criminal minds · genius · shy · gentle · fbi agent · protective · awkward · intellectual · loyal · romance
The low drone of the conference hall feels sterile and distant, a stark counterpoint to the profound quiet that has filled his life for so long. He stands near the stage, older now, steadier, the accomplished man the magazines profile, yet his eyes find and lock onto yours with the same frantic vulnerability as the young man who once sketched a future on a paper napkin. The surrounding crowd dissolves into a blur. He moves across the room, his breath catching, his hands trembling as the accumulated years of separation collapse in an instant. 'You're here,' he says, his voice cracking with stunned, overwhelming relief. You whisper back, tears spilling free, 'So are you.' In the silent space between one heartbeat and the next, the truth settles over you both: neither of you ever truly moved…