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Jake Peralta was bisexual. He had known almost his whole life, but never came out. He was surrounded by people who he felt he couldn’t trust or wouldn’t really care. It was easy to pretend he was straight only talking about the girls he hooked up with at work. Gina was the only person who knew because she had inconveniently walked in on Jake in the middle of a makeout session. He had planned to tell her really because she was his childhood friend and he felt like he could trust her. At the time she was hurt, that he hadn’t told her. She had saved her key from her old apartment and realized she had forgotten something from the move so she had just unlocked the door and to her dismay Jake was pressed against the wall making out with another dude. It was only fair she told herself, Jake had walked in on her and Boyle. Her lowest of lows.
The next week of work Jake had avoided Gina like the plague. He didn’t want to talk about it, he had never planned on sharing this with anyone. He was going all Santiago on himself trying to write a speech for Gina the next time he was stuck near her.
“Peralta. Linetti . My office now.” Captain Holt yelled into the bullpen.
Jake and Gina followed each other into the captain’s office.
“What the hell is going on with you two?” He demanded.
Jake looked at the ground uncomfortably, staying quiet. Gina spoke first,
“It’s something personal.” Was all she said, shifting awkwardly.
“Well whatever it is you need to work it out because you are getting nothing done with the amount of time you’re putting into avoiding each other.” He said eyeing them both up.
“We will.” Gina said, practically dragging Jake out of the room.
“Peralta, you stay.” He thought it was odd that Jake hadn’t said a word, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.
“What’s going on?” He said to the still silent Peralta.
“Uh. Gina may have walked in on something she wasn’t supposed to see.” Jake said quietly, avoiding eye contact with the captain. He knew it wasn’t a big deal to tell the captain but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“What kind of something? How does it affect your work?”
“It doesn’t. It won’t.” He said, fleeing the office.
“Gina, I need to talk to you.” He said pointing towards the copy room.
“I know you’re probably mad at me for not telling you, and I’m sorry.” Here goes nothing, he thought. “I was going to tell you, and just you. I don’t really trust anyone else like that here.” He said looking around the precinct.
“You should have told me Jake. Seriously it’s okay though, I already kinda thought that you went both ways. I understand not wanting to tell everyone yet, but you should tell them when you’re ready. They will be understanding, especially captain Holt.” Jake thought Gina sounded surprisingly mature.
“I wouldn’t even know how to go about telling them anyways. Not good with that kind of stuff.” He said looking at his hands. “But thanks Gina, for being so cool about it. I knew you would be.”
“Obviously,” She said with an eye roll while playfully pushing Jake in the shoulder. “Anyway. Who’s the guy?”
“He’s just someone I met at the bar last week but he seems nice enough.” Jake said shrugging it off.
“Oh my god you like him.” Her eyes were wide and her lips turned up into a large smile. Oh boy, he was never going to live this down.
“Maybe.” He admitted, smiling back at her.
2 months later.
Jake had arrived early to work. Earlier than Santiago. He looked well rested and walked in the doors in a good mood.
“Someone got laid last night.” Boyle said smiling in Jake’s directing approvingly.
“For once, no that's not it Charles. I broke up with someone last night and I’ve never felt better.” Jake said, giving him a goofy grin.
Rosa pipped in, “Aren’t you supposed to be upset after a breakup Jake? Isn’t that like the usual?” She said gruffly.
“Yeah usually. Not in this case. Just glad it’s over so I can sleep again.” He said smiling at her, shrugging it off. "I think he knew it was over anyways." He grabbed a file from his desk and sat down to look at it.
"Uh, Jake?" Gina said, getting his attention. When he looked up the whole precinct was looking at him.
"What?" He asked in genuine confusion. Captain Holt was now standing there near his desk.
"I believe you just said, and I quote, 'I think he knew it was over anyway.' I think I speak for everyone when I say, we all thought you were straight."
Rosa spoke up, "Not me. I always knew it. It's pretty obvious actually." She said in usual Rosa fashion. Bluntly.
"Not that its anyone's business but I am confident in my bisexuality." He said trying to play it off cool. Inside he wasn't so calm.
"You made it our business when you speak about your sex life at work." Captain Holt said while walking away.
The elevator doors opened and a very flustered Amy Santiago came running out. Before she could even get a word out, the Captain who's back was turned to her, said, "Santiago. You're 5 minutes late."
"I am so sorry sir. What did I miss?" She asked generally, sitting at her desk.
"Jake's bisexual." Rosa said, walking back to her desk.
"Wait what?" She was looking at him, confused.
"Guilty." He said with a fake grin. Usual Jake style.
Everything was fine until Captain Holy slapped a case file on Jake's desk.
"Murders today. Usually wouldn't be in our jurisdiction but one of the guys was murdered nearby so they gave the case to us. You need to brief everyone in the conference room as soon as possible. You're leading this investigation." He said bluntly, slamming the case files down.
Jake was about to do a victory dance, as he had gotten the first interesting case in a month. He had planned to brag to Amy about being lead and not her, until he opened the file. The lead suspect was his ex boyfriend. The one he broke up with the night before.
"Shit." Everyone was looking at him. "I said that allowed, didn't I?" He asked, only to receive multiple nods from his co-workers.
"Jake, are you alright? You look ill." Concern laced Amy's voice, as she turned her full attention to Jake.
“Yeah okay. Uh, Captain made me lead on this so as lead, I’m giving this to you. So you can lead. I think, uh, you would do better in this case.” Amy noticed the panic in his voice and how his hand shook slightly when he handed her the case file. She watched him quickly walk over to Terry and whisper something in his direction, and then walk out of the precinct. Something in that case file had deeply upset him.
Meanwhile at Terry’s desk. “Terry, I need time off. I need to use a sick day. Please.” He whispered at Terry.
“Yeah that’s fine Jake, you have plenty. Everything okay?” He asked furrowing his eyebrows, while taking in the mess that was Jake Peralta. And he had come in early in such a good mood. It was more than odd, but after Jake told him it was fine, he had to let him go.
Amy followed Jake out of the precinct. He was leaning against the wall of the police building smoking a cigarette. His eyes were shut tightly. He hadn't even noticed Amy leaning against the wall next to him until she spoke.
"What's going on with you?" She asked. It came out more of a demand. She hadn't meant to say it like that, she had meant to be more sympathetic. Clearly Jake was going through something and the last thing she needed to do was be demanding.
"I took off work. You're lead on the case. Can I go home without being interrogated?" His eyes were still closed, he hadn't looked at Amy once.
"That's why I'm worried. Since when has the Jake I know taken off during a huge murder case. What's in the file that spooked you?"
Finally she had his attention. His eyes were opened again and he had turned to face her. "Worried huh?" He attempted a usual smile but it came out more of a grimace. He had put out his cigarette with his foot, pushed off the wall and started toward his car, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. A delicate Amy hand. He knew it from anywhere.
"I'm fine. Give me a couple days. And do me a favor? Catch the guy." Finally she let him go, still not convinced. Something was in that file and she was going to find out what.
Marching back into the precinct she was met by an angry looking captain Holt. Or was he happy? It was so hard to tell. The second he spoke she knew which it was.
"Where the hell is Peralta?" He was definitely mad.
"He just left, sir." She said sheepishly.
"What do you mean, 'he just left'?"
"I mean, you gave him the file, he handed it to me and said, "you're in charge Amy." then he asked Terry for a sick day and walked out of the building." She said, confident in her observations.
"He can't do that. I put him in charge. I wanted him on this case. Terry, fix this." His voice was booming as he walked back into his office.