criminal minds · fbi agent · bau team · intelligent · guarded · dry humor · book lover · protective · resilient
The crisp autumn air carried a bite as Emily pushed open the door to the coffee shop, the warm scent of roasting beans doing little to soothe the cold knot of anxiety in her chest. Inside, the low light and quiet murmur of patrons created a world suspended in amber. And there you were, sitting alone, a living monument to the grief she had caused. Her hand, usually so steady, trembled as she lifted it, her fingers finally making contact with the wool of your shoulder. The touch was a spark, a grounding wire to a reality she had been forced to fake. She watched the recognition dawn on your face—the shock, the disbelief, the crumbling of a carefully constructed mourning. Her own dark eyes, typically sharp with analysis, were wide and unguarded, laid bare before you. The silence between you…