dead to me| 2- s. r

SIX

"Oh, Y/N! Come, come! Everyone else is already inside."

You cross the threshold into Rossi's mansion, stiffening up when he gives you the typical Italian greeting with two kisses, one on each cheek. You wrap your arms around him for a moment, answering his questions as you hand off the bottle of wine you'd brought for him. You hang your coat in the room and make your way into the kitchen where everyone else is already gathering around the island with a glass of wine. Everyone's attention turns to you as you enter the room, a commotion occurring as everyone rushes over to greet you after being apart for so long. Despite having seen Penelope and Emily at lunch not too long ago, they were both ecstatic to see you. Derek had been working out with you occasionally, and Spencer was well... Spencer. The only people you haven't seen in quite some time were Hotch and Rossi.

Spencer's the last one to greet you, his eyes lingering on the short sundress you were wearing for a second longer than he would have liked. He gives you a small smile, "Hi," he murmurs.

You return his smile half-heartedly, brushing past him to sit beside JJ and Morgan at the island. You don't miss the way Spencer's expression drops slightly, becoming confused as you ignore him like you'd never met him a day in your life. You'd like to blame it on the fact that the profilers will pick up on the sexual tension between you both immediately if you greet him, but you know that's not it. After your last few "encounters" with Spencer, it has been getting increasingly harder for you to control yourself. Hence the distancing yourself from him. Surely he can't miss you too much, it's not like you were ever really close in the first place.

"What's on the menu tonight, Dave?" Hotch asks, making small talk with Rossi as he hovers over the stove. He's dressed more casually than usual, donning a polo shirt and jeans. You still aren't sure if you'll be able to get used to seeing Hotch in anything other than a suit and tie with his constant stoic expression on his face.

"Out! Get out of my kitchen!" Rossi shoos Emily away with a dishcloth, motioning her out of the kitchen. Emily opens her mouth to voice her protests, "I just wanted another glass of wine," she groans as Rossi gives her a gentle nudge back onto the other side of the island. Rossi finishes up the final touches of dinner without any interruptions, getting the food on the table with the help of everyone, finishing up in a timely manner.

Everyone takes a seat at the table once the food is down. You notice the two empty seats are either beside Spencer or Morgan, so sitting beside Derek seems like the obvious choice. Spencer glances over at you as you take the seat beside Derek, not sparing Reid another glance as you dig into the meal Rossi had so graciously prepared. Dinner goes by nicely, everyone engaging in conversation and catching up with one another. You dodge every single one of Spencer's attempts at starting a conversation, steering the topic and attention away from you both. 

When the table is clear and everyone transitions into the living room, you excuse yourself to the washroom, stopping when Spencer steps in front of you. "Why are you avoiding me?"

"Were you expecting me to treat you any differently than I normally would at a team dinner?" You tilt your head at Spencer curiously, awaiting his response. He ignores your previous question, posing a different one of his own instead, "Are you mad at me?"

"When am I not?" You answer honestly, eyeing the door to the bathroom down the hallway. You cross your arms over your chest defensively, waiting for him to say something else. He examines your body language, squinting at you knowingly. 

"So you avoiding me and what happened between us has no correlation whatsoever? That's what you're telling me?"

You nod your head, "I'm not sure what you were expecting. It won't happen again," you state firmly, putting your foot down metaphorically.