I'll Be Home For Christmas
Ahmose Inarus
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Criminal Minds, or I'll be home for Christmas
SLASH WARNING! Morgan/Reid
Written for the Christmas Gift Fic Exchange on CCOAC Forum.
My assigned Prompts: I'll Be Home For Christmas; snowman; star tree topper; stocking
MERRY CHRISTMAS NEBULA! ENJOY!
Chicago, Illinois
December 24th
4:07 pm
Derek Morgan sat on the sofa, staring into the fire in the grate before him. His mother sat beside him, and beside her sat his sister Sarah and her boyfriend, Leo. In the love seat at a right angle to the sofa sat his other sister, Desiree, and her boyfriend, D'Andre. They were all laughing and talking and drinking Cider and Eggnog. But Derek's mug sat in his hand, already cooled.
"Baby?" He blinked and turned, looking into his mother's eyes. He smiled at her.
"What's up, Mama?"
"What's bothering you?" She asked.
"Nothin."
"Liar." Desiree snorted, and Sarah smirked at her brother. Morgan glared at them, and then at the chuckling boyfriends.
"Tell me the truth, honey." Fran Morgan said, taking her son's hand. "You've been staring off into space for almost an hour."
"… I have?" Morgan asked. The group gave him a chorus of affirmatives. Morgan blinked again, then sighed.
"Derek?" Fran asked.
"… I made a mistake." Morgan breathed. She frowned slightly, concerned. "I shouldn't have come."
"What do you mean?"
"… Mama… I'm in love."
There was a moment of silence before Morgan's mother and sisters all but started bouncing off of the walls, hurling questions at a near lethal velocity at the defenseless man in the family. But instead of getting all fired up in defending himself, Morgan did something very uncharacteristic. He let out a long, loud sigh, drooping.
"ENOUGH!" Fran finally called, calming her daughters before turning to Morgan again. "Derek… Why didn't you tell me?"
"… It's something I've been struggling with myself." Morgan said. "And… I didn't want to disappoint you."
"Disappoint me? Why would I be disappointed?"
"I know you want me to have kids… and… Well… I can't."
"Why?"
"… For one… the one I love… doesn't want kids. And even if he did…"
"… He?" Sarah pounced on the word.
"Exactly."
"Derek… You're in love with another man?" Fran asked, softly. After a moment, Morgan slowly nodded. The boyfriends glanced at each other, obviously not happy at being here for this personal family conversation…
Morgan nodded. His mother and sisters stared at him, and then slowly, Fran stood and left the room. Morgan watched her go, upset, then set his mug down and let his head fall into his hands. Sarah and Desiree glanced at one another, not sure what to say or do…
Fran returned a moment later, carrying a mug. She returned to her seat, and when her only son looked at her, she placed the mug of hot cider into his hands.
"What's his name?" She asked.
"… It… It's Spencer."
"Dr. Reid?" Desiree blurted.
"Yeah." Morgan confirmed. Fran blinked, and then, slowly, her face split into a grin.
"I liked him." She said, thinking back to the awkward young man who had stayed with her and her daughters during that trying time when Morgan was suspected of murder. "You chose well." Morgan blinked, startled.
"You're… not upset?"
"I'm… a little stunned. But all a mother wants is for her baby to be happy. And if he makes you happy…"
"He does."
"Does he know?"
"Yeah… we uh… we've been together for… seven months. OW!" Morgan yelped when his mother smacked him.
"And you never told me?"
"I told you! I've been struggling to accept it myself! And Reid's been… very patient with me about that…" And he smiled as he thought of the young man he loved.
"So… what is your mistake?" Sarah asked, and Morgan shot her a glare. But then he sighed and drooped, sipping his cider.
"… I came here. Without him." Morgan said.
"… Derek… what is he doing for Christmas?" Fran asked, frowning.
"… Nothin…" Morgan whispered. "He's… sitting at home. Waiting for me. Alone…"
"Why?"
"Because… I promised you that I would come." Morgan said, pathetically. "And… now I wish I had stayed with him. He has no family to spend the holidays with… his bastard father abandoned him when he was ten! Left him alone with his sick mother, his SCHIZOPHRENIC mother! He had to institutionalize her the day he turned eighteen, for Christ's Sake! The team is all he has. They're all with their own loved ones… and he's just…" Morgan bowed his head. "We were going to celebrate together when I got home, but…"
"… You want to be with him now." Fran said.
"Yeah…"
"You need to be with him now. And he needs you."
"… Yeah."
"… then let's get you home, baby." The woman said, standing. Morgan blinked up at her. "Call that Penelope friend of yours and get yourself on a flight home! You be with the one you love for Christmas!" Morgan stared, then slowly began to smile. "Here, give me your phone. Sarah! Desiree! You help get your brother packed!"
The girls looked at each other, then jumped up and moved to obey, their boyfriends following. Fran snatched Morgan's phone and scrolled through his contacts, placing the call.
"Well, if it isn't my chocolate Santa… Gonna stuff my stocking, hot stuff?"
"… Penelope."
"… Um… w-who is this?"
"Fran Morgan."
"Oh… Oh my… Oh my God, I… I am…"
"It's fine, dear." Fran said, laughter in her tone. "But my baby boy is apparently stuffing someone else's stocking, and he needs your help." Derek nearly hit the floor in shock and embarrassment, not believing what had just come out of his mother's – HIS MOTHER'S!—mouth.
"… Is Derek okay?" Garcia gasped.
"He needs to get home for Christmas." Fran said. "He has someone waiting for him all alone."
"Oh! He's coming home to be with my Butter Cream?"
"… Butter Cream?" Fran asked.
"That's Reid." Morgan mumbled weakly, still in shock over the stocking stuffing thing...
"Yes." Fran said, now smirking at her son. "Your Chocolate Santa needs to get home to his Butter Cream." Morgan's eyes widened, and then he let his face fall into his hand, groaning.
"I'm on it!" Garcia gasped, and the call ended.
"Come on, baby." Fran said, smiling. "Let's get you ready."
And Morgan ran up the stairs to pack his bags. But when Garcia called back, it wasn't with good news. There wasn't a single open seat on any flight for the next two days… And it was a very distressed Fran Morgan who watched her son drop into the sofa in despair. But only a moment later, she drew herself up.
"Sarah… get your car." She said. The next thing Morgan knew, his mother was standing in the doorway, her coat on.
"Mama?"
"Get off your lazy backside, Derek, and let's go."
"what?"
"NOW, Derek."
"Yes ma'am!" Morgan immediately said, jumping to his feet, getting his bags and following her out. Desiree and the boyfriends followed, two boxes with wrapped presents in them. They loaded up Sarah's car and Desiree bid her brother goodbye, and then waved as they pulled away. Then ended up at Enterprise Car Rental, and Derek watched in amazement as his mother rented him a car.
"Give your sister a kiss, baby, and get going." She told him.
"Mama… thank you… I…"
"I love you, baby." Fran said, hugging him tightly. "You go home and take good care of that boy. And send him my love! I expect you BOTH to visit me soon!"
"I will, mama. And we will. I love you." Morgan said, then turned and hugged his sister before climbing into the car. And then he was off.
To his surprise, the moment he pulled away and turned on the radio, it was set to a station playing Christmas music… and the song that was just beginning to play was 'I'll Be Home For Christmas'. He smiled, and sent that song up as a prayer and a promise…
The drive took about twelve hours.
It was almost 5 am by the time he got home. There were two snowmen in the front yard. He walked over to them and grinned. One was tall and thin, the other was short and squat. The short one was wearing his baseball cap on backwards and… his good sunglasses… and his belt and gun holster?
… nice. At least the gun in the holster was a toy gun…
The other was wearing a familiar purple scarf and horn rimmed glasses with a familiar tweed coat and the broken remains of a pocket watch. The snowmen were holding hands. Morgan grinned. He knew that the neighborhood kids had done this, judging by the little boot prints in the snow. But they had plainly been given supplies by Reid.
Shaking his head, he trotted to the front door and unlocked it, stepping inside. He heard soft instrumental music playing in the living room. And so it was there that he headed. And there he was… his Pretty Boy.
Reid was passed out on the sofa, glasses askew on his face. A book was lying on the floor, having slipped from the hand that was dangling off of the edge of the sofa over it. He was curled up under a blanket. The room was lit by the Christmas tree that hadn't been there when Morgan had left several days ago. But the star that was meant to go on the tree sat on the coffee table right in front of Reid. And laid out next to it were three stockings. One was white, and had 'Spencer' embroidered in green threads on it. The other was red, and had 'Derek' embroidered in white. The last was green and had 'Clooney' in red. Morgan recognized Garcia's work in an instant. And to Morgan's amusement, a plate of cookies and a mug of milk was set out on the edge of the coffee table closest to the fireplace, where the fire lay dying. Clooney was curled up in front of it, but lifted his head and trotted over, wagging his tail. Morgan smiled and rubbed the dog's head behind the ears. He knew that Garcia and possibly JJ had been there the previous evening to keep Reid company.
Then he slowly grinned. He snatched a cookie and shoved it into his mouth before hurrying Clooney into the laundry room and closing the door behind him, then running outside and carrying in the box of gifts his mother and sisters had sent him home with. He set these out under the tree, where several gifts for both Spencer and himself sat, obviously from the team… he recognized Rossi's handwriting on the one closest to the fireplace, subtly illuminated. Then Morgan scurried to the attic, where he had hidden the gifts he had for his Pretty Boy. There were several. The large ones he stuck under the tree, and the small ones he began to cram into his lover's stocking, which he then hung over the fireplace. He stuffed the smallest of his own gifts into his stocking and hung that up as well, as well as the little presents that he, Garcia and Reid had gotten for Clooney.
He put a few logs in the fireplace and stoked up the fire. Then he carefully climbed up onto the step ladder and put the Star on top of the tree. He smiled, then hurried away with the step ladder and put it away. By now, it was 6 am. He stared down at his Pretty Boy with a soft smile on his face, eating the cookies and drinking the lukewarm milk before setting them down where they had been positioned. Then he grabbed his phone and sent a text.
You're brilliant, princess. Merry Christmas.
The response came in almost immediately.
Because it's Christmas, I'll forgive you for waking me at this ungodly hour. You're welcome.
Morgan smiled. He knew that Garcia had arranged everything… laying out the stockings… leaving off the tree topper ("Let my chocolate god put it on when he gets home, Butter Cream")… setting up the cookies and milk… the woman WAS brilliant.
At around seven, Morgan went to the kitchen and began to cook as quietly as he could… He put the coffee on last, knowing that it would wake Reid faster than anything. Then he tiptoed into the living room and moved to the coffee table, setting down a mug of steaming coffee and a plate of pancakes with chocolate syrup drizzled over them, whipped cream and crushed peppermint on top.
Then he stepped back into the doorway and adjusted the song on the stereo. Then he waited… When Reid stirred, Morgan pressed play on the remote, and the song 'I'll Be Home For Christmas' began to play…
The smell of coffee and peppermint was what tickled Reid's senses into awareness. He twitched, and inhaled, then shifted. His ears detected the soft music playing.
I'll be home for Christmas… Came the rich, mellow voice of Bing Crosby. You can plan on me… Reid sighed and stretched, then slowly opened his eyes. He blinked, then froze, eyes wide. Before him on the coffee table was a steaming mug of coffee, and pancakes. Slowly, he sat up. Then his eyes moved to the fireplace… a fire was crackling merrily, where it had been dying when he had drifted to sleep. And above it hung three stockings, stuffed to the brim. His eyes darted to the coffee table where they had been last night… His book, which he had heard thump to the floor last night, was sitting in their place. And next to it, was a plate that was empty, save for a few crumbs in place of the several cookies that had been there the night before… The mug of milk was empty.
Please have snow, and Mistletoe. And Presents on the tree…
The tree… There were presents under the tree… presents that hadn't been there last night! And the Star… The Star was in its rightful place, sitting atop the tree, overlooking its domain…
Christmas Eve will find me… where the lovelight gleams…
Reid gasped softly as suddenly, warm arms encircled him from behind. A familiar scent permeated his senses, and a deep, sweet voice sang into his ear, "I'll be home for Christmas… if only in my dreams…"
Reid turned his head, but his vision was obscured by the tears. Soft lips claimed his, and his eyes fell closed, the tears slipping down his cheeks. He managed to get to his knees, turning and facing the man who was standing behind the sofa, and their kiss deepened. The pair wished that it would never end, but biology overruled them as the need to breath forced them apart.
"Hey there, Pretty Boy."
"… Derek?"
"Mm-hmm."
"But… y-you… how? Your family…?"
"I told them." Morgan said, running his fingers through Reid's hair. "And they helped me get home to you. Because this is where I belong. Especially on Christmas. With you." And he pulled Reid close and kissed him again, swallowing the boy's joyful cry. Morgan leaned forwards, and his lover let out a squeal as he toppled over the back of the sofa and landed on Reid, squishing him pleasantly under his own body weight. Reid soon had his arms wrapped around Morgan's shoulders and a leg around his waist, kissing fiercely. To Morgan's surprise, Reid was soon dragging off the elder's sweater and unbuttoning his jeans.
"Well well… Got something special for me?" Morgan asked, smiling as Reid kissed down his throat.
"Please… Derek…" Reid panted, his voice fill with desire. "Want you…. Need you… you're home… you're home…" Morgan just smiled, caressing tousled curls under his hand, vaguely aware of the stereo playing 'Carol of the Bells' in the background.
"That's right, Baby Boy… I'm home…" And he toed off his socks and wriggled out of his pants and boxers, impressed with the speed in which Reid stripped his own body underneath him. His smile widened as his body was covered with kisses and touches, and the soft mantra of "You're here… you're really here…" His heart swelled… he had no idea that his Pretty Boy would be this happy and overwhelmed… But that if anything proved that he was right. This was where he belonged, especially right now.
This scene has been removed due to the recent Purge that the site Admin has been doing, deleting stories with explicit content
Finally, Morgan lifted Reid into his arms and carried him to their room, running him a hot bath. While Reid lounged in the tub Morgan took a quick shower and then ran out of the room. He returned a few minutes later and helped Reid out, patting him dry with a warm towel and then the pair got dressed in fresh pajamas. Then Morgan, with Reid protesting happily, carried his lover back to the living room and set him down on the sofa.
He handed Reid the re-heated coffee, and the pair shared the re-heated pancakes, listening to the music and enjoying the twinkling of the tree. It was 9 am when they finished, and they silently decided, screw it.
The presents could wait for later… they lay down on the rug by the fire place curled up against one another, and drifted to sleep.
They could do whatever they damn well wanted to do.
It was Christmas, and they were together.
Just like they were meant to be.
If only in my dreams…
Merry Christmas to all, and may all go review!