Fic: Painted Blind (Criminal Minds, Spencer Reid / Derek Morgan, Aaron Hotchner)
Title: Painted Blind
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pair: Spencer Reid / Derek Morgan,
Aaron Hotchner / Chad
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
Criminal Minds Main List
Follows:
Dearly Departed
Aggressions
First & Last Impressions
(The talk about the incident with Sean refers to Scared Away.)
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Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream
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“Would you mind explaining to me why we’re doing this?” Morgan groaned and pulled an old, raggy T-shirt over his head.
“Because Hotch asked and it’s your area of expertise.” Reid leaned against the doorframe. He was wearing a similar outfit. Worn pair of jeans and an old T-shirt.
“He asked, I get that, but why did you say yes?”
“Because he promised we could keep our vacation days simultaneously.”
“Okay.” Morgan moaned. “It’s just one day.”
“Actually, we agreed we’d go there again tomorrow after work if we don’t get an urgent case.”
“You and Hotch agreed?”
“Yeah, and you and I are a packet deal, aren’t we?”
“Well….”
“Or would you like me to spend the evening all alone with Hotch?”
“You made your point, let’s go.” Morgan headed out with Reid in tow. “Did he say what we’re gonna do?”
“Some renovations, he didn’t specify.”
“I can’t wait to see you doing manual labour.”
“What do you mean?”
“The idea of you with a hammer is like…. Like my mom with an assault riffle. It just doesn’t look right.”
“Who says I’m doing something with a hammer? I’ll be there to give good advices and make coffee.”
“So what am I there for?”
“Heavy lifting.”
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When the door opened, both Reid and Morgan froze. The sight was just too bizarre. Hotch was wearing bright coloured old Bermuda shorts and a T-shirt, and was carrying an axe. He had a wide grin on his face, along with several paint stains.
“This is just like that case in California.” Morgan commented. “Are you gonna cut us to pieces and cook us for dinner?”
“What? No, I was breaking the bed.” Hotch continued to smirk. “When we put it together we finally had to glue the pieces and now I can’t get them apart.”
“Why the hell are you breaking a bed?”
“To get it out. The guys from the furniture company will be delivering the new one tomorrow. I thought we could get the room empty today and paint it, so we can put the furniture’s in tomorrow.”
Hotch turned and headed back upstairs. Reid and Morgan shared a confused look.
“That was pretty disturbing.” Morgan finally said. “And that grin….”
“I know, I should have taken a camera with me. Nobody’s going to believe this.”
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“Okay, the first layer is done.” Morgan yelled over his shoulder and put his brush on the rim of the paint can. Hotch walked in and took a good look at the walls.
“Looks good.”
“Where’s Reid?”
“He went to get some food.” Hotch closed the lids on the paint cans and sat down in the middle of the floor. “Judging by the skip in his step, we’ll be getting pizza.”
“Great.” Morgan sat next to him and gave the freshly painted walls an appreciative glance. “So what’s going on?”
“With what?”
“This renovation project.”
“I had a little realisation yesterday when I came back from Atlanta. I’ve tried to think why I keep comparing Chad to Hailey. I don’t want her back, and I don’t want her instead of Chad. Then I came back here and I walked into this room.”
“And?”
“And it looked exactly the same way it did when Hailey was living here. She decorated the whole house, but I can live with that. That doesn’t even bother me. Just the bedroom.”
“Too many ghosts?”
“Something like that. New phase, a good one, so I might as well paint the room to match.”
“And chop the bed with an axe.”
“That was a horrible old thing. I never really understood what she saw in dark wood and panelling and dark colours.”
“Well, you picked a nice colour.” Morgan complemented. “What exactly is that? Baby blue?”
“Pale turquoise. It wasn’t actually my idea. Chad said he painted his own bedroom with it because it’s a soothing and relaxing colour. I thought it would be a nice surprise when he comes for the weekend.”
“Wait a minute…. His bedroom? Where is that?”
“In his apartment.”
“He has an apartment somewhere?”
“Yes, and why is that such a surprise?”
“I don’t know, he’s always coming and going, I never even thought he might actually live somewhere….”
“Food’s here.” Reid announced and came in with three large pizza boxes. “Ham and mushrooms, tuna and pineapple, and seafood with extra shrimps.” He handed away the last two and kept the first one for himself. “Did I miss anything?”
“Painting. But you can help with the next layer.” Morgan offered.
“No thanks, I remember the last time.”
“So do I….”
“By the way.” Reid took a big bite from his slice of pizza and turned to Hotch. “Your brother tried to reach you when you were away.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, he left a message.” Reid dug his pocket and pulled out a wrinkly little piece of paper.
Hotch unfolded it and started laughing.
“What is it?” Morgan asked. Hotch handed him the note.
I tried to catch you at your office, they didn’t know where you are. Let me know when you get back, if you can still walk. If you can’t…. my condolences.
“What does that mean?” Morgan mused.
"Some time ago when Chad was here for the weekend, Sean showed up unannounced. They got into this bizarre verbal sparring, and Sean accused Chad of trying to scare him away.”
“And?”
“Chad opened his bathrobe.”
Reid started giggling uncontrollably. He and Hotch shared a knowing look.
“Am I the only one left in the dark?” Morgan complained.
“You’re the only one who hasn’t seen him naked.” Reid giggled. “It’s really impressive. Scary, but impressive.”
“I don’t wanna know.”
“I’ll go get something to drink.“ Hotch got up and went downstairs. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Weird, weird, weird.” Morgan stated.
“What is?”
“That. He’s cheerful, smiles, acts like a normal person. It’s unnatural.”
“Sounds perfectly natural to me.”
“He told an anecdote about the size of his buddy’s equipment.”
“Okay, that was little bit weird.” Reid took another bite of his pizza and sat down next to Morgan. “Did you know that the eggs of the American Robin are pretty much the same shade as that paint?”