Two weeks to the day had elapsed since that memorable night when Spencer Reid had shown up on his doorstep and accidentally charmed his way into Morgan's love life. Two bizarre, unreal, absurdly wonderful weeks.

They had survived their team member's individual attacks when they had agreed to go for the simplest approach in order to tell them - they had stepped off the elevator holding hands, nervous and prepared for...anything. JJ, the first person they saw, had walked straight by them on the way to Hotch's office as they entered, her eyes set and determined about something that was yet unknown, and never noticed anything unusual at all until she returned five minutes later to quite a scene: Morgan and Reid standing very close together (Morgan had been nodding and shooting Reid fond smiles, which Reid returned with a bashful quality), Garcia dancing around them, squealing and kissing their cheeks, as it had been her first opportunity to do so; Prentiss standing there stuttering with her hands on her hips, a dazed smile on her lips, and Rossi, staring hard at them, his head tilted slightly.

JJ had halted dead in her tracks before making her way towards it all to add to the mix her own shock and, eventually, as she learned of what had happened, her own brand of congratulations. Hotch had emerged from his office after her to see what the fuss was about. He'd joined the party, and suddenly - everyone knew. It had been scary, but Morgan knew that it was certainly worth it. They were a family. They had each others' backs no matter what. And even though Hotch had asked them for a private word in regard to whether or not they believed a relationship was a good idea considering the job, among a few other things, and Rossi had cornered them multiple times during the course of that day - Morgan understood that the team was happy for them. Shocked, and more than a little confused as to how it could have happened so quickly, but happy.

He was happy too. Reid was everything he had ever wanted or needed, even if he had never before known exactly what that was. He'd needed someone smarter than him, to balance out conversation, and he'd needed someone less physically able, because he didn't feel alive if he didn't feel like he could effortlessly protect that someone, should protection be required, and he'd needed someone who could soothe his temper in a matter of seconds and make him smile a matter of seconds later. Reid was every bit of that and so much more. He intended on making sure the genius knew it too; the poor man had had some abandonment issued in the past, and he sure as hell had some self-esteem issues. Morgan had to fix that. He would make it his mission.

Currently, they were seated on his couch (they had consciously been making the effort to spend as much time as possible together outside of work), separated by a few inches, watching a documentary on - well, the universe - that Reid claimed he had been hoping to catch.

Morgan was not particularly interested in it, but he was, however, interested in observing Reid's interest. The young doctor was sitting forward, his chin resting upon his knuckles, his eyes squinting at the screen, a hint of a smile on his lips as though the information he was receiving was old news, but he did seem to want to turn it off. He batted half-heartedly at Clooney when the dog nipped at the fingers that hung over his knee. Morgan grinned fondly.

"Hey."

"Hm?" asked Reid, distracted.

"Spencer."

"Uh-huh...?" He never tore his eyes away.

"Spen-cer," he sing-songed.

"What?"

"I got a question for you."

"Alright..." he said softly, still watching, his eyebrows furrowing.

Morgan rolled his eyes. Without issuing a warning of any kind, he reached over to grab hold of Reid's wrist, and firmly tugged him sideways. His long limbs flailed as he struggled to remain upright, but he ended up over Morgan's lap all the same, squirming and protesting, his concentration broken at last. Clooney yipped at them.

"Morgan!" he squeaked, his cheeks tinged with red. "Quit it - what are you - ah! - what are you doing? I'm trying to - "

"Shh, shh, c'mon, I'm not killin' you," Morgan told him, laughing and holding him down. " 'S time for you to relax a little bit and get some of my good ol' fashioned lovin'. Trust me, it'll do wonders for ya."

Reid squirmed, still trying to escape. "W-what - ? I don't need - "

"No," Morgan interrupted, situating himself so that he could gently push Reid back into the cushions, while keeping him on his lap. "What you mean is, you're not used to it. Stop fightin' me for a second, okay? It'll be fine, I promise you that."

Gradually, Reid ceased struggling, though his eyes darted around uncertainly, and his limbs stiffened against him. His head rested against the arm of the couch. Morgan had one hand on his knee, squeezing, and the other on his chest; he waited a beat to make certain that Reid wasn't going to flee at the first opportunity, then lifted them.

"There," he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling. Reid glared at him. "Now, when's the last time you had a nice, hard rub-down?"

"What?" Reid squeaked.

"A massage, pretty boy, a massage."

"Oh, um - never, actually." Reid bit his lip.

Morgan shot him an odd look. "You're kiddin' me."

"Do I seem like the type of person to walk into a spa and pay money to have some stranger - probably a woman - rub her hands all over me?"

Morgan snorted, unconsciously placing his own hand on Reid's sweater-vest-covered middle, spreading his fingers apart, feeling the soft material. "Okay, you got yourself a point." Reid's stomach muscles contracted at the sudden intrusion, and he grabbed onto Morgan's hand with both of his own. Morgan continued, unfazed, "But somethin' tells me you're long overdue."

Reid gulped.

"It really won't be as bad as you're thinkin'."

"No - no, I - I don't think that at all."

"Then, what is it?" he asked curiously, using his free hand to push Reid's hair back from his forehead.

Reid shifted, pressing Morgan's hand flat to his stomach again. " 'M not that familiar with people touching me...I know you understand," he said in a low, apologetic voice.

"Mm-hm," Morgan replied soothingly. "And I know you understand that I would never touch you like that."

Reid looked confused and lightly stunned for a moment, before he dropped his gaze like a kicked puppy. Morgan realized his mistake and scrambled to correct it at once, elaborating, "In a way that would make you uncomfortable, Spencer. Or after you'd asked me to quit it."

Reid blinked back up at him, his eyebrows raised. "Yeah," he said, his voice at a slightly higher pitch than usual. "Yeah, I know that. Of course." His expression held mild embarrassment.

"Alright, then," Morgan smiled softly. "You trust me. I trust you."

"Shouldn't I be in a...different position?" Reid asked somewhat breathily.

"Yeah - here - " Morgan placed a hand underneath Reid's back, concealing his delight. "Sit up, we'll get you situated right."

Reid did as he was told, and allowed himself to be guided into the space between Morgan's legs, which he had just made wide enough for the thin man, his back facing him with both feet on the floor. Clooney continued to yip at them, clearly wanting in on the action. Morgan resisted the urge to snake his arms around Reid from behind and hold onto him comfortingly - instead, he placed his hands on his tense shoulders, squeezing gently, saying as he did so, "You just go on watchin' your show, while I try to work my magic back here."

Reid nodded, scratching at one of the dog's ears. "Did you know that when a person receives a massage, there are actually endorphines that are released that can make the experience feel magical? Medical research has shown that pain relief, reduced trait anxiety and depression, and temporarily reduced blood pressure, heart rate, and state of anxiety are the beneficial effects of massages - they've been documented as having been used since the ancient and medieval times, and have over eighty different recognized modalities, which include - "

Morgan dug his thumbs into the surprisingly tight skin, and found that he simply could not resist leaning forward slightly to kiss the back of Reid's neck as he rambled on about the different types of massages. He didn't even flinch, so absorbed as he was in the information he was relating. Narrowing his eyes, Morgan dug his thumbs in a little more forcefully, really beginning to attack those tense muscles.

" - and the hot...ahh...rock treatment, which..." He trailed off, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Um, is mainly used to...oh...my goodness..." Reid dropped his head, one hand falling onto Morgan's knee.

"Here we go," Morgan murmured into Reid's ear, pleased. "Jus' relax, baby boy."

Reid turned his head a little, so that Morgan's forehead was pressed to his temple. "Baby boy?" he asked, all else apparently tossed to the back of his brilliant mind.

"Sorry...slipped out."

"No, I - I like the way it sounds," Reid told him shyly, chuckling a little. Morgan began to knead the muscles more deeply and slowly, smiling back like a loon. He worked the length of Reid's back, listening to the small noises of satisfaction with great pleasure, and even ran his hands from his shoulders down his long, sleeve-covered arms, alternating between squeezing and trailing with only his fingertips, which caused Reid to shudder not once, but twice. Experimenting with this, Morgan trailed his fingertips down his spine, and then his sides. Reid shuddered again, squirming, and let out a puff of air he'd evidently been holding in, both of his hands now gripping Morgan's knees. Morgan would have been prepared to bet that his eyes were closed at that point. He resumed the deep muscle and tissue massage, taking care to get his neck and lower back. Reid seemed to enjoy this just as much, for he groaned deep in his throat, his head now tilted back slightly.

"Morgan...?" he breathed.

"Derek," Morgan corrected him.

"Mm...is it normal to get...to get goosebumps from this?" Reid shuddered yet again.

Morgan was focusing on his arms again. "I dunno..." he said, kissing his neck, where there were indeed tiny bumps fervently erupting. "It is for you, huh? You are...the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he blurted gruffly.

Reid very nearly whimpered. "I can't believe you just said that..." He inhaled as Morgan softly blew on the area just below his ear, while still working his hands in those sensitive areas. After a moment, Morgan reached around and, in a matter of seconds, had the button-down shirt untucked from the khaki pants.

"I'm not doin' anything..." he murmured reassuringly before Reid could protest.

"I trust you," Reid replied, his breathing shaky.

Morgan swallowed thickly, and ran his hands up his shirt, feeling the soft, blazing skin that was obviously covered in the bumps. Reid sighed, pressing into him - a breakthrough, if ever there was one - and said, "I truly believe that your hands do contain magic powers."

"Oh, you haven't seen nothin' yet," Morgan promised him, finally giving into his temptation to wind his arms around Reid's middle. He rested his chin on his shoulder, pressing his face into the side of his neck. "You gorgeous boy, you," he mumbled.

Reid stiffened a little, but leaned back into him, placing his hands in his own lap. "Why - " he began.

"Not buyin' it," Morgan mumbled again, having (in the back of his mind) half-way expected this.

"Uh - not buying what?"

"You got a brain and two eyes that function."

"Yes. I believe most of us do."

Morgan kissed the still-bumpy skin underneath his lips. "You gotta know how good you look. And don'tchu bother telling me you're too skinny."

Reid said nothing.

"I prob'ly don't have to point it out to you that I've always called you pretty boy, right?" Morgan went on, undeterred. Reid would get in the groove sooner or later. "Turns out, there's a reason. But now..." he trailed off, his voice rumbling, tightening his hold. "Everytime you look sexy as hell, I'm'ma tell you...like when you change your hair, or wear those glasses, or ramble...or sit there."

It took a moment, but Reid did reply this time with, "You are - " he paused, as if searching for a word, and then found one: "ridiculous." His voice held uncertainty and amusement, absolutely no hint of belief in his own charm or features that contributed to what Morgan was trying to explain.

Morgan scoffed. "Yeah, okay. Don't worry, I have faith in that brain; you're gonna get it one o'these days. It'll be imprinted on you."

"Hm...whatever you say," Reid responded, sounding suddenly cheerful, his voice full of something like hope. Morgan thought he knew what that was all about, but didn't comment upon it. Instead he kissed Reid's neck again, scooting forward without thinking, tightening his legs around either side of him. Reid remained relaxed in his own way at first, and then inhaled, stiffening the way he would if a murderer was pointing a gun at his head. Morgan inwardly cursed himself.

"Ignore that," he said, his hold loosening. Had he no self-control? Now he'd ruined the moment. Perfect.

Reid turned so that he was half facing him, looking very flustered. His innocent brown eyes roved over Morgan's face, his eyebrows contracted. Then his gaze darted downward, and back up, as if he was scared he would be harshly scolded. His throat moved as he swallowed. Morgan stared, transfixed, at him for no particular reason. He wondered what he was going to do...he felt suddenly ashamed of himself.

"U-um, I - can't," Reid stammered. Morgan watched him questioningly. "Or, what I mean to say is - I don't really - want to," he said quickly, biting his lip hard as blood rushed into his face.

It took a second for that to register. But when it did -

"Man, what? No." Morgan was gaping like a fish out of water. No five words had ever stunned him so much.

Reid swallowed again, and began to slowly nod, his eyes darting around, deciding. "I want - um - you. As well." He hesitated. "Tonight."

Morgan's pulse quickened to almost an intolerable pace.

"You...sure?" he croaked. The prospect seemed foreign to him, as if he'd heard about it and thought about it, but had never actually expected to go there, as much as he wanted to.

"Yes," Reid told him in a small voice, with feeling. "I-I've done the research, and - there's endless quantifiable indicators that point to - to my being very much in love with you, which constitutes - um - intercourse in adult relationships, obviously."

Morgan sat back. "Oh, Spencer." His chest seemed to be swelling.

Reid blinked nervously. "What?"

Morgan laughed shakily, feeling overwhelmed. "You're just a big ol' sweetheart. How in the world did I get so lucky as to be the person you fall in love with, can you answer me that? C'mere." He opened his arms and Reid awkwardly hurried into them, burying his face in his neck. "Mm, I'm very much in love with you too, baby boy," he said fiercely.

"I know," Reid said. His voice was muffled, but Morgan could feel the vibrations from it. "The same indicators held true for you - I was surprised that I was able to read into your actions to figure it out, though, because you used to be so guarded with me."

"Well, there's no reason for all that anymore, now is there?" Morgan didn't find it odd at all that Reid had done research on this. It was completely him, and he wouldn't have had it happen any other way. It did surprise him a little that he didn't already have the exact science of love down to a "T", but he knew that the science and the actual feeling were two totally seperate things. It was this thought lead him to say, "Lemme ask you somethin'."

"Anything," Reid mumbled.

Morgan breathed in deeply and slowly, vaguely noticing that the documentary on the universe had gone off; the credits were rolling. He kissed Reid's hair. "You ever been in love before?"

"No," Reid admitted softly. "I've only experienced crushes."

"How d'you know they were just crushes?" Morgan asked, curious.

"Because...none of them felt like this. I didn't even realize it could feel like this," Reid breathed into his neck. Morgan nearly mangled his bottom lip, closing his eyes against the surges of emotion and desire.

"Alright," he rasped, pushing gently at him to stand up. Reid did so and Morgan stood in front of him, placing his hands on his narrow hips and kissing him. Neither noticed Clooney pawing at them. They broke apart, breathing heavily. "Come with me."

Reid pushed at his hair with two hands and followed him down the hall into the bedroom at the end. Clooney jumped up onto the couch, which he now had all to himself, and watched them retreat, his head resting on the back. There was the sound of a door being shut.

Clooney whined softly, and fell asleep.