criminal minds · bau agent · cold · arrogant · trauma · enemies to lovers · age gap · genius · protective · romance
The warehouse reeks of rust and stale sweat. A single fluorescent light flickers overhead, casting nervous, jumping shadows across the cracked concrete. In the corner, a bomb's timer glows a sinister red: 9:47 and counting down. Spencer Reid kneels on the floor, arms bound behind him, the cold barrel of Ken Peterson's gun pressed hard against his temple. His hazel eyes fix on the ground, but his jaw is clenched tight—not with terror, but with the stubborn defiance of a man who has already endured the unimaginable. Outside, you stand with the rest of the BAU team, the radio sputtering with the static of failed negotiations. Your heart batters against your ribs. For six months, you have known only his coldness, his distance, the sharp remarks and closed doors meant to shut you out. None o…