Protective walls [Platonic Hotchreid]

1

Christmas season feels like what a filled, busy restaurant on a saturday night feels like. And right now, he is sitting in a busy restaurant on a saturday night two weeks away from christmas. If this wouldn't be so important, Spencer would be curled up in his bed under a warm blanket and not do anything but right now, he doesn't really have a bed, let alone a blanket to sleep under. The one from the motel at least sure doesn't do the job.

To Hotch, christmas season feels like every other season but with a lot more longing for love and understanding for what he is doing all day. Perhaps gratitude. That he is the one bringing the kids home safe again, that the mother, packed with so many gifts for nosy relatives let running alone around the mall. Maybe it was also a part in why he decided to finally give up the announcement that he has room free for rent in his apartment.

Blake had suggested he could rent the free space out to someone studying in the city or someone who works here for a few months, it's not a city many live in for long. He is never home anyways and if he thinks back, he himself, as not the most social person would have loved to live somewhere for a few bugs than in a dorm with so many others and it didn't even take a few hours after publishing it when a young man called. Very politely introducing himself as Dr. Spencer Reid and Hotch had blurted out the question how old he is before he could even finish introducing himself because that voice did not sound like someone old enough to have a doctor. "I am 18, Sir"

"18?" Hotch had questioned in disbelief, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Sir. I am very sure, it's my age." He had deadpanned and Hotch fell into a laughter about how ridiculous this had started out. "I hope that is an age that is in the range of what you had in mind?"

"Of course, sorry, your title had thrown me off."

"It tends to."

He had agreed to a dinner, to discuss what Hotch and him had in mind, to make sure he isn't inviting a person totally out of his comfort zone into his home but the background check already looked promising and when Hotch pushed open the doors to the restaurant, he already saw him sitting in the very last corner of the room, looking nervously from one point to the other, his leg moving up and down as he held himself but the moment Hotch stepped into his eyesight he stilled, sat up properly and forced himself to a smile.

"I am looking for a Spencer Reid" Hotch starts shyly, rubbing his hands together to get rid of the cold.

"You found him." Spencer gets up when Hotch sticks out his hands to him and tenses up when they hands actually meet causing Hotch to let go immediately, "Sorry"

"You have nothing to be sorry for" Hotch states with a frown and gets out of his coat and waits for Spencer to say something else but he just stares at his plate and then at Hotch exceptionally, "Have you ever eaten here before?"

"No" He answers.Very short. Hopefully pronounced right, Spencer thinks to himself. He did a good job on that. He needs him to not know about his rambles or the man will think he is annoying.

"Have you been in the city long?"

"One month, one week, three days, ten hours, five minutes and twenty two seconds." Spencer answers.

"That's- specific." Hotch states surprised.

"I have a thing for numbers." Spencer explains before he reaches over the table and shoves the little candle all the way to the wall, "You almost burned yourself. The last known data suggests that there are 990 injuries related to candles each year."

"I didn't know that, thank you" He sends him a soft smile, it was a nice gesture even though he isn't sure if it is really a nice gesture or if his opposite is just scared of fire. He watches Spencer as he looks around the room again, if he isn't scared of the candles, he is scared of something else, "Have you decided what you want to drink?"