puzzles of a heart | spencer reid ✓

six

"Yes?"

He wasn't sure what gave him the courage and he didn't know how to react to her being in front of him at this moment. In truth, Spencer didn't even know if she was going to answer the door, he couldn't figure out the thoughts that led him into this situation that he acted on a whim.

He stumbled over his words before straightening out a sentence. "Uh, peace offering?" and extended the doughnut towards her.

Valeria was in baggy pyjama pants and an oversized sweater, her hair in a tame knot at the back of her head with the loose strands in the front. She appeared annoyed yet intrigued at Spencer's unannounced appearance and had drummed her fingers impatiently against the door frame. She didn't accept his gift. "You know it wasn't that big of a deal, right?"

"Yeah, of course, but I just felt horrible! That was no way to treat an intern." Spencer was panicking slightly, still holding out his arm like an idiot. He wondered if he should just accept the situation and bid her goodnight.

Valeria pursed her lips. "We're not in fifth grade so you don't have to bring me a doughnut in an attempt to work out - essentially nothing? I know I'm the youngest of the bunch, but I'm not ten years younger than you, doctor."

Spencer was taken back at her words, he hadn't predicted that she'll act so strong and firm with him. Was he foolish to think that - no, he couldn't overthink just yet... "Okay, well, please take it? It's delicious, see it as a congratulation for your amazing work today in the office. No one should turn down a doughnut, especially a chocolate one."

"You're odd." Valeria was sceptical but finally accepted the napkin into her hand. "Have you tried it, then?"

"Not yet, I still have tons left in my room."

"Then why did you say it was delicious?"

"It was a hypothesis, of course," Spencer mumbled absently; no one had questioned him as much as her within the past two days and he was curious of what she thought of him. "Have you ever eaten a doughnut that's not good? Yeah, exactly. The same logic applies here."

"What the fuck?" Her face was lighter now, and a slight smile was threatening to engulf her face. "Who are you? Some sort of crazy doughnut fanatic?"

"You could say that, alongside math, physics, chemistry, philosophy-"

Valeria held up her hand to stop him. "We get it, you're smart."

"Smart would be an understatement-"

"Dude, seriously?"

Spencer scratched the back of his head in apparent embarrassment. "Sorry."

"Why are you like this?"

"I'm a genius, and people don't get geniuses." He smiled charmingly. "No one understands us."

Valeria made a face of disgust. "Genius? More like an upscaled version of Hermione Granger."

"Who's Hermione Granger?"

Silence. "What?"

"Is she a philosopher? Mathematician?" Spencer elaborated, feeling slightly embarrassed at her reaction to him not knowing who she was. He was well educated, or at least Spencer liked to think and racked his brain for traces of Hermione Granger amongst the literature, lectures and poetry he had read.

"You haven't read Harry Potter?" Valeria was standing taller now, the doughnut gripped tightly by her index finger and an expression threatening to punch Spencer in his face. Yet even then he had realised, she was still a whole head shorter than him.