Derek comes back injured from a case and you make sure he's okay. [Derek Morgan x fem!reader] word count: 1.3k
Derek is almost never caught off guard by an unsub. He's alert, and almost always backed up by the team. So when the unsub came out of nowhere with a metal baseball bat, hitting Derek so hard in the side that he saw stars, he didn't want to admit it to you. Heading back to the office after the case was officially wrapped felt good, but he knew you'd be waiting for the team to return. He knew you'd be waiting for him. And he had to admit, it was embarrassing to limp out of the elevator.
The wind had been knocked out of him so hard, that he had no choice but to crumple to the floor at the time, and thinking back on it bruised his ego a little. The unsub had almost gotten away with Derek unable to give chase, but Hotch got there just in the Knick of time, gun drawn and backup behind him.
You're sitting in the bull pen when they all file out of the elevator and into the foyer of the BAU. You see JJ first, then Spencer, Hotch and Emily. Derek is the last to stumble out.
Your eyes scan over him with concern as soon as you see the hand he has pressed to his side. The bruise there makes it hard to walk, to breathe, and even though the medics checked him over, claimed that nothing was broken, he still felt like something was.
"What happened?" the words spill from you as you walk over to him, eyes assessing his every move.
"Not even a hello? Baby I'm heartbroken." You don't laugh or even smile at his quip.
"He got the wind knocked out of him today, but he'll be fine." JJ smirks at the betrayed look on Derek's face as she reveals his secret. Not that he attempted to hide is injury very well at all.
Emily scoffs as she gathers her things from her desk. "Don't act like she wasn't gonna find out big guy."
Your hands come up to his face, holding his jaw you turn his face left to right, checking for bruises.
"Don't worry, they didn't touch the moneymaker." Derek soothes, his hand coming up to rest over yours. "It's just the ribs that are testing me right now."
"Does that mean no hugging?" you ask. Relief is slowly flowing over your features. He's okay for the most part.
"Now I didn't say that." Derek chuckles, reaching out to tug you into his non-injured side. He still winces when you accidently jostle him a little, but he tries to mask it. As much as his abdomen aches, it feels good to have you close.
"Did you miss me?" he mumbles just soft enough for only you to hear.
You mutter back with the same volume, "Always do."
His fingers trace patterns over the sleeves of your shirt before you break away from him, "let me drive you home." you say all of sudden, as if the thought has just landed fresh in your mind.
Derek shakes his head, stepping forward toward his own desk. "I got paperwork to do honey, I can drive myself when I'm done."
Hotch, who has taken his jacket off and draped it over the arm of a chair pipes up, voice monotone as ever. "No you don't. Go home and rest, the paperwork won't go anywhere."
You smile up at Derek, knowing you've won as he sighs and shuffles away from his desk. He's not gonna argue with Hotch, especially when he would much rather go home than stay here for another long night.
"Okay, raincheck on the paperwork, Got it." He glances to you, still smiling triumphantly up at him, and his heartbeat picks up a little.
"Okay pretty lady, lead the way."
You do so, and Derek follows you out to the parking garage.
"Keys, handsome." you extend a hand, and Derek passes you his car keys in defeat.
The drive to his place is quiet for the most part and the dark streets are almost devoid of cars other than the one you drive. The street lights greet you with each mile you go, and when you make it back to Derek's place you rush out of the car so you can open the passenger side door for him.
"Chivalry isn't dead after all." he chuckles, and before he can make a move you grab his go bag from the backseat.
"You don't have to carry my things you know, I got it."
All you do is shush him, taking the steps to his front door two at a time.
"You wanna unlock the front door too? Or can I have that privilege?"
You seem to think it over, before you nod and step out of his way. "Go ahead cowboy, do the honors."
He gives you a nudge with his arm at the teasing before pulling his house keys out of his pocket and putting them in the lock. The door opens with ease, as if welcoming him, and the strange helper at his side, home.
You've been to Derek's house few times, but the both of you are never really free to see each other outside of work. The place looks different than when you were last there, a chair or two gone or somewhere knew, a new picture of his mother and sister on the wall. But it's still so unbelievably 'Derek'.
"I like the rug." you nudge the brown rug next to the couch with your sock covered toe, having taken your shoes off at the door. Derek looks back over his shoulder at you, and it might just have occured to him now that you are in his house.
The relationship you have with Derek is extremely complex and confusing. You are coworkers yes, and you are more than friends too. But to say you are a couple isn't quite right, dating isn't true and situationship feels like it doesn't do you both justice. You are just something to him, something meaningful and good, and he is the same to you.
So why is he suddenly self conscious of the rug on the floor? Of whether you like the place, of whether you might see yourself living here one day?
He doesn't let on though, smiling back at you. "Thanks, she's brand new."
"Your rug is a she?"
"Yeah, you got a problem with another woman at my place, honey?" he raises a brow, before heading over to the couch and sitting down. "What can I say? The ladies love me." he extends his legs out, body finally relaxing a little after the long few days.
"They sure do, it seems." you place his go bag down on the coffee table, eyes scanning the space before you.
"Is there anything I can get for you? Water? An aspirin? Tequila?" the last part is said with a smirk, partly joking.
Derek just moves a pillow off the other end of the couch, groaning very quietly at the pain in his side. "Nothing, just come sit with me a sec."
Your steps are soft against the carpet as you pad over to the couch. You sink down onto it, and for a second there is quiet between you. Derek shuffles slightly, altering his position, before he opens an arm invitingly out to you.
"C'mere," it's spoken gently and with an air of openness. You shuffle closer, his arm coming over your shoulders and pulling you into the uninjured side of his chest. It's warm and comforting to be here with him like this, tucking your legs up beside you as Derek places a kiss to the top of your head.
He mumbles into your hair, "Thank you for driving me home."
You take a deep breath, and allow your head to fall to his shoulder.
