Wildest Dreams

Chapter 18

Spencer's POV:

"We have to leave today", I mumble to myself as I sit on the edge of my uncomfortable hotel bed. Hotch gives me an odd look from his side of the room as he knots his tie.

"Are you okay, Reid", he asks.

I clear my throat and nod instead of giving him a verbal answer.

Usually, I end up sharing a room with Morgan on these cases, but he has since requested to be with Rossi because my meticulous bathroom routine takes up too much time and he needs at least fifteen minutes to flex his muscles in the mirror.

"It's about Y/l/n, isn't it?", Hotch asks. "All the evidence is against her. It's very unlikely that she will be found not guilty."

Hotch lays his suit jacket on the end of his bed and stands in front of me. I crane my neck back to look at his face instead of his crotch, and he motions for me to stand up. I swallow dryly and I stare into his stoic eyes as I run through every possible situation.

"I have been in a... similar situation", he starts. I furrow my brow with confusion and he continues. "Do you remember Megan Kane? She was an unsub from a case a few years ago."

"The p-pr... ", I stutter. "The, um, sex worker?"

"Yes", he nods. "I didn't have a connection like you seem to have with Y/n, but that was a difficult case for me. It's easy to convince yourself of their innocence, especially when they don't look like a typical killer. I won't tell you to get over it, because I know it's not that easy. Just... don't let it affect your job performance. If you want to think of your version of her when you're alone, I don't blame you, but you need to be impartial when working the case."

"Yes, sir", I whimper, suddenly aware of how close I am to my boss and how little clothes I am wearing. The only barrier between him and my delating morning hardness being my flimsy pink boxers. Luckily, Hotch doesn't seem to notice.

He pats my shoulder before moving past me to the bathroom. He shuts the door and I hear the click of the lock. He is already dressed and I could smell the toothpaste on his breath, so he must have wanted to give me some alone time to collect my thoughts.

I pull my clothes from my bag on the floor, not really caring if they match or not. I find my favorite red cardigan, a white button-down, and black slacks. I pull my pants over my boxers and keep the fly undone so I can touch my shirt into them. I then take out a navy tie with light blue spots and knot it around my neck.

I move in front of the mirror so I can fix my hair, brushing through it with my fingers to get it into place. Behind me, I see Hotch leave the bathroom. He walks to his bedside table and unplugs his phone and gets his wallet from the drawer, slipping both of them into his pocket.

"We have to leave in five", he says.

I nod as I shrug on my sweater, then pick up my shoes from the edge of my bed. I lace them up, but I have to retie the left one because my finger slipped. I've never been good at tying my shoes.

I put my loose items into my bag and sling it over my shoulder. Hotch gives the room a once-over before he flips off the light switches.

"It'll be okay, Reid", he tells me as he shuts the door behind us.

"I know, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for it."