Spencer calls her again, a little later. Aaron still on his mind.
"Can you come out here?" He asks, looking out at the pool. He thought maybe the fresh air would help.
"Come out there?" She repeats, confused.
"I need to see you." He says, softly.
"What's wrong, Spence?" She asks immediately.
"I just really need to see you." He says, knowing that it's not normal of him to ask for company. He knows that JJ's probably worrying about him right now.
"I could come for the weekend." She says and he smiles.
His eyes move over the people who are sitting at the pool. The sun had been down for hours, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves. There's a couple, laying close together as their friends play around in the pool. The woman was wearing a blue small bikini. She was attractive. His eyes move to the man in white trunks before he turns away. Ever since Aaron had flirted with him, he had been thinking about homosexuality. He was raised Christian, but his parents had focused on the love part, rather than judgment. Plus, he was smart enough to know that race, creed, religion or sexual orientation had no effect on whether a person was good or evil. He had seen bad people of every kind. He didn't find the act of homosexuality wrong or anything. If he was honest with himself, he didn't understand why it was a big deal at all, but people were mean and Amanda was an example of that. She hated Aaron and he knew that there were many people like that. Dr. Reynolds words were stuck in his head too. Had Adam helped push Aaron past Amanda because he did like him? Was Adam gay? He almost hoped he wasn't, because he knew that it would be harder for him to succeed. Amanda would always fight against him and not only that, but society would be hard on him too, which would hinder his ability to integrate. He wondered if Adam was ashamed of who he was and that's why Amanda was so angry about it. Amanda was the protector and did everything to protect Adam - was she so homophobic to protect Adam against the people who would be cruel to him if he were gay?
"Spence?"
He shakes away the thoughts, moving back inside, trying to focus on the conversation.
"That'd be great. I really miss you and Henry."
She sighs. "Okay, Spence, What's really going on? An hour ago, you were fine and now you're upset."
He sits on the bed before laying back against the comforter. "It's nothing. I'm just wondering if Adam will be able to win."
"Why don't you come home, Spence. Get your mind off of Adam and Amanda for a while."
He thinks about it. It would be good to get away for awhile. Stop thinking about this and get Aaron out of his head. He could go home and spend time with his friends.
"Everyone here misses you. Come on. We'll all go out and get drinks and you can stay over and read all the Tennyson and Shakespeare and Malory you want to Henry."
He smiles. "Okay." He says, softly.
"Good. Now get into bed. You sound exhausted."
Criminal Minds || Parts of You
JJ smiles when she sees Spencer get off the plane. He wraps his arms around her, placing his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes. JJ smiles and hugs the man back.
"Miss me, Spence?" She teases as she pulls back.
"I did." He nods.
"Well come on. Morgan and Emily are waiting for us at the bar."
"Where's Henry?" He asked, pulling away from her.
"Penelope and Kevin are watching him. I think she's trying to get Kev on the baby train."
Spencer nods, grabbing his luggage. JJ wraps her arm around his free arm, talking about things as they make their way to the car. She continues as they drive to the bar.
Spencer smiles when he saw Emily and Derek. Emily gets up and ruffles his hair. "Finally got sick of the Gulf?"
"You could say that. How are you?"
"I'm good. We could have used your brain on that last case."
"No work speak!" JJ says handing Spencer a drink, which he gratefully sips. He nods at Morgan, who is watching a woman at the bar like a hawk. He sits down and looks around the bar. He can JJ's eyes on him, watching him. He knows after their last phone conversation, she's still worried.
"Oh, look at him. 11 o'clock." Emily said, her eyes on a dark haired man at the bar.
Spencer's eyes move to look at the man, too, just curious of what Emily thinks is attractive, he tells himself. The man is tall and muscular - not as much as Derek, but toned. He blushes at the realization that he's sort of checking the man out and looks back at his drink, embarrassed and confused. JJ rests a hand on his arm before she speaks.
"He's cute. You should go talk to him, Em."
"He's like 20." She snorts. "I'm just looking."
Morgan finishes his drink. "I'll be back."
JJ laughs. "No he won't. So, Spence...Did you get too see Aaron again?"
Spencer flushes. "No. Thank god." He hadn't even see Amanda again. She had refused to see him before he left, still fuming about Aaron's visit.
Emily looks between them. "Aaron?"
"One of Adam's alters. He was all up on our Doctor."
Emily grins. "Oh?"
"No, he wasn't! He asked me... things. Inappropriate things!"
Emily raises an eyebrow. "Do tell."
"He asked how big Spence was." JJ cuts in.
Spencer looks at JJ with a slight glare and Emily giggles.
"What was your answer?"
"Emily!" Spencer chides. He couldn't believe both Emily and JJ had asked that!
"Come on, you're 6'1.. you're tall so...you have to be..."
"Emily!" JJ says, laughing, looking over at Spencer, who looked like he was about to die of embarrassment.
Emily laughs and sips her drink. "Okay, okay. I'll stop."
Spencer sighs. "I hate you both."
JJ kisses his temple. "You know you love me, Reid."
Emily looks between the two of them, before rolling her eyes. "When are you two going to get together? It's kind of sickening."
JJ shakes her head. "We're just friends. I have a boyfriend."
"You have a baby daddy." Emily corrects, looking at Spencer. "You need to make a move."
Spencer blushes again. He'd be lying if he had never thought of it. They had kissed once after their date years ago, but he hadn't wanted to ruin their friendship. "I'm... We're not like that, Emily." He says.
"Yeah yeah yeah."
JJ shakes her head. "I have to go pick up Henry. You coming, Spence?"
Spencer looks at her before Emily, then back to JJ. "Sure."
Emily rolls her eyes. "See!"
Criminal Minds || Parts of You
Spencer grabs the pillow and looks at her. Will was out of town for a family thing and JJ had invited him to stay to talk after she put down Henry for the night. She lays, next to him, a thoughtful look on her face.
"What are you thinking about?" He asks.
"Emily."
He looks at her confused. "What?"
She turns to him. "She seems to think you like me, that I like you."
Spencer licks his lips, nervously. "Mmhmm."
"But you don't like me, do you, Spence?" She asks, softly.
Spencer frowns. "I like you."
She smiles and reaches out to run her fingers through his hair. "I know you like me, but...you don't like me like that." She says and sighs, when he gives her a blank look. I saw you check out that guy at the bar."
Spencer pulls back, embarrassed that he had been caught looking at the guy.. "I did not."
"Spence, it's okay." She says, slowly, watching him.
He sat up. "I'm not... I don't.. That's..." He had looked at him, sure, but it was nothing more than seeing what Emily liked. That was all!
"I don't care if you're gay, Spence. It's okay." She says, sitting up and reaching out to touch his shoulder. He looks at her. He's not gay. She smiles at him, supportively. He frowns. She thinks he's gay! He's not gay. He grabs her face and kisses her, trying to prove it.
JJ pushed him back. "Spence!"
He kisses her again and this time, she wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He deepens the kiss before JJ pulls back away from him, a little breathless. She looks up at him.
"Feel anything?" She asks.
His brow furrows. He should have felt something more than he did, he knows. He's in bed with a beautiful woman who is pressed against him, holding onto him.
"Your lips are soft." He says, weakly.
She smiles. "Not what I meant, Spencer." Her fingers brush against his neck.
He sighs, leaning his forehead against hers. "I...want there to be." He says and means it fully. He doesn't want to be different. He doesn't want to be like Aaron.
JJ pulls back and kisses his forehead. "It's okay."
It's not okay though. He was already different enough. Being gay only made it worse. He shakes his head.
"Maybe we should try again?" He says. He knows pratice makes perfection. He could make himself feel something.
JJ chuckles. "Spence, practice isn't going to make a different."
"How do you know?"
JJ rubs his back. "I just know. You can't change who you like."
He sighs, before resting his head on her chest. JJ's watching him, he knows, her fingers continuing to run through his hair, letting him think about everything without interruption.