Spencer was absolutely, hopelessly, stupidly in love with you.

He’d been in love before— of course, before she was ripped away by the cruel hands of fate— and yet that and all of his other short-lived relationships didn’t hold a candle to what he felt for you. He knew everything about you, down to your exact coffee order and how you picked at your nails when you were nervous. He also knew you weren’t a quitter.

Which is what made this situation all the more confusing.

It wasn’t necessarily surprising that Linda Barnes suspended you, indefinitely, but it was surprising how you simply accepted it. Simply brushed it off. Simply gave up. That wasn’t you, and Spencer knew you.

He had to find out what was going on for himself.

When he showed up at your apartment— as he’d done many times over the 13 years you’d worked at the BAU— he immediately knew something was off.

“Why are you trying to get rid of me?” He questioned, upon noticing you were doing literally everything in your power to casually remove him from your apartment.

“What?” You asked in return, with an air of almost guilt. That told him all he needed to know.

“Ever since I got here, you’ve been trying to keep me out of—“ He cut himself off, upon seeing the boxes lacing your dining table.

“No, I just, uh—,” You fumbled, trying to grasp some sort of answer, “No, I wasn’t expecting anyone, and the place—“ That time, it was you who cut yourself off upon seeing Spencer practically jog towards the cardboard, moving boxes.

“Spence, stop,” You say, more exasperated than anything, knowing there was no stopping him from what he would have inevitably found out anyway.

“It’s been less than two days, and you’re already leaving,” He points out, accusatory. This wasn’t like you.

“I’m— I—,” You start, before you sigh, giving in, “Okay, look. Barnes wants somebody to take the fall for what happened in Roswell,” You admit, referencing the past case that everyone knew went poorly.

“I’m willing to be that somebody if it will help stabilize the BAU. You’re in good hands with JJ,” You reassured.

“There’s no guarantee that she won’t replace her the minute you’re gone,” Spencer counters.

“I think that if I go away for good, she’ll leave you alone,” You said.

“You can still fight this. We can still fight this,” He pleaded, desperately. He’d lost enough. He couldn’t lose you, too.