Disclaimer: See part 1
Part 4
Stepping out
By Random1377
"Shinji? Why are you... humming?" Misato looked at her young charge curiously, not exactly believing her ears. -I... I don't think he's EVER done that before...- she thought with some wonder.
Sitting at the table, Shinji blushed as he became aware of what he was doing. He opened his mouth to speak, but Asuka answered for him from the doorway, "Shinji's going on a date." She smiled at his discomfort, sticking out her tongue.
Misato's eyes widened, then she smiled broadly, "Is it that girl you kissed, Shinji?"
Asuka reddened, "You TOLD her about tha-" she cut herself off, realizing that: A. Misato would not ask if she was standing there, and B. She was the first one to break their unspoken agreement on silence.
A moment later she came to conclusion C. Shinji had kissed someone else. She tried to decide how she felt about fact C, and came to the conclusion that it was best... after all, that boy really needed to get out more... and he REALLY wasn't her type (well... maybe a little...).
Misato's jaw dropped open as Asuka left the room, mumbling something about homework. She shook her head and looked at Shinji again, "So... is it? Do you need a ride?"
Shinji looked at her dubiously, knowing full well why she would offer a ride, -You just want to see who it is...- "No thank you, I'll just walk." He stood up, looking at the clock, "I have to go."
Misato pouted, "Oh come on, Shinji... at least give me a hint..." she gave him her patented Misato Man-Melter smile.
Shinji frowned at her, months of living with her having rendered him immune, "No, Misato. I'll be home by midnight."
"You'll be home by eleven," she said, switching to guardian mode faster than a veritech ever could, "or you won't be going." She folded her arms and frowned, showing that she was serious.
Shinji stared at her stonily for a moment, and then smiled slowly, "Eleven-thirty?"
Misato's frown broke as she laughed, "Alright, you win... eleven-thirty." She appraised the boy for a moment, "You know, Shinji... I think you should see more of this girl... I don't think I've seen you this happy for weeks."
He blushed, "Well... I... I hope I can." He walked out the door, waiting on the other side. After a minute he slid the door open quickly, startling Misato into dropping her car keys as his face appeared inches from hers, "And don't follow me!" he said, closing the door again.
In the apartment, a stunned Misato said, "Ok..." quietly. She grinned as she picked up her keys, "Oh yeah," she said, returning to the kitchen, "he DEFINITELY needs to see more of her..."
**
Shinji walked swiftly, his thoughts turning over what he felt for the pretty technician. Did he like her? Oh yes... yes, very much. Was it more? That he didn't know... he felt like there COULD be more, but honestly it was too early to say. -I hope...- he thought suddenly, -I hope there's more...- he blushed fiercely, thinking of her pretty, sleeping face.
As he increased his nervous pace off into the evening, a small figure stepped out of the shadows and watched hawkishly as his figure receded into the gloom. Then, as if reaching a conclusion, started off after him. Asuka smiled mischievously to herself and pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders.
**
Maya stood with her arms resting on the railing, looking out over Tokyo-3 with a small smile. The wind blew her short brown hair back from her face and made her close her eyes. -He'll be here soon...- she thought, visualizing him behind her eyelids, -maybe we'll go see another movie... maybe... maybe I'll kiss him again...- she blushed at the thought, or rather, at the emotion the thought evoked.
"Maya?" she opened her eyes, hoping it was not her imagination. She looked to her right and found Shinji standing uncertainly with his hands in his pockets, "I... I'm here..."
She smiled at him, "I... I'm glad you decided to come..." she looked at the ground, "I was afraid you might not."
"I... I almost didn't..." he admitted awkwardly, "then I realized I would have to be a fool not too."
She looked up, astonished at his frankness. He looked nervous and pushed his hands deeper into his pockets. She stepped closer to him, reaching out hesitantly and touching his arm. He shivered slightly at the touch, bringing his hand out of his pocket so she could hold it.
"Do you... do you want to go for a drive? My car is right there." She pointed to a small, white economy car, "or do you want to do something else? We could see a movie, or go to dinner, or-"
"No," he said, his attention fixed on their linked hands, "a ride would be... nice..."
She led him to her car, opening the door for him with a slight blush. As they pulled away from the curb, a set of sapphire blue eyes watched their departure from the safety of a nearby bush.
**
They drove in silence for a while, aimlessly roaming the hills surrounding Tokyo-3.
"So..." Shinji ventured, "what do you want to know about me?"
Maya looked at him, then back to the road, shrugging. "I don't know... I know almost nothing about you. What did you do before you came to NERV?"
Shinji looked out the window, "Nothing. Honestly. I lived with my teacher and we did... nothing..." It was his turn to shrug, "All in all, it wasn't that bad. No one needed me for anything, no one relied on me for anything... I just... WAS."
"Sounds pretty empty to me," she said quietly.
He grinned, "It's really not so bad... you should try it sometime..." he looked sideways at her, "Maybe... maybe we can do nothing together... sometime..."
She smiled and reached across the seat, taking his hand, "I... I would like that..."
He looked at her hand, still marveling at the soft, warm feel, "S-So... when is your birthday?"
She felt herself getting warm, -Get a hold of yourself, woman!- she thought, -you can't get this way every time he asks a question...- "It's actually in about three weeks - July twentieth."
He smiled broadly, "Maybe... maybe I'll give you what you gave me..." he turned bright red, unused to being so forward.
Maya felt her own temperature rising, -GET a GRIP!!-
"Pull over here," Shinji said suddenly, unsmiling, "I... I want to show you something."
She pulled the car off of the road and exited, surprised by his abrupt change in attitude. She followed him to the edge of a very deep looking canyon, and watched as he rested his hands on the guardrail, regarding the deep gouge in the earth for a moment. A gust of wind ruffled his hair as he spoke quietly, "I came here the first time I ran away..."
She said nothing, sensing that he was not finished. She stepped closer, wanting to hear every word.
He looked out into the void, "I... I almost jumped, you know..." a tear slipped down his cheek and was carried away in the stiffening breeze, "I felt like I had nothing to live for... like I was useless..."
She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. He shivered and put his hand over hers. She licked her lips, "Shinji... I... I don't think you're useless..."
He turned to her, taking a deep breath, "I know... I know that this may be sudden..." he swallowed and went on, "but you said you wanted to know more about me..." he looked at the drop-off, his eyes distant, "well, this IS me... all that I am, right here. I've... I've never known anything besides emptiness and loss..."
He met her eyes once more, "Is that... is that too much?" he whispered nervously, "Have I shown too much of what makes me, me?"
She put her arms carefully around him, drawing him close to her, "No..." she said quietly, her heart racing as his arms came up to encircle her, "no, I want to know everything about you..." the truth of the statement rocked her.
He looked at her, smiling. He then took a deep breath, continuing, "While I stood on the edge, looking down... I... I just knew I couldn't do it..." his grip tightened, as if he was afraid she might leave at any moment, "I keep thinking of all the people I would be letting down... but I kept coming back to me... I would be letting myself down if I did it..."
She looked into his eyes, "I'm glad you didn't do it..." she forced some levity into her tightening voice, "If you had... who would I spend MY birthday with next month?"
He smiled, then reached up and carefully stroked her cheek with the tips of his fingers, "Maya... I... I'm tired of feeling sad... do you think... do you think that we can be happy..." he blushed and dropped his eyes and his voice, "I mean... I mean together...?"
She said nothing... instead she reached out and put her hands on his face, forcing his eyes to meet hers. When they had, she slowly leaned forward, pressing her lips against his once more. She walled off all of her previous concerns and worries, letting her breath slowly leave her and mix with his as they touched. Shinji went ridged, not knowing what to do, but she just held her lips to his until the tension left him and he returned the kiss.
Time slowed to a standstill as they embraced. Shinji began to gently explore her face with his fingers, wanting to know every curve. She shivered at his touch, trying to press herself closer to him. -How could she have ever doubted this...- her thoughts raced deliriously, as his fingers ran across her ears and began exploring the back of her neck.
They parted for a moment, both breathing hard, "I think... I think that I..." she began trying to catch her breath. "Shinji, I mmmm-" he cut her off, pulling her against him once more. He kissed her desperately, trying to touch every point on her face at the same time.
Finally, he relented, "I... I'm sorry... I..."
"Shhh..." she whispered, laying her head against his shoulder, "it's ok..." she became aware that he was trembling... and that she was, too.
They stood silently for several minutes, clinging to each other and shaking. Finally, Shinji whispered, "Maya... I... I know this is a silly question... but would you be my girlfriend?"
She nearly pulled away at that, -Still a child!- her mind called, but she knew that it would hurt him... and she knew that this was right. Instead, she nodded against his shoulder and whispered, "Only... only if you kiss me again..."
The wind whipped around them as he complied with her request, any sense of impropriety or shame now gone as their lips met once more. They kissed for what might have been hours or minutes, neither cared to keep track. When they said goodnight, it was with the knowledge that this would be the first of many good nights... for both of them.
Continued...
Author's notes: All you Robotech fans catch the reference? Good! :) And thanks to JobFaust for helping my out with the overall flow of this chapter, and talking me into changing some lines so that they sounded better. I owe you one!
Part 4
Stepping out
By Random1377
"Shinji? Why are you... humming?" Misato looked at her young charge curiously, not exactly believing her ears. -I... I don't think he's EVER done that before...- she thought with some wonder.
Sitting at the table, Shinji blushed as he became aware of what he was doing. He opened his mouth to speak, but Asuka answered for him from the doorway, "Shinji's going on a date." She smiled at his discomfort, sticking out her tongue.
Misato's eyes widened, then she smiled broadly, "Is it that girl you kissed, Shinji?"
Asuka reddened, "You TOLD her about tha-" she cut herself off, realizing that: A. Misato would not ask if she was standing there, and B. She was the first one to break their unspoken agreement on silence.
A moment later she came to conclusion C. Shinji had kissed someone else. She tried to decide how she felt about fact C, and came to the conclusion that it was best... after all, that boy really needed to get out more... and he REALLY wasn't her type (well... maybe a little...).
Misato's jaw dropped open as Asuka left the room, mumbling something about homework. She shook her head and looked at Shinji again, "So... is it? Do you need a ride?"
Shinji looked at her dubiously, knowing full well why she would offer a ride, -You just want to see who it is...- "No thank you, I'll just walk." He stood up, looking at the clock, "I have to go."
Misato pouted, "Oh come on, Shinji... at least give me a hint..." she gave him her patented Misato Man-Melter smile.
Shinji frowned at her, months of living with her having rendered him immune, "No, Misato. I'll be home by midnight."
"You'll be home by eleven," she said, switching to guardian mode faster than a veritech ever could, "or you won't be going." She folded her arms and frowned, showing that she was serious.
Shinji stared at her stonily for a moment, and then smiled slowly, "Eleven-thirty?"
Misato's frown broke as she laughed, "Alright, you win... eleven-thirty." She appraised the boy for a moment, "You know, Shinji... I think you should see more of this girl... I don't think I've seen you this happy for weeks."
He blushed, "Well... I... I hope I can." He walked out the door, waiting on the other side. After a minute he slid the door open quickly, startling Misato into dropping her car keys as his face appeared inches from hers, "And don't follow me!" he said, closing the door again.
In the apartment, a stunned Misato said, "Ok..." quietly. She grinned as she picked up her keys, "Oh yeah," she said, returning to the kitchen, "he DEFINITELY needs to see more of her..."
**
Shinji walked swiftly, his thoughts turning over what he felt for the pretty technician. Did he like her? Oh yes... yes, very much. Was it more? That he didn't know... he felt like there COULD be more, but honestly it was too early to say. -I hope...- he thought suddenly, -I hope there's more...- he blushed fiercely, thinking of her pretty, sleeping face.
As he increased his nervous pace off into the evening, a small figure stepped out of the shadows and watched hawkishly as his figure receded into the gloom. Then, as if reaching a conclusion, started off after him. Asuka smiled mischievously to herself and pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders.
**
Maya stood with her arms resting on the railing, looking out over Tokyo-3 with a small smile. The wind blew her short brown hair back from her face and made her close her eyes. -He'll be here soon...- she thought, visualizing him behind her eyelids, -maybe we'll go see another movie... maybe... maybe I'll kiss him again...- she blushed at the thought, or rather, at the emotion the thought evoked.
"Maya?" she opened her eyes, hoping it was not her imagination. She looked to her right and found Shinji standing uncertainly with his hands in his pockets, "I... I'm here..."
She smiled at him, "I... I'm glad you decided to come..." she looked at the ground, "I was afraid you might not."
"I... I almost didn't..." he admitted awkwardly, "then I realized I would have to be a fool not too."
She looked up, astonished at his frankness. He looked nervous and pushed his hands deeper into his pockets. She stepped closer to him, reaching out hesitantly and touching his arm. He shivered slightly at the touch, bringing his hand out of his pocket so she could hold it.
"Do you... do you want to go for a drive? My car is right there." She pointed to a small, white economy car, "or do you want to do something else? We could see a movie, or go to dinner, or-"
"No," he said, his attention fixed on their linked hands, "a ride would be... nice..."
She led him to her car, opening the door for him with a slight blush. As they pulled away from the curb, a set of sapphire blue eyes watched their departure from the safety of a nearby bush.
**
They drove in silence for a while, aimlessly roaming the hills surrounding Tokyo-3.
"So..." Shinji ventured, "what do you want to know about me?"
Maya looked at him, then back to the road, shrugging. "I don't know... I know almost nothing about you. What did you do before you came to NERV?"
Shinji looked out the window, "Nothing. Honestly. I lived with my teacher and we did... nothing..." It was his turn to shrug, "All in all, it wasn't that bad. No one needed me for anything, no one relied on me for anything... I just... WAS."
"Sounds pretty empty to me," she said quietly.
He grinned, "It's really not so bad... you should try it sometime..." he looked sideways at her, "Maybe... maybe we can do nothing together... sometime..."
She smiled and reached across the seat, taking his hand, "I... I would like that..."
He looked at her hand, still marveling at the soft, warm feel, "S-So... when is your birthday?"
She felt herself getting warm, -Get a hold of yourself, woman!- she thought, -you can't get this way every time he asks a question...- "It's actually in about three weeks - July twentieth."
He smiled broadly, "Maybe... maybe I'll give you what you gave me..." he turned bright red, unused to being so forward.
Maya felt her own temperature rising, -GET a GRIP!!-
"Pull over here," Shinji said suddenly, unsmiling, "I... I want to show you something."
She pulled the car off of the road and exited, surprised by his abrupt change in attitude. She followed him to the edge of a very deep looking canyon, and watched as he rested his hands on the guardrail, regarding the deep gouge in the earth for a moment. A gust of wind ruffled his hair as he spoke quietly, "I came here the first time I ran away..."
She said nothing, sensing that he was not finished. She stepped closer, wanting to hear every word.
He looked out into the void, "I... I almost jumped, you know..." a tear slipped down his cheek and was carried away in the stiffening breeze, "I felt like I had nothing to live for... like I was useless..."
She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. He shivered and put his hand over hers. She licked her lips, "Shinji... I... I don't think you're useless..."
He turned to her, taking a deep breath, "I know... I know that this may be sudden..." he swallowed and went on, "but you said you wanted to know more about me..." he looked at the drop-off, his eyes distant, "well, this IS me... all that I am, right here. I've... I've never known anything besides emptiness and loss..."
He met her eyes once more, "Is that... is that too much?" he whispered nervously, "Have I shown too much of what makes me, me?"
She put her arms carefully around him, drawing him close to her, "No..." she said quietly, her heart racing as his arms came up to encircle her, "no, I want to know everything about you..." the truth of the statement rocked her.
He looked at her, smiling. He then took a deep breath, continuing, "While I stood on the edge, looking down... I... I just knew I couldn't do it..." his grip tightened, as if he was afraid she might leave at any moment, "I keep thinking of all the people I would be letting down... but I kept coming back to me... I would be letting myself down if I did it..."
She looked into his eyes, "I'm glad you didn't do it..." she forced some levity into her tightening voice, "If you had... who would I spend MY birthday with next month?"
He smiled, then reached up and carefully stroked her cheek with the tips of his fingers, "Maya... I... I'm tired of feeling sad... do you think... do you think that we can be happy..." he blushed and dropped his eyes and his voice, "I mean... I mean together...?"
She said nothing... instead she reached out and put her hands on his face, forcing his eyes to meet hers. When they had, she slowly leaned forward, pressing her lips against his once more. She walled off all of her previous concerns and worries, letting her breath slowly leave her and mix with his as they touched. Shinji went ridged, not knowing what to do, but she just held her lips to his until the tension left him and he returned the kiss.
Time slowed to a standstill as they embraced. Shinji began to gently explore her face with his fingers, wanting to know every curve. She shivered at his touch, trying to press herself closer to him. -How could she have ever doubted this...- her thoughts raced deliriously, as his fingers ran across her ears and began exploring the back of her neck.
They parted for a moment, both breathing hard, "I think... I think that I..." she began trying to catch her breath. "Shinji, I mmmm-" he cut her off, pulling her against him once more. He kissed her desperately, trying to touch every point on her face at the same time.
Finally, he relented, "I... I'm sorry... I..."
"Shhh..." she whispered, laying her head against his shoulder, "it's ok..." she became aware that he was trembling... and that she was, too.
They stood silently for several minutes, clinging to each other and shaking. Finally, Shinji whispered, "Maya... I... I know this is a silly question... but would you be my girlfriend?"
She nearly pulled away at that, -Still a child!- her mind called, but she knew that it would hurt him... and she knew that this was right. Instead, she nodded against his shoulder and whispered, "Only... only if you kiss me again..."
The wind whipped around them as he complied with her request, any sense of impropriety or shame now gone as their lips met once more. They kissed for what might have been hours or minutes, neither cared to keep track. When they said goodnight, it was with the knowledge that this would be the first of many good nights... for both of them.
Continued...
Author's notes: All you Robotech fans catch the reference? Good! :) And thanks to JobFaust for helping my out with the overall flow of this chapter, and talking me into changing some lines so that they sounded better. I owe you one!