Criminal Minds Imagines

comfort in the dark - spencer reid

Panic.

The others around you looked shocked and confused, but all you could feel was overwhelming panic.

Your heart was bound to leap out of your chest as the lights continued to flicker like a scene straight from a horror movie, people shouting directions and "what's going on"s to one another.

All you could hear was your heart pounding and a frenzied buzzing in your ears.

Then suddenly it all went dark.

You nearly fell down as you surged towards the closest body to you.

"Y/N? Is that you?"

Reid's voice felt like a comforting blanket being draped over you as you clung helplessly to his arm.

"Yeah," you squeaked timidly, equal parts terrified and embarrassed.

"Are you okay? You're shaking like a leaf," he said, his other hand reaching out to grab your other shoulder before slowly moving his fingers in. You sucked in a breath as he blindly found your racing pulse on the side of your neck, "Your heart is pounding. Are you having a panic attack?"

You nodded before realizing he couldn't see you, so you whispered a meek, "Uh-huh."

"Let's sit down, okay?" He said, slowly putting pressure on your shoulder as he guided you down onto the floor with him.

You sat as close to him as possible, ignoring the fact that this would be horrifically strange behavior if you were in the light. However, you were thankful Reid was the one you had grabbed onto because you somehow knew he would be the least likely to judge you for your fear.

"Can I try something?" He asked.

"S-sure," you stuttered, teeth chattering slightly from anxiety chills.

He slowly removed your grip on his arm before taking both your arms in his hands gently and scooting around so he was sitting behind you, "Lean back."

You hesitated for a moment, before deciding to trust that he knew what he was doing. You sank back slowly into his chest, feeling his heartbeat thumping against you lightly.

He wrapped his arms around your waist like a lap seatbelt, securing you against him, "Just feel my heart beat and breathing and try to match your breathing to mine."

You did as he said, feeling his chest rise and fall as he inhaled and exhaled deeply, encouraging you to follow his lead. You leaned your head back against his shoulder, closing your eyes and trying to ignore the fact that you were in the middle of the pitch black bull pen.

You couldn't help but laugh internally at your situation: here you were, leaning back in the embrace of the man you had been pining for for nearly three years, yet the thing that made you most nervous in the moment was the lights going out.

Go figure.

You felt Spencer lean into you slightly and your heart jumped, as if you were finally realizing the gravity of being held by him. You almost short-circuited as he tucked his head into the curve of your neck, exhaling into your skin. Spencer never touched anyone like this, never this much.

That had to mean something right.

You desperately tried to return your focus to your breathing, but were failing miserably. So you allows yourself to indulge for a moment, figuring that if it kept your mind off of your fear for a while it was worth it.

You memorized the smell of his cologne, deep and woodsy with a hint of spice and something sweet. The feel of his warmth against you, his beating heart and steady rise and fall of his chest. His curls that brushed against the side of your face as he practically snuggled into you. The firm embrace of his arms as they buckled you in like a rollercoaster bar, and the slightly clammy feeling of his hands as they slowly tangled with yours, keeping you grounded.