L A Y L A ' S   P O V

If it wasn't for the two cups of hot coffee in my hands keeping me warm, I would be severely pissed at the fact that the coolness of autumn is setting in.

Note to self, pencil skirts are not suitable to wear to work in the winter months unless I want to freeze my ass off.

I step off the side walk outside my apartment building when Spencer's car pulls up. Since my hands are full, he reaches over and pops the passenger side door open and I slide into the seat.

"Your coffee," I smile, passing it to him but my eyes widen when I see the dark purple bags underneath his eyes and the worn out look on his face. "I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you look like shit."

Spencer snorts at my comment, not taking offence at all. "Thanks," He laughs, downing half the drink in one gulp. "I should have called, I would have got you to get me an extra shot."

I'd offer him up my coffee too but he looks so drained that I don't think any amount of caffeine would save him. "Why are you so tired?"

"Aidan has a stomach bug," He sighs, indicating onto the highway towards Quantico. "Averie and I were up all night with him."

"Aw, poor thing," I say frowning, pulling out my phone to shoot Averie a text saying I hope he feels better today.

I feel bad. Spencer has been picking me up for work since I started, and I know he'd never think of this as me using him, but I have to stop taking advantage of his kindness and put a stop to this. His house to my apartment isn't that much out of his route to work, but still, after a shitty night, he could have gotten twenty minutes of well needed extra sleep if he didn't need to pick me up.

"I'm going to look for a car today."

"Don't be dramatic," Spencer says, laughing when he rolls his eyes. "It was one bad night. You know I don't mind picking you up."

"I know," I say, shrugging. "But I was going to get a car eventually anyways, it might as well be now."

The more I think about it, I definitely need to get a car. I've already been hitching rides with Spencer to work, going with Penelope to the grocery store at the weekends and everyone on the team has probably given me a ride home at this point. Someday there's going to be a situation when I need to get somewhere and can't rely on anyone else. Like if I want ice cream at 2 a.m. If late night ice cream trips isn't convincing enough, I don't know what is.

"Do you know anything about cars?"

I hate to have a 'typical girl' response, but my knowledge on cars is very minimal. I know how to drive them, refill the wiper fluid and check the oil level, but that's the extent of it.

Spencer immediately shakes his head. "Not my thing," He says, looking over at me. "But if you're serious about wanting a car, you should ask Derek to go to the dealer with you. He loves this sort of thing."

I smile and nod at his suggestion, even though being alone with Derek is exactly the type of situation I've been trying to avoid.

It probably isn't noticeable to anyone else, but I swear Derek has been slightly off with me since we were away on that case last week. It may sound stupid, but I don't think it had anything got to do with us fooling around, more so what happened afterwards.

The cuddling.

The last thing I remember was falling asleep with a respectable amount of space between us, but when I woke up the next morning, Derek was practically using my body as his mattress, semi crushing me with his weight. His arms were wrapped tightly around me and his head was tucked into my chest, sleeping soundly while he used my boobs as his pillows.

When I laughed and tried to shake him off of me to get some air back into my lungs, he woke up so confused, rolled off of me and muttered a sincere apology. He had this look of his face, almost like the idea that he was cuddling someone was foreign to him and he was slightly embarrassed.

Not wanting him to feel like that, I mentioned that the cuddling wasn't a big deal considering we had just been fooling around hours before hand, and although he nodded and looked glad that I wasn't making it more than it was, he looked almost confused by himself that he had been having what looked like the best sleep of his life on me, clinging to me like I was his life raft.

We still shared the bed for the remaining three nights we were in Louisville before we caught the unsub, and we didn't fool around again, nor did I wake up to Derek cuddling me again. I think he freaked himself out by the cuddling the first night, so much so that he tucked himself into his corner of the bed and kept his distance from me. That didn't stop him from getting a boner every time he saw me in a towel, so that's how I know it was the cuddling that freaked him out not the fooling around.

Spencer and I both hop out of his car when he pulls into the BAU parking lot. I knock my shoulder against his as we walk towards the elevator.

"Are you going to miss riding to work with me?"

He definitely isn't because I like to hog the aux cord which leaves him listening to me singing Taylor Swift and Harry Styles songs at 7 a.m every morning. I sing horribly but that's not going to stop me.

Spencer laughs, pressing the elevator button for the sixth floor. "I'll miss you buying my coffee, that's for sure."

I snort. "Says the guy on a salary three times more than the rest of us." Spencer's confused eyes flicker to mine and I grin. "Oh yeah, I heard. Penelope loves to gossip."

"Minimal work, maximum payout," Spencer shrugs, grinning. "Having a high IQ pays off."

"Speaking of paying off, you want to buy my car for me?"

"Yeah, no." He snorts, stepping off the elevator, shooting me a teasing look as he heads towards his office. "I don't like you that much."

-

My knuckles rap against Penelope's office door, or her bat cave as she would say, and I step inside when she yells for me to come in.

She swivels in her desk chair to face me, expression brightening. "What's up, buttercup?"

"Hey, I was wondering— is that my name?"

My eyes barely get a second to settle on her computer screen before Penelope whips around and deletes the tab that was just pulled up, changing it to her background of some adorable kittens playing in a basket of yarn.

"What? Pfft- No." Penelope so clearly lies, sweeping her hand out in a nonchalant way. "I don't know what you saw but it wasn't your name."

With her dismissing me so quickly, I know I was definitely right when I thought I saw my name on a spreadsheet. There was more stuff written too, but I didn't get a chance to read it before she deleted the screen.

My eyes narrow slightly at her. "Are you doing a deep dive on me? I've heard you like to do that."

"No," Penelope says and I do believe her this time. "I promise it was just a stupid schedule Hotch asked me to fix."

But a schedule? I don't believe that.

I laugh, leaning back against her desk. "If you are doing a background check on me, I promise I don't have any deep dark secrets. I'll tell you anything you want to know."

One thing I probably won't tell her though is that in elementary school I used to keep a headband in my pocket at all times just in case I got challenged to a dance battle. I'll take that one to the grave.

"It was nothing," She assures me, patting her hand to my knee. "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

God knows what it was, but I know that sweet face that's smiling at me right now wouldn't have a bad intention in her body, even if she tried, so I'm not worried. I shrug the situation off, asking her the question I came here for.

"What's Derek's favorite snack? I need some bribing material."

"Derek's favorite snack.. interesting," Penelope mutters quietly to herself before turning back to me with a smile. "The peanut butter protein balls from the bakery across the street."

Thanking her, I make my way back over to the door. I pause with my hand on the handle and turn back to her, ready to make a deal.

"I'll get you a blueberry muffin if you tell me why my name was on your screen."

Penelope heaves a heavy sigh, shaking her head in sorrow. "There are some things I won't give up for sweet treats."

I groan. "Seriously, what the hell is it? Your hit list?"

-

With my bribery material now in hand, I push open the bullpen doors and spot my target across the room.

I slide up to Derek's desk, tipping my head in greeting. "Morgan."

Derek matches my sly expression, fighting back a smile. "Evans."

"I got you a present," I say innocently, sliding the bag across his desk.

Derek takes the bag from me, and when he opens it, his eyes float suspiciously between me and the treats. "What's the catch?"

I shoot him my widest grin. "Can you come with me later to the car dealership? I want to get a car but I know nothing about them."

"Of course I will," He laughs, biting into a peanut butter ball. "I would have done it for free though, I love haggling with sales people."

"Look at you getting hand delivered treats," Emily says to Derek as she stops beside us. She pears into the bag, grinning. "Awe, you got him his favorite." She leans into Derek, fake whispering in a teasing tone, "I think she likes you."

Derek laughs, popping another peanut butter ball into his mouth. "She's putting me to work, that's why."

"Sex slave?" Emily winces, sliding into her seat. "I thought your price would be higher than two dollars a ball."

I shoot Derek a teasing look. "The collar is coming, don't worry."

"Don't forget one of those fuzzy butt plugs," Emily adds, laughing.

"Hey," Derek says, raising an eyebrow when he waves his finger between Emily and I. "If I was a sex slave, none of you could afford me."

"I—" JJ frowns, stoping short of her sentence, clearly having heard Derek's statement when she approached. She shakes her head, holding her hands up. "I don't even want to know what that conversation was about," She says and we all laugh.

-

With our paperwork finished and handed into Hotch, Derek and I leave the office.

"What type of car are you looking for?" Derek asks me as we step off the elevator.

"I really don't care," I say, following him across the parking lot towards his black 4x4 pick up truck. I love Derek's car. It's so big it makes me feel so much taller than I am when I'm sitting in it. "Actually, can I try driving yours?"

"It's a stick," Derek says, holding the keys out of my reach when he raises a challenging eyebrow. "Can you handle my stick?"

I can't wait to wipe that smug look off his face. And yes, I caught the hidden meaning behind his question. He nows I can handle his stick, now I'm about to show him I can handle a manual too.

"Yes I can," I say, swiping the keys from his hands when I raise a challenging eyebrow back. "Just watch me."

When I climb into the drivers side of his truck, a very skeptical Derek slides into the passenger side. While I adjust my seat and mirrors, I hold back a laugh at Derek very obviously tightening his seat belt to the max, reaching up to hold the grab handle when he mutters god help me.

My foot presses down on the clutch when I turn the key in the ignition and the truck rumbles to life. It's been a while since I've driven a stick, but it's like riding a bike, you never forget.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Derek asks as I put the car into first gear. His apprehensive eyes flicker to mine. "I don't—"

Whatever disagreement he was about to come out with is silenced when I, just like I told him I could, drive the car perfectly. I'm in fifth gear and indicating onto the highway before Derek picks his jaw up from the floor and finally stops staring at me in disbelief.

"Well I'll be damned," He says laughing, finally relaxing in his seat when he realises I'm not going to crash his car. "Where did you learn to drive stick?"

"My dad," I say, smiling softly.

My dad and I have a great relationship, but after my mom died when I was younger, while both trying to navigate our grief, we struggled to find things to do together. I think him teaching me the 'harder' way to drive was his way of spending more time with me and I love him for doing it.

And although being able to drive a stick is a cool skill to have, but I'd much rather pop a car into drive and call it a day.

"While this was fun," I say to Derek when we pull into the dealership. "I definitely want an automatic."

-

Derek definitely has the try before you buy mentality, because we've been at the dealership for hours now, test driving a countless amount of cars when I would have been happy with the first one he picked out.

"So," Derek says, hopping out of the passenger side. "Which one do you like?"

I wince. "I still like the first one the best." It was black, with smooth leather seats, black interior and a monitor in the centre console for apple carplay. Definitely a step up from my old 2002 Toyota Camry.

"Of course," Derek says laughing when he rolls his eyes. "So you want it?" He asks and I nod. "Good, let me do the talking when negotiating the price."

The sales guy we have been dealing with for the past couple hours walks over to us. "Everything okay?" He asks, smiling while taking back the keys from the car we just test drove.

Derek nods. "Yeah, we're going to take the first one we looked at."

"Does it get good gas mileage?" I ask the sales guy excitedly, placing my hand on my stomach. "We are going to rack up the miles with all the obgyn appointments."

When I cast Derek a quick glance, he looks like he doesn't know whether to burst out laughing or roll his eyes at me because I've taken another opportunity to lie to a complete stranger for no apparent reason other than it's funny.

The sales guy's eyes widen slightly. "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know you were looking for a family car."

"It's just twins," I say, shrugging like it's no big deal.

"Twins?" Derek all but gasps, playing along. "Babe, I thought it was triplets?"

"No," I say, rolling my eyes. "The nurse said there was three heart beats. Obviously the third one is mine," I say, giving the dealer a get a load of this guy look.

The dealer definitely thinks we're either idiots or on some sort of crack. "Great," He smiles faintly, trying his best to hide his confusion. "If you'll follow me to my office, we'll talk numbers."

"You better get me and the twins a good price," I mumble to Derek as we trail behind him into the building.

Derek grins, placing his hand on my stomach. "Only the best for Freckle and Speckle."

I snort a laugh, shoving against his shoulder. "See you in hell?"

Derek winks, holding the door open for me. "I'll be waiting for you."

-

You could cut the tension in this room with a knife right now.

When Derek said earlier that he loves haggling with sales people he wasn't kidding. I've been sitting here quietly, watching while Derek and the dealer have been slipping post it notes with prices on them back and forth.

Derek has one hell of a game face because I can't even tell what he's thinking right now. He'll occasionally scoff, shaking his head as he scribbles down a counter offer.

When Derek picks up the piece of paper the dealer just slid across the table for what feels like the hundredth time, his eyes widen and he immediately stands up.

"We'll take it," Derek says, a shit eating grin plastered across his face when he holds out his hand for the man to shake. "Layla, sign the contract," He says, glancing at me with a look that says quickly.

The contact is signed and the pen is barely out of my hand before Derek swipes the keys off of the table, practically beaming while he ushers me out the door. "Thank you," He calls out to the dealer over his shoulder, a mischievous tone in his voice. "Really. Thank you."

It feels like we're fleeing a crime scene from how quickly Derek is pulling me outside. "What the hell is happening right now?"

Derek laughs, holding the door open for me to walk through. "The dealer fucked up big time in there and we're getting out of here before he realises his mistake." He grins, tapping his hand to the hood of my brand new Honda Accord. "I just got you this baby for about a quarter of the original price."

My eyes widen. All that silent deliberation those two were doing definitely payed off. "No way."

"You're welcome," Derek says, clicking his tongue when his hand slides to the small of my back and he pulls me closer to him. "And I'll take my repayment in sexual favours, thank you very much."

As much as I want that, we can't let another slip up like last week happen. I teasingly roll my eyes, swiping the keys from his hands. "I'll buy you dinner instead."

Derek lets out a long, overdramatised sigh. "I suppose that will do."

"Follow me?" I say as he heads to his truck. "I know where I want to go."

I'm feeling like some greasy diner food and I know just the place, so Derek follows behind me in his car as I drive towards the outskirts of town.

-

"A salad?" I practically gasp. "No way."

Derek and I are at the diner now, sitting in one of the back booths. The delicious smell of food that is bad for the heart but good for the soul wafts through the air.. and he just told me he wants to order a salad.

"I eat healthy," He says like it's obvious, folding over his menu. "You know this."

I roll my eyes. "I've seen your body, you can afford a cheat meal."

Derek pumps his eyes brows when he leans over the table closer to me. "You like what you see?"

I roll my eyes harder. He knows and loves that I'm attracted to him. "You're getting a damn burger."

Derek sighs, leaning back in his seat. "Alright then."

The dealership was his thing, and food is my thing so I repeat his words for earlier back to him. "Let me do the talking."

Derek holds his hands up, grinning. "Yes ma'am."

I smile when the waitress approaches with her pen and note pad. "We'll take two burgers, some chili cheese fries, buffalo wings and jalapeño poppers. Oh and a chocolate and a strawberry milkshake."

When the waitress walks away to put our order in, Derek's amused eyes meet mine. "That pregnant with twins thing was a joke, right?"

I laugh because yes I probably eat enough for three and have no shame. I praise god everyday that I have a fast metabolism and that all my fat goes to my ass.

"Oh and the strawberry milkshake is for you by the way. I prefer chocolate."

Derek's tongue darts out to sweep over his bottom lip when he smiles. "Oh, I know you do."

I bunch up a napkin and throw it at his head. I've said it before and I'll say it again, his ego is too big for his own good.

-

I successfully got Derek to try everything I ordered for us, and he couldn't even try to convince me he didn't like it.

We both enjoyed it, so much so that we had to wipe the wing sauce from both our faces while we laughed at each other.

Even though we finished eating a long while ago, we still haven't left our booth yet. We're still to busy talking and laughing, asking each other random questions.

"What would you do if you won a million dollars?"

Derek ponders on my question for a minute. "I'd use the money to open up a local youth center for troubled kids." He almost scoffs when he mumbles underneath his breath, "One that's run right."

I want to say Derek's answer shocks me, but it doesn't. He has a soft side that he doesn't show very often but I love getting a glimpse at it.

"If a turtle didn't have his shell? Would he be homeless or naked?"

I don't know if Derek broke the silence to get me to stop thinking too much into what he mumbled underneath his breath or not, but either way, it worked.

"That's such a good question," I say, laughing. "Naked, right?"

Derek raises a challenging eyebrow. "But they live in their shells, so homeless?"

"I'm sorry.." A voice cuts into our conversation and Derek and I turn to see our waitress approach the booth. "But we closed up a while ago."

We both peer out over our booth to see that we're the only ones left in the whole place, half the lights are shut off and every other table is clear except ours. Derek and I's eyes meet and we give each other a surprised look. We were so caught up in conversation that we didn't even notice.

So after clearing our bill and leaving the waitress, who was probably waiting hours for us to leave, a hefty tip, Derek and I walk through the dark parking lot towards our cars.

"It's after one in the morning," I laugh, checking the time on my phone. "How did we not notice how late it got?"

Derek sighs, slinging his arm over my shoulder. "You know what they say about good company."

"No," I say, amused. "What do they say?"

Derek purses his lips in thought before he shrugs. "Time flies or some shit like that."

I laugh, unlocking my car door. "Spoken like a true poet."

Derek waits beside my car door while I slide into my seat and click my seat belt into place. When I'm buckled up and ready to go, he taps his hand to the hood of my car. "Text me when you get home safe, okay?" He asks, giving me a soft smile.

"I will," I smile, turning the key in the ignition. "See you tomorrow, Derek."

On my drive home I start thinking about how getting back to my empty apartment doesn't seem appealing at all.

I can see Derek's headlights in my rear view mirror most of the drive home, and he flashes me his brights as a goodbye before he pulls off the highway towards his neighbourhood.

Not even counting the eight hours that we were at work together today, Derek and I have been hanging out for probably another eight hours on top of that and somehow.. It felt like it wasn't long enough.

I groan internally and feel like facepalming myself. Friends, Layla. Friends.

I've spent enough time reminding Derek that we're just friends, I think I need to remember that myself.

-

A/N: wow, they can hang out without jumping each other.. who would have known🤷‍♀️

After writing Spencer and Averie immediately being simps for eachother, it's proving hard for me to take the slower approach with these two. I just want all the cute lovey stuff already😫 but it's a process and we're slowly getting there🤩