Criminal Minds x Reader

Pills and Pain [A.H]

The last case had ended with chaos, a desperate chase down a narrow alley that culminated in a crash. You could still see the bruises marking Aaron's torso, purple and red splotches spread across his ribs where the steering wheel had dug into him, even through his seatbelt. You had been with him through every minute of his recovery in the hospital, reluctant to leave his side for even a moment. He'd put up a front of playful irritation, but you knew he was grateful, the corners of his mouth occasionally betraying a reluctant smile.

For the first few days at home, you'd moved through a haze of worry and exhaustion, hovering around him constantly, half-waiting for him to collapse again. He was supposed to take painkillers every six hours, but you knew Aaron well enough to anticipate the problem: he would forget. Even worse, he would actively try to avoid them, preferring to "tough it out" as he often said.

After a week, Aaron seemed a bit more himself, enough that the two of you could almost laugh at how seriously you'd been taking it all. But still, you couldn't quite shake the worry that lingered every time he moved too quickly or shifted in his sleep. At first, he'd teased you gently for fretting, saying you were more worried about the prescriptions than he was about the bruises. 

"Can you blame me?" you'd replied. "I'd rather not see you bruised up again"

Aaron had smiled, even letting his fingers curl around yours for a moment, before the sharpness of his pain had him wincing and leaning back with a muttered curse. He didn't protest again after that, and you managed to keep up your routine of reminders, if only to make sure he healed completely.

Two weeks since the accident, you were still making sure Aaron kept to his medication schedule. The team was back at Quantico, diving into paperwork and case reviews, with Aaron trying to catch up on everything he'd missed. It was late morning when you found yourself in conversation with Derek and Spencer, their lively banter making it easy to slip into laughter.

"Tell me you're not serious, Reid" Derek said, shaking his head as he tried to hide his grin. Spencer, ever the enthusiastic know-it-all, was recounting a theory he had about criminal statistics in certain weather patterns, drawing all kinds of exaggerated groans from Derek.

You were smiling along when your phone buzzed in your pocket. The pill reminder. The friendly back-and-forth faded as you checked the time. Without hesitating, you excused yourself, slipping away from the group to fetch a bottle of water from your bag before heading up to Aaron's office.

Knocking softly, you waited until you heard his terse acknowledgment. When you stepped in, his attention was wholly absorbed by the files in front of him. The lines of tension were back on his face, darkening his expression, as he flipped through case notes, seemingly lost to the world. You moved closer, setting the bottle of water down on his desk with a soft thud. 

"Your pills" you said gently, voice barely above a whisper, extending a hand toward him.

Aaron finally glanced up, but his eyes were cold and distant. There was no warmth in the way he looked at you, his mouth set in a hard line. You couldn't remember the last time he had looked at you like that, probably because he never had.

"Take them" you urged, hand still outstretched.

He shook his head, eyes flicking back down to the paperwork. "I don't need them right now" he muttered, voice flat with barely-contained irritation.

You paused, forcing yourself to stay calm. "You're supposed to take them every six hours, Aaron. You're overdue"

But he didn't look up. His hand stayed on the file, fingers drumming slightly as he read, ignoring your presence as if you weren't there. You exhaled slowly, reaching over to slide the pen from his fingers, hoping to get his attention, maybe even make him laugh like you'd done a hundred times before. But instead, his gaze snapped up, a flash of irritation crossing his face.