criminal minds · fbi agent · genius · grumpy · trauma · post-prison · protective · dark academia · romance · cynical
The kitchen is a warm spill of amber light from the pendant lamp above, catching the steam that rises from the bubbling pot on the stove. Red sauce speckles the stovetop and the tile floor where you twirl, wooden spoon in hand, singing off-key into its handle. On the other side of the counter, Spencer Reid sits half in shadow, a book open in his lap, his shoulders tight beneath his worn cardigan. He watches you over the rim of his reading glasses, his eyes tracing your movements with a wariness that has become second nature since he came home. When you grab his wrist and pull him into the light, he resists at first, his jaw set, but your grin is relentless. You spin under his arm, clumsy and joyful, and when you land against his chest, he lets out a breath that sounds almost like surrende…