I don't own anything
I don't own anything.
Angel Eyes
-Chapter Two:
Misato yawned and rolled over in her bed. She stared at the clock on her bedside table and frowned. It was ten in the morning and she was awake. Why was she awake? For that matter, why did she feel so excited? The scent of something cooking assaulted her nose and she bolted upright. That was it. Shinji was back!
Misato bounced to her feet and ran out of her room to see her former charge standing over the stove. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and only a pair of blue jeans. Misato was certainly not about to complain. "Morning Shinji."
"Morning," the man returned in his deep, rough voice that Misato was coming to love. He took the pan he had been watching off the stove and set it on one of the inactive burners as he hunted through the cupboards for plates. He found them and walked back to the table. Misato found her gaze immediately drawn to the pendant hanging from his neck.
"You kept it."
"Pardon?"
"My cross," Misato stated quietly. "You kept it." Shinji glanced down at his necklace as he set the plates down.
"Of course I did," he replied. He reached up to take it off. "Do you want it back?"
"No!" Shinji's hands froze and Misato blushed at her outburst. "You keep it Shinji." He nodded and walked back to the stove to get what he had been cooking.
"You know," he began, "I seem to recall you making a promise when you gave me this necklace." Misato's eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about.
"It seemed like the thing to say at the time," she replied weakly. Shinji laughed at her and loaded her plate with eggs, bacon, and toast. As he handed it to her, Misato noticed a strange circular scar on his palm. "What happened to your hand?"
"What?" Misato took the plate and studied the mark more carefully. She turned his hand over and found a matching one on the back. "Oh, that. It's noting." He extracted his hand carefully and reached for another plate, revealing an identical mark on his right hand.
"Oh my God, Shinji."
"It's nothing," Shinji repeated dismissively.
"Being crucified is nothing?" Misato demanded. Shinji paused slightly at her wording and Misato's eyes widened. She peeked over the edge of the table and stared at the marks on the tops of his bare feet. He finished with his plate and turned to retrieve a couple beers from the fridge. "Shinji?"
"Yeah?"
"You said that you knew about Third Impact," Misato stated. She saw Shinji hesitate slightly. He quickly regained his composure and brought the cans to the table. "All anyone remembers is seeing someone they cared for and then waking up on the beach naked. All that stuff Ritsuko was going on about is only a theory. What happened, Shinji?"
"Are you sure you want to know?" Shinji asked. Misato thought about that for a moment before nodding. "All of your AT fields were dissolved and you were assimilated." It was pretty much the answer she had been expecting, even if she didn't full understand what he meant.
"I see." She frowned as she thought about how Shinji had said that. "We were assimilated, but not you?"
"Someone had to remain," Shinji replied. "Someone had to choose. Don't ask. You really don't want to know about it." Misato opened her beer and drank it to give herself time to think about what to say next.
"You have a lot of secrets Shinji," she stated finally. "Keeping them all bottled up inside isn't a good thing."
"So I've been told," Shinji commented neutrally. Misato considered her next words carefully, the memory of the last time she had pressed him about his past still clear in her mind.
"I'm here if you ever want to talk." Shinji glanced up and stared at her for a moment in a cold, doubtful manner. His expression softened as he met her eyes and he smiled.
"Thanks."
(:ii:)
"This isn't necessary," Shinji stated again.
"Quit being such a tough guy," Misato ordered as she punched him in the arm. She knocked on the door in front of them.
"Come in!" Ritsuko called. Misato pushed it open and led Shinji inside.
"Reporting for his check up!" Misato cheered as she tugged the pensive Ikari towards the examining table.
"Alright," Ritsuko replied without turning from what she was working on. "Please remove your eye patch. I'll be right with you." Misato smiled as she saw Shinji shoot a glance at her.
"Don't worry," she prodded, "I'm a big tough soldier. I won't run out of here squealing like a little girl with worms in her hair."
"I seem to recall snakes having that effect," Ritsuko commented. Misato turned sharply on her oldest friend.
"You never mentioned how they got there," she growled.
"And you never mentioned how my underwear ended up for sale on the campus message board," Ritsuko shot back. Misato winced and glance at Shinji, but he just chuckled. "Don't you laugh Ikari, you're only encouraging her. Please take off your shirt as well."
"Alright." Misato tried really hard to not to blatantly gawk at her former charge. Yes she had seen him shirtless this morning, but his naked torso was still quite a magnificent send up to the male form. Ritsuko finally turned and walked forward.
"Your eye patch please." Shinji again glanced at Misato and carefully pulled off his patch. Misato was quite proud of how well she hid her shudder. She had seen plenty of war wounds, but this was different. She had noticed the four long scars radiating from his eye on his forehead and the single scar beneath his eye, running up his cheek. At the time, she had thought nothing of them, but with the eye patch removed, there was only one explanation for his eye.
"Interesting," Ritsuko commented clinically. "How did you loose it?"
"I had a disagreement with someone." Those words confirmed it for Misato. Someone had plucked Shinji's eye out of its socket.
"Who?"
"A woman," Shinji stated with a chuckle. Ritsuko checked the knot of scar tissue carefully.
"It's well on its way to healing," she stated as she pulled on a stethoscope and pressed it against Shinji's chest. "Breathe in." Shinji breathed in and, on her orders, let it out his breath slowly. Ritsuko quickly repeated it against his back and than took his pulse. "Everything seems to be doing well. You're certainly in very good shape."
"I know," Shinji replied. Ritsuko ignored him and turned back to her bench to retrieve something.
"Hold out your finger."
"What's that?" Shinji asked as the blond advanced on him.
"I just need a sample of your blood." Shinji withdrew his hand sharply and Ritsuko frowned.
"What for?" he demanded.
"I'm going to check for Blue Patterns," Ritsuko stated. "Since you're such an expert on the Third Impact, I'm sure you know that some people returned with Blue Patterns just like the Angels."
"What of them?" Shinji asked.
"They're a threat that must be identified," Ritsuko stated as she eyed him coldly. "Please hold out your finger."
"Why are they a threat?" Shinji pressed.
"They aren't human," Ritsuko stated. "They are powerful, dangerous, and apparently hold great animosity towards mankind, Shinji, or maybe you haven't heard about what's happening in Europe. Please hold out your hand." Misato could literally feel the tension in the air.
"I take it this is the real reason for the exam?" Shinji murmured as he finally held out his hand and Ritsuko pricked his finger. "And who's to say who the bad guy is in Europe?"
"As a human being, I say the Angels are the bad guys," Ritsuko replied as she stared at his finger. "Coloring is normal at least," she murmured. She pressed a small strip of paper against the crimson dot welling from the tiny wound and than fed it into the device she held. It seemed to take forever. "You don't have any Blue Patterns." Misato let out the breath she hadn't noticed she was holding.
"I see," Shinji replied as he eyed the machine with an unreadable expression for what felt like a long time while licking his wounded finger.
"Shinji?" Misato prodded gently. He snapped out of his thoughts and quickly pulled on his shirt and eye patch before turning to Misato with a bright grin. "What do you say we go out for lunch? My treat."
"Great!" Misato cheered.
(:ii:)
Misato frowned as she drove through the streets of Tokyo-3. Besides her, Shinji was a million miles away, his eye fixed on a point far beyond the windshield. "So, what was with you and the blood test?" Misato winced. She had been trying to sound casual. "Scared of needles or something?"
"It's nothing," Shinji stated. Misato frowned. After his last outburst, she hadn't felt much like tempting fate. "Where do you want to go?"
"I haven't been in Tokyo-3 in years," Shinji pointed out. Misato thought about that for a minute and jerked the wheel of her ancient Alpine hard. The car skidded through a yellow light. "Your driving has gotten better."
"I'm living on a fixed UN pension," Misato replied cheerfully. "My insurance already eats up way too much of my cash."
"Still?" Misato punched him in the arm and pulled over.
"Here we are!" Shinji stared at the ramen shop through the window.
"I appreciate the sentiment," he began, "but I car afford to treat you to something more expensive."
"You don't remember?" Misato pouted. Shinji chuckled and climbed out of the car with Misato on his heels.
"Actually, I do," he stated. "This is where you brought. . .where you brought. . .us, after that Angel." Misato frowned at the way his voice hitched.
"I really am here if you want to talk," she stated. Shinji shot her a wiry grin.
"Is that to help me or your curiosity?" Misato put on her best devastated look.
"How could you think that?" she demanded. Shinji raised an eyebrow. "Well, maybe a little." Shinji laughed and glanced around.
"I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?" Misato demanded.
"Bathroom. I'll be right back."
(:ii:)
Shinji slipped into the alleyway and scowled. "What are you doing here?"
"Why are you with her?" Asuka demanded from behind him. He turned and glared down at the fuming redhead.
"I'm enjoying my life," he stated.
"I am your life!" Asuka snapped fiercely. "Just like how you are my life."
"I thought we agreed," Shinji commented. "I'm not your Shinji, not anymore. It's over, Asuka."
"It's not over!" Asuka roared. "After everything we've done to each other, do you think I can just let you go? Do you think you can let me go? I know this isn't you Shinji. You're just pretending." Shinji stared at her, his fists clenching tightly. He wanted it so much. His senses seemed to sharpen, eagerly preparing for battle. He took a deep breath, trying to stop the blood roaring through his veins.
"I just had a Blue Pattern test," he stated slowly. "I'm human, Asuka." The redhead stared at him uncomprehendingly.
"The test was wrong." She was almost pleading.
"The test was right," Shinji stated. "I'm either human, or I'm so weak that no one can tell the difference."
"I can," Asuka spat. "You aren't human, Shinji. You're a monster, just like me."
"Not anymore. Go away Asuka. We both need to find ways to live without the other. As a matter of fact, I was growing tired of the fighting. I like this."
"Liar," Asuka hissed. "You're my blood-thirsty berserker. You'll prove it in the end. You can't fit in here and you don't like this." With that she was gone. Shinji stared at the spot she had occupied and turned sharply to land a harsh punch against the side of one of the dumpsters filling alleyway. Pain roared through his arm and he had to bite back a bitter laugh as he examined his bruised knuckles. He had forgotten how fragile humans really were.
"I really am pathetic now, aren't I?"
(:ii:)
Misato frowned as she waited for Shinji's return. What was taking him so long? She glanced out through the ramen shop's front windows and felt her frown become a scowl. Shinji was standing outside chatting with a young, dark-haired woman. The woman was holding a map up, but Misato could easily read her body language. She was looking for a lot more than just directions.
Fortunately, Shinji's body language quite clearly stated that he was entirely oblivious, not that Misato was going to give him time to figure it out. She pushed the door open and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, I already ordered. Our food is coming up."
"Thanks," Shinji stated as he flashed her a smile before turning to the other woman. "I'm sorry I couldn't be any more help Miss Kurosaki."
"Oh, it's fine," the woman stated with a giggle even as she eyed Misato coldly. "It just figures that the first person I asked for directions would be another tourist. Thanks anyways."
"Not a problem." Misato watched the woman disappear and quickly ushered Shinji inside by the arm. She wasn't being jealous, she was being protective. Of this she assured herself. After all, Shinji was fifteen years her junior, almost like a son really, even if he did look damn fine without a shirt.
"So, what did you want to eat, Shinji?"
"But you just. . ."
"What did you want to eat, Shinji?" Misato interrupted, the fingers wrapped around his forearm tightening like a vise.
"Uh. . .pork ramen?"
"Sounds good!" Misato exclaimed as she turned to the young lady behind the counter. "Two pork ramen meals please."
"Will that be all?" the cashier asked.
"Yup." Misato watched as the meals were totaled up and shot a glance over her shoulder at Shinji. "Well?"
"Well what?" Shinji asked.
"You're paying, aren't you?" Misato asked.
"Right."
(:ii:)
Shinji Ikari was not one to believe in unalienable truths. . .normally. After all, the truth was what those with power said it was. Sadly, there was one truth that he doubted would ever change, he just didn't get women. Sometimes they seemed like such normal creatures, most of the time they just didn't make any sense at all. "So," he began, not entirely sure where he was going with the conversation he was trying to start. In the end he gave up on it. "How's the food?"
"It's pretty good," Misato stated. "Don't think I missed that look you had when the food came up. Don't like ramen?"
"It's just been a while," Shinji stated. "There wasn't much Japanese food in Britain."
"Britain?" Misato asked, perking up immediately. Shinji frowned as he considered the ramifications of what he had just said. What harm could there be? "So you've been in Europe?"
"No," Shinji stated. "As Doctor Akagi stated, mainland Europe is a battlefield right now. I much preferred the United Kingdom, Scotland and North Ireland specifically. It was quiet there." A smile appeared on Misato's face. "What?"
"I'm just thinking of you in a kilt," she stated as she began giggling. Shinji stared at her blankly for a moment before the admission took hold and he too began chuckling.
"I might be able to pull it off, you know?" Shinji asked. That made Misato laugh all the harder. This was nice. There was no tension here, no one worrying about tomorrow. It was. . .soothing. They finished the rest of their meals in comfortable silence. "So," Shinji began as they threw away their trays and made their way towards Misato's Alpine, "what do you want to do now?"
"How about we pick up a movie?" Misato asked.
"Sounds good to me." And it really did.
-End
(:ii:)
-Author's notes. Alright smartasses, I knew there'd be giggles when me and that bitch romance showed up together. Although, generally, you guys seemed to get a kick out of the story, or perhaps just the concept of me doing romance, so I decided to slap this sucker up and see what you guys think.
The pacing on this stuff is killing me. I don't want to go too fast, but it's hard not to slow down so much that I'm dragging things out. As my big experiment, I think this stuff is going to either skip along or drunken low crawl, so be sure to call me on it so I learn my lesson.