Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion. This is the property of someone else, whose name escapes me. Also, despite its very brief mention, I do not own Bleach either, even if it does just appear as a manga in this story.
It wasn't often that Shinji got time off. Between NERV, school, and his roommates, he doesn't get much time to himself. Despite opinions to the contrary, on this rare day off, Shinji does not immediately unleash his perversion on the world. No, he does something that nobody expects, but in hindsight should be pretty obvious. Shinji leaves the apartment that he shares with Asuka, Misato, and the genetically engineered penguin Pen Pen, and heads down to the bookstore on the corner of Main Street.
Despite what his roommate and somewhat love interest Asuka would assume, Shinji does not rush over to the section of the store that contains dirty magazines. Instead, he heads over to the section of the store that sells Manga. Shinji, like many young boys, enjoys reading Manga, despite fears of being labeled an Otaku. Today, Shinji decides to pick up a manga by the name of Bleach. He has read several manga in the series, but the one he reads today has a profound impact.
Shinji reads on, and as Ichigo flees from Urahara, Shinji finds him sympathetic. After all, Shinji had been running from his problems all his life. And then, he reaches the part where Zangetsu appears for the very first time, and the sword's speech to Ichigo seems to strike directly into Shinji's heart, as if Zangetsu were speaking to him personally. The words, despite being flat on a piece of paper seem to ring through his mind, echoing in his very soul.
"Abandon your fear. Face forward; don't give an inch. Advance; never stop. Retreat and you will age. Hesitate and you will die." Shinji murmurs, voice a soft whisper of awe and realization. He continues to read on, excitement filling him as Ichigo turns and faces Urahara. Hero worship takes over as Ichigo successfully stands his ground against the much stronger Shinigami, and Shinji decides there and then that he would heed the wise words of Zangetsu. He would abandon his fear and his insecurities, and would stride forward in life, head held high. Those words would become his creed. -
Shinji's new resolve was put to the test the very second he got home. As he walked through the door, he doesn't even have time to react before Asuka grabs him by the front of his shirt and slams him against the wall. As his head smacks harshly into the wall, stars burst to life before his very eyes. His vision clears, and all he can see is angry German. Asuka's bright blue eye's burn with fury and her rather attractive face is scrunched up in a horrible scowl. Her face is flushed as crimson as her hair in her rage, whilst a vein pulses dangerously in her forehead.
Fear fills Shinji, and shame floods his mind for having made Asuka angry. For so long, he had blamed himself for how angry he made Asuka. After all, it had to be his fault, didn't it? She was never like this with anyone else, after all. In public, she was a darling but fiery little angel. It was only at home that she earned her moniker of Red Devil.
"Shinji, where were you? You were with that doll, Wonder girl, weren't you? Why weren't you at home, fixing my dinner? Well!" Asuka practically roared in his face, jealousy and anger coloring her tone. If you happen to be a more observant listener than Shinji, you might hear the undercurrent of fear in her voice. As it is, Shinji is only fourteen and has a long ways to go.
"I-I was o-only at the bookstore, A-Asuka!" Shinji whimpered, curling in on himself. In response, Asuka slams him against the wall again. Stars bursting into his vision briefly, Shinji struggles to focus on Asuka's face, avoiding her eyes.
"You were looking at dirty magazines when you were supposed to be fixing my dinner!" Asuka was steadily turning a rather interesting color of maroon, and Shinji rather imagined he could see steam coming from her nostrils. Or maybe it was smoke?
"I was not!" Shinji practically whined. He noted that at least he didn't stutter this time. Asuka merely snorted in response, her face returning to a more normal color.
"Whatever. Go cook something, you lazy, perverted moron." She growled dismissively. Shinji was about to comply, as always, when a voice echoed in his head.
'Abandon your fear.' Shinji had never heard Zangetsu's actual voice, having only read the manga. Still, the dark, rich voice, filled with wisdom and power, was exactly what he imagined the sword would sound like.
"Abandon your fear." Shinji whispered that same awe from before filling him. Something new to Shinji rose with that awe. It was something foreign to Shinji. That something bore the name, Determination.
"What was that, idiot? You have something to say?" Shinji looked up, meeting Asuka's eyes for the first time in over a week. Asuka's light blue eyes, the color of the sky, gleamed with a dull interest. She obviously didn't expect much. This time though, something in Shinji's own eyes caught her attention. His eyes, a dark, oceanic blue, were hard. Resolve shone in them, like steel. It had cracks of course, Shinji having never truly been resolved to do anything in his life. But it was there none the less.
"Make your own dinner. It's y-your turn anyway." Shinji's voice cracked in the middle, his resolve riddled with uncertainty. He got his message across all the same. Shinji scurried by Asuka, leaving her standing by herself in the hallway. He fled to his room, disbelieving of his own bravery. Still, warmth unknown to Shinji began to fill him. It was called pride, something he was unused to feeling.
Meanwhile, Asuka could only stare at the spot Shinji had stood in shock. He had stood up to her. This thought pounded through her mind. He had actually stood up to her. So small, it was nearly invisible, Asuka's pink lips curled slightly upward. She was smiling.
Author's notes: This isn't the first attempt I've made at writing this fandom, but it is difficult to do correctly even now. The characters of Evangelion, despite the purpose with which the series was made, are complex and multi-faceted. They all have problems, and it is taxing trying to understand them well enough to actually write them. I believe I made a mistake with Asuka. This is relatively early in the series, and she doesn't get as physically abusive as I made her until later in the series. By the way, this will not be a bashing fic. They are pathetic attempts at stories, where the characters are all two dimensional hacks that never change or grow. Please leave a review.
