JUST LIKE DADDY โข S.REID
SUMMARY: most people are delighted when their children take after their spouses, however none of them had a child with Spencer Reid. In your case, having two smart asses around is giving you a headache. A very adorable, sweet, headache.
PAIRING: mom!reader x dad!spencer
tags: PURE FLUFF, reader wears sundresses, no mentions of pregnancy (so u can imagine baby is adopted) , team doesnโt know about your or your daughter, mentions of autism and ableism (no hate crimes , just ignorance) season5!spencer
a/n: dad spencer is all thatโs in my pea brain rn I should probably study thoโฆ also you guessed it, peds surgeon reader ๐ฅน
โHARPER COME HERE,โ you called, glancing over your shoulder as you finished plating breakfast.
The sound of small footsteps pattering against the hardwood floor followed, but she didnโt respond right away. Instead, she wandered into the kitchen, her little nose buried deep in a book, turning pages with quiet fascination. You sighed, shaking your head with a knowing smile.
โHarper,โ you said again, a little firmer this time.
She finally looked up, blinking at you with the same wide-eyed, unfocused expression her father wore whenever he was deep in thought. It was uncannyโlike looking at a mini version of your boyfriend.
โCome here, baby,โ you chuckled, reaching for her. She barely acknowledged you as you lifted both her and the book in one smooth motion, hoisting her onto your hip.
โAre you hungry?โ you asked, shifting her weight so you could grab a forkful of scrambled eggs from your plate.
Without hesitation, she opened her mouth, happily taking the bite before reaching for more. You laughed, sitting her on the counter as her father finally wandered in, rubbing his eyes and stretching with a yawn. His hair was a mess, the result of a night spent tossing and turning, and he still looked half-asleep.
You smirked. โI forgot about the boy band you joined.โ
Spencer frowned slightly, confused in his sleepy state, before realizing his hair must be sticking up in every direction. He attempted to smooth it down with one hand as he walked over to the counter, where you slid a plate of eggs in his direction.
โDaddy!โ Harper beamed, momentarily abandoning her book to reach for him.
But instead of waiting for him to pick her up, she grabbed a handful of your scrambled eggs and stuffed them into her mouth.
โWow, okayโyep, you know what? Enjoy that, honey,โ you sighed, watching in amusement as she happily devoured your breakfast with zero shame.
Spencer sat beside her, sipping his coffee with a small smile as he watched her eat. You shook your head, adjusting your scrubs and tying your hair up as you muttered, โIโve never seen a baby eat so muchโฆโ
Spencer, ever the encyclopedia of knowledge, didnโt miss a beat. โActually, at this age, children experience growth spurts that can significantly increase their appetite. The brain alone uses about 50% of a toddlerโs energy intake, which makes sense considering how much sheโs learning and developing every day. So, really, itโs not just eatingโitโs fueling her cognitive expansion.โ
You shot him a blank stare. โSpencer, she just ate my breakfast with her bare hands.โ
He smirked, ruffling Harperโs hair as she reached for another bite. โAnd at this rate, we might need a second fridge.โ
You chuckled, shaking your head. โRemind me to get on that one.โ
Leaning over, you kissed him softly, savoring the warmth of the moment before glancing at your watch. Reality settled in as you sighed. โI gotta goโone of my patients just had another seizure, which means surgery got pushed up.โ
Spencerโs expression shifted immediately, concern flickering in his eyes as he reached for your hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. โYouโll do great,โ he murmured.
You squeezed his hand back before pulling away, ruffling Harperโs curls on your way out. โLove you both. Try not to let her talk you into giving her ice cream for breakfast again.โ
โNo promises,โ Spencer called after you, Harper giggling beside him.
As you left, you could already hear Harper asking, โDaddy, can we read now?โ
And, of course, you knew what his answer would be.
โEnjoy your special day off with daddy Harper, youโre very lucky,โ you giggled, kissing Harper on the nose. โPromise to try and get out before dinner?โ Spencer frowned.
โOh, BabyโฆI have interns. After this surgery I leave whenever the hell i want, should only take 7 hours,โ you shrugged. โSo I can expect you by 3-4PM?โ He smiled, Harper on his hip.
โFingers crossed!โ You called out to him, closing and locking the door behind you.
THANKFULLY, LUCK MUSTโVE been on your side. For the first time in what felt like forever, you were home on time. You quietly unlocked the door, hoping to surprise your fiancรฉ and daughter, and were immediately greeted by the soft sound of giggles echoing from the kitchen.
You smiled to yourself, slipping off your shoes as you followed the sound.
โWhoa, is that me?โ Spencerโs voice was full of delight.
Standing in the doorway, you saw him leaning over Harperโs small frame, his hands gently resting on the edge of the counter as he studied her latest masterpiece. In front of her was a cookie slathered in colorful frosting, a wobbly yet unmistakable attempt at drawing their little family. Harper beamed proudly, nodding as Spencer adjusted a tiny smudge of icing with his fingertip.
โAnd is that you and Mom?โ he asked, his smile widening as he pointed to two smaller figures beside the taller one.
Harper nodded again, her curls bouncing with the movement.
Your heart melted at the sight.
For a long time, you and Spencer had worried about Harperโs speech. She had been a quiet baby, slow to start speaking, and for months, youโd both second-guessed yourselves, wondering if you were doing something wrong. And thenโone dayโshe had started talking, and she hadnโt stopped since.
Often times people would comment in stores, theyโd question if she was autistic, in their words โlike her daddy,โ which pissed you off to no end. Not that you were ashamed of either of them but for the sole fact it wasnโt their business.
โIs that for me?โ you gasped, stepping into the kitchen.
Harper turned toward you so quickly she nearly knocked over a bowl of sprinkles. โMommy! Look what I drew!โ she giggled, holding up her cookie proudly.
You raised a brow as you inspected the chaotic yet adorable frosting mess. โThatโs beautiful, baby. You even gave Daddy his new haircutโ
Spencer let out a soft laugh, running a hand through his already-messy curls as Harper nodded eagerly. โWeโve been going over proper grammar all day,โ he explained with amusement.
That made you smile knowingly. You and Spencer had agreed early on not to use baby talk with Harper. He had read several studies on how children learned language through immersion, picking up sentence structures and vocabulary from full, adult-level conversations.
โIn order for her to develop a strong linguistic foundation, itโs important that she hears full sentences and proper word usage,โ Spencer had once told you, mid-ramble, as you rocked a six-month-old Harper to sleep. โChildrenโs brains are like sponges. The more complex language theyโre exposed to, the more their neural connections develop. Itโs how they build cognitive associationsโโ
And yet, despite all his research, Harper still loved to test his patience by making up her own grammar rules.
โI drawed it myself!โ she announced proudly, smearing frosting on her cheek in the process.
Spencer sighed dramatically, though the fondness in his eyes was unmistakable. โDrew, sweetheart. You drew it yourself.โ
Harper scrunched up her nose, contemplating that for a moment before repeating, โI drewed it myself.โ
You snorted as Spencer let out a defeated sigh.
โClose enough,โ he muttered, kissing the top of her head.
You leaned against the counter, watching the two of them with warmth spreading through your chest. โI think itโs perfect,โ you said, pressing a kiss to Harperโs frosting-covered cheek before turning to Spencer. โAnd clearly made with love by a little artistโ
Spencer nodded, wrapping an arm around your waist as Harper reached for more sprinkles. โAn artist and a linguist, apparently.โ
Harper looked up at you both, eyes twinkling. โIโm a genius,โ she declared.
Spencer chuckled, squeezing your waist. โWell, sheโs definitely my daughter.โ
โDonโt get me started. Itโs like thereโs two of you.โ You scoffed playfully. Spencerโs brows furrowed. โWhat do you mean?โ He crosses his arms and leans on the counter.
You raised an eyebrow, pausing mid-sip of the coffee youโd just taken from your boyfriend. โSpence. Seriously?โ
He blinked at you, waiting. Oh, he was serious.
You set your mug down with a sigh, crossing your arms as you leaned against the counter. โOkay. Well, for starters, she walks around with a book in her hands everywhereโto the point where Iโve had to physically guide her away from furniture so she doesnโt run into things. Sound familiar?โ
Spencer tilted his head, processing.
โAnd letโs talk about her memory. The other day, I told her we could get ice cream if she took a nap, and when I picked her up from daycare two days later, she said, โMommy, you owe me ice cream.โ TWO. DAYS. She remembered the exact words I said, which, by the way, is something you do all the time, and itโs terrifying.โ
Spencer opened his mouth, probably to say something about the hippocampus and memory retention, but you held up a finger. โNope. Iโm not done.โ
Harper, now licking frosting off her fingers, was watching you both with amusement.
โShe uses logic to try and win arguments. Do you know how hard it is to reason with a toddler who says, โBut technically, you did say I could have another cookie yesterdayโ?โ You waved your hands for emphasis. โShe technically meโd into giving her another cookie, Spencer. Sheโs FIVE.โ
Spencer rubbed his hand thoughtfully, as if considering his own genetic responsibility in this matter.
โOh, and letโs not forget the fact that she infodumpsโabout things she just learned. The other day, I made an offhand comment about birds flying south for the winter, and now sheโs been telling everyone about migratory patterns. The cashier at the grocery store did not ask for that information, but she sure got it.โ
Spencerโs lips twitched, clearly amused. โSo what youโre saying isโฆ sheโs highly intelligent, observant, and logical?โ
You groaned, rubbing your temples. โOh my God. Yes, Spencer, your genes are very strong.โ
Before you could say more, Harper perked up, pointing a frosting-covered finger at you. โMommy, did you know some birds donโt actually migrate, they just move to different parts of the same area?โ
Spencerโs grin widened as he leaned toward you. โSee? Sheโs just expanding on a topic she finds fascinating.โ
You huffed, shaking your head before leaning down to kiss Harperโs sticky cheek. โYou two are gonna drive me insane.โ
Harper giggled, and Spencer simply pressed a kiss to your temple. โBut you love us.โ
You sighed dramatically before melting into his embrace. โYeah, yeah. I love you both. Even if youโre teaming up to outsmart me.โ
Harper beamed. โItโs โcause weโre genies, Mommy.โ You snickered.
โSo how many wishes do I get?โ