Chapter 13 – A Short Interlude
The debriefing after the battle hadn't taken long. As far as Rei was concerned there was nothing to criticize even if Misato begged to differ, citing the comical position Units 01 and 02 had landed in after the Angel's cores went critical. Still, the captain had insisted, it was a reason to celebrate. That said, she had driven them all back to her apartment and ordered food, some kind of western dish called pizza at Asuka's insistence. It had come as a surprise to everyone present when she'd revealed that she didn't eat meat. Out of everyone, Asuka was the one who was most curious as to why, asking if she was a vegan, whatever that meant. Thankfully they'd accommodated her preferences in the form of a personal size with cheese, peppers, onions, and mushrooms which Rei assumed would be a good combination.
This assumption was proved correct upon the food's arrival. Who knew that sauce covered flatbread could taste so pleasant? As the other three at the table talked cheerfully she couldn't help but reflect on how much she'd been denied due to the nature of her existence and how she'd been so... withdrawn from others. A smile graced her features. Things were different now and she wasn't at all the same person she was in her previous lives. It was moments like this, in the company of friends, that made her feel grateful to be alive. Sitting with the others as they ate and laughed and talked together made her feel... happy.
"So how is the pizza, Ayanami?" Ikari-kun asked.
"It's delicious," she replied between bites.
He smiled and nodded slightly. "Yeah," he replied. "It definitely is."
"You should give sausage a chance," Asuka crowed before taking another bite of the pizza everyone else was sharing. "Seriously, it's the best."
"Let it go, Asuka," Misato chided, sipping her beer. "Rei said she doesn't eat meat."
Asuka snarfed down another bite of the slice she was working on and shrugged. "You don't know what you're missing," she muttered.
Rei simply smiled and took another bite, relishing in how nice it felt to be surrounded by people who actually cared about her, unlike the commander... She couldn't help but wonder how he would react if he were to see her right now, enjoying the company of others. It had been a while since she'd seen him at NERV and from what she understood he was going to be away on business for a few more days. At least until he arrived back in Tokyo 3 she could relax a little. Then it would be back to scheming her way towards eluding his suspicions and defeating him...
"So what did Vice Commander Fuyutsuki have to say about the battle?" Ikari-kun asked Misato, shaking her from her reverie. "He kept you for a while after the debriefing..."
Misato laughed. "He wanted to let me know he was a bit peeved by how you and Asuka landed at the end of the deployment but also to express his and the commander's personal gratitude," she replied.
Ikari-kun stiffened. "My father's... gratitude?" he asked.
"Yes," Misato replied. "Vice Commander Fuyutsuki said he was quite satisfied with the results."
Ikari-kun smiled for a moment before his expression faded to a somber frown all the while looking down at his plate. "Ah..." he muttered. "Well... that's good to know."
Asuka snickered. "What's with the long face?" she asked. "Something wrong?"
Ikari-kun looked up and tried to appear composed. "It's nothing..." he returned.
Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Oh it's definitely something, Shinji," she said. "Come on, spill the beans."
Misato set her can of beer down on the table. "Shinji just doesn't get along too well with his dad is all," she interjected, her slightly slurred tone evidence of how tipsy she was.
Asuka sat back in her seat. "Really?" she asked, her intrigued expression remaining. "How so?"
Shinji scowled. "I'd... prefer not to talk about it, Asuka..." he muttered.
Rei's stomach lurched as she listened to them. That feelings of hurt and turmoil and jealousy she'd been feeling for most of the week began to stir. She began pulling inward into her inner thoughts. It wasn't the subject of the conversation they were having that caused this but rather how they were addressing each other. They were calling each other by their given names... why? In the past that never had bothered her so why now? Was it because she was... closer to him now? When she considered the... depth of their friendship, shouldn't they have been on a first name basis already? Compounding this, the thought of him referring to her by her given name was... appealing. But why was it that him being on a first name basis with Asuka stirred feelings of sadness and envy when his doing so with the captain did not? Her eyes bored into her plate on the table as she contemplated the deep mysteries behind such things. Why do emotions have to be so hard to understand? She thought to herself. Why do I continue to fail in understanding my own?
"Rei are you good over there?" Misato asked, shaking her from her trance. "You just got real quiet, like y'know, more than usual."
Rei met the captain's gaze and nodded. "I was thinking about how exquisite the meal was," she lied.
Dinner ended shortly after that and she set about helping to clean up. While Misato and Asuka moved to the living room to watch television she helped Ikari-kun with washing the cups they'd used. Even though Ikari-kun had assured her that he could handle the task himself she had insisted on helping him. Even though they just worked beside one another in relative silence it was... nice to be able to get a moment alone with him after the week he'd been training to fight the Seventh Angel.
"So... did I miss a lot in school?" he asked, while drying one of the glasses.
She shook her head. "No," she replied, setting the plate she was drying on the dish rack by the sink. "But Horaki-san has your missed classwork waiting for you when you return tomorrow."
He groaned and hung his head, shutting off the water in the sink. "Well... at least the day after tomorrow is a Sunday," he muttered defeated.
Indeed it was, which saddened her slightly. It meant that she wouldn't have any excuse to come and visit him... "Indeed," she replied.
There was a moment of of pause between them before. She didn't mind the silence but she... was enjoying getting to spend time talking with him again after not getting any real time with him for nearly a week. That... longing for conversation was yet another mystery of her heart for her to ponder. But what to talk about? Her mind wandered back to the battle as she had watched it on the bridge and the debriefing thereafter...
"I'm glad that the operation was a success," Rei murmured softly just as Ikari-kun finished drying his hands. "You performed... exceptionally."
His cheeks reddened a little bit and he hunched his shoulders a little as he met her gaze. "It was nothing," he replied. "I just followed the plan."
She stepped closer to him and looked him in the eyes. Oh how she wished there was a way to show him he didn't have to be so self depreciating... "Be that as it may, your performance is worthy of praise," Rei replied.
Ikari-kun smiled nervously, placing his hand on the back of his neck. "Th- thanks," he stammered.
"Hey!" Asuka called from the living room, pulling their attention in the direction of her voice. "Shinji, Wonder-girl, you guys finished yet!?"
"Yeah, be there in a second Asuka!" Shinji called back.
There is was again, first name basis with The Second Child... Rei felt that familiar tightness in her chest coming back. Shinji turned to her. "Do you want to stay for a little while longer?" he asked with a soft grin. "I know it's getting late but maybe we could all watch something together?"
Rei nodded, pushing her unwanted thoughts out of her mind. "I would enjoy that," she replied.
Asuka sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes with a groan. Back to school... even though she understood why she'd been enrolled she still disliked it. Having Wonder-girl and Hikari around made it a bit more bearable but if there was one thing she'd enjoyed during that week of training with Shinji it had been being able to skip out of going to classes. She got dressed and exited her room, went to the kitchen, fixed herself breakfast, and so on... She was the first one in the house to wake up, a usual occurrence by now. She'd been an early riser all her life which set her apart from both her roommates. Shinji was certainly better than Misato but he still got up later than her. During the week of training to fight the last Angel she'd had to practically drag him out of bed so they could get an early start on their routine and she'd made up her mind to continue this even though the need for it had passed, mostly because she kinda enjoyed annoying him.
She barged into his room, which was directly across the hall from the one she'd evicted him from upon moving in, to find him still dead asleep. With a few steps she was at his bedside and shaking his shoulder. "Get up, lazy-ass," she growled. "We're gonna be late for school."
Slowly he began to stir, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes before glancing over at his alarm clock. "It's still early..." he whined. "Can you let me sleep for once?"
She smirked and planted her hands on her hips. "Seriously! come on, stupid!" she exclaimed in a derisive tone. "An early start to the day is best for productivity!"
He laid back down and threw the covers over his head. "I'm still exhausted from the battle yesterday," he groaned. "Just let me sleep a little more..."
She scowled, glaring down at him before heaving an exasperated sigh. "Ah well... I guess you've earned it," she grumbled. "If you're not up in thirty minutes though I'm yanking your covers!"
Shinji yawned. "Okay, whatever..." he murmured, rolling over on his side and facing the wall away from her. Asuka returned to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. Apparently fatigue was contagious as she found herself letting out a yawn. Now that she thought about it, running the Evas at full power had been kind of tiring...
It was right around when she'd finished her cup of coffee that Shinji emerged from his bedroom. He shambled into the kitchen, grabbed the half empty coffee pot, and served himself a steaming hot cup. "Well, well... look who's finally up," Asuka teased with a smirk.
He sighed. "And I thought I was a morning person..." he grumbled. "Seriously after the week we had you couldn't have let me sleep?"
"Quit complaining," Asuka snorted. "Men shouldn't whine so much."
He didn't say anything, simply doddered to the toaster and deposited two slices of bread into it before walking off to the bathroom.
Asuka sighed. Such a peculiar boy he was... On the surface he was a total wimp but put him in the Eva and he was a totally different person. She hated to admit it but he fascinated her. After the last battle she could really understand why Wonder-girl had that stupid crush on him. Yes, that was what it was, she concluded, even if Rei didn't want to admit that it was such. He was certainly a good soldier and a very good pilot... That fact made her nervous. She hated that it made her nervous. The thought that he could one day be better than her made her nervous and simultaneously royally pissed her off... No, she wouldn't let that happen, she was the best Eva pilot there was! Her expression contorted into a bitter frown and she crossed her arms... Her life was built around being the best, either she was the best or she was nothing...
So she would continue to be on top, no matter what it took. That would show mother she was better than that stupid little rag-doll...
Shinji washed his face and rubbed the sleep from his eyes after using the toilet. He'd hoped to be able to sleep just a little bit later than usual before having to leave for school but fate in the form of a certain redhead in his house had had other plans for him. Seriously, the battle was over with so why did he have to keep waking up at the crack of dawn? At least he could console himself with the knowledge that things would be going back to some kind of normal. For what it was worth, he'd missed his school day routine. It would be nice to resume that, walking to school with Ayanami and spending time with Touji and Kensuke during lunch.
"Hey, you finished in there?" Asuka called from the kitchen. "You're coffee is getting cold."
He sighed. Such a bother... "Yeah," he replied, exiting the washroom. It would seem he would have to get used to mornings going like this from now on since Asuka would be living with him and Misato permanently.
As soon as he made it back to his coffee the toaster dinged and ejected the pieces of bread he'd inserted into it. He buttered it and sat down at the table all the the while Asuka continued staring at him with her arms crossed. That contemptuous look she wore and how she wasn't saying anything was making him increasingly nervous... "What?" he asked timidly.
She uncrossed her arms and leaned her elbows on the kitchen counter. "So, you looking forward to going back to school?" she asked, her harsh look evaporating into a smug grin.
He shrugged and sipped his coffee. "I guess so," he replied. "Not looking forward to catching up on school work though."
Asuka huffed. "Agreed," she hissed, her angry look returning. "Don't even get me started. I shouldn't even be in school..."
Shinji's eyebrows rose at those words. What on earth could she have meant by that? "What do you mean?" he asked between after swallowing a bite of toast.
Asuka rolled her eyes. "I have a college degree is what I mean!" she spat.
Shinji's eyes widened. "Wh- what?" he stammered. How was that possible? She was the same age as him so how could she have graduated from college?
Asuka looked him in the eyes. "Did I stutter?" she replied with a smirk. "I went to the best schools in Germany as part of my training to be the best Eva Pilot in the world!"
Well she was certainly smug about it if it was true... "Oh, ah, okay," he responded. "If that's the case then how come you're going to school with Ayanami and I?"
Asuka shrugged and sighed. "Beats me," she returned. "Misato thought it would be good for me or whatever."
"That and you can't read Kanji all that well."
Both he and Asuka looked over in the direction of the entrance to the living room to see Misato standing there with a cheeky grin. "Isn't that right, Asuka?" she drawled.
Asuka scowled and crossed her arms. "Yeah, so what!" she spat. "What does that matter?"
Misato entered the kitchen and retrieved her usual morning beer. "You're living in Japan now," she replied. "How does it not matter?"
Asuka pouted and turned her head away with her nose in the air. Shinji couldn't help but find her reaction just a little bit funny. He hid his grin behind his coffee cup, taking a large sip. It would be better than rousing the redhead's ire...
Misato strode over to the fridge and retrieved her usual morning beer, chugging it down with great gusto. "Oh hell yeah that's the ticket!" she cried gleefully.
Asuka shook her head and turned up her lip. "Ugh... I really can't believe you still do that," she grumbled.
"Don't knock it 'til you try it," Misato retorted.
Shinji sipped his coffee. Things weren't all that different than they had been before Asuka moved in he surmised, it was just a little bit more lively in the house. He looked over at the clock on the stove and noted the time. It wouldn't be much longer in all likelihood until Ayanami showed up...
Rei stood in front of Misato's apartment, her finger lingering just off of the doorbell button. This would be the first day that Ikari-kun would be joining her at school since Asuka moved in and she was worried that some sort of... confrontation would arise due to her walking to school with Ikari-kun.
She frowned. Calling him by his surname in truth didn't seem to fit anymore. They were... closer than that. The fact that Asuka got to call him Shinji had been eating at her since the previous night. She was closer to him than Asuka was, wasn't she? Why did they still speak so formally with one another? She hated that she felt so upset over such an inconsequential thing...
She rang the doorbell and waited for them to answer, taking her usual two steps back from the door. The wait didn't last long as after a moment Ikari-kun... Shinji... opened the door. It felt good to at least refer to him in her mind by his given name... "Morning, Ayanami," he greeted with a soft smile.
She nodded and smiled back in a similar demure manner. "Good morning, Ikari-kun," she replied. "Are you ready to depart?"
"Hey! Who's at the door!?" she heard Asuka call from inside the apartment.
"Ayanami's here!" Shinji called back over his shoulder.
Footsteps emanated from down the hallway and in moments the redheaded girl had appeared in the doorway wearing a look of surprise. "Wonder-girl?" she said, shoving herself past Shinji. "What are you doing here?"
Rei felt her jaw tightening but she remained outwardly composed. "I usually accompany Ikari-kun to school," she replied in her usual even tone.
Asuka glanced to her side at Shinji and her expression turned became rather cryptic. "Oh," she replied, a hint of playfulness working its way into her response. "Is that so..."
Shinji eyed them both nervously from where he stood in the doorway. Rei stared back at Asuka, determined to hold her ground. "It is," she replied flatly.
Asuka stared back at her with that cryptic look for a moment before a cheerful smile washed over her. She stepped out of the apartment doorway, hooking her school bag over her shoulder as she did so. "Well then," she said in a somewhat haughty tone. "Let's all get moving shall we? We wouldn't want to be late on our first day back, would we Shinji?"
Shinji nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "That wouldn't be good..."
Asuka pushed on by while Rei's eyes remained locked on her. "Come on then," she crowed without turning around. "Let's go!"
Shinji stepped out of the apartment and stood beside her. Rei couldn't help but... relish in the closeness with him. "I guess we should get going..." he said softly.
Rei nodded. "Indeed," she replied.
She fell in step beside Shinji. They trailed behind Asuka as they made their way out of the apartment complex. Soon enough they were on the sidewalk on that familiar stroll to their school. Rei couldn't help but allow herself a soft grin. She had missed these moments in the past week and even if Asuka was here with them it was still nice to be close to him. She glanced over at Shinji and noted the ghost of a smile on his face. Warmth spread through her body. She could only imagine that he felt a similar way as she did...
Shinji felt absolutely drained. He'd tried to mentally prepare himself for the amount of classwork he'd have to make up from the week he'd missed but it was quite a bit more than he'd expected. When classes ended he remained in his seat while everyone else filed out of the room. How he was going to manage to catch up in a reasonable time was beyond him. He sighed before rising from his seat. It seemed like no matter what he did he would be saddled with endless responsibilities be it from school or from NERV...
"You seem bothered. Are you alright?" Ayanami's soft voice shattered the silence that had fallen on the almost empty classroom.
He turned around to see the blue haired girl eyeing him with a somewhat concerned look. He nodded. His worries shouldn't worry her... "I'm fine," he replied. "Just a bit overwhelmed is all."
Ayanami frowned. "What is troubling you?" she asked.
Those crimson eyes of hers bored into him and he knew he couldn't hide from them. Scratch that, he didn't want to hide anything from her... "Nothing serious, it's just catching up on all this missed classwork is going to be hard, that's all..." he replied with a shrug.
Ayanami dipped her head slightly. "I... would not mind... helping," she replied softly.
Shinji couldn't help but feel just a bit embarrassed. He placed his hand on the back of his neck and looked away from her. "You don't have to..." he mumbled. "I know it's troublesome..."
"I already visit your home regularly," she responded with that soft smile of hers. "It is not a bother to me."
Shinji looked down. He honestly didn't understand how she could be so... kind to him. Whatever it was he'd done to deserve such kindness he would never understand. Despite how guilty he felt, he couldn't help but smile. "It would certainly help..." he returned just above a whisper.
Ayanami stepped closer to him. "You are... welcome," she replied, her smile growing wider.
Shinji didn't know what to say. For some reason his heart was beating faster in his chest and he couldn't place why. Ayanami was standing so close to him... why did this suddenly feel so awkward? "W- we should probably get going..." he stammered softly.
Ayanami nodded. "Indeed," she replied. "Let's go."
They moved out of the room and Ayanami fell in step beside him. They moved through the hallways and eventually emerged from the school into the courtyard. It felt... nice to have her be so close to him. He'd never given it much thought but... he really enjoyed having her so close to him. Why? Why did his chest feel so tight and his body feel so warm? He glanced down at her hand swinging there beside him and thought back to when Operation Yashima had taken place... Would she be upset if he tried to hold her hand again?
Just as soon as he started to reach for her hand a familiar abrasive voice destroyed the moment. "Hey!" came the voice of one Asuka Langley Soryu. "Wonder-girl! Come here!"
Shinji looked over across the courtyard to see Asuka and Horaki standing a dozen or so meters away. He glanced back at Ayanami who looked somewhat surprised. "Is something wrong?" she called out.
Asuka dashed over to him and Ayanami. "Nothing's wrong," she replied. "Hikari and I were going to go to this cafe in midtown, want to come with?"
He glanced at Ayanami who regarded Asuka with a contemplative look. "A cafe?" she replied, her expression becoming slightly curious.
Asuka laughed. "Yeah," she said with a wide smile. "They have some great food there, want to come?"
Shinji looked at Ayanami and she looked back at him with a torn look. Before either of them had a chance to speak up Shinji felt a hand clap down on his shoulder. "Hey Shin-man!" Touji cried as he put him in a headlock. "Wanna go with me and Kensuke to the arcade?"
"There's a new shooter game you got to try!" Kensuke chirped, appearing next to him. "I'll bet you'll be great at it considering your experience as an Eva Pilot."
His two friends crowded around him with wide smiles... how could he disappoint them. "Sh- sure," he stammered. His attention snapped back to Ayanami. "If you don't mind..." he added meekly.
Ayanami nodded, though she looked a little bit sad... "I don't mind," she replied. "I'll go with Asuka and Horaki-san."
Shinji regarded her for a moment and nodded. "Yeah..." he murmured. "I guess I'll see you later..."
Asuka smirked. "See you at home, Shinji," she called, turning away with a wave.
They all went their separate ways. His friends kept ranting on about the newest game at the arcade while he looked over his shoulder and watched Ayanami, Asuka, and Horaki walk off in the opposite direction. As much fun as it could be screwing around at the arcade he had really been looking forward to spending time with Ayanami...
Asuka stretched her arms high up in the air as she strode down the sidewalk. Thank God school was finally over! It meant that she could finally go out and do things that actually mattered like shopping. "I'm so glad it's finally the weekend!" she mused. "Or well, what you call the weekend here. Seriously, I don't understand how anyone thought it was okay for school to run six days in a row.."
"Well, before Second Impact, there were talks of making the school week five days like other countries but that fell by the wayside," Hikari stated.
Asuka couldn't help but laugh. "Goes to show where Japan's priorities are, huh?" she retorted.
Hikari chortled softly. "We still make time to have fun," she returned with a grin. "Which reminds me, were you thinking about getting some new outfits for the class trip to Okinawa?" she inquired.
"Oh definitely," Asuka replied, turning to Rei. "What about you? Excited for the class trip?"
Rei looked at her curiously. "Class trip?" she murmured softly
Asuka raised an eyebrow. Was she completely oblivious or something? The class had apparently been talking about the trip at school for the past week or so. Hell, she'd been absent from school and Hikari had taken the time to call her and tell her about it! How on earth couldn't she have known? "You mean you didn't hear about it?" she asked incredulously.
Rei tilted her head to the side slightly. "No," she returned. "This is the first time I've been informed of such an excursion."
"We've been planning it for the last week," Hikari stated. "Are you sure no one mentioned it to you?"
Rei shook her head. "I am positive that I didn't hear about it," she replied flatly.
Asuka snickered. "Been too worried about Shinji-kun to pay attention, huh Wonder-girl?" she teased.
Rei dipped her head slightly, looking down at the concrete path. "I was concerned for him before the last battle, yes, but that has naught to do with it," she replied. "I was simply not informed."
Asuka rolled her eyes. It seemed that no matter what she said she'd never get the pale girl to admit to her stupid little crush on the Third Child... "Whatever," she said with a slight chuckle. "If that's the case, the whole class is going to Okinawa. Sounds fun, right?"
Rei lifted her gaze and stared ahead with a somewhat distant expression. "I doubt I will be allowed to go," she returned quietly.
Asuka scowled. "Why do you figure that?" she questioned.
"Yeah, why do you think you won't be able to go?" Hikari added.
Rei's unperturbed expression never wavered. "I am an active duty Eva Pilot," she replied. "I would imagine I will be required to remain on standby in case of an attack."
Asuka frowned. Her blue haired friend did have a very valid point but boy would that suck! "Well let's hope that doesn't happen," she stated.
Soon enough the cafe was in view and the group filed in. "Have you ever been here before, Ayanami-san?" Hikari asked.
Rei shook her head. "No," she replied. "Should I have?"
Asuka couldn't help but snicker to herself. She didn't regret inviting Rei along but dear god did she seem like she lived under a rock at times...
Hikari smiled. "You've got to try the matcha they have here," she replied. "It's to die for!"
Rei raised her eyebrows. "To die for?" she asked.
Asuka laughed loudly. "It's an expression, silly," she stated with a playful grin. "Seriously? You've never heard anyone say that?"
Rei met her gaze with a rather blank but serious look. "As you would say, I don't get out much..." she replied softly.
"Damn!" Touji shouted, setting down the light gun to the machine in the arcade he'd just gone a round on. "How the hell are you so good at this! I can't even get half of your score!"
"Yeah, man," Kensuke added cheerfully. "You even managed to score higher than me!"
Shinji laughed nervously. No matter what the context it was always just a little uncomfortable to be receiving praise. He had indeed placed exceptionally well in the zombie shooting game the three had been taking turns with, no doubt his time training in the Eva simulator had something to do with it. Kensuke had been right about that it seemed... Still, it was nice to have finally found a video game that he was actually good at, even if it did remind him of his duties at NERV... "I guess I just got lucky..." he replied meekly.
Kensuke snickered. "Don't be so humble, Shinji," he retorted, sliding his glasses up his nose. "You're pretty good at this. Told you your piloting skills would come in handy."
Shinji scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. "Yeah... That you did..." he replied nervously.
Touji crossed his arms. "Ah... I'm tired of getting my ass kicked," he grumbled before levying a question. "You guys want to grab some snacks?"
Shinji had to admit he was a bit hungry. "I wouldn't mind," he replied.
Kensuke shrugged. "Sounds good to me," he said.
Shinji followed his friends to the nearest vending machine and bought himself a candy bar and a soda. His friends did much the same and the three leaned against the wall while they enjoyed their refreshments.
"Hey, Shinji?" Touji spoke.
"Yeah?" he replied.
"You heard about the class trip to Okinawa right? You looking forward to it?" he asked.
Indeed he had heard about the school trip, it was one of those things that Asuka hadn't shut up about during that hellish week of training. To be quite honest, he hadn't thought much about it, assuming that he'd have to remain in Tokyo 3 because of NERV. "I haven't really thought much about it," he replied honestly, not wanting to go into detail as to why that was...
"Oh come on, man," Kensuke spoke. "You gotta admit it's gonna be pretty fun."
Shinji shrugged. What use was there in waxing about something he probably in all likelihood wouldn't be able to partake in? "Yeah," he returned with mild disinterest. "It probably will be."
He looked down at his shoes as his thoughts began to wander. It really did blow that probably wouldn't be to go. It would be another in a long list of things that he wouldn't or couldn't be able to partake in. It didn't matter, he was an Eva Pilot, and Eva Pilots didn't get to do things that were fun... That line of thinking brought him back to his father. Even though the mission had been a complete success the other day his father hadn't even bothered to congratulate him himself. Then again, he should have expected that by now considering he hadn't done so after any of the previous deployments... That fact would never get less saddening and upsetting.
Shinji remembered why he'd even come to Tokyo 3 to begin with, the idea that his father had actually wanted a relationship with him. When he realized that wasn't likely he'd been rather upset but he kept sticking around anyway. He'd made the best of things so far and was now finally starting to be... comfortable in a sickening kind of way with his status as a savior of mankind despite not being deserving of that status. He tried not to think about his broken family relationships but sometimes they came boiling up to the surface like a volcano at the most inconvenient times... As much as he wanted to hate his father he couldn't. Even though it was probably never going to happen, he still wanted that bond to be mended. Maybe one day after the Angels were all gone it would be possible...
"Yo, Shin-man, you good?" Touji asked, waving a hand in front of his face.
Shinji shook himself out of his daydreaming and introspection. Being out with friends was not the time or place to be reflecting on how deeply screwed up his life was. "Yeah," he replied. "I'm good."
Kensuke looked incredulous. "Dude, you were just staring off into space for like a solid minute," he said. "You sure you're good?"
He forced a grin. "It's nothing," he replied, forcing a grin. "Let's play some more games."
Rei lay in bed in her apartment staring up at that ugly barren ceiling above. Though she hadn't been able to spend the afternoon with Shinji the excursion to the cafe with Asuka and Horaki had been enjoyable. This said, the amount of matcha she'd consumed was making sleep a difficult task to accomplish. She disliked laying awake at night as it let her thoughts run rampant and all her anxieties bubble to the surface.
Tomorrow would be Sunday which meant that school would not be in session. However, Asuka had invited her to the mall along with Horaki. Horaki had been unable to accompany them but Rei had agreed to come along. It would certainly serve to strengthen the friendship she now enjoyed with the Second Child which would in turn aid the plan which she was still developing.
Plan, it was less eloquent than saying scenario, but it was a word less associated with the commander. Speaking of Commander Ikari, she couldn't help but feel anxious about how much time he'd been away from NERV in the current timeline. It meant that one of the keys to her current best option for success was missing. She turned over in bed and rested her chin on her pillow. Perhaps it was foolish to think that appealing to Commander Ikari's humanity could work anyway...
No, she couldn't afford to lose hope in that. The risk of taking any sort of violent action or really anything less subtle would be met with consequences that would not bode well for her long term survival and she wanted to survive this... Perhaps an excursion to the mall with Asuka could help to... alleviate some of her worries or at least forget about them for a while. She'd heard about shopping malls before but never had the chance or need to go to one and quite frankly did not understand the purpose of them but supposedly consumerism can ease ones woes at least for a moment...
She rolled back over and stared up at that hateful ceiling once more. Being alone in her apartment with her thoughts really was detestable... That and the matcha was not letting her get any kind of rest...
Shinji awakened late in the morning. He was grateful for the fact that no one had barged into his room and rudely awakened him, allowing him to catch up on some much needed shuteye. He emerged from his room at around half past eight and made his morning coffee before fixing his usual buttered toast. Then the thought of his missed school work returned and instantly killed his somewhat good mood... At least it was a day off so he'd be able to catch up on some of those assignments...
He'd nearly finished breakfast when Misato emerged from her room. "Morning..." she said with a groggy yawn. "Is Asuka up yet?"
Shinji shook his head lightly. "I haven't seen her," he replied.
"I'm up," Asuka snapped as she stepped into the kitchen and pushing past Misato, dressed as if she was going to go out. "Morning everyone," she added, walked over to the coffee pot and grabbing a cup with copious amounts of sugar and cream.
"Going somewhere today?" Misato asked, moving to the fridge to grab her morning beer.
Asuka grinned smugly. "Yeah," she replied. "I was going to go to the mall with Rei."
"Oh?" Misato replied, her eyes narrowing as she cracked her morning can open. "Don't you have schoolwork to catch up on?
Asuka rolled her eyes. "I can get through it easy enough," she huffed. "Come on, I deserve to have a bit of fun and we all know Rei doesn't get out much."
Shinji had no stake in this as he was planning to be the dutiful student and try his best to catch up. He watched as Misato's hard look remained for a moment before she closed her eyes and sighed. "Whatever," she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Do as you please, just tell me where you're going."
Asuka smirked. "No worries there," she snapped in response, sitting down at the table next to him and sipping her coffee. "I was just going to the mall with Rei."
Shinji took a sip of his cup. Well, at least having her out of the house for a while would give him time to catch up with things, especially if Misato had business at NERV. Usually he paid attention to her work schedule but in light of recent event he'd lost track of it. He turned to his guardian. "Misato-san, do you have the day off today?" he asked. "Sorry, but I can't remember."
Misato sighed. "I was supposed to but I still have some paperwork to do," she replied. "So I'll be out until at least mid afternoon. Nice of you to ask though."
Shinji nodded. Well that would certainly give him some time to work on things if he could manage not to be consumed by his thoughts. Well, he'd have Pen-Pen for company so that would certainly help. He'd very much grown to like the strange bird in his time living with Misato. He finished his coffee, excused himself from the table politely and returned to his room to begin a long day of studying and tedium. He tried not to think about it but he was a little jealous of Asuka, having a degree and not having to sweat the answers to schoolwork. He sighed. If only he'd been born with that level of intelligence then things would be easier... Then again, who was he to think about things like that? He deserved whatever came to him and just had to bear it...
Rei strolled along the outside of the enormous consumer complex toward the west entrance where Asuka had told her to meet her. Though she didn't see the purpose of overindulgence in consumer goods it was good to be away from the four walls of her apartment. Asuka had told her to meet her at noon and so she would do so. That said, when she arrived at the west entrance Asuka was not there. Rei checked the time on her cellular phone and noted that the time was now two minutes past the hour. Perhaps Asuka had already left because she was late? No... more likely Asuka herself was running a bit behind on her own schedule.
She waited about ten minutes in front of the entrance before her redheaded fellow pilot showed up. When she did, Asuka wore a confused look. "Hey Rei, good to see you," she greeted. "How come you're wearing your school uniform? It's Sunday."
Rei looked down at her own outfit. So that explained some of the odd looks she'd received on the way over... Her wardrobe was rather limited, other than her school uniforms she only owned some sleepwear and her plug suits, the latter of which were stored at NERV. She returned her gaze to her friend. "I do not possess any other suitable clothing," she replied.
Asuka raised her eyebrows. "Seriously?" she inquired as if she did not believe the statement. "How the hell is that possible?"
Rei frowned ever so slightly and dipped her head just a little, saying nothing in response. It felt like a heavy weight had manifested inside her chest. She knew the reason, it was the stifling life that she had lived due to Commander Ikari's control over every aspect of her existence... It wasn't normal for a girl to not have any other outfits and she knew that. Nothing about her life had been normal ever...
Asuka's incredulous look shifted into one of mild shock. "You're not kidding?" she asked.
"I am not," Rei replied flatly.
Asuka shook her head as if still in disbelief. "How the hell is that possible?" she asked, flabbergasted. "What kind of girl doesn't have any other clothing than their school uniform? Seriously, when we met on the aircraft carrier I thought you'd just left school early or something. Do you live under a rock?"
Rei couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness and embarrassment. What could she say that wouldn't raise unnecessary questions? If Asuka started down that line of inquiry it would only lead to trouble. She had to respond cautiously... She clenched her fists at her side as she steadied herself. "I have... lived an isolated life..." she replied, hesitantly. "My duties to NERV have always come first. I have never seen the need for... luxuries." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the full truth either, not even remotely close to it... She had already grown to dislike having to speak in such a way but moreover she was beginning to despise how she was getting used to it, getting good at it even...
Asuka's expression of disbelief and shock morphed into one of curiosity before she started to smile. That smile grew into a boisterous laugh that left her holding her sides. "Wow Wonder-girl!" she choked out. "You are so weird! How can you live like that?"
Rei frowned, the ache in her chest thrumming softly as she registered the redhead's words. It hurt to be reminded of how... different she was from other people. A part of her was beginning to feel like it was a mistake coming to the mall with Asuka... "I manage..." she returned softly.
Asuka stopped laughing and stepped closer and Rei braced herself for whatever derisive things that she was going to say. Then a grin formed on her face. "Well..." the redhead spoke. "Good thing we're here now! Let's get you some nice clothes!"
Rei's eyes widened. Of all the reactions that she had expected, from criticism to ridicule, she did not expect something like that. If anything, it only went to show how much different her relationship with Asuka was now compared to the previous timeline. She smiled, appreciative of the sudden and unexpected kindness. "That sounds... pleasant," she replied softly.
The pair entered the complex and Asuka began dragging her through various shops, talking the whole time about a whole range of topics that Rei had a hard time keeping up. Her redheaded friend talked at length about fashion trends which she knew nothing of and her excitement for the class trip that they would without a doubt be denied the chance to indulge in. Still, she found herself enjoying the day out and about, away from her miserable dwelling, even if Asuka was encouraging her to spend her meager personal funds on frivolities. Yet... it would be nice to have some other clothing than her school uniforms but... was that worth spending some of her grocery allowance for?
Then something caught her eye in a shop window... It was a dress, a sundress she believed it to be called. It was sky blue, like her hair, displayed on a mannequin in the window of a small shop toward the east end of the mall. It reminded her of the yellow dress that Asuka had been wearing when they'd met. For some reason, over all the outfits that Asuka had suggested which had not roused any reaction in her, this garment caught her eye...
Asuka leaned closer to her with a catlike grin. "Bet Shinji would enjoy seeing you in that, huh?" she teased.
For some reason those words and the ideas they conveyed brought heat to her cheeks. Maybe she could manage with slightly fewer essentials until her next stipend...
So far the trip she'd invited Rei on had been enjoyable for the most part, even if the blue haired girl was rather quiet and a bit reluctant to spend money on things. Asuka had been rather shocked when Rei had told her that she didn't own any outfits other than her school uniform which even Rei herself seemed to understand was odd. Even if Wonder-girl lived life with a minimalist outlook she should still have something nice to wear! Even with all of her duties as a pilot she still found time to provide herself with niceties. It made her feel sad that her friend didn't have much of a wardrobe. With that all said, she was determined to get Rei to be a bit more normal no matter what it took! That said, the aforementioned goal was one that imposed quite a bit of challenge. It had taken quite a bit of cajoling to get the blue haired girl to spend money on nearly anything, not to mention she questioned the point of nearly every aspect of fashion. It seemed Asuka had her work cut out for her...
"Now that you've finally got, like, three outfits we should get you some nice shoes," Asuka told her friend as they walked side by side, exiting the store they'd been shopping in.
"What for?" Rei replied.
Asuka sighed. It had been like this all day and as enjoyable as some of their outing had been she was beginning to tire of having to explain every nuance of fashion to Rei. Seriously, did the girl live under a rock or something? "Whatever" she huffed under her breath, deciding to give up while she was ahead. Oh well... she'd tried at least to help her friend out. She'd barely been able to get anything for herself for the class trip she very much hoped to go on so... time to shift focus onto herself.
"Why hello," a suave voice called. "Fancy seeing you girls here."
Asuka knew immediately who it was and that knowledge immediately brightened her mood. "Kaji!" she exclaimed with glee, turning to face him.
"Good afternoon, Kaji-san," Rei greeted softly.
Kaji stood a few paces away and nodded politely to them. "It's good to see you Asuka," he replied. "You as well Ayanami."
Yes, this day was definitely getting better. "Oh it's always good to see you, Kaji," Asuka returned, letting a slight sultry note slip into her tone. "So what brings you here today?"
He stuffed his hands in his pockets and smiled that dreamy smile of his that always made her heart skip a beat. God he was a real man... "Oh nothing serious, thought I would get some new shirts and ties," he replied in that smooth voice of his. "I packed rather light when we left Germany if you recall."
Oh what did it matter what he was at the mall for, he was there at the mall! This opened up so many wonderful possibilities to try and get him to notice her. Sure, he'd rejected her on the aircraft carrier but that didn't mean she could just stop trying. No, she wouldn't let herself quit that pursuit, she was Asuka Langely Soryu and she would get what she wanted! A smile spread over her face as her plan started coming together. Hell, maybe Rei could pick something up from it... "It's always so nice to see you," she replied warmly. "Would you mind coming with us? We still have so many things to get before our class trip, would you mind helping us by carrying what we buy?"
Kaji let out a jovial chuckle. "I don't mind at all," he said with that oh so wonderful carefree smile of his.
Asuka glanced over at Rei who appeared a bit confused, unsure, or both. "Watch and learn..." she whispered soft enough that only her friend could hear it before turning back to the object of her desire. She walked over to Kaji and wrapped her arms around one of his. "Thank you so much!" she cooed.
The three of them started walking and Asuka tried her best not to smirk. She had a surefire way to get Kaji to see her as more than just a kid: Swimsuits...
Rei sat sipping a cup of iced tea, quietly observing the conversation. She sat with Asuka and Agent Kaji at the round table they'd decided to take a rest at in the courtyard that sat at the rear of the shopping complex. She'd found Asuka's antics since the scruffy man had joined them... puzzling to say the least. The redheaded girl had dragged them to store with a wide selection of swimwear and made quite a show of holding up a number of rather revealing swimsuits for Kaji to judge. Rei didn't quite understand why she was doing this but Asuka seemed to be enjoying the attention. She also noted that Kaji seemed a bit uncomfortable, but the reasoning behind these two things were a mystery to her. Apparently this was some kind of flirtation that she could learn from according to Asuka but where and why she would apply it was something that eluded her sensibilities. Eventually her friend had picked out a white and red striped swimsuit and they'd left for refreshments which they were now indulging in.
"I'm super excited for this school trip," Asuka stated with a cheerful grin, leaning her chin on her palms with her elbows on either side of the meal she'd convinced Kaji to get for her. "I just know we'll have a great time!"
"So where is your class going?" the spy asked.
"Okinawa!" Asuka declared gleefully. "It's gonna be awesome! We're even supposed to go scuba diving!"
"Scuba diving huh?" the spy replied, a nostalgic look washing over him for just a moment. "Ah, it's been years since the last time I went diving..."
"Where did you go for your class trip, Kaji?" Asuka asked.
"Well actually... we didn't have one," the spy replied.
Asuka looked a bit saddened. "Why's that?"
Kaji smiled wryly. "Oh nothing, just a little thing called Second Impact," he returned in a rather frank manner.
Rei looked down at her knees as the spy's words sank in. Though she seldom thought about it, Second Impact was quite a topic of intense internal struggle for her. Second Impact was an event that caused incalculable suffering and death to the world but if not for it she would not exist... During her prior lives when she had desired a return to nothing this had been something she'd been resentful of but after gaining the will to live she... was grateful in a sick way that it had happened. If not for Second Impact she wouldn't be alive, she wouldn't have met Shinji, she would be here now... The moral and personal dilemma and strain that left on a person was immense and she had to bear it. It was an indelible part of who she was...
"I'm sorry," Asuka replied, her tone becoming rather sympathetic to the spy's lamentation. "That must have been hard."
He laughed, seemingly brushing it off as if it was not an important matter. "It's in the past," he returned. "There's no use crying over things we can't change."
"I guess you're right," Asuka replied sounding a little put out.
"So... are you looking forward to your class trip to Okinawa, Ayanami?" the spy asked her.
Rei lifted her head, shaken from her introspection. "As I have informed Asuka, I doubt we will be allowed to attend due to our duties to NERV," she replied softly.
Asuka groaned. "Seriously, still with this?" she huffed. "Come on, at least hope for the best!"
"Agreed," she spy said, bracing his elbows on the table and leaning his chin on his knuckles. "It's best to hope for the best and still prepare for the worst, right?"
Rei once again looked down at her knees. Kaji had a point. It was certainly better to hope for the best rather than wallow in thoughts of depression and desperation. That was something that she continued to struggle with more than she could feasibly express to them but he certainly was right. Though the odds of herself, Asuka, and Shinji being able to go on the class trip were slim to none, thinking about getting to go was... pleasant. The idea of getting to spend time away from the responsibilities imposed upon her by NERV in the company of Shinji was quite pleasant indeed. "Indeed..." she replied softly.
Asuka was quite satisfied. The trip to the mall had been quite refreshing, especially considering she'd been able to spend some time with Kaji. Her efforts to seduce him still had a ways to go it would seem but one day she would get him! After lunch she'd asked Kaji to give her and Rei a lift which he had happily obliged. However, upon arriving at Rei's building she couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy...
The place was a dump! They were in the slums and the building Rei lived in was a dilapidated heap! "You live here?" she asked.
Rei nodded. "I do," she replied flatly. "This is the building I was assigned."
Asuka couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at that response. "Seriously?" she replied. The blue haired girl remained silent which saddened her. Why would she have been stationed in such a miserable place? "Okay..." she murmured.
They entered the ugly building and traipsed up the stairways until they reached the fourth floor where Rei had said she lived. Through the entire trek Asuka couldn't help but be completely disgusted. The stairs were coated in broken glass and mysterious stains that defied polite conversation. Discarded needles littered the ground which caused her to shudder. How on earth could anyone have allowed Rei to live in such a place? After an agonizing climb up the stairs they reached the threshold of the apartment that her friend claimed as hers. Asuka stood before the door as Rei unlocked it and allowed the both of them entry...
It was a dismal sight to behold. Rei's apartment was a shocking sight to behold. Barren wasn't even the word for it, the place was absolutely miserable! Asuka took stock of the bare concrete walls, the rusted bed frame, the dilapidated appliances, and was utterly horrified. How could anyone be allowed to live in such conditions? "How the hell did you end up living here?" she blurted out in shock, snapping around to face her friend.
Rei tensed and looked down at the ground in response to her question. "This is where I was assigned to live..." she replied softly.
Asuka scowled. No, this would not do, this was beneath the status of an Eva Pilot! "How can you stand living in such a shithole!?" she exclaimed.
Rei continued staring down at the floor. "I manage..." she murmured softly.
"But you can't enjoy living here can you?" Asuka pressed.
"My opinion regarding my living situation does not matter..." Rei returned even more hushed, shuffling her feet and clutching bag of her purchases a bit tighter at her side.
Asuka couldn't help but feel an intense pity for her friend, no wonder Rei was so strange! She couldn't do much for her friend but she had to do something... Maybe Rei could stay over at her place for the night? Yes, that was a good idea. Besides, it would give them more time to talk and hang out. Rei had expressed some curiosity about her actions toward Kaji and a sleepover would certainly give her time to explain them. She smirked. It might take some time but she'd make Wonder-girl a bit less weird slowly but surely! "Hey, you want to sleep over my place tonight?" she asked.
Rei's eyes widened in surprise. She also looked a bit confused. "Sleep over?" she asked.
"Yeah, why not?" Asuka returned. One would think that with the amount of time the blue haired girl was over at Misato's that she would jump at the chance but Rei seemed hesitant. "It'll be fun."
Rei's expression remained a bit nervous but she also seemed grateful for the suggestion. Slowly she nodded her head. "Okay," she replied softly.
Thankfully it was not a long walk from Rei's apartment to get back home though carrying her bag of purchases was straining her arm by the time they reached the building. It was getting close to dinner and the sun was getting low in the sky, casting a warm orange glow across all of Tokyo 3. Hopefully Shinji was doing the cooking tonight instead of Misato. She shuddered at the thought of that woman's cooking, it was honestly baffling the amount of instant crap she ate at her age... Asuka opened the door and stepped inside. "I'm home!" she called out.
"Welcome home!" Misato called back.
The two girls passed from the hallway, through the kitchen, and into the living room where Misato was sitting watching television. Apparently no one had started cooking yet which was an indicator that it was her guardian's turn to cook... ugh. "How was the trip to the mall?" the dark haired woman asked, turning to face them. Misato then took a look a surprise upon realizing that Rei was there with her. "Rei? What are you doing here? It's not that I mind, I just didn't expect you today."
"Asuka invited me," Rei replied flatly.
Asuka felt like that was a brilliant moment to lay out her plans. "Yeah," she spoke. "I invited her to stay the night."
Misato's look of surprise shifted into one of frustration. "And you were going to tell me about this when?" she grumbled.
Asuka shrugged and smirked. "Thought not would be as good a time as any," she replied.
Misato glared at her. "I wouldn't mind if you didn't have school tomorrow but you do, so no," the dark haired woman returned.
Asuka planted her hands on her hips. "Come on!" she whined. "We won't stay up late and we'll be able to make it to school on time, what's the big deal?"
Misato retained her hard look for another minute before turning back to the TV with a sigh. "Whatever," she said. "So long as you get to school on time."
Asuka turned to Rei who still seemed a bit nervous. "That takes care of that," she told her friend before snapping back to Misato. "Where's Shinji and who's cooking tonight?"
"Shinji's in his room and it should be his turn to cook," Misato replied.
Asuka's smirk grew. "Shinji!" she barked.
Shinji was shaken from his studying by the calling of his name coming from the living room. Asuka was home and clearly she wanted something from him. He sighed. Clearly he wouldn't be getting any more of his missed classwork done. She probably wanted him to cook dinner, it was his day to do that anyway. It seemed he would never get a chance to focus on himself and always be beholden to others in some way shape or form... Such is life...
He exited his room and halted in the little hallway when he caught sight of Ayanami. "H- hey," he stammered in surprise. "I- I wasn't expecting you today. How are you?"
Ayanami smiled in that subtle, warm way of hers. "I am well," she replied. "My day was... enjoyable. Asuka invited me over."
Shinji returned her warm expression. "It's good to see you," He said.
Asuka grinned. "Yeah," Asuka stated. "Rei's gonna be sleeping over tonight."
Shinji's eyes went wide. Ayanami was sleeping over!? He knew that girls had sleepovers all the time but he would never have expected for Ayanami to say yes to that kind of invitation. On another note, why was he so startled by it? On yet another note, why did her staying under the same roof as him make him feel just a little nervous? It was probably because Asuka would no doubt gossip about him. She certainly had plenty of ammo to do so considering how miserable he'd performed for the majority of their synchronization training before the last Angel... "W- wh- what?" he stuttered.
Asuka smirked. "Yeah," she said before taking on an angry scowl. "Got a problem with it? Don't tell me you're having dirty thoughts!"
Shinji could feel his ears getting hot. He would never think of doing something uncouth! "I would never!" he spat back indignantly.
Misato laughed from where she sat. "Shinji-kun, you're adorable when you get flustered!" he choked out.
"Dirty thoughts?" Ayanami asked, tilting her head in apparent confusion.
Shinji scowled and turned his head away from them... he'd long grown tired of the endless teasing he received seemingly for just existing. "I'll start making dinner..." he huffed. With that he shuffled past Asuka, Ayanami, and Misato and set about getting things ready to cook.
Dinner didn't take long to prepare. During most of it Asuka had been talking to Misato in the living room about her day's outing. Shinji didn't pay much attention to what was being said but it seemed that the two girls had enjoyed themselves. Just about the time he was finished, Ayanami entered the kitchen. "Is there anything I can do to assist you?" she asked.
Shinji couldn't help but feel a pinch of happiness at her words. No matter what, he would always cherish the kindness she continually showed him... "I'm nearly finished," he replied, stirring the pan of vegetables he was frying. "Thanks though."
Ayanami nodded, sitting down at the kitchen table. "When it's ready, I'll help you serve the meal," she said softly.
Shinji turned back to his work, his ears and cheeks getting hot again. It was probably just the heat of the stove though... "Thank you," he replied softly.
Soon enough, he finished cooking and everyone gathered in the kitchen to eat. Ayanami helped him set the table and they got to chowing down. Shinji couldn't help but be quite satisfied with himself and hit culinary skills. The conversation over dinner was mostly light, Misato talked about her day at NERV and Rei and Asuka continued talking about their day shopping. Eventually the subject turned to school and the scheduled trip that would depart during the week...
"Tell you what, I can't wait to go to Okinawa!" Asuka declared as soon as she finished her plate. She pivoted her head between him and Ayanami. "It's gonna be a ton of fun, right guys?"
Misato set down her beer. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but you three can't go..." she replied with a sympathetic look.
Asuka stood up, slamming her hands on the table. "What!?" she howled.
"Yup," Misato replied, sipping her beer.
"Why the hell not!?" Asuka whined.
"It's part of your job," Misato replied calmly.
"So I'm just on permanent standby!?" the redhead huffed.
"That's right," Misato returned with a weak smile.
"What idiot decided that!?" Asuka spat indignantly.
Misato's sympathetic grin wavered as she jabbed a thumb toward herself. "This one," she replied. "NERV's operations manager."
Asuka stood back from the kitchen table and crossed her arms. Shinji had expected such a reaction from her. This conversation had gone pretty much exactly how he'd expected. He sipped his cup of tea calmly. Oh well, it wasn't his fault that she hadn't seen this coming...
"Shinji, are you going to stand for this?" Asuka hissed. "Stop hiding behind that cup of tea and act like a man!"
He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "I figured we wouldn't be able to go so I never got my hopes up for it," he replied.
Asuka harrumphed audibly. "God, you're so pathetic," she grumbled. "Seriously, how can you just give up like that? You're completely housebroken."
Shinji scrunched up his nose and scowled at her. "Hey, don't talk to me like that," he replied, remaining mostly calm.
Asuka whirled around to Ayanami. "Rei, back me up on this!" he barked.
Rei sipped her cup of water. "Attempting to countermand the captain would be futile," she stated flatly.
Shinji couldn't help but find it amusing how Ayanami's laconic comment succeeded in getting Asuka to shut up and sit down.
Misato set her beer down on the table. "Look, I know how you must feel," she spoke calmly and evenly. "There's just no other choice. There's always the possibility that an Angel could attack while you're away."
"So the three of us get stuck here on standby while everyone else is off having fun?" Asuka retorted. "Why is it that we're always the ones who have to be ready to defend against them? Any good officer knows that the best defense is a good offense! Why can't we find them and attack them first?"
Shinji took another sip of his tea, glancing at Ayanami as he did so. He was growing tired of hearing her complaints and, judging by the soft furrowing of his friend's eyebrows, she was as well. Couldn't Asuka just let it go already? There was no way that Misato was going to change her mind...
Misato smiled awkwardly. "If we could do that we would have done it already," she replied. She took a deep breath and her expression shifted into a sly smug smirk. "Look, think of this as an opportunity to get ahead for a change. You and Shinji have an opportunity to catch up on your studies while your classmates are on the trip." She then produced a pair of floppy disks and held them up to be seen. "Speaking of which, did you think I hadn't seen these report cards?"
Shinji gulped and cringed at the sight. How did she know he was screwing up in school? He'd been trying to pick his grades up but he had never been the best student even before becoming a pilot... He glanced at Asuka who seemed to be having a similar reaction to his.
"I guess you thought I wouldn't know about your test scores yet," Misato continued. "Well, all of your grades are forwarded directly to my terminal at NERV and I have been very disappointed in both of you."
Well that certainly explained how she knew about his bad grades...
Asuka shifted in her seat. "Oh this is so silly," she replied sheepishly before turning hostile. "This school's grades are dumb. The old fashioned numeric grading system you use on your exams here is just stupid..."
Misato's eyebrows furrowed. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," she returned. "You could at least try to adjust to Japanese school life."
Asuka huffed. "Ugh... this sucks..." she whined.
Shinji had heard enough and stood up from the table. "If everyone's finished eating I'll start cleaning up..." she murmured softly.
Ayanami stood up as well. "I will assist you," she stated softly.
Rei lay awake in the futon Asuka had laid out for her. Despite being rather thankful to be away from her horrendous apartment it was quite a new experience to be sleeping on the floor in a traditional Japanese bed. Another striking thing she noted about being away from her residence was the silence. She was used to hearing all sorts of sounds outside her window, sounds of the city and the construction nearby so being away from it was somewhat jarring. Then again, the whole day had been a bit jarring in a great number of ways...
After dinner she'd helped Shinji clean up and then moved into the living room where herself and her fellow pilots watched television. After that, Asuka had pulled her away to her room to talk. She'd enjoyed a quiet conversation about how it was regrettable that they would have to miss the class trip which had morphed into a conversation about her living situation. She'd explained in as vague terms as possible why she had been assigned such a place which led to Asuka volunteering to help her renovate her dwelling, promising to rope Shinji into her plot to help. This had filled her with a warm feeling of fellowship. More and more she found herself glad that Asuka was her friend. As abrasive as the German girl could be, she truly wasn't a bad person. Eventually she'd washed up in the apartment's oh so wonderfully warm shower, changed into a set of pajamas that Asuka had let her borrow, and settled in for the night... Except sleep did not come.
Asuka was fast asleep in her bed just a few feet away from her, the sound of her restful breathing keeping a steady rhythm. Rei couldn't help but think of just how different things were compared to her previous lives. It was one of those nagging thoughts that kept her awake many a night, the fact that things continued to diverge. Seeing as sleep was not coming quickly, she rose from her futon. Perhaps a glass of water and some more television would put her in the mood to rest...
She entered the kitchen and grabbed a glass, filling it to the brim before gulping it down. Even the tap water at Shinji's residence was better than hers... It filled her with such a melancholy feeling, knowing that she had to return to her shabby dwelling the next night...
"Ayanami?" a familiar voice asked. "What are you doing up?"
She turned to see Shinji entering the kitchen. For some reason, seeing him in his sleepwear stirred... strange sensations... "I was having trouble sleeping," she replied.
He smiled sheepishly. "Same," he replied. "But I usually don't sleep very well..."
Rei nodded. Since he was awake he might as well join her. She always enjoyed his company... "I was going to watch some television," she stated. "Would you join me?"
Shinji nodded. "I... I'd like that," he murmured softly.
They moved to the living room and Shinji turned the television on. They sat down on the carpet and silence fell between them as they watched the images dance on the screen. Rei found herself zoning out as the late night programming lulled her into a daze. She could now very much appreciate the value of entertainment in allowing one to momentarily escape their woes...
"So what's kept you up tonight?" Shinji asked, shaking her from her groggy daze.
Rei looked over at him. He hadn't turned away from the screen and Rei couldn't help but admire the way he looked with the blue tinted light reflecting off his face... "I... have many worries..." she replied softly. "They make sleep difficult..."
He glanced over at her for a second before looking down at the floor. "Me too..." he returned. "Not the least of which is the classwork I have to catch up on. Hopefully Asuka can help since she had a degree in Germany..."
Rei frowned, that familiar feeling of jealousy roaring back into her chest. Before she could stop herself she spoke. "Why do you call her that?" she asked.
Shinji looked at her confused. "Call her what?" he replied.
"Why do you call Asuka by her given name?" Rei pressed.
Shinji seemed to understand her line of questioning at that moment. "W- well, we're living together and she's a friend so... I- I guess it's just natural I guess..." he stammered.
Rei frowned, looking down at the floor. It seemed a reasonable explanation but still it... stung. "I see..." she murmured softly, raising her eyes to look at him one more. "Are we not... close enough for that?"
Shinji met her gaze with a look of surprise. "I- I- I n- never said that," he stammered.
Rei had never been so bold in her life. Perhaps it was the mood of the light from the television of the otherwise dark room that gave her the courage to continue... "Would you... call me by my first name... Shinji?" she replied softly, barely above a whisper.
He stared at her for a moment and then nodded after a moment. "I... I could do that... R- Rei," he returned softly.
Rei... hearing her name spoken by him made her heart skip a beat. It filled her with such warmth that she could barely contain her emotions. A wide and full smile spread across her face. "Thank you..." she replied.
"N- no problem," Shinji replied with a grin.
They sat there in front of the television in silence after that for a little while longer until Shinji proclaimed that he was tired enough to retire to his bed. Rei remained for a little while longer before going back to Asuka's room. Even when she laid down to rest, that warmth she felt from their quiet and reserved conversation remained. Rei couldn't place exactly what that warm feeling was but it was one she would never surrender... Sleep came easy after that. Whatever the future had in store, that warmth she felt would guide her through it...
Gendo sat in his office. He'd cut his business trip short as soon as he'd gotten the call from Dr. Akagi. The trip had been just more and more of the same boring pleasantries of trying to secure funding to NERV anyway. He'd grown rather tired of that sort of things anyway, he had more productive things to spend his time on after all.
He'd spent every single moment after returning to NERV reading over the reports that had been left on his desk by the good doctor. Everything was in place for the preliminary tests to go forward. The fact that Dr. Akagi had worked so much overtime to meet his deviation in his plans had been a godsend. Though he would probably never express it, he was quite grateful for her for getting things together so far ahead of schedule.
He checked the time on his cellular phone to see it that it was after midnight. He knew that she'd probably be still in her office so her felt nothing of calling her at such a late hour. He dialed her cell and she picked up on the third ring sounding a little groggy. "Yes?" she replied.
"I have seen your report," he replied. "We can proceed. Have Rei report to NERV tomorrow afternoon to begin the first test."
There was a pause before she responded. "Yes sir," Dr. Akagi replied.
Gendo didn't say anything more, he simply hung up the phone. He smirked to himself. Things were beginning to come together...
Tomorrow he would begin the first steps toward an operational Dummy Plug System over a month ahead of schedule...
Author's Notes
I'll start this off by saying that I've decided to take some advice from my readers. A weekly schedule is at present unattainable, at least until the end of the holidays. This said, I'll be moving to a biweekly schedule for the forseeable future.
This chapter was quite a bit of fun to write. The idea of Asuka and Rei going to the mall and Rei getting a chance to explore things a normal girl would do was quite an appealing idea, one that was concieved shortly after the premise of this little tale came about. On another note, we're just about a quarter of the way to the conclusion of this story. In case anyone is wondering, I've hashed out a rather detailed outline for this fic which is why I've been able to pump things out at such a fast clip but the holidays have very much stood in the way of things.
So that said... how about this latest development in the plot? He might have only gotten a small scene at the end of this one, but I'm quite satisfied that Gendo is back in the fold. The Dummy Plug initial tests will be taking place in the next installment and immediately after that we'll see Sandalphon arrive...
Needless to say, things are about to get heavy...
Please continue to read and Review! Your responses are what keep me motivated!
Regards,
A.F.