25th August 2017

Spencer slowly opened his eyes. His head felt rough. His throat was scratchy and his body ached. A solid reminder that he was far too old for day drinking and that in all honesty, he may be better off just giving up altogether. His clock flashed 8:00 in harsh red digits. He rolled over trying to rest his mind for at least a short while more. Until he heard a cupboard bang in the apartment. It couldn't be his mother, she was still in the facility, most likely always would be after his stay in prison. He shot up finding his gun quickly and quietly opening his bedroom door leading out to the rest of the apartment.

A pair of jeans lay discarded on the arm of the couch that could just be seen as Spencer made his way down the hallway and his mind flashed back to the night before. Piece together a muddle of celebration, of pastries, of walking home, of feeling heated flesh under his palms, of kissing Sasha. He lowered his gun.

She was there in his kitchen. Reaching up onto a shelf far too high for her. Wearing nothing other than dark blue panties and a nude vest. Her sunny hair was thrown back in an attractive loose bun with strands hanging down. She sighed in frustration, then lent onto the counter and booster herself up, giving Spencer a very good view of her surprisingly shapely backside as she did so, before kneeling up and retrieving the mug she was trying to reach before. Spencer closed his eyes for a moment, counting to ten and slowing his breathing. He opened them again and coughed.

"Morning!" Sasha chirped looking over her shoulder at him. "Coffee?" Spencer nodded and padded, bare foot, into the kitchen. Sasha lowered herself off the counter and busied around the coffee pot. She handed over a steaming cup and sat across from him at the breakfast bar.

"So." Spencer said finally. His mind was racing, desperately trying to fill in any gaps.

"So?"

"Last night?"

"Oh." Sasha's face fell slightly. "I'm sorry if I over stepped, I'll just grab my things." She put the cup on the bar and began to head towards the living space.

"Sasha."

"No, seriously." She waved him off pulling on a sock. "I made a bad and I just hope you can forgive me."

"Sasha," Spencer rubbed his hand on the side of his forehead.

"Spencer." She shot back in the same tone. "Just leave it." Spencer didn't know what else to say. She was hurt. Hurt by him. He could hear it in her voice. See it in her rushed movements and closed body language. He stood from his stool, taking a moment to balance himself, and strode quickly over to the woman struggling to pull up skin tight denim in her flustered state. He pulled one of her hands from the waist band of the jeans, forcing her to stand straight up in front of him and with an air of confidence he didn't know he possessed, he put the other hand on her cheek, blocking her from turning away from him. He dipped his head and pressed a chaste kiss against her full lips. Spencer found that wasn't enough. He kissed her again, this time softly moving his lips. He darted his tongue against her bottom lip, grazing it slightly and was rewarded with her loosening shoulders, her free arm wrapping around his neck and the hand he held tight grasping tight against him. He broke away from her, barely leaving any space between them.

"Don't leave." it was barely even a whisper. "Not like this." She closed the gap. Kissing him softly before moving herself out of his arms.

"Do you want to talk?" Her eyes searched for his. He nodded and turned back to the breakfast bar, hoping she followed. He really needed that coffee. "So?" she echoed after joining him, her jeans back on the couch.

"Last night," Spencer started slowly. "Was amazing. But.."

"Oh god." Sasha groaned.

"Sasha, I hate to be 'that guy' but, did we have sex last night?" There was a pregnant pause. Sasha looked him up and down. Taking in his ruffled hair, his now swollen lips and his plain t-shirt and plaid joggers combination.

"Would it have been that bad if we had?" She asked, her voice dangerously low.

"No." Spencer said finally. He took a sip of his coffee, relishing the bitter taste, before continuing. "I'd have just preferred to have been sober enough to remember it, that's all." Sasha laughed. Loud and carefree.

"You old romantic!" She gasped between giggles. "No, Spencer, we didn't have sex last night."

"But I remember kissing you." He said with a degree of certainty.

"Oh, that's because you did." She nodded, coffee cup in her delicate hands. "And I kissed you. And you took off my jeans. And I took off your shirt." Flashes of those moments crossed Spencer's mind. "We fooled around like horny teenagers for hours."

"What stopped us?"

"Two things," Sasha held up two fingers. "One," she lowered one. "you said something very similar to what you've just told me. And two," she knocked down the other finger. "condoms."

"Condoms?"

"Or lack thereof." Sasha nodded. "I'm on the pill, have been for years, really doesn't bother me because I can't imagine you're the kind of guy that carries all sorts of nasties." She chuckled. "But you were very insistent on not, what was it... 'putting me in a difficult position'." Spencer felt his face flush. "Modern day Romeo." She teased.

12th September 2017

It had been over two weeks since Spencer had really seen Sasha. Not through lack of trying on either party. Spencer was swamped with lecture planning and assignment drafting and Sasha had been wrist deep in what she had nicknamed 'freshers week'. According to her, every year as students move away from home and into their new, free lives, they have an influx of accidental deaths due to pure stupidity. The kind fellow that had cancelled their date three days ago had proudly told his new college friends to 'hold my beer' before trying to ski off the frat houses roof. Spencer had been trying to squash the mounting insecurity that she was trying to avoid him as he walked into the lecture hall, his worn leather messenger bag over his shoulder, papers in one hand and a to-go coffee cup in the other. He set up and sat quietly waiting for his students to arrive.

"Why do we kill?" Spencer asked into the room of young faces. He quickly fell into a comfortable pattern, discussing and learning what the students already knew to help him with future sessions when one of the doors opened. Radiant blonde hair, high in a pony tail, an old video game promo t-shirt that was tied at the hip, ripped dark wash jeans and, as always, low rise converse. Sasha Clarke. She made her way down the stairs of the hall to a seat in the aisle only three rows away. Spencer faltered. "Um... y-yes, very good. There have been many documented cases of parricide. Can anyone name the most famous case of parricide?"

"Lizzie Borden." Came an all too familiar accented voice.

"Y-yes." Spencer wanted to turn to her. But he found himself fearful of seeing those green eyes. "But why may she have done it?"

"It was fairly well documented in the area that Lizzie and her sister held the belief that their step mother was going to take their inheritance when Andrew Borden died." He saw her lean forward on her desk in the corner of his eye. "I don't think she did it though."

"Oh really?"

"Lizzie was 5ft3. She was slight." Sasha continued. "It takes a massive amount of force to swing an axe. Never mind to swing in repetitively 30 times. Yes, women were far more used to physical labour back then, but I don't think she physically had it in her."

"Well the jury agreed with you on that one." Spencer chuckled slightly before moving on to the other forms of murder the students could be faced with. He was briefly aware of two girls sat in front of Sasha, muttering and giggling every once in a while. He caught sight of Sasha leaning down and whispering to them, their eyes went wide and the giggled again. When she sat back, he looked directly at her. She smiled sweetly, but even at this distance, Spencer could see that gleam was back in her eyes.

An hour and a half was a long time to entertain fidgeting students, Spencer had realised. He'd dismissed the class but noticed that the two girls sitting in front of Sasha remained, while Sasha herself was no where to be seen.

"Dr Reid?" He turned at his name, seeing that the girls had come up to the stage now. The taller of the two had spoken, she was dark haired with a slight summer glow about her complexion.

"Yes, Ladies?" the girls smiled to each other.

"We um..." The smaller girl with the mousy hair started.

"We just wanted to say what an amazing lecture!" the taller girl trilled.

"Well... Well that's great, thank you. Sorry I don't think I know your names."

"Annabelle." the taller girl said pointing to her chest.

"Suzie." The smaller girl waved.

"Right," Spencer nodded, committing them to memory. "Well thank you." He turned to his desk and returned to collecting papers.

"We were..." Annabelle started.

"We were wondering if you'd join us for coffee?" Suzie carried on, her words so fast they came out as one. "You know, go over the material of the course?"

"Ladies, I'm sorry bu-"

"Hey Babe!" came a voice from behind him. A single hand placed itself on his shoulder, giving him a light squeeze of affection. He turned into the contact instinctively. Dropping his head in anticipation of those beautiful, full lips he'd been craving for two weeks. Sasha didn't disappoint him. She left the hand on his shoulder, but her other, he felt hook into his belt loop and pull him into her as their lips met. All Spencer could focus on was the dizzying high touch her gave him, he let his arm wander, snaking its way around her waist. A small cough came from beside them and Sasha moved away slowly, leaving Spencer feeling cold. "Good lecture?"

"Mhmm." Spencer mumbled his eyes firmly on her lips.

"So that's a no then?" Suzie got their attention.

"It's a no." Spencer agreed. The two girls left, whispering between themselves and throwing dirty looks back at the older couple on the stage. "You put them up to that didn't you?" Spencer sighed looking back at the playful sparkle in Sasha's eyes.

"Not entirely." Sasha smiled. "I merely suggested that it was one of them that you kept looking over for." Spencer realised they were still holding each other. He exhaled audibly while he loosened his arm and Sasha unhooked her fingers.

"We need to be careful." He warned. Sasha grinned and plucked at his shirt.

"Why professor?" He didn't like that tone. "Have I been naughty?" Spencer turned to finish up gathering his papers, more as a distraction than actual need.

"Seriously, Sasha." he sighed. " We're colleagues!"

"No we're not." She leaned on the desk, swinging her legs slightly. "You get your pay cheque signed by the FBI. Mine's done by county." Spencer mused for a moment. Still. It was new, and fresh, and, quite frankly, Spencer enjoyed having her all to himself.

"We consult you on a regular basis." He sighed walking around in front of her and positioning himself between her legs. "I'm not sure it would go down too well." He pulled her into a deep embrace.

"I know." He felt her nodding against his chest. "Lunch though?"