A/N: Here's a new chapter, guys! And yes, finally, there is some more romance between Morgan and Reid! He's getting out of the hospital, and they're going back to DC! So time to read on!
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.
Morning couldn't come soon enough for Reid and Morgan. Neither of them had slept very well that night- Morgan especially, with his bad shoulder and the horribly uncomfortable hospital bed. The team had woken early that morning to pack- Reid packing away Morgan's belongings as well- and then headed to the hospital to pick up Morgan.
When they arrived, Morgan was already sitting on the edge of the bed, fully dressed and waiting for them. "What took you so long?" he asked. "Don't you want to get back to DC?"
"Technically it was your fault, Morgan," Reid complained. "I don't know how long it took me to find all of your stuff…"
The team started laughing, but a piece of paper on Morgan's bed caught Prentiss's eye. "Hey Morgan, what's this?" she asked, reaching over to pick it up.
Morgan tried to snatch it away from her, but Prentiss was too quick. If Morgan didn't want her to see this, it must be important. "So, Morgan? What is it?" she repeated.
"It's, uh…" Morgan thought about lying for a moment, but he knew that would be futile and could possibly make things worse. "My heart rate readings." He glanced at Reid for a moment, and the younger man instantly began to panic. He knew what they would show.
"There's one part here when your heart rate is really racing," Prentiss pointed out, then looked closely at the time on the readings. "Hang on… this time is from when it was Reid in here with you. Alone." Hotch, Rossi and Prentiss all looked between Reid and Morgan, confused.
"I'm sure that's a complete coincidence, Prentiss," Reid said without looking at her, his stance screaming his awkwardness. "There are many reasons that Morgan's heart rate could've sped up, none of them having to do with me. I could list them if you want…"
"No," Prentiss said quickly. "I may not believe you, but I think I'll leave it at that. You'll give me some long-winded explanation like you did back at the hotel, and I won't be able to fault your logic. Just leave me to my many impossible ideas, please."
Morgan looked at Reid, relief and gratitude flitting across his face briefly before disappearing again. He'd already had a hard enough time trying to convince the doctor that his raised heart rate was no problem. He didn't want to have to convince Prentiss and the rest of the team as well. "Can we go now? Please?" he asked. "I'm really bored of looking at nothing but the four walls of this room and having nothing to do. They only have 2 channels in here, and both of them are the discovery channel. I can't watch another documentary about fish, I just can't."
"And we all want to get back to DC," Rossi said, as Morgan got to his feet and followed the team out of the room. "Quickly too, before Milwaukee call us in on another case."
"Don't say that, Rossi!" Prentiss admonished. "You're gonna jinx us!"
"You know that sort of thing isn't actually true, Prentiss," Reid pointed out. "We don't get called in on a case more often when we wish we won't. It just seems that way, because those are the cases we remember."
"Again, why did I have to say anything?" Prentiss sighed, when Reid had finished speaking. "Bags not being in a car with him."
"Gee, thanks Prentiss," said Reid sarcastically. "I don't think I want to ride in the car with you either, to be honest."
Morgan laughed. "Don't worry, pretty boy," he said. "It may be the pain or the morphine talking, but I won't be so mean as to refuse to ride in a car with you."
Reid gave Morgan a small smile, which the rest of the team did not fail to notice. "We may as well just stay in the same SUVs we've been in the whole time we've been here," Hotch spoke up. "Rossi and Prentiss with me. Morgan and JJ can ride with Reid."
"But who's going to drive?" Rossi asked. "Obviously Morgan can't, with his shoulder."
A smile crossed Reid's face, and he held up a set of keys in his hand and shook them. Prentiss laughed. "Okay, now I'm really glad I'm not riding with Reid."
"Hey, I can drive!" Reid protested.
"Whatever, kid," Morgan said. "Now get in before I change my mind and I try to drive."
"Oh, not a chance," Reid said, almost running to the driver's seat of one of the SUVs. The others laughed and shook their heads, before climbing into their own seats.
Morgan fell asleep almost as soon as he got settled on the plane- the pain in his shoulder, while it would not last too long, was overwhelming and exhausting him. Reid sat with Prentiss and JJ, facing towards Morgan so he could keep an eye on him.
The three agents began playing cards, but Reid's mind wasn't in it. He kept looking over at Morgan, making sure he wasn't waking up or in pain.
"He's okay, Reid," Prentiss assured him.
Reid sighed, and focused his attention on Morgan again. "I know," he said. "I just worry. More than everyone thinks I do."
"We know you worry," Prentiss said, confused. "We all worry."
"That's not what I meant," said Reid. "I mean I- well, at least I think I do- more than the rest of you. Losing one of you guys- one of you dying- it would damage me. Badly."
Prentiss, and even JJ, were shocked. It wasn't like Reid to reveal anything about himself like this. "What do you mean, Reid?" Prentiss prodded tentatively.
"I never really had much of a family, when I was a kid. You guys know that. Dad walked out, Mum...I know she couldn't help it, she couldn't look after me properly, but it still isn't-"Reid broke off here, before taking a deep breath and continuing, "and being a child genius in Las Vegas meant I didn't really have any friends. Then I came to the BAU, and I found you guys, and I finally felt like I belonged somewhere."
"Like family," JJ said, smiling. "We are a family. All of us. You, me, Prentiss, Hotch, Rossi, Garcia, Morgan… we care about each other and support each other. No matter what." She cast a glance at Reid as she said her last sentence.
"We are closer than any other team in the FBI," Prentiss agreed. She turned back to Reid. "So you really worry about Morgan."
"Yeah." Reid shifted his gaze back to Morgan, but the older agent was still sleeping soundly. "He would never tell us how much pain he was really in. You've got to be observant if you want to see it."
"He wants to be the macho man," said Prentiss. "Be the tough guy, with this really bad gunshot injury, and pretend like it doesn't hurt so much."
"It's not just that," Reid protested. "Yes, he's trying to be tough, but that's not really the reason why. He cares about us… he doesn't want us to worry about him, so he pretends the injury isn't as bad as it is so we don't worry so much."
"Wow," Prentiss said. "You really thought that through."
"Not really," said Reid. "I just know Morgan. Oh, and he doesn't want an injury to be able to stop him from stopping UnSubs, so he tries not to let it hurt him too much and keep him out of the field," he added as an afterthought. Prentiss looked at him, shocked that he knew so much about Morgan. "What? It's just basic profiling, Prentiss." Reid said, a slight smile appearing at the look on her face.
"I thought there was a ban on intra-team profiling," Hotch said, walking over to join his teammates, Rossi following.
"Sometimes, you just can't help yourself, Hotch," said Reid. "I get curious."
"I'm sure you can't tell me that you've never profiled one of us, Hotch," Prentiss challenged.
"You've got me there," Hotch admitted. "I've got to admit, I have profiled all of you at one point. Especially you, Prentiss, when you mysteriously showed up in the BAU out of the blue."
Prentiss held up her hands as a sign of surrender. "Okay, okay, let's move on," she said. "Reid, why do you care so much about Morgan?"
Hotch and Rossi barely managed to hide their expressions of curiosity, and JJ managed to hide her one of panic. "You heard what I said before, Prentiss," Reid said. "You guys matter to me."
"But Morgan matters more to you than the rest of us do, and vice versa," Prentiss argued. Reid's face and his silence told Prentiss that she was right. "See?" she said. "I knew it was true. But why?"
Reid opened his mouth, and closed it again. He had no idea what to say. He glanced over at Morgan again, but he was still sound asleep.
"Drop it, okay Prentiss?" said JJ suddenly, startling the others. "It's not yours to ask, and it's Reid and Morgan's to tell, when they want to tell. Alright?"
"Okay," Prentiss agreed, startled at JJ's anger.
"Maybe we should go back over here, Prentiss," Hotch suggested, looking significantly at her. Prentiss nodded and rose from her seat to follow Hotch and Rossi across the plane, leaving JJ and Reid alone.
"Thanks, Jayje," Reid sighed. "I think I was about to blurt the secret out."
"No problem," JJ replied. "But they're definitely starting to get suspicious. You're going to have to tell them soon."
"I know that," Reid said. "I'm just scared. I- you said they'd accept this, but… I don't know that they will."
"Like you said, Spencer," said JJ. "We're a family. And family accepts each other, no matter what. I think you'd be surprised at how accepting they'd be."
"Hmm…" Reid was pensive, and he looked over at a sleeping Morgan again. A small smile crossed his face, as he looked at the peaceful expression the older man was wearing. "I do love him. And I want the others to know that. It will be soon, Jayje. Really, really soon. I don't want to have to hide this anymore."
Morgan had only just woken up when the jet finally landed in Quantico. He looked around himself, disorientated, to find the team milling around him. "What's going on?" he mumbled sleepily.
Prentiss laughed. "We've landed, finally," she replied. "Time to go home. How are you getting home, anyway?"
"I'll drive him," JJ offered. "I was already going to drive Reid because he took the subway the day we left for Milwaukee; it'll be just as easy for me to drive both of you."
Morgan smiled at JJ. "Thanks, you're a lifesaver."
The three agents split off from the others as they neared JJ's car, waving goodbye. "You never actually offered to take me home, you know JJ," Reid pointed out, confused.
JJ smiled, and shook her head at Reid. He could be so clueless sometimes. "I know that, Spencer. I was thinking this way you and Morgan could get more time away from the others. And you know, I don't have to drop you off at your own house…"
It finally hit Reid what JJ meant, and a look of understanding crossed his face, followed quickly by a shy but pleased smile. Morgan and JJ both laughed.
"Get in the car, kid," Morgan said. "I don't think I can stand just looking at you much longer."
Reid instantly did as Morgan asked, climbing into the back seat of JJ's car, Morgan quickly following. As soon as Morgan settled into his seat, Reid slid nearer to him and snuggled in close, resting his head on Morgan's luckily good shoulder. JJ got into the driver's seat and drove away, fortunately not having to drive past Hotch, Rossi or Prentiss. They did pass Garcia though, who grinned broadly and waved frantically at them, while making a 'call me' sign with her free hand.
"That girl wants all the details," Morgan sighed, pulling Reid in closer to him. The young genius looked up at Morgan, smiling, and Morgan placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "I've missed you, pretty boy," Morgan whispered.
"But we were only apart for one night," Reid pointed out, confused.
"And that one night was agony for me without you, Spencer," Morgan said. "I could barely sleep without you lying there beside me?"
"Even with me saying facts in my sleep?" Reid asked, slightly grumpily.
Morgan chuckled. "Especially with you saying facts in your sleep," he replied. "Didn't JJ tell you I thought that was cute?"
"Yeah, she did," Reid admitted sheepishly.
"So you see, Spencer, it's not the same without you lying there beside me… especially when you're naked," Morgan added, earning an embarrassed look from Reid and a noise of shock and disapproval from JJ. "Nobody said you had to listen, JJ!" Morgan said to her.
"You are in my car, Morgan," JJ reminded him. "Just keep it PG, okay?"
"Okay, okay," Morgan relented. "My point still is that I really, really missed you last night, Spencer. I love you." He kissed Reid again, tenderly.
The smile reappeared on Reid's face. "Same here," he said. "I love you and missed you too."
The car was silent for a moment, the two men immensely happy that they wouldn't have to be apart, when JJ spoke up. "Whose house am I going to?" she asked.
"Mine," said Morgan instantly. Reid looked up at Morgan again. "I'm the injured one. And my bed is bigger," he added, winking.
"Oh, gross, thanks Morgan," JJ complained. "You just put horrible images in my head."
"I can't help it if you're dirty minded, JJ," Morgan laughed.
"And I can't help it you make sexual innuendos while you're in the car with me, embarrassing your boyfriend," JJ retorted.
Reid reacted slightly at JJ's last word. Boyfriend. He'd never heard that word describe who he was to Morgan. Boyfriend… he kind of liked it. Morgan noticed Reid's reaction and smiled at him. He liked JJ calling Reid his boyfriend as much as Reid himself did.
"Here we are," JJ announced, pulling up outside Morgan's outside.
Morgan shook Reid gently, as the younger man was half asleep against his side. "We're here, pretty boy," he whispered.
"We are?" Reid replied groggily, sitting up and blinking rapidly.
"Why are you so tired?" Morgan asked, confused. "It's the middle of the day."
"I didn't sleep very well last night," Reid confessed. "I was uh... cold and, well…"
"Lonely?" Morgan suggested. "Me too, kid. It wasn't the pain my shoulder that made me fall asleep on the plane."
"Well, I think I'll leave you guys too it," JJ said as Morgan and Reid climbed out of the car. "I'll call you when I'm on my way to pick you guys up in the morning, Derek," she added as she drove off.
"Looks like we're alone now," Morgan whispered into Reid's ear. A shiver went up Reid's spine, even more so when Morgan trailed his fingers lightly up Reid's arm.
"I thought you said we couldn't do anything," Reid said, his voice already slightly breathy.
"And by that I meant we couldn't have sex," Morgan replied, a slightly amused tone in his voice as he rested his hand on the doorknob. "It doesn't mean we can't have a little… fun anyway." Morgan pushed the door open, and gave Reid a long kiss before pulling away slowly. He laughed at the disappointed sound Reid made, and the almost pouting look on his face. "Come inside, pretty boy," he called, walking into the living room. Reid followed without a second thought, not even able to think about anything else but the man in front of him. His.
"How about we bypass the couch and go straight for the bed?" Morgan proposed, an eyebrow raised suggestively. Reid nodded instantly, and Morgan took his hand and led him through the house straight to the bedroom. Morgan slowly removed his own shirt, mindful of his arm, then moved over to the bed and laid down on it. "Come join me, pretty boy," he said. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too, Derek," Reid whispered taking off his own shirt as well as his tie as he walked towards Morgan. Morgan pulled Reid down onto the bed, and rather than squeaking in surprise like he had the first time, he leant straight into Morgan and began kissing him. Kiss, after kiss, after kiss… god, he'd missed this. He'd needed this; they both had.
Morgan winced slightly in pain and Reid pulled away from him, but Morgan reached out with his good arm and stopped him. "What did I tell you back in Milwaukee, kid?" he growled. "The pleasure overrides the pain."
Reid, while his face made it clear he was filled with desire, was still hesitant. Morgan therefore did the one thing he knew would draw Reid in- he kissed him on his neck, softly and gently, causing the genius's neck to arch backwards involuntarily like it had every other time. When Morgan looked at him, the genius's eyes were glassy. "Derek…" Reid moaned.
"You still want me to stop, pretty boy?" Morgan whispered.
"Why would… why would you do that?" Reid managed to get out. Morgan smiled and began trailing kisses down Reid's neck until he reached his chest. He began sucking on Reid's nipples, and with each action the younger man's moans increased in volume.
"Glad we're in my house instead of a hotel room, Spencer?" Morgan asked teasingly. Reid merely nodded; his mind was completely blank, rendering him unable to form coherent thoughts or sentences.
Reid fought to bring Morgan's head back up until their lips met again, kissing even more ferociously. His lips parted for a moment, and Morgan took the opportunity to slip his tongue into Reid's mouth. The two of them engaged in a battle for dominance, until Morgan once again winced in pain. The sound and the expression on Morgan's face quickly sobered Reid up, and he regretfully pulled away from Morgan.
"You're in pain, Derek," Reid said. Morgan shook his head and tried to kiss Reid again, but the younger man turned his head away. "Please, don't tempt me," Reid pleaded. "And don't deny you're in pain, either. I know you are."
Morgan sighed, realising Reid was right. When he saw that Morgan was now agreeing with him, Reid rolled over so he was lying next to his lover. "I can't stand seeing you in pain like this, Derek," he whispered.
Morgan noticed the slightly upset expression on Reid's face. "Hey, don't blame yourself for my shoulder hurting right now, okay?"
"I'm not," Reid argued, but his face told Morgan otherwise.
"Seriously, it's not your fault, my love," Morgan said. Reid looked at him properly, both shocked and touched. Morgan smiled. "My love," Morgan repeated, and he smiled. "Sounds good, doesn't it?"
Reid smiled back at Morgan. "I certainly like it," he said. "My love." Reid said the words himself, testing them out, applying them to Morgan.
"I like it, too," Morgan told Reid, unable to stop himself from letting out a small yawn.
"Tired, are we?" Reid laughed.
Morgan stared at him accusingly. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he realised.
"It's definitely… different to be the one looking after the injured team member, instead of the other way around," Reid agreed, laughter still in his tone. "But seriously, you should rest. We still have work in the morning."
Morgan let out a disappointed groan; he'd completely forgotten about having to go to work the next day until Reid had reminded him. "You keep doing that, you know? Keep reminding me that we have work in the morning while we're lying in bed together."
"Well, it's true," Reid protested. "JJ's gonna be mad if we make her late. And trust me, when JJ gets mad she is a force to be reckoned with."
Morgan sighed. "Fine. At least take your pants off, pretty boy." Reid looked slightly embarrassed, but stripped down to his underwear as Morgan did the same. "Now come closer." Reid scooted closer to Morgan, until their bodies were pressed together. Morgan put his arms around Reid's skinny frame, and shifted the genius so Reid's head was resting against his chest. "I've missed being able to hold you, pretty boy," Morgan whispered.
"It was only one night, Derek," Reid pointed out, but Morgan could tell by his tone that he felt the same way.
"Whatever," Morgan said dismissively. "I can't wait 'til the day when I can hold you in front of the others, when I can tell them I love you and that you're mine."
"You seriously want to do that?" Reid asked.
"Yeah, I do," Morgan replied. "Why? Did you doubt that I wanted to tell the others? Did you think that I was ashamed of you?"
"No," Reid said instantly. "I've just never heard you say that you actually want to tell the team." He looked Morgan in the eye. "It's gonna be soon, isn't it?"
Morgan nodded. "Definitely. I mean, they're beginning to see something, especially Prentiss. And we did want to tell them before they found out themselves."
Reid yawned, even louder than Morgan had. "Can we talk about this in the morning?" he asked. "I'm tired."
"Of course, Spencer," Derek whispered. He ran a hand gently over Reid's slightly curled hair, and the younger man closed his eyes and leant into Morgan's chest again, using it as a pillow. "Goodnight, pretty boy."
"G'night, Derek…" Reid mumbled, his voice slurred from sleepiness. "Love you…"
"I love you too, kid," Morgan murmured into Reid's ear, as the young genius relaxed in his arms and fell asleep.
A/N: So there you go guys... finally some more romance between our two favourite profilers! And they're going to tell the others quite soon... I wonder how that's going to work? :P
Note from Diamond Cobra: "I like how people actually read these things, makes me feel special. Hey guess what I learnt the other day! You never will. I totally learnt that Prentiss is female. Eternal looked at me like I was diseased or something when I told her I didn't know ;3" Seriously, girl, what is WRONG with you? How did you not know? You have the same first name as her, sheesh...
Anyway, please, please, please review, I really wanna know what you think! And it will make me so much happier after the news I got this week... So thanks!