FIRST OFF! I don't own ANYTHING of the Neon Genesis universe! This all belong to Gainax, and their respective distributors.
Reviews! YAY!
AngelNo13Bardiel!
I know you mean it well, so I'm going to take it to the heart, and do my best. I see it myself, that I'm moving too fast, and too much.
Which is why…
Shinji runs away! It gives me a clean slate to start off from, and I plan to make good use of it this time.
I must admit though, that your comment with schizophrenic got me laughing! :-)
And thanks, just wanted some song in there, and Fix You seemed like it could fit alright.
I'm using it again later, so perhaps it should be my main song?
I will be trying to look for a Beta-Reader. It's a bit rough still, but I try to cut it in.
Also, expect more descriptions on Scenery, Feeling etc. it seems the easiest way of raising my word count to more fitting numbers, instead of having to go through thirty scenes every chapter.
Also, I'm sorry for this late update. I'm NEVER giving up, so this story will be finished some day, but a project at school, and the buying of Skyrim got my time hold up pretty much the last few days.
Please give me feedback on your thoughts on Shinji running away, as it just popped into my head, and wanted to get used.
Anyways, enjoy! (If you can… :-) )
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN COLDPLAY, OR THE SONG Fix You. Neither do I own Chris Martin, Jon Buckland, Will Champion or Guy Berryman, so don't try to sue me! I don't own them in any possible way!
Chapter 10.
'Walking and walking and walking…'
He looked up in the sky.
It was clear blue, with no to very few clouds. The sun were soon setting, giving everything a reddish glow. A small breeze was tossing around with leaves. The wind carried with it the smell of berries. All in all, a beautiful day to go camping or hiking.
'For the love of god, why am I doing this?'
Then he felt the shirt he was holding, and he could smell the scent from it.
'That's why…' A lone figure was walking away from Tokyo-3, walking in the side of the road.
'I never thought it would be so hard… This pain, or is it loneliness? It's… Overwhelming'
He sighed.
Shinji Ikari had left Tokyo-3 two hours ago, and he was already having second thoughts.
He felt lonely. Something he never had before.
To one who would drive by, it seemed as if he was clutching on to something.
And he was. He was clutching on to Asuka's shirt, the shirt he took from her room, before he left his old life behind.
Before leaving Tokyo-3 entirely he had gone and emptied his NERV card, and bought himself a nice small tent, and loads of food which could last for years.
So now he had a tent, loads of money, and loads of food. In fact, his bag had nearly been unable to hold all the food.
And he were on his way, on his way away, to save the girl he loved from having to hate him.
'Am I doing the right thing?'
He thought as he turned away from the road, and began heading for a hill top.
'Do I even love her?'
He felt inside himself, his emotions messy and not entirely clear.
He began setting his tent up.
'Let's begin setting up the tent… Better get my SDAT…'
He found his SDAT in his pocket, and soon his ears were filled with the sad song, he still didn't know what name had.
"When you try your best, but you don't succeed"
"When you get what you want, but not what you need"
"When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep"
"Stuck in reverse"
He started singing along.
"And the tears come streaming down your face"
"When you lose something you can't replace"
"Or you love someone, but it goes to waste"
"Could it be worse?"
He sighed.
'Yes it actually can, whoever you are… It can get a lot worse'
He looked up in the, now, darker sky.
'The sky's the limit. Or something like that…'
'Better go get some wood. I'll be needing it soon'
He looked down again, and saw a small forest not far away.
It seemed lush and peaceful, green trees all around, the suns last rays trying to break through the tall tress leaves.
It was a beautiful sight.
'Well, here we go'
He stood up, and went walking into the forest.
It didn't take long for him to find enough wood to fuel his small camp fire.
But as the night grew darker, so did his thoughts.
'Did she really mean it? I-I thought she loved me… But did she once more reject me? Or was it just her old pride?'
He stared into the orange flames.
'Perhaps I should have waited; perhaps I should have given her a chance to say sorry'
He smiled at his own stupidity.
"Right. The great Asuka Langley Soryu, apologize to me?"
He laughed.
"Oh no, not only am I talking to myself, but I'm also starting to say bad things about people I love?"
He held his head in his arms, feeling a wave of conflicting emotions come over him.
Pain. Love. Loneliness. Hate.
Thud thud thud thud THUD THUD THUD-
"What's that?" Shinji asked to no one.
A helicopter was coming into view, apparently looking for someone.
It was one of NERV's older helicopter models, usually only used in emergencies.
"Shinji Ikari? We know you are there. Yell if you can hear us"
A voice yelled, clearly hearable over the loud THUDS of the helicopters propels.
Shinji sighed.
'You just can't leave me in peace, huh dad?'
"I'm over here!"
He started yelling, waving his arms in the air.
The helicopter suddenly changed path, and went towards him, settling down not long from him.
Two section two agents came walking towards him.
He recognized them.
It was the thin and the heavy from outside his father's office.
"Shinji Ikari?" The thin one asked.
"Yes" Shinji just said, sounding annoyed.
"We're here to extend an offer from your father"
The thin one said a smile evident on his face.
"Your father suggests that you live wherever you want, but still pilot, and still gain salary"
Shinji smiled.
"And why does my father care?"
He said, eying the heavy one carefully.
"I do not know the Commanders reasons; I'm just here to extend his offer"
"I want a raise. At least 25.000 yen more"
Shinji smiled, sure that they wouldn't agree to that.
"Done. Just be within city limits when an Angel strikes. We'll be leaving then"
The thin said, looking at his partner.
While the agents were leaving, Shinji just looked at them surprised.
"They… They accepted?"
They turned around, and walked back to the helicopter, and went off flying soon after.
As the Helicopter took off, its propellers started throwing leaves around.
It even knocked Shinji's tent over.
'Here we go again…'
Shinji thought to himself, as he walked towards his tent.
It wasn't by any means a large tent. There would barely be enough space for two persons in it.
Let alone Shinji and his large bags.
'Maybe I should buy an apartment in the city, and just make sure not to meat Asuka?'
He nodded to himself.
'That would be so much easier. Maybe I should call my father, and tell him about that…'
He shook his head at his own idiocy.
'As if he would listen to me. He never cares about what I do…'
He fought for a few minutes, trying to get the tent up, and somehow he managed to get it up.
It was quite the accomplishment, as the tent did not come with any instructions, and he just did what his instinct told him to do, the first time he put it up.
Soon after, the smell of cooked beans filled the damp, cold night air.
Shinji Ikari had never had any problems with being alone, but he never really had been as alone as he was now. There was always someone to listen to, or talk to.
Pen-Pen, Misato, Asuka, Rei, Maya, Ritsuko, Kensuke, Touji or his old teacher.
Never before had he been so alone, never before had he had so much time to think in.
There was always someone who interrupted him when he began thinking deeper.
But now. Now there was no one to stop him.
As he began to yawn, he thought back. Back to when he first met these people.
How Misato had looked at him, through the glasses, trying to save him. How she had talked to him, when he refused to take control of Eva-01. How she had teased him later on, about him and Asuka.
How Asuka had talked to him. How she had looked at him. How she had reacted to him.
She clearly didn't like him, or so it had seemed at Over The Rainbow.
But as of late, it seemed like she had changed her opinion on him.
It seemed as if she was warming to him.
'Yeah right. Her liking me? Not a chance in hell. There's as big a chance for that, as to Rei getting another hair color'
'Rei… Who are you? What do you want? Why are you always so sad?'
He turned his face towards the city.
'Should I perhaps go and talk to her? It sure would ease my mind. No. I'll do that someday soon, but not tonight. Tonight I sleep'
And so, Shinji went to sleep, dreaming sweetly of a blue haired Ayanami Rei.
The next morning…
"Pilot Ikari?"
"Mmm, I want to sleep a bit longer…"
He shifted his position, turning his back towards the voice.
He could recognize the smell of oranges. But he couldn't quite put where he knew this particular smell from.
"Pilot Ikari?"
The voice once more said.
Shinji sighed, and slowly opened his eyes, before turning and facing the voice.
His mouth formed a small o when he saw who it was.
"Ay-Ayanami?"
"Yes Pilot Ikari"
"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at school?"
"I was sent here to retrieve you to school"
She said bluntly, staring at his naked chest.
"Uhm, alright. But I'm not coming with you. I'm not returning to school"
"Why not?"
"I made a promise to someone I… Love. And this is the promise I intend on keeping"
"That seems fairly stupid Pilot Ikari, logic states that you should still be able to return to school"
"You don't even know what the promise is"
Shinji just said, smiling at her confused look.
"Then tell me, what is this important promise? You do know that if I have to, I will drag you to school. I will complete this order"
"Then I guess we're going to have to fight. I promised Asuka that I wouldn't let her see me again, so I couldn't hurt her. And I will not fail that promise"
"But Pilot Ikari, that is not logical. Why would it help Pilot Soryu if you stay away? She has been broken and incapable of taking knowledge to her ever since you left"
Shinji just stared at her.
"That… Can't be. I refuse to believe that. Sorry Rei, but you will have to return to school alone"
"I know more about fighting then you. Do you think you stand a chance against me? I was sent here on a mission, and I will complete it no matter what"
"And I made a promise, which I will not fail. Stop it Rei, and just leave. Okay?"
Rei shook her head, her face showing an emotion for the first time in company with Shinji.
She looked irritated and angry.
"Get up. We're going to school"
She just said, leave his tent.
"Rei, I thought I told you I weren't going to school!"
She didn't answer.
'That girl really doesn't take no for an answer. Amazing'
"Have you dressed yourself Pilot Ikari?"
Her voice trailed through the tents fabric.
"Yeah yeah…"
Shinji said annoyed.
When he finally left the tent, he was surprised to find himself inside Rei's apartment.
He turned and looked at her, his eyes mouthing the questions he couldn't ask.
"Section Two deemed it more secured in my apartment. So they moved you while you were sleeping. We will be living together for the next period of time.
Shinji looked deeply surprised at this.
'ME? LIVING WITH AYANAMI?'
He looked at her, seeming to form a question.
"When do you shower? I… Don't want another incident like the one that happened last time.
"I shower when I need one. In fact, I need one now"
As she said this, she began dropping her clothes to the floor, undressing in front of an astonished Shinji.
Once she was finished undressing, she looked at Shinji again. He had fainted during her undressing.
She shook her head.
'Did I just shake my head? Why did I do that? That is normally a sign of disbelief or disagreeing. Do I disagree with Pilot Ikari falling unconscious while I undress?'
She shook her head again, to feel this new feeling. The feeling of a higher meaning.
She then went out to take a shower.
Now, many of you might believe that her shower would surely look like the rest of her apartment, but that is not the case.
Rei Ayanami's bathroom is by all means, the cleanest place on earth.
The bathroom was a clean white all around. A small mirror on the wall, right above the sink. A sky blue towel hanging next to it. In fact, all her towel's was this sky blue color.
Her toothbrush stood in a cup next to the sink, and changing clothes were lying on the toilet, which was closed.
Her shower itself, were normal. It had the toned glasses, giving you an indication of what people might look like behind it, but enough to still leave some to imagination.
She slowly opened the shower door, and stepped in. She then began setting the right temperature for her shower. As soon as it was the right temperature, she went in and let the water drench her thoughts. This was one of the few places she felt at peace. One of the only places were someone weren't expecting something of her. The only place she truly was at peace. Sure, she felt peaceful enough in the dummy plug installation LCL tank, but nothing could be compared to a shower at home.
After her body had been drenching in the warm water, she turned it off, and reached for her shampoo, standing in the shower, down on the ground.
Ensuring that she got exactly enough, she began putting it in her hair.
As she turned on the shower again, she heard someone moving in the living room.
"Pilot Ikari, what are you doing?"
She yelled over the noise of the water.
"If I'm going to be living with you, there's going to be clean!"
Rei Ayanami actually smiled at this.
"And why is this?"
She yelled back.
She heard him stop, and heard a 'clasp'.
"Do not tell me you just smacked your face using your hand, Pilot Ikari!"
"I-I didn't"
It was easily heard that he was lying.
"Ayanami? Could you stop calling me Pilot Ikari? It makes me feel so… Sad. I'm more than a pilot"
"I can do that, Pil-Shinji, if you call me Rei"
"Alright I'll do that!"
She then heard him moving on, doing his cleaning.
As she now was done talking, she went out of the shower, grabbed her towel, and began walking into the living room, to see how it looked after Shinji were done.
It actually looked livable.
"Well Pilo-Shinji. This looks quite nice actually. It looks more like a human lives here now"
'CLASP!'
"Shinji? Did you clasp your forehead again?"
"Yes I did! Rei, why do you only have instant food?"
"I only need this much nutrition. Everything else is a waste"
"But! With better food, comes better understanding, better awareness. Meaning better piloting. So wouldn't it be natural to eat good, so you can pilot better?"
Sudden, a shrill sound broke out, and stopped their conversation.
Rei went and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Who am I speaking with?" A voice said on the other end of the phone.
"This is Ayanami speaking, what can I help you with?"
"I'm looking for a person named Shinji Ikari, and I heard he was your friend. Do you know where I can find him?"
Rei looked at Shinji motioning to him that someone wanted to talk to him. He shook his head, signaling to her he didn't want to talk to whoever was on the other side of the phone.
"I am afraid I do not know Pilot Ikari's whereabouts at this exact moment. Perhaps you should talk to the commander of NERV"
"I'll try that, thank you for your time"
The voice finished.
*CLICK*
The phone went dead.
"Why did you lie for me Rei? I thought you always told the truth!"
"You seemed in distress as to the voice Pilot Ikari"
"Shinji, please call me Shinji"
"Shinji"
"Still I thought…"
Shinji's voice trailed off, as his eyes wandered around her room.
"I like your room a lot more when it's clean!"
He looked at her, and smiled.
"I'll be keeping it clean for as long as my stay last"
Rei just stared at him.
'I-I feel safe around him? Why do I feel safe around him? To feel safe, is to feel peaceful, and that is a feeling I have yet to feel. Or do I?'
She kept on staring at him while she thought.
Her stared were beginning to get to Shinji.
"Rei? I'll take a shower"
He turned around, and walked a few steps, before turning around and facing her again.
"Rei, shouldn't you be at school?"
"I was told to stay with you at all times, with the one exception were it would be deemed inappropriate for me to follow you"
Shinji sighed.
"So you are going to be my shadow?"
"No, I am going to be myself"
Shinji smiled at this, and turned around to go the bathroom.
"Do you have a towel I can borrow?"
"They are out in the bathroom"
"Alright"
He quickly went out there, undressed and went into the shower.
The hot water quickly took all tension from his muscles, and relaxed him enough, to begin evaluating this new turn of events.
'So I have to live with Rei now? That's going to be… Interesting to say the least… Wonder if I'm going to sleep on the floor all the while or if she would mind me getting a bed…'
His eyes opened up widely, as he remembered how Rei felt about nudity.
'I have to think about a way to explain it to her…'
Meanwhile… Soryu/Katsuragi residence...
"ANTA BAKA! Where is my food?"
Asuka's voice clearly pierced through skin and bone.
Asuka sighed when she remembered that the baka hadn't returned home.
"I guess I'll meet him at school…"
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