You exhale slowly, glancing at yourself in the mirror, making sure you look alright. A dark blue dress ends about mid-thigh, the neckline just low enough to show some cleavage. Your silver necklace rests around your neck, and on your hand, you don the silver ring your sister had given you as a present for getting your PhD. It has a sapphire in the middle, the blue almost the same color as the dress. Your hair frames your face, your makeup accentuating your features.
"You look beautiful," Spencer murmurs, wrapping his arms around you from behind. He gives you a small kiss on the cheek.
You smile, resting your hands on his. "So do you, bubs."
Spencer's wearing a black button up, a black blazer over it. The shirt's tucked into a pair of black slacks, his Converse on his feet. Around his neck lies his own gold necklace, tucked behind the collar of the shirt. Black on black on black. It works for him, though. He looks hot.
You turn around, brushing his hair out of his face. "You know, we've been living together for a month now."
"Mhm," he hums, running his hands down your back.
"I like it," you murmur.
"I do, too," he replies, brushing his lips against yours.
You smile before kissing him softly, wrapping your arms around his neck. You had moved in with Spencer about a month ago, almost right after you'd gotten your PhD. It's nice, taking your relationship to the next step. Spencer had been away for a while on a case and had gotten back last night, where he'd promptly invited you to a dinner party at Rossi's. You, of course, accepted.
He breaks the kiss, grinning at you. "I love you."
"I love you, too," you whisper, looking into his hazel eyes.
"Let's go," he says, lacing his fingers with yours. "We don't wanna be late."
You grab your phone and your purse, you and Spencer leaving your shared apartment. He locks the door behind him, and you two walk to his car, Spencer's hand in yours. You climb into the passenger's seat, Spencer sliding into the driver's side. He starts the car and backs out of the spot, beginning the drive to Rossi's mansion. Yeah, he has a mansion.
Spencer laces his fingers with yours as he drives, rubbing his thumb along yours. You reach for his aux cord—yes, you made him get one—and plug your phone in, turning on one of your random playlists. Better Man by Paolo Nutini begins playing, and you smile, turning up the volume.
"What song is this?" Spencer murmurs, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Better Man by Paolo Nutini," you tell him, squeezing his hand. "I listened to him growing up. I love his music."
The song plays, and you quietly sing along to the words.
She makes me smile
She thinks the way I think
That girl makes me wanna be better
Took her down Bleecker Street
Saw she drank the way I drink
I kissed the sky to send the blue a letter
Spencer glances at you, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. You meet his eyes, returning the smile.
That girl makes me wanna be a better man
Yeah, and should she see fit
Gonna treat her like a real man can
She's fearless, she's free
Oh she is a real live wire
And that girl
She's got me feeling so much better
Oh you'd trade all the money in the world
Just to see this girl smile
All the while
She'll make you feel so much better
"You know that's how I feel about you, pretty girl," he murmurs, stopping at a red light.
Your heart flutters, and you turn your head to look at him. "Really, bubs?"
He nods, bringing your hand to his lips, pressing a kiss against the back of it. "Really."
Your smile widens, and you enjoy the rest of the song, leaning your head back against the headrest of the seat. The rest of the drive is pretty quiet except for the songs coming from the playlist. You and Spencer hum along to the songs, even though Spencer is tone deaf. That's one of the reasons you love him, though.
He pulls up to a huge mansion, your eyes widening as you take in the sight. He parks the car next to the others before turning it off. He looks at you, his eyes searching yours.
"You're nervous again."
You shake your head. "I'm not!"
He chuckles, leaning forward. He presses his lips to yours before pulling back. "Come on; let's go eat some pasta."
You laugh as you get out of the car, and Spencer wraps an arm around your waist. You two walk to Rossi's front door. Spencer doesn't even knock—just opens the door, both of you waltzing inside. The inside is just as big as the outside, and you're immediately hit with the aromatic smells of Italian food. You hear chatter from the kitchen, and as you and Spencer walk into it, the members of his team turn around, their faces lighting up.
"Spencer! Y/n!"
You laugh as Penelope draws you in for a hug. You hug her back, a huge smile on your face. When you pull away, she grips your shoulders.
"I'm so glad you're here!" She exclaims.
"Me, too," you tell her, grinning. "I heard Rossi's pasta is amazing."
"Oh, it is," Luke says, approaching you two. You watch him put an arm around Penelope, and you look at her, giving a thumbs up.
She winks at you, and you walk over to Emily. You give her a hug, her smile wide across her face.
"How've you been?" She asks, leaning against the counter, a glass of red wine in her hand.
"I've been good! Yeah, things have been good. I started working as an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown, so that's been really fun."
She raises her eyebrows. "Really? So you like it?"
You nod, smiling at Rossi as he walks over to you two, handing you a glass of wine. "I love it. I'm just teaching intro classes right now, but eventually I want to teach political philosophy and even a course on determinism, free will, free choice, all of that stuff."
"That sounds very interesting, piccola," Rossi says. He had given you the affectionate nickname a few months ago, and it had stuck.
"Thanks, Rossi," you say, a blush creeping to your cheeks.
"Oh, I hope you guys don't mind. I invited a special someone to dinner tonight. He should be here soon," Rossi announces, turning back to the stove.
You raise your eyebrows before turning around, walking over to Tara, Matt, and Kristy. You give them a big smile, Tara pulling you in for a hug.
"Wow, mister and missus are both here tonight," you say, taking a sip of your wine. "Who's with the little rascals?"
"Sitter," Matt says, grinning at you.
"We love them, but a break is...very nice," Kristy says, laughing softly.
"How are you and Spencer doing?" Tara asks, settling her brown eyes on your face.
"We're perfect," you whisper, stealing a glance at Spencer talking to JJ and Will. "Living together has been amazing, actually."
"You two were like...made for each other," Tara muses, her lips turning up into a grin.
You laugh, a blush rising to your cheeks. "Stop."
"Hotch?"
You turn around at the sound of Spencer's voice, watching a tall, dark-haired man walk through the door. He's dressed in a gray button down and dark slacks, a grin on his face as he looks at everyone. The team erupts into chatter, everyone hugging Hotch.
Spencer walks over to you, wrapping an arm around your waist. He leads you over to the man, and Hotch settles his eyes on your face.
"Hotch, this is Y/n. She's my girlfriend," Spencer says, a smile on his face as he rubs small circles into your back.
"Pleasure to meet you," he says, sticking out his hand. "Aaron Hotchner. Former unit chief of the BAU."
"Spencer's told me about you," you tell him, giving his hand a firm shake. "It's nice to finally meet you."
He gives a small chuckle, and the team crowds into the kitchen. Everyone is talking at once, catching up with one another while Rossi cooks the pasta. Spencer mostly sticks by your side, touching you in some way, whether in be a hand around your waist, or lacing his fingers in yours.
"Dinner is ready! Everyone in the dining room!" Rossi calls out to everyone.
Your stomach rumbles as you walk into the dining room, Spencer sitting next to you. Luke and Penelope sit across from you and you flash her a grin. Her and Luke are really cute, and holy shit, did she fucking score. You'd never, ever cheat on Spencer, but damn if Luke isn't attractive.
Rossi moves around to everyone's plates, scooping the pasta onto them. He ends with his own plate before walking back into the kitchen, setting the pan in the sink. Upon returning, he has his own glass of wine. He stands at the head of the table, lifting his wine glass. Everyone else follows suit, and he smiles.
"To friends, old and new."
Everyone echoes his toast, clinking glasses before taking a sip of the wine. You pick up your fork before twirling it around the pasta and bringing it to your mouth. It tastes divine, and you look at Spencer as you swallow.
"Damn, that's good," you murmur, taking another bite.
Spencer laughs, giving your thigh a small squeeze as he eats. The meal is nice, everyone talking and laughing. Tara likes to tell 'your mom' jokes, and Luke falls for them every single time. Hotch is very quiet, but it's obvious he cares deeply for the people around him. Overall, the meal is superb, and Rossi serves tiramisu for dessert. By the end, you're stuffed.
You lean your head on Spencer's shoulder. "I can't move."
He giggles, helping you up. "Come on. It's tradition that we all go to the backyard after dinner."
You laugh as he grabs your hand, leading you into the backyard with the rest of the team. It's a beautiful night—clear; you can see what looks like every star in the sky. Rossi's backyard is nice, string lights lighting up the back patio. You spot Penelope and Luke off to the side, and you shake your hand from Spencer's, crossing over to them.
"So, give me the details," you say, grinning at them. "When did it start?"
Penelope blushes. "A few weeks ago."
"I asked her on a date," Luke says, wrapping his arm around Penelope.
"You two are adorable," you tell them, a grin spreading across your face. "Seriously."
"Enough about me, what about you? You and Spencer are doing well, right?" Penelope asks, her smile lighting up her face.
"Yes, we're doing well," you say, your own blush setting your cheeks on fire.
"Just tell me when the wedding is," Luke teases, a small chuckle leaving him.
You laugh, shaking your head. "I don't think we're quite ready for marriage yet."
"Yet! You said yet!" She exclaims. "But eventually?"
You glance at Spencer who's in deep conversation with Hotch, and you nod. "Yeah, eventually. I'd like that."
"That's precious," she says, giving you a smile.
Music starts playing from the speakers, and you watch Penelope drag Luke onto the dance floor. Tara and Rossi are drinking whiskey, Emily and Hotch in deep conversation on the other side of the patio. JJ and Will are talking to Matt and Kristy, and you jump slightly when you feel Spencer wrap his arms around you.
You giggle, relaxing into his touch. "Hi, bubs."
"Hi, pretty girl," he whispers in your ear.
"Do you wanna dance with me?" You murmur, turning your head to meet his eyes.
He nods. "Sure, baby."
You turn around, lacing your fingers through his and pulling him where Luke and Garcia are dancing. He wraps his arms around your waist, yours around his neck, and you two sway to the song.
"This was so much fun," you tell him, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "I can't believe you waited so long to bring me to one of these."
He laughs, shaking his head. "We don't do them very often, but we try to do them once a month, maybe once every two months."
"Well, it was fun. I'm glad I got to meet Hotch." You play with the hair at the nape of his neck, Spencer's fingers running along your lower back.
"I miss him," Spencer mutters. "He got a new job within the Bureau after getting out of witness protection. It sucks not seeing him as much."
"I'm sorry," you whisper, Spencer's eyes flicking up to yours.
"It's okay, pretty girl. It's not your fault."
You pull him closer to you, setting your cheek on his chest. He hugs you, both of you swaying to the music. After a moment, you look up at him. He smiles at you before leaning in, pressing his lips softly to yours. You kiss him back, and after he breaks the kiss, he brushes his nose against yours softly, setting his forehead on yours.
"I love you so much," he whispers.
"I love you, too," you reply, giving him another gentle kiss.
He gives a breathy laugh as you pull away, and you settle your head back on his chest. In this moment, you're perfectly content. Surrounded by Spencer's family, wrapped in Spencer's arms. You feel him kiss the top of your head; his hands sprawled across your back. You close your eyes, soaking in the moment.
In this moment, everything's perfect. The two of you together, both of you a little delicate. But it's perfect.
And you wouldn't change a thing.
——————————————
Author's Note
AHHHH THE LAST CHAPTERRRR (besides the epilogue)
This fic has been a whirlwind and I can't believe Om already done with it :') I love y'all so much, and I loved writing this fic. Hopefully, soft Spencer will live forever in everyone's hearts. He has a special place in mine.
I love y'all, and I'll see y'all in the epilogue!