This was a rare occasion.

It was a Friday night, and the BAU didn’t have a case. The team was scattered across DC and Quantico.

Spencer’s colleagues were taking advantage of that luxury. JJ and Penelope had all gone out to a local dive bar, Morgan was out clubbing, Hotch was with his family. Gideon was on a date, and Spence wasn’t sure where Elle was.

It made sense that during their surprising night off that they’d be off celebrating. Spencer was too, he just had a very different definition of the word.

Instead of drinking and finding someone to take home, Spencer was book hunting.

He’d been to just about every bookstore and library in DC looking for one particular novel, but to no avail.

Before tonight, he didn’t even know this bookstore existed. It was no more than a five minute walk from his apartment.

The moment he stepped through the door, he was hit with the smell of vanilla and coffee. And books, obviously.

He wasted no time in approaching the nearest shelf.

He was so in tune with scanning the words lining each spine that he hadn’t even heard you approach.