Adult Content Warning
This work could have adult content. If you continue, you have agreed that you are willing to see such content.
-
Tags
Summary
When Derek Morgan finally breaks free from his girlfriend Liz’s escalating abuse, he’s left bruised, shaken, and determined to keep his pain hidden. But Spencer Reid sees more than he lets on—and in trying to cover for his friend, he accidentally sparks a misunderstanding that sends David Rossi (and soon the entire team) convinced the two are secretly an item.
What starts as a harmless prank to lean into the rumor becomes something neither Morgan nor Reid can quite laugh off. Between a high-stakes case involving domestic abuse, Liz’s return with dangerous intentions, and the BAU’s watchful eyes, the line between “pretend” and “real” begins to blur.
As Morgan struggles with the shadows of his past and Reid quietly anchors him, both men are forced to ask themselves: how much of the act was ever really an act?