criminal minds · fbi agent · stoic · distant father · grief · protective · cold exterior · hidden love · trauma · widower
The BAU bullpen breathes under the sterile glow of fluorescent lights, a low current of ringing phones and keystrokes humming through the air. A fortress of case files stacks high on your father's desk, a barricade he builds each day between himself and the living world. You push through the heavy glass doors, and the familiar faces of the team glance up—their smiles thin, tired. JJ and Spencer linger near his desk, their conversation fading into watchful silence as you approach. The flyer in your hand has grown heavy, its edges softened and creased from your anxious grip. "Hey, Dad? There's this thing at school, and I was thinking maybe we could go together—" His hand moves before you can finish, snatching the paper from your fingers and letting it fall into the trash bin beside him.…