~Orion Montgomery~

A smile graced Orion Montgomery's face as she subtly eavesdropped on the men while she was heating up some homemade soup she'd canned. Hearing Spencer say he'd like to go all the way with her had made her heart flutter like a butterfly in her chest. A feeling she'd never had around any guy before.

Orion really liked Spencer as well and the thought of taking the next step in their relationship had crossed her mind a few times in the last couple of days. But she didn't want to push him either. He seemed like the type to want to take things slow. Afterall she seemed to be his first real romantic relationship. Spencer was also her first romantic relationship, if you didn't count the few dates she'd been on prior to meeting the gentle hearted genius.

Perhaps she should give him some small signs that she'd like to move to the next step?

"Hey, do you need any help in here?" Thea poked her head into the kitchen.

"I've got it pretty much under control, but the guys are having a little chat at the moment, so you could set the table?" Orion offered.

"Let me guess, you're eavesdropping to make sure Nathaniel doesn't scare the poor guy off?" She raised an eyebrow at her. Opening the cupboard Spencer had mentioned earlier and pulling out the plates.

"So?" Orion didn't bother denying it with a shrug. Stirring the pot of soup on the stove as it heated up. 

"That's supposed to be a private conversation." Thea nudged her shoulder as she slipped by, setting the plates out and going to grab some glasses and cutlery.

"Then they should be whispering." Orion scoffed teasingly.

"So, how's he doing so far then?" Thea prodded.

"Well, Spencer has yet to use the distraction methods I gave him and from what I can tell they're getting along." Orion paused for a second before turning to look out through the doorway to the living room. "No death threats Nathaniel!!" She called, overhearing where the men's conversation had gone.

"If he breaks your heart I have the right to!" Nathaniel yelled back and Orion rolled her eyes.

"Brother's." She muttered under her breath.

"No, you do not!" Thea interjected. "You have children to raise that will need their father!"

Silence followed as her words set in. Orion's brow furrowed as she slowly turned to her sister in law who had an embarrassed look of realization on her face. Like she'd said something she wasn't supposed to.

Scrambling feet could be heard before Nathaiel appeared in the doorway, Spencer just behind him. "Children? Plural?" The Number Cruncher said as he stared at his wife with wide excited eyes.

Thea blushed heavily and let out a slight sigh. "Nathaniel-" She barely got his name out before he was scooping her up and spinning her around with a blinding grin on his face.

"You're pregnant! I knew it!" He cheered.

"Yes, alright, I was going to tell you during dessert." Thea laughed happily, hugging him back.

Spencer had a soft smile on his face as he shuffled over to Orion's side. Without much thought, their hands seemed to find each other and immediately intertwine together. Leaning over slightly, Spencer spoke quietly to Orion, not wanting to interrupt the couple's happy moment. "Looks like you'll have a new niece or nephew soon."

"I was kind of suspecting too." Orion murmured back with a smile of her own. "She looked a little green when she hurried off to the bathroom a few hours ago."

"Are you excited?" Spencer asked, averting his eyes as the couple started kissing.

"Very." She hummed back, leaning gently into his side. "Okay, you two, that's enough kissing in here."

"You know, it won't be long before we're the ones telling you guys that." Thea huffed with a grin as she pulled away from her husband. Watching the bright blushes form on their cheeks.

Spencer cleared his throat nervously. "So, um, do you need any help with supper?"

"I'm sure you can handle toast, would you mind getting that started? The soup should be about ready, I just have to toss a salad together." Orion looked up at him, taking in his pink toned cheeks with a smile.

"Got it." Spencer turned around, paused and turned right back to her. "Where do you keep your bread and toaster?"

"You can't profile that like you did with the spoons?" Thea raised her eyebrows as Nathaniel hugged her from behind, his hands pressed to her lower stomach with a foolish grin on his face.

"It doesn't really work that way." Spencer shrugged, following Orion to the pantry and taking the loaf of bread she'd handed him. His eyes followed her as she pulled the toaster from a cupboard under the counter full of appliances.

"But it works to find spoons?" Thea tilted her head.

"I was using information I already had to figure that out. I had seen where the vases and glasses were, and we've never actually eaten here together before." He tried to explain.

"Interesting, so you're basically extrapolating information from an incomplete equation." Nathaniel reiterated.

"You could say that, though profiling generally deals with behaviors leading to specific actions." Spencer nodded as he plugged in the toaster Orion had provided him with and set the first to slices of bread in.

"You have a PHD in mathematics, right?" Nathaniel inquired as his wife dragged him around the kitchen to help prepare for supper because he refused to let go.

"Yes." He nodded. "Do you also have a PHD?"

"No, I only got my masters before I started working as an accountant." Nathaniel frowned slightly.

"From what Orion's told me about you, it wouldn't be that hard for you to get it." Spencer encouraged with a slightly hesitant smile.

"I have thought about it." Nathaniel agreed. "Originally I wanted to be a math professor when I was younger."

"What steered you away from that?" Spencer asked, removing the finished toast and replacing it. Orion caught him watching her swiftly chop up various greens for the salad from the corner of his eye.

"My dad was insistent I do something that would be helpful to the family business because Leo had already refused, becoming a lawyer instead. Though, I have managed to stay out of the Hotel business so far." Nathaniel explained with a bit of sadness. Both Thea and Orion shooting him somber looks.

"Well, you've been an accountant for a bit, like he wanted. Maybe it's time to do what you want?" Spencer said, glancing at Orion with uncertainty, unsure his he was overstepping any boundaries.

Nathaniel paused for a second, unintentionally holding his wife still, with a far away look in his eye. "You thick so?"

"Orion told me you helped her understand math better while you were both in school, so you've already got the natural instinct for teaching it." Spencer continued when Orion smiled and gave him a nod to keep going.

Nathaniel hadn't been quite as resistant to their parent's will as his older siblings had. He was a math genius, but he'd wanted their approval in his life choices. Which is why he'd set aside his dream of teaching the subject he loved so much, despite Orion and Leo's encouragement. But maybe what he needed was someone he hadn't met previously, someone he didn't really know, telling him he could do it.

"Yeah... maybe." He nodded slowly.

"Daddy?" Came a small voice, interrupting the conversation. The adults turned to find little Clover standing in the kitchen doorway, having somehow dragged the large blankets with her down the hall, looking up at her father with big round eyes.

Nathaniel immediately unglued himself from his wife and was couched in front of his daughter in under a second. "What are you doing out of bed, Clover?" He asked with concern, gently pressing the back of his hand to her forehead.

"I missed you." She sniffled, jutting out her bottom lip.

Nathaniel practically melted on the spot. "Oh, come here Princess, Daddy missed you too."

Clover's pout vanished as her father scooped her up in his arms. Carefully bundling her up in the large blanket while she buried her head in the side of his neck. Orion smiled along with the others as they watched him carry Clover into the living room when she requested to look at her Aunty O's swords.

"Yep, she is definitely Daddy's little girl." Thea sighed adoringly.

"Do you think she'll be excited to have a sibling?" Spencer asked surprisingly, slipping an arm around Orion's waist.

"She's been asking for one for a few months actually." Thea chuckled.

"Supper's ready, I guess we should just save him some then?" Orion asked.

"Yeah, Clover will probably fall asleep in a few minutes, hopefully." Thea nodded, moving to sit down at the kitchen table while Spencer helped Orion put the pot of soup on the table with the salad she whipped up.

~

After supper Thea had taken Clover back to the spare bedroom so her husband could get a chance to eat as well. They chatted for a while before Nathaniel challenged Spencer to a game of cards. Which quickly became intense as both were proficient at card counting and gambling.

Orion couldn't help but laugh when Thea came into the room and began scolding Nathaniel.

After Thea and Nathaiel had gone to bed early Orion and Spencer sat together by themselves in the living room. Simply enjoying each other's presence. Spencer's arm around her while she snuggled contentedly into his side.

"So, um, do we, do we have any plans for the fourteenth?" Spencer broke the  calm silence after a number of minutes. 

Orion raised her eyebrows at him. "Is this your way of asking if I'll be your Valentine in two weeks?" A smile pulled at the corners of her lips.

Spencer blushed slightly. "I... guess so?" It sounded more like a question.

"Yes, I'll be your Valentine, SSA Dr. Spencer Reid PHD." She hummed. Turning her head slightly, Orion placed a tiny kiss to the corner of the now grinning genius's jaw. Which made him freeze.

"Oh." Spencer blinked rapidly as a burning blush overtook his whole face and spread down his neck.

"You okay?" Orion frowned, worrying that she'd done something to make him uncomfortable. Mentally scolding herself for pushing his boundaries.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay." His voice had pitched up an octave as a grin slowly grew.

"Because I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything-" Orion began to apologize, not registering that he was beaming.

"Orion." He interrupted her gently. "I'm not uncomfortable." Assuring her by brushing his lips against the top of her head.

She let out a breath of relief as a wide smile formed. "So what are the plans for Valentine's day?"

"Now, if I told you, that would ruin the surprise."