Unbroken Souls (Spencer Reid x Reader POV)

Chapter 24

Spencer moved us over to the bed of my hotel room, still kissing me while he gently placed me on the bed and lay beside me. He broke the kiss and met my eye line. His hazel eyes were full of unasked questions, concern, and a twinge of lust.

"You never say you're 'fine', something is clearly bothering you. Talk to me, what's going on" he brushed a piece of my hair behind my ear, and I propped myself up on my elbow.

"Cases with kids are hard sometimes. Usually I'm pretty good at distancing myself but something about this case is just sitting like a rock in my gut" I got quieter and looked down.

"It's okay to be affected by these things. It must be even harder seeing as you're so close to the victims and their families. I'm here for you, and we're going to get this guy and put him behind bars for the rest of his life" Spencer reassured me as he played with my hair. I could see he was also feeling the impacts of the case, his eyes looked heavier than usual.

"Spence?" He looked back into my eyes, and I noticed the sadness in them. "Are you okay?" I couldn't fully figure out what he was feeling, but he was clearly in some form of distress deep down.

"The cases with kids gets to me too. I think about the fear I felt when I was abducted and held, and then I think about how these kids are forcefully ripped away from their innocence. It's not fair. Kids should be care-free and playful for as long as they can. It's a great feeling when we can get them back to their parents alive, but I also know that we're returning the parents with a child who isn't truly a child at heart anymore" he got quieter as he trailed off, I could see his eyes welling up a little. I leaned in and kissed him softly and slowly.

"You must be little Henry's favourite person. I didn't realize how deeply you thought about the way these kids' lives are forever altered on the level you just described. It's clear that you're great with kids, Spence. That energy is so important when the first face they see upon rescue is yours."

"I do really love spending time with Henry, we have a lot of fun doing science experiments in JJ's kitchen" he started to laugh and smile again, I could see that light of passion returning to his eyes.

"Is that something you think about? Having kids of your own?" I ask him, and I feel those familiar butterflies return to my stomach. He met my gaze, I could see him trying to read my emotions behind the question.

"I have thought about it. Truthfully I really do want to be a dad someday. But with work and my mom's health, it just seems a little unattainable at times" he said, breaking eye contact again before taking a breath and asking "do you want kids?"

I felt my face flush ever so slightly, and the corner of my lips tugged into a small smile. "I've thought about it here and there but I've never really had someone in my life that made me want to start a family of my own. That is... until I met you—". I trailed off, and in the moment of silence between us I felt like my heart could burst through my chest. Spencer pulled me closer by my waist, kissing me; first slowly but then growing more and more passionate. As we separated our lips to catch our breath, he said to me "I know it's really cheesy... but the other day I had this dream where we were in the kitchen of a little house in a nice suburb. I was making us dinner, you were at the table with our daughter and helping her with her homework. Nothing bad has ever happened to us, and nothing bad will ever happen... and for the first time in my life, I truly felt a deep need for that dream to be real." He paused for a moment, pressing his forehead to mine and holding me close. "Charlotte, I love you. Today, tomorrow, yesterday, and every day to come... you're the woman I'm meant to be with. I feel it" he kissed me again and between kisses he let me respond in one word chunks, eventually stringing together: "Spencer, you are my life now. I love you so much."

We didn't say much after this for there was really nothing we needed to say. Our longing looks and being in each other's arms said it all. We eventually fell asleep, his arms around me and my head resting in the crook of his neck. Spencer was the kind of love you get once in twenty lifetimes, like a cataclysmic event that once it happens life is forever altered... and I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my days with him.