The rivalry between you and Spencer was one that could be condensed down to two people who were too intelligent for their own good thinking they were better than the other.

Derek would call you the ‘dorkemies’, Hotch would practically have to break you two apart when your arguments continued on for far too long, and the others always laughed at the rivalry between the two of you.

And you didn’t hate him, no. But did he annoy you with his intelligence and constant need to one-up you? Yes.

But that didn’t matter the day the two of you were kidnapped by Tobias Hankel.

The sibling-like bickering that had taken place just hours earlier was replaced with desperate whispers of “you’re gonna be okay” and “we’ll get out of this”, the ropes binding you both to chairs facing each other.

You tried your best to protect each other, but you couldn’t fight off the inevitable.

Eventually, the two of you were rescued by the team — but not before the damage was already done. The two bickering teammates that always made the others laugh with their childish shenanigans had been reduced to two traumatized victims.

It’s only been a little over a week, and neither of you are okay. Everybody can see it.

You’re sitting at your desk, eyes aimlessly scanning over a file while your mind wanders, when you see Spencer’s green cardigan from the corner of your eye. You look up, eyes immediately softening when they usually would’ve shown your annoyance at his arrival.

“Hey. You okay?” you ask softly, sitting up and setting the file aside — you take note of the way his fingers twist into his cardigan, his eyes barely staying on yours.

He rubs at his eyes. “Can we… talk? Alone?”

Minutes later, you’re both in the break room. He looks awful. His eyebags are darker than ever, scratching at the healing scars beneath his sweater, hair messy… you’re sure you looked the same.

“What did you wanna talk-“

“I took the dilaudid. From Tobias’ pocket. I’m addicted,” he says quickly, as if the words are burning him.