That night seemed to be a turning point for them that Derek definitely appreciated. When he would have a few spare minutes after finishing assignments, Spencer would text Derek with some small talk. It was never something overly intriguing, but in Derek's mind, it was much better than being completely ignored by him again.
Derek was in the middle of cleaning one of the coffee pots when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He looked around to see the shop was nearly empty and slipped into the back room, checking it.
What time is your break? I thought maybe we could meet for lunch at the diner if you could get out around 12:30?
He smiled to himself, checking the time and texting him back.
I'll see you there, order me a burger.
He tucked his phone back into his pocket, walking back out and cleaning the pot.
"You've got a bit of a pep in your step," Penelope pointed out.
"I've got a lunch date," he told her, drying the pot and setting it on the counter.
"Oh do you?" she asked, crossing her arms. "With a certain customer of our fine establishment?"
He smiled. "Indeed. I'm taking my break in 20."
She sighed dramatically. "A whole half hour without my perfect chocolate Adonis by my side. However will I survive?"
He laughed softly. "I'm sure you'll find a way."
Derek walked into the diner and immediately spotted Spencer at one of the tables, several textbooks stacked next to him and a notebook in front of him, writing something out. He walked over, taking off his jacket and sitting across from him.
"Having fun?"
Spencer pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose, sighing. "If you want to call an absolutely ridiculous ten-page essay assignment 'fun', then yes. I understand what professors are trying to do, pushing us to have more detail in our answers, but when an answer can be simply summarized into a few paragraphs, it's impossible to expand it into more than a few pages."
Derek raised his eyebrows. "Sorry I asked." He unwrapped the straw in front of him and put it into his glass, taking a sip.
Spencer exhaled, clicking his pen and setting his notebook on top of his books. "Sorry, my professor in my last class is completely ludicrous. I was in a perfectly fine mood all morning and when I invited you to lunch, but then this absolute imbecile decides that we need to write ten pages based on a poem that's literally less than a page long. How does that make any sense?"
Derek shrugged. "Professor logic?"
Spencer scoffed. "Clearly." The waitress walked over, setting down their plates in front of them. "I hope you don't mind, I remembered what you ordered last time on your burger and got the same thing."
Derek shook his head. "Not a problem at all." He picked up his burger, taking a bite and chewing. "When's the paper due?"
Spencer glared at the notebook. "Two and a half weeks."
"...And you're stressing it now?"
He picked up his fork, shrugging. "My philosophy when it comes to schoolwork has always been the sooner, the better. If I get it done early in the time period, that's less time in the future spent stressing over it. I seriously lack the ability to procrastinate on assignments."
"That's better than most students," Derek told him. "Easily 80% of your classmates are going to put off that paper until two days before it's due and end up stressing like crazy."
He swallowed his food, clearing his throat and taking a sip of his water. "I don't envy them."
"I'm sure you don't." He put ketchup on his plate for his fries, setting the bottle down. "Do you always stress this much?"
"...Have I not pointed out my full boat scholarship several times? Because I can't lose that."
Derek shook his head. "You've pointed it out. But with your intelligence, I don't see why you stress so much."
He exhaled, setting his fork down. "I just want to make her proud."
Derek looked at him, curious. "...Her?"
Spencer licked his lips. "My mother. She… she essentially raised me on her own after my father the prick left, and she was an English professor, so she stressed the academics. She um, she got sick, but she always made me and my schoolwork a priority in her life, and I just, I can't let her down after everything she did."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know. Is she okay?"
He nodded, running a hand through his hair. "She's back home. She has bad days, but I make sure to write to her everyday, so she knows I'm thinking about her and I still care, even though I'm not there anymore." He laughed to himself. "She actually sent in my application to the school without telling me, so I got the acceptance letter in the mail and it totally threw me off."
Derek smirked. "That sounds like a pretty awesome mom to me."
"She's the best," Spencer said, smiling, picking up his fork and eating.
After they were finished eating, Derek handed his card to the waitress. "So, Spencer, are you up to anything tonight?"
Spencer pointed to his notebook. "Kind of, why?"
"Because you need a lesson in unwinding, and I would enjoy being the person to give you that lesson."
He clicked his tongue, eyeing the stack of books, before turning to look at Derek. "...Can you promise to have me home at a reasonable hour so I can finish this ridiculous assignment with plenty of time to spare?"
"I definitely can," he told him, signing the receipt and handing it back to the waitress, setting his card back in his wallet.
Spencer thought it over before nodding. "Okay, can you come get me at my place when you get out of work?"
"Can do." He checked his phone and exhaled. "I've got to get back." Pulling on his jacket, he leaned over, lifting Spencer's chin and giving him a quick kiss. "See you tonight. Try to look less like a struggling businessman and more like a college student for this date."
Spencer blushed, nodding. "I'll see what I can do."
He smiled to himself, taking his car keys out of his pocket and walking outside.
"Well, somebody had a good time, judging by the smile on his face," Penelope said, crossing her arms.
He pulled his apron back on. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."
She shook her head. "Nuh uh, there's no 'maybe' about it here. How was lunch?"
He shrugged. "We talked about his school, some personal stuff, and the fact that we now have a date tonight."
"Whose idea?"
He pointed to himself. "I need to teach him that he may be a college student, but he's also still young and needs to have a little fun."
She laughed, scoffing. "Good luck with that one. In the years I've known him, I haven't known him to ever cool down his academic jets."
"He agreed and we sealed it with a kiss."
She gasped, hitting his arm. "Nuh uh!"
"Yep." He logged into the register, smirking. "And darn, it looks like the afternoon rush is kicking in, so I don't have time to share details."
She rolled her eyes. "You will reveal them in time if you know what's good for you," she said, taking her Sharpie out of her pocket and tucking it in her ear.
"We'll see."
At the end of the work day, Derek logged out of the register, walking to the backroom and taking off his apron, hanging it.
"So, not even a hint of what you two are up to tonight?" Penelope asked, swapping out her sneakers for flats.
"I told you, I'm teaching him that he needs to have some fun," he explained, taking out his phone and texting Spencer.
I'm leaving work now, I should be there in about twenty minutes. Be ready.
"Have fun," Penelope told him, pulling on her jacket, "and don't break my little genius."
"I promise."
He pulled up to Spencer's place and saw him standing outside, his bag slung over his shoulder. Rather than his usual attire, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater, and though it was very different, Derek definitely liked this look on him. Spencer gripped the strap for his bag and walked toward the car, before taking it off and opening the door, setting it on the floor in front of the seat.
"Please don't tell me you brought your homework with you?" Derek asked.
"Okay, I won't," Spencer said, closing the door and buckling himself in.
Derek sighed, pointing to the bag. "That's not going in with us."
"...Why not?"
"I may not need to give you that music education we talked about, but I'm sure as hell going to teach you how to still have some fun when you're in college."
"...But schoolwork to me is fun."
"It has the word 'work' in it, and therefore, I ban it."
Spencer scoffed. "You ban it?"
"Mhm. You have until we get to our destination to do whatever you planned on doing with that bag."
"But Derek-"
"Is there anything in that bag due within the next couple of weeks?"
Spencer quickly shook his head. "Not exactly, no, but-."
"Then it stays in the car."
He sighed, leaning back. "Fine, but you did say you'd have me home at a reasonable hour to work on my assignments."
"I did, and that's exactly what I'll do." He shifted the car into park and drove. "When's the last time you had some fun, Spencer?"
"...At the museum a few weeks ago, and again when we had lunch this afternoon, so fairly recently."
Derek shook his head. "What about before that?"
Spencer clicked his tongue a few times, thinking to himself. "Before the semester started, I went with Penelope to some amusement park with Henry."
"Uh huh, and were you having the fun, or was the little one?"
"What?"
Derek chuckled. "How many rides did you go on that weren't made for a three year old?"
"...Do ferris wheels count?"
"Absolutely not."
"Then none."
Derek laughed, shaking his head. "I'm going to teach you how to have some actual fun. I'm thinking of two ideas in my head, pick a number 1 or 2."
"...What's that supposed to do?"
"Easy, I gave both activities a number, so you're blindly going to choose what we do."
Spencer's eyes widened. "And how am I supposed to know that one of the options isn't skydiving or base jumping or paragliding?"
Derek raised his eyebrows. "Now I'm kind of bummed those didn't cross my mind." He saw Spencer panicking and smiled. "Nothing that extreme, I promise. Now trust me and pick."
He looked over and saw Spencer mumbling to himself, probably trying to statistically find the 'safer' number. He turned his eyes back to the road and smirked, waiting for his response.
"Um, I guess I'll say 1?"
He nodded, gripping the steering wheel. "Good choice… you have health insurance, right?" He saw Spencer panic and laughed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, man, I couldn't resist."
Spencer leaned over, flicking him. "Don't make me regret saying I'd do this."
Derek pulled into the parking lot and looked at Spencer, waiting for his reaction.
"...You took me away from doing my assignments to take me to an ice cream stand?" he asked, eyebrow raised.
Derek shook his head. "It's what's behind the ice cream stand."
Spencer got out of the car, walking past it and peeking at what was behind. "...I see a fenced in area, heavy machinery, and on the opposite side, what looks like greenery and a track of some sort."
Derek pinched the bridge of his nose. "You really don't know what those are?"
"Should I?"
He walked over, standing beside Spencer and pointing to each of them. "Batting cages, miniature golf, and go-karts."
"So that's what those look like?" he asked, tilting his head.
Derek opened his mouth to respond but shook his head. "Come on, I'll show you." He closed Spencer's door, locking the car and leading him to the back.
He paid for two passes to each of them and looked at Spencer. "Your choice, what do we do first?" he asked, holding them up. He saw Spencer considering the options and shook his head. "Don't make me make you pick a number again."Spencer rolled his eyes, reaching out and taking one, handing it to Derek. "There."
Derek examined it. "Go-karts it is. Ever done it?"
"...No?"
"...Have you ever done any of the things here tonight?" he asked, walking over to the track.
"I've had ice cream?" Spencer offered.
Derek chuckled, shaking his head and handing the passes to the attendant. "Pick a car, any car."
Spencer eyed all of them before sitting in one, buckling his seatbelt and putting his hands on the wheel.
"22?" Derek asked, taking the one beside him.
"I figure a palindrome of a number can't be too harmful, can it? Besides, it's the atomic number for titanium, and if you divide it by 7? You get pi."
Derek shook his head. "Whatever you say, kid." He buckled himself in. "You know how to drive well?"
"I've known since I was 12, but unfortunately due to the 'law', I couldn't acquire a permit until I was 16."
"A bit cocky, think you can beat me?" Derek asked, revving his engine.
Spencer shrugged. "I guess there's one way to find out?"
The attendant held up the flag and waved it, signaling they could go. The two of them stayed neck and neck for a couple of laps, until Spencer pushed ahead of him. Rather than turning it into a real race, Derek decided to just let him win, thinking that he needed the victory as a pick-me-up to distract him.
He pulled in after the last lap and unbuckled himself, turning to Spencer. "What'd you think?"
Spencer smiled. "I think you could've done a whole lot better than that," he said, climbing out.
"You've got jokes?"
He nodded. "A few."
Derek smirked, motioning toward the mini golf course. "Come on, onto the next one."
Once he picked up their clubs and balls, Derek held them out to Spencer. "You get your pick, purple or red?"
Spencer eyed them quickly before taking the purple club and ball.
"Seriously?"
Spencer shrugged. "Purple is my favorite color."
"Another odd thing to like about you," Derek said, walking to the first hole.
"Did you know that purple is usually associated with royalty?" Spencer pointed out. "The invitations to Queen Elizabeth II's coronation were a purple color, and in the United States as well as Europe, it's associated with individualism?"
Derek smiled. "Judging by the mismatched socks? It's the perfect color for you." He set his ball down, looking at Spencer. "I take it you know the basics of golf? Hit the ball, get it into the hole in as few strokes as possible."
Spencer nodded. "I've read about it extensively."
Derek pointed to his face. "Surprised face." Spencer gave him a small smile and Derek swung, getting his ball near the hole. "Your turn, genius."
He set his ball down where Derek had, looking at the hole in front of him and mumbling to himself before hitting it softly, watching it go down the slope and right next to the hole. "...Is that okay?"
Derek blinked. "What did you do?"
"I just calculated how well the slope would handle the ball at different angles and went with the one that was best suited to get me closer to the hole."
Derek shook his head. "No math, you're supposed to be having fun."
"But to me, math is fun," Spencer argued, watching as Derek got his ball into the hole and following suit.
By the time they made it to the 18th hole, Spencer had pulled ahead using math and formulas to help him get his answers.
Spencer leaned on his club, looking at Derek. "So, by my calculations, you need to get a hole in one just to tie this game, and if you don't? You lose to the beanpole who only just learned how to play a half hour ago." He clicked his tongue. "Not exactly a win-win situation for you."
Derek rolled his eyes, mock laughing. "You know, I'm thinking I don't like this cocky side of you. I liked you better in bookworm mode."
Spencer shrugged. "You pulled me away, therefore you created this. Should I go first and put you out of your misery, or would you like to take a shot and have a few short seconds of glory?"
Derek picked up his club, swinging it around, before setting his ball down. "I'll be fine." After swinging, he turned around to face Spencer. "You're photographing this?"
"Documenting, Derek. There's a difference."
He scoffed, turning back to the ball and smirking when it went in. "Look at that, I won."
Spencer set his own ball down, swinging the club and watching as it went in. "Correction, you tied. With somebody who just started playing. Ouch."
"Batting cages to end the night?" Derek asked, changing the subject and leading the way.
"Out of pure curiosity, what was the other option for tonight?" he asked as Derek looked through the helmets.
"Bowling and an arcade. Having had my finger stuck in a bowling ball in the past, I'm glad you went with this one."
Spencer looked into the batting cages and his eyes went wide. "So you'd rather have baseballs hurled at your head at high speeds?"
Derek picked up a helmet, putting it on Spencer's head, before putting on his own and grabbing two bats. "I'm not going to let that happen. Don't you trust me?"
Spencer groaned, taking one of the bats from him. "Unfortunately."
Derek opened up two of the cages, motioning for Spencer to step into one of them. Once he did, he stepped into the other. "Don't put your token in until I'm done teaching you, got it?"
Spencer nodded, adjusting the helmet. "Got it."
Derek picked up his bat. "First, the stance. I'm assuming you're right-handed?"
"You assume correctly," Spencer told him, picking up his own bat and eyeing it.
Derek smirked, showing him how to stand. "Just like this. Knees apart and slightly bent, elbows bent and up."
Spencer eyed his position before nodding, mimicking it. "Like this?"
Derek looked at him before shaking his head, laughing to himself and walking into the cage, standing behind Spencer and holding his elbows up. "Like this. Don't be so stiff or this isn't going to work."
"Take one look at me, it's quite obvious I'm not good at sports."
"It's never too late to learn." Derek tapped the back of his leg. "Slightly bend, just enough to lower yourself a little." Spencer did as he was told and Derek smiled. "There we go! Now, we start on the swing."
Spencer looked at him, eyes wide. "You're starting it already?!"
"Hell no, kid, but that deer in the headlights look may be one of my favorite things ever." Spencer nudged him with his elbow and he laughed softly. "Sorry, my mistake. If I go back to my cage, can you keep your stance and mirror my actions?"
Spencer nodded quickly. "Though I can't promise it'll last."
"All that matters is you're trying," Derek said, getting back into his cage and closing it, picking up the bat. "I just want you to watch me, okay?" He gripped the bat, getting into the stance and swinging a few times. "Watch how I turn, watch my hips. See how they move?"
Spencer raised his eyebrows, chewing on his cheek. "Indeed." He quickly realized that what he'd said didn't stay in his head and blushed, turning bright red.
Derek dismissed it after a small smile. "Just swing and follow through," he said, demonstrating a few times. "Now, try it."
Spencer cleared his throat a few times before attempting it. "Like that?"
"A few more."
Spencer blushed again, swinging a couple more times before looking at Derek. "Well?"
"I think you're ready to go." Derek stepped outside, flipping the token in the air before putting it in. "If you need help, just let me know. First ball should be coming in a few seconds."
Spencer just had time to turn around and swing, completely missing the ball. "Why do they go so fast?!"
"Because it's a pitching machine, it imitates actual pitches. Now come on, concentrate. It's on the slow setting."
He sighed, straightening up and stretching slightly, a pitch just missing hitting him in the arm. "What the hell! You do this for fun?!"
Derek bit down on his lip to hold back a laugh. "Do you need some help in there?"
"No, Derek, I enjoy making a fool of myself. Please, let me continue."
"Look at you, learning sarcasm," Derek joked, opening the cage and stepping inside, helping him get into position again. He gripped Spencer's hands, whispering in his ear. "Relax, you're too tense."
Spencer nodded slightly, taking a deep breath and, with the assistance of Derek, swinging at the next ball. His eyes went wide as he actually hit it away from him. "...Wow."
Derek smiled, kissing his cheek. "You did it, and you've got ten more to go. If you hit at least three, ice cream afterward is my treat."
Spencer clicked his tongue, nodding. "Challenge accepted. With assistance, or without?"
"Without of course. I think you can manage it." Derek stepped out of the cage, winking at him. "Come on, Pretty Boy," he said, clapping his hands together.
Spencer exhaled, unsuccessfully swinging at the first couple of pitches, but ultimately hitting four of them in the end. He turned around and saw Derek with his phone out. "...Are you recording this?"
"Documenting," he said, tucking the phone back into his pocket, "I think the genius learning how to swing is good stress relief."
Spencer pulled off the helmet, hanging it up, before leaning the bat against the fence. "Can you get all fifteen?"
"I could, but I wouldn't want to bruise your newfound ego."
He shook his head. "I don't know, you got to see me do it. It's only fair you return the favor."
"Fine." He walked back into the cage, putting his helmet on and putting in the token. When he swung at a few, he turned back to see Spencer smiling and enjoying himself, which had been the goal for the night. "And what are we laughing about back there?"
Spencer shrugged. "Just enjoying the view."
Derek scoffed. "Yeah, I'm sure." He turned his attention back to the pitching machine, and unfortunately, he wasn't prepared for the next pitch, which hit him in the shoulder.
Spencer winced. "Probably a dumb question, but are you okay?"
Derek nodded slightly, rubbing his shoulder, before picking up the bat and swinging. He bit down on his cheek, shaking his head. "That'll be a no." He walked out, setting down the helmet and feeling his shoulder.
Spencer swatted his hand away. "Let me see."
"It's fine, I just need some ice." He motioned toward the stand. "I promised you ice cream, come on."
"Are you sure-"
"It's fine," Derek repeated, resting his hand on the small of Spencer's back and walking over.
True to his word, Derek had bought them ice cream, but Spencer insisted on getting some ice for his shoulder.
"Do you have an extra shirt in your car?" Spencer asked, looking in the backseat.
"...I don't know?" Derek said, picking up his spoon and eating.
Spencer reached behind him, picking up a shirt, before pouring some of the ice cubes into it and tying it off, resting it on Derek's shoulder.
"Eat your ice cream before it melts. I'm f-"
"If the next word out of your mouth is 'fine', Derek Morgan, this date is over."
"Look at you, using the 'd' word," Derek joked, taking another bite.
"Your shoulder is pretty swollen, are you sure you're okay to drive?"
"Spencer!" Derek said. "It'll be okay."
Spencer took a bite of his ice cream, shaking his head. "Stretch for me and prove me wrong."
Derek sighed, setting his bowl down on the dashboard. "Let me guess, you took a course in physical therapy?"
"Yes," he said matter of factly. "Now, prove to me that you're okay to drive."
Derek pushed off the makeshift ice pack, stretching his arm out and wincing slightly. "It's fine, just a little sting."
"Riiight," Spencer said, clicking his tongue and poking his spoon around in his ice cream. "Do you work tomorrow morning?"
He shook his head. "Luckily it's my day off so I can go home and sleep it off."
Spencer sighed. "I'm not letting you drive home like this. If there's something in the road and you need to make a sudden movement, you'll be in pain."
"So what's going to happen, genius?" Derek asked, scraping the last of his ice cream out and eating it.
Spencer held up a finger, thinking to himself. "Are you opposed to sleeping on a couch?"
"...No?"
He reached over, taking the keys from Derek. "I'll drive you back to my place, you can sleep, and then when you wake up in the morning and you've rested your arm, you can drive home."
"Second date and you're already inviting me back to your place? Well, things are moving a lot faster than I expected," Derek teased.
Spencer mock laughed. "Fine, risk driving home, wrecking your shoulder, and needing to go to a hospital."
Derek put up his hands. "Whatever you say, doc." He got out, walking around and taking the passenger seat as Spencer slid over to the driver's seat, starting the car. "Do you know how to drive this kind of car?"
"An automatic one with four wheels and an engine? I think I can manage." He pointed to the ice pack. "Put that back on, along with your seatbelt."
He sighed, reaching around and buckling himself in, before putting the ice pack onto his shoulder. "Anything else?"
"It should take about fifteen minutes to get back to my place. Once we get there, take the ice off, take some naproxen, and elevate the shoulder over your heart. Can you do that?"
Derek nodded and Spencer started the car, pulling out and driving.
Once they were at Spencer's, Spencer grabbed his bag from the floor and picked it up, putting it over his shoulder. Derek sighed, getting out of the car and walking to the front door, rolling his shoulder and waiting for Spencer. Spencer took out his house key, unlocking the door and going in first, turning on the lights.
"Just make yourself comfortable," Spencer told him, turning on the light in the living room and motioning toward the couch. "I'll get you something for the pain."
"I'm not in pain," Derek lied.
Spencer scoffed. "Yeah, and I'm the queen of England," he said, grabbing a bottle from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and taking out a couple of pills, walking back out and handing them to Derek.
Derek sighed, popping the pills into his mouth and swallowing before lying back on the couch. "Spencer, I'm fine. I suffered a lot worse than this when I played football in college."
"That's nice," Spencer told him, sitting in his armchair and opening up his bag. "You can't hide the fact that it hurts. Take off your shirt and let me see the damage."
Derek raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Let me see how bad it is."
Derek sat up, pulling his shirt over his head and wincing. He then glanced over at his shoulder and saw it was already swollen. "Damn."
"You had to pick the fast pitching speed, didn't you?" Spencer said, putting on his glasses and getting a closer look.
"I kind of ruined the whole de-stressing, didn't I?" Derek asked, looking up at him.
Spencer shook his head, giving him a smile. "I had a great time. Second date was definitely a success."
"So that was a date to you?" Derek asked.
"You mean to tell me it wasn't?"
Derek leaned over, lifting Spencer's chin and kissing him. "I had a great time too."
Spencer smirked, walking back to his bag and taking out his notebook, before walking over and closing the curtains for his front window.
Derek raised an eyebrow, putting his arm along the back of the couch and pointing. "That was?"
"To keep my nosy big sister of a neighbor out of my business," Spencer told him, opening his notebook and taking out a pen.
"You just kissed a shirtless guy in your living room and closed the curtain. Trust me, she doesn't think you're going to be working on your assignment."
Spencer sat down, raising an eyebrow and thinking out loud. "If she doesn't think I'm working on my assignment, what else would she think I was doing-" he gasped, turning to Derek. "She doesn't!"
Derek shrugged slightly, resisting the urge to wince. "I'm not in her brain, so I couldn't tell you."
Spencer blushed before biting his lip, shaking his head and clicking his pen, starting to write.
Derek leaned back on the couch, watching Spencer as he wrote. When he'd pause, he'd chew on his cheek and squint, trying to find the right way to word his sentence, and when he finally did, he would smile to himself and jot it down. Derek smirked, crossing his arms.
"Elevate your shoulder," Spencer snapped at him, not looking up from his notebook.
Derek raised an eyebrow, tucking his arm behind the pillow. "Better?"
"Whatever makes you comfortable," he mumbled, counting out his pages and groaning. "Eight? I've been busting my hump working on this assignment and I've only done eight of the ten pages? How is that possible?!"
He looked over. "You do realize that you've done eight, front and back, in your tiny chickenscratch, and when you type it up and double-space it, it'll exceed ten pages, so technically you're already done…?" Spencer glanced up at him, glaring, and Derek put up his hand. "My mistake, do go on."
"I will." He got up, walking over to a closet and taking out a blanket, tossing it toward Derek, before sitting back in his chair and writing. "How does one avoid being repetitive on such a ridiculous assignment?"
Derek kicked off his shoes, putting his feet up and fixing the blanket over himself. "I used to hate those assignments. I'd bullshit my own explanation about how there was more depth than meets the eye and literally take it line by line with interpretations. Teachers couldn't fail me, because I did what they asked, but they hated my method."
Spencer laughed to himself, starting on a new page. "You think you're bad? I just rambled on for two straight pages about possible themes the author had in mind but couldn't convey past the main theme. With how much detail I put into these assignments, they probably hate me." He shrugged. "Oh well. A couple of months and I won't be their problem anymore."
"Good way to look at it."
He tucked his legs underneath himself, clicking his pen a few times.
"So is there a reason you write it all out before you even turn on your laptop?" Derek asked.
Spencer nodded. "Computers slow me down so I find it easier to write it out and then put it on my laptop. It's an odd habit, considering how dependent everyone is on technology these days, but it's what works for me."
Derek reached in his pocket, checking his phone. "Shocking, JJ told Penelope that I'm here."
"She did not," Spencer mumbled.
He turned his phone around to show him the screen. "Then do tell me why I have a text message that says 'Oh for the love of God, Derek Morgan, it is the second date. You're already naked in his apartment?! That sounds more like a fifth date thing to me'."
Spencer blushed. "Do feel free to tell her the truth about why you're shirtless in my apartment."
Derek shook his head. "I think I'll let her imagination wander, it's all she has," he said, tossing his phone onto the table. "What time do you usually go to bed?"
"After I finish my assignment," Spencer put plainly. "If the light is distracting you, I could go into my study or my bedroom and you could get some sleep?"
"It's fine, I don't mind it out here. I've got a good view."
Spencer looked over at Derek, smiling. "I think you might be a little delirious."
"Think what you will," Derek said before yawning. "But I'm an honest man, Spencer Reid."
Spencer laughed. "Good to know, Derek Morgan." He turned down the light before curling his entire body onto the armchair and resting his notebook against his legs.
Derek studied him for a moment before coming to a realization: he was really, truly falling for this guy, harder than ever before. The problem was going to be how to approach it and not scare him off.
Spencer rolled his eyes. "I can feel you watching me, and me doing my homework is not that entertaining. Get some sleep."
Derek adjusted his arm behind the pillow and winced slightly. "Class tomorrow?"
Spencer shook his head. "All of my teachers are going to some event and in college they don't believe in substitute teachers, so I'll just be here doing my homework. Get some sleep," he repeated.
"Yes, sir," Derek said, saluting him, pulling the blanket over himself and allowing himself to watch him a short while longer before finally nodding off.
Later that night, Derek opened his eyes and saw that Spencer had fallen asleep in his chair with a book wide open in his lap and his finger on the corner of the page. He shook his head, getting up and grabbing the blanket from the back of the chair, carefully putting it over him, then taking off his glasses and setting them on the table. He didn't have much time to think about it, considering he was exhausted, but he took in how peaceful Spencer looked when he was sleeping: any signs of stress from school or assignments was gone, and he almost seemed happy. Quickly making a mental note of it, he laid back on the couch, letting his eyes slip shut.
Derek woke up the following morning to knocking on the front door. He reached out for his phone, checking the time and groaning. Of course on his day off, he couldn't sleep in - that was just a crazy concept. He also noticed several text messages from Penelope, demanding details about the night before. He was about to get up and answer the door when Spencer walked in, putting his hand up.
"I've got it, you stay," he mumbled, trudging toward the door.
Not one to go against orders, he sat up, pushing off the blanket and getting a good look at his shoulder, noticing the bruising and wincing.
Spencer opened his door a crack. "Yes, JJ, what can I do for you at ungodly hour o'clock in the morning on my day off when the coffee's not even finished yet?"
"Barging in before coffee, JJ? Not your smartest game plan," Derek heard from behind her and groaned to himself.
"Penelope," he muttered under his breath, sighing.
"Can you come back later?" he pleaded. "Please?"
"Yeah, no problem. Penelope's just worried that she hasn't heard from Derek since yesterday and wanted to check with you."
He narrowed his eyes into a glare. "You know he came here last night, JJ, because you hurried to text Penelope, who immediately texted Derek, whose car is quite obviously in my driveway. Now, I love you both dearly, but love doesn't mean anything when I haven't had my morning coffee, so if you could do me the favor of just going away for the next twenty minutes or so, I'll be much more pleasant when you come back."
Without letting them get in another word, he closed the door and locked it, walking back to the kitchen.
"So this is Spencer Reid without caffeine. I have to say, it'd be quite the thing to wake up to."
Spencer mock laughed, pouring himself a cup of coffee and putting in several spoonfuls of sugar. After taking a few sips, he looked out into the living room. "How do you take it?"
Derek got up, rubbing his shoulder and walking out to the kitchen, leaning against the counter. "Just a little sugar to get me going." He watched as Spencer poured his coffee and smiled.
"What?" Spencer asked, turning to him and handing him his coffee mug. It was odd for Derek to see the usual well-dressed man in a pair of plaid pajama pants and an oversized college t-shirt.
"Nothing, it's just nice to be on the receiving end of the coffee for a change," he said, sipping it. "If this whole college thing falls through, I suggest becoming a barista."
"With my less-than-existent social skills? No thank you."
Derek finished off his cup of coffee before he motioned toward the door. "Are you ready for that?"
Spencer shook his head, finishing his third cup. "Definitely not. They're nosy alone, but when you combine them? I can only imagine what 'baseball injury' will translate to."
Derek chuckled. "I see what you mean. How about I put on my shirt before they get here, lest they get more of a wrong idea?"
"I think that would be smart."
He walked out to the living room, pulling on his shirt and wincing. "Did you finish your paper last night?"
Spencer nodded, opening the freezer and grabbing some ice cubes, putting them into an ice pack. "I actually made it to twelve written pages, which should easily translate to twenty pages when it's typed up." He walked out to the living room and motioned for Derek to sit down. Once he did, he rested the ice pack against his shoulder. "Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor? That's pretty bruised up."
"It only hurts when I move it too much, I'll be fine. Thanks, though."
"It's just nice that somebody else is the accident prone one in my life for a change," Spencer joked. "I have a habit of getting myself into situations and hurting myself."
"I'm glad I could take the burden off of you for a change," Derek retorted, putting his hand on the ice pack. "Are you up to anything today?"
"After big sister and her nosy best friend are done poking and prodding into my personal life, I'm free, considering I finished my assignment. Why?"
"If you'd like, I can take you out to breakfast, or possibly even lunch, depending on how long the meddling twins pick our brains."
Spencer nodded, smiling. "I think I'd like that. One condition?"
"Go for it."
"No more of your definition of 'fun'? I had a great time, but I think your shoulder could use a break."
Derek chuckled, nodding. "Done."
Author's Note: I apologize for the delay on getting this chapter posted. I read it over about fifteen times to be sure I was satisfied with it for an update.