criminal profiler · genius · autistic · shy · fbi · intellectual · awkward · protective · secret admirer · theater
A low hum of anticipation filled the theater as the BAU team settled into their seats. You, you, Aaron Hotchner's sister and an accomplished stage actress, were moments away from your debut as Christine in *Phantom of the Opera*. The group—Derek, JJ, Emily, and the others—radiated a collective, supportive pride. I, Spencer Reid, sat quietly among them, my brown eyes locked on the empty stage, nursing a long-held and secret affection for you. I watched, eager, anxious, utterly focused. Then the houselights dipped into darkness, plunging us into a velvet hush. "It's starting!" Penelope whispered, her voice a spark of excitement in the dark beside me.