Of Cubicles and Coffee Cups

by Granate, 2004


Disclaimer: Don't own, not making any money!

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Jack used his height to his advantage as he made his way through the maze of cubicles, looking for any glimpse of a black hat.

"Major," a young woman greeted him as they passed in the narrow hallway.

He nodded absent-mindedly and kept up the search.  He didn't exactly know where they would stick Rei on any given day, and so was forced to hunt him down.  He would have preferred that Rei continue to follow him around and carry his clipboard, but since he'd gotten his arm out of the sling last week, they had assigned him to more useful tasks in Administration.  

Jack smiled a little when he caught sight of the familiar black Boomerang Squadron hat across the room.  It made him feel secretly possessive that Rei wore the hat all the time.  Boomerang was his.  Rei was his.  Even down here in Admin.  He selected the shortest path through the bland gray cubes, wondering who in hell had designed such a place, and finally ended up next to the cubicle where Rei was typing away with fast, methodic clicking and intently ignoring everything else.  He swore to put some kind of locating device on Rei next chance he got.  

"Lieutenant," he said casually as he leaned both elbows on the low wall, careful not to spill from either of the two white styrofoam cups he carried.  Rei's fingers stopped.

"Jack," Rei said as he raised his head.  

Jack smiled again as he watched Rei's features transform into something a little more pleasant than his usual dour expression.  Most people wouldn't be able to recognize such a subtle difference, but then again, most people wouldn't be privileged with it, either.  He raised an eyebrow.  "They could have at least given you a computer," he said, referring to the ancient typewriter on the desk in front of Rei.  

"This is ok," Rei shrugged almost imperceptibly.  Jack nodded.  There were no mistakes in Rei's keystrokes, he knew.  He came around to the entry of the tiny space and immediately spotted a careless cluster of six nearly full coffee cups on the desk.  

"I came to offer you some coffee, but…" he said with amusement, cocking his head in the direction of the little army of cups as he let the sentence trail off.  He sat himself on the edge of the desk and set down one of the identicle containers he'd brought.  To his surprise, Rei took it and drank some, which Jack understood as a thank you.  He sipped at his own cup, watching as Rei swallowed, sat back in his chair, and stared ahead at nothing for just a moment.  

He drank Rei in greedily, starving for any sight of him - the ends of his dark hair escaping the hat, the slope of his shoulders and the reach of his arm as he set the warm coffee cup down.  He was used to seeing Rei every day.  He was used to having Rei in his bed at least a couple times a week.  Rei's shifts had been so variable lately, Jack didn't know where to look for him and almost never got him alone.  Rei wasn't the type to initiate things and Jack had learned to live with that, but it was a hell of a lot tougher when their paths just didn't cross.

He was so rapt that he barely noticed Rei's momentarily content expression melt into one that was more troubled as his gaze fell onto the bastion of styrofoam cups on his desk.

"Jack…" he said quietly.

"Hm?" Jack replied, pulling his thoughts back to the present.

Rei's eyes darted nervously.  "Jack," he repeated, softer but somehow with more emphasis.

Jack was immediately alarmed.  Adrenaline spiked through his veins.  "What?  What is it, Rei?" he asked as he leaned closer.  Rei looked around again and then to Jack.

"The women," he whispered, "they keep… coming over here."

Laughter erupted from Jack before he could stop it.  Rei huffed unhappily and crossed his arms over his chest, turning his face down so that it was hidden beneath the bill of his hat.  Jack leaned closer to his ear again.

"I don't know, Rei," he said conspiratorially, "do you suppose they might like you?"

Rei tilted his head just enough to give him a withering look and Jack chuckled again before yielding.  "Is that where all the coffee came from?" he asked, taking stock of the collection again.  Still six, most looking like they hadn't even been touched.

"Yes," Rei answered, eyeing them wearily.

Jack sighed.  It was inevitable that a quiet, young SAF pilot with Rei's looks would attract attention around here.  It appeared that the office ladies wouldn't take the hint, even when Rei left all the full cups in plain sight.  He really did pity any curious, well-meaning woman who tried to make conversation with Rei.  He rested a palm on the shoulder of Rei's blue coat.

"Well, don't worry, I'll get you out of here before they attempt to O.D. you on caffeine," he promised.  "Won't be much longer until Yukikaze is ready for a flight test."

Rei's dark eyes snapped up to him at the mention of the plane.

"Already on the schedule," he continued, "a week from tomorrow.  If you both pass your exams, we'll have to have a little party, don't you think?"

Rei gave him a funny look.

"That's right, a party," Jack said genially.  It would probably be just the two of them, but they both preferred it that way.  "Champagne and everything," he said.

"Wouldn't beer and pizza be more your style, Jack?" Rei asked blithely.  Jack smiled.  It would.  He couldn't help the little warm feeling he got when he managed to get Rei to speak more than five words at a time.  He suspected Rei thought he was kidding about the party, however.

"We'll have that too," he said, getting up from the desk.  "Well, there's probably somewhere I should be," he sighed before taking another sip of his brew.  He just barely caught Rei's face turn hard before it was once again hidden under his hat.  

"Can I take those to the trash for you on my way out?" Jack asked of the unused coffee cups.

"If you want," Rei said tightly as he straightened up and fixed his attention back on the paper in his typewriter.  Jack gathered the six cups of old coffee and left the one he'd brought, in case Rei might want it.  Just in case.  

He stopped in the doorway.  "Report to me when your shift is over," he said, looking over his shoulder.  "I'll brief you on Yukikaze's repairs."

Rei just nodded shortly before the clicking of the typewriter keys started again.

Jack frowned as he turned away.  What was with Rei's abrupt coldness?  And was a little enthusiasm too much to ask?  He was giving them the chance to leave HQ together later.  He grumbled to himself.  He would have thought Rei would be eager to hear about Yukikaze's status if nothing else.  He was the only person on the entire base who was remotely close to Rei Fukai, and still he couldn't read the pilot worth a damn sometimes.  Most times.

He walked the well-intentioned coffee cups to the nearest trash receptacle and dropped them in with a heavy sigh.  His offering would probably follow these in a few hours when Rei was done for the day.  Or maybe sooner as an excuse to get up and stretch his legs.  It didn't matter anyway, he told himself.  It was just coffee, he was being melodramatic.

Seeing no obvious exit signs and not wanting to get turned around, he went back the way he'd come, past Rei's cube.  He glanced in as he passed for one last look, even if it was of the bill of that black hat.  He was surprised to find Rei with his head tipped back and the coffee cup to his lips.  His eyes were closed, dark lashes meeting his pale cheek, and Jack watched him take a couple long swallows before tearing his eyes away.  He shook himself once to force his mind off Rei and back on the work that would be waiting for him upstairs, and went to find the elevator.