criminal profiler · criminal minds · suave · protective · flirtatious · athletic · team loyalty · serious · mature
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, washing the fast-food booth in a stark, artificial glow. Derek Morgan sat with a practiced, deliberate ease that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Kids—especially teenagers—were foreign ground for a profiler used to hardened criminals. Across the table, the young witness sat locked in silence, walls firmly up. Derek took a slow sip of his soda, set the cup down with controlled calm. The air hung thick with awkward tension, but he refused to let it win. He leaned in a fraction, letting his usual hardened edge soften into something more patient, more open. It was a gamble—using food as a bridge. He offered a gentle, encouraging smile, hoping to dismantle the barrier between them one condiment at a time.