The following couple of weeks flew by, at least to Morgan they seemed to. At the start of the second week they had a particularly trying case that took them out to Louisiana for four days. By the time they flew home on the Thursday night they were all exhausted and ready for home. When they arrived back at the base Morgan mentioned that he was going out the following evening to a bar opening. It belonged to a friend of his so he was guaranteed free drinks all night and he knew any friends of his would be welcomed with open arms, so he extended the invite to the rest of the team. The three girls accepted enthusiastically, but Hotch and Rossi both declined, and Spencer too made his excuses.

"Ahh come on Pretty Boy, it'll do you good to let your hair down a little," Morgan said teasingly.

"Sorry I can't…I…already have plans. I'll see you all on Monday."

Penelope giggled as he walked away. Morgan looked at her quizzically. "What?"

"Nothing that you need to worry your pretty head about," she replied grinning. Morgan shrugged. He was just glad Spencer seemed to have cheered up recently. He had been feeling pretty guilty about the whole situation and Spencer's moping had just made him feel worse. But Spencer seemed back to his normal…well…usual self now much to his relief.

The following evening he was feeling pretty good as he entered the bar. The three girls were already there seated at a table.

"Not drinking yet?" he enquired as he greeted each of them with a kiss on the cheek. Prentiss grinned at him. "Not after you promised us free ones all night long!"

Morgan laughed. "Too right, I'll get a round in." He made his way up to the bar. It was pretty busy and he caught the eye of more than one beautiful woman as he waited to be served. Morgan grinned to himself. It was going to be a good night.

As he made his way back to the table with the drinks, he noticed that the three girls had their heads together and were whispering and laughing.

"What's the big secret?" he asked putting the drinks down.

"We can't tell you, you have to guess," Emily said, her eyes bright. She loved teasing Morgan almost as much as he loved tormenting Spencer.

"But you only get three guesses," Penelope added. She looked a little more wary than the other two, as if she didn't really want him to know. However it was apparent that her desperation to share the news was overcoming her reticence.

Morgan sat down next to JJ and grinned. "All right then." He pondered for a moment. "Hotch finally caught Rossi and Strauss at it?"

The three girls burst into laughter. "No!"

"Also gross," JJ said, screwing up her face. "If I ever found them in my office I would be scarred for life!" They all laughed again.

"Try again," Emily said, prodding Morgan's arm.

"We're finally getting those fancy coffee machines they're always promising us but which never appear?"

Emily pouted. "That wasn't a proper guess."

Morgan shrugged and drank some of his beer. "I'm not that bothered about knowing."

"But this is a really good secret!" JJ said, backing Emily up. "C'mon, you've got one more guess, make it a good one."

Morgan sighed. "Prentiss finally got some action with that attorney guy?" He gave her a nudge and was delighted to see her blush.

Emily sniffed. "A lady doesn't kiss and tell." But as the others laughed she gave him a wink. "You're wrong again though."

"Ahh Pen, please can we tell him," JJ pleaded. "I'm dying to know what he thinks."

Penelope was still looking a little on edge. "I don't know."

"Please!" JJ and Emily put on their best puppy-dog eyes. Penelope sighed.

"Fine." She turned to Morgan. "But promise you won't freak out." She gave him a knowing look, and Morgan stared back at her puzzled.

"I'm not sure I wanna know now," he said jokingly. "You're all acting kinda…"

"Spencer couldn't come tonight because he's on a date. With a guy," Emily blurted out. "Can you believe it? I didn't even know he played for 'both teams'." She looked at him eagerly. "Did you have any idea?"

Morgan paused with his drink halfway to his lips. He lowered it slowly.

"No. No I didn't."

Emily continued. "I mean I can't say I'm that surprised. He's always been so awkward with girls, but he did go on that date with you J…"

"That was six years ago!" JJ protested laughing. "And it wasn't exactly what I would classify as a date."

"And you told me about when he hooked up with that actress in LA…"

Penelope interrupted. "I think they just kissed actually." She was eyeing Morgan almost apprehensively. He stared back at her, his mind in turmoil. "I set him up with a guy from my theatre troop. He seemed really down after he…broke up with Angela…and since I'm the only one he confided in about his feelings I thought he should try dating a guy next. And it seems to be working, they've actually been dating for a couple of weeks now." Morgan didn't miss the hidden meaning behind her words, but he was still struggling to take it all in.

"I still can't believe you didn't tell us," Emily said to Penelope. JJ nodded. "What happened to the circle of trust?"

Morgan found himself zoning out of the conversation as they nattered on. He couldn't exactly pin down what emotions he was experiencing, but he could feel what felt like a fire in his ears and a rushing noise that was drowning everything else out. Abruptly he stood up. "Just going to the toilet," he muttered. He walked quickly towards the bathroom, ignoring the pretty blonde who tried to engage him in conversation. Once he was inside he leaned both hands on the sink and breathed heavily. He looked up and caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. A scowling face looked back at him, hands were clenched into fists and a bead of sweat was making it's way down his left temple. He didn't know why he was so angry, or even what it was exactly that he was angry about. He wiped the sweat away and straightened up, taking a deep breath in.

'I'm just shocked that's all,' he thought as he made his way back outside. 'They caught me off guard and it freaked me out. I don't actually care that Reid's dating a guy.' He plastered a smile onto his face as he rejoined the girls.

"You OK?" Penelope asked quietly. Morgan flashed her a broad grin.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" He held out a hand. "Now which of you ladies wants to dance?"

"Me!" they all replied. Morgan laughed and gestured them to follow him. He made his way to the centre of the crowd and began to dance, moving his hips to the beat of the music. Morgan was a good dancer and he took it in turns to dance with each of the girls, losing himself completely in the music. Eventually JJ said she needed another drink so they went back to the table, and Morgan found his mind racing again.

"I think I'm gonna call it a night, I've got a headache," he said leaning in so the girls could hear him over the loud music. Muffling their protests he picked up his jacket. "You girls stay and have a good time. My bro Tony will keep you fixed for drinks." He embraced each of them and then made his way out into the cold night. Hailing a taxi he jumped in and gave the driver his address. Leaning back in the seat he closed his eyes. He felt exhausted but his whirling thoughts wouldn't let him rest. The journey seemed to last forever, but at last the taxi stopped and he got out thankfully. Handing the driver some cash he turned into his street. But the apartment block in front of him was not his. Cursing the driver he looked back but the car was gone. Then as his eyes adjusted to the darkness he began to recognise his surroundings and groaned. Subconsciously he had given the taxi driver Spencer's address. He knew he should walk away; he'd been drinking and it was very late, but something propelled him forward and before he'd even realised fully what he was doing he felt himself press the buzzer to Spencer's apartment.

"Don't answer, don't answer, don't answer," he muttered under his breath. Click.

"Who is it?"

Damn.

"I-it's Morgan. Can…can I come up?"

There was a pause. "Sure." The door buzzed and Morgan entered the building. He climbed the two flights to Spencer's floor. The door to his apartment was open and Spencer stood in the doorway looking slightly confused.

"Is everything OK? I thought you were out with the girls?"

Morgan nodded. "Everything's fine. My taxi driver got lost so I told him to drop me here and I thought I'd see if you were still up."

Spencer ran a hand through his hair and laughed. "Of course I am." His awful sleeping pattern was no secret to the rest of the BAU team.

"Can I come in?" Morgan asked. Spencer looked at him a little self-consciously.

'He's remembering what happened last time I was here,' Morgan thought, annoyed at himself.

"I don't have to…if you're going to bed or whatever."

"No of course, come in." Spencer stepped back and let Morgan pass by him. He shut the door and followed Morgan into the living room.

"Want a drink?"

"Sure."

"I've only got whiskey."

"That'll be fine." Morgan watched as Spencer got down two glasses and poured them each a generous share. He took the offered glass and downed the drink in one. Spencer was watching him nervously. Morgan leant against the back of the couch.

"So…I hear you had a date tonight," he said conversationally. Spencer reddened.

"Yeah."

"And?"

Spencer looked surprised. "And what?"

"How was it?" Morgan kept his voice relaxed, but he wouldn't meet Spencer's eye."

"Pretty great actually."

"And when were you planning on telling everyone that you're gay? Well, Hotch and Rossi that is. The girls all know already."

Spencer reddened even more. "I-I'm not really…"

"Because if you've been dating the guy for two weeks that means it must be getting fairly serious so I think it's only fair you tell everyone about him if he's going to be hanging around. I mean he could be a complete psycho for all we know, and from what Penelope told me he sounds like a bit of an idiot, but hey it's your life." Morgan regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. Spencer was looking hurt but he answered almost angrily.

"That's not fair Morgan you don't even know Sam."

"You're right, I don't. But it doesn't mean I have to be happy about this." Morgan started pacing. "What's changed? What happened to 'I only have these feelings for you Morgan', I'm not gay, in fact until the other week you had a fricking girlfriend, so what's fucking happened in the past couple of weeks?"

Spencer seemed to shrink back into himself at the anger behind Morgan's words. Morgan noticed and stopped his furious pacing. Spencer furrowed his forehead and looked at his friend. Abruptly he said,

"Why are you here Morgan? I don't understand. Are you teasing me, making fun of me, what? Or have you just come here to yell at me because for the first time in my life I'm actually happy and that's too hard for you to handle?"

Morgan's chest constricted, his throat felt tight and he tried to remember to breathe. There was a long silence. Spencer had his arms wrapped round himself in the same protective stance he had had the day Morgan had forced the confession out of him.

"How can you just make yourself stop loving someone? "You said you loved me…you said you fancied me."

"I did. I-I do."

"H-have you…y'know?" Morgan said finally. "With…him."

"What?" Behind the hurt Spencer was genuinely confused.

"Christ Reid don't make me spell it out!" Comprehension dawned in Spencer's eyes.

"Oh…no."

"D-you…d-you…love him?" Morgan could barely get the words out. He took a step towards Spencer, who's eyes were shining with the first glimpse of tears. Pause.

"Not as much as I love you."

Morgan felt the tightening in his throat increase and he dug his fingernails into the palms of his hands as he too felt tears gather at the corners of his eyes. He took another step towards Spencer and placed a hand on his chest. Spencer's eyes widened. He took another step. They were now only inches apart. He could feel Spencer's breaths coming thick and fast.

"M-Morgan, no…what," Spencer's voice broke, as Morgan's hand gripped the front of his shirt and the other one came up to the side of his face.

"I can't stop thinking about you…I want you." Morgan took a final step and crashed his lips into Spencer's. It was if a fire had ignited in the pit of his stomach, exploding into violent flames the moment their lips met. He felt Spencer's mouth open to meet his and Morgan pushed a knee between his legs so their bodies were pressed a close together as they could be. There were hands everywhere, stroking, touching, caressing. Then suddenly Spencer broke the kiss. He looked at Morgan with questioning eyes.

"Are you sure?"

Morgan stepped back and tried to regain his composure. He didn't do very well. All he could think about was Spencer, the taste of his mouth, the smell of his skin. He looked his friend in the eye and nodded. Spencer smiled and held out his hand. Morgan took it and Spencer pulled him down the hallway. As they entered the bedroom Spencer turned and reclaimed Morgan's lips.

Once again the world around them became a whirlpool of colours and both of them were lost in a haze of desire where neither of them knew quite where they going. All Morgan could think was that he never wanted it to end.