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“How are you two doing?” Spencer looks up at Morgan, who is standing behind Spencer’s couch, two cups of coffee in hand. Reid smiles, looking back down at Henry, who is sleeping soundly in his arms.
“We’re good,” Spencer says as Derek sets the mugs down on the side table, sitting down next to Spencer on the couch. “He’s in REM sleep, look how his eyes are moving.” Morgan leans over to watch and Spencer can feel the warmth of his teammate’s side touching his own. “He, uh, he makes these cooing sounds sometimes in his sleep, it’s really cute.” Spencer inhales softly through his nose and feels his heartbeat kick up as the smell of Morgan’s cologne fills his nostrils. He always feels guilty for his body’s reactions to Derek, however involuntary they are.
“Yeah, he’s pretty adorable,” Derek says, not moving away just yet, giving Spencer ample time to bask in the pressure of Derek’s body against him. Spencer hums in agreement, shifting his weight to lean slightly into Derek. “You tired?” Derek asks, nodding to the coffee, steam still rising from the mugs he’s taken from Spencer’s kitchen.
“Yeah, I would if I had hands free, man” Spencer laughs gently, looking down at the infant in his arms.
“You know, JJ did say you could lay him down in his bassinet once he was properly asleep.” Spencer remembered, hearing JJ in his mind saying “Once he’s down, you can set him in the bassinet and just check on him every 15 minutes. We should be back from the restaurant at around 11 o’clock.” They had not been back at 11 o’clock. JJ had called Spencer at 10:47 telling him that they had been snowed into a motel just off the freeway, and that she would need him and Derek to stay the night. The storm had made its way to Quantico, and a blanket of heavy snow had fallen around them, softening the sounds of the city at night.
“I know, I just like holding him.” Derek smiles fondly at him, and Spencer finds himself smiling back.
“Here,” Derek says, and picks up a mug of coffee, doctored to Spencer’s liking with his favorite cinnamon creamer, and holds it to Spencer’s mouth, allowing him to take a hearty sip. A small drip of coffee finds its way to Spencer’s lower lip, and the pad of Derek’s thump swipes it away before Spencer’s tongue can reach it. He feels heat rising to his cheeks as Derek winks at him before setting the mug back down.
“Thanks. Childcare is pretty tiring, I understand why Garcia tapped out,” Spencer says.
“Oh, I asked if she wanted me to replace her,” Derek says matter of factly.
“Really?” Weird, Spencer thinks.
“Mhm. You want any little geniuses running around, pretty boy?” Derek asks. Spencer tilts his head, considering Derek’s words.
“There have been some studies that suggest children inherit more of their intelligence from the mother than the father. Of course, intelligence and education of parents are correlated with the intelligence of the offspring. They would probably share my physique though, yes.” Spencer gives Derek a shit eating grin.
“See, now you’re avoiding the question. You want kids, Reid?” Spencer shrugs gently, trying not to jostle Henry.
“I like kids, but schizophrenia is genetic,” Spencer answers quietly. “Those would both play a factor, should I have kids of my own.” Derek nods understandingly, and Spencer knows he isn’t just being polite. He understood. That’s what’s so great about Derek Morgan: he understands. And if he doesn’t, he sees what it’s doing to you and empathizes with you.
“Well, if you ever decide to have a kid, I think you’ll be an amazing dad.”
“Thank you.” Reid smiles up at Derek, and feels his shoulder twinge. “Could you, uh, could you take him for a bit? My shoulder.” Derek scoots somehow closer to him immediately, and Reid begins the process of transferring the sleeping infant to his friend.
“There we go,” Morgan says softly when Henry was safely in his arms. “Hey little man, how’s it hangin’ ?” He smiles as wide as Spencer has ever seen him smile, and something feels oddly warm and tight in his chest. His feelings for Morgan had always confused him, until, that is, Prentiss had pointed out the obvious to him.
“You’ve got a crush on Derek, Reid!” Emily shouted over the pounding music of the bar.
“I- wh- what? I do not!” Reid sputtered, managing to swallow the mouthful of beer he had before Emily decided to drom an atomic bomb on him.
“You do, you- Garcia! Garcia, talk to me about his- his crush, his crush on Derek!” Prentiss gesticulated wildly to Penelope.
“Hm? Oh, are we talking about Reid’s crush on Morgan again?”
“Again?!” Reid shrieked, embarrassment settling high in his cheeks. “Wh- How often do you talk about my love life?” This prompted a hoot from Emily, while Garcia fell into peals of drunken laughter.
“He admits it, Garcia, he finally admits it!”
“I’m not admitting to anything I just- Hey!” Spencer interrupted himself as his friends started laughing again. “What- where did this come from, Emily?” Emily and Garcia shared a look.
“Um, everything? The way you look at, talk about, and breathe around him?” Garcia said, incredulous.
“I’m not a teenager, okay guys, I don’t get crushes.” Reid insisted, picking at the coaster under his drink.
“Who says only teenagers get crushes? Adults get crushes!” Garcia fiddled with the tiny umbrella on top of her drink while she stared Reid down. “I get crushes, boy wonder, what, am I not an adult?”
“Of course you’re an adult, Garcia, crush is just such an… immature word?”
“Oh, so you’re in love with him?”
“EMILY.”
Reid comes back to the present, Derek’s voice filling the space of his living room. Without thinking, Reid, unlike himself, interrupts him.
“Are you attracted to men, Derek?” He asks. Derek blinks. Twice.
“Am I- what? Are you good, kid?” He asks, looking at Spencer is a way he can’t quite dissect.
“Are you attracted to men? One in every ten times you’ve been approached by someone, it’s a man. You’ve not really responded in the way you would to women making the same advances. Are you attracted to women exclusively?” Reid clears his throat, suddenly realizing everything that has just come out of his mouth.
“No, I’m not only attracted to women.” Hope blooms bright in Spencer’s chest as Derek continues. “I only really have casual relationships because I’m waiting on someone.” And everything crashes down again.
“Who?” Spencer asks, keeping his face as neutral as he can. Derek shrugs. He’s beginning to look uncomfortable, so Reid decides to back off, despite how badly he wants to know the object of Derek’s affection. “Hey, I’m sorry man, you obviously don’t need to tell me. Just cause we’re friends doesn’t mean you know everything about me either.” That piques Derek’s interest.
“Oh? What secrets are you keeping from me, pretty boy?” Spencer’s heart thumps like it always does when Derek uses that particular nickname.
“I had the hugest crush on Data when I first watched Star Trek,” Spencer admits with a grin. Derek breaks into a smile so wide it threatens to split his face open.
“Oh, you have no idea how bad I’m gonna bully you for that one, hotshot. Data?!?! You’re serious?”
“I thought he was hot!” Spencer exclaims, laughing along with Derek at the absurdity of it. “I don’t know if it was his intelligence, or if he was just cute! He’s not my type anymore, obviously.”
“Obviously? What do you mean, obviously?” Shit. Spencer takes a moment to realize that no, he’s probably not getting out of this one. He looks away from Derek, focusing his gaze on the baby in his friend’s arms.
“Well, I like you, Derek. You’re handsome and funny, and kind, and incredibly good at your job, and really sweet with kids, and I understand if we can be friends anymore-“ Derek interrupts him.
“Who says we can’t be friends anymore?” He asks. Reid looks back at him, confused.
“What do you mean? I just confessed that I’ve had feelings for you for literal years and you’re waiting for someone else.”
“Really? It’s you, genius. I like you. Love you, actually, have for a while.” Spencer doesn’t know why his heart jumps to his throat.
“You- you love me? Really.”
“For ages. You didn’t pick up on that, pretty boy? I thought for sure you would have known by now. I was worried Penelope would tell you that night you two went out with Emily a while ago.” Spencer’s eyes widen.
“Garcia knew? She and Emily were teasing me about my crush on you the entire night!” He exclaims, immediately looking at Henry to make sure he’s still asleep. He is.
“I was almost ready to say something, to apologize.” Derek confesses.
“Apologize, Derek what for? I- I love you,” Spencer only manages to realize it in that moment. “I love you, Derek Morgan.” He repeats, this time more assuredly.
“Can I-?” Derek begins, and Spencer nods, seeing the way his head is tilted slightly to the side. He closes his eyes, and Derek’s mouth is on his, and suddenly everything makes perfect sense as the man he loves kisses him, slow and sweet.
Spencer knows at that moment, as Henry coos happily in his sleep and thick, fluffy snowflakes fall outside the window, that this is what he wants. He wants Derek Morgan, and only Derek Morgan for as long as he will have him. And based on the way Derek continues to kiss him, that might be a very long time.