To Love... or Not?
By Satosh1
Chapter 4: Reprisal
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"AYANAMI!"
Shinji deliberately pressed away from Asuka's clutches. He approached aside Rei who fainted and collapsed onto the wooden, dirtied floorings, despite knowing Asuka would wholly disapprove. By Rei's right side, Shinji placed a hand onto the midpoint of her back with another hand grasping her right shoulder and lifted her gently upwards. Rei softly whimpered while, her eyes gradually opening to view the person doing so.
"Ikari..." Rei whispered timidly, as she acknowledged her helper. "I'm sorry... to burden you of me... again..."
Shinji glanced at her, having been upset. "You shouldn't have left your bed so early..."
Rei prodded upwards startling Shinji, and moaned while clutching her left knee, it swelling a darkened blue in which had formed while she impacted onto the floor.
"Rei, you sprained your knee..." Shinji declared, as he carefully placed Rei's arm onto the back of his neck while standing her up to support her.
"Asuka, grab her other arm," Asked Shinji. "We're going to carry her to Misato's apartment."
Asuka responded, "Hell no Shinji, I'm not helping that stupid DOLL, especially when you expect me to bring and welcome her to our home!"
"This was YOUR fault Asuka," Shinji stated firmly. "She really needs our help. The least you can do is help me carry her there."
"F... Fine..." Asuka sighed in expressing defeat.
Asuka unhurriedly approached opposite of where Shinji was and grabbed Rei's other arm to wrap around herself. And then she twitched at Rei's touch and felt entirely sickened by it. She truly didn't want to help Rei, but due to Shinji's bout with her, she was utterly inclined to. In slight irritation she sighed again, her eyes merely peering onto the corridor of where they headed, trying not to think of it all.
None of them had noticed, but Rei instantly gave away a small grin of delight from observing Asuka and her loathing. What had truly baffled her was why she was doing so in the first place, and in thinking so she stopped her grinning and turned into her usual monotone appearance, still somewhat confused by her unknown action.
And so, they both carried Rei out of the school and walked towards their apartment within the always seemingly empty streets of Tokyo-3. There was not a word spoken to one another, even when if it was the first time the three had ever gathered with one another outside of NERV. It was just a complete silence, and none were ever intimidated by it. To be so used to such quiet and stillness, it would come to fit well within their own statures, if not for their social ability.
Within the doorsteps of Misato's Apartment.
"There Shinji, we're here now!" Asuka slightly donned in annoyance as she released Rei's arm from around her neck, rudely.
Shinji stepped onto the doorsteps and unlocked the door, pushing it inside while carefully carrying Rei into the apartment. Asuka merely followed behind of them.
Asuka shouted ahead, "You're not putting her in my bedroom, that's for sure."
To her dismay, Shinji ignored her completely by giving her no acknowledgement at all, simply carrying Rei into his bedroom and gently laying her atop of his neatly done, comfortable beddings, and then silently sliding the door shut. Of course, this only left Asuka with the notion that Shinji cared for Rei more than of her, and even though Shinji practically told Asuka of their relationship was not departing, she still had doubts.
"Damn it... if only that stupid Rei hadn't always interfered..." Asuka alleged. "Or... she must be doing this on purpose..."
Her suspicions only led her doubting just about everything that happened at the school, and it also led her to become awfully curious to see and hear what they were saying to one another within the bedroom. She slowly creped towards the room like a stealthy fox, and stood beside the entrance door. She pressed her ear against it, and overheard some dialogue between the two.
"Ayanami, just rest here for now, and I'll take care of your knee." Shinji declared, while he grabbed a few new, hygienic bandages and gently lifted her afflicted knee a bit to wrap the bandages around the sprain, trying his hardest not to hesitate like he would normally do when in company of the ever intimidating Rei. He then reached for a spare pillow and placed the knee atop of it, all while Rei watched him, blushing a bright red. Rei gave a serene smile like she had done before, but it was vibrant and even noticeable, catching Shinji's eyes. He smiled back at her.
"Thank you... again... Shinji..."
He was in a total awe. Rei had for the first time, acknowledged and spoke his first name. Shinji smiled again, but with a greater shine.
"I have to inform you... something of importance..." Rei gasped in her speech while her knee still gave ache, her wordings relinquished only by her determination to tell Shinji. She glanced around nervously, having Shinji simply glance at her with uncertainty.
"I... I think I feel," Rei noticeably stuttered within her speech. "Lo...love... for y..."
Rei was stopped by an obnoxious, soundly handling and slamming of the door beside them, and an angry, red-faced Asuka was visible, noticeably filled from the bottom up with a critical intensity.
"DON'T YOU FINISH THAT SENTENCE, YOU STUPID BITCH," Asuka had yelled to the top of her lungs. "SHINJI IS MINE!"
Shinji stood crouching beside the bed where Rei laid upon, with no idea of how to rightfully intervene.
"I... uhm... Ayanami was just saying" Shinji's words were ultimately interrupted.
"I KNOW WHAT SHE WAS GOING TO SAY," Asuka alleged. "I love you, IS THAT CORRECT, REI!?"
Rei answered while she pushed herself up away from her pillow. "Yes."
Fuming with rage, Asuka promptly approached aside Rei and gave her a slap to the same side where she was punched at, forcing Rei to clutch her head in pain and flinch back. Shinji began to immediately quake in rage from observing Asuka's carelessness in her actions, and he stood up with an extremely heated face, determined to give payback for Rei's unnecessary abuse.
And he did something he himself didn't know he could do.
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to be continued...