Reid and Reid Ship Oneshots

The BAU Finds Out Reid's Queer

(I'm back y'all 😈 more permanently this time (Btw pansexual Reid hc))
Recommend by @Paige7780 (sorry it took me nine months to get to it bro💀)
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New York City's pride parade is one of the biggest LGBTQ+ events in America, averaging over two million participants each year since 2015; the numbers gradually rising as of 2023 with the attendance being about 2.5 million.

But unfortunately, June's annual parade didn't stop serial murders from killing. The BAU were requested to assist on a case in New York City right at the beginnings of June and its festivities. The crowd of people along every street depleted much of the city's police department—the officers having to stand guard of federal buildings and the parades themselves to prevent possible violence or vandalism.

All the BAU had to work with was the police chief, the secretary, and a few janitors. Not to mention getting from place to place to find evidence, question witnesses, and visit mortuary officials was nearly impossible. The police department did their best to clear some streets for cars, but only the off roads remained vacant enough of people to drive on.

"I love the parades and everything, but I feel like it's doing us more harm than good." Emily sighed, lazily flipping through file papers as their investigation came to a slow in progress, and there was nothing to be done. The overflow of people in the streets limited mobility of the police, and the events of the parades were overshadowing all news on the killer at large in the city.

"I've never understood the purpose of pride parades during June." Reid said, sitting crisscross in a desk chair, a file in his lap that he was reading through simultaneously.

"June is nationally recognized as Pride Month to celebrate the queer community, Reid." JJ replied, a look of slight annoyance on her face. She couldn't stand prejudice against any group of people, especially from someone she knew well.

"Since 1999 I know, I'm just saying it's all a bit overboard. Can't you be prideful inside your own home? I wouldn't want everyone knowing my business." Reid was still very casual in his speech and demeanor, while the others didn't really like the connotation that came from his words.

"Well, you're not gay Reid." Morgan chuckled half-heartedly, "I'm sure if you were oppressed all your life, it'd be liberating to have an opportunity to celebrate yourself."

"I am, and I see why others would want to, it just annoys me that it's interfering with the case." Reid sighed, closing his file and looking up to his coworkers.

"You're what?" Morgan asked, asking for the specifics because he genuinely didn't understand the context of Reid's words.

"I'm queer." He replied, just as nonchalantly as the rest of his earlier statements

"What, really?" Emily's surprise was more dumbfounded-ness than actual shock.

"Yeah?" Reid replied, having thought they already knew, or even if they didn't, then at least that he wouldn't just speaking derogatorily about a group of people unprompted.

"You never told us..." JJ said quietly, trailing her sentence off as she looked to the ground.

Reid couldn't tell if she was upset by the lack of transparency or if she didn't approve of him being queer. He hoped it wasn't the latter. There was no specific reason he kept it secret, he just never bothered to tell anyone because it shouldn't effect how they act around him.

"So, I don't know if this an appropriate question, but..." Morgan asked, stopping short to gauge Reid's reaction.
When he only returned a head nod in confirmation, Morgan did continue.
"What are you? I mean—like—what do you consider yourself?" Morgan was a straight guy, and not very engaged with the queer community, as he didn't necessarily have to be, so he never was. But when his best friend is now known to be apart of said community, he was more than willing to talk about it and get aquatinted.

"I don't really know, I don't give it much thought." Reid replied. He was in no way ashamed about anything he was saying. The BAU had figured that with him keeping it a secret he must have been embarrassed to tell them, but he seemed completely calm and collected.

"But if you had to explain it...? I'm sorry I don't want to be offensive I just want to really know you, Reid." Morgan stammered again, his face as red as it could possibly look in a situation where he couldn't help but repeatedly embarrass himself.

Reid did give back a look this time. A weird one that couldn't necessarily be read accurately. Everyone interpreted it differently. Morgan as anger, JJ as confusion, Hotch as pity, and Emily as amusement. Each one was technically wrong though, as all Reid was really expressing was his complete apathy towards the situation, but amusement was the next best thing, so Emily won that round.

"You already know me Morgan. I'm not any different just because I'm queer." Reid replied, a playful tone in his voice, his words merely used to tease his friend.

"Of course—sorry!" Morgan mumbled, guilt creeping up his spin as it set into his bones, guaranteed to be a lasting memory only to be remembered when he wanted to forget it.

"Wow dude, I'm just messing with you." Reid chuckled, surprised at how much his friend was affected by his batter. He thought his voice was clearly sarcastic, but Morgan must have overlooked it out of fear he had actually upset Reid.
"It honestly takes a lot to offend me. I lived in LA during the eights as twelve year old boy in public high school. The teasing was as relentless as it sounds." Reid still chuckled to himself, wiping a small tear from his eye once he settled his laughter.
"But did you really care to know the intricacies of my sexuality?" He quirked an eyebrow, not only because it was a weird thing to say out loud, but also he didn't actually believe it could be that interesting to anybody.

"If it's cool with you, man. It's you're life an all, I was just curious 'cause it's a new thing about you I never knew, and I thought you were kind of an open book." Morgan said nervously, knowing how Reid would interpret his words.

"Well you guys better listen up because this really important to me and I'm only going to say it once. My sexual orientation is very complicated and intricate and deserves to be respect. You understand?" Reid came to a close in his grand lecture, turning to his audience for their complete attention.

Everyone gave attentive looks, JJ even leaning out of her seat to further convey her interest. Reid almost felt bad for leading them on all this way, but it seemed like the perfect set up.

"I like everyone." He said simply, an anticlimactic close to his dramatic opening.

"That's it?" Morgan asked.

"That's it." Reid corroborated, nodding his head in satisfaction of his friends reactions.

"You've definitely got a flair for the dramatic." Emily chuckled pathetically, not believing she could have been so invested in Reid's grand tale.

"I did want to be a circus performer. How long do you think I was into that before I changed career paths? Long enough to go to clown school, I'll tell you that." Reid said matter-a-factly, like it was common knowledge to everyone in the room that he went to clown school.

"Clown school?!" Morgan replied in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me!" He erupted into laughter. This was the hottest fuel for shots since Reid made out with that blonde actress in a pool while he was supposed to be surveillancing her.

"I am kidding. Did you think that if I had gone to clown school I'd tell you?" Reid smirked, suppressing his own laughter.

"When did you get so good at lying?" Hotch asked rhetorically, as playful of a tone as he knew how to use.
"Get this case back on track. And Reid—"

"Yes sir?"

"I knew."