Walkman༄S.Reid

༄ONE༄

Spencer happens on Bella & Son's Coffee because it's the only coffee place opened when he is rushing to the Bureau at 5 in the morning for a briefing on a serial arsonist. He opens the door to the shop to find only one person behind the counter. His head is down on the counter cradled in his crossed arms and his purple flower crown is slightly askew. He has a set of earbuds pressed into his ears so Spencer softly taps his elbow instead of trying to speak.

The man stands up straight and blinks several times as he pulls something off of his belt and slips the earbuds out of his ears. He presses pause on the Walkman and wraps the cord around it before setting it by the register. "Sorry! My night shift worker had to go home early so I'm usually just waking up about now. How can I help you?" He asks as he fixes his flower crown. It seems the flowers are real purple carnations and blue irises.

"Did you know purple carnations symbolize capriciousness and blue irises mean faith and hope?" Reid blurts out before flushing and rattling off everyone's favorite coffee orders.

The man's brows shoot up and a smile spreads across his lips. "No, I didn't know that but its very interesting so thanks for telling me." He doesn't seem to be making fun of the other man which is interesting in itself and he genuinely seems to be interested in the small fact he had been presented. "You wanna give me names for each of those, sweetie, or are they all for you? You know, Henry Rollins said 'What goes best with a cup of coffee? Another cup!'." He pauses. "I've never said this, but I think it might be too much coffee for one person."

Spencer cracks a smile and lists off the members of his teams while pointing to the cups with their corresponding order abbreviated on them. "And I'm that last one, name Spencer. As much as I'd like to have all that caffeinated goodness to myself, I have to share with my team."

The man chuckles as he types the orders into his register and the price pops up on the PIN machine in front of the taller man. As Spencer pays, the barista turns to some of the machines behind him. "FBI right? Your badge is on your belt, I'm not a stalker." He assures the other man as he pours Hotch's black coffee and adds the two sugars before putting it in a drink tray before turning back again.

"I passed every test but the physical so I couldn't be an agent. I settled for coffee shop owner and police consultant." He turns and Reid is hit with the striking bright green of his eyes as he slips Garcia and Prentiss' cups into the drink holder as well. He drags his eyes away to swipe his card through the machine and pay while the smaller man continues. "I have a badge too, but it's not really as impressive as yours."

Spencer smiles back as another cup, JJ's, joins the first two in the holder. "Still impressive, every test but the physical. I almost didn't pass it myself."

He puts Morgan and Rossi's cups in another holder and clicks it into place over top of the first in a way that Reid has never seen before. He hands the other man his own coffee and pushes the double stacked drink holder over too. "Good luck, sweetie. Go be a superhero."

༄ ༄ ༄

"Thanks. You know you have a phone number on that cup?" Derek questions once he is grabs his own coffee before taking a large gulp of it. Spencer's eyes fly down to the coffee cup cradled in his hand and he turns it to find he does indeed have a phone number written on the cardboard holder around the middle of his cup to keep the heat from hurting his hand. He sets the drink crate down on the briefing table for the others to get their coffee and stares at the number. "Damn she must have been a real beauty If she's got you looking like that, Pretty Boy."

Spencer commits the number and the little note to memory before looking back up. "Big green eyes. Light brown hair. Freckles. He was beautiful but that's not why it surprised me."

Morgan raises his brows as Emily chuckles from next to them where she has just finished fanning her mouth due to the scalding of her coffee. "So What has you so surprised about this..." She takes a look at the name. "...Rami character?"

"He had a Walkman, quoted Henry Rollins, wore a flower crown, and told me my fact on flowers was interesting. I didn't think anyone like that would see me as someone to give their number to." Spencer flicks the rubber band on his wrist as he takes a seat. "Maybe it's a prank."

"This guy owned a Walkman? How old was he?" Prentiss asks opening her coffee so that she can blow on the surface of it as JJ walks in and snags her own.

"Around my age I think." Spencer replies smiling at the blond woman as she begins to set up.

"Who is this?" JJ and Rossi ask almost in sync as the Italian man walks into the room and looks at the trays of coffee for a moment before grabbing his own.

"Some guy who's interested in Pretty Boy." Morgan says setting his coffee down and grabbing Garcia's. "I'm going to take this to, Babygirl. Spence, man, do us a favor and call the guy when we touch base back on home turf."

"I'll think about it." Spencer murmurs already knowing that he wants to do just that but wondering if he really can.

Episodes Mentioned in this chapter: S4E19-House on Fire