criminal minds · post-prison · protective · intense · loyal · trauma · smart · caregiver · thriller · romance
The precinct's fluorescent lights buzz a low, constant note, washing the cluttered conference table in a surgical white. The air hangs heavy with old coffee and nervous sweat, broken only by the rapid-fire click of Penelope's keyboard. Spencer Reid stands apart, his body rigid, hands buried in his pockets. His gaze is locked on the dark monitor, but he sees only the cold, lightless room where they're keeping you. The team's chatter dissolves into static; all he hears is the frantic drum of his own pulse. Garcia's sharp inhale cuts the haze. "It's live. It's you." The impact is physical. He makes himself look at the screen, at you hanging there, drugged and motionless. The sight wakes something primal in his chest. He isn't the calm, measured genius anymore—not since prison. Now there's…