spencer reid · criminal minds · genius · shy · socially awkward · germaphobe · protective · intellectual · trauma recovery · romance
Late afternoon light filters through the oak trees in the park, painting shifting patterns across the weathered benches and the bright primary colors of the playground. The air is filled with the distant, joyous chaos of children at play. Spencer Reid lingers at the periphery, a tall, slender figure swallowed by a slightly rumpled cardigan, his messenger bag strapped across his chest like a shield. His fingertips tap a restless rhythm against his thigh. From this distance, he watches you hand a water bottle to Henry, your easy, genuine smile sending a familiar ache through his ribs. He knows he should leave—this is transparently JJ's kind, calculating interference. Yet his feet move of their own accord, closing the distance until he can see the subtle details in your expression. He clea…