Criminal Minds x Reader

Pretty Eyes [S.R]

Spencer Reid had always prided himself on being observant. In a world of infinite details, he could pick out the smallest threads, weave them into patterns, and understand people in ways they often didn't even understand themselves. But for all his knowledge, for all his training, nothing prepared him for the way you made him feel.

And it had all started with your eyes.

It was late in the evening, well past when most of the team had called it a night, but the two of you were still in the conference room, pouring over case files. You were seated across from him, your head bent slightly as you flipped through pages, your brow furrowed in concentration. Spencer tried to focus on his own work, but his gaze kept flickering to you, drawn in by the quiet grace with which you moved.

But it was your eyes — so expressive, so alive that always caught him most off guard. They had drawn him in from the moment he met you, though he hadn't realized it at first.

"Are you okay?" your voice broke through his reverie, and he blinked rapidly, realizing he'd been staring a moment too long.

"Uh, yes, I'm fine" he stammered, his cheeks flushing a deep red as he looked down at the file in his hands. "Just, um, thinking"

You smiled, a soft, knowing expression that only made his heart race faster. "Thinking about what?"

"About... The case" he said quickly, though his voice betrayed him with a slight crack. He winced inwardly. Smooth, Reid. Very smooth.

You didn't press, but your smile lingered, and when you looked back at your file, Spencer let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

It hadn't always been this easy between you two. When you first joined the team, he had been painfully awkward, stumbling over his words whenever you so much as glanced his way. It wasn't until much later, after countless late nights and shared conversations, that he finally found the courage to let you in.

And somehow, against all odds, you'd let him in too.

One morning, a few months into your relationship, the two of you had been walking into the office together when he'd suddenly stopped in the middle of the parking lot.

"What is it?" you'd asked, looking at him curiously.

He hesitated, the faintest hint of a blush creeping up his neck. "Your eyes" he said softly, almost as if he hadn't meant to speak the words aloud.

"What about them?" you asked, your tone playful as you tilted your head.

"They're just..." He trailed off, his hands fidgeting nervously at his sides. "They're really... Pretty"

You'd laughed, a warm, gentle sound that made his cheeks burn even brighter. "That's sweet, Spence. But you've seen them a hundred times by now"

"I know," he replied earnestly, his voice barely above a whisper, "But they're still... mesmerizing. Like, um, like they're their own kind of language"

Your laughter softened into something more tender, and you reached out to brush your fingers against his hand. "You're one of a kind, you know that?"

His lips twitched into a small smile, but he didn't respond, too focused on the way your eyes caught the light, how they seemed to hold an entire universe within them.

He never told you outright, but the nickname had slipped out one day in the middle of a case.

You'd been interviewing a witness, your voice steady and calm as you coaxed details from them with the patience of someone who truly cared. Spencer had been watching from across the room, his chest tight with an unfamiliar warmth as he saw the way the witness responded to you, the tension easing from their shoulders.

When you'd walked back over to him, he hadn't even realized what he was saying until it was already out.

"Good work, Angel" he murmured, his voice soft but clear.

You'd paused, your brows lifting in surprise before a small smile spread across your face. "Angel?"

He froze, his mind racing with a thousand possible explanations, but all of them felt insufficient. "I, uh— Well, I just meant that you, um-"

"You think I'm an angel?" you teased gently, your eyes sparkling with amusement.

"I think..." he hesitated, his hands fidgeting with the strap of his bag, "I think you're... Amazing. The way you handle people, the way you care... It's just... It's incredible"

For a moment, you didn't say anything, and Spencer immediately worried he'd overstepped. But then you reached out, your fingers brushing lightly against his arm.

"Thank you, Spence," you said softly, your smile turning warmer, softer, "That means a lot"

From that day on, the nickname stuck, though he only used it in private, when it was just the two of you. It became his way of grounding himself, a reminder of how lucky he was to have someone like you in his life.

Even now, months into your relationship, Spencer still found himself getting lost in your eyes. They were his safe place, the one thing that could calm him when the world felt overwhelming.

"Spence" you said, your voice pulling him back to the present.

He blinked, realizing he'd been staring at you again, and quickly looked away, his cheeks flushing. "Sorry. I was just... Thinking"

"You've been doing a lot of that lately" you teased, leaning forward slightly.

He hesitated, his hands fidgeting with the edge of the file. "I just... I don't understand how I got so lucky"

Your expression softened, and you reached out, your hand gently covering his. "You don't have to understand it," you said softly, "You just have to believe it"

Spencer's eyes met yours, and for a moment, the rest of the world faded away. All he could see was you — your warmth, your kindness, your unwavering belief in him.

"I do" he said finally, his voice steady. "I believe it"

You smiled, your eyes crinkling at the corners in that way that made his chest ache with how much he loved you. "Good. Because I'm not going anywhere"

Spencer's lips curved into a small, shy smile, and for the first time in a long time, he let himself believe it.

"Angel" he murmured, the nickname slipping out like a quiet prayer.

Your laughter was soft and warm, your hand squeezing his gently. "That's me"

And as Spencer looked at you, his heart full and his mind quiet for the first time in days, he knew there was no place he'd rather be than right here, with you.