Chapter Text
They were on JJ's back patio lounging and sipping wine, listening to old classics on a, mostly likely, older stereo system.
Spencer and Morgan had yet to make an appearance, same with Garcia. Lord knew where they were or what they were up to. Everyone was on edge with excitement about seeing Spencer in his true glory. Sure, they've seen him, obviously, but they had never seen him like this.Tattoos and all. They felt honored that they're shy, young genius was willing to open himself up and expose a personal side of him to them.
When they heard the doorbell go off, their casual chatter seized and they looked at each other, as if trying to choose someone to send to war. Blake ended up losing their little stare off, and with a sigh, she pushed herself out of her seat and padded off to the front door while the team sat there and braced themselves for yet to come.
"If he's pulling our leg, I'm gonna wring that kid a new one and teach him what a tragedy really is." Rossi spoke up, gazing thoughtfully into his wine, as if hoping for it to agree with him.
"Don't forget," JJ piped in, "Morgan might be in on it too. As well as Garcia. Might be why they're so late. Maybe they're taking a sharpie to his pale, little arms." Sharing a laugh, they let the remarks fall flat, while looking around at the sky or elsewhere.
Well now it was a rather nice day, especially for Virginia, so you couldn't blame them. It was sunny, but not exceedingly hot, with a light breeze and scattered clouds. It was perfect. So when they expected to see the duo they expected Reid to be wearing something akin to a shirt and jeans, as well as Morgan. They weren't prepared for how Spencer casually strolled through JJ's back door, though.
The team had been to their fair share of places, due to work, and felt days where it was significantly more humid and scorching than now. Even on those occasions Reid remained his elderly-grandfather chic style; Sweater vests and dockers to the nines. Hair long and shaggy, fabricating his neck.
But now, now he was waltzing through the door like he owned the place, not noticing that the team was sharing a heart attack.
Spencer had his dirty blonde locks in a bun, strands of it falling around his face. Golden-amber eyes covered by his thick framed, circular tortoiseshell glasses, making his eyes extra owl-ish. Topped off with a grin wider than the Grand Canyon. But this isn't what knocked the profilers off their feet. Oh no, not even close.
Reid had his arms and tattooed sides exposed by wearing a ripped black muscle shirt with some scribble of white print, right arm draped with his leather jacket. Lithe but powerful arms with tattoos covering every milli inch of skin. Tan cargo shorts exposing his long legs and leanly muscled thighs and calves, just as equally tattooed as his arms. And to top it all off, he was wearing boots, and not just any boots, but creeper boots.
This was a complete 360 degree from normal Spencer. They expected their secretly 80 year old friend, but here stood a proud and beaming 29, soon to be 30, year old man actually looking his age, and very badass.
They watched as a hand curled around his hip and nudged him out the door with a, "C'mon baby boy, get 'outta the door way. People gotta move, ya know?" and a pat on his hip.
They watch as he stumbles down the steps with Morgan following close behind, holding his hand, and a stunned Blake standing in the doorway. As she shook her head with a grin, she followed after them. Spencer and Morgan said their greetings and made themselves at home on a wicker love seat by the edge of the little pergola. Blake returning back to her seat as well.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Spencer asked casually as he settled in. Noticing that all eyes were on him, he asked, "What? What'd I do? Did I miss something?"
Spencer scrunched his eyebrows together, genius brain running at full speed trying to figure out what was causing the team to look at him like Elvis was alive and well and performing in Vegas.
Morgan chuckled, "Pretty boy, they're lookin' at you. This isn't exactly how they'd expect you to look." He chuckled and casually draped an arm around Reid's shoulder.
"Whatd'a mean?" Spencer glanced up at him with a mixed look of confusion and very slight hurt. "I don't look a certain way, do I?"
"Reid, you look like a stereotypical old white guy every day. And you're showing up, very casually mind you, looking like a terrifying, but very sexy, punk guy." Morgan chuckled and looked him in the eyes, "If I were them, I'd be lookin' the same way. I mean, I probably did the first time I saw you like this."
"Do you not like me like this?" Reid pouted and leaned slightly away from his boyfriend.
"No, baby," Derek cupped the side of his face and pressed his face lightly into his chest and kissed his head, "I love you any way, shape, or form. Tattoos or none, scary or elderly, you get the point Reid."
Spencer just blushed a deep red and nudged his head further into Morgan's chest as said man placed his hand on his neck.
The team gazed onto the couple cuddling on the bench in front of them, shocked at how open they were. They were seeing so much of Spencer at once and it touched them dearly that Reid could open up and be himself around them. This side of him was rarely ever see because he grew up thinking it was normal to shove all his thoughts into a metaphorical closet. The sides they were seeing seemed worn in, as if he had embraced them for awhile, and he seemed more relaxed. As if he could finally be who he wanted to be in front of the people he loved without having to fear judgement.
But speaking of a whole new side to Reid-
"Is that a piercing Spence?" JJ craned her neck to the right and-yup. A silver bar was blatantly in his ear, the silver glimmering in the mid-afternoon light.
Reid shot straight up and yanked his hand up to cover it, doe eyes getting wide and even more moon-like. Morgan chuckled and Reid just backhanded him in the chest with his free hand.
"No, Jayje, that's not a piercing." Reid coughed. "You're seeing things."
"Actually, there was an Italian study done by the Italian's in roughly the early 1900's that claimed that mother's who had experience were more likely to see things that weren't there, and believed it to be true, because the need to care for a child required multitasking and-" He was cut off by Rossi.
"Cut the crap, kid. We already saw it, no need in hiding it now." He cocked a smirk and sat back in his seat, rather smug with himself, burrowing his cup into his chest.
"Fine." Begrudgingly he removed his hand from over his ear and tilted his head toward the team. Leaning forward slightly. "I got it pierced when I was 24. I'm young, I should be allowed this. So many people younger than me have much worse piercings than a bar." Reid grumbled.
"Wow Spence, piercings, tattoos, and a leather jacket. Wait 'till Garcia gets here, she's gonna have a field day." JJ and Prentiss leaned into each other and giggled.
"Speaking of which," Morgan piped up as Spencer nestled back into his arms. "How did you guys hear about Spencer having tattoos? Did he say something?" Spencer got a panicked look on his face and shook his head, casually waving his hands (Ok, frantically) as if to deter the situation.
Taking advantage of his panic, Prentiss spoke up, just to tease him. They were pretty much brother and sister.
"Well Spencer here, was found-" she was cut off by the door bell going off.
"I got this." Hotch jumped to his feet and rushed to get the door. Reid thanked his lucky stars for Hotch. He'd have to thank him for that one later.
Not a mere two minutes later Penelope came busting through JJ's back door in a flash of blue, gold, and white, nearly ripping it off the hinges. JJ cringed.
"Boy Genius! Get your perky butt up and let me see you!" A large Cheshire grin planted itself on her face.
Reid took a deep sigh and hauled himself onto his feet, face blushing.
"She's kinda right, kid, your butt is pretty cute." Morgan whispered up to him. Spencer's face grew redder.
"Bite me." Was his only reply.
"Gladly, baby."
Looking over at Derek he just rolled his eyes and shook his head. Turning back around he nearly lost half of his life. Garcia was standing so close to him that it was almost suffocating. He backed up a little.
"Spencer, look at your tattoos! Oh my saints you look so good!" She got a mischievous grin on her face. "You look so much hotter!"
"Ok, ok, hey. Baby Girl, he's mine back off a little." Morgan grinned and grabbed Reid's waist, pulling him down onto his lap possessively.
Garcia got the subtle hint and sat down in the closest seat, grabbing a pre-poured cup of wine from the table on her way to her seat.
"So, Reid, what do your tattoos mean?" Prentiss's eyes gleamed in curiosity, kind of like a cat's, pulling a sip from her wine.
"Oh boy, we'll be here for a while." Rossi quipped. A wave of laughter rippled through soon after.
"Where do you want me to even start?" He glanced down at himself, clearly lost.
"Anywhere is a fine start." Rossi gazed on, scanning Reid's body with glancing eyes.
"Well I'll start from the top down, I suppose." Reid sighed.
Everyone took this as the beginning and settled in comfortably. Garcia was leaning forward as if she were a student in a lecture, while everyone was like drunken alley cats. Content and sluggish from the wine and sun.
"So," Reid pulled down the collar of his shirt, "On my right collar bone I have the words 'déjà vu' because when I was younger I always felt that I was living through a window. Not really existing, just floating. It felt like déjà vu, and I wanted it next to my heart because even though I don't feel like that anymore, a small part still lives in my heart."
The team nodded. Hotch nodded, "I felt like that when Jack was born," he smiled fondly, "I didn't know how to be a dad and you just tend to go on autopilot."
Reid smiled sagely, pulling his shirt down a little further. Right above his heart was the words 'Crói' in lowercase, small, black print.
"I got the word 'heart' in Gaelic right above my heart when the Emily event happened." He took a stuttered breathe and tucked back a loose strand of hair, looking at Emily. "I got it because when I first met her, she knew how to speak Gaelic and I had never met anyone who could speak languages other than English, and she quickly became like a sister to me. I also got it because when she passed I knew that I wanted to be reminded of the man who took my sister away from me. That way I could fight in her place every day until we found him. This was also my own way to keep her alive and in my memory in case I lose it." He looked down and when he looked up Emily was standing in front of him, arms outstretched.
He stood up and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her neck.
When they pulled apart, Emily brushed tears off his face that he didn't know were there and went back to her spot after patting his cheek. The team was sharing their fair share of misty eyes, except for Hotch who fondly smiled a small smile.
"At least we got her back, kid." Morgan whispered to him as he sat back down.
"I know." Reid sniffed. "Anyways, on my left side I have a quote that my mom always had up in our old house."
He pulled one of the ripped sides of his shirt to the side and turned, exposing the black cursive writing. And they carried like that for about an hour. Reid babbling on about the history of tattoos and the meaning of his own.
The team just smiled and stayed quiet, aside from a few questions, letting the day fade by and learning the rooms of Spencer's mind. One contained fine arts, and the other contained love and trust. And it was enough.