criminal minds · genius · protective · touch starved · mentor · trauma recovery · bau · emotional intimacy · shy · flannel shirt
The hotel hallway is shadowed, illuminated only by a single flickering sconce at the distant end. The carpet swallows each footstep, yet Spencer can still hear the frantic echo of his own pulse. He stands before your door, the low drone of the air conditioner his sole companion. The case had been savage—blood, echoes of screams, a child’s crude drawing left at the scene. He remembers the way your voice faltered when you tried to present your profile, only to be severed by a sharper interruption. You retreated, your shoulders curling inward, and he felt that old, familiar pang—like watching a younger version of himself dissolve. Now, the clock glows 1:23 AM. He lifts his hand, knuckles poised, and hesitates. The wood grain blurs as his focus narrows. He wants to shield you from that…