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forhappysake · 2 months ago

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You Live(d) There Too

Author's Note: We're getting angsty😜 Sorry guys I was bored and had some free time. My brain produced this *not proofread* monstrosity.

Summary: You've been left in the dark about the events that led to Spencer's release from prison. When he comes to take you home, you can't find it in yourself to go with him.

Warnings: spencer x reader, BAU-level violence, season 12 spoilers, mentions of kidnapping and weapons, established relationship, angst with no happy ending (sorry)

You stared up at the ceiling, dazed by the events of the day.

One minute, you’d been at Spencer’s apartment. The nurse had come to relieve you. Diana waved you goodbye. You’d gone to work.

The next minute, Diana was gone. The nurse was gone. You couldn’t get ahold of anyone and Luke was dragging you out of Spencer’s place. Penelope begged you to stay in her apartment with your eyes and ears open.

That was twelve hours ago. You’d gotten the sense that her push for vigilance meant bad things were happening. When Luke dropped you off at her place, he’d left you with his gun. You weren’t even sure how to use it, and the weight of it in your hands made you absolutely sick.

You thought about calling, but you knew better. You lay on her bed, listening to every creak in the building. You thought of Diana in her frail state and your eyes watered. You weren’t even sure what someone might want with her.

Spencer would never forgive you for this.

Just as you were about to attempt to call Penelope for news, you heard it. The distinct sound of footsteps outside her door. You sat up on the bed, reaching for the weapon left on the side table.

You stood up from the bed, rounding the corner into her hallway putting you in direct sight of the door. The room was dark, and you could barely make out the shape of the door before you. Your hands trembled as you raised the gun at the doorway, unsure of who might step inside. After a moment, the lock clicked and the door swung open.

A figure loomed in the doorway, the light from the hallway creating a silhouette and obstructing your view of them. You remained silent, still aiming the gun at the intruder. Your eyes adjusted, and you could make out a single arm reaching around the wall for a light switch.

The light filling the room caused you to squint your eyes. You gasped when you regained focus and could make out the man in front of you. “Spencer,” you gasped.

He looked up at you, his appearance disheveled and his eyes wide.

You remembered yourself at that moment and panicked. You dropped the gun, it clattered on the floor as you approached him.

“What are you doing here?” you asked breathlessly. You were sure you must be dreaming, your brain playing some cruel trick on you as it had several times before.

Your eyes connected with his own as tears swam in his vision. “It’s over.” He said it so simply as if it was just a matter of fact. “I’m out.”

“Your mom?” you questioned.

Spencer nodded. “They found her. She’s fine. I’ve checked her into the hospital for the night, just in case the medics missed anything. They’re going to watch her.”

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” you said, shaking your head. “I haven’t been told anything. I’ve been here for hours.” Your whole body was shaking now, the stress and exhaustion of the last day taking over.

You struggled to speak. “Now you’re here. I don’t even know if you’re really here or if this is another dream. I just feel so confused.”

The tears welled up in his eyes began running down his cheeks. Spencer reached an arm out to you, beckoning you to sit down on the couch between the two of you.

You did as directed, and he set himself on the arm of the couch, turning to face you. Your hands trembled as you folded and unfolded them in your lap.

“I will give you answers soon,” Spencer explained, his eyes focused on you. “As soon as we wake up in the morning. I’ll tell you everything. But not tonight. We both have to rest tonight.”

You shook your head again. “Spencer, we have nowhere to go besides here. Your apartment is some crime scene-”

He waved a hand, silencing you. “It’s been processed. Since the case is over we can go back.”

We.

“I don’t-” you sputtered. “Are you sure you want me to go back with you?”

Spencer looked almost offended. “Of course you’re coming back with me, why wouldn’t you? You live there too.”

You looked at the floor, shifting uncomfortably in your seat. You felt his eyes on you, reading you like an open book. A look of realization came over his face.

“You don’t live there anymore, do you?” he asked. Spencer didn’t quite sound hurt, but seemed nearly defeated as his shoulders drooped forward even more.

You sighed and shook your head. “No, since this whole thing started I’ve only stayed intermittently to watch your mom of an evening. I’ve been living in a new apartment across town.”

Spencer stood from the couch, pacing back and forth slowly. “So you don’t want to go back to the apartment with me?” he asked.

You shook your head. “Not really, Spencer. The place just unsettles me at this point.”

He stopped in his tracks, turning to look at you. “You used to say it was your favorite place on earth.”

You shrugged. “Things changed, Spencer. When you went away I felt like someone was always watching me there. Now, after all this, I know I wasn’t totally wrong. Can you blame me for not wanting to return?”

Spencer put his hands to his face, muffling his words. “We’ll work it out. I’ll let the lease run up. We’ll go somewhere else.”

There was an awkward pause.

“You could just come to stay with me,” you offered warily.

He clocked your tone of voice immediately, narrowing his eyes at you. “But you don’t really want that, do you?”

You scoffed in an attempt to hide the truth. “What makes you say that?”

“I’ve been here, in front of you, for the first time in three months without some kind of physical barrier between us and you haven’t so much as attempted to put a hand on me.” He seemed to be growing agitated, his hand fidgeting with the end of his tie.

You couldn't defend yourself. He wasn't wrong. He took your silence as an answer.

“You don’t even want me anymore, do you?” Spencer said quietly.

You flinched at the implication of his words. The tears that had been clouding your vision were streaking down your cheeks now. “No, it's just that - Spencer, it’s been months. I don’t know who you are anymore. I just don't feel comfortable going with you right now.”

Spencer stopped dead in his tracks. You could already feel your guilt seeping in because of your harsh words. His tears were visible as he cleared his throat to limit the crack in his voice when he spoke. “Spencer, I didn’t mean to imply that-”

He shook his head. “I get it. I’ll go.”

Spencer walked briskly towards the door, shoes thumping hard against the wooden floor with each step. He paused in the door frame, turning to look at you once more.

“We will work this out,” he said. For the first time since he arrived, you looked at him. Really looked at him. He offered you a sad smile. “I’m sorry for everything. I’ll make this better for us. I promise.”

He turned away, slipping out the apartment door and shutting it with a firm thud behind him. For the first time in three months, you let yourself utter a broken sob into Penelope’s otherwise quiet apartment.

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forhappysake · 3 months ago

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Late-Night Talking

Author's note: This can be read as part 2 of "Never Forget a Face," or it can be read as a stand-alone. 5k words, not proofread xoxo.

Summary: After you get to know Spencer, the team starts believing you may be more than friends. Despite pushing back against their jokes, you and Spencer quickly realize they may not be wrong.

Warnings: fem!reader, spoilers for season 12/13, mentions of typical BAU-level violence, age gap mentioned, one bed trope that i LOVE, no smut just some heavy fluff/making out at the end

“Checkmate,” Spencer said.

You groaned.

The soft glow of an antique lamp illuminated your surroundings. You sat cross-legged on an old leather armchair, resting your head in your hands. Spencer, across from you, looked a little too amused. The pair of you had been at this for roughly two hours.

“I’m not sure why you decided to make that last move. If you want, I can show you some additional strategies and what I would have done in your place,” Spencer rambled. If it were any other man, you likely would have rolled your eyes and told them to shut up. Something about the way he spoke was entirely genuine, and he knew he had your best interest at heart.

“No thanks, Spence. I think I’ve met my match for the day,” you said, rising from your seat. You stretched your arms above your head. “I could go for some coffee, though.”

He smiled as you turned to walk toward his kitchen. In the three weeks since the two of you had spent the evening talking, the two of you had only become closer. This was the third night this week that you had found yourself enjoying his company.

“Do you want a cup?” you called behind the counter.

It was quiet for a second, and you could imagine his eyes narrowing in thought as he weighed his options. “Sure,” he said. “Could you make it with-”

“Lots of sugar and a little bit of coffee,” you finished for him, appearing from behind the island with two cups in hand. “Here.”

Spencer thanked you, taking a small sip before setting the steaming cup on the side table. “Perfect,” he acknowledged.

“Oh really? Maybe I should pursue a career as a barista,” you joked, whirling the mixture around in your mug with a small red stirrer.

Spencer let out a small laugh before he grew quiet for a moment. He looked at you thoughtfully. “Not that I think you wouldn’t be good at it, but I think I - or uh - we prefer to have you on our team.”

As you opened your mouth to respond, your phone buzzed in your pocket. You set your coffee on the side table next to Spencer’s and pulled it out, unveiling Penelope’s name and face buzzing across your screen.

“It’s Penelope,” you said. Spencer shot you a knowing look.

You raised the phone and answered her video message request. Her face filled the screen.

“Hello, my lovely,” she said to you in her usual bubbly manner. The bright pink bows in her hair and the way they matched what you could see of her dress made you smile.

“Hey, Pen,” you greeted. “What’s up?”

“That’s the less lovely part,” she said, her smiling turning to a frown. “I need you in the office in an hour or less. We have a case.”

You sighed as you shot a glance at Spencer who was staring at you from across the chess table. “Right, I’ll be there. Thanks.”

You were about to hang up when she spoke again. “Oh, wait! Y/N!”

“Yes?” you asked her, a bit confused by her sudden urgency.

“Have you talked to Spencer? You’re the last one on my call list and I haven’t been able to get ahold of him for twenty minutes.”

Rather than respond, you flipped the camera around to unveil Spencer sitting on the edge of the armchair. “Yeah, I think I can get ahold of him for you,” you quipped.

Penelope gasped. “My two favorite BAU babies spending time together? Be still my speckled heart.”

Spencer groaned, looking directly at the camera. “Penelope, we’ve been over this. I’m 36. I’ve been with the team for over a decade. I’ve done time in a maximum security prison. I haven’t been a BAU ‘baby,’” he made air quotes with his hands, “for ten years.”

Penelope rolled her eyes, causing you to giggle and causing Spencer to furrow his brow. “Oh, Dr. Reid, your wit is charming but I fear you’ll always be a BAU baby in my mind.”

Spencer huffed.

“Regardless, it’s nice to see my babies together,” she said, her cheery disposition fading as she began clacking on her keyboard. “Anyway, I’ll see you lovebirds in an hour. Peace!”

You and Spencer had both frozen at her final statement as her face faded from the screen. Lovebirds?

In an attempt to diffuse the awkward silence that had fallen over the room, you cleared your throat. “I have to run home and grab my go-bag.” You rose and made for the door. Spencer remained seated, a perplexed look on his face.

“I’ll see you in an hour?” you half-asked.

Spencer snapped out of his thoughts, finally noticing that you were standing with your hand on his doorknob, ready to leave.

“Y-yeah. Of course. See you there,” he said, offering a small yet sincere small.

You drove home and grabbed your things, Penelope’s statement still ringing in your ears. Lovebirds.

Sure, you enjoyed spending time with Spencer. In the month since you’d met him, you’d gotten to know him quite well. You knew how he took his coffee, what books he was working through at the moment, and how his therapy was going. However, you didn’t think that qualified you as lovebirds.

You shook your head as you pulled into your parking spot at work. You were overthinking it. Penelope called people questionable names all the time. Just last week, the HR department was forced to give a seminar on workplace conduct after some of Penelope’s most famous lines were brought to the attention of the department.

Spencer had leaned over to you during the presentation, nudging you with his elbow. “Last time they gave one of these, Penelope got in trouble for calling our friend ‘dark chocolate thunder,’” he whispered. You had widened your eyes at him and looked appalled as he offered a small, mischievous smile, turning back to the front.

You paused for a moment before entering the building and thought about how that interaction had made you feel. The butterflies in your stomach took flight when he nudged your arm, the tingling sensation running through your veins as he whispered in your ear. Maybe Penelope wasn’t as far off as you thought.

Regardless, you had a job to do. So did Spencer, for that matter. Based on the worried glances your coworkers gave you when you walked into the roundtable room, you could tell it was going to be a doozy.

Emily and Spencer walked in moments later, taking their seats around the table. He offered you a small smile, which you kindly returned before focusing on Penelope’s presentation at the front of the room.

Another serial killer, another flight that was going to take you across the country.

For three days after touchdown in California, the team worked around the clock. On the third day, the team went out in pairs to keep watch over the local parks in town, from which women were being kidnapped and subsequently murdered. Emily had asked you and Spencer to stay behind at the police station in case any new developments came about.

By the time night fell, you weren’t sure when the last time you’d slept or eaten was. You were sitting on a couch in the meeting room assigned to the BAU for your time in California. You’d zoned out at the images of the victim’s bloody bodies before you on the coffee table, your eyes glazed over and bloodshot from the lack of sleep.

When someone placed a hand on your shoulder, you jumped in surprise.

“Just me,” Spencer said, putting one hand up in surrender. He’d walked in through the open door, you hadn’t even noticed his entrance.

You rubbed your eyes. “Sorry. What’s up? Any news?”

Spencer shook his head, sitting down next to you. He cleared his throat. “You could sleep, you know? I can always wake you if something changes.”

You yawned. “I appreciate the offer, but don’t you think that’s unfair? You haven’t slept either.”

He shrugged, glancing sideways at you. “I didn’t sleep for more than an hour at a time for three months of my life. This is nothing.”

You looked at him in that moment. Truly looked at him. The small scar on the side of his neck where a few stray curls ended. The stubble on his cheek, getting longer each day you worked this case. Finally, your eyes met his.

“Alright,” you relented. “Just promise you’ll wake me up if something changes.”

Spencer nodded. “I’ll be right here next to the phone. Rest for a little bit.”

Without another word, you sunk further down on the couch and laid your head back, falling into a dreamless sleep.

SPENCER’S POV

I developed this habit of staring at clocks while I was away. Some might think that makes the time pass slower, but on the contrary, I found that the minutes flew by faster if I could zone out at something for long enough.

I found myself practicing this same habit as the night passed. The only thing that pulled me from my daze was Y/N’s body shifting on the couch next to me.

I turned to look at her. She rested her head on the back of the couch. Her hair had fallen haphazardly over one side of her face. The black top she wore was dangerously close to slipping off her shoulder. I leaned forward to strip off my suit jacket and gently lay it over her, the thick fabric wrinkling. As if on cue, she subconsciously pulled the jacked around her figure, burying her face in the material.

I felt my heart warm at the sight and bit back a smile. She was still too innocent for the job. Probably too innocent for this world, frankly. But the pleasure of getting to know her had made Emily’s decision to place her on the team a no-brainer. She was, by all intents and purposes, a ray of sunshine.

“You two look cozy,” Luke spoke from the doorway.

My eyes shot up to face him. I tried to act casual like I wasn’t just oogling over my coworker. “Oh. Yeah, she is.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Jig’s up, Reid,” he started, leaning against the doorway. “You’ve been looking at her like that for weeks. Why don’t you just ask her on a date?”

I cringed. “Why does everyone keep insinuating that we’re somehow romantically involved?”

“Well let’s see,” Luke held up his fingers to count as he spoke. “You guys talk to each other like, all the time.” One. “You didn’t tell her to move when she accidentally sat in your seat at the conference table.” Two. “I know for a fact that she’s been out with you at least three nights a week, hence why she didn’t come out with Garcia and me last weekend.” Three. “You actually laugh when she tells you a joke.” Four. “You keep staring at her-”

“Alright, I get it,” I interrupted, holding up a hand to quiet him. I sighed. “You’ve forgotten some pretty important details in your explanation.”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

It was my turn to do the counting. “She’s roughly eight years younger than I am. I haven’t the faintest clue if she’s seeing anyone. She’s only known me for a month and she happens to know about… my history.” Luke glanced up at me, a touch of sympathy in his gaze. “Prison time is not exactly a turn-on to most women,” I admitted.

Luke took a deep breath. “Well, I hope it works out however you want it to, Reid. I can say this for sure, I haven’t seen you this happy in a year.”

I watched him begin to walk away before he turned to look back over his shoulder. “By the way, we caught the guy. Wheels-up in thirty.”

With that utterance, he was gone.

READER’S POV

The next thing you remembered was Spencer gently shaking your shoulder. “Y/N,” he said your name quietly.

You rolled over, groggy as you pulled the blanket tighter around yourself. “Yeah, what’s up, Spence?”

“The case is closed. We’re going to get ready to go home.”

Your eyes shot open. “Really? I can’t believe we missed it,” you said, sounding somewhat disappointed.

Spencer shrugged. “I think I would prefer the comfort of this place than being out there.” He pointed out the window where a steady rain had begun falling over the parking lot.

You groaned, peeling the blanket off your body. It was just then that you realized it wasn’t a blanket, but Spencer’s jacket.

“Oh. Uh. Here you go,” you offered it back to him.

Spencer took it from you, immediately beginning to overexplain himself. “Sorry, I just thought you looked kind of cold and your shirt was hanging off your shoulder so I thought it would be better if I-”

“Spencer,” you cut him off. “I was just going to say thank you.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah. Of course. Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. Let’s just get out of here and back home.” You offered him a warm smile, reassurance that he hadn’t overstepped your boundaries.

You found it quite endearing, actually- him having covered you up. When he smiled back, your stomach did a backflip. God, you were screwed.

The two of you hurriedly packed up the files strewn about the precinct and drove back to the hotel. The flight home was relatively uneventful. You did, however, notice Luke giving you one of his mischievous smiles. Halfway through the flight, you couldn’t take it anymore.

“Luke, what is your deal?” you asked quietly not to wake JJ, seated next to you. Spencer, who sat across from the table on the jet’s couch, sneaked a glance up from his book, slyly listening in to the conversation you’d started.

“Did you have a nice nap earlier this evening, Y/N?” Luke asked jokingly.

You rolled your eyes. “As a matter of fact, I did. Why are you asking?”

Luke glanced over at Spencer. “I saw loverboy went out of his way to keep you warm.”

It was your turn to glance at Spencer, whose cheeks were turning pink as his lips pressed into a thin line. He looked back down at his book, acting as though he wasn’t listening.

You leaned forward across the table. “Look, Luke. I’m not sure what delusions Penelope is feeding you, but Spencer and I are just friends. Just like me and you. Just like me and everyone on this team.”

“Uh huh,” Luke said, unconvinced. He popped a piece of candy into his mouth. “When’s the last time you spent three evenings at my apartment?”

“Maybe I would spent three evenings at your apartment if you were intelligent and mature enough to keep up an adult conversation,” you shot back.

Luke raised his eyebrows. “Touched a nerve there, did I?” he joked.

“It isn’t funny, Luke,” you scolded. “And for that matter, I happen to be seeing someone.”

That caught everyone’s attention. You saw Spencer twitch out of the corner of your eye, his brow furrowing has his grip on the book in his hands became firmer. Luke laughed.

“You have been going out with someone?” he asked, somewhat incredulously.

You took offense to his reaction. “Why is that so hard to believe?”

Luke shrugged. “I don’t know. I just hadn’t heard about this before.”

“Well, I don’t exactly go out of my way to talk about my personal life. Now if you’ll excuse me,” you tapped the empty coffee cup in your hands. “I need to replenish my supply.”

You made your way to the back of the jet. Seeing the coffee pot empty, you began the task of brewing more.

“Was that true?” Spencer asked from behind you.

“Jesus,” you said, trying not to jump out of your skin, “You’ve really got to quit sneaking up on me like that.”

“Sorry.” He stood awkwardly in the doorway, blocking your view of the rest of the jet. “But was it true?”

“Which part?” you challenged, watching the dark liquid fill the pot.

“The part about you seeing someone.”

Your cheeks reddened. “No. It wasn’t true. I just wanted to get Luke off my back,” you admitted.

Spencer sighed what almost sounded like a sigh of relief. “Was the rest of it true?” he continued.

“What do you mean?” You looked at him, genuinely confused as to what he was referencing.

Spencer took a step closer to you, and you could feel the heat coming off his body as he looked down at you. He lowered his voice to a near whisper, “The part about us just being friends.”

Oh.

“Well, I- you know we haven’t really ever discussed if we would even… I- I don’t know,” you stuttered.

Spencer nodded and the serious expression on his face faded to his normal friendly facade. “Right. I just wanted to check,” he said casually before making his way back to his seat.

You were in shock regarding the conversation that had just occurred and remained that way for the rest of the flight. You found yourself glancing at Spencer often and occasionally, you’d catch him looking at you too.

You put your headphones in, in an attempt to take your mind off of it. The reprieve of the music in your ears was short-lived as JJ nudged your shoulder. “Did you hear Emily?” she asked.

“What? No, what did I miss?” you looked around, confused, before Emily appeared beside you.

“Sorry, I should’ve checked to make sure everyone could hear me,” she apologized. “Change of plans. We’re stopping in Tennessee. I just got a call from an old colleague. They need some help.”

You tried to hide your disappointment. All you wanted to do was get home to go to bed. Not to mention, you needed time to think over this whole Spencer thing. However, it was clear that wasn’t going to happen.

Two hours later, you were on the ground in Nashville.

The team stumbled into a hotel lobby. It was 2 a.m. You could tell you all looked terrible, and you weren’t sure you all smelled much better.

“Alright,” Emily said, coming back from the check-in counter. “Here’s the deal. Since I booked last minute, I could only get four rooms. We’re going to have to double up.”

You watched as pairs were quickly formed. JJ and Emily stepped to one side. Tara and Luke to another. Rossi and Matt even joined up. You and Spencer stood awkwardly next to each other.

“Right, well, here are your keys,” she handed you the room keys for yourself and Spencer. You sighed and took off for the elevator, Spencer in tow.

The elevator ride and walk to the room passed without a word. When you stepped into the hotel room, you immediately flopped your bags on the ground and dropped to the floor.

For the first time in two hours, Spencer spoke. “What are you doing?”

You didn’t get up, still lying prone on the floor. “Relaxing.”

“Do you know how many germs are on the floor of a hotel room? If I had to estimate, based on research-”

“Spence, please,” you cut him off, “I’m getting up, I’m getting up.” You rolled over and sat up, looking up at him.

It was also the first real glimpse you’d caught of the room since arriving, and you felt your stomach drop when you grasped one key detail.

There was only one bed.

Oh. Oh.

Spencer followed your eyes to the single bed. “Don’t worry, I’ll sleep on the floor,” he said sincerely.

You scoffed. “Spencer, that’s ridiculous. You’ve told me time and time again how your back bothers you because of these terrible hotel beds. I can’t imagine what state sleeping on the floor would leave you in. I’ll do it.”

He shook his head. “I would never expect you to do that.”

“I know." you weighed your words carefully. “We can share the bed, you know? It won’t be a big deal. As long as you’re comfortable with it, of course.”

Spencer looked between you and the bed for a moment. “Okay,” he said simply, throwing his bag on the ground. “Do you prefer a certain side?”

You hummed, standing up from the floor. “Do I want the slide closer to the AC or the side closer to the window?”

Spencer smiled, raising his eyebrows. “These are some tough decisions.”

You nodded. “I’ll take the window. You can have the vent.”

“How thoughtful,” he quipped.

You bent over and began going through your bag. “You can go ahead and shower first, Spence.”

He nodded. “Alright, I’ll be quick.”

Grabbing his bag, he disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door. You heard the click of the lock and sighed in a mix of relief and disappointment. He hadn’t brought up your previous conversation. Maybe he hadn’t meant it or maybe he meant it differently than you interpreted.

Pulling your pajamas from your bag, you resigned yourself to sit on the edge of the bed and wait. Minutes later, Spencer reappeared. His hair, slightly damp, hung down over his eyes. He wore a pair of plaid pajama pants and a loose t-shirt that clung nicely to his biceps.

He looked good. Really good.

You were lucky you didn’t start drooling right there. Spencer caught your gaze. “Is there something on my shirt?” he asked seriously.

You shook your head, averting your eyes. “No! I mean - no. Not at all. I’m just tired.” You stood up from the bed and without another word, shut yourself in the bathroom in an attempt to get yourself under control.

SPENCER’S POV

It had been five minutes and seventeen seconds since Y/N went to take a shower. I laid back on the bed, head propped up by some pillows, and thought as the time passed.

It had been five minutes and forty-five seconds of me thinking about how to approach this conversation with her.

I knew after our exchange on the plane that I’d have to come to terms with my feelings eventually. Even if I’d only known her for a month, I couldn’t help but gravitate towards her. I loved her smile, the way she laughed at my jokes, and how she genuinely listened when I talked.

Most of all, I was starting to think I loved her.

When I heard the bathroom door open, I tried to be nonchalant. I reached for my book on the side table and quickly began reading through it, flipping pages as I finished them. I felt a dip in the bed and saw her sit on the edge out of my periphery.

She was slipping her socks on, facing away from me, her damp her hanging loosely in front of her face. I wanted to do nothing more than tuck it behind her ear and kiss her right then and there.

I had to be logical, I told myself. I shook the thoughts away and tried to focus on the book in my hands.

READER’S POV

Spencer didn’t speak to you when you came out from the shower, offering only a glance and a small smile as he skimmed through the book in his hands. After slipping on your socks, you tucked yourself under the covers next to him, turning off the light next to your side of the bed.

It was silent for a moment before you heard his book thud down on the side table. “Goodnight, Y/N,” he said, flipping the lamp off.

“Night, Spence,” you said back. You rolled to your side so your back was to him, trying to minimize the amount of space you took up in the bed.

The two of you stayed that way for twenty minutes. You breathed slowly, trying not to think about the man in the bed next to you. Just when you thought you may have relaxed enough to drift off to sleep, the lamp next to Spencer’s side of the bed flipped on.

You kept your eyes shut, pretending to be asleep as you felt him shift in the bed. You wondered if he was just restless, struggling to wind down after working so many cases back to back. Seconds later, he spoke.

“I know you’re awake. I think we should talk,” he said quietly.

Your eyes shot open. You rolled over to face him, trying to remain calm. “Okay. What do you want to talk about?”

“Let’s play a game,” he suggested. Your eyebrows shot up. You did enjoy a good competition. “I’ll ask you a question, you ask me a question. How does that sound?” Spencer asked.

You searched his eyes for any hint of mischief but found none. Who were you to say no? You sat up in the bed, crisscrossing your legs as you faced him.

“Shoot,” you challenged him.

“Does it bother you when the team suggests we’re romantically involved?”

You hadn’t quite expected that one. You looked around the room, taking a deep breath as you pondered. “Not as much as it probably should. Does it bother you?” you countered.

Spencer shook his head. “Only when I thought it made you uncomfortable. Now that I know it doesn’t, no.” He paused for a second, narrowing his eyes at you as he tried to pick out his next question.

During this lull, you reached for your water bottle on the side table and took a quick drink. “Do you find me attractive?” he asked.

You nearly spit out your water.

You sat up a bit straighter, trying not to let him see just how attractive you thought he was. “Well… that’s quite a direct question. But, yeah. Yeah, I think you’re attractive.”

Spencer nodded, satisfied, though he didn’t look smug. Just content.

“Do you think I’m attractive?” you asked.

Spencer glanced up at you, his hands folding and unfolding in his lap as he tapped the tips of his fingers against his thigh. “Very,” he admitted.

The two of you were quiet once more, not sure what to do with this newfound information.

Spencer cleared his throat and you could hear the doubt and concern seeping into his voice when he spoke again. “Does it bother you that I’m older than you are?”

You figured that was coming. “No. You’ve never made me feel younger or dumber for it. I often forget we aren’t the same age.” You shrugged before continuing. “Does it bother you that I’m younger?”

Spencer thought for a moment. “No, it doesn’t bother me. I was just afraid you’d think I was strange for finding you attractive since you are younger than I am.”

You laughed. “Spencer, I find you strange for many reasons, but our age difference is not one of them.”

Spencer smiled shyly at you. He seemed to appreciate the endearing way you used the word “strange” to describe him.

“Can-” he stuttered for a moment, you could tell he was nervous about his next question. He took a breath, building confidence. “Can I kiss you?”

Your breath caught in your throat, eyes widening immediately. He turned a bright shade of crimson, his confidence seemingly wavering. “You can say no, of course. I’m sorry if I made this weird, I just thought-”

“You can kiss me,” you interjected. He looked at you, his crimson blush fading away but his eyes still uncertain. “I’d like for you to, actually,” you reassured.

Spencer sat up straighter on the bed, his earlier expression gone serious as he moved closer to you. He gently placed one hand on your cheek, holding you in place as his lips met yours.

His lips were soft. In fact, everything he was doing was soft. The way he gently cupped your face, the way his other hand had come up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear, the way his mouth moved against yours. His tongue probed your mouth open, a small moan eliciting from him when you allowed him access.

The tenderness disappeared quickly as he kissed you with more urgency. The two of you fell back on the bed like teenagers.

His hands moved from your face to your waist, holding you firmly against him. You tested the waters by moving your hands up his back and into his hair, earning a sigh of approval on his part.

You slipped a hand under the front of his shirt, trailing your fingers across his chest. He pulled away from you, gently grabbing your hand.

“Too far?” you asked in a small panic, quickly withdrawing your hand from under the fabric of his shirt.

“Not at all,” he shook his head sincerely. “I just don’t want to get carried away.”

Spencer sat up, his hand on your waist bringing you up with him. You both leaned back against the bed, your head resting on his chest.

“I want to do everything with you,” he said lowly. You could feel his voice rumble through his chest as he spoke. “I want to do all of this and more. However, I do believe you deserve more than some random hotel with the guy who has only known you for a month.”

“You're not a random guy," you corrected. You were a bit disappointed, but you understood and appreciated his sentiment. It was silent for a moment. "So where do we go from here?” you asked, genuinely curious.

Spencer smiled, wrapping his arm tighter around your waist. “I think I should start by asking you on a date. How do you feel about Vietnamese food?”

You raised an eyebrow, looking up at him. “You know I am very passionate about pho,” you joked.

“Yeah,” he rested his chin on the top of your head, “How about when we get back, we go out on a real date, in a real restaurant that isn’t my apartment, and we make this something real?”

You lifted your head up to meet his gaze at eye level. “I’d love to,” you said with a smile. “On one condition,” you added.

It was his turn to act surprised. “What’s that?”

“That you don’t refrain from kissing me until then. I do enjoy being close to you,” you answered.

Spencer grinned at you. His arm around your waist pulled you in for a soft kiss on the lips. After a moment, he pulled away. “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he answered.

You laid your head back on his chest as he flicked off the side table lamp, the two of you quickly falling asleep wrapped in each others' arms.

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