A little New Years for Shinji/Rei.

I am not Anno - Evangelion is not mine.

RESOLUTIONS

"LETS GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"

Asuka and Touji both glared at the other after their rare united declaration.

Beside them sat Hikari, Kensuke, Misato, Shinji, Kaji, Ritsuko, Maya, and PenPen around the living room, gearing up for their end of year celebration. With his guardian popping party poppers in the doctor's face and acting like a child, getting Hikari to give a chaste peck to Touji under the still hung mistletoe, and the on-going stare contest between PenPen and Maya as the penguin sat in her lap; Shinji felt content and sure everyone there were enjoying themselves. But the back of his mind nagged that not everyone was here.

As Misato got them riled up commenting that the two could be paired up next time another synced battle arose, he contemplated more on the missing blue-haired enigma. She had been invited, but as usual questioned the reason behind it in a logical manner before turning it down. Though there was no doubt she wouldn't be talkative or interact much with the others, he still wished she had come.

"Hey baka! Where are those chips and stuff!" an annoyed Asuka called from the kitchen. Shinji went slightly pale, he had forgotten to complete that errand today amidst cleaning the apartment to a presentable state.

"S-Sorry, but I'll go get some quick. There's a store just down the corner." He called out as he pulled on his sneakers. "Oh – and grab some more poppers if you can!" his guardian called back.

-iiiiiiiiiii-

It only took him a few minutes to get to the store at the end of the block, only to see that it was already closed. There was still an hour till midnight and another shop down the next block. This continued several times, one being cleaned up after a robbery, that he resorted to a tiny shop he once stopped at on the way to school.

By the time he had found the place and left with items in hand, he felt that it was a rather moot point by now. He knew he would be cutting it close – that was if he cut through the shadier parts of town full of taverns and drunks instead of circling around the way he came. Asuka would no doubt be feeling like pounding something, he already felt winded, and wasn't completely sure but felt turned around a little. However he was sure that Ayanami lived nearby.

His New Year's Resolution every year had been the same – 'to be a better person, be braver, be more open and upstanding for those he cared about', why not start now for once?

-iiiiiiiiiii-

Rei Ayanami lived a solitary existence. It was all she knew, it didn't change and was thus acceptable. She also knew it wasn't normal for human beings to be comfortable in such settings for long, then again she wasn't exactly completely human.

Others sought change, in their environments, for themselves. Constantly sought for something better. But change brought confusion to what already is that worked only to be replaced with something more efficient and made the old one disposable, like her. That day would come when she would complete her task for the one who gave her life, not because he had favor over her for that, but it was the only way to achieve that everlasting changeless peace Rei knew it would bring. Thus until then, there was no need nor reason to change herself or the conditions around her. Health and physical condition meant nothing if she could be resurrected into a new body, and social relations were even more confusing and pointless distractions that she found wasteful. True there were a few things Rei found interesting, but that was it - things that kept her occupied until she was needed.

Ikari's offer to join in celebration for the changing of year had been intriguing, he was of interest to her. But with the major and several of her classmates it would have been a loud affair, plus any confrontations with pilot Sohryu were best avoided.

A knock sounded upon the door of her apartment shifting her mind from these thoughts. The cold of the floor met her feet harshly compared to the luke-warm sheets as she moved to what was most likely a Section Two agent checking up on her condition. She blinked twice in surprise seeing the Third Child being there instead, a little winded but otherwise held a greeting smile.

"H-Happy New Years Aya-Rei…" He blushed and then looked to the side. "Um, maybe I should wait here until you get dressed…" Rei looked down at her state, she was not nude but remembered that a lack of clothes was inappropriate when guests visit.

"No, come in. I will put something on." She turned to the wall near the bathroom and slipped on a robe. Shinji was looking around the still poor conditioned apartment though he noticed it was a bit cleaner, there were no piles of trash anyway.

"You wished to discuss something?"

"Well I was thinking that, well none of my friends should spend tonight alone…I mean I knew you might not want to go the party I invited you to but we could still spend it together…" he rambled on. A silence came between them for a moment before she let on an admittance that Shinji had to think was as close as a confession from the blue-haired girl that anyone would ever hear.

"…I dislike, crowds. And loud noises can be displeasing… This now with you, I find acceptable."

"…I-I know where you're coming from though. Asuka isn't the most pleasant person to be around at times, and the others can be rather trying sometimes… I-I'm flattered Rei…that you enjoy my company…"

Comfortable silence now filled between them as some tea was made and he started picking through his recent purchases to come up with something to celebrate together with. Luckily the little shop did have one last package of Misato's little party poppers and saw that they still had ten minutes before midnight.

"Say Rei, lets head up to the roof so we can see the fireworks and share our New Year resolutions." He offered to which he received a nod in approval. Shinji almost expected her questioning the relevance of a resolution's importance when they started up the stairs.

"Well it's a promise you make to yourself to be better, to be a better person than you were the year before."

"So it is a way to replace one's ways to become someone different than they were."

Shinji stopped and spun quickly towards her not liking the uncomfortable tone she used to say that. "No Rei. You are you and nothing can change that. I'm saying that if there was something you wanted to change about yourself, you can try to work on how you view or act on something. Like Asuka, if she decided to be a bit more understanding instead of always acting impulsively, she might see that people would be more likely to treat her with respect. Say Kensuke comes to understand that a career in some military requires a fit body, he might start working out a little and join Touji in sports practice. They wouldn't be replacing themselves for a completely new them, but would start to try and act on things that are of interest to them – they already want to be that better person, they just haven't acted on it yet. And that's what that self-promise in a resolution is for."

Now he was quite out of breath with the talk up six fights of stairs, wasn't code that a building with five or more levels were supposed to have an elevator? Rei was quiet contemplating his words as they came out onto the roof with a minute to spare and he handed her one of the poppers.

"It's just a tiny firecracker we let off when the year ends." He answered seeing her questioning gaze. "It symbolizes that we are still here and alive, ready to face the approaching one."

She went back to her thoughts. Didn't she wish to return to the non-changing end, to finally leave this place of mere existence? But something was beginning to fill her as she reviewed Shinji's words, hope? That she could continue on here and find a place within it, maybe find why the rest of humanity strived to hold on even as God called them to come home…

He watched as her eyes became brighter with an eagerness never seen upon her face. From random households across the surrounding neighborhood, the countdown from ten could be heard and he motioned her to position the cracker up over the railing and joined in.

"Five…four…" Shinji started.

"Three…two…" Rei continued.

"…One…" they chimed together and let loose the glittering streamers to the wind.

"I am I. I am here. I am…alive…"

As if in response, rockets roared into the sky carrying her declaration to the heavens.

-iiiiiiiiiii-

The last of the aflame streamers was reflected in Rei's eyes from the firework show when Shinji's cell started to buzz.

"It appears the major has already acted upon her resolution to keep better watch over your whereabouts." She smiled lightly at him.

He shook his head at the disruption and answered. Surprisingly Misato didn't even tease when he told her where he was, though she seemed a bit taken back at his thoughtfulness. Assuring that he would be back soon he ended the call and returned to Rei's side. They had let off another round of poppers during the firework finale and their paper strands still floated in the wind before them, all watched in muse by the girl.

"My New Years resolution is that I will do anything within my power to help and protect those I have come to care about…" Shinji started off.

"…I…I will re-evaluate my options…and search for the life I wish to live, beyond my purpose…" she stated eventually.

"…beyond Eva, after the fighting is over?" he questioned.

"Yes." Escaped her mouth rather strongly that Shinji couldn't help but smile. "That's an excellent start Rei. Happy 2015…"

A/N: I know this was submitted well past New Years, but I did write a good chunk of it that night on a sudden impulse. I'd rather beef it up some and read through it a couple times to make sure it's something worth posting anyway rather than getting it up on time.

But not bad for my first one-shot fic. Hoped someone enjoyed it enough to give a review?