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Pizza and Chess

"If fear is the greatest enemy of intimacy, love is its true friend."

Henri Nouwen

The doorbell signaled that Spencer had finally arrived. She peered through the peephole in the door and smiled. As always, her heart began to thump like crazy just to see him on her doorstep.

"Hey," she went directly into his arms.

"Hi," he pushed her door shut and kissed her until she couldn't breathe.

"Wow," she said faintly. "What's that for.?"

"I'm happy," he said.

"I can see that. How was your meeting?"

"It was great. I don't know how to explain it, but every time I go there and talk to the group, I feel like…

"You don't have to explain it. You know all the psychological reasons why group therapy works, but that's not why you always have a smile on your face after a meeting."

He grinned at her. "Then, pray tell, why is it?"

"Because you have friends, and people outside the FBI that accept you. They'll never judge you because you all have the same struggle."

"How did you get to be so wise?"

"I learned from you," she said and stopped his next comment with a kiss. "Don't even think about saying you're not wise," she said when they broke apart.

"I'm not," he argued. "If I were wise, I wouldn't be an addict."

"Recovering addict," she reminded him, "and wisdom has nothing to do with intelligence or impulse control. You are wise because you care about others, Spencer. It's what I love about you."

His eyebrows went up. "Did you say love?"

"Yeah, I did. I'm tired of denying it, even if we've only known each other for a couple of months. I love you, Spencer."

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," she said, but her heart hurt that he didn't say the words.

"Hey," he pulled her close and hugged her. "I love you too, Hope. You brought light back into my life. I'm sorry if I didn't say it first. I should've -"

Hope put a hand on his mouth. "I don't care who said it first. I just want to enjoy it, okay?"

"I concur," he said solemnly and she laughed. "Why don't you sit? I can see you're beat."

He went to the couch and dropped down. He stretched out his long legs and motioned to her. She decided that his lap was the best place to sit. "I love it when you stretch out. You remind me of a cat. It's very sexy."

He went a little pink in the cheeks. "I was just getting comfortable. Did you know that stretching before bedtime improves blood flow and can help with quality of sleep."

"I did know that," she said. "Were you planning on going to bed?"

He brought his lips to her neck and began to nibble down to her shoulder. One hand slid under her white tank and cupped a breast. "Yes," he said in answer to her moan. "I think that's very good idea."

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"Mmm…" she sighed as his long fingers stroked her back.

"You okay," he whispered.

She pushed up to one elbow and studied his beautiful eyes. "I should ask you the same thing."

"Yeah," he squeaked. "I'm never felt better in my life."

She hugged him and kissed his neck, then his chest. "I'm glad this happened."

"Me too," he agreed.

She looked up at him and there was something in his eyes she'd never seen. "Are you sure?"

He sighed and turned over to face her fully. "I was thinking about all the steps I had to take to get to this moment. I never fully realized how intimate a person can get with another human being until I met you."

She scooted up to him and hugged him tight around the waist as their legs tangled together. "I thought I'd never come back from losing Johnny," she said and tears filled her eyes. "I thought when he died that my life was over."

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad we met because we both understand losing someone we loved so much. I really needed that."

"It's okay," she said and wiped away a tear that slid down his cheek. "Sometime's life doesn't go the way we plan it."

He sniffed and laughed. "Yeah, that's something I'm learning."

She kissed his chest again. "Thank you for looking over your shoulder the day we met. I can't bear to think of my life if we hadn't run into each other that day."

He shivered and held her tight. "I don't want to think about it, either."

She rolled away and got out of bed. "Hey," he protested.

"If I don't get up," she said and put on on a pair of ripped sweat pants and the white tank he pulled off in the heat of their passion, "our dinner will be ruined."

"You didn't have to cook for me again."

She sat down and leaned over for a kiss, then pulled away and giggled. "Oh no you don't, Dr. Reid."

"I'm not hungry for food."

"Too bad. Get up and get dressed."

"Alright," he pouted, and then his eyes lit up, "Only if you promise to tell me all about your lunch."

She rolled her eyes. "There's not that much to tell."

"Please," he was so adorable with his hair all mussed, and his eyes sleepy and sexy.

"Do you have to look at me that way?"

He patted the bed. "If it gets you back into bed, I'll do what I have to do."

"Look at you, Mr. Sex Maniac."

He wiggled his eyebrows.

"No," she said, "you'll have to wait for dessert."

"What's for dessert?"

"Me," she said and leaped away when he grabbed for her. "Behave!"

He slid out from the covers and began to look for his shirt. She watched him until he turned around. "What"

"Oh, nothing, I better go get dinner out of the oven."

She left, but a part of her wanted to go back in there for round two. Still, she could smell that dinner was getting too well done so she hurried out to the kitchen.

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"If you must know," she began when he joined her, dressed in his grey shirt and blue slacks, but minus his fitted vest and tie. "I was the last one to arrive. It was weird walking up to these people I don't know."

"I think I can imagine that," he said dryly.

She smirked at him. "Well, it wasn't like standing in front of a recruitment seminar. Still, I like them. They all seem to care about you."

"What did they tell you about me?"

She put the round pizza pan on the table, along with the pizza cutter and motioned for him to slice it.

"Why do I have to cut this?"

"Because I cooked."

"That doesn't make any sense," he observed.

"I'll tell you everything the girls said, if you slice up the pizza."

He sighed. "It does smell good, better than ordering out."

"Why thank you, Dr. Reid."

He began pushing the cutter through the pizza as she related the conversation with the girls. She decided to leave out the part about making him go shoe shopping.

"It sounds like you had fun," he said.

"Yeah, it was fun. I hope we get to do it again."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem. I'm sure that Garcia will plan the next get together before you know it."

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"I thought you were dessert," Reid whined when she wouldn't go back to bed after they loaded the dishwasher.

"I have a better idea."

He folded his arms over his chest and scowled. "What could be better?"

"I decided I want you to teach me how to play chess."

He stared at her. "You want me to teach you chess, why?"

"It's something you love, so I want to learn it."

He put both hands on her elbows and drew her close. "You don't have to learn chess because I like it. It's not just me in this relationship."

His puppy eyes made her heart gallop in her chest. She couldn't hide from those eyes because they saw everything.

"Babe, I know it's not just you. I truly want to learn. I might suck at it, but I want to try."

"Alright, but I promise you I won't be an easy taskmaster."

She nearly laughed at his attempt to play the strict teacher. "Yes sir," she pulled one arm free of his grasp and saluted him.

"I don't sense the appropriate level of respect and fear," he complained.

"Sorry, sir. I will try to keep a straight face at all times."

"Try, there is no try, do or do not," he said in a very bad impression of Yoda.

"Ha," she snorted. "Not funny at all."

"I think it is," he laughed. "By the way, how am I going to teach you to play? My chess set's in my apartment."

"I bought one today," she gestured to a bag he hadn't noticed on the counter. "It isn't a fancy hand carved antique, but it'll do."

He picked up the bag and removed the chess set. It was a garden-variety set you could find in any store, but the sight of it made his blood begin to hum.

"I can see in your eyes, you're up for the challenge," she teased.

"I think I can handle you."

"Why don't you set up the game and we'll see who comes out on top."

His eyebrows went up. "Is that a double entendre I hear, Ms. Charles?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'd never be so crude, Dr Reid."

He laughed. "I'm glad because there are activities I'd rather resume and you're little comments aren't helping me concentrate."

"Too bad," she said. "I want to learn chess, so suck it up."

He opened his mouth and she clamped a hand over it. "Don't even think about it."

He decided to go along with Hope's decision to learn, but part of his mind was already working on a way to turn this to his advantage.

"No plotting in that big brain of yours, Spencer."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Of course not," she agreed. "Stop stalling and set up the game."