Reid averted his eyes uncomfortably, squeezing his knees. It was at times like this that he wished he knew the finer points of social interaction, and that he was more capable of handling other people's affection and appreciation of him. He wasn't exactly sure what made him special, but he assumed that it was what made him special with the whole team--he was the youngest by far and everyone wanted to protect him.

"Believe it or not, I like having you around too. If I could do it all over again, I'd do the same thing." He forced himself to look at Rossi, making eye contact. It felt wrong to try staring down a man with such a strong Alpha personality who he respected so much, but it had to be done. "I mean that."