DAMAGED // spencer reid

15

"Oh stop complaining! You would do the same for me," I roll my eyes as I unlock the door to my apartment, grabbing Spencer's two suitcases.

"I know, but you really don't have to," he whines from behind me.

"Spencer, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't let you stay with me until you fully recovered? It's just for a little while, anyways, and I can help look after you."

"I'm not a child, Addie!"

"Well you sure sound like one," I smirk playfully. He rolls his eyes, but I can tell he's trying not to smile. We enter my apartment and I'm greeted by a small force hitting me in the legs.

"Ada!" Willow squeals, wrapping her small arms around one of my legs with a death grip.

"Hey, Willie!" I laugh, ruffling her unruly hair and moving farther into the apartment to let Spencer enter from behind me, Willow still hanging off of me.

"Listen, Spencer is going to stay with us for a while, okay? But you can't jump all over him like usual because he got hurt and he's trying to get better," I say gently. Willow just nods enthusiastically, detaching herself from my legs and ultra cautiously wrapping her arms around Spencer's legs this time. This causes him to laugh, a truly beautiful sound, as he reaches down (but not without wincing slightly) and rubs Willow's shoulder.

"Don't worry about me, Wills, I'm just fine," he smiles lovingly at her. She gives him a toothy grin, the kind she saves specifically for him, and runs down the hall, no doubt to gather as many toys as she can to show him.

"Thank you so much, Ms. Harmon, what do I owe you?" I tell the woman standing in the living room as I dig through my purse.

"Oh, it's not a problem, dear. It's not like I had any other plans!" She laughs.

"No no, I insist. I was gone a really long time," I assure her, digging out $200 and handing it to her. "This is all the cash I have right now, but I'll get the rest to you later." I promise her. She just gives me a thankful smile before saying goodnight and heading back to her own apartment. I sigh and write GO TO BANK on my list of reminders hanging on the fridge. I turn back to Spencer, who is watching me with a frown.

"If you're having money troubles, Addie, you need to tell me. You're letting me stay at your apartment and I'm happy to contribute—" Spencer starts.

"No, Spence, I'm all set. I'm just a little overwhelmed, but Willow will be enrolled in school soon and it'll be taken care of," I assure him. He doesn't look convinced, but he hears the uncomfort in my voice and drops the subject.

"What do you want for dinner? Pizza?" I ask cheerily, trying to pick up the mood.
"Yeah, but I'm paying!"

That night we watched Frozen while eating pizza, Spencer and I finally convincing Willow to pick something other than Monsters Inc. I tell Willow to go brush her teeth and get into pajamas once the movie ends, it's 9pm and past her bedtime. Spencer asks if it's okay to use the shower and I nod, asking if he needs any help, to which he declines. As he's showering I change into flannel pajama pants and an oversized tee shirt, deciding to slip a sweatshirt on too because the weather is getting colder as fall approaches.

"Addie?" I hear Spencer softly call from the bathroom. I cross the apartment and slowly open the bathroom door. Spencer is standing in front of the mirror, surrounded by the steam that the shower left, only dressed in pajama pants.

"Will you help me change this?" He asks sheepishly, gesturing to the bandage around his abdomen. I nod, trying to avert my eyes from his naked chest as I take the fresh bandage from his hand and sit on the toilet to be eye-level with his wound. His upper-body, although slim, is a lot more toned than I originally imagined. Not that I had been imagining it or anything... okay fine, I'd thought about it too many times to count. I could visibly see the goosebumps rise on his skin as I carefully removed his old bandage, revealing a row of inflamed stitches.

"Sorry," I whisper as he flinches while I spread an antibiotic ointment. I then gently tape a new bandage around his torso and look up to meet his eyes when I finish.

"Thanks," he smiles shyly, his wet hair hanging loosely around his face and sending droplets of water onto my pants. I simply nod, worried that if I open my mouth I will accidentally profess my love for him, or try and kiss him. Neither of which would lead to any good. I leave the bathroom to retrieve his medication, returning to see that, much to my dismay, he's pulled on a shirt.

"Here," I say, handing him the prescription. "I've already changed the sheets on my bed, you can crash there and I'll take the couch."

"No way, I'll take the couch."

"Spence, I can see you wincing when you walk. Sleeping on the couch would only make that worse, besides, I don't mind," I insist.

"I'm already staying in your apartment, I am definitely not taking your bed," Spencer folds his arms.

"Fine! We'll share the bed, okay? But there's no way you're taking the couch," I argue. I didn't even comprehend what I just suggested, it just fell out of my mouth, but I can tell that Spencer did by the way his cheeks turn red.

"Unless that's weird...?" I say hesitantly.

"No! I mean, er, it's fine with me," he stutters.

"Okay, well, I'm going to put Willow to bed. I'll be in soon," I gesture to my room before heading down the hall to Willow's room.

"Hey, sweet girl," I whisper, sitting on the edge of her bed. I can tell she's tired, her eyes are drooping.

"I missed you a whole lot while I was gone, you know that, right?" I ask the small girl. She nods and smiles sleepily.

"Okay, I'll let you get some sleep, Spence and I will be here when you wake up."

"Night night, Ada," she whispers, her eyes closing.

"Night, Wills. I love you," I reply, quietly getting up and switching on her night light before turning off the lights and closing the door behind me. I then grab a glass of water from the kitchen, closing the curtains and locking the door, before heading back to my bedroom. Spencer is lying to the right side of the bed, on top of the covers, a book in his hand.

"You can get under the covers, you know, I promise I don't have cooties," I joke, climbing in next to him. He laughs softly before easing himself under the covers gently. There's enough room for both of us, but our arms are only separated by a couple inches.

"Hey Addie?" He asks.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for letting me stay here, it really means a lot. You've been a great friend to me, and I love you," he replies. I turn my head to face him, grinning.

"Love you too, Spence," I say, reaching over to the lamp besides the bed and turning off the light. We're left in darkness, both of us wishing we had enough courage to tell each other how we really felt.

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Sorry it's kinda a short chapter with a lot of fluff, but it was fun to write!
Thank you guys for continuing to read, as of right now we have 292 views which is super crazy because I started this for fun and only expected like two people to read it lol :)

I'm thinking of doing a chapter from Spencer's perspective next, so let me know if that's something you would be interested in!

I hope you guys are staying safe and healthy <3