𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀

𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘆

「 chapter three 」

{warning}: this story includes mentions of an eating disorder, so if you are uncomfortable with the topic please skip.  if you ever need to talk my messages are always open. <3

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  "Do you want any popcorn, Y/n?" Spencer asks, despite the fact that he already knew the answer— no.  When it came to eating food lately, the answer was always no.  Although Y/n was good at hiding things, Spencer profiled people for a living.  And even though he agreed not to profile his girlfriend, it became harder and harder to ignore the fact that her body became bonier as the days ran on, her face thinner.  However, he hasn't said anything yet, almost hoping that if he didn't say it out loud, it wasn't real.  That his girlfriend wasn't starving herself.

  "Mm, not today.  Thanks though, Spence." Her smile is almost believable— almost.  Sighing, Spencer runs his fingers through his hair, knowing that the issue needed to be talked about, and soon.

  "Alright," He announces, startling the girl on the couch.  She didn't have to be a profiler to understand that something was bothering her boyfriend by the tone of his voice.  "We need to talk." Y/n feels her heart drop in her chest at his words, and she wraps her arms around herself, praying that he didn't notice she didn't been eating lately.  She had experienced an eating disorder when she was younger but eventually overcame it.  But for some reason she felt fat lately and ultimately decided that starving herself was the most efficient solution.

  "About what?" She asks, playing dumb as she fidgets with the cuffs of her sweatshirt.  Spencer gives her a knowing look before approaching her.  She scoots over so he can sit down beside her on the couch, and he deeply sighs with his head in his hands.

  "I think you know what, Y/n.  Why haven't you been eating lately?" He inquires, shifting to look up at her.  He takes note of the way that she hasn't looked him in the eye this entire conversation.

  "I... don't know what you're talking about." She lies, scratching the side of her nose.  "Just because I don't want to eat popcorn during the movie, doesn't mean I'm not eating."

  "Y/n, I'm serious.  Humans can only last approximately five-hundred and four hours without ingesting anything, which is only a few weeks.  Statistically, the body can- nevermind, that's not the point." He shakes his head as he realizes he's gone off track.  "The point is, you haven't eaten in at least the past three days.  You can't deny the fact that you're probably starving."

  "I'm fine, Spence, okay?  If something was up I'd tell you, but I'm perfectly fine." She abruptly stands up, causing her head to swim for a second.  Spencer notices the way she wavers, and instantly stands up and places his hands on her shoulders to keep her steady.  But for the first time since they've started dating, Y/n pushes him off of her, stumbling back.  "I said I'm fine, why can't you just trust me?"

  "I want to trust you, Y/n.  But over the last few days, you've exhibited clear signs of an eating disorder, and I can't just ignore the fact that I haven't seen you eat in that time period either." His voice rises with each word, and he needs to take a deep breath to calm down.  He wants her to talk to him, and he won't get that by yelling at her.  "Look, I just want you to be healthy, okay Sweetheart?  So please, talk to me.  We'll work through this together." Tears spring in Y/n's eyes as she begins to realize that not only is she hurting herself, but Spencer too.  It pains him to see her like this, and the last thing she'd ever want is to hurt her boyfriend.

  "I'm sorry, Spencer.  I'm so, so sorry." She whimpers, her voice breaking.  She begins walking toward him before the room begins spinning again, and she stumbles into his arms.

  "Whoa, slow down Y/n.  You're okay, it's okay, Sweetie." He assures, running his hand over her back to calm her down.  She just sobs into his chest, and slowly he leads them back to sitting down on the couch.  The lightheadedness finally hits Y/n, causing her to whimper.

  "I— I don't really feel good." She cries, trying to blink away the black spots clawing at her vision.  "I'm scared, Spence.  I think I'm gonna pass out, everything feels weird and there's black stuff around my eyes."

  "Oh, God.  Okay, um, how about this.  I'm gonna go get you a— a granola bar, or something, and you try and stay awake, alright?  And then after you eat a small snack we can go take a nap, deal?" Y/n hums in response, not wanting to move in fear of making it worse.  Spencer maneuvers her so that she's sitting against the couch, facing the kitchen so he can keep an eye on her.  Giving her a reassuring kiss on the forehead, he makes his way into the kitchen, searching through the cupboards for something small.

  "You're doing great, Sweetie.  Make sure to keep those beautiful eyes open." He says as he notices her eyes closing a little.  She gently nods, forcing them open.  Eventually, Spencer finds a small bag of pretzels and rushes over to his girlfriend with the tiny pouch.  He opens the bag after taking a seat beside her, gently handing her a pretzel.  She takes a small bite, and slowly but surely she ends up eating the entire bag.  And although her stomach is screaming for more food, she's exhausted, and Spencer can see it.

  "Alright, how about we get you in bed, and afterward we can get some takeout from any place of your choosing.  Sound good?" He murmers, trying to talk as gently as he can.  Once again she hums in response, causing him to lightly smile.  "Okay, I'm going to pick you up now and carry you to our room." He whispers, causing her to nod.  He gently lifts her into his arms before walking down to the bedroom.  He slowly lowers his girlfriend onto the bed, pulling the cover up to her neck and making sure she's comfortable before moving around the bed and lying down beside her.

  Y/n curls up into his chest, her eyes already feeling heavier than before.  She balls his sweatshirt up in her fists, squeezing it as if to convince herself that Spencer was real.  That she really had a boyfriend who cared about her so much and loved her more than anything.  Spencer grabs Y/n's hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze.

  "It's okay, Y/n.  I'm right here.  How about you get some rest, now." She nods, unable to keep her eyes open any longer.  Her eyelids slip shut as her breaths slow down, her grip on Spencer's hands loosening.  But he still grasps onto hers, peering down at her with loving eyes.  Giving her a final kiss on the forehead, he smiles.

  When Y/n wakes up she sees Spencer closely watching her, a small smile tugging at his lips.  However, what she didn't know is that he didn't sleep at all.  Instead, he decided to watch over her, already planning all of the ways he'd make her feel loved when she awoke.

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