Up in Flames | Spencer Reid x Reader |

Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Not a Bookish Boy

"(Y/n)... are you sure you're alright?"

It was a while before the deep voice had hauled you back to reality once again instead of slipping out your other ear like it did with majority of the conversation. You blinked slowly, absorbing all of your surroundings to realize you were in a familiarly welcoming and quaint little coffee shop. A shiver spiraled up your skin; cold radiated off from the blurry window you table was by. Your fixated eyes finally focused and responded to the lanky young man seated before you.

You nodded as you ran your hand down your face which was a weary habit of yours. "I'm sorry— my mind is somewhere else."

"I noticed—" Reid muttered, brows furrowed as a calculative look devoured his gaze, "you seem distressed."

You scoffed, slouching as you rested your elbow onto the arm of the chair. "Well, I believe I have every right to be."

"Um, well, considering our sessions are meant to mimic regular psychiatric sessions, I intend on asking what the issue is. Though as a friend, it may not be the wisest idea to pry on something you don't feel comfortable about speaking openly."

Perhaps it was the tension that seemed to be hawking over your shoulder, or perhaps it was his skillful coaxing tactics—whatever the case may be— you could not stop yourself impulsively from blurting out whatever came to mind. "To put it in the easiest terms, I think I made myself look like a two-cent whöre in front of my son," you said, unaware of the words you said until they'd left your lips.

Spencer, in the short time you mingled with him, seemed to be the type that never displayed too much emotion or interest in a topic- or at least, pretended to. So you felt a little distraught by his sudden recoil at your garble. And although you'd never boast your own hopes up, you thought you saw a moment of discouragement tint the young man's expression. "You have a son?

"I— yes, I do." You muttered beneath your breath, face flushing. You quickly averted your attention to the hot beverage waiting patiently on the table all while making sure to carefully avoid his gaze.

The silence that reverberated between the two of you, for once, felt stabbing and uncomfortable. You bit down on your lower lip, not daring to gain eye contact with the young man again. "Why is that you never told me you had a son?"

"It's rather complicated really,"

"...How old is he?"

"Currently five. He'll be six in December though." You finally glanced up at Spencer only to find that his eyes were fixated on his little notepad, but his pencil was still held loosely and motionlessly between his thumb and index. "I'm sorry if this was abrupt- I didn't mean to—"

"No, please, forgive me if it seems as though I took it the wrong way. It just boggles my mind that you haven't brought this up till now."

"Because it didn't seem as though I would have to worry about it till now. But, like I said, it's pretty complicated."

Reid was hesitant, "Care to explain?" The disheveled man did not have to speak any further than he already had. The look in his eyes, itself, asked all the questions that accumulated in his mind.

"You'll judge me if I do."

"No. I won't. There are a handful of people who deserve to be judged and you, out of all of them, should be the last."

You chewed the inside of your cheek, attempting to do everything in your power to keep composure while you spread lies about the darkest phase of your life. "I had him by accident— a one night stand gone horribly wrong. I tried for nearly a year to find the man, but at the same time, I was terrified of how our encounter would be like. Would he protect the child? Will he help me after what he did? All sorts of questions cluttered in my head. I thought about abortion, but it was far too late when I made the decision. And so, it happened. I had Demetris but..." You trailed off, mind wandering as guilt crawled into your head like a tumor.