"Shinji!" A familiar voice stirred him from his sleep. "Get up, you lazy kid. I swear, you'd sleep until you were dead, if I let you."
"Just a few more minutes, mom." He whined. "I'm tired." Yui pulled the blankets off him and turned the air conditioner on full power.
"See you in a few minutes," she said cheerfully as she left, closing the door behind her. It began to feel like he was trying to sleep in the freezer. He curled into a ball, trying to stay warm. It was no use.
"Fine," he snorted, crawling onto the floor. He was rolling his bed up, when he heard that voice again.
"Shinji, Asuka's here!" The name sent a shiver through him. Or maybe it was only the air conditoner.
'What do they say about me when I'm not supposed to hear?' He wondered. He crawled to the door and pressed his ear against it.
"Is he still in bed?" Asuka said, seemingly unsurprised. "He'd sleep until he was dead, if you let him."
'Something's wrong.' The words seemed to jump into his head. He pulled his ear away from the door. "What's wrong?" He said, surprised. He glanced around the room. No one one was there.
'Something's wrong.' It was his voice inside his head, only he wasn't thinking it.
"Tell me... tell me what's wrong." He pleaded. He was growing nervous.
'Something's wrong with you, Ikari.' It was Rei's voice in his head.
'Something's wrong.' It was back to his voice.
"I don't understand." He grabbed his head in his hands and leaned against the door, sitting on his ankles.
'Something's wrong, Shinji.'
"Misato?" He looked around. He was alone. "What's going on?"
'SOMETHING'S WRONG.' All three voices chimed at once.
"Tell me what's wrong!" He screamed. He slid his feet out in front of him. His fists clenched on the floor beside him. Suddenly, the door behind him vanished, and he fell backward. He found himself on his back, staring straight up at Asuka. Straight up Asuka's skirt. He didn't even seem to realize what he was doing.
"Hey!" She cried. "Just what do you think you're doing?" She kicked him in the shoulder, hard. "Don't you dare ever look up my skirt again, you pervert!" She backed away as he sat up.
"Sorry, Asuka." He said softly.
"Well, you had better be sorry. Next time I'll kick more than your shoulder," She smirked. Shinji was unaffected by the threat. He seemed to not even hear her. "Hey, don't you ignore me! Listen to me when I'm talking to you." He didn't flinch.
"What's wrong, Shinji?" Yui asked with a mother's tenderness. "I heard you scream that something was wrong, so I came to check."
"Nothing. Everything's fine here." He tried his best to sound convincing. Yui knew he was lying, but pretended not to notice. She knew he'd tell her if he wanted to.
"If nothing is wrong, don't scream and scare everyone like that, you megadork!" She smacked him upside the head. "Now hurry up, or we'll be late for school." Asuka walked back to the table to finish the breakfast Yui made for her.
"It's so sweet how she comes here to walk you to school every day," Yui said warmly. "You don't even seem to wonder why." She smiled as she got up to go finish his breakfast.
"Why DOES she do it?" He said quietly to himself. "She's always done it, since..." he paused. He didn't realize what the rest of his sentence meant until the words were in his mouth. "Since the third impact." He had nearly forgotten it. 'No one remembers it, except the people who worked for NERV. And we never even talk about it. Why?'
'Because something's wrong, Shinji.' It was Misato's voice again. He turned around, but only Asuka and his mother sat at the table.
'Something's wrong, Ikari.' Rei's voice echoed. His eyes widened. He was getting worried now.
"I know," he muttered.
"Fix it." This time it was Asuka's voice. It was different from the others. It sounded real. "Your collar's up. Fix it." He turned around to see her looking at him. "Are you going to just sit there and stare at me or are you going to fix it?" She sounded annoyed.
"Oh, sorry." He said as he turned his collar down.
"Asuka, be nice." Yui reprimanded her.
"Sorry, Mrs. Ikari," she chirped. She went back to eating.
"Shinji, your breakfast will be done soon. Go ahead and wash up." Yui said. Then she went back to her meal. Shinji walked on to the bathroom, peeling his shirt off on the way there. Yui glanced up to see Asuka watching him. Asuka smiled and resumed eating once the door closed.
Shinji took off the rest of his clothes and sat on the stool. The water was cold; it stung like rolling on a bed of nails as it ran over him. He turned it off and shampooed his hair. 'Why does she come here every morning? Even on Sunday, she's here when I wake up.' He smiled to himself. "It's almost like she knows I'm in love with her." He clasped his hand over his mouth. 'I didn't mean to say that. I wasn't even thinking it.' He stared blankly at the floor. "Am I?" He asked himself, confused.
'Yes.' It was Misato's voice in his head again. 'You've always loved her, haven't you, Shinji?'
"Of course not!" He exclaimed. "I'm not in love with Asuka."
'It's because she's the only person who wouldn't let you live your lies.' It was his own voice. It was like separate parts of him were having a conversation.
"My lies? I don't do that anymore! I'm different now." He refuted.
'But do you know why you're different?' It was Rei this time. 'She made you better, didn't she?'
"What are you talking about? How can someone who always insults me make me better?" He was becoming even more confused.
'She was the only person who cared enough to show you that you needed to change.' Misato's voice returned. 'I cared, but I was afraid. Because I was the same as you, Shinji.'
'Maybe she loves you, too.' Shinji's voice pondered. 'Maybe that's why she comes here.'
"That's impossible." He wondered if it really was impossible.
"Shinji, your breakfast is ready!" Yui called. It was then that he finally realized what he was doing. This was the first time he'd held a conversation with them.
"Am I going crazy?" He rinsed the soap out of his hair. He'd have to skip washing his body for the day, or go to school hungry. He scoured the room for clean clothes, then realized he'd forgotten them. He wrapped a large towel around his waist, picked up his clothes, and walked out. He bent over to pick up his shirt, but stood up without it when he heard a flat clanging noise. He looked over to see that Asuka had dropped her fork. He focused back on his shirt as he braced himself for the outburst.
"Whoops, dropped my fork." Asuka almost sounded happy when she said it. He looked over at her again, seeing her turn away and pick up the fork when he did. He bent over once more, picked up his shirt and walked to his room.
"I saw that," Yui smiled.
"Saw what?" Asuka indignantly replied.
"It's so obvious. I'm surprised he hasn't figured it out yet." Yui said flatly.
"Hey, what exactly are you talking about?" Asuka was becoming annoyed at Yui's assuming attidude. Only Asuka could get away with talking to her like that. She would have smacked anyone else.
"Nothing," Yui replied. She sipped her tea calmly. "Why don't you just tell him you're in love with him?"
"I am not in love with Shinji!" She cried.
"I guess that answers that question," Shinji muttered as he pulled his other pant leg on. Asuka's outburst was the only part of the conversation he'd caught. He grabbed his books and walked to the kitchen. His mother was quietly finishing off her tea, while Asuka was furiously wolfing down what was left of her toast.
"It's over on the counter," his mother answered before he could ask. "Hurry up, or it will get cold." Shinji sat his plate in front of the seat next to Asuka. She paused her voracious eating for a moment, then resumed. Yui smiled at her quietly behind her teacup.
'I wonder what she's thinking about right now,' Shinji's voice had returned.
'Just act like nothing's wrong. Pretend I don't hear it,' he thought anxiously. 'They'll think I'm crazy.'
'Maybe you are crazy.' Now it was Misato. 'You never told her that you love her. Maybe that makes you crazy.'
"I'm not in love with Asuka!" Suddenly everyone stopped eating. Yui and Asuka both stared blankly at him. Had he had said that out loud? His face turned blood red as he looked at his mother, then over at Asuka. 'Now what do I do? They're going to ask; they always ask. I can't tell them the truth. What do I do? What do I do?' He was beginning to panic.
"Something's wrong." Now it was Asuka's voice. He was becoming more and more confused. He looked up at Asuka. Surprisingly, she had a concerned look on her face. She wasn't angry. "Is something wrong, Shinji?" Her lips moved that time. Was she really speaking before?
"No, I'm ok. Everything's fine. Don't worry about me." He forced a small giggle. 'Surely that didn't throw them off.'
"Fine," Asuka snorted. "Be that way. No one will ever help you unless you let them." Asuka resumed eating, while Yui continued staring at Shinji. She turned away when he caught her eyes. He pretended not to notice.
'Have I really changed as much as I think?' He wondered.
"It's time for you two to go, or you'll be late." Yui said suddenly. Shinji quietly got up and cleaned his plate off.
"Thanks for the food, Mrs. Ikari, it was delicious!" Asuka said appreciatively.
"You're welcome, Asuka. Besides, you're like family, anyway." Yui winked at her. Asuka opened her mouth to yell once more that she wasn't in love with Shinji, but stopped herself when she remembered he was right next to her.
"Well then, I guess we'll be going," Asuka pushed Shinji out the door with her. "Bye, Mrs. Ikari!"
"Just a few more minutes, mom." He whined. "I'm tired." Yui pulled the blankets off him and turned the air conditioner on full power.
"See you in a few minutes," she said cheerfully as she left, closing the door behind her. It began to feel like he was trying to sleep in the freezer. He curled into a ball, trying to stay warm. It was no use.
"Fine," he snorted, crawling onto the floor. He was rolling his bed up, when he heard that voice again.
"Shinji, Asuka's here!" The name sent a shiver through him. Or maybe it was only the air conditoner.
'What do they say about me when I'm not supposed to hear?' He wondered. He crawled to the door and pressed his ear against it.
"Is he still in bed?" Asuka said, seemingly unsurprised. "He'd sleep until he was dead, if you let him."
'Something's wrong.' The words seemed to jump into his head. He pulled his ear away from the door. "What's wrong?" He said, surprised. He glanced around the room. No one one was there.
'Something's wrong.' It was his voice inside his head, only he wasn't thinking it.
"Tell me... tell me what's wrong." He pleaded. He was growing nervous.
'Something's wrong with you, Ikari.' It was Rei's voice in his head.
'Something's wrong.' It was back to his voice.
"I don't understand." He grabbed his head in his hands and leaned against the door, sitting on his ankles.
'Something's wrong, Shinji.'
"Misato?" He looked around. He was alone. "What's going on?"
'SOMETHING'S WRONG.' All three voices chimed at once.
"Tell me what's wrong!" He screamed. He slid his feet out in front of him. His fists clenched on the floor beside him. Suddenly, the door behind him vanished, and he fell backward. He found himself on his back, staring straight up at Asuka. Straight up Asuka's skirt. He didn't even seem to realize what he was doing.
"Hey!" She cried. "Just what do you think you're doing?" She kicked him in the shoulder, hard. "Don't you dare ever look up my skirt again, you pervert!" She backed away as he sat up.
"Sorry, Asuka." He said softly.
"Well, you had better be sorry. Next time I'll kick more than your shoulder," She smirked. Shinji was unaffected by the threat. He seemed to not even hear her. "Hey, don't you ignore me! Listen to me when I'm talking to you." He didn't flinch.
"What's wrong, Shinji?" Yui asked with a mother's tenderness. "I heard you scream that something was wrong, so I came to check."
"Nothing. Everything's fine here." He tried his best to sound convincing. Yui knew he was lying, but pretended not to notice. She knew he'd tell her if he wanted to.
"If nothing is wrong, don't scream and scare everyone like that, you megadork!" She smacked him upside the head. "Now hurry up, or we'll be late for school." Asuka walked back to the table to finish the breakfast Yui made for her.
"It's so sweet how she comes here to walk you to school every day," Yui said warmly. "You don't even seem to wonder why." She smiled as she got up to go finish his breakfast.
"Why DOES she do it?" He said quietly to himself. "She's always done it, since..." he paused. He didn't realize what the rest of his sentence meant until the words were in his mouth. "Since the third impact." He had nearly forgotten it. 'No one remembers it, except the people who worked for NERV. And we never even talk about it. Why?'
'Because something's wrong, Shinji.' It was Misato's voice again. He turned around, but only Asuka and his mother sat at the table.
'Something's wrong, Ikari.' Rei's voice echoed. His eyes widened. He was getting worried now.
"I know," he muttered.
"Fix it." This time it was Asuka's voice. It was different from the others. It sounded real. "Your collar's up. Fix it." He turned around to see her looking at him. "Are you going to just sit there and stare at me or are you going to fix it?" She sounded annoyed.
"Oh, sorry." He said as he turned his collar down.
"Asuka, be nice." Yui reprimanded her.
"Sorry, Mrs. Ikari," she chirped. She went back to eating.
"Shinji, your breakfast will be done soon. Go ahead and wash up." Yui said. Then she went back to her meal. Shinji walked on to the bathroom, peeling his shirt off on the way there. Yui glanced up to see Asuka watching him. Asuka smiled and resumed eating once the door closed.
Shinji took off the rest of his clothes and sat on the stool. The water was cold; it stung like rolling on a bed of nails as it ran over him. He turned it off and shampooed his hair. 'Why does she come here every morning? Even on Sunday, she's here when I wake up.' He smiled to himself. "It's almost like she knows I'm in love with her." He clasped his hand over his mouth. 'I didn't mean to say that. I wasn't even thinking it.' He stared blankly at the floor. "Am I?" He asked himself, confused.
'Yes.' It was Misato's voice in his head again. 'You've always loved her, haven't you, Shinji?'
"Of course not!" He exclaimed. "I'm not in love with Asuka."
'It's because she's the only person who wouldn't let you live your lies.' It was his own voice. It was like separate parts of him were having a conversation.
"My lies? I don't do that anymore! I'm different now." He refuted.
'But do you know why you're different?' It was Rei this time. 'She made you better, didn't she?'
"What are you talking about? How can someone who always insults me make me better?" He was becoming even more confused.
'She was the only person who cared enough to show you that you needed to change.' Misato's voice returned. 'I cared, but I was afraid. Because I was the same as you, Shinji.'
'Maybe she loves you, too.' Shinji's voice pondered. 'Maybe that's why she comes here.'
"That's impossible." He wondered if it really was impossible.
"Shinji, your breakfast is ready!" Yui called. It was then that he finally realized what he was doing. This was the first time he'd held a conversation with them.
"Am I going crazy?" He rinsed the soap out of his hair. He'd have to skip washing his body for the day, or go to school hungry. He scoured the room for clean clothes, then realized he'd forgotten them. He wrapped a large towel around his waist, picked up his clothes, and walked out. He bent over to pick up his shirt, but stood up without it when he heard a flat clanging noise. He looked over to see that Asuka had dropped her fork. He focused back on his shirt as he braced himself for the outburst.
"Whoops, dropped my fork." Asuka almost sounded happy when she said it. He looked over at her again, seeing her turn away and pick up the fork when he did. He bent over once more, picked up his shirt and walked to his room.
"I saw that," Yui smiled.
"Saw what?" Asuka indignantly replied.
"It's so obvious. I'm surprised he hasn't figured it out yet." Yui said flatly.
"Hey, what exactly are you talking about?" Asuka was becoming annoyed at Yui's assuming attidude. Only Asuka could get away with talking to her like that. She would have smacked anyone else.
"Nothing," Yui replied. She sipped her tea calmly. "Why don't you just tell him you're in love with him?"
"I am not in love with Shinji!" She cried.
"I guess that answers that question," Shinji muttered as he pulled his other pant leg on. Asuka's outburst was the only part of the conversation he'd caught. He grabbed his books and walked to the kitchen. His mother was quietly finishing off her tea, while Asuka was furiously wolfing down what was left of her toast.
"It's over on the counter," his mother answered before he could ask. "Hurry up, or it will get cold." Shinji sat his plate in front of the seat next to Asuka. She paused her voracious eating for a moment, then resumed. Yui smiled at her quietly behind her teacup.
'I wonder what she's thinking about right now,' Shinji's voice had returned.
'Just act like nothing's wrong. Pretend I don't hear it,' he thought anxiously. 'They'll think I'm crazy.'
'Maybe you are crazy.' Now it was Misato. 'You never told her that you love her. Maybe that makes you crazy.'
"I'm not in love with Asuka!" Suddenly everyone stopped eating. Yui and Asuka both stared blankly at him. Had he had said that out loud? His face turned blood red as he looked at his mother, then over at Asuka. 'Now what do I do? They're going to ask; they always ask. I can't tell them the truth. What do I do? What do I do?' He was beginning to panic.
"Something's wrong." Now it was Asuka's voice. He was becoming more and more confused. He looked up at Asuka. Surprisingly, she had a concerned look on her face. She wasn't angry. "Is something wrong, Shinji?" Her lips moved that time. Was she really speaking before?
"No, I'm ok. Everything's fine. Don't worry about me." He forced a small giggle. 'Surely that didn't throw them off.'
"Fine," Asuka snorted. "Be that way. No one will ever help you unless you let them." Asuka resumed eating, while Yui continued staring at Shinji. She turned away when he caught her eyes. He pretended not to notice.
'Have I really changed as much as I think?' He wondered.
"It's time for you two to go, or you'll be late." Yui said suddenly. Shinji quietly got up and cleaned his plate off.
"Thanks for the food, Mrs. Ikari, it was delicious!" Asuka said appreciatively.
"You're welcome, Asuka. Besides, you're like family, anyway." Yui winked at her. Asuka opened her mouth to yell once more that she wasn't in love with Shinji, but stopped herself when she remembered he was right next to her.
"Well then, I guess we'll be going," Asuka pushed Shinji out the door with her. "Bye, Mrs. Ikari!"