Uncle Spence is Cooler - Drabble

not an x reader, just a request off of tumblr for some cute Henry and Spencer stuff. hope you enjoy!


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To put it lightly, Spencer loves his godson. So when JJ announced that she was using the week Emily had given the team off to take a vacation with Will, he was unsurprisingly the first to jump up and volunteer to babysit. JJ laughed at his sweetness, easily agreeing since Henry and her Spence got on so well together. But when she reminded him that a four year old could be a handful for a full week, he brushed her off.


Spencer was seriously regretting that decision right about now.


"No, Uncle Spence! Not like that!" Henry demanded, and steam nearly came out of Spencer's ears. Sure, he loves Henry, but that was the eighth time he had poured the pancake batter into the pan. Henry's instructions were senseless and it seemed no matter what Spencer did, Henry wanted something else.


"Henry, how do you feel about waffles, buddy? I love waffles," he said, praying Henry would agree. He didn't actually care much for waffles, but to hell with that. He just wanted to end the pancake nightmare that was his current life.


"No! I want pancakes the way daddy makes them!" Henry stomps his foot, the little dictator in him coming out. He's usually rather reserved, but Spencer knows he brought the grumpiness on himself when he let Henry stay up past his bedtime last night. Spencer is fully aware that the wrath of a sleep deprived kid is not to be trifled with, but the little sucker roped him into reciting story after story.


"You're lucky Uncle Spence loves you, kid," he says, wincing and scrapping the 'failed' pancake. He's mostly joking when he tells Henry that, but underneath the surface, he's dead serious. If he didn't have so much affection for his godson to tap into, he might have to bow out from his babysitting job. He had made it six out of seven days. That was admirable.


"Alright, Henry. I'll make you a deal. Instead of making your dad's pancakes, I'll make Uncle Spence pancakes. And if you admit they're even cooler than your dad's, you have to promise to follow your bedtime tonight. Do we have a deal or what?" Spencer holds out his hand for Henry to shake, looking at him expectantly. Henry eyes him warily, seeming hesitant. But eventually he caves, curiosity getting the best of him. His little hand reaches out to shake Spencer's larger one, and the mismatched size makes for an odd but certainly heartwarming handshake.


Spencer immediately sets to work, creating a swirling circle in the pan by delicately drizzling the line with a spoon dipped in the batter. Henry watches silently, enraptured by the process. Spencer lets that batter cook for a moment before carefully filling in his circle with more batter, and Henry gasps as the swirl disappears. It brings a smile to Spencer's face to be able to witness such innocence and excitement.


Soon enough it's time to flip over the pancake, and Spencer steals a glance at Henry who's still sitting on the counter quietly, in awe. Spencer tries to suppress his smile as he wields the spatula, but fails spectacularly, his grin reaching from ear to ear.


"Woah! It's got a spiral, Uncle Spence! Look at it!" Henry shouts excitedly as Spencer plops the pancake onto its opposite side. He stands up straighter, rather proud of himself. Talk about a turn around.


"Yeah it does, Henry! Do you like it?" Henry nods enthusiastically in response, nearly jumping up and down with excitement. Spencer is simply watching him laugh when they're both startled by the doorbell.


"I got it!" Henry instantly runs for the door, leaving Spencer to hastily turn down the stove - for the pancake's sake - and run after the little rascal.


"Aunt Penny!" Henry says with delight when Spencer pulls the door open to reveal Garcia. She smiles and leans down to ruffle his hair, making him giggle. Spencer is a little confused as to why she's here, but glad nonetheless. He knows she and Henry are thick as thieves, and figures he wouldn't mind a visitor.


They of course invite her in, and she fawns over the spiral pancake and dotes on Henry like it's her job. Which, as godmother, it technically is. They laugh and joke and Spencer makes several more pancakes for everyone to eat, his spirals growing more and more precise each time.


"Alright Reid, I'll let you go. I'm sure you're exhausted," Garcia says, setting down her fork and knife. Spencer gives her a quizzical look, stealing a glance at Henry who's still devouring his pancake after nearly drowning it in syrup.


"Why would I leave?" He asks, and Garcia genuinely looks at him as if he has two heads. She has to blink several times, certain she misheard him. How could he honestly not be jumping at the chance? She loves her godson too, but a week looking after a child is beyond tiring in her mind, especially since the two of them don't really know what parenting is like.


"You- er, you want to stay? You aren't tired of babysitting?" She asks, completely baffled. The fact that she's dumbfounded by this catches Spencer off guard. Why would he want anything else?


"I don't think I could ever be tired of babysitting Henry," he answers, shaking his head. At hearing his name, Henry's head shoots up and he gives a look-at-how-cute-I-am smile that could melt the coldest of hearts. His godparents laugh, and Penelope slowly sighs.


"I think I may see your point."


--


bonus:


"Oh hey, Will, what's up? Is everything okay?" Spencer speaks into the receiver, worry darkening his face. He rarely gets calls from Will.


"No, actually," Will says leisurely, but with a slight strain in his southern voice. "What's an Uncle Spence pancake and why does my son want one?"

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