Disclaimer: Not the owner of Criminal Minds, or the characters.
"Well, this is me." Penelope said, wanting to hit herself in the head right after she'd said it. Well said, Cap'n Obvious!
She waited for Derek to tease her for her redundant statement, but the teasing never came. He was just looking at her, looking haunted and sad and lonely. The lack of teasing, the general lack of response, made her feel nervous.
"Do you want to come in?" She tried. Anything to break his silence.
"Please," it was so quiet she could barely hear it, but she nodded and opened her door. They were still holding hands, so it took her a little longer than it usually would have. She didn't mind.
"Do you want some coffee?" Penelope offered, moving her hand out from his so she could take her coat off and hang it up, and remove her shoes.
"I'll make it," he told her, trying to smile but failing. "It's not like I don't know where everything is." Penelope laughed.
"Yeah? That's what you think. How do you know I haven't moved everything around since the last time you were here, just to confuse you?"
"Because I know you'd be too confused too." He said, and this time he managed the smile, but it didn't reach quite to his eyes. Still, it was a start. She left him to sort out the coffee, and got changed in her room. It was a relief to get out of her work clothes. She had stayed in the office for the last two days, hadn't slept, hadn't changed, had barely eaten anything.
As if her stomach had just received the memo, it grumbled. Loudly. Derek—the ass—laughed, just as loudly from her kitchen.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" she called, grumbling but not really unhappy. "Haven't eaten in a while, alright?"
"I'll make something," Derek said. His voice was a lot closer. She turned and saw that he was standing just outside her room. She wasn't naked—just half naked. She tried not to blush and finished changing. He had moved away, back to the kitchen, back to make her coffee and food. He was the guest. She should be doing that.
"Hey, I should be doing that," she said, moving around to help him. He shook his head and shooed her.
"Let me." So, she did. Could she ever say no to him?
Penelope cleared her couch and the coffee table; usually she was a bit of a neat freak, but tonight she just wasn't in the mood. She dumped everything on the floor, yawning.
Derek came over with coffee, water, biscuits and two plates of leftover lasagne. She was barely able to mutter a thank you before she fell on the food, and drained the water, and then got to work on the coffee, dunking the biscuits in and feeling so much better already. She didn't have time to feel bad, or guilty, or embarrassed about the way she was demolishing her food. She knew Derek was doing the same anyway, and they were best friends. They'd seen each other in worse ways. Hell, he'd just seen her half naked.