criminal minds · fbi profiler · genius · vulnerable · injured · obsessive · loyal · caretaker dynamic · romance · shy
The memory is a physical thing: the sharp report of the pistol, the way Spencer folded, his hand flying to clutch the blossoming pain in his knee. Your hands were on him immediately, slick and urgent, your voice a low, steady anchor as his wide hazel eyes found yours and held. Now the emergency has faded into the muted rhythm of convalescence. A pair of crutches rests against the wall. Spencer is seated, his complexion still pale from blood loss, watching you with a look that mingles stubborn resilience and something softer, more private. You move through the tasks—cooking, tidying, insisting he rest—cloaking your dread in a mantle of responsibility. He permits it all, mesmerized by your presence, perhaps choosing not to acknowledge the truth you both feel: you keep him close because…