Spencer

[just_hex]

They'd set another date and Hex was excited. Maybe more excited than he had any right to be. Spencer was a puzzle, to be sure, but Hex felt he was worth working out. He'd done a bit of reading up on Autism and he found some things fit and some didn't so he was left unsure. He reasoned that was a good indication he should stay in nursing and to leave the diagnoses to the doctors.

Spencer was due any minute and Hex had sprang for pizza and some Cokes. He'd set out plates and such and then settled on the sofa to catch up on the sports scores while he waited for Spencer to come round. If only he could stop checking his watch.

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[dr_spencer_reid]

Spencer was fairly punctual, knocking on the door and fidgeting awkwardly as he waited to be let in.

If he was honest, he was nervous about trying again, his heart pounding and stomach doing flips as he tried not to over think it all.

[just_hex]

Hex left the sports news on as he bolted for the door and snatched it open. He didn't think it would be anyone else and yet when he saw Spencer he sighed in relief and smiled.

"I ordered pizza," he said instead of hello and stepped back so Spencer could come in.

[dr_spencer_reid]

"Oh, good- I'm actually really hungry," Spencer replied, offering a small wave before stepping inside.

"It's good to see you again. I wasn't- Um, I thought maybe you wouldn't want to see me again- After the last time, and what happened."

[just_hex]

"Well you're wrong. Because I've been thinking of you all week. I know you said you'd call but then you didn't...and you didn't and so I took a chance." He smiled. "I'm glad I did. I'm glad you're here."

[dr_spencer_reid]

"I'm sorry- I was just... I was a little embarrassed," Spencer confessed, looking away. HE always struggled with eye-contact, but this was more than that.

"You must think I'm very strange to be so inexperienced."

[just_hex]

Hex moved closer...closer. Close enough to touch, but he stayed his hand.

"I don't think you're strange at all, Spencer," he said. "You're not like anyone else I know, but it's not bad. I...I like you. Rather a lot, actually."

[dr_spencer_reid]

"I like you a lot too," Spencer replied, perking up and offering Hex a wide smile. "I'm glad you reached out. It means a lot to me."

[just_hex]

"I'm going to touch you now," he announced, then took hold of Spencer's arm in one hand. His other hand slowly took hold of his face and Hex leaned in to give him a chaste, sweet kiss.

"That's better. Been thinking of that all week," he said as he let go then. "Now...come eat. I bought a veg and a cheese. I didn't know what kind of meat you'd like so I played it safe."

[dr_spencer_reid]

People didn't usually announce themselves before touching him. The team had their ouw various ways of silently letting him know, but he didn't always catch those. ...He actually appreciated Hex's warning.

Returning the kiss, he looked a little flushed as he nodded.

"I like pizza. You know, foods similar to pizza have been made since the neolithic age. The Ancient Greeks had a flat bread called plakous, that they flavoured with toppings such as herbs, onion, and garlic... In 16th century Naples a Galette flatbread was actually referred to as a pizza. Eventually they began to add thing like oil, tomatoes, or fish."

Spencer happily chatted away about the history of pizza as he took a seat and inspected the pies- and he'd likely keep going until he was actually eating a slice.

[just_hex]

Hex listened closely to the little history lesson and took two slices of veg while he was at it. Spencer just kept talking and Hex wondered briefly if he was really that into pizza or if it was just another...quirk.

When he paused for breath, Hex interjected.

"You want some Coke?"

[dr_spencer_reid]

"Hmm? Oh, right, yes please," Spencer smiled. "Thank you."

He looked embarrassed as he realized how much he'd been talking, and ducked his head as he started to eat.

[just_hex]

He poured, then watched him and smiled softly.

"Is there more?" he asked. He didn't mind listening to Spencer go on- in fact, he quite liked the energy the man had when he was teaching. Hex could see what would make Spencer a good professor.

[dr_spencer_reid]

"No, that was it really," Spencer said, still looking embarrassed, but smiling.

"How was your week?" he asked.

[just_hex]

It was lovely. I got to deliver a baby that wouldn't wait for mum to get up to maternity," he chuckled. "I met a girl at the gym who I think I might start working out with because she just got dumped and needs a spotter. Oh, and someone brought peaches to work. Really delicious," he said, just listing a few things to try to keep Spencer from thinking his life was utterly dull.

[dr_spencer_reid]

Spencer smiled and nodded- though his smile did faint ever so slightly as he remembered something.

"I thought I saw you the other day- in a diner with some man... I didn't want to stop and stare though, I could have been mistaken," he said carefully, not wanting to make assumptions.

[just_hex]

Hex tried to think of the places he'd been and with who with. Matthew at Nero, Kersen at the cafe. Rory at the burrito place, too. And Mark. Of course Mark. He went more places with Mark than anyone for a pair who were just mates.

"Maybe so," he said, unable and unwilling to contradict Spencer. If he'd seen him, and it was perfectly reasonable he had, it was a fact. "If it was me you should have come over. I'd have liked to have seen you."

[dr_spencer_reid]

"Um, I didn't want to interrupt- It looked..."

Spencer trailed off, deciding it was none of his business. Hex wasn't his, he could see other people if he wanted to.

Shrugging, he took another bite of pizza, not wanting to talk about it any more.

[just_hex]

"Oh. I see."

So not Mark.

Hex ate a few bites of pizza and let th silence stretch, but when he swallowed he looked up.

"Whatever you saw wasn't serious," he said quietly. "I'm not seeing anyone seriously. I'd like it if it happened. I'm old enough I'd like something like that in me life. But it's hard to find anyone if you don't date around, yeah?"

[dr_spencer_reid]

Spencer shrugged, but said nothing. He wasn't sure how he felt about being just one of Hex's choices. He supposed that was how dating worked though. People just picking and choosing who they wanted.

[just_hex]

"Some day I'd like to get married," he said, then looked down at his pizza. "That's not exactly the sort of thing you throw out on a first date, but here's our third and...and you should know. I'm looking for something serious. So if you'd like to run away..."

[dr_spencer_reid]

Spencer looked startled, but he didn't run away. He wasn't sure what to say to that even.

"Oh. Okay. ...Noted," he replied, nodding his understanding. "I don't know what I'm looking for," he confessed. "I like you though. A lot, actually."

[just_hex]

Hex blushed and smiled as he looked down.

Do you? That's good. Because...I like you quite a lot, too, Spencer," he said softly. But he did note that there had not been an enthuisatic agreement about marriage so he knew that was something he wouldn't be pressing.

[dr_spencer_reid]

"Thanks" Spencer smiled, looking pleased with how their date was going so far. "So what would you like to do tonight? Other than eat pizza, I mean."

[just_hex]

"I thought we could stay in. There's always Netflix, or I've got some blurays we could watch. I don't know how much you like gunfights and explosions, though," he chuckled. And he had it in his head that he might try to kiss Spencer again, touch him, too. But he didn't expect sex. Hex thought that might be simply too much all at once. He was happy to go slowly.

[dr_spencer_reid]

Spencer smiled at that, then nodded.

"That would be nice. Or you could teach me how to play another one of your games," he suggested, wanting to make up for how badly he'd left things last time.