Tickletober Day 28: Teasing
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Characters: Spencer Reid, Penelope Garcia, Derek Morgan
It was a known fact that Spencer Reid could not handle teasing well. At least in the beginning.
Everyone gave him a hard time for being young, calling him a kid and whatnot. He’d freeze up, pursing his lips together, not sure how to take these jabs.
Then there were remarks about his brilliance. “Alright, Reid... We get it, Reid... Thank you, Reid...” He’d learned to shut up when those familiar phrases were thrown his way, regardless of how much care was behind them.
Then there was the everyday teases about his misunderstanding of casual talk or actions. How he didn’t pick up social cues. They’d laugh at him.
Then, of course, there was the--
“Don’t!” came the whine.
That was Reid’s go-to whine whenever someone tried to tickle him. And by now, even if it was an accidental ticklish touch, he’d assume the worst and freeze up and cover up, emitting a nervous, “Don’t!”
“I will never tire of that,” Garcia grinned to herself after poking Spencer in his side.
“Reid, you are just too cute,” came Morgan’s teasing next. That always got Spencer to flush a color red he didn’t know his skin had the blood cells for.
“Stop,” he tucked hair behind his ears that was barely out of place in the first place.
“I’m just teasing, baby boy,” Derek reached over and he grabbed at Spencer’s ribs, and Spencer’s arms clamped into his sides and he laughed.
“Dohon’t call me that!”
“What? Baby boy? You prefer pretty boy, right?”
Spencer actually snorted and he pressed his forehead to his desk, snickering in the effort to hold in any loud laughs that threatened to spill from his lips.
“Stohop it! Derek!”
The teasing made it worse. It always did.
But when Morgan would leave him be and give him an affectionate ruffle of his hair or a squeeze of his shoulder... well, it made the teasing kind of worth it.