Rei knocked on the door. And waited... and waited.
And there was no answer.
She frowned slightly. The NERV agents had reported that the Third Child was in his residence at the moment. Rei decided to try something else; reaching up, she pushed the entry button.
The door opened.
Rei frowned again. If the door was unlocked, and Pilot Ikari was alone, that would mean that he was... unsafe.
It seemed that she was doing a lot more frowning lately. She wondered why.
As she entered the apartment, Rei made sure to shut the door and lock it. As she turned around again, she paused to recall the layout of the apartment. She had been to this apartment very few times. If the kitchen was there... and the television was there... that would mean that Pilot Ikari's room was...
She walked down the hall, and stopped at the room marked "Shinji's Lovely Suite." Raising a hand, Rei prepared to knock... and then decided otherwise. Gently, she eased the door open.
Pilot Ikari was asleep. It was not a very pleasant sleep.
Rei quietly moved a chair next to the bed occupied by the fretting boy. She quietly sat and took out a book to occupy herself for a while...
"...no ... don't..."
Rei looked up. Pilot Ikari was still in his restless nightmare. Though she felt the urge to wake him up, she restrained herself – it would be better if Pilot Ikari got the rest he needed. Without too much trouble, she went back to reading her book while she filtered out the noise.
"... Ayanami... please..."
Rei's head snapped up. He was still asleep... and was calling for her?
For some reason... because he was calling her... she felt the strong urge to comfort him... something she had never felt before. Slowly... cautiously... she reached out a slightly trembling hand towards the boy...
He rolled off of the bed and hit the floor.
She blinked, and pulled her hand back. Silently, she watched as Shinji slowly started to come out of his slumber. He pushed himself up, still facing the floor, and shook his head a bit to wake it up.
Rei waited a moment, and then finally spoke quietly. "Are you all right?" She did not get the response she was expecting.
Shinji screamed and shot up straight into the air, scared senseless. He stared with wide eyes at Rei as he tried to catch his breath.
Rei found herself staring with wide eyes back at him... from across the small room. She felt herself pressed against the wall opposite the bed. The chair had tipped over. How did she get over here?
She noticed that she was trying to catch her breath too, strangely.
"Ayanami... what... what are you... doing... here?" Shinji gasped, as he tried to recover.
Rei was in better shape than her fellow pilot, and had caught her breath already. "I came to check on your current condition."
Shinji stared. She was definitely acting unusually today. "Um... ok... you didn't have to, you know..."
Rei paused, and her eyes drifted down to the floor. "I... wanted to," she said, finally finding the right word.
Yes, she was acting extremely unusually today. "Uh... well... let's go to the main room – at least we'll have someplace to sit."
She nodded, and allowed herself to be led to the aforementioned room.
"Do you want something to drink, Ayanami?"
"No, I am fine.... t-... thank you."
Shinji came back and kneeled across from her. They both stared at the same invisible object at the center of the table...
Shinji finally took a nervous breath and tried to break the tense silence. "S-So... Ayanami... why were you so interested in my wound today?"
Rei's eyes slowly drifted upwards, finally settling on his laceration. "I... do not know."
Shinji blinked. This wasn't going anywhere. "OK... then... why'd you leave school so suddenly?"
Her eyes dropped back to the table. "I went to speak with Pilot Soryu."
Shinji blanched. "She didn't... hurt you, did she?"
"No. If she had tried, I would not have allowed it."
"Right..." There were a million questions he wanted to ask her... most falling along the lines of, 'How the hell would you have stopped her?"... but he decided to leave it alone for now. "Um... what did you talk to Asuka about?"
"You."
Shinji blinked, waiting for the rest of it. When he realized it was not coming, he thought to himself, '...now I remember why it's so hard to have a conversation with her.' He licked his dry lips and continued. "What... about me?"
Rei looked into his eyes before continuing. "The events of yesterday, leading up to your injury."
He sighed. "I kinda figured..." His mind raced, trying to pick a topic to bring up... until, surprisingly, Rei took care of it.
"She recounted yesterday's events. She also provided arguments defending her position. However, very few of them were backed by logical reasoning."
"Don't worry about it; it was my fault. I deserved it."
She examined him, tilting her head slightly. "Why do you believe that you are solely responsible?"
"Because I was the one that made the comment about her parents. That pissed her off. I should have known that her parents were a sensitive topic with her..."
"You believe that you are responsible because you didn't make the effort to stay informed of her history, and therefore were not aware of her sensitivity to the subject. Correct?"
Shinji blinked, and looked down at the table. "Yeah, I guess you could put it that way..."
"Your logic is flawed. You believe that you are at fault because you didn't know about Pilot Soryu's mother's death. And yet, she is not held responsible for not knowing about your mother's death. I do not understand."
He fought the urge to run. "My... m-my mother?"
"Yes. I know that you are aware of your mother's cause of death. You were briefed on it by the Major. I have read your pilot profile."
Shinij's mind screamed at him. 'CHANGE SUBJECT CHANGE SUBJECT CHANGE SUBJECT CHANGE SUBJECT....' He decided it was probably a good idea to change the subject. He picked one of the hundreds of questions he wanted to ask. "Ayanami... why is it that you 'wanted' to come here?"
Rei's eyes widened slightly, and then dropped back to the table.
He watched her. Was she... actually... nervous?
"I... I do not know," she finally responded. Her brow wrinkled slightly, as if she was contemplating something.
Shinji watched her. "Is there something on your mind, Ayanami... ? A friend of mine told me that it's good to talk to someone if something's bothering you..." Inwardly, he sighed; he had finally switched things around. To his surprise, she continued to stare at the table. And... she was starting to blush slightly? And... she was fidgeting a little? Wow, he had never seen her do that before.
Silence reigned for a few nervous moments.
"Ikari," she finally said quietly, without mentioning his position. "There is... something... important... and... personal... that I wish to speak with you about."
Shinji blinked at her, and raised an eyebrow. Personal? "Um... OK. Sure."
She looked back up at him. "However, I require that this conversation be kept confidential."
Shinji nodded. "Of course."
Her eyes dropped back down to the table. "I am... confiding... in you because you have shown... concern for me when others have not. I believe you to be the most trustworthy person to speak with at the moment."
"Um... thanks. I'll be sure to keep this secret." He watched as, surprisingly, she sighed almost inaudibly in relief.
Rei's voice dropped slightly in volume. "Ikari... something is... happening... to me. I believe I may be ill."
"Uh... OK... what... do you mean, Ayanami?"
"I am not quite certain. I have never experienced it before. For some reason, I am beginning to have... certain... thoughts and desires."
Shinji blinked. Oh god, was this-
"For example, the... anxiety?... I am... feeling now when I speak to you."
Shinji's blood pressure dropped as mentally sighed in relief. If this had been THAT kind of a talk, he would have had a heart attack...
"And... the desire to come here that I felt earlier."
He cleared his throat. "Well... uh... I can tell you that I doubt that you're ill-"
"Ikari..." she interrupted, with a slight tremor in her voice. "I am... afraid. Of these sudden changes. I have never dealt with fear before, but it has manifested itself... I... don't know... what to..." She trailed off, and subconsciously seemed to put her arms around herself slightly.
Shinji tentatively reached out and put his trembling hand on her shoulder, and rubbed it slightly in a reassuring manner. Rei looked up to see him smiling. "Hey, don't worry about it, Ayanami. I'll help you sort things out. OK? You don't have to be afraid," he said in a comforting voice.
She looked at him for a few seconds, before dropping her eyes back to the table with a slight blush. "Hai," she said quietly. As Shinji pulled his hand away and kneeled again, Rei surprised herself by feeling... what was it... sadness? No, not quite... more like... disappointment.
"Uh..." Shinji continued in a slightly wavering voice. "Well... um... what was the first feeling that you could recognize?"
Rei's brow furrowed slightly in thought. "I believe it was... when... I saw your injured cheek."
His eyes widened. "My... cut?" he asked.
She nodded, and continued. "I had promised to protect you..."
Shinji blinked. "You did?"
"Hai. When we prepared to fight Ramiel, the fifth angel."
He tried to remember. Wow, that was a long way back...
"I believe the first thing I felt was... sadness? Because you had been hurt. Also because I had failed to keep my promise."
Shinji fumbled for words. What to say, what to say...
Rei continued for him. "But soon, it was replaced by... anger. At the Second Child, for causing your injury."
He scratched his temple. Damn did he wish he was better with words... "Uh...."
"It is strange. For some reason... recently... I have begun to feel multiple feelings. At the same time. It is... perplexing."
"Well... um... why don't you try to sort out what feelings you've got at this moment?"
Her eyes went directly to his, but she seemed to focus on the wall behind him in thought.
Shinji stared into those red orbs. Losing himself... losing..... rational.....
"I believe I am feeling... fear. Of these unknown feelings... and... worry, for your safety. Though it is slight, and only increases when the Pilot Soryu or some other threat is near. And... and..." She looked at the table again.
Breaking eye contact also broke Shinji out of his haze. "And... ?"
She was blushing again. "And... the... the desire to... to... be near you. Or in your presence. ...Always," she whispered tentatively. "Otherwise... I feel... lonely..."
Shinji found himself blushing, too. "Well... uh..." He couldn't believe he was saying this... "Um... well, if it'll make you feel better, I can... ask Misato to let you stay here tonight. Your apartment isn't exactly... a comforting environment."
Rei examined his face for a few seconds, before looking down. She nodded. "I would... like... that."
Well, at least she wasn't staring at him anymore - it was a little unnerving when she did... Shinji blinked. You know... the way she was acting... somehow, it was kinda... cute. Not to mention that she was attractive to begin with...
It grew silent again.
So when the front door popped open, their eyes widened and they both stood suddenly.
"Tadaima..." Misato said as she came into the apartment.
Shinji made his way towards her, while Rei followed him.
"Hey, Shin-chan. Oh!" Misato blinked. "Hi, Rei."
Shinji looked down at the ground. "Misato-san... I was wondering if... maybe... Ayanami could spend the night here?" He was blushing so much, he was surprised his legs didn't collapse from a lack of blood.
Misato raised an eyebrow, examining the two children. Something was... different. Somehow. She couldn't quite place her finger on it... She narrowed her eyes. "You two aren't going to... you know... ?"
Shinji's eyes opened so much, he half-expected them to pop out and bounce onto the floor. "Nononononononoo! Weaweren'tgonnanowearen'tgonnadothat!" He took a breath. "No... I just think that it would be... easier... for her if perhaps she spent the night in a more... comfortable environment..."
Comfortable. That was the word she was trying to place her finger on. It seemed like the two of them... were standing... closer to each other than usual. In a friendly manner, but also... in a comforting one. Shinji would normally be a little nervous in her presence, but now - they were comfortable near each other. That was what was different.
Misato shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see anything wrong with it." She focused on Shinji. "I assume, young man, that I don't have to tell you to keep your hands to yourself...?"
Shinji looked on the verge of a heart attack. "M-... Misato-san... y-you know I-... I-... I wouldn't do... do..." He seemed to be rapidly losing the ability to speak.
Misato grinned, and mussed his hair. "Oh, lighten up, Shin-chan! I was just teasing!" She turned and headed to her room. "I've got a bunch of paperwork to do, OK, Shinji?"
Shinji nodded. "OK."
He turned to Rei, standing next to him... and his eyes widened as he... he noticed she was... smiling? A small smile, but a smile nonetheless. And he didn't have to ask for it. "Ayanami... you... you're..."
She looked up at him, and the smile faded. "I do not understand, but... I felt... amused?... when the Major... 'teased' you. And... and... pleased... that she said yes."
Shinji smiled at her. "I'm glad."
She ended up staring at that smile, as he stared into her red eyes...
'You know, it's gonna be trouble if we keep doing this kind of thing...' he thought, as they both seemed frozen in place. He pulled a question from his endless pile of them...
"Ayanami... you said... you talked with Asuka. Um... based on what you talked about... would you be able to help me? I still have to talk to her about what happened..."
She blinked, and then nodded. "Hai."
]|[
Ritsuko sighed as she made her way down the hallways of NERV headquarters, her footsteps echoing sharply down the lonely corridors. She idly flipped through some papers in her hand.
Reports, reports, charts, test results... Nothing particularly interesting.
However, her mind was focused on something else. It was focused on a certain phone call she had received from the Major not too long ago.
Oh, he's gonna LOVE this one...
She went up to the large double doors. 'Why do they have to make these so goddamn heavy?' she thought randomly as she pulled hard, and opened the door.
Ritsuko walked through the monstrous room, towards the small desk at the center.
She looked up, idly. The Systema Sephirotica. 'Why the heck is it here? We've all got it memorized, anyway...'
Finally, after much walking and idle thinking, she reached the desk in the center... with the man sitting at it. He was so motionless that he almost seemed to be just a part of the desk.
Dark eyes behind dark sunglasses bored into her, even from their lower position.
"Doctor, your report."
She blinked, and began flipping through some of the material in her hands. "Well... sync ratios are remaining pretty much constant for all three children. Maybe a maximum variation of two percent."
He nodded slightly.
"The... dummy plug system is almost complete. We should be ready to begin testing in a couple weeks."
He nodded again.
"The recovery of the MAGI system is proceeding well. We should be done cleaning out the virus and back up to full processing capability in about... six days..."
He nodded again. It started to irk her slightly. Well, time to drop the big bomb.
"The Major called me recently. She says that Rei and Shinji have developed quite an affinity to each other. They both plan to stay together in the Major's apartment for some amount of time."
That look on his face was priceless. God DAMN did she wish she had a camera. Too bad it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
"I... see. Will this have an effect on their sync ratios?"
Ritsuko tapped her jaw with her pen. "It shouldn't. In fact, it may even cause their ratios to go up. However, there is always a possibility."
"I see. Keep an eye on their progress. If either one of their ratios drops... even a single percent... see to it that they are separated. Understand?"
"Hai." She turned to leave. As she began to walk away, she heard one of his knuckles crack. Ritsuko grinned; he was more pissed than he let on.
"Doctor?"
She froze in her tracks, but did not turn.
"7:30. Tonight."
Ritsuko swallowed, and nodded. "Hai."
'7:30... tonight...' She suppressed a shudder and left the room.
Was it a shudder of revulsion or euphoria? Well... some things are better left unsaid.
-TBC, I guess
TT
xiphux@planetjurai.com
And there was no answer.
She frowned slightly. The NERV agents had reported that the Third Child was in his residence at the moment. Rei decided to try something else; reaching up, she pushed the entry button.
The door opened.
Rei frowned again. If the door was unlocked, and Pilot Ikari was alone, that would mean that he was... unsafe.
It seemed that she was doing a lot more frowning lately. She wondered why.
As she entered the apartment, Rei made sure to shut the door and lock it. As she turned around again, she paused to recall the layout of the apartment. She had been to this apartment very few times. If the kitchen was there... and the television was there... that would mean that Pilot Ikari's room was...
She walked down the hall, and stopped at the room marked "Shinji's Lovely Suite." Raising a hand, Rei prepared to knock... and then decided otherwise. Gently, she eased the door open.
Pilot Ikari was asleep. It was not a very pleasant sleep.
Rei quietly moved a chair next to the bed occupied by the fretting boy. She quietly sat and took out a book to occupy herself for a while...
"...no ... don't..."
Rei looked up. Pilot Ikari was still in his restless nightmare. Though she felt the urge to wake him up, she restrained herself – it would be better if Pilot Ikari got the rest he needed. Without too much trouble, she went back to reading her book while she filtered out the noise.
"... Ayanami... please..."
Rei's head snapped up. He was still asleep... and was calling for her?
For some reason... because he was calling her... she felt the strong urge to comfort him... something she had never felt before. Slowly... cautiously... she reached out a slightly trembling hand towards the boy...
He rolled off of the bed and hit the floor.
She blinked, and pulled her hand back. Silently, she watched as Shinji slowly started to come out of his slumber. He pushed himself up, still facing the floor, and shook his head a bit to wake it up.
Rei waited a moment, and then finally spoke quietly. "Are you all right?" She did not get the response she was expecting.
Shinji screamed and shot up straight into the air, scared senseless. He stared with wide eyes at Rei as he tried to catch his breath.
Rei found herself staring with wide eyes back at him... from across the small room. She felt herself pressed against the wall opposite the bed. The chair had tipped over. How did she get over here?
She noticed that she was trying to catch her breath too, strangely.
"Ayanami... what... what are you... doing... here?" Shinji gasped, as he tried to recover.
Rei was in better shape than her fellow pilot, and had caught her breath already. "I came to check on your current condition."
Shinji stared. She was definitely acting unusually today. "Um... ok... you didn't have to, you know..."
Rei paused, and her eyes drifted down to the floor. "I... wanted to," she said, finally finding the right word.
Yes, she was acting extremely unusually today. "Uh... well... let's go to the main room – at least we'll have someplace to sit."
She nodded, and allowed herself to be led to the aforementioned room.
"Do you want something to drink, Ayanami?"
"No, I am fine.... t-... thank you."
Shinji came back and kneeled across from her. They both stared at the same invisible object at the center of the table...
Shinji finally took a nervous breath and tried to break the tense silence. "S-So... Ayanami... why were you so interested in my wound today?"
Rei's eyes slowly drifted upwards, finally settling on his laceration. "I... do not know."
Shinji blinked. This wasn't going anywhere. "OK... then... why'd you leave school so suddenly?"
Her eyes dropped back to the table. "I went to speak with Pilot Soryu."
Shinji blanched. "She didn't... hurt you, did she?"
"No. If she had tried, I would not have allowed it."
"Right..." There were a million questions he wanted to ask her... most falling along the lines of, 'How the hell would you have stopped her?"... but he decided to leave it alone for now. "Um... what did you talk to Asuka about?"
"You."
Shinji blinked, waiting for the rest of it. When he realized it was not coming, he thought to himself, '...now I remember why it's so hard to have a conversation with her.' He licked his dry lips and continued. "What... about me?"
Rei looked into his eyes before continuing. "The events of yesterday, leading up to your injury."
He sighed. "I kinda figured..." His mind raced, trying to pick a topic to bring up... until, surprisingly, Rei took care of it.
"She recounted yesterday's events. She also provided arguments defending her position. However, very few of them were backed by logical reasoning."
"Don't worry about it; it was my fault. I deserved it."
She examined him, tilting her head slightly. "Why do you believe that you are solely responsible?"
"Because I was the one that made the comment about her parents. That pissed her off. I should have known that her parents were a sensitive topic with her..."
"You believe that you are responsible because you didn't make the effort to stay informed of her history, and therefore were not aware of her sensitivity to the subject. Correct?"
Shinji blinked, and looked down at the table. "Yeah, I guess you could put it that way..."
"Your logic is flawed. You believe that you are at fault because you didn't know about Pilot Soryu's mother's death. And yet, she is not held responsible for not knowing about your mother's death. I do not understand."
He fought the urge to run. "My... m-my mother?"
"Yes. I know that you are aware of your mother's cause of death. You were briefed on it by the Major. I have read your pilot profile."
Shinij's mind screamed at him. 'CHANGE SUBJECT CHANGE SUBJECT CHANGE SUBJECT CHANGE SUBJECT....' He decided it was probably a good idea to change the subject. He picked one of the hundreds of questions he wanted to ask. "Ayanami... why is it that you 'wanted' to come here?"
Rei's eyes widened slightly, and then dropped back to the table.
He watched her. Was she... actually... nervous?
"I... I do not know," she finally responded. Her brow wrinkled slightly, as if she was contemplating something.
Shinji watched her. "Is there something on your mind, Ayanami... ? A friend of mine told me that it's good to talk to someone if something's bothering you..." Inwardly, he sighed; he had finally switched things around. To his surprise, she continued to stare at the table. And... she was starting to blush slightly? And... she was fidgeting a little? Wow, he had never seen her do that before.
Silence reigned for a few nervous moments.
"Ikari," she finally said quietly, without mentioning his position. "There is... something... important... and... personal... that I wish to speak with you about."
Shinji blinked at her, and raised an eyebrow. Personal? "Um... OK. Sure."
She looked back up at him. "However, I require that this conversation be kept confidential."
Shinji nodded. "Of course."
Her eyes dropped back down to the table. "I am... confiding... in you because you have shown... concern for me when others have not. I believe you to be the most trustworthy person to speak with at the moment."
"Um... thanks. I'll be sure to keep this secret." He watched as, surprisingly, she sighed almost inaudibly in relief.
Rei's voice dropped slightly in volume. "Ikari... something is... happening... to me. I believe I may be ill."
"Uh... OK... what... do you mean, Ayanami?"
"I am not quite certain. I have never experienced it before. For some reason, I am beginning to have... certain... thoughts and desires."
Shinji blinked. Oh god, was this-
"For example, the... anxiety?... I am... feeling now when I speak to you."
Shinji's blood pressure dropped as mentally sighed in relief. If this had been THAT kind of a talk, he would have had a heart attack...
"And... the desire to come here that I felt earlier."
He cleared his throat. "Well... uh... I can tell you that I doubt that you're ill-"
"Ikari..." she interrupted, with a slight tremor in her voice. "I am... afraid. Of these sudden changes. I have never dealt with fear before, but it has manifested itself... I... don't know... what to..." She trailed off, and subconsciously seemed to put her arms around herself slightly.
Shinji tentatively reached out and put his trembling hand on her shoulder, and rubbed it slightly in a reassuring manner. Rei looked up to see him smiling. "Hey, don't worry about it, Ayanami. I'll help you sort things out. OK? You don't have to be afraid," he said in a comforting voice.
She looked at him for a few seconds, before dropping her eyes back to the table with a slight blush. "Hai," she said quietly. As Shinji pulled his hand away and kneeled again, Rei surprised herself by feeling... what was it... sadness? No, not quite... more like... disappointment.
"Uh..." Shinji continued in a slightly wavering voice. "Well... um... what was the first feeling that you could recognize?"
Rei's brow furrowed slightly in thought. "I believe it was... when... I saw your injured cheek."
His eyes widened. "My... cut?" he asked.
She nodded, and continued. "I had promised to protect you..."
Shinji blinked. "You did?"
"Hai. When we prepared to fight Ramiel, the fifth angel."
He tried to remember. Wow, that was a long way back...
"I believe the first thing I felt was... sadness? Because you had been hurt. Also because I had failed to keep my promise."
Shinji fumbled for words. What to say, what to say...
Rei continued for him. "But soon, it was replaced by... anger. At the Second Child, for causing your injury."
He scratched his temple. Damn did he wish he was better with words... "Uh...."
"It is strange. For some reason... recently... I have begun to feel multiple feelings. At the same time. It is... perplexing."
"Well... um... why don't you try to sort out what feelings you've got at this moment?"
Her eyes went directly to his, but she seemed to focus on the wall behind him in thought.
Shinji stared into those red orbs. Losing himself... losing..... rational.....
"I believe I am feeling... fear. Of these unknown feelings... and... worry, for your safety. Though it is slight, and only increases when the Pilot Soryu or some other threat is near. And... and..." She looked at the table again.
Breaking eye contact also broke Shinji out of his haze. "And... ?"
She was blushing again. "And... the... the desire to... to... be near you. Or in your presence. ...Always," she whispered tentatively. "Otherwise... I feel... lonely..."
Shinji found himself blushing, too. "Well... uh..." He couldn't believe he was saying this... "Um... well, if it'll make you feel better, I can... ask Misato to let you stay here tonight. Your apartment isn't exactly... a comforting environment."
Rei examined his face for a few seconds, before looking down. She nodded. "I would... like... that."
Well, at least she wasn't staring at him anymore - it was a little unnerving when she did... Shinji blinked. You know... the way she was acting... somehow, it was kinda... cute. Not to mention that she was attractive to begin with...
It grew silent again.
So when the front door popped open, their eyes widened and they both stood suddenly.
"Tadaima..." Misato said as she came into the apartment.
Shinji made his way towards her, while Rei followed him.
"Hey, Shin-chan. Oh!" Misato blinked. "Hi, Rei."
Shinji looked down at the ground. "Misato-san... I was wondering if... maybe... Ayanami could spend the night here?" He was blushing so much, he was surprised his legs didn't collapse from a lack of blood.
Misato raised an eyebrow, examining the two children. Something was... different. Somehow. She couldn't quite place her finger on it... She narrowed her eyes. "You two aren't going to... you know... ?"
Shinji's eyes opened so much, he half-expected them to pop out and bounce onto the floor. "Nononononononoo! Weaweren'tgonnanowearen'tgonnadothat!" He took a breath. "No... I just think that it would be... easier... for her if perhaps she spent the night in a more... comfortable environment..."
Comfortable. That was the word she was trying to place her finger on. It seemed like the two of them... were standing... closer to each other than usual. In a friendly manner, but also... in a comforting one. Shinji would normally be a little nervous in her presence, but now - they were comfortable near each other. That was what was different.
Misato shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see anything wrong with it." She focused on Shinji. "I assume, young man, that I don't have to tell you to keep your hands to yourself...?"
Shinji looked on the verge of a heart attack. "M-... Misato-san... y-you know I-... I-... I wouldn't do... do..." He seemed to be rapidly losing the ability to speak.
Misato grinned, and mussed his hair. "Oh, lighten up, Shin-chan! I was just teasing!" She turned and headed to her room. "I've got a bunch of paperwork to do, OK, Shinji?"
Shinji nodded. "OK."
He turned to Rei, standing next to him... and his eyes widened as he... he noticed she was... smiling? A small smile, but a smile nonetheless. And he didn't have to ask for it. "Ayanami... you... you're..."
She looked up at him, and the smile faded. "I do not understand, but... I felt... amused?... when the Major... 'teased' you. And... and... pleased... that she said yes."
Shinji smiled at her. "I'm glad."
She ended up staring at that smile, as he stared into her red eyes...
'You know, it's gonna be trouble if we keep doing this kind of thing...' he thought, as they both seemed frozen in place. He pulled a question from his endless pile of them...
"Ayanami... you said... you talked with Asuka. Um... based on what you talked about... would you be able to help me? I still have to talk to her about what happened..."
She blinked, and then nodded. "Hai."
]|[
Ritsuko sighed as she made her way down the hallways of NERV headquarters, her footsteps echoing sharply down the lonely corridors. She idly flipped through some papers in her hand.
Reports, reports, charts, test results... Nothing particularly interesting.
However, her mind was focused on something else. It was focused on a certain phone call she had received from the Major not too long ago.
Oh, he's gonna LOVE this one...
She went up to the large double doors. 'Why do they have to make these so goddamn heavy?' she thought randomly as she pulled hard, and opened the door.
Ritsuko walked through the monstrous room, towards the small desk at the center.
She looked up, idly. The Systema Sephirotica. 'Why the heck is it here? We've all got it memorized, anyway...'
Finally, after much walking and idle thinking, she reached the desk in the center... with the man sitting at it. He was so motionless that he almost seemed to be just a part of the desk.
Dark eyes behind dark sunglasses bored into her, even from their lower position.
"Doctor, your report."
She blinked, and began flipping through some of the material in her hands. "Well... sync ratios are remaining pretty much constant for all three children. Maybe a maximum variation of two percent."
He nodded slightly.
"The... dummy plug system is almost complete. We should be ready to begin testing in a couple weeks."
He nodded again.
"The recovery of the MAGI system is proceeding well. We should be done cleaning out the virus and back up to full processing capability in about... six days..."
He nodded again. It started to irk her slightly. Well, time to drop the big bomb.
"The Major called me recently. She says that Rei and Shinji have developed quite an affinity to each other. They both plan to stay together in the Major's apartment for some amount of time."
That look on his face was priceless. God DAMN did she wish she had a camera. Too bad it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
"I... see. Will this have an effect on their sync ratios?"
Ritsuko tapped her jaw with her pen. "It shouldn't. In fact, it may even cause their ratios to go up. However, there is always a possibility."
"I see. Keep an eye on their progress. If either one of their ratios drops... even a single percent... see to it that they are separated. Understand?"
"Hai." She turned to leave. As she began to walk away, she heard one of his knuckles crack. Ritsuko grinned; he was more pissed than he let on.
"Doctor?"
She froze in her tracks, but did not turn.
"7:30. Tonight."
Ritsuko swallowed, and nodded. "Hai."
'7:30... tonight...' She suppressed a shudder and left the room.
Was it a shudder of revulsion or euphoria? Well... some things are better left unsaid.
-TBC, I guess
TT
xiphux@planetjurai.com