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Pretty Boy: Reprise	By : Wagamama_hime Category: 1 through F > Criminal Minds Views: 5108 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. It is the sole intellectual property of the CBS Corp. This is a work of fiction and I am making no profit from its publication.

Chapter List
- 1
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Chapter 2
A/N: Well, Spencer finally arrives! Yay! All I can really say about this chapter is that it's very… 'cute.' Haha. That's not really my forte, but I hope you enjoy it in any case! (Also, want to give a special thanks to my beta-reader, A_WarriorZ_Haven! She's really doing a great job at helping me make this story the best it can be!)
xoxo

A month later, and with Spencer's flight information memorized, Derek pulled into the parking lot of the Ronald Reagan National Airport. He was both excited and nervous. He hadn't seen Spencer in more than six months and he, honestly, had no idea what to expect from this impromptu trip.
Although Derek had been happy at the prospect of Spencer's visit, he wasn't sure whether he should read something into it or not. On the phone, Spencer had seemed excited and happy, but the boy had not in any way mentioned what had transpired between them. Of course, Derek had been thankful for that—speaking on the phone in his workplace was neither the time nor place to be talking about their 'feelings.' But Derek just had the creeping suspicion that Spencer didn't feel… anything. It was apparent that the boy was more than ecstatic about the idea of coming to D.C. and hanging out, but it seemed like that was all he wanted to do. Derek had been very much aware that there had been no playful teasing, or coy suggestions, like Spencer had been doing in the last few days they had been together. But Derek wondered why the thought of that bothered him at all. It would be for the best if he thought about this visit rationally and viewed it as purely platonic. Spencer was merely here in a friendship-capacity. They had had what they had had, but nothing more would come of that.
Derek paused for a second as that thought sank in: Nothing more would come of that.
As Derek opened his car door and stepped out into the chilly December night, he tried to convince himself that he should be happy about the current circumstances. Everything he had hoped for the boy was coming to fruition. Spencer had quit working at Mon Petit Chien, and had even been able to start school again. Now he had enough financial security that he should be able to relax and enjoy his life—like any other kid his age. And that was all Derek had ever really wanted. He wanted Spencer to be happy.
Shoving his hands into his pockets for warmth, Derek crossed through the parking lot, heading for the arrivals pickup zone. Thinking about Spencer's happiness had gotten Derek to thinking about whether or not Spencer had found someone else to be happy with. He assumed Spencer had met other people at college—it was only natural. Spencer was definitely someone Derek imagined many of the students would want to get to meet. On top of being gorgeous, the boy was smart, sweet, and funny, sometimes shy and at other times feisty. So it was also highly likely that the boy had even met a 'special' someone. Thinking about Spencer with a girlfriend… or a boyfriend, for that matter, made Derek cringe slightly.
He didn't want to think about that. After leaving Spencer in Vegas six months ago, Derek knew he had no right to imagine that the boy's feelings had persisted and that there was maybe something there. Because, to be honest, Derek wasn't sure what he was willing to do with that if that were the reality. While he had enjoyed every last second of his time with Spencer the night before he had left, he still felt as if he had stepped over some major boundary-line. He hadn't been able to look his coworkers in the eyes for days after returning from Vegas. And he had purposefully avoided David Rossi's inquisitive looks. He knew the older man would never ask what, if anything, had transpired between him and Spencer, but he was sure Rossi would be able to tell just by looking at him what the answer really was. However, his guilt had been lifted somewhat when Spencer had called just a few days after his return and announced that he had received the check. Derek had felt proud of himself then—happy that he could've given Spencer some tiny bit of comfort.
Spencer had been so overcome with emotion, and it had really gripped Derek, like a punch in the gut. While he had wanted nothing more than to hold Spencer and wipe his tears—and he had cursed the fact that there were thousands of miles between them—he was comforted by knowing Spencer's tears were tears of happiness. And he had been the one to make the boy so happy. It had felt so good to have been able to do that for Spencer and Derek was sure, in that moment, that he would do anything to keep Spencer that way. He was willing to be there for Spencer, in any capacity, even if the boy decided he just wanted to keep the older man on the outskirts of his life. Derek would learn to live with that.
Frowning as he came to a stop in mid-stride, Derek hoped that that wasn't what Spencer wanted though. He couldn't even really say he expected Spencer to want to involve him in his life. He knew it was likely that Spencer's feelings had been hurt the last time they had been together, but he hoped the boy wasn't upset with him. He knew it had been a cowardly move to leave Spencer the morning after sharing such an intimate moment with him. But, Derek just hadn't been confident in himself to hold up his own part of the bargain he had struck with Spencer—asking the boy to take some time, apart, to think about his feelings. Spencer had literally caught Derek off guard. The boy had been ten times more seductive and alluring than Derek had expected, and he was afraid he would have quickly become addicted. He had even gotten so caught up in Spencer's pull that he had gone further with the boy than he had originally intended. Derek had wanted to kick himself because it had blurred the already hazy lines of what kind of relationship he wanted Spencer to believe they had. So, Derek wouldn't have been surprised if Spencer was hurt and confused the morning after when Derek had just been… gone.
However, Spencer had decided to come to D.C. on the first opportunity he got to take a break from school. That had to mean something. Spencer had seemed happy about the prospect of seeing him. He could sense no resentment in the boy's voice. In fact, Spencer had actually seemed genuinely surprised when Derek had offered to let him stay with him at his place. It allowed Derek to maintain a little glimmer of hope that things would be okay between them.
Smiling as he nodded to himself, Derek crossed the lane of traffic, filled with people coming to pick up their loved ones. And when he stepped up on the sidewalk in the passenger-pickup area of the arrivals section, his breath caught in his chest. Even though he looked a bit different, Derek immediately recognized the tall boy standing there, with his back to him, in a dark-gray pea-coat, tan leather satchel slung across his body. He stood with his hands in his pocket, shivering slightly as he looked around. Spencer's hair had grown longer, tucked behind his ear and curling under his chin. He was also wearing the same glasses Derek remembered often seeing him with. Then, as Spencer turned slightly again, Derek's eyes were drawn to the boy's mouth, and he could see that Spencer was nibbling on his bottom lip. And Derek had to stop a groan as all the memories flooded back to him—of how it was to kiss Spencer and how it was to feel the boy's soft lips against his own.
Sighing as he shook his head, already knowing that this week was going to be a test of his will-power, Derek moved closer to Spencer, until he was just a few inches behind him.
"Hey, Pretty Boy," he whispered.
And Derek had to hold back a chuckle as Spencer jumped and turned around, large honey-colored eyes wide with surprise.
"Derek!" Spencer said as his face lit up.
Spencer immediately moved forward, with his arms spread out, as if to hug Derek. But then he stopped, as if unsure of himself, and looked at Derek uncertainly.
"Come here, kid," Derek said with a grin, as he stepped forward, closing the space between them, and enveloped Spencer in a tight, warm hug.
As Spencer's body relaxed in his arms, and Derek felt the younger man return his tight embrace, Derek couldn't help but take a deep whiff of the boy's soft, chestnut brown hair. It smelled of coconuts, just like Derek remembered.
Reluctantly stepping back from the boy after their hug had gone on for a few minutes, Derek placed his hands on Spencer's shoulders, looking at him carefully.
"What're you doing out here? You're not used to this kind of cold, right? I told you I'd come meet you inside," Derek said as he gave Spencer a stern look.
Spencer smiled, blushing slightly.
"Um… I was really excited. I wanted to see everything, you know? Even if we're just at the airport. It's my first time here. So, I didn't want to just wait inside, staring at walls," Spencer explained.
Derek gave him a curious look.
Then a thought passed through his mind. Spencer's flight was supposed to get in at 6, and although Derek had come straight from work he knew there would be about an hour between Spencer's touchdown and when he would be able to pick him up. He hoped the kid hadn't been standing outside for an hour in this weather.
"How long have you been out here…?" Derek asked with a frown.
"Um… well, I came outside right after getting my bags from baggage check. So…probably about a half an hour?" Spencer said with a shrug.
"Kid, it's cold out here," Derek said disapprovingly, as he looked at Spencer's face. The boy seemed to be chilly—the end of his little nose and the tips of his ears were already red—but at least his lips weren't blue or anything like that. It wasn't brutally cold out—Derek himself was just wearing his leather jacket—but he knew that East Coast winters weren't for everyone.
"Well… it's definitely colder than I expected. But, I figure anything would feel cold when you're used to the weather in Las Vegas," Spencer said giving him another wide grin.
"Kid," Derek said with a groan, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Stop being so reckless. What's the point of coming here if you get sick and you have to spend the whole time with me nursing you back to health?"
Spencer blushed at the thought, and had to fight not to respond that that sounded like a pretty nice idea to him. But instead he feigned feeling chastised, and dropped his head, although he was still smiling. Derek wasn't convinced.
"Come on, let's get you home," Derek said as he slung an arm over Spencer's shoulder. "Where're your bags?"
Spencer faltered a bit at the man's closeness, feeling a warmth spread through his chest, but then, remembering himself, he reached behind him, indicating a small black rolling suitcase.
"Right here," he pointed out.
"Ok, got it," Derek said as he grabbed the bag with his free hand. "I'm parked right across the street, let's go."
And as Derek led him through the throngs of people, all probably similarly waiting for their loved ones, Spencer was content to just be wrapped in the man's warm embrace. As they approached the crossing, Derek wasn't talking much as his attention was focused on getting them across the heavily congested street. But Spencer was fine with that, as his thoughts were running a mile a minute.
He had been floored when he had seen Derek again. The man had always been attractive. More like drop-dead gorgeous, Spencer thought to himself. But, it had been six months and the memories Spencer had of the mocha-skinned man with the 100-watt smile didn't do justice to the man who was standing right next to him at the moment. Spencer's heart had started to hammer as soon as he had turned and taken in Derek's warm, chocolate brown eyes, crinkling at the corners as he gave him a wide grin.
Derek had looked sleek and powerful in a distressed black leather jacket and jeans, which complimented his trim physique, and Spencer found his thoughts immediately straying to how it had felt to trace Derek's muscles with his fingers. Even the smell of Derek's cologne—which was the same one he had been wearing all those months ago—did something to Spencer's senses. He felt as if his mouth was almost watering at the smell. He had never expected he would be so affected by Derek's proximity. And all this realization did was further solidify Spencer's belief that he was hooked on Derek Morgan.
So, Spencer was happy to keep his mouth shut as Derek hurried them across the street and through the parking lot. He wasn't sure if he would be able to form very many coherent and intelligent answers if Derek asked him anything. He would use the time to get himself to calm down. This trip wouldn't be very successful if he couldn't stop smelling Derek long enough to talk to him, and tell the man about his feelings.
They came to a stop in front of a large, black truck. And Spencer realized that this wasn't the usual government-issued vehicle that the agents had been driving him around in during their time in Vegas. It was Derek's car. It reminded Spencer again that they were going 'home,' as Derek had said. The thought made Spencer a bit giddy. He couldn't wait to see Derek's house and how he lived. It was so exciting to know that the older man was letting him into his life like that.
Lost in his thoughts, Spencer was only half-listening as Derek unlocked the vehicle and went behind the car to put his suitcase in the trunk.
"Get in, kid," he heard Derek say and when Spencer looked up, the older man was giving him a peculiar look.
Spencer realized he had probably zoned out, and flushed in embarrassment.
"O-ok," Spencer said hurriedly as he grabbed the handle, and he could hear Derek chuckling softly as he walked around to the driver's side.
"Did you have a good flight?" Derek asked as they both climbed into the car and began fastening their seatbelts.
"Yup. I haven't been on a plane in years, so I was really excited to be flying again. I find flight to be so fascinating, actually. The engineering has to be impeccable. If you're off by even a slight fraction of an inch, the whole thing can come apart. And the history of flight is really remarkable, too. Did you know most people think the Wright brothers were the first ones to come up with the idea of the airplane? But in actuality, the first person to really come up with the idea was Sir George Cayley, in 1799. And he built the first passenger-carrying glider in 1853. The Wright Brothers didn't complete their first flight until 1903. But they are considered to have piloted the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight," Spencer rattled off, matter-of-factly.
Derek stared at him with wide eyes, mouth slightly agape, and when Spencer realized the older man hadn't responded, he turned to him, blushing heavily at the look he was giving him.
"Uh… I… I can stop talking now. I know I ramble sometimes. It's probably really annoying," Spencer said, feeling embarrassed.
Derek laughed as he shook his head.
"No, no. Don't worry about it. It was just a little surprising. You seem so excited about everything you're talking about. It's really cute, kid," he said with a smile as he turned to the steering wheel and started the car.
As Spencer's cheeks reddened, he couldn't help but be flabbergasted at Derek's off-hand compliment.
Derek thinks it's cute? He wondered to himself, somewhat amazed. But he still remained quiet. He didn't understand how his 'rambling' had just come out like that. He hadn't felt the urge to rattle off statistics and facts all that much while he had been working at the Club, since he had quickly learned his coworkers neither appreciated, nor understood, much of the things he found to be so 'fascinating.'
But now that he was back in an academic environment, able to indulge in open curiosity once again, the urge to ramble had become almost uncontrollable. He had been spouting facts at a rapid pace to anyone who would listen, for months. However, he had recently started to work on reeling it in since he had been chastised more than once by his classmates at school. He had been doing a pretty good job by the end of the semester, and it had almost become natural to 'de-Spencer-ify' his speech. So that was why he was so confused by how quickly he had reverted to his mindless babbling. He figured he probably already felt too comfortable around Derek, and made a mental note to himself to be more conscious about keeping himself 'in check.'
"I'm really happy you're here, Spencer," Derek said, breaking into Spencer's thoughts, as he put the car into 'reverse' and began to back out of the parking spot.
"R-really?" Spencer asked shyly.
"Of course," Derek said, tossing him a grin.
"Now, come on, we've got about a 20minute drive to get back to my place. Tell me more about the 'wonder of flight,'" Derek said playfully as he waggled his eyebrows at Spencer.
Spencer blushed, but felt confident that Derek wasn't making fun of him. It really sounded like Derek didn't mind his rambles.
"O-ok… Well, did you know that the reason why a heavier-than-air aircraft can fly is because of Newton's third law of physics?" Spencer asked, eyes already lighting up at the prospect of explaining.
Derek held back a chuckle as he began to drive.
"No, I did not know that. Why don't you tell me about it?" he asked.

It was almost an hour later before Derek pulled up outside of his brownstone. He had discovered on the way home that Spencer hadn't eaten all day. The boy had chalked it up to having been 'too excited' about the trip to remember to feed himself. So Derek had made the executive decision to make a detour for some takeout.
As he put the car into park, Derek glanced over to the boy who was looking out the window, an awed expression on his face.
"That's your house?" Spencer asked as he pointed to the bricked building.
"Yeah," Derek said with a small smile, pleased by Spencer's sounds of admiration.
"Derek, it's really beautiful," Spencer said.
A number of facts regarding D.C.'s historic brownstones flooded through his mind, but he decided to keep them to himself. Derek had been a good enough sport listening to Spencer prattle on about the mechanics of flight; the length of time it'd take to get from Las Vegas to D.C. via car, train, and plane, including the pros and cons of each mode of travel; and, lastly the differences between American-style pizza and authentic Italian pizza (while they were waiting in said pizza parlor for their food).
"Well, I'm glad you like it. I worked on it for almost three years before I thought I was satisfied with it," Derek said, his voice reflecting his pride in his work.
Spencer spun around to stare at him.
"What do you mean 'worked' on it?" he asked inquisitively.
"I buy old, rundown houses that people seem to have just given up on, and I restore them. I like the idea of bringing something back to its former glory by giving it the love and attention it needs. With this house, it took me a long time until I felt everything was just right and at some point I just kind of… well, fell in love with it. So, I knew I couldn't put it on the market like I did with all the other ones. I had to have it for myself," Derek said somewhat bashfully.
Spencer was taken aback. It was so beautiful to listen to the way Derek talked about the work he did on houses. But, Spencer wasn't surprised that the older man would give such painstaking care to restoring an old, abandoned house. Derek seemed to be someone who could see the beauty in things that others would overlook.
"Derek, that's amazing," Spencer said with a genuine smile. "I can't wait to see the inside."
"Alright, well come on then," Derek said with a grin as he opened the car door.
Spencer hopped out of the car, grabbing the large pizza boxes and waited for Derek to finish pulling his suitcase out of the trunk.
"Ah, I can carry my bag," Spencer offered as he moved to help Derek, but the older man laughed as he pulled the bag behind him and out of Spencer's reach.
"Come on, kid. Just let me do this. You can be in charge of the pizza," Derek said with a grin.
Spencer gave him an unimpressed look. But Derek ignored him and began walking up the steps to his front door. Spencer hurried behind him, following Derek through once he had opened the door.
As Spencer stepped into the expansive open layout living area, he barely had any time to appreciate the décor before he heard an unsettling sound. Barking. It wasn't the kind of 'yip-yip' sound a small-breed dog made. These were loud, deep 'woofs' and Spencer immediately froze.
Turning around as he sensed Spencer come to a halt, Derek looked in confusion at the statute-like boy. Then it dawned on him. Clooney.
"Oh, shit, kid. I have a dog. I forgot to mention. You afraid of dogs?" Derek asked with concern as he walked over to Spencer.
"Um… n-no. Not 'afraid' per se. But, dogs just haven't ever really… liked me, I guess?" Spencer said nervously.
"Ever been bit?" Derek asked with a frown.
"No… but, I think I've come kind of close a few times," Spencer admitted.
Nodding to himself, Derek reached behind Spencer to close the door and ushered the boy further into the room.
"Well, you have nothing to worry about then. Clooney's really a lovable guy. Seriously, he's the kind of dog that'll lick you silly, and won't be able to stop. He's never bitten anyone. In his life," Derek promised.
Spencer cringed a bit at the thought of the dog 'licking him silly.' It was better than biting, but it still seemed rather gross.
"Uh… o-ok," Spencer murmured as he let Derek guide him into the spacious room.
Trying to ignore the sound of 'Clooney' barking—Spencer was glad that it sounded like the dog was behind a closed door somewhere further in the house—he allowed himself to look around Derek's gorgeous home.
To his right was a beautiful mahogany leather sectional facing a large, flat screen TV that was hanging on the wall above a chic, slate-tiled fireplace. The living room also had what seemed to be an extensive entertainment system, wooden bookcases peppered with books, photos, trophies, and awards, and odd pieces strewn about the room, like what Spencer could only assume was a dog bed and a blanket with some kind of sports team's insignia tossed over the back of the sofa. To his left he could just see into what appeared to be a large, bright kitchen with white cabinets and stainless steel appliances. A large quartz-topped kitchen island/breakfast bar separated the kitchen from the rest of the first floor. Three high-backed bar stools were positioned at the bar and Spencer could already imagine how nice it would be to wake up to breakfast in that kitchen. All Derek's design choices were a mix of homey and modern, and Spencer was definitely impressed.
"Wow," he said, letting his eyes rove around again.
"Come on, you can't just stand here the whole time," Derek said, laughing as he took the pizza boxes out of Spencer's hands. "But thanks for the compliment."
Derek tossed a smile at Spencer over his shoulder as he began to walk into the kitchen.
"Well, I can't help but stare. Everything's really nice… But, I kind of feel like I'm afraid I'll mess things up," Spencer said, as he followed him.
Derek laughed.
"Trust me, this place only looks this nice because I knew I was having company," Derek said as he tossed the pizza boxes on the countertop and then walked to one of the cabinets. Opening it, he began to pull out plates.
"With my job, I'm jumping on a jet at least four or five times a month. So when I am home, often times my shoes, bag, jacket, and anything else I'm holding when I walk in the house all end up in a pile by the door. I forget to wash dishes, laundry piles up, and believe me I definitely don't make my bed. And, Lord help us if Clooney comes in from a run in the rain. There's mud everywhere," Derek said as he cringed.
Spencer laughed at the man's description. But, speaking of the devil, Clooney's barking started up again, as if he had heard his owner mention his name.
Derek sighed at the sound and laughed ruefully.
"Here," he said as he pushed a plate in Spencer's direction. "Make yourself a plate. And get anything else you wanna eat or drink out of the fridge. I'm gonna let Clooney out into the backyard. And when I come back, we can watch a movie."
Spencer nodded happily as he watched Derek walk down a hallway to the left of the kitchen. He wondered what was at the other end of the house. He heard Derek open a door and suddenly the barking became much clearer. Spencer laughed to himself as he could hear Derek saying, "Easy, boy! Easy!" And then he heard what sounded like a sliding door open and close, and silence descended on the room again.
Spencer couldn't help but smile as he removed his satchel and pulled out one of the barstools, sitting himself down at the breakfast bar. As he opened one of the pizza boxes, inhaling the smell of melted cheese, he absentmindedly wondered where the bedrooms were. He couldn't help but blush as the thought crossed his mind. He had noticed a flight of stairs tucked against the wall right off the living room, and could only assume that the bedrooms were upstairs. He would be happy if both of them were. The thought of sleeping down the hall from Derek made him giggle softly to himself. He loved the idea of being close to Derek.
He quickly grabbed two slices of the basil and mozzarella pizza and placed them on his plate. Then, thinking Derek would appreciate it, Spencer opened the other box and grabbed two slices of the pepperoni, placing them on the other plate. Hopping off the bar stool, Spencer looked around the large kitchen. He felt strange going through Derek's fridge, but the older man had said he could, so he figured it was probably alright.
Pulling open the fridge doors, Spencer glanced inside, seeing an array of drinks, ranging from sports drinks, juices, sodas, waters and beers. Smiling to himself, and fondly remembering Derek's reaction the last time Spencer had offered him a beer, he decided it'd be safer to go with sodas. Grabbing two bottles, Spencer pushed the doors closed and placed the drinks on the table. His ears perked up when he heard the sound of the sliding doors open again, accompanied by Derek's laughing and the excited barking of 'Clooney.'
"Hey, Pretty Boy, come meet Clooney, or he's never going to relax," Derek called from the hallway.
Spencer froze.
"Uh… that's ok, I'd rather not?" Spencer called back hesitantly.
The sound of Derek's whole-hearted chuckle sent a burst of warmth through Spencer's stomach.
"Well, if you, or any of my neighbors, plan on getting any sleep tonight, I think it's best if you come and meet him," he called back.
Spencer let out a loud groan, and Derek laughed again. Rolling his eyes, Spencer slowly made his way into the hallway and came across Derek, standing by a glass, sliding door, holding a large chocolate Labrador by a strong grip on the dog's collar. Spencer cringed as he looked at the dog. He seemed to be about 70-75 pounds. That was almost half of Spencer's body weight. He was sure the dog could knock him down if he wanted to.
"Relax kid, your nervousness is making him all jumpy. Just come over here, let him sniff at you, and he'll calm down," Derek said with a smile.
Spencer took a deep breath as he stepped toward the dog, whose tail was wagging excitedly and tongue was lolling out as he panted.
"Just stick your hand out, palm up, and let him get a sniff," Derek said with a grin.
Spencer licked his lips nervously, and tentatively extended his hand. Derek nodded encouragingly at him and slackened his hold a bit on the dog's collar so that Clooney could lean forward. Spencer stood as still as he could as he felt the dog sniff at him, hot air blowing against his hand. But he was relieved that no biting, or even licking, had transpired.
Derek rubbed Clooney's head, and said "See boy, he's a friend."
He then let go of the dog's collar, and Spencer's whole body immediately stiffened. Derek gave him a look, eyebrows raised, as if to say 'relax.' So, Spencer tried to calm himself down—although his body was still pretty rigid—as the dog curiously trotted up to him and began to excitedly walk around him in circles, sniffing curiously at his long legs. Clooney then let out a low 'whuff,' as if to indicate he was satisfied, and then trotted out in to the living room.
Derek laughed as Spencer let out a sigh of relief.
"You act like I unleashed a grizzly bear on you, kid," Derek said.
"I probably know more about how to avoid a grizzly bear than an overexcited dog," Spencer said flatly.
Derek rolled his eyes, as he motioned for Spencer to turn around and walk back to the kitchen. As they entered the large, open space, Derek smiled appreciatively as he saw Spencer had also fixed a plate for him as well. He turned to thank the kid but then titled his head in confusion as he looked carefully at Spencer.
"You're still in your coat," he pointed out, looking at Spencer's buttoned up pea-coat.
"Oh… yeah, I guess I forgot. It's warm," Spencer said with a smile as he tugged at the lapels of his coat.
Derek laughed again.
"Ok, well, you're inside and we have heat, so take it off," he instructed.
Spencer shrugged as he unbuttoned the pea-coat, pulling off a light-purple scarf that had been inconspicuously tucked inside. When he pulled off his outerwear and revealed his outfit, Derek couldn't help but chuckle. He had forgotten Spencer's preferred style of dress. The boy was wearing a long, baggy v-neck cardigan, over a t-shirt, and brown corduroy pants, accompanied, as usual, by his old, beat-up Converse sneakers. Although he thought Spencer was a little strange, he really liked that the kid now looked nothing like the stripper he used to be. While Spencer, in his more scantily-clad moments, had always made Derek's pulse race, he was ultimately more attracted to the sweet and innocent-looking boy standing in front of him.
"I've always wanted to ask you about your choice in clothes," Derek said as he reached out, taking Spencer's coat out of his hands.
"Hmm?" Spencer said as he looked down at his clothes. He couldn't see anything wrong with them.
"Well, you're always wearing something like a cardigan, or hoodie, or some kind of layered outfit. And you were doing this even though you lived in Vegas. It was pretty warm there, kid," Derek said, with a raised eyebrow.
Spencer flushed slightly.
"I dunno… it's just how I was always used to dressing. I guess it's what my mom used to pick out for me and it kind of just became my style. I like baggy clothes because they feel really comfy, and layering is great because you never know what the temperature's going to be like," Spencer said with a weak shrug.
His mind momentarily flitted to the fact that one of the major reasons he often gravitated toward the long-sleeved, layered clothing was because it allowed him to feel covered. Working at the Club, he had been forced to wear clothes that made him self-conscious, exposing his body in ways he was often not comfortable with. That clothing had then, in turn, invited the leering looks, and unwanted touches, of customers and 'clients.' He was made to feel like an object, and had learned to hate having the eyes of others on him. And more than anything, he hated not feeling like he had control. So, the clothes had become sort of like a protective cocoon; a way for him to separate himself from the life he was forced to live inside the walls of Mon Petit Chien, and hold on to vestiges of his life before it. But he didn't want to explain that to Derek.
Watching Spencer, Derek could see that the boy was biting his bottom lip, brows furrowed as if he was deep in thought. Derek could tell that he had somehow made him uncomfortable, and he wanted to try and lighten the mood.
"Well, layering also has its perks since its more fun for the person taking it off of you," Derek said with a laugh.
But as soon as the words slipped out of his mouth he wanted to kick himself. Spencer stared at him, mouth slightly agape in shock. And Derek had no clever response to explain his completely idiotic and inappropriate statement.
"Uh," Derek said as he ran a hand over his face in embarrassment. "How about we… go watch that movie now?"
Spencer let out a small, muffled sound, as if he was trying to hold back his laughter, and just nodded at Derek. Derek's comment, although completely unexpected, had definitely succeeded at lightening the mood.
"I'm going to go put your coat away," Derek said, avoiding looking at the laughing boy. "Can you grab the plates and bring them into the living room?"
"Yup," Spencer said, as he watched Derek walk back down the hall.
Picking up the two bottles of soda and tucking one under each arm so that his hands would remain free, Spencer grabbed the plates and walked into the living room. He was surprised to see Clooney curled up in what he had correctly guessed was a dog bed near the foot of the sofa. He wondered if the dog would do something—maybe give a territorial show of ownership in warning to the newcomer. Instead, the dog just glanced at him curiously, before dropping his head back on top of his forearms and seeming to go back to sleep.
Sighing in relief, Spencer quickly set the plates down on the coffee table. Turning to look at the large sofa, Spencer wasn't sure where he should sit. How much space, exactly, was he expected to leave between himself and Derek? He considered taking the far left-hand corner of the couch—that would probably be the safest, most unassuming, position. On the other hand, Spencer had promised himself that he would try to be more confident during his time visiting Derek. He was here to get Derek's attention, and he wasn't going to do that all the way on the other side of the sofa. So, biting his lip nervously, Spencer sat himself down on the center seat, and tried his best to act casual.
He soon heard the sound of feet approaching on the wooden floor and glanced over his shoulder to see Derek walking toward him. The older man gave him a wide grin, and Spencer felt that familiar 'thump-thump' in his chest, causing his face to heat up as he turned away. A few seconds later, Derek was flopping down on the couch next to him, close enough that their thighs were touching.
"Any idea what you're in the mood to watch?" Derek asked as he reached for the TV remote that was sitting on the side-table next to the couch and turned the TV on.
Trying to ignore the feel of Derek's warm, muscular thigh pressed up against his own, Spencer just shook his head, no.
"Action sound good?" Derek asked as he began flipping through On Demand movies.
"Uh… sounds good to me," Spencer said, as he reached forward to grab one of the bottles of soda. He figured keeping his hands busy might be a good distraction. As he twisted off the top of the soda and took a gulp, Spencer thought about the fact that he really wasn't a big fan of 'action' movies, if it meant it was solely going to be about high-speed car chases, explosions, and gun fights, but he doubted he would be able to pay very much attention to whatever Derek picked anyway.
"Hmm, ok, I think I've got one that you might like," Derek said as he decided on something and clicked play.
Derek then grabbed his pizza and shifted so that he was leaning against the armrest of the couch. Spencer watched as it looked like Derek was trying to get comfortable in the small space on the couch and he was almost about to ask the older man if he wanted him to move, but then Derek gave him a somewhat apologetic smile.
"You mind if I stretch out?" Derek asked as he pointed to the vacant space behind Spencer. Spencer was currently sitting quite rigidly at the edge of his seat on the couch. There was more than enough space for Derek to stretch out behind him.
Eyes widening slightly at the fact that it didn't seem like Derek wanted to put distance between them at all, Spencer shook his head again, and allowed Derek to extend his legs behind him. Derek then began to eat, eyes focusing on the intro credits rolling across the screen.
Spencer picked up his plate as well and tentatively shifted backwards on the seat until he was leaned back against Derek's legs. Seeing that the older man hadn't seemed to mind his closeness, Spencer relaxed and drew his legs up onto the couch, sitting Indian-style.
The two men watched the movie in companionable silence for the first twenty minutes or so, as they ate their dinner and absorbed the plot. Soon, however, Derek started praising the effects in the movie, and Spencer couldn't help but roll his eyes as he dismissively said "There's no way that could really happen."
Thus, a good-natured argument had ensued between them, with Spencer citing physics and Derek arguing that he was in law enforcement, and had seen his fair share of amazing feats. Spencer couldn't help but grin at how comfortable their conversation was. Things felt way better than they had six months ago when every pleasant moment was ruined when they were reminded of the fact that a dangerous sociopath lurked in the shadows. It had been difficult to really ever feel like he could relax. Now, even though Adrian Moore still crossed Spencer's mind sporadically throughout the day, and haunted his nightmares more often than he'd like to admit, Spencer definitely felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He could finally breathe. He could relax. He could try to be normal. And that was all thanks to Derek.
Derek looked at Spencer, and saw that the boy was looking at him with a small smile.
"So… how you been kid?" he asked, smiling warmly in response, as he shifted, making himself more comfortable on the couch. He wouldn't admit it, but he liked the feel of Spencer so close to him. In the midst of their pseudo-argument, Spencer had turned to face him, and now Spencer was closer than before, the boy's thigh pressing against his.
"What do you mean?" Spencer asked, cocking his head to the side in a notably adorable fashion.
"Well, we haven't really talked about how things have been going for you the past few months. Your new life at school… And, you know, people in your life, and all that," Derek said, averting his eyes as the last words slipped from his lips.
Spencer bit his lip as he thought about the question. He then smiled brightly.
"Things have been going… really well, actually. I was invited to work on a professor's project in the engineering department and we have a paper currently under review for publication. That was pretty exciting. I've also taken up tutoring in chemistry and even have some grad students that come to me for help. And I started playing chess in this neighborhood league that's organized by the University. The players range from kids as young as 10 to some really old guys, but it's so much fun," Spencer said, eyes lighting up with excitement.
Derek listened attentively, although he was somewhat frustrated that Spencer's answers had focused on his academic adjustment, and had completely skipped over any references to people in his life, which was what Derek was, admittedly, far more interested in hearing about.
"How about you?" Spencer asked, scooting a little bit closer. "How's everything… um… with work?"
If the experience chasing, and then ultimately dispatching of, Adrian Moore was any indicator, Spencer knew that Derek's job was dangerous and probably, more often than not, demoralizing. Spencer had worried for months about the kinds of unpleasant scenarios Derek could be getting in to while chasing 'bad guys.' But, he was also really proud of Derek. Derek was literally a hero. He, along with the other members of his team, was the kind of person who laid his life on the line on a daily basis to keep everyday people safe. Spencer thought it was fascinating, and he really respected what Derek did.
Derek sighed a bit as he sat up, locking eyes with the inquisitive boy.
"Hmm, it's been a rough past couple of months," he admitted, as he shrugged.
"We had a lot of cases. And since we spent more time than usual working on the Vegas case, we had to play a lot of catch-up when we came back. But, we've been successful on every case we've had since then. So I can say I'm happy with our results. My team is really great," Derek said with a proud smile.
Spencer smiled back. He hadn't spent an equal amount of time with each member of the team—and had spent the most amount of time, by far, with Derek—but he had really liked each of the individual men and women that made up the skilled Behavioral Analysis Unit.
"That's great. And what about… you know, when you get back from cases. Um… you know, like in your free time? What about your girlfriend?" Spencer asked awkwardly.
Derek blinked in surprise at the question, and he could tell Spencer had been uncomfortable even voicing it. But, even though his heartrate quickened a bit, he told himself not to read into it.
"I don't have a girlfriend, kid," he said with a soft chuckle.
Spencer looked at him with wide eyes.
"Really?" he asked. "That's surprising."
Derek laughed.
"Damn, you make it sound like you're saying I have no game," Derek said, feigning a pout.
Spencer laughed at the ridiculous expression he was making, but he was also extremely relieved.
"Well… I kind of have to wonder," Spencer teased back.
Derek placed a hand over his heart, as if Spencer's words wounded him.
"Wow, you've got jokes," he laughed. "It's definitely not my game that's at issue, kid. You ever think I just wasn't looking?"
Spencer stared at Derek for a moment, honey eyes locked onto chocolate-brown ones. Then the older man smiled at him mischievously.
"What about you, Pretty Boy? Huh? Did you turn into a regular Casanova once you got back on campus and finally had the chance to be with coeds your own age?" Derek teased as he waggled his eyebrows at the younger man.
Spencer's face heated up and he looked away.
"Uh… no. I-it's not like I was going to school for that. I mean, I have to study," Spencer said quickly, stammering a bit.
He hadn't been expecting Derek to turn the question back on him, and he hadn't yet prepared himself on how he wanted to tell Derek that he wouldn't date anyone other than him. He couldn't even think about doing something like that.
But Derek only laughed, interpreting Spencer's flustered state as shyness.
"I think you're the only college student who would say that," Derek said as he reached up and ruffled Spencer's soft hair.
Spencer blushed prettily, and Derek couldn't help giving him a smile and a wink. He had been steeling himself to hear something about some kind of tryst that Spencer had had at college. So he couldn't deny how good it felt to hear the kid vehemently deny it. Of course, he couldn't be sure if Spencer was just not comfortable divulging, or if there really wasn't anything to divulge. But, for now, he was content with the information he had. If Spencer wanted to amend his initial statement, he would let the boy do so in his own time.
"Gosh, let's just watch the movie," Spencer said with a huff as he swiveled so that he was facing the TV again. "We've already missed a whole bunch of the plot."
"I have faith that our little genius will be able to get us all caught up," Derek said with a laugh from his spot comfortably leaned against the arm of the couch.
Spencer didn't bother to turn and give him a response, but the slight pink tinge that flushed over his cheeks and the tips of his ears was enough to tell Derek the boy had appreciated the compliment.

A few hours, and two movies later, it was nearing midnight and Derek could tell, by the heavy weight of one Spencer Reid draped over his legs, that the boy had started nodding off. He wasn't surprised. The kid had gone to town on the remaining slices of the pizza—apparently Spencer was hungrier than the boy himself had first realized—and a full stomach, on top of having been traveling for more than six hours, would definitely explain his drowsy disposition.
"Come on, kid. I think it's time you turn in. Let's go upstairs and get you settled," Derek said as he grabbed the TV-remote, clicking it off. He grabbed the back of one of Spencer's calves and shook it gently, trying to rouse his sluggish house-guest.
"Huh?" Spencer asked sleepily, as he repositioned his arms on Derek's legs. "I'm not tired. I promise."
Derek laughed, as he looked at the younger man, who was currently curled up almost flush against him. During the movie, Spencer had moved from sitting with his back leaned against Derek's legs, to laying down with his arms crossed over Derek's legs, using them as a pillow, and his knees tucked up against his chest.
Derek smiled at the adorable image, and was actually impressed by Spencer's ability to curl himself up so compactly like that. Although thin, the boy wasn't small, by far, but he had an uncanny ability to fold his lanky limbs up so that he appeared to take up no space at all. But Derek was happy that Spencer was currently so close to him. When he had first sat down, Derek was acutely aware of how tense Spencer had seemed. So he had tried his best to make the younger man comfortable, and had been fully aware of it when it appeared that Spencer had finally relaxed enough to slip into this position. And, even though the scene before him was a bit more intimate than Derek had expected this first night to turn out, he hadn't minded it. He liked that it seemed Spencer was comfortable around him, as if he was someone the boy had known for years.
"Don't force yourself to stay up. We have a lot of time for late nights," Derek said as he stood and stretched.
Derek's words immediately woke Spencer up and Spencer bit his lip to stop himself from grinning.
"You promise?" he asked, hoping to tease Derek.
But it seemed Spencer's suggestive meaning had been lost on the older man, and he just nodded at Spencer.
"Of course, kid. It's vacation. We can stay up as long as we want. When we have enough energy to do so. So, get up," he said, grabbing Spencer's leg again.
Spencer huffed to himself, and rolled his eyes at the failed attempt at flirtation, as he got to his feet.
"Come on," Derek said, as he grabbed the boy's bag, which had been left in the hallway, and began to climb the stairs to the second floor.
Spencer hurried behind him, walking up the carpeted steps. He came to a halt as he saw Derek stop in front of the first closed door on the hall.
Derek smiled as he turned the knob and opened the door onto a spacious room, with pale-yellow walls and a plush, cream carpet covering the floor. There was a large, queen-sized bed, with soft-looking blue sheets, against the wall closest to the door, accompanied by twin nightstands on each side of the bed. A set of light-gray towels were already folded neatly and sitting on top of the bed. Spencer's eyes were then drawn to the two large windows on the wall to the left of the bed, and he imagined they must overlook the backyard. He could also see two beautiful wood dressers and what looked to be a sizeable closet on the furthest side of the room.
"Wow, this is really nice," Spencer said as he walked in after Derek.
"Only the best for my Pretty Boy," Derek said jokingly.
Spencer flushed at the man's words, and was glad that Derek wasn't looking at him as he was busy rolling his suitcase further into the room. He was starting to wish Derek would stop calling him that. Every time he heard those words in that deep, husky voice it made his insides heat up.
"My room's the one right across the hall from yours. If you need anything, you know where to find me. Don't be shy, ok? And there's a bathroom right next door to your room. Feel free to use the soap and shampoo in there, and if you run out of anything just let me know. There's also a half-bath downstairs. And the laundry room, where I was keeping Clooney before you arrived, is downstairs too," Derek explained, as if he was trying to remember everything on a list.
Spencer just nodded, trying to keep track of everything. And Derek smiled at him.
"And, really, feel free to use anything you want in the house during your stay here, kid. I'm serious. I really want you to feel at home," Derek said.
"O-ok," Spencer said, nodding at him shyly. "Thanks for this, Derek. This is really great."
"Don't worry about it, kid. I'm really happy you're here and I can't wait to show you around the city," he said with a smile.
"Now, I'm gonna let you get settled in. And don't worry about tomorrow morning. Sleep in as late as you like, and I'll come get you for breakfast. Then we can talk about some of the things you'd like to do while you're here. Sound good?" Derek asked.
"Yeah. That sounds great," Spencer said, smiling at him.
"Good to hear," Derek said smiling warmly back. "Okay, kid. Get a good night's sleep, you hear? I won't take you complaining about being tired tomorrow."
Spencer stuck his tongue out at him, but then smiled.
"Night, kid," Derek said with a laugh as he walked towards the door.
"Night, Derek," Spencer said as Derek pulled the door closed behind him.

Twenty minutes later, Derek walked into his master bathroom, content that Spencer was settled for the time being. He had heard the shower across the hall turn on about five minutes ago, and since Spencer hadn't knocked at his door, he figured the boy had found everything he needed just fine.
As Derek began to slip out of his work clothes, he found himself smiling as he thought about his time spent with Spencer. The boy had only been here for a matter of hours, but Derek was already sure that this would be a successful visit. He and Spencer just seemed to 'click.' Even though they hadn't seen each other for six months, things just weren't awkward between them. To Derek, it really felt like no time had passed since the last time he had seen the eccentric, yet beautiful, boy.
He actually found Spencer to be quite refreshing. He could already sense that a weight had been lifted off of Spencer's shoulders. Spencer was more relaxed and smiled more freely than he had during their time in Vegas. Derek was happy that the experience with Adrian Moore hadn't left any lasting, physical scars on the boy. But, he knew that Spencer was probably still dealing with the emotional consequences of the experience. And, while he appeared to be fine on the surface, Derek would make a point of talking with Spencer about it at some point during his trip, to make sure he really was as okay as he seemed.
As he pulled his phone out of his pocket, Derek glanced through his messages and email, a habit he had formed as a function of being in a profession where he was constantly 'on call.' He didn't see any missed calls or messages from his unit-chief. All he saw were a few inappropriate, yet chuckle-inducing, texts from Garcia. That was nothing new though. He responded back to Garcia's messages with a flirtatious one of his own, and wished her a good night. Derek was glad to be on vacation, but he would miss seeing the bright and cheery blonde woman's smile over the next few days. Although, in this line of work, it was never a guarantee that being 'on vacation' would actually mean anything if a case came up.
Technically speaking, Derek's vacation didn't actually start until Monday. It was currently Thursday night and Derek was still on-call for tomorrow. Spencer's winter break had started two days ago and Derek, wanting to spend as much time as he could with the boy, had asked Hotch if he could start his vacation a bit earlier so that their breaks could coincide. His supervisor had signed off on the early leave, with the caveat that he was free to take the extra time, as long as no new cases arose. But Derek knew there was always the possibility that he could get called in.
Hoping that that didn't happen, Derek placed his phone down on the bathroom counter and finished stripping himself of his clothes. Turning the hot water on and stepping into the shower, he began to mentally run through all the ideas he had for places he could take Spencer during the boy's visit. He couldn't wait to get Spencer acquainted with the city that he had grown to love. He was sure Spencer would love it too. But, more than anything, he was really looking forward to seeing the boy's beautiful, honey-brown eyes light up with excitement and happiness as he smiled. He'd give anything to see that.

A/N: Aww, well there's chapter 2! I feel like there's so much 'sweetness' in here that it's giving me a toothache, hahaha ;p. On the other hand, I don't really mind it since Spencer and, to an extent, Derek, had such a rough time of it in the first story. It's nice for them to just get a chance to enjoy each other's company. Of course, I can't keep it unicorns and rainbows for the entire story, so we'll have a couple of instances of angsty-angst in the later chapters. But, for right now, let's let them just have a good time (*cries*).
So, on to other things: We had a little of our good-old 'rambly' Spencer, lol. I always really respect writers who can do Spencer's rants successfully because, God, it requires a lot of research. I thank Wikipedia for my sudden, and thorough, knowledge of the history of flight, hahaa. As for Clooney, I think it's like a stamp of honor for every Criminal Minds fanfic-writer to take a stab at describing this mysterious, never-before-seen dog. Unfortunately, I am not a dog person (I have a nice tuxedo-cat named Lola, though :3), so I had to actually look up dog breeds to figure out what I was going to make Clooney. I had originally settled on a "Chesapeake Bay Retriever," but then read that they weren't so affectionate/hyperactive, so I ultimately picked a regular Chocolate Lab. In any case, it's a cute dog :D.
As always, I love to hear from you guys, so please do comment/review if you feel so inclined! It'll make my day :D.
Until next time, y'all! Xoxo
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Pretty Boy: Reprise