Author's Note: To avoid any hassle or being called out, this will serve as a disclaimer for the whole story. I do not own any of the show's characters/storylines. Any original characters/deviations from the storylines are, obvs, my own invention from my brain juices. I do not accept/gain any monetary compensation for any of this, as it is purely for my own amusement (and, hopefully, yours).
Kai stood before the spread out institute, enjoying the silhouettes of the buildings against the hued, darkening horizon. It certainly was a breathtaking view. The grounds contained scattered students on well-spaced benches and tables, others under the shades of trees, and some even took to using the flight of stairs as hang out areas.
Numbers weren't Kai's forte. That was the main reason they were at CalSci in the first place. Their fingers drummed against the binder cover as they strolled through the set pathways, eyes taking in the architecture of each building – the angles and curves, the way shadows clung or hid certain aspects. Different perspectives brought out diverse aesthetics from the structures as Kai walked, and once their curiosity for sightseeing waned, they headed into a building.
It took a few tries to find the right building, then the right office. Kai stood just to the side of the entrance, leaning against the wall and tapping a pen against their lower lip. There were two people inside of the room talking about mathematical formulas. Kai failed college algebra three times before they finally were able to pass. With a D. Whatever these two were talking about was way over their head.
"It isn't polite to eavesdrop, you know," a voice came from Kai's right. Turning their head, Kai found a dark-haired man in a suit and tie. The initial impression was only superficial. Tall, broad shoulders, good build, sharp brown eyes with lines at the corners that would crinkle when he smiled. If he ever smiled. "You are?"
"Dr. Kai Flores," they replied, still relaxed against the wall. A second impression surfaced – they did not like this man, attractive or not. Too boringly predictable. He was the type of man who exuded arrogance, who thought himself in charge in every situation, even one that didn't involve him, and woe to those who got in his way of getting what he wanted. Which fit quite nicely for him in his chosen profession, Kai was sure.
Don's first and only impression was one of unease. He was used to being intimidating. Men straightened up or fidgeted, cast their eyes away or started rambling and stuttering. Women tended to play coy or turn genuinely shy, sidle their way closer to his personal space, flirt. And here was this redhead, almost a foot shorter than him, slouched against a wall, grey eyes easily holding his gaze, an expression of… something on their face. The silence stretched, Don waiting for more of an explanation, but also giving Don enough time to recognize the expression. Boredom, he thought, utterly confused now. Not even a few words and she's bored with me. He caved, unconsciously shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "And what are you doing?"
Annoyance flashed across Kai's face. "If you must know, I was simply waiting to introduce myself during a lull in conversation. It is extremely vexing to be interrupted when you're following a formed train of thought, you know. Although, you certainly don't worry about that, I imagine. What with being law enforcement. CIA? Homeland Security? FBI?"
The easy read caught Don off guard. It shouldn't have surprised him, but coupled with their reaction, it seemed a little too suspicious. "Excuse me?" he said, his voice dropping as he stepped into Kai's personal space.
Kai sighed then cocked their head to listen, raising a hand to stop whatever else the man was about to say. "No, please excuse me," they said and pushed off the wall, ignoring Don completely and stepping into the now silent office. Neither of the people in the office even bothered to look up. "Dr. Charles Eppes?" they asked. The professor in question startled and turned, and Kai's head tilted once more. "Huh. Explains a lot."
"Excuse me?" Charlie asked.
"I have a feeling I'll be hearing that a lot today," Kai said as they crossed the room with an extended arm. Charlie shook their hand, confusion still on his face. "Dr. Kai Flores. It was recommended I speak to you concerning a decision I needed to make. Although, I see now I may have interrupted a previous appointment." They jutted a thumb to the door, diverting Charlie's attention from Kai to the other dark-haired man hanging at the entrance.
"Don? What's going on?"
"You know her?" Don asked as he stepped into the room as well. His eyes wouldn't leave the strange redhead even though their attention was on Charlie. "Found her sneaking outside your doorway."
Kai rolled their eyes at this. "I wasn't sneaking and I wasn't eavesdropping, spook. Or is it g-man?" they asked, glancing back at Don when he spoke. "The uniform and stereotypes are so similar between you agents. Hard to tell at first glance which one is which."
Don scoffed, placing his hand on his hips. This pushed the blazer back to expose the badge and gun as he glared at the newcomer. Kai's attention was lost before either item was seen by them, though. Charlie was looking between his brother and the stranger now with nervous concern. "Uh. Excuse me, Dr. Flores, but who gave you my name?"
"Millie, of course," Kai said as they wandered the room, studying the rows and rows of numbers and equations. Languages always fascinated Kai and while they knew four languages themselves, the language of mathematics always eluded them. "She said if there was anyone that could help me understand the wonderful world of numbers, it would be you. She advised taking the beginner's class, says it's very popular in bringing in the community even. But, I wanted to meet you first before I made a choice."
"And why's that?" Charlie asked, crossing his arms.
"Well, Millie speaks quite highly of you. She's a great judge of character, but I wanted to see what the hype is with my own eyes," they said, stopping before a chalkboard. A string of numbers caught their attention and even with their lack of math knowledge they were able to pick out the pattern. "So far, color me impressed. Granted, it doesn't take much to impress me when it comes to maths," they admitted with a lopsided grin aimed at the professor.
Charlie blinked then turned to the woman still sitting at the desk. "It shouldn't really be a surprise," she replied to Charlie's look. "Though it's odd she wouldn't tell you about this."
Kai tilted their head, their eyebrows drawing together. "I was advised she sent you an e-mail," they said with a slight frown. At this, Charlie's face shifted from shock to embarrassment and Kai immediately understood. "Ah. You haven't read any messages, have you? Color me less impressed. Then again, I shouldn't be too judgmental, seeing how I'm terrible with maintaining my inbox up-to-date myself."
"Alright, what's the deal here?" Don interrupted and moved to stand in front of Kai's line of sight.
"No deal with you, that's for sure. Thank you for your time, Dr. Eppes," Kai said, smiling at Charlie around Don's form. "I am looking forward to learning a lot from your course."
"You're taking the class then?" Charlie asked in a surprised voice.
"As long as he's not in it," Kai noted, pointing at Don again. "Have a nice day," they added before walking out of the office.
The room was in complete silence for a full minute. "That's the first time I've seen you be the complete opposite of charming in the presence of an attractive woman," Charlie said to break the silence. The comment earned him a glare from his brother and a very particular look from the woman still seated. Charlie looked between then, blushing suddenly. "Uh. Right. Anyway, what's the case today?"
Don turned to now glare at the empty doorway, a gnawing sensation taking over his gut. The stranger didn't seem dangerous, but something was definitely off. He couldn't quite figure out what it was, but he would, eventually. Pushing the thought of the redhead out of his head, he turned to his brother. "Here's the deal."