Dr. Spencer Reid barely remembered it now — a kiss that had happened when he was in his early twenties, nearly thirteen years ago. That moment belonged to another lifetime entirely. And more importantly — he didn’t care for the woman he had kissed at 22. He cared for you. More than cared, if he was honest with himself.

Which is why when a tall, blonde woman appeared in the bullpen that evening — striking, polished, and very clearly familiar to some — it sent a silent ripple through the older members of the team. Prentiss, JJ, and Rossi exchanged looks the moment she walked in, something wordless passing between them. Tara, Luke, and you had no idea who she was. And now, the blonde woman was approaching. You were sitting with the others at JJ’s desk, all chatting about Henry and his latest school presentation. The woman smiled politely, scanning faces until she found the one she was looking for.

“Hi,” she said, her voice light. “Is… Spencer here?”

Your blood ran cold. You didn’t show it, of course — your expression remained composed — but something sank deep inside your chest. Was she Spencer’s girlfriend? Had all that softness been just an illusion?

“Restroom,” Rossi replied, his voice calm but clipped. “Do you need something, Lila?”

Lila. So he did know her. Wait — what? The woman smiled, clearly amused by the tension she either didn’t understand or didn’t care to acknowledge. “Can I wait for him at his desk?”

“Be our guest,” JJ offered, shooting you a glance — she had noticed the way your posture shifted.

As Lila moved away from the group, you turned to Rossi with an expression that was nothing short of bewildered. Before he could explain, Reid returned — and the moment he stepped into the bullpen, he froze.

Spencer Reid didn’t startle easily. But this? Seeing Lila Archer — after all these years — felt surreal. A ghost from a time he’d all but forgotten. Yes, they’d kissed. Or rather, she had kissed him. But it had been impulsive, brief, and ultimately unimportant. He hadn’t thought of her in years. In truth, he barely remembered the contours of her face. But then his eyes found you. Immediately.

Not Lila’s wave. Not her overly familiar smile. Just you — and the flicker of confusion, of hurt, of disappointment in your gaze. And that — that — pierced through him. Before he could make his way toward you, Lila approached and pulled him into a hug. It was too tight, too familiar, and Reid stiffened in her arms. He returned the embrace out of politeness, his hands barely touching her back. But his mind wasn’t with her.

“She kissed him,” Prentiss whispered next to you, and your head snapped toward her.

“What?”

“It was… God, more than a decade ago,” she added. “She’s kind of famous. An actress.”

And just like that, your stomach dropped. Famous. Gorgeous. Familiar enough to embrace him like that. From where you sat, it was easy to spiral. Easy to believe this meant something it didn’t.

She laughed and flirted, and something inside you gave way. You needed to get out. No scene, just a quiet, clean exit. You slipped away to the conference room and closed the door softly behind you. You sat on the couch, legs folded, fingers nervously twisting in your lap. You didn’t cry, but the weight in your throat grew heavier. Spencer wasn’t yours. You had no claim. And yet... it hurt.

When Reid noticed you were gone, his heart sank. He pulled away from Lila with a polite but hollow smile.

“It’s good to see you again,” he said — a lie. “but I have a case file to finish,” he added — another lie.

She hesitated, but let him go. Reid didn’t even look at the team as he turned and headed to the conference room. There you were. Quiet. Alone, head bowed. You didn’t hear the door open or close. His heart cracked.

“{{user}},” Spencer said softly. Careful. “Hey… it’s not what it looked like.” you didn’t move. “She — Lila — that was thirteen years ago. I was twenty-two. It was... nothing.”

He meant it. Every word. You could hear it in his voice — that soft, trembling cadence reserved for the truths that mattered most. For you.