Reid and Reid Ship Oneshots

After A Hard Case (or smth)

(Bro don't even read this. 💀 I hate it.
I wasn't even going to add this to the oneshots but I spent a day writing it, so I didn't want to waste it I guess)
🖤

Some cases were just harder than others, as in more difficult and more draining. Ones that didn't have good endings were particularly bad, and caused everyone on the BAU stress. Reid usually felt it the most, as he always blamed himself for not figuring something out fast enough, or taking a break to level himself out, or because he simply stimmed for a little longer than usual.

So after a kidnapping case, that resulted in the victim being murdered before the police could find her, Reid was more or less dazed. He wasn't talking, wasn't responding to auditory stimuli while simultaneously being overwhelmed by everything else, and he couldn't bring himself to move much more than what was mandatory; something unusual for him.

Everyone assumed he was reacting so badly because he had needed a little extra assistance on the case. It was nothing drastic, but he needed a quieter work place, and clearing a room out took about an hour.

While the BAU tried their best to help when Reid was in this state, they really couldn't do much that didn't effect him negatively. He wasn't responding to anyones voice, not even Hotch's, and he would get agitated and confused if someone touched him.
They just hoped he'd wind down soon. But three hours later, and off the jet, and back at home, he still seemed to have no awareness of his surroundings; in the auditory sense.

He sat around for a while before starting his normal nighttime routine.

First he needed to lay out his pajamas.
So Reid mindlessly went to his dresser drawers and felt around for something he liked. He ends up pulling out Hotch's shirt and pants, but didn't seem to care that they weren't his. Or maybe it was an intentional act, but Hotch highly doubted that.

"Spencer, those are mine. Are you sure you don't want your own?" He asked, following him as he went into the bathroom.
Reid said nothing, and worked his clothes off without even minding the man next to him.

Hotch took the hint, and let him be. As he walked away he lightly heard bare feet pattering on tile floor. He heard them stop abruptly, and expected a tug on his sleeve, a hand on his shoulder, a request to stop. But he didn't. He still turned around though. Seeing a scared little Spencer looking back to him, obviously surprised Hotch turned at all.

"Do you want to say something?" He asked, leaning in slightly to hear any quiet words his boyfriend might speak.

'Can't touch, can't talk'
Reid signed vaguely.

Hotch nodded, understanding his non-spoken words.

"What happened today wasn't your fault." Hotch said in a hushed voice.

Reid began to cry, almost doubling over in sobs. All of his quietness and disassociation was just building up to this explosion. He didn't want to cry in front of the team, so he kept quiet and still, because any movement would send him over.

Hotch instinctively hugged Reid. He thrashed for a moment at the initial burn of the touch, but soon it faded, almost knowing that this was a safe kind of touch.

He continued to sob, but a few minutes later, he realized he hadn't done the next step in his nighttime routine.
He quieted himself, separated from his boyfriend.

"I need to take a shower." He said, he didn't have a shirt on from when the attempted to take one earlier.

"Of course." Hotch smiled, happy he was talking again. "I'll be right here when you come back. Do you want any coffee?"

"I can't have any before bed." Reid replied, walking into the bathroom and closing the door.

Hotch did as he promised. He changed into his own pajamas, and laid in their bed with his phone until Reid came out of the bathroom. He didn't like taking long showers, so he didn't take more than ten minutes.

"Are you ready for bed?" Hotch asked, nodding to the empty space next to him.

"I need to get dressed first." Reid said, grabbing his set out clothes and starting to do exactly that.

Hotch kind of implied that when he offered the bed, but it didn't matter.
A few seconds, Spencer was dressed in Hotch's pajamas, and crawled onto his side of the bed. He kept his distance from the other man, not something that was unusual for him to do while in bed.

"Are you ok?" Hotch asked, turning off his phone and the bedside lamp. Now the room was dark.

Reid rolled into Hotch's side when the lights went out. Mainly because he couldn't see him and wanted to make sure he was there, but also because he didn't like the dark.

"Yeah, mostly." He said softly.

"Well, what can I do to make you completely ok?" Hotch smiled, petting Reid's hair gently.

"I just want to forget about that case." Reid pressed himself closer to Hotch, wanting the pressure to be everywhere.

The other understood what he was trying to do, and didn't stop him.
"I don't think your memory will let you forget." He said sadly.

"I know..."

"It'll be ok." Hotch assured.