Spencer Reid One Shots

Anger

Themes; angst, bad language, arguing

It was inevitable that Spencer was going to be different after spending 84 days in prison, after being framed for a murder in Mexico. He had spent time in there with people that were filled with anger and hatred, he of course found it difficult to not absorb some of that anger.
Not only that, he had been wrongly accused of something he didn't do, and he had been left alone. That's how it felt.
He had spent countless nights in his cell, staring at the ceiling while his team and his fiancée were out in the world, living their lives. He felt left behind, and no matter how many visits there were and how many efforts were made to get him out, none of it made it any better.
So yes, he was different, and it was going to take a while to get the old Spencer back.

Present

"You can't just stay out all night without an explanation, you know," You said from the couch in the living room as you heard the door open and close. The response you received was just radio silence, only hearing the light tapping of Spencer kicking his shoes off and leaving them by the door before he came into the view of the door frame in the living room. The lamp on the side table illuminated a warm glow and you could only just make out Spencer's features and expression, but he didn't look happy. He didn't even look tired, he just looked vacant.

"Did you hear what I said?" You asked, standing up from the couch, hoping to somehow get the attention of your fiancé.

"Yes, I heard what you said." Spencer said, although he seemed uninterested and tried making his way over to the couch so he could sit down, but you walked over to him and stopped in front of him before he could.

You kept your composure and your patience, knowing that if you bombarded and attacked him with questions and accusations he would just shut down even more.

"Can you tell me where you've been? Because I know it wasn't a case," You asked, keeping your voice calm and gentle, hopefully it would be inviting enough for him to just tell you the truth.

Spencer shrugged his shoulders and just looked around the living room, seemingly trying to fix his eyes on anything but you, not wanting to face a discussion but you knew it had to be had or it would just build up before exploding.

"You have to talk to me, Spencer. I know things have been difficult since you got back but shutting me out and disappearing for hours on end isn't going to help you. The whole point of your therapist sending you back home was for normality, to get used to-"

"Well it isn't as easy as that, Y/N. Everything in this world isn't simple and perfect, it isn't always fixable. God I wish that I could see the world the way that you do sometimes, just filled with rainbows and fucking unicorns. If you had seen half of the things that I did, if you had to deal with the things that I did-" Spencer spoke, his voice getting a little louder with each sentence, and now his eyes were fixated on you, but not in the way that you wanted.

"I've never invalidated the things you've been through! But to get better, to let me help you, you have to help yourself. You can't let this consume you or it is going to take everything from you." You told him, your voice also raised, but not in the angry way that Spencer's was, more so he could just really hear you and your frustration.

"You can't help me, and your deluded for thinking you can. Did you think I would just come back and we would spend every night playing chess and watching movies? That I was going to be the same?" He questioned, fixing his posture so he was standing upright and you stepped back so you could look at him properly. You knew this was his anger speaking, you were warned that there could be outbursts, but were never told how to actually handle them.