1 | TREPIDATION. [SPENCER REID]

TWENTY ONE.

TWENTY ONE ; IN A FLASH.

The knock on the door had come precisely at seven o'clock. Quinn laughed to herself, knowing that Spencer had probably been in the hallway for minutes, rocking back and forth on his heels, checking his watch and awaiting for the exact time to let her know that he was here. She grabbed her bag and checked her hair in the mirror before approaching the door.

She swung the door open, grinning as she saw Spencer standing with his hands in his coat pockets. He gave her a wide smile, cheeks turning pink as he looked her in the eye. "H-Hi," he said, a small smile appearing on his lips.

"Hi," she replied. She rubbed her left arm with her right hand as the two stood in silence for a moment, both of them looking toward the floor. When they finally did meet eyes, they shared a laugh, brushing off the sudden awkwardness they both felt. "Should we go?"

The genius nodded, stepping back from the doorway. "Let's."

And so they went. They walked side by side down the hall and into the elevator, stepping out of the box and into the lobby. The silence they shared was comfortable.

She saw Spencer's car as soon as she was blasted with the crisp March air. She involuntarily shivered, laughing softly to herself as she watch Spencer race in front of her to open the passenger door. Quinn smiled at him, nodding her head in thanks as she slid into her seat, hearing the door close next to her.

When he was situated in his own seat, the engine started and they took off, heading down the street. Quinn turned to him. "Will you tell me where you're taking me?"

The doctor laughed, glancing toward her for a moment before focusing on the road again. "We're going to dinner."

"Yes, I understand that," she quipped, watching Spencer's smile grow. "But what restaurant? I want to know what to expect."

"It's some place you've never been to before," he replied, flicking his eyes to hers once more. "That's all I'm going to tell you."

Quinn furrowed her brow as she wasn't able to detect a lie in his words. "I really don't like you," she said, crossing her arms over her chest childishly.

Spencer only chuckled. "Now we both know that's not exactly true," he responded. He felt her gaze on the side of his face and saw from the corner of his eye that she was grinning.

The drive continued, the genius ignoring his friend's whines about not knowing. If there was one thing that he knew about Quinn Carson, it was that she hated being clueless about a situation. It was quite amusing to watch, actually.

When the car finally stopped, Quinn face contorted into confusion. "This is an apartment building," she said, turning to him. Spencer stared at her, waiting for her to catch on. Once it clicked in her mind, she gasped. "Shut up." He laughed at her, opening his door to exit the car. "The Fortress of Solitude that is Spencer Reid's apartment?"