Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, settings or constructs from Neon Genesis Evangelion. I'm simply having a little bit of fun with their toys.
Foreword: It's been literally years since I've picked up playing with these characters, and I don't know how that will translate to paper, since I also haven't seen the show in ages. This takes place shortly after Shinji rescues Asuka from Mount Asama, so the characters are still relatively happy. Don't expect much from this other than horribly written dredge and most likely a decent amount of OOCness. I don't particularly like songfics, and I don't think they play out very well, but I still wanted to try one with my boy Phil Collins involved. Enjoy?
That's All
She rolled her eyes, clear as the bright, blue skies and let out an unladylike snort, derisively retorting, "Yeah, right, Misato. He's just a dull, little boy." Asuka flipped some of her errant locks of red hair over her shoulder and regarded her ice cream cone rapidly thawing as they walked along the sidewalk towards the Katsuragi residence in the late summer heat.
"You're the one who brought him up, Asuka," her guardian fired back in a sing-song voice. "You can't honestly tell me that you're not even a little interested in your 'knight in shining armor', especially since the guy jumped into a volcano." Misato had been needling her German ward endlessly for the past two days. Whether it stemmed from boredom or an ulterior motive, the dark haired woman hadn't decided yet, but she knew it was always fun to get a rise out of Asuka.
"I just said that I wondered what he's doing! We've been out all day shopping, just us girls. I'm betting he was too stupid to even call one of his friends or do anything fun. That idiot is probably lost without us around to call the shots and remind him to breathe. He's probably sitting glumly in the corner, listening to his tape player because – once again – he's too stupid to buy more than one tape!" The redhead stifled an aggravated growl from deep in her throat and licked her cone, lapping up the melting ice cream, muttering, "Idiot-Shinji."
Like the Cheshire Cat, Misato slipped around to Asuka's left on the sidewalk, flashing a toothy grin and tossing an arm over her shoulder. "What? You sure he's not doing something perverted? Either you're starting to trust him, or you're starting to like that our rooms don't have locks on the doors." The woman's eyebrows wagged suggestively as she watched Asuka's face turn beet red. "Have you been leaving little Shinji some surprises?"
Asuka shot her a withering glare from behind her ice cream cone. The constant teasing was starting to grind away at her nerves. She felt her face flush and her chest heat up. "You are so disgusting, Misato!" she roared, ice cream swaying accusingly at Misato as the girl flailed in her anger and embarrassment. "He's such a numbskull he wouldn't know what to do with a girl if his life depended on it! I'll wring his little chicken neck if he so much as looks at my room funny!" She gradually calmed down, a smirk splitting her face, as the ice cream held to the cone for its life, "I don't think he's even hit puberty yet!"
"We both know that's not true. We've both barged in on him in the shower before," Misato chuckled, undaunted and unimpressed by the tantrum. "What's the matter there, Asuka? You still mad he didn't understand your little bikini demonstration of Thermal Expansion?"
The ice cream tumbled through a sea of curses, and landed with a wet thwap, melting on the pavement in the summer sun.
(-=-=-=-=-)
The sun hung hot and orange in the sky as it inched closer to the horizon, promising no reprieve from the heat in the evening. The breeze from earlier had died down, leaving Tokyo-3 a muggy, enervating sauna for the rest of Asuka and Misato's walk back to the apartment.
"Well, what do you think the idiot is doing, then?" Asuka held a gallon of ice cream against her hip as the two rode the elevator in Misato's apartment complex. She had calmed down considerably – mostly due to Misato's concession to buy more ice cream for a little 'after-dinner treat'. Asuka had considered it a victory by sheer force.
Misato fanned herself in the elevator and moaned, "Truthfully, Asuka, I hope he's making dinner. I'm starving. I need to kick my feet up, drink a beer and relax. I think we walked half the city today between our mani-pedis and shopping all the way down the strip. I'm beat."
Asuka's stomach agreed with Misato before she could, a rumbling growl from deep in her belly. "I really hope you're right, Misato." The elevator dinged, and the doors wobbled open and they started down the hall.
"Do… do you hear something?" Misato glanced around warily, head bobbing left and right, as a faint tune rang out through the mostly deserted complex.
Asuka cocked her head and pointed in the direction of Misato's own apartment, "It's coming near our place… Are there any neighbors living in the apartments next to us?"
The music grew louder as they walked closer to the Katsuragi residence, muffled pianos and drums sifting through the apartment walls. Misato and Asuka looked at each other. From under a cocked eyebrow, Misato nodded to her own front door, "No, Asuka. I think that's us. I doubt anybody moved in directly next door while we were gone." As the woman pulled open the door, pianos and drums filled her ears. "Oh-"
"Mein Gott!"
Misato and Asuka stepped through the door, mouths agape as Shinji Ikari stood in the kitchen, with his back to them. He had a spatula in one hand, and a serving spoon in the other. He was singing loudly, swinging the two instruments through the air as he stood beneath an open cabinet of dishes, air drumming to the beat of the song.
Truth is I love you more than I wanted to. There's no point in trying to pretend.
There's been no-one who makes me feel like you do. Say we'll be together to the end.
He tossed the spatula and spoon into the sink, and snatched up some plates, dancing his way to the kitchen table. He was unaware of his two roommates standing dumbfounded in the living room, utterly stunned at the sheer volume of the music.
I could leave, but I won't go, though it'd be easier I know. I can't feel a thing from my head down to my toes.
Now why does it always seem to be me looking at you; You looking at me? It's always the same; it's just a shame. And that's all.
Shinji snapped to attention and fixed his eyes on Asuka's. Her finger was extended to Misato's boombox atop the 'Stop' button. She could see the utter mortification in his eyes as he emulated perfectly a deer caught in the headlights. Blushing furiously, he managed to sputter a few nonsensical syllables.
Grabbing the ice cream from Asuka, she headed to the kitchen. "See, Shinji? I told you that you'd find something you liked in my old CD collection! Genesis rocks!" Misato patted him on the shoulder as she maneuvered around him, to rummage through the fridge for a beer. After her first drink, she swooned, "Ughh, I had such a huge crush on Phil Collins when I was younger."
"Pervert," mumbled the redhead. Asuka felt a little heat on her cheeks and rolled her eyes, "I remember you listening to their Greatest Hits album non-freaking-stop the entire time you were in Germany."
Shinji was still stunned, fixed in one place like a statue.
"Oh, whatever Asuka. I remember a certain red-head totally jamming to that album with me."
"It was great the first few times, but two months is a little excessive, don't you think?!"
Misato snorted, "Oh shut up. You would melt like butter if Shinji would serenade you with songs from that album and you know it!"
Shinji had visibly flinched when Misato had said his name. He managed to squeak out a quick, "D-Dinner is ready." He found himself staring at Asuka.
Now why does it always seem to be me looking at you; You looking at me?
Asuka remained quiet for a moment before shrugging. "Good. Misato and I were starving. Good job, Shinji! You had perfect timing!" She smiled brightly and headed to the table, cheeks pink. Under her breath, she mumbled, "And God I love that song…"
"What was that, Asuka?" Misato jerked her chin towards Shinji and grinned as she closed the ice cream into the freezer.
It's always the same; it's just a shame. And that's all.
Author's Notes: I've been digging through some old music (particularly Genesis and Phil Collins), and I wanted to explore writing a songfic that wasn't mostly a character listening to a song and having some sort of life-changing revelation. I wanted to keep it fun and light, instead of getting all sappy, so I challenged myself not to reveal any of the thought-process for any character and only deal in concrete action. Thanks for reading. I know it's not exactly "romance" between Shinji and Asuka, but I feel like I've grown to enjoy the tender moments between them that aren't too drastic. Leave a review, if you want.