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He really didn't want to be upset about it, he actually felt quite foolish that he was upset. His birthday wasn't a particularly big event in Spencer's eyes, just another day of living and another day of ageing. As a child, his Mother was rarely lucid enough to remember who he was, let alone it was his birthday. So while most kids his age were out riding their new bikes or having parties at the park on their birthdays , Spencer was at home listening to soothing sounds of classical music in his room while his Mother was downstairs asleep.
Spencer was only eighteen when he had to make the tough decision of putting his Mother into someone else's care. He was still foolishly holding onto the hope that a new medication would be brought in that could help his Mother's illness, or at least slow the process down. But when she started having episodes so bad she was scared of her own son, Spencer knew he couldn't care for her any longer.
When he joined the BAU, he hadn't anticipated meeting a group of people that would change his life and finally see him for more than his brain. The team soon took the Genius under their wings and protected him while simultaneously pulling him out of his shell.
On their birthdays, every member of his team was thrown a party by the other colleagues all year round until the last birthday of the year. Spencer's birthday was towards the end of the year, so it was no surprise they forgot his birthday one day.
Two days prior, they had came back from a long and tedious case out of state and everyone was so exhausted they forgot Spencer's birthday was coming up. Spencer himself wasn't too worried about it, in fact he would rather they just forget the entire thing in the first place. His birthday wouldn't be any fun without Derek who had to fly out for a last minute case and would come back that night.
Still, he showed up to work with a bright smile and a tray of coffee in hand. He walked to his desk and set his satchel and coffee down before walking to each individual desk. He got grateful smiles and a chorus of 'thank you' as he handed out coffee but everyone soon went back to work. Spencer was a little disappointed that no one wished him a happy birthday but he put it down to lack of sleep and busy cases as the reason.
He then went upstairs and handed Hotch his coffee. Knocking on the door, he waited until he heard a muffled 'come in' before opening the door. Upon seeing Spencer with coffee, he sighed a breath of relief and let a rare smile spread across his face before turning his attention back to the screen. Spencer's smile faltered a little as he continued to stand awkwardly in the room but when it was clear Hotch was already back in the zone, he walked out of the room.
Out of everyone on the team, Hotch was the only one Spencer was hoping would remember his birthday. After his own father left, he and Gideon had some sort of father-son bond and when Gideon left, that bond was passed on to Hotch. The closest thing he had to a Father forgetting his birthday stung more than he would ever admit but he swallowed past the lump in his throat and got to work.
The rest of the day was filled with paperwork, coffee and the occasional trip to the bathroom. As the hours went by, the day seemed to drag on and on and Spencer wanted nothing more than for Derek to come over to his desk and keep him company for a few minutes like he normally would. Still, the paperwork kept him busy enough until a half hour before he could go home. He had filled out almost all of his files, as well as the ones Emily managed to slip in without noticing, so there wasn't much to do for the time left.
Just as he was about to read a book to keep himself occupied, Hotch appeared in the bullpen and caught everyone's attention.
"If everyone is finished with their paperwork, you can head home early" Hotch said, getting relieved sighs in response. "See you in the morning"
Almost instantly, almost all of the team were clearing their desks and heading for the door. Spencer followed suit and slung his messenger bag over his shoulder as he cleared and organised his desk. He was just turning off the light on his desk when he heard voices and turned around to see JJ and Emily heading towards him.
"See you tomorrow, Spence?" JJ asked with a smile. Spencer couldn't managed more than a tight lipped smile, wanting nothing more to go home and wait for Derek to get back so he could go to sleep. The day had been nothing short of a dissapointment, something the so called Genius should have already seen coming.
"Yeah, see you" He said before walking towards the elevator and pressing the button, waiting for the doors to close before breathing a heavy sigh.
As much as he hated to admit it, he was upset that no one remembered his birthday. He knew there was a good chance everyone would be too tired to remember something as small as a birthday, but it would have been nice for at least someone to remember, but no one did. Not Hotch or Rossi when he was delivering morning coffee, not JJ or Emily when they stopped for a chat on their way out, not even Garcia who was usually planning a surprise party for her friends weeks before the actual date. It hurt more than he thought was capable to be forgotten about but he was pretty much used to it.
The only real highlight of the day was when Derek called during his lunch break. The two talked for what felt like hours, Spencer's spirits instantaneously lifting at the sound of his boyfriends voice. Almost as soon as Spencer answered the phone and the line connected, Derek was obnoxiously singing him a happy birthday. His heart did small flips in his chest when the song was over and Derek started saying how much he wished he was there and what they would do once he got home. It made the younger agent forget about the deep sting in his chest for just a moment and it gave him something to look forward to.
It wasn't the first time the team forgot his birthday, in fact it had happened more times than one would think, but they had always frantically apologized and thrown a makeup party the next day. Spencer hadn't minded them forgetting in the past when Derek had been the only one who remembered, but something about this time really knocked him around.
Approaching his car, Spencer unlocked the door and slid inside, wasting no time before starting his car and heading home. He felt exhausted, lonely and upset all at once and all he wanted to do was go home and be with Derek, he just hoped his boyfriend would be home by the time he got back.
***
Opening the front door, Spencer instantly felt a sharp pang in his chest when he was met with their cold, dark apartment. Shutting the door and setting his bag down, he barely managed to make it to the couch before his legs gave out and he sank into the cushions. He was quite ashamed of himself when he felt tears prick at the back of his eyes but he was too exhausted to do anything about it.
It was foolish to think that people cared enough to remember his birthday, even the people he thought of as family. His own family had never celebrated his birthday, so it was really nothing new. When he was at a younger age of his childhood, he did wonder why all the other kids got to spend time with their families on their birthdays, but eventually he realised he was virtually alone in the world, he would never get to spend a birthday with his family. The fact that he didn't have anyone to rely on was a hard pill to swallow but he eventually pushed past the initial sting and focused on the thing that mattered most, caring for his Mother.
Once the tears fell, they didn't stop. His heart felt heavy, there was an ever present lump in his throat and he felt exhausted from a day of paperwork. He could already feel a headache coming on but his limbs felt too heavy to support his body so he stayed put. He was so caught up in his self pity he hadn't heard the sound of the door opening until he heard the thump of a suitcase being dropped.
Spencer quickly composed himself and hastily wiped the tears away before Derek was calling out to him from the hallway.
"Hey baby, sorry I got home so late. There was a car crash so traffic was a nightmare and-" Derek paused in the doorway, having finally looked up from his phone and seeing Spencer's face. He instantly pocketed his phone and crouched in front of his boyfriend, reaching to wipe the tears away with his thumb.
"Spence, what's wrong?" He asked, brows pinched together in confusion and soft brown eyes looking up at him in concern. Spencer opened his mouth to say something but all that came out was a choked sob as everything hit him at once. Derek was on his feet and pulling Spencer into a hug almost instantly, gently carding a hand through his boyfriends curls.
"Baby, what happened?" Derek asked again, but Spencer just shook his head and buried his face into Derek's shoulder. He really wished he could just forget about his birthday all together and go to bed, but the hurt of being forgotten about was just too strong and the feeling of being back in his boyfriend's arms after a long day made things worse and better at the same time.
Derek didn't pry after that, just continued to hold his boyfriend while he quietly cried. He didn't understand what was happening, but something must have set his pretty boy off for him to be crying like this. He had seen Spencer cry more times than he would have liked, but he had never seen him this upset before and he wasn't too sure what to do. The younger man seemed to be okay with just being held so Derek did just that, whispering soothing words into his ear until he settled down.
Once the quiet sobs had been reduced to small sniffles and Spencer let out a shaky breath, Derek pulled back and cupped Spencer's face in his hands, leaning in to kiss the wetness under his eyes away.
"Spencer, what happened? what's wrong?" Derek asked and frowned when Spencer tried to look away. He kept a strong but gentle grip on his face, giving him no other choice but to let their eyes meet.
"They forgot" Spencer said. "Everyone forgot, Derek. I didn't want to be upset about it, I mean my Mother was never lucid enough to remember my birthday and I never had any friends so I just got used to forgetting as well. It hurt so much to see the people I consider my family to walk past my desk without so much as a birthday wish. I know i'm acting childish but-"
Derek cut him off before he could say anymore, jaw visibly tense and eyes hard. "They forgot your birthday?. Everyone, not even Hotch or Garcia remembered?"
Spencer shook his head and allowed himself to be pulled into another hug, already feeling slightly better in Derek's arms. It was going to sting for a while and he wasn't sure if he would be able to sleep but he would get past it like he usually did.
"I'll talk to them tomorrow, let them know it's not okay to forget your birthday a second time in two years" Derek almost growled, and there was a threatening tone to his voice. It made Spencer warm inside to see someone so protective of him. Derek was willing to yell at his own friends for something as small as forgetting a birthday, and it made him feel equal parts happy and guilty.
"No, Derek don't. It's fine, it's not the first time and it won't be the last" Spencer shook his head, making sure Derek knew he didn't want this.
"They forgot you, Spencer, that's not okay." Derek argued, but the firm look in Spencer's eyes made him stop. He sighed and connected their lips in a slow, sweet kiss, making sure Spencer could feel the love he felt for him. And Spencer could, he could feel the love Derek was showing .him through the kiss and for a while, he was able to forget about the day's events and focus on the night ahead.
***
The next morning Spencer went to work by himself, Derek having already left. He didn't worry too much when he woke up alone, knowing sometimes Derek got called in before everyone else. He did his morning routine and made his coffee as he slipped his shoes on, then grabbed his cup and headed to the metro. He didn't particularly enjoy taking the train but he always told Derek to take the car when he had to leave early so really he brought this on himself.
When he got to work he immediately went to his desk to put his stuff away, noticing all his team's desks were empty. He assumed they must have been in the briefing room so he headed upstairs, pausing when he saw the large lunch bag underneath Derek's desk. He furrowed his brows in confusion but didn't worry too much about it, knowing Derek sometimes brought in extra food.
As suspected, the team was already seated at the table with the case files in front of them. He slipped inside quietly and sat next to Derek, who smiled in greeting and linked their hands under the table. Derek had been doing that for years now, but it never ceased to make Spencer blush like a lovesick teenager.
The case turned out to be a quiet one, though it was just as tiring. The unsub was kidnapping, torturing and eventually killing all of his old classmates that used to bully him. The team had managed to track down and arrest the guy before he killed the last victim who got out with a few stab wounds, bruising and a minor cut to the neck.
On the fly home, Spencer could sense Derek's eyes on him all the way and every time he looked up, Derek just smirked at him and looked down. He knew his boyfriend was planning something, though he couldn't be sure what. Derek always got this way when he was planning something and Spencer learnt to recognise his tells straight away.
When they landed, Spencer immediately grabbed his things and walked over to Derek who was doing the same. He gave his boyfriend a questioning look but Derek just shook his head with a smile and put an arm around his shoulders, leading him off the plane.
That instantly gave him away. It was strange but Spencer noticed whenever Derek was lying or hiding something, he never showed as much affection towards him as he usually did. Spencer never understood what it meant, but he never thought to look into it further.
Now that he knew his boyfriend was planning something, he had to think of what. Nothing came to mind though, nothing stood out of the ordinary and Derek hadn't been acting this way for long enough to know when he started acting strange.
When they got back to the precinct, Derek told everyone to go to the break room before anyone could think about leaving. They all went without questions asked, though Spencer could tell they were confused and curious. He was curious too and went to see what Derek was doing but his boyfriend ushered him to the break room as well.
As he sat down, a thought popped into his mind and he suddenly had an idea of what Derek was doing. He hoped he was wrong, but it would explain why Derek had the lunch bag and why he was being so secretive earlier. He just knew his boyfriend would pull something like this, he can never leave well enough alone.
Just as he suspected, a few minutes later Derek was walking through the door with a lit up birthday cake in hand. Spencer wanted to hide under the table as he saw the confused look on everyone's face. The fact that Derek would plan something like this did make him feel warm inside and he was grateful that his boyfriend loved him enough to mess with his friends like he was.
Derek started making his way over to him, and Spencer could see the exact moment everyone remembered. Their eyes went wide and they looked extremely guilty. Spencer felt kind of bad, but he had to admit he was loving Derek spoiling him like this.
"Happy birthday for yesterday baby" Derek smiled, placing the cake on the table in front of Spencer and dipping down to kiss his forehead. Spencer shot him a glare, but Derek just chuckled and stepped backwards.
Spencer flushed at the eyes on him, and his flight or fight was begging him to flee, but he stayed put. When Derek started singing, prompting the others to join, he felt like he would melt into an embarrassed puddle and slide right onto the floor. He had never had this much attention on his birthday, it felt unnatural but he wouldn't be opposed if it were to happen again.
When the singing was over, Spencer met his boyfriends eyes and smiled, blowing out the candles in one go. The room erupted into applause and Spencer one again flushed bright red, taking the knife Derek handed him and cutting the cake.
"The knife is dirty, gotta kiss the closest boy" Derek teased when Spencer pulled the knife out. Spencer rolled his eyes grabbed Derek's shirt, pulling him in for a kiss. When they pulled apart, Spencer looked in his eyes and gave him a silent 'thank you'.
Everyone took some cake and Derek pulled Spencer to the other side of the room, swooping down to kiss him again. This time when they pulled apart, Spencer stood on the tips of his feet so he could brush his lips against Derek's ear.
"Why did you do this?" He asked, marvelling in the slight shudder that ran through his boyfriend when his breath fanned against his ear.
"You were so upset when no one remembered yesterday, so I figured we could have a do over" Derek said, loud enough for the others to hear. Spencer glared at him and walked off, his eyes promising punishment later. Derek just laughed and watched him go.
Spencer approached the girls, keeping his gaze on the plate of cake in hand. He could tell they felt guilty and he really didn't want to make it a big deal, but he was really hoping one of them wished him a happy birthday.
"Oh god, i'm so sorry Spence." JJ frowned, pulling him in for a hug. Spencer could tell she was really upset that she forgot, her being his closest friend on the team besides Derek.
"It's alright, I promise. I guess I was just having a hard day and that's why I got kinda upset, but i'm over it now"
They still looked extremely guilty but dropped the subject. Spencer was trying not to fixate on the fact that they still hadn't said the words, but it still hurt. They knew it was his birthday now, and they still didn't say anything. He looked over to Derek and the other immediately saw the disappointed look on his boyfriends face, walking over and putting his arm around his waist.
Derek knew exactly what was going on, and he was furious they still didn't say anything, but he didn't want to ruin Spencer's belated birthday.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" He said through gritted teeth, giving them a pointed look. They looked confused for a minute before they straightened up, looking between each other.
"Happy birthday, Spence" JJ smiled.
"Happy birthday, Reid" Emily said after her.
"Happy birthday, boy wonder" Garcia smiled brightly, pulling him into a bone crushing hug. Spencer laughed into her shoulder and smiled when they pulled apart, moving back to Derek's side.
The hurt from yesterday disappeared as the team all chatted together, Spencer getting belated birthday wishes from Hotch and Rossi after everything had settled down. It wasn't the first time the team forgot his birthday, and it surely wouldn't be the last, but none of that mattered right now.
All that mattered was that he finally got a birthday surrounded by friends and cake like he always dreamt of. While ever he had Derek and his friends, he would always be happy.