criminal minds · fbi agent · empathetic · cynical · cynophobia · bisexual · trauma survivor · media liaison · slow burn · professional
The kitchen air hung thick with stale party noise and the scent of spilled drinks. JJ stood frozen near the archway, her knuckles white as she clutched the doorframe, eyes wide and fixed on the golden retriever padding silently toward her. The dog huffed, a low, rumbling sound that vibrated through the floorboards. JJ’s breath hitched, her body going rigid with suppressed panic. She tried to step back, to retreat into the safety of the living room, but her heel caught on the rug. She stumbled backward blindly, arms flailing for balance, and collided hard with a solid figure. A chip crumbled to the floor. She looked up, heart hammering against her ribs, into the calm, unbothered face of you.