Breaking Barriers - S.R.

10

"Hey, Spence."

I smiled as I opened the door, taking a second to look him over. He looked slightly more rested than he did when he stopped by my apartment a few nights ago upon request. His abrupt departure during an intimate moment was not something we had talked about since that night, but it had definitely been on my mind.

"Hey." He smiled, setting down the bags of takeout on my counter.

"Thanks for picking up the food on your way home." I replied, pulling two cans of soda from the fridge.

"No problem. How was work?" He asked.

"Work was work. Boring as ever." I giggled. "How about you?"

"Uneventful. Just catching up on paperwork today." He said nonchalantly as he pulled the food containers from the bag.

"Hey." I said softly, pulling his attention to me. I held my arms out, waving my hands towards myself. "Come here."

He padded over to me and I pushed up on the balls of my feet, wrapping my arms around his neck. He returned the gesture, pulling me flush against him and rubbing my back gently as he nuzzled his face into my neck. He pulled away after a moment, giving me a tense smile. I took the hint, dropping my arms down to my sides and taking a seat at the kitchen island.

He followed suit, sitting beside me before we piled food onto our plates. I kept looking at him out of the corner of my eye as we ate. Normally by now, Spencer would be rambling about his work day, shooting off random facts and asking me what movie or TV show we were going to watch tonight. After a few minutes, I couldn't take it anymore.

"You're quiet." I stated. "Is everything okay?"

He looked up at me. "Yes, sorry. I'm just distracted."

"What's distracting you?" I questioned gently.

He opened his mouth, stopping himself quickly before he could speak. "I'm not sure how to phrase what I'm thinking."

"Doctor Spencer Reid at a loss for words?" I teased, feigning shock on my face. This caused him to crack a smile before I turned serious again. "It's just me. Say what you want to say."

He sighed before another short pause took place.

"Is it about us?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Does it have to do with what happened the other night?" I pressed.

He refused to make eye contact as he nodded this time, staring directly at the plate in front of him. I may not be a profiler, but I knew this feeling all too well.

"Spencer, if you don't like me as more than a friend, just tell me." I said bluntly.

He looked up at me as I spoke, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What? No, that's not it at all."

"Then what is it? You've been acting weird since that night." I stated.

"I didn't want to give you the impression that I was coming over for--" He stopped himself quickly again like he was choking on his own words.

"For what? Sex?" I finished for him.

"Yes, exactly." He replied. "We haven't formally committed to each other or had a detailed conversation about what to expect from each other, intimacy wise. I wouldn't want you to assume that--"

I cut him off myself this time. "That's what you're worried about? Are you forgetting that I asked you to come over?"

"I initiated things." He said, like it was blatantly obvious.