Disclaimer: Not mine – wish it was...

Author's note: I'm slughtly drunk at the moment (right)... I would have updated this chapter sooner today – but suddenly I was late and had to run, so you get it now in stead!

BTW – I got the rest of the story in my head I details (now I just have tp figure out which details to use... And write it... Do I make sense?)

I still like reviews :) Cookies to those who review, cooties to those who doesn't! (Is cooties a word? Sjhit I'm pissed :S)

"I'm sorry it turned out to be so awkward... Albert?" Reid looked over his shoulder at his boyfriend when they walked to the car. He had a dark look on his face and Reid felt the cold hand of fear grasp his heart and squeeze – hard and long.

"You better drive." Reid nodded. Albert had drunk more than a few glasses of red wine. Reid himself had been talking, too busy to drink or eat much.

"I think they really liked you," Reid said as he drove. All he wanted right now was for his boyfriend to give him a big smile and talk with him. Why didn't he answer any of his questions? Or just tell him to shut up? "Especially Garcia. I think she's attracted to you even though she knows you're gay... Not that it's surprising – I personally find you very attractive! I would gladly have sex with you right here right now!" Albert had given him a look and the rest of the drive had been silent.

"Why are you with me Spencer?" Albert had asked as soon as they came into his apartment. "Why are you with me when it's so obvious that it's Derek Morgan that you really want?"

"What – no! I don't..."

"Come on! We look so much alike we could be brothers! You are just with me because he's your friend and he's straight."

"That's not true! I'm with you because... because I love you! I don't think of Morgan like that!" Reid's voice had shaking at that part. He had never said those words to another man before meaning them as he did right now.

"So you telling me that you aren't attracted to him at all?"

"No... YES! But I might have been attracted to him at some point – but that's years back. Way before I met you!"Albert gave him a scornful look and went to his bar cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Scotch and a glass. "Albert, please. I... I might have talked to you at that bar because you reminded me of him – but now it's so much more. I want you because you're you – not because you resemble a friend and former crush of mine!" Reid had failed to notice the hard abrupt way Albert had thrown back the drink and put the glass back on the table with a thud. The look Reid received as the last lines left his lips was hard to ignore. Anger, jealousy, and hurt was as clear as the dark brown colour of his irises.

"Albert, please just listen and think abou..."

"SHUT UP SPENCER!" His hands shot out and rammed against Reid's slender chest making him fall back against the wall. Reid stared shocked at man in front of him.

"... You pushed me?"

Albert's face fell and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh – I... Shit – I'm sorry babe! I just... Shit... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that! I... I'm just under a lot of stress recently and..." Albert moved closer to Reid. Reid pressed his back against the wall needing the support to keep his legs from buckling under him. Albert ran a hand through the short stubble on his head and looked at Reid with eyes glistening from unshed tears."I'm... Please forgive me Spence? Please – I love you too! I really do... I just... suddenly doubted everything... I felt so jealous! Shit, Spencer please... I just.. I'll never do it again – I swear! Just... Just don't leave me?"

Reid drew a sharp breath feeling the tears rising too. He put his hand up and cupped Albert's cheek looking at him with his slightly blurred vision.

"It's okay – I'm sorry too. I knew you're busy and with the current state of economy I knew you're under a lot of stress at work. I'm sorry that I put you into this kind of situation." He reached up and pressed his lips against Albert's. "I'm not mad at you or anything, perhaps just a bit... surprised.." Reid smiled up at the larger man and let his fingers trace the forms of his face.

Albert sighed and leaned forward leaning his forehead against Reid's. "You're too good for me," he breathed and Reid couldn't help but shiver. "But I think it would be best if I drove you home. This evening isn't going to be as magical as I had dreamed." Reid nodded as Albert's fingers slid down his cheek.

Reid looked at himself in the mirror. The knot in his stomach had been there ever since Albert had yelled at him. He hadn't realized before how important Albert's opinion had grown to him.

He had known that he loved him, but the confession had been ruined by the ugliness of the situation – the things that had been said and the feelings that had been hurt.

Albert had called him when he had gotten back to his apartment again. The had rescheduled their intimate dinner and were going to try it over tonight. Albert had apologized again over the phone and Reid had in his solitary let a few teardrops slip from the tight control he kept on himself. It was the first time he had cried in 3 months 17 days and 21 hours.

Reid held on to the sink as the memory of Morgan's rejection flushed over him as waves on the beach. He gritted his tears and cursed his eidetic memory. He remembered all the long nights where he tried to avoid dealing with his feelings. The bars, the strange men. He remembered how shocked he had been when he had spotted Albert the first time. Tall, muscular, black. He resembled Morgan enough for Reid to muster up his courage and ask for his name. Their first night had been hasty passionate and a release Reid hadn't been able to find in the arms of any other man. The next morning he had been happy to follow Albert's lead. He had sent him to the bathroom saying he had to go to work. He had told Reid to come back to his apartment for dinner the same evening and Reid had done as he was told. Suddenly he had a boyfriend and Morgan wasn't the first thing he thought of when he woke and the last thing before he went to sleep.

Recalling the mornings spent in Albert's arms Reid calmed his breathing and slowly let go of the edge of the sink.

Tonight is going to be great, and yesterday wasn't anybody's fault. He kept repeating it silently as he returned to his desk and flipped through his papers.

Fortunately nobody spoke to him for the rest of the day. They just looked at him – shocked by his reaction to Garcia's friendly mockery.

"Hey."

"Hi." To emphasize the awkward feeling between the two men Reid accompanied his salute with a wave. He quickly dropped his hand and fixed his eyes on Albert's chest. Albert cleared his throat.

"Before I say anything, I just want to say that I'm still incredibly sorry and tell you that it'll never happen again!"

"It's okay – I forgave you..." Reid had looked up to stop his boyfriend from speaking those unnecessary words but the intent look in Albert's eyes made his cheeks heat and he moved his eyes back to the chest. "I forgave you a second after... it happened..."

"I'm going to make it up to you." Before Reid could protest or even utter a word he was dragged inside and lead into what he presumed was Albert's kitchen. He wasn't certain due to the fact that Albert held his hands across Reid's eyes. "I meant it – you know that?"

"Meant what?" Reid asked feeling a bit out of breath. His heart was beating frantically in his chest.

"I love you." The words was a low murmur in Reid's ears. His heart fluttered and the thought I can die happy now occurred to Reid. Here he was wrapped in the arms of the big black man he loved and had loved for so long – the only person that could ever make him happy. The hands across his eyes vanished and Reid blinked. He turned his back to candlelit dinner table in front of him and wrapped his arms around his lover he closed his eyes when his lips was met by Albert's and he quickly silenced the inner voices yelling in protest.

This was good.

This was right.

This wasn't a Plan B.

So! Somebody asked for the conversation Reid had on the phone with Albert in the first chapter! Here it is :D

A: Albert Whitaker

R: Hey Albert it's me

A: Hey Spencer. I was just thinking about you – I'm looking forward to tonight.

R: Me too.

A: I'm glad to hear. Was there a reason that you called, you know I'm still at work.

R: Actually, it's about tonight – there's something I wanted to ask you. Some coworkers asked if I wanted to come out to dinner with them...

A: We had this planned for days.

R: Yes I know, but Garcia – remember I told you about her? She wouldn't let me off the hook if I didn't ask if you wanted to come.

A: You make her sound very... peculiar...

R: Well, she is – but she's also very eager to meet you

A: You sure that she isn't trying to decide if I'm good enough for you of something, and this is just some sort of crazy test?

R: Of course it's not a t...

A: Of course not. It's fine.

R: Does that mean yes?

A: Of course it does – I couldn't possibly say no to anything you ask of me.

R: I'll text you the details.