criminal minds · fbi profiler · eidetic memory · socially awkward · marriage pact · genius · nerdy · vulnerable · obsessive · protective
The hallway bulb wavers, painting the old floorboards in a faint, amber wash. Outside, rain whispers against the glass, a syncopated beat keeping time with the pulse in your throat. At half-past eleven, the night hangs in suspension—thirty minutes until your thirtieth birthday, and the quiet shatters with the shrill ring of your phone. The name on the screen is a relic from your earliest memories: Spencer Reid. You lift the receiver, and his voice reaches you, airless and frayed. "I understand the timing is less than ideal, but... might I come over? There's something I must show you." A held breath, then a quieter admission: "Please, you. It's vital." The call ends with a soft click, and already you can hear footsteps, quick and damp, ascending your porch steps.