Like Real People Do

Chapter 3: The bugs and the dirt

You've been on the team for about 6 months now, and you were loving it. Sure it was long hours, constant danger, and mounds of paperwork but you couldn't be happier. You felt like you were doing what you were meant to do. The team had fully accepted you in the family around month 2. You and Morgan had become close after your "personal day" in October. He expressed that he knew what it was like to lose a parent and though he'd never understand losing both so quickly he offered you condolences and free drinks with him and Prentiss that night. Since then, the 3 of you have become good friends.

There was always the occasional girls night with Emily, JJ, and Garcia, Dinner at Rossi's and afternoon picnics with Hotch and Jack(which eventually just turned into you babysitting Jack while Aaron took a deserved nap). Your favorite was Saturday's with Spencer.

The two of you had fallen asleep that Friday night him and Garcia came over to watch Doctor Who. You woke up laid on top of him, legs tangled while your head was resting on his chest tucked under his chin. His arms were wrapped around you, hand resting heavily on the small of your back. You try to get up without waking him but of course you do, he startles awake in turn startling you causing you to fall off the couch.

"Oh, Y/N,I'm so sorry--" He starts, immediately flushing. He stands to immediately help you up.

"No worries, Spen. Not made of glass." You laugh.

He blushes more at the new nickname. "Spen?" he asks.

"Uh, yea." You say. "Do you not like it?"

"No-no, I like it." He says.

"Ok then." You smile. "Do you have plans today?" He shakes his head. "Well, saturdays when I usually get coffee and work on homework at a cafe down the street, do you maybe wanna tag along?" you ask. He nods furiously.

And every Saturday you guys had free since Spencer would meet me in the small cafe near your partment. He would order an americano with an ungodly amount of sugar and you would get a cold brew, despite it being winter still and you would sit and talk while you did work. Often he would help you with your thesis, telling you things you should add or consider. Sometimes you would just sit and talk about books you've both read or often you would explain the plots to various reality shows you know Spencer would never watch but he would sit and listen intently just like he did with everything you said. He treated every word that came out of your mouth like it was the most important thing in the world, treated every miniscule fact he learned about you, like it was treasured information to solving the mystery in front of him. You had become his personal cryptid.

Of course the rest of the team had caught on to your saturdays together, you worked with profilers and a very gossipy tech analyst. The amount of times you two had walked in together from being called in for a case last minute was enough to give you away. You thought back to a very uncomfortable conversation you had with Hotch one morning. You had come to drop off files JJ just pawned off to you to take upstairs. You held up your hand in a small wave walking into the office door. You put the files on his desk, starting to walk out when he stops you.

"Y/N, we need to talk for a second. Close the door." Hotch says. You nodded closing the door. You immediately tried to rattle off everything you'd done wrong to Hotch that could possibly warrant a talk. I forgot his coffee order that one time it was my turn, I missed Jack's birthday once, I took a nap in the file room. You thought, all weren't good but none warranted a closed door talk.

"Yes, sir?" you ask, he gives you a weird look before it dissipates into his usual scowl,  neither of you used to the professional formalities still.

"I'm sure you're aware of the FBI's fraternization policy." He says.

"Yes, sir...?" You say, not knowing where he was going with this. You weren't fraternizing with anyone and no one knew that more than you except maybe your right hand.