cling to love like a skidding car by bittereternity (PG or FRT)

[blythechild.livejournal.com]

Fandom: CRIMINAL MINDS
Characters/Pairing: Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid, Emily Prentiss, Penelope Garcia, J.J. Jareau
Length: 3600 words
Rating: Unrated by author on LJ but I'd give it a PG or FRT rating for one suggestive scene
Author on LJ: bittereternity
Author Website: Author on AO3

Why this must be read: It was really difficult to choose one story to rec by bittereternity - that's how much I love her stuff. Considering that I think "cling to love like a skidding car" is one of her stronger pieces - and that I do not 'ship Morgan/Reid at all - should give you an idea of how convincing her writing can be. She tends to write in vignettes rather than complete scenes, and much like the minimalist rec that I made yesterday, invites the reader to fill in a lot of the blanks between words. I love that level of trust placed in a reader's hands. The strength and pathos of Reid and Morgan in this piece lies in what both men do not say to one another. Morgan's love is based on an erroneous perception of Reid's frailty, and Reid's strength comes from "try[ing] to live by playing with death", which makes him a poor choice as a romantic partner. Their relationship is touching and unequal, and both men come off as infinitely more complicated than the show has let us believe. bittereternity's stories are the essence of sadness but they are crafted in such a beautiful way that you won't mind if your favorite pairing doesn't get a happily ever after.

cling to love like a skidding car by bittereternity on LJ

cling to love like a skidding car on AO3

OMG!OMG!OMG! Did you love this? If so, pass on your squee to the author, would ya?