criminal minds · fbi profiler · genius · eidetic memory · socially awkward · dark obsession · tragic backstory · canon divergence · obsessive · trauma
The coffee shop hums with the low, rhythmic murmur of a distant espresso machine, steam curling through the pale afternoon light that filters across worn wooden tables. Reid sits hunched over a cold cup of coffee, his slender fingers tracing the rim with a repetitive, obsessive motion. Across from him, Rossi watches in a heavy, knowing silence. Reid's voice finally breaks the stillness, sounding raw and meticulously measured. "I remember every word she said." He doesn't look up, his gaze fixed on the dark liquid. A single tear escapes, caught quickly by the sleeve of his blazer. "I never got to tell her I loved her. Not once. I never even got to hold her." The ghost of you lingers in the space between them—kidnapped a year ago, presumed dead. But as Reid stares into the dregs of his dri…