unedited

TWENTY. SPENCER

SPENCER RETURNED TO THE HOTEL WITH A BOX OF FILES ON THE MURDER OF RILEY JENKINS IN HIS ARMS. He came to a stop outside his room when he heard muffled sounds from the television he had most definitely not left on. His door was slightly ajar, and he froze a little in surprise, before slowly pushing it open and cautiously peering inside. 

What he saw was something he could never have predicted. Derek and Rossi were reclined in front of the television, eating snacks from the mini bar that would be put on the FBI tab. They were both entirely focused on the old sitcom on the screen, which would otherwise have been an amusing sight if Spencer wasn't so stressed out. 

He looked to the right, and exhaled softly when he saw Daisy fast asleep on the bed, curled up in the fetal position with one arm tucked under the pillow and the other curled into her chest. She was snoring lightly, but not so much that it was disturbing anyone. Spencer could see that even in her sleep, she was in deep thought about something, her brow furrowed and her lips in a deep frown. 

"What are you guys doing here?" he finally asked, closing the door behind him and walking over. He'd expected to work this 'case' alone, as its was personal tho him and he hadn't exactly wanted to bother anyone else with it.

"Hey," Derek nodded at him, before returning his attention to the show, while Rossi didn't even look up. "What's it look like we're doing?"

"Uh, breaking into my room and watching 'Days Of Our Lives?" Spencer responded quickly, then glancing back at Daisy. "And making use of my bed."

"It's Young and the Restless," Rossi corrected him, reaching for the remote and muting the show. "And she was tired and bored, so she took a nap."

"Aren't you supposed to be on a plane back to D.C?" Spencer hung his bag over one of the barstools by the small kitchenette. 

"You're supposed to be hanging out with your mom," Rossi retorted, grabbing the tin of cashews between him and Morgan and grabbing a handful. 

"And you're not," Derek finished, looking rather unimpressed. He then gestured to the box that Spencer had placed on the seat. "Riley Jenkins?"

Spencer didn't respond, rubbing his nose as he realised he couldn't lie his way out of this one. He stepped in front of the barstool, blocking the files from view. "No, it's not...that's actually not why I'm here."

"Reid," Derek sat up, putting his snack on the small table he and Rossi were sharing. "Come on, man. Who do you think you're talking to?"

Spencer averted his eyes. 

"I know what this has been doing too you," Derek stood up and walked over to his colleague. 

Rossi did the same. "Let us help. Maybe together we can find out who killed him."

Spencer hesitated. "I think I might already know."

"So, tell us about the suspect," Derek urged him on. 

"Truth is, I don't know anything about him." The muscles in Spencer's face twitched as his expression constantly changed. It seemed to do that a lot when he was speaking about something that affected him. "He's my father."

Derek and Rossi looked at each other, trying to hide their surprise. It was difficult to do, considering how adamant Spencer was. "Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure, yeah," Spencer nodded, his voice maintaining its usual softness. He scratched his head, before he nodded over at the bed. "Should we..."

Rossi snorted. "You two can do that on your own."

Derek chuckled, him and the doctor watching the older man walk over to the bar to find something else to charge to the work credit card. He patted Spencer's shoulder, and they both looked over at the snoozing woman. She wasn't an attractive sleeper in the slightest. Her mouth hung open and she appeared as if she was ready to jump up and fight whoever woke her up.

This was why Spencer stood behind Derek as they approached. The burlier man reached out and softly brushed his hand against Daisy's cheek. Spencer held his breath. 

"Hey, baby," Derek's voice was calm, gentle. It was enough to get Daisy to open her eyes and groan in response. Derek leaned down and squeezed her shoulder. "Come on, Reid's back. We gotta go work a case now."

Daisy yawned, lifting her hands to rub the sleep from her eyes. The two men thought it was quite amusing considering how unbothered she was when they had expected far worse. Maybe it was because she'd slept off most of her hangover. Daisy sat up a little, her eyes trying to adjust. She looked up at Spencer, and reached out for his hands. "Hey, Spence."

Spencer let her take his hands, and he pulled her up from the mattress. She was quick to shift into a concerned expression, watching him carefully. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Spencer nodded quickly. "I'm fine."

Daisy raised an eyebrow. 

Spencer sighed. "You know about the case?"

"Derek mentioned it," she replied, a sympathetic smile on her face. "Let me know what you need, and I'll do the best I can. I'm sure the same goes for these two as well. Especially if it involves eating everything from the mini bar. They're great at that."

★☆

Later that day, the quartet found themselves in the workplace of Spencer's absentee father, William Reid. Daisy had noticed how nervous Spencer had become, not having seen the man for several years after he left. Daisy understood, as her mother had done the same when she was eight. It was something that a child would struggle with for the rest of their life, and being an FBI agent didn't make it any easier. 

"Can I help you gentlemen?" the receptionist asked, not looking up from her computer. Daisy cleared her throat, and the woman looked up. "Oh, sorry ma'am. Most of our clients are-"

"It's fine," Daisy waved her off with an awkward smile, before glancing over at Spencer. 

The genius was struggling to find the words to say, clearly overwhelmed by the current situation. It was a lot easier to talk about confronting the person who hurt him compared to actually acting on it, and he'd just realised that now. Rossi spoke up for him. "We'd like to speak with William Reid."

"Is he expecting you?"

"I don't think so," Rossi pulled out his badge, but the woman didn't seem to be all too bothered. 

"He's in a meeting right now," she said. "Why don't you have a seat and I'll tell him you're here."

She then walked away, and Daisy looked up at Spencer, who was swaying back and forth. He was blinking more than usual, and clenching and unclenching his hands. Daisy placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Spencer?"

"You okay?" Derek asked, noticing the same things she had. 

"Y-yeah," Spencer stuttered. "No...yeah...I'm gonna go to the bathroom."

With that, he quickly sped off down the hall, turning the first corner he found and leaving Daisy with Derek and Rossi. Her eyes lingered for a moment, before she lifted a hand to run through her hair. Derek looked back at them. "I've never seen him like this before."

"Seventeen years is a long time to go between visits," Rossi noted, and Daisy's frown deepened, her concern for her friend only growing. She wondered what he had gone through before she had came, knowing it wasn't unusual for agents to have some kind of trauma. 

"Not long enough," Derek muttered. "The kid's still angry."

Rossi scoffed. "Yeah, I'm starting to get that."

"I'll go check on him," Daisy volunteered, exchanging nods with her coworkers and following Spencer's route. She passed a few office doors before she found the sign for the men's bathroom. She stopped outside, debating whether or not to go in. She ultimately decided against it, choosing to knock on the varnished wood door. "Spencer?"

"I'll be out in a second," she heard him call from inside. She nodded to herself and took a step back, leaning up against the wall and waiting for him. 

True to his word, Spencer came out soon, his hands tucked in his pockets. Daisy watched him carefully. "You don't have to come in with us if you don't want too."

Spencer looked up at her. "I have to do this, Daisy. I have to know."

"I know," Daisy responded softly. "But I'm pretty sure I know what's going on in that big brain of yours, and I want you to remember that you're a professional agent of the FBI, and taking cases personally is something that can seriously effect the outcome."

"You don't think I know that?" Spencer said sharply. Daisy closed her eyes for a moment, trying not to react. He was justified in his anger, and she didn't want to baby him, but he was acting irrationally. 

"Don't raise your voice at me, Spencer," she spoke in a low tone. Spencer closed his mouth, but avoided her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest, stepping to the side to allow a couple of employees to walk through them. "We're here to help you for a reason, okay? We've got your back. But if you're going to walk up to our prime suspect driven by emotion, we're not going to get anywhere. If you need a break, let us know, and we'll take it."

Spencer finally looked down at the shorter woman. "Thank you."

"For what?" Daisy's brows knitted together. 

Spencer swallowed. "For coming after me. Not many people do that."

"Of course, Spencer," Daisy reached out and pulled him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her lower torso, squeezing her tightly and burying his head in her shoulder. "I know I haven't known you as long as everyone else, but you're my friend and I care about you. You're in it for life now, kid."

"You're only a few years older than me," he chuckled as they parted, starting to walk back down the hallway together. He then squinted as he noticed a slight red mark on her neck. He lifted a long finger and poked it. "What's that?"

Daisy reached up and felt the slightest bump. The restaurant toilets. She looked forward with wide eyes, forcing a grin. 

"Nothing."

★☆

dedicated to snl5940 !!

TTAHKN YOU DOR 10K????? THANK YOU FOR 10K!!!!!! WHAT THEY FUCJ 

regarding the smut!! thank you to everyone who gave me their input!!! i really appreciate everyone's opinions, and i'll decide closer to the time whether or not i should post!! and to those who aren't keen, don't fret!! if i were to publish it, i was already planning on putting up a warning! i know how uncomfortable that kind of thing can be, and i wouldn't want to put y'all through anything that you didn't want!!

anyway! i'm out here talking to the cutest boy and i'm really bad at flirting so i've just been sending him pictures of doofenschmirtz x perry and he seems to find it funny so fingers crossed lmao

also part of me regrets not making this a s l o w burn so maybe i can drag everything out some more,, maybe add some angst,,, but at the same time i'm tired and just want hotch and daisy to live happily ever after even though this is criminal minds and no one really gets that here 

but i love daisy and spencer sm they are so cute 

and!!! feel free to leave suggestions for things that can happen in the story !!! i'm just kinda bullshitting as i go, which is very on brand for me, and i'd once again love to hear your input and ideas because your enjoyment is just as important as mine when writing this!! feel free to comment here or message me about what you'd like to see happen and i'll take it into consideration!!!

byeee!!