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Reid knew it was a terrible idea when he did it, but he had done it anyway. And really, who could blame him? The likelihood that anyone would ever find out was extremely low, so it had seemed entirely harmless at the time. Harmless and impulsive and far too satisfying for what it was, truth be told.
He had gone to check on Hotch when the older man had contracted a cold, and it had somehow resulted in a slightly nonsensical, feverish Aaron Hotchner curled up against his side and sparking rather inappropriate desires as warmth spread through his chest and his stomach flipped nervously. It hadn't taken long for Hotch's weight to slump against him entirely as the dark-haired man succumbed to the drowsiness that came from being sick, and Reid had sat there, immobile, for as long as he could manage, though it hadn't really mattered since Hotch had been practically dead to the world, as he'd found out when he'd moved to stand and Hotch had basically listed sideways onto the couch, his head landing haphazardly on a pillow.
The genius had held his breath, but Hotch hadn't budged, and he had deemed it safe to push Hotch's sweaty, dark hair off his forehead. That had led to his hand gently cupping Hotch's jaw, and then somehow he'd ended up staring at his superior's tranquil expression, getting almost mesmerized by the way Hotch's eyelashes fanned out over flushed cheeks—and before he'd known it, he'd bent down and pressed a soft kiss to Hotch's chapped lips. It had been simple and fleeting, but it had also been oddly warm.
So, yeah, Reid wasn't sure what had possessed him to do what he did, but now he was sick, and Hotch was driving him home as a thank-you for taking care of Hotch when he was sick, and Reid was slowly coming to the conclusion that he really shouldn't have taken that cold medicine because there were some things you just can't confess to your boss, and he was pretty much saying all of them.
"Your car smells nice," he slurred, blinking up at the Unit Chief. "It smells like you."
Hotch's lips twitched against a smile, and he spared Reid a glance. "That medicine's definitely working."
Reid hummed softly, rubbing his face against the seat almost in a nod. "It almost feels like I'm drunk," he admitted. "I don't like being sick."
"I'm sorry. You most likely caught it from me," Hotch murmured, his hands shifting almost restlessly on the steering wheel.
"Mm, yeah," Reid agreed sleepily, fighting against a yawn as he pulled the blanket tighter around him in an effort to keep warm. "I did a stupid thing."
They came to a stop at a red light, and Hotch looked over at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"
Reid laughed softly, almost sadly, as his eyes fluttered closed. "When we were... Hmm, no, that's not..." He blinked back awake as the car started forward again. "You fell asleep on me."
"I did?" Hotch queried, and Reid hummed once more.
"You did. And then I... when I got up, I was worried. Didn't wanna wake you," Reid explained, his thoughts fuzzy. It was getting more difficult to form words. "You kept sleeping. It was... cute?" The word didn't sound right. "No. Nice." That fit better, but didn't really convey what he wanted. He waved the thought away.
Hotch gently prompted, "What part of that made you think you'd done something stupid?"
Reid blinked owlishly, and then a shy smile curved his lips. "Wasn't done. I kissed you," he mumbled as his eyes slipped closed again. "It was... very warm. I made myself leave. Wanted to... do it again, though." Hotch was silent, which set off alarm bells in Reid's head that he couldn't quite comprehend, and therefore ignored. Reid sighed softly and mindlessly breathed, "I love you, Hotch," before promptly succumbing to sleep.