Neon Genesis Evangelion Pilot's Table
By D.A.
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Title:
Prompt: Set 1 / Prompt 22 (Sunshine)
Word Count: 1900+
Rating: T
Summary: The girls talk over their time with Kaworu. Each of them knew him in a slightly different fashion, all of them knew he was an Angel and friend to Shinji.
Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion
Notes: Out of the Evangelion fanfiction I've read, these three girls are probably my favorites of the whole cast. This focuses a bit more around Rei.
Part three of the "I knew you then" Arc of my Pilot's Table drabble series. Sequel to the "Awakening" arc.
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Asuka waited until they had finished eating before grabbing Rei and Hikari's hands and dragging them off to the beach for some "girl talk", a codeword of sorts that instantly had Touji and Shinji cleaning up while the young women went out near the water's edge. Water that was now a wonderfully normal blue, under a sky normal except for the red ring that now spun round the Earth and the faintly visible slash of red across the moon's surface as it hung high in the evening sky.
Both her friends, and she did indeed consider Rei a friend now even if she still got on her nerves, gave her confused looks after glancing at their respective men. Kaworu and Touji merely shrugged and looked to Shinji, who in turn smiled at Asuka and went back to cleaning up while the adults talked over a bottle of beer each. Misato's contribution to the BBQ, other than driving the car when Shinji and Asuka bought groceries at the recently reopened market. Asuka looked out over the ocean for a moment, her expression thoughtful and a little hesitant.
"What is it you wish to speak about?" Rei's softly spoken question pulled Asuka's gaze to her, "Kaworu mentioned to me you have been discussing the Memories from inside Instrumentality. Is something wrong?"
"Not wrong," Asuka started, despite everything she still had issues being cordial to Rei at times, the other Pilot's logical way of speaking and thinking caused her to think of a robotic doll inspite of the redhead's best efforts to let go of old hurts, "Shinji and I think we need to all talk about our relationships from inside Instrumentality. You know, to clear the air so we don't hurt our current relationships with each other."
"Kaworu." Hikari put in, and Asuka nodded once.
"Yeah, we're gonna talk about our time with him." Asuka put a hand on Rei's shoulder, surprising the bluenette, and herself a little, with the gesture, "Kaworu mentioned to Shinji how you and Hikari have been edgy and dodgy about those lives."
"So he spoke to Shinji-" Rei started, a faint flash of annoyance in her pale red eyes as her small frame grew tense and she took a half step back, only for Asuka to interrupt.
"He couldn't get you to talk." Asuka snapped, "The only reason we talked with the Suzuharas first was because you two still acted normal, and they were almost fighting."
"Suzuharas...?" Hikari blushed furiously, "We-I mean I-"
"It's always been pretty obvious Hikari," Asuka grinned at her, pushing back her annoyance at Rei, "even before I got to know him."
"So you wish to discuss your times with Nagisa with me-"
"Rei." the german speared her with a glare, her tone flat, "You pick the worst time to show emotion and get territorial."
"Maybe it would be better for me to talk with Rei, while you two calm down?" Hikari ventured, "Asuka?"
The two young women continued to glare at each other for several more seconds, making Hikari increasingly nervous. Before she could say anything else, or get Shinji to calm Asuka, the redhead spun on her heel and moved off out of earshot where she stood with her arms crossed looking out to sea.
"Rei," Hikari's gentle tone drew the nephilium's attention, "What is going on with you and Kaworu? Asuka's right, you've been moody and snapping over little things. Well, moody for you."
Rei arched an eyebrow, and Hikari spotted another flash of annoyance as the other woman's gaze grew distant.
"I-I suppose you are right." she finally admitted, glancing down to her feet, "I have been trying to reconcile things, much like you have I suspect. It has indeed bothered me that Kaworu spent lives with the both of you, and essentially none with me."
"None?"
"Moments were shared in one life or another, but," Rei shook her head, "he did not choose me until he found me on the beach near the rest of you when we returned."
"So you're struggling with his loyalty to you." Hikari smiled, "That's normal. It's what I've been struggling with, though from the other side of things. You just have to learn about each other, and accept how the other is. That's what Shinji told me to do, when we talked about Touji and Asuka."
"Yes, the Married Couple, as Aida might have said." Rei relaxed slightly, a small smile flitting across her face, "Perhaps you are right. I am bothered by his closeness to you and Mrs. Ikari."
"Aida would've come up with someth-"Hikari froze, her mind trying to catch up to what Rei had just said.
"Asuka need not be the only one who teases others about being married." Rei smiled, seeing the look on Hikari's face, "A skill I suspect she has improved on by being in residence with Ms. Katsuragi."
"Yeah," Hikari paused, then giggled, "Ms. Katsuragi is a teaser, isn't she. Like Shinji and Asuka said to me about each other, I'll tell you: I love Touji, but I'll always appreciate what Kaworu and I had inside Instrumentality. He's our sunshine; Your's, mine, and Asuka's."
Rei watched closely as Hikari spoke, noting the blush on the former Class Rep's face and the honesty in her eyes. Hikari had been right, Rei thought, to be the first to speak. The time that she had known the brunette, Rei had never known her to lie about herself or her feelings. Avoid talking about them perhaps, but never lie. So she knew that she could trust her when she said what she did. And perhaps she could accept whatever Asuka had to say as well.
"Thank you, Hikari," Rei finally said, "If you could trade places with Asuka, we can go back to 'our men' ,as she would say, after she has said her piece."
"Okay." Hikari smiled, then walked over to her friend and waited there as Asuka approached Rei.
"Better?" Asuka asked, tone polite as she watched Rei's expression.
"In time." it was a new sensation being under Asuka's watchful gaze, and Rei wondered for a moment if this was how children felt when their parent simply stared at them and waited for them to explain themselves.
"I hope so," the sincerity in the redhead's voice surprised Rei, and though it only showed in a widening of her eyes it was enough for Asuka to spot. She nodded once, "Kaworu is a very patient and understanding person, but like you he's still learning how normal people interact. You'll have to be just as patient and understanding if you want whatever it is you two have to work."
"I understand."
"No, you don't," the gentle statement froze Rei in place and caused a flash of annoyance to light her pale red eyes, before Asuka continued, "How many of those lives inside Instrumentality did you have a relationship in? Not many, not like this."
"And you believe you are the one to lecture me on stable relationships-" the albino tried to cut in, only to be cut off.
"Yeah, I am." Asuka snapped, loud enough to draw all eyes to them, which the two young women ignored, "Inside there I lived at least three lives with someone in a stable relationship. One of those I got married and had kids. Of the ten of us to return, I and Touji are probably the most qualified to give out advice."
Except for her initial snap, Asuka's short tirade was delivered in a tightly controlled tone of voice which again surprised Rei. And got her to thinking about what had been said. Asuka was right, much to her annoyance. She had been avoiding talking to Kaworu, much like Hikari had avoided Touji, because she did indeed doubt how much he actually cared for her when he had the memories of lives with both Hikari and the redheaded german in front of her. It galled her, a term she never thought would apply to her, to realize that her opposite had discerned her issue before she had. At the same time, she realized she wasn't overly surprised Asuka had seen it before her. She had been adamantly ignoring the situation, while Kaworu had Shinji to talk with, and Shinji in turn had Asuka.
"I apologize." Rei stated, eyes focused on Asuka, "You are... right. I have refused to seek out advice when I know it would be freely given."
"Accepted." Asuka said, then sigh and rubbed her hands on her upper arms as Hikari walked over to them, "I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with, so I'm sorry. I don't consciously aim to get on your nerves."
"We're here to help, not criticize each other." Hikari added, surprising the bluenette, yet again, with a light hug, "We did enough of that before Third Impact. Let's go back to the boys, I think Shinji looks a little nervous his wife is gonna beat up his sister."
Asuka blinks at her best friend, then aims a slap at her shoulder only for Hikari to laugh as she spins out of the way. Rei smiles as the tension leaves the air, and their bodies.
"Fair's fair, Mrs. Ikari," Hikari sings, smiling at the other two as they follow her back to the modest deck, "even Mrs. Nagisa is in on the game you started."
Hikari and Asuka laugh seeing Rei's intense blush at Hikari's teasing, and Hikari steps over to give her a hug as Rei laughs softly at the turn of events. As abrasive as the redhead could be, Rei thought she could see why Hikari had been such a strong friend to her. Asuka, especially after Instrumentality, cared about the people around her even if it wasn't obvious. She had been bossy and rude and aggressive because it got others' attention and usually made them do what she wanted. Now she had mellowed some. She was more polite and listened, and her aggression was more aimed at not backing down from a problem and less being on top.
And maybe some of that change was due to Kaworu. Rei knew just from the month they had been together that Kaworu brightened any place he happened to be, and his calm and optimistic nature seemed to never fail to calm her when she began to feel agitated or woke up from a nightmare she couldn't recall. He seemed to have a sixth sense about how the people around him felt, and even sleeping in his room he would wake and come to her in her room to calm her until she fell back to sleep.
She would take the advice she had been given, and not ignore Kaworu's next attempt to talk. Everyone needs some time in the sunshine afterall.
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A/N: Well, here is the next installment of I Knew You Then. Please, leave reviews on your thought. Next chapter we include the adults, and they get a quick rundown of the connection between the Children.