He'd lived alone for so long -- most of them had, really -- that it was more instinct than any foolish need to prove he was healing quickly, or could do it on his own. The throbbing pain in his side was a good sign that he should just sit down and comply. It was just a casserole, after all; he wasn't forfeiting something important.

He shuffled back to the couch and sat down heavily.

"You're getting better at that," Rossi encouraged, with a crooked smile. "Speaking up." He had a dominant personality, and he knew it, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate Reid taking some initiative and being firm as well. That didn't always mean he'd give in, either, but it didn't mean he wouldn't.