Title: After Work
By: TheLovethief
Pairing: Reid/Rossi
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Rating: PG-13
A/N: The following oneshot is the result of a challenge Addicted Archangel gave me (not that I asked for one). There were some criteria I had to fulfill which I won't list here. Maybe you can figure them out on your own ;)
Oh, and perhaps I should put here a slight slash warning, but really, very very slight. Personally, I don't think it's necessary, but my beta editor frog told me her eyes were burning after she checked this for me, so...
Summary: There are different ways to relax after a difficult case.

***

Six tired profilers entered their office in Quantico, Virginia. It was one of those late evenings again. SSA Aaron Hotchner and his team had just returned from a nasty case in North Carolina. The outcome of their investigation hadn't been completely satisfying. They'd caught the killer eventually, but not before he'd managed to kill three teenagers.

"The school principal. We should have thought of that sooner," Emily Prentiss muttered for the ninth time since they'd left the plane.

"It's over, Emily. We stopped him," Hotch said quietly. "Just drop it already."

All of the team members heaved a collective sigh as they walked through the bullpen. Due to the late time of day - it was nearly ten o'clock - the office was almost empty. Almost.

"Honey, what are you doing here?", JJ suddenly exclaimed and started to run towards the dark figure that was standing motionless in a corner.

With a casual smile on his face, William LaMontagne stepped out of the shadow and into the white light that was coming from the halogen bulbs on the ceiling.

He opened his arms in an inviting gesture. Without hesitation, JJ pushed against him and wrapped him into a tight hug.

The other five profilers watched and smiled weakly.

"Hey there," Will greeted his now very pregnant girlfriend and kissed her gently on the lips. "I took some days off. Thought you might need some help with choosing the right blue baby clothes."

He stressed the word "blue" and giggled slightly.

"Pink," JJ retorted.

"Blue," Will shot back.

Their consent came in the form of another passionate kiss.

"Give me a break," Morgan groaned good-naturedly. "We got it. You're starting a family."

Will chuckled. "Well, for considering yourselves some of the best minds in the country, it took you damn long to figure that one out."

"Duh, I'm sure somewhere there is a 6th grade geometry teacher calling us retards," Emily commented sarcastically, still referring to the latest case.

"Prentiss, the job is done," Hotch told her again in a very gentle tone. "Please don't wear yourself out about this."

She nodded, but continued looking unhappy.

"So...," Morgan suddenly began, trying to light up the mood a bit."We know what JJ's gonna do tonight. Thinking about baby clothes." He smiled teasingly at the media liaison, her attention focused elsewhere. Then he turned to the rest of his team. "But what about you guys? Any plans?"

"Uhm, Haley granted me some time with Jack," Aaron said and laughed bitterly. "He'll be asleep, but I'll take what I can get."

He grabbed his coat and walked towards the exit. "Nice evening, everyone. See you tomorrow," he called a second before the elevator doors closed.

"We're in a hurry, too," Will said quickly.

JJ looked him deeply in the eyes. "Are we?", she asked in a low voice.

"Yeah, there are some...things we should take care of tonight." He grinned.

She grinned.

Hand in hand they left.

For some seconds, the others gazed after the couple.

"Alright", Derek tried once more. "I'm gonna unwind in the clubs. Who's with me? Emily?"

The brunette agent hesitated. "Ah, I don't know. I'm really not in the mood for that."

"That's exactly why you're coming with me", Morgan replied joyfully and placed his hand on her upper arm. "You need to relax and maybe we'll even find you something handsome for tonight."

"Derek!", she exclaimed with false indignation. However, the twinkle in her eyes had already betrayed how much she was fond of her colleague's suggestion.

"What about you guys?", Morgan asked the two remaining agents.

Rossi merely raised an eyebrow. "No, thanks."

Reid shook his head almost violently. "Ahem, no, I...erm...no. Thank you."

Morgan shrugged. "Alright. So it's just you and me, Emily."

They waved goodbye and disappeared as the doors of the elevator shut once more.

Wordlessly, David Rossi went upstairs to his office that used to be Jason Gideon's. Despite of the late hour, he had still some paperwork to do. Wanted to do, in fact. This was his way to unwind from an unsettling case.

He spent almost an hour reading and checking old files, writing some new ones and re-arranging the few photographs on his desk.

Finally he decided to call it a day and go home. Dave locked the door to his office – an old habit of his – and walked through the bullpen.

Suddenly he noticed the unmoving person some feet away. Rossi stopped short. Then he sighed. Reid was still there. He was bending over his desk and doing...what?

Slowly the senior agent approached the team's genius from behind. Though he wasn't really up to a chat with the fact-spouting kid, Rossi still wanted to know what was going on there. Reid didn't seem to move. And the uncomfortable position he was in would have hardly allowed him to fall asleep.

"What are you doing?", Dave asked loudly. He was standing only inches behind the young doctor.

Reid literally jumped and couldn't suppress a high-pitched shriek. He turned around and exhaled laboriously when he saw Rossi standing right in front of him.

"My God, you nearly gave me a heart attack," Spencer complained and pressed his hand flat against his chest to underline his statement.

"Sorry," Dave said, but didn't sound overly apologetic. He craned, trying to look over the younger man's shoulder. "What are you still doing here?"

Reid stepped aside to clear Rossi's field of view.

For a second, the older man just stared at the object on the desk.

Finally: "What's that?"

Spencer tucked some rebellious strands of hair behind his ears and then stuffed his hands deeply into his trouser pockets.

"It's a plant," he said sheepishly.

Rossi looked once more at the thing. "No, it's not."

"It is," Reid insisted and earned another doubtful glance from the senior agent. "Well, it was. It was my plant. I think it's dead."

"I think you're right."

"It was a gift from my neighbor," Reid explained further. He wasn't sure how much information Rossi expected, so he just kept talking. "I brought it here because I spend more time at work than at home. I thought the plant would stand a better chance here."

"It didn't work," Dave concluded. He started to wonder why he was having this conversation.

Spencer shook his head. "I thought I could do something to fix it, you know...cut off the worst parts, give some water and fertilizer, maybe put it in a bigger pot or something..."

"Reid, Reid, stop it, please," Rossi interrupted. "It's definitely too late for the plant." He paused. Then, suddenly, another thought crossed his mind.

"Reid, why did you prefer to stay here with a dead plant rather than going out with Morgan and Prentiss?"

The younger man hadn't expected that kind of question. So he did what he always did in times like this. He started rambling.

"Erm, what? No, I mean, Morgan and I, we really don't have...What I'm trying to say is, well, I'm not exactly the club type." He drew a deep breath and let his gaze drop to the floor.

Once more, Rossi raised his left eyebrow. "Neither am I. So why didn't you go home? No girlfriend waiting?" He knew this was none of his business, but he couldn't help but ask.

Reid blushed. Right now he was glad that the stubborn hair strands had fallen into his face again. At least a tiny shield to hide behind.

"No," he replied simply.

Rossi watched the younger man closely. He seriously began to wonder why the BAU genius was always so nervous and withdrawn whenever it came to a personal matter.

"You like JJ, huh?", David probed, relying on the fact that every young man would have a soft spot for the blond media liaison.

At this, Reid finally looked up. "Of course, I like her. She's great," he said firmly. "But she's with Will. Anyways, she's not my type."

Interesting, Rossi mused. Aloud he asked: "So, who is your type?"

Spencer stared briefly at the floor, then he looked at the older man before him. Their faces were still very close together. Without thinking, Reid moved forward and pressed his lips against Rossi's mouth. It lasted only a split second.

Instantly, the young doctor pulled away again and stepped back.

He swallowed hard.

Rossi licked his lips and cleared his throat. Of course, he was aware that Reid was somewhat worshipping him, but this...

"Well," he said wryly. "I guess that is an answer."

Reid blinked, an expression of sheer terror on his face.

"Sir,...I didn't...I...just..." Spencer was not able to build coherent sentences anymore. He had never planned to do something like that. He'd never even thought about doing this.

"So you like me?", Rossi inquired cautiously. He was not sure how to respond to this. He himself was definitely a ladies man and had no intention of changing that.

"Yes, I mean, no. Not like that. I didn't want to...," Reid stuttered. He just wanted to disappear. Since that was most likely not going to happen, he settled for a defeated: "I'm sorry."

The senior profiler sighed heavily. In a way he was mad at Reid for the very inappropriate gesture, but he also felt pity for the insecure man with the dead plant.

"It's okay. Just don't do it again," he finally said. "I didn't know you're gay."

Reid's head snapped up. "What? I'm not! Uhm, at least I'm pretty sure I'm not...", he trailed off.

Rossi was confused by Reid's confusion. How could a man his age be unsure about his orientation, he asked himself. However, he decided that he didn't necessarily need to know all about Reid's private life. Enough had been revealed already.

He put an arm around Spencer's bony shoulder and led him away from the remains of the plant.

"Where are we going?", the younger man asked shyly.

"A beer," Rossi said firmly. "Let's get a beer."

A/N 2: For the sake of fairness: The kiss was not one of AA's criteria. LOL