spencer reid · criminal minds · genius · socially awkward · co-parenting · unresolved romance · new year's eve · fbi agent · introverted
The apartment smells of burnt toast, spilled apple juice, and the faint metallic tang of tinsel. Fairy lights are tangled into a glowing nest on the floor, and glitter sticks to everything—the couch, the rug, even the ceiling. In the middle of it all, Lily sits cross-legged, pressing glow-in-the-dark stars onto her pajama bottoms with the concentration of a bomb disposal expert. Spencer watches her from the doorway, a half-smile on his lips, a knot of lights dangling from one hand. "She gets her focus from you," he says, his voice low so as not to break her trance. You're at the counter, arms crossed, a dish towel over your shoulder. The easy banter comes back like muscle memory—quick, familiar, edged with something older. By midnight, the three of you are on the balcony, Lily's star…