fic: comprehension (criminal minds, morgan/reid)
Rating: PG-13 (slight sexuality)
Pairing: Morgan/Reid
Disclaimer: Not mine, making no profit
Spoilers: Allusions to canon through 4x24, "Amplification"
Teaser: Five things it takes Spencer Reid too long to notice about Derek Morgan- and one he notices immediately. Or, five and one snapshots of a slowly developing relationship. (for angeldylan628)
( morgan's never truly drunk around them )
Pairing: Morgan/Reid
Disclaimer: Not mine, making no profit
Spoilers: Allusions to canon through 4x24, "Amplification"
Teaser: Five things it takes Spencer Reid too long to notice about Derek Morgan- and one he notices immediately. Or, five and one snapshots of a slowly developing relationship. (for angeldylan628)
( morgan's never truly drunk around them )
I don't even know where to begin.
I've been staring at this for five minutes trying to figure out where to start but I keep wanting to quote the whole damn fic and just put a big ass smiley face after it because that's about as coherent as I'm getting.
Okay, for starters, remember me telling you that you don't ever need to worry about characterization? Well, you just proved it yet again because this was so perfect. I'm really amazed by it. Especially Morgan. I've found that people usually get Reid pretty easily but it's so hard to find in character Morgan and you nailed him. And my mind just went to the gutter....
Moving on...
The dialogue! God the dialogue was so fantastic through all of this. It felt so real. The way they banter and flirt without even realizing they're flirting. For instance...
Reid says the first few (nine) times, “I’m an FBI agent, I can take care of myself” because his stunted pride demands it, and Morgan says, “You’re our precious commodity, get in the car.”
Such a perfect sentence to sum them up.
I loved the whole section about Morgan pacing the hotel room. I think it may have been my favorite...because as much as this fic was about Morgan finding the need to take care of Reid I think that part show how Reid does it as well. He's just not as open about it. Not sure if open is the word I'm looking for...but hopefully you get my drift. And also, I loved that section because it subtly addresses the whole abuse thing and how Morgan doesn't really deal with it, but that it still manages to haunt him, but he tries to bury it until a time where no one's watching.
Of course as much as I loved the angst, I also adored all the lighthearted parts to. Like Reid and his chopsticks. Because Lord knows I used to be the same way and only now have I mastered them. (I still prefer a real utensil when eating fried rice though otherwise I resort to using the chopsticks like some sort of shovel...but I'm getting off topic). And that last section. Gah! It warmed my heart. One, because Morgan is still being overprotective, but at least now Reid knows why. Two, because it's all about the afterglow and how ridiculously tender they both are during that moment. And three, Clooney was able to overcome the Reid Effect, which is on my wishlist of 'things I want to see happen on the show.'
All in all, this was a fabulous read. Most definitely, it's in my top three for Morgan/Reid fics. And I'm so honored that it was written for me. I clearly do not deserve such awesomeness. Thank you so very much for the Christmas present! I hope you continue writing in this fandom because you're an amazing writer and the world could always do with more quality Morgan/Reid like you've written here.
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I really cannot put into words how much I love Morgan. I mean, I love Reid, a lot, SO MUCH, but Morgan clicked for me one piece at a time through the first two seasons until he was possibly my favorite. So if I got him, then that gives me major :D face on about a hundred different levels. Because, yeah, that's it exactly in regards the Morgan's abuse.
At this point, he's not in the worst place, he's obviously confronted it on some level but there are still major wounds there that haven't healed, in part because he won't let them. The boy... has a lot of issues, in my head, in regards to weakness. Not because he's disgusted by weakness but because he cannot handle it after so many years of building himself up to survive it all. And if he slips, he'll always make sure to do it alone, where the vulnerability won't leave him in danger. He's just... constantly acting and reacting and taking whatever control he can over the physical situation. Always.
Like, hey, he gets arrested for murder? Gets slapped in the face with epic amounts of emotional fuckery that he's spent years dealing with alone? FUCK THAT EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN SHIT, HE'LL ESCAPE AND HANDLE THIS SHIT HIMSELF.
It works for me on a lot of levels because I watch and I go, OH SHIT, I KNOW THAT REACTION and I want to pet him again, :|
Reid does it as well.
asdfghjkl, I LOVE YOU, *__*
Reid can totally take over as Caretaker of the Year the second he has to do it. It was just drilled into him. And contrary to what I read in some fics, I don't see him always being happy about it or wanting to do it (it was just one on top of numerous other reasons the boy had no actual damn childhood and, you know, IT'S FUCKING EXHAUSTING FOR ANYONE TO DO) but there's definitely a 'do this and this and this and this AND DON'T FORGET TO MAKE SURE THEY EAT BUT DON'T BE OBVIOUS BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT' button there and THERE ARE ISSUES THERE. He wouldn't come in and feel Morgan's forehead and coo and feed him and all that, I don't see that - he'd be way more subtle and way calmer and do it without thinking when that button gets tapped and, oh fuck, DON'T GET ME STARTED ON MY PERSONAL CANONS, I'LL BREAK ELJAY, >__>
oh gawd, I WANT TO BRING OUT MY PERSONAL CANONS, TELL ME NOOOOOOO.
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And contrary to what I read in some fics, I don't see him always being happy about it or wanting to do it
EXACTLY. I've always seen the resentment from Reid. Like you said, I think it's been ingrained into him so that sometimes he'll just do it out of habit. But I just can't see him being overbearing and really into it. He'd be cautious and tentative.
...
You know I want to hear your personal canon. I cannot tell you no. I AM OF NO HELP.
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Like, the sleep thing I used in here which makes me so happy because it came across well for Morgan and Reid, too, and I was worried. Because Mom's problems would have been a constant thing to watch for even when she isn't having any episodes - because she could go into one at any point, and he KNEW that. And part of him handling everything would include being able to get up if she does so she doesn't leave the stove on or the back door open. So he's got that 'doze to get rest but still be able to know what noise to ignore and which one to react to' thing going on in my personal canon because he HAD to and he can't flip that switch off now and I see Reid doing an obvious but also completely subtle 'bitch, don't even' shut down if somebody he doesn't know or who has hurt him or someone he loves one day rushes in all, TAKE CARE OF AND MY ANGST, WAAAAAH to blatantly use his background and him doing anything he had to but just going through the emotions and not hiding the Cold Shoulder of Doom at the same time. But it's completely different with someone he loves even if there's still some ISSUES there because you know, ISSUES, and Reid is completely fantastic at everything to do with being a caretaker - he can stay mellow and be subtle in a way that lets most people be taken care of without even realizing they're being taken of except for Morgan because Morgan has ISSUES and I'm writing that fic and even when they're wrong for each other, it's in the RIGHT way and Clooney is Morgan's security blanket and that's a personal bias because I have a family member who does the same thing but it's still my personal canon BECAUSE IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE and Morgan knew in less than three days of them meeting how Reid liked his coffee even if he refused to admit to himself WHY and he hates that he can't stop bringing Reid up randomly when he visits his family BUT HE CAN'T HELP IT and his Mom doesn't tease him over it even if Des does and sometimes Morgan gets too tense when JJ and Reid are partnered up even if he doesn't blame JJ but he still can't help but tense up BECAUSE and -- and -- AND, OMG, I HAVE SO MUCH IN MY HEAD, SO MUCH, \O/
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW, *bounces and does the retarded seal clap with no shame at all*
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GAH. IT'S LIKE YOUR IN MY HEAD. You see Reid as I do...only you're able to flesh it out a lot better than I ever could.
Also, the sleep thing now even makes more sense to me when you explain it like that. And yes, Reid is perfect for Morgan because Morgan would never actually ask Reid to take care of him. And thus, Reid would want to do it, but not in the way he felt compelled to take care of his mother. It would more be like something Reid could feel secure in. He would know how to take care of Morgan without letting Morgan know he was being taken care of...and since Morgan has that whole issue with pride going on, it would be necessary that he was kept in the dark.
he hates that he can't stop bringing Reid up randomly when he visits his family BUT HE CAN'T HELP IT and his Mom doesn't tease him over it even if Des does
DUDE YOU NEED TO KEEP WRITING BECAUSE YES. BOTH OF THESE THINGS. I still get all goofy every time I rewatch that scene where Morgan's sister mentions that Derek talks about Reid and his mother has that look on her face that reminds me of the one my mother got when I would talk about boys.
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