Title: As Blue as Ice, As Red as Fire

Author: anime-freaksg

A Neon Genesis Evangelion Fanfiction

Chapter 2 – Remembering Part 2 of 2

Asuka's POV

What is this feeling? This…tightness in my chest, constricting my heart like a Boa… Could it be jealousy? No, I can never be jealous of her…together with him. Never... It's not jealousy…it's…the breaking of my heart, and my body is mourning for it.

At that moment, all I could do was run away. Run away from the park…him…and run away from everything else, just as I have always done. That night, I ran…to my only place of refuge.

Time: 2330 Hours

Locale: Several streets away from the residence of Class Representative Horaki Hikari

"Thank you, Touji…for sending me home today."

"Nah, it was the least I could do, you are my date after all…"

As he said those words, both parties blushed. However, thanks to the inadequate night lighting of that particular street, neither noticed the other's embarrassment.

"…you know, I enjoyed myself tonight…"

"Me too, Hikari. And…I've…I was wondering…you know…about…um…"

"About what, Touji?"

"About…whether you could…go out with me some other time?"

Touji blushed again and turned away, trying to avoid her gaze. Hikari just smiled.

"You know, its okay if you say no…I am not…"

"Sure, Touji. I would like that…"

"Huh? Really? That's GREAT...Yeah…"

There was this awkward silence as they continued walking under the somewhat dim light coming from the street lamps.

"Would you like to come in to my house for a cup of coffee or something? I haven't tried out the new percolator I got…"

"Erm…maybe not…I think you've got someone else to take care of tonight…" he said as he motioned in the direction of her home.

"Who…"

She didn't need to complete her question as she turned and spotted a familiar figure with bright red hair crouching down at the door steps of her house.

"I guess I'll see you again Hikari…" he said as he started walking back in the direction he came from.

"Wait…before you go…"

Touji didn't get a chance to respond as Hikari quickly gave him a peck on his cheek and ran back towards her house.

All he could do at that moment was stare back at the retreating figure and touch the part of his cheek where she kissed.

Later when he got back home, he cursed himself.

"Damm…I should have been the one doing all the kissing…"

All she did was take one look at me and she immediately opened the front door and led me into her room. That night, after a bit of hot chocolate, I cried myself to sleep in her arms as she comforted me.

I really appreciated it that she never asked what happened. It was only the next day that I told her the events that led me to her doorstep. Through the whole time, she sat down quietly and listened to me attentively. Only when I broke down again after finishing my story then did she say anything. I knew then, that we will always be friends, no matter what happened between us.

A few days later, after I went back to my apartment, I decided to go home. To Germany.

About two weeks later, after much packing, I stood at the now demilitarized Tokyo 3 NERV airport with two bags worth of clothes and essentials. The rest of my belongings had already been flown back to Berlin and were awaiting my arrival.

Time: 1630 Hours – 25 minutes till the departure of flight LN 1314 to Berlin, Germany

Locale: Tokyo 3 NERV airport, Terminal 2

"I…I…g…guess this is goodbye, huh?" Hikari sniffed as she blew her nose.

Asuka smiled sadly.

"Yeah…I guess so…but you know we'll always be friends right?"

Hikari grinned through the tears flowing from her eyes.

"Of course…and I can write and call you after all…"

"Uh huh…I am only a phone call away you know…"

They hugged each other in a tight embrace before both of them let go of each other reluctantly. Asuka then turned her attentions towards a less emotional Misato.

"We'll…it looks like you're finally going back home, huh? Just like you always wanted…"

Asuka shook her head in disagreement.

"You know I never really wanted to Misato…I'll miss you too…"

"Same for me as well…" Misato replied as they both pulled themselves into a similarly emotional embrace as the one Asuka and Hikari had.

"I am sorry that Shinji and Rei can't be here to see you off today…" Misato began when they had finished embracing. "They felt…"

"It's okay, Misato…it would have been harder to leave if I had seen them anyway…"

Misato just nodded sadly as a tear fell on to the blouse she was wearing.

"Damm…now I am getting emotional too…however Asuka, before you leave, I've always wanted you to know that you've always been like a…"

Asuka placed a finger onto Misato's lips, silencing her before she could finish her sentence.

"I know, Misato. You've always been like a mother to me too…except for the part which involves you drinking copious amounts of beer and getting drunk…"

Both of them laughed as they gave each other one last hug.

"Oh…and one more thing before you leave, here's something to remember all of us by…" she said as she shoved an envelope into Asuka's jacket pocket. "Keep it safe…"

"Yeah, I will…"

Asuka then walked behind Misato towards Touji, now shifting very uncomfortably in his sneakers.

"So you came too, huh? Didn't expect to see you here. Hikari dragged you here didn't she?" Asuka asked with an evil grin.

"Damm right! If Hikari didn't…" However, when Touji noticed Hikari's glare, he wisely choose not to complete that sentence. Instead, he grudgingly changed to a more neutral stance. "Well…I know we've had our 'disagreements' in the past, but since you're Hikari's best friend and all…I wish you have a good trip home…and forgive me if I don't want to hug you…"

"It's alright, I don't think I would want to either…"

Touji then extended his right hand for a handshake which Asuka accepted.

"Take good care of Hikari for me alright?"

"I will…"

With that, they let go of each others hands and Asuka walked back towards where she left her luggage. She sighed dejectedly as she picked up her bags.

"Well, before things get to teary-eyed…I think it's time to say goodbye…"

She let Hikari give her one last hug before she walked towards the departure area. After the customs officer waved her through, she turned back to give her sending off party one last wave. It was then, that she thought her eyes had spotted a certain brown haired teenager with a blued-haired girl. However, she lost sight of the pair when she blinked her eyes.

'It...must have been my imagination…'

Later, when the plane had left the airport, I gingerly removed the envelope from my pocket and opened it. It was a photograph of the lot of us before the Graduation Dinner. Hikari and Touji were smiling to each other, each holding the other's hand by the side of the picture. Kensuke was on the other side, grinning like an idiot in his tuxedo, with one of his arms around Shinji, who was smiling broadly at the camera. I, of course, stood proudly in the center, posing as gracefully as possible in my high heels, while smiling sweetly at the camera.

I went straight to the bathroom with the photograph clutched to my chest and cried silently to myself…

TBC…

Post-fic notes: Yes, it's been a long time since I wrote but hey, better late than never. It could have been longer but I felt that it would have been better and smoother if I pushed what was originally the final two paragraphs of chapter 2 to chapter 3. And Everyone please R & R. It's literally the life blood of us writers.