A/N: Moving in day!

Chapter Thirty Five

Doing Flippy Happy Things

Waiting for the landlord to pick up the keys Spencer stood alone at his now bare apartment, Luke having just left with Roxy in his car and following the moving van to the new place, friends also helping out which was much appreciated. After the landlord came by Spencer could drive his car over which was currently packed with the last new boxes and things to move with and say goodbye to the apartment that had housed the last few years. He couldn't help it, there was a bittersweet feeling in his soul, he had zero regrets and couldn't wait to start officially living with Luke at the house but there was something melancholic about the walking away from the apartment.

He found himself slowly walking through the apartment mindlessly, hazel eyes gliding over the blank walls, the open floors and curtains windows making the whole area seem in high contrast and his thoughts started to wander much as his feet were. The young agent had started renting the place a year after joining the BAU, given the pay grade after leaving the academy he wasn't looking for anything flashy and just something serviceable so as his pay increased he wasn't paying out as much and saved a lot without having to think too hard about it since, but other than some of his more personalised furniture he hadn't paid much attention to the apartment itself.

Memories flashed up in his mind as he remembered when his mom stayed with him a while, how stressful it was but it was also nice to see her a bit more, maybe if he'd been less focused on trying to get her well and just enjoyed the time spent it would have been different. But the moments of just talking, reading together and listening to old records or going through the photo album stuck with him. All the times Henry and Michael had come over to visit their favourite uncle, doing science projects or practicing magic, so many little glimpses into their childhoods as both boys were and continued to grow up. When Alex Blake visited him and handed him her credentials in a goodbye when she didn't do the same for anyone else.

The more he pondered it the more he realised he'd grown up a lot in this place and although he may have taken the walls for granted they were a safe place for some key moments in his life. The apartment saw him through his recovery from being shot or injured multiple times, it saw him through the cluster headaches and sleepless nights, the mourning and missing for friends gone by whether it was Maeve or Walker, when Emily had been declared dead and as he would think over the goodbyes from Gideon, Alex or Elle. Here he handled his addiction to dilaudid and sat though the cravings, sometimes in the company of good friends and sometimes on his own, and he overcame them. It was also where he'd recovered from his experience in prison and had to readjust to his home being just that, a safe space which also held a freedom he hadn't had for a terrifying few months.

And then there was Luke. On a light note Spencer smiled as he realised the first doggy to ever set foot, or paw, in his apartment and be so very welcome was Roxy. How many times Luke and him had held each other or spoke so sincerely tucked away in the rooms of this place no matter how serious or adorable the moments had been. Their first nights together, whether nights of passion or nights of comfort, their friendship growing in ways he could never have believed he'd be lucky enough to have. Their first Christmas together had been here, and as Spencer found himself standing in the living room he glanced to where the tree had stood and remembered their presents and particularly the photo album and robin ornament they'd gifted to one another.

He heard the door bell and Spencer took in a deep breath with a soft smile over nothing in particular, knowing it was the landlord and it was time to actually leave the place for good he felt positive about it. Things change, and for once in his life it was all surrounding good things, there would be more memories to make at the new place and with the man that had made him so happy. Casting one more glance over the empty rooms Spencer went to the door and felt excitement in his step, ready for a new chapter and what the changes would bring.

Later in the day Spencer found himself carting boxes back and forth from the car and van to different rooms in the house, Derek his buddy in the task while Luke focused on larger appliances. Walking through the house with a box full of books, Derek carrying double that but it wasn't a contest as they passed the guest rooms which hadn't been painted yet though the decal and wallpaper had been stripped, an echo of the 'wild cat room' used for storage of boxes that didn't have a place yet. As they reached the den which had been re-carpeted and repainted, the curtains had been hung up too making the place feel instantly welcoming they both unloaded the many books onto the large writing desk, the genius could be particular about placement and order so they would be sorted onto shelves later.

The bookcases were already brought in and really went with the room and he was looking forward to getting to work in the space especially with classes to prepare for. The pair of friends were chatting away and as Morgan looked out one of the windows for a moment down to the back yard and said "I should have got a picture of the garden too before they cleared it."

"What was wrong with the garden?" Spencer asked puzzled. How do you mess that up?

Morgan just chuckled as the pair made their way out of the room to pick up more boxes as he explained "they had a hot tub with party lights" and Spencer thought while it wasn't his style it wasn't that terrible but when he heard his friend add "and gnomes" with a serious tone he was intrigued.

"Why do you say gnomes like it's menacing?"

"They had a collection, they were everywhere…" Derek explained "at least...a hundred of them? and all focused, staring at the hot tub."

As they were walking down the stairs the genius actually paused in his steps slightly perplexed "huh…I have no answer to that, but if there's ever a pair of unsubs in future that leave creepy gnomes I'll know where to start looking" he replied making both chuckle, the thought genuinely a bit creepy despite the ridiculousness as they reached downstairs and passed Luke wheeling in a dryer to the utility room.

Luke stopped to say an impressed "how did all of this fit in your old apartment?" the amount of stuff they were moving was quite surprising compared to the modest apartment.

Spencer replied with "sheer will" and a smile. "To the car" he said as he and Morgan continued on to the next lot of boxes while Luke continued carefully moving the heavy appliance into the small utility.

As he unloaded it from the little platform trolley and set about connecting it Alvez was hunched down and smelled the delicious scent of coffee before he saw where it was coming from, but when JJ stepped closer and into view with a smile, holding a tray of drinks she'd picked up. She set one on the counter and chimed "they're on me" leaving no room for argument "where's Penelope?" she asked.

"I believe she's setting up the TV and stuff like that" Luke answered before reaching up to grasp the much needed drink and said a sincere "thanks Jennifer."

She just gave a friendly nod before heading on her journey to hand out coffees, she left hers, Morgans and Reid's on the kitchen island but she had to find her colourful friend. She wasn't in the living room though the TV and stereo had been set up so she peered into the garden where Roxy was relaxing on the lawn alone, curiously she journeyed upstairs and looked around. Eventually she spotted movement in the master bedroom and peered inside to see Penelope Garcia…snooping?

The room no longer it's old 'forest fire realness' and now something far more relaxing, the bed already built but clothes and sheets were all in bags and boxes still JJ decided rather than startle her friend with saying her name she decided to say a playful "beep, beep" knowing it would be gentler on the woman's nerves and an in-joke given how Garcia had rambled about how people should 'knock or beep or something.' Penelope was a little bashful at having been walked in on but saw it was JJ and immediately the techie started to explain herself "I was just…I…did you know they have a photo album?" she said, feeling a little guilty for looking through it but it was so irresistible.

"No…let's see" JJ said unabashed and eager to have a gander and immediately her bright blue eyes lit up as she looked at the collection and gasped at some of the adorable moments captured and treasured on the pages. They got lost for several minutes just looking at everyone, figuring out family members and the pressed flowers, ticket stubs and more, the cuteness of the paper plane doodles also melted their hearts when all of a sudden they heard someone clearing their throat from the doorway.

Turning both blondes were met with a smirking Luke in the doorway, "nosy nellies, the pair of you" he said in a tone that told them they weren't in any trouble.

"But it makes my heart do flippy happy things" Garcia tried to excuse, and it earned a warm chuckle, "how cute are you guys?!"

"Adorable, now back to work, ladies" Luke said with a smile and eventually they agreed, Penelope reluctantly giving up the album into Luke's hands but she couldn't stop smirking at him as they went back to helping out, leaving the ex-ranger alone with the images. It was still open to the page with the paper plane, their cute messages to each other written on it and Spencer's sketch of their house on it making him smile softly. He tried not to get distracted by it but eventually he found himself taking a minute to flip through just as the girls had done, like some lovey dovey teen he had the goofiest grin on his face.

There was a pang in his chest, a happy one, but an emotional one, something he rarely did before Spencer. He was always on the move, chasing something before, he hadn't understood how others could just settle down and stay put before, not in any player or juvenile manner, but he was just so used to moving it took the team and the genius to really tell him what incredible adventures could be had by making a home. He looked to the pressed flowers and smiled, they had the protea on proud display. Linked to courage and transformation, it suited nobody more so than the good doctor but it was something they both respected a great deal. Then as he flipped through he saw the hydrangea, meaning 'you understand me' and he felt his chest flutter.

Looking forward to their lives together, whatever may come, Luke closed the book and placed it on the table before hearing a hushed noise by the door he looked up and saw a pair of nosy blondes trying to not reveal their presence but he caught them before they could duck out of sight. Knowing they were spotted Penelope just grinned and chimed "is your heart doing all the flippy happy things too?" with a giggle and Luke chuckled.

"You could say that."

Emily had arrived to help out, strategically after a lot of the heaviest lifting was past but she did help unpack and set up various things, moving some furniture and the like, and before long the house was looking more and more like a home. The unit chief finished replacing the tacky shell light shade in the dining room with the new one and felt a little icky even holding the old one as she rejoined the group in the living room to see food had arrived.

Luke handed her the shredded pork she'd asked for before she took the free armchair with a smile, everyone tucking into the well earned food as they stopped to rest a little. Emily couldn't help but eye the tacky item she set aside that clinked with every movement and joked "I don't know whether you throw this out or return it to the wild…" earning a giggle.

"Seriously, this place looks so good now" JJ chimed as she looked about the no longer greenish living room, instead much warmer and more elegant "and I thought my place had been bad" gaining the curiosity of the group and she just explained "the guy before us installed a mirror on the bedroom ceiling" she grimaced.

"Oh wow" Luke chuckled and then after a pause looked to his boyfriend comically and cheekily wiggled his eyebrows as though considering the idea earning raucous laughter from the group.

"Not a chance" Spencer protested but knowing the whole thing was just a silly joke he was giggling too.

"You guys are so cute, you know that?" Emily said with a smile, mirroring the blondes' sentiments from earlier without knowing, "and all growed up now" she added gesturing with her hand to the house they were all sitting in.

Penelope was still sniggering from the naughty joke of Luke's even with a mouthful of rice and trying not to make a mess, but she too looked around at the lovely home and said "but don't go growing up too fast now though, boys" she joked with a smirk.

"Well thanks for helping you guys" Luke said with a warm smile, genuinely grateful for the helping hands and he found himself looking at his favourite genius next to him on the sofa. The genteel man wasn't the type to do such physical chores for so long and he looked a little sleepy, curled up on the cushions getting as comfortable as possible. Something so wholesome in the vision of his boyfriend all of a sudden and it made his heart swell quite strongly, so much so he felt a little breathless.

"So was it hard to leave your old places?" Emily asked before chowing down on her food.

Luke snapped himself out of his thoughts and replied with a shrug "not for me, but…"

"Figures…" Jennifer said looking at the ex-ranger "profiling 101" with a smirk and meaning it lighthearted.

"Yeah, well how long again did it take people to figure out we were together?" Alvez threw back with a cocky smile.

"Touché" the blonde replied "besides times have certainly changed. How about you, Spence?" she then directed the earlier question for the genius.

Spencer smiled however tiredly and answered honestly "I admit I got a little sad, seeing the apartment all empty." It was then that Roxy padded inside from the yard and looked very happy in the new location with lots of scents and space to explore and she moved to sniff Penelope's food before moving on to her superior raw food meal in her bowl away in the kitchen. Her appearance only bringing gentle smiles as the genius continued "I've been there for most of my time at the BAU so…"

"Pretty boy, you really have grown up there," Derek was quick to reply with a wide grin "you were such a baby when you joined" he teased further.

While several giggled at that JJ laughed quite hard, her mind easily cast back to the early days of the awkward genius she cared for so much and Reid just looked to the blonde and said "that's a lot of laughing for someone who didn't even have a gun when she joined…"

JJ smirked impressed with the factual comeback and gave a nod of defeat while Luke couldn't believe his ears "Jennifer…without a gun?" Luke asked, "I'd just always presumed you were SSA" finding it hard to believe the blonde wasn't always the kick ass lady she was today.

She just explained "not the case, I came on initially as the communications coordinator," and Luke just seemed at a loss, "I eventually joined the field work and got my hours up."

"Huh, guess I never thought about the BAU outright changing so much" Luke posed as he looked around the room, trying to figure everyone out for a moment.

"And you wonder why I call you 'newbie'" Penelope said with a chortle.

And thus the group started reminiscing and story telling, largely explaining the evolution of the team to Luke while also having a lot of fun along the way. It was nice hearing about Spencer especially, how he had a mentor-student relationship with Gideon and the teasing was shared around the room between how much of a ladies man Derek used to be, Penelope's goth days and so on, it even came up that she'd been shot before which was a shock. So much he hadn't even been around for and yet was so welcomed into and included, and he supposed he had his own past to bring too but with every story and joke he just found himself more and more enamoured by the love of his life and how much he must have dealt with before they even knew the other existed.

So much could happen in a short span of time, never mind years, or a lifetime, and as Luke thought about just what he and Spencer were emotionally and literally moving into…he felt so happy. So happy the pang in his chest felt a little too strong and he couldn't focus on the talking anymore, instead he casually got up as though to use the restroom but went upstairs to the master bedroom. Just suddenly very overwhelmed in a way he had never felt before, perhaps close to when Spencer had written him the poem he treasured near and dear to his heart, but he had been moved then, here he was exceptionally, powerfully, happy.

In the master bedroom's ensuite Luke had felt some tears threaten but he didn't let them fall, trying to blink them away as his emotions got the best of him and eventually had to wipe them away from his eye lashes and take deep breaths to try and calm himself back to normal. He felt a little silly, not embarrassed, but he almost wanted to laugh at himself for being such a sap especially as it was over such good things. After a moment of calming himself he heard someone come into the main bedroom and he had a good idea of who it was before he even heard the genius' soft voice said "Luke?"

Luke let out a breath and stepped from the ensuite and while it wasn't completely obvious Spencer could tell the man had gotten a bit teary eyed and he immediately moved to him with a caring expression and asked "you okay?" not feeling like it was anything bad necessarily, especially with Luke smiling a little sheepishly.

The ex-ranger nodded and he too stepped closer to his boyfriend, putting his hands around the slim waist as they embraced and he answered "yeah, I just…I got really happy and it was a lot and I felt weird, so…" came the ramble and finally Spencer felt relaxed enough to smile back, appreciating that the reason for Luke's reaction was positive and the ex-ranger clearly wasn't used to having responses like that.

Reid wrapped his own arms around his boyfriend comfortingly in a sweet gesture and they just stood enjoying each other's company for a couple of minutes, hands soothing over each others backs and staying close. Of course the genius also decided to offer his knowledge on the topic, first by asking "tears encourage catharsis, did you know that?"

Luke gazed at him softly and said "how?" urging him to continue as he often did.

With a beaming smile Spencer was happy to oblige and explained "our tears release neurotransmitters known as leucine enkephalin, which can act as a natural painkiller. When people cry because they're sad, this makes them feel better. And as for happy crying - our teeny-tiny almond-sized hypothalamuses don't know the difference between stress, sadness or happiness, so when we feel a strong emotion like those our bodies make us cry to induce the natural pain killer. But when people cry because they're happy, that same neurotransmitter makes them feel that much happier and it can be hard to stop it when it gets going…"

"Huh…" Luke replied, "so my being so happy, made by brain think I was stressed and needed a painkiller, so it made me cry, and then I only got even happier?" he summarised and let that information sink in before chuckling, also not at all surprised Spencer had the answer in that genius brain of his. "I love you so much…" Luke hummed, not much more to say and safe in his boyfriends company he didn't shy away from the facts or when he needed to blink away another tear threatening to wet his lashes further.

"Love you too," Spencer said before stealing a kiss, glad Luke could be so open with him and that he was feeling similarly excited and happy about the move as he was. Parting and staring into each others arms Spencer said jokingly "you know I thought I'd be the emotional one today."

"Oh, we can get sappy if you want to join me in the crying club over here" Luke teased back and held him closer against his body in an affectionate manner.

"Hmm…I'm good thanks" Spencer replied before his lips were claimed in another kiss, both grinning into it and they would be unable to stop smiling any time soon. "Besides, I get it...it's a big change and a good one at that. Especially from where both of us started..."

Luke smiled, it was crazy to think how long ago Luke was focused on work, chasing as his only goal and Spencer, just how long ago he was in prison, fighting to free himself and survive, it was nothing short of miraculous to think how much things could change in life. "Yeah, also apparently we're 'really cute', Jennifer and Pen saw the photo album" he explained and instantly both chuckled.

"I assume they couldn't resist having a snoop?"

"I doubt it even occurred to them to try" Luke said giving Spencer another kiss, it was innocent and warm and they softly giggled through it, laughing at their friends' actions.

After the much appreciated friends had left to return to their own lives, many thanks being said as each made their exit leaving the two men and dog to the big house all alone, now officially in their home. They still a great deal of unpacking and organising to do, also more decorating and additional furniture to purchase to complete the place, but the house was feeling cozy and more like theirs with every added touch or completed task. Luke had set the fireplace and at some point he'd set up Spencer's old-fashioned record player, an item he himself had never used but enjoyed the quality of sound that filled the living room.

The long day had been busy from early hours in the morning and this felt like their first fully relaxed moment alone since waking up, and they found themselves cuddled up on the long sofa, resting after the rather physically demanding day, warmed and comforted by the fire and enjoying the gentle songs from the jazz record playing. Roxy was curled up in her dog bed in the same room, a few of her toys strewn about already and neither minded, they had a simple command to make her tidy the place up if need be given her strong training but for now they let the pooch snooze.

In his mind Luke took stock of the place even in the rooms they couldn't see from their curled up heap of limbs on the sofa, the living room was very open and they could use with another long sofa, small things like nest of tables and lamps wouldn't go amiss and so long as they weren't called away on a case both knew the next few weeks would be filled with picking up the odd rug or item to fill a particular space.

The shopping list growing every moment from breakfast stools to the longer dining table, they'd only had the smaller table from Spencer's apartment and they were likely going to move that to the sunroom and some gym equipment was on the to buy list too, Luke looking forward the smaller guest room turning into a home gym once any trace of the kitty theme was fully eradicated and covered up. There was plenty still to decorate and given how the 'wildcat room' was used as the miscellaneous box storage room for now it was ironic that the most hideous room was going to be the last getting it's full makeover.

Clothes had been hung up, each with their own side of the walk in closet and the two halves were distinctly different in styles but they liked the sight of it, Spencer had already spent some time putting away books and he had so much still to go, the sheer extent of his collection could qualify as a small library in their house and Luke loved the fact that he could just see the den and see the genius' influence in it.

They'd spoken about the potentials for rooms in the future and all those sorts of ideas that couples floated about when planning their lives as much as anyone could. If this was all they'd have, themselves and a friendly dog just enjoying each other's company - they were beyond happy, and the space wasn't wasteful, the guest room could be used for family visiting, godsons if JJ and Will went on a couples weekend and so on. But they both knew in the future that Luke didn't necessarily need a home gym, or that it couldn't be moved to the sunroom, that what rooms were or what they were made into for now couldn't be altered or evolve, nothing definite or stuck and it was exciting. So much potential and changes to come in their lives and they were ready to handle whatever was to come, good or bad, together in their own, shared, home.

Luke's hand soothed over his boyfriend's side as he hugged him closer and it was only then that he realised his beloved genius had nodded off, the mess of hair and peaceful expression thoroughly adorable and Luke could only smile. He could get used to this.

Quote: "They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world:
someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for."

― Tom Bodett