Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

Folded Wings

By Random1377

Chapter 4

Rei woke in the pale light of dawn, sitting up in Kaji's bed and glancing around to get her bearings. She was one of those few people blessed with a short 'wake up time,' meaning that once she was awake, she was fully conscious. She never blundered around her apartment, she was never bleary when she was woken by a call, and she never nodded off in school.

For her, there was only wakefulness and sleep – no in-between.

What had roused her this time was a knock at Kaji's front door. Glancing at the clock on the far wall, Rei found that it was exactly 7:15 AM, well past her usual wake up time of 6:30, but still early enough to get things done – even on a weekend. Normally, she would have stayed in bed until whoever was at the door left, but the uncomfortable nagging in her midsection told her that she needed to use the bathroom quite badly.

Getting out of bed, she padded to the door and peered around, spotting Kaji as he moved towards the front door, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Rei had not taken much time to note the layout of the apartment, so she was not entirely sure where the bathroom was, but she hoped it was not within sight of the front of the apartment.

She really did have to go.

Unfortunately, the door to the bathroom was across the hall from her… and anyone looking through the front door would be able to see her easily. With a sigh, Rei stood still, refocusing her mind as the Commander had trained her and pushing thoughts of the bathroom from her mind. Hopefully, whoever was at the door would be gone soon, and she would be free to hurry to the bathroom.

Things did not go Rei's way.

"Coming," Kaji yawned as he reached the door, "just hang on a… oh… hi."

"Morning," Rei heard a bright, very familiar female voice exclaim, "I wanted to surprise you – how did I do?"

"Er, great," Kaji said honestly, "did umm… you come all the way over here just to see me…?"

The woman laughed. "Uh huh," she said happily, "and I brought some bagels and coffee too – I thought we could watch a movie or something while we ate them. You're off today, right?"

Kaji shifted uncomfortably, resisting the urge to look back over his shoulder at the bedroom and praying with all his might that Rei would stay put. "Now's… not a great time," he said lamely, "the house is a mess, and-"

"Oh it is not," the woman cut in, starting to sound petulant, "I can see it from-" the woman cut herself off. "…is someone with you?" she asked suddenly, sounding rather hurt. "I umm, I know we never… you know, said we couldn't, but I kinda thought…"

Rei tilted her head in an attempt to listen better as Kaji stammered, "It's… not like that. Come on in, I just… need to tidy up a little."

Life, as many people can tell you, has a way of tripping up your best laid plans. As Kaji turned away from the door and made a beeline for the bedroom, his visitor stepped into the apartment and started to shrug off the light jacket she was wearing to block out the light drizzle falling outside. At the same time, Rei took a discrete step back, understanding that her presence would be very hard to explain.

The movement, of course, drew the woman's attention… and her eyes locked with Rei's.

"Oh… my… God…"

Kaji winced, turning around and raising his hands. "I can explain," he said quickly, trying to position himself between the two women. "This is not what it looks like – I swear to God."

The woman stepped closer, the shock on her face unmistakable as she murmured, "She's… naked, Kaji… why is she naked if this 'isn't what it looks like'?"

Though his back was to her, Rei could almost sense the man's face going pale. "She sleeps that way," he said hoarsely, "not that I'd know that for sure! She slept in there, and I slept on the couch!"

Seeing no point in lurking in the shadows, Rei opened the bedroom door the rest of the way and came out. "It is as Mister Kaji says," she whispered simply, "good morning, Miss Ibuki."

Maya averted her eyes, embarrassed by Rei's nudity. "R-Rei," she stammered, "good, umm… good morning."

Kaji snatched the blanket he had been sleeping on off of the couch and draped it over Rei's shoulders. "Let me explain," he said softly.

The expression on the technician's face was dubious as Kaji quickly outlined the reason for Rei's (naked) presence in his apartment… but when she turned to the First Child for confirmation, some of the tension drained out of her countenance. "Is that true?" she asked bluntly, biting her lip as Rei gave her a silent nod. "Oh, umm… sorry…"

Since the matter was resolved, in her eyes, Rei turned on her heel and headed into the bathroom without a backward glance, leaving the two adults alone.

"I… I'm sorry," Maya said abruptly, keeping her eyes on the floor as her cheeks flushed with color.

"No, it's ok," Kaji said quickly, "I mean… it does look pretty bad."

Nodding, Maya gave a weak grin. "I'll say," she said with some relief, "I mean, I know you like younger women… I just didn't think you liked them that young!"

"You're not that much younger than me," Kaji pointed out, his tone showing relief now that the misunderstanding had been resolved.

Maya leaned against the wall, glancing briefly at the bedroom door before looking quickly away.

She had not ventured into that particular domain as of yet… but after a month of clandestine meetings and secret dates with the handsome man in front of her, the temptation was getting fairly strong. He was good to her – a quality she had not managed to find in a boyfriend for some time – and he was always very attentive to anything she had to say… especially where the EVAs were concerned.

Giving him an awkward smile, she pushed away from the wall and leaned on his shoulder instead. "Guess I should have called first, huh?" she said weakly, closing her eyes as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"All's well that ends well," Kaji said lightly, "that's the old saying, right?"

As Maya nodded, Kaji took the opportunity to reflect on their 'relationship.' As the number two technician at NERV, Lieutenant Ibuki had access to quite a bit of privileged information – information Kaji was very keen on having. He hated to think of it as using the woman… but no matter how he turned it over in his mind, that was the end result. He liked Maya fine – she was definitely one of the sweetest people Kaji had ever met – but she was a little on the clueless side when it came to knowing what motivated people and what made the world go around, and in Kaji's experience, sweet, clueless people tended to be the ones that got hurt first and suffered the most damage.

"So," Maya said after a moment of quiet, "you're going to let her stay, right?"

Kaji snorted. "You're kidding, right?" he muttered, "She can't stay here, Ibuki – there's more reasons than I can count why it's a bad, bad idea."

Maya frowned. "I know," she mumbled, "but there's also a bunch of reasons why it would be really good – like the fact that it's the right thing to do."

If there was one thing Kaji hated, it was the blanket 'it's the right thing to do' statement. He always wanted to know why and how it would be right. Yes, Rei was lonely, but that in and of itself did not make her moving in the right thing to do, did it?

Besides, the Commander would never hear of it.

Before he could point this fact out, he caught sight of Rei standing in the hallway. She seemed suddenly very small, especially with the blanket wrapped around her like a cloak, obscuring her shape to the point that one could not even tell if it was a girl or a boy. Wouldn't that be easy, he thought suddenly – if she was a boy, it would be much less of an issue. Yes, it would still be a pilot, but far fewer eyebrows would be raised by him taking in, oh, say, Shinji.

But a teenage pilot who happened to be a girl living under his roof?

Kaji could not see how that would go over well with anyone.

"Umm," Maya hummed suddenly, "Rei? Where are your clothes?"

"At home," Rei replied immediately.

Maya looked taken aback.

Kaji had deliberately neglected to mention that the teenager had come over to seduce him.

Slowly, Maya drew in a deep breath, holding it for a long minute before releasing it in a rush and quickly blurting, "You can stay with me, Rei."

"What are you doing?" Kaji murmured, turning to stare down at Maya. "Ibuki, it's not as easy as saying 'come on over,' there are other factors involved."

Maya nodded. "I know that," she said carefully, "but think about what sending her back to that awful apartment would mean to her. She's put her whole life in your hands… take the chance that you can make it better, Kaji, please."

Heaving a sigh, Kaji opened his mouth to repeat his objections, but before he could speak, he noticed Rei staring at him. Her words 'I will beg' echoed in his mind as he looked into her gorgeous red eyes. "I'm done talking about this," he said slowly, "Rei, you can stay here for the afternoon, but probably not any longer than that. Unless someone can show me an excellent reason to allow you to stay here, you're going to have to go home. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mister Kaji," Rei replied calmly.

"Outstanding." Kaji said smartly. "Now, I'm going to get more clothes on, and find something for you to wear, since you can't go running around naked."

Turning away, he gestured to Maya and started towards his bedroom.

"Have a bagel."

( 0 0 0 )

Rei sat on Kaji's couch and waited for someone to tell her what to do. At her apartment, she would have been doing homework on a Sunday, or possibly taking an early morning nap, as rest was always at a premium in her life. Now, nearly drowning in a huge sweatshirt and a pair of jeans cinched tight around her waist with an old belt, she found that without direction, she really had no idea of what to do.

Maya had tried to start a conversation with her several times, but Rei was not terribly interested in talking to the technician.

She did not know or care for the older woman in any way, and until that very morning, had never spared her a second thought after exiting the entry plug and leaving NERV central. Now she was sharing bagels with her and trying not to sit too close as the woman idly flipped through the channels on Kaji's TV.

Kaji himself had insisted on a shower, citing an old adage about a bath cleansing the mind and body and leaving the two women to their own devices.

It was rather awkward.

"So," Maya said suddenly, startling herself with how loud her voice came out, "umm, can you keep this a secret? Me and Kaji, I mean."

Rei nodded, chewing the bite of bagel in her mouth before replying, "Yes. Will you do the same for my being here?"

"Of course, of course," Maya said quickly, looking visibly relieved. "It's… kind of nerve-wracking, you know?" she laughed. "I've always kept my private life private, so it's hard to keep a secret like the fact that I'm dating a guy up at work from getting out."

Considering her bagel (which she was secretly finding very, very tasty) Rei absently murmured, "It will not be hard, Miss Ibuki."

"Oh?" Maya wondered. "And why is that?"

"Because most of the bridge technicians believe that you are a lesbian."

Maya nearly dropped her coffee.

"O-oh?" she stammered, her smile going rigid and fixed as she casually whispered, "who… says that?"

Rei sensed the change in the atmosphere. Slowly raising her head, she said, "I've spoken rudely. My apologies."

"No," Maya said quickly, "I don't mind. Well, I mean, I do, but… I've heard it from other people too. I just want to know who's saying it now."

"I do not know their names," Rei replied after a moment of silence.

"What shift are they on?" Maya pressed carefully. "Can you describe them?"

"Describe who?"

Maya jumped. "God, Kaji! You scared me!"

"Didn't mean too," Kaji shrugged, reaching over the back of the couch and swiping a bagel from the bag on the coffee table. "What are you guys talking about?"

Rei opened her mouth to tell him, but Maya quickly jumped in. "We were just talking about clothes," the tech lied, "Rei was going to describe a pair of pants she liked."

Kaji, who was very well versed in the arts of deception, smiled indulgently. "Is that right?" he said lightly, taking a bite of his bagel as he dried the inside of one ear with the corner of his towel. "I thought you didn't have any preferences, Rei."

Maya's eyes were pleading… but Rei was not normally one for dishonesty. She was not, however, above using misdirection or distraction to avoid answering questions she did not feel like answering.

It was something she was quite used to.

"I did not say that," she murmured smoothly, "I said I do not have many preferences."

"Ah," Kaji nodded sagely, "I see. Well, if you have a taste for a certain pair of pants, why do I always see you in your school uniform?"

Rei's answer was succinct.

"Because that is what I prefer."

"Touché…"

"Kaji," Maya said hesitantly, "are you… going to let Rei stay here for a while?"

Kaji folded his arms over his chest.

"Didn't I say no?"

Maya rose to her feet, smoothing her skirt as she stared down at the floor. "I meant what I said, Kaji," she whispered. "If you won't take her in, I will."

"My," Kaji said sardonically, "you're feisty when Akagi's not breathing down your neck."

The technician flushed, and Rei could tell that a soft spot had been struck.

"Rei," Maya said lightly, "let's go buy those pants you were talking about."

"I-"

"Come on, I'll buy… and we can go to my place when we're done. I have a pullout couch."

Hesitantly, Rei rose to her feet.

This was not what she had envisioned when she had boarded the train last night… not at all. Then again, nothing since arriving at Kaji's apartment and speaking her mind had gone as she had planned, so why should this be any different? She did not want to stay with Miss Ibuki… she wanted to stay here, with Kaji – the person that understood and accepted her.

What did Miss Ibuki have to offer her?

"I… would like to stay here."

Both adults stared at Rei as if she had grown an extra arm.

"Did you… not hear this whole conversation?" Kaji asked after a moment of silence. "I can't have you stay here! The Commander would lose his mind, not to mention the fact that it's completely inappropriate!"

"The Commander doesn't have to know," Maya said quietly, "we-"

"The Commander will know," Kaji cut in sharply, "or haven't you noticed that he knows every damn thing? If you needed to take a bathroom break, he'd be there with toilet paper, muttering about how you should hurry back to your station as soon as possible. Believe me – he knows everything that happens at NERV, and with my luck, he's probably standing outside the door, waiting for me to come out and get the paper so he can 'have a chat' with me about harboring the First Child!"

"He's not a god!" Maya protested. "And it's Rei's choice, not his – why would he care where she stays?"

Kaji laughed. "Oh Ibuki," he chuckled, shaking his head ruefully as Rei carefully studied the carpet, "you really, really don't know what's going on, do you…?"

Maya's irritation at Kaji's stubbornness was derailed by the sudden, very sharp realization that there was more going on with Rei than she could see. She regarded the First Child for a long, long moment, trying to see what it was that she had missed, but all she saw was the same, quiet little girl she had seen for the past three years.

"I'll talk to him."

Kaji's laughter died a rather gruesome death. "Are you insane?" he breathed. "You – you, who can't even ask for a day off without getting sweaty palms – are going to ask the Commander of NERV to let Rei stay with me?"

Maya nodded, keeping her eyes focused on the floor as she whispered, "If that's what it takes, Kaji, yes. She's fourteen years old – fourteen! …she shouldn't have to be lonely."

"No," Kaji sighed, rubbing his eyes, "she shouldn't, but-"

"This is right," Maya said quietly, rubbing her upper arms as a sudden chill ran through her. "You know it is, Kaji. Please… for me. Let her stay…"

Kaji threw his hands up in disgust. "Fine, fine," he said angrily, "but if you ever pull the 'do it for me' card again, I'll laugh in your face… you've used all your favors for at least a month." Turning to Rei he said, "As for you… there are conditions for you staying here."

Rei nodded. "Name them."

"One," Kaji said briskly, "permission, from the Commander, in writing."

"Alright…"

"Two… make some damn friends."

"…pardon?"

"Friends," Kaji repeated, "you said you wanted to change? Fine, I'll help you, but you have to do something besides shacking up here and drinking my orange juice. Tomorrow, you start making friends at school."

"But I… do not know how," Rei pointed out. "Only Ikari has showed me any attention, and he is scared of me."

This caught Maya rather off guard, and she let out a small, "Aww!"

"You say that everyone disregards you," Kaji reminded the First, ignoring Maya's interruption, "but what have you done to earn their attention? It's a two-way street, Rei – people aren't going to throw themselves at you and beg for your friendship… especially not when you ignore everyone and stare out that damn window all day every day."

"How do you know that I-"

"That's the deal," Kaji cut her off, "make friends by the end of the week, get the Commander's approval, and the couch – oh yes, the couch, I want my bed back – is all yours." He waved a hand. "Now go shopping with Ibuki or something… I'm gonna eat this bagel, read my paper, and pray that Section Two isn't on the way here to sanction me for having you in my house all night."

Smiling triumphantly, Maya gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You're so good," she whispered.

Kaji dropped himself onto the couch. "Shows what you know," he muttered, "now go… go buy Rei her pants, and throw the paper in so I don't have to go get it."

Maya did as she was asked, her steps light as she tossed the paper in and called, "Come on, Rei – let's get going."

Rei nodded, but held back until Maya was out of earshot before whispering, "Thank you for doing this, Mister Kaji."

"Oh don't thank me," Kaji snorted, grabbing his remote and clicking on a gameshow, "your life just got harder than you can imagine. You'll be back in your apartment in a week."

Bowing, Rei whispered, "We shall see…"

Silently, she took her leave.

As soon as she was out the door, Kaji was off the couch, snapping the TV off and reaching for his laptop in the vain hope that there was something he could hold over the Commander as his imagination provided him graphic details of what was going to happen to him when Rei left the man's office.

"I am sooo dead…"

Continued…

Author's notes: and so the gears begin to mesh.

Still not being pre-read.

Feedback is always welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities or by e-mailing me directly at random1377(at)yahoo(dot)com.