Asuka rose to a sitting position on the bed, focusing on the noise.
" What...have I done?"
"Misato's done something stupid...look like I've got to deal with it." Asuka huffed and rose to her feet, walking slowly to her door, opening it to find that Shinjs door was opened to a crack and the sound of sobbing became louder with each step.
"What has she done?" Asuka said to herself as she decided to check the rest of the apartment. Popping her head into the living room, only to notice some cans lying on the ground.
Asuka investigated the cans, picking one up, noticing the distinct smell as she read the label.
"Yebisu beer...wait a minute? Kaji told me this was Misato's favourite beer but since I've been here, I've never seen her drink. Had she stopped drinking ?" Asuka mumbled to herself as she saw that the cans had been thrown across the apartment, all of them empty, except one which had its contents spilling onto the floor from a can that had fallen onto its side on the kitchen table.
Asuka took a deep breath and slowly walked to Shinji's room.
"Misato?" Asuka called quietly as she peeked around the door, to find Misato on Shinis bed, curled up her knees to her chest, her hands clasping Shinji's SDAT player, with the headphones on her ears.
"Misato" Asuka whispered more forcefully
"Go...away..." Misato mumbled, her words slurring as she spoke them, she wasn't drunk but it was clear she had had a few drinks.
"Have you been drinking?" Asuka stated, closing the door behind her as she spoke.
Misato nodded to Asuka's question
"I...I couldn't..."
"You couldn't what?" Asuka asked as Misato curled herself even tighter, holding the SDAT player closer to her chest.
"I couldn't stop myself... it hurts so much." Misato whimpered her voice breaking as she spoke,
"I know how you feel..." Asuka sighed, trying to reassure Misato but instead, her words seemed to flick a switch in Misato as she quickly rose from her position forcefully removing the headphones and throwing the SDAT onto the bed, her eyes filled with anger that could be seen even in the darkness of the room.
"You know nothing! I promised myself that I wouldn't drink anymore, so I could look after Shinji and I failed to keep him safe! I could have stopped him but I didn't and I couldn't handle the pain! I broke the promise I made and for what? So I could lose the pain! I deserve for losing the reason I live!"
"How dare you! I haven't slept since we got home! I haven't eaten!" Asuka screamed, not caring if anyone in the apartment building heard her.
"Asuka..." Misato whimpered as her rage turned to fear, as a thought passed through her head
"Why did I yell at her?!"
"Shut up! Your, not the only person to feel guilty! I got my ass kicked by that angel and I caused Shinji to disappear, I could have fought smarter and Shinji could still be here... it's my fault" Asuka angered roar turned to a weak whimper as tears dropped from her eyes and she dropped onto the bed, all the emotional weight of the battle had finally worn down Asuka's resolve as she broke down
"Come here" Misato whispered, worry marking her voice as she pulled Asuka into a hug. she had seen the strength and confidence that Asuka had but right here, right now, all that power was gone, showing a scared little girl who needed help.
"It's alright Asuka...shhh it's not your fault " Misaot hushed trying her best to comfort Asuka by patting her back softly.
"She's as lost as I am... I know how traumatic her childhood was, with her mother killing herself when she was so young. Who wouldn't be left with a mental scar after seeing that? With Kaji gone, she's lost the only piece of stability she had and with Shinji..." Misato thought as she held the girl renowned for her strength as if she was made of fractured glass. But her thoughts were broken by Asuka mumbling
"I always lose those close to me... my mama, Shinji ...Kaji... he hasn't returned any of my calls or letters...why did he leave without saying goodbye."
"Kaji...he must, must be on important business. He'll be back once it's over...you'll see." Misato tried to sound hopeful, but she knew Kajis true fate,
After a while, Asuka had stopped crying though her voice was rough from the crying
"I heard you screaming in the kitchen..."
"I'm sorry..." Misato mumbled apologetically
"Don't be sorry... Why were you screaming?" Asuka asked, looking Misato dead in the eyes...
"I, I, I" Misato stuttered.
"How do I tell her, without making her feel more isolated, as it was her cared that caused a lot of this." Misato tried to think of an adequate response only for Asuka to interrupt her with a groan.
"Misato, you better not be thinking I'm too young to tell...you know I've seen a lot worse, I can handle this." Asuka threw Misato an annoyed glare.
"I won't...okay, I broke a promise I made to myself. " Misato took a deep breath as she spoke.
"A promise? " Asuka looked at Misato with a confused gaze, with her brow raised in confusion.
Did Kaji tell you that I was in a serious accident?"
"Yeah, on the day we met on the aircraft carrier, Kaji told me about what happened to you. He said you were in a serious condition. " Asuka explained, she didn't know the full details as Kaji had decided to run over the events briefly before they met.
"I was. There was an angel attack and the command centre was badly damaged and collapsed. I was crushed by the rubble and if it hadn't been for Shinji lifting the rubble with hi,s Eva and Rits ingenuity, I'd probably be dead." Misato sighed, she could still remember the sounds of broken steel and shattered concrete as it fell around and on top of her, on that fateful day.
"So what does this have to do with did you making a promise?"
"Because I made that promise for Shinji. you'll probably think I'm lying but hand on heart I'm telling the truth." Miscouldn'tced her hand on her heart, then drew an X onto her ample chest with her finger as she spoke.
"Okay?" Asuka sighed, still sceptical of Misatos potential response.
"After the accident, I was in the hospital and I replayed my life and saw everything. the good, the bad, everything. I saw Shinji, he was so lonely and afraid...he's been through a lot of hard moments in his short life and seeing how scared he was made me realise that I had to step up. I couldn't sit on my ass drinking my worries away and I promised myself that I would protect him, I would help him because he needed someone who cared for him when no one else did" Misato recalled the events, her tone sound like her usual self, for a few moments
"I see..." Asuka sat there unmoving as Misato spoke
"Shinji blamed himself for what happened to me and I had to prove to him that he didn't do anything wrong by making him feel wanted, and safe...And with Shinji vanishing, I feel like a failure. I could have stopped him, I could have ordered him to fall back but I didn't, and because of that he's gone...and I couldn't take it. I owe him my life." the strength that was in Misato voice began to fade, as she recalled the words Shinji said while she sat lifeless in the hospital and his disappearance after their most recent angel battle.
Asuka looked at Misato and saw just how hurt she was. The look of failure in her eyes and the tears that welled in her eyes. Since Asuka arrived she had seen Misato as a woman who was strong and self-assured, who would do the right thing no matter what it took but she never knew how much Shinji meant to Misato until now.
"Shinji sat at my bedside refusing to leave to the point that he stopped eating till I woke up. he cooked me food that would help me heal, he even helped me with my physiotherapy even though he didn't Before. Who else would do that except someone who..." Misato listed of what Shinji did only for Asuka to interupt her
"Loves you," Asuka stated softly.
"Asuka..." There mumbled weakly, surprised by Asuka response.
"I've seen the way he looks at you. He always looks happy when you're in the room, he smiles he laughs, he enjoys living you your with him...was he like that before I got here? " Asuka felt her throat tighten and her heartbeat in her chest. it was clear to her that she was envious of Misato.
"Shinji... was the same, really shy, and quiet...though he's come a long way from when we first met... he always looked frightened, like a rabbit when it sees a car. There was a girl in his class before you arrived, who attacked him. He didn't fight back and took the beating. Turns out the girl had lost her family in the battle where I was injured. Shinji thought it was better for him to take the beating as a punishment for taking her family away from her. " Misato tensed up as recalled that horrible day.
"Why was he like that, I know Shinji and his father have a rough relationship. is that why he was like that?"
"I, I can't go into detail, because I don't think It would be right to dive into Shinji's past, but all I can say is this. Gendo treated Shinji like he was a piece of shit and if I had my way, I would have had him shot for what he did." Misato started the last words coldly, clenching her fist so tight that her knuckles were turning white.
"I knew their relationship was bad but I never thought it was that toxic," Asuka grumbled, realising that the boy she called baka Shinji was just like her.
"It reminds me of my relationship with my father." Asuka thought since her mother passed her father had remarried, with a mistress he was having an affair with while his wife was in the asylum.
" He never took account of how I felt, he just tried to move on, trying to forget about my mama, like she was a bad memory." it hurt her to see her mother forgotten like that and Asuka feared that her father would do the same to her if she were to break.
"It must have been hard... " Asuka whispered, not realising a small tear was rolling down her cheek, Misato upon seeing this realised she had to do something to stop both of them from crying again.
"Did you know he said to me that I had beautiful eyes" Misato leaned over to Asuka as she spoke
"Shinji! Your kidding" Asuka cried, her surprise overtaking her sadness.
"hand on my heart...he said you could get lost in my eyes." Misato instinctively smiled at the comment, resulting in a classic Asuka scowl
"Geez...looks like Shinji likes older women." Asuka huffed, using the moment to get a dig at Misato
"Yeah, your... Hey! I am not an older woman! " Misato tipsy mumbled turned to a shocked yell, as she started to blush.
"What! Besides it all adds up, he said you look cute, you didn't seem to take it the wrong way and he's been there for you when you needed it most...it looks like he loves you."
"Yeah...I guess it does huh" Misato rubbed the back of her head. she already had that inclination
after a brief silence, Asuka decided to ask Misato another question,
"So, Do you love Shinji back? "
"I...I " Misato stuttered, only for the apartment phone to start ringing. Misato jumped to her feet, and due to her dulled senses she stumbled over he own feet and slammed into her door banging her head
"Damn it!" Misato yelled as she got back on steady feet and rubbed her forehead as she made her way to the phone, forcefully raising it to her ear, knocking the phones holder onto the ground.
"Hello?"
" Misato?"
"Oh hey Rits!" Misato bellowed down the call, causing Ritsuko to recall back.
"You okay, you sound...doesn't matter, you have to come quickly, we've managed to locate Shinji within Eva Unit 01 and are currently organising a retrieval attempt," Rits stated. she had known her friend long enough to tell when she had a few drinks
" she must be struggling...ill have to talk to her once things calm down." Ritsuko made a mental note
"We'll be there as soon as we can," Misato stated seriously hanging up on risk to then grab her red leather jacket and car keys.
"Who called? Was it Ritsuko?" Asuka asked.
Yes! They've managed to locate Shinji and are going to try and retrieve him from his Eva. get dressed, we heading to Nerv... " Misato barked as she proceeded to thump her room door to wake Rei up.
"Rei! Get up! We have to go to Nerv Rits has managed to make...AHHHHH" Misato serious yelled turned to a surprised scream when he opened the door, to see a fully clothed Rei standing behind the door.
"Jesus Christ Rei!" you almost gave me a heart attack!" Misato yelped clutching her racing heart,
"My apologies." Rei monotony stated.
"Well done wonder girl... How long were you standing there?" Asuka growled, noticing how well kept Reis appearance was which wouldn't be fitting for someone who had just recently woke up as her unform was not covered in wrinkles.
"12 minutes and 34 seconds.
"Wait a second. you've stood there that long... " Misato looked to Rei as she confused by the answer, given how precise it was.
"Yes, I was listening to your conversation. "
"WHAT! Mein Gott, that was a private conversation! " Asuka pointed her finger accusingly at the blue-haired teen who paid it no mind.
"It did not seem so, given the amount of yelling," Rei stated coldly, resulting in a shocked looked from Misato and a foul scowl from Asuka
"Are you trying to be funny wonder girl... " Asuka stood in front of Rei trying to get an answer only to be broken up by Misato.
"Right, that's enough. no more standing about, we have to get to Nerv as quick as we can." Misato growled, swing the front door to her apartment open, and charged down the stairs, at some points going two stairs at a time
"Hai" Rei stated as she walked to the front door, slipped her shoes and followed suit, though at a far more measured pace
"Alright..." Asuka grumbled as she followed the pair
"She better not kill us on the way there. She's had a few drinks and if her sober driving is anything to go by, then I think I better start praying." Asuka told herself as jogged down the stairs to the car park.
Once they made it to Misato's car, they hopped in and Misato kicked the car into gear without warning and rushed to Nerv, not caring that her seatbelt wasn't on and that she was going well over the speed limit.
As this was going on, Shinji consciousness had started to become aware of its surroundings.
"This feels...familiar. Like I've been here before." Shinji thought. He as if he was being squeezed, not to to the extent that it would be considered uncomfortable or painful, but like someone was holding him, supporting him, but as he looked around no one else was there.
"You finally made it..." a voice called, it was soothing and malice or hatred in its words.
"I know that voice...but that can't be right?" Shinji mumbled as a feminine figure came into view.
"It's good to see you again, son."
Hope everyone enjoys the chapter and is doing well. Sorry for the long wait, university and other issues arose which put the story on the back burner but I will try my best to try and get the next chapter up as soon as possible, so stay tuned and keep safe.