Tomorrow
Disclaimer: The only part of Criminal Minds I own is the first four seasons on DVD.
A/N: This is the sequel to Always Tomorrow many of you asked for it so here it is. Don't forget reviews are always appreciated. Enjoy!
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Sunlight shone bright through the small gap in the curtains straight into Spencer's eyes. He groaned and squeezed his eyes tight attempting to block out more light. He moved a hand over his face, rubbing his eyes, trying to decide if he could get back to sleep, with the sunlight burning pink on his eyelids trying to penetrate and scorch his retinas.
Deciding he was fighting a losing battle, he slowly cracked one eye open and peered at his blurry surroundings. It took him a few slow blinks before he realized he was in Derek's cabin. Spencer reached his hand out cautiously towards the end table looking for his glasses. He had a moment of elation as his fingers brushed against something. Belatedly realizing it was the glass, still half full of water he'd left there the night before, and Spencer felt a moment of dread as he felt himself nudge it off the table. He braced himself for the impact as the glass hit the floor and shattered.
"They're on the coffee table." Spencer jumped violently and whipped his head towards the familiar voice belonging to the blurry figure in the recliner. Reaching down Spencer snatched his glasses off the coffee table, with only a little fumbling, and shoved them on his nose; bring Derek Morgan, who was covered in a blue throw with his eyes still closed, into focus.
"How did you—?" Spencer questioned unable to be completely coherent in his still half asleep state.
"Spencer, this is not the first time I've heard you patting around for your glasses, you know. Though," Derek paused and cracked one eye open and stared at Spencer. "Usually nothing gets broken."
Spencer's eyes dropped to the floor to stare at the broken glass. "I'm so sorry Derek. I—"
"Don't be." Derek held up a hand to cut Spencer's rambling. "It was my fault. I should have moved the glass last night when you fell asleep. I should have known by your head would be the first place you looked."
At the mention of the previous night Spencer looked panic stricken. "Oh no, Derek, your dinner. You had something to tell me and I fell asleep."
Derek stood. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't so important it couldn't wait. You looked as though you needed sleep."
Spencer nodded absently. "I'm still really sorry." Derek shook his head and Spencer looked at the recliner behind him, a puzzled look coming over his face. "Why were you sleeping in the chair?"
Derek glanced away from Spencer's gaze sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess I was more tired than I thought and I just didn't make it to bed." He hoped Spencer didn't question him any further and breathed a sigh of relief when Spencer shrugged in understanding. "You must be starving. Why don't you get cleaned up and I'll start breakfast."
Derek was standing over the stove cooking what looked like bacon when Spencer came out of the bathroom, drying his hair. He inhaled deeply letting the smells of a home cooked breakfast wash over him.
Derek glanced over at Spencer as he sat down in front of a pre-poured cup of coffee and began to dump copious amounts of sugar and milk into the cup. A soft smile came over Derek's face as he turned back to stove; Spencer had no idea how cute Derek found, even the mundane things he did, like fixing his coffee.
"How do you like your eggs?" Derek knew the answer, but he thought he'd ask anyway.
"Uh, over medium, I guess." Spencer stirred his coffee. The traces of the, what he would have called, romantic table setting, from the night before, had disappeared. He began to wonder what Derek wanted to tell him. Usually when he came up, they ate burgers, steaks, or things that generally involved live flames; things men usually drank beer with, or so he'd been told, he personally detested the taste of beer. Last night, however, there had been wine glasses and candles and though Spencer had been exhausted, and in a general bad mood because of driving at night in the rain, he'd notice that Derek had been closer, more in his personal bubble, than normal. He hoped for a briefest second it meant what he thought it did, but quickly dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come. Derek liked girls.
"Here you go." Derek said setting a plate with bacon and eggs in front of Spencer as well as a plate full of fluffy pancakes in the middle of the table. Spencer stared at his plate not sure he could eat it all.
"Do you want juice or milk?" Derek asked from by the fridge where he was pouring a glass of each for himself.
"Milk please." Spencer looked at his food then at Derek. "I don't know if I can eat all of this." Derek set the milk in front of Spencer and plopped into the seat across from him with his own plate of food. "You always make so much food when I come over." Spencer paused, "I'd be fine with a bowl of cereal."
Derek grabbed a pancake off the middle stack and placed it on an empty plate. "Spencer," he chuckled. "I like cooking for you. Besides, as my momma would say, 'You could use a home cooked meal, put some meat on your bones.'"
Spencer laughed. "I have a feeling your mother would say that about you, and you're all muscle."
"How do you think I got it all?" Derek questioned with a grin.
The two ate in companionable silence for a while, Derek sneaking glances at Spencer every now and again with Spencer doing the same. Both smiling sheepishly when they were caught, neither one really knowing why or what it meant.
"So what do you have in mind for the day?" Spencer asked, as he put down his utensils, unable to eat another bite.
Derek shrugged. What he had hoped would happen could no longer take place, unless… no. He didn't want to tell Spencer his feelings, not like this, not over the breakfast table. He would tell him tonight at dinner like he'd planned. Derek looked over Spencer's clothes, instead of his normal sweater vest, button up, blazer, and khakis, Spencer had put on a pair of faded and worn jeans and, what looked to be a vintage, t-shirt. "We could go hiking. You look dressed for it."
Spencer blushed lightly, color pinking his cheeks. "Sure. I even bought hiking boots after the last time." His blush darkened at Derek's chuckle and he ducked his head.
"Good. Loafers don't make good hiking shoes." Derek cleared the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. "Let me get changed and we'll head out."
--
Spencer was exhausted; he plopped down on Derek's sofa with a smile on his face. He and Derek had hiked for most of the day. Exploring all of Derek's land. The woods had been beautiful, trees just coming into bloom, new flora and fauna everywhere. Coming from Las Vegas and staying inside most of his childhood, studying, Spencer had never really seen the beauty of nature.
Derek came in and sat down next to Spencer on the couch. "Where do you keep all that knowledge?" During their hike Spencer had pointed out different plants and animals to Derek, giving common and scientific names, and a little information on each one. It had made Derek smile, Spencer always got excited when imparting knowledge to people; it made his eyes light up and sparkle, in Derek opinion. Derek wondered why Spencer hadn't become a teacher.
"I have an eidetic memory, remember." Spencer yawned.
"Falling asleep on me again, Pretty Boy?" Derek asked as Spencer closed his eyes.
"Sorry," Spencer said, his eyes snapping open.
"Don't be. We did traipse all over the place. Why don't you take a nap and I'll wake you for dinner."
"Are you sure? I could help." Spencer started to get up.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Derek wanted to make everything he had planned last night and he couldn't do it with Spencer under foot.
"You didn't eat much at lunch; I don't want you passing out around hot objects." Images of lunch flashed in Spencer's mind. He and Derek had stopped by a little brook where Derek produced sandwiches. Spencer had taken his and gone to the edge of the brook, for some reason he had always liked the sound of running water. He'd been, slowly chewing, and thinking how nice a spot it was when he was suddenly splashed with water. He looked up to see Derek crouched a couple of feet away filling their water bottles, at the edge of the stream, a not so innocent smile on his lips. Spencer dipped his hand into the water and splashed back, sandwich forgotten.
"Why don't you go sleep in your bedroom." Derek's voice broke Spencer from his reverie. "You'll get a bad crick in your neck of you keep falling asleep on the couch." Derek held out his hand to help Spencer up.
Spencer grabbed Derek's hand, stumbled a bit, and then quickly righted himself. "Don't worry, I promise I'll wake you for dinner this time. You can't escape my company tonight." Seeing Spencer's mouth open ready to voice protest he smiled and continued. "I'm joking. Go. Sleep." He gave Spencer a slight push to get started; smiling as Spencer yawned again as he entered the guest bedroom.
--
Spencer awoke, from a lovely dream, his nostrils assaulted by an array of decadent smells, Derek's hand on his shoulder. "Dinner's almost ready," Derek said softly. He had changed for his hiking gear into a nice button down and slacks.
Spencer sat up and stretched. "Be there in a minute?" Spencer knew he would have to take out and rewet his contacts after falling asleep in them. He also wanted to change. He had a feeling Derek was going to tell him that important thing and he didn't want to be in dirty hiking clothes. It just didn't seem right.
"Take your time. It's not going anywhere." Derek said as he left to go check on the foods progress.
When Spencer stepped out of the room a few minutes later, feeling refreshed and somehow more comfortable in his normal attire, the first thing he noticed was that the table setting from the night before was back, candles and all.
"Derek, this looks great," he said as he stepped into the kitchen where Derek was putting something in the oven.
Derek, who had jumped slightly at the sound of Spencer's voice, turned around. "Thanks." Derek walked over and pulled out Spencer's chair motioning him to sit down. "Uh, have a seat." Derek was uncharacteristically nervous. Spencer sat; it amused him slightly, generally he was the one who fumbled for words when it came to social situations, not Derek.
Derek placed a plate of stuffed mushrooms in the center of the table like he had done with the pancakes that morning. Unlike that morning, however, the air seemed thicker; full of something Spencer couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Wine?" Derek held the bottle for Spencer to examine like a waiter in a restaurant.
"Yes please." Spencer wasn't much of a drinker, but he enjoyed the taste of a good wine on special occasions, and while he wasn't sure what was going on or what Derek had in mind, he felt this was one of those occasions.
Derek poured Spencer and himself some wine and sat across from Spencer. He wasn't sure how to begin. How did one start a conversation that could change one's whole life? "Let's eat."
Spencer could tell as he took one of the stuffed mushrooms onto his plate that wasn't all Derek had wanted to say.
They ate in silence. Spencer wasn't sure what to say to ease Derek's nervousness. He watched him closely when Derek got up to get the second course.
After a few more minutes of eating in silence Spencer couldn't take it anymore. "This is really good, Derek. Where did you learn to cook?" Spencer spun linguini on his fork as he waited for Derek's answer.
"My mom taught me. When she was teaching my sisters she made me learn as well. Thought it was something everyone should know how to do." He looked up at Spencer and his face momentarily fell. He knew Spencer's mother had never really been lucid enough to teach Spencer anything hands on. Everything he knew was from common sense and books. "I could teach you sometime if you want."
Spencer smiled hoping to ease some of the tension. "I'd like that. It'd be nice to have home cooked meals instead of take out all the time."
Derek knew now was the perfect time to tell Spencer, but just as he opened his mouth, the over timer went off.
Derek jumped up and Spencer frowned, some things just had the worst timing. He watched Derek pull a cake out of the oven and set it to cool.
When Derek sat back at the table Spencer said, "Derek, what has got you so on edge?" Derek had seemed fine when they had been hiking in the woods and Spencer couldn't think of anything that had happened unless it had happened while he had been asleep.
"Nothing," Derek said unconvincingly as he stared down at his pasta. The moment had been lost. This was harder than he thought.
"Derek," Spencer said laying a hand on his arm. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
Derek looked up at Spencer and laughed bitterly. "Did I ever tell you I was an idiot and a nutcase, Pretty Boy?" Spencer shook his head now thoroughly confused. Derek continued, "I can charm any girl I put my mind to, but I can't tell my best friend I like him." Derek stopped.
Spencer's hand tightened on Derek's arm. "You like me?" Spencer questioned as Derek looked at the table and refused to meet his eyes, afraid of what he might find.
"Yeah, I do. I've wanted to tell you for a while. I could just never work up the courage."
Spencer slid his hand down so it rested on top of Derek's own and squeezed. "Good." Derek looked up at Spencer confused. "Now," he continued. "I won't feel so bad about jumping your bones tonight after you've fallen asleep."
Derek face changed to one of shock and Spencer laughed causing Derek to smile then join him. "I have got to stop letting you hang out with Baby Girl."
Spencer's laugh quieted as Derek cleared away their plates and brought desert to the table.
"Hey Derek," Spencer said catching his hand before he could sit back down. "I like you too."
Derek smiled and gave Spencer's hand a squeeze. He was glad he waited. This was perfect.
"So," Spencer said, after a while, finishing up his cake. "What do you want to do tomorrow?"
Derek look up at him grabbing his hand and just smiled.