Normal Fans
A/N: So, a while back, Reid mentioned something about not having any normal fans and I thought maybe he should have at least one… and this materialized. Not too sure about it, but I hope you guys like it. A bit JJ/Reid friendship-fluffy-stuff in there as well. Enjoy…?!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable. Including but not limited to: Criminal Minds, the characters, a ballroom, a job fair, or a booth. Probably for good reason…
---
Surprise is the greatest gift which life can give to us.
~Boris Pasternak
---
Supervisory Special Agents Jennifer Jareau and Dr. Spencer Reid sat at a small booth, watching college students walk by looking both skittish and excited. Reid sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, looking rather skittish himself. "I don't know why I keep letting myself get roped into this." He muttered, eyeing a small group of students who looked to be approaching their booth.
"Aw, c'mon, Spence, it's not that bad." JJ told him, smiling a little and nudging him in the arm playfully.
Sighing again, Reid leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. He and JJ were currently taking a day away from the office to work the Behavioral Analysis Unit's booth at the job fair. Being as this was Washington DC, the FBI had several booths present at such events and this time the BAU had been awarded with their very own space and instructions to send two agents over to work the booth. "Why, exactly, did they choose us for this event?" Reid asked, turning to face his female counterpart as another group of students walked past.
JJ shrugged. "They wanted young, photogenic agents to represent the team."
"Well, sure, I understand you being here. You're the face of the BAU, you're pretty," Reid paused, blushing a little, "And you're good with people. But why am I here? Why didn't they send Morgan or something?"
"We've been over this Reid." JJ said sternly, throwing him an over-exaggerated scowl.
"I don't think so. Whenever I bring up the issue of why I am continually chosen to do things like this even though I obviously bring nothing to the table in social situations, people just smirk at me and ignore the question."
"Spence, you're chosen because you're young, you're a genius, and the bureau is proud to have snagged you." JJ told him.
Reid nodded, contemplating her words. "Plus," JJ continued, "Whether you like it or not, you're pretty good-looking."
A blush instantly spread its way across the young man's face as JJ smiled coyly at him. Before he could reply, however, a young woman approached the booth.
She was rather pretty, though her looks were obscured by black angular glasses. She wore her long brown hair down, framing her face. She smiled shyly and addressed Reid. "Uh- I'm sorry, but aren't you, uh, Dr. Spencer Reid?" She asked so quietly the two agents behind the table had to strain to hear her over the din of other voices.
"Yes," Reid frowned slightly, regarding the short young woman carefully. "Have we met?"
"Oh, no." The girl shook her head causing her bangs to fall across her face. "I- I did attend a lecture you gave, earlier this year. I really enjoyed it, it was very interesting."
Reid's eyes narrowed as he studied the young woman more carefully. The JJ could see him looking off into another part of the fair, his eyes moving back and forth rapidly and she knew he was searching for the girl's face in a sea of students. Finally, he nodded. "Yes, I think I remember you. You were sitting in the front row, weren't you?"
The girl blushed deeper as she brushed her bangs behind her ears, reminding JJ somewhat of Reid. "I'm kinda short, it's the only way I would've been able to see anything."
Reid nodded. He understood that, having been a 12-year-old in a school built for much larger students. "So, you, uh, enjoyed the lecture?" He asked in awkward attempt to make conversation.
"Very much so." The girl nodded eagerly. "I had read a few of your articles and papers on psychology and profiling and when I saw you would be there I thought it would be… interesting to see. I mean, your articles are all so animated and involved… I really find profiling interesting. It seems so amazing to be able to help people by reading killers like you do."
Smiling, Reid nodded, growing rather enthusiastic, himself. "It is very interesting, but it's not just getting into the minds of the killers, though that is a part of it, we use many different techniques to help catch criminals of various kinds…"
JJ watched as Reid fell into lecture-mode, beginning to make animated gestures and speak quickly. She smiled as she realized the young woman's eyes were not glazing over as many tended to do when Reid got like this. Instead, she hung on his every word, nodding and adding comments of her own and beginning gesture as wildly as Reid. JJ had to hold back giggles when the girl nearly threw the armful of papers she was holding at Reid as she attempted to make a point.
"I'm Nicholle Page, by the way." She finally introduced herself when the conversation began to wind down, shuffling papers around to be able to stick out a hand to take Reid's.
It did not escape JJ's notice that Nicholle's blush intensified three-fold at Reid's touch. Finally, the girl turned to JJ. "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to ignore you; I sort of have a one-track mind sometimes." She said apologetically, shaking JJ's outstretched hand.
"It's fine, I work with a bunch of single-minded people all day." JJ smiled. "I'm Jennifer Jareau."
"Yes, I've seen some of your press releases." Nicholle nodded, smiling.
The three talked for a little while more, until Nicholle finally had to leave. She scooped up all the information Reid and JJ had given her and began to walk away from the table. "Thank you so much, I'll definitely keep your advice in mind. Who knows? Maybe I'll actually make it one day." She said with a slight shrug.
"I think you have definite potential, if you work hard I'm sure you will." Reid told her with a small smile.
Blushing profusely and attempting to quell a large smile, Nicholle thanked him and practically ran away. JJ was almost certain she heard the young woman giggle before she disappeared into the crowd. "See, that wasn't so bad." JJ told Reid after a moment.
"No, it wasn't… But that was different, I mean, she actually knew who I was… it was a little odd."
"It's not odd, she was a fan of your work."
"Well, I've never met someone who readily recognizes me from my work who wasn't a psychopath."
JJ laughed. "Well, I didn't get any psychopath vibes off of her, but you never know."
Reid frowned. "What's a psychopath-vibe?" He asked.
"Never mind." JJ shook her head before continuing. "So, she was a fan of yours… and she had a huge crush on you."
"What?" Reid asked, louder than intended.
JJ shook her head again, smiling. "You know, Spence, if you couldn't tell that, maybe they should stop picking you as a representative for profilers after all." She teased him, ruffling his hair.
---
The way you overcome shyness is to become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.
~Claudia Lady Bird Johnson
---
A/N: Hm… that wasn't exactly how I imagined it… ah, well. I rather like it. I really don't know how realistic it is, what with the job fair and all, but I had fun writing it. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it! Review, if you want, please!