#i didn’t dip out after Derek left I stuck with it and I cried my eyes out at the finale | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mdotmaro · 3 years

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Winging It

Author's Note: This story is set right after Vacation with Derek. Casey is going off to New York to like her dream as a dancer in a musical. But what if things are not what she expected? What if her dream was wrong? What if the most irritating person in your life is the only one that can talk some sense into you

And so the summer of 05 was coming to an end. The Blue Heron Lodge wasn't going anywhere, and Broadway was calling Casey's name. She sat at the dock, letting her toes dance across the surface, careful to avoid her heels getting wet. There were slight thumps on the floorboards of the dock.

"You know it's not much of a party if you go to brood off all alone. Maybe save the dramatics when you get on stage." Derek commented while he took a seat next to Casey. She chuckled quietly.

"You heard, huh?" She asked with a wistful smile on her face as she stared up at the stars.

"Hard not to when Nora and her hormones keep crying about it every five minutes; Casey laughed at that and wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye. Derek eyed her and then recoiled at the sight of tears.

"Oh, come on, not you too. Jeez, I can't wait to be in University without all the estrogen seeping through the walls." He said and nudged her lightly.

"I am fine, really just taking it all in. My dream is really coming true, and I just have this light feeling in my chest that makes me want to laugh and cry all at once." She explained; he smirked at her.

"Well, if that feeling spreads to your right arm, let someone know because you might be having a heart attack," Derek said, and Casey shoved him.

"Yeah, I'll miss you too, Der, " She said, and Derek scoffed at the insinuation.

"Whatever, all I am saying is that New York is far enough away that it would be too much of a pain to Dad and Nora to go fly over and save you from whatever crisis you have; so" He cleared his throat and looked up at the sky and pointedly not at Casey. His ears were a tad pink.

"So, call me instead. But you're paying for the plane ticket." He added abruptly, but it was too late. Casey began to pout her lip and stare at Derek with tears in her light blue eyes.

"Aww, Der. You do care. Come here," She said and went to hug the young man that back peddled away from her.

"I take it back, don't call me. Don't touch me. Casey, I mean it," He said in a mock deep tone that made her glossy eyes glitter with amusement. It was a two-second pause between them before Derek sprinted up the dock with Casey close at his heels.

"Oh, come on, Derek, you love me, just admit it," Casey shouted and laughed after him. He blitzed away from her just as she was about to catch him by shirttail. Her fingers barely brushed the fabric. Derek thought he could lose her at the dock because there was no way she would risk falling off, Right? Wrong, one rolled ankle, and down she splashed into the dark water. Derek burst out laughing and continued until he realized Casey didn't resurface.

"Casey?" Derek called out and scanned the surface for any bubbles. A twinge of panic left his voice when he called out again. "Casey!" Still nothing. "Oh for the love of Peter" He grumbled before taking off his fancy shoes and jumping in and searched the water for any sign of her. He saw a dim image of a figure struggling against something. Derek swam over and saw it was her heavy wedge heel stuck between two pieces of driftwood. Casey was trying to yank her foot out; Derek broke the buckle and dragged her up. They both gasped, and then Casey hit Derek in the chest.

"Der-rek, those were my favorite shoes!" She panted and supported herself up by his arms until she could regain her breath. Derek stared open-mouthed at her.

"Fine. I'll just let you drown next time," He said and then smirked, and Casey's eyes widened before Derek dunked her head underwater. She swatted at him until he let her go, and then there was a splashing war. At one point, Casey was able to wrap her legs around Derek's waist and pushed down on his shoulders to dip him under.

"Casey, you are not allowed to drown Derek," Nora said passively as she waddled with her large belly to the bunkhouse with George. Derek picked Casey up and flung her back into the water.

"You heard her." Derek laughed at the haphazard hair plastered to her forehead. Casey dipped her head back to smooth out her hair.

"Let's get out of here; the water is freezing," Casey said and wrapped her arms tightly around herself; the dress she was wearing had stuck to her skin in a less than modest way than Casey was comfortable with. Derek unbuttoned his vest and handed it to her. She smiled and accepted the vest, and quickly buttoned up the middle. Jessie saw Casey from across the lawn and jogged over.

"Hey, Casey, a great night for a swim, eh?" He said while grinning at the waterlogged step-siblings. Derek nudged Casey's arm before heading out to the brunette waiting by the jet ski. Casey watched him go before turning back to Jessie. I guess you could say that. Want to go for a walk?" She asked while looping her arm through Jessie's.

"What happened to your shoes?" Jessie asked, indicating to her bare feet. Casey laughed

"It's a long story."

Six months later

The blaring car horns were surprisingly easy to adapt to. Casey particularly loved the little shops and cafes that seemed to flower at every corner. The organic wheatgrass and lemon zest smoothie was a favorite routine of hers before taking a run in central park. Rehearsal wasn't until 10 am, and Casey had to make sure to keep up her stamina for the demanding routine involved in the Jazztap Tango on Mango Street.

Casey was the roommate and unrequited love interest, Mindy. Jessie was the lead Georgio. He was taking his role as the Mainstreet casanova to heart. Whatever began at the Blue Heron Lodge was soon forgotten after there was so much research to do with so many women.

"I just need to get a better feel of the character. You understand, don't you?" Jessie explained at Casey's studio apartment. She stared at him and tried her best to stay civil. It was an act she had seen many times with Truman and certainly with Jessie. He wasn't exactly nonchalant about his veracious flirting as a waiter, and it only increased in New York when his charming shyness faded away.

"Of course, see you on set. K?" She said before gently closing the door. The apartment was basically a shoebox; she could barely practice her routine, and Casey was starting to get restless. There were a few framed pictures across the headboard of her twin bed. She picked up the last picture the entire family had taken together. Simon was just born, and they were all huddled together at the hospital. She smiled at the image that had been taken four months earlier. Simon must have at least doubled in size by now. Casey sighed at the knot in her chest and stared at the phone on her bed for a long moment before giving in and dialing.

"Yo, You've reached Derek Venturi. Leave a message, and I may or may not get back to you. Later" Casey rolled her eyes at the voicemail, but she still waited for the beep.

"Hey, It's Casey. No, I am not having a crisis. I just wanted to call and see how you were doing and to see if you had flunked any of your classes yet. Call me back when you can," She said, and that was two days ago, and she had not heard back from him since. The musical was supposed to air at the Radio City Music Hall for the first time that night at 8 pm. It was too short notice for any family or friends to be able to see it live, but they promised to come to the next showing in two months in Buffalo.

Casey quickly dressed and went up to the stage. "Alright, Casey, go up to the balcony and start from 'Carry On, '" The director Bernard Blue instructed from the front row. The prop balcony was just reinforced after a near spill last week that had Casey hanging on for dear life by the railing. Margret, the leading lady, had teased that Casey shouldn't have had that extra slice of pizza at rehearsal wrap-up. Derek said that she was being "Black Swanned" when she had called that night to vent her frustrations.

"You've seen The Black Swan?" Casey scoffed.

"Uh Yeah, Natalie Portman 'finding her sexual nature' on screen. How could I not?" He said.

"You're disgusting," She said, but they ended up laughing anyway.

Casey stared into the spotlight and let out a deep breath.

"Carry on, sweet dear. My mother always told me.

Carry on through these tears. Let them water your garden.

Soon the flowers will bloom and shade your views of the unkindness of this world." Casey's voice carried sweetly through the theater as she watered the small prop flowers on the balcony. Below Jessie danced and caressed Margret while Casey was made to gaze forlorn at them from above.

"But sometimes the flowers bloom is not enough.

Never enough." Casey sang with more force, and she flew down the stairs to meet the lovers, but before she descended, they were gone.

"Just living and watching you fade from me.

Even if you're happy, it will never be enough for me-" She ended with the saddest halt of her voice. The lights faded, and then she was shuffled backstage for the next scene. It had become just a monotonous cycle in her life. When did her dream become the very thing she dreaded each and every day. Maybe when it was when her dream became a job, and the freeing feeling she had when she danced was now controlled by someone else. She looked at the glittering face in the mirror. Casey had the opportunity to give into a secret desire to be a blonde for the role, but there was something different in her eyes. They seemed dull.

The play was a moderate success. There were no screaming crowds or cries for an encore like the director had predicted. Casey was honestly just glad it was over. When she went to the dressing room, she found someone in her chair. With a well-timed spin, Derek grinned at her, appearing quite at home.

"The real star is here," He announced, lounging in the makeup chair like a throne. Casey laughed and all but launched at him. She squeezed him in a hug.

"Chillz, Case. Can't breathe." Derek said but still gave her a gentle squeeze back. Some of the other girls began to mill into the dressing room and took in the scene of the two step-siblings.

"Aww, Casey, I didn't know you had enough time for a boyfriend." Eloise sneered. Casey gave the petite redhead a withering look.

"This is my step-brother, Derek. Derek, this is Eloise, Jasmine, Cossette, and Jamie." Casey said, milling off as the women eyed Derek with a predatory look. Casey wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"Oh, and is Derek single?" Eloise asked while batting her massive costume lashes at the man. Derek chuckled and got out of the chair, but before he could say anything.

"Oh, he is, but sorry to tell you, girls, he is gay. Come on, let me show you the city." Casey said before half dragging Derek out of the dressing room. Derek protested the entire time he was very much straight. Once they were on the street, Derek shook her off his arm.

"Jeez, Casey. Possessive much?" Derek complained. Casey shook her head.

"Please, Derek. Those theater girls would have eaten you alive." She teased. "Anyway, what made you come all the way over? How did you like the play? How is the family?" Casey rattled off as they walked down the street, the park was coming up, and they had a night market to celebrate the change into spring.

"Take a breath, Casey." Derek teased and shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. Casey closed her mouth and made a locking motion while throwing away a figurative key. Derek rolled his eyes.

"You are such a dork," He mumbled, and she put her hands on her hips. "Well, I heard your voicemail, and you are still a terrible liar; you are obviously having a crisis." And he held a hand to stall her protest. "Yes, you are, but I have to go down the list before you go on this verge of denial." He smirked

"The play was sappy but good, I guess. And the Fam is fine, I guess, you can reach out to them too, you know." He said and then lingered over to a hotdog vendor and ordered a dog with all the fixings, even relish. Derek took a huge, messy bite and then offered some to Casey, who gave a quick shake of her head.

"I know, and I try too, but these hours are so long with the play and rehearsals and the gym to stay in shape." She sighed. Derek sized her up.

"What's wrong with the shape you're in now?" Derek said through a mouth full of meat. Casey grimaced and offered him a napkin.

"Chew, swallow, then speak, you, Neanderthal," Casey said and then looked down at her thin, toned arms. "The costume designer has been complaining about having to use extra material for my costume because I am not a size two like the other girls," Casey said and crossed her arms in frustration.

"You'd look weirder than usual if you were super thin like them," Derek said after finishing his hot dog and wiping his mouth. They passed a beadwork station where Derek tossed his trash in the nearby bin, and Casey looked intently at the necklaces.

"I agree, but that's showbusiness. I don't have enough curves to be plus-sized and not thin enough to be seen as a regular dancer. It's exhausting," She admitted while touching a deep jade necklace like one her mother would wear.

"So, quit," Derek said simply. Casey turned away from the necklace and stared at him incredulously.

"I can't just quit on my dream, Derek. I have sacrificed too much for it not to work out." She said hotly. Derek gave her a bland look.

"I saw you up there; there is no passion in you." Derek accused. Casey scoffed.

"Please. What do you know about passion?" Casey asked, and he shrugged.

"I have been playing hockey since I was twelve, and I have never felt like getting up to play was ever work. You have been complaining for weeks about this, and it is just not what you expected. And that scares you." He accused. Casey shoved him.

"I am not scared!" She hissed, but it wasn't convincing. She gave into his penetrating look and slumped her shoulders. "Okay, fine. I thought it would be amazing to dance on a stage in front of hundreds of people every night, but it's not the same when the choreography is the exact same, and I don't have the creative liberties I would If I did my own choreography." She admitted—Derek tutt at her before lazily throwing his arm across her shoulders.

"Well, you can always modify your dream to fit your life." He said and then eyed a street band performing under a massive tree filled with string lights. Casey gave him a confused look, and then her eyes widened at him when he dragged her towards the band, and he twirled her around. "Like dancing in the park without any stuffed shirts of catty girls criticizing you." He said before joining her in a faced paced swing dance. Casey's face lit up with the biggest and most beautiful smile. She laughed and tilted her head back when Derek picked her up and spun her.

A small crowd of dancers joined in, and the band picked up its pace, and Derek let Casey down so she could take the reigns. This was her, Casey free and alive.

The two left the park with a little more pep in their step and laughing. Derek dragged them to the closest bar and ordered them whiskey shots. Derek started to sweet talk to the bartender and didn't even get carded. They were legal in Canada, but at nineteen, were not yet legal in the states. It helped that Derek had a bit of a blonde stubble beard going on. Casey just shook her head in amazement.

"I am the one supposed to be showing you around the city. I am the one who lives here," Casey said before clinking her shot glass with Derek's and downing it in one go. Derek laughed at her grimace as the whiskey burned down her throat.

"It's called confidence Casey, maybe you'll know all about it after a few more of these." He said and waved at the bartender for another round. He handed Casey another cool shot glass, and she met his determined gaze with one of her own. He leaned close to her ear and said over the loud music.

"Oh, and you're paying, by the way." He said, and before she could yell at him, he downed his shot and pulled on her hand to the dance floor. Casey refrained from his pulling to shakily downed her whiskey shot. Derek released her to the thumping music while he made eye contact with a blonde in a tight purple dress. Casey felt her limbs become loose and cool and began to sway to the beat. The writhing bodies pressed against another was not the type of music she was usually used to, but there was something hypnotic about it. A pair of arms snaked around her waist, and Casey flinched to see a handsome stranger with mint green eyes that shone against dark skin. He leaned close to her ear.

"Want to dance?" He asked, and she nodded nervously. He led her in a slow sway, lightly pressing his hips into hers. Casey bit back a gasp and ran her arms up and through her own loose waves. This was heaven. She followed the handsome stranger step for step and rolled her hips in a way that made him hiss. His hands began to drift from her hips to the back pockets of her low-ride jeans. It was only when he squeezed her bottom that she squealed and jumped away. The handsome stranger raised his hands up in surrender. He mouthed "sorry" to her, and she shook her head and smiled at him before moving more towards the center and dancing by herself. At least she was until Derek came over with another two shots, and she gladly accepted, now getting more used to the burn.

"You okay?" Derek shouted over the music. Casey nodded.

"Better than ever." She said and wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him into a more lively song. Derek put both their glasses on the nearby counter and began to sway along with Casey. This was much closer than they had ever danced before, and Casey was giggling and biting her bottom lip as she spun and gyrated onto Derek. Oh no, Derek thought. He had created a monster. He would have always thought Casey would be a lame weepy drunk, but it turns out she is a flirty drunk. Derek wasn't exactly sober either, and the night was still swinging along. He held for the ride with his hands firmly on Casey's hips. She spun and then wrapped her arms around his neck. She swayed back and forth with her eyes half-closed.

It's hard to say who moved; first, one moment, they were forehead to forehead, and then Casey whispering huskily, "Thank you for saving me, Derek" Derek chuckled and asked, "From what?". Casey's fingers ran through his smooth hair before leaning to his ear and whispering, "From myself" Maybe he was going to give her a reassuring kiss on the cheek. Maybe she only turned to put her head on his shoulder. Whatever their possible intentions, what happened was that their lips met for the briefest moment. They had enough sobriety to freeze and look into each other's eyes. Derek searched her baby blue eyes for any fear or concern but only found her doing the same, and a flicker of want glazed over her eyes. That was all each other needed for permission.

While the first kiss was sweet and innocent, this kiss was desperate and sensual. Derek pressed Casey closer and cupped the back of her head to deepen the kiss, and Casey let her hands trail down his chest to the hem of his shirt. In the course of their kissing, the song had changed to something slower; Casey and Derek took the opportunity to come up for air. Casey nuzzled into Derek's neck, and he held her close.

"What are we doing?" Casey asked and pulled back to look at Derek. She half expected a sarcastic remark like, What does it look like? We were making out, and now we're not. Not that big a deal, Case. But Casey had never seen Derek like this before. His face was open and vulnerable.

"I don't know," He said and shook his head. He smoothed some hair out of her face and smiled down at her. Casey smiled back and leaned up to kiss him lightly. She rubbed her hands over his arms.

"Well, whatever this is, let's wing it," Casey announced confidently. Derek laughed at that and shook her lightly.

"What?" Casey pouted. Derek shook his head and slung an arm over her shoulder, leading her out of the dance floor towards the bar to pay their tab.

"'Let's wing it,'" He imitated her in an absurdly high pitch tone. "You are still such a Keener," He said. She elbowed his side.

"Der-rek," She whined as he pat her head in a condescending way.

"It's okay; you're a cute kenner." He said with a wink. She forked up the cash for their tab and joined him out in the New York nightlife.

They stared out at the buildings from Casey's fire escape. Neither said anything for several minutes until Casey broke the silence.

"I have to drop out of the play," Casey announced, and Derek smoothed her hair in response. "Yeah, you got me thinking."

"Oh no," Derek said and snickered when she lightly slapped his knee. Casey was sitting between his legs and leaning back into his chest.

"I want to go back to school, but not for Law. I want to own my own dance studio." She said, and Derek put his chin on top of her head.

"So, Casey Macdonald found a way to make a career where she is in complete control. Shocker." He whispered the last part into her ear; she smiled and then turned around so she was facing him.

"Plus, going to university will give us time to figure out whatever this is." She said as she placed her hands on his shoulders. He smirked at her.

"Yeah, sure, let's 'wing it,'" He said, and Casey slid her hands up to his neck and kissed him until the sun began to rise, and they both finally succumbed to exhaustion.

#life with derek #casey and derek #derek and casey #desey #fanfic #romance #slow burn #dasey

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actuallyspencerreid · 6 years

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A Thousand Words

A/N: This is the longest thing I’ve ever done but I just didn’t want to break it into multiple parts. I really like this one and I hope you guys do too!

Requested by You already know! @mantlereid (one day Imma release all of her original requests and y’all can tell me if you think I stuck to the script or not lmao.)

Word Count: 2.7k

Tags: @the-unfortunate-fangirl @cynbx @princesswagger15 @obsessivereader36 @hearts-to-the-sky @mantlereid @dreamxcollide @qu3n-elizab3th @hiya-imthatgirl @literallyprentissstwin @bauboywonder @everyday-imfangirling @spencerreidreads @spencerreidobsessed @alixcharmedworld @writer-of-camelot @grubler

-----

The office was oddly quiet. The team had just gotten back from a case, so everyone was catching up on paperwork. Of course, you’d finished yours already because you actually like paperwork. Unfortunately though, that meant that were just fiddling your thumb. JJ had taken a few days off to be with her family and Tara was doing a psych evaluation in Chicago, so you didn’t have anyone to talk to.

Your boyfriend sat across from you, eyebrows pulled together as he filled out his reports. You grabbed your camera and snapped a few candid shots.

“Smile.”

Spencer looked up at you, irritation etched on his face. “Don’t you have paperwork to be doing?”

“I finished a few minutes ago.” You looked at him through the lens of your camera and snapped a picture. “Plus, you look so pretty when you’re focusing on things.”

You took a few more shots as his head dipped back down to focus on his paperwork. “Stop, (Y/N). I’m serious.”

“C’mon Spence, just one smile.”

“I said stop!” He startled you, slamming his pen on his desk. “Your stupid hobby isn’t helping anything! It’s not changing anything! Seven people are still dead and their killer is still on the loose! Come out from behind that camera and smell the dead roses for once!”

You could practically hear you heart beating in your chest, eyes welling with tears. Spencer never snapped, especially not at you. Everyone around you had stopped what they were doing to look up at the source of the commotion. Minding your surroundings, you swallowed thickly and stood.

“I’m sorry.” You whispered before disappearing towards the break room.

“What the hell was that?” Matt asked him quietly.

“She’s always in my face with that damn camera.” Spencer didn’t look up at his colleague, almost afraid of what he would see.

“She’s your girlfriend!” Matt was trying to keep his voice down. “Reid, we all see a lot of bad things out there. Taking photos of you and this team is how she copes with it. Sure it’s a little irritating at times, but it’s how she gets through the day.”

“You screamed at her and she’s the one who apologized.” Spencer actually looked up at Luke. “You gotta apologize man.”

“Research confirms that women tend to apologize much more frequently than men do. Recent studies have shown that this is because they feel that they commit more offenses, when in reality it’s just society dictation of what is considered offensive from men and women. Men are just as likely as women to apologize for a given offense, but their threshold for what they consider an offense is lower.”

Matt and Luke shared a look of disbelief before both rising from their seats. “You’re impossible man.”

Matt made his way to the breakroom, where he found you picking at a muffin as tears slowly fell down your face. He took a seat on next to you and placed a comforting hand on your back.

“Are you okay?”

You shook your head, reaching up to wipe your face. “You would tell me the truth, right?”

“Of course.” You looked over at him with a small smile.

“Are you guys irritated by my photography?” You were almost scared of his answer, but you needed to hear it.

His next words were hesitant. “Sometimes it feels like you’re being a touch oblivious. I don’t agree with what he did, but he’s kind of right. Pictures of us aren’t going to erase what’s going on out there.”

You nodded, standing. Wiping away the evidence of your meltdown, you took a deep breath and thanked your coworker. Matt tried to call you back, tried to reassure you, but you just thanked him and headed for Emily’s office.

“I’ve finished with my paperwork. Is it okay if I go home?”

“Of course.” She gave you a sad smile. “I heard what happened. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” You left before she could ask anymore questions. You were careful not to look at Spencer as you made your way to your desk and grabbed your things.

“(Y/N)...” he started quietly as he watched you carefully pack your camera.

“Don’t worry about it.” You bid him, Matt and Luke farewell before leaving briskly.

-----

The next day at work was quiet. JJ and Tara were still gone, so you decided to spend the day going over a few of your unsolved case files in a Penelope’s office. You were knee deep in the middle of a slasher case when Spencer stepped in.

“Garcia, can you --” He stopped when he saw you. “(Y/N). I didn’t know that you were here today. Your camera wasn’t on your desk.”

“Cold cases.” You gestured towards the board you’d set up and turned back to it, effectively cutting off the conversation. He searched his mind for something to say to you, but decided against it.

“Did you need my help, Boy Wonder?” Penelope grabbed his attention. He nodded, gathering himself to return to his task. You purposely ignored their conversation, racking your brain to connect the dots in your case.

When he left, you released the breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding.

“He’s so smart, but so dumb.” Penelope tried to make you laugh, but it didn’t help all that much. Your heart still ached after what happened yesterday. You’d spent the night alone at your apartment for the first time since you’d started dating Spencer. Getting ready for work that morning, you’d made the conscious decision to just leave your camera at home.

“He was right though.” You sat next to her, leaning your head on her shoulder. “Nothing I do is going to erase the fact that there are people out there dying. I’m an FBI agent, not Annie Leibovitz. My job is solely to stop the bad guys, not record the good ones.”

“Oh Sugar Plum.” She stroked your hair gently. “Don’t let this job make you jaded. If taking dumb pictures of these dumb people that you love is what makes you happy, then to hell with what they think. Find a new muse and move on.”

You smiled, turning to press a soft kiss to her cheek. “I love you, Penelope Garcia.”

“I know.”

-----

Leaving work that night, you tried to slip out of the office without anyone noticing. No such luck.

“Hey hot stuff!” You groaned silently as Luke drew attention to you. Turning, you gave him a strained smile. “We missed you down here today. Tara just got back from Chicago so we were gonna go pick her up from the airport and head out for a drink. You in?”

“Thanks, but I’m exhausted.” You left without another word.

He turned to Spencer, but the doctor just gave him a shrug. “I tried to talk to her. Twice. She shut me down both times.”

“Try harder.”

Spencer looked at the photo on his desk. It had been an anniversary gift from you just a few months ago. You were smiling at the camera, but he’d been looking down at you with as much love as he could feel. It wasn’t the picture that got to him so much as the frame, gold with the words “You’re My Forever” imprinted at the bottom. Sighing, he quickly gathered his stuff and ran after you.

“(Y/N)!” He reached out to stop the elevator doors from closing, slipping in next to you.

“Dr. Reid.” You addressed him quietly.

“Your place?”

“Sure.” Neither of you spoke again as you walked to your car and drove home.

“It’s a bit of a mess.” You kicked your shoes off as you stepped inside, hanging your jacket up on the back of the door.

He took your bag from you. “I’m sorry about screaming at you yesterday.”

“It’s fine.” He followed you to the bedroom.

“It’s not fine, (Y/N).” He sat on the bed as you disappeared into the closet to change. “This last case really got to me, but I shouldn’t have taken out on you. I’m sorry.”

“Forgiven.” You wouldn’t meet his eye as you stepped back into the room and began picking things up from the ground. He watched for a moment before sighing in frustration.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Spence.”

“No something’s up.” He stepped in front of you before you could bend over again, hands on your arms. “Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”

“Stop pushing me Spencer!” You yanked away from him, crossing your arms over your chest protectively. “You apologized. I forgave you. What more do you want from me?”

“I want you to talk to me!” He ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. “You haven’t said more than a handful of words to me all day. No one even knew you were at work today, and when they realized that you were, they could see that you were acting weird. I’m trying to be understanding and talk, but you’re pushing me away! First the stupid pictures and now this. I don’t know why I put up with any of it!”

He stormed out. You broke, crying when you heard the front door slam. You chucked a pillow at the door with a scream. Climbing into bed, you cried yourself to sleep yet again.

-----

You woke up to the sound of your phone going off. With a groan, you reached for the device.

“Hello?”

“Hey sunshine.” Your mind perked at the smooth sound of Derek’s voice. “Want to come open your front door for me?”

“Should be unlocked.”

He hung up. You heard the door open, then heavy footsteps. There was a dip on the bed as he sat at the end. “Where’s the Kid?”

“Don’t know.” You sat up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. “Fight last night. He left.”

“Garcia told me that you guys might be having some issues?” You sighed, nodding. “Why didn’t you call? I don’t live that far.”

“You have a family of your own to worry about.” You reach out and gave his cheek a loving pat. “Thank you for coming, but I can take care of my relationship issues.”

“Oh I’m not here because of your relationship.” He help up his phone and it took a moment for your eyes to adjust. “I’m here because I got an event reminder on my phone about a certain genius’ birthday party tonight and I came to see if his lady needed any help with set up.”

“I forgot about his party tonight!” You scrolled through the notifications on your phone, noticing the multiple messages asking if the party was still on. “Spencer hates parties anyway. Is it too late to cancel?”

“Definitely.”

You closed your eyes and fell back against the pillows. “Give me ten minutes to get dressed. Then we can go to Party City.”

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Spencer stared at your apartment building as the sun began to set behind him. When he’d gotten the notification on his phone that morning, he’d debating calling you about it, but decided not to. He knew he was being unfair and childish, and it was time for him to face the music.

“You’ve got a real good woman up there.” Luke stepped up next to his coworker, arm linked to Penelope’s. “Don’t lose her.”

Spencer nodded and let them walk in front of him and up to your apartment. The door was slightly ajar and he could hear music and laughter coming from inside. He was hesitant to follow Penelope and Luke inside, and they were all surprised by what they saw.

There were pictures hanging all over the walls on strings of lights. Some were candids, some were posed. As the trio moved closer to the living room, the photos got more and more recent. Spencer immediately realized that they were telling a story, their story, in chronological order. Before he turned the corner to the living room, he was stopped by the photo you’d taken yesterday of him working.

All of the chatter ceased when he stepped into the room. His eyes locked onto yours quickly.

“I’d already developed them.” You explained. “I didn’t want them to go to waste. Plus, I figured if anyone saw anything they liked, they could take them. I’m sorry if you hate it. I just wanted to do something special, I’m sorry.”

Spencer’s heart ached as his eyes swept the room. There were bigger prints framed around the room, primarily featuring him. Guilt filled his chest and he had tears in his eyes as he realized just how talented you were. Before today, you very rarely showed the pictures that you took, for fear that they weren’t as good as you thought them to be.

“I need some air.” You whispered before he could say anything, stepping away from the group and out onto the balcony.

“I’m an asshole.” His voice cracked as he looked at the team.

“Only if you stay in here.” Spencer gave Will a nod and quickly followed you out into the brisk October air.

You heard him come out. “I’m sorry if you hate it. I’ll take them all down before the night is over.”

“Don’t.” You turned to him and his heart broke when he noticed that you’d been crying. “Don’t take them down. They’re so beautiful.”

“No, you were right.” You shivered slightly, wrapping your arms around yourself. “It’s stupid and irritating.”

He stepped close and pulled you into him. “No I wasn’t. I was upset and being a jerk. What you’ve done tonight shows beauty and talent and dedication and I’m the world’s biggest idiot for not seeing that. Nothing I could ever say or do will ever being able to convey just how sorry I am for what I said to you. I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide who you are from me.”

You relaxed into him, wrapping your arms around his waist.

“I love you so much.” He kissed the top of your head as you gently swayed together.

You could have stayed there forever, but you heard the balcony door slide open a few minutes later. You both turned to see Matt standing there with a small smile.

“Were you guys planning on freezing out here or were you coming back to the party?” You both laughed.

“Give us a second.” Spencer turned back to you and pressed a soft kiss to your lips. “Thank you for my party.”

“I can’t take all the credit. Derek came and lit a fire under my ass this morning.”

“Maybe I should go in and thank him.” You laughed as your boyfriend wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. He lead you back into your apartment, where your friends were dancing around playfully.

As the night wound down, you gave everyone a tour through the photos. It helped that Spencer had an eidetic memory as he helped to fill in any story gaps that you might have missed. Everyone shared a moment of silence for Hotch, who had taken Jack on vacation a few days ago and therefore was unable to make it to the party. By the end of the night, half of your photos had disappeared.

“This party was beautiful,” JJ said as she hugged you at the door.

“The photos were amazing.” Will pressed a soft kiss to your cheek before shaking Spencer’s hand. “Might have to hire you to get some shots of the boys.”

“Anytime.”

You leaned into your boyfriend as the last of your friends left. He tried to lead you to bed, but you stopped him.

“I got you a gift, but I wanted to wait until we were alone to give it to you.” You stepped into the closet and retrieved the neatly wrapped book. Hesitantly, you handed it to him.

He very carefully unwrapped it. On the cover was the same photo of the two of you that sat on his desk, a golden SR engraved on the bottom right corner. He slowly flipped through the pages that were filled with photos of the two of you. There was small accent and captions on some of the pictures. He didn’t realize he’d been crying until a tear dropped onto the laminate page.

“This is beautiful.” He whispered as you sat next to him.

“You know what they say.” You reached up to stroke his cheek and he leaned into your hand. “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

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