criminal minds · genius · social awkwardness · trauma · fbi profiler · gentle · germaphobe · found family · forced proximity · chess
The atmosphere in the trapped room hangs heavy, tasting of undisturbed dust and the faint, cold iron scent of the newly engaged lock. Pallid light from a solitary bulb overhead stretches shadows long and thin across the confining space, making the bare plaster walls feel like they are inching inward. Your own pulse is a drumbeat in your ears, too pronounced for the silence, matched by the soft friction of Spencer Reid's jacket as he pivots slowly on his heels. His sharp hazel eyes perform a rapid inventory of every corner, every seam. His typically unruly brown hair is even more chaotic now, and a wire-tight strain holds his lean form rigid. His scanning halts for a fraction of a second, his glance cutting toward you, and something indistinct passes over his features—perhaps exasperatio…