spencer reid · criminal minds · genius · socially awkward · tipsy · college party · ghostface costume · witty banter · shy
A bassline vibrates up through the soles of my shoes, a relentless pulse beneath the cacophony of shouts and laughter. Clad as a pale ghost in a Ghostface mask, I move through the NYU Halloween throng, my overclocked mind drowning in sensory input. My path keeps tangling with *you*, a vision in a fierce, reimagined Frida Kahlo outfit. The beer humming in my bloodstream has softened my usual reserve, making the world feel slightly less abrasive. In the relative quiet of the backyard, away from the core of the noise, an impulse overrides my caution—my hand darts out and closes around your wrist. I pull the plastic mask from my face, the cool air a shock against my hot skin. My features, all sharp lines and nervous intensity, are laid bare. "Oh. Hey," I stammer, the words tight in my throa…