Reid and Reid Ship Oneshots

Unfair

(It's pretty short, but I still like it)
❤️

Anyone on the BAU could tell you that Spencer Reid, the boy genius, was a bit awkward. He didn't like physical touch, he was horrible at public speaking, and he didn't pick up on social cues very well.
Most would just call it part of Reid's charm, but these things were actually part of a disability he was born with, and was neglected a diagnosis for.
Autism. Reid was autistic. Stereotypically speaking, he didn't have very many sensory issues and he didn't "stim" very much, if at all. So with these more obvious symptoms not present, he was never pinned with a diagnosis. But that didn't mean he still didn't have issues. Most of his problems fell in the social category. Jokes and metaphors flew over his head easily, he didn't really know when it was appropriate to talk and when to stop. He didn't do well in adjusting to social changes in his environment, like knew people and familiar friends leaving.

Reid often held things in his hands while he walked to not have to deal with the awkwardness of his gate. His arms didn't coordinate with his balance when he walked. Basically, they didn't swing when he moved, and that was a little off putting to most people.
The most often used tactics were file folders and his book bag.
He'd use the case files and paper work by holding it with both arms crossed over his chest. His book bag had multiple potential designs, and one was hanging it from the strap over his shoulder and holding the strap with both hands. Another possible way he could hold his bag was just over his chest like held the files.

The point of Reid doing this in the first place was just to accommodate to other peoples comfort. He was aware that his walk without his arms and proper coordination was unsettling and weird to look at, so he tried to make himself a little more normal.
It was draining though. His arms would hurt after being raised for so long, and sometimes he just wanted to relax them at his sides. He was constantly worried what other people were thinking about him, and a lot of insecurity sprouted from it.

Eventually he learned to work with his arms when standing or moving short distances. To add a bit more movement to himself he would use hand gestures while he talked. They were actually not appropriate for what he was saying, or just in general not things people did. He'd hold both hands out and curl his fingers in confusing and weird ways. This just showed that his brain wasn't communicating effectively with him.
But when walking it was a little more subtle. He'd hold a coffee cup in one hand, so he only had to force the movement of one arm. Putting his hands in his pant pockets or his jacket pockets, if he wore one, was the best way to avoid the arm sway issue. When people put their hands in pockets, it wasn't weird to see their arms not moving when they walked.

Besides his hand coordination issues, he also had sleeplessness as a result of his autism.
The mutation in the genes that governed his sleep-wake cycle affected his levels of melatonin. Not all autistic individuals will have the mutation, but insomnia is more likely given the chances of having the genetic variation.

This 1:1000 genetic mutation among the autistic is just as inconvenient as it sounds. Reid has immense trouble getting, and staying, asleep. It affects his work and his hobbies, and it doesn't really make him appreciate his rarity.

Though Spencer Reid does deal with some issues regarding his disability, he can't really fix them with accommodations. With sensory problems you can usually reduce the harshness of most sounds, lights, and textures, by avoiding those things or wearing headphones, sunglasses, or covering the ears. With motor complications there really isn't anything to be done, and that honestly adds to the bit of weakness he already feels in the face of his differences. He wants to do what he wants without roadblocks and difficulties. Why couldn't he just be able to get in eight hours every night like most people? Why didn't his arms adjust to his gate like everyone else's?

It was pretty unfair.