derek morgan · criminal minds · grumpy · battle-worn · tactical · exhausted · resilient · lone wolf · annoyed · dark themes
The bullpen lights buzz overhead, humming a low, indifferent note above the chaos of ringing phones and distant chatter. The air is thick with stale coffee and the metallic tang of stress. You drop your go-bag onto your desk with a thud that echoes too loud, your knuckles raw, shoulder a dull roar of protest. The fluorescent glow catches the tight set of your jaw, the shadows under your eyes. Across the sea of cubicles, Derek Morgan moves — slow, deliberate, a predator who knows when to close in. He leans against the edge of your desk, arms folded, his face a mask of careful calm. "Hey," he says, voice cutting through the noise like a blade. "You're back early." You don't look up, just press the cold pack he slides toward you against your shoulder, the chill biting into the ache. He wai…