wasted times- s.r

SEVEN

"No way, Hotch. It's not happening." You shake your head and begin to stand up and walk out of the room when he speaks again. 

"This isn't up for discussion, Y/L/N. You'll be living with Reid until we can safely say there is no longer a threat." You shake your head, coming up with every possible argument you can in your head. Spencer seems surprisingly calm for someone who just found out he has to live with you. He's slumped back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest in defeat. "You and Reid can watch your apartment from across the street for the unsub, and then we can make the arrest."

"Why can't I stay with someone else? Why does it have to be him?" You point your finger at Spencer angrily, his fingers now rubbing his temples in annoyance. 

"I know the two of you do not like each other, but I expect you to do what needs to be done. In this case, it is to get along and save the fighting until we've got our unsub. Is this clear?" You both mumble incoherent sentences, agreeing to what he'd forcing upon you. "Perhaps this time alone will serve as a way for you two to learn how to co-exist. Because frankly, the childish antics you think I haven't been made aware of, need to come to a stop."

All three of you sit in your chairs, glancing between each other, waiting for the other to speak. "You may go now," Hotch nods his head, motioning to the door. You awkwardly stand up, Spencer shoving his hands in his pockets as the two of you walk back to the conference room. Reid mumbles his obvious objection to living with you when you re-enter, Morgan letting out a loud chortle. "Maybe the two of you should just bang it out to kill some of that tension. You'd be doing us all a favour."

"Shut up, Derek," both of you grit out angrily. You peek your head up, making brief eye contact with Spencer and blinking slowly, quickly averting your gaze once more. You turn to JJ, giving her silent pleading eyes, dreading the moment you have to leave the BAU and be trapped alone in a confined apartment with Reid.

"Come on, it won't be so bad," she tries to lighten the mood, and you give her a pointed look. "Maybe he'll surprise you."

You scoff in disbelief, "Doubtful."

She rolls her eyes playfully, "I mean it, Y/N. He's not a bad person, he's actually one of the nicest people I've ever met. He's just... going through a tough time, and you got caught in the middle of it all. Just keep an open mind." You roll your eyes at her insistence, finding it hard to believe she's telling the truth. His actions thus far have told you that much. You unwillingly grab your bag when Spencer peeks his head in the conference room once more, exhibiting his clear impatience with you. 

"Can we go now?" You turn to JJ and sigh, waving goodbye. "Bye, JJ."

"Bye you two," she smiles cheerfully. "If he gives you a hard time, let me know, okay?" She gives a sweet smile to you, and a warning glare in Spencer's direction to which he scoffs. He gives a fake smile-- one you can see right through-- until you're in the safety of the parking lot, then his faux smile does a full one-eighty, his lips curling downward into a scowl.

He drives in the direction where the two of you both reside, the conversation between you and him as dead as a morgue. Your eyes flick over to him, his jaw clenched, his knuckles white from the tight grip on the steering wheel. He removes a hand from the wheel to brush back a piece of hair that had fallen onto his face and obstructing his view of the road. Instead of placing it back on the wheel, he rests his elbow on the middle console where yours was. You glance down at the feeling of his pinky brushing against yours in the slightest way possible. It was enough that you could forget there was any contact at all if you weren't thinking about it. You're a bit confused by the action, and it seems as though he's acknowledged it, but also made no effort to move it away.