December 14th, 2006

Reid/JJ

"Ready to go?"

Reid stood in JJ's office doorway, looking at her with all the eagerness of an excited child.

She gave him an amused glance. Yesterday, as the two of them were leaving work, Reid had cryptically told her to "be ready at five" today, because he had a present for her. JJ didn't even need to look at a clock to check the current time.

"Yep, all ready. But why can't you just tell me what this is all about?"

"I told you yesterday, it's a surprise. Shall we go, then?" He offered his arm to her, and she threaded her arm in with his. She managed to resist going the extra step and leaning up against him while resting her head on his shoulder. Reid, meanwhile, tried desperately not to think about holding her hand. Best not to push your luck.

JJ barely noticed the beautiful scenery out the window during the entirety of the car ride with Reid. She was too busy grinning at him as he drove them to their destination. He had a pleased smile on his face, the excitement still shining in his eyes. His happy mood was becoming increasingly infectious.

He chanced a glance over at her at one point. "What?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Nothing. You just look really adorable right now." Ooh. Was that going too far?

Reid turned a faint shade of red and cleared his throat. "Um, thanks," he murmured. His eyes then caught a sign up ahead. "Almost there," he said, perhaps a bit too quickly.

A few minutes later, the car turned off into a small lot. JJ looked out at the rows of evergreen trees, then turned to Reid. "Spence?" she asked

Reid's face was now bashful. He cleared his throat once again. "I remembered you talking last year about how you and your family used to go out and get a tree for Christmas, and how you missed that tradition. We could've done this last year, but we didn't really get the time, so…"

JJ stared at Reid, a hand to her chest. "Oh, Spence…" she whispered. "That's really sweet of you…but…"

"But what?" Oh, no. Don't tell me I screwed this up somehow.

"Well, I live in an apartment. It's hard to get an actual tree in there."

"I thought about that. That's why this place is perfect. There's smaller versions of real trees here. Less hassle, but you can still have a real tree if you want one."

JJ smiled. Of course. I should've known he'd think of everything. Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned over and, placing a hand on his shoulder, kissed him on the cheek. As she pulled back, she bit back a giggle as Reid's face became even redder. "Thanks, Spence," she whispered, her hand lingering for a moment longer.

"Anytime," Reid said softly.

The two of them wandered the lot for a while, inspecting the various trees, discussing which ones looked best (and in Reid's case, discussion led to a lengthy little lecture on the various types of trees and their strengths). Finally, JJ found one that was on the taller side, yet still easy for her to carry and still big enough to decorate.

Upon returning home, Reid walked JJ to her door. He was surprised when JJ set the tree down and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thanks again for today," she said, looking up at him.

The bright, happy look on her face made this all the more worth it to Reid. "You're welcome," he said, tentatively returning the hug.

He began to feel slightly nervous as JJ's gaze became more intense. Suddenly, he felt her soft lips on his, her hands pressing against his back a little more firmly. The kiss was brief, but the warm feelings from it shot from Reid's head to his feet.

They parted, letting out nervous chuckles. Reid tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. "Um…so, I, uh…I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?" he asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, see you tomorrow." JJ looked down, startled at how quickly she'd gone from bold to incredibly shy.

Another moment, and Reid finally turned to leave. He was a few steps away before he heard JJ call out, "Hey, Spence?"

He turned back. "Yeah?"

Her boldness was back again. "Would you like to stay and help me decorate this?" She motioned to the tree, still sitting in front of her door.

She grinned upon seeing that earlier smile return to Reid's face. "Absolutely," he said, heading back towards her.