Fic: First & Last Impressions (Criminal Minds, Spencer Reid / Derek Morgan)
Title: First & Last Impressions
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pair: Spencer Reid / Derek Morgan,
Aaron Hotchner / Chad
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
Criminal Minds Main List
Follows:
Threats
Dearly Departed
Aggressions
“Pretty Boy?” Morgan hollered from the front door. He took off Clooney’s leash and wiped his muddy paws to an old dishtowel. “Where are you?”
“In the kitchen.”
Morgan followed the voice to the kitchen, where Reid was currently leaning over the table to read printed instructions. Morgan took a minute to admire the views.
“Whatcha cooking, babe?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Gimme a hint.”
“No.”
“Come one-” Morgan paused when he noticed a plastic container among the other ingredients. “Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.”
“What do you think it is?”
“You know what I think. What is that?”
“Blood.”
“That’s what I thought. What the hell are you doing with blood?”
“Blood pancakes. It’s a traditional dish in several European countries.”
“Blood.”
“Yes.”
“In pancakes.”
“Yes.”
“That’s wrong in so many different ways…..”
“Says the man who never eats anything he hasn’t tried before.”
“Hey, I’m not picky!”
“Remember that Malaysian restaurant?”
“That again…..”
“And bánh phồng tôm.”
“That stuff was creepy! Crackers and fish shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near one another.”
“You know… it took me three months to find out what kind of food snob you are.”
“I’m not a snob, and what do you mean three months?”
“For the first three moths that we worked together, we never had time to eat anything else besides take-out. Of course, back then we didn’t see each other after work.”
“Funny thing, the first thing I thought when I first met you was food.”
“Food?”
“Yeah, I thought: Wow, someone really needs to start feeding that kid.”
“That kid?”
“It’s a term of endearment.”
“Maybe now, but it wasn’t back then.”
“I didn’t say kid in a mean way.”
“No, you asked and I quote: Hey kid, did you loose your school group or something?”
“It was a mistake! We had a lot of school groups on guided tours.”
“And none of them was allowed to the level three security area, so that really should have been a good clue. School kids also don’t wear badges in their belts.”
“It was under your coat!”
“And you’re a profiler. You shouldn’t be dependent on the labelling to draw basic conclusions like that. Hold that.” Reid shoved a deep bowl to Morgan’s hands and emptied the plastic bottle into it. Morgan looked at the red liquid with genuine disgust.
“Are you okay?” Reid looked at him. “You look like you’re about to faint.”
“It’s blood.”
“It’s cow’s blood, and we see human blood all the time.”
“That’s different.”
“Would it make it any easier if I told you the recipe includes some alcohol?”
“How much?”
“Little bit.”
“That’s not enough.”
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Hotch chewed a piece of his steak and glance over the table at Chad who was currently immersed in his grilled fish. Hotch swallowed his mouthful and took a sip from his wineglass. During his three day visit they had spend all evenings firmly in Chad’s motel room, but this time Hotch had wanted to take him out on an actual dinner. Take-away in bed just just wasn`t the same.
“I…. I have to fly back tomorrow.”
“I know.” Chad gave him a challenging look. “What are we doing after that?”
“Can you come for the weekend?” Hotch suggested carefully. “I know you’ve been doing that all along, travelling back and forth. I’m sorry.”
“About what?”
“That I expect you to be the one who makes compromises. I mean, I would come to you but I could get called in anytime-”
“You’re missing a point there. I don’t mind travelling. But you better remember what I said.”
“I remember.” Hotch mumbled against his glass.
“I mean it. I’m willing to try, but if you give me even one reason to think you’re not in this for the right reasons, we’re over for good.”
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“Fine, I admit it.” Morgan swallowed the last mouthful. “It was pretty good.”
“I told you.”
“So…. You never told me what you thought.”
“About what?”
“Me. What was your first impression? Did you make some deep probing analysis based on all the available data like a good little profiler should?”
“Can we drop that topic?”
“No, I wanna know.” Morgan grinned.
“Okay.” Reid leaned back in his chair. “First thing I noticed was your badge, and also the fact that you were wearing a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Obviously you were part of the team, and you had been working there long enough to feel free to dress informally.”
“Pretty good. What else?”
“I noticed you were watching your diet and exercising.”
“How did you know I was watching my diet?”
“You were pouring yourself a cup of coffee. You took the sugar bowl from the shelf, you held it for a while and then you put it back. Without putting any to your coffee. You were fighting with a temptation. And then there was your shirt.”
“What about my shirt?”
“It was dark and non-descript enough to avoid drawing unwanted attention at the office, but it was also too small for you. You wanted to show off.”
“What else?”
“The whole showing off factor, combined with the condescending tone you were using on me, you seemed highly narcissistic. I did wonder how you even managed to get any work done with our ego constantly sweeping you off your feet.”
“Can’t you just say you thought I was a self-centred jerk?”
“If you want to use that term.” Reid grinned.
“I wasn’t that horrible!”
“You were.”
“Fine. But I honestly thought you were there for a school trip!”
“With a gun?”
“Well…..”
“Yes?”
“I can’t come up with anything right now. Can we just move on? First impression wasn’t that good. And you were wearing those hideous glasses!”
“I thought you said we should move on.”
“I am moving on! Besides, I improved when you got to know me, didn’t I?”
Reid fixed his eyes to the bottom of his glass and tried to keep a grin off his face.
“Didn’t I?”
“Actually-”
“If you’re gonna remind me about that scene with Hotch, don’t do it.”
“You should have seen your face when he told you we’ll be working together.”
“Not my fault! I hadn’t seen you without your glasses yet.”
“My glasses threw you?”
“Definitely.” Morgan’s bare foot was crawling up Spencer’s leg under the table. “And little bit later when I saw you bending over the table to read something…..”
“So the shape of my gluteus maximus made up for my face?”
“Nope.” Morgan’s foot nestled against Reid’s little profiler. “I called you Pretty Boy thirty minutes after we met. Your face was definitely just as interesting as your ass.”
“And yet it took you years to actually make a move.”
“I’ve been trying to make up for it.” Morgan grinned. “I’m still making up for it every time I got you naked. Or half naked. Or fully clothed. I’m not picky.”
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Hotch leaned against his elbows and checked the clock on the nightstand. 02: 37. Four hours and twenty-three minutes left before leaving to go to the airport. He turned to face the man sleeping next to him. Chad was breathing peacefully, his chest moving in steady rhythm. Hotch placed his palm on his partners chest, stroking the warm skin. Chad was the exact opposite of Hailey, besides the obvious gender difference.
Chad didn’t complain about Hotch`s bizarre work schedules, because he worked for the FBI too. He travelled halfway across the country so they could spend few days together, instead of complaining about all the times they had to settle for phone calls. Chad murmured in his sleep, and flopped over to his belly. Hotch reached over and pulled the covers lower. The faint light of a streetlamp was coming through the curtains, highlighting the muscles of his back and his firm buttocks.
Even though no-one was watching, Hotch could feel his cheeks turning red. He couldn’t keep his hands to himself when an opportunity presented itself. That was another difference. Sex with Hailey had been familiar and satisfying, but it had never included much passion. He never got the feeling that he would burst if he couldn’t touch her.
Hotch run his fingers down Chad’s spine. Down from the shoulders, all the way to the small of his back. The touch made Chad squirm in his sleep, and snuggle closer. Hotch pressed a soft kiss on his shoulder.
Four hours and twelve minutes.