Spencer Reid sat on the nondescript bed with his head in his hands, staring through his palms at the ugly, patterned carpet. The case had been one of the bad ones, really really bad. One of the ones with little kids. He shuddered at the memory of what the unsub had been doing to their helpless little bodies and began to cry softly as he lost the battle to keep the images from his mind's eye. It seemed like he sat for hours, cursing his incredible memory which forced him to relive every word of the coroner's reports and see the photographs over and over, crying quietly and letting his tears fall into the hideous carpet.
A soft knock came at the door and he ignored it, it would only be JJ or Emily, checking up on him as usual. Treating him like a baby as usual. The knock was repeated, more insistently this time, and a rich voice called, "Reid? C'mon man, I know you're up. Your light is on. Open the door, pretty boy."
Sighing, Reid stood and walked the few paces to the door in the full knowledge that the man in the corridor would give him no peace until he did. The door unlocked with a soft
snick
and he pulled it open, looking into the concerned face of Derek Morgan. He could feel his face flushing red with shame as the older man scanned his face and noted the swollen eyes and tear-stained skin.
"I'm fine, Morgan. Leave me alone." he said quietly, turning to close the door, but a strong hand caught the edge and held it open.
"No. You're not fine, Reid. What we just saw was messed up. You shouldn't be fine. It's ok, it was really fucking bad." The tone was gentle and Reid could feel himself softening, letting go of the door and allowing Morgan to open it fully. He took a step to the side to allow the muscular man into the room and started as he was pulled into a rib-crushing hug.
Morgan was one of the very few people he would allow to hug him like that and after a moment he relaxed, letting his stiff muscles relax against the hard body and feeling a burning in his throat as he began to cry again. His face was buried in Morgan's shoulder as he sobbed, soaking the material of his friend's shirt, his thin frame heaving.
Derek Morgan stood holding the young man close with one hand making soothing circles between his shoulder blades, feeling the sharp outlines of Reid's skeleton through his thin jumper. He lifted his other hand to stroke the tousled hair, brushing the silky strands with his fingers. He hated to see his friend like this, hated the way the genius's eyes would be deep hollows in the morning from lack of sleep after a night of torment.
When the worst of the shaking had subsided, Morgan unwrapped his arms from around the lithe body and took one of the slim, pale hands that hung limply by Spencer's side. Gently but firmly he guided him over to the bed, pushing the thin shoulder a little to lay the man down on the bed. Tenderly, he pulled the covers over Reid and made sure that he was snuggled deeply into the sheets before turning to take his leave.
"Get some sleep, pretty boy. It'll all seem better in the morning. Promise."
"Morgan, wait." A shy voice said, "Stay with me? I don't want to be alone. I... I'm scared."
Wordlessly, Morgan turned and removed his boots and jeans so that he was wearing only a t-shirt and boxers. He turned out the light and slid under the duvet, letting the dark and the warmth envelop him. He was surprised when he felt Spencer's body turn until it was fitted neatly into his side but he put out one muscular arm so that the man could nestle closer, pillowing his head in Morgan's chest and sighing contentedly. Fingertips traced his hard abs as a slim arm snaked around him, hugging him tightly.
Reid was blissful, he misery and fear completely forgotten in the haze caused by have the gorgeous SSA Morgan in his bed and holding him close. He was completely stunned by his own boldness in asking him to stay at all, let alone cuddling up to him in the dark like a love-sick girl. In his wildest fantasies this would be the part where Morgan would gently lift his chin and kiss him but he knew better than to hope for that. Notorious ladies man Derek Morgan was not going to be swayed by a skinny little geek like him. But that didn't stop him from enjoying their proximity now and breathing deeply of the musky, masculine scent of his secret crush.
Conflicting emotions raced around Morgan's head, paralysing him with indecision. This was Reid, the man he thought of as a younger brother and protected every day. Reid, whom he worked with and who looked up to him. So why then was his heart beating faster? He didn't like men, not like that anyway, but he could feel heat under his skin and his own breathing was ragged in his ears. Hesitantly he lifted his free hand and put it around the other man, returning the hug. His reward was an audible sigh of pleasure which nearly undid his self-control and the feeling of Reid pressing closer against him.
"I should stop," he thought, "I should get out of this bed and go back to my own room. Now. Before I make this worse." But he didn't. Instead he felt his hand caressing the side of the slim body next to him, stroking down the length of his colleague's form to his hip. He stayed still for a heartbeat and then felt the body move as Reid shifted slightly. All of a sudden instead of sharp hip bone he could feel a tight arse under his fingers. Reid was spare to the point of skinnyness so there wasn't much of an arse to feel but Morgan still felt his breath catch in his throat. He lay impossibly still, waiting.