All right, here it is. My first ever serious Eva fic, it may blow, it may suck, it may right out make you vomit, but remember this.....I had fun writing it! After you're done puking all over your computer please review this, for it will mildly entertain me. On with the show!
Synchronization
Part one: Adjusting.....
"Schiess!!" Asuka swore again. " How can I sink to the level of this...this animated turnip?" As she said this Shinji fell on his face, the score board reading 'Error'.
Misato took another sip of her brew. "So you're giving up?"
Asuka smiled. "Well. You don't have anyone else, do you?" Of course they didn't, that's why Misato would have to convince her to keep trying....and maybe Asuka would get something in the long run.
"Rei?" Misato said.
Rei looked up from what she was reading. "Yes ma'am?"
"Why don't you try?"
Rei silently closed the book. "Yes ma'am."
Shinji watched as Rei slipped on a set of earphones and stood on the mat next to him. He'd never thought of being paired with Ayanami, even though they had known each other longer than Asuka had known either of them.
The music began and Shinji and Rei moved simultaneously over the red dots on the mat. Everybody was fairly certain that the two should be teamed up on the mission, they moved as if they could read each other's minds.
"Well, it looks like I'll have to alter the mission to pair Shinji and Rei." Misato said and she took another sip.
"Wha-? No....No! I can't stand this! I can't take it anymore!" And with that she stormed out of the room, slamming the door in the process.
Shinji looked up from the mat, he couldn't hear what was going on, but he saw that Asuka was angry at something. Probably him.
"Grrrrrrrrr......Shinji!" Hokari fumed.
Shinji removed his earphones and looked puzzled at the class rep. "Hmmm?"
"Ooooh, Go apologize!" She yelled while waving the earphones around menacingly.
"Huh?" Shinji was more confused than ever.
"You made her cry!"
Shinji silently got up and started for the door. Misato stopped him.
"Let her go. If she doesn't want to participate on this mission, than she can stay as the backup."
Shinji looked back at the door that Asuka had just run out of. "But....." He started, Misato raised her finger to silence him.
"How long do you think it'll take to get your stuff packed, Shinji?" She asked.
"P-packed? Why?" Shinji suddenly became aware that he was sweating.
Misato paused to take a sip of the alcoholic drink in front of her. "I'll submit a request to Commander Ikari that you be moved to Rei's apartment, If that's okay with you." She looked at Rei.
"That's fine." Rei was churning with anxiety inside. Even if she didn't let anyone see it, she was curious, eager, and scared all at once. She'd never lived with anyone before.
"Awwww, ain't that cute. Shinji and Ayanami are gonna be roomies." Toji said. Kensuke broke into laughter as Shinji turned a shade usually reserved for yield signs.
"Good work Shinji, first you get Misato and Asuka, then Rei. Who's next? Hokari-" Kensuke stopped mid-sentence under the glare of two of the afore mentioned women. Rei was quietly sitting on the floor thinking of what living with Shinji would be like.
"What a jerk, not even coming after me. Hmph. And Ayanami, what was with her? First she doesn't even want to be friends, then she shows me up by beating me at the synchronization drill. And what's with this stupid convenience store? Not any good colas! Not very convenient." Asuka rose from the freezer which she was staring into. "Damn them. Damn the world!"
"What is it Fustyuki?" Gendo asked.
Kozo considered his response before replying into the phone receiver. " Major Katsuragi has submitted a request for the Third Child to move into the First's apartment."
Gendo's grip nearly snapped his phone in half. "Why would that be necessary?"
"It's for the attack on the seventh Angel. It requires two Evas to attack simultaneously on the target's core when the Angel is sep-"
"I don't care what the attack plan is, Fustyuki. I want to know why Rei needs to be living with Shinji."
"Major Katsuragi has informed me that since the two pilots must be perfectly synchronized, that they should live in the same quarters to achieve maximum coordination."
Gendo thought this over. "Request denied. Wasn't the initial plan to have Shinji and the Second Child paired?"
"Yes. But as it seems, the synchronization failed, and the tests show that Rei would be better matched with Shinji."
Gendo knew the success of the mission and his own plan rested in this going smoothly. But he didn't want Shinji living with Rei. "I'll just have to make a slight.....modification to Major Katsuragi's plan."
"Shinji? That you?" Misato asked from the kitchen.
"Yes, what are you doing home?" Shinji walked into the kitchen to find Misato standing in front of the stove.
"Well, I just got word from the commander that he denied my request for you living with Rei." She grinned slightly as she saw him droop just a bit. "So we came up with another solution." She side stepped to show Rei, holding a pan and a spatula.
"Hello, Ikari." She said.
Shinji was too dumbfounded by this to speak.
"As it turns out Rei's an excellent cook." Misato took a bite of some grilled squid.
"Wha-what? Ayanami here? Where is Asuka going to stay? I don't think she'd like this." Shinji was worried some one would get killed.
"Oh, don't worry about her. She's fine."
Asuka lugged the last of her moving boxes up to the fourth floor. This had been one hell of a workout. She looked into her new home again and sighed. "What kind of a dumb-assed plan is this?" She asked no one. She looked at the bed, cot more like. "I'm supposed to sleep here?!" Although Rei had taken the time to straighten things up a bit, the place still looked like it had been ransacked.
"I don't believe this!!" She'd yelled when Misato broke the news to her. "I just got here! What do you want to move me for?"
"It's just part of the mission, nothing personal. You'll be staying in Rei's old apartment, and she'll live here."
"What?! WonderGirl is going to live here?!" Asuka had already given Rei a nickname.
Misato didn't want anything of hers broken, so she ushered the redhead to the door. "The movers have already dropped of your things. I'll drive you there, but from then on you're on your own."
"Ooooh, I'm going to kill someone!" And she nearly did when she saw that the movers had left all her stuff at the bottom floor.
"Uh.....Ayanami?" Shinji asked.
Rei looked up from her book. "Yes, Ikari?"
"Why aren't you joining us for dinner?" Shinji and Misato where at the table, while Rei sat in front of the couch.
"Don't you want to?" Shinji was feeling uncomfortable that Rei wasn't warming up to him like she did to his father. Maybe she never would.
"I am not hungry." Rei said.
Shinji looked a little relieved. "Oh." Rei got up and sat down across from Shinji, much to his surprise.
"But I'll join you anyway."
Dinner went by with Misato drunkenly talking of her problems and Shinji nervously glancing at Rei, who sat impassive.
"Well. Goodnight, Ayanami. Goodnight Misato."
Rei looked over at Shinji. "Goodnight, Ikari." The words sounded strange to her. She had rarely ever said them. There was much she had to learn to adapt to living with someone.
"Night, Shinji!" Misato waved a Yebisu at him as he entered his room.
"Wark, Wark." PenPen said and retreated to his fridge.
Shinji laid down on his futon and thought. //Do I like Rei more than a friend? More than a pilot, or classmate?// He thought of the time he'd asked her to smile, and how he felt when she did. //Yep. I like her alright.//
"Hey, you settled Rei?" Misato asked as she stepped into Rei's room.
Rei set down her book. "Yes."
"Geeze...not much in here. You sure you brought everything?"
"Yes. These are all my belongings."
Misato looked around. A book or two lay scattered on the nightstand and a pair of cracked glasses sat next to them. "Well, if you all good here then I'll leave you alone. If you need anything I'm down the hall..." She smiled, "and Shinji's right next door."
"Thank you."
Misato left the room and snickered. She doubted that Rei would go in Shinji's room for anything, and she knew that Shinji wouldn't be as bold as to try to pull something on Rei. Although it was fun to think about....
Shinji fast forwarded his SDAT player to track 26 and hummed along to the music. It was one in the morning and Shinji hadn't even thought of sleeping.
"Why didn't I feel this way when Asuka was here?" He asked his pillow. The pillow made no immediate response, so Shinji continued. "I mean, What if Rei just treats me as usual, or worse...ignores me?"
"I would not do that, Ikari." Shinji rolled over and flung off his sheets. Rei was sitting in front of his futon watching him intently.
"Wha-.....what? Rei?!" Shinji stuttered and sat up. "W-what are you doing here?"
Rei took a moment to answer. "Misato told me that if I needed anything that you where next door."
"Do.....you need something?" Shinji knew he'd start sweating if Rei said anything remotely close to what he thought she might.
" I wished to know where the bathroom was." Rei lied. She knew full well where it was, but she hoped Shinji would not see through her shallow fib.
"Uh...yeah. Right through that door." Shinji pointed.
Rei nodded at Shinji. "Thank you, Ikari." She smiled and entered the bathroom.
"How long was she watching me?" Shinji wondered aloud. "I gotta quit doing that."
Rei leaned against the bathroom door. She held her head in her hands and sighed. //Why? Why do I want to see Ikari sleeping? He is just another pilot......or.....is he? Do I wish to be with him?// She looked at the clock. Three forty seven. //And why couldn't I tell him why I was truly there? I'll have to ask the Commander.//
*Author's note. This is really the first time I've tried to write Rei's real personality and man! Is it hard or what! Well, If you want to be a pre-reader or such e-mail me at mathis478@hotmail.com. I'd like to hear what you've got to say. And one more thing, flamers be warned.....I know where you live! *Cackles manically*