Rivalitas
Chapter 3: Heartfelt Considerations
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The limo took them out of town at an astonishing pace. Apparently Asuka's driver was used to having to outrun cars full of ravenous paparazzi. Asuka sure didn't act like it was anything out of the ordinary.
"Don't worry," she said in a teasing sort of way, "I have a guest bedroom."
Shinji let out a sigh of relief and glanced out of the back of the limo. The paparazzi were not keeping up and were quickly being left behind. "You've got a good driver," Shinji speculated.
"He's the best," Asuka replied, "Used to be a soldier. Plus he doubles as a bouncer in a pinch. And he's loyal as well." At least she hoped. When he saw how little she would be able to pay him he'd have to be.
"I don't want to impose," Shinji said politely.
Asuka shook her head and waved him off. "No," she said, "To be honest with you it gets lonely when it's just me. Having you here will make it a lot more interesting, I'm sure."
"OK," Shinji said. He really didn't want to intrude, but if it meant he got to see more of Asuka it was worth it.
At this point there was no question in Shinji's mind that Asuka was acting different. He had yet to be badly insulted or embarrassed. Better, and stranger, yet he had been complimented by her. By the great Asuka Langley Soryu!
"I can't wait to see the house," Shinji said, politely feigning interest.
"I can't wait to show it to you," Asuka said, smiling.
Finally the limousine pulled into a driveway on the outskirts of Berlin. Asuka and Shinji got out of the limo and Shinji looked the house over.
It was pretty big. It had a three car garage, pool, walls, and a large house. 'Not the biggest,' Shinji thought, 'But big enough.' He decided Asuka would've liked it to be bigger. "Nice house," he admired.
"Yeah," she said half-heartedly, "But I would've liked it bigger."
Shinji cocked a small smile and followed Asuka up the front steps. She closed the door behind him and they entered the entrance hall. Asuka began giving him the full tour.
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Finally Shinji was left alone to enter the guest room. He left the lights on, expecting to leave the room after getting cleaned up a little. Sweat from the paparazzi experience covered his face and he decided he needed a shower. He stripped down and jumped in.
He made sure to lock the door.
Shinji let the hot water run over his body as he began to review the night's events. 'OK,' he thought, 'Dinner at a nice restaurant, get seated, talk, order food, paparazzi shows up, run out, get in limo, and I'm now staying at Asuka's. Yeah, that pretty much sums it up,'
His thoughts began to drift towards what he and Asuka had talked about. The discussion had been mostly about what had happened to them recently he realized. 'That's good,' he thought, 'we didn't even have to bring NERV or piloting up once.'
Upon further thinking Shinji realized that they hadn't talked about much else. 'Oh well,' he thought, 'more for later.'
Next his thoughts went to the repercussions for being seen like that. Pictures would show up in all the magazines, of course, and some celebrity news shows would report on it. 'Oh well,' he thought, 'its not like we are meeting secretly or anything.'
His mind sunk when he realized that was exactly what had happened. Worse, they'd been holding hands when it all started. "Jesus," he said aloud, "They're going to think we're a couple!"
'Is that really that bad?' a piece of him thought.
He considered it for a moment before answering himself. 'It wouldn't be bad if we were a couple,' he thought, 'but even then I wouldn't want everyone to know about it.'
The big problem, he decided, was that they weren't even actually dating. All of this would be reported around the world, only to later be denied by Asuka. Even if Shinji desperately wanted it to be true, Asuka would never accept it.
'Or would she?' he thought. She had seemed different…But that different?
Shinji figured it out in his head calmly. 'Even if Asuka would accept it,' he thought, 'I wouldn't want it to be publicized.'
'What if she wanted it to be publicized?' the little voice in his head thought.
'She wouldn't,' he argued, 'Asuka isn't like that.'
'Are you sure? As you said, she has changed.'
No response for a moment then a decisive ending to the battle. 'She isn't like that,' he thought.
Shinji now turned to what to do next. 'Deny it? Try to make it real? Ignore it?' he thought. It was no easy decision, especially without vertabrae.
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Asuka was laying on one of her couches in her living room thinking about the night's events as well. Just in a very different way.
'Alright,' she thought, 'I'm doing well. Why, after that a set of just me will go way up! The media will be craving for my attention now!' Thoughts of interviews and autographs began to dance in her head.
Still, Asuka couldn't help but worry a little about Shinji. He was liable to be hurt by this, weak as he was. Especially weak as he was. Already she felt a little sorry for him…
She pushed the feeling aside. 'Get a grip Asuka,' she thought, 'It isn't like you love him or anything!'
Internally she went on to decide that Shinji wasn't worth her pity, time, and most especially her love. There was no way the baka deserved any of that from her.
Groveling at her feet… maybe he deserved that.
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Shinji got out of the shower and began toweling himself off. Soon he was getting dressed.
He'd made up his mind. He was going to go ask Asuka out. For real. No joke.
All he could hope was that she would not laugh.
'If she says yes,' he decided, 'then neither of us will have to put up with that dam paparazzi ever again.'
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In the living room Asuka fluffed pillows and straightened everything up.
She'd made up her mind. If Shinji wouldn't ask her out then Asuka would ask him out.
He would of course way yes.
'When he says yes,' she thought, 'my place in the spotlight will be assured forever!'
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Still no dividers. That's getting annoying.
I have a reccomendation for the next chapter. Before, during, or after you read it listen/read the lyrics to Almost Honest by Megadeth. I think that's where this storyline is sort of coming from.
Thanks to all the reviewers. I already have more then half as many reviews as my first story has gotten. And that's only in 2 chapters and a prologue! Update will be soon, count on it.