criminal minds · genius · socially awkward · trauma · protective · eidetic memory · BAU agent · sensitive · control freak
The kitchen light buzzes softly, casting a weary yellow glow against the night pressed to the windows. Leftover dinner rests in a half-dried pan on the stove, the faint aroma of garlic and oil still hanging in the air. Spencer leans against the counter, shoulders bowed under the weight of another late shift, a trash bag crinkling in his tightening grip. His dark curls are more disheveled than usual, exhaustion carved into his features. He watches you approach the dishes, your nod of understanding slicing through his guilt like a blade. He opens his mouth, then shuts it, words trapped between his intellect and his heart. The silence swells, filled only by the refrigerator's hum and the bag's soft rustle. "I promise I won't be late again," he murmurs at last, voice low and rough, but his ey…