At work on Monday morning, Derek had to divulge every detail of his night with Spencer to Penelope.
"So you went back to his place? I never thought he'd be the type."
He shook his head, tucking his Sharpie behind his ear. "He's not. He was showing me some of his magic tricks."
"...Is that a euphemism for something, or-"
"It means he showed me his magic tricks, literally, for about an hour."
"So no hanky panky?"
He smirked, shaking his head. "Nope, though the night did end with a kiss on his part."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Anything to do with you?"
He shrugged. "I was on my way out, he stopped me, he kissed me, and after that, I told him I'd see him today, kissed his cheek, and went to the car."
"That's rather un-romantic of you."
He shrugged. "I didn't want to move too fast and scare him off. He was obviously nervous about the concept of dating, so I commend him for even doing it."
"Trust me, so do I. I've known him for years and relationships really aren't his thing, mainly because he doesn't know what he's supposed to do." She nudged his arm. "So is anything going to be different today with you two?"
"I don't know, maybe? I just have to beg of you not to make him more nervous than he already is, because I actually want a second date."
She scoffed. "Fine, but when the time comes, I'm planning your wedding."
He chuckled. "Whatever you say, sweetness."
When Spencer finally came in, it was during the rush, so he didn't have time to talk to him. He had gone to Penelope's register, but he thought nothing of it, considering she had a shorter line and they were busy. While they were cleaning up after the morning rush, Penelope leaned against the counter, crossing her arms.
"Was there a date disaster you failed to tell me about?" she asked.
He shook his head, restocking the cups. "Everything went well, and I told you all of it, why?"
She shrugged. "No reason, I just found it interesting that he didn't gravitate to your line."
"You always have less of a line than I do. He was probably in a rush to get to class so he could get a good seat or something."
"If you insist."
Once her back was turned, he took out his phone, texting Spencer.
Hope you have a good day at school, I'm sure your teacher's going to appreciate your paper being done early.
He tucked his phone back into his pocket, cleaning the counter in front of him.
Later in the day, Spencer came in after his last class, his bag over his shoulder. He walked over to a table, setting it down on a chair, before walking to the counter, hands in his pockets.
Derek looked up at him, smiling. "Hey, good day?" he asked, reaching for a cup and writing Spencer's order on it.
He shrugged. "My phone went off in my first class. I usually keep notification sounds on because I never get messages, so imagine the look on my professor's face when the Doctor Who theme song started playing in my pocket."
Penelope bit down on her lip to keep from laughing while Derek's eyes widened. "I am so sorry, I didn't even think about it. I just figured since we didn't get to talk yesterday or this morning-"
Spencer put up his hand. "Coffee?"
Penelope held out her hand for his credit card while Derek made his drink. He handed it to him with another apology and watched as he walked back to the table, putting his bag over his shoulder and walking out.
"...I thought you said he stayed until he got his homework done?" Derek asked, turning to her.
"He usually does. Maybe he doesn't have any today and got it done yesterday, hence why you two didn't talk?"
"Maybe? I have never dated somebody this… complex before."
She chuckled. "Welcome to the puzzle that is Spencer Reid. I've yet to solve him."
It had been a few days of the same thing: when Spencer came in, he would automatically gravitate to Penelope's line, even if Derek had the shorter line and wasn't as busy. When Derek would look over and acknowledge him with a comment, Spencer would just nod and immediately go back to his conversation with Penelope, tuning him out. When he would come in to do his homework, he'd get his drink and just sit at a table, and if Derek approached him, he found an excuse to head out, such as a 'study group' or a 'forgotten notebook', which Derek saw right through, considering he couldn't forget anything even if he tried.
Penelope turned to him, arms crossed. "What the hell did you not tell me about this date?"
"I told you everything!" he defended. "The museum, the dinner, playful flirting, the magic tricks at his apartment, me going to leave, him kissing me, and then I went home. Nothing that's so out of the ordinary that he'd ignore me for four days in a row except for one comment on Monday and some pity 'uh huh's when I asked if his day was going well."
She clicked her tongue. "And he initiated the kiss?"
"He did. He kissed me, he quite obviously meant it, we separated, agreed we'd see each other on Monday, I went home and he wrote his paper. He then sent me a picture of his completed paper later on, and I saw him here Monday mor-" he groaned, tilting his head back. "Oh, damnit."
"You did something wrong, didn't you?" she asked, tapping her fingers on the counter. "Come on, what is it?"
"I think maybe he might be kind of upset that I didn't message him back on Sunday, and the only time I did text him, it got him in trouble in class? Other than that, I've got nothing."
"That might be it. He's new to the whole 'dating' scene, and if you didn't message him back, he could've taken that very badly." She chewed on her cheek and checked the clock. "You're out of here in 30, right?"
He checked his watch, nodding. "Indeed."
"And it just so happens you worked through your lunch today."
He raised an eyebrow. "And you're getting at…?"
She put up a finger. "Bear with me. If you have yet to take your break, that means you need to clock out for a half hour. Since you're due to leave in a half hour, you could take your break and leave a half hour early. With that time, you could beat tonight's traffic and go check on Spencer and see what it is you did wrong, fix whatever needs to be fixed, and possibly even set up for date number two."
He thought to himself before smirking, untying his apron. "You are a goddess, woman," he whispered, kissing her cheek, before going to the back and hanging up his apron, stuffing his things into his pocket. He walked back out, standing in front of the register. "And if he's not here?"
"If he's not here, he's definitely not at the library, because he comes here when the library's too loud. If I had to put money on it? He's holed up in the study in his apartment."
"...He has a study in his apartment and he still chooses to come here?" he asked, pulling on his jacket.
"I think it's for the ambiance of the coffee shop, though I'm sure the attractive barista doesn't hurt." She smirked, nudging his arm. "Go."
"And you're sure-"
"I'm all set here. I want you two to work out, and to do that, you need to fix whatever's going on. Now go."
He smiled appreciatively, taking his keys out of his pocket and walking out.
While driving to Spencer's apartment, he tried to think about what he needed to do to make things right again with them. None of his past relationships cared when he texted them, so long as he did, but he figured that maybe since Spencer wasn't really savvy to relationships, he might expect different things. He knew that with Spencer, it was going to be about taking baby steps, and he just needed the patience to do so.
He pulled up to Spencer's place, parking, and started on the walkway. Seeing someone in the yard nearby, he paused, turning to her.
"You're JJ, right?" he asked, tucking his keys into his pocket.
She nodded, getting up, wiping her hands off on her pants. "I'm guessing you're Derek?" Derek nodded and she wiped off a few more pieces of dirt and held out her hand. "Sorry, three year old boy with a love of bugs."
He laughed softly. "Don't sweat it." He shook her hand, pointing to Spencer's front door. "Is he home?"
She nodded, adjusting her hair tie. "Just got in a few minutes ago. Said hi to Henry, mumbled something about an essay, and walked inside. It's weird, he told me all about your date the other night, but he hasn't said a word about you or the date since."
He raised an eyebrow. "He told you about that?"
"Yeah," she smirked, "he'd kill me if I told you this, so between us? He had a really great time. Are you here to get him for date number two?"
"Actually, I'm here to get him to open up a little bit. Any advice?"
She laughed, shaking her head. "To deal with Spence? I still haven't figured him out, and I've known him for years. The only thing I can think of is the fact that you just need to be upfront with him: he doesn't catch on to subtlety or simple cues. Just put it all out there and he'll be honest with you."
"Noted, thanks. It was great to meet you."
"You too." She gave him a smile and a wave before kneeling back in the dirt, watching her son pick up bugs and worms.
He smirked, shaking his head and walking to Spencer's front door, knocking. He heard some stumbling on the other side of the door, and could only assume that Spencer had tripped over one of the many stacks of books that lined his hallway.
"JJ, I told you I'd come over later tonight, will you stop pestering me?" he snapped, unlocking the door and pulling it open. "...And you're not JJ."
"Sorry, I'm not. Do you mind if we talk?"
Spencer peeked outside and saw that JJ was out with Henry. He sighed, holding the door open. "Inside."
Derek raised an eyebrow but stepped into the apartment, considering it a small victory that Spencer hadn't slammed the door in his face.
"Did I leave something at the coffee shop?" Spencer asked. Derek looked him over and saw that he was in an oversized sweater, one he was pulling his arms into, his glasses, and his hair looked like he had been running his fingers through it.
He cleared his throat, shaking his head. "No, I just figured the two of us could talk. Can I sit?"
Spencer paused for a minute before motioning toward the couch. He walked over, sitting down, motioning for Spencer to do the same. Spencer sighed before nodding, sitting in the chair across from him, pulling his legs up on the cushion. "What brings you here?"
"A question, maybe even a observation, if you will."
Spencer looked at him, confused. "I'm listening."
"Why would two people go on an amazing date on a Saturday night, get along well, laugh at each other's jokes and enjoy each other's company, then just a few short days later, it's as if the other one doesn't exist?"
Spencer exhaled, chewing on his cheek, reaching up and adjusting his glasses. "I told you, Derek. I don't have time for a relationship. My studies come first. They always have and they always will. I'm dependent on my full boat scholarship, much like you were."
"I see, and I understand that completely. What doesn't make sense to me is the fact that you won't even wave a hand or say hello to me in the coffee shop after we had a pretty good date and a pretty great kiss for a first date."
Spencer smiled, blushing slightly at Derek's statement, before licking his lips. "It's complicated."
"Then un-complicate it for me," Derek stated, leaning back. "I've got all of the time in the world."
"I don't."
"Then just give me enough of an explanation that I don't feel like I royally fucked up with you, because I have to say, the cold shoulder isn't exactly telling me 'thanks for joining me while I did my assignment and then going out to dinner, I had a really great time'."
He cleared his throat, straightening up in his seat and staring at his lap for a few minutes, collecting his thoughts, before finally looking up at him. "You're going to think I'm ridiculous, possibly even juvenile."
"I highly doubt that, but I can't make that judgment until you tell me what's going on," Derek reasoned.
He exhaled, swallowing a lump in his throat. "I did have a great time on Saturday night, Derek, and I don't go around kissing people when I don't mean it. It takes a lot for me to let somebody in, and it should speak volumes that I legitimately let you in."
Derek didn't know what else to do, so he nodded his understanding.
"And I scared myself." He pulled his arms into his sleeves, sighing. "I thought maybe you didn't feel the same way I did afterward, and I didn't want to talk to you and feel like I was pressuring you into something. Like I said, it's ridiculous. Obviously you wouldn't be here if you didn't feel some sort of attraction to me as well." He paused, glancing up at Derek. "...Right?"
Derek gave him a small smile, nodding. "Right."
"I figured, very wrongly of course, that if I distanced myself from you, you would see that you weren't interested and were just still focused on Saturday night. I'm sorry." He looked Derek in the eyes, sighing. "I'm really, truly sorry."
Derek shook his head. "Don't sweat it. Believe me, I've done worse."
Spencer scoffed. "No offense meant, but I sincerely doubt that. You have amazing social skills, and I have the social skills of a baked potato."
He laughed softly. "First date ever, I refused to let him come to my house because I was afraid my mom and sisters would scare him away. The next guy I dated? I was so nervous I actually got a date with this guy that I literally got sick all over the front seat of his new convertible."
Spencer wrinkled his nose. "You've actually screwed up first dates, and you're not saying this to make me feel better?"
"No, man, I wish I was lying, and I'm pretty sure Davis wishes I was, because that interior looked like a bitch to clean."
Spencer bit down on his lip, struggling to put his thought process into words. "Hey, Derek?"
"What's up?"
He pulled his arms out of his sweater, fidgeting with his fingers. "If I were to ask you to go out with me again some time, would you accept, or turn me down?"
"That depends on if you ask me," Derek said, smirking.
He groaned. "So it's going to be like that."
"Oh yes it is."
Spencer sighed. "Derek Morgan, will you go out on another date with me some time, if I promise not to be a complete imbecile and actually talk to you afterward so you don't need to leave work early and come to my apartment to talk some sense into me?"
Derek raised his eyebrows. "That is the most oddly specific way that somebody has ever asked me out."
Spencer winced. "So is that a no?"
Derek grinned. "That is a 'definitely, just tell me where and when'."
They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Derek cleared his throat. "Were you working on some homework? Should I go?"
Spencer thought it over before shaking his head. "I was actually just doing some light reading," he said, motioning toward the book on the table. "Killing some time before dinner."
Derek glanced at the table. "...You consider War and Peace to be light reading?"
"Well, I have a quick reading speed, so I could finish the entire book in less than an hour."
He blinked a few times before looking back at Spencer. "You can read War and Peace in less than an hour?"
He nodded. "I guess you could say I have a bit of a gift."
"Man, what I would've given for that in college," Derek mumbled, chuckling softly.
"Do you have anything you need to do tonight?" Spencer asked, tucking his legs underneath himself.
Derek thought to himself. "My neighbor already checked on Clooney during the day for me, so I don't need to be home for a few hours."
"...And who's Clooney?" Spencer asked, eyebrow raised.
"He's my dog. Picked him up at a pound when he was just a puppy. He's part pitbull and pretty much the biggest lover on the planet. I have my teenage neighbor stop in a few times a day to check on him, take him for a walk, play with him a bit so he doesn't get lonely." Spencer nodded his understanding before Derek looked at him, curious. "Why do you ask?"
"...Because I wanted to know who Clooney was?"
He shook his head. "Why did you ask if I had anything I needed to do tonight?"
Spencer licked his lips, clearing his throat. "I um, I have some dinner cooking, and I always cook too much, it's really a bad habit, because then I have leftovers and so much of it gets thrown away and it's such a shame when you're throwing away money, and-"
"Spencer?" Derek asked, cutting him off. "Are you inviting me to stay for dinner?"
"...I was trying to, anyway."
Derek laughed softly. "If you're inviting, I'm eating. What are we having?"
"I've been reading a lot of cookbooks lately, so I've been experimenting with different recipes. This is actually a chicken pot pie recipe I've wanted to do for a while, and I made an extra…"
Derek shrugged. "Sounds good to me."
There was a knock on the door a few minutes later and Spencer rolled his eyes, getting up.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, there's a neighbor who doesn't understand the boundaries of personal space or personal lives," he explained, walking over and opening the door. "Yes, JJ?"
She smirked. "Nice to see you too. Do you happen to have a band-aid? Henry's got one of his 'invisible' boo-boos and is demanding a band-aid for it, and Will's at the store, grabbing them right now."
He looked down at Henry. "Where's the invisible boo-boo?" Derek smiled to himself at the fact that the usual eloquent man was using a word like 'boo-boo'.
Henry held up his elbow, pointing to a spot without a single scratch or bruise. "There."
Spencer inspected it, chewing on his cheek. "I think this calls for a special band-aid. Come on in while I go grab it."
Henry stepped inside, clinging onto his mother's hand while Spencer moved past the piles of books to go to the bathroom and check his cabinet. "Who's he?" he asked, pointing to Derek.
JJ moved his finger. "Henry, it's rude to point." She looked at Derek apologetically, mouthing a sorry to him.
Derek put up his hand. "I've heard worse at the coffee shop, believe me." He walked over, squatting in front of Henry. "It's nice to meet you, little man. I'm Derek."
He blushed, burying his head into his mother's leg. JJ smiled. "Oh, now you're a shy guy?"
Henry pointed to his arm. "You have a boo-boo too?"
Derek looked at the scrape on his arm. "Yeah, I was fixing up something at my house and scratched my arm."
"Uncle Spenner can kiss it better, he's good at that."
JJ cupped a hand over her mouth, holding back a laugh.
Henry looked at Spencer as he walked back. "Uncle Spenner, Derek has a boo-boo too."
"Does he?" He looked where Henry was pointing and smiled. "I guess so. What do you say, Henry, is this a robot fixer-upper, or a Spongebob?"
Henry thought to himself before pointing to the Spongebob. "That one's for me!"
He held out the band-aid to JJ. "Enjoy."
She smiled appreciatively, opening it and putting it on his arm. "Better?"
He nodded. "Much!" He turned to Spencer, waving. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He ruffled his hair, smiling.
JJ looked between the two of them. "I'll leave you two alone. Thanks again, Spence."
He gave her a thumbs up and closed the door after they left.
"You just so happen to keep a stock of kids' band-aids in your home?" Derek asked, getting up.
"I have Henry over a lot and it seemed like a good idea. Now," he held out the band-aid to Derek. "Henry will be very offended if your boo-boo isn't taken care of, and I need to go check on the pot pies."
Derek took it from him, unwrapping it and putting it onto his arm. "How does it look?"
Spencer peeked over from the kitchen. "Positively juvenile."
"Exactly what I was going for."
"So," Derek asked, poking his fork around his plate. "Is Henry your nephew?"
Spencer shrugged, swallowing the food in his mouth. "Sort of? JJ found out I was an only child when she met me and unofficially made me her little brother, so if we're going by those terms, yes? I'm also his godfather."
"Pretty impressive." He unsuccessfully tried to pick up a pea with his fork before giving up, picking it up with his fingers.
Spencer smiled, motioning toward the band-aid on his arm. "How'd you do that to yourself anyway? Playing with Clooney?"
Derek shook his head, looking at the scrape. "The roughest Clooney gets is when we're playing tug-of-war with one of his toys. That's actually from brushing my arm against a board I hadn't sanded yet."
Spencer raised an eyebrow. "So you're a handyman/barista?"
Derek laughed to himself. "Not quite. I went to college and it was a bust, so in my spare time when I'm not at the coffee shop, I buy broken down properties and renovate them. They're kind of my own DIY projects." He shrugged. "It's not reading or cooking, but it's a hobby."
"You actually do that?"
"Yeah, it started out with one property I fixed up, and I just loved it so much that I kept doing it to other places. It's amazing what people will sell a property for when they think it's crap."
"Do you sell them when you're done?" Spencer asked curiously, taking another bite.
"Usually, but I moved into my first one. Something about not being able to let the first one go, if that makes sense."
Spencer nodded. "It makes perfect sense. I think I'd like to see your work sometime."
"Just say the word."
Spencer stayed quiet before glancing at Derek again. "The word."
"Seriously?"
"You did say 'say the word'..."
He smirked. "I guess so. Once we're done here, I'll drive you over."
While they were in the car, Derek motioned toward the radio. "All yours."
Spencer raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
Derek shrugged. "I have to concentrate on the road and we can't always have awkward small talk to fill the voids. Go for it."
Spencer reached over, turning on the radio and going through the stations. He landed on some classical music and turned to Derek. "Would you be offended?"
"Not at all. Into the classics?"
"It's what I was raised on, really. Classical music and Bob Dylan. My mother had a different sort of taste."
Derek chuckled. "Add 'a musical education' to the things I need to teach you."
"I already took a music education course last semester, and received a perfect score."
"Not that kind of teaching. I'm introducing you to new genres. You need to learn how to love everything about music, because let's be honest, anyone who can't quote Illmatic is ignorant."
Spencer shrugged. "Though Illmatic is widely known as his best album, I think I'd have to go with the later Stillmatic." He saw the genuinely shocked look on Derek's face and smiled, looking out the window. "I'm more than just a brain with legs."
"Consider me schooled. You are just full of surprises, aren't you?"
"You could say that."
When they got to the house, Spencer looked at it, eyes wide. "You did this?"
Derek nodded, going through his phone and showing him a picture. "This was the before." The picture on the screen showed a house with chipped paint that looked like it was going to cave in on itself if the wind blew too hard, with several structural issues. "I worked for about a year on this place, and it's the one I'm most proud of. Want to see the inside?"
"...Can we?"
He took his keys out of his pocket, walking up and unlocking the door, walking inside and Spencer following. "Would you like a tour?" he asked, squatting down and rubbing Clooney's back.
Spencer nodded. "That'd be great."
He motioned toward the kitchen. "Complete with finished cabinets by yours truly, I installed the dishwasher, stove, and everything else on my own. The place was stripped when I bought it. Also made the table and finished the chairs."
Spencer raised his eyebrow, impressed, as Derek went to the living room, the dog following close behind. "Completely gutted this room, fixed up the fireplace, so on cold winter nights, this is amazing. Clooney and I will curl up on the couch or on the floor with some blankets and keep warm. It's the definition of cozy."
Spencer motioned toward the bookcases lining one of the walls. "Did you make these too?"
"That was a project I did on a weekend. Why, do you like them?"
"Definitely. I tried building a bookcase from IKEA once… needless to say, it became scrap wood and Henry and I roasted marshmallows on it."
Derek laughed to himself. "I would've liked to see that."
"Oh no you wouldn't. There was a lot of anger involved. Cursing, wielding a hammer, the whole nine yards."
Derek showed him around the rest of the house, including the bedrooms, bathroom, and the gym he'd finished in the basement. "So, what do you think?"
"Pretty impressive. And this is just what you do in your spare time?"
"Yeah, it's just a hobby."
Spencer paused. "No offense meant, but if you can do this, why are you still, you know…"
"Why do I still serve coffee every weekday morning?" When Spencer nodded, he shrugged. "I don't know, I got comfortable at the coffee shop, and doing it this way, I'm able to do it on my terms, the way I like to see it. There's nobody to tell me I'm doing anything wrong or not to their liking. It probably makes no sense, but-"
Spencer shook his head. "It makes perfect sense. You're following your heart. It's admirable."
"Thanks, kid." He checked his watch. "I should probably get you back home so you can get a good night's sleep for school in the morning."
Spencer checked his watch, wrinkling his nose. "Guess so. Didn't realize how late it was."
"Time flies when you're having fun," Derek offered.
Derek pulled up to Spencer's place, parking the car. "So, I'll see you in the morning for you usual early morning teeth-rotting drink?"
Spencer nodded, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Bright and early, and I should have plenty of homework in the afternoon."
"I'm sorry…"
Spencer smiled. "I'm not, gives me a reason to stay for a while."
Derek smirked. "Oh, really?"
"Really." He leaned over, kissing Derek's cheek. "Thank you."
"For what?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. For not giving up on me? For letting me in?"
"Don't sweat it, I'm glad I could."
Spencer chewed on his cheek before moving over, kissing Derek quickly on the lips. He pulled back shortly after, blushing. "So, um, I'll let you know when I have plans for a second date?"
"Sounds good to me, Pretty Boy."
He saw Spencer blush further and took it as a victory as he got out of the car, walking up to his apartment and unlocking the door. Checking his phone, he saw a text message from Penelope.
Are we good, or do I need to console you after another 'you fucked up' break-up?
He rolled his eyes. One, I didn't fuck up, and two, we're fine. See you in the morning. He tucked his phone into his pocket before starting the car, driving home.
