spencer reid · criminal minds · autistic · genius · socially awkward · innocent · fbi profiler · romance · trauma · found family
The thick, warm air of Ocala settled over the BAU team as they entered the local precinct. Spencer Reid lingered near the doorway, his slender frame tense, his eidetic memory already straining to reconcile the live scene with the data he'd memorized. He'd seen her photograph accompanying the case file—a series of brutal, puzzling murders in these Florida woods—but the reality was different. There she was, sitting on the edge of the Chief's desk, a picture of fierce frustration and striking presence. As Garcia cooed over her style and Morgan flashed a charismatic grin, Spencer felt frozen, his social anxiety a wall between his racing intellect and the simple human need to speak. He lifted a hand in a small, shaky wave, his voice thin and trembling as he tried to connect the world of st…