When Spencer stumbled into the kitchen the next morning, there was already the scent of brewing coffee waiting for him. That wasn't the only thing waiting for him. Remy was already in there, perched on the high stool Spencer kept at the counter's edge. He looked good sitting there reading the paper in just a pair of plaid pajama pants. The Cajun looked up from the paper he was reading and smiled, tipping his head up for a kiss as Spencer went past. "Morning, bébé."

Spencer gave him a quick kiss and then went to the coffee pot. "Morning, Rems." In a routine they'd both become comfortable in, Spencer served his first cup and brought it over with him as he went and leaned against the counter by where Remy was sitting.

"No work today?" Remy asked. He folded the paper and set it down on the counter before turning his full attention to Spencer.

The first sip of coffee was absolute heaven. There was nothing better than that first drink of coffee in the mornings. Spencer closed his eyes on a sigh. He opened them again to find Remy smirking at him over his mug. Rolling his eyes, Spencer chose to ignore that. "No, no work. I checked my phone before I came out here and there was a message from JJ. Since we all turned in our paperwork last night, we get to start our weekend a day early. Hotch's orders."

"Well that's nice. Gives you a whole weekend to rest and recuperate from the case."

And from other things, but Remy didn't say that part. Still, Spencer knew the truth of it. Last night had been a bit of a long night for the two of them. After his explosion, which had him wanting to flush with embarrassment here in the light of day, they'd laid on the couch for a little while. Then Spencer had went and taken a shower while Remy made them up some quick dinner. They'd talked through dinner, the both of them opening up. Prompted by Remy's questions, Spencer went more in depth about his mother, about when his father left and what it was like to deal with a mom who didn't really know he was there half the time. In return, Remy gave some painful admissions of his own, talking about what life had been like for a young boy in group homes and foster homes that rarely cared who he was or where he was. He talked about times on the streets, telling stories that had Spencer's heart aching. He would always have the image now of a little boy with auburn hair and sad green eyes, forced to steal food just to be able to get something to eat that day.

Then the two had cleaned up dinner and went straight to bed. All Spencer had wanted was to be in the circle of Remy's arms. Their lovemaking had been slow and gentle, a healing kind of touch, and when he lay there afterwards with Remy curled up against him, Spencer admitted to himself that he was falling in love with the man he was holding.

Blinking himself back to the present moment, Spencer found that Remy was watching from over his coffee cup. "What's got that smile on your face, cher?"

"Oh. Nothing." Flustered, Spencer took another drink from his coffee. He couldn't admit to Remy what he'd been thinking about. There was no way he could tell him that he was falling in love with him. They'd only been seeing one another for three months! Hell, he'd just come to this realization last night. How could he tell Remy when he hadn't even settled it in his own head yet? He needed time to get used to the idea.

He was saved from any more of Remy's questions by the sound of a cell phone going off. It took only a second for them to recognize it as Remy's phone. He went over to pull his phone out of his coat and Spencer sighed with relief. He'd seen the questions on Remy's face and he knew the man had been ready to press him on what had made him smile. This gave him a much needed reprieve. Hopefully, by the time Remy got back he wouldn't remember.

He heard Remy answer the phone and then suddenly he was speaking in in rapid fire Cajun French, the words tumbling out happily. Though he was getting better at understanding some of it, Spencer still didn't understand enough to keep up with conversation when Remy got to talking this fast. He did know, however, that Remy had to be talking to Belle or his Tante Mattie. Those were the only two that he spoke that fluently with. Whereas the language had once been prominent amongst Cajuns, Remy told him it had been almost completely lost. But Mattie had taught him, claiming that it was a part of his heritage he should know, and she had also taught him traditional French, which explained the mish-mosh way he spoke that was unlike any other. Belle's parrain—Godfather—had taught her for the same reasons. It really was nice to listen to it. Spencer enjoyed hearing it even if he couldn't understand it. Remy told him that, at one point in time, his accent had been thicker and his speech patterns quite a bit different. College had changed some of that for him. So had Jean-Luc. The man had worked hard to improve Remy's language, to remove the swearing he'd done almost constantly, and he'd made sure that Remy could speak properly, not wanting his son to be shunned in a world that tended to look at Cajuns as lazy and uneducated, a stereotype that wasn't true at all.

Spencer looked down at his coffee cup, realizing that he'd finished it. He went ahead and made himself another and then turned to start to cruise the cupboards. Remy was still perched on a chair in the living room, chattering away, so Spencer decided to take advantage of the moment and see what he could get together for breakfast. It didn't take much looking to figure out that he didn't really have much of anything. Apparently a trip to the store was in order today.

Out in the living room things went quiet. Then Spencer heard soft footsteps padding in towards him. "Hey, Spencer?"

Well, something was off in Remy's tone. Spencer straightened up from the cupboard he'd been searching and he shut the door with his knee while he turned to look toward Remy. The older man was leaning against the nearby counter, looking oh-so-casual. Or, at least, he was trying to. There were a few things that gave him away. Spencer leaned back against the counter opposite him. Amusement had his lips twitching in a smile he forced to stay in. "Yes, Remy?"

"You and I, we've been seeing each other for about, what, three months now?"

This wasn't where he had thought this was going. A little more serious, Spencer nodded at him. "Three months and three days."

That had Remy's lips twitching. His expression smoothed back out once more, though. "Oui. And though we've never said it, we've been exclusive, non? I mean, I know there's no one else I want to see but you. So we could say that, maybe, we're officially dating. Boyfriends. Oui?"

A little thrill ran through Spencer. They never had said that yet that was what Spencer had secretly been hoping. He didn't know the rules of dating well enough to know if that was just something that happened, or if it had to be declared, or what it was. But to hear Remy openly admit it made his heart sing. There was no way to keep the happiness out of his voice when he answered "Yes, I would think so." Suddenly, something in Spencer's brain seemed to click. Remy's body language, his phone call with either Belle or Mattie, this sudden talk about their relationship and how long they'd been together and making the statement of being official…Spencer's eyebrows furrowed down and he lowered his cup. "Wait a second." He said slowly. The connections he made were leading him to one thing. Realization had his eyebrows winging upwards and his eyes going wide. Shock had him almost dropping his mug. "Oh, no. No, no, no. You want me to meet them. That's what this is all about."

Remy didn't bother with any more pretenses. "Just Andrei. Belle's got an interview in two hours, so she needs me to take Andrei. She's been wanting to go back to work now that Andrei's gonna be starting Kindergarten this year. She's been private tutoring for a while but she wants to get back into full time teaching. She's a certified dance instructor." He gave Spencer an earnest look, his hands gesturing a little more than normal because of nerves. "I'd really like for the two of you to meet, Spencer. He's the most important person in my world and I want him to meet the man in my life."

This was a big step. A huge step. Spencer knew that, by trying to get the two to meet, Remy was showing just how committed to this he was and just how important Spencer was to him. He wouldn't bring just anyone to meet his son. Andrei was the most important person to him, just as he said. He wouldn't risk bringing someone around him and letting Andrei get attached if he thought that the person wasn't going to be around. This was a positive sign of commitment. And it was terrifying. Spencer licked his lips and just stared at him. He fought to try to figure out how to put this into words. "Remy, it's not that I wouldn't be, be honored. It's just, I mean, well…kids don't like me. The team calls it the 'Reid effect'. It seems to work on children and animals. I scare them or I weird them out."

"What about you and Henry?"

"That's entirely different. Henry's known me his entire life. I'm not strange to him. This is how I've always been so to him this is normal. I'm just Uncle Spencer. He doesn't see me as a freak like other kids do."

Remy pushed away from the counter and moved toward him. He stopped in front of Spencer and first took his coffee cup, setting it aside. Then he cupped Spencer's face in his hands. There was a gentle light in Remy's eyes and a warmth that Spencer had grown to count on seeing there. It was a warmth that never failed to make his heart beat just a little faster. No one had ever looked at him quite that way before. "Spencer." A gentle kiss was pressed against his lips. "You are not a freak, do you hear me? I don't care what anyone's told you. You're a wonderful, amazing man. You're not a freak." Those heartfelt words were coupled with another kiss. "And Andrei's gonna love you. You got no reason to freak out, bébé. He's just a five year old little boy."

The kind words and soft kisses were melting Spencer. He rested his hands on Remy's hips and, without realizing it, he nuzzled slightly at one of Remy's hands. His voice was calmer and just a little steadier when he found it again. "He's not just any five year old little boy, Rem. He's your five year old little boy. That makes all the difference. He's important to you. I can't help being nervous about this."

Though he didn't understand the murmur of Cajun words, he did understand the emotion behind them. The tenderness and care. Then Remy kissed him again, longer this time, kindling a low heat in Spencer's whole body. He broke apart and stroked his thumbs over Spencer's cheekbones. "It'll just be a simple visit, Spencer. We'll take him to the zoo. It's his favorite place. He'll be happy and relaxed and it'll be fine. You'll see."

How could he say no? No matter how nervous he was, there was no way he could deny him. "On one condition." He said. At Remy's curious look, he explained "Shut me up if I start talking too much. JJ says places like that tend to put me in a sort of 'Professor' mode."

Remy's whole face lit with the brightness of his smile. "You got a deal."

As Remy pulled him in for a hug, Spencer mentally shook his head at himself and wondered what the hell he'd just gotten himself into.

Forty minutes later, Remy stood on the front step of Belle's house. Long habit had him simply opening the door and poking his head in first, calling out "Belle?" before drawing the rest of himself inside. He only got two steps in the front hall before there was the sound of running feet. An instant later, his son appeared around the corner, face and eyes bright. "Papa!" He shouted. Then he was racing forward and he leapt straight at him. Remy grinned and easily caught the little boy in his arms, lifting him up and pulling him into a hug. Small legs wrapped around his waist for balance. Andrei pulled back just enough to be able to look at Remy's face. His blue eyes were sparkling and his curls were hanging down toward his face. He was in need of a trim again. "Papa, Papa, guess what?"

"What?"

"Jimmy and me founded a little baby kitten in his backyard and Jimmy's Mama let him keep it! I didn't want a kitten. Can we get a dog, Papa? I want a dog. Not a big one. But not a teeny one either. One that's dog sized, maybe. Can we, Papa? Can we?"

The words all came out in a rush, tripping over one another in his excitement to get them out. Remy could only smile at the whole speech. He never minded Andrei's babbles. The kid could talk on and on when he really got going and Remy never had problems listening to him. Maybe that's why I don't have problems listening to Spencer's rambles, either. I've had practice he thought jokingly. "A dog, huh? That's a big responsibility, Roo. "

"Andrei Foret LeBeau." The use of the little boy's full name caught both father and son's attention. They turned together to look at the pretty blond woman that stood a few feet away, arms crossed over her chest and a stern look on her face. "I told you that I don't wanna here another word bout no chien today. Been driving your Mama crazy with that all morning long."

Amused, Remy gave Andrei a squeeze and set him down on the ground. "Go grab your hat from your room, Roo."

Once he was gone, the two adults came together to share a quick hug in greeting. "So, didn't you get your petit ami to join you?" Belle asked when she stepped back. He could tell she was in the middle of getting herself ready. She was still in her comfortable house clothes, but she'd already French braided her blond hair out of the way and the way she held her hands told him she'd just painted her nails.

Remy flashed her a grin. It was easy to smile at Belle; they had become close friends ever since their divorce. As much as it seemed to surprise other people, neither one of them were shy about admitting that the divorce was the smartest thing they'd ever done and they'd happily gained a friend instead of a spouse. "Oui, I did."

"Where's he at, then?"

"You think I was gonna force the man to meet you and Andrei both today? You're crazy, cher. I aint letting you near him yet. He's nervous enough as it is."

A pout built on Belle's lips, though she knew it had no effect on him. "Why so mean, Remy? I aint gonna hurt him! I just wanna make sure he's good enough for my boys, oui?"

If anything, his grin grew wider. "Don't bouder at me, cher. I'll let you meet Spencer when I'm good and ready and not a moment before, y'hear?" Still, Remy couldn't resist leaning in and pulling her close so that he could press a kiss to her forehead. "Let's see how things go today, oui? Then I'll talk to Spencer and maybe see about a getting together for dinner or something, the whole group of us. How's that sound?"

"Perfect."

Any further conversation was forestalled when Andrei came back in with his Saints baseball cap in hand. Then their time was taken up by getting him in his little jean coat, putting his hat on the correct way, getting his shoes on and hugs and kisses with his Mama. Finally they were out the door. Hand in hand, the two walked down to the car at the curb. Remy opened the door and gestured for Andrei to get in. "Go on, then. Get on in."

"I can buckle myself!" The boy pronounced happily.

Sure enough, by the time Remy slipped into the driver's seat, Andrei had himself buckled in on his booster seat. No longer occupied, he'd finally noticed the person sitting nervously in the passenger's seat. "Bonjour!" Andrei's voice as bright and cheerful. The boy liked people and he had no problems whatsoever talking to them. "Who are you? My names Andrei and I'm five. Are you my Papa's friend?"

A chuckle slipped free from Remy. He twisted in his seat just enough to be able to look at both boys at once. Andrei, smiling and pink-cheeked, happy and ready to go. Spencer, chewing nervously on his lip yet still offering the little boy a smile. His heart swelled a little. Finally, he was introducing the two important men in his life. "Roo, this is Spencer. You remember me telling you about him?" Not even two weeks ago Remy had sat down with his son and they'd had a talk about Spencer. He hadn't told Spencer that he'd done it or even that he had planned on doing it but it had felt necessary. He knew that things between him and Spencer were getting more and more serious and he'd wanted to prepare his son; give him time to get used to the idea before he met him.

Andrei lit up at the use of Spencer's name, totally missing the surprise that was on Spencer's face. All of a sudden the little boy was especially eager as he looked towards Spencer. "I remember! Papa says you're his boyfriend. I'm Andrei but everyone calls me Roo. You can call me Roo if you want to. I've got a stuffed Roo in my room and he sleeps in my bed cause he's my friend."

Amusement was bright on Remy's face. He turned back around and started the car up. When he caught sight of the lost look on Spencer's face, he couldn't help but laugh. "Welcome to the world of Andrei, cher. Trust me, you'll barely have to say a thing. He'll do all the talking for you. He probably won't stop till we get there."

"Must be a family trait." Spencer murmured so low Remy almost didn't hear him.

"Hey, now. You aint got no room to talk."

There was no denying that. Spencer only smiled at him and then turned his attention back to the conversation still coming from the backseat.

Just as Remy had predicted, Andrei talked the entire ride. They were regaled with stories of all the things that Andrei had done all week with Mama and Jimmy, the boy who lived next door, and plenty about the kitten that they'd found. He didn't stop until he saw where they were going and he only stopped then to suck in a breath. Then a whole new barrage started. Remy rolled his eyes after he'd parked the car in the zoo parking lot. "Roo, dial it down a notch. You're getting a little too excited. You gotta breathe a little."

In short order, the three of them were unloaded from the car. It was a perfect day to go to the zoo. The sun was shining brightly and their jackets were enough to protect them against the slight chill in the wind. Remy took Andrei's hand on one side and on the other he reached out and took Spencer's, delighting in the little blush that earned him. He'd come to realize that Spencer might not often initiate touch in public but he enjoyed it. He was just shy. Well, except behind closed doors. Dieu, the man could get bold in private. It was such a contrast to who he was out in the world! Remy loved it.

He pulled himself out of those thoughts just before they reached the front gate. Remy let go of Spencer to pull out his membership cards and he was surprised to see Spencer pull one out as well. Then he realized he shouldn't be. Spencer probably came here with Henry. As if reading his mind, Spencer smiled at him and held the card up, saying "Henry and I come here. Garcia has one too. It's one of our favorite places to take him."

Once they were inside, Remy looked down at his son, who was trying to look in every direction at once. "All right, Roo. Where we gonna go first?"

Andrei bit his lip for a moment in obvious thought. His expression suddenly lit and he gave a grin identical to Remy's. "The flying horses, Papa!"

"The flying horses it is, petit." Remy took Spencer's hand once more and they set off. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Spencer was furrowing his brows, obviously thinking about something. Amused, he couldn't resist asking "You okay there, Spencer?"

The young genius looked at him curiously. "There are no flying horses here." He pointed out seriously. "There are no flying horses anywhere."

For a second Remy couldn't say anything. Then he started to laugh. He couldn't help it. The tone to Spencer's voice was so serious and his expression was so confused. Remy laughed so hard he stumbled slightly. If it wasn't for the hands in his, he might've stumbled worse. He fought to bring his laughter under control, smothering it down until it was only soft chuckles. They rounded a corner on the path and Remy gestured with his chin towards the attraction ahead of him. "That's the flying horses, mon chéri."

Spencer looked away from him and over to where he'd gestured. When he saw what was ahead of them, it took a second for it to click. "Wait…you mean the carousel?"

"Oui. Back home they call them the flying horses." His laughter bubbled up again and he shook his head. "Poor Spencer. You look so confused."

Andrei yanked on Remy's hand, pulling his attention back down to him. "Papa! Can we go? Look, they're starting a new one! Can we go on now, please?"

Spencer squeezed his hand before letting go, giving him a look with a hint of humor in it. "Go ahead. I'll wait here for the two of you."

On impulse, Remy leaned in and snatched a kiss from Spencer before turning and scooping Andrei up in his arms. Together, the two hurried over to take their turn on the 'flying horses'. Watching the two of them go, Spencer shook his head. Flying horses; really. That was just a silly name for a carousel. Sure, he could see how they got that. He could see why a kid would think the horses were 'flying'. But it was just a silly thing to call it. Still, it was worth the confusion and the slight embarrassment of misunderstanding him. Hearing Remy laugh that way had made Spencer smile.

Spencer leaned back against a railing and watched as Remy and Andrei got onto the carousel. Remy lifted Andrei up, settling him onto one of the horses, keeping a hand on his waist to keep him steady. The little boy was a handsome miniature of his father. They were both in blue jeans and t-shirts, Andrei's with a picture of superheroes and Remy's was just a plain black shirt. They had what looked to be matching boots on, both black. The only big difference was Andrei's denim jacket and Remy's typical leather trench coat.

In the pictures at Remy's house Spencer had been able to see that Andrei had his Papa's hair and smile and his Mama's curls and her eye color. But putting Remy and Andrei together this way, watching them, he could really see just how much they were alike, and not just in looks. Andrei was a talker—man, was he a talker. He'd talked the whole car ride! There were times that Remy could get going like that too. He just had more energy than the average person did and it looked like Andrei had inherited that. He also seemed to have inherited Remy's love for life. One of the things that really drew Spencer to Remy was how much the older man seemed to love the life he lived. He treated each day like it was a blessing and things never seemed to get him down for long. He always seemed to find something to smile or laugh at. Kind of like Penelope. That was a good comparison. She was the light in the BAU, a bubbly presence that helped them make it through some of the dark they saw. And for Spencer, Remy was becoming his own personal light, guiding him not only through the dark he saw at work, but the dark that still lurked inside of him.

A ringing came from Spencer's pocket. Startled out of his thoughts, he scrambled to pull the phone out, praying that he wasn't about to be called on a case. Please, no cases. "Reid." He answered cautiously.

"Hey, pretty boy."

The casual greeting relaxed Spencer, as did the fact that it wasn't followed up immediately by anything else. This wasn't a work call then. It was a social call. Once more he relaxed against the railing and let his eyes go back to the carousel. It was just starting to rotate. "Hey, Morgan. How's it going?"

"Not bad, not bad. Enjoying the day off. How about you?"

That right there would be the whole reason for this call. Spencer knew his best friend was worried about him after the way he'd been on the jet coming home. It didn't surprise him that Derek had called to check up on him. That was just a typical Derek thing to do. A small smile curved Spencer's lips. "I'm better. Thank you for encouraging me to call him. We…talked. A lot." Because he was far enough away from others that he wouldn't be heard and because this was Derek of all people, Spencer didn't just leave it at that. "We talked about, uh, about a lot of hard things. Mom, Dad, T-Tobias. And ah, the stuff after." Even now he couldn't say it out loud. Not because he didn't want to but because he still had to be very careful with this. Better that he never openly admitted this to his friends, just to keep them safe in case it ever came out.

The line went silent for a moment. Spencer waited him out, watching as the carousel made another circle and he could see Andrei and Remy both lift their hands and wave to him. Grinning, he waved back. Finally, Derek responded. "Wow. You really are serious about him, aren't you?"

"I am." Somehow today those words were a little easier to say. After last night, he couldn't deny it even if he wanted to, which he didn't.

"Well good for you, Reid. Good for you. I take it by how relaxed you sound that he took it all okay, too?"

"He did." A group of laughing and screaming kids ran past, cutting Spencer off.

"Was that screams I just heard?"

Spencer laughed lightly and shifted his weight a bit. "Yes. Remy and I, we brought his son to the zoo. They're currently on the carousel."

"Damn, you two are serious. This is the first time you've met the kid, right? That's a huge step, Reid."

"I know it is. I didn't want to come. Kids don't like me, Morgan. I weird them out."

"What about Henry?"

"That's what Remy said." Spencer snorted. "But like I told him, Henry doesn't seem me as weird because he's known me since he was born, therefore to him I'm simply normal because that's all he's ever known me as. This is entirely different. But it looks like I've been nervous for no reason. I've barely had to talk. From the moment we picked him up from Belle's until we got out of the car, Andrei didn't stop talking."

"No wonder Remy doesn't mind your rambles. He's used to it!"

"Shut up, Morgan."

Laughter came across the line. When it settled, Derek's voice came back, just a little more serious than before. "While I have you away from people, I've been meaning to ask you. You heard anything from Paul lately?"

That question threw him for a moment. He had to actually stop and think a little before he could answer it. When was the last time he'd heard anything from Paul? "Not since those flowers at work. I think he finally got the picture that things were over. Or maybe he and his wife reconciled."

"Mm. Let's hope so. I'm just glad he's left you the hell alone."

"I told you he'd get the picture." The carousel started to slow its ride and Spencer pushed off of the railing he was leaning on. "The carousel just finished its ride, so I'm going to let you go, Morgan…"

As Remy got off the carousel, lifting Andrei to settle him on his shoulders, he saw Spencer closing his cell phone and pocketing it. He'd noticed while on the ride that his lover was on the phone and he couldn't help but wonder if a case had come in. It would be shitty timing if it had. A look at Spencer's face as they got closer and he relaxed. He didn't have that 'work' look on his face. Just a social call, then. Judging by how Spencer had come home last night, most likely it was one of his friends checking up on him. If he had to take a guess, Remy would say it was probably Derek. There was definite big brother protectiveness there when it came to Spencer. The call seemed to have relaxed Spencer just a little, too. He was smiling just a little easier. That tight look that had been at his face when he'd gotten home last night had slowly faded, as had the shadows in his eyes.

"Didya see us over there, Spencer? Didya?" Andrei bounced on Remy's shoulders, earning him a mock grunt from his Papa. Remy couldn't help but laugh a little at Andrei's pronunciation of Spencer's name, though. Talking too fast in his excitement and his accent made it come out sounding like 'Space-er" He grinned at Spencer and said "Yeah, Space-er. Did you see us over there?"

Spencer shook his head and chuckled at the teasing. He ignored Remy and lifted his eyes up towards Andrei. "I did. It looks like you were having a lot of fun."

"Uh huh. Can we go see the animals now? Papa, can we? Can we go?"

"Let's go, petit. Looks like the lemurs are over here." Remy gestured off toward where the sign read for the lemurs. With Spencer at his side, they set off to go start their tour. Andrei chattered away through the lemurs and as they started the 'American Trail' exhibit. From the corner of his eye, Remy watched as Spencer fought to keep from spouting the facts that he knew had to be sitting on the tip of his tongue. All in all, he was doing much better than Remy had thought he would. It was easy enough with Andrei taking up most of the conversation. The few questions he asked, Remy answered easily enough using the signs that told them facts. But when they were at the wolves and Andrei was once more on his feet, standing between them, the little boy said "They're such big dogs, Papa! How big are they?"

Remy saw Spencer open his mouth and then snap it shut and he made an impulsive decision. "Papa don't know, petit. Why don't you ask Spencer? He knows lots of random things. Maybe he'll know, oui?"

Promptly Andrei turned to Spencer and grabbed his hand, giving it a tug to draw his attention. "Spacer, Spacer, how big are the dogs?"

"I'm not sure how big these ones are." Spencer said carefully. At the slightly crestfallen look on the young boy's face, he quickly amended "But the average female gray wolf weighs between 50 and 120 pounds, and males weigh between 65 and 175 pounds. They measure four to seven feet from snout to tail tip."

Despite the fact that he wouldn't know those measurements on any real scale, Andrei was suitably impressed. He was also immensely curious and he'd found himself a new source of information. "What do they eat, Spacer?"

"In a zoo, their diet consists of a mixture of dry canine kibble, meat, fish, bones, frozen prey, and vegetables."

"They eat fish? I eat fish! Mama makes it real yummy. Hey, Spacer, what're these over here?" Still holding Spencer's hand, Andrei tugged him along the path and towards the next exhibit. Remy followed after them with a fond smile, enjoying watching them. He watched as Andrei started asking questions about the beavers there and as Spencer went into a short spiel that Remy could tell was dumbed down as best as he could for the sake of the child. The more questions Andrei asked and the more Spencer answered, the more he could see that Spencer was relaxing. He felt safe and comfortable in facts; those were easy for him. It was the emotional aspect of things that tripped him up.

He was such a contrast to anyone that Remy had ever known or been with before. Spencer was like a puzzle that Remy had a feeling he would never fully complete. There were so many pieces to him, so many layers, and yet that was half the appeal to him. He could be so shy and sweet, self-conscious, humble, and yet he could turn around and be firm and bold and so much stronger than even he realized. Despite everything he'd told Remy last night, all that darkness that he'd lived through in his life, there was such innocence and light in him. It was obvious to anyone who took the time to look. Remy could see it now as Spencer knelt down beside Andrei and pointed something out inside the exhibit, telling him something that had Andrei laughing and clapping. When Spencer started to rise, Andrei held his arms out to him. The surprise lit Spencer's face first, followed by tenderness and a hint of his shyness. He lifted Andrei up, bracing on the railing by him to help him rise, and then he settled the boy on his hip and was pointing something out once more. They made quite a picture together. Hands in his pockets, Remy stared, unable to stop smiling. Love filled his heart to overflowing and it wasn't just for the little boy. It was just as much for the man that was holding him.

Andrei turned to look at him and made a 'come here' gesture with his hand. "Papa, come see this!"

Full of this warm, easy love, Remy strolled towards his boys. He put a hand on Andrei's back and shared a smile with Spencer before obediently turning to look where Andrei was pointing. Today was shaping up to be a wonderful day.

The car slowed down before slipping into the parking spot. Remy put it in park and let the engine idle while he turned to look at Spencer. Their afternoon at the zoo had been a great success and far more fun than Spencer had thought it would be. Andrei had latched on once he found out how much Spencer knew about the animals there and he'd quizzed him through the whole place. When they finally finished, they'd gone out to get something to eat. Now they were here at Spencer's apartment, dropping him off first as his place was closest. Remy had invited him out to the bar tonight to see the live music show and Spencer agreed to go, but he'd quietly admitted to Remy that he'd like to go to a meeting first. He was doing much better than he had been last night but it would do him good to go. So they were dropping him off at home and he was planning on meeting up with Remy tonight at Lagniappe.

Spencer snuck a glance to the backseat and saw that Andrei was sound asleep, the day's events having tuckered him out. Smiling, Spencer looked back at Remy. "I had a good time today. Thank you for bringing me with you guys."

"Merci for coming. I'm really glad you were with us." Remy lifted a hand, tucking a strand of hair behind Spencer's ear. "I think it's safe to say that Andrei likes you, Space."

The both of them chuckled and Spencer flushed just a little. No matter how many times they'd tried to correct him, Andrei still had pronounced Spencer as Spacer. At some point about halfway through the zoo, he'd dropped the 'er' at the end and Spencer had simply become Space, though later Andrei seemed content to switch back and forth between the two. When Remy tried to correct it yet again, Spencer had shrugged and smiled and told him it was okay. "I don't mind it. Henry calls me Uncle Penner half the time. It's fine, really."

He said close to the same thing now. "I really don't mind. It's kind of…"

"Sweet." Remy supplied.

"Yeah."

"Oui, it is. We'll have to get us all together again sometime. Maybe next weekend, if you end up free. Next weekend's mine. Mais, for now, I better let you go get yourself ready for your meeting."

The two shared a kiss that was soft and sweet, matching the warmth they both felt inside. When they pulled apart, Spencer reached out and tucked some of Remy's hair behind his ear before cupping his cheek. In his heart were the three words he didn't dare say yet. Instead, he leaned in once more, putting everything he felt into his kiss. He pulled back slowly, tapping their noses together. "I'll see you tonight."

"Tonight." Remy repeated the word.

With one last smile, Spencer stroked his fingers over the ghost of stubble on Remy's cheek and then pulled away and climbed out of the car.