How Dare You [ReidxReader]

(8) Reidevaluation

After crashing on your couch, Spencer insists on taking you out for breakfast. You lend him a sweater and make sure he takes his meds before you leave. In the car you tell him: "I appreciate you inviting me for breakfast, but you don't need to feel like you have to pay me back."

He looks at you for a moment: "Do you think I spend time with you because I feel obligated to?"

"Oh." Was that what you were thinking? When you don't say anything else, he says: "Actually, I enjoy being with you."

The ambiguity of his words makes you grin.

Spencer realizes what he just said: "That's not what I-"

"I enjoy it too." You interrupt him.

Reid shows his awkward tics while entering the café and ordering. He also panics a little when the waitress flirts with him. You observe him and suppress a smile. After your food arrives, you comment: "Your haircut seems to have an immediate impact."

Self-consciously, he runs his fingers through his hair.

"It looks good." You assure him.

He avoids your gaze and starts eating.

After a few minutes of silent eating, he clears his throat and asks: "Did you mean it?"

You furrow your eyebrows: "What? That your hair looks good?"

Spencer looks at you, studying your face: "What you said yesterday. I... I don't know if you still were intoxicated when you said it. So, I'm not certain."

The corners of your mouth twitch. You're fairly sure about what he is referring to, but you want him to say it.

"What exactly do you mean?" You take a sip of your coffee and stare him down over the rim of your mug.

He cheeks flush and he lets out a sigh. "That you think I look hot." Spencer mumbles.

You hear that it takes him a lot of effort to say that. Even though the team often teases him about being pretty – including you -, he doesn't seem to believe it.

"Yes." You answer calmly.

He doesn't know what to reply, so he just keeps eating.

- - - - - - - - - -

At exactly 7 a.m. you knock on the door of the counselor you're forced to visit.

You sit down in the chair in front of him and don't say anything.

Firstly, he gives you a speech about how everything you say is confidential and he only will write a report to attest that you are cleared for duty (he avoids the part about the possibility of not being cleared).

He starts with basic questions that you give him one-worded answers to. Seeing in his eyes that he gets a little frustrated, you keep up your calm demeanor.

"Your supervisor informed me that you show aggressive behavior."

When you don't react to that statement, he adds: "What makes him say that?"

"I don't know what makes him say that. I cannot read his mind." You undermine his question.

The counselor rephrases his question: "Do you have any idea why he could have said that?"

"I hit the mirror in the interrogation room."

That makes him furrow his eyebrows: "That's it?"

"And I jumped into the ocean to rescue someone from drowning."

"I see." He writes something down.

This goes on for about half an hour. It's obviously not as easy as he thought to coax personal information out of you. One of the few perks of being tortured for six months.

Finally, he lets you leave.

- - - - - - - - - -

"How did it go?" Spencer asks when you sit down at your desk. "Guess we will know after Hotchner called me into his office. Why are you here so early?"

"I was only about thirteen minutes and twenty seconds earlier than usual. Fourteen when you don't take the elevator ride into consideration."

You lean against your desk: "That wasn't my question."

"I took the earlier train to talk to you before work."

"To talk to me before work?" Now you're really intrigued.

"Yeah, because of your evaluation."

A little disappointed you lean back and take a sip of the coffee Spencer brought.

Of course, he picks up on it and asks: "Did you expect me to say something else?"

You pause until Hotchner calls your name, pretending you were just about to answer.

"Sir?" You close the door of his office behind you.

"I got your evaluation." Jeez, this man needs to work on his Soft Skills. "You're cleared."

You let out a quite sigh. He looks like he wants to add something but decides against it. So, you just nod at him and leave.

On your way down the stairs, you give Reid a thumbs up. He smiles at you widely.

- - - - - - - - - -

"God damn, Reid." Is the first thing Morgan says when he comes in. His eyes dart between the two of you. Since you're wearing your hair up, he can see your undercut as well.

"Are you two in a gang or something?"

You give him a sweet smile: "Do you want to join? Oh, wait..."

Spencer giggles and Morgan huffs at you: "Uncalled for, Byrne."

"Ah, before I forget..." Spencer gets his bag and pulls out your sweater.

"Thanks." You take it from him.

Morgan is still staring at you: "Okay, seriously, what did you two do this weekend?"

Reid shrugs his shoulder: "Gang-Stuff."

"You joined a gang?" JJ suddenly appears next to Morgan. "Yeah," Morgan points at the two of you, "Look at them."

She smiles: "I am. Looks good, Reid."

His cheeks flush and he stares at his hands.

Did JJ fluster him? And why do you feel a sting of jealousy?