31st December 2017

The team had just arrived home and debriefed before heading out to the car park together as one large, happy group. Spencer was with them. He knew they were all exhausted but months ago, Rossi had invited them all to spend New Years at his house. They just hadn't expected to literally be walking in from a case. Garcia was walking with J.J. ahead of Spencer. The two women were talking in hushed tones to each other. Suddenly, Garcia stopped and began waving her arm around.

"Sasha!" She called across the car park. Spencer's eyes quickly followed her waving. He could see Sasha's bright blue Fiat Spider with the trunk open. As the M.E. appeared from the back of her car, Garcia tottered over on her high heels.

"Hey Pen." he heard her say. "Oh, Hey everyone." she said a little louder. Spencer wave slightly, the way he would have when meeting a new person and some of the others muttered their hello's. "Just got home?"

"Yeah," J.J. said rubbing her neck. "Quick case though." Sasha nodded.

"Listen," Garcia said. "We're all going to see in the new year at Rossi's. You should come!" The blonde's face looked hopeful. Spencer knew they'd been spending more time together recently. Because it meant he was spending less time with Sasha, or at least less time alone with Sasha.

"Penny," Sasha sighed, rolling her eyes. "You can't go around inviting people to other peoples houses." and she chuckled flicking her keys in her hand. "I've a cactus that needs some attention any way."

"No, I insist." Rossi smiled warmly at the smaller of the three blonde women. Sasha seemed to drop her shoulders slightly, almost in defeat.

"If you insist," She smiled back at Rossi. "Anyone need a ride?" She was looking directly at Spencer. Others made their excuses or were already travelling together.

"Yeah," Spencer piped up. "I mean if you're offering, there's no sense in taking two cars." She rewarded his bravery with a quick smile before turning back to her car and calling out for him to hop in.

"You do know the way, right?" She asked loudly while Spencer climbed into the car.

"Of course." He said shutting the metal door behind him and reaching for his seat belt.

They'd been driving for fifteen minutes, Spencer occasionally giving Sasha directions as they went. They talked about work, Sasha's grandfather's recent phone call, how Spencer's mother was doing. He was enjoying it. He was glad he could see in the New Year with her, even if he wouldn't be able to get the same attention from her as he would have if they were alone.

"Do you think maybe we should tell them?" He asked quietly over the hum of the car engine.

"Do you want to?"

"Do you?" Sasha sighed quietly and pulled in to a small lay by at the side of the road. She unbuckled herself and turned towards him in her seat before placing a gentle hand on his thigh.

"Talk to me, Spencer."

"I guess I'm scared it will change things." He admitted putting his own hand on top of hers. "But I'm also scared you're getting tired of being a 'secret'"

"Whatever you want to do, I'll follow your lead." She squeezed his thigh. "These guys are your family, it's a big thing, I get it." She smiled at him.

"I think I want to kiss you right now." Spencer flashed her a cheeky grin. Sasha hummed and leaned over the mid console of the spider and kissed him, softly and gently.

"Here's what I think we should do," Sasha whispered, her face still close to Spencer's and her hand still on his cheek. "I'm not big on public displays of affection anyway, so why don't we just be us around them?"

"What do you mean? Like tell them?"

"I wouldn't even bother." Sasha shrugged sitting back in the driver seat and buckling herself in. "If they work it out then so be it. I just think we're a little old for 'DTR'."

"'DTR'?"

"Define The Relationship," Sasha thrust the manual car back into gear and turned back on to the road.

At Rossi's house, they were the last to arrive. Sasha laughed it off as Spencer being a poor substitute for a sat nav as Rossi welcomed them into his home. The older agent laughed along with Sasha but raised his eye brow at Spencer. Spencer shrugged and played along with the joke, claiming all those suburban streets merge into one to him.

"A drink?" Rossi offered holding his hand out to take Sasha's jacket.

"Anything on the rocks, thanks" Sasha smiled.

"Water, please" Spencer added. Rossi took their coats and went to get their drinks, leaving them to join the team in the sitting room. J.J. and Will shared an arm chair watching their friends, Garcia, Simmons, his wife Kristy, and Lewis stood by the fire chatting and Alvez and Daniella sat together on one of the larger sofa's talking about something and nothing. Spencer could hear Krystall talking with Rossi in the kitchen, but couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Oh, you made it!" Garcia spotted the pair in the door way of the large room and waved them over.

"We were about to send out a search party." Simmons joked.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Sasha smiled sheepishly. "Apparently, even geniuses can't read maps."

"Pretty sure that's just a man thing," Lewis laughed tipping her glass to Sasha who joined in.

At the start of the night, Spencer had been able to feel their eyes on him, on Sasha. Whether it had been real or in is mind, he wasn't sure. But he was glad that feeling had eased as the night went on.

"That piano is stunning," He heard Sasha gush at the baby grande Rossi had in the conservatory. "Do you play?"

"I don't even know if it's in tune, hon." Krystall smiled at her. "It was my ex husbands."

"Mind if I?" Krystall waved her hand in way of permission and Sasha put her half drunk glass of whiskey on the table next to the ornate instrument. Even from behind, Spencer could see her run her fingers down the keys before she tested a scale. "It's close enough." She took a deep breath and began to move her hands quickly over the keys. The rest of Rossi's guests stopped and turned to look at the piano. Rossi himself laughed once causing a few others to chuckle.

"Now, I wasn't expecting that." Rossi smiled. Spencer was drawn to the music. All this time and he didn't know she played. They stood for a few minutes, watching her hands fly up and down, listening to the beautiful melody her and the underused piano made. Until it slowed and faded. Spencer hadn't realised he'd moved closer and closer to her until he was standing right beside the piano when she finished.

"Beautiful," he murmured.

"A little rusty," Sasha smiled weakly. "A few slipped notes."

"What was that?"

"Debussy's Arabesque no. 1." Spencer nodded and gestured to the bench Sasha was sitting on. She shuffled over for him to join her at the piano.

"Could you teach me?"

"I guess I could," Sasha sucked her teeth a little then put her left hand on the keys. "So you play this," she tapped out a few bars and Spencer watched her fingers intently. "Got it?" He tried, and failed. "Like this." She took his hand in her own and manoeuvred his fingers into the correct place at the correct time. Eventually she began to play with her right hand, still guiding Spencer with her left.

"Mozart." Spencer hummed in recognition as Sasha slipped her hand away from his, letting him play alone. Now her hand was left sitting on her thigh, her little finger dangerously close to his spare hand. Without a second thought, Spencer let his fingers intertwine with Sasha's under the keyboard.

1st January 2018

"Seriously," Sasha was being held onto tight by Krystall who was currently trying to convince her to either stay the rest of the night, or let them call her an uber. "I honestly only live about 4 blocks over. It's a 12 minute walk at best - even with these short little leggies!"

"I honestly would feel better if someone walked you then." Krystall held her at arms length, her blue eyes searching Sasha's green.

"I'll grab my co-"

"David!" Krystall hissed. "You're far too drunk to do this, aren't you?"

"Am I?" Rossi looked confused for a moment, Spencer could see him from his seat in the sitting room. "I am." he nodded solemnly. "Kid, will you see Miss Clarke gets home safe?" Spencer tried not to jump too quickly. While they'd done exactly what they said they would through out the night, he still felt like things where under cover - that they'd gotten away with it.

"I mean," Spencer sighed as he stood up, stretching out his long legs. "I guess I could use a walk." Rossi patted his back as a thanks and Krystall beamed at him from behind Rossi. She gave Sasha one last hug and then wrapped Spencer in a tight embrace whispering 'thank you' as she did.

"Don't be strangers!" Krystall called from the door way as they waved them down the drive.

As they walked together down the cold street, Spencer kept glancing behind them. As they got in line with the next house to the left of Rossi's, the porch light went out. Spencer sighed and put his arm around Sasha's slight shoulders. Sasha hummed and rested her head against his arm. Their strides fell in time and Spencer dropped his head while they walked to kiss Sasha's head.

"Happy New Year."

"What even are you doing?" Rossi whispered at his significant other. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, ignoring the fact they did still have some guests inside.

"Just watch." Her bouncing became more erratic as she became impatient. "Oh wait." She turned back and with a click, the porch was plunged into darkness.

Then it happened. Barely illuminated by the street lights, the young couple walked along. A hand reached out for the other, then pulled the smaller person into the larger. The arm could just be seen throwing itself over the slender shoulders. One head relaxed into the embrace and a few steps later the other dropped, momentarily, onto the other.

"Well I..." Rossi couldn't believe what he was seeing. There had been moments he thought the young agent was more invested in the consultant than he let on, but they were brief and far between. Leading to nothing more than a similar kinship the young agent held with many of his colleagues. "How did you know?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Rossi starred at her in disbelief.