Title: Smile

Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made.

Pairing: HotchxReid

Rating: K

Summary: Hotch hates seeing Reid suffer.

Prompt: Smile.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
Aaron sighed heavily as he flipped the page of the report he was working on. The rest of the team dozed around him on the jet and he felt that he should be relaxed. He'd called Jack and knew his son to be safe and well and he was surrounded by his team – and surrogate family – who were all equally as safe. It should be ideal for a 'mother hen' such as himself. It was a nickname from Morgan he most certainly did not appreciate but could at least agree to be somewhat true.

But there was one thing bothering him, one dark cloud in an otherwise fair night. Spencer Reid.

The man – 'My lover' Aaron thought excitedly, still amazed at the rather new development - was sat next to him, curled up into an impossibly small ball in that unfathomable way he did and was sleeping deeply. The problem was that his brow was creased into a frown and his lips curled downwards. He'd made several displeased noises over the last hour and it was all Aaron could do not to wake the man. They were all exhausted and, unpleasant or not, Spencer needed his sleep.

But the sounds of distress coming from the man was putting Aaron on edge. Yes, he was protective by nature, sometimes ferociously so according to certain people from his past, but he felt it was justified in this particular case. Spencer had once again ended up in the clutches of a killer and while he'd been able to once again talk his way into having the advantage and ultimately prevailed, he'd still come a lot closer to death than Aaron would have liked.

Of course if it were up to the deeper, darker part of Aaron's heart, Spencer would never go into the field again.

He knew this part of himself annoyed Spencer to no end. The man made an art out of portraying himself as weaker than he was but he trusted that the people he was close would see through that. Aaron's constant fussing about his safety made Reid feel as though Aaron bought the ruse, that he didn't really know him and considered him weak. It was an incredibly sensitive subject for Spencer and they'd already had several arguments about it.

Aaron had, however, found that it was extremely hard to put into words that his actions weren't about Reid or any falsely perceived weakness but about his own fears, insecurities and past losses. He'd lost Haley because he failed to protect her – no matter what Reid and everyone else said, that was the reason and he knew it. He couldn't stand the idea of losing someone else he loved because of 'relationship protocol.'

When another pained groan escaped from his lovers parted lips, Aaron placed the file on the table and turned in his seat, facing Spencer. He wasn't naive, he knew the team knew about them and he didn't care to be discreet right now.

Reaching out a hand, Aaron threaded his fingers through the part in Reid's hair and began to stroke downwards; threading the locks through his fingers. He was secretly glad for Spencer growing his hair out again. He'd always appreciated the longer style and had once or twice (more than that in reality) dreamt of running his hands through it while they made love. Now that he was in a position to do more than dream of that, he was practically giddy with the prospect.

Spencer shifted slightly and Aaron stilled his hand, not wanting to wake him. A second later, he began his soothing motions again, trailing his fingers back through the hair, letting his thumb drift to stroke Spencer's defined cheekbones. When the sleeping man's brow softened slightly, Aaron knew that his actions were working on vanquishing the nightmare.

Leaning close, Aaron pressed a ghost of a kiss against Spencer's dry lips and whispered to him. Soothing things like "It's okay, everything's alright." And "I love you."

He'd dare not say those things when the man was awake, too shy about being the one to progress their relationship to confess his true feelings but there was a certain weight off his shoulders at saying the words aloud for the first time; even if the recipient of said love was unable to accept or reject it.

When Spencer shifted again, he hummed slightly and Aaron felt relief because that sound wasn't even close to being an unhappy sound. It was content and relaxed. Aaron stroked his fingers through the hair one more time before placing his whole hand softly against Spencer's cheek. The sleeping man breathed deeply and leaned into the touch. When a small, almost imperceptible smile curled upon those full lips, Aaron felt a similar reaction in himself.

One more kiss to Spencer's lips and he moved back to a seated position, getting back to his paper work.

Spencer may be a strong and capable man. He may be a man who was in no need of the almost pathological protectiveness that Aaron displayed. But Aaron was a man who needed to guard the people precious to him. He hadn't be able to guard his brother from their parents. He hadn't been able to shield Haley from Foyet. Elle from the Fisher King, Morgan from his past, Gideon from his own demons, Kate from a bomb that should have claimed him. He'd even failed Spencer, sending him into the arms of a psychopath and then leaving him to wallow in a drug fueled darkness while he'd been busy with his own issues.

So many people had suffered because of his weakness. So many people he'd failed. But not this time. Whether he needed it or not, Aaron simply couldn't allow himself to fail yet another loved one.

He just couldn't.