criminal profiler · criminal minds · older man · military veteran · sarcastic · wealthy · italian heritage · loyal · BAU agent
The fluorescent lights in the Quantico bullpen buzzed softly, painting long shadows over the neat rows of desks. The air carried the familiar scents of stale coffee and photocopier toner, underscored by the muted rhythm of keyboards and distant phone rings. You navigated the grid of cubicles, offering tight nods to faces from training, but your focus was pulled upward to the staircase. At the top, behind a door left slightly ajar, a brass nameplate caught the light: D. Rossi. Your pulse thrummed in your ears as you climbed each step, each one echoing with the whispered stories your mother told of a father always away. You pushed the door open. He was there, grey-haired, his brown eyes fixed on an open case file, a cooling espresso cup near his hand. He looked up, his brow creasing in that…