Criminal Minds Imagines <3

Carl (Pt.1) (D.M)

⚠️REALLY LONG PART!!! TW: Mentions of SA, alcoholism, blood & fight⚠️

******This will be two parts bc I was gonna make it one but I've already passed 3000 words so I'm gonna cut it off at a good point and then add back stuff and keep writing a next part******

*Your POV*

My best friend, Derek Morgan, is known for being an athlete. His main thing is football but he's good at basketball and track too. A year ago, his dad died on duty and it really affected him. He didn't want me around as much as I used to be. Before I was in his house at least twice a week and now it's weeks before I go over. His mom and sisters ask me how I've been when we see each other on the street but I really care about is how Derek is doing. He doesn't talk to me much at school. He's been falling in with the wrong crowd.

I was walking home from the grocery store with sauce for dinner when Rodney Harris came up to me. "Heyy Y/N.. you look cute today.. come hang with me and the crew" he flirted, "No thanks.. I gotta get home" I kept walking, "I ain't takin' 'no' for an answer" he grabbed my wrist. "Hey! Stop it! Rodney! Let me go!" I wrestled my arm away and walked faster. "Not so fast baby" he grabbed my shopping bag and threw it to the ground. The jar of spaghetti sauce shattered on the ground. Suddenly, Rodney stumbled back. He'd been pushed. "Back up offa her Rodney! She don't want you!" It was Derek. He's always been like that for me even when we were toddlers in the sandbox. Anybody messes with me they won't know what hit em'.

"What? You her knight in tore up armor?" Rodney laughed and pushed him back. The pushes eventually turned to punches. Rodney swung first and missed but Derek socked him right in the eye. "Derek stop it!" He got punched in the nose and that's when one of the local store owners yelled for them to break up the fight and go home. I picked up my saucy bag and dropped it in a trashcan. "You okay?" Derek asked me, "D, you don't have to fight for me. Look at what it does to you.." I looked at his nose which had started bleeding. "I'll always fight for you" I walked back into the grocery store and grabbed loose napkins, "Apply pressure" he held the napkins against his nose while I purchased a new sauce. "I'll walk you home.. make sure Rodney doesn't come back" I nodded and Derek walked along the street while I was on the side of the buildings. Ten minutes later, we had made it to my house. "See you around, Y/N" he turned as I unlocked the front door, "Uh uh, D. Come inside." "For what?" "Your nose." "It's fine, Y/N." He removed the napkins to show the blood had dried for the most part. "Not until I check." "Fine, but not too long. My mom'll want me home soon"

He walked inside and shut the door behind him. "Ma? Dad? I'm home! Derek's here!" I put the new sauce on the kitchen counter. There was a pot of spaghetti with ground beef already mixed in. "Hey sweetie n' Derek long time no see" "Hi Mrs.Y/M/L/N" "Oh my what happened to you?" My mom pointed at his nose, "He got into it with Rodney again.. I'm gonna get him cleaned up then send him home" I told my mom while she smacked the bottom of the jar with her hand.

I went into the bathroom and grabbed Q-tips and peroxide from the medicine cabinet. "Hold this" I placed a flashlight in Derek's hand while I began my cleaning. He winced, "Sorry" I continued. "Derek.. why haven't you wanted me around?" "I do.." "You don't invite me over anymore.. we barely talk at school.. you're always with those boys— they aren't good influences by the way.. You know Gordinski is all over your butt cause of them..." "Your dad is around Y/N. Mine isn't. He can't be. It's hard to spend time with you when I know what you go home to.." I discarded the bloody cotton swabs. "You could've told me... I thought you didn't want to be my friend" my eyes watered, "I'm all done now.. you can head home if you want" he gave me a hug, "Come over tomorrow. Okay?"

So I did.

We hung out in his living room and then went to the park. "I bet I can swing higher than you D!" "No way!" We had a competition, "The tip of my toe his higher than yours! I win!" "That's cause you're taller than me! No fair!!" Some of the half decent boys in the neighborhood asked Derek to play football with them. "Go ahead" "Sure?" "Yeah, I'll be here when you're done." So I sat on the swings for another 30 minutes. I saw a man who I recognized as Carl Buford standing on the street corner of the youth center. He stared over here, watching the boys play. I could see his eye movement well enough to tell he was scouting out Derek. Of course, Derek's team won. "Nicely done. Victory ice-cream? My treat" I said, "Always" he put his arm around my shoulders, "Ew! You're sweaty!" "And you love me anyway" my heart skipped a beat. "Unfortunately" I rolled my eyes. Once we were outside the gates of the park, Buford yelled across the street at us. "Hey! You got a nice arm kid! I could train ya to the big leagues!" Derek being the easily persuaded preteen that he is, guided us across the street to talk to Buford. "My name's Carl Buford, I run this youth center" "I'm Derek Morgan and this is Y/N Y/L/N" "Your girlfriend I presume?" "No but we are close" he pulled me in even closer and my expression went to (Reid face).