Disclaimer: Check the Prologue.
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AN: First of all, it might be best to warn any reader that I, quite simply, have no idea where this is heading! Seriously, I just broke an important rule of writing: plan everything. So, don't be surprised with anything that appears here... Asides several ideas for future chapters, I don't really have a main plot for this.
And might as well as warn you that the Angels here have taken a vacation. I don't know when will the 11th be showing up and crashing the party...
To Amethyst Wind: Silly me, you're half-right! This is more of a crossover than an AU, though it still is one, since we'll be seeing some serious OOC and AU around, which much I can't reveal... yet! Large Grin
To claws: Sorry, but they will be coming around like that. Don't worry though; she won't be the only one. Misato was quite close as well to 'perfect', if my memory isn't failing... Like I've said, sorry, but they'll be 'presented' like that for a purpose.
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This is narrative.
"This is a dialogue."
"THIS IS SHOUTING."
'This is a quote/EMPHASIS made either during a dialogue or narrative.'
These are thoughts.
These are mouthed and facial expressions before, during, and after, a dialogue.
This tells where and when the following happens.
(These will be Author Notes)
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"First Rule: You do not talk about Fight Club."
-Tyler Durden
12:32
Tokyo-3 High-SchoolHe felt free. It was weird, not like he was free to do anything he wanted, but more like freeing of his worries, in a more primal emotional state. Like a carefree devil... Now, came the hard part: to deal with another devil! Said one was standing right in front of his desk, keeping a straight face, with the exception that her eyebrows were curved, slightly covering just a bit her eyes. Which meant there was something serious, and with violent consequences, in her mind. She's probably envious of never leaving me like this...
"Where did you go to get like this?" Though her words and tone was harsh, there was still something peculiar there... He wasn't sure, but he could 'ALMOST' swear it were her eyes, which gave her a worried look... This was all but possible, considering the individuals involved, namely Shinji and Asuka, and the state of the events, in this case being the fact that he just went through a meat-grinder. Maybe she's just pissed off because I haven't made her lunch...
Suddenly, just as she asked him, he heard a loud shout. A very loud male shout!
"OH NO! What's this world coming to? The Red-Headed Devil is all worried about Shinji!! What's gonna happen' next?? Confess her undying love for him?!!"
Now this was a first, usually Touji wouldn't go all hysterics like this. He knew that now his bruises were the same colour than the rest of his face: blood-like!
As usual, he just looked downwards, hoping that nobody could see him.
Asuka and Touji started bickering, throwing insults and low comments against each other – Hell, they're practically brawling in the middle of the classro... - Suddenly Shinji remembered a dogma he had been told during the night. Spending a couple of moments reflecting about it, he stopped blushing, and actually smirked, which turned into a very low laughter, slowly increasing in volume. By the time he noticed, he was kneeling on the floor, grabbing his stomach with both arms, throat raspy from the constant laughing, his jaw going painfully numb because of being opened for so long, never mind the wounds and light dislocation of the jaw itself, and on the verge of tears. He looked around, still laughing and saw everybody looking curiously at him. Lowering his laugh, without ever losing his open grin, he straightened himself and, just when he was looking up; saw Rei Ayanami standing very close to him, leaning towards him, with a worried face.
Shinji was frozen for a minute, simply admiring her deep-magenta eyes. Although they reminded him of blood, he still couldn't help himself but to plunge into them, or was her who dove into his? Whatever it was, his sight was transfixed in her beautiful gaze and, unconsciously, he was also coming to realize how close to a perfect pale-colour and state her skin was, until his brain reminded his heart where he was. Clearing his throat, while looking down, and hoping to hide his obvious blush, he stood up, while supporting himself in his desk. Sweeping his eyes, carefully thanks to the bruises and cuts, with his hands, he looked at Touji and Asuka and said, half smiling
"Gomen nasai?!"
Kensuke approached him, and knocked Shinji's head a couple of times with his knuckles. Then he said
"Well, his brain's still there. So, what was the joke?"
Shinji looked around himself and, nervously, was aware of the fact that everybody was still there. However, remembering what happened during the night, he simply smiled and replied
"'On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.' This isn't mine, I'm just quoting somebody. – And again Shinji surprised everybody. He passed by Touji, and was heading to the doors- Your time will come Touji, so don't rush it. –And now he gazed at the Class Rep for a moment- Some of us here wouldn't like it..." He stepped out, leaving a full classroom with everybody gapping at just what Shinji had done, never mind the fact that there was a couple now blushing too...
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18:45
Gates of Tokyo-3 High SchoolShinji was exiting the school now, with his friends trailing him, Asuka and Hikari talking about the last trends, Rei walking in silence behind the girls, and Touji and Kensuke whispering and murmuring and pointing towards Shinji, all in a conspiratorial manner.
Things were kept this way, changing only when one of them would have to break apart from the group, because of final destinations, until it was only Asuka and Shinji, the former treading quietly behind the latter.
Again, things didn't alter, 'til they arrived on the apartment building where they were housed together. Both entered the elevator, Shinji first and Asuka second, and passed a couple of floors, when Asuka pressed the red button labelled 'Stop'. She placed herself between Shinji and the elevator doors, standing firmly, hands on hips, with an aggressive-stoic face. She then said, slightly low
"You never answered my question!"
Shinji, nervously, gulped dryly and replied
"I was at the park, when I fell off the steps."
"BULLSHIT, YOU BAKA! – Here he rapidly backed away from her bumping against a wall, very surprised with her shouts- I want the truth, and I want it now, and you better give it to me, unless you want to make another visit to the EMS!"
Now sweating profusely, he whimpered
"I'm sorry Asuka, but I can't talk about it."
Asuka slit her eyes, and replied
"And why not? What's stopping you?"
"It's the first rule: never talk about it! And it's the second rule too..." He really was hoping she didn't take any drastic measures.
Strange, though, right now, amidst the annoying loud blare alarm of the elevator, the very stuffy environment within the elevator, perspiration running across his face, bruises, bandages, cuts, and crusts, hands and legs trembling lightly, stomach all twisted in a knot, he was focusing, solely and almost carelessly, in observing her face, the lines and curves adorning her well-kept jaw and ruby lips, her small nose very slightly tipped upwards, her crystal azure irises underneath thin crimson eyebrows, and her flaming mane bundled backwards with some tipped forward, hiding her forehead.
She really should lose those neural clips. If she's beautiful right now, then without them she would be devastating...
Surprise must've been the wave the Lady of Fates was surfing, because Shinji, very slowly and trembling, raised his right hand and, barely, touched her chin with his index finger.
He would regret doing this for the rest of the day... And for the rest of the month...
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One month later, 7:25
Katsuragi/Ikari/Sohryu Residence
Asuka was munching on her breakfast while keeping a close eye on her roommate. Said one was sitting in front of her, raising a cup to his lips with his right hand. Hand bandaged with a finger in a metal-splinter. And his lips were swelled. He drank a bit, lowered it, grabbed a buttered toast, and bit it. She then saw his bruised eyes opening slightly, along with him lowering the toast, and plucking two fingers, left fingers, within his mouth and remove something from there. She looked at it, and saw a tooth. A molar, by the looks of it.
She saw him frown slightly at it, dunk the molar in a breast pocket of his shirt, and continue eating breakfast, as if nothing changed.
She sighed and started, again, to think about things and the way they were going.
He had disappeared again, three times, always Saturday nights, after dinner. He would spend several hours away and return in the early Sunday morning, after passing through the hospital, in a beaten-up state. Literally! To her knowledge, he had lost three, no, four teeth already. And won a scar at his left eyebrow, and at his index finger, though the latter she knew first-hand what and who caused it...
She wondered, though, why NERV kept Section 2 active... For a month now, they still hadn't managed to keep tails on him. They always lose him, one way or another. Twisting her nose, she questioned herself if Kaji couldn't keep up with Shinji too... Raising her head, and noticing Shinji grabbing his cup and dish, and lowering them to the sink, she posed a doubt to him
"Hey Shinji, I know that somehow you always managed to flee from Section 2. Have you ditched Kaji too?" The question was made in a jovial tone, polite, which in itself was starting to become usual, so she thought that he would reply accordingly.
Shinji half-turned to her, looked up, keeping a thoughtful face, and said
Humm "No, so far I still haven't seen him around. Chuckles He's probably busy with Misato in a bar – And now, as he looked at her direction, he raised considerably his eyebrows- or somewhere else starting with a 'b'..." He was now laughing lightly, as he turned again to the sink to proceed with the washing his cup and small dish.
Asuka thought for a moment, and found herself somewhat intrigued as to why she was bothered with the fact that he was most likely right. She wasn't pissed with Misato winning over Kaji, unfortunately she had conquered him, and she doubted that she could retaliate successfully; she was uncomfortable with Shinji being correct. Grabbing her bowl, she rose and headed to the sink, where she took Shinji's place.
She cleansed her bowl and spoon, dried them with a cloth, placed them in the cabinet, and turned around, catching Shinji giving the final arrangements to her bento. Finalizing it, he looked at her, gave a nod, and headed to the door. She grabbed her school bag, holstered it, which had its bento already inside, thanks to Shinji, and then headed outside too, observing Shinji leaving. She shoed her sneakers, and left the apartment, managing to catch the elevator, which Shinji was holding for her.
While they went through the usual path to school, she kept thinking about Shinji. She just couldn't help it; he was slowly becoming so different, so... confident! He was still shy and gloomy and quiet, but... he was changing. What was really confusing was how come getting involved in 4 fights would help him, improve him. Oh, he was improving, no doubt about that! His replies and statements were starting to compete with hers, as well as jabs and comments he would throw every now and again with a faint smile and 'innocent expression' on his face. They were reaching the school gates when she felt the curiosity getting the best of her, so, resisting no longer, she tried to keep a levelled head, and pose a question that would clarify things.
"Hey Shinji, can I ask you something?" Things like these, such as calling him by his name instead of a nickname, were becoming common, since the 'incident' at the elevator, three weeks past. That didn't mean, though, that she was enjoying it.
Shinji looked at her, with a neutral face, and nodded.
"Tell me, why do you enjoy getting beaten like this?"
He stopped, and stood, watching everything around him, for almost a minute. Then, he turned to her, and said, in a confident, and reliable manner
"I don't 'enjoy' getting beaten. It's the whole thing, being there against somebody else who I've never seen before, or did, and don't know, or do. It's doing something my body and soul yearns, but can't explain it. With every punch, kick, grapple, whatever, it's like I'm setting myself free. Free of the worries, burdens, pains, doubts, responsibilities, concerns, – here he paused for a moment, gazing at her- you... It's all about getting out of Tokyo-3, even for just an hour, and stepping to another world, parallel, similar, but different. Better... It's – again, he stopped. He bit his lower lip and glanced sideways for a moment, before gazing at her. His tone was now full of conviction, belief – One of the creators said 'With insomnia nothing's real. Everything's far away. Everything's a copy of a copy of a copy.' – He was now leaning towards her - Well, I don't know about you, but I woke up. I'm sick and tired of all the crap NERV keeps telling us. To Hell with them! As soon as all the angels are gone, I'm walking away from here. I'm leaving, and building a life for myself." He stood straight, and entered the school gates, leaving her there, thinking about his words.
All things considered, she didn't know what was worst: the fact that he believed in everything he had just told her, or the possibility of him being right... Or, worse, he had lost points of lucidity, and gone insane. Resolving to do nothing about this, she followed him.
It's your own grave you're digging, baka! If you want to lose all your teeth, and gain scars, be that way. I couldn't care any less...
Still, there was something that she wouldn't ever admit to anybody, much less herself: if something bad would happen, or had already happen, to him, she wouldn't like it. Nope, she wouldn't indeed...
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TBC
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AN: No beta-reader has proof-read this chapter.