just transpired, and he finally turns his head downward to witness Hotch face down on the ground. The pure white snow now stained with blood, his mind reels at the thought of the worst and he refuses to comprehend it.

"Hotch," he falls to his knees, speaking mechanically. "Hey, you can't lay here."

People begin to emerge from the nearby shops and bars after hearing the gunshot, and a crowd forms around them. He could hear screaming, maybe someone was talking to him? Voices were echoing from every which direction, but they all sounded like meaningless jumbled noise to Reid.

"Hotch, c'mon now."

Reid reaches out for Hotch's back but he's too scared to touch him. Noticing their sweets discarded on the ground, he picks up the box that Hotch bought.

"You dropped this," he holds it out to the still man, waiting for him to just pop his head up and take it from him. Just laugh, smile, move, breathe, do something God dammit!

…

"Your friend is dead."

The background noise ceases as a distinct voice echoes in Reid's ear. He glances up to see a hooded figure, their face and body completely obscured by a long cloak. It was impossible to tell the gender of the voice, and it almost doesn't even sound human.

Reid blinks a few times, not entirely sure what move to make next. Those four words force him to grit his teeth and he turns Hotch over, finally revealing his face. He looks like he is sleeping peacefully, but the bloodstains splattered on his dress shirt near his heart tell a different story. Reid grips his body tightly against his chest.

"No, he can still be saved!" Reid knew how to administer first aid, but hadn't bothered to try. He lies to himself, as he is aware the bullet pierced Hotch's heart. He dropped so quickly and not a single huff left his mouth. Reid couldn't feel his heartbeat.

"Denial is the first stage of grief," the voice says.

"Will you shut up and just call for help?!" Reid snaps, holding Hotch closer. His eyes tear up and his emotions are a complete mess.

What is even happening? Just a few minutes ago, they were hanging out and buying candy and cake. And now, Hotch is dead—dying, there's no way he's dead—because some random guy just decides to shoot an FBI agent and run off? Reality is cruel and the world is full of questions with no answers, but Reid wracks his brain to the fullest extent to search for an answer he knows he won't find.

"Anger is the second stage," the voice says.

"Who are you?" Reid's voice cracks as he begins to shed tears. "Why are you bothering me?"

"Do you believe in miracles?"

All logic could be theoretically explained by science and mathematics. The elements that make up Earth. The structure of the human body. How to measure time. Is luck something that could be defined? Can the paranormal be studied? Does the afterlife exist?

Are miracles real?

"Unless you've got a way to save him, leave me alone," Reid spews through grit teeth.

"I can't help him," the voice echoes, "but you can."

Reid snaps his head to face the hooded figure again. "What?"

"Do you believe in miracles?"

He begins to think this person is playing some sick game with him, but Hotch's cold body in his arms makes him desperate. His mind keeps telling him that Hotch is just refusing to move because he needs to be placed somewhere warm. The wet snow had covered him when he hit the ground, and the frozen air would only exacerbate the problem.

He's not dead, he's not dead, he's not dead.

"Please, is there something I can do?" Reid begs, hoping at any moment he will just wake up from this horrid nightmare. "I'll do anything!"

"Bargaining is the third stage."

Reid is about to hit the world record for fastest processing of grief. He whimpers, strengthening his grip on Hotch.

Suddenly, the figure steps closer and reaches an index finger from under their robe and lands it onto Reid's chest. He stares directly at where the figure's face should be under the hood, but the darkness engulfs them and he can't even make out a jawline or nose.

"Humans would do anything for just one wish," the voice says. "But nothing in life is free."

"A wish?" The magical genie that can grant three wishes is usually what most people think of first when the idea of wishes comes up in conversation. But for Reid, he recalls the short horror story of the Monkey's Paw. Anyone who obtains the Monkey's Paw is rewarded with three wishes, but each wish comes with a terrible price. They're basically curses disguised as wishes. "What's the catch, giving my life for his?"

Reid isn't entirely sure where this figure is going with this, but he gives it a quick thought. Would he give up his life in exchange for Hotch coming back to life? Theoretically, he wouldn't find himself having to make this sort of decision. Anyone can claim if they were given the chance to save a loved one, they would do anything. Or that they would take a bullet for someone precious to them.

If that situation presented itself, would they actually do it though?

"No," the voice answers, "but you must give up something of utmost importance to you."

Reid blinks. "Are…are you saying I can actually save him?"

"Yes, the option is yours," the figure's finger still rests on Reid's chest.

"Give up something…of utmost importance…" Reid repeats what the voice told him. If this is real, Reid can exchange something in order for Hotch's heart to beat again. Things such as miracles aren't real…but at this moment, Reid can only nod his head in agreement. This sounds too good to be true, but Reid can only hope that making a wish for someone he cares for would be worth the price.

"I—I can't really think what the most important thing is to me," Reid lowers his head. "But I'll do anything to have Hotch back!"

Suddenly his vision is flooded with a bright red light, a warm breeze washing over him. A sharp pain courses through him where the figure's finger rests and his eye catches a brilliantly shining red gemstone emerging from his own chest. Reid's brain fails to comprehend what he is witnessing, but any possible idea to bring Hotch back to life currently took precedence over anything else.

"This is the Radiant Ruby," the voice explains. "If you use its sacred power, it will grant you one wish. In exchange, you will give up the most important thing to you."

"I'm not sure…what the most important thing is to me…" Reid stares blankly at the mysterious jewel floating in front of him.

"That's okay," the figure opens their palms to the floating jewel, like they're holding it out to Reid. "The Radiant Ruby already knows what matters most to you. You can spend time now trying to sort it out, or you can use the power now and discover what you've lost later."

An image pops into Reid's mind, and he has an idea of the most important thing to him. But the exchange couldn't work if this is the case. He could fret about it for hours and probably not find a correct answer.

He will just have to risk it.

"Fine!" he removes one arm holding onto Hotch to grab the Radiant Ruby. An unexplainable feeling surges through him and the wind surrounding him grows stronger.

"What is your wish?"

Reid closes his eyes. "I wish…" he pauses, a memory of Hotch's smile flashing behind his eyelids. "I wish for—!"

He shouts his answer but can't hear himself over the howling wind erupting from the ruby. The light emanating from it shines impossibly bright and he clutches Hotch's body tightly as he fears they may be separated. Reid gives the older man in his arms one last look before a white light completely envelops them.