Chapter Text
Derek Morgan was about to head out for a jog on a crisp Sunday morning when the doorbell rang. Standing behind the door was his colleague, Dr. Spencer Reid, wearing his geeky glasses, a brown coat, and a purple scarf.
What the…? Morgan’s expression shifted to surprise. “Reid. How do you even know where I live?”
“Hi,” Reid greeted, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, but Morgan was too stunned to respond.
“I asked Garcia,” Reid said, stepping inside.
“Come on in,” Morgan mumbled, following him.
“Nice place,” Reid remarked, his eyes scanning the room while Morgan continued to stare at him. Just then, Cloony bounded into the living room with a happy bark, tail wagging. The dog charged at Reid, who flustered and nearly lost his balance. Morgan laughed.
“Are you scared of dogs?”
“No, not at all. I’m not a dog person, per se, but I’m okay with dogs.”
As if to prove it, Reid reached out to pat Cloony’s head, only to quickly withdraw his hand when the dog licked it. Morgan laughed again.
Reid sat on the sofa, Cloony curling up beside him. Morgan prepared two cups of coffee, adding three spoons of sugar to one, and handed it to Reid. He leaned against the wall, watching as Reid sipped his coffee with a relaxed demeanor.
“Why are you here?” Morgan finally asked, genuinely puzzled.
“Why not? Was it a bad time?”
“Did you drive here?” Morgan glanced at the Volvo Amazon parked in the driveway.
“Mm-hmm.”
“What if I had someone over?”
“Like who? A girl you picked up at a bar?”
“Maybe.”
“You wouldn’t.” Reid took another sip of his coffee.
Morgan squinted at him.
“You’d probably go to the girl’s place if you wanted to, you know, do whatever you do,” Reid said, gesturing vaguely, “but you wouldn’t let her inside your house. Too... personal.”
“Are you profiling me?”
“No.” Reid met his eyes. “I just know you.”
The conversation hung in the air for a moment before Morgan spoke again.
“Does this have to do with what you found out about my past in Chicago?”
At that, Reid fell silent.
So that’s what this is about.
Morgan let out a sigh and sank into a nearby chair. “Okay… so what did Hotch tell you?”
“Not much. Hotch told us not to pry, just that you were one of Buford’s victims of sexual abuse.” Reid said quietly, his voice weighted with concern.
“So you came over to... check on me?”
“Sort of.”
Morgan was confused, but not by Reid—by himself. He hated people poking into his personal life, pitying him. He remembered how he’d snapped at Hotch in Chicago, slamming his hand on the table and yelling. It had been humiliating, infuriating. But right now, he felt something different. Something almost... flattered?
Reid stared down at his coffee. Morgan stood, walked over to him, and gave his head a playful pat. “You don’t need to ‘big brother’ me, pretty boy. I’m fine.”
“You didn’t look fine in Chicago,” Reid said, glancing up at him.
“I’m fine now,” Morgan said, offering him a reassuring smile. “Besides,” he added with a teasing grin, “how’s barging into my house and drinking my coffee supposed to help?”
Reid thought for a moment, then pouted slightly. Morgan couldn’t help but laugh. “I was about to go for a jog. Wanna join me?”
“What? Jogging? No,” Reid said with mock horror.
“Alright, alright. Then let’s go Christmas shopping.”
“Two grown men don’t go Christmas shopping together. People will think we’re a gay couple.”
“Let ’em think that. Or even better, let’s pretend we are.” Morgan flashed a cheeky smile.
“Ha-ha,” Reid fake-laughed.
“Who knows?” Morgan said with a shrug. “We might need to go undercover as a couple sometime. Good practice.”
Reid raised his eyebrows. It might actually be fun. He wasn’t exactly a social butterfly, but he was good at bluffing in poker, and he did enjoy acting. “Okay, I’m in.”
“That’s my boy.” Morgan’s grin widened. “Take off your glasses. I want to show off that gorgeous face.”
Morgan took off Reid’s glasses gently.
“I can’t see properly without them.”
“It’s fine. I’ll hold your hand the whole time, lover.” Morgan teased, extending his hand to help Reid up.
***
It was funny how easily both Morgan and Reid slipped into character. After all, they were FBI agents—experts at what they did. Even for Reid, who usually got uneasy and awkward around people, acting alongside Derek Morgan felt effortless. There was a solid trust between them, and that made everything easier, even pretending to be a couple.
As they reached the entrance of the shopping mall, the holiday spirit immediately surrounded them. The air was thick with the scent of cinnamon and freshly baked cookies. Twinkling lights adorned every pillar, and garlands of greenery were draped across the railings. A massive Christmas tree stood at the center, its ornaments sparkling under the bright lights, while soft carols played through the mall’s speakers.
Morgan opened the passenger door for Reid, who stepped out with ease. They held hands as they walked through the festive crowd, a quiet confidence passing between them. At 185 centimeters tall, their similar height brought their faces close.
Morgan couldn’t help but admire Reid’s effortless confidence in the role of his “boyfriend.”
Without a word, Morgan draped his long black scarf around Reid’s neck, a playful gesture, and pressed a soft kiss to the side of his head. Reid didn’t flinch, didn’t lose his cool.
“Hey, Spencer, how about this one?”
Morgan gestured toward a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Reid, instantly picking up on the unspoken fun of the moment, nodded.
“Yeah, this shade of green goes well with the carpet, I think…”
Before Morgan could respond, a store clerk approached with a bright smile. “Hello there! Are you two looking for a Christmas tree for your house?”
“Yes. We... just moved in together,” Morgan said, his voice betraying a hint of bashfulness.
“Oh, how exciting!” The clerk beamed. “Are you two married?”
“Soon. We’re engaged,” Reid answered smoothly, flashing a smile.
“Congratulations!” The lady gushed, her enthusiasm evident. “Well, if you need help with anything, I’ll be over there.”
“Thanks,” Morgan said, giving her a friendly nod.
“Thank you,” Reid echoed, his voice carrying a touch of amusement.
The reflection of them in the store window was unmistakable—the image of a couple. Morgan leaned in slightly, his voice a low whisper. “You’re totally enjoying this, aren’t you? Fooling people?”
Reid couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “You, too.”
But their enjoyment was short-lived.
“Reid? Morgan?”
The familiar voice froze them both in place, their hearts skipping a beat.
Hotch…!!!
In a flash, they let go of each other’s hands. Morgan yanked his scarf off Reid’s neck as though the action might erase the evidence. They turned to face Hotch, who stood with his wife beside him, his serious expression giving them a jolt of anxiety.
“Hi, Hotch,” Reid stammered, raising his hand nervously, his earlier confidence evaporating in an instant.
“Were you two holding hands?”
“Uh, it was... um... a training exercise,” Morgan blurted out, his words coming out in a jumbled rush. “You know, for...undercover training.”
Hotch stared at them for a long moment, his gaze piercing. Both men felt a cold sweat break out across their necks.
“Are you—” Hotch started, his voice lowering.
“Never mind,” he said, cutting himself off. Reid and Morgan knew exactly what he was thinking but didn’t dare to ask.
“See you tomorrow,” Hotch said, his tone neutral, as he gently guided his wife away.
The two agents stood frozen for a moment longer. Morgan let out a long sigh.
“This is not good.”
Reid, wide-eyed, murmured, “I think we’ll be called to his office tomorrow.”
***
The next morning, Morgan and Reid were summoned to Hotch’s office. Both of them entered, looking visibly nervous.
JJ and Emily exchanged curious glances from their desks. Emily mouthed to JJ, “Are they in trouble?” JJ shrugged, gesturing “I don’t know.”
Hotch’s voice cut through the tension as he looked up at the two agents.
“Are you two involved romantically?”
“No,” both replied in unison, their answers immediate and firm.
Hotch leaned forward, clearly not convinced. “Then what were you doing yesterday at the mall—holding hands and sharing a scarf?”
Morgan shifted uncomfortably. “We were just, um... playing.” he said.
Reid glanced at his friend’s deadpan expression. The absurdity of the situation started to sink in, and he struggled to keep a straight face.
“Reid, it’s not funny,” Hotch said sternly.
“Sorry.” Reid bit his lip, struggling to suppress the smirk.
“You both are federal agents. Be careful what you do in public. You don’t know who might be watching.”
“Yeah, like you did.”
“Reid…”
“Statistically speaking, with the population density of this area, it’s actually pretty rare to bump into a colleague in a shopping mall. And given the size of the mall, the probability is approximately—”
“Reid!”
“Sorry.”
Hotch let out a sigh. “All right. You may go now.”
As they exited Hotch’s office, Morgan gave Reid a playful elbow to the stomach.
“Ow!!” Reid exaggerated the impact.
“No more undercover operations with you.”
“Not a chance.”
They shook their heads and chuckled.
“What are you guys laughing about?” Emily asked, clearly relieved to see them in good spirits.
“Yeah, what undercover operation?” JJ chimed in, raising an eyebrow.
“Morgan wanted to play husbands with me, so we…” Reid started, but Morgan quickly cut him off.
“Oh, shut up, Reid.” Morgan grabbed the back of Reid’s neck and gave him a gentle tug, making him yelp, “Ahh!”
“Hey, hey, hey, boys. Stop flirting. Do it in private.” Emily teased with a grin and JJ laughed along.