Polar

Ayanami was not happy.

This was hardly saying something, though. Ayanami was never happy. Ever.

Hyuuga, on the other hand, was always grinning and joking. The fact that he was still around was amazing. All the other members of the Black Hawks always wondered about this.

In fact, Ayanami himself often wondered the same thing. But Hyuuga had been around since their training days, and the thought of his absence made the chief's frown even more pronounced.

Hyuuga had always been an annoyance. Ayanami had suffered his cheer all through military training, and had been stoically relieved to finally get into the army. But his exhale of what could have been translated into something along the lines of "peace at last" had been cut short by the now-familiar call of "Aya-chan!" and an exuberant wave from down the hall.

They had been bunk-mates for an excruciatingly long time. Ayanami had risen through the ranks very quickly, Hyuuga following at his heels. The fair-haired man tolerated his company to the best of his abilities, despite the terrible nickname his unwanted companion had bestowed upon him.

And then… the Black Hawks had been formed and Ayanami appointed Chief of Staff. And he had smiled, one of those unpleasant little upward quirks at the corners of his lips, but a smile all the same.

And he was finally free. Free of that constant chatter, that demeaning nickname, and that irritating cheer.

"I guess I can't call you 'Aya-chan' anymore, huh?"

Ayanami had stiffened and turned to stare coldly at the bespectacled man. "Hyuuga," he had said, an edge to his voice that almost, almost, if he had been a different person, might just have bordered on exasperated desperation. "What are you doing?"

"Haven't you heard?" Hyuuga had replied with his perpetual grin, his blue eyes laughing behind his sunglasses. "I'm a 'Unit Assigned to Chief of Staff-' I'll be kind of like your Begleiter, since you don't have one yet."

Ayanami would have groaned, had he been the sort to do so. Instead, he contented himself with a glare before he turned and continued towards his new office, although his new position seemed much bleaker now that he had to share it with this guy, who, even now, was following along behind him, chattering ceaselessly just as he had over the past few years.

"…though, since I can't call you 'chan' anymore," Hyuuga was pondering behind him. "I'll have to think of something else." There was a pause, in which the only sound was of their footsteps echoing in the large, empty hallway. "'Sama,'" Hyuuga declared after a moment, "is too formal. We're so close, so that wouldn't do." Ayanami was about to point out that he couldn't stand the other's presence, but before he could say anything Hyuuga reached a conclusion.

"Ah! 'Tan!' It's perfect!" He decided with a triumphant grin. Ayanami stopped in his tracks.

"Hyuuga," he said, voice low and laced with menace. "If you even think about-"

"What's that, Aya-tan? You need to talk louder if you want people to hear you!"

There was a moment of silence…

And Hyuuga was not beaten.

Instead, Ayanami resumed his pace, seething just a little, and he was "Aya-tan" forevermore.