"W- Hotch you can't be serious, she's a criminal!" He shifted in his seat, but his face remained impassive. "So was Garcia. She's a good person, Strauss. Give her a chance."
The bookstore gave off the type of smell no one could describe. it just smelled like comfort, and knowledge, and excitement. Nova could hear soft chatter throughout the store but found herself too immersed in the many shelves of books to acknowledge it. She ran her fingers over the spines, reading the titles for something she might find interesting.
Nova had just picked a book about the progression of the Roman empire when she felt warm arms wrap rounder waist from behind her back and a familiar face rest against her shoulder. She laughed as Spencer dug his face further into her shoulder. "It's cold," he said, his voice slightly muffled over the scarf he was wearing.
She laughed and turned around in his arms, returning his hug and resting her head against his chest. They had been together for four years now and nothing made her happier than being in his arms. She pulled back from the hug slightly to look up at him and laughed when she saw his nose was bright red.
"Come on, let's get going before you turn into a Spencicle." Spencer frowned at the pun as Nova snickered and pulled him toward the cashier.
"So what are our plans for today, dinner at Rossi's?" Nova asked Spencer as they piled into his car, stuffing the trunk with the many books they had just bought. Spencer's face immediately morphed into a wide grin as he started the car up, nodding enthusiastically. "Yep!"
Nova looked to him with a grin on her face "Not that I don't love our Italian Stallion, but what's got you so excited, Spence?" she asked him suspiciously. She saw Spencer's ears and cheeks turn slightly pink as she laughed and avoided the question. "Italian stallion? You've been spending too much time with Penelope."
Nova scoffed "Too much time with the Penny G? No such thing." she replied, laughing. Nova knew that Spencer was trying to distract her, but there was no use in her bringing it up again if he didn't want to tell her. Spencer hated lying and keeping secrets, so if he was keeping something from her, she trusted it was for a good reason.
Ever since they both left the BAU, things had been a little different for them. Spencer chose to leave the team, deciding to become a professor in criminology. Once he realized that he wanted to be able to have a more stable life, he opted for a more stable job. He absolutely loved being able to teach. He had always wanted to, even before he got the job at the BAU. Sometimes the team still consulted with him on cases that he had specialties in, and he liked the fact that he could be of help.
Penelope and Rossi still worked with the team, but Derek, Emily, JJ, and Hotch had retired. Spencer and Nova had met the lovely Savannah and Nova had become great friends with her. She was absolutely stunning, and she and Derek were happy together. Nova and Spencer had both adored Hank and went to visit the Morgan household often.
Emily and JJ were living their best lives together with Henry. They had gotten married last spring and had the most beautiful, emotional wedding. Nova was one of the bridesmaids and she cried during the ceremony. If you ask her if she did, though, she'd tell you she didn't.
Hotch had decided to step away from the BAU to live with his son, Jack, and wife, Beth. They had a baby girl on the way that Nova couldn't be more excited to meet. Nova might not have been the best with babies, but she loved to be around them. It was something about kids that made her heart warm whenever she saw them.
"Alright, I will be half an hour exactly, no more and definitely no less. You need a shower?" Nova pointed a finger at Spencer questioningly. He nodded and she smirked. "Great," she said before taking his hand and dragging him with her to the shower.
Spencer raised a brow at her. "We'll be late." and Nova just laughed. "Whatever do you mean? It's the new agenda, Spence. Saves water." He just laughed and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, placing his hands around her face gently.
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"I'm telling you, Rossi, Savannah will kill me if I don't get this recipe for her." Derek pleaded with him, making everyone laugh. "No, no, no I'm not giving this to her through you. This is a Rossi family recipe." He replied, waving his spatula towards Morgan.
JJ laughed "You gave Nova the recipe three weeks ago"
Derek looked offended. "What! David Rossi you sly dog. I've been asking for it for two years!" Rossi only laughed and said "You tell the lovely lady to come here and I'll give it to her myself. Chef to chef. You don't appreciate the arts." he replied, sipping his wine and walking off, causing the group to erupt into laughter.
Soon after that, everyone made their way to Rossi's backyard after dinner. Nova and Spencer were at the pergola a ways away from them, staring at the stars. "Y'know, there's the big dipper, and that's actually Saturn, so your constellation should be somewhere around, there," Nova said to Spencer, pointing to where his birth constellation is. She always loved astronomy. Spencer stared at her in awe. He always thought her knowledge of so many topics was absolutely brilliant.
He was 100% sure she was smarter than him but was much better at hiding it than he was. Nova continued admiring the stars, pointing out her favorites every now and again as she rattled of enthusiastic facts about the world around them. When Spencer went quiet for a while she turned around, wondering if he was alright, to find him on one knee behind her and a ring box in his hand.
Spencer had slightly teary eyes as he smiled at her. Nova looked shocked for a split moment before laughing out loud, her eyes becoming slightly watery.
"Spencer, you dick!" she said loudly and Spencer's eyes widened as she kneeled down and got into the same position in front of him.
She dug into her jacket pocket and pulled out a pretty red vintage ring box, and opened it to find an intricately carved rose gold ring band. Spencer looked down at the floor at her, laughing loudly with tears in his eyes.
"Great minds think alike?" he said quietly to her, laughing. "Well now neither of us get to do this properly." she sniffled, her cheeks dusted pink.
Spencer noted that even when Nova was crying, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
"Well, I think it's better this way," he said laughing. Neither of them was upset this had happened. "On three?" he said, lifting the box up slightly to refer to the ring. Nova laughed and nodded.
"One"
"Two"
"Three"
"Will you marry me?" they asked simultaneously and heard laughing come from behind them. Nova looked at the ground, her shoulders shaking up and down with her laughter.
"Yeah I guess if I have to," she said to Spencer, rolling her eyes and giving him her hand. He took her hand gently and placed the most beautiful ring she had ever seen on her finger.
It was a vintage-looking ring, delicate and very unique. The band was a muted rose gold and in the center of the ring was the most beautiful jewel she had seen in her life. The opal gem shined in the middle of the ring, decorated with lovely designs all around it. Ironically, their rings match.
Nova took Spencer's ring out of the box and chucked the box behind her, sliding the ring gently onto his finger.
Spencer immediately took her face into his hands and kissed her and they heard the team whooping behind them with enthusiasm. They would've kissed for longer but Nova laughed in the middle when Derek screamed "Yeah! Boy genius is a man genius now!"
