What if season 1-2 Spencer had a protective partner (my pronouns are she/they, so anything works) in the sense of they don’t like how the team doesn’t listen to him sometimes and just cut him off, etc, and so whenever that happens they comfort him and remind him how much he matters and is loved not just for his brain but for all of him? Tons of kisses, cuddles, and hair playing (his hair) if that’s okay!
Thank you, and if you can’t do that, it’s okay! 💖
Little Lessons | Spencer Reid x reader
a/n: i love this request so much, thank you! this is honestly something i think about way more often than i should because it tears my heart apart every time spence gets shut down. i hope you like this angel!!
warnings: some fairly vague violent case talk, mental illness, angst, but this is primarily fluff <3 , and some fun facts about some of my personal favorite things haha
"Metal isn't exactly a genre I'm into. Not really my style, ya know?" Derek shrugs and hands the file down to Spence who takes it eagerly.
It was your first official day with the BAU, and while you may have known these people for years thanks to your lovely boyfriend, actually working alongside them was an entirely new experience.
Spencer's hands flip the folder open, holding it up just enough so that you can both read it over at the same time; a little thing he often does at home while he reads to you on the couch. You both know he would finish far before you, but Spence really just wants to do anything he can to make you feel less intimidated. Allowing you the discreet opportunity to be close to him was something he knew would help. You appreciate that immensely and take the brief moment of confidence his action grants you seriously because, when you lean closer, you notice something funny about what Derek had said.
"It's not actually metal." The rest of the team looks at you with questioning glances. You know they just want an explanation, but something about being the new kid and having all of their eyes on you makes your stomach drop. You feel your breath hitch, but a small hand on your arm stops you from attempting to answer through your now shaky breathing.
Spencer offers you a tiny smile, hand squeezing just slightly to let you know you weren't going to do this alone.
"Yeah, that's right. This appears to be a genre known as alternative rock." Spence leans forward, sitting up in preparation for the little history lesson he already has prepared in his head.
Seeing him excited to share makes your heart beat faster, sending a warm feeling throughout your body that comforts you the way only hearing the voice of the person you love can. The fact that he was doing it to protect you only makes your heart swell more.
"The genre first appeared in the late 1970's and early 1980's. With the popularization of rock a few decades earlier, it was only inevitable that variations would start to pop up." Once you saw his hands moving, you knew he was completely lost in this thought. His eyes were sparkling, happy to share knowledge that could potentially help the case. You watch him with a smile, proud of the man you were with. Even if you weren't entranced by his voice and movements, the topic was interesting and you can't help but want to know more.
"As widespread as it was though, it didn't exactly reach its peak until the-"
"Alright, kid. I get it, I messed up." Derek laughs, holding his hands up in surrender. Looking around, you can see smiles on the faces of the rest of your team. You aren't smiling though.
Spencer's hands come down from where they were moving in the air in front of him. You see when his mouth shuts tightly in a harsh line. You notice the slight droop of his eyelids when he looks down in shame. It hurts.
Just like he had done before for you, you bring your hand up to gently rest against his arm. His head turns to look at you, eyes telling you everything you need to know. He would never say it to them, but the implication that he was too much, that he wasn't like the others…it reminds him of being back in school with kids who were just a little too unforgiving.
Your finger comes up to tap against your temple softly. Spencer's big puppy eyes look at you in confusion, eyebrows coming in to scrunch up adorably.
"Keep it up there. I want to hear more about it later." The frown on his face alleviates just barely, eyes lighting up ever so slightly in hope.
"Really?" You smile and bring your finger over to tap his temple just like you had done to your own.
"Yes." He smiles big this time, eyes following your finger to his head and back down again.
After that, it becomes a normal thing for the two of you. Finger taps on temples to let Spencer know he was being heard. That he was valued.
Of course, you didn't want to imply that the team didn't value Spencer. You knew they definitely did. What they did, the jokes and little jabs, it was all good natured. Sometimes, a little reminder was just necessary. You were more than happy to be that reminder for Spence.
The system worked magnificently...for the most part. There was just one little hiccup. Spencer really liked to share information. Like, a lot.
After a while, you start carrying around a notepad specifically for when the occasion arose that you knew you would need a reminder.
His memory was great. Spencer would easily be able to recall every little thing you had tapped your temple about. Your memory though, left something to be desired. You just wanted to show him even more that it all sticks with you. He would understand either way, but it was just something a little extra you wanted to do. After each case, you spent a little time reading over your list of topics, ready to ask Spence about each one on the trip home.
It was after a particularly grueling case that this extra effort came even more in handy.
Teenagers had been going missing left and right, some turning up only after it was too late to save them. When you all had found the unsub, he turned out to be just another troubled kid who couldn't shut off the voices in his head. Spencer took these cases extremely personally. You did too, having been an outcast in school for much of your life. But the part about voices...the delusions...those were especially difficult for Spence.
Taking a seat on the jet's couch, you guide Spencer to rest beside you. His brows are furrowed, eyes scanning the space in front of him in an attempt to keep up with his mind that's running a mile a minute. When your hand comes up to tap against the side of his forehead, he flinches.
Your hand immediately moves away, wanting to give him some space if he needs it. The flinch doesn't hurt you, you'd done the same to him many times when lost in thought. You know it was just an instinct, not anything personal. It was the way he wasn't able to focus, the antsy movements and obvious spiraling that he was doing that got to you.
"I'm sorry." His voice is soft as he speaks and you find yourself shaking your head before he even finishes the apology.
"No, no. It's okay. I just want to know where you are." When his eyes fall to look at your hand, you know it's an invitation to try again.
You bring your hand to rest against his neck, fingers playing with the little strands of hair there.
"I just can't stop thinking about him. He’s just a kid. Honestly, he's not that different from how I was. There's so much that I got lucky in, and even then I don't really feel that far away from him. We're different from everyone else and it's so obvious…" He trails off a little, eyes brimming with tears as your hand continues to stroke his hair. You let him talk, but when he meets your gaze, you know you can't keep quiet any longer.
"Spencer, maybe you're right. Maybe you guys aren't so different. But you have something that he unfortunately didn't. People here love you. They care about you and you're good enough inside to let them. As for luck, I like to believe we make our own." The tears in his eyes slowly fall, finally letting go of all the pain he had been feeling the whole case. His head leans into your touch, reveling in the feel of your fingers against him.
"I'm sorry. I feel like I do this more often than I should. It's annoying." You bring your other hand to hold his cheek, brushing the tears away.
"It's not annoying and you don't have to apologize. Spencer, you mean the absolute world to me. Everything about you makes me grateful to have you in my life. You're incredibly smart and, yes, different, but every bit of that makes up the man I love. Please be kind to him." You lean forward, lips brushing his forehead in a kiss that you hope tells him just how much you love him.
Spencer's hand covers yours against his cheek. "I love you so much." He says the words with such raw vulnerability, they make your heart ache.
"I love you too." You both stay like that for a moment, taking advantage of the quiet before the rest of the team arrives on the jet. When they finally do, you know it's best to lighten the mood.
"There's some stuff that I think you owe me a little lesson on." Spencer laughs softly, eyes shining with both unshed tears and the warmth in knowing you remembered. He really shouldn't be surprised. You always remember.
Your body leans back against the couch, arms patting your lap to invite him over. He easily falls into place, head coming to rest against your thighs as he looks up at your face. Your fingers find their way back to his hair, stroking gently to tame the little curls that had strewn themselves haphazardly when he came to rest.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather rest? I don’t mind if you're too tired to hear it right now. We can talk later." There's no accusation or malice in the question, and when you look into his eyes, you know he's only concerned with your wellbeing.
"Are you tired, Spence?" He thinks for a moment, but shakes his head.
"I think the case is a little too fresh for me to sleep." You nod in agreement.
"Me too. If it's okay, I really would love to hear about everything. You mentioned some really neat facts on the origins of Star Trek earlier this week."
Spencer grins at you and leans up, kissing you gently in a silent 'thank you.'
The kiss lasts a little longer than the normal ones he offers in public. His hand strokes your cheek, pulling you closer to him as he deepens it slightly. You know he needs this, the closeness is like a safety blanket and you're thankful for that because it comforts you just as much as it does him. Maybe even more.
You start smiling when a low wolf whistle sounds from down the aisle. Derek claps, laughing at the two of you in that silly, boyish way.
When Spencer pulls away, your smile is wide. You expect to see a rosy blush of embarrassment on his cheeks, but you find none. Instead, he just smiles back at you.
His head leans back to rest on your lap again, hands coming up to begin his excited talk.
"The intricacies of the world that makes up Star Trek are often mistaken for having been meticulously planned out, but that really isn't the case at all. A lot of the details that allow the different races to come to life were improvised during production." Your fingers gently scratch at his scalp and run against his soft curls mindlessly. Playing with Spencer's hair was therapeutic for the both of you.
"Leonard Nimoy actually invented the Vulcan salute, which is crazy considering the role wasn't offered to him originally. We could have easily lost a cultural staple and no one would have been the wiser."
"Oh no, is boy wonder going off again?" Derek laughs light-heartedly as he grabs a paper coffee cup.
Spencer stills beneath you, but before his hands can even fall, you're clapping back at Derek with a confident grin.
"I know you're not really used to it, but some people actually find knowledge incredibly attractive." He looks at you with wide eyes, a small smile playing at his lips that soon grows wide as he laughs once more.
"Alright, sweetheart. You got bite. I'll let you two get back to your little geek talk." Derek picks up his now full cup and heads over to sit across from Hotch. He turns back quickly though, looking at both you and Spencer a little more seriously now.
"Just for the record, I think that's pretty cool. You guys are good kids and I'm happy you're both on the team."
Spencer smiles back at Derek, and so do you. It genuinely means a lot to feel accepted here. You know his words have a huge impact on Spencer too, especially considering how alone he had felt not too long ago.
"Thanks, Derek." He nods and leaves you two alone again.
When you look back to Spencer, he has this goofy grin on his face that makes you almost laugh out loud.
"What?" He leans up and kisses your cheek again, continuing to smile.
"You find me 'incredibly attractive'?" Your mouth falls open in shock and you scoff, smacking his chest lightly.
"Spencer, you're literally my boyfriend!" He giggles and falls against you again, poking your nose.
"You like me." His eyes are bright and happy, and it takes all of three seconds for his teasing to make you join him in little giggles.
After a moment, you remember that he had been interrupted again in the middle of talking and you decide to playfully pinch the tip of his ear to fold like a Vulcan before your hand finds his hair again.
"Ouch!" He scrunches his nose at you, but quickly catches on, making himself comfortable as he leans in a little closer to the warmth of your body.
"Right, Vulcans!"
The rest of the ride home is spent discussing an endless sea of little topics. Spencer sharing long pieces of information while you occasionally pipe in to add something you remember about it or ask a question. It's a calm sort of ritual that keeps the both of you sane during hard cases like this, and it's one that you find yourself eternally grateful to share with someone you love as much as him.
