Title: As Blue As Ice, As Red As Fire

Author: anime-freak

A Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfiction.

Prologue – Consequence of A Proposal

Year 2018

Time: 1800 Hours – Two hours before start of Tokyo 3 Senior High Graduation Dinner and     Dance

Locale: Residence of Ikari Shinji

Shinji's POV

As I held the blue velvet box in my hand, I felt sad yet excited at the same time. Like Yin and Yang, these two contrasting yet strangely appropriate feelings confounded me as I opened the velvet box to reveal a very simple gold band. I stared intently at the ring, considering whether had I made the correct decision…

"Oi, Shinji!"

Startled by the voice, I closed the box and turned around quickly, attempting to find the source of the voice.

"Oh…its only you…" I said with a strange mixture of relief and disappointment, which even surprised myself.

"What do you mean 'oh'? Is that how you greet me after all the care and concern I've given you over the years? I really thought that I deserved more respect…"

I laughed at her remark. "Fine then…Mrs Ryouji Kaji…" I said jokingly, trying to annoy her as much as I could.

A frown formed on Misato's face as I said that. "Hey! You know perfectly well I hate being called that…even though I AM married to him…" she exclaimed as tried her best to look irked but failed in the end as a warm smile appeared. "I see you're going to ask her today…"

I blushed slightly when I heard that but on the other hand, Misato had known about this from the beginning. After all, she was the one who helped me with the ring and had given me invaluable advice leading up to this day.

"Uh-huh…today's the day…Misato, I really don't know how to thank you…"

"Look, don't bother…I should be the one thanking you…after all, of all people, you asked ME to help…"

I grinned as I heard her comment. She was the closest thing I had to a mother…

"…but are you sure you want to do this…you know very well you'll hurt…"

As she said that, I felt my fists clenched and closed my eyes as I remembered about her…the heart I was about to break…

"Please, Misato…I know what I am doing…don't make it more painful than it already is…"

"…still…"

"Don't worry, I'll explain it to her tonight…"

Time: 2130 Hours – One and a half hours into Tokyo 3 Senior High Graduation Dinner and Dance

Locale: Tokyo 3 Senior High Sports Complex

Aida Kensuke nervously cleared his throat as he nervously stepped up to the mike. Today was his first time acting as the MC for a major event…at least school wise…

"Ahem…Everybody feelin' GOOD?"

"YEAH!"

"Does this place ROCK?"

"YEAH!"

"Am I the best MC in the WORLD?"

At this, everyone laughed as Kensuke smiled sheepishly, laughing along with the crowd.

"Well, never mind that…so anyone want to DANCE?"

"YEAH!"

Everyone in the hall cheered twice as loudly as dance music emitted from the music speakers in the gym. With the atmosphere in the hall livened up by the music, many started dancing with wild abandon to the music. However, of course, there were some more conservative people who decided to sit it out until the 'slow' music started playing. Well…either that or they didn't know how to dance…

"Um…hi, Asuka…"

Asuka Soryu Langley turned around to find Shinji wearing a dark blue shirt with a red tie and long black trousers, making him look unusually formal.

"Wow…I'm impressed to see that the idiot made it…I thought you'll be late…"

Shinji just shook his head and smiled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Asuka…" As he handed her a cup of fruit punch, which she grudgingly took, he looked around the general vicinity nervously, as if looking out for something.

"Look, if you're trying to find the other two stooges, they're backstage…"

"No…actually…I just wanted to ask if…"

Asuka looked at him annoyingly as he stopped mid-sentence. 'Look, if you're going to ask me to dance, get on with it…otherwise…' she thought.

"If what, Shinji…"

"If you would like to dance with me…" he said quickly, looking away as he tried to hide the blush forming on his face.

Suddenly, Asuka broke out laughing, surprising Shinji and some nearby people.

"W-what are you laughing at?"

"I…I just thought…that I would…never see…the day you…grow a spine…" she said, giggling all the way as she tried her best to contain her laughter.

Hearing this, Shinji blushed even more, his face now positively red.

"Um…yeah, whatever…so…um, will you…?"

Asuka just smirked.

"Fine…you'll have the honor of having the first dance with the great Soryu Asuka Langley…but…you do know how to dance right?"

Hearing this, Shinji's face fell like a brick.

"Um…kind of…"

"What do you mean 'kind of'…don't tell me you don't KNOW how to dance…"

Shinji grinned.

"Fine then…I won't tell you…"

"Argh! Whatever…just come with me to the dance floor, I'll teach you…and don't you DARE step on my toes…"

A couple of minutes later…

"One, two, three, one, two, three…"

"Stop mumbling under your breath…it irritates me…"

"Oops…sorry…"

Shinji and Asuka danced to a particularly slow song, enjoying each other's presence. Shinji, under Asuka's standard, had learned the dance steps pretty fast. As the song went on, Asuka unconsciously leaned on to his chest, enjoying the warmth emanating from his body.

'How I wish…that we could…just like the song…'

 

Tatoeba kurushii kyou da to shite mo

Kinou no kizu o nokoshite ite mo

Shinjitai kokoro hodo ite yukere to

Umare kawaru koto wa dekinai yo

Dakedo kawatte wa ikeru kara

Let's stay together…itsu mo

(For instance, even though today is painful

Even if yesterday's wounds are left behind

If I open up the heart that I want to believe in

I can't be born again

But I can change as I go on

Let's stay together...always)

 

The sudden change to a faster paced song woke Asuka up from her stupor as she found herself still leaning on to Shinji's chest.

"Baka-Shinji! Why didn't you tell me?"

Shinji, once again for the umpteenth time, blushed.

"Well, you were very relaxed…so I thought…"

"So you thought what? You must have been thinking some kind of Hentai thoughts about me…"

"NO! I wasn't! I was just thinking…thinking about…"

Shinji's expression suddenly altered to a more somber look, the eyes looking downcast, which Asuka instantly noticed.

'He looks…almost looks kind of sad…' Asuka thought to herself.

Shinji suddenly turned away, clearly avoiding her eyes as he started speaking.

"Asuka…I…I need to tell you something…in private…"

Asuka became slightly annoyed at this.

"Tell me, what can be so 'private' that can be said outside but not here…in front of everybody…" She raised her voice towards the end, attracting some attention towards them.

"Look Asuka, please…its real important…to…the both of us…"

The pleading look in Shinji's eyes melted her heart, finally agreeing to go outside to talk.

Once outside, Shinji led her to a nearby park, known to be a famous 'lover's lane' in Tokyo 3. As they slowly walked through the park, Asuka steadily grew more and more nervous.

"Dang it, Shinji, where are you tak…"

Asuka stopped talking when she saw Shinji starting to sweep fallen leaves from a park bench. When he finished he motioned for Asuka to sit down. Asuka sat down to one side, albeit a bit nervously as she saw Shinji sitting next to her. An uneasy period of silence began to form between the two when Asuka decided to break it.

"Look, Shinji, if you think you can just bring me here just to make fun of…"

"No…I didn't bring you here to make fun of you or to do anything to you…hey, isn't the night sky beautiful…"

"Shut up, Shinji! Just get to the point…" Asuka said, trying to hide the nervousness she was feeling.

"I…I am going to propose to Rei…"

It took a few moments for the statement to sink in as Asuka slowly grasped the meaning of his words.

"You…you are going to what?!" Asuka shouted incredulously.

"Yes, you heard me…I am going to propose to Rei…I want to marry her…"

Shinji closed his eyes, not wanting to look into Asuka's eyes.

"But…but…why Wondergirl…why her…I thought…"

"Asuka…I want to be the one to make her smile…I love her, Asuka…"

"…then what about me? Actually…I…"

Shinji looked towards Asuka and saw the tears on her face. It hurt him to see her like that but he had to say it…

"I know, Asuka…I know that through all the times you shouted at me, all the hurt and pain in your heart…that…I know how you feel about me…"

Asuka stifled a sob as she turned towards Shinji and looked him in the eye.

"Did…did you ever…love me…at all…during the times we were together…?"

Shinji turned away and stared back up into the night sky.

"Yes…there was…a time when I felt something for you…but…"

"…it was all in the past…wasn't it?"

"Yes…"

"So…you're going to leave me behind just like everyone else…"

"No…I…"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as Asuka punched him…hard.

"Yes, you are! Just like everyone else…like Kaji, Misato…like momma…" she said, despite the tears.

Shinji tried to stand up, not bothering to nurse the bruise now forming on his face.

"Asuka…"

"Don't you dare SPEAK to me…BAKA! All that crap! You never cared for me…not at ALL!" She screamed as she started to run off into the night, not really caring where she really went.

Shinji started to run after her but stopped after a few steps. He looked up, sadly into the night sky, whispering silently to the countless number of stars lighting up the night sky.

"I am sorry…"

TBC…

Author's notes

Wow! Finally finished it! The prologue that is… Anyways, thanks to animelyrics.com for the lyrics of For Fruits Basket (That's the song in the middle…). Also, many thanks to my pre-reader Yap Xiong for his constructive comments.