EVANGELION: A SWIMMING LESSON
Chapter One: Lunch
Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion and its characters are property of GAINAX and ADV Films. I don't own them, nor do I intend to utilize them for any profitable purposes. Simply the purpose of writing entertainment.
"Spoken Dialogue"
'Character Thought'
Written Down
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Tokyo-3.
The big city. Hell, THE city to be in. Or, perhaps, to not be in, depending upon how one looked at it.
Home of NERV headquarters.......and the Third Child was bored.
"Dammit!" Shinji Ikari exclaimed, hitting his head upon his locker rather intentionally, immediately feeling the pain of such a ridiculous move and figuring he'd probably earn himself a welt for it later on. Listening to lectures in class, no, this whole day, or maybe, this entire WEEK was annoying him to death by maintaining a steady degree of mundanity. No Angel attacks, no mechanical screw-ups or problems in synch or activation tests, not even any sort of deviation, be it mundane or extreme, among Asuka's insults. Hence, extreme boredom, for Shinji, anyway.
"Hey, Shinji?" called out a familiar voice, as the Third Child brought his head back from the small dent his little stunt created and rotated immediately to spot Kensuke, with his camera as always, and Toji, somehow almost tripping over himself, coming over to him. "You alright, dude?"
"Not really", Shinji replied as he brought a hand to his head to feel for a mark, "not when I'm bored out of my damned skull. It's as though the world decided to take a vacation for a week or something!"
"Aww, come on, Shinji, don't tell me you're actually bothered by things being peaceful?" Toji said as he leaned against a nearby locker, folding his arms against his chest. "Even if for only a week, if that long at all?" he continued, ignoring Kensuke's romaing camera just enough to concentrate on Shinji.
Shinji couldn't help but fall against his locker and sigh. "I guess it's just weird that way...I mean, with the Angels and all, you'd think they wouldn't let up like this. Hell, nothing at all has been out of the ordinary..."
It was then that Shinji noticed that Kensuke more or less was staring at him through the camera and Toji had an eyebrow raised at him, which cause Shinji to sigh. "I'm just wishing there were a bit more to do."
"Like what, Shinji, hmm, hmm?" Kensuke asked, never parting his eye from the camera's viwepiece. "Like maybe Asuka giving you lots of lip? Or perhaps Rei, hmm? Or maybe more than just their lips...maybe their breasts...maybe some ass..."
"Gyah! No way!" Shinji cried out, blushing immediately. "Wh-what're you talking about?"
Kensuke couldn't help but grin, knowing how vulnerable Shinji got around any kind of sex talk, especially about people he had reason to be close to, like Asuka or Rei, the Third Child's fellow EVA pilots. "What, are you telling me you HAVEN'T thought of that about them?"
"H-h-hell no!" Shinji stammered out. "I...well....I just...it's that..."
"Kensuke, cut it out!" Toji interjected, seeing Shinji on the verge of an immediate breakdown. 'Not as bad as our first *meeting* of my fists in his face', he admitted to himself with a sigh, 'but certainly never a good thing for a guy like him.'
Toji quickly turned his attention back to Shinji and asked "Well, why not try an activity after school or something?"
Shinji could only close his eyes a bit and somewhat sarcastically say, "I have enough of an 'afterschool activity' as is."
"Maybe, dude", Kensuke thought out loud a he put the camera down and began to fidget amongst his things for a new disc, "but piloting EVA isn't exactly a full-time job, you know? More like an on-call kind of job, really. I mean, yeah, you're good with it and cool about it and stuff like that, but isn't there anything else you feel like doing in the meantime?"
"Hmmm...." Shinji wondered as he left his locker and strode down the hallway, Kensuke and Toji following quickly to avoid being left behind in the mass of students departing school for the day. "Can't really say that I do..."
"Debate?" was Kensuke's response.
"Too lengthy." Shinji replied.
"Track?"
"Don't we more or less do that anyway?"
"Oh, yeah, right. Maybe something in video recording?"
"Your department."
Kensuke laughed at that one. "I guess so! Hmm....hey, what about swimming?" he asked with a bit more expression, pointing up to the fenced rooftop, noting that the usual female swimmers were up there, practicing as always. But, after also noticing that Shinji had stopped like an anchor hitting the ocean floor, both Kensuke and Toji halted and looked at him. He appeared to have a slightly fearful look on his face, his eyes just a bit widened.
"Umm, Shinji?" Toji called while waving a hand in front of his face.
Shinji quickly blinked, as if having forgotten for but a few seconds, then looked at them, then down at the well-traveled asphalt. "S-sorry about that."
"You looked like you'd seen a ghost, man." Toji said while giving Shinji a playful punch on the shoulder. "Swimming not your thing?"
"Well....i...it's not that....I just...well...kinda...can't swim."
Suzuhara and Kensuke both gave him rather stoned looks for a minute. "Since when?" Toji questioned to break the odd silence that had fallen between them.
"Just never could", was Shinji's reply, his voice sounding as bored as his face looking tired.
"Oh, come on, man, you can't be serious!" Toji exclaimed. "Not even as a kid out in the ocean or anything?"
"No, I didn't", Shinji said rather sharply as his eyes began to sting a little from being annoyed. "Can we get off this topic, please?"
"Ok, ok, dude!" Kensuke called, aiming his camera right at Shinji's face. "Just don't drown us in your sorrows!"
Shinji couldn't help but continue to look downward and avert his eyes from Kensuke's digital filming, wondering if the two of them would ever let him live down this little confession he'd just made...
"Ikari." a much different voice called out. A calm, controlled voice. Shinji immediately thanked fate rather hastily as he looked up and locked eyes with a blue-haired, pale-skinned girl only a bit shorter than him. The First Child, Rei Ayanami.
Naturally, Touji was keeping his cool, while Kensuke spun himself and the camera to face Rei with the speed and accuracy of a well-trained sniper.
"Umm, hiya, Rei..." Shinji managed to get out, his cheeks feeling a little flushed, knowing who was with him and what they might say or do.
Rei wasted no movement in approaching further, stepping between Touji and Kensuke and coming forth in front of Shinji. "I am required to speak with you." Again, in the controlled, often emotionless voice. After a brief pause and a quick look, she turned to Kensuke's camera, looking straight into the lens, and without hesitation, calmly said, "If you would excuse us, please."
"Umm, yeah, sure! No problem, yeah!" Kensuke called out as he and Suzuhara quickly got the implied hint and walked on at a deliberate, brisk pace. Either one would prefer having to deal with Asuka on a bad day than wondering what Rei might do if intruded upon. To them, and the world at large, as far as they were concerned, she was a blank book, unreadable. "Catch you later, Shinji!" Toji yelled back at them before the pair vanished from sight.
It was only then that Shinji noticed a small noise. A giggle, to be more precise. Escpaing from Rei's lips. 'Rei giggling? That's certainly new', Shinji thought. "What's so funny?" he quickly asked.
"Just them. Taking off so quicky when I asked them to." A slight smile was now upon her face, but Shinji couldn't really figure why. She always seemed so distant in the classrooms, looking as bored everyday as he was right now. Her face quickly showed seriousness. "Are you busy at the moment, Shinji?"
"Not at all, Rei. I was just heading home and talking with those two", he replied. "Is something wrong?"
Rei stole a glance at the city view, then truned her attention back to Shinji. "No. Personal."
"Personal? What do you mean, Rei?" he asked while giving her a questioning look.
Rei's only response was to say, "Come with me, please." She then began to walk there, in a manner that seemed as if she had never broken stride to talk to Shinji in the first place.
'What exactly does she want?' he thought as he followed along without another word.
-------
In the next hour, Shinji got his answer. Well, sort of, anyway.
Images of ocean waves went through his eyes as he gazed upon the water and it's current user. He could only marvel at how gracefully he could see Rei swim through the water. Though mostly on the surface, she seemed to stroke and kick across the marked lane with the skill and ease of a mermaid, as if it came as naturally to her as piloting Unit-00 did.
'I can't believe I feel so jealous', he thought in a rather guilty manner as she concluded her swim, climbed out of the pool, and came over to Shinji, drying herself off with a towel and looking rather attractive in her tight black onepiece swimsuit. Shinji immediately kicked himself mentally for having that thought.
"So, how do you think I did?" Rei asked, interrupting Shinji's mental self-punishment.
"H-huh?" Shinji asked back, a confused look on his face.
"Do you think I'm getting better at this?"
"Uh....um...that little, err, long run you just did?"
"Of course."
Shinji could feel Rei's eyes upon him, as if trying to either read him or judge him. But he knew she only wanted an answer.
"I.....I don't know", was his answer.
Rei cocked her head slightly and looked at his downcast face. "But, didn't you just watch me?"
"W-w-well, yeah, I guess.."
"Then why do you not know?"
"I just don't know, okay!?!" Shinji yelled, startling Rei and causing her to stare at him a bit. Not in a threatening Asuka-like way, just a stare like any normal person would.
It was then that both Shinji and Rei noticed after the silence that the former was making sounds. Sounds of sadness. 'He's...crying?' Rei quickly noted as she could see a few tears rolling down Shinji's face. Offering him a smaller towel, she quickly said, "I apologize, Shinji. I did not mean to cause you to do that."
Shinji eagerly took the towel and dried his eyes off, feeling like he had made an ass of himself. He was thankful it was in front of Rei and not Asuka, who would've wasted no time in jumping on his sensitivity. "No, Rei, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I yelled at you without a good reason."
Rei bowed her head, feeling the water slowly drip down onto the towel. "I forgive you. But...why did you yell? I don't understand", she quietly said, wiping excess water and newly formed sweat off of her forehead.
Calming himself down, Shinji set the hand towel at Rei's side. "It's just that...well....I can't swim."
"You're unable to swim?"
"No, nothing like that. It's not that I can't because of my body. It's...umm...I don't know how." Shinji felt his face flush again, but didn't feel the urge to cry this time.
"You mean you haven't had training."
"Yeah", Shinji sighed and curled up, his chin resting upon his knees. He couldn't bring himself to look away from the hypnotizing look of the pool until he felt a hand of Rei's resting upon his knee, causing him to look at her. "Is it that surprising?"
"I'm not sure. You have had different experiences, but it seems as though this is natural to everyone around here."
"Not to me, Rei.." Shinji said as he stood up and stretched out a little, knowing he had to get moving soon if he was going to get home and cook something fast to avoid another of Misato's dinner disasters, not to mention Asuka's hounding about him being late. "But...for whatever it's worth, you looked great."
Rei smiled even brighter, and again Shinji couldn't help but feel surprised that she was. He had never known her to smile before, except after rescuing her from her entry plug in the incident involving the 4th Angel. "Thank you, Shinji."
"No problem, Rei, but I have to go. Dinner will be hell if I don't go start home soon."
Rei stood up and slightly bowed to him. "Of course. See you tomorrow."
"Umm, yeah!" Shinji said as he gave her a wave, picked up his backpack, and took off into a jog into the school. He still felt a bit surprised, but somewhat glad, to see Rei wave back as he exited the school doors and onto the street, heading for home. For once this week, Shinji felt better. At least something had happened now, and it had been pretty good to let some steam out with someone he, for some reason unknown even to himself, could trust with such embarrassing secrets.
Rei also felt rather good, though she herself didn't know why. While her usual demeanor had been enough to get a chance to talk to Shinji for once without his unofficial posse on his heels, she hadn't thought it would ever turn into a sort of confession on the part of the Third Child. She couldn't help but understand how he felt, though. That feeling of powerlessness had come across her every time Unit-00 entered battle and had been slagged in one form or another. While not the same thing, it was something she could relate to, at least on a basic level.
She quickly began to undress and re-dress, deciding to do something about it.
-------
A few hours later, Shinji was back at home in Misato's apartment. (Truly, he thought, the only home he had now.) Fortunately, Asuka had been out upon his arrival, leaving a note that she had gone shopping for some food to keep the both of them from having to experience any of Misato's disastrous dinners.
Not that it stopped her from giving him the usual amount of harassment when he got home. Things such as where he was and what he had been doing, as well as the usual amount of teasing and scorn he recieved from hanging around Rei or avoiding Asuka, usually both.
"No Stooges to gawk at Wondergirl with you today, hmm, Third Child?" Asuka asked as a smirk appeared on her face while handing Shinji a soda and placing a 12-pack on the floor.
"No," was his flat reply. "Rei gave them her usual look and they split."
Asuka simple snorted. "Can't blame them. They'd much rather go looking for me, wouldn't they, Shinji?" she thought aloud.
"Well," he answered, "Kensuke does still profit greatly from your photos."
"WHAAAAAAT!?!?!" Asuka's face immediately turned angry. "The little ingrate, I ought to be having a part of those profits, dammit!"
Shinji immediately looked at her after taking opening his soda can and taking a sip. "What for? Doesn't NERV salary pay better?"
Asuka's only response was to get up in his face, making his eyes widen and his body stiffen up as she snarled at him while a finger was pointed at his face. "Maybe, Third Child, but don't forget that I, Asuka Langley Sorhyu, am the model for those pictures that he gets that money from! As a natural result," she continued, striking a standing pose with one hand on her hips and the other flipping her hair, "I should be getting at least half of his earnings!" She then sat down upon the floor, opening her own can and chugging the liquid with amazing speed.
Shinji simply sighed. "Just let him be. It's not like he takes those pictures anymore."
"Hmph!" Asuka exclaimed after she set her can down and quietly gulped. "Fine. But only because he's your friend, Third Child," she said, giving him a sneer in the process. "Otherwise, I would've already gotten it from him, one way or another." As she said the last part, she had a bit of a look in her eye that rattled Shinji's nerves, making him wonder if she really would resort to more violent (or seductive, for that matter) methods of persuasion, just for a little cash.
His concentration on that train of thought was soon broken as his eyes saw flashing images across the TV, hearing Asuka blatantly pressing buttons on her remote.
"Aww, this sucks!" the Second Child whined as she let her shoulders sag in surrender. She halfheartedly tossed the remote to Shinji, but failed in reaching him as it bounced a little and slid to a halt near his hand. "I'm off to bed,and I want to sleep in tomorrow, so don't keep me up. Got it?" she questioned with a smirk.
Shinji slowly let out his breath (which he realized he had been holding for some odd reason) and replied, "Got it. Good night, Asuka."
"Yeah, yeah..." Asuka quickly got up, taking her can with her to the kitchen as Shinji remained on the floor, fipped to a nature channel and put on the earphones for his SDAT, deciding to stay up for maybe another hour before going off to bed, so as not to bother Asuka too much. A small noise in the kitchen confirmed that she had thrown the can out. He could easily hear her walking out of the kitchen as a shrill noise interrupted his calm state. 'The phone, no doubt,' he thought to himself.
As for Asuka, she nearly shrieked. "YAAH!" She then got disgusted as she marched over to the phone, letting her thoughts drift a bit. 'Jeez, that's annoying. And I wanted a good amount of sleep, too. Oh, well, it's probably Misato calling, saying she's gonna be late again. Or, is it Kaji? I would SOOOOOO love it to be Kaji!' she finished as she picked up the phone and in one of her sweeter voices called, "Hellooo?"
"Ikari, please." The First Child's voice, though flat as usual, nevertheless came clear over the receiver.
Asuka's face immediately fell, feeling rather disgusted for getting her hopes up. "Oh, it's you."
"Shinji Ikari, please."
Asuka felt annoyed at such a dull response. "Ugh! Can't you say something different, Ayanami?"
The Second Child then heard a rather deliberate exhale over the phone, then Rei's response. "I wish to speak to Shinji Ikari. Please do not make me ask again."
"Oooooooh!" Asuka mocked at Rei, feeling her temper flaring as she gritted her teeth and felt an urge to slap Rei, if she could. She concentrated for a few seconds to let it die down. "Fine, then, Wondergirl, I'll get your precious Shinji for you." She quickly took the phone with her, marched over to Shinji, and roughly pushed the SDAT out of Shinji's hands, causing the Third Child to fall over in disorientation.
Shinji quickly looked up at Asuka. "Huh? Wha? What is it?"
"The phone, stupid!" Asuka angrily replied as she thrust the phone almost literally in his face. "For you. It's Ayanami."
"Rei...?" Shinji asked, looking rather dumbfounded.
"Of COURSE it's Rei!" Asuka exclaimed as Shinji delicately took hold of the phone from her hand. "Who in the hell do you think it is, Third Child?"
Shinji nervously gulped. "I'm sorry."
That set Asuka off. "ARRGGHH!" she cried out, up in Shinji's face again. "For God's sake, stop apologizing for everything! It's annoying as hell! Be a man and suck it up a bit, for once, you gutless twit!"
Shinji's mouth opened as he was about to apologize again, but let silence take precedence as he said nothing as Asuka got back up and put her hands on her hips.
"Hmm," she thought aloud as she regarded Shinji with a softer look. "Maybe you're learning after all." She quickly turned and moved towards her room, then swiveled back to him as he nearly had the phone to his ear. "Don't talk to your girlie too long, Shinji."
Shinji felt a bit faint at hearing those words. "I-It's nothing like that, Asuka..."
"Fine, fine, if you say so," the Second Child replied in a teasing manner as she stepped into her room and slid the panel shut. Shinji waited for but a few seconds before placing the receiver to his ear. "Hello?"
"Ikari...?" Rei's voice projected itself clearly to his ear.
"Y-yeah, I'm here," he stammered. "S-sorry about the delay. Asuka and I were arguing.."
Rei paid it no heed and continued. "Meet me after school again tomorrow."
"T-tomorrow..?" Needless to say, Shinji felt nervous. (But, then again, when doesn't he?)
"Yes," was the calm reply. "At the pool. After classes."
"Uh, umm....well, alright."
"See you tomorrow. Goodbye." A clicking sound, followed by a familiar droning noise (which everyone has heard, yet can never truly describe) made him quickly hang up the phone, knowing Rei had already done so on her end.
'I never knew Rei had a phone,' Shinji thought. He hadn't noticed one when he had visited her place for the first time in a rather pitiful attempt to deliver her new security card which, to the Third Child anyway, had become an embarrassing debacle, him being on top of her prone, nude form, not to mention his first real look at a girl in the nude. Shinji then mentally kicked himself, not only to end his current set of thoughts, but also to remind himself that it's be too damned weird in the first place to live in any technological area like Tokyo-3 and not to have something as simple in purpose as a telephone.
Those thoughts more or less disappeared when Shinji looked at the clock, noting that it was later than usual. 'Shit!' He moved swiftly but surely to turn off the TV, then footpadded his way to his room, hoping like hell that Asuka didn't chew him out yet again.
Luck seemed to be on Shinji's side this evening, as he was able to get his panel slid open and slip into his room without incident. He quickly set his SDAT upon his school pack, deciding for a change of pace in sleeping tonight. As he slipped into his bed and got himself covered in the sheets, he once again let his thoughts drift to the enigmatic First Child.......
'Why does she want to see me tomorrow? Did I upset her with that outburst earlier today? I didn't mean to. Thank God Asuka decided not to go after me any more than she had for that call. But, still, Ayanami? Calling me? Maybe she just wants to talk. It's not as though it's a bad thing, is it? I mean, it's just a call, right? Yeah, it's just a call, nothing more. But, Ayanami....'
His conscious thoughts were no more as his subconscious rose from the mess of his brain and soothed him into a gentle slumber.
Later, unknown to anyone, the sheets also rose, just a bit, in the groin region.
-------
BEEP.
One second later...BEEP.
Another second, another BEEP.
It was on this third BEEP that the Third Child's eyes fluttered open. Noting what had caused him to awaken, he scrambled out of bed and turned the alarm off before sitting upright and breathing slowly a few times to calm himself.
'So, why is there still beeping?' he thought, his mind quickly racing for an answer. His eyes, however, found it faster, knowing immediately where the origin of that same noise was.
Her room.
Fortunately for him, he didn't hear the beeping sequence continue for much longer as he heard her begin to curse in German and undoubtedly turn her own clock's alarm system off. He got into action, changing into a new uniform and undergarments, figuring he had about 2 minutes to start getting their breakfast and lunches ready before Asuka started in on her bitching. As he heard her humming to herself softly ('Since when does she do that?' he wondered), he reassessed his situation and gave himself 5 minutes instead. That didn't stop him from dressing like Misato when she had been caught near Kaji in times past and setting his shoes and pack near the door to be ready for the departure to school.
Shinji promptly got to work, getting bread in the toaster and placing a couple of fruit drinks in the respective lunch bags for him and Asuka when he began to hear mumbling. He hesitated after getting bread for sandwich assembly, but after half a minute decided to pay the chatter no mind and quickly resumed his work, getting the sandwiches ready and placed as the toast popped up, causing him to hastily place the slices on separate plates and onto the table before raiding the refrigerator for some fruit...
"URRRRRGH! IDIOT!" Shinji heard as his ears also picked up stomps across the floor and his eyes registered Asuka marching past him in her school outfit, opening the electric entry door to the apartment and leaving in less time than it took for him to register all of this with his brain devoted to his current task. He blinked a few times, then quickly stuffed the lunch bags into his pack, wondering what had led to that particular outburst. 'Not that she usually has reason to,' he thought to himself.
Another sound of the door opening. 'Maybe she came back?' Shinji wondered. But a slower walk and a loud yawn indicated otherwise as Misato came into view, leaning against a wall and casually drinking out of a beer can.
'Not her usual brand,' he noted. "Rough night at NERV, Miasto?" Shinji then asked.
Misato answered after a few more chugs. "Yeah. Just a longer shift than usual, that's all." And Shinji could easily see it, red lines within the white of her eyes revealing her fatigue. Nevertheless, she offered a weary smile to the boy.
"You sure that's all?" Shinji said as he moved past her to the door and began to get his shoes on.
Misato waved her hand up and down, in that manner that was meant to be her gentle way of blowing off a question. "Yeah, don't worry about it!" she finished, giving him another smile and tossing the can into the trash. But then, her face turned rather solemn. "Were you and Asuka fighting again?"
"Uh, well, yes and no." he replied, hoping she let him go soon.
"What do you mean 'yes and no'?" Misato gave him an odd look.
"W-Well, she gave me a remark and just kinda....left.... after that." He held up her lunch bag. "Forgot to grab her food, too."
Misato sighed. "Well, alright. Have a good day at school!" she exclaimed halfheartedly as she closed the door to her room and gracefully passed out on her mat, snoring rather loudly after a few seconds.
Shinji then heard a buzz at the door. 'Maybe she did come back for her lunch.'
But as he opened the sliding door, two familiar voices greeted him.
"Good morning, Shinji! And Misato!" sang out the voices of Toji and Kensuke as they greeted him in unison.
"Morning," Shinji replied, sighing and stepping out to begin walking with his friends to school.
-------
10 minutes later....
The Three Stooges were walking along a street at a brisk, yet relaxed pace to reach the school. It was only now that Shinji, walking alongside and in between then instead of behind them as usual, noticed a small, but noticeable red mark on Toji's cheek.
"Hey, Toji.."
"Hmm? Wha?" Suzuhara turned his head to face Shinji.
"Why do you have a mark on your face..?"
Toji winced and rubbed the red skin with his hand. "Oh, this? We bumped into Asuka, and I asked her why you weren't with her. Got a stinging slap for my answer as she walked by. Ugh, she's such a bitch a times, man."
"Maybe," Kensuke interjected, "but she sure makes for great pictures!"
That caused a sudden snap in Shinji's mind, causing him to remember the previous night's events. "Hey, Kensuke...do you still sell photos of Asuka around school?"
Kensuke's eyes lit up as if they'd been set afire. "Every time anyone asks for some! Why, you wanna buy some too, Shinji?"
"No way, man. You gotta be out of your mind to want to have pictures of her." Toji interrupted, still grimacing from his injury. "Besides, Shinji, wouldn't that be rather stupid financially? I mean, you see her every day, you work with her, and you live with her, to boot."
"It's not like that.." Shinji began.
"Well, then, just what is it like?" Kensuke questioned, interrupting the Third Child.
"It's...well...Asuka's gonna be after you today, Kensuke."
"Whaaa? Say what?" Ida replied, his face getting a bit panicky.
"Yeah. She and I were kinda arguing last night, and, well, I think she wants half of your photo profits, simply because she's the model for them." Shinji stated. "And I get the feeling she'll knock you silly to do it, too."
"Aww, man!" Kensuke let his videocamera droop as his face became rather sullen. "That's the last thing I need right now! I already spent most of that money on new video discs and games! Great, this is gonna suck."
Toji gave a small laugh. "Ha! No way we're gonna let that redhead get to you, Kensuke. Right, Shinji?"
"Umm, actually....no can do, guys." Shinji felt kinda trapped being in between the two of them like this when he said that.
Both Kensuke and Toji stopped, and pivoted themselves to face Shinji. "And why not?" they demanded together, almost as if unified themselves somehow.
"I...well....um...I...it's just..."
"What are you waiting for? Spit it out!" they nearly yelled, again in almost perfect unison.
"I have to meet Rei today, that's all." Shinji quickly felt his face warming up.
"The Ayanami chick?" Toji gave the Third Child an odd look. "Why?"
"I don't know," was Shinji's reply. "She didn't say why. She just asked me to meet up with me after school, like yesterday."
"Oooooh, having another secret meeting, eh, Shinji?" Toji said, giving him a teasing pat on the back.
Shinji's cheeks felt even hotter now. "N-no, it's nothing, really."
Both Toji and Kensuke smirked. "Nothing, huh? So is she like your girlfriend now or something, if it's that much of a 'nothing' to you?" Kensuke responded, focusing his camera on Shinji's reddened face.
Shinji decided he'd had enough of this pestering. "Cut it out, will you? She's not my girlfriend!" he yelled into the camera, nearly throwing Ida off-balance.
"Whoa, whoa, okay, easy, Shinji." Toji pleaded, but only halfheartedly as he and Kensuke resumed taking the lead positions and once again started towards school.
Shinji began to open his mouth for an apology, but remembered Asuka's words from last night and decided against it for the moment, letting out a sigh as the three of them walked to school without any more conversation. Well, without any more conversation from Shinji, anyway.
-------
Fortune seemed to be on the side of the Third Child as he was able to get through most of the morning classes without incurring any insults from Asuka or teasing from Toji. As usual, the sensei was droning on about the Second Impact (well, the abridged version of Second Impact, seeing as how Shinji was informed differently by Dr. Akagi). Today, the sensei seemed to be discussing the ramifications of it in regard to the food industry.
Shinji sighed. 'God, this is so boring.' Without even thinking about it, he turned his head from his laptop, swiveling it to his left to get a look a row or two back, where Rei was sitting at her desk, serene and calm, gazing out the window.
Shinji could feel his heart beating just a bit faster as his eyes stayed upon her. 'Maybe she really dows live in her own world...'
It was then that he noticed that her eyes had shifted. Though her face was still pointed at the window, her scarlet eyes had turned themselves to focus upon his own, her lids blinking a few times, as if trying to believe an impossibility. As if the world itself were in slow motion, her head then turned from the window to slowly face his gaze, their eyes locking in what could have easily seemed to frighten the Third Child, reminding him of the times when he had to look into the cold eyes of his father.
Then, her lips curved upward. She was smiling.
Right at him.
Shinji could do little more than open his mouth a bit in pure awe.
'Is....is she really smiling? Is this a dream?'
Too bad it couldn't last forever.
"HEY, SHINJI!" It was Toji's voice.
Immediately, Shinji felt the back of his head slapped a bit as he tilted forward, a bit off-balance from his staring. Almost as quickly did Shinji blink his eyes and turn his head back to Suzuhara's overly grinning face. "Wh-what's up, Toji?"
"Lunchtime, man!" he responded with delight. "The greatest time of the school day!"
'Oh, shit,' Shinji thought. 'I forgot to give Asuka her lunch! She's gonna kill me!'
As if on some kind of unknown cue, another hand whopped him and caused him to fall out of his desk, Toji bumping into Kensuke from springing backward, Kensuke nearly dropping his beloved camera. This hand, Shinji knew, was hers, feeling as though it had much more vicuosness in it.
"Shinji, you idiot!" Asuka yelled, despite the Third Child's predicament as he struggled to get on his feet. "Where's my lunch, you dork?" she continued, trying to restrain herself from assaulting him with her bag when he meekly handed a bag to her.
"H-h-here you go, Asuka. I'm sorry..."
Asuka paid his apology no heed as she quickly looked into the bag to examine the contents. A soda, a ham-and-cheese sandwich, and a slightly over-ripened banana. She hurriedly threw the sack back at him.
"Shinji, you suck! This was the best you could come up with?" With that, she gave him another upset look.
"I'm sorry, I didn't have much time this morning..."
"URGH!" she cried, slapping him again, making Shinji wonder if his skin was toughening up to being slapped so much by her. "You never learn, do you?"
"Wh-wha...?" Shinji stammered.
"This soooo sucks! I guess I'm just gonna have to eat with Hikari then. Hmph!" Asuka then made her way over to the class rep, the angry face having been replaced by her usual confident smirk, and began chatting with her. Fortunately, the Three Stooges were far enough away so they didn't have to put up with hearing her bitch and complain.
Kensuke then patted Shinji on the back, putting the Third Child's senses back to normal. "Guess you got lucky today, huh?"
"Don't bet on it, Kensuke." Toji was frowning a bit. "He's still gotta go home to her. Man, you fight a neverending battle with that girl, don't you, Shinji?"
Shinji was looking downtrodden, lost in thought. 'Hmm, maybe...yeah, that'll work!'
Then his face brightened up a bit. "You want her lunch, Toji?" Shinji asked Suzuhara, knowing he was called Toji the Stomach by none other than Kensuke himself for his ravenous and well-known appetite.
"I..I would, but I promised my sister I'd see her early today. And class is so boring anyway, so I told her I'd leave at about this time. Sorry, Shinji." Toji concluded.
The Third Child could do little more than frown. But then, Toji's face lit up again, in that grin that Shinji, at times, envied. "But don't worry, I'll take a raincheck on that lunch! Maybe tomorrow, eh? Assuming the She-devil doesn't get it first!"
The three friends then shared a laugh together over that comment, one of the few laughs they ever shared involving all three of them. But it quickly died after a few more seconds, after which Toji got up, waved to Shinji and Kensuke, and strode out of the classroom, fully intent on his course of action.
The remaining two Stooges sighed, almost slumping in their desks.
Today was still going to be a long day.
It was then that Shinji heard a slight ruffle on his desk. He turned, wondernig about if Rei was still looking at him....and her seat was empty.
Shinji mentally kicked himself, knowing he wanted to see if she had left, but also knowing that it might not matter anyway. But then his eyes traveled downward and saw a scrap piece of notebook paper.
'Must've dropped this out of my notes,' he thought, taking it and almost beginning to crumple it when he noticed the writing.
To Shinji:
Meet me on the roof.
Sincerely,
Rei Ayanami.
Shinji's eyes went wide as his brain began to understand the note.
'She wants to see me on the school rooftop now? What for...?'
His cheeks suddenly felt warm with blood as he realized that Kensuke was viewing the note as well, the camera clearly pointed at it.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Ikari?" Ida grinned at his blushing companion. "Go for it!"
Shinji couldn't exactly find a proper way to react. "I...erm...um...wha...?"
Kensuke gave him a bit of a goofy grin, which seemed to easily stand apart from Toji's more confident, stomach-driven grin. "I'll keep the class rep and Asuka off your back, ok?"
"Umm.......ok, I guess." Shinji crawled out of his seat, his cheek still feeling the sting of Asuka's slap, but he felt his steps that were leading out of the classroom were a bit...reluctant. He was afraid, and he knew it.
Naturally, Kensuke noticed this. "Get going, Shinji! You might not get another chance like this! If she's asking for your attention, you shouldn't pass it up. Even if it's only lunchtime. Ayanami is rather selective in who she associates herself with, y'know?"
Shinji, feeling his strength come back, gave an affirming nod and got moving out of the classroom. Fortunately for him, neither Asuka nor Hikari really noticed his dpearture from the room, though Kensuke still took it upon himself to shield Shinji from their view as he departed.
However, Ida also noticed that he was still in the classroom. And he forgot to pack a lunch. He mentally cursed himself for that. At least he had his camera.
-------
On the rooftop...
Rei Ayanami could only feel the slightest of wind currents blowing, her hair gently swaying from it and her soul feeling just a bit uplifted by it. The wind was one of the few things she could truly enjoy without a need for expression.
'Is that what you are, Shinji?' she thought as her mind began to wander, for the time passed between her subtle, yet intentional dropping of the note to the Thrid Child and her arrival on the rooftop. 'Are you like the wind? Calm, yet volatile at times? You rarely express, yet always is your presence felt. Are you like the wind, Shinji?'
A dragging noise interrupted her thoughts, as did deliberate, yet careful footsteps. Footsteps that were getting just slightly louder.
As she slowly turned around, Rei could see Shinji stop nearly dead in his tracks, like a thief who had just been caught trying to tail his victim. His eyes had widened, and his breathing was a bit heavy, and seemed to be sweating a tad more than usual. She could only guess that he had somehow gotten lost in trying to find her here. Though the concept of lost was alien to Rei (more or less, anyway), it wasn't hard for her to believe that Shinji was the kind of person who could find himself easily lost, be it in the hallways of the school, or of his own heart and soul. 'Is Shinji lost right now in that very realm?'
On Shinji's side, his feet were still carrying him towards Rei, but in a slow way, as if trying to navigate a narrow bridge. Each new step brought with it more nervousness and doubt. So much, in fact, that Shinji thought he was sweating bullets. Yet, he continued walking, and soon met with the First Child at the metal guard rail.
Her face remained as it usually did, though she bowed her head in greeting. "Ikari."
Shinji, in return, could only stammer, yet again. "H-hello, Ayanami..."
Once her head raised itself, their eyes met again, her unrevealing, yet soothing gaze making the Third Child feel as if he was going to faint. This gaze seemed to persist for a few minutes, as the two of them became rather locked in an awkward silence.
Finally, Shinji broke the ice, deciding to focus on something he knew, and not something he was feeling. "Rei....I...um.."
Again, her look revealed nothing. "What is it?"
Shinji took a deep breath, than asked, "Why did you invite me up here? I...I thought you wanted me meet me after classes let out."
"Yes. I still do. Do you not wish to see me after school?"
"W-w-well, yeah....but why here as well?" As he was saying this, Shinji was also silently praying that this could at least go well. He could endure Angel battles, Unit 01 going berserk, and even night after night of Asuka's ranting and whining. Even the slaps were common enough for him to take. Dealing with Rei was another matter. Despite the time they had spent together working, as well as the two times he had been in her apartment, he still knew very little of the blue-haired female before him.
"I...do not know." Rei's face was now looking out beyond the balcony, out to the city, though she hadn't moved from where she was standing.
'I musn't run away, I musn't run away...' Shinji mentally repeated to himself, but he knew his nerve was fading quickly. So, he decided to try and say something...
'Hey, Shinji! Don't forget!' This was Toji's voice. In his head.
Almost as if acting on instinct, Shinji's hand found its way into his bag, searching for something, silently giving his friend thanks as he quickly pulled out the lunch that Asuka rejected earlier.
Looking up, he could see that Rei was still looking out at the horizon, as if her interest in talking with him had already faded. He then spoke. "Rei?"
Ayanami finally turned back to him, thankful he hadn't gone on his usual course of action in such situations. Her eyes again bore down upon him. "Yes?"
Slowly, he pulled out the plastic lunch bag and quickly explained himself as he did. "Well....I made two....two lunches....and Asuka didn't take hers...wanted to eat with Hikari...and..well..." 'Shit, this is difficult!' his mind cursed.
Rei did litte more than cock her head at him slightly.
Shinji felt horrible, as if he was going to lose this battle, whatever kind of battle it might be. But he had to finish it. He was too involved now. He stepped forward, offered the bag in her direction, and asked, "Would you wish to eat lunch with me?" 'Please, God, don't let me faint for sounding so pathetic!'
For the second time that day, he watched her smile. Like before, he was astounded by it. He somehow wodered why he kept thinking of a flower blooming whenever she did that. It simply amazed him.
At least, until her hands clasped upon the bag, shocking him out of the situation.
"I....I would like that. Thank you, Shinji."
Thank you.
The last time he had heard those words, it had been from a selfless, yet simple act. Shinji and Toji had gone to Rei's apartment to deliver bulletins on Suzuhara's behalf. Before she had arrived, Shinji had taken it upon himself to clean up the trash near herbedside, despite Toji's warnings that she'd be pissed about it. When the words had been spoken, he had noticed her cheeks a rather attracting shade of pink, her eyes having gone as wide as his, as if it hadn't been expected. The same shade of pink that her cheeks were showing right now.
Shinji's mind was in such a comforting daze, he almost forgot exactly what was in the lunch he had just given her. 'Shit!'
Without even thinking, he sent his hand, slowly, into her bag, feeling for her sandwich. Her face showed only a bit of surprise as she gasped just a little at his sudden course of action.
"What....are you doing?" she wondered aloud as the Third Child quickly removed the sandwich from her bag.
"You said once that you dislike eating meat, right?" he replied as he unwrapped the sandwich and removed the ham from it's bread and cheese brethren.
"Yes."
Shinji then brought his own sandwich out and put the meat in his own lunch bag, offernig a nervous smile to her. "W-well, I wasn't expecting this....I mean, I originally made it for Asuka....erm...um..."
When he looked up, her eyes had brightened just a bit as she took in another breath. "That was very thoughful of you."
Thoughtful. Again, words she had never used before with anyone, as far as either one of them knew.
Shinji's only response was a small smile, trying to hide how shaky he really was, though it wasn't nearly as bad as a few minutes ago. So nervous, in fact, that when he brought an item to his mouth and bit down, his teeth clamped down on something very hard and his brain registered a slight shock.
An instant later, he looked down slightly, only to find that he had tried to sink his teeth into a soda can. "YEOW!" he cried, slamming his eyes shut and feeling embarrassed almost immediately.
Another noise alerted him to his fellow pilot, and the fact that her hand was over her mouth, no doubt stifling a giggle.
"I..I'm sorry...I feel so stupid.." Shinji said as her hand slowly fell back to her bag and her face again converted back into a smile at her companion.
"Let's eat." With that, Rei sat upon the hard asphalt of the rooftop with her back to the guard rail and took out the contents of her lunch, examining them quietly. Shinji followed suit, but as Rei was about to bite into her fruit, Shinji looked at her. "H-hold on, Rei."
"What for?"
'Dammit!' he thought, not having an excuse. Then he came up with one. "Um, well...wmm, why don't we make a toast?"
Ayanami was confused. "A toast? What is that?"
Shinji mentally kicked himself, reminding himself that he only knew what it was thanks to his beer-chugging guardian. "W-w-well, it's when you...when you take a sip together, f-for a good reason."
The odd look the First Child was giving him indicated that he hadn't helped by trying to explain it. "I am sorry. I do not understand."
"Umm ok, I'll tell you how, I guess. Can't hurt to learn, right? I mean, you might need it someday!" Shinji responded with a nervous laugh. He then raised his soda can. "First, you open the can."
Rei silently did so.
"Then," Shinji continued, "you hold it up, like so," he finished as he raised his can to eye level. She followed suit, nearly mirroring him.
"And, finally, one of us gives a reason to drink, we tap cans, and we drink. Something along those lines, anyway.." Shinji trailed off.
"What reason shall we drink to?"
"Umm, well...er...how about....our first lunch together?" the Third Child proposed after finding a logical reason.
"That is acceptable," she answered.
"Umm, okay! To our first lunch together!" Shinji exclaimed, gently touching his can to hers and taking a sip in concert with her.
'To our first lunch together,' Rei thought as she began to consume her lunch with the Third Child.
Fortunately, the lunch went without further incident, and the two of them were able to finish their food and get back to class in time for the continuation of the sensei's monotone lecture.
However...
Neither of them realized that they could be seen from the room's windows, with their backs on the guard rail.
Only two sets of eyes saw them.
One pair looked with excitement, yet worry. But he did his best not to give away his friend's location to the other.
It was too late, though, as the other pair had already seen them. Her teeth could nearly be heard gnashing into her food, while her eyes remained steadily on the seated pair on the roof.
And she was pissed.
No, not just pissed.
Sorely pissed.
Severely pissed.
Hell & high water pissed.
Someone was going to pay dearly.
She just had to figure out which one....
-------End Chapter One
Author's Notes: Not much to comment on here, except for the possible overdose on Shinji and how he tends to have nervous breakdowns whenever in difficult situations, especially when it comes to girls, as well as Rei OOC. Oh well, at least the stage is now set for the gears to start moving.
Now, to leave you with some next-chapter thoughts...
-Will Rei actually do what she "intends to do something about"?
-Might Shinji actually get his act together for once?
-And, of course, what kinda of vengeance is brimming with Asuka Langley Sohryu's mind?
Find out in the next Chapter, The Tutorial...
Chapter One: Lunch
Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion and its characters are property of GAINAX and ADV Films. I don't own them, nor do I intend to utilize them for any profitable purposes. Simply the purpose of writing entertainment.
"Spoken Dialogue"
'Character Thought'
Written Down
-------
Tokyo-3.
The big city. Hell, THE city to be in. Or, perhaps, to not be in, depending upon how one looked at it.
Home of NERV headquarters.......and the Third Child was bored.
"Dammit!" Shinji Ikari exclaimed, hitting his head upon his locker rather intentionally, immediately feeling the pain of such a ridiculous move and figuring he'd probably earn himself a welt for it later on. Listening to lectures in class, no, this whole day, or maybe, this entire WEEK was annoying him to death by maintaining a steady degree of mundanity. No Angel attacks, no mechanical screw-ups or problems in synch or activation tests, not even any sort of deviation, be it mundane or extreme, among Asuka's insults. Hence, extreme boredom, for Shinji, anyway.
"Hey, Shinji?" called out a familiar voice, as the Third Child brought his head back from the small dent his little stunt created and rotated immediately to spot Kensuke, with his camera as always, and Toji, somehow almost tripping over himself, coming over to him. "You alright, dude?"
"Not really", Shinji replied as he brought a hand to his head to feel for a mark, "not when I'm bored out of my damned skull. It's as though the world decided to take a vacation for a week or something!"
"Aww, come on, Shinji, don't tell me you're actually bothered by things being peaceful?" Toji said as he leaned against a nearby locker, folding his arms against his chest. "Even if for only a week, if that long at all?" he continued, ignoring Kensuke's romaing camera just enough to concentrate on Shinji.
Shinji couldn't help but fall against his locker and sigh. "I guess it's just weird that way...I mean, with the Angels and all, you'd think they wouldn't let up like this. Hell, nothing at all has been out of the ordinary..."
It was then that Shinji noticed that Kensuke more or less was staring at him through the camera and Toji had an eyebrow raised at him, which cause Shinji to sigh. "I'm just wishing there were a bit more to do."
"Like what, Shinji, hmm, hmm?" Kensuke asked, never parting his eye from the camera's viwepiece. "Like maybe Asuka giving you lots of lip? Or perhaps Rei, hmm? Or maybe more than just their lips...maybe their breasts...maybe some ass..."
"Gyah! No way!" Shinji cried out, blushing immediately. "Wh-what're you talking about?"
Kensuke couldn't help but grin, knowing how vulnerable Shinji got around any kind of sex talk, especially about people he had reason to be close to, like Asuka or Rei, the Third Child's fellow EVA pilots. "What, are you telling me you HAVEN'T thought of that about them?"
"H-h-hell no!" Shinji stammered out. "I...well....I just...it's that..."
"Kensuke, cut it out!" Toji interjected, seeing Shinji on the verge of an immediate breakdown. 'Not as bad as our first *meeting* of my fists in his face', he admitted to himself with a sigh, 'but certainly never a good thing for a guy like him.'
Toji quickly turned his attention back to Shinji and asked "Well, why not try an activity after school or something?"
Shinji could only close his eyes a bit and somewhat sarcastically say, "I have enough of an 'afterschool activity' as is."
"Maybe, dude", Kensuke thought out loud a he put the camera down and began to fidget amongst his things for a new disc, "but piloting EVA isn't exactly a full-time job, you know? More like an on-call kind of job, really. I mean, yeah, you're good with it and cool about it and stuff like that, but isn't there anything else you feel like doing in the meantime?"
"Hmmm...." Shinji wondered as he left his locker and strode down the hallway, Kensuke and Toji following quickly to avoid being left behind in the mass of students departing school for the day. "Can't really say that I do..."
"Debate?" was Kensuke's response.
"Too lengthy." Shinji replied.
"Track?"
"Don't we more or less do that anyway?"
"Oh, yeah, right. Maybe something in video recording?"
"Your department."
Kensuke laughed at that one. "I guess so! Hmm....hey, what about swimming?" he asked with a bit more expression, pointing up to the fenced rooftop, noting that the usual female swimmers were up there, practicing as always. But, after also noticing that Shinji had stopped like an anchor hitting the ocean floor, both Kensuke and Toji halted and looked at him. He appeared to have a slightly fearful look on his face, his eyes just a bit widened.
"Umm, Shinji?" Toji called while waving a hand in front of his face.
Shinji quickly blinked, as if having forgotten for but a few seconds, then looked at them, then down at the well-traveled asphalt. "S-sorry about that."
"You looked like you'd seen a ghost, man." Toji said while giving Shinji a playful punch on the shoulder. "Swimming not your thing?"
"Well....i...it's not that....I just...well...kinda...can't swim."
Suzuhara and Kensuke both gave him rather stoned looks for a minute. "Since when?" Toji questioned to break the odd silence that had fallen between them.
"Just never could", was Shinji's reply, his voice sounding as bored as his face looking tired.
"Oh, come on, man, you can't be serious!" Toji exclaimed. "Not even as a kid out in the ocean or anything?"
"No, I didn't", Shinji said rather sharply as his eyes began to sting a little from being annoyed. "Can we get off this topic, please?"
"Ok, ok, dude!" Kensuke called, aiming his camera right at Shinji's face. "Just don't drown us in your sorrows!"
Shinji couldn't help but continue to look downward and avert his eyes from Kensuke's digital filming, wondering if the two of them would ever let him live down this little confession he'd just made...
"Ikari." a much different voice called out. A calm, controlled voice. Shinji immediately thanked fate rather hastily as he looked up and locked eyes with a blue-haired, pale-skinned girl only a bit shorter than him. The First Child, Rei Ayanami.
Naturally, Touji was keeping his cool, while Kensuke spun himself and the camera to face Rei with the speed and accuracy of a well-trained sniper.
"Umm, hiya, Rei..." Shinji managed to get out, his cheeks feeling a little flushed, knowing who was with him and what they might say or do.
Rei wasted no movement in approaching further, stepping between Touji and Kensuke and coming forth in front of Shinji. "I am required to speak with you." Again, in the controlled, often emotionless voice. After a brief pause and a quick look, she turned to Kensuke's camera, looking straight into the lens, and without hesitation, calmly said, "If you would excuse us, please."
"Umm, yeah, sure! No problem, yeah!" Kensuke called out as he and Suzuhara quickly got the implied hint and walked on at a deliberate, brisk pace. Either one would prefer having to deal with Asuka on a bad day than wondering what Rei might do if intruded upon. To them, and the world at large, as far as they were concerned, she was a blank book, unreadable. "Catch you later, Shinji!" Toji yelled back at them before the pair vanished from sight.
It was only then that Shinji noticed a small noise. A giggle, to be more precise. Escpaing from Rei's lips. 'Rei giggling? That's certainly new', Shinji thought. "What's so funny?" he quickly asked.
"Just them. Taking off so quicky when I asked them to." A slight smile was now upon her face, but Shinji couldn't really figure why. She always seemed so distant in the classrooms, looking as bored everyday as he was right now. Her face quickly showed seriousness. "Are you busy at the moment, Shinji?"
"Not at all, Rei. I was just heading home and talking with those two", he replied. "Is something wrong?"
Rei stole a glance at the city view, then truned her attention back to Shinji. "No. Personal."
"Personal? What do you mean, Rei?" he asked while giving her a questioning look.
Rei's only response was to say, "Come with me, please." She then began to walk there, in a manner that seemed as if she had never broken stride to talk to Shinji in the first place.
'What exactly does she want?' he thought as he followed along without another word.
-------
In the next hour, Shinji got his answer. Well, sort of, anyway.
Images of ocean waves went through his eyes as he gazed upon the water and it's current user. He could only marvel at how gracefully he could see Rei swim through the water. Though mostly on the surface, she seemed to stroke and kick across the marked lane with the skill and ease of a mermaid, as if it came as naturally to her as piloting Unit-00 did.
'I can't believe I feel so jealous', he thought in a rather guilty manner as she concluded her swim, climbed out of the pool, and came over to Shinji, drying herself off with a towel and looking rather attractive in her tight black onepiece swimsuit. Shinji immediately kicked himself mentally for having that thought.
"So, how do you think I did?" Rei asked, interrupting Shinji's mental self-punishment.
"H-huh?" Shinji asked back, a confused look on his face.
"Do you think I'm getting better at this?"
"Uh....um...that little, err, long run you just did?"
"Of course."
Shinji could feel Rei's eyes upon him, as if trying to either read him or judge him. But he knew she only wanted an answer.
"I.....I don't know", was his answer.
Rei cocked her head slightly and looked at his downcast face. "But, didn't you just watch me?"
"W-w-well, yeah, I guess.."
"Then why do you not know?"
"I just don't know, okay!?!" Shinji yelled, startling Rei and causing her to stare at him a bit. Not in a threatening Asuka-like way, just a stare like any normal person would.
It was then that both Shinji and Rei noticed after the silence that the former was making sounds. Sounds of sadness. 'He's...crying?' Rei quickly noted as she could see a few tears rolling down Shinji's face. Offering him a smaller towel, she quickly said, "I apologize, Shinji. I did not mean to cause you to do that."
Shinji eagerly took the towel and dried his eyes off, feeling like he had made an ass of himself. He was thankful it was in front of Rei and not Asuka, who would've wasted no time in jumping on his sensitivity. "No, Rei, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I yelled at you without a good reason."
Rei bowed her head, feeling the water slowly drip down onto the towel. "I forgive you. But...why did you yell? I don't understand", she quietly said, wiping excess water and newly formed sweat off of her forehead.
Calming himself down, Shinji set the hand towel at Rei's side. "It's just that...well....I can't swim."
"You're unable to swim?"
"No, nothing like that. It's not that I can't because of my body. It's...umm...I don't know how." Shinji felt his face flush again, but didn't feel the urge to cry this time.
"You mean you haven't had training."
"Yeah", Shinji sighed and curled up, his chin resting upon his knees. He couldn't bring himself to look away from the hypnotizing look of the pool until he felt a hand of Rei's resting upon his knee, causing him to look at her. "Is it that surprising?"
"I'm not sure. You have had different experiences, but it seems as though this is natural to everyone around here."
"Not to me, Rei.." Shinji said as he stood up and stretched out a little, knowing he had to get moving soon if he was going to get home and cook something fast to avoid another of Misato's dinner disasters, not to mention Asuka's hounding about him being late. "But...for whatever it's worth, you looked great."
Rei smiled even brighter, and again Shinji couldn't help but feel surprised that she was. He had never known her to smile before, except after rescuing her from her entry plug in the incident involving the 4th Angel. "Thank you, Shinji."
"No problem, Rei, but I have to go. Dinner will be hell if I don't go start home soon."
Rei stood up and slightly bowed to him. "Of course. See you tomorrow."
"Umm, yeah!" Shinji said as he gave her a wave, picked up his backpack, and took off into a jog into the school. He still felt a bit surprised, but somewhat glad, to see Rei wave back as he exited the school doors and onto the street, heading for home. For once this week, Shinji felt better. At least something had happened now, and it had been pretty good to let some steam out with someone he, for some reason unknown even to himself, could trust with such embarrassing secrets.
Rei also felt rather good, though she herself didn't know why. While her usual demeanor had been enough to get a chance to talk to Shinji for once without his unofficial posse on his heels, she hadn't thought it would ever turn into a sort of confession on the part of the Third Child. She couldn't help but understand how he felt, though. That feeling of powerlessness had come across her every time Unit-00 entered battle and had been slagged in one form or another. While not the same thing, it was something she could relate to, at least on a basic level.
She quickly began to undress and re-dress, deciding to do something about it.
-------
A few hours later, Shinji was back at home in Misato's apartment. (Truly, he thought, the only home he had now.) Fortunately, Asuka had been out upon his arrival, leaving a note that she had gone shopping for some food to keep the both of them from having to experience any of Misato's disastrous dinners.
Not that it stopped her from giving him the usual amount of harassment when he got home. Things such as where he was and what he had been doing, as well as the usual amount of teasing and scorn he recieved from hanging around Rei or avoiding Asuka, usually both.
"No Stooges to gawk at Wondergirl with you today, hmm, Third Child?" Asuka asked as a smirk appeared on her face while handing Shinji a soda and placing a 12-pack on the floor.
"No," was his flat reply. "Rei gave them her usual look and they split."
Asuka simple snorted. "Can't blame them. They'd much rather go looking for me, wouldn't they, Shinji?" she thought aloud.
"Well," he answered, "Kensuke does still profit greatly from your photos."
"WHAAAAAAT!?!?!" Asuka's face immediately turned angry. "The little ingrate, I ought to be having a part of those profits, dammit!"
Shinji immediately looked at her after taking opening his soda can and taking a sip. "What for? Doesn't NERV salary pay better?"
Asuka's only response was to get up in his face, making his eyes widen and his body stiffen up as she snarled at him while a finger was pointed at his face. "Maybe, Third Child, but don't forget that I, Asuka Langley Sorhyu, am the model for those pictures that he gets that money from! As a natural result," she continued, striking a standing pose with one hand on her hips and the other flipping her hair, "I should be getting at least half of his earnings!" She then sat down upon the floor, opening her own can and chugging the liquid with amazing speed.
Shinji simply sighed. "Just let him be. It's not like he takes those pictures anymore."
"Hmph!" Asuka exclaimed after she set her can down and quietly gulped. "Fine. But only because he's your friend, Third Child," she said, giving him a sneer in the process. "Otherwise, I would've already gotten it from him, one way or another." As she said the last part, she had a bit of a look in her eye that rattled Shinji's nerves, making him wonder if she really would resort to more violent (or seductive, for that matter) methods of persuasion, just for a little cash.
His concentration on that train of thought was soon broken as his eyes saw flashing images across the TV, hearing Asuka blatantly pressing buttons on her remote.
"Aww, this sucks!" the Second Child whined as she let her shoulders sag in surrender. She halfheartedly tossed the remote to Shinji, but failed in reaching him as it bounced a little and slid to a halt near his hand. "I'm off to bed,and I want to sleep in tomorrow, so don't keep me up. Got it?" she questioned with a smirk.
Shinji slowly let out his breath (which he realized he had been holding for some odd reason) and replied, "Got it. Good night, Asuka."
"Yeah, yeah..." Asuka quickly got up, taking her can with her to the kitchen as Shinji remained on the floor, fipped to a nature channel and put on the earphones for his SDAT, deciding to stay up for maybe another hour before going off to bed, so as not to bother Asuka too much. A small noise in the kitchen confirmed that she had thrown the can out. He could easily hear her walking out of the kitchen as a shrill noise interrupted his calm state. 'The phone, no doubt,' he thought to himself.
As for Asuka, she nearly shrieked. "YAAH!" She then got disgusted as she marched over to the phone, letting her thoughts drift a bit. 'Jeez, that's annoying. And I wanted a good amount of sleep, too. Oh, well, it's probably Misato calling, saying she's gonna be late again. Or, is it Kaji? I would SOOOOOO love it to be Kaji!' she finished as she picked up the phone and in one of her sweeter voices called, "Hellooo?"
"Ikari, please." The First Child's voice, though flat as usual, nevertheless came clear over the receiver.
Asuka's face immediately fell, feeling rather disgusted for getting her hopes up. "Oh, it's you."
"Shinji Ikari, please."
Asuka felt annoyed at such a dull response. "Ugh! Can't you say something different, Ayanami?"
The Second Child then heard a rather deliberate exhale over the phone, then Rei's response. "I wish to speak to Shinji Ikari. Please do not make me ask again."
"Oooooooh!" Asuka mocked at Rei, feeling her temper flaring as she gritted her teeth and felt an urge to slap Rei, if she could. She concentrated for a few seconds to let it die down. "Fine, then, Wondergirl, I'll get your precious Shinji for you." She quickly took the phone with her, marched over to Shinji, and roughly pushed the SDAT out of Shinji's hands, causing the Third Child to fall over in disorientation.
Shinji quickly looked up at Asuka. "Huh? Wha? What is it?"
"The phone, stupid!" Asuka angrily replied as she thrust the phone almost literally in his face. "For you. It's Ayanami."
"Rei...?" Shinji asked, looking rather dumbfounded.
"Of COURSE it's Rei!" Asuka exclaimed as Shinji delicately took hold of the phone from her hand. "Who in the hell do you think it is, Third Child?"
Shinji nervously gulped. "I'm sorry."
That set Asuka off. "ARRGGHH!" she cried out, up in Shinji's face again. "For God's sake, stop apologizing for everything! It's annoying as hell! Be a man and suck it up a bit, for once, you gutless twit!"
Shinji's mouth opened as he was about to apologize again, but let silence take precedence as he said nothing as Asuka got back up and put her hands on her hips.
"Hmm," she thought aloud as she regarded Shinji with a softer look. "Maybe you're learning after all." She quickly turned and moved towards her room, then swiveled back to him as he nearly had the phone to his ear. "Don't talk to your girlie too long, Shinji."
Shinji felt a bit faint at hearing those words. "I-It's nothing like that, Asuka..."
"Fine, fine, if you say so," the Second Child replied in a teasing manner as she stepped into her room and slid the panel shut. Shinji waited for but a few seconds before placing the receiver to his ear. "Hello?"
"Ikari...?" Rei's voice projected itself clearly to his ear.
"Y-yeah, I'm here," he stammered. "S-sorry about the delay. Asuka and I were arguing.."
Rei paid it no heed and continued. "Meet me after school again tomorrow."
"T-tomorrow..?" Needless to say, Shinji felt nervous. (But, then again, when doesn't he?)
"Yes," was the calm reply. "At the pool. After classes."
"Uh, umm....well, alright."
"See you tomorrow. Goodbye." A clicking sound, followed by a familiar droning noise (which everyone has heard, yet can never truly describe) made him quickly hang up the phone, knowing Rei had already done so on her end.
'I never knew Rei had a phone,' Shinji thought. He hadn't noticed one when he had visited her place for the first time in a rather pitiful attempt to deliver her new security card which, to the Third Child anyway, had become an embarrassing debacle, him being on top of her prone, nude form, not to mention his first real look at a girl in the nude. Shinji then mentally kicked himself, not only to end his current set of thoughts, but also to remind himself that it's be too damned weird in the first place to live in any technological area like Tokyo-3 and not to have something as simple in purpose as a telephone.
Those thoughts more or less disappeared when Shinji looked at the clock, noting that it was later than usual. 'Shit!' He moved swiftly but surely to turn off the TV, then footpadded his way to his room, hoping like hell that Asuka didn't chew him out yet again.
Luck seemed to be on Shinji's side this evening, as he was able to get his panel slid open and slip into his room without incident. He quickly set his SDAT upon his school pack, deciding for a change of pace in sleeping tonight. As he slipped into his bed and got himself covered in the sheets, he once again let his thoughts drift to the enigmatic First Child.......
'Why does she want to see me tomorrow? Did I upset her with that outburst earlier today? I didn't mean to. Thank God Asuka decided not to go after me any more than she had for that call. But, still, Ayanami? Calling me? Maybe she just wants to talk. It's not as though it's a bad thing, is it? I mean, it's just a call, right? Yeah, it's just a call, nothing more. But, Ayanami....'
His conscious thoughts were no more as his subconscious rose from the mess of his brain and soothed him into a gentle slumber.
Later, unknown to anyone, the sheets also rose, just a bit, in the groin region.
-------
BEEP.
One second later...BEEP.
Another second, another BEEP.
It was on this third BEEP that the Third Child's eyes fluttered open. Noting what had caused him to awaken, he scrambled out of bed and turned the alarm off before sitting upright and breathing slowly a few times to calm himself.
'So, why is there still beeping?' he thought, his mind quickly racing for an answer. His eyes, however, found it faster, knowing immediately where the origin of that same noise was.
Her room.
Fortunately for him, he didn't hear the beeping sequence continue for much longer as he heard her begin to curse in German and undoubtedly turn her own clock's alarm system off. He got into action, changing into a new uniform and undergarments, figuring he had about 2 minutes to start getting their breakfast and lunches ready before Asuka started in on her bitching. As he heard her humming to herself softly ('Since when does she do that?' he wondered), he reassessed his situation and gave himself 5 minutes instead. That didn't stop him from dressing like Misato when she had been caught near Kaji in times past and setting his shoes and pack near the door to be ready for the departure to school.
Shinji promptly got to work, getting bread in the toaster and placing a couple of fruit drinks in the respective lunch bags for him and Asuka when he began to hear mumbling. He hesitated after getting bread for sandwich assembly, but after half a minute decided to pay the chatter no mind and quickly resumed his work, getting the sandwiches ready and placed as the toast popped up, causing him to hastily place the slices on separate plates and onto the table before raiding the refrigerator for some fruit...
"URRRRRGH! IDIOT!" Shinji heard as his ears also picked up stomps across the floor and his eyes registered Asuka marching past him in her school outfit, opening the electric entry door to the apartment and leaving in less time than it took for him to register all of this with his brain devoted to his current task. He blinked a few times, then quickly stuffed the lunch bags into his pack, wondering what had led to that particular outburst. 'Not that she usually has reason to,' he thought to himself.
Another sound of the door opening. 'Maybe she came back?' Shinji wondered. But a slower walk and a loud yawn indicated otherwise as Misato came into view, leaning against a wall and casually drinking out of a beer can.
'Not her usual brand,' he noted. "Rough night at NERV, Miasto?" Shinji then asked.
Misato answered after a few more chugs. "Yeah. Just a longer shift than usual, that's all." And Shinji could easily see it, red lines within the white of her eyes revealing her fatigue. Nevertheless, she offered a weary smile to the boy.
"You sure that's all?" Shinji said as he moved past her to the door and began to get his shoes on.
Misato waved her hand up and down, in that manner that was meant to be her gentle way of blowing off a question. "Yeah, don't worry about it!" she finished, giving him another smile and tossing the can into the trash. But then, her face turned rather solemn. "Were you and Asuka fighting again?"
"Uh, well, yes and no." he replied, hoping she let him go soon.
"What do you mean 'yes and no'?" Misato gave him an odd look.
"W-Well, she gave me a remark and just kinda....left.... after that." He held up her lunch bag. "Forgot to grab her food, too."
Misato sighed. "Well, alright. Have a good day at school!" she exclaimed halfheartedly as she closed the door to her room and gracefully passed out on her mat, snoring rather loudly after a few seconds.
Shinji then heard a buzz at the door. 'Maybe she did come back for her lunch.'
But as he opened the sliding door, two familiar voices greeted him.
"Good morning, Shinji! And Misato!" sang out the voices of Toji and Kensuke as they greeted him in unison.
"Morning," Shinji replied, sighing and stepping out to begin walking with his friends to school.
-------
10 minutes later....
The Three Stooges were walking along a street at a brisk, yet relaxed pace to reach the school. It was only now that Shinji, walking alongside and in between then instead of behind them as usual, noticed a small, but noticeable red mark on Toji's cheek.
"Hey, Toji.."
"Hmm? Wha?" Suzuhara turned his head to face Shinji.
"Why do you have a mark on your face..?"
Toji winced and rubbed the red skin with his hand. "Oh, this? We bumped into Asuka, and I asked her why you weren't with her. Got a stinging slap for my answer as she walked by. Ugh, she's such a bitch a times, man."
"Maybe," Kensuke interjected, "but she sure makes for great pictures!"
That caused a sudden snap in Shinji's mind, causing him to remember the previous night's events. "Hey, Kensuke...do you still sell photos of Asuka around school?"
Kensuke's eyes lit up as if they'd been set afire. "Every time anyone asks for some! Why, you wanna buy some too, Shinji?"
"No way, man. You gotta be out of your mind to want to have pictures of her." Toji interrupted, still grimacing from his injury. "Besides, Shinji, wouldn't that be rather stupid financially? I mean, you see her every day, you work with her, and you live with her, to boot."
"It's not like that.." Shinji began.
"Well, then, just what is it like?" Kensuke questioned, interrupting the Third Child.
"It's...well...Asuka's gonna be after you today, Kensuke."
"Whaaa? Say what?" Ida replied, his face getting a bit panicky.
"Yeah. She and I were kinda arguing last night, and, well, I think she wants half of your photo profits, simply because she's the model for them." Shinji stated. "And I get the feeling she'll knock you silly to do it, too."
"Aww, man!" Kensuke let his videocamera droop as his face became rather sullen. "That's the last thing I need right now! I already spent most of that money on new video discs and games! Great, this is gonna suck."
Toji gave a small laugh. "Ha! No way we're gonna let that redhead get to you, Kensuke. Right, Shinji?"
"Umm, actually....no can do, guys." Shinji felt kinda trapped being in between the two of them like this when he said that.
Both Kensuke and Toji stopped, and pivoted themselves to face Shinji. "And why not?" they demanded together, almost as if unified themselves somehow.
"I...well....um...I...it's just..."
"What are you waiting for? Spit it out!" they nearly yelled, again in almost perfect unison.
"I have to meet Rei today, that's all." Shinji quickly felt his face warming up.
"The Ayanami chick?" Toji gave the Third Child an odd look. "Why?"
"I don't know," was Shinji's reply. "She didn't say why. She just asked me to meet up with me after school, like yesterday."
"Oooooh, having another secret meeting, eh, Shinji?" Toji said, giving him a teasing pat on the back.
Shinji's cheeks felt even hotter now. "N-no, it's nothing, really."
Both Toji and Kensuke smirked. "Nothing, huh? So is she like your girlfriend now or something, if it's that much of a 'nothing' to you?" Kensuke responded, focusing his camera on Shinji's reddened face.
Shinji decided he'd had enough of this pestering. "Cut it out, will you? She's not my girlfriend!" he yelled into the camera, nearly throwing Ida off-balance.
"Whoa, whoa, okay, easy, Shinji." Toji pleaded, but only halfheartedly as he and Kensuke resumed taking the lead positions and once again started towards school.
Shinji began to open his mouth for an apology, but remembered Asuka's words from last night and decided against it for the moment, letting out a sigh as the three of them walked to school without any more conversation. Well, without any more conversation from Shinji, anyway.
-------
Fortune seemed to be on the side of the Third Child as he was able to get through most of the morning classes without incurring any insults from Asuka or teasing from Toji. As usual, the sensei was droning on about the Second Impact (well, the abridged version of Second Impact, seeing as how Shinji was informed differently by Dr. Akagi). Today, the sensei seemed to be discussing the ramifications of it in regard to the food industry.
Shinji sighed. 'God, this is so boring.' Without even thinking about it, he turned his head from his laptop, swiveling it to his left to get a look a row or two back, where Rei was sitting at her desk, serene and calm, gazing out the window.
Shinji could feel his heart beating just a bit faster as his eyes stayed upon her. 'Maybe she really dows live in her own world...'
It was then that he noticed that her eyes had shifted. Though her face was still pointed at the window, her scarlet eyes had turned themselves to focus upon his own, her lids blinking a few times, as if trying to believe an impossibility. As if the world itself were in slow motion, her head then turned from the window to slowly face his gaze, their eyes locking in what could have easily seemed to frighten the Third Child, reminding him of the times when he had to look into the cold eyes of his father.
Then, her lips curved upward. She was smiling.
Right at him.
Shinji could do little more than open his mouth a bit in pure awe.
'Is....is she really smiling? Is this a dream?'
Too bad it couldn't last forever.
"HEY, SHINJI!" It was Toji's voice.
Immediately, Shinji felt the back of his head slapped a bit as he tilted forward, a bit off-balance from his staring. Almost as quickly did Shinji blink his eyes and turn his head back to Suzuhara's overly grinning face. "Wh-what's up, Toji?"
"Lunchtime, man!" he responded with delight. "The greatest time of the school day!"
'Oh, shit,' Shinji thought. 'I forgot to give Asuka her lunch! She's gonna kill me!'
As if on some kind of unknown cue, another hand whopped him and caused him to fall out of his desk, Toji bumping into Kensuke from springing backward, Kensuke nearly dropping his beloved camera. This hand, Shinji knew, was hers, feeling as though it had much more vicuosness in it.
"Shinji, you idiot!" Asuka yelled, despite the Third Child's predicament as he struggled to get on his feet. "Where's my lunch, you dork?" she continued, trying to restrain herself from assaulting him with her bag when he meekly handed a bag to her.
"H-h-here you go, Asuka. I'm sorry..."
Asuka paid his apology no heed as she quickly looked into the bag to examine the contents. A soda, a ham-and-cheese sandwich, and a slightly over-ripened banana. She hurriedly threw the sack back at him.
"Shinji, you suck! This was the best you could come up with?" With that, she gave him another upset look.
"I'm sorry, I didn't have much time this morning..."
"URGH!" she cried, slapping him again, making Shinji wonder if his skin was toughening up to being slapped so much by her. "You never learn, do you?"
"Wh-wha...?" Shinji stammered.
"This soooo sucks! I guess I'm just gonna have to eat with Hikari then. Hmph!" Asuka then made her way over to the class rep, the angry face having been replaced by her usual confident smirk, and began chatting with her. Fortunately, the Three Stooges were far enough away so they didn't have to put up with hearing her bitch and complain.
Kensuke then patted Shinji on the back, putting the Third Child's senses back to normal. "Guess you got lucky today, huh?"
"Don't bet on it, Kensuke." Toji was frowning a bit. "He's still gotta go home to her. Man, you fight a neverending battle with that girl, don't you, Shinji?"
Shinji was looking downtrodden, lost in thought. 'Hmm, maybe...yeah, that'll work!'
Then his face brightened up a bit. "You want her lunch, Toji?" Shinji asked Suzuhara, knowing he was called Toji the Stomach by none other than Kensuke himself for his ravenous and well-known appetite.
"I..I would, but I promised my sister I'd see her early today. And class is so boring anyway, so I told her I'd leave at about this time. Sorry, Shinji." Toji concluded.
The Third Child could do little more than frown. But then, Toji's face lit up again, in that grin that Shinji, at times, envied. "But don't worry, I'll take a raincheck on that lunch! Maybe tomorrow, eh? Assuming the She-devil doesn't get it first!"
The three friends then shared a laugh together over that comment, one of the few laughs they ever shared involving all three of them. But it quickly died after a few more seconds, after which Toji got up, waved to Shinji and Kensuke, and strode out of the classroom, fully intent on his course of action.
The remaining two Stooges sighed, almost slumping in their desks.
Today was still going to be a long day.
It was then that Shinji heard a slight ruffle on his desk. He turned, wondernig about if Rei was still looking at him....and her seat was empty.
Shinji mentally kicked himself, knowing he wanted to see if she had left, but also knowing that it might not matter anyway. But then his eyes traveled downward and saw a scrap piece of notebook paper.
'Must've dropped this out of my notes,' he thought, taking it and almost beginning to crumple it when he noticed the writing.
To Shinji:
Meet me on the roof.
Sincerely,
Rei Ayanami.
Shinji's eyes went wide as his brain began to understand the note.
'She wants to see me on the school rooftop now? What for...?'
His cheeks suddenly felt warm with blood as he realized that Kensuke was viewing the note as well, the camera clearly pointed at it.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Ikari?" Ida grinned at his blushing companion. "Go for it!"
Shinji couldn't exactly find a proper way to react. "I...erm...um...wha...?"
Kensuke gave him a bit of a goofy grin, which seemed to easily stand apart from Toji's more confident, stomach-driven grin. "I'll keep the class rep and Asuka off your back, ok?"
"Umm.......ok, I guess." Shinji crawled out of his seat, his cheek still feeling the sting of Asuka's slap, but he felt his steps that were leading out of the classroom were a bit...reluctant. He was afraid, and he knew it.
Naturally, Kensuke noticed this. "Get going, Shinji! You might not get another chance like this! If she's asking for your attention, you shouldn't pass it up. Even if it's only lunchtime. Ayanami is rather selective in who she associates herself with, y'know?"
Shinji, feeling his strength come back, gave an affirming nod and got moving out of the classroom. Fortunately for him, neither Asuka nor Hikari really noticed his dpearture from the room, though Kensuke still took it upon himself to shield Shinji from their view as he departed.
However, Ida also noticed that he was still in the classroom. And he forgot to pack a lunch. He mentally cursed himself for that. At least he had his camera.
-------
On the rooftop...
Rei Ayanami could only feel the slightest of wind currents blowing, her hair gently swaying from it and her soul feeling just a bit uplifted by it. The wind was one of the few things she could truly enjoy without a need for expression.
'Is that what you are, Shinji?' she thought as her mind began to wander, for the time passed between her subtle, yet intentional dropping of the note to the Thrid Child and her arrival on the rooftop. 'Are you like the wind? Calm, yet volatile at times? You rarely express, yet always is your presence felt. Are you like the wind, Shinji?'
A dragging noise interrupted her thoughts, as did deliberate, yet careful footsteps. Footsteps that were getting just slightly louder.
As she slowly turned around, Rei could see Shinji stop nearly dead in his tracks, like a thief who had just been caught trying to tail his victim. His eyes had widened, and his breathing was a bit heavy, and seemed to be sweating a tad more than usual. She could only guess that he had somehow gotten lost in trying to find her here. Though the concept of lost was alien to Rei (more or less, anyway), it wasn't hard for her to believe that Shinji was the kind of person who could find himself easily lost, be it in the hallways of the school, or of his own heart and soul. 'Is Shinji lost right now in that very realm?'
On Shinji's side, his feet were still carrying him towards Rei, but in a slow way, as if trying to navigate a narrow bridge. Each new step brought with it more nervousness and doubt. So much, in fact, that Shinji thought he was sweating bullets. Yet, he continued walking, and soon met with the First Child at the metal guard rail.
Her face remained as it usually did, though she bowed her head in greeting. "Ikari."
Shinji, in return, could only stammer, yet again. "H-hello, Ayanami..."
Once her head raised itself, their eyes met again, her unrevealing, yet soothing gaze making the Third Child feel as if he was going to faint. This gaze seemed to persist for a few minutes, as the two of them became rather locked in an awkward silence.
Finally, Shinji broke the ice, deciding to focus on something he knew, and not something he was feeling. "Rei....I...um.."
Again, her look revealed nothing. "What is it?"
Shinji took a deep breath, than asked, "Why did you invite me up here? I...I thought you wanted me meet me after classes let out."
"Yes. I still do. Do you not wish to see me after school?"
"W-w-well, yeah....but why here as well?" As he was saying this, Shinji was also silently praying that this could at least go well. He could endure Angel battles, Unit 01 going berserk, and even night after night of Asuka's ranting and whining. Even the slaps were common enough for him to take. Dealing with Rei was another matter. Despite the time they had spent together working, as well as the two times he had been in her apartment, he still knew very little of the blue-haired female before him.
"I...do not know." Rei's face was now looking out beyond the balcony, out to the city, though she hadn't moved from where she was standing.
'I musn't run away, I musn't run away...' Shinji mentally repeated to himself, but he knew his nerve was fading quickly. So, he decided to try and say something...
'Hey, Shinji! Don't forget!' This was Toji's voice. In his head.
Almost as if acting on instinct, Shinji's hand found its way into his bag, searching for something, silently giving his friend thanks as he quickly pulled out the lunch that Asuka rejected earlier.
Looking up, he could see that Rei was still looking out at the horizon, as if her interest in talking with him had already faded. He then spoke. "Rei?"
Ayanami finally turned back to him, thankful he hadn't gone on his usual course of action in such situations. Her eyes again bore down upon him. "Yes?"
Slowly, he pulled out the plastic lunch bag and quickly explained himself as he did. "Well....I made two....two lunches....and Asuka didn't take hers...wanted to eat with Hikari...and..well..." 'Shit, this is difficult!' his mind cursed.
Rei did litte more than cock her head at him slightly.
Shinji felt horrible, as if he was going to lose this battle, whatever kind of battle it might be. But he had to finish it. He was too involved now. He stepped forward, offered the bag in her direction, and asked, "Would you wish to eat lunch with me?" 'Please, God, don't let me faint for sounding so pathetic!'
For the second time that day, he watched her smile. Like before, he was astounded by it. He somehow wodered why he kept thinking of a flower blooming whenever she did that. It simply amazed him.
At least, until her hands clasped upon the bag, shocking him out of the situation.
"I....I would like that. Thank you, Shinji."
Thank you.
The last time he had heard those words, it had been from a selfless, yet simple act. Shinji and Toji had gone to Rei's apartment to deliver bulletins on Suzuhara's behalf. Before she had arrived, Shinji had taken it upon himself to clean up the trash near herbedside, despite Toji's warnings that she'd be pissed about it. When the words had been spoken, he had noticed her cheeks a rather attracting shade of pink, her eyes having gone as wide as his, as if it hadn't been expected. The same shade of pink that her cheeks were showing right now.
Shinji's mind was in such a comforting daze, he almost forgot exactly what was in the lunch he had just given her. 'Shit!'
Without even thinking, he sent his hand, slowly, into her bag, feeling for her sandwich. Her face showed only a bit of surprise as she gasped just a little at his sudden course of action.
"What....are you doing?" she wondered aloud as the Third Child quickly removed the sandwich from her bag.
"You said once that you dislike eating meat, right?" he replied as he unwrapped the sandwich and removed the ham from it's bread and cheese brethren.
"Yes."
Shinji then brought his own sandwich out and put the meat in his own lunch bag, offernig a nervous smile to her. "W-well, I wasn't expecting this....I mean, I originally made it for Asuka....erm...um..."
When he looked up, her eyes had brightened just a bit as she took in another breath. "That was very thoughful of you."
Thoughtful. Again, words she had never used before with anyone, as far as either one of them knew.
Shinji's only response was a small smile, trying to hide how shaky he really was, though it wasn't nearly as bad as a few minutes ago. So nervous, in fact, that when he brought an item to his mouth and bit down, his teeth clamped down on something very hard and his brain registered a slight shock.
An instant later, he looked down slightly, only to find that he had tried to sink his teeth into a soda can. "YEOW!" he cried, slamming his eyes shut and feeling embarrassed almost immediately.
Another noise alerted him to his fellow pilot, and the fact that her hand was over her mouth, no doubt stifling a giggle.
"I..I'm sorry...I feel so stupid.." Shinji said as her hand slowly fell back to her bag and her face again converted back into a smile at her companion.
"Let's eat." With that, Rei sat upon the hard asphalt of the rooftop with her back to the guard rail and took out the contents of her lunch, examining them quietly. Shinji followed suit, but as Rei was about to bite into her fruit, Shinji looked at her. "H-hold on, Rei."
"What for?"
'Dammit!' he thought, not having an excuse. Then he came up with one. "Um, well...wmm, why don't we make a toast?"
Ayanami was confused. "A toast? What is that?"
Shinji mentally kicked himself, reminding himself that he only knew what it was thanks to his beer-chugging guardian. "W-w-well, it's when you...when you take a sip together, f-for a good reason."
The odd look the First Child was giving him indicated that he hadn't helped by trying to explain it. "I am sorry. I do not understand."
"Umm ok, I'll tell you how, I guess. Can't hurt to learn, right? I mean, you might need it someday!" Shinji responded with a nervous laugh. He then raised his soda can. "First, you open the can."
Rei silently did so.
"Then," Shinji continued, "you hold it up, like so," he finished as he raised his can to eye level. She followed suit, nearly mirroring him.
"And, finally, one of us gives a reason to drink, we tap cans, and we drink. Something along those lines, anyway.." Shinji trailed off.
"What reason shall we drink to?"
"Umm, well...er...how about....our first lunch together?" the Third Child proposed after finding a logical reason.
"That is acceptable," she answered.
"Umm, okay! To our first lunch together!" Shinji exclaimed, gently touching his can to hers and taking a sip in concert with her.
'To our first lunch together,' Rei thought as she began to consume her lunch with the Third Child.
Fortunately, the lunch went without further incident, and the two of them were able to finish their food and get back to class in time for the continuation of the sensei's monotone lecture.
However...
Neither of them realized that they could be seen from the room's windows, with their backs on the guard rail.
Only two sets of eyes saw them.
One pair looked with excitement, yet worry. But he did his best not to give away his friend's location to the other.
It was too late, though, as the other pair had already seen them. Her teeth could nearly be heard gnashing into her food, while her eyes remained steadily on the seated pair on the roof.
And she was pissed.
No, not just pissed.
Sorely pissed.
Severely pissed.
Hell & high water pissed.
Someone was going to pay dearly.
She just had to figure out which one....
-------End Chapter One
Author's Notes: Not much to comment on here, except for the possible overdose on Shinji and how he tends to have nervous breakdowns whenever in difficult situations, especially when it comes to girls, as well as Rei OOC. Oh well, at least the stage is now set for the gears to start moving.
Now, to leave you with some next-chapter thoughts...
-Will Rei actually do what she "intends to do something about"?
-Might Shinji actually get his act together for once?
-And, of course, what kinda of vengeance is brimming with Asuka Langley Sohryu's mind?
Find out in the next Chapter, The Tutorial...