Title: Nightlights
By: nancy
Pairing: semi-Gideon/Hotch/Reid
Rating: R
Summary: Spencer's still having trouble sleeping.
***
Spencer sat in his car staring at Gideon’s house feeling like an idiot. A cowardly idiot. Worse yet, a childish cowardly idiot. There was no way Gideon would ever see him as a peer if he did this, which was why he remained in his car. The last couple of days had been grueling and he was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep even in his own bedroom with the lights on.
It just isn’t fair, he thought with a sigh. There’s no logical reason for me to be afraid of the dark. The doors are always locked, there’s no such thing as ghosts or ghouls to hide under the bed, and I have a gun.
Not that a gun had helped Elle.
Biting his lip, Spencer looked at the house again and sighed. He had to get a decent night’s sleep or he would be banned from the BAU until he didn’t look like death-warmed-over. Hotch hadn’t said it in so many words, but that had been the meaning behind that afternoon’s little chat. He hated getting called to Hotch’s office like an errant schoolboy.
Spencer groaned and got out of the car, grabbing his bag and walking up to the front door. It took a few more minutes still to get up the nerve to ring the bell, but he did. Knowing that Gideon would be sleeping at such a late hour, he waited a few minutes before steeling himself to ring the bell again.
Finally the door opened and a sleep-tousled Gideon wearing sweats and a t-shirt stood before him, frowning. “Spencer? Is something wrong?”
It took a few seconds for Spencer to remember how to talk. The sight of Gideon straight from bed shivered through him in a completely unexpected fashion.
“Spencer?”
“Oh! Ah, no. Not really. I just...couldn’t sleep,” Spencer finished. It sounded lame, even to him, so he continued hastily, “I was wondering if I could borrow your sofa?”
In answer, Gideon stepped back to let him in.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Spencer entered the house and looked around. It wasn’t the first time he’d been there, which was how he knew he’d be able to sleep even with the worst of the nightmares. Aside from the fact that Gideon himself would be present, the house was just as solid and comforting, as safe as its owner.
“Jason? Who is it?”
Spencer gasped at Hotch’s question and looked over to find the other man halfway down the stairs. Mortified, he stammered, “It’s ah, it’s just me, Hotch. Sorry. I’ll just, I’ll see you tomorrow. Night.”
Gideon gripped his arm before he could run and blocked the way to the door. Dark eyes met his as the older man told him, “There’s no reason for you not to stay, now that you’re here, Spencer. I assume you came here to feel safe enough to sleep.”
Miserable, Spencer nodded. “Not even the lights on helped.”
“Then stay here and sleep,” Gideon ordered. “You’ll probably feel even better, with Hotch here.”
Spencer bit his lip, vacillating. On the one hand, Gideon was absolutely right. The only person who gave off more of a sense of security and safety than Gideon, was Hotch. Maybe it was the darkness the other agent had, telling those who knew how to look that because he knew evil firsthand, he could defend against it better than anyone else. On the other hand, Hotch was his boss.
Hotch actually smiled. A barely-there smile, but definitely one nonetheless. “Stay, Spencer. You’re already here. And there’s no need for the sofa, we’ve got plenty of room upstairs, right Jason?”
Gideon nodded and said firmly, “More than enough.”
When Gideon held out his hand for the bag, Spencer hesitated only a moment before giving it up. He headed for the stairs when Gideon motioned for him to move and met up with Hotch there.
The dark-haired man smiled again, a little more fully, and briefly grasped Spencer’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. “Don’t look so worried, Spencer. We trust you, so trust us.”
Something he hadn’t even thought of. If he wanted, he could now put a serious black mark on both men’s records. Not that he would, but he could. He relaxed a little at the realization and offered a smile of his own. “Right. Got it.”
Hotch chuckled, a low, warm sound, and said, “Come on, let’s get you settled for the night.”
Gideon was right behind him on the walk to the second floor. He was more than a little surprised when they bypassed the guest rooms and continued on to the master bedroom. The room was lit by a single bedside lamp that gave off a gentle light, lending the shadows a kinder air than the ones in his apartment.
“Bathroom’s in there,” Hotch told him.
Spencer was a little confused as to why they were having him use the master bath, but figured something was wrong with the other one down the hall. Shrugging it off mentally, he took his bag back from Gideon and walked to the bathroom to get changed. It was only a few minutes later that he was in shorts and a t-shirt, self-conscious about the skinny legs bared to view. Chicken-legs, Morgan teased in the summer months.
Taking a breath, he exited the bathroom and stopped short on finding Hotch and Gideon entangled on the bed. Gideon half-sat, reading, with his back to the wooden bedframe while Hotch rested over his lover’s abs, eyes closed. A pang of longing slammed into Spencer at the sight.
Gideon’s eyes left the book to meet Spencer’s and he set the book aside altogether as he asked, teasing, “Waiting for an invitation?”
Spencer blinked in surprise. “Excuse me?”
“Guess so,” Hotch murmured, a half-smile gracing his lips.
Gideon smiled outright and posited, “You’ll hardly be able to sleep on your own alone in unfamiliar surroundings. Come to bed, Spencer. Hotch, make room.”
Mouth dropping, Spencer stammered, “But, but what about, I mean, I’m not, you...”
“Spencer. Come to bed.”
The order was firm and caring, something he couldn’t have resisted under any circumstance, let alone when he was exhausted and confused. Dropping his bag on the floor, Spencer hesitantly walked over to the bed and stopped there. Gideon held up the blankets while Hotch vacated his comfortable spot on Gideon.
It was a little awkward, but Spencer climbed over Gideon to land between the two men. Gideon stretched out and turned off the light, plunging them into darkness that didn’t seem nearly as dangerous as when he’d been alone. There were a few long moments when they got settled. Spencer lay stiff and uncertain, spooned up against Gideon as Hotch pressed lengthwise against his back.
“Relax, Spencer,” Gideon murmured. “Nothing’s going to happen here except a good night’s sleep.”
It took several minutes for him to believe that, ensconced as he was between two such strong men, but Spencer did eventually relax. And then he half-dozed, comfortable, warm, and secure. Hotch’s breathing evened-out first, indicating the other had fallen asleep, warm and heavy against Spencer, an arm draped over his waist.
Gideon’s fingers gently combed through Spencer’s hair and he ordered softly, “Get some sleep, Spencer.”
Spencer sighed deeply, the caress relaxing him the rest of the way. The last thing he thought before falling truly asleep for the first time in forever was, Much better than a night-light.