I'm Bry and this is where I write. A collection of stories, sketches, and things I love. she/her, 20-something who still knows nothing || Masterlist || About ||
hello!! how about something with spencer about christmas? 🎄🎄🎄
Lovely Christmas 🎄 [S. R]
Spencer Reid x fem!reader
word count: 1.6k
summary: the entire team gets together to celebrate Christmas and Spencer gives you a pleasant surprise.
note: merry next Christmas everyone! I hope you like it:)
Christmas, time to celebrate, give and receive. All that advertising in the stores worked to the point that you really felt a certain warmth on the holiday, despite the low degrees of the Virginia climate.
The team members, at Penelope's initiative, had agreed to have a small meeting to celebrate Christmas Eve this year, due to the uncertainty of not knowing how many Christmases you had left as a team because of everything chaotic that had happened lately. Mainly also because you had never celebrated that date together.
Everyone was there, the little ones, the older ones, some old members of the team, the new ones, husbands, wives, friends... in short, it was a big party. Of course Dave had offered his house to host the event and you, without complaint, had agreed. He had probably hired someone to do it, but the house was decorated masterfully, with lights, trees, Christmas boots, a life-size dancing Santa and even the white snow bathing the entire patio that could be seen from the glass doors. That's why Rossi couldn't be prouder, being the best of hosts as he always was.
You were euphoric about everything and you didn't even know where you should start enjoying. On the one hand, there was the opportunity to talk to friends from work that I hadn't seen in years, on the other hand, you could spend time with the kids and hug little baby Morgan, and last but not least, you could drink punch and hot chocolate in the company of the group that had gathered in that area. You decided on that option and very soon you were chatting friendly with Aaron and Emily.
“Jack wants a video game console for Christmas and I told him that only if he behaved well could Santa bring it, although I have a feeling that only one of us is pretending that he exists” he was telling you, laughing, when suddenly someone interrupted him.
“Jeez, it's freezing outside,” the voice, quite familiar to you, complained.
It was Spencer, who had just arrived with rosy cheeks, snowflakes scattered in his hair, his purple scarf and an ugly sweater that had gingerbread men all over it. He looked simply adorable.
“Reid!” you said happily, walking over to give him a hug which he gladly reciprocated. “Do you want me to serve you a cup of chocolate?”
“Oh, I would love you even more if you did that,” he replied, grinning at you from ear to ear with those gorgeous white teeth.
Being with all your friends makes you very happy, but there is one friend in particular who completely lights up your world. That's Spencer, and he was doing it right then.
“Here you go, handsome,” you murmured playfully, while you placed a full cup between his recently ungloved hands. He sighed as he took a sip of the drink and looked at you gratefully.
He joined in without any difficulty and soon the two of you were laughing at the story Emily was telling you, close enough to each other to be considered friendly. That's how it was always with him, despite his obvious fear of germs, he didn't mind being around you, much less when you laughed and leaned against his side a little or when you were telling a story and you constantly touched him. It felt natural to him, only when it came to you.
Rossi served turkey for all of you, one that you knew he had prepared because of the peculiar flavor and Italian ingredients. You had sat in front of Spencer and thanks to that you could see all his expressions during dinner, which were pure happiness. Seeing him happy made you happy too, as if you were infected with a delicious disease.
And suddenly you found yourself staring at him for too long and making jokes just to make him smile, as if he was the only one there with you.
During dinner you shared anecdotes, as always, Penny handed out candy to children and adults, the former members talked about how their new job was going and among all that it very soon became almost midnight.
Some sadness and surprise-filled your chest when Spencer announced that he would be the first to leave.
“I'm going to visit my mom,” he had explained, because you remembered that Diana was now in a health center that was only an hour away. No one dared to hold him back when they found out his reason and there were only a few goodbye hugs.
However, you told the man that you would walk him to the door and as you did so you pulled one of the bags on the floor with you. You stopped under the door frame, which could be seen from the small living room where the group had moved after dinner, and then you spoke.
“Drive carefully, okay?” was the first thing you said, lovingly adjusting the scarf that he was wearing around his neck. “And call me when you get there.”
“I will do it, calm down”
“Before you go, I want to give you something,” you murmured softly. You took out two decorated packages from your bag, one purple and the other pink “One is for you and the other is for your mother. Wish her a Merry Christmas from me”
“Y/N,” he said, sounding touched by what you were offering him. It was clear that what he had in his hands were books and he felt a tug in his heart when he thought that you had gotten one for his mother “I didn't bring you anything, I'm so sorry.”
“That doesn't matter, Spence,” you responded affectionately “It's just a detail, but I hope you like it.”
The man was about to respond when a whistle caught the attention of both of you and when you looked in the direction of the room you noticed that everyone had their eyes on you.
“Tough luck, lovebirds,” Morgan laughed and for a second you didn't understand what was funny about it. But when he pointed his finger at a spot above your head, then you understood.
There was mistletoe there, and you and Spencer were right under it.
“It's tradition,” Rossi began to say, when if he knew that you would refuse, “You can't break it”
“Did you know that the meaning of mistletoe can be found in the culture of the Celts? According to some stories, the druids used it in their spells and even to resurrect the dead, according to some legends of which we have evidence and records in different sources. Furthermore, magical powers are attributed to the plant because it doesn’t come from the sky or the earth, since the roots are neither in the ground nor held in the air: the mistletoe is maintained thanks to the deciduous tree that it parasitizes”
You giggled childishly as you listened to Spencer speak, probably to calm your nerves at the thought of having to kiss him, and he didn't even notice because he was so excited to share that bit of knowledge he had for the occasion.
“And that's why you have to kiss her, Reid! Legend says that if a woman is kissed under the mistletoe, she will be able to find the love of her life. And who knows, maybe our poor Y/N already needs some luck in that area”
You wanted to kill JJ for saying that, but at the same time you couldn't think about anything but what he would do. You didn't even know if he would dare to kiss you in front of all your coworkers and you wouldn't blame him if he didn't, after all you were just friends.
"Would it bother you?" he asked quietly. He didn't look the least bit nervous and that really made you nervous.
“Do you really want to kiss me?”
“Well, it's tradition,” he murmured, shrugging, while he smiled at you calmly. Apparently this hadn't affected him like it did you.
“Okay, then it’s… it’s okay.”
You would have liked to say the words more calmly, but you couldn't, and the little confidence you had left disappeared when Spencer raised one of his hands to cup your cheek and planted a kiss on your lips. It was a gentle kiss, sweet and short, but it made you shiver completely.
Honestly, no one expected you two to actually kiss, that's why when he pulled away from you the whole room was completely silent. You were shocked, they were shocked.
“Merry Christmas, Y/N,” he said, carefully caressing the skin of your face with his hand that was still holding it.
You made a superhuman effort to find your voice.
"Merry Christmas too"
He gave you one last caress and then said goodbye to the rest, waving his hand happily; they responded a little less enthusiastically, probably due to astonishment. The door closed, but you stood, staring into space as you tried to process what had just happened.
“Someone help the poor woman, it looks like she is going to have a heart attack”
Nobody, absolutely nobody, expected a comment like that coming from Aaron Hotchner and perhaps that was what made the moment a thousand times funnier.
“Did Reid really kiss you? I hope we aren’t experiencing a collective hallucination.”
“He didn't even hesitate! That's my boy"
“Everyone shut up,” you said finally, feeling all your blood pooling in your cheeks as you walked back to the living room “I don't think any of you want to be knocked out by a federal agent on Christmas Eve”
They laughed and eventually so did you. Reid wrote you a message when he arrived with his mother and you smiled as you remembered the kiss he had given you, the one that, without a doubt just as the legend said, led you to find the love of your life.
I went back since I started this blog in December 2019.
Here, I have Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader fics I love to read every holiday season by some of the best friends I've made in this fandom!
• Project Christmas Match-up: @samuel-de-champagne-problems Penelope insists on setting up Spencer and Derek’s latest home improvement client for the holidays. Afterall, she’s convinced they are soulmates.
• Snow & Mistletoe: @foxy-eva There is nothing more magical than going on a first date with Spencer Reid right before the holidays.
• Please Have Snow & Mistletoe: @writer-in-theory Reader’s car breaks down when she tries to make it through a snowstorm to her family’s Christmas Eve party but luckily, a kind stranger is more than willing to spend the holiday with her.
• Here Comes Santa Claus!: @fortheloveofwonderland Christmas is your favourite holiday and you eagerly anticipate the BAU’s Secret Santa every year. This year, your Secret Santa has gone all out in order to make you smile.
• Mistletoe & Magic: @/fortheloveofwonderland You’re a recovering addict and the holidays are the hardest time of year for you. So when you find yourself at an NA meeting on Christmas Eve with only one other participant, will you be able to rediscover the magic of Christmas and sobriety together?
~ More Below the Cut ~
• I Saw Mommy Kissing Uncle Spencer: @/fortheloveofwonderland It’s hard enough working full time at the BAU and being a single mom, but add a secret relationship into the mix and it’s down right exhausting. But secrets don’t stay secret long when a nosey six year old is on the hunt for Santa.
• Fairytale of DC: @/fortheloveofwonderland Spencer finds a strange woman sleeping in his car and he’s too nice to say anything. He doesn’t mind, until he has a date and needs his car. But he doesn’t want you to be out in the cold so he lets you stay in his apartment. Maybe the two of you can give each other the fairytale Christmas you both so desperately desire.
• I'll Give You My Love to Keep You Warm: @/fortheloveofwonderland When Spencer receives a frantic and frustrated phone call on Christmas Eve from the woman he’s secretly in love with, he will do just about anything to restore her faith in the holidays.
• Secret Santa: @alisonsfics The BAU does Secret Santa amongst the team.
• Christmas Confession: @spencerreidsmiles Spencer calls up his girlfriend while drunk only to confess he's in love with her.
• I'm Glad it's You: @homoose Spencer thinks he’s getting a lame re-gift because Reader forgot who gave them the gift. That is not the case. Based on the prompt: You gave me the present that I gave to YOU last year?
• Hot Cocoa: @motherjoel Spencer accidentally spills some of Penelope's famous hot cocoa onto a beautiful stranger in the airport (who just so happens to be sitting next to him on the plane).
• Cooking Up Some Magic: @homoose EWA verse Spencer helps reader make a Christmas dessert. Based on the prompt: You called me at two in the morning insisting that I come over and help you bake Christmas cookies for the party tomorrow because you forgot to make them earlier and now need help.
• Only a Minor Kidnapping: @writer-in-theory Reader needs a fiancé to spend the holidays with her family. Luckily, the cute stranger at the coffee shop seems gullible enough to lure to their winter cabin.
• A Holiday Cliche': @homoose Everyone notices how different you and Spencer act around each other.
• Santa Baby: @fortheloveofwonderland You’re running late for a Christmas party and Spencer is impatient. But when he sees you in that damn dress, the party is the last thing on his mind.
• 'Tis the Damn Season: @nostalgicmess The one where you go home for the holidays and meet up with your long distance booty call.
• Wrapped in Red: @zugzwangxo Spencer tells Reader he's in love with her after a heated kiss but she runs away scared. Will she be his present all wrapped up in red?
• Naughty or Nice?: @fortheloveofwonderland Your plan to surprise Spencer with your Christmas lingerie goes awry when the rest of the team show up. That’s one way for them to find out you’re dating, you suppose.
• Heart on My Sleeve: @foxy-eva Spencer is entranced by the look of Fem!Reader wearing the sweater he knit as a Christmas present.
• It's Too Cliche': @imagining-in-the-margins Reader and Spencer are the worst at friends with benefits. After an exchange of gifts & nasty words, the two reunite on a very eventful NYE.
• Santa's Gift: @/imagining-in-the-margins Reader asks her husband what he wants for Christmas.
Author’s Note: Here’s a little holiday Reid x Reader for you. If the holidays are a happy time, I hope whatever you celebrate is lovely and bright. If this is a difficult time of year for you, for whatever reason, know that you’re not alone. Hang in there, take care of yourself, and remember that it won’t always be this way. Lots of love to you all, and best wishes for a very happy holiday!
Despite the lights, the apartment doesn’t feel very festive. It feels quite the opposite. Lonely and quiet, strings of multicolored lights glowing softly all around the walls. The lights were his idea, last Christmas. The very first one they spent together. And yet, already it doesn’t feel right without him there.
“I hate Christmas,” she says.
Spencer raises his eyebrows, taken aback by her declaration. “Really? You threw a pumpkin carving party and made valentines for everyone you know. You took me to the most amazing Fourth of July fireworks show and you’ve held Friendsgivings for the last two years. You love holidays.”
“Not Christmas. I hate Christmas. I always have.” The bitterness in her voice rivals the chill in the air, and he takes a slow, deliberate sip of his coffee, trying to decide how to ask about it.
Summary: Based on the prompt: You’re in the hospital for the holidays so I came in while you were sleeping to decorate your room.
Pairing: Spencer Reid x gn!reader
Category: fluff, a lil tiny smidge of angst
Warnings/Includes: very brief mention of a case/injury
Word count: 876
a/n: A Very Moosey Ficmas Day 3! She’s a shorty today. Thank you for all the holiday love so far.
Series Masterlist
———
Spencer’s eyes had just barely fluttered open before he forced them shut again, squinting against the harsh fluorescent lighting. He swallowed and winced, his throat excruciatingly dry. He took a deep breath in, the unmistakable antiseptic smell of the hospital filling his nose.
His mind was fuzzy, but he remembered bits and pieces; a fairly open and shut case, approaching the rural location, the creaking of the barn door, the feeling of floating through the air, the silence, and then… nothing. He was strangely grateful for the pain panging throughout his body, a welcome indication that he was still alive.
There was a low ringing in his ears and the rhythmic beep of the monitor. Then he heard it— the soft instrumental, followed by the warm tenor of Nat King Cole, and finally, the familiar humming. He’d know that sweet tone anywhere.
Summary: Just twelve lil fics because moose loves the holidays.
Pairings: various!
Category: fluff
Warnings/Includes: none
a/n: Gahhhh I’ve only ever written Spencer, so I hope this doesn’t turn out like total garbage lmao. I love the holidays and i love holiday fic!!!! They’ll all be blurbs/drabbles except for day 12, which is the TMSIDK xmas fic.
A/N: A request from @writingsofanintroverteddreamer for a Spencer x Reader for where they are watching the stars on Christmas night and Spencer starts rambling about his love of stars and they end up kissing. FLUFF! @coveofmemories
———————–
This time last year, you couldn’t have imagined a better scenario. Instead of wondering where your now ex-boyfriend was, you knew where your current one was - standing right behind you with his arms around your waist and his head nestled in the crook of your neck. Spencer had only been your boyfriend for about six months and you’d already fallen head over heels, so much so, that the month before you had moved into his apartment and were now spending Christmas together. The day had begun with breakfast in bed, opening presents and skating at the local rink. After returning home, you had hot cocoa, sat in bed and watched a movie and were now staring at the stars.
Although it was cold outside, he’d suggested going up to the roof to look at the stars. “They’re much brighter this time of year,” he noted, lightly grabbing your hand after you’d both put on coats, gloves and hats. As you walked your way up to the roof, bracing yourself for the oncoming cold, you asked him why. “Why are the stars brighter this time of year?”
He smiled softly, gripping your hand just a bit tighter. He was grateful for and loved the fact that you were genuinely interested in his random bits of information about anything from Dr. Who and medieval times to the psychology of adolescents and the stars in the sky. “It’s partially because during our winter months, the plant is aimed towards the spiral arm of the galaxy to which our sun belongs. Our summer months make the sky look hazy, so the stars aren’t as clear as they are now.”
Once you were out on the rooftop, you immediately folded your arms around yourself. It was freezing out. But Spencer, wrapped his arms around you, sharing his body heat with you and distracting your with more facts about the stars above. He mumbled into your neck, peppering it with kisses in between each sentence. “The colors of the stars depend on wavelengths of light,” he said, the string of kisses leaving a trail of warmth. “The highest-energy, shortest wavelengths are blue and violet light which are emitted by the hottest materials and the lowest-energy, longer wavelength red and oranges are emitted by cooler gases. White stars, which are pretty much all the ones we can see right now, are an even balance between the two.”
You snuggled back into him, grasping his hands and wrapping them tighter around you. He was definitely keeping you warm. Turning toward him, you pressed a light kiss to his lips. “Tell me more about the stars,” you said, lightly grazing your gloved hand against his cheek. It was somehow comforting to know you occupied such a small space in the middle of the galaxy. You returned your gaze to the sky as he continued to educate you on the vastness above.
“There are 88 constellations in the sky,” he said, pulling your hair back from your neck, so he could kiss you there. “There are eight that can be easily seen during December though,” he continued pointing upward. “Aries, Cetus, or The Sea Monster, Fornax, which looks like a tipsy diamond, Horologium, or The Pendulum Clock, Hydrus, Perseus, Triangulum and finally Eridanus, or The River.” He stopped himself, slightly embarrassed at the speed at which he was speaking.
You leaned on the ledge of the rooftop, pulling Spencer closer to you. “What’s your favorite constellation?”
“Lyra,” he said without hesitation. He was only getting used to the fact that you didn’t get annoyed at his breadth of knowledge. “But only because it contains the fifth brightest star in the galaxy, Vega.” You kissed him again, silently waiting for him to continue. “There’s a story about Vega from Japan that I’ve come to really enjoy over the past couple of months,” he said, kissing the soft spot underneath your ear. “In Japan, Vega is sometimes referred to as Tanabata, whose a celestial princess. She falls in love with a mortal named Kengyu, but when her father finds out, he refuses to let them see each other. They are placed in the sky so that can’t be together and are separated by the Milky Way. The gods in the sky are kind though,” he insists, seeing the saddened look on your face. “On the seventh night of the seventh moon, a bridge of magpies forms across the Milky Way so that they can see each other.”
“I like that story,” you said, turning around to face him. “So you’ve started to like that one in the past few months?” you asked, raising your eyebrow, knowing exactly why.
“Yea, my love of the stars has been pretty recent too. I’ve always loved space, but the stars specifically are more recent,” he said, looking up.
“Really?”
“Yea,” he said, bringing your lips to his for a short kiss that wasn’t nearly enough. “When we first met, you were outside the coffee shop looking up at the stars and I wanted to impress you, so after I asked you out, I started learning about them.”
“You learned all this for me?” you asked.
“Yea,” he said, blushing at the admission.
You had never imagined being the first to say it, but it felt so right in this moment. “I love you, Spencer.” You tightened your arms around his neck, slipping your tongue gingerly into his mouth. Slowly, you pulled away, the heat between you thick enough to cut with a knife.
He met your gaze and immediately pulled you back in for another bone-melting kiss. “I love you, too, Y/N,” he mumbled against your lips. “Should we go inside before we freeze?”
“I think so,” you replied, noticing despite the heat between you that you were still cold. “I also think we should put some stars on the ceiling above the bed, that way we can look at them whenever we want.”
“I’d love that,” he said, turning around to take one last look. “Even if I don’t have the stars to look at at night, all I need is you.”
Summary: Milburn Correctional Facility is a tough place to find hope in. But when Spencer Reid stumbles upon a GED class, led by a teacher with kind words and a smile that breaks through the dark, he thinks it might not be so hopeless after all.
Spencer Reid x Reader. Set in Season 12. Prison!Reid
Content Warnings for discussion of prison/incarceration, correctional conditions, abuse, etc. Note that this story will feature a lot of real-life prison things. Reid and other characters may at times speak in a derogatory or judgmental manner regarding incarcerated folks, but those statements do not reflect my personal views (xoxo, your friendly neighborhood abolitionist fanfic writer).
STORY
Part I: In which Spencer Reid stumbles upon a GED class at Milburn and feels something like hope for the first time in weeks.
Part II: In which the Reader tries not to lecture Spencer before the lecture, and Spencer gets a nickname.
Part III: In which Spencer gets a visitor and the Reader’s kindness is repaid with a surprise connection.
Part IV: In which Spencer finds sugar bittersweet, and the Reader finds the same sentiment in her work when a student is hurt.
Part V: In which nothing is beautiful and everything hurts.
Part VI: In which Reid and the Reader both find themselves at the center of problems they just can’t fix… and the stakes are higher than ever.
Part VII: In which Reid finds himself in solitary confinement, and the Reader is simply trying to find him.
Part VIII: In which being free is harder than Reid expected and the Reader has an unexpected reunion.
Part IX: In which Reid realizes he might not be the only one falling, and the Reader has an important question to answer.
Part X: ✨✨ In which some statements are only true for so long, and Reid and the Reader get closer and… closer.
Part XI: In which Reid and the Reader finally say what needs to be said, and the Reader finds she has something in common with the BAU. aka, The End.
Epilogue: In which Spencer invites the Reader to make a move and the Reader starts a new chapter.
Author’s Note: Just a fall-centric one-shot that ended up being a bit longer than expected. Spencer Reid x Reader; they finally have a chance to spend their first autumn together, but the leaves aren’t the only thing changing when he stops spending time with her.
Everything changes in autumn. The world sheds its conforming green hues in exchange for a festival of warm shades, and a comfortable chill creeps into the air. She has always loved fall, and she’s delighted to get to share it with him. They began dating in the spring, when everything was beginning, a season full of flowers and fresh grass and walks through the park. They had their hot summer of ice cream and outdoor concerts and seeking air-conditioned museums. Now, there’s a whole new season to share with Spencer.
The moment September arrives she’s giddy with the possibilities. When the bookstore she works at falls into a lull, she opens up her notebook to scribble down ideas for dates and fun things they can do together. She knows that fall is his favorite season, and she wants to show him that she loves it, too. And she loves him.
Oh, she really loves him. He’d been frequenting the shop, and after a handful of chats about books and words and writers they loved, and one long conversation over coffee while he waited for a particular book he’d ordered to be delivered, she found herself falling for him faster than the leaves spiraling outside the window. Those hazel eyes, that uneven smile, the way his face lit up when he told her a story – she just couldn’t help it. She was drawn to him. And somehow, he felt the same way about her.
When the weekend comes around, she drives them both to an orchard outside of the district. The air is getting cooler and she’s bundled up in a knitted sweater while he’s wearing a flannel and cardigan.
“I’ve never been apple picking before,” he admits as they walk up and down the rows, swinging the basket in his hands.
“Well, tall as you are, I think you’ll be a natural,” she laughs. “You just want to make sure they’re ripe for picking. You know, like at the grocery store.” He gives her a bashful look, and she rolls her eyes in mock exasperation. “Right – I forgot. My boyfriend, the genius, forgets to eat fruits and vegetables.”
In defense, he says, “I don’t forget! I just don’t like them!”
“Okay, well today we’re going to get some natural sugar into your diet.” Y/N points up at the trees. “The ones furthest from the trunk usually ripen first, so start there. We want to find apples that are firm to the touch and relatively bruise-free. They’ll be a little darker in color.”
Spencer stares at the menagerie of fruit hanging above them, his eyes inspecting each one closely. Finally, he reaches up and presses the tips of his fingers to a bright red apple. It’s too high up for her to reach, but he hardly has to try.
“Just like that,” she tells him. “Now, gently grasp it using the palm of your hand rather than your fingers. The pressure from your fingers can bruise it. Then gently pull upwards and twist. That’ll help keep the stem on which means it can last longer.”
He does exactly as she says, pulling the apple off in one fluid motion. His hands are so graceful, long fingers curving around the fruit. It always surprises her, how elegant his hands are. He plays a piano and holds a pen with such grace, and yet the rest of his body is so uncoordinated. As he turns to hand her the apple, he trips over his own feet, and she tries not to laugh as he regains his balance.
Fighting a blush, he holds the apple out to her. “Did you know the apple is a member of the rose family?” he asks.
“I didn’t. Does that mean you can bring me fruit instead of flowers?”
“Whatever your heart desires,” he says, grinning. The bright red fruit is placed into the basket she holds. Spencer leans in a little closer to her. “Did I do that right? Holding it gently with my palm?” He raises a hand and cups her cheek with the lightest of pressure, his fingers just barely brushing against her jaw. Despite the cool air, she feels quite warm under his touch.
“You were perfect,” she tells him, and at that he leans in and kisses her forehead.
“Come on then, let’s go pick some more.” They spend the whole day running around the orchard in search of the perfect apples. He grabs ripe fruit with ease, and she scares him by climbing perilously high in the trees in an attempt to collect some of her own. In the end, they leave with a bountiful harvest and a cup of hot cider each. Walking back to his car, she can’t help but think that there’s nobody else she wants to share this season with.
And for a few weeks, everything is lovely. They run through leaves in the park, and she teaches him how to make pumpkin bread, and he shows her The Cabinet of Dr. Calgari in a makeshift blanket fort in his apartment. But it doesn’t last.
The leaves change. And then they change. By early October he’s cancelling dinner plans with her and telling her he doesn’t have time for their usual weekend dates. She sees less and less of him, and as the months get colder, her heart feels a lack of warmth as well. She misses him acutely, his rambling explanations of why the leaves change colors, and his smile brightening her day through the autumn fog. What has changed? Perhaps like the birds, he’s decided he wants to be somewhere else. Maybe she was only good for him in the summer, and he’s realized it was only the sunlight that made her seem bright. Is she duller now, the like the fallen leaves slowly turning brown?
But she’s not ready to say goodbye yet, not to the man who has become as comforting as her favorite sweater. When they first met, he wouldn’t even shake her hand. Now, he wraps her in hugs that blanket her with a feeling of safety and the smell of coffee that always clings to his clothes.
She doesn’t know how she could possibly face the winter alone when he’s turned her world into a wonderland. Sneaking love notes into drawers around her apartment when he’ll be away. Calling her because he just read the most amazing book and he knows she’ll love it. Lying beside her on the couch and talking through his last case with her. He trusts her with all the words he can’t hold on his own, and she knows she could tell him anything and he’d listen.
She’s not ready for this kind of change. The loneliness would be overwhelming without him in her life. Is this how trees feel when the seasons change? They lose their most colorful companions and must weather the worst of the world alone. How on earth can they stand it, to realize life can be made so bright, and then lose that source of joy?
As the quiet days go by, she retreats into her work, bracing herself for the worst. On a Friday, after two days of no communication from him, she wonders if the Halloween spirit has come early and he’s decided to ghost her. But he appears outside the door of her apartment in the flesh, and her heart sinks. Of course, it’s not like him to just vanish. He’d want to be polite, break up with her like a gentleman.
She trudges down the hallway, and sighs. “Okay, let’s just get this over with.” Maybe it’ll be easier if it’s quick, like ripping off a band-aid.
Spencer frowns. “What do you mean?”
Kicking the floor with her boot, she says, “I haven’t seen you in almost a week. Whenever I try to make plans with you, you say you’re busy. You don’t even call anymore. So you’re here to break up with me, right?”
His mouth falls open in silent shock. It takes him a few seconds to recover his composure before exclaiming, “No! No, absolutely not! I-” When he notices her looking at him with sad eyes, he stops suddenly, and then groans. “Oh no. This is all my fault. I’ve upset you haven’t I?” Spencer crosses his arms tight, an anxious habit of his. This behavior lets her drop her guard ever so slightly.
“I figured you didn’t want to see me anymore. Why else would you start avoiding me?”
“Oh, Y/N, no, I haven’t been avoiding you! I… I wanted to surprise you,” he explains, his voice jumping higher in his panic. “I haven’t been around because I’ve been doing more work at the office. I – can we go inside, so I can explain?”
“You’re not breaking up with me?” she clarifies.
“No, I – please, just let me explain.” Still wary, she lets him in, and they sit down at her kitchen table.
“Last month, when we were on that case in New Mexico, there was a victim who had been planning a big vacation with her boyfriend. He was devastated because she’d wanted to take that trip with him for years, but they kept putting it off because their work kept getting in the way. She had been so excited but they couldn’t make time for it. And well, my job is dangerous, and I started thinking about all the things I want to do that I’ve been putting off because of work, and the first thing I realized was that I want to spend more time with you. I haven’t had nearly enough time with you.”
Her expression softens as he tells her this. So she’s read it all wrong? He’s not avoiding her. So why has he been absent?
“I love Halloween and everything autumn, and I know you do too. I wanted to be able to really celebrate it with you – to do everything you want to do. So I asked Emily if I could take my mandatory sabbatical a little early to enjoy most of October, and she agreed as long as I got ahead on work. That’s why I kept cancelling and forgetting to call. I’ve been doing so much for the BAU so that I could get ahead and surprise you.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I guess I should have told you though – now I’ve made you worry, and I didn’t want to upset you. It was supposed to be a nice surprise. I’m sorry, Y/N.”
“No, it’s okay,” she says. “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions! It’s a wonderful surprise, really. I don’t know what to say – I mean, almost a whole month together? No cases, no sudden flights?”
“No interruptions,” he promises. “We can do everything. Harry Potter marathons, pumpkin patches, haunted houses. I don’t want the best things in life to pass me by while I’m at the office. There will always be work. There will always be cases. But I want you – I need you to know that I love you, and that I want you in my life.”
Heart on the verge of bursting, she moves from her chair to wrap her arms around his neck, holding him close. “I love you, too.” So she isn’t losing him. He won’t fall away and vanish. This love she feels is not dying. What felt like an ending is just a new beginning.
How lucky is she, to have a love like this? It appears their communication could use some work, but their hearts are in the right place. And for once, they will be too, for a whole month.
“Oh, but you should grab your favorite sweater,” he tells her. “We’re going to a corn maze today.” Breaking away, she hurries off to her room and returns in a few seconds ready for a new autumn adventure with him.
“Wait a minute,” he says, eyeing her. “Isn’t that one of my sweaters? How did you get that?”
“You left it here after we watched Ghostbusters last month.”
“And it’s your favorite now?”
“Almost,” she says. “You’re my favorite.” She stands on her toes to give him a quick peck on the lips.
Omg you made me so happy with that story of Eliza, now I know this is a stretch but can we get a update on Halloween where you left off with them going trick or treating with everyone🥺🙈 ?
Ask and you shall receive, anon! I really never get tired of writing Spencer and Bianca, and I really didn’t give myself the space to explore what their lives as parents would look like so it was fun to to take that a little further with this one! Here’s just some pure domestic Halloween fluff.
----
They arrived at JJ’s house just as the sun was beginning to paint the autumn sky golden. Before the door had even opened, they could hear Henry shout, “Mom! They’re here!” Seconds later it swung open, and Henry, dressed in red, white, and blue, greeted them with a grin. “Hi Uncle Spence! Hi Aunt Bianca!” He gave each of them a quick hug. “Wow, you brought a tiger!”
“It’s me!” Eliza said, giggling. Henry pretended to be shocked as she threw her arms around them.
“Let me guess… Captain America, right?” Spencer asked as they stepped inside.
“Yeah, he’s my favorite superhero!” Henry’s excitement faltered for a moment and he straightened up a little taller. “I mean, I know I’m kind of old to go trick-or-treating, but I promised Michael I’d come.”
“Henry, if I have taught you anything you should know by now that you’re never too old for Halloween,” Spencer replied.
His words brought a smile back to Henry’s face and he said, “Wait till you see my shield! I painted it all by myself!”
The inside of the LaMontagne-Jareau househould was already bustling. JJ, dressed as Black Widow, was finishing Michael’s Hulk-green face paint. Hotch and Jack had moved back to the DC area two years earlier, and Garcia was excitedly talking to Jack and his girlfriend Mabel. The two teens had donned the costumes of Ben Solo and Rey from Star Wars, while the BAU’s former tech wizard wore a bright pink dress and golden crown as Princess Peach. Hotch and Beth, masquerading as Han Solo and Princess Leia, were being regaled by one of Rossi’s stories while Krystall laughed. Rossi’s suit and tie didn’t quite make sense as a costume until Bianca realized that Krystall’s white dress and curled hair made her Marilyn Monroe, and Rossi must have been JFK.
“It’s about time you showed up Pretty Boy!” Morgan quickly cut through the room to make his way to them, ruffling Spencer’s hair. “And my favorite little lady,” he said, embracing Bianca. Then squatting down to Eliza’s height, “And littlest lady, too, Miss Eliza Lou!”
He lifted Elizabeth up into his arms. “Why do you have hair Uncle Derek?” she asked, pointing to Morgan’s head.
“Because zombie Michael Jackson has hair in the “Thriller” music video,” he replied, as though that context meant anything to a five year old. “And that’s who I’m dressed as for Halloween.”
“You look funny with hair,” the little girl replied.
Morgan put his free hand over his chest, and feigned melodramatic offense. “Oh, ouch! You wound me, Eliza Lou!” Eliza giggled as her godfather set her back on the ground. “Now what exactly are you two supposed to be?” he asked, gesturing between Spencer and Bianca.
Spencer wore a red zippered sweater with a tie and blue Converse, while Bianca had on a floral pink 70’s style prairie dress. “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood,” Spencer replied.
When Morgan just raised an eyebrow, Bianca said, “Mr. Rogers and Lady Aberlin, from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood!”
“You see,” Reid explained, “Elizabeth had her heart set on being a tiger, so we tried to come up with costumes that could go along with it. And Fred Rogers used a number of puppets on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood to help act out situations of learning and vulnerability in healthy ways, one of which was Daniel Striped Tiger who was the most recognizable from the show. It’s actually funny, the tiger puppet was a gift to Mr. Rogers the night before the very first episode was s-”
“I get it,” Morgan said, holding up a hand. “I’ll read the Wikipedia article later, I promise.”
“Oh come on now, babe, I think it’s cute.” Savannah appeared beside her husband, linking her arm with his. “It’s good to see you two.” She still wore nurse’s scrubs and had a stethoscope around her neck.
“Did you just come from work?” Bianca asked. Savannah and Morgan’s daughter, Ainslie, had just turned one and Savannah had gone back to full-time shifts at the hospital.
Savannah laughed, shaking her head. “Thank god, no. Hank wanted to be a zombie, so Derek came up with the idea of going as “Thriller” MJ to match. I figured if it’s the zombie apocalypse in our household, I might as well be the nurse on the frontlines trying to fight them off.”
“Uh oh,” Morgan said. “I don’t know how long you’ll last out there. The zombies are pretty handsome, I hear.” He kissed her cheek as she rolled her eyes. Turning back to the Reids, he asked, “So are we ready to take on trick or treating?”
Bianca winked. “Well Spencer here was born ready, and I think that after seven Halloweens together I’ve learned a thing or two.” The four of them had been chosen as the designated chaperones for the kid’s festivities while the rest of the adults finished up a Halloween feast at the house. Once all the kids were accounted for and everyone had a pillowcase in hand, they set out into the DC streets in search of spooks and sweets.
Spencer’s boundless enthusiasm was contagious, spreading even to Jack who seemed torn between being excited about Halloween and trying to look cool in front of Mabel. But once it became clear Mabel was into the scary stories Spencer told while they walked, Hotch’s son visibly relaxed. It was a good group of kids – at every house Henry, Jack, and Mabel made sure that Michael, Hank, and Eliza got candy first, and a chorus of thank you!s followed them from doorstep to doorstep.
Spencer’s delight for the present was carrying over to the future. “When she’s a little older,” he was saying, “we can go to a haunted house or two. Maybe even a haunted corn maze. And we can watch a midnight scary movie screening and she’ll be able to carve her own pumpkins!” Bianca laughed and he glanced her way, bashful. “What?”
“I just love seeing you excited about this,” she said. His eyes always lit up in a way that made her heart skip a beat after all this time. “And thinking about all the holidays we’re going to have together and how we’ll get to make all these new traditions as she grows up.”
Spencer stopped suddenly on the sidewalk and before she could react he was hugging her close. The fabric of his sweater was soft against her cheek. “What was that for?” she asked him, looking up, her arms still wrapped around his waist.
“I wouldn’t be doing any of this without you,” he said. “I would probably still be at the BAU. I wouldn’t have anything worth leaving for. I wouldn’t have someone I get excited about growing old with. But I have a home because I have you. I have a home and someone who will plan obscure Halloween costumes with me and I have a daughter and it’s all because I fell in love with you. Because you loved me.”
“And because you loved me,” she echoed. She wouldn’t have wanted it with anyone else. He was the only person who made her feel safe enough to trust him with every part of her. He made her feel brave enough to take on the world and to start a family. When nothing else made sense, he was there to anchor her with a warm embrace and all the words she needed to hear and promises to stay. He knew her better than she knew herself. Bianca stood on her toes to kiss him sweetly, not caring that there were people all around them.
“When you two are done being all lovey-dovey,” Morgan called, “we’ve still got one more block to hit.”
“Lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey!” Eliza sang, skipping beside them. Spencer smiled and kissed Bianca’s forehead as he interlaced his fingers through hers with one hand and reached down to hold their daughter’s hand with the other. When the final houses had been visited, they descended upon the LaMontagne-Jareau household once more, with pillowcases full of candy.
During their absence, more familiar faces had appeared at the house. Prentiss and Mendoza were drinking wine with Rossi in the living room and Luke, dressed as Mario, had his arm around Penelope while they talked with three of the newer BAU members.
“Aunt Alex!” Eliza’s bag of candy was temporarily forgotten as she ran to hug Alex Blake who was at the kitchen table with JJ, Will, and her husband James.
“Why Elizabeth,” she said, “aren’t you the most ferocious tiger I’ve ever seen?”
“I’ve been practicing!” Eliza replied. She furrowed her eyebrows and held her hands up by her face like claws. “Rarr!” Her godmother gave her around of applause for her performance, happily doting on her while everyone gathered around the table for dinner.
It was warm and inviting in the living room, feeling every bit like a cheerful Thanksgiving dinner except for the costumes and the spooky decorations. There was plenty to be discussed, whether it was Emily’s new position as Director of the Bureau or the book Rossi and Matt had just published. The Simmons clan were the only ones absent, their children having made plans already to spend Halloween with their friends in their own neighborhood. Bianca felt right at home among the people who had come to feel as much her family as they were Spencer’s. She swapped stories of international travels with Alex and James and was delighted to talk to Tara and her girlfriend, Elena. The two women were dressed as Cinderella and Prince Charming, and she had to admit that Tara could certainly pull off a suit. When Penelope begged Morgan for a chance to babysit Hank and Ainslie soon and Rossi said, “You know you could just have some of your own,” she and Luke both turned red.
“Hey now,” Luke said. “We’re just trying to get through the wedding first, okay?”
“Yeah, you never know, I could still change my mind,” Garcia teased, elbowing her fiancé.
“You say that at least once a month,” Luke laughed. “But I don’t think we can get our deposit back on the venue at this point, so it looks like you’re stuck with me.”
There was enough food and to go around, and a generous amount of libations courtesy of David Rossi. Bianca’s contribution was an array of desserts – pumpkin cheesecake, salted caramel brownies, and chocolate cupcakes with vampire fangs and raspberry filling – that were immediate hits, and Spencer’s contribution was agreeing not to consume them before the party. After dinner the kids went down to the basement to watch Hocus Pocus, Jack and Henry promising they’d look after everyone, while the adults settled into the living room.
“Eliza,” Bianca called. “How about you pick out a few pieces of candy for now, and we’ll keep the rest up here so you can have some later, okay?” The little girl was about to follow her cousins downstairs with her whole bag of sugary treasures. “If you eat too much candy at once you’ll get a bellyache.”
Eliza considered this, then nodded. “Okay, mama.” She dug through the pillowcase, choosing a few treats, then handed the bag back to her mother asking, “But how come daddy gets to?” She pointed to Spencer who sat on the floor of the living room, gorging himself on a plate of sweets. He looked up sheepishly, caught red-handed about to take a bite of oversized brownie.
“It’s because I’m old enough to anticipate the consequences of my actions,” he said. “I know when to stop before I feel sick.”
“You go have fun with your cousins, okay?” Bianca said, giving her daughter a quick hug before watching the tail of the tiger costume vanish the stairs. She sat down next to Spencer, shaking her head. “You’re such a bad liar,” she laughed. “You’ll be complaining all night that you feel awful.”
He shrugged. “What can I say? I just can’t help myself around something sweet.” Spencer put his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap, leaning in to kiss her. “See?”
She smiled. “You’re lucky, Mr. Rogers, that I like you just the way you are. Insatiable sweet tooth and all.”
Spencer grinned. “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” Mimicking the song from the old children’s show, he sang, “Would you be mine? Could you be mine?”
“You know what my answer is,” she said. She let her head fall against his shoulder. Nestled close in his embrace, she sat listening to the BAU recount stories of the glory days and valiant acts of the past. Spencer traced circles on the back of her hand, resting his cheek against the top of her head with a sigh of contentment, and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was – that there was a relief in knowing that the monsters were in only in their yesterdays and nightmares. That there was no danger waiting around the corner for him anymore. Nothing to steal him away too soon. There were endless tomorrows stretching out ahead of them, but for now they could reminisce with the family that had been built by that shared past. And Bianca could think of few sweeter treats than that.
Reid and Max celebrate their first Halloween together.
He can’t help but smile with her by his side. Everything is better with her, even Halloween. He spent the afternoon helping her hand out candy for the museum’s Halloween celebration, and now she twines her fingers through his as he knocks on Rossi’s door. The older agent answers, wearing a suit with a red rose in his lapel.
“I’m gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse,” Rossi says, gesturing inside. “Come in and join the party.”
“Vito Corleone, I love it!” Max says. Reid looks at her perplexed. “The Godfather?” she hints. “Really? Oh, we’re gonna have to have another movie date.”
“At least your girlfriend has taste,” Rossi teases, welcoming them both with hugs. Inside is a whimsical array of food, desserts, and drinks. The whole extended BAU family is present - Henry and Michael are running around in Spider-Man costumes, Garcia and Luke are dressed as Rey and Kylo Ren, and the Simmons clan seems to have covered almost every character from Stranger Things, with Rosemary as a baby Eleven.
Morgan finds them from across the room, dressed in a baby blue suit with a large gold necklace. “Okay, what on earth are you two supposed to be?” he asks, grinning. Reid wears a suit with an ascot tied in a bow and fake mustache. Max has a black dress and a feather boa, winged eyeliner, and headpiece covered in black feathers.
“Nevermore,” Max says.
“I still don’t get it.”
“Edgar Allen Poe,” Reid replies, as though it should be obvious, gesturing to himself then to Max, “and ‘The Raven.’”
“I didn’t realize I needed to brush up on my 17th century literature before coming,” Morgan laughs. Reid starts to correct him but is interrupted by the arrival of Savannah.
“Oh, don’t tease babe, it’s cute,” she says, punching his arm playfully. She wears a matching suit that’s bright pink, donning a long wavy wig and a diamond necklace.
“Well thanks,” Max answers. “You two make a fantastic Mr. and Mrs. Carter. I’m Max, by the way.”
“Savannah Morgan, it’s nice to finally meet you.” The two exchange cheerful small talk while Morgan and Reid catch up. It’s not the first time that night they have to explain their costume - not everyone shares their love for poetry, though Garcia and Tara identify it right away. There is plenty of merriment and laughter and sweets to make the night a wonderful reverie. They carve pumpkins and he and Garcia narrate a dramatic spooky story with gorgeous props and decorations Max has supplied.
As Rossi tries to get Hocus Pocus started downstairs in his home theatre (because of course he has a home theatre), he finds Max in the kitchen stocking up on popcorn. “Does it ever bother you?” he asks.
“Does what bother me?”
“That there’s so many things I don’t know. I don’t keep up with pop culture, I miss social cues, I’m weird.” He hasn’t missed the fact that Max makes sense of everyone’s costume and seems to navigate a party of people he’s known for years with an ease that took him ages to find.
“So you don’t watch hours of Netflix. That doesn’t bother me a bit. You know the things that matter. Like all my favorite artists, and how to make kids smile with an amazing story like the one you two just told.” Max takes his hand and places it on her chest. The silky fabric of her dress is slippery beneath his palm. He can feel her heartbeat quicken as she does so, though the rate of her pulse is nearly drowned out by the thundering sound of his own.
“Listen to my “Tell-Tale Heart,”” she says, smiling up at him. “I could never love anyone more.”
He grins in spite of himself. “Nor, I,” he replies. “Nevermore.” He leans in to kiss her, carefully dodging the feathers on her headpiece.
“Hey lovebirds!” Will’s voice startles them apart. “Are you gonna come watch the movie or should we just leave you alone up here?”
Logging in and reblogging some fall/Halloween fics for you!! Grad school has kept kicking my butt so I doubt I'll have time to write anything new in the near future, but here's a little trip down memory lane :')
Words and Wonders @brywrites - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
