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#post prison reid
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S13E17, “The Capilanos”
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thelesbstrosity · 1 year
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I made this silly little meme for y’all
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justiceforralvez · 2 years
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A clean slate
Summary: It's been 3 weeks since their mandatory leave started, and Spencer is yet to shower, haunted by the memories of prison.
Pairing: Ralvez
Words: 4k
Warnings: Mentions of PTSD
Read on AO3
FANART for this fic!!!
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Part 1
Luke looked over at Spencer. He was sitting on the couch, staring forwards. To anyone else, it would appear as though he was watching TV, but Luke knew he was once again spaced out. Gone somewhere else in his mind as he did so often these days. They were 3 weeks into their 6-week mandatory leave, after Spencer was out of prison, after his mother got kidnapped, then Emily got taken by Scratch, and Stephen was killed. The team needed it desperately, but the time off only highlighted how much everything had changed. 
Their evenings were much quieter these days, sometimes the silence was filled with small talk, or a documentary in the background so as to not become too all-consuming. Then again, he tried to enjoy the silence, find comfort in it. He knew Spencer did. Prison was never silent, there was always shouting and screaming and banging against the bars, and alarms. He knew Spencer felt safe when there were no noises. He no longer had to remain constantly alert, in fear that someone would come and attack him at any given moment. 
He tried to look at their evenings as peaceful, they had all this time off and they needed it. A time to recover, get back into a routine, get to know each other once again after everything everyone had been through. 
That didn't mean that he didn't miss how Spencer used to ramble all the time. Somehow knowing an interesting fact about every innocuous object or story Luke would bring up. Their conversations had been lively, always bouncing off each other, flowing naturally. That did not happen anymore. Maybe it will happen again one day, but for right now, he just wanted Spencer to feel safe.
“Hey,” he spoke softly, trying not to spook the other out of his trance, “I just finished the dishes, did you want to play a board game or something this evening?”
He tried to get Spencer engaged, get him to do something he enjoyed once again. No, he knew he could never win against his boyfriend’s razor-sharp mind, but he still tried, finding successes in the small things like: well, it’s taking you more and more moves to get my king in Chess, or I actually got a 6 letter word this time in Scrabble. Luke was a sore loser, which meant Spencer took even greater pleasure in beating him and taking all the glory, filling their apartment with the sounds of laughter all evening. They hadn’t done that since before- before everything.
“Hmm,” Spencer shook his head slightly as he seemed to return to consciousness, looking up towards Luke, “umm, maybe later,” he replied, curtly as usual. Never outright saying no, but Luke knew it was never going to be a yes, not for a while at least. 
“Is there anything in particular you wanted to do this evening?” Luke persisted, trying to ease them back into the routine that they had before, dinner and then some evening activity to pass the time, enjoying the simple pleasures when they were home from cases and had the evenings to themselves. He, however, also did not want to overwhelm Spencer with choices or make him feel guilty for not being up for anything. 
“Can we just watch a film?” 
A film. 2 hours of them sitting in silence together, giving Spencer the chance to retreat back into his mind once again. Then they would inevitably dodge around each other as they got ready for bed, Spencer returning to the sofa to spend the night as Luke took the bedroom. 
Spencer was not ready to sleep in the bed together, and Luke completely understood, letting him take the bedroom. After 2 weeks, Spencer insisted he took the sofa. He didn’t see a time when he would be ready to share again, and did not want Luke making such a sacrifice every night on his account. Despite Luke’s protests, Spencer insisted that he wasn’t sleeping anyway so someone might as well make use of the bed, it wouldn’t be him. 
Luke nodded in reply, disheartened by Spencer’s apathy towards any activity that used to bring him so much joy. He sat next to the other, leaving some space between them, allowing Spencer to decide if he was ready for touch or not this evening. At least there was that, he still trusted Luke enough to want physical touch. He has distanced himself from Luke and the rest of the team, not speaking up about the memories that haunted him, but he still needed Luke’s comforting touch. And for that he was grateful. 
As he sat down, Spencer shifted so he would be lying against Luke, not as close as they used to- there had been a time Spencer would hug him so tightly he thought Spencer was trying to actually enter his skin- but now, he tentatively rested his head on Luke’s shoulder, allowing Luke to snake his hand around his waist. 
Luke felt it before he saw it, something that he had been noticing for a while but did not dare to mention, this was low on the list of priorities for Spencer’s recovery. He felt Spencer’s slightly matted, greasy hair rub against his chin - gone were the soft bouncy curls that used to frame his face. He also smelt it, weeks’ worth of dirt built up in his hair, mixed with the faint smell of sweat that had been masked with deodorant and too much fabric conditioner in his clothes. 
It was an unpleasant smell, unpleasant because of the scent of body odor, old food, mixed with a sickening floral smell. And unpleasant because it was a stark reminder to Luke just how much Spencer was struggling. 
Prison had instilled a new fear of showers in his boyfriend, one that was common for formerly incarcerated people, creating a block in his mind when he tried to wash. He at least rinsed himself off with a flannel in the mornings- using the kitchen sink and a small amount of soap in the worst areas to feel clean. Then, splashing his face with cold water. 
Spencer’s disregard for his own well-being was back in full force. He struggled to maintain a basic level of hygiene, he couldn’t bring himself to care about that. Luke ached, knowing that his sense of self, his self-esteem, had been ruined in the last few months and he wanted Spencer to get it back. 
He needed to remind Spencer that he didn’t have to wash just to smell nice, but to remind him that he was worthy of self-care. He deserved to feel clean and fresh, and it would make him feel better afterward. But how could he bring that up, explain it to him? Especially without sounding like he was doing it for personal reasons, just wanting his boyfriend to smell nice once again. He knew Spencer might actually do it, just for him, but he needed to do it for himself.
As he was lost in thought, Spencer nestled into him, and he noticed the other scratching an area of his head, no doubt getting itchy after weeks of not washing it. It was possible that this could be the gateway into starting the conversation, although Luke dreaded it. He lifted the arm that was around Spencer’s waist and moved to stroke his hair.
“Or,” he hesitantly began, “we could try washing?”
Washing, keeping it vague. That could mean having a full shower and washing his hair, or just rinsing off in the sink as he had been. He was not sure if even the word shower was triggering for Spencer, he definitely did not want to cause him to have a flashback now.
It was too late, though, since he felt Spencer tense next to him. “I- I can’t.”
Luke continued to stroke his hair, trying to calm him down from his rising panic. “I know it’s difficult for you, I’m not forcing you, but I think not washing is affecting how you are. It’s affecting your confidence, and how you are with me. I know a lot has changed, but you deserve to look after yourself.”
Spencer knew that he was right, he felt disgusting, icky. He wanted to feel clean again, feel confident, at least on the outside. He didn’t want people to step away from him when he got on public transport, he definitely didn’t want Luke to feel disgusted by him, that was probably why he was bringing this up.
“I’m sorry, I know I smell.”
“Spencer, that’s not what this is about,” Luke pleaded, “this is about you. Caring for you. Your recovery.”
“Luke, I can barely even step foot in the bathroom, let alone wash. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“I know, it’s ok, baby. It’s common for people who have just come out of prison. You’re not the only one.”
Spencer huffed in response, refusing to believe that other people could be so scared of a little water like he is now. Luke knew Spencer was not being kind to himself, insisting that there was something wrong with him, even if he’d treat someone else in the same situation with compassion, he just couldn’t treat himself like that.
“I mean it, Spencer,” Luke backed away so he could face his boyfriend head-on, lifting his other hand to place both on his cheeks, encouraging him to make eye contact- to listen. One finger twiddled with a loose hair, which he tucked behind Spencer’s ear. 
“I don’t want you to do this because of me, I just think that you’ve built a wall in your mind, you’ve built a barrier about washing. But I think you need to just break through it, otherwise, you’ll have this fear forever.”
Spencer did not like what he was hearing, he couldn’t just do it, if he could, he would’ve had a shower already, the day he got out. Wash away the smells and dirt from prison- but he couldn’t. He was stuck there, stuck in the grime and he couldn’t get it off.
“Please, Luke, I can’t,” his voice was shaking, heart rate rising at the prospect of what Luke was suggesting. 
“Hey, hey, it’s ok. I won’t force you, if you really can’t I’ll never make you do something you’re not ready for.”
“I can’t shower.” He brought his hands up to hold onto Luke’s wrists, squeezing onto them like a lifeline.
“You don’t need to shower, you can have a bath. I can be there with you, or I can leave you alone. Whichever makes you feel safer. Or, we can start even smaller than that, have a footbath, get used to the feeling of being in the room and washing your feet, feeling them being submerged in warm water. We can stop whenever as well. We don’t have to do it all tonight either. We can do something small, try again tomorrow.”
“I feel disgusting,” Spencer confessed, slowly getting to the point where he would admit Luke was right. He knew it was just a shower, something he had done thousands of times before without issue. He just had a mental block that he needed to overcome. 
“I feel disgusting and I don’t want to anymore.” He softly spoke, eyes beginning to well up as he admitted defeat.
“It’s ok, it’s ok,” Luke soothed, as he brought Spencer into a hug, holding him close. “We’ll do it together, ok? One step at a time, and if it's too much, we’ll stop.”
Spencer nodded into Luke’s shoulder, squeezing even tighter which Luke then emulated, knowing Spencer felt safer in bone-crushing hugs.
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Part 2 on A03
Thank you @tobias-hankel for beta reading
Hope you enjoyed x 
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mismatchsocks · 1 month
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“post prison reid is so tough and badass” ?? the same post prison reid who begged prentiss not to leave the team again??? the same post prison reid who can’t stand group food?? the same post prison reid who bleached his apartment because a woman would be in it for like five minutes??? the same post prison reid who was studying fungi because he found it relatable????
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ceriseswift · 18 days
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when spencer reid first gets out of prison, he’s scarred. that much is obvious. he’s no longer the boy wonder the team knew before cat adams framed him, he’s cold, he’s reserved. you can’t blame him, not one bit, but you miss him. you miss seeing the light in his eyes and a genuine smile on his face. so maybe that’s why, one day after work, your body moves of its own volition. you approach spencer’s desk gently, where he’s still hunched over a case file, long after work hours. he sees you, you can tell by the way he allows his eyes to shut. your heart warms at the way he still trusts you, enough to let his guard down after spending time in a maximum security prison. that’s why you bring your hand up to the nape of his neck, letting your nails scrape gently. you smile seeing the goosebumps erupt along his neck, his eyes now squeezing completely shut. you almost feel honored at the small gesture. the fact that, after everything, spencer still trusts you. it’s like when someone else’s dog chooses to sit with you, and you feel like the chosen one. you’re spencer’s chosen one, and the knowledge of that floods you with so much relief you could cry.
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cumulo-stratus · 3 months
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<3
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Prison Spencer <3
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starch1ldz · 27 days
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Everyone always says that Spencer Reid is submissive and whiney, and I get that! I do! And I agree. However, I also think he is the biggest brat ever. You tell him to do something and he'll straight up tell you no, just to see what you'll do, he rolls his eyes and crosses his arms and everything. Like have you seen season one and two Spence when he's not actually interacting with anyone??? BRAT.
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sex with spencer reid all seasons (season 1)
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If you are under the age of 18, please do not read this story. Thank you.
This will cover what I believe sex would be like with Spencer Reid from season 1 to 15. Warning contains adult situations, Sex. Dirty talk, Orgasms, Crying, Spoilers for all seasons and Spencer Reid being a sex God.
Also includes fingering and oral sex. (Female receiving only.)
These are a little bit longer than I anticipated them to be because I wanted to give a back story as to why the sex is the way that it is for each season. To give it in depth feeling of why Spencer was the way that he was in bed that season.   So I will be posting them by each season rather than all at once. I hope this gives you something to look forward to, and please leave comments,   I will be leaving links to the next season below.  
You are a new agent at the BAU and Spencer Reid's girlfriend, the one who takes his virginity and has sex with him for all 15 seasons and beyond.
Spencer Reid knew the first time he saw you walk through the doors of the BAU that you were the one that he was going to love forever. The first time you smiled, he knew it was the only smile that he ever wanted to wake up to. The first time he touched your hand, he knew yours was the only hand he ever wanted to hold. The first time he kissed you, he knew your lips were the only ones that he ever wanted to have pressed against his own. and the first time he made love to you, he knew you were the only one he ever wanted to do this with, and he also knew he would never be the same you or his life now, his love and his only desire.
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Season 1.
I believe in season one Spencer is still a virgin. I think we all know that. So his first time will be with his girlfriend, a new agent to the BAU. In season one Spencer would definitely be a little
unsure of himself and feels awkward. He's not really too comfortable with anything to do with sex other than kissing you. He invites you over to his Apartment something he's never done with
any of the other agents, but he feels a special connection with you, especially since he's been working with you for the past six months and you both fell in love at first sight. You want him so
badly and believe me he feels the same way about you. It isn't until one hot summer night when you're watching a movie with him on his couch in his living room, that a Heated make out
session leads to the main event. Spencer finally gives in to desire and makes love to you for the first time. He's still unsure about himself, but he reads so much and knows everything to do. The
first time he makes love to you, You can't believe that it's his first time. The kissing, the slow thrusts. The way that he makes you feel like you're the most special girl in the world. There's no
way this is his first time, He gives you an orgasm more powerful than you ever thought possible. One of many for that night in fact. He stops after the first one of his own and the second of
yours. When he finally has enough energy to get off of you and pull out slowly he rolls over to the side landing on his back panting. "I hope I was good" he said Pulling your tired body close to his
so that he can cuddle with you. "Are you kidding me?" You asked. "That is the best feeling I've ever had in my life", you told him with a smile.
"I'm so glad I did good. That was my biggest fear. I wasn't going to be able to satisfy you, but I guess now we know that I can", he said with a grin. After that you two were addicted to each
other And had sex three more times that night. after that night Every chance you had you'd end up in bed with Spencer, the love of your life that you know will be in your life forever. He will one
day be your husband and father of your children. But for right now, in this moment, he is the best lover you could have ever asked for.
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violetrainbow412-blog · 5 months
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Day 23: coffee shop
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Masterlist flufftober 🎀
This one is even longer than my favorite and although at first I didn't have an idea, I loved the final result. I hope you like it!
The movie on your phone was interrupted by the bell ringing, alerting you that some customers had just entered.
Your aunt had owned the modest cafe you were now in for most of her life and now that she was too tired to take care of it anymore and the money was already enough for a comfortable life, she decided it was time to sell it.
The transaction was still in process and you were there that day to cover for her while she went to a doctor's appointment, hoping that the day would be calm enough so that you could finish the movie series you were watching and, perhaps, make some progress in your schoolwork.
“Good morning, how can I help you?”
Your friendly smile seemed to please the couple of girls in front of you and they took a moment to decide what they wanted, until finally they told you what they wanted. You had worked as a barista for a while elsewhere and it wasn't difficult for you to prepare the lattes that they waited patiently for, while they carried on a conversation that you heard fragments of, but didn't understand.
A minute later, when you took another look at the line, you realized that there was a man behind them and you stopped for a moment to look at him carefully. He was older than you but you also noticed that he was very handsome and dressed like an executive, very different from the kind of people who frequented the establishment.
Once you were done you placed both drinks on the counter and the two girls, who had already held hands, thanked you and handed you a bill to pay.
“For a dollar more I can give you some cookies, we have chocolate and walnuts, would you like that? They will taste delicious with the latte you ordered” you offered kindly, showing them the product in the basket you had next to you “They are homemade and a sweet gift for a loved one.”
Your sales strategy seemed to convince them both and one of them gave you the missing dollar. You packed the things and before they left you wished them a good day, trying to be as polite as possible. When the couple left the place, the man walked to the front and you repeated the question at the beginning, a little nervous after noticing that he was even more handsome up close; he had slightly curly and messy hair, a discreet trace of facial hair around his pink lips, and beautiful honey-colored eyes that made you shiver.
“I wanted to ask you, is Mrs. Smith here?”
“No, she had to go to a doctor's appointment,” you responded, somewhat embarrassed. The idea of who he could be didn't even cross your mind, as you were too worried about recording as many details as possible about your attractive client “Who's looking for her?”
“My name is Spencer,” he replied. The name sounded captivating coming from his lips and there was something about his smile that made you feel nervous.
“I can call to tell her that you are here”
“No, if she's busy I'd rather come another time,” he murmured. The thought of what this man might want intrigued you and before he even turned around you rushed to say something, anything, to hold him back.
“Don't you want to drink coffee?” your words sounded small and rushed and you didn't even know why you had said them. That man would be, according to your calculations, about ten years older than you, but that didn't stop you from appreciating his beauty and wanting to be nice to him “You look like…” you began to say, feigning a thoughtful tone, “an espresso man. You know, something serious and strong”
Again, your attempt to attract customers seemed to be working, you knew by the small smile that formed on his lips.
“In fact it's quite the opposite,” he murmured, taking another step towards you that he had taken away “I'm a big lover of cappuccinos. The sweeter the better."
“Well, that's definitely a surprise,” you murmured, batting your eyelashes without even being aware of it “My aunt should be back soon and we have a cappuccino machine here. You can wait for her. If you want,” you added, hoping you didn’t sound too forward.
You saw him debate for a moment whether he should consider your offer or not and apparently something in your childish and kind eyes convinced him to accept, which you celebrated with a huge smile.
“Regular, vanilla, or mocha?”
“Regular, please,” he responded, walking to the nearest table so he could take a seat. All the furniture was shabby and rustic, with bright color combinations that had already worn out over the years “And you work here?”
“No, I'm just helping out today. There was an employee, but she had to resign for personal reasons and since my aunt is selling the cafe, we thought it would be more prudent for the new owner to hire whoever he wanted.”
“Huh, now there will be a new administration? Who is it about?" you weren't very used to sharing information with strangers, but you wanted to continue having this man's attention and if that was the way to do it, you would take the risk.
“My aunt said he is a Doctor Reid. I think she's known him for years because he comes here often for coffee and when he found out she wanted to retire... well, he offered” you could see him from above the counter and although you thought you saw a little smile, you thought you were just imagining it “Are you a frequent customer?”
“You could say so,” he responded and you swore there was a bit of mockery in his response.
You had already put the ingredients in the machine and now all you had to do was wait, praying inside that no other person would cross the door so you could have your little moment with that mysterious gentleman.
“I hope the new owner considers remodeling. There is a university near here and many young people could come if there were some more flashy things. You know, something that looks cute on Instagram”
“Instagram?” he asked, as if you were speaking to him in a strange language.
“The social network,” you answered obviously and he was quick to nod his head, as if he had just remembered what that was.
“Sorry, I'm just not very techie,” he apologized, with a sheepish smile. “But I think you're right, maybe this site could use a change. This way it would stop being full of old people like me and young people like you would enjoy coming.”
Was he describing himself as old? How old was he supposed to be? The question was drowned out on your lips because the machine announced that the drink was ready and you ran back to finish preparing it. You did your best to place a pretty design on the top of the liquid and then left the counter to hand the man the cup, accompanied by one of the cookies you had sold to the previous girls.
“It looks delicious,” he hummed, receiving the coffee from your hands and accidentally brushing your fingers. His hands looked calloused and big; the kind capable of holding you perfectly “Should I pay now or later?”
"Oh, don’t worry. It is courtesy of the house”
Again, you didn't even know why you were offering that to the man, and although he seemed surprised, he didn't protest at your show of kindness. You thought about how daring it would be to sit at the same table as him and in the end, you decided that the best thing was to return to your place behind the counter, now with no intention of watching your movie because if that were the case you would miss out on the good view that destiny had given you.
“If you need something else, you can tell me. We have some books on the shelf over there, if you feel like reading while you wait.”
Spencer thanked you and then you thought it would be best not to ask him any more questions or he would probably feel harassed. You saw him get up from his seat to listen to your suggestion and take a book, on the cover of which you managed to read��Crime and Punishment. You wanted to tell him that you had read it for a college assignment, but instead you bit your tongue, reflecting that this information was something he clearly wasn't interested in. 
You stayed as composed as possible and he didn't seem to notice your gaze on him, or if he did, he didn't say anything of it. There were no customers the entire time he was drinking his coffee and when you thought about preparing something else for him, a clatter filled the air: it was your aunt, at the door, holding a shopping bag in one hand.
"Oh hello!" she greeted, both to you and to the man who was waiting patiently “Honey, why didn't you tell me that someone came looking for me?”
“I asked her not to, Mrs. Smith.” Spencer answered for you, getting up from his chair and leaving the book on the table, next to the empty cup “I didn't want to interrupt your activities.”
“Well, now I'm here. "Just let me leave these purchases and I'll be right back to discuss the contract, Doctor Reid.”
Contract? Doctor Reid? 
“I'll wait for you here” he smiled. Your aunt crossed the counter to enter the warehouse and you followed her like a lost puppy, trying to find an explanation for what you had just heard.
As soon as you were inside you stood next to the woman to get her attention, making sure to be out of the man's hearing range.
“Is that Doctor Reid?” you hissed.
“Yes, he didn't tell you?”
"No!" you squeaked, while she looked around for a folder with the documents she needed “I mean, he told me his name was Spencer, but he didn't tell me his last name. And since you said he was a doctor, I imagined a grumpy mister, not someone like him"
“But he is a mister, he is in his forties.”
"How many?" you screamed again, unwilling to believe what she was telling you “But he… he's so handsome! I thought he would be around thirty at most. How can he be forty?”
“Do you think he's handsome?” she asked and this time she did look at you. You had always had a good relationship with her, so her older woman's scowl judging you didn't offend you like it should.
“Of course,” suddenly your head seemed to remember an important detail and your entire face turned red, while your mouth opened in a soft oh “Damn, I even bought him a coffee! I just gave the future owner of this place a coffee, what is he going to think of me?”
“Youth, youth, you are becoming more and more indecent!” she murmured, half joking and half complaining. When she finally found her folder she grabbed it, ready to get out of it again, when you stopped her by her arm.
“Please don't go telling him that I think he's handsome,” you begged and she assured you that she wouldn't do it.
When you came out again, luckily, there were already some customers waiting and that gave you an excuse to escape from the amused look that the man you had been talking to had. The time you spent preparing people's drinks was enough for them to talk about the purchase and sale contract and for both of their signatures to finally be on the pages of paper.
“I know that this little corner is in good hands, I trust that you will take care of it”
“And of course I will, ma'am. While I was waiting for you, your niece kindly suggested a remodel and I think that will be the first thing I will do. I will keep the essence, but with a modern touch, right?” he smiled, giving you a kind look from his spot as if he were seeking your approval.
“I said it with the best of intentions,” you admitted sheepishly “If I'm honest, I didn't even know that you were the future owner, otherwise I think I would have treated you better.”
“Better than your friendly attitude, free coffee, and advice?” he asked and you almost thought he was returning your previous attempts at flirting, as if that amused him no end.
“What I want most is to see this place full of people again and I think a remodel would be perfect” your aunt smiled “Give me this week to take out my things and then the cafe will be all yours”
“Take as much time as you need, Amy. You will always be welcome here as if the place were yours,” he told her, with a sweetness inappropriate for a grown man, while he wrapped her in a hug. When he pulled away his eyes landed on you. “And you too, Miss Y/N. If you are interested in obtaining a permanent job, I would be happy to hire you. I’ll need someone young to help me give it that youthful touch.”
You wish you could say that his offer didn't flatter you, but that would be a vile lie. You looked at your aunt for a second and she already had a smile that bordered on disapproval of your victory, but she also hid some amusement at the situation.
“I need to talk about it with my parents and review my schedule at the university, but… I would love to, to tell the truth. Even if I am not a permanent employee I will continue to live here to shop”
And to see you, you wanted to say, but again you held back. 
“I'll look forward to your visits then,” he murmured, giving you a bright new smile.
From that moment on you knew that your aunt's old coffee shop would become the number one place for social gatherings, solitary visits to do homework and, with any luck, free afternoons to chat with the handsome and charming owner.
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taglist: @navs-bhat @reidwritings @tricia-shifting14 @spencerslove @vivian-555 @r-3dlips @rhiannonhippiegirl @taygrls @simp4f1 @sdddoobydoobydoo @taintedstranger @missabsey
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reidiot · 9 months
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“i can fix him” no, i want him the way he is
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entrop-y · 3 months
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**click for better quality!**
BY THE NUMBERS: CRIMINAL MINDS
a brief analysis of ratings, complacency, and the future of the police procedural
THE TRENDS
looking at general trends across the seasons 1-15, airing in Criminal Minds initial 2005-2020 run, the trends in ratings*, while not drastic, do reflect a decline in quality as the seasons progressed.
In the earlier seasons, most episodes were generally well received, with 2-4 “stand out” episodes—typically multi part episodes or season finales—per season. Notably, the stand out episodes often strayed from the constraints of the procedural format that structures the majority of episodes of Criminal Minds.
As the seasons progress, the majority of episodes in a season are mediocre in the eyes of the audience, with a few episodes being received quite poorly (ratings below 7.0). This is especially obvious in seasons 10-14. When thinking about the future of Criminal Minds: Evolution, it’s important (and fun!) to think about what was successful and unsuccessful in the shows original run.
WHY THIS IS
After season 5, but unequivocally after season 7, there was a noticeable decline in the quality of the writing, directing, and cinematography of Criminal Minds. The episodes felt increasingly fantastical—with storylines like evil twins, prince charming, and reid’s prison arc—making it difficult for audiences to suspend their disbelief. The early seasons focused on the profiling aspect of Criminal Minds, setting apart from other network police procedurals at the time. Criminal Minds felt smart and engaging, playing on real life cases and giving the viewer an insight into the unsub’s mind and the science* of profiling. In its infancy, the show did not rely on the gratuitous violence or drawn out take down scenes of the later seasons to keep viewers attention. Instead, Criminal Minds assumes its viewer is smart, immersing them in the word of profiling and building suspense by revealing the unsub to the viewer as the BAU identifies them.
As the show lost the elements that set it apart from similarly successful procedurals like NCIS or Law and Order, the episodes felt stale and unoriginal. This departure from its earlier premises created a bit of an identity crisis in the type of show Criminal Minds was.
There was also a notable decline in the direction and cinematography of the show. While the early seasons were admittedly rife with continuity errors and now dated editing, it was creative and ultimately, showed a degree of care and forethought that became lost in the later seasons. The yellow-grey color grading and uninteresting shots make the show less enjoyable. They are the opposite of inventive. The creativity and trials of the early seasons somewhere diminished, being replaced with an over reliance on the procedural format, becoming very formulaic.
This is particularly evident in season 10, which has generally low ratings and unmemorable episode, aside from “Mr. Scratch” dir. Matthew Grey Gubler. “Mr. Scratch” was so wildly different from all of the episodes of season ten, with writing and direction reminiscent of a full length horror film, it performed significantly better than the other episodes in its season. It demonstrated that criminal minds could still balance a fantastical premise with a genuinely terrifying unsub. Like earlier seasons, it also did not spell out the entire story for the audience from the beginning, instead highlighting Hotch as an unreliable narrator who under the influence of Scratch’s deliriant cannot decipher what is real.
FAN SERVICE, FINALES, AND THE FUTURE
As ratings slipped in seasons 13-15, the writers tried everything to keep audience’s attention. This included bringing back old unsubs (Lucky Strikes, Date Night) and the fan service disaster that was “Truth or Dare”. “Truth or Dare” reflected Criminal Minds’ inability to even make the interpersonal relationships between team members feel natural and realistic. The team bonding scenes became more frequent, but they felt unnatural in comparison to similar scenes (for example the bar scene in “The Big Game”).
The finale was an unsatisfying yet long overdue end to the Everett Lynch storyline, with the teams actions being overshadowed by Reid’s umpteenth near death experience—a sequence that for the first time since like season 4, was terribly impacted by the lack of Mandy Patinkin—making the entire episode feel disjointed.
The bad finale left especially pre covid viewers of Criminal Minds apprehensive at the prospect of a reboot/revival. It awkwardly fell somewhere in between being another soulless money-grab hollywood reboot devoid of its original spark, and an overdue “revival” more akin to a pause in filming because of the pandemic. Audiences also had to navigate “the paramount+ of it all”, which was more accurately a reflection of the lack of faith cbs executives had in this project. It being exclusive to their own streaming service made it perfectly low stakes.
Nevertheless, Criminal Minds: Evolution, was a success among audiences. The freedom of a limited series, as opposed to a procedural, meant the show got to be more experimental in its direction, which was refreshing. It was renewed quickly, and despite its flaws, seems to signify the possibility of a positive reception and legacy of the show.
NOTES:
*throughout this post, “ratings” refers only to the rating of an episode as listed on IMDb, not taking into account viewership and any other metrics CBS used to determine audience reception
**the phrase “the science of profiling” is used only for simplicity and to align with the language of the show; criminal profiling is pseudoscientific and should not hold any weight in the criminal justice system.
END
I hope you all enjoyed this analysis, it got a little out of hand but also did not even scratch the surface of what I could say about Criminal Minds from a media studies point of view. I would love to hear any and all thoughts people have, even if you disagree with me!!
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Spencer Reid and Emily Prentiss in S13E1, “Wheels Up”
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fuckingstrange · 4 months
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| Day9: Kiss me more |
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WARNINGS: boys kissing, cuddling, whiny Reid, palming, grinding, cumming in pants
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WORDS: 1,082 (I think)
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PAIRINGS: S12+!Spencer Reid x m!reader
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I almost made the mistake of writing PP!Spencer Reid🧍‍♂️ JUST THINK POST PRISON.
I have ZERO idea what song my mom is listening to (lord forgive me if I sound uncultured) but it inspired this?
CAN YOU KISS ME MOREE? WERE SO YOUNG BOY WE AIN'T GOT NOTHIN TO LOSE, OH, OHHHH. IT'S JUST PRINCIPAL, CAN YOU HOLD ME? CUZ I LIKE THE WAY YOU MOVE, OH, OHHHH. BOY YOU WRITE YOUR NAME I CAN DO THE SAME OO I LOVE THE TASTE-
You've been having trouble sleeping, tossing and turning, flipping and flopping. You stop with a groan after about 15 minutes, not wanting to wake up Reid since he's barely gotten any either due to his nightmares and the habits he picked up in prison.
You get up and sneak out of the bedroom, checking the clock on your way out to see it's two in the morning. You head into the kitchen and start a pot of coffee, grabbing a mug down from the cupboards.
Reid, who has apparently been up since you started tossing around, walks up to you and leans back against the counter. Not a word is said. He hasn't been exactly.. touchy since he got out, hasn't really wanted to even hug or kiss. You respect that, obviously. The poor man had been through enough.
You grab a second mug and gesture to him in a silent offer, he nods and you begin to fill it up before passing it over, then filling up your own. You set the pot down and turn to lean against the counter with him, shoving a hand in your pocket.
“..Why are you up?” He asks quietly, looking over at you as you slip your coffee. You shrug, replying with a simple “fuck if I know”. He lightly nods his head, letting his gaze fall back to the snowy outdoors through the window.
You both drink the coffee in silence for a good ten, fifteen minutes until you build the balls to ask something. “Why.. uh, are you?”.. it's something at least?
Reid thinks for a minute, letting his gaze move back to you. He reaches over, slowly grabbing hold of your hand with his and intertwining your fingers. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He admits. “I worry about you. A lot.”.
His words make your heart melt, the gentle hold he has on your hand turning you into mere mush. You meet his gaze and set your coffee down, letting your now free hand move to rest on his cheek. “You don't have to.” You whisper.
He shrugs, mumbling something along the lines of “can't help it”. Silence falls again, though a comfortable one. You both just stare at each other, well, Spencer stares at your lips more than anything. You got to whisper a soft “I love you”, but get cut off by his lips pressing against yours. It's gentle, sweet. A hint of need coming from him.
You can't help but kiss back with just as much sweetness while moving your hand to the back of his head, cupping it and pulling him closer. Your lips move in harmony with his, each tugging up into a gentle smile.
Your tounge runs along the seam of his lips, pulling a small whine from him as his lips part to invite it in. You explore his mouth, running your tounge along his to pull another whine from him. “please..” Reid whispers, his trembling hands moving to your hips to pull your body firmer against his, the bulge in his pants pressing against yours. It's obvious he hasn't had anything since before prison, and that just makes you want to give him this more.
You continue the sweet kiss, gently shushing him as you guide him back to the bedroom, coffee long forgotten on the counter with your new goal of pleasing him. “I love you”’s being whispered along the journey into bed.
Undressing him was like unwrapping a Christmas present early, even if he only let you take off his shirt, claiming the room was too cold. You didn't push, you instead pulled the covers over you as you hovered over him, caging the warmth around the both of you.
Your lips barely dare to disconnect with his, only every once in a while to let each of you take a breath before pressing right back together. Each small whine he lets out is followed by a soothing “Shh” from you.
He's practically trembling with need, need for you, need to be touched. “Please- Touch me, please-” Reid only gets out half of his beg before he cuts himself off with a gasp, your hand having moved down to palm his cock through his sleep pants. His hands shoot to your shoulders, a firm grasp as he bucks up into your hand. He's about as sensitive as a virgin, already rock hard and leaking.
Reid grinds into your hand, whimpering, moaning, and tugging at your shirt. Your mouth stay on his, and you eat up each and every pornographic moan that comes from his plump lips.
He lets out incoherent pleas as he continues to grind against your hand, eventually unable to even kiss back from how much the pleasure consumes his thoughts. “s’good- missed you s'much.. haven't.. h-..” he mumbles. You tilt your head to the side, kissing his jaw.
“Haven't what, baby?” His hips buck purely from the name. “Haven't felt this good since you left, hm?” He nods his head in response. “I-I couldn't.. couldn't even get myself off..” He mumbles, whimpering and tossing his head back. You can tell he's close. “Oh, baby.. you couldn't even touch yourself?” You ask, leaning more against him so you can whisper in his ear. He shakes his head, biting down on his lip as his thighs begin to shake.
You grasp his cock more firmly through his pants, your middle finger toying with his steadily leaking tip where it strains against his pants. His hips buck, a high-pitched whine coming from his throat.
Tears well up in his eyes, and he just babbles out random pleas as his orgasm builds. It only takes a few thrusts into your hand until he finishes, gasping as it washes over him and paints the inside of his boxers white. You look up to see tears rolling down his cheeks, your free hand moving to wipe them away as your other works on helping him through the high, milking his cock of all its worth.
You remove your hand from his cock when you feel it completely soften, wrapping your arms around him and hoisting him up so you can pull him off to the bathroom. The poor man is nearly falling asleep in your arms.
“I'm gonna clean you up, okay?” You whisper, pushing open the bathroom door and setting him down. Reid leans against you, his arms remaining wrapped around you as he mumbles a “m’kay” in response.
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siyteefe · 2 years
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This guy ⬆️ would be so afraid of this guy ⬇️
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stxr-slut · 3 days
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Back on my Too Sweet obsession, but this time with either post prison!Spencer reid or Aaron hotchner.
Like these men just scream daddies with daddy issues (ps I do NOT have a daddy kink, the phrasing was just funny)
Like both of them would find it so difficult to believe such a sweet thing like reader could be interested in them and reader finds it hard to believe that someone as smart and amazing as them could ever be interested in her.
The mutual pinning is crazy. They both want each other, but they feel like their not good enough for each other until it all bubbles over in an eruption of need and insecurity and pent up affection and lust.
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only-one-brain-cell · 11 months
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I was too distracted to post a picture of Spencer’s fit last night
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