Spencer

[just_hex]

They'd set another date and Hex was excited. Maybe more excited than he had any right to be. Spencer was a puzzle, to be sure, but Hex felt he was worth working out. He'd done a bit of reading up on Autism and he found some things fit and some didn't so he was left unsure. He reasoned that was a good indication he should stay in nursing and to leave the diagnoses to the doctors.

Spencer was due any minute and Hex had sprang for pizza and some Cokes. He'd set out plates and such and then settled on the sofa to catch up on the sports scores while he waited for Spencer to come round. If only he could stop checking his watch.

Comments

[dr_spencer_reid]

"Me too," Spencer admitted quietly. "I like being here, with you. We should do this again. Maybe- Maybe, um, once a week. That is, I mean, if you want to..."

[just_hex]

"We could make a night of it. Dinner and a meeting, then back here for a documentary and...this," he said, giving Spencer a squeeze. "You could even stay over if you like it."

[dr_spencer_reid]

"I'd like that. I don't have a toothbrush with me though," Spencer said, as if that was the most important thing.

[just_hex]

"I might have a spare from the last time I went to the dentist. And if I don't...you could buy one. You could keep it here," Hex replied quietly.

[dr_spencer_reid]

Spencer had no frame of reference, and as a result didn't realize that having a toothbrush at someone else's house was a somewhat big step. To him it just seemed practical, and he nodded.

"Okay," he agreed, smiling brightly.

[just_hex]

Hex smiled brightly as well, but fora wholly different reason. He did understand what a step it was and he was pleased that Spencer wanted to do it.

"Do you want me to go see I can find you one now?" he asked.

[dr_spencer_reid]

Spencer nodded, moving so Hex could get up and offering another bright smile.

"Sure," he agreed, settling into the other side of the sofa.

[just_hex]

Hex got up slowly, twisting to try to hide the fact that he was half hard from just holding Spencer. He went into the bathroom and began to dig around in the cabinet until he found what he was after.

"Got one," he said happily. "It's a cheap one, you can buy one you like more. But this'll do for tonight," he said.

[dr_spencer_reid]

Smiling, Spencer nodded his agreement, oblivious to Hex's arousal.

"That'll be fine," Spencer assured him. "Thank you, Hex. It'll be fun staying here sometimes. Like having a sleep over. I never had those when I was young."

[just_hex]

"You never did? Why not?" he asked. Hex had relished sleepovers at his mates's houses- it got him out from under his Nan's rule.

[dr_spencer_reid]

"I just didn't have a lot of friends my own age, and even when I did- Well, I couldn't invite them over to my home. It's- It's complicated," he said awkwardly, not sure he was ready to tell Hex about his mother and father.

"I was always studying anyway, It wasn't a high priority for me I guess," he shrugged.

[just_hex]

"I had a gang when I was young. Not organized or anything, just me mates and me running around and raising hell. I was a bad kid until I joined up," Hex admitted.

[dr_spencer_reid]

"Really?" Spencer asked, seeming genuinely surprised by that and silently wondering what had caused Hex to behave that way. He didn't ask though, there was a good chance that young Hex hadn't even known his own motivations.

[just_hex]

"Really," he said, smiling, but clearly a bit ashamed of it all. "I'm not like that anymore. The army's good for blokes like me, yeah?"

[dr_spencer_reid]

"Or bad. It really depends on the person," Spencer replied, matter of factly. "Some people come out worse than they went in."

[just_hex]

"I reckon that's true, but no one I worked with. The medics were a good group of men," Hex said. "Now some of the higher up who'd signed up for life? Those blokes could be downright assholes."

[dr_spencer_reid]

Spencer frowned at that, but nodded. "You're not like that though. I can tell. You're a good person."

[just_hex]

"I try, Spencer. I try very hard to be a good man," Hex smiled. "I like that you can see it in me."

[dr_spencer_reid]

"I can," Spencer smiled. "Some people you can just tell that they're good. That they have their hearts in the right places and no hatred in their hearts. I see it in you... And I like that. I spent so long chasing monsters, I'd nearly forgotten what good people were like."

[just_hex]

"I really believe there's more good people in the world than bad," Hex replied as he gently tugged Spencer closer so he could touch him. Just soft touches, slow and affectionate.

[dr_spencer_reid]

Spencer let himself be pulled closer, and after a long moment, he settled against Hex, embracing him gently.

It felt good to touch someone, and to be touched. It felt like it was suddenly something he'd been missing from his life.

[just_hex]

Hex was content to hold him but after a while he grew warm, comforted by Spencer's presence.

"Either we need to do something or I'm going to fall asleep right here," he said warmly. "Which isn't bad, but the bed would be more comfortable."

[dr_spencer_reid]

"We could watch a movie- Or I could watch you play your game," Spencer offered, perfectly content to watch Hex play video games for a few hours.

[just_hex]

"You'd do that?" he asked, then smiled. "Let's watch a movie. Here, you pick from Netflix. Anything you like. I even speak some French if you feel like a foreign film. But I need the bathroom. I'll be right back."

Then he carefully squirmed his way out of the corner of the sofa and got up.

"Right back. Swear," he said, then ducked off to the loo, curious to see what Spencer would choose.

[dr_spencer_reid]

Spencer nodded, flicking through Hex's to watch list, not recognizing anything, but wanting to find something they'd both like. In the end he settled on a science fiction film based on a book he was familiar with. He hadn't even realized they'd made a film based on it- he was terrible at keeping up on pop culture- but it seemed like something they'd both enjoy.