Derek walked into the locker room with his head down in frustration. He knew he shouldn't let the other man's comment get to him.
"Look man, all I'm saying is your pal Reid is gay and it wouldn't surprise me if he had a thing for you." Jones went on, "Besides, I mean look at him how could you not tell?"
"Man, I said lay off. Reid likes women, in fact he just lost someone close to him so the last thing he needs is people talking shit." Morgan replied.
He walked over to his locker and began to change.
"Listen, Derek just because you think he is straight doesn't mean he is..." Jones frowned, "Aren't you gonna shower?"
"It's a little crowded in here. I'm just gonna shower at home."
Morgan left Jones staring after him . Morgan knew that he was wrong but his comment about Reid having a thing really got to him for some reason. None of the other guys at the bureau really knew Reid the way he did. Yeah they all thought he was a geek and he was true, but he had saved Morgan's ass plenty of times. Instead of going home he drove to Reid's house.
"Hey, Pretty boy do you need anything? I was in the neighborhood." Morgan stated.
"Uh, Morgan...you live like thirty minutes from here. Is everything ok?" Reid asked frowning at Morgan's sweaty attire, "Come in."
Morgan reluctantly followed him into the living room. Reid's place was squeaky clean unlike a few weeks before when they came to help him clean the place up. He, however seemed pretty disheveled. Reid went to the kitchen grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to Morgan.
"So, is there anything you need?" Reid asked eyeing him curiously.
"Look.." Morgan gulped down a few sips of the water, "I wanna be the first to tell you this and I know you're not going to care and all but I was at the gym working out. I, overheard Jones and another guy talking..Rodriguez I think, anyways they were talking about you. So, naturally I went over and there is a rumor going around that you're gay. Now I know that is not important but it is to me because this is the last thing you need especially after well, you know..."
"Morgan stop, it's fine. I appreciate you telling me.." Reid started, "They can say what they want to. I'm perfectly fine with it. But thank you for sticking up for me. I appreciate it."
"Yeah..I just want you to know that I'm here for you.."
"I know." Reid replied, "Do you wanna shower? You look kinda uncomfortable.."
"A shower would be great." Morgan smiled.
Reid showed Morgan to his room so he could shower. Morgan undressed and wondered if Reid had a thing for him or if he was in fact gay. He never really thought about it, to him it seemed like something that wasn't a big deal. Derek had a few friends that were gay and he has known they for a long time so he knew none of them would try anything. Thinking about this though brought up feelings for him that he had never thought about. Memories began to surface, Carl Buford's face haunted him and it was scarier than ever. Morgan began to feel like a little kid again, he wanted nothing to do with these feelings or the thoughts going through his head. He got dressed quickly and went out to the living room.
"You look tired.." Morgan stared at his friend.
"I am, but I'm fine..I just need a little extra sleep." Reid chuckled absently.
Morgan sat down beside him, "Reid, it's not important whether you are or not..but are you gay?"
Reid looked at him in disbelief, "Morgan really? After everything with Maeve? Did you think that wasn't real?"
Morgan felt stupid, "I'm sorry Pretty boy, I know she meant everything to you.."
Of course he couldn't love you Derek, no one can. How could they you're to messed up, he thought.
"I'm sorry, I'll leave.." Derek mumbled.
"Derek is something wrong?" Reid probed.
"No, not at all Pretty boy. I'll see you tomorrow." Morgan stated.
The next day Morgan sat in his office with the blinds up completely staring into space. No one seemed to notice except Blake of course.
"Something's wrong.." she said out loud.
"What do you mean?" JJ asked looking up from her paper work.
"Morgan. He has been staring into space all afternoon. I don't get it. He isn't himself. He hasn't even come to get coffee." Blake inquired.
"I didn't even notice. Ya, know Blake we aren't suppose to profile each other.." JJ smiled.
"I wasn't profiling. I was just observing.."
"Hmm, he hasn't gotten any coffee?" Reid asked, "Normally he comes down for at least one cup.."
"Dr. Reid maybe you should take him some and poke around a little..." Blake said.
"Why me?" Reid frowned.
"Please, Spence for me?" JJ asked.
He mumbled a fine and went to the coffee maker to fix Morgan's coffee just right. Reid picked up the glass and made his way to the older agent's office. He knocked on the door even though it was open, interrupting the older man's thoughts.
"Hey, thought you could use a cup of coffee.." Reid smiled placing the cup on his desk.
"Thanks." Morgan half smiled, then he noticed they were being watched by Jones and Rodriguez. He frowned at the chuckling men. Reid as if sensing something was wrong got up and closed the door.
"Reid..."
"Forget them. I'm more concerned with what is going on with you. Care to tell me?" Reid asked.
"What do you mean? Nothing is going on with me, I'm fine."
"I don't think so." Reid sat down and continued, "Normally you have four cups of coffee a day, if we don't have a case. We have been here all day and you haven't even had one and by the stack of paper work on your desk I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you haven't even started. It takes you twenty minutes on a good day to do a file. Morgan we all got here at the same time this morning, yet your pile is huge, there is no way you started, so what is really going on?"
"I can't believe you know all that."
"Look, if I know how long it takes Rossi to turn the page when he is reading I can certainly tell you things about yourself.." Reid said frowning, "Come on, talk to me."
It was so low Morgan almost missed it. He sighed a heavy sigh, how was he suppose to tell Reid that he had feelings for him, especially after the horrible ordeal. He wanted him, this was true but was he willing to cause him suffering for his own happiness. Morgan stood up and paced.
"Now I know something is wrong, your pacing..come on out with it!" Reid practically yelled.
"Pretty boy, I don't want to talk about it. Not now, but when I'm ready I'll give you a call."
With that Morgan walked out of his office leaving Reid and the steaming cup of joe behind. He walked past Blake and JJ's inquiring expressions all the way to Hotch's office. Morgan gave Hotch an excuse about how he wasn't feeling well, how he thought he was coming down with something. Hotch let him go home without too much prying. Reid came out of Morgan's office a short time later with tears in his eyes. He too walked past JJ and Blake. Blake followed him into the break room.
"What just happened?" she asked.
"I don't know, he won't talk to me. I miss him. I mean I really miss my best friend. I didn't talk to him when I had Mauve and now he won't talk to me. I know something is wrong. He came to talk to me yesterday about Jones and Rodriguez..." Reid swallowed letting the tears flow.
"What did he want to talk about them for?" Blake asked as she rubbed his back soothingly.
"He just said that there was a rumor going around that I was..." Reid stopped to think.
"A rumor about what?"
"That I-I...oh I think I know what's wrong.." Reid got up and was about to leave the room.
JJ came in and told them that they had a case. Reid knew he had to talk to Morgan but it seemed like that conversation had to wait for another time. He knew about Carl Buford and he figured Jones and Rodriguez unintentionally brought back memories for Morgan. Morgan wasn't upset because they thought he was gay, Morgan was upset because he was having a hard time dealing with what that bastard did. The pain went away but the scars are still there. Damn, them.
