Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds
Derek slumped down on the bed at his mom's house, he looked around the room, still there were the trophies from his football days, and the posters of the bands he'd once liked, and then his eyes laid on a brand new arrangement of photos. Some he hadn't seen before.
He smiled at one, one of him and his sister's just before Thanksgiving, next to that was him just when he had started in the BAU from his first trip home. There were photos of him and his mom, him and his dad, a picture of Desiree's wedding and the ones that caught him the most, one of him and Penelope at the rehearsal dinner, her in the emerald dress that hugged her perfect, smiling brightly as they stayed close, and then one of her on the wedding day itself.
She'd done him justice, she'd helped him out when he needed it most, she'd been true to her personality, true to her being and never once asked for anything back.
He traced her with his finger, he knew he loved her, but knowing and telling were two totally different things and the last thing he wanted was a whirlwind relationship with the one woman that had held his heart from the moment she let him in with her warming smile.
As if all at once her voice filled his head, her smell captured his senses, the softness of her skin tingled his senses and for once his heart clenched tighter at the thought of leaving it any longer without telling her how he felt.
He remembered back to that date, the day 10 months ago when she had stepped out and had smiled at him, and sat with him, her hand on his knee as he watched his little sister tie the knot to start a happy life.
'Wow.' Derek told her as he ran a hand over the back of his neck with shock. Penelope stood in front of him, in a new dress, a red one this time, that again gripped her curves and applied emphasis to her already beautiful frame. Her cleavage enough to grab attention but minimal to leave the rest to imagination. She smiled, her scarlet red lips looking full and luring, the rest of her makeup simple but perfectly done.
'You scrub up well yourself sugar pants.' She told him with a strong smile. 'You nervous?' She asked as he wrung his hands in front of him. 'You should be used to attention being on you, just remember once you've done your bit you can take a pew and watch all the attention be on your sister.' He smiled at her. 'It's about time you allowed someone else a chance.' She teased him.
He cleared his throat. 'Yeah right.' He told her and she laughed. 'Come on baby girl... I want to show you off.'
'Well the term 'date' does usually mean I just hang daintily off you arm, which even for my size I can do.'
'You size?' He snorted at her. 'You're perfect the way you are, with curves and a figure.' Penelope laughed at him in disbelief. 'Don't let anyone tell you different, you're beautiful.'
'Thanks.' She told him and a blush spread over her cheeks and illuminated her beauty for him once more. 'Come on this hot stuff, lead the way, I'm sure your sister doesn't want to be late because of you... only she's allowed to make herself fashionably late.'
What felt the longest stretched of his life Derek was now sat next to Penelope at the front of the church, he'd just given his sister away to her future husband and watched the ceremony roll out, he'd felt Penelope run her hand onto his thigh and simply covered it with his own, occasionally intertwining his fingers with hers.
He then watched his sister disappear out of the church and followed the procession to the reception; he kept Penelope close, kept her hand in his, kept her body next to his, kept her close so he could smell her and hear her breathing. Occasionally his stole a few glances at her, she looked completely enthralled in everything, completely oblivious at how he was trying to subliminally tell her something that meant more to him that even he truly knew.
Then as he took a bit of the champagne that was on the tables he caught her hand and pulled her up to dance around the bride and groom as everyone followed suit. She looked up at him and smiled.
'Someone didn't tell me he could dance.' Penelope teased him lovingly. 'This you have to do more... less of that bump and grind stuff.'
'Oh you love my bump and grind stuff.'
'Yes to watch... but not to dance with you... lack of co-ordination doesn't help and some aren't as smooth a mover as some.' She quipped at him and laughed at her again. 'Is that your sex call? Because believe me it works.'
'So why haven't you ever stepped up to the call?'
'One day handsome I'll give you that good morning.... one day.'
'Promises, promises Penelope... I want the actual thing.'
'One day Agent Morgan.' She winked at him. 'Think you can hold off?'
'It might be hard... but for you'd I wait.' Then he watched as he mom asked for a dance with her son, Penelope agreed graciously and disappeared, reappearing at their seats, he was pulled from family member to family member and soon excused himself to pull Penelope up for another dance.
That night he had danced with her so many times that he would probably feel that closeness to him when he was alone, find peace from the craziness of the job.
Now as he sat in the very room he'd first looked at her on that day, he realised he may have wasted an opportunity.