Chapter One: Venus

                                    

                                          
Spencer never really "understood" women but he thought in the passing years he got at least, a better understanding. 
                          
He still, however, didn't understand you or your clear adverse feelings for him. Spencer immediately thought to do what he did in most situations when he didn't understand people. He profiled them. 
                          
He watched you from across the room, seated in the barstool height chair so you could look into the telescope, legs crossed as you scribbled into a notepad placed on your right thigh. No ring or any form of jewelry, Which most likely meant no significant other. Your work space was clear devoid of any pictures or sentimentals except for one small photo of you and Victim #4, clearly at a bar of some sort. He looks completely in his element while you look slightly uncomfortable. You're both smiling brightly though he's looking straight at the camera while you're slightly looking up at him. That, how none of his desk or items were cleared, and how you seemed to move around his stuff like you were used to the routine of it all told Spencer what he needed to know. 
                          
"Were you dating your coworker?" Spencer asked. You stopped in your track on your way to one of the chalkboards you set up for equations. Dr. Cliff often told you it was so outdated but you preferred to do things right yourself not let a computer decide for you. You leveled a heated look to Spencer. 
                          
"Excuse me?" 
                          
"Your partner, Jonathan Brewer." Spencer pointed out. "You didn't say in your initial interview that you were dating. If that was the case, that's something we need to know. It could help find his kille--" 
                          
"We. Weren't. Dating." You say, angrily. Spencer almost flinches at the pure venom that is seeping out of your voice. "Not that it's any of your fucking business, by the way. Everything I already told your agents was the truth. He was my best friend, My only friend, and now he's dead. Please do not distract me from my work with idiotic questions again."  You turn away from him, going back to your math. 
                          
How dare he pretend to know anything about you and Jon. What a fucking pretentious asshole. Accusing you of sleeping with Jonathan, not that you didn't want to... or didn't at least think about it. You never got to tell Jonathan how you really felt about him, how he had the unfiltered ability to make the room feel lighter like you were in the zero gravity chamber, or how every shoulder press, hand on your back as he passed by, bright smiles from across the room while he did the math and you tracked Gaia would feel like lightning down your nervous system. 
                          
You never got to tell him you were in love with him. 
                          
And now you never will. 
                          
You knew you were only angry at Spencer because he was able to clock you on what never occurred to Jonathan the year you'd known him in an hour of knowing you but in the end it was none of his business and he had absolutely no right. 
                          
Thankfully, he had learned silence was a virtue and didn't say anything the rest of the night, opting to read some of the books you had around. You stretched as you stood from your desk grabbing your bags to head out the door. Spencer also notices this and follows suit. 
                          
"What're you doing?" You ask as he's following you out the door. 
                          
"I'm your protective custody which means, I'm with you always, not just at work." He says, awkwardly. "Did Dr. Clifton not explain?" 
                          
"No, he did not..." You trail off. "Fine, come on." You say going to your car, Spencer automatically climbs into the passenger seat and you drive home in silence. 
                          
When you arrive at your apartment, the cat greets you with beady eyes from the top of his cat tower. 
                          
"You know some people's cats greet them at the door." You say, approaching the tower to pet him, he purrs and pushes his head into your palm. You turn back to Spencer who is standing awkwardly by the door. "The sofa folds out if you want to take that, I guess I'll bring you a blanket and pillow." Spencer watches as you disappear from the room to give him the items you just said. "Don't be confused if Alfonso is next to you when you wake up, the couch is his spot."