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geekystudmuffinTitle: A Real Fixer-Upper (3/4)
Authors:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
innerslytherin and severity_softly
Pairing: Morgan/Prentiss
Rating: NC-17
WC: 32,100
Summary: Morgan has a new house to renovate. He doesn't realize he's going to end up renovating his life right along with it.
Notes: Betaed by the wonderfulresolucidity
Part One
Part Two
By the time the case in Cody was finished, Derek was starting to think maybe Emily wasn't quite as impervious to his charms as she wanted to pretend. He had a feeling it had something to do with the way he hadn't responded to any of the local detective's flirtations, except with vague politeness.
She kept darting looks at him during the flight back to Quantico, and Derek had to struggle to keep his attention on his cards to keep from being cheated by Spencer. Finally Spencer kicked him under the table. "You haven't noticed the last two cards I palmed," he said, holding up a pair of aces. "What's with you today?"
Derek sighed. "Distracted, that's all. Sorry."
"By what?" Spencer's smile turned sly. "Or should I say, by whom?"
Derek flinched, but he didn't try to deny it the way he might have two months ago. "Not so loud, man," he muttered, and shook his head.
Spencer's smile widened. "I knew it," he whispered.
Derek kicked him back. "You're such a punk." He glared at Spencer and leaned in. "Anyway, I'm not the only one, Spence."
Spencer's expression changed abruptly, and he looked back at his cards. "It's your turn."
Derek grinned. "Oho, not so fun when it's aimed at you, huh?" He played a card and eyed Spencer. "I'm just playing. No criticism intended."
Spencer nodded, but didn't look up. He played and cleared his throat. "It's not really anything anyway."
"Sure it's not." Derek studied him for a minute, then made sure no one could overhear them. "You know, I had one person imply they thought I was settling down with you. So you might want to make it obvious that you're not taken." Never mind that it was Emily and she'd been mostly joking; he thought it was possible Rossi might think Derek had prior claim.
"Why bother?" Spencer muttered. "Unless it bothers you. It's your turn."
"It doesn't bother me," Derek said. "It's flattering someone thinks you'd pick me. But you oughta let him know I don't have any claim on your...affections, in that way." He put down a card and inspected his remaining hand. "Because I don't see anything happening for me to make it clear that my affections are otherwise engaged." He sighed.
"I think you're wrong." Spencer glanced at Emily, then looked back. Yep, he definitely knew. "And I'm guessing you're both being utterly stupid."
"Hey, I tried to...I tried," Derek said. "She made it clear she thought it was a bad idea." He shrugged. "I don't want to be a complete jerk about it and harass her." He threw down another card and tried not to scowl.
Spencer made a face and laid down his cards. "Gin." He sat back and looked at Morgan, still whispering. "You really think she's going to make the first move... second move?"
"Shit," Derek said, and sighed. "She's gonna have to, because I'm not. I kind of made a jackass of myself the first time. I'd rather not do it again."
Spencer's lips pulled to the side, then he made a face. ''Well, good luck with your waiting."
"You really think I should make another move?" Derek whispered, watching Spencer. Not that Spencer was necessarily the guy he would go to first for romantic advice, but Spencer knew Emily, and his opinion mattered. Of course, Spencer also probably just wanted to be right ever since he'd made that remark about Derek giving her the wrong impression, years ago.
"Yeah." Spencer shrugged. He glanced at Emily again, then his gaze flicked to Rossi for a minute before coming back to Morgan. "You just need the right moment. And the right setting."
Derek raised his eyebrows. "The right setting, huh? The butler's pantry not romantic enough?" He kept from glancing back at Emily or Rossi, since he didn't really want them to know they were talking about them. "And all you need is a pair of jeans."
Spencer snorted. "Right." He chewed his lip, then started to shuffle the cards. "It's never going to happen, so can we stop talking about it?"
Derek snorted too, but then he leaned in and grinned at Spencer. "No, man. We can make a deal. If I make a move, then you have to wear jeans to work again, and find some excuse to go in and lean over his desk."
Spencer coughed, but managed to keep himself from choking, then he leaned in too, and whispered, "He likes girls, and not in the peripheral way I do. It's more of a central focus."
"And he was checking you out in those jeans," Derek whispered back. "Total eyefuck, man. I'm telling you, you need to listen to me on this."
Spencer, predictably, turned bright red. Then he hummed a disbelieving noise and sat back. He went back to chewing the inside of his lip, staring out the window, and Morgan let him mull over what he'd just been told in silence.
A few minutes later, Spencer's lips thinned in thought, and he looked back at Morgan. "Thanks for not caring... about... you know."
"You and I both know it doesn't make a difference in who you are," Derek said. "I'm sure no one on this team would care. We're your friends." But he smiled at Spencer to let him know he understood.
"Who's winning?" Derek and Spencer both jumped, and Hotch chuckled. Derek hadn't even noticed his approach. "Clearly neither of you is very interested in the game. Let's make it a little more interesting. Loser buys lunch when we get home. Now deal me in."
"Well, I already kicked Morgan's ass. It's your turn," Spencer said, then pulled the other two aces out of his sleeve without bothering to hide it; both Morgan and Hotch laughed. Spencer shrugged, grinning, and added them back to the deck before starting to shuffle.
Morgan ended up buying lunch for the team, but he couldn't really complain. Spencer seemed to be in a really good mood, despite Morgan's accusations that Spencer had deliberately slipped him the lowest cards. Of course, he didn't deny it, either.
When they got away from the BAU that afternoon, Derek was ready to go home and crash, but Spencer insisted they should work on the house. Derek couldn't help but laugh at the way his project had become their project instead...but he couldn't complain. He liked having the company, and he was really enjoying how much closer he and Spencer were these days.
Spencer seemed really excited about getting back to the house, and Derek found his enthusiasm catching, even though he was tired.
"We gonna finish the painting I started, or are you going to disappear without me?" he asked. "Because I may fall asleep if you don't keep me awake."
"I need help upstairs, actually." Spencer tugged Morgan sleeve, then bounded up the stairs. Morgan actually found himself a little nervous that Spencer was about to show him his secret project, but followed anyway. They climbed the stairs to the attic, and then Morgan's mouth fell open when he looked at what Spencer had done.
"I'll wear jeans and lean over Dave's desk, even though it won't do a damn bit of good, if you show this to Prentiss." He shrugged, then suddenly looked unsure when he glanced at Morgan. "If... you think she'll like it, or did I get this all wrong?"
The room was done in dark green and white, and Spencer had built bookshelves all along the wall where the ceiling sloped down to shoulder height. In the middle of the wall, just under the window, he'd put in a bench seat that was covered in cushions. So that's what he needed the white bead-board for, Derek thought.
"It's great," he managed, staring around him. The skylights would have to come later, but that didn't even matter. "She'll love it. Man, I love it." He collected himself enough to grin at Spencer. "You're a kick-ass renovator, man. I'm so gonna make you work on all my properties now."
He turned in a circle, noting that the steamer trunks were all gone, and the floor had been sanded before being painted white. There was a braided rug covering it, which was the only furnishing in the room aside from the empty bookshelves and the bench seat. "Man," he breathed, and grabbed Spencer in a hug. "You are awesome."
Spencer tensed for a half second--even though he'd grown used to the way Morgan touched him, he still wasn't an overly physical person and Morgan didn't usually hug him--but then he relaxed and returned the hug. He cleared his throat when he pulled back, looking slightly overwhelmed by the reaction he'd gotten, but then just pointed up. "You said she liked that light fixture. I hope you don't mind I moved it, but I think it stands out here more than it did outside the butler's pantry." Morgan hadn't even noticed it was gone. "You can tell her you did all this, if you want," Spencer added as an afterthought.
"There is no way," Derek said quietly. "There is no way I would steal your thunder, Spence. You did this...just because you knew I care about her?"
"Yeah," Spencer said, as if it should have been obvious. He looked back at Morgan almost like he didn't understand the question, like it never crossed his mind not to do something this special for his friend.
"God, I got lucky when it comes to my friends," Derek murmured. "If David Rossi doesn't want you, he's a damn fool." He squeezed Spencer's shoulder and then threw an arm around his shoulders again, staring up at the light fixture. "She's gonna love this. Hell, I love this. You did great."
"Thanks," Spencer murmured, smiling faintly. "If Dave doesn't want me, it's because he's heterosexual, like I told you. Like all would seem to indicate. Like... all the rumors."
Derek snorted. "Trust me, he was totally checking you out. And you're gonna have to hold up your end of the bargain, because I can't wait to show Emily this room."
Spencer snorted. "Fine. Fine. I already said I would."
"Good." Derek grinned. "I think you and I oughta go find you some nice tight Levi's that ride low on your hips. If your work jeans made him react like that, some low-rise ones might makes his eyes fall right outta his skull." He waggled his eyebrows at Spencer.
Spencer looked at him like he was crazy. "Low rise jeans are for girls," he said after a few moments. "Regardless, it would be inappropriate for work."
"Will you listen to me, pretty boy?" Derek said, tightening his arm a little on Spencer's shoulders. "I let you renovate my attic, so you should let me renovate your jeans."
"But... that's going to be a little obvious if I just show up to work randomly in low cut jeans," Spencer continued to protest.
Derek grinned. "Then ask him out for drinks and wear the jeans out for drinks. Or I could ask him out for drinks like we're going with a crowd, and you could be the one who shows up." He nudged Spencer. "But I think wearing the jeans to work is your best bet."
Spencer stared at him. "I agreed to wear jeans of no specific variety, and lean over his desk, not asking him out or letting you do it for me."
"Hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained," Derek said. He finally let Spencer go and shrugged. "Anyway, I think you at least oughta let me pick out your jeans."
Spencer's expression didn't change, then he shifted out of Morgan's hold. "This is stupid. I'll just get my hopes up for nothing," he grumbled, then slumped on the window seat, wearing an expression that could only be described as pouty. "If you put me in something embarrassing, I'll put the room back how it was," he threatened finally.
"Hey, a little trust here," Derek said. "I don't want to embarrass you, I just wanna help you get laid. And showing off your ass is definitely going to help in that regard."
"Oh my God," Spencer groaned, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is there any more beer left in the fridge downstairs?"
Morgan laughed. "Yeah, that shit you drink," he teased, and followed Spencer out of the room. "Come on, that is the goal, right? I mean, I can see Rossi being into the flowers and chocolates part of a relationship, too, but ultimately? You want to get him in bed. Not that I blame you, considering the things I've heard." He grinned. "I'm just sayin', trust me on this. You can manage the flowers and chocolates and promises parts yourself. The getting him to jump you thing...you could use a little coaching on."
"How did this conversation become about the non-existent possibility of me having sex with Dave instead of about you doing something romantic for Prentiss that she can't resist?" Spencer asked.
"We've got to work on this confidence issue you have," Derek said. "Anyway, I appreciate what you've done for me, setting up the attic like that. I appreciate all your help. And you're my best friend. I wanna see you happy. Ergo, I'm trying to think of a way to make you happy. Ergo the jeans." He grinned at Spencer and slid down the banister to beat him to the bottom of the stairs.
"It's not a confidence issue, it's a reality issue!" Spencer exclaimed, frowning at Morgan.
Morgan pointed up at him. "Tomorrow, you and me hit the mall. No arguments. Case closed."
Spencer held up his hands in surrender. "Fine. Now shut up about it."
***
It actually turned out to be a week and a half later, because they were called out before lunch the next day. Derek had threatened to drag Spencer to the local mall where they were working, but since they were in Texas, he was afraid he'd be stuck dressing Spencer like a cowboy, and that just wasn't what he had in mind at all.
When they'd got back to Virginia, though, Derek had set about getting Spencer into a whole new outfit. He'd started with the jeans, which he thought did exactly what they should--that is, showing off Spencer's ass--while still being modest enough that, while Spencer complained, he'd still plunked down his credit card for it. Of course, they'd had to walk through another store on the way out, and Derek had grabbed a dark blue shirt that, even though it buttoned, was made of a nice soft material. He'd basically nagged Spencer until he bought the shirt, and then Derek had been happy.
Of course, then it was time for him to actually put his money where his mouth was and invite Emily back to the house. Spencer had stipulated that Derek had to ask her over, in front of Spencer, before the jeans were ever appearing in the BAU.
Emily was hunched over her desk absorbed in her work and had been all afternoon, but Morgan knew it was now or never. Spencer kept darting glances at him that clearly said, 'will you hurry up and do it already?!' Morgan got up after the tenth exasperated look and walked over to her. She didn't even lift her gaze at first, she just said, "Hey," and kept looking at her files.
"How's it goin'?" he said, and sat on the edge of her desk. He waited until she looked up, then smiled at her. "How about dinner over at the house tonight?"
She smiled. "Sure. Chinese or pizza?" she asked, then flipped a page over and looked back down. "Oh, hey, how'd getting the upstairs shower going go?"
He laughed. "Still working on it. We'll see if it's leaking tonight when we get there, but when I left last night, there was an annoying drip that didn't look like it was gonna stop." He shrugged. "And I'll let you pick up dinner, and I'll get the beer." He glanced over at Spencer's desk. "Someone's been drinking it all."
She snorted. "Who, Garcia?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell him," Spencer said. "It's not working."
"Definitely not working," Derek said, and flicked Spencer's hair as he went back to his desk.
Spencer made a face and pushed his hair back behind his ears, then gave Morgan a thumbs up under his desk.
Morgan waited until Emily's attention was back on her work, then used a rubber band to fling a paperclip at Spencer's back. He kept it up until Spencer flinched and turned around to glare. At that point, he just gave Spencer a big cheesy grin, which earned him a sigh and a nod. It meant Spencer's jeans would be making an appearance the next day, and Derek grinned. At least that way one of them was assured of getting some in the next week or so.
Derek was certain Emily felt the attraction still as much as he did. For months he'd had no desire to go out looking for physical companionship that wasn't hers--and his tomcat ways had never been about emotional companionship, after all. But even so, he wasn't as confident as Spencer that Emily was going to change her mind about the Derek-Morgan-sized box she'd made in her mind. She'd always said she compartmentalized well, and there was only so far Derek could go in trying to push her out of her carefully-regimented life before he turned into an asshole coworker or, worse, borderline stalker. There was a difference between persistence and creepy, and he knew he was always going to err far to the right of that line.
He had a hard time getting his concentration back on his work, and finally he shoved his case files into the top drawer of his desk and announced he was heading for the gym. He nudged Spencer in invitation as he passed, but got a disinterested noise. He'd noticed Spencer developing a little bit of muscle over the past couple months of constant power-tool use, but he supposed his slender friend still didn't like comparing the two of them in physical competitions.
By the time he'd worked out a little nervous tension and showered, the bullpen was down to just Emily and a couple guys from another team.
"You weren't waiting for me, were you?" Derek asked, and Emily shrugged.
"Sort of, but I got some stuff done. Meet you at the house?"
"Yeah, I'll see you there."
He'd said he would provide the beer, but instead he bought two bottles of wine--white and red, since he wasn't sure what she would be picking up--and two cheap wine glasses, and booked it over to the house. Fortunately he still beat her there, so he had time to open the wine and have it breathing upstairs in what he'd been thinking of for weeks as 'Emily's room'.
God, he'd told Spencer he wouldn't be able to part with the house when they finished it, but if Emily turned him down, he was going to have to have Spencer redecorate it.
When she finally knocked on the door, it was later than he expected, and she made a face at him. "Can you believe they didn't have Moo Shoo?" She tilted her head at him. "How does a Chinese restaurant not have Moo Shoo?" She came inside and glanced around. "I like this blue," she said of the new paint in the entryway. "I got us sandwiches. That okay?"
"That's fine," he said, grinning. "The blue was Penelope. She said the house had too many warm colors, and we were messing up the feng shui or something." He shrugged. "The woman has purple walls in her place, so I figured I wasn't gonna argue with blue."
She laughed and looked around. "Well, I don't see any beads hanging around. I hope whoever buys this place likes color."
He grinned and shrugged. "Oh, I'm going to make sure the person who lives here won't change the place." He reached out and took the bag out of her hand, then closed his fingers around hers. "Come on, let's go eat upstairs."
Her eyebrows lifted, but she didn't tense or pull away. She didn't look worried or uncomfortable with the gesture either, just a little surprised. "Um... porch it is," she said, then smiled.
"Not exactly," he said, still smiling. "Reid finally unveiled his surprise. He said I could show it to you now." And with those words, his heart started pounding in his chest. Oh, God, if she didn't like it, this was going to be so fucking embarrassing.
"I feel so honored," she said, and then his heart sped impossibly when she smiled and squeezed his hand back. He gave her a little tug and they started up the stairs. "I've been meaning to tell you I'm proud of you," she said, then shrugged. "The house, showing Reid and Garcia."
It felt a little silly, the way he couldn't stop smiling at her. But he forced his gaze up the way they were going. "Looking back, it's hard to believe it was so hard. Spencer loves this place. I...I didn't even know how important I was to him. And I know...well, he was surprised when I called him my best friend. It's stupid that I spent so much time missing out on people just because I was scared they weren't gonna like the real me." He still didn't exactly like talking about emotions, but he'd figured out pretty easily that it was important to her, and at least he'd been practicing this stuff with Spencer.
"There's a lot of time left. All that matters now is that you're making an effort." She smiled up at him, then suddenly said, "Oh! Beer. I'll go grab it," and started to turn.
Morgan tightened his hold on her hands and pulled her back.
"I already have our liquid refreshment upstairs," he said. "I got here ahead of you by a little bit, Ms. Obsessed With Moo Shoo." Man, he wanted to kiss her. He turned his gaze up to the stairs in front of them to keep her from seeing how much he wanted that.
"I'm not obsessed," she retorted, grinning. "But it's like... Chinese burritos. How can you not-- you know what? Never mind. I can't say anything that won't get me teased more."
"Hey, I'm just playin'," he said, grinning. "You know I like Moo Shoo just fine." He glanced at her. "But I don't really care what we eat. Tonight's more about the company than anything."
She held his gaze for a moment, and Morgan could tell she was working out what was going on. She was smiling, but she also looked... Morgan wasn't sure if her expression held a hint of nervousness or if she was unsure. She squeezed his hand again, though, which eased the tightness in his chest a little, even if she didn't seem to know what to say.
They climbed the rest of the stairs in silence. When they got to the hall just outside the attic room, and Derek tugged gently at her hand to get her to stop. "Here, you hang on to the food," he said, and waited until she'd taken the bag again. Then he covered her eyes gently with one hand. "Okay, now walk forward. Slowly. I won't let you run into anything. Nothing to get splinters on, either. He did a damn good job on the floor."
She huffed laugh, but started walking up to the room anyway. "You know, it's not my birthday... but now I'm sort of hoping there might be cake anyway."
He chuckled. "Not exactly, but...well." He guided her to the middle of the room, then lowered his hand. "I'm not selling the house, Emily."
Her lips parted in surprise, and she looked around the room. For a minute, she didn't say anything, but she finally managed, "Oh my God. It's... beautiful. Spencer's better at this than I am." Then it seemed to hit her what Morgan said, and she turned around and looked at him. "Wait, what do you mean you're not selling the house?"
Now or never, Derek thought, and swallowed. He lifted a hand to brush her cheek. "Spencer did this because he knew, without my even telling him, how I feel about you. After the care he and Penelope put into this house, after spending time with you in it...how could I sell it? Home is where the heart is, right?"
She suddenly looked overwhelmed, but she didn't move away or tense up. She just stared at him for a long moment, her mouth open like she thought she should say something and didn't know what, then she turned to look at the room again. It felt like it was taking ages to sink in; Morgan wanted to just lean in and kiss her. But it was encouraging to watch her put the pieces together and not panic.
When she turned back to face him, she did a double take at the ceiling, then looked up, a huge grin breaking across her face suddenly. "My light!"
That made him grin back at her, suddenly feeling like a huge weight had lifted off his shoulders. She hadn't said no. "Your room," he corrected, watching her closely. He felt like his heart was too big for his chest, even though he knew he shouldn't get his hopes up too much yet. She hadn't really acknowledged what he'd said, even if she seemed happy about this.
"God," she said, shaking her head. "It's..." She looked back at him, her grin fading, even if her gaze was still warm. "This is for me?" she asked, and took his hand again, dropping the food to the floor.
He gave her a crooked smile. "Who knew Spencer's attic would turn into Emily's Room?" he asked softly. "I had no idea he was doing this. But he knew, Emily. He knows. If it hadn't been for Spencer, I might not have had the guts to say anything else...but I haven't changed my mind. I haven't moved on." He looked at her seriously, willing her to just believe him. "I care about you. I want you. I want us."
"I know. I've noticed," she whispered, then smiled faintly. "Good thing you took my advice about telling Reid, huh?" She bit her lips together, then said, "I still think this is possibly a very bad idea." She watched him for a moment, her gaze serious.
"Has it affected our jobs?" he murmured, brushing the fingers of his free hand against her cheek. "We've been doing our jobs all this time, knowing how we felt, and the only way it's affected our jobs is that Spencer knows how we feel. And that's probably because I make him keep working when I let you sit on the porch barefoot and drink tea." His thumb brushed her lower lip and he watched her face hungrily. "This is for real, Emily."
She sucked in a breath. "You were right. I'm afraid," she admitted quietly.
"I am too," he said, matching her tone. "Of a lot of things. That I'll fuck up. That you'll still realize someday I'm not the right guy. That you'll get shot. That I'll get shot. But the one thing I'm not afraid of is this going away. Because I have to tell you, I was fighting it, but I've been attracted to you just about from day one. And it wasn't until I started letting you in that I got all this. This house, this feeling that I really do have a family here." A thought occurred to him and he grinned. "Without you, I'd never have got to make Spencer buy a pair of jeans that are gonna make Rossi's eyes fall out of their sockets."
She laughed, her hand tightening on his. "It's about damn time he realized Dave wants him too."
Derek's grin faded. "It's about damn time you realized I want you," he whispered.
Her expression melted a little. "Kiss me."
"Yes, ma'am." He held her gaze for a long moment, memorizing the way this felt. Then he lowered his head slowly and let his lips just barely brush against hers. "Emily." He pulled back and smiled, then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again, more firmly.
Her arms slid around his shoulders and she hummed into the kiss. God, this was how the first kiss was supposed to have gone, except Morgan couldn't help but think that maybe it was even better this way. If she hadn't shut him down the first time, he wouldn't feel as full as he did now.
"Morgan," she whispered. "Derek." Her fingertips brushed over the back of his neck, making him shiver.
He stroked one hand up to bury his fingers in her hair, then kissed a trail along her jaw to a spot just below her ear. "You're so beautiful," he breathed. His other arm tightened around her waist, holding her close against him. "So much fun." She made him feel like it was enough just to be himself.
She laughed softly and slid one hand up the back of his shirt. "I'm lucky you think that," she murmured, kissing his ear.
He smiled again. "You aren't the lucky one in this room right now." He loved the way she felt in his arms. He had a feeling that he would never be able to get enough of having her in his arms. "I know just how lucky I am to even call you my friend." He kissed the side of her neck. "But I guess I'm greedy, because I want to be the guy you come home with. Every night."
She nudged him back just enough to capture his lips in a needy kiss, then leaned into him, pressing her body flush against his. God, she felt wonderful, and he pulled her even tighter against him. She let out a little whimper and it shot through him like fire, her hand sliding further up under his shirt. "Yes," she breathed, and her other hand joined the first, sliding over the planes of his back.
He kissed her again, drawing it out hungrily. This felt so good, knowing she wasn't going to push him away. He stroked her hair as they kissed, relishing the feel of her body against his.
"Mmm," she hummed into the kiss, then pulled back, smiling up at him. "You were right about another thing, too. You are a great kisser." Her smile turned into a grin and she kissed him briefly. "If we don't stop, I'm going to do terrible things to you."
"You oughta know I'm not going to complain about that," he murmured, grinning back at her. "Have your wicked way with me, Ms. Prentiss." He kissed her. "Take me, I'm yours," he whispered against her lips. He had a feeling she knew just how true that was, despite the cheesy line.
She grinned, then leaned up and kissed him hungrily, showing him how much she wanted him, then pulled back just enough to murmur against his lips. "Call me spoiled, but I was sort of hoping for something a little nicer than a braided rug on the floor," she teased.
"Mmm." Morgan smiled and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Well, I have to admit, I wasn't sure I'd be able to change your mind tonight...so you'll get something a little nicer than a braided rug on the floor, our first time." He'd thought it would be more than a little crass to just pull a condom out of his wallet if she agreed to take this beyond friendship.
"Good," she whispered. God, they were already talking about sex. Then again, they'd both been repressing how they felt about each other for months. She kissed him again, and Morgan put the thought aside and kissed her back.
He stroked a hand up and down her back, just relishing the feeling of having her in his arms while they kissed. He couldn't repress the quiet noise of pleasure at the way she melted against him. It was amazing to think he'd earned Emily's trust.
"That doesn't mean I'm not opposed to more of what we're doing on the floor," she said after a moment, trailing kisses over his jaw.
He laughed softly, though her lips sent a shiver through him. "It's a pretty nice rug. Don't know how Spence got it up here without me seeing it." He guided her down gently, sitting so close she was nearly in his lap, and kissed her again. "God," he whispered.
"I know," she replied, kissing him again and wrapping her arms around him. She leaned into him, and a moment later, Morgan did have a lapful of Emily Prentiss. "I don't... normally do this," she whispered.
"I know," he murmured, tightening his arms around her. "Wanted this for so long. Wanted you."
"Mmm-hmm," she agreed against his lips, shifting forward against him and kissing him hungrily.
The way she pressed against him had his body wide awake and reacting eagerly. He shifted, trying to keep from embarrassing himself. "So wonderful," he murmured, running his fingers through her hair. "Emily."
She laughed quietly. "Shh," she whispered, then to his surprise, dragged his shirt up. "I want to touch you."
"God, Princess," he breathed, shuddering lightly as she tugged his shirt off. "S'hardly fair," he managed, stroking his hand down her back and tugging at her shirt until he was caressing the skin at the small of her back. He wanted to pull her close, but her hands were splayed against his chest, so he sat back and gazed hungrily at her face.
"Deal with it," she teased, stroking over the planes of his collar bones. She kissed his ear and her fingers brushed over a nipple. Oh, this was definitely not fair, but he wasn't about to stop her.
He let out a shuddery breath and brushed his thumb against her skin, wanting to touch her more but feeling like he had to prove he wanted more than just sex from her. He slid his hand up her back, pressing his palm against the skin, but made no move to remove her shirt or bra. "So good," he whispered.
"If this excites you..." she teased, then nipped at his ear.
"God!" he gasped, and tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer. To hell with being embarrassed, he wanted her closer. He let out a little groan at the jolt of pleasure that sent through him.
She gasped quietly when his excitement pressed against her, then shifted more against him. "God," she echoed. "Derek," she whispered, drawing her nails over his skin lightly.
He made a shaky noise and kissed her hard, sliding one bold hand down to cup her ass. He didn't think she was going to stop him, but he tried to stay prepared in case he took things too far. This was flirting with recklessness, though, because he knew the further they took this, the harder it would be to stop.
She hummed a pleased noise and nudged him back to the floor, then rolled her hips against him. They both moaned quietly and his hands went tighter. It prompted her to move against him again as she trailed her lips in a maddeningly slow tease down his throat.
Finally she stopped and slumped against him, panting hard. "God, this was a bad idea. Rug doesn't look so cheap now."
"Nnnh," he acknowledged, but he closed his eyes and deliberately removed his hand from inside the back of her shirt. He stroked his hand along her back, then up over her hair. After a moment he turned his head to kiss her cheek. "I don't have a condom," he informed her, smiling slowly and not opening his eyes. "So behave yourself."
She laughed, then flicked a finger at his ribs. "Oh, come on. No woman can resist Derek Morgan."
"I'm pretty sure this one's been resisting him for months," he said, rolling them over and pinning her briefly to the floor so he could kiss her.
"Mmm," she hummed into the kiss, holding him close. "For good reason."
"Really, you think so?" He nipped gently at her lower lip. "I can't imagine any reason good enough for resisting Derek Morgan."
She slid a hand down his back, slipping her thumb into the top of his jeans, but leaving it there. "I had a laundry list," she whispered. "But enough of them have been marked off. The important ones, anyway."
"Mmm, a whole list?" He brushed his nose against hers. "I started out doing this for you, but I think it's worked out in my favor. I had no idea what good friends I really have."
She smiled at him, and after a moment, it turned into a grin. "Good," she murmured, kissing him softly. "I can't believe... this room," she said, glancing out at it again.
He rolled off of her and lay next to her, staring up at the ceiling. "You know, I didn't even realize he'd taken that light fixture until he showed me the room."
She rolled her head to the side and looked at him. "Like it that much, huh?"
He chuckled and kissed her. "Well, I was planning to keep it in the kitchen for you..." he temporized.
"Oh, well, thanks. You're a hell of a guy," she teased, and rolled toward him to kiss him again.
"Mmm, you are not helping with this self-control thing, Princess," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her. He wasn't stupid enough to resist kissing her, of course. Though when she pulled away, he said, "Didn't we have sandwiches and a nice bottle of wine around here somewhere?"
She laughed. "Did we have wine?" She kissed him again, apparently as reluctant as he was to stop. "I dropped the sandwiches... somewhere," she said, sitting up to look.
"Yeah, and I took a chance and brought the red up here," he said, sitting up too. He couldn't stop touching her, though, not now that he was allowed to touch her the way he wanted to. After a moment he located the bottle and glasses where he'd put them on one of the bookshelves and got up long enough to get them, while Emily crawled over to grab the sandwiches. He came back to sit on the rug and poured them both glasses.
"To the start of something good," he said, and clinked his glass against hers.
***
Derek did his absolute best not to act even remotely smug when he got to work the next day. It didn't help when Spencer showed up looking like a slightly nerdy sexpot, thanks to the outfit Derek had made him buy. Garcia happened to be walking past when Spencer came in, and she let out a loud whistle that made several people turn and stare.
Spencer turned pink and crossed his arms over himself, then slumped half under his desk. He waited until most everyone (except Garcia and Emily) had gone back to their work, and glared at Morgan. "I hate you so much right now," he hissed, but he looked pouty again instead of actually angry.
Derek grinned at him and leaned closer. "I'd say you'll love me later, when Rossi's..." He trailed off and shook his head. "But really, as much as I love you, I don't want you thinkin' about me right then."
Spencer covered his eyes in exasperation. "Will you stop talking about that?"
Morgan snickered, but since that was the moment Rossi appeared in the entrance to the BAU, he didn't have to think of a retort. "Ooh, showtime," he murmured, and winked at Spencer, then pretended to turn his attention to his work.
He saw Spencer slump farther under his desk as Dave passed by them. When Spencer let Dave get half way up the ramp without even saying hello, Morgan turned to shoot him a look.
Spencer made a face. "This is embarrassing," he whispered.
"'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams'," Derek quoted at him. "Thoreau. Now get in there and show off that ass of yours."
Spencer stared at him, his brows drawn together. Finally he got up as if it was a huge concession, and tugged at his shirt as he walked away. "I hate this shirt," he grumbled as he passed Morgan's desk, then he turned back quickly after getting a few feet away and grabbed a file off his desk. His nervousness was sort of adorable; Morgan just hoped no one else was really watching.
Still, Morgan flashed him a huge grin when he started back towards Dave's office again.
"Shut up," Spencer muttered as he passed the second time.
"You can thank me later," Derek said, and turned his chair to watch Spencer get all the way to Dave's office door this time. When he turned back to his desk, he saw that Emily was watching him. He gave her an innocent look and shrugged. She shook her head at him and he grinned.
Derek tried to keep his attention divided between Dave's office door and his work, but after a couple of minutes he got involved in the case file he was reading, so he was surprised when something slapped down in front of him on the desk. He jumped and looked up to see Spencer watching him with raised eyebrows.
"We have a case. Would you get your head in the game, Agent Morgan?"
Derek's mouth dropped open and he came to his feet, which made Spencer jump away from the desk. But Derek just grabbed the file in one hand and then looped an arm around Spencer's shoulders. "I need some more coffee," he announced, and dragged Spencer off to the kitchenette.
"Okay, spill," he murmured while he poured them both fresh mugs.
"There's nothing to spill," Spencer said, shaking his head and shrugging at the same time, which seemed a little like he was trying too hard. Not to mention the way he was leaning against the counter, looking way more comfortable in those clothes than he had when he'd walked away.
"Uh-huh." Derek raised an eyebrow and nudged him. "You have a date, don't you?" He grinned. "Or did Rossi say he'd make sure you two share a room on this case?"
Spencer gave Morgan a look, his mouth dropping open as if he was shocked by the last question, though they both knew there wasn't any way that was possible at this point. Spencer eventually snapped his mouth shut and frowned at the fridge. "The first one," he said, and the frown was replaced with a small smile just that fast. Then he coughed. "Ah, not that I'd be opposed to the other," he added, and Morgan's eyebrows shot up. From Spencer, that was surprising.
After a moment Morgan nodded and smiled at him. "See, now, I knew he had a thing for you." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was around and added, "Just make sure he treats you right, or I'll kick his ass."
Spencer snorted. "Worrying about how he'll treat me at this point seems a little premature," he said, glancing at Dave's office door as Dave stepped out and started towards the round table room. Dave was smirking to himself.
"Not to me," Derek murmured, and handed Spencer a mug of coffee. "Trust me, he's been watching you for a while. But if he fucks up..." He shrugged. "I'm a profiler and you've got lots of friends. We'll be able to hide the body." He winked at Spencer and headed for the bullpen.
***
It was the end of another case; the team was wrapping things up back in Quantico, and Derek was more than ready for some time away from his coworkers. Well, away from most of his coworkers. When he was ready to leave, he went over to Emily's desk and leaned against it.
"Hey," he murmured, smiling when she looked up at him. "Let me take you to dinner tonight? Somewhere nice and relaxed?"
She groaned, but she was smiling. "It had better be relaxed after today, or I'd be turning you down for my hot tub."
"Mmm, I was thinking dark, private jazz club with good barbecue," he said, glancing around to make sure no one could overhear them.
Her smile turned into a grin. "I should warn you, I don't dance."
"You don't dance? Oh, Emily, you break my heart," he said, but he grinned back. "Don't worry about it, Princess. We're going for dinner. I won't make you do anything you don't want to."
She nodded. "You can stop calling me princess, you know. I get it."
He cocked his head, studying her. "You don't like it?" He liked nicknames. He wasn't sure why, but he'd started with Penelope and continued it with Spencer, and he liked having a pet name for Emily, too.
She eyed him for a moment. "Well... no, it's not that," she said.
"Then what?" he asked, curious.
She shrugged. "I don't know." Her lips pulled to the side. "Reminds me of the way my dad used to talk to me. 'Princess', 'angel'..." She shrugged again. "I think you should try again... Not to mention I really do believe you like me, you know, even without all that."
He raised an eyebrow. "Baby Girl's already taken," he informed her, but he kept smiling. "It's not about making you believe me. It's about making you feel special." He cocked his head. "Though I'm not sure Spencer realized that at first."
"Either way, Spencer deserves a kiss too."
"What?" Spencer asked suddenly. He was staring at them in total confusion. He obviously hadn't been listening until he heard something about him getting a kiss.
Emily snorted and blew him a kiss, which only seemed to confuse him more.
Derek laughed and blew him a kiss, too. "Nothing, Pretty Boy. We weren't really talking about you." He stood up and smiled down at Emily. "Anyway," he added, lowering his voice, "Spence is getting his kisses elsewhere." He winked. "I'll pick you up at seven?"
Emily laughed. "Sounds good," she said, and Morgan headed back to his desk.
"No, seriously, what?" Spencer asked when he got there.
"It's really nothing," Derek promised, meeting his gaze reassuringly. "You should worry more about what you're gonna wear on your date." He winked and spun to finish his work.
Part Four
Authors:
innerslytherin and severity_softlyPairing: Morgan/Prentiss
Rating: NC-17
WC: 32,100
Summary: Morgan has a new house to renovate. He doesn't realize he's going to end up renovating his life right along with it.
Notes: Betaed by the wonderful
resolucidityPart One
Part Two
By the time the case in Cody was finished, Derek was starting to think maybe Emily wasn't quite as impervious to his charms as she wanted to pretend. He had a feeling it had something to do with the way he hadn't responded to any of the local detective's flirtations, except with vague politeness.
She kept darting looks at him during the flight back to Quantico, and Derek had to struggle to keep his attention on his cards to keep from being cheated by Spencer. Finally Spencer kicked him under the table. "You haven't noticed the last two cards I palmed," he said, holding up a pair of aces. "What's with you today?"
Derek sighed. "Distracted, that's all. Sorry."
"By what?" Spencer's smile turned sly. "Or should I say, by whom?"
Derek flinched, but he didn't try to deny it the way he might have two months ago. "Not so loud, man," he muttered, and shook his head.
Spencer's smile widened. "I knew it," he whispered.
Derek kicked him back. "You're such a punk." He glared at Spencer and leaned in. "Anyway, I'm not the only one, Spence."
Spencer's expression changed abruptly, and he looked back at his cards. "It's your turn."
Derek grinned. "Oho, not so fun when it's aimed at you, huh?" He played a card and eyed Spencer. "I'm just playing. No criticism intended."
Spencer nodded, but didn't look up. He played and cleared his throat. "It's not really anything anyway."
"Sure it's not." Derek studied him for a minute, then made sure no one could overhear them. "You know, I had one person imply they thought I was settling down with you. So you might want to make it obvious that you're not taken." Never mind that it was Emily and she'd been mostly joking; he thought it was possible Rossi might think Derek had prior claim.
"Why bother?" Spencer muttered. "Unless it bothers you. It's your turn."
"It doesn't bother me," Derek said. "It's flattering someone thinks you'd pick me. But you oughta let him know I don't have any claim on your...affections, in that way." He put down a card and inspected his remaining hand. "Because I don't see anything happening for me to make it clear that my affections are otherwise engaged." He sighed.
"I think you're wrong." Spencer glanced at Emily, then looked back. Yep, he definitely knew. "And I'm guessing you're both being utterly stupid."
"Hey, I tried to...I tried," Derek said. "She made it clear she thought it was a bad idea." He shrugged. "I don't want to be a complete jerk about it and harass her." He threw down another card and tried not to scowl.
Spencer made a face and laid down his cards. "Gin." He sat back and looked at Morgan, still whispering. "You really think she's going to make the first move... second move?"
"Shit," Derek said, and sighed. "She's gonna have to, because I'm not. I kind of made a jackass of myself the first time. I'd rather not do it again."
Spencer's lips pulled to the side, then he made a face. ''Well, good luck with your waiting."
"You really think I should make another move?" Derek whispered, watching Spencer. Not that Spencer was necessarily the guy he would go to first for romantic advice, but Spencer knew Emily, and his opinion mattered. Of course, Spencer also probably just wanted to be right ever since he'd made that remark about Derek giving her the wrong impression, years ago.
"Yeah." Spencer shrugged. He glanced at Emily again, then his gaze flicked to Rossi for a minute before coming back to Morgan. "You just need the right moment. And the right setting."
Derek raised his eyebrows. "The right setting, huh? The butler's pantry not romantic enough?" He kept from glancing back at Emily or Rossi, since he didn't really want them to know they were talking about them. "And all you need is a pair of jeans."
Spencer snorted. "Right." He chewed his lip, then started to shuffle the cards. "It's never going to happen, so can we stop talking about it?"
Derek snorted too, but then he leaned in and grinned at Spencer. "No, man. We can make a deal. If I make a move, then you have to wear jeans to work again, and find some excuse to go in and lean over his desk."
Spencer coughed, but managed to keep himself from choking, then he leaned in too, and whispered, "He likes girls, and not in the peripheral way I do. It's more of a central focus."
"And he was checking you out in those jeans," Derek whispered back. "Total eyefuck, man. I'm telling you, you need to listen to me on this."
Spencer, predictably, turned bright red. Then he hummed a disbelieving noise and sat back. He went back to chewing the inside of his lip, staring out the window, and Morgan let him mull over what he'd just been told in silence.
A few minutes later, Spencer's lips thinned in thought, and he looked back at Morgan. "Thanks for not caring... about... you know."
"You and I both know it doesn't make a difference in who you are," Derek said. "I'm sure no one on this team would care. We're your friends." But he smiled at Spencer to let him know he understood.
"Who's winning?" Derek and Spencer both jumped, and Hotch chuckled. Derek hadn't even noticed his approach. "Clearly neither of you is very interested in the game. Let's make it a little more interesting. Loser buys lunch when we get home. Now deal me in."
"Well, I already kicked Morgan's ass. It's your turn," Spencer said, then pulled the other two aces out of his sleeve without bothering to hide it; both Morgan and Hotch laughed. Spencer shrugged, grinning, and added them back to the deck before starting to shuffle.
Morgan ended up buying lunch for the team, but he couldn't really complain. Spencer seemed to be in a really good mood, despite Morgan's accusations that Spencer had deliberately slipped him the lowest cards. Of course, he didn't deny it, either.
When they got away from the BAU that afternoon, Derek was ready to go home and crash, but Spencer insisted they should work on the house. Derek couldn't help but laugh at the way his project had become their project instead...but he couldn't complain. He liked having the company, and he was really enjoying how much closer he and Spencer were these days.
Spencer seemed really excited about getting back to the house, and Derek found his enthusiasm catching, even though he was tired.
"We gonna finish the painting I started, or are you going to disappear without me?" he asked. "Because I may fall asleep if you don't keep me awake."
"I need help upstairs, actually." Spencer tugged Morgan sleeve, then bounded up the stairs. Morgan actually found himself a little nervous that Spencer was about to show him his secret project, but followed anyway. They climbed the stairs to the attic, and then Morgan's mouth fell open when he looked at what Spencer had done.
"I'll wear jeans and lean over Dave's desk, even though it won't do a damn bit of good, if you show this to Prentiss." He shrugged, then suddenly looked unsure when he glanced at Morgan. "If... you think she'll like it, or did I get this all wrong?"
The room was done in dark green and white, and Spencer had built bookshelves all along the wall where the ceiling sloped down to shoulder height. In the middle of the wall, just under the window, he'd put in a bench seat that was covered in cushions. So that's what he needed the white bead-board for, Derek thought.
"It's great," he managed, staring around him. The skylights would have to come later, but that didn't even matter. "She'll love it. Man, I love it." He collected himself enough to grin at Spencer. "You're a kick-ass renovator, man. I'm so gonna make you work on all my properties now."
He turned in a circle, noting that the steamer trunks were all gone, and the floor had been sanded before being painted white. There was a braided rug covering it, which was the only furnishing in the room aside from the empty bookshelves and the bench seat. "Man," he breathed, and grabbed Spencer in a hug. "You are awesome."
Spencer tensed for a half second--even though he'd grown used to the way Morgan touched him, he still wasn't an overly physical person and Morgan didn't usually hug him--but then he relaxed and returned the hug. He cleared his throat when he pulled back, looking slightly overwhelmed by the reaction he'd gotten, but then just pointed up. "You said she liked that light fixture. I hope you don't mind I moved it, but I think it stands out here more than it did outside the butler's pantry." Morgan hadn't even noticed it was gone. "You can tell her you did all this, if you want," Spencer added as an afterthought.
"There is no way," Derek said quietly. "There is no way I would steal your thunder, Spence. You did this...just because you knew I care about her?"
"Yeah," Spencer said, as if it should have been obvious. He looked back at Morgan almost like he didn't understand the question, like it never crossed his mind not to do something this special for his friend.
"God, I got lucky when it comes to my friends," Derek murmured. "If David Rossi doesn't want you, he's a damn fool." He squeezed Spencer's shoulder and then threw an arm around his shoulders again, staring up at the light fixture. "She's gonna love this. Hell, I love this. You did great."
"Thanks," Spencer murmured, smiling faintly. "If Dave doesn't want me, it's because he's heterosexual, like I told you. Like all would seem to indicate. Like... all the rumors."
Derek snorted. "Trust me, he was totally checking you out. And you're gonna have to hold up your end of the bargain, because I can't wait to show Emily this room."
Spencer snorted. "Fine. Fine. I already said I would."
"Good." Derek grinned. "I think you and I oughta go find you some nice tight Levi's that ride low on your hips. If your work jeans made him react like that, some low-rise ones might makes his eyes fall right outta his skull." He waggled his eyebrows at Spencer.
Spencer looked at him like he was crazy. "Low rise jeans are for girls," he said after a few moments. "Regardless, it would be inappropriate for work."
"Will you listen to me, pretty boy?" Derek said, tightening his arm a little on Spencer's shoulders. "I let you renovate my attic, so you should let me renovate your jeans."
"But... that's going to be a little obvious if I just show up to work randomly in low cut jeans," Spencer continued to protest.
Derek grinned. "Then ask him out for drinks and wear the jeans out for drinks. Or I could ask him out for drinks like we're going with a crowd, and you could be the one who shows up." He nudged Spencer. "But I think wearing the jeans to work is your best bet."
Spencer stared at him. "I agreed to wear jeans of no specific variety, and lean over his desk, not asking him out or letting you do it for me."
"Hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained," Derek said. He finally let Spencer go and shrugged. "Anyway, I think you at least oughta let me pick out your jeans."
Spencer's expression didn't change, then he shifted out of Morgan's hold. "This is stupid. I'll just get my hopes up for nothing," he grumbled, then slumped on the window seat, wearing an expression that could only be described as pouty. "If you put me in something embarrassing, I'll put the room back how it was," he threatened finally.
"Hey, a little trust here," Derek said. "I don't want to embarrass you, I just wanna help you get laid. And showing off your ass is definitely going to help in that regard."
"Oh my God," Spencer groaned, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is there any more beer left in the fridge downstairs?"
Morgan laughed. "Yeah, that shit you drink," he teased, and followed Spencer out of the room. "Come on, that is the goal, right? I mean, I can see Rossi being into the flowers and chocolates part of a relationship, too, but ultimately? You want to get him in bed. Not that I blame you, considering the things I've heard." He grinned. "I'm just sayin', trust me on this. You can manage the flowers and chocolates and promises parts yourself. The getting him to jump you thing...you could use a little coaching on."
"How did this conversation become about the non-existent possibility of me having sex with Dave instead of about you doing something romantic for Prentiss that she can't resist?" Spencer asked.
"We've got to work on this confidence issue you have," Derek said. "Anyway, I appreciate what you've done for me, setting up the attic like that. I appreciate all your help. And you're my best friend. I wanna see you happy. Ergo, I'm trying to think of a way to make you happy. Ergo the jeans." He grinned at Spencer and slid down the banister to beat him to the bottom of the stairs.
"It's not a confidence issue, it's a reality issue!" Spencer exclaimed, frowning at Morgan.
Morgan pointed up at him. "Tomorrow, you and me hit the mall. No arguments. Case closed."
Spencer held up his hands in surrender. "Fine. Now shut up about it."
***
It actually turned out to be a week and a half later, because they were called out before lunch the next day. Derek had threatened to drag Spencer to the local mall where they were working, but since they were in Texas, he was afraid he'd be stuck dressing Spencer like a cowboy, and that just wasn't what he had in mind at all.
When they'd got back to Virginia, though, Derek had set about getting Spencer into a whole new outfit. He'd started with the jeans, which he thought did exactly what they should--that is, showing off Spencer's ass--while still being modest enough that, while Spencer complained, he'd still plunked down his credit card for it. Of course, they'd had to walk through another store on the way out, and Derek had grabbed a dark blue shirt that, even though it buttoned, was made of a nice soft material. He'd basically nagged Spencer until he bought the shirt, and then Derek had been happy.
Of course, then it was time for him to actually put his money where his mouth was and invite Emily back to the house. Spencer had stipulated that Derek had to ask her over, in front of Spencer, before the jeans were ever appearing in the BAU.
Emily was hunched over her desk absorbed in her work and had been all afternoon, but Morgan knew it was now or never. Spencer kept darting glances at him that clearly said, 'will you hurry up and do it already?!' Morgan got up after the tenth exasperated look and walked over to her. She didn't even lift her gaze at first, she just said, "Hey," and kept looking at her files.
"How's it goin'?" he said, and sat on the edge of her desk. He waited until she looked up, then smiled at her. "How about dinner over at the house tonight?"
She smiled. "Sure. Chinese or pizza?" she asked, then flipped a page over and looked back down. "Oh, hey, how'd getting the upstairs shower going go?"
He laughed. "Still working on it. We'll see if it's leaking tonight when we get there, but when I left last night, there was an annoying drip that didn't look like it was gonna stop." He shrugged. "And I'll let you pick up dinner, and I'll get the beer." He glanced over at Spencer's desk. "Someone's been drinking it all."
She snorted. "Who, Garcia?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell him," Spencer said. "It's not working."
"Definitely not working," Derek said, and flicked Spencer's hair as he went back to his desk.
Spencer made a face and pushed his hair back behind his ears, then gave Morgan a thumbs up under his desk.
Morgan waited until Emily's attention was back on her work, then used a rubber band to fling a paperclip at Spencer's back. He kept it up until Spencer flinched and turned around to glare. At that point, he just gave Spencer a big cheesy grin, which earned him a sigh and a nod. It meant Spencer's jeans would be making an appearance the next day, and Derek grinned. At least that way one of them was assured of getting some in the next week or so.
Derek was certain Emily felt the attraction still as much as he did. For months he'd had no desire to go out looking for physical companionship that wasn't hers--and his tomcat ways had never been about emotional companionship, after all. But even so, he wasn't as confident as Spencer that Emily was going to change her mind about the Derek-Morgan-sized box she'd made in her mind. She'd always said she compartmentalized well, and there was only so far Derek could go in trying to push her out of her carefully-regimented life before he turned into an asshole coworker or, worse, borderline stalker. There was a difference between persistence and creepy, and he knew he was always going to err far to the right of that line.
He had a hard time getting his concentration back on his work, and finally he shoved his case files into the top drawer of his desk and announced he was heading for the gym. He nudged Spencer in invitation as he passed, but got a disinterested noise. He'd noticed Spencer developing a little bit of muscle over the past couple months of constant power-tool use, but he supposed his slender friend still didn't like comparing the two of them in physical competitions.
By the time he'd worked out a little nervous tension and showered, the bullpen was down to just Emily and a couple guys from another team.
"You weren't waiting for me, were you?" Derek asked, and Emily shrugged.
"Sort of, but I got some stuff done. Meet you at the house?"
"Yeah, I'll see you there."
He'd said he would provide the beer, but instead he bought two bottles of wine--white and red, since he wasn't sure what she would be picking up--and two cheap wine glasses, and booked it over to the house. Fortunately he still beat her there, so he had time to open the wine and have it breathing upstairs in what he'd been thinking of for weeks as 'Emily's room'.
God, he'd told Spencer he wouldn't be able to part with the house when they finished it, but if Emily turned him down, he was going to have to have Spencer redecorate it.
When she finally knocked on the door, it was later than he expected, and she made a face at him. "Can you believe they didn't have Moo Shoo?" She tilted her head at him. "How does a Chinese restaurant not have Moo Shoo?" She came inside and glanced around. "I like this blue," she said of the new paint in the entryway. "I got us sandwiches. That okay?"
"That's fine," he said, grinning. "The blue was Penelope. She said the house had too many warm colors, and we were messing up the feng shui or something." He shrugged. "The woman has purple walls in her place, so I figured I wasn't gonna argue with blue."
She laughed and looked around. "Well, I don't see any beads hanging around. I hope whoever buys this place likes color."
He grinned and shrugged. "Oh, I'm going to make sure the person who lives here won't change the place." He reached out and took the bag out of her hand, then closed his fingers around hers. "Come on, let's go eat upstairs."
Her eyebrows lifted, but she didn't tense or pull away. She didn't look worried or uncomfortable with the gesture either, just a little surprised. "Um... porch it is," she said, then smiled.
"Not exactly," he said, still smiling. "Reid finally unveiled his surprise. He said I could show it to you now." And with those words, his heart started pounding in his chest. Oh, God, if she didn't like it, this was going to be so fucking embarrassing.
"I feel so honored," she said, and then his heart sped impossibly when she smiled and squeezed his hand back. He gave her a little tug and they started up the stairs. "I've been meaning to tell you I'm proud of you," she said, then shrugged. "The house, showing Reid and Garcia."
It felt a little silly, the way he couldn't stop smiling at her. But he forced his gaze up the way they were going. "Looking back, it's hard to believe it was so hard. Spencer loves this place. I...I didn't even know how important I was to him. And I know...well, he was surprised when I called him my best friend. It's stupid that I spent so much time missing out on people just because I was scared they weren't gonna like the real me." He still didn't exactly like talking about emotions, but he'd figured out pretty easily that it was important to her, and at least he'd been practicing this stuff with Spencer.
"There's a lot of time left. All that matters now is that you're making an effort." She smiled up at him, then suddenly said, "Oh! Beer. I'll go grab it," and started to turn.
Morgan tightened his hold on her hands and pulled her back.
"I already have our liquid refreshment upstairs," he said. "I got here ahead of you by a little bit, Ms. Obsessed With Moo Shoo." Man, he wanted to kiss her. He turned his gaze up to the stairs in front of them to keep her from seeing how much he wanted that.
"I'm not obsessed," she retorted, grinning. "But it's like... Chinese burritos. How can you not-- you know what? Never mind. I can't say anything that won't get me teased more."
"Hey, I'm just playin'," he said, grinning. "You know I like Moo Shoo just fine." He glanced at her. "But I don't really care what we eat. Tonight's more about the company than anything."
She held his gaze for a moment, and Morgan could tell she was working out what was going on. She was smiling, but she also looked... Morgan wasn't sure if her expression held a hint of nervousness or if she was unsure. She squeezed his hand again, though, which eased the tightness in his chest a little, even if she didn't seem to know what to say.
They climbed the rest of the stairs in silence. When they got to the hall just outside the attic room, and Derek tugged gently at her hand to get her to stop. "Here, you hang on to the food," he said, and waited until she'd taken the bag again. Then he covered her eyes gently with one hand. "Okay, now walk forward. Slowly. I won't let you run into anything. Nothing to get splinters on, either. He did a damn good job on the floor."
She huffed laugh, but started walking up to the room anyway. "You know, it's not my birthday... but now I'm sort of hoping there might be cake anyway."
He chuckled. "Not exactly, but...well." He guided her to the middle of the room, then lowered his hand. "I'm not selling the house, Emily."
Her lips parted in surprise, and she looked around the room. For a minute, she didn't say anything, but she finally managed, "Oh my God. It's... beautiful. Spencer's better at this than I am." Then it seemed to hit her what Morgan said, and she turned around and looked at him. "Wait, what do you mean you're not selling the house?"
Now or never, Derek thought, and swallowed. He lifted a hand to brush her cheek. "Spencer did this because he knew, without my even telling him, how I feel about you. After the care he and Penelope put into this house, after spending time with you in it...how could I sell it? Home is where the heart is, right?"
She suddenly looked overwhelmed, but she didn't move away or tense up. She just stared at him for a long moment, her mouth open like she thought she should say something and didn't know what, then she turned to look at the room again. It felt like it was taking ages to sink in; Morgan wanted to just lean in and kiss her. But it was encouraging to watch her put the pieces together and not panic.
When she turned back to face him, she did a double take at the ceiling, then looked up, a huge grin breaking across her face suddenly. "My light!"
That made him grin back at her, suddenly feeling like a huge weight had lifted off his shoulders. She hadn't said no. "Your room," he corrected, watching her closely. He felt like his heart was too big for his chest, even though he knew he shouldn't get his hopes up too much yet. She hadn't really acknowledged what he'd said, even if she seemed happy about this.
"God," she said, shaking her head. "It's..." She looked back at him, her grin fading, even if her gaze was still warm. "This is for me?" she asked, and took his hand again, dropping the food to the floor.
He gave her a crooked smile. "Who knew Spencer's attic would turn into Emily's Room?" he asked softly. "I had no idea he was doing this. But he knew, Emily. He knows. If it hadn't been for Spencer, I might not have had the guts to say anything else...but I haven't changed my mind. I haven't moved on." He looked at her seriously, willing her to just believe him. "I care about you. I want you. I want us."
"I know. I've noticed," she whispered, then smiled faintly. "Good thing you took my advice about telling Reid, huh?" She bit her lips together, then said, "I still think this is possibly a very bad idea." She watched him for a moment, her gaze serious.
"Has it affected our jobs?" he murmured, brushing the fingers of his free hand against her cheek. "We've been doing our jobs all this time, knowing how we felt, and the only way it's affected our jobs is that Spencer knows how we feel. And that's probably because I make him keep working when I let you sit on the porch barefoot and drink tea." His thumb brushed her lower lip and he watched her face hungrily. "This is for real, Emily."
She sucked in a breath. "You were right. I'm afraid," she admitted quietly.
"I am too," he said, matching her tone. "Of a lot of things. That I'll fuck up. That you'll still realize someday I'm not the right guy. That you'll get shot. That I'll get shot. But the one thing I'm not afraid of is this going away. Because I have to tell you, I was fighting it, but I've been attracted to you just about from day one. And it wasn't until I started letting you in that I got all this. This house, this feeling that I really do have a family here." A thought occurred to him and he grinned. "Without you, I'd never have got to make Spencer buy a pair of jeans that are gonna make Rossi's eyes fall out of their sockets."
She laughed, her hand tightening on his. "It's about damn time he realized Dave wants him too."
Derek's grin faded. "It's about damn time you realized I want you," he whispered.
Her expression melted a little. "Kiss me."
"Yes, ma'am." He held her gaze for a long moment, memorizing the way this felt. Then he lowered his head slowly and let his lips just barely brush against hers. "Emily." He pulled back and smiled, then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again, more firmly.
Her arms slid around his shoulders and she hummed into the kiss. God, this was how the first kiss was supposed to have gone, except Morgan couldn't help but think that maybe it was even better this way. If she hadn't shut him down the first time, he wouldn't feel as full as he did now.
"Morgan," she whispered. "Derek." Her fingertips brushed over the back of his neck, making him shiver.
He stroked one hand up to bury his fingers in her hair, then kissed a trail along her jaw to a spot just below her ear. "You're so beautiful," he breathed. His other arm tightened around her waist, holding her close against him. "So much fun." She made him feel like it was enough just to be himself.
She laughed softly and slid one hand up the back of his shirt. "I'm lucky you think that," she murmured, kissing his ear.
He smiled again. "You aren't the lucky one in this room right now." He loved the way she felt in his arms. He had a feeling that he would never be able to get enough of having her in his arms. "I know just how lucky I am to even call you my friend." He kissed the side of her neck. "But I guess I'm greedy, because I want to be the guy you come home with. Every night."
She nudged him back just enough to capture his lips in a needy kiss, then leaned into him, pressing her body flush against his. God, she felt wonderful, and he pulled her even tighter against him. She let out a little whimper and it shot through him like fire, her hand sliding further up under his shirt. "Yes," she breathed, and her other hand joined the first, sliding over the planes of his back.
He kissed her again, drawing it out hungrily. This felt so good, knowing she wasn't going to push him away. He stroked her hair as they kissed, relishing the feel of her body against his.
"Mmm," she hummed into the kiss, then pulled back, smiling up at him. "You were right about another thing, too. You are a great kisser." Her smile turned into a grin and she kissed him briefly. "If we don't stop, I'm going to do terrible things to you."
"You oughta know I'm not going to complain about that," he murmured, grinning back at her. "Have your wicked way with me, Ms. Prentiss." He kissed her. "Take me, I'm yours," he whispered against her lips. He had a feeling she knew just how true that was, despite the cheesy line.
She grinned, then leaned up and kissed him hungrily, showing him how much she wanted him, then pulled back just enough to murmur against his lips. "Call me spoiled, but I was sort of hoping for something a little nicer than a braided rug on the floor," she teased.
"Mmm." Morgan smiled and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Well, I have to admit, I wasn't sure I'd be able to change your mind tonight...so you'll get something a little nicer than a braided rug on the floor, our first time." He'd thought it would be more than a little crass to just pull a condom out of his wallet if she agreed to take this beyond friendship.
"Good," she whispered. God, they were already talking about sex. Then again, they'd both been repressing how they felt about each other for months. She kissed him again, and Morgan put the thought aside and kissed her back.
He stroked a hand up and down her back, just relishing the feeling of having her in his arms while they kissed. He couldn't repress the quiet noise of pleasure at the way she melted against him. It was amazing to think he'd earned Emily's trust.
"That doesn't mean I'm not opposed to more of what we're doing on the floor," she said after a moment, trailing kisses over his jaw.
He laughed softly, though her lips sent a shiver through him. "It's a pretty nice rug. Don't know how Spence got it up here without me seeing it." He guided her down gently, sitting so close she was nearly in his lap, and kissed her again. "God," he whispered.
"I know," she replied, kissing him again and wrapping her arms around him. She leaned into him, and a moment later, Morgan did have a lapful of Emily Prentiss. "I don't... normally do this," she whispered.
"I know," he murmured, tightening his arms around her. "Wanted this for so long. Wanted you."
"Mmm-hmm," she agreed against his lips, shifting forward against him and kissing him hungrily.
The way she pressed against him had his body wide awake and reacting eagerly. He shifted, trying to keep from embarrassing himself. "So wonderful," he murmured, running his fingers through her hair. "Emily."
She laughed quietly. "Shh," she whispered, then to his surprise, dragged his shirt up. "I want to touch you."
"God, Princess," he breathed, shuddering lightly as she tugged his shirt off. "S'hardly fair," he managed, stroking his hand down her back and tugging at her shirt until he was caressing the skin at the small of her back. He wanted to pull her close, but her hands were splayed against his chest, so he sat back and gazed hungrily at her face.
"Deal with it," she teased, stroking over the planes of his collar bones. She kissed his ear and her fingers brushed over a nipple. Oh, this was definitely not fair, but he wasn't about to stop her.
He let out a shuddery breath and brushed his thumb against her skin, wanting to touch her more but feeling like he had to prove he wanted more than just sex from her. He slid his hand up her back, pressing his palm against the skin, but made no move to remove her shirt or bra. "So good," he whispered.
"If this excites you..." she teased, then nipped at his ear.
"God!" he gasped, and tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer. To hell with being embarrassed, he wanted her closer. He let out a little groan at the jolt of pleasure that sent through him.
She gasped quietly when his excitement pressed against her, then shifted more against him. "God," she echoed. "Derek," she whispered, drawing her nails over his skin lightly.
He made a shaky noise and kissed her hard, sliding one bold hand down to cup her ass. He didn't think she was going to stop him, but he tried to stay prepared in case he took things too far. This was flirting with recklessness, though, because he knew the further they took this, the harder it would be to stop.
She hummed a pleased noise and nudged him back to the floor, then rolled her hips against him. They both moaned quietly and his hands went tighter. It prompted her to move against him again as she trailed her lips in a maddeningly slow tease down his throat.
Finally she stopped and slumped against him, panting hard. "God, this was a bad idea. Rug doesn't look so cheap now."
"Nnnh," he acknowledged, but he closed his eyes and deliberately removed his hand from inside the back of her shirt. He stroked his hand along her back, then up over her hair. After a moment he turned his head to kiss her cheek. "I don't have a condom," he informed her, smiling slowly and not opening his eyes. "So behave yourself."
She laughed, then flicked a finger at his ribs. "Oh, come on. No woman can resist Derek Morgan."
"I'm pretty sure this one's been resisting him for months," he said, rolling them over and pinning her briefly to the floor so he could kiss her.
"Mmm," she hummed into the kiss, holding him close. "For good reason."
"Really, you think so?" He nipped gently at her lower lip. "I can't imagine any reason good enough for resisting Derek Morgan."
She slid a hand down his back, slipping her thumb into the top of his jeans, but leaving it there. "I had a laundry list," she whispered. "But enough of them have been marked off. The important ones, anyway."
"Mmm, a whole list?" He brushed his nose against hers. "I started out doing this for you, but I think it's worked out in my favor. I had no idea what good friends I really have."
She smiled at him, and after a moment, it turned into a grin. "Good," she murmured, kissing him softly. "I can't believe... this room," she said, glancing out at it again.
He rolled off of her and lay next to her, staring up at the ceiling. "You know, I didn't even realize he'd taken that light fixture until he showed me the room."
She rolled her head to the side and looked at him. "Like it that much, huh?"
He chuckled and kissed her. "Well, I was planning to keep it in the kitchen for you..." he temporized.
"Oh, well, thanks. You're a hell of a guy," she teased, and rolled toward him to kiss him again.
"Mmm, you are not helping with this self-control thing, Princess," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her. He wasn't stupid enough to resist kissing her, of course. Though when she pulled away, he said, "Didn't we have sandwiches and a nice bottle of wine around here somewhere?"
She laughed. "Did we have wine?" She kissed him again, apparently as reluctant as he was to stop. "I dropped the sandwiches... somewhere," she said, sitting up to look.
"Yeah, and I took a chance and brought the red up here," he said, sitting up too. He couldn't stop touching her, though, not now that he was allowed to touch her the way he wanted to. After a moment he located the bottle and glasses where he'd put them on one of the bookshelves and got up long enough to get them, while Emily crawled over to grab the sandwiches. He came back to sit on the rug and poured them both glasses.
"To the start of something good," he said, and clinked his glass against hers.
***
Derek did his absolute best not to act even remotely smug when he got to work the next day. It didn't help when Spencer showed up looking like a slightly nerdy sexpot, thanks to the outfit Derek had made him buy. Garcia happened to be walking past when Spencer came in, and she let out a loud whistle that made several people turn and stare.
Spencer turned pink and crossed his arms over himself, then slumped half under his desk. He waited until most everyone (except Garcia and Emily) had gone back to their work, and glared at Morgan. "I hate you so much right now," he hissed, but he looked pouty again instead of actually angry.
Derek grinned at him and leaned closer. "I'd say you'll love me later, when Rossi's..." He trailed off and shook his head. "But really, as much as I love you, I don't want you thinkin' about me right then."
Spencer covered his eyes in exasperation. "Will you stop talking about that?"
Morgan snickered, but since that was the moment Rossi appeared in the entrance to the BAU, he didn't have to think of a retort. "Ooh, showtime," he murmured, and winked at Spencer, then pretended to turn his attention to his work.
He saw Spencer slump farther under his desk as Dave passed by them. When Spencer let Dave get half way up the ramp without even saying hello, Morgan turned to shoot him a look.
Spencer made a face. "This is embarrassing," he whispered.
"'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams'," Derek quoted at him. "Thoreau. Now get in there and show off that ass of yours."
Spencer stared at him, his brows drawn together. Finally he got up as if it was a huge concession, and tugged at his shirt as he walked away. "I hate this shirt," he grumbled as he passed Morgan's desk, then he turned back quickly after getting a few feet away and grabbed a file off his desk. His nervousness was sort of adorable; Morgan just hoped no one else was really watching.
Still, Morgan flashed him a huge grin when he started back towards Dave's office again.
"Shut up," Spencer muttered as he passed the second time.
"You can thank me later," Derek said, and turned his chair to watch Spencer get all the way to Dave's office door this time. When he turned back to his desk, he saw that Emily was watching him. He gave her an innocent look and shrugged. She shook her head at him and he grinned.
Derek tried to keep his attention divided between Dave's office door and his work, but after a couple of minutes he got involved in the case file he was reading, so he was surprised when something slapped down in front of him on the desk. He jumped and looked up to see Spencer watching him with raised eyebrows.
"We have a case. Would you get your head in the game, Agent Morgan?"
Derek's mouth dropped open and he came to his feet, which made Spencer jump away from the desk. But Derek just grabbed the file in one hand and then looped an arm around Spencer's shoulders. "I need some more coffee," he announced, and dragged Spencer off to the kitchenette.
"Okay, spill," he murmured while he poured them both fresh mugs.
"There's nothing to spill," Spencer said, shaking his head and shrugging at the same time, which seemed a little like he was trying too hard. Not to mention the way he was leaning against the counter, looking way more comfortable in those clothes than he had when he'd walked away.
"Uh-huh." Derek raised an eyebrow and nudged him. "You have a date, don't you?" He grinned. "Or did Rossi say he'd make sure you two share a room on this case?"
Spencer gave Morgan a look, his mouth dropping open as if he was shocked by the last question, though they both knew there wasn't any way that was possible at this point. Spencer eventually snapped his mouth shut and frowned at the fridge. "The first one," he said, and the frown was replaced with a small smile just that fast. Then he coughed. "Ah, not that I'd be opposed to the other," he added, and Morgan's eyebrows shot up. From Spencer, that was surprising.
After a moment Morgan nodded and smiled at him. "See, now, I knew he had a thing for you." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was around and added, "Just make sure he treats you right, or I'll kick his ass."
Spencer snorted. "Worrying about how he'll treat me at this point seems a little premature," he said, glancing at Dave's office door as Dave stepped out and started towards the round table room. Dave was smirking to himself.
"Not to me," Derek murmured, and handed Spencer a mug of coffee. "Trust me, he's been watching you for a while. But if he fucks up..." He shrugged. "I'm a profiler and you've got lots of friends. We'll be able to hide the body." He winked at Spencer and headed for the bullpen.
***
It was the end of another case; the team was wrapping things up back in Quantico, and Derek was more than ready for some time away from his coworkers. Well, away from most of his coworkers. When he was ready to leave, he went over to Emily's desk and leaned against it.
"Hey," he murmured, smiling when she looked up at him. "Let me take you to dinner tonight? Somewhere nice and relaxed?"
She groaned, but she was smiling. "It had better be relaxed after today, or I'd be turning you down for my hot tub."
"Mmm, I was thinking dark, private jazz club with good barbecue," he said, glancing around to make sure no one could overhear them.
Her smile turned into a grin. "I should warn you, I don't dance."
"You don't dance? Oh, Emily, you break my heart," he said, but he grinned back. "Don't worry about it, Princess. We're going for dinner. I won't make you do anything you don't want to."
She nodded. "You can stop calling me princess, you know. I get it."
He cocked his head, studying her. "You don't like it?" He liked nicknames. He wasn't sure why, but he'd started with Penelope and continued it with Spencer, and he liked having a pet name for Emily, too.
She eyed him for a moment. "Well... no, it's not that," she said.
"Then what?" he asked, curious.
She shrugged. "I don't know." Her lips pulled to the side. "Reminds me of the way my dad used to talk to me. 'Princess', 'angel'..." She shrugged again. "I think you should try again... Not to mention I really do believe you like me, you know, even without all that."
He raised an eyebrow. "Baby Girl's already taken," he informed her, but he kept smiling. "It's not about making you believe me. It's about making you feel special." He cocked his head. "Though I'm not sure Spencer realized that at first."
"Either way, Spencer deserves a kiss too."
"What?" Spencer asked suddenly. He was staring at them in total confusion. He obviously hadn't been listening until he heard something about him getting a kiss.
Emily snorted and blew him a kiss, which only seemed to confuse him more.
Derek laughed and blew him a kiss, too. "Nothing, Pretty Boy. We weren't really talking about you." He stood up and smiled down at Emily. "Anyway," he added, lowering his voice, "Spence is getting his kisses elsewhere." He winked. "I'll pick you up at seven?"
Emily laughed. "Sounds good," she said, and Morgan headed back to his desk.
"No, seriously, what?" Spencer asked when he got there.
"It's really nothing," Derek promised, meeting his gaze reassuringly. "You should worry more about what you're gonna wear on your date." He winked and spun to finish his work.
Part Four
