Fic: Damage Control, Chapter 2 (Criminal Minds, Spencer Reid / Derek Morgan, Aaron Hotchner)
Title: Damage Control, Chapter 2
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pair: Spencer Reid / Derek Morgan,
Aaron Hotchner
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
Criminal Minds Main List
Damage Control, Chapter 1
Morgan snapped fully awake when he realised there was no familiar weight pressing against his chest. He opened his eyes. Reid was sitting with his back against the bed’s headboard, reading a thick book Morgan didn’t remember seeing before.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“You passed out so thought I should let you rest.”
“We just got back from a job and we’ve only had sex once. If I pass out you’re supposed to wake me up. And why are you wearing those again?”
“What?”
“Your glasses. I’ve told you hundred times they look awful.”
“I don’t use them that often. When we’re working I use contacts, but what does it matter when we’re home?”
“When we’re home it’s our time. I wanna see my sexy-as-hell boyfriend, not a math teacher.”
“What do you have against math teachers?”
“Nothing….. Actually that sounds kinda hot in a weird way….”
“Morgan.”
“Sorry. What are you reading?”
“Kalevala.”
“Excuse me?”
“Kalevala.”
“So I heard right..... What is it?”
“You really want to know?”
“Yeah.”
“And you won`t interrupt me in the middle of the explanation?”
“Would I do that?”
“You would, you do that all the time.”
“I promise, I’ll be quiet.”
“Okay. It’s an epic poem, based on Finnish and Karelian folklore of the nineteenth century. It consists of 22 795 verses, divided into fifty cantos, which form the overall story arc.”
“Okay…. And why are you reading it?”
“I’m always reading something.” Reid shrugged.
“You can’t fool me. When you’re reading work stuff, you read with that ten-miles-per-minute speed. When you read that slowly, you’re actually reading.”
“Reading as an act of cognitive learning-”
“Reid.”
“Fine, I was really focusing on it. I have to use an Finnish-English phrase book to check some stuff. It’s translated to English, but some of the wordings are so complex I need to see the other possible translations to figure out the tone of the original text.”
“And why are you so into it?”
“It’s a part of Scandinavian literary history-”
“Reid.”
“Did you know that the German translation of it served as an inspiration for Longfellow's poem The Song of Hiawatha, which is written in the same trochaic tetrameter, and also inspired Ian Watson to write the Books of Mana duology.”
“Just tell me the truth.”
Reid blushed and looked embarrassed. “J.R.R. Tolkien used it as one of his main inspirations for the Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings.”
“Now that explanation I can believe.” Morgan grinned. “How long are you gonna spend on that?”
“I’ve read it before, but now I’m examining it more carefully.”
“Can I see that?”
Reid handed the book over to Morgan who tossed it to the floor.
“Why did you do that?”
“I’m not getting upstaged by a book of poems. Keep the glasses on.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ll be playing the new substitute teacher who’s giving me a detention for being a bad boy.”
--------------------------------------
Hotch opened the door and his mind took a minute to catch up. Chad walked in carrying his overnight bag.
“Don’t tell me you forgot I was coming here for the weekend.”
“I didn’t forget, I just…..” Hotch paused to give him a light kiss. “I’ve had a lot of things on my mind. We got back just couple hours ago.”
“Tough case?”
“Yeah, and to top it all off we had a real scare at the end. You want one too?” Hotch gestured with the glass he was holding.
“I could use a drink, I drove four hours to get here. You better be one hell of a host.” Chad smirked. He went to the bar cabinet and poured himself a drink. “What kinda scare was it?”
“The Reid effect, phase two.”
“What does that mean?”
“If there’s a chance that something dangerous happens, it happens to him. We were going into the unsub`s house, Reid was covering the backdoor, and the guy tried to escape that way.”
“Was he hurt?”
“Little wound. The guy had a knife. If he hadn’t been in a hurry to get out, panic fogging his aim…. It could have been really serious.”
--------------------------------------
“I think we can safely say I just discovered a whole new kink…..” Morgan gasped and tried to focus on his breathing. “I had no idea math teachers can be so hot….”
“I had no idea my glasses had that effect on you.” Reid chuckled.
“Me neither….”
--------------------------------------
Hotch followed Chad down the stairs. The other man was pulling his clothes on, and looked like he was fuming. He grabbed his overnight bag from the table, shoving his things back in.
“Would you just listen to me? It was a small slip, it doesn’t mean anything!”
“Listen. I think I’m a pretty reasonable man. I don’t mind that you have to stay in touch with your ex wife. I don’t mind spending time with your kid when we’re here at the same time. I don’t mind that we have to spend more time talking on the phone then face to face.”
“Please, just-”
“But I do mind being used as replacement and I sure as hell do mind being called by someone else’s name when we’re in bed.”
“It was the case! Things were running around in my head, I didn’t even realise I said that!”
“Is that supposed to make it all good? We’re in bed and you’re thinking about your job?”
“That’s not what I meant-”
“Aaron.” Chad took a deep breath. “I think I’ll go get myself a room in some motel before we say something we’ll regret.” He took his bag and walked out.
TBC