__________________________________________________________________________ NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: VARIATIONS ON A THEME - Volume 1 - The Irony of Life / But We Happen To Know... Written By: James Grabowski & Geoff Upchurch Revision: 1.00 - Official Release Date: October 16, 1998 (Started: September 20, 1998) Time: 4:35:30 PM - EDT __________________________________________________________________________ LEGAL INFORMATION: All characters contained in this fanfiction are copyright GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the translated version of Neon Genesis Evangelion. At this time, they are used WITHOUT the permission of the aforementioned institutions. This fanfic is a production of the above mentioned authors, and may not be used in any way, shape, or form without prior permission of the authors. Distribution is subject to prior approval by the authors. __________________________________________________________________________ AUTHORS' NOTES: Authors' notes... so different from author's notes. Why? Because it means there is more than one author. Co-authoring is few and far between these days among Eva fanfiction, and writing in general. Often co-authoring entails working with someone who you know well, or in such a case, someone who you can meet with in person to discuss what is being written. This entails a problem, as one of us lives in Canada, and the other in the United States. That and a one time zone difference kind of makes it hard to actually physically _meet_ the other. Well, we pretty much broke the rules and boundaries of co-authoring. Despite the large distance between us, we are producing this series of Eva fanfiction, entitled "Neon Genesis Evangelion: Variations on a Theme". To be honest, this entire thing came out of the blue. What started as a little fooling around during an ICQ Chat session developed into a full-blown fic! (no lemon jokes please) We're looking at about a week after Shinji returns from Unit One, between episodes 20 & 21 in continuity. Some of the stuff that happens won't make a whole lot of sense if the reader, you, hasn't seen that far. This was during a discussion about Eva fics. Here's how it started: Yes, both Shinji and Rei would be getting REAL close... and that has more than one meaning. Too bad I offed Gendo ... that could be a _damn_ funny reaction. Well, I'll see what I can do. =) Still, I can just see Ritsu going off on Misato for not preforming her duties. "Major Katsuragi! Just what the HELL have you been doing?!" "Me? Should you be asking THEM that?" Yes, if you read this whole thing, we started with the last third of the story. We didn't realize until afterward that we had left out a lot. Best way to describe the genre of this fic is Action, Drama, Humour, Romance, Darkness, and even some WAFF. Yes, this spans many platforms. Pure Evangelion. Some advanced warning, please keep an open mind when you read. Some scenes may be unsettling to you. Why? I don't know, just thought you should get a warning. To be honest, we're already anticipating some interesting feedback on this fic. This should get some people thinking, and if not, then... we don't know why. Volume 2 will be out in a couple of weeks, so be sure to watch for it. It's already in progress, and turning into quite the interesting continuation... rather spine-chilling. Well, enjoy! Let us know what you think of it! And to answer those questions in your minds, _yes_ we are insane, and _yes_ we _do_ know just what the hell we're doing. __________________________________________________________________________ "Hey! Why don't we make off-hand comments and turn it into a script for an Evafic, James?" `Are you smoking weed?' James thinks. `He must think I'm smoking weed,' Geoff thinks. __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Neon Genesis Evangelion: Variations on a Theme - Volume 1 - The Irony of Life / But We Happen To Know... It was dawn. Bright light which begins a new day, yet can be shrouded with but a simple gesture. Rei stood in front of her mirror and looked back at herself. She was already clothed in her school uniform, green dress hanging near her knees, white shirt buttoned up, a small red bow at her neck. She stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror. "I am still here." She sat down on her bed and looked at the ground. "There was no death then, because he returned." Rei blinked, and looked at the ceiling. "Over a month, he was one with the Eva. And yet, it was different. He is like Soryuu, Katsuragi, Akagi... he is a life, and he affects others." She leaned over and picked up the case she used to carry materials to and from school, as well as NERV documentation. "It was different. The way others perceive me and how I perceive them is what creates me. And without him... it was a different perception." "I do not like seeing him hurt. Why?" She remembered the words that Touji had said to her little more than a month earlier. 'You care about Shinji, don't you?' 'Maybe that's true,' 'Yep!' "That's true, but I don't understand." Rei reached out to a small gray container on her box, and opened it gently. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested easily in it, the lenses cracked, the frames partially bent. She closed it and placed it gently in the bag. "What did Suzuhara-kun fully intend by his statement?" Rei gently drew a curtain to the side with her arm and looked out of it, still carrying her case with her. "It is early." She drew the curtain back to its original position. With a heavy breath, she shuffled down the hallway of her small apartment, slipped off her sandals, and replaced them with a pair of white shoes. "Time to go." With those words, she drew her door open and stepped out, and closed it once more, leaving it unlocked as she always did. ------------------------------------ "Good morning Shinji-kun!" Misato called cheerfully. "Misato-san! You're up early today!" Shinji said mildly surprised as he walked into the kitchen, already dressed in school attire. 'And she's dressed in her NERV uniform... or what she wears to NERV anyway... is she feeling well?' "Just cooking breakfast," Misato said as the toaster popped. 'She has been nicer to me... since I came back,' Shinji thought to himself. He took in a deep breath, and nearly choked on the smell that entered him. "Don't worry about that. I burnt some toast before, so..." "How much?" "About a loaf. Don't worry, it's fine now." Shinji smiled nervously. 'She means well.' He walked over to the table and sat down. "You don't have to go in today?" "Well, yes... but only for about an hour or two this morning. I'll be home all afternoon, and Ritsuko's going to be here later this evening too," Misato replied with her cheerful luster. "Ritsuko-san is coming over?" "Yes. She wants to see how you're doing. It's been a week since..." Misato trailed off, a voice hinting of disturbance. "Misato-san?" Shinji asked worriedly. "She just wants to ask you a couple of questions. That, and she wants to talk to me about something..." "Is she coming for dinner?" "Hmmm? Oh, yes..." "I see." "Here's your breakfast!" Misato walked over to him and set a plate down in front of him. It's contents were two pieces of slightly burnt toast. On the table was a glass of... something orange. This meant it could be juice or whatever she had managed to scavenge from the burnt toast. Whether any of this was actually edible was something else entirely. 'Well, here's to my health... or what's left of it.' "Itadakimasu." "Itadakimasu!" Misato replied as she sat down with the same thing. Shinji braved the danger and bit into the toast. 'This tastes like... toast. Wow.' Misato was happily swallowing down her breakfast... with a side of beer of course. He attempted to taste his beverage, praying it was edible like the toast. 'This tastes like... juice. Wow. Since when could Misato make... anything?' "Misato-san?" "Mmhmm?" she asked muffled. "This tastes good." "I've been practicing." Shinji nodded and kept eating. "Where's Asuka?" "I heard her before. She went to take a bath. I guess she's still in there." The both of them heard a loud female scream. The next thing either of them knew, Pen-Pen was flying across the kitchen floor, a towel hanging from his neck. "EVEN BIRDS ARE PERVERTED!" Asuka screamed as she flew into the kitchen with a red towel wrapped around her body, dripping water across the floor as her hair remained straight and flat against her head and the portion of the towel which was covering her back. "Good, morning, Asuka," Shinji ventured. "Hmmph! Oh, good morning Shinji," she said, relatively calmly. "Nice to see SOMEONE has the decency to show a little respect around here," she stated, eyeing Misato warily. 'What's she talking about?' Shinji wondered as he watched Misato's visage begin to redden. "Well, I'm going back to my bath. Don't walk in if you like living," she declared as she marched back to the bathroom. Pen-Pen quickly waddled to his freezer and jumped in, letting the door shut behind him. 'Poor thing,' Misato thought. "What was all that about?" Shinji asked. "It was nothing. Don't worry about it." "I understand." "Are you happy to be going back to school today?" Misato asked, changing the subject. "I... guess... I've seen everyone already. Except..." "Aida-kun has been talking to him." "How is he?" "You're better to ask him." "..." A vision of Unit One's hand crushing the entry plug of Unit Three flashed through his mind. Another of Unit One eating the 14th Angel followed. He finished his breakfast in disturbed silence. "He'll be by shortly, so you can ask him." "..." "Don't worry." "Hmmm?" he asked, looking up startled. "Don't worry," Misato said, smiling. Shinji blinked, and then nodded. The doorbell broke any further concentration on conversation. "Would you get that?" Misato asked as she began to chug down more of her beer. "It must be Aida-kun." "Sure." He brought his dishes to the sink and then walked over to the door, letting it slide open. "Good morning Ikari!" The always cheerful Kensuke Aida stood with his bag over his shoulder and his camera in hand, turned off and resting at his side. "Morning." "...Hello Ikari-kun." Shinji nearly jumped, the second voice surprising him. Standing next to Kensuke was Rei, bag clasped in both hands, looking at him in her usual manner. "Hello Ayanami," he said, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Are you ready to go?" Kensuke asked him. "Uh... sure," he replied. He began to slide his shoes on. "Misato-san! I'm going now." "See you later! Did I hear another voice?" "Yes. It's Ayanami." "Oh. All right, take care!" The sound of another can of beer popping open could be heard faintly. Shinji took his bag and walked out the door, letting it close behind him. "How are you feeling?" Kensuke asked him as the three walked side by side down the hallway. "Fine, I guess. I'm not in pain... but at the time..." "How did it feel?" Rei asked quietly as they stepped into the elevator and it began its descent. "It felt... comfortable..." he said, reminiscing. "I found it painful... but..." "You found comfort?" "For a moment... yes." "Only for a moment?" "A few moments." Rei nodded. Kensuke looked on thoughtfully. The elevator came to a halt. The three walked out of the building and out onto the street, and continued their walk to school. "How's... how's Touji?" Shinji asked. "He's... okay," Kensuke said. "He gets to see his sister more often, which makes them both happy. Hikari visits him every other day." "Hikari visits him?" "Of course. She cares about him pretty strongly." Shinji nodded. "I just hope he's all right... but... what do you mean exactly?" Kensuke chuckled. "She doesn't hide it as well as she tries too. At school maybe, but in the hospital... Touji just isn't very perceptive. At first I thought she just kind of looked out for him in a sense, even though it meant batting him around the classroom. But, she has more than just his welfare on her mind." "I never knew that..." "Don't worry about him. Actually, he asked me to give you a message." "Really?" "Yep. He said to get down there when you get the chance or he'll knock you out again." Shinji chuckled lightly. "He also said that he was right." "Right? Right about what?" "He wouldn't say. He just said that he was right." Shinji looked at Kensuke completely mystified. Kensuke shrugged and turned to look in front of him, scrambling to avoid walking into a mailbox. The three walked on quietly down the road, no disturbances except for Tokyo-3 itself. Shinji glanced at both of his friends, and then focussed his eyes on the blue-haired girl. "Ayanami? Why did you come?" "I wanted to see you," she replied softly. "See me?" "Yes." "How come?" "I don't know." "You... don't know?" "Because I wanted to." "You... ummm... thank you." Kensuke listened to the conversation come to a close, his glasses glinting in the sunlight. 'He's lucky to have people who care about him, even if he doesn't completely realize it,' he thought as he looked at Shinji. His gaze shifted over to Rei. 'Even if they don't completely realize it.' "Well, you haven't missed anything over the past month," Kensuke offered. "You mean..." "Second Impact," Rei interjected quietly. "Big surprise," Shinji sighed. "Did anything interesting happen?" "Well... Asuka drop-kicked a boy who she overheard giving reasons for your absence." "Oh boy..." Shinji said as he rubbed his head. "What were those reasons?" "Well, it was about five days after... you were... well... it was five days after, and Rei had been absent for that amount of time as well, so..." Shinji blushed slightly. "You mean..." "He was out for the rest of the day. Never knew someone could bounce off the ground like that." "Oh geez..." "Then she practically threw someone off the platform outside the school." "For what?" "Same type of thing. Except this time it involved you and her..." "Well, that's Asuka for you..." Shinji mumbled. "There's more," Rei spoke quietly. "More?" "I've got a few cassettes I'll have to show you," Kensuke laughed. ------------------------------------ "Hey, where's Shinji?" Asuka asked as she walked out of her room, dressed in uniform. "He left about ten minutes ago Asuka," Misato replied as she washed some dishes. The 'broken' pile was empty this day. "He left without waiting for me?! Baka Shinji!" "You're running late actually. Look at the time." Asuka glanced at the clock up on the wall. Ten minutes before the school day was scheduled to begin. "Plenty of time. Sensei always arrives late," she said as she rushed to her room to grab her bag. "Why didn't you tell me I was running late, or that he was leaving?" she shouted from the other end of the house. "You seemed to be comfortable in your bath. You were in there long enough." Asuka walked into the room holding her bag over her shoulder. "Are you insinuating anything?" "No. Just wondering." "I was thinking." "About what?" 'About what idiots I'm going to have to teach a lesson to today...' "Nothing important." "Anyway, you'd better go. Want some toast?" "Is it edible?" "YES, IT'S EDIBLE!" Misato shouted in a frustrated tone. "Okay, okay..." Asuka grabbed the two pieces of toast in Misato's outstretched hand and walked to the door. "Have a good day Asuka!" "Ymmm Trm," she replied, mouth filled with toast as the door slid closed behind her. Misato looked up at the clock. "I feel lonely." ------------------------------------ "Ikari Shinji-kun, here are your printouts." Shinji groaned as Hikari set a stack of papers an inch thick on his desk. "Aren't you glad you came back?" Kensuke asked absently as he filmed his friend. "Ecstatic," Shinji sighed as he slouched over his desk and glanced at the printout on the top of the pile. "Don't worry Shinji. You have about two weeks to do them. That should be more than enough time," Hikari offered. "Hmmm." "So Shinji, how does it..." She trailed off as she saw Kensuke give her a 'bad idea - don't go there if you don't have to' look. "All right," he answered absently. Hikari nodded. "Hey, where's Asuka today? She's going to be late." "She was bathing when I left. She could still be there for all I know..." "I wouldn't be surprised. She's been holding buckets almost every day for the past week." "What for?" "She just seems to be losing her temper more easily these days. It's getting to be a problem..." "I have it all caught on tape!" Kensuke exclaimed. "You really want to show those to me, don't you?" Shinji asked him. "How come you can even bring that camera into school?" Hikari asked him with a frown spreading across her pretty face. "I'm not causing any trouble Hikari. I just have a taste for the interesting." "So long as it's violent," she replied sarcastically. "Well, guns help... but flying students are a close second!" Hikari sighed. "You are such an idiot." "Hey, don't call me that!" "But you are!" "Then why do you keep hanging around me, huh?" Hikari blushed lightly and started to stutter. "Well, I... that is..." "Does it have to do with Touji?" "Oh be quiet!" "You sound like you're breaking up," Shinji interjected. "And what do you mean by that?!" Kensuke and Hikari asked him at the same time. "Nothing, nothing at all." Kensuke and Hikari went on with their argument as Shinji pushed his red laptop aside, slumped to his desk and gazed around the sensei-less room... 'Perhaps senseless room.' His gaze fell to Asuka's seat. 'I wonder where she is. It's not like her to be this late... I wonder if she's really as angry as everyone says. I wonder... how she is. I'm happy to see her again, even if she is... Asuka.' He chuckled aloud. His gaze continued to wander, resting on Touji's chair. 'Eva. I'm the pilot of Evangelion, Unit One. He was the pilot of Evangelion, Unit Three. Eva against Eva... I hate it... I didn't want to do it... I didn't, but it was my hands... mine. But Misato and Touji... they say it's not my fault. Are they right? I hope I can see him soon.' Once more his gaze wandered, falling on the young blue-haired Eva pilot who stared out the window in passive interest. 'Ayanami. Why did she come to see me this morning? Because she wanted to. I've never heard those words from her before. It was... nice, to hear them. But, why did she want to?' His concentration in thought was lost as he realized he had been noticed. Rei's face still rested on her hands, but it was no longer facing the window. Rather, it was directed in his direction, orbs of red focussed on him. It stayed like that for a few seconds. In the end, he blushed deeply and looked away. 'How embarrassing.' He felt his cheeks returning to their original colour, but he still felt the gaze on him. About a minute later he looked back again, and sure enough, Rei was still staring at him. For a minute their gazes remained locked. 'Why is she looking... at me?' Still he held the gaze. Then something happened which surprised him. Rei smiled at him. Just a small, soft smile. But it was there. 'She's smiling at me?' His eyes widened slightly as he looked back at the smiling girl. 'A smile... suits her.' His eyes returned to their normal size. He smiled back at her. A few moments later, she turned to the window again. 'That was nice.' "Earth to Ikari, are you there Ikari, over." "Hmmm---!" Shinji was snapped out of his smiling trance as Kensuke poked him from behind. "Everything okay?" "Yeah... everything's fine. I was just thinking." "About Rei?" "What?" Kensuke grinned. "Oh come on! I saw you looking at her for over a minute!" "I was not!" "Ah Shinji, if only Touji were here to see you now..." he said as his glasses began to glint strangely. "And I saw you smiling too. And just what exactly about her were you thinking about, hmmm?" he asked innocently as he prodded Shinji with his camera. Shinji sighed. "You're not going to leave me alone until I tell you I want to sleep with her, are you?" "Maybe." "It isn't like that." "Then what is it?" "I don't know... I was just wondering, why she came to see me today..." Kensuke raised an eyebrow, then set down his camera and looked at Shinji with a normal expression. "All joking aside, you're pretty dense." "What?" "She's your friend, and she's worried about you. That's why I came to see you, what's to stop her from doing the same?" "You think... that's what it is?" "Why not? To be honest, she was standing outside your door when I got there. I don't know how long she had been there mind you. Face it, you're one of the few people that she talks to, even if it isn't often." Shinji blinked. "You're a lucky guy Ikari. You have more friends than you realize." "Thanks... Kensuke." Kensuke smiled. "No problem." He picked up his camera and pointed it at Shinji. "So, when are you going to make your move on her?" Shinji's head fell to his desk with a clunk, Kensuke snickering the entire time. "BAKA SHINJI-KUN!" Kensuke face-faulted as Shinji slowly sat up. "A... A... hello, Asuka," Shinji ventured. "Don't 'hello' me!" Asuka yelled as she walked up to Shinji's desk and dropped her bag at her feet. She slammed her hands on his desk and stuck her face right up to his until they were nose to nose. "What did I do?" he asked meekly. "You didn't even wait for me! Why not, huh? You should be grateful that I'd grace the presence of someone like yourself!" "I was just letting you enjoy your bath. I thought you'd prefer it that way." Asuka's eyes softened somewhat. "Well, I guess I can forgive an idiot like you once in a while." "You're so kind," he responded. She backed up. Shinji glanced around the room. No one was really paying attention to them, except for Hikari who had returned to Kensuke's desk, Kensuke who was filming the ordeal, and Rei. He studied her for a moment. 'Is she... frowning?' "Wake up Shinji!" "Hmmm? Yes!" he said as he turned back toward her. "Well, you don't have to worry about after school. I'm going to visit Hikari for a few hours, so you won't see me until later. That's your punishment for THIS time." 'She's pretty confident of herself,' Kensuke thought to himself as he zoomed in on Asuka's face. "You'll just have to live with it. Don't worry, I'll see you later, baka Shinji," she said as she walked to her desk, a smirk plastered across her face. Hikari followed after her. "She's awfully direct, isn't she baka Shinji?" Kensuke asked as he set the camera down on the desk, turning off the power. "Yes, very direct," he thought as he reminisced on several instances where her controlling behavior came in to effect. "How can you stand living with... with... her?" "I never really thought about that. I just do, I guess." "Well, you must get along with her _somewhat_ to have been around her for this long. You're one of a kind in that respect." "Perhaps," he said as he glanced at Asuka laughing with Hikari. "Hey, I have something else to ask you..." "What's that?" "What were you doing watching Asuka take a bath?" "I! I was not---" "You live with Asuka, she's a babe, even if her personality is lousy, and you get to watch her bathe? Does she ask you to help?" "What?!" "God that must be scary. I mean... she's Asuka." He shuddered fiercely. "Gives me the jitters just thinking about it." "Your own lies are getting to you now." "You're right. I think I'll stop," he said as he set his camera down on the floor. "Good." Shinji turned to face the front of the classroom. He felt Kensuke poking him on the shoulder. "What is it?" "You have at least seen her in a towel, right?" Shinji set his head on his desk and started to cry. Luckily, the teacher chose that moment to walk into the class. ------------------------------------ "And so on September 20, 2000, just one week after the very peak of the disaster, Tokyo was annihilated by the newly developed N2 bomb..." The teacher droned on with his explanations. The majority of students paid scant attention to what he was saying, some in quiet contemplation, others asleep on their desks, and others typing quietly on their laptops. This was a common scene; the majority of discussions in class left the teacher reminiscing about Second Impact. Shinji was no different from his classmates. He sat staring at his open laptop. Behind him was the quiet yet frantic clacking of Kensuke's keyboard. Shinji yawned and stared at the blank screen of his miniature computer. 'Second Impact... the truth about it is covered up. No one here knows what really happened except for myself, Rei, Asuka... and probably Kensuke. Controlled information... is it really necessary? Shinji rested with the thought as he listened to the keystrokes of the maniacal Kensuke. 'I wonder what he's up to?' Shinji's thoughts were shattered as he heard a slight beep come from the laptop. A glance revealed a small telephone signal in the upper corner of the screen. 'A message?' He glanced around the classroom looking for a sign from anyone, but to his dismay, nothing. With a glance at his teacher who was still rambling away, he accepted the call. Shinji stared at his screen with a semi-mystified expression. He glanced around to Kensuke who had stopped typing. Shinji inputted his suspicions. The fierce typing continued. Shinji kept his eyes glued to the console. Shinji stared dumbly at his screen. Shinji looked up from his keyboard and looked behind him. Aside from the frantic Kensuke, only one other thing caught his attention. Rei's hands rested on the keyboard of her laptop. Unusual in itself, but in addition, her gaze rested on the young Ikari. He watched as she looked down at her keyboard to type something, and then looked back up at him. He turned around to look at his screen. Shinji looked back at Rei. He nodded silently. She responded with a mouthed 'Good' and returned to typing on the keyboard. Shinji blinked at the topic. 'And... did I find... her? I felt... mother.' 'My reality?' There was a long pause. The ramblings in the background continued. Shinji's eyes widened. There was a pause as he stared at the screen. Shinji blushed lightly. 'She can see me...' Shinji didn't respond. Shinji blushed lightly. Shinji glanced at Rei who gave him a longer look, and then typed on her keyboard again. Shinji's eyes widened as the message came across the screen. He gasped lightly as he pulled back to a normal sitting position. He turned his head to face Rei. She was looking at him, a slight blush in her cheeks. Shinji's lips rested slightly parted as he looked at her. He soon found himself blushing as well. Kensuke fell out of his chair. "Mister Aida! Do you have something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?!" "N... n-n... no, sensei." "Then stay in your seat and don't interrupt!" "Yes sensei." Asuka began snickering loudly. Both Shinji and Rei terminated the call. ------------------------------------ The Major leaned back against a wall, clutching at the towel wrapped around herself shabbily due to the sudden need to attempt to get the phone. Shinji and Asuka were off at school, so no sense in worrying about wandering around half-covered. 'And what's so important that Ritsuko would take a day off work to come bum around with me?' Mulling that over, Misato tossed her towel on the pile of used ones lying on the bathroom floor 'Shinji still hasn't done the wash' and 'Oh yeah - Shinji - that's it. I almost forget about the accident sometimes' moved to her room to get dressed. Here there was only more evidence of the fact that they were far into the school week. Clothes lay strewn about, and her dresser drawers were all but empty 'Maybe I should get him a day off every week.' of anything that Misato would actually _wear_. She started rooting through the almost bare drawers in a vain attempt to find something worth wearing. Finally managing to drag out a few halfway-decent-looking pieces of clothing 'God, I haven't worn _this_ in ages' she threw them on haphazardly. After looking herself over in the mirror 'I don't know why I haven't worn this, `cept it's a bit revealing' the Major wandered out into the living room and tossed herself down on the couch. ------------------------------------ "Come on Ikari!" "I'm going, I'm going!" Taking his only chance, Shinji let the ball fly from his fingers to come into contact with the backboard of the basketball net. Albeit uncertainly, it rolled its way around the rim of the hoop and sunk in. "Good shot!" "Thanks Kensuke." "Line change!" came the call of the gym teacher. The team Shinji and Kensuke played on walked slowly off to the wall as the other took their place on the court. As they all came into contact with the cement wall, the first reaction of the majority was to stare up at the swimming pool on the floor above. More specifically, all of the girls who were standing near the pool, and any who came out of it. Shinji settled into thought as the muttering of the adolescents began. 'She cares about me?' Holding Rei's writhing form in Unit One's docking bay. 'How can she?' Rei slapping him. 'Why would she?' Rei looking over him after his encounter with the 5th Angel. 'Why would she?' Rei smiling in Unit Zero's entry plug. 'Why would she?' Rei watching over him after his encounter with the 12th Angel. 'Why does she?' Rei at his doorway with Kensuke. 'Why does she?' Rei smiling at him. 'Why does she?' written across his computer terminal. 'I...' Rei blushing. 'She cares about me. Those words are... new.' Shinji felt his head turning, looking up at the swimming pool that was the girl's gym class. Sure enough, his reason for looking came to his attention. Rei sat in her black gym bathing suit, back to the fence. Her legs were held up to her chest, arms clasped around them. Though she faced the pool, her eyes were directed at the cement ground which surrounded it. 'Ikari-kun.' Shinji blushing, looking at her in surprise. 'Caring. He knows that I care about him. This feeling is new. This is something I have never known... why do I want to?' Herself. 'I am unsure. I want to see him. Why?' She looked down at the courtyard below her, but her gaze quickly trailed to the wall as she spotted Shinji sitting next to Kensuke. He was looking up at her. His mouth opened slightly as he realized she had seen him. 'He looks at me.' Rei held his gaze, her red eyes locking him in place. She took a heavier breath as she closed her eyes and stood up. She turned around to face him though the distance was large, one hand gripped around the wiring of the fence, the other resting by her side. 'This is something... enjoyable?' For half a minute, neither moved. Each looked into the eyes of the other. An unblinking and unwavering gaze was exchanged between the two, both oblivious to their surroundings. 'I will talk with him.' She smiled softly at him. Shinji smiled back. Rei slid back down the side of the fence and returned to her former position, eyes fixated on the cement surrounding the pool, her common visage expressed across her face. Within the pool, Hikari turned to Asuka who had frozen in posture. "Is something wrong Asuka?" "Hmmm? No, no, I don't think so." Hikari nodded and continued the laps she had been swimming, surrounded by the laughter and relaxation of the others. Asuka's gaze lingered on Rei a while longer. 'Except... I could have sworn... Wonder Girl was smiling. What was she looking at?' Asuka continued her swim, letting the thought store itself in the recesses of her mind. Below the pool, Shinji's smiling expression was replaced by his normal, calm yet subdued visage, yet his gaze still lingered in Rei's direction. "What are you staring at?" "Hmmm? Oh, nothing..." Shinji said as his face directed itself at the ground. "Only Rei..." Kensuke said as he pushed his face up into Shinji's, a huge grin plastered across it. "Not this again!" Shinji complained. "Ah, is it her cute face, the soft blue hair and deep red eyes pulling you in?" Kensuke said as he put an arm around Shinji's shoulder and pulled him closer, his glasses glazed over in light. "Or maybe it's her shapely thighs and calves, legs which entice you toward her? Or maybe, it's her round, firm, perfectly-shaped breasts which you find yourself in need of feeling gently as you hold each other tightly, slipping off her---" "Would you shut up you pervert?!" Shinji exclaimed, catching a glance or two from the other students resting against the wall. He lowered his voice. "Give it a rest." "You know, I would have, but then this delightful little message came across my screen." "What are you talking about?" Shinji asked nervously. "Let's see now, how did it go? Ah yes... 'He also asked me if I care about you', and then 'He was right'." "But, you said..." "Yeah, I know what I said. Of course, I never would have thought about it in a sense like that. Then of course, there was you blushing in class, and then her blushing. That was the first time I've seen that actually..." "Wait a minute, you were--- how did you know what...?" "I am a master hacker my dear Ikari-kun," he said, putting purposeful emphasis on 'Ikari-kun'. "You..." "Read the whole thing? Yep." "Why?" "Never seen you get a message on your computer before." "That's none of your business." "Perhaps." Shinji sighed. "You know things like that don't matter to me." 'Not yet anyway,' Kensuke thought to himself. "I know. But until you tell me why you were looking at her, I'll be assuming that." "I said it was nothing..." "I wonder how Rei will feel when she knows you want to take her to bed," Kensuke commented. "Just think, feeling her tremble gently under your hands as you run them across---" Shinji smacked him across the back of the head. Kensuke chuckled. "Okay, okay... you are so sensitive." "I can see why Asuka thinks you're an idiot, and a pervert. She's right! Just what the hell do you do on that computer anyway?!" Kensuke smiled. "Give me more credit than that. You know I'm just bugging you." Shinji shook his head in defeat. "So, when are you going to answer my question? Face, legs, breasts, or something else?" "Something else." "What then?" "Her." Kensuke raised an eyebrow in question. "No one has ever said they... cared about me. Worry maybe, but caring... it's a comfortable feeling." "Now you have to ask yourself another question." "What's that?" "How do you feel about her?" Shinji looked up at the question, greeted by the dead serious expression of Kensuke Aida. "I... didn't think about that." "It's all right. I'd probably be in your position if this happened to me. I still envy you." "What do you mean?" "Like I said. You have more friends than you realize. Maybe, even more than friends." Shinji looked at him. He smiled. "Like I said... thanks." "Not a problem." The two remained in silence for a few moments, the moment of peace the first either had truly experienced in some time. But, it was not meant to last. "Hey Kensuke..." "Hmmm?" "What were you doing before, aside from intruding on... my conversation." Kensuke turned red. "It was nothing." Shinji raised an eyebrow. "You're lying..." Kensuke sighed. "All right, I'll tell you... but you have to promise to keep it quiet." "Only if you promise to quit joking." "Who said I was joking?" Shinji looked at him surprisedly. "What?!" "Relax, relax... Okay, I was doing two things..." There was a brief pause as Kensuke beckoned Shinji to bring his head closer to his own. "First off, I was looking up information on Misato..." "You mean... her past?" "Partially, but not exactly..." "What then?" "Well, Touji and I had a bet..." "About what?" "Her measurements." Shinji groaned as he smacked his head against the wall. "You're not kidding are you?" he said as he looked at Kensuke's mildly red face. "No." "Let's just skip to the second... provided it isn't about the measurements of female officers..." "No, it wasn't. Something a little more interesting actually." Shinji groaned again. "Coming from you, that can only be one thing..." "N2 devices." "N2 WHAT?!" Shinji whispered hoarsely. "What exactly were you looking for." "Technical specifications." "Tech... tech... why are you looking that up?" "Well... I was thinking maybe I could build a scaled-down version of an N2 bomb..." "Please tell me you're joking." "I'm joking." Shinji sighed. "Actually, I want to know how these things work. They're so interesting..." "Still..." "There was something else I was looking up too, technical specifications on the Evangelion..." "The Eva?" "There's something wrong there... I knew all of the files would be classified and top secret... but..." "But what?" "When I finally got them open... they were empty." "Empty?" "Yeah. It's strange. It's as if they don't want ANYONE to know about the Eva, even themselves. There's something wrong with this picture, and I'm going to find out what it is..." 'I... think I know part of it...' "Maybe you could help me." "Me?" Shinji asked stunned. "Yeah!" Kensuke started excitedly. "You've had tons of experience piloting an Eva. Maybe you could tell me some of its secrets! It would really help in learning more about it!" "..." "Listen, I know you have trouble with it. Hell, if I could I would take your place gladly, you know it, but you were chosen, and that's how it is. I respect you a lot Shinji. And maybe, this would answer some of the doubts you have. There's an answer behind everything you know." "I... I don't know..." 'Maybe it would be a good idea...' "Would you at least think about it?" "..." "Please?" "...Sure." "Thanks!" "Yeah..." Shinji's mind began to wander into the depths of the conversation he had just had, something disturbing his thoughts. He soon came up with what he was searching. "Kensuke, just... where did you find ANY of this? Was it from your dad?" "No." "Then, where?" "The JSSDF archives." "The-the-the-the-what?" "And the MAGI in NERV." "How did you even know about... never mind, don't answer. Are you insane?" "Didn't you already ask me that?" "Yes, and for good reason! Do you know what you're messing with? These are big, large, _powerful_ organizations that could wipe out anything they wanted to with as much as the press of a button on a computer! What if you get caught?!" "I won't get caught. Like I said, I'm a master hacker my dear Ikari-kun," he stated chuckling. "It won't get traced to me. I used the school network to distribute my signal throughout the whole building, so even if they DO manage to trace me, they'll have every computer terminal in that school as the source! I'm invincible!" Kensuke began to laugh maniacally as Shinji stared at him with an extremely nervous expression. 'He is nuts,' Shinji thought to himself. Kensuke recovered and looked at his friend with a smile. "So, have you decided yet?" "Decided what?" "About Rei. How do you feel?" "I don't know..." Shinji stared at the ground as images of his life in Tokyo-3 flashed through his eyes. 'She's been nice to me. I don't see that her very often, from others...' His time in the hospital room after the 12th Angel replayed in his mind. Rei's visit remained with him. 'She came to see me, though she didn't have to. It was nice to see her that time...' He recalled pulling open the searing hatch of Unit Zero's entry plug after the battle with the 5th Angel and looking at Rei in pain. 'Rei... she was hurt. It had been maybe a month, a little more when I first saw her in pain... I don't like pain. But... I didn't want to see her hurt. I didn't want her to be hurt. I don't want anyone to be hurt, but... why was it I was so concerned when I saw her like that... why did I like to see her smile?' The images flashed through his mind, a scrapbook of memories, both painful and pleasant, together as one. "Ikari?" "I think... I care about her, too." Kensuke smiled. "It's nice to have someone to care about." "What is it like?" "It differs. There are different types of relationships to experience in life. Mother-son, father-son, friend, pleasure, love... all are different, but... they're all part of life," he stated quietly. "It's something you have to experience for yourself." "Oh." The teacher sounded the whistle. Class was over. The two boys got up and started jogging back toward the locker room. "So, what are you going to do about it?" "I guess... I'll find out." "Enjoying your day?" "It's... different." Kensuke laughed. ------------------------------------ As the final bell of the day rang, Shinji said his goodbyes to Kensuke and walked out of the front door of the school. His bag held with both hands, he began to traverse the pathway which led to his home. The young man remained lost in thought, nearly oblivious to his surroundings. 'Rei. I do not understand what it is I'm going through. Perhaps she feels the same?' 'I think, I would like to see her again.' Shinji nearly jumped as he felt something touch his shoulder, dropping his bag at his feet. "Ikari-kun." The voice. "Ayanami?" Shinji turned around to come face to face with Rei Ayanami, pilot of Evangelion Unit Zero. She remained in her school uniform, bag held in one hand, the other on his shoulder. Her face remained as subdued as usual, yet her eyes shone weakly with something other than passive interest. "I wasn't expecting... to see you here," he mentioned awkwardly. "May I walk with you?" she asked quietly. "Ummm... sure, Ayanami..." he answered as he picked up his bag and started walking in the direction of his home, the blue-haired enigma along beside him. "May I speak with you?" she inquired. "Of course..." "You were watching me today?" "Yes... because of... what you said." "I never said anything." Shinji looked at her for a moment, then at the ground. "Although it was what was intended. I do care about you, Ikari-kun." Shinji blushed lightly. Rei did the same, yet the expression remained unchanged. "Is it that knowledge that made you watch me today?" "I think so... I mean... partially." "What is it?" "I... wanted to see you." "Because you are uncertain." "Yes." "I do not understand why I have these emotions. I never have before." 'Never... have?' "I wanted to see you today. It's you I wanted to see. It is because I care about you, but I don't understand," she stated quietly. Shinji continued to blush. "Ayanami?" "Yes?" "I wasn't sure, but... I think... well... I care about you... as well." Rei stopped walking. Shinji was left with no alternative but to stop and face her. Rei's cheeks were somewhat crimson. "You... feel the same about me?" "Yes." "Maybe... no... that is truth." "Truth?" "It's what is. It is an odd feeling..." She outstretched her arm and took one of Shinji's hands in her own. She raised it to her face and pressed it against her cheek. "I would like to understand." Shinji nodded as she drew his hand away and released it. They continued walking. "Ayanami?" "Yes?" "Those words, that you said to me... they are new to me." "You have not experienced them before?" "Not that I can remember... my father, he doesn't... say them. Others are my friends, but it's not like this. The only person I ever knew to say words like that to me was... was... mother," he finished, his voice beginning to grow soft. "..." "I... to hear them said to me, makes me... I..." "Happy?" "...Yes." "What is happiness?" Shinji's eyes opened slightly as he heard the question. "I... can't really explain it. It's a feeling that's likable. Hearing those words brings me happiness. How come you asked me that?" "Because I want to understand." "You..." "I would like to talk with you Ikari-kun." Shinji looked at the girl next to him, her face lightly tinted with the blush of her cheeks. 'Why are we both so confused? I... would like to talk with her.' "I am... comfortable around you, Ayanami." "Comfortable?" 'He is... happy, to be near me? Is that what I feel? I... don't understand...' Shinji continued to look at the girl who appeared to be lost in thought, yet attentive to his words. 'I... need to think. Perhaps we can... later?' "Ayanami?" "Yes?" "Would you like to come over... later?" Rei looked at him, face to face as they walked. Both were blushing faintly, a fairly awkward moment, yet neither seeming to have any wish to end it. "Just so we can... talk, later," he finished awkwardly, gulping as he finished his words. "You would like to see me Ikari-kun?" "Yes... I would like to." "I... I would like to, later." Shinji's expression grew hopeful. "Really? Maybe, around eight tonight?" "Yes. I... thank you," she replied, smiling gently. "Thank you. You... a smile looks nice on you," he said. Rei turned deep red. "I... have to go Ikari-kun," she said, voice as calm as ever, yet hinting lightly of other emotions. 'Why do I smile?' "I'll... see you later then, Ayanami." Rei nodded and then turned left at a small intersection. "Later... Ikari-kun," she said as she walked away. Shinji watched her walk away until she was out of sight. He slowly resumed his walk home. "I... enjoyed that." ------------------------------------ Time blurred together as she lay on the couch, half listening to the television, half thinking to herself. The shadows moved perceptibly across the floor of the apartment as she lay there 'What in God's Name are we fighting for quietly, restlessly and why do _we_ have to be the ones to save _all_ of humanity?' until finally Shinji came in the door quietly and went about his usual after-school business. "Good afternoon, Misato-san," Shinji said brightly. "Afternoon, Shin-kun," Misato replied absentmindedly. 'A little help every once in a while _would_ be nice...' Shinji wandered through the apartment, catching whatever pieces of stray clothing he could find and tossing them into laundry baskets about as long as he was tall, and as wide as he was as well. 'I wish someone in this house except me had the sense to do the laundry once in a while. It would be nice if I didn't have to do _all_ the work every time company was supposed to drop by.' He started separating the clothes into different baskets - one for Misato's darks, another for colours, and a third for her... unmentionables; a second set for the same divisions of Asuka's clothing; and finally one for his own plain clothes - hoping to at least maintain a semblance of cleanliness for the coming guests. 'Then I'll just have to take out the trash, clean the kitchen... amounts to the same thing, really... and find Misato something respectable to wear so she doesn't embarrass me _too_ much.' Shinji dragged the baskets into an out-of-the-way room and slid the door shut, leaving the actual doing 'I hope Ritsuko doesn't intend to spend the night' of the laundry until later if he actually had the time. He moved on to the kitchen with a trash bag in hand and a ready supply of extras within easy reach. Shinji started with the instant boxes, breaking them down with a practiced ease, tossing them nonchalantly into his bag and moving on. 'I don't think there's a non-disposable piece of silverware or china in this house.' Throwing out paper plates, microwave-ready boxed, and plastic utensils quickly and deftly, he tried his best to deal with the spilled ramen noodles as best he could, but met with limited success. Next came the empty beer cans, which not even Shinji could control. Even though he attempted to remove them at least two or three times a week, they still built up like nothing else, and with his recent absence it had become a virtual sea of cans. After crushing them in his hands, Shinji dropped them into a separate bag for recycling 'I wonder if having these recycled perpetuates her habit' which was then deposited near the door for future removal to the pick-up site. 'It's only been... what?... a little over a month since I had my "accident" with Unit One... and I guess nothing's really changed. Asuka's still as stuck on herself as ever, Misato's still sloppy, but a good... friend... Touji's still in the hospital, and Kensuke's... insane, intelligent... he's Kensuke. And Rei... okay... something has changed... but I'm still... confused. She's just as much of an enigma as ever.' He sat in one of the kitchen chairs quietly and pondered for a while. 'It must have been... two months between Angels... maybe they're gone for good... but if that's true, why hasn't NERV disbanded? I guess I'm just at a loss to explain it.' "Shinji-kun, is something the matter?" Misato asked, interrupting his thoughts. "You've been quiet all day." "Oh, it's nothing Misato. Just been thinking... about a lot of things," Shinji replied. "Care to talk about it?" "Nah... it's not that important," Shinji lied. "You should get something a bit more respectable and a bit less revealing on if Ritsuko- san is going to be coming over, eh, Misato-san?" "You're right, Shin-kun... and I will, just as soon as a certain someone does the laundry," she giggled in a schoolgirl-esque manner. "What? Has Asuka been neglecting her chores again?" "Doesn't she always?" Misato asked with a hearty laugh. "Yep. I guess she should get to work, huh?" he joked. "Unless she wants to endure the combined wrath of Ikari and Katsuragi," Misato doubled over laughing. "Well, she'll just be getting a move on, then," Shinji said, walking purposefully to the room he had left the laundry in and selecting the basket of Misato's coloured clothes. "By the way," he called from the corridor, "I invited someone over later tonight, is that all right?" "Sure! What time?" "Around eight." "We'll eat late then, sound good?" "I... guess." Shinji picked up the basket and headed back through the kitchen to the door. Misato stopped him momentarily with a wisecrack and a laugh, but he was quickly on his way. He threaded his way to the local Laundromat, making good time, and set the load to wash as quickly as possible. Usually the quick wash was not an option, but today he just wanted and needed to be in, out, and done as quickly as possible 'Because if I don't, the others will be there before I get back and catch Misato like _that_' so he had to live with it. Shinji watched the walls and the people for a while, then leafed through a couple of non-descript magazines while waiting for the wash and dry to run it's course. He was halfway through an article on Personality Implant Seventh Generational computers when the timer was up and the signal blared in his ears. Shinji drug the still partially damp clothes from the machine into the basket and started back out towards the shared apartment where he and Misato resided with Asuka. To his relief, when he returned, no one was there except for himself and Misato. He carried the basket into the living room where the Major was sitting and watching television. He pulled out a couple of different outfits he knew that she wore often and tossed them to her. 'Hopefully she at least remembers to have the decency to dress in private.' Shinji wandered back into his room and hooked up his headphones and SDAT. Soothing music called to him softly, melody and counterpoint playing, toying with each other within his mind as he listened, sitting on his bed. 'I can't believe this. At least the place is halfway clean for once. Now, the chances of it staying that way... well, that's probably about the same as the chances of Asuka not making snide comments for a day.' Lost in his music, Shinji almost missed the door chimes ringing. He slowly rose to his feet 'Is it Ritsuko or Rei, I wonder' and wandered out of his room, SDAT clenched in his right hand, music still playing. 'Seven o'clock... it's early still.' He made his way through the recently-cleaned apartment to the door, which opened with a slight hiss of air. On the other side of the threshold stood a lab-coated Doctor Ritsuko Akagi. "H-hello, Rit-suko," Shinji stuttered. "Good evening, Shinji," the doctor said, tone something that could pass for friendly. 'Yeah, friendly for Rei.' Shinji trailed as Ritsuko wandered slowly through the front hall and the kitchen to the living room where Misato lounged once again on the couch. Doctor Akagi leisurely draped herself across an easily-accessible chair facing Misato while Shinji simply took his customary seat on the floor. 'It wouldn't be this quiet if Asuka were here.' Shinji rolled his head in a complete circle, stretching his neck out, and popping several of the conjoining vertebrae in the process. "So, Misato... how's he been?" Ritsuko asked softly. "Oh, not so bad if you can discount the normal introvertism and silence that follows him everywhere he goes," Misato joked. "Seriously, Misato, how's he been doing?" "Holding up pretty well, actually. 'Why in the world am I talking about him like he's not here?' And his cooking hasn't suffered a bit thank the Lord." Misato replied. "What about Asuka?" Ritsuko asked, shifting positions on the chair. "Asuka's... well... Asuka. What can I say? I don't think anything short of an N.D.E. could change that girl..." "Oh, I can think of a few things. A real man in her life might help..." Ritsuko shot back. Shinji, thinking that the comment was a sideswipe at him, promptly turned bright red. Misato and Ritsuko took one look and took to hysterical laughter. "Rit-su! I... think ya... gottim!" Misato managed through gales of laughter. "Now... _that_ ...embarrassed him!" Ritsu returned through equivalently hard chortling. "I'll take it as a compliment," Shinji threw in, killing the laughter in a second. "She'd take you about as seriously as her schoolwork, Shin-kun," Misato followed up. "Point for her side," Ritsuko interjected. "Huh?" Shinji and Misato asked simultaneously. "Sorry... old quote from a book," Ritsuko replied, blushing slightly. Misato and Shinji exchanged a look that said all of "What the Hell?" and several other things momentarily, then went right back to laughing. Thoroughly defeated Ritsuko had no choice but to join in. "What about Rei?" Misato asked when the laughter finally quieted down. "Physically, she's fine. I just can't tell psychologically, though... something isn't quite the same, but I just can't tell. She hides her feelings so well," Ritsuko responded. "I don't think that's it." A stunned silence hit the room like a semi ramming a Volkswagon. "You... you what?" Ritsuko asked. "I don't think you're right," Shinji asserted. "How so?" Ritsuko and Misato asked concurrently. "She doesn't really hide anything, not like that. It's more like she doesn't _know_ how to express... if that makes _any_ sense at all." "Actually, I think it does. I wish _I'd_ thought of it," Ritsuko replied, shaking her head. "How'd you come up with that, Shinji?" "Erm..." "Maybe he speaks to her more often," Misato said, a smile creeping up on her lips. "Well... that is..." "It would be a logical explanation," Ritsuko asserted. 'Perhaps I should speak to the pilots more often...' "Of course it is. What do you expect when he has such a huge crush on her?" "I--- what do you mean by that?" Shinji asked in shock. "Oh come on. You could play around me like that when you first got here, but those days are over my dear 15-year-old Shinji-kun!" 'She hasn't had anything to drink yet...' echoed through the minds of the other two humans. "You see Ritsuko, they've known each other for so long now, it's only natural that she'd open up to people her own age." 'That almost made sense,' Ritsuko thought to herself. 'But...' "And Shinji is a boy... who's to say there isn't a secret relationship between the two?" she said, grinning at the two in her presence. Ritsuko smiled and started to chuckle lightly as Shinji turned bright red. "That isn't true!" he called. "Ah, that could explain all the days you're late from school. Visiting Rei at her apartment I wonder?" 'Where the hell does she get this stuff?' was the simultaneous thought. "And it's been more than a month since you last saw each other... what were you doing off at school today? Maybe a little kissing?" Ritsuko was laughing loudly as Shinji continued to shrink to the ground under Misato's insinuations. "Why would I do anything like that?" he squirmed. "Oh, you see Ritsuko? Now we know why he can talk about Rei. Because they're so deeply in love, probably making out when no one's around." Shinji hung his head and walked out of the room in utter defeat. Ritsuko gave her friend a look of amusement as he traversed into the corridor. "Why did you do that?" "Because it's so much fun to bug him." "You haven't changed at all, have you?" "Don't want to," Misato said grinning as she stretched leisurely. "And tell me, what do you really think?" "About what?" "Don't tiptoe around it." "What do I think about his perceptions of Rei? I think... that he probably does speak to Rei a little more than the rest of us. I think they're friends. There's no reason they wouldn't talk to each other, right?" "And all of that other jargon?" "That? I don't know. I can't read them that well. The same with Asuka. But, I wouldn't be surprised if he did like her a little. He is around her enough, he has to feel something, right?" "Hmmm... I guess..." 'Still...' "Well, it's time for supper," Misato said as she stood up and walked to the kitchen. "It's ready?" Ritsuko asked from the chair. "No." "You... mean..." "I'm cooking tonight." Ritsuko twitched. ------------------------------------ "Come on, Asuka. I know you better than that. Something's bugging you," Hikari said. "I said... it's nothing," Asuka replied. "You don't _really_ expect me to believe that," Hikari stated coolly. "No... I guess I don't," Asuka agreed. "So what is it? Work... life... a man... or all of the above?" Hikari giggled. "All of it," Asuka confided. "Wait, let me guess. Shinji, right?" Hikari asked, grinning. "That idiot? You _have_ to be kidding me," Asuka retorted, though lacking her usual vigour. "No, I really don't think I am," Hikari replied. "And what would give you _that_ idea anyway?" "Well, for one thing, you've only been _living_ with him for... gee, I think it has to have been over a year now... and you haven't taken his head off yet, which is more than I could say for a few other people... say, everyone in the class. For another, I know you're not as hateful of him as you make it appear. Then, there's the fact that he really isn't that bad, and there _was_ that kid you punted for insinuating stuff about him and Rei... umm... you know. Getting the idea?" Hikari asked. "Yeah, I guess you're right..." Asuka said resignedly. "It doesn't mean I have to _like_ it." "No, it doesn't mean you have to like it. Just means you have to like _him_," Hikari answered with a laugh. "But then... you're scared that kid may have been right, aren't you?" 'This _has_ to be a stretch...' "What was that?!" "Just that you're worried that there's something between Shinji and Rei," Hikari replied. "Impossible! What could he possibly see in that _doll_?!" "Well... you think he sees something... or you wouldn't be so worried about something as simple as a smile," Hikari answered. "Oh, now _that_ isn't fair," Asuka exclaimed. "Maybe not, but it's obviously true." Hikari slumped back on her bed. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound breaking into the room was their even breathing. Asuka leaned back against the side of the bed, resting her head on the mattress, while Hikari lay silently against her pillow. Finally, Asuka broke the silence. "Okay, hypothetical situation. Assume for a second that you're right. What the _hell_ do _I_ do?" "Well... you could try talking to him instead of insulting him all the time..." Hikari offered. "I'm not that bad, am I?" Asuka asked. Hikari nodded softly, sitting up. "Scheiá," Asuka whispered. "You're going to miss supper if you don't start heading home," Hikari suggested. "Yeah, I do need to get going," Asuka agreed. "And we'll see, hypothetically, if your hypothetical advice has any bearing on said hypothetical situation." Asuka and Hikari shared a grin. 'I hope this works out for her. Someone to actually care about might do her some good,' Hikari thought as Asuka made her way to the door and headed for home. 'She's really not all that bad, either, as long as she can keep her hot head out of the way.' ------------------------------------ Shinji lay in his room, SDAT in hand, music gently wafting through his ears. His door remained closed, alone with his music and his thoughts. 'Misato-san... she's a lot like Kensuke, isn't she? She's young at heart I guess. But why does she have to say things like that? Why does Kensuke have to say things worse than that?' Shinji groaned. 'What is Misato going to do when Ayanami arrives?' Shinji watched the track number on his SDAT change from 25 to 26. 'What am I going to do when Ayanami arrives?' He glanced at the clock at his bedside. It read 7:59. 'Misato seems to know, yet she exaggerates it all... but she's only joking. Is she?' He shifted his position. 'What have I gotten into? This is not how I imagined my day. And yet... I think... I'm glad it happened.' He looked at the clock again. 'I wonder how Kensuke, Touji, and Asuka are...' The time read 8:00. The bell rang with deafening impact, yet it's tone was as always. Shinji turned off the SDAT and set it down on his bed. Slowly he rose to his feet, still dressed in his school uniform, and walked to the front door, and initiating the mechanism to let it slide open. Rei stood in the doorway, hands clasped together in front of her, school uniform adorned on her body in regular fashion. She looked up at him with her calm visage. "Hello Ikari-kun," she said to him softly. "H-hello, Rei," replied. The two stood on opposite sides of the doorway for about half a minute, a simple gaze the only exchange. Shinji finally realized that she wasn't going to make any motion to move until he asked her. "Please, come in," he said, moving aside. Rei nodded and walked forward into the apartment, letting the door close behind her. "Supper will be ready soon. Would you like to eat with us...?" "Yes," Rei said, just as cooly as before. Shinji shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, I do not know what to do or say right now. I have never done this before," Rei said in a tone that could have passed for sadness, eyes wandering to the floor. Rei looked at her again. "Well, I guess, you aren't alone," Shinji responded. Rei turned her head to face Shinji. "I see." "Hey Shinji, I heard the bell ring," Misato started as she walked into the hall. "Was it Asuka or your friend? Kaji maybe? You never told me who it was you invited over and..." She stopped short as her eyes rested on the visitor. "Good evening Major Katsuragi," Rei said, facing Misato. Misato arched an eyebrow, but her expression was soon replaced with good humour. "Hello Rei! I didn't know you were coming tonight! We're just about to sit down to dinner. We're eating in the living room tonight. Please, come in!" 'Instant ramen night. Convenient,' Shinji thought to himself. Rei nodded to the Major as she slipped off her shoes, and walked by Misato into the living room. Misato turned to look at Shinji who was doing his best to keep from sweating under Misato's curious gaze. The sweat increased as she turned a vicious grin on him. "So, you invited Rei over?" she said, playfulness in her voice. "Yes." "Any particular reason?" "Yes." "Will you tell me what it is?" "No. You'll just twist it up." Misato started laughing. She walked over to Shinji and placed a hand on his shoulder. "And what do you think I'd say?" "I don't know. I don't want to think about it. Probably not as bad as Kensuke." "I still find it strange that you'd invite her over, considering you just got back to school today." Shinji started to blush lightly. "I knew it! You do like her!" "Err... that is..." "Probably not how I'm thinking of course," she said grinning. "Who's initiative?" "But... but..." Misato's eyes widened slightly. "Her initiative? Wow, now I'm surprised!" 'How does she know these things?' "At any rate, that's a nice thing to do, no matter what way you look at it." Shinji's eyes widened. 'Misato's being serious?' "Come on Shin-kun, it's time to eat." Shinji nodded and followed Misato into the kitchen, met by both Rei and Ritsuko who stood above the table and looked down at what was deemed "dinner". "Okay, let's see. I already fed Pen-Pen in the kitchen..." In the kitchen, Pen-Pen sweated as he stared at his food, which almost looked edible. "Ritsuko, you can take a seat right there on that side of the table, and you might want to take off your lab coat. Why did you come in uniform?" "My regular clothes are all at the cleaner's. I didn't really have a choice for wardrobe," she explained as she folded the lab coat and sat down on the floor, legs crossed and skirt pulled down as far as possible. "All of them?" "That, or they don't fit anymore," she said, blushing lightly. "You don't look fat." "I'm not." Misato caught on. "Okay, Shinji, you can sit where you normally do. Hmmm... Rei, since Asuka isn't here, you can sit down next to Shinji over there, on Ritsuko's side." Rei nodded and sat down on the floor, legs crossed, dress pulled over her legs and looked at the table with "food". Shinji caught Misato's wink as they both sat down across from each other. He blushed lightly, and unnoticeably. "Well, let's eat!" Misato said. "We're not going to wait for Asuka?" Shinji asked. "No, she said she might be a little late, so we'll start without her," Misato stated as she began to scoop some ramen onto a plate in front of her. Both Ritsuko and Shinji eyed each other warily. One thought was exchanged between the two. 'I hope you live through the meal.' The remaining three souls at the table moved to fill their plates in silence. Misato was the first to try her food. She swallowed down a mouthful of ramen happily as she opened the can of beer set down in front of her. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Misato asked. "Dig in!" Shinji and Ritsuko looked at her reluctantly. "Ummm..." Rei picked up her chopsticks and brought them down to the ramen, wrapping it around them. She raised it to her mouth and took it in, sipping in a stray noodle and chewing it quietly, yet attentively. Both Shinji and Ritsuko stared at her intently. She swallowed and looked up at the two staring at her. "Is something wrong?" "Err... no, nothing's wrong," Ritsuko said as she popped open the beer can in front of her. 'If she's still alive, then it can't be poisonous...' "Nothing," he said as he turned to his plate. 'Well... food was decent this morning...' Shinji and Ritsuko followed Rei's lead and wrapped the ramen around the chopsticks, bringing it to their mouths and biting down at the same time. Both gave it a few seconds, and then swallowed. "It's edible!" they cried in unison. 'Not great, but it's actually edible!' "Have you been practicing Misato?" Ritsuko asked as she took a sip of beer. "A bit. You sound like Shinji now," she replied as she happily swallowed down more ramen. The two began a small conversation with each other as Shinji ate in silent thought. 'Why was Misato... nice?' he thought. He darted his eyes to the left as he chewed another mouthful of his dinner to glance at Rei. She was idly eating her dinner in silence. 'I wonder what she's thinking about?' Her eyes fell on his own. He noticed. 'Me?' For a few moments they ate, watching each other discreetly, then returned to their own thoughts. Misato set down her half-empty can of beer and looked at the couple in front of her. "So Rei, how is school?" "It is going... well," she replied. "Mmhmm! That's good. So, if I may ask, how come you came over tonight?" "Ikari-kun asked me to." Both Ritsuko and Misato raised an eyebrow. "Shinji did? That was nice of him," Ritsuko said, a smile threatening to move across her face. "Yes, very nice," Misato continued. "Isn't that sweet of our Shin-kun?" Shinji turned red. Rei looked on somewhat puzzled. "Really Shin-kun, why didn't you ever do this before? Perhaps you were too shy?" she teased. Ritsuko rolled her eyes as a small grin came across her face. "I don't understand," Rei stated. "It's all right," Misato said as she watched Shinji squirm. The sound of the entrance sliding open and closed could be heard. "I'm home! Am I late?" Asuka called from her end of the apartment. "Yes, you are!" Misato responded. "Where were you?" "I got involved in conversation with Hikari, and..." She stopped as she walked into the room, and saw Rei sitting next to Shinji. "Hello Rei," she said politely. "What are you doing here?" "Ikari-kun invited me over," she answered as she returned to her meal. "Isn't that... nice," she said simply, taking a seat at the free end of the table and beginning to serve herself. "How are you Asuka?" Shinji asked, hoping to save some face in this evening. "I'm fine, thank you. How are you feeling?" she asked him gently. Shinji's eyes widened slightly in shock of not being yelled at. "Ummm... fine... thank you." Misato slugged back the rest of her beer. "Well, now everyone's here! Time to have some real fun!" Shinji, Asuka, and Ritsuko groaned in unison. In Misato's case, 'Fun' could mean anything from making fun of Shinji to making fun of Asuka to making fun of Ritsuko. Rei calmly ate another mouthful of ramen. 'I've never done this before. It is... different.' "So Asuka, what were you up to today?" Shinji and Ritsuko silently felt pity for the red-headed girl. Rei ate quietly and listened as Misato's general rambling began. ------------------------------------ Asuka slipped off to her room as soon as the meal was over, her skin a shade of red equivalent to that of her hair. Ritsuko politely declined a second beer through lips clamping a lit cigarette as Misato opened her fifth, the two walking into the kitchen carrying the meal's dishes and packaging, Ritsuko doing her best to keep the remains from slopping over her lab coat, now re-adorned on her figure. The two remaining quietly made their way to Shinji's room, leaving the door wide open on their entrance. "That was a nice meal," Shinji said as he walked over to his bed and sat down, wrapping the headphones around his SDAT. "I have never eaten with other people before," Rei stated as she stood against the wall near the head of Shinji's bed, hands resting at her sides. "Never?" "I have eaten with Commander Ikari-san before, but not often." Shinji nodded silently. 'Father...' "Ikari-kun?" "Yes?" he answered, directing his attention toward Rei. "You wanted to talk?" "Yes." "Then, let's talk," she replied. Shinji nodded and rose to the door of his room, closing it gently. He returned to the bed and sat down, motioning for Rei to sit as well. "How come you closed the door?" she asked as she sat down next to him. "I am... nervous... around others..." he replied slowly. "Are you nervous around me?" "I... I am unsure. A little, perhaps." "Why?" "I guess... because this is new to me... but it is... little." Rei nodded. "Ikari-kun, you had said you were comfortable around me. What did you mean?" "Well..." Rei placed a hand over one of his resting on the bed. He trembled slightly, but soon relaxed under her touch. "Is this comfortable?" she asked with a voice that could have passed for concern. "Yes," he replied. "Why?" "It... I don't know." "What do you feel?" "I guess... being near you makes me... happy." "Happiness. Why?" "I don't know." "Then... I will stay near you, until you know," she replied. Shinji stiffened as Rei moved onto the bed and sat right behind him, placing one leg around each side of his torso, her arms encircling themselves around his stomach. His rate of breathing increased as he felt her body press gently into his back, her breathing on the back of his neck. "Ikari-kun... relax," she whispered to him. Slowly, he let himself melt away into her hold. He sighed as he felt the breathing against his neck continue at a slow pace, muscles becoming loosened as they melted. They rested that way for a few minutes, breathing quietly. "How does this feel?" "Comfortable." "You like being near me?" "Yes..." he replied softly, closing his eyes. "Do you understand why?" "Because it makes me happy." "Is that it?" "No." "What else?" "Because it makes you happy," he replied, his eyes still closed in ease. Rei's eyes widened at his comment. 'Happy? Am I happy? Is that what I feel?' Rei took his right wrist in hers and placed his hand at the base of her right calf. Shinji's eyes didn't open. "What are you doing?" he asked her softly. "Understanding," she replied. "Will you let me?" "...Yes..." She gently pulled his hand across her calf, letting it rest on her knee. Slowly she drew it upward, pushing her skirt away as his hand was slowly pulled up her thigh, his hand trembling lightly. At last she stopped, letting it rest just below her hip. "Ikari-kun?" "Yes?". "Does this make you happy?" His eyes opened as he began to blush, his eyes unconsciously falling on her exposed leg. "Yes... but..." 'This I don't understand... why am I enjoying this? Touching her feels... comfortable... like being near her...' "Are you comfortable?" "Yes." She moved his hand away as she moved out of her position to sit beside him once more. "Is that it?" she asked him. "No." "What else then?" "I... I don't know... I don't... I don't understand." "Why do you care about me?" "I... it's that..." "Ikari-kun," she whispered. "I like to see you unhurt... safe... alive. Seeing you happy is what I want..." "Why?" "I... don't know..." "I'm like you. I feel the same." He nodded, blushing. "But being together... is something you believe?" she asked him. "Yes... yes, it's something I believe..." "In what ways?" "Any." "Good." Rei smiled softly at him. 'Why do I smile?' Shinji looked at her and took one of her hands in his. "I like seeing you..." "You like talking to me?" "Yes." "You like watching me?" "Yes." "You like being close to me?" "Yes." "So do I, for you." Shinji smiled at her. She blushed lightly once more. "All of these you like?" "Yes." "I think... I do... as well..." Rei pulled Shinji up off the bed as she stood up, facing him. "So, can we have these?" "O... of course." "Good." Rei brought her hands to his cheeks and cupped them gently. He relaxed under her touch, letting her trace her hands gently across them. She placed her hands on her shoulders and slid the straps off of her dress, letting them slide off of her arms. Shinji's eyes widened as he stepped back. "Wh... wh-what are you doing?" he managed to stutter. "Allowing you to see me," she replied gently as she undid the fastening on the back of her dress, letting it drop to her feet, leaving her standing in her white shirt. Shinji turned red as a beat and began stammering. "Th-th-th-th- th-th-th-that wasn't what I meant!" "Does it bother you?" "I... I... I..." His eyes took in the view of the dress at the ground, and slowly worked their way upward to her face. "I'm... that is... ummm..." 'What do I want? This is... do I want...' Sounds of shouting, yelling, and general cursing began to fill the small bedroom, though their origins were outside. "H-Hold on a sec..." Shinji said as he rushed from the room, extremely red and sweating profusely. Rei watched as the door shut behind him. 'He is... interested, yet frightened. But, that is... what is.' ------------------------------------ "Thanks for helping me clear the dishes Ritsu-chan." "No problem Misa-chan," Ritsuko grinned as she put out her cigarette. "What time is it?" "Ummm... 9:00. That was a long supper..." "Certainly was," Ritsuko agreed as she flopped back down on the chair in the living room. "You know, I was kind of surprised that you wanted to see me today..." Misato mentioned as she sat down in another chair. "Well, I don't speak to you as much these days, and with what's been happening lately... it's nice to try to reestablish some bonds. Sometimes, I really hate the position I'm in..." "Well, I'm in a good mood, so it's okay," Misato teased as she stretched. "So what now?" "I don't know... wait..." An evil grin spread across her face. "I have a great idea." "What would that be?" Ritsuko asked as she placed her arms behind her head. "Why don't we see what Shinji and Rei are up to?" "You're not going to leave them alone until you're convinced they're some kind of item, are you?" Misato snickered in response. "They are entitled to privacy you know. You're probably reading too much into this." "And what's your analysis Doctor Akagi?" "My analysis is that they're friends, and there might be something there, but it can't be much more. I could believe that they care for each other somewhat, but your disgusting fantasies definitely aren't included." "What fantasies? I just said kissing!" "And it better stay at that. Quite frankly, you scare me." "So, why don't we look? What's wrong? Afraid?" "Oh, all right, if it'll get you to leave them alone," Ritsuko conceded, walking down the hallway to the door of Shinji's room, Misato trailing right behind her. They stopped in front of the door. "Well, come on." "This is ridiculous." Misato edged the door ajar slightly, and peeked in, Ritsuko resting her head over Misato's, one of each of their eyes staring in. "Aww... isn't that sweet," Misato whispered as he saw Rei place her hand on top of Shinji's. "Hmmm. It's... kind of cute, I guess," Ritsuko said quietly, a grin edging on her face. "They make a cute couple." "Yeah, I gue--- hold on." Ritsuko's voice dropped like a rock as she watched Rei stand up. "What?" Rei shifted around the bed until she was behind Shinji and placed a leg around each side of him, placing her arms around his waist and pulling him gently to her. "Oh... my..." Misato got out. "That... is a bit of a stretch." The two Children remained in the same position for a few minutes, neither saying a word. "It's... nothing. They're just staying close to each other," Misato whispered, subdued. "It's... a stretch," Ritsuko whispered. At that moment, Rei took Shinji's hand and placed it on her calf. She slowly began to draw it up the length of her leg, drawing her dress away from that leg, allowing his hand to have full access to its very end, just below her hip. "That's all I care to see," Ritsuko said as she pushed the door closed, nearly snapping Misato's nose in the process. She marched back to the living room and stood still, facing the glass balcony door. Misato followed her and stopped a few paces away from Ritsuko. The two remained silent, faced away from each other. After the passage of a few minutes, Misato chanced to speak. "Ri... Ritsuko?" Her long-time friend turned to face her. "Do you realize what they're doing?" she asked calmly. "Y... yes..." "Why?" "I... don't..." "Major Katsuragi! Just what the _HELL_ have you been doing?!" Ritsuko shouted, glaring at Misato. "Me? Shouldn't you be asking _them_ that?" "If you weren't setting such an excellent example with Kaji-kun, this _never_ would be happening!" Ritsuko yelled a total non-sequitur. "Oh, now who's talking? Don't bitch at me just because you're stuck with Gendou!" Misato rifled back. "What was that?!?!" Ritsuko turned bright red. "How did you even know about that?" Misato looked stunned. "Wh-what?! I was just kidding! You're having a relationship with him?! That's disgusting!!! And then you have the nerve to say something about this?!" "What's your point?!" Shinji rushed into the room, sweating lightly and extremely nervous. "Umm... Misato..." Shinji began. "You heard me! Does it bother you that while I'm with a great hunk of a man, you're stuck with some old pervert who's almost 20 years older than you?" Misato continued, oblivious to the interruption. "At least he has something bigger than Kaji's little _twig_!" Ritsuko insulted. "At least Kaji knows how to _use_ it!" "Erm... Ayanami's... umm..." Shinji began again, blushing furiously. "I need some advice..." "You think I don't know that?... WHAT?!" Ritsuko hurled back at Misato, and then at Shinji. "What is it, Shinji?" Misato practically yelled at him, then turned back on Ritsuko. "And just what the hell are you insinuating?" "You know _exactly_ what. Remember that date he was a few _hours_ late for in 2009?" the doctor asked with an evil grin. "You bitch!!!" Misato screamed, lunging at Ritsuko. "Konban wa," a soft voice said, entering the fray. Everything in the room stopped instantaneously. The fight came to an abrupt halt, Misato with a fistful of Ritsuko's lab coat, jaw hanging down far enough to seem unnatural, sobering up on the spot. Ritsuko simply stood, looking stunned. Shinji produced twin sweatdrops, hardly concealing his spreading blush which he had been failing to do earlier, any hope of rectifying his situation now lost. Apparently, Rei had finished achieving her goal. "Wh... what are you doing, Rei?!" Misato nearly screamed. "Allowing Ikari-kun to see me..." Rei said softly. "What?! Ikari! Shinji!!" Ritsuko hollered at the boy. "Oh Shinji?" Misato said sweetly, proceeding to grab him by the ear. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HAVING _NAKED_ WOMEN OVER HERE?! And you haven't even asked me!" "AND WHAT THE HELL IS IT WITH YOU AND REI?!" Ritsuko queried, Shinji's other ear in hand. 'I'm not so bad myself.' "Well... erm... that is..." Shinji attempted a response. "Come this way, Ikari-kun," Rei said after a successful attempt to remove the iron-grips of the two women. Three jaws dropped simultaneously, as Shinji, Misato, and Ritsuko all took the statement the wrong way. A slight black and white blur could be seen momentarily before the door to its freezer slid quietly shut. Pen-Pen had made good its escape. Meanwhile, Asuka had left her room and was softly making her way through the living room when she caught a look at the scene and fainted dead away. 'I wish I'd done that,' Misato thought. "Ummm..." Shinji stammered. 'I wish Misato'd done that... and myself for that matter,' Ritsuko thought. "...I don't think Asuka looks too well," Shinji said. 'Like that's the most important thing right now...' "Does the line 'serve and protect' mean nothing to you, Major?" Ritsuko asked, regaining some control over herself. Rei, meanwhile, stood by, right hand clasped onto Shinji's wrist, completely oblivious to the fact that she was the one causing the argument and fainting. "Don't even get into the protection bit. I don't want to know what they do during sex!" Misato threw back at Ritsuko. "Here, Ayanami. You'll want this," Shinji said, producing something from his pocket. Rei silently accepted the package of earplugs and resumed watching the scene unfold. "Of _course_ you don't. I bet you still have _that_collection_ in your closet, don't you?" Ritsuko returned to the fray. "I knew he was sleeping with you! I was just checking," Misato said, adding a cough for emphasis. "Now that you mention it... it seems that _you're_ the one who wants to know what they're doing... last I recall, your _collection_ was larger than mine... you probably have your video camera ready and waiting, don't you?" Asuka, rising to her feet, added her own weight to the battle. "Like that time when she wanted us all to strip naked and walk to the entry plugs... the bitch turned the cameras on!" "That was _MAYA_!!!" Ritsuko retorted. Rei and Shinji watched the unfolding argument, almost oblivious to the insult-heavy air. "Oh... we all know what's going on between the two of you now, don't we!" Misato grinned daggers. "Lies! Lies! All LIES!!!" Ritsuko complained. "Probably getting it on when no one's in the room, working late nights..." Asuka jabbed. "What's going on between them, Misato-san?" Shinji asked, almost simultaneous to Asuka's verbal barb. "Errr... think of... something you _may_ or _may_not_ be doing with Rei... then substitute yourself out and put in Asuka." Misato attempted to be as indescript as possible. "They love each other," Rei stated quietly. Everything came to a screeching halt, every eye available pointing itself at Rei. "W... what... what d-did you just... say, Rei?" Misato stumbled over the sentence. The other reactions varied. Asuka fainted away again, while Shinji kept a perfectly straight and solemn face. Doctor Akagi began turning various shades of light red. "They care for each other," Rei replied. Ritsuko growled ominously and changed shades of red again, coming to a point where her face was a brighter and deeper red than Asuka's hair. "W-why did you say that?" Misato asked. "It is... truth," Rei replied. "Truth?... but... why would you say that is truth?" Misato continued, obviously not comprehending. "Because... it is. Ikari-kun and I are truth. Doctor Akagi and Lieutenant Ibuki are truth. Kaji-san and Major Katsuragi are truth," Rei answered. Slowly lifting her head, Asuka managed to catch everything from "Ikari-kun and I". Ritsuko, also hearing clearly, looked for all the world like she was about to bang her head against the nearest brick wall, rather violently. "Y-you... and Shinji..." Asuka stammered. "Truth... as in... caring, or love? Me and Kaji... Ritsuko... you and Shinji? I..." Misato tripped over the words. "Truth." "It's... what's right," Shinji added. "There's nothing right _about_it_!" Ritsuko complained loudly. Almost as if in response, Rei walked behind Shinji and clasped her arms around him. "Which one?" Misato asked of Ritsuko. "You know which one!" Ritsuko responded angrily. "Rei and Shinji," Misato said, deadpan. 'She'll outwit Section 2 yet,' Asuka thought. "Why does truth bother you?" Rei asked. {A Terop: Because even in this world, the truth is no more or less than what you perceive it to be.} "Look at this! It's completely indecent!" Ritsuko said. Concurrently, Rei pressed herself tighter against Shinji's back, an impressive blush visible on his face. "I... don't understand. This is... what is natural," Rei said. "Erm... th... th... that's right..." Shinji added, making a spur of the moment decision. "Not for fifteen-year-olds it isn't," Ritsuko replied. "Actually, Ritsu... before we met..." Misato started. "You _didn't_!" Ritsuko exclaimed in an almost girlish-gossip tone. "Well... don't tell Kaji, but..." "Then you _weren't_ Kaji's first! Or was that the other way around..." Ritsuko said, managing to confuse herself in the process. "Both, probably..." Misato replied. 'Both _actually_ is more like it,' Shinji thought to himself, sweating at having a naked body pressed against his back. 'And a decently-endowed one for a fifteen year old, too... I... don't think I want to run away now.' Meanwhile, Ritsuko sprouted an impressive sweatdrop, then proceeded to break down and smack her head against the nearest wall, making a nice `thunk' sound in the process. "This is hopeless." "How do you expect to keep your position at NERV if you get a big crack in your head?" Misato asked her. "My mother did it, and look where it got _her_! She's immortal, twice over!" "I think you just lost it, Ritsu..." "Doctor Akagi..." Rei said worriedly, or what passed for worriedly. "Rit-suko?" Shinji asked. "What?" Ritsuko asked, sobbing. "Come on, Ritsuko..." Misato walked slowly over to the sobbing doctor, talking in a soothing voice. "Let it out... what's wrong...?" "Ev... everything..." Ritsuko choked out between sobs and tears. "Come on, Ritsuko... we need to talk... but this won't work..." Misato said, glancing up at Rei, who was still firmly pressed into Shinji's back, and Shinji, who was making no attempt to alleviate the situation, and no sign of attempting to do so. 'Maybe if she was "decent"...' Misato thought. "Ritsuko, dear, you need to relax a bit," Misato said gently, leading her over to her former chair. "And take off that heavy lab coat..." Ritsuko obeyed and shrugged the coat into Misato's arms, then slipped herself into the waiting chair. "Asuka, try to keep Ritsuko comfortable for a minute..." Misato said. "But I---" Asuka tried to argue. "Just do it, _damn_it_!" Misato ordered. Asuka flinched, and moved to do as she was told. Meanwhile, Misato walked purposefully over to Shinji and Rei, holding out the coat. "Put this on," Misato said to Rei. "Why?" Rei asked. "That's an order," Misato insisted. "...Why do you deny the truth?" "Just put on the bloody lab coat!" Shinji backed up slightly, taking Rei with him. Quickly, however, Rei took the coat and put it on as told, then resumed her previous position attached to Shinji. Ritsuko, on the chair, shivered slightly, eyes staring blankly ahead into the wall. "The two of you stay there and... and... just stay there," Misato told the two, turning back to Ritsuko. "Ritsuko?" she said timidly. Out from under the authoritative gaze of Major Katsuragi, Asuka began turning an impressive shade of red while observing Shinji and Rei. "I... I..." Ritsuko began, still crying. "Ritsuko..." Misato said, gently shaking the doctor by the shoulders. "He... used..." she sobbed softly. "Used...? Ritsuko, come on..." Misato prodded. "Every... one," Ritsuko finished. "How... how is it... you're being..." Misato cut herself off. Asuka, not wanting to deal with two situations at once, started herding Shinji and Rei out of the immediate area, making sure _not_ to be gentle about it. Thus herded, the couple left the room. The redhead, meanwhile, stood in indecision. "Asuka, stay here," Misato ordered. "Like hell I will!" Asuka replied. "I need you here Asuka," Misato stated. "You... I! Scheiá!" Misato wheeled on the girl, looking for all the world like an impressively large, flaming demon straight from the pits of Hell. "This _isn't_ the time, Asuka!" Sweatdropping, Asuka returned to the living room. "Okay, okay!" 'What the hell does she need _me_ for anyway?' 'What the hell do I need her for anyway?... Because she's the only _partially_sane_ person that I can completely count on right now...' She returned her attention back to Ritsuko. "Ritsuko... tell me... tell me what you mean..." The doctor looked Misato dead in the face, looking like the cold, calculating scientist she had always seemed to be. "Look around you, Misato. Look at what we've been doing for the past year. The man almost killed you over Jet Alone, for God's Sake!" "W... what do you mean..." Misato asked, surprised. "Everything was going perfectly, but you botched the plan with that fool sense of honor of yours. You _had_ to go lollygagging in there trying to save the day when we had already carefully engineered the whole thing. If we hadn't still been in control, you would've been killed then! Way back in Episode 7!" Asuka tried her hardest to betray nothing on her face. 'She's lost it. What the hell does she think this is, a television program?' Misato stared blankly at the doctor with a combined look of horror and disgust plastered all over her face. "Asuka... leave the room... go to your room... now." "No, Misato. She's in it as well. For all we know, _Commander_ Ikari has already _scheduled_ her death," Ritsuko said, making sure to put as much sarcasm into her voice on the word 'Commander' as she possibly could. Asuka's head shot up at the statement by Ritsuko, eyes showing a mixture of surprise and horror. "Scheduled... my _what_?" "Death, of course. We're all on the schedule. And we'll all die. It's just a matter of how, and _when_," Ritsuko replied. "Even Rei? And... his own son?" Misato asked. "Without a doubt... Oh, I forgot. You don't know about Rei, do you? Or Shinji and Unit One, for that matter. Yes, it's _all_ scheduled. Every last event." "Rei? Unit One? What... what are you talking about, Ritsuko?" "Oh, everything's planned. He probably has all of our exact schedules pinned up somewhere in that little cubbyhole he calls an office. The _Commander_ probably even had this little scenario predicted," the Doctor said, crying once again. "Why is... why's he playing God?" Asuka asked aloud. "Or has Ritsuko just lost it?" "Oh, I still have it together, little one. I'm not like my mother, no, not yet. And I doubt that it was even his plan, though he made it his own... I suppose. No, not at all. Not like my mother at all..." "...You should get some rest, Ritsuko. It may help soothe you... you can stay here tonight if you want..." "...I will..." "Come on... we'll make you a place in my room tonight," Misato said, trying to manage a warm smile for the moment. Ritsuko stood, wiping the tears away from her eyes with her left hand. Misato took her right hand in her own and gently lead the still- crying doctor from the room. Asuka was left standing in the room, alone with nothing but her thoughts. 'Rei? Unit One... and Shinji? Me... what... what's going to happen? What's my life? A play? I... I don't... don't like this.' She sighed long and hard, then straightened. "I guess... I shouldn't think about it tonight... I'm going to sleep... I hope." With that in mind, she walked to her room silently, something still nagging at her mind. 'But _everyone_ has a part. Rei... Ritsuko said there was something about her. Shinji... Unit One... something there as well. What does that leave _me_?' Asuka threw herself down on her bed, staring vacantly at the ceiling. 'Do I want to know?... There's something else as well... what is it...?' "Scheiá! Damn those two!" Asuka practically yelled, flying out of bed and managing to be through the door before her sheets hit the ground. ------------------------------------ "I don't understand why you barricaded the door, Rei..." "You don't understand? So we will not be... interrupted." "Int... inter --- rupted?" Shinji asked, sweatdropping. "That's right," Rei replied, unbuttoning the lab coat, her back to Shinji. "What is it you think I'm referring to? We were interrupted once." Shinji's sweatdrops multiplied by a factor of ten, a blush also spreading across his face. "I..." Rei allowed the lab coat to drop at her feet, accomplishing the goal she had at first set out to attain, and then proceeded to walk over to the stuttering Shinji and sat beside him. "Didn't you want to be able to speak to me?" she asked. "You... that is I... I mean, I..." Shinji said, the sweatdrops increasing at an exponential rate. "Didn't you agree with me... that being together is right? This is what is... do you believe that?" Rei asked softly. "What is... is. Yes." "That is what I believe," Rei said, putting her hands on his shoulder and pulling him closer, gently kissing him on the lips. At that second, a muffled banging was heard through the door as Asuka wailed away on it with a fist, though to no avail. "Mm_m_!" Shinji murmured into the kiss, startled at first. "Mmmm..." "A kiss... a symbol of... affection. I want... to understand this... do you?" Rei asked softly, gently pulling her lips away. "Do you want to experience and understand... a kiss?" "Open up, God damn it!" Asuka yelled through the door. "I... don't understand it... but I want to." The door cracked loudly several more times as Asuka continued banging on it futilely. "And... how does that make you... feel?" "I don't know what it is, but I... like it," Shinji responded. Rei looked coolly at Shinji, a small smile appearing on her face. "Why... why do I smile?" She reflected on herself. 'Is this... _happiness_?' "You smile... because you want to... because you feel... happy?" As the two spoke, splinters and smaller bits of the makeshift barricade flew into the room as Asuka continued her relentless pounding on the door outside. "If you two dare do anything in there, I swear I'll kill you _both_!" "I... I feel... happy, Ikari-kun." "Rei... _happy_?" "Are you two even _listening_ to me?" Asuka screamed through the door. The two looked at each other for a few moments, oblivious to the nutball of an Eva pilot continuing her rant outside the door. "You'd better as hell open this door within the next ten seconds, or I'm gonna... OOH!... I don't know what I'm going to do, but you _won't_like_it_!!!" Asuka yelled. Shinji, startled by the yelling itself much more than the unveiled threat, cringed, as chance would have it, against Rei. "Ikari-kun... that feels... nice," Rei commented as she placed her hands against the bed. "I... that is, I...," Shinji stammered, springing from the bed, blushing furiously. "What is wrong? Are you... uncomfortable?" Shinji, off-balance from his leap, tottered into the barricade, and promptly tripped and fell into the pile of stuff. "Oww... I am now..." "What the _hell_ is going on in there?!" Asuka yelled through the door. "I wish _I_ knew!" Shinji yelled back. "What is it you feel?" Rei asked, kneeling down next to Shinji. "A sharp, stinging pain all over my back," Shinji replied, holding up an old sneaker which had previously been jutting into the small of his back. Rei moved closer to Shinji until she was sitting right next to him. Softly, she placed a hand on the small of his back. "Do you feel pain when you are near me?" "Shinji, if that last comment was in regards to what I think it was, you'd have more luck diving out of the window right now than you would spending another night in this household!" "My own pain, not from you," Shinji replied, ignoring Asuka's comment. "What is it you feel...?" Rei asked, pulling Shinji into a sitting position. Silence gripped the room for a few moments as neither spoke nor moved. "It's something... different. Something I... can't name," Shinji finally replied. "Is it... happiness?" "That's part of it." "Happiness... is part of what you feel. You do not understand it all?" Rei asked, holding Shinji to her, speaking into his ear. "This is comfortable. Do you feel comfort?" "This is... comfort. Different comfort. It is not like the comfort I knew, like a safe place... or perhaps all comfort is the same in the end... a familiar ceiling." "Perhaps. Humans find comfort in different ways. What is this comfort to you... that you find... that we find? What do you think it is?" Rei asked. "...A caring, I think. Something that I did not know... before." "A comfort in having someone to care about. This is... the absence of loneliness. I... don't feel... lonely," Rei said. 'What is this? I... I do not want to be... alone?' "You... lonely?" Shinji said, holding Rei in his arms. 'What is it... I... I don't... I hate loneliness. It's all I've known... I don't want it.' She looked up at Shinji, her eyes beginning to water. "I understand," she whispered. Tears began to fall, splashing onto Shinji. "I am... crying. Why am I crying?" "Because you... feel... that it's what you should do," Shinji replied, laying her head gently to his shoulder. "I don't care what she feels! Open this God damn door!" Asuka said hotly, banging on the door again. 'Why...' She opened and closed her eyes, the liquid still flowing from them. "I don't want to be alone." "Then why be alone?" Shinji asked in response. "Do you know what loneliness is?" "Yes... I have carried it since... since..." Shinji cut himself off, tears welling up in his eyes. "Since mother died." "Do you hate loneliness?" Through tears, Shinji replied, "Yes..." "Why do you hate it?" "Because... it reminds me of... the... the day she..." he started, breaking off, wracked with sobs. "You hate loneliness," Rei said softly, stroking his cheek gently, tears still falling from her own. "Yes, I do..." Shinji nodded, still sobbing. "Do you find comfort with another?" "With..." "Do you find comfort with me?" Shinji simply nodded in response, unable to vocalize what he wanted to. 'Comfort... in the touch of another... caring.' "Do you... let me find comfort... with you?" The makeshift 'doorstop' creaked under the strain of Asuka's relentless assault, now a rain of kicks and punches, nothing being pulled. "If you find comfort... I know I do." Shinji said. "You want comfort? You'll find it when this door comes down on your head! You won't feel a thing in unconsciousness!" Asuka yelled, grinning evilly. "...Shinji, I think we should... move back," Rei said, pulling Shinji back a few meters. "Humans can't exist alone. Even with others around them, they are lonely. It's the sorrow and the sadness of the soul that is loneliness. My soul... that's all it is... or was... but, I find something else. A part of my soul... myself... wishes to unite with you." "Man lacks something basic. That's what my old sensei said. So, we find something to fill that lack. Our souls... become... one." "That is what it is that we seek. To become one, to unite... this is... completeness. I... it's you... who I seek..." Shinji, just having caught onto that fact, was stunned into silence. "I hate loneliness..." "That we have in common," Shinji agreed. "We don't want to be alone..." "We don't want to be... separate... from one another?" "No, we don't. That is what you feel?" "Yes," Shinji answered simply. Rei looked up at Shinji, the flow of tears having come to a halt. "We won't. We won't be alone." "We won't be alone." "I am happy, Ikari... Shinji-kun." "So am I... Rei...-chan. So am I." Rei's eyes widened slightly, holding Shinji slightly tighter. "I like this comfort. It feels... nice." "It does... and... you do," Shinji said, watching Rei blush slightly at the compliment. Moments later, the makeshift barrier imploded, the door atop the pile of items which had composed the barricade. Asuka, face a darker shade of red than her hair stood seething in the doorway. "Ashamed, Rei? How _unlike_ you..." she said with a dark growl. "And you!" she continued, indicating Shinji. "Chan?!" The other two Children rose to their feet. "Miss Soryuu... I believe you owe Shin-kun a new door... and his rightful privacy," Rei said matter-of-factly. "What was THAT?!" Asuka raged. "This doesn't look good..." Shinji murmured, cringing behind, but not into, Rei. Asuka changed shades of red, obviously too enraged to even _care_ that Rei was undressed. "I heard that, _Shin-chan_!" she continued ranting, a measure of disdain in her voice thickening at the reference to Shinji. "Don't call me Shin-chan," Shinji said, getting mad himself. "Why not, Shin-chan?" Asuka asked mockingly. "Is that only for her to say?" 'The little bitch...' "I... will say it... because it's right. Why don't you respect him?" Rei asked. "Respect _him_?! Ha! The only person I respect less than him is _you_, Honor Student!" "Damn it Asuka!" Shinji yelled. "Then why do you care what happens to him?" Rei asked calmly, causing everyone in the room to flinch simultaneously. "That's none of your damn business, Wonder Child." "And this isn't yours," Rei asserted. "You do not care for him, to know this." "Ooooo...! Don't twist what I say," Asuka said, closing the gap between herself and Rei. "Asuka, stop it!" Shinji cried. "What reason would I have to do that?" Asuka asked, instilling a few seconds of silence upon the room. "...Well?" "You're... you're just... just hurting us!" "And why not? Why should you... you! Damn you and your little doll!" Asuka screamed, pulling her arm back and letting it fly, smacking Rei across the face. "This is all your fault, Shinji Ikari! YOUR FAULT!" "...You..." Shinji growled. "...I am not a doll. I... I am... Shin-chan's..." Rei said, looking at Asuka with a cool glare that would've been daggers from anyone else. Asuka spun and backhanded Rei across the other side of her face. "Shut up!" "...Stop!" Shinji commanded. "...I am not a doll... I am... I am Shin-chan's... to be..." "Shut up!" Asuka yelled at Rei. "Pathetic little doll!" The next slap sent Rei spinning to her knees. "Shin-chan..." she called weakly. "I hate you!" Asuka yelled, bringing her arm back to slap Rei again, looking into the red eyes that were piercing even in pain. 'Rei... no. No! Stop!' "NO!" Shinji cried, catching Asuka's arm by the wrist before her hand could come into contact with Rei's face for a fourth time. "Asuka!" "I hate you! You and your doll!" she yelled at him. "Asuka, stop! Shut up!" Shinji yelled, throwing Asuka's arm roughly aside, then bringing his own arm back and slapping Asuka with excessive force across the face, sending Asuka back a few steps. "I..." Asuka started, tears, both of pain and anguish, welling up in her eyes. "Go... just get out. Get away from me. Get away from her. Just go away!" Shinji ordered, anger and sadness in his voice. "I..." Asuka sniffed, trying to hold back the tears. Unsuccessful, her knees gave way and she fell to the floor sobbing loudly. Shinji stood between Rei and Asuka, hands clenched at his sides, a cold gaze fixed on Asuka. Finally he turned to Rei, still standing behind him. "She... does not deserve... to be hurt." "Neither do you," Shinji seethed, face red in anger. "It hurts... in more ways than one... but she doesn't deserve it," Rei said, tears in her eyes. "Please... Asuka... please go..." "You aren't... you aren't the center of..." "What in the name of---JESUS, MARY and JOSEPH!" Misato screamed from the doorway. "Would someone here like to tell me just what the _hell_ has been going on here? And what have you done to my apartment?!" Misato immediately sprouted a sweatdrop the size of Connecticut, as well as a vein the size of Montana. --- MST3K Shinji Ayanami ==================== Now, class... as you can see, Connecticut is small, but would still fill over half of Japan. Montana, meanwhile, would be stretching into China. This is a physical impossibility in the real world. However, the Anime laws of physics will allow the size of the rooms and the house, as well as the occupants, to expand to fit the size of the protrusions, then shrink again once they have left. --- "I hate this. I hate this! I HATE THIS!" Asuka screamed. "Rei, maybe you could---OH MY GOD! Damn it! Shinji, what the hell happened to that lab coat?" Misato demanded of Shinji, who wisely looked the other way. "It is... uncomfortable," Rei replied. "That isn't the _point_! Shinji! Okay, everyone, stop _right_now_. Now, Shinji dear, please _calmly_ and _slowly_ tell me... WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE!!!" "I am not alone. And... someone wants... loneliness..." Shinji replied unsteadily, choosing that time to wrap Rei up in his bed sheet, catching, en passant, something which he shouldn't have in front of the others. "Wha...?" Misato managed, thoroughly confused. "I want to be with Rei-chan," Shinji clarified. "I want to be with Shin-chan," Rei added, arms clasped around Shinji. "Ooooohhhhh NO!" Asuka moaned. Misato, taking in the scene, could manage no more for the moment than a tinge of blush. "She hates..." Shinji began. "She hurts... us..." "Everything! And especially you, you heathen, moral-less, hypocritical..." Asuka ranted, breaking off into an unintelligible string of German and Japanese insults. "Oh geez..." Misato groaned. "WhaddidImith?" Ritsuko asked from the doorway. Four sets of eyes and three mouths widened and dropped open respectively at the sight of Ritsuko. Her lab coat on Shinji's floor, she was dressed only in her short black skirt, dark nylons, and sleeveless blue blouse. This would have been fine except that the zipper was undone down to her stomach, and she had a look of pure playfulness in her eyes, as well as a seductive yet wavy smile on her face. 'She hit the liquor after I left, didn't she...' Misato muttered mentally about the morality of drinking. "Oh... not again..." Ritsuko complained. "Not exactly..." Misato told her. "Why'mI onda flour... an whas're ewe dewing weeth Ka-gee, Mee-sato?" Ritsuko pointed the question at Rei. "_She's_ smashed," Shinji declared firmly. "How can that happen in less then 15 minutes?" "Low tolerance to alcohol," came Misato's reply. "Oh boy..." Misato muttered, twitching slightly. "Of all the times, of all the people..." 'And this is coming from me?' "Ritsu-chan, have you been near Shigeru... er... Aoba-kun recently?" Misato asked. "Aoba-kun? Why, I thaw heem... wheredidItheeheem?" Snickering almost uncontrollably, Asuka turned to Shinji and whispered, "This is what they call `mind-expanding drugs' in college... or the results, anyway." "It has expanded her... personality..." Shinji agreed. "And relaxed her... tongue restraint," Rei added. "And her sense of clothing," Asuka snickered. "Sinth when are yuanKajjji so calm? Oh, Mithato... were the too of yu ine middle of thomething?" Ritsuko asked, snickering. "An I's inn purrfeekt kun-troll..." "Actually, yes," Misato replied. "Weel, unleth you want to inviiiiiiite me to join in... I'll jush beon my wayyy..." "I'll be right back," Misato said to the three children. "Anyone who moves is in _serious_ trouble. Come on, Ritsuko." The Major calmly lead Ritsuko by the arm out of the room and into a nearby bedroom. "Bye, Mithato! By Ka-gee! Wherre are we going, Mishato? Hey, shere are too of shou!" As soon as Ritsuko was safely out of earshot, Asuka simply burst out laughing. Once in the bedroom, Misato calmly clubbed Ritsuko over the back of the head, knocking her out. "At least Kaji taught me something that keeps me clean..." Misato muttered, walking back to Shinji's room. When she returned, the room was actually, for the record, calm and in control. "Now, let's try this again. Shinji, please, begin from where you were when we were... interrupted." "Rei and I... came here." Misato nodded. "The door was barricaded." "And Asuka started trying to break it down, right?" "She _did_ break it down! That's why my room is such a mess!" "Okay, now back up. How did Rei end up... unclothed... _again_?!" Misato twitched. "She took off the lab coat." "No kidding," Misato growled. "Well, you _did_ ask how she got undressed..." "God only knows what they were doing in here," Asuka put in. Misato ignored the comment except for an overt roll of her eyes. "We talked," Shinji continued. "I'll be you did," Asuka and Misato shot back concurrently. "That is the truth," Rei replied. "I'm not interested in lying to you," Shinji said hotly. "So you two came in here... you disrobed, you talked to Shin-kun... Asuka broke the door down... then what?" Misato asked, almost curiously. "She... Asuka slapped Rei... hit her... three times..." Shinji said spitefully, simply throwing the words out of his mouth. "Then dropped to the ground in penance for her crime, I suppose," Misato said dryly. "I slapped her. She hurt Rei, she wouldn't stop! She was going to hit her again! She hurt..." Shinji said, just as spitefully. "And that gives *you* the right to hurt _her_ in return?" "She wouldn't have stopped," Shinji replied curtly. "And it's all right for her? You never have anything to say about Asuka. Why?" "I'm getting to *her* in a minute." "Do... do you think, it was just for today?! Since she arrived, she never respected anyone but herself... no one... always hurt..." "And what about _you_, Asuka? What in the world were you doing slapping _anyone_?" Misato whirled on the redhead. "And Rei, make sure _he's_ quiet for a minute. I don't care how." Rei wrapped her arms about Shinji's waist and pulled him to her, smiling lightly. "I'm doing this for us, not for Katsuragi-san," she whispered, acquiring a nod from Shinji in response. "I... that is... what I mean is..." Asuka stammered. "Out with it, Asuka." "Shin-chan," Rei whispered. "It's just plain indecent! It's so damned indecent that it's _really_ pissing me off!" Asuka yelled. "Rei-chan?" Shinji asked. "Can we continue... when this is over?" she asked. "Yes. We can, and we _will_. Promise made." Rei leaned forward and lightly kissed Shinji on the lips, then drew back. "I don't think that gives free reign for you to go around smacking people..." Misato started. 'Actually, I know it doesn't.' "A... kiss?" "It felt... nice. Nicer than before... because... I know this time... it's you," Rei replied. Asuka glared daggers at the young couple, seething, bright red, and angry to the point where she could probably have scared off a baron of Hell. --- MST3K Sho Gouki / Unit One ========================== --- "Being with you is... nice..." Shinji said. "Do you like a kiss?" Rei asked. "I mean... do you enjoy it?" Upon hearing the immediate exchange, Asuka began sprouting veins in places where they should not have existed visibly. "Yes, I like a kiss. It is.. pleasant," Shinji replied, holding Rei more tightly to him, and feeling that she was doing the same. "Thank you," the two mouthed to each other. Asuka, now burning a brighter red than Evangelion Unit Two, was quite visibly fighting an almost overwhelming urge to personally march across the room and throttle the young couple. 'Put myself between Asuka and them... or stay alive to tell about what happened?' "Idn't that _sweet_," Asuka said, disdain heavy in her voice. 'Then again, if I don't step in, they won't stay alive to tell what happened...' Misato thought. "Asuka, I think you'd better leave... now." "Leave?" Asuka asked, anger rising. "Why should _I_ leave?!" "Asuka, haven't you done enough damage for one night?" Misato asked pointedly. "W... what did..." "You know quite well what you did, young lady... now leave before _I_ get violent." "I... I HATE THIS!" Asuka screamed, kicking the door on her way out of the room, then proceeding to slam the sliding door to her room open and closed. From behind it, the faint sound of yelling could be heard. Shinji, seizing the moment, sweatdropped profusely. "Now, as for the two of you. Shinji, it's late, and you're going to bed because you have school tomorrow. Rei..." the Major rolled her eyes. "...I have no clue what I'm going to do with you." "...I would like... to stay... Major Katsuragi-san." "Oi vey..." Misato groaned. "Misato-san..." Shinji began. "Yes, Shinji?" Misato asked wearily. "I... I know you find... this... but... please, Misato-san." "Okay... that's one less thing to deal with tonight... but if you two do _anything_ that I... wait, let me rephrase that. If you two get... involved... I'll see to it that you keep the entire city between you until you both reach 21." "Please, then, put the cameras in this room," Rei said. 'Is she serious?' Misato wondered, sweatdropping. "Why... what is it that bothers you, Major?" Rei asked. "Nothing," Misato replied, shaking her head. "Please, try to get _some_ sleep." She headed heavily for the remains of the door. 'And if you betray my trust, I'll make sure you, Shinji, spend the rest of your days as a eunuch, and you, Rei, in a convent full of the sternest sisters I can find. "Good night... Misato-san," Shinji called after her. "Good night... Shin-chan," Misato called back, yawning, then proceeding out of the rubble of the door and barricade, and down the hall. 'Chan? Does that mean...' "We should put the door back up," Rei said, interrupting his thoughts. Shinji simply nodded absentmindedly. The two moved to prop the door back up against the wall and fit it into the fixture as best as possible. The result was a sliding door, yet one that did not slide smoothly. 'Shin-chan... from Asuka, a term of... disdain. From Rei, a term of affection. From Misato?' "Are you all right, Shin-chan?" Rei asked. "Em?" Shinji asked, his attention finally focusing on Rei. "Oh, yes." She nodded, placing a hand on her cheek and rubbing it softly. "You aren't... hurt... are you?" Shinji asked. "I feel... a little pain... it stings. It's nothing... but..." Rei replied. Shinji looked Rei straight in the face. "It's not _fair_," he said, leading her quietly to sit on his bed. "Why... why does she hate me?" Rei asked. "I... I think it's because... she sees you as... competition. For me..." Shinji replied. "Competition?" Rei queried, confused. "Everything to Asuka is... and she wants to be the best... at everything. The thought that someone has something to hold over her... something she wanted..." "She... she can't be. No one can be." Rei replied. "Apparently... that thought does not... enter into her mind." "She doesn't want to understand life. She closes her mind and soul to everyone." "It is... a defense. She was... hurt... before. We all were..." Shinji answered. "A defense... it is only perceived to be one... when you close yourself off, you close your world, and you cannot be hurt. But without others you cannot exist. You are what you make yourself and what others make you. She must accept others..." Rei said, almost as if quoting. 'It's hard for her...' Shinji thought. "It is not easy to do... but you must learn... or life... is hard. Is... alone." "Must we... worry about her?" Shinji asked. "You are angry?" "About many things... concerning many things... but I... I just want... you," Shinji answered. Rei looked softly at Shinji, reaching out with her left hand, and clasping it around his right, she raised it and placed it just above her left breast, holding it there. "You... are warm, Shin-chan." "I am?" "You are warm. What do you feel, Shin-chan?" Rei asked, holding his hand a little more tightly. "Warmth... caring... and... excitement..." Shinji replied. "Do you feel... the beating... of my heart?" she asked. "Your heart..." "My heart... is beating faster. Do you feel it?" Shinji nodded mutely, staring silently at Rei, who brought her own right hand up to the left side of his chest. "Do you feel... your own heart?" "My heart..." Shinji murmured, enfolding Rei in his arms. "I can hear it... it beats with my own... listen." "I... hear them..." he replied, tears slowly streaking his face. "Tears... Shin-chan... you are crying..." "Of joy, Rei-chan... tears... once a symbol of sadness... now a symbol of joy." "This is what I have." Rei began crying as well. "I am happy." "It is what we have... it is who we are," Shinji replied. "You are understanding now. That is something I like... that we like. Shin-chan?" "Rei-chan?" Shinji asked, still crying. Rei placed a hand on his cheek, caressing it softly, and leaning forward. "I want you... to be happy. I want to show you happiness," she said softly. "I make you happy?" "Shinji leaned forward, pressing his face against her, just below the neck, stifling his tears against her body. "Yes... yes, you do..." "I'm... You make me happy," Rei said, lifting his head until it was level with her own. "Before, I kissed you... a kiss, a symbol of affection, of caring... a bond with another." She leaned closer. "I want to kiss you. Do you want to experience a kiss with me?" "Two... who are one. I want... this kiss," Shinji replied simply. "With you," Rei stated, closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his. 'I am... warm,' Shinji thought, holding her against himself. 'I'm warm... he is... warmth is comfortable,' Rei thought, putting her arms around Shinji. 'This is caring,' he added in his mind, feeling the kiss deepen imperceptibly. 'This is... nice. Why do I enjoy it? Because of what I feel... I want to do this for Shin-chan... for myself. Only for us.' "You... your lips are soft, Rei-chan," Shinji said once the kiss had broken. "Thank you," Rei replied, blushing slightly. "Yours feel... gentle. Do you like... a kiss?" "Yes," Shinji answered, crying softly. "Yes, I do." Rei wiped the tears from his eyes, then spoke softly. "You will make me cry again." Then with a soft smile, she added, "This is nice." "I cannot... help it. It is so warm, so... pleasant." "Then... cry," Rei said, bringing her hands behind her back to the fastening of the bed sheet. "You are too... kind, Rei-chan," Shinji replied, smiling through the tears. "Th... thank you," she answered, tears flowing from watering eyes. "I'm crying, but... this is a pleasant experience... joy," Rei continued, unclasping the bed sheet and pulling it away. "This is... truth?" Shinji asked quietly. "We are truth. I would just like to feel warmth... for now..." Rei answered in her usual, soft voice. "Whenever you would... I am here." "Tonight... Major Katsuragi... said not to tonight... tonight... so..." "And we wouldn't _dream_ of defying her, now would we?" Shinji asked, a light-hearted laugh breaking through the teary exteriour. "Shall we to sleep, then?" "...Shin-chan?" "Yes, Rei?" "I would like to feel warmth tonight... will you allow me?" "If you want it... it is... yours," Shinji asserted. "Closeness... for tonight. Please, stay close to me," she said, unbuttoning his wrinkled white school shirt and slipping it off of him. "I will... I promise," Shinji replied, laying down on the bed. Rei knelt beside the bed for a moment, to remove Shinji's white T- shirt, then slipped into bed herself and turned him to face her. "You taught... I learned as well. Arigato, Rei-chan." Again she removed herself, this time to turn off the light, then lay down facing him again, wrapping her arms around him. "You..." "I..." Shinji lead on. "Do you like this feeling of closeness?" "I do," he said. Rei took one of his hands in her own and slowly drew it across her breast. "Before... you did this... it felt nice... pleasurable..." "Rei...-chan... please... we can't... you..." 'If she keeps this up, I'm gonna lose control... Not that I was ever _in_ control... So it doesn't matter...' he thought, along with a mental note to add an eye-roll later. "I know. It's only this... allowing this one experience... no more... for now." "So soft... warm," Shinji sighed quietly. "That feels... pleasurable..." Rei stated, blushing. "I feel... warm. You... feel nice." Shinji took the initiative and pulled her against himself softly. "Sleep now, Rei-chan." "Thank you... Shin-chan," Rei said, placing her arms around him once again and resting her head next to his. "Did I make you... happy?" "Mmm?" Shinji mumbled, nodding sleepily. "Good. Then sleep, Shinji Ikari. Tonight, we will keep each other warm... and complete," she stated, a single tear falling from her eyes. "Good night... Shinji." "Good night, Rei," Shinji replied. ------------------------------------ "What in God's Name did I do to deserve _this_!" Asuka ranted, prying at an already-ripped pillow. "And what the hell is Misato's problem?!" Under the onslaught, the pillow was pried apart and stuffing filled the room. "And _those_ two... If I never see them together again, it'll be _too_ soon." "Just... why is he so damned protective of that... doll? I could have given... anything! Even _care_! But what do I get? That damned- insensitive prick chooses that _doll_ over _ME_!" Asuka screamed into the night, flinging the remains of the pillow at her door. "Asuka, hold it down! I'm trying to _sleep_!" Misato called through the wall. "Hmph!" she said in that definitive Asuka manner. "And why is she always on _his_ side?!" "Why would I want him _anyway_?! He's spineless! He's a wimp! He's an idiot! A loser! I HATE HIM!" "And that doll! Who does she think she is?!" Asuka asked, rather too loudly as she began systematically shredding another pillow. "Always so good, always so perfect, always follows orders... why the hell does she want to be near that idiot!?" She slammed the pillow as hard as she could manage into her dresser, setting it to rocking slightly, as well as causing her alarm clock to fall off and crack. "Oooooo, I'll have their _heads_ for this!" "Pipe down in there!" Misato yelled. "Ishat you, Mama?" came faintly from Ritsuko, followed by a sharp cracking sound. "If it isn't one thing, it's another... I'm goin' to sleep." She began stripping off her school uniform as though it were another pillow, taking no care when she got to seams, allowing them to simply give way or rip as they would. "And now I have to go out and get myself new pillows and sew my uniform tomorrow. All because of them!" ------------------------------------ [crackly] Rei: Tonight, we will keep each other warm... and complete. Good night, Shinji. [crackly] Shinji: Good night, Rei. "Hmm... no cameras, but we didn't talk about microphones," Misato said with a darkly-humourous grin. "And it even looks like they're going to abide by my little ultimatum. For now, anyway..." She reached over and switched the microphone off. "But, to be honest... I think I'm happy for them. I am." 'Okay, one problem solved, then. That only leaves Ritsuko, and an overly-jealous Asuka to deal with... though I'm not sure which frightens me more,' she thought, shuddering. Soon, muffled shouting was audible through the wall from Asuka's room. "I could have given... anything! Even _care_! But what do I get? That damned-insensitive prick chooses that _doll_ over _ME_!" "Asuka, hold it down! I'm trying to _sleep_!" Misato yelled at the wall. 'So, that's a lie. It doesn't matter... I think it might be Asuka... then again, God only knows what Ritsu has known. Tomorrow... will be an interesting day, I guess. I'd better make breakfast... or try to. We'll be six tomorrow... can't forget Pen-Pen... wish _I'd_ hid in the freezer...' Again, Asuka's ranting cut through the wall. "Always so good, always so perfect, always follows orders... why the hell does she want to be near that idiot?!" More rambling ensued. "Pipe down in there!" Misato called at the wall. "Ishat you, Mama?" Ritsuko mumbled, starting to wake up. "Not tonight," Misato replied, bringing her fist down on the back of Ritsuko's head, promptly causing the drunken doctor to fall back into her bed. "I'm sorry, Ritsuko... it's for your own good. You'll feel better tomorrow," Misato continued, more to herself than anyone else. 'For the first time... I hate alcohol.' "Rei and Shinji... no problem. Ritsuko... under control, for now. Asuka... I don't know." Misato sighed. "Well, better get to sleep. Something tells me that tomorrow's going to be a looooong day." Misato practically threw herself onto her bed next to a slumbering Ritsuko and closed her eyes. "I wish Kaji were here right now... I _need_ to speak to somebody... tomorrow..." TO BE CONTINUED... __________________________________________________________________________ CREDITS ------- -> Scheduled Scenario Productions --------------------------------- - "Midnight Limited" & "Solbination Limited" Subsidiaries Design and Planning: -------------------- James Grabowski - Sephirius Endymion, Rei Ikari - sephirius@japan.crosswinds.net Geoff Upchurch - Mien Diem, Shinji Ayanami - miendiem@hotmail.com / miendiem@netscape.net Writing: -------- Authors - James Grabowski - Geoff Upchurch Revising / Editing - James Grabowski - Geoff Upchurch Pre-Readers: ------------- Kemjin - khyronx@aol.com Ryo - ryoganeko5@aol.com Ryo-sama - iryosamaL@aol.com Phaedrine - phaedrine@hotmail.com Mark Eymer - saotome@micron.net __________________________________________________________________________ Scheduled Scenario Productions [UNDERGOING CONSTRUCTION] - http://www.crosswinds.net/japan/~sephirius/SSP James Grabowski's Site [Endymion's Portal (Home of S.S.P.)] - http://www.crosswinds.net/japan/~sephirius Geoff Upchurch's Site [Mien Diem's Anime Warehouse] - http://members.tripod.com/~Mien_Diem __________________________________________________________________________ Copyright 1998 - James Grabowski & Geoff Upchurch Scheduled Scenario Productions __________________________________________________________________________