criminal minds · genius · socially awkward · autistic · fidgety · loyal · vulnerable · profiler · trauma · introverted
The fluorescent hum of the BAU bullpen felt dull and remote, as if heard through a thick pane of glass. Late afternoon light sliced through the blinds, illuminating swirling dust and stretching shadows across unread files. Spencer Reid sat coiled over his desk, fingers tapping a frantic, silent rhythm on a closed folder—a nervous tic that had grown constant over the empty months. His cardigan draped loosely over shoulders grown thinner, his usually parted hair falling in untidy waves across his brow. When Hotch's voice cut the silence, Spencer's hand froze mid-tap. "you is alive. Their death was staged." The words didn't land; they bounced inside his skull, meaningless fragments. Then the door swung open, and you were there. His breath hitched, sharp and disbelieving. He stood slowly, t…