Author's Note: Every time I see Minimal Loss, I just want to write or in this case update a Reid/Prentiss fic. The subtext between them all through it just calls to my shipper side, not to mention the Hug and the Hand Touch. One thing I'm not looking forward about the upcoming season is the lack of Emily but hopefully, they'll finally give Reid some substantial play, even if it's not from Emily.
I mean, come on. If Hotch can have a girlfriend, JJ can get married, Garcia can get into a potentially triangular situation with Lynch and Morgan (Morgan wins in my book) and Rossi can make googly eyes at Strauss (I know full and danged well that I'm not the only person who saw that…), then Reid can get his own Noah's Ark partner. It's only fair and I want to see dude shirtless. Badly. Okay, rant over. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"
"What's going on with you and Prentiss, Reid?"
"Morgan, are you seriously interrogating me at…3:28 in the damned morning?"
"Yes, I am seriously interrogating you at 3:28 in the damned morning. Now, I already talked to her about it but I want to get your perspective. Come on, man. Give me something."
"Like what?"
"Are you sleeping with her?"
"Morgan, just because Emily and I are closer friends now doesn't mean we're having sex. Our relationship isn't like that."
"But, there is a relationship."
"Of course there is. There is a strong platonic relationship based on common interests, the fact that we work together, and the fact that she's an instrumental part of getting and keeping me off the Needle. She's the only one who faced me head on about it. If it were left up to the rest of you, I would've had to detox alone under cover of darkness or just OD during a case."
An immediate heavy silence fell after that statement and he could hear Morgan sit up and face him.
"Reid…"
"I'm not saying that it's anyone's fault other than mine that I stayed strung out, okay? Henkel stuck the Needle in me the first few times but I didn't have to keep it going. That's on me, not you or anyone else so could you just drop the guilt, already? It's not helping anyone."
"You and JJ should've had more backup or I could've been with you out there. What happened should not have..."
With a soft huff, Reid switched on the hotel room light and cut him off.
"And then you would've been attacked by the dogs and I still would've ended up where I was. Henkel knew that we were onto him and his alters needed to have their last hurrah before they all ended up in prison or in the ground. Dwelling on what-ifs, should-haves, and worst case scenarios isn't gonna do anything but make you sick in the head and I have watched enough of my family suffer from that, damn it!"
"But..."
"But, nothing! Morgan, I'm a grown man…despite what my current attire suggests…"
"Spongebob, man?" he sniggered.
"You try saying no to Penelope Garcia in full effect and see how well you do. Anyway, I'm a grown man with a fully functioning brain and capable of making my own decisions, good or bad. Just as easily as I decided to put on these admittedly ridiculous pajamas, I decided to shoot up and I decided to get clean. Me. All right? No more guilt from you or the others about this. I mean it. Keep it up and I'll have to start shooting and every time I shoot someone, they die."
"You only shot someone once."
"And he died. I win."
Morgan sniggered again and conceded, "All right. I'll try. It might take a while though."
"Understandably so. Good night."
Reid turned the light off and was surprised at how hashing it out with Morgan made him feel better. It was just like when he talked about it during his counseling or with Emily…
"So about you and Prentiss…"
"Morgan, I already told you…"
"And she told me the same thing but…just keep your mind open."
"Open to what? What did she say exactly?"
"Good night, Kid."
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me…"