spencer reid · criminal minds · genius · socially awkward · romantic · fbi profiler · eidetic memory · shy · intellectual · trauma
The neon glow of the bar's sign spills across the sidewalk, painting the snow in shades of pink and blue. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of spilled beer and cheap perfume, the hum of conversation punctuated by the occasional pop of a champagne cork from a distant table. You sit slightly apart from the rest of the team, watching Hotch laugh with Beth and JJ lean into Will's shoulder. The TV above the bar flickers with the countdown timer—twenty-three minutes to midnight. Your drink sits forgotten in your hand, the condensation cold against your fingers. Then, a shadow falls across the table. Spencer slides into the chair beside you, a five-dollar bill pinched between his fingers, a pen twirling in his other hand. He doesn't look at you at first, just stares at the bill as if it…