Title: Turning Point
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Rating: PG-13
Table: 3, 20_est_relships
Prompt: 1, Celebration
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Aaron Hotchner or Spencer Reid, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Aaron sighed as he looked up at the clock on the wall of his office, wishing for what felt like the thousandth time that he and Spencer hadn't agreed to go to this party at JJ's house. He would much rather go home and enjoy a quiet evening with his boyfriend.

But JJ always seemed to feel obligated to throw parties on anniversaries that she felt were important, and Aaron supposed that he couldn't blame her for this one. After all, the anniversary of the first case that the team had solved together was a big day for all of them.

He didn't feel like going to a party; they'd had a long day and he was tired. But Spencer wanted to go, and the rest of the team would be disappointed if he wasn't there, so he would make the effort, even though he didn't think he would be very good company.

Besides, going to this little celebration would make Spencer happy, and Aaron loved seeing his boyfriend smile. It seemed that Spencer had done precious little of that lately; the case they'd been working on had been on that had brought all their tempers to the breaking point.

They had managed to find the unsub; that person was now behind bars, and the tempers had cooled down considerably. There had been some apologies made and accepted, and the team was back to normal. At least, as normal as they could be.

Aaron sighed, pulling off his tie, deciding that if he was going to go to this party, he was going to be more comfortable than he was in the office. There was no sense in wearing a suit and tie on his time off; he did that all the time at work. He needed to relax more.

He knew that Spencer would say those very words, and the thought made him smile. Just knowing that he would be able to spend the evening with his boyfriend, and with the people who were closest to them both, made the tiredness start to seep away.

It was replaced by a feeling of .... what? Happiness? Relief? Aaron knew that the rest of the team had no illusions about his relationship with Spencer; none of them had said anything outright, but they all seemed to accept the fact that he and the young doctor were a couple.

This celebration would be the first time they'd acted like a couple in front of the team -- but Spencer seemed to think that it was past time they'd started doing so. The thought still made Aaron nervous, but he knew that they had to acknowledge their relationship sooner or later.

And it might as well be now, he told himself firmly. There was no point in trying to keep their feelings for each other hidden; the rest of the team had made it obvious that they already knew, and what was more important, they'd all given their tacit approval.

Of course, even if they hadn't approved, he would still be with Spencer, Aaron thought with a slight smile. Nothing could tear him away from his boyfriend; he'd found all that he needed in the other man. Spencer was a friend, companion, and confidante, as well as his lover.

Even his former wife hadn't been as close to him as Spencer was, Aaron reflected as he leaned back in his desk chair. Haley hadn't known all of the dangers that he dealt with; she hadn't been there by his side in all that he'd done, facing the same situations that he did.

Spencer had been right there with him from the very beginning. Even before he'd been licensed to carry a gun, he had always been there in fhe forefront of their cases, an integral part of the BAU team -- and of Aaron's professional life. The team couldn't have gone forward without him.

And now, he was also a part of Aaron's personal life -- the biggest part. Spencer was the love of his life; he had known that for a long time, long before he'd been able to voice the words aloud, to Spencer or even to himself. He had always known that they belonged together.

Their relationship had been through so many pitfalls, traversed so many minefields in the time that they'd been together. Yet here they were, living together, sharing a home and building a future. They had been through some dark times, but they had come out on the other side.

Aaron sighed at that thought; they still had some hurdles to get over, more than most couples had to deal with. But he wouldn't trade one moment of the time that he and Spencer spent making their way around those obstacles for an easier life with anyone else.

Maybe this celebration would bring down some of those obstacles. There didn't appear to be any left as far as the team was concerned, but he and Spencer had never really come out and said that they were together. Tonight, they would be doing that for the first time.

He should feel more nervous about that, Aaron told himself as he closed the blinds on his office, then began to strip off the button-down shirt he was wearing. If he was going to this party, he was going to be comfortable in a t-shirt and jeans.

It only took him a few moments to change clothes; once he had, he almost felt like a different person. It was as though by taking off the clothes he always wore to work, he was leaving the stiff-upper-lip side of himself behind, and stepping into another persona.

Both sides of himself were valid, and important in his life. But his team members saw this casual, relaxed side of him all too rarely. Maybe it was time for them to see him more as a person, and less as their team leader. Tonight would be a big step towards them taking that view.

Aaron looked up when he heard a soft knock on the door; seconds later, Spencer peered in, a sheepish expression on his face. "Sorry to bother you if you aren't ready, but we need to head out. JJ's expecting us at her place in about half an hour, and the traffic's pretty bad."

It would be, Aaron thought ruefully. It was a Friday night, and they'd all been busy today writing up reports from the last case they'd worked on. Fridays always seemed busy when they were here, and the Friday night traffic always made things seem even more hectic.

Really, all he wanted to do was to go home and spend a quiet, relaxing evening with his boyfriend and his son. But Jack was already spending the night at a friend's, having a sleepover, and he had been so excited about it that Aaron wouldn't have the heart to cancel his fun.

Nodding, he cleared his throat, stepping from behind the desk and reaching out a hand towards Spencer. "I'm ready if you are, sweetheart," he said softly, realizing as he spoke that he hadn't put his work clothes into the overnight bag he kept in his office.

Picking up the bag, he stuffed his shirt into it, then his work pants, not caring that they weren't folded or even put away neatly. He didn't want to think about things like that at the moment; he wanted to be able to concentrate on this party, on having a good time tonight.

Of course he would have a good time, Aaron admonished himself. He'd be with his boyfriend, and with the people closest to him. This little celebration was going to be a stepping stone in his relationship, because it would be the first time he'd been public about his feelings.

Spencer came into the room, picking up Aaron's bag by the carrying strap and hefting it over his shoulder. "I already changed clothes, so I'll carry this for you," he offered with a soft smile. "Mine are staying in my desk. Just for the night. I'll take them home tomorrow."

"That's fine with me," Aaron told him, wondering why Spencer was telling him that. His eyes widened as it dawned on him that his boyfriend might be nervous about being open about their relationship with the rest of the team, too. That hadn't occurred to him before.

"You're nervous about tonight too, aren't you?" he asked, his voice soft, feeling that he already knew the answer but wanting to hear it from Spencer. When his boyfriend nodded, color flooding into his cheeks, Aaron slid and arm around his waist, drawing him close.

"Neither of us should be nervous," he murmured, surprising himself with his own words. "The rest of the team has known about us for a while, even though they've never said anything. I think it's about time we were open with them. This is the perfect time for us to go public."

Spencer nodded, reaching for his hand and twining their fingers together. "I think that's part of the reason JJ wanted to have this party," he said softly, his gaze meeting Aaron's. "It's not just a celebration of the first case. It's a celebration of us."

Aaron couldn't keep back a smile, squeezing Spencer's hand gently. "You're right," he whispered, the nervousness he'd been feeling starting to melt away. "This is for us. Not just you and me -- but all of us. It's a celebration of acceptance -- and moving forward."

Spencer nodded in agreement as the two of them moved as one towards the door of Aaron's office. They were the last two of the team still here; the others had already left, but they knew that they would see their teammates in just a short while, at JJ's party.

Aaron followed Spencer down the hallway to the elevator, taking a deep breath as the doors opened. He was going to enjoy himself tonight; this celebration would mark a turning point in his relationship with the rest of his team, one that he was sure would lead to better days for all of them.

***