Always Tomorrow
Disclaimer: The only part of Criminal Minds I own is the first four seasons on DVD.
A/N: As always reviews are welcome and appreciated. Enjoy.
Spencer Reid hated driving at night; he especially hated driving at night in the rain.
Spencer was driving to one of Derek's many houses, this one a cottage in the woods, to spend the weekend with him. Derek had asked Spencer earlier that week; saying he had something important to discuss with him and would he mind coming up to the cabin. Spencer who had been to the cabin a few times before didn't see the problem and had readily agreed.
Another car came towards Spencer and he was momentarily blinded. He gripped the steering wheel, hard, and took his foot off the accelerator, staring intently at the white line on his right, trying to follow its curve and not drive off the road.
The car passed and Spencer let out a breath of relief he didn't know he'd been holding till it passed through his lips. He flipped a switch on the car and the headlights' power magnified. If he hadn't already told Derek he would be there Spencer would have turned around when it began to rain.
Though he'd driven to Derek's cottage a couple of times before; he hated doing it in the dark. Since the last time, his vision had gotten worse, he could barely see the road as it was, and without his high beams on he felt he was driving in total darkness. It didn't sit well with him.
When he finally pulled into the driveway of Derek's cottage, he cut the engine, and just sat there for a moment. He turned his neck hearing it pop as he twisted it. He rolled his shoulders trying to ease the tension out of them from being hunched over the steering wheel. He uncurled his hands and flexed his fingers a few times loosening the joints where his knuckles had turned white. Letting out a final breath a relief and licking his lips he stepped out of the car and grabbed his things hurrying to the front door.
"Hey!" Derek opened the door before Spencer could even raise a hand to knock. He pulled the old battered suitcase out of Spencer's hand and motioned him into the cottage. Spencer could see the dinning room behind Derek and what looked like the table setting for an elaborate meal for two complete with unlit candles. Derek continued speaking bring Spencer's attention back to him. "You look tense. What happened?"
"I hate driving in the dark." Spencer rubbed his eyes. He could feel the headache forming behind them. "And I hate driving in the rain." Derek looked out as he shut the door to see the rain start falling in sheets before his eyes.
Derek guided Spencer into the living room and pushed him onto the couch, where Spencer gratefully sank into the plush cushions and closed his eyes. When he reopened them a few minutes later Derek was standing before him, suitcase gone, holding a glass of water, a few pills, and Spencer's glasses case.
Spencer reached out and took all three; popping the pills and taking a gulp of the water, which he then sat down on an end table nearby,
"You look exhausted. What happened after I left the office yesterday?" Derek asked as Spencer pulled out his contacts and dropped them into the case already filled with solution.
"Mounds of paperwork," Spencer said putting on his glasses and pushing them higher on the bridge of his nose. "And," he let out a sigh. "Hotch called me to do a quick consult." Derek winced in sympathy, he knew how much energy even a small consult took. "All in all it was just hectic." Spencer rolled his shoulders and his neck popped again. Derek noticed the tension in Spencer's muscles and pushed him to one end of the couch, instructing Spencer to sit with his back to Derek.
Once Spencer was settled, though it was with much protest that Derek refused to hear, Derek placed his hands at Spencer's neck and began to knead and work the knots and tightness out of Spencer's back and shoulders. Spencer groaned contently under Derek's ministrations and slowly his eyes drifted closed. Before Derek knew it Spencer was asleep against him the last of the tension draining from his shoulders.
Derek eased himself out from under Spencer and covered him with the afghan resting on the back of the couch. Derek looked down, no matter how many times he saw the kid asleep, on the jet to and from cases, in their, sometimes, shared hotel rooms, even the rare occasions at his desk when exhaustion simply over took him, it still amazed Derek how peacefully and young Spencer looked asleep.
Derek bent down and gently removed Spencer's glasses from his face and placed him on the coffee table within easy reach for the genius when he awoke. He brushed a piece of hair back form Spencer's forehead. Derek had planned a nice home cooked dinner and a fantastic desert, but it could wait. For now he would just let Spencer sleep, he needed it; Derek would just listen to the rain and be waiting when he Spencer finally woke up, whatever time that would be. After all, Derek thought, there was always tomorrow.