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carolinecraneTitle: Zeroes and Ones 4/?
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pairing: Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid
Rating: NC17
Summary: AU. This diverges from canon directly after 4x01. When Derek's offered the job heading up the NYC field office, he takes it for the good of his career. He expects to leave the BAU and everyone he knew in Virginia behind, but some people are easier to let go of than others.
A/N: Two parts today, because the first one was short. I better get cracking on writing this thing or I'm going to catch up with myself very quickly. I'm not posting on Sundays, though. Sundays are death for fic posts.
Shopping for real estate in New York City was pretty much a nightmare. Over the years Derek had flipped enough houses to consider himself more or less an expert in the industry, but the rules in New York were different than anywhere else. As soon as he got to town he'd started asking around about short-term rentals, just someplace to stay until he found a place he wanted to buy. In the end he'd wound up in a three month sub-lease, which meant storing pretty much everything he owned and living with someone else's furniture for the duration.
He hired a guy to come in and walk Clooney a couple times a day, and he tried not to feel guilty about being gone all the time. He was traveling a lot less, sure, but getting into the swing of running a field office took a lot of time and most of his energy. What little time and energy he had left over went into viewing whatever listings his broker came up with, so he didn't have much time to notice that he hadn't heard from anyone back home except Garcia. She'd called him at least twice a week in the month he'd been in New York, e-mailed plenty too and gave him status reports on what was going on with the rest of the team. But they were down a man, which meant they were busier than ever, and that meant they didn't have time to worry about how he was doing.
Derek understood that. He didn't take it personally, because it wasn't like he'd called any of them either. But Reid's book had been sitting next to the bed in his sublet since he moved in, and every time Derek saw it he wondered if he was going to hear from Reid again. Maybe he'd forgotten Derek's offer already, but as much as Derek tried to convince himself it was a possibility, he just didn't buy it. Not after hearing the surprise in Reid's voice when Derek asked him to keep in touch, like he'd never considered until right then that he might mean something to Derek.
And that was the thing, because Reid did mean something to him. He'd never thought much about it until Reid wasn't around all the time, waving his hands around while he talked or bringing Derek coffee just because or rolling his eyes when Derek asked something Reid thought should be obvious. Even though they never really hung out outside of work, Reid had gotten under his skin somehow, and now that he was gone Derek didn't know what to do about it. There wasn't much he could do, really, because he'd left the ball in Reid's court the last time they talked.
Derek's phone beeped in his pocket, and he sighed and pulled it out as he reached the brownstone his broker wanted to show him. The new e-mail alerted flashed and he hit a few buttons until he got to the right screen, expecting some work emergency or maybe just one of his sisters demanding -- again -- to know why he hadn't called home. But it wasn't work and it wasn't his sisters; it wasn't even Garcia giving him the run-down on J.J.'s morning sickness or her latest date with Kevin. He grinned at the familiar name and clicked the 'OK' button, pausing on the steps of the building to scroll through the message.
Hotch finally picked your replacement. Prentiss claims she's not completely useless, but you could have fooled me. If you wash out in New York maybe Hotch will give you your job back. -- Reid
Derek laughed softly at the last line and hit 'reply'.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, kid. I better not wash out here, not after the amount of time I've spent just looking for a place to live.
Give the new agent a chance, she must be good or Hotch wouldn't have hired her.
He hit 'send' and slid the phone back into his pocket, still grinning when he looked up to see his broker coming up the steps.
"Derek," good to see you, his broker said, holding out a hand to grasp Derek's in a firm shake. "Let's head inside. I have a feeling you're really going to like this place."
~
As it turned out, his broker was right. Of all the places Derek had seen, this one was the closest to what he'd imagined when he first got to the city. It was a three-story brownstone in Bed-Stuy, with lots of original features still intact underneath all the 'improvements' other owners had made over the years. He'd peeled the carpet back enough to see that the hardwood was in decent shape, and he'd checked that the wiring wasn't a total nightmare. There were some pipes to replace and layers of paint to strip off almost all the woodwork, but what really sold him on the place was the kitchen. It looked like it hadn't been touched much since the place was built, which meant he could bring the appliances up to date but still restore the rest of it back to the original character of the property.
Flipping wasn't going to be an option for him here, not now that he was running an office. He wouldn't have that kind of time, even if he could afford to turn properties in New York, so he'd just have to focus all his energy on fixing up his own place. He was still waiting for the results of the inspection, but already Derek was running down a mental list of everything that needed to be done, and exactly where he wanted to start. The rooms were kind of small, but he figured he'd knock down a few walls and create a more open floor plan on the first floor, maybe turn the two bedrooms on the top floor into one big master and put in a bigger closet and a completely new bath. A lot of the doors had the original arches and he wanted to keep them wherever he could, so he was thinking about columns between the living room and dining room and maybe some low built-in shelves to keep things open while saving the arches.
It was a big job, and living in it while he did the work was going to be kind of a mess. But the price was right, and he was still pulling in enough money from his rentals in Virginia to cover the mortgage. There was even a little back yard; it wasn't much, but there was a cracked patio that needed replacing and enough grass to give Clooney someplace safe to go out first thing in the morning when Derek didn't feel like getting dressed to take him for a run.
It was as close to perfect as he was going to get, and as long as the inspection didn't turn up anything he couldn't handle, he was pretty sure he'd found a place to call home. It still felt a little weird to think of New York as home, but he figured he'd get used to it once he had his own place and he wasn't living with someone else's stuff anymore.
Derek glanced up at the clock in his office and let out a heavy sigh. Six-thirty already, and the rest of the staff was probably long gone. It was harder than he expected, making the transition from being out in the field all the time to what was essentially a desk job. He had a lot more responsibility and the pay grade to go with it, and it meant seeing a lot less of the stuff that still gave him nightmares from time to time, but it meant he spent a lot of his time feeling kind of restless. Having a building to work on would help with that, but Derek knew if he didn't get some kind of life in New York that he was going to turn into Hotch way before he was ready.
He reached up to loosen his tie, leaning back in his expensive leather chair and scrubbing his hands over his face. And that was another thing he was still getting used to -- this whole suit and tie every day thing was kind of a drag. At least at the BAU the dress code had been pretty informal; nowadays he dressed just like Hotch too, and there were days when he felt like some kind of imposter. Like maybe Hotch had been right and he really wasn't ready for this job. So maybe Reid would get his wish and he would wash out, only Derek was pretty sure if that happened he wouldn't just get his old job back like nothing happened.
"Pull yourself together, Derek," he said to nobody in particular, ignoring the creak in his back as he stood up and reached into his desk for his keys. He reached the subway station just as his phone beeped, and he pulled it out of his pocket and opened a new e-mail.
Just got back from Arkansas. Serial rapist who escalated into murder. Parnell mostly just got in the way, but we caught him anyway. Garcia said you bought a house. Real estate isn't as sound an investment as it used to be, you know. -- Reid
Derek grinned at the screen and pocketed the phone, digging his MetroCard out and sliding it through the turnstile. Once he boarded the subway and found a seat at the back he took his phone out again and read Reid's e-mail for the second time. He knew thanks to Garcia that Parnell was his replacement, and he also knew that she wasn't nearly as useless as Reid pretended. Still, it was nice to know Reid missed him, even if he wouldn't come out and say it. He shook his head and hit the 'reply' button, glancing up to make sure he wasn't about to miss his stop before he started typing.
Trust me, kid, I know what I'm doing. And I put in an offer on a house, so it's not a done deal yet. Once the sale's final you can catch that train to the city and tell me all about Parnell. If you gave her a chance you might even like her.
He dropped his phone back into his pocket as the train pulled into his station, following the crowd up the stairs and back to the sidewalk above them. He eased into the steady stream of foot traffic, stepping around the window shoppers and anybody who looked like they didn't know where they were going. When he reached his favorite take-out place he stopped long enough to pick up dinner, then he headed back to his sublet to feed Clooney and take him out just like he did every night.
It wasn't much of a routine, but it was his, for better or worse. Maybe his life was a little more boring now than it had been back in Quantico, but it was all in the name of moving forward in his profession.
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pairing: Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid
Rating: NC17
Summary: AU. This diverges from canon directly after 4x01. When Derek's offered the job heading up the NYC field office, he takes it for the good of his career. He expects to leave the BAU and everyone he knew in Virginia behind, but some people are easier to let go of than others.
A/N: Two parts today, because the first one was short. I better get cracking on writing this thing or I'm going to catch up with myself very quickly. I'm not posting on Sundays, though. Sundays are death for fic posts.
Shopping for real estate in New York City was pretty much a nightmare. Over the years Derek had flipped enough houses to consider himself more or less an expert in the industry, but the rules in New York were different than anywhere else. As soon as he got to town he'd started asking around about short-term rentals, just someplace to stay until he found a place he wanted to buy. In the end he'd wound up in a three month sub-lease, which meant storing pretty much everything he owned and living with someone else's furniture for the duration.
He hired a guy to come in and walk Clooney a couple times a day, and he tried not to feel guilty about being gone all the time. He was traveling a lot less, sure, but getting into the swing of running a field office took a lot of time and most of his energy. What little time and energy he had left over went into viewing whatever listings his broker came up with, so he didn't have much time to notice that he hadn't heard from anyone back home except Garcia. She'd called him at least twice a week in the month he'd been in New York, e-mailed plenty too and gave him status reports on what was going on with the rest of the team. But they were down a man, which meant they were busier than ever, and that meant they didn't have time to worry about how he was doing.
Derek understood that. He didn't take it personally, because it wasn't like he'd called any of them either. But Reid's book had been sitting next to the bed in his sublet since he moved in, and every time Derek saw it he wondered if he was going to hear from Reid again. Maybe he'd forgotten Derek's offer already, but as much as Derek tried to convince himself it was a possibility, he just didn't buy it. Not after hearing the surprise in Reid's voice when Derek asked him to keep in touch, like he'd never considered until right then that he might mean something to Derek.
And that was the thing, because Reid did mean something to him. He'd never thought much about it until Reid wasn't around all the time, waving his hands around while he talked or bringing Derek coffee just because or rolling his eyes when Derek asked something Reid thought should be obvious. Even though they never really hung out outside of work, Reid had gotten under his skin somehow, and now that he was gone Derek didn't know what to do about it. There wasn't much he could do, really, because he'd left the ball in Reid's court the last time they talked.
Derek's phone beeped in his pocket, and he sighed and pulled it out as he reached the brownstone his broker wanted to show him. The new e-mail alerted flashed and he hit a few buttons until he got to the right screen, expecting some work emergency or maybe just one of his sisters demanding -- again -- to know why he hadn't called home. But it wasn't work and it wasn't his sisters; it wasn't even Garcia giving him the run-down on J.J.'s morning sickness or her latest date with Kevin. He grinned at the familiar name and clicked the 'OK' button, pausing on the steps of the building to scroll through the message.
Hotch finally picked your replacement. Prentiss claims she's not completely useless, but you could have fooled me. If you wash out in New York maybe Hotch will give you your job back. -- Reid
Derek laughed softly at the last line and hit 'reply'.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, kid. I better not wash out here, not after the amount of time I've spent just looking for a place to live.
Give the new agent a chance, she must be good or Hotch wouldn't have hired her.
He hit 'send' and slid the phone back into his pocket, still grinning when he looked up to see his broker coming up the steps.
"Derek," good to see you, his broker said, holding out a hand to grasp Derek's in a firm shake. "Let's head inside. I have a feeling you're really going to like this place."
~
As it turned out, his broker was right. Of all the places Derek had seen, this one was the closest to what he'd imagined when he first got to the city. It was a three-story brownstone in Bed-Stuy, with lots of original features still intact underneath all the 'improvements' other owners had made over the years. He'd peeled the carpet back enough to see that the hardwood was in decent shape, and he'd checked that the wiring wasn't a total nightmare. There were some pipes to replace and layers of paint to strip off almost all the woodwork, but what really sold him on the place was the kitchen. It looked like it hadn't been touched much since the place was built, which meant he could bring the appliances up to date but still restore the rest of it back to the original character of the property.
Flipping wasn't going to be an option for him here, not now that he was running an office. He wouldn't have that kind of time, even if he could afford to turn properties in New York, so he'd just have to focus all his energy on fixing up his own place. He was still waiting for the results of the inspection, but already Derek was running down a mental list of everything that needed to be done, and exactly where he wanted to start. The rooms were kind of small, but he figured he'd knock down a few walls and create a more open floor plan on the first floor, maybe turn the two bedrooms on the top floor into one big master and put in a bigger closet and a completely new bath. A lot of the doors had the original arches and he wanted to keep them wherever he could, so he was thinking about columns between the living room and dining room and maybe some low built-in shelves to keep things open while saving the arches.
It was a big job, and living in it while he did the work was going to be kind of a mess. But the price was right, and he was still pulling in enough money from his rentals in Virginia to cover the mortgage. There was even a little back yard; it wasn't much, but there was a cracked patio that needed replacing and enough grass to give Clooney someplace safe to go out first thing in the morning when Derek didn't feel like getting dressed to take him for a run.
It was as close to perfect as he was going to get, and as long as the inspection didn't turn up anything he couldn't handle, he was pretty sure he'd found a place to call home. It still felt a little weird to think of New York as home, but he figured he'd get used to it once he had his own place and he wasn't living with someone else's stuff anymore.
Derek glanced up at the clock in his office and let out a heavy sigh. Six-thirty already, and the rest of the staff was probably long gone. It was harder than he expected, making the transition from being out in the field all the time to what was essentially a desk job. He had a lot more responsibility and the pay grade to go with it, and it meant seeing a lot less of the stuff that still gave him nightmares from time to time, but it meant he spent a lot of his time feeling kind of restless. Having a building to work on would help with that, but Derek knew if he didn't get some kind of life in New York that he was going to turn into Hotch way before he was ready.
He reached up to loosen his tie, leaning back in his expensive leather chair and scrubbing his hands over his face. And that was another thing he was still getting used to -- this whole suit and tie every day thing was kind of a drag. At least at the BAU the dress code had been pretty informal; nowadays he dressed just like Hotch too, and there were days when he felt like some kind of imposter. Like maybe Hotch had been right and he really wasn't ready for this job. So maybe Reid would get his wish and he would wash out, only Derek was pretty sure if that happened he wouldn't just get his old job back like nothing happened.
"Pull yourself together, Derek," he said to nobody in particular, ignoring the creak in his back as he stood up and reached into his desk for his keys. He reached the subway station just as his phone beeped, and he pulled it out of his pocket and opened a new e-mail.
Just got back from Arkansas. Serial rapist who escalated into murder. Parnell mostly just got in the way, but we caught him anyway. Garcia said you bought a house. Real estate isn't as sound an investment as it used to be, you know. -- Reid
Derek grinned at the screen and pocketed the phone, digging his MetroCard out and sliding it through the turnstile. Once he boarded the subway and found a seat at the back he took his phone out again and read Reid's e-mail for the second time. He knew thanks to Garcia that Parnell was his replacement, and he also knew that she wasn't nearly as useless as Reid pretended. Still, it was nice to know Reid missed him, even if he wouldn't come out and say it. He shook his head and hit the 'reply' button, glancing up to make sure he wasn't about to miss his stop before he started typing.
Trust me, kid, I know what I'm doing. And I put in an offer on a house, so it's not a done deal yet. Once the sale's final you can catch that train to the city and tell me all about Parnell. If you gave her a chance you might even like her.
He dropped his phone back into his pocket as the train pulled into his station, following the crowd up the stairs and back to the sidewalk above them. He eased into the steady stream of foot traffic, stepping around the window shoppers and anybody who looked like they didn't know where they were going. When he reached his favorite take-out place he stopped long enough to pick up dinner, then he headed back to his sublet to feed Clooney and take him out just like he did every night.
It wasn't much of a routine, but it was his, for better or worse. Maybe his life was a little more boring now than it had been back in Quantico, but it was all in the name of moving forward in his profession.
