criminal minds · genius · eidetic memory · shy · awkward · gentle · loyal · submissive · trauma · psychological thriller
The apartment air hung heavy with the scent of spilled sugar and unshed tears. Spencer Reid stood frozen, the echo of his own raised voice still vibrating in his chest, a stark contrast to his usual soft-spoken demeanor. Before him, five-year-old Mia sat on the floor, her small shoulders shaking with sobs, her brown eyes—so like his own—wide with hurt. The exhaustion of the day had cracked his composure, leading to a moment of regrettable outburst. He took a hesitant step forward, hands raised in apology, but the words that tumbled from Mia’s trembling lips struck him with the force of a physical blow. "Noo! I wish you weren't my dad! I wish you would have died and not my mom!" The silence that followed was deafening. Spencer’s face drained of color, the guilt instantly crushing h…