Work Text:
Spencer Reid was no stranger to being an outcast. It was only amplified when he moved to Chicago. He didn’t mind it, really. It just meant he’d find a new kind of person to steal cigarettes from and sneak him into parties just so he could eat. His mom was only there enough to give him a house, but she couldn’t meet his emotional or physical needs any more, so he always found a way to provide for himself. This mostly included keeping drugs a secret from the teachers of his peers, along with the occasional sexual favor.
Derek Morgan was on the opposite end of the spectrum. He hung out with the jocks, he was on the football team, and he was on the student council. He had everything planned for a cookie cutter life. He got scholarship offers almost daily.
So how did Spencer end up having his first Christmas in nearly a decade with Derek?
It started with a letter being slipped into Spencer’s locker.
‘Hey, Spencer. There’s a Christmas party being thrown at Krissy’s house on Tuesday. Her parents went out to visit family and she faked being sick so she could stay home and throw a party. I was invited, and plus ones are always implied, so if you need any kind of Christmas dinner, you should be there. -Steven’
Steven was the stereotypical ‘quiet kid’ at school that just so happened to be Spencer’s way into all of the parties thrown by people higher up in the food chain. Whether he sold drugs or had a god complex was not his business, but Steven did give him cigarettes every week.
Derek watched Spencer from the other side of the hallway. Spencer crumpled up the letter and stuck it in his backpack. Assuming it was a shitty insult written on it instead of an invitation, Derek walked towards him, leaning next to his locker.
“Hey-”
“I’m not gonna let you suck my dick for homework answers, jock.” Spencer closed his locker and speed-walked to his class.
So much for asking him out.
By Thursday, Spencer was ready to get out of the house. Diana had begun having episodes recently, and she was having a really bad one. If Spencer didn’t have the party to go to, he might’ve been in more trouble in his house than on the street.
No one paid any attention to him when he arrived. A handful of girls here and there were wearing santa hats, as well as a couple of guys. Some girls were wearing entire Christmas themed outfits, but most of the guys were just wearing hoodies and jeans like Spencer. Surprisingly, only two people from the football team showed up. Unusual for them to miss out on a party for one of the most popular girls in school, but Spencer supposed they had to spend Christmas Eve with their families.
“Hey, Spencer!” Steven called to him from the crowd as he sat down at the counter in the kitchen.
“Hi,” Spencer filled a red solo cup with water from the sink.
“I made sure they let me know what food is in the fridge. Unfortunately, it’s mostly sandwich ingredients. Krissy’s parents just left her with pizza money and she used her fake ID to buy all of the alcohol.”
“Thanks, Steven. You’re a good guy.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Steven left Spencer to go into a dance circle.
Spencer laughed to himself as he made himself a sandwich, which was rudely interrupted by one of the football jocks.
“Hey, Spence, you trying to fatten yourself up for your boyfriend?”
“You know, Jack, just because I get sucked off every weekend by you and your asshat friends doesn’t mean I’m gay. It’s your girlfriend that I can fuck better than you that can’t get me hard that makes me gay.”
Spencer stopped what he was doing as Derek walked in. He’d kept his crush at bay for several months, afraid that Derek would be just like his friends and he would get his heart broken, but at the sight of him everything went in slow motion.
“Jason” by Bonnie Parker played from the speaker in the living room.
“Jason I’ll be cheering for you as you win the big game.
I look to you with glassy eyes as you rejoice in the fame.
Jason why so sad it’s as if we are one in the same.
Watch those pretty eyes roll back, I left after you came.
You wanna kiss me-”
“DEREK! My man!” Jake shouted, pulling Spencer out of his daydream and running towards Derek.
LIttle did Spencer know that Derek was having the same thoughts as him as Jake talked.
“Jason take me to a party with all of your friends.
I want to be seen in the public eye as your perfect boy-”
“And then, we can tie him to the flag- Derek! Dude, are you even listening to me?” Jake patted him on the shoulder.
“Uh-huh, yeah, what were you saying?”
“God, fine, I’ll explain the whole thing again. You know that skinny kid, Spencer?”
“Yeah, what about him?” Derek asked.
“Well, I heard he made a deal with Sam, if he sucked Spencer off, he’d get the quiz answers.”
“Okay, and?”
“Don’t you think that’s kinda fucked up? Sam’s not gay! So, I have an idea.”
“And what is that?”
“Well, one of my buddies gave me some stuff we could mix into his drink. He’ll pass out and we can do whatever we want with him. I think we should tie him up naked to the flagpole. What do you think?”
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Jake?” Derek was about ready to throw punches.
“Some people need to learn their lesson, Derek. I’m not gonna pussy out, so you better not either.”
“Fuck you, asshole.” Derek left Jake and sat next to Spencer in the kitchen.
“Uh, what are you doing here?” Spencer put down his sandwich.
“You smoke, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Let’s take a smoke break.” Derek took Spencer’s hand and led him outside.
“Wanna explain why we’re out here?” Spencer took a cigarette and matchbox out of his pocket.
“Jake’s an asshole.”
“Amen to that. Why do you say so?” Spencer lit the cigarette.
“He wanted to drug you.”
“And why do you care?”
“Because you’re a person. You have feelings. He just thinks you’re a heartless kid.”
Spencer took the cigarette out of his mouth, taking a short drag from it.
“You know Derek,” Spencer dropped the cigar and took out another match, “They think that a person like me can learn something from a person like you,” He lit the match, “You know what i think?” He put the lit match into his mouth, then took it out. It was still lit, “I think that you and your friends are exactly the kind of people you think I am.” He took the unlit end of the match and placed it on his tongue, blowing out the small fire.
Spencer started to walk away, but toppled over his feet.
“Shit, you okay?”
No response.
“Spencer!”
Nothing.
“Fucking Jake!” Derek picked Spencer up and walked to his car, seating him in the back. “I didn’t know he could put that shit in cigs.”
Derek got home at around midnight and Spencer still hadn’t woken up. Derek took him up to his room, setting Spencer down in his bed and he slept in a chair in the corner.
Spencer woke up startled. He was in a room he didn’t recognize and in a bed that wasn’t his. He started to panic.
“Oh, you’re up.” Derek walked in the room.
“What am I doing here? Why does my head hurt?” Spencer pushed at the sides of his head.
“Somehow Jake got whatever drugs he had in your cigarettes. I figured you wouldn’t want to wake up tied to a flagpole, so I brought you home. Steven told me about what your house is like, so you’re welcome to join us for Christmas.” Derek sat next to him on the bed.
“I don’t want your charity, Derek. I’m going home.” Spencer got up and put on his shoes that he had kicked off sometime in the night.
“I’m sorry, kid.”
“Sorry for what?”
“For liking you.”
“I’m sorry too.”
And just like that, Spencer walked out the front door, leaving their flames to freeze forever.