Only you | Derek Morgan

I look like I was dragged through a bush

L A Y L A ' S   P O V

I wholeheartedly believe the iPhone alarm is the worst sound in the world.

I don't even open my eyes when I reach blindly through the sheets for my phone, pressing the snooze button for the third time in a row.

But when what I thought was my alarm eventually turns to the FaceTime tone I crack one eyelid open and try to ignore the pounding in my head when I search for my phone.

Derek has been away the past few days on some routine parole hearings in Dallas, the case Hotch asked him to work a couple weeks back so our main form of communication has been FaceTime the past three days.

"I hate you," I grumble when I accept the call, curling myself into the comforter. "Why are you calling me so early?"

Derek's smiling face flashes across my screen and he raises his eyebrows. "Babe, it's three o'clock in the afternoon."

I groan again. Penelope and I went out for a bottomless brunch yesterday and drinking more mimosas than eating the food quickly turned our night into even more cocktails at the bar. I can't even tell you what time we eventually called it quits at and stumbled home, but I'm fully feeling the effects of our decision right now.

Derek is still grinning at me. "You're so pretty."

I call bullshit because I can see myself in the little screen and knowing my face is covering his whole screen is making me want to end the call. "Derek, I look like I was dragged through a bush."

My memories of last night are hazy but I do know that Penelope and I laughed, danced and had so much fun that I've woken up still in my dress, my makeup is smeared from where I failed to take it off last night, my eyes are puffy and my hair looks like it hasn't been brushed in two weeks. I'm truly a sight for sore eyes.

Derek's still grinning at me. "A pretty bush."

"You're being weirdly nice," My suspicious eyes narrow. "What are you up to?"

He heaves an amused sigh, shaking his head. "Nothing. And hey," He raises an eyebrow. "I'm always nice."

I manage a small laugh. "That's undecided." Dragging myself to sit up, I rub at my eyes when I try to focus on the background of Derek's camera but he's sitting in front of a plain wall. "Where are you?"

"The court house," Derek says, pulling the phone closer to his face. "We're on break and I found a quiet hallway to talk."

Derek and I stay on FaceTime while I take a quick shower and get cleaned up so I tell him all I can remember about last night, which isn't much after Penelope ordered us Jägerbombs, and he updates me on the case he's working and luckily it's going in his favour.

Since it's my birthday tomorrow, Derek was going to try to get out of going away on this case but it turns out he wasn't able to. Which of course I'm not mad about but he's trying to get home as soon as he can and is catching a late flight from Dallas after he gets finished up for the day so he'll be home by very late tonight, early tomorrow morning.

It's only been three days, but this is the longest we've not seen each other since we met. The separation is really making me appreciate the fact that we work and travel together so we never really have to miss each other because I miss him so much and I've decided I really hate missing him and never want to experience this again.