Work Text:
Spring
“Aaaaaaachooo!”
Spencer groaned as the sneeze seemed to take his entire lungs with him and he almost missed the exclamation of shock.
“Reid, jesus! What the fuck was that?”
Spencer opened his eyes blearily, sniffing as he lifted his handkerchief to his face. Then he looked Morgan straight in his eyes before blowing his nose violently.
He saw Emily smother a laugh as Morgan shook his head in disgust.
“You know, sinusitis affects approximately 14% of the adult U.S. population. It affects 17% of women and 10% of men each year. Chronic sinusitis, not including acute sinusitis, results annually in an estimated 18-22 million physician office visits. So the day you have to deal with this shit like I do, you can complain.” He turned away and was too busy groaning into his hands to see his reaction. “If I could just cut off my nose, I would.”
“Oh no, kid. I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just worried.”
“Sure you were,” he mumbled, refusing to leave the safe haven of his hands. “Look, I’m sorry. I forgot to take my antihistamines this morning. It won’t happen again.”
He blew his nose one more time and excused himself to the bathroom. A cold face wash would settle the itchiness a bit. Then he could finally try and tackle his paperwork. And dream about the peace he would feel once he swallowed the life-saving drugs he’d been too in a hurry that morning to take.
An hour later and he hung his head over the back of his chair, groaning loudly. “Kill me now.”
Emily threw him a sympathetic look. “Oh Reid, you okay? Can I get you anything?”
He shook his head as much as he could in his direction. “Flowers should all die.”
“Hey, hey. Who’s threatening beautiful nature here?” Garcia asked as she walked out of the breakroom.
“Me. It’s I, Supervisory Special Agent Doctor Spencer Daniel Reid. The victim to these pollen makers.”
Garcia threw a concerned look to Emily who just shook her head mournfully and Spencer knew that him being that dramatic was a cause for worry. But he couldn’t bring it in himself to care. He just wanted to be able to breathe in peace.
Dragging himself up, he sighed. “Okay, I’m ready again. Let’s do this.”
He threw himself into his paperwork, fighting the teary eyes and itching feeling in his nose. He had to keep removing his glasses to blow his nose and wipe his eyes, contacts too irritating to his eyeballs to even consider putting on.
Simply put, he was miserable.
He didn’t know how long he forced himself to work, considering rolling tubes of tissue and stuffing his nose when Hotch came out of his office.
“Where’s Morgan?” Hotch called down to them.
Spencer looked around and realised that Morgan had been missing for the last half hour and he hadn’t even noticed. That was unlike him because Morgan had such a loud presence that Spencer was almost always aware of his whereabouts.
It really showed how horrible he was feeling that he hadn’t even realised that his teammate was missing.
“Not sure. He said he’d be back in a few,” Emily said, looking up from her work. “Do you want me to call him?”
Spencer felt his nose start to itch in the way that meant a ten-sneeze attack was coming and his eyes began watering. Not another one, he thought mournfully, preparing for his ribs to ache again.
Hotch shook his head, saying he would do it himself and was about to turn back when Morgan entered, brown paper bag in his hand. His face was grim as he marched towards Spencer and looking up at him sent the bright florescent lights glaring into his eyes. It set his nose off and he didn’t have time to see what Morgan was all amped up about before he started sneezing, one after the other, elbow over his nose until eventually it stopped and he groaned again, finally looking up as he breathed again.
Everyone was staring at him but Morgan was two feet away, grinning widely, eyes bright.
“Wha’?” he asked blearily.
“That. Was the cutest thing. Ever! You sneezed like a freaking kitten!” he said, throwing his head back in laughter.
Spencer scowled. “Stob it!”
Morgan only laughed harder and it took him a full minute to stop before he dumped the brown paperbag on his table. “Oh pretty boy. You’re so adorable. Adorable but miserable. Sort yourself out, yeah?”
Spencer stared at him as he walked away before poking the paperbag suspiciously. When it didn’t move or explode at him, he carefully opened it.
It took him a moment to comprehend what he was seeing.
There were at least three different types of antihistamines, a bottle of allergy syrup, menthol crystals to clear his nose, allergy eyedrops to soothe his itchy eyes and two different nasal sprays.
He looked up but Morgan was staring intently at his work.
He didn’t say anything, just took the bag with him to the break room.
He was scared that if he did try to speak, nothing would come out.
Or worse. Too much.
* * *
Summer
Derek was done with climate change. Quantico was known for its beautiful summers and bearable winters. What the fuck it thought it was doing on that day, he didn’t know.
“Can you shut up? We’re all suffering, okay?” Emily snapped, glaring at him across the room as he complained. Loudly.
The heat was making no friends and to make matters worse, there had been a blackout and the air-conditioning had shorted so when their electricity had come back, they’d started drowning in the humid air.
Emily and JJ had already removed their jackets and unbuttoned just enough to let cool air in without being indecent. Derek had requested to be allowed to remove his shirt and walk around in his undershirt but the quelling look that Hotch had sent his way had shut him pretty fast.
That man was still in his full three-piece and if that wasn’t enough to convince him that their boss was a robot, he didn’t know what was.
“I can’t take it anymore,” someone whined.
Derek looked up as Reid trudged his way out of Gideon’s office where he’d escaped to, hoping for some fresh air from the window. Obviously it hadn’t worked because he was making his way back to his desk. Either that or Gideon had kicked him out to give himself some space.
All this was in the back of his mind though because Reid, obviously feeling the heat, had removed his jacket and tie and had unbuttoned at least three buttons and look here. Derek had seen Reid in some situations. Bed-ragged, early in the morning, late at night, fluffy, stuffy, neat and dirty and everything in between.
But something about him half-undressed, sweaty and hair curling in the heat, run through and looking like he’d gone a few rounds in bed with someone very passionate had Derek swallowing and sitting up as he tried to hide the semi that had appeared out of nowhere.
The heat was really messing with his head.
He had to say something. If he didn’t, someone or the other would notice his staring and then where would he be?
“Aw come on, pretty boy. I’m sure you can manage just a little longer.”
Then he swallowed. That had come out way more suggestive than he’d intended and the way Emily glanced at him told him that she’d heard it too.
Luckily for him, Reid was an oblivious little puppy, a Great Dane for sure, but a puppy nonetheless. He looked at Derek with big wide eyes and nodded, as if Derek telling him he could manage was enough.
Derek watched with heavy-lidded eyes as the kid made his way to his desk and slumped into it, pushing his hair back with a sweaty hand before beginning to fan himself with his book. A look of bliss entered his face as the moving air hit him and he dropped his head back, neck stretching and moving as he swallowed.
He was rudely interrupted in his perusal , jumping in shock when someone cleared their throat right next to him.
“If you keep staring any longer, the puddle on the floor will be from your drool and not our sweat.”
He jerked his gaze away to see Garcia settling herself onto his desk with a triumphant grin on her lips.
“Oh hey there, baby girl. I uh, didn’t see you.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed softly, keeping her voice low. “Of course you didn’t, sugar. You were too busy ogling our boy wonder.”
He glared at her and she tilted her head innocently. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone how thirsty you are.”
“Oh here. You can have my water.”
They both jumped as Reid popped out in front of them and what the hell? Hadn’t the man just been sitting at his desk?
Reid was still waving a bottle in Derek’s face and he felt his neck prickle in embarrassment as Garcia tried to hide her giggles.
“Thanks kid but I uh, didn’t ask for water though.”
He frowned. “Oh, I thought Garcia said you were thirsty?”
That was too much for her and the tech genius burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. The heat is making me insane. I have to go. Bye!”
Derek send daggers at her back as she sprinted away while Reid just looked confused. Then he shook the bottle in Derek’s face again. “Here.”
Derek sighed and accepted it, actually gasping a little when the ice cold bottle touched his fingers.
“Reid! How did you get this?”
The kid grinned and said, voice low, “I brought a cooler bag with me. I keep a few ice packs inside and hide it under my desk. Keeps the water frozen and melts through the day.”
He hadn’t been thirsty before, not for water anyway but the kid’s enthusiasm and secretive smile made his throat dry. Maybe he did need a drink.
He unscrewed the lip and took a swallow, groaning when the cold water hit his throat. He tilted his head back as he swallowed a few more sips before straightening and wiping his mouth.
He was hit with a sight hotter than the weather as he found Reid gaping at him, mouth open, pupils blown and cheeks flushed, eyes fixed on Derek’s mouth. As if they were alone and not surrounded by people who literally studied behaviour for a living, Derek’s licked his lips and watched as Reid’s tongue unconsciously slipped out to lick his own.
His semi was quickly becoming a full-on hazard.
This time, no one cleared the throat to break the tension so when Reid’s eyes travelled back to his own, Derek let a smirk pull his lips up.
He watched as colour flooded the kid’s face as he snapped his mouth shut.
Derek wanted to tease him but his heart was thumping too fast for that. It has been so long since he’d felt this excited and he didn’t want to be a jerk about it. Not to Reid, especially.
“I uh,” he fluttered his hands nervously. “I have work to uh,”
“Thanks for the water, pretty boy,” he said, voice deep and hoarse.
He saw Reid swallow again before he turned and hurried back to his desk.
He may or may not have watched the man’s ass as he hurried away.
Two hours later and even Hotch couldn’t handle it anymore, calling down to everyone to go home. If they were needed, they’d be called in.
Derek was glad for that because he needed some fucking relief and his cock was begging for attention.
And if there was a thin, Bambi-eyed, long-limbed genius in his head while he gave himself some release, well, only he and God would know.
* * *
Fall
“Okay, this is the second fall-themed drink this week and fifth this month that has appeared on your table anonymously and it’s starting to irritate me!” JJ announced, staring at the tall steaming drink languishing on Morgan’s table. “
The handsome man grinned, swiping the drink and taking a long sip. “You’re just jealous that no one is leaving you drinks.”
She threw her hands up. “Of course I’m jealous! The only action I get is over phone calls and let me tell you, that does not fill one’s stomach.”
“Did you just admit to having phone sex with your New Orleans boyfriend?” Emily asked, eyes sparkling with amusement.
JJ felt her blood rush to her face as she crossed her arms. “No! What are you talking about? I just said-
“She folded her arms. She’s embarrassed and obviously lying to cover up the fact that she does, in fact, have a boyfriend. And probably engages in some form of entertainment of the cell as well.”
JJ glared at Spencer as he made his way from the breakroom, coffee mug in hand. “Traitor.”
The man just grinned innocently at her as he settled into his seat, patting the baby pumpkin he kept next to his screen. He’d brought one for each of them and had even drawn little faces on them. It was adorable.
Penelope flowed down the stairs in a beautiful gypsy skirt, her little skeleton earrings swinging from her ears as she bounced over to them. On seeing the drink in Morgan’s hands, she pouted.
“What is it this time, lover? Pumpkin-spice? Cinnamon Explosion?”
Derek’s grin flashed white as he took another sip. “Salted caramel latte.”
“You don’t even like sweet drinks!” JJ protested, leaning a hip against Emily’s desk.
He shrugged. “I’m getting into them. And this one isn’t that sweet. So far,” he took another long sip, steam curling from the cup, a white foam line on his lip before he licked it away, “this is my favourite.”
She saw Reid nod knowledgably from his seat. “According to Datassential’s Flavor Tool, salted caramel is in the 85th percentile among all food and flavors, meaning that consumers love salted caramel more than 85% of all other items.”
“Come on, sweetheart, share some of that love with your queen,” Garcia cajoled.
Morgan’s smile widened as he held the cup out of reach. “It has my name on it therefore it’s for me therefore I am meant to enjoy it.”
“You are evil.”
JJ nodded in agreement, curiosity on who was leaving him the drinks hounding at her. She whirled around to face the young doctor.
“Spence! You’re always early to the office. Do you know who’s been leaving Morgan drinks?”
Spencer peered around her to take a look at said drink and watched as Morgan grinned at him over his venti cup of delicious-smelling goodness. Something passed between them before he leaned back into his chair and cocked his head to the side before smiling at her.
“Oh yes.”
She almost screamed. “Who?”
“That would be me.”
She wasn’t the only that sputtered at that. Emily let out a surprised, “Huh?” while Garcia’s mouth fell open. Morgan was still smiling.
“What? Why don’t we get drinks?” she asked, indignant.
Emily crossed her arms, suddenly offended too. “Yeah? What makes Morgan so special that he gets drinks, five of them and we get nothing?”
JJ took a sip of her mournfully sad breakroom coffee, trying to drink some life back into her veins, waiting for Reid to give an answer that would temper her outrage.
Reid smiled serenely. “Well, you three aren’t taking me out on hot dates that end in hot sex.”
In hindsight, she shouldn’t have taken that sip. Now she and Emily had to go and change their shirts. And poor Garcia’s bum was probably bruised from falling off of Morgan’s desk.
And Morgan’s laughter that followed them into her office was not appreciated.
* * *
Winter
“Your hands are ice-blocks,” Derek grumbled as Spencer pulled his chair closer to his boyfriend, allowing Derek to grab his hands and rub them between his own as he shivered.
“Yes, yes. You complain now, you complain at night. Just help me warm them.”
Hotch raised an eyebrow at them but shook his head instead of saying anything before turning back to face JJ who was setting up.
They sat in silence as she explained the case, Garcia turning her head as the more gruesome pictures came onto the screen. One would think that during the winter time at least the serial killers would take a break but no. There they went, still raping and killing like no man’s business.
“Wheel’s up in two hours. Pack warm.” Hotch glanced at the couple who had at last settled down, Reid’s hands now tucked between his own legs. “Maybe grab some gloves, Reid?”
Derek gave Reid a pointed look that the boy obviously saw but he just smiled innocently. None of them were fooled for a minute. The man had proved just how not-innocent he was in the months since he and Derek had started dating.
They filed out, Garcia wrapping her shawl tighter around her shoulders as a cold draft hit her despite the heat in the building. As usual, she wouldn’t be joining the team and honestly, she liked it that way. Safe and sound behind her screens, helping the team in the best way she knew how was what she preferred. The few times she’d actually been out with them had been terrifying, uncomfortable and worst of all, she didn’t have her own equipment so no thank you.
Needing a gallon of coffee to warm her up and get her through what was going to be a rough day, she head for the breakroom, knowing that Reid would have made a fresh pot when he got in in the morning. Morgan, the humungous sap that he was, had bought an expensive coffee machine for the office for Christmas. Well, technically for Reid since he was the one who always complained about the shitty coffee all the time. In turn, the boy genius had taken to making sure the filters were changed daily. It was actually a pleasure to have coffee in the office now. And if the way Morgan’s eyes softened every time Reid hummed at a fresh sip was any indication, he felt that every dollar spent had been worth it.
“Hey, sugar. That coffee warming you up well?”
Reid looked up from where he was intensely measuring out a pound of sugar into his mug and nodded. “I didn’t really sleep much last night and if we’re leaving in a bit, I’d better get well-acquainted with the case before that. I’ll need my sleep in the jet.”
The machine gave a soft beep and he gave it an adoring grin, the look so ridiculous that Garcia had to laugh.
“What?”
“You’re so in love with that machine.”
“It has an expresso maker in it,” he said, wondrously. “It’s the best thing to happen to me.”
She slapped a hand to her chest. “What about my Chocolate Thunder?”
Reid gave her side-eye. “I said best thing, Pen, not best person. And he’s the one who got this for me so he obviously trumps this.”
“Kid!”
Garcia pinched herself as another adoring look entered Reid’s face. He grabbed his sugar – with a dash of coffee – and head out, leaving her to get some of her own caffeinated goodness.
An hour later, everyone got ready to head out, grabbing bags and papers and folders, Gideon shouting down that if anyone forgot their glasses this time, he was not turning around. He gave a pointed look at Reid who once again just smiled innocently. The boy had everyone wrapped around his finger and he knew it.
They started to head out, throwing greetings her way as they left.
“Pretty boy!”
Reid looked up from where he was still shuffling his desk, grabbing some last-minute files that Garcia had heard Hotch ask for.
Derek made his way over, coats and scarves in hand. Reid nodded in thanks, slipping his coat on and wrapping his scarf under Derek’s watchful gaze before turning to him and spreading his arms out for inspection. “Do I pass?”
A soft smile pulled at her Adonis’s lips as he patted at Reid’s lapels and pulled the coat closed, setting the lapels straight before unfolding Reid’s scarf in certain areas where it had squashed up so that it set elegantly around his neck, still covering every bit of exposed skin.
Then he grabbed Reid hands and slipped on a pair of fleece-lined leather gloves, Reid watching the entire proceeding like he was dreaming Garcia wasn’t sure if maybe she wasn’t the one dreaming because it was like watching a movie. Her heart was so full and she was dying to let out her feels in a little scream.
Then Derek grabbed his lapels again and pulled him into a soft kiss, their eyes slipping closed as they sank into it.
“We’re going to be late, Derek,” she heard Spencer mumble.
Derek hummed as he pulled away and really, had the office always been this silent? Were her ears just tuned to these two lovebirds?
“I just wanted to have a last kiss before we went onto this case. I know how you get once we start.”
Reid stared back him, eyes soft and tender. “Okay.”
He leaned in for another kiss and Garcia couldn’t handle it anymore, escaping to her office to let out her squeals.
Two minutes later, she heard them leave.
“Bye mama.”
“Bye Pen! Stay warm!”
And she sighed, sinking into her arms. One day, she would have that.