The Bartender-- On hiatus

The One With Dancing

Words: 1,657

Fresh out of work, Spencer Reid sits in the coffee shop he often comes too, twirling his phone between his hands. It had only been a day since Robin gave him his number. He wanted to call her, he did, but this was uncharted territory for the young genius.

She had been the one to make the first move, he supposed. That means she likes him. Or thinks she likes him. Only one way to find out. And he couldn't just not call her, that would be rude.

Dialing the number he'd easily memorized, Spencer brings the phone to his ear, listening to it ring. Once, twice, three times before...

"Hello?" He recognizes Robin's voice easily.

"Uh, it's Spencer."

A small, quiet laugh filters through the phone, soon followed by the young woman's voice. "And here I was starting to think you'd never call."

"Sorry," Spencer apologizes, the corner of his lips twitching up into a small smile. "Work. Just got busy."

"No, no, I'm sure." Robin is quick to say. "I imagine FBI agents stay that way."

"You'd be correct."

"Well, nevertheless, I'm glad you called."

"Yeah, me, me too." Spencer smiles and nods even though she can't see.

"Can I ask what you're doing right now?" Robin asks, leaning her back against the wall outside the building she'd exited only minutes ago.

"Do you always ask permission to ask questions?" Spencer can't stop himself from wondering, remembering how she'd done the same thing the other night.

"Sometimes." Robin shrugs. "Guess it's a habit at this point. Not everyone who comes to get drunk likes people prying into their life."

"No, I suppose not." Reid mumbles. "But I'm uh, just getting a coffee."

"This late? I hope it's decaf." Robin chuckles, her eyes going up to look at the night sky.

"It's not." Spencer admits almost sheepishly as if she'd scold him for drinking caffeine so late in the day.

"Hmm, been there." She mumbles. "Lots of late work nights, it can be hard to get through them without a little help."

"Yeah." Spencer hums in agreement. "I'm not exactly working right now, though."

"Oh, yeah, what are you doing?"

"Nothing." Reid shrugs, the hand not holding his phone grips his paper cup, spinning it around on the surface of the table.

"Well, do you want to be doing something?" Robin asks, the smile evident in her voice.

"I don't know, did you have something in mind?" Spencer raises his brows, a surge of confidence shooting through him. Maybe it was because she sounds confident in herself. Her voice is strong yet soft. Steady. Maybe he's tired of being alone all the time. Yes, he has his team, they are like family to him. But not like this, maybe he wants something more now.

"That depends, how do you feel about dancing?"

********

Music fills the air, bouncing off the walls and the people as they move through the room. It definitely wasn't a place Spencer would ever find himself in normally, but Robin looks comfortable, in her element as she leads him by his hand.

"I'm afraid anything more than swaying and I have two left feet." Spencer informs the young woman, his eyes roaming over the room and at all the dancing people. It wasn't just an uncoordinated group you'd find in something like a club, most of these people looked like they knew what they were doing. That only served to make him feel more out of place.