The Testament of EVE Chapter 10: Of Love, an evangelion fanfic

HELLO ALL! Welcome to the tenth chapter of TTOE! This is your host, Asanohoshi! I'm glad that a lot of people liked the chapter on laser quest! It has been a while since a battle scene, huh? Well, that's why I put the laser quest in.

I'd like to apologise for the delay on this update! I hope you enjoy this! It all starts in the morning. I always enjoy the morning... And the first drink of the day ;) I'm considering making every chapter of this story an account of a day in the EVA world. Any reviews, please express your opinion on this idea!

Anyway... I'm too tired to bother making the story seem dramatic for now... I also like waff. Right now, my life's a bit waffy... mmmmm... waffiness... I wish I could remember what happened on saturday... oh... c'est la vie...

Anyway, I will shut up and write now. Ok. Bye.

Go Away! Read. Stop reading this, and read the story!

Asano

Chapter Ten: Of Love...

It was a quiet morning in Tokyo-3. It had seemed to be like that lately. Maybe it was because of the lack of 50 metre high monsters invading every now and again. The night had let a gentle shower fall over the city, leaving a filmy layer of dew on the grass and the surrounding greenery that shone in the morning sun. The scene resembled that of a romantic novel, and life in this illustrious city seemed to be taking a step in the right direction.

Shinji rose in the morning to the sound of his alarm clock. It was 7:30, and he had managed to get a good sleep the previous night. Particularly because he had something rather nice to dream about. ;) should I say 'someone'

He walked to the bathroom, and completed his daily hygiene ritual. Then, he went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. It was almost a predetermined action, and he seemed to home in towards the stove. He was still a bit groggy, so he didn't notice the smell of eggs being cooked. He very nearly walked into Asuka. He stopped, and observed the German red-head cooking. He bore the blank expression of someone trying to come to terms with some sort of family massacre.

He made a mental calculation in his head:

Asuka + Cooking breakfast either happy, in relationship, or on crack.

He shook his head, to make sure that the girl in front of him wasn't a figment of his imagination. Verifying that she was real, he tried conversation.

"Ummm... Asuka. Ohayo!" he said, trying to sound cheerful.

Asuka turned to him and gave him a sunny little smile. Her cheeks had a faint flush on them, partly because of the heat that emanated from the pan, but also partially from the happiness that Shinji factored into his equation. She was wearing her school uniform, and over it, a plain white apron rather like Shinji's, but with some German writing on it. Where she had got that from, Shinji had no idea. In fact, he couldn't quite fathom why Asuka would willingly submit herself to domestic chores, no matter what they were. If EVA was made to sound like a household chore, Asuka would have probably hung up her Synch clips long ago.

"Guten Morgen, Shinji-kun!" she said in an almost joyful voice. Shinji reminded himself that, according to his equation, she might be under the effects of crack. Although it had been a while since she used his real name, instead of 'Baka' or 'Dumbkopff' or some equally less than desirable German swear words.

Shinji had unclenched his jaw by now. He noticed that whenever he saw Asuka, his jaw clenched. It was probably a defence mechanism, as he was used to having the red-head's palm connect with his face at least three times a day. He noticeably relaxed.

"Genki Des'ka, Asuka-chan?" he said, now sure that he wasn't about to be beaten to death any time soon.

"Hai, Genki! Sou su?"

"Genki... Why are you cooking, Asu-chan?"

"Just thought that I might as well, as I was up early." she said. Her eyes gave away the lie, but as usual, Super Shinji never noticed.

"Where's Misato?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, she's washing stuff off her thighs..." said Asuka, turning to the stove, and grinning to herself. It was an evil, even predatory grin. Yet again, the hapless pilot of Unit 01 still did not notice anything suspicious. Asuka had done everything short of shouting the answer in his face. In fact, Shinji was only thinking of how nice Asuka was to make the breakfast.

Misato came in, wearing her jammies. She yawned, and plunked herself down on one of the chairs. Her hair was a veritable tangle of purple. She had a rather satisfied look on her face. This, Shinji caught. third time lucky...

"Ohayo, Misato! What's up?" he asked in a perplexed voice. Everyone seemed to be acting strangely. First, Asuka was actually utilising her culinary skills, and then Misato appeared to be happy to wake up in the morning. This was food for thought, and knowing the mental dimness of Shinji's mind, it might take him several days...

He sat down at the table and waited for the cheerfully humming Asuka to bring him his breakfast. He placed his hands behind his head, and leaned back in his chair. He closed his eyes, and thought of the plan for the day. He had to go to school, but he had his father's permission to see him afterwards in order to arrange Rei's party, and maybe check in stores to check if the karaoke kit was available. What he didn't factor into the equation was the fact that he had homework, and that Asuka might get slightly peeved if he didn't cook the dinner that night. However, seeing the strangely happy German before him actually made him forget his usual duties. Not smart, but can you blame him? It seemed that everyone was acting odd lately, so he was probably gambling on the fact that Asuka might remain happy for the rest of the day, and it might be possible that he might walk home to dinner waiting for him tonight. The thought of not having to do any chores in the house made him feel both happy and uncomfortable, as he was used to doing the chores, and not doing it seemed weird or abnormal.

He nodded his head to Asuka in thanks when she placed a plate laden with food in front of him. It smelled very good, and he was practically salivating because of the hunger that emerged newborn from the depths of his stomach. He shovelled fried eggs and toast into his mouth at the rate of knots, and munched on sausages vigorously. He noticed that they were having less and less Japanese food. It showed how society was becoming more and more Americanised. He didn't notice that Misato was watching him demolish his food with a rather bemused expression on his face, or that Asuka was trying to suppress a violent fit of laughter. He finished the breakfast, and put the plate into the dishwasher. He had managed to finish breakfast in the record time of 5 minutes, an astonishing feat for the usually slow eater.

"Domou Arigato, Asu-chan!" he said, smiling widely, "That was delicious! You wanna walk to school together?"

Asuka grinned and nodded.

"Hai, Shin-kun." she said, "We can stop by some stores to see what we should buy for Rei's surprise party."

"Good idea! C'mon, let's go!"

"I'll meet you downstairs! You go ahead!"

"That'd be impolite, I'll stay he..."

Shinji stopped talking when Asuka gave him the usual death glare. He suspected that the crack had worn off finally.

"OK, OK! I'm going!" he said hurriedly, leaving the room rather rapidly.

Asuka turned to Misato, and smiled. She always like the way Misato looked in the morning, in her cute jammies, and her hair messed up. Asuka, being one to speak her mind, told her this.

"Misa-chan..." she said in a soft voice.

"Hai, Asu-chan?" said Misato in a curious manner.

"You look really cute like that, you know..." said Asuka, closing the gap between herself and Misato with a few slow steps.

"Ummm... like this?" said Misato, looking over herself in a confused manner, "I always thought that I looked horrible in the morning..."

"Nah... You look sweet..." said Asuka, grinning gently, "You look really innocent and cute."

"Arigato, Asu-chan..." said Misato, blushing to the roots of her hair.

"You have to go anywhere today? Do they need you at NERV?"

"When was the last time that they actually needed me at NERV?" said Misato in a peeved manner, "I've still got to go there..." she gently patted at Asuka.

Asuka grinned, and dodged Misato's playful slap. She then stepped in agilely, and pecked Misato on the lips gently. She held her fingers up in Misato's trademark 'V' sign, and then skipped out of the room humming happily to herself, leaving Misato sitting on her own at the breakfast table munching thoughtfully at a piece of toast left on Shinji's plate. It was going to be an interesting day, and all signs showed that it was going to be a good one. However, omens can be faulty...

Rei rose early this morning. Something had been nagging at her all night, and she had found it hard to close her eyes, let alone sleep. She had managed to fall asleep at midnight, which was around two hours later then when she usually slept according to the strict timetable she kept in her head. She was nervous. She had thought that the commander had changed, but he had acted so harshly towards her, and still felt unsure if he had indeed decided to change, even if Shinji said that he was putting it on to make sure she left the room.

Shinji had mentioned that there was a secret involved. She usually understood that some things were classified, and she had never been overly curious in order to bother finding out what the secrets were. However, now it seemed to nag at her. Everyone in the bridge seemed to know something. That irritated her. She was sure that she had more security clearance than the bridge bunnies, and was annoyed that the information hadn't been disclosed to her.

She clambered off her bed slowly, and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She walked to the bathroom, and washed up and brushed her teeth, looking in the mirror, and yet again wondering about her appearance, and how it would affect her life from then on. She finished in the bathroom, and then opened her closet. Maya had called her earlier and told her that she was going to have to postpone to Saturday morning. It was seeming like it was going to take forever for her to learn how to learn to put on make-up. She reached into her wardrobe, and withdrew a school uniform from within. She donned it quickly, and then headed towards the front door. At the door, she stopped. She realised that she had forgotten her bag. She shook her head, as if to clear it. She had never been this distracted. She picked up her bag, and walked out of the door, which shut after her with a clicking sound.

She walked down the stairs onto the bleak street outside. The sun had risen early, and it reflected off her eyes and filling her with warmth. A soft smile touched her lips as she turned and walked towards a convenience store across the road from her. She went in, and purchased a vegetable pastry for a few yen, and also bought a bottle of water. She placed these into her lunch box, and was about to leave the store, when she remembered that she had forgotten to eat breakfast. She hurried back inside to purchase a second pastry, and another bottle of water. The elderly shopkeeper smiled at her.

"Forgotten to eat your breakfast, huh?" he asked her shrewdly.

Rei nodded, "Hai."

"I tell you what. I'll give you a free canned coffee with the pastry. It's just what you need in the morning. I never go for a day without one!" he said proudly, indicating himself with his thumb.

Rei didn't know the clerk, and wasn't sure whether or not this was a good recommendation. However, she nodded her head, and smiled gently.

"Domou Arigato." she said with a small bow.

"Do- itashimashite." he said, smiling at her, " You remind me of my own daughter. She always wanted blue hair. I laughed it off as teenage childishness. Then, all of a sudden, she came home with blue hair and red contacts. She didn't look that bad..." the man had a reminiscent look on his face, "She was the talk of the school... All the boys were after her. It was a fashion thing. However, she always wanted to have light blue hair, but she only found dark blue. Where do you buy your dye? I would very much like to buy her a present..." he asked curiously.

"I don't buy dye." she said in her flat voice, "This is my natural hair and eye colour."

"Really?" asked the man curiously, if a bit sceptically, "Do any of your relatives have blue hair or red eyes?"

"My mother does," replied Rei, her eyes showing a bit of anger, "It's her mark on my life."

"You sound as if you don't get along..." said the man gently.

"You could say that.." whispered Rei, bowing her head slightly. If he knew the truth, would he be talking to her now... would he be able to contain the horror he was sure to feel...?

"Hey, lighten up! I'm sorry... didn't mean to hurt your feelings..." said the man quickly.

"It doesn't matter." said Rei softly, "By the way, what is your daughter's name?"

"Her normal name is Sakura. Tijari Sakura..." he said, "However, she told me that she had a idol in her life. A heroine who saved her, if not this whole city. That was about the time that she wanted to change her hair and eyes. She changed her name too... I asked her why, and she told me that she named herself after her hero."

"What did she change her name to?" said Rei curiously, not seeing where this was leading.

"You know, the same as that Evangelion pilot..." he said gesturing to a poster on the wall, "Ayanami Rei..."

Shinji and Asuka walked towards Tokyo-3 college. They saw a catering store, and walked into it. They both grinned as they saw a wide range of foods that they could buy for the party. They ambled up to the counter, and knocked on it. A man of around twenty five came out from the back of the store, smiling and rubbing his hands together in a businesslike manner.

"Ohayo Kosaimasu, Samas." he said with a smile on his face, "What may I get you?"

They looked a bit taken aback at being addressed so formally, but took a look around. Then Shinji turned to the attendant.

"We want to know what party food you sell. We're having one this Saturday, and we need to stock up."

"Your anniversary, no doubt?" he said, eyeing both of them with a smile that had all the implications of 'aww, isn't that sweet?'.

"N-No!" stammered Shinji, "We're just friends! Nothing more..."

"Friends that hold hands?" said the man curiously, but in a polite voice.

Both the pilots face faulted, and looked down slowly in unison. Sure enough, there were their hands, connected. They both removed their hands from the vicinity of the others. Shinji was so terrified that the violently jerked his hand away, while Asuka looked VERY confused. How had they not noticed that they were holding hands? Had they got that close over the past months?

"We... We've been through a lot together," said Shinji, "You see, we're..."

"Wait!" exclaimed the man, " I know you! You're Ikari Shinji! I saw you in the papers! That must mean that you're Soryu Asuka Langley! Imagine having two Evangelion pilots in my store! This is such an honour! I understand now!"

"Understand what?" said Shinji apprehensively.

"Why you two were holding hands, of course! You must have saved each others lives countless times! The bond between you two must be really strong. But, where is Ayanami-san? I would have thought that you'd be together."

"Actually," said Shinji, putting on a conspiratorial air, "The party is for her! We're gonna surprise her!"

"Excellent! You require catering? Then look no further! I shall care for your every need!" said the man in an excited voice, "At a discount of course!"

"Pardon me..." said Asuka in a suspicious voice, "Why are you giving us a discount?"

"Because you saved my sister's life! She only saw Unit 00, but I saw all three of you fight from Mount Yuri! So, Sakura is a bit obsessed with Ayanami Rei. She's the despair of my father... changed her name to Ayanami Rei, and all..."

"Well, we don't need a discount." said Shinji, looking uncomfortable at the thought of loads of Rei's running around, "It would hardly be just for us to just get a discount without doing anything for you personally!"

"Well... I was kind of hoping that you could get a group photo. You three pilots, my sister and me. Signed, of course..."

"If you want..." said Shinji, who had always felt uncomfortable with people calling him a celebrity.

"OF COURSE WE'LL DO IT!" shouted Asuka happily. Asuka, on the other hand, loved the attention.

"Brilliant, what do you have in mind?" said the shopkeeper, beaming, "for the party, I mean!"

"Well, give us your number, I'll give you a call about it later." said Shinji in a hurried voice.

Asuka glared at him, "What's wrong with talking now?"

"School. We'll be late," said Shinji, "C'mon, Asuka! Thanks for the help, sama!"

"No sweat!" said the shopkeeper, "It was an honour! Here's my number!"

"Arigato. See you later!" said Asuka, making the 'V' sign she seemed to be so fond of nowadays.

Both the pilots left the store. Unconsciously, their hands became intertwined once more as they walked. No one could every describe with words the bond that the EVA pilots had between each other. It transcended what was humanly possible between two friends... Those three had a part to play in the fate of the world. Fate was not done with them... yet. However, with life getting better, it seemed hard to see what could go wrong, and the Testament was forgotten to all but two...

Rei walked into school looking slightly bemused. The man at the convenience store had looked from Rei to the poster on the wall, then back to Rei again, before realising who she was. Then, he gave her back all the money she had paid for the food with a low bow. He then took several photos of her with a camera that seemed to appear from thin air. All in all, it was a rather unusual experience, but one that made Rei feel warm inside. All her life, she had felt like the lowest life form on earth, an unwanted hybrid... However, there were some who idolised her, and thought she was a hero. That turned her ego upside down! Her lips were curved upwards into a smile of triumph.

She saw two people walking towards the school gate, holding hands. She peered at them from between narrowed eyelids in order to get a better look at them, and saw that it was Asuka and Shinji. She turned a pale shade of red. Shinji had only every held her hand...

Her thoughts went to those of jealousy. She had only felt envy once before in her life, and that was when Shinji's mother Yui had told her that Kaworu loved Shinji. She felt a sudden hatred towards her red headed colleague and friend. She narrowed her eyes at Asuka, and would have nearly given the German a death glare, if Shinji hadn't chose that moment to smile at her and pull Asuka along in the need to run towards her. He was waving his free hand, and calling to her.

"Ayanami! Ayanami! Ohayo!" he shouted happily, with a grin splitting his face. The grin was infectious, and soon Rei was smiling as well, caught up in Shinji's apparent happiness, and all thoughts of jealousy were shunted to the back of her mind. Shinji smiled and grabbed her hand. The three of them went into school hand in hand, with a content look on their faces. Rei's face was red, as it always was after contact with Shinji in any way.

Toji and Kensuke gaped open-mouthed at Shinji entering the school confidently clenching the hands of two of the most attractive girls in all Tokyo-3. Toji managed to give Shinji a sly sidelong grin, but Kensuke couldn't keep the envy from his eyes. He was rather rapidly turning green. Shinji entered the classroom with the same grin on his face, and turned to his female companions.

"Hey, you two! I'm gonna go chat to Kensuke and Toji, because I haven't seen them in ages!"

"Wakata, Ikari-kun..." said Rei softly.

"Go ahead!" said Asuka, "I've gotta talk to Rei about something!"

Shinji nodded and walked towards his friends, while Asuka steered Rei over to the corner of the classroom. She looked at Hikari as she approached, and shook her head. She then turned to look at the Blue haired girl.

"Rei, how are you?" she said gently.

"Fine, Soryu-chan." said Rei in her soft voice.

"So, tell me... what dya think of Shinji..." said Asuka in a teasing manner, a small smile on her lips.

"Why do you wish to know, Soryu-chan?" said Rei, her voice turning slightly hostile as she remembered Shinji and Asuka walking to school hand in hand.

"Just curious, 'cause you know... I think he really likes you..." Asuka spoke in a hushed voice, looking around to make sure that the boy in question couldn't hear their conversation.

Rei turned bright red at this. She thought of many things that she and Shinji could do, with the most innocent being a walk in the park, with the most daring being a scenario that would make even Asuka's face turn pale. She smiled at Asuka, and looked at her hopefully.

"You think... how much does he like me, Soryu-chan?" she replied.

"So, you are interested in him! You wanna be his Girlfriend?" said Asuka with a rather cheeky smile on her face.

"Hai... Soryu-chan..." said Rei gently, in a voice that was hardly more than a whisper.

Asuka grinned openly at this. She looked happy, almost satisfied with Rei's answer. She then looked at Rei, and bent over in a conspiratorial fashion.

"Well... I can tell you one thing." she said.

"What might that be, Soryu-san?" responded Rei in a highly interested voice.

"You're gonna have to tell Shinji that you like him. He won't tell you that he likes you. He's too nervous. He isn't the type of person who is open or outspoken." said Asuka thoughtfully, "Well... neither are you... we have a problem here."

"I think I see what you mean, Soryu-chan..." said Rei. She did indeed have a rather surprising grasp of the situation. After all, she was taught by Gendo, and she was quick of thought.

"Well... what can we do about that?" said Asuka, verbally prodding Rei.

"I can ask him..." said Rei.

"Don't do that!" she said, her voice rising slightly, "It'll make you sound as if you're desperate."

I am desperate... I want him NOW,thought Rei , without letting any trace of her thoughts reach her face.

"You are right, Soryu-chan. What must I do?"

"You must wait till he asks you, or..." said Asuka in a dramatic voice, "for the right moment."

Rei raised her eyebrow. She hadn't expected this from Asuka. She had expected a more exciting reply from the tone that Asuka had taken while speaking. However, she knew that Asuka could be unpredictable, so she suspected that Asuka would find a way to make the "right moment" the most random moment in the day.

"What do I do when the correct moment occurs, Soryu-chan?" asked Rei in her usual voice.

Asuka slapped her palm against her forehead. Even the most dense girl she knew would know what she meant by the "right moment". She had thought that even the socially challenged Rei would know what to do.

"You kiss him!" said Asuka in a pained voice, flicking the blue haired girl on the forehead.

Rei's face turned a bright shade of crimson, and she rubbed her forehead in annoyance

The teacher ambled into the classroom. He seemed to look older and duller than before. How that was humanly possible, Shinji did not know..

"Stand! Bow! Sit!" Hikari took them through the customary and rather annoying ritual. Shinji performed it with as much reluctance as he usually did. He realised that no matter how great his day was, his disposition in class was always the same. He was going to be bored, and he knew it. He turned on his laptop, and accessed the necessary lesson files.

After the teacher had droned on for about ten minutes, Shinji received the inevitable message from Toji that signalled the start of one of those life changing conversations. (A/N Yeah... right...) Shinji accessed the message system.

#1Superstar: You P.I.M.P!

Beethoven: Nani?

#1Superstar: Comin into school like that with Soryu AND Ayanami!

Beethoven: what do you mean? We just came in together!

#1Superstar: yeah... right...

Beethoven: That's all! That doesn't mean anything! Is it wrong for friends to come to school together!

#1Superstar: Well... you and Asuka is normal... but! Ayanami!

Beethoven: What about Ayanami?

#1Superstar: It's just the fact that She lives on the other end of town makes me a little suspicious... Did she spend the night at yours? With you? In Bed? HAVING SEX?

Unit 02: Anta BAKA! Toji, you moron! Just because the baka and I have become friends doesn't mean that anything unusual happens! Also, Rei has become our good friend, so piss off! Rei isn't Dumbkopff's sex buddy!

#1Superstar: Ooooh... sorry! Didn't mean to insult your Girlfriend Asuka!

Unit 02 has left the room.

Beethoven has left the room.

Toji's chair lost it's balance as Asuka's desk collided with it at an unusually high velocity. Asuka was upon him in seconds, screaming for blood.

"Whaddya mean, "my girlfriend"! You want me to kick the shit out of you? Do ya?" shouted Asuka.

"N-no!" stammered Toji.

"Then shut your mouth you fool!" Asuka bellowed into his ear.

"OK! Calm down!" said Toji, "Jeez..."

"What was that?" said Asuka, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Nothing..." said Toji in a meek voice.

"Please, calm down!" interceded Hikari, "there really is no need for this!"

Asuka turned to glare at Hikari, but then miraculously calmed down. She went to the end of the class, picked up her desk, and went back to sit down. Toji was watching this scene unfold before his eyes with an aura of disbelief. He was about to open his mouth to say something to Asuka, but Hikari firmly planted her finger on his lips, and looked at him in a reproachful way. He grumbled but returned to his desk. Shinji grinned at him from his seat and stuck his finger up at him with a 'serves you right' expression on his face.

Toji didn't speak for the rest of the day...

Shinji walked out of school accompanied by Rei. They walked in silence towards Rei's apartment. As they passed a convenience store, the owner greeted Rei rather enthusiastically, which was a surprise for Shinji. People were usually quiet around Rei, because of her strange appearance and usually silent and enigmatic profile. However, the knowledge that Rei was being recognised filled Shinji with happiness. He turned Rei to tell her this, and saw that she was waving back to the man with a broad grin on her face. He was at first surprised, but then his face also split into a wide grin.

"Ayanami." he said to get Rei's attention.

"Hai, Ikari-kun" she responded, not taking her eyes off the shopkeeper.

"I'm really happy to see that you are opening up more..."

Rei smiled happily at this compliment from Shinji, and looked full into his eyes. The sun was soon to finish it's steady journey over Tokyo-3, and the sky was painted deep orange and crimson by it's dying rays. This light shone on Rei's blood red eyes... intensifying their crimson colour even more. Shinji found it hard to look away from them, as they appeared bottomless. However, he was called, almost compelled to come closer to them. Little did he know that the sunlight had splashed his own eyes with that same palette of crimson. He stopped smiling, and his face took on a look of concentration, as he looked deeper and deeper into what appeared to be a pair of crimson chasms. They stood there starting into each others eyes. Rei was entranced by the myriad of colours that glistened in Shinji's eyes, and he was just as entranced by hers.

They moved closer slowly. Rei slid her arms around Shinji's neck, and his arms moved around her waist to hold her body close to his. Their faces moved closer to each others, and they slowly, almost drowsily closed their eyes. They could feel each others nervousness emanating between them, and they could taste each other's breath. Shinji had kissed before, but they were only small ones, and were instinctive. Nothing could have prepared him for the surge of emotions that he felt as his lips moved millimetre by millimetre towards those of the girl he loved. He just wanted to kiss her as gently as he could. He was afraid that he could ruin everything in this one moment. Little did he know that Rei was having very similar thoughts. She was just as nervous, and she was hoping that Shinji wouldn't dislike her kiss, as it was to be her first proper one.

Their lips came to the end of their long journey. They both placed their lips against each others. Rei tilted her head to the right to the form of Shinji's lips. She merely caressed Shinji's mouth with her own, simply enjoying the feeling of his lips. She then felt the need for more. She wrapped her arms tighter around his necks, and deepened what was meant to be an innocent expression of attraction, turning it into a declaration of love. Rei didn't have any experience with kissing, but she wanted Shinji to know that he was the only one she had ever loved, and would ever love. She put all her feeling into her kiss, and was rather pleased when Shinji responded in kind.

Shinji was thrown into a sea of emotions. He was actually kissing Rei, the girl he had loved since he had first set eyes upon her. He pulled her closer to himself, and let the passion of their kiss take him away to a land of dreams. He loved her for everything she was. The kiss filled his every sense and flooded them, like a river overflowing. He felt her saliva mix with his own, leaving a sweet after-taste in his mouth.

Both Shinji and Rei broke off the kiss simultaneously. They were breathing hard, panting in order to regain breath. They both opened their eyes slowly, and if their lids were heavy. They yet again stared into each others eyes, taking in emotions that they passed on without words. Their lips both curled into smiles of love. Shinji opened his mouth to speak, but Rei covered his lips with her forefinger, and shook her head slightly. His smile widened, and he held Rei close to him in a loving embrace.

Rei felt her eyes fill, as did Shinji. They held each other closely, letting their tears flow freely down their cheeks. They stood like that for some time, locked in that passionate embrace. They eventually broke, and Shinji tried to speak again. This time, when Rei tried to stop him, he moved her hand away. He put his arms around her and put his lips close to her ear.

"Aishiteru... Rei-chan..." he whispered, his voice thick with love.

Rei gasped with a sharp intake of breath, and backed away from him. Her face was covered in tears. Shinji thought he has done something wrong, and was about to apologise when Rei threw herself into his arms, tears flowing freely. He held her to his chest with a content smile on his face, and looked up at the sunset.

"Aishiteru... Shinji-kun" said Rei softly, her voice filled with the love that she had revealed to him mere minutes ago...

End: Of Love...

Yes, It's only five and a half thousand words long... however, I thought It was a suitable way to end it. Next, On TTOE! We have our summary! And Asuka and Shinji take the day off to shop for Rei!

Sorry it took so long, I was working, and I had a holiday... :P Thanks to all my readers for bearing with me. Gomen-nasai.

I will see you next chapter.

Asanohoshi