~Spencer Ried~

Spencer Reid was on his way back to Quantico after a relatively short case. Excited at the prospect of seeing Orion again, even though he hadn't figured out third date plans yet. He'd pestered Rossi a bit about general date ideas, only to be told to trust his instincts again. This had only given Morgan more amo. Saying that if Spencer would just tell them about his lady friend they could help him with date plans.

As tempting as it was, Spencer wanted to wait until he officially asked Orion to be his girlfriend. Which he was seriously considering already.

Sending a quick text to Orion, Spencer wondered if she was busy or not. How quickly she responded would answer that question for him. When his phone rang a few minutes later, Spencer scurried off to the tiny restroom on the jet.

"Hey, Orion, how are you? I thought you were starting on the sword smithing today?" Spencer smiled as he answered the call. Leaning against the small sink and tilting his head back. Eyes closed as he drank in the sound of her voice.

"I have my phone on vibrate in my pocket so I know when I get a text. Don't wanna miss it if it's from you." Orion chuckled at his confusion, her breathing just heavy enough to catch his notice. "Marlow's giving me a stick eye because I told him to stop hammering. Hello to you too, by the way, SSA Dr. Spencer Reid PHD."

"So you are at work then?" Spencer confirmed, trying to push away his flushed cheeks. The slightly heavy breathing was probably from hard labor over starting her new sword.

"Yes, Spencer, I'm at work, moving into the office so Marlow will stop glaring at me." She scoffed humorously. "I assume you're at work as well, you're using Japanese."

"On the jet home. It was just a short case this time around. Would you happen to have an idea of when you'll be done for the day?" He asked a bit nervously. He didn't have any plans, but he wanted to see her.

"I can be done at any time. We haven't got specific work hours here. Did you have something in mind?" Orion pondered curiously.

"Truthfully, no. I just wanted to see you." Spencer admitted with a blush.

Orion's soft laughter rang in his ear. "You are the sweetest guy I have ever had the privilege of knowing, Spencer. I've actually got an idea of what we could do, if you don't mind?"

Spencer's eyebrows lifted. "I don't mind at all. What's your idea?"

"There's this old library called Weathered thoughts, it's full of old and classic literature. It's even got a little cafe right next door." Orion suggested. "Would that happen to be of interest to you?"

"That sounds wonderful. I'd go just about anywhere if you were there." He accidentally let slip out. Feeling his cheeks burn as he realized what he just revealed.

"I'll keep that in mind." She chuckled. "Have you got an estimate of when you'll be heading in my direction?"

Spencer glanced at his watch before answering. "Approximately three hours?"

"Alright, I'll be sure to be ready for you then. Have a safe rest of your flight, congratulations on solving your case, Spencer." She smiled through the phone, prompting a foolish grin on Spencer's own face.

"See you then, Orion, and thank you!" Spencer returned before the call ended.

Taking a long slow breath in hopes of composing himself before opening the door. Morgan nearly fell into him from being pressed against the door. Prentiss and JJ were standing just behind him. Spencer raised an unamused eyebrow at them. They gave him guilty smiles reminiscent of children caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"Seriously guys?" He sighed.

"Come on, Reid-" Morgan started before Prentiss cut him off.

"Just tell her about her, please!! You can't keep us in the dark about her forever!"

"I know that." Spencer huffed. "I'm just not ready yet."

"Just one thing, Spence, tell us one random little thing about her, and I promise not to let Garcia hack your phone." JJ bargained.

Spencer pressed his lips together in consideration before caving. "Her favorite colors are dark green, dark purple, gold, silver, and black."

"Okay, that's JJ's fact. You need one for me and Morgan too." Prentiss butted in.

"No Emily. You've got your one fact." Spencer groaned.

"Just because JJ might not let Garcia hack your phone doesn't mean I won't encourage her to." She placed her hands on her hips and grinned triumphantly at Spencer who was glaring back.

"Come on Pretty Boy, spill." Morgan pushed.

"This is blackmail." Spencer told them.

"Whatever it takes to find out who's putting that skip in your step." Morgan shrugged uncaringly with a smirk.

"Fine, Emily, the only alcohol Orion drinks is Umeshu." Spencer grumbled reluctantly. "And Morgan..." He smirked, thinking of the perfect thing to tell him. "She could easily wipe the floor with you."

His coworkers seemed to freeze and stare at him in shock at that last bit of information. Spencer just kept smirking and he squeezed past them and went back to the couch he'd claimed. Lounging back and pulling out a thick book to pass his time. Watching from the corner of his eyes as the three agents slowly trickled back to their seats with bewildered expressions on their faces.

Spencer couldn't wait to tell Orion about this sort of game he seemed to have started with his teammates.

~

Roughly three hours later, Spencer was once again pulling up outside Orion's apartment building. He didn't have a full bouquet like the last time he was here, but Spencer did make a small detour to pick up a single purple iris.

Exiting his car Spencer could have sworn he saw someone familiar walking around the corner out of sight. He shook the thought out of his head. It was probably just another tennant in the building. Nothing he needed to be suspicious of. Besides, Orion was more than capable of protecting herself.

"You're just being paranoid, Spencer." He muttered to himself as he entered the building and hurried up the stairs. Nodding and giving tiny awkward smiles to the three people he passed on the way up.

"Hello SSA Dr. Spencer Reid PHD." Orion smiled upon opening her door.

"Hello Miss. Orion Genevieve Elspeth Montgomery." Spencer smiled back and offered her the flower.

"Ooh, that's new." Her smile widened and Spencer thought her eyes sparkled like magic. "I see you've found a response to my greeting, and thank you for the flower. That is very sweet of you."

When she reached to accept the flower, Spencer very deliberately allowed their fingers to brush together. Tingles danced up the nerves in his arm and a pink hue accented Orion's pleasantly surprised face. Her eyes seemed to lock with his, and the world stopped for just a few moments.

"You're welcome." Spencer murmured when his breath returned to his lungs.

"You want to come in while I find a vase for this?" Orion asked softly. Stepping back into her home and opening the door a bit wider for him.

"Yeah, of course." Spencer swallowed hard and nodded. Trailing after her into the dimly lit abode and closing the door behind him.

They moved through her living room, which Spencer had seen previously, and into her quaint kitchen. The walls in there were a dark brown with white tile covering the lower half. Rustic cabinets and a dark wooden counter. What caught Spencer's attention was the fridge. It was covered in children's drawings and magnets.

"Are these from Clover?" Spencer smiled as he looked at them.

Orion glanced over her shoulder from where she was getting a crystal narrow necked vase down from her cupboards. "Yes. She used to give me a stack whenever we met in person, but since we started trading letters, I get one or two every three weeks." She smiled fondly.

"For a three year old she is quite good." Spencer noted before pausing in thought. "She knows how to read and write already at her age?"

Orion laughed. "No, not yet. She's getting better at recognizing letters and trying to sound out words, but Clover's got a bit farther to go. Her mom reads and writes the letters for her."

"How did you get into sending letters to each other then?" He asked curiously.

"About six weeks before Christmas, sometime, they read a book in preschool about two friends sending letters to each other because they couldn't see each other often. Next thing I know I have a very excited niece on the phone begging me to trade letters with her." Orion shrugged as she gently placed the iris into the vase with water, setting it in the center of her kitchen table.

"She sounds very... bubbly." Spencer hummed thoughtfully, turning back to the woman who filled more than half of his thoughts.

"Oh, that child is a tiny ball of energy." She chuckled. "So, are we taking your car or would you like to meet Robin?"

"Robin? Who's Robin?" Spencer frowned slightly as they walked out of her apartment.

"Robin is my ride." Orion grinned at Spencer's slightly confused expression. "What? You didn't name your car?"

"Oohh, your car." Spencer sighed in relief. Not sure where his thoughts had been going other than he'd been confused as to what she was talking about.

"Yes, my car." She chuckled as they made their way out of the building to the tiny parking lot behind the complex.

Spencer's eyes traveled over the cars, trying to guess which one was 'Robin.' More being eliminated with every step they took until Spencer realized Orion was heading straight for the dark green 1968 mustang. It should have been obvious that's what she drove. Powerful but still having that old school class.

"Spencer, this is Robin." Orion smiled proudly.

"Robin is very nice." Spencer nodded with a smile. "How did you choose the name?"

Orion pulled out her keys and quickly unlocked the doors. "Have you ever seen Disney's Robin Hood?"

"No, I can't say I have." He shrugged, sliding into the passenger seat. Orion paused midway through putting the keys in the ignition, turning to stare at him blankly. Spencer stared back, wondering what was going through her thoughts.

"We'll have to fix that." She told him in a dead serious tone. "Robin Hood was my favorite movie growing up. Infuriated my parents when little me would go racing down the halls screaming 'steel from the rich and give to the poor!'"

Spencer laughed. "Really? But your family is wealthy!"

"Exactly!" Orion scoffed. "We had no good reason to hoard all that money while there's people out there starving on the streets.

"They never gave to charity?" Spencer asked with a small frown.

"Only when I was a teenager, and only so my siblings and I would stop pestering them about it." Orion sighed, turning the ignition and Spencer jumped slightly as the car roared to life.

"Never been in a muscle car, Spencer?" She chuckled at his reaction and his cheeks turned pink in slight embarrassment.

"Not one that rumbles quite like this." He admitted and bit nervously.

"Awe, but the rumble's the best part." Orion grinned, taking her foot off the brake. Calmly rolling out to the parking lot entrance. "You might want to brace yourself." She advised when she spotted a break in the traffic.

Spencer did not hesitate to do so. Feeling his muscles tense in anticipation for the roar of the engine and possible squealing of tires.

The break came and Orion's foot hit the gas. For a split second Spencer thought he'd been deefened before his ears seemed to adjust to the noise of the quickly changing gears as Orion got up to speed. After a minute the roar calmed to a steady rumble and the soft music playing from the radio could be made out again.

"Adrenaline, epinephrine, is a hormone your adrenal glands send through your bloodstream. When you're scared or stressed suddenly, adrenaline is quickly sent into your body. This is commonly known as an adrenaline rush because it happens so fast." Spencer blurted out as his grip on the door and center console loosened.

"Did I scare you Spencer?" Orion asked with concern.

"No... just caught off guard despite the warning." Spencer released a breath slowly, willing his heartbeat to return to normal levels.

"Alright, sorry. This is just how I normally drive and if it puts you on edge, please tell me." She told him.

"Orion, I'll be fine." Spencer let out a breathy chuckle. Orion was a tough girl, but she still had soft spots and Spencer loved discovering them or seeing them come out.

"Still, tell me if my driving is stressing you out. Your job is probably stressful enough, you don't need any extra." Orion insisted, glancing away from the road to give him a serious look.

Spencer hesitated slightly before carefully resting his hand on her arm. "Your driving is just fine, Orion. I can clearly see that you know exactly how to control this car." He assured her.

A small smile tugged at Orion's lips as her eyes flicked down to where Spencer was initiating contact. They sat in a comfortable silence as she navigated traffic towards the library she was taking them to.

"So, do you want to hit the library or cafe first? They do allow food and drink in the library, if that affects your decision any." Orion presented as they pulled into a parking spot nearby.

"Either is good, what were you thinking?" Spencer shrugged lightly.

"Well then, how about we get some drinks to go, and perhaps you might be interested in the idea of suggesting books for each other to read?" She raised a questioning eyebrow at the young doctor seated next to her.

Spencer nodded with a smile. "That sounds perfect." He agreed. Getting out of the car, Spencer hurried around to Orion's side so he could open the door for her.

"You are spoiling me, Spencer." Orion chuckled, taking his hesitantly offered hand. "Treating me like royalty."

"The Queen of Swords." Spencer grinned despite the blush coloring his cheeks. Her hand was calloused from hard work, and yet still felt like a porcelain doll's in his own. It was warm and her grip was strong when he wove his fingers together with hers.

Orion grinned back. "You seem to be having a good day." She noted as they walked towards the quaint little cafe next to the weathered old library. Hinting at the fact that he was making physical contact with her despite his germaphobia.

"Yeah, I am. Is this okay?" Spencer asked, though she hadn't seemed to mind the small bits of contact he'd made previously. When he'd been testing the waters.

"Very okay, Spencer." She confirmed.

The two entered the cafe side by side while Spencer tried to contain the foolish smile that wanted to make itself at home on his face. He was holding hands with Orion! Not bothered by the touch in the slightest.

Memories of their previous date kept drifting through his thoughts. He'd not wanted contact with any other living being that day, but there had been no negative reaction when Orion fell asleep on his shoulder or even when he'd picked her up. Did the fact that he liked this woman as more than a friend just... override his germaphobia?

Spencer was pretty sure that's not how that was supposed to work, but he wasn't complaining.

Their drinks were quickly ordered; one chi tea and one black coffee with a rather concerning amount of sugar. Orion insisted on paying for both of them despite Spencer's protests. Pointing out how he'd paid for their first date and used his own groceries for their second.

Once they'd gotten their beverages, Orion led Spencer into Weathered Thoughts. Their hands still intertwined as he paused to take in the antique architecture lined with old bookcases. The dust particles visible in the beams of light streaming in through the tall windows. The smell of books filling Spencer's nose.

The two spent the next two hours wandering the aisles together. Skimming over the many many available books. Neither wanted to make the decision on which books they'd be suggesting right away. Orion enjoyed listening to Spencer telling her all sorts of facts about different authors in a low, quiet tone.

When they came to the very back corner of the third floor, Spencer spotted a sort of sitting area with dim lighting set up. The perfect place to curl up with a book and spend hours reading. He could picture himself and Orion sitting next to each other on the heavily cushioned loveseat.

"Orion," Spencer spoke up, drawing her attention away from the last section of bookshelves in the whole library. "What do you think about getting our book suggestions and then meeting back there?"

She looked to where Spencer had gestured and smiled. "Excellent idea, Spencer. How many books should we each get?"

"How about two?" Spencer tilted his head slightly. He could read through two in under a day, but Orion couldn't. Two would be a good amount.

"Two it is, see you in a few minutes." She squeezed his hand gently before pulling away. Heading off to locate the two books she wanted to suggest to him. Spencer's eyes followed her until she turned behind a bookshelf, moving out of view, before he went to get his own book suggestions.

Spencer located the two books quickly. Catching glimpses of Orion as they moved around. He arrived back in the agreed upon spot first and made himself comfortable on the loveseat. She arrived a little over a minute later with a smile on her face. The dim lighting reminding Spencer of when they first met.

"I see you've chosen a spot."

"And there's room for two." Spencer pointed out with a small smile. Hinting for her to sit next to him, which she gladly did. Carefully leaning her shoulder against his.

Taking a page out of Morgan's book, Spencer moved his arm to rest over the back of the couch. Allowing Orion to move even closer into his side.

"So, what does the genius Dr. Spencer Reid recommend for reading?" Orion hummed contentedly.

"The Great Gatsby and Great Expectations." Spencer used his free hand to offer the books to her.

"Ah, these are great." Orion teased lightly as she looked over the two thick books.

"They're classics, obviously, but they are some of the old greats." Spencer's smile widened as he went along with her joke.

"I'm more than sure I'll enjoy them. Here, I picked out To Kill A Mockingbird and The Lord of The Rings. I wasn't sure what you might not have read before, considering just how much literature you can go through in a short amount of time, but these are two of my favorites." She held out the two very different books to him.

"To Kill A Mockingbird I have read before, a masterpiece by Harper Lee. But I don't think I've ever read Lord of The Rings. I've heard and read a lot about Tolkien, but never actually looked at his works myself." Spencer said thoughtfully.

Orion's eyebrows raised. "You've never read the works of the master world builder himself?" She scoffed jokingly. "Well then it is a good thing I picked that one out!"

"It's one of your favorites, right?" Spencer asked redundantly. "Would, would you mind if we read it out loud together?"

Orion's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "I would love that."

Spencer set the smaller book down on the small end table holding the stained glass lamp providing them with warm lighting. Struggling a bit to open the much larger book with only one hand before Orion moved to help. Leaning even more into his side as a result.

A warmth filled Spencer's cheeks as he softly cleared his throat and started reading aloud in a low tone. "Chapter one; A Long-Expected Party. When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced..."

And so went the next two hours. The couple snuggled up in the farthest corner of the old library full of even older books. Spencer reading the tale of Middle Earth aloud to Orion. Never had the young doctor felt so content or comfortable with another person. Even with the hours of the day ticking by, he would have been quite happy to spend many more right there.

Sadly, Serial Killers do not have much, if any, empathy for such comforts. The urgent ringing of Spencer's cell phone caused the two to jump. The device's owner sighing heavily, knowing it could only mean one thing.

Sending Orion an apologetic glance as he quickly answered the call. "Dr. Ried speaking."

"Hey 187, sorry to interrupt your evening, but we've got an urgent case." Penelope Garcia's usually bright and cheery voice sighed into his ear.

"Urgent? We just got back from the last case." Spencer huffed in slight annoyance. Normally it wouldn't bother him all that much, but it was interrupting a date this time.

"I know. I wish I could stop all those crazies out there from ruining perfectly good evenings, but I can't. We're debriefing on the jet out to Florida, where the wack jobs are abundant."

"Thanks Garcia, I'm on my way." Spencer hung up and turned to Orion with a slightly pained expression, but she just gave him an understanding smile.

"More lives to save?" She asked him, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, but I have to go." Spencer apologized as they both sat up properly.

"Hey, there's nothing to be sorry for, Spencer. It's okay. I know your job can and will call you away at a moment's notice." Orion gently squeezed his shoulder assuringly.

"You're not upset?" Spencer looked down at the two books in his lap.

"No. Now, come on." Orion stood up, tucking the two books he'd suggested for her under one arm while offering him her free hand. "You've got a maniac to catch and lives to save."

Seeing the small smile on her face gave Spencer a small bit of peace. Taking her offered hand and standing up with her. The two made quick work of signing their books out at the front desk and returning to Robin. Hurrying back to where Orion lived so Spencer could get his car.

"Text or call me when you get the chance, okay?" Orion asked as they stood next to Spencer's Volvo.

"I will, sorry again about cutting the date short." He nodded.

"Spencer, there is nothing to apologize for." Orion shook her head fondly. "Be safe."

'I will." Spencer repeated with a sad smile. "Bye."

"Goodbye, hear from you soon."

~

Despite Orion's assurances, Spencer still felt rather rotten about having to leave during a date she'd planned. Not that he wouldn't feel bad about having a date he planned interrupted. This just felt like it was worse.

"Reid, you've been staring at that page for two minutes." Rossi broke Spencer out of his thoughts. They were on the jet to Florida and had already gone over the case info they had so far.

"Just lost in thought." Spencer tried to brush it off, ignoring the dull stare being aimed at him from his Italian teammate seated across from him.

"What's eating at you. You were more chipper when I saw you earlier. Couldn't wait to- oh, that's it." Rossi leaned back in his seat with a look of understanding.

"What?" Spencer tried to feign ignorance despite knowing it would be useless against the profiler.

"You were on a date with Orion, weren't you." Rossi, much to Spencer's relief, lowered his voice to make it harder for others to eavesdrop on them.

Spencer sighed, dropping the thick book Orion had given him to read in his lap. "Yeah." He muttered.

"Did she not take it well?" Rossi frowned in worry.

"No, she seemed like it was just fine actually. It just... feels wrong." He shook his head with a heavy sigh.

"Then do something to make it up to her when we get back. Something special." Rossi offered.

"What happened to following my instincts?" Spencer raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're doubting yourself right now, so I'm giving you some advice." Rossi pointed out. "Don't doubt yourself. Sure, she's taking our crazy schedule well, and that's great. But you should still do something to make it up to her, show her how much you care about and appreciate her. That way it might not wear her down over time."

"Is that what you did with your wives?" Spencer asked.

"It's what I should have done." Rossi told him seriously.

"So I just need to find something special to do for her." Spencer slouched slightly.

"You'll have it figured out by the time we finish this case." Rossi said with certainty.