Title: Previously Undiagnosed
Authour: prettychemistry
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Criminal Minds in any way, I only write these for entertainment.
Pairing: Reid/Morgan
Rating: PG
Summary: Just a little extra scene for "Empty Planet".

***

The minutes between calls from Hotch, when Morgan's life hung suspended in the hands of a bomb squad agent, Spencer spent in quiet desperation. He knew how to conceal these things very well, plenty of practice from the schoolyard to the FBI, but he could feel his own sympathetic nervous system response ' the rush of adrenaline, the pounding of his blood pressure, the unbidden emotional preparation for terrible news. And behind all this, the knowledge that he was not in the least surprised. Of course Morgan would sit next to a live bomb to comfort a woman he'd just met. Derek Morgan was a hero the way Reid was a genius ' it just happened, he didn't even notice until compared to those with lesser skills.

 

Every time since he'd known the man, whenever Jason looked relieved, Spencer wanted to bask in his mentor's expression, curl up in that feeling and live there, perfectly safe.

 

When they met up back at the station, the only thing Spencer could do upon seeing Derek alive and intact was abruptly hug him. The rest of the team led the Seattle cops off to the conference area, smiling knowingly, providing semi-privacy, space.

 

Derek returned the hug, his soft chuckle somehow not embarrassing, because Spencer knew him too well now for that. Still ' Reid released him after a few moments, satisfied at the warmth of his body, proof of life. He hung back, awkward.

 

Morgan grinned. "So, what did Gideon say?"

 

"He guilted Ms. Kent to keep reading the manifesto by saying ‘a young man I greatly respect and admire is putting his life on the line,'" Spencer replied dutifully. It was not the first time he'd relayed these kinds of things. Spencer was widely considered to be the window to Gideon's... well, everything. (Hotch was, of course, Gideon's best friend, but there were no windows to Hotch.)

 

Derek's grin grew even brighter. "Gideon loves me," he deduced proudly.

 

"I love you," Spencer blurted, then backtracked. "I mean, we all... care about you. I know you'd probably do the exact same thing again, because that's who you are, but... you're lucky none of us have undiagnosed heart conditions."

 

Derek's eyes were knowing, his expression easy and unsurprised. He put an arm around Reid's shoulders, casually leading him back towards the others. "I know. How's this ' we get home, you and me, movies and pizza at my place. Pay you back for the stress."

 

Spencer noted the implication that it would be just the two of them, alone, and positively tingled. "You chose the one situation in which I won't lobby for sci-fi. Profiler," he accused good-naturedly.

 

"Hey, you had an adult reading level at six years old. You gotta give me something."

 

Spencer could think of plenty to give him, but kept this thought to himself as they rejoined the others and Derek moved away. It was time to refocus. Spencer immediately went to a whiteboard to extrapolate what he could from the novel's plotlines, determined that this case be a quick victory.

 

He had a date.

***