C A P T I V E || S.R

F O U R

It's been a couple of weeks since Liam and Cloud started to go out. Their first date had gone really well and the pair seemed to hit it off really well. Spencer wasn't overly sure about this guy, but Cloud was absolutely infatuated. It being her first relationship since she was 17 meant Liam definitely seemed more mature than the guys she had been with before. The two went out on dates at least once a week and he seemed to respect Cloud's boundaries. She had made it very clear at the beginning of all of this that she wasn't comfortable going very far. She was still working through all that she had been through and was terrified that he would do something to bring it all back, ending in her ruining their time together.

Cloud had gotten much better at communicating her feelings. At least, with Spencer. She had come to trust him more than anyone and all he did was continue to show her why he had earned that trust.

Cloud had woken up decently early to work on cleaning up her apartment. Her and Liam were planning in having dinner at her place this evening, and she wanted the place to look nice.

Before she knew it, there was a knock on the door. Cloud happily makes her way over to the door and opens it, a bright smile on her face. Her smile falters a small bit as her eyes settle on Spencer. "Oh." She says, not meaning for it to seem negative. Spencer gives her a curious look before speaking up. "I thought you would be more happy to see me." He says as he leans against the door frame. Cloud smiles and shakes her head a bit. "It isn't that I'm not happy to see you. I just was expecting for you to be Liam." She explains. Spencer nods a bit. He then walks into the apartment after watching Cloud step out of the way and gesture for him to come in. Cloud watches Spencer move to stand nearby as she closes the door. She then moves to stand in front of him. "So, are the two of you going out tonight?" Spencer questions as he looks around a bit, his eyes eventually falling back on her. Cloud shakes her head in response. "Not quite. He's coming here and I'm making him dinner." Spencer nods as he smiles. "That explains why it smells so good." Cloud can't help but smile. "Did you need anything?" She questions, it not being overly normal for him to stop by without at least texting her beforehand. "Actually, I-"

There's another knock on the door as Spencer starts to speak. Cloud holds up her hand, signaling for him to give her a moment. She opens the door and smiles at Liam. "Hey. I'm glad you could make it." Liam gives Cloud a small smile before stepping inside. Spencer notices the look Cloud gives him as Liam pushes his way into her apartment. He knew how much she hated that, someone walking into her apartment without having been explicitly invited in. She had explained it to him and mentioned that it had something to do with having control over her own home. Cloud notices Liam's blatant lack of respect for her request, but brushes it off. She closes the door and stands next to Liam before hearing him speak up. "It is still just the two of us, right?" He questions. Cloud nods. She watches as Liam glares at Spencer, putting himself between Spencer and Cloud. It wasn't overly noticeable, except for Cloud's interest in profiling lead her to notice the small details. She gently nudges him to gain his attention. "Hey, it's just Spencer. He's a good friend." She says, her voice soft. Liam sighs before responding. "We'll talk about this later." Spencer watches the two and how they interact. He notices the look in Cloud's eyes, it almost seeming like shame. He gives her a kind smile before nodding a bit. "I should actually be heading out. I'll let you two get back to your evening." Cloud steps towards Spencer. "Are you sure? You seemed to want to talk." Spencer nods in response, but Liam speaks before he can. "He said he's going to go. Let him." Cloud quietly nods before taking a deep breath. "Ok. I'll talk to you later then." She says, almost meekly. Spencer gives her a soft smile before leaving, making a mental note to call her later. He wanted to make sure she was safe. He wanted her to see all of the red flags he had seen previously.

~.~.~.~.~

Cloud had enjoyed her evening with Liam, aside from the small argument they had about Spencer then the one about Cloud not wanting to have sex with Liam. She simply wasn't ready. He had pushed it, but backed off once she called him out on his behavior. She had started talking to Spencer less and less, mostly because Liam seemed to dislike it when she talked to Spencer while Liam was with her. Any other time she was free, Spencer wasn't. She hadn't gotten a chance to talk to hum about what he had come to talk with her about before.

Little did she know, Spencer had noticed how Liam was slowly isolating her and making it to where he was the only one she ever talked with. He began to grow more and more concerned for Cloud, but hadn't really gotten the chance to talk to her about it. If he wasn't working a case, she was with Liam. He didn't want to give Liam the chance to convince Cloud that he was doing everything he was doing for her. He had profiled plenty of people like Liam. He had come to learn that they tend to be one of the worst types. The ones that took advantage of their girlfriend's lack of observation, or at least their lack of willingness to accept that they were in an abusive relationship. Until he could talk to her, Spencer could only hope that Cloud came to her senses and left Liam.