Reids hidden love

Midnight conversation

The darkness hung heavy in the air as Derek Morgan slowly climbed out of bed. His urge to go to the bathroom at 3 a.m. was insurmountable. But when he left the room and closed the door quietly, he immediately noticed that he was not alone. Spencer Reid was sitting in front of the television in the lobby, with an exhausted expression on his face and a gaze that seemed to be directed into the distance.

"Hey, Reid, are you okay?" Derek asked worriedly and stepped closer. Spencer jumped slightly when he realized he was no longer alone.

"Not really," he finally replied and sighed. "It's just... I couldn't sleep."

Derek sat down in one of the nearby chairs and eyed Spencer carefully. "Do you want to talk about it? If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

Spencer hesitated, but Derek's kind and understanding presence encouraged him to let his guard down a bit. "It's about JJ," he finally admitted quietly. "I have feelings for her for a long time, but I'm afraid of how it might affect our friendship and our work."

Derek nodded understandingly. "Feelings can be complicated, I know that. But if you have them for JJ, then maybe that's something you should think about."

Spencer sighed again and ran his hand through his hair. "I just don't know how to bring it up. What if she doesn't feel the same way or if it changes our relationship?"

Derek put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Reid, I can tell you from personal experience that it's better to be honest. You'll never know how she feels if you don't try. And if your friendship is really strong, she will get through this."

Spencer looked at him thoughtfully. "But what if it goes wrong?"

Derek smiled slightly. "Sometimes we have to take risks to find out what we really want. If you don't take the risk, you could miss the chance to experience something great."

After a moment of silence, Spencer nodded slowly. "Thanks, Derek. That really means a lot to me."

Derek stood up and patted him on the shoulder. "No problem, Reid. And by the way, if you feel uncomfortable sharing a room with JJ, I can switch places with Penelope. Then maybe you could concentrate more on the conversation with her."

Spencer smiled slightly. "That's really nice of you, Derek."

"No matter what happens, you're not alone, okay?" Derek smiled encouragingly.

"Okay," Spencer agreed, feeling emboldened to take on the challenge that lay before him.

The two men returned to the room, and as the rest of the night progressed, there was a mix of excitement and nervousness in the air. But Spencer felt empowered, ready to speak the truth and accept the consequences, no matter where they took him.