Chapter 19: Pseudo Brothers

The following morning, Shinji made his way to school. He had removed the head bandages, but redressed the body bandages. The right leg seemed to be doing better as it didn't feel like a lead weight. Arriving at the school early, he headed toward the homeroom. Upon entering, there wasn't anyone inside yet. Setting his backpack down, he sat down at his desk. Taking out his laptop, he opened it and turned it on. Watching the screen turn load, he looked up.

Adjacent to the main board behind the teacher's desk, was a mobile chalkboard. Not seeing anyone around, he blinked. The child version of himself appeared at the top with an evil grin on his face. His nails grew slowly out a little and dropped down. Clawing down the chalkboard sent loud high pitched shrieks that ringed in Shinji's ears. When reaching the ground, the child version went through the floor like a ghost. It giggled as the high pitched scratching echoed.

"…" the male pilot said.

Turning back to his laptop, the main screen menu was ready. Opening up the word document program for note taking, he waited for it to load. Seeing a new window appear and about to type, footsteps were heard outside the door. Turning his eyes slowly to the door, a female student walked in. He stood up and bowed to her.

"Greetings Miss Ayanami."

"...morning Ikari," Rei said. Stepping into the classroom, she walked toward him.

"How are you today?" he asked.

"...I am..." she stated and stopped a couple of feet away. "adequate."

"…" he said nodding his head and staring at her.

"…" she said staring back at him.

"Is there anything else Miss Ayanami?"

"…yes…"

Despite normally not continuing a conversation, the female pilot felt that she would have to if she wanted to get answers from the male pilot. Besides having the Commander to talk with, the exhausting discussion she had with Shinji made her change her perspective a little. He made her feel comfortable to talk and converse about almost anything. Also, she wanted to know more the male pilot. Ever since that early morning discussion and what he said at her apartment, she felt a small urge of wanting to see him.

"…how are you feeling?"

"I am feeling well for the most part."

"I see," she said feeling relieved a little.

"Is there anything else you wish to know Miss Ayanami?"

'…most of the questions...I have asked him already and received an answer,' she thought blinking and looking in deep thought.

'I don't have a question in mind,' the First Child thought looking back at him. About to open her mouth to end it, she felt strange. Almost like what she was about to do would be disappointing.

'…how do I continue when I don't have questions to ask?' she pondered feeling herself starting to get frustrated.

"Miss Ayanami?"

"Yes?"

"Is something the matter?"

"…" she said. Blinking, she tried figuring out how to answer the question.

"It feels difficult to explain the answer."

"I see. If you would like, would you care to sit down and explain?" Shinji asked. Gesturing to the desk that was next to his, she looked at it then back at him. Nodding her head, she sat down.

"…" Rei said looking at the desk. "For some reason, I will feel inadequate if I stop our conversation."

"Inadequate?"

"Yes," she said looking back at him.

"I see. Perhaps you wish to engage in small talk."

"…small talk?" the female pilot said. Thinking about, she tilted her head a little.

"Yes. Is that correct?" he asked blinking and ignoring the continuous murmurs of his voices.

"…" Rei said pondering. "Explain."

"Conversation of unimportant and non-controversial matters."

"If there is nothing important to talk about, then continuing is pointless."

"Indeed. However, small talk would allow you to continue a discussion when all important matters have been dealt with."

Rei looked in deep thought absorbing the information. Thinking back to the times that she had talked with the Commander, there were times that their conversation ended. She felt like continuing, but couldn't figure out why. The long winded conversation with the Third Child a couple of days ago continued because there were so many questions. Given that she deemed them important matters, it was valid reason to continue the few hour conversation. Understanding what to do in the process of that feeling of wanting to continue a discussion, she nodded her head.

"I see," she said starring back at him.

"Do you wish to try engaging the activity more?" he asked impassively.

"…yes…" she said feeling the disappointing feeling go away.

Shinji began with asking how things were going with her. She didn't expound on her responses. He kept the conversation on light topics which she found agreeable. As both continued going back and forth, the female pilot noticed that his atmosphere was perplexing. Talking with him brought calmness to her; however, his usual murky aura was stronger than normal. Not knowing why and not seeing him as a threat, she ignored it.

As the time for school to start came closer, a couple of students walked into the classroom. They immediately stopped seeing the two mysterious Eva pilots talking to each other. Much to their surprise, Ayanami was talking. Little by little, more students were piling up at the door looking into the classroom. It started a new wave of whispering.

"Is Ayanami talking with Ikari?" one whispered.

"Yeah…how bizarre."

"I know. It is like totally out of character for her."

"It feels weird watching them."

"Yeah."

"I can't tell what they are talking about with both of their faces like that," one student whispered. A lot of heads nodded to the statement.

"Who would have thought Ikari would be the one to thaw the Ice Queen."

"Can you say he is thawing her? He's an ice man himself."

"More like a butler."

"Yeah."

As if the two inside heard the whispering, both broke their conversation. Rei went to her seat. All the students then walked in looking back and forth between the two. They saw Ayanami looking impassively out the window and Shinji typing with a blank face. The new topic of the day was about what the two were talking about.

Leading the charge in finding out, Kensuke and Toji were elected. During break, both up to the Third Child sitting at his desk. Getting in front of the pilot, the jock held up his hand. The teen was about to stand up and bow to them but stayed seated. The impassive face he had was something they weren't use to still.

"Ya don't have to do that all the time," Suzuhara stated.

"It is a force of habit. What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"Hey, can we ask a question?" Kensuke asked.

"What would you like to ask?"

"What did ya talk with Ayanami about?" Toji asked in a whisper.

"We engaged in small talk about light subjects," Shinji replied. While addressing either male student, only his eyes would move. The rest of his body remained still.

"Like what exactly?"

"Weather, personal health, hobbies, and NERV I believe were the topics we talked about."

"Really?!" the bespectacled student said brightening up. "I saw something on my dad's computer about a new type of robot. Do you any—ow!"

"…" the jock stated. Retracting his hand, he karate chop the military enthusiast's head. The male pilot looked back and forth between the two. His voices gathered around him and stated that the two students were a comedic pair. The male pilot just blinked.

"What was that for?"

"Ya can ask him later about NERV," Toji said. Getting closer to the Third Child, he whispered.

"Hey Shin-man, is the Ice Queen difficult to talk to?"

"…" he said and blinked. "You mean Miss Aya—"

"Shhhh!" both Toji and Kensuke whispered and put their hand over his mouth. "Not so loud man."

"My apologizes," the male pilot said with a muffled voice. As they retracted their hands, his voices were giggling one after another repeatedly.

'…' Rei said. Continue staring out the window, he was watching the three in the reflection of the window.

'Ikari was about to say my name...what are they talking about?'

"To answer your question, no. She is not difficult to talk to," he whispered to them.

"...?" both said blinking. Glancing back at the First Child, the two looked back at him with confusion. Both remembered the times students tried talking to her and how those turned out.

"...really?"

"Yes. Is there something else you wish to ask?"

Both Kensuke and Toji looked at each other then smirked. Looking back at the male pilot, he was looking at each of them slowly only with his eyes. It kind of reminded them of a cat wall clock in which the eyes sweep side to side in second intervals.

"Say Shin-man, you wouldn't be any chance havin' the hots for Ayanami over there?" Toji asked. He was a little louder than a whisper to get someone to hear. Rei's ears perked up a little hearing what was said. Repeating the statement in her head, the sentence didn't make much sense.

"…" Shinji said with a blink. "The hots, gentlemen?"

"Yeah. You know," the jock continued then showed him a hand gesture.

His right hand was close and the thumb was in between the index and middle finger. Clown laughs, cat calls, wolf howls, and stomping of the feet surrounded the Third Child making him blink a couple of times. A couple of flashbacks came to mind in which showed various children involved. Not reacting to any of them, the hair on the back of his neck stood up a little. He had a fair idea what the gesture and slang word meant now.

"It is a possibility gentlemen," he finally said.

"Ahhh-yeah Shin-man!" Toji whispered enthusiastically. Clapping the pilot's back, Kensuke chuckled a little. The break bell sounded.

"Make sure ya thaw her out first."

"Toji give it a rest," Aida stated. He adjusted his glasses walking back to his seat.

"Awe, come on man," the jock said. Putting his hands behind his head, he started walking back to his seat.

"It's the first time he sounded normal."

Sitting back in their seats, they now had something to tease the stoic male pilot about. It also made them feel better that underneath that stark shell, he had similar thoughts about the opposite gender. Both glanced at Rei to see if she reacted. She was still in her usual position looking out the window. When class started, they went back to their own devices to pass the time.

Midway in the class lecture, Ayanami looked with her eyes at the Third Child. He was typing notes from the lecture. What Suzuhara stated kept repeating in her head as she tried to decipher it. Knowing the statement referred to them both, there was also the hand gesture that she never saw before. Deciding that the worst the male pilot would say was he didn't know, she sent him a message.

Shinji saw a messaged popped up in his screen box and ignored it at first. All the voices around him started hand drum rolling on the desks surrounding him. Blinking, he continued typing notes until he heard them all inhale deeply. They shouted at him at the same time sounding like an aggressive chorus.

"Answer it!" "AnSwEr It!" "aNsWeR iT!" "ANSWER IT!" "ANSWER IT!""Answer it!" "AnSwEr It!" "aNsWeR iT!" "ANSWER IT!" "ANSWER IT!""Answer it!" "AnSwEr It!" "aNsWeR iT!" "ANSWER IT!" "ANSWER IT!""Answer it!" "AnSwEr It!" "aNsWeR iT!" "ANSWER IT!" "ANSWER IT!""Answer it!" "AnSwEr It!" "aNsWeR iT!" "ANSWER IT!" "ANSWER IT!"

"…" Shinji said. Feeling his right eye twitch more than once, he blinked slowly. Stopping with his typing, he opened up the message to see the First Child's name on it.

[Ikari, may I ask a question?]

[Yes.]

[From what Suzuhara said, what did he mean by his statement?]

[Which statement?]

[The one with the word 'hots' in it]

[Its slang for intense attraction or sexual desire]

"…" Rei said blinking after reading the message. Reading it again, she put the statement together. Understanding, she felt strange. Not too sure why, she glanced at the Third Child then back at her monitor.

[What was your response to his question?]

[It is a possibility]

'It is a possibility?' she thought. From the strange feeling, it morphed into something elese. It made her feel pleased by his answer.

[Is there anything else Miss Ayanami?]

[What made you say it is a possibility?]

"Ooo! Ooo! Ooo! Ooo!" the child version stated. It suddenly appeared in front of the Third Child with his hand up. "I'll answer! Pick me! Pick me!"

'Very well,' Shinji thought feeling a tremor go down his spine. The child climbed him and lay on top of his head. It cracked his knuckles and grinned widely.

[Since I think you are beautiful, you are very attractive. Thus, I would have the hots for you.]

'…!?' Rei thought feeling her face warm again. Trying to hide her expression, she turned toward the window a little. Prompting her head up with both arms, she closed one hand and placed it in front of her mouth. The corners of her mouth turned up a little.

'He...said it again…'

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, she saw something different. Blinking, there seemed to be multiple people around him with a child lying on top of his head. Confused, she turned her head a little and looked out of the corner of her eyes. The sight made her turn her head a little more.

Shinji was sitting in his chair not doing anything. The seats to his sides and behind were filled with individuals that were wearing the same outfit as him. There was another one that was kneeling in front of the Third Child, but his head was blocked by Shinji's. Slowly, the four individuals turned toward her making her blink in surprise. Each one was grinning wickedly at her.

Rei's eyes widen a little for all four were Shinji except each had different color eyes: green, silver, rusty copper, and brown. Blinking, all were gone except a small child and another person. The small clone moved around to sit on Shinji's head while the other stood in front of his desk. Her mouth opened a little when the child and other male were Shinji with different color eyes. The kid had blue and the other had blue with red around his pupils.

'…' the First Child said feeling bewildered. 'What's going on?'

The two versions looked at her as she looked at them. The First Child tried not to blink fearing that something would change without her seeing it. Strangely, the child smiled after she finished her thought of not blinking. When she blinked, both were gone. However, two soft giggles remained.

Starting to feel sweat develop on her back, her nerves were straining with fright and wonder. The Third Child was still sitting and not typing. However, he looked as if he went through a blood bath. His cloths were drenched in blood. The skin was pouring out red substance that littered the floor and ceiling.

Something looked off at the ceiling which she shifted her eyes up a little. A long metal pole shot down quickly and went through the male pilot's upper back. Destroying the table attached to the desk, the pole impacted the ground with blood flowing down it freely. She watched his hands start typing on the laptop again then blinked.

"Kensuke, ya think Ayanami heard us?" Toji whispered.

"I don't know…but she has been staring at Shinji's back for like three minutes," Kensuke stated his observation. The look that she gave and held made both of them feel uncomfortable.

'Creepy,' both thought in unison with a shiver.

[Miss Ayanami?] he messaged to her.

"…?" Rei said blinking at the scene change again. Everything was back to normal as class continued. All the red that surrounded the Third Child was not present. Blinking again, she looked down at the message.

[Yes?]

[Is there anything else you wish to know?]

"…" she said still confused and startled from what she saw.

[No.]

[Very well. Good day.]

[Bye]

After the exchange, Ayanami stared back out the window trying to figure out what she saw. Not entirely sure, she tried guessing at what it could have been. Not coming up with anything, she looked back in the window reflection at the Third Child. For the rest of the day, she didn't see the other versions of him. Deciding that maybe it was just her imagination, she went home after school.

Throughout the remainder of the week, both pilots would have small talks before the school day started. In effort to get Ayanami more comfortable in engaging conversation, Shinji asked her to bring up a question or two. She found it difficult for so many questions plagued her mind; however by the end of the week, the female pilot got out of the foreign feeling of engaging a conversation. Though the questions she asked were trivial, the male pilot didn't give a sign of negativity to them.

At the end of the school week, the students heard the final bell. Hearing the Class Rep say the ending day routine, they all bowed. Hikari saw a majority of the students start to leave then turned toward the male pilot. He was still sitting down and making last minute notes. Shutting down the laptop, he started putting his stuff away. Heading over to him, he stood up and about to bow when she held up her hands.

"Greetings Miss Horaki. How are you?"

"Hi Ikari. I am doing okay. Thanks for asking. I just wanted to let you know that it will be your turn today for cleaning up the classroom."

"Very well," he said with a nod.

"This will be your first time so you can ask the other classmate about how the cleaning routine is done."

"I see. Which classmate will be assisting me?"

"Let's look at the clean-up roster and see," the class rep said seeing him nod again. Both walked to the wall near the door that had a folder.

Rei had collected all her items and packed her bag. Standing and walking to the front of the classroom, she turned and saw the two. Both were standing next to each other talking. Despite knowing it was just about the clean-up roster, the female felt strange from watching them. Seeing the Class Rep have a pleasant smile on her face while looking at him caused something to stir a little inside her.

"…" Rei said as she gripped her bag handle a little.

'Odd sensation,' the female pilot thought looking down at her hand. 'There is nothing that they are doing to cause a concern.'

"It appears he has already left," Shinji said looking back at the almost empty classroom. He heard an irritated sigh next to him.

"They should know better," Hikari stated putting her hands on her hips.

"I can manage by myself Miss Horaki," he said. It caused her to immediately turn him.

"I can't have you do that when you don't know the routine. Besides, it is quicker with two people. I'll help you," she said with a small smile.

"Very well. I am in your care," Shinji said. Giving a small bow, the freckled teen giggled a little.

"Come on. I'll show where the cleaning closet is for getting supplies," she said and saw him nod.

Both turned to the door and he gestured her first. Rei saw the female student place her hands behind her while walking. As both exited the classroom, the female pilot still felt the odd sensation. Looking down at her hand holding the handle, it still held a tighter grip.

"…" Rei said tilting her head and blinking. Shaking her head, she exited the classroom. Walking down the steps, the odd sensation started fading and her hand grip lessens on her bag. Still not able to identify why watching them caused the strange feeling, Ayanami pushed it aside and went home.

After informing him of the cleaning routine, both finished relatively quickly. Hikari engaged in small talk with him in which he responded and asked similar questions. It made her feel a little better that she got to know a little more about the Eva pilot. She was curious and asked what both he and Rei would talk about. To her surprise, he informed her that it was just small talk.

Putting all the supplies away and closing the supply closet, they headed back to the classroom. Picking up their things, both exited and closed the door. Walking side by side, they headed toward the school entrance.

"Is there anything else Miss Horaki?"

"Hmm? After cleaning? No, not really. Once it is done, you can go home."

"I see," Shinji said as both stopped passing the school gate. He turned to her. "Do you need escorting to your home?"

"…uh…um," the class rep stated surprised he asked her that.

'Is…is he,' she thought feeling a slight flutter in her chest. Turning to look at him, the impassive expression he had killed the thought. Sighing to herself, she collected herself.

"Thanks, but I will be okay," she said with a small smile.

"Very well. Until we meet again, good day," Shinji said with a small bow.

"Bye Ikari."

Nodding his head, he turned around and walked down the sidewalk in the opposite direction that she would travel. Walking toward her home, she thought again about what he asked. Smiling a little, she placed her hands and bag behind her while she continued walking.