✓ | sick of losing soulmates [SPENCER REID]

3.0

3.0
( three years later. )

☆ ★ ☆

Spencer doesn't see Iris for another three years.

With his naturally eidetic memory, he doesn't forget about her, mostly because how could he dare forget about her? With the more time that passes as she doesn't answer his calls, the more frustrated he gets, and the more he thinks about her; the more he wants to forget about her and the fact that she's dropped him like dead weight, the more he simply can't.

It makes him feel pretty shitty about himself — how she simply forgets about him. But, then again, he has a handle on feeling shitty about himself. He's gotten used to it through years of torment in his younger years. If he can handle years of physical beatings, he can handle someone not answering his calls.

Besides, he's somewhat glad for it. Despite his lack of experience when it comes to girls, he's well aware that long-distant relationships — or friendships, in his and Iris' case — do not work. Any doubt about that is washed away by the announcement that his boss, Hotch, is divorcing his wife because the job takes him away from the home, and his son, too often.

But that occurs when he's slipping into the third year of not speaking to her, and he's beginning to forget the sound of her voice. By then, he's already suffered through thirty-six long months of wondering what he did wrong and if their friendship is too far gone to salvage.

It is. It definitely is.

He's nearing the end of twenty-six and he's no longer twenty-four now, and it's 2008 and no longer 2005. Things have changed drastically: Gideon's left, and so has Elle, and Emily Prentiss has moulded into the team very well; he's moved apartments so he's closer to work and has much better, much quieter, neighbours; he's even managed to form a better relationship with his mother, and, hell, even for someone who gets annoyed at technology as much as he does, he's got a new phone.

He still thinks about Iris Remington from time-to-time, wondering if she ever did enrol in the FBI, if she ever did move to Virginia — but she doesn't occupy his mind like she did in the first few months. Derek hasn't mentioned her in a very long time, and Spencer supposes he's probably forgotten about his crush-of-sorts from three years earlier.

But then, in March 2008, and as the weather catches up with the fact that it's now spring, and as Spencer pulls off his jacket on his way through the glass doors into the same office as every other day, something feels different.

He doesn't know what it is. He's never been the superstitious type, never believing in sensing energy or visions of the future, but he sure as hell can feel something in the air today.

He ignores it.

Eyes are on him as he heads to his desk, but he's engrossed in the files in his arms, so he doesn't look up until he's collapsed into the chair at his desk.

Morgan and Prentiss are staring at him; he blinks, astonished at the two pairs of eyes looking his way, and glances between them. Derek is grinning from the chair at his desk diagonal to Spencer's, and Emily is sat on her own table and looks confused, but is smiling too as she glances between Spencer and Morgan.

"What?" he asks, a hand raising to his face in fear that he's got some jam from his toast around his mouth.

"New recruit day," Morgan reminds.

His hand dropping, Spencer frowns. He remembers that, of course he does, because he doesn't forget. "So?" he questions, somewhat sarcastically but mostly curious. What's the big deal?

Hotch, from behind him, clears his throat, and Spencer jerks his head around, jumping slightly at the sudden noise. Spencer's boss looks the same as he always has, with dark hair and thick eyebrows furrowed above small, narrowed, glaring eyes. His lips are pulled down in a permanent frown, and he doesn't let out a smile even now when he says good morning.

He doesn't let one out to introduce the brunette girl standing behind him, either. Even though she's smiling so wide it must hurt just a little. Even though her eyes sparkle and she seems to radiate sunlight. Just like she always has.

"This is Iris Remington," Hotch introduces, even though Spencer's knows, because how could he forget, "the newest member of our team as of today."

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Author's Note:
(This is called 3.0 and not 3.1 cause it's not a chapter, just a divider/filler thing)

Oh my god I can't wait to write this now ??

Like prepare for so much stuff to happen ?? For conflict and for Morgan and Iris to be brotp and for Emily and Iris to also be brotp and Garcia and Iris ?? Obviously gonna be best mates ?? You're in denial if you think otherwise they're literally two sides of the same coin ??

I CANT WAIT MAN OH MY GOD