A/N: This was written for Melting Pot Fanfiction during Tropes & Fandoms. This story filled my trope, Proposals. articcat621 requested a proposal fic in the Criminal Minds world and I wasn't sure who I wanted to have in this story. I thought it would be fun to showcase the Penelope and Derek friendship as she decides if Kevin is really the man for her.

Beta work was done by Grammarly and the only thing I own in this little tale is the plot.

Be sure to let me know what you think!

Love always,
~starr

"What are you doing?" Penelope asked, pulling her hand away from him. She furrowed her brow as she shook her head. Thinking, that's what he wasn't doing. Penelope grabbed her coffee cup off the counter and stormed toward her office, mumbling under her breath.

"Penelope!" Kevin called, chasing after her with a hand shoved in his pocket, wrapping his fingers around a small box. He was already nervous, and the fact that she was practically running away from him was making it worse. "Penelope, wait just a damn minute."

"No," she shouted, glancing back at him over her shoulder as she shook her head. "I have work to do, and you are distracting me. I'll talk to you after work."

Penelope rounded the corner and made a direct beeline towards her open office. The screens plastered all over her wall were within sigh, and soon she could lose herself in the cyber world to not think about whatever it was that Kevin was trying to do with morning. She kept her head down and quickened her pace, ignoring his voice calling after her.

"Where's the fire, babygirl?"

His voice startled her when she felt his hands on her shoulders. Penelope looked up from the ground and saw Derek staring at her with a smile on his face. With a nervous grin, Penelope reached up and pressed a finger to the bridge of her glasses, shoving them up to sit higher on her nose.

"What's going on, Garcia?" Derek asked, his voice calm as he rubbed his hands against her arms.

Penelope sighed, shaking her head. "Nothing," she laughed, forcing a smile to her face. "I'm just trying to get to my office."

She nodded her head at the door, crossing her eyes tight to her chest before glancing back over her shoulder. Penelope cursed under her breath when she saw Kevin getting closer. "Please, Derek. Just let me get through."

Derek furrowed his brow and looked past her, noticing Kevin a few feet away and then redirecting his attention back to her. "You're hiding from Kevin?"

Penelope pushed past him, grabbing his hand and pulling him into her office. She smiled when she heard the door close behind them. "Not so much hiding as avoiding him."

Derek leaned back against the door and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked Penelope up and down before glancing over his shoulder through the window. He saw Kevin standing a few feet away with a defeated look on his face. Furrowing his brow, Derek turned back to Penelope, standing in front of him nervously fidgeting with one of her furry pens.

"Baby girl," he sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. "What did that idiot do to make you avoid him? If he's not making you happy…"

"It's not that," Penelope chirped, perking her head up to look past Derek to see Kevin standing outside of her door. She pouted her lip and let out a sigh as she squeezed her eyes shut tight. "He bought an engagement ring."

"Damn it, woman," Derek huffed, tossing his head back with a laugh as he pushed himself off the door. The smile on his face brightened when he saw the disgusted look on Penelope's face. "You had me getting ready to go out there and knock that man senseless because I thought he hurt you."

Penelope's eyes went wide as her jaw dropped. "Kevin Lynch would never hurt a fly!" she yelled, walking over to him and smacking his chest. "He would never hurt me."

"Do you love him?" Derek asked, wiggling a brow at her as a smile pulled at his lips. He reached up and wrapped his hand around hers, lowering it from his chest.

"What?" Penelope asked, cocking her head to the side. "Of course, I love him. It's the marriage thing that I'm not so fond of."

Derek thought about it for a moment and laughed, offering his hand to her. "Take my hand."

"Why?" Penelope asked, shaking her head as she took a step back from him.

"I'm trying to ask you to marry me," Derek teased, reaching out and grabbing ahold of Penelope's hand. "So take my damn hand."

"Come on, Derek," Penelope replied, shaking her head as she pulled her hand away from her. "You don't want to marry me. You're just trying to get inside my head and convince me that marriage isn't a scary thing. Quit treating me like an unsub."

Derek's smile faded as he rested his arms on his hips, shaking his head. After a moment, he closed the space between him and Penelope, placing his hands on her cheeks. "Penelope," he mumbled, brushing his thumb against her cheek.

"I don't do marriage, Derek. The white, frilly dress. The beautifully decorated church filled with my closest friends and family. JJ and Emily dressed in hideous pink dresses standing at the end of the aisle as my husband-to-be stands at the altar," Penelope rambled, shaking her head. "It makes my skin crawl even just thinking about it."

"Penelope," Derek repeated, his voice a little more stern.

"I don't like frilly. I don't like pink. I don't like churches," Penelope insisted, fidgeting with her pen as she wiggled it back and forth in her fingers. "I don't like weddings."

"Woman, would you stop talking for like seconds," Derek demanded, holding his thumb still as he looked deep in her eyes."That man out there is head over heels in love with you and all your craziness. Kevin makes you happy, and I, for one, like seeing you happy."

Penelope pouted, giving Derek her best sad puppy face. "You profiled me."

"I'm a profiler," Derek laughed, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead. "It's my job."

"Sometimes I hate your job," she groaned, giving him a half-smile. She looked over Derek's shoulder and noticed Kevin's pacing outside. "So you think I should say yes to Kevin?"

Derek nodded his head and lowered his hand from her face. "Why are you still in here talking to me? Go talk to your boy."

Penelope smiled and nodded her head. She made her way to the door and slowly reached for the handle. She glanced back over her shoulder and smiled at him again. "Thanks for profiling me, Derek."

"Anytime, babygirl," Derek replied, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips as he leaned up against her desk and crossed his arms over his chest. He watched from a distance as his best friend found her happiness.