Hello again guys!
Sorry for the wait, writing has been difficult between work and my lack of ability in expressing my ideas into words hehehe. Thank you for your kind reviews! I tried to implement themin my writing, hopefully you can see a little bit of progress in it :)
I have mixed feelings about this chapter, but i'll wait your opinions on it to see if my hunch is correct.
Without further ado, please enjoy!
A new threat emerges
"You should go back Shinji-kun. I'm sure she has been waiting for you all day" said Kaworu, giving me a worried look
"I don't know how to face her, we were supposed to be honest with each other" I said, looking towards the orange sea from the rooftop of a nearby building
"Then why don't you tell her what is on your mind?"
"I'm scared of what she might think of me, I still haven't fully understood what I'm supposed to be now"
"You are a being who possesses both the Fruit of Knowledge and the Fruit of Life" He told me, sitting next to me and putting his hand on my shoulder, making me turn my head and look at him directly. "You could say you are now a godlike being. But you still have time to figure it out so don't push yourself right now Shinji-kun"
"Why can I see you then? How are you even alive?"
"I believe that explanation is better suited to be in the future, not now. Let us go home Shinji-kun"
Getting of the rooftop and flying towards our apartment, I start to get nervous thinking what would I tell Asuka about my whereabouts today, I was supposed to go pick up supplies but after scavenging some stores I was suddenly scared of myself. 'What have I become now? I'm just like them now, just like he was when I killed him with my own hands, a supposed enemy of humanity. Yet he claims I'm still human and that it is more complicated than that' I thought. I stopped a moment to breathe and organize my thoughts, but I'm afraid that moment extended for a couple of hours, the sun was beginning to die and I set out at noon.
"I'm home" I said loudly after entering our apartment and saw her sitting in the kitchen table staring at me
"Why did you take so long? What where you doing?" she demanded, with a clear furious look in her eyes
"Sorry Asuka I just needed some time to think about some things" I answered, directing my eyes to somewhere else, I didn't have the courage to face her now.
"You promised we were going to be transparent with each other, yet here you are hiding stuff from me"
"I-I-I'm not h-hiding anything A-Asuka"
"Yeah right, now you disrespect me by lying to my face Baka Shinji" She said in a small voice, lifting herself from the chair and going to the living room. "I don't think this is going to work, I'm giving my all to put all that has happened behind us and try to live in peace in this apocalyptic world where it's only you and me, and you can't even tell me what's been bothering you for the past three days. I wish to be alone right now so go away"
Suddenly I open my eyes, realizing I must have been dreaming about the distant days of the past "Ugh, what time is it?" I groggily ask the nothingness of my room, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and slowly sitting in my bed
"I would say it is 6 in the morning" Came a voice from my right side, jolting me awake and seeing the responsible for my jump scare so early in the morning.
"OH GOD WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT DOING THAT" I scream at him, throwing a pillow at him that he deftly evades and watches me with a smirk.
"Oh but it is so entertaining to watch you regress back to a scared 15 year old Shinji-kun"
"One of these days I'm going to wake up throwing punches at you"
"I look forward to it then" he replied, laughing at my frown, and walking up behind me as I stand up from the bed, moving to fetch my clothes so I can take a bath and start making breakfast.
After finishing washing up and getting dressed for the morning, I quickly fall in my morning routine, picking out the ingredients for today's breakfast and bento lunch, deciding for some pancakes and eggs for breakfast, and rice balls, salmon, and fried vegetables for lunch. Putting my apron and beginning to prepare breakfast, I hear a door opening and turn to look at my red headed roommate, who has never been a morning person, walk out of her room rubbing her eyes and moving towards the bathroom like a zombie.
"Good morning Asuka!" I said loudly to make sure she hears me, earning me some kind of grumbling, not exactly falling short of my expectations and I refocus my mind to making breakfast. Almost on autopilot I start mixing the pancakes ingredients while my mind starts wandering about a certain brunette I met the other day.
"Thinking of asking her out today I see"
"Do you think lunch is a better idea than dinner? I do have to swing by NERV in the late afternoon" I say to my silver haired friend who's floating around the apartment, looking somewhat bored
"Well, I do believe dinner is the safest option, she probably has plans in the day like any normal adult"
"You're right, I'll call her after I finish preparing all the food"
"Morning Baka, you're calling who?" Came Asuka's voice from behind me, startling me and making me turn around in a sudden movement. "And who are you talking to? Finally lost your mind?"
"Tha-That's none of your business!"
"You're right, not that I really care. What's for breakfast?"
"I made pancakes and eggs today, here you go" I said to her, placing the dish in front of her, simultaneously taking a seat across the table and beginning to eat my breakfast.
"I made lunch also, some rice balls, salmon and fried vegetables. I hope you like it"
"Great, more Japanese food" she said in a bored tone.
And with that we continued eating breakfast in silence, just like we have been doing for the last years since life became normal again. She says goodbye and heads to school, I wash the dishes and wait for Misato to wake up and serve her breakfast. One could say I've gotten used to this comfortable modus operandi of me and my housemate, but right now I'm finding it a bit dull. The last interesting thing that happened was Asuka breaking up with that jerk Tachibana, I won't voice it to her but I am glad that's over. I'm one pathetic man, I always try to distance myself from her, but at the same time there's nothing I want more than erasing the distance between us. I try not to entertain that idea since I blew up my one and only chance with her all those years ago, but everyday it's getting harder and harder to keep this up. Ritsuko is right, it feels lonely, even with Kaworu talk to, maybe I should tell them the truth already.
Picking up my cellphone and looking up Kaguya's number, I dial it and prepare my mental script to ask her out today in the few moments that take her to pick up.
"Hello?"
"Hi Kaguya, it's Shinji, Shinji Ikari"
"Oh I was wondering when will you be calling me Shinji-kun" She said, and I could picture her smirking a little over the phone
"I-I was wondering if you are free for dinner today maybe?"
"Dinner with you? But of course. Where do you want to meet up?
"Let's meet up at the park in downtown Tokyo-3, the restaurant I have in mind is close by"
"Sure, I'll meet you there at 7:30, sounds good?
"That's perfect, it's a date then!"
"Right you are Shinji-kun, I can't wait to see you. Bye~"
Closing the call, I let out a huge breath I didn't know I was holding in; 'That went much better than I thought'. Still in the high of having successfully planned out my first "official date" I didn't realize that I was being watched by someone.
"I didn't know you were such a smooth talker Shin-chan" I heard a feminine voice say but couldn't quite register it at that instant.
"I'm not in the mood for your teasing right now Kawo-" Turning around I got scared shitless and jumped backwards, hitting the kitchen counter with my ass.
"SHIT MISATO! YOU STARTLED ME"
"Oh I'm glad your friend over the phone didn't hear you sounding so masculine just now" She said, laughing out loud at my misfortune and opening the fridge to grab a beer. She sat down on the kitchen table and took a long swig, followed by his signature scream of delight.
"How much did you hear" I asked her, now nervous of being discovered. Not that I was caught doing something wrong, but it felt that way a little.
"Just after you offering to eat dinner, who were you talking to?" She asked me, looking at me with mischief in her eyes and an evident smirk
"No one you know"
"Ohh I see it's a sensitive topic for you. I never thought I'll see the day my little Shin-chan would get himself a date! Do you know how to kiss Shinji? Or where to put it? You can't embarrass yourself in front of a lady like that you hear me?" She started rambling, each sentence making me more flustered than the last and reddening my whole face
"I'M NOT A VIRGIN MISATO, OF COURSE I KNOW WHERE TO PUT IT!" I screamed, face fully red extremely embarassed at her suggestion
"WHAT? SINCE WHEN?
"That doesn't matter, the point is that I have a date and that is all" I told her, a little bit more calmed now
"And here I thought you would need dating advice from me, oh you just destroyed my expectations Shin-chan" She pouted, apparently waiting for a chance to impart some adult knowledge to me. I grimaced at the thought of Misato giving me tips on how to score with a lady and how to have proper sex, that's something I'd rather not live enough to experience it.
"Thankfully no, I don't need any advice, I already have something planned out"
"I guess you won't be making dinner today then. I'll ask Asuka later what she'd want for dinner, and we can order something"
"Thank you, Misato"
"Now I hope you don't come home late young man! I will not tolerate such behavior in this household!" She said to me, in a surprisingly serious tone
"Misato, I'm 21 already, what's the fuss about me arriving home late at night?"
"I don't care how old you are, as long as you're living in my house, you abide by my rules Shin-chan, and don't let me get started on the alcohol!"
"Yeah okay I get it, just relax I'll be home not too late then" I said to her somewhat disappointed, I was looking forward to spending quite some time with Kaguya, although maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.
"Good then" She finished and for a moment I thought she was done talking, but she proved me wrong a minute later. "I never thought my Shinji would become a pimp though, gotta say I'm flabbergasted"
"Yeah I'm leaving catch you later Misato!" I said to her, running towards the door not wanting to engage in more conversation with her, I could see where she was going with those comments.
"COME ON SHINJI YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE LIKE THAT!"
Later that day, in university
"So, you and Tachibana broke up because it seemed like he was dating you out of a bet he made with a classmate" said Hikari, reviewing what I just told her in the last minute.
"That sounds right" I said, looking at the crowd in front of us in the cafeteria, we just finished with our classes for today and decided to drink some coffee together before parting ways. Hikari is currently pursuing a career in diplomacy and public service. I can't say I'm surprised with her choices, finding them really fitting.
"Honestly, I'm surprised you are taking this so… calmly" She said, giving me a glance between concerned and curious.
"Well, at first I was really pissed at him as I told you already, but when he left and the words he said began to sink in. I was actually hurt, but not because we were done, it was more because of how he made me feel like an ugly person" I explained, frowning now while keeping my gaze to the moving crowd of university
"Oh… well I think I understand what you mean"
"I feel somewhat relieved actually that we are done"
"How so?" She questioned me, now fully confused about my behavior and answers
"Well, I don't know how to explain it but… while I did enjoy our dating time, I could never trust him enough to go beyond that"
"Just like the others you've dated in these last years, right Asuka?" She asked, earning a questioning look from me, and now I noticed that her expression changed to something like…unamused? Is she judging me for not finding someone?
"What are you implying, Hikari?" I asked her in a serious tone, not wanting to go around the bush right now, not exactly in the mood for it
"Well, you keep trying to find guys different from the one you already love, and expect to feel the same way with them, it's a fool errand if you ask me"
"Not this shit again, Hikari we've talked about it already" I sigh and returned my gaze to the moving crowd, bringing the cup of coffee to my face and taking a long sip.
"If talking means you saying it's complicated and it can't work out between us anymore then I suppose we have" She said, clearly not pleased with my attitude towards that specific subject, but I have been more than clear on where I stand on sharing details on it.
"Can I ask you a question Asuka?"
"I guess you can, what is it?"
"What are you going to do when he starts dating someone, like you have been doing these last two years?" she said, and I felt something akin to an accusation in the second part of her question but decide to ignore it. However, after thinking about her question and picturing him dating someone I couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable with the idea.
"I'm doing nothing, he's an adult and is free to make his own choices, as am I in case you have forgotten" I added that last part in a displeased tone, letting her know that I am not exactly enjoying this conversation.
"Asuka, I love you and you're my best friend but sometimes you are too rational and prideful for your own good, I know you'll be hurting once that happens. Just like he hurts every time you start dating someone new"
At this moment, I just stood up from where we were sitting, and looked at him with an angry glare, clearly riled up and furious about the topic Hikari loves touching when we're together. "Hikari, there isn't a single person on this planet that who has hurt me more than Shinji Ikari, so excuse me for not wanting to experience that again. Even to this day he hasn't been honest with me, and I can clearly see he has been hiding things to me for a long time. So I would appreciate it if you never bring this subject up again, and please… stop putting Shinji in a pedestal, he's not the angel you think he is" after venting to her and leaving her speechless, forming a thin line with her lips in clear discomfort, I sighed and told her. "And I love you Hikari, but you push my buttons too much sometimes. I must go to NERV now, see you tomorrow. With that I started walking out of the cafeteria and on my way to the parking lot, having a NERV issued car (not that I'm complaining) so I can move faster in case an emergency were to occur. Shinji has one too, but he's adamant in not using it, I think he's not a big fan of driving and if I were to blame it on someone, it would be on our beloved Misato and her driving skills.
After 15 minutes of driving, I arrived at NERV headquarters. As a mechanical engineer student, I like to help Ritsuko in the EVA project so I can put my classes to practice, and I find this more entertaining that lazying around in the house. One thing that I have gotten used to is finding Wondergirl in the hallways, she seems to have the same preferences as me, spending most of her time here, whether she will be reading or helping here and there is completely random though. Today it seems like the former of the two.
"Hey Wondergirl, how's it going?" I ask her, giving a wave in front of her face to make her look up from her book.
"Hello Sohryu-san, I am having a nice day, what about you?" She said, giving me a small smile that I found somewhat creepy and cute at the same time.
"Just fine, somewhat boring though. What are you reading? I curiously asked, trying to read the cover of her book while she answered me.
"It is book about human sexuality, Understanding the Woman's G Spot" she said to me in a monotone voice. I just stared at her wide eyed, with my mouth hanging partially open at her declaration.
"Uhm… why are you reading that Ayanami?"
"I have started exploring my sexuality in the recent months, I seek knowledge on how to improve my enjoyment of it" She stated like it was the most natural thing in the world to talk about. Now my brain just short circuited. I was looking at her not really believing her words and with my mouth full opened now. At this she gave me a quizzical look, tilting her head a little to her right side and frowning a bit.
"Is something wrong Sohryu-san? She asked me, prompting me to close my mouth and clear my throat loudly. This was a situation I had never expected, not prepared myself to have with Wondergirl. At least not in the forseeable future.
"No, nothing is wrong. You just… surprised me a little that's all" I said, avoiding eye contact with her due to my embarrassment with the subject. "So, you already have had sex with someone?"
"Yes, once with a guy and once with a girl"
"Holy shit"
"I'm supposed to have sex again with the former in the week, so here I am seeking knowledge to make the experience more enjoyable"
"Okay okay let's stop there, I can't handle this much information" I said, signaling her to stop talking, I was about to faint from all the images of Rei Ayanami having sex with both a man and a woman in my mind. Oh god why did I have to ask her about that damned book? In for a penny in for a pound I suppose. I don't know how but speaking with Misato right now doesn't feel as bothersome as it should.
"I wish you good fortune in your… explorations Wondergirl, see you later!" And with that I started walking away, and she turned her eyes back to her book, concentrating once again in Understanding the Woman's G Spot. A part of me wants to see the face of Misato when I tell her about what I just witnessed, but I think I'll keep Wondergirl plans a secret, a girl can't kiss and tell after all.
I began walking towards Central Dogma to find Misato, even though she's the new Commander of NERV, she's always loitering around there, I suppose she prefers interacting with her crew like the old days instead of ordering from above like Gendo Ikari used to do. I couldn't help but think of what I was talking with Hikari earlier today, I haven't really thought about Shinji starting to date. He usually avoids more-than-friendly interactions with women as far as I have seen, but it is unrealistic to think he would never date, he's a guy after all and have needs like everyone else. What would he be like when he's dating someone? Will he make her a bento like me everyday? Will he bring her home to have dinner with us? Will he stop sleeping in the house, prompting me to make myself breakfast? Dammit Hikari, why did you have to put that thought in my head? He's free to do as he pleases, just as I am! This shouldn't bother me so much! You'll pay for that Horaki Hikari.
"Woah what did that poor girl did to you?" Came a voice that pulled me out of my thoughts and made me realize I might have said that last part out loud and already arrived at Central Dogma
"Oh hey Misato. It's nothing she just gets under my skin sometimes" I answered my guardian, who gave me a suspicious look, as if she doesn't really believe me but decides to not press further about it.
"Hey Asuka, it's nice to see you"
"Likewise, how's everything going around here?" I asked, looking around and seeing everyone diligently working in their computers while Ritsuko kept close vigilance at what they were typing, and was giving instructions on how to proceed
"Boring if you ask me, Rits wanted to try something on Unit-10 today and got the whole crew doing a bunch of stuff I don't really understand. She keeps me updated every hour so that I can have an idea of what's happening, but the only thing I grasped is that they're trying to make it simpler for Shinji to sync with it"
"Speaking of which, where is him? I thought he'll be here today in the afternoon" I asked, curiously glancing around looking for him but failing at locating him.
"I called and told him that he didn't have to come today, and advised him to go buy some new clothes instead" She answered, and I could detect how a smile started to form in her face while she was glancing at the computers of the bridge crew
"That's weird, why did you do that?" I asked, curious as to why would she advise him out of nowhere to go buy clothes today
"Hehehehe, it turns out Shinji-kun has a date today!" She exclaimed now fully grinning and visibly excited.
"WHAT!?" Screamed everyone in the bridge except Ritsuko who observed Misato with mild curiosity and turned around to look at the Commander with wide eyes and mouths hanging slightly open. 'You've got to be kidding me' I thought to myself, talk about fucking perfect timming, exactly on the day Hikari put the idea of him dating, then Wondergirl talking about having sex and me being dumb and imagining things about him.
"Yes yes, my Shinji-kun is growing to be a handsome man and now we know the females can tell!" Said Misato still bubbling with excitement.
"Well, he indeed is a sight to behold, now that he's taller and somewhat muscular. His longer hair also fits him" added Lieutenant Ibuki seemingly deep in thought about how Shinji looks.
"I was starting to wonder when he would begin to date, I never see him with girls except our pilots and Suzuhara's fianceé" spoke Hyuga
"I do hope he knows how to treat a lady then, it is always awkward the first time. Makes you wish you had a shoehorn to put it in" said Aoba going for a full blown out laugh, while the others too catched the meaning and started laughing a little too.
"He told me he's not a virgin this morning, I was worried about that too. However, he didn't tell me anything more about it, left me so frustrated" Misato pouted a little now, remembering her morning interaction with Shinji
"WHAT?!" Now even Ritsuko was wide eyed. Great, that was something I didn't need to know and it just added fuel to the fire that was my mood right now. Misato seemed to take noticed of my involuntary scowl and cleared her throat to dismiss the subject and making everyone return to their task.
"With that said, it looks like you and me have to order dinner today. Unless you prefer to eat my cooking, I've been practicing you know" She said, now looking at me with a grin on her face.
"No thank you, take out is enough for me" I said, quickly defusing any crazy ideas that woman had in her head. But now my mood had turned quite sour, today everything has been about Shinji and I was already fed up with it, I hope this day ends quickly.
The start of the date. Shinji's POV
Three times.
If I were to say how many times I've had sex, that would be the number I say. Although if I'm being honest, I only think one of those three times the one that counts, and that's because the other two I was really drunk and I don't exactly remember the girls I slept with those nights or most of the action, I just have little fragments of our intercourse stashed in my memory. Now the first time I had sex, while it wasn't the most pleasant of experiences, it's still the most honest one among those three. Thanks to Misato now I'm feeling nervous and doubtful of my bedroom abilities, I shouldn't even be thinking about having sex today with her, but now I can't seem to get the idea out of my head. What if it comes down to it? I don't even brought condoms, too focused buying new clothes at Misato's suggestion to even think about what might happen after dinner.
"You should go buy yourself something fancy to wear tonight Shinji-kun, I've seen your wardrobe and it's not impressive to say the least" she said over the phone
"But I'm supposed to head to NERV this afternoon to help Ritsuko with something concerning Unit-10" I said
"Don't worry about it, we can work around that, I'll tell her something came up and you couldn't come help. Be sure to buy some good-looking trousers and a not too flashy long-sleeved shirt, also don't forget to wear some cologne or perfume, we ladies love a good smelling man"
She cut the call before giving me a chance to answer, I'm not the most fashionable guy to rate my outfit but I think I did well enough. This plain dark blue shirt fits well with my grey dressing pants; regarding the perfume I realized I didn't have one and bought some, not being a fancy of strong smells, I went with something light.
"Your hands are shaking Shinji-kun" said Kaworu
"Well, I don't remember the last time I had a date so I'm starting to feel nervous" I said to him, giving a small smile in reply to his concern.
"That is because you have never had one if I am not mistaken" he said now laughing a little at me
"And here I thought you were concerned about me"
"Why should I be concerned? You will do fine, she seems really interested in you"
"I hope you're right. Can you give me a bit of privacy today? Go home or whatever, I'd feel weird if I know you'll be watching my every move with her" I asked him the best way possible, not wanting to upset him (as if he can get upset) or being rude.
"Of course, I expected you to ask me something along those lines anyways. I wish you good luck Shinji-kun, I will see you at home" and with that he disappeared from view.
Not 5 minutes after I finished talking with Kaworu I saw Kaguya walking towards me in the park. She's wearing a knee length red dress with black stiletto heels and a black shawl! Oh Lilith my nervousness just shot up like 200% she looks stunning, now she's facing me and smiling with those beautiful green eyes that I can't seem to stop looking at.
"I suppose this means you like my look then, Shinji-kun?" She said in a sweet voice, pulling me out of my trance, making me blink a few times and shake my head.
"He-Hey Kaguya-san, you look a-amazing tonight" I stuttered, earning a giggle from her
"I guess my first objective of the night was accomplished. It is nice to see you Shinji-kun, you look handsome tonight as well"
"Oh ehm… Thank you, I didn't really know what to wear and had a little outside help"
"So, where are going tonight, my handsome date?" She said to me, closing the distance between us and locking my left arm with both her arms, leaning her head on my shoulder.
"It's a new European restaurant close from here, just a five-minute walk actually" I said trying not to think too much of the sudden contact and her display of affection. This was going to be a hard night for me, but in a good way.
"Shall we get going then?"
And with that we started walking towards our destination, never leaving her grip in my arm, we were doing some small talk to get to know each other better. She was on her second year of university, studying to be a teacher, she also goes to the same university I do which I found somewhat strange because we have never met in the last two years; her favorite kind of food is Japanese, specifically ramen, followed by Italian pasta. Silently taking notes that so one day maybe I can cook for her instead of eating at some restaurant; she loves night walks and sitting on a park bench at night to stare at the stars and the moon, and once or twice every week likes to go bar hopping to unwind from university. Arriving at our destination named Leonardo's, we were seated in the terrace, where there wasn't a lot of people making it easier for us to continue talking without having to be bothered by the background noise. After ordering our dinner, she opted for an Italian dish while I decided on a German one and a bottle of wine to share, we continued our conversation of earlier.
"So Shinji-kun, I remember you telling me that you're a Music student at my university right?" She asked me, looking at me with an amused expression.
"I am, currently in my second year just like you"
"What instrument do you happen to play?"
"Well, I'm a cello player since I was a kid"
"So what would it take for you to play for me?" She said, giving me a seductive glance with a smile on her face and lightly biting the top of her thumb. I gulped hard, not really expecting her reaction to my answer and for a moment I could only gaze at her with widened eyes. Composing myself and clearing my throat, 'get it together Ikari come on'.
"I uh, I sometimes play for my guardian and roommate, you could join in those days" Not a second passed after I said that I mentally kicked myself 'what kind of an answer is that, no wonder Asuka still calls you an idiot'.
"I would like that, however… I would prefer if you played only for me Shinji-kun"
'Holy crap, THINK THINK SHINJI, FLIRT BACK FLIRT BACK'
"Well, should you behave today, I will play for you in our next date" I answered, giving her a wink and smirk which she returned with a giggle making the most heavenly sound possible. I silently congratulating myself for keeping afloat, but that took away my creativity for the night I need to start having backup lines in case something like this happens again.
"And if you play good enough for me, then I'll give you a nice reward" She replied, now genuinely smiling at me
"That's a deal then"
After that our food arrived, we continued making small talk and eating; my food was delicious although I felt I ate too much meat in one sitting. Kaguya really enjoyed her pasta, giving small satisfaction moans and her beautiful eyes glinting each time she took a bite. I can't lie, I was having a great time with her, I don't know why but I keep finding her alluring and can't help but feel drawn to her. I know she realizes when I'm struggling to come up with words and opening dialogs, because she usually starts speaking, asking something to clear up the mood and gives me a reassuring smile, like telling me I have nothing to worry about and should just enjoy our night. Everything is just so weird, me asking someone out on a date, planning a date, and talking so much in so little time, flirting and being flirted with, occasional touching of our hands. It's just so weird for me to be in this position, out of my comfort zone, but it feels so nice, like suddenly a million things and questions pop inside my brain, things I would like to do with her, questions I would like to ask her. If I had to describe it, it's like the transition from black and white to technicolor, a picture you already know suddenly starts filling with so many different colors that you can't help being amazed.
After finishing dinner and leaving the restaurant, I was walking her home and not once in the whole trip she let go of my arm, not that I'm complaining though. Turns out she lives in an apartment not too far from Misato's, which is good.
"And this is where I live" She said, letting go of my arm and looking up at my eyes
"It looks like a nice apartment"
"I would invite you in, but the place is kind of messy right now and I don't want to give you the wrong impression" she lowered her head in embarrassment. Is that a faint blush I'm detecting in her?
"It's okay, I should probably get going before Misato starts calling me all frantic about why I'm not home still"
"So, how did I behave today?" she asked me in her teasing tone that I'm beginning to identify
"If I had to say miss Kaguya, I would conclude that your behaviour was… perfect" I smiled
"Then I expect you to play for me, and only for me, on Friday mister Shinji!" She beamed, poking my forehead with her right index finger.
"I hope those three days are for preparations of my reward" I answer, grabbing her hand and lowering it, linking our fingers together in the process.
For a moment we just stared at each other, not really knowing what to say, but not wanting to part ways just yet. Lilith, she has such beautiful eyes I thought to myself, completely lost in those green shining orbs.
"You have beautiful eyes too, remember?" she told me, it seems I was thinking out loud again for like the hundredth time today. With that said, she got on her tiptoes, placed her free hand on the back of my head and gently pulled me toward her, placing her lips on mine, giving me a light kiss and closing her eyes. Returning her kiss in the same light and romantic manner, I released her hand and gripped her waist to pull her closer to me, while tasting the last remnants of our wine and the sweet strawberry taste of her lip gloss. We just kept kissing for a little while, but not full of lust and heat like the last time in the bar, this time it was calmer, softer, and with such tenderness, like we were just memorizing the taste of our lips, without deepening the kiss. It felt surreal and intimate, feeling that electricity of hers every time our lips met, every time her fingers would gently scratch the back of my head, I never wanted it to end. After a couple of minutes, we slowly pulled our faces away, looking at each other with half-lidded eyes.
"And she's also a great kisser" I mumbled, earning a soft giggle of her part and a kiss on my cheek.
"Good night Shinji, I'll see you Friday" and with that she let me go and entered her apartment complex. I breathed out all the air in my lungs, reviewing my night and giving it a 10/10, best one I've had in a very long time. I was starting to walk back to Misato's when suddenly my cellphone started ringing, it was a call from NERV.
"Shinji"
"It's me Shinji, I need you here ASAP, it's urgent" said Misato through the phone
"I'm on my way"
Meanwhile in NERV, Asuka's POV
"I just finished talking with Shinji, he's on his way"
Announced Misato to the team. Things just got complicated, not long ago some kind of giant robot (more like an Evangelion) landed near Mount Asama, thankfully it was on a mountain with no towns nearby, but that didn't exactly help in calming our doubts. it looked like a giant spartan warrior with a black armor and a shining red body, holding a spear-like pole in his right arm that had a shining red head just like the its body. The weird thing was that it was just sitting on top of a smaller mountain, as if it was waiting for something. No sooner we detected the intruder me and Rei were ordered to suit up and wait for the others to arrive to develop a plan of attack. The Jock was already on his way to Central Dogma, so that only left Shinji to arrive.
"Hello again Asuka" Came a girly voice from behind me
"Oh hi Hikari, I didn't think you'd be awake at this hour"
"I wasn't, Toji woke me up to let me know he had to come and I decided to accompany him"
"That makes sense"
"Hey Red nice suit you got there it fits your presence" Said the Jock, clearly trying to get a rise out of me, joke's on him cause I learned to deal with his stupid brains ever since he and Hikari were official, took some months though.
"I would say the same to you Jock, it combines with the emptiness of your brain" I remarked, giving him a smirk and earning a low growl from his part.
"Hey guys, sorry I'm late I came as fast as I could" said Shinji loudly from the entrance of the room, how did he get here so fast? It hasn't been five minutes since the phone call, and he thinks he's late.
"What are we looking at exactly?" he asked looking at the big screen in front of the bridge where we were visualizing the gigantic intruder. Now taking him in, he was dressed quite nicely, his dark blue shirt was now folded up to his elbows almost, with the top unbuttoned giving a small peek at his somewhat muscular shirt, and those grey pants were giving a nice showcase of his butt. I'm amazed at the fact that he was the one who chose that getup, never in my life I had thought that Shinji Ikari has a good fashion sense, another surprise in my day but certainly the most welcomed one.
"Sorry I had to interrupt your date Shin-chan, but I need you all in your EVAs as soon as possible" Said Misato in a saddened tone, clearly not wanting to be a nuisance to him today.
"It's okay Misato, I had just finished taking her home and was walking back to the apartment so you called at the perfect moment" he answered, giving her a reassuring smile.
"Okay now that you are all here and suited up, with the exception of Shinji, let's explain our plan" announced Misato, taking on her Commander persona instantly.
"An evangelion-like cyborg made contact on top of a mountain near Mount Asama, and it seems to be standing by. MAGI did not detect a pattern blue so we are not dealing with an Angel, but that cyborg is clearly not from our planet. The plan is to intercept it and prevent it from causing destruction, while gathering all the information we can about it. The one in charge of the operation will be Asuka and her Unit-02, with support from Suzuhara-kun and his Unit. Rei and Shinji, I need you to be inside your EVAs on standby in case something goes wrong with those two while on the surface. Everything good?
"Why is Toji the one supporting me?" I asked, not exactly comfortable with that decision
"SHE KNOWS MY NAME!" said The Jock with his mouth hanging partially open
"The reason lies in that Shinji's EVA hasn't been tested for battle yet, and Suzuhara's sync rates have been slightly higher than Rei's in the last few weeks" Explained Misato, right to the point like always.
"Anything else kids?" asked the commander of NERV. "That's what I thought, go to your EVAs and prepare for launch. Shinji, because you're late forget about changing to your plugsuit, Ritsuko says it shouldn't be a problem right now."
"Yes ma'am"
With that each one of us made our way to the EVAs cages, settling inside our entry plugs and me and the Jock reaching the surface and starting to walk towards our objective while the other two stayed on standby.
"So Shin-man, already went on a date with the Moon Princess?" asked the Jock through the comm channel. 'Moon Princess? He already has a nickname for her?' I thought.
"Toji I don't think this is the right moment to talk about this" came Shinji's voice
"Aww man I need the details! I'm curious as a cat right now"
"I hope you had a pleasant evening with you partner Shinji-kun" came Rei's voice now
"She's not my partner! It was just a date"
"CAN YOU PLEASE BE SILENT?! WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING HERE!" I screamed through the comm, and with that everybody shut themselves. Lilith they act like stupid teenage girls sometimes.
"I've got a visual on the target" I said
"Greetings fellow beings of Knowledge, I would appreciate it if we were not to fight, for we come in search of someone. Although I do not see the one you call Ikari Shinji inside these titans in front of me you call Evangelions. I wish to speak with him, so that we can avoid any troubles" came a deep voice from the giant robot sitting atop the mountain.
"Did you guys caught that? It seems like someone's inside the robot, I'll try to push for information" I said through the comm channel
"I was thinking the same thing Asuka, be careful" Came Misato's voice through the channel
"What does he want with me?" Came Shinji's voice now
"Who are you and what do you want with Shinji?" I asked the robot
"You can call me Modri, and just like I said just now I wish to speak with him. As soon we finish talking, I would be leaving this planet. I know he is somewhere underground from where you came from, I can feel his presence"
"What do we do Misato? Will you send Shinji up? I asked
"I'm already sending him up, Ritsuko gave the clearing. Suzuhara I want you to never leave that robot out of your sights. I'm trusting your marksman abilities to protect both Asuka and Shinji" Said the commander
"Yes ma'am"
Not long after, Shinji arrived beside me and the Jock was at a sniper vantage point in one of the mountains nearby, providing the support Misato ordered.
"At last you are here, Ikari Shinji the Complete Being. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. We have been waiting years for this moment to come"
"What are you talking about? What's this complete being and what do you mean you've been waiting for years for this?" Replied Shinji, and I could tell that he was getting anxious
"You may fool your former kinsmen, but I can see your soul from planets away, it's like a bonfire that grows ever higher while surrounded by fireflies. As for this moment, we've been monitoring the activity of this planet for decades already.
"What is he talking about Shinji? What does he mean by fooling us?" I asked him, feeling dread settling in my stomach, I have known for six years now that Shinji has been hiding something from me, and hearing this alien talk to him with such familiarity is making me feel nervous and anxious.
"I don't know Asuka, I really don't" he said. "What do you want with me?
"Simple, we just want you to join our nation, we are similar to you in many ways, and there is one among our ranks that is a Complete Being just like you. Our survival depends on our numbers, and right now we need your help for our survival.
"And what would happen if I said no? I currently enjoy living here. Thanks for your kind invitation, but no thanks. If that is all, we can all go back to what we were doing before this conversation." Said Shinji
"I was afraid you might say something like that Ikari Shinji. Then that leaves us no choice but to give you a warning" At finishing his sentence, the alien robot started glowing even more now, its red color illuminating the landscape and in a matter of seconds Shinji screamed.
"WATCH OUT ASUKA!"
His EVA in the blink of an eye tackled mine, protecting me from the attack I never saw coming and I watched as the alien threw a lighting speed kick and hit him right in the stomach and sent him flying backwards, crashing with a nearby mountain not too far from me.
"SUZUHARA!" I scream through the comm and right at that moment a positron bullet impacted the alien robot in the chest, cracking its chestplate and making it lose balance. This gave me an opening to sweep its legs and send him crashing down. Lifting myself up and grabbing my discarded two headed bladed, I lunged forward to it and succeeded in impaling him where the bullet had impacted, effectively breaking the piece of armor and stabbing the red body.
"Take that you piece of shit!" I screamed
"Be careful Red! Something's glowing in his right hand!" Said the Jock but it was too late, in that moment a blade of light impaled my evangelion right in the stomach, making me scream in pain, and proceeded to kick me off. While the alien robot was standing up, the Jock shot him two more times, hitting it on one shoulder and right in the head.
"Come on you piece of junk! How many shots can you fucking take?! screamed Suzuhara
Acknowledging Toji's presence, Modri started running towards him but was stopped by Shinji's EVA that had made a spontaneous recovery.
"You're not going anywhere!" yelled Shinji successfully holding Modri in place.
"You might be a Complete Being, but you still lack control of yourself, let me remind you that you are not invincible Ikari Shinji, your soul is vulnerable" After that I watched how the robot formed another blade of light in its left hand and cut one of Unit 10 hands clean, freeing itself from Shinji's hold.
"Shinji deploy your AT Field!" I yelled through the comm channels
"I'm on it dammit!" replied him, extending both his arms to form a wall with his AT-Field
However it was for nothing, as a punch broke through his AT-Field and successfully hit him in the ribs, doubling him over his knees. But something was strange, it didn't look that hard of a punch, yet Shinji sounded like he just got hit by a bowling ball in his ribcage.
"God damn it I think he broke some ribs" he painfully said through the comm channel
"Sorry you had to buy me some time Shinji, I found the weakspot" Came Toji, and shot the alien straight in the neck. This made the giant fall to his knees and lose the shining red color of its body, as if it was disconnected from its power source.
"You may have destroyed this asset of ours, but we are not afraid to use force to get what we want, and you will join us in the end Ikari Shinji. You just made it more difficult than it should have been"
And with that, the remainder of the giant robot suddenly self-destructed, leaving behind a small crater on the ground. Thankfully Shinji's Unit-10 came out unscathed from the explosion, however he was not moving and that was starting to worry me.
"He self-destructed? I thought he was inside of the thing!" I said
"It seems we were fighting a remotely controlled robot" added Suzuhara
"Nice work guys, come back to base so we can have a debriefing on what we learned today. Toji-kun, you're in charge of dragging Shinji back, monitor here says he can't move by himself, it seems he has some broken ribs". Came. Misato's voice through the comm channel
"Roger that ma'am" replied the Jock
While he was nearing himself to pick Shinji up, I was feeling a torrent of emotions at once. The first one was relief that the fight was over, this new enemy that just appeared was way stronger than I originally imagined. A bit of anger surged through my system at realizing that if it wasn't for the Jock, me and Shinji would've probably lost that battle even though we had the numbers advantage. Then a sense of worrying started settling within me, how did that giant broke through Shinji AT-Field so easily? And why that punch broke his ribs? That just didn't make any sense. Why did they want Shinji? What's this about him being a bonfire around butterflies and controlling himself? I'm sure Misato is full of questions for him too, meaning just one thing right now. This is going to be a long night.
TO BE CONTINUED
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