#or for Reid to make theatre kids friends

[snarkylinda]

Day 12229 of me begging for someone on that godforsaken building to accept his invitations.

[radiant-reid]

Could you do Spencer x reader where they’re like parents and their teenage daughter brings home a boy or like her bf. Like how would spencer and the reader react?

this got long, sorry !

"Matilda Morgan Reid, come here." You say as soon as you hear the faint steps of your eldest daughter going up the stairs. She was trying to be as quiet as possible, but you've been in the FBI for years, and nothing gets past you. She hates it, and you can almost hear her toss her head back and roll her eyes.

Spencer's sitting at the kitchen island, frowning slightly at you as he watches you making your midafternoon teas so you can read together like boring old people. Also known as your favorite time of the day.

Sundays are your favorite. They've rarely varied over the years, even with your three kids. Someone cooks breakfast, usually pancakes, then it's a long library trip because you convinced Spencer it was smarter than buying books once your bookshelves were filled up, sometimes shopping, a grocery store trip, walking the dog, cleaning the house, and then reading. It's normal people domestic, marital bliss stuff, the calm you don't get with your job, and it never gets old.

Tillie has outgrown it, expected for a 16-year-old. As long as she's there for breakfast or checks in in the morning, and she's not too hungover, she's got free reign.

Hugo is in his mall phase. The arcade and movie theatre is where he requests to be taken on the weekends so he can hang out with his friends like a typical 13-year-old. Of course, as soon as you play the role of chauffer, you are required to leave.

Beatrice, your baby, who outgrew being called a baby 7 years ago, is little enough to still want to hang out with her parents. But sleepovers and birthday parties are becoming her weekend plans more frequently and you're sad she's growing up but it's nice to have more time alone with Spencer.

"What did she do?" He whispers, puzzled by your request. She's a good kid, obviously very smart, keeps her room clean and there's nothing he could think of that you would be mad at for her.

"Nothing wrong. Don't you want to meet her boyfriend, though?" You ask, but you know the answer is no.

"You have the nose of a bloodhound, you know?" He reminds you.

Tillie walks the stairwell and into the kitchen. Alone. "What?" She asks, a little annoyed.

"Come on, we want to meet him." You tell her with a little smirk.

Spencer backs you up. "No friends in the house unless you introduce us." He jogs her memory of a rule you've had forever. Papa Bear Spencer wanted to run background checks on them all, but you talked him down, reminding him you were both good at judging character.

"Fine." She begrudgingly agrees. "But don't cry." She narrows his eyes at her dad, knowing his predilection to tears whenever there are milestones in your kids' lives. "Owen." She calls, frowning at both of you until her boyfriend enters the kitchen.

He looks terrified, and you know you would be if your first real boyfriend's parents were FBI agents.

"Hi." You offer out your hand to shake his, and he manages to reciprocate the handshake without shaking. "I'm Tillie's mom, Y/n Reid."

"I'm Owen, it's nice to meet you." He says very respectfully, impressing you just because he's polite.

Spencer gets up, shaking the young boy's hand. "Doctor Reid." You glare at him out of the corner of your eye, warning him against being scary. He was once that boy as well.

"It's nice to meet you, too, sir." He replies, picking up on Spencer's formalness.

"Please, you can just call us Y/n and Spencer." You tell the near trembling boy.

"Okay, can we go?" Tillie asks, mirroring her father with her sassiness.

You nod, waving them off, and she pretty much drags her boyfriend out of the room. "Door open, Till," Spencer yells after them, earning a loud groan from his daughter who was quickly racing upstairs. "I don't like him." He declares as soon as he's sure they're out of earshot.

"Stop." You say, pushing his shoulder. "You're lying and being mean."

"Am not." He childishly argues, holding your hips so you can't move. "He's in her class, right?"

It's an odd question, but you answer anyway. "Yeah."

"Mm, cool." He replies, glancing over his shoulder at his phone on the bench.

He distracts you with a quick kiss before pulling away and retrieving it. "No." You stop him, rushing to his side to grab it. "Don't you dare ask Penelope to background check him."

When you reach to grab his phone again, he holds it above your head, typing a message out to her on it. "If I don't, she'll do it anyway once she realizes Tillie is dating."

"Level one only." You agree.

"Level three." He bargains.

"Two." You settle, sternly looking at him so he knows you're serious.

"Okay." He concedes. "Two...and a half."

[noahreids]

NUVO MAGAZINE | Noah Reid on Switching Gears and Making Adjustments

Writer Josh Greenblatt | Photographer Ted Belton

From Schitt’s Creek to a Broadway debut, the screen and stage actor is now pouring his emotions into music. When Noah Reid appears on our video chat, he’s sitting in what looks like the prototypical New York apartment with a gallery wall obscured by lush monstera plants. The Toronto native has been staying at a friend’s place in Queens during his run in the Tony-nominated Broadway show The Minutes, which has earned rave reviews, though Reid ignores them. To his right sits the cover of his third album, Adjustments, which features boarded-up storefronts, an image of a period marked by immense change. “During the pandemic, the visual texture of neighbourhoods changed so much,” Reid says of the inspiration behind the eerie album art. “So many businesses that didn’t make it through, the boarded-up stores, they became part of the tapestry of the streetscape, certainly in Toronto, and I’m guessing in a lot of places.” He wonders what happened to the owners. “If you had to close your business, where would you go? What would you do?”

Reid starting writing songs for the album, the follow-up to his sophomore effort, 2020’s Gemini, before the pandemic, but when the world locked down, his Gemini tour was cancelled. It was just a month before the final episode of Schitt’s Creek aired. The beloved sitcom became a cultural phenomenon, winning a record number of Emmy Awards plus a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble, and made Reid a star as Patrick Brewer, the love interest to Dan Levy’s character, David.

Noah Reid was photographed in Toronto this past June, while on a trip to his hometown from New York, where he is staying during his run in the Tony-nominated Broadway show, The Minutes.

Lockdown was an intensely creative time for Reid, if a trying one. “I was staying up way too late and just couldn’t differentiate the hours of the day,” he says, his casual approach to making music allowing him to hone his voice without the noise or pressure of a major label. Recorded live at Toronto’s Union Sound Company and produced by Juno Award nom­inee Matthew Barber (who also collaborated with Reid on Gemini and his 2016 debut album, Songs from a Broken Chair), Adjustments came to life over a series of sessions with musicians including Bahamian guitarist Christine Bougie and Great Lake Swimmers drummer Joshua Van Tassel. The result is an intensely personal, emotionally raw examination of our new, uncertain reality. “Everyday,” the effervescent album-opening lead single, encapsulates Reid’s headspace during the making of the album. “I wrote that song in the early days of the pandemic, when I’d look out the window at this park that’s usually full of kids and families but now was totally desolate,” he says. “It came from a feeling of being forced into a sort of loneliness and not really knowing what to do about that.”

Reid knows his genre of music isn’t exactly made for radio play. Alt-rock isn’t the most culturally relevant right now, he says. “I’m not trying to write hit songs. I just am writing from my own perspective.” Unlike in Hollywood or on Broadway, where producers, development executives, and casting directors determine actors’ fates, having full creative control over his music is paramount. So what is Reid’s perspective? “Finding that undercurrent of adjustments,” the artist says. “Sometimes the adjustment is about kind of letting go of what you can’t control, and sometimes it’s about trying to try to put a better foot forward.”

Noah Reid’s latest album, Adjustments, is an eight-track disc of smooth alt-rock.

Reid, 35, was born in Toronto to visual artist parents and began performing in local theatre productions as a young boy. A sensitive kid with energy to burn, he sang in his school choir, played on sports teams, and did typical extracurricular activities. But at the same time, he says, “I was going off and doing these other things that felt special and creative,” for which he sometimes felt isolated from his peers—feelings he explores on the song “Left Behind.” He originally thought the song was about the end of Schitt’s Creek, he says, but now feels it has more to do with “deeper-seated feelings of being left out of things or moving through different groups of people when you’re involved in these casts.” He and Levy remain close. “We had so much stuff together, and that became a real foundation of a really loving, trusting friendship,” Reid says. “And you know, that on-screen partnership, we had to really rely on each other and build that trust with each other. A lot of projects, I’ve taken a few friends with me from each thing, and Schitt’s Creek, it’s just that special thing where if I’m in the same place as any of those people, that’s a terrific day for me.”

Noah Reid knows his genre of music isn’t exactly made for radio play. Alt-rock isn’t the most culturally relevant right now, he says. “I’m not trying to write hit songs. I just am writing from my own perspective.”

A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Reid is a rare example of a child actor who made it to the big leagues. His disarming sincerity recalls the wholesome affability of his Schitt’s Creek character. “I don’t consider myself famous,” he says. “I know some famous people. They live differently from me.” Recently, in New York, Levy asked him how he’s been handling his new-found celebrity after the premiere of The Minutes. “That guy can’t walk down the street,” Reid says of his famous friend. “I can walk down the street, and maybe people are, like, ‘I know you from somewhere.’”

Despite his current stardom, Reid has found his fumbles more meaningful than his successes. “I think some of the best moments in my life have been when things professionally weren’t working out,” he says. “And I found things that grounded me—relationships and an understanding that you can contribute to the world around you and your community in ways that don’t involve people clapping for you or inviting you to fancy parties and stuff.” This healthy remove from Hollywood excess feels like a more honest place to make music audiences can relate to, which is more important to Reid than commercial success or industry praise. Not that they are irrelevant, but “now, interestingly, professional success is abundant, and it’s a hard time to focus on it because I’ve got other family matters that I value more deeply,” Reid says. “And so that kind of balancing act can be really tricky.”

As his run in The Minutes ends, Reid is adjusting to his new gig: fatherhood. And he’s approaching it like he has everything else that’s come his way: with a level head and grace. “I’ve always had a sense that rolling with the punches is important, that things are going to come and go,” he says. “I don’t get too high, don’t get too low, just be chill. Take what comes and try to do what you can with it. There’s always another day. If that thing doesn’t work out, there’ll be something else.”

[the-guilty-writer]

Look I know I’m projecting but every time I think abt any Rossi!daughter I immediately think theatre kid.

Like. Cmon. You seen the theatrics Rossi has? Ain’t no way those don’t get passed down to his child. All I’m tryna say is RR being in a high school theatre club and making Hotch help her practice her lines (and then he comes to her show and brings her a rose because he has Manners and his little sister deserves to be appreciated)

Also——— Reid being married to this Theatre Kid Monstrosity😂 He’s tryna listen to Beethoven over here and she’s just belting out No Good Deed amdnfnfn the CHAOS

(It’s just my lil personal hc for RR but I thought I’d share)

Oh yes

and the best part?

It wasn't even RR's idea.

It was Haley's.

RR needs some friends that aren't FBI agents and Haley suggests that she join the theater club because that's what she did when she was in high school and one day she comes into the BAU with a script and she throws it at Hotch.

"What is this?"

"I joined the theater club and need help running lines. You read for Glinda."

And Haley thinks it's the funniest thing ever that somehow Aaron got roped into helping her, and he's acting all mad about it but he secretley loves it.

And RR is really good... like REALLY good. That kid you hate because she somehow always gets a lead role and can pull ANYTHING off flawlessly.

She appreciates straight plays but RR is a musical girl 100%

She played the role of Elphaba (Wicked) and it's ABSOLUTELY the one she likes to sing the most to this day, partly because the range is challenging, but also because she loooves to interrupt Spencer while he's working on files in the living room by making him dance to Popular (and Spencer always points out that Elphaba doesn't even sing in Popular and gets grumpy but he secretly loves it). And between No Good Deed and Defying Gravity it was her favorite role ever.

She also defintley rocked the roles of Tanya in Mamma Mia and Lydia in Beetlejuice.

[fmhiphop]

Happy 30th Anniversary! Best Rapper Cameos on 'Martin'

Happy 30th Anniversary to a cultural masterpiece! The Martin reunion show is now streaming on BET+ and has brought to mind many of the standout rapper cameos on the series. These rapper cameo appearances are significant for being some of the earliest instances of rappers appearing on a broadcast television series. Let's take a look at our 8 favorite rapper cameos that appeared on Martin. 8. Method Man Method Man is no stranger to appearing in TV and film in the current stage of his career. However his cameo on Martin was his first opportunity to flex his acting chops. In the episode he plays a burglar robbing Martin's apartment that plays along with an ongoing beef between Martin and Pam to make off with the goods. https://youtu.be/L9SskNJEr_8 7. Bushwick Bill Bushwick Bill of The Geto Boys had a cameo on Martin along with Tony Cox. The duo brought plenty of laughs in the Season 1 episode. 6. Tone Loc Tone Loc had quite the career in the early 90's following the release of his smash hit song "Funky Cold Medina". He appeared on many series of the era but his cameo on Martin stands out. He played a former popular student that bullied Martin in their school days. Martin finds him breaking into students' lockers at their reunion and finally stands up to him.   5. Yo-Yo Yo-Yo had several cameos on Martin as Sheneneh's partner in crime Keylolo. She had a hilarious dynamic with Lawrence's character. The duo portray the roles of 90s hot girls perfectly and created classic scenes with their natural chemistry. Yo-Yo was also the protege' and frequent collaborator of West Coast rap legend and entrepreneur Ice Cube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JakcHkiEBKQ 4. Snoop Dogg   Snoop Dogg's cameo on Martin was featured in an episode where Pam and the crew throw Martin and Gina a surprise engagement party. However, the couple is so busy arguing that they miss the whole thing. Snoop Dogg comes through because he was invited by his Uncle Jerome and takes the party to a whole new level. All the party attendees leave shortly before the couple arrives as they head off to L.A. with Snoop to keep it going. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mepYI1k6ptU 3. Christopher "Kid" Reid Christopher "Kid" Reid is one half of the iconic 90s duo Kid 'n Play. The group is widely known for their films House Party, House Party 2 and Class Act. Reid appeared on Martin as the host of a competition for a fan to win a date with him. Hilariously, Sheneneh ends up being the winner and Kid decides he is unable to go through with it after seeing her in person. This rapper cameo led to one of the funniest moments of the series, Forever Sheneneh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjdMd9bLY04 2. OutKast OutKast's cameo on Martin came at a time when the South was just finding a way into mainstream hip hop success. In the episode All The Players Came, OutKast serves as the musical guest while Martin and the crew rally to save a local theatre. This is a guest-heavy episode that really showed admiration for the Black actors and actresses that paved the way for shows like Martin to exist. It featured appearances from Pam Grier, Antonio Fargas, Rudy Ray Moore, Whitman Mayo and Ja'net Dubois. It is also notable that the show was based in the East Coast and the episode came out in 1995. Later that year, the duo was booed after winning best new artist at The Source Awards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtzbYKd5qsw   1. The Notorious B.I.G. Biggie's appearance on Martin was one of the biggest cultural moments of the day. One of the most influential rappers of the 90s appeared on a top-rated Black sitcom. The episode focuses on Biggie's search for background singers to take on tour with him. Martin is an old friend that lets Big stay with him to avoid commotion at a hotel. This allowed people to see the smooth personality that Biggie had in another format. There was no way we could make a list about our favorite rapper cameos on Martin without this taking the top spot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5nDgGb27-s Martin is a show that has consistently connected with generations of TV watchers for decades and one of the strongest pieces of its legacy is the excellent rapper cameos. BET+ will begin streaming the Martin: The Reunion on June 16 with comedian Affion Crockett as the host. The first trailer dropped yesterday featuring a tribute to the character Tommy played by the late Thomas Mikal Ford. Check out some of our other news: Martin Lawerence Partnership With Detroit Pistons Lil Nas X Upset Over Not Receiving BET Awards Nomination Malcolm “Laidback Mack” Morrow | IG: @mack_stay_manifesting | FB: The Hood Hippie MS | Twitter: @_laidbackmack_ Read the full article

[infinite-tides]

Been thinking about this a lot and I think this is my biggest Hotch headcanon. This is long so bear with me—

I have a headcanon that Hotch’s best friend at work actually isn’t Rossi— it’s JJ. They’ve always had a great connection, they both had unique roles within the team when she was media liaison, for most of the show they’re the only parents on the team, etc. He can’t deny her anything, and she shares some of her most personal stuff with him. So I think they became close when Hotch was going through his divorce— JJ spent a lot of late nights at the office and knew he was doing the same, so she’d come work in his office with him to keep him company, and they’d get to talking. That’s why he seemed so hurt when she didn’t tell him she was pregnant until she was forced to. I think that when JJ had Henry, there were some nights at the beginning when Will was working late and Henry was colicky and she was overwhelmed and worried so she called Hotch, who had a bit of prior experience with Jack. He boosts her confidence and gives her advice. and JJ supports him when Haley dies. After JJ shares that her sister ended her life in 5x13, Hotch says “Thank you. Thank you for everything,” which makes me think that she’s been a rock through the whole thing— taking Jack out when she knows Hotch needs some time to himself, offering quiet comfort, becoming a quasi-mother figure to Jack and using her own experience with grief to know how to get Hotch to talk about it and process it. I think he was devastated when she was forced to leave the team, but that they kept in close contact. I like to think they started meeting up places like the park or the mall (when she wasn’t in Afghanistan and he wasn’t on a case) so they could talk and Henry and Jack could spend time together (I also have a headcanon that Henry and Jack are best friends and that Jack sees Henry as a little brother- and that they established that relationship during this period). I also like to think that they continued doing this over the years as the kids grew up and that they had lots of play-dates. I think the fact that they were the only two to know about Emily in s6 brought them even closer— probably a lot of hushed phone calls after Reid had been to her place, meeting up after hours, supporting each other as they grappled with the harm it was causing the rest of the team. I also think that he was the first person she told about her miscarriage. And he would’ve been so excited for her to become a profiler, and she would’ve asked his advice and his opinion on her work a lot. I think that they probably bonded a lot over cases that involved kids. I like to think she went to him after any fights with Will about her hours when she went back to the FBI and he basically told her how he would’ve handled it if he’d had a second chance to with Haley. I think it was actually JJ who gave him the boost needed to ask Beth out, not Rossi. I think he asked her for some help when it came to his triathlon, since she had a lot of experience training for sports in high school and college. I like to think that they do a little something for their birthdays every year— for JJ’s birthday he takes her to a sports game and for his, she takes him to a show at the theatre. When Hotch collapsed in Route 66, I think she was terrified— apparently there’s a still of JJ and Rossi both leaning over him when he’s unconscious, and she’s holding his hand in the picture. I think that the reason she got so personal when she was talking to the unsub and his daughter in that case is because she was so worried about Hotch that she was just completely raw and torn open. I think that when JJ was abducted he was absolutely terrified— he literally threatened the Secretary of State over it— and I think he would’ve provided a lot of support during the time after, the way that she did after Haley. In s10 when he breaks up with Beth, JJ is there with ice cream and a shoulder to cry on, and that trip to Orlando? She and Henry were there too.

[happypopcornprincess]

The One That Got Away - Chapter Three

Summary: After assisting the new Captain America and Sargent Barnes to defeat the Flag Smashers, Joaquin Torres is on leave, visiting Sam’s family in Louisiana. He expected to make some new memories with the Wilsons and his new friend Bucky Barnes. What he did not expect, was a face from the past he was trying so desperately to forget.

But this small vacation will not be a peaceful one. New enemies are lurking in the background, and they know one thing - the only way to hit hard, is to hit home.

Pairings: Joaquin Torres x Reader

Warning: None, for this chapter

Word Count: 2.3K (approx.)

Note – THIS IS WHERE THE ACTION BEGINS PEOPLE!!! WITH SHIT TONS OF ANGST!!! A mention of my favorite TV Vampire. Torres being the sweetest lad, Y/N being a heartbreaker, please bear with me I promise it's going to be good :')

Italics represent thoughts, Time and Flashbacks are labeled. There are some words and sentences in Spanish. The guide will be given below.

Masterlist | Series Masterlist | Series Playlist

Reid-View High School Tuscany, 2016

You and Joaquin became fast friends. He was friends with everyone, from Elijah and the science club, Zoe and the theatre kids to Kelly and the popular folk. When you showed up at school the next day, you walked past Kelly in the hallway, with Joaquin beside you. She looked you up and down, rolled her eyes, and scrolled through her phone. You sat together in classes, in labs, in the cafeteria, everywhere. In free lessons, he would hang out with you in the library and you went to all his basketball games. He helped you with math and you helped him with history.

After a month or so you slowly started to realize you have a crush on him.

Maybe it was when he didn’t leave your side after a drunk senior tried to hit on you at a party, or when he hugged you in front of the whole school after winning a basketball match. Maybe it was the way his eyes lit up when you told him you liked his favorite songs or was it when he gave you his jacket that chilly evening? (Which you still haven’t returned).

You took hours to choose your outfits for school, and your brain malfunctioned when you once saw him shirtless after gym class. You literally had dreams about kissing him. You debated about telling him, waited for the right moment. But then the thought of him not liking you back scared you more.

“You ever had a girlfriend?” You ask him while lounging on the grass one day. It was a cloudy day and you’d snuck out of gym class along with some other friends. Some sat on the benches of the football ground and others lay on the grass. Torres was lying next to you.

“I did, back in middle school.” You look at him, “Middle school? Seriously?”

“What? I was quite popular, and she was among the few girls to watch Power Rangers.”

You laughed, “You bonded over Power Rangers?”

“Yeah, she looked a bit like the yellow ranger, my favorite” he took a deep breath, “but we broke up after a week or so. She didn’t like Star Wars. I draw the line there”

You doubled over laughing.

“Who doesn’t like Star Wars?”

“I know right!”

You saw him looking at you when you looked at him. “What about you?” he asked. His brown eyes eagerly waited for an answer.

“Nah, never had a boyfriend.” You reply.

“What about a crush?”

“Nope.”

“You never had a crush on anyone?”

“Well, if you count Damon Salvatore…”

“Okay, okay” he laughed as he looked at the sky.

Now that he raised the question, you were curious. “Who’s your crush?” You ask him.

He doesn’t reply so you look at him, and he was already looking at you. He smiled and said, “If I tell you, would you please not freak out?”

You furrowed your brows in confusion and suddenly, realization dawned upon you. You looked at him, wide-eyed and before you could say anything, he looked you in the eyes and said, “It’s you. I like you”

Shocked was an understatement. You were convinced you were hallucinating. There was a one in a million probability that your crush liked you back. And there was no way it was happening with you. You stand up abruptly, startling him, “Joaquin, if this is a joke, you’re- “

He stood up too, and you saw his face fall, “No! No, Y/N it’s not a joke. I- I like you” he stammered. He looked genuinely scared of you being angry at him.

As on cue, it started raining. All your friends got up and ran towards the stands. But you stood there with Joaquin in front of you. Your friends were calling you towards the stands and you heard thunder rumbling in the distance.

“I like you too, Joaquin” you shout out and immediately slap your hand on your mouth. But mustering up every ounce of courage inside of you, you continued, “I’ve liked you since the day we first met. I couldn’t say anything because I assumed you didn’t like me back and I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. You're kind of the only friend I have and you know every girl at school thinks you’re cute. I didn’t want you to think I liked you because I thought you were cute, I mean, you are but that’s not the point! I like you because you’re a good person and-”

“Y/N I get it.” He was grinning at this point.

“No! Joaquin, I don’t want you to have the impression that I’m objectifying you for your body-“

“Y/N!”

“- I don’t know why I’m still talking I mean you said you got it I-“

He takes a step towards you and clamps your mouth with his palm in a desperate attempt to shut you up. "Can I kiss you?” he asks.

You look him in the eyes. His long-wet hair falling above his eyes, both of you completely drenched in rain. He was laughing as he looked at you. You grab him by his shirt and crash your lips on his, while rain poured around you. He smiled as he kissed you back. He caresses your jaw as you move your arms around his neck. When you break apart, you hear your friends cheering you on. “I fucking knew it!” you hear one of your classmates scream. You silently wished this was not a dream.

“Let’s get out of here” Joaquin whispers on your lips.

“Yeah sure!” holding his hand you laugh as you ran away with him.

---

Oak Crest Memorial Hospital

It was 11 AM as you checked up on the patients, doing your daily rounds. Checking their vitals, IVs, and medications. Lexi was busy as always, being one of the more experienced doctors at the hospital, she was always needed somewhere. Luke was being his jolly self, joking on his rounds, wishing everyone, and just being happy and cheerful. Brenda, Ruth, Michael, and Juan, your fellow nurses were on duty as well. It was just another day for you.

You almost completed your round, with one patient left. You entered their room and opened the door to see a little boy on the hospital bed.

“Good morning, ma’am!” the boy said in a sing-song voice. “Good morning, Alex!” You said with a smile. Lexi was there too. It saddened you deeply every time children got hurt. Alex was such a sweet kid when you met him on your last shift, even for a brief amount of time. You step up to him and give him a hi 5. “How are you feeling?” “I’m well. How are you, ma’am?” You smiled and said, “I’m well too!”

“Y/N, a minute?” Lexi asks you as he steps aside. “What happened?” You were worried. "Have you checked the patient who is in a medically induced coma following the highway accident?" "Yes." "That's his father."

Oh god!

“He’s been asking about him since he woke up. Just, tell him he’s alright. I told him the same thing.” She gives you a sad look. Alex was lucky as he only had a fractured arm and some cuts on his body. His father on the other hand took a major hit on his head and had to be put under a medically induced coma.

How were you supposed to lie to him?

Just then, you hear the door open. “Torres!” Alex shouted. You turned around to see him standing in the doorway, with a bouquet of flowers. He looks at you and gives you a nod. You return the same.

“Hey champ!” he walks up to him and gives him a hi 5. And then you remember, it’s the same boy Torres bought in yesterday. “How are you buddy?” he sits on a chair next to his bed. “I’m doing well." He replies. “Your arm’s alright?” “Yeah!” he smiled at him. “How’s my dad? Did you meet him?” he asks. Torres remained quiet. By the look on his face, you could tell that yes, he’s met him. “Your dad, well, he’s,” You stand next to his bed and say, “Your dad is doing well Alex.” you brush away the loose strands of his hair from his face.

“Can I meet him?” Your heart dropped. You checked his father’s vitals a few minutes ago. He was in stable condition but still in a coma. It will take him a day or two to wake up and a couple more days to be able to walk.

That’s when you looked at Torres. He understood what you were thinking, he always did.

“You can Alex. But he is sleeping right now.” He takes Alex’s good hand and says, “You see, he got a wound on his head. And it will heal if he sleeps well for a few days. We don’t want to wake him up now, do we?” he nods. “You’ve been so brave this whole time. You should know you saved your dad, okay?” He smiled.

“And I got you something,” he pulled out a chocolate bar from his jacket. “Chocolate!” Alex screamed. You were laughing when Torres toyed for a bit with him, reminding you of the times you both would play with the kids on the streets near his house.

“Thank you, Torres!” Alex gives him a huge grin. “You’re welcome, buddy” he smiled and got up.

“Bye Torres! Bye, ma’am!” He waved at you wildly while holding the chocolate bar. You waved back. Stepping out of the room, you stand in front of each other, at arm’s length.

“Hey!” he says.

“Hi,” you say back.

You look at the bouquet of flowers in his hand.

“You bought flowers?”

“Yeah, uh, they are… for Alex. And his dad.” He says while narrowing his eyes at you. He was lying, you knew it.

“Why didn’t you give it to him?”

“I realized he wouldn't be interested in flowers as much as he would be in chocolate.”

He completed the sentence with a tight-lipped smile.

“Uh-huh,” you nod.

“Are you hungry?” He asks.

“No” you replied.

“How about coffee?” He asks again.

“I just had coffee”

“Lunch?” he quirked up his eyebrows. He wasn't about to give up easily.

“It’s 11:30 AM.” You peek at your wristwatch.

“We can meet at 12” he smiles.

“Torres…”

That’s when Lexi comes out of the room and looks at you both. Her eyes look back and forth between you, “I have work, try not to kill each other.” Saying so, she leaves.

“Have lunch with me?” He stood there, his eyes pleading with you. You almost said yes. Almost. But then you remembered why you can’t say yes. You made a promise to yourself and you were not breaking it. Even if it meant you both getting hurt again.

“I would love to, but I have work.” You lied. Alex was your last patient and you had a break. He looked into your eyes. He knew you were lying. Even after so many years apart, he could see right through you. You hated it.

“Okay,” he replies. “But,” he fishes out a piece of paper from his pocket, “I tried to call you yesterday, you changed your number. So, Here’s my number.”

He hands it to you. You look at it for a while, debating whether you should take it or not. But you take it. “Okay,” you reply. “Call me, when you’re free” he looks at you. “Please.” He adds.

As he looked into your eyes, you stood there. “I will.” You put it in your pocket. “I have to head out." You speak. “Okay.” he nods as he turns around to leave.

---

Wilson’s Residence

“Dammit!” Torres said while driving back to the Wilson Residence. Why did you do this? He thought things would have changed after five years of you two being apart. He knew you lied. He missed you so much after you broke up. The day you two broke up, he remembered it all too well. He replayed everything in his head so many times, but he could never figure out what went wrong. You two were perfect in every way. He never did something that would upset you, and neither did you. So, what went wrong?

He parks the car in front of the house. As he gets out, Bucky shouts, “How did it go?"

Torres looks around to see him sitting on the porch steps with Cass and AJ. “She said she'd call me” Torres screams back. He walks up to them to see they were playing cards. “Where were you Uncle Torres?” AJ asks him. “Out on a date,” Bucky replied with a smirk.

“Which never happened,” Torres says. “What?” the three of them ask in unison. As Torres sits on the steps with them, Bucky says, "You said she'd call you"

"After she denied having lunch with me, or coffee, or anything" he points out.

“Okay, did you give her the flowers?”

“No, Bucky. I freaked out and told her they were for Alex” Torres tells them the whole story. From the point where he met her at the hospital to driving back to the house cursing under his breath.

“so you didn’t contact her for five years? And now you want to go out on a date.” Cass says. Torres and Bucky look at him. “Yes,” Torres replies.

“Do you know if she’s with someone else?” he asks. Torres was taken aback by this question. He joined the Air Force a while after you broke up, he didn’t have time to date. But he can’t say the same about you. Deep down in his heart, he knows you dated. Hell, you would have been dating someone right now! Maybe asking you out was the result of the impulsive thoughts inside his head that had stayed there since you two broke up.

“I don’t know,” he says with a defeated voice. Bucky looks at him. He knew what to do. “Cass, AJ, how about we continue this some other time? Let’s go inside” They go inside.

“Torres, come on.” He gets up, Torres following him. They sit on the couch while Cass and AJ enter their room. “Torres, I know it’s hard moving on from your first love.” Torres slumps back and takes a deep breath. He knew Bucky was right. He’s heard the same thing from everyone, his Abuela, friends, and partners at the base, to move on. But how could he? He has been on three dates in the last five years, if you call having a one-night stand and never seeing them again a date but?

“Did she break up with you?” Bucky asks him.

Torres looks at him, speechless.

How? Did he---

“I’ve been there, I know.” He gently puts his hand on his shoulder.

“Yes” he replies

“Why?”

Torres looks at him and says, “She cheated on me”

---

Outside Y/N’s apartment

You get out of your car after parking it near your apartment. You moved here while you were just starting at Oak Crest. In fact, Lexi took you in. You lived in an old apartment complex far from the hospital which you could hardly afford when she asked you to be roommates. In that way, you could live not that far from the hospital while splitting the rent. She is a kind person, always cheering you on and looking after you. She was the type of person who could fix anyone’s mood with humor and sarcasm. With her being eight years older than you, you always get a sisterly vibe from her---

You stop. Something feels off. You have a gut feeling that someone is behind you. You slowly turn to see a shadow hiding behind a wall. Is someone following you? Lexi was at the hospital, and it was almost 8PM so the streets are quiet, who could it be? As you debate, you hear footsteps approaching you at a quick pace, and you run.

End of Chapter Three. Chapter Four

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[thesiriusmoon]

My Aaron Hotchner headcanons!

+ feel free to comment/reblog with your own!

Slight tw for mentions of abuse

He’s left handed

He’s always wanted kids, and had a list of baby names for if it ever happened

He has over 100 ties

He’s a feminist

He’s never been afraid of asserting authority over police officers or other agents when they disrespect a member of his team for their gender, race, sexuality, or ASN

He thoroughly enjoys Spongebob Squarepants

There are 4 years between him and Sean

He was put into the foster home of William and Maria Hotchner along with Sean and finally separated from his abusive parents, he was 10

The second he met William he latched onto him and swore to never let go. William is his top role model above everyone in the world

William gave him the nickname “Bean/beanie” because when they first met Aaron was wearing a beanie hat

Maria taught him how to knit and crotchet as a way to let stress out and keep his mind busy for hours

He still knits/crotchets to this day and that means Jack has a closest full of different scarfs, hats, gloves, socks, cardigans etc.

When he was younger he loved playing pretend to escape his reality

He doesn’t label his sexuality because he doesn’t care about gender

His childhood toy was a white bear with a missing leg who he keeps in his closet for memories sake as it reminds him of his parents

He always knew he wanted to work in law enforcement to do justice to those like his biological parents, and took inspiration from William seeing as he’s a lawyer

He’s a Taylor Swift fan

He struggles to use a photo copier and normally asks Penelope to do it for him so he doesn’t break it

In his office has lots of pictures of his parents and Sean, and Haley and Jack to remind him why he does what he does

He’s a very good bass guitar player

More under the cut!

He prefers winter over summer because he likes to build snowmen with Jack, drink hot chocolate, and watch Christmas movies even after December time

He’s an avid fan of Broadway and theatre shows but keeps it a secret that only Jessica, Haley, and Penelope knew

He owns marvel themed boxers that Spencer bought him for a laugh

He loves to read mystery novels and use his profiling in attempt to identify who the murderer is

He’s great at preparing Christmas dinner and never let Haley do a thing and instead relax with Jack

He knows the trick on how to always win the bigger end of the Christmas cracker but always let Jack win, and would tell him how he’s so much stronger than him

He once bought Jack a toy car he could actually drive in and he put a hole in the wall, so it was strictly only allowed to be driven outside.

Jack put a hole in the fence

So he had two thing to fix

He brings Jack a souvenir back from wherever he’s been on a case such as key rings, snow globes, or a T-shirt

After overwhelming cases he cuddles with Jack which makes him feel better

The only true love he’s ever felt romantically has been for Haley. He just really liked Beth

He loves hosting parties and get togethers for Jack and his friends where he orders them food and let’s them play videos games until late

He often gets invited to Rossi’s where the two of them have bake offs, or Rossi is teaching him how to make a new meal, or just for a drink

He cares deeply for his team and knows what sets them off and how to calm them down and make them comfortable if they become stressed, upset, or have a panic attack or when Reid has a meltdown

He has a bag of sensory toys for Spencer in his office in case Spencer loses his or forgets to bring his on the plane

His office is also an open safe place for Spencer to go when he’s overwhelmed, and if he needs time Hotch will turn off the lights and use his desk lamp to do his work while Spencer does his thing

He subtly leaves little gifts on the teams desks to cheer them up after a hard case or if they’re just having a hard time in general, post for this hc

He worries a lot that the team don’t like him because of his *strict* look, but he’s only like that because he fears making mistakes and won’t relax until he knows everything has gone right

He felt very touched and relieved when Penelope bought him a pink thank you card along with little marshmallows and chocolate ‘just because’

The real reason being that Penelope can spot from miles away when someone is worrying and/or sad and wanted him to know she appreciated and cared for him

His first day as unit chief he didn’t sleep because he was so nervous

His favourite colour is light blue

He’s quick on the defence because he won’t ever let someone tear his self worth down or anyone else’s in the BAU, such as when Strauss questioned his teams ability

His mother once allowed him to dye a streak of his hair pink when he was in high school

He was a bit of a popular guy in school and the soccer captain who fell in love with the nerdy girl who played the violin. He was a super chilled guy who bought his girlfriend flowers and let her braid flowers in his hair.

He was the type of guy who would laugh loudly and help people who were stuck on their work because he knew all the answers, he never made fun of anyone. In group projects he always made sure the quiet kids were included and heard.

He and Haley only got together in their very last year, before that Hotch had flirted with and liked only a handful of guys and girls, Haley was the first person he ever wanted to date

He’s such a geek. He loves Star Wars, marvel, and lord of the rings with great passion and will talk for hours about them if you let him

He wanted to be Indiana Jones when he was younger and always dressed up as him for Halloween

Derek once said “calm your sweet cheeks” to a stressed out Hotch, and Hotch couldn’t talk to him for a week

He was stung by a wasp once and ever since he’s been scared of them

Him and Sean loved racing each other in their garden from one end to the other, Aaron always won

He doesn’t like the texture of strawberries, but he’ll eat them on cheesecake

Despite not liking actual strawberries, his favourite ice cream flavour is strawberry as long as there isn’t actual strawberry in it

He’s an ABBA fan and has their records. He told everyone they were Haley’s and she just went along with it because she too loved them

He likes cats and dogs equally. Dogs because they move around more and like going on walks, are great comforters, and their ears are cute. Cats because they’re cute when they sleep, they always find themselves in silly places like in cardboard boxes or the high shelf that has nothing around it, and how excited they get when you dangle a piece of string over their head

He had a border collie dog when he was younger that supported both him with panic attacks and anxiety, his name was Dennis and he wore a red collar. When Dennis passed away he kept his collar and still has it because he helped him through a lot.

He also had goldfish named Mary, Bennie, and Travis.

He prefers to write things out in a diary such as dates of meetings, birthdays, or just notes on paper rather than using a phone

He’s not the greatest dancer, Haley took the lead at their wedding

He has a secret tattoo of a Sparrow with the letter J beside it for Jack on his left shoulder blade

When he was younger he had platinum blond hair, but once he got older it darkened. This made him look a lot like Jack.

He has a photo album for Jack that has pictures of him and Haley as teenagers, on dates, random Sunday mornings, Haley’s pregnancy, and of course many pictures of them both with Jack

His right ear used to be pierced but after joining law enforcement he stopped wearing it to appear professional and the hole closed up, Derek always tells him to get it pierced again

He wears expensive colognes that smell like dark evenings, and have a irresistible musk that leaves people flattered without him even doing anything

Had a crush on Derek for a while but it faded, he just thought he was attractive (but then as a couples so cute)

He has a drawing done by Jack of him, Jack, and Haley riding a dinosaurs in his wallet at all times, as well as a regular picture of Jack

He loves to spoil Jack

He does Jack’s hair in the morning

He has a stash of treats in his office that no one knows about

He’s always been a curious child, so when he found a black and white cat looking thing he couldn’t help but check it out. Which is how he ended up getting sprayed by a skunk

He truly believes in aliens and will tell you every single reason why if you want him to

He’s actually pretty good at eating spicy food

He won’t eat anything minty because: “it’s like I’m eating toothpaste”

He loves museums and takes Jack to teach him about history

The BAU call Jack “Little Hotch”

He rubs circles on his index finger with his thumb when he’s thinking or nervous

He’s fluent in American Sign Language and has been since he was a teenager

He has a skin care routine

He has the fear of having someone he loves hurt, stemming from him protecting Sean from their bio parents

He always made sure that Sean was never hurt, he took it all himself

Himself, William, and Dennis would sit at their patio window together under a big blanket when storms occurred, which helped Aaron’s fear of them.

He loved teaching Dennis tricks and taking him on walks/jogs/runs

Every Saturday morning Maria would make her sons pancakes for breakfast, and Aaron does the same for Jack now

Maria would read bedtime stories to both Aaron and Sean to help sooth their minds before bed

Him and Sean also liked to play with Maria’s makeup, so she bought them face painting sets and kids makeup so they could dress up without ruining her things

Every Easter holiday, Aaron and Sean would challenge each other on who could find the most chocolate eggs hidden around their house by their parents

William built Aaron and Sean a treehouse which they called “The Hotch”

Him and Sean sat in the treehouse reading comic books or play neighbourhood watch and assume what everyone who passed by was doing

Growing up in his abusive home he wished every night that somebody would pick him up and run away with him

In his house with his parents he would get a hug goodnight and he’d fall asleep wishing no one would ever take what he had away.

He was adopted age 13 by William and Maria because they wanted him to be sure that he wanted to stay with them, and of course he did! I also read that the child can consent adoption after living with their carers for at least 2 years.

He loved going to baseball games with his dad and Sean and has hats as memories

William and Maria had given Aaron his first taste of sugar, and he ate so much he ended up passing out after running around the house

He had puppets that he used to talk to when he had a problem, and he also used them to put shows on for Sean and Dennis

For a short while Aaron was a bit afraid of Dennis because he thought he’d bite him, but started to ease up the first time he had an anxiety attack and Dennis ran straight to his side.

Dennis always slept on the floor beside Aaron’s bed, or sometimes on the bed. Sometimes during the night is aaron had a nightmare, Dennis would wake up and quietly join him, calming him down while he still slept.

Regularly calls his parents and has them also talk to Jack if he’s awake

[gubler-me-up]

Sky’s the Limit

Request: Hi! This is oddly specific so no worries if you don’t do it but I was wondering if you could do a Spencer X y/n where he (and the team) find out that Y/N has gymnastics training or trapeze training or aerial silk training and Spencer is just like 🤩 Thanks! Love your writing!!

A/N: Thanks for the request, anon! I’m not gonna front and say this one wasn’t a challenge to think of a good concept for. All I knew is I wanted to make it about aerial silk because it’s such an amazing talent. To my surprise, this turned out better than I expected and I hope you really enjoy it! Btw do you do gymnastics, trapeze and/or aerial silk? If so, kudos to you! (Btw I left the song choice up in the air, but while I was writing I was listening to The Weeknd - Loft Music)

Couple: Spencer Reid/Fem!reader

Category: Fluff

Content warning: None

Word count: 2.8k

-------------

“I know it’s the weekend and all, but you’re sure in a rush, Y/N,” Morgan remarked.

You were running late for your dress rehearsal for your aerial silk performance at an open talent show taking place at National Theatre DC. You had done aerial silk dancing for years as a hobby. It was hard keeping up with it while working at the BAU, but an old instructor of yours contacted you about the opportunity. You thought it was a great chance to finally display your hobby to the masses.

“I’m running late for an appointment,” you said as you grabbed your bag.

“Oh? A Friday night “appointment” huh? Who’s the lucky guy?” Morgan asked.

You chuckled. “Not that sort of appointment, player.”

“Damn, I thought a certain someone finally made a move on you,” he said.

You were going to ignore his comment and be on your way, but you were curious about what he just said. You raised an eyebrow with a mischievous smile on your face. You went up to his desk and sat on the edge of it.

“Certain someone?” You asked.

He chuckled. “Oh yes, a certain someone. Matter of fact here he comes now.”

Morgan looked over your shoulder, so you followed his gaze. You saw Spencer walking up to you guys with a smile as he nervously latched his right hand onto his satchel strap. You didn’t think he liked you more than a friend, but according to Morgan it seemed as if you were missing something. So much for being a profiler.

“Hey, Y/N. Are you busy this weekend? I know you love classic French Noir films and they’re playing Pépé Le Moko tomorrow night, so I was wondering if you wanted to go watch it together,” Spencer asked.

You looked at him surprised before looking back at Morgan. He gave you his favourite expression: I told you so. You looked back at Spencer. He had an eager, glowing smile on his face. You were close to saying yes to him just by his enthusiasm.

You sighed. “I can’t this Saturday, Spence. I have a commitment I already have. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, that’s no problem. I should have asked you earlier,” he said.

“Yes, you should have,” Morgan chimed in.

Spencer gave Morgan a strong glare as he was getting ready to say something. Before you were put in-between another fight of theirs, you grabbed onto Spencer’s upper arm and gently squeezed. You were kind of surprised to feel a little muscle on him.

“Spence, have you been working out?” You asked.

He blushed. “Not really by choice. Morgan’s been forcing me to join him on his gym sessions.”

You looked over at Morgan. “You’re forcing Spence to work out?”

He shrugged and put on a sly smirk. “What can I say? I thought we should all gain as much upper body strength as you have, Y/N.”

“I don’t have any upper body strength,” you said.

Spencer grabbed your right bicep and gently squeezed it. You looked at him as he had his thinking face on. He soon noticed you looking at him which led him to let go of your arm and awkwardly clear his throat.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to do that. I was just admiring your bicep form. It’s well developed, even more than Morgan’s,” he said.

You giggled. “I don’t think my little muscles can compare to Morgan’s.”

“This time the kid might have a point. You have some serious bicep action on you. What’s your secret?” Morgan asked.

You hadn’t exactly told anyone on the team about your aerial silk training. You kind of liked keeping this certain talent hidden from the rest of the team. You were also nervous if you had them watch it would be the one time you’d mess up and break your arm. It was silly for you to think the worst would happen if your friends saw you perform since they were your safety net.

“I’ll tell you two another time, but for now I’m running late. See you two Monday,” you said as you picked up your bag.

“Have a great weekend, Y/N,” Spencer said.

You turned around and waved. “You too. Tell me how the movie is on Monday.”

“Will do,” he said.

You turned back around to make your way out of the bullpen. From behind you could hear the clacking of heels running towards you. You knew exactly who it was before you turned around.

“Y/N, hold on,” you heard Garcia say.

You looked at your watch. It was nearly six o’clock and you weren’t even out in the parking lot yet. You turned around and put up your wrist to show Garcia.

“Pen, I have to go,” you said.

“But I was wondering if you wanted to go-“

“Really, Pen, I have to go. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”

You rushed towards the elevator before she could chase after you. You didn’t want to be any later than you were already running. Whatever she had to tell you she would just text or call you about it if it was important.  

Your dress rehearsal went well and you were proud of your performance. You thought your choice of song added to the performance immensely. You felt as if you were dancing on air and you didn’t even think of all of your muscles having to work on overdrive to make sure you didn’t fall. You didn’t even think you worked this hard to take down an unsub.

You were on your way to the change room to get dressed and go get something to eat. You were starving since you didn’t have any time to stop and get food. Your food would have to wait a little while longer since you heard your instructor call out your name. You turned around to see him walking up to you.

“What’s up, Sam?” You asked.

“Well, I noticed you hadn’t asked for tickets for your guests. There are a few extra tickets if you have anyone to give them to,” he said.

You shook your head. “Thanks, Sam, but I don’t have anyone to give them to.”

He raised a questionable eyebrow. “Really? No one from your job? No friends you want to invite? Family?”

“My family lives in another state and so do most of my friends and the rest are busy this weekend. Thanks for looking out though,” you said before turning around.

“How about your coworkers?” He asked.

“They’re busy,” you said as you started walking away.

“Well, can you at least think about inviting some people? It would be nice if people in your circle could see how talented you are,” he said.

You stopped walking and turned around to look at him. He stared at you with such a proud expression on and you couldn’t help giving in to him. All he wanted was the best for you because he thought you were the best.

You stuck out your hand. “Give me the tickets.”

His face lit up as he reached into his pockets and pulled out the extra tickets. There were only two extra tickets. As you took them from him, you pondered on who you would end up inviting.

“Can’t wait for your performance tomorrow, Y/N. I’m sure your friends will enjoy it,” he said.

You smiled. “They sure will.”

With that little exchange over and done with, you went to the change room to get ready to go enjoy the rest of your night. It was the perfect night to grab some pizza, lose yourself in the universe of YouTube and fall asleep on your couch. What you really couldn’t wait for was relaxing all your muscles in a hot bath.

As you changed, you thought about the two extra tickets. It would be nice to have someone or in your case two people from the team to come by and watch you. In your head though you couldn’t get over this worry of embarrassing yourself in front of them. It was whatever to mess up in front of people you didn’t know, but in front of people you saw nearly every day was nerve-racking.

You took out your phone from your bag and went to your most recent text messages. You didn’t see a text from Garcia which meant whatever she had to ask you wasn’t that important or she found someone else to fill your spot. Either way you were glad she didn’t message you. You wouldn’t be able to bear her sad, puppy look if you rejected her invitation to any sort of outing.

You would ask Garcia to come but she seemed as if she had other plans in mind. There was JJ or Emily you could ask but JJ was busy on the weekends being a mom and Emily was always busy doing kid-free activities. Inviting Hotch or Rossi would be cute because they were like father figures to you, but at the same time you kind of liked them to be father figures from afar. Morgan probably wouldn’t shut up about your strength for weeks and encourage you to tackle more unsubs, so he was out of the question.

You opened your text conversation with Spencer. He liked artistic performances and according to Morgan he also liked you. It would be the perfect opportunity for you two to bond beyond work. Maybe you’d even take him out for ice cream after to celebrate. You’d have to make sure he’d take his Lactaid first though to make his ice cream experience enjoyable.

You started to type out the question you were dreading to ask anyone on your team. I’m performing an aerial silk routine. Interested in coming? I have extra tickets. You stared at it for a long while before erasing the whole thing and stuffing your phone back in your bag. You couldn’t gain the courage to do it and you knew that. You just took the extra tickets so Sam would stop begging you to bring people to the show.

In due time you would let the team know about your hidden talent, but your first public performance wasn’t the best time to debut it. You’d probably give the tickets to some people on the street and hope they would attend. You picked up your coat and bag to start your journey home. You had a long night of pizza, baths and nerves to overcome.

You paced back and forth as you waited for the act before you to finish. You were closing the show, so your adrenaline was pumping hard. The pressure you felt to end the show with a bang was unreal. You just wanted to represent the artistry of aerial silk as best as you could.

“Ready for your big break?” You heard Sam say from behind you.

You turned around to look at him. “Born ready.”

He chuckled. “With all that pacing you’re doing, it’s hard to believe that statement.”

“Oh, so you’re a profiler now too huh?”

“Not a chance. I’ll leave all that psychological horror to you, but I do know you’re nervous about your performance. I’m here to tell you you shouldn’t be, you’re amazing at what you do.”

You smiled. “I guess so.”

“Well, I know so. Especially with your friends in the crowd, you’ll feel even more confident.”

You were silent. He looked at you confused and then in shock. You quickly looked away from him before he could inquire about the tickets. It was too late for that plan though.

“You didn’t invite your friends? What did you do with the tickets?” He asked.

“Gave it to this lovely couple on my way home yesterday. Rachel and Keith are sitting in the front row as we speak,” you said.

“You what? Y/N,” he said in frustration.

“Do you hear that? I think I’m up next,” you said as you scurried on stage.

You walked to the centre of the stage and let your silks drop down to your sides. The crowd was cheering already which made you feel good inside. As you looked out into the crowd you could see Rachel and Keith, who were ecstatic to be there. You smiled as you continue to scan the audience with your eyes.

Your eyes widened when you saw a curly-haired man along with two blonde women, a dark-haired woman, a dark-haired man, an older man and a bald man. You squinted your eyes just to make sure you weren’t seeing things from the bright lights messing with your sight. It was true though, your whole team was there.

Before you could even process anything, the music started to play which meant your routine had to start as well. You decided it was time to just let it happen. Obviously some greater power in the universe decided to bring your fears to the light and have you overcome them.

You grabbed onto your silks and started to gracefully entangle yourself in them. You made sure your feet weren’t too loose and your hands were holding onto the silks tightly. You swung, you flipped and you dropped in one swift motion.

The cheer from the crowd was unbelievable. You had to admit it was even better knowing the team was cheering along with them. Sam might have been onto something when he told you the satisfaction of hearing the crowd cheer for you was worth it. All the nerves, all the rehearsing, all the sore muscles. He was right.

Every move you did, you made sure it was done flawlessly. You felt on top of the world as if you were floating in the clouds. Nothing was on your mind besides the lyrics floating in your head as you did your whole routine.  In no time you were done your routine and found yourself not wanting it to end. The only thing keeping you alive in the bittersweet moment was the crowd giving you a standing ovation. You even heard Garcia scream at the top of her longs with praise.

You bowed and then the rest of the performers came out on stage to take their bows. The crowd kept getting louder to the point where you couldn’t even feel your adrenaline pumping heart anymore. It felt amazing to drown the sound out with praise and love from everyone. Especially your supportive team.

After you got changed, you went out to greet the team as they stayed around after to wait for you. You waved at them with a huge, goofy smile on your face. They all started clapping for you again with big smiles on themselves.

“Glad you guys liked it. How did you even decide to come here?” You asked.

“Well, little speed boat, I was going to ask if you wanted to go to this talent show on Saturday, but you left so fast I didn’t have the chance to. I then proceeded to get everyone on board with me to come see the show and to our very surprise you were on the pamphlet,” Garcia explained.

You blushed. “Well, thanks for coincidentally coming out to watch.”

“Why didn’t you tell us about this before? We would have definitely come,” JJ said.

You shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess I was just nervous about messing up in front of you guys. I’ve never performed in front of an audience before, so everything was very high risk for me tonight.”

“Well, you pulled it off. Congratulations,” Hotch said.

“Thanks so much, sir,” you said.

“You did so great tonight, Y/N. Reid over here was so starstruck that I think he was drooling a little,” Morgan said as he playfully punched the side of Spencer’s face.

Spencer sighed in frustration. “Don’t listen to him, Y/N. I was not drooling, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised by your act.”

“He was totally drooling,” Emily said.

“Jaw on the floor,” Garcia said.

“Eyes wide in amazement,” Morgan said.

You smiled as they just kept describing how Spencer looked while you were on stage. You looked over at Spencer. His face was practically red, but he tried his best to hide it with his hand.

“Okay, kids, that’s enough bickering for the night. Dinner’s on me. I’m feeling for Italian,” Rossi interrupted.

“You’re always feeling for Italian,” Spencer said.

“I’m trying to help you get out of this situation and you’re coming for me?” Rossi said.

Spencer instantly looked away as if nothing ever left his mouth. Everyone else laughed as they followed Rossi out of the theatre. You and Spencer trailed along behind everyone. You grabbed his bicep again. Not to squeeze it, but to hold it close to you. He noticed and looked at you with his face still red.

“You know, even though Garcia, Morgan and Emily’s claims were exaggerated, I thought you were incredible tonight,” Spencer said.

You looked up at him and smiled. “I’m glad you think so. Seriously though, were you as starstruck as they claimed? Even a little?”

He smiled. “Maybe just a little.”

You giggled. “I’ll make sure to set up a VIP for you the next time I perform.”

He chuckled. “I’d love that.”

—–

MASTERLIST

[brywrites]

Blindsided

Reid x Reader. In which Reid is an expert in human behavior, but misses the signs when it comes to the person who matters most. @imagining-in-the-margins had a decliend request a little while ago that was up for grabs in which the Reader has an eating disorder, and I thought I’d give it a try. CW, of course, for descriptions of disordered eating.

-------

There are signs. Small and subtle, often imperceptible to the untrained eye. The trouble is, his eyes are quite trained. He’s spent a lifetime learning how to look carefully, consider all the possibilities, profile the most minute behavior. But Spencer Reid is still somehow blindsided by this.

Maybe it was her strength. She has always seemed so perfectly balanced, never too thrown off by a hard day at work or an unforeseen circumstance. She seems to excel at her job with ease, she makes friends everywhere they go, and she always knows just what to say when he’s having a bad day. Like a lighthouse, she has always shined so bright, a beacon even when his mind is a hurricane. Maybe that’s why he never stopped to question anything, because she was the steadiest thing he knew.

Maybe it was his job. The months went by in a blur, an endless carousel of cases, a carnival wheel of horrors. There are weeks where he’s only home for a few days at a time before he’s calling her to tell her he has to fly somewhere again. Being away from home means being away from her. He doesn’t see her as consistently, and when he does he’s so exhausted that he loses his train of thought far too often for a genius with an eidetic memory.

Maybe because she didn’t want him to see. Maybe because he didn’t want to see what was right in front of him all along.

It starts with dinner dates. Rather than relishing a night out, she starts making plans for coffee shops or walks in the park. He supposes it’s nice to change things up and doesn’t say a word about it. Besides, it’s much easier to kiss her in a park than it is from across a restaurant table. But then she starts to shy away from his touch. She’ll let him kiss her and often reaches for his hand, but she dodges his hugs. Where she used to gently push things forward in their physical relationship, trying to encourage him to feel more comfortable, she’s suddenly become the reluctant one. Her clothes become loose and baggy and he wonders if she simply isn’t attracted to him anymore. He takes comfort in the fact that her words and actions say otherwise. She still looks at him like a sunrise, her smile is still so bright.

But even that begins to dim. She looks tired sometimes – when he isn’t looking right at her, he swears he catches her reflection or a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye frowning at the floor or staring off blankly into space. Every time he adjusts his focus back on her though, she’s looking at him with a smile. She’s more irritable than usual, that’s for sure. A disagreement will cause her to snap at him or withdraw into herself. One day he goes to meet her at her apartment after work at her request. He lets himself in and waits for her to arrive, biding his time by reading a book and eating a snack. To his disappointment, he finds no sweets – she’s never been big on junk food, but her pantries seem a bit more sparse than usual – but settles down with a yogurt cup that will at least stave off his appetite long enough for them to walk around a museum before dinner.

She comes home smiling, already asking him about his day and telling him about this new exhibit she can’t wait to see with him. She just needs to get a snack and then she’ll be ready, she assures him. But when she opens the fridge, her face falls.

The sound of frantic rummaging startles him. “Is everything okay?” he asks.

“There was yogurt in here, I swear I had a strawberry yogurt left,” she says, more so to herself than to him.

“Oh. I’m sorry, Y/N. I just ate it – I didn’t get the chance to eat lunch today.”

Her eyes narrow. “What? Why would you do that?” The sound of her voice is unusually sharp.

“I – I just, I knew we were going to be out for a while and I just – well–” He stumbles over his words. This is what they always do. His apartment may as well be hers, and she has always told him to make himself at home here. They borrow books and grab snacks from each other, coming and going and forgetting a sweater or a pair of shoes here and there.

“You couldn’t have waited for me to get home? Why didn’t you ask me? I can’t believe you did that!”

He stares back at her, utterly confused. “It’s – it’s just yogurt,” he says.

She presses her lips into a fine line and for a moment he fears she might cry. But then she disappears into her bedroom and comes out ten minutes later in clothes more suited for a walk. He reminds her that she was going to get a snack. She says she’s not that hungry. And he’s too flustered to notice the sign staring him in the face.

As though she’s pulling away from the world, she stops making as many plans with friends. She spends more time at home. Her weekend jogs go for hours while he waits with coffee that is almost always cold by the time she arrives at the bakery to have breakfast with him. One day he bumps into Rina, one of her friends from work. She asks him, offhandedly, if he has any good restaurant recommendations since her parents are coming to visit this weekend. Reid responds with puzzled surprise.

“Sorry,” Rina says, “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I just figured you must have a few in mind since you and Y/N have been trying all those new places.” He tilts his head and she winces in apology. “I don’t mean to pry! But you know we started doing an office happy hour on Thursdays, and she hasn’t been able to come since you two always have dinner reservations at that time. Of course, based on the places she said you’ve been, it seems well worth it.”

He just smiles through the confusion and offers up the name of a nice Indian place he’s been before. He makes a note to ask Y/N about this, but the BAU gets called away in the middle of the night and all is forgotten in favor of solving the case. It takes five days before they finally do, and Rossi invites everyone and their partners over to his mansion to celebrate. Y/N is delighted to see his team, and for a moment everything feels normal. She’s chatting away with Emily and Morgan, asking Garcia about the community theatre production she’s starring in. It’s all normal. It’s all her.

Then Rossi calls them to the dining room, where there’s more than enough food and libations to go around. Everyone’s plates have already been piled with sautéed zucchini, tortellini alfredo, and garlic bread courtesy of their host, who insists presentation is just as important as taste when it comes to fine dining.

The meal is divine and the company is wonderful and there’s whispers of tiramisu for dessert. Reid doesn’t have a care in the world, all too happy to be eating more than his fill of garlic bread surrounded by his favorite people. But then midway through dinner, Rossi points a fork at Y/N. “You’ve hardly touched the pasta, kid,” he says. “Come on, I slaved over a hot stove for two hours to make that. Do you not like it?”

She looks like a deer caught in the headlights, her eyes wide as everyone turns to look at her and the food that has been artfully rearranged but hardly touched on her plate. “Um,” she says. “No, no it’s great – I’ve just been having such a good time talking to everyone I’m forgetting to eat.” She puts a spoonful of it to her lips, covering her mouth as she chews. “Really, really good,” she insists.

Dinner comes to a close, and he glances over at Y/N, whose plate is now two-thirds empty. Her previously chipper conversation has fallen flat, and she’s staring into space once again. But this time, his gaze on her doesn’t seem to bring her back down to earth. Rossi and Garcia briefly slip into the kitchen and return with a massive sheet of tiramisu. It looks like heaven. He’s beginning to worry that he might have to loosen his belt a notch or two at this rate.

Abruptly, Y/N stands from her seat. “Sorry, I’m not feeling well,” she says, her voice strained. “I’m gonna go get some air.” She flees the room before he can even get up. As fast as his legs will carry him, he runs to the back door to join her outside. She’s sitting on the patio, arms curled around her legs. For just a second he’s afraid the food has made her sick, but then he hears it. Sobbing. She’s crying.

And suddenly it all makes sense.

The weight of the realization nearly knocks him over. How could he not see? How could he have missed this? There were so many cases to keep on top of, so many people to profile, but none of them matter the way this does. The way she does.

Reid walks over and sits down on the ground beside her. When he puts his arm around her shaking shoulders, she doesn’t pull away. “Y/N,” he says softly. She looks up at him, her cheeks wet with tears. “It’s okay. You don’t have to hide this from me. I know.” And then her arms are around him and her face is buried in his chest and he’s holding her as tight as he can. When he feels the sharpness of her shoulderblades, his heart sinks. It’s bad. It’s been bad for a while now, and all this time he couldn’t see it. She was struggling alone with an eating disorder all this time, and he missed the most basic clues. How can he call himself a profiler? How can he call himself her boyfriend?

“I’m sorry,” he tells her. “I’m sorry it took me so long. Please, tell me what’s going on. Tell me how I can help.”

When she finally catches her breath, she has a hard time meeting his eyes. “When I was fourteen, I spent two months in the hospital for anorexia. I was in and out of treatment through high school, but I finally got things under control in college. And they stayed that way for a long time. But five months ago, things starting getting bad again. I don’t really even know what triggered it. Work was getting so stressful, and you had that close call in the field, and my mom visited and spent all this time picking things about my life apart in that passive aggressive way she does and I just… I don’t know. A missed one meal because I was working late. And it was so easy to just miss another. I told myself I should get back in shape, so I tried to eat cleaner and ran more. But then I felt like I was taking up too much space and I didn’t deserve to and I needed to stop. And everything just fell back into place – counting calories, skipping meals, restricting… I knew what I was doing, I knew, but I couldn’t stop.”

“It’s okay,” he says. “I’m not mad. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s okay.”

“It’s like I can’t turn that voice off telling me that I’m too much or I’m eating too much and… I didn’t want you think I was stupid or shallow and I didn’t want you to see me the way I saw myself.” Her voice breaks and the sound wounds him. She’s been hurting alone all this time because she was afraid of what he’d think of her. He reminds himself that it’s not a reflection of their relationship, it’s the disorder talking – she’s ashamed and afraid.

“I would never think that. And you’re not stupid. I mean, with an eating disorder, it’s not about the food, not really – it’s a coping mechanism, right?” Albeit a deadly one.

She nods, then sighs, “When everything else is out of control I feel like… like if I can just control my weight, if I can be perfect at this, then it’s okay that everything else is a mess. I know that’s stupid.”

“It’s not,” he assures her. “Y/N, I don’t understand everything you’re feeling. But I do know that eating disorders are like an addiction. And I do understand that. And I understand how hard it is to ask for help.”

“Sometimes,” she says, “I’m not sure I want to get help. And maybe I don’t need to. I mean it’s not that bad, I’m not really that sick. I’ve been worse.”

“Sweetheart.” He smooths her hair back. “You’re crying over a plate of pasta. Now I don’t think that’s silly,” he adds quickly. “But it’s serious. Carbohydrates shouldn’t reduce you to tears. Dinner should have to feel like a battle. You don’t deserve to feel that way.”

“What if I do?” she cries. “I’m such a mess anyways. You shouldn’t have to deal with all of this. With me. You have to fight literal monsters and I’m so weak. I hate that I’m this way. I hate myself.”

Reid places a hand under her chin and gently turns her towards him so he can look into her eyes. They’re wide and teary and so afraid. She’s never looked more fragile. “But I love you. I love you so much. And if you can’t, I’ll love you enough for the both of us. I’ll do anything I can to help you through this. But please let me help you through this.”

“I don’t know.”

He sighs. “I’m going to tell you some things you already know, okay? Eating disorders are the deadliest of all mental illnesses. One in five people will die from their disorder. The complications include heart failure, osteoporosis, gastroparesis, fainting, and kidney failure. Many of them can’t be reversed. This illness is deadly, sweetheart. It’s dangerous. Even if you don’t think it’s that bad, I don’t want it to get worse. I can’t lose you, Y/N. I can’t.”

It’s quiet there in the yard, the sun dipping below the trees, Rossi’s garden lights twinkling on. There’s nothing but the sound of her sniffles and his pounding heart.

“I’ll tell Hotch I’m taking two months off. I’ll be home all the time. You can come over any time it’s getting bad. Or I can stay with you. We can cook together. I’ll go with you to therapy. Whatever you need. You won’t have to do this alone.”

“You have work,” she says. “The team needs you. There are cases.”

“They can solve them without me,” he replies, not missing a beat. “They’ve done it before. I have eighty-four vacation days saved up, they can’t stop me. Look, I love my job, and the BAU will always save lives. But the most important life to me is yours. I missed enough because of work. I’m not going to make that same mistake twice. I love you. Everything else can wait. Okay?”

A long moment passes. “Okay,” she says. “Okay.” He pulls her into another hug and her whole body trembles as she cries. He fights back tears because what she needs is for him to be strong. For him to be here. And he isn’t going anywhere.

When she’s regained her composure, slips his suit jacket off and puts it over her shoulders, like a shock blanket. They walk back inside where he quickly explains that she’s not feeling well and they’re going to head out early. Nobody asks any questions, and for that he’s thankful. Garcia wishes for her to feel better and JJ promises they’ll see her soon.

She asks him to stay with her that night, and he does. He holds her close beneath the blankets as she falls asleep, hoping that she can feel just how much he loves her. If that was all it took to help her heal, she would have recovered in that very moment. But it isn’t that simple. True to his word, he takes time off. He sits with her and helps her find a specialist to see. He drives her to and from the clinic for her extensive outpatient therapy, and when she gets to come home he’s there to offer a distraction while helping her stick to her prescribed meal plan.

It isn’t always easy. She takes hours to finish a meal, going bite by bite and pushing the food into patterns on the plate. He prefers that to the times she yells at him or sobs and he knows it’s not her fault. It’s the disorder. It’s the voice of the demon that has such a strong grip on the love of his life. He lets her yell. He lets her cry. And he lets her hold him tight when she needs some way to anchor herself in the moment, to hold on to something other than her own body and her own fears.

The day she comes home from the outpatient program and says, “I’m missing so much, aren’t I?” is the day he knows things are looking up. “I pushed away my friends and work and I stopped going places because I was afraid there would be food and I stopped seeing you so I could run more and that’s not living, and – and I want to live so badly,” she cries. “I don’t want counting calories and weighing myself to be all that there is.”

“And it won’t be,” he promises her. “You’re fighting so hard to live.”

“What if I do this, all the therapy and all the meal plans and all the work, what if I gain back the weight and everything but I’m still miserable?” she asks. “What if it doesn’t get better?”

Reid rubs circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. “It will. You know it will because you’ve done this before. I thought the same thing when I started going to NA, but you know what I realized? I was afraid that nothing would ever feel better but I was more afraid that it would be better. That I’d feel happy and I wouldn’t know what to do because I wasn’t sure who I would be without the dilaudid anymore.” The vicious cycle of getting high and coming down had been familiar at least, and he was afraid to lose anything else, even the habit. “But I was so much better without it. It was hard at first – but after I was so much happier. You’re not this disease. You’re so much more than that, and I will be right here to remind you of that any time you need me to.”

He pulls her into his lap and then lies back against the couch, her head on his chest as he holds her close to him. If only an embrace were enough to keep her safe. If only he could fight off the voices in her head with his own vocal affirmations. It doesn’t hurt to try, so he lists off a litany of things he loves about her. Detailing everything from the easy way she makes friends to the softness of her smile to the way he feels better just seeing her. He praises her generous spirit and her work ethic and the excellent way she kisses him.

“You’re the bravest person I know,” he tells her. “And you always make me feel so brave. Maybe that’s why I missed it. You’ve always been so strong. But you don’t have to be, okay? I know my job is hard, but I can be strong too. I know I can’t break down a door like Morgan,” Reid jokes, earning a half-laugh from her. “And I couldn’t bench press ten pounds to save my life, but you can lean on me. I’m not going to break. Nothing you need is ever going to be too much.” He places a kiss on the top of her head. “Never. Not when you’re everything to me.”

As the final month of his vacation time draws to a close, her smile comes a little easier. She graduates from the intensive outpatient program into regular therapy. And when she comes home that day, he sees it. That smile of hers his back. The light has returned to her eyes, and he can feel how much brighter the world is. His lighthouse his back, but he knows know that she needs him to guide her safe to shore sometimes, too. He’ll be the one to make sure her light doesn’t burn out.

There are signs, small and subtle as she comes back to him. Nearly imperceptible to the untrained eye. But her clothes aren’t quite so baggy. She doesn’t bury herself under sweaters three sizes too big. Her kitchen becomes more than vegetables and protein bars. She goes out with her friends from work. He kisses her on a park bench and she pulls him in deeper.

And Reid knows it’s not over yet, that recovery is long and it is not linear, but his heart lifts when she asks to get dinner with him and he wants to cry when she steals some of the dessert he orders, smiling at him like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“Thank you,” she tells him. “For loving me even when I couldn’t.”

“You did all the hard work,” he says. “Loving you is the easiest thing in the world. And I’m never going to stop.” It’s a promise he intends to keep. Because he knows it isn’t true what they say – you don’t have to love yourself before you can love somebody else. For the longest time he couldn’t stand himself – but her loved her so much. And in loving her, he found himself. He never liked himself quite so much as when he could love her right. He would love her in all the moments she couldn’t love herself, just as she had for him. And until the end of his days, if she’d let him.  

[hotchley]

balls fair in love and war

So... this is the fic inspired by the AU in this post. Umm... it's a shambles, I low-key hate parts of it, the ending is rushed, but we're going with it before my laptop dies </3

Ignore any and all medical inaccuracies. I did a bit of research, but a lot of it confused me, so... this is not an accurate representation of a concussion. Like seriously. Also ignore any ethical issues, they're just... it's fine. As usual no proofreading. Umm.... don't ask where Rossi is. I don't know.

Taglist (I guess? I don't actually have one, it's just for this lol): @eldrai @willlemonheadsupremacy @shmaptainhotchnersmain @sarcvstiel @unionjackpillow @katytheinspiredworkaholic (you said you would read it so... is that okay?)

A very big and grateful thank you to @aaron-hotchner187 for giving me a title!! And to everyone else that gave suggestions, you are also much loved <3

Also, the way Hotch acts as a teacher is inspired by the way I think @ellyhotchner will be when they become a teacher <3 and everyone go and tell @whump-town thank you because she: told me about penlights, gave me the easy tiger line and is just overall a good person.

Trigger Warnings: concussions, fear of brain hemorrhages, hospitals, self-blame

read on ao3!

Like most things that went wrong in Aaron Hotchner’s life, his current predicament could be blamed on Emily Prentiss. He would not hear otherwise. And he didn’t think he should be forced to hear otherwise, given he was the one sitting on a hospital bed in a thin gown that did nothing to keep him warm, whilst she got to sit outside with a cup of coffee.

She had, admittedly, looked absolutely horrified when the accident occured, and had spent the whole journey to the hospital apologising again and again. He’s pretty sure she offered up her first-born child to him at some point as a form of penance. As well as her apartment. And he definitely remembers hearing something about grading his papers for him.

So whilst he may not want to be anywhere near her offspring- especially if they’re like her- and whilst he may definitely not want her apartment- he doesn’t care what she says, it is haunted- he will be taking her up on that last offer. Did he feel suitably appeased by her squirming the whole time, and by the fact that she was the one that had to explain to the principal why there were two classes screaming, crying and a teacher on the floor?

Yes, but there was no harm in milking it.

If he’s being completely honest, he felt like he was taking advantage of a hospital bed. He was sure he was fine. Yes, it hurts to move his head and he feels dizzy, and he probably has all the symptoms of a minor concussion, but he just really doesn’t want to be in the hospital.

Besides, he needs to make sure the kids aren't traumatised. It can’t have been easy for them, watching him just fall to the ground and hit his head hard enough for there to be blood. Emily could be traumatised, he didn’t care. But their students? Absolutely not.

He sighs. He wants to hand in his resignation now. Going back is going to be so embarrassing.

“I don’t think you understand. He is my best friend, and if he doesn’t get this blanket, he will- Spencer, what will he do if he doesn’t get this blanket?” A voice says from outside.

Aaron closes his eyes. He wants the ground to swallow him up. Forget returning to school, the next few minutes of his life are going to be even more embarrassing than the time Emily tricked him into being part of the Christmas pantomime. Haley hadn’t been offended, thank goodness, but still. It took him three months to be able to meet her eyes.

“He’ll- he’ll- I can’t even say it, it’s just so upsetting,” Spencer lies.

“Ma’am, sir, if you would let me speak for two seconds. Miss Prentiss said that some of her colleagues would be coming with Mr Hotchner’s things. All I am asking for is proof of identity,” the floor receptionist says.

The apologies immediately start to pour from the mouth of Penelope Garcia, whilst Spencer Reid just takes out both their driver's licences. The receptionist clearly approves, because before Aaron knows what’s happening, he’s being embraced by someone who smells like roses, and his favourite blanket is being draped over him.

“Oh my goodness, you don’t know how grateful I am that you’re alive,” Penelope says.

Aaron gives her a slight smile. Penelope is one of his favourite people, despite all their differences. And he likes to think he’s one of her favourites. He wouldn’t be thinking wrong.

“Penelope, I’m fine. Seriously. This is just a precaution. I promise it isn’t that bad,” he says, even though the light is starting to hurt his eyes.

“Isn’t that bad? I saw you and Emily taking your classes outside, which was weird to begin with because you both have classes that don’t require being outside, what were you doing? And then, I’m watching because the class can be trusted to sketch without my guidance and I’m curious. But then I turn my back for three seconds to help someone, and everyone is screaming, and you’re on the floor, and there’s blood everywhere and- it was scary!” she says.

“I’m so sorry,” Aaron says, for lack of anything else to say.

“I don’t want you to be sorry! I want you to stop getting hurt!” Penelope exclaims, whacking him in the shoulder.

“I don’t want you to be sorry either. It was hilarious to watch, my students were in hysterics,” Spencer adds. Penelope glares.

Aaron isn’t surprised. Him and Spencer get on- they even have shared interests- but they also have some of the same classes. And as a result of the different subjects and ways they teach, it seems to them that it is impossible for their students to like them both.

“So, not that I don’t appreciate it, but why are you here?” He asks.

Spencer and Penelope glance at each other, and Hotch feels like he’s dealing with two students that have tried to set up two of his friends.

“Garcia. Reid,” he says. In the same tone he uses when dealing with two students that have tried to set up two of his friends.

“We thought that if we came, JJ wouldn’t, but uhh-” Spencer starts.

JJ bursts into the room before he can finish. “”Hotch! What happened? I mean, I’ve heard what happened because Strauss came and told me the basics, but still. Why were the two of you in the playground? Are you okay? Let me see that bump on your head. I also brought your lunch in case you were peckish.”

“Well basically-”

“Why does Emily look like she’s about to start crying?” Haley asks, entering.

Everyone but JJ turns and stares at her with a slight look of horror. Aaron slides down the bed slightly, hoping the blanket can cover the furious blush that he just knows stains his cheeks. Him and Haley went on a date once, after he asked her in a moment of impulsivity. It was the worst thing he’d ever done, for both of them.

“Oh come on guys, we’re professionals. JJ asked me to come because apparently, Aaron listens to me? I said he’s just too afraid of me to disobey. Which, I meant as a joke, but you do know that I don’t hate you right? Sure, the date was a disaster, but you do know we can still be friends?”

“I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me,” he confesses.

“That’s why I brought her with me. To prove you wrong,” JJ says. “But yes, why is Emily so upset?”

“Because I almost killed my best friend and traumatised our students and I’ve ruined his life and our careers and he can get me fired and press charges, but all I wanted to do was make him laugh, and this is the first place where I’ve felt appreciated, and I’m going to lose it all,” Emily sobs from outside.

“Can you bring her in?” He asks Penelope.

She obliges, and Hotch pats the area next to him. Emily sits beside him, wiping her eyes on the corner of the extra blanket they brought.

“You didn’t almost kill me, it’s a mild concussion at most. Our students have seen worse, and they will be fine. My life is not ruined because you will be doing my grading. I’m not going to get you fired or press charges, and you’re not about to lose any of this. Okay?”

“You always know what to say,” she says.

He ruffles her hair.

“Love you. Platonically,” he tells her.

She gives him a bright smile, and he can feel himself smiling back, less embarrassed about everything.

And then she starts laughing hysterically, and deliberately shoves him, causing him to almost fall out of the bed, only stopped by Haley and Dave each grabbing one of his arms and pushing him back up. Of course, Emily just looks at him like she hasn’t done anything wrong.

“I cannot believe you fell for that. As if I would ever be that upset. Honestly. Haley, maybe I should replace you as drama teacher!”

Haley raises an eyebrow. “Ah yes, because the last time you got others involved in theatre, it ended so well.”

Emily has nothing to say.

Aaron does. He turns and swears in French.

“Naughty boy. Don’t let anyone else hear you. Especially not my class, I told them what that meant after you said it when I stole your stapler and then told you I’d given it to Miss Brooks.”

He pales.

“Speaking of your classes, how did this happen?” Haley asks, clearly sensing the need for a change in topic.

Emily looks at Aaron.

“It was your fault!” he says.

“Well it was your idea!” she counters.

He sighs. “So what happened was…”

Hotch and Emily’s classrooms are next to each other. To Hotch, this is both a blessing and a curse. It means he could keep an eye on her. It also means he had to keep an eye on her. See, Emily isn't irresponsible, and she would never actually endanger her students, but sometimes, she leans towards danger.

How, when she teaches modern languages, is beyond Hotch, but regardless. Strauss had actually hired Emily, not just for her abilities, but because she believed someone needed to keep an eye on Hotch. How the times have changed.

Hotch is on break duty, and he can't see anyone from his class. Which is weird. He tries to keep their lives as stress-free as possible, and he was always willing to help anyone that needs it, but certain assessments could not be avoided. But still, he expects to see at least one of them outside, if only to get a few minutes of fresh air.

Emily smiles at him sympathetically before she walks into her classroom. It is like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over him. Sympathy from Emily isn't comforting. Not when it was aimed at him. If anything, it just makes him more scared. The last time she had looked at him like that, he had explained how his date with Haley had gone from one disaster to another.

And then she laughed.

So he pushes the door open, stepping back in case something fell on him. It wouldn't have been the first time. But nothing does. So he steps into his classroom, expecting to see his eleventh grade literature class doing something suspicious.

They aren't, and suddenly he understands exactly why Emily had looked at him like that.

Because his class has never looked so upset or defeated. And his heart breaks for all of them. It has been a while since he was fifteen, but he wouldn't ever forget the feeling of helplessness that seemed to define his existence. Nor would he forget how everything felt like too much and not enough.

"What happened?" He asks them gently.

Violet, a quiet girl that always tells him what Miss Prentiss had said about him, burst into tears. One of her friends patted her back, but it's clear they didn't quite know what they were doing. Neither does Hotch, but goddammit, these are his kids. Nobody is going to hurt them.

"Hey, it's okay. Do you want to go somewhere else?" He asks her.

She shakes her head. "I just- I want all of this to be over, but then I don't because it means going to college and leaving here and having to grow up, but I just- I have no fucking idea what I'm doing and it's all too much."

He winces at the use of swear words, because he is still a teacher, but that also means he feels a sense of pride that she's able to voice what it is. Because now, he may not be able to fix the situation, but he can help.

"I know. That's okay. That's normal. And you'll work it out. You know, I almost became a lawyer."

She looks up, her eyes red, but starting to sparkle again. "A lawyer."

"Yep, I almost also applied to the FBI Academy. It was actually Miss Prentiss that talked me out of that one. Well, it wasn't really talking but the true story is a little too… inappropriate for school."

"I can't imagine you doing either of those. You'd get bored as a lawyer, and you would never smile as an FBI agent," Clarissa says.

Hotch blinks.

She shrugs like it's the most obvious thing in the world. And then she offers him a piece of candyfloss, which he rejects.

He checks his lesson plan. And then his planner. And then the calendar he keeps on his table. Emily always makes fun of him for being so organised, but Spencer admires it, and that makes him feel cool, so he focuses on that instead.

"I have a compromise. We don't need to do a lesson today, we have more than enough time to cover everything because we're already ahead. I let you do whatever you want for the remainder of the lesson- whether that's colouring or crying or dancing. But you have to do it outside. I didn't see any of you at break."

"Really?" Violet asks.

He nods. "Of course."

Everyone cheers, and grabs their bags, clearly ready to not use their brains for a bit. Aaron gives them the most warm smile he can manage, but he can't help the small surge of guilt that accompanies his lack of realisation.

As his class exits, happily chattering away to each other, Emily pokes her head out the door.

"Mr Hotch, what are you doing, and can I join?"

Immediately, all eyes are on him.

"Please?" Violet asks.

Clarissa pulls out the puppy eyes.

Thomas falls to his knees.

"Oh my god, yes fine, okay, just- everyone be quiet before Strauss finds out and shouts at me," he says.

Emily runs back inside, and soon, they're all just milling about and having fun on the playground. It's nice, both for the students, and the teachers, to have a bit of a break from the world, and to spend a few moments away from it all. Some of them are running around, playing a game of tag, some of them are simply sitting around, and a few are colouring.

"Do you still like playing catch?" Emily asks him.

"What?"

"Catch. Remember, you used to play it with Sean all the time when we were in college."

"I mean yeah, I would probably get involved, but I'm not quite sure-"

"Think fast!" She shouts, and she lobs a netball at him.

The last thing he thinks, moments before his head meets the ground with a large amount of force- enough for there to be a small amount of blood- is: how is it always her? Every single time he gets into a situation, it's her that causes it. That has to be statistically impossible. Maybe he should ask Spencer…

"So yeah! And now I'm here!" He shoves Emily, who has the audacity to look offended.

Penelope kisses his forehead. Haley laughs a little, but Reid just blinks like he can't quite believe how stupid his co-workers are.

"Well. From what I've heard, it was a pretty good shot," JJ comments.

Haley turns to her. "From everything we've just been told, that's what you choose to pick out?"

"I'm a gym teacher, can you really blame me?"

Emily mutters something.

"You were what?" Garcia asks.

"I was aiming for his leg," she repeats.

"Emily. I know you teach languages, not biology, but look at me. Head," Hotch says, pointing at the bump he's not going to cover up, "Leg." He points at his ankle.

"It's always lovely when people know their anatomy. Saves me a lot of time," a new voice says.

Hotch turns in the direction of it, ready to make a snarky comment, but whatever words he had thought of die on his lips as he suddenly feels like he's been transported into a medical drama full of unrealistically attractive protagonists.

Because the doctor who has just walked in is the most handsome man he has ever seen. His smile is easy and genuine, and his eyes seem to twinkle with mischief. And his arms, oh god his arms seem like the safest place to exist. Aaron can't help but wonder what it would be like to have those arms wrapped around him-

His cheeks warm. No.

"Hi, I'm Dr Morgan. But you can all call me Derek. I'm here for Aaron Hotchner. Who I am going to assume, is you," he says, looking straight at Hotch.

"I- yes. How did you know?"

Dr Morgan- Derek- somehow smiles even more. "Well, even though there are far too many people in here- did all of you somehow miss the two people at one time sign- you are the only one in a hospital bed wearing a hospital gown, so. I'm no profiler, but it was pretty easy."

If it's even possible, his cheeks flush more. But one word sticks out to him. "Wait, profiler?"

"You got me. Crime procedurals are my guilty pleasure. I always said that if I joined the FBI, I would become a profiler. Obviously, I went down a very different route."

"Obviously. Wait, too many people? Oh god, I'm so, so sorry, if you need them to leave, they can. In fact, I also feel a lot better, so if you would like me to also go, I really, it's no trouble."

Because he is an idiot- there really is no other justification for this- he tries to stand up. And he does. He also gets a few steps in before the world starts spinning and he almost loses his balance. Derek somehow moves fast enough to guide him back to the bed. Aaron tries and fails to ignore how warm he is.

"Thanks," he whispers, slightly breathless. And not just from almost hurting himself again.

"It's not a problem Aaron. Both things. Your friends can stay, we're just doing some simple checks," Derek says.

"Oh everyone calls him Hotch," Penelope says.

"Aaron is fine. Really." Because he likes Derek calling him Aaron. He wants Derek to call him Aaron.

And then he meets Emily's eyes and he realises his mistake. There's a common denominator that exists with everyone that he tells to call him Aaron, and he knows that she knows what it is. He's fucked.

"Okay then. Well, can you explain to me what happened?"

Aaron is mesmerised by Derek's eyes. So mesmerised that he forgets to answer. "Sorry, what?"

There's a flash of concern, replaced by a smile. "Can you tell me how you ended up here?"

"Oh yes. So, I'm a teacher- so is everyone here. And I- I was outside, with my- my students when Emily- that one there- she, look, it's a really mild concussion, can I just be discharged? I'm sure my students are very, uhh, very scared," he stutters. Why can he never function when he likes someone? It's mortifying.

"I'm sure it is, but you can't blame me for doing my job. I'm going to take your heart rate now, okay? The stethoscope will be cold, but it'll warm up eventually," Derek says.

Aaron nods, and barely flinches when it touches him. If anything, he's more concerned by how close Derek seems to be. Not in a malicious way, but he's always had this deeply irrational fear that if someone got too close to him, they'd be able to read his thoughts. Which would mean Derek can hear both the fact that he has a crush and that he has this fear.

Derek pulls away, and Aaron exhales.

"Your heart rate is unusually fast. Normally that wouldn't be too concerning, because we expect that when patients seem anxious, but you've seemed pretty calm, up till this moment," Derek says, noting how Aaron tenses.

"Is he going to be okay?" Penelope asks.

Derek turns to her. "Of course he is. He's in good hands."

Aaron needs to get his mind out the gutter before his cheeks explode. Or before Emily opens her mouth.

"Aaron, I know you think the concussion is mild, but this is still a requirement. I'm going to turn on this penlight, and I'm going to ask you to follow it with your eyes okay? Follow the light," Derek explains.

He nods, and Derek turns the penlight on. Aaron flinches at the brightness of it, then tenses in slight fear that his lovely doctor is going to be annoyed at him or call him difficult, or sigh and say he needs to stop acting like a child. It wouldn't be the first time,

But Derek doesn't do any of those things. He does something very different.

He places his hand on Aaron's thigh. "Easy tiger. I won't hurt you," he says.

Aaron melts. His eyes drop down to where Derek's hand is warming his skin. He thinks Derek says his name, but he's too busy having a crush to hear him. And then suddenly, his thigh is cold, but Derek is touching his shoulder and he should be shying away from the light being shone in his eyes. But he isn't because he's too busy looking at Derek and his beautiful eyes to even pay attention.

Rather late, he remembers that there is a reason for Derek to be looking at him the way he is, and he tries to follow the light. But the headache he's had since he came around is only getting worse, and the light isn't helping.

Derek isn't smiling anymore.

"Aaron. Be very honest with me. You've displayed difficulty with coordination, memory and speech. If I asked you whether or not you felt sick or nauseous, what would your answer be?"

Normally, he would just under exaggerate, but Derek seems to genuinely care. So he chooses to be honest.

"Yes?"

Derek's eyes widen. "Aaron, I don't want to alarm you, but I like to keep my patients informed. You're going to have a CT scan done immediately, and there's a chance you may be rushed into emergency surgery."

Everyone, including Emily, starts to panic, but Derek leaves the room to grab a nurse to help, and to tell someone else to make sure there's a clear room. Aaron isn't completely sure what's happening, but his head is killing him, so he lays down again. It only helps a small amount.

For Aaron, the CT scan isn't too bad. If he knew the reason it was being done, and that it wasn't a routine procedure, he would probably have spent the whole time panicking. But he doesn't, and so he sits there- well lies there- with a slight smile on his face. The migraine he's had has been getting worse, so keeping his eyes closed for such an extended period of time is actually quite enjoyable.

It is far less enjoyable for everyone that is upstairs, waiting to find out whether or not their friend has a brain hemorrhage. That's what Derek told them after Aaron was carted away, still seeming very out of it. They needed to test him for a brain bleed. And if he had one, then it would just be a case of waiting to see whether they could treat him. And even if they could treat him, it wasn't guaranteed that he would get back to normal.

Emily, in spite of all of her teasing comments, isn't coping. Because it's still early, the floor is relatively quiet, and Derek is technically on his lunch break, so he's sitting with them in an attempt to provide them with some sort of comfort. He's not sure where this emotional attachment to these random people has come from, but it's formed itself and now he's determined to provide some comfort.

"I really was aiming for his leg," Emily whispers.

"Hmm?" Derek asks, not quite following.

"When I threw the ball, I really was aiming for his leg. He had lost consciousness by this point, but I started crying when he hit the ground. He forgave me. He told me he loved me, platonically that is, and I laughed at him. He's going to die, and he isn't going to know how much he meant to me."

"He's not going to die. He may not even have a brain bleed. But if he does, we're going to save him, and you're going to be able to spend the rest of your life telling him how much he means to you. I promise," Derek says.

Even though there are tears in her eyes, Emily turns to him and smiles. "You're a good man, Dr Morgan."

"That's all I've ever wanted, Miss Prentiss. So thank you. It means a lot to me." And it does. He replays the moment as he goes over to Spencer and Penelope, who he feels a strange sense of protection over. Like he needs to protect them from everything, which is weird, because once Aaron is discharged, he'll probably never see them again.

That shouldn't make him sad, but it does.

"Mr Hotchner's CT scan came back normal. There's no sign of a brain bleed," the nurse tells them, what feels like a lifetime later.

There's a collective sigh of relief, and when he's wheeled back in, looking tired but alive, Emily throws her arms around her best friend, who lets out a soft sound of surprise. Like he's not quite used to the fact that people love him. Derek smiles. His patient will be in good hands when he gets discharged.

"Wait, so what caused all of those problems?" Spencer asks.

The nurse shrugs. "It's probably as simple as: his concussion was more severe than we initially thought, but not as bad as we feared."

"Oh."

"And on that note, Aaron, we're keeping you overnight for observation. It's just to be safe. We can't be too careful. You gave everyone a very big scare when you got sent out," Derek says.

Aaron cannot, and will not, confess. Does he feel guilty? Yes. But he can live with the guilt. He cannot live with the all-encompassing shame that will come with explaining that actually, the reason he was stuttering and failing the penlight test was because of a silly little crush.

"Okay," he says, determined to be as compliant as possible.

"One- and only one- of you is welcome to stay with him, if you'd like," Derek adds.

Haley's eyes light up. "I'll do it! Jessica can bring me my things, and maybe you'll be able to look at me after we've spent another night together. Only this time, nobody's getting pneumonia. I hope so, at least. You're not cold are you?"

Aaron shakes his head. "But you really don't need to stay. I'll be fine on my own. Seriously."

"I know, but I want to. Believe it or not, I do actually enjoy your company."

He smiles.

"We should all be getting a move on. Jason and Erin will want updates, and I have lots of marking," JJ says. She kisses Hotch on the forehead before walking to the door, smiling at Derek for looking after her friend so well.

Spencer waves from where he's standing and Penelope showers him with affection. Emily is the only one that seems hesitant to leave.

"Can I stay till visiting hours end?" She asks.

"Do you feel like you can keep up with these two lovely ladies Aaron?" Derek asks.

Aaron has never enjoyed the sound of his name as much as he does when it comes from the doctor. "I- sure," he stutters, and he just knows his cheeks are a stupid colour. Emily frowns, as though she finds something suspicious.

Derek smiles. "Good man. I'll be back in a few hours to run the same tests as before. For now, take it easy."

Derek doesn't come back a few hours later, because he has other patients. It's a different doctor, and Aaron is both relieved and disappointed. Because on the one hand, he's not going to create another medical crisis, on the other, he wants to see Derek again.

Maybe he can get Emily to knock him out again…

"Your heart rate seems completely normal. And you followed the penlight exceptionally well, so I believe we have nothing to fear. Of course, you'll stay overnight, and we'll run these tests once more before you're discharged tomorrow, but I think we're out of the woods now," they say.

Emily gasps, and Aaron knows he's screwed. Luckily, both the doctor and Haley seem to not have heard, and she leaves with the doctor, so Aaron doesn't have to know right at that moment whether his suspicions are correct.

"Night Hotchner," Haley says a few minutes later.

Hotch is already asleep.

The entire team comes and collects him from the hospital.

Aaron is just grateful they're sending him home with a pack of all the things he now needs to do, because he spent the whole lecture admiring how handsome Derek looks with sun shining down on him that he didn't take any of it in. It's also Derek's signature on the discharge papers. He's reminded of high school, when he and his friends would make fake marriage certificates. Not that he's going to do that.

"Bye Aaron. I don't want to see you here any time soon, okay?" Derek teases.

"I won't make any promises," he replies, just relieved he does it without stuttering or blushing.

Derek smiles, and the twinkle in his eyes seems even more mischievous. "Miss Prentiss," he says, spotting Emily.

"Dr Morgan," she responds. She's smirking.

When Aaron asks her what was going on, she doesn't answer. Haley says it's probably linked to the emotions of the previous day, and she's usually good at reading these situations, so he doesn't push any further. Besides, he's too busy catching up with the meetings he missed, and the antics of his students, because a lot happened in the three days he was off, to give it much thought.

Two weeks pass, and the incident is almost completely forgotten.

But then he walks back into his classroom, having just finished a meeting, and he finds flowers on his desk. Tulips. His favourite. He immediately pulls the note out, and when he opens it, he almost wonders if he's concussed it.

Because he knows that signature. He's been staring at it for fourteen days. It's Derek's.

"Surprise. Aaron," a voice says for the doorway.

"How- what- I- what?"

Derek Morgan, still in scrubs and a white coat, smiles at him. "Want to pick a question I can actually answer?"

"How did you- what are you doing here? And why?"

"Well, you should thank Emily. After the other doctor took your heart rate, she came and told me her suspicion. Apparently, you always say you're Hotch. Even the students call you Mr Hotch. Which is strange, because I call you Aaron. And, you shouldn't have done the penlight flawlessly if you had a more severe concussion. So she thinks you have a crush. I didn't want to be unethical, so those flowers can simply mean: I hope you're coping. If you don't have a crush that is."

"What if I do?" Aaron asks, surprised at his own boldness.

"Then I would ask if I could kiss you before I take you out to dinner," Derek says, not missing a beat.

"And if I said yes?"

Derek takes three long strides, and he kisses Aaron like it's something he was made to do. Aaron melts against him, trying to memorise him as quickly as he can, before he realises he has all the time in the world to do that. Because Derek is going to take him out to dinner. Derek, who brought him flowers.

"That was- wow. Wait. You have a crush on me too!" Aaron exclaims with a grin.

"Of course I do," Derek says.

That stuns Aaron back into silence. "Wow," he whispers to himself.

Derek hugs him, and being in his arms is everything- no more- than Aaron imagined it to be. "I'm glad you're okay," he says.

"I'm glad you don't hate me," Aaron says, because he really doesn't know what else to say.

Derek laughs, and Aaron can't wait to find all the ways he can make that happen.

"We should say thank you to Emily at some point. If she didn't know you as well as she does, she wouldn't have realised you had a crush. And if she wasn't so terrifying when she wants something good for her friends, I wouldn't have sent the flowers."

"Can we say thank you later? I want to stay like this for a few moments," Aaron whispers, snuggling closer to his new boyfriend.

"Of course we can," Derek says, kissing his forehead.

When they eventually make it to Derek's car- Aaron can come back tomorrow and get his, it'll be fine, Aaron realises he has one more thing to say.

"Derek?"

"Yes, sweetness?"

Well. That makes him feel things he won't confess too, because he needs something to make him seem the slightest bit cool.

"I'm really sorry I made you think I had a brain hemorrhage."

Derek's laughter is so real that Aaron can't help but join in, and they end up not starting the car for five minutes because it would be irresponsible to drive in that state. And it's only when they're pulling out that they both realise something: Derek gets to see Aaron's family again, and Emily didn't need to hit him in the head again for him to get to see Derek again.

[dovebuffy92]

INTRODUCTION

Spoilers Below

In Euphoria Season Two Episode Seven, “The Theatre and It’s Double,” written and directed by creator Sam Levinson, wallflower Lexi Howard (Maude Apatow) stops merely observing her community. Instead, the introvert reveals her truth in front of everybody through her staged play Our Life. “The Theatre and it’s Double” is another meta episode where Our Life re-tells events that happened within the world of Euphoria. A smaller story within a larger story. The seventh episode flashes between the play Our Life and “real life” scenes from mostly Lexi’s point of view.

“The Theatre and It’s Double” starts with Lexi in her dressing room psyching herself up to perform Our Life in front of her classmates, friends, and family members. In Our Life, Lexi, a.k.a.” Grace,” reveals how she lost her best friend “Jade” (Aja Bair), a.k.a. Rue Bennett (Zendaya), to drugs. Next, the playwright deals with the complicated relationship with her popular big sister “Hallie” (Eden Rose), a.k.a. Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney), who’s addicted to love and the trauma she faces dealing with an absentee alcoholic father. Finally, Our Life tackles the fact that “Marta” (Izabella Alvarez), a.k.a. Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie), masks her pain over her family’s dysfunction with confidence. Along with how “Jake” (Ethan (Austin Abrams)), a.k.a. Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi), uses beautiful cis-gendered women to erase his possible queerness. Lexi’s community has differing reactions to the play, from her joyful laughing mother, Suze Howard (Alanna Ubach), to Cassie, who wants to murder her little sister by the end of the episode.

Rue learns from her mother, Leslie Bennett (Nika King), that her little sister Gia Bennett (Storm Reid), is struggling. Gia is now Leslie’s priority. Fezco (Angus Cloud) gives Lexi a lot of moral support right before the performance. He promises the playwright that he will come. That night Fezco blissfully gets ready to see Our Life while Faye (Chloe Cherry) and Ashtray (Javon Walton) nervously watch Custer (Tyler Chase), who plans to betray the brothers.

RUE THROUGH LEXI’S EYES

Our Life reveals how much Lexi understands Rue and how much she values her as a person. Sequences that merge the flashbacks to the teenage girl’s younger years and scenes from the play bring out the depth of their friendship. Rue sees her value through the eyes of Lexi.

The sequence that best job shows how much Rue’s friendship helped form Lexi is when their thirteen or fourteen-year-olds selves hang out on top of Fez’s drug store. (I will use Euphoria’s character names to make everything more straightforward when describing the flashback. When referencing Our Life, I will use Lexi’s alternative names for everybody.)

Lexi eats her ice cream sitting on the drug store’s roof while Rue climbs up. The camera pans up as Lexi tells Rue that they should figure out all their flaws, so they can change them before high school starts. Then there is an edit to a long shot of Grace and Jade’s back while sitting on a prop drug store roof in front of an audience. Grace continues Lexi’s sentence, saying that they can become popular kids. Jade tells Grace that they don’t need to be “cooler.” Finally, there is an edit to a medium-long shot of Rue in the audience, smiling, remembering those events. Jade and Grace continue to chat about how what is “cool” changes all the time, so they should stay the way they are.

The camera pans back to Grace and Jade on stage. Grace asks what if they are left out because they are not popular. Jade says that is a good thing because her Dad says he wouldn’t want to be a part of an organization that wanted him as a member. Rue grins in the audience, realizing her positive impact on Lexi and remembering how sweet their friendship was.

The stage goes dark, pointing a spotlight on Grace as she starts monologuing about how “Jade was the first person who made me feel okay about not being cool.” Lexi tells Rue that she misses her and that their friendship helped mold her into the artistically free person she is today through Our Life. Unfortunately, she couldn’t express her feelings through words because she was trapped as the background character in her life for too long.

THEATRICAL TECHNIQUES THROUGHOUT THE EPISODE

Sam Levison utilizes different theatrical techniques in the “real life” scenes to enable the audience to see the episode as a piece of theatre. Euphoria Season Two is an artistic television show that utilizes cinematography, art direction, lighting, editing, and sound to create a dream-like atmosphere that demonstrates all the character’s mental states. “The Theater and It’s Double” has several instances where the play Our Life merges with the television show Euphoria.

After Lexi waits backstage for the play to start, there is an instrumental overture. A medium shot of a glittery fake flower with an “Overture” inter-title as a melancholy classical instrumental piece plays over the primarily dark grey. Many operas or musicals have an overture right before the performance starts to set the tone. This overture preps the audience for the emotionally charged Our Life performance.

Another example of the use of theatrical techniques is a more surreal scene that erases the line between “real life” and the performance. Cassie tells Nate that she is essentially willing to be his slave as she makes love to him. The scene begins with Cassie lying on top of Nate in his bed, right on stage in front of the audience. There is a spotlight on the couple while everything else on the screen is dark. Nate asks Cassie if she is worried that people will look down on her for following his every command. Cassie looks straight at the camera, speaking to the audience. She says, “At least I am loved.” The spotlight highlights how she wants everybody to know that she belongs to Nate. The dialogue demonstrates that Cassie has such low self-esteem that she will allow a teenage boy to control her every movement for essentially “fake” love. A love that turns out so shallow that when Nate is agitated by a musical number that mocks him, he kicks Cassie to the curb. Lexi outs his queerness through a homoerotic workout musical number centering on his character Jake.

LAST THOUGHTS

Fezco never shows up at the high school theatre. Does that mean he died or was arrested? Will Cassie beat up Lexi for “ruining” her relationship? What will Nate do to Lexi for writing the play or Ethan for playing Jake? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

[beautiful-bau-beau]

Could you please write an imagine where the reader is a waitress that Reid has fallen in love with, and he's been trying to keep it a secret from the team but they find out about her and insist on coming to the restaurant with him to meet her and they tease him a lot about it but it's okay cause she's in love with him too and she finds the whole thing hilarious and adorable and they end up together.

Wax Wings

You can read it as a stand-alone, but it’s a part 2 to Couldn’t Help But Melt!

Spencer Reid x gender nuetral!reader

Contains: Fluff

Masterlist

-

After you had given him your number, he had tried his hardest not to call. He knew that if he blew you off you would most likely never speak to him again and therefore, be safe. You would be able to live a life without having to worry about his safety, growing angry at missed dates or appointments, fearing going out in public just in case you ran into a criminal. 

Yet, despite the hard facts, his heart had somehow taken control of his brain and caused him to throw caution to the wind. It had only been a day of resisting temptation before his fingers pressed your number into keypad of his flip phone, and he cursed at how easily he was willing to endanger your life. But as soon as his ears were met with your buttery voice, he knew he was a damn fool not to call you earlier. 

Your first date was one for the books. What you had interpreted as “going to the theatre” turned out to be a reenactment of the 19 century Phantasmagoria. 

“Oh. I thought when you meant theatre it was supposed to be a play of some sort.” You looked around the lobby of the theatre as Spencer handed the teller his tickets.

“Well, technically, it is. It’s a form of horror theatre that projects skeletons, demons, ghosts and other such creatures onto walls, with techniques that make the image easy to move around or to change size. The shows started under the guise of seances in the late 18th century, particularly in Germany but gained popularity in the 19th century all throughout Europe. Some shows even use certain smells, electric shock, fasting, or drugs to enhance the experience for the viewer.” He caught your questioning glance and pinked, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Not that this show practices any of those methods, you are completely safe, I swear.“ 

You started to laugh, covering your mouth with your hands as to not draw too much attention to yourself. Spencer watched you nervously, wondering if he had done something wrong.

“I’m sorry. I should have asked first if this would be something you’re interested in before purchasing the tickets but I was just…. overhasty, I guess, at your request to plan the date. Looking at it now… this seems as if it is not the most romantic gesture I could have planned.” His cheeks pinked and he started to panic. “We can go somewhere else. Anywhere else!” He offered, surprised at you shaking your head.

“Spencer, no one I’ve ever dated has ever brought me to anything quite like this. This seems so much fun! And hey, if I get scared you can do that cheesy thing where you wrap your arm around me, hmm?” You smiled, taking his hand in yours. “Lead the way!”

Spencer’s mouth twitched, heart thumping wildly in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to kiss you right where you stood, but there was time for that. He couldn’t rush. He squeezed your hand softly, tugging you inside the dark theatre to find your seats.

Eventually Spencer had given you that toe-curling, leg-popping, dreamy kiss that he had wanted to, and from then on, your relationship was like a dream. Of course there were the days where you had the late shift and he was out of town, sometimes for weeks at a time, but as soon as the two of you reunited it was as if he never left. 

You had been dating him for quite a few months now, but still had yet to say those three little words. There was the issue of not meeting any of his friends or coworkers, whom he spoke so much about. It made you wonder if he was ashamed of you, a lowly waitress dating a Supervisory Special Agent of the Behavioral Analysis Unit.  

Turns out it was quite the opposite.

-

“Suspect is on the move.” Prentiss whispered to her phone as she stalked the subject in question. “He doesn’t seem to be in any rush. Perhaps we’re mistaken?”

“Prentiss you know as well as I that our margin for error is quite small.” Hotchner replied, irritation lacing his tone. “Garcia, Morgan, you got eyes on the victim?”

“We have eyes.” Derek confirmed. He and Garcia were posing as a couple as to not arouse suspicion. 

“How about you, JJ? Rossi?" 

"We can see Emily, and the suspect.” Rossi replied adjusting his position in the car he and JJ were sitting in. 

“Great, I’m on my way to the rendezvous point. Meet you all there.” Hotchner commanded, effectively ending the call. 

“They’re pretty.” Garcia lowered the menu in front of her to meet Morgan’s eyes. “I am still so frustrated at the fact that Spencer kept the fact that he had a significant other hidden from his very best friends! What are we, just co-workers? The nerve!” She hissed, quieting once she saw you approach the table.

“Are we ready to order?” You plastered on your customer service smile, pen and paper ready to jot down their orders.

“Actually, we’re just waiting on more members of our party.” Morgan explained, craning his neck to eye the door. The pair had chosen a large table near the back of the restaurant to stay out of sight. “But I’ll take a water, please.”

“Me too!” Garcia chimed, trying to take in all the details of your appearance. You nodded, placing your notepad back in your apron.

“No problem! I’ll be back to check on you in a few minutes.” You swiftly turned on your heel, almost bumping in to a tall, broad man. You muttered an apology, heading back to the kitchen.

“Is that them?” Hotchner asked, pulling out a chair next to Morgan.

“It has to be, they’re the only person who’s working that doesn’t have a wedding ring on their finger. Unless Spencer proposed and didn’t tell us that as well!” Garcia fumed.

“Baby girl, I don’t think Spencer would be the type to propose without telling us.” Morgan tried to calm her but she clearly wasn’t having any of it.

“Who knows what he’s capable of hiding? What next, a secret love child?” She whispered, lifting her menu back up.

“JJ and Rossi decided to pass Prentiss, whose ETA is 7 minutes.” Hotchner ignored Garcia’s ramblings, picking up a menu for himself and surveying the options. “They should be here…” The automated doorbell chimed as the pair entered the diner. “Now.”

“Penelope,” JJ approached the group, taking a seat next to the woman and placing a comforting hand on her back. “How are you holding up?”

“I’ve decided he’s uninvited for my Winter Solstice party. And Christmas. And New Years. If I find out he’s lying about anything else he will not be receiving an invitation for my Valentine’s Day Soiree, that’s for damn certain.”

“Don’t be too harsh on the kid.” Rossi chuckled, scanning the perimeter. “So who’s exactly our "victim” here?“ He lifted his fingers, finding the usage of police jargon in this case quite hilarious.

Morgan turned, eyes catching your figure. "2 o'clock. My 2 o'clock." 

"When you turn to face them we both have the same 2 o'clock.” JJ sighed, passing Rossi a menu.

“Good for Spencer.” He whistled, reaching for the booklet when his phone buzzed. “Prentiss says he’s walking through the door.” The chime went off again, prompting the team to quickly pick up their menus to cover their faces.

“Hey!” You greeted, giving him a swift peck on the cheek before he sat on one of the stools at the counter. “It’s a little busy tonight but I should be off in…15 minutes? Then we can head to dinner." 

"That’s alright, I’m in no hurry.” Spencer smiled, leaning his head on his fist, staring at you with that wistful gaze that made your heart melt.

“I’ll be back! If you want anything, let me know.” You ruffled his hair, grabbing a water jug from the counter and heading back to the crowded tables. 

Prentiss came in through the side entrance, not wanting Spencer to spot her accidentally. She shrugged off her coat and took the last empty chair, quickly hiding her face with a menu. 

“2 o'clock.” JJ nudged, tilting her chin in your direction. Prentiss took a moment to eye your figure before nodding to herself. Good for Spence.

“Garcia?” Prentiss mumbled.

“Uninvited from Winter Solstice, Christmas, New Years, and maybe Valentine’s Day.”

“Sound about right.” Prentiss assessed. “He’ll be paying for this for a long time." 

"Hello!” You chirped startling the team, filling Morgan’s and Garcia’s glasses with ice water. “Can I get you started with some drinks?”

While waiting for you, Spencer was lost in thought, wondering exactly how he was going to tell you that he loved you over dinner. Should it be before we order? During the meal? Perhaps he would tell you before you even reached the restaurant, in your apartment while he waited for you to get changed. He wanted it to be perfect.

Of course, he realized, as much as he wanted to tell you, he was aware that something was missing. You had introduced him to all your friends, and he had yet to do the same. He was unsure of how to tell the team after so long. They would be furious if he broke the news he was dating someone after months of being in a relationship, so he kept putting it off. This was only adding to the problem, but he was unsure of what to do. He figured he could tell Morgan soon enough, see how he reacted, and then tell each of the team individually.

Your cheerful voice brought him out of his stupor and he searched to find you. You wore a smile, but were clearly antsy to get off your shift. He was about to turn back to the counter when he observed that a man from the table you were at almost looked like Hotchner.

Wait a minute… that was Hotchner!

What are they doing here?! Spencer thought, leg starting to jiggle against the metal framework of the stool. He waited until after you poured their respective waters, took their orders, and collected their menus before heading over to the table.

“What are you guys doing here?” He hissed, resting his hands on the table.

“Excuse me sir, do we know you?” Prentiss asked, crossing her arms. “You almost look like a friend of ours, but that friend wouldn’t hide the fact that he’s in a relationship, now would he Garcia?”

“Well, our associate is so complicated… who knows what he’s capable of.” Penelope raised her brows, giving him a pointed glance.

“So you guys…”

“We already figured out Y/n is your partner. Morgan brought up your irregular behavior, and Garcia looked through your credit card reports to find that you spend an awful lot of time at this place. Prentiss informed us that you have started exiting the subway at a different stop than usual, not to mention, facial recognition scanners from a social media account one can assume is Y/n’s… it was not that hard to put all the pieces together.” Hotchner explained, taking a sip from his glass.

“When were you planning on telling us, young man?” Rossi asked, leaning back in his seat.

“Soon! I swear I just… I didn’t know how to tell you guys.” Spencer admitted, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear.

“ ‘Hey JJ, I have a girlfriend,’ might have been a good place to start.” The blonde female pointed out, sighing.

“It’s not as simple as that I-”

“Spence?” You asked, approaching the table. “Do you uh, know these folks?”

“Oh, Y/n! Hi! Yeah I know these people…” Spencer smiled, clearly caught off guard.

“And how exactly do you know my lovely customers?” You gestured with your hand for him to explain.

“Y/n… um… these are… these are my friends. They were so excited to meet you, they rushed down here without telling me. I know you’ve been asking to meet them… so here they are.” Your expression instantly changed, a genuine smile overtaking your face. Garcia went to interject, when Rossi raised his hand. Play along.

“You work at the BAU with Spence? I’m so happy to meet you guys! I just- We were going to go to dinner… What if we just stayed here? I should be able to get off, and I won’t even have to change!” You gave Spencer a pleading look, and he nodded. At least he hadn’t made reservations… 

The rest of the evening was spent in laughter, you getting to talk to each member of the team and hear work stories that weren’t related to cases. After you had all parted ways, Spencer offered to walk you home.

“And that one story Aaron told about your "science-magic”? Priceless! You looked so embarrassed.“ You laughed into the night sky, breath forming cloudy puffs as you spoke. Your hands were intertwined, and Spencer felt his heart stutter.

"I’m so glad you finally introduced me to your friends! I thought… well, I was wondering why it was taking so long to get a proper introduction.” You mumbled.

“I’m sorry I just… I didn’t tell them we had started to date. At first, you were this secret I wanted to keep all to myself. But then weeks turned to months and then I found myself falling n love with you and it felt so wrong to just spring it on the team that I had met this amazing person and fell in love when they didn’t even realize I was dating yet.” He explained.

“You love me?” You asked, stopping where you stood.

“I uh, what?” He laughed, backpedaling his speech until he realized what you were referring to. “Oh um… I wanted to tell you tonight, over dinner. This is perhaps the opposite of how I wanted to tell you actually, I mean, there were going to be candles, and breadsticks- I know how much you like breadsticks and I- oomph!” Spencer’s ramblings were cut short when you pulled him into your embrace, kissing him softly.

“I love you too, Spencer.” You smiled as you pulled apart. “I love you too.”

—-

buzz buzz

“Hey baby girl what’s-”

“He told them he loved them!” Garcia’s rushed cries echoed throughout the receiver. “He told them he loved them and told me so he could invite them as his plus one to all the parties! Derek, Derek! This is huge.” Morgan softly chuckled on the other end of the line.

“Well… what do you know?”

[silent-era-of-cinema]

Richard Semler Barthelmess (May 9, 1895 – August 17, 1963) was an American film actor, principally of the Hollywood silent era. He starred opposite Lillian Gish in D. W. Griffith's Broken Blossoms (1919) and Way Down East (1920) and was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927. The following year, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for two films: The Patent Leather Kid and The Noose.

Barthelmess was born in New York City, the son of Caroline W. Harris, a stage actress, and Alfred W. Barthelmess. His father died when he was a year old. Through his mother, he grew up in the theatre, doing "walk-ons" from an early age. In contrast to that, he was educated at Hudson River Military Academy at Nyack, New York and Trinity College at Hartford, Connecticut. He did some acting in college and other amateur productions. By 1919 he had five years in stock company experience.

Russian actress Alla Nazimova, a friend of the family, was taught English by Caroline Barthelmess. Nazimova convinced Richard Barthelmess to try acting professionally, and he made his debut screen appearance in 1916 in the serial Gloria's Romance as an uncredited extra. He also appeared as a supporting player in several films starring Marguerite Clark.

His next role, in War Brides opposite Nazimova, attracted the attention of director D.W. Griffith, who offered him several important roles, finally casting him opposite Lillian Gish in Broken Blossoms (1919) and Way Down East (1920). He founded his own production company, Inspiration Film Company, together with Charles Duell and Henry King. One of their films, Tol'able David (1921), in which Barthelmess starred as a teenage mailman who finds courage, was a major success. In 1922, Photoplay described him as the "idol of every girl in America."

Barthelmess had a large female following during the 1920s. An admirer wrote to the editor of Picture-Play Magazine in 1921:

Different fans have different opinions, and although Wallace Reid, Thomas Meighan, and Niles Welch are mighty fine chaps, I think that Richard Barthelmess beats them all. Dick is getting more and more popular every day, and why? Because his wonderful black hair and soulful eyes are enough to make any young girl adore him. The first play I saw Dick in was Boots—Dorothy Gish playing the lead. This play impressed me so that I went to see every play in which he appeared—Three Men and a Girl, Scarlet Days, The Love Flower, and Broken Blossoms, in which I decided that Dick was my favorite. I am looking forward to Way Down East as being a great success, because I know Dick will play a good part.

Barthelmess soon became one of Hollywood's higher paid performers, starring in such classics as The Patent Leather Kid in 1927 and The Noose in 1928; he was nominated for Best Actor at the first Academy Awards for his performance in both films. In addition, he won a special citation for producing The Patent Leather Kid.

With the advent of the sound era, Barthelmess remained a star for a number of years. He played numerous leads in talkie films, most notably Son of the Gods (1930), The Dawn Patrol (1930), The Last Flight (1931), The Cabin in the Cotton (1932) and Heroes for Sale (1933). He was able to choose his own material and often played in controversial or socially conscious films. However, his popularity began to wane in the 1930s as he was getting too old for the boyish leads he usually played, and in his later films between 1939 and his retirement in 1942, he turned towards character roles – most notably in his supporting role as the disgraced pilot and husband of Rita Hayworth's character in Only Angels Have Wings (1939).

Barthelmess failed to maintain the stardom of his silent film days and gradually left entertainment. He enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve during World War II, and served as a lieutenant commander. He never returned to film, preferring instead to live off his real estate investments.

On June 18, 1920, Barthelmess married Mary Hay, a stage and screen star, in New York. They had one daughter, Mary Barthelmess, before divorcing on January 15, 1927.

In August 1927, Barthelmess became engaged to Katherine Young Wilson, a Broadway actress. However, the engagement was called off due to Wilson's stated desire to continue acting, or possibly his affair around this time with the journalist Adela Rogers St. Johns.

Barthelmess died of throat cancer on August 17, 1963, aged 68, in Southampton, New York. He was interred at the Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum in Hartsdale, New York.

On April 21, 1928, Barthelmess married Jessica Stewart Sargent. He later adopted her son, Stewart, from a previous marriage. They remained married until Barthelmess' death in 1963.

Barthelmess was a founder of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

In 1960, Barthelmess received a motion picture star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6755 Hollywood Boulevard for his contributions to the film industry.

Barthelmess was among the second group of recipients of the George Eastman Award in 1957, given by the George Eastman House for distinguished contribution to the art of film.

Composer Katherine Allan Lively dedicated her piano composition Within the Walls of China: A Chinese Episode to Barthelmess in the sheet music published in 1923 by G. Schirmer, Inc. An article in The Music Trades reported that Mrs. Lively was inspired by a viewing of the film Broken Blossoms, and performed the piece for Barthelmess and his friends in New York in the summer of 1922.

[sincerelyreidburke]

Can you tell us more about Reid and Bri? Like their dynamic and maybe how they got together??

Toby, have I mentioned lately that I appreciate you??? Yes, I can absolutely say more about them— I love Reid and Bri, and they’ve sort of become my token wholesome long-term M/F couple in this OC-verse. (I would say they’re the “token straights,” but since Reid is bi, that’s not even true. The actual token straights are Maggie and her boyfriend, but I haven’t introduced him yet, and he doesn’t even go to Kiersey, so... okay, anyway.)

Yes. Thank you. The Kiersey-verse means that I can elaborate on things I would’ve felt self-conscious talking about before, and for that I am very grateful.

Let’s hop under the cut and I’ll tell you how Reid and Bri met, and some stuff about their dynamic, et cetera. (And as a general note, you can always ask me anything about my OCs!)

SO. Reid and Bri. We’ve seen them together in a fic once, but it was this prologue, from Sp*ncer’s perspective, and poor Bri only got to say, like, one line. Reid on his own is someone we’ve seen a lot more extensively, at least in comparison to Bri. He’s become a heavy player in all things to do with Quinn’s freshman year theatre experience, but he’s also come up in other places now— like this ficlet where you get a glimpse into his friendship with Cole.

So there’s that. We know Reid. We know he has a girlfriend. I will now rewind back to their freshman year and tell you how they met.

First of all, Reid is from Wisconsin and Bri is from Missouri, which I guess isn’t crucial for you to know but just felt like information I should provide. They didn’t know each other before college, obviously. When they get to Kiersey, they don’t meet right away; I think they wind up meeting around halfway through the fall semester of their first year, or maybe even later than that?

The way they meet goes like this. I think the drama club likes hiring art students to help design their sets, and that year, for the fall production, they need a backdrop painted. Bri isn’t a theatre person in the strict sense of knowing much about drama, but she did help paint sets in high school because she was an art kid, and she had the drama teacher for English class, and probably got recruited. When she sees a flyer on campus advertising help wanted, and learns that they’ll pay her to do it, she signs up and winds up painting for them.

Reid is in the fall play that year, because he pretty much dives right into the drama club as soon as he’s on campus. Freshman Reid is a hilarious thing to imagine, because he wasn’t a leader yet but definitely still was a ham who loved to make people laugh and attract attention.

So Bri is painting the set onstage, with probably at least a few other people helping with sets, and Reid is headed into the theater to, I don’t know, pick something up or maybe just to mess around, and he comes into the house being super obnoxious (he’s probably singing something), and then—

Reid walking down the aisle in the theater: tonight the SUPER TROOPER lights are gonna find me SHINING LIKE THE SUN— (notices there are people onstage doing something) Oh, shit— sorry, Art Students!!!!!!!!

In the end, Reid goes up and starts obnoxiously interviewing the Art Students, and that is how he strikes up a conversation with Bri. He thinks she’s cute, and so he starts flirting, and he’s funny so she kind of digs it, and by the time someone chases him away because Reid they’re making the set and they need to concentrate, he’s dead set on seeking out this Art Student (yes, he did learn her name during that interaction) because she’s cute and he wants to keep talking to her.

He winds up showing up for the next set-making session, and by the end of that, he has her number. The rest, my friends, is history. They date all through college, and I told you about how he tries to break up with her during his angsty self-deprecation hours in their post-college life (if you’re confused, click here), but on their general dynamic.........

Reid loves Bri because she’s creative and compassionate and free-spirited, and Bri loves Reid because he’s authentic and caring and he makes her laugh. This is a broad over-simplification, but you get the picture. They’re very mutually supportive of each other— she goes to his theatre shows, and he goes to her art shows...... and yes, obviously there’s more to a relationship than supporting each other’s hobbies, but I think because they’re both art types, that’s an important thing for them.

Reid’s entire life is like, *Bri does something* THAT’S MY GIRLFRIEND!!!!!!!!!!

Anytime any minor inconvenience happens in my life, I keep saying, you know who wouldn’t treat me like this? Reid Burke. And it’s now a meme among certain individuals who shall remain anonymous in this post, but it’s true, because Reid is a really fantastic boyfriend. His number one mission in life is to make Bri smile, and he absolutely succeeds at it.

Bri feels a little like she needs to keep track of his chaos sometimes, and thus refers to watching Reid at parties as “boyfriend-sitting.” Drunk Reid is harmless; he goes from wanting to start a rave to wanting to do nothing but cuddle Bri and tell his friends he loves them in about three seconds flat.

Drunk Reid: I fucKING love you Jhiron

More sober Jhiron: fuck off

Drunk Reid: :’) he loves me too

Uhhhh......... what else. I can’t remember where I said this, but they wind up having three children. Reid definitely passes his sense of humor down to them. I cannot express how important laughter is as Reid’s love language.

Bri is straight, and we know that he’s bi. She’s a great ally. Also her parents hate him. LOL. They think he’s a bum who’s never going to get a job. It’s a good thing he proves them wrong.

Hm. At Kiersey, they get breakfast together every morning; it’s their thing, which is why you saw them having breakfast in the dining hall in that one Sp*ncer fic. Now don’t mind me while I cry imagining them cooking breakfast for their kids. Why am I emotional?

I can... write something with them, if there is demand for that? You guys know the drill; I’m always open to your ideas and suggestions. And also, thank you, Toby, for asking. I don’t really play favorites with characters, but Reid has a special place in my heart.

[fmhiphop]

Happy 30th Anniversary! Best Rapper Cameos on 'Martin'

Happy 30th Anniversary to a cultural masterpiece! The Martin reunion show is now streaming on BET+ and has brought to mind many of the standout rapper cameos on the series. These rapper cameo appearances are significant for being some of the earliest instances of rappers appearing on a broadcast television series. Let's take a look at our 8 favorite rapper cameos that appeared on Martin. 8. Method Man Method Man is no stranger to appearing in TV and film in the current stage of his career. However his cameo on Martin was his first opportunity to flex his acting chops. In the episode he plays a burglar robbing Martin's apartment that plays along with an ongoing beef between Martin and Pam to make off with the goods. https://youtu.be/L9SskNJEr_8 7. Bushwick Bill Bushwick Bill of The Geto Boys had a cameo on Martin along with Tony Cox. The duo brought plenty of laughs in the Season 1 episode. 6. Tone Loc Tone Loc had quite the career in the early 90's following the release of his smash hit song "Funky Cold Medina". He appeared on many series of the era but his cameo on Martin stands out. He played a former popular student that bullied Martin in their school days. Martin finds him breaking into students' lockers at their reunion and finally stands up to him.   5. Yo-Yo Yo-Yo had several cameos on Martin as Sheneneh's partner in crime Keylolo. She had a hilarious dynamic with Lawrence's character. The duo portray the roles of 90s hot girls perfectly and created classic scenes with their natural chemistry. Yo-Yo was also the protege' and frequent collaborator of West Coast rap legend and entrepreneur Ice Cube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JakcHkiEBKQ 4. Snoop Dogg   Snoop Dogg's cameo on Martin was featured in an episode where Pam and the crew throw Martin and Gina a surprise engagement party. However, the couple is so busy arguing that they miss the whole thing. Snoop Dogg comes through because he was invited by his Uncle Jerome and takes the party to a whole new level. All the party attendees leave shortly before the couple arrives as they head off to L.A. with Snoop to keep it going. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mepYI1k6ptU 3. Christopher "Kid" Reid Christopher "Kid" Reid is one half of the iconic 90s duo Kid 'n Play. The group is widely known for their films House Party, House Party 2 and Class Act. Reid appeared on Martin as the host of a competition for a fan to win a date with him. Hilariously, Sheneneh ends up being the winner and Kid decides he is unable to go through with it after seeing her in person. This rapper cameo led to one of the funniest moments of the series, Forever Sheneneh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjdMd9bLY04 2. OutKast OutKast's cameo on Martin came at a time when the South was just finding a way into mainstream hip hop success. In the episode All The Players Came, OutKast serves as the musical guest while Martin and the crew rally to save a local theatre. This is a guest-heavy episode that really showed admiration for the Black actors and actresses that paved the way for shows like Martin to exist. It featured appearances from Pam Grier, Antonio Fargas, Rudy Ray Moore, Whitman Mayo and Ja'net Dubois. It is also notable that the show was based in the East Coast and the episode came out in 1995. Later that year, the duo was booed after winning best new artist at The Source Awards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtzbYKd5qsw   1. The Notorious B.I.G. Biggie's appearance on Martin was one of the biggest cultural moments of the day. One of the most influential rappers of the 90s appeared on a top-rated Black sitcom. The episode focuses on Biggie's search for background singers to take on tour with him. Martin is an old friend that lets Big stay with him to avoid commotion at a hotel. This allowed people to see the smooth personality that Biggie had in another format. There was no way we could make a list about our favorite rapper cameos on Martin without this taking the top spot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5nDgGb27-s Martin is a show that has consistently connected with generations of TV watchers for decades and one of the strongest pieces of its legacy is the excellent rapper cameos. BET+ will begin streaming the Martin: The Reunion on June 16 with comedian Affion Crockett as the host. The first trailer dropped yesterday featuring a tribute to the character Tommy played by the late Thomas Mikal Ford. Check out some of our other news: Martin Lawerence Partnership With Detroit Pistons Lil Nas X Upset Over Not Receiving BET Awards Nomination Malcolm “Laidback Mack” Morrow | IG: @mack_stay_manifesting | FB: The Hood Hippie MS | Twitter: @_laidbackmack_ Read the full article