Atlas: A Dr. Spencer Reid Love Story

Kiss Me (Ed Sheeran)

-Season 7: 2011-

Veronica trudged up the four flights of stairs to reach her destination - home.

She had been in New York the past two weeks for tech rehearsals and performances of an opera she was leading in. Serenity filled her as she stepped closer towards the front door of her apartment, more than ecstatic to walk into the arms of her loving Spencer - who had ensured the weekend off for the occasion of her return.

Before she could turn the doorknob, a soft tune breezed into the hallway. Slightly confused, she cautiously waltzed inside to one of her favorite classical pieces of music, Vissi d'Arte instrumental from Puccini's opera, Tosca. A gentle smile grew from her lips as she quietly closed the door behind her, setting her suitcase and carry-on bag down before unwrapping her scarf and taking off her heavy winter coat. She curiously took a few more steps inside when she noticed a full bouquet of Jacqueminot roses – a thorn-less, rich red rose she had always dreamed to be given. She leaned in to take a sniff of the sweetness, and suddenly noticed the blush-colored note with Spencer's blocky handwriting:

Do what you do best and follow the music – Spencer

Veronica smirked, adding a soft scoff to the end, "Alright doc', let's see what you've got up your sleeve" She murmured to herself, taking the note and stuffing it in her back jean pocket. She leisurely walked through their kitchen into the living room, analyzing every detail to see if there were any more hidden secrets. She strolled towards their balcony, finding the source of music as well as the man behind it all.

Spencer stood with his back towards the living room as the balcony doors stood wide open. His hands continually fidgeted with his clothes – patting his black dress pants, flattening his gray checkered button-up shirt, continually pushing his sleeves up to his elbows, and attempting to straighten his burgundy tie - although it just continued to become more and more lopsided.

"Spencer?" Veronica inquired, a goofy smile plastered against her lips. She analyzed the scene as he whipped around to share eye contact. Fairy lights were wrapped around the edge of the balcony while the outside table was covered in a lacy, white cloth and adorned with rose petals. She spotted a bottle of pink Moscato - her favorite - placed upon the table near plates of delectable looking steak.

"Hi," He said with a loud gulp, his hands immediately finding refuge in his pants pockets.

"Baby, what is all this?" She grinned, stepping towards him. "I know I don't have an eidetic memory, but I'm pretty sure I didn't miss our anniversary or either of our birthdays," She melodiously giggled, her heart soaring from the romantic gesture.

"No...It's, uh, not an important date – yet," He nervously chuckled, one of his hands clinging to the back of his neck to scratch it.

Veronica crossed her arms over her body, taking another step towards Spencer, "You haven't been this nervous since –" She slyly smirked, letting the sentence silently complete itself. "What's all this for? Believe me, I'm definitely not taking this for granted, I'm just curious as to – "

"Marry me," Spencer blurted, his hands awkwardly pressing against his thighs as he stared at Veronica, her entire body frozen after the small phrase.

She felt butterflies soar around her stomach as her breath caught in her throat. "Um, mind repeating that?" She bewilderingly said, her mouth slightly gaped.

"I've spent hours contemplating the words to say to you, but no combination of twenty-six different letters could ever accurately capture even a sliver of what this feeling is," He exasperatingly spoke, as he often did when his mind ran faster than his mouth could produce words. Veronica intently listened, her heart nearly jumping from her chest. "It is so easy for me to love you that it frightens me, Veronica. My strengths have always been in academia – I've never been good at anything else – especially not processing emotions. But I've never wanted anything so much as to be with you every second of every day. The question 'How do I love you?' isn't relevant anymore as it's changed to 'How could I stop?'." Spencer spoke with such openness and affection that Veronica had the urge to latch onto him and never let go. "Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it with one another," He quoted.

"Thomas Merton..." Veronica breathily whispered, a small smile growing.

She took a steady breath as she strode towards him, leaving only a few inches between them. She gazed into his eyes with a soft glance, her eyes emitting an overpowering love that nothing could ever cease, while a gentle smile doted her lips.

"Ask me again..."

Spencer, taken slightly aback, quickly cleared his throat and began patting his pants pockets before pulling out a black velvet box. He fiddled with it for only a second before resting on one knee, staring up at Veronica as he held the box out, snapping it open to reveal a rose-gold, slim-lined ring that had a petite diamond plastered on top.

"Veronica Gideon, will you marry me?" He slowly said, as to not fumble over his words.

Veronica set her hands to his cheeks, a silly grin plastered on her face. "Yes – absolutely – of course!" She giddily spat, her excitement nearly bursting. Before Spencer could even take the ring out of the box, Veronica grabbed his wrists and pulled him from the floor, her lips immediately finding refuge against his while one hand laid upon his cheek and the other tangled itself into his tousled, short waves. It took Spencer a few seconds, as it always did, before wrapping his arms around her torso, pulling her against his body. Overwhelmed with passion, they madly kissed one another, their veins on fire and the hair rising on their body.

Veronica pulled away quickly, her eyes seeping with tears as she gently smiled, staring into Spencer's eyes.

"You don't know this - so I'm telling you now - but you saved me; from myself and from the idea that I wasn't worthy of a love like yours," She blissfully spoke, their foreheads leaning against one another as Spencer silently gulped, a few tears stuck to the corners of his gleaming eyes. "So here I am, loving you, and I'm going to keep loving you. I'm going to love you in your weakest moments to your strongest; when you're happy, and the most when you're sad. I want to love you – every single piece of you, and I will always be here loving you with everything I have," A goofy grin grew upon her lips.

Spencer took a slow breath, sharing a sincere gaze with her before passionately setting his lips against hers, moving with sweet ease. He dug his head into the crook of her neck, taking in her scent and tightening his grip around her torso. "I swear to God, I will do everything in my power for the rest of my life to show you how much I love you, Veronica," He sincerely whispered into her neck, his lips against her soft skin.

Veronica grinned towards the ceiling, feeling Spencer's warm lips against her neck as she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck. "I'd prefer to be called future Mrs. Dr. Reid," She chuckled, kissing his hairline as she heard Spencer snort against her neck.