Wow. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the incredible feedback. So sorry it took a week to update. Especially for…well, this. Anyway, aside from the occasional one-shot and reading/reviewing your beautiful work, I'm probably done for now once I post the last few chapters. I have to find more work to get out of this hellish living situation I'm in. (Part of why I've been a ghost this week) Thank you for your patience/support. This place is my only real outlet. I really love y'all.
Oh, and can we give a great big HELLS YEAH for Brewster returning to CM? PURE AWESOMENESS! :D
Anyhooooo…it's chapie two…
Chapter Two
Prentiss noticed Spencer's strange mood almost immediately. He seemed distracted and if it were possible, more fidgety than usual. He sat at his desk, expression twisted into one akin to paranoia if it hooked up with apprehension and bore offspring on his face. When Derek came back in, he sprung up from his seat and hurried to the break room with his still half-full mug.
"What's up with him?" Prentiss inquired with a note of concern.
Derek shrugged.
"He's been weird since you guys talked to Garcia. Well, weirder than usual anyway. What did she say?"
"We told you. Nothin'. She just realizes we need to be professional but that she's hurt and needs a few days to cool off before she's ready to talk."
"Alright, If you say so."
Five minutes later, Spencer came back and sat, his usual, calm demeanor when doing paperwork, now stiff, rigid. There was a sudden buzzing from his hip and he nearly jumped out of his skin before reluctantly checking his phone. Prentiss was busy with a report, but Derek caught the ghostly pallor that came over his teammate. Then, his own phone buzzed. Derek closed his eyes and cursed in his mind before looking. A minute later he stood, walked to Spencer's desk and leaned against it.
"You okay man? You seem really tense."
"Uh, yeah, I just didn't sleep well. Guess I've been kind of stressed out lately."
Derek moved behind him and began to tentatively rub the slender man's shoulders.
"I know how you feel, but you need to relax. Can't have that brilliant mind of yours exhausted and unfocused." He said, now fully kneading Spencer's muscles.
Prentiss looked up at the comment and couldn't help but stare. After a minute, she watched Spencer's head lull and his eyes roll back. The sight was almost intimate and when the youngest spoke it bordered on inappropriate.
"Mmm, that feels good." He groaned. "Lower."
If Emily closed her eyes she would swear she was listening to a couple in the midst of foreplay judging by the sounds Reid was making. Soon he was hunched forward against his desk, Derek bent over him as his hands moved down his sides, thumbs working away at relieving the tension while Spencer continued to make obscene noises. She couldn't decide if the interaction was creepy or hot. About that time, JJ came down for coffee and stopped mid stride at the sound, and sight, of what was transpiring.
"God Reid, you're so tight." Derek breathed, hard at work.
JJ's mouth dropped open and Emily felt embarrassed for even being in the vicinity.
"Uhn, right there…harder…" Spencer moaned. "Ohhhhh…just like that…"
That was it. Emily stood up and walked briskly to the break room followed quickly by JJ.
"What the hell was THAT?" JJ asked, wide-eyed.
"I have no idea. Reid came back acting funny and then Morgan just, well, started..." She explained with a nod of her head in their direction.
"It was just…I mean it seemed so…"
"I know."
"You don't think…"
"Nah, it's probably just one of those weird things. You know, like when they crash on the couch playing cards, or when Reid always takes Morgan home when he's had too much to drink. Or when Morgan insists on staying with Reid when he's hurt, or even fending off skanky chicks trying to hook up with him at the bar…"
"I'm sorry Em, what point were you trying to make with all that?"
"Uh, that they're just close friends that sometimes…"
"Rub each other down at the office?"
"JJ! I'm sure it's nothing. We're just blowing things out of proportion. I mean, in all honesty, Reid I might question, but Morgan? Come on. Besides, if it were all that they wouldn't be so obvious about it."
JJ considered it.
"You're probably right. So is it wrong that I found that whole thing kinda sexy?"
"Yes." Prentiss replied, eyes glazing slightly as she replayed the incident in her mind.
"Uh-huh." JJ laughed. "God, I feel like a huge perv now."
"Don't feel bad. I might actually need to grab my go bag."
"Do I even wanna know?"
"Nope."
When the girls returned, the men were seated in their rightful chairs working diligently.
….
When lunchtime came, Hotch suggested they head to the diner down the way for a semi-decent meal, insisting they deserved a long lunch break for working as hard as they had been recently. Even though he was in an uncharacteristically good mood, and offered to pick up the tab, the girls opted to stay behind to eat with Garcia, who was still mourning in her office. Deciding it was something he didn't really want to get involved in, Hotch looked to Morgan and Reid as Rossi made his way into the bullpen.
"How about you two? It's not every day your boss is willing to foot the bill and hand out extended lunch time. Whaddya say?" Hotch asked with a rare grin.
"Definitely. Free food is a close second only to great sex. I'm in." Morgan stated, getting to his feet.
"Leave it to you to find a way to slip sex into a completely unrelated conversation." Reid scoffed, shaking his head.
"That's the point of sex Pretty Boy, to 'slip it in'." Morgan shot back, delighting in the flushed reaction he got from the doctor.
"You're so crass Morgan."
"Rather be crass than a tight ass."
"Please refrain from drawing attention to my posterior or its state of being while you indulge in inappropriate work topics."
"It was a figure of speech Reid. Besides, there's only one thing I would indulge in where your rear is concerned and that scenario includes my foo…"
"Hey Bert, Ernie, my good mood is swiftly depleting along with my patience. I'm hungry. Are you two coming or what?" Hotch grumbled.
"Bert and who?" Reid asked, grabbing his things.
"Bert and Ernie. You know, the muppet-like dudes from Sesame Street." Derek explained.
"…"
"Oh come on man, every kid since the seventies knows Bert and Ernie! They were always bickering. Bert was kinda stuffy, like you. Remember? There was all this controversy because they were roommates but shared a bedroom so everyone always joked about them being…HEY!" Morgan shouted, glaring at Hotch who looked far too smug.
"Joked about them being what?" Reid asked, once again feeling very out of the loop.
Hotch gave Rossi a look as they walked ahead to the elevators. It was obvious their elders had seen or at least heard about the impromptu massage earlier.
"I don't get the reference. What were they…"
"Forget it Reid." Morgan sighed, shaking his head.
"You know I can't just forget it. What was the…"
"Move along Reid."
"But…"
"We don't have all day guys!" Hotch hollered from the door.
"Yes sir." Reid called, hurriedly slinging his bag over his shoulder.
"Suck up." Morgan whispered.
"Trouble maker." Spencer retorted as they followed the two older men.
"Prude."
"Pervert."
"Know it all."
"Neanderthal."
"Bite me!"
"Maybe later."
A wide-eyed Derek smacked the back of a smirking Spencer's head as they approached the elevator.
….
The four men were seated in a booth at the back of the establishment waiting on their food. The conversation was light and at the moment, one Reid couldn't really participate in. Football.
"I couldn't believe they lost! That was the last bet I ever placed. I swear I put my buddy's kid through her first year at UC." Derek laughed.
"I read they have a good linguistics program there." Reid injected, desperate for a change of topic.
Rossi raised a brow at this.
"Are we feeling left out Doctor Reid?"
"I would think you'd be happy the conversation didn't involve sex or the 'state of your posterior'." Derek said, mocking Spencer playfully.
"Take that over sports." Spencer mumbled to himself.
"What was that cutie patootie?" Derek teased.
"I said you're a jerk."
"Aww, I just didn't want to upset your fragile sensibilities Reid. No offense was intended toward your poor, neglected hiney."
"Let's not discuss Reid's or anyone else's anatomy before I eat…or ever for that matter." Hotch warned.
"I've seen you wolf down a steak rare while studying crime scene photos and you're losing that formidable visage at the mention of a skinny little white boy's tush?"
"Yes."
"Hear that kid? Your butt just CRACKED the best the FBI has to offer." Derek snickered, pun fully intended. "Would that qualify as an ASS-ault?"
"Shut up Morgan." Reid groaned in annoyance.
"I'm only playin' Pretty Boy. No need to get CHEEKY."
"Morgan, if you put half the focus into your paperwork as you do into Reid and his rump, your efficiency would double." Hotch cut in.
Hotch barely stifled his amusement at the disgruntled look Morgan was sporting at his comment.
"What's wrong Morgan? Can't handle being the BUTT of a joke?" Rossi prodded.
He opened his mouth to give a nasty retort, but instead asked for more coffee from the passing waitress, apparently having wisely decided to let it drop. He busied himself with preparing the new cup to his liking while Reid stared into his own and Rossi and Hotch discussed office politics.
Derek managed to keep a neutral face as he felt the solitary buzz against his hip. *Oh no…* He'd almost forgotten about Garcia's twisted brand of justice. Knowing that Spencer would likely be receiving a similar notice, he thought it would be suspicious if they both checked their phones. So, instead of being smart and simply excusing himself under the pretense of needing to use the men's room, he knocked a fork to the floor and ducked under the table to briefly check the text while 'retrieving' it. Sure enough, Spencer felt a similar buzz a moment later and his all too expressive eyes widened before he looked down, shifted and fumbled to discretely check his own phone now hidden in his lap.
Of course the boys were completely oblivious as to how the wordless actions appeared to their two elders across from them. Derek ducking under the table, Spencer's eyes growing large, body stiff, awkward shifting. Hmmmm…
There was a loud thud as the table shook and Morgan came back up rubbing his head a few moments later.
"Find what you were looking for?" Rossi questioned with a discerning look.
"Uh, yeah." Morgan answered, holding up the utensil, eyes glued to the table.
"Everything alright Reid?" Hotch asked, eyeing the young genius skeptically.
Spencer cleared his throat. "Yeah. Fine." He replied maybe an octave too high.
The waitress came with their food before anything else could be said on the matter.
…
"I can't believe you get offered a free meal and you order green cake." Derek said, taking another bite of his giant, triple paddy burger. "Do you ever eat real food?"
"It's key lime pie Morgan. And not everyone feels the need to inhale the equivalent of a cow every meal." Reid defended irritably. "Seriously, how can you even fit that much meat in your mouth?"
Rossi almost choked on a fry.
"Nothin' wrong with a healthy appetite Reid. Wouldn't hurt you to acquire one. Maybe you'd bulk up a bit."
"One muscle bound egocentric on the team is enough. Besides, I can hold my own."
"Against what? A strong gust of wind?"
Spencer glared at him. Derek chuckled and put his hands up in surrender.
"Do I have to separate you two?" Hotch chastised.
"No. That won't be necessary. Morgan should be hitting puberty any day now." Reid shot.
"This coming from the guy with footed penguin jammies and a USS Enterprise night light." Morgan laughed.
"I didn't know we'd be doubling up! And you promised not to tell anyone Mr. T boxer briefs!"
"Those were a gift!"
"So was the night light!"
Hotch and Rossi could only look on dumbfounded as the banter escalated.
Derek cupped Spencer's chin and cooed at him. "And what about the widdle penguins huh? Or da cutesy, wootzy Darth Vader toothbrush you bro…" He started, cut short by the fingers full of key lime shoved into his mouth. Acting quick, he bit down on the retreating digits just enough to trap them. Okay, so maybe a bit harder than that. Spencer hissed.
"Shurender?" Derek managed around the fingers.
"Ow! Yes! I surrender!"
Derek closed his lips around the pale intruders; hollowing his cheeks as Spencer all-too-slowly pulled his fingers completely out of the darker agent's mouth. Hotch and Rossi shifted uncomfortably, not sure if they were more embarrassed by their colleague's behavior in public or the undeniable sexual undertones of the scene playing out before them. Derek and Spencer finally broke eye contact as the slender man flexed his hand to ensure everything was still intact. When he looked back at Morgan, who was watching him intently, he laughed.
"What?" Morgan frowned.
"You've got…" Reid trailed as he reached up and swiped the bottom of the confused man's lip, showing him the green cream that he'd wiped away. Derek chuckled.
Hotch figured he'd had enough at that point. He opened his mouth to speak up but froze as he watched Spencer smile at his playmate before putting the finger with the stray bit of pie he'd cleaned off his face, into his own mouth, sucking on it a little too enthusiastically in the older man's opinion.
"Check please!"
….
"You were shooting for humiliation right? Mission accomplished!" Derek shout-whispered inside the confines of Penelope's cave.
"So you think a harmless little backrub and some finger fellatio even come close to what I've suffered? No way. Besides, you're looking at this all wrong. I could have been very strict with my little prompts but I've given you enough leeway to meet the criteria in a way that could allow you to save some face and…"
"Save face? JJ can't keep a straight face around us, Prentiss won't stop making comments just dripping with homoerotic subtext, Hotch won't even look me in the eye and I keep catching Rossi watching us from his office window like he's been appointed chief of the fucking profanity police! It doesn't matter what we do! Every interaction we've shared is under scrutiny and it's only been one day! We could get into real trouble here!"
"Shy of being caught fornicating on the clock, nothing will or has happened that my brilliant boys can't play off as innocent or purely circumstantial. Keep it up and you'll be fine. Of course, I can't say the same for your reputation as a bona-fide Don Juan, but that's actually quite fitting if I do say so myself."
"Penelope…I'm sorry. I really am. I never intended to hurt you. I meant well, I really did. But we're not responsible for what Kevin did. His cheating like that was…"
The once bubbly ray of sunshine in their otherwise dark and foreboding world heaved a giant sob as tears began to fill her sparkly eyes, soon coating her cheeks in their salty descent. Her lip quivered as she tried in vain to contain her growing despair, but the dam broke and the flood came as she transformed into grief personified. Derek watched in guilt ridden horror as her shoulders shook and her mascara ran and all he could do was hold her tight, rocking her in his arms.
"Shhh…it's okay Baby Girl. I didn't mean to…I understand."
"No you don't. It hurts so much Derek. You have no idea how much it hurts."
"Okay. It's gonna be okay mama. I get it. We'll help. We'll hold out awhile longer. Just calm down. I get it."
And he did. She wasn't thinking straight in her state and she felt like everyone was judging. Garcia at her best wouldn't care what others thought, but her self-esteem had taken a major blow and she just couldn't handle feeling like all eyes were on her. She didn't want the pain of feeling alone, so she had recruited company, which, as we all know, misery loves. She needed a focus and revenge was safer than vulnerability. At least with vengeance there was some semblance of power and control.
She would bounce back. He had faith in that. But for now, his guilt was sending his protective nature into overdrive and if they had to play along for a while, then so be it. She mattered more than any of the chumps with their petty, water cooler gossip anyway. And let's face it, a crying female won out every time where Derek was concerned. That and a certain puppy eyed doctor. He just hoped that she would cheer up soon, before the mess he'd gotten Reid into threatened to ruin yet another friendship. One he couldn't live without.
Or, you know, before Rossi staged an intervention.
K, so if ya want, the last few will be posted about every other day from here on out. They're kinda random, but hey. Now, off to catch up on all the awesome fic y'all have posted that I've missed this week. Who needs sleep right? Your stories are so worth it. Can't wait to get back to Darkangel-Silvermoon's Drifting at Sea, Wicked Games by SugaKane01 and Seditionary! I love you and your work! How's Don't Shoot the Piano Player coming along? (hint hint) No pressure…Hahaha…I'm so gonna get my ass kicked…so many amazing stories that I've missed lately!
No wonder I've been in a foul mood. Withdrawal.
Three is on its way with some added pressure. This time I think I have to say…Poor Reid. But I assure you, everything gets resolved...eventually. And yes, Kevin is also, um, dealt with. :D