Author's Notes: I'm sure you didn't even think I was alive let alone still going to continue to write fanfic. Let's just say I got some inspiration and I'm back writing this new fanfic. This is going to be a sequel to my first fanfic, Happier Days. If you've already read my first fanfic, that's great. This chapter is going to be redundant for you as it's starting off where Happier Days ended. While I hope to make it somewhat standalone, if you haven't read it already, I'd still suggest you first go and read that prequel before reading this one as a lot of it ties together. Like how I wrote Happier Days, I'm going to write this fanfic from both directions so that when they meet in the middle, the whole thing makes coherent sense plotwise. Once again, thanks for reading and enjoy!
Italics are for thoughts. Quotes are for speech.
Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion and am writing this fanfic for pure enjoyment.
CHAPTER 1: THE BEGINNING
Shinji felt tired. Every muscle in his body ached, crying out in pain. He could faintly hear the soft rolling of waves. Mustering up his strength, he opened his eyes.
The sky was red. It was crimson red like a spray of blood across the sky. It scared him that the essence of life was poured into the heavens.
Shinji propped his elbows up to support himself, noticing that he was lying on a beach. The coarse sand dug into his skin while the red waves were gently licking his feet. It was comforting, yet at the same time, it was sickening. The blood of those he loved was bathing his feet. He scurried backwards on the sand in disgust. Each step sent pangs of pain shooting up his legs.
He desperately wanted it to end. Into the abyss. Into the darkness. He wanted to throw his head up and scream, but nothing came out of his mouth. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a mess of red.
Red. It was the color of blood. The color of life and death. The color of someone's hair. Whose hair? Asuka's hair.
"Asuka…" said Shinji silently.
He got up and walked over to Asuka's limp body. She was still in her red plugsuit. Her eyes were closed, at least the one that wasn't covered with a bandage. As she lay there, Shinji realized how helpless and vulnerable she looked. His eyes surveyed her arm. The bandage there was long, but he wasn't surprised. He had seen the kind of damage that the Production Series EVAs inflicted. The sight of them eating Unit 02 was something that would probably haunt him forever if he survived.
If he survived… The realization that he was in a post-apocalyptic world had dawned on Shinji. Everyone… they're gone. From what he could tell, he and what remained of Asuka were the only things left in the world.
Anger surged through Shinji. After all he had been through, he had to come back to this. Was this another dream? Was this some kind of sick joke that Lilith was playing on him? For her to send the lifeless body of the girl that he loved with him to hell. He lowered himself and straddled Asuka's waist. He put his hands on her neck and began to squeeze. Squeezing what he had already lost. Squeezing the humor out of a sick joke.
Suddenly, a warm hand caressed Shinji's cheek. It was something he wasn't expecting. Was Asuka really alive with him? Shinji loosened his grip, scared that he might kill the only one besides his mom who ever loved him. The memories of his dream flashed back to him.
"Shinji…" whispered Asuka in a meek voice.
"Asuka…" replied Shinji as tears welled up in his eyes.
Tears dripped onto Asuka's chest. Were these tears of sadness? Or tears of happiness?
Shinji stood up, afraid that Asuka would be infuriated for sitting on her. He held out his hand and was pleasantly surprised to find that Asuka accepted it, borrowing his strength to lift her up.
In the distance, Shinji could still see the split face of Rei-Lilith. It still had that twisted smile on it, a smile that for some reason scared Shinji. To his left, he saw that his companion had finished getting the sand off her back and was taking in the same view as he was.
"Hey, Asuka?" asked Shinji timidly.
"Hmm?"
"Do you remember anything when you were in there?" Shinji pointed towards the sea of LCL to illustrate what he meant by "there." Asuka didn't reply. Shinji looked over at her, only to see her deep in thought. After much thought, she shook her head.
Deep down, Shinji had hoped that Asuka would remember everything that had happened in the dream that he had while in the sea of LCL. All the experiences he shared with Asuka during the dream seemed so real. Especially the kiss they shared. He was sad to realize that those memories would only reside in him. It was hard enough to love an Asuka in a world without Eva. Would he be able to do it in this world? This world that contained a broken and beaten Asuka. The same Asuka told him that she hated him. Yet all he could think of was falling in love with her. Reacting to his thoughts, Shinji's hand reached out for Asuka's, yearning for warmth.
Asuka looked at Shinji's facial expression. It was the same depressing look that he held during their last week. Would she let it happen again? For some unknown reason, she seemed compelled to reach out and hold his hand.
Their hands met in the middle, entwining fingers desperately grasping for the warmth of the other. This was a union of complements.
End Notes: Next chapter will have new material so stay tuned.