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Title: Profiler, Profiled: The Aftermath
Part 7
Summary: After Profiler, Profiled. Morgan is struggling. Reid tries to help. Morgan doesn't react well to finding out that Hotch and Reid are a couple. SLASH H/R
Pairing: Hotch/Reid, one-sided Morgan/Reid
A/N: Thanks to everyone for commenting! I´m really enjoying writing this story for you :-)
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"I´m going to kill him!"
For the second time that day, Reid jumps in shock at Morgan's unexpected voice from behind him.
This time though it is obvious he isn't asking a question, and his anger isn´t nearly contained.
Reid spins around, only to startle yet again when he finds Morgan standing right in front of him, looking livid.
"Morgan, what are you-?", he asks, worried, taking an instinctive step back to bring some distance between them. For some reason, Morgan looks like he is about to hit someone.
Instead of answering, Morgan's hand shoots out to grab the open front of his shirt, one harsh tug exposing his chest and stomach. In that moment, Reid feels himself grow rigid with shock, an ill feeling spreading on the bottom of his stomach.
It isn't just because of unexpectedly being manhandled like that but because he suddenly realizes what has Morgan so furious.
He stumbles backwards, disentangling himself from Morgan´s grip with all the force he can muster; he quickly fumbles to close his shirt, his cheeks burning with embarrassment and shame.
The tell tales of his last night spent with Hotch are still clearly visible on his skin, love bites and other imprints that nobody has any business seeing. Reid is as much as private person as Hotch and the thought of anyone, much more a colleague or friend getting insight into his sex life is mortifying to say the least.
Too late, he realizes that his prior argument with Morgan is still not resolved, remembers what he has been accused of and blanches even further, suddenly feeling sick again.
Morgan has let go of him but is still uncomfortably close, looking at him with an expression between fury, pity and regret -but not really surprised.
Suddenly his colleague´s words from before make terrible sense and he wants to smack himself for reacting the way he just has, not making it look like he is self-conscious but like he wants to hide signs of abuse.
"Morgan, this isn't what you think.", he says hastily, cursing the whole situation.
He closes the buttons on his shirt with unsteady fingers, while desperately searching for the right words to say here.
Instead of listening, Morgan just stares at his wrists, bared when his sleeves slide down with his movements and giving a clear view of the reddish marks around them.
Reid draws in a sharp breath, fighting the impulse to hide his hands behind his back like a guilty child. He had forgotten about those. Damnit.
God, what the hell is he going to do now?
Morgan was about to go ballistic just at the thought of him being with an older man -he doubts that he can just slip in a comment about ´unusual preferences´ and resolve the issue that way. Apart from that being beyond embarrassing -he doesn't think Morgan will even begin to understand his reasons.
He doesn't have to look up into Morgan's eyes to feel the boiling tension in the room mount with every second.
"What is it then, Reid?", he asks, his voice barely contained, like he is holding on by a thread.
His whole body seems to be quivering with rage by now and Reid can't help but feel a little intimidated by it. It doesn't help when Morgan suddenly snatches one of his arms, pushing back the shirt and holding it up for Reid to see, like he doesn't know what his own arm looks like.
"Tell me, go on.", he snaps, his grip uncomfortably tight: "Look at me and tell me those aren't from Hotch."
"They…", Reid breaks off unable to find the right words to say. He suddenly feels terribly cornered.
He can't lie if his life depends on it and Morgan knows that, but he also doesn't want to lie, doesn't want to deny Hotch and him. But Morgan can´t, won't understand this…not if he didn't even understand a gay relationship in general.
In the end, he can't answer, just looks down, biting his lip:
"I…Morgan, I… you wouldn't…"
He expects Morgan to get angry at him now, to accuse him but the older man suddenly lets him go, stalking towards the door before Reid has even got time to realize the change.
"He will have to explain himself!", he growls and Reid knows instinctively that something awful is going to happen.
By the time he has buttoned up his shirt and can get his feet to move, Morgan has long stormed out of the room and is nowhere in sight.
Suddenly more than anxious, Reid starts running up the stairs, hurrying towards the bullpen. Even before entering the office he can hear the noises, yelling and sounds of demolition. He runs faster, his heart skipping beats as his head comes up with all kinds of horror scenarios.
The office seems to be frozen in time as he storms through the door, everybody's stopped in mid-action, staring up at the closed door to Hotch´s office, listening to the raucous going on behind it.
"Spence, what-?", JJ, asks in bewilderment as she sees him and his disheveled state, immediately growing even more worried.
"Call an ambulance.", he tells her, not even stopping before running by her.
There is no doubt in his mind that it will be needed with the way Morgan was looking just now. His heart beats faster in worry for Hotch, but also for Morgan…
Just as he reaches the office door there is a loud bang that shakes the wall next to him with the impact of someone being slammed against it.
Without hesitation he rips the door open, freezing for a second at the sight of his lover pressed to the wall, Morgan's large hand squeezing his throat without respite.
Hotch looks battered enough without being choked, blood flowing from a cut on his forehead; he looks alarmed but Reid can tell he isn't using his entire strength to fight back, paralyzed by it being Morgan, his friend, his colleague who is attacking him without warning or reason.
"Morgan, stop it!", Reid yells, psychically throwing himself at the two before he can come up with a logical resolution.
There is no time for talk right now, not with Hotch in acute danger. He tears at Morgan's arm trying to dislodge them from his lover´s throat but Morgan barely seems to notice as he keep yelling at Hotch, furious and hateful.
"Do you enjoy that, hurting someone weaker? DO YOU! Maybe you ought to experience a good beating yourself before you understand!"
Morgan´s text remains the same, mixed with profanities as he wrestles Hotch to the ground, straddling him as he starts actually beating him with his fists. Reid knows he is panicking, barely hearing his own screams as he tries to get them to stop but isn't heard, he doesn't stop fighting until the rest of the team storms in, Prentiss pulling him to the side while Gideon and two more men wrestle Morgan off of Hotch.
"What the hell, Morgan?", Prentiss yells at her colleague, her angry confusion mirroring that of everybody else in the suddenly small office.
She's not the only one looking shocked by one of the team physically attacking another; they are all family and they fight sometimes but never, never like this.
By now, Hotch has gotten into a kneeling position, Gideon still clasping his shoulder. He wipes blood out of his face. His eyes flicker from Morgan who is standing by the wall, looking barely contained, to Reid who looks devastated, hand trembling as he presses it to his lips, shooting him desperate looks of apology.
Realization flickers over Hotch´s face at last and his expression darkens; he doesn't look surprised anymore as Morgan growls at him.
"Why don't you ask him what?"
By now, the rest of the team seems to realize that there is something mayor they aren't in on. They look between Morgan, Hotch and Reid with questioning expressions, wary of how to feel as long as they don´t have facts.
Along with his general fears, Reid is suddenly hit by another kind of dread; Morgan can easily tell everybody in the office about them in his rage. He can out them just like that and destroy everything -just because he thinks Reid needs his help.
He scrambles over to Hotch, kneeling on his free side to help him up. It is not an action that seems out of place for the casual observer but he hopes that it sends a clear message to Morgan, that he is on Hotch´s side and that Morgan is the wrong one here.
"Don't get up, an ambulance is coming.", he says quietly, avoiding to look at the blood smeared over his lover´s face. Hotch leans on him as he stands up and Reid leans back, another nonverbal sign.
"Don't need one.", the older man declines but no one acknowledges his protest.
Reid risks a glance at Morgan, hoping that his face shows exactly how he feels about this whole situation.
And really, Morgan has fallen silent, looking at him with an expression that looks so devastated, shocked and agonized that it tears at his heart strings. He seems to be pleading with him to speak up silently, to not side with Hotch but with him.
Reid makes himself look away; as hard as it is not to go over to his friend and try to help him too, he can't, not in this dangerous situation and maybe not in general. Not if Morgan doesn't want to understand.
In the end, Morgan lets out a sound that sounds like that of a hurt animal before shaking off Gideon and storming out of the room -and probably out of the building.
Neither Hotch nor Reid look after him, or speak another word on the subject until the paramedics arrive to take care of Hotch.
Three hours later, it is getting dark and they are still in the hospital despite Hotch´s protests that he is quite alright. The doctors have assured them that there is nothing seriously wrong but they are still waiting for the results of the CAT-scan to make sure he doesn't have a serious concussion.
Hotch is clearly antsy to get out of bed but Reid´s expression guilts him into staying put every single time. The team is gathered around him and they have to keep dodging questions; Morgan hasn't shown up again and no one knows where he's gone off to.
It is a tense wait before JJ and the other finally leave, for now accepting a half-assed explanation of what happened with Morgan.
They will have to come up with something better come morning but for now Reid can't think of that, only glad and immensely relieved when they are all gone and he can slide onto the bed next to Hotch and hug his lover tightly.
Hotch´s wraps both arms around him, resting his chin on his hair and they just hold each other for a long moment, savoring each other's presence. In the end though, Hotch shifts slightly and Reid knows the time for answers has come.
"What happened, love?"
Reid doesn't look up, wanting to bury his face in Hotch´s chest but afraid he'll hurt the other man. Instead he fumbled with the bed sheets, looking anywhere but at Hotch´s face.
"I'm so sorry."; he finally whispers: "This is my fault…"
He feels tears burning in his eyes at the realization of how true this is. Hotch was hurt because of him, because of his inability to speak up for himself. He can feel Hotch shake his head against him but he lets him continue silently.
"He found out somehow…about us. Worse…he is convinced it is just like with him and Buford, that you…that we…you know…", Reid breaks off, unable to voice what he needs to say. Hotch seems to catch on anyway.
"Why would he think that?", he asks, an edge to his voice that is disquieting: "The age difference, our jobs…"
Reid gulps, hesitating. The last thing he wants is for Hotch to feel guilty again but he realizes he can't not tell the man.
"Well, that and he kind of saw me…without my shirt on."
He holds his breath as he feels Hotch tense against him, his hold on him letting up some. As if to counteract the movement and the sentiment behind it, Reid cuddles up closer to his lover, willing him to hold him close again.
"I told him it's ridiculous…that you love me…but he wouldn't listen…and then when he saw…he just snapped…I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault, Spencer.", Hotch says after a moment, rubbing his arm comfortingly: "None of this is, you hear me?"
He sounds sad if not distressed and Reid keeps quiet, not because he fully believes him but just to keep from giving him even more grief.
"What are we going to do?", he asks instead, almost to quiet to understand. He tries, but can't quiet keep the fear for their future out of his voice.
Hotch takes a deep breath, reaching up to rub his face until he remembers that it is too sore to do so: "I'm going to talk to Morgan once he's calmed down. Try and get him to see outside of the story."
"No! What if he attacks you again…?"
"We don't really have much of an alternative.", Hotch shrugs, darkly: "We can't just go on like this and pretend that nothing happened. Even if he lets us. For all we know he could be telling Gideon or Strauss even all about us first thing tomorrow."
Reid tenses against him, fully aware of the consequences that would have for their jobs and private lives. It could destroy everything.
"What if he does?"
Again, Hotch can only shrug: "We´ll cross that bridge when we get there."
He touches his hand to Reid's face before continuing, gently urging him to look up.
"The only thing that's important is you and me. I love you so much, baby, and I'm so sorry this is happening to you."
His boss´ dark eyes look pained as he says this and it is almost too much in combination with his messed up face. Yet, there is also so much affection in them that Reid can't help but lean into his touch, careful to keep eye contact so Aaron will believe his answer.
"Don't apologize.", he says softly but fervently, putting his hand over Hotch´s: "You're everything that I could have ever wanted. I love you so much, Aaron."
Hotch smiles warmly, caressing his face: "I love you more."
Reid smiles back, some of the tension finally leaving him in the familiar comfort of their embrace. He doesn't understand how, but somehow Hotch can always convince him that everything is going to be alright.
"To the moon and back?", he asks, smirking slightly.
Hotch grins, leaning down to kiss him softly, lovingly.
"To the moon and back."
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That last part was a bit sappy, I know. Hope you liked it anyway.
Next chapter could either be Morgans POV and an advancement of the story OR Morgan and Reids thoughts concerning the more "mature stuff" (which, as you may guess, is really just a sad excuse to write more smut ;-) Your choice!)
Please review :-)