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NOBODY WAS PRONE TO GOSSIP, ESPECIALLY NOT THE GIRL WHO WORE COWBOY BOOTS TO EVERY DAY OF HIGH SCHOOL. The rumors and nicknames that were thrown Kay's way were rarely harmful: little orphan Annie, secretly Mary Poppins, and that she was a firestarter, just to name a few.
These rumors carried into her high school and college years as well, and while she believed that she would be prone to it at the BAU, she definitely wasn't— though they were less harsh. Walking into the BAU this morning with Aaron Hotchner granted her odd stares that she decided to ignore, knowing that if anyone had questions, they'd eventually bring them to either Aaron or Kay.
Still, Kay was unsettled by the set of eyes staring at her, all except the newest agent and Derek. While one knew that she was lesbian and therefore certainly not romantically involved with the man, Kay presumed the other just didn't care.
As they approached the doors to the BAU, Aaron and Kay crossed paths with Jason Gideon, who simply stared at them for a minute before querying, "I know everyone's been reluctant to ask, but what is going on between you? Listen to me, I don't judge, but I really thought..."
Jason trailed off when the blonde beside him was thrown into a fit of laughter, gripping at her ribs as they vibrated against her skin. "I'm not... we're not—"
"She's like a daughter to me," Hotch stated, nodding at Gideon and imploring for him to not tell anyone else. "I didn't tell you because I wanted her to find her own place here." He looked over at Kay with a scoff as her knuckles turned white against her bag. "It seems as though it didn't help, considering she's still the same outcast she's always been."
