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It wasn't unknown to anyone in the city he lived that the young Reid boy was... different . His peers tended to be generally unkind to him, whether to his face or behind his back (of which he was very aware) and the teachers...well let’s say teachers weren’t always pleased when he corrected them on a small mistake they made in their teachings.
Friendship was an unattainable relationship it seemed, at least to Spencer Reid, as he watched the other children play together on swing sets and slides during recess while he spent that time reading a book or five.
It was the coldest day of second grade when Spencer found his first friend.
His hat had flown off, the frigid wind sweeping it off his head before sending it into the dirt that covered the playground. As Spencer bent down to retrieve it, another child’s hand snatched it from his reach.
It wasn’t uncommon for Spencer to be picked on. That day was no different. He’d have to get his belonging back whatever way he could, even if that meant enduring a little bit of heckling.
“Lost your hat, loser?” The boy asked mockingly. “Grab it. Here you go.”
The boy ripped it away as Spencer reached his hand out to get it. “Give it.”
“Just grab it….Too slow.” The boy continued to tease.
Other children began to look in their direction, giggling at the ‘entertainment’ they were witnessing. It was always funny to them when someone picked on the Reid boy.
The difference came when another voice joined the fray.
“Hey. Don’t pick on him. What’s he done to you?”
Spencer turned. No one ever said anything like that when he was being treated how he was.
A girl stood off to the side, a look of distaste evident on her face. “Give it back. Or I’ll get Ms. Jackie to come outside and make you.”
The boy scoffed, tossing Spencer’s hat into the dirt. “Ok tattletale. Have fun playing with your boyfriend .”
The girl picked up Spencer’s hat, dusting it off a bit before handing it over to him.
Spencer didn’t recognize the girl. Perhaps she was a new student. He never really paid much attention when the teacher was speaking about anything other than homework.
“Thank you.” He said.
“I’m (Y/N).” The girl stated, sitting down on the bench behind them. “What’s your name?”
“Spencer Reid.”
“Want to play?”
Spencer felt his heart race. “You want to play with me?”
The girl nodded. “Mhm. What do you wanna play?”
“I like chess.”
“I don’t know how to do that. Wanna go on the swings instead?” (Y/N) said.
Spencer nodded. Swings it was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From that moment on it was as though the two were joined at the hip.
The school hours were spent listening to their teacher speak, sitting quietly next to one another at the table where once only Spencer sat. Playground time was no longer a lonely reading or chess practice time for Spencer.
Every opportunity that (Y/N) could spend even a few hours at their home, she was there; and vice versa for Spencer.
Diana Reid was ecstatic that her son had found someone he could connect with. Every time (Y/N) came over, she would stick her head into Spencer’s room to check on the two children, smiling softly as she watched her son ramble about whatever book he was reading or show (Y/N) how to do whatever homework they had.
The summer after fifth grade was when Spencer felt something change.
Spencer had led (Y/N) into the woods behind his house, intending to show her a new set of poisonous mushrooms that was growing beneath a large oak tree. The two had been reading a billion books about fungi from the library, as it was Spencer’s newest fixation.
Once they arrived at the spot, (Y/N) smiled, pointing to the mushrooms that were sprouting from the ground. “These look just like the ones from the book we read last week!”
“They are! Don’t touch them though, remember?” Spencer replied, happy to have caused her to smile. He didn’t know why seeing her grinning up at him made his heart feel like it did.
It was a new feeling. And it was beginning to happen more and more often.
It happened when (Y/N) walked up to him when he arrived at school, her pink lunchbox still in hand. It happened when she smiled at him. It happened when the summer sun shined through her hair and made her look so...pretty?
Yes, pretty. That’s what it was. Spencer though she was so pretty.
It wasn’t a bad change. Not at all.
It wasn’t until that night, when he lay in bed that he realized what the feeling was.
That was the moment Spencer realized he was in love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fourteen-year-old Spencer knew their first kiss didn't mean anything. At least to her.
It was just a way of helping comfort him from the events that had transpired earlier that day.
Being tied to that goal post, naked and vulnerable and on display for all his classmates to see was the most humiliating moment of his life. He should have known better than to believe that Alexa Lisben, the most beautiful girl in school besides his best friend, would ever want to talk to him, let alone kiss him.
It was only made worse by the fact that not only had he been humiliated in front of almost the entire grade, but he had been humiliated in front of (Y/N) as well.
He could tell she was hurting for him, tearing up almost as much as he was as his peers laughed and pointed. (Y/N) tried to cover him a bit with the cardigan she had shrugged off of her shoulders but she could only do so much.
Spencer whispered for her to let it go. She'd only be made another target if she continued to try and help him.
Yet, she held her ground, staying there with him until all the students had grown tired of watching.
(Y/N) helped untie him, tossing him his clothes that she had scooped up off the dirty ground. She looked away as he redressed himself.
“I'm sorry.” Spencer said.
She scoffed in surprise. “For what? You didn't do anything wrong. Those people are all just idiots and jerks.”
Spencer could barely look at her. “I'm sorry you had to see... me . I should have known better.”
“What happened?” (Y/N) asked, sitting next to him in the grass beneath the goal post.
So he told her. The letter from Alexa, how he stupidly assumed she wanted to have a romantic moment with him, everything . He spared her the details he wished himself to be able to forget.
(Y/N) placed a hand on his shoulder. “I wish I would have been there to help.”
“It's not your fault. It was dumb of me to think anyone would find me attractive enough to have a secret kissing meet up with.” Spencer replied, his shoulder tingling under her touch.
She frowned. “Don't say that. That's not true.”
“I mean not many people feel the urge to kiss a scrawny, glasses-faced, fourteen-year-old senior in high school.”
Spencer had barely finished enunciating the ‘ool’ in ‘school’ when he had a sudden new sensation on his lips.
(Y/N) had pressed her lips to his. Just for a moment.
Just long enough for Spencer to close his eyes. Just long enough for him to feel his heart race a mile a minute as he wondered if he was dreaming. If maybe he had passed out on that goal post.
“See. You've been kissed. Not so crazy, huh?” (Y/N) stated.
Spencer shook his head.
He wanted to tell her how he felt all those summers ago, Spencer watching as the heat shone down on them even though the large oak trees behind his home.
That he liked her the way Mr. Darcy liked Elizabeth Bennet. That he liked her the way Jack Dawson liked Rose Bukater.
That he loved her.
He didn't though. Spencer wasn't prepared for whatever reaction was awaiting him if he had.
Maybe he should have.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once Spencer graduated, it became less and less frequent that he and (Y/N) saw each other.
He’d go to visit her on weekends and she would drive to Caltech to spend a few days at his apartment once she finally graduated some four odd years later.
Spencer knew that (Y/N) was still oblivious to his feelings for her.
It was obvious in the way she told him about the various dates she went on, asking him for advice that he tried desperately not to purposely ruin them out of jealousy. It was clear in her confidence in him after a one night stand that she clearly assumed to be more than that.
After joining the B.A.U, Spencer felt himself growing more and more pained, throwing himself into his work to distract himself from his feelings that he couldn't bring himself to confess every time she came to visit him.
He began to see what happened when people didn't confess how they felt to their loved ones before something happened. He didn't want to end up being one of them.
Spencer looked down at his watch. (Y/N) would be coming to visit him that afternoon. He still had time to prepare his confession to her.
He bought flowers. Her favorite kind, which turned out to also be the most expensive kind.
Spencer paced from the moment he stepped foot inside his apartment.
But, (Y/N) never knocked on his door.
After a few minutes of anxious waiting his phone pinged.
You'll never guess what just happened. I got a message from this guy I've been talking to recently and he wants to meet for supper! You don't mind if I come over next weekend instead?
Spencer felt his heart drop. He texts back.
Of course not. Have a great time.
Another ping. A message from (Y/N).
See you then. Love you.
He could wait till next weekend. He’d wait until he knew if this guy she was seeing would be for a long time.
Spencer had already been waiting this long. He could handle a little longer if that's what she needed.
He sent another message.
I love you too.