Note: This was written as a prequel to my story The Mouths of Babes, but it can be read as a stand alone piece.

He's touching her. It is so incredibly wrong that Derek doesn't quite know how to process what he's seeing. Spencer Reid doesn't do touching, but there he is, just visible through the glass doors leading to the BAU, with his hand at some woman's elbow and a wide, earnest smile on his face. And the feeling that slams into Derek at the sight is most certainly not jealously, because he is totally, completely straight, which means he can't be attracted to Reid. And even if he wasn't straight-just the thought is hilarious!-surely he'd have better taste than to be attracted to awkward, lanky, know-it-all Dr. Reid. It's Reid, after all, with his mismatched socks and goofy sweater vests and pouty mouth with a lower lip Derek just wants to bite.

Wait. What? That's, uh, that's not what he meant. Not that Reid doesn't have the sort of mouth that Derek would be interested in, provided that it was on a girl, but...Derek knows there's a 'but' there, he just can't think of one. This is insane. Derek's going insane. That's all there is to it.

And it must be indigestion that's making his chest feel tight and his stomach turn. Except that when the woman-whose back is to the door, so Derek can't make out exactly who he's not feeling jealous about-leans up on her toes and tugs at a lock of Reid's hair, a sudden rush of anger hits Derek, which makes him pause and think Huh? because that shouldn't be his reaction to seeing Reid with a woman. After all, he's been trying to get Reid to socialize and date ever since they started becoming friends. So really, he should be happy that the younger agent seems to finally be taking his advice and getting close to someone.

Then Reid laughs, the sound carrying out into the hallway through the glass and Derek thinks Why's he laughing with her? That's my laugh. Which is immediately followed by the thought Oh, there is no way in hell that I just thought that.

Another agent is giving him a strange look and trying to edge around him, which finally makes Derek realize that he's been standing with his hand on the door handle, gawking down at the bullpen. He clears his throat, gives the other man a short nod, and pushes through the doors.

Reid sees him almost immediately and motions him over with a wave. Derek approaches them, his steps slowing more and more the closer he gets, and while a part of his mind registers that there's something familiar about the woman, he's mostly preoccupied with warmth that's building in his gut as Reid smiles at him. How had he not noticed that before? It's like the protective feeling he's almost always had toward Reid, but somehow both stronger and softer. And, alarmingly, mixed in with it is a very definite thrill of physical attraction.

But perhaps the most frightening part is that, the more he thinks about it, the less certain he is that this is a new development. Which, again, makes him wonder how he could possibly have missed this?

He's nearly on top of them when he finally notices that the mystery woman with Reid is Elle Greenaway. For a second, Derek is simultaneously so surprised and relieved that he almost forgets about everything else, but then Reid moves, his arm accidentally brushing Derek's, and a jolt of unexpected pleasure goes through Derek at the touch, forcing his thoughts right back where they started.

Elle smiles and says something about moving forward and tying up loose ends, but Derek isn't really paying attention because there's Reid, beaming and bouncing on the balls of his feet, looking so happy and bright that Derek just wants to...Well, okay, he hasn't quite worked that out yet, but he's fairly certain it would involve touching.

And skin. A lot of smooth, creamy skin, flushed with passion and slick with sweat...

Reid gives him that look-head tilted to the side, eyebrows drawn together, and lips pursed-that means he's just picked up a new piece to a particularly intriguing puzzle but still hasn't figured out how it fits. Derek just blinks for a moment, wondering when that look started being cute instead of annoying, before he realizes that his staring at Reid and nonresponse to Elle aren't exactly normal. He tears his eyes away from the younger man and, his mind still racing from his epiphany that he might kindasortatotallymaybe have a thing for Reid, switches onto autopilot, hugging and teasing and flirting with Elle like nothing's wrong.

But through it all, his gaze keeps drifting over toward Reid. Steady. Watching.

I think love creeps over you like a warm feeling on a clear blue fall day. This person is in your thoughts most of the time-all of the time actually. You see her when you close your eyes, when you look off into the distance, when you pause from what you are doing and take a deep breath. ~ Stephen Coontz

Some people think that prequels should come before the main story. To that I say 'bah'. You're not reading it out of order. You're just reading it in the order it was written...

Feedback is always appreciated; even negative feedback, provided that it's constructive.