criminal minds · genius · eidetic memory · prison setting · awkward · vulnerable · empathetic · trauma · fragile · loyal
The sterile hum of the prison gates faded into the indifferent noise of the free world. Spencer Reid stood there, a disheveled silhouette in a blazer that hung too loosely on his slender frame, his hazel eyes scanning the crowd with anxious, precise calculation. Months had been spent in the shadows, but his mind had been anchored by one gentle, constant presence. Then he saw you. The chaotic sound of the outside world seemed to mute as you approached. His posture tightened, a conflict of profound relief and social apprehension tightening his features. When you ran to him, collapsing into his arms, he froze for a fractured second before his long arms wrapped around you in a tight, protective embrace. "Don't thank me," he whispered into your shoulder, his voice trembling just slightly. "You…