summary: after doing some thinking reader decides that maybe being in a relationship with spencer isn’t what’s best for the both of them.
warnings: yanno the usual break up stuff…. like crying and sad stuff lol </3
word count: 1.6k
pairing: spencer reid x reader
A/N: SHES HERE!!!!! it’s literally been foreeeeeeever since i’ve come out with something and i did want to post something before college starts back up again…. it starts monday so i’m right on time lol …. anyway! i genuinely enjoyed this fic and i hope you all do too!!

She was nervous, that much had been obvious. Anyone would’ve been able to tell, whether it be the incessant pacing, nail picking, or tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Most people would’ve been delighted to have their boyfriend come home after not being able to see him, to talk to him, for weeks. Not her though. It wasn’t like she had a boyfriend that was terrible, he was amazing in almost every way possible. And it wasn’t like she no longer loved him because she did, she truly did.
Her mind had been on this constant spin, filled with the endless notion of how this conversation could go gnaw at her brain, the good, the bad. It all nearly caused her to miss the familiar sound of Spencer’s keys jingling in the lock. A sound she once adored now caused her breath to bitterly sit in her throat.
Y/N’s eyes quickly snapped in the entryway of the small apartment, painfully waiting to see the man she once longed for. “Hey” Spencer greeted, voice filled with exhaustion. She hadn’t even realized that she was holding her breath till she tried to speak. Even when she had it came out as no more than a whisper,
“Hi”
“I didn’t think you’d still be awake when I got in, I missed you. '' he softly spoke, it was clear that he was exhausted but still seemed to gather enough energy to flash the biggest smile in her direction because he was happy to see her. A soft groan left her lips, the guilt was unbearable.
Spencer cautiously began to walk closer in her direction, his eyebrows knit together. Clearly, he had been trying to piece together what could possibly be going on in her mind. After the long silence, he finally mustered up the courage to ask, “You okay?” Sure he studied human behavior but when it came to Y/N? Spencer was always so lost. Maybe it had been due to his naivety with women but in moments like this, every book textbook he’s ever read seemed to be futile. She was damn near impossible to read.
“Spencer, we need to talk. Now.” his eyes flicked over to her face before nodding to himself,
“Spencer? Wow okay, this is serious. What’s up?” he playfully joked, setting his bags down not quite putting his full attention on her as he began to strip off the layers he bundled himself with to try and tolerate Virginia’s winter air. “I miss you, I rarely get to see or speak to you anymore, and when I do get the chance it's for a minute. Before you’re off back to work.”
“I know, and I'm sorry it's just because they've been bringing in cases like crazy and can’t seem to find another team to take over them. I’ll be better with this, I promise.”
“No, you won’t. You’ve been telling me this for three months Spencer, and I just can't do it anymore. I can’t keep living my life like this” she sounded selfish, she surely felt like it. But once she started it seemed like she couldn’t stop, “I can't sit here lost and alone waiting for you”
“O-or that dreaded fear that lives in my head that you won’t make it back to me. That one of your friends is going to call me and say you were abducted again, in surgery or worse, dead! It’s not fair to me.” Spencer stared at the woman in front of him. She had been difficult to read most times but the look on her face? It would take a fool to not notice that look. She looked defeated. That much was noticeable.
He swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared into her eyes, “This sounds like you're trying to say goodbye?” she silently began to pick at her nails, avoiding any sort of eye contact with him, and from the corner of her eye, she watched as his head snapped up in disbelief due to the lack of response on her end. That silence seemed to have spoken for itself, “What?! Y/N! No!” he screeched
“Spence come on, think about it. What’s the point in this if only one of us is willing to make it work?” That right there? Those five words just confirmed everything Spencer had feared. Y/N was done.
“I’m willing to fix it! I’ll be home more often, I-I can work full time as a professor. Consult on cases from home and spend more time with you! We could even get one of those dogs you’ve always wanted!” she was done but that didn’t mean he was, he wanted this, He wanted her and he wasn’t going to let this go without some sort of fight. He’s been waiting for a love like this for too long.
He didn’t want to do the whole get to know you talking all over again when he met her he thought he met his forever person. He was done and this was it for him.
“A Frenchie?” he eagerly nodded in response before continuing, “Yeah! Did you know that since French Bulldogs are so top-heavy and also brachycephalic, they can’t swim? That this type of vigilance is crucial around large bodies of water? So I guess that means no beach days for the little guy” he chuckled, reaching his hand out expecting her to lean into his touch like all the times she had done before.
But, that’s when she sighed, taking his hands into her own rubbing soothing circles against his veiny skin, “Sweetheart, as tempting as that is, I can’t ask you to do that for me. It’s not fair to you. The BAU is your entire life and it would be selfish of me to make you stop doing what you love.”
“Doing that alone would make you resent me forever, and I couldn’t live with myself having that in the back of my mind”
“But, I’m not ready to lose you” he desperately pleaded.
“You already have. I have been going back and forth with myself for weeks on this, you aren’t in the right place for a relationship and you know it,” I sighed ''Why continue to string me along?”
This is where they both stared at one another in silence watching as they both began to slowly become a wreck. Neither he nor she was sure when the tears began to flow and neither sure when they had ceased. “I still love you”
“I know you do, and I will always love you” that’s where she began to laugh. Spencer furrowed his eyebrows once again as he stared at her hoping for an explanation for the laughter. Luckily she hadn’t left him waiting for too long.
Once her laughter died down she looked at him with a slight smile, “God look at me! I sound like a corny breakup song” despite the situation they were facing he too couldn’t stop his lip from twitching into a smile and giggles began to erupt from them both. The laughter was short-lived and a comfortable silence fell between the two of them. Neither one of them was sure what to say or do next.
Spencer broke the silence with a final question, “But, now's not the right time?”
“Yeah, now just isn’t the time.” she assured, as she began softly wiping away the remaining tears that seemed to stain his pale skin. He’d be okay without her and she knew it. Spencer would find his happily ever after again someday, that much was certain. So, Y/N wasn't worried.
“Okay,” he nodded. There was that obvious disappointment that filled his voice but yet? He understood.
They both stood from their rightful spots Spencer took her hand into her own as they silently walked toward the front door. Spencer placed a soft kiss on her forehead as the realization dawned on him once more.
“Goodbye Spencer” he gave her a weak smile as she walked into the hall, away from him and into her new life.
They always say that sometimes you meet the right person but it's just not the right time. I never really understood the saying because I always liked to believe that it’ll always be the right time if it’s the right person. But, then she met Spencer, and now it all just made sense.
Spencer watched as Y/N descended from their his staircase waiting till she was out of his sight to close the door behind him. He aimlessly wandered to his sofa sitting in silence, a dull ache sat in his chest. He felt around his pocket looking for one thing in particular and once he found it he let out a painfilled sigh.
He opened the small box admiring the jewelry that sat in it, he had picked it up when visiting his mother during this last case. It was hers, a ring that had been in his family for generations and he planned on giving it to her.
The more he stared at the ring the more tears began to fill his eyes, he was alone once again. Everyone he once loved seemed to have abandoned him in some way, Y/N was just another added to the list. Just like that. Gone. When only an hour ago he and Derek were tossing around ideas of how and when he should propose to her.
“Won’t be needing this anymore” he mumbled to himself, setting the box down and laying back, his body feeling numb. They both said this was forever but, forever? It hadn’t been as long as he had hoped for.
This is a rec list of One Direction breakup fics as requested in these asks. The breakup happens during the fic in these fics as requested. You can find my other fic recs here. Please leave the writers kudos and comments if you enjoy the fics!
Happy reading!
- Louis / Harry -
🔘 scintillating by @scrunchyharry
(E, 263k, long distance relationship au) the one where they fall in love, Harry wins the X-Factor, and everything goes to hell.
🔘 Love Is A Rebellious Bird by gloria_andrews / @gloriaandrews and @100percentsassy
(E, 134k, enemies to lovers) Louis is the concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra, Harry is the New! and Exciting! interim conductor/ex-cello prodigy who "has made Mozart cool again" according to Esquire Magazine
🔘 Say Something by @kingsofeverything
(E, 105k, Omegaverse) At fifty years old and recently divorced, Omega Harry Styles isn't interested in dating. When his doctor suggests a heat and rut matching service, he signs up out of necessity.
🔘 The Last Something That Meant Anything by jaded25
(M, 95k, canon) When Harry leaves the band - leaves Louis - to pursue his dreams of a solo career, he breaks much more than just One Direction. Louis is left to pick the pieces up.
🔘 Strawberries & Cigarettes by dimpled_halo / @comebackassholes
(E, 76k, Omegaverse) Two stories, eleven years, and the two boys that never stopped loving each other.
🔘 The Fire and the Fate by dimpled_halo / @comebackassholes
(E, 56k, A Star is Born au) Harry is a troubled musician about to reach the end of his rope when he finds Louis singing in a club one night. He’s instantly mesmerised by the man with blue eyes and breathtaking voice.
🔘 The End Should Be A Good One by bananasandboots / @anylessreal
(M, 43k, producer Louis) the one where Harry loses the love of his life on New Years Eve and finds him again, six months later, ready to open some poorly-stitched wounds.
🔘 Take It To The Limit by @taggiecb
(E, 37k, Newfoundland) Louis Tomlinson enjoys the simple life. Harry Styles is a traveler. He lands in the tiny town to try to find himself. What he finds instead is a beautiful blue eyed man who seems to have everything figured out.
🔘 Time Out by Speechless / @smokingluckiesalltheway
(E, 27k, jealousy) Harry and Louis are perfect for each other. That's why Zayn, Liam and Niall won't let them get away with breaking up.
🔘 enter exit (enter) by @louisandthealien
(M, 17k, high school) When he’s finally in the hotel, crammed into the tiny phone booth, all he can do is stare at the faded paper sign glaring down at him from the wall. He has less than a minute to break his boyfriend’s heart, and it’s going to cost him twelve bucks to do it.
🔘 Milkshake by Speechless / @smokingluckiesalltheway
(E, 13k, fwb) the day he decides to get into Harry Styles' pants he says it again, when all three of his roommates are there to witness it.
🔘 End of the World Tonight by whoknows / @crazyupsetter
(E, 12k, canon) Louis closes his eyes because he has to, has to take a second to regain his courage. He can’t keep doing this. He can’t keep suffering, can’t keep killing himself trying to hide this. He’s ready.
🔘 Paper Houses by @allwaswell16
(E, 11k, famous/famous) When model Louis Tomlinson admits to having a celebrity crush on a very famous actor in an article in GQ magazine, he has no idea it will lead to anything. He definitely never suspects he will fall so hard and so fast for Harry Styles.
🔘 You and I Were Made To Get Love Right by orphan_account
(E, 8k, established relationship) It isn’t until he sees the notification “Harry Styles is single” that he realizes he’s fucked it all up.
🔘 Stars and Boulevards by @cherrystreet
(M, 6k, friends to lovers) They spent the quickly passing school years making each other’s homes their own, Harry’s mom calling Louis her honorary second son, Louis’ mom giving Harry a similar title, and everyone knew that if you wanted to find Harry, you had to find Louis first.
🔘 back for you by happilylarry
(NR, 5k, military) harry and louis break up twelve hours before harry gets deployed to afghanistan. cue six months of upset louis and upset harry
🔘 We Had a Good Thing (Going) by @phdmama
(T, 4k, reverse chronology) Sometimes things fall apart.
- Rare Pairs -
🔘 Never Again by orphan_account
(T, 1k, Louis/OMC) Harry breaks up with Louis and realizes too late that he made a huge mistake.
I want to be incredibly specific about this post so pay attention: a lot of fics have a breakup occur in the plot line, but this is a fic rec of purely one shots or fics that purely only revolve around a breakup.
~
deleted your number (so i can’t call you) by tofiveohfive
{not rated, 9k, angst, happy ending, slight Uni AU, previous established relationship}
Harry wakes up to a voicemail.
It’s Saturday morning and it’s raining, a barely there drizzle. He sees the notification as soon as he picks up his phone from the bedside table, bleary eyes making it hard to distinguish the words. He’s got a few instagram mentions, a couple unread texts, but what really stands out is the “Missed Call and Voicemail”.
From Louis.
Or the ten hours before Harry comes home to Louis, and the five hours after he does.
Look. If you write a breakup fic where they get back together, do NOT make the person hurt by the asshole be the one who apologizes. Just. Don't.
If you have somebody who just leaves, who says nasty things to the other, who dumps the other person with no warning? That person is the one who apologizes, grovels, cries and asks for forgiveness.
I'm tired of breakup fics where the person who was, throughout the story, the selfish one is somehow blameless despite all the facts showing you they were 99% in the wrong. Your hurt character shouldn't have to come to some conclusion that they are the reason they were dumped because of ~should've been able to read their partner's mind~ reasons.
In short: Person who does all the hurting - makes big time lots of amends, grovels. Person who was hurt - gets amends and apologies, doesn't need to apologize for fucked up reasons, is not responsible for fuckwad's nastiness.
PS: "We were both wrong," breakups only work if you have a good balance where they actually were both in the wrong. It also helps if you have them fight or try to work things out before the breakup. Suddenly leaving or leaving and instantly fucking tons of original characters under the nose of their ex/true love makes your character a giant asshole exactly as it would if that was your ex in real life.
any fics out there with breakups/ you 3 are cuties thanks
Okay so we found a bunch of lovely, heartbreaking fics for you.
These ones are like more close to canon, NYC tears them apart blahblah:
If You Leave by BuffyxThe Five Stages of Getting Over Kurt Hummel by flyblckbirdflyHaunted by the Broken Record by oncetwiceforevrDark Blue by doonarose The Bones Of You by stoney321
And these are more AU breakups, but they are wonderful:
The Luckiest by wordplayitout Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust by Aelora Nothing's So Loud by a-glass-paradeForget Me Not by beautifulwhatsyourhurry
