Special Thanks To Kuchee For Betaing!

Author Note: I can never get enough of angsty romance, next chapter will be tomorrow.

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Blinker: chapter one

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Useless...useless...useless. Shinji flicked his thumb across the app store's hot choices section, though what was so hot about it he didn't know. From apps that would age you to ones that made your teeth shine brighter in pictures, nothing was interesting him.

He had meant it when he said that Misato didn't need to get him a phone. Not only did he have barely any friends that he could talk to with it, he had no idea how to use it. But it's not like he could throw a gift away, especially one from Misato.

But as he flicked past another Barbie's First Surgery he found something that caught his eyes; it held an incredibly high rating compared to the other apps, 4.5 with hundreds of reviews.

Blinker! was its name and its description grabbed his attention even more.

Tired of spending hours getting to know someone over text after text message, finally setting up a meeting with what could be your special someone, only to realize once you meet them that they weren't what you wanted? We bet it happens a lot, right?

Shinji skimmed across the brightly lit screen. He didn't know why he was bothering with this, after all, he could count the number of girls he had actually talked to on his fingers. But his excuses didn't keep him from scrolling down to see the rest of what the app had to offer.

Well not anymore! With Blinker all you have to do is put in your likes and dislikes and we'll find you a match. From there all you have to do is meet with your chosen one and find happiness! No age, picture, or name necessary! Only for those 14 and up as per the Youth Protection Act of 2009.

What a stupid joke..., Shinji thought. There were 30 more seconds on the download. He may have been an incredibly inept 14-year-old, but he still had hormones damn it, and he figured his chances might be better if the people he met didn't have the time to get the know him beforehand. Once the download was complete he immediately opened the app and was met with do you allow this application to have access to your files? This was enough to make him stop and think again about how stupid of an idea this was. Even with the high reviews, he didn't want to risk ruining the gift he had gotten from Misato.

He tapped No and was immediately booted back to his home screen. Misato had made it a picture of the entire Katsuragi residence, excluding one penguin as he was at the vet overnight for a check-up, though he had fought tooth and nail to make it otherwise. Shinji rubbed his cheek from where he had been slapped by the angsty bird for his efforts.

He tapped back into the app, hoping to get a different result, despite the odds. But alas he was met with the same request. Again he pressed No.

He sighed and plopped down on his bed, his hands folded under his head so he could look at his sky. It was in the form of a pop-corned white ceiling and a fan. I need to get out more…

But that train of thought, which Shinji knew usually went nowhere, was stopped when he looked at the clock. Wait...when did it become 6 o'clock!? I have to make dinner! He jumped off the bed and ran out of the room, in too much of a rush to notice that his phone had fallen under his bed in the chaos.

"Where have you been, you idiot? Misato's gone so don't think you can get out of cooking."Asuka said as soon as he entered the kitchen. Shinji felt defeated to know that he was stuck alone with her of all people. Asuka was sitting at the table playing on her Gameboy, the one that she always carried around, even to school and Nerv.

Shinji knew the question - well, demand - was coming so he didn't bother waiting for it as he went to get his apron. "What do you want for dinner?" Please oh please don't be something German... Asuka always had something to complain about when he cooked German food.

"I want spätzle. Make it snappy."

Shinji mentally groaned. Spätzle again? He should've know Asuka wouldn't make it easy on him, she never did, ever. "But...we don't have the things for that..."

Shinji flinched as Asuka slammed her palms on the table top. It was clear she was in no mood to "baby" him as she put it.

"Then go get them, you idiot! Do I have to tell you everything for scheisse sake!"

"But it's already six..." Shinji's resolve quickly faded when met with Asuka's glare.

And that's how he found himself at the local Kwik-trip at 6:30, barely having time to put his sneakers on as he rushed out the door apologizing all the way out the door, though that didn't stop Asuka from throwing her Gameboy at him.

Where does Misato even go at a time like this? these things never happened while Misato was around; Asuka never beat him or even threatened to in her presence. Everything just felt better when she was around.

Shinji owed Misato a lot. She had given him a home when he had nothing, acted as a mother for him when his father turned his back on his hope...sure, he felt grossed out by how rowdy she got when she drank, but...but it was okay for him to think that, right?

Shinji didn't know exactly how he felt about Misato, though he had been thinking about it for a while. About how much she had helped him when no one else cared...oh god he hoped that it wasn't...that it wasn't that. No, it couldn't be. Misato was like a mother or big sister to him, how could he even think that way?

Besides...it's not like anyone, especially someone like Misato, would feel that way about him...he was destined to never be cared for...the thought of the Blinker! app came to him, though he quickly suppressed it as he imagined Asuka finding out about it...and then never letting him live it down. He really should get rid of it before that happens.

Shinji decided that he would do just that as he put another ingredient in the basket, humming a tune to himself.

Maybe I should make some tea... Shinji believed tea went good with everything.

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End Of Chapter One

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I know this chapter was short but I'm just setting things up. All criticisms are welcome.

Peace.