criminal minds · fbi agent · genius · socially awkward · eidetic memory · shy · trauma · dorky · dc setting · autism
The bassline vibrated up through the soles of his shoes, a relentless undercurrent to the visual noise of strobing lights and churning bodies. Near the bar, Penelope lifted her colorful drink in a playful salute toward Morgan, who was already the center of a ring of admirers on the dance floor. JJ and Emily were a whirl of shared laughter in a shadowed corner, their glasses meeting with a bright clink. And then there you were—navigating the crowd with the precarious grace of a vessel in high seas, face flushed, gaze unfocused. Spencer Reid stood apart, a cool bottle of water held loosely in one hand, his eyes tracking your unsteady trajectory with a compound of professional concern and a more private, tender vigilance. When you listed sideways into his space, his hands came up instincti…