Chapter 3 - Breaking the ice
Written by Alain Gravel
Story based on characters created by and copyright to GAINAX
http://www.geocities.com/rakna01/
Started on February 20th 1999
First pre-reader draft finished on March 10h 1999
Second pre-reader draft finished on March 23th 1999
Final draft finished on March 27th 1999, revised on May 10th 1999
Final revisions on March 7th 2000
(*) Click to reach translations notes
One day had passed since that hectic Valentine's Day. While not as bad, the following day hadn't been a good one either. The only positive point of that day was a long and quite profitable discussion with Kaji. Besides that... Asuka treated me as if I didn't exist. No thanks to a good number of rumors, which involved Rei, Asuka, Hikari, and myself, school had been hell. I hated being a center of attention; Kensuke's and Touji's usual teasing was enough for me. Because of those damn rumors, Touji had been on my back all day. Who was the baka who came up with this stupid rumor that I had a secret relationship with Hikari anyway? And Rei? Well... she was back to her normal self. Quite frankly, after what had happened, I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. That was what scared me the most. She had already shown quite an outburst of emotions. Who could tell when the next would happen? And what she would do...
Still, I finally decided to see her again, as promised, to show her how to take care of her bed sheets.
Everything was now spinning in her old, but apparently working, washing machine. For a long time, neither of us spoke.
"You did not come yesterday like you said. Why?"
Damn! She was angry. It didn't show, but I was sure of it...
"Well..."
"Did you feel uncomfortable because of what happened?"
How did she do that? Was I so easy to read?
"Umm... I... I guess..."
"Why?"
If it had been anybody else, I would have wondered if it were a joke. But in Rei's case... There was a genuine innocence about her. Some things that seemed obvious to everybody else seemed to be unknown to her. I often wondered why, but somehow, I could think of only one answer: Father.
"Well... I... I guess I was... afraid. I wasn't sure what kind of reaction to expect from you..."
"You were afraid of me?"
She had kept her usual tone of voice, but in her eyes I could read that she seemed somewhat hurt.
"No! That's not what I mean... I... it... it just seemed too fast. I understand your feelings... it least I think I do. It's just... I don't think I'm ready for THAT yet. I'm... not even sure how I feel about you. I like you a lot... but enough too... you know... be that intimate... Damn! It's so confusing..."
"I see."
She turned her head away. Was she upset? Maybe I had said something that had hurt her.
"It doesn't mean I don't care about you. In fact... would you... would you like to go out with me next Saturday night?"
She looked at me, curiosity in her eyes.
"Go out?"
"Yes. On a date."
"A date? What is that?"
She... she didn't know? I knew her social skills were... limited, but that much?
"It's... an occasion for a boy and a girl to meet... to be together... and do something out of the ordinary."
"We have never done the laundry before. Does this mean we are currently on a date?"
I blinked. She wasn't joking, was she?
"No... not really. Laundry is hardly romantic..."
Rei's eyes seemed to light up.
"So a date involves romance between a man and a woman?"
Dangerous ground here.
"Well... not always. Rather, I think its purpose is to help two people discover if they can make a good couple."
Understanding seemed to show on her face.
"So in asking me, your purpose is to discover if I can be a good mate for you?"
"Er... I... I guess it's one way to put it."
She smiled. Did I love that smile.
"Then, we shall go out together Saturday night."
Wow! That had been easy!
"Really? Great!"
Again, she looked intrigued.
"This pleases you?"
"Well... yes. I... I've been interested in knowing you better for a long time now."
"Why didn't you inquire about me sooner?"
I shrugged.
"The occasion never came. Or rather, I wasn't ready, I guess."
"What about the Second? Will you take her on a date as well?"
I froze. For a moment, I thought my heart had actually stopped beating.
"I see."
I didn't know what to say. This was really awkward.
Then, Rei smiled.
"It doesn't matter. I will win."
Finally, Misato got back from NERV headquarters. I
had been waiting for this all day. The plans I had built with Kaji depended
on the news she would give me.
"So? How did it go?"
With a finger, she signaled me to wait. She went
in the kitchen, grabbed a beer from the fridge, gulped it down, then finally
gave me some attention.
"Very painfully. Paying you means paying Asuka and Rei,
and your father didn't seem thrilled about the idea of Rei being financially
independent. It took a lot of arguing. However, the idea of one of his pilots
going on stike and telling UN officals that he risked his life for free
finally convinced him that it would be better to agree."
That argument had been an idea of Kaji's. For some
reason, he seemed used to dealing with Father and was better at predicting
his reactions.
"Once your father had accepted, it wasn't difficult
to put you three on the payroll," Misato continued. "Congratulations Shinji!
You are now an official NERV employee and as an Evangelion Pilot you have
a bigger paycheck than mine."
The fact that Father had agreed to pay us was
surprising, but this was an even bigger surprise.
"I'll be better paid than you?"
"Yes. I aimed for the highest salary I could. Six
million yen a year, more or less one hundred fifteen thousand yen each
week (1). And a bonus of two hundred
thousand yen each time you go into combat
and manage to come back without a scratch on the EVA."
I gasped. So much money... and a bonus?
"You're not serious..."
"Two hundred thousand yen is not much compared to
the repair cost of an EVA..."
"Wow..."
I could hardly believe it. I was actually worth that much money?
"Each of you will have a bank account opened under
his name. Your weekly pay will be deposited automatically."
"Perfect!"
Misato gave me a curious look.
"If I may ask... why did you suddenly want to be paid? You
didn't care much about money before."
"I didn't have to date two girls before..."
"Oh! I see... still willing to go forward with this
idea?"
I nodded.
"There's not much else I can do unless you want
Asuka to stay with Hikari permanently."
"Still mad at you?"
I nodded again. Mad was actually a light term.
"I see... well, all I can say is good luck, I guess."
"I'll likely be needing it."
Yes, luck... This whole plan was crazy. I'd
need some indeed...
Sometimes, I wondered why I bothered listening to
Misato's advice. Sure, it sounded good at the time. Date Rei and Asuka.
Quite simple. Except for one small detail. While asking Rei out had been
surprisingly easy, Misato's plan also involved asking Asuka on a stupid
date, not to mention I still felt it was kinda dishonest toward both girls.
And ever since Misato's Valentine's Day party two days ago, Asuka had not
exchanged a glance with me, let alone words. That whole plan was doomed
to fail...
Luckily, I showed enough insight to talk to Hikari
about my plans, or at least half of them. She didn't really need to know
I planned on taking Rei on a date a day before Asuka.
In any case, she had been hectic about the news
and offered her help. Since Asuka had been seeking refuge in her house
for the last two days, she promised to find a convenient excuse to throw
Asuka out.
It seemed to work, because Asuka entered the apartment
shortly after I had arrived from school.
She was, needless to say, in quite a bad mood.
Our eyes met, but she quickly turned her head away,
disgust clearly on her face.
Oh, God! This would be hard.
She ran into her room where she barricaded herself.
I knocked on the door, but my only answer was silence.
"Asuka... I need to talk to you."
"Go away. You can go talk with your stupid doll."
I felt a hint of anger, but I managed to suppress
it. Now was not the time to have THAT discussion.
Maybe the easiest way would be to simply say it
directly.
"Misato has promised us a day off Sunday. No harmonic
tests, no school... Do you... would you... want... to go out with me?"
Well, I had said it. I was shaking, my heart was
beating at an abnormal rate, but I had said it. Seems miracles can happen sometimes.
I heard a loud crashing noise coming from inside
her room. Since it didn't sound like furniture been broken by a furious
redhead EVA pilot, I became worried.
"Are you ok, Asuka?"
I managed to sound concerned. And I was.
"No I'm not! I've just fallen on the floor, you
baka!"
I didn't dare ask how she had managed that and why.
Her door flew open and a hand hit my face. Hard.
Enough to throw me on the floor.
"How dare YOU ask ME out on a DATE!"
I had hoped she would be happy, but she was clearly
furious. I couldn't blame her though, with what had happened on the night
of the party.
I tried to recall what Kaji had told me about her.
If I didn't stand up to her, she would never agree. I wasn't sure if I was
up to the task. Maybe I should have just chosen Rei...
"Maybe because I wanted to spend some enjoyable
time with YOU...", I replied while getting up.
What do you know... seemed like I had some courage after
all.
"Why? Got tired of your doll already?"
I gave her a deathly glare, but, again, managed to keep
my cool. Maybe Rei's calmness was starting to rub on me.
I took the time to carefully choose my words. I
needed to hide my nervousness. And I didn't want to lie either.
"I'm sure she'd gladly accept. But I don't want
to share this Sunday with her. I want to share it with you..."
I was suddenly struck by inspiration. Damn! Kaji
was right. I did spend too much time with Asuka and Misato.
Time for the coup de grace.
"But I've figured you wouldn't understand... You never
try to understand me... Baka!"
While I only wanted to make her feel guilty, as
I spoke the words, I realized I had meant them, and that the hurt expression
that showed on my face afterward was actually genuine.
I just left her there and stormed into my room, closing
the door hard with all my strength.
Suddenly feeling drained, I collapsed on my bed
and stared at the ceiling.
This had not gone like it should have. For some reason,
I had probably just managed to hurt myself.
I had started to think that Asuka might not have been
worth all this trouble when I heard my door slide open. I looked up to
see Asuka, a soft expression on her face.
"You really want to go out with me?"
I nodded.
For a brief instant, I could recognize many expressions
on her face. Relief, shame, joy and others I couldn't quite name. This, however,
only lasted a second. When she spoke again, it was with her usual arrogant air.
"Very well, Third Children. I'll bestow upon you the
honor of dating me, Sohryu Asuka Langley. You'd better make sure you are
worthy of my time!"
I gave her a cocky smile that surprised her.
"You'll see..."
Asuka raised an eyebrow.
"Well, well... where does all that sudden confidence
come from?"
It is said flattery can get you anything. Time to
check.
"Won't I be dating the most gorgeous girl in Tokyo-3?"
She gave me her most beautiful smile, before reverting
to her arrogant self. If I had not been seated on my bed, I might have
fallen on the floor. For that brief moment, she had really been the most
gorgeous person I had ever seen.
"Indeed you will... Indeed you will..."
Life can be surprising. Two days ago, Asuka had been
totally angry with me. Now, she was all over me. She insisted we walked to
school together, that we ate lunch together, that we came back home together...
She almost came with me in the guys locker room to change for PE. While
I'm sure most of the guys wouldn't have minded, I was glad I had been able to
talk her out of that idea.
Something was wrong with her.
Was she trying to keep me from talking to Rei? It
sure looked like it...
From the basketball court, I looked toward the swimming
pool area.
True to herself, Rei was sitting at her usual place,
obviously lost in her usual thinking. She turned her head a little and
her gaze met mine. Our eyes remained locked for a short time, long enough
for me to blush furiously. We were interrupted by the appearance of the
head of a certain German girl over Rei's shoulder. She gave me a furious
glare.
That was bad, really bad...
Trying to salvage things as best as I could, I just
smiled and waved at her. Asuka's features changed from anger to joy in an
instant.
"Hi, Shinji!"
She started to wave at me, getting the attention
of all the girls around her and the guys down on the basketball field.
Then, I suddenly felt the target of a lot of glances.
It didn't take time for Touji and Kensuke to start
teasing me.
"Look, Shinji, your girlfriend is waving at you."
"She's not my girlfriend!"
"She did seem happy to see you were looking at her,
and she didn't call you baka all morning long."
Surprisingly, I realized Kensuke was right. Asuka
had been much nicer then usual this morning.
"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy looking at her,"
Touji continued. "Your little Asuka in a swimsuit. Look, look! Those legs!
Those boobs!!..."
"I wasn't looking at her! I was looking at Rei!"
Damn! I really wished I hadn't said that...
"You sly dog! So you're going for both girls?"
Somehow, I couldn't help but to grin.
"Maybe I am..."
That shut both of them up. At least for a few seconds.
"That's not fair! You're getting all the cute girls!
I want to pilot an EVA, too..."
No surprise Kensuke was still obsessed with that.
"Seriously, Shinji..."
Touji now had a concerned look.
"We'll talk later. Tonight. This afternoon I have
to skip class."
"Synchronization tests?" asked Kensuke.
"No... I need to talk to Misato."
"Oh man! He really has all the girls!"
I sighed. Those two could be impossible at time.
"Well, actually, I still need to ask Hikari out..."
"No you won't!"
Touji tried to emphasize his objection by showing
his fist.
"What's the matter Touji? Don't want me to take
your girlfriend away?"
Touji began to blush furiously.
"Speaking of Hikari, isn't tomorrow her birthday?"
Kensuke asked innocently.
Touji went white. I couldn't help but to laugh.
Now, it was his time to suffer.
It took me a while to find Misato's office. NERV
Headquarters was a huge place and I had rarely visited her office. When
I came to NERV, it was usually either to go fight Angels or to submit myself
to Dr. Akagi's never-ending tests. Personally, the further away I was
from NERV, the better I felt.
How ironic, I was now a NERV employee.
I finally found her office. Luckily, Misato was
there, at her desk, or rather a giant pile of paper, mumbling a few curses
involving UN military bills.
"I need your help Misato."
She almost screamed, obvious startled. Maybe I should
have knocked first?
"Shinji! You scared me! Don't you know how to knock?"
"Sorry..."
She gave me the Misato-Death-Look; the look that
said "Do something that stupid again and you're dead". I just froze.
"What the hell are you doing here? You should be
at school!"
"Well, I'm not. I decided to follow your advice
so now I need your help."
Her expression immediately softened.
"I see. So... how may I help you?"
I told her. Her eyes went wide.
"You want what? What kind of pervert are you?"
What kind of thought had crossed her mind?
"Hey! I'm no pervert!"
"Then why do you need Rei's measurements?"
"I need to buy a dress for her."
Again, she looked quite surprised.
"What?"
"A dress, you know, what girls wear..."
She gave me the Look again.
"I know what a dress is! What I want to know is
why?"
I smiled.
"Do you know a restaurant called 'Pour deux'?"
She nodded.
"Yeah, sure. Fancy place that specialized in French
and Italian cuisine. Been there once with Ka... ahem... someone..."
I almost burst out laughing. Why she tried to hide
her feelings for Kaji was beyond my comprehension.
"You have your answer. Fancy place..."
"You don't mean... you want to take Rei there?"
"Yes..."
"But it costs a fortune!"
I shrugged.
"That pay we'll get has to be of some use..."
"But you won't have anything until at least next
week."
This would shock her.
"Kaji loaned me some money. A lot of money actually.
Enough to pay for the food, dress, a something nice for me to wear and all
the other bits and pieces."
I had been right. She looked stunned. Again.
"Kaji did that? Since when does he have so much money
to spend?"
"Don't ask me..."
Misato remained silent, obviously lost in thought.
"So? Can you help? I'd hate to have to go peek into
her drawers to find the size of her clothes. And I'm sure that with all
those tests we have to go through, you already have all the information I need."
"Um... That shouldn't be a problem. I'll ask Maya
to give me the last plugsuit readings... Do you know what kind of dress
you want to buy?"
"No idea. And I want it to be a surprise, so I can't
ask her to choose..."
Misato shook her head.
"Um... a boy buying a dress for a girl... It doesn't
sound right... I know, I'll take care of it!"
I frowned.
"I don't know..."
"Trust me!"
"I don't know..."
Putting her hands on my shoulders, she gave me a
very serious look.
"You really think you can handle it? I'm sure you
didn't even think she would need a pair of shoes to go with her dress..."
Then a silly grin crossed her face.
"... And... some fancy underwear to please her man while
we're at it..."
"Misato!"
She laughed. Not too surprising since I was her
favorite teasing target.
"Just teasing... But I know just the right place.
Their work is great and it doesn't cost that much. They also use a new
type of state of the art holographic technology, which is perfect for this
situation. With our data, it'll be easy for them to make the perfect dress
without the need of a live model, and it'll fit Rei perfectly."
I took some time to think. It did sound good.
"Well... ok... as long as you don't get her something
indecent..."
"How could you think I'd do something like that?"
"We live in the same apartment..."
She gave me a nervous laugh.
"Don't worry! I'll make a queen out of your little
Rei!"
Somehow, I couldn't help but to worry...
"When do you need that dress?"
"Saturday night."
"Oh my! Not much time to lose! I'll give Maya a call straight away!"
Well, she seemed serious enough. Maybe it wouldn't
be too bad... I hoped.
It's surprising how difficult keeping a date
secret is. Realizing I could never escape the apartment without Asuka noticing,
I had been forced to ask for Touji's help. A few days earlier, he had,
after a lot of pleading, agreed to hide the formal clothes I bought
for the occasion. Now, I had to fake a visit to his home. That was highly
unusual, but Asuka didn't ask questions, and since she wasn't crazy about
Touji, she didn't insist on coming.
"Man! I tell you, you're making a big mistake..."
"Tell me something I don't already know."
I had been trying to put on a stupid tie correctly
for ten minutes now. Needless to say I was getting quite irritated.
"If you know it's stupid, then why?"
"Because I need to know which one I want. Both of
them are pressuring me in their own ways. I've got to find out and fast."
Touji gave me a doubtful look.
"And you think dating them both will solve your problems."
"Well... I hope it will..."
Touji shook his head.
"Man... you're hopeless..."
"At least I'm dating someone!"
I immediately regretted for saying this.
"Sorry, Touji. I didn't mean it."
"Well, you may have a point..."
Touji grabbed the damned tie and solved my problems.
Now, it finally looked right. Actually... I looked rather good in formal
attire.
"You know, you only need to ask her..." I told him.
"Why would I want to ask her out?"
I was the one who shook his head.
"We're not at school you know..."
Touji showed me the way out of his apartment.
"Just go on your date!"
I nodded. If he didn't want to talk now, it was
ok.
"Thanks," I told him, then I realized something.
"If you're throwing me out, can you at least call my taxi?"
"Baka!"
When my taxi reached Rei's apartment, I found
Misato waiting outside. She had volunteered to deliver the dress to Rei
and help her out in preparing for our date. I had been reluctant to
accept her help, but when she said she believed Rei might not know how
to look properly feminine, I couldn't really disagree. While Rei hardly
looked like a tomboy, it was clear by the way she treated her clothes and
her unruly hair that she didn't bother much with her appearance. Unlike
Asuka, who could sometimes monopolize the bathroom for almost an hour.
"Your date is here, Rei!" Misato shouted.
It was a good thing Rei didn't seem to have any
neighbors, otherwise, everyone would have heard.
I was about to scold Misato when suddenly, Rei appeared.
The words simply died in my mouth and my heart started to pound.
"Kawaii..." (*)
I blinked, then rubbed my eyes, but the picture
I had before them didn't change.
She was awesome!
She wore a long blue evening dress, which matched the
curves of her slender body as well as her plugsuit. The upper part,
with the exception of a lace collar, was apparently made of light blue
nylon matching the color of her hair, through which it was possible to
see her shoulders, arms and a nice view of her cleavage. The lower part
of the dress, a darker shade of blue and made of satin, was cut on each
side and revealed part of her nice legs.
"Aya... Rei... you're so beautiful!"
Her cheeks went red, making her look even more perfect,
if possible.
"You are very elegant yourself, Ikari-kun."
"Now, now, Rei. What did I tell you?" said a visibly
disappointed Misato.
Rei nodded.
"You are very elegant, Shinji-kun."
I could see Misato smacking her forehead with her
palm in total desperation. But it was fine by me. Shinji-kun. I liked the way
it sounded when said by Rei.
I extended my hand to her and smiled shyly.
"Shall we go?"
Rei smiled back.
"We may."
I opened the door of the taxi and ushered her in.
"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you there,
Shinji?" asked Misato as I closed the door.
"No." I answered on my way to my side of the car.
"It's nice of you to offer, but I can manage. Besides, I don't want Ayanami
to be sick before dinner."
I joined Rei inside the taxi before Misato could
answer back, a grin on my face.
I knew the Major would probably have her revenge
later... but right now, I didn't care. I was with one of the two most important
girls in the world, and we were going on a date.
When we entered in the restaurant, I was impressed.
While not really luxurious, the place still looked fancy in what was
probably a typical European style. While the outside looked like any other
building in Tokyo-3, made of highly resistant steel, the interior was completely
different. Like a small house had been built inside. The walls, floors
and ceiling were all in timber, probably oak or some other foreign wood.
The tables and chairs seemed to be perfect replicas, at least that's what
I thought, of antique European furniture. There were many green plants all
over the restaurant and even two fish tanks: one that contained a variety
of marvellous fishes, the other holding a few live lobsters, likely
on the menu. All staff were in formal attire, and three musicians were on a
stage playing a sweet violin melody.
The waiter who asked for my reservation looked doubtfully
at me for a while, but showing him my NERV ID settled matters. Rei and
I were graciously escorted to our table, then handed the menus.
"So... what do you think, Rei?"
"It is... unusual."
I smiled.
"That's the whole idea. It's a way to escape Tokyo-3.
Tonight, we're not pilots Ayanami and Ikari, but rather Ayanami Rei and
Ikari Shinji on a date. No Angels. No EVAs. Just us..."
"It is pointless to try to escape reality..."
I almost felt bad about having taken her here when
she continued, this time with a smile.
"... but it is an interesting experience. And a
nice thought having you all to myself."
Hearing this, the word "joy" could probably be read
all over my face.
Then, I took a look at the menu. It was rather big
and protected by a leather cover. I was amazed to see how detailed it was.
For each meal, we could see a tasty picture. How practical!
My stomach started to growl. Then, I was shocked
to see Rei giggling.
"You must be quite hungry."
"I am!" I admitted.
Rei took her own menu and started to search through
it for a meal.
"I verified before making the reservations. They
have a good variety of vegetarian meals. They even have vegetarian sauces for
their pasta dishes."
"I see. It is nice of you to have remembered."
Soon we ordered our meals. Rei ordered a fettuccini
Alfredo with a Caesar's salad while I ordered a rib steak with pepper sauce
and smashed potatoes.
"Since when?"
Rei gave me an inquiring look.
"Since when did you have those feelings? For me?"
I timidly asked.
"I... I am unsure. Maybe since the first time. I
have always felt confused by your decision to pilot without any training
just to spare my life. You were the only one, except your father, who had
seemed to care about my well being. And since that day, you never stopped
caring..."
I nodded. I did care about her. Probably more than
I cared about my own life.
"It is strange. But sometimes I feel like I have
always known you..." added Rei, half lost in thought.
I understood how she felt. I sometime felt the same
way. Something about her, something I couldn't quite point out, was vaguely
familiar, yet different. It was a weird feeling.
Soon, our meals came. I gasped when I saw them.
They were enormous plates, enough to feed the two of us on a single order.
I took a bite out of my steak. It was good too! Excellent! A big change
from Misato's cooking, or even mine.
"Oh my!"
I gave Rei a worried look. That was not something
she usually said.
"Oishii!" (*)
A ferocious look on her face, she started to literally
inhale the content of her plate.
That was odd.
"Can I... Can I try some?"
I had just said the words when Rei stood up,
her fork just under my nose. I blinked, then opened my mouth where
she gently deposited the content of her fork. I had to agree with her...
it was unusual... but truly delicious.
We continued to eat for a while, in silence, when
I finally found the courage to ask her something I had thought of since
last Valentine's Day.
"Tell me Rei, why did you... that night... you know..."
I knew I was blushing. It seemed to make her smile.
"Because it felt right."
I gave her an inquiring look.
"Because it is truly what I want. To become one
with you. Body, mind and soul."
I pondered the question for a while.
"I never had that kind of relationship before...
but I think sex is just not enough to unite two hearts. In fact, shouldn't
it only be done if two hearts are already united? Otherwise, wouldn't it
just be meaningless?"
Rei blinked in amazement.
"You... you may be right..."
Then, Rei's face darkened considerably. She almost
looked sad. I couldn't help but to worry. It was the first time I had seen
such an expression in Rei and I knew I didn't like it.
"What's the matter, Rei?"
"If... if you are right... then I... I do not know
what I should do to be one with you..."
"I don't know myself... but... maybe there isn't
anything to do. Maybe it's just something that happens. You... you just
have to be truthful to yourself. Be who you are, nothing more, and show
it to the world. Accept what you feel. Say it. Then... you will see.. If
something must happen, it will. If two people are made for one another,
won't their hearts call out to each other?"
I shook my head.
"I don't make much sense, do I?"
Surprisingly, Rei smiled again.
"No. You do make sense. I believe you and I is right.
It is what should be. And it will happen. My heart is seeking out yours.
And your heart will answer back, Shinji-kun."
"I would like to be as sure as you..."
"You will. Until then, I will wait for you to choose
me over Sohryu."
This said, Rei smiled once more and happily returned
her attention to her meal. I couldn't help but to smile back.
Maybe she was right. Maybe Rei and I were destined
to be together...
I only dream of you
I guessed Kaji had been right. That did sound like
a romantic type movie.
The Tokyo-3 theater was much like I remembered.
I had came here once, after the fourth Angel battle. At the time, I had
been quite confused and only wanted to run away. The theater had seemed like
a good place to avoid reality for a while. Not that it really worked. I had
been quickly brought back to reality by the sound of two teenagers kissing.
I still remembered how lonely I had felt at the time. But now, as I looked
at Rei, I didn't feel lonely anymore.
For the first time, I realized how large the theatre really
was. And how empty. Beside Rei and myself, there were only around twenty
other customers. It wasn't surprising. With the Angel attacks, the interest
for movies had dropped, like Tokyo-3's population. For a moment I wondered why the
owner had not closed yet. I was, however, glad it was still open.
I chose what I thought were good seats. In the center,
not too close to the screen, but not too far either. Just at the right
place so we didn't have to make any effort to raise our heads to look at
the screen.
Soon, the lights went off, which startled Rei a
bit. It was, after all, the first time she had ever set foot in a movie theater.
I looked at her and gave her a reassuring smile. She nodded, then looked
at the screen that had now come to life.
At first, I had wondered if it had been a good idea.
Rei was looking at the screen with that far away look of hers. I quickly
feared she was getting bored, but when the relation between the characters
seemed to take place, she showed a look of genuine fascination. Her eyes
seemed drawn to the screen. While I was happy she liked that movie,
I was kind of disappointed too. Guess I had hoped she would pay attention
to me as well.
Then, she took my hand into hers. Her eyes had not left
the screen to do so, but I was quite happy nonetheless.
I completely lost interest in the movie. I was amazed
by her light touch, the heat and softness of her hand. For a long time, I forgot
the screen and only gazed at her.
While I waited outside the theater for Rei to come
back from the ladies room, I tried to get some life back into my body.
Watching a movie was nice, but two hours comfortably seated had that
nagging tendency to drive all your muscles to sleep. Luckily, the weather
was quite nice, unlike the week before when I had walked Rei home. I blushed
at the thought at what had happened afterward. Well... what almost happened...
I had some regrets for my not having acted differently..
"Hope Touji and Kensuke never find out about that.
Otherwise, I won't hear the end of it..."
"What secret should they ignore?"
Surprised, I jumped away from the source of the
voice. Rei! Somehow, she had managed to get behind me without making even
the smallest noise.
"Shall we go?" she asked. "It is time to head home."
I reached for my cell phone to call a taxi. Guessing
my intentions, Rei prevented me from using it.
"Let's walk."
I didn't know what to think. While not that far,
it was at least an hour's walk from here to her apartment. And from what I
had heard from Misato, on the few occasions she had attended weddings and
similar events, high heels were supposed to be quite uncomfortable.
But on the other hand, she was the one who had asked to walk. Besides...
could I really say no to her? When I looked again at that shy angelic smile,
I realized I could not.
Timidly, I offered her my hand. I didn't know if
she would accept it.
"Let's go..."
Rei surprised me by taking my hand into hers. Again,
I was amazed by the way it felt against mine. For the first time, I noted
how it was smaller then mine and how the fingers looked more delicate.
Both of us blushing, we headed for her apartment in
silence. We didn't really need to exchange words. The other's presence
was all we both needed.
When we finally arrived at her apartment, Rei invited
me in for a while, before I would leave to get home myself. I didn't want
to go in, but I didn't want to give her the impression I wasn't comfortable
with the idea. Besides, since that night, nothing had happened the few times
I had visited.
Still...
She looked so sexy in that dress...
"Maybe I'm the one I should be afraid of..." I thought,
realizing the kind of thoughts that seemed cross my mind.
It had been a few days since my last visit, yet
the apartment was still spotless. Apparently, Rei had picked
up a fervor for cleaning. I just hoped she did it for herself and not for
me.
Since there weren't any chairs in her tiny place,
we both sat on the bed. Rei started to stare at me. For a while I tried to
avoid her gaze, but my eyes never failed to find their way back to meet hers.
Realizing I needed to break the silence that kept us locked in this silent
intimacy, I said the first thing that came to my mind.
"Did... did you like the movie?"
This had the desired effect, although I thought I'd
noticed a flash of hurt expression on her face before she regained her
usual impenetrable countenance. But then, she smiled and her eyes seemed to
suddenly burn with a passion I had rarely seen in her.
"Yes." Her voice seemed softer then usual. "But
there is one thing I did not understand."
"What is it?" I asked, wanting to help.
Without giving me the chance to react her, body
leaned against my own.
"This..." she whispered, as she wrapped me in her arms
and placed her lips against my own.
At first, I just froze, eyes wide open, not really
understanding what was going on. Then, soon enough, my brain managed to
catch on as I slowly melted into Rei's warm embrace. I held her back
tightly and returned the kiss as best as I could.
"I think I understand now."
"Are you sure, Rei-chan?"
Again, our lips met, this time with more passion,
as we both laid on the bed. I surprised myself as I realized my hands seemed
to wander all over her, even in places I would never have dared touch in
a normal state of mind. I was rewarded by a small moan on Rei's part and
a deeper kiss.
I'm not sure if things could have gone further that
night. Maybe. But I never had the chance to find out.
I didn't know why, but I suddenly thought about
Asuka.
I broke the kiss and stood up.
Rei gave me a startled look.
"What's wrong, Shinji-kun?"
I tried to smile.
"Nothing, Rei-chan," I lied. "I just want to make
sure things don't go too fast..."
That was a lame excuse, but it seemed to satisfy
Rei. Actually, she blushed a bit. I guess she had wondered herself how
far it could have gone.
Silently, I cursed Asuka. Damn her! Why did she
have to exist?
Then, I made a choice. Tomorrow would be her only
chance. I would take her on her date, make sure she had fun and explain
to her that we could be good friends but nothing more.
Because, in my heart, I knew she had already lost...
I had just fallen in love with Rei.
[To be continued...]
Next time:
The One I Love Is...
Chapter 4 - Don't play with fire
Omake:
"What is she doing?" I asked myself.
However, in truth, I knew what she was doing. She
was looking down at the basketball field. That bitch was looking at my
Shinji, I was sure of it! Without hesitation I looked over her shoulder
to confirm my doubts. Just as I thought! She was looking at Shinji...
But wait a minute...
He... me was looking at her! My Shinji!
The jerk! How dare he! How dare he ask me out and
then look at her! Her! That doll! What could he look at anyway? She was
nothing compared to me! My breasts were bigger! My face cuter! I was one
hundred times more interesting than her!
Baka! Baka Shinji!
I was about to scream when he noticed me. Then he
smiled and started to wave at me. I didn't know why, but I felt the urge
to wave back.
"Hi! Shinji!" I said, in my cutest voice possible.
I don't know why, but some times, some rare times,
that baka seemed to make my heart race. It was crazy. He was a wimp. A
stupid spineless jerk. Yet, there was something about him...
And he was mine!
I looked down at the First Children. The stupid girl
didn't even realize it. But I had won. I was the one he had asked out.
Not her.
"You'll see, First Children." I thought. "I'll show
you. I'll make sure you die of envy. Whatever you try to do, I'll beat
you! I can't lose. You're only a stupid doll."
I took one of her wrists, and dragged her to the
pool. No way I would let her look at my Shinji any longer.
"Don't stay right there, Wonder Girl! Race me if
you dare!"
Ayanami Rei. I will never lose to you!
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