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Confessing his feelings to his older boss, who happened to be male and divorced from a woman, had not been something that Doctor Spencer Reid had planned when entering the FBI workforce and yet, there he was, stuttering and mumbling and sweating just trying to tell Unit Chief SSA Aaron Hotchner that he liked him very much, not just as a colleague, or a boss in charge of Reid’s paychecks, but as a person and as a still very attractive man.
He knew Hotch didn’t think of himself as very attractive. Sure, he knew he was classically handsome and he was easily perceived as an authority figure, but Aaron himself had made off-hand comments about him not being the most attractive person in the room, or being still a subject of attraction for the females they encountered in every case. He said he turned on the southern charm and that helped, but even if Aaron didn’t speak a single word, Spencer still thought he looked like the protagonist in one of those old Hollywood movies.
More than once he had daydreamed on what Aaron would look like in certain types of clothing. His mind was so powerful for his work, but Spencer loved having time for himself, to imagine what he liked, and he absolutely liked Aaron Hotchner dressed as a king; even better, Aaron Hotchner dressed as a knight from a far away country; and don’t get him started on how handsome Aaron would look like a cowboy. That had made Reid blush in the solitude of his apartment. Hotch as the star of a Marlboro commercial? Breathtaking. Reid had been listening to Morgan talk about a house he was renovating, and Prentiss was asking all the right questions; Rossi was trying to get Morgan to work on his house, and Aaron had just been drinking coffee and eating a donut in silence. Reid had not even bothered to hide his distraction.
He was picturing Hotch in a faded t-shirt and jeans, with a toolbelt around his waist, with a hammer hanging by the side, and power tools in both gloved hands. Realistically, he wouldn’t be able to work but Reid’s imagination was flying high. He could clearly see the pit stains from sweat, and maybe a smudge on his cheek. His eyes started hurting from not blinking but he didn’t care. The picture in his head was clear as day. He would offer to help, even, he had an engineering degree after all and a doctorate too.
A loud clap pulled him out of his thoughts and made him jump a little in his chair. Prentiss was smiling wide at him, like she knew his secrets.
“Sorry, what was that?”
“What are you thinking about, Reid?”
“About an article I read.”
“What article?”
“A very interesting article in the National Journal of none of your business.”
Prentiss looked shocked for a second and burst out laughing when she saw he was joking.
He noticed the others had already left the conference room. They were the last ones there.
“You got pretty distracted, Reid, is everything okay?
“Yeah, sorry, it’s nothing bad, I just lost myself in my thoughts.”
“Okay. We have to do paperwork, so we better move to our desks.”
Reid walked to his desk and did his paperwork, accepted some from Prentiss for a tasty bribe, and Morgan’s paperwork was worth the takeout he didn’t have to pay.
As the days went by, Spencer had kept thinking of ways he would tell Hotch just how much he appreciated him, but alas, his own head wouldn’t allow him. His boss was very straight, very masculine, and very not looking to have anything romantic with anyone, least of all a gangly know-it-all Spencer Reid.
He didn’t expect it to come down to a conversation with the whole team during their lunch break.
They had ordered lunch for the whole team, while they discussed the preliminary information from the case they had started working before the jet was ready. Everyone was enjoying their food and joking around when the comments about beauty in people affected their perception in society.
Everyone gave their two cents, and Reid should have known better than to sit between Penelope Garcia and Emily Prentiss.
“So, Reid is the only one who hasn’t said anything yet. Why do you think that is?”
“Oh, I know! Spencer is such a cutie that he can just pout his way through things.” Penelope said in a cheerful tone.
“Absolutely. Objectively speaking, Reid is indeed a very pretty boy. He has soft luscious hair, that even all tousled it doesn’t mess with his features. His eyes are a nice shade and he has this cute button nose that is perfect to kiss.” Prentiss added with exaggerated hand gestures.
Reid didn’t like where that was going, but he couldn’t get out of there.
“Don’t forget that enviable waist. After having Henry, I couldn’t even think about looking at Reid’s waist without feeling jealous of his tiny and flat tummy.”
“And the way his face is framed with his cheekbones and chin, he would make bank as a model.” Piped Morgan, stealing a dumpling from Garcia’s plate.
“Can you all stop?” He was blushing but he also didn’t really believe what they all said.
“It’s nothing bad, Reid.” Said Rossi from his place.
“It doesn’t matter. I just don’t feel comfortable with people talking about that. I know what I look like, but I don’t consider myself a vain person.”
There was an awkward silence, and everyone kept eating, until Penelope started again.
“What about our own boss man? I mean this in the most respectful way, sir. You are very handsome.”
“Thank you, Garcia.”
“Hotch has always been a hit with the ladies.” Rossi agreed from his place.
“Oh, I know! I saw him at one gala, and he had a long line of high-rank wives waiting to dance with him. Surprisingly, the husbands didn’t care.” Prentiss added her two cents, smiling innocently at a flustered Unit Chief.
“Remember that case where we had to interview the elderly patients at the retirement home? They all treated me like a granddaughter, but every woman apparently had a lot of relevant information to share with the charming agent Hotchner.” JJ told them while laughing.
Reid was absorbing all the new information. Though he also felt disheartened about not being witness to any of it.
“I know how I look, but going with Hotch immediately lowers my pull with the ladies.” Morgan recognized, acting like it bothered him a little.
They all shared a lighthearted laugh while Hotch pretended he wasn’t blushing a little. Spencer was the only one staring at him directly.
“Reid, have you had that happen?” Asked Rossi.
“Not really, he’s always making sure people don’t ogle me too much.” He replied, thinking about the times they had to be out together.
“I remember that case where they went to interview the prostitutes, right? Reid got propositioned.” Morgan recalled, smiling.
“And his knight in a well pressed suit protected his virtue.” Joked Emily making everyone smile.
Reid was blushing now too. He’d been a little afraid of how easily the girls had stared lewdly at him, trying to touch him and Hotch had stood in front of him, acting like a bodyguard. Spencer had swooned on the inside.
“Well, if you all have finished eating, please pick up the trash and let’s get ready to go out.” Hotch stood up from his place, leaving his wrappers in the trash.
They all did the same and started coming out of the conference room until the only ones left were the young genius and the unit chief.
Reid got some wet wipes from a drawer and started cleaning the table for crumbs and liquid stains. Hotch was organizing some of the files for the case.
They worked in silence until they almost bumped with each other.
“Sorry, Hotch.”
“It’s okay, I was in the way.”
Reid put everything back in its place and was going to leave when his boss stopped him again.
“Reid?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry for all the teasing, I shouldn’t have let it happen.”
“It’s okay, Hotch. I know it’s in good nature, and it’s nothing but the truth.”
“I hope I didn’t make you feel bad for what I’ve done when we’re out together during cases.”
“You mean the ‘protecting my virtue’ thing?”
“Yes. I know you can handle yourself just fine.”
“Don’t worry about it, I enjoyed it.” Reid said before his mind caught up. He blushed again. “I mean, I appreciate it, you have more experience than me and I trust you and it was overwhelming for me, but I didn’t have to worry about it because I knew you were there with me, so…” He better shut up before he embarrassed himself more.
Hotch had a soft smile on his face. He could see right through Reid’s rambling.
“Glad to be of service.” He joked.
Reid smiled shyly at him. It seemed like time was slowing down around them. The older agent didn’t move from his place, still looking at Reid with something that the young genius was afraid to even think about, but it made him feel like the only person in the whole wide world.
“You’re very attractive, Reid, don’t sell yourself short.”
“Huh?”
“Whenever we’re out together during cases, people tend to look at you a little longer.”
“Oh, well, it’s not like they don’t look at you either. You’re very imposing and I’m no match for that.”
“Accept the compliment, Reid.”
“Okay.”
It felt weird to have that conversation with the man he considered the most attractive ever. He had the words on the tip of his tongue.
“Hotch?”
“Yes, Reid?”
“I think you’re very attractive.”
“You don’t have to say that.”
“But I do. And I’m not saying this just because of what the team was talking about, but because you have features that are considered perfect and— I mean, I— Forget what I said just now, please.”
He better go outside and die before the case so he just wouldn’t have to look his boss in the eye.
Hotch was smiling.
“I won’t forget what you said, Reid. It means a lot that you consider me perfect.”
“I didn’t—” He stared at the older man. Hotch was looking at him attentively, and Reid could just melt on the floor because he wanted Hotch to always look at him like that.
He saw his boss move in slow motion, and suddenly he was being kissed in the corner of his mouth. Just a chaste kiss. And then Hotch was gone.
“Wheels up in 30.”