The Realization:
*Note: I literally caught up with the finale on the Sunday before dawn after the episode's original airing and ended up writing this. Not beta'd. Just a fan that's been going through an emotional roller coaster with Criminal Minds and another fandom because I decided to reread a book in a series I have a lot of feels about. Also might be because of all the caffeine I drank in my AA meeting, then at an annual party another AA group holds.
For the past nine, almost ten years, he's worked alongside the man. For eleven years he's fought, shot down, and put away countless criminals alongside him. In their line of work, injuries to varying degrees were to be expected. Only it's never been like this before.
His wound was nothing more than a flesh wound. Sure, it hurt, but he's gotten worse hits. That shot to the arm wasn't the cause of current his ache though. It was Reid at the end of this case. First, it was the nagging darkest of dark pit in the bottom of his stomach. It got worse when he got word that of what was going on in the hospital. Morgan tried to keep his cool as he drove to the hospital. It was no use if he got into an accident. How would he help then? When he arrived, Morgan found the scum on the floor being cuffed. He looked up to see Garcia ranting, Reid saying something and then hugging. He was okay. Spencer Reid is alive. His Spencer Reid was safe and sound.
In that moment, it all made sense. The past few months of this growing itch at the back of his neck; why every time even the mention of the name "Spencer Reid" made his heart flutter; why he's been drawing away from Savannah – He was in love with this 31 year old, 187 IQ, 20,00 words-per-minute with eidetic memory, multi-BA and PHD, socially awkward man! HIM, DEREK MORGAN! The womanizer!
*The years have been fixed! Originally I had put down 11. I honestly forgot that the pilot is just about the time they've officially worked together until I saw some early day clips on youtube! My memory has been really off and sort of declining the past couple of years.