Fic: Too Close, Chapter 1 (Criminal Minds, Reid / Morgan, Sean / Cain)
Title: Too Close, Chapter 1
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pair: Spencer Reid / Derek Morgan,
Sean Hotchner / Cain Christensen
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Criminal Minds Main List
It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood.
-William Shakespeare
Morgan staggered tiredly into the kitchen. All the lights were on, all available surfaces were covered with papers and files, and the air was perforated by a smell of stale coffee.
Reid hadn’t even noticed his entrance. The genius kept jumping back and forth between a stack of case files and his laptop, typing a few words and then heading for another file.
“Pretty boy?”
Reid looked up, eyes wide with confusion.
“When did you leave?”
“What do you mean leave? I’ve been asleep for the last-” Morgan checked the clock on the wall. “-eight hours.”
“Then where have I been?”
“Reid…” Morgan approached him carefully and pushed the man gently down to his seat. “Baby, you did it again.”
“I did?”
“What have I told you every night for days?”
“Go to bed on time.”
“And what do you always say?”
“I’ll just finish this and I’ll come upstairs.”
“Right. You can’t keep pulling all-nighters with gallons of coffee.”
“I have to get this done, Hotch gave me two weeks off to-”
“Baby, I know that, I was there. You got two weeks to go through material for it, but the course isn’t gonna start for another month-”
“But it’s my course! Hotch assigned me for it and it’s a big responsibility-”
“Reid-”
“The academy’s doing this as an experiment. If the profiling lectures don’t work, they won’t do them next year-”
“Reid, I know! But you’re not gonna win any more working hours if you work all night and then sleep all day. How much coffee have you had?”
“A lot.” Reid admitted reluctantly and rubbed his eyes. “Morgan?”
“Yeah?”
“It doesn’t make any sense.”
“I’ve been telling you that over and over again-”
“No, my notes!” The genius pointed at the computer screen. “This is complete gibberish!”
“See what I mean? If you’re too tired to think straight, get some rest.”
“Did I really write this?” Reid stared at the screen. “Murdered victim’s good coffee, but Teletubby Morgan severed artery coffee coffee… This is all gibberish.”
“Now do you believe me when I say you need some sleep?”
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Sean woke up to a weird feeling. First he thought his internal clock was simply protesting against sleeping in, but then a hand landed on his head, stroking his messy locks.
“Morning, princess.”
His eyes snapped open and he rolled around to see the man laying next to him. Cain used the opportunity by pushing him back against the mattress and kissed him. Sean’s sleepy brain was beginning to wake up, but the rest of him reacted instinctively, wrapping his arms around the man’s shoulders and pulling him closer till he was laying on top of him. The heat seeping through Cain’s clothing pulled him fully awake while his hands groped the man to get him as close as possible. When Cain lips suddenly pulled back, he let out an impatient groan.
“When did you get back to the states?”
“Last night. I spent the night putting my article series together with my editor.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“I didn’t wanna tell you I’m back and then say I got work to do.”
“Is it done now?” Sean asked carefully.
“I still have some rewrites to do, but yeah, it’s done. I’ll need to borrow your computer for a while, mine met a grisly end. Good thing I had my work stuff on sticks.”
“I got today off, so I got all day to say welcome back.” Sean grinned. His hands wandered up to start unbuttoning Cain’s shirt.
“Later. Get up, we got stuff to do.” Cain got off the bed and grabbed his deserted back bag from the floor. He pulled a few memory sticks from the side pocket and dropped the bag next to the laundry hamper.
“Get up? You just got home, I got the day off, and you want me to get up?” Sean asked, sounding thoroughly scandalized. “Unless that means we’re gonna do it against the wall, your priorities are seriously screwed up!”
Cain chuckled at the response, flipping the sticks between his fingers.
“You have any idea how much I missed you?”
“No, I don’t, so get back here and show me!”
“Later. I promise we’ll do it against the wall and any free surface we can find, but not now. We’re leaving as soon as I’ve mailed some stuff to the paper and packed a bag.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see. Pack for a few days.”
“I’m supposed to be working tomorrow-”
“Call your boss, you’re taking a sick-day.”
“I am?”
“Yeah, we’re gonna have a long weekend.”
“You still haven’t said where we’re going.”
“Sean, just do as I say. Pack a bag and make sure you’re ready to go in half an hour.”
“You’re not running from the law, are you?” Sean joked. “I’ve seen Thelma and Louse and it was-”
“No.” Cain turned at the door, leaning back against the frame and gave him a tired smile. "Just a few days away.”
Sean took a better look at the man. His clothes were disheveled and looked like he had spent several days in them. Cain’s strict posture hid some of the signs, but his face gave it all away: He looked exhausted.
“Did something happen? I mean you’re okay, right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Cain nodded. “I just want some time away from everyone and everything.”
“Why?” Sean asked suspiciously. “Did something happen? I mean I saw the news-”
“Nothing you need to worry about, princess.” Cain took a few steps closer and leaned down to place a little kiss on Sean’s lips.
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
“Morgan…”
Reid waited, but the wet sensation slobbering all over his toes wasn’t going anywhere.
“Morgan, stop that. I’m not in the mood to fool around.” When he finally got his eyes open, he corrected his earlier theory. “Sorry, Clooney, your daddy likes to do that too. Usually when he’s had too much to drink.”
He looked around, but he and Clooney were alone. A tray was placed on the nightstand, with a little note prodded against a glass of orange juice. Reid picked up the note and gestured the dog to hop onto the bed.
We got called in early, so I didn’t want to wake you up. Sleep in and stay away from coffee, I’ll call you later.
PS. Clooney’s been fed.
“You’ve been fed?” Reid asked the canine, who was curling up on Morgan’s half of the bed. “You’re already one step ahead of me then.” He took the morning paper, unfolded it on his knees and picked up a sandwich from the tray. “Have you read the news?”
Clooney gave him a lazy glance.
“No? Well, lets see what we got… Earthquake in Guatemala… armed robberies gone up in the Midwest…” He reached over to rub Clooney’s ears and continued his way through the paper while munching on his sandwich. One of the articles caught his attention, and his hand paused, causing Clooney to start whining.
“Clooney, do you remember when… Sorry, of course you don’t remember, but I do… We were wrong all along. We must have been.”
Reid leaped up, kicked of the covers and rushed out of the bedroom. Clooney gave him a mandatory bark and settled down to sleep on the empty bed.
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
“Twenty minutes!” Cain’s voice reminded from the living room as soon as Sean had stepped out of the bathroom. He dumped his towel on the floor and suppressed a protest when he noticed a suitcase laying on the bed, open and filled with neatly folded clothes.
“I can pack a bag all by myself!” Sean protested with a lopsided smirk. “And you forgot my lucky shirt!”
“Yeah.” Cain appeared on the doorway. “I’ve been meaning to throw it away for a long time, but I forgot it.”
“It’s my favorite!”
“It’s also six washes past its funeral date. I’ll go take a quick shower and then we’re going.”
“It’s comfy!” Sean shot back, but Cain had already turned to leave. Sean waited until he heard the click of the bathroom door before he crouched down next to the laundry hamper and started searching for his shirt. A few moments later he pulled out a worn and torn T-shirt. He wrinkled his nose at the smell of dried up sweat coming from the open back bag. He took the bag and dumped the used clothes into the hamper. Sean was about to get up and continue packing when he saw the stains on a torn shirt.
It had been balled up, making it stand out among the effectively folded and packed clothes, and it had rolled to the edge of the hamper. Sean picked it up and held it open in front of him.
A distinct metallic smell invaded his nose, lingering while he stared at the large dark blood stain covering the front of the shirt. It had dried up, making the fabric stiff.
“It’s not my blood.”
Sean twirled around to face Cain, who was standing in the doorway.
“I’ll tell you about it later, but not now.” Cain grabbed the shirt and shoved it back into the hamper. “Not now.”
Chapter 2