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Penelope Garcia loved a party. She loved the food, the drinks, the music, the people, the energy. She loved meeting new people and dancing and leaving the worries and stresses of her normal life behind her for a little while. She loved it all. And a holiday party was even better. Anyone with even the smallest knowledge of Penelope Garcia knew of her love for all of the holidays, the joy she always took in celebrating them. But right now, at that very moment, she was kind of wishing that she was anywhere other than at this particular party.
She’d been having an okay time. The food was good, and she’d been developing a pleasant buzz from a couple of glasses of a surprisingly nice champagne. She’d enjoyed a couple of spins around the dancefloor with Rossi and a gentle flirtation with an agent whose name she couldn’t quite remember. A definite highlight had been when she’d managed to trap Reid under some mistletoe and press a smacking kiss to his cheek, and then she’d giggled happily when he blushingly pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. All in all, it was a normal FBI holiday party. Nothing unusual or objectionable about it. A decent time being had by all.
And she was desperately bored by it.
So, she’d slipped out onto the balcony and had been staring up at the stars for at least twenty minutes. She didn’t know what had possessed her to come out here, but she wanted to get away from the crowd for a little while. She wanted to be alone for a few moments, knowing that it wouldn’t last long. It never could.
Because if there was one thing that Penelope Garcia was sure of, it was that as long as Derek Morgan was somewhere nearby, she wouldn’t be alone for long.
She kept her eyes on the stars as she leant against the balcony railing. And she waited.
She wasn’t disappointed. A few minutes later, she heard the door behind her open and the almost-silent footsteps of a man who knew how to move quietly. She held her breath.
“Hey, baby girl.”
Penelope smiled when she heard his voice behind her, but she didn’t turn to look at him. She knew she didn’t need to, that he would come to join her at the railing soon enough.
“I was wondering when you’d find me, sugar.”
“I’ll always find you, baby,” he said, and Penelope could hear the grin in his voice. “I hope you weren’t waiting out in the cold for me, though.”
“I wasn’t waiting,” Penelope said quietly. “I just knew you’d come eventually.”
“Like a moth to a flame.”
“I am irresistible,” she agreed solemnly. “It’s a burden, really, but one I happily bear for you, handsome.”
He chuckled as he took his usual place at her side, leaning against the railing and watching her face.
“You’re missing one hell of a party in there, you know.”
“I’ll go back to the festivities soon enough, my love, but it’s such a beautiful night out here,” she said quietly, face still turned upwards as she watched the stars.
“It’s such a cold night out here, Garcia,” he retorted. “What are you doing out here without your coat on?”
“I didn’t think to grab it because it was so steamy in there.”
“Baby, you’re going to get sick if you stay out here—”
“I’m fine!” she insisted. “I can barely feel the cold, anyway.”
“That is not a good thing! Come on, now.”
Penelope shook her head in amusement and finally turned her face toward him.
“You’re worried about me being cold?” she asked teasingly.
“Yes, hard head, I am.”
“Then I guess you’re just going to have to warm me up, hot stuff.”
He smiled at her and immediately moved to take off his jacket, but she held up a hand to stop him.
“That’s not gonna cut it this time.”
“It’s not?” he said, looking confused.
“Nope,” she said happily, “because as much as I love having your clothes draped all over me, I’d much rather see them on you.”
“Come inside, then! Where it’s all warm and cosy and you can look at me all you want,” he coaxed. “You know, I still haven’t got a dance out of you, yet, and that just about breaks my heart.”
“I’d never want to break your heart, Derek,” she murmured. “Never.”
“So, let’s get inside and my heart can remain whole for one more night at least.”
“Not yet, sugar. I wanna stay out here for a little bit.”
“Then will you at least let me get your coat?”
“No, stay with me,” she whispered, grabbing hold of the front of his jacket and pulling him closer.
“Baby, what—”
She just shook her head and then pulled open his jacket, slipping her hands inside and around his waist. She felt him laugh and then wrap his arms obligingly around her back as she pressed against him firmly.
“Silly girl,” he murmured fondly, pressing a kiss to her temple. “You could’ve just said that this is what you wanted.
She sighed as she snuggled against him, deciding that maybe this party wasn’t so bad after all.