Autistic Spencer Reid

Chapter 14

I feel like this story is starting to fizzle out a bit so this will be the last chapter. Let me know if you have any suggestions for other stories or oneshots. Also, I'm going to be posting this story on A03 and probably future works there too, so if you don't see anything for a while then check out Sage_187 on A03! Thank you for reading!

TW:  Talks about past suicidal thoughts, self-harm and suicidal ideation

Please take care of yourself and don't read this if it could be triggering to you :)

Spencer had spent most of the evening crying whilst buried in Hotch's shoulder, which he had noted hadn't been the plan for the day. But he knew he needed a good cry, it had been a long time since he'd just let it all out. So many things had happened and he'd tried to deal with it but that meant just shoving it all down until he felt he could deal with it; which was never. When he had the energy and mental space to unload everything, which was rare, he was also in a relatively good mood meaning he didn't want to be all weepy and depressed. He'd expected the dam to break soon, but he'd also thought that it would be on JJ's shoulder and not Hotch's.

Hotch had been comforting Spencer whilst he had been crying, he'd known how to deal with that, he'd dealt with a crying Spencer before. He'd said calming things that praised him and reminded him that he was loved, which seemed better than just sitting in silence. But that is exactly what they were doing now. Spencer had finished crying and was now staring at the wall, Hotch was sure there were a million different thoughts running through his head. This he hadn't dealt with before; he didn't even know where to start.

Hotch had realised a long time ago that what worked on other people didn't tend to have the same effect on Spencer, this was to be expected to a certain degree, but it also made communication just that much harder. Usually, Hotch would try and start up the conversation again as this would generally give the other person the opportunity to share what they're thinking and then Hotch could try and help. But with Spencer, from what he knows about his personality, that wasn't going to work. Spencer would shut down and there wouldn't be any progress, then Spencer would act like nothing happened tomorrow; Hotch couldn't afford to do that.

Instead he stood from the couch and made his way over to the bookshelves finding an unopened jigsaw puzzle propped up on its side, it has 2000 pieces but Hotch supposes that Spencer has a knack for jigsaw puzzles like he does with so many other things. He makes his way back over to the couch and attempts to assemble some pieces on the coffee table, he doesn't get very far. 

Spencer is pulled from his swarming brain when a few puzzle pieces fall to the floor, it peaks his interest. He sits and observes Hotch for a few minutes, curious about his method of solving such a complex puzzle that takes a person an average of 17 hours, and usually ranges from 11 to 24 hours to complete. Hotch seems to be looking for matching pieces and attempting to be putting them together, none of the pieces end up actually fitting together though.

Spencer couldn't take it any longer, he sits on the floor across from Hotch and crosses his legs under the coffee table, he moves half of the puzzle pieces onto his side of the table and makes quick work of sorting the pieces into colour groups, edges, and corners. He gestures for Hotch to do the same with his share of puzzle pieces, Spencer helping along the way. Once they're all organised Spencer begins to construct the outline of the puzzle whilst Hotch follows his lead, it's clear that Spencer has completed complex puzzles many times before.

Hotch was glad that Spencer had engaged in something, pulling him out of his thoughts, of which Hotch was sure they were heavily tinted with negative feelings and connotations. He'd had to use this method with Jack once, it was a last resort really. Jack had been distant and Hotch had noticed that he wasn't talking as often, when asked about it Hotch was told to leave Jack alone and that Jack didn't want to talk about it. Hotch turned on Jack's favourite video game and played really badly so Jack would want to get involved; it worked like a charm, and eventually Jack had revealed that he was sad about being without a mum, that kids in his school would have their mums pick them up school, but he didn't.