"Rei…what do we do now?" Asuka was trying to hurry with her plug suit, but the events of the elevator were dominating her thoughts.
"I don't know. If Shinji loves both of us in the same manner, I don't know what to do. For now though, it may be best to focus on the enemy. We will have time afterwards to talk about where to go."
"You've already kissed him, haven't you?" Asuka said with a defeated tone that made Rei slightly regret shocking her so many times.
"…I have."
"Then I lost him…things won't be the same again."
"No, they won't. They will be better."
"How's that supposed to be? You already have more of him than I do."
"Shinji didn't say that he loved me more than you, despite me having kissed him twice. There may be room in his heart for both of us. I know that in the last month that we have been spending together, that I've grown fond of you as well."
"WHAT!? Don't tell me you have the hots for me?"
"I-its not like that!" Rei blushed brightly at the accusation. " A friend is someone that makes an imprint on your life that you will miss if it were suddenly taken away. You and Shinji…I would miss both of you. I consider you my best friend though."
"You do? Despite all that I've called you?" Rei's response was a simple nod as she got up and pressurized her suit. "Then what has the last day been with the shock collar!?"
"A poker bet that you lost. My friend." Rei smiled her soft smile and walked first out of the locker room.
"Room for both of us huh? Better than being thrown out on the street…" Asuka told the picture of herself when she was younger at one of her better moments holding up a trophy. "Maybe I can help you yet, you poor kid." She closed the door and went out to get into her EVA.
"If you are going to be slow getting here, then don't bother coming at all!" All three pilots noticeably cringed. The alert had been nothing more than a drill, and now they were getting chewed out for being 10 seconds slow.
"I will say that the Third Child's idea of carrying his plug suit with him, despite it being against regulations, is intriguing. You will all be doing this from now on. Dismissed."
As they waked out of the door, his father called out. "Pilot Ikari, remain here." Shinji didn't want to be there, the room was freezing, not to mention the emotional void between the two Ikaris.
"What is the meaning of the…unusual necklace?"
"Um…A-Asuka, Rei, and I were all playing poker. Rei upped the ante with a bet that the winner would have the other two be 'slaves' for a week. This was the first thing she did."
'You've got to be kidding me….Rei did that?' The commander shuffled in his seat, but his hands remained in the same position in front of his face. "And who won?"
"Rei. It was kinda funny actually. Asuka thought she had won, and then…boom Royal Flush." Despite the fear in his heart, Shinji tried to at least reach out to his father, his only living relative.
Commander Ikari chuckled lightly. "I bet it must have been a sight, Shinji." He saw his son's face flush and then saw him fall onto the floor. "What did I do this time?"
"I wouldn't know, but….you haven't moved your hands in the last three hours, are they…"
"Yes…they are frozen again. We really need to get that thermostat fixed. You'd think that we could---"
"Fit that into the scenario?" The old man chuckled as he leaned over and pushed the button on the intercom and called for some warm water to be brought in. "It would be nice not to have my shoes freeze to the floor when I'm in here."
"We'd better get Shinji a stretcher and get him out."
"Hmm…yeah. Why'd you do that?"
"What?"
"Call him by his name after all this time."
"…Cold must be getting to me."
"If that's what you must call it. I'll just call those two back in and have them carry him out." Fuyutski pointed to the monitor showing the camera view from just outside the door which had the female pilots pacing in front of it like expecting fathers.
They had to stifle laughter as the girls came in and Shinji was dragged out.
"You do know they looked like they were smoking…"
"Like smokestacks…"
"And…"
They couldn't help it anymore and began laughing in earnest, much to Gendo Ikari's regret when he tore his hands off his face, along with it, a couple layers of skin.
"AAAAHHHHHH!!!"
"Ah, nice sunny day. Now if only…" Misato's eyes wondered as she looked that men that walked around. 'Hmm…I wonder if he's single?' She had a guy at the bar in her crosshairs who was talking to the bartender.
"Wark!?"
"What are you doing on deck? Whoa…there's something you don't see everyday." Misato chuckled as the penguin had taken the seat next to her and pulled out a reflector and lay down to sunbathe.
She brought her eyes back to the bar, halfway eyeing the guy and also wondering as to what varieties of liquor were held there. That was when he started to turn around.
'This is it…I hope he's a hunk!' Misato silently moved forward, almost looking like a hunter readying for the kill.
It was Kaji. "Oh damn it!" Misato plunged forward and was soon laying on the deck crying. 'Just my luck…set my sights on one guy…and he's a pervert.'
Kaji came over with two drinks and set them on the table, then looked down at Misato. "I take it that the pretty lady is trying to get a peek?" If there was one person in the world that could give her as hard a time as she gave Shinji, it was this man. She scrambled for her deck chair and soon had chugged both drinks to help hide her embarrassed blushing. "I'll take that as a yes." Kaji sat on the other side of the table and started staring out towards the sea.
"Not that I really…care. But is something wrong?" She had recovered and was fanning herself now to cool down.
"I don't know. I don't think anything is wrong, just something isn't right." He reached over and took her free hand. "I just want to hold your hand, nothing more." His voice pleaded with her and she didn't pull away.
"What was with you? You fell right on top of me and passed out yesterday."
"That little…" Kaji pointed towards a penguin who now really felt endangered. "I was chasing him for you and well…he dived into the hatch and as I went after him the boat heaved, sending me right into you Misato."
"Oh really? Is that the truth Pen-Pen?"
The penguin looked slowly up at his master, then slowly shook his head.
"Hmm…and here I thought that someone was stalking me…oh well. I suppose I'll let you off with a warning this time. Besides…"
"Feeling a little lonely?"
"Yeah… I mean wait!"
"Its okay, I'll let you in on a secret: I was getting lonely also.
(A/N: Thanks for pointing out my 'mistake' in the first chapter! You know how you are!)
"You know what Rei? I've been thinking. Someone had to be cheating last night."
"Why would you say that?"
"Because I had four queens, and you had a royal flush! Not possible with a normal deck."
"Does it really matter now that you gave up the 'pot'?" Rei wanted to end the conversation quickly, sighing inside at the fact it had taken this long for the redhead to figure this out.
"YOU CHEATED DIDN'T YOU!?"
"I did not. Shinji was the one that dealt the cards all night, remember?"
"Oh yeah. Hey baka!" Asuka leaned down and pulled him to her lips, waking him up with an understandable start. She figured that was the least she could get back since she had dragged his butt home. "Were you stacking the deck last night?"
"U-Um….." Shinji looked around. He didn't know what was going on at this point. His father had called him Shinji, then he fainted, Asuka kissed him awake, and now he was laying on the couch and being accused of cheating. "I don't think I did…"
"You think you didn't! What kind of answer is that!"
"Well….Rei brought the cards over…all I did was shuffle them."
"Passing the buck eh? Well I'll make sure you can't get away!" She sat on his chest and stared back at Rei. "What's your take now?"
"I think you had better do two things. One, remember your place as my slave for the next six days." She pulled out her remote. "And two, get off of Shinji…you're smothering him."
"Air….air…." Asuka finally heard Shinji's cries for the precious gas and was soon off of him.
"Asuka….I knew you liked taking people's….breath away, but…that's just down right mean." Despite having just been given a reprieve, he was already making fun of Asuka, and was being 'rewarded' by being choked.
Rei chuckled. "Well, only one way to settle this." She pressed both buttons. "Snuggle." She moved in close to Shinji and soon fell asleep.
A few moments later, pictures were taken of the cute trio and mass emailed with the words "Look at the happy…newlyweds?"
To say that Gendo Ikari was amused, was an understatement.
"Milk is for drinking…not for coming out of your nose…"
"I am so glad I had that hidden camera installed."
"Mmm…" Shinji awoke to find that he had two girls leaning on him, pinning him down. "Oh man…" He sat there rethinking things. It was evident now to him that the deck had been stacked, and he saw an opportunity to take advantage. Yes it was against his character, but….the evil thought in his brain was forming into a plan and he was now smirking.
"What is it Shinji? Want a kiss?" Rei looked up at him while rubbing the sleep from her own eyes.
"Oh…nothing. And not really. I would like to talk to both you and Asuka on this whole cheating thing. I think I have a way we can settle it once and for all with something we are all good at."
"What is that?"
"Piloting." The bait was set, and Shinji couldn't wait to let his secret to him being able to pilot the Evangelion so well.
That, and his secret nickname that only Kensuke knew about: The Demon Lord of Asia.