I Can Be Your Favorite Man
"Oh. I'm actually busy tonight, sorry." Penelope said ruefully. Derek could just picture her in her apartment, running a hand through those curls. He was correct, for the most part. Penelope brushed through her thick waves, making sure the mousse did its job. She had to look her best.
"You getting a life, princess?" He tried to sound upbeat, something he certainly didn't feel. Instead, a foreign emotion snuck into his mind and gut. Penelope could sense his unease as she adjusted her dress, a brightly colored frock that did her figure justice.
"I'm just going out for a drink with some friends." Penelope attempted nonchalance, trying to hide the lie in her voice. Of course, she had momentarily forgotten who she was talking to: Derek saw through lies for a living. Even so, in all the time she'd known him, she couldn't remember a time when she had been out with anyone but the BAU.
"Baby girl, what friends?" He chided, knowing she knew he saw right through the untruth. "I know it's not the BAU because if it were, I would have been invited, and the only other friends you have are the ones in that online role-playing game of yours. I don't suppose you're getting all dressed up for them?" He was being very self-assured about all of this, and Penelope could feel herself wanting to take a defensive stance. However, her defenses were feeble, she knew he was right, and even if she had the patience to actually have this argument, Adam would be here soon anyway. She fastened the iridescent pearl bracelet around her wrist and fluffed her hair once more as a final touch.
"All right, fine. I have a date." She admitted. "Listen, sweetheart, I gotta go, he'll be here any minute." Penelope disconnected the Bluetooth before Derek could do his cute little interrogation thing. Her date was here.
*
Derek settled down with a glass of wine and the game. Even though he had no time to follow sports, he still enjoyed watching basketball, regardless of the team. Tonight, he merely needed to unwind. As most Mondays were, this particular Monday had been a hectic one. However, it had ended without tragedy. A mother and her two abducted sons had been reunited, the unsub caught. There had been a happy ending for them; Derek just wondered where his was.
Three-quarters of an hour later, Derek still couldn't focus on the game and it bothered him. He knew it couldn't just be the wine; he'd only had a glass. He sought the answer and found it quickly, although his mind kept drifting to Penelope's words. That was precisely it. Was he…envious of her date? No, it couldn't be. It wouldn't be. He refused to believe it.
After all, Derek Morgan just didn't do jealousy. Derek Morgan did rage, sympathy, happiness, relief, depression, hope, and an entire other range of emotions, but envy was simply not in his genetic makeup. Maybe he'd just not found anything worth being jealous about until now. Penelope was certainly something worth getting jealous over…
*
Penelope had never thought she'd find the perfect man: Adam seemed to be proving her wrong the more time she spent with him. Handsome and charming, he'd showed up on her doorstep only a moment late, opened the car door for her, gallantly pulled out her chair, let her order for herself, and he was currently asking her polite but genuinely curious questions about her job. He was even studying to be a computer technician. Penelope was too incredulous to be nervous. She took a sip of her water to regain her composure and began to answer his inquiries one by one.
*
"Thank you, I had a great night." Penelope said as she and Adam prepared to part outside of her apartment. Adam leaned in and kissed her, short but sweet.
"Would you like to do this again sometime? " Adam was sincere, but Garcia actually felt herself hesitating. She questioned why she was unsure, forgetting for a minute that Adam was still waiting. Could it be because the last time she'd gone on a real date it had almost cost her her life? Before Adam had come, she had been a little apprehensive, but she had pushed those thoughts from her mind, reminding herself that not all men had ulterior motives. Penelope had thought she'd forced all of those feelings out of her head, but perhaps she hadn't, and that was what was irking her.
The conversation with Derek crept back into her mind. Of course she'd had feelings for her co-worker for well over four years, but she'd overcome those in order to avoid the discomfort it could have created if he hadn't felt the same. At least she thought she had risen above them; perhaps she was still harboring them.
After all, she had delayed until the last minute to tell him about Adam. Why had she? Had she thought it would bother him? But why would it have bothered him? Well, it surely would have bothered her if he couldn't meet with her because he had a date. Did that mean she still loved him? Penelope debated this. If she didn't want him to be with anyone else, then yes, she did.
"Penelope?" Adam's voice brought her back to the present. He was still waiting for an answer, and she hadn't figured out what to tell him.
"No, I'm sorry, I don't think so." She was sorry, but still, Adam looked slightly offended. She would have to explain. "I just don't know if I have time for a---real relationship right now. " Not with you, anyway, Penelope silently added. It was a complete lie, but a good one, and Adam seemed satisfied. The moment Adam drove away, Penelope got in her car, off on a mission of her own.
*
Derek had just unfastened the buttons of his shirt when the doorbell sounded. He had hoped a hot shower would help clear his head and put things in the correct perspective, but it appeared his shower would have to be postponed. According to the peephole, his guest was none other than Penelope, to his astonishment.
An "oh," escaped Penelope's crimson lips before he could ask her why she had showed up, and why so late. Penelope stopped admiring Derek's torso and snapped to attention; she'd seen in her peripheral vision that he'd noticed her gaze. Not only had he noticed, but he was also staring at her with an amused expression. She blushed.
"Do you have company?" She asked tentatively.
"I was just going to take a shower. Come in, give me a minute. "He beckoned her in. As he went to go turn off the water, she crossed her legs and uncrossed them, an anxious habit. When he reappeared, he'd buttoned his shirt up, to Penelope's slight disappointment. They sat on the couch, a cushion's distance away from one another. Penelope shed her heels and winced.
"C'mon, mama, hand over those tootsies." Derek motioned with a smile. Penelope laughed and semi-reluctantly placed a foot on his knee. He kneaded her left foot; a blissful smile drifted over her face. Man, he was good. Once again, Penelope felt herself getting distracted, and she couldn't be. Not when what she had to say was too important.
"Derek, I need to talk to you." She yanked her foot back, a little bit flustered. He was surprised, though he kept his cool. She straightened her dress with a flourish. "My date. His name was Adam and he's absolutely the most perfect guy in the world." Derek opened his mouth to protest, as she'd known he would. "Let me finish. This evening, he dropped me off and walked me to my door. I could have easily invited him to stay for coffee and debauchery and whatnot. Obviously, I didn't. "Her voice rose the more she spoke, gaining conviction. "Something bothered me all night. Yes, he was perfect, but you know what? He was no you. You are imperfect in the most perfect way I can say. I-I want yours to be the first face I see every morning and I want your voice to be the last I hear every night. I've been in love with you since the moment I saw you. I love you, Derek, I really do." Penelope spoke earnestly, an emotion she could safely say she felt in every pore. She waited for his response, staring at the intricate pattern on her dress so she wouldn't have to see his expression. She didn't have to wait long.
Derek tilted up her face and kissed her before she could compose herself properly. The kiss made her insides turn into gelatin, she was sure, and her head felt like it had been on a merry-go-round for too long, but Penelope wasn't complaining. It was a good feeling. Sooner than he would have preferred, Derek pulled away so he could look her in the eyes.
"Baby girl, I want all of that and more." Derek said in all honestly, and this time, when he kissed her again, Penelope was prepared and kissed him back with all the passion she could muster.
*
Five months later.
How the members of the BAU reacted to Morgan and Garcia's engagement was typical:
JJ and Emily had hugged Penelope so tightly she couldn't breathe and immediately began discussing their future brood and how gorgeous they would be.
Reid had congratulated the pair and, upon hearing the conversation among the girls, launched into an obscure statistic about children living in Virginia.
Rossi had shook Morgan's hand and wished him well.
Lastly, Hotch had said his congratulations and indulged them all with an uncharacteristic half-smile.
Some things never change.