Previous part of Don't Let Me Stay Out Late.

***

Morgan ran out of the doctor's office with Rossi on his heels. He stopped outside, and looked around, his heart pounding so hard he was sure it was going to break his sternum. There was no sign of Reid, or Green. Rossi pulled out his cell phone, flipping it open and jabbing at the buttons. He held it to his ear silently for a moment, and then practically barked into it.

"Garcia! We need a trace on Reid's phone, now!" He paused, listening to Garcia on the other end, and then he ran to the SUV, with Morgan following. Morgan felt nauseas, and lightheaded…he prayed he wouldn't pass out, not now. He was relieved that Rossi was driving.

"Call Hotch, tell him Green got Reid…no, I don't know how! Just tell Hotch. Just text me if they turn, and tell me which street they turn down." With that, Rossi hung up, turning on the siren and lights, turning his full attention to the road. He was driving like a maniac, and Morgan had to put his hand on the ceiling to keep himself steady so he wouldn't throw up.

"I don't see the bastard's car…fuck…Garcia better be right…" Rossi's phone chimed and he opened it, took a glance, and then swerved, turning around and taking a side street. Another text and Rossi slammed on the breaks. "Garcia says he's here, somewhere…" Rossi jumped out of the car, and Morgan followed, looking around to find Green's car, and not seeing it.

"Did Garcia have an address?" Morgan asked.

"No…she said that he called her, but she couldn't hear anything on the other line. She called an ambulance…God…where is he?"

A door a couple houses away opened and they turned instinctively towards the sound. The sight of Reid calmly walking out of the house, closing the door behind him, was not exactly what they had expected.

There was blood; that much Morgan could comprehend. He didn't know whose blood covered the brown argyle sweater-vest Reid wore. Rossi made it to Reid first, grabbing the young man's shoulders and shaking him.

"Reid! REID! Reid, look at me, what happened?" Rossi yelled. Reid simply stared at Rossi as if he were an alien, his eyes wide and confused, his face turning almost grey. Morgan half wanted to grab Rossi, and throw him away from Reid, but knew better than to cause a scene. After several moments of silence, Rossi let go of Reid's shoulders, to Morgan relief, and suddenly Reid came out of his stupor, turning towards a car on the street, and hurrying over to it. He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket, and fumbled with them before opening the car's trunk, revealing Fletcher's unconscious form.

The sound of sirens suddenly rose from the distance as the ambulances came screeching down the street. When the medical staff jumped out, Rossi yelled at a doctor to attend to Fletcher, who lay unconscious, bound, gagged, and bleeding in the trunk of Green's car. Thankfully, the doctor didn't mind Rossi's rude behavior, and immediately ran to the car. Reid stepped back, allowing a doctor to check on Fletcher. Morgan stepped next to Reid, and slowly put an arm around his shoulders. Reid jumped, but then leaned against Morgan, seemingly suddenly exhausted. Once they had gotten a little ways away from the scene, Morgan helped Reid sit down on the curb.

Once Reid was sitting, Morgan carefully examined him. His sweater-vest and the shirt underneath it had a tear, and there was a small cut in his side, but nothing too serious, which meant most of the blood wasn't Reid's. Sighing with relief, Morgan sat down, and pulled Reid against himself, not really caring if anyone saw. Worry was starting to settle in Morgan's gut…Reid was too quiet. Really, he hadn't said anything thus far.

Morgan glanced up, and saw another one of the Bureau's black SUV's pulling up. Reid tensed, murmuring something unintelligible. Hotch jumped out of the SUV, struggling with the conscious effort to remain calm. Hotch and Prentiss glanced briefly at Reid and Morgan, before turning to the scene that was unfolding. Green was being wheeled out on a stretcher, injured and covered in blood, but alive.

"Reid, what happened, kid?" Morgan asked gently, hugging Reid's body tightly to his own. Reid shivered slightly, and took a deep breath.

"I had to shoot him, Morgan…he-" Reid stopped, looking up as a man was escorted out of the house by Prentiss and Hotch, his hands behind his back in cuffs. Instead of finishing his statement, Reid just shook his head, looking down at the asphalt. Morgan waited for him to speak, but when Reid stayed silent, Morgan didn't bother him. He figured Reid just need a minute to calm down after whatever had happened. Hotch began walking over to them, snapping his phone shut.

"Fredericks and Green are on the way to the hospital, and they're both expected to make a full recovery." Hotch paused, obviously trying to articulate what he said next in a way that wouldn't upset Reid. "Rossi told me what happened. Reid, maybe you should see a doctor." Reid shook his head, moving away from Morgan.

"I'm fine, actually. I just want to get home and take a shower."

Hotch was silent for a moment, his jaw tense. "If you're sure. I'll need a report on what happened, though. I want you both to bring your reports in tomorrow morning."

Hotch walked away, and Morgan helped Reid to his feet, escorting him over to one of the SUV's. They stopped by the Bureau before going home. When they got in the door, Reid instantly began pulling off his clothes, which startled Morgan slightly. By the time he'd made it to the bathroom, he'd lost the bloodstained sweater-vest, tie, and shirt. Morgan picked them off the floor, and after a brief moment, decided to throw them away, tossing them in the trash can outside. With that done, he sat down on the couch, and began filling out his report, writing concisely, only including the necessary details. Once it was done, he put it on the tea-table. He dozed off while sitting on the couch, despite it not even being noon yet. He woke up to the feel of gentle, timid kisses pressing against his jaw, a thin body curled against him. He opened his eyes, and smiled slightly, stroking a hand down Reid's cheek. He had on his glasses, and one of Morgan's old tee-shirts. Morgan must've been asleep for a while, because Reid's finished report was on the table on top of Morgan's.

"How you feeling?" Morgan asked. Reid tucked his head under Morgan's chin, relaxing under Morgan's touch.

"I've been better," Reid muttered grumpily. He pulled back, motioning at a plate on the tea-table. "I made you a sandwich. I figured you'd be hungry when you woke up."

Trying to ignore how incredibly sweet it was of Reid to make him lunch, Morgan grabbed the plate, and began to scarf down the sandwich. "You already ate, right?" he asked through a mouthful of food. A smile tugged at the corners of Reid's lips, and he nodded, leaning against the armrest of the couch. Once Morgan had finished, he got up and took his plate to the kitchen. When he returned to the living room, Reid was sprawled out on the couch. Morgan sat on a sliver of couch that was not occupied by Reid's long limbs, next to Reid's hip.

"You okay, kid?"

Reid groaned, shaking his head. "I didn't want anyone to know what happened to me…" he muttered. Reid took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I guess there's really nothing I can do about it now…" Morgan leaned over Reid, kissing his cheek.

"They aren't going to think less of you, Spencer, you know that." Reid looked up at him with big, watery brown eyes, holding his gaze briefly before looking away, his throat clicking as he swallowed dryly. Reid's fingers were fidgeting nervously with the bottom of his shirt, so Morgan gently took Reid's hands in his own, slowly rubbing his fingers. "Everything will go back to normal, soon enough."

"When have things ever been normal at the BAU?" Reid asked, his voice cracking, but a small smile forming on his face. Morgan put on a fake thoughtful expression, pursing his lips together.

"Well, things were pretty mundane before you joined." At this, Reid laughed, his smile growing.

"So you just like having me around to keep things interesting?" Reid joked. Morgan just laughed, shaking his head.

"God, we'd be lost without you, kid." Reid just rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling, and the general mood had lifted. Morgan still felt a flurry of emotions battling inside of him, but with Reid smiling and happy, he didn't dare begin brooding now.

***

As they headed into the office the next day, Reid kept his head down, and his shoulders hunched, trying to remain as small as possible. Despite all of Morgan's reassurances that no one would judge him for what happened, Reid was still uncomfortable going back into the office. As Morgan turned in his, and Reid's reports, Hotch signaled for him to wait.

"Has Reid talked to you about what happened yesterday?" Morgan shook his head, rubbing a hand over his scalp.

"No. Why?" Morgan tried, and failed to keep the concern and worry out of his voice. They had spent the afternoon, pleasantly, watching movies and eating junk food, but Reid had still spent most of the night awake, if the dark circles under his eyes, and the extra cup of caffeine were any clue.

"I'm just worried. We interviewed Green. He wasn't forthcoming on any details, but from what he did tell us, it was obvious he'd had enough time alone with Reid to hurt him, in the vary least." Hotch paused, picking up Reid's report. He skimmed it briefly, his shoulders tensing. "I've talked to Strauss. I'm giving the whole team two weeks off, starting tomorrow. I think we all need to…come to terms with this, especially Reid."

Morgan was momentarily stunned. They hadn't had the whole team take time off all at once since the case with Randal Gardner. And god knows, that hadn't gone well. Still, it made sense for them to take time off now. Nodding, Morgan turned to leave, but then Hotch spoke again.

"You and Reid are living together?" It was more of a question, than a statement, so Morgan turned around again, folding his arms across his chest.

"Reid needed someone to help him through what had happened." Morgan didn't mention how little help he had been, thus far. Hotch nodded slightly, tapping his fingers against his desk.

"Alright…I think the rest of the team will be visiting the two of you during the break, if that's okay with you." Morgan nodded, even though he knew Reid would rather be left alone, and then he left Hotch's office, walking down into the bullpen. Garcia was standing next to Reid's desk, talking excitedly about the break they were about to have…right, Garcia hadn't been there when Hotch had asked Reid about his connection to the case, and Morgan was fairly certain no one had told her. Reid was smiling brightly at her.

Morgan sat at his desk, and spent the rest of the day finishing up paperwork, and trying to figure out what him and Reid would do during the two-week vacation, unsure of whether or not the break would help Reid or not. By the time the day was over, everyone had heard about the vacation, and all seemed relieved for the break. As Morgan followed Reid out of the building, he was surprised to see Reid in a better mood, talking animatedly about black holes and string theory. Once they got home, Reid immediately went for the shower, something Morgan understood, an overwhelming, unconscious need to keep clean.

As Reid came out of the shower, he stretched out on the couch, putting his feet in Morgan's lap and staring at the TV as a sports announcer drawled on about the players and the score.

"The others will probably want to come over and talk, so if we do go somewhere, we'll have to tell them in advance," Morgan said off-handedly. Reid looked away from the TV, scrutinizing Morgan for a moment.

"I don't really want to talk about it with them…"

"I know, Pretty Boy," Morgan sighed. He picked up one of Reid's feet, and began to massage it, working from the heel, to the arch, to his toes. Reid let out a deep groan, closing his eyes.

"Did you know that the feet contain 2.5 million nerve-endings? They have so many, because if the nerve endings didn't end there, they would have to extend past the foot…"

"Really now?" Morgan laughed, taking Reid's other foot. "Feel good?" Morgan asked, pressing his thumbs into the arch. A slow smile spread over Reid's face.

"Definitely. No one's ever given me a foot massage before…" Even as Reid spoke, he began to drift off to sleep, his eyelids fluttering closed. Morgan continued the massage, letting Reid fall asleep, before he stood up, carefully moving Reid's feet. Instead of carrying Reid to his room, and risking dropping him, he got a pillow and blanket, and got Reid comfortable, before going to bed. As Reid fell further into a deep sleep, the events of the other day slipped into his mind to torment him.

"Make a sound, and I'll kill you." The point of a knife and the palm of a man's hand emphasize the point, and Reid immediately tenses, pressing his lips together. Warm breath in his ear, combined with the knife against his neck is mind-numbingly terrifying, and all he can do is follow the hand that carefully guides him away from his team mates. Vincent Green leads him out of the building, hiding the knife behind the palm of his hand, but keeping it pressed against Reid's neck. Reid knows he could easily overpower Green, or take out his gun and simply shoot him, but he wants to know where Fletcher is first.

Green opens a car door, and Reid instantly notes that it isn't the car that Garcia had found registered to him. Getting into the vehicle, Reid glances out the window, hoping to see Morgan and Rossi, but not having such luck. They're probably still waiting for the doctor to come out. As Green slams the driver's side door, Reid turns to him, feeling his heart-rate speed up.

"Where are you taking me?" Reid asks, trying to remain calm. Reid carefully takes out his phone, and puts it on mute, pressing speed dial for Garcia. Green turns on the car and begins driving down the road. They take a side street, and Green parks, getting out of the vehicle, and opening Reid's door, keeping the knife in plain site now. As Reid stands, he leaves his cell phone on the seat, praying Green won't see it. However, Green catches site of Reid's gun, and grabs Reid by the arm, stealing the gun from it's holster, and pointing it at Reid.

"Did you think you were going to shoot me, you little whore?" Green sneers. Reid just shakes his head, staring at the ground. He follows as Green leads him into a house, a sense of dread filling him. There's another man in the house, but he doesn't seem too concerned with what Green is doing.

Green leads Reid into a room, and Reid stumbles in when Green pushes him, much more roughly than Reid thinks a disabled man should be able to. Green steps forward, pressing the knife against Reid's side, moving it to the side so it cuts past Reid's clothes, just barely cutting into his skin.

"Be a good little whore, and strip for me," Green whispers, his breath ghosting over Reid's face like a sickly specter. His free hand is everywhere Reid wishes it wasn't, petting him through the fabric of his clothing. Reid trembles, but before he can begin to obey the command, the sound of a siren breaks through the thick air, and Green whirls around. Without thinking, Reid grabs his gun out of Green's hand, and simply shoots him. Green falls to the ground, clutching at his side, writhing and screaming out in pain. Reid knows he should feel something right now, but he doesn't. Seeing Green thrashing on the ground doesn't give him any satisfaction, or guilt for that matter. So Reid walks out of the room, putting his gun back in it's holster as he does so. As he passes the other man, he is ignored, just as he had been when coming into the house. Reid briefly considers shooting him, simply for his lack of indifference towards the crime…

Reid started in his sleep, and found himself laying on the ground, tangled in blankets and covered in sweat. Pushing his hair out of his face, Reid extricated himself from the sheets, his whole body trembling. During the actual event, he had been calm after shooting Green, completely without remorse or fear as he walked away. Now that it was over, he felt terrified, mainly at his own reaction. Reid stood, and hurried into the bathroom, emptying his stomach before undressing and getting into the shower.

Hearing the violent retching, Morgan got out of bed, walking over to the closed bathroom door. He sighs, running his hand over his face once he hears the shower turn on. Morgan waits outside of the bathroom, and once Reid came out, Morgan simply put an arm around his shoulders, and led him into his bedroom. Morgan gently pushes Reid to sit on the bed, and then kneels in front of him, putting his hands on Reid's knees.

"You want to talk about it?"

"I didn't have to shoot him…" Reid whispered, looking away from Morgan as his eyes clouded over.

"Green?"

"Yeah…I could've overpowered him without the gun…but I didn't. And when I was walking out, I almost shot the other guy, even though he wasn't stopping me." Morgan's eyebrows shot up.

"Reid, you've been through a traumatizing ordeal. I'd be worried if you didn't have an emotional reaction like that."

"Morgan…I didn't feel anything when I did it. I just shot him. I didn't even feel guilty…" Reid shook his head, staring at the bedspread.

"How do you feel now?"

"Confused…" Reid admitted. Morgan nodded.

"It takes time to get over stuff like this, so don't worry about it, Spencer. Here, let's get in bed, and get some sleep." Reid nodded, and they both climbed into bed together, Reid curling up against Morgan's side. "Try to get some rest, Garcia's coming over tomorrow before she head off to Mexico."

"She doesn't know…" Reid muttered.

"Are you going to tell her?"

"Hell no. I don't think it would be fair to let her in on that right before she head off to Mexico with her boyfriend."

Morgan let out a sigh, and nodded. "Okay, fine. But let's get some sleep now, okay?" Reid nodded his agreement before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

***

"Wake up, my beautiful hunk-man!"

Morgan's eyes snapped open at the sound of Garcia's voice. Of course, the first thought to go through his head was, 'how the hell am I going to explain sharing a bed with Reid?' of course, that thought was soon followed by, 'wait, how'd she get in, and where is Reid?' Looking around groggily, Morgan caught sight of Reid standing behind Morgan, looking apologetic, while simultaneously failing at suppressing a huge grin. Groaning, Morgan sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Pretty Boy, why didn't you get me up?" Morgan snapped, trying to hold back a yawn.

"I did. I told you that Garcia would be over soon. You said, and I quote, 'sure, buy her some flowers,' end quote. I thought you were awake when I left to get the flowers, but apparently that wasn't the case."

Garcia was giggling unashamedly, and it was now that Morgan caught sight of the white lilies she held. "I was wondering why Boy-Genius gave me flowers. Does he always talk in his sleep?" Morgan rolled his eyes, and got out of bed, stretching his back. He held in a grin at Reid's obvious oogling, and slipped on a tee-shirt, before pulling Garcia into a hug.

"Baby-Girl, you know I only talk in my sleep when I'm dreaming about you." Garcia giggled, while in the doorway, Kevin Lynch coughed loudly, and across the room, Reid cleared his throat. Morgan laughed, and let go of Garcia, gently pushing her towards Kevin, who came up beside her to wrap his arm around her shoulders protectively. Morgan and him had always gotten along fine, and Kevin definitely understood that nothing was going to happen between Morgan and Garcia, but it didn't stop him from occasionally getting possessive.

"So, uh, how have you two been doing?" Kevin asked, rocking back onto the balls of his feet.

"We've been good," Reid squeaked.

"Any idea why the Hotch-man decided to give us time off?" Garcia asked, eyeing Morgan and Reid suspiciously. Morgan glanced at Reid, still wondering if it was a good idea to keep the whole thing a secret from Garcia when the rest of the team already knew. Reid just shrugged, and put on a forced smile.

"No idea, but I'm not going to complain," Reid said, in a small voice. Garcia frowned, and began to walk towards him, opening her mouth to ask something, but then Kevin's watch went off, and he quickly pulled her to his side.

"Well, our flight is leaving soon, so we'd better get going," Kevin said, sounding apologetic.

"Alright, you two have fun in Mexico. You take care of my sexy girl, Kevin, or I'm going to have to hunt you down, and do something unpleasant." Keven smiled, and nodded.

"Don't worry, Derek. I will take extra special care with her," said Kevin, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Garcia just giggled again, and led Kevin out with her, yelling, "bye mocha-hottie! Bye sexy-brain!" Once they left, Morgan flopped back down onto the bed. Feeling the mattress dip, he opened his eyes to see Reid looking at him with a half-confused, half-annoyed expression.

"What is it, Pretty Boy?" Morgan asked. Reid stuck out his lower lip, and folded his arms across his chest.

"I don't think I like being called 'sexy-brain'," Reid muttered. Morgan's eyebrows flew up, because, although it was obvious Reid was telling the truth, it was also obvious there was something else bugging him.

"You know she's just saying the first thing that comes to her head, right?" Morgan asked, sitting up. Reid just nodded, picking at non-existant fluff on the knee of his pants.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

Morgan thought that over for a moment, putting an arm around Reid's waist. "I'll just tell her not to use that one anymore. Now, are you going to tell me what's really bothering you? You were fine just a minute ago. What happened to get you all grumpy?" Reid pressed his lips together, looking cuter than anyone should while pouting.

"It's nothing...you'll think I'm being stupid."

"No, I won't. I love you, and I'll do everything I can to understand how you're feeling, but I can only do that if you tell me what's bothering you."

"You love me?" Reid asked, frowning down at his knees. Morgan resisted the urge to smack Reid over the side of the head, frustrated that, even after all the cuddling, and reassurances, Reid still didn't believe that Morgan loved him.

"Spencer, we talked about this. Yes, I love you." Morgan accentuated his point by kissing Reid on the cheek. Reid smiled now, still staring at his knees. When he didn't answer, Morgan tried asking again. "Tell me what's wrong."

Reid shook his head, biting his lip before looking at Morgan through his bangs, his gaze shy. "It's...it's nothing. I guess I just need to hear you say that."

"Spencer, are you jealous of the way I was talking to Garcia?"

Reid blushed furiously, his pout returning as he went back to picking imaginary fluff off of his pants. "No! I mean...I know that's just how you two talk. It doesn't bother me."

"Alright. But if there is something that does bother you, tell me so I can fix it."

They spent the rest of the morning getting breakfast, lounging and watching movies, while commenting on the lack of activities available for off-duty profilers. About noon, a knock sounded at the door, so Morgan reluctantly got up to answer it. He was only mildly surprised to see Rossi at the door, holding a vase full white rosebuds and yellow daffodils. Morgan took in a deep breath through his nose, and let it out slowly, trying not to laugh at how uncharacteristically awkward Rossi looked.

"God, Dave. I hope those aren't for me."

"Don't be stupid, Derek. They're for Reid. I feel bad about being an ass to him," Rossi snapped, his eyes narrowing. Morgan shrugged.

"Well, he's in the living room if you want to hear him site the impossibilities and improbabilities involving the workings of Iron Man's suit." Rossi grumbled something under his breath, and walked past Morgan, going into the living room. Morgan followed, standing in the doorway as Rossi sat down on the couch next to Reid, setting the flowers on the table. Reid momentarily didn't notice his presence, glaring fixatedly at the screen. Once he did notice Rossi, he jumped slightly.

"I came to apologize..." Rossi began.

"Rossi, you don't have to apologize for what happened at work..." Reid suddenly caught sight of the flowers, and his cheeks turned pink as he pressed his lips together. Seeing Rossi make Reid blush brought out Morgan's possessive streak, and it was all he could do to not pick up Rossi, and his flowers, and chuck them out the window. But then Reid's expression shifted, and he looked somewhere between embarrassed and irritated.

"Rossi, why'd you pick this combination?" Reid asked, his eyebrows knitting together. Rossi's eyes widened, obviously realizing that if he were going to give flowers to Dr. Spencer Reid, he really ought to know what they symbolized first.

"It was on discount. I swear, I have no idea what they represent." It was almost comical, really. David Rossi, profiler extrodinair, scourge to serial killers, sounded suddenly terrified at the prospect of insulting Reid with flowers. Reid was scrutinizing the flowers, as if trying to decide whether or not to forgive Rossi for his ignorance when it came to flower meanings. Forgiveness seemed to win out.

"Well, thank you for the gesture. I really wasn't all that mad in the first place. I suppose I should apologize for hitting you." Reid smiled apologetically, and Rossi looked immensely relieved, his shoulders relaxing.

"It's fine, Reid." Rossi stood, running his hand over the side of his face. "I guess I should leave you alone so you can enjoy your time off." Rossi then turned and left, nodding at Morgan as he did so. Once Rossi had left, Morgan sat down, eyeing the flowers.

"Alright, kid. What do they represent?"

"Daffodils represent unrequited love."

"And the roses?" Morgan asked, quirking an eyebrow. Reid's face scrunched up, and he eyed the flowers with something akin to hate, while his cheeks turned pink once more.

"White rosebuds represent girlhood. Don't you dare laugh." Reid turned his glare to Morgan when a chuckle began to form in Morgan's throat. "I know I may not be the quintessent representation of masculinity, but I swear to god, if you ever compare me to a girl, I will not hesitate to violently assault you."

Morgan put up his hands defensively, shaking his head. Reid sometimes looked effeminite, but he never acted that way. He wasn't a he-man, but he definitely didn't act like a woman. "Spencer, trust me, I'd never compare you to a girl."

"Good." Reid leaned over and kissed Morgan's cheek, just as his cell went off. Reid pulled it out, and frowned before answering. "Hey, JJ...Um, yeah, I guess so. Should I bring Morgan...? Okay, see you later." Reid snapped his phone shut, letting out a small sigh. "JJ and Emily want us to meet them at a bar later tonight. How much longer do you think it will be until everyone realizes I'm okay?"

"Well, are you okay?" Morgan asked. Reid ran his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath.

"Yes, Morgan, I'm okay. I'm just uncomfortable with...well, you know."

Once Morgan had gotten ready to go, they left the house to go to the bar. Reid fidgeted and mumbled to himself the entire way there. Morgan didn't order anything, planning on being the designated driver, and Reid ordered a beer, before they went to look for the girls. Reid put on a fake smile once they saw JJ and Prentiss at a table in the back near the dart board. They were both leaning over their table, holding their drinks with both hands, and wearing matching grim expressions. They both looked up at the same time, and forced smiles.

"Hey!" Reid greeted pleasantly, sitting down next to JJ.

"Hey, Spence," JJ said shakily. She put her hand on his arm, just lightly, and her smile eased to something more natural when he didn't flinch away. "How you doing?" she asked. Emily was looking in JJ and Reid's general direction, obviously a little more intoxicated than JJ. She didn't even notice when Morgan took up the seat between her and Reid.

"I'm doing good. How are Will and Henry?" Reid asked, taking a sip of beer, grimacing and glancing at the cup, and then taking another sip.

"They're good. Hey, can I talk to you in private, just for a minute?" JJ asked nervously. Reid shrugged, and they both got up and walked away. Prentiss turned to Morgan, apparently noticing him for the first time since he'd sat down. She looked utterly drunk, confused, worried, and heart-broken all at the same time, and it was all Morgan could do to put his hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Emily, he's okay, really," Morgan consoled, hoping to sound convincing enough to a drunk woman to ease her worry. Prentiss shook her head, and took a long drink off of her beer.

"That does't make it right. I's not fair to Reid. I can't...i's gettin' to be too much. Derek..." she turned, practically slumping into Morgan's lap, her cheek pillowed against his shoulder. She lifted herself back up, and sloppily pushed her mouth towards Morgan's, nearly missing as she did so. Morgan gave a gentle attempt to push her away, but, even drunk, Prentiss was very insistant. Morgan pushed her away, harder, and this time it worked. She stared at him blankly, her lips parted. "Derek, please, I jus'-" she paused, looking past Morgan, over his shoulder. Morgan spun around in his chair, and his jaw dropped. Why did Reid and JJ have to show up now? It was like a cliche scene from the movies, and Morgan was so stunned at the timing, that all he could do was stare at Reid and JJ, gaping like a fish out of water. Reid was still smiling pleasantly, but Morgan could see that he was confused.

"Wow, Em, you're really drunk!" Reid laughed, but it was uneasy, like he wasn't sure if it was funny or not. Reid put his half-full glass of beer on the table, and then stood up straight, fiddling nervously with his hands, starting to look unsure of himself.

"You'okay, Reid? You'er raped...people aren' okay after stuff like that..." Reid's eyes widened, and he started at her, open-mouthed. JJ took in a sharp breath, and walked over to Prentiss, tugging her to her feet.

"Maybe I should get you a cab," JJ suggested. Prentiss just nodded, so JJ turned back to Reid and Morgan. "I guess I'll just take her home...sorry I let her get so drunk...I'll see you two later." Reid nodded, and waited until the two of them had left to turn to Morgan, staring at the ground, and wringing his hands together.

"I want to go home," Reid stated, matter-of-factly. Morgan just nodded, and the two of them left the bar, getting into the car.

***

Warning: Graphic flashback in this chapter, don't read if it will bother you.

Morgan took a deep breath, preparing himself to give Reid an explanation for what had happened, but, for the tenth time since they had gotten into the car, he simply let it out, not finding words. Reid was looking out of the car window, with his forehead pressed against the glass, looking utterly miserable. Morgan gritted his teeth, and tried to think of something to make Reid feel better, but coming up with nothing. Morgan was beginning to hate car rides, as they usually were made up of awkward silences, and followed tense situations. Forcing in another deep breath, Morgan forced himself to speak.

"Reid, she was drunk, and...well, I didn't really expect her to do that, but I swear to god-" Morgan began, but Reid interrupted him.

"Morgan, it's okay, really. I'm not mad about you and Emily kissing. You did look rather shocked by it, and not to mention we aren't really an established couple."

"What? Reid, what the hell do you mean by that?" Morgan asked as he pulled into the drive way. He shut of the headlights, and turned to look at Reid, the silhouette of his profile marked out in the sodium beam of the streetlamps. Reid shifted, and pulled open the car door, stepping out into the driveway, ignoring the question. With a frustrated sigh, Morgan got out of the car, slamming the door shut.

"What? Reid, what the hell do you mean by that?" Morgan asked as he pulled into the drive way. He shut of the headlights, and turned to look at Reid, the silhouette of his profile marked out in the sodium beam of the streetlamps. Reid shifted, and pulled open the car door, stepping out into the driveway, ignoring the question. With a frustrated sigh, Morgan got out of the car, slamming the door shut.

"Spencer, don't ignore me!" Morgan yelled as Reid jogged up to the front door.

"Calm down, Morgan, I'm not trying to upset you. We just haven't really gotten the chance to work out the logistics of our relationship yet," Reid muttered, opening the door to the house.

"What's there to work out?" Morgan asked, confusedly. Reid just shook his head, taking off his shoes, coat and bag as he walked into the entryway.

"You were clear on how you felt, Morgan. It's sweet, really, it is, but I'm not sure if..." Reid paused, sticking his hands into his pockets as he walked into the living room. Morgan followed, his gut twisting.

"What do you mean you're not sure? You seemed pretty sure when you kissed me." Morgan couldn't stop his voice from sounding bitter. Reid slumped onto the couch, rubbing his chin.

"I wasn't really thinking...okay? We're agents...we probably shouldn't start anything...I don't know, I need to think about it...maybe we should talk about this later...It's late, and I'm exhausted." Reid didn't wait for Morgan to add anything before getting up and walking swiftly out of the room, heading to his bedroom. He changed quickly, pulling on a pair of green flannel pajamas before crawling into bed. His head was spinning, and he felt sick, both from what Prentiss had said, and from what he'd said to Morgan. Reid closed his eyes, exhaustion weighing on his body like a lead vest, and he quickly fell asleep, dreams taking the place of reality as the room faded away.

Reid tries to force his body to move, to fight, and to resist, but finds himself completely paralyzed, unable to do anything except stare forward at white drywall. He can't see what's going on behind him, but he can hear his captor behind him, rummaging through something, knocking things over. There is the occasional click of the man's cane against the concrete floor, and then it is quiet, and all Reid can do is focus on the pain in his arms, holding up the weight of his limp body, which is suspended by ropes over a mattress, leaving him slumped on his knees. He tries to think logically, to figure out a way out of the situation, but not even logic offers him hope. He's bound, and paralyzed to boot. He can't even speak, his throat feels tight, and his lips won't move. Reid knows he has no chance of escaping, and the thought alone is more terrifying than anything else that has happened thus far.

The steady click of a cane returns, and the bed he's on dips, followed by the feel and sound of a knife cutting his clothing. It isn't a rushed, manic shredding of clothes. Down the front of his sweater-vest and across the tops of the shoulders, as if trying to leave the clothing as wearable as possible, without removing the ropes on his arms. Next to go is his shirt, carefully unbuttoned before the tops of the sleeves are cut, going from the wrist to where the shirt stops at his neck. And it's cold, cold, cold, and Reid tries to focus on the cold air and nothing else as his shirt is removed. Reid wishes there was something besides drywall in front of him to focus on, because now there are hands on his skin, touching, nails scraping, and Reid has never missed his sweater-vest so much before. He vainly tries to pretend he's somewhere else, but can't bring his mind to leave the cold garage, even for the sake of his sanity.

The knife is gone, and Reid tries to ignore his sudden nudity as he slacks are pushed down, stopping at his knees. Cold, cold, cold, but this time he wishes he could ignore it, along with the white hot pain. His abductor is whispering something into his ear, and Reid knows from the tone it's nothing good, but he can't quite focus on the words enough to understand them. A hand is moving over his body again, and all he wants to do is scream, but he can't...someone's screaming, though, and it's an unfamiliar sound, in a familiar voice. The hoarse, broken screaming gets louder and clearer, but the pain fades, and the hands disappear.

Reid woke, and realized that he was screaming, and Morgan was shaking him, nearly lifting him off of the bed. Reid's screams turned into a heavy pant, and Reid blinked, staring wide-eyed into the darkness until his eyes adjusted, and Morgan's frightened face came into view. There was a heavy bruise on Morgan's jaw, and Reid felt his stomach churn, realizing he must have flailed out while sleeping and punched Morgan in the face.

"Reid, kid...come on, talk to me, please," Morgan pleaded, panic seeping into his voice, loosening his hold on Reid's shoulders. Reid tipped his head down, wrapping his arms around himself, and opened his mouth wide, taking in as much oxygen as he could. However, he found that his throat was so tight that he couldn't get words out, only a small, keening noise. Reid pushed his face into Morgan chest, and screamed, just once more, just to free his voice box.

"I-I had...I had a nightmare," Reid gasped, his fingers digging into Morgan's biceps. Morgan just nodded, settling his hands on Reid's back.

"You gave me a fucking heart attack," Morgan muttered, unable to keep his voice steady. He couldn't remember ever being as frightened as he had when he had come into the house after walking Clooney, only to be greeted to the sound of Reid screaming. His heart was still pounding frantically in his chest, and he found himself pushing his palms against Reid's back, focusing on the frantic rise and fall of his rib-cage.

"I'm sorry," Reid muttered, closing his eyes and trying to relax so he could get his breathing under control. "I guess the case just brought all of the memories back." Reid swallowed against the lump in his throat, and pulled away from Morgan.

"You okay?" Morgan asked, letting Reid pull away. Reid shook his head, running his fingers through his hair nervously.

"I thought I was done having nightmares about it," Reid muttered, grabbing some blankets and pulling them around himself. Morgan watched as Reid took in a few slowing, shaking breaths, hugging the blankets to his chest.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Morgan asked.

"No...could you stay though?" Reid asked. Morgan frowned slightly, hesitating, but nodded, and took off his socks and shoes, before lifting the covers and crawling in next to Reid. He wondered how many nights Reid would need him like this. Reid must have noticed his hesitation, and realized the reason behind it. "I-I'm sorry...you really don't have to...if it would make you uncomfortable."

Although he knew that he should probably stay, Morgan nodded, and got out of the bed. "It does, man. You said you didn't want a relationship, but now you want me to crawl into bed with you?" Morgan paused, running his hand over his scalp. "I know you're going through a rough time, but that's no excuse for being a damned tease." Morgan knew it was unfair, that Reid had just been looking for a little comfort, but he was tired, stressed, and frustrated. So, knowing that Reid was probably ten times as tired, stressed, and frustrated as himself, Morgan went to his own room, where he wouldn't have to deal with an emotionally wrecked young man who needed his help.

***

"Morgan?"

Morgan ignored the small voice floating into his bedroom from his doorway, and pretended that he was still asleep. He could still feel Reid's presence, hovering timidly in the doorway, but he didn't want to deal with it right now. Reid was right to want to think about it, but it had been four days, wasn't that enough time? Of course, for two of those days, they had been chasing down the man who had raped Reid…

"Derek, I know you're awake…please don't ignore me. I'm sorry about what I said earlier…I-I'm sorry if you feel like I was, um, teasing you. I didn't mean to…" As Reid talked, Morgan could hear his soft footsteps approaching the bed. "Please, don't be mad…I'm sorry." Morgan was lying on his side, facing away from Reid, so even if he opened his eyes, he wouldn't see him. Still, he could still feel the bed dip as Reid sat next to him. "Derek…I really do…like you. I just needed to think about everything." Groaning in protest, Morgan rolled over and sat up, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand.

"Reid, just forget about it man…you are stressed out, and I understand that. But it's obvious you're just going to go around in circles on this, so let's just forget that I ever told you I loved you." Reid's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. After simply staring at Morgan, dumbfounded for a couple seconds, he seemed to find his voice, but it was small, almost inaudible.

"Derek...I'm sorry. I just wasn't sure…because we work together."

"It didn't bother you before," Morgan snapped, glaring.

"I know. Please, it was just the case, it really got to me. I want to…to be with you. In a relationship…I'll try, I promise… Please…" Reid whispered the last word, leaning in towards Morgan, turning and moving his legs so they were under him. Timidly, Reid reached out, putting his hands palm down on Morgan's shoulders. He could feel Morgan watching him, almost angry, but he forced himself to ignore that, closing his eyes and leaning in to place a tender, hesitant kiss on Morgan's lips. He was surprised when Morgan immediately returned it. Reid forced himself to remain relaxed as Morgan's arms slipped around him, his hands pressing against his back, rubbing against the material of his shirt. Reid trembled and forced himself not to squirm away, focusing all of his attention on the kiss.

Reid kissed Morgan more desperately as he felt Morgan's hand slip beneath his shirt, and Reid moved his hands feverishly across Morgan's chest and shoulders. When Morgan pulled him against his body, so Reid was straddling his lap, the words wait and stop were near the front of Reid's mind, but instead of saying them aloud, he simply pressed his lips more roughly against Morgan's, keeping in any words or sounds he might've let out. Clothing was shed, and Reid bit his lips together to keep quiet as lips, hands and fingers descended on his skin, probing, touching, pushing. Awkward angles were adjusted to accommodate long limbs. After only a few minutes of the heavy sound of skin slapping against skin, and Morgan's grunts, groans, and whispered words of endearments, Morgan was pulled over the edge, deep inside of Reid. Barely remembering his name, Morgan pulled out, pulling off the condom and knotting it before tossing it into the trash by the bed and slumping onto his back next to Reid, vaguely aware that he probably shouldn't collapse on top of Reid.

After a minute or two of composing himself, Morgan rolled to his side, wrapping a hand around Reid's cock, pulling and squeezing, but even after another few minutes, Reid still wasn't even close, his lips still caught between his teeth, his body relaxed but unmoving on the bed. Feeling Morgan pause his movements, Reid pries his eyes open, and forces his over-tense jaw to loosen so he can release his abused lips from between his teeth.

"Derek…just, I'm not…shit, this isn't really working." Morgan immediately let's go of Reid, staring blankly at him. Reid let out a frustrated sigh, sitting up and pushing his hair away from his face.

"Spencer, what the…were you even here for this? God, I've seen Hotch get more enjoyment eating a sandwich than you were getting just now."

"I'm sorry…" Reid mumbled, pulling his legs up to his chest and leaning against the headboard. Shit…he really hadn't expected to have an argument tonight. He had wanted to make Morgan happy, not royally piss him off. Morgan just sat up, running his hands over his scalp, pointedly not looking at Reid, and when he spoke, his voice was just a little cold.

"I bet you are. Kid, if you're so desperate for affection you'll let someone fuck you, you're more messed up than I thought you were."

"Wh-what? No! That's not…" Reid stared at Morgan, gaping like a fish out of water. Okay, it was almost true. He hadn't really been too excited for the sex, and he'd just been hoping it would result in Morgan holding him so he could get some sleep…but he really did like Morgan. Reid hugged his knees tighter, realizing that…god, Morgan was right, in his own way.

"Whatever, man. Just get out."

"But…Derek, please…"

"I said get out!"

Reid jumped, staring wide-eyed at Morgan, still not moving. No, no, no, no…Morgan couldn't really be kicking him out now…Reid was shocked when Morgan suddenly grabbed his arm, yanking him halfway across the bed before standing and using his free hand to point irately at the doorway.

"I said get out," Morgan hissed, pulling at Reid's arm again. Reid stared up at him beseechingly, but seeing no pity in Morgan's expression, Reid stood, his breathing becoming erratic.

"F-fine!" Reid screamed. He wiped his eyes on his arm, looking away as he gathered his clothes, hurriedly putting them on. "Why the fuck would I w-want to stay with you anyways?" he sobbed hysterically. Once he was fully clothed, he hurried out through the doorway, not looking back at Morgan. "Y-you'll just…you'll just hurt me some more, won't you Morgan!" Reid screamed as he stomped down the hallway, wiping his face with his sleeve. He knew Morgan could hear him, he was screaming at the top of his lungs, after all, but Morgan didn't reply. Grabbing a clean pair of clothes from his room, Reid practically ran to the bathroom, ripping his clothes off again to step into the shower, manically washing the traces of sweat and sex from his skin. After five minutes under the hot water, Reid stepped out of the shower and put on the clean clothes, his mind made up. Storming down the hallway, Reid put on his shoes and jacket once he was in the entryway, and then walked outside. He didn't care that it was nearly four o'clock in the morning, or that his hair was still wet, or that his eyes were red and puffy, or that he looked near manic with hysteria. All that mattered was getting as far away from here as possible….

"Reid? What the hell are you doing awake?" Reid's head jerked up, and his eyes widened as he saw Hotch walking towards him. A quick look confirmed that his car was parked at the curb. Panic set in, and Reid quickly turned to run down the street. However, Reid hadn't even made it half a block before Hotch caught up to him, grabbing him firmly, and holding him against his chest. Instead of fighting the touch, Reid instinctively relaxed. This was, after all, what he had wanted tonight, just someone to hold him…not touch, just hold him.

Suddenly Hotch let go, and Reid whimpered slightly, quickly turning his eyes downwards. "Reid…what is going on?" Hotch asked firmly, but Reid could hear the underlying concern in his voice. "It's…" Hotch glanced at his watch. "Nearly four in the morning…you should be in bed."

"I wanted to take a walk…" Reid muttered.

"Reid, you look upset, and you tried to run away when you saw me…" Hotch began, walking Reid back towards the house. He was speaking slowly, as if unsure of what to make of the situation. "What happened?"

"N-nothing…I just…" Reid paused. He had a feeling telling Hotch what had actually happened would most likely make things worse. "I had a nightmare…and I couldn't sleep, so I wanted to take a walk." They reached the front door of the house, and Reid opened it cautiously. Immediately, the sound of Morgan yelling floated through the doorway, causing Reid to stiffen.

"Reid! REID! Where the fuck did you go!" There was the sound of something crashing, and it was more than obvious that Morgan was beyond pissed off. Reid couldn't help but look over at Hotch, who was staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the empty entryway, his face pale. He closed his mouth with an audible click, his lips pressing together firmly.

"I came here to ask Morgan how you were doing. I didn't want to bother you unless he thought you were up to a visit, so I thought I'd come over when you were asleep…" Hotch said, as if talking to himself. Morgan suddenly appeared in the hallway leading to the door (thankfully dressed again), and stopped dead, staring at Hotch. Hotch broke Morgan's gaze, turning to Reid, who looked from Hotch to Morgan, gaping slightly.

"I-I forgot to tell him I was going out for a walk, that's all…really, Hotch, it's not-"

Hotch held up his hand, signaling for Reid to stop. At this point, Morgan looked mortified rather than angry, and all Reid wanted to do was bolt. "I don't want to hear excuses. I'm not stupid, I have a good idea as to what's going on here." Hotch was looking pointedly at Morgan now, his expression darkening. He was silent for a moment, but then he continued, turning to Reid. "Go get your go-bag. We'll get the rest of your stuff tomorrow." His tone left no room for argument, so, hanging his head ashamedly, Reid walked into the house, shuffling awkwardly past Morgan before going to the laundry room to pick up his go-bag. When he left the laundry room, he headed straight towards the front door, but found neither Morgan, nor Hotch. Hearing a heated argument in Morgan's room, Reid decided to stay where he was and wait for Hotch. Ten minutes later, Hotch emerged, his fists clenched at his sides, and Reid winced inwardly, but didn't say anything.

"Come on, Reid, let's go."

"But, Hotch, it's not what you think, he was just-" Reid wasn't sure why, but he was suddenly very reluctantly to leave Morgan, even after what had happened. Hotch stopped in the doorway, pinching the bridge of his nose momentarily before putting his hand down, staring out at the street.

"Reid, don't do this to yourself. Let's go."

Reid wanted to argue, still wanted to stay with Morgan, but he knew Hotch wasn't going to let him, not now. Hugging his go-bag to his chest, Reid followed Hotch out, only turning to close the door. Reid looked away when he saw Morgan staring at him from down the hallway, his lip split and bleeding. Reid paused, looking up at him once more, hoping to see forgiveness. Not seeing it, Reid reluctantly closed the door the rest of the way, turning to join Hotch, getting silently into the car.

***

Reid squirmed in his seat as Hotch drove, biting his lip and wringing his hands together.

"Hotch…please, I need to talk to him."

Hotch shook his head, his fingers tightening against the steering wheel. "Reid, I'm not letting you go there. I went to the bedroom. It's obvious what went on there, and, quite frankly, I seriously doubt you would willingly start a sexual encounter after what happened." Reid looked away, feeling embarrassed, and ashamed, amongst other things. Well, if he'd already figured it out, there was no use lying.

"I-I did start it though…" Reid began. He could see the disbelief on Hotch's face, but he continued. "I did, Hotch! I know you don't understand…it's kind of complicated. I could see that he…wanted to…" God, he couldn't believe he was talking to his boss about this. "I initiated it…I know I shouldn't have…I really messed up, it's not his fault…and then I took off without saying anything, I probably freaked him out…please let me go home, Hotch."

Hotch pulled into the driveway to his house, parking and turning off the ignition in silence. Reid couldn't tell what Hotch was thinking, he never really could, but it was obvious he was deep in thought. "We'll go back tomorrow, and you can talk to him, but I'm not letting you stay the night there until I know nothing's going to happen."

Morgan mulled around the house, staring blankly at the various objects in his home. Finally, he ended up in the bathroom, cleaning up his split lip, thinking over his conversation with Hotch.

"Morgan, what the hell happened? I came to talk to you, and I find Reid in tears? How the hell is that helping him?"

"Hotch, I know it looks bad…I made a mistake."

"You had sex with Reid. After what happened to him."

"I-It was a mistake. I thought…he started it, okay? I wasn't thinking. He kissed me…and I started touching him, and then…I don't know how to explain it. He just kinda lost it and started taking off my clothes, okay?"

The blow to Morgan's face wasn't expected, and Morgan stumbles back, putting his hand to his lip as Hotch crowds him.

"Don't you dare blame this on him, Morgan."

Thinking back, Morgan was fairly certain he'd never seen Hotch so mad, and he could understand why. If it had been someone else who had hurt Reid, Morgan would have beaten their face in. He still couldn't understand what had went so wrong. His mind returned again to the way Reid had kissed him, roughly, almost savagely. Morgan had struggled to keep up, taking the trembles running through Reid's body as a sign of want. He had thought that, maybe, after being touched and hurt by so many strangers, a familiar body, and gentle touches would be welcome. He hadn't anticipated Reid ripping off his clothes. But Hotch was right, he couldn't blame Reid. Morgan knew he should have had more restraint, and that he should have been there when Reid needed him, no questions asked.

Padding back into the bedroom, Morgan stood for a moment, staring at the bed, before turning and walking into the living room, slumping onto the couch, going over the last month in his mind. He'd just wanted to help, to pull Reid off of the streets, and what had he done? He couldn't even think about it. Morgan lay back on the couch, resting his head against the head rest, before falling asleep.

Hotch walked into the guestroom, sometime around noon, sipping his coffee. He paused in the doorway, and then walked over to the bed, shaking Reid lightly.

"Mmmmn…not getting out of bed…" Reid mumbled, rolling over onto his stomach and burying his face into the pillow. Unsure of how exactly to deal with a stubborn subordinate who wanted to stay in bed at noontime, Hotch paused before speaking.

"What if I get you coffee?"

'Coffee' must have been the magic word, because Reid immediately rolled onto his back, opening his eyes and sitting up. "I could use a cup…or two." Reid admitted, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Alright, well, come down to the kitchen, there's a pot already made." As Hotch turned to leave, he heard Reid mutter, grumpily.

"Morgan let's me drink coffee in bed."

Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose, because, frankly, that was the last person on earth he wanted to hear about right now. As he walked out of the room, he heard Reid huff a sigh, and then get out of bed. As he made his way downstairs to the kitchen, he could hear Reid padding softly behind him. As Reid poured himself a cup of coffee, Hotch put some toast in the toaster, taking a jar of jelly out of the fridge. He honestly didn't know how to cook, but he still wanted to make sure Reid ate something.

"When are we going to see Morgan?" Reid asked, determination in his voice as he began sipping his coffee.

"I thought we'd wait awhile, Reid," Hotch answered blandly. He still wasn't sure about how to deal with the situation. He knew he should fire Morgan, but had a feeling that wouldn't truly help Reid. What Reid needed was someone to comfort him, and make him feel strong, and in control. Morgan hadn't done that, and Hotch wasn't sure he could.

"Hotch, I want to go home. You can't make me stay here," Reid was talking quickly, as if forcing the words out before he could lose the initiative to say them. Hotch put his forehead in his hand, pressing his lips together.

"Reid, I can't let you stay with Morgan any longer." Well, so much for letting Reid feel like he was in control.

"Why not?" Reid was keeping his voice down, but he was starting to sound frustrated.

"He hurt you."

"No he didn't!" Reid stopped, seemingly surprised that he had just yelled at his boss. He continued, in a calmer, softer voice. "It was my fault. I didn't tell him I didn't want to, I made him think that I did…it really pissed him off when he realized I didn't, but it's not his fault. And, I know I've broken quite a few rules, and I'm sorry, but I really just want to go home and talk to Morgan."

"Okay, we'll go to Morgan's. But you can't stay there anymore. I talked to Morgan on the phone this morning, and he agreed that you should stay somewhere else, for the time being. He's getting your stuff ready to go as we speak. And as for breaking the rules, I really don't care, as long you are okay, and able to function on the job."

Reid took a sip of coffee, turning away from Hotch, and trying to reign in his emotions. He wondered if Morgan had told Hotch exactly why he needed a place to stay in the first place. He doubted Morgan would tell Hotch that he'd moonlighted as a hooker to help pay for his bills, so he wasn't too worried about that. However, the thought that Morgan didn't want him to stay with him anymore was a low blow.

The two finished breakfast and coffee, Reid applying a horrendous amount of jam to his toast, and then left the house, heading for Morgan's. As they parked, Hotch turned to Reid.

"I'm going to get your stuff from the guest room and let you talk to Morgan, okay?" Reid nodded, fidgeting as he began to get nervous. "If anything happens, just leave the house." Another nod, and they got out of Hotch's car, heading for the house. Memories of the previous night flashed through Reid's mind, and he had to suck on his lower lip to keep tears from welling up in his eyes.

Morgan opened the front door to the house, looking tired and haunted. Hotch walked right past him, heading towards the guest bedroom. Reid's room. Morgan turned and walked towards the living room, and Reid followed nervously, sticking his hands into his pockets. Once in the room, Morgan collapsed onto the couch, throwing a hand over his eyes, and Reid wondered if talking would do him any good. Taking a deep breath, Reid shuffled over, sitting down on the couch next to Morgan, staring down at the floor.

"Derek…I'm really sorry." It didn't seem like the right thing to say, it didn't seem like enough, but it's all that Reid could think of, even after two cups of espresso.

"You keep saying that, kid, but you don't need to. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why are you so miserable?" Reid asked, shortly. Morgan removed his hand from his eyes, looking over at Reid.

"Because I told you I wouldn't hurt you, and then I did, Pretty Boy." Morgan looked away, gritting his teeth. "I hurt you, I yelled at you…god, the things I said…I didn't mean it, Reid."

"You didn't hurt me, Derek. It was…good, it really was, I just…I couldn't enjoy it, okay?" Reid forced his gaze away and looked at Morgan, swallowing thickly as he did so. For a moment, neither of them spoke, listening to the sound of Hotch moving boxes. Finally, Morgan took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"I should have known, Reid. After what had happened to you, I shouldn't have let things go as far as they did. I knew…I was being selfish."

"It's been nearly two months, I should be over it by now! And you weren't being selfish…you were…gentle, and you said really nice things."

"Until I realized you were faking it."

"But that's my fault, not yours."

"I shouldn't have gotten that angry…but I did…I just lost it, man…I really wanted it to be good for you, I tried…"

Reid shook his head, and stood up. Truth be told, that was what he was most upset about, that Morgan had refused to hold him afterwards. "I know, and I'm sorry that I couldn't…but, it's done now, and we'll just have to work past it, okay?" Reid asked, hopefully. Morgan looked up at him, with something akin to awe in his eyes.

"Reid, I can't let you forgive me so easily. It's not right."

Reid tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, biting his lip. "Could we at least try to work it out? I don't want to regret what happened for the rest of my life." Before Morgan could answer, Hotch's voice echoed down the hallway.

"Everything's ready to go!"

Reid glanced down the hallway, and then looked back at Morgan. "Just think about it, okay?" Not waiting for Morgan to answer, Reid turned and walked out to meet Hotch outside.

***

"Reid, please eat your vegetables…" Hotch sighed, cleaning his plate off in the sink. He glanced back at Reid, watching the young man sit back down with a sigh, looking at the little pile of broccoli that had come with his tv dinner. It had only been four hours since they'd left Morgan's, and he was already thinking about grounding Reid, as if he were some sort of kid. He'd never seen Reid act so…stubborn. It was disconcerting, and Hotch didn't know how to deal with it. There was a moment of silence, and then Reid spoke up.

"I don't like broccoli." Hotch dropped his plate into the sink with a clatter, putting his hand up to his face.

"It's good for you." Hotch was sure he'd had this conversation before, with a much younger person.

"It's disgusting." Yes, Hotch had definitely had this conversation before, with his son.

"Reid, you're worse than Jack. Please, just eat it." Hotch turned around, folding his arms across his chest, daring Reid to argue. Reid just stared at his broccoli, wrinkling his nose, obviously fighting with himself as to whether or not he should continue the argument. He gave a resigned sigh and began eating the broccoli. Relieved, Hotch walked out of the room, taking out his cell phone. He went upstairs to his room, dialing the number.

"Hello?"

"Hi…Morgan. Are there any types of vegetables that Reid actually likes?" Hotch asked. He didn't want to talk to Morgan, he was still angry, but he didn't want to have to argue with Reid every time he made dinner. There was a pause on the other line.

"Corn, salad. Asparagus. He'll eat the vegetables in tv dinners, except for broccoli." Hotch made a mental note to never get broccoli tv dinners again. Without another word, Hotch hung up, shoving the phone into his pocket. "I might have to learn to cook," Hotch muttered to himself, running his fingers through his hair. Just then his phone rang, and he took it back out.

"Hotch." He said, his voice short.

"Hotch? Morgan said Reid's with you. What's going on?" Prentiss sounded professional, as always, but a little tired.

"Yeah, Reid's here. I-" It would be so easy to tell Prentiss that Morgan had hurt Reid, and let her tell the others, letting them direct their anger towards him, and ruining team dynamic in the process, but Hotch knew that Reid wouldn't want that, and that it would make him feel even more awkward around the team after everything that had happened. But what to tell her? "Morgan was driving Reid nuts. You know how he can be. Reid needed a calmer environment."

"Oh…but, it wasn't Morgan's idea to go out for drinks last night…Hotch, me and JJ asked him to go out. We should have just visited them at home. I got out of hand, I'm sorry." Hotch frowned, unsure of what she was talking about. What else had Reid been through last night?

"Emily, I haven't heard about any of this, so you're just going to have to tell me what happened."

"We asked them to come and have drinks with us at a bar. I was…really drunk. And Reid was in a really good mood when he came in, but then I blurted out that he'd been raped…I think I really upset him…god, I was acting so stupid…I need to apologize to Reid and Morgan…god, I can't believe I made out with Morgan…"

"What? Emily…" Hotch paused, closing his eyes and calming himself down. "Never mind. He's had a long day, but I'm sure he'd like to talk to you. Could you come over tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. I'll see you two tomorrow."

Hotch hung up, and walked back down stairs, and found Reid curled up on the couch on the side, watching a program on the Science channel outlining String Theory. He looked mildly bored, and Hotch was fairly certain he already knew the material the show was presenting. Taking a seat in the large easy-chair in the corner, Hotch waited for a commercial before addressing Reid.

"Spencer, why didn't you tell me about what happened with Emily at the bar?"

"Hmm? Oh, right, that." Reid sat up, pushing his hair out of his face. He stared at the tv for a couple seconds longer, before turning to Hotch, looking tired, with dark rings under his eyes, despite the fact it was still early. "I guess I forgot. It was no big deal, really."

"Emily called, and told me what happened. I wouldn't blame you for being upset."

"I'm not upset at Emily," Reid snapped, glaring at Hotch.

"I didn't say that, Reid. You of all people should know that it's possible to be upset, without being upset at someone." Hotch waited, and sure enough, Reid dropped his glare, staring down at his mismatched socks.

"She kissed Morgan," Reid muttered. It took all of Hotch's experience as a stone-faced lawyer and FBI agent not to roll his eyes. Since when had Reid become so attached to Morgan? It didn't seem right, after what he'd seen last night, but reprimanding Reid for having feelings for Morgan didn't seem right either.

"You shouldn't be surprised at Morgan's lack of judgment." At that, Reid turned to Hotch, rolling his eyes.

"It wasn't a matter of Derek's lack of judgment. I saw what happened. Emily was drunk, and she practically lunged at him. He just pushed her off, so it wasn't his fault."

"Okay, if you're sure." At least he could rule out cheating from the list of mistakes Morgan had made with Reid. "But you were still upset about it." Reid shifted, swallowing.

"Yeah, I guess so." Reid admitted softly. "I wasn't mad at either of them, I knew it wasn't anyone's fault. But seeing it just…I don't know, made me feel like, maybe I wasn't good enough. I'd never gotten that…um, affectionate with him. It made me feel like I wasn't enough for him. I know it's illogical, but I couldn't help but feel that way." Reid pulled his legs up onto the couch, pulling them against his chest, looking devastated. "And now...now I've made things even worse. I really messed up, Hotch."

"No, Reid, you didn't," Hotch consoled, getting up and walking over to the couch. He sat down, and after a moment of thought, put a hand on Reid's shoulder.

"So you think I was right to have led Morgan to believe I wanted to have sex with him?" Reid asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He wouldn't look at Hotch now, staring tight-lipped at the tv.

"No…" Hotch conceded, shaking his head. "But you shouldn't beat yourself up about it. You made a mistake. All that matters now is getting past it." Reid nodded, so Hotch decided to drop the subject, for the time being. Giving Reid's shoulder a gentle squeeze, he stood up. "I'm going to the store, is there anything you need?" Reid just shook his head, staring at the floor again. "You sure? I could get…" Hotch paused, mentally going over a list of acceptable comfort foods that Reid might like. "Ice cream?" Reid glanced up at him, looking curious, and a little bit happier than before.

"What kind?"

"What kind do you want?" Hotch asked, keeping the exasperation out of his voice. Surely Reid knew he wasn't getting the ice cream for himself. Still, it was endearing to see him perk up over something as simple as ice cream. It reminded Hotch of how young Reid was sometimes.

"Ummm…" Reid looked away, biting his lip, as if picking the wrong ice cream flavor could hold some sort of dire consequence. When he looked back up at Hotch, he seemed uncertain, tilting his head to the side. "Could you get Moose Tracks?" Hotch nodded, and turned away, grabbing his jacket as he left the room. As soon as he had turned his back to Reid, he'd allowed a grin to plaster itself to his face, unable to push it away.

Once the front door of the house closed, Reid jumped to his feet, and ran to the guest bedroom, snatching his phone off of the dresser. He bit his lip, and then dialed Morgan's number, putting the phone to his ear shakily.

"Spencer? Why are you calling me? I just saw you a couple hours ago…"

"Ummm…sorry, I just wanted to talk to you," Reid answered sheepishly.

"Spencer…" Reid bit his lip, not liking the tone of voice Morgan used. "I thought about it…I don't think we should…you know. Be in a relationship." Reid sucked in a breath, and sat down on the bed, shaking his head.

"Oh…okay. If…I mean, if that's what you want."

"I'm sorry, Spencer…I just don't think I could live with myself if I did something to hurt you again. I just want you to be happy, and I don't think you can be happy with me."

"But I was happy with you! Well, not last night, but most of the time…" Reid stopped, not wanting to sound desperate. He paused to think for a second before he continued. "How about a date?"

"What?"

"I'm asking you out on a date. Will you go out with me? I'm not asking for any sort of commitment, just a date."

"Spencer, I don't see how that's any better…"

"Just a yes or no would be fine. Will you go out with me?"

"No."

"W-what?"

"I said no, Reid. I won't go out with you."

"Fine." Reid then snapped the phone shut, ignoring the sense of failure he felt. He had really hoped that would work. He sat in his room, silently, until he heard the front door open. Setting his cell back down on the dresser, he walked downstairs and sullenly began to help Hotch put away the groceries, before going out to the living room, sitting down to watch tv. Frowning, and wondering what could've happened to end the good mood he'd left Reid with, Hotch followed him into the living room, carrying two bowls and spoons, and the gallon of Moose Tracks ice cream. He watched Reid stare blankly at the tv, before it clicked, and he sat down.

"You talked to Morgan." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, sir." The sarcasm was back, but Hotch ignored it, shoveling ice cream into one of the bowls.

"What did he do to upset you?"

"I asked him out, and he said no."

"Maybe it's for the best," Hotch muttered, pushing a full bowl of ice cream towards Reid. He hoped he wouldn't regret letting Reid have so much sugar before bed, like he usually did with Jack, but he had a feeling Reid wouldn't be jumping off the walls as Jack did. Or at least he hoped. Reid ignored the comment, and took the bowl of ice cream, sitting back and taking a big bite, and then grimacing, closing his eyes and putting a hand to his head. Hotch began putting ice cream into his own bowl, letting out an exasperated sigh. "You shouldn't eat so fast, it'll give you brain freeze," Hotch remarked, blandly. Reid opened his eyes, glaring at Hotch.

"Stop treating me like a kid, I can get brain freeze if I want to," Reid grumbled. Hotch began eating his ice cream, ignoring the comment, and then noticed a small smile tugging at Reid's lips, his eyes suddenly brightening.

"What is it, Spencer?" he asked, annoyed.

"Nothing," Reid muttered, focusing his attention onto his ice cream, the smile turning into a restrained grin. "It's just a little amusing to see the SAC in a tee-shirt and jeans, eating a bowl of ice cream." Hotch gave into the urge to roll his eyes. He would've expected a comment like that out of Garcia, or Morgan, but not Reid. However, instead of letting the comment pass, and trying to keep on the serious mask he always wore, he decided to give into Reid's good mood.

"Just don't tell anyone I eat ice cream. I think it would ruin the intimidating effect I have on unsubs if they knew."

At this, Reid nearly choked on a mouthful of ice cream, swallowing it before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

"I guess I can't tell them you have a sense of humor either?" Reid laughed, smiling brightly as he curled into the couch.

"I don't think they would believe you if you told them," Hotch answered, smiling at Reid.

They spent another hour quipping little jokes at each other, the mood becoming lighter, and lighter, until Reid started yawning, saying he wasn't tired, that he wanted more ice cream…It made Hotch miss his son, in an odd way, and so he wasn't surprised when he stood, grabbing both empty bowls and said, "Alright, time to go to bed. Brush your teeth and wash that ice cream off your face."

Reid made a face at him, looking slightly annoyed that he was once more being treated like a kid. "It's only seven."

"And you were up late last night, and it was a long day. You need some sleep."

Reid groaned and stood, shaking his head. "Fine, I'll go to bed. See you in the morning."

***

Hotch spent the following week spoiling Reid rotten, and keeping him away from Morgan. It wasn't hard to do really. Hotch found that Reid was easily entertained. Still, he went to the book store and picked out a few books Reid hadn't read, bought the entire Star Wars Trilogy, learned how to cook simple meals with corn, asparagus, and salad incorporated, and made sure there were plenty of household products Reid could concoct magic tricks with. Reid would try to help with chores around the house, but Hotch was fairly insistent on him relaxing. As for keeping Morgan away, he'd simply taken Reid's phone, on the pretense that he didn't want Reid to get calls from any universities asking him to do a lecture on his time off, and every time Morgan showed up at the house, Hotch was lucky enough to get to the door and tell him that Reid didn't want to see him before Reid even knew Morgan had come by to visit. Whenever Reid asked about Morgan, Hotch simply said he hadn't heard from him.

Of course, the nightmares had, at first, been a problem. Whenever Hotch heard Reid screaming his lungs out at night, he would run to Reid's room, with no idea what he was going to do. He couldn't get into the bed with Reid and hold him, even considering the circumstances, it still seemed inappropriate. So, he'd simply woken Reid up, and led him downstairs to the living room, and put on a movie, sitting on the couch with Reid till he fell asleep, since he had no idea of what else to do.

Haley had shown up several times with Jack, but hadn't remarked on Reid's presence, even when she walked in to find him sprawled on the couch in his pajamas, fast asleep at three in the afternoon. During Jack's visits, Reid would usually just pick up a book and go to his room to read, leaving Hotch to play with Jack, but on occasion he would join them (only when Hotch or Jack insisted). It was good to see Reid acting like, well, Reid. Seeing him sitting cross-legged on the ground, examining the toys with a scientific-type interest, and trying to appease Jack by playing whatever part Jack assigned him, and then awkwardly trying to explain to Jack that elephants don't eat giraffes, or something of the like.

With five days of vacation left, Hotch was cleaning the kitchen, getting ready for another visit from Jack and Haley, while Reid was in the living room, curled up on the couch in oversized pajamas and a big pink furry hat that he had found in the garage. He was avidly watching the original 'War of the Worlds,' and totally oblivious to the world around him. The knock on the door came just as Hotch had finished cleaning. Cleaning his hands on a dish rag, Hotch walked to the front door, putting on a smile as he opened it. Immediately, Jack leaped forward, wrapping his arms around Hotch's legs with a gleeful yelp.

"Hey, Jack!" Hotch greeted, laughing as he picked Jack up off of the ground. As he stood up straight, he noticed Haley looking at Reid, her eyebrows drawing together.

"Aaron, how about you set down Jack and let him go inside, and you come talk to me out here?" Haley suggested. Hotch nodded, and set Jack back down, laughing slightly as Jack went for the couch, sitting next to Reid and joining him in being mesmerized by the television. Hotch stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

"Aaron, may I ask why Dr. Reid's been here every time I've brought Jack over for a visit?" she asked, sounding confused, but not hostile.

"He needed a place to stay, and I had an extra room," Hotch answered, off-handedly.

"So you two aren't…together or anything?"

"What? No, God no." Hotch shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "He's…had a tough time, I'm just letting him stay here until he's better."

"Is he okay?" Haley asked, and Hotch could see genuine concern in her eyes. Which wasn't much of a surprise, the few times her and Reid had talked, they had gotten along really well.

"He's getting better."

Just then, the front door opened, and Reid appeared in the door way, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, but Jack's starting to wonder why his dad hasn't come in yet." Hotch smiled back, glancing at Haley.

"Alright, I'll see you later, Haley." Hotch walked past Reid and into the house to chat with Jack, but before Reid could follow him, Haley greeted him pleasantly.

"Hey, Dr. Reid, how have you been?"

"Oh…I've been okay." Reid's voice was light and cheery, and Haley could only smile at his bright mood.

"Well, I'll leave you boys alone. Have a nice day, Dr. Reid." As she turned, Reid smiled and waved at her.

"Okay. Bye Haley."

As Reid watched Haley drive off, simply enjoying the cool morning air, and the scent of last night's rain, he noticed a familiar car driving down the street, and he felt his heart rate speed up. He ran up to sidewalk, still wearing his pajamas and fuzzy pink hat, an excited blooming on his face as Morgan pulled up next to the curb. Morgan got out of the car, raising his eyebrows as he caught sight of Reid.

"Hey, kid…nice hat," Morgan commented, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked up. Reid pulled the hat off, blushing slightly, but still grinning.

"Uh, yeah, I found it in Hotch's garage." Reid fussed with the edge of the hat as he talked, staring at the ground. He glanced up at Morgan through his long hair, tilting his head to the side. "I know you said you didn't want to go out, but why haven't you come over to visit?" Reid asked, sticking his lower lip out in a pout. Instead of telling on Hotch, Morgan merely shrugged.

"I thought you might want some space."

"I was starting to miss you, actually," Reid replied blandly. Morgan smiled slightly, pulling his hands out of his pockets to fold his arms across his chest.

"Well, now that I'm here, maybe would could hang out?" Morgan asked, sounding hopeful. Reid smiled again, looking excited.

"Okay! I'll be out in a minute, I have to get changed and tell Hotch I'm going."

Tucking the hat under his arm, Reid walked up to the house, and as soon as he made it inside, he hurried to his room, closing the door before changing quickly, picking a long-sleeved grey button-down, brown corduroy pants, and a rather horrendous looking blue tie with green polka-dots. He stopped by the bathroom to comb down his hair before walking downstairs. As he made it back into the living room where Hotch and Jack were reading out of a big dinosaur book, Reid paused, fidgeting with his unbuttoned shirt sleeves.

"Umm…Hotch? I'm going out for a little while. I'll be back soon."

Hotch frowned, looking up from the book to scrutinize Reid. "Where are you going?"

"I'm just going to go hang out with Derek for a little while."

The frown on Hotch's face deepened, and he muttered something to Jack before standing, walking over to Reid while folding his arms across his chest. "I don't want you spending time alone with him."

"Hotch, you don't need to worry about me. We'll just go and get coffee, or something, and then I'll come right back. If anything happens, I'll come straight home, okay?" It was the first time Reid had called Hotch's house 'home,' and Hotch was momentarily shocked to hear it. He had only referred to Morgan's house that way, until now. Fighting off his stupor, Hotch shook his head, still determined to keep Reid away from Morgan.

"I'm serious, Spencer. I don't want you going out with him."

Reid's eyes narrowed, and his lips parted. He stared at Hotch for a moment, and then pursed his lips together, turning and walking down towards the door, grabbing his brown jacket as he went. "It's not a 'date,' we're just hanging out. And I appreciate everything you've done for me, but you can't keep me from seeing a friend." Reid stopped at the doorway, turning to face Hotch, who had followed him. "You can't make me stay, Hotch. I'm not a kid; I can go where I want to." Hotch looked away, his jaw tight. He thought for a moment, before looking back at Reid, his gaze intense.

"Fine. But I want you to call me if you need anything."

Reid nodded, and then turned and walked out the door, closing it behind him. He smiled as he caught sight of Morgan, leaning against his car.

"Sorry it took me so long."

"It's okay. So, where do you want to go?" Morgan asked as they both got into the car. Reid pulled on his seat belt and then shrugged.

"I could use a coffee." Morgan nodded, and drove them to the nearest coffee shop. The short drive was silent, and by the time they'd made it to the booth, Reid was fussing nervously with his shirt, avoiding eye contact.

"So, um…Derek, how have you…how have you been?" Reid asked, staring down at his coffee. Morgan shrugged, watching Reid carefully as he took a drink.

"I've been better. I still feel like shit over how I treated you." Reid looked up, his eyes as wide as saucers.

"Please, Derek, I don't want you to feel guilty about that anymore." It was hard to say no to those big, sad eyes, but it was harder for Morgan to forgive himself. He shook his head, looking out the window.

"Kid, you don't understand. I've always just wanted to help people, after…what happened. It was the worst feeling in the world when I realized what I had done to you. I can't just get over that."

Reid pursed his lips, and waited for Morgan to look at him before he spoke, sounding determined and stubborn all at once. "It was just as much my fault, as it was yours. And, I'm not going to be happy until you forgive yourself. Also, if it's okay with you, I'd like to buy you dinner sometime."

Morgan let out a sigh, rubbing hand over his face. "God, you are insistent."

"I didn't say it had to be a date…but I'd really like to buy you dinner."

"Okay." Morgan paused, looking out the window again. "But it can't be a date. Just dinner." Reid nodded, smiling.

"Sounds good. I'll pick you up…does tomorrow sound good? Around six?" Reid asked. Morgan actually smiled and chuckled slightly at Reid's enthusiasm.

"Sounds good, kid. But I'm serious, don't try to make it a date."

"So I probably shouldn't wear a skimpy dress and overbearing perfume?" At that, Morgan burst out in laughter, holding his stomach.

"No, you probably shouldn't. What happened to not comparing you to a girl?"

Reid rolled his eyes, relaxing now that the mood had lightened. He sat back in his seat, and took another drink of coffee before answering. "I was just joking, I don't even own a dress. I could probably find one in Hotch's garage, if I looked hard enough."

"That's…just weird. If Hotch has ever worn I dress, I think I'd rather not know about it."

They finished their coffee, and talked for awhile, and then Morgan drove Reid back to Hotch's. As Reid got out of the car, Morgan rolled down his window.

"So, you'll pick me up tomorrow at six?" Reid couldn't help but grin like a loon and nod.

"Yup."

"Alright, I'll see you then."

Morgan drove off, and Reid headed to the house. It was a little late and a little chilly outside, so he hugged his jacket to himself as he walked to the door, taking out his house key. As he walked inside, he was greeted with a calm stillness, a sure sign that Haley had already taken Jack home. Reid silently hung up his coat and took off his shoes, walking through the quiet house. He found Hotch sitting on the couch in the living room, watching '2001: A Space Odyssey,' while drinking scotch. From his slouched posture, and vacant look, it was obvious he had more than a couple drinks. Reid swallowed, and called out from the entryway, using a cheery voice.

"Umm…hey Hotch, I'm home!"

Hotch glanced up from the movie, raising an eyebrow. "It's a little late," he commented dryly. Reid fussed with his tie, shrugging as he scrutinized the ground.

"We had a lot to talk about. I'm going to…meet him tomorrow for dinner." Reid glanced up at Hotch, looking hopeful, but Hotch just frowned, shaking his head.

"I don't think you should. Why don't you come sit down so we can talk about this?" Reid obeyed, falling back onto the couch, leaving a cushion between himself and Hotch, like he normally did. "Where did he say he'd take you for dinner?"

"Actually, I'm…um, taking him somewhere for dinner. It was my idea. There's a restaurant I've wanted to go to…I thought I'd take him there. It's not a date, I swear. We're just getting dinner." Hotch took a swallow of his drink, and then ran a hand over his face, looking older than he actually was.

"And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?"

"Nope."

"Then I won't argue with you. I'll just lose anyway." Reid smiled slightly, and took Hotch's glass away from him before he could take another drink, standing to take it into the kitchen. "I wasn't finished with that, Spencer."

"I know, but I'd feel really bad if you became an alcoholic because I'm insufferable." Reid didn't wait for a comment, and simply took the drink to the kitchen, pouring it down the drain.

***

As Reid came down the stairs, wearing a red button-down, grey tie, black vest and pinstriped black pants, he couldn't help feeling a little ridiculous over his own sudden bout of nerves. No matter how many times he chanted the mantra, 'it isn't a date,' it didn't seem to calm him down. He had showered, combed his hair, the ends curling up around his jaw-line, and then spent twenty minutes picking out a shirt so he could have dinner, with a friend and co-worker. That's all it was.

Reid stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and then turned and went into the living room, where Hotch was going through a file, probably a consult he'd agreed to do for the police.

"I'm going to go now. I'll…um, see you later, okay?"

Hotch merely nodded as he flicked through the pages, but Reid noticed the way his jaw tightened, and knew that Hotch still didn't want him to go. Reid glanced at the clock, and figured he still had a little time before he had to go and get Morgan, so, taking a deep breath, Reid sat down next to Hotch, looking at him until Hotch took his eyes away from the page to meet his gaze.

"Hotch, it's going to be fine. I'm a lot more in control of myself than I was before, thanks to you. So could you please stop acting like you're sending me to my death?" Hotch huffed a laugh, and looked away, but relaxed slightly.

"I can't help it. I feel like I failed you before, that I should have protected you, from Green and Morgan. I knew something was quite right, more than a month ago. You had lost weight, and you looked tired all of the time, but I didn't do anything about it." Hotch paused, taking in a deep breath, and then letting it out through his nose. "I know that you can take care of yourself, Spencer. But the fact remains that I made a mistake before-"

"There's no way you could have known what was going on," Reid interrupted.

"No, but I did know something was wrong, and not just this time. I knew you were struggling with drugs, after Henkel, but I didn't do anything then either. I'm supposed to take care of my team, but I keep letting you down, and you're not the first person I've let down…I'm just glad you're stronger than Elle, or Gideon."

Reid felt his face go warm at the complement, and for a moment, he couldn't reply. "I-I'm not…" he muttered, looking away.

"Even after everything you've went through, you're still here, on the team. You stayed, when they couldn't."

"Where else would I go?" Reid asked, letting out a bitter laugh, before looking back at Hotch.

"You didn't fail Elle or Gideon. I…was close to them…I think, maybe it was best for them, to move on." Hotch frowned, but then nodded in agreement.

"Maybe you're right," Hotch muttered. He took a deep breath, and then glanced at the clock, smiling slightly. "You'd better get going, or you're going to be late picking him up."

Reid smiled, and stood, walking to the door. As he began to walk out, Hotch called after him, "It's cold outside, put on a coat!" Rolling his eyes, Reid grabbed his coat, and then rushed out the door, going to his car. He didn't use the old Volvo often, as he usually stayed home, or got a ride from Hotch, and had to check the fuel gauge to make sure he had enough gas before going.

Once he pulled into Morgan's driveway, he paused, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. "It's not a date, so stop being nervous. If he notices how nervous you are, he'll call it off, so just knock it off!" he muttered to himself. Once he was finished with his little pep-talk, Reid got out of the car, and walked up to Morgan's door, pushing his hair behind his ears. When the door opened, Reid smiled brightly at Morgan.

"Hey!" Reid greeted, forcing the nervousness to stay out of his voice. Morgan wasn't quite as dressed up as Reid, wearing a button-down shirt, and jeans, but looking good nonetheless. Morgan scrutinized him momentarily, but he smiled, and there was affection in his eyes.

"Someone looks happy," Morgan commented. Reid simply shrugged, and turned to go to the car.

"I've been cooped up in Hotch's house for the last few days. I'm glad to get out." He didn't mention how happy it made him that he was allowed to spend time with Morgan again, figuring Morgan already knew, and didn't want to hear it. "So…you ready to go?" Reid asked, motioning to the car. Morgan nodded, and they both went to the car.

As they got in, Morgan asked, "So, what's it like living with Hotch?" Reid chuckled as he started the car, thinking over the past week.

"It's been…interesting," Reid said, keeping his explanation vague. He began driving towards the restaurant; it was a casual, but nice place, with booths, good food and cheesy pictures of old stars and singers to give it a comfortable, old-American feel.

"What do you mean by interesting?" Morgan asked, sounding curious. Reid shrugged as he drove, and glanced over when he came to a stop at a red light, and found Morgan looking at him intently, obviously expecting a little more elaboration.

"Well…I guess it's relaxing there. He doesn't let me help around the house, so I've been catching up on my reading, and we watch a lot of movies. I think Hotch is finally starting to appreciate Science-Fiction, I caught him watching '2001: A Space Odyssey' without me the other day. Also, he buys me a lot of junk food. I've eaten way more ice cream than what is healthy this past week."

Morgan let out a 'hmmph' and turned to look out his window. "So, he's basically been spoiling you?"

"I guess so," Reid admitted, pulling into the parking lot. He found an empty parking space and pulled into it, turning off the ignition and taking out the key. As they got out, Morgan walked behind the car, looking over at the street with a faraway look.

"Well, someone should be spoiling you."

Reid rolled his eyes, and started walking to the restaurant door, knowing Morgan would come out of his daze and follow him. When they walked in, a waitress directed them to their table, and gave them their menus, smiling brightly at Reid. They both ordered before settling into light conversation, talking about anything that didn't involve serial killers, prostitutes, or work in general. For the most part, Reid managed to get Morgan to talk about his experiences in college, and smiled as Morgan relaxed, even as the waitress flirted shamelessly with Reid every time she came to the table. By the time the food was done, and the waitress brought out the tab, the atmosphere was light and jovial.

"Here, Reid, let me get that," Morgan offered, reaching for his wallet. Reid shook his head, pulling a couple bills from his wallet.

"No, I said I was buying you dinner, and I meant it." He paid the bill, and then left a tip, and they got up and walked out of the restaurant, Morgan putting an arm over Reid's shoulders.

"I had a good time, kid. Thanks for making me come to dinner with you."

Reid grinned, and then nearly tripped over the sidewalk. He only managed to avoid falling on his face because Morgan caught him. Instead of blushing, and getting embarrassed like he normally would, Reid couldn't help but laugh, leaning against Morgan.

"What's so funny, Pretty Boy?" Morgan asked, cracking a grin.

"I almost fell on my face. I'm pretty sure mainstream society sees that as funny."

"You could've hurt yourself."

"Actually, falling from this height, I would probably end up with nothing worse than-"

"Reid, just be more careful, okay? You have tendency to not look where you're going and trip over things."

"Fine, I'll try to be more attentive while walking." Reid suddenly realized he was still leaning against Morgan, and Morgan still had his arms around him. Remembering that he had agreed that this wouldn't be a date, Reid stepped away, blushing and staring at the ground. He fished his car keys out of his pocket, and walked to the car, fiddling nervously with the keys, and nearly dropping them as he unlocked the door. Morgan walked up next to him, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Spencer, what's wrong?"

Reid ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry…I just really wanted to do this right."

"I don't see what makes you think you did it wrong."

Reid shrugged, and crawled into the driver's seat, leaning over to unlock the passenger side. As Morgan sat down, Reid glanced over and found Morgan watching him. Reid swallowed and started the car, pulling out of the parking lot and heading for Morgan's place. "Maybe I'm just worrying over nothing…I just don't want to wreck our friendship. I really have not social etiquette."

"You won't wreck our friendship. I still care about you, and nothing's going to change that."

"Okay…" He pulled into Morgan's driveway, and offered a small smile. "We should…do this again?" His tone was light and hopeful, and Morgan returned the smile.

"Sure, kid. You want to come inside before you head back to Hotch's?" Morgan asked. Yelling, 'hell yes!' and jumping out of the car seemed like it might be a little too enthusiastic, so Reid just nodded and got out, turning off the car and pocketing the keys as he walked to the door with Morgan. He went and sat on Morgan's couch, while Morgan went to the kitchen, before bringing out two glasses of water. Handing one to Reid, he sat down next to him on the couch.

Reid took a drink, and then stared at the glass, turning it and watching as the water distorted the images on the other side. When he felt Morgan's hand on his shoulder, a gentle, friendly gesture, he looked up and smiled.

"You look better…you look good, Spencer. It's good to see you like this."

Reid tilted his head to the side, his smile fading slightly. "What do you mean?"

"You don't look so…tired. It's like you've actually been getting sleep." Morgan let his hand slip from Reid's shoulder, and Reid couldn't stop the small sad noise from coming up from his throat at the loss of contact.

"Working with the BAU isn't exactly conductive to a normal sleep routine. I'm not the only one on the team who doesn't get enough sleep."

"Yeah, but it shows on you more. You're too young to be working so hard."

Reid rolled his eyes, and put his cup down, settling on the couch. "I know you're just saying that because you care, but I wish you wouldn't. I'm just as capable as the rest of the team, even if I am a couple years younger than the rest of you."

"I never said you weren't capable, kiddo. No one can do the things you do with that big brain of yours. You're amazing." At that, Reid couldn't help but smile, leaning towards Morgan slightly, but not making contact. Morgan seemed to notice Reid's for contact, because he put an arm around Reid's shoulders, and hugged him lightly, letting Reid put his head on his shoulder. They sat like this in silence for a few minutes, comfortable, before Reid pulled away, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

"I should…um, get going…so Hotch doesn't get worried," he said in a small voice, standing up. Morgan nodded, and stood up, suddenly looking nervous and awkward as he walked Reid to the door.

"Alright, I'll see you later." Reid nodded and turned before walking out the door. Not really thinking, he leaned forward to kiss Morgan on the cheek, before turning back around, sticking his hands into his pockets. He was about to walk away, when Morgan put his hand on Reid's shoulder.

"Reid…" Morgan began. Reid bit his lips together, figuring he must have pushed too much if Morgan had suddenly switched to using last names again. However, instead of the reprimand Reid expected, Morgan just squeezed his shoulder, almost reassuringly. "I care about you…but I still don't think it's a good idea for us to be together…"

"I know. I'm sorry…"

Reid walked out of the house, feeling just a little miserable, not waiting for a further comment, and got into his car and drove back to Hotch's, leaving the radio off in favor of silence. He wasn't sure what he'd been thinking, except that one minute he'd been focused on keeping things platonic, to avoid scaring Morgan away, and the next he'd simply given in to the impulse to kiss him.

As Reid walked in through the front door of Hotch's house, he hung up his jacket and took off his shoes, heading solemnly for his room. Hotch stopped him in the hallway, coming out of his own room, and looking worried.

"How'd it go?" Hotch asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice. Reid shrugged, and looked up, forcing a smile.

"It went well, really well. The waitress kept flirting with me, but other than that it was nice." Hotch relaxed, but his eyebrows shot up.

"Did you get her number?"

"Wha-no….I wouldn't…wouldn't try to pick up a date while having dinner with Morgan…" Reid said, blushing slightly. Hotch smiled slightly, but it was a sort of sad, knowing smile.

"Alright. You should get to bed, it's kind of late."

***

Hotch walked down the hallway, but stopped as he passed the open bathroom door. He back-tracked, and couldn't help but smile as Reid stared into the mirror, his lips slightly parted as he combed his hair with his fingers, and then smoothing it into place, eyeing himself dubiously.

"You have a date tonight?" He asked. Reid jumped, turning away from the mirror and blushing. He pushed the slightly curled strands of hair behind his ears, shaking his head.

"No…just a movie…with, um, Derek." He seemed nervous, as if unsure of how Hotch would react to him 'not' going out on a date with Morgan.

"Which movie?"

"Oh, umm…they're showing an older movie; Mel Brooks' 'A History of the World.' It was actually narrated by Orson Wells, who also narrated the radio broadcast of H.G. Wells' 'War of the Worlds.' Did you know that at the time it was broadcasted people thought it was an actual alien invasion? Many people fled their homes and-"

"I get it, Spencer," Hotch cut in, but he couldn't help but smile. It was good to see Reid getting bouncy and excited, using his hands to gesture while an unconscious smile tugging at his lips while he spoke. "When's the movie?"

"Derek's picking me up in about half an hour."

"And you're doing your hair an hour in advance, but you're not going out on a date." It wasn't a question, but a blunt, sarcastic statement, and Reid couldn't stop the blush that ascended onto his face, even heating his ears up. He opened his mouth to retaliate, but didn't seem to find any words appropriate, so he simply pressed his lips together, and walked briskly out of the bathroom, heading to his room. Hotch let out a sigh, and followed him. He found Reid face down on the bed, his face in a pillow, and his hair in disarray.

"Spencer, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to make fun of you," Hotch soothed, not really sure how to handle the situation. His son still thought that girls were icky, and ate worms, so he hadn't really had to deal with any forms of romantic drama, save his own divorce.

"I know…" Reid mumbled into the pillow. He turned his head to Hotch, strands of hair falling in front of his face. "But it's really not a date, Hotch. Derek doesn't…he said he cares about me, but he doesn't want to…you know, be with me. Which I understand," Reid turned his face into the pillow. "I wouldn't want to date me either…" The last part was so muffled, Hotch almost didn't hear it. However, once he realized what Reid had said, he took a sharp inhalation of breath.

"Spencer, don't talk about yourself that way. Morgan's just trying to do what is right."

"I don't want to hear it Hotch!" Reid yelled into the pillow. Hotch put his hand up to his face, rubbing his temple. Reid turned his head again so Hotch could hear him. "I'm tired of you telling me I shouldn't be with him."

"I just don't understand why you want to be with him."

"He was good to me, despite what you saw…we had just had a fight...I keep telling you, it's not his fault." Reid sat up, glaring at Hotch as he pushed his hair from his face. "He told me he loved me," Reid added in a hushed voice, looking away. Hotch put a hand on Reid's shoulder, his expression grim as he studied the young man.

"Spencer, whether or not it was his fault, the fact is that you two are no longer in a relationship. He might have loved you, but most likely, he was just saying what he thought you wanted to hear. It's over now, and he doesn't want a relationship with you any longer," Hotch said, slowly. He watched Reid as he processed the blunt statement, his jaw dropping slightly. He swallowed, and looked away from Hotch, getting to his feet. His voice cracked as he spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"Thanks, Hotch, that really helped, you know."

"I know it's not what you wanted to hear, Spencer, but it's true. You need to move on, and get past what Morgan and Green did to you."

Reid shook his head, and walked out of the room, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'm going to go downstairs. Derek will be here soon." As he walked, he ran his fingers through his tousled hair, smoothing it back into place.

"Okay, have fun at the movies."

Reid ignored Hotch, and continued down the hallway, hurrying down the stairs. He pulled on a jacket, and then stood by the door, pacing as he waited. When Morgan finally knocked on the door, Reid took a deep breath, and waited for a second before opening the door, forcing a smile onto his face as he briskly walked out to join Morgan in the cool, early evening air.

"Hey, thanks for picking me up," Reid said sheepishly as he walked with Morgan to the car. Morgan frowned slightly concern showing up on his face.

"You okay, Reid? You seem upset."

"I'm good," Reid answered quickly, jumping into the passenger seat. Morgan got in, looking unconvinced. "Have you ever seen 'A History of the World'?" Reid asked, quickly changing the subject, enthusiasm seeping into his voice. Morgan shook his head.

"No, but everyone was telling me I should see it, and it's playing, so I thought we'd go," he answered off-handedly.

"I think you'll like it," Reid said, his smile turning more genuine. Morgan returned the smile as he began driving.

"If you say so, Pretty Boy," Morgan laughed.

They got to the movie theatre, and picked seats near the back. Just as Reid had said, Morgan enjoyed the movie, and they ended up moving the arm rest between them, so Morgan could put an arm around Reid's shoulders, and Reid could curl up against the side of Morgan's body. As the credits rolled, Morgan was still chuckling, and Reid couldn't help but grin slightly, shifting to look at Morgan.

"I told you you'd like it."

"Alright, you win. It was great, way better than some of those old Sci-Fi movies you made me watch." Reid made a face that was somewhere between confused and annoyed.

"I hope you're not trying to imply that 'those old Sci-Fi' movies weren't great."

"Of course not," Morgan chuckled, nuzzling Reid's hair. The credits finished rolling, so Morgan retrieved his arm, standing up and stretching. Reid stretched in his chair before standing up, trying to glare at him as best as he could, hindered by a small smile. As they walked out, Reid was surprised when Morgan took his hand, entwining their fingers together. They walked out the back exit, and Reid couldn't suppress a shiver as the cold air hit him, and he instinctively huddled closer to Morgan, using his free hand to pull his jacket to his body. They walked behind the theatre, heading towards a small park. Reid tilted his head upward, smiling serenely at the sight of the night sky, lightly sprinkled with stars.

"God, you're too cute, you know that, kid?" Morgan said suddenly, causing heat to rise to Reid's face.

"Don't...I mean, no," Reid stuttered, lowering his gaze to the ground. Morgan shook his head, and they stopped walking, Morgan turning to face Reid.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"It's okay, it's just that I still wish things had been different, you know…" Reid looked up, and bit both of his lips together when he found Morgan frowning at him, looking disappointed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Pretty Boy," Morgan said, using his free hand to brush Reid's hair out of his face. "Trust me, I feel the same way."

"Then why-" Reid began before Morgan cut him off.

"You know why. It's just a bad idea for us to be together."

"It'll be better this time…Derek, I'll be better," Reid whispered, leaning forward slightly. Morgan hesitated, but then released Reid's hand, burying it in Reid's hair as he leaned forward, kissing Reid chastely on the lips.

"It wasn't your fault, you were so perfect, Spencer. Still are." Reid smiled slightly, pulling back.

"So…." Reid let his voice trail off, and Morgan chuckled.

"Okay, okay…we'll try again. But you're staying with Hotch, and we're going to go slowly. Okay?"

"Sounds good. Is it too soon to say I love you?" Reid asked nervously, burying his face into Morgan's neck.

"No, it's never too soon for that." Reid smiled against Morgan's neck, closing his eyes and leaning against Morgan, relaxing as Morgan put both of his arms around him.

"I love you," Reid whispered.

"I love you too, Spencer."

***

A/N: This is the last little piece. Forewarning: Hotch/OFC mentioned…Supposed to be an epilogue, but it's more of a random end chapter.

Fourteen Months Later

Reid walked up to his apartment door, a small smile creeping up onto his face. As the doorbell rang once more, Reid unlocked the door, laughing slightly as he opened it.

"You could be more patient, you know," he teasingly chastised, grinning. Morgan just rolled his eyes, putting his arm around Reid's shoulders and leading him out of the apartment.

"That coming from the kid who gets twitchy if he has to wait for me to make popcorn before watching a movie?" Reid batted Morgan's arm away, giving him a mock glare.

"You take, like, ten minutes to make popcorn!"

"Whatever. Come on, if we don't hurry to Hotch's, all the snacks will be gone before we get there."

They walked down the stairs of the apartment, occasionally stopping for a kiss, before walking out of the lobby, and into the parking lot.

"Let's take my car," Reid suggested, heading towards the old Volvo. Morgan shook his head, letting out a sigh.

"That's a traffic accident waiting to happen," Morgan muttered, but he got into the passenger seat anyway. Reid started the car, smiling as the engine started.

"Derek, I've had this car for years, and it hasn't failed me yet. Not to mention, I'm a good driver." Reid ignored Morgan's snort as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Most traffic accidents aren't caused by car malfunctions, but by driver errors."

"I'm sure you have the exact numbers for that."

"I do, but let's stop talking about that. Any word as to why Hotch is having a barbeque?"

"Nope. Probably something to do with his hot girlfriend"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just call Ashley hot."

"Whatever. I'm just saying, it's been almost a year. He really ought to get that girl a ring."

Reid frowned, but kept his eyes on the road. "It's been a year, exactly, I think. And it's been longer for us," he observed, raising an eyebrow. Morgan blinked in surprise.

"Well, yeah…are you say-"

"No, I'm just saying you shouldn't put pressure on Hotch to marry Ashley. You know how hard his divorce with Haley was. Give him some time."

They were quiet for the rest of the ride, pulling up along the curb, as the driveway was fully occupied. The two got out of the car, smiling as they approached the others. Hotch stood in front of the grill, a dark-haired woman in her late-thirties standing next to him, smiling. Rossi was leaning against the wooden railing, a glass of beer in hand. Prentiss, JJ and Garcia were on the lawn with Jack, talking to Haley while holding various colored smoothies. As Morgan and Reid walked up, the girls turned, grinning at them.

"Well, hello there, my beautiful men," Garcia greeted, walking up and giving them both a hug. "Mmmm, someone smells good, what kind of cologne are you wearing?" Garcia asked as she let go of Reid. Reid smiled and blushed at the complement, unconsciously stepping closer to Morgan.

"Ummm…I don't know, it was Morgan's," Reid muttered. The other girls laughed, and Rossi walked up, slapping Reid on the shoulder.

"Hey, kid, how are you? You were practically falling asleep at the office today."

"Good. I was just tired. Coffee machine was broken."

The small group continued with the amiable, light conversation, laughing, smiling. Whatever tension or strain that had existed in the past year was no longer present. As the next two hours passed, Jack and Haley left, the light died down, and the rest of the party retired to the lawn furniture, eating steak and burgers. Hotch and Ashley sat on the outdoor couch, comfortable in their closeness. The girls had take various lawn chairs from the lawn and set them on the porch. Rossi was in a wicker chair, smiling, and a little drunk. Reid and Morgan had curled up on the swinging couch, curled up against one another. After a while of slow, comfortable conversation, Morgan asked the question everyone was dying to have answered.

"Alright, Hotch. Why'd you bring us all out here?"

"Well, I enjoy your company," Hotch joked dryly, taking a drink of his beer. Ashley rolled her eyes, smacking Hotch on the arm.

"Just tell them, Aaron," she laughed, grinning at Hotch. He smiled, something the team had noticed him doing a lot more often lately.

"Alright." Hotch looked back at the team. "Me and Ashley are getting engaged."

Garcia let out a squeal of delight, and immediately got up, running over to hug both Hotch and Ashley.

"It's about time, you two love birds!" Garcia pulled back, looking abashed by the stern look Hotch gave her. "I mean, um, about time sir." Everyone laughed, even Hotch. Garcia grinned brightly, before asking, "When's the wedding?"

"We're not sure yet. We're going to wait, maybe a year," Ashley answered, leaning against Hotch and smiling.

Morgan leaned over to Reid, whispering into his ear, "I told you, Pretty Boy."

Reid rolled his eyes. "You've been waiting to say that since you saw her ring, haven't you," Reid asked, raising his eyebrows as he glanced over at Morgan.

"Yup."

Later, after Reid and Morgan had said their congratulations to Hotch and Ashley, headed out to their car. Reid got in, a contemplative look on his face. Morgan caught it, and as Reid started back towards his apartment, he put a hand on Reid's shoulder, concern in his eyes. "Everything okay?" he asked gently.

"Hmm? Oh, um, yeah. Everything's okay," Reid answered, glancing over and smiling before returning his eyes to the road. He pulled into the parking lot of his apartment a few minutes later, turning off the ignition. He clicked off his seat belt and got out of the car. Morgan followed him out of the car, and they walked up into the building, going up one flight of stairs to get to Reid's apartment. As Reid pulled his keys out of his pocket, Morgan pushed strands of his hair away from the back of his neck, tenderly kissing the skin there.

"You know I would marry you in a heartbeat if I could," Morgan whispered against the back of Reid's neck. Reid paused before pushing the key into the lock and opening the door. He walked in, Morgan following closely, and he turned and closed the door behind them once they were inside. Putting his arms around Morgan's neck, moving so their faces were close, their lips touching.

"I know that. D.C. allows gay marriage. Maybe when we've retired from the Bureau…"

"D.C? Pretty Boy, you know that once we've retired I'm taking you somewhere nice. Washington and California both-" Reid laughed against Morgan's lips.

"Okay, I get it, Derek. I love you too." Reid let go of Morgan, turned and walked the rest of the way into the tiny apartment, heading towards the adjoining kitchen.

"I'm going to get some wine out. You want some?" Reid asked, glancing over his shoulder at Morgan as the older man sat onto the threadbare couch.

"Sure," Morgan answered, looking around the small living room. There wasn't even enough room for a bookshelf, and Reid had left most of his books at Hotch's, and transferred the rest to Morgan's house. Whenever Morgan came over, he was half tempted to ask Reid to move back in with him, but promptly decided against him before asking. Reid came back with two glasses of red wine, a small box tucked under his arm, and a small smile on his lips. He handed one glass to Morgan before sitting down, and taking a sip off of his own glass.

"It's Cabernet Franc," Reid said, pulling out the box and opening it. "The guy at the store said it went well with milk chocolate."

Morgan couldn't help but grin, putting an arm around Reid's shoulders. "You getting all romantic on me, Pretty Boy?" Reid blushed, taking out a piece of chocolate, and taking a bite as he looked down at the floor.

"I…you usually do all of the romantic things. You take me out to dinner, rub my feet…stuff like that. You don't need to prove that you love me, but you still do. I want to show you that I love you too. I figured, you know, it's been a long week, we should have some wine, make out, go to bed, and in the morning we could head to your place." Morgan chuckled and took a piece of chocolate, taking a bite, watching as Reid took a slow sip of wine, licking his lips after he had swallowed. Morgan set his glass of wine down, pushing Reid's hair from his forehead, stroking a finger down his cheek.

"That sounds like a good plan." Morgan leaned over, kissing Reid on the lips. Reid responded eagerly, setting his glass of wine down, and weaving his arms around Morgan's neck, shifting to sit in Morgan's lap. A good three minutes later, after kissing, tasting, and light touches, Reid pulled back, a light blush spreading across his cheeks as he shifted out of Morgan's lap. As he moved, the pink in his cheeks turned to bright red.

"Pretty Boy…?" Morgan started, confusion and worry written on his face. Reid pulled his knees up to his chest, biting his lip.

"Hm?"

"Everything okay?"

"Ummm…yeah. Everything's fine."

"You're blushing like a school girl."

Reid turned to Morgan, glaring at him, his face reddening further. "What happened to not comparing me to a girl?" he snapped.

"It's just an expression, Spencer. Now come on, talk to me. What just happened to make you turn red like that?" Reid shifted uncomfortably, turning his glare to the floor.

"I…just got a little too excited, that's all."

"Oh…"

"Yeah."

Morgan let out a sigh, putting his arm around Reid's shoulders. "Well, at least you didn't run and lock yourself in the bathroom this time."

"That only happened once!" Reid snuggled against Morgan, his lower lip stuck out in a pout. "You really don't need to make fun of me for it."

"I wasn't. I'm just saying that, maybe you're not dealing with 'it' in the right way."

Reid's blush, which had receded slightly, returned in full force, but he looked up at Morgan, his brows coming together. "Well, maybe if you weren't so reluctant to touch me-"

"You know that's not what it's about. I just don't want to rush it this time."

"We've been dating for over a year. At this point, I don't think anyone would accuse you of rushing things."

Morgan's eyebrows went up in a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Spence, are you suggesting-"

Reid leaned in for a kiss to quiet Morgan, a shy smile on his lips. "Yes. I think you've proved that you're willing to wait for me. At this point, I think I'm the one waiting, so if you're comfortable with it, I think we should-" Reid was silenced by Morgan's mouth, and was lifted off of the couch, and then carried to the bedroom.

"Wow…."

Reid managed a small noise of acknowledgement, rolling his head to the side to look at Morgan with a small smile and half-closed eyes. "That's one way of putting it."

"I didn't know you got so…loud."

"Sorry…"

"Don't apologize." Morgan chuckled, and kissed Reid's forehead, before getting up. He went into the bathroom, cleaning himself up before grabbing a wet washrag and taking it into the other room. He then went to the bedroom, and carefully wiped the washcloth across Reid's body, before tossing it into the hamper and settling next to Reid on the bed. Reid curled up against him, pressing his lips to Morgan's neck. Suddenly the phone rang, and Reid groaned, rolling over and grabbing it off of the nightstand.

"God, this had better not be a case…" Reid muttered before putting the phone to his ear. "Hello…? Hotch…what do you want?" Reid sounded annoyed, and Morgan resisted the urge to chuckle. "No, everything's fine. Just trying to enjoy my night off. You should try to do the same….okay, mom, see you on Monday." Reid hung up the phone, rolling back over to snuggle against Morgan once more. "When I first moved in here, I understood him calling and checking up on me…but I think it's about time he stops. God, it's the middle of the night and he's calling to make sure I got home okay…" Reid yawned, and when it looked like he was going to continue his rant, Morgan kissed him quickly to quiet him.

"I know, Pretty Boy. He just worries about you, that's all."

"He should stop worrying…" Another yawn, and Morgan laughed slightly.

"Okay, enough talking, it's late, and you need to get some sleep." Reid murmured sleepily in response, nodding against Morgan's chest.

"Mmm…okay. Night, love you."

"Love you too."

THE END

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