***Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds (although it would be really cool if I did!)

Reid had been home for less than an hour before a knock sounded on his door. It was late—almost eleven—and he had planned to get up early to see his mom when visiting hours commenced, but he shuffled across the floor in his slippers and looked through the peephole.

Smiling, he ran a hand through his messy hair and opened the door.

JJ stood in the doorway, a bottle of Chardonnay in her left hand and a colorful cardboard box in her right. She gave him a pitying smile, which sent Reid's stomach tumbling.

"Want some company?"

Reid took a step back to make room for her, and JJ slipped inside. She held out the wine for him to take, eyeing his plaid PJs with a smirk.

"Did I wake you?"

Reid accepted the bottle, heading for the cupboard. He fished out two wine glasses, and began scouring the drawers for a bottle opener.

"I can never go right to sleep after a case," JJ went on, following him into the kitchen. "Looking for this?"

Reid beamed. She thought of everything.

JJ tossed the bottle opener into the air, and Reid juggled it a few times before it hit the floor. He groaned as she cackled behind him. After all these years, she still had the power to turn him into a bumbling idiot with one bat of her long eyelashes.

As Reid poured the wine, JJ crossed over to the living room and made herself comfortable on the couch. She tucked her legs under her and leaned back against the cushions, sighing. The sound was incredibly erotic, and Reid blushed, his hands shaking as he handed her a glass.

"What's that?" Reid asked, nodding at the cardboard box on her lap.

JJ grinned with mirth, then showed him the front cover. "It's an escape room in a box!"

Reid watched her, baffled. "But that doesn't make any sense. How can it be an escape room if the box is smaller than we are? An escape room for an ant, maybe."

JJ rolled her eyes, then slapped the seat next to her. "Quiet. You're going to love it. It's the perfect game for nerds like you."

Reid balked at her, and JJ giggled. If he didn't know any better, he'd think the wine was already starting to kick in.

JJ laid out the contents of the box, then began reading from a small booklet. Reid read over her shoulder, trying not to feel the heat emanating from her body.

"Ready?" JJ asked him at last, and Reid smiled.

"I still don't understand why they call it an escape room," he replied. "It's not even set in a house. We're supposed to be on a deserted island."

"Okay, Professor," JJ said in jest, bumping his shoulder with hers. "Ooh look! A clue!"

~

"That doesn't go there!" Reid shouted, grabbing the puzzle piece out of her hand. JJ roared with laughter. "Look, they have to match, see? Try 4, 7, 2."

JJ turned the wheels on their cipher key. She picked up the card, then squealed with delight. "It opened!"

Reid yelped, grabbing at the card. They were sitting really close, their heads almost touching as they both leaned in to read the next clue.

"Is that a smile on your face, Doctor Reid?" JJ asked suddenly, looking up at him.

Reid blushed.

"See? I told you you'd love this game," she said, then jumped as her cell phone chimed.

It was after 1:00 in the morning. Who on earth would be calling her?

JJ fished in her purse for her phone. She pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and then muted it. Reid watched out of the corner of his eye as JJ typed away furiously.

"It's Will," she announced, tossing the phone back into the black cavern of her purse. "I'll call him on my way home."

~

It took them roughly three hours to finish the game. When it was over, Reid accepted a high-five from JJ, then collapsed back against the couch cushions, exhausted.

"That was a lot harder than I thought it would be," JJ said beside him, draining the wine in her glass. She patted him on the shoulder. "You still with me, genius?"

Reid's lip curled upward in a lopsided grin.

"Of course, we would have finished hours ago if you'd let me take a hint."

"People with doctorates do not take hints," Reid said for the fifth time that night, and JJ rolled her eyes at him.

"Let's not forget, I've beaten you at gin AND poker."

"Both games of luck, not games of strategy," he argued, while JJ feigned looking offended.

"You don't think I could beat you at a game of strategy?"

Reid smirked, a warm sensation bubbling away inside his stomach. He didn't know if it was the wine or her nearness, but he knew one thing for certain: this was the most fun he'd had in a long time.

After breaking up with Maxine last year, Reid had dated a few other girls, but none of them held a candle to JJ. He'd tried to follow his mother's advice, but no matter how much time and energy he invested in a relationship, he could never seem to hold on to that initial spark. Even Maxine, who'd once turned him into a giddy, hoody-wearing, love struck puppy, bailed after sensing that he was still hung up on someone else.

And how could he not be? JJ was smart, kind, beautiful, funny, and his best friend. She was the best person he knew. And, she loved him, too. He'd been her first love.

If only he had known that back when things were simple, back before Will and Maeve and Henry ... Reid shook his head, chasing the thoughts away. He loved his godsons, and he wouldn't trade them for anything.

JJ rested her head on Reid's shoulder then, and he tensed, unsure what to do.

"You're not alone in this, Spence," Jennifer whispered, causing the hairs on Reid's arms to stand on end. "You know that, right?"

Reid sniffled, blinking back the tears. "Yeah. I know."

***Author Note: If you enjoy this fanfiction, please check out my self-published book series on Amazon (see link in my profile). For some Jeid videos I've created, check out my YouTube channel (also linked in my profile). Thanks so much for all the support!