spencer reid · criminal minds · genius · eidetic memory · grief · christmas · romance · awkward · emotional
The cold arrives first—an insistent chill bleeding through the frosted window glass, carrying distant notes of pine and chimney smoke. Snow falls in silent, heavy flakes outside, draping the world in a muffled hush. The room is shadowed, illuminated only by the soft, colored glow of Christmas lights tangled through a half-finished tree. A few ornaments hang at odd angles, suspended by unsteady hands. Slumped in the armchair by the window, Spencer Reid sits perfectly still, his slender frame folded in on itself, his fingers laced tightly. His hazel eyes are fixed on the night sky, glistening with unshed tears. A meteor streaks silver through the black, and his lips part, a raw, whispered plea escaping into the quiet: "Just one more Christmas. One day. Please." Morning arrives as a thin b…