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Separation Consequences

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Summary: Reid is injured at a crime scene and Morgan feels responsible because he wasn't there.

Rating: PG – nothing too awful

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, I promise. They belong to CBS, who kind of abuses them, and their various creators.

Timeline: Sometime in the fourth season, because that's where I left off.

Morgan and Reid are in an established relationship.

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The drive back from the hospital was quiet and tense. Morgan gripped his hand, but didn't otherwise say anything. At least, he didn't say anything with his words. His body was saying a whole lot to anyone, let alone a profiler. He was tense, his hands were forcibly still, as though Morgan had realized they were shaking and was doing something physical to make it stop and the muscles in brow were bunched like they usually got when he was stressed or angry. His whole being spoke to a profound anger that Reid knew he was barely holding back. Reid knew that his boyfriend wasn't mad at him, completely the opposite, he was angry with the unsub who had decided to smash Reid across the face.

They hadn't even been three minutes into the arrest when Reid had been hit. He'd dropped instantly, the pain so great that he didn't even need Hotch's orders to drop and get out of the way. It felt like seconds between falling on the ground clutching the side of his face and his vision clearing to reveal Prentiss crouching next to him while Hotch and the other officers led the unsub away in handcuffs with a bleeding shoulder wound.

Prentiss had taken one look at his suddenly swollen face and dazed eyes before calling out for an ambulance. She was sure that he was concussed - he was sure that he was never going to move his jaw without wanting to give up eating and drinking ever again.

He was mostly out of it for the ambulance ride, they had given him something for the pain that he'd not appreciated and had tried to vehemently deny. It was only Morgan's voice in his head that made him accept it; the usual argument about trained professionals, forced punishment and trusting himself and his team ringing in ears that were kind of already ringing on their own. The next three hours was a blur of doctors, pain and x-rays.

He'd been declared lucky not to have broken his cheekbone or jaw. Instead, he got severe swelling, bruises of all colors, and a burst blood vessel in his eye that made it look like his eye was bleeding under the surface. It didn't feel lucky.

When he'd been carefully wheeled out to the rest of the team, they'd actually recoiled from how bad his face looked. Not one of the nurses had let him look at himself in the mirror and suddenly Reid was grateful for it. The only person who didn't make a face at his injury was Morgan, which actually made Reid feel a little better. If his boyfriend had scrunched his face up in pitied disgust, he probably would have lost it.

Morgan just walked forward and gently tilted his head to the side to get a better look. "Jesus, Pretty Boy." He'd whispered, eyes taking in the damage.

All of the team, Morgan most of all, had listened to the aftercare instructions and Reid had finally been released to go back to the hotel for a couple of days of rest before they headed back to Quantico.

Now, pulling into a parking space at their hotel with a strangely numb yet still throbbing face and an incredibly tense boyfriend, Reid was weary in ways he didn't even want to think about.

Morgan practically leapt out of the SUV and was at Reid's side opening the door before Reid had even managed to get his seatbelt off. "I can do it." Reid said shortly. Not shortly because he was angry with Morgan, but because it was a little hard to speak with the meds that they had given him and the swelling in his cheek.

"You're having a hard time seeing out of your left eye and you got pumped full of painkillers. If you fall, you have to go back to the hospital." Morgan said, helping Reid step down out of the SUV. "Still want me to let go?" He asked when Reid swayed a little.

Glad that they weren't on the scene where they had to be professional, Reid clutched at Morgan, "No."

Morgan gave him a tight smile, "Thought so, Reid."

His head was kind of swimming, so Reid was actually really glad that Morgan was half-steering him, half-carrying him to their room, even though he'd probably feel really pathetic about it later. It was kind of hard not to feel pathetic next to Derek Morgan when you looked like Reid did, even without an injury that really highlighted Derek's vitality and Reid's well, lack of vitality.

Morgan opened the door to their room and flicked on the lights. "Bed or bathroom, Pretty Boy?"

"I got some files…" Reid mumbled, waving his hand towards the table where he and Morgan had strewn all of the files related to the case.

"No way." Morgan said, "You're supposed to be resting, not reading and doing paperwork."

"Morgan…" Reid started.

"No, Spencer." Morgan said, cutting him off. "Bathroom first or bed?"

There was no way he was winning, not when Morgan was so obviously worried about him. Morgan was protective of all of his teammates, but add it everything that there was between he and Reid, and there was no chance that he was getting off without any fussing.

The ache in his face chose that moment to intensify and Reid couldn't remember why he was fighting going to sleep. Still, the bathroom had more attractions than he'd originally thought. "Bathroom." Reid decided, thinking of the mirror over the sink.

Morgan steered him into the bathroom and closed the door behind him in case someone decided to check on them. Normally Reid would be blushing as though Morgan hadn't already seen everything there was to see, but with one look at Morgan's face, he decided not to fight about privacy.

Instead, he glanced in the mirror. "Ugh…"

Morgan's eyes followed Reid's to the mirror and he didn't even look twice between turning Reid's face towards him with a careful hand. "Gorgeous." He said, ghosting a kiss over Reid's lips.

"Mental." Reid said back, trying not to smile. He still wasn't entirely sure what Morgan saw in him, but he wouldn't say that he didn't appreciate the attention. Sometimes when the strong, charming man treated him so sweetly, he felt unworthy or guilty like he was forcing Morgan to act differently around him. The way Morgan smiled at him, though, it made all that go away. If Morgan was ever really himself, it was with Reid and it made him proud in ways he couldn't say.

They worked in unison, trying to get ready for what would hopefully be a really long time in bed. Reid's balance and coordination was a little off, so Morgan helped him with everything he could. Never before had something a simple as washing his hands felt so intimate.

It wasn't until Reid was able to sink into the covers that the weight of the day finally caught up with him. His eyes fluttered shut and he lay still, listening to Morgan move around the room. The familiar sounds of guns being locked up, cell phones being plugged in to charge, the door being locked and Morgan's footsteps comforted Reid. The light was flicked off and Morgan slid into bed next to him.

If Morgan knew he was still awake, he probably wouldn't have pressed his face into Reid's shoulder and let out a shuddering breath. "Derek?" Reid asked, concerned in a sort of detached way.

"Go to sleep, baby." Morgan said. Usually those sorts of endearments were kept for when they were alone, lest anyone outside of the team hear them. They still made Reid's insides squirm, leftovers from a boy that had never really been loved by anyone the way that Morgan loved him.

"What's wrong?" Reid asked, emboldened by Morgan's affection.

There was a pause and Morgan didn't pull his face away from Reid's slim shoulder. Finally, he answered, "Too close today. I should have been there."

"Got hit with a scrap of wood." Reid said, trying not to slur the words. That would have only made it worse for Morgan. "Couldn't have stopped that."

Abruptly, Morgan pulled away. "I could have tried. I could have taken him down before he hit you."

"Mmm…" Reid considered, "Maybe." Probably not.

"I don't like when you go on arrests like that…" Morgan admitted, "Without me."

Reid opened his eyes and turned his head towards Morgan, but it didn't do much with the lights being out. "I'm an FBI agent…"

"I know," Morgan rushed to assure Reid. "I know that, but it doesn't really make me feel better, you know? I can't help it, Reid."

Carefully, Reid turned onto his side, letting the uninjured side of his face rest against the pillow. "I know." He said.

That Reid wasn't offended by Morgan's words seem to relieve them both. Morgan sighed and Reid breathed it in. "I should have been there."

"M'not mad." Reid whispered. "Not your fault."

"Doesn't matter." Morgan protested, "You're hurt."

"Doesn't matter." Reid echoed, "I'll heal." When Morgan seemed like he was going to respond, to protest again or get upset that he was downplaying an almost-fractured cheekbone, Reid closed the inches between them and kissed him. Morgan always said he liked when Reid took charge and initiated things, so Reid knew he'd get his point across. I trust you. It wasn't your fault.

They didn't let the kiss go for too long, or even let it be much of anything. Reid's face wasn't up for much pressure being put on it and as much as they both wanted the kiss, it wasn't going to work. Derek broke it up into smaller, barely-there kisses and then laid a featherlight brush of his lips to Reid's cheek.

"Sleep," Derek whispered. "I'll be here."

"You always are when it counts."

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Just a little hurt/comfort oneshot to get my feet wet in the Criminal Minds pool. If you'd like to see more stories with these boys, let me know!