Rowena wakes up first the next day, still entangled with Spencer on the couch. She sighs softly at the sight of her sweet boyfriend sleeping like the dead. She knew there had to be acres of such pain hidden inside him, but last night was an outpouring she had not expected. Rowena smiles nonetheless; finally, he's opened up to her. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Letting her hold him as he cried out his pain was hard, but for the first time the agent felt as though she had finally helped him in some tangible way.
Slowly, gradually, she slips from his embrace and covers him with the throw from the couch. He murmurs something unintelligible and buries his head into the couch cushion. She laughs quietly and goes upstairs, not wanting to wake him.
"JJ?"
"What's up, Roe?"
"Can you inform HR that Spencer and I won't be in today?" Her friend's smooth chuckle echoes through the crackly line.
"Okay." Rowena laughs at the implication.
"No, nothing like that. If Spencer doesn't take a mental health day, he's going to crack, and he won't take a day unless I make him. I have plenty of time off stored up and I'm sure he does too. It should be fine."
"It will be. Take care of him."
"I'll try." Rowena replies. She ends the call and goes into her room, changing out of her pajamas at last. It's nearly noon already. Since its going to be a casual day and it's nearly December, she pulls on jeans and a loose grey sweater. No anticipating departing her house for too long, Rowena pulls on slippers too. Her hair is a lost cause at two days and counting without being washed, so a loose ponytail seems the best choice. For some reason, Rowena finds herself wanting to look pretty for Spencer and applies tinted moisturizer and a bit of mascara.
"You're always so beautiful." So concentrated on the tiny lash brush in her hand, Rowena didn't sense Spencer standing in the doorway and watching her. He smiles, looking infinitely tired but still better than last night. "Really. Even last night. And now, you just look a little enhanced. Beautiful." She sets down the makeup and turns to her boyfriend, dark eyes still concerned.
"Are you okay, Spencer?" His cheeks turn a little red but he nods.
"I think so. Thank you, for everything."
"Good. I called you off work already." His whiskey brown eyes widen and she smiles. "Yup. You're taking the day off. It's called a mental health day, and you're going to spend it with me." She stands on her toes to kiss his cheek sweetly and heads down the stairs. He watches her go, shocked, before a smile overtakes him as well.
"You sure that's the best thing for my mental health?" Spencer calls after her, joking and a laugh rings up the stairs as he follows after her.
"Very funny! If you want coffee and breakfast, you better be nice to me!" He pauses, standing behind her in the kitchen now.
"You're the most amazing woman I've ever known." Spencer says quietly. Rowena turns to look at him, blinking twice.
"Thank you, Spen. That's sweet of you to say."
"I mean it. You're-" He swallows hard and decides to take the plunge. "Um, I think I love you." Her eyes widen as Spencer Reid stands there giving her that confused but still slightly pleased with himself grin. "I don't know if there's any way to be 100% certain of that. I'm not even sure if my definition of love is the same as yours, or someone else's. But I, uh, I think I do. In fact, I know I do, even though I don't know how." Rowena comes toward him with unsteady steps, tilting her head to look up at him curiously.
"Say it again?" Rowena asks softly, taking his baby soft face in her hands. Spencer, scared for some reason, kisses her palm before whispering into it.
"I love you, Rowena." He mumbles, unsure of the reaction she's having until her hands grip his face a little tighter and pulls him down for a ferocious kiss.
"I love you too." She replies in a voice practically vibrating with joy and Spencer beams at the final affirmation.
"Really?" His voice breaks even as he smiles and Rowena laughs.
"Yes. I love you." She says firmly as she stands on her toes to kiss him again. Some sort of imperative wells up in Spencer and starts to strangle him so he does what it demands; her bathroom is directly adjacent to her bedroom and so as they kiss with more fervor than ever before, Spencer starts pulling her that way. When her knees hit the back of the bed, Rowena realizes what he's up to and sits on the edge, finally pulling away. "Spencer?" He looks at her with a fight between confidence and desperation in his clouded whiskey eyes.
"Rowena, I'm ready but…" Spencer swallows hard and she smiles, standing up and wrapping her hands in the bottom hem of his button up.
"Don't be nervous. I love you. I love your body. I love everything about you." He stares into her eyes and nods, and Rowena presses her lips to his again. It distracts him as he gets lost in her coffee flavor again as suddenly his shirt falls away and her warm, bare hands lovingly run from his slim waist to his shoulders as she pulls him closer.
"Rowena…" He mutters nervously. She shakes her head, a half-smile lighting her features.
"You're in better shape than you think, babe. Come on." Rowena takes his hands and places them on the hem of her sweater. "I know you're anxious but it's been a while for me too. I'm yours, my dear dweeb." The sweater comes off and Spencer loses his breath in short order, and it comforts Rowena about her own body. The bra is not the sexiest, simple black cloth with basic straps, but she's gorgeous and she's his.
"You're beautiful." She runs her hands through his hair and smiles at her delightfully awestruck boyfriend.
"Touch me, Spencer." Spencer can't help but obey.