Just the Two of Us
Chapter 2 - Valentine's Day / That one blissful moment.
As the Pilot of Evangelion Unit 01 made his way up to the roof, he was seriously considering getting them to change their traditional spot, it was getting annoying. He was caught mid-climb though by a particlarly worried Touji Suzuhara.
"Hey Touji, why so glum?"
"I just told Hikari that I liked her."
"You did WHAT?"
Shinji would have slapped himself but luckily common sense took over. He wasn't about to fall from a ladder. So he hopped off the ladder onto the ground.
"Ummm, I told Hikari that I liked her. Do I need to repeat it again or should I borrow a megaphone?"
"Not as far as I know. So, do I need to ask why?"
"I don't know. One second I was walking out of the room, then the next second I'm confessing my love to her."
"..ummm, did she say anything?"
"No. And that's why I'm worried. She said nothing. N-O-T-H-I-N-G. And it made me think if she'll ever feel the same way."
"Oh, I think she does. She just might need a little coaxing.."
"I hope so."
"Hey guys, why all the hoping?"
Kensuke had decided to show. It looked like he didn't hear most of the conversation.
"Touji just told Hikari he liked her."
"You did WHAT?"
"Strange, I said the exact same thing."
"But why Touji?"
Touji seemed to withdraw from the conversation and drift off into the background. He sat on a bench, watching Shinji and Kensuke talk.. All blood seemed to have left his body, leaving him a ghostly white. Why did he say that, he thought, Why? Why? Why?
"Hey Touji, didn't you hear, the bell rang."
"Oh..right."
Slowly he truged off to class. At least he wouldn't be learning anything. For once, he thanked Sensei for his, 'unusual' teaching methods.
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By the time Touji had reached his desk, he had recovered from the past events. But there was one thing he didn't expect. There was a letter on his desk. He slowly reached out his hand to open it. It read:
Dear Touji,
Upon hearing your feelings, I have to say I'm still quite shocked. But I realise I like you back. Meet me under the tree in the main courtyard at lunch,
Hikari
Touji was shocked. He had had no idea that she felt this way. But he was glad that she did. Then he realised that he had to meet her under the tree. How the hell was he supposed to do that? He decided to ask Shinji and Kensuke, they'd know what to do. He hoped. He opened up a Private Message box.
Hey you two, I've got a problem.
Ok, shoot.
Well, Hikari put a letter on my desk.
And..?
Well, it says she likes me.
Then what's the problem?
Well, she wants me to meet her at lunch.
I still don't see a problem.
Neither do I.
Well, it might go wrong.
Of course it might. Anything might go wrong, it's up to you to stop it from going wrong.
Yeah, stop worrying. It could go wrong, but that doesn't mean it will. Just tell her your feelings are genuine.
Thanks guys.
And Touji terminated the connection, feeling little better than before. Fortunately, the sirens chose to go off at that moment. Touji was glad, well, as glad as you can be when an Angel is about to attack.
************************************************************************
As Shinji went into his Entry Plug, he felt at ease. He had defeated the last two Angels and taken it in his stride. What could possibly go wrong? Well, extreme pain for one.
As Shinji rose through the ground and onto the city floor, he noticed that the Angel was a simple geometrical shape and was floating in midair. Looked simple enough. He thought But as soon as he thought that, Murphy's Law went into action and Evangelion Unit-01 was hit full force with a radiant beam of energy. He screamed, then darkness.
When Shinji came to, he was under the now familiar ceiling of the NERV infirmary. He was spending too much time here with all the injuries he was getting. He felt like he'd been covered in hot sauce. It wasn't a good feeling. He managed to cock his head up, and he saw Ayanami Rei standing there with a meal in her hands.
"I am glad you are well. We can now start our attack."
".Do I really have to go back into that thing?"
"If you do not wish to, then leave. Dr. Akagi can rewrite the core data to Unit-01 to fit me."
".I'll pilot it."
"Then this is the plan: It will begin at 0:00 hours. The two pilots, Ikari and Ayanami, will scramble at the cage at 17:30 hours today. At 18:00 hours, ready Units One and Zero. At 18:05 hours, launch. At 18:30 hours, arrive at the Emergency Base on Mt. Futagoyama. We will wait there for further instructions. The operation will commence at midnight."
She placed the meal on the table and left without another word. Shinji shuddered. He hoped he wouldn't get fried again. He'd probably look like he was skinless. With a resigned shrug, he set about his meal.
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At NERV HQ him and Rei were briefed on the attack strategy. Dr. Akagi had designed a special shield that could withstand the Angel's attack for 17 seconds. Unit-00 was to hold that while Shinji and Unit-01 were to fire a prototype Positron Sniper Rifle that used all the power in Tokyo-3. He gulped. Ayanami's life depended on him.
Before she welt for the Cage she said one word: "Goodbye." It was amazing how one word could send more chills down his spine than any other moment ever had.
As he sat in the entry plug, waiting for Misato's orders, he opened up a private one-way window with Rei. He was amazed at how calm and collected she was. She could die. This was, kind of disturbing. But Shinji's thoughs were interrupted by the familiar voice of NERV's primary tactician.
"Evangelion Units 00 and 01, launch!"
Both of the EVAs raced through the entry tunnel, and Shinji was racked with another spasm of fear. But, it was too late to back out now. The EVAs rocketed thruogh the floor and were transported quietly up to Mt. Futagoyama.
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That night as Shinji went to bed back in Misato's apartment, he reflected on what had happened that night. It was like this:
They had barely gotten in position when the Angel noticed them and attacked. The shield managed to hold up. Shinji repeated the mantra that he had been reciting up until now:
"Target in the centre, pull the switch."
But he jerked back too early, and the shot missed it's target.
"Dammit Shinji!"
That was all Misato Katsuragi could manage. Rei was in danger. But, if she ejected Rei's plug, Shinji would be in danger. God, this was difficult.
Shinji was scared. He knew that the gun took 15 seconds to chargs, and by then Rei would have taken some of the blast. He was confused. What to do? He thought
Rei was unnervingly calm. Had anyone else been in there, they would have sworn Rei wasn't human. The shield broke up, and Rei felt an amazing burning sensation creep through her. Just beforte she blacked out, she saw a blue beam of light.
That blue beam of light had been fired by the gun held in the now deactivated Evangelion Unit-01, as it's pilot, Shinji Ikari was rushing over to where the melted remains of Unit-00 stood. The entry plug was on the ground, having being ejected quickly after the attack had begun on Unit- 00.
Shinji forced the superheated hatch open with his hands, and winced at the pain. But he knew Rei was inside there, and she was in trouble. When he had opened the hatch, he saw Rei slumped against the entry plug wall.
"Ayanami, Ayanimi!"
".I have nothing else."
"Don't say that."
"Say what?"
"That you have nothing else. Don't say that. And when you leave, don't say goodye like that, it's just too sad." Tears were welling up in his eyes.
"I am sorry, but I don't know what to do in this situation."
"I guess, you should, smile."
And she did. It was the single most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes upon.
As Shinji fell asleep, images of Rei flew through his mind, namely the ID Card incident. And if anyone walked into the room, they might have thought that Shinji had set up a tent.
************************************************************************
The next day was Valentines Day, and the only person at school who didn't realise was Shinji. When he got to school he was just a bit suspicious. There were hearts and stuff everywhere. He went and met Kensuke and Touji on the roof (after much sweating and pain) and they told him that it was Valentines Day.
"So, you get anything for Rei?"
"No. I completely forgot it was Valentines Day. And she doesn't know I like her yet."
"You reckon she got anything for you?"
"Do I have to repeat myself? No, I don't think so."
"Well, I do have something to say: you're screwed."
At which point the bell rang. Shinji had to hand it to Kensuke, he still had it.
As Shinji took his seat, he noticed that their classroom had been decorated as well. Hikari really had taken it too far though. In fact, she'd taken it so far that a word spent describing it would make you want to throw up. Needless to say, many of the guys in the class felt like I do about the decorations, but Shinji didn't really care. Because the other thing he noticed was far more important. He saw Rei Ayanami walking towards him with a box of chocolates in her hand. He gulped, talk about unexpected events.
"These are for you, Ikari."
Shinji could barely manage a nod.
"Th.Thank you."
And without another word said, she returned to her seat. Many of the people surrounding Shinji started gossiping.
"I knew all along."
"So does that mean Ayanami's taken?"
"How did that happen?"
"Ayanami, you bitch!"
"Shinji, you lucky shit!"
But Shinji took no notice of all this. He was still frozen is shock about the past events. When did she start liking me? When?
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By lunchtime, Shinji's mood had not changed. He still couldn't figure it out. He was confused. Very confused. At that moment Touji interrupted his thoughts.
"Hey Shinji."
"Hey."
"Still wondering."
"I just don't get it Touji, when did she start liking me?"
"You're the one with the most chance of telling us, you spend more time with her than anyone else in class."
"You're right there, but whenever I talk to her, it's not casual, it's awkward."
"Don't we all know it. She seems like she's never really lived the first 14 years of her life. She's missing something."
"I know, and it makes it harder to understand."
"How about you just don't understand it?"
"Huh?"
"You know, go along with it. Eventually you'll find out, just wait."
"That's a good idea. Yeah, I'll try it."
"Cool. Hey, have you seen Kensuke?"
"He's probably on his laptop, with his girlfriend."
"He doesn't even know what she looks like, god, what an idiot."
"It's not nice to talk about your friend like that."
Kensuke chose that time to join them on the roof.
"She just sent me a photo of her, have a look."
He loaded the picture on the screen and showed them. Touji just laughed.
"You do realise that could be a fake, don't you? She looks too good to be interested in you, you and your Mac."
"I told you to lay off, and that's why we're going out this weekend."
"Smooth one Ken. So what'll you be doing?"
"A cliché. Dinner and a movie."
"What movie?"
"I dunno, I guess we'll just see whats there."
"What a great idea."
"Thanks.was that sarcastic?"
"No, you don't say."
"Hey Touji, what about you and Hikari? She gave you something this morning."
"So?" He said it as if he didn't care, but a slight, yet noticeable blush came across his face.
"So are you going to do anything about it?"
"Not until I can think of something to do about it."
"Nice one hotshot."
The bell rang at that point and they went over to the track and pool, as it was their PE time.
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"OK, now I wan' t' guys in t' pool, and t' girlies on t' track, ok?"
The PE teacher, Mr. McManus, was an apple-cheeked old Scotsman. It was proof enough that he couldn't speak when the guys went to the track and the girls to the pool, but Mr. McManus didn't notice. He was half-blind anyway.
Shinji wasn't running. In fact, most of the guys weren't running. They were spending this time doing something constructive: ogling women in swimsuits. Shinji, in particular, was staring at a certain blue-haired girl. It just so happened that Kensuke noticed this.
"Whatcha doing, Shinji?"
"I.uh.nothing, nothing."
"I saw you, you were lookin at Rei."
"No.I wasn't!"
"Yes you were. You were staring at her eyes, her lips, her legs, her thighs, her naughty bits!"
"Really, I wasn't."
"Quit lying Shinji, you're bad at it."
"Ok, so I was, what the deal?"
"Nothing, just messing with your head."
And Kensuke walked away. Shinji breathed a sigh of relief: noone had heard, which was a surprise as Kensuke had a big mouth. Shinji found himself continuing to look at her, even if he knew Kensuke would come back any moment. He just couldn't tear his eyes away from her.
Rei had an aversion to sunlight, it was common knowledge. She never swam in the pool because it was in direct sunlight, She just sat in a shady corner and read a book. Hikari Horaki had noticed this, and had decided to talk to her. It sounded simple enough, but it was easier said than done. Hikari walked slowly over to where Rei sat.
"Hello Rei."
"Good afternoon Miss Horaki."
"No need to be so formal. You can just call me Hikai."
"Very well.Hikari."
At least there was some progress there.
"So Rei, do you ever swim?"
"There is a natatorium at NERV Head Quarters. It is indoors. I swim there often."
"I've never swam in a natatorium, what's it like?"
"It is like this pool here, except there is a higher chlorine level."
"I see.hey, do realise Shinji is checking you out down there?"
"Yes, I do."
"Then why aren't you telling him to stop?"
"Because I enjoy his attention."
This answer had taken Hikari back. But nevertheless, she continued.
"You.you enjoy it?"
"Yes. Is that wrong?"
"No, it isn't."
"."
It seemed that their conversation would end there. Hikari gave a resinged shrug, and left the girl alone to her thoughts. There is something wrong with that girl, very wrong.
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That evening, in honor of Valentine's Day, Misato was throwing one of her famous parties. And, as usual, Shinji was charged with the task of purchasing the supplies. This wasn't unduly difficult. Misato's parties were quite simple: snacks, soft drinks for the kids, and beer. Lots of beer.
As Shinji walked down to the local corner shop, he remembered Misato said he could invite some people. Touji and Kensuke for one. But, a small part of him wanted Rei to come. And also Hikari. He wanted Hikari to come because it would be amusing to see Touji's reaction, and he wanted them to get together. Touji, being the guy he was, would never make a move. And neither would Hikari. It was up to him.
"Hello Ikari-chan, how are we today?"
"Not bad Mr. Yeo-san, ecept Misato's throwing another party."
"If she keeps this up, then I'll be a millionaire by the time the year's out."
"Then let's cross our fingers and pray. Anyway, can you get me the usual party kit: some chips, dips, Coke and a hell of a lot of Yebisu."
"She doesn't allow much for variety does she?"
"I guess not. She probably doesn't have the capacity."
"Nice one. But how she can drink this stuff is beyond me. She's the only customer I get who drinks it. Awful, awful stuff it is."
"I wouldn't know, I've never tried it."
"Keep it that way."
Shinji paid for the goods and went back to the apartment. By the time he got there, Misato had done, well, her version of 'cleaning'. Shinji still couldn't comprehend how she could live in such a mess. He set about cleaning it up, and was finished by the time Misato noticed he was there.
"Shinji-kun, I didn't see you there."
"I know. I got all the stuff for the party."
"Excellent. So who are you inviting?"
"The usual: Touji, Kensuke, but I thought I might invite Hikari."
"Why?"
"To set her and Touji up."
"Nice thinking. I'll try to skimp on teasing him then. But as for Kensuke."
"Keep at it. I need something to amuse me while I'm here."
"I will then."
"Thank you."
And Shinji retired to his room, cleaning can take a lot out of you. He didn't say he was inviting Rei. He could deal with Misato then.
End of Chapter 2
Author's Notes: Another chapter done, and thank god! Anyway, there are something's about this chapter I have to say: I've never seen the fight with Ramiel, so that part probably isn't as good as it should be. When I see it, I'll edit the fight. Also, about the whole Valentine's Day thing. The inspirartion for that comes from a fanfiction called The One I Love Is., and excellent fic that you all should read. Find it here: Anyway, also after this I'll be taking a break for the Chrissie holidays, but I'll be back soon. Happy reading!
As the Pilot of Evangelion Unit 01 made his way up to the roof, he was seriously considering getting them to change their traditional spot, it was getting annoying. He was caught mid-climb though by a particlarly worried Touji Suzuhara.
"Hey Touji, why so glum?"
"I just told Hikari that I liked her."
"You did WHAT?"
Shinji would have slapped himself but luckily common sense took over. He wasn't about to fall from a ladder. So he hopped off the ladder onto the ground.
"Ummm, I told Hikari that I liked her. Do I need to repeat it again or should I borrow a megaphone?"
"Not as far as I know. So, do I need to ask why?"
"I don't know. One second I was walking out of the room, then the next second I'm confessing my love to her."
"..ummm, did she say anything?"
"No. And that's why I'm worried. She said nothing. N-O-T-H-I-N-G. And it made me think if she'll ever feel the same way."
"Oh, I think she does. She just might need a little coaxing.."
"I hope so."
"Hey guys, why all the hoping?"
Kensuke had decided to show. It looked like he didn't hear most of the conversation.
"Touji just told Hikari he liked her."
"You did WHAT?"
"Strange, I said the exact same thing."
"But why Touji?"
Touji seemed to withdraw from the conversation and drift off into the background. He sat on a bench, watching Shinji and Kensuke talk.. All blood seemed to have left his body, leaving him a ghostly white. Why did he say that, he thought, Why? Why? Why?
"Hey Touji, didn't you hear, the bell rang."
"Oh..right."
Slowly he truged off to class. At least he wouldn't be learning anything. For once, he thanked Sensei for his, 'unusual' teaching methods.
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By the time Touji had reached his desk, he had recovered from the past events. But there was one thing he didn't expect. There was a letter on his desk. He slowly reached out his hand to open it. It read:
Dear Touji,
Upon hearing your feelings, I have to say I'm still quite shocked. But I realise I like you back. Meet me under the tree in the main courtyard at lunch,
Hikari
Touji was shocked. He had had no idea that she felt this way. But he was glad that she did. Then he realised that he had to meet her under the tree. How the hell was he supposed to do that? He decided to ask Shinji and Kensuke, they'd know what to do. He hoped. He opened up a Private Message box.
Hey you two, I've got a problem.
Ok, shoot.
Well, Hikari put a letter on my desk.
And..?
Well, it says she likes me.
Then what's the problem?
Well, she wants me to meet her at lunch.
I still don't see a problem.
Neither do I.
Well, it might go wrong.
Of course it might. Anything might go wrong, it's up to you to stop it from going wrong.
Yeah, stop worrying. It could go wrong, but that doesn't mean it will. Just tell her your feelings are genuine.
Thanks guys.
And Touji terminated the connection, feeling little better than before. Fortunately, the sirens chose to go off at that moment. Touji was glad, well, as glad as you can be when an Angel is about to attack.
************************************************************************
As Shinji went into his Entry Plug, he felt at ease. He had defeated the last two Angels and taken it in his stride. What could possibly go wrong? Well, extreme pain for one.
As Shinji rose through the ground and onto the city floor, he noticed that the Angel was a simple geometrical shape and was floating in midair. Looked simple enough. He thought But as soon as he thought that, Murphy's Law went into action and Evangelion Unit-01 was hit full force with a radiant beam of energy. He screamed, then darkness.
When Shinji came to, he was under the now familiar ceiling of the NERV infirmary. He was spending too much time here with all the injuries he was getting. He felt like he'd been covered in hot sauce. It wasn't a good feeling. He managed to cock his head up, and he saw Ayanami Rei standing there with a meal in her hands.
"I am glad you are well. We can now start our attack."
".Do I really have to go back into that thing?"
"If you do not wish to, then leave. Dr. Akagi can rewrite the core data to Unit-01 to fit me."
".I'll pilot it."
"Then this is the plan: It will begin at 0:00 hours. The two pilots, Ikari and Ayanami, will scramble at the cage at 17:30 hours today. At 18:00 hours, ready Units One and Zero. At 18:05 hours, launch. At 18:30 hours, arrive at the Emergency Base on Mt. Futagoyama. We will wait there for further instructions. The operation will commence at midnight."
She placed the meal on the table and left without another word. Shinji shuddered. He hoped he wouldn't get fried again. He'd probably look like he was skinless. With a resigned shrug, he set about his meal.
************************************************************************
At NERV HQ him and Rei were briefed on the attack strategy. Dr. Akagi had designed a special shield that could withstand the Angel's attack for 17 seconds. Unit-00 was to hold that while Shinji and Unit-01 were to fire a prototype Positron Sniper Rifle that used all the power in Tokyo-3. He gulped. Ayanami's life depended on him.
Before she welt for the Cage she said one word: "Goodbye." It was amazing how one word could send more chills down his spine than any other moment ever had.
As he sat in the entry plug, waiting for Misato's orders, he opened up a private one-way window with Rei. He was amazed at how calm and collected she was. She could die. This was, kind of disturbing. But Shinji's thoughs were interrupted by the familiar voice of NERV's primary tactician.
"Evangelion Units 00 and 01, launch!"
Both of the EVAs raced through the entry tunnel, and Shinji was racked with another spasm of fear. But, it was too late to back out now. The EVAs rocketed thruogh the floor and were transported quietly up to Mt. Futagoyama.
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That night as Shinji went to bed back in Misato's apartment, he reflected on what had happened that night. It was like this:
They had barely gotten in position when the Angel noticed them and attacked. The shield managed to hold up. Shinji repeated the mantra that he had been reciting up until now:
"Target in the centre, pull the switch."
But he jerked back too early, and the shot missed it's target.
"Dammit Shinji!"
That was all Misato Katsuragi could manage. Rei was in danger. But, if she ejected Rei's plug, Shinji would be in danger. God, this was difficult.
Shinji was scared. He knew that the gun took 15 seconds to chargs, and by then Rei would have taken some of the blast. He was confused. What to do? He thought
Rei was unnervingly calm. Had anyone else been in there, they would have sworn Rei wasn't human. The shield broke up, and Rei felt an amazing burning sensation creep through her. Just beforte she blacked out, she saw a blue beam of light.
That blue beam of light had been fired by the gun held in the now deactivated Evangelion Unit-01, as it's pilot, Shinji Ikari was rushing over to where the melted remains of Unit-00 stood. The entry plug was on the ground, having being ejected quickly after the attack had begun on Unit- 00.
Shinji forced the superheated hatch open with his hands, and winced at the pain. But he knew Rei was inside there, and she was in trouble. When he had opened the hatch, he saw Rei slumped against the entry plug wall.
"Ayanami, Ayanimi!"
".I have nothing else."
"Don't say that."
"Say what?"
"That you have nothing else. Don't say that. And when you leave, don't say goodye like that, it's just too sad." Tears were welling up in his eyes.
"I am sorry, but I don't know what to do in this situation."
"I guess, you should, smile."
And she did. It was the single most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes upon.
As Shinji fell asleep, images of Rei flew through his mind, namely the ID Card incident. And if anyone walked into the room, they might have thought that Shinji had set up a tent.
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The next day was Valentines Day, and the only person at school who didn't realise was Shinji. When he got to school he was just a bit suspicious. There were hearts and stuff everywhere. He went and met Kensuke and Touji on the roof (after much sweating and pain) and they told him that it was Valentines Day.
"So, you get anything for Rei?"
"No. I completely forgot it was Valentines Day. And she doesn't know I like her yet."
"You reckon she got anything for you?"
"Do I have to repeat myself? No, I don't think so."
"Well, I do have something to say: you're screwed."
At which point the bell rang. Shinji had to hand it to Kensuke, he still had it.
As Shinji took his seat, he noticed that their classroom had been decorated as well. Hikari really had taken it too far though. In fact, she'd taken it so far that a word spent describing it would make you want to throw up. Needless to say, many of the guys in the class felt like I do about the decorations, but Shinji didn't really care. Because the other thing he noticed was far more important. He saw Rei Ayanami walking towards him with a box of chocolates in her hand. He gulped, talk about unexpected events.
"These are for you, Ikari."
Shinji could barely manage a nod.
"Th.Thank you."
And without another word said, she returned to her seat. Many of the people surrounding Shinji started gossiping.
"I knew all along."
"So does that mean Ayanami's taken?"
"How did that happen?"
"Ayanami, you bitch!"
"Shinji, you lucky shit!"
But Shinji took no notice of all this. He was still frozen is shock about the past events. When did she start liking me? When?
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By lunchtime, Shinji's mood had not changed. He still couldn't figure it out. He was confused. Very confused. At that moment Touji interrupted his thoughts.
"Hey Shinji."
"Hey."
"Still wondering."
"I just don't get it Touji, when did she start liking me?"
"You're the one with the most chance of telling us, you spend more time with her than anyone else in class."
"You're right there, but whenever I talk to her, it's not casual, it's awkward."
"Don't we all know it. She seems like she's never really lived the first 14 years of her life. She's missing something."
"I know, and it makes it harder to understand."
"How about you just don't understand it?"
"Huh?"
"You know, go along with it. Eventually you'll find out, just wait."
"That's a good idea. Yeah, I'll try it."
"Cool. Hey, have you seen Kensuke?"
"He's probably on his laptop, with his girlfriend."
"He doesn't even know what she looks like, god, what an idiot."
"It's not nice to talk about your friend like that."
Kensuke chose that time to join them on the roof.
"She just sent me a photo of her, have a look."
He loaded the picture on the screen and showed them. Touji just laughed.
"You do realise that could be a fake, don't you? She looks too good to be interested in you, you and your Mac."
"I told you to lay off, and that's why we're going out this weekend."
"Smooth one Ken. So what'll you be doing?"
"A cliché. Dinner and a movie."
"What movie?"
"I dunno, I guess we'll just see whats there."
"What a great idea."
"Thanks.was that sarcastic?"
"No, you don't say."
"Hey Touji, what about you and Hikari? She gave you something this morning."
"So?" He said it as if he didn't care, but a slight, yet noticeable blush came across his face.
"So are you going to do anything about it?"
"Not until I can think of something to do about it."
"Nice one hotshot."
The bell rang at that point and they went over to the track and pool, as it was their PE time.
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"OK, now I wan' t' guys in t' pool, and t' girlies on t' track, ok?"
The PE teacher, Mr. McManus, was an apple-cheeked old Scotsman. It was proof enough that he couldn't speak when the guys went to the track and the girls to the pool, but Mr. McManus didn't notice. He was half-blind anyway.
Shinji wasn't running. In fact, most of the guys weren't running. They were spending this time doing something constructive: ogling women in swimsuits. Shinji, in particular, was staring at a certain blue-haired girl. It just so happened that Kensuke noticed this.
"Whatcha doing, Shinji?"
"I.uh.nothing, nothing."
"I saw you, you were lookin at Rei."
"No.I wasn't!"
"Yes you were. You were staring at her eyes, her lips, her legs, her thighs, her naughty bits!"
"Really, I wasn't."
"Quit lying Shinji, you're bad at it."
"Ok, so I was, what the deal?"
"Nothing, just messing with your head."
And Kensuke walked away. Shinji breathed a sigh of relief: noone had heard, which was a surprise as Kensuke had a big mouth. Shinji found himself continuing to look at her, even if he knew Kensuke would come back any moment. He just couldn't tear his eyes away from her.
Rei had an aversion to sunlight, it was common knowledge. She never swam in the pool because it was in direct sunlight, She just sat in a shady corner and read a book. Hikari Horaki had noticed this, and had decided to talk to her. It sounded simple enough, but it was easier said than done. Hikari walked slowly over to where Rei sat.
"Hello Rei."
"Good afternoon Miss Horaki."
"No need to be so formal. You can just call me Hikai."
"Very well.Hikari."
At least there was some progress there.
"So Rei, do you ever swim?"
"There is a natatorium at NERV Head Quarters. It is indoors. I swim there often."
"I've never swam in a natatorium, what's it like?"
"It is like this pool here, except there is a higher chlorine level."
"I see.hey, do realise Shinji is checking you out down there?"
"Yes, I do."
"Then why aren't you telling him to stop?"
"Because I enjoy his attention."
This answer had taken Hikari back. But nevertheless, she continued.
"You.you enjoy it?"
"Yes. Is that wrong?"
"No, it isn't."
"."
It seemed that their conversation would end there. Hikari gave a resinged shrug, and left the girl alone to her thoughts. There is something wrong with that girl, very wrong.
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That evening, in honor of Valentine's Day, Misato was throwing one of her famous parties. And, as usual, Shinji was charged with the task of purchasing the supplies. This wasn't unduly difficult. Misato's parties were quite simple: snacks, soft drinks for the kids, and beer. Lots of beer.
As Shinji walked down to the local corner shop, he remembered Misato said he could invite some people. Touji and Kensuke for one. But, a small part of him wanted Rei to come. And also Hikari. He wanted Hikari to come because it would be amusing to see Touji's reaction, and he wanted them to get together. Touji, being the guy he was, would never make a move. And neither would Hikari. It was up to him.
"Hello Ikari-chan, how are we today?"
"Not bad Mr. Yeo-san, ecept Misato's throwing another party."
"If she keeps this up, then I'll be a millionaire by the time the year's out."
"Then let's cross our fingers and pray. Anyway, can you get me the usual party kit: some chips, dips, Coke and a hell of a lot of Yebisu."
"She doesn't allow much for variety does she?"
"I guess not. She probably doesn't have the capacity."
"Nice one. But how she can drink this stuff is beyond me. She's the only customer I get who drinks it. Awful, awful stuff it is."
"I wouldn't know, I've never tried it."
"Keep it that way."
Shinji paid for the goods and went back to the apartment. By the time he got there, Misato had done, well, her version of 'cleaning'. Shinji still couldn't comprehend how she could live in such a mess. He set about cleaning it up, and was finished by the time Misato noticed he was there.
"Shinji-kun, I didn't see you there."
"I know. I got all the stuff for the party."
"Excellent. So who are you inviting?"
"The usual: Touji, Kensuke, but I thought I might invite Hikari."
"Why?"
"To set her and Touji up."
"Nice thinking. I'll try to skimp on teasing him then. But as for Kensuke."
"Keep at it. I need something to amuse me while I'm here."
"I will then."
"Thank you."
And Shinji retired to his room, cleaning can take a lot out of you. He didn't say he was inviting Rei. He could deal with Misato then.
End of Chapter 2
Author's Notes: Another chapter done, and thank god! Anyway, there are something's about this chapter I have to say: I've never seen the fight with Ramiel, so that part probably isn't as good as it should be. When I see it, I'll edit the fight. Also, about the whole Valentine's Day thing. The inspirartion for that comes from a fanfiction called The One I Love Is., and excellent fic that you all should read. Find it here: Anyway, also after this I'll be taking a break for the Chrissie holidays, but I'll be back soon. Happy reading!