paint and literature ♡ [spencer reid]

part 13 - mixed emotions

Lacy was never the most extroverted cookie in the jar.

She typically kept to herself as a child, losing herself in a book or a film. She like to look at the lives of others and compare them to her own, it was comforting.

As she leaned against the back of the metal chair, she felt like that lost child again. She was delving into the file of her friend accused of murder, searching for an ounce of evidence that could get the pair of them out of there. She knew that this killer was brutal and it made her sick to look at his action and because of this, Lacy knew it was not her best friend.

Across from her, Aiden sat still. He had taken on his own investigation, the question of his best friend's mood. Sure, he could be worrying about his future and the possibility of being thrown in jail but, the reason for Lacy's scowl was much more pressing.

"Are you okay?"

Lacy peaked up from the file, staring at her friend in confusion. She ran her hand through her blonde hair and he gestured to her, rolling his eyes. They both knew that in times of stress, ruining her hand through her hair was a habit of hers.

"I'm fine," She remarked, returning herself to the file.

"Liar," He muttered, she had to lift her head again, noticing half of a protein bar in his hand and the other half being chewed.

She rolled her eyes, making her best attempt to ignore him but, he was persistent.

"Come on, Lace, I know you too well, maybe a bit too well," He smirked and she closed the file over, closing her legs and staring at him. "What's wrong?"

"I was supposed to have a date with my neighbour tonight," Aiden's mouth fell open and before he could speak, she shushed him and continued, "And when I got here, he was one of the agents on this case. He didn't seem very happy when I showed up."

"Did you tell him you used to be a lawyer?" Aiden asked her, taking another bite of his bar.

"It hadn't come up yet. We got so wrapped up in his college and degrees because he is a literal genius, that it just wasn't mentioned. Besides, we've been on one date," She explained to him before standing up and pulling her black blazer on. "I'm going for coffee, we could be here awhile."

"I'll take-"

"Cappuccino with a diabetes amount of sugar, I know," She smiled, heading towards the interrogation room door, "Do not move, do not talk and do not breathe in the direction of any person that enters this room, understood?"

He nodded to her before she left the room. The other side of the glass was empty and Lacy hurried to the corridor. The interrogation rooms connected to the BAU bullpen and as she reentered it, she noticed a group of agents crowded together behind the glass. They had a packed evidence board and a variety of case files scattered around the table, systematically going through each one of them.

She noticed Spencer standing there, studying the file. His back was turned to her but, she could guess by the rest of the group's faces that she was annoyed. She took notice of his posture and how straight his body was. His height always astounded her but in that moment, his posture was her focus. Before she could continue out of the office, Aaron noticed her and flagged her to stop.

The meeting was over and he hurried down the steps to her. Derek and Spencer followed their boss with their eyes, taking notice of what he was running to.

"Lacy, is everything okay?" He asked her, the pair behind the glass carried the same query.

"Oh, yeah everything's fine. I'm just going out for coffee, it seems like I'm not getting out of here for a while," She smiled. Hotch remembered that about her, how she'd smile her way through things. No matter how horrid, she found a way to make light of a situation.