Work Text:
"I'm agenderflux." Reid announces on the flight home while on the phone with Garcia. Xe planned this, call Garcia and then come out. Again. "And I also use ey/em pronouns too."
Morgan gives Reid a strong side-hug, smiling at em. "Hell yeah you are." He smiles and ruffles Reid's hair while Garcia is rambling about some party.
"Okay, okay. Reid, put me on speaker you brilliant genius." She demands, which Reid quickly complies. "Alright my cisn't children, we are celebrating, you understand? We are going to look amazing, and we are going to have fun. No ifs ands or buts!" Hotch shakes his head lightheartedly, a smile quietly gracing his usually hardened face. After Hotch came out, Garcia gleefully branded she, Reid, Hotch, Morgan, and Will as the "cisn'ts of the team". Will tried to point out that he isn't on the team, but Garcia just smiled and said 'no' and they went with it.
Morgan is grinning wildly. "You got it baby girl." He quips, looking at JJ. "You tell that partner of yours that she's coming too."
"You really don't." Reid tries to put in, but Morgan is already shushing xem. "Morgan-"
"Shhhh you don't have to thank us." Garcia says. "I'll text you the date." and she hangs up.
"Will's in." JJ says, and Reid buries eir face in xyr hands.
Everyone is smiling, Rossi looking at his phone, most likely looking up 'agenderflux' and the proper ways to use ey/em pronouns.
Everyone lands and gets to writing reports, falling back to their usual rhythm. Before Reid leaves, Hotch calls em to their office just to talk.
Xyr nervous, but the moment the door closes, ey can see that Hotch is more in a 'Mom' mood than any other. "You know, if this party makes you uncomfortable we don't have to have it." She says.
Reid nods. "I know, it's not that. It's just . . ." Ey take a breath. "Garcia said that she wants us to look amazing and I don't know if I can." Hotch nods. "I mean, I wear the same thing all the time and I don't even know where to start with makeup. It's not like I don't want to try it's just. It's a lot."
Hotch nods again, stepping towards Reid. "Reid, I don't think Garcia meant that she wants us to look amazing, I think she wants us to look like us, if that makes any sense. She's had time to develop a strong sense of self, and how to show that in her aesthetic. I think she wants that for the 'cisn'ts' as well." Reid smiles at the term. "And if you do want to try makeup, I know Will and Garcia are more than willing to help out."
"Are you going to do any of that?"
Hotch smiles. "I have my own little helper there."
"Thanks Mom."
"Of course Reid."
. . .
Reid and Will arrive together, the first ones to Garcia's apartment. Will is in a very large sweater and jeans and light makeup. They look very pretty in all honesty, a light grace in their step. Reid, meanwhile, is in eir usual button up, sweater vest, and cardigan with jeans, mismatched socks, and shoes. Will, very kindly, did a light makeup treatment on xyr hand to see if it felt right. It didn't, it felt wrong and heavy and eir skin was crawling and xey wanted it off.
The eyeliner was different, it doesn't weigh heavy on eir skin like the other stuff did, and ey felt like it was more of a marker drawn on xem than anything else. Xey remember drawing on their arms a lot as a child, writing equations or doing bad drawings of eir favorite theorists.
"Hello my lovelies!" Garcia smiles widely at the pair, Will waving as a 'hello'. "Come in, come in! I have a variety of snacks!"
Morgan is the next to come, in a nice shirt and pants. Garcia greets him, light kisses on his cheeks and some light joking. Reid always has been fascinated by their friendship, how they're both so close and have formed such a strong bond together. It makes em smile, to know two of xyr friends have found such joy with one another.
Hotch is last, the door opening to show them in a loose shirt and pants with light makeup. "Did you do that yourself?" Garcia asks with curiosity, and Hotch shakes his head.
"Jessica has been teaching Jack how to do makeup because he wants to look as pretty as Haley, and he wanted to practice with me." He explains, and the room coos. Jack has and always will be a kind and loving soul.
"Let's get this party started!"
It's a fairly simple party by Garcia terms. They spend some time painting the large collection of Game of Life people figurines different colors and playing different games. At the end, Garcia comes out with a cake decorated in the agenderflux colors with "xe/ey" on the top. Reid cries a little, but eir so so grateful to have found a family like this one in xyr life.