SS&M – Part Six: Cuffing Season
A night out for Derek and Spencer with friends from Las Vegas leads to huge surprises. Part of "The Story of Spencer and Me" series. Slash. Morgan/Reid. Don't like, don't read.
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"So, ladies? Where you off to all dressed up?" Morgan asked as he stood by the elevator to go home. Thanksgiving was the next week, and the team would be on stand down. They were determined to enjoy any free time they had before they caught a case. Prentiss, Garcia, and JJ were dressed to the nine's, and he hadn't heard any chatter about plans for the night.
Derek didn't miss the smirk on Prentiss' and Garcia's faces. "We're just going for dinner. I have plans later this evening, and these two are going out to a club. Not really my thing, if you know what I mean," JJ informed as she patted her small bump.
Everyone at the office figured out JJ's pregnancy when she started showing, and they were all very supportive and kind enough not to ask what Will LaMontagne thought about the baby. Word had circulated regarding what a worthless shit he'd turned out to be. Rossi and JJ were spending a lot of time together, which Spencer had said he thought was a great thing. The newfound interest in JJ and Rossi had drawn the attention from Spencer and Derek, much to their relief.
They all parted ways when they reached the parking garage of the building. Morgan checked his watch to see how late it actually was, relieved to find Spencer would only be another hour before he got home.
Reid had started taking yoga classes at a studio near their house in Alexandria on Wednesdays. He told Morgan it was to strengthen his core which Derek had no argument for except to offer his assistance. Spence had been taking the classes since after Halloween when the team wasn't on a case.
Derek had noticed Spencer seemed a little more confident and sure on his feet. He was also developing more grace, which was definitely a turn on.
Putting that thought aside as he arrived home to a very excited Clooney who bolted out the doggie door when Derek unlocked it. He was glad Reid had talked him into installing it, even though it wasn't original to the Federalist design. It was a sacrifice with which they could live.
The answering machine was flashing, so as Morgan went to the kitchen to fill Clooney's food and water dishes, he hit the button and when he heard Spencer's voice, he smiled. There was a distinctive giggle, which meant his husband was up to no good. "Hey, honey, it's me. Well, I hope you know my voice by now. Anyway, I got a call from Randy Jackson. He and Graham are in town for a conference at NSA over the next few days. They were hoping the four of us could go out for dinner. I told him I'd check with you. As soon as class ends, I'll shower here at the gym and head home. If you don't want to go, send me a text and I'll raincheck us. Love you. Bye."
Morgan glanced up at the calendar to see it was a couple days before their three-month wedding anniversary. It was actually the three-month anniversary of the two of them admitting their love for each other. He wondered if that had something to do with Spencer's giddiness. It wouldn't surprise him if his husband planned something special. He called Reid back and left a message.
"Baby Boy, if you wanna go out tonight with Randy and Graham, I'm fine with it. Come home and we'll take one car. I'll change into somethin' nicer than what I wore to work. Love you. Be safe. Bye."
He hung up and went back to their bedroom, seeing a basket of clothes on the end of the bed. He put things away and opened their shared closet to put away the dry cleaning when he saw a navy suit with a white shirt hanging inside the door with a note.
Mr. Reid,
Please wear this. It's one of my favorites.
Dr. Morgan
"Alright now. Gettin' a little romance on. I can handle that," Morgan announced to Clooney as he settled into his large bed in the corner of the master bedroom. Morgan hurriedly stripped off, making certain to hit the hamper with his clothes so Clooney didn't run off with his drawers as he always did with Spencer's.
He quickly showered, trimmed up his stubble and head, and returned to the bedroom to dress. When he opened his underwear drawer, he saw the box where they kept their wedding rings, and he decided that since it was a special occasion, and Randy and Graham knew about their marriage, there was no harm in wearing their rings for the night.
Just as he was pulling on an undershirt, he heard voices coming in through the front door. He hurriedly donned his dress shirt and grabbed his jacket, socks and loafers in hand as he headed toward the noise.
He saw Spencer standing with Randy and Graham, both of who were dressed up very nicely. "Well, now, y'all look purdy. Where's the sexy red dress, Randy?" Morgan joked as he walked over to his Pretty Boy for a kiss. Every time one of them left or came home, they made sure to renew their connection. It was too precious to forget how much they loved each other. The day may come when one of them doesn't walk back in that door.
"Mmm. You smell good. I'm gonna go change. I showered at the gym, but I wanna change. Get them drinks, will you?" Spencer asked.
Morgan smiled and held up his left hand upon which his wedding ring rested on his ring finger with Spencer's ring on his pinky. "We're goin' out. Will you wear it?" he asked.
He chuckled at the pink on Spencer's cheeks as he held out his left hand. Derek slipped the ring on it before pulling his husband closer to give him another kiss. "Hurry up and go change," Morgan ordered with a pat to Spencer's ass.
After he watched Spencer walk down the hallway, he turned to see the Jacksons were holding a laugh. "Y'all brothers are jaded. You been together too long," he teased as he went to the wet bar in the corner of the living room he'd installed recently when he reworked the fireplace, changing out the charred, white brick which was reminiscent of the seventies for some recovered red brick from about the same period of the house. He'd practiced on a brick bar-be-que grill in the back yard before he targeted the fireplace, having never done anything of the sort before he bought the house in Old Town.
Derek pulled down three glasses and turned to the couple, holding up a bottle of Hennessey. "If I remember correctly," he offered. The other two men nodded, so Derek poured two fingers in each glass and grabbed a red wine glass, opening a bottle of Australian Shiraz he knew Spencer loved. He handed the two men their drinks and placed Spencer's on a coaster on the coffee table.
"So, you two still on the DL?" Graham asked as he touched his glass with his husband's.
"I wanna shout from the rooftop of Quantico, but Spence is afraid we'll be split up. You two are in two different areas of LVPD, but we both work in the same unit, on the same team. Neither of us wants to leave, but according to protocol, one of us would be transferred. I don't believe our ability to do our jobs would be affected by a ring on our fingers. Hell, if anything, I'd be more careful, and I'd expect Spence to be as well, but our Section Chief isn't looking out for anyone's happiness, if you know what I mean. Did the two of you work together when you hooked up?" Morgan asked.
Graham laughed. "As a matter of fact, yeah. I was his L-T when he transferred to Robbery/Homicide after he passed the Detective's exam. Back then, my beautiful husband was sporting a 'fro like Don Cornelius." The three of them laughed.
"It made me look a little older and more street savvy because I was only twenty-five. The other guys in the department hated me, so I thought if I looked a little more ghetto, I'd have an easier time," Randy explained.
Graham laughed. "Mr. Randall Osborne-Jackson grew up in Manhattan on the upper east side. His father's a lawyer and his mother's an account manager at Goldman-Sachs. When Randy took the job in Vegas…for reasons we won't discuss…they weren't happy to learn he was runnin' 'round with a boy from South Georgia."
Morgan noticed a little tension between them just as Spencer walked into the living room in a pair of charcoal slacks with a matching waistcoat over a lavender-colored shirt with a deep purple scarf. He looked very, very handsome.
Derek reached out for Spencer's hand and pulled him down onto his lap in the Queen Ann chair to the left of the couch where the Jackson men were sitting. Spencer leaned forward and grabbed his glass of wine. "Cheers," he said to the group as he touched glasses with Derek.
After a sip, Spencer hummed, which Derek felt all the way to his balls. "What's wrong? The three of you seem very tense."
Randall laughed, breaking the tension. "Graham has one Achilles heel…the reason I moved to Las Vegas in the first place. I was dating a dancer who couldn't cut it on Broadway, but he landed a gig in Vegas working at the MGM. I moved with him, and we lasted three months before I found out he was cheating on me. He left Vegas to go to LA, but I stayed. I liked it at the station, and the eye candy walkin' around wasn't too bad, even if it was hands off," Randy teased as he squeezed Graham's knee.
"Baby, if I recall correctly, that lasted about six-months before you took the exam and moved under me…literally and figuratively." The four of them laughed and left the house, taking the rental Graham and Randall had driven.
Spencer directed them to Chart House on Cameron. They valeted the SUV and the four men headed inside the restaurant. After Spencer gave his name for the reservation, they were seated with a view of the Potomac, and they each commented on how lovely it actually was with the lights from the District glistening on the water.
"This place is great," Randy stated, with Graham nodding in agreement.
"I hoped it would be good. A friend recommended it to me. I was also told…Oh! I forgot to ask if you guys have any seafood allergies. There are meat and poultry selections as well. I should have asked when I invited…" Spencer began, stopping to glance at Derek.
Morgan stared at him as a slow smile began to appear. "You planned this, didn't you?"
He saw Spencer's face flush. "Randall told me they were coming to town, so I asked if they could come a day early to celebrate with us. I wanted to surprise you."
Without thought, Derek leaned forward and kissed Spencer gently on the lips. When he heard knives tapping against glasses, he looked at their friends who were looking at the tables behind them. He turned to see Hotch, Rossi, Prentiss, JJ, and Garcia, all smiling brightly.
"Shit," Spencer hissed.
"Fancy meeting you two here," Garcia greeted as she rose from her seat next to JJ who was sitting next to Rossi.
"Uh, Pen, what are you guys doing here? I thought you girls had plans," Morgan reminded.
Prentiss laughed and rose from her chair, walking over to the table and extending her hand to Randall Jackson. "SSA Emily Prentiss."
He rose from his chair, along with Graham. "Detective Randall Jackson, LVPD. This is my…"
"Captain Graham Jackson, Internal Affairs, LVPD," Graham introduced, glancing at Morgan.
Garcia looked up at them and smiled. "Detective Jackson, I believe we owe the safekeeping of our Boy Genius to your quick thinking. On behalf of the BAU, thank you for your actions when Spencer was being stalked. Sometimes, it seems Spencer and Derek believe they're their own little team. Glad you were able to come to town to celebrate," she greeted with a glint in her eye Derek recognized as trouble.
He slipped off his ring and began tugging at Reid's under the table. Spencer pulled his hand away and turned to Derek. "We might as well be honest, babe. I don't want to leave the BAU either, but I won't deny you outright." Reid then stood from his chair and walked over to the table where Hotch, Rossi, and JJ were still seated.
"Glad you could all make it to help us celebrate," Reid offered as he shook hands and hugged JJ.
"Uh, what are we celebrating?" Morgan asked. Garcia laughed and turned to look at the group. "Cuffing Season. It's a fall occurrence when cold weather begins to settle in. People go look for a co-hibernator.
"Clearly, the Messrs. Jackson have already dealt with the issue. You and 187 appear to be taking the step. Rossi and JJ are burrowed in more often than not, and well, I've got my own person to cuff…though, he's not cool with the term. Oh! Here's our last guest," Garcia greeted as Ashley Seaver was shown into the glass-enclosed room. Everyone was shocked when Emily went over to her and kissed her cheek, taking her hand to introduce her to the two men she wouldn't know.
When Garcia went over to sit down next to Hotch, he put his arm around her shoulders and leaned over to kiss her temple, whispering something into her ear which made her laugh. She turned to him and gave him a playful slap. Morgan nearly fell out of his chair watching the two of them.
He turned to Reid who was smiling like a jack-o-lantern. "Did you set this up? Is this our coming out party?"
Reid was about to answer when Rossi stood as three waiters walked into the room bearing champagne. After the glasses were filled, Rossi raised his, prepared to toast as usual when the group gathered together.
"Friends…and new friends, it's always nice to get together to celebrate the little things in life, which we've done at my home many times. It's also nice to get together to celebrate the bigger things in life, like the not-so-surprising news that Spencer and Derek are a couple, or the news that Emily is dating Ashley, or that JJ and I have agreed to spend time together during her pregnancy and after. Anyone else?" Rossi offered. He pointedly looked at Hotch, whose face turned red enough to make Morgan laugh and Spencer giggle.
"Fine. All revelations are to be kept among the team…and the Las Vegas PD, apparently," Hotch laughed when Graham and Randy waved at him.
"As I look around these three tables, I see people who I've come to see as my family, and I've always wanted a family with whom I could share the good days and the bad. We've all shared those on the job, and a few of a personal nature be they happy or sad, but this is the type of gathering I've always hoped we could have. A reason to get together to celebrate being happy.
"Over the years, I've learned some things about each of you by observation because, well, I'm a profiler," Hotch said as everyone laughed.
Morgan reached into his pocket and pulled out his wedding ring, putting it back on his hand as he threw his arm around Spencer's shoulders, pulling him closer. Hotch continued. "I've always valued my relationships with all of you. I've gone through things in my personal life I can't imagine surviving without your love and support. You've all been really great, but Garcia… Penelope has come to be very special to me. Working with her over the years, you all know how much she loves all of us and how she's always there for us when we need her? She's been there for me a lot more lately, and we've began a monogamous relationship.
"As far as the Bureau goes, these relationships stay within our group. If things get serious enough that we're starting to plan weddings, then we'll have to do some creative bookkeeping to keep it off the Administration's radar. As a lawyer, I have many creative and quasi-legal ways I can suggest. So, here's to us…one of the most dysfunctional, highest functioning unit's in the FBI." With that, everyone raised a glass and toasted.
Spencer looked at Morgan with a smile. "Guess we better make an appointment with him. We need to cover our asse…assets. Here's to us," he whispered. The two drank and then gently kissed, hearing applause around them. It was a wonderful way to celebrate three months of being together…and three months of wedded bliss, but the group didn't know about that yet. There would be time for it later.
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[E/N: I couldn't resist with winter coming on. I'd really love to have a least one review because it looks like my story isn't good enough for even one person to read it. Part 5 didn't get any reviews. Please just one smiley face?]