Adult-FanFiction.org : Television / Streaming

Pretty Boy	By : Wagamama_hime Category: 1 through F > Criminal Minds Views: 4814 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. It is the sole intellectual property of the CBS Corporation. This is a work of fiction and I am making no profit from its publication.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Chapter Ten
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. It is the sole property of the CBS Corporation. This work of fiction has been created purely for entertainment purposes and I am profiting in no way.
A/N: Happy Criminal Minds Wednesday! Today we get a new episode (finally!) and a new chapter! Yay! Thanks for the reviews and comments! And thanks to my beta-reader, Eskimita! Everyone's support has meant so much to me! And it seems people especially liked the addition of Rossi's POV in the last chapter. That was all thanks to a great suggestion by my Beta, so thank her! :)
As a recap: when we last left off we heard some disturbing musings from our Unsub, Rossi was concerned about the emerging situation between Derek & Spencer, and J.J. & Emily gave the boy some additional advice. Where we pick up, Derek's getting ready to see Spencer for the first time, post Spencer's awkward-advances (haha!) and will grapple with how to best deal with the situation.
Happy reading!
xoxo

Glancing down at his watch and seeing that it was quickly approaching 5pm, Derek yawned loudly and closed another file. He had been working with Hotch for hours, and while he definitely agreed that they had made a lot of progress, he couldn't help but feel restless. J.J. and Emily had given them an update a few hours ago, letting them know that everything was fine with Spencer. They had recently left to take Spencer over to the club to start his shift, and Derek was supposed to come and switch with them once he finished up at the station. Derek couldn't deny the little thrill of excitement he felt at the thought. He told himself it was only because he was looking forward to getting out of the stuffy building, and not because of the prospect of seeing Spencer.
He looked up as Hotch walked into the conference room with a coffee in each hand.
"Are you going to fall asleep on me?" the older man asked with a quirked eyebrow.
Derek rolled his eyes.
"No, but I feel like I'm getting older every second I sit here, man," Derek said.
Before Hotch could respond, his phone began to ring.
"It's Rossi," Hotch said as he glanced at the display. "I'll put him on speaker."
"Hey, Hotch," Rossi said. "I'm still over at the M.E.'s office. She put together some files that I'm going to fax to you guys. I'm also sending a copy of it Garcia's way. But I just wanted to give you a head's up on some of the things we noticed."
"Ok, go ahead," Hotch said.
"What the doctor was able to put together from the prior cases is that it seems the Unsub's using some kind of metal seal to burn the cross into his victims. Based on the size and shape she thinks it's very likely that it's a signet ring. It stood out to her as strange, though, because the imprint was raised. This means that the actual ring is a hollowed-out cross. Apparently she was an art history minor in college, so she pays attention to details like this. Go figure. She thinks we could find out family lineage if we can track the image on the ring. So we should have Garcia look into that," Rossi explained.
"Hmm, that's interesting. I'd be surprised if the Unsub would let himself get caught as easily as that, but using the ring may have personal significance for him, especially if it's related to his family lineage. It may be something he does out of compulsion," Hotch said.
"I was thinking that too," Rossi agreed.
"Ok, good work. We'll have Garcia look into it. Thanks, Rossi," Hotch said.
He then disconnected the call.
Within seconds, Hotch's phone was ringing again. Derek raised an eyebrow and Hotch sighed as he glanced down at it.
Answering the call and putting it on speaker, Hotch said, "Hello, Garcia."
"Hey, boss-man. I just received some really icky looking pictures of burned skin from the Las Vegas Medical Examiner," she said.
"Yes, Rossi was just telling us about that. We're going to need you to do a search of families with crests that might have images similar to what's been burned into our victims' skin," Hotch explained.
"Are you kidding me?" the analyst asked. "What are we, in a 15th century novel here? Family crests?"
Derek laughed at her incredulity.
"Look, baby girl, we don't come up with this stuff. We just gotta get inside this guy's head and if his family's crest is important to him, we gotta know about it," he said.
"Fine, fine, but I'm going to need to look at a lot of baby pandas after seeing this," she complained.
"In other less disturbing news, I finally got all the pictures for the photo array," Garcia updated.
"That's great, Garcia," Hotch said. "Since Morgan's going to be heading over to the club in a little while to relieve J.J. and Prentiss, send him the photo array file and he can show them to Spencer when he gets a moment."
"Copy that. I've sent them to your mobile, darling," Garcia said.
"Thanks, mama," Derek responded as he heard the incoming mail notification.
Hotch glanced down at his watch and then looked at Derek, who seemed itching to leave.
"Alright, Morgan. It's about time for you to head over. So you're free to go," he said as he looked at the man amusedly.
"Thanks, Hotch! See you all later tonight!" Derek said as he grabbed his jacket, and without sparing his supervisor a second glance, he was out the door.

As Spencer placed down the last of his customers' drinks, doing his best to sidestep the grabby hands of the raucous group of men seated at his table, he glanced up across the room and his heart did a little leap as the object of his affection walked into the room.
Quickly stepping away from the table of lecherous old men, Spencer watched with surprise as the agent spoke to one of the server girls while flashing his badge, and the girl turned and pointed across the room straight at him. As the agent's eyes caught his own, his heart leapt again, and Spencer gripped the serving tray he had been holding tightly to his chest. His mouth felt dry. Was he nervous?
As Derek began to make his way across the club, obviously intent on meeting Spencer, Spencer also began inching through the crowds towards the agent. In a matter of moments, the two were standing facing each other.
Still holding his badge out, Derek began to open his mouth when Spencer grabbed his tie and pulled him close.
"Why, Agent Morgan? You couldn't get enough of me since the last time?" Spencer asked flirtatiously.
Derek's face immediately heated up as he tried to pull back from the boy.
"Spencer, I told you, we are not going to do this-" Derek began.
But Spencer gripped his tie tighter and pulled him in closer, so their faces were almost touching.
"Just play along, Agent Morgan. You keep flashing that badge around here and you're going to get all the wrong types of attention. I already told you Lindy doesn't want to see any of you guys back in here. And I don't want my coworkers—or my clients—thinking I'm some kind of narc. So you need to act like you're here for the service, if you want to avoid raising more suspicion than you already have," Spencer whispered seriously.
Derek nodded silently and allowed Spencer to lead him, by his tie, to a more secluded corner of the room. The two stood in silence as a few other customers and scantily-clad employees walked past them, throwing curious glances in their direction. Derek took advantage of the time to take in Spencer's attire. The boy was actually wearing more clothes than the last time he had seen him in the club, but tonight's outfit had a similar, stimulating effect on the stoic agent.
Atop the boy's head sat a pair of long white bunny ears, attached to a black headband that held his bangs back slightly. His face was dusted in fine gold powder and his light eyes popped, outlined in dark liner. He was wearing a sleeveless white, button-down top, along with his signature black bowtie. The shirt was a bit short so whenever the boy shifted, the agent was afforded a teasing glimpse at the smooth skin of his taut stomach. This was accompanied by a pair of gold, glittery hot pants that featured a little white cotton ball tail. A tail which sat right above a bright-red heart that was smack in the middle of his (noticeably plump-looking, Derek thought to himself) bottom. Followed by a ridiculous pair of thigh-high white stockings and his Converses. Although the outfit was a bit comical, it had its desired, lust-inducing, effect. He looked like a Playboy bunny. A delicious one, at that.
Catching the agent appraising him, Spencer felt his heart race and his lips curved upward.
"I'm glad you find the view to your liking, but, to be honest, I'm surprised to see you again so soon, Derek," he purred, drawing the man out of his musings.
Derek's dark eyes snapped up to Spencer's honey ones and the look in the boy's eyes told him he had been caught.
"I wasn't kidding about what I said last night," Spencer said, as he approached the agent and slipped his arms beneath the older man's and around his waist. Pressing his lithe body against the agent's more muscular one, Spencer leaned up and whispered in the agent's ear.
"After you left I… all I could think about was how badly I wanted to touch you, and taste you…and suck your cock," Spencer said, his warm breath blowing softly over Derek's ear.
Derek gulped to himself as he pushed the boy back, using a bit more force than he had intended. His priority at that moment was to not let Spencer see—or feel—the effect his words were having on him. And at the moment, they were having quite the effect as Derek could feel himself rapidly stiffening inside his pants.
This kid is going to be the death of me, Derek thought.
Looking up at the boy, who looked slightly hurt by his rejection, Derek sighed.
"Why're you doing this, kid?" he asked, as he tried to read Spencer's eyes in the dim light of the club.
Spencer frowned, seeming genuinely confused.
"Isn't it obvious…? I'm trying to show you that I like you," Spencer said matter-of-factly, as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Derek raised an eyebrow. There were so many things wrong with Spencer's simple statement.
"I… Kid, you don't have to do any of that to show someone you like them," he responded.
Spencer stared at him, mouth turned down into a disgruntled pout. He was studying the agent, trying to figure out if the older man was serious or not.
"Oh yeah? Well that seems to be all anyone has have ever wanted… and to be honest, you don't look like you don't want it," Spencer said, staring at Derek challengingly.
Derek stiffened at the boy's accusation.
"Spencer, just because you had to say things like that as part of your job, doesn't mean that's how you show your affection to someone in real life," he responded, avoiding taking the bait.
Spencer frowned as he looked down at his hands. It seemed like he was really giving thought to the older man's words.
"And kid," Derek said on a sigh. "This… 'liking' me thing… I think you're really jumping the gun here."
Spencer's head shot up and he looked at Derek with a pained expression.
"Why would you say that?" he asked.
Derek grimaced at the expression on the boy's face, wanting to kick himself for causing him to look like that.
"You… you've only known me for a couple of days. There's no way… Spencer, you don't have feelings for me. You're just confused," Derek explained.
Spencer's eyes widened and he blinked at Derek in incredulity.
"Are you kidding me right now?" he asked, anger edging into his voice. "You think I haven't wracked my brain back and forth for hours about how I feel? I couldn't even sleep last night! I'm not someone who just does things on a whim, you know? I think everything through, going through all the possible equations and coming to conclusions. And this is the conclusion I've come to! So don't you dare tell me I don't know what's inside my own head!"
Derek cringed as Spencer's voice rose, and he was reminded that they were still at the club where anyone could hear them. It wouldn't be in his best interest if someone overheard Spencer declaring his feelings for the agent that was supposed to be protecting him. He had no idea how to respond to the younger man's words, and knew that if he said the first thing on his mind, Spencer would likely be able to rope him into admitting to something he wasn't yet comfortable with. So Derek knew he needed to buy himself some time.
"Look, kid, I have something I need to talk to you about…Case-related. I know your manager's probably going to have a fit if she catches me in here. So, is it ok if we step outside for a minute?" Derek asked.
Spencer crossed his arms over his chest and shot him a disgruntled look.
"Fine, whatever," he huffed out.

Once outside, Spencer and Derek leaned against the side of the building, neither one of them looking at the other. They could hear the sounds of traffic driving by on the main road, accompanied by the dull thump of music coming from inside the club. The scent of cigarette smoke was on the air.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Spencer asked, as he looked down at his shoes. The lighting in the parking lot wasn't that much brighter than in the club, but Spencer felt more exposed outside of the club and wanted to get back inside as soon as possible. He wondered if Derek would think differently of him now that he was able to get a better look at him. He wouldn't easily admit to himself that he was insecure about the situation with Derek, but that was simply and plainly what he was feeling in the current moment.
"Our technical analyst was able to put together a photo array of some of the guys you might have run across in the club and who fit the profile we've been building of the suspect. I just need you to go through these and tell me if any of the faces stand out," Derek explained.
Spencer frowned. Derek really was asking him questions related to the case. He hadn't actually expected that. And while he was glad that the older man hadn't been just saying that to change the subject, Spencer also couldn't help but feel as if Derek wasn't taking him seriously. Thinking over what the agent had asked him, Spencer shook his head.
"To be completely honest… I'm not so great with faces, and I tend to try not to really look at the guys while I'm… uh… performing," he said as he looked back down at his feet.
"Well, I was pretty damn impressed with your ability to remember during your interview after the first time the Unsub called you," Derek said, with a soft smile.
"I have an eidetic memory… that's for words, not necessarily people. I can remember anything I've ever read, so written words are no problem for me. I also do better than average at remembering words I've heard. But, I've been kind of bad at remembering faces…" Spencer admitted.
"Oh… well, our subconscious picks up more than we think we're aware of so, at least give it a try?" Derek asked.
Spencer shrugged and nodded. Derek then pulled out his phone and accessed the file Garcia had sent him. Pulling up the list of suspects and seeing it for the first time, he hesitated for a moment. It was very likely that the person who had been stalking Spencer, and had made an attempt on Derek's life, was among these 17 faces. They were so close to finishing this case and the thought of it both exhilarated Derek and caused his stomach to twist into knots. Finishing meant they had to leave.
Shaking his head to clear it of the unnecessary thoughts, Derek leaned over to Spencer and showed him the files. Coaching him on how he should look at the images, Derek watched on as Spencer carefully analyzed each picture, seeming to actually be wracking his brain to determine if he had ever seen any of them before.
By the time they were done, Spencer was able to pick out twelve men he thought he had seen at one point or another.
"These are the ones that kind of seem familiar, but… I don't really know any of them. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful," Spencer apologized.
"Don't worry about it kid," Derek said as he leaned against the brick wall behind them. "Anything you can give us that can help us narrow our massive list down is helpful. Plus, the people I showed you weren't your everyday customer. They also have a financial investment in this club chain."
"Investors?" Spencer asked with interest. "I don't think I've met any before."
"Well, it was a lead we acquired when I went and interviewed a scumbag porn-producer the other day. We became aware of him because our tech analyst found out about an old murder that seems to fit our Unsub's signature, but apparently slipped through the cracks. So this guy I interviewed knew the victim and he let me in on this investor angle. Apparently, the investors attend all the parties," Derek explained.
Spencer scowled at the mention of the parties. He was uninterested in hearing anymore about that.
"Ok, well I'm glad I could help you Agent Morgan," he said, tone far more formal than it had been in a long time.
Derek blinked in surprise at Spencer's distant tone.
"Whoa, you okay?" he asked. "I told you that it's fine to just call me Derek."
Spencer sighed and averted his eyes.
"What's the point? You seem to obviously want to keep your distance," Spencer spat, voice belying his hurt feelings.
Derek's brows furrowed.
"Kid, that's not true. I don't want you to start pulling away from me," Derek said. "I really appreciate you being able to open up and rely on me. We work really well together. And I want us to keep doing that."
"Well, that's easier said than done. When I tell you I like you, you don't answer me about your feelings. You keep trying to tell me what I think, but you very carefully avoid telling me what you think. If you thought you could get that past me, then I think you underestimate my intelligence. If you want to say you're not interested in me, then that's fine. I can take it." Spencer said, as he bit his lip and looked down at his feet.
He said he could take it—and he was sure that he could—but that didn't mean he had to look into Derek's dark brown eyes while the man told him. That would make the rejection even more painful.
But Derek was speechless. In fact, it was as if his voice had shriveled up inside his throat. He couldn't bring himself to open his mouth and reject Spencer. Because that would mean it would all be over and he'd lose the boy. Even though telling Spencer, flat out, "No, I'm not interested" would be the easier route, and would keep things from becoming messy, Derek just didn't want to do that. He couldn't. Spencer had infiltrated his every thought and it would be an outright lie to tell the boy he wasn't interested. He didn't think he was brave enough yet to reach out and accept Spencer, but that didn't mean he was willing to permanently push him away either.
As the silence dragged on, Spencer risked looking up at the older man and he was taken aback by the intensity of emotion in Derek's eyes as the man stared at him. He seemed to be really grappling with his feelings and it made Spencer's heart clench in renewed hope. Maybe there was something there?
Before Derek knew what was happening, Spencer had stepped closer to him, closing the space between them. Spencer looked up at him, training those clear, honey-colored eyes on the agent's darker ones and observed him quietly. Lowering his brows in confusion, Derek opened his mouth to inquire about Spencer's proximity, but the boy reached out and grabbed the agent's shoulders, pulling him down. And then his lips were pressing against Derek's, clumsy and hesitant.
Derek inhaled sharply, surprised at the presence of the soft lips molded against his. Spencer was just like he had imagined, down to the feel of the soft chestnut hair brushing against his forehead and the subtle hint of coffee and cinnamon wafting off of the boy's skin. Everything in his being wanted to give in to the boy's unsure kiss, wrap his arms around him and pull him closer. He wanted to open his mouth against Spencer's, and take control of the kiss, showing the boy how to do it properly. But Derek hesitated, his body tensing, reminding himself that reaching out to Spencer—validating the boy's burgeoning feelings—would only make things harder on them when it was time to leave.
So Derek stood still, basking in the warm tremors Spencer's kiss sent rolling throughout his body, but refusing to return the boy's kiss. After a few moments, Spencer pulled away, and Derek found himself immediately yearning for the boy to reinitiate the broken contact. He opened his eyes (which he hadn't even been aware he had closed) and looked at the younger man standing in front of him.
Spencer was looking at him carefully, brows furrowed and worrying his plump bottom lip between his teeth. He seemed to be searching Derek's eyes for something, and the older man wasn't quite sure if Spencer would find what he was looking for. He wouldn't allow himself to believe that he could be what Spencer was looking for. But Derek's eyes could only hold Spencer's for a moment, as they were drawn down to the lip Spencer was nibbling on and flooded his mind with thoughts of all the things he could to do to that boy's lips. He watched absentmindedly as Spencer's teeth released the lip, his breath hitching as the boy's pink tongue darted out to wet them. Refusing to give in to his mind's desires, Derek blinked rapidly and forced his eyes back up to Spencer's.
Spencer was trying to figure Derek out. He had battled with himself before throwing caution to the wind and kissing the stoic agent. And while the man hadn't pushed him away, Spencer was also painfully aware that Derek had seemed to have had no reaction at all. This hadn't been Spencer's first kiss. He knew that if someone wanted to kiss you, they would at least move. But, it had been his first time really initiating one. So, he had quickly become insecure once he had pressed his lips against the agent's and the man had done absolutely nothing. Doubt started to flood his mind, telling himself that he had picked the wrong time, or maybe something about the way he kissed was off-putting. But, when Spencer had finally opened his eyes, mere seconds before he pulled away from the older man, he had seen that Derek's eyes had been closed too. Hoping that that was a good sign—at least an indicator that the older man hadn't hated it—Spencer steeled his resolve.
"Look," Spencer said, staring straight into Derek's eyes, although his cheeks were dusted with pink and his voice trembled slightly. "I-I was absolutely serious when I said I had feelings for you, ok? I'm not…just scared and looking for someone to protect me. It's not like nobody's ever promised to take care of me before. But with you it's different… I just think you're a good person and I… Well, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm 'attracted' to you, ok? B-but it's more than just those things. I...I have all these feelings that I've never had before, and the only thing that's different in my life is YOU. So… don't try to just brush it off. I'm serious about this, Derek."
By the time the boy finished his face was flushed a dusky red. It appeared admitting something like this so openly had been very difficult for Spencer. Derek found himself frowning, even while, on the inside, he was touched by the boy's words. But he was troubled by them because it was clear to him that everything Spencer was feeling was new to the boy. Spencer had all but told him he had never even spent time thinking about relationships since he got caught up in this lifestyle. So, all Derek could think was that it wasn't 'fair' to Spencer that the first person he had to feel these types of feelings for was someone like him. Any kind of relationship they would have would be complicated. And that was putting it lightly. His heart kept on telling him, 'Don't let Spencer waste these feelings on you.'
"I think we need to have a serious talk, ok?" Derek said, while running a hand over his face tiredly. "I'll be here until the end of your shift, and then I'll take you home. We can talk then. Sound good?"
Spencer nodded quietly, watching the older man carefully to try to determine in which direction their 'talk' would lean. Seeing the boy analyzing him, Derek chuckled softly.
"I see those gears turning. Don't get ahead of yourself, kid. You can ask me whatever you want to ask me later, so don't worry yourself about it now," Derek told him.
Spencer sighed and smiled.
"Ok. I'm gonna head back to work then," he said.
Derek watched the boy until he disappeared behind the doors of Mon Petite Chien, and then he let out a heavy sigh. What exactly would he tell Spencer?

It was just after midnight when Spencer walked out of the club, sighing in relief that his shift had passed uneventfully. Derek was standing by the door waiting and Spencer's surprised face showed how genuinely happy he was to see the man. Derek smiled back at him.
"How was work?" he asked.
Derek still didn't like that he wasn't allowed to monitor Spencer inside the club. But he had made sure to do a thorough job of keeping track of everyone who entered and exited, comparing them against the photos he had received from Garcia.
Spencer shrugged.
"Pretty run of the mill. I basically just waited tables all night long. The tips were ok but… I can't keep this up for too long. If I don't get my regulars back, I'm gonna have to take Lindy's 'advice' and go back on the main stage or, I'm going to have to find a different job," Spencer said flatly.
They were both silent for a while as they mulled over his words. It pained Derek to see how resigned to his fate Spencer seemed, but Derek also knew that he didn't have very many suggestions to change the boy's situation. He didn't want him to have to dwell on it, though. So Derek threw a casual arm around Spencer's shoulder.
"Come on, it's late. Let's get you home," he said, as he led the boy over to the large SUV.
They both climbed into the car, and Spencer sat silently as Derek started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. He worried himself over whether Derek would want to 'talk' on the ride home, or whether he would want to reserve their conversation until they were in the privacy of his apartment. For some reason, being alone with Derek made his face heat up. Spencer wanted to kick himself for being so infatuated. He wasn't used to having these feelings running through him. He wasn't used to feeling much at all, actually. And he didn't exactly like that he couldn't control his reactions. The soft sound of Derek hissing drew Spencer out of his musings, and he turned to observe the older man.
Spencer watched Derek driving and as he made a turn, he noticed Derek wince slightly. He wondered if Derek was showing signs of the injuries he had sustained last night. Spencer couldn't see any obvious cuts or bruises on any of Derek's exposed skin, but he had no idea what kind of damage, if any, had been done under the man's clothes. J.J and Emily had advised him not to ask Derek about his run-in with the Unsub, but Spencer wouldn't be able to let it rest unless he knew the extent of Derek's injuries from the man himself.
"Um… J.J. and Emily told me about what happened with you and g-getting hit by a car," Spencer said hesitantly.
Derek glanced at Spencer from the corner of his eye as they came to a stoplight. He sighed and remained silent for a while. When the light turned green, he resumed driving and Spencer was convinced the man was just going to ignore his question.
"So… what exactly did they tell you?" Derek finally asked.
"They wouldn't tell me much. Just that you went to the hospital, but that you're fine," Spencer said.
"Well, what they said was true. There's nothing more to know, kid," Derek said with a shrug.
"Well, seeing as how you've winced a number of times since you started driving and seem to be favoring your left side, it would appear that you have some kind of soreness or injury on your right. So you might not be as 'fine' as you say you are," Spencer said with a shrug of his own.
Derek laughed and shook his head.
"You know, you'd make a pretty good profiler," Derek said.
Spencer flushed and beamed at the man's praise.
"It could still happen, I guess. Who knows? So tell me what the real damage is?" Spencer asked, giving him a pointed look.
Derek rolled his eyes.
"Just a few scrapes. I jumped out of the way of the car and it just kind of nicked my right side. My hands got pretty scratched up, too. See?" Derek asked.
He then held up his right hand for Spencer to inspect, while he looked to the left and turned.
Spencer reached out and grabbed Derek's large, warm hand. Staring at the man's palm, he could see the jagged scrapes. They looked painful, but he knew they would be almost completely healed in a few short days. Feeling Spencer's hands close around his, Derek glanced at the boy, who was studying his hand carefully. He ran his fingers over the expanse of Derek's palm and Derek shuddered slightly, as the boy's light caresses tickled him. It amused Derek that Spencer committed what could be seen as an intimate action with such innocence, seemingly not knowing the effect he could have on others when he wasn't even trying. It was just as Derek said: Spencer didn't need to be seductive to show Derek that he liked him.
Turning his eyes back to the road, Derek closed his hand around Spencer's and squeezed. He could feel the boy tense, but then Spencer squeezed his hand back softly. And they drove like that, hand in hand, in silence, the rest of the way to Spencer's apartment.

As he walked up the stairs to his apartment, followed by Derek, Spencer was giddy with excitement. He had blushed the whole ride back from the club and was thankful that the darkness inside the interior of the car hid this embarrassing fact. Of all the things Spencer had experienced since he had been recruited into this 'lifestyle,' it shocked him that he had never had someone just hold his hand. And having had Derek do that sent all these warm feelings throughout his body. It made him want to grin like an idiot.
He stopped in front of his apartment door, and as he fumbled to find his house keys, he was especially aware of Derek's presence behind him. He felt as if Derek was standing closer than he ever had before. But Spencer wasn't sure if that was just in his head.
As he opened his door and stepped into his apartment, his smile faltered. He could immediately sense that something was wrong. Nothing seemed quite out of place, but there was a slight tingling at the base of his neck that made him uneasy. Something was off.
Glancing around the small living room, Spencer's eyes widened slightly as they landed on a small package wrapped in unassuming parchment paper sitting innocuously on his coffee table. He swallowed thickly. That had definitely not been there when he left earlier that day. His stomach twisted in knots at the implications of the innocent-looking package. It meant that someone had been inside his apartment.
Derek watched as Spencer came to a stop in the middle of his living room and stared at his coffee table. He couldn't understand what had caused the boy to suddenly become a human statute.
"Kid?" he asked, stepping up behind Spencer and placing a hand on his arm.
Spencer jumped.
"T-that," Spencer said, pointing ahead of him, "was not there when I left today."
Derek's body tensed as his eyes zeroed in on what Spencer was pointing at and realization dawned on him.
"Step back," he said as he grabbed Spencer and pulled him behind him.
From what Derek could see the package was small, approximately 6 inches by 4 inches and about 2 inches thick. The packaging and size did not look threatening in any way, but after having seen the irrational rage expressed by the Unsub last night Derek wouldn't put it past the man to escalate his usually harmless gifts to lethal ones. The package could contain anything from poison to a small bomb. Derek was also concerned that the man's boldness had obviously increased as well, as the package was found displayed on Spencer's coffee table when all other gifts had been left at his doorstep. Derek wasn't about to risk it by opening the package, especially not with Spencer in the room.
Tightening his hold on Spencer's arm, Derek began to lead the boy back to the door.
"I'm gonna call Hotch and the rest of the team so we can get them and a crime scene unit down here. I don't know what's in that package, but we'll be safer letting someone else take a look at it first. You and I are going to wait outside until the team gets here," he explained.
Still in a state of shock, Spencer could only nod.

Once the crime scene techs had finished unwrapping and inspecting the package, they walked over to the team of federal agents who were standing in a semi-circle, talking about the case.
"Nothing harmful detected on the item or the wrapping," the head tech said as she came to a stop in front of the agents. "And no trace evidence could be lifted from any of the item's surfaces. However we were able to lift a number of prints off of the wrapping. We won't be able to check for a match in any of our databases until we can sit down in front of our equipment, but from our cursory analysis we are confident that all the prints come from one individual."
Hotch let out a sigh of frustration.
"Our Unsub doesn't leave prints. Whoever those prints belong to, I'm sure they're not his," he said.
The other team members nodded their agreement.
"So, what was in the package?" Derek asked the tech as he tried to make out what the woman held in her gloved hands.
"Here, take a look for yourself," she said as she handed him the item.
"It's a book…" Derek said as he turned the heavy, leather-bound tome over in his hands while his team looked on. "But, it looks to be in… Russian, maybe? What does this even say?"
"It's a first-edition of The Idiot, by Dostoyevsky," Spencer breathed out, shock apparent in his voice.
The agents turned to look at him as he leaned over Derek's shoulder, having forgotten for a moment that he was standing with them as they were discussing the recent developments. He had been so quiet up until this point.
"Is there some kind of symbolism in-" Emily began but Spencer quickly cut her off.
Looking up at the dark-haired woman with wide, panicked eyes, Spencer said, "This is one of my favorite books. How could he have known something like that?"
The agents in the room were silent as they looked at each other and mulled over the information.
"So… you can read Russian?" Rossi asked gently, gaining Spencer's attention.
Spencer nodded, eyes still trained on the book in Derek's hands.
"I… I taught myself because I wanted to read books from my favorite authors without the errors and licenses that tend to be taken when one produces a translation but…" Spencer trailed off.
"How would the Unsub know that you could read this," Rossi finished for him.
"I… I really have no idea. It's not like that just comes up in conversation. I don't think anyone knows that about me. H-how did he find out?" Spencer asked, finally looking up at all the agents, a pleading look in his eyes.
Hotch could see that Spencer seemed very close to losing it. While the boy had tried to put up a strong front when he had received the other gifts, this gift resonated with the boy personally. And he looked terrified.
"Spencer," Hotch said, turning to the panicking boy. "I think for right now you should come back with us to the station. Prentiss and J.J. will conduct something called a cognitive interview on you to see if you remember anything you might have said to someone in your past that would give them information like this about you."
Spencer glanced at the stern-looking, dark-haired man. He had never said more than a few words to him over the course of the investigation, but now the man was looking at him with soft eyes.
"I…" Spencer said as he looked around his apartment, taking in the sight of the cops and technicians milling about the small room. "What about everything that's going on here?"
"Don't worry. Agents Morgan and Rossi still have some more investigating to do. So they'll stay here and keep an eye on everything. And as soon as we have any information, we'll be sure to update you," Hotch said.
Spencer quickly glanced to Derek and he was met with a reassuring smile.
"O-ok… I guess that works," Spencer said.
"Good to hear. Just follow them to the car," Hotch said as he gestured to Emily and J.J. "And we'll be out of here in just a few minutes."
Spencer hesitated for a moment, but then he nodded and allowed J.J. and Emily to guide him out of the apartment. Once the door had closed behind them, Hotch turned to Rossi and Derek, face becoming more serious.
"Rossi, Morgan," he said, giving each man a meaningful look. "The on-duty officer said that no one, except those on the pre-approved list of residents, has entered the building the entire day. There are two uniformed officers watching the back entrance, and they both said there has been little to no activity during their watch. I think whoever left this package is a tenant. So I want you to interview every single person in this building and figure out who broke into Spencer's apartment."
The two men nodded their agreement, and, satisfied, Hotch turned and left the apartment.

Over the course of the last half hour, Derek and Rossi had worked their way through the apartments on the first floor of Spencer's building. By the time they started it was already approaching 1:00 in the morning, so, needless to say, many of the tenants they interviewed were less than excited to speak with them. Most answered the door in an irate state. But the serious look of the two imposing men, coupled with their professional credentials, made the tenants more willing to be helpful. They just weren't happy about it.
As they climbed the stairs back up to Spencer's floor, they were basically in the same place they had started in terms of information. No one had been able to give them anything useful. Once they cleared the landing they turned and headed to the right corner apartment, three doors down from Spencer's.
Derek raised his hand and pounded firmly on the door. After a few moments, they saw a light switch on from under the door and heard the sound of shuffling.
"What? Who is it?" a voice called from behind the door.
"FBI!" Derek responded curtly as he raised his badge and held it in front of the peephole. "Open up, sir."
Derek and Rossi listened to the sounds of a chain being removed and the door unlocking. When the door opened, they were faced with an average-sized man, of average height, with red hair and black glasses, who was looking at them in confusion. He appeared to be in his early 30's.
"FBI?" the man asked as he squinted at the badge.
"Yes." Rossi said. "Sir, we need to ask you some questions."
"O-ok… What is this about?" the man asked, glancing between Derek and Rossi.
"First off, we need to know your name, and if anyone else lives here with you," Derek said as he glanced over the man's shoulder into the dim apartment.
"Oh, my name is Gavin Russell," the man responded. "And no, I live by myself."
He watched on as Rossi scribbled some words into his notebook.
"Ok, Mr. Russell. You know Spencer Reid? Kid who lives down the hall, in 2B?" Derek asked as he pointed towards Spencer's apartment.
The man's eyes widened slightly at the question, and the reaction did not go unnoticed by the two agents.
"Uh… No, I don't actually 'know' him. I mean, I've seen the kid come and go from that apartment. I know he works late because I also work nights—I'm a programmer, you see, and I can make my own schedule. I don't know what that kid does for work, but I'm thinking it's something sketchy. Sometimes I see him come home and I can tell he's wearing some type of flashy outfit under his jacket. And a couple of times when I pass him on the stairs, I can tell he's definitely wearing makeup," Russell said as he shook his head, disapprovingly.
When he looked up, he was met with Derek's dark glare. The man flinched.
"U-uh…but, like I said, I don't really know him or anything. I didn't even know his last name before you just told me. But whenever we passed each other in the hall or on the stairs he's always been very polite. D-did something happen to him?" Russell asked, looking genuinely concerned.
Rossi tilted his head curiously.
"No, Mr. Reid is fine. A crime was committed inside his apartment earlier, and we're interested in finding out if anyone in the building saw or heard anything," he explained.
Russell furrowed his brow in confusion.
"A crime? What kind of crime?" he asked.
"Breaking and entering," Derek said, watching the man carefully. "And we know it was someone in this building. We have fingerprints and our analysts are running them as we speak."
Russell blanched.
"Um… breaking and entering? I don't think… Uh, if you find any prints, I just think it's important that you guys know that I was in his apartment earlier today," he said.
Derek and Rossi tensed.
"Excuse me?" Rossi asked, as his hand began to move toward his holstered weapon.
"Hold on, hold on!" Russell said, seeing the agent's action. "I was in his apartment, but it was totally innocent! No crime was committed. I had permission!"
Rossi and Derek exchanged a look.
"Permission from who, you dirt bag? That kid didn't give anyone access to his apartment," Derek almost barked out.
"No, no. Not Spencer. His brother! His brother asked me to deliver a package and he gave me a key," the man explained.
"Ok, I'm gonna need you to step outside into the hallway and close the door behind you," Derek said as his hand also trailed to his weapon
"Ok, ok. But seriously, guys, don't shoot me," the man pleaded as he put his hands up and stepped out of the apartment.
Rossi rolled his eyes.
"Get your hands against the wall," he ordered, and watched as Russell did so.
As Rossi began to pat the man down, Derek began firing off questions at him.
"Who the hell gave you a key to the kid's apartment?" he asked.
"Uh, I told you! His brother," Russell sputtered out.
"The kid doesn't have a brother, so try again," Derek said in a clipped tone.
"W-well, how am I supposed to know that! It was a man I met at the grocery store," Russell responded, as he craned his neck to look at Derek pleadingly. "He stopped me in the parking lot on my way into the store. He told me he knew I lived in his brother's apartment, and that he had a birthday present for him. He wanted it to be a surprise and asked me if I could drop it off for him. H-he had a key!"
"What?" Rossi asked as he stepped back, satisfied that the man was unarmed. "A random stranger stops you outside a store and you just believe him?"
"What do you want from me?" Russell asked, defensively, as he turned and faced the agents. "I mean, sure I was kind of confused at first. I didn't want to be transporting something suspicious. But the guy opened the wrapping paper and showed me it was just some old book. So I knew it was nothing dangerous. And he had a key to the kid's apartment, so I figured he really was who he said he was."
"This key, what'd you do with it?" Derek asked.
"Well, I asked the guy what he wanted me to do with the key when I was done and he told me I could just toss it since he had a couple of extras. But, I felt weird doing that so I dropped it in one of the drawers inside Spencer's apartment," Russell said.
Derek flinched hearing that there were more keys where the first one came from.
Rossi let out a sigh and shook his head, his exasperation with the man's foolishness clearly apparent.
"And you just did all this out of the goodness of your heart?" he asked, sarcastically.
Russell flushed and averted his eyes.
"Well… the guy did give me $200. He said he really needed the favor and he didn't have time to run it over and do it himself," he admitted.
"Why am I not surprised?" Rossi asked.
Russell remained silent, seemingly feeling ashamed of his actions.
"What did this guy look like?" Derek demanded, regaining Russell's attention.
"Uh… to be honest, I can't really say," Russell said with a shrug.
"What?" Derek asked, anger bubbling to the surface.
He stepped towards Russell with his hands balled into fists.
"L-look," Russell said as he stepped back from the irate agent. "He was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. I couldn't tell anything much about him. I think he might've had dark hair, maybe? I couldn't really tell what color, but definitely not blonde. And he was taller than me. Probably around six-foot. He also seemed pretty fit. But, he was just a regular, friendly guy. Nothing really glaring stood out."
Seeing that Derek looked like he wanted to punch a wall, Rossi intervened.
"Think hard. Anything else noticeable about him? Maybe some kind of scar or blemish on his face?" Rossi asked.
"No, actually," Russell said with a slight frown. "I couldn't really see all of his face, but the guy just kind of looked sickeningly perfect. You know? He had that kind of really great smile, super-perfect white teeth. Straight nose, good skin, and tan. And he was definitely wearing designer clothes. He just had on a casual blazer and jeans, but it all looked expensive. Oh, and he was definitely sporting a Rolex."
"So you noticed all that?" Rossi asked, scribbling in his notebook again.
"Well, yeah, I mean… now that I think about it, it kind of felt like the guy wanted me to look at all those things. I remember him pushing up his sleeves and playing with his watch a number of times," Russell said thoughtfully.
Rossi and Derek exchanged a look. It seemed their Unsub was even smarter than they had first realized.
"Ok, sir. I'm going to need you to come down to the station for some additional questions," Rossi said as he pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number.
"Officer McCarthy, could you come up here? We have someone we need to bring in," Rossi said into the phone.
"W-what? Why? I told you all I know," Russell whined.
"At this point, you've aided and abetted a seriously dangerous criminal," Derek told him, an edge still apparent in his voice.
Russell paled.
"I-I what?" he asked, gasping.
"And to make sure you're not really an accomplice, we're going to have to see if your story checks out," Derek continued.
The three men listened as the uniformed officer came up the stairs.
"This the guy?" McCarthy asked as he glanced at Russell.
"Yes, take him down to the station and get his full story. Make sure you run his background too," Rossi explained.
Russell protested as the officer grabbed his arm and led him down the stairs.
As Derek began to follow the pair, Rossi reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Derek… can we talk for a bit before we head back to the station. You know, man to man?" Rossi asked.
Derek stopped and stared at the older profiler, eyebrow raised in suspicion. He and David Rossi often got along, and he appreciated the fact that the older man liked to take a 'back-seat' approach to most things. Rossi liked to stay out of other people's business, probably because he liked them to stay out of his. He preferred to keep things light and if someone had an issue with another team-member, Rossi was usually the first to say 'keep me out of it' and 'ask them yourself.' So it wasn't often that he was the one to initiate the giving of advice, and Derek could definitely tell this was one of those rare moments.
"Ok… what's up?" Derek asked hesitantly.
"I think you and I should have a little chat about what's going on with Spencer," he responded casually.
Derek flinched. That had definitely not been what he had been expecting. He didn't know exactly what he imagined Rossi wanted to talk about, but at no point did he think it would have involved Spencer. Derek didn't know what to think exactly. But his stomach started to clench at the idea that Rossi might have picked up on something between him and the younger male.
Seeing that Derek wasn't going to acknowledge his statement or initiate the conversation himself, Rossi sighed softly.
"Is there something going on between you and the kid?" Rossi asked, leaving all hints of judgment out of his voice.
"Man, I have no idea what you're talking about," Derek said as he ran a hand over the back of his head. He felt so uncomfortable standing here and having to talk about this with David Rossi.
"I think you do," Rossi responded with a shrug. "They don't keep me around here just to look pretty, you know. I'd be a poor excuse for a profiler if I missed all those lingering glances between the two of you. Besides, from the get-go you were about as territorial around the kid as a cave-man, so suffice it to say, it's been noticeable."
Derek cringed.
"Uh… I don't think there've been any… um...'lingering glances,'" he sputtered out.
"Look, call it what you want. I'm telling you I've been seeing it and I'm doing you this favor of talking to you about it now before everyone else on the team connects the dots," Rossi said shrugging again.
Derek felt his face grow hot. He had been so preoccupied thinking about whether he could or couldn't be with Spencer, that he hadn't devoted that much time to thinking about what would happen if the team found out. But now that Rossi had mentioned it, the idea had him panicking.
"What…uh… what does Hotch have to say about this?" he asked.
"Obviously Hotch knows something's up with you, and that for some reason this case is really getting to you. We've definitely talked about it. But he hasn't given me any impression that he thinks it's something…intimate. I believe he just thinks you're reacting particularly strongly to this case because of the kid's age and the circumstances he's had to deal with. Which, you know, we've seen with you before, especially with cases involving abused children. He's just concerned that you can't stay objective," Rossi explained.
Derek sighed. Thank God for small miracles, he thought to himself.
"And the rest of the team… Uh… do you think they think it's something 'intimate,'" Derek asked, almost unable to say the words.
"I wouldn't say the others have really noticed what I have. But I think that's only because each of them is reading into it what they want to see, and I think I'm the only person who's been looking at both of you at the same time. Emily and J.J. are really taken with Spencer, and have focused all their attention on him. I think they're really dedicated to playing the protective role. And they see all the attention you've been giving him as coming from the same place as theirs, so I don't think they've been paying attention to how you've been looking at him. And, the same goes for Hotch. I don't think he's picked up on the non-platonic aspect of it because he has only been looking at you. I'm pretty sure he hasn't yet been paying much attention to Spencer's gaze… So, for right now, I think you're safe when it comes to everyone else," Rossi said.
Derek let out a hefty sigh, heaving his shoulders in defeat.
"Look… I'm really trying here…" Derek admitted weakly. "It's not like I wanted to be involved in any of this. But, I just… I don't really know how to stay away from him."
Rossi chuckled.
"Derek, if you feel like you have to "try," then that already tells me that you feel something for the kid. If you didn't, it wouldn't be so hard to tell him no."
"I… haven't um… you know…done anything with him," Derek said awkwardly, as he averted his eyes. He felt uncomfortable sharing this with the older profiler, but he also felt that it was imperative that Rossi understood he hadn't broken protocol.
Rossi laughed again.
"Derek, believe me, I know that. I wouldn't say I'm necessarily one for professionalism, so, honestly, if you had, I'd tell you it was an unwise decision, but I wouldn't think any less of you for it. But, I know you, and I know that acting on anything with this kid wouldn't even cross your mind while working on an active case," Rossi said, smiling good-naturedly at the younger man.
Derek nodded silently.
"So, come on, tell Uncle Rossi your troubles. What's been going on?" Rossi asked as he laid a hand on Derek's shoulder.
Derek rolled his eyes and shook the man's hand off. But, sighing, he turned and looked at Rossi seriously.
"The kid says he 'likes' me. You believe that? Even the way he says it sounds so innocent. I just… He's been through a lot, you know? And I can't tell if this is him mixing up feelings of gratitude with romantic feelings, or if this is actually something real. I just feel like this is too fast and he's too young… I don't want him to make a mistake," Derek admitted.
Rossi's eyebrows rose in surprise.
"You think you'd be a mistake?" he asked.
Derek shrugged and sighed.
"Well, what does Spencer get from going after me? I live across the country from him. I have a dangerous job that keeps me away from home most days out of the week and leaves no real time for a relationship. And I'm almost a decade older than him. What, at all, do we have in common?" he asked.
"Derek, all I hear is you thinking of reasons why it wouldn't work, but you haven't said much about how you actually feel about what's been developing here. Spencer's a pretty smart kid, so I'd bet my money on the fact that he's probably already thought about a lot of these issues and has made his peace with them. It seems like the kid's about ready to throw all caution to the wind. And so the question is whether you're willing to do that, as well. It's fine if you're not. But if that's the case, you gotta end this thing quick, and set the kid straight, before you both get too invested," Rossi said.
Derek was silent as he mulled over Rossi's words.
"Come on, let's head back," Rossi said as he patted Derek on the back and the two walked down the stairs.

When Derek and Rossi arrived back at the station, they walked into the conference room to find Hotch looking at his cellphone.
"Good work on bringing in Gavin Russell," Hotch said as he looked up. "We've got him waiting in the interrogation room."
"How's the kid?" Derek asked immediately, purposefully avoiding looking at Rossi.
"He's clearly shaken up, but he's trying to be helpful. He's still in with J.J. and Prentiss," Hotch said.
"Have they been able to get anything out of him?" Rossi asked.
Hotch shook his head in the negative.
"To be honest, I wasn't sure how useful a cognitive interview would be with him. Spencer has an impressive memory, so maybe there's a chance he could remember having told someone at some point about his favorite book. But, I kind of doubt it. More than anything else I just wanted a reason to get him out of the building while we investigated his neighbors," Hotch explained.
Derek and Rossi nodded their understanding.
"I also just got a text from Garcia, saying she wanted me to call her," Hotch said as he held up his phone which was already dialing.
"Hi, sir!" Garcia's voice came over the speaker.
"What do you have for us regarding that book?" Hotch asked.
"Well, as creepy as the circumstances surrounding the book are, it's actually kind of helpful that the Unsub sent that to Spencer," Garcia said.
"I don't see how more obsessive gifts, coupled with the fact that the Unsub has a key to Spencer's apartment, is helpful, baby girl," Derek said, as he frowned.
"It's helpful because it's a rare book. And I mean really rare. It's almost 150 years old. And from what I've been able to see on auction sites, something like that would go for thousands. So, it's safe to say that it's not something that'll just pop up all over the place. I've currently got a search running to see if there were any sales made for the book in the last few weeks, with a particular focus on sellers in the Las Vegas area," Garcia said.
"But there's also the possibility that this book came from a private collection or could even have been owned by the Unsub himself, so there's no guarantee it will necessarily come up in any search as a 'sale.' So I also have some feelers out for lists of antiques and collectibles that are registered as parts of estates. I think we should definitely be able to narrow down where the book came from," she concluded.
"Good to hear. And how are you doing with that list of men that Spencer identified from the photo array earlier? Any progress?" Hotch asked.
"Yes, actually!" she said excitedly. "I was able to narrow the twelve men he identified down to ten. Credit card statements and flight records place two of them either out of the state or out of the country. And ten men is definitely easier to work with than what we started with. I still have a lot more background information to run on them before I can tell you anything that you can use definitively to give you enough probable cause to bring any of them in for questioning, but you better believe that I'm going to try my hardest to find something. And soon."
"Ok, baby girl. And remember to narrow it down based on what people have been describing this guy to look like. He's around six-foot, likely somewhere between 170-190lbs. One of our witnesses said he probably had dark hair," Derek reminded her.
Garcia was quiet for a moment as the sound of quick typing came over the speaker.
"Thank you for that, stud muffin. That helped me filter out two more of the guys. Now we've got eight suspects ranging from 5'11 to 6'2, and 170-200lbs. All with dark hair," she said.
"Great, Garcia. Get to work. We'll be waiting to hear from you," Hotch said, and then disengaged the call.
The sound of the conference room door opening gained their attention and the three men turned to see J.J. and Emily walk in, followed by a reticent-looking Spencer. As J.J. and Emily walked over to Hotch to update him, Spencer lingered by the door. Seeing the boy standing off to the side, Derek approached him.
"Hey, kid. How're you doing?" Derek asked sympathetically.
Spencer looked up at him and forced a smile.
"I guess… alright? This has really been one crazy week, so I can't really say that having that guy in my apartment should really be a surprise, but it just… it feels so much more intrusive," Spencer said softly.
"That's totally understandable. A person's home is considered a sanctuary, and having someone invade that is completely unsettling," Derek said as he reached out and placed a comforting hand on Spencer's shoulder.
When the boy looked up and gave him a bright smile, Derek almost wanted to retract his hand. Touching Spencer had now become an instinctual thing. But Rossi's words were echoing in his ears. He hadn't yet figured out what 'signals' he wanted to be sending Spencer. But, he couldn't help but be encouraged by how happy Spencer looked at something as simple as a small touch. So he squeezed the boy's shoulder slightly.
"Let's head over and see if they need any more information from you before we finish for the night," Derek said as he led Spencer over to the rest of the team.
The other four members of the team turned as Derek and Spencer approached.
"It's getting really late," J.J. said as she glanced down at her watch.
She then looked at Hotch and signaled with her eyes to Spencer.
Hotch nodded at her and then cleared his throat.
"It's clear to me that we shouldn't let Spencer return back to his apartment until the Unsub has been apprehended," Hotch announced to the team, but his eyes were locked purposefully on the young man standing slightly behind Derek.
Spencer's eyes widened as he took in the man's words.
"The LVPD informed me that they have some rooms available here at the station, but they're more like holding cells. And, in any case, knowing how clever our Unsub is, I would feel safer if Spencer was with one of us at all times. So, he'll be coming back to the hotel with us, and we'll keep watch," Hotch explained.
Derek tensed upon hearing the news. His mind was screaming at him to volunteer to take Spencer for the night. But after having had to sit through Rossi's wise advice, on top of Hotch's poorly-veiled concern over whether he was becoming too personally involved in the case, Derek wasn't sure it would be smart to call any further attention to himself.
But, telling himself that he was looking at it completely 'objectively,' he was sure Spencer would feel most comfortable with him. Although the kid was obviously fond of J.J. and Emily, he wasn't quite sure how it would work out for Spencer to stay the night with either of them. And he couldn't even fathom what it would be like if either Rossi or Hotch were to be the ones sharing with Spencer. He knew that he was really the best choice. But, Derek decided he would follow whatever his unit-leader decided. Any of them were more than capable of protecting Spencer for the night. And what was most important was Spencer's safety.
As Derek was still lost in his musings, Spencer glanced up at him, having seen him go rigid upon hearing his supervisor's words. Not knowing why the older man was clenching his jaw so fiercely, but knowing that if he had to be forced to stay with one of the agents, the only one he would want to stay with would be Derek, Spencer spoke up.
"I-I want to go with Agent Morgan," he volunteered.
Hotch looked at the young man, silently appraising him for a few seconds. He then nodded.
"Okay, if that's where you'll feel the most comfortable," Hotch agreed.
Derek turned around and threw Spencer a wide grin, causing the boy to blush.
"Let's head out," Hotch ordered.

A/N: Ok! So, there we have it! Another chapter down. Next chapter, Spencer and Derek will be shacking up! (Hahaha, I always make things sound more scandalous than they really are—you should know by now that I'm just an epic tease ;p). We are heading to the end of the story, though, so you never know what I'll decide to throw in here!
As always, thanks for reading and please let me know your thoughts! I love hearing from you guys and really appreciate your comments. See you next time!
xoxo
- 9
- 10
- 11
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Pretty Boy