Spencer was awoken by the clatter of a tray. His heavy eyes peeled open and he groaned slightly as his head pounded with a migraine. He put his hand over his eyes as the sun shone in through the gaps in the blind. He rolled onto his back, wincing a little as the bruises made contact with the mattress.
The memories once again came flooding back to him. He wished he could just go back to sleep and not deal with it. He didn't have the energy to be having heavy conversations right now. He knew they needed to happen, but the thought of anyone talking to him, even Hotch, was too much to process.
He squinted as he saw a figure looming over the bed.
"Morning, baby." Hotch said gently. "Did you sleep well?"
Reid squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. He really didn't have the energy for conversation. His head had been through a blender and his body felt like he'd been hit by a freight train.
Hotch made a small, disappointed humming noise and the next second, he was sat on the bed next to Reid.
He stroked a hand through his hair. "I brought you some breakfast. Your favourite. Pancakes." Hotch smiled softly, his voice was gentle and caring. Completely the opposite of last night.
The apology breakfast. Reid thought dryly.
He was starting to hate pancakes.
"Come on, sit up and eat. You didn't eat last night, you need to get something down you. You're already a stick."
Reid groaned again, pushing his fingers into his eye sockets to try and relieve the thrumming that was making his eyes blurred. A side effect from a shut down that was never properly dealt with or processed.
"Do you have a headache?" Hotch asked, stroking a hand through Reid's hair a couple of times.
Reid nodded. His hoarse voice squeezed out a small 'yeah'. It was making him nauseous.
"Oh, baby." Hotch leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "You and these headaches. Sit up and I'll get you some painkillers."
Reid just nodded silently again, feeling completely unable to properly interact. He felt the pressure on the mattress move as Hotch left the room.
Taking a couple of deep breaths, he pushed himself up. The movement made his head spin and his stomach churn. The smell of the pancakes wasn't helping.
His body had little strength, compromised by the headache, lack of sleep and the trauma from the events of previous night. But he managed to slide himself into a sitting position with his back against the headboard. He felt the cool air on his chest as it emerged from underneath the sheets.
The skin on his stomach was completely stiff now and he grimaced as he remembered why. He desperately needed a shower but wasn't sure his head would allow it.
Reid pushed his head against the headboard and lay the back of his hand across his eyes. He could feel a crusting down the side of his face too. Furrowing his brows, he picked at it and found dried blood under his fingernail. He rolled his head to the side and found blood smears on his pillow. Sighing, he closed his eyes and covered them with his hand once again.
"Here you go."
The voice made him start slightly. It sounded too loud. He felt the mattress depress next to him again.
"You are in a bad way, aren't you." Hotch said, his voice filled with concern. He removed Reid's hand from his head and pushed a glass of water into it. He placed the pills in Reid's other hand then placed his own palm across the younger man's forehead.
"Take those. They should help."
"Thank you." Reid whispered. It was all he could manage.
His shaky hands put the tablets in his mouth and raised the glass to his lips. He swallowed them down and sighed as the water refreshed his dry throat. That was one sensation that was actually pleasurable.
Hotch took the glass from him and placed it on the side table. He then pulled the tray and placed it into Reid's lap.
He squinted at the plate of hot, fresh pancakes in front of him and his face paled. He shook his head and closed his eyes, still unable to coherently voice his thoughts.
"You don't want them?" Hotch said, with a touch of disappointment.
Reid put his hand back to his forehead and shook his head again, trying to tell him that his headache was way too bad to consider eating anything.
Hotch's face dropped. "Spencer, the least you can do is actually talk to me. I know we had a bad night, but I really thought we'd turned a corner after our talk last night."
Reid took a deep breath in at the harsh tone from his boyfriend.
Here he was, sat in bed, completely naked, covered in bruises, dried blood and semen, with an excruciating headache and now Hotch's booming voice was rattling around in his head. He just wanted a hole to open up and swallow him.
Frowning, Reid removed his hand from his eyes and squinted at Hotch. He felt anger stirring in him for the first time. He didn't know if it was the headache taking so much energy from him, but he didn't have the ability to censor his emotions properly right now.
Sitting there as Hotch placed 'Pavlov's pancakes' into his lap, like some stupid reward for whenever Hotch had behaved like an animal made irritation stir in him. The nausea in his gut and head wasn't helping. The last thing he wanted right now was pancakes. Or anything to eat.
He glared at Hotch as well as his migraine would allow and pushed the tray away. The plate slid sideways off the tray.
A look of hurt washed over Hotch's features and he stared at the pancakes that had now partially tipped onto the sheet.
"Oh. Okay." Hotch muttered. His tone was sad and bewildered. He didn't look at Reid, just scooped the pancakes back up onto the plate, placed it on the tray and removed it from the bed, standing as he did. He sheepishly moved away, his demeanour was reminiscent of a kicked puppy.
"I just wanted to do something nice for you. I'll get rid of them." He said in an uncharacteristically weak voice as he left the room.
A sharp pain stabbed into Reid's eye and he found himself digging his finger into the eye socket again, trying to relieve it.
When he opened his eyes again, Hotch and the tray were both gone. The anger abated instantly and guilt swam in his chest.
Hotch had probably spent the morning making pancakes from scratch for him. He'd no doubt been excited to see the look on his face when they were presented to him. After all, that was the best part of doing something nice for someone. And he'd just taken that moment and pissed all over it.
He felt awful. As much as Hotch had done wrong last night... so, so wrong... he was trying his best to make things better.
Yes, he'd been incredibly violent and angry.
Yes, he'd said some awful things.
And yes, he'd forced him over the arm of the couch and made him have sex when he didn't want it.
But the second the whiskey was leaving his system, he was the kind and caring Aaron that he knows and loves. It was the whiskey that was the devil here.
All Aaron wanted to do was make things right again. And how was he supposed to do that if he was just going to keep punishing him? Seeing Aaron sob like he had last night showed he was punishing himself enough already.
Aaron had done everything in his power to try and make it up to him. Even if the cuddling and unexpected hand job didn't help, he couldn't really blame Aaron for that. He was just doing what he thought he would want. It wasn't his fault that he didn't communicate the fact that it was making him more uncomfortable.
And here he was again, not communicating. The crux of the issue was a lack of communication. And how was Aaron supposed to avoid another situation like last night if he was doing nothing to make it better? He would drive Aaron to it again, and it would be entirely his fault.
Reid sighed and kicked his legs out from underneath the sheets, ignoring the dried semen on his stomach. He shifted himself to the edge of the bed and he felt like his head rocked in agony. He groaned as he squeezed his eyes shut, riding through the lightning bolt of pain that was mangling his brain.
Taking deep breaths, he managed to get himself up to his feet. His vision clouded as he stood. The pain sloshed around in his head like a bowl of water.
Once his vision cleared and the migraine seemed to settle back into a painful tightness across his eyebrows, he felt ready to move. Feeling horrendously exposed, he grabbed a pair of boxers from his drawer, mindful not to set off the nauseating 'water bowl' again. He cautiously put them on feeling much better as he did. He'd missed underwear, as stupid as that sounded. He wasn't one for parading around naked. He found a certain comfort and security in clothes.
He then grabbed a robe from the back of the bedroom door, wrapping it around him tightly. He was desperate to clean himself off. But right now he had other priorities.
He headed downstairs. Each time his foot hit the next step, it sent a vibration straight to his head.
By the time he reached the bottom, he was positively grimacing.
He arrived at the kitchen doorway and found his lover stood with his back to him, leaning against the counter, staring out of the window. The tray with the pancakes was on the counter next to him, going cold.
Reid frowned at the sad image, feeling awful about the effort he had gone to, only to be completely disregarded.
Reid shuffled up behind his older lover. He saw Hotch's back tense a little as he did, a clear indicator that he knew he was there. Reid then wrapped his arms around the man's waist and rested his head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled in a soft, youthful voice. Sounding almost childlike.
He heard Hotch sigh and he squeezed him tighter.
"Really sorry."
He released his grip when he felt Hotch straighten up and start to turn around. Reid still kept his arms around him loosely, allowing him the movement but still keeping him close in his 'apology hug'.
Hotch's face was stoic, giving nothing away. As he rested back against the counter, Reid tightened his grip again, pushing the side of his face against the older man's chest.
"Selfish. So selfish." Reid said in the broken English that was his language when he was still struggling with a shut down.
His body and mind was still hyper-sensitive. As though he could feel and hear everything, and it was amplified tenfold. But the house was thankfully quiet and peaceful and the robe was specially designed not to over stimulate. It was a soft 'teddy' material that Reid picked specifically for moments like this. It was intended to comfort rather than mither. Which given his state of undress, was a relief. The itching on his stomach was the only real irritant.
Hotch then wrapped his arms around Reid and sighed again.
"You have a migraine. You should be in bed." He said simply.
Reid just shook his head against his lover's chest.
Hotch rolled his eyes. "Are we going through one of these not talking 'episodes'?"
Reid lifted his head away from Hotch's chest and looked at him with apologetic doe eyes.
Reid tried to form some words, but his mind just couldn't put them together properly. They kept getting stuck on his tongue.
"Tardis." He said with a breath out, almost disappointed in himself.
"Right." Hotch answered, unhooking Reid's arms from around him and gently pushing him away.
"I was hoping we could talk today, but apparently not. It's like living with a child. I have a more mature relationship with Jack sometimes."
Hurt flashed in Reid's eyes and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Hotch moved his way around him and out of the kitchen into the living room. He collapsed onto the couch and rested his elbow on the arm, putting a hand to his head.
Reid followed and came up behind him on the couch. He knelt down and nuzzled into the back of his head.
Reid's initiation of contact with his lover was always gentle and non-invasive. He didn't like to make assumptions about how open to contact Aaron was. He knew himself, he wasn't always that happy to receive it, so he wasn't going to force it on his partner.
Not like Aaron did.
No. Aaron was only doing what he thought was best in the moment. Whilst it was uncomfortable, Reid couldn't say it felt completely bad. He did climax after all.
The situation over the couch arm was more uncomfortable. One that he would probably need to talk to him about at some point, but not now. He couldn't even if he wanted to. And if he did, he'd probably only end up pushing Aaron away.
Reid nuzzled into Aaron's neck and began kissing him softly.
Aaron pulled himself away slightly and Reid stopped instantly, pulling back.
"Spencer, if you can't even talk to me, how are we supposed to fix anything? Kissing me doesn't just make everything go away."
Hotch had turned and was looking at him seriously. His face was set in a slight scowl. An expression Reid had seen many times at work. It took him back to the early days in the BAU when he didn't know Hotch that well and he had done something wrong during a case. It was that same stern look, a mixture of concern and disappointment. It conjured up the same feelings of shame and frustration within himself, but this time it wasn't his boss he was disappointing, it was his partner. The love of his life.
Taking a couple of deep breaths, he closed his eyes and steeled himself. He stood, wincing as his injured body and head complained, and made his way around the couch to sit next to Hotch.
Hotch eyed him with slight irritation. Reid leaned back against the couch and put his hand to Hotch's.
"I really am sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."
"So, now you can talk?" Hotch said instantly, pulling his hand away. "What is this, Spencer? Some kind of manipulation or avoidance?"
Reid's mouth dropped open slightly. If only Aaron could understand just how much effort it was taking to be sat on that couch with him right now, he would never say that. If he were anyone else, Spencer would be sat in a dark and quiet room for the next few hours, trying to put his thoughts in order. But he couldn't do that to Aaron, not when it was hurting him so much.
"I'm sorry. I am trying." Reid said quietly.
"Trying?" Hotch shook his head with a slight laugh. "If it's really that difficult, then maybe you need to rethink whether being in a relationship is the right thing for you."
Adrenaline shot through him.
"No! No, it's not difficult. Please, I'm okay! We can talk." He shuffled up the couch to give his partner a persuasive nudge. He rested his chin on Hotch's shoulder and grabbed his arm, hugging it to his chest. "Please, Aaron." He gave him his best doe eyes. His heart was thumping in his chest. He would be amazed if Aaron couldn't feel it thudding against his arm.
Hotch turned to look at him, taking in the big brown eyes staring at him with such softness and a hint and of desperation. One of them severely bruised and slightly swollen. He brought his hand up to stroke his young lover's face and sighed again.
"You really know how to wrap me round your little finger, don't you?"
Hotch kissed him on the nose and his lips twitched with the hint of a frown. That wasn't how he felt at all. He felt like he was constantly clambering, trying to gain a foothold. But still.
"I love you." Reid said softly. "I love you so much."
Hotch turned his body and opened up to his younger lover, wrapping an arm around his back allowing Reid to snuggle into his chest.
"I love you too, baby. You are everything to me. If I lost you, it would kill me." He held him tightly, kissing into his hair.
"I'm not going anywhere." Reid answered, wrapping his arm across his strong lover's chest, snuggling in deeper.
Hotch put a hand to his chin, lifting his head so he was looking at him.
"I just need some more support from you, Spencer. I sometimes feel like I'm doing everything I can to make this work and I make so many accommodations for you and the way you are but I feel like you don't do the same for me."
Reid frowned a little.
"Accommodations?"
Hotch sighed. "I don't mind doing it." Hotch kissed him gently and quickly, making up for the words before they came out. "I really don't." Hotch took a deep breath; A warning that the next words were going to be heavy.
" I love you and if I have to help you understand things sometimes... or have a bit more patience when it comes to the physical aspects of our relationship, or... spell things out for you a bit more when it comes to emotions, I will do it. Because I love you and I don't want to lose you."
Hotch dropped his head sadly. "But I just wish you would take into account my feelings a little more. And when I ask you not to do something, I just wish you would listen sometimes. Because I don't ask you just to be weird or controlling. I'm asking you because I'm worried or I'm anxious. And I know that's my problem, but I just sometimes feel you don't take my feelings seriously."
Reid pulled away slightly and looked Hotch in the eyes.
"I do take your feelings seriously." He was genuinely surprised at the words coming from his partner. He really didn't think he had been that neglectful.
Hotch laughed lightly. "I knew you would say that. I know you think you do, but that's my point. You don't realise." He said with a sad smile.
Reid looked at him dumbfounded for a few moments then his eyes stung with tears.
"Oh, baby. I don't want to make you upset. It's not your fault. It's just a part of who you are. And I love who you are." He took Reid's face into his hands and kissed him gently.
"I- I don't know what to say." Reid stammered. "I didn't realise." He said brokenly. "Why are you even with me?"
Hotch smiled at him kindly. "Because you're amazing. And I adore you."
Reid shook his head in denial.
"You are, Spencer. You're the love of my life. As long as you are by my side, I'll have all I ever need." He pulled him into another kiss.
"I don't deserve you." Reid breathed out, separating himself from the kiss.
"You deserve the world." Hotch said, stroking his face again.
A tear slipped down Reid's cheek and Hotch wiped it away.
"I promise, I will I do anything to make this better. Nothing and no one else matters. Tell me what I can do to make this better." Reid asked almost desperately. His guilt was crippling.
Hotch turned away for a moment, appearing reluctant to discuss it further.
"Please, Aaron. Tell me." Reid asked gently.
"I don't know. I just don't want to feel like I don't matter." Hotch breathed out forlornly.
"What can I do to change that?" Reid asked. "I will listen to you. If I promise to do something, like not take my vest off, I swear I will stick to it. I never thought about how it would make you feel and I'm so sorry." Reid looked completely mortified.
"It's not just the vest, Spencer. It's bigger than that." Hotch turned away. His voice was solemn.
Reid felt his stomach drop. This was clearly a serious issue that he'd been completely oblivious too. How long had Aaron been feeling this way and not told him? How had he been so blind? He thought they were both happy. How could he have missed this?
"Bigger?" He was lost for words.
Hotch sighed dramatically. "It doesn't matter. I just feel like I'm not top of your priority list sometimes."
Reid's lip quivered nervously.
"Nothing and no one is a higher priority to me than you."
Hotch scoffed a little and removed his arm from around Reid's back.
"No one. Yeah, okay." He said, skeptically.
Hotch's words from the night before came flooding back.
'Sometimes when I see you two together... I feel like I'm not good enough.'
Reid's brows furrowed.
"Is this about Morgan?"
Hotch shifted uncomfortably, a look of embarrassment crossing his face. Reid nudged him, gently trying to get him to open up.
"Aaron?" He asked softly.
Hotch ran an awkward hand down his face.
"Okay, yeah, I guess there is some frustration there."
"Aaron, Morgan is just a friend. He's nothing compared to you."
"You say that, until you get around him and then it's like there's no one else in the room." Hotch said despondently.
Reid's mouth dropped open.
"You obviously don't see it. But it's plain as day to anyone around you." Hotch said despondently.
Reid struggled to find the right words. He didn't feel that way at all. He and Morgan had fun with each other, they would wind each other up and they enjoyed working together. But Reid never felt it overstepped the mark of something platonic. And he certainly didn't feel like he only had eyes for Morgan to the detriment of Aaron. Morgan knew how much Reid worships him. He'd not exactly made a secret of it.
"Morgan knows how much I love you, Aaron."
"It's not about that, Spencer!" Hotch then stood, his frustrations rising. "See? I knew you wouldn't get it. I'm sick of having to explain things over and over for you to understand."
Reid looked at him like a deer in headlights.
"And now you have that look again like you're switching off. I don't know how many times I have to say that I feel like your attentions are too focused on him given that he's just a friend. I have said it before, not that you'll remember that."
Reid didn't remember. He was sure this was the first time hearing it. He did have an eidetic memory after all.
Hotch gestured to his facial expression again. "Yep, knew it. You don't even remember. How can someone with an eidetic memory manage to forget the things their partner says to them? Do you do it on purpose? Or am I just not important enough?"
Reid blinked at him, once again lost for words.
"Wh-what do you want me to do?" Reid asked unsurely.
The thought that his memory was letting him down was a scary one. The thought that his brain was specifically forgetting things Aaron had said to him was even worse. Almost like it had decided they weren't important enough to memorise. Guilt washed over him once again.
"Do whatever the hell you want, Spencer. Spend all your time with him if you want. Let him bend you over the conference room table for all to see. I'm past caring. I'm done with this."
Reid flew up from the couch, his migraine sloshed about as he did, making him feel lightheaded and woozy. He pushed through regardless, stumbling a little as he grabbed Aaron's arm desperately.
"No! No, Aaron. I won't spend time with him anymore! I'll keep him at a distance. I'll do anything you want."
Hotch just pulled his arm away.
"It's a nice suggestion, Spencer. But you and I both known that the second you see him all of that will go out of the window. You can't resist him."
"No! I promise, he means nothing to me! Not like you do. I swear, I will keep my distance! Please, just give me that chance to prove it to you."
Hotch stood stock still as if considering his proposal. Reid wrapped his arms around his waist again and hugged into his back.
"Please, Aaron." He said softly, squeezing him tightly.
Hotch sighed again, seemingly conceding.
"Okay." He said in acceptance.
Reid squeezed him even tighter.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! I promise I won't let you down. I love you so much."
Hotch smiled, loosening Reid's hands so he could turn around. He then took Reid's face into his hands and kissed him deeply and passionately.
The alarms bells were still ringing in Reid's body. He was exhausted, every touch still felt like he was on fire. But it was all overshadowed by the relief coursing through his veins. He and Aaron were going to be okay. If he just did this one thing, it would make everything so much better between them.
Aaron pushed his tongue deep into Reid's mouth, exploring every inch. His hands grabbed in his hair, pulling his head back to get better access. Reid's hands unconsciously moved to Aaron's shoulders to monitor the movement of his arms.
Hotch then pulled away from the kiss, looking at Reid's bruised and still bloodied face.
"We'll be okay, baby." He stroked a finger down Reid's cheek as his other hand kept his head pulled back slightly. "If you can just keep your focus on us, everything will be amazing." He kissed him again, seemingly enjoying the vulnerability. "You are so beautiful."
He continued the kiss deepening it. When he pulled away, he left Reid open mouthed and confused.
Hotch smirked and nudged his knuckles across Reid's jaw. He winced as he did.
"What do you say we go upstairs and I show you just how beautiful I think you are?"
Reid's eyes flashed with reluctance. This was the last thing he wanted. He was hoping that after this conversation he could take a shower, put some comfortable clothes on and sit in a dark room for a while until his migraine settled. His head was still pounding.
"Uhh..." He stammered.
"I'll take that as a yes." Hotch grinned, pulling Reid into a hungry kiss, then his hands were all over him, he pulled at the tie on his robe and pushed it open, pulling his lover's body up against him and he ran his hands down his injured back and squeezed his buttocks. He groaned as he did.
"Oh god, baby. The things you do to me." He practically growled.
Hotch had always had an insatiable appetite when it came to sex. It was something that initially Reid had found quite daunting. Hotch's relationship with Haley had never been particularly passionate even when they were happy. He'd gone so far as to describe himself as 'sex starved'. So naturally, having a younger partner like Reid really got his blood pumping. But it had taken time to get Reid to open up. For a long time he'd been a fumbling, nervous wreck. Hotch found it adorable to begin with and had been extremely patient, but as time went on, he took more and more control of the situation, practically instructing Reid on what he wanted him to do. A lot of the things Reid enjoyed had gone out of the window in favour of Hotch satisfying his urges.
The dom/sub elements developed fairly organically due to the dynamic between the pair. And Reid couldn't say he didn't enjoy it, he liked that it took the pressure off him and allowed him to enjoy sex more without a constant stream of self-doubt running through his head. But he did miss the more intimate moments that 'normal' sex brought. It felt like a long time since they'd just been lovingly intimate.
Reid's heart was once again beating at an unhealthy rate. Nerves were fluttering in his throat and chest. He was feeling that familiar fight or flight sensation but there was little he could do. Hotch was doing everything to possess him completely. His hands were everywhere.
Hotch's mouth ran from Reid's, down his neck and onto his chest, taking a nipple into his mouth, lapping at it with his tongue. The move made Reid shudder and he felt his legs buckle slightly. His body was reacting once again, despite the crippling headache and the overstimulation.
Hotch moaned as he felt his young lover shudder under his touch.
"Strip." He said commandingly.
Reid knew what that tone meant: 'Playtime'. Hotch used to discuss this with him prior to a session. But it was more and more frequently becoming something Hotch would just decide on a whim. Which often meant Reid was left in the dark about what was going to happen. Often he was tied up, gagged or blindfolded. More often these days it was all three and he would be completely at his lover's mercy. Whilst it could be exciting, he much preferred it when they discussed their limits and plans first, so he could feel like he was an active participant rather than just a doll Aaron was playing with.
Never one to disobey an order, Reid slid the robe off his shoulders and reluctantly removed his boxers, once again leaving him fully exposed in front of his partner.
Hotch smiled. "You need a shower, baby."
Reid nodded in agreement, feeling a sense of relief.
"I'm going to get you all cleaned up then show you the time of your life." He nuzzled into Reid's ear and neck making every hair on his body stand on end.
Reid's heart sank. He wasn't going to be able to shower alone. To be able to have some much-needed recuperation time.
The next second Hotch was bending down to pick him up. He threw him over his shoulder, displaying his far superior strength, as he often liked to do.
"Aaron!" Reid called out in shock as Hotch's shoulder pushed deep into his midsection. He held tightly onto his older partner's t-shirt for security. He hung down Hotch's back uselessly. "Ow!" He cried out as he was fully lifted from the floor.
Hotch just laughed slightly.
"I love how easy it is to lift you." Hotch said with a smile. Bouncing a couple of times to emphasise his point.
"Ah, Aaron. Don't!" Reid said, trying to keep the breath in his lungs.
Hotch hooked an arm between his legs manoeuvring him into a fireman's carry then started towards the stairs.
"You're not taking me up the stairs like this!" Reid said fearfully, wriggling a little.
Hotch laughed. "Trust me, Spencer. You're light as a feather."
"I highly doubt that." He choked out.
Giving him a slight slap on the backside he persisted.
"No backchat, you will pay for that." Hotch said teasingly.
As Reid's head hung down, he felt like his temples might just burst. The migraine really was a bad one. He groaned internally at the thought of punishment.
Hasn't he already punished me? Two punches to the face should have covered that.
Reid shook the thought away. That was a different Aaron. One they were going to leave behind. Under normal circumstances he knew he would be excited about this.
"Sorry, Sir." He apologised in his usual submissive tone.
He tried to relax as Hotch's foot met with the first step and he saw the ground getting further and further away. He squeezed his eyes shut as they reached the third step, feeling his nerves getting the better of him. All he could picture was them both tumbling down the stairs.
Soon they were at the top and Hotch was placing him back on his feet.
He opened his eyes and found himself in the bathroom.
"You closed your eyes?" Hotch asked with a hint of amusement.
Reid's cheeks flushed and he nodded.
"We are really going to have to work on your trust." He smirked, turning the shower on.
"I do tru-." A finger landed on his lips.
"No talking. You have a migraine and I know you're tired. You can have your quiet time and let me take care of you."
Reid just nodded. He knew 'taking care of him' was misleading. What Aaron really meant was that he was probably going to edge him until he couldn't take anymore, then he would finally let him climax once he'd gotten himself off a few times too. And if Reid didn't obey his orders, or spoke even a little, it would result in some form of punishment, whether that be a spanking, whipping or forcing him into a stress position until his body was shaking uncontrollably.
Under normal circumstances, with a pre-discussion, the prospect would fill him excitement. But thrown upon him when his body was already punished and he wasn't feeling well, the whole idea filled him with dread and he already couldn't wait for it to be over. At times like this, it was very similar to being mauled.
Suddenly a hand was on the back of his neck and he was being forced into the shower with his now also naked partner. His head was shoved under the stream of water and Aaron's mouth was running down his body to his flaccid penis. This was something Aaron rarely did for him. It was usually the other way around. To say Reid was surprised was an understatement. It no doubt meant that Aaron was in a very teasing mood. There was no way he was going to let him come in his mouth.
He closed his eyes as the water ran over him and tried to muster the strength to get himself through this without his head bursting. Even the sensation of the water splashing on him was too much. It was as though he could hear every droplet hitting his skin and it tingled uncomfortably. He was beyond overstimulated. He couldn't remember a time recently where he had been this bad.
Aaron's mouth was then on him and he gasped as the sensation overwhelmed him. The older man's hands were wrapped firmly around his buttocks pulling them apart. A finger quickly found its way inside him and mercilessly explored, in search of his prostate.
Reid was soon panting and gasping with his back against the tiles of the shower. Another unwelcome sensation.
Reid steeled himself somewhat.
If this was how Aaron wanted to show his love, then it was something Reid was going to do. He couldn't have him thinking that even this was an issue now.
So he steadied his nerves and took in as much air as he could with the water running over his face and tried his best to relax as the waves of uncomfortable pleasure ran through his body.
Reid's legs were shaking as he could feel himself nearing his climax, then as expected Aaron pulled away leaving Reid right on the edge. He thrust forwards trying to get some friction from somewhere, but he found only air and water.
"Did that feel good, baby?" Hotch ran a finger up his body, watching as he once again shuddered under his touch.
Reid nodded, his lips parted. His eyes were closed due to the water running down his face.
Hotch grabbed him by the shoulder pulled him out of the shower. Reid was expecting to be wrapped in a towel and dried off but instead he was pulled directly into the bedroom and thrown down onto the mattress and sheets.
"Aaron!" Reid said in shock at the prospect of soaking the bed they both had to sleep in.
"No talking." He growled, grabbing Reid's wrists and straddling him. He pushed his wrists over his head. "You've already broken my one rule. I think I'm going to need to take a little more control here, don't you?" He said with a stern smile.
Reid looked up at him, stuck in a strange mixture of irritation, frustration and incredibly turned on. His pounding head was starting to make him feel sick.
His eyelids dropped as another bolt of pain shot across his eyebrows. Something had to give. He couldn't handle the adrenaline rush from trying to keep up with Aaron and the overstimulation. It was making the headache worse.
Hotch felt Reid go limp under his touch.
"Ah, that's it. Good boy." He leaned down and deeply kissed his submissive partner then pulled out some restraints which he kept tucked down by the headboard. He pushed Reid's wrists apart and cuffed each one to the corners of the bed. Reid gave no resistance, just trying to ride through the headache.
Hotch kissed his forehead.
"Those headaches will get better if you just learn to relax a little, Spencer. You're always so tense. What you're doing now is so good for you. Just relax."
Reid let his mind start to wander, as he found himself doing more and more often recently. This was a near constant diatribe from Aaron these days.
He let his mind wander into the early dates they had. When Aaron would blush, when he would smile and look genuinely flattered to hear how attractive Reid found him.
How he would hold his hand and guide him gently through the beginnings of a relationship.
How he looked after him the first time they were intimate. The soft, gentle touches.
The first time they had sex and Aaron was so considerate and concerned.
The cuddles they used to share on the couch after a long day at work.
All of those things had led to the moment he was in. He was so lost in it all. Every moment he thought of was so special. There was so much love. He was lost in the warmth of it. His head went back to the early days and the softness between them. He missed it. The memories were warm and comforting. They made him feel safe.
Aaron tapped him on the face with fingers. Reid's eyes were staring straight above at the ceiling.
Hotch ran a hand through his wet hair and kissed him deeply. Reid seemed to respond accordingly.
Hotch pulled away and looked down at his young lover.
"Say your safe word, baby." He whispered.
Reid didn't respond. Hotch stroked a finger down his cheek.
"Safe word, Spencer?" He asked again a little firmer.
Hotch rolled his eyes at the lack of response and leaned down, taking Reid into another passionate kiss. His hand ran down the young agent's body and he began stroking his erection back to full hardness. Reid's body shuddered with every pump of his hand.
"I love you, baby. Just relax and let me take care of you." He kissed his forehead, then leaned over him to the bedside table. He grabbed a piece of black fabric from his drawer.
"This should help with your headache." He said gently, wrapping the fabric tightly around Spencer's head and eyes.
Again, he reached over to the bedside table, pulling out a vibrator and a cock ring.
"You're not allowed to come until I tell you, Spencer. Do you understand?"
Hotch placed the punishingly tight ring on his lover and he shifted uncomfortably trying to get rid of the sensation. He unconsciously shook his head.
Hotch's hand was then at his throat, squeezing tightly.
"I said, do you understand?"
The lack of oxygen brought Reid instantly back into the present. His mouth gaped as he tried to take in air. He pulled uselessly against the restraints and kicked his legs but Hotch just sat back on them, restricting his movement.
He nodded frantically, not entirely sure what he was agreeing to.
Hotch held on for a few moments longer, his expression darkening as he fell fully into the dominant role. Then he released his grip. Reid gasped desperately for air. This head thrummed.
"Good boy, you're so good for me."
The sound of the vibrator had Reid groaning internally. He loved it, it felt amazing – when he was in the mood. But right now it was just another sensation to add to the ever-growing list of things that were making him uncomfortable. He found himself twisting his wrists, trying to get free.
"Red." He whispered.
"What was that?" Hotch asked. His tone was sharp.
"Red." Reid repeated, louder this time.
"I've not even done anything yet, Spencer. At least let me get started."
Reid just shook his head, feeling the panic and irritation rising now. He pulled harder on the restraints.
"No... Red!" His jaw clenched with anger.
Hotch lifted himself off Reid and sat next to him on the bed.
"Great. So now even sex is an issue." Hotch sighed and Reid froze up.
"No, I-" Hotch slammed a hand to his mouth.
"Spencer, I am doing everything I can to keep us together. I know I messed up last night and I have apologised for that, but you aren't completely blameless in this. I'm trying my best to make this work and you won't even let me do that. And you wonder why I think you're no longer into this relationship."
Reid shook his head and Hotch released his hand from his mouth. Reid bit his lip, staying silent.
"Speak." Hotch commanded, his groin stirred as he realised Reid was still obeying his orders despite the situation.
"I am into our relationship, Aaron. Please don't say that. I'm just not feeling well." His voice broke a little. He could feel tears welling up behind the blindfold.
"Well, let me make you feel better." Hotch grabbed Reid's erection once more and he gasped.
"Aaron, please." Reid shook his head again. "I can't handle it... Red."
"You didn't confirm your safe word." Hotch said darkly.
"W-what?" Reid asked shakily, his body shivering under Aaron's touch.
"You didn't confirm your safe word. I asked and you didn't confirm."
"Then you should have stopped." Reid said in surprise. He didn't even remember him asking about a safe word.
"No, Spencer. You should have answered. I'm not a puppet who can just turn it on and off whenever you fancy. I've let you use your safe word many times and I've always respected it."
Reid's mouth dropped open. That wasn't true and they both knew it. The memory of their anniversary swam in his mind again.
"But there's only so much of it I can take. I'm a human being, Spencer. Not a robot. We've started now, so we'll finish."
"Aaron, that's not how this is supposed to work, we made an agreement-" Reid was beginning to feel very anxious now. The safe word was an extremely important part of doing this with Hotch. It made him feel like he was ultimately the one in control of the situation, despite Aaron's manhandling.
Hotch's hand slammed down on his mouth again, silencing him.
"Just for once, Spencer, can you manage to do something for me?"
Reid could feel the tears leaking from his eyes now. He was completely powerless in this situation. He couldn't see, his arms were tied and Hotch had control over his ability to speak. His headache was getting gradually worse as the stress set in. His anxiety was reaching peak levels. His chest rose and fell quickly as his breathing sped up.
Feeling his lover entering a panic, Hotch's eyes widened and he removed his hand from Reid's mouth and stroked his face.
"Okay, Spencer. Calm down." He said gently. He lay down next to him and put a hand across his chest and nuzzled into the side of his face. "Calm down, baby... Just breathe."
Reid was close to hyperventilating but feeling Hotch's calming and gentle presence next to him did help, despite him being the one who caused it in the first place.
"Just breathe, baby." He said again, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. He brought his hand up to rest on Spencer's forehead, trying to soothe his headache. He still didn't remove the blindfold or restraints.
He lay with his anxious boyfriend talking him down from the panic he was in 'til eventually he felt Reid's body relax and his breathing return to normal.
"Do you feel better?" He asked, kissing him on the cheek again.
Reid nodded. "Thank you." He said quietly.
"You're welcome, baby." Hotch turned his head and took him into a passionate kiss. He manoeuvred himself so he was straddling his boyfriend, not breaking the kiss. His hand went to the bedside table again. The next second, he was stuffing Reid's mouth with a pillow gag and tying it tightly around his head.
Reid's breathing picked up again and he shook his head.
Hotch's hand came down with a slap to his stomach. Reid winced and jumped slightly.
"No more, Spencer. I've had enough. If we can't even be intimate anymore then I really don't know what we're doing together. Would you rather be doing this with Morgan?" He asked sulkily.
Reid instantly shook his head. He moaned from behind the gag.
"But you don't want to do this with me?"
Reid didn't respond. The answer was too complicated to give from behind a gag.
Hotch sighed. "Fine, if this isn't what you want, I don't even know what we're doing together anymore. We're clearly not compatible. I'm not living in another sexless relationship. I just can't do it. I refuse."
Hotch moved off the bed. Reid was frantically shaking his head.
"I think I should just go."
Reid cried out from behind the gag and shook his head desperately.
Hotch raised an eyebrow. "You don't want me to?"
Reid shook his head.
"You want me to stay?"
Reid nodded.
"Do you love me?"
Reid nodded.
"So are you going to let me show you how much I love you?"
Reid froze for a moment in contemplation. He breathed a long breath out through his nose, finally giving up.
He gave a small nod.
Hotch sighed. "See, it's not so hard, is it? All you have to do is lie back and relax and we can be so happy... You're such a good boy for me." He smiled.
He quickly went to the bedside table and took out some lube and rope.
"I swear baby, you're not going to regret this." He spoke softly, looking down at the shivering young man held captive on the bed.
Hotch wrapped the rope around the iron head board, one Hotch had chosen specially for its effectiveness as an anchor for his many bondage restraints. He then pushed one of Reid's knees up to his chest and hooked the rope behind his knee. He tightened it until he was unable to lower his leg back down. He ran a hand down the back of his thigh and cupped his cheek. "You look so perfect like this, baby."
He spread some lube onto his fingers and the vibrator.
"I'm going to make you feel so good." He sat on Reid's other leg, completely immobilising it and ran his lubed finger around Reid's entrance a few times. He squirmed at the touch, twisting his arms in his restraints. He slowly inserted one of his fingers, teasingly pushing it in and pulling it out. He felt Reid's whole body tense underneath him.
"That's it, baby. That's it." He said reassuringly. He licked a stripe up Reid's painful erection, causing him to moan from behind the gag. The ring was keeping him completely engorged.
"I'm going to make you forget all about that headache." He said, licking again. Reid's body quivered with every touch. Hotch was still pulling his finger slowly in and out. "And remember, baby. You don't come 'til I say you can."
Reid was in hell. The pleasure was absolutely overwhelming him to the point of causing him pain. Tears leaked out from his eyes, soaking the blindfold. Every touch was amplified tenfold and he was already desperate to climax. The more he held it, the more he clenched his jaw and the worse his headache became.
He almost started wishing he was doing this with Morgan. Because Morgan would never do this to him. He'd never push him to do something he didn't want to do, especially when he was feeling as unwell as he was.
He managed to hold back a sob from behind the gag and focused his attentions on his breathing. He took deep breaths in and out through the nose and allowed his mind to drift, until he became almost unaware of what was happening.
His body relaxed as his mind entered blissful dissociation.
It was Monday morning and Hotch and Reid entered the bull pen. They were the first in, as usual.
Reid's face was still severely bruised but the swelling on his eye was beginning to subside. As he moved discreetly towards his desk, he realised that he was being stared at by multiple people across the floor. As he sat down in his chair, Hotch put a reassuring hand to his shoulder and squeezed.
"Love you." He said quietly.
Reid gave a small smile, looking up at him with doting eyes. "I love you too."
After teasing Reid for over an hour on Saturday morning, bringing him to climax three times in multiple ways to the point where he was practically falling apart, Hotch had finally released his aching body from the restraints.
Reid had been unable to move for two hours afterwards. He was completely wiped out and Hotch had let him sleep.
The sex had thankfully left Hotch in a good mood for the rest of the weekend. Once Reid was able to move again, Hotch had run him a bath and then spent the rest of the weekend taking care of him, cuddling with him on the couch and watching movies. After all of the stress of Friday night and Saturday morning, it was just what Reid needed. He loved it and it really helped to settle any concerns he had in his mind about the relationship. Aaron had been kind, caring and attentive, tending to his wounds, his headache and constantly telling him how much he loved him. It reminded Reid why he fell in love with him in the first place and took him back to the early days of their relationship.
Hotch shot a look at a couple of colleagues who were staring over and they quickly looked away, taking the hint that Reid was not to be disturbed.
Hotch headed up to his office and settled at his desk, leaving the blinds open so he could keep an eye on his boyfriend.
Reid felt incredibly nervous. He knew the team would start arriving soon and he wasn't exactly confident about the cover story he and Hotch had concocted. He had never been a particularly effective liar when it came to his personal life.
He ran his hands through his hair and took a deep breath. His hands were shaking ever so slightly. He hated being the centre of attention at the best of times, so today was going to be a nightmare.
He glanced up to Hotch in the office and saw his partner focusing on some paperwork on his desk. He wished Hotch would just look up to give him some reassurance, but as usual, Hotch was back into his discreet work persona. The touch on the shoulder earlier was the most demonstrative he'd ever been in the work environment.
Reid suddenly jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Jeez, kid. Jumpy or what?" Morgan laughed and rubbed a hand in Reid's hair. "I called your name like three times."
Reid purposefully didn't look at him, keeping his head down.
"Oh, sorry." He said awkwardly.
Morgan headed around the desks and sat down in his chair looking at Reid curiously.
"You alright, kid?" He asked, noticing how Reid appeared to be hiding behind his hair.
"Mm-hmm." Reid nodded, picking up some paperwork from his in-tray.
Morgan tilted his head, trying to get a better look at his colleague. His brows furrowed as he caught sight of something concerning.
He stood and moved over to Reid.
"Kid... look at me."
"I'd really rather not." Reid said, clearing his throat.
Morgan moved in and put his hand to Reid's chin. Reid hit his hand away instantly in irritation.
"Reid. Show me." Morgan said firmly.
Reid sighed, keeping his head down for a moment. Then he finally lifted his face up to meet Morgan.
His friend's eyes opened wide and he gasped.
"Oh my god, Reid, what the hell happened to you?"
Reid's cheeks flushed.
"It's nothing." He said quietly, fumbling with his paperwork.
"Like hell it's nothing!" Morgan forcefully spun Reid's chair around to make him face him. He pulled up another chair so he could get a better look. "Reid, who the hell did this to you?"
Reid's lip quivered slightly and he spoke quietly.
"I was mugged."
"What?" Morgan's anger was continuing to build. "When?... Where?"
"It really doesn't matter." He said anxiously, wringing his hands together.
Morgan shook his head in disbelief then stood up looking to Hotch's office.
"Hotch!" He called out.
"No, Morgan, leave it." Reid said cringing. He was already dying of embarrassment.
Hotch looked up to see Morgan staring at him in concern. His heart fluttered a little in his chest. This was it.
Hotch stood and moved his way out towards Morgan and his boyfriend.
"What the hell is this?" He gestured to Reid's face. "He says he was mugged?!"
Hotch kept his face stern and emotionless.
"Yes, he was."
"How the hell did this happen? Where were you?"
"I'm not a child, Morgan." Reid snapped defensively.
"He went to the store on Friday night. They jumped him." Hotch shrugged.
"And what did they take?" Morgan asked angrily.
"Take?" Hotch asked curiously.
"Yeah, if he was mugged, they must have stolen something!"
"My wallet." Reid answered quickly without thinking.
"Reid, you know that when shit like that happens you just hand over your stuff, right? You don't fight it."
Reid rolled his eyes. "I did!"
"Then why do you look like this? You look like they beat the hell out of you."
"Yeah, well they obviously didn't like me very much." Reid said quietly.
"I hope to god you reported it."
"Reported what?" Prentiss asked with a smile on her face. Her and Rossi had been heading in, complete with a selection of coffees when they overheard the tail end of the conversation. Prentiss looked at Hotch's stern expression and her smile dropped.
"Whoa, kiddo. What happened?" Rossi asked with concern.
Prentiss followed his gaze to Reid and she gasped.
"Oh my god, Reid. Are you okay?"
"Guys, please, I'm fine. I really just want to forget about this, okay?"
Rossi frowned. "Forget about what exactly?"
"He says he was mugged." Morgan said skeptically.
"I was mugged." Reid answered firmly.
"Reid, you look terrible." Prentiss said in shock.
"Gee, thanks, Emily." Reid said dryly with a slight laugh.
"Well, your face is a mess." Rossi added looking at Hotch with furrowed brows.
"Can we take this into the conference room?" Hotch said firmly, conscious of the attention they were starting to draw.
Reid sighed moodily and stood up, he brushed past Hotch and up the stairs onto the mezzanine. Morgan and Prentiss exchanged a concern glance and followed.
Hotch had to admit, Reid was doing a great job of appearing indignant enough for the mugging story to be true. He couldn't help the sense of relief that was running through his veins at that moment.
Rossi looked to Hotch with a deep frown on his face.
"So you didn't get that relaxing weekend you were hoping for then?"
Hotch's head went to Saturday morning and his 'activities' with Reid and couldn't help but smirk slightly.
"Not exactly." He said, his face dropping into a frown to match his older friend's.
"I hope you reported it." Rossi said sternly, looking up to the conference room.
"He wouldn't let me." Hotch said with a sigh.
"What? Aaron, that needs to be reported. That is a serious assault." Rossi said in disbelief.
"What can I say, Dave? I can't force him." Hotch looked at Rossi helplessly.
"Aaron, you don't need me to tell you that what they've done to him is a violent assault. That level of anger is never a one-time thing. It will happen again."
Hotch's jaw clenched. "No it won't." He said quickly and defensively.
"Well, of course, not to him. But to someone else. They need to be stopped before someone gets killed."
"I will talk to him about it. But please, don't pressure him. He's feeling insecure enough about it as it is."
Rossi held up his hands.
"I won't overstep. I'm saying it to you, as his partner. That needs to be reported." Rossi turned and headed towards the conference room.
Hotch's lips twitched with nerves as he realised that wasn't something he had taken into account when he made up this story. He kicked himself.
He followed Rossi up to the conference room. When he entered, Morgan was pacing the room clearly trying to calm his anger.
"So, tell us, what happened exactly?"
"I told you. I was mugged."
Morgan gave him a pointed look. "Kid, you know what I mean."
Reid started to look flustered and he shot a nervous glance towards Hotch.
"Uh, well I was going to get some milk from the store across the street and I was jumped."
"Did they say anything to you?"
"Uh, I- I don't think so." He sounded unsure.
"Kid, you need to remember."
Reid looked at him in irritation.
"They didn't say anything."
"How many were there?" Prentiss asked.
Reid put his head into his hand and sighed, clearly incredibly uncomfortable.
Hotch stepped forward. "He said three. They jumped him as he was approaching the store. He said they punched and kicked him until he was on the floor and then took his wallet." Hotch said seriously, wanting to take control of the situation.
Rossi grimaced. "They certainly did a good job on you."
"Did you report it to the police?" Prentiss asked.
"Yes."
"No."
Reid and Hotch answered simultaneously. Reid shot a wide-eyed gaze to Hotch then stuttered.
"Uh, I mean no. No I didn't."
Rossi furrowed his brows and looked between the pair. Something wasn't quite adding up here.
"Kid, you really should have reported this." Morgan said softly.
"Yeah, well, I didn't." Reid snapped.
Suddenly JJ and Garcia entered the room.
"Don't tell me we have a case already?" JJ said despondently.
"Sir, I didn't receive anything from you?" Garcia asked worriedly, nervous she had missed something. She looked at the concerned faces around the room, then her gaze landed on Reid, her mouth dropped open. "Oh my god."
JJ followed her gaze and she gasped.
"God, Spence! What happened to you?"
Garcia was straight over to him grabbing him into a hug.
Reid sucked in a breath as she grabbed him around the back.
"Sorry! Sorry!" She said quickly pulling away.
"Reid, show us your back." Rossi said firmly.
Hotch grimaced slightly.
"What?... No!" Reid answered indignantly, looking desperately to Hotch.
"What on earth happened to you?" JJ asked.
"He was mugged." Morgan said shaking his head.
"Oh my god, my poor baby." Garcia said sadly.
"Reid, show us your back." Rossi said again firmly.
Reid looked to Hotch again, completely helpless.
Hotch furrowed his brows and silently nodded. Reid's mouth dropped open and he shook his head.
"Show him." Hotch said simply.
Reid closed his eyes and sighed. He stood up and pulled his shirt free from his pants. He looked pleadingly to Hotch, but he just dodged his gaze.
Reid's lip quivered as he pulled up his shirt at the back, the next second Morgan had grabbed it and pulled it up further.
"Jesus, kid!" Morgan gasped.
Reid spun around releasing himself from Morgan's grip.
"Get off me!" He snapped angrily. "It's nothing, just leave me alone."
"Nothing? Reid, you're black and blue for god's sake!"
"And you haven't reported this?" Prentiss looked between Hotch and Reid in disbelief.
"What?" Garcia said in shock. "You haven't? Hotch why would you not make him report it? He has to!"
"I am in the room, you know!" Reid said angrily. "I didn't want to report it, that's my decision. Hotch has nothing to do with this, okay? So can everyone please, just leave it?!"
Reid stood up and stormed out of the room, heading back to his desk.
"Is he okay to be here?" Prentiss asked Hotch with concern.
"He's fine." Hotch said simply.
"Aaron, with all due respect, he's not fine. That's one hell of a beating he's taken. Is he at least going to see a counsellor?" Rossi asked.
"A counsellor? No."
"He could be suffering from PTSD, Aaron. An attack like that is traumatic."
"Dave, I know. But he's okay. I've been taking care of him and he's been fine."
"I can't believe people would do that to him." JJ shook her head. "He must have been so scared." She said sadly.
"So what happened afterwards? Did you find him or what?" Morgan asked Hotch.
"No, he came home and he was bleeding."
"He walked home?" Prentiss gasped.
"He was only across the road."
"What the hell were you doing letting him go to the store late at night like that?" Morgan asked angrily.
Hotch frowned and turned to Morgan angrily.
"Letting him go to the store? He's not a child, Morgan."
"No, but he's not tough either, Hotch. It doesn't take a profiler to realise that he's probably not safe wandering the streets by himself at night!"
"Wandering the streets?" Hotch scoffed. "He went across the road for some milk."
Seeing Morgan's frustration, Rossi put a hand to his chest.
"Morgan." He said warningly, shaking his head.
He sighed.
"I'm going to check on him."
Hotch stepped forward. "Morgan, leave him."
"Like hell I'm leaving him." Morgan snapped back leaving the room and heading straight towards Reid.
He sat down opposite him, pulling up a chair. Reid was sat with his head in his hands. He looked completely defeated.
Morgan spoke softly.
"Kid. Talk to me."
Reid closed his eyes and sighed.
"What's goin' on up there?" Morgan nudged Reid on the shoulder.
"I just want everyone to leave me alone." Reid said quietly.
"Well that's a no can do, kid. We're all worried about you."
Reid brought his gaze up to Morgan.
"I don't need your concern. I'm fine."
"You don't look it." He put his hand to Reid's shoulder but he shrugged it off. Morgan sighed.
"Okay, you don't wanna talk about it. I can respect that. Just tell me one thing, at least tell me why you didn't report it."
Reid bit his lip and shook his head.
"Reid?" He asked softly.
"I just wanted to forget about it." Reid said quietly.
"I can get that. But you know as well as I do that these guys will do it again and to someone else. And they might not be as lucky."
Reid scoffed a little.
"Okay, 'lucky' maybe wasn't the right word. But you know what I mean, right?"
Reid just nodded.
"I will think about it." He promised, knowing full well that he was lying through his teeth.
"Okay, kid. That's all I ask." He put his hand to Reid's shoulder again then pulled him in for a hug.
Reid stiffened.
"What are you doing?" He asked coolly.
"I was just going to give you a hug." Morgan looked at him like he'd been burned.
Reid furrowed his brows at him. "I don't need a hug from you."
"Whoa, okay Reid." Morgan said, clearly offended.
Reid glanced up to see Hotch watching him through the blinds. The rest of the team appeared deep in conversation.
"You need to back off." Reid said firmly.
"What?" Morgan asked in surprise.
"You heard me." Reid's voice was cold and distant.
"Back off? What are you talking about? We're friends, man."
"Yeah, well maybe that's not what I want. I don't need to be friends with you. I don't need you protecting me, or touching me."
Morgan looked at him in shock.
"Reid... what is this?"
He just turned in his chair, pulling himself away from Morgan.
"Reid?... What have I done, man?"
"You heard me. I don't need anyone, okay? Just leave me alone."
Morgan's mouth dropped open. He was completely dumbfounded. He couldn't figure out what he had done to make him so dismissive. He saw Reid as his best friend and his words came as a shock.
"Is everything okay? I was going to offer to take you back to the mats and we could work on some self-defence. I could give you a refresher."
Reid's jaw clenched. Morgan was really pushing this and it was irritating him. Hotch was right. Morgan really did see himself as more important in his life than he should be.
"If I need that I will go to Hotch."
"Reid, I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes here. But why go to the student when you can have the teacher?" Morgan said with a slight smile, trying to break the ice that had suddenly descended between them.
It didn't work. Reid glared at him.
"Hotch has been doing self-defence a lot longer than you, Morgan. If I need anything, I will go to him. I don't need you to teach me anything. Thank you very much." He said coldly.
Morgan raised his eyebrows.
"Okay, fine. I'll back off." Morgan held his hands up and stood from his chair. He had to admit, Reid's words hurt. "Maybe we can go for a drink later in the week and have a catch up then? I promise, I won't bring this up again."
Reid suddenly stood, grabbing his empty mug.
"Morgan, just take the hint. I'm not interested in being friends anymore. I don't need to be friends with you, okay? I am perfectly fine without your support and weird obsessive protection. Just leave me alone."
He stormed off towards the kitchen. He felt like crying. The look on Morgan's face when he said those words broke his heart. He loved Morgan. He loved him like a brother. And whilst he could concede that Hotch was right, they probably were too close, it didn't stop him caring. He didn't want to lose Morgan. But if it was a choice between him and Hotch, then Hotch was always going to win.
Morgan dropped down into his chair in disbelief. The words were like a punch to the gut. He'd never seen Reid be so cold and callous, especially not with him. Especially not when he was just trying to be kind and look out for him.
Reid was clearly done with their friendship and Morgan couldn't think for the life of him why that would be the case. He hadn't done anything. He sat back in his chair and ran a hand over his head.
"You alright?" Prentiss asked, suddenly at his side.
"Uhh, yeah." He said, casually picking up some paperwork. "All good." He smiled.
Prentiss smiled back and sat down at her desk.
When Reid returned to his desk, if Prentiss noticed the tension between the pair, she didn't mention it. She also didn't mention the mugging again. An agreement had been made in the conference room that if Reid wanted to talk about it, he would. And that he should be left alone until such a scenario arises.
The whole team had agreed, for the sake of not stressing him out more than anything. Of course, Hotch had been the one to steer the group in that direction. He had been relieved when they accepted his opinion that it would only make Reid worse and lead to more suffering for him.
Hotch returned to his office and glanced towards his boyfriend. He could see Morgan sulking at his desk. He smiled slightly. The man didn't look happy. Reid had obviously given him the cold shoulder, and the thought pleased him immensely. If he never saw Morgan touch Reid again, he would be the happiest man on the planet. It always irritated him and filled him with jealousy.
The fact that Reid had clearly put Morgan in his place, only served to show him how much Reid was devoted to the relationship. Hotch knew how much Reid cared about Morgan. And if he would do this for him, then there wasn't much he wouldn't do to keep the relationship going. The lies he had told today were an example of that.
Hotch sat down in his chair and gave a satisfied sigh. Things were going to be a lot less stressful without Morgan's constant interference in Reid's life. He was finally all his, with no distractions. Things really couldn't be better.