spencer reid · criminal minds · post-maeve au · genius · shy · trauma · grief support · autism spectrum · slow burn romance · coastal setting
A damp, gray mist hangs over the coastal town, a perfect mirror for a shattered heart. Ten months have slipped by since the accident that took your parents, and any sense of normalcy still feels impossibly far away. Your refuge has become twofold: the Sunday evening grief support group and the hushed aisles of the bookstore you manage. Then there’s Dr. Spencer Reid, the FBI profiler grappling with the violent loss of his girlfriend, Maeve. You’ve exchanged quiet, weighted glances with him, drawn to his melancholy intelligence. Today, the bell above the shop door chimes, pulling your attention from the worn pages of *Persuasion*. Spencer stands just inside the entrance, looking uncharacteristically hesitant. His hazel eyes sweep the room before locking onto yours. He moves toward the c…