Thanks to the idoot for the help DJ_Tatortot

Y/F/N means "your friend's name".

Summary: You're his new neighbor, and you start talking...

QOTP: Lila or Maeve?

Word Count: 3672

"Hey, Y/F/N, remember when you told me I might 'find love' here and I said you were insane because I was already planning on becoming a crazy cat lady?" you ask into the phone, entering your new apartment in D.C.

Your best friend, Y/F/N, takes a second to respond; that was the first thing you said when she picked up the phone. "Uh... yes?"

"Well, we have a problem."

She gasps. "You met somebody! Oo, what's his name?"

You plop down on your new couch. "Well, I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

You pause. "I haven't talked to him..."

"Are you kidding?!" Y/F/N shouts. "You can't call me and tell me you met somebody when you actually haven't."

"Hey, you made that assumption," you correct. "And, anyway, it's not like I deliberately avoided talking to him. He's my neighbor, right? And I was heading up to my apartment as he was leaving his. And he looked like he was in a hurry. Didn't even glance at me."

"So, if he's your neighbor, that means you're gonna get another chance to talk to him?"

"Yeah..."

"You better. Or I will fight you."

You laugh, twisting to lay down on the couch. "Okay, I will. Promise."

"So, what's he look like?" Y/F/N asks.

"Well, he's tall. And his hair is brown and... floofy? I don't know how else to describe it. And he's cute, and he'd be more cute if he didn't look so stressed out when I saw him. And... don't laugh, okay?"

"Don't laugh?" Y/F/N repeats, confused. "Why would I laugh?"

"He was wearing something that you're gonna find funny and nerdy because you didn't see him in it."

"What?"

You hesitate, then sigh. "A sweater vest."

Y/F/N doesn't even try to hold in a laugh. "A sweater vest?!"

"It was cute on him!"

"Won't believe it 'til I see it."

"Well, I can't just take a picture of him! Look, the point is he made the sweater vest look cute."

Y/F/N snorts. "Who is he? Cole Sprouse?"

You laugh. "No! But you gotta admit that's impressive; few people can make a sweater vest look cute."

"Well, apparently Cute Neighbor Boy can."

"Oh, yeah."

////

You're walking up the stairs, shopping bags in hand - new apartment stuff - when someone bumps into you.

You look up and see Cute Neighbor Boy, heading the other way. You lock eyes and he smiles sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It-It's okay," you stutter out as he continues down the stairs, in a hurry again.

As soon as he's gone, you rush upstairs, set your bags down, and grab your phone. "Y/F/N, guess what happened?"

You tell her, and she sighs. "You promised you'd talk to him."

"He left before I could! But now we've spoken, so I'd say that's a step up. And his cute little smile!"

She laughs. "You're ridiculous. Which is why you need to talk to him."

"I will next time. I swear."

////

"Good morning." It's unexpected and quiet, and it makes you stop in your tracks, your front door standing open behind you. You turn and see Cute Neighbor Boy standing in front of his own apartment and looking at you with a small smile.

It takes you a few seconds to respond, but when you do, you're blushing for no reason. "H-Hi. Uh, good morning."

He smiles. "I, uh, I've seen you around, I just never got the chance to introduce myself. I'm Spencer."

"Y/N."

He smiles a little wider and you think your heart is going to stop. "Well, Y/N, I'd love to talk more, but I've, uh, gotta get to work."

You smile. "Me, too."

You both start walking toward the stairs and Spencer chuckles. "I probably should've said that when we made it to the street."

"Well, then we'll try this again." You make it to the sidewalk and turn to him. "See ya around, Spencer."

"See ya around," he repeats. And then you end up walking in the same direction. You both laugh. He shakes his head a little. "We're never gonna get this right, are we?"

"Doesn't seem like it," you reply. After a pause, you look over at him, both making your way down the street. "So, what do you do?"

"I'm an FBI agent."

He's a little confused but happy when your face lights up. "Really? That sounds so cool!"

He shrugs, smiling. "I guess it kinda is... What do you do?"

"I'm a [job]. Not as cool as an FBI agent."

"I don't know; that sounds pretty cool," he says. You shrug and he continues. "So, what brings you to D.C.?"

"College. I'm getting a PhD in [thing]."

Spencer smiles and looks down. "That's impressive."

You shrug. "Well, I don't have it yet. Oh, and speaking of degrees, what do you have to have to be in the FBI? Just out of curiosity."

"Well, the minimum is a bachelor's degree, but I got a PhD," he says, getting quieter at the last part.

"In what?"

"Mathematics, Chemistry, and Engineering. And I have a Bachelors in Psychology and Sociology..."

You look at him in surprise. "Now that's impressive." He looks down sheepishly and you laugh a little. "So, how old are you? Because you don't look a day over fifty, and that's how long it'd take me to do all that."

He laughs. "I'm twenty-six."

Just two years older than you. You shake your head a little. "So you're a genius?"

He shrugs. "Some say that. I, uh, have an eidetic memory and I can read 20,000 words per minute, so..." He looks over at you and changes the topic. "So, where are you from?"

"[place]. You?"

"Las Vegas."

You laugh. "You're probably the most interesting person I've ever met."

And you're the prettiest, he thinks, but isn't confident enough to say. Instead, he sheepishly says, "Thanks. I'm not so interesting once you get to know me, though."

"I'd beg to differ."

He blushes and you're this close to melting in the middle of the street. He suddenly stops outside of a coffee shop near the subway. "I-I kinda go in here every morning before I get on the subway, so I guess we part ways here- unless you want to join me?"

You'd want nothing more, but you can't. "I can't; I don't wanna be late for work. It's my first day and all, so..."

He nods once. "Yeah. Good luck."

You smile. "Thanks." You start to leave, but you stop and turn, deciding to make a move. "We could another time?"

He blushes again. "I'd like that."

You pull your phone out of your pocket. "So... Can I get your number?" You hurriedly give an explanation. "It-it's just easier to make plans that way, so-"

"Yeah." He grins and pulls his phone out of his pocket.

You pull up your contacts and have him type his number in, then you do the same in his phone. "I'm sorry about that. That was supposed to be smoother."

He laughs. "It was smoother than I could ever be."

You say goodbye and part ways, and immediately call Y/F/N.

Well, you try to, anyway, but accidentally call Spencer instead. Panicking, you try to hang up, but he answers before you can. "Hello?"

"H-Hi. Sorry. That was an accident."

He laughs. "We're really bad at goodbyes."

"Fourth's time's a charm?"

There's still laughter in his voice. "Bye, Y/N."

"Bye." You hang up and manage to call Y/F/N this time. "Do I have a story for you."

"Better be quick. I'm driving," she says.

"I'm just gonna assume you're using hands-free calling and tell you that I talked to Cute Neighbor Boy."

"Really?!"

"His name is Spencer, and he's a genius. He has three PhDs and two Bachelors, an eidetic memory, and he can read, like, 20,000 words per minute. And he's an FBI agent. And he was blushing and smiling the entire time we were talking while walking to work. Oh, and he's from Vegas."

"Wow."

"Oh, and I got his number."

"WHAT?!"

////

"What are you so smiley for, Pretty Boy?" Morgan asks Reid as soon as he walks in.

He doesn't even try to lie. "I met a girl."

The two men hear Garcia gasp behind them as she runs over. "Is it your cute new neighbor you told me about?"

Reid nods and Garcia grins and jumps up and down a little, excited that he finally talked to this girl. "Her name is Y/N. She said she moved here to get a PhD in [thing] and she's from [place] and she's a [job]-"

"Woah, Reid," Morgan interrupts. "Slow down."

"Sorry, I just... I don't know. She's really nice. And kinda awkward - but in a cute way... She's cute..."

Morgan laughs. "Well, are you gonna get her number?"

"I did. She asked, so we could make plans for coffee."

"Who's making plans for coffee?" Emily asks, having overheard.

Morgan throws his arm around Reid. "Pretty Boy's got another girlfriend."

Reid blushes. "She's not my girlfriend."

"Yet."

////

The whole day, you've been anxiously awaiting your lunch break so you could check your phone. And when you do, you see a text from Spencer.

'We have a case, so I'll be away for a few days. Maybe more. I'll text you when we get back.'

You take a minute or so to write a response.

'I'll be waiting.'

You second guess yourself, but it's too late. Little do you know, Spencer took fifteen minutes to write that text and second guessed himself, too. He checked his phone a ridiculous amount of times until you replied. And when he read it, he blushed and got teased by Morgan.

////

"I just wish Martha would've stayed longer - and Donna. Donna was funny," Spencer says.

You take a sip of your [hot drink] and sigh. "Yeah. I miss Donna. And how it ended for her... She was happy, but..."

"I know."

"I wanna cry just thinking about it."

Spencer chuckles. "Yeah, me, too."

You're talking about Doctor Who on your first date - coffee on a Saturday morning. You're both off work, so you have all the time in the world.

Conversation started normal - family, work, interests. It soon spiraled into favorite Doctors and companions, and now you're here.

"Jack was probably my favorite of them all, to be honest," you say.

Spencer, in the middle of drinking his coffee (he holds the cup with both hands; it's adorable), takes a second to reply. "Jack was okay, I guess."

"Okay?" you ask mock-incredulously. "Well, I'm not so sure if this is gonna work out."

"This?" he asks, amused.

You gesture between the two of you. "This. Jack was the best, and if we disagree on that, I don't know if we can make it work."

"If I say he's the best will that make it better?"

You try to fight off a smile. "Yes."

"Fine. Jack was the best."

You grin. "Thank you."

There's a pause in which you both finish your coffees (you've been nursing them for a while), and then Spencer suggests something. "There's a park not far from here. Wanna go for a walk?"

You smile. "Sure."

You continue to talk about Doctor Who as you're walking to the park, then the conversation lulls while you look around. Spencer's seen this park a thousand times before, but you haven't, and you're taking everything in.

As you're looking up at the tall trees growing next to the path you're walking on, Spencer's hand brushes against yours.

You look over at him. He's blushing. "S-Sorry."

"It was my fault," you say, also blushing. "I wasn't exactly looking at where I was walking, so I guess I just... drifted." It goes quiet again. It's getting awkward. Then, you bump hands again. You both blush, and you try to play it off. "Well, I guess we're bad at walking straight as well as goodbyes."

He chuckles. "I guess we are."

He's so cute. You're looking over at him and you're basically speechless because he's so cute. He looks over at you, too. "What?"

You look away quickly. "Nothing. You're just... never mind."

"What?" he presses, brows furrowed.

"Nothing. Doesn't matter..." you say, wishing you'd never said anything in the first place.

"What?" he asks, more amused at your blush and the fact that you won't look at him than anything else. "I'm just what? Tall? Nerdy?"

"Well, you are both of those things," you reply, "but that's not what I was going to say."

His fingertips brush yours, and you're not sure if it was an accident or not because he doesn't acknowledge it. "What were you going to say?"

You shrug, looking down, then look up at him with a playful smirk. "I guess that'll just remain a mystery."

His fingertips brush yours again, but this time he actually takes your hand in his, lacing your fingers together. Your heart skips a beat and you can't help but smile. He smiles, too. "Well, you're just... enchanting."

The adorable and sincere way he says it causes you to actually giggle while you look down, blushing crimson. "Th-Thanks." It takes you a minute to get over that, and as you walk, you absentmindedly swing your hands in between you, which Spencer finds just as adorable as your reaction to his compliment. Suddenly, you sigh. "This is gonna be lack-luster compared to what you said, but I was gonna say that you were cute- are cute."

He blushes and takes a second to respond. "That wasn't lack-luster at all."

You spend the rest of the walk holding hands and awkwardly flirting, while also talking more about your family and hometowns. It's nice. And then you start walking back to your apartments.

When you make it back, you stop in front of your respective doors. You smile. "I had a nice time."

He smiles back. "Me, too."

"So... we could do this again?"

He smiles wider. "I'd love that."

////

"Tell me everything!" Garcia shouts when she answers the phone. Spencer just got home from your date, and he promised to call her. So, he starts telling her everything - literally, considering he remembers everything. Garcia stops him when he gets to the hand-holding part. "Wait, aren't you a germ freak?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh, my gosh, you really like her, don't you?"

He smiles. "Yeah, I do."

She sounds like she's going to cry. "My baby's all grown up." He laughs and continues, Garcia interrupting him at certain points to gush over how cute you guys were. Finally, he finishes. "I can't wait for you guys to fall in love and get married and have-" Garcia starts.

"Slow down, Garcia," Reid says. "That was only our first date."

"Yeah, but there's gonna be more! You're meant for each other."

Reid smiles and softly replies, "Maybe we are."

////

After about two and a half weeks of meeting for coffee almost every morning before work, Spencer asks you to dinner.

You were so excited, you couldn't stand it. You called Y/F/N so she could help you pick your outfit, and you nervously made your way to the restaurant and put your name in; Spencer was gonna make reservations, but you reminded him that a case might happen or take more time than he thought.

You sat and waited. He was five minutes late. No biggie. It's just five minutes.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

You're seated, and you order yourself a drink.

Twenty minutes.

You finally decide to text Spencer.

'Where are you?'

Twenty five minutes.

Thirty minutes. No response. The waiter asks if the other half of your party is going to be here. You sigh and tell him no, pay for your drink, and leave.

You eat at home (you knocked on his apartment door; no answer) in your pajamas, watching The Office to cheer yourself up. It works a little; you only cry for fifteen minutes.

////

The next morning, you're woken up on your couch by a phone call. You groggily grab your phone and see that it's Spencer.

You debate on whether or not to answer it, then ultimately do. He wouldn't've ditched you on purpose. Something must've happened...

"Hello?"

There's a pause. You can hear the guilt in his voice. "Hey. I know I missed our date, and I'm sorry."

"Well... why? I was sitting there by myself for, like, twenty minutes. It was kinda embarrassing. And I know you didn't forget..."

There's another pause and a sigh. "I've been in the hospital."

You're fully awake now, concerning replacing any anger or disappointment you were feeling. "What? Why?"

"I, uh... I got shot."

You jump off the couch. "You got shot?! And you weren't gonna tell me?!"

"I didn't wanna worry you."

Now, you're angry he didn't tell you for a reason as dumb as that. "Well, too late. Where are you?"

"The hospital."

You nearly roll your eyes. "Which one?"

He sounds confused. "Why?"

"I'm coming to see you, you idiot," you reply, already heading to your room to change.

"I'm fine. You don't need to drop what you're doing-"

You stop, replying sternly, "Spencer, I'm not doing anything, as per usual. I'm coming to see you." He sighs and tells you the hospital. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye."

////

Half an hour later, a nurse walks in Spencer's hospital room. He's propped up with pillows, his side hurts - that's where he was shot - and all he can think about is that date he missed.

He was gonna kiss you. He'd wanted to for a long time, but he never had the courage. Morgan talked him into it after he went to him for advice.

Now, he's gonna get to see you.

"Mr. Reid," the nurse says, "your girlfriend is here to see you."

He blanches, but the nurse doesn't notice; she leaves and you walk in, immediately beelining to his bedside. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I got shot," he says. "And apparently I'm your boyfriend now."

You blush immediately. "I panicked! She asked me how I was related to you and I didn't know what to say! I mean, I don't even know what we are because we've gone on dates but we never actually made it official and-"

Spencer chuckles, cutting you off. "Then let's make it official."

You stop. "I- uh- well- okay." He laughs lightly and winces, and you're snapped out of it, remembering why your here in the first place. You grab his hand. "What happened? When? Who shot you?"

"Two days ago. An unsub. I took my vest off to talk him down and... it didn't work too well."

"Your vest?"

"Bulletproof vest."

You nod in understanding, absentmindedly rubbing circles on the back of his hand with your thumb. You sigh. "And to think I was mad at you for standing me up."

Spencer chuckles. "Well, I didn't call you in advance. And I was in surgery..."

"Well, I can forgive you for that. But I am mad that you didn't tell me sooner. Or that you didn't have somebody else tell me sooner..."

"I didn't want you to worry."

"That's a crappy reason, Spence, and you know it. You'd want me to tell you if something happened to me, wouldn't you?"

He sighs. "Yeah, I would."

"And, not that I want there to be a next time," you say, "but next time, tell me as soon as possible."

He reaches over with some difficultly and grabs your other hand. "I will." It goes quiet, Spencer looking at you with an odd, yet affectionate expression. He glances down a little, previously looking at your eyes. Your heart is beating so fast you think he can hear it. He quietly says, "I-I really wanna kiss you, but I can't lean forward..."

You chuckle quietly and lean in, pressing your lips to his. Everything else melts away, though you're still careful to avoid his injured side. You pull away, both smiling.

"I've wanted to do that for a while," he says.

"Me, too."

////

"Oo, this is a nice TV," Y/F/N says, sitting on your couch and resting her feet on your coffee table.

You laugh. "Thanks, Y/F/N. I thought you were here to visit me and run around D.C., but I guess TV is the only thing that's important to you."

"Food is, too. Don't forget that."

You laugh again, but there's a knock on the door before you can reply. You open it and see Spencer standing there. He's got his bag on his shoulder, so you assume he's heading to work. He gives you a quick kiss. "We got a case, so I'll be gone for a bit."

"And you had to tell me this in person?" you ask, amused.

He grins and kisses you again, this time longer. "Well, I had to see you before I left." He kisses you yet again.

"While this is adorable and I'm squealing on the inside, please don't make out in front of me and ruin my innocence," Y/F/N interrupts.

You laugh and step aside, gesturing to your friend and boyfriend as you introduce them. "Spencer, this is Y/F/N. Y/F/N, this is Spencer."

"Hi," Spencer says. "Sorry about that; I didn't know you were here."

She shrugs. "It's cool. I'm just happy Y/F/N is kissing anybody at all."

You sigh and turn back to Spencer. "You should get out of here before she starts telling embarrassing childhood stories."

He laughs. "Bye."

"Bye."

As soon as you close the door, Y/F/N smirks. "You were right about the sweater vest."