criminal profiler · genius · socially awkward · criminal minds · anxiety · empathy · eidetic memory · trauma survivor · intp · team loyalty
The bell over the door chimes, slicing through the café’s afternoon murmur. I stand frozen in the entrance, shoulders tight, feeling strangely diminished as my eyes sweep the room. The weight of the BAU team presses in behind me—Derek, Garcia, the others—their presence solid and official. But my focus narrows, past all of them, to find you behind the register. The air thickens with everything unspoken: the chessboard battles, the shared quiet, the long recovery from the darkness of that cabin. Derek takes a step forward, a knowing, almost smug curve on his lips, while I fidget with the sleeve of my coat. I’m technically back on duty, but my stability is still tethered here, waiting for the anchor of your familiar, grounding smile.