#Spencer would definitely impress with his magic tricks

[emiko-fan-2podcasterin]

People I would pay big money for to get them in the same room:

[foxy-eva]

Reflections

Summary: The kindness Spencer Reid shows to a child seems to impress Fem!Reader a little too much

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader Category: Fluff Content Warnings: case related violence (no details but there is a child whose parents were murdered) Word count: 2k Author’s note: So this is based on a request by @hotchneer but I changed some things to make it work for me (it initially asked for child!reader but that didn't feel right for me). I know you didn't ask for it but I wanted to add some romantic fluff. I hope you enjoy reading it! Shoutout to @writingquillsandpainpills for hyping me up and helping me with this fic!

Masterlist

My collection of brightly colored toys was scattered over a round table and begged to be inspected by a child’s hands but remained untouched. I was running out of ideas on how to engage with the boy beside me so I decided to just sit with him for as long as he would need me to. As a social worker I knew that this was exactly what was to be expected from a child who just went through a traumatic experience but I still felt the urge to make him feel better.

The door opened and a tall man in a dark suit entered the room. To my surprise he didn’t pay me any attention, instead instantly crouching down in front of the kid to introduce himself.

“Hi Nathan, my name is Spencer Reid,” he paused, took a toy car in his hand and asked, “is that yours?”

In my experience people working for law enforcement often didn't have a child’s best interest at heart when it came to interviewing them. So I was preparing myself to be the person who would make sure the Agent who was about to ask him questions about his parents’ death wouldn’t harm this boy even more.

Nathan didn’t look at the man in front of him, instead fidgeting with the hem of his shirt and staying quiet. The Agent placed the little car back on the table next to the other abandoned toys and looked at me with raised eyebrows before pulling out a chair and taking a seat at the table with us.

“Do you mind me sitting with you?” Agent Reid asked the child who just shrugged at his question.

The three of us sat together in silence for a few moments. I was waiting for him to try to interrogate Nathan without further ado but to my surprise he didn’t. Instead he caught me off guard by looking directly at me and asking me something I definitely hadn’t expected.

“Would you like to see a magic trick?”

The child beside me turned his head and looked up at me, waiting for my reaction. It was the first time since I arrived at the FBI headquarters that he seemed to be interested in interacting so I didn’t hesitate to play along.

“Sure, why not,” I agreed.

Agent Reid pulled out a coin from his pocket and let it dance through skilled fingers before over-dramatically holding it in front of my face with his right hand. Before I knew what he was planning he quickly clapped his palms together thrice before showing me his now empty hands.

“Wait, where did the coin go?” I wondered, a smile spreading across my face.

I looked down at Nathan, staring at us with parted lips and widened eyes.

“Did you see where it went?” I asked the boy, having him shake his head in disbelief.

“Worry not, the coin is…,” Agent Reid clapped again once and held his hands up, “...right here!”

Or not. His palms were still empty, causing him to frantically look around himself in search for the round piece of metal. I started giggling at his failed attempt at a magic trick. Suddenly the Agent smirked at me, first looking me in my eyes before his sight trailed to the side of my head.

“Ah,” he said, “It seems my lovely assistant came to my rescue.”

I didn’t understand until he reached out his hand and tenderly brushed over the hair behind my ear, sending a chill down my spine. After a split second he pulled back, holding the coin between two fingers as if he had just pulled it out from my hair. He offered it to the boy beside me who impatiently took the coin in his little hands, inspecting it thoroughly. I watched him and smiled when he looked at me with raised eyebrows.

“How did he do that?” Nathan asked me, making my heart jump as I realized it was the first time I heard him talk.

“I don’t know,” I honestly answered before flashing the man next to me a look and added, “maybe they teach magic at FBI school.”

That made the Agent laugh and I could have sworn it was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard. I realized that my reservations about law enforcement might not apply to him and just like I started to trust him so did Nathan. When he suggested showing him another trick at his desk the child didn’t hesitate to follow the man to the office area. I went along, keeping my eyes on them although I already knew I had no reason to worry.

Agent Reid mumbled something about physics magic as he filled a small container with something and put it on his desk, Nathan curiously watching his every move. After a few seconds the container shot through the air like a tiny rocket, having the other Agents being present rolling their eyes and the Unit Chief I met earlier coming out of his office.

“That’s so cool!” Nathan exclaimed as he excitedly jumped up and down, making the man laugh.

I was still astounded that this Agent did not seem to care to keep up the serious demeanor I usually saw in men working in similar positions, he didn’t even seem to think about his colleagues possibly calling his behavior unprofessional. However, what surprised me the most was the fact that despite having a serial killer still on the loose he didn’t have any intention of rushing Nathan or pressuring him into talking to him, albeit the boy’s knowledge possibly being crucial to solve the case.

Watching their interaction warmed my heart and I came to a conclusion: Agent Reid had to be a father himself with his paternal instinct oozing out so obviously. He didn’t tell Nathan off when he started to go through the drawers of the desk and scatter everything on the floor. Instead he watched him patiently and explained every item the child found and didn’t recognize. When he pulled out a Rubik’s cube Nathan’s eyes widened again as he held it up to Agent Reid.

“Is this magic, too?” He wondered as he started to turn the cube in his hands.

The man shook his head and suggested, “How about you take it with you and we go back to the other room?”

“Is she coming with us?” The child wanted to know, pointing his finger at me.

I nodded at him and added, “Yes I am, if that’s alright with you.”

He thought about it for a second, his brows furrowed and his finger tapping his chin.

“Yeah you can come,” he concluded as he walked past me, “just don’t make me play with your toys again. They are boring.”

That made me laugh, well aware that magic tricks and unusual objects were way more interesting than some toy cars and wooden blocks. Agent Reid flashed me an apologetic glance as the three of us walked over to the other room, sitting down at the same table as before. Nathan really tried to understand how the Rubik’s cube worked, having the man beside him patiently explain it to him several times until there was enough trust built for him to cautiously ask the boy some questions.

I listened closely, ready to jump in if he would take it too far but any concern was unnecessary. He proceeded to interview him carefully, considerately choosing his words and giving Nathan enough time to think and come up with answers. After a while the child seemed to get weary, yawning several times and rubbing his eyes.

“I think that’s enough for now,” I told Agent Reid who was still in need of more information but didn’t try to push it.

Instead he pointed to the small couch in the room and suggested that Nathan could rest there which the boy gladly accepted. We followed him over to the couch and I sat down on the edge as the child laid down. Spencer unfolded a woolen blanket and gently placed it over the child’s body.

Looking up at the both of us he wanted to know, “Do you have kids?”

I shook my head and told him, “No,” shortly before I heard Agent Reid say the same. That was surprising to me and I couldn’t help but flash him a confused look for a second before I looked back at Nathan.

“You guys should have a baby then,” he stated.

I felt heat rushing up to my cheeks, certainly tinting them in a rosy shade while the man standing beside me audibly cleared his throat. I decided to change the subject to not make this any more awkward.

“Get some rest now, sweet boy,” I whispered while flattening out nonexistent creases on the blanket.

Before he dared to close his eyes Nathan wanted to make sure of something.

“Will you be there when I wake up?”

“Yes, I will,” I reassured him.

He was not yet convinced, so he held his little finger out to me and asked, “Promise?”

I linked my pinky with his.

“Promise.”

After being sure Nathan was asleep, I left the room to take a phone call while Agent Reid disappeared from my sight. A few minutes later he came back with two cups of coffee, handing me one of them while waiting by my side until I was done with the call.

“Thank you, Agent Reid,” I said as the scent of freshly brewed coffee gave me a sense of comfort.

He smiled at me and shyly replied, “Please, call me Spencer.”

“Thank you, Spencer.”

A warmth spread in my chest area, whether it being from the hot beverage or Spencer still grinning at me I couldn’t tell. He stepped closer to me without breaking eye-contact and I felt my heart skip a beat at the proximity.

“So, what’s happening now?” He whispered.

His question startled me, not having expected him to so blatantly make a move on me. There was an undeniable tension between us and I would have lied if I said I didn’t find Spencer attractive. I couldn’t help but glance at his lips for a split second, noticing how soft they looked. I had to actively withdraw my thoughts or else I would have lost myself in a fantasy. When a small crease started to form between his eyebrows I remembered that he was still waiting for an answer.

I cleared my throat before telling him, “Sorry uhm… I’m still on duty.”

“Yeah I know, that’s exactly why I’m asking you? Weren’t you just on the phone about Nathan?”

I felt the color draining from my face as I realized that he wasn’t trying to flirt, he was asking about the boy sleeping on the other side of the door. My cheeks got uncomfortably hot, betraying me in my attempt to not let my embarrassment show.

“Of course, yes! Sorry!” I took a second to pull myself together before continuing, “His aunt wants him to live with her. She’ll be here in a couple of hours.”

He let out a relieved sigh, “That’s great news. I’m glad to hear that.”

We stood in silence for a few moments, sipping our coffees while the exhaustion of the day started to kick in.

“So I was thinking… Maybe after this case is solved, we could go grab some coffee together?” Spencer suddenly broke the silence. “Outside of work, I mean,” he clarified.

“Won’t you have someone to get home to then?” I wondered.

“Nope,” he paused for a moment before he added, “Not yet.”

Whether he was generally speaking or it was an attempt to flirt with me I couldn’t tell but I was hoping for the latter.

“I would really like that,” I said.

Having coffee with you, I thought, and being the one you get home to.

Let me know what you think here!

Taglist: @lcvingprentjss @nomajdetective @reidsbookclub @spookydrreid @safespacespence @gspenc @justreadingficsdontmindme @samuel-de-champagne-problems @sinfulspencer @matthew-gray-gubler-lover @delicatespencer

[radiant-reid]

idk if you're still taking hc but spencer w foster kids? 🥺

yes !!

CW: child abandonment

i couldn't see him as a foster dad, just because he's away so much, but i could definitely see him adopting kids

so it's a case where he really bonds with the little girl whose mom died

he gets the job of being with the police precinct to ask her a few questions about her home life

and she's so shy about talking to anyone, hiding behind the caseworker

immediately, he breaks out the magic, impressing her with his card tricks

then she talks a little more and she's seen some disturbing things

her dad left like his did and he finds himself relating to her

and he sees a traumatized little girl and wants to do something because he's sick of just saving kids and leaving them after their lives have been ruined

and when she has no family, and they say she's going into foster care, and he begs to take her back to DC with him

everyone can see they're already bonded so Hotch agrees

and he takes a few weeks off work to make sure she's settled

gets her into a good routine, makes sure she's got a normal-ish life

she's still pretty young and resilient after all the things that happened to her

he finds the best therapist so she can talk about things

supportive of everything she wants to do; playing different instruments, sports, academics

i just know that little girl grows up so loved, which doesn't help all the bad things that happened to her, but if she's happy, he's happy

and he cries when she calls him dad

and when she asks to change her last name to Reid

he cries all the time actually. especially when she graduates high school, gets into college, graduates college

but you can also catch him crying at all the small moments. at her ballet performances, when her soccer team wins, when she gives a speech about him on 'bring your parent to school day.' even her parent-teacher conferences

she feels like the luckiest kid in the world, the memories of her first 6 years being replaced by the happy times with the only person she's ever known to be her dad

and she's got the most amazing aunts and uncles who love her as much as Spencer does

Penelope stays at their place when the team is out of town which is awesome because she gets to play multi-player video games that her dad doesn't understand

her whole life she knows she can always come to him about anything and he won't judge

and, of course, she gets into Caltech, but Spencer would support and be proud of anything she does

here's another

i could also imagine him fostering or adopting a teenager from the system

because he knows how bad the statistics are for children aging out

so he fosters 15, 16, 17-year-olds who mostly don't find placements

and he's so attentive, knowing when they need time to be alone or just someone to talk to

he buys them clothing, computers, phones, room decorations, and gives them an allowance

because some of them have had a rough few years with irregular schooling, spencer will sit with them for hours going over anything they don't understand

even if he only has a year, he'll make sure they're college ready

he doesn't force anything on them and he's very good at trying to understand why they're feeling how they feel

[moonlightlullaby]

just like magic

summary: Reader has a card up their sleeve, leaving Spencer intrigued, flustered and impressed.

pairing: Spencer x gn! non-BAU! Rossi’s offspring!Reader

category: fluff 

A/N: this is one of the first gn!reader pieces that I’ve written, so please let me know if I’ve slipped up somewhere!

word count: 2.5k

No sooner had I opened the glass door leading to my dad’s “humble” backyard than Henry’s and Jack’s fresh and joyous laughter filled my ears and warmed my heart. The sight that accompanied it only adding to my gleeful state, making my heart soar and melt instantly.

Spencer Walter Reid, the bright young Doc who I’ve known - and had a patent crush on - for nearly six years now, is entertaining the kids with a magic trick. I can’t help the smile that splatters on my face as I watch the scene unfold.

“Here, angelo mio.” my dad caresses my back as his other hand offers me a glass of wine. I take it and we clink our glasses together before making our way to the cozy wooden picnic table where his other colleagues are chatting. On our way, I go off-track and get closer to the sweet magician and adorable kids. “Hello, boys!” I extend my free hand, high-fiving both of them as they harmonize a “Hi” back to me. At Spencer, I flash a smile and wink and, without waiting for his reaction, I turn around and soothe Jack’s hair as I begin distancing myself. 

“Oh what a sight for sore eyes! Y/N, you look fantastic! As always I mean…” in her very own manner that never gets old, Pen is the first to greet me, clapping in excitement and giving me a home-like hug. “Oh please! Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?” she waves her hand and rolls her eyes in a way that tells me both to stop tooting her horn and to keep the compliments going, making me giggle. “And I’ve said this before, but I’ll do it again. You need to show me where you’ve bought these rings, P.”

“Oh! I have an idea,” JJ chimes in. “we should go shopping tomorrow!” by the time she finishes her sentence, I - along with Penelope, Prentiss and Tara - am nodding my head fervorously. “I’ll take you up on that one.” Em voices what all of us are thinking.

“I mean, unless a case pops up…” JJ drags it out, contorting her lips. “We won’t,” Hotch reassures everyone. “these past two weeks have been hectic and we all have overworked ourselves. You deserve the weekend off.” to which Derek, Tara and my dad, in sync, raise their glasses.

“So, ladies,” Derek hugs me, grinning. “where are we going tomorrow?” 

“We? Oh my chocolate thunder! Much as this pains me,” Pen places a hand over her chest to fuel the scene with more drama. “you’re not invited.”, which earns gasps and scoffs from him.

I lean my head on his shoulder, giving his hand two taps. “Yeah, Derek. Sorry,” I turn my face to him. “but, how are we supposed to have boy talk with you there?” the girls nod along in agreement and he smirks. 

“Boy talk, hun?” 

The thing is, Derek - much like every other person in the team... well, almost everyone - is well aware of my not-so-subtle crush on his oblivious friend and he never spares me some teasing. Thankfully, before he can take his teasing any further, I’m saved by the bell - and by the bell, I mean Henry and Jack. 

“Y/N/N, Y/N/N!” knowing how much I love magic, Henry starts pulling me towards Spencer, giving me only a second to hand my glass to Derek. “Look at this! Spencer, do it again, do it again!” 

“Yes, show Y/N the cool trick!” Jack says energetically after waving me over.

Spencer smiles at me, giving us a small nod, and turns his back to us to prepare himself for the show. I sit crisscross next to the giddy boys, feeling thrilled myself. “Alright,” Spencer turns around, observing his audience and clasping his hands together. “are you ready?” 

“Yes!” we eagerly respond in unison. 

“Y/N, I know you’re very fond of magic yourself.” I hum in agreement. “So, are you familiar with th- oh! Wait,” he furrows his brows and narrows his eyes, scanning my face for a millisecond. “what is this?” he steps closer to me, kneeling slightly and reaching for my face. The boys get more agitated and giggle. “This what?” I look back and forth between the magician and them, who immediately cover their mouths trying to conceil their giggles and to keep any secrets from escaping. “Excuse me.” Spencer mumbles before placing his hand on the side of my neck. 

This simple gesture - a shy touch, a brief moment of intimacy - is enough to make my heart skip a bit, and I’m sure Spencer notices the sudden change in my pulse because his gaze momentarily leaves the side of my face to my eyes before travelling back to its original spot.

“This.” suddenly, I feel a ghost-like touch on the back and side of my neck, and, ahead of me, all I see is Spencer pulling an endless thin colorful - scarf-looking - cloth. I can’t contain the laugh and loud snort that escape my lips, inciting the boys, Spencer and even the grown-ups over there to burst into laughter as well. 

By the time the entire cloth is out, my belly and cheeks ache and a tear is found in the corner of my eye. “Impressive, Doc! Very impressive as always.” he grins in return.

“Your turn, Y/N! Do a trick too, please” Jack suggests - well, orders basically since he knows I wouldn’t ever turn it down - and is backed up by an eager “yes!” from Henry. 

“Oh you also do tricks?” Spencer sounds less surprised that I do than that this fact was unknown to him. 

During some of my nights as Henry and Michael’s and/or Jack’s last-minute babysitter, I had to, in spite of how sweet and obedient they are, resort to desperate measures, such as magic tricks - some of which I’ve learned with the sole purpose of entertaining them. To Spencer, however, I’ve never had such opportunity. Not until now.

“Well, not as entertaining as yours, I’m sure, but yes.” I stand up, wiping bits of grass from my bottom.

“Umm, ok, I have a new one to show you, guys. I just… You wouldn’t have a deck of cards and a pen to lend me for a minute, would you?” 

“The pen, I don’t. The deck of cards, though,” he searches his pockets, pulling a standard - and well cared for - deck. “here.” he hands it to me.

“Thank you very much.” I cursty theatrically.

Jack runs back from God-knows-where with a black pen in hands. “Here, the pen. My dad said you could borrow it.” 

“Oh great! Thank you, Jack, and thank you, Aaron!” I raise my voice slightly at the end, nodding my head at Aaron and giving him a tight-lipped smile, which he mirrors.

“Okie, okie! Let’s start, shall we?” the boys exchange expectant glances and Spencer tilts his head, studying me and probably trying to predict my next moves. Hopefully, this will work. It’d be a shame failing in front not only of the boys - who, I’m sure, would never let me hear the end of it -, but also of Pretty Boy himself.

I shuffle the cards a little bit and open it, making a sort of fan with it and letting the faces and numbers face the ground. “Alright, boys, pick one card but don’t show it to me.” they both put their index fingers on the same card. “You can take it and let Spencer see.” the man standing to my left follows along and takes a peep at it. “Now, I want both of to draw whatever you feel like on it, ok? On the front.” 

As they take turns putting their art on the card, I turn to Spencer, who’s already got his curious eyes on me. “Be patient” mine tell him and he takes a sip of his wine.

“Done!” Henry looks up at me.

“Great, you can put it back on the stack then,” he does so. “Ok, now, to prove you I’m not cheating, Spencer’s going to shuffle the cards.” I hand them to him. “However you want and as many times as you wish.”

Once he’s done, I take them back. “So, now, I guarantee you the first card I show you is the exact one you’ve picked. Ready?” They nod along and I double-tap on the top of the stack. “Alright. This,” I lift the first card. “is your card.”

They immediately shake their heads negatively and my eyes go wide. “Wait, really?” Feeling Spencer smirking behind me, I turn the card to take a look at it. It really isn’t the one. “Shoot!” I exclaim disappointedly, sighing.

“No, no, it’s ok... It’s ok.” I quickly recompose myself. “The next will definitely be the right one.” with my eyes closed and my nose scrunched, I circle my free hand above the deck as if drawing in energy and conjuring magic. Double-tapping once more, I pull the card up, still not looking. 

When I open my eyes, I’m met with the boys’ scrunched noses and mischievous eyes as they, yet again, shake their heads no. “Oh no…”

This time, Spencer doesn’t even try conceiling his chuckle and has the audacity to comment “Oh, Y/N, you were too harsh on yourself earlier. This is much more entertaining than that little trick of mine.”, eliciting giggles from the kids. 

“No…” I pout. “Guys, have a little faith in me, please.”

I close my eyes and bring the cards, sandwiched between my palms, closer to my ear in an attempt to hear the magic somehow. “Oh!” I open my eyes. “Guys, come check this out!” with that, I pike their curiosity and they scoot closer to me. I turn the deck over, so all fronts are facing upwards, and open it completely. “The card is not here!” Henry gasps, noticing that their five of diamonds is missing. The boys take the cards from my hands and I fumble my fingers in the air as if trying to sense where their card is, humming in the process. 

“Ummm Jack, is there anything behind Henry’s ear?” The boy looks at me inquisitively and reaches for said spot. 

“Oh here!” he nearly shouts, pulling the missing five of diamonds and showing everyone. However, before anyone has the chance to celebrate my small victory, the absence of drawings on the card is brought up, shocking our spectators. “Where are our dinosaurs?” 

“Hey, Y/N, I hate being the party pooper,” ‘party pooper’? Coming from Dr. Spencer Walter Reid? Oh, this is news! “but it seems like you’ve just mixed two tricks and neither of them has worked.” Again, both boys laugh at it - at me -, siding with him.

“No, no, no! See, the thing about magic,” I narrow my eyes and tilt my head, gesticulating like the good Italian descendant my dad’s brought me up to be. “is that it requires a lot of concentration to work, and when you don’t focus enough on it, like I might have, it gets lost… Not completely lost, though! Uh, if we put our hearts to it, we can still find your dinosaurs, ok?” I crouch. “Can you help me out on this one?” I plead and extend my hands to them. They nod their heads and take my hands, we form something close to a circle, closing our eyes and letting magic speak. 

“Uh-oh! Oh, guys, I feel something!” 

“What is it?” and “Where are the dinosaurs?” are immediate and simultaneous reactions.

“Ummm, Spencer.” I turn to the man trying to contain his laughter at the scene that unfolds before his eyes. “Hm?” he tilts his head and raises his brows slightly, still smirking.

“Is there anything in your pockets right now?” 

“Aside from the silks, no.”

“Are you sure?” I tilt my head, contorting my lips a bit and squinting my eyes with curiosity, which he mirrors. He’s intrigued. Mission accomplished - I mean, not completely accomplished yet, but a success nonetheless.

“Well, you can check for yourself.” he opens his arms a little so I can inspect the inner pockets of his blazer. The right one is empty as expected. In the left one, my fingertips meet the colorful cloth and nothing else. 

“You’re right, Spencer.” I sigh “Only,” I start pulling the cloth out “the,” it’s now in the kids’ view “silks.” gasps and wows come from our audience. I turn to the two wide-eyed boys who are now rushing over to grab it from my hands. 

“How did you-?”

“It worked, Y/N! It worked!”

“This is so cool!”

I giggle, feeling Spencer’s baffled gaze switch between me and the dinousaur-printed cloth. I also hear applause coming from the rest of the team and a “they’ve beat Spencie at his own game! You go, love!” from the one and only Penelope Garcia. Glacing at the man in question, I catch him mouth agape, dazed eyes, and a smile threatening to take over his lips.

“Y/N/N, Y/N/N, can I keep it? It looks so pretty.” at this, I smile softly, shrugging a bit as I respond. “Well, it’s Spencer’s…” the three of us turn to the Good Doctor, who, pulled from his trance, nods vigorously and wets his bottom lip in the typical Spencer Reid style. “Yes. Definitely, Henry.” 

As the boys cheer, my dad, from the doorstep, catches everyone’s attention. “Dinner is ready, family.”

Strolling back to the house and quickly side-hugging JJ on the way, I sense a quite desperate, puzzled tall individual hot on my trail. In a breath, he catches up and starts walking side by side with me, causing me to smirk.

“How did you-” 

I don’t let him finish the much predictable question. “Oh, you don’t actually want to know the answer, Spencer.” while we cross the doorstep, I look at him from the corner of my eye, catching - once again - him already eyeing me. He opens his mouth before closing it and raises his hand before dropping it. In sympathy, I continue. “But, in case you do find yourself desperate for it, there’s something in your right pocket that might be helpful.” I can’t help smiling as the last words come out. And, without giving him the chance to question or ramble like he always does, I walk over to the dinner table, settling myself between Hotch and Tara.

As I sit down, I catch Spencer on the same spot I’ve left him, blushing as his brain processes - or at least tries to - what’s written on the little note. He quickly - yet carefully - folds it, puts it back in its original place, licks his lips once more - I wonder if he’s aware of how often he does that - and walks to the table. Our eyes lock and he smiles, in a slightly nervous - or is it excited? - way, taking his seat right across from mine.

Truth be told, Spencer’s known my number by heart for years now for I am my dad’s emergency contact. However, I was never the one to give it to him, just like he’s never been the one to call me. Hopefully, now that I’ve changed the former, the latter will also change.

[gone-to-fight-the-fairies]

Secret Santa

Summary: The BAU holds its first Secret Santa, and as fate has it, you pick your Spencer Reid. But you aren’t the only one with feelings. Gifts tell all.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x reader

Word Count: 1550+

A/n: We were going to do Secret Santa at work but shit hit the fan, and half of the people don’t want to give to the other half. So, I’ll substitute it with fiction. Please enjoy 🎅

Considering the amount of time the group spent working, finding everyone on the team that one perfect gift would be time-consuming. So, you suggested Secret Santa. 

Penelope loved the idea. She went around to gather everyone available and dragged them to the bullpen. Rossi, of the first to hear, offered his house to host the event on Christmas Eve. 

Gaining momentum, you pulled a piece of paper from your desk drawer and went to work. Most of the team gathered around to watch as your fingers folded the page into small rectangles and then tore at the edges. For each sliver of paper, you wrote a name for each member of the team. And then concealed the information by folding each piece. Morgan came back with a hat from lost and found. 

"Who wants to draw first?"

Morgan stepped up. He rubbed his hands together wickedly and drew from the hat, picking out a scrap. He revealed it to himself, keeping an even face. 

Penelope couldn't contain her excitement and pranced to you. Unlike the others, she didn't contain her thrill of the pick. You would guess Morgan, but there wouldn't be one person she wouldn't be happy to buy presents for. 

Prentiss stuck her hand in. She was smart enough to step back and wait to unfold hers when no one was watching. In a room full of profiles, one could never be too careful. 

Rossi didn't seem too thrilled with his pick but went back to stand beside Prentiss, trying to look over her shoulder at hers. 

JJ pretended to be selective, choosing one playfully to grab another one instead. She followed Emily's lead. Waiting until later to look. 

Reid was the last in the bullpen and stood off to the side, watching everyone else as they took their turns. 

"Reid?"

He bit his lip as he approached to pick between the last three. Once he pulled one, he unfolded it without concealing the corners of his lips. 

"Who'd you get, pretty boy?"

Spencer panicked, hiding the name in his fist so Morgan couldn’t peek. "That's not a part of the game."

"We have a case," Hotch called out from his office door. 

Morgan patted Reid on the back. There would definitely be more teasing later. 

The group filed into the meeting room one by one. Last, you extended the hat towards Hotch. Raising a brow, he diligently selected a scrap. He unfolded it and gave you a look. "Secret Santa?"

Nothing could fool him. When you smiled at Hotch sheepishly, he returned the smile, tucking the paper into his coat pocket and resumed his solemn expression. And you wondered if he'd picked you. 

You retrieved the last paper, putting it in your pocket for later. 

The flight back home was when you remembered the piece of paper. Luckily the case hadn't been long, or else you'd risk running it through the wash.  

As the others slept and rested, you chose the privacy of an empty row to unfold the paper.

Reid.

Of course. 

"Get somebody good?" Reid sat down across from you. And you entertained the thought that with his high IQ came with mind-reading capabilities. 

"Is there anyone bad?"

"I guess not."

You rested your cheek on your fist, staring at the scrap in concentration. "I don't know what to get them."

"You're lucky you looked at yours now. I've been worried about that the entire case. Slowed my reading speed down to ten-thousand words per minute."

You chuckle but offer your sincerest advice. "Whoever it is will love what you get them because it's from you."

"Thought that counts, right?"

You played with the paper between your fingers, and an idea popped up into your mind. "Right."

On Christmas Eve, everyone arrived at Rossi's home around seven. Rossi had spent the afternoon cooking an Italian dinner, and nothing had ever smelled more welcoming. 

Each team member discreetly left gifts on a table along the wall of the large window looking out onto Rossi's backyard, lit with twinkling Christmas lights. Presents varied in size, some wrapped, some bagged. Each gift with a tag addressed to who without the giver's name. It was more fun for profilers to guess. Though by the time everyone sat down, there were two fewer gifts than people present. 

"I'll go first," Rossi offered. Instead of going to the table to find his gift, he left the room, only to return with two handfuls of gift bags. "Merry Christmas." Rossi went around the table, handing a bag to each team member. When he gave you a bag, he beat answered your impending question. "What? I got myself." Returning to his seat as he continued. "So, I decided to get the same wine for everyone, since everyone depletes me at these gatherings."

"You should've picked from the hat again!" 

"You didn't say I could pick again." He sassed back. "Why doesn't someone else go? Reid?" 

Reid pushes his chair back but halts as you place a pack of cards on the table. You hold up the box, showing everyone. "Normal pack, right?" Everyone watched with a curious look. You hold it out towards Reid with your left hand. But with your right, you wave it over the box, and it disappears. 

"You've picked up magic?!" Spencer radiated as you make the deck reappear, this time without the box. Everyone claps, and you bow in your seat. 

"I thought I may try and attempt to impress the great Spencer Reid. And I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve for later." You send him a wink. "Who's next?"

"Go, kid." Rossi encouraged you. You walk over to the presents. Penelope, Emily, and then you spot your name written on a medium-sized gift bag. It's not too light nor too heavy as you bring it back over to the table, taking a seat as you pull out the red and green tissue concealing it. 

It's a handbag. A cinched sack with a dusty rose print with a white stripe along the top. And a pristine designer name on the front. 

You'd seen this bag… somewhere. But the memory was fuzzy. 

"Wooooah." JJ is the first to see the label. "That's nice." 

Penelope leans over JJ and snatches your bag from your hands. "You would call a Guess bag nice. This is a beautiful, crafted stretch of the fabric!" Morgan and Emily are stretching their necks. While Hotch and Rossi's brows furrow at the hysteria.

You're scanning everyone's faces until you look across from your seat and see Reid, the only one unalarmed. 

"I don't get why people are willing to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a single fashion accessory." Rodeo Drive. A case. You're walking down the street, passing by the rich, feeling like a have-not. 

"It says that the owner of said handbag is worth something," You say to Reid, stopping in front of a designer's display window. Mannequins are dressed in obnoxious attire, but you're staring at a dusty rose bag displayed on a pedestal. "If someone buys it for you, they're telling you that you're worth wasting a lot of money on. If you buy it for yourself… then you're telling yourself that you're worth that." You'd seen many designer handbags you wouldn't be caught dead wearing, let alone paying the price of a down payment. But this one is modern and… your style. You can't help but gravitate towards it.

"You like that bag." He isn't asking. It's a fact. 

"I don't like myself that much." You force yourself to keep walking, but Spencer lingers, looking at the handbag another moment. 

You push back your chair, excusing yourself from the party. You miss the way the team looked between themselves, eyes one by one landing on Reid, who was quick to follow you into the hallway. Reid’s footsteps are too familiar not to recognize. When you turned on your heels, you nearly crash into him. 

He was worried you would be mad, but your demeanor spoke the opposite. You would hardly meet his eye, lips pressed together in a straight line. 

"I gave you a magic show, and you got me a purse!"

"I liked your show!" Spencer affirmed. "I loved it, actually."

"Why did you get me that bag?"

"Because you're worth that much to me." Now his eyes diverted your gaze, and the meaning behind his words clicked. "If anyone else had gotten me for Secret Santa, they would've bought me a book. But you gave me something that will last me a lot longer than five minutes. Something no one else would get me."

"The opportunity to ridicule me until the end of time?"

"A new shared interest!" He corrected. "And… maybe we could see The Magic Duel downtown sometime. I hear they're good. A little too into the banter-"

"Like as a date?"

"Yeah," he breathes out with a smile. He'd been holding that thought too long, you notice. 

"Sounds like a plan." You grin back at him.

"But you're paying. That purse really wiped me out."

Your laughter breaks up the tension, and Spencer takes your hand, leading you back to the group. 

If buying an expensive purse hadn't shown you his true feelings, his willingness to touch another human's hand did. 

[simp-for-spencer-reid]

Flavor shot: Holiday Blend-part 2

Series Masterlist

Light peeked through the curtains of the guest room. Cate turned over, burying her face in Spencer’s chest. He was also beginning to wake up, and tightened his arm that was wrapped around her. Cate felt at peace; the only sound was some Christmas music coming from downstairs. Cate could tell the music was coming from her mother in the kitchen. The smell of muffins wafted in from the open door. 

The open door. 

The door that Cate had shut last night. 

Cate’s eyes shot open. She could now hear soft footsteps from within the room. Turning back over, she came face to face with a giggling Stella and Finn. 

“Auntie Cate, are you in here because you had a nightmare?” Stella asked innocently. 

“Um.. no.” Cate pulled the blanket up to her chin. Before Finn could speak Cate whispered, “Spencer did.” Cate scrunched her nose with a smile. She could feel Spencer slide a hand up the back of Cate’s shirt. Brushing against her side, Cate stifled a laugh.

“It was horrible. Auntie Cate turned me into a frog!” Spencer croaked in his morning voice. Stella and Finn both gasped and laughed as they ran out of the guestroom. With Cate’s niece and nephew out of the room, Spencer smirked with an idea. Cate’s only warning was a devilish flash in his eyes before he ran his hands down her sides again, lightly pinching a squirming Cate as she shrieked and giggled.

“Stop!” Cate said breathlessly, trying to move away from his hands. “Truce! Truce!” Spencer halted his movements, but kept his hands on Cate’s waist. She was panting, while looking him in the eyes. Her smile faded. Her eyes flickered to his lips. 

He gently tugged her towards him and leaned in for a kiss. 

A knock on the door interrupted the two and they pulled away from each other like two positive sides of a magnet. Cate’s face began turning a tomato red while Spencer’s blush was creeping to the tips of his ears. Cate’s brother Robby was leaning against the door frame. 

“Mom told me to tell you that breakfast was ready.” Robby’s voice was tantalizing. He looked at his nails. “But I think I’ll just tell her how I found you in bed with Spencer.” Robby bolted back to where he came because Cate flung herself out of bed, running after him. 

“Don’t you dare!” Her feet were like lightning down the stairs and she was hot on Robby’s tail when he stepped foot into the dining room where everyone was already sitting at the table. 

“What doesn’t Robby dare?” Cate’s dad looked up from the local newspaper. 

“Doesn’t dare.. Take the last of the banana chocolate chip muffins!” Cate plastered a smile on her face, wrapping an unfriendly arm around her younger brother. “He knows they’re my favorite!” Cate hissed through her teeth, punching Robby in the arm. Robby dropped into a chair next to Beth. Spencer walked into the dining room a bit on edge as Cate took one of the last two empty seats. Spencer greeted Jackie first.

“Merry Christmas, Mrs. Bennett.” Cate was still glaring at Robby from across the table. 

“Spencer, please! Call me Jackie.” she passed him the coffee pot. “Merry Christmas.” She replied back. “I’m so glad you were able to join us.” Jackie fondly placed a hand on Spencer’s shoulder. 

“Catie, dear, after we open presents, would you want to show Spencer the stable? He came in so late he didn’t get a chance to see it.” Jackie offered. 

Opening presents around the tree went by fast. Stella and Finn tore into theirs like wild animals. Cate had last minute written Spencer’s name on the tags of the presents she bought them. He gently squeezed her arm as a thanks when Stella and Finn read the tags out loud. Cate’s mother had profusely apologized for not having anything for Spencer, but he assured her that her baking and welcoming him into her home last minute was enough. He also returned the apology for not having anything to exchange, but Bill had cut in saying it was enough for Spencer to be brave enough to date Cate.

Cate’s father and her brother were helping pick up the trash from the living room after the kids had opened their presents. Spencer and Cate were washing dishes in the kitchen: Spencer was washing and Cate was drying so she could put them away.

“I wouldn’t have guessed you’d grown up so rural,” Spencer stated, passing Cate a large serving plate that once held muffins, “You fit into the city scene so well.” 

“You haven’t even seen the best part of my childhood,” Cate smiled, avoiding the question, “I’ll show you later.” 

After the dishes were done and the table was cleared from breakfast, Cate led Spencer out into her backyard with linked fingers. There was a lot of fencing and different large squares of land fenced off. A big distressed wooden barn sat behind Cate’s house. Spencer must’ve missed it in the dark when he arrived. Cate pushed open the large sliding barn door- only sliding a little on the icy packed snow. 

Spencer would admit, the smell was definitely something he wouldn’t miss in the city. Heavy breaths were coming from inside the barn, but it wasn’t from neither him nor Cate. Inside the barn were two large stalls that held two horses. A large palomino with a white face stood in one, while a dark brown one was in the other. They seemed antsy in the way they shifted their weights.

Spencer had seen a lot of things in his job and there were a lot of things that didn’t intimidate him. Horses, however, seemed a bit scarier than most serial killers. 

Cate walked up to the dark brown horse, stroking his large face.

“This is Flash,” Cate looked back over her shoulder at Spencer- who was frozen on the pavement floor of the barn. Cate laughed a little. “And that’s Dancer. These are technically my parents’ horses, but I rode them a bit growing up.” For once in his life, Spencer was speechless. Cate stepped back toward him. “Have you ever rode a horse before?” Spencer gulped.

“I have not,” he took a step forward, “funnily enough, if I wasn’t in the FBI, my back up plan was to be a cowboy.” he blinked, stepping again closer to the large animals.

“Well, Flash here is a good riding buddy. Wanna try it, cowboy?” Cate teased him a bit. Spencer sized up Flash, who was larger than Dancer and had a name that made him think he got it for a reason. 

“I, uh, think that maybe Flash might be too… advanced?”

“Are you scared, doctor?” Cate went back to petting Flash.

“I’m thinking maybe Dancer might be a more adequate partner.” With a newfound sense of bravery, he stepped up to the light horse, reaching up to place a hand on her face. As fast as Spencer had mustered the courage, it had disappeared just as fast. Dancer had pulled her head away from him, whinnying and exhaling at him. Spencer let a small yelp out, stepping back, using one hand to brush his hair from his face and the other was shoved in his pocket, trying to remain cool. Cate tried to hide her laugh by pursing her lips.

With a lot of convincing, Spencer sat atop Flash, who was slowly walking in a circle in a small fenced area. Cate stood in the middle of the circle, holding a tether that connected to Flash’s bridle. Spencer was stiffly sitting in the saddle. His fingers were white from gripping the reigns with such pressure. Cate was pretty sure she saw Flash roll his eyes at the slow pace. 

“So… you never really told me how you ended up in Quantico.” Spencer wanted to distract himself from the fact that he was actually sitting in the saddle of a real-life moving horse. But if he was being honest, he felt better the more he went in circles. Like some sort of exposure therapy.

“I was going to college in Virginia. I wanted a change of pace. I met Marta while I was dorming. I dropped out, though.” Cate wasn’t fond of this story of hers. She felt ashamed she never finished college.

“Why did you drop out?” Spencer turned to look at Cate, instead of at the back of Flash’s neck. 

“Beth got pregnant and I came back to help out. I moved back to Quantico with Marta, but I couldn’t afford my schooling so I found my own place and Marta’s parents were nice enough to hire me and I’ve been working for them ever since.”

“What were you going to school for?” Flash had now stopped walking, but Cate and Spencer didn’t really notice. 

“Early Education. I had every intention of registering again, but I never did.” Cate sighed, thinking back to the life path she had planned for herself. “I had one semester left.” Cate gave a half hearted smile and Spencer didn’t want to pry anymore. Cate clicked her tongue and Flash began to walk towards her. 

Cate helped Spencer off Flash and the two walked back into the barn to let Flash back into his stall. 

“It’s not too late to go back if you wanted to finish your degree.” Spencer offered. 

“Easy for you to say, Mr. three PhDs.” Cate bumped into his side to show she was joking. Spencer could tell it was a bit of a sore spot, and noted to not bring it up again. 

Noon was approaching fast, and after spending some time with her family and relishing in her homelife that she missed when she was back in Virginia. Spencer played a game of chess with Cate’s dad, going a bit easy on him to make a good impression. It seemed too soon that Cate and Spencer were packing up her little gold junker car. 

Instead of flying back to the city, Cate had planned on road-tripping back to the city in her care so she could have it for her own transportation. The trip was only about ten hours, which meant if Cate and Spencer didn’t stop, they could be back in Quantico by one am. 

Goodbyes with Cate’s family never got easier. Jackie, of course, was teary eyed like everytime. Bill was giving Spencer the typical slightly misogynistic speech about behaving himself with his daughter. Robby naturally teased Cate about seeing her next Christmas. Beth and Cate hugged and Cate promised to call more often. Stella and Finn gave Cate and Spencer hugs goodbye and Spencer gave them one last magic trick before they had to leave.

“Has your car always been this… questionable?” Spencer asked from the passenger seat, craning his neck to look at the dashboard lights that were on. 

“Candace is as trustworthy as anything!” Cate defended her little gold sedan. It had only been about an hour since they’d been on the road. They hadn’t even made it out of New Hampshire yet.

“Is it a bad time to say that I’ve got to… go?” Spencer asked, tinging a bit red. Cate laughed at his attempt to be polite. 

“Not at all! We can stop at the next gas station.” Cate informed him, briefly taking her eyes off the road to smile at him. 

She pulled off onto the next exit and found a gas station that happened to be open on the holiday. Spencer got out of the car and rushed into the store to use the restroom. Cate made her ways through the aisle, grabbing some snacks and some waters for the both of them. Spencer had found Cate when he was done.

“What is that?” he pointed with a smile to a bright yellow mug that had a moose crossing road sign on it and the town name and New Hampshire on the other side.

“It’s for you! To commemorate our first road trip and your first trip to my hometown!” Cate smiled excitedly. After checking out, they made their way to the car.

“Do you mind if I drive for a bit? I’m just getting a bit carsick on the passenger side.” Spencer didn’t want to admit that Cate’s driving scared him a bit.

“Sure thing.” Cate obliged and got settled into the passenger side. Spencer adjusted the driver’s seat almost all the way back and fixed every mirror so he could properly see out of each of them. Lastly, he turned the radio knob to a classical station.

As they pulled out of the gas station lot, Cate pulled open a bag of candy. She bobbed her head to the instrumental music, trying very hard to enjoy it. 

“Do you know that’s in those?” Spencer took the bag out of Cate’s hands.

“No and I don’t care!” Cate whined jokingly, reaching for the bag of sugar.

“For starters, there’s high fructose corn syrup, which has been shown to drive inflammation, which is associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer!” Spencer riddled off. Cate rolled her eyes, stuffing the bag of candy in the passenger door pocket. 

To pass more time on the ride, Cate and Spencer played a game. They had to each find a license plate on the road with each letter of the alphabet in order. After that, they had sung along horridly to some “Classics” as Cate so dubbed them. A riveting game of I-Spy was next, but ended when Cate told Spencer he couldn’t ‘spy time and call it invisible’. 

There was a lull in the energy within the car and Spencer had glanced over when he noticed Cate was being too quiet. She had her hands folded over her chest for warmth, and slid down a bit in her seat, her head resting on her shoulder. He rested a hand on her thigh for a bit, even though he preferred to keep both hands on the wheel. 

After driving for a while longer, Spencer saw that it was nearing dinnertime, so he pulled off on an exit that held some restaurants. The change in speed woke Cate up, who yawned and stretched- quite adorably in Spencer’s opinion. 

“Hungry?” he asked Cate, giving her thigh a gentle squeeze. Cate hummed a yes and glanced around.

“Burger Best?” Cate offered. Spencer drove her car toward the fast food joint. In the drive thru, Cate ordered a simple burger with a large fry and a chocolate shake. Spencer got water and a salad, with some apple slices that usually came in the kids meals. They sat in the parking lot to eat their food. Cate was unwrapping her burger and ready to stuff her face with the junk food.

“Did you know that in the eighties-” he started.

“Spence, please don’t tell me something gross when I am about to enjoy this juicy delicious, probably fake meat burger.” Cate was mid bite, pleading to Spencer with her eyes. Spencer shut his mouth and began to open his salad container.

“Should we try and finish the rest of the drive to Quantico tonight?” Spencer asked, but he was getting tired and knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep when he wanted to monitor Cate’s driving. 

“How far out are we?” Cate asked through a mouthful of food.

“Still six hours about.” Spencer popped an apple slice in his mouth. 

“I’m pretty tuckered out, honestly.” Cate admitted, despite sleeping for a portion of the drive.

“I saw a cheap hotel down the road back towards the highway?” Spencer offered.

“Sounds like heaven to me.” Cate said, thinking of a bed to sleep in instead of the car seat. 

The pair checked in, and brought their bags into the hotel room. They had booked a room with a queen bed. Spencer gave Cate the first shower so he could check under all the covers and sheets for any bugs or nastiness. He checked in every drawer for anything suspicious and behind every curtain just in case. He finally settled in a chair at a desk that was provided. He thought to maybe call to check in on the team, but read the book he brought instead. 

He heard the water turn off in the back of his mind, he was delved into the story he had read a million times before. Cate meekly opened the bathroom door, coming out in nothing but a short towel from the hotel. He glanced up from the novel, thinking he had heard her say something. He clapped a hand over his eyes once he saw her.

“Sorry, I, uh, thought you said something!” he stammered. Cate giggled, biting her lip gently. 

“Spencer, it’s okay. I don’t care if you look! I wouldn’t have come out if I did.” Cate told him. Spencer cracked his fingers, only looking for his things.

“I’m just going to shower now!” He scurried over to the bathroom. Cate could see his ears turn red with a blush. 

Once Spencer was done with his shower, he came out of the bathroom in his pajamas. Cate had turned the lights off, and she was in the bed with her eyes shut, the blankets pulled up to her shoulders. Spencer pulled his side of the covers and got into the bed. He laid down, and rubbed his face to compose himself a bit. Cate’s breaths didn’t sound spaced out enough to be asleep. He reached under the covers to her body, to pull her in for a cuddle. His fingers brushed her bare stomach. 

“You’re naked under there?!” he whisper-yelled, even though there was no one to hear him. Cate giggled and turned over. 

“Most people would’ve had a bit of a different reaction.” She pulled him to her by the collar of his nightshirt, kissing him slowly. She felt like she couldn’t love Spencer more than she did right at this very moment. Spencer had fought it at first, wanting to be as much of a gentleman as possible. 

It didn’t last long though, Cate peeled his shirt off of him to run her hands on his chest. That night had been the farthest they go, being as intimate as a couple could get.

[lovetoreidd]

Valentine’s Day

In which you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your boyfriend, Spencer Reid.

Warnings: None? Kissing and implied smut, I guess.

Word Count: 1,295

Category: Fluff

A/N: Talk about writer’s block. I didn’t know what to write, so I straight up disappeared. But I’m back! For how long? Who knows! Anyway, feedback is greatly appreciated. Someone commented on my other fic and I swear I almost cried. Also, this was written in one day and I have no one to proofread my stuff, so if there are mistakes, that’s my excuse.

~

You’d never woken up to breakfast in bed before that lovely February 14th. That day, though, your boyfriend gently shook your shoulder until you woke up.

“(Y/N),” he whispered softly. You opened your eyes, which immediately met Spencer’s. You smiled. The sight of his eyes always made you feel safe. In the dim lighting of your bedroom, they appeared to be a calming shade of brown. “Hey, baby. Did you sleep well?”

You nodded. You always slept well if you were with Spencer. He grinned before pulling a tray off of your nightstand. On it sat a plate with your favorite: blueberry french toast. Bacon was sat off to the side, along with two mugs of steaming coffee.

The smile on your face got so big, it almost hurt. You looked at your amazing boyfriend. “You remembered.” you didn’t even remember when you told him your favorite breakfast food. “Wait, of course you remembered. You remember everything.”

After sitting up, you took the tray from him and set it on your lap. He lifted one of the mugs off of it, to take a sip before carefully climbing into bed next to you. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Your eyes widened. “It’s the fourteenth already?” you’d lost track of the days. A worried frown fell across your face. “I haven’t gotten you anything yet.”

“All I need,” he kissed your forehead, “Is for you to be with me. I took the day off, so you’re stuck with me all day.”

Hearing that he took the day off came as a surprise. He was a workaholic, often bringing files home with him. “Wow, I must be really special,” you teased.

He scrunched up his nose. “I guess you’re a little special,” he joked. You were more than just a little special; You were his world, and you had been since the day that you met, over three years ago.

You started to cut your french toast, before taking a bite of it. You froze with your mouth full. “Is there anything you can’t do? This tastes amazing.”

“I don’t think I’d be very good at skiing.” you laughed, which brought another smile to Spencer’s face. He loved making you laugh. It was probably one of his favorite hobbies, other than reading.

The two of you talked about random things, like War and Peace and his most recent case at work. He tried to spare the gory details, but you honestly found them interesting.

Once you were done eating, he took the tray back before leaving your room. You got up, stretching your arms, before getting into the shower. You were quick with it, wanting to spend more time with your boyfriend.

After drying off, you got changed into black jeans and a red long sleeved shirt, trying to dress at least somewhat festively. You exited the bathroom and went to the living room, where Spencer was sitting. Your favorite movie was on the TV, waiting to be played.

You grinned. “Are you a fictional character? There’s no way you actually exist. No one this amazing is real.” you sat next to him.

“I’m definitely just a figment of your imagination.” he put his arm around your shoulder and started the movie while you snuggled up to him.

~

“Spence, where are we going?” after watching movies you liked most of the day, he’d told you that you were going somewhere, and you’d gotten in the car with him, but he refused to give you any information, much to your distaste.

He looked over at you, smiling, all teeth and sunshine. “I told you three times already, it’s a surprise. You will see when we get there.”

The two of you were in the car for another hour, before you soon realized where he was taking you. It was the coffee shop you first met in. You had been visiting your brother, picking up coffee for the both of you, when Spencer ran into you. 

Nervous and stuttering, he apologized at least ten times and bought you coffee. He also impressed you with a magic trick, telling you to check under your beanie where there was a card bearing his name and number. He’d been there on a case, was what he’d later told you, getting coffee for himself and his team.

A soft smile wove its way onto your face when he parked in front of the small building that was somehow so special to you. You unbuckled your seat belt, hopping out of the car with excitement.

Once Spencer got out of the car, you took his hand, which was vaguely clammy. You led him into the small shop, ordering coffee for the both of you and a blueberry scone to share. 

He almost dropped his coffee as soon as you passed it to him, causing you to laugh. “Careful there, butter fingers. You good?”

Nervous laughter poured from his lips. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just didn’t have a very good grip.” you both sat down at a small table, smiling like the lovesick idiots that you were.

You shared the scone, conversing about a dream you had a couple weeks ago that involved them, with kids, and married.

“Well I guess this is the best time for this, then.” he stood from his chair, pulling something out of his pocket, then getting on one knee. You were too shocked by his movements to consider the fact that he must have been grossed out, kneeling on the ground of a coffee shop many people undoubtedly walked through every day.

“Spencer-”

You didn’t know what to say. He revealed the small box in his hand and opened it, where there was a beautiful diamond ring. Tears welled in your eyes as you covered your mouth.

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N), I can say with complete certainty that you are the love of my life. You have been for the one thousand, two hundred twenty-eight days that I have known you. I love you. I will always love you. And for someone who talks a lot, I don’t really know what to say to convince you to marry me, but I hope that I can just be enough for you. So, will you make me the luckiest man in the world and marry me?”

His speech had attracted the attention of every single person in the shop. They stared at you, wide eyed, mouth dropped open, waiting for you to give him an answer. After a few moments of complete silence, where Spencer was starting to worry that you’d say no, you jumped out of your seat to wrap your arms around his neck.

“Yes! God, yes I’ll marry you!” you pulled away from him, laughing and wiping the tears from your eyes. You kissed him quickly, before he took your hand and slid the ring onto your ring finger. That brought more tears to your eyes. “I love you so much.”

You hugged again. “Was proposing on Valentine’s Day too cliché?”

“Maybe a little, but it was perfect, Spence.” you kissed his cheek. “I’m the lucky one here.”

~

The car ride home was filled with you rambling about your wedding. Who the bridesmaids would be, color schemes, the flavor of the cake. You were ecstatic.

Once you were parked outside of your shared apartment complex, you got out of the car and followed Spencer inside. The elevator ride was quiet.

Almost as soon as Spencer had closed the door, you practically pounced on him, pushing off his jacket while kissing him roughly. You started leading him to the bedroom. “I want to give my fiance his Valentine’s Day gift.”

Spencer grinned. “I’m excited to see what that entails.”

The two of you were in for a long night.

~

[danyka-fendyr]

Absence of Good

Chapter 3: Everybody Has a Hometown

Okay, so it’s a little late, but like I said last week, I decided not to release a chapter of this last week because I was putting out so many one-shots. I think I should be able to keep up a mostly consistent upload schedule but probably not a specific day. Oh well. Can’t have everything I guess. This chapter is particularly dark for a number of reasons, so I would suggest the faint of heart skip it. Also I’ve been watching a lot of horror movies lately, and so even though I haven’t seen Midsommar yet, I know it’s about a cult so that concept kind of inspired this chapter a little. Anyway, hope ya’ll enjoy.

Additional Note: Timeline wise I wanted to keep this pretty vague so while Reid’s self-proclaimed age in this chapter would make this circa season 6, you can imagine him in whatever season you like.

Permanent Taglist: @dreamwritesimagines @rhabakoli

AoG Taglist: @pancakefancake @prettyboyspenerrr

Wordcount: 3365

Warnings: Death. Child predators. Child death. Violence. Mentions of sexual assault. Pedophilia. Bad relationship with parents. Mentions of cults.

“Loneliness does not come from having no people around one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.”

-Carl Jung

“I’m sorry sir, you said we’re going where?” you said.

“Is there a problem, Y/L/N?” 

Hotch’s face never moved past ambivalence, but if it did, he would have been raising an eyebrow at you right now. He probably didn’t think that was workplace appropriate. Rossi, from across the table, had no such scruples and was openly making a face. The perks of seniority.

“No, sir. My apologies.”

“Alright then. Wheels up in 30,” Hotch said,

Spencer gave you a questioning look as you headed for your go bag, but all you offered in return was a noncommittal smile. The less everyone knew about this, the better. The last thing you needed was a big fuss.

You boarded the plane with the same mindset, hoping that your earlier surprise and commentary had blown over. Even if it hadn’t though, Hotch was not one to waste time on trivialities. Before anyone could ask you anything, Hotch was talking about the case.

“Three children, all in 3 weeks. Our unsub’s cooling-off period is basically non-existant.”

“That’s not characteristic of a preferential offender. They usually don’t have a big enough victim pool for that kind of speed,” you said.

“True. The victims cross gender lines as well. One girl, two boys. No way our guy is a preferential offender,” Morgan said.

“Assuming it is a guy,” Emily chimed in.

“You think it’s a woman?” you asked.

“It’s possible. Anything is on the table with an unsub that crosses the gender line,” she replied.

“It could be a woman, but statistically it’s far more likely to be a man. Men committed 89.5% of homicides in the United States of America between the years of 1980 and 2008, so while I certainly don’t think we should rule out the possibility, I wouldn’t put any concrete gender on our offender yet,” Spencer said.

“Alright, so we’ve got a guy with no cooling-off period who’s killing kids. Why? Is there any evidence of sexual assault?” JJ asked.

“The M.E.’s report doesn’t mention any on the victim’s examined so far,” Rossi said.

“Maybe it is a woman,” you theorized. “Children would be small enough to overpower, and the lack of sexual assault suggests a female unsub.”

“You may be right,” Hotch said. “We’ll know more when we get there and can examine the bodies firsthand. Spencer and Y/N, you can work with the M.E. on this one. Morgan, Prentiss, you head to the last dumpsite. Rossi, you’re with JJ. You two head to the previous two dumpsites, see if there’s anything left you might be able to find. We should be landing soon.”

As soon as your feet hit the tarmac, you felt a sense of dread. Part of it was, of course, your impending trip to the M.E. You weren’t a fan at the best of times, but kids...kids were hard. Very, very hard. It went beyond that though.

The smell of the air, the wind tugging softly at your hair, the feeling of the ground underneath your feet. The sad truth was that there was nothing you hated more than being home.

You were quiet as you got in the car, keeping your eyes on your phone. Your parents knew you were here by now, and they wanted you to come over for dinner when your case was finished. That was the last thing you wanted. You put your phone away, deciding to stare out the window at the too-familiar scenery instead.

“Are you okay?” Spencer asked.

He was driving and you were in the passenger seat on the way to the M.E., which unfortunately gave him an uninhibited view of your face.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just not looking forward to this.” Excuses, excuses.

“Yeah, me neither. This is going to be a rough case,” Spencer admitted.

“You’re telling me.”

“I wish I could say it gets easier, but...”

“When this job gets easier, they won’t need us anymore.” you sighed.

“Yeah. Something like that. I wouldn’t mind a world that doesn’t need the BAU though. Would you?”

“No. No, I suppose I wouldn’t. What would you do, if you weren’t in the BAU?” you asked.

“Me? Well...it’s kind of stupid.”

“No such thing.” you turned in your seat, facing your body towards him.

“When I was a kid, I had this dream...I wanted to be a magician, you know?”

“Wait, you can do magic tricks?” A grin curved across your face, utterly delighted.

“Uh, yeah. When the occasion calls for it.” Spencer lifted a hand off the wheel to rub the back of his neck.

“That’s amazing! Will you do one for me sometime?” 

Spencer glanced over at you, alert and smiling, looking happier than you had since boarding the plane.

“...Sure.” 

He smiled softly at you, and it was your turn to be embarrassed.

“So, what about you. If not the FBI, then what?” He asked.

Oh boy. This case was just going to be a walk down memory lane, wasn’t it?

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe a psychologist or something.”

“That’s what you wanted to be growing up? A psychologist?”

You knew it was bad when Spencer Reid was judging you for your goals being too serious and academic.

“I mean, not as a kid, obviously, but when I was in college I thought about it,” you deflected.

“So what did you want to be when you were a kid?”

“It’s dumb,” you said.

“No such thing.”

“I hate it when you use my own words against me, Dr. Reid.”

He just waited, grinning rather cheekily.

“Okay, mister, you want to know what I wanted to be when I was a kid? I wanted to be a singer, alright? I wanted to learn how to play guitar and write my own songs and play sold-out stadiums. Like I said, dumb kid’s dream.”

“That’s not dumb. I mean, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not exactly up to date on music or...pop culture in general, I guess, but that’s not dumb. It sounds awesome, actually. I didn’t know you could play the guitar.”

“I can’t,” you said. “I said I wanted to learn, not that I did.”

“Why not?”

You shrugged. “Parents didn’t think it was a good idea. I got piano lessons instead. They were...educational.”

Fun would have been the wrong word.

“So your parents were strict?”

“Not exactly. They would like you though,” you said, steering the conversation away from yourself.

“You think so?”

“Yeah. I have dinner with them this week probably and I kind of wish I could download even half the information in your brain so I could generate some truly impressive dinner table conversation.”

“I could make you some flashcards if you like.”

You laughed. “Thanks, Spence. I don’t think it would be as good as the real deal though.”

“Well, I could always come. The entire team could show. Make it a party,” he joked.

You went silent, thinking about it. “Gosh, there would be nothing I would love more than that. Sadly, you guys won’t even be in town anymore.”

“Anymore? I thought you were planning on flying out to see your parents?” Spencer asked, confused.

“Why would I when they’re right here?”

“This is your hometown?” 

“Sure is. It kind of sucks, right? One too many serial killers for my taste, if I’m honest with you.”

“Yeah. You may have a point there,” Spencer agreed, parking the car.

“So what are we looking at here?” You asked the M.E.

“This is a bit unorthodox, all things considered. You probably get that a lot though.” You waited patiently for him to continue. “It looks like there are no signs of sexual assault, but there is some..unique physical mutilation.”

“Unique how?” Spencer asked.

The M.E. moved towards the bodies. “See these cuts here? The marks make up a pattern. These weren’t done to kill. They’re more ritualistic in nature. The cause of death was actually a stab wound to the chest with acute pericardial tamponade. Or in other words, they were stabbed in the heart with a very long, very sharp knife.”

“What is this here, on the left shoulderblade?” Spencer asked, looking up from where he was bent over the body of the newest victim.

“It looks like...a tattoo of a turtle. Do the other victims have these?”

You examined the other two bodies, finding the same markings. They were surprisingly artistic, all things considered.

“These weren’t done by an amateur,” you mumbled.

“No. These were definitely ritualistic killings. We should have been called in sooner.”

You headed back to the team with your information, Know that you knew more about the bodies, it was becoming very clear what kind of unsub you were dealing with. Now there was a new question.

“Is it possible we’re dealing with multiple unsubs here?” Morgan asked.

“It could be. Given the ritualistic nature of these killings, this could be some kind of cult. Reid, what do you think the significance of the turtle is?” Hotch asked.

“Well, turtles popularly represent longevity, given their own lifespans, so it’s entirely possible that our unsub or unsubs think that they can achieve immortality with these killings.”

“What about the cuts on the body? You said those were in a pattern?” Emily asked.

“Yeah. Nothing decipherable, but we’re still working on it,” you said.

“Well, keep working. Morgan, I want you and JJ to work with Garcia and see what you can come up with on the tattoo angle. See if you can find anyway who would be able to do work like this. Garcia, I also want you looking into any local cults or societies. Anything you find that sends up red flags, send it to Prentiss. Prentiss, Rossi, you two can check out whatever Garcia sends you. Got it?”

Everyone hummed their assent, and you had the unfortunate job of getting to go back to the pictures sent from the M.E. It had been hours of staring at the carvings on the children’s stomach and backs and several cups of coffee before you started to get an idea. Concerned it might be half-hallucination, you called Spencer over from his own space.

“Is it just me, or do these marks kind of look like a tree? Long and straight on the bottom and then they curve up and out, like branches. Are you seeing that too?”

Spencer tilted his head, staring at them. “Actually...that might make sense. On the one hand, there’s a correlation to the tree of life. But on the other hand, turtles were also historically a symbol of mother nature. Which means...”

“Which means we might not be dealing with a bunch of Nicolas Flamel groupies after all. This could be the work of a group of eco-terrorists.”

“We have to tell Hotch.”

You made short work of the case once you realized the people you were actually after. Between the tattoo artist connection and the fact that your town did not have that many cults (though definitely more than you would have liked), it didn’t take you long to find your group. Apparently, they thought that if they sacrificed 8 people, children specifically for their purity, they could cleanse the Earth and...eliminate global warming or something. You had sort of stopped listening after the, “Yeah, we definitely did it,” part.

“Is Y/N not coming?” JJ asked, slinging her go-bag over her shoulder.

“Nope, afraid not. I have to have a family dinner.” you shrugged, hoping that if you played casual they would just...forget about it.

“You forgot to tell everyone?” Spencer spoke up, and you froze. “Y/N told me she wanted everyone to come to dinner tonight. Figured it would be fun to have a team dinner and a family dinner all at once.”

“Awww, little mama, you shouldn’t have.” 

Derek smiled, and you mustered a smile back. On the one hand, you were grateful to Spencer. You had certainly not been looking forward to dinner with your family. However...you also weren’t sure you wanted your family anywhere near the team. 

“Well, I know the best places to eat in town, so whoever is down...”

“Count me in,” Rossi said.

“I’m always available for good food.” That was Prentiss, giving you a knowing look that you would probably have to deal with later.

“Will and the boys weren’t actually expecting me home until tomorrow, and I just can’t miss a one time opportunity like this.” JJ smiled at you.

“Looks like you have the whole team.”

“Awesome!” Oh, this could go so badly for you.

On the way to the restaurant, you texted your parents to let them know there would be company. The place you had chosen to eat was a little hole in the wall diner with great burgers and a cute 50′s theme, and lucky for you, it was never very busy. You might have to push a few tables together, but there would be space for you.

You had all stopped off at the hotel beforehand, and you were nervous now that someone would comment on your appearance like they had all obviously wanted to when they first saw you. You didn’t look like your normal self. You looked...muted. Like someone had washed out all the color and replaced it with a solid layer of the most boring shade of beige. Rossi had saved you though with an elegant compliment, saying that you looked as lovely as ever. The man certainly had tact.

Hotch held the door open as you all entered the diner, and it didn’t take you long to find your parents. 2 people sitting at a table for 9. They stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Sweetheart!” 

Your mother smiled warmly, getting up to hug you. You father followed shortly after, and you introduced your team.

“It’s nice to meet all of you. Y/N talks about you a lot,” your father said.

“When she calls.” 

There was a hint of sincere bitterness to your mother’s joke, and you forced a brighter smile in an effort to fight it off.

“Oh, Mom, you know how it is. Busy all the time,” you said, letting Spencer pull out your chair for you before you both sat down.

The poor boy had, of course, no idea what he’d done. Now your Dad was staring at him skeptically, like Spencer was trying to get into your pants. Heaven forbid he have manners.

“So, Mr. Reid, what’s your role on the team?” your Dad asked.

“He’s a Dr., Dad. It’s Dr. Reid. And he’s our resident genius.” 

You couldn’t help yourself. You didn’t mean to speak over Spencer like that, and you knew it was rude, but the urge to defend him had risen up so strong that it had just come out. You hoped he would forgive you, and you guessed by the soft smile he gave you that he did.

“What are you a doctor in, then?” your Dad grumbled.

“I actually have 3 PhD’s, sir. In mathematics, chemistry and engineering.”

Maybe you had no right to look so proud, but you did anyway.

Your mother’s eyebrows shot up. “Impressive! And how old are you?”

You nearly groaned. In sharp contrast to your father, your mother was now trying to play the matchmaker. Joy.

“I’m 29.”

“Our boy wonder here is pretty impressive.” Morgan looked just as proud as you when he said it, giving you a smirk you didn’t understand.

Your Dad did not look happy about this development, so you spoke before he could.

“I mean, the whole team is impressive really. It’s crazy getting to work with all of you.” You laughed a little bit.

The conversation continued easier after that, steering away from work and into more mundane things like your childhood. In fact, everything was going fine. Or it was until your dear old Dad brought up your brother.

“You know, my only regret is that your brother couldn’t be here tonight. It’s a shame he’s away on business. He works hard though. Does important work.”

You did your best fake of a pleasant smile. “Of course.”

Your brother’s work was far from important. He worked as an insurance guy, for Pete’s sake. Your parents would never forgive you for being absent so often, but your brother? Oh, he could do no wrong.

“What? Do you disagree, Y/N?” The confrontation in your father’s tone was thinly veiled.

“No, of course not,” you said blandly. “I’m sure whatever he’s doing tonight is important. Pass the ketchup?”

Your mother gave it to you, leaving your father free to engage in his favorite activity. Picking a fight.

“I mean, can’t really get mad at him, can we? He calls home all the time, comes by for dinner frequently. He’s a good kid. Very successful.” You could practically taste the implication that you weren’t.

You refused to rise to the bait.

“Yeah, yeah. He’s definitely got the time for all that.” You nodded, unable to resist a subtle dig.

“Oh, and you don’t? Not 5 minutes to phone your mother?”

You kept your voice tranquil and cool. “I called her last week, Dad.”

“Didn’t call to let us know you were in town. Had to find out from that friend of yours, what was her name? The blonde?”

Gosh, did he have to do this now?

“Sorry. I’ll try to give you a better heads-up next time. This case was-”

“Oh, forget the case.” Your Dad rolled his eyes. “It’s always about the cases with you. Are your cases more important than your family?”

You grit your teeth. Fine then, if you were going to do this...

“No more important, I’m sure, then whatever the golden child is up to tonight.” You kept your tone even, but your voice was icy cool.

“Don’t give me that lip young lady! Your brother is a man, doing important work to provide-”

“Provide for who, Dad?” You interrupted, letting some of your frustration through. “He doesn’t have a wife or kids or a girlfriend. He’s certainly not sending money home to you. So tell me, Dad, who is providing for himself such a noble pursuit? Or was the more notable part of that statement that he’s a man? Which means it’s okay that he’s married to his work?”

“You know what? You’re not exactly getting hitched either, so don’t criticize your brother’s relationships. You have no right. And secondly, he’s a man doing good, honest work, and that’s the more notable part. If he’s married to his work right now, so what? He has time.”

“Oh yes, all the time in the world. Me, on the other hand, I should count my days. Sucks to be the oldest, huh? You just waste away before everyone’s eyes.” You sighed dramatically.

“Listen here-”

“Darling, please. We have guests.” Finally, your mother interrupted.

Your Dad gave you a glare that said this wasn’t over but settled back down, going back to his french fries.

The rest of dinner was awkward, to say the least. The conversation never quite returned to what it was, and you were glad when they brought the check. You were also glad when, under the table, Spencer squeezed your hand. A comforting gesture, a moment to say that he was with you, even if he wasn’t about to openly get involved in your family business without your consent. You appreciated that.

You were all more than relieved when the night was over, bidding your parents goodbye and watching them get into their car and drive away. You gave them a final wave as a send-off, despite your Dad only affording you a stormy glare.

JJ broke the silence. “So...your Dad’s kind of sexist, huh?” 

You snorted. “Yeah, something like that. You guys want ice cream? I know an awesome place, and we still have time...”

“Pretty girl, when am I ever going to turn down an ice cream cone?” Derek grinned at you.

“Sweet. Let’s go!”

The rest of the night had a much different tone than the one you’d started with, and you had to admit it. You just might have to thank Spencer Reid for this night after all. He could be a bit of a genius.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

-Harper Lee

[eidetic187]

SCHOOL.  east holloway high TEACHES.  Chemistry AGE.  twenty-eight years old DURATION.  has been at EHHS for five years RELATIONS.  he’s dating aaron park Liam Reid is his twin! coach negan is his best friend even if he likes to pretend he’s not KNOWN FOR.  his extraordinary memory, his crazy science labs, that one time he burned a 100 dollar bill because he knew it wouldn’t actually burn up (his students were traumatized), and ruining aaron’s reputation whenever he gushes about him in GSA. oh, and that one time he & liam taught each other’s class for a day to see if anyone would notice.

how not one, but BOTH of the reid geniuses ended up teaching high school is a mystery – well, not really. Liam had wanted to teach for a while, it’s really SPENCER that’s a surprise – but no worries, it’s merely a between job until a professor position opens up at CalTech. Well, it was supposed to be, anyway. Spencer, however, is getting a little too attached to the students…

sponsor of the GSA and the Chess club. Known to bake sweets for both clubs – chess shaped ones for the chess club, and rainbow ones for the GSA. There was also that one time he brought plain sugar cookies and a MULTITUDE of icing so they could make their own flag cookies !!

the pencil mug on his desk has a bisexual flag and an demisexual flag in it, and he keeps more in his desk drawer in case anyone wants one. Every member of the GSA gets their own too whenever they join

does magic tricks to cheer up students & staff!

will do anything to impress students tbh. he’s multilingual and will speak in other languages if he thinks the students will think it’s cool. LET HIM BE COOL KIDS HE’S TRYING SO HARD.

he loves halloween so much. very clearly his favorite holiday. he has 31 halloween themed ties he wears all throughout october. his desk is DEFINITELY covered in spiderwebs and pumpkins all through october. halloween themed labs are also a thing.

huge bowl of candy on his desk year round and students (and staff) are all allowed to just take a handful. unless you’ve pissed him off, then he will smack your hand away. no candy for you :^/

his lunch always has some variation of ‘if you eat my food my friends in the FBI will track you down.’ does he actually have friends in the FBI?? probably. you’ll never know. he’ll never tell. 

'what’s a meme?’

sometimes he and liam prank each other. both will leave their houses early just to drive to the other school to lay some kind of trap or prank in the other’s classroom. it’s a running gag and some think it’s funny, some think it’s annoying.

[dontshootmespence]

A Magical Day

A/N: An anon request for a Spencer x Reader based on the song Seaside by The Kooks. ENJOY! <3 @coveofmemories

                                                          ----------

After nearly three months of online dating and Skyping with your online match, Spencer Reid, you both got a few days off. From the moment you first Skyped, you both knew that this relationship could go places; the only problem was that you lived two states apart, so being online was the only way to really get to know each other. When Spencer learned he was going to have a few days off, you decided to meet and had picked the picturesque view of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

With the fresh air and the sea salt floating around you, you waited outside your hotel room for Spencer. He looked even better in person. When you turned to stare at the stretch of beach before you, his fluffy brown hair and shining eyes caught your attention. Over Skype, you’d told each other that if it weren’t for distance, you would’ve kissed each other long ago. Just as you mouthed ‘hi,’ he gathered you in his arms and tasted the salt off your lips. 

“Hi,” he said, as the slight breeze blew your hair into his face. “That was everything I imagined it would be.”

“Then do it again,” you said, wrapping your arms around his neck. Gently, he caressed the side of your face and pulled you closer to him, tentatively kissing at first and then moving into deeper territory. After quite a few huffs and puffs from passers-by, he asked if you wanted to go to the beach. You’d both made separate reservations at the Myrtle Beach Barefoot Resort, so you walked hand-in-hand toward the beach and boardwalk and picked up some chairs.

“I think I need an umbrella, too,” you laughed, clumsily picking up an umbrella and carrying it over your shoulder. “I’m pasty, so even with sunscreen, I’m probably going to burn without an umbrella.”

“Look at me,” he laughed, pointing to his fairly pale demeanor. “I’m paler than a ghost.” Snorting as you walked, you found a spot to set up, putting your chairs next to each other. “I’m so happy we finally got a couple days off so we could see each other,” he said. “I’ve been talking about you to my friends at work since we started talking.”

“Really?” you asked. You’d talked about him quite a lot too. With numerous failed relationship in the past, you had pretty much everyone telling you that he sounded to good to be true, but if you ever wanted to find love, you needed to leave yourself a bit vulnerable. With Spencer, you were more than comfortable taking the chance. “What have you said about me?”

As the waves crested on the shore just a hundred or so feet in front of you, he began regaling you with all of the tales he’d told his friends. “I told them that you’re beautiful, and funny, and intelligent. Driven. Take no crap from anyone. I told them about your family and how much I’ve wanted to kiss you since about two weeks in...” He was definitely going to keep going, but you need to kiss him first. Leaning over the small space between your chairs, you pressed your lips to his and had to do your best to not jump on top of him in the middle of the beach. When you pulled away, he continued to tell you everything he’d said about you. Hearing him talk about you in such sweet terms made you fall all that much harder - and you’d been falling hard since you started talking on Skype.

“You’re not the only one that’s been talking, you know?” you laughed. You’d told your parents and closest friends about him. “I told my family and friends about your job, and your adorably fluffy hair, and I might have also told my friends that you’re incredibly sexy and I wanted to do some things to you.”

“Oh really?” he said, pulling you on top of him and running his hands through your hair. “What kind of things?” You could see the cogs moving in his brain.

“Some nice things and some very dirty things,” you replied. “I also told them about how you can do magic. Speaking of! You promised me a first-hand experience when we finally got the chance to meet.”

With excitement, Spencer popped up from his chair and turned to face you completely. First, he showed you his hand to convince you that he had nothing in them. He didn’t and he never put them into his pockets, so when he did the ‘pull a quarter from out being your ear trick,’ you were impressed. You smiled at his childlike exuberance and told him to show you another one, so he reached into his pocket and pulled out a deck of cards. 

“Do you always carry cards with you?” you asked. You didn’t know too many people that walked around with a deck of cards, but Spencer wasn’t most people. He nodded his head as he pulled out the deck and fanned them out.

“Pick a card,” he said with a smile. “Look at it, memorize it, and put it back in the deck.” Looking at the queen of clubs, you had no idea how these kinds of tricks worked, but you placed it back in the pile. He started to shuffle the deck and then pulled the top card up, turning it toward you, and asking, “Is this your card?”

“The queen of clubs! Yes! How did you do that?” you exclaimed. 

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” he chuckled, leaning back and placing his hands behind his head. “It’s too much fun to keep you guessing.” With you insistence, he showed you a few more tricks before putting the cards away.

Some obnoxious people were playing volleyball nearby and being really loud, so you decided to get up and walk along the boardwalk for a while. Any time you came across a carnival game, you played it at least one time a piece. It had all been fun and games until you got the last game, which had you competing against him for the biggest stuffed animal, which he won, but then gave to you.

That night, you went out to dinner and began dancing along the boardwalk until the sun set. Thankfully, there were quite a few young couples dancing around you, so when you started to kiss, no one seemed to notice. With the lights of the boardwalk dancing around you, It was just the two of you - nothing else mattered. 

At around 10 o’clock, you glanced toward the hotel. If you hadn’t been dating online, you probably would’ve gone to bed with him at this point anyway, so you decided to be bold. “Do you want to come back to my room?” you whispered, hoping he’d say yes. Today had been perfect - and you didn’t want the night to be over yet.

As he pulled you bottom lip into his mouth, you could feel his arousal against you. You reveled in the feel of his hand at the small of your back. “I’d love to,” he mumbled against your forehead. “Let’s go.”

[haroldgross]

New Post has been published on Harold Gross: The 5a.m. Critic

New Post has been published on http://literaryends.com/hgblog/oscars-2017-nominations/

Oscars 2017 (nominations)

So I did pretty well with the nominations (my hit rate was 87% based on the full field of 103 choices across the major categories as listed on HSX), but there were definitely some surprises. I also didn’t list all of the potential categories, but I’ll be honest about where I hit or not below. Updates to my picks on winners will occur just prior to the big night… and I’m sure there will be some rethinking after the SAG awards this Sunday. This year, I also discovered 538’s ongoing statistical analysis of the choices, which was both surprising and a bit disappointing. But as we all know, stats often don’t tell the whole or a reliable story.

I still have some gaps at the time of the initial writing, but I hope to fill as many of them as possible before the great event.

THE MAJORS

Best supporting actress

Viola Davis (Fences)

Naomie Harris (Moonlight)

Nicole Kidman (Lion)

Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures)

Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)

Viola Davis has the edge here in a really tough field. I couldn’t argue with her win, but I think Spencer’s performance was more controlled and subtle.

Best supporting actor

Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)

Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea)

Dev Patel (Lion)

Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)

Mahershala Ali is the clear front-runner, and deservedly so. While the other performances are all solid, his was the most ranging and subtle.

Best actress

Isabelle Huppert (Elle)

Ruth Negga (Loving)

Natalie Portman (Jackie)

Emma Stone (La La Land)

Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins)

I did get partially caught out here. Dropping Amy Adams and keeping Streep (who was also up for SAG) surprised me. Adams performance is solid, but understandably challenging to interpret due to the story. But Streep, as talented as she is, just wasn’t that good in Florence Foster Jenkins. Not adding Taraji Henson to this field was criminal. Huppert has a head of steam globally, and I did miss those winds previously, but it wasn’t that surprising. However I did call Negga for Blunt (again as compared to SAG).

The win here is tough. Stone will have a lot of focus and love. If I had to pick this moment, I’d go with the tidal wave of La La Land.

Best actor

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge)

Ryan Gosling (La La Land)

Viggo Mortenson (Captain Fantastic)

Denzel Washington (Fences)

Had this, though there was an outside chance Hanks would have been added over Mortenson.

The race here is Washington vs. Gosling. Washington is the better performance, but Gosling’s piano work alone is enough to astound. As of now, I think Washington will walk away with Oscar despite La La’s rolling thunder.

Best director

Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)

Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge)

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Chazelle is the likely winner here, but my personal preference would be Villenueuve, whose achievements in Arrival really outshine the other movies in this list.

Best foreign language film

A Man Called Ove (Sweden)

Land of Mine (Denmark)

The Salesman (Iran)

Tanna (Australia)

Toni Erdmann (Germany)

Based on what’s been happening, Toni Erdmann is the likely win here.

Best picture

Arrival

Fences

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

Hidden Figures

La La Land

Lion

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

Had half-expected Silence to be part of this field, but had the rest of them, not that it was a difficult list to guess this year. The winner… now that gets more interesting.

My personal pick for best in this field is Arrival. It accomplished some very difficult feats and left the audience with some very interesting ideas and did it all honestly, while managing to let you trick yourself. Hidden Figures manages to deliver a powerful, but personal story. Either are solid choices for the win.

However, La La Land, which I did enjoy a great deal, has the Hollywood and Broadway inside track and massive momentum (not to mention 14 new nominations). I suspect La La takes the statuette.

THE MINORS

Best adapted screenplay

Eric Heisserer (Arrival)

August Wilson (Fences)

Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi (Hidden Figures)

Luke Davies (Lion)

Barry Jenkins and Alvin McCraney (Moonlight)

Arrival. Period.  It even improved on the award-winning original story it was based upon. But, honestly, likely to be one of the others; probably Moonlight.

Best original screenplay

Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water)

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou (The Lobster)

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Mike Mills (20th Century Women)

La La Land is the likely winner. While Lobster is quite unique, it just isn’t that great a script/story at the end of it all. Manchester, as well, fell flat for me, the strength it has is really the performances, not its words or story.

Best animated feature

Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana

My Life as a Zucchini

The Red Turtle

Zootopia

Kubo and Two Strings was one of the best animated flicks I’ve seen in ages. It was original, unique, and flat-out gorgeous and fun. However, I know Zootopia is likely to win.

That said, I’m sticking to my guns on on this one and sticking with Kubo for the statuette because if it doesn’t I will scream a bit at the reveal.

Best documentary feature

Fire At Sea

I Am Not Your Negro

Life, Animated

OJ: Made in America

13th

This one is tough, but I’m thinking the politics of the moment insist that 13th takes the category.

Best original song

La La Land – Audition (The Fools Who Dream) by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

La La Land – City of Stars by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Moana – How Far I’ll Go by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Trolls – Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster

Jim: The James Foley Story – The Empty Chair by J Ralph and Sting

La La may well work against itself here and split the vote. But, while not entirely upbeat as a song, I’d go with Fools Who Dream. If the vote splits, will probably go to Trolls.

Best original score

Jackie by Mica Levi

La La Land by Justin Hurwitz

Lion by Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka

Moonlight by Nicholas Britell

Passengers by Thomas Newton

Yeah, La La Land by a mile. No matter how you feel about this movie, the complexity and originality of the score is way beyond any of the other entrants.

Best live action short

Ennemis Interieurs

La Femme et le TGV

Silent Nights

Sing

Timecode

As usual, throw a dart and pick one (I really wish you could get to see these more easily). I’ll start with Sing as my choice and will revise based on buzz later.

Best documentary short

4.1 Miles

Extremis

Joe’s Violin

Watani: My Homeland

The White Helmets

Ditto: but going with Joe’s Violin for now cause I like the title.

Best animated short

Blind Vaysha

Borrowed Time

Pear Cider and Cigarettes

Pearl

Piper

Second ditto: Going with Pear Cider and Cigarettes in honor of the nod to Jarmusch.

THE TECHNICAL

Best costume design

Allied

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Florence Foster Jenkins

Jackie

La La Land

This gets interesting. Usually this goes to a period piece… but they are all period pieces. Several are flamboyant period pieces. Based on scope and challenge, I’m thinking Fantastic Beasts. While the others all did wonderfully, they were invisible (a feat in itself) but Beasts had both ends… the invisible and the inventive, which tips the scales in its favor.

Best make-up and hairstyling

A Man Called Ove

Star Trek Beyond

Suicide Squad

Wow, just not the three I’d have expected. Suicide Squad, I think in this case. Harley Quinn and the Joker alone deserve it; utterly unforgettable, the pair of them.

Best production design

Arrival

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hail, Caesar!

La La Land

Passengers

Another tough choice as each succeeds quite well in its way. I’m going to go to an outlier here because, honestly, the production design really did impress me: Passengers. However, Beasts is likely to take this one as well for similar reasons as costume. But I didn’t think the design in Beasts was really all that good… it felt forced and unreal rather than magical to me. Passengers was seamless and felt real to the tale rather than distracting from it.

Best cinematography

Arrival

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Silence

For this it is between Arrival and Silence. Arrival’s work is more complex, with focus and framing adding to the story telling. Silence is just plain pretty, from what I’ve seen. With no other nods, Silence may get its shot here. For my sensibilities, though, Arrival deserves it in this field.

Best film editing

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

La La Land

Moonlight

Arrival, without question for me. The editing made this film. No other nominee can claim that integral a role for its success.

Best sound editing

Arrival

Deepwater Horizon

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Sully

La La Land for this. The soundscape of the film is just as important as its story in this case.

Best sound mixing

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Thinking Rogue One for this one… keeping any dialogue intelligible over all that racket took some serious effort.

Best visual effects

Deepwater Horizon

Doctor Strange

The Jungle Book

Kubo and the Two Strings

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

For sheer inventiveness, probably Doctor Strange, though Jungle Book rewrote the tech handbook quite a bit and it has nothing else on order this year despite being such a huge, popular hit. And I’m not sure I could pull apart Kubo to place it in this category… so suspect others can’t either.