Work Text:
“You really need to take a deep breath,” Matt said, thrusting a flute of champagne into my trembling fingers.
Next to me, my mother hummed an agreement. She and my dad had arrived in D.C. from Kansas City a little less than a week ago, but they had taken to the city with no issue. While I was busy stressing over my new job or figuring out the last minute details for the wedding, they had been traversing the city. My mom had even taken me to a quaint, little coffee shop off of my usual beaten path. Now the night of the wedding had arrived and my mind was running a thousand miles per hour. By the end of tonight I would be married to Spencer. By the end of tonight we will be together forever, through good times and bad .
I blew a gust of air out of my lips, puffing my cheeks up, and took a quick sip of the champagne. The bubbles fizzed in my mouth and my mom rubbed her hand gently across my exposed shoulder blades. I offered Matt - looking dapper in a navy suit and matching bow tie - a quick smile to let him know I would be ok. He gave me two thumbs up and ducked back out of the room.
It wasn’t that I was nervous about being married to Spencer or even that I was getting cold feet, but, as the time for me to meet him at the end of the aisle drew closer, I came to terms with just how monumental this moment was. We had been through so much since I had surprised him in the Classics aisle of The Raven Bookstore and there were several instances where we weren’t exactly sure if the other was even going to survive long enough to get to this point.
“You ready, Jem?” my mom murmured, tucking a stray curl behind my ear. “I think it's just about time.”
I took another sip of champagne, still thinking hard. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and mentally travelled out the door, down the stairs, and into Rossi’s backyard where the rest of my family, the BAU team, and even my Yorkie, Bruno, waited. I could see the image of Spencer standing patiently at the end of the aisle, lit by the sparkling fairy lights Rossi had swore he hung just for this precise moment. Spence would turn at the sound of the patio door opening, our eyes would meet - blue meeting gold - and his lips would curve in that slow, sweet, crooked smile that he reserved only for me.
When I opened my eyes again, I felt the tightness in my chest ease, and I was grinning by the time I looked back at my mom. She had tears glittering in her eyes when I nodded.
"I don’t think I’ve ever been more ready for anything else, Mom,” I whispered back, my own eyes swimming.
There was a gentle knock on the door and it creaked open to reveal my dad. He and my mom exchanged quick looks - no doubt wordlessly discussing if I would be able to make it to the man waiting in the backyard - and then he cleared his throat and offered his hand.
“Everyone is ready downstairs,” he said, as he pulled me to my feet. “All we’re missing is you.”
I finished the glass, placed it gingerly on the bedside table of the guest room I had commandeered, and smoothed my palms down the skirt of my white dress. My dad tucked my hand in the crook of his arm and, my mother leading the way, we made our way downstairs. The curtains around the patio doors had been pulled to keep Spencer from catching any glimpses of me, but I could still see the hazy shapes of our friends and family seated just outside and a hazier figure in black fidgeting anxiously under a shimmering archway of lights.
I heard the breath in my dad’s chest catch and, before my Mom pulled open the patio doors, he turned to face me. Holding my hands tightly between his own, he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead and offered me a watery smile.
“We love you, Jem, and we love Spence,” he managed to choke out. “We’re so happy you found each other.”
I let out a wet laugh and dabbed lightly at my eyes, hoping I hadn’t smudged my mascara. “Even if he’s had to rescue me from near death situations twice now?”
At that the three of us chuckled quietly together. My mom cupped her hand around my cheek and swiped her thumb gently across my cheekbone, catching the tear before it could stain.
“Especially because he’s rescued you from near death situations,” she giggled.
My dad squeezed my hands tighter and my mom wrapped her arms around my shoulders. We took one last moment as just the three Hamiltons before my mom stepped away towards the patio door. She glanced back over her shoulder my way.
“Ready?”
My hand was tucked securely back in the crook of my dad’s arm. The dark silhouette shifted back and forth anxiously and I could see several seated figures look back. It was impossible to stop myself from smiling.
“Ready.”
Every year an average of 2.4 million weddings are performed in the U.S. while approximately 150,000 weddings are performed in Canada. The number one wedding city in the U.S. is Las Vegas with an average of 114,000 weddings per year, the number two wedding city in the U.S. is Gatlinburg, Tennessee with 42,000 weddings per year, and the number three wedding city in the U.S. is New Orleans, Louisiana with an average of 36,000 weddings per year. June is the most popular month for weddings, followed by August, May, September, and October. And Spencer Reid may have a heart attack and die before he even gets to experience his own.
The original plan was that Jemma would arrive at Rossi’s house with her family a few hours before Spencer and the rest of the team were supposed to arrive. She had been nervous, citing that Rossi was like the father of the BAU agents and she wanted her family to make a good impression on the man. Spencer had poked fun of her all day until she had had to leave and then his own nerves had set in. He was supposed to arrive a few hours after Jemma, but he couldn’t pace in their apartment alone. Not ten minutes after she had kissed his cheek and shut the door, Spencer was knocking on Morgan’s door pleading for a distraction. Now, hours after dealing with merciless teasing and a strong desire for a drink (which he managed to ignore by chewing on his fingernails and wearing out a patch on Morgan’s wooden floors by endless pacing), Spencer knew that she stood just a few feet away, hidden behind Rossi’s damned patio doors.
He shook his hands out, curling and uncurling his fingers. They felt like they were vibrating with energy. It hadn’t helped that just a few minutes prior, Matt had returned from checking in on Jemma with a smug look on his face. He had pulled Spencer into a quick hug, clapping him on the back, and ducked his head close to Spencer’s ear.
“Wait until you see her.”
That had sent Spencer’s entire body practically into convulsions. The adrenaline had traveled from his brain down to the tips of his fingers and the end of his toes. JJ was giving him knowing looks from her seat as he dragged his shaking fingers through the unruly mop of hair on his head. From her lap Henry offered Spencer a friendly wave and, heart rising, Spencer returned the gesture, thankful, as always, for his godson. The rest of the team smiled up at him and he was happy to see so many familiar faces as well as some new ones - Alex Blake, recently returned to teaching at Harvard, had bought tickets to visit the second he had reached out with the good news; Emily still looked a bit jet lagged having only arrived from London less than twelve hours ago, but she offered him a wink when he caught her eye; Kate Callahan, the newest face on the team, had seemed surprised when he invited her to the wedding after only a couple of cases, but she looked comfortable seated next to Hotch; and finally his own mother who had braved another long flight across country to see her son marry the love of his life. Next to JJ she had only had eyes for him and, when he caught her gaze, she blew him a kiss, tears in her eyes.
The sound of the patio doors opening drew his and everyone else’s attention back towards the house. His heart stuttered in his chest and he realized he was holding his breath.
Elizabeth Hamilton, Jemma’s mother, stepped onto the grass first, winking back at him. He let out a quiet laugh as she made it to the head of the aisle and pulled him into a tight hug. She patted him quickly on the cheek with one hand and found her seat next to Diana, who immediately offered her a pack of Kleenex.
He felt like he was moving in slow motion, his eyes shifting from the blossoming friendship between the two mothers, to the doorway where Jemma stood and he felt his breath leave his lungs in a rush.
Every time he saw Jemma he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. It didn’t matter if she was just waking up, clad only in one of his rarely worn t-shirts and her hair a mess, or if she had met him somewhere for dinner after they both got off of work, dressed up and hair done, Spencer was completely gone for this woman. However, something about her tonight was different.
Jemma seemed to radiate light. Her hair, grown out after the past few months, tumbled across her shoulders in loose golden ringlets. She had her hand looped in the left arm of Mitchell Hamilton, Jemma’s father, and she exchanged grins with him before turning her face towards Spencer where her face lit up further. She had a small bouquet of baby’s breath clutched in her left hand and he could see the glint of the amethyst engagement ring glinting at him in the fairy lights.
Spencer’s cheeks hurt, he was smiling so widely as Jemma and her father drew closer. They stopped at the end of the aisle, close enough for Spencer to catch the scent of Jemma’s familiar perfume. He gripped his hands tightly together - she was so close he could almost touch her, but he had to restrain himself from reaching a hand out to run a finger down her silky white skirt. She and Mitchell embraced and Mitchell pressed a quick kiss to Jemma’s forehead before he patted her cheek and turned towards Spencer. He offered the younger man a hand which Spencer gladly took. Mitchell pumped his hand once and found Elizabeth nearby. Diana offered him the pack of Kleenex as well.
Jemma used her now free hand to pick up her skirts and stepped up next to him.
“Fancy meeting you here,” she murmured to him and he let out one bark of laughter.
“Come here often?” he replied and she returned his laugh.
He ducked his head - staring at her was so often like staring at the sun - and reached for her hand. She tucked her fingers into his and he lifted his eyes back up to meet hers. Her lips curved into a warm smile and he returned it.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered and was surprised to see a blush spreading across her cheeks.
“You clean up pretty nicely yourself,” she replied.
He laughed again and lifted her hand to his lips. He swore he could hear the women in the audience sigh. He snuck a glance back towards the seated guests and managed to catch Morgan wiggling his eyebrows back at him. Jemma giggled quietly next to him and he knew she had seen it too. Her eyes were dancing when they turned back to each other again. He could see tears gathering in the corner of her eyes and he swallowed hard, his throat suddenly tight. He blinked rapidly, his own tears stinging in his tear ducts. He shot a look at the ordained minister next to them and nodded. The man, smirking slightly at the blushing bride and her equally emotional groom, opened the black binder in his hands and began to speak.
I’ve waited a hundred years
But I’d wait a million more for you …
“Paging Dr. and Mrs. Reid to the dance floor,” Rossi’s voice rang out throughout the crowd. “I do believe it is time for your first dance as husband and wife.”
I pressed my fingers to my mouth to hide my laughter and buried my face into Spencer’s chest. The crowd around us parted and created a direct path to the dance floor I remembered fondly from JJ’s wedding years ago. Spencer curled his fingers around mine and began leading me towards it, winking as he glanced back over his shoulder at me.
Nothing prepared me for
What the privilege of being yours would do
If I had only felt the warmth within your touch
If I had only seen how you smile when you blush
Or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough
I would have known what I was living for all along
He wrapped one arm around my waist, laced the fingers of his other hand with my own, and pulled me close. I could feel the light brush of his thumb against the exposed skin of my back. I had chosen my wedding dress almost entirely because of the gorgeous exposed back and long lace sleeves. I suppose I had subconsciously chosen this dress because I knew that the second his skin touched mine it would charge me with electricity. I shivered slightly though I wasn’t cold and he pulled me even closer. I smiled at the feeling of his hand shifting ever so slightly up my back so that his thumb could skim lightly up and down the notches of my spine.
“‘Dr. and Mrs. Reid,’” I quoted back at him and he smiled down at me. “I feel like maybe I should get my own doctorate so we could be the Drs. Reid.”
He raised his eyebrows and nodded at me. “I will support you in whatever your endeavors, Mrs. Reid.”
My heart warmed at the name as it slipped past his lips. Around us a chorus of glasses began to ring - started by my own mother - as every agent, friend, and family member began clinking their silverware against their glasses. I rolled my eyes playfully and stuck my tongue out at her and again at Penelope who was clinking her glass so enthusiastically I could see concern cross Rossi’s brow, worried about shattered glass.
Spencer’s lips were already curved into that sweet smile I loved so much and he ducked his head towards mine. He released my hand to raise it to my jaw and he kissed me slowly. Someone in the crowd - most likely Matt - let out a wolf whistle.
What I’ve been living for
Your love is my turning page
Where only the sweetest words remain
I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, fiddling with the curls at the nape of his neck. I smiled slightly against his lips as I thought about our discussion before the wedding. He had been jetting around the country solving case after case with the rest of the team and, when he had finally had time to breathe, he had come back a rugged mess. I had poked a little fun at the small smattering of hair across his upper lip and the curly nest atop his head. He had run a hand across the back of it, resulting in a humorous curl of a cow lick that I didn’t alert him of, and sheepishly admitted he was actually starting to like the shaggier look. I, on the other hand, had needed further convincing. Hours later, I was catching my breath on the rumpled sheets, my fingers embedded in the curly mess of his hair as he regulated his own breathing resting his head on my stomach, and I realized that I could definitely get used to his shaggy hair.
He pulled away and gave an imperious bow of his head towards our always watching audience. Something in my gaze caught his eye and he pulled me impossibly closer, tucking his head into the curve of my neck. I could feel him take a deep breath.
“Where is your mind at?” he murmured in my ear.
“Our place, about a week ago,” I replied easily and I could feel him stumble a little bit. “I told you that I’ve decided I love your longer hair, right?”
He pulled back slightly to catch my eye, smirking slightly. Around us another chorus of silverware against glassware erupted. When he bent to kiss me again the press of his lips was loaded with promise.
Every kiss is a cursive line
Every touch is a redefining phrase
Other couples were now starting to join us on the dance floor. Though our first dance song wasn’t over yet we were happy to share it with those we loved. My mom and dad spun by, already lost in their own world, giggling to one another. Will twirled JJ onto the dance floor, dropping her immediately into a deep dip that set her off laughing. Derek escorted his date - a woman he had just started dating named Savannah - onto the floor and seemed a little unsure where to place his hands. Spencer and I exchanged looks, our eyebrows raised. We had never seen Derek Morgan, slayer of ladies, look so awkward. On the outskirts of the dance floor I watched Rossi bow close to Spencer’s mom and offer her a hand. Surprisingly, after only a moment’s hesitation, Diana accepted his offer and Rossi led her onto the dance floor where they swayed gracefully back and forth. The emotion in Spencer’s eyes was almost overwhelming.
“I’m so glad she was able to make it,” I murmured. “It just wouldn’t have been our day without her.”
He nodded, momentarily overcome.
I surrender who I’ve been for who you are
For nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart
If I had only felt how it feels to be yours
Well, I would have known what I’ve been living for all along
It hadn’t taken long for the dance floor to fill to capacity. Hotch was twirling a grinning Emily around, no doubt trying to talk her into returning to the team. Matt had pulled Penelope out of her chair and they were doing a slow Cha Cha Slide that had many people laughing. Kate Callahan, a woman I hadn’t had much time to get to know, was in deep discussion with my mother, her hands gesticulating wildly. I caught a glimpse of my dad and Alex Blake chatting amicably by the open patio doors. Both of them had a hearty glass of what I assumed to be scotch in their hands. I smiled at how easily my family integrated into Spencer’s and sighed, leaning my head into his chest. He wrapped his arms fully around my back and we swayed together in a tight embrace.
“I love our family,” I murmured.
He laughed and I felt him press his cheek to the top of my head. “I love our family too.”
I tipped my head up, resting my chin at the hollow of his collarbone. I could see Bruno chasing a squealing Jack and Henry in the darkened yard behind us. Next to us I could feel the occasional brush of an elbow or the swish of someone’s dress or jacket and suddenly felt overcome with the need to have my husband to myself.
“I love you,” I breathed.
He craned his head down to meet my gaze. It was a little awkward and I chuckled a little at the soft double chin that formed. He pressed a kiss to my forehead to silence me.
“I love you too,” he replied, taking one of my hands and twirling me gracefully back into his arms.
As I spun back he caught me and his hand traced the light scar on my arm through my lace sleeve. It was barely noticeable when I wasn’t wearing sleeves, but I could tell by the furrow in his brow that Spencer’s eidetic memory had accidentally kicked into high gear, reminding him of bad memories on this wonderful day.
“Hey,” I whispered, wanting to pull him out of his own thoughts and also selfishly wanting to pull him away from the crowd. “Do you want to get out of here?”
There was no doubt my question took him by surprise and, instead of being lost in a storage container over a year ago, he was right back in the present day with me. He blinked for a second as he completely took in my question.
“Don’t you think everyone will notice if the bride and groom leave?” he asked, glancing around at the slow dancing couples around us.
I waved a dismissive hand. “I think most of them are too drunk to notice, but even if they aren't, who are they to stop us? I’m pretty sure as the man and woman of the hour we can do whatever we want.”
He hesitated for a moment, eyes still scanning the crowd. I hadn’t been lying, most of the team was almost embarrassingly drunk. Penelope and Derek were loudly singing along to the tail end of our first dance song and it looked like Alex Blake and Matt were now exchanging stories over tall glasses of champagne at a nearby table. I could see Spencer’s gaze snag on his mother - now sitting quietly at a table with JJ - and then he took a deep breath.
“Let me say goodbye to my mom and I’ll meet you by the front door?” he asked.
I nodded, “Sounds like a date.” I reached up on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. “Give her my love, ok?”
Though we’re tethered to the story we must tell
When I saw you, well I knew we’d tell it well
With a whisper, we will tame the vicious seas
Like a feather, bringing kingdoms to their knees
Slipping away from the party had been easier than expected. He had pulled his mother into a tight hug, burying his face into her shoulder for a long moment like he used to do when he was a boy, and whispered to her how glad he was to see her. When he pulled away her eyes were shining with tears and she cupped one gentle hand around his cheek. He had half expected her anxiety to creep upwards when he told her that he was leaving the party early, but she had simply given him a sage nod in understanding and found her seat next to JJ again.
“I completely understand, Spencer,” she had said matter-of-factly and he had done his best to avoid JJ’s gaze though he knew she was smirking at him. “Please tell Jemma that she looked gorgeous tonight and that I wish you both the happiness of the world.”
He had nodded, offered his thanks one more time, and told her that he loved her before he plunged back through the crowd to find Jemma. When he had located her - saying goodbye to her own parents - he had simply offered her his arm and they had escaped into the night.
Now they were attracting stares from the other passengers in the Metro as they swayed with the movement of their train in their wedding finery. The compartment wasn’t too full, but he and Jemma had wordlessly agreed that sitting on one of the plasticy orange seats was just too risky in her beautiful, lace gown and so she had wrapped her hand around the metal pole and he had stabilized himself with one arm curled around her waist.
He didn’t normally pay attention to clothes - at most he made sure his tie matched his sweater, but even then Jemma had had to set him straight on occasion. Now however, he was coming to realize that he was obsessed with Jemma’s dress. As the train careened away from Rossi’s house back towards their apartment he couldn’t help himself from stepping closer to Jemma and skimming his fingers up her exposed back and under the lace of her dress. He was aware he was being watched by the other patrons in their compartment so he had to restrain himself from kissing down the smooth skin of Jemma’s neck to where that lace met her skin, but the fevered gaze she was giving him was making it very difficult. The entire ride - insufferably long even at 20 minutes - was tense and it was only broken when they had reached their stop.
Spencer pulled his hand out from the back of Jemma’s dress where it had been tracing lazy circles into the skin of her shoulder blade and, instead, reached for a more tame target. He gripped her hand tightly in his as the train slowed to a stop and the doors chimed as they opened. As they stepped off into the station, one voice rang out from the compartment.
“Congratulations!”
Both he and Jemma turned back to thank whichever of their shared riders had spoken, but the doors were already closing and the train was beginning to slide away. They paused for a moment in the grimy station, their hands clasped tightly together and the train of Jemma’s gown thrown over his arm to keep it off of the ground. Their eyes met for a moment and then, at the same time, they began to laugh. She leaned her body against his and they laughed like lunatics in the empty metro station.
Still laughing, he tugged her towards the exit, taking the stairs two at a time until he realized she was struggling to keep up behind him. When they emerged into the cool evening night at the top of the stairs he paused, taking in a deep breath of night air. They were only a couple of streets away from their familiar brownstone and the proximity of it filled his limbs with an overwhelming energy.
Jemma squeezed his hand tightly and he looked back into her shining eyes. They were crinkled slightly as her lips curved into a warm smile that had him melting.
“Spence,” she murmured, setting his skin aflame. “Take me home.”
He wasn’t sure entirely how they got home - did they walk calmly or did he sprint there, taking her along for the ride? - all he knew is that in seemingly no time at all they were finally home. She looked almost out of place in their messy apartment. He could still see the dishes from his breakfast in the sink and the stack of books Jemma had brought home from the library almost a week ago on the side table in the corner of their cozy living room. The ethereal woman standing in a gorgeous white dress couldn’t possibly be his wife . Spencer had never thought that would be something he would one day have.
This time it was Jemma taking the lead. Realizing he was lost in his own thoughts she took a few steps back towards the entrance and took his hand. Leading him blindly, walking backwards, she pulled him into their bedroom where the still unmade bed awaited them. When she stopped next to it he came to his senses. He curled his free arm around her waist and pulled her close, dipping his head to capture her lips with his own.
“Did you know that in a typical lifetime, people spend on average of six years dreaming?” he asked as she stepped out of her heels, dropping several inches.
She started pulling pins out of her hair, dropping them on the bedside table behind her. The curly tendrils that had originally been pinned up framed her face as she gave him a coy look. He reached out one slightly trembling hand to tuck one curl behind her ear.
“I did not,” she replied. “Where did that come from?”
His hand traced the outline of her ear, across her jawbone, and down the column of her neck where it finally found the line where the lace of her bodice met her skin. Slowly, he slipped one finger underneath the delicate material and peeled it away from Jemma’s shoulder. His throat felt dry as she shifted slightly, moving with the fabric so he could easily pull it down her shoulder and off her arm. He cleared his throat and licked his lips, moving to her other shoulder to repeat the process until the bodice of her dress fell slack against her hips and she stood, bare chest heaving and her eyes burning up at him.
“I’m just still trying to figure out if this is all just a dream,” he whispered before she reached out for him and they tumbled together into the sheets.
Hours later with Jemma tucked tightly to his side, her skin still warming his and her quiet breaths tickling the nape of his neck, Spencer allowed himself to grin into the darkened room. Despite all the odds he believed were stacked against him, despite the literal psychopaths that had stood in their way, he had found his other half in the classics section of a small bookstore and, if he had anything to say about it, he would be hers until the end of time.