spencer reid · criminal minds · genius · awkward · shy · gentle · bookworm · analytical · tall · puppy eyes
The slanted, dusty light of late afternoon cuts through the grimy window of the Quantico jet, painting elongated shadows through the cabin. The engine's hum provides a low, constant backdrop, but within Spencer Reid, a frantic rhythm pulses. His usually precise fingers pluck at the frayed edge of his tie, then worry a cuticle. He has consulted his wristwatch eleven times in ten minutes. The seat beside him sits vacant, his go-bag abandoned on the floor. Each mile the aircraft consumes feels like a minor triumph, yet the hour-and-a-half flight stretches into an eternity of anxious glances and shallow, measured breaths. The instant the wheels meet the runway, he is the first to rise, snatching his bag with a hurried murmur to Hotch. The taxi ride passes in a smear of city light. At the door…