Disclaimer: see part 1

The Lifespan of a Love Affair.

By Random1377

Week 12:  Shaking Apart

"Ok, what's the deal?"

Misato glanced over as Ritsuko materialized, seemingly out of nowhere, from one of the many side halls that defined NERV's depths.  "What deal?" she asked sardonically, "I told you that you can't have my car, Ritsu."

"You're hilarious," the blonde muttered, "no, I'm talking about your deal – why the hell you've been so fucking skittish lately.  I told you I'd catch up when I had some more time."  She took a closer look at her friend.  "You look like shit."

"And you look like you just got ridden hard and put away wet," Misato shot back, "show some tact for God's sake – at least button your damn blouse!"

"I was checking on Unit 01!" Ritsuko said angrily, "Unlike you, I know how to be discrete."

"Oh I'm discrete," Misato grumbled, "You'd never know I had a secret."

"Yeah I would," the blonde sniped, "because you've been such a rancid bitch lately."  She gave the woman a sidelong glance, "Are you and Kaji-"

"Oh, fuck you," Misato cut in sharply, "and don't mention his name right now, ok?  I'm not in the mood."

"Hey!" Ritsuko grabbed the other woman's arm, lowering her voice.  "Look, I'm sorry I'm coming at you like this, but you're not the only one with problems, ok?  We're friends…" she looked down at Misato's arm, registering the hardened muscle under her fingers, "tell me what's eating you."

Misato frowned as the blonde pulled her hand back.  "Alright," she said shortly, "I'll tell you – it's about Shinji."

"Shinji?" Ritusko murmured, "Wait – he has been kinda down lately… is this about that girl you said he's been dating?"

Misato only hesitated for a moment, the horrifying realization of how close she had come to just telling the truth flashing through her mind before she took the easy way out.  "Yeah, it's about her," she nodded, "I think she's been trying to keep things from going too far… but every time I see her, she looks a little more out of control."  She met the other woman's eyes.  "I'm afraid she's going to let it get out of hand, you know?  But I don't know how to stop her without hurting Shinji – because if I just make it end between them, I don't think he'll understand…"

"Ahhh," Ritsuko nodded knowingly, "now I get it.  No wonder you've been all weird lately…" she folded her arms and leaned against the wall, "have you talked to Shinji about your concerns?  That would explain why he's been moping."

"N-no," Misato admitted, "I don't think he'll understand if I tell him, 'Hey the girl that you think is so great and nice looks like she's about ready to do you at any second.'"

"Maybe he wants to be done," Ritsuko shrugged, "he's old enough for that kind of thing.  Maybe they've done it already."

Misato paled.  "M-maybe… but you said he'd end up getting hurt…" she said hesitantly.

"Yeah," Ritsuko agreed, "I did – so since he wants to, and she wants to, and it's a really bad idea… you need to step in.  That's why you're his guardian."

"But wouldn't that hurt him?" Misato asked softly.  "If I convince her to stop seeing him, won't that hurt him?  And if they've already done it… a few times, what am I really preventing from happening?"

"It doesn't really matter how many times they've done it, you stepping in is the right thing to do," Ritsuko said firmly, "he'll see that some day – maybe not right away, but one day he'll figure out that you saved him from a bigger heartache.  And besides, you don't have to tell him that you had a hand in it, just talk to her about it."

"Heartache," Misato sighed, rubbing her temples and wishing suddenly that she had explained the complexities of the situation a bit more fully, "headache is more like it."

"For you," the blonde snorted, "but it's your responsibility to make sure nothing bad happens to him – and from all you've told me, this girl is definitely bad… so you need to make sure she doesn't hurt him."  She put her hand on the other woman's shoulder.  "Look," she said quietly, "I can see that this is sounding like a monumental task, but it really isn't – just tell the girl that she needs to break up with Shinji before they get so deep that when they break it off themselves, it really hurts."  She shrugged.  "If she's trying to be a good girl, like you said, she'll understand… and if she gets bent out of shape, well, then you have a good excuse to kick her ass."

"Yeah," Misato said weakly, "somehow I think that would be a little less than tactful."

"Fuck tactful," Ritsuko grinned, "if she gets too stubborn, you just tell me and I'll have some Section Two agents lean on her."

"Oh you would not!" Misato rolled her eyes.

"No, I wouldn't," Ritusko admitted with a wink, "but you have to admit that the idea of a couple black-suits intimidating a teenager is pretty damn funny."

 "Right," Misato mumbled, "funny…"

"Loosen up," the blonde advised, pushing away from the wall and starting off down the hallway, "I'm telling you, this is not a big deal – just make her see your point of view, and it'll take care of itself."

The operations director nodded absently.  "Right…"

God, she thought tiredly, this would be so much easier if there WAS a teenage girl involved – then I could easily do just what Ritsuko's talking about… but now… damn it, I don't even know what's right!  If we go too much farther, someone's getting hurt – I know that, that's the way it always ends up.  But if I keep it like it is…  She blinked as the hallway she was in was suddenly bathed in red light and klaxons began sounding.

"Great…"

**

Rei stood with her back against the mobile command unit, her eyes trained on the ground as the Second Child glanced out at the huge black shadow covering Tokyo-3.  I do not believe I have seen her this enraged before, the blue-haired girl mused, she is behaving as if Ikari chose to be entrapped by the angel deliberately – with the sole intent of preventing her from achieving the kill.

She frowned faintly as Asuka murmured, "Well I guess that's what he gets for disobeying orders… I mean really, trying to show me how it ought to be done?  Serves him right."

The callous tone of the redhead's voice was too much for Rei to stand.

"What?" Asuka growled as the First abruptly straightened and turned towards her.  "Are my comments about little hero Shinji pissing you off, Wondergirl?"

"Tell me," Rei said quietly, "do you pilot EVA only for the praise you get from others?"

Asuka's upper lip pulled back from her teeth.  "I don't need anyone's approval but my own," she said coldly, putting her right hand on her chest for emphasis.  "I'm not like you two – I can think for myself."  She glanced at Misato out of the corner of her eye, waiting for the woman to break in. When she simply continued staring straight ahead, Asuka continued.  "I know you've got a thing for him," she said sarcastically, "and I'm sure you think that letting him cut your hair makes you two somehow 'close.'"

"I am not interested in a relationship with Ikari," Rei said as the other girl took a breath, "he-"

"Bullshit," Asuka cut in, dropping her voice to ensure that it would not carry, "I know he spent the night – and don't give me that 'we just talked all night,' crap, I saw how he was looking at you the next day."

Both girls glanced warily at Misato's back.

"You are… mistaken," Rei said slowly, a barely discernable blush on her pale cheeks, "we-"

"Just shut up," Asuka muttered, "you're a terrible liar."

Silence fell between the two as Misato abruptly turned and walked over to them.  "What are you talking about?" she asked flatly.

"Shinji," Asuka said boldly, "how he's insubordinate and careless – you have a problem with that?"

Misato's eyes held a hard glint as she leaned closer to the girl.  "You sure ran to try and save him…" she whispered.

"I didn't want him to die while he was number one," Asuka said levelly.  "I'm sure, if that happens, you guys will build him a shrine or somethi-"

Rei's eyes widened as the Second's head rocked back.

"You're disgusting," Misato said softly, her expression never changing as she brought her hand back to her side.  "If it was you in there, he would-"

"It wouldn't be me in there," Asuka cut in, pausing to wipe a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, "because I wouldn't have done something stupid."  She lifted her chin defiantly as the older woman trembled with rage.  "Go ahead," she whispered, "hit me again if it'll make you feel better."

Misato took a deep breath, forcing her hands to unclench.  "Ritsuko should have a plan soon," she growled, turning away from the teens, "be ready."

"Fucking coward."

Rei looked from one woman to the other as Misato stood still.  I do not believe that she will allow that to pass, she thought tensely, calculating in her mind, I am twenty feet from the communications system, so I can reach it in approximately ten seconds… so, if necessary, a medical team could be here within four minutes.

Had it been in her character to sigh when she was relieved, the sight of Misato slowly walking away would have easily drawn the sound from her.  As it was, she simply relaxed her shoulders and turned her attention back to Asuka… finding the girl looking right at her.

"Like that?" Asuka asked, touching her cheek carefully as she assessed the blue-haired girl.  "There's your praise, Wondergirl."

Rei lowered her gaze.  "Seeing others in pain does not bring me happiness," she said quietly, turning away from the redhead, "I will… get you some ice…"

"Tell me something…"

Rei paused, glancing back over her shoulder.  "Yes?"

Asuka met her eyes.  "Was he gentle?"

The First Child's blush returned, and she reached up, slowly running her fingers first through her shortened hair… then down over her cheek and neck, finally coming to a stop on her collarbone.  She closed her eyes, knowing exactly how much was truly being asked as she gave the most evasive answer she could think of.

Asuka's laugh followed her all the way to the ice dispenser.

**

Misato sat at Shinji's bedside, watching him sleep with an expression of pained uncertainty on her face.  "That was too damn close…" she whispered, finally breaking the silence, "Ritsuko was about to order the drop, Shinji."

She took a calming breath, closing her eyes as she thought of the anger in the blonde's eyes.  "You're out of line, Major!" she could hear Ritsuko screaming in her mind, one hand pressed to her cheek as she glared at her, "I'm taking command of this operation effective immediately!  Damn it, Misato, I know you're worried about him but try to keep some fucking perspective!"

"Perspective," she said hollowly, "how can I have perspective with everything that's going on??  Damn it – why can't this just be easy?!"

She leaned forward in her chair, touching his face hesitantly.  "I was so scared…" she whimpered, her hands shaking as they ran over his chest, "I never knew I needed you this much… so I think…"  She wet her lips.  "I think… I shouldn't be here when you wake up…"  She forced herself to smile.  "I don't know what might happen… or what I might say."

She leaned forward, kissing him softly on the lips.

"I need to figure things out, Shinji," she whispered, her smile falling away as she kissed him again, "I need to decide… what the next step is going to be – or if we need to take a step back."

Slowly, she rose to her feet, her mind already going over all possible scenarios… and always coming back to the same conclusion.

Continued…

Author's Notes:  What are Asuka's feelings for Shinji, and what does she plan to do about it?  And now that the breaking point has been reached, Misato makes her decision… what will be the final outcome?

Find out in the next chapter: Breaking Promises

LeperMessiah pre-read… and he's Kawaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com