Title: Advanced Communications

Rating: PG-13.

Pairing: Morgan/Reid.

Summary: "This is a bad idea," he warned, and it was.

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, nor any of the characters.

Sunday morning, Derek would usually be asleep right now, dreaming of far away places. That was not the case anymore. Derek was a taken man. Melanie St. Clair was the first and only woman Derek had ever been in a committed relationship with, and Derek was completely and utterly miserable. Why then was he in a relationship? Simple. Derek was getting older, pressure was coming down on him from all directions.

The agent felt as though he had to keep up with appearances. Derek didn't want to, trust me, but he thought Melanie would be an easy sell, but things were far from perfect. In fact, right now, he was getting chewed out. A basket full of laundry had been tossed onto the bed, a pair of black boxer briefs belonging to neither one of the parties involved. Derek was in deep, deep trouble if he couldn't come up with something quick.

"Derek, do you know who these belong to?" Derek did not want to say Spencer's name out loud, but knew he had little to no other options. Derek hated this, all of this. Derek hated putting them through this. Derek hated how much of a coward he truly was.

"They must have gotten mixed up on our last case," Derek states, halfheartedly. He wanted her to call him out. He wanted her to make him tell her the truth, the whole truth. Everything.

"Okay, then." Derek knew that she wouldn't, that wouldn't call him out. Derek also knew why she wouldn't. Melanie considered him a valuable piece of property. Derek knew she had her suspicions, but he also knew she had no proof.

A pair of another mans briefs was a far stretch, he digresses. Derek says nothing further, unwilling to acknowledge the situation entirely. The day passed on rather slowly, and the torture it caused him was great. Derek felt he deserved the anguish that fell upon his shoulders. The smell of cinnamon and other sweet spices reminds him that his two worlds were about to come face to face.

A party.

This labor day weekend was to be hell, and as the day wore on, Derek grew more and more concerned. Spencer of course knew about Melanie, it was hard to miss, but Melanie did not know about Spencer or better yet, couldn't prove it. Derek often feels conflicted about what it is he does to him. Though they both had decided that it was best to keep their relationship under wraps, Derek couldn't help but to feel guilty to have to go home to someone else every night.

Derek had no time to dwell, however, as his guests began to arrive. Derek had never been a good host. Derek had never been a host, period. Never was his thing. Melanie had insisted, and here Derek was, trying to fake his way through all of this. Aaron brought Jack, and Penelope brought Kevin. David arrived forty-five minutes late, and Seaver got lost twice on her way to his home.

Spencer is the last to arrive. Derek can't help but to look at him apologetically as he opens the door, welcoming him in. Derek doesn't believe he is actually welcoming him, though. It feels more like he's hurting him. Like he's bringing him into a world that should be theirs. Derek is beginning to wonder if they've been wrong this whole time.

Derek doesn't want to put Spencer in an uncomfortable position, but this was unbearable. Derek won't do anything at the moment. He can't. Derek is bound by a promise that he made to Spencer. A terrible, pointless promise, but a promise nonetheless.

Spencer waves awkwardly at everyone as they greet him, and tease him for being the last to arrive. It's a beautiful day outside, and Derek's busy grilling the afternoon away. Of all the bad, Derek was content to see all of the people he worked with on a day to day basis happy and able to be themselves. Derek supposes he had had one too many drinks, excusing himself to the bathroom. Washing his hands, he hears a knock at the door.

"Just a sec."

"Oh, sorry!" Derek hears Reid shout, and immediately he lounges towards the door, gripping the handle, and opening it with unnecessary force.

"Hey, Pretty Boy," Derek greets him, pulling the slender man inside and closing the door. Those naturally wide eyes grew even wider as Derek smiled wickedly. This was a dangerous and stupid idea, Derek knows, but can't seem to help himself.

"Derek, what are you doing?" Spencer questioned nervously.

Derek only wanted him close, it was all that he wanted, and he would take it anytime he could. Derek loved the smell of him. The style of his hair. Derek felt like he could achieve anything with Spencer by his side. The elder agent felt like he could breathe comfortably around him. Derek didn't feel that way about Melanie, never had. He doubted that he ever would.

"I just want some time with you."

"This is a bad idea," he warned, and it was. Derek sighed, shaking his head. Derek came to his senses, but it was too late. The door opened abruptly, and Melanie stepped in.

"Oh, my god!" she screamed loudly. Derek scrambled out of the bathroom and down the hall after her. Melanie began throwing things, and shouting curses at him.

Penelope hurried inside, keeping everyone else from entering. She yelled at the other woman to stop throwing things. When Melanie refused, Penelope threatened to call the police or worse. Melanie relented, but not before using some choice words in both Derek and Spencer's direction. Embarrassed, Spencer rushed outside. Derek chased after him, pulling him by the sleeve of his shirt, begging him to stop.

"Spencer, calm down!"

"Calm down! Calm down? Derek, the whole team knows about us! Your girlfriend just stormed out the door!"

"It's the best thing that could have ever happened."

"How? How is that the best thing that could have ever happened?"

"Because we don't have to pretend anymore, Spence," Derek spoke with such relief, but Spencer only looked at him with utter uncertainty.

"You have toothpaste on your shirt," Derek mentions casually, throwing a pen at Spencer's ducked head. The other man doesn't know what to react to first, the fact that he had toothpaste on his shirt, or the fact that Derek threw a pen at his head. Derek laughs at the look on his face, but his laughter is quickly stifled by a quick swat to the back of his head.

"Behave," Penelope chided, handing a file to Spencer that he had requested.

"Baby Girl, did you just hit me?"

"Of course, but you can't prove a thing, my dove."

The day was almost over, and Derek was eager to get home. Almost five months had passed since the incident at his house, and while things did not end well with Melanie, Derek couldn't be happier. Derek put away the last of his paperwork, stretching his sore muscles as he waited for Spencer to catch up.

Smiling, Spencer slung an arm around Derek's waist. While he wasn't a hundred percent comfortable being out with their relationship, he was warming up to the idea more and more each day. Derek couldn't ask for more. The person he went home with was the person he wanted to be with, the person he could be himself around.

The smile he returned as he pressed a kiss to his lips was truly sincere.