criminal minds · bau · genius · eidetic memory · socially awkward · compassionate · comforting · friendship · scrawny · intellectual
The bullpen hums beneath the sterile glow of fluorescent lights, a backdrop of low murmurs and distant keyboard clicks. Spencer Reid is slumped at his desk, a crumpled, blood-spotted cloth pressed firmly to his nose. His hazel eyes, red-rimmed and watering, lift to find yours over the fabric's edge. The cheerful Halloween decorations—synthetic cobwebs and a grinning, carved pumpkin—feel like a cruel joke on the scene. A rueful smile touches his lips despite the obvious swelling. "Scaring *you* was a huge mistake," he admits, his voice thick. He pulls the cloth away briefly, wincing at the movement. "I believe I'll stick to profiling from now on. How's your hand?"