A Touch of Love? Written by Godsend777 Started…. a bit ago. End of October ’99, maybe? Finished: 7/21/00 A Touch of Love, Part 1 “Hmmm…. Damn bureaucrats…” Fuuyutsuki cursed. His tone would have been more suited for damning one’s lineage; but when dealing with bureaucrats the taken tone is considered acceptable, if not appropriate. “Well, there is no way around this one. It will have to be done.” The man behind him answered in a cold voice. Fuuyutsuki had to admit he was an oddity. Even though his hands steepled together in front of his face muffled his voice a little, it still had a very commanding air. He’d often tried imitating it himself, but he couldn’t get it right. “But the security risks involved-“ He began as he turned to face the Supreme Commander of NERV. “Are negligent. We need the funding they say they’ll remove if we don’t show up.” “They want us to bring the Children, Ikari. We can’t let them out of the safe environment we have here!” “If the American Government withdraws its funding, we’ll have to cut back on certain sections. Due to the amount of science research needed, Section 2 may suffer a few cutbacks. That would severely cut into our security.” “But-“ “There are no buts, Fuuyutsuki. We will comply this one time. It is best if we placate the Americans now so we do not have to listen to them later.” As usual, with any speech he made, he never moved. No slight fidgets of nervousness. No muscle spasms from being in one place too long. He didn’t even blink. It was these times that others considered him inhuman. “Besides,” he continued as a slight smirk appeared on his face. “The event will happen in Tokyo-2. Eva Unit 00 will be shipped there as well.” “I see…” The elderly man turned his back on his former student and resumed staring out the window. “Then you are taking Rei. Are you taking the other pilots as well?” “I will take the pilot of Unit-01 with me. The Second Child will remain in Tokyo-3 in case of an emergency.” Gendo answered. The smirk had disappeared and his face was now back to the emotionless mask it normally featured. “I don’t understand why. The Second Child would be the best choice for this, Ikari. It is a public relations conference, after all.” “The Second Child currently has the highest synch ratio of the three. Should there be an attack; she will more than adequately defend the city.” “Hmph. What about security at the hotel?” Again, Gendo smirked. He stood up from behind his desk to begin the trek out of his own office. He finally reached it and pushed the keypad to open it. “Since you seem so worried about the details, Professor, I will let you handle them.” He paused by the door, before slightly turning his head back towards the man behind him. “With one exception.” “Which is?” Fuuyutsuki asked dryly. “Arrange for the Children to be put into the same room. That should adequately cut security risks in half should there be a problem.” As the door shut behind Gendo, Fuuyutsuki allowed a confused look to cross his face. “In the same room? Unsupervised?” Rei had been waiting for him outside his office as he had instructed her to do so. She always followed his instructions. In his eyes, she was the perfect soldier; perfect in ways that one could never know. Uncomfortable with her emotions to the point where she did not know how to express them. Antisocial for fear of these emotions coming to surface. She simply went through life doing what she was told. Years of molding her mind into this state of being. How ironic that his son was almost the same way without his interference. It was almost… stupid. “Commander Ikari.” She said as she stood from her seated position on the hall bench. Like him, she never blinked unless necessary, never showed any emotion before others. But now, they were alone, and they could talk freely. “Rei, the Third Child will be accompanying us to Tokyo-2. Unit-00 will be brought along in case of an emergency.” She took in the information almost impassively. To anyone else, she would have looked emotionless, but Gendo had caught the quick movement of her lips, as well as the slight widening of her eyes. “I… will be sharing a room with Pilot Ikari.” It wasn’t so much a question as a statement. “Is this a problem?” “No. I had assumed you meant Pilot Sohryu when I heard you say I would be sharing a room with another person.” She added; this time completely emotion-free. “The Second Child will be needed to protect Tokyo-3 should an emergency arise.” “I see.” Having nothing more to say, the two began to walk towards their destination. But silence leads to thinking, especially in the minds of those who think too much. Even more so in the case of Gendo Ikari. This time, his thoughts wandered to Rei. They had done so often after the attack of the Fifth Angel. Rei had been acting strange since the Ramiel’s attack. Something that had to do with his son rescuing her. The entry plug’s video cameras had been too heavily damaged to record the event, but the microphones had worked well enough to recover a little bit of information. ‘Maybe you could try smiling?’ He had played that sentence alone for over an hour the day it came across his desk. His son, a coward and an inept when dealing with people, had tried to open up to another. Had tried to get another to actually open up to him. But that wasn’t what shocked him the most about the little event. ‘Rei… when Shinji asked you to smile… did you?’ ‘Yes. Is there a problem, Commander?’ ‘… No, no problem.’ Since then, there was evidence that she thought of him. She had started to call him Ikari-kun. While Shinji did not notice, Gendo had more than once caught her looking at his son. The face was emotionless, but the action was still there. Of course, he had caught Shinji looking at her as well. Despite the fact that the arrival of the Second Child had drawn most of his attention away from Rei, he still caught him making quick glances at the pilot of Unit-00. And suddenly he found himself curious. Curious of what Rei thought of his son. After all, he needed himself to be the most important part of her life for his plans to succeed. “Rei.” He said, not bothering to turn his head to look at her. “Yes, Commander Ikari?” She replied, her attention following his example and never leaving the path before them. “What do you think of Pilot Ikari?” This stopped her dead in her tracks. He had taken two steps before turning to look at her. Her eyes were a bit wider, and he noticed she had taken a deep breath. Apparently, his concern in the matter surprised her. “I… do not know.” She finally said before continuing on her way. “Explain.” His voice remained cold, causing her to stop in her tracks again. He would show no emotion to her now, not even a smile. For him to know, even she had to be uncomfortable in his presence. “I… cannot. It is strange.” She said as she looked at him; an innocent look of genuine confusion visible in her eyes. “Try.” This time, it was an order. Despite his cool exterior, curiosity was raging through his mind. “When I am around Ikari… time seems to be different.” “Different? From what?” Unknowingly to himself, he raised an eyebrow. “Well… there are sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in an hour. I am aware of this.” She looked at a clock towards the end of the hall. He could see that she was uncomfortable with the conversation despite her face. The pauses in her speech were evident. Strange, she had never been like this before. “When I am around him, time seems to either go faster or slower. When we talk, sixty seconds passes very quickly. When he is hurt, sixty seconds passes very slowly.” She spoke as if it were a matter of fact, even though it never could be. To the both of them, time is an absolute rule. But, were it ten or more years ago, Gendo would have been able to sympathize. “Anything else?” He asked. Somewhere, deep in him, something anticipated the answer. It was no longer a matter of curiosity, but something else entirely. “When he smiles, I feel heartburn. And a little feverish.” “I see…” This did not bode well for him. He turned his head in thought, when she caught him off guard with her next question. “Commander Ikari?” “What is it?” “Should I… pursue these feelings?” She asked, again completely innocent. While every planning, plotting, and scheming cell in his brain told him to say no; the feeling that was not curiosity but something else entirely hushed them and told him to say yes. Seeing as one would not satisfy the other, he opted for a different approach. “You may if you wish, so long as it does not affect your piloting or your duties. Aside from that, it is no concern of mine.” Both sides, somewhat satisfied with the answer, shut up. Again, he began to walk towards his destination. But he did not miss the silent ‘thank you’ that escaped Rei’s lips. “Major Katsuragi, reporting as ordered sir.” Misato saluted. “I have brought the pilots of Units 01 and 02 as also ordered.” Having said her part in this ritual, she dropped her hand to her side and stood at attention. To her left, Shinji stared at the ground. On her right, Asuka tapped her foot impatiently. “Very good, Major.” Gendo began. Before him, the floor’s viewscreen was bringing up various maps and diagnostics. He stood at the head of the screen. Surrounding him were Dr. Akagi, Lts. Hyuuga, Aoba, and Ibuki, as well as one Ryouji Kaji. Continuing further around were Pilots Ayanami and Ikari, Major Katsuragi, and Pilot Sohryuu. “As you are all well aware,” Gendo continued “the US has been pressuring us into some sort of display to pacify the masses. This idea has caught on to other members of the UN, and they have said that without one, funding will be withdrawn and/or cut from certain areas of NERV research.” “Hmph! Bureaucrats…” Misato cursed, imitating Fuuyutsuki’s earlier sentiments. “To this end, we will be taking Eva Unit-00 and its pilot, as well as the pilot of Unit-01, to a press conference in Tokyo-2.” Just about everyone standing around the viewscreen, save Gendo Ikari and Rei Ayanami, glanced at the Second Child. A vein was throbbing in her forehead, and she was clenching her fists in anger. “Unit-01 will stay here for continued tests, and Unit-02 and its pilot will remain due to its excellent performance and high synch ratio.” Dr. Akagi swiftly intervened. This pacified Asuka almost entirely, and her air of confidence returned immediately. Thus, she gave the pilots of Units 01 and 02 a nice raspberry in an entirely mature show of pride. “The group will consist of myself, Dr. Akagi, and pilots Ayanami and Ikari.” Gendo continued. “Fuuyutsuki is handling the security arrangements as we speak. Are there any questions?” Shinji’s and Asuka’s hands both shot up; the effects of school having long been engrained into their minds. But Misato was the one to speak first. “Commander Ikari, with all due respect, is this really a good idea? After all, should the Children need protection-“ “As I have stated, Major Katsuragi, Sub-Commander Fuuyutsuki is taking care of the security details.” Gendo repeated his earlier statement, and gave Misato a cold glare for good measure. “So the Children’s rooms will be well-protected?” Misato asked as she mentally scowled at the commander’s glare. “The Children involved will be staying in the same room as a security precaution.” Shinji, Asuka’s, and Misato’s draws dropped. Maya meekly put a hand to her mouth and said ‘Oh my’ while Kaji and the other two lieutenants chuckled. Ritsuko began to rub her temples. “Is… is that wise?” Misato asked after she recovered. “I have faith Ikari-kun will not ‘jump’ me.” Rei said. As everyone stared at Rei, Shinji shook his head and told himself this was all a bad dream. “Ummm… well then…” Misato stammered. “Are there any other questions?” Gendo asked. Again, Shinji’s and Asuka’s hands shot up. “As I can guess what Pilot Sohryu’s concern is,” Gendo began, causing Asuka to frown, “what is your concern, Pilot Ikari?” “Umm… well…” “Spit it out.” “Well, I think that… uhh…” After fidgeting nervously for a few more seconds, the young boy decided to just go for it and did indeed, spit the rest out. “Asuka should be the one to go to Tokyo-2.” He finished quickly, then resumed his gaze to the floor. “While the point has been made,” Asuka gave another frown. “And despite the fact that the Second Child is more sociable-” Smile. “If not more photogenic-“ Raspberry. “She still has the highest synch ratio-“ In her mind, Asuka danced on the backs of Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami. “And therefore will remain in Tokyo-3 to protect it in case of emergency.” Frown. “Anything else?” No one spoke for a minute as all the adults in the room looked at each other nervously. Seeing as it needed to be said, their eyes settled on the one best suited for the task: Ryouji Kaji. Kaji caught on almost immediately, let out a sigh, and shyly raised his hand. “They will have separate beds, correct?” “… Yes.” Gendo deadpanned. And everyone else in the room let out a sigh of relief as Shinji cursed his existence. “I DON’T BELIEVE THAT THEY-“ Blahblahblahyellscreamyellblahblahblah. “AND THOSE TWO OF ALL PEOPLE!!!” Yakkitysmakkityblahblahyellyellscreamscreech. “WHY I SHOULD BE THE ONE TO GO!!!” screamscreamscreechyellscreamhissrowrffttearkilldaggersShinjiIkariisadeadboy. “AND FURTHERMORE, I AM-“ ReiAyanamiwillsoonfollowthenI’llbenumberone. “ARE YOU DONE!?!?!” Misato screamed. They had been in the car for about ten minutes now. Ten minutes of Asuka screaming non-stop about not being able to get out of the city. Shinji had wisely buried his SDAT headphones into his ears and wasn’t paying attention. Misato was beginning to think about getting a set of her own. “WHY!?!? IT’S NOT FAIR!!” “Because you’re the best, Asuka.” Misato calmly said as she began to go into one of the speeches she had gotten used to giving since the two had come to live with her. She also thanked whoever was listening that Shinji couldn’t hear her. “And that means that you have the best chance of beating an Angel by yourself. So you have to stay to protect the city.” “Hmph! I’d like to get a vacation, you know! I hate being stuck here so much!” The redhead whined. “Sigh… I’ll tell you what, Asuka. I’ll pull you out of school and put you on semi-alert status, okay? That way-“ “That way I can stay at home all day and do nothing!? No thanks!” “We’ll go out for a little. I know! We’ll go shopping!” “Hmmm… well…” “And we’ll eat out or something tomorrow night.” “Hmmm…” “But you can stay home from school. And there won’t be any tests since Ritsuko will be with them.” “Well… okay. But remember that we’re going shopping!” Asuka said, pointing her finger at Misato in a threatening fashion. “Okay.” Misato sighed. Now that Asuka was pacified, perhaps it would be nice and quiet these next three days. “I wonder what kind of clothes Kaji likes?” Asuka wondered out loud. Then again… “Ummm… Misato?” “Hmm? Yeah, Shinji?” “I suppose there’s no way you could get Asuka to go in my place, is there?” He asked. He looked a little pale; no doubt caused from the news of having to share the same room as Ayanami, or the rumors that followed three minutes later. “I’m sorry, Shinji. It’s Commander Ikari’s order, after all.” “I just think Asuka would be better for this…” “You’re damn right! You and Ayanami are about as photogenic as a trash heap!” “ASUKA!” Misato yelled. Shinji scowled a bit before sighing. “Don’t worry about sharing a room with Rei, Shinji.” Misato started again. She had slipped into mother- mode, and was smiling sweetly at her charge via the rearview mirror. “Ritsuko says that you and Rei are going to be doing synch training; like you did with Asuka. So you should be fine. After all, you and Asuka picked it up rather quickly.” “But… what’s our purpose of being there?” “Well, to be honest, you’re going to be photographed, interviewed, and generally pestered about your personal lives while Ritsuko and your father field questions on the Evas and NERV. Rei will also pilot Unit-00 for show. I guess you’re her reserve.” “But after what happened last time…” Shinji mumbled. “I’m not going to pretend to know what your father thinks, Shinji.” Misato said with a hint of anger in her voice. “Sigh... Now I really don’t want to go…” “Yeah,” Asuka chimed in “Especially with yours and Rei’s personal lives! Man, I pity the reporters that have to interview the two of you!” “ASUKA! That’s enough!” “Oh, c’mon Misato! You know it’s true!” “Even so, I-“ Having decided that listening to his roommates any further would lead to massive depression, Shinji turned his SDAT back on. Night in Tokyo-3 tended to be an interesting experience to any traveler coming within city limits. Not that Tokyo-3 had a wild nightlife, or even massive robots tromping around at all hours of the night, (only during Angel attacks and the twice weekly field exercises.) but rather the opposite. Tokyo-3 was completely silent. Completely. Even in the worst sections of town was there a 0.000000001% chance of being attacked in any way. Also, with hospitals at their most advanced despite the Second Impact occurring, many people were healthy enough that medical incidents were rare. So, aside from the occasional security transport flying overhead, night in Tokyo-3 was very quiet. Which made Shinji all the more nervous. After all, Shinji had been living outside the city for the past ten years. And where he had lived, there was always some noise going on. The ecosystem had recovered enough that crickets and frogs were prevalent among the countryside and would lull him to sleep. But not here. Not only that, but for some strange reason, he found he couldn’t use his SDAT player for escape. So, he went to the kitchen to do what he normally did when there was no other escape: He cleaned. Unfortunately, he’d finished all the cleaning a bit ago. And he still didn’t feel like listening to his SDAT player. So he cooked. While he was quiet about his work, the aroma did pervade the air, waking up at least one inhabitant of the apartment. “Mmmmm… Shinji?” “Yes, Misato?” He replied, not bothering to turn to face her. After all, when one is cutting vegetables, one does not turn one’s gaze for fear of cutting one’s self. “What are you doing?” The older woman asked tiredly. She was rubbing some sleep-stuff from her eyes and yawning widely. After taking care of her sleep-induced problem, she pulled out a chair and sat down at the kitchen table. “Cooking, Misato.” The dull sound of a knife hitting a cupboard accompanied his reply. “Shinji, it’s 2 a.m. Shouldn’t you be getting some sleep? After all, you have to face-“ “I have to face my father tomorrow.” He interrupted. His voice was soft and hurt. But despite whatever internal pain that might have been going on, he never lost the rhythm he had in cutting his vegetables. “… Yes, you do. So you should get some rest. That way, you’ll be able to think with a clear head.” “…” “You can’t run away this time, Shinji.” “…” “Shinji?” “Misato… I know.” “So… why are you out here?” The knife clattered to the counter as Shinji let out a small yelp of pain. Instantaneously, Misato was wide- awake and by his side. “Shinji!” She yelled. As she did so, PenPen opened the door to his fridge and squawked at her for making the offensive noise. Misato glared at him and he went back inside. “I’m okay, Misato. I just cut my finger.” Shinji said before sticking his index finger in his mouth to suck the blood away. “Oh.” Misato let out a quick sigh of relief. “Don’t be so worried.” Shinji began as he reached up to a nearby cupboard. He pulled a box of bandages from it and applied one to his wound. “It’s not that bad. It happens all the time.” He turned to her and offered the best smile he could. “Shinji…” Misato said as she returned the smile. “You’re… really worried, aren’t you?” “Of course I am!” She yelled, although this time a little quieter so as not to disrupt another flat-mate again. “I know how you get when someone brings up your father! I just don’t want you to do something stupid.” “I won’t, Misato.” He replied, looking down. “Oh, don’t get depressed on me. Just… tell me why you’re cooking at 2 in the morning.” “Oh… that is…” “C’mon, spit it out.” “Heh. I’m making some lunches for tomorrow’s flight. It’s going to be a few hours, so I though Dr. Akagi, Ayanami, and my… father might like one…” Misato couldn’t help but to smile proudly at him. “So, you’re finally going to try?” “A little… I mean, I’m going to be stuck on a transport with him for a few hours, so he has to… I don’t know… DO something.” He turned his back to her to resume his cooking, when she suddenly embraced him from behind. “Get to bed soon, okay?” She whispered in his ear. “I will, Misato.” He replied as he blushed. She smiled again at him, then went back to bed. Towel. Mirror. Myself. Myself in the mirror. I have red eyes. I have blue hair. I do not have dark blue eyes. I do not have brown hair. I wonder why I do not have these things when I know the answer. I do not have dark blue eyes. I do not have Ikari-kun’s eyes. I towel myself off. I feel cold. But I do not put on my clothes. Why? Because I do not like sleeping restricted. Why? Because it is uncomfortable Why? … Why? I do not know. Bed. A bed that I will not be sleeping into tomorrow. I will not be sleeping in this bed. My bed. Yes, my bed. Tomorrow, I will not be sleeping in my bed. I will be sleeping in another bed, in another room. I will be sleeping next to Ikari-kun. … … … I wonder if he will mind that I sleep naked? “So, do you have everything?” Misato asked as she wiped some hair from her face. The heliport was very windy, mainly from the pilot testing the engines to the transport. “Yes, Misato.” Shinji replied as he rolled his eyes. “I haven’t lost anything since you asked me four minutes ago. Or three minutes before that. Or the fifteen before that…” “Okay! Geez, I’m just trying to help!” Misato exclaimed as she stuck her tongue out at him. Despite the upcoming time he was about to spend with his father, Shinji chuckled. “Hmph! Everyone loves Baka-Shinji…” Asuka grumbled. She stood behind Misato with her arms folded over her chest. As per her usual feelings towards other people giving Shinji more attention than her; her expression was one of annoyance. “Ikari-kun.” Rei said, surprising the three. “G-good morning, Ayanami.” Shinji blushed a little from the surprise. Asuka saw this and narrowed her eyes. “We are almost ready to go. Commander Ikari is finalizing the transport preparations of Eva Unit-00.” She stated. “I… will be waiting for you in the transport.” Misato’s eyes widened a little in curiosity, while Asuka was about to growl. “Oh… okay. I’ll be there in a moment.” Shinji said, putting his hand behind his head in discomfort. “Very well.” As Rei walked away, Misato pounced on her chance to tease the boy. “I’ll be waiting for you in the transport.” She said seductively as she leaned over to give him a good look at her cleavage. “Perhaps we can talk privately, Ikari-KUN.” “S-Stop that! It’s not like that!” Shinji yelled, his face at full blush. “Baka-Shinji.” Asuka growled. “Jealous, Asuka?” Misato asked, standing up straight. But before Asuka could reply, Misato started walking towards Ritsuko. “Be right back.” “I-I… that… what…” Asuka stammered before screaming “I AM NOT JEALOUS!!” “Eep!” Shinji squeaked as Asuka glared at him. “Listen, PILOT Ikari. Don’t get any ideas in your head that I care for you in any way, got that!?” She threatened. “I… yeah, I got it.” Shinji muttered as he dropped his gaze to the ground. “Good!” She chirped triumphantly and stood tall. Shinji sighed and turned to walk away before jerking his head up. “Oh! I just remembered I made some food for you and Misato last night. I mean, since, well… Misato’s cooking and all.” He said as he squirmed a bit in his place. “And I’ve never seen you cook… so I…” Asuka was eyeing him with either jaded curiosity or her usual contempt. It was hard for him to tell sometimes. “Sigh… never mind.” He looked back at the ground again and turned to walk away. “But it’s in there, just in case.” This left Asuka a bit dumbfounded. She had noticed that he hadn’t slept much last night by the bags under his eyes. Not only that, but she also noticed that there was surplus food in the fridge. If he cooked last night, it might even go as far as explaining that weird dream about her stuffing her face at Oktoberfest. But, the thought of him doing something so… damn nice got into her head. He was cooking when he should have been sleeping? For her and Misato? Aw, hell… “Shinji!” She called, just as he was boarding the transport. He looked back at her in confusion. ‘What a dumbass.’ She thought. ‘He should know what I’m going to say so that I don’t have to say it!’ She mulled over the idea of not saying anything or just plain insulting him when she caught Rei’s gaze. Rei was staring at him from the transport. At him. ‘Hmph! What’s she looking at!?’ Then, she saw that Shinji was still looking at her with that confused look on his face. Rei shifted her gaze to Asuka, as if waiting expectantly. “Kn… Knock’em dead!” She yelled. Then she gave him a determined smile and a thumbs-up. This seemed to take him aback at first; but he recovered, smiled back, waved goodbye, and boarded the transport. She thought she saw Rei scowl for a second as she turned to walk back to Misato’s car. Good. She treats him badly. She curses at him. She insults him. She goes as far as to abuse him physically. But still he smiles at her. Still he puts up with her. Is it because she smiles? Is it because she smiles at him? Is that why… Is that why he likes her? Shinji stared at Asuka’s retreating back for a few seconds before shrugging it off and walking aboard. As he ducked slightly to enter the transport, he glanced in the cockpit to his left. The pilot, obviously female and looking like she could give Misato a run for her money in the ‘attribute’ department ran through a checklist with her co-pilot, another woman who wasn’t so bad herself. Both had pretty faces; but both of them were currently set in an all-business mask similar to the ones he’d seen many of his co-workers use. Strange that his father was always surrounded by gorgeous woman. Was it Coincidental? Did females find him charismatic? Or did his father liked to be surrounded by beautiful women? As he shook his head of these thoughts, they noticed he was looking at them, and both turned to wave at him. Blushing, he waved back and turned to sit down. “Hey, isn’t the Commander’s kid cute?” “Yeah, but I hear he’s a bit of a playboy, though. I have a friend who works in the intelligence section whose kid is friends with him. The kid says that Shinji’s seeing Ayanami AND Sohryuu.” “I dunno… you know how full of it Aida-san is…” Shinji mentally sighed and resolved to smack Kensuke when he got back. Ducking again to avoid another low doorway, he looked at the seating: Two benches. They were cushioned benches, but they were still benches, and they looked barely big enough to support two people. Also, Rei had already seated herself on the farthest bench to his right, and was currently looking over the heliport. There was a window seat across from her, but the view was almost fully obstructed by a missile pod. Regardless, he motioned to sit down there. I do not know why, but I think that it would be… nice… for him to sit next to me. Perhaps… perhaps he might… like me if I am nice to him. I may even smile. “That is the Commander’s seat.” She said as he sat down. “O-oh…” He stood back up and noticed some handles hanging from the ceiling for grip. He wrapped his hand around one. “You may sit next to me, Ikari-kun.” Rei offered. She scooted over a little to allow him more room; and after a moment’s hesitation he did so. As he stowed his carry-on under his seat, he noticed that Rei seemed distant, then turned her head to look back out the window. He dismissed it as Ritsuko boarded. She plopped down where he had a minute ago and sighed. Shinji saw Misato head over her way before he boarded, and reasoned that that was why she seemed a little frustrated. And why had Rei told him that the seat Dr. Akagi was in was his father’s when Ritsuko showed no regard for it whatsoever? Did Rei want him to sit next to her? As miniscule as the event may be, it provoked his curiosity enough that he was going to ask Rei about it later. “Is Misato always this worried?” Ritsuko asked in an amused voice as she shifted in her seat across from Rei. The transport was Gendo’s personal VTOL, modified to be only slightly more comfortable than the like models currently being used in military forces. However, it wasn’t used to seating four people at one, and thus Ritsuko’s legs nearly knocked into Rei’s. Shinji chuckled slightly at the doctor’s question. “I’m kind of wondering that myself.” “She was never like this before. You know, back in college…” Ritsuko began, but cut herself off when she noticed Shinji was looking at her odd. Instead, she let the statement drop with a polite “Never mind,” and turned to look out the window to watch the take-off. Sadly, the only thing that greeted her sight was the double-mounted missile pods. Sighing, she turned to look at Rei, who had a less obstructed view of the outside, and glared. The glare lasted only a second; it was interrupted by the arrival of Commander Ikari. Ritsuko moved over as he sat down beside her. Shinji wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad thing. While he wanted to be with his father, the area they were in was more than a little too close to both his father and everyone else for his comfort. Like Ritsuko was with Rei, he was almost knocking knees with his father. In fact, he suddenly became aware that he was close enough to Rei that he could almost feel the heat she was emanating. This little development was not helping the situation in the slightest. Curiously, when he had asked Misato why they were using a transport instead of a helicopter or a plane; she said that a transport can defend it self should the need arise. This fact had scared him. He couldn’t believe that people would hurt them. They were supposed to be saving the world, weren’t they? Then again, he was the first to admit that people confused him. “Before we get into Tokyo-2, we will go over the details of the press conference.” Gendo began, distracting his thoughts. He nodded in assent with Ritsuko and Rei. “Good. Both of you,” He said as he looked at the pilots. “Will not answer any questions regarding Eva technology. Those details will be taken care of by Doctor Akagi and I.” Both pilots nodded. “You may not leave the hotel complex unless accompanied by Doctor Akagi or I. When not attending the conference, you will work on synchronization training in your hotel room. The necessary equipment has been set up to do so.” He continued. Shinji noticed that Gendo’s posture was excellent. He sat straight and rigid, something that surprised Shinji due to the uncomfortable seats they sat on. He glanced over at Rei and saw that she was the same. He was beginning to feel self-conscious until he looked towards Doctor Akagi. Fortunately, she had her head rested in the palm of her hand and was listening intently. This made him feel a little better, but not by much. “Also, stay together at all times. There are others who are… interested in our organization. It would be unwise for either of you to go off alone.” Ritsuko interjected. Rei nodded and Shinji gulped. “Do you understand what we have said?” Gendo asked. Again, they nodded. “Very well. We will arrive in three hours and twenty-two minutes. We will be shown to our rooms. There, you two will have an hour before you have to suit up and join us in the conference hall. When there, you will only answer if spoken to.” Gendo continued. Rei stared on impassive as Gendo continued. Shinji squirmed in his seat a little and waited for his father to finish before pulling out the food he had prepared. “- and Rei, you will be doing a few training exercises in Eva Unit-00 for the assembly tomorrow. Are there any questions?” Both Shinji and Rei raised their hands. “Shinji.” “Ummm… why were we chosen? After all, Asuka would have been a better choice.” Shinji asked. “I explained that yesterday.” He replied, his voice cold. “Rei?” Rei lowered her hand and placed it before her on her lap. “I was going to ask what Pilot Ikari had asked.” “…Very well.” He turned to look out the transport’s window, signaling the end of the debriefing. Ritsuko pulled out a laptop and began to do some calculations, while Rei turned her head to the window on her side. Shinji floundered for a few minutes, then decided that now would be a good time as any to pull out the food. He reached into his backpack and drew out the four bentos he had prepared. “I... uhh… made some food. Since the flight would take a while and all.” He said. When he looked up, he saw the others all looking at him. He felt a blush creeping up on his face. “Ah, thanks Shinji!” Ritsuko smiled. “I missed breakfast this morning.” She closed her laptop and took the bento offered her. “No chance of there being tea, is there?” “Mm-hmm. There’s a thermos in my backpack. I’ll get it in a second.” He smiled, then turned to his father. Gendo was looking at him with his usual expressionless face, before finally relenting and accepting the offered food. “Very well.” He muttered. Shinji smiled even wider than before and turned to Rei. “I know you don’t eat meat, so I made an all vegetable one for you.” Then, he handed her another bento. While he had expected her to take it without a word, she did something totally unexpected. She smiled. She closed her eyes, smiled just like she had after the battle with the fifth Angel, and said thank you. Shinji would have died from a heart attack had Dr. Akagi not interrupted it by nearly choking to death. “Dr. Akagi!” Shinji yelped as she pounded on her chest. “Water… tea... something…” She coughed. Shinji quickly poured her a cupful of tea. I have smiled. I have smiled and said thank you. He looked surprised. He looked confused. He looked precious. … Dr. Akagi interrupted. … I feel… angry. “That was… interesting.” Ritsuko said after she and Gendo had disembarked. The children were thankfully being led by security to their room, allowing her and Gendo a private aside before the reporters showed up to disturb them. Sadly, all he could reply with was a “… Yes.” and his usual cold gaze. “I’ve never seen Rei smile like that.” Ritsuko continued. With God as her witness, Gendo was saying something else or a very important secret was being blabbed to the reporters. “… Yes.” She sighed. It would be nice if she could get more out of him than corny love lines and erotic grunts. “Sigh… I wonder…” Mentally, she went down the list of important secrets she was privy too. “… Yes?” Rei. The Evas. The Dummy Plug System. Oohhhh… Instrumentality was a nice one. “I wonder if she really likes him…” She turned around and began to whistle a tune. She knew she was acting like a high-school twit, but she also knew he hated that. “…” ‘At least it’s something.’ She thought. “I wonder the same.” He finally said. Ritsuko stopped whistling and turned to him; her mouth agape. Two large gaijins who wore all black came to pick up the children as Gendo and Ritsuko went to take care of some business at the main desk. At first Shinji was scared of these men, especially after what both Misato and Ritsuko had said about the pilots being targets. But his fears were eased as Rei started to walk beside him. He didn’t know how she did it, but she calmed him when she was around. Even when Asuka was at her most fierce, if Rei was there, she made it seem tolerable. He looked over at her and saw her staring impassively before them, before she caught his look and turned to him. He blushed and quickly returned his gaze forward. Then Rei gave a slight smile stepped a little closer to him Shinji mentally gulped. That calm, peaceful feeling was now replaced by butterflies in a mosh pit in his stomach. Shinji marveled at the room they were given. It didn’t look like any hotel room he’d ever seen. No, it looked more like an apartment. There was a small hallway with a closet off to the right side, and a bathroom to the right. At the end of the hallway appeared to be a sitting room with a balcony. To its left was a closed door that would have to wait until later, as Shinji guessed that the door to its right was the bedroom. Slowly, both him and Rei walked down the hallway to enter it. Only to stop dead in their tracks. Shinji had thought that there would be two single beds and possibly the synch-mats on the floor. He did not expect one large bed with satin covers and a mirror over it. Gendo and Ritsuko walked onto the floor below Shinji and Rei to their room. In actuality, two rooms had been rented for them, but they would only be sharing one most of the time. There were… plans… to be finalized over. As they entered the small hotel room, complete with two single beds and synch mats, they both uttered the same sentiment. “Damn.” As Rei put down her duffel bag full of clothes, the phone rang. Shinji, being the closer of the two to it, answered. *Shinji?* Came Ritsuko’s voice from the other side. “Dr. Akagi?” *How… is your room?* She asked. Shinji took a few seconds to look at the room around him again. “It looks like Kaji’s apartment, only a bit larger.” “The mirror too?” “Yes.” He heard Ritsuko groan on the other side of the connection. “Are we staying here?” Shinji asked as he looked over to Rei, who was currently unpacking her things. *Have you unpacked yet?* “Rei just got finished.” Shinji replied. He looked over at Rei again and saw that she was testing the bed. Shinji gulped very audibly. *Something wrong, Shinji?* “Uhh… no…” Rei laid down on the bed and closed her eyes. “Rei… seems to like the room.” Shinji said as he closed his eyes to chase away some of the racier imagery that crept into his mind. Needless to say, they involved good use of the mirror, the bed, and some whipped cream if he found some. *Hmmm….* On the other end, Shinji could picture Ritsuko scratching her chin in thought. The thought was interrupted by the sound of Ritsuko speaking to someone else in the room. Shinji thought that it might be his father, but what would they be doing in the same room together? Probably just a security guard… *Commander Ikari says that you two may stay there. Security will bring up a cot from storage for one of you.* “O-okay.” Shinji wasn’t paying attention; his thoughts were on what his father would be doing in Dr. Akagi’s room. Putting the room, the phone call, and most importantly, the bed, all together in a nice little mathematical equation, Shinji surprisingly did not come up with five. Instead, he dropped the phone to the floor. *Shinji?* Ritsuko’s voice came from the floored phone. Rei hadn’t stirred, though Shinji did not notice. *Shinji?* Ritsuko called again. Her voice almost snapped him out of his reverie, and he mechanically picked up the phone. “Sorry, it dropped.” He said, his tone flat with shock. *Oh. Well, be a gentleman and let Rei have the bed when the cot arrives, okay?* Shinji glanced over to Rei again to see her sleeping almost soundlessly on the bed; the only noise being made was the gentle intake of breath as her chest rose and fell in a peaceful, rhythmic manner. Shinji’s mechanical feeling wavered as he suddenly felt his knees get weak. “No problem…” He whispered back to Doctor Akagi. She said goodbye, then the two hung up. As his hand retracted from the phone, he looked over the bed. Shaking his head, he silently left the room to check out the rest of the hotel room. He only made it as far as the sitting room, where he plopped back onto a love-seat and put his hands to his cheeks. “Father… are you and Ritsuko…?” The room is large and more than adequate for our needs. It would appear that this room is meant to be used by people who are intimate with one another. So why are we here? Are we to be intimate with each other? The thought… makes me… feel… Warm. That feeling of heartburn is back. My breathing becomes raspy. My shoulders shake slightly. There is warmth… somewhere. I can’t directly place it… just… below my stomach… No. This is unacceptable. These… feelings will only distract me. But I do want to explore them. I want to explore them with him. But now is not the time. I am tired. I shall just put away my clothes. And then I shall take a nap. … This satin feels nice… “A mirror?” Ritsuko asked after she hung up the phone. Gendo smiled. “Agent Ryouji seems to be fond of them. I have often heard him brag about it to some of the lieutenants.” “You amaze me sometimes, Gendo Ikari.” She said as she sighed. “Hmph. Well, since Rei and Shinji will be taking our room, we will take theirs.” He began a slow process of putting his things away as Ritsuko fumed behind him. “Maybe if you said no to her every once in a while, we wouldn’t be stuck in this crappy room. I bet those satin sheets feel real nice...” Ritsuko muttered as she angrily stuffed her undergarments into a drawer. “What makes you think I was giving her what she wanted?” He was standing behind her now, with one hand on her shoulder. The other was gesturing to the synch-mats on the floor and the black bodysuits laying on top in resealable zip-lock bags. Ritsuko raised an eyebrow. Gendo grinned mischievously as he fingered the pullring to her wetsuit. “Now… I believe we have an hour before the conference begins?” To be continued. Author’s notes: First off, special thanks to Alain Gravel for help with most of this project thus far, especially the Rei scenes. Also, special thanks to Daniel Snyder for helping me flush out more of Shinji’s views and reactions towards Gendo, and for our conversations on the two in general. As you may have noticed, this is a Rei/Shinji fic. I am trying to avoid overt WAFF, and I think I may actually get through most of this without really touching it. Hopefully. While I’m at it, here’s hoping to keeping the characters somewhere In Character. This fic used the EFML (Eva Fanfic Mailing List) for pre-reading. No others suffered mightily at its hands. E-mail me at Godsend777@mindspring.com Visit my site at http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/bridge/5970/index.html Enjoy the omakes! Omake scenes: “So the Children’s rooms will be well-protected?” Misato asked as she mentally scowled at the commander’s glare. “The Children involved will be staying in the same room as a security precaution.” Shinji, Asuka’s, and Misato’s draws dropped. Maya meekly put a hand to her mouth and said ‘Oh my’ while Kaji and the other two lieutenants chuckled. Ritsuko began to rub her temples. “Is… is that wise?” Misato asked after she recovered. “I have faith Ikari-kun will not ‘jump’ me.” Rei said. As everyone stared at Rei, Shinji shook his head and told himself this was all a bad dream. “Rei, you shouldn’t say things like that.” Ritsuko scolded in a mock-motherly tone. “Fine then. I have faith Ikari will not stuff me full of Shinji sausage.” “Rei…” “Go exploring my caverns with his spooging spelunker?” “Rei…” “Widen my crevasse?” “Rei!” “Bone me so hard my clones feel it?” “Dammit, Rei!” “Sigh… fine, Dr. Akagi. I have EXTREME faith that Shinji will not fuck my brains out.” “...” ?_? Shinji floundered for a few minutes, then decided that now would be a good time as any to pull out the food. He reached into his backpack and drew out the four bentos he had prepared. “I... uhh… made some food. Since the flight would take a while and all.” He said. When he looked up, he saw the others all looking at him. He felt a blush creeping up on his face. “Ah, thanks Shinji!” Ritsuko smiled. “I missed breakfast this morning.” She closed her laptop and took the bento offered her. “No chance of there being tea, is there?” “Mm-hmm. There’s a thermos in my backpack. I’ll get it in a second.” He smiled, then turned to his father. Gendo was looking at him with his usual expressionless face, before finally relenting and accepting the offered food. “Very well.” He muttered. Shinji smiled even wider as Gendo broke apart some chopsticks and began to dig in. In the middle of the first bite, Gendo suddenly stopped chewing and looked at his son with teary eyes. “Boy…” He began, resting both hands on his son’s shoulders, “I have wronged you greatly. This delicious meal has shown me the error of my evil ways.” He took a hand off of Shinji’s shoulder and clenched it mightily. “I… I love you son!” “Father…” Shinji could only stare in shock, disbelief, and the odd feeling of happiness as his father told him his apparent innermost feelings. “I… I… I love you too, daddy!” He sobbed, before father and son engulfed each other in an affectionately masculine hug. “Oh, I’m so touched!” Ritsuko exclaimed. “Yes, Ritsuko, I would like to say I’m sorry I’ve been using you. I’ll stop this foolish Instrumentality and marry you instead.” Gendo, no longer hugging his son but now holding Ritsuko’s hands in his, got down on one knee and proposed. It didn’t hurt that he could see up her skirt from here, either. “Oh, Gen-chan!” “Oh, Rit-chan!” ‘Oh God.’ Rei thought. ‘Next thing you know, Sohryuu will show up and-‘ “Shinji!” Asuka cried as she came out of nowhere. “I need to tell you I love you and that my pride is overrated!” She then hopped on his lap and smothered his mouth with hers. Rei scowled. “My son’s growing up!” Gendo said heartily, his chest swelling with manly pride. The hatch to the transport slid open as Misato flipped in. “And I’ve seen the light that is Kaji and will announce my love for him as well!” She yelled as she landed awkwardly. The question ‘Really?’ came from the cockpit as Kaji walked out and zipped himself up. On the floor and in a pure state of blissful unawareness was the pilot, who was very obviously female in her current state of dress. (Or, as we call it, undress.) “Yes! I love you, you big, sexually-addicted lug!” They kissed. Then they got sucked out the hatch that Misato forgot to close. Though their sudden deaths did not deter Shinji, Asuka, Ritsuko and Gendo from letting out a big, long, affectionate “Awwww….. How sweet!” “You’re all idiots.” Rei commented aloud. ^_^;