Evangelion: Exorcism
By Akodo Tim
The Long Journey Home
"And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed."
- Mark 7:29-30
* * *
Shin Hakata Transit Station, Tokyo-3
January 23, 2016
The train station was mostly deserted; only a handful of people milled about, waiting for either a train to take them home or to reunite them with loved ones. One of the people waiting on the platform that day was a young teenage boy wearing a simple collared white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. His dark blue eyes were closed for the moment as he listened to a SDAT player, though every so often he would open them to check the large clock hanging on the wall.
On most other days, Shinji Ikari had the tremendous responsibility of preventing mankind's ultimate destruction. Today, however, he had a less important, yet just as weighty problem, on his mind.
"Damn it, Hikari," he muttered to himself as he looked at the clock for the umpteenth time, "it's not like you to be late like this."
* * *
"Ikari!"
A familiar voice called Shinji's name as the train pulled up to the platform. The young man stood up and looked around, searching for its source; he smiled as a girl roughly his age stepped off the train and ran toward him despite the size of the backpack she carried on her shoulder; her brown hair, done up in pigtails, flew in the air with every step she took. Her freckled face broke into a grin as she came closer.
"Hey," Shinji called as she stopped in front of him. "If it isn't the class rep!"
Hikari held up a finger to correct him. "Ex-class rep, you mean. I'm in another school now, remember?" She wagged the finger in Shinji's face as if to scold him. "Or are you really as dense as Asuka says?"
The Eva pilot frowned. "Stop that."
"Just teasing." She looked at Shinji's eyes as her expression became one of concern. "Speaking of Asuka... how is she?"
Shinji shrugged. "I just dropped off some of her stuff at the hospital this morning."
"Any news?" Hikari asked anxiously.
"W-well... patient status is classified information..."
Hikari's eyes smouldered with a mix of frustration and anxiety. "Shinji..."
Shinji sighed. "But, seeing as she's your best friend..." He paused and took a deep breath to gather his thoughts. "Hikari... do you think you can stay an extra day or two?"
Worry for her friend clutched at Hikari's heart, causing it to leap into her throat. "Why?"
"I-I talked to the doctors while I was there today..."
"And...?"
Shinji's face brightened. "...She's going to be discharged this weekend and she's going to be fine. I thought you two would like to-"
He was interrupted by Hikari's gleeful squeal and enthusiastic hug.
"I... I take it that's a yes, then?" he asked as he gasped for breath.
"I just have to call my father. I don't think he'll mind."
"That's good," Shinji gave a faint smile. "I'm sure she'll appreciate that." He looked around, puzzled. "Hey, where's Pen-pen? I thought you said you were bringing him." His expression turned to one of dread. "You didn't leave him on the train, did you?"
Hikari's jaw dropped in shock. "Ikari! How could you even think something like that?"
"Sorry."
"That's okay." The brunette girl blushed and sheepishly looked at the ground. "Actually, he's the reason why I missed the last train."
"Oh, no..." Shinji groaned as he covered his eyes with his hand. "So, where is he, then? What happened?"
"Touji's got him."
"Oh." His hand fell to his side. "You left him at his place, then? And he didn't mind?"
"No," Hikari replied; an odd expression appeared on her face as she glanced over Shinji's shoulder. "You see-"
"Wark!"
Hikari giggled as Shinji's eyes widened. Slowly, he turned and looked down behind him. There, sticking his head out of a plain, ice-filled styrofoam cooler, was Pen-pen. The warm-water penguin cocked its head to one side and flapped his flippers excitedly. Trembling, Shinji looked up from his former roommate and into the face of-
"T-Touji?"
"Hey, Big Shot." The Fourth Child sat in a wheelchair with Pen-pen's cooler sitting on his lap; the left leg of his tracksuit was folded neatly under the stump of his missing leg. A pair of crutches was strapped to the back of the chair. "Long time no see."
Hikari smiled as she watched the reunion of two-thirds of Tokyo-3 First Junior High School's infamous Three Stooges. "When I told Touji where I would be this weekend, he wanted to come along. He wouldn't take no for..." Her voice trailed off nervously as she saw Shinji tremble and grow deathly pale. "Um, I'll leave you two alone to catch up... I need to go to the... I'll be back..." She hurriedly scooped up Pen-pen and walked to the steps leading from the platform to the street below.
The two young men stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Shinji's hands clenched. A familiar mantra came to his head, replaying itself over and over.
I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away...
As Shinji struggled with his fears, Touji looked up at his friend and former classmate with understanding eyes. "Shinji..." he said softly, "I know what you're going to say."
The Third Child cocked an eyebrow at his friend. "Really?" he mumbled.
"Yeah. And I forgive you." Touji gave him a small smile. "I mean, I'm sorry it happened too, but it wasn't your fault-"
"What makes you so sure of that?" Shinji yelled. Several people, startled by the young man's outburst, glanced their way. His face flushed slightly as he lowered his voice. "I was piloting Unit 01 when it..."
"No you weren't." The Fourth Child shook his head. "You were in the entry plug, but you weren't piloting."
Shinji stared at his wheelchair-bound friend. "How did you..."
"The comm line was open; I heard the whole thing but I couldn't transmit because of the Angel's control. I heard you begging the Commander to stop. If anyone was to blame, it was that bastard father of yours." He paused as he realized what he had just said. "Sorry. No offense," he hastily added.
"None taken," Shinji said weakly. He still didn't sound convinced.
Touji gave the Third Child a concerned look. "Shinji, you put yourself through hell over what happened ever since Unit 03 was destroyed. You've been beating yourself up over it for months." He looked at his friend squarely in the eyes. "Look, Big Shot. All the guilt you've put yourself through isn't going to bring my leg back, so don't blame yourself. It's in the past."
Shinji sighed. "Really?"
Touji nodded. "Really. Come on; let's go get Hikari."
Shinji gave his friend a faint smile as he kept pace with his wheelchair. "You've changed, Touji."
"Yeah, being stuck in here can make you think a lot."
"I suppose." They began descending the ramp leading to the street when Shinji realized he had forgotten to ask something. "Hey, why were you guys late, anyway?"
"Oh." Touji rolled his eyes. "Beer."
"Beer?"
"Yeah. There was an open can of beer in the cooler, and some conductor with a chip on his shoulder kicked us off the train because of it."
"Really? That's kind of harsh."
Touji shrugged. "Well, things were going okay until we tried telling him it was for Pen-pen."
Shinji smiled. "Something tells me he didn't believe you."
"Yeah. And I've got such an honest face, too..."
* * *
Room 110, First Cranial Nerve Ward
NERV Headquarters Hospital Wing
January 24, 2016
Geez, I'm bored.
Asuka tossed the dog-eared fashion magazine she had been reading aside and slowly climbed out of her bed, stretched, then made her way to the bathroom. The flimsy hospital gown she had been wearing for the majority of her stay had been replaced by a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from home that someone--probably Shinji, judging by the food that came with the care package--had dropped off at the nurse's station with several other articles of clothing and a wheeled suitcase the day before.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror as she washed her hands. The bandages were gone now; the stitches in her arm had been removed several days ago, and a simple white plastic shield covered her left eye most of the time. Soon, the doctors said, she wouldn't need that either. Asuka's recovery from the transplants and reconstructive surgery would never be complete--the doctors said she would probably suffer from occasional headaches and dizziness for the rest of her life, and the pins they planted in her arm were permanent--but when a nurse handed her a mirror after they unwrapped the gauze from around her head two days ago, she looked into her face and stared at her bruised, bloodshot, swollen eye for the first time since the battle.
It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.
Asuka heard someone come into her room as she dried her hands. "Yeah, yeah, just a second," she called. She hung the towel on a hook and stepped out of the bathroom. "I'm not hungry, so just take the tray... Oh." her voice became icy as she recognized her visitor. "It's you."
Rei stood just inside her room, her delicate face its usual serene mask; she held her left arm behind her and clutched her other arm close to her body. She was wearing her school uniform, despite the fact that it was a Sunday and that the school the two teenagers normally attended had been closed ever since the attack. The First Child stared back at the copper-haired pilot impassively. "Of course it is me," she said softly. "Who would I be if I were not?"
Asuka blinked. Great. The teacher's pet is getting philosophical. "You really don't want me to answer that," she muttered. She sauntered to the foot of the bed and sat down without another word, facing away from her scarlet-eyed classmate. Several long minutes passed; neither girl moved nor spoke. Only the gentle, rhythmic ticking of the wall clock, the faint sounds of activity in the hallway, and the occasional page over the PA system broke the silence.
Sheist, can't she take a hint?
Finally, Asuka resigned herself to the fact that ignoring her fellow pilot wouldn't make her go away, and turned to face her. "So why are you here, Wonder Girl?" she sneered. "Did someone order you to visit me or something?"
"Not exactly," came Rei's reply, in her usual quiet voice. "Captain Hyuga asked me to escort you home."
The redhead's eyes narrowed. "What?" she asked incredulously.
"You are being discharged from the hospital."
"I figured that," she snapped. "It's not like I don't know my way back home. I don't need a babysitter."
Rei shook her head. "Doctor's orders."
Asuka opened her mouth to reply, then realized how pointless it was to argue with Rei when she had been given a command and closed it again. She sighed. "Why you? Couldn't they have asked someone else?"
"Pilot Ikari is undergoing a synchronization test. Captain Hyuga thought I would be the next best choice."
The Second Child rolled her eyes and made herself a promise to kill her commanding officer later--slowly. "Okay, okay, you've made your point. But don't expect me to like it." She got up off the bed and reached under it to grab her suitcase; she gritted her teeth and winced slightly as pain shot up her arm.
"Very well," said the blue-haired girl, "I will inform the nurses on duty that you are leaving." She walked out of the room and headed for the nurse's station, ignoring the oaths Asuka muttered in German under her breath as she packed.
* * *
Ikari/Sohryu Residence
A soft beep and the whoosh of a sliding door broke the late morning silence. A tall man quickly and silently crept into the apartment and checked the rooms for occupants. After a minute, he gave an 'all clear' sign; a woman stealthily made her way to the living room and closed the blinds while another man entered and carried a large package into the kitchen. The tall man made his way back to the hallway and returned seconds later with several cardboard boxes. He quickly and efficiently went about his business while the intruder in the kitchen unceremoniously plopped the large parcel down onto the kitchen table.
"Hey, be careful with that!" hissed the tall man.
"Sorry," came the subdued apology from kitchen.
"Is it okay?" whispered the woman as she ran a piece of wire from the doorframe of the living room. "If it got damaged, we'll have to call the whole thing off..."
"No, it's all right," replied the second man.
"Good," she said. "Now make yourself useful and get those cylinders set up." She stopped for a second to check her handiwork. "So, do you think we can pull it off?"
"We'll have to," said the shorter man as he wrestled with a cylinder of compressed gas. "We've only got one shot at this."
"Don't worry," said the tall man. A razor-sharp blade sprang from its sheath with a practised flick of a wrist. "We've got time." He grinned. "She won't know what hit her."
* * *
"Okay," Asuka snapped as she stepped into the lobby's elevator, "I'm home. Go."
Rei shook her head as she stepped into the lift with her fellow pilot. "I was told to accompany you to your apartment."
The redhead growled in frustration and punched the wall as the door closed. "Since when has Hyuga been this anal?" she muttered to herself. She sharply jabbed the button for her floor with her finger and leaned against the wall, sulking, as the car began its ascent. "Maybe he sent someone from Section 2 to tail me, too."
Rei ignored her and stared at the glowing numbers on the wall.
The elevator chimed as it reached its destination. The two pilots walked the short distance down the hall to the apartment shared by the Second and Third Children and came to a stop as they reached the end of the corridor. "Okay, now I'm really home." She turned to Rei and gestured at the entrance. "I am at. My. Door." She pointed at the apartment for emphasis with each word. "Now get out of here."
"If you wish." The First Child's expression was unreadable as she took one step backward.
Muttering, Asuka turned back to the door; it slid open automatically at her approach. She took a step into the darkened apartment, trailing her wheeled suitcase behind her. "I'm home," she called out of habit to no one in particular.
Hey, wait a second. Why was it unlocked? Why is it so dark in-
"SURPRISE!"
Asuka jumped as the lights suddenly came on. A camera flashed in her face as she stared, wide-eyed and speechless, at the spectacle before her.
Over a dozen people--including Shinji, Hikari, Touji, several NERV officers, most of the bridge crew, and Pen-pen--were crowded in the apartment, laughing; a large banner with the words, "Welcome Back Asuka" hung proudly from the ceiling. Streamers and bunches of helium-filled balloons were scattered everywhere; the kitchen table groaned under the weight of food, drinks, and a large cake.
"You... guys..." was all Asuka could stammer when she finally found her voice. After a second, she spun around. "You!" she shouted at Rei and pointed an accusing finger at her. "You were in on this too, weren't you?"
Rei's face was her usual, impassive mask, but for an instant Asuka thought she saw something different about it. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but there might have been a faint twinkle in her ruby eyes.
Was she actually enjoying this? The very thought of Rei enjoying anything was so absurd that she immediately pushed the thought from her mind.
"Do you still wish for me to leave?" the First Child asked meekly. Surprisingly, Asuka could hear her over the noise coming from inside the apartment.
The redhead rolled her eyes. "Oh, for-"
"Hey, you two," Hikari cried, her freckled face beaming with excitement as she grabbed her ex-classmates' wrists and pulled both girls into the kitchen. "Get in here!"
* * *
The First Child sat on one of the lawn chairs on the apartment's balcony and ignored the sounds of the party inside. An untouched glass of iced tea sat on a table next to her; beads of condensation traced winding paths down the moist side of the glass to pool on the plastic tabletop. As she watched the sun sink in the west, its amber rays reflected off her alabaster skin and gave it a faint glow. Near the horizon, the sky was already turning red at the approach of twilight.
Red. The color of blood.
Images flashed across her mind's eye as she sat there, lost in her thoughts. Commander Ikari's body lay in Terminal Dogma, a pool of blood under his body; the sticky fluid smeared onto her hands as she picked up his glasses. Red liquid washed over the streets as Unit 01 tore Unit 03 apart. Her own blood stained her pillows and the discarded bandages that lay in the cardboard box by her bed. Gore dripped from Unit 01 as it clawed its way out of the Twelfth Angel's shadow floating above the city.
The color of destruction.
Klaxons blared as crimson alerts flashed across the command center's viewscreens; they flashed on her entry plug's console as Unit 00 went berserk beneath her. The melting shield in front of her glowed with a hellish ruddy light as she protected Unit 01 from the Fifth Angel. The jewel-like core of the Fourteenth Angel blinked shut as she slammed the N2 mine against it, a split-second before she was consumed in an orange-red fireball. A similar firestorm engulfed the Matsushiro test facility. Red-tinged explosions erupted around the city as Unit 02 blindly fired its positron rifle.
The color of my eyes.
She stood in front of her mirror and removed the bandages around her head to reveal two scarlet eyes that blinked back at her. The two previous vessels of her soul looked back at her in her dream. Lilith commanded her to come home as it stared at her with the same crimson orbs. Dozens of those unearthly eyes stared at her from within the lab in Terminal Dogma.
The color I hate.
"Oh. It's you," snarled the pilot of Unit 02. "You're a toy, just like I thought! You're an unthinking, emotionless doll and I hate you!" Copper hair swirled in front of her face before she felt the stinging pain on her cheek. "Now get out of here."
Why do you hate me, pilot Sohryu? What did I do to deserve it?
"That little bitch rescued me! I'd rather have died!" the Second Child moaned as Unit 00 hurled the Lance of Longinus into the sky; the storm clouds parted in the ancient weapon's wake.
I sense your pain. I wish to help you, but... I do not know what to do or what to say...
"Why don't you try smiling?" asked the Third Child. His tear-streaked face smiled at her from the hatch of Unit 00's entry plug.
Ikari. You showed genuine concern for me before...
He picked up her bandaged body in the Eva cage, trying to comfort her as the girders fell around them during the Third Angel's attack. "Ayanami!" his voice echoed in the hospital's hallway. "I'm glad you're alive..."
"Th-thank you," she replied in her tidied apartment.
Now you avoid me. Why? Do you hate me as well?
You and the Soul are my reasons for existence now that Commander Ikari is gone.
"You care about Shinji, don't you?" asked Suzuhara as he leaned against the balcony on the school's rooftop.
I... I do not wish to be alone...
Rei was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the sounds of the patio door sliding open or the approaching footsteps until a voice came from right beside her.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"
Startled, Rei turned her head; her gaze met Maya Ibuki's brown eyes. The petite woman stood next to the empty lounge chair beside her. In one hand she balanced two paper plates, each holding a piece of cake and a plastic fork; her other hand held a glass of soda and some napkins. The First Child shook her head. "It is available," she replied.
Maya set the plates down on the table next to her chair as she sat and offered a piece of cake to Rei. "I thought you might want a piece before the others eat it all." She smiled and wiggled the plate invitingly as the blue-haired girl hesitated. "Oh, come on. It has chocolate in it. It'll do you good, trust me."
As Rei reluctantly took the plate, the brunette took a forkful of her own cake and popped it into her mouth. She closed her eyes, savoring the combination of the chocolate's rich bitterness, the tart cherries, and the icing's sugary sweetness. When she opened her eyes again, she looked over at Rei and noticed the untouched plate on her lap; she had gone back to watching the sunset again. Maya frowned as she put her fork down and wiped the crumbs from her mouth with a napkin.
"Rei?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yes?" The young pilot kept staring at the city's blasted skyline.
"Are you all right?"
The chirping cicadas played a shrill counterpoint to the voices from inside the apartment as an awkward silence hung in the air between the two women. "Why do you ask?" Rei finally inquired.
"It's part of my job," she replied matter-of-factly, then paused; her expression became serious. "And, well, to be honest, I'm concerned about you."
The pale girl didn't even blink. "Why?"
"It just doesn't seem right for our partner in crime to be out here by herself all day at a time like this." As if on cue, a muffled peal of laughter came though the closed patio door.
"I am uncomfortable around people," Rei replied simply; her gaze never left the horizon.
Maya looked at her, confused. "If these situations make you uncomfortable, then why did you agree to set Asuka up for us?"
"Captain Hyuga asked me to."
"You could have said no if you didn't want to, you know."
Rei shrugged. "A request from a superior officer is usually considered an order."
Maya sighed and gestured at the plate on Rei's lap. "You also haven't touched your cake."
"I am not hungry."
The technician shook her head. "I've never known a woman to refuse anything with chocolate unless there's something seriously wrong, even if she wasn't hungry."
"Perhaps I do not like chocolate."
Unlikely, Maya thought. The brunette let out an exasperated sigh under her breath as she rubbed her temples. "Call it a woman's intuition, then."
Rei opened her mouth to reply, hesitated, then closed it again. She tore her gaze from the setting sun and looked at Maya with her crimson eyes. After a moment, she looked down at the patio floor. "Your intuition is... correct," she said quietly.
Aha. NERV's head technician smiled warmly. "Want to talk about it?"
The First Child blushed slightly, still staring at her feet. "It is..." she hesitated. "A personal matter."
Maya nodded, understanding. "Ah. One of those." She took a sip of her soda. "You know, Rei, keeping these feelings inside you can adversely affect your performance inside Eva like it did with Asuka. As one of your superior officers, I could order you to tell me what's troubling you..."
Rei looked up and saw the stern expression on Maya's face. The pilot opened her mouth and was about to speak-
"...but as someone more concerned about your well-being than your performance, I'm asking you to eat your cake and try and relax for now," the brunette finished. The firm look on her features was replaced by a caring smile.
Rei gazed at the cake on her lap and gingerly picked up the plastic fork. "But..."
"Uh-uh. Doctor's orders." Maya said with a grin.
Hesitantly, the blue-haired girl took a bite of the cake; her eyes closed as the flavors danced in her mouth while she chewed.
"There. Feeling better?" asked the technician as Rei finished the chocolaty mouthful.
"Yes," Rei replied, almost awestruck, as she opened her eyes. "I was not aware that a piece of cake could affect me this way."
Maya chuckled. "Just wait till you try cheesecake..."
* * *
A tiny explosion, followed by a brief crinkling noise, shattered the silence in the now-deserted apartment. Another one occurred several seconds later, followed again by more rustling. The sequence repeated itself a dozen times or so until the redheaded girl seated at the kitchen table couldn't take anymore. "Knock it off, idiot!" she shouted.
The rustling stopped. Shinji appeared in the entrance to the living room; he held a trash bag in one hand and an unpopped balloon in another. "Sorry," he replied, "I was just cleaning up..."
"What are you, stupid?" Asuka asked. She linked her fingers together and raised her arms above her head in a catlike stretch. "Can't it wait till tomorrow? I just want to relax now that it's finally quiet around here."
Shinji looked crestfallen. "I guess..." He disappeared into the living room again.
"Good boy," she said, satisfied. "Say, is there any of that cake left?"
"I saved you an extra piece." The crinkling sounds continued from the living room, quieter this time. "It should be in the fridge."
Asuka stood up, walked the short distance to the refrigerator, and cursed at a curled piece of ribbon that dared attach itself to the sole of her bare foot. After a little rummaging, she triumphantly returned to the table with her prize and a glass of soda; she tossed both the plastic wrap and her foot's brightly colored hitchhiker into the garbage before she sat back down. Shinji walked past the table from the living room a minute later, carrying yet another bag of trash. He tied the bag off, set it down by the apartment's entrance, then watched the Second Child with a pained expression on his face while she ate.
"Asuka..." he finally said, softly.
"Mmm?" she absently mumbled through a mouthful of cake.
"Asuka, I... I'm sorry."
The redhead nearly choked at Shinji's apology. She quickly grabbed her soda and washed the cake down with it before she stared at him in disbelief. "You really are an idiot, aren't you?"
Shinji looked back, surprised. "W-what do you mean by that?"
Asuka rolled her eyes and shook her head slowly as she set her plate and glass down on the table. "You're the only one I know who apologizes to someone for throwing them a party."
The Third Child blinked. "Uh, um, no. That's not what I meant." He swallowed nervously; his right hand started to twitch again. "I- I mean... I'm sorry about your... your..." He gestured lamely to his face.
"What, this?" Asuka held up her forearm for him to see; the fresh, glossy scars from the line of stitches that ran down her arm stood out angrily against her creamy skin. "And this?" She tapped the shield over her left eye with her fingernail.
Shinji gulped and nodded "A-after all," he stammered, "If... if I had launched sooner and helped-"
Asuka's good eye flashed. "You know what?" she growled menacingly; she pushed her chair away from the table, stood up and took a step toward her roommate.
"W-what?" he asked nervously as he backed away.
Asuka took two more steps forward and quickly closed the distance between them. Shinji took one back--and found himself pinned against the refrigerator door. She placed her good hand up on the fridge next to his right ear and leaned forward to come face-to-face with the frantic young man. The combination of adrenaline and the sweet smells of chocolate and Asuka's shampoo made it difficult to think; a stray strand of her auburn hair tickled his nose. Shinji tensed and squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation of the inevitable verbal assault as she took a deep breath...
"It wasn't your fault."
Shinji's eyes opened in surprise. He looked at Asuka's face and blinked. "R-really? I-"
"Let me finish, Dummkopf."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Yeah, yeah. I know." Asuka sighed. "Anyway, I read the debriefing while I was in the hospital. Your Eva was in cryostasis and up to its ears in crystallized bakelite. Hyuga said it was a miracle you were able to launch at all when you did. So this," she pointed to the shield on her face, "was not your fault."
"But-"
Asuka shook her head in disbelief. "Shinji, are you always this stupid or do you have to work at it?"
"No, but-"
"Look, did you throw that spear at my Unit 02?"
"Of course not!"
"Did you command those Evas to attack?"
Shinji shook his head.
"Then stop being so pathetic. You didn't do this to me; those bastards did. End of story."
A look of confusion crossed Shinji's face. "Then why are you so-"
"Angry?" she snarled through gritted teeth. "I'll tell you why, you poor excuse for an insensitive jerk. I'm mad because you visited me in my hospital room just once after the battle, and you didn't speak to me at all during the memorial service last week. You've been avoiding me this past month, and I want to know why."
Shinji's mind raced as he tried to come up with a plausible answer to her demand. "W-well," he stammered, "I... I've been on standby ever since the attack and-"
"Bzzt!" Asuka flicked the tip of Shinji's nose with her finger; his eyes watered for a second from the brief pain. "Wrong answer. Headquarters stood down from first-stage alert two weeks ago. Even if you were on standby, it doesn't take a lot of time to get back to the Eva cages from the hospital wing." She scowled at the boy in front of her. "Now try again, and this time try and make your excuse believable."
Shinji's hand flexed rhythmically. He looked away, avoiding the piercing gaze of the Second Child's good eye, and mumbled something.
"Pardon me?" Asuka said. "I didn't catch that."
Shinji stared silently at the floor, ignoring her.
Asuka growled in exasperation. "Look, idiot. The longer you take, the harder I'm going to make it on you. So if you don't want to get me really ticked off," she shook her fist in his face for emphasis, "you'd better give me an answer. Now. 'Cause I'm not letting you go until you do."
Shinji's clenched his fist as he felt the heat rising in his face. A flush crept up his neck and to his ears. He opened his mouth to say something, uttered a strangled squeak, then closed it with a snap. He tried again, only to stammer something unintelligible before giving up. Finally, he took a deep breath and tried a third time.
"I... I don't want to see you hurt again," he managed to whisper.
Asuka's eye widened for a brief instant, then narrowed. "Explain."
Shinji sighed and seemed to sink a little into the wall. "Everyone I've been close to since I came here--you; Touji; Misato; Kowaru; Ayanami... They've all been hurt, or worse..." he shook his head, then raised his gaze to look his roommate in the eye. "I'm cursed, don't you see? And I can't bear the thought of hurting you or anyone else anymore." His dark blue eyes flashed with grief and anguish. "You'd be better off if you just left me alone!" With that, he angrily batted Asuka's left hand, the one she had been leaning on, away from his head.
The surprised redhead pitched forward with a gasp. Shinji realized what was about to happen and flinched, turning his face away from the expected impact. Asuka's soft lips grazed his cheek as she landed awkwardly against him; her head came to rest against his shoulder. The two teenagers stayed there, their bodies pressed against each other, unmoving, for a moment that seemed much, much longer.
Asuka's eye widened in shock as she finally realized what had happened and what she was doing. "Gyah!" she shrieked as she pushed herself away from the fridge and the gasping boy beneath her. Her cheeks colored until they almost matched her hair as she glared at her roommate. "You... you... pervert!" she screamed. "You did that on purpose!"
"Sorry!" Shinji's face flushed with embarrassment as he caught his breath, his earlier self-pity forgotten in the panic of the moment. Suddenly, the words of Asuka's accusation sank in; his anger made his face grow an even deeper shade of crimson. "Hey! You could have gotten up before, you know!" he said defensively. "You were on top of me!"
"Yeah? Well, if you didn't move my hand in the first place..." She threw her arms in the air. "Ah, why am I wasting my time arguing with you?" She spun on her heel and marched to the hallway to pick up her belongings. "I'm going to bed before you get any more ideas."
Shinji stood there, gaping; his fingers reached up to the spot on his cheek where her moist lips had gently touched him a minute before.
As Asuka bent down to pick up her suitcase, an unfamiliar feeling crept over her; for what seemed like the first time in ages, she felt a twinge of something in her conscience. Way to go, an inner voice scolded her. Your stupid roommate just pulled out all the stops to throw you a party for your return from the hospital. He apologized for your injuries again even though it wasn't his fault, and you had to go and give him the third degree...
"Shut up," she muttered to herself through gritted teeth.
Who's the bigger idiot now?
The redhead extended the handle on the suitcase and locked it into place with a soft click. She tilted the luggage until it balanced on its two small wheels, then walked to the entrance to her room. She stopped, paused, and took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Shinji...?" she called.
"Yes?" Asuka heard the faint clatter of dishes in the kitchen.
"I..." she hesitated; the words of gratitude stuck in her throat and died on her lips. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."
Silence filled the apartment once again as a long, awkward pause hung in the air. Then:
"Welcome home, Asuka."
Asuka couldn't see her roommate, but she could tell from the tone of his voice that he was smiling. The corners of her lips rose into a faint smile of her own as she led her wheeled suitcase into her room and closed the door.
* * *
In the next chapter of Exorcism:
The Children's lives slowly return to some sense of normalcy until Asuka is thrown 'Once More, Into the Breach.'
A/N: This was originally going to be more of a light-hearted piece for a change of pace from the previous few chapters. Leave it to Rei's brooding to mess things up. ^_^
Speaking of Rei's flashbacks, the idea came to me as I was prereading the first chapter of Rob Lindsay's 'Harbinger'; thanks for the inspiration, Rob. Speaking of which, I'd like to officially welcome him aboard my preread team.
The 'girl talk' idea between Rei and Maya came from my wife, who gave me a similar reaction as the two of them did over their cake when we went out for dinner a few nights ago. Funny how chocolate can affect women, ne?
Anyway, that's another chapter down. Thank you for taking the time to read it! If you have any comments, criticism, or suggestions, post a review or email me at akodo_tim1@yahoo.com. Keep the C&C coming so I can get an idea where to take this!
[09-03-2003]