Ever since the two boys had gotten over their argument, they had spent every moment together due to it being Winter break- they got breakfast, lunch, dinner together, they went shopping, they watched movies, sometimes they even spent hours just laying together in bed. (although perhaps sometimes it wasn't just simply cuddling.) It was the happiest Spencer had ever felt, he constantly had a smile plastered on his lips, matching Derek's grin.
Even though it scared them half to death, they displayed affection whenever they could- although they never took it too far, holding hands everywhere and maybe a kiss on the cheek every once inawhile. Derek wanted to prove to his boyfriend that he wasn't scared to show him affection, that he wasn't embarrassed of him, and that he loved everything about him. Spencer, was slowly beginning to believe him. It was proven further by their drive to Derek's childhood home where they were about to spend New Years Eve.
Spencer had a family in his youth before his death- a frankly happy family, from what he could remember at least. They would bake around the holidays, they would put up decorations, they would dance in the living room at midnight when he was just a little kid. Of course, unless his mother was having an episode and he would have to comfort her while his father left for the night. Other than that, he remembered having a really happy childhood with his mother. He absolutely adored her and held nothing against her. It was how she knew how to love him.
At the least, they supported him. They knew he was very intelligent and helped him out by reading him advanced books at a young age, which helped him improve his already crazy reading level. His father, however, didn't get to see the most of it. He understood now why his father left but as an 8 year old, he didn't. He thought it was his fault, he couldn't possibly comprehend why his father would want to leave his mother- she was beautiful.
He also never had siblings, so he was curious to see how that worked around the holidays and even though he was nervous, he was excited to meet Derek's family.
Derek, even if he wasn't showing it quite so well, was feeling the same excitement as he stared forth at the long highway laid out infront of them. The drive was a couple hours and they had stocked up on drinks and snacks (although he had to stop every once inawhile because Spencer needed to use the bathroom.) He had told his mom all about his incredible boyfriend, she was still a bit thrown off from his coming out. She had been supportive, but he could tell she was wondering how exactly it happened. He wondered the same.
He hadn't told anyone else in his family (although he knew they knew because of his gossiping mother), and was nervous. His family loved him, but they were very tradition-oriented. He wondered how they would feel having somene new brought into their holiday party. His mother really wanted to meet Spence, so he brought him despite his slight fear.
He knew Spencer might not like it so much, but he could tell Spencer couldn't wait to see Derek's old home. He was nervously tapping his fingers against his thighs and Derek felt the adoration swell over him once again and had to look away while fighting a smile, he couldn't comprehend that this boy was his.
Eventually, the two pulled up to a smaller house on the 'Southside' of Chicago, and Derek swallowed a gulp. Spencer wasn't exactly the type to come around where he grew up, and he hoped they would have no issues getting inside. Slowly but surely he climbed out of the car and grabbed his gift for his mother, locking the doors behind the two boys.
Derek skipped up the steps to the porch and threw his fist against the door, a smile stretching wide on his face. He hadn't really seen his mother in awhile and couldn't wait to give her a great big hug.
"Derek?" An older woman said through the screen door, slowly pushing it open with a wide smile.
"Auntie!" The older boy stepped forward and engulfed the woman into a tight hug, spinning her around slightly, causing her to laugh and push the boy slightly. "Is Ma here?" The graying woman nodded at her grandson, although her dark eyes glittered down to the boy standing behind Derek and flashed him a hesitant smile.
"You must be… Spencer, right?" The younger boy nodded quickly, and was tempted to stick his hand out but didn't as he wanted to avoid touching anyone as much as possible. "I'm Yvonne, Derek's aunt. It's nice to meet you."
Spencer nodded once again, smiling in return. "Nice to meet you, ma'am."
"Ma'am? I'm not that old, am I?" She laughed, easing Spencer's budding nerves. "Now, come on inside you two, it's freezing."
--
The two boys walked into the brightly lit kitchen, Spencer almost clinging to his boyfriend's side. He knew he would most likely be uncomfortable with him so close, but he needed a source of comfort at the moment and Derek was the only place he could find it at the moment. However, the boy didn't push him away so he found no issue in his actions as he gently clung to a piece of Derek's shirt. "Ma!" The boy exclaimed, pulling away from Spence and walking across the kitchen to pull another woman into a hug. "Looking beautiful as ever!"
The brunette stood awkwardly near a bar stool, watching the scene break out in front of him. He wasn't sure when he was supposed to follow his boyfriend or when he was supposed to wait behind. "Spence, come over here." His thoughts were interrupted by the culprit and he slowly walked over to the woman and Derek, smiling at the two of them. "This is Spencer Reid, mama."
Her light blue eyes cast over the boy and it made him quite nervous at first but she quickly softened up and offered her arms for a hug. He appreciated the consentual ask and wondered if Derek had mentioned anything to her. Frankly, he wasn't concerned about it and enjoyed it as he stepped into her hug, gently embracing her by wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
He soon stepped back to lean against Derek. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Morgan."
She cocked her head to the side and showed another bright smile. "Polite, I like this one. Now come on, we are going to be eating any minute and then we can get our party on!" She bumped her hip into her son's and caused him to break out into a laugh. Spencer watched them carefully and felt his heart swell at how comfortable Derek was with his family- more than anything. He supposed that's how most people were, you would be the most comfortable with the people you grew up with. However, it also made him a bit sad realizing how uncomfortable he would be having Derek meet his mother or his father whom he hadn't seen in years. Maybe one day.
The two boys followed the woman into a small dining room where a few girls were already sat, and Spencer immediately grew nervous. He hadn't heard much about Derek's sister, nor the girl whom he assumed was his cousin. He had only mentioned them in a couple stories he had told of his youth.
They slowly turned to him and one of his sisters, Sarah, gave Spencer a big smile while his other sister, Desiree and his cousin cast him dirty looks. It only increased his anxiety as he turned to look at his boyfriend who was staring at them, begging with his eyes for them to stop being so rude. "Sit down, you two," Fran stated as she tried to prevent an argument. The two boys sat next to his mother and Spencer tried to ignore the stares penetrating him.
--
The group of people ate the meal in silence, Spencer trying to swallow the texture of the food itching the back of his throat. This was not the place or time to cause a scene, but he could feel his heart rate increasing and his gag reflex being triggered with every bite. He took a deep breath, shoveling another mouthful of mashed potatoes soon. Derek watched from the side with concern but was soon cut off by a question from his cousin, Cindi. "So, Derek, what happened to Savannah?" Spencer froze, letting his fork drop against his plate with a clink. "Don't tell me you cheated on her. Or did she cheat on you? I always knew she was a whore."
Yvonne cut in with a sharp, "Cindi! Stop with that language! I'm curious, myself, Derek. What did happen to Savannah? You tried so hard to convince us you were soulmates and meant to be."
Desiree chuckled softly, taking a sip of the wine set infront of her. "He does this. He's convinced he's in love with someone, and we are going to like them, but then they are going to break up and he will move onto the next. He's never gonna settle, Auntie."
Derek clenched his fists against the table, a dull ache forming in his skull. He knew they weren't going to be thrilled with him dating a man, or dating anyone besides Ashley frankly. "You can't speak on things you don't know about, Des." He said softly, taking Spencer's hand.
His sister stared at him for a moment, shaking her head slightly. "You never even showed interest in men. What? Is this an experiment? Are you using this… boy," she paused. "As an experiment? Are you using him just like you used Ashley?" At this comment, Derek threw himself up from his seat and slammed his fists down.
"What is your fucking problem, just say it!" He shouted, and his mother began to speak up about the cursing by was quickly cut off his by his hand. Spencer was alarmed at his anger and began to shrink down. He would comfort him when he needed it, but for now he needed to get his anger off his chest.
His sister followed suite, standing up across from him. "You aren't gay, Derek. Everyone does this in college. You can't… make a future, with him. How do the guys feel about this? They told me they were visiting you. I'm sure they didn't exactly welcome this with warm arms. Why are you turning against your people by doing this? You go to college and think you are better than everyone, better enough to date a dude! I don't… I support gay people, but I don't support this because it's not you, Derek. Come home, go to the community college."
Derek froze, weighing his options. He could storm out with Spencer in hand, he could scream in response, or he could… he turned to look at Spencer who was staring up at him with wide, scared eyes and decided to sit back down. "I know. I… you can't keep disrespecting him, and me by this. I understand if you haven't exactly come around yet, but you have to try. If you can't even do that, then please keep your mouth shut. I love Spencer, even if you don't believe me. I want to travel the country, I want to build a family, I want a life with him like I have never pictured. I didn't… I didn't love Ashley, and I thought I loved Savannah and it was lust. I'm not gay, Des. I'm bi. You are my family," he turned his gaze to everyone. "And I just want you to support us and love Spencer the way I do, because I know if you tried, you would."
His sisters sat quietly, contemplating his words while his mother turned to Derek with teary eyes. "Is this the one you are going to marry?"
The older boy paused for a moment, before turning to Spencer. The two traded glances for a moment, before Spencer nodded and he turned back to his mother. "Some day."
--
The group of people danced around the living room, chugging beers (except for Derek and Spencer.) Spencer watched them all carefully from the corner of the couch, laughing when Derek spun his mother and caused her to tumble to the floor. It was quite awkward after their argument for a moment, but they had soon adjusted and tried to get to know Spencer a little bit better.
The conversation turned into them trying to convince Spencer how to dance after he explained he didn't know how and he refused, agreeing to at least watch. Derek knew he would never pressure Spencer into doing something he had already said no to once. He respected him too much for that, and loved him too much. He was glad his family was making a bit more of an effort and tried not to freak out as he watched his sister take a seat next to Spencer.
She placed herself next to him with a drink in her hand, taking a sip before she turned and spoke. "Listen, I'm sorry for how I acted I…. I never expected him to come home with someone like you, and after he took off with Savannah… I just, I don't know. I'm sorry though." She chugged the rest of her cup and threw it on the floor, smiling at him. "I would like to get to know you though, you seem really good for him. He looks so happy." The two of them turned to look at Derek who was practically glowing as he danced with his mother.
"I understand the circumstances which caused you to act as you did and I forgive you. I was just as surprised when Derek told me he wasn't straight, I adjusted as well. He makes me happy. I hope I make him happy." Spencer spoke softly, watching Derek with a sly smile.
Desiree's eyes widened as she watched how much adoration built in Spencer's eyes at the sight of his boyfriend and she leaned back against the couch. "You really do love him, don't you?"
The brunette turned to look at her and didn't hesitate to nod. "More than I ever expected to. It kind of scares me to be frank, but… I'm ready to love him. All of him, including his.. Crazy family." he teased, although he was a bit nervous about how she would respond. Instead of growing angry she laughed out loud and grabbed his hand.
"Will you pleeeaseee dance with us?" She begged with wide eyes, puffing out her lower lip.
He looked at her for a moment, biting his lip. He could make a fool of himself, but he also wanted to win them over. Slowly, but surely, he took her hand and stood up from the couch, making their way to the middle of the room with everyone else. "Spencer!" Derek laughed.
They spent hours upon hours dancing, laughing, and talking as they waited for the timer to reach midnight so they could watch the ball drop on the TV. The group grew to love the boy and wanted to know all about him, each taking turns to dance with him.
Finally, Derek got his turn as he took his hand from his aunt, pulling him into a tight dance. "Hi, Spencer. Are you okay?" He spun him around once, admiring him as he leaned into the dance.
"I'm perfect, Derek. Even if things were a bit… rocky, in the beginning, I truly do adore your family. It'll take some time for us to truly get to know one another, but we have all the time in the world, we have forever."
'Forever?" Derek smiled, spinning him again.
'Forever, Derek." Spencer chuckled as he attempted to spin his boyfriend on his own turn, but it resulted in Derek stepping on his toes. "Even if you are a bad dancer."
"Hey, I'm not the bad dancer, you are!" He teased, jabbing him in the stomach.
They hadn't noticed that no one was no longer dancing and were instead watching the couple with big smiles, realizing just how much they truly did love one another. They no longer had any doubt of their intentions for one another as they saw the way Derek's eyes twinkled looking at the boy, or the way Spencer's eyes had lines from how hard he was smiling.
"Wait, shit!" Cindi called out, looking at her watch. "We have less than a minute, y'all!" She ran over to the couch to grab the remote, quickly turning the TV on and searching for the correct channel. Derek pulled away from Spencer to watch the screen, an arm still wrapped around his shoulder.
Spencer began to wonder if Derek would kiss him once the clock struck 12. It was such a cliche, but if he was going to live one with anyone, he would want it to be him. He would most likely be too scared to ever kiss Spencer infront of anyone like that, so he shrunk back as the seconds counted down on the screen. 5… 4…. 3…. 2… 1….
His face was soon pulled to the side and his lips were caught against Derek's rough ones, a small whimper escaping his mouth at the action. He soon melted against the kiss, wrapping his arms around the boy's neck. Derek wasn't afraid to kiss him infront of his family. Derek wasn't afraid to kiss him infront of other people. Derek wasn't afraid, just like he told him he wouldn't be anymore.
"Woo!" A shout came from his sisters and the two boys pulled apart to see everyone watching them with smiles.
"Woo?" Derek questioned, arching an eyebrow.
"Woo kissing!" Desiree laughed.
Derek shook his head softly, but soon turned to Spencer and pulled him in for a part two of their New Years Eve kiss. After a moment he leaned in to his ear and whispered softly, "Happy New Years, Spencer."
--
"Are you sure you have to leave? I would love to spend more time with you and Spencer. I miss you being close to home, Derek." Fran frowned, kissing her taller son on the head before falling down from her reached position.
"I'm sorry, Mama. We have to head back. There's no room for us here, anyway. You pimped my room away to Cindi." He teased, pulling his mother in for a tight hug. "I graduate in a few months, I promise I'll come and visit for a couple weeks. Spencer, too."
His mother sighed softly as her son pulled away and turned to Spencer with a smile. 'I really enjoyed meeting you, Spencer. I love how happy you make my son, thank you. I hope to see you the next time I see him." She said, sounding almost like a question, but it was more of a request. Spencer nodded quickly, reaching out to pull her into a hug. Derek was slightly suprrised that Spencer had initiated the touch, but assumed it was because he wasn't used to the touch of a mother. He hadn't visited her in awhile and he knew he needed to convince him to- he wasn't doing well without seeing her.
"Again, I'm sorry for being a bitch." Desiree cut in on their conversation, frowning slightly. "You're a really cool dude, Spencer Reid."
The brunette chuckled softly at Derek's sister, shaking his head. "I already assured you I forgave you, I look forward to seeing you again. All of you." He glanced at everyone else, knowing he hadn't spoke to them quite as much.
Soon, the two boys exited the house and slowly made their way back to Derek's car, watching the snow fall around the big city. Spencer hadn't grown up in a big city, but loved the way they looked. The bright lights of Chicago illuminated the beautiful weather, and Derek's beautiful face. He reached forward before they climbed in the car and kissed him as the lights fell against them.
"Derek?" Spencer began with a soft voice as his boyfriend opened the door. "I hope we get married someday too." He flashed him a cheeky smile before climbing in the car, leaving a frozen Derek to think about their future together someday.