A hand ran along the surface of an unknown object. It pricked at the unwelcome sensation of chipped ceramic. It found its way around a familiar handle which was worn near the spot it joined its base. The object, of course, was Spencer Reid's favourite coffee mug. One could argue that it was, however, more than a coffee cup. Well, no… two could argue its rightful owner and a blonde that was making her way through stacks of paperwork. He picked up this priceless artefact, this curious specimen. He was almost afraid to drink out of it now, knowing that he could break it, wondering if the temperature of the coffee being poured into it would somehow damage the mug even more. More often than not, he preferred running the mug through his hands while coffee sat untouched in a Styrofoam cup on his desk. Spencer Reid was a unique individual.

Three weeks ago he sat in the same desk he was sitting in now, reading over a case that now had been resolved, mug filled to the brim with his fancy flavoured coffee. It sat there sending unreadable smoke signals into a hopeless atmosphere of harried workers and unmistakable tension. She walked over and mindlessly dropped a file folder of pictures onto his desk and into the aromatic coffee. He tried to escape but it was too late. It scalded his arm and her leg. Both cried in agony and she dropped the remaining file folders to the floor, joining the spilt coffee in a messy union.

'I am so sorry, Reid. I didn't see that there and I can't believe…,'

'It's okay JJ. Really, it's okay.'

He picked up some napkins he had handy in his desk drawer and attempted to clean up some of the mess. He'd worry about the 3rd degree burns on his arm later, he thought. JJ also picked up some paper towel off of the counter in the break room and frantically began wiping up the coffee and blotting it off of some folders.

'Did it hit you too?'

Reid said as he examined the damp spot near her knee, soaking through her beige dress pants.

'Yeah, it's fine though. You can hardly tell. Matches the shade or something.'

She made a weak attempt to brush the whole thing off.

'No, no its not. Did I burn you?'

Reid insisted.

'Don't you mean, didn't I burn myself? I DID drop the files onto YOUR desk.'

He laughed to himself at this remark.

'Well, regardless of whose fault it is, I think you should make sure you're not burnt. That was some pretty hot coffee.'

She sighed.

'And how do you suppose we figure that out?'

'Well I could explain to you in a scientific fashion the ways in which we could determine if you were in fact harmed by the descent of a boiling liquid, but since we don't have all day, and I doubt you'd like to hear my methods anyway, I'll suggest the simple route.'

He stopped and struggled to catch his breath. She chuckled and nodded, silently willing him to go on.

'Umm… lift your pant leg up.'

'Excuse me?'

Blurted JJ. Her eyes went wide in surprise. Reid looked flustered by her response.

'Okay, okay. I guess chivalry really is dead.'

She tugged at the cuff of her pants, trying to roll it up as she went but it proved to be more difficult than she had thought. She had just picked these up from the dry cleaners last night and they were rather stiff.

'Here, let me help.'

Before she could utter a cry of protest, proclaiming that she was, in fact, a big girl and didn't need help rolling up her pants to show a doctor her booboo, his hands were on hers and she didn't seem to mind so much anymore.

Inch by inch the beige material receded up her calf, being pushed by two pairs of hands until finally it revealed a patch of angry red skin just above her knee.

'Ouch.'

Reid looked at the burn and shook his head.

'What's the diagnosis, doc?'

JJ asked playfully.

'Am I gonna make it?'

'Yes, I believe you will. But not without some polysporin or something.'

Reid stared intently at her burn, caring etched onto his features. She was gracious that he did care so much. …maybe a little more than he should. But what did it matter to her? She'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the… attention? She pushed all those thoughts out of her head.

'Thanks, Doctor Reid. How much do I owe you?'

JJ smirked as she rolled her pant leg back down. Reid was brandishing the chipped mug in both hands, looking thoughtfully at the floor. He was thinking of something, she could tell. You could always tell when Spencer Reid was thinking about something because he went completely still and silent and looked very intently at a stationary object. This time it was the white flecked tile below his right foot.

'How about another coffee?'

He looked up at her and grinned.

'You know, since you decided to burn yourself with my first cup.'

JJ smirked and punched him playfully in the arm.

'Break's in 5 minutes. Let me go get some ploysporin and I'll meet you back here.'

With that, she turned on her heel and headed for the first aid kit located in an office down the hall. Reid was staring off after her, completely unaware that he was wearing the spot on the handle of his mug thin.