Heaven is Wherever You Make It.
Shinji seemed to be walking on a cloud today. He kept walking into things and had to be constantly brought back to reality by Touji, Kensuke, or Asuka. Kensuke elbowed Shinji in the ribs, "Hey Shinji, what's wrong man. You seem totally out of it today." Touji looked at Shinji, "Yeah, tell us what happened." Shinji just smiled and stared off into space. "You know what Touji?" "No, what Kensuke?" "I think our friend here is thinking about someone. Someone SPECIAL." Shinji shook his head, "Huh? What?" "You know what Kensuke, I think you're right." "What do you mean? What is Kensuke right about?" Touji and Kensuke just smiled at each other. "So, who is it Ikari? Misato? Asuka?" Touji now had his arm around Shinji's shoulder as he tried to get a confession out of him. Then Kensuke spoke up, "You know what? I think he is thinking about Rei." All Shinji did at this point was blush and try to avoid eye contact. Touji noticed his friend's reaction, "So it IS Ayanami eh?" "No, no, no, it's not like that really." Shinji tried desperately to deny what he was doing. "Oh come off it Ikari. I mean you work with three beautiful women and live with two of them. So naturally you would want the one that you didn't have yet." "No no you guys got the wrong idea really." Both answered him looking into his eye, "So what is it then? We know you're up to something." ". . . . ." "C'mon Ikari all Kensuke and me want to know is why you are thinking about Ayanami, I mean besides the obvious." "Well if you must know, I am having my 16th birthday party tonight." "Yeah we both know we were invited." "Well Rei was too, and she agreed to come so I feel happy." "It doesn't take must to please you does it Ikari?" "Nope." Shinji happened to glance back at Rei. She was looking out the window the same way she usually did. The suddenly she turned her head and stared at Shinji who seemed to be paralyzed by her gaze. She looked at him then for a brief instant smiled at him and returned to her staring out the window as if nothing had happened. Needless to say Shinji was totally surprised by it, as were Touji and Kensuke. "Am I dreaming or did I just see Rei Ayanami smile at you Ikari?" "I was about to ask you guys the same thing." "Ok that was something new and really weird." From that point on they were quiet because at that moment the old teacher decided to walk in and renew his ramblings on Second Impact.
------------------------------------------------------------------
By the time the day was over the student gossip machine had already made the smile Rei had given Shinji, into her acceptance of his proposal. Needless to say, Asuka had decided to "make Shinji suffer" by going home with Hikari and preparing for the party there. Shinji hadn't even noticed that Asuka was gone he was too busy thinking about Rei. 'I wonder why she smiled at me. I mean it's not like she had to or there had been a reason to, she just did it. Come to think of it she is even more beautiful when she smiles.' Shinji's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone coming up behind him. He slowed his pace a bit allowing them to catch up, he figured that it was Asuka. He knew he was going to receive hell from her for the smile, but something didn't seem right. He stopped and listened, but all he heard were the footsteps of whoever was following him stop, there was no screaming, no curses, and most importantly there were no heavy object fracturing his skull. He turned around, still expecting the worst and closed his eyes. Still nothing, he was still alive and most importantly he was intact. He slowly opened his eyes, and what he saw was the blue-haired goddess he had just been thinking about smiling shyly at him. "Ayanami. Um hi. . . . . . . Is there something wrong?" She only shook her head. "No, Pilot Ikari." "Um is there something you want to ask me?" "Yes." "Well . . . . . Ask away." "Would you follow me?" "Why?" "I need to show you something at my apartment." Shinji looked down trying to conceal his blush. "Um. . . . . could you tell me what it is you want to show me?" "It is something that I received this morning I believe it is a dress." "Oh." Shinji sighed relieved. "Ok Rei, no problem." With that the two children walked to her apartment in total silence, even though Shinji made several very poor attempts at starting a conversation. They finally reached her apartment and went inside. She walked to the dresser and lifted up the box, carrying it over to Shinji. "I wish to know about this Ikari." She raised the top off and lifted the dress out. Shinji looked at the dress then over at her. "It's very nice Ayanami. When did you get it?" "I already answered that question, someone dropped it off here this morning." "Hmm I see." Shinji was fighting desperately for control of his hormones while he simultaneously picturing Rei in the dress. "Uh........ um......... her...... does it fit ok?" "I have yet to try it on Ikari." "You should to see if you look good in it." "Yes." With that Rei walked to the bathroom and slipped out of her school uniform, then put the dress on letting it fall slightly off her shoulders as that seemed to be the designer's purpose. She stepped out of the bathroom and turned to Shinji. "Is this satisfactory Ikari?" Shinji seemed to be made out of stone as he stared at her eyes wide, mouth open with a small bit of drool coming out of his mouth. "Um......... uh............. you............. it........... You look beautiful Rei ... I mean Ayanami." Rei looked down and blushed slightly at his remark. "Ikari you... embarrass me." "No, I mean it Ayanami, you really look great." Rei's blush deepen as she continued to look at her feet. "Thank you Ikari." She looked to the box again and saw the shoes. "Ikari there is also a pair of shoes and earrings that came with this should I try them on as well?" "Most certainly Ayanami, I'm sure they will make you look even more beautiful." Rei slowly walked to the box and lifted the shoes out as well as the earrings then set the shoes next to her bed as she returned to the bathroom in order to put the earrings on correctly. She finished clipping them on. Then she walked back to the bed and put the shoes on. During this whole time Shinji was practically drooling over the way the dress made her look. 'My god I didn't think she could look anymore beautiful than she already did. Guess I was wrong.' Rei stood up somewhat unsteady and looked to Shinji again. "Do these also look satisfactory?" Shinji at this point couldn't speak, so all he did was nod like an idiot. "... uh...... Rei can you walk so I can see you better?" Shinji was finally able to get the words out. Rei nodded and tried to walk but was visibly having trouble seeing as this was her first time on heels. Rei tried to take a few steps and began to fall; Shinji jumped forward and caught her by the waist just before she fell over. "Are you ok Ayanami?" Rei nodded, "Yes Ikari I'm fine." Shinji smiled and then noticed where his hand was and looked down blushing, " ....... Uh .............. Um I'm sorry Ayanami." Shinji let her go and turned around. Rei stood up and brushed herself off, "It is ok Ikari your intentions were good." Shinji turned around and smiled, "Yeah I guess so. Well I'll be on my way then I still have to get ready for the party. You're still coming, right?" Rei nodded, "Yes Ikari I'll be there." "Great I'll see you later then." Shinji walked to the door slipped his shoes back on. "See you later Ayanami." With that Shinji grabbed his bag and left.
------------------------------------------------------------------
When Shinji got back to the apartment he was greeted by a very happy Misato. "Hey, Shinji are you all ready for the party?" "Uh yeah Misato." Shinji just shook his head at what Misato was wearing and walked to his room. He searched around his closet for what he was going to wear for the party. He finally settled on the clothes that he usually wore A white oxford shirt with a blue undershirt and a pair of black pants. He put on the clean clothes and laid on his bed listening to his SDAT player. (Track 25 of course) Slowly Shinji fell asleep. Suddenly a strange feeling waked him up. 'What the hell is this feeling it's like someone is watching me.' Shinji deciding to see if he had finally lost his mind rolled over only to have his mouth covered by a hand and the barrel of a gun put into his back. A cold voice came from the shadows; "It would be most unwise of you to scream right now Shinji." Shinji's eyes nearly tripled in size as he realized who his captor was. "F-father?" "Yes Shinji now stay quiet or else I'll have to use this." To emphasis his statement Gendo pushed the gun forward into his son's back. "What do you want father?" Gendo pulled something out of his pocket it appeared to be an envelope with the name "Shinji" written on it. "Your mother told me to give you this on your 16th birthday." Shinji just stared at his father as if his head had exploded. Slowly the gun moved away and Gendo stood up brushing his clothes off then turned and walked out of Shinji's room. Needless to say Shinji's mind was working like a tire with a steel pipe stabbing through it. "Did I just imagine that? My father just gave me a present on my birthday from my mother." Shinji looked down and saw the envelope that his father had put on his bed. "I guess it was real." Shinji slowly opened it and pulled out the contents of the envelope and spread them across his bed. First there were several pictures of a woman that Shinji barely remembered some of them with his father as well as himself. After dwelling on these for a while he slowly began to look at the rest of the stuff that had been in the envelope. He noted that there was a small card as well as a letter. He decided to read the letter first.
"My dearest child Shinji,
I fear I don't have much time left with you I feel that something will take me from you." 'She knew she was going to disappear?' "I wrote this and put all these things in this envelope so that you would get them one day. In case I was unable too personally deliver them. I hope you like the pictures they are the ones I wanted you to see most. Seeing as you're reading this I must be gone, I'm very sorry. I hope you are leading a good life and have lots of friends. I also put in this, a plastic card it is a bankcard for you. When you were first born I placed a large amount of money in an account for you to have when you got older." 'She put money in an account for me?' By this point Shinji was on the verge of crying but he managed to continue. "I placed approximately 1.2 million dollars in the account for you. I hope that everything goes right. Please stay strong my Shinji and always remember that I love you with every bit of my body, heart, and soul.
Your Mother,
Yui Ikari"
Shinji just dropped the letter and began to cry. Suddenly the door to his room flew open and Misato ran in. "Shinji are you ok?!?!?" She looked down to see Shinji crying while holding and old picture. She sat down next to him and hugged him to reassure him. "Shhh Shinji. It's ok. It's really ok Shinji." Shinji stopped crying and looked up at Misato and smiled. "She loved me Misato, she really loved me." Misato looked at him as if he was insane. "Who loved you Shinji?" "My mother." Misato smiled and looked at Shinji. "So what's all this?" She motioned to all the things spread across his bed. Shinji smiled and handed Misato the letter he just read. She read it quickly and smiled to Shinji while picking up one of the pictures. "So this is your mother eh Shinji?" Shinji smiled and nodded. "I must say Shinji; she is a very pretty lady. She could give me a run for the money." Shinji laughed slightly. "Speaking of money. It would seem you are rolling in it kid." Shinji stopped laughing and looked at Misato like she had lost her mind. "What do you mean Misato?" "Well Shinji according to this your mother set aside quite a large sum of money aside for you when you were born. Um do you have a calculator?" Shinji nodded still a bit confused but still handed Misato a calculator. Misato typed in a few numbers then almost fell over. "HOLY $#!% SHINJI YOUR RICH!!!!" Shinji jumped back from Misato as she started to scream. "Huh?" After a few minutes Misato managed to calm down enough so that she could talk to Shinji. "According to the magi records that I read back when you were borne there was a fixed interest rate set on all accounts after Second Impact. According to that if I put in the sum of time the money was in there you have about five hundred seventy million dollars to your name." (ok so that would be some interest rate but don't say anything about it, it's only for the story) Shinji just sat there as the information he had just received slowly registered. "So what you are saying Misato is that I'm rich?" Misato fell over and glared at Shinji with a look that could bore through steel. "What are you stupid? Yes you are now very rich especially for a 16 year old." Shinji nodded. "So I own over five hundred million dollars?" Just as Misato was about to answer him Asuka jumped in front of Shinji from the darkened corner of his room. Both Shinji and Misato jumped away very scared. "So Third Child you are now a wealthy man huh?" Shinji was still trying to retrieve his heart from across the room, where it had flown after Asuka jumped out. "Well you idiot answer me." Shinji just nodded to the fiery red head, finally Misato spoke up. "Asuka how long were you hiding there?" "From about the time I heard you scream 'YOUR RICH'." Shinji just had a thought 'Oh no if Asuka doesn't stay quiet I could be in real trouble.' "Asuka." Shinji started. "You have to promise that you won't tell anyone about this ever. You too Misato." Misato hung up her cell phone as Asuka looked at Shinji with a smirk on her face. "Well Third Child what do I get out of staying quiet?" Shinji looked down and mumbled something under his breath. "What was that Idiot?" Shinji instantly looked up fearing the wraith of the infamous "Red demoness" "I will give you money Asuka." Shinji quickly wrote an I.O.U. on a piece of paper and gave it to Asuka. Who began dancing around the room in joy. "At last I can buy those clothes I wanted." Asuka sighed with a faraway look in her eyes. Suddenly the doorbell rang and Misato looked at the clock and ran into her room to get changed realizing that it was almost time for the party. Shinji got up and got ready to let his guest in trying to make sure that he wouldn't give away the fact that he was rich.
