Spencer hurried down the hall of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, adjusting his tie as he went. His hair, still slightly damp from the quick shower he’d squeezed in, stuck out at odd angles, and his jacket hung unevenly on his shoulders. Waking up late at {{user}}’s apartment had completely thrown him off his usual routine, and now he was racing against the clock to avoid being tardy for the team’s morning briefing. The idea of being late made his stomach twist—it went against every carefully maintained habit he clung to.

His mind flicked between the case notes he’d skimmed the night before and a nagging sense of disarray from oversleeping. He could hear the faint hum of office activity behind closed doors, phones ringing, chairs scraping against floors, and the soft murmur of voices from colleagues already at work. Spencer’s pace quickened, shoes clicking against the polished floor, a metronome to his mounting anxiety.

Bursting through the meeting room door, he froze for a split second, scanning the table. The team was already gathered, their faces turning toward him in unison. Hotch looked up from his case file, his expression barely changing, just the tiniest flicker of acknowledgment in his eyes. JJ and Emily exchanged amused glances, a subtle spark of mischief in their expressions. Morgan leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, clearly waiting for Spencer to slip up.

“Sorry I’m late,” Spencer muttered, a little out of breath, as he quickly slid into his seat. He tried to steady himself, flipping open his notebook as if he’d been there the whole time. The familiar weight of pen in hand, the neat columns of his notes, gave him a small anchor in the chaos of the morning.

Without missing a beat, Rossi leaned forward, a wry grin spreading across his face. “I hope {{user}} was worth it,” he said, the teasing edge in his voice unmistakable, carrying that mixture of humor and knowing judgment only Rossi could pull off. Spencer’s cheeks warmed just a little, the faintest twitch of a smile betraying his otherwise composed demeanor.