FIC: Sharing Secrets (Reid, Elle Gen, rated G)
Title: Sharing Secrets
Author: darkhawkhealer
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Characters: Reid, Elle
Rating: G
Word Count: Around 850
Warnings: None
Summary: Elle wants to know why Reid hasn't been sleeping.
Note: First in the Elle Series.
"Hey. What's up with you? You're off your game today."
Reid snaps around to look around Elle, alarmed. "I'm off my game?"
Elle sighs and leans against the coffee counter, waiting for the team's order to come up. "It's not there unless you look for it," she reassures, "But you look tired, almost run down. I know we haven't had that hard a time of it lately."
Reid shrugs. "I just haven't been sleeping well, that's all. Nothing to worry about."
"I do worry about you," Elle says, taking a chance and lightly resting a hand on his arm. "Are you having nightmares again? What's going on?"
He glances from her hand, up to her and then back again, debating silently. "The last thing I need is to give Morgan more of a reason to tease me."
Now she drops her hand, and straightens, offering a distracted smile to the barista as he gives them their drinks. "So what, I'm a snitch now?"
"Wouldn't you?" He challenges, squinting at her as they walk back out into the bright sunshine.
"If you ask me to keep something private, I will." The look she shoots him over the roof of the car is solemn. "If you can't trust me past that, then we need to be having an entirely different type of discussion."
Silence reigns as she starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot smoothly. Then,
"My friend's out of town."
Elle frowns a little, trying to make sense of that. "I'm sorry?"
"My friend's out of town," he repeats, taking the lid off his coffee and blowing on it. "I look tired because I'm not sleeping right now."
"See, it sounds like English, but it makes no sense to me," she admits. "With as often as we're on cases, you must be used to sleeping alone by now."
"What makes you think I sleep while we're on a case?"
And thank goodness they're at a red light, as Elle turns and stares at him. "What do you mean, you don't sleep when you're on a case?"
"Did you know that it actually is possible to catch up on sleep? Or to stock up on sleep? Scientists have discovered that the body is capable of adapting and storing away --"
"Reid."
"Sorry. I have a hard time blocking out my thoughts sometimes," he waves a hand in the air. "Too many ideas running around in my head."
"I've noticed."
Reid shrugs. "It's worse at night. I usually don't sleep while we're on a case, because I can't get my brain to shut off."
"How does that relate to your girlfriend being gone?"
"We're actually not dating right now, it's a pretty platonic relationship."
God, it's like getting a puppy to focus. "Reid."
"I've found that I sleep much better when I'm sleeping with someone. If I can focus on someone's breathing, listen to their heartbeat or feel their pulse. It's so faint that it takes most of my concentration to feel it.”
Now she gets it. “And if you’re concentrating on that, you’re not thinking so hard.”
Spencer smiles faintly at her before they walk back into the building. “Exactly.”
***
A few hours later, Elle steps up to the bar and turns to Reid. “So then what do you do when we’re working?”
It's enough to surprise a smile out of him. “The same thing that keeps me from sleeping in the first place. Think.” He hurries on quickly at her look of alarm, “I catch catnaps here and there, but when I say I don’t sleep, what I mean is that I have a very hard time actually reaching REM sleep without someone with me.”
“Reid! That’s not good for you!”
He shrugs, glancing across the restaurant to where the rest of the team is joking over their restaurant menus. “Neither is a candy and caffeine diet, but it gets me through the day.”
“You’re sleeping with me tonight.” Elle announces, determination written all over her face.
Reid laughs. “Are you going to explain to JJ and Morgan why you want to switch rooms?”
That gives her pause, but only for a moment. “You need to sleep.”
The plaintive note in her voice and the worry in her eyes makes him try to reassure her. “I’ll sleep on the plane.”
“Well, when does your girlfriend get back?”
Now he rolls his eyes. “We’re not dating.”
“Reid!”
“In a few days,” he relents. “Abby‘s at a conference, and it ends on Friday.”
Elle bites her lip, tentative. “Do you want to sleep with me until then?”
Spencer squeezes her shoulder as they sit back down with the team. “Thanks,” he says, “I’ve got someone I’m going to call.”
JJ glances between the two of them. “Call about what?”
“There’s this algorithm I’ve been having some trouble with lately,” Spencer responds easily, “It’s really fascinating, the problem is --”
“Nevermind,” she cuts in, laughing. “I’m sure whatever it is, it’s great.”
Elle watches thoughtfully as Reid shifts in his chair, his glance at her filled with secrets.
Author: darkhawkhealer
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Characters: Reid, Elle
Rating: G
Word Count: Around 850
Warnings: None
Summary: Elle wants to know why Reid hasn't been sleeping.
Note: First in the Elle Series.
"Hey. What's up with you? You're off your game today."
Reid snaps around to look around Elle, alarmed. "I'm off my game?"
Elle sighs and leans against the coffee counter, waiting for the team's order to come up. "It's not there unless you look for it," she reassures, "But you look tired, almost run down. I know we haven't had that hard a time of it lately."
Reid shrugs. "I just haven't been sleeping well, that's all. Nothing to worry about."
"I do worry about you," Elle says, taking a chance and lightly resting a hand on his arm. "Are you having nightmares again? What's going on?"
He glances from her hand, up to her and then back again, debating silently. "The last thing I need is to give Morgan more of a reason to tease me."
Now she drops her hand, and straightens, offering a distracted smile to the barista as he gives them their drinks. "So what, I'm a snitch now?"
"Wouldn't you?" He challenges, squinting at her as they walk back out into the bright sunshine.
"If you ask me to keep something private, I will." The look she shoots him over the roof of the car is solemn. "If you can't trust me past that, then we need to be having an entirely different type of discussion."
Silence reigns as she starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot smoothly. Then,
"My friend's out of town."
Elle frowns a little, trying to make sense of that. "I'm sorry?"
"My friend's out of town," he repeats, taking the lid off his coffee and blowing on it. "I look tired because I'm not sleeping right now."
"See, it sounds like English, but it makes no sense to me," she admits. "With as often as we're on cases, you must be used to sleeping alone by now."
"What makes you think I sleep while we're on a case?"
And thank goodness they're at a red light, as Elle turns and stares at him. "What do you mean, you don't sleep when you're on a case?"
"Did you know that it actually is possible to catch up on sleep? Or to stock up on sleep? Scientists have discovered that the body is capable of adapting and storing away --"
"Reid."
"Sorry. I have a hard time blocking out my thoughts sometimes," he waves a hand in the air. "Too many ideas running around in my head."
"I've noticed."
Reid shrugs. "It's worse at night. I usually don't sleep while we're on a case, because I can't get my brain to shut off."
"How does that relate to your girlfriend being gone?"
"We're actually not dating right now, it's a pretty platonic relationship."
God, it's like getting a puppy to focus. "Reid."
"I've found that I sleep much better when I'm sleeping with someone. If I can focus on someone's breathing, listen to their heartbeat or feel their pulse. It's so faint that it takes most of my concentration to feel it.”
Now she gets it. “And if you’re concentrating on that, you’re not thinking so hard.”
Spencer smiles faintly at her before they walk back into the building. “Exactly.”
***
A few hours later, Elle steps up to the bar and turns to Reid. “So then what do you do when we’re working?”
It's enough to surprise a smile out of him. “The same thing that keeps me from sleeping in the first place. Think.” He hurries on quickly at her look of alarm, “I catch catnaps here and there, but when I say I don’t sleep, what I mean is that I have a very hard time actually reaching REM sleep without someone with me.”
“Reid! That’s not good for you!”
He shrugs, glancing across the restaurant to where the rest of the team is joking over their restaurant menus. “Neither is a candy and caffeine diet, but it gets me through the day.”
“You’re sleeping with me tonight.” Elle announces, determination written all over her face.
Reid laughs. “Are you going to explain to JJ and Morgan why you want to switch rooms?”
That gives her pause, but only for a moment. “You need to sleep.”
The plaintive note in her voice and the worry in her eyes makes him try to reassure her. “I’ll sleep on the plane.”
“Well, when does your girlfriend get back?”
Now he rolls his eyes. “We’re not dating.”
“Reid!”
“In a few days,” he relents. “Abby‘s at a conference, and it ends on Friday.”
Elle bites her lip, tentative. “Do you want to sleep with me until then?”
Spencer squeezes her shoulder as they sit back down with the team. “Thanks,” he says, “I’ve got someone I’m going to call.”
JJ glances between the two of them. “Call about what?”
“There’s this algorithm I’ve been having some trouble with lately,” Spencer responds easily, “It’s really fascinating, the problem is --”
“Nevermind,” she cuts in, laughing. “I’m sure whatever it is, it’s great.”
Elle watches thoughtfully as Reid shifts in his chair, his glance at her filled with secrets.