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Criminal Minds Ch. 01

By: Pelaam



Pelaam© February 2009.

I had a request to write a story for these characters from Criminal Minds. It is not a programme that I have watched and the request was made anonymously, but I hope I have caught an essence of what was wanted and of the characters.

Chapter 01: Love Comforteth

"Somewhere there's someone who dreams of your smile." Unknown.

Spencer stared at his desk. In essence nothing had been drastically changed and yet the small difference that he could see had such potential it was almost like a tsunami flowing towards him. Taking a deep breath he walked towards the desk and perhaps his destiny. His slender fingers caressed the small crystal vase in which there was a single flower. A perfect yellow tulip stood proud and Spencer's fingers barely touched its petals as he devoured it with his eyes.

"Tulipa," he whispered. "In the language of flowers a yellow tulip means 'There's beauty in your smile.'"

Unconsciously the edges of young man's mouth turned upwards. He glanced around the room, but no one seemed to be paying any attention. He sat down, still smiling. He looked again at those co-workers in the room. It was possible, but extremely unlikely, that someone outside his team had left the flower. He gave careful consideration to the small group of people who were his friends and surrogate family. 

He was quite certain that it had not come from Emily, JJ or Penelope. The women he worked with were more than comfortable, and confident, enough to simply approach him. This seemed both a successful way to intrigue him, engage his imagination. It would also safely gauge his reaction should his ...secret admirer...prove to be male. He assumed his benefactor would reveal something of themselves through the gift. He gave a shiver. He had never been wooed, courted or romanced. His life had been devoid of affection and love. It was difficult to let himself go, let himself trust enough. 

Due to his life in academia he had never had a girlfriend or boyfriend. Spencer did not care about the packaging, although some of the packages around him were of exceptional quality and beauty, but what was beneath the surface was of great importance. The closest he had ever got in regards a sexual encounter was a curious hand, from an equally unwanted outsider, as they had kissed safely hidden from prying eyes. He had never been touched skin-on-skin or been seen naked in the eyes of a lover. He wondered if his lack of sexual experience would cause a problem. Then he looked at the flower and smiled again, his rapidly rising anxiety curtailed by the simple pleasure of the flower itself and the implied pleasure of the sender. He took a fortifying breath. If there were any he could trust his heart to, it was the people with whom he trusted his life.

"Love means to commit oneself without guarantee, to give oneself completely in the hope that our love will produce love in the loved person. Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love." Erich Fromm

****

"Love distils desire upon the eyes, love brings bewitching grace into the heart." Euripides

There had been no gift the following day, nor had there been any obvious change in any of the team, but Spencer had found himself smiling more often, remembering what the tulip had meant. He had thought about the other men of the team, wondering whether it really was one of them that sought to turn friendship into something deeper.

It was easy to associate someone with a name like Rossi as a romantic. However, Spencer did not think the flower was quite David's style. It was possible that Hotch would want to show an amorous disposition, but Spencer thought that their leader would be more inclined to have sent flowers to his home. That brought him to Derek. They were often compared as the brawn and brains of the team, as if they were opposites. However, opposites attracted and, more importantly, opposites could also be two sides of one coin.

He gasped with delight as he entered the office and saw the latest offering.

"Theaceae and dianthus caryophyllus," he murmured, taking in the sight of the white camellia and red carnation. "'You're adorable', 'My heart aches for you'". He whispered the flowers' meanings as he lifted them. This time they had been tied with a strand of red silk and a small card caught his eye. "'Thou art to me a delicious torment', Ralph Waldo Emerson." He automatically murmured the source of the quote, printed in perfect copperplate, as he removed the card slipping it into his pocket. 

He added the flowers to the tulip in the vase and smiled at the growing bouquet. His mind, as well as his heart, was both engaged and intrigued. His unknown admirer was going to a lot of trouble to declare their feelings in a way that was safe and non-threatening. Spencer sighed as his fingers tenderly caressed the delicate petals. He hoped he would soon receive a more tangible hint of the identity of his wooer. The thought sent a fluttering of apprehension as well as anticipation through his slender frame and he abstractly carded his fingers through his hair. He was not going to let fear destroy what could be the best thing ever to happen to him.

"There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved." George Sand.

****

"If I know what love is, it is because of you." Herman Hesse

Spencer lay naked on his bed and eyed the unopened tube of lubricant. He had blushed scarlet when purchasing it, especially when an inner voice, that would not be denied, demanded he bought a flavoured one. Rose. The thought made him smile despite the embarrassment that still coursed through his veins.

He had spent some time alone with Hotch during the day as the team worked on their latest case. He pushed the bad thoughts away, thinking instead of the solid male. He was not sure he had truly flirted, although he had tried to make more eye contact than usual and smiled more. Hotch had seemed appreciative of his behaviour, but had still remained the same Hotch. Spencer was now 99% certain their leader could be eliminated. That left David and Derek.

He put the tube away, not wanting to even experiment. He was a virgin and would remain so. It was perhaps the only gift he could offer to a lover. He closed his eyes and let a hand drift over his lithe form. There were hidden muscles beneath the surface, despite his slim build. There had to be. He could be called upon to perform demanding physical activity just the same as any of the others. He let his thumb rub back and forth over one cinnamon nub and then the other. His other hand slid to meander languidly through his modest nest of fur at the base of his erect penis. 

He circled the hard flesh loosely, pumping gently, not wanting to come too quickly. The faces of David and Derek flitted through his mind. He began to imagine his hands were the hands of his admirer. He spread his long legs wider, as if inviting a phantom lover to kneel between them. He whimpered softly as he tightened his grip, one hand now cupping his sac, sliding the orbs within together and apart. The hand twisted as it reached the engorged head, encouraging more pre-come and the fluid helping the hand slide easily back down to the base. He imagined words of love spoken, kisses bestowed and the hand on his shaft began to move faster, demanding he reach his zenith. 

A finger rubbed along his perineum and his breathing came in hot, moist gasps, meaningless words spilling from his lips as his head began to thrash. The finger moved back and forth, teasing, tantalising but no more. He groaned as heat suffused his body and his groin tightened with imminent release. His hips thrust upwards into the tunnel of the hand working him, the finger pressed against his hidden opening and with a cry he came. His semen streaked across his skin, decorating his stomach and chest. He slowly regained higher reasoning and his eyes flew open as he remembered the name he had called at the moment of his orgasm.

Derek.

"Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye." H. Jackson Brown Jr.

****

"Love is a spirit of all compact of fire." William Shakespeare.

They had not made progress in the ongoing case, but Spencer's heart lifted a little as he saw another gift awaiting him. Three flowers bound with red silk lay on his desk. It was as though his admirer was now struggling to remain anonymous. A red camellia, pink camellia and red primrose silently declared the heart of the secret benefactor.

"'You're a flame in my heart', 'Longing for you', 'I can't live without you'.'" Spencer almost moaned the last of the meanings. He wanted to crush the flowers to his chest, but more, he wanted to be crushed to the chest of the man he hoped and prayed was their sender. His eyes devoured the words inscribed on the card. "'Love sought is good, but given unsought is better', Shakespeare." Spencer added the source of the quote as he spoke it aloud. He carefully arranged the flowers in the vase. The tulip was now a few days old and he had put soda in the water, as the girls had urged, but it was still starting to fade.

"Hey, pretty boy, nice arrangement."

The voice made him spin round quickly and Spencer felt a wave of dizziness, then strong arms were encircling him, holding him safely against a solid, warm body.

"Eat, Spencer," Derek husked. "You'll be no good to anyone if you keel over because you forgot to eat."

"I will," Spencer whispered and forced himself to look into liquid-mocha eyes, so similar to his own. What he saw there almost took his breath away; longing, hope, love. He angled his head, his lips parting, silently inviting the older man to take them in the kiss those mesmerising eyes promised.

"Heads up guys, we have a lead."

Hotch's voice broke the spell of the amatory haze in which both men had been enveloped. Spencer found himself reluctantly released from the sanctuary of Derek's arms. He smiled as Derek looked proudly at the flower arrangement.

"They're very beautiful," he murmured, ducking his head shyly.

"Then they have the perfect owner," Derek whispered, tilting Spencer's head up with one finger.

Spencer's eyes followed the rapidly retreating figure as Derek obeyed Hotch's orders. He started as David came up alongside him.

"About time, too."

Spencer blinked at the older man.

"Behavioural Analysis Unit, remember?" David's voice held a laughing quality and he smiled fondly at the bemused look at his youngest BAU team member. "We thought we'd need to bump your heads together to get you two to see what we've watched growing for months. Just keep it discreet in the office and don't let it interfere with the job," he added, wagging a finger like a schoolteacher.

Fear and anxiety lifted from Spencer's slim shoulders. He had not been sure how he could have managed to deal with a secret love affair. Now he did not have to. He cringed, blushing as his stomach protested its lack of food.

"Go and eat," David commanded softly. "Then let's track this beast down."

Spencer nodded. He did not need an added incentive to try and stop the unsub striking again. However, he would prefer his love for Derek to be consummated without the case hanging over them.

"To be your friend was all I ever wanted; to be your lover was all I ever dreamed." Unknown.

****

"The rose speaks of love silently, in a language known only to the heart." Unknown.

The day had gone from bad to worse. The third woman taken had now been killed after being sexually violated. Spencer rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes. The women were innocent, pretty, slender and brunette. They had not deserved to meet such deaths. His steps were weary as he returned to the office, another lead ironically only leading to a dead end. He had not seen Derek since that morning. The older man and Emily were working on a lead of their own following on from Hotch's development. He prayed they would find the key to the unlocking the case.

He felt tears prick at his eyes as he saw the gifts on his desk and he now understood how Derek had ensured they had always reached him even when the older man had not been around. David smiled, squeezing his shoulder as he headed out of the room and Spencer turned his attention to the flowers; one arbutus bloom and three red roses.

"'Thee only do I love, I love you, I love you I love you'. I love you, too, Derek," he whispered, giving the flowers a voice. "Come back safe." He added the almost silent plea as he filled his vase. He then powered up his computer and applied himself to the case. He wanted this man stopped before a fourth could fall victim.

"As we grow older together, as we continue to change with age, there is one thing that will never change...I will always keep falling in love with you." Karen Clodfelder.

****

"In my wildest dreams, you always play the hero. In my darkest hour of night, you rescue me, you save my life." Bliss and Cerney.

Spencer sat huddled against the wall of the pit in which he had been locked. He had been attacked and chloroformed in his own home and brought to his 'Master's' dungeon. The hooded man had only referred to himself as 'Master'. Fear prickled through his body as he remembered every word the deranged killer had said. The women were mere bait to lure his team into trying to find him. He wanted to pit his superior intellect against theirs, to take one of theirs; specifically Spencer Reid. Beauty and innocence that he had told Spencer he would despoil. Spencer did not think he would be killed any time soon. His captor seemed inordinately pleased and fascinated by his prey and had intimated theirs would be a long and intimate relationship.

His skin crawled as he remembered what had happened next. His clothes cut away as he stood, his arms chained above his head and his ankles manacled to the floor, legs spread wide. Once naked his kidnapper had slowly rubbed oil into his skin, paying a great deal of attention to Spencer's nipples, not satisfied until he had forced a soft cry of pain from the younger man. Spencer was relieved that a mix of anger, fear and revulsion had kept his sex quiescent during his oiling. He had then been tied. 

The killer had indeed been a master of this art. He had dressed Spencer in a pair of white briefs to denote his purity and then shown him the white rope he would use. It wrapped like a collar around Spencer's throat. From there it tied tightly above and below his chest and diagonally bisected it, making his bruised breasts stand out. It criss-crossed down each arm and pinned them behind his back. It was wrapped around his upper arms, forcing his chest out even more and tied his wrists together. His genital area remained untouched, but the rope was looped around his slender waist and then adopted the same pattern down each leg as it had his arms. The tension was so tight that there would be rope-lines marring his body once it was removed. The final indignity was a bridal gag that was buckled tightly behind his head, causing it to dig painfully into the corners of his mouth. 

He fought back the occasional waves of panic that his helplessness engendered. He knew it was part of the maniac's psychological warfare. Once tied, he had been carried like a child and shown his 'Master's' dungeon. He pushed from his mind what he had seen there. The pit in which he was incarcerated was in the room and, he estimated, around seven feet deep and closed with a heavy metal grill. Even if, by some miracle, he could have freed himself from the rope, he could not open the grill. 

His mind wandered back to Derek and the love he had seen in the older man's eyes. He wished they had said something the last time they had been together and prayed the opportunity would represent itself. This time he would not hide, he would let Derek know exactly how he felt. He knew that all the considerable expertise of his team would come to bear to rescue him. He closed his eyes against the darkness. Derek would come for him. He would.

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." Lao Tzu.

****

"In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities." Janos Arnay.

Spencer blinked, his eyes watering, as light suddenly flooded his cell as well as the room it was in. He struggled to his feet, refusing to let his abductor see him looking vulnerable. Then he began to keen loudly as the sound of voices reached his ears.

"I swear, Hotch, if he's hurt Spencer I'll empty my gun into his worthless carcass."

"Spencer will be fine," Hotch replied, adding in his mind; "He has to be.' "Look at this room. He's made it a dungeon," the bigger man added, his voice coloured with disgust. He then frowned at Derek there was a sound they could both hear.

"There's a metal grill in the floor," Derek said, pointing. He strode over to it, Hotch a mere step behind. He gave a groan of relief, mixed with fury and anguish, as they saw Spenser's pale face and tied body. "Help me, Hotch," he begged.

The second the grill was opened, Derek was dropping into the pit shouting for Hotch to find the ladder. He pulled the now softly keening brunette to his chest.

"My beautiful boy, what's he done to you? Did he hurt you, pretty baby? Hotch I need a knife or something to cut this off him," Derek shouted upwards before he carefully unfastened the bridle gag. He tried not to wince at the cracked and reddened skin at the corners of Spencer's beautiful mouth. Tenderly he covered the dry lips with his own, feeling the slender body press closer, seeking warmth and solace.

It took just seconds for Hotch to join the couple, wielding a large, serrated knife. He shook his head as Derek glanced at him.

"I can do it, you just hold him," the big male growled. Careful to avoid catching Spencer's skin due to the rope's tension, Hotch sliced at the bindings restraining his team's youngest member. His frown deepened as he saw the red lines marring pale skin as the rope fell away. "There's a ladder," Hotch told Derek as the last of the restraints were cut. "You need a hand?" He was almost certain of the response but needed to ask the question.

"I'll manage," Derek husked. "Ok, pretty boy, let's get you out of here, love." He lifted Spencer in a fireman's hold, the slight form no real test of his strength, although at that moment Derek was certain he would have been able to carry Spencer from the pit even of the younger man had weighed twice as much. Once in the dungeon, Derek held Spencer tightly to his chest. The older man was reluctant to let the shivering man be taken outside wearing nothing more than the white briefs.

Hotch looked around the dungeon for something to cover the slight, trembling form. He gave a grimace of disgust at the sight of the large bed, adorned with straps and chains and decked with black silk. It was the best they could do. Yanking off the sheet, Hotch helped Derek wrap it around Spencer.

"Take me home, Derek, please?" Spencer husked. He was not hurt, he just needed the older man and to be away from his prison. He leant against the stronger man as if he could assume some of that strength by osmosis. He did not want to fall apart now he was so close to the man he loved.

"We need to get you checked..." Hotch began. He could see from the way Derek was nuzzling at the brunette that the dark man would be unable to refuse him.

"He didn't hurt me," Spencer insisted. He wanted to keep his face buried in Derek's shoulder, where he could smell the distinctive cologne and the older man's natural male scent. However, Spencer forced himself to look up just as David arrived to stand beside Hotch. "He limited himself to psychological assault," he continued. It was a small lie, but he knew a hospital could not care for the pain inflicted on him. "I just want to go home and feel safe and secure. Please."


Criminal Minds Ch. 01



"I want him to come back to my place," Derek said. "If that's ok with you, Spencer?" he added. Every possessive instinct in him screamed at the older man to take Spencer back to his home.

"Yes," Spencer nodded. "Please?" He looked back at the other two men, his expressive eyes pleading for their agreement.

"I'll take you in my car," Hotch ceded. "Take good care of him, Derek," he added.

"I will," Derek replied, his espresso eyes locked on Spencer's. Both knew the promise meant more than just caring for the younger man at that moment, it was a commitment for life. Derek had come too close to losing what was most precious to him to be anything less than honest and he knew Spencer saw, understood and accepted his words for the vow they were.

"In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing." Mignon McLaughlin.

****

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." Aristotle.

As Derek carried Spencer into his home, his dog came eagerly to greet them. Kissing Spencer's temple, he carried his lover-to-be into the living room, sitting him down.

"Two minutes, pretty baby," he assured. He had to take care of Clooney and then he could take proper care of Spencer.

Spencer struggled free of the sheet before almost ripping off the white briefs he had been forced to wear. He knew shock was beginning to set in, he felt cold and was shivering. Then he was being lifted in Derek's strong arms once more. He was carried to the bathroom. He watched as Derek stripped rapidly and switched on the shower. His eyes widened at the sight of Derek's erect flesh, but before he could become intimidated he was pulled into a tight embrace, his back to Derek's warm, broad chest. He moaned his appreciation softly as hot water cascaded over his slender form.

Derek let the liquid heat stream over them, basking Spencer in its warmth, chasing away the chills that had wracked the thinner male. He smiled as he felt his lover's skin heating up. Some errant droplets caught in the brunette's long hair and Derek ran a hand through it as he had so often dreamt, noticing its remarkable softness. The older man soaped up his sponge and began to rub it over Spencer's lithe frame. It served a dual purpose. He did not care how primal or primitive it made him sound, he wanted to wash away any lingering scent of Spencer's abductor and replace it with his own. He was pleased to find that as he moved the sponge over Spencer's body the younger man's shakes were soon replaced with increasingly pleasured purrs and breathy moans. He moved the sponge down to Spencer's groin to slide in between his thighs and Derek gently fingered that hair. And more. 

To his delight Spencer was also hard. Achingly, beautifully, needily hard. Derek ran a hand over rigid, slick, satiny flesh and Spencer groaned. Neither man had spoken actual words, but that sound, an almost inhuman, guttural plea, fractured Derek's already tenuous control. Using one hand to rub circles with the sponge over Spencer's chest, he began to stroke the slender man's arousal more strongly. His own groans were low rumbles deep in his chest as Spencer began to writhe against him. He kept his movements smooth and unhurried, adding a twist of his wrist as his thumb flicked over the head of his lover's shaft. 

"Let it go, pretty baby," he urged. "Come for me, Spencer."

With a cry of Derek's name, Spencer reached his pinnacle. He shuddered through his orgasm, held safe in his lover's strong embrace. He was dimly aware that Derek was husking his name and realised that the older man was coming, too. The thought sent a voluptuous feeling through Spencer's still sensitised body. He angled his head to receive the kisses he craved.

"I love you, Derek," he whispered.

"I love you, pretty boy," Derek replied, dropping a soft kiss to Spencer's nose as he turned the lithe body in his arms. "Now let me take care of you."

Derek ushered Spencer from the shower, helping to dry the younger man. He wrapped the brunette in a thick dressing gown whilst just donning snug, black boxers himself. His primal side was appeased both by dressing Spencer in something that had his scent on it as well as by the way Spencer nuzzled happily at the material. He guided Spencer back into the living room, leaving Clooney to watch over him whilst he busied himself in the kitchen.

Spencer sat petting Clooney, letting the simple pleasure relax him, waiting for his lover to finish bustling about. He felt as if he was home and he relaxed further. He was not a fanciful man, but he felt the dark chill that had taken bone-deep residence had been banished by the light of Derek's love. It was only a few minutes before Derek returned carrying fragrant, steaming mugs.

"It may only be canned, but it's the best chicken soup around," Derek said. "Ok, pretty boy, let's get comfortable."

Derek slid behind the slender body so that Spencer could lean against his chest, spreading his legs wide to encompass the younger man's own. He grinned happily as Spencer passed one mug to him and they sipped at the hot liquid. The quiet intimacy prompted his lover to confess his innocence and Derek felt the primitive within roar its approval. He was the first, would be the last, the only to know Spencer as a lover. Now he had the young man in his home, in his arms, in his heart and soul, he was never letting him go and the words and promised exchanged between them were as binding as any written piece of paper.

One of Spencer's hands began to stroke at the powerful thigh pressed tightly against his own. He was trying to catalogue all that had happened with Derek to be able to replay it in his mind over and over. He considered the contrast of colour, marvelled at the latent strength and appreciated the aesthetic beauty of its form. His eyes widened as Derek's heated hand slid over his own thigh, the gown slipping to reveal the marmoreal flesh. His breaths came with increasing rapidity as his shaft rose exponentially to Derek's hand.

"Come to bed with me."

The words, a dark silk whisper in Spencer's ear, had goose bumps breaking out on his skin and his erection gave a jerk as if indicating its approval.

"Yes," he moaned.

Derek stretched out alongside Spencer, drawing the younger man into his arms and kissing him slowly, deeply, learning every nuance of the warm, wet cavern. His hand slid over silken skin, learning its texture, where a touch made Spencer moan, or twitch or arch delectably. He paid homage to the cinnamon nubs with gentle kisses and barely-there licks, mindful of their lingering sensitivity. He urged Spencer onto his front, easing a pillow under the trim hips to position hard flesh comfortably and knelt between widespread thighs.

His hands followed the trail of his lips and tongue as he worshipped the slim body from the nape of Spencer's neck to each perfect toe. Then he ascended once more, his eyes devouring the sight of the pale mounds that called silently to him. Reaching his destination, Derek firmly cupped Spencer's cheeks, kneading the white flesh, and ran a teasing thumb down the cleft earning a sound that was reminiscent of the cry he had first heard during their shower. The sound send jolts to his already throbbing flesh. With a growl he spread the cheeks, displaying the hidden entrance. 

Spencer was not certain there was enough air as he panted wetly through kiss-swollen lips. He felt dizzy, desired and debauched in equal measure. He was thrusting instinctively into the pillow as much as the large hands holding him down would allow. He had never imagined such carnal pleasure, nor that he would crave Derek's touches so much so quickly. It was as though his body, starved of physical affection, was ravenously devouring anything and everything Derek could offer and still demanding more.

Derek held the cheeks apart. The sight of Spencer spread open arousing him more. To the older man's hungry eyes, he was like a delicious, long-desired banquet for his senses, hot, sweet, and spicy to the extent that Derek wanted to touch, taste, see, scent and hear everything all at once. He was intoxicated and addicted by the younger man and wanted to indulge and sate his desires. The sight before him was only was an appetiser, a small sample of the pleasure yet to come. Derek could hear the soft mewls of need and feel the restricted thrusting and smiled. He was going to ensure Spencer experienced pleasure beyond the younger man's imagination.

He bent forward slowly and placed a chaste kiss to Spencer's displayed opening. He knew that his virgin lover may have read about the act to come, but that in this situation encyclopaedic knowledge was no substitute for practical experience. He gave a feral grin as the lithe body bucked and Spencer said his name in tones that sounded like begging to the older man's ears. Suddenly, Derek needed so much more himself. He took Spencer's hips in a tighter grip, and let his tongue caress the cleft, relishing the scream of unbridle passion as the younger man was touched in a way he had never been touched before. He could feel Spencer shaking with a mixture of anticipation laced with apprehension. 

Keeping his lover pressed down, Derek's tongue teased around the exposed entrance. The older man pulled back occasionally to regard the fluttering portal with approval. He left a wet path along the cleft, licking the skin all around the opening. He took his time laving and lapping, not allowing the breathy moans to hasten his pace. Spencer was incredibly responsive and Derek could imagine what the virginal young man was feeling. Finally his tongue probed gently inside, tasting Spencer unadulterated and enticing. Keeping the cheeks spread, Derek thrust with his tongue, back and forth, licking across his lover's rosebud in soft, warm, wet strokes. He lavished his undivided attention, his own pleasure secondary to that of the younger man, edging him inexorably to bliss. Derek pulled back to catch his breath, relishing the sight of Spencer's splayed limbs, flushed skin and disarrayed hair. He looked dissolute and delectable in equal measure.

Moaning continually, Spencer instinctively relaxed his inner muscles, crying out passionately as he opened even more, allowing Derek to attain ever deeper access. He tried to spread his legs wider, to offer all of himself to his dominant mate. A small, still-civilised part of his brain registered that he must look and sound wanton, but the growl that escaped Derek's throat served to encourage his sensual side further. He pushed back on the slick invader, to take it deep inside him and to let himself be thoroughly and willingly ravished. He felt the older man pull away and could feel his lover's breath, but missed the agile muscle that had sent libidinous tendrils to ensnare him. He wriggled, trying to entice Derek to resume the amatory assault. A little lick over the soft skin of his anus let him know Derek was ready to resume.

Grinning at the hint from his younger lover, Derek lapped at furled flesh with long, leisurely strokes to remind the younger man of just who was in charge. He stoically ignored wordless pleas and the entrancing wriggles. Then, as if of its own volition, his tongue entered Spencer again. This time he let the brunette move more freely and rumbled his appreciation and approval as the lithe body rocked back in time with Derek's tongue. His lover was impaling himself on the secondary phallus in a perfect prelude to the erotic dance they would soon perform. 

Derek pushed deep inside, retracting his tongue to encircle the stretched portal before diving in again, repeating his actions until Spencer was beyond anything other than a need for completion, keening continually. The older man let one hand abandon his lover's cheek and travel between his thighs. Spencer was hard, wet and needy. Derek caressed the tip of the swollen organ and the younger man bucked and came, spraying the pillow with his seed. 

"That's it, Spencer, that's my beautiful boy. Give me it all," Derek crooned as he draped his body over his lover's. He kissed each bare shoulder before easing Spencer onto his back. He threw the pillow to the floor and began to lick the lithe body clean. 

"You," Spencer panted, a hand lolling languidly to lay on Derek's head. "Love you."

"Love you, too, pretty baby," Derek said, straddling Spencer's thighs to grin down at the sated man.

"What about this?" Spencer asked, encircling Derek's rigid rod and experimentally stroking. It was longer and thicker than his own, curving slightly to Derek's right.

"I'm saving that to come inside you," Derek said. He manoeuvred their bodies to lay them face-to-face. "I've never has unprotected sex," he said seriously. "Never wanted to, never found the right person to share that last part of me. Until now. I know I'm clean, I know you're clean. But if you have any qualms..."

"No," Spencer said, his finger pressing over Derek's lips. "No qualms, no misgivings, no doubts. I love you, I want you, all of you."

"Do you trust me, pretty boy?" Derek asked, his tones gentle. He moved his hand against the young man's belly in soothing circles. 

"Yes, Derek," he breathed. He groaned as one hand grasped his flaccid length, slowly pumping it and the other hand took Spencer's and wrapped it around Derek's own hardness.

"Feel how hard I am," Derek growled huskily, making Spencer shiver, "Feel what you do to me." He slid his hand up and down.

Spencer mimicked his movements, trying to remember that this was just like working himself, but at a different angle. Spencer marvelled at the velvety feel of Derek's length. He was so soft and yet so hard that Spencer could hardly fathom it. He was fascinated by how something so similar could be so different. He licked his lips as Derek sped up his stroking, hardening his hitherto sated flesh.

"I've never come twice in one night, much less more," he whispered, staring in disbelief at his twitching and valiantly resurrecting penis. He was still only half-hard, but even that seemed miraculous to the inexperienced man.

"A heady combination of your recuperation powers and my prowess," Derek replied, suckling at a taut teat to a soft groan. "I have to stretch you, pretty boy. You ready?"

"Yes," Spencer said without hesitation. He smiled at the scent of rose as Derek opened the lubricant.

"I love you," Derek said.

The young man gasped at the swipe of the older man's tongue along his filling flesh. Then it slithered around his shaft before running teasingly along the underside. The sensation made him quiver. He let out a cry when the older man's mouth closed over the tip of his shaft. A steady suction ensued as if designed to make Spencer mad with need. Warmth and wetness enveloped him as the older man took him fully into his mouth. Spencer's head rolled from side to side and he gasped. The fingers that had been playing with his shaft moved lower and Spencer mewled they touched his sac, cupping each oval in turn, squeezing softly. Spencer gave a soft cry as a slick, wet finger slid between his cheeks and rubbed at his entrance. 

"Relax," Derek murmured before leaning down to lick the head of his engorged rod. "Trust me?" he asked, brushing his finger against the young man's opening.

"Yes, Derek," Spencer said. He let out a gasp as the older man's slick finger breeched his body.

"Open for me, pretty boy," he rasped. Derek waited until he felt Spencer's body relax. He delved deeper, sliding past the second knuckle.

Derek's warm, wet mouth and talented tongue distracted Spencer expertly. He dimly registered that not only was his penis being worked by his lover, but that the finger had slid fully inside him. He arched upwards and Derek pressed his hips back down, further impaling him on the single finger. Spencer wiggled at the sensation uncertain of whether to push up into wet suction or down onto the tantalising digit.

Derek moved his mouth up and down the younger man's shaft, pressing his tongue against the overheated flesh. He teased the slit with his tongue and heard his lover whimper. He began suckling his maleness in earnest relishing the impassioned moans as Spencer pumped himself into Derek's demanding maw as much as the older man's hold on his hips would allow. 

Spencer had become used to the feeling of Derek's digit thrusting side him when the older man moved his finger. Spencer felt pleasure like he had never known shoot through him. He writhed and trembled. The pleasure blindsided him. Supernovas detonated behind his closed lids and he let out a wail that he was sure could be heard in the street. His body convulsed and shook like nothing he had ever experienced before.

"Ohhhh!"

Derek smiled. He curled his finger again, brushing the young man's hidden jewel. 

"What was that?" Spencer gasped when he could able to speak again. His mind was clouded from the surfeit of unexpected pleasure. Derek only laughed softly and tapped the spot inside him again. Another wail erupted from Spencer as his body was wracked with another pleasurable spasm. 

"That was your prostate." His finger curled and hit the spot again, making Spencer twist in the sheets and pant harshly.

"I never read that," Spencer murmured.

"Encyclopaedic knowledge nil, experience two," Derek laughed, kissing Spencer's prominent hip bones. He thrust his finger carefully in and out a few times before withdrawing it and adding a second finger. He was cautious and caring, taking ample time to stretch and prepare his young lover. He wanted Spencer to remember his first time for the right reasons and not regret their union.

The second finger stretched him further but Spencer was distracted by Derek resuming his suckling. His lover's talented tongue was doing wicked things to the head of Spencer's sensitised penis. All too quickly the younger man forgot all about the fingers inside him except for the layer of pleasure they added.

"Yes, yes, yes," he whimpered, his hands caressing Derek's skull. He began to relax as Derek scissored and twisted his fingers, only occasionally brushing across his prostate. A third finger just walked the border of pain, but Derek's gentleness as he stretched and masterful mouth quickly relaxed him once more. He let out a sigh of pleasure, letting his hips rise and fall, enjoying the sensation of his erection moving wetly in and out of his lover's mouth. He began to enjoy the fingers moving inside him and moaned appreciatively when they pushed against his prostate.

"Give me your hand," Derek finally husked, removing fingers and mouth to a whine of disappointment. However Spencer stretched his hand out and Derek poured a generous amount of lube onto his palm. 

"Derek?" Spencer asked, although he knew what was to come.

Derek took hold of Spencer's hand and brought it against his aching rod. He guided the young man's hand and then allowed Spencer to finish coating him on his own. The young man continued stroking Derek long after he was sufficiently coated. He groaned, enjoying the gentle touches, but not wanting them to tip him over.

"No more," Derek finally rasped, snatching at Spencer's wrist. He took each of the young man's long legs and laced them behind his back. He brought the purpled tip of his shaft against the glistening virginal entrance. "Will you allow me inside?" he rasped, fingers sliding into the younger man's sable locks, lips moving against the pale skin of his throat.

"Yes, Derek," Spencer breathed into the older man's ear, his voice carrying anticipation as well as anxiety.

"I'll take care of you, pretty boy," Derek vowed.

With that the older man tilted his lover's hips and, sliding the tip of his erection into the tight body, fully claimed the younger man as his. Derek pushed against the tight ring of muscle, sinking deeper into sultry heat. He felt slick, velvet walls surround him and felt as if he belonged nowhere else in the world. It was as though he had found the missing piece of himself as they became as one.




Criminal Minds Ch. 01



Spencer could not prevent a whimper as the older man's thick, hard shaft penetrated him. He closed his eyes trusting his lover. He became aware of lips kissing his shoulder, his throat, along his jaw line and finally connecting with his. He focused on the warm mouth and the tenderness of the touch. He opened his lips and sighed as the older man's tongue entered. He relaxed further as Derek continued the loving kisses. Spencer mewled and writhed as his lover undulated carefully and brushed against his prostate. He felt completed in a way he had never felt before. He knew he was finally where he belonged and with the one with whom he was meant to share his life and his body.

A slow rhythm, sliding in and out with fluid, shallow strokes and Derek knew he had found heaven on earth. He was surrounded by slick, tight heat. His lips found Spencer's again and again, the taste as addictive as it was intoxicating. His hips began to move a little faster, push a little deeper and soon the older man was lost in his own bliss. His hand blindly reached to begin stroking Spencer, determined that he would bring his lover to climax one last time.

Spencer was certain he could see stars whirling above him as the older man moved inside him. He had never known, would never have believed, his body could feel such profound rapture. Instinctively he rocked his hips in time with the rhythm his Derek set. He moaned repeatedly as Derek brushed his jewel. His shaft was hard and aching. It was almost beyond his comprehension that he could be nearing another release. Derek seemed to know his body even better than the younger man himself. 

Derek brought his mouth down against Spencer's shoulder and sucked on the skin. He wanted Spencer to wear his mark, wanted to see a physical sign of the pleasure and the passion they were sharing.

"Possessive?" Spencer groaned, amazed he could formulate the single word.

"Of you? Always," Derek replied.

"I'm glad," Spencer panted. A series of solid pushes against his prostrate finally drove all cohesive thought away and Spencer became an entity of sensation, bound heart and soul to the man loving him so masterfully.

"My beautiful boy," the older man breathed. He quickened the pace, thrusting harder into his lover's body, watching carefully for any signs of pain or distress. He pumped Spencer's length harder, knowing his own release was imminent. 

"Come for me," he breathed as he thrust into his lover. "Come with me, Spencer, please."

"Yes, yes, my love, my Derek," Spencer moaned. He raised his hips, instinctively letting Derek fill him as deeply as possible, and came adorning both bodies with the last few drops of his semen. 

Derek felt Spencer's essence pulse against his stomach and the tight channel clamp down on his organ. With just a few more erratic thrusts he found his release, his seed pouring into his lover's body. He gave a low, deep moan of Spencer's name as he convulsed and shook, hips pumping.

Spencer felt the hot crème fill his still spasming body. He felt wanton and sated, wrapping his arms around Derek's body as the older man let some of his weight settle on his slender frame. 

"I love you," he whispered, kissing Derek's brow as the older man rested his head on Spencer's shoulder.

"Love you, pretty boy, my pretty boy," Derek growled, lifting his head to possess the lush lips. With the last of his strength he positioned their bodies to let the slighter form nestle comfortably against his. They kissed languorously, Derek knowing that Spencer would soon be unable to resist the pull of post-coital lethargy. They could indulge in another shower once they had rested. A snuffling sound had him glance down with an affectionate smile. Spencer was already sleeping, his lips parted and making soft sounds of slumber. 

Derek tightened his grip of the slim body, pressing his lips to Spencer's brow. He knew there was every chance his lover would be plagued by nightmares, but he would be there to watch over him, just as Spencer would sometimes watch over him. Each of them would be the light in the darkness for the other. He would let his mate rest for a while and indulge in the simple pleasure of holding the warm body and knowing he was loved as much as he loved the precious younger man.

"From every human being there rises a light that reaches straight to heaven. And when two souls that are destined to be together find each other, their streams of light flow together and a single brighter light goes forth from their united being."Unknown. 



Criminal Minds Ch. 02



This is the sequel I got many requests to write.

Chapter 2: Yea Though I Walk

"...there's this place in me where your fingerprints still rest, your kisses still linger and your whispers softly echo. It's the place where a part of you will forever be a part of me." Gretchen Kemp.

Spencer moved as he began to wake and he gave a soft smile as strong arms enveloped him lovingly.

"Morning, beautiful," Derek whispered in the small ear he found under the thick, dark hair.

"Morning, lover," Spencer murmured, easing closer to the powerful body and feeling the hard evidence of Derek's desire. Although there were times their love-making was powerful and passionate, Spencer also relished the times when it could be slow and sensual. He moaned softly as Derek's body undulated against him, his mate's hard column of flesh sliding proprietarily between his buttocks. He then slithered to face the older man. 

The two men lay entwined at first, simply holding each other, sharing a look that went beyond the surface and deep into their joined souls. Then Derek reached out a hand and stroked Spencer's face, the brunette leaning into the touch and smiling gently at him. They slowly caressed their bodies, each appreciating the sensual nature of skin sliding across skin. The unhurried pace always added an erotic dimension to their foreplay.

As if at a silent signal, they moved forward and pressed their lips together. Initially just a barely-there brush of lips against lips which, as their hunger grew, deepened their connection. Mouths widened, allowing tongues to sinuously twist and stroke in an ageless dance. Instinctively, their bodies moved closer and there was a shared groan as their hard shafts met and slid along one another. As Derek broke away, gasping for breath, Spencer used the opportunity to gracefully slide to lie across the bigger body. He ground his hard member down into the older man, who bucked up against him.

"I love you, pretty baby," Derek moaned as he grasped Spencer' hips to still his movements. "I'll come too quickly if you don't stop for a minute," he added on a soft laugh as Spencer tried determinedly to wriggle his hips.

"Are you trying to saying you're too old to recover?" Spencer asked with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He dropped his head to lick and nip one luscious nub and then the other as Derek's hands remained holding his hips in place.

Derek growled and grabbed Spencer firmly before rolling the brunette beneath him. 

"It's you who'll need to recover, my love."

Spencer yelped as Derek bit down on his neck, the primitive gesture sending bolts of lust through his lower belly. He always found Derek's power and possessiveness potent aphrodisiacs. The bite was not hard to enough to cause any real pain or damage, but the slow, sensual sucking that ensued would ensure Spencer wore a badge of Derek's possession. One he would wear with joy.

"I give in," he groaned as the older man eased away from the morsel of flesh he had assiduously marked. "I want to feel you in me, lover," he added, dropping his voice to the sensual purr he knew drove Derek wild. His hand moved down to grasp his own shaft, stroking it lightly. "I ache for you, Derek."

"I love you, Spencer, with all that I am and all that I have to give," Derek said, his mocha eyes holding the gaze of liquid chocolate.

"And I you, until the end of time," Spencer affirmed. 

Derek dropped a kiss to perfect lips and reached over to the well-used tube on the bedside table. Kneeling up, he opened it and poured a generous amount between Spencer's willingly wide-spread thighs. He stared entranced as the viscous gel disappeared between pale cheeks. He spread more on his fingers, before reaching down to gently tease the furled opening to his lover's body. He stroked across the sensitive flesh until it pulsed, inviting him to delve deeper. The walls were still slick from their love-making the previous night and the memory of Spencer's sublime heat enveloping him made Derek groan with the desire to experience paradise once more.

His lover still needed stretching and he slid the single finger inside, stroking his lover's tight walls until they gave way and allowed another to enter. He brushed Spencer' sweet spot sparingly, wanting to tease the brunette without allowing him to find release until he was buried deep in the beautiful body. Spencer moaned and writhed in wanton abandonment, a sight that made Derek's aching shaft throb with desire. He pressed in a third, his lover accepting the digits and riding them, thrusting his slender hips upwards to take them deeper.

When he deemed his lover ready Derek lubed his hard flesh and guided it to the waiting portal. He paused for a moment, waiting for Spencer's eyes to lock with his own before he pushed forward. The younger man moaned softly as Derek pressed forward, not stopping until his heavy sac met Spencer's rounded flesh. He could see Spencer found maintaining eye contact difficult when the younger man wanted to give himself over to the sensations coursing through his body. Derek paused when he could go no further. Both men smiled at one another, relishing the moment of union.

With a gentle movement, Derek moved carefully until his weight was distributed across Spencer's body. His hands sought his mate's and, entwining their fingers, his mouth found its counterpart. As his tongue thrust forwards, so did his hips, a shallow thrust to test Spencer's readiness. When the younger man thrust back Derek smiled into the kiss. He pulled away, far enough so that he could look into Spencer's eyes as he thrust forward again. They both groaned at the sensation and when the brunette clenched his inner muscles around Derek, he almost lost control. Resisting the need to drive forward, he kept his pace slow and controlled, his mouth moving against Spencer's throat as he murmured words of love against sweet-tasting skin.

The slow, gentle pace was just what Spencer wanted. He let Derek glide back and forth, his sweet spot raked with every thrust. He braced his feet on the bed as he pushed back into Derek's thrusts. Now they were in their rhythm, their hands parted and Spencer's roamed freely across his lover's skin. He memorised the texture of every millimetre he could reach as he did every time they made love. He keened softly as Derek's shaft brushed over his hidden jewel once more, a sound of his unashamed desire. The sound finally fracturing Derek's self-imposed control as he felt the older man begin to thrust more forcibly. 

Spencer groaned loudly in pleasure, unconsciously feeding Derek's triumphant desire as the bigger man's movements increased in intensity. Derek reached between them to stroke his lover's proud flesh to bring them to a mutual completion. He moaned as Spencer reached his zenith, the narrow strait clenching around his already primed shaft. Pearlescent liquid erupted to anoint their bare chests with proof of his mate's fulfilment and the contracting inner muscles of the tight sheath pushed Derek over the edge. His seed ejaculated from his body to fill his lover, the older man husking Spencer's name.

They lay together afterwards, not wanting to separate their satiated bodies. Lazy kisses were shared and their limbs remained tangled intimately. Neither had ever felt so much happiness. The love they shared always strengthened them for the rigours of the day ahead.

"The truly brave are soft of heart and eyes and feel for what their duty bids them do." Lord Byron.

****

"So they lov'd as love in twain had the essence but in one; two distinct, divisions none." Shakespeare.

Once in work, Spencer and Derek focused on the task in hand. Spencer had made the first breakthrough in their latest case. It seemed they were looking for someone who had been abused as a child. The unsub was targeting wealthy, professional couples who were actively trying to conceive. In each case the couple were killed quickly, a small mercy. Their homes were all perfect, immaculate and remained so on the outside. However, the unsub seemed to go berserk inside. They smashed rooms, left the freezer switched off so food defrosted and spoilt, leaving only the room designated as the nursery untouched. Spencer hypothesised that it was a reflection of the unsub themselves and what had happened in their childhood. What appeared to be a perfect and idyllic home on the outside was broken and despoiled on the inside and the unsub, whilst appearing normal, was equally broken. 

Rossi smiled affectionately at Derek and Spencer as he spotted the two men. Spencer's fingers were flying over the computer and Derek watched occasionally directing a loving smile at his oblivious partner. They were a perfect couple, a balance of brain and brawn that seemed to bring out the best in both. He watched as Spencer gestured with his hands to get a point across and Derek nodded his face thoughtful. It looked as though the couple were about to leave as Spencer stood and Derek took his elbow to usher him forward.

"Think we may have a lead," Derek said as they headed out, pausing to update the older man. "We'll call it in if we get anywhere."

"The brave man is not he who feels no fear. For that were stupid and irrational; but he whose noble soul its fears subdues." Joanna Baillie

****

"Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction." Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Derek and Spencer sat in their vehicle. They had parked away from an isolated house they hoped belonged to the unsub. They had pulled off the road and concealed their car in the surrounding woodland area. Their fingers were now entwined as Derek switched off the engine. Under normal circumstances, the small, intimate gesture was easily hidden and one they used before facing danger. In this case, however, they were obscured by trees and Derek drew Spencer to him in a slow, deep kiss.

"Love you, pretty baby," he whispered. "Let's take care with this ok? If this is our girl and she's home, we know she can use a gun."

"Love you, Derek," Spencer replied, nuzzling at the bigger man. "You take care, too."

With economy of movement, the two men headed to the house.

"What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark places where it leads." Erica Jong

****

"Love is not finding someone to live with. It's finding someone you can't live without." Rafael Ortiz.

The house looked idyllic, with a white picket fence, an immaculately tended lawn and weed-free flower beds. 

"It looks too perfect," Derek murmured. Both men had their guns ready as he knocked on the door. Receiving no answer, Derek kicked it open and both men entered keeping low, firearms raised, shouting a warning. Only silence and stillness met them. Cautiously they ventured further inside.

"This isn't how I envisioned it," Spencer mused. "I expected it to be haphazard inside reflecting the inner conflict of the unsub."

"Wait here," Derek said as he moved ahead. The house was a single story and they had entered into a sitting room that was perfectly arranged and was the embodiment of a nineteen-sixty's home. As he passed into the dining room, with a table set with silver before him, Derek knew he had seen some anomaly. Something niggled as he looked back to where he could see Spencer's slender form as the younger man looked around.

There. It was a clock, but not a clock, an LCD display that was out of place with the rest of the house. It was too modern. And it was counting down, with only seconds left. Derek's eyes were wide in a mix of fear and horror.

"Out, out, Spencer! Get out!" He bellowed his warning as he barrelled forward.

Spencer whirled, looking for the danger at the shout from his mate. He gasped as Derek's solid form crashed into his, knocking the breath from his body. He heard a dull sound as the floor beneath him gave way. For a second or two there was a dizzying sensation of freefall, then Spencer screamed at the fire of agony in his thigh before everything went black.

As Spencer slowly regained awareness, he coughed from the dust that pervaded everywhere: his hair, his mouth, his eyes. However, the cough became a cry of pain as agony lanced through his frame, centring in his thigh. It was already going dark and so it was difficult to see even that short distance. He tentatively allowed a hand to drift downwards. He whimpered softly as his fingers found the large shard of wood imbedded in his flesh. He could feel the blood that had soaked through his pants. At least it had not punctured an artery. At the sound of a pained groan, Spencer pushed aside his own hurt. Biting his lip so hard that a familiar coppery taste hit his tongue, Spencer crawled to find the man he loved.

"Derek," he husked, coughing past more dust. "Derek, I'm here." He found the older man just a short distance away. Lovingly he brushed away the dust and debris on his mate's face before dropping a kiss to Derek's lips. "Where does it hurt, love?" he asked.

"My head's pounding, pretty baby," Derek whispered. "Hurts so much. Hurts to open my eyes and if I try it's just blurred. Think I may have a concussion."

With care and tenderness, Spencer lifted Derek's head. There was a large lump as well as dried blood on the back of the older man's skull. Spencer knew they both needed medical attention, but in his condition and in the dark, he knew there was little he could do at that moment. He struggled out of his shirt, using it as a pillow for Derek. He then ran his hands over his lover's body checking for any injuries Derek was not aware of. He glanced at the older man. He looked pale and Spencer knew how dangerous concussion could be. No one knew where they were and Derek could not be left too long. It all came down to him. Somehow, in some way, he had to figure a way out of this. Derek was dependent on him.

"It's too dark to try and find a way out," he said as he stroked Derek's face. "I need to try and keep you awake if possible. Fortunately dawn comes early this time of year. Once it's getting light I'll see how we can get out."

"You ok, pretty boy?" Derek asked. "You're not hurt?"

"Scraped, splintered and bruised," Spencer hedged. "Nothing that some TLC won't cure." He told himself it was not a lie, just a little obfuscation to alleviate any worry from his lover. Derek did not need the added stress. 

"Ok," Derek sighed. 

For the next few hours, Spencer kept up a litany of facts from his encyclopaedic mental store interspersed with questioning Derek about anything that came to the tiring man's mind. His voice was fading and Derek's responses were getting weaker as light finally began to illuminate their surroundings.

To Spencer's relief there was a window set head-high that he hoped would be their salvation. If he could crawl through and get to the car, he could call for help. Derek's cellphone had been damaged in the fall and his own was in the glove compartment of the car where he had carelessly thrown it intending to slip it back into his pocket. Despite his fear of how much it was going to hurt to pull himself through the small opening and then make his way to the car, the knowledge that Derek depended on him fortified Spencer. For his lover's sake he vanquished it. He took a deep breath.

"Love you, Derek," he said, infusing his voice with everything he felt for the older man.

"Love you, pretty baby," Derek rasped. "Be careful, love," he added, wishing his injury was less debilitating and hating the feeling of helplessness. He wanted to take care of his beloved. An instinct he could not explain was niggling at the periphery of his awareness that something was not right with his mate. He listened to Spencer's occasional pained gasps as the younger man acted on his plan, the sounds sending cold tendrils through Derek's frame.

Spencer was grateful for the stored boxes that gave him enough extra height to get his head and shoulder through the window. Trying to put as little weight as possible on his injured leg, Spencer heaved with deceptive strength to pull himself up through the window. He bit back the scream that threatened as his leg was jarred, Derek needed him strong and he would not let his lover down. With a last fortifying breath, he began to ease the rest of his lithe frame through the small opening. As he dragged his legs onto the grass Spencer lay, panting, waiting for the waves of pain to ease a little. Finally able to speak, he leant towards the window.

"I'm out. Hold on, love."

The voice was faint and Derek wanted nothing more than to hold his lover once more. His hand moved to where Spencer had lain beside him and the cold tendrils enveloped his heart with icy fear. The ground was damp and sticky. His hand shook as he brought his fingers to his face. The scent of blood, Spencer's blood, assailed his nostrils. His mate had been hurt and had still cared selflessly for him. He felt the tears prick his eyes.

"Be alright, love." He whispered. "Please be alright."

"Fear and love can never be experienced at the same time. It is always our choice as to which of these emotions we want." Gerald Jampolsky

****

"So dear I love him, that with him all deaths I could endure. Without him live no life." Shakespeare.

Stretching a little, Derek resettled to keep watch over Spencer's still-sleeping form. It was a similar vigil to when the younger man had been at risk from anthrax poisoning. He felt the same cold dread then as now but kept reassuring himself that the doctors had told him Spencer was sleeping naturally. On arrival at the hospital, his lover had been swept away from him to be given transfusions and pumped with antibiotics. The wound to Spencer's thigh, due to the dust, dirt and debris, had been infected and needed washing out. As a consequence, for the nearly sixty hours they had been in hospital, Spencer was yet to recover consciousness. It would be the answer to Derek's almost continual, silent prayers to see the espresso eyes open and look at him.

As he watched his precious young love, Derek remembered how the doctors had been amazed at the slender man's ability to remain conscious despite the blood he had lost. How Rossi and Hotch had said it defied logic that, with his injury, Spencer had managed to squeeze through the window. How he had unerringly found his way to the car and only lost consciousness after calling for the ambulance and backup. For Derek these were miracles he would not take for granted nor question. In his mind their love had empowered Spencer and it was knowledge that they could both draw courage from in the future.

He leant forward as long, dark lashes fluttered against pale skin.

"That's it, pretty baby," Derek urged. "Let me see those beautiful eyes."

"Derek?"

The single word was uttered in a voice rusty from disuse, but it was like an angel's song to Derek's ears.

"I'm here, love."

Limpid pools of liquid chocolate were finally revealed and the love he saw in them almost took Derek's breath away. He manoeuvred to be able to claim Spencer's lips, the familiar taste and feel helping to banish the fear for his mate.

"You're ok?" Spencer whispered dryly. He smiled appreciatively as Derek positioned a straw to his lips to allow him to take a couple of swallows of water.

"I'm fine. You were the one we worried about, Spencer. You've been out of it for nearly three days. Don't ever not tell me if you're hurt in the future. Please, baby," Derek added as he felt Spencer tense. "I found the blood after you'd gone. I don't ever want to feel as helpless and afraid as I did then. I love you."

"I love you, too," Spencer whispered.

"You're my hero, baby," Derek husked. "And when I can get you out of here I'll give you all the TLC you could ever wish for."

"Just the incentive I need," Spencer smiled as he felt his eyes close.




Criminal Minds Ch. 02



"Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow." Alice M Swaim.

****

"Where there is great love, there are always miracles." Willa Cather.

Smiling Derek began denuding Spencer. His lover had been home for a couple of days, his strength improving rapidly. The looks and touches they had exchanged had been growing in intensity, intimacy and ardour until the need to unite in body could no longer be denied.

He realised his own clothes were gone, removed without his conscious awareness and that Spencer lay naked on their bed, smiling softly. Returning the smile, Derek eased next to him and gathered Spencer close. He revelled in the feel of the warm body snuggling against his side. When Spencer lifted his head to look at him, Derek lightly caressed the side of his face. He sighed happily when Spencer closed his eyes and leant into his touch. 

Derek felt a shudder of excitement rush through Spencer when his hand slid to the back of his lover's neck holding him as their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss. Using his other hand, Derek trailed it from collarbone to chest, fingers lightly stroking up and down, feeling the heated flesh. He nibbled lightly on the lush lips before sliding his tongue across them, asking permission for entrance. Without hesitancy, Spencer opened to him. They both moaned when their tongues touched, Derek delighting in the taste he found there. They kissed deeply, agile muscles dancing playfully together. Although they had traded kisses in the hospital, Derek had ensured that, for both their sakes, they had remained declarations of love and promises to be fulfilled. Now he could realise those promises. 

Derek manoeuvred Spencer until he was fully stretched out on his back, carefully positioning his lover's injured leg on pillows to help cushion and support it. He moved over Spencer, kissing and nibbling at smooth, soft skin. Kneeling up, Derek began to slowly caress the lithe body. His fingers slid over pectorals to the peaked nipples, fingers pinching and teasing them to hardness. He smiled as Spencer encouraged him with a needy moan. He bent to suck each succulent nub in turn, relishing the impassioned sounds of pleasure from his mate.

Moving back up, Derek bent his head, claiming Spencer's lips in a deep, passionate kiss then moved lower again to suck and nibble at the ever-alluring nipples, feeling the beautiful body beneath him arch into his mouth. Trailing a line of kisses down Spencer's chest and past his navel, Derek stopped when his lips came in contact with the well-trimmed nest of pubic hair. Slowly, his mouth meandered back up to Spencer's chest again, leaving light kisses on the heated flesh in its wake, to suckle on each tightened nub once more.

"You are so beautiful," Derek said with a tender smile, meeting Spencer's passion-filled gaze. His lover's hands slid sensuously up his sides and came to rest on the back of his neck, tugging Derek's mouth toward his. They kissed slowly and deeply, taking pleasure in the familiar feel and taste of each other. 

Stretching out over Spencer, Derek covered him with his body, taking most of his weight on his arms. He aligned their hardened flesh, pressing himself firmly onto his lover and drawing a moan from the younger man as Spencer's hands clung tenaciously to his back. Keeping his eyes locked on his lover's, Derek began to slowly thrust forward, their copious pre-come letting their erections glide easily. 

"Oh," Spencer moaned. He closed his eyes, arching up, driving his hips forward. "So good, lover. Missed this, missed you. Love you."

"Love you, pretty baby," Derek affirmed. 

Spencer's appreciation encouraged Derek. He quickened the pace, thrusting against his lover faster, harder, their rhythm in perfect synchronisation. Spencer's finger's gripped at his shoulders tightly as their movements intensified. Derek claimed Spencer's mouth in another slow, sensual kiss as the motions of his hips slowed and stilled. He teased his tongue against Spencer's lips and slipped inside to map out the moist cavern. 

Derek was so attuned to Spencer that he knew each and every sensitive spot to have his lover trembling with need. He moved with precision, stroking and caressing Spencer's body until they were both sweating and panting with desire. Spencer arched perfectly into Derek's hands and lips as they worshipped every inch of the beloved body. Interspersed with soft moans Spencer uttered Derek's name in breathless whispers. Derek moved his mouth to a taut nipple, sucking hard, causing his lover to cry out in pleasure. He pinched and rolled its twin, before alternating lips, teeth and tongue between the two.

"Please, Derek, I need you," Spencer shamelessly begged. 

"Let me get you ready first." Derek husked. Smiling tenderly he leant toward the bedside table and, sliding the drawer open, took out the well-used tube. Derek took Spencer in his arms and kissed him long and hard, pressing their mouths together, deepening the connection further. When they finally separated, Derek moved to kneel between his lover's legs. Starting at Spencer's knees, Derek slid his hand up along his inner thigh and groin until he came to his lover's hardened penis. He stroked it lightly, letting his fingers run up and down the shaft, reacquainting himself with its heat and texture. Wrapping his hand around the base, he moved to suckle the domed head, probing insistently at the tiny slit to drink the intoxicating pre-come.

With a gasp, Spencer threw his head back, body arching and shuddering. 

"Oh," he whispered and pulled the knee of his good leg up toward his chest, opening himself fully for his lover. "Please, Derek." 

"You look so incredible," Derek whispered. "Roll over for me, pretty baby." Derek instructed. "Here let me help." 

Between them, they eased Spencer onto his stomach, a pillow under his hips to cant the irresistible buttocks for Derek's delectation. The injured leg was ensconced safely once more. The sight of the long, spread limbs and the displayed downy declivity made Derek's member salivate liberally with desire.

"Yes," was groaned past Spencer's lips as Derek began running his hands over his back. The older man was taking the time to massage slightly tight areas. Soft kisses were dropped on bruises that still marred his skin. He moaned with a mixture of pleasure and anticipation as his lover then teased him with hard flesh rubbing between his cheeks.

With a delicacy of movement, Derek thrust slightly as he leant down to kiss the marks that despoiled the smooth back stretched out before him. He ran his hands over Spencer's buttocks and lovingly kneaded the warm flesh. Moving his fingers, Derek gently caressed the full sac. He gave a feral smile of satisfaction at Spencer's gasp and attempted push backwards when his index finger lightly rubbed against tightly furled flesh.

Encouraged by mate's hips' attempt to push back on the tantalising digit, Derek replaced his finger with the tip of his tongue and lapped lightly at the edges of Spencer's displayed entrance. He licked the rosebud and then blew over the wet skin. He roared in silent triumph as Spencer shuddered and moaned with pleasure. He alternated between licking and blowing, driving his mate wild with desire. 

In his turn, Spencer had never realised he would enjoy something this carnal. He tried to push back onto the tongue as it slithered around his opening and press forward away from the cool air following. Derek gave no forewarning and Spencer cried aloud as the slick muscle thrust inside him. He felt his shaft throb and whimpered needily trying to thrust against the pillows on which he lay. 

For long moments Derek tongued Spencer, going a little deeper with each thrust. Occasionally he pulled back to nibble with his teeth so that Spencer could not be sure of what sensation was likely to amorously assail him next. When his tongue was able to enter without resistance, Derek softly kissed the glistening portal. He sat back onto his heels to look at his lover lying spread open before him. 

Spencer's sweat-sheened back rose and fell rapidly and his hands clenched and unclenched against the pillows. His face was turned to one side, eyes closed and kiss-swollen lips open as he panted wetly. His hips were rocking softly into the big pillow that was under them and his spread legs gave Derek access to anything he wanted. 

Derek's breath caught in his throat at the sight of his lover laid out on their bed completely exposed. Never in his life had he ever seen anything more beautiful or more erotic. Starting at Spencer's face, Derek kissed and licked his way back down his body. He sat back on his heels and, taking the lube, coated two fingers. Derek touched the stretched opening and slowly began to massage back and forth. With a light push, he eased his fingers inside moving in and out, Spencer's hips moving in response to the sensations. 

"Oh, Derek, please," Spencer moaned."Feels so good, lover." 

Moving purposefully, Derek slid in deeper with each inward motion. He began to scissor his fingers using a gentle rhythm to stretch the still-tight passage even further. He watched enraptured as, when a third finger was inserted, a fresh sheen of sweat broke out over the muscles that were rippling in Spencer's back.

"Derek, want more, please."

In response Derek pressed against Spencer's hidden nub sending a jolt of pleasure straight through the lithe body.

"Again, Derek, please again." In his passion, Spencer mindlessly began to push back on the fingers inside him, desperately trying to hit his pleasure spot.

Derek smiled at the sight of his lover lost in a passion-haze.

"That's it, pretty baby, take what you want," he encouraged. 

Knowing Spencer was ready Derek withdrew his fingers to a whine of disappointment. He eased Spencer onto his back once more, wanting to see his lover's face as they became one. He fussed to ensure the younger man was comfortable and quickly coated his erection with slick gel. 

"I love you, Spencer," he breathed huskily. Pressing the head of his penis against Spencer's portal, Derek carefully began to push forward, sliding home into Spencer's body until fully sheathed. Both men sighed their joy as he stilled, each relishing the moment. Derek saw the love in Spencer's expressive espresso eyes and knew it mirrored his own. Then he pulled out slightly, only to push in deeper, feeling complete and loved. 

"Oh, baby," he panted and groaned as Spencer squeezed deliberately around his eager shaft.

Dropping his upper body, Derek positioned his hands on either side of Spencer's head. With a loving smile he captured the alluring mouth with his own in a long kiss. He slowly started a gentle rocking motion, pulling back and easing forward, as twin moans of passion rose into the air. He purposely kept the rhythm slow, wanting to savour the moment, to draw it out for as long as they were able.

His lover buried deep within him, the gentle motions ensuring his own erection was stimulated, Spencer delighted in every second. He whispered encouragements and endearments as the older man ran a hand over his chest and rolled and pinched his nipples. He gave a soft cry at the nibble at his shoulder, then his neck where Derek sucked harder to leave the mark of his passion. He wrapped his arms around Derek's neck and lifting his good leg, he brought it around Derek's waist, opening himself even further. He pushed up to meet Derek's strokes and joyously surrendered his body to Derek's loving ministrations. 

Reluctantly, Derek ceded to the demands of their bodies. He began to thrust faster and harder, his rod rubbing continually over Spencer's prostate. He was rewarded by another cry of unbridled pleasure as Spencer arched his back. The knowledge that he could transform the normally reserved younger man into a being of carnal sensuality was a potent aphrodisiac. With a low rumble of passion Derek began to piston his hips faster. He felt his own climax inexorably building and reached between them to take Spencer's slick shaft in his hand. He stroked his lover in time with the rhythm of their hips. 

Every touch, every sensation and each nuance of pleasure he shared with Derek was coalescing into one single aura of ecstasy that enveloped Spencer's body. Lost in a haze of pleasure he moaned needily out as a masterful hand wrapped around his erection to begin stroking him. The tempo perfectly matched the thrusts of his mate. He could no longer ignore his body's needs. Giving full reign to his passion he cried out Derek's name as pulse after pulse of his semen adorned their glistening torsos.

With a strangled moan of his lover's name, Derek threw back his head as his orgasm raced through his body. His lover's sheath, contracting against his spurting shaft, helped milk every drop of his seed. It bathed the intimate walls, filling the younger man with Derek's completion. The intense connection that he felt flow between them was almost overwhelming. He had never known he could feel so entwined, both body and soul, with another person. Derek came until he felt drained and empty giving all that he had to the man that was his everything. 

Their bodies began to cool as they lay in the sated afterglow. Laboured breathing became soft panting then back to normal breaths. They snuggled close to one another. Spencer wanted to be touched and held by the man he loved. He smiled as Derek petted his body before lapping away the evidence of Spencer's climax. He still felt he was flying and knew that Derek's arms would be there to catch him when he landed. 

"I love you, pretty baby," Derek whispered. His voice was a warm, moist breath on Spencer's cheek as he gathered the younger man back into a loving embrace.

"Love you, Derek," Spencer replied. He gave a satiated sigh as Derek's arms came to wrap around him securing his world.

"Rest, my love," Derek urged, drawing the duvet up to seal in the warmth of their bodies. "Later I'll run you a shallow bath and give you a massage."

"All the TLC I could ask for," Spencer murmured, his voice a dreamy whisper.

"I promise," Derek smiled, finally content as his mate lay safe and sated in his arms.

"I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today." William Allen White.



Criminal Minds Ch. 03



Chapter 3: Trust, Fear, Love

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." Eleanor Roosevelt

Derek cursed silently. This was not good. He glanced at the metallic walkway with the exposed rail. He needed to get to the other side, but to make the run he also ran the risk of the Unsub getting a clear shot of him.

"Going for it in three, two, one..." he shouted into his phone. Hoping that the reception was clear enough for his team to have picked him up, he made his move. He shot in the direction of the Unsub and was relieved that other shots echoed in the huge factory. 

It was not enough.

Whether by luck or by skill, one shot scraped across his arm, the other hit metal at head-level sending a sharp shard into his eye. It was more than enough to blind Derek and he hit the rail. With a cry he plummeted over the rail and down. As he landed on something unexpectedly soft, the breath whooshed from his body, a new pain seared through his leg and his world went black.

"Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever." Keri Russell

****

"The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love." Hubert Humphrey.

Derek opened one eye slowly, giving a soft groan.

"I'm here, love. What do you need?"

The whispered words were like sunshine after rain and he turned towards the speaker, trying to smile.

Spencer's anxious face swam into view.

"Just you, Pretty Baby," he replied. "Although a drink would be good?" he asked hopefully.

A small cup was moved so he could take the straw into his mouth. Derek sipped, knowing not to take too much too quickly. He let the younger man replace the cup and then his hands were enfolded in a tight grip.

"I saw you fall," Spencer whispered. "I thought I'd lost you."

Derek could feel the tremors in Spencer's hands and see the misty look in the expressive eyes.

"It takes a lot more than that to get rid of me, Spence," he said. "I'm here, I've got you."

"Your tibia is fractured and they had to remove a metallic splinter from your eye. They said there'd be no permanent damage, but you'll probably need dark glasses when they remove the dressing," Spencer provided. "You'll need to be off your feet for a few days. Rossi says you can still direct things from home. The team will keep you updated of everything. There's no need to worry about the job. We've got it covered."

Derek gave a murmur as his mind whirled. He had not long been temporarily promoted. Being in anyway incapacitated could not have come at a worse time.

"Anything else?"

"You can have a nurse at home if you really need one, but I can take care of you until you're mobile and I can help with work," Spencer said firmly. "I will be spending time with a trained nurse to learn exactly what I need to know to care for you properly." His protective instincts had kicked in hard from the moment he had seen his lover fall from the walkway. There was no way he was going to let the injured man overdo things at home. Promotion or no, Derek's health came first and Spencer had every intention of following medical advice to the letter. More importantly, Spencer intended to ensure his lover did the same and told Derek so in no uncertain terms.

Derek could not help but stare at the younger man. Spencer was talking to him as if he were a child. He did not think he had heard his lover sound quite so assertive...so dominant. Part of him, to his shock, was aroused. However, another part of him was apprehensive. He was not sure how comfortable he was with the helplessness of his condition, or how he felt about Spencer's forcefulness. 

"We're never so vulnerable than when we trust someone -- but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy." Walter Anderson.

****

"The course of true love never did run smooth." Shakespeare

Derek could not help but be both relieved to be home and unhappy about the arrangements. Their bed had a metal contraption attached to ensure his leg could receive traction, his eye was still bandaged and he needed to be working on the case that had resulted in his precarious position. Spencer, however, had other ideas. He gave a discontented growl as files were finally placed out of his reach.

"Spencer, I need those," he grumbled.

"You've only just been released to come home. You need to rest," he younger man replied. Spencer had known it would not be easy. He had been repeatedly encouraged to accept the services of a full-time nurse from a private company that his team had investigated inside out. But he wanted to care for his lover himself. He had spent several hours in the company of the trained nurse until certain he could provide Derek's care. He wanted to indulge his mate. An idea slithered sensually into his mind and he licked his suddenly dry lips.

"I can't just lie here," Derek muttered sulkily.

"How about this then?" the younger man asked. Slowly he began to peel off his shirt, flicking open the buttons and sliding the garment to the floor. He smiled shyly at Derek. Exhibitionism was not one of his kinks, but Derek loved to see him strip and he could now disrobe slowly without becoming crimson by the time he was naked. His hands hesitated at his waistband, fingers skimming his belt, but not undoing it. The display was having the desired effect on Derek and Spencer was aching to be held in his lover's arms.

"Yes," Derek husked. "Take them off."

The older man stared as long fingers worked the belt to undo it. Then they moved to the button and slowly pushed it through the hole. Tantalisingly they ran over the zipper before lowering it slowly. Derek gave a husky sound of want. His erection was hard against his abdomen and he could feel the pre-come, wet and slick on his skin. He slid a hand to circle the damp flesh and stroked slowly as his lover continued to tease him. The jeans were pushed down over slender hips to the floor before Spencer stepped free. Derek's eyes devoured the sight of the straining shaft held back only by the baby-blue briefs. An enticing dampness told him just how aroused his mate was.

"Those, too and then come here," Derek rasped. He spread his legs as Spencer obeyed him and then kneeling in the space he had created.

"Love you, Derek," Spencer whispered as a strong hand slid to the nape of his neck.

"Love you, Pretty Boy," Derek replied. He pulled Spencer down for a long kiss. His tongue surged into the sweetness of his mate's mouth, reacquainting itself with his lover's taste. His agile muscle stroked along Spencer's before sucking it into the furnace of his own mouth. He felt the fire of desire alight in his veins. 

He ran his free hand down Spencer's lean frame, cupping a taut cheek before sliding around over a slim hip and between his lover's slender legs. He fondled the younger man's sac, relishing the moan that fell from Spencer's lips. He pumped his lover's erect flesh before taking both shafts into his hand; light and dark, slender and thick, similar and yet unique. He felt Spencer's hips move with his rhythm. It was not going to take long for either man.

Their mouths met, mated and parted over and over as Derek stroked twin-sets of hard flesh. He tried to keep his grip light in an attempt to delay the inevitable. He groaned as Spencer's head dipped lower to bathe one taut nub and then the other with kitten licks and gentle suckling. He gave a low growl at the bite of teeth tenderly nipping at his eager nipples.

Spencer's head lifted from his chest and Derek could see how close his lover was. Spencer's face was arousal-flushed and he panted wetly through parted, reddened lips. Sucking a finger of his free hand, Derek reached between his mate's cheeks and pressed at the hidden entrance. It was all he needed to tip his lover over the edge. 

With a cry of his mate's name, Spencer's hips began to piston as his shaft erupted its crème over Derek's pumping hand and droplets rained onto his toned abdomen. The feel of the pulsating organ against his own triggered the older man's release. His seed mixed with Spencer's, the silvery strands contrasting with his dark skin. He milked them both through their shared climax pullingSpencer into another long, deep kiss.

"I love you, Pretty Baby," he whispered.

"I love you, too," Spencer sighed. "I'll get something to clean you with.

Within a couple of minutes, he had returned with a washcloth and towel. Engrossed in his task, Spencer did not see the tenseness of his lover's face as he cleaned the older man's body. With a bright smile, Spencer dropped a kiss to his lover's lips and bustled away to let Derek rest. 

As he watched Spencer leave, Derek finally relaxed. The sensation of being touched so intimately when unable to move freely or see clearly had left him completely unsettled. He lay staring at the ceiling. The feeling had been similar to when...

Derek pushed the unwanted thoughts away. Spencer loved him. Spencer would never take advantage of him or abuse him. However, the feeling of unease persisted. They had decided that Spencer would sleep with Derek despite the difficulty and Derek prayed he would settle by the time his lover came to join him. 

The irony did not escape him that their positions were reversed from the last time one had a leg injury. When it had been Spencer, the younger man had submitted to everything Derek had wanted. He just could not be sure he could do the same.

To Derek's relief, having Spencer curled up against him was as comforting as ever. His soft, rhythmic snores were the only sounds and Derek gave a sigh of relief. All was back to normal.

"The most destructive element in the human mind is fear. Fear creates aggressiveness." Dorothy Thompson.

****

Don't hold to anger, hurt or pain. They steal your energy and keep you from love." Unknown.

Derek awoke to the sensation of being pinned, of hands wandering over his body. He jerked awake, thrashing and shouting. It took a few seconds for him to focus enough to realise that Spencer was calling his name from where he had been tossed to the floor. With an effort, Derek forced himself to calm.

"Sorry, nightmare," he muttered. "Come here, Pretty Baby." He could feel the tenseness in Spencer's body. The younger man often woke him by pleasuring him. Derek hoped he could offer a plausible explanation.

"It's ok, "Spencer soothed, caressing Derek's face and dropping a kiss to his lips. "You've been through a lot. I'll leave you to wake up properly. Do you need a hand with...?" Spencer's hands gestured towards the bottle the older man had to use rather than take too frequent rest room trips.

"No," Derek said firmly. "No," he repeated more softly. "I'm fine, really. There's just a lot of stuff going on in my head. I'm sorry, Pretty Boy." Derek could see from the tremulous smile on his lover's face that the blond was less than convinced. He pulled his lover close, nuzzling gently. He *loved* Spencer so *much*. He could not believe he was treating the younger man this way. "Be patient with me, baby, please?" he asked. "So much has happened so quickly..." He was quietened by soft lips pressing against his.

"I *love* you," Spencer told him firmly. "Just try to relax. I'll bring you some breakfast."

Derek nodded. 

"The best proof of love is trust." Dr J Brothers.

****

"How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it." Marcus Aurelius

Derek purposely immersed himself in work, trying to divert his thoughts onto their case and away from his past. However, that brought problems of its own. Spencer was as equally determined to limit the amount of time Derek spent working as the older man was to immerse himself in work. 

"You need to rest," Spencer said, his voice raised.

"I need to get through this stuff and keep up with what's happening. With you here the team are two men down."

"We agreed I could work from home, too," Spencer countered angrily. "I'm not sitting out there with my feet up. I took time off to care for you, but it seems like it's not wanted or appreciated."

"I don't need babysitting," Derek replied angrily. "I can use that damn thing," he said, waving his hand at the hated bottle, "and I can wash when I go to the bathroom. I do not need to be bathed in bed like some infant!"

Spencer glared at Derek, hiding his hurt behind a curtain of anger. Derek had been furious at the suggestion of a sponge bath. Spencer had thought his lover would enjoy the sensation. A part of him knew something was wrong. Something that was not Derek having to stay home or being hurt or even in charge of the team. However, his lack of experience with relationships made it impossible for him to really know what to do. He felt rejected and unwanted. They were arguing. They never fought. He could think of only one thing to do.

"Fine. Read your reports," he said turning and leaving.

Derek stared after him. He knew he should call the younger man back. He knew he had hurt Spencer and his lover had done nothing to merit the anger directed at him. However, the older man did not know how to put into words the fear and vulnerability he felt. He looked at the paper in his hands, the words just swimming before him. They had never argued. Never. He had to find a way to talk to Spencer before he ruined the best thing in his life.

"Lying is done with words and also with silence." Adrienne Rich

****

"To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved." G McDonald.

Derek still had not accomplished anything even after a couple of hours had gone by. The sounds of a strange voice had his head jerk upwards, staring at the bedroom door. It opened to reveal a large, smiling dark-skinned nurse, her hair in a neat bun.

"I'm Lola, your nurse. Good to meet you, Derek," she said, her voice vibrant and rich.

Derek simply stared as Spencer followed behind. There was an ocean of hurt in his lover's eyes, his face, even body language and the older man did not know what to do, what to say.

"Lola is the nurse you should have had," Spencer said softly, his head tilted so his hair fell across his face, hiding it. "As soon as I realised I was wrong to think I could care for you I rang her and found she was still free. I've made up the spare bed and she'll stay here for the next couple of days until you have your mobility back. It was a mistake for me to even consider I could care for you, despite Lola giving up her valuable time for me."

The words were like knives in Derek's heart and he wanted to stop them, to deny them, but his mouth was dry and his mind empty. He was losing Spencer. He knew it and still he could not speak. 

"I'll be at the office. I will be of *some* use there. I'll call you."

A kiss was dropped to Derek's cheek and then he was gone. Derek did not know if he had not felt the caress because it was too brief or because he felt numb. He turned to look at Lola whose smile had fled. She looked as sad as he felt.

"Whatever you two quarrelled over, it's really hurting that boy," she said shaking her head. "Does a good job hiding it, but I have a lifetime's experience to call on. Can't hide much from me. Just a few words and anyone can tell he really loves you. He truly believes leaving you is for the best. He doesn't think that he's good enough for you. Find the words. I'll just go get myself organised and be back in a little while."

Derek's mind was still trying to grasp what had happened. Had he pushed Spencer away permanently? How did he put this right?

"Anger is just a cowardly extension of sadness. It's a lot easier to be angry at someone than it is to tell them you're hurt." T Gates

****

"Worry gives a small thing a big shadow." Swedish proverb.

Hotch was surprised to get the call from Rossi and even more surprised to see that his 'coffee date' was Spencer. His protective streak surged instantly at the slump of the blond's shoulders, the shadows that haunted Spencer's eyes and the lost look as the younger man looked towards him.

"Hey, what is it?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Derek," Spenser husked, his head dropping. "I don't think he loves me anymore."

Hotch's head was already vehemently shaking the older man's denial.

"I don't know what's happened, Spencer," he said. "But if there is one thing I'm sure of, it's that Derek adores you."

"He doesn't seem to...to trust me to take care of him," Spencer said, his voice quavering. "Have I let him down some how? I don't understand. He wouldn't speak to me, tell me."

"Talk to me," Hotch urged. "Tell me everything."

"Spiteful words can hurt your feelings but silence breaks your heart." Unknown.

****

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." M Robinson.

Silently Lola tended Derek. She had opened the door for the female dynamo and boy had she laid into her charge. She had hovered in case the tirade had proved too much for a still-healing man. However, she had to admit, the younger woman had known when to pull her punches and when to let fly. She glanced at Derek as he lay there. She had no doubts that he loved the beautiful boy every bit as much as the younger man loved him. Something had happened and she was sure it was not just something between the lovers.

"Wanna talk about it? She sure gave you something to think about. Might help if you do some of it out loud," Lola offered. Sometimes it was easier to talk to a stranger.

"I was molested when I was younger."

The flatly intoned words had her pause briefly, but she forced herself to continue working without any obvious reaction.

"Younger or a child?" she asked. 

"Teenager," Derek replied. "Gave me drink then...I just felt so helpless, so unable to do anything. I never reported him."

"I see," Lola said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Spencer said I had to make sure you didn't overdo the work. Said you'd just taken charge of the team when this happened."

"Yeah, real good timing," Derek sighed.

"So you're already feeling a little overwhelmed, you're hurt, pretty incapacitated, helpless...?" she raised an enquiring eyebrow.

"Spencer didn't do anything except try to care for me," Derek groaned softly. "It's just...it was just..."

"You felt helpless, powerless, not in control. It's a big thing for a man trying to cope with all those feelings," Lola said.

"I didn't cope though, did I?" Derek's voice was tinged with a mix of anger and bitterness. "I hurt Spencer."

"You always hurt the one you love. Trite but true, honey. They're the ones who stand closest to you and when you lash out in pain or fear, they take it. They take it because they love you warts and all. But Spencer seemed so lost," Lola murmured quietly.

"I'm his first," Derek said, his voice raw with grief. "I promised to take care of him, to look after him. How can he ever trust me again?"

"His first," Lola echoed. "How did that beautiful young man...never mind, he was your gift, just as you were his. He's never stopped trusting you, or loving you, Derek. He just doesn't understand. It's not going to be easy to tell him. Not easy for a man like you to admit they're vulnerable, just like the rest of us, but that's why you have him. He's there for you to lean on in times like this. And when he needs you to be strong for him, you will be."

"I want him to come home," Derek husked, a tear snaking down his cheek. "I want to tell him how much I love him, how much I trust him."

"Then why don't you?" Lola asked, dabbing at the wet trail.

"The team had a lead. They're following it up. He's facing danger without me and without knowing just how much he means to me."

"He'll be back, then you can tell him and show him," Lola assured. "Now I'm going to put the night light on and you're going to rest. You need to be ready to welcome him with open arms when he comes home."




Criminal Minds Ch. 03



"Thanks, Lola," Derek said, clasping the older woman's hand.

"All in a day's work," Lola smiled. "Please let him come home safe, Lord," she whispered softly as she slipped quietly from the bedroom.

"Love is the essential reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life." M Williamson.

****

"Sometimes we let affection, go unspoken, Sometimes we let our love go unexpressed, Sometimes we can't find words to tell our feelings, Especially towards those we love the best." Anonymous.

'This is so not good', Spencer thought ruefully. He coughed violently, tears streaming down his face as he fumbled blindly towards where he knew the stairs to be. The Unsub had once again chosen a warehouse and with any luck they had saved the intended victim. However, their adversary was well prepared and the smoke canisters, that had been strategically placed, were detonating with chilling regularity. Spencer had unfortunately been on an upper level and needed to find his way back down. 

Another bout of coughing wracked his slender frame. He was barely able to breathe, blind and effectively deafened as the smoke detector alarms were screaming shrilly. There was no point trying to call for help. He dropped to his knees, crawling slowly, coughing almost continually. He was aware of motion and half-turned. All he could see was the outline of a tall, bulky figure before a well-placed kick in his ribs sent him rolling helplessly. 

He had enough time to realise he had been right about the direction of the stairs, before the momentum of the Unsub's kick sent him tumbling helplessly down them. As he hit the bottom, he tried to raise himself to crawl away, but his strength failed and, as another coughing fit robbed him of air, he spiralled into blackness. His last thought was whether Derek knew just how much he was loved.

"If you press me to say why I loved him, I can say no more than because he was he, and I was I." Michel de Montaigne

****

"The greatest happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved - loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves." Victor Hugo.

Lola peered in on her charge and gave a cluck of annoyance. Derek was not only awake but reading the reports.

"What happened to rest?" she asked, tapping her foot.

"Couldn't sleep. Thought maybe I could see something in here to help find this killer before he strikes again. It makes me feel I'm contributing, even if the rest of the team are out there without me."

"Just so long as I don't end up with a lashing by that beautiful boy's tongue," Lola smiled. "He trusted me to care for you."

"Like I should have trusted him," Derek said quietly. "When he comes home I'll tell him. I never want him to doubt himself because of me."

"Sounds like someone at the door," Lola grinned. "Back in a jiffy."

The noises that reached Derek's ears did not sound good. He could hear Lola's voice and she sounded distressed. There was a male voice, too deep for Spencer's and not loud enough for Derek to place. With a grunt he forced himself to his feet and hobbled to the door. He headed into the living room and thought his heart would stop as he looked inside.

Rossi and Lola were so wrapped up in their own heated discussion they did not see Derek as he hobbled towards the settee. Derek only had eyes for his lover, who sat silently, head back, his face almost white, his bloodshot eyes looking upwards. Derek's good eye picked up the bruise on Spencer's cheek as the beloved face moved slightly. He realised that Rossi and Lola were arguing over where Spencer should sleep. It seemed as though his lover had told Rossi he would sleep on the settee and Lola was insisting he have the bed she was using.

"Spencer," he whispered, holding out his hand. "I need you, Pretty Baby. Sleep with me? Please?"

Slowly the younger man's head swivelled towards him and his bloodshot eyes focused on Derek's face. Derek waited, with baited breath, praying his lover would not refuse. It seemed to the older man as if his very soul was under scrutiny and then Spencer's shaky hand was reaching towards him. Derek did not try to hide the tear that slid down his cheek. Expressing his fears had almost led to the loss of the most precious thing in his life and Derek would not abuse his lover's generosity of heart.

"Let us help," Rossi said as he noticed the lovers. "You can't carry him and he can't walk unaided."

"You walk with me, Derek," Lola insisted. "Let's get your young man settled and we'll leave you to care for each other." She felt the tenseness in her charge's body as she walked with him back to the bedroom. She could see that his eyes never left the slowly moving men ahead of them. She nodded as Rossi helped Spencer sit on the bed.

"He'll need help undressing," Rossi said, looking back at the matronly nurse and Derek.

"I can take care of that just fine," Lola said with a wave of her hand. "Now why don't you tell us what we need to know while I get him ready?" She gave Spencer her biggest smile, her heart lurching at the pale imitation of the one she had seen when Spencer had been told he could care for Derek.

"We got caught out," Rossi said bitterly, focusing on Derek as the nurse fussed around Spencer. "He had smoke bombs set up. Spencer was upstairs, couldn't see. The Unsub was wearing breathing apparatus and kicked Spencer down a flight of steps. He's bruised, has a very minor concussion, but his throat is raw from smoke inhalation. The meds have also left him a little spaced out." Rossi drew a small bottle from his pocket. "These are the pain killers he needs and he has to rest his throat for a day or so."

"I'll take care of him," Derek said. He frowned at the face Rossi pulled. "I have Lola, she'll help."

"There we go, all done."

Derek and Rossi looked to see Spencer ensconced in the bed. The younger man looked lost; as if uncertain it was where he was meant to be. Derek pushed the pills at Lola.

"Can you take care of these?" he asked, heading to the bed without a backward glance. Spencer needed him every bit as much as he needed the younger man. He climbed in carefully, moving so that he could cuddle as close to his lover as possible, drawing the slender body close, ignoring both Lola and Rossi as if they no longer existed. "I love you, pretty boy. I love you with all my heart and I'm so sorry I hurt you. Forgive me, please?"

If he was honest, Spencer had expected to sleep on the couch. He was stunned by Derek taking him to bed in front of witnesses. But as soon as the older man spoke, he could hear the love in Derek's voice. He remembered Hotch's advice. 'If he's reluctant to talk to you, then you have to talk to him. Don't let the silence drive you apart.'

"Yes." The word was little more than a rasp of sound, but it seemed Derek understood and his lips were immediately captured by his lover's.

"I think Derek can look after Spencer just fine," Lola said, grinning. She hooked her arms through Rossi's as she led him into the living room. "Now why don't I make us a nice pot of coffee and you can give me a little more information on Spencer's condition?"

"Sounds good to me," Rossi grinned.

Neither Derek nor Spencer was aware of them leaving. Derek interested only in holding the most precious thing in his life close to his heart. As he did he began to speak, of his youth, of his abuse and of how he felt. When finished he looked into Spencer's eyes, fearful of what he might find. He gave a soft gasp as the love he felt for the young man in his arms was reflected back at him just as deeply. 

From comforter to comforted, Derek found himself held tight against Spencer's body, the warmth of his mate's love helping to dispel the cold, dark places in his heart and soul. It would still take time for them both to heal, but they had begun each wrapped in the other's arms.

"Some love lasts a lifetime. True love lasts forever." Anonymous

****

"Let this be my last word, that I trust in your love." Rabindranath Tagore.

Spencer awoke slowly, enveloped in warmth that reached deeply into his soul. He smiled as he felt Derek's arm holding him tightly against the older man's body. His head was pillowed on Derek's shoulder, his own stretched possessively across his lover's abdomen. He pressed a kiss to the nearest patch of skin and smiled as the arms encircling him tightened.

"Love you, Spencer."

Derek's voice was warm and rich and redolent with the love they shared.

"I love you, Derek. With all my heart." Spencer's voice was still just a harsh croak, but it was important to him to let Derek hear the words. 

"I know, pretty boy. Makes me feel like I can fly when I hear you say that. I wish I'd talked to you right away..." Soft lips covering his own stopped Derek from going further. He opened his mouth letting Spencer's tongue ease inside. 

For several minutes they traded kisses. It was not the time to take things further. Spencer was still recovering from his ordeal, but they renewed their promises of love.

A knock on the door had Derek ensure Spencer was fully covered before he shouted.

"Yes?"

Lola came in with a tray and a huge, beaming smile. 

"I've done some watered juice and oatmeal for Spencer and coffee and toast for you, Derek," she said, putting the tray over Derek's legs. "Pain meds are there. Your friend said he'll be back later today. I want you both to take things easy. I'll look after you both. Don't forget today's the day we get rid of that eye patch of yours. Honey," she added over her shoulder from the doorway. She gave Derek a wink as she closed the door.

Blushing furiously, Spencer sat up.

"You don't mind Lola seeing us in bed together?" he queried, sipping at the drink as he faithfully took his medication. Even the small movements he had made were reminding his body of the abuse it had endured and he would be glad to have the pills work.

"No, because she knows how much I love you. All she sees is two people in love."

"Together, Pretty Baby," Derek husked, kissing his lover. "We can do this together. Heal and grow."

"Together," Spencer vowed, his eyes shining with love for the older man.

After breakfast, Lola took Derek to have his eye checked and the dressing removed. Spencer insisted on going with them, not wanting his lover to be alone when the patch was removed. To their relief, the eye had healed and, apart from needing dark glasses for a couple of days, Derek was told his eye was fine. 

They returned home and Lola instantly started to prepare lunch for them. The two men settled in to review the information on the Unsub that they already had and Spencer wrote up what had happened to him. 

As lunch was beginning, Rossi arrived with additional information. He was pleased to see the couple had sorted out their problems. Despite his battered body, Spencer was smiling and relaxed and Derek took every opportunity to touch the younger man's arm or leg, the gesture both loving and possessive.

When Rossi left, Lola shooed the couple to bed.

"Relax a while," she said waving them towards the bedroom. "I'll be here if you need anything."

In minutes the two men were naked and holding one another. Derek kissed his lover, relishing the feel of skin-on-skin.

"I love you," he whispered as they broke apart.

"I love you, too," Spencer husked. He pulled out all the latest information Rossi had brought. "Not sleepy yet though," he added grinning.

"Me either, Pretty Baby. Now let's find where this Unsub has made their fatal mistake," Derek smiled, handing some papers to his mate and keeping some for himself. With Spencer at his side, sharing, trusting, loving, Derek had armour, shield and weaponry to defeat the demons of his past and face whatever the future could bring.

"True love is night jasmine, a diamond in darkness, the heartbeat no cardiologist has ever heard. It is the most common of miracles, fashioned of fleecy clouds a handful of stars tossed into the night sky." Jim Bishop.

****

"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul." Judy Garland.

To the relief of the team, their combined efforts over the next couple of days unearthed a lead that led them to the Unsub. Derek and Spencer celebrated at home with Lola while the rest of the team had a night on the town.

"Well it's been a pleasure and a privilege to take care of you boys," Lola said as they prepared to retire for the night. "But Spencer's moving much more freely and can take care of you now, Derek. I'll be moving on in the morning. I'm sure you boys are ready to have your privacy back," she added with a wink at Spencer.

Derek grinned as Spencer flushed crimson, hiding his face behind a veil of hair as he scooped up his glass.

"We'll miss you, Lola, won't we, pretty boy?" Derek said.

"Yes," Spencer said, forcing himself to look at the older woman.

"You're lucky to have one another. Just keep remembering that," the older woman said wagging a finger. She smiled as the couple looked into each other's eyes as they nodded.

The door had scarcely closed behind Lola as Derek engaged the lock and turned with a predatory stare at Spencer. His lover was giving him the same look and Derek felt himself instantly harden. He smiled as Spencer came into his arms and claimed his lips. As they broke apart, Spencer instantly attacked Derek's clothes, stripping him quickly and guiding the naked man back into their bedroom.

As Derek got comfortable on the bed, Spencer began to strip. He gave a sultry smile as he reached the last item, soft, chocolate-brown briefs that strained to restrain the flesh hidden from Derek's sight. Derek groaned as Spencer turned away from him, bending to display toned cheeks as he pushed the briefs down to his ankles. He stepped out of the discarded garment and back to his mate. Derek licked his lips at the sight of the shaft, swollen and ready, arching to lay almost flat against the younger man's stomach. 

Moving decisively, Spencer headed to the bed and straddled his lover's body, facing Derek and bending in for a kiss. The younger man wiggled his butt, tantalisingly, just out of reach of the prone man's jutting staff. He laughed softly at Derek's groan.

"Want me?" he asked teasingly.

"Always, forever, I love you," Derek moaned, his hands moving over warm, smooth skin.

"And I love you," Spencer whispered, dropping another kiss to Derek's lips. "Mine," he added, reaching behind himself to caress Derek's rampant organ. He pulled out their lube rubbing it over his fingers before coating Derek. 

The older man groaned, taking a slender hip in each hand and trying to position the younger man. He could see that Spencer was pleased with the reaction as the younger man then positioned his lover's penis at his entrance. Derek realised what the younger man was up to and brought his body's demands under strict control. 

"Spencer, wait. We haven't prepared you yet."

"Relax," Spencer assured him. "Here." Spencer guided one of Derek's hands to his entrance, encouraging the detective's fingers inside. "See? I was a very busy boy in the bathroom."

A low growl emanated from Derek's throat. The thought that his younger mate had prepared himself while Lola was still around had his arousal surging. Now that he was reassured to feel that Spencer was relaxed and slick, he wanted to be inside the heated depths. He gave a feral grin as he started to thrust his fingers into the prepared channel and Spencer threw back his head in pleasure.

"Enough of that," Spencer panted, pulling his lover's hands away. "I want to have something far more substantial inside me."

Derek smiled and obeyed his lover, bringing his hands back to Spencer's hips. Lying flat and with one leg still in plaster, penetration and thrusting would all have to be from Spencer's efforts. The younger man would have all the control. However, instead of the thought being unsettling, it gave the older man a sense of freedom and love. He was in Spencer's hands and his lover would take care of them.

The younger man slowly sat down on his lover's erection. Even with preparation, it still took a couple of minutes to accommodate his mate's flesh. He eased down a few centimetres and stopped, hands braced against Derek's chest as he waited for his sheath to relax enough for the welcome intruder. 

In his turn, the older man kept up a soothing patter of words. He ran his hands up Spencer's back, across to his chest to pinch and roll taut nubs and down his thighs. He kept up a litany of how much he loved Spencer and how much he loved being inside him. Finally, his mate was fully seated. Spencer's ass cheeks were nestled comfortably on the root of his partner's thick shaft and both men sighed. 

"You're so hot," Derek moaned. "Gonna melt me, Pretty Baby."

"Melt us both, make us one," Spencer whispered. He bent forward for a kiss and both men groaned as it caused the flesh filling him to shift.

Using his thighs, the younger man began moving. Hands on Derek's shoulders he began a slow steady rise and fall on his lover's rigid shaft, moving faster as their bodies demanded more friction. He began to almost drop downwards, causing them both to moan and sigh. Spencer's head was thrown back in ecstasy as he rode his lover, undulating on the flesh that pierced him.

"Love to watch you like this, lover," Derek moaned. It was true. Spencer was beautiful in Derek's eyes. Like this, he hardly dared blink for fear of missing a single moment of the ecstasy painted on the younger man's expressive face. As ready as he had been, Derek was pleased that he had been able to hold off coming so that Spencer could pleasure himself.

Spencer, by contrast, had his eyes tightly shut. His hair was already mussed and in disarray, almost covering the way his forehead furrowed in intense concentration. Spencer focusing on every sensation of having Derek buried deep within him. He lifted himself upwards until just the head of Derek's erection was inside him and then sank quickly back down. Even after preparation it was a tight fit. Spencer loved it, loved Derek and wanted to ensure they both took equal enjoyment from their lovemaking.

Spencer gave a move of his hips each time he bore down on his lover. The little wiggle pleasured both of them, eliciting sounds of pleasure from his prone mate. He still braced himself with his hands against Derek's torso. It meant he was unable to touch himself or his lover but it helped him make more powerful thrusts.

Knowing that his mate needed his hands for leverage, Derek compensated by touching as much of his lover's body as he was able. His finger's traced over the damp skin of Spencer's face, down the taut throat, feeling the training tendons, across his shoulders and down to the tight buds. Here he paused to tweak and tug, relishing the gasps and cries and the unconscious clenching and unclenching of internal muscles his actions engendered.

He took a long hard look at the strained expression on Spencer's face. His lover was clearly feeling the need to come, too. Derek could hear the slight hitch each time Spencer stimulated his own sweet spot and see the red, swollen flesh that bobbed untouched with every undulation of his lover's slender body. Given his position Derek could not help with penetration, but there was something else he could do to help bring his lover to completion. 

"Ride me, Pretty Baby," he crooned. "I'm all yours, use me as you want, as you need." Derek moved one hand to Spencer's hip to help steady him and the other one to firmly grasp the younger man's erection. Fisting it, he felt the rigid penis swell impossibly further. 

"Derek, please," Spencer panted, his eyes opening to gaze down at his lover. "Need to come."




Criminal Minds Ch. 03



"Want you to come, lover," Derek growled, forcing his hips to push upwards as his hand worked Spencer's throbbing organ. 

"Oh, Derek," Spencer sobbed with the intensity of the sensations coursing through him. He was teetering on the edge and was about to fly. The motion of Derek's hips pushing upwards, forcing his lover's shaft against his prostate was the last infinitesimal stimulation he needed.

The younger man went rigid on Derek's rod as his orgasm detonated. Creamy come erupted forth as his ass clamped down on the flesh penetrating him. The pearlescent strands of his release were in vivid contrast against the dark backdrop of Derek's skin. His hands were gripping the older man's shoulders with a strength that was sure to leave bruises in the wake of their passion.

The bigger man did not notice the clutching hands. As soon as he felt his lover's body spasming around him, Derek was lost in a vortex of his own pleasure. He could feel his lover's crème pulse against his skin and his mate's sheath contract and relax repeatedly around him.

"Love you, Spencer," Derek cried out as he came. He pumped wave after wave of warm cream into his lover's willing body. He groaned loudly as he arched his back, feeling his release spill into Spencer.

The next coherent thought Derek had was that Spencer was sprawled across his body, breathing hard, as they both recovered from shared ecstasy. He could still feel himself sheathed inside the younger man and gently brought his hand up to cup Spencer' ass. He loved these moments of sated connection.

He knew that if Spencer did not move soon, they would stick together and that their bodies would doubtless protest the awkward positions. However, Derek had no intention of moving. Spencer's breath was warm and moist against his skin and he was happy.

"Love you," Spencer murmured and offered no resistance as his head was framed in strong hands. His lips met Derek's and they kissed tenderly, the love they shared was almost a living entity that ebbed and flowed between them.

Derek accepted that life was not always going to be easy, or a Garden of Eden, however, they both knew that talking was essential. That fears confronted and shared were far easier to defeat than those faced alone. Each man had his own unique strength that they could bring and share with the other in times of trouble. Lola had called each of them a gift for the other. He had shared that idea with Spencer who had readily agreed. 

Spencer pulled back to gaze into eyes that reflected the love he felt.

"We'll do this together, love," he whispered.

"Together," Derek vowed and pulled his lover down to taste lush lips once more.

"Life is the flower for which love is the honey." Victor Hugo.