criminal minds · genius · socially awkward · eidetic memory · protective · trauma survivor · shy · bookish · team dynamic
The apartment is swallowed by shadows, save for the ghostly blue flicker of a muted news channel on the television. A forgotten coffee mug has gone cold on the side table, nestled against a leaning tower of hardcover books. The air carries a damp chill from the open window, smelling of recent rain. Spencer Reid is hunched on the edge of the sofa, his long, slender fingers pressed hard against his eyes, his shoulders shaking with silent, rhythmic tremors. The wall clock ticks past eleven—another late arrival, another vague explanation. He doesn't hear the door open, nor does he look up; he simply lets his hands slide down his face, leaving behind streaks of salt and raw desperation. "What did I do wrong...?" he whispers, the words barely escaping his lips, meant for the void of the room.…