Brave Nurse Shinji

An Evangelion Fan Fiction

Chapter 8: Like Waking From the Dream

Shinji ran tell his lungs burned.

Kaji had tried to talk to him about up was happening but Shinji rushed pat him and out the door.

A confused heart hung heavy on his soul.

Rei's apartment loomed in the distance. Shinji gritted his teeth and ignored the pain in his side as he ran.

Shinji paused outside the door. It was ajar. He tried to catch his breath.

Carefully he pushed the door open and entered the small apartment.

Rei lay curled on the bed.

"Rei…?"

Rei lifted her head and looked Shinji in the eye.

"Wark!"

"What the hell…"

Shinji woke up as he slid off the couch hitting his head on the coffee table.

"Ouch."

"Wark!"

"Where am I?"

"WARK!"

"Hi, Pen pen."

"Wark!"

"What do you want?"

Shinji realized that the doorbell was ringing. Slowly he stood up rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"Misato, can you…" Shinji surveyed the room and saw that the party was over. Several empty glasses lay in front of him around the coffee table.

Tangled in Kaji's arms on a chair he found Misato. Both were fast asleep. Tenfold as many empty glasses lay around them.

And Asuka was no where to be seen.

The doorbell rang again. Misato shifted and mumbled something about launching Evas.

As Shinji walked by the kitchen to the front door the microwave clock blared an angry, red 2:30 in the morning.

Shinji opened the door to find Rei facing him, her hand hovering near the doorbell. For a split second she looked like she had been caught in the act of doing something wrong, as she quickly returned her face to its normal expression.

"Rei?"

She was dressed in her normal school uniform. No different outfit.

"Shinji, I would have been here earlier but…but…it is not important…May I come in?"

Shinji was confused. The jackhammer in his head didn't help.

"Damn Misato's drink…"

"I do not understand."

"No, ah…I was talking about something else…" The boy backed out of the way to let Rei walk into the small hallway.

"You weren't here once were you…ah, wearing a different outfit or something?"

She regarded him carefully. Shinji detected the slightest bit of confusion.

"No."

"Well, never mind…"

"Have I missed the party?"

"Well, yeah…"

"I am sorry I am late…" Rei grabbed her elbow and looked at her feet.

"No, that's fine…it wasn't, ah, very interesting anyway."

"I dislike social situations. I…do not know what is expected."

"I think Misato could help with that…" Shinji said under his breath.

"What did you say?" Now Rei was looking at him with her deep red eyes. Shinji felt a little off balance.

"Nothing…just forget about the party…it's ok, you're here now."

"But was it not the point for me to come here to attend the party."

Uh, well…it's not really important anymore. Besides…ah, it's just us now and we can do fun stuff together."

That sounds bad.

"I mean…ah, we can enjoy each other…no, I mean enjoy each other's company….yeah, that’s it."

Oh, good going idiot. You should just jump on her like in your dream and get it over with.

Shinji was getting to be his usual flustered self. He finally looked at Rei only to see what he thought could be the start of a playful smile.

"Shinji, it is ok."

Shinji sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, well. You know what I mean."

"Is it ok if we talk now?"

"Sure, but…would you like to go somewhere besides the hallway?"

"That would be fine."

"Well,…lets go to my room."

Leading the slim girl to his room Shinji continued to become more nervous.

Rei calmly sat down on the bed and patted the spot beside her.

On audible gulp was heard from Shinji as he sat down.

"Recently I have been feeling different around you, Shinji."

"Rei, before we…ah, start talking I just want to make sure that we will stay here till we work out everything."

She looked puzzled. Shinji realized his statement was probably a strange thing to say at this point in the conversation.

"Ah, yeah…what I mean is…I want us to understand each other completely. If we get the wrong idea it could lead to bad feelings. See what I mean?"

"I...think I understand. You wish us to not get the wrong idea. So that we will not believe something that is not true."

"Yes, exactly."

Rei gave a quick affirmative nod. "I have been giving the situation much thought."

"Ah, ok."

"In fact, it has taken up much of the time that I used to use doing other things."

"Well, that’s not good…"

"Shinji, I have felt different around you lately. I do not…know what this means."

"Can you tell me anymore?"

The pale girl furrowed her brow in concentration.

"I feel happy, but…it…goes beyond that."

Shinji's attention snapped to Rei as she continued.

"I feel…what I think may be…," Rei mumbled something as she cast her eyes downward.

"What did you say? Sorry."

Rei looked directly into Shinji's soft eyes.

"Love."

Rei continued to stare at Shinji, who was now doing a good impression of a large mouth fish.

For once Shinji's brain was quiet, as if to say, "I have no idea how to proceed."

"I too was shocked when I came to this conclusion."

Shinji sat very still, mouth hanging open.

"Are you upset?"

"I..I…ummm…"

"I was too hasty…"

"Ummm…"

"I have offended you. I am sorry. I will leave."

Rei stood up quickly and turned toward the door.

"No, wait!" Shinji grabbed her arm. "Rei, please…"

She regarded him with soft red eyes. Her expression betrayed a hint of sadness.

"…please, sit."

Reluctantly Rei returned to her spot on the edge of the bed. She shifted nervously and did not meet Shinji's gaze. Slowly words started to pour forth.

"I am not good at…interaction…I feel like I am doing something wrong…as if I should not be feeling this way…Shinji, I think…something…is wrong with me…"

"Rei, are you…crying?" He saw a tear descend the smooth, alabaster skin of her cheek.

"…please…do not look…at me…" Her words betrayed the pain in her voice.

Shinji realized that he was still touching her arm. For once Shinji decided to leave all his fears, doubts and worries behind him. Closing his eyes, he slid into place beside the First Child and embraced her crying form.

"Nothing is wrong with you…"

At first she didn't give any sign that she even noticed the human contact but after a few silent moments Shinji felt arms encircle him. Rei hugged back fiercely almost to the point of desperation.

"Rei…"

"…yes…"

"I've…been thinking a lot lately too…about you…"

"…yes…"

"I love you."

Shinji brought one hand under Rei's chin and lifted her face to look into his.

She gazed back out of red, teary eyes but this time Shinji saw a hint of the happy Rei that, in the past, had only come out for him.

Shinji wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"Rei, you are much too pretty to cry…"

Closing her eyes Rei brought her lips to his.

Shinji felt the lightest feathery touch of her lips brushing on his. Warmth rushed into Shinji and washed over him. The point of contact between them seemed to expand to fill Shinji's whole mind as he sank into the feeling.

Rei's mind reeled at all the feelings she was experiencing as they kissed gently. She opened her lips slightly and kissed harder.

After a moment Shinji pulled back and carefully broke the kiss. Rei was still in the same pose, lips slightly parted, eyes closed. She had what Shinji could have only described as a dreamy expression on her face.

Shinji pulled her to him as he lay back in his bed.

The blue haired girl snuggled close to him as he pulled a blanket around them.

The quiet night settled over the two children.

As Shinji drifted off to sleep he heard a faint whisper.

"…I love you…"

Smiling peacefully he drifted off to sleep.

"…I love you too…"

 Omake:

The quiet night settled over the two children.

As Shinji drifted off to sleep he heard a faint whisper.

"…I love you…"

"I love you to-Dad! What the hell are you doing here?"

Gendo walked in carrying a sleeping bag.

"Sorry, I just needed a place to crash. We're fumigating NERV HQ right now. Hi, Rei."

"Hello, Commander."

"Damn it Dad, I'm tying to have a nice moment here!"

Just then Fuyutski and Hyuga walked in also carrying sleeping bags.

"Cool, here's where Gendo went. Hi, Shinji. Where should we sleep?"

Shinji groaned.

Ahhhhhh. That’s so kawaii! Wow. Sugar anyone. I can't believe I wrote that. I wanted to make it a memorable scene. How am I doing so far? Input is important b/c there are only a few more chapters before I start the sequel.

Please review. That's is all.

Sincerely,

rojo