A/N: So, while I was working through some writer's block on Reunion, I decided to do something to help me through it. My awesome beta and best friend, Diamond Cobra, gives me a prompt, and I write the first thing that comes into my head. Ya know, the usual drill. So these are going to be varying ratings and genres, andI will attempt to make it varying pairing/characters. But if any of you know me... :P
So here's the first one!

Rating: K+

Genre: Romance

Pairing: Morgan/Reid, established SLASH

Prompt: Morgan is afraid of horses.

Spencer Reid thought he knew everything there was to know about Derek Morgan. He definitely knew more than anybody else did- especially after making the transition from best friends to lovers, to something so much more. Reid knew every last intimate detail about Morgan's past, his fears, his dreams for their future together. He had seen every last inch of Morgan's body, had spent his time exploring and getting to know the other man intimately and knew every last sensitive spot the man had. They had no secrets; there was nothing left to tell each other. Or so Reid thought.

So when Reid and Morgan's annual leave came up (Hotch had campaigned long and hard to the FBI brass the previous year so they could go on leave at the same time) and Reid had suggested going to stay at a ranch owned by an old friend of his family, he had been completely shocked when Morgan had immediately baulked and said no without even thinking about it. When Reid had asked Morgan why he didn't want to go, Morgan had given him a simple, "I just don't want to, that's all," and immediately changed the subject. But Reid knew that wasn't all that there was to it. Morgan never avoided doing something or explaining why he didn't want to do something, especially with Reid. He knew there was more to Morgan's refusal than simply not wanting to go to the ranch- and Reid was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Reid didn't choose to broach the subject again until they arrived home from work, almost a full week later. The two of them had been living together almost two years now, after having been together about eight months before that. As Morgan moved into the kitchen to prepare a pot of coffee, Reid followed him. This wasn't unusual; Reid loved his coffee, and he nearly always followed Morgan into the kitchen when he was making it. What was unusual was that Reid did not grab a mug for himself out of the cupboard, nor did he make a move for the coffee. When Morgan realised this, he looked over at his boyfriend, confused.

"Okay, Spencer, what gives?" Morgan said. "I cannot remember you ever not getting your own coffee when I'm making a pot. What's going on?"

"Why don't you want to go and stay on my friend's ranch during our break?" Reid asked bluntly.

Morgan looked a little shocked. Whatever he'd been expecting Reid to say, it wasn't that. "I… I don't know. I guess I just don't want to go. I'm sorry, baby." Morgan had stopped calling Reid 'kid' long ago. He'd grown up. The name didn't suit him anymore. Morgan also found it slightly odd to refer to the man as a child when he was laying prone beneath him, he felt like a paedophile and, considering they all dedicated their lives to catching creeps like that and knew how twisted they could be, it wasn't a nice thought.

"I know that's not it, Derek," Reid persisted. "I know you. I know you're not telling me everything. I thought we didn't have any secrets anymore."

"We don't," said Morgan shortly, the other man's pout sending a shot of regret through him at the lie he was about to tell. "It's nothing, Spencer."

"Derek…" Morgan knew that tone of voice, and that look. Individually they meant that Reid wasn't buying Morgan's very weak explanation, that he didn't believe a word he was saying but was willing to accept it for now. Combined however, they meant Reid seriously wasn't buying it and he wasn't going to let it go. And rightly so.

Morgan sighed. "Fine. I… oh god, this is kinda embarrassing…"

"Just tell me," Reid coaxed gently. "You know you can trust me."

"I do, pretty boy," Morgan agreed. "I do. I- well, the reason I don't want to go to the ranch on our break is because, well… I'm afraid of horses." Morgan looked at Reid, as if he expected him to do or say something. "Well, go on. Laugh."

"Why would I laugh?" Reid asked, confused.

"Because most people would laugh that a tough guy like me was afraid of horses," Morgan replied, and then chuckled himself. "Never mind. You aren't most people, are you?"

Reid shook his head. "No. I'm not most people. I wouldn't laugh at anyone because of something like this, and I especially wouldn't laugh at you. I love you." He stepped closer to Morgan, wrapping his arms around the older man and pressing their bodies together, as if he was trying to reassure him. "Everyone has something they're afraid of."

"I know you love me, pretty boy," Morgan whispered. "I love you too. I guess experience was just telling me that you were gonna laugh."

Reid was silent for a while, just holding Morgan close. Finally he said, "Why are you afraid of horses? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I just-"

"No, it's okay," Morgan interrupted. "We have no secrets between us, remember? I have no reason not to tell you. I guess it started when I was a kid. I dunno how old exactly- three or four, or maybe even five. But that's not important. The important thing is that we went to a fair type thing, me with my parents and Sarah and Desi. They had horse rides there, and when I had my turn on one I fell off after about five minutes and the horse almost trampled me. Ever since then, I've stayed as far away from them as I can."

"No wonder you're scared of horses," said Reid. "That kind of traumatic experience in early childhood can lead to a great fear of something well into adulthood. It's not your fault. You can't help being that afraid of something when the fear begins at that age, when your mind is still in early development. I'm pretty sure that you know that as well as I do."

"I know it's not," Morgan sighed, pulling away from Reid and turning back to the coffee machine. "It's just that I'm supposed to be the tough one, the brave one, to everyone that knows me. And I'm afraid of horses."

"Not to me," Reid said. Morgan looked back at him, confused. "You're not supposed to be the tough one to me. You're the kind one, the sweet, gentle, compassionate, loving one to me. While yes, I had no idea that you were afraid of horses given that the topic had never come up, and therefore found the news surprising, I don't think it's something to laugh at."

"Thank you, pretty boy," said Morgan sincerely. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

"You're the man I love; my soul mate, Derek," said Reid. "I don't think I even could laugh at something that embarrassed you."

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Morgan sighed.

Reid didn't answer Morgan; he just held him in his arms, his brows creased and his eyes clouded, a sure sign that he was deep in thought.

Neither of them broached the subject again until the next morning though. It was a Sunday and there were no pressing cases to attend to, which meant that they had the day off.

"Come on, Derek," said Reid when he walked into the kitchen that morning. "Grab the car keys. You're coming with me."

"Where are we going?" Morgan asked, nonplussed. "We don't have a case, do we?"

"No," Reid replied, shaking his head. "And it's a surprise. Can't tell you where we're going until we get there, 'cause then you wouldn't come with me at all." Reid grabbed Morgan's hand, pulling him out of the house and towards their car.

"Baby, there's no where I wouldn't go with you if you really wanted to go that much," Morgan told Reid, still completely confused as he climbed into the passenger seat of the car.

Reid just chuckled as he slid into the driver's seat beside Morgan. Morgan couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive as Reid started up the car. He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd said that he'd go anywhere that Reid wanted to go. If Reid wouldn't tell him where they were going, than it was obviously something Morgan would not enjoy.

And Morgan was right. As soon as Reid stopped the car, Morgan knew where they were. "You are in so much trouble, Doctor Reid," Morgan hissed.

Reid didn't dare turn his head; he just watched Morgan out of the corner of his eye. He could tell by Morgan's expression that he wasn't joking; Morgan wasn't happy. Getting Morgan out of the car would take some work.

"Derek." Reid turned his head, but he didn't dare make another move. He had to play his cards exactly right to calm Morgan down. "Derek, you need to at least try and get over this."

"No way. Nuh-uh." Morgan shook his head, his face a mask that Reid knew was hiding what he was really feeling. Looking at Morgan, Reid was almost… sad. He could remember ever seeing Morgan like this. Sure, he'd been scared before when working on cases, especially when the case could put Reid in danger, but this was different. It reminded Reid of how terrified he'd been of the dark- and it was then that he knew what to do.

"Derek," Reid said again, in a voice much softer and gentler voice than before. "I'm not trying to do this to be cruel, or to see you scared. Believe me."

"I know, pretty boy," Morgan sighed. "I'd never think that you'd do that. But that does not mean that I'm going to anywhere near that place."

"I am doing this for you, though," Reid continued. "Like you did for me."

Once again, Morgan's expression became thoroughly confused. "What d'you mean?" he asked.

"I'm not afraid anymore," said Reid pointedly, and Morgan understood. He'd known about Reid's sometimes-paralysing fear of the dark, and he'd worked tirelessly with his young lover until Reid was all but over it. And now it was Morgan's turn. "Let me help you, Derek. Please."

Morgan sighed again. "I'm not going to get out of this, am I?"

"Nope," Reid replied simply. "Now get out of the car, or I will call Garcia." Reid couldn't help but grin when Morgan quickly turned and opened the door, climbing out of the car. Reid followed behind.

"You'll be fine, Derek," Reid promised as they walked up the gravel path, hand in hand. "If I can ride a horse, even with the so-called 'Reid Effect' repelling all animals, I know you can." They walked into the little wooden building, where a young woman, maybe a few years younger than Reid, sat at a desk.

Reid let go of Morgan's hand and walked forward towards the woman. "Hello, we have a booking for ten thirty," he said.

"Of course!" the woman exclaimed, flashing Reid a flirty smile which he paid no attention to. "What's your name?"

"Spencer Reid." The girl nodded, smiling at Reid again. She tried to flirt with Reid again as she looked up the booking, but he was completely oblivious.

"We've got you right here," the girl said. "If you just take a seat, they just need to finish getting the horses ready." She tried flirting with Reid one last time, batting her eyelashes, but again was left bitterly disappointed. Her expression turned to one of shock when Reid slipped his hand into Morgan's in a gesture that was obviously more than friendship, and she looked away, embarrassed.

"Y'know, that girl was flirting with you," Morgan whispered as he and Reid sat down, so the girl wouldn't hear him.

"She was?" Reid looked up, but the receptionist was now studiously ignoring him. "I didn't notice."

"You never do," said Morgan. "Except when I'm the one doing the flirting."

"That's because I know you, Derek," Reid replied. "I know you so well that I know without a doubt when you're flirting and when you're not. I can't tell with anyone else. And also… it's because I don't want to see anyone else flirting with me, I don't need to see it, because I have you. And I never want to give you up."

"You're never going to have to," Morgan assured Reid as the receptionist approached them, now rather timidly.

"Excuse me, they have the horses ready in the yard for you now," she informed them before scuttling back to her desk.

"You know what? I've decided something," Morgan announced as they walked out to the waiting horses and their instructor, their fingers once again intertwined.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Reid asked. "No matter what happens today, no matter whether I get over my fear or not, we're going to that ranch on our leave," Morgan replied.

"Really?" Reid's face lit up. "Why?"

"Because it means I'll be with you," said Morgan. "The man I love. And that's worth being around a few horses any day of the week." And not knowing or caring whether the horse riding instructor or the receptionist could see them, Morgan leant in and planted a tender kiss on Reid's lips.

A/N: So what did you guys think of this? Love, hate, meh? As always I'd love to see your reviews, they really light up a girl's day! There's going to be more of these coming- the next prompt could turn into anything, it's pretty random :P

Note from Diamond Cobra: ":3 Cute huh. I came up with the prompt, but didn't expect this to be the result."