Chapter Text
They kept meeting like that.
Spencer would turn up at the library to work, and at some point Aaron would show up, usually with his son as well, and they would talk about whatever. There was no regular scheduling to it; Aaron offhandedly mentioned that his job kept his hours all over the place, though he was usually in the office. Spencer was getting a bit more certain every time that they talked that Aaron was some kind of agent. Most likely FBI, based on the distance to their headquarters.
As they got to know each other better, Spencer found himself more and more intrigued by the older man.
Aaron was reserved, yes, but there was an undeniable warmth to him. Spencer knew that, beyond the surface he wanted people to see, Aaron was a caring person. And that was the kind of person that Spencer wouldn't mind having in his friend circle.
Spencer found he surprised himself when, three weeks later, Georgetown University opened it's library back up again, and Spencer had to consider where he was going to go for his research. He found himself even more surprised when he realised that he wanted to go to the public library-- he wanted to see where this friendship would go.
Which is how he ended up signing out a dozen books from the campus library, before lugging them over to the public one to do his work, supplementing where he could with the latter's own collection on psychology.
Aaron was starting to suspect the possibility that Spencer lived at the library. Whenever he went it, no matter the day, and usually regardless of the time as well, Spencer was there with his nose buried in a minimum of three books.
And that day was no different. When he spotted the other man - who he was quickly starting to consider in territories closer to friend than acquaintance - he'd waved, before scouring the shelves for something that piqued his interest. There wasn't anything particularly new or thrilling, so he picked up a novel he'd read a number of times before, and settled in. Usually their conversation ended up taking over whatever material they were reading anyways.
However, it seemed that Spencer was particularly in the zone, and his head barely raised from where he was speed reading another book. (And, yes, he could apparently read that fast.) So, Aaron left him be. The companionable silence was just that; companionable. He had no desire or need to break it.
What did catch his eye, after a few minutes, was one of the titles Spencer had put to the side-- the 'read' pile. Aaron had looked for that book, and this library certainly wasn't big or specialised enough to keep it on hand.
"Do you mind if I give this a read?" he asked, pointing towards the hardback. It was most likely Spencer's own copy. The man looked up from his work and processed the request, before nodding. "Thanks."
He reached out, and flipped it open. The inside of the cover greeted him with an unexpected message. 'Property of Georgetown University library'.
"You teach at Georgetown?"
Spencer's head raised, eyes flicking between Aaron's face and the book. After a moment, the man shrugged. "Yeah." He frowned. "Why?"
"I went to Georgetown," Aaron explained, moving through the book's forward. "I studied law there."
Out of the corner of his eyes, Spencer sat straighter, clearly not having expected that statement. "You didn't strike me as a lawyer."
"I haven't been for a while." Aaron set the book down, seeing as the conversation was starting to get rolling, as it usually did. "I was a prosecutor, but took a different career path after a few years; I wanted to do something that helped people before things got as far as the courtroom."
And what a mistake that was, huh, Aaron?
"That's a noble decision," Spencer finally came to, after a moment's deliberation. Aaron tried to ignore how nice it felt to have someone say he made a good decision all those years ago, with how downhill his life had gone. Even if Spencer had no idea how selfish it really was. "What do you do now?"
"I work for the FBI." Spencer didn't seem too surprised by that.
But a moment later, Spencer frowned, which got deeper, before a slightly shocked and almost excited look came over his face. "Aaron Hotchner," Spencer blurted, and Aaron almost let his surprise show. "You're the unit chief for the Behavioural Analysis Unit-- wow." Spencer looked... awed.
"I'm surprised you know what that is." He wasn't, really. Spencer knew something about everything, and he did read an awful lot of books on psychology. Aaron would bet that he owned a copy of all of Dave's books.
The younger man bit his lip. "I'm Doctor Spencer Reid." And the name-- it rung a bell. He's sure he's heard it muttered during meetings somewhere. "I do consulting work with multiple agencies- including the FBI." A bashful look came over him. "I helped write your geographical profile software."
And that was it. That was where Aaron had heard the name before- Strauss informing them of a new tool to aid their work, and Garcia absolutely freaking out over the new toy to play with that would help streamline their work.
Aaron grinned. "I think my technical analyst worships the code that software is made from."
Spencer's face scrunched in distaste, and Aaron couldn't help but chuckle. "I didn't code it-- I just provided perspective, studies on behaviour, that kind of thing."
"Oh, so you just did the hard bit?" Aaron nodded. "Nothing too impressive then."
Mouth hung open halfway through forming a word - clearly surprised that Aaron did actually have a sense of humour - Spencer stared at him like he had grown a second head.
Then he grabbed a napkin and threw it at Aaron. It bounced gently off of his arm.
After a moment of silence, they both chuckled, before continuing conversation.
Spencer asked how Aaron and Jack were doing; how Jack's endeavours to learn magic - which ended up being what that 'secret' book was - and if he needed any help with the tricks. Aaron got to inform him that Jack had lost half a pack of playing cards so far. Somehow.
Aaron in turn asked after Spencer's goings-on. If he'd finished that scarf yet, and what he was going to make after he had. How Maeve was doing in her new apartment-- something she was proud to have, close to the neurology department she was going to return to working at. How Spencer's fish were liking their new and improved tank.
It was nice to talk about... stuff. Nothing gruesome, or complicated. Just the lives they were living, and how they were continuing in it.
And when Aaron left, wishing Spencer a good day and good luck with his students, he felt light.
More weeks passed, August turning to September, and Spencer still found himself at the smaller library. Because of the Hotchners.
He felt, at this point, that he could hesitantly call Aaron a friend. The man didn't mind his odd mannerisms - he had a few quirks of his own, in fact - and he seemed to care about Spencer's life, interests, and welfare. (Aaron had all but thrown a granola bar across the table at him one day when Spencer's stomach had growled, and he'd had to admit that he'd missed breakfast and lunch. The well-meaning lecture he got was slightly tiresome, but very kind.)
And Jack had decided that Spencer was 'cool'. Because he'd shown the boy a coin trick. And now he was forced to take on an excited little magical apprentice, because Jack was determined to learn whatever skills Spencer could teach him. It was too endearing to say no.
The conversations he and Aaron had still often had a strong intellectual component to them, but more and more often they were just... talking. Often, Spencer would find himself laughing along to a joke, and making Aaron laugh in turn, good-humoured banter passing back and forth.
The weather got colder, and Spencer started layering up. He marvelled at Aaron's ability to keep just his usual polo shirt, with only the occasional light jacket. The other man had explained he was used to the cold climate, while Spencer let him know exactly how nice and hot Las Vegas was, even during 'winter'. To which Aaron regaled him with the first time he had a case in Sin City, and he'd gotten his ear chewed out by David Rossi after he collapsed of heat-stroke. Only for Rossi to nearly faint the next day as well.
He thought it was something to relish, to savour, when Aaron smiled wide-- dimples forming in well-defined cheeks, and light dancing in those dark, kind eyes. It made the man look younger, and really it was--
Aaron looked... cute, when he smiled.
Spencer had to take a deep breath when that thought hit him.
Oh dear.