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geekystudmuffin2009-11-10 10:02 pm
severity-softly.livejournal.com) wrote in geekystudmuffin2009-11-10 10:02 pm
Canceling the Reid Effect, Hotch/Reid (Fathers Are Not Born universe), PG-13
Title: Canceling the Reid Effect
Authors:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
innerslytherin and severity_softly
Pairing: Hotch/Reid
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Jack wants a pet. Spencer's always had a hard time saying no.
Word count: ~6700
Notes:resolucidity betaed this for us. Thanks! :)
This is part of the "Fathers Are Not Born" universe, all of which can be found at this tag. This is part EIGHT. Each installment may also be read as a stand alone fic, however it will hopefully add to your enjoyment if you read the series as a whole. :)
"Kitty!" Jack screeched.
Spencer put a hand on the top of his head. "Please don't yell," he said, darting a glance around at the other people who had turned their head to look at them. Jack had torn holes in his jeans and Aaron had a consult he was on, so Spencer had taken him to buy new ones, since he didn't keep a lot of clothes at Aaron's house. He was wondering now if the mall had been a bad choice.
"Spencer, there's kitties," Jack said, as if Spencer hadn't heard the first declaration of the cats' presence, only this time Jack had whispered.
Jack squealed quietly, and tapped on the glass, after which Spencer grabbed his hand. "Don't do that."
"I want them to look at me!" Jack said, tugging on his hand. "They're fuzzy!" His lower lip pooched out. "I like kitties."
"Hitting the glass probably scares them," Spencer said. He crouched down to Jack's level. "We can look at them, though."
"Can we pet them?" Jack pressed his face against the glass. "Look at the black one!" He giggled as the black kitten jumped on some invisible prey.
"I, um..." Oh, the mall had been a bad idea. "I don't think they want you to pet them unless you're going to buy one."
"We could buy one!" Jack said, turning to look at Spencer. He bounced excitedly. "I have two dollars from my allowance saved up!"
Spencer couldn't help but laugh. "It'll take a lot more than that. Probably a hundred dollars or more, and that's not including its food and toys, and all that other stuff."
Jack's eyes got big and his lower lip pooched out again. "But I want one. You could buy it for me."
Spencer shook his head, but stood and took Jack's hand. "We'll see if we can pet one. Just pet one."
Jack made a whimpery noise, but then quickly changed his mind and bounced along next to Spencer into the store.
"Hi, ah... my son wants to pet one of your cats, if--"
"Kitties," Jack corrected, and Spencer smiled at the woman behind the counter.
"Kittens," he said, "If we're allowed to do that."
"Pleeease!" Jack added. Spencer didn't know if anyone would be able to resist those big eyes.
"Of course," she said, smiling back at them. "Why don't you come up to the front and show me which one you want to pet?"
"The black one!" Jack said.
"Black ones are supposed to be bad luck," Spencer said.
"You don't believe in luck," Jack pointed out.
Spencer made a thoughtful face. "Good point."
The woman unlocked the door on the cage and reached inside. The kittens all came running over to her, and the black one let out a Mew! when she picked it up. Jack giggled.
She led them over to one of the little enclosed rooms for 'meet and greet' with the animals, and left Spencer and Jack in there with the little black kitten. Jack wiggled his fingers at it, and the kitten pounced on them, licking them.
Jack squealed. "It's rough!"
"Their tongues have papillae--ah, spines--on them to help them rip flesh from the bodies of their prey."
"What's a prey?" Jack asked, scratching behind the kitten's ears.
"It's the animals they hunt to eat. Cats are carnivorous. Do you know what that means?" Spencer asked.
"Carnivous?" Jack let the kitten lick him again. "They drink milk."
Spencer snorted. "What? Where'd you get that?"
"I've seen pictures of kitties drinking milk." Jack scowled at him. "Don't laugh at me. It isn't nice."
Spencer cleared his throat. "Sorry. I-- well, that's not what carnivorous means. It means they eat meat."
"I'm carnivorous!" Jack announced. "RAR!" The kitten let out another mew and Jack picked it up. "Sorry, kitty."
Spencer grinned as Jack petted the kitten. It just hung limp in his hand for a moment. God, it really was cute to watch Jack play with it.
"Actually, you're omnivorous, and cats shouldn't drink milk."
The kitten twisted and jumped down, then flung himself at Spencer's leg. His claws dug into Spencer's pants and the kitten started scaling them.
Jack giggled. "He's climbing you, Spencer!" he announced. "What's omniv'rous mean?"
Spencer reached down and petted the kitten when he got to his lap. "It means you eat meat and vegetables, and fruit." It started climbing Spencer's shirt next and when it got close enough, it started batting the ends of Spencer's hair.
Jack was laughing hysterically by that time. "It thinks you're a toy!" he announced. He crawled over to Spencer and started batting at his hair too.
Spencer had been sort of amused, but now he felt a little embarrassed. Kids could do that so easily without meaning to. "Yeah, well I'm not," he said, but his voice was gentle. He pulled the cat off him and set it down, and Jack, thankfully, sat back down to play with it.
"He's so cute," Jack said, letting the kitten pat at his fingers. "Ow! He has claws! Don't poke me, kitty." His tone was reproachful, but he just petted the kitten gently.
Spencer shook his head, smiling. "We should probably go, Jack. Daddy'll get home before we do."
"We should take Daddy a kitty!"
"We should make Daddy dinner," Spencer corrected. He stood, picking up the cat and taking Jack's hand.
"But I want a kitty," Jack said, his face screwing up. He looked like he was trying not to cry. "He's so cute. He's all black."
"I know he's cute, but we have to leave him here. I'm not sure Daddy wants a kitty, and we're not around a lot to take care of one," Spencer said. He held his arms out to pick Jack up. Jack was getting heavy, but being carried usually cheered him up.
Jack whimpered and climbed into his arms, then stroked the kitten's ears clumsily. "He wants to come home with us."
"Shh," Spencer whispered and kissed Jack's forehead. He handed the kitten to the sales girl awkwardly and thanked her, then walked out of the store, adjusting his hold on Jack a little better.
"I wanted him to come home with us," Jack said, his voice tiny and unhappy. He pressed his face against Spencer's neck.
"I told you we were just petting him," Spencer told Jack, but he hated seeing Jack unhappy. It didn't matter why. He wondered just how mad Aaron would really be if he did bring a cat home.
Jack whimpered and wrapped his arms around Spencer's neck.
Spencer sighed and held him closer, and Jack continued to cry quietly as they went out to the car. Other parents were looking at him like he'd done something wrong to Jack, and Spencer almost felt like he had. He'd dangled the bogus carrot of a pet in front of Jack and then taken it away.
Jack finally calmed down as Spencer got him settled in the car, but he was quiet all the way home. When they got inside, Spencer tried to corral Jack into helping him make dinner, but Jack just pouted and said he wanted to watch cartoons.
Finally Spencer gave up and left Jack in front of the TV while he threw together something for dinner. Aaron would be home soon and Spencer didn't want him to have to wait to eat. He'd had a three-hour round-trip to the department where he was consulting, and he'd been working too hard lately as it was.
By the time Aaron got home, Spencer had managed a credible meal. Aaron came into the kitchen smiling and kissed Spencer in greeting. "Where's Jack?" he asked.
"With the electronic babysitter," Spencer teased. He wrapped his arms around Aaron and kissed him again.
"Hmm. Are we going to have to talk about limiting TV time?" Aaron asked. He sounded distracted as he kissed Spencer's jaw. "Mmm, I love you."
Aaron was sort of making Spencer want to forget dinner all together. "I tried to get him to cook with me."
"And he didn't want to?" Aaron hummed and pulled Spencer closer, burying his face in Spencer's hair.
"Nope. He was more interested in pouting," Spencer said, stroking Aaron's back.
"Why was he pouting?" Aaron pulled back and looked at him. "Did something happen?"
Spencer smiled. "Yeah, I let him pet a kitten at the mall, and he wanted to take it home."
"A kitten? Oh, Spencer, that was just asking for trouble." Aaron shook his head, but he looked amused.
Spencer shrugged, smiling at Aaron. Aaron didn't seem really upset by the idea of a cat. "It made him really happy until I said we had to go."
Aaron sighed. "I imagine so. It's too bad Haley's allergic. I know she always wanted to have a dog or cat for him. She was actually talking about getting a puppy shortly after Jack was born." He shook his head. "As if caring for a newborn wasn't enough, she wanted to add a dog to that." His tone conveyed clearly that he wasn't much of a dog lover.
Spencer suddenly wondered how Aaron felt about cats, so he said, "Dogs are slobbery anyway," hoping if would bring out more information.
"Mmm. Not as clean as cats, either," Aaron said. "So where's our son now? Still sulking in front of the TV?"
"Yeah, watching cartoons," Spencer said, smiling a little wider than he was before. He gripped Aaron's tie and kissed him with a little more hunger. "I missed you today. I had a cat climbing my clothes and you weren't even there to laugh."
Aaron chuckled. "It didn't bite you, did it? Maybe Jack has negated the Reid Effect."
"It's only bad with dogs," Spencer said. "I always wanted a cat when I was little."
"Did your mother not like them?" Aaron kissed Spencer again, then went to peer at the pots on the stove. "Smells good."
"My, ah... my dad didn't, and I knew my mom didn't need anything more to take care of after he left," Spencer said. He turned and gestured vaguely at the pots. "Thank Campbell's. It's a soup can recipe."
Aaron laughed. "You made it, so I'll thank you." He kissed Spencer again. "I'm going to go get Jack."
Spencer nodded and went to get plates. He got the table set while Aaron and Jack had a quiet conversation in the living room, and he had Aaron a glass of wine poured when they came back. God, he was getting domestic, he thought.
"Jack says he'll help me with dishes since he didn't help you with cooking," Aaron said, letting Jack climb into his chair and then scooting it in to the table.
Spencer had a feeling that wasn't Jack's idea, since Jack didn't look very happy at all. Spencer just smiled and thanked him anyway, and Aaron helped him carry the food over to the table.
Once they were eating Aaron asked Jack how his day had gone, and Jack chattered about his jeans and shopping with Spencer. He giggled when he told Aaron how the first pair of jeans Spencer picked up for him to try on had been too small, and the second pair too big. "But the third pair was JUST RIGHT!" he said. "It was like Goldilocks!"
"You know, in the original version of that story, Goldilocks--"
"Spencer," Aaron said, turning to give Spencer a look.
"What? It's not nearly as bad as the Grimm's."
Aaron just shook his head, and Spencer frowned, but didn't say anything else.
"What?" Jack asked.
"The original version of that story was written in--?" Aaron said.
"1837," Spencer said.
"What does that mean?" Jack asked.
"It means it's an old story," Aaron explained. "People have been telling that story for longer than any of us have been alive."
"Longer than you even?" Jack asked.
Aaron laughed and nodded.
"That's a long time."
Aaron glared at his son playfully. "Not that long," he said. For some reason Jack found his reaction hilarious. Aaron sighed as he laughed. "What about the rest of your day?" he prompted.
"Me'n Spencer petted kitties!" Jack said.
"A kitty," Spencer said.
"Mmm-hmm!" Jack hummed. "He was cute, and he said meow, meow, meow, and played with Spencer's hair!"
Aaron grinned at Spencer. "It played with your hair? That would've been cute. Too bad I didn't get to see the kitty."
"Spencer wouldn't bring him home with us," Jack said, a pouting tone creeping into his voice.
"Well, a kitty is a lot of responsibility," Aaron said.
"Respo-what?"
"Responsibility. It means you have to take care of it. You now how Daddy and Spencer make sure you're never hungry or cold, and how we take care of you when you're sick, and we snuggle you when you're sad? Kitties need all of that too." Aaron smiled at his son. "They can't take care of themselves."
"I can do all of that!" Jack announced quickly.
"But you're not here every day, Jacks," Aaron said. "And neither are Daddy and Spencer. We have to go away for work a lot, remember? So the kitty would be lonely because it wouldn't have anyone here to take care of it."
Jack looked at Aaron for a moment, his eyes big and sad, then he stuck his lower lip out to complete the effect a moment later.
Aaron looked unimpressed. "It's too much responsibility. I would feel bad about having a lonely kitty." He glanced at Spencer, obviously hoping for some support. Spencer found himself incapable of giving any.
"He won't be lonely! Mr. Beanie will keep him company!" Jack said.
"Mr. Beanie isn't here if you're not here," Aaron replied. "And your mommy's allergic to kitties. She gets sick if she's too close to them. So she couldn't help either."
"But I could tell Mr. Beanie to staaaaayyyyy," Jack whined. "He knows all about kitties!"
Spencer tilted his head at Jack. In studies, children seemed to consistently know their imaginary friends weren't real, but Jack seemed to be ignoring that right now.
Aaron didn't seem to know how to respond to Jack. After a moment he said, "Eat your supper, Jack."
Spencer snorted and obeyed Aaron before Jack did. Jack just glowered at his dad for a moment, then started shoving more food into his mouth.
Aaron looked relieved that his ploy had worked. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, which didn't surprise Spencer, considering Jack's mood. Jack didn't seem happy at all when he and Aaron were cleaning up the table afterward, and as Spencer headed out to the living room for some well-earned (he thought) relaxing, he could hear Jack bringing up the topic of the kitty again.
Spencer grinned. Jack was never going to let it go. Spencer hoped Aaron wasn't mad, but he was finding himself less and less concerned. How difficult would it be to take care of a cat? Neither he or Aaron were allergic. Cats liked Spencer a hell of a lot more than dogs, and he'd always wanted one growing up.
Their neighbor three doors down had cats. She liked Aaron and Spencer and probably wouldn't mind watching the cat when they went away. Spencer sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. It was a bad idea to go behind Aaron's back.
Then again, it was better to ask forgiveness than permission, in some cases. He had a feeling any kitten he brought home would quickly win Aaron over, and then it would be impossible to say no.
Aaron finally came into the living room and settled on the couch next to Spencer. "Jack says he's going upstairs to play with Mr. Beanie and Mr. Beanie's cat Pounce," he announced. He sighed. "Did you know Mr. Beanie had a cat?" His voice was dry.
Spencer grinned. "Must be a new acquisition."
"That was my thought," Aaron agreed. He shook his head. "I have the feeling this isn't going to go away." After a moment he groaned theatrically. "But for tonight, I really want it to. Why don't you distract me?" He pulled Spencer into his arms.
"Oh," Spencer said, deciding to drop the topic of the cat. He didn't want to give Aaron any opportunity to say no outright. He hadn't said no, and as long as he didn't, Spencer would be able to give this more consideration without guilt. "That sounds nice," he murmured, kissing Aaron slowly.
Aaron hummed into the kiss and slid a had into Spencer's hair, twining it around his fingers. "I love you," he whispered against Spencer's lips.
"Mmm." Spencer resisted the urge to climb into Aaron's lap. "I wish it was already past bed time."
Aaron laughed and lowered his head to rest against Spencer's shoulder. "Soon," he said. His fingers slipped out of Spencer's hair and stroked along his jaw. "I promised Jack I would read to him before bed."
"Cat in the hat?" Spencer suggested.
Aaron snorted and poked him in the ribs.
Spencer frowned and rubbed his side.
***
The next day it was Aaron's turn to stay home with Jack, and even though Spencer was used to the routine by now, it still always felt odd to be at work without Aaron. Every time Spencer's mind wandered, he found himself thinking about the little black kitten. He wondered what it would really involve to take care of a cat.
Finally, around lunch time, he gave in and pulled up his web-browser to do a little research. After the first couple of websites, he decided a shelter was a better place to get a cat than a pet store. Then he found a pet store that sponsored adoptions of rescued cats. There were a lot of adult cats, which was unsurprising--he supposed it was just like human adoptions, the older the candidate, the less likely they were to find a home. But Jack wanted a 'kitty', so Spencer found a place that had several litters up for adoption.
More research provided him with a shopping list and an idea of the expense involved, both right away and long-term. It would fit easily in his budget, not that he'd really been concerned, but if he promised to pay for it, maybe Aaron wouldn't be as upset.
"What are you lookin' at?" Morgan said suddenly from behind him. "The Reid Effect doesn't extend to cats?"
Spencer clicked out of the website immediately, in spite of the fact that Morgan had seen it. "Shh," he hissed, looking around to see if anyone had heard.
"Aww, Spencer wants a kitty," Morgan teased, though he kept his voice low as he grinned at his friend.
"Shut up," Spencer said, glaring. "Spencer doesn't want a kitty. Jack wants a kitty." He did too, actually, but he wasn't going to say that.
Morgan grinned at him. "You are such a softie," he said, leaning on Spencer's desk. "Hotch'll kill you."
Spencer snorted. "No he won't," he said, hoping it was true. He shrugged. "And I'm not a softie, either."
Morgan laughed. "You are too. Jack wants something, Jack gets it. You're spoiling that kid." He leaned in and tousled Spencer's hair. "It's good for you. You make a good dad."
Spencer swatted at Morgan's hand and frowned, though he had to admit it felt good that Morgan thought he was a good dad. He'd come a long way, but still often felt like he didn't know what he was doing. "He doesn't get everything he wants."
"Okay, fine, so you don't let him jump off the roof. I don't think that counts."
Spencer hummed a noise that wasn't an agreement or a denial, then scrunched his nose. "You wouldn't get him the cat?"
"Damn straight I would. I know I'm no tough guy when it comes to kids." Morgan laughed. "A cat's gotta be easier than a dog, with our jobs."
Spencer grinned. "Calling me a softie." He kicked Morgan playfully.
Morgan grinned and grabbed at his ankle, but missed. "You are. It's cute, man. Never thought I'd see the day."
"Cute?" Spencer repeated. "Go away."
Morgan just laughed again and went.
Spencer knew it was probably still a bad idea, but now he had Morgan's backup. Sort of. He doubted Morgan would defend him to Aaron or anything, but knowing Morgan would do the same thing was nice.
Spencer left work a little earlier than usual so he could stop by the nearest shelter and not have Aaron asking why he was late. Jack had liked the black kitten, so he was looking at a litter of them when an adoption counselor walked up. They talked for a little bit about the kittens, and she mentioned how happy she was he was looking at those kittens because they were "super sweet".
"The black ones don't get adopted as often as the others," she said, and Spencer blinked at her for a moment, surprised. She saw it (had probably seen that a lot), and added, "Yeah, some of it's superstitions and some of it's just that peoples' eyes tend to pass right over them. They don't stand out like the ones with patterns do."
"Oh," Spencer said brilliantly, still a little surprised, but seeing the logic. He was definitely getting a black one now. He asked her if he could play with a couple, and she led him to the little 'meet and greet' room.
One of the black kittens didn't seem as friendly as the others, and Spencer almost wanted to pick that one, but he'd read that you should pick the kitten that was most outgoing. The one at the store had definitely taken to Jack right away, and Spencer didn't want to end up with a cat that didn't even like Jack.
"How do I pick one?" he asked the woman. It was a rhetorical question, and she seemed to understand that. She laughed.
"Well, do you want a boy or a girl? We have three boys and two girls, so that narrows the choice down a little."
Spencer shrugged. He didn't really know that it mattered much, since the kittens would be spayed or neutered anyway. He rubbed under the chin of one of the kittens, then sucked in a breath as he felt sharp pinpricks up his leg. One of the other kittens had apparently gotten jealous of the attention.
"Ow," he complained, looking down at it, but it seemed totally unfazed as it dragged itself into Spencer lap and proceeded to mew at him. "You're talkative. Do you like kids?" he asked, and the kitten just kept meowing. When Spencer finally petted it, though, it stopped and started purring instead.
The woman laughed again. "I think he likes you."
Spencer felt oddly guilty that he could only take one, but considering he wasn't sure Aaron was going to be very happy about this one, he knew better than to even think of taking two. As it was, if Aaron refused to have it in the house, he was already planning to make Morgan take it.
"I want this one," he decided.
"Great!" the woman said, and left. Spencer blinked, wondering if he should follow, but she came back shortly after that with a clipboard and some paperwork.
He eventually had to put the kitten down because it kept batting at his pen. "Rufus?" he asked, looking up at her after he noticed the name scribbled in the top of the form.
"Yeah, we give them all names when we put them out. That's just how he is in our system, but don't worry, it's not like he knows it. You can change it." She grinned at him.
Rufus was a dog's name, but somehow Spencer felt guilty about the idea of changing it. He'd have to ask Jack what he thought.
Spencer was amazed at the amount of paperwork he had to fill out beyond just general information. He had to sign off that he did have what was needed to care for the cat, that he could afford it in the long term, that he would be able to take it to the vet if needed. He had to agree that if for some reason he couldn't keep the cat, he'd bring it back to the shelter and not give it away (though secretly, Spencer would just give him to Morgan anyway). The kitten had already had a full health check up, but he had to be microchipped, neutered, and tattooed before he was ever released from the shelter. It was amazing how much the shelter could do for only ninety-nine dollars.
"How long until he can have his surgery?" Spencer asked.
"We haven't been very busy, sadly, so I'd bet they'll be able to do it tomorrow." At Spencer's expression, she laughed. "It's younger than most vets might recommend, but it's perfectly safe. We do it all the time. Our vets are very good." She took the clip board from him when he was done and her eyebrows shot up. "You work for the FBI?" she said, and was practically beaming. "Our little Rufus is going to be very well taken care of."
He didn't bother confessing to Aaron what he'd done when he got home that night. He wanted to wait until he got Rufus home. Aaron wouldn't be able to resist those wide eyes and the fuzzy ears. At least, Spencer hoped he wouldn't.
Jack had spent the day at a friend's house, so he was wound up when he and Aaron got home. It was exhausting, but it ended up being a blessing in disguise, because Spencer and Aaron didn't really have time to talk much until they got Jack to bed. As soon as they did that, Aaron had his hands and lips on Spencer's skin, so conversation went right out the door.
On his way home from work Friday, Spencer stopped at the pet store to pick up the supplies he would need, then stopped at the shelter.
The incision on Rufus' tummy looked so tiny it was hard to believe the vet had even been able to do anything at all. He had to bring the kitten back after it had healed to get the outer stitches out, and Rufus still looked a little groggy from the surgery, but Spencer was assured he was fine. He would just have to make sure the kitten was comfortable and let him rest the rest of the day. Spencer felt confident he could get Jack to take it easy for tonight, in spite of how excited he would be.
God, Jack was going to be excited. Spencer was grinning when he left the shelter with Rufus in his little carrier.
The kitten mewed a few times on the way home, but seemed pretty content. By the time Spencer got home, he was so excited he almost forgot to sneak in. Aaron's car was still ticking as it cooled, so he and Jack hadn't been home long. Maybe they would be upstairs. Aaron usually changed out of his work clothes when they had Jack, since kids were so messy.
Spencer let himself into the house and carried Rufus through the kitchen to the family room. "Now be quiet until I'm ready to introduce you," he whispered to Rufus, then went looking for his family.
He found them in the 'school room'. Spencer had overtaken the unused attic space a few months ago and turned it into a livable, special place with Jack's 'smart boy toys' as Jack called them. Morgan had helped him do it, and so far Jack seemed to really like it, and was actually doing better in math than most of his classmates.
"Hey," Spencer said, smiling at the way Aaron was kneeling to sit at the little Jack-sized table.
"I didn't hear you get home," Aaron said apologetically.
"Shh! You are talking during the lesson!" Jack ordered.
Spencer smiled. "What are we learning today?"
"Cold fusion," Aaron deadpanned, and Spencer laughed. "Omnivores and carnivores, actually" Aaron said dryly. "Did you know kitties are carnivorous? They don't drink milk."
"Of course he knew, silly!" Jack said, and Spencer laughed again.
"Ah, can I interrupt the lesson for a little bit?" he asked.
"You will get your name on the board!" Jack announced.
"Okay, I think school time is over," Aaron said. "What's up, Spencer?"
"Just... come downstairs," he said, and started down from the attic. His heart was suddenly racing. God, what if Aaron did get mad?
When they got to the family room, Jack saw the little carrier right away and asked, "What's that?"
"Open it. But be really gentle," Spencer said, and chanced a sheepish smile at Aaron before following Jack to make sure he didn't get over exited and try to play with Rufus right away.
"What is that?" Aaron murmured quietly. But his tone of voice made it clear he knew exactly what it was. "Spencer..."
Jack struggled for a moment with the latch, then got the carrier open. Rufus let out a mew and came wandering out to look at Jack.
"OH MY GOSH!" Jack said. "SPENCER GOT ME A KITTY!"
"Be really gentle," Spencer repeated quickly. "He just had surgery today, so he's not really up to playing. He will be tomorrow, though." He looked up from where he was sitting with Jack and the kitty and tried to read Aaron's expression.
Aaron had folded his arms across his chest, but from the way he was pressing his lips together, he was either fighting angry words or fighting a smile. When he saw Spencer looking up at him, he shook his head slowly. "Is this the kitty Mr. Beanie took such a liking to?"
Spencer started to answer, but Jack burst out, "Yes! Mr. Beanie wants to name him Mr. Beanie!" He wiggled his fingers at the kitten, who tottered over and started licking him. Jack giggled.
Spencer gave Aaron another smile, then looked back at Jack. "Don't you think that would get confusing? I was thinking he looked like a Rufus."
Jack looked thoughtful as he scratched the kitten's ears. "Rufus? Why does he look like a Rufus?"
Rufus yawned and curled up in front of Jack. "You don't think he looks like a Rufus?" Spencer asked. He wished Aaron would say something.
"Maybe. Rufus. Rufusrufusrufusrufus." Jack giggled.
Aaron sighed and shook his head. "I can see there's no point in protesting, since I'm obviously outgunned from the beginning." He arched an eyebrow at Spencer. "I am not scooping the litter."
Spencer grinned, feeling relieved already. "Jack can do that. It's his responsibility." Of course, Spencer knew it was his too, but he thought Jack might like to think he was the one solely caring for Rufus.
"What does that mean? I'll take care of him!" Jack promised. "Rufusufus is MY kitty!" Jack stood up suddenly and flung himself at Spencer, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek. "THANK YOU!"
Spencer cringed slightly at how his eardrum felt like it might burst for a moment, then hugged Jack back. "You're welcome."
Jack didn't let the cat out of his sight all night, but was thankfully patient about Rufus' grogginess. Jack didn't want to go to bed, unfortunately, then begged to take Rufus with him, but Aaron finally managed to put his foot down in a way that Jack actually listened to.
Spencer met Aaron on the couch with a glass of wine when he got Jack to sleep. "On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst and one the best, how mad at me are you?" he asked, giving Aaron a guilty smile.
Aaron sighed. "Mad isn't quite the word," he said, giving Spencer an unreadable look. "Frustrated, exasperated..." Aaron sipped his wine and shook his head. "What happens to the cat when we get a week-long case? Haley's allergic, and all our friends are going to be on the case with us. Jack isn't old enough to take care of the cat alone, and I don't feel right asking Haley to bring him over here every day to make sure it's fed."
"Did you forget Kathy down the street has three cats? I called her before I went to the shelter and she said she wouldn't mind coming over when we're gone," Spencer said. He cleared his throat. "Would saying 'I love you' help?"
Aaron's lips thinned. "I know you love me," he said. "And I love you. And it doesn't stop me from wanting to shake some sense into you sometimes." But a moment later he leaned over and kissed Spencer gently. "You do realize you're going to end up taking care of the cat, right?"
"Yeah," Spencer said. "I told you I wanted a cat when I was little."
Aaron let out a chuckle that sounded very reluctant and shook his head. "Damn it, Spence," he murmured, and kissed him again. "Rufus is pretty cute," he whispered.
"Mmm, you're going to love him," Spencer said. He kissed Aaron, running his fingers through Aaron's hair. "Am I a pushover?"
"You're the biggest pushover I've ever met," Aaron said. He slid an arm around Spencer's waist and kissed him again. "If the cat gets hair on my suits, you're going to be in trouble."
"Get a lint roller," Spencer replied. "Anyway, your suits are usually dark." He was starting to become more interested in kissing than talking. "Am I always a pushover?"
"Yes," Aaron said, and kissed him again. "Ow." He pulled back and glowered down at the kitten, which was climbing his leg. "Rufus, you and I are going to have a talk about those claws," he said seriously.
"Can't have him declawed. I had to agree to it when I adopted him," Spencer said. "I had to agree to a lot of things, actually. For instance, if he ever goes without food for longer than a day, I have to hand over my first born child, but seeing as how I don't intend to get anyone pregnant anytime soon, I wasn't too worried," he said, and grinned.
Aaron snorted and carefully detached the kitten from his jeans. "Well, you're going to be in charge of teaching him not to claw the couch or people, then," he said, but he cupped Rufus carefully in one hand and rubbed behind his ears. They quickly discovered that Rufus had an incredibly large purr for such a small cat.
Spencer nodded, watching Aaron. "Is it a bad thing that I'm a pushover?"
Aaron looked up at him, smiling faintly. "It can be inconvenient at times," he said, "but it's not bad." He kissed Spencer again. "I love how much you like to see our son happy. I love how important his well-being is to you." He put Rufus up on Spencer's shoulder and teased him with a strand of Spencer's hair. "And I love how much Jack loves you." The kitten batted at Spencer's hair, and Aaron laughed softly. "And I love you."
Spencer looked at the cat, then at Aaron. "Do I have to tell you I'm not a toy like I did Jack?"
Aaron chuckled and traced a finger along Spencer's jaw. "You're not?"
Spencer took Rufus off his shoulder carefully, then leaned in and kissed Aaron slowly. "Mmm, well, I guess that depends on how you want to play with me."
Aaron laughed. "I'll show you later," he promised, and stole another kiss. Then he rubbed under Rufus' chin, eliciting another loud purr. "Why Rufus?"
Spencer shrugged. "It was what the shelter was calling him."
Aaron nodded. "This isn't the same kitten, is it?" he asked, his tone suggesting he knew it wasn't.
"No," Spencer said, then bit his lip. "Think I should tell him?"
"If he doesn't realize it, I don't see why it matters," Aaron said. "He's obviously head over heels in love with Rufus anyway." He smiled faintly. "You're a very good man, Spencer Reid," he murmured. "I love you so much."
"I'm glad," Spencer said. "I'm glad you're not mad."
Aaron hummed and wrapped Spencer in his arms, kissing him slowly. "You have a good heart."
"I think you should take me to bed," Spencer whispered, and Rufus chose that moment to mew, as if in protest.
"What do we do with the cat?" Aaron murmured. "We can't leave him by himself."
Spencer pulled back and looked at him. "He won't get around much tonight. He's still drugged, but if you're really worried, we can take him to our room tonight and kitten proof the house tomorrow," he said, an amused grin crossing his face. Aaron was just as much of a softie as he was.
Aaron pulled back and glowered at him, but there was a distinct lack of heat to the expression. "He has to sleep in the carrier if you expect me to do indecent things to you," he said, as if he was trying to backtrack from his own statement.
Spencer couldn't help laughing. "Are you worried he's going to be traumatized?"
"I don't want to end up with a kitten pouncing on my bare ass, honestly," Aaron said, straight-faced.
Spencer just kept laughing, then kissed Aaron soundly. "Riiiight."
"I don't know what you're implying," Aaron muttered. He nipped Spencer's lower lip, then pulled back and scooped the kitten into his hands. "Get his crate thing."
Spencer pressed his lips together because if he kept laughing, Aaron might actually get annoyed. "Okay," he said, standing and getting the carrier while watching Aaron. He was sort of adorable; buttoned-up Aaron Hotchner with a tiny kitten snuggled against his chest.
"Thank you," Aaron said, in what was definitely his dignified-former-prosecutor's voice. He headed up the stairs, the kitten mewing cutely. Spencer took a few minutes to make sure he didn't have to clean anything up. By the time he got upstairs to their bedroom, Aaron was wearing an undershirt and boxers and had the kitten curled up in the middle of his chest.
Spencer stood in the doorway for a moment, then put the carrier down and climbed into bed. "I thought he was sleeping in his 'crate thing,'" he said, reaching out to pet Rufus.
"He is," Aaron said, reminding Spencer strongly of his son as he managed to look sleepy and sulky all at once.
"So why is he getting so comfy on top of you?" Spencer asked.
"Because." Aaron glared at him, but it didn't last long as Rufus yawned and rolled onto his side. Aaron sighed and looked up at Spencer. "He's cute, dammit."
Spencer grinned and leaned over to kiss Aaron, his hand resting on Aaron's chest just under where the cat was laying. "You're going to love him."
"You're sneaky," Aaron complained, but he tangled his fingers in Spencer's hair and pulled him back for another kiss. "But he does have to go in his crate. I want you naked, and we don't need to raise a voyeur kitten."
"Mmm, put him in his crate, then," Spencer said, wondering if Aaron would, or if he'd make Spencer do it.
Aaron yawned. "You do it. I don't want to get up."
"You're the one who doesn't want him in the bed," Spencer argued.
Aaron arched an eyebrow. "Do you really want him watching while I suck you? That seems a little weird."
Spencer sucked in a breath and decided that it was worth it to just give in if that's what Aaron was planning. "It's not like he'd understand," he said, but he picked up the cat and put him in his kennel anyway.
"I'd understand. And it's weird." He shifted to pull his shirt off, watching Spencer. "You can let him out of his crate when we're done, if you insist."
"Might not have the energy, but you're welcome to." Spencer took his own shirt off and tossed it aside. "I wouldn't want your chest to get cold."
"Shh." Aaron smiled and pulled Spencer down on the bed, wrapping his arms around him. "God, I love you," he whispered. He rolled them so he was on top, then leaned down and kissed Spencer thoroughly. "Let me show you."
Authors:
innerslytherin and severity_softlyPairing: Hotch/Reid
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Jack wants a pet. Spencer's always had a hard time saying no.
Word count: ~6700
Notes:
resolucidity betaed this for us. Thanks! :)This is part of the "Fathers Are Not Born" universe, all of which can be found at this tag. This is part EIGHT. Each installment may also be read as a stand alone fic, however it will hopefully add to your enjoyment if you read the series as a whole. :)
"Kitty!" Jack screeched.
Spencer put a hand on the top of his head. "Please don't yell," he said, darting a glance around at the other people who had turned their head to look at them. Jack had torn holes in his jeans and Aaron had a consult he was on, so Spencer had taken him to buy new ones, since he didn't keep a lot of clothes at Aaron's house. He was wondering now if the mall had been a bad choice.
"Spencer, there's kitties," Jack said, as if Spencer hadn't heard the first declaration of the cats' presence, only this time Jack had whispered.
Jack squealed quietly, and tapped on the glass, after which Spencer grabbed his hand. "Don't do that."
"I want them to look at me!" Jack said, tugging on his hand. "They're fuzzy!" His lower lip pooched out. "I like kitties."
"Hitting the glass probably scares them," Spencer said. He crouched down to Jack's level. "We can look at them, though."
"Can we pet them?" Jack pressed his face against the glass. "Look at the black one!" He giggled as the black kitten jumped on some invisible prey.
"I, um..." Oh, the mall had been a bad idea. "I don't think they want you to pet them unless you're going to buy one."
"We could buy one!" Jack said, turning to look at Spencer. He bounced excitedly. "I have two dollars from my allowance saved up!"
Spencer couldn't help but laugh. "It'll take a lot more than that. Probably a hundred dollars or more, and that's not including its food and toys, and all that other stuff."
Jack's eyes got big and his lower lip pooched out again. "But I want one. You could buy it for me."
Spencer shook his head, but stood and took Jack's hand. "We'll see if we can pet one. Just pet one."
Jack made a whimpery noise, but then quickly changed his mind and bounced along next to Spencer into the store.
"Hi, ah... my son wants to pet one of your cats, if--"
"Kitties," Jack corrected, and Spencer smiled at the woman behind the counter.
"Kittens," he said, "If we're allowed to do that."
"Pleeease!" Jack added. Spencer didn't know if anyone would be able to resist those big eyes.
"Of course," she said, smiling back at them. "Why don't you come up to the front and show me which one you want to pet?"
"The black one!" Jack said.
"Black ones are supposed to be bad luck," Spencer said.
"You don't believe in luck," Jack pointed out.
Spencer made a thoughtful face. "Good point."
The woman unlocked the door on the cage and reached inside. The kittens all came running over to her, and the black one let out a Mew! when she picked it up. Jack giggled.
She led them over to one of the little enclosed rooms for 'meet and greet' with the animals, and left Spencer and Jack in there with the little black kitten. Jack wiggled his fingers at it, and the kitten pounced on them, licking them.
Jack squealed. "It's rough!"
"Their tongues have papillae--ah, spines--on them to help them rip flesh from the bodies of their prey."
"What's a prey?" Jack asked, scratching behind the kitten's ears.
"It's the animals they hunt to eat. Cats are carnivorous. Do you know what that means?" Spencer asked.
"Carnivous?" Jack let the kitten lick him again. "They drink milk."
Spencer snorted. "What? Where'd you get that?"
"I've seen pictures of kitties drinking milk." Jack scowled at him. "Don't laugh at me. It isn't nice."
Spencer cleared his throat. "Sorry. I-- well, that's not what carnivorous means. It means they eat meat."
"I'm carnivorous!" Jack announced. "RAR!" The kitten let out another mew and Jack picked it up. "Sorry, kitty."
Spencer grinned as Jack petted the kitten. It just hung limp in his hand for a moment. God, it really was cute to watch Jack play with it.
"Actually, you're omnivorous, and cats shouldn't drink milk."
The kitten twisted and jumped down, then flung himself at Spencer's leg. His claws dug into Spencer's pants and the kitten started scaling them.
Jack giggled. "He's climbing you, Spencer!" he announced. "What's omniv'rous mean?"
Spencer reached down and petted the kitten when he got to his lap. "It means you eat meat and vegetables, and fruit." It started climbing Spencer's shirt next and when it got close enough, it started batting the ends of Spencer's hair.
Jack was laughing hysterically by that time. "It thinks you're a toy!" he announced. He crawled over to Spencer and started batting at his hair too.
Spencer had been sort of amused, but now he felt a little embarrassed. Kids could do that so easily without meaning to. "Yeah, well I'm not," he said, but his voice was gentle. He pulled the cat off him and set it down, and Jack, thankfully, sat back down to play with it.
"He's so cute," Jack said, letting the kitten pat at his fingers. "Ow! He has claws! Don't poke me, kitty." His tone was reproachful, but he just petted the kitten gently.
Spencer shook his head, smiling. "We should probably go, Jack. Daddy'll get home before we do."
"We should take Daddy a kitty!"
"We should make Daddy dinner," Spencer corrected. He stood, picking up the cat and taking Jack's hand.
"But I want a kitty," Jack said, his face screwing up. He looked like he was trying not to cry. "He's so cute. He's all black."
"I know he's cute, but we have to leave him here. I'm not sure Daddy wants a kitty, and we're not around a lot to take care of one," Spencer said. He held his arms out to pick Jack up. Jack was getting heavy, but being carried usually cheered him up.
Jack whimpered and climbed into his arms, then stroked the kitten's ears clumsily. "He wants to come home with us."
"Shh," Spencer whispered and kissed Jack's forehead. He handed the kitten to the sales girl awkwardly and thanked her, then walked out of the store, adjusting his hold on Jack a little better.
"I wanted him to come home with us," Jack said, his voice tiny and unhappy. He pressed his face against Spencer's neck.
"I told you we were just petting him," Spencer told Jack, but he hated seeing Jack unhappy. It didn't matter why. He wondered just how mad Aaron would really be if he did bring a cat home.
Jack whimpered and wrapped his arms around Spencer's neck.
Spencer sighed and held him closer, and Jack continued to cry quietly as they went out to the car. Other parents were looking at him like he'd done something wrong to Jack, and Spencer almost felt like he had. He'd dangled the bogus carrot of a pet in front of Jack and then taken it away.
Jack finally calmed down as Spencer got him settled in the car, but he was quiet all the way home. When they got inside, Spencer tried to corral Jack into helping him make dinner, but Jack just pouted and said he wanted to watch cartoons.
Finally Spencer gave up and left Jack in front of the TV while he threw together something for dinner. Aaron would be home soon and Spencer didn't want him to have to wait to eat. He'd had a three-hour round-trip to the department where he was consulting, and he'd been working too hard lately as it was.
By the time Aaron got home, Spencer had managed a credible meal. Aaron came into the kitchen smiling and kissed Spencer in greeting. "Where's Jack?" he asked.
"With the electronic babysitter," Spencer teased. He wrapped his arms around Aaron and kissed him again.
"Hmm. Are we going to have to talk about limiting TV time?" Aaron asked. He sounded distracted as he kissed Spencer's jaw. "Mmm, I love you."
Aaron was sort of making Spencer want to forget dinner all together. "I tried to get him to cook with me."
"And he didn't want to?" Aaron hummed and pulled Spencer closer, burying his face in Spencer's hair.
"Nope. He was more interested in pouting," Spencer said, stroking Aaron's back.
"Why was he pouting?" Aaron pulled back and looked at him. "Did something happen?"
Spencer smiled. "Yeah, I let him pet a kitten at the mall, and he wanted to take it home."
"A kitten? Oh, Spencer, that was just asking for trouble." Aaron shook his head, but he looked amused.
Spencer shrugged, smiling at Aaron. Aaron didn't seem really upset by the idea of a cat. "It made him really happy until I said we had to go."
Aaron sighed. "I imagine so. It's too bad Haley's allergic. I know she always wanted to have a dog or cat for him. She was actually talking about getting a puppy shortly after Jack was born." He shook his head. "As if caring for a newborn wasn't enough, she wanted to add a dog to that." His tone conveyed clearly that he wasn't much of a dog lover.
Spencer suddenly wondered how Aaron felt about cats, so he said, "Dogs are slobbery anyway," hoping if would bring out more information.
"Mmm. Not as clean as cats, either," Aaron said. "So where's our son now? Still sulking in front of the TV?"
"Yeah, watching cartoons," Spencer said, smiling a little wider than he was before. He gripped Aaron's tie and kissed him with a little more hunger. "I missed you today. I had a cat climbing my clothes and you weren't even there to laugh."
Aaron chuckled. "It didn't bite you, did it? Maybe Jack has negated the Reid Effect."
"It's only bad with dogs," Spencer said. "I always wanted a cat when I was little."
"Did your mother not like them?" Aaron kissed Spencer again, then went to peer at the pots on the stove. "Smells good."
"My, ah... my dad didn't, and I knew my mom didn't need anything more to take care of after he left," Spencer said. He turned and gestured vaguely at the pots. "Thank Campbell's. It's a soup can recipe."
Aaron laughed. "You made it, so I'll thank you." He kissed Spencer again. "I'm going to go get Jack."
Spencer nodded and went to get plates. He got the table set while Aaron and Jack had a quiet conversation in the living room, and he had Aaron a glass of wine poured when they came back. God, he was getting domestic, he thought.
"Jack says he'll help me with dishes since he didn't help you with cooking," Aaron said, letting Jack climb into his chair and then scooting it in to the table.
Spencer had a feeling that wasn't Jack's idea, since Jack didn't look very happy at all. Spencer just smiled and thanked him anyway, and Aaron helped him carry the food over to the table.
Once they were eating Aaron asked Jack how his day had gone, and Jack chattered about his jeans and shopping with Spencer. He giggled when he told Aaron how the first pair of jeans Spencer picked up for him to try on had been too small, and the second pair too big. "But the third pair was JUST RIGHT!" he said. "It was like Goldilocks!"
"You know, in the original version of that story, Goldilocks--"
"Spencer," Aaron said, turning to give Spencer a look.
"What? It's not nearly as bad as the Grimm's."
Aaron just shook his head, and Spencer frowned, but didn't say anything else.
"What?" Jack asked.
"The original version of that story was written in--?" Aaron said.
"1837," Spencer said.
"What does that mean?" Jack asked.
"It means it's an old story," Aaron explained. "People have been telling that story for longer than any of us have been alive."
"Longer than you even?" Jack asked.
Aaron laughed and nodded.
"That's a long time."
Aaron glared at his son playfully. "Not that long," he said. For some reason Jack found his reaction hilarious. Aaron sighed as he laughed. "What about the rest of your day?" he prompted.
"Me'n Spencer petted kitties!" Jack said.
"A kitty," Spencer said.
"Mmm-hmm!" Jack hummed. "He was cute, and he said meow, meow, meow, and played with Spencer's hair!"
Aaron grinned at Spencer. "It played with your hair? That would've been cute. Too bad I didn't get to see the kitty."
"Spencer wouldn't bring him home with us," Jack said, a pouting tone creeping into his voice.
"Well, a kitty is a lot of responsibility," Aaron said.
"Respo-what?"
"Responsibility. It means you have to take care of it. You now how Daddy and Spencer make sure you're never hungry or cold, and how we take care of you when you're sick, and we snuggle you when you're sad? Kitties need all of that too." Aaron smiled at his son. "They can't take care of themselves."
"I can do all of that!" Jack announced quickly.
"But you're not here every day, Jacks," Aaron said. "And neither are Daddy and Spencer. We have to go away for work a lot, remember? So the kitty would be lonely because it wouldn't have anyone here to take care of it."
Jack looked at Aaron for a moment, his eyes big and sad, then he stuck his lower lip out to complete the effect a moment later.
Aaron looked unimpressed. "It's too much responsibility. I would feel bad about having a lonely kitty." He glanced at Spencer, obviously hoping for some support. Spencer found himself incapable of giving any.
"He won't be lonely! Mr. Beanie will keep him company!" Jack said.
"Mr. Beanie isn't here if you're not here," Aaron replied. "And your mommy's allergic to kitties. She gets sick if she's too close to them. So she couldn't help either."
"But I could tell Mr. Beanie to staaaaayyyyy," Jack whined. "He knows all about kitties!"
Spencer tilted his head at Jack. In studies, children seemed to consistently know their imaginary friends weren't real, but Jack seemed to be ignoring that right now.
Aaron didn't seem to know how to respond to Jack. After a moment he said, "Eat your supper, Jack."
Spencer snorted and obeyed Aaron before Jack did. Jack just glowered at his dad for a moment, then started shoving more food into his mouth.
Aaron looked relieved that his ploy had worked. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, which didn't surprise Spencer, considering Jack's mood. Jack didn't seem happy at all when he and Aaron were cleaning up the table afterward, and as Spencer headed out to the living room for some well-earned (he thought) relaxing, he could hear Jack bringing up the topic of the kitty again.
Spencer grinned. Jack was never going to let it go. Spencer hoped Aaron wasn't mad, but he was finding himself less and less concerned. How difficult would it be to take care of a cat? Neither he or Aaron were allergic. Cats liked Spencer a hell of a lot more than dogs, and he'd always wanted one growing up.
Their neighbor three doors down had cats. She liked Aaron and Spencer and probably wouldn't mind watching the cat when they went away. Spencer sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. It was a bad idea to go behind Aaron's back.
Then again, it was better to ask forgiveness than permission, in some cases. He had a feeling any kitten he brought home would quickly win Aaron over, and then it would be impossible to say no.
Aaron finally came into the living room and settled on the couch next to Spencer. "Jack says he's going upstairs to play with Mr. Beanie and Mr. Beanie's cat Pounce," he announced. He sighed. "Did you know Mr. Beanie had a cat?" His voice was dry.
Spencer grinned. "Must be a new acquisition."
"That was my thought," Aaron agreed. He shook his head. "I have the feeling this isn't going to go away." After a moment he groaned theatrically. "But for tonight, I really want it to. Why don't you distract me?" He pulled Spencer into his arms.
"Oh," Spencer said, deciding to drop the topic of the cat. He didn't want to give Aaron any opportunity to say no outright. He hadn't said no, and as long as he didn't, Spencer would be able to give this more consideration without guilt. "That sounds nice," he murmured, kissing Aaron slowly.
Aaron hummed into the kiss and slid a had into Spencer's hair, twining it around his fingers. "I love you," he whispered against Spencer's lips.
"Mmm." Spencer resisted the urge to climb into Aaron's lap. "I wish it was already past bed time."
Aaron laughed and lowered his head to rest against Spencer's shoulder. "Soon," he said. His fingers slipped out of Spencer's hair and stroked along his jaw. "I promised Jack I would read to him before bed."
"Cat in the hat?" Spencer suggested.
Aaron snorted and poked him in the ribs.
Spencer frowned and rubbed his side.
***
The next day it was Aaron's turn to stay home with Jack, and even though Spencer was used to the routine by now, it still always felt odd to be at work without Aaron. Every time Spencer's mind wandered, he found himself thinking about the little black kitten. He wondered what it would really involve to take care of a cat.
Finally, around lunch time, he gave in and pulled up his web-browser to do a little research. After the first couple of websites, he decided a shelter was a better place to get a cat than a pet store. Then he found a pet store that sponsored adoptions of rescued cats. There were a lot of adult cats, which was unsurprising--he supposed it was just like human adoptions, the older the candidate, the less likely they were to find a home. But Jack wanted a 'kitty', so Spencer found a place that had several litters up for adoption.
More research provided him with a shopping list and an idea of the expense involved, both right away and long-term. It would fit easily in his budget, not that he'd really been concerned, but if he promised to pay for it, maybe Aaron wouldn't be as upset.
"What are you lookin' at?" Morgan said suddenly from behind him. "The Reid Effect doesn't extend to cats?"
Spencer clicked out of the website immediately, in spite of the fact that Morgan had seen it. "Shh," he hissed, looking around to see if anyone had heard.
"Aww, Spencer wants a kitty," Morgan teased, though he kept his voice low as he grinned at his friend.
"Shut up," Spencer said, glaring. "Spencer doesn't want a kitty. Jack wants a kitty." He did too, actually, but he wasn't going to say that.
Morgan grinned at him. "You are such a softie," he said, leaning on Spencer's desk. "Hotch'll kill you."
Spencer snorted. "No he won't," he said, hoping it was true. He shrugged. "And I'm not a softie, either."
Morgan laughed. "You are too. Jack wants something, Jack gets it. You're spoiling that kid." He leaned in and tousled Spencer's hair. "It's good for you. You make a good dad."
Spencer swatted at Morgan's hand and frowned, though he had to admit it felt good that Morgan thought he was a good dad. He'd come a long way, but still often felt like he didn't know what he was doing. "He doesn't get everything he wants."
"Okay, fine, so you don't let him jump off the roof. I don't think that counts."
Spencer hummed a noise that wasn't an agreement or a denial, then scrunched his nose. "You wouldn't get him the cat?"
"Damn straight I would. I know I'm no tough guy when it comes to kids." Morgan laughed. "A cat's gotta be easier than a dog, with our jobs."
Spencer grinned. "Calling me a softie." He kicked Morgan playfully.
Morgan grinned and grabbed at his ankle, but missed. "You are. It's cute, man. Never thought I'd see the day."
"Cute?" Spencer repeated. "Go away."
Morgan just laughed again and went.
Spencer knew it was probably still a bad idea, but now he had Morgan's backup. Sort of. He doubted Morgan would defend him to Aaron or anything, but knowing Morgan would do the same thing was nice.
Spencer left work a little earlier than usual so he could stop by the nearest shelter and not have Aaron asking why he was late. Jack had liked the black kitten, so he was looking at a litter of them when an adoption counselor walked up. They talked for a little bit about the kittens, and she mentioned how happy she was he was looking at those kittens because they were "super sweet".
"The black ones don't get adopted as often as the others," she said, and Spencer blinked at her for a moment, surprised. She saw it (had probably seen that a lot), and added, "Yeah, some of it's superstitions and some of it's just that peoples' eyes tend to pass right over them. They don't stand out like the ones with patterns do."
"Oh," Spencer said brilliantly, still a little surprised, but seeing the logic. He was definitely getting a black one now. He asked her if he could play with a couple, and she led him to the little 'meet and greet' room.
One of the black kittens didn't seem as friendly as the others, and Spencer almost wanted to pick that one, but he'd read that you should pick the kitten that was most outgoing. The one at the store had definitely taken to Jack right away, and Spencer didn't want to end up with a cat that didn't even like Jack.
"How do I pick one?" he asked the woman. It was a rhetorical question, and she seemed to understand that. She laughed.
"Well, do you want a boy or a girl? We have three boys and two girls, so that narrows the choice down a little."
Spencer shrugged. He didn't really know that it mattered much, since the kittens would be spayed or neutered anyway. He rubbed under the chin of one of the kittens, then sucked in a breath as he felt sharp pinpricks up his leg. One of the other kittens had apparently gotten jealous of the attention.
"Ow," he complained, looking down at it, but it seemed totally unfazed as it dragged itself into Spencer lap and proceeded to mew at him. "You're talkative. Do you like kids?" he asked, and the kitten just kept meowing. When Spencer finally petted it, though, it stopped and started purring instead.
The woman laughed again. "I think he likes you."
Spencer felt oddly guilty that he could only take one, but considering he wasn't sure Aaron was going to be very happy about this one, he knew better than to even think of taking two. As it was, if Aaron refused to have it in the house, he was already planning to make Morgan take it.
"I want this one," he decided.
"Great!" the woman said, and left. Spencer blinked, wondering if he should follow, but she came back shortly after that with a clipboard and some paperwork.
He eventually had to put the kitten down because it kept batting at his pen. "Rufus?" he asked, looking up at her after he noticed the name scribbled in the top of the form.
"Yeah, we give them all names when we put them out. That's just how he is in our system, but don't worry, it's not like he knows it. You can change it." She grinned at him.
Rufus was a dog's name, but somehow Spencer felt guilty about the idea of changing it. He'd have to ask Jack what he thought.
Spencer was amazed at the amount of paperwork he had to fill out beyond just general information. He had to sign off that he did have what was needed to care for the cat, that he could afford it in the long term, that he would be able to take it to the vet if needed. He had to agree that if for some reason he couldn't keep the cat, he'd bring it back to the shelter and not give it away (though secretly, Spencer would just give him to Morgan anyway). The kitten had already had a full health check up, but he had to be microchipped, neutered, and tattooed before he was ever released from the shelter. It was amazing how much the shelter could do for only ninety-nine dollars.
"How long until he can have his surgery?" Spencer asked.
"We haven't been very busy, sadly, so I'd bet they'll be able to do it tomorrow." At Spencer's expression, she laughed. "It's younger than most vets might recommend, but it's perfectly safe. We do it all the time. Our vets are very good." She took the clip board from him when he was done and her eyebrows shot up. "You work for the FBI?" she said, and was practically beaming. "Our little Rufus is going to be very well taken care of."
He didn't bother confessing to Aaron what he'd done when he got home that night. He wanted to wait until he got Rufus home. Aaron wouldn't be able to resist those wide eyes and the fuzzy ears. At least, Spencer hoped he wouldn't.
Jack had spent the day at a friend's house, so he was wound up when he and Aaron got home. It was exhausting, but it ended up being a blessing in disguise, because Spencer and Aaron didn't really have time to talk much until they got Jack to bed. As soon as they did that, Aaron had his hands and lips on Spencer's skin, so conversation went right out the door.
On his way home from work Friday, Spencer stopped at the pet store to pick up the supplies he would need, then stopped at the shelter.
The incision on Rufus' tummy looked so tiny it was hard to believe the vet had even been able to do anything at all. He had to bring the kitten back after it had healed to get the outer stitches out, and Rufus still looked a little groggy from the surgery, but Spencer was assured he was fine. He would just have to make sure the kitten was comfortable and let him rest the rest of the day. Spencer felt confident he could get Jack to take it easy for tonight, in spite of how excited he would be.
God, Jack was going to be excited. Spencer was grinning when he left the shelter with Rufus in his little carrier.
The kitten mewed a few times on the way home, but seemed pretty content. By the time Spencer got home, he was so excited he almost forgot to sneak in. Aaron's car was still ticking as it cooled, so he and Jack hadn't been home long. Maybe they would be upstairs. Aaron usually changed out of his work clothes when they had Jack, since kids were so messy.
Spencer let himself into the house and carried Rufus through the kitchen to the family room. "Now be quiet until I'm ready to introduce you," he whispered to Rufus, then went looking for his family.
He found them in the 'school room'. Spencer had overtaken the unused attic space a few months ago and turned it into a livable, special place with Jack's 'smart boy toys' as Jack called them. Morgan had helped him do it, and so far Jack seemed to really like it, and was actually doing better in math than most of his classmates.
"Hey," Spencer said, smiling at the way Aaron was kneeling to sit at the little Jack-sized table.
"I didn't hear you get home," Aaron said apologetically.
"Shh! You are talking during the lesson!" Jack ordered.
Spencer smiled. "What are we learning today?"
"Cold fusion," Aaron deadpanned, and Spencer laughed. "Omnivores and carnivores, actually" Aaron said dryly. "Did you know kitties are carnivorous? They don't drink milk."
"Of course he knew, silly!" Jack said, and Spencer laughed again.
"Ah, can I interrupt the lesson for a little bit?" he asked.
"You will get your name on the board!" Jack announced.
"Okay, I think school time is over," Aaron said. "What's up, Spencer?"
"Just... come downstairs," he said, and started down from the attic. His heart was suddenly racing. God, what if Aaron did get mad?
When they got to the family room, Jack saw the little carrier right away and asked, "What's that?"
"Open it. But be really gentle," Spencer said, and chanced a sheepish smile at Aaron before following Jack to make sure he didn't get over exited and try to play with Rufus right away.
"What is that?" Aaron murmured quietly. But his tone of voice made it clear he knew exactly what it was. "Spencer..."
Jack struggled for a moment with the latch, then got the carrier open. Rufus let out a mew and came wandering out to look at Jack.
"OH MY GOSH!" Jack said. "SPENCER GOT ME A KITTY!"
"Be really gentle," Spencer repeated quickly. "He just had surgery today, so he's not really up to playing. He will be tomorrow, though." He looked up from where he was sitting with Jack and the kitty and tried to read Aaron's expression.
Aaron had folded his arms across his chest, but from the way he was pressing his lips together, he was either fighting angry words or fighting a smile. When he saw Spencer looking up at him, he shook his head slowly. "Is this the kitty Mr. Beanie took such a liking to?"
Spencer started to answer, but Jack burst out, "Yes! Mr. Beanie wants to name him Mr. Beanie!" He wiggled his fingers at the kitten, who tottered over and started licking him. Jack giggled.
Spencer gave Aaron another smile, then looked back at Jack. "Don't you think that would get confusing? I was thinking he looked like a Rufus."
Jack looked thoughtful as he scratched the kitten's ears. "Rufus? Why does he look like a Rufus?"
Rufus yawned and curled up in front of Jack. "You don't think he looks like a Rufus?" Spencer asked. He wished Aaron would say something.
"Maybe. Rufus. Rufusrufusrufusrufus." Jack giggled.
Aaron sighed and shook his head. "I can see there's no point in protesting, since I'm obviously outgunned from the beginning." He arched an eyebrow at Spencer. "I am not scooping the litter."
Spencer grinned, feeling relieved already. "Jack can do that. It's his responsibility." Of course, Spencer knew it was his too, but he thought Jack might like to think he was the one solely caring for Rufus.
"What does that mean? I'll take care of him!" Jack promised. "Rufusufus is MY kitty!" Jack stood up suddenly and flung himself at Spencer, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek. "THANK YOU!"
Spencer cringed slightly at how his eardrum felt like it might burst for a moment, then hugged Jack back. "You're welcome."
Jack didn't let the cat out of his sight all night, but was thankfully patient about Rufus' grogginess. Jack didn't want to go to bed, unfortunately, then begged to take Rufus with him, but Aaron finally managed to put his foot down in a way that Jack actually listened to.
Spencer met Aaron on the couch with a glass of wine when he got Jack to sleep. "On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst and one the best, how mad at me are you?" he asked, giving Aaron a guilty smile.
Aaron sighed. "Mad isn't quite the word," he said, giving Spencer an unreadable look. "Frustrated, exasperated..." Aaron sipped his wine and shook his head. "What happens to the cat when we get a week-long case? Haley's allergic, and all our friends are going to be on the case with us. Jack isn't old enough to take care of the cat alone, and I don't feel right asking Haley to bring him over here every day to make sure it's fed."
"Did you forget Kathy down the street has three cats? I called her before I went to the shelter and she said she wouldn't mind coming over when we're gone," Spencer said. He cleared his throat. "Would saying 'I love you' help?"
Aaron's lips thinned. "I know you love me," he said. "And I love you. And it doesn't stop me from wanting to shake some sense into you sometimes." But a moment later he leaned over and kissed Spencer gently. "You do realize you're going to end up taking care of the cat, right?"
"Yeah," Spencer said. "I told you I wanted a cat when I was little."
Aaron let out a chuckle that sounded very reluctant and shook his head. "Damn it, Spence," he murmured, and kissed him again. "Rufus is pretty cute," he whispered.
"Mmm, you're going to love him," Spencer said. He kissed Aaron, running his fingers through Aaron's hair. "Am I a pushover?"
"You're the biggest pushover I've ever met," Aaron said. He slid an arm around Spencer's waist and kissed him again. "If the cat gets hair on my suits, you're going to be in trouble."
"Get a lint roller," Spencer replied. "Anyway, your suits are usually dark." He was starting to become more interested in kissing than talking. "Am I always a pushover?"
"Yes," Aaron said, and kissed him again. "Ow." He pulled back and glowered down at the kitten, which was climbing his leg. "Rufus, you and I are going to have a talk about those claws," he said seriously.
"Can't have him declawed. I had to agree to it when I adopted him," Spencer said. "I had to agree to a lot of things, actually. For instance, if he ever goes without food for longer than a day, I have to hand over my first born child, but seeing as how I don't intend to get anyone pregnant anytime soon, I wasn't too worried," he said, and grinned.
Aaron snorted and carefully detached the kitten from his jeans. "Well, you're going to be in charge of teaching him not to claw the couch or people, then," he said, but he cupped Rufus carefully in one hand and rubbed behind his ears. They quickly discovered that Rufus had an incredibly large purr for such a small cat.
Spencer nodded, watching Aaron. "Is it a bad thing that I'm a pushover?"
Aaron looked up at him, smiling faintly. "It can be inconvenient at times," he said, "but it's not bad." He kissed Spencer again. "I love how much you like to see our son happy. I love how important his well-being is to you." He put Rufus up on Spencer's shoulder and teased him with a strand of Spencer's hair. "And I love how much Jack loves you." The kitten batted at Spencer's hair, and Aaron laughed softly. "And I love you."
Spencer looked at the cat, then at Aaron. "Do I have to tell you I'm not a toy like I did Jack?"
Aaron chuckled and traced a finger along Spencer's jaw. "You're not?"
Spencer took Rufus off his shoulder carefully, then leaned in and kissed Aaron slowly. "Mmm, well, I guess that depends on how you want to play with me."
Aaron laughed. "I'll show you later," he promised, and stole another kiss. Then he rubbed under Rufus' chin, eliciting another loud purr. "Why Rufus?"
Spencer shrugged. "It was what the shelter was calling him."
Aaron nodded. "This isn't the same kitten, is it?" he asked, his tone suggesting he knew it wasn't.
"No," Spencer said, then bit his lip. "Think I should tell him?"
"If he doesn't realize it, I don't see why it matters," Aaron said. "He's obviously head over heels in love with Rufus anyway." He smiled faintly. "You're a very good man, Spencer Reid," he murmured. "I love you so much."
"I'm glad," Spencer said. "I'm glad you're not mad."
Aaron hummed and wrapped Spencer in his arms, kissing him slowly. "You have a good heart."
"I think you should take me to bed," Spencer whispered, and Rufus chose that moment to mew, as if in protest.
"What do we do with the cat?" Aaron murmured. "We can't leave him by himself."
Spencer pulled back and looked at him. "He won't get around much tonight. He's still drugged, but if you're really worried, we can take him to our room tonight and kitten proof the house tomorrow," he said, an amused grin crossing his face. Aaron was just as much of a softie as he was.
Aaron pulled back and glowered at him, but there was a distinct lack of heat to the expression. "He has to sleep in the carrier if you expect me to do indecent things to you," he said, as if he was trying to backtrack from his own statement.
Spencer couldn't help laughing. "Are you worried he's going to be traumatized?"
"I don't want to end up with a kitten pouncing on my bare ass, honestly," Aaron said, straight-faced.
Spencer just kept laughing, then kissed Aaron soundly. "Riiiight."
"I don't know what you're implying," Aaron muttered. He nipped Spencer's lower lip, then pulled back and scooped the kitten into his hands. "Get his crate thing."
Spencer pressed his lips together because if he kept laughing, Aaron might actually get annoyed. "Okay," he said, standing and getting the carrier while watching Aaron. He was sort of adorable; buttoned-up Aaron Hotchner with a tiny kitten snuggled against his chest.
"Thank you," Aaron said, in what was definitely his dignified-former-prosecutor's voice. He headed up the stairs, the kitten mewing cutely. Spencer took a few minutes to make sure he didn't have to clean anything up. By the time he got upstairs to their bedroom, Aaron was wearing an undershirt and boxers and had the kitten curled up in the middle of his chest.
Spencer stood in the doorway for a moment, then put the carrier down and climbed into bed. "I thought he was sleeping in his 'crate thing,'" he said, reaching out to pet Rufus.
"He is," Aaron said, reminding Spencer strongly of his son as he managed to look sleepy and sulky all at once.
"So why is he getting so comfy on top of you?" Spencer asked.
"Because." Aaron glared at him, but it didn't last long as Rufus yawned and rolled onto his side. Aaron sighed and looked up at Spencer. "He's cute, dammit."
Spencer grinned and leaned over to kiss Aaron, his hand resting on Aaron's chest just under where the cat was laying. "You're going to love him."
"You're sneaky," Aaron complained, but he tangled his fingers in Spencer's hair and pulled him back for another kiss. "But he does have to go in his crate. I want you naked, and we don't need to raise a voyeur kitten."
"Mmm, put him in his crate, then," Spencer said, wondering if Aaron would, or if he'd make Spencer do it.
Aaron yawned. "You do it. I don't want to get up."
"You're the one who doesn't want him in the bed," Spencer argued.
Aaron arched an eyebrow. "Do you really want him watching while I suck you? That seems a little weird."
Spencer sucked in a breath and decided that it was worth it to just give in if that's what Aaron was planning. "It's not like he'd understand," he said, but he picked up the cat and put him in his kennel anyway.
"I'd understand. And it's weird." He shifted to pull his shirt off, watching Spencer. "You can let him out of his crate when we're done, if you insist."
"Might not have the energy, but you're welcome to." Spencer took his own shirt off and tossed it aside. "I wouldn't want your chest to get cold."
"Shh." Aaron smiled and pulled Spencer down on the bed, wrapping his arms around him. "God, I love you," he whispered. He rolled them so he was on top, then leaned down and kissed Spencer thoroughly. "Let me show you."
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