summary: you became best friends when both of you needed it the most. life circumstances separeted you, but once again, destiny reunites you.
genre: fluff, angst, comfort.
word count: 1698
warnings: NOT TOTALLY PROOF READ. at the very beginning the characters are underage. besides that, i think there arenât other warnings. please let me know if i'm missing one :)
note: hi! i'm @evanpetersmybf but different haha. i've been wanting to write for my spence and i finally had the chance to. i love him. i'm trying my best to keep him on character! also, sorry if there are any mistakes, english isn't my first language. i hope you enjoy it!
1998.
A tiny spark of sunshine peeked through the clouds. It was winter, and even though the sun was out, the air was cold as expected. Every exhale left a white trail dissolving in the icy breeze. Because of this, the park didnât have many visitors, only some couples, a few families, and Spencer.
He loved the weather and the atmosphere. The peace of the calm environment felt comforting. Being surrounded by nature was simply beautiful; the way the leaves swayed, the sensation of the wind hitting his face and reddening his nose, the feeling of having a moment for himself was wonderful. His hands were shoved in his pants pockets as he walked down the pavement. The boy was probably freezing, but he didnât careâit was such a nice day and he wanted to spend some time alone.
He clearly needed a break. For a long time, he had been taking care of his mother. He deeply loved her, without question. Much of what he knew, he owed to her, but being her caregiver from a young age had taken its toll, more than he would like to admit.
After walking for about ten minutes, he sat on a wooden bench in front of a frozen lake. Just when he was about to relax, someone took a seat next to him.
âSuch a pretty noon, right?â
Spencer was startled by the way you broke the ice. He never expected that someone would sit right next to him out of nowhere, especially a complete stranger. He pressed her lips together and looked around. Perhaps you were talking to someone else, although when he saw no one nearby, his eyes landed on you. Torn between deciding whether to respond or not, he finally muttered a reply.
âSure. itâs mesmerizingâ.
Seconds passed as you pulled out a small notebook and a pencil. You began sketching the landscape while you hummed a song: Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson.
The manâs face showed an expression of doubt and curiosity. Why did you seem so comfortable sitting with a random person?
âIâm not trying to be rude, but do I know you?â As he spoke those words, his fingers were fidgeting with the sleeves of his sweater. He was nervous. What if you were a bully? Or even worse, a thief?
âNope, we donât know each other. But you seemed cool⊠And this is the best view of the lake. I needed it for my drawingâ. You put down the pencil and faced Reid, giving him the sweetest grin you could. âDonât worry, Iâm almost done. And Iâm sorry if I made yaâ uncomfortableâ.
Spencer shook his head and his lips formed a small yet sincere smile. âItâs okayâ.
Later, when you finished your art, you turned the page and sighed. âCan I draw you?â
Once again, he was flabbergasted by something related to you. It was weird for him to experience kindness or attention like this. After years of bullying, he wasnât used to spending time with people his age. His Adamâs apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously. Eventually, he nodded.
You wasted no time and soon you made an accurate Spencerâs portrait. When you were done, you handed it to him. âIâm Y/N, by the way. Nice to meet you! Youâre a great modelâ.
Reluctantly, Spencer took the paper with his slender fingers, his eyes fixed on the precious gift. He couldnât believe someone had been friendly towards him. Usually, people mocked him for his appearance, his lack of social skills, and other quirks he had.
âDid you know paper was created in ancient China in 105 A.C.?â He was going to continue rambling, but quickly stopped, raising his hand as if to halt himself. âI⊠Iâm sorry, sometimes I ramble. Iâm Spencer. Thank you⊠For the drawing. Itâs amazingâ.
âWhy are you apologizing? Itâs always great to learn something new!â
The way you sounded so cheerful, so gentile, warmed his heart. People usually rolled their eyes and asked him to stop when he rambled, but you didnât. This was new. So new that he didnât even know how to react.
Nevertheless, you kept talking, and he kept listening, replying when you asked and when he had anything to say, and including some curious facts when he had the chance. Hours went by and you shared more about each other. You discovered that you were both seventeen, that he loved classical music and soap operas, that he graduated high school at twelve, and that he adored Doctor Who, Star Wars, and Star Trek. And that was the beginning of a beautiful friendshipâa bond neither of you expected but both desperately needed.
To Spencer, you were an angel, an oasis in the desert, a warm blanket in winter and a refreshing lemonade in summer. He knew that he could count on you and made sure you knew you could count on him as well.
1999.
After four months of knowing each other, sometimes, he went to your place when he felt more lonely than usual; when it happened, heâd spend the night at your house as if it were a sleepover, or at least thatâs how you used to call it.
Your sleepovers consisted of listening to music: The Beatles, Michael Jackson, ABBA, Queen, The Cardigans, Bonnie Tyler, Kate Bush, The Police, among others. It also included reading a book or tackling school topics you struggled withâSpencer was your human encyclopedia.
During one of those spring nights, you and Spencer were on the sofa watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch, your pick for the evening.
âOww, Salem is so cute. I wish I had a catâ. You said wistfully.
âDid you know that if a cat owner were to die at home and the body remained undiscovered, the cat could begin to eat the ownerâs remains within a few days? Studies suggest that this behavior isnât due to malice but rather survival instincts kicking in once the food supply runs out. Itâs fascinatingââ Spencer blurted out in his usual rapid speech, but stopped info dumping when he saw your jaw drop and the look of shock on your face.
âI didnât know that. Now I donât want cats, thank you very muchâ. You replied, half-laughing, half-horrified.
The genius smirked and let out a small laugh. It was fun to tease you that wayâit was common for him to say unsettling facts about random stuff to annoy you.
Afterward, you decided it was time for your regular music ritual. Your playlist included songs like: Boys Donât Cry, Cheri Cheri Lady, Take on Me, Running Up That Hill, Lovefool, Creep, Forever Young, and so on.
âWhy are we friends, Y/N? People normally dislike me⊠Why not you? Iâm strange, Iâm a weirdo. I donât understandâ. Spencer mumbled while Fade Into You by Mazzy Star played softly in the background. He was anxious to hear your answer. Deep down, he theorized you felt pity for him and that was the unique reason why you accepted him in your life.
âYouâre special, Spence. Youâre charming and lovely. Itâs rare to know people like you, yâknow? So smart and with so much to offer. And why would you say youâre strange? Youâre Spencer Reid. Youâre you. Youâre an amazing person. And if being âstrangeâ is part of that, then I like it. I like you just the way you are. And you should like yourself too, Einsteinâ. You smiled and grabbed his left hand, intertwining his fingers with yours. âSometimes I wish you could see yourself the way I do. I hate it when you talk poorly about yourselfâ.
You didnât need to look at him to know he was blushing furiously. His brain stopped working when he listened to your enchanting reply. You were the friend he was waiting for since the day he was born. And he wasnât planning to let you go.
When you finally got tired and sleepy, you drifted off on Spencerâs shoulder and he did the same, resting his head on yours. The music kept playing, and by the time you were peacefully asleep, Every Breath You Take was filling the room.
The scene was endearing; Spencer and you looked adorable and cozy like that, and thatâs why your mother decided to take a Polaroid of both of you and made sure to hide it, so youâd never know the existence of that picture.
Months went on. The dynamic between both of you remained the same.
You were there for him when he decided to place Diana, his mom, in a mental institution. That was one of the hardest choices Spencer ever made. He would often feel guilty, thatâs why he started to send her letters everyday, and also because he couldnât visit her frequently. As a result, the now eighteen-year-old began to spend entire days at your home. He even spent the next Christmases and New Years with you and your family, until he turned twenty-one and he moved to Washington.
For a year, you stayed in touch via phone calls and letters, until one day he stopped writing to you and stopped taking your calls.
2003.
The last thing you knew about him is that he was admitted into the FBI as a profiler, and since then, he completely vanished from your life.
His sudden ghosting hurt you like a hundred stabs would. You persisted in trying to reach him, but after countless failed attempts, you gave up. Years ago, you both swore you were soulmates, that nothing would separate you. Now, it seemed like an empty promise.
Spencerâs reasons for disappearing were unclear to you, and at some point, you stopped wanting to know. In reality, he had done it to protect you. He was conscious of the dangers of his new job and didnât want to risk your safety nor make you worry about him. He knew you very well and knew you would always be concerned about his well-being. He didnât want to be a burden. Maybe he didnât make the best decision, but if he had spoken to you one more time, he wouldâve never been able to let you go.