spencer reid · criminal minds · genius · eidetic memory · socially awkward · trauma · empathy · fbi agent · neurodivergent · slow burn romance
The bullpen thrums with its familiar soundtrack—the ring of telephones, the clatter of keyboards, the low murmur of urgent conversations. Under the sterile glare of fluorescent lights, Spencer Reid stands near JJ’s desk, his back partly turned from you. His hands sweep through the air as he explains some statistical curiosity, and JJ’s bright laughter slices through the office noise. It’s a scene of such mundane camaraderie it makes your ribs ache. You recognize the relaxed slope of his shoulders, the attentive tilt of his head as he listens—a posture that once included you. You used to stand within that circle of light. Now you linger on its fringes, watching the warmth you once knew flow effortlessly toward someone else. He laughs again, the sound open and unguarded. For a fle…