Ethereal

The Ocean

You and Spencer walk by the water towards the moonlight. The night sky is full of stars, and a bright white glare spreads over the ocean. The waves crash on the shore and the cold sand feels great on your bare feet.

"I never want to leave here." You say.

"The beach or Hawaii?" Asks Spencer.

"Both. It's so beautiful, I could stay here with you forever." You say.

"Yeah DC is a bit of a bummer compared to the scenery here."

"Yeah, and it doesn't have your beloved extrusive igneous rocks."

"Not the ones that can turn directly into magma." He says.

You laugh and walk closer to him. "It's ok though. I could live anywhere as long as you're there."

He smiles and holds your hand. You keep walking down the shore with him as you watch your feet drag in the sand.

"Y/n, can I ask you a question?" Says Spencer.

"Sure, shoot."

"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"

That's a bit of an odd question. You stop and think about your answer.

"Well I'm hoping to move upwards in my career. By then I imagine myself leading a research group or something. Then I can finally do something that will change peoples lives."

"What you're doing now is helping people too. I know that all of your patients love you." He says.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because I know you." He says. "And I know you give off a really good first impression."

You smile.

"Thanks. I also hope to have a family." You say. "I've always wanted kids. My mom loves reminding me about how great of a mom I'd be, which I'm guessing is her way of hinting that she wants me to give her grandchildren before it's too late."

"You will be a great mom." He says.

"Thank you." You say. "Do you want a family?"

"Absolutely. I've always been a little scared to because of my job though, but hopefully someday I can retire and settle down with people that I love."

"The day you leave the BAU will be a very sad day for the FBI." You say. "But you will be a fantastic dad."

He smiles and looks down at the sand. The wind blows his hair in his face and the moon shines in his eyes. He notices you gazing at him and smiles wider.

"What?"

"Just sinking into those hazel irises again." You say. He diverts his eyes again but eventually looks back at you. He traces the features of your face until he stops walking. You look back at him.

"Are you ok?" You ask.

"Yeah. I just um..." He looks down and swallows. He's nervous right now and you're not sure why. "I never thought about my future before I met you. My job is unpredictable and dangerous so I never found a point in it. One day I could be eating dinner with the team, the next I could be god knows where just... dying alone. But then I met you. Ever since then my future is all I can think about. Specifically, my future with you."

He walks towards you and grabs your hands. He looks into your eyes, not breaking contact once.

"I want to be with and grow old with you. I want you to be the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see before I sleep everyday for the rest of my life. I want to have a family with you, and I want to have a picture of us sitting on my desk at work. When people walk by I want them to ask about you, and then I'll brag and ramble about you guys for as long as they let me."

You don't know where this speech is going but you feel your eyes start to burn. You notice his start to water.

"Without you I'm lost, y/n. You're the one thing that keeps me going and under control. Every waking moment of my life is spent thinking about you. Your smile, your warm touch. You're my reason for everything. For living, for working, for trying. I would do anything for you in the blink of an eye and I know I'm supposed to end the speech by saying I love you, but I can't. What I feel for you is stronger than that. The closest thing I could think of was the French word je t'aime, which was created to represent a feeling stronger than love. But now I realize that I don't need to put how I feel into words. All I really need is for you to know that you will be my number one in everything and nothing will ever change that. I've never been a spiritual person, but if soulmates existed I think me and you would be the closest thing to it."

He looks at you for a second longer as tears run down your cheek. He then reaches into his right pocket and slowly lowers himself. He sits on one knee with his hands holding a small velvet box.

"Doctor y/n  y/l/n." He says. You start to cry even harder. "Would you do me the absolute honor of being mine forever..." He opens the box, revealing a ring. "and marrying me?"

You don't even have to think about it. You immediately fall into his arms and hug him tightly. He wraps his arms around you and rubs your back as you cry into his shoulder. He holds you tightly and all you feel is pure love.

"So... is that a yes?" He asks. His voice is muffled in your skin.

"Yes! Infinity times over, I will marry you!" You yell. It's loud but you can't seem to find another way to express your excitement and happiness. You continue to hug him as he picks you up and twirls you around. Once he sets you down he separates from you and takes your hand. He slips the ring on your finger and you gasp at the sight of it again.

"Spencer, it's so beautiful." You say. There's a medium sized diamond sitting in the middle, and the band is covered in tinier ones. You admire it on your finger as you hold it up to the moonlight.

"My mom gave it to me. She always told me to save it for the perfect someone, and I'm very confident that I've found that person."

You look up at him and wipe your eyes. You want to to be able to see him clearly and savor this memory.

"This is so perfect. I love you so much, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." You say.

He goes in for a long passionate kiss, which you happily return. You focus on the taste of his lips and how soft they feel on yours. You stroke your hand through his hair and hold his hand as it rests on the side of your face. When it's over you two rest on each other's foreheads and close your eyes. He holds your face, and you hold his. You smile as he surprises you seconds later by picking you up and running you down the shore. You giggle and squirm trying to break free, but he carries you all the way back up to the street where he sets you down.

"Let's get home, I need to give you an early engagement present." He says.

"Oh really? And what would that be?"

"A night in bed you'll never forget."

You smile and let him pull you closer to him. His stomach presses against yours and you kiss him. After a few seconds he lets go and pulls out his phone. He orders an Uber and you two sit on the bench while you wait. You lean on his shoulder and watch the cars pass by as he rubs your shoulder. You can't stop smiling as you think about your future with him.

You really can't wait to spend the rest of your life with him.

•••••
"I believe in all love. Summer, winter, fall and spring."