Make It out Alive

I couldn't sleep. The case was bouncing through my skull. Putting on baggy jeans and a Wolverine's football hoodie, I grabbed my gun, purse and room key and left the room. Outside, Spencer was getting a soda from the machine.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked, leaning against the frame of the door.

He shook his head. "Looks like I'm not the only one who was going to go for a walk. Care to join me?"

"Sure," I said, smiling at him. "Wanna show me stuff about Vegas a tourist wouldn't find?"

"It'd be an honor," he said, walking with me to the flight of stairs. He walked a bit slower than his usual pace, staying even with me.

"Must have been kind of weird, growing up around all the lights and glitter."

We walked through the lobby and out into the perpetual light of Las Vegas. "Not really. I didn't see my first star until I moved to Virginia, though. All the light pollution really kills it."
We walked close together on the crowded sidewalk. "Would you take me somewhere you went as a kid?" I asked.

"Sure. There's a great diner my mom used to take me to. Shake and fries? My treat," He said.

"Sounds great," I said cheerfully. A large group of people were approaching us, and I quickly grabbed his hand, my eyes darting around nervously.

He squeezed my hand gently, brushing his thumb over my knuckles. I smiled gratefully. "I don't like being alone in crowds. A, uh, well, irrational fear now."

"You don't have to explain yourself, Polly," he told me, leading me into a brightly lit diner. We sat down at the counter and it seemed oddly still compared to the bustling city outside.

A tired looking waiter approached us, and we ordered a plate of fries, a strawberry shake for him, a vanilla for me. When we got our shakes, I plucked the cherry off and put it in my mouth.

"Can you tie a cherry stem in a knot with your mouth?" I asked, putting my own stem in mine and fiddling with it.

"Never tried," he remarked, placing his stem in his mouth and furrowing his brows. After a few moments, he gave up with a laugh.

"S'okay. I can't either," I said, laughing. "So, is the team bugging you about me as much as their bugging me about you?

He choked on the fry he had in his mouth and took a hasty swallow of his shake to clear his airway.

"W-what do you mean?" Spence stuttered, color rising in his cheeks.

"Derek, Garcia and JJ are waiting on engagement announcements," I said with a chuckle.

Once more he choked. This time, I had to thump him on the back a few times. "You alright?"

"Fine," he gasped, taking several gulps of air.

"So, are we taking this anywhere?" I asked, chewing my straw.

He stared at his shake like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Did you know marachino cherries are actually bleached and then artificially colored?"

"Mmm, delicious cancer," I joked. While we laughed, I studied his face.

"I'd like to take it somewhere," he said quietly.

"I would too," I mumbled.

He blinked. "Really?"

I laughed. "Does my profile say I'm lying?" He chuckled nervously, but the relief was clear on his face.

After Spencer insisted on paying, ignoring my protests, we decided to just walk back to the hotel. This time, I twined my fingers between his as we walked. He glanced at our hands then at my face and smiled.

As we walked through the lobby, we spotted Derek and immediately dropped hands. He shook his head, smiled and went back to his phone call.

Spencer walked me to my door and smiled awkwardly down at me. It wasn't until now I realized how tall he was compared to my five foot three. When I looked eye-level, I had a lovely view of his collar bone. His eyes found mine again, and I smiled, our eye contact breaking as he glanced at my lips. Then I realized he was much too nervous to kiss me.

Getting onto the balls of my feet, I leaned into him and pressed my lips to his. He kissed me back hesitantly, and I smiled, the corners of my mouth pulling up against his. His lips were warm and dry against mine, soft and inviting. He pulled away and smiled shyly.

"Goodnight, Spence," I said, turning to open my door and go inside.

"G'night, Polly."

Once inside the door of my dark hotel room, I touched my lips and smiled. There was a good chance that Spencer had done the same.