Disclaimer: Some disregard to Criminal Minds timeline. I was going to write it at the end of season 8, but I wanted it to be earlier, and I wanted Prentiss, and not a new character to have to try to write for.

Cheerfully humming Derek Morgan and Penelope Garcia walked arm and arm down the pavement. The city lights twinkled and flashed, the sounds of yelling and laughter mixed together into an audio track of Saturday downtown.

"It's too bad we couldn't get Junior G-man to come," Garcia sighed and leaned her head on Morgan's shoulder. To most people they looked like a couple taking a stroll to the bar. Both friend's knew their love was platonic, they were relaxed with each other. They agreed comfort was best found within friendship's like theirs, and they took advantage of it, especially after long cases.

"You know Pretty Boy doesn't like the bar and club scene," Morgan sighed, wishing that wasn't the case. "Besides, what about Prentiss, or JJ, or Hotch, or Rossi? Don't you wish they were here?" He gave her a prod in the ribs and she giggled.

"Well, duh. Gosh you are definitely more sexy chocolate brawn than brain aren't ya?" She chided devilishly.

"Ohhh no, no, Baby Girl. I know that smile, are you plotting something? What do you know?"

"Geez, you are way too tense, Milk Chocolate Perfection," she had an endless amount of nicknames for everyone she knew, he really needed to start making a compilation. He could probably make it into a book.

Morgan rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, his face creasing into lines of worry. "I'm sorry Baby Girl. I just really need to let off some steam and dance." Garcia reached up with her free hand to grab the arm interlinked with hers and gave it a squeeze. "I still think there's something whirling around in that galaxy of perversion you call your brain." He added with his usual charming smile and twinkle to his eye.

Garcia knew the real reason for his tense gait, and hunt for the dance, and it wasn't for his normal reasons. Her Derek Morgan, her chocolate easter egg of gooey wonder, was in love. She knew exactly who with too, even if he didn't know it yet. She wasn't a profiler, but she took pride in her match making abilities. Even still, she knew she couldn't meddle yet, maybe not ever. The thought began to tug on her heart, but she turned her focus on the night ahead of her.

"Well, shall we start with the filthiest club first, skip the pre game, and get down 'n dirty right out the gate?" She looked up with her blonde locks dancing around her face and Morgan returned her mischievous grin.

"Oh, absolutely sexy thang, I think a night like tonight it'll be the only way to go."

C/M/C/M/C/M

The distinct smell of crisp paged books filled the air. An alternative band from the 90's rocked softly on the stereo, and a glass of wine sat idly on the coffee table.

Really this should've been a perfect night for Spencer Reid. He had three of his great comforts, but he had a nagging feeling in his gut, like he was missing out on something. There was no way he was missing out on anything though. Morgan and Garcia had invited him out to the club, but that was it, and that was definitely not something he was interested in, no matter the company.

He took a drink of his red wine and set it down on the shabby wooden table. Hazel brown eyes drifted back to the book spread open on his lap, but there was nothing for it, his thoughts were not going where he wanted them to. There were too many of them tumbling and whirling around each other. He leaned into the arm of the couch and brought his legs up to the side underneath him. Normally his books were how he unwound, and how he organized himself, but tonight he knew what he needed. He needed to "zonk" out, as Morgan would've said. With the T.V. flipped on to the History channel, and his cat Cobain curled up just behind his feet, he began to try to do just that.

It was an hour and two glasses of wine later that it hit him. God dammit did he miss Morgan. No, that couldn't be right. He missed company? His friends? Snatching up his phone he pressed his 3rd speed dial for JJ, and realized that no, he didn't want to speak to her, so it wasn't company or friends.

"Oh, jesus fuck christ." The words felt foreign on his lips, but he felt that obscenities were the best fitting option. His shocking revelation had him springing to his feet. "Why the hell am I leaping to my feet like I need to put something into action?" He began to pace around his coffee table, his black furred cats eyes followed him, and he gave a soft mew of comfort. Reid looked up at the feline helplessly and came to a halt.

"No, no, no." He steadied his hands in front of him, and shook his head, as if he could snap the string holding the ridiculous notion to his brain. He turned back to his cat, and settled his hands on his hips in what he hoped was a stern, firm gesture. "I do not have feelings for Derek Morgan."

Cobain did nothing but lick his lips, yawn, and then give Reid what he would've deciphered as a matter of fact look if it hadn't been on the face of his cat.

"No, I do not have feelings for him!" He repeated to the feline, but Cobain looked unconvinced. Reid's shoulders slumped and he worried his bottom lip with his teeth. "I'm attempting to convince my cat, named after a dead musical artist, that I don't have romantic feelings for one of my best friends." It wasn't as much as a worried exasperation as it was a statement. A further testament to his odd persona.

Time ticked passed as the WW2 documentary continued softly on the television. Reid stared at the hardwood floor of his apartment, the lines beginning to contort the longer he went without blinking. He let his mind adrift in the see of his knowledge, picking out random statistics and facts.

"1 in 10 people are gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual. Some statistics even estimate it at 1 in 20. If that's true, than the odds of both of us being gay or bisexual are not very good. But still, not everything is a statistic, right?" He whirled around to look at Cobain who stood and stretched. "I'm sorry am I boring you?" Reid asked his cocky feline friend.

"Four out of 10 workplace dating relationships result in marriage, but statistics don't tell much about disruptions in the workplace because of it." Reid paused, "the BAU doesn't allow for fraternization so, no, I am telling myself that I do not have feelings for Derek Morgan. So, there!" Childishly Reid crossed his arms and plopped himself down on the floor in a cross legged position, his bottom lip pouting out.

Speaking to his heart wasn't something that Reid took part in often in his life. One thing that Spencer Reid would finally come to learn was that you couldn't tell your heart what to do like you could your brain.

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"Reid, man, lollipops?" Morgan raised his eyebrows across the bullpen to his genius companion. Reid grinned like a shy child and popped the candy out of his mouth.

"Yes, Morgan, lollipops." He responded simply, and after a pondering look he added, "man." Morgan broke out into an amused grin. He loved when Reid brought some humor to the table. It used to be a rare occurrence, but over the months Reid had become better at it.

It had been two years since the night of Reid's revelation. Two years since he had stuffed those feelings into a pit somewhere in his brain and heart, two years since Garcia had made the decision to let Morgan figure out his own feelings for himself.

Cases had come and gone. Reid had continued to remain clean after his forced run in with Dilaudid two years prior. He was 27 years old now, and with JJ back, the family remained intact. Almost every profiler had a pep in their step, even with the hardships and horrors they faced on a daily basis.

"We've got a case," JJ announced from her office doors. The agents in the bullpen all began to close their files and put them away, all standing in unison to head to the round table room.

"Because we're knights of the round table!" Reid began to sing arm in arm with Prentiss.

"That song was slightly ruined for me after that whole Fischer King thing." Morgan winced.

"Hey, nothing can ruin Monty Python!" Reid exclaimed, but all the same he stuck his lollipop back in his mouth and ceased his rendition. He sucked on the hard candy, pulled it out with a pop and took a long lick up from the base of the circular sucker.

Garcia smiled wickedly and pulled away from the two, with a twist and a flourish she took a seat by Prentiss who watched Reid with a combination of curiosity and amusement.

Meanwhile, Reid was eliciting a response from Morgan that the dark skinned man had not been entirely expecting. Sure, he found Reid pretty damn attractive, they almost kissed once, and they exchanged sexually charged glances often, but the tingling in his nether regions was not a welcome effect going into the round table room. The look on Hotch's face silenced and focused all the profilers in the room, and with a more meaningful, intense look at Reid the lollipop was twirled back into its wrapper for later. Morgan quickly averted his eyes to the screen, waiting for the horrid images to chase the sexual reactions in his pants away.

C/M/C/M/C/M

Light dimly absorbed Derek Morgan's office. His forehead lay on his desk, his arms fallen forward to hang limp between his legs. For the first time Derek Morgan was clueless as what to do about a romantic situation. Then again he had more sexual situations than romantic ones.

One year had passed since Reid had begun his lollipop obsession, which would disappear for a few months, before returning full force much to both Morgan's dismay and pleasure. One year since Derek Morgan began to realize that his feelings for Reid had grown into a full fledged bouquet of mushiness, fueled by their growing friendship. In that year horrible things had happened. Hotch had temporarily stepped down, due to a serial killer targeting his family, which resulted in the death of his still loved ex wife, Haley. Morgan had gotten an office when he had stepped up for a short time, and while he was no longer head of his team, he got to keep his office. Part of him was grateful for the solitude, and the other part cursed it.

He was grateful because he didn't have to try to tuck his boner under his waistband anymore like a boy going through puberty whenever Reid would break out a lollipop, or bend over in those new pants he had started to wear that accentuated his butt in ways that made Morgan want to grind up against something, preferably Reid. But damn he cursed the fact he didn't get to watch Reid's supple lips, see his gorgeous smile, and just generally interact with him like he used to be able to when their desks sat so much closer together.

The conflict that he felt wasn't so much about the lack of attention he got to pay to his coworker while at work, but that he shouldn't, wouldn't, couldn't tell Reid about his feelings. There were so many reasons not to, but…

"What if he doesn't…Ugh, I don't know what the fuck to do with this…" He was talking out loud to himself, great. His office door was closed, but it didn't really matter because it was one in the morning and no one was there anyway. "I've never felt like this before. All I want to do is pamper, cuddle, touch, appreciate, and comfort him. Be with him. I wanna do all those coupley things."

That thought had Morgan lifting his head from his desk, a paper momentarily sticking to his forehead before he swatted it away, his eyebrows furrowing in annoyance. He began to pack up all of his papers and files. "Fuck this, I've been thinking too much."

He, Derek Morgan, the badass who kicked in doors, tackled bad guys, and took them down, was afraid of feelings of love. As he stood to make his way out the door he halted, and just stood, staring at the cool metal handle with a frown on his face.

Reid couldn't know about Morgan's feelings. There was no way he'd be interested, there was no way the BAU would allow it, and Morgan was sure he'd fuck it up anyway. With that thought in his mind, and the determination not to ruin their friendship, or hurt Reid, he snapped the door open and closed it gently behind him, although no one would be around to hear it.

C/M/C/M/C/M

Dispondent. Spencer Reid thought to himself, sitting at his desk in the bullpen. The file open in front of him would normally be in his hands while he impatiently flicked through the pages, finishing his stack of files much quicker than the rest of the team. Today, well to be honest with himself every day for a month, he had been sluggishly whittling away at his work. It was at the beginning of that month that he realized for all his efforts to push away his feelings for Morgan, and change his way of dress to attract a different mate to help diminish said feelings, that two things happened instead. One, his social life outside of his friends with the BAU did not grow enough to get to know or attract anyone else, and two, that while he had tried to ignore his feelings they had done nothing but flourish with a vengeance.

The young genius rested his elbows on his desk and perched his head on his fingertips, seemingly having a staring match with the untouched file in front of him, his eyes boring into the acronym FBI. So caught up in himself and his thoughts he didn't realize Prentiss' eyebrows raised in his direction.

Subconsciously Reid glanced up at Morgan's office. The door was open as it always was during the day, the blinds open, the sunlight filtering through his office windows and splashing into the hallway.

"Ahem, ahem." Prentiss conspicuously cleared her throat. Reid realized he had leaned back in his chair, his brows furrowed, his fingers tapping rapidly against the arms of his chair as if trying to beat out some sort of spastic rhythm to match his brain. With little effort he brought the horribly familiar, blank, listless, mask over his face.

Coffee, that was always a good solution. His lack of sleep and his thought distraction caused for a almost constant supply of coffee as of late, and his mug had been empty for awhile, too all consumed with his mental reflections to care.

Standing nonchalantly he strode passed his coworkers' desks, and made a b line for the break room. He used to make a spectacle of himself when something was bothering him, rushing off with his head down, reading like an open book to all the profilers. He was sure they could still read him pretty well, but none of them knew what to think of the uncharacteristic, blank, apathetic, face he wore almost constantly around them. He was sure if there was a stoic facial expression contest Hotch might actually have a contender.

"2000 frowns create one wrinkle," he stated out loud to no one, and heaving a breath through his nose he set about brewing a strong batch of liquid life, mechanically spooning out the coffee and clicking the spectacular overly used button.

"Go forth and make me my magic potion." He commanded the coffee machine as if he was on some sort of quest, although the bravado from his voice was missing. The machine seemed to sense it and sat, giving him nothing. "Fucking piece of shit," he gave it a thud on the top with his clenched fist, it shuddered slightly, but began to spit forth the brew, the smell sifting through the air.

With his mind preoccupied he hadn't realized Morgan leaning casually against the door frame, watching him intently with his trademark grin. The smile faltered and altogether disappeared at the words leaving Reid's mouth. He began to take in his posture; shoulders up, back hunched, and head lilting forward like a dying flower. His arms were spread and his fists rested on the counter, clenched so hard his knuckles were straining white.

"Hey Reid," he strolled into the room, trying his best to act as if he hadn't bore witness to the vocabulary he rarely heard Reid use. "How's it hanging?"

"Groovy," Reid spat at him, and then realizing what he'd done shook his head and unclenched his fists, "sorry, just need more coffee, I'm good though." He tried for his best trademark shy smile. God, he couldn't be in the same room as Morgan without that empty feeling brimming up in his chest and into his throat, and then came the familiar anxiety.

Love, that's all Morgan felt as his eyes took in the façade that Reid was trying to plaster all over himself, but it was like peeling wallpaper and the elder profiler could see the beaten walls underneath. God, how he just wanted to wrap his arms around that small frame and squeeze the nuts and bolts out, loosen his Pretty Boy back out into the awkward, compassionate man he used to be, instead of this robotic, fake person he had become.

The distance between them had become ridiculous over the last month. Reid had taken steps back from all of them, and none of them could pinpoint why. At first Prentiss had worried about a drug relapse, but they all realized that wasn't it at all. He wasn't as snappy as he was depressed. Morgan felt his heart ache for his love, and he knew he couldn't take it anymore. But how could he do this? How could he tell Reid he loved him, wanted him?

Morgan looked into Reid's eyes, on the hunt for that gleam that was distinctly Reid. It took longer than it should've to find, but it was still there. The bright, lovely Spencer was in there, and he wanted to pull him back out. It was decided right there and then for Morgan. Finally, four years late, consequences be damned, he was going to go after what he wanted. All he wanted was Reid, all he wanted was to make him happy for the rest of their lives, and finally he saw that they were perfect for each other. It could work, he'd make it work. With his stubborn head back on his shoulders, he began to try to lighten the mood. Still, Baby steps he told himself.

"You always were a terrible liar," he joked and bumped Reid out of the way with one of his hips. "Me first!" His grin turned devilish and he grabbed the coffee pot, taking Reid's gorgeous face in from the corner of his eye. Stunningly Reid's reaction was a flat face, but he could see gears turning in his friend's head, could hear the millions of hands and threads ticking and strumming.

The knock Morgan had given Reid with his hip while short lived had sent a tingling jolt across Reid's skin. It raced up, and down his side to spread all across his body, all his nerve endings flashed on and off like sunlight dancing across a mirror. Reid hoped his blank expression hid his absolute delight, or at least that Morgan thought there was a different reason behind his racing synapses.

With a heavy sigh Morgan grabbed Reid's mug and poured him coffee as well, then added spoonful after spoonful of sugar. The genius watched him with a frown of thought passing over his face. He thanked Morgan softly and gave him a small smile. The broad smile Morgan gave him in return was just for him and released butterflies in his gut, they flew up through his stomach and into his chest, causing his heart to beat faster. The feeling was short lived as the stabbing pain of unrequited love pierced his heart soon after.

Baby steps, Morgan reminded himself when he saw the fleeting elation replaced by pain in Reid's eyes, not realizing that the pain could be erased with one brush of the lips from Morgan.

Both men continued to stand together, sipping their coffee, neither making a move to leave the room like they knew they should. If someone was to encroach on the scene the thinking of both agents would've sounded like shouting.

Finally Morgan heaved a sigh, turned to the counter and set his coffee mug down, but didn't let go of the handle, just froze. He felt like anymore movement could send Reid fleeing the room like a gazelle being hunted by a lion.

"Reid…" He knew he couldn't tell him about his feelings here, but he could at least try to get crawling under his skin, up his arm and into that brain of his to help pull him out of whatever he was stuck in. "I don't know what's been eating you lately, but we can all see it, and…"

"Great, and what can everyone see?" Reid surprised himself with how his words dripped with bitter venom. He didn't want to seem angry at Morgan, but the thought that they had discussed his new attitude behind his back had him on the defensive, which Morgan had to know, but still… "Look, I'm sorry, I know you're just worried, but please don't be." Especially since I can't actually tell you what's wrong or you'll be running to the hills and I'll never find you. He added in his mind.

"Spencer, I'm serious." That's all the dark skinned man said for awhile, and they simply stood some more. Reid felt extremely awkward, and began to look for an escape route. Someone had to be wondering what the hell they were doing away from their desks for so long.

Morgan always had been a heart on his sleeve kind of guy though, so he plunged forward. "Pretty Boy, you've disappeared. I can hardly see you in those big, doe eyes of your's, and it's eating me alive dammit." The quietly spoken admission danced on marionette strings in between them. "I wish you would come to me, talk to me. You always try to be too strong, and you bottle it all up and in return it eats you up, and I can't stand to watch it. I want you to be happy, Spencer."

The young genius mulled over the analysis in his mind. Yes, he did let his problems eat him alive. It wasn't that he wanted to wallow in his own self pity, it was just how he was.

The younger agent took a unheard step forward, gently wrapping his hand around Morgan's forearm, simply holding it, knowing contact comforted the elder man, and knowing that Reid initiating it would mean more. "I'm sorry." He whispered to the strong bodied man beside him. In that moment the strength seemed dulled down. Reid had done that to him? Just by being depressed? The pang of regret caused his depression to worsen. Morgan was hurting because of Reid. How could Reid be so selfish?

"I'm really, really sorry. I didn't know I was making you feel that way. I know you always want to help me. I have a really hard time opening up to people, and I know that's not an excuse for pushing you away, because you're my best friend and you've always been there for me, but I can't help it. I don't talk about my personal feelings a lot, it's just a way that I protect myself. It's kind of selfish of me. I should know better, seeing as I have a bachelor in psychology. I can read other's so well, but when it comes to myself…Oh jesus, I'm rambling, I'm sorry, I'll stop now. Oh fuck…" The thin man had let loose of the muscular man's arm and was wringing his hands together, eyes locked on the floor. It was the most emotion Morgan had seen from him in awhile.

"You didn't have to stop your ramble…You never do it anymore, and it made me realize how much I like it. I missed it."

Both men stood in silence a moment longer, thinking about how personal the discussion had gotten. That didn't happen anymore either.

"Pretty Boy…" Morgan started, but he was interrupted by another voice.

"Hey, guys. Um…" JJ looked from one man to another, a motherly flicker of understanding passing over her face. "Sorry for interrupting, but we've got a case." She left them quickly, not wanting to linger. Reid couldn't help but feel a little relieved, but mostly he felt like the conversation couldn't end there.

"Come on, Spencer. We've got a job to do, but don't think you're off the hook." The strong agent winked at Reid, trying to lighten the mood enough for their work day to continue unhindered. Reid knew that although his coworker was joking the feeling's they had discussed were not being brushed away.

"If we must," Reid feigned great annoyance, but cracked a strained smile in an attempt to do a complete 180 in attitude. He allowed Morgan to briefly grab his shoulder, before they turned to make their way through the bullpen, when Reid abruptly halted. "You keep calling me Spencer." It wasn't a question of why, just a statement.

"Yes, I do. I like it better when we're not at work."

"But we are at work."

"Oh shush yourself. Maybe a lollipop would help?" Morgan grinned mischievously.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" The words passed Reid's lips without pretense and he bit his lip, hoping it didn't sound as sexual to Morgan as it did to him, which he doubted since Morgan's mind was much more in the gutter than his own.

"What would Morgan like?" Garcia asked, coming up behind them on their journey to the conference room.

"Come on, we've got to get going." Hotch's stern voice interrupted.

"Guess you'll never know." Morgan taunted Garcia who glared, and Reid smirked.

"Oh, I have my ways mister SSA Derek Morgan." She threatened in a sing song voice.

The two men felt the same panic, neither of them knowing it was mutual. Garcia was not a woman to be reckoned with, and they didn't want her meddling, especially with both of them thinking their love was one sided.