Reid sat across from Morgan at his coffee table. The apartment was not new to him; they'd spent countless nights together. Still, with his recent thoughts about how much he loved Derek he found new appreciation in the apartment. The warm glow of the lamps and the sparse but tasteful decoration was full of practical yet elegant simplicity. It was so… Derek.
At that point he realized that his boyfriend was looking at him expectantly. His mental musings gave him renewed confidence, and meeting those warm and deep eyes, he finally spoke, "Derek… I came to a realization in therapy today. I've been too scared to tell you that I love you, and you've been patient and understanding and it means more than I can put in to words. It's one of millions of things that I love about you, Derek." At this point he reached across the table to clasp the older man's somewhat larger hands in his own. "I love you, Derek. I love you. I love how supportive and patient you are. I love how caring you can be, not just with the team, but with victims as well. I love how, despite how many times you've been hurt, you still see good in the world. I love the way you sometimes snore in the middle of the night. I love that you bring me coffee with insane amounts of sugar, just the way I like it. I love your heartbeat when I feel it lying on your chest. I love your jokes and your pranks and your laugh. I love everything about you Derek, and I'm in love with you, and I need you to know that now, because something could happen… to one of us… and I can't bear the thought of you never having heard me say it."
At this point he stopped and took a breath, waiting for a reaction, noting his own elevated heart rate as his stomach seemed to twist into a knot.
Then, Derek was leaning across the coffee table, and a hand was in his hair, pulling him forward for a crushing kiss. After a minute the kiss slowed, sensual and passionate, and Derek pulled away a few inches to stare into his eyes. "Thank you, Spencer. I knew you did and you'd say it when you were ready. Thank you for trusting me and loving me. I love you too."
The kiss began again, starting slowly, but progressing into something more frenzied and charged until Derek pulled the smaller man across the table and into his lap.