disclaimer: Hideaki Anno owns EVA.
The Legend of Asuka: the Angel of Music (and my feelings)
Asuka is a beautiful girl. She is. Her baby blue eyes which are so ironic, in relation to her personality which was a bit of an acquired taste, as it was calming, almost as if it wants to take you in and drown you, promising you a paradise down there. Her auburn hair, bouncing along with her pretty head as she turns to look from the TV to me, which I would want to touch and smell if not for the pain she could deal me if I really tried. Her lips moving, seemingly in slow motion, producing such hypnotic music even if the words I could make out were condescending, harsh, and very frightening...
"BAKA, what the hell are you doing? Why are you staring at me? I swear if you're thinking any perverted thoughts I'll really punch your face in."
Had I been staring? God damn it! ... I closed my mouth- I was gaping! I'm really gonna get it, what the hell.. I'm really such an idiot.
"I'm sorry, Asuka! I'm really sorry." I hastily said, rising up immediately so I could just run to the comfort of my room and reflect how I was such an idiot.
I swear I could feel her eyes bore through the skin of my cheek as I moved past her, head down, avoiding her gaze. I had a crush on Asuka, and I have it so bad, that I don't even know how to act whenever she's near me, and to make matters much worse, I've discovered a habit of just sitting and looking at her, entranced by her red hair... Blue eyes... Damn it, I'm doing it again. Just how many times have I done it, anyway? Does she know? Damn it, I can't have been more obvious... Wait, maybe she thinks I'm just a pervert; as if that's even a good thing. I let out a sigh. When did this start, anyway? It's only been months since her arrival, what gives. Well, we do live together and I get to interact with her more than anyone else, maybe that's normal? But I wasn't like this last week! What happened last week?
Oh, I know. I sat down on my bed and focused my eyes on the music sheet before me, reimagining the events of last week's Thursday.
Thursday 4:00 pm
I came home late because I had to go get groceries so we'd have dinner later that night other than Misato's instant noodles. Asuka went home after class immediately, telling me that there was a movie to be shown in the TV that she had to see. Well, it wasn't like she would be coming with me, anyway.
When I came in, I saw her on the living room, with... With my cello? Between her legs, and she was trying to play it, the bow moving from left to right, making squeeky noises... And she was saying things in German... Must be cursing or something. Frustration was evident in her voice.
I struggled if I should ask her what she was doing or just wait until she finds out. I was almost going to say something when she gently placed the cello down and picked up something beside her... A violin. I didn't know she had a violin! Well, what came next had me gaping like a moron: she started playing, her eyes were closed as if she were in a trance, her red hair slowly bouncing as she bowed slowly, lips pursed, and she was focused and absolutely beautiful... And the melody! It was slow and eerily haunting… until the middle where there were parts where it explodes into very technical and emotional passages. It ends in arpeggios that slow down, as if telling the listener everything was going to be alright. It was beautiful, but it felt incomplete.
After almost six minutes of absorbing Asuka's musical prowess and entrancing beauty, with my mouth wide open and my arms feeling cold as they had been hanging for far too long then, and I couldn't take my eyes off her, I was suddenly brought back to reality when she turned, making me drop the bags I had been holding to the floor. There, the redheaded goddess was looking at me, eye to eye. But it was different. Very different. She seemed so embarrassed, so shy! Totally not like her! What, had I been still dreaming?
I opened my mouth to say something quick but all I got out was a croak because of the dryness in my mouth. She turned her head down, red on her cheeks.
I tried again. "Hmmm... H-hey Asuka." I said, trying to hide the blush on my own face, "You're so beau- I mean that piece was beautiful." Damn it. "I didn't know you were into music, too... That piece was..." I trailed off, getting lost in her blue eyes that seemed like the sky on a beautiful day...
"... Was?" She broke my reverie. I shook my head and tried to focus on something else so I wouldn't be distracted by her lips which were curving into a small... Smile...
"I-I... I uhh... That's a very technical piece. You're so talented. I, uh, didn't even know you played... I, uh... Yeah..." I got those as quick as I could, making sure I didn't say anything stupid she could tease me with later.
"Of course, did you expect any less from the great Asuka Soryu Langley? If you must know, back in college, everyone knew me as the 'Angel of Music'. I played with the Berlin orchestra a few times before." And she was back to her usual self. Not that I minded, anyway. At least she was familiar, kind of measurable and predictable, ha! Not really. Angel of Music, huh. I guess back then nobody knew angels were merely alien beings from somewhere trying to destroy mankind. But it was very appropriate, she was an angel when she played the violin, that's how beautiful she was. "Wow, what other pieces do you play, Asuka? Do you play the cello too?" I asked her, unable to stop myself from looking like an idiot.
She turned her head towards my cello and then she blushed, why? "Oh, no! I was just trying something out..." She said, hurriedly putting her violin to its case. She stood up from where she sat and went straight to her room. "Baka-Shinji go make dinner, I'm starving!" She suddenly shouted from her room.
I picked up my cello and returned it to my room before picking up the grocery bags and going straight to the kitchen to cook something, my mind still replaying how Asuka looked so beautiful, like a real red-headed angel of music without her wings.
When I came back to the living room to lounge for a while, I saw a piece of paper just below the table. It was a music sheet, a sort of duet I guess. Maybe it was Asuka's since I couldn't recognize the notes, or the title. Not really wanting to get into another weird situation with Asuka, I decided to take the piece of paper to my room, with the intention of just sneaking it to her room tonight or tomorrow.
Monday, 4:00 pm
Yeah, I kind of forgot to give the music sheet back to her; it was maybe the reason why she was in such a foul mood the days following that. I pulled myself up from my bed and stood for a moment, a finger on my chin… Should I give it to her now? I just pissed her off earlier by staring at her like an obsessed moron… maybe tomorrow, then.
Suddenly, an idea came to me. I took out my cello, spread the sheet music on my bed, and as I read on the music, plucked the strings. It was a rather slow piece on a dreary B minor. Or maybe it was because it is really a duet, because the first line featured another set of melody which was foreign from what I was playing. Needless to say, it was something I haven't heard before. I took out my bow, determined to play this suddenly technical passage, where the time signature changed and, well, a burst of chromatic 16th notes and arpeggios.
I was able to get out the first bar when suddenly my door opened. I almost jumped in surprise. Asuka?
In her eyes was something I couldn't place.
To be continued
AN:
(I need prereaders. English isn't my primary language so I would most likely not be aware of more technical grammar mistakes. Also, I'm planning this to be a really short fic. I'd love to hear from you guys if this is worth continuing or not.)
ta ta.
