Prompt Me 7

[coffeebuddha]

Title: Prompt Me
Author: coffeebuddha
Rating: PG/FRT
Characters/Pairings: Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.
Summary: A collection based on prompts from staringout.

Feedback is always appreciated.

***

#313-"I believe in the 'No Assholes' rule."

Derek massaged the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I don't understand why this is suddenly such a big deal. We both agreed that keeping this this quiet would be the best way to go."

Spencer scrubbed furiously at the last bit of baked-on cheese encrusted on the casserole dish, then shoved it at Derek, splattering him with water. Derek sighed again, but automatically began to rinse and dry. "I never said that I wanted to come out at work or march in a parade or anything, Derek. All I'm asking for is a little consideration. Like last night. Was that really necessary?"

"She approached me and it would have looked strange if I'd said no. You know that," Derek said indignantly.

"That doesn't mean you had to let it go as far as it did. Would you really be okay if it was me doing what you did? Wouldn't it bother you?" Spencer glared at Derek as he passed him a handful of silverware.

"We were just dancing! If you want to dance, then go ahead and dance. There's nothing in the rules against it," Derek said, gesturing wildly with a sudsy fork. Spencer rolled his eyes and slammed a plate down in the sink, splashing them both.

"Then I propose we institute a new 'No Acting Like An Insensitive Asshole' rule." Derek snorted derisively. Spencer raked his wet fingers through his hair, leaving a trail of bubbles in the long strands. His anger drained out of him until he just looked sad and defeated. "It's just that it's been over a year now, Derek, and I still have no idea how serious you are about us."

He handed Derek the plate, dried his hands, and walked out. Derek, his face turned down toward the plate, let him.


#301-write about the hasty decision

"What are you doing?"

"Exactly what it looks like, " Spencer said without looking up from the half full cardboard box. "Packing. I resigned from the FBI this morning."

Derek's folders slipped unnoticed from his hands to the floor. "What? When did you decide this? You never said-"

"I wasn't aware that I had to run all my decisions by you. I was offered a job and I took it. It has nothing to do with you." Spencer upended the contents of one of his drawers into the box, his lips twisted in a frown. Derek's hands clenched into fists.

"Look, if this is about the other night-"

"No," Spencer said, cutting him off again. "It's just time for a change. It's a job that I've been turning down for a long time and I finally said yes."

Derek stepped closer and leaned in, speaking low in Spencer's ear. "And what does this mean for us? Don't you think we should have discussed this?"

Spencer finally looked up and locked eyes with Derek. His face was smooth, but his eyes flashed and his hands shook. "Why? You're not that important in my life. Or to me."


#449-write about the reunion*

The air at the graveyard feels almost unnaturally still. Spencer stands on the edge of the crowd, fiddling with his tie. After so many years, he hadn't expected to have warranted a call.

Spencer clasps Jack's hands and offers his condolences to the young man and his wife. He's turning to go back to his car when Morgan steps in front of him. There's gray in his hair, his face has acquired a host of new lines, and his jawline is starting to go soft, but the rest of him is still as strong and solid as it was when Spencer met him all those years ago.

He opens his mouth as if he wants to say something, but after a long moment, he closes it and just stands there studying Spencer. The silence stretches long-uncomfortably so. Finally, Spencer nods shortly and moves to step around him. That snaps Derek into action and he reaches out to grab Spencer's arm. "Wait," he says, his eyes fixed on where his hand's holding Spencer's elbow. "Don't go. Not again."

*I've already posted this one once, but I liked it so much with the progression of the other two that I decided to repost it. Because of that I'm posting four drabbles today instead of my usual grouping of three.


#405-write about the sleepless night

Spencer sat slumped in the uncomfortable hospital chair, his entire world narrowed to the unconscious figure on the bed. The slow, shallow rise and fall of the chest. The feel of a dry, cool hand clasped in his. The silence that was only broken by the steady beeping and whirling of machinery and the faint rasp of labored breath.

So still. No one should be that still.

Time warped in the small, sterile room until Spencer didn't know how long he'd been sitting there, but the sky was beginning to lighten when the machines went wild. A swarm of nurses and doctors filled the room, pushing him back into a corner, but there was nothing that could be done. The doctor was polite but distant, and Spencer nodded at all the appropriate times even though he didn't really hear the words. When the doctor left, Spencer stooped to kiss a cold cheek, then stood there, hollow and unmoving.

After an eternity, gentle hands took him and led him down a hall, through a doorway, into an abandoned stairwell. While they walked, Spencer focused on the warm weight of the hand on his back, burning through the thin fabric of his shirt, anchoring him so that he didn't spin apart. In the stairwell, he turned into a strong arm, curling it around him, leaned against a broad shoulder, and drew a shuddering breath. "I've been slowly losing her all my life, but-" Spencer's voice cracked and Derek's arm tightened around him. "She wasn't perfect, but she was still my mom."

Derek pulled him in closer and didn't say anything. He just held Spencer as he finally let go and cried.

***
 

Part One/Part Two/Part Three/Part Four/Part Five/Part Six/Part Eight/Part Nine/Part Ten/Part Eleven/Part Twelve/Part Thirteen

I'm home and Italy was amazing! Have some depressing drabbles to celebrate! If you commented on anything over the past week or so-also known as The Time Without Internet-don't think that I'm ignoring you. I'm going to be spending the next day or two trying to catch up on everything that I've missed.