THE REVISED VERSION. This chapter is different than it's previous iteration. It may be woth another read to some of you.
Alright...let's do this. I'm writing this fic hoping my interest in it wont fade away like my previous fics. For those of u who are wondering when I'm gonna finish those, one is dead and the other is in hibernation. But I really think I'm gonna stick w/this one...I really do...
Note fixed all formatting problems
Another note: I revised this because I really did not like the sloppy writing. While it's pretty much the same, I changed a few things that bugged me. Also, because of lack of reviews, I'm not going to upload the 7th chapter until my reviews start going up (for the later chapters). Seriously, if no one reads this junk, it'll be awhile before another chapter goes up. Maybe i'm just selfish...
This story begins on the day immediately following the promotion/housewarming party at Misato's house.
Chapter 1: Rei's Apartment revised
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The air was thick and musty, full of energy, tense and vibrant. It was as if it knew...as if it was waiting.
Something has happened.
Under the noise and clutter of people shuffling and running about, trying to come up with an explanation, a conclusion, there laid a deafening silence so abrupt, if any one of them had noticed, they would have had to taken a moment to recover from shock.
Something had happened.
Already there were rumors spreading, theories, explanations. Tales of how brave she was, how any one of them would have, had to have, done the same.
And all was still.
And in the core of the monster that would save them all lay a boy. Blinking. Gasping. Refusing to cry. Refusing to accept. A boy. Alone.
Alone.
-
One Month Earlier
-
"sigh That old fire is catching light again..."
"What? You left the light on at the apartment, Asuka?"
"SHUTTUP! This doesn't involve you!"
Asuka lay back in her seat glaring at Shinji who promptly shook his head. Some people just couldn't be bothered.
"Hey Shinji." Chair and floor screeched as Toji stood, grabbing his bags and nudging Kensuke. He thrusted his thumb towards the door and said a very he-man like, "Lets go."
Shinji grabbed his bag as he followed Toji. Walking past an empty desk, he looked at it with curiosity.
'Rei, where are you?'
Toji tried with all his smooth ability to casually walk out the door, but was unfortunately met by Hikari's forehead. Toji jumped back, clutching his nose and wailing in pain. There were signs of worry on Hikari's face, but they were promptly erased when she saw their bags and realized this was an attempt to ditch duties. She stepped forward, hands on her hips, with an expression almost like the pouting of a small child.
Where are you going?" Hikari said with an accusing finger. "Aren't you three on wash-up today?"
"Ah Hikari, the room is clean as it is," said Kensuke with a weak smile. Beside him, an injured Toji was quick to agree. Shinji shrugged his shoulders and cowered a bit when Hikari's eyes turned to glare at him.
Toji picked himself straigh up and said a cool, "Yeah...umm, so if you don't mind...," which was promptly met by a violent push.
"Yeah I do mind," She shot back as she quickly spun the two around. "Mops in the corner, get to work. Shinji, over here."
"HEY!" exclaimed Toji with indignation, "How come he doesn't have to work?"
Hikari grinned a bit while walking over to Shinji, a piece of paper flipped out her shirt pocket between two fingers. "He does. Here you go Shinji."
He took the piece of paper, a puzzled look covering his face.
"What's this?"
"It's for Rei," she replied, "The instructor told me to give it to her. I don't know where she lives though; can you deliver it for me?"
Shinji was a bit hesitant...the last time he was charged with a delivery for Rei he ended on top her naked body.
Hikari did a slight giggle when he nodded and walked off. Shinji stood there stairing at the folded piece of paper, feeling it between his fingers.
"Yeah...ok..."
-
-
Walking down the uninviting corridor, the building looked abandoned, the air dusty as if it has long been unused. The apartments were once filled with students, college kids attending Tokyo University. They stopped being used as dorms once the Angels started coming and the university was destroyed during the battle with Shamshel. Most of the students got scared, and left for home. Now it seemed Rei was the only tenant.
-
Shinji stopped in front of the faceless door. His mouth crept lower and lower and became a disapproving frown. He remembered the last time the bell hadn't worked. Looking at his hands, contemplating for a second, he was quick to shake his head as if to clear the ghosts away.
The sound of the knocking seemed to beat through his head. He could feel each contact of wood and flesh; each slight knock seemed more like a heavy pounding. Shinji listened intently for a sound, a creak, a shuffling, but none came. What could he do now? He looked down at the doorknob, his warped reflection looking back at him. His hand shook slightly as it grew bigger and bigger in that reflection until his palm covered the knob. The cogs clicked as the bar passed out it's place, and the door opened for Shinji.
"Hello...?"
No answer. He stretched his head through the door frame, trying to see through the darkness. It was pretty late in the afternoon and the inside of her apartment was pitch black. Sighing to himself once more he hesitated before stepping over the threshold. Walking across it seemed torturous but once he touched down his body relaxed and he was strangely calmed. Shinji walked through the door and quietly closed it behind him.
"Ayanami?"
Shinji felt for around until he found the switch, flooding the room with a dim light. He walked over to her bedside only to find her sleeping, curled up in her blankets. He smiled. Looking around for a second he spotted a pair of glasses by her bedside...those same glasses...
Shinji shuddered involuntarily.
Carefully placing the packet of papers by her head he couldn't help but notice something...at the corner of her lips Rei had the faintest smile as she slept. Suddenly it dissappeared as her eye lids quivered and slowly creeped open. Shinji started to panic, taking a few steps back as Rei sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"...Ikari?" She asked as her eyes adjusted.
"Uh..papers...the...Hikari...," He replied, blushing, "Sorry I woke you...I don't mean to keep invading your privacy like this...it's just that..."
"The bell is still broken..."
Rei continued to rub her eyes groggily. "I had to go through reactivation tests all night with unit 00."
"So it's back online?"
"Yes."
"That's a relief," he said with a smile. He looked into Rei's sleepy head for a bit until he suddenly remembered that he had just woken her from probably much needed sleep. "Uh...sorry again to bother you...I better be off though. Sleep well..."
He started to walk back towards the doorway, back across the dusty floor. Rei blinked as if realizing something. "Wait...Shinji. You can stay for a bit." Her hand reached out a little, as if trying to hold him from going. "If you want..."
He looked back, startled. An invitation from Rei was most unexpected. "Oh...ok..."
-
"I guess I'll pour some tea then," said Rei as she headed for the kitchen, suddenly awake. Picking up the seldom used teapot, she filled it under the faucet. The sound of water splashing around on the inside reverbrated around the apartment.
Shinji sat down on the only chair in the room, beside the bed, draped with her school clothes. To him it always seemed like Rei's apartment was empty, desolate of life. If somebody had told him it was unoccupied, he would have replied, "Of course."
"Umm...don't go to too much trouble Rei."
The pot was already starting its slow cluttered bubbling. Rei walked over and opened a container of earl grey. "How much am I supposed to put in?" She said as she stared the english directions.
"Uh, don't go to too much trouble..."
"Is this enough?" She asked, showing him one ginormous spoonful.
Shinji did a minor double take and replied slowly, "Uh, I think that's a little too much."
She walked back into the kitchen, going for a smaller spoonful from the can of tea. As she reached for the pot of boiling water, a jet of steam suddenly spurt from the mouth of the pot. Her hand quickly jolted away but ended up grazing the side of the heated metal pot.
"Ah, hot!"
Shinji walked quickly into the kitchen wondering what was wrong. The first thing he noticed was the lack of...anything and everything. The only cooking materials she seemed to have was a frying pan a pot and that one tea kettle...
"What happened?"
Rei looked at her hand as if asking it why it hurt. "I think I got burned a little..."
"A little?" exclaimed Shinji to the giant welt on her hand. "Quick, run that under some cool water!"
Shinji reached out, holding her wrist, and rushed her to the faucet. The water splashed between their fingers, Shinji's being cautious not to touch the burn. They stood there for a few moments, holding the other's hand, their breath somehow in sync. It took Shinji that long to realize Rei was starring into him. Curiosity covering her eyes, she ran her fingers through his and squeezed his hand. For another minute or two, Shinji didn't understand...but quickly drew back once he realized his smile.
"Uh...you just stay there Rei and um...I'll make the tea..."
"Uh...ok..." she replied, confused.
He stumbled to the counter a little unsure of himself. Picking up the hot pot with a small rag, he poured the water into two cups.
"You know.we had a party at my apartment last night."
Rei's blank face would have scared off anybody else, but knowing this was normal, Shinji went on.
"That was the first time I had ever done something like that...gather with so much people at one place...we called you're house, but no one would pick up the phone."
"That's alright," she replied, "I don't really enjoy such functions."
"Oh...I see...even so, you still have to come if we ever have another one." Shinji smiled, a look of want glazing over his eyes, "We threw it on behalf of Misato's promotion and Asuka's moving in. Toji and Kensuke were there, so were Kaji and Prof. Ritsuko. It lasted all night long. We played a few games and Toji had this..."
"Ikari is quite talkative tonight, isn't he?"
Shinji froze in place and caught himself at Rei's interruption. He apologized softly and continued to scoop the powder into the cups. After a few more uncertain moments, an old prospect popped brightly new into his head. The second he thought of it he knew he had to ask her. And then he dreaded it.
"Ayanami...can I ask you about my father...?"
She glanced over, surprised..."Why this all of a sudden...?"
"Well..." He said as he fumbled with the coffee container, "You seem to be able to talk to him so easily...and I've never been able to..."
"Why do you want to talk to him?"
Shinji looked down, thinking to himself. Rei stood there, water rushing around her fingers, staring at him again.
"I don't know," he said abruptly.
There was another awkward pause. Much to his surprise, Rei broke it. "Are you afraid of him?"
"No, not exactly. I...don't hate him or anything either...just can't find the words when...when..."
"When talking to commander Ikari...just be straightforward," She said, gazing blankly over her tea, "That is how he communicates."
Shinji ran this through for a moment, starting to understand what she was saying. He poured the hot water into the instant powder as steam gently rose up out of the cups. "I think your hand should be ok to take out of the water now..."
Rei shut off the spluttering faucet and took the cup Shinji offered her.
As they sipped quietly, Rei looked at Shinji's face every time it was down thinking of Rei's words.
"It's a bit bitter, isn't it?" marked Shinji with a slight smile.
Rei smiled back.
"Yes, but...it's very warm..."
-
"Well...sleep well, Ayanami. Sorry I woke you again..." Shinji crossed over the threshold again, stepping into the abandoned hallway. "Are you going to get your bell fixed...?" He asked, looking back.
The door was almost shut behind him but he could still see her face...her eyes looked at him intently as she said, "No...I don't think so."
The knob turned back as the cogs clicked and the door shut. Shinji turned around an walked slowly down the hallway wondering if he had only imagined her sleeping smile...
That's the end of the first chapter! I tried to make it match the manga with only a few alterations. The manga was VERY VERY similar to this! Anywhos, I was disappointed when this scene in Rei's apartment didn't show up in the show...
Well, this is the end of the scene in the book and it moves on to the next day, but I'm gonna elaborate a little on the next chapter. See u then!
Oh, and if you don't review...nvm, just do it...
OR NO MORE CHAPTERS!