I just love canon divergence and weird time skipping. What if Hotch and Reid went to the same high school?
They’re at the same grade, soon to graduate, but Aaron is 18 and Spencer just 14. Spencer knew Aaron Hotchner was tall, dark, handsome, the eldest child from a south Virginian family, going to gwu law after graduation, and was dating Haley Brooks, the stunning blonde - she’s the same age as Aaron and what a pair, they say. That’s basically everything Spencer Reid could know about Aaron Hotchner, namely everything publicly known. But he also had something to add, not big, just anecdotes. One time Aaron had saved him from the locked storage room and another time he had escorted him home - Aaron was old enough to get his driver’s license. Haley was on the passenger seat, cursing his bullies with words Spencer had never imagined coming from a fair lady like her. The couple had dropped him at home and kindly turned down the invitation for tea. Thank god they had done that: Diana hadn’t been very stable, to say at best, that day. Spencer had stood by the window seeing them away, holding hands, the silhouettes fading into the melting golden glow.
That’s his secret. About Aaron, about being saved by the student council president from the storage room. About him being grateful to Haley and at the same time he wished she wasn’t in that car. About sneaking into the theatre and watching Aaron play Hamlet, Othello and Julius Caesar, plays Spencer could recite from alpha to omega. He felt like Brutus, but instead of earning that famous quote, he’d rather stab himself.
So when Aaron asked Spencer whether he wanted to be his prom partner, Spencer thought he was dreaming.
- She’ll take someone else. Wait, do you have a partner already? Sorry I should’ve asked first -
- No! I mean, I don’t. And I’d love to go with you.
But it turned out that Haley invited another bullied girl. Spencer couldn’t help but thought he was just part of the couple’s kindness and he felt terrible. When Aaron asked him what’s wrong, Spencer almost shook off his hand.
I feel sick, I’m sorry, I have to go, have fun, thank you for your invitation, and thanks to Haley too, Aaron.
Aaron. That was the last word Spencer said to him, before running away to California. He spent years there, got 4 phds, and is now heading to DC for a new job. He’s never going back to that small town full of bittersweet memories. He wouldn’t have been so impolite if he hadn’t been so stupidly desperately in love with Aaron Hotchner.
Jason Gideon, his recruiter, is going to introduce him to the unit chief, his new boss. Jason pushes the door open and is saying: “Aaron, remember the young genius I - ”
And there he is. Tall, dark, handsome as hell, with no wedding ring on his finger.
“Aaron,” is the first word Spencer says to him.