A/N: I...don't know where the inspiration for this came from to be perfectly honest. I know a lot of people may not be Jordan Todd fans or anything like that, and I know that she is no longer on the show but this came anyways. I hope someone finds this enjoyable and I welcome any reviews! : )
Disclaimer: I don't own CM or any of it's characters. The closest I get to the CM gang is wearing mismatched argyle socks and glasses with a wicked awesome frame. : )
She didn't belong there.
Jordan Todd sank her weary body into one of the plush seats encircling the small wooden table of the BAU kitchenette. She let her head rest on her hand, slender fingers cupping her caramel toned face as she let her eyes wander towards the window. The rivulets of raindrops skittering across the pane glass were hypnotic and soon she found herself drowning out the churning of the percolator.
She didn't have a place there. She learned that mere seconds after the glowing blonde with a swollen belly was whisked away in a haze of exuberance and panic, leaving a whirlwind of chaos and the incessant ringing of more telephones than she could process. From that moment on she had an internal battle that no one else would ever be privy to. It wasn't the job that she had grave difficulty with. Despite how it may have appeared on the surface, she had a grasp on it for the most part. No, the job wasn't what kept her up at night...it was the people.
Years she had spent maneuvering her way through her career, fighting a battle that most of the players weren't even aware they were a part of. Being in a high powered job as a "triple minority" put quite the heavy load on her slender but strong shoulders. She was a woman, African-American, and by most standards pretty, which meant she had to work thrice as hard to be taken seriously. It wasn't something that bothered her tremendously, it just was what it was. That being said, it didn't prepare her for the obstacle she faced at the BAU. It wasn't her gender, race, or physical attributes that interfered. It was her position. She had managed to impede on the rarest of rare things that could be found in her field, a family. A family in which everyone served a purpose and everyone had a role. Her years in the job force hadn't prepared her for that, for she had never actually encountered any employees of any place who were quite like the crew at the BAU.
It wasn't that they weren't accepting. On the contrary actually, they welcomed her with open arms and whole hearts. The only issue being they did have a tendency to expect her to behave and do the job in a similar manner as her predecessor. No, they were very accepting which was one more thing she wasn't prepared for. In her quest to prove herself capable, in that way in which she had grown accustom to, she had managed to further alienate herself right out the gate. She didn't do the job justice in the way that the beloved middle sister with the warm presence did, which made the others long for the return of JJ. She more or less made the protective older brother, Derek, feel like an idiot on more than one occasion and shut him out from the very beginning. His kinship to the eccentric tech analyst, not to mention her extreme closeness to JJ, meant that she would never be in the lovable little sister's good graces. Then there was the patriarch of the family, Hotch. She successfully managed to butt heads with him on more than one occasion and he was probably the most difficult to deal with due to his favoring the blonde Communications Liasion the most. She had the easiest time with the laid back Uncle and the overly friendly eldest sister. Rossi was cordial and even supportive, perhaps sympathizing with her because he himself was the latest addition to the family and Emily's need to be accepted and to accept everyone meant that she remained just as kind and supportive. The bonds formed amongst the people around her were unshakeable. She felt like an intruder encroaching on dangerous territory. Or in the case of this family, she felt like the foster child, the stepsister, the cousin twice removed.
She sighed again, tapping her fingers on the table in anticipation of the much needed caffeine. She caught a flash in her peripheral vision and she couldn't help but smile when she seen Emily making her way towards the small kitchen. Maybe she would have some company after all. Emily's brisk pace slowed when Derek Morgan caught her arm and motioned for her to follow him. Emily flashed a smile and a courtesy wave in Jordan's direction before disappearing out of sight.
So much for having company.
She didn't bother hiding the crestfallen expression that most likely distorted her otherwise stunning face. No one was around to see it anyhow.
"Good morning Agent Todd," Spencer Reid's voice broke through as he loped into the kitchen area. He gave her one of his shy smiles, a tuft of hair falling into his eyes as he dropped his head awkwardly.
She felt her back stiffen at his very presence. She could never forget the youngest in the family. Spencer Reid was the baby brother of the bunch. He rivaled only Garcia in the rank for favorite among the team, eliciting as much protection and love as he did good natured teasing. In another universe he would have been the outcast or black sheep of the family, but in the contorted reality that was the BAU he was inspiration...the center of it. Although, in another universe she wouldn't have found herself so shamefully in...lust...with him.
"D-dr. Reid, Good Morning," she stuttered, silently admonishing herself for such an overt display of weakness. She felt a flush of heat inflame her cheeks and despite her better judgment she ducked her head down, hoping that a curtain of wavy long hair would conceal it.
"Oh, uh, I told you before y-you can call me Spencer..." he paused long enough to stumble into the seat across from her, momentarily embarrassed over his ungraceful seating, before flashing her that irresistible sheepish grin.
"Or Reid. You can call me that too if you like. The others usually call me one or the other. Dr. Reid can be so...so formal..."
She knew he was speaking but she hadn't consciously caught up to what he had actually been saying. She was too busy watching his lips move, her breath hitching every time he licked them. A nervous habit of his no doubt. When he spoke he spoke with his hands, they flailed about in an excited fashion as if he were passionate about whatever it was he was explaining. She should have really been listening but she couldn't really concentrate on his words so she smiled and nodded her head on occasion. He was always moving. When he finished making a point his hands would wrap themselves around the coffee mug in front of him and he would fiddle with the handle of the cup with one hand, running his fingers across the brim of the cup with the other. It was practically tantalizing and she couldn't help but wonder what those fingers would feel like against her skin.
"Oh, coffee's ready!" he exclaimed, a little too excited than one should be at such a prospect. His brown eyes lit up in a way that made him appear even more boyish and innocent and she couldn't help but smile.
She attempted to rise from her seat, coffee mug in hand, but he shook his sandy head and reached for her mug, his long fingers barely brushing her own. "I-I'll get it," he croaked before clearing his throat and heading towards the coffee machine.
Any argument she had never made it past her lips as she was subsequently distracted by the view. She always had a fondness for the nerds, ever since her early days of high school where she actually was categorized as one. Those days before she grew into her looks and broke away from endless novels, just long enough to communicate with the opposite sex. Reid was exactly the type of guy she found herself attracted to.
She watched him walk away, his back towards her, giving her the perfect opportunity to take in his firm derriere. His loosely fitting dress slacks left more to the imagination but if she squinted...if she squinted she could see it. He tripped over his own feet and she caught a glimpse of his socks, one argyle sock and one solid, neither being a match pattern wise nor color wise and she did her best to stifle the giggle that escaped her lips. She watched his shoulders tense a bit, his realization of her finding his slip up humorous, but he went back to work in seconds.
Somewhere in the distance she could hear him droning on about some insignificant fact or another, no doubt. Sporadic words... "coffee bean" and "Europe" penetrated her ogling every few seconds. His tall, lean frame was towering over the coffee machine as he busied himself with the simple task. Beneath his sweater vest, the sleeves of his button down shirt were shoved just above his elbows and she could see the tendons and muscles in his forearm contract every so often as he maneuvered around the tiny space. His head was bowed forward, his long, unruly locks of hair falling into his eyes and she noticed the splotches of hot liquid speckling the counter. He rolled his lips between his teeth in concentration as he wiped up the apparent mess he had made on the counter surface. She bit her own lip at the sight and briefly shut her eyes, exhaling slowly in an effort to clear her head.
"Would you like a little cream in your coffee?"
Her eyes fluttered open quickly and she suddenly noticed the steaming mug that had been placed before her. Her delayed senses were gradually catching up to her and suddenly she was more alert and aware. A faint oceanic smell tickled her nose before the pungent aroma of the coffee beans took over. She could feel the heat radiating from his body as he hovered behind her. His warm breath was tickling the side of her neck and her ear. His hair was mere inches away from hers. His palm was pressed against the table before her, the other hand most likely resting on the back of her chair as he patiently waited for her to respond. If she could ever command her brain to respond that was.
"W-what was that?" she whispered, unable to gain access to her full voice.
His brow furrowed slightly and he pursed his lips. She could tell he was trying to dissect the cause of her being so flustered. "Your coffee. Would you... like a little cream in your coffee?"
His voice was somehow huskier as he whispered his inquiry this time, taking into consideration their close proximity, and God help her it was sultry. She watched one of his eyebrows arch and a small smile pull at his lips. If it was anyone else she would have swore he was being suggestive. That he was very familiar with the double entendre that the phrase...that the simple question presented and that he was not only aware but purposely driving her mad. Yes, if it was anyone else she would have been convinced of that, but it was Reid. The all knowing Dr. Reid who was simultaneously as oblivious of the opposite sex as he was his own effect on said gender.
"Y-yes, please. Thank you," she squeaked, only breathing out when he suddenly disappeared from her side. She heard the scrape of the chair against the floor and she caught a whiff of that same oceanic scent as he reclaimed his seat across from her. An apple danish appeared before her and she brought her eyes up to meet his, mouth agape.
"You always grab the same one every morning," he mused, pointing in the direction of the counter, where a white pastry box sat previously unnoticed. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and averted his eyes, her glare making him squirm. He cleared his throat before attempting to joke while pouring an unfathomable amount of sugar into his cup of coffee, "I'm a profiler. I get paid to notice these things,"
She laughed too loud, her nervous laughter ringing through the small room and attracting a few befuddled glances from somewhere in the bullpen. "Yes, well thank you D...Reid," she raised the danish in a small gesture of thanks before bringing it to her lips, silently hoping to prevent herself from any further embarrassment.
They munched quietly amongst themselves. Each rotating between sipping their hot liquid beverage and biting their respective danish, her apple and his cherry. A quick glance being shot at the other every so often followed by a tight grin. The silence was near deafening until she noticed the fleck of cherry filling that took up residence in the corner of his mouth.
"You have a little..." she motioned at him and tried to refrain from laughing at the slightly mortified look on his face. The tips of his ears and his cheeks tinged a crimson red;bright as the cherry mustache ghosting around his lips.
His tongue darted between his lips as he attempted clearing the sticky residue to no avail. She shook her head quickly trying to dislodge the lascivious thoughts invading her head and the warm tingle in the pit of her stomach. She rose from her seat to retrieve a handful of napkins, handing them to him and smiling broadly.
"You missed some," she finally responded after a brief moment of watching him scrub at his face with little success.
She knew it was wrong. She knew the moment she felt the spark when their fingertips touched upon her grabbing the napkin from his hand. She gently dabbed at his face. Watched as his face flushed again in embarrassment over his ungainliness. She continued to dab at his face despite the fact that all residue had since been gone, but she found herself mesmerized by his chocolate eyes. She didn't realize how close she had leaned in until she was inhaling his scent, in short ragged breaths. His oceanic scent now infused with hints of cherry and coffee. Somewhere in her mind she was pulling away but her body didn't seem to be listening to her brain. She was stagnant mere inches away from him, an electric current or gravitational pull preventing her from tearing herself away.
Their breaths intermingled in the short distance, mere millimeters, that lay between them and she found herself staring at his parted lips. She wanted to apologize for the position she had placed them in. There was no doubt in her mind that she was contributing to any and every bit of discomfort he may have been experiencing. Her malfunctioned brain was not only incapacitating her body but had a grip on her vocal cords as well and words refused to come out. She tried to relay the message through her eyes, though she suspected by that time he would have averted them in favor of something less threatening but to her utter surprise the chocolate orbs were locked with hers. His pupils were dilated and she couldn't figure out if it was out of fear or attraction. She had a mental argument with herself, mostly admonishing herself for even considering the possibility that it was the latter. His pupils seemed to get larger however, and it only took a second for her to realize that it wasn't so much his pupils getting larger as it was them getting closer. His eyes fluttered close and before she could process the change in proximity their lips hovered so close they were brushing together.
Her own eyes suddenly flew open on their own accord as she finally regained power over her body. She pulled her head away, not nearly far enough to avoid inhaling his sweet scent. "I..I..I'm so sorry!" she gasped, her body shaking in humiliation.
He looked up at her with wide eyes and an unreadable expression. She figured it most likely resembled that of a person who was petrified. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously, lips parted as he struggled to figure out what to say next.
"It was a b-bio..I mean human laws of attraction...I mean..." he paused and swallowed again, hard. His gaze met hers again. Creases formed in his forehead as his brow furrowed and he pursed his lips."Don't be," he whispered softly, gruffly, his breathing coming in ragged spurts.
There was something about his tone that caught her attention. His eyes were boring into hers again with a curiosity, an attraction, and he bit his lip in anticipation. She felt the magnetic force pulling her closer and to her disbelief he leaned in too. His lips met hers in a kiss that was soft and tentative. He tasted sweet like cherries and sugar. The intoxicating smell along with the warmth of his body as she pulled him closer to her, sent her on a sensory overload. She pulled at his tie and the collar of his shirt trying to pull herself closer to him. His hands floundered around her, not knowing where to rest until she took hold of them and placed them around her waist.
She deepened the kiss letting her tongue slide across his lower lip until his lips instinctively parted and she could taste his tongue. He let out a soft moan that reverberated through her to her core and made her shudder. He drew her closer to him and let his hands travel up her back, one hand winding in her hair. She found herself on his lap as he clawed at her back in an uncoordinated fashion and she smiled against his lips, finding his amateurish yet sensuous clawing endearing. He pulled away, inhaling and exhaling ragged breaths as she planted kisses across his jawline and the side of his neck.
"T-t-that was different," he gasped in a high pitched voice before he begin prattling on nervously about the Bonobo mating style. She usually found his ramblings amusing but she hungrily craved him and found herself pressing her lips against his and effectively silencing him. He knocked over his coffee mug as they bumped into the table and for once he couldn't bring himself to be concerned.
Somehow she couldn't help but think that her day was getting exponentially better. She would probably never figure out what her place would be in the team...figure out what her place would be in their family. She figured given her new position with the ever lovable Dr. Reid, she surpassed stepsister and was more of a "kissing cousin". It would either cause an ease of tension or another rift...but progress was still progress. She may have burned a few bridges with a few members of the team, but at least one relationship was on the mend.
She pulled away from Reid and peered into his eyes as an identical smile to her own spread across his lips. He ducked his head down, bashful under her intense gaze and she gently tucked a tendril of his hair behind his ear.
Hell. She still didn't belong there.
There being the operative word, but she didn't mind entertaining the thought that maybe, just maybe, she belonged with him.