Standard Disclaimer
Ok, getting closer and closer to the inevitable end of this story. Still a nice couple of chapters to go so no need to fret yet however. I'm trying to keep pace with writing while I have time and I think I'm doing a good job of it.
Well that's really it for my rambling today so enjoy
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Out of Disaster Chapter 18 Welcoming Back
Walking up the steps to Hinata lodge, Keitaro felt the oncoming bout of unease. Ever since Shinobu ran home crying a month ago about some accident Shinji was in, his home had dropped in intensity a notch. The full degree of Shinji's situation was vague due to issues of security, but what Shinobu gathered from her friend Asuka, it was bad. All that his 'family' knew was that Shinji hadn't sent word of his condition for over a month.
Pushing the door open, the manager spotted a few of his tenets in the living room. Motoko appeared to be studying, but Keitaro couldn't see her pupils moving, 'She's just looking at the pages.' He was surprised to learn that Motoko was so upset with the boy's bi-weekly absences. When he asked her about it, she just replied that it was a shame since he had potential.
Sitting next to Motoko on the couch watching television was Kitsune. The eternal fox was upset because of how depressed Shinobu had become. Kitsune alluded to the uninformed that something happened between the shy cook and her almost boyfriend right before the accident. Naru and Mutsumi knew what had happened but they let the couple keep their privacy about the exact details.
She spoke in the most dispassionate voice possible, "How's Naru doing at the library?" Kitsune asked merely to fill the void in the air that was usually dwelling in the apartments at the moment.
His lips turning up in a small smile, Keitaro put his satchel down and took a seat on the chair next to the couch. "Better than I would be doing in her field." Small talked help keep their minds off of the bigger things. Like how yet again one male being entered into the Hinata Lodge offset so many things, as did his absence.
Turning her races off, ones that she had not bet on, Kitsune turned to face Keitaro earnestly. "We have to do something about Shinobu. She just sits in her room and draws or cooks. Its heart wrenching."
Upon realizing the topic had changed to something important, Motoko put her pretense of reading aside as well as the book. "She does still attend school but with no word from Shinji-kun she just seems empty."
Keitaro agreed that they should do something, however they could in reality do nothing to help the poor girl. "I'd like to help her but we really can't do anything. Unless he tries to contact her we won't know anything about his condition or where he is."
"Well Su and Nyamo are planning a party for her to try and brighten her spirits," Kitsune offered with no real impression that she believed it would offer a permanent solution. Her mask of indifference dropped as she pictured Shinobu's forlorn face. "Damn him! Damn that kid for doing this to her!"
Putting a hand on Kitsune's shoulder, Motoko offered what comfort she could. "He didn't intend for this, I'm sure of it. Shinji-kun wouldn't hurt Shinobu if he had a choice."
"But he did! He doesn't have to see her like she is now. He didn't hear her for those first two weeks crying herself to sleep!" Kitsune now shouting in Motoko's face, the smell of expensive alcohol burning the swordswoman's nose. Finally breaking down into her own tears, Motoko hugged the sobbing Kitsune. "I want to hate him for it but I just can't!" her words muffled by Motoko's Gi.
Excusing himself from the room, Keitaro thought it best to leave the two of them alone. Kitsune seemed to be hit hardest by Shinobu's downward spiral. He often felt the same as her but tried to think positively. 'Surely their must be some reason he hasn't contacted her. Why can't they just tell us what it is?'
On his way to his and Naru's shared room the ringing of the telephone stopped his advance. "Hinata Lodge, Keitaro Urashima speaking."
After a short pause a young girl's voice filled Keitaro's ear. "Is Shinobu there?"
Looking at the onsen where Shinobu was most likely taking her nightly bath before she fixed supper, Keitaro let out a heavy sigh. "Sorry she's busy and most likely will be for the rest of the day. Can I ask who's calling, I could leave her a note." Not really enjoying the lie that was used to cover for Shinobu's request not to have phone calls, Keitaro reached for a nearby pad of paper and a pen.
After the girl replied to his inquiry the phone dropped from his hands as he ran back to the living room. "Shinji's back and at Tokyo-3 hospital!" Keitaro had been tempted to just tell Shinobu the news but he figured that being hit by Naru and occasionally Motoko was enough.
Having calmed down a lot, Kitsune's face light up like a campfire, as did Motoko's. Both girls asked in perfect unison, "Have you told Shinobu yet?"
Gesturing to the onsen, Keitaro shook his head. "I don't think I'm the one to tell her right now." He added with a small smirk.
Motoko nodded, "You are learning, and here we believed you would never stop your acts of perversion." Her body was already hustling towards the bathing girl's location.
Her body about to burst with anticipation, Kitsune ran full tilt towards her waiting buddy. 'To hell with discretion.' Reaching the door to the onsen long before Keitaro and Motoko had covered half the distance, Kitsune threw it open and charged in.
A startled Shinobu quickly covered herself in fear of one of Keitaro's occasional accidents and yelped in surprise. Taking a small peak at the intruder and praying they had cloths on, "Kitsune-sempai what is it? Why are you so...so...happy?" Yes the look Shinobu saw on Kitsune's face was pure happiness.
Kitsune was happy not only for the boy's return but for the hopeful return to Shinobu's joy. "Your Shinji-kun has just been brought back to Tokyo-3 hospital.
For a few moments all Shinobu did was stare. She was trying to read Kitsune's mind, body, aura, or whatever else she could for any signs of deception. Finding none she ran out of the bath without a word.
Catching the nude Shinobu at the door of the onsen, Motoko had to insist she put some cloths on before she headed off to she Shinji. Shinobu hadn't even realized she hadn't been clothed at all. Watching from inside the bath enclosure, Kitsune saw Keitaro walk over to her as Motoko lead the now towel clad Shinobu towards her room to prepare.
Not wasting any time Kitsune stated, and signaled to Keitaro that her mood had increased already, "I doubt Shinji would have minded if she greeted him like that."
And Keitaro laughed.
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Asuka's smile was only starting to fade as she placed the phone back on the receiver. Shinji was back, Shinobu would probably either force one of them to drive her over or do it herself. 'Hell or high water won't keep her away from here now.' Turning away from the bank of telephones, Asuka was planning on going back to talk to Shinji some more, Misato however was blocking her path.
"I don't think you've let him have more than an hour to himself since he woke up yesterday," the purple haired woman said with a bit of humor in her voice.
Misato wasn't on Asuka's people to talk to list at the moment so she attempted to walk past her. Misato countered and blocked the redhead's progress. "I don't feel like talking to you. Anyhow, so what if I've been talking to him. He just got out of that Eva of his two days ago and he just woke up yesterday. He missed a lot of things."
For the life of her, Misato couldn't understand why Asuka was being so harsh with her, but she pressed onward regardless. "The nurses have been telling me a lot of things Asuka, care to explain them?"
"What they finally told you that drinking as much as you do will kill you? Well they are right you know." Asuka could still smell the perfume on Kaji's jacket, 'her' perfume. 'She couldn't even wait a day after Shinji came back to rush to Kaji.'
Now that comment had hurt, Misato's tone dropped the happiness and went into officer mode. "Listen Asuka, I don't know why you're so pissed at me but I really don't care for it."
Stomping her foot, Asuka crossed her arms under he chest in a look of pure defiance, "And why should I care what you care for?" The eminent confrontation was so evident in her voice a few of the orderlies opted to get back to work a little early to avoid what was to come.
"Look Asuka," the stress getting to her Misato rubbed the spot between her eyes, "Just answer my questions and then you can do whatever you want ok?" Things were supposed to be getting better not worse for them, Misato thought once that Shinji returned.
With a way of getting Misato out of her hair, and into Kaji's bed she thought sickly, Asuka agreed to Misato's terms. "Ask your precious questions."
Thanking Kami-sama for small blessings, Misato sat on a nearby chair and waited for Asuka to do the same. When Asuka remained standing, Misato stopped caring. "The nurses say you haven't left the hospital since Shinji got here, are you staying in his room?"
The question also had a hidden meaning, Misato hadn't been back to the apartment since the recovery mission either, and she HAD been staying with Kaji. So by asking if she had been at the hospital it would answer if Asuka knew that she hadn't been home.
"I slept on a fold out cot in his room," Asuka answered truthfully. After seeing Kaji drape his arms around Misato and lead her to his car the few days before, she had no intention of returning without Shinji with her.
With a nod, Misato again let out another thanks to whoever was listening, 'then she doesn't know.' Going down the list of other questions she had, she chose from them the least likely to cause Asuka to get to upset. "The nurses said they saw you crying in his room, what caused that?"
After a feral snarl and a mental remind to draw the curtains closed so the damn lazy nurses couldn't see her and gossip. "We were talking about the last angel." Asuka left out the part where Shinji said he didn't blame her for any part of it. He said she did her best and if it wasn't for her staling the angel it could have been much worse.
"And the bruise under his eye?" Misato asked. The answer to that was how Asuka wasn't very appreciative of Shinji's words at first and she slapped him hard. Only after a lot of talking did Asuka open up to him.
Asuka could still feel Shinji's arms holding her, comforting and reassuring her. "A misunderstanding, that's all." She misunderstood how dear he was to her and how right he had been. 'I'll help him now. He's done so much for me that I took for granted, but now I'll make it up.'
Shaking her head, Misato was upset, "You couldn't wait a day before you hit him? He just went through hell and you can't give him a day before going off on him?"
Misato had just pushed the wrong button and it triggered and explosion in Asuka, "I could say the same for you. But I won't I'm not talking to you. So why don't you just go crawl back into Kaji's bed."
As Asuka stormed off, Misato looked down at her hands in disgust. 'So she did know.' Misato hadn't been proud of her actions as of late but she couldn't help it. She needed comfort just as must as the next person and Kaji had always been there for her. 'I'm just using all of them.' Fighting back the urge to cry she felt for her cell phone and called Kaji, however he didn't answer.
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"So then I just walked away from her," Asuka finished her restatement of her conversation with Misato to Shinji by throwing herself back into her chair heavily. He had asked why she was so upset upon her return.
Unsure as to whether Misato, Asuka, or both of them were in the wrong during that confrontation, Shinji just nodded. "Will you be staying again tonight?" He asked for two reasons, one was it was now bordering eight o'clock, and two he worried about yet another vocal battle between his friends. 'I guess Asuka's feelings for Kaji-san are going to change.'
Before Asuka was able to tell him anything, the door burst open. A very happy Shinobu propelled herself into Shinji's arms with tears streaming down her face. Only able to smile and laugh as Shinobu's face was crushed into Shinji's chest, Asuka stood up to leave. She could almost hear the muffled, "I missed you so much!" But Asuka couldn't be sure.
"I'll just leave you two alone right now," Asuka said as Shinji nodded as he infolded Shinobu in his arms and tried to make sense out of what had just happened. Shutting the door behind her, Asuka was happy.
A few minutes past and all Shinobu did was cry into Shinji's hospital gown and repeat over and over how much she missed him. Gently pushing her away slightly, Shinji smiled at her and apologized, but it felt great just to see her. "I'm sorry for causing you any trouble."
Realization of her outburst dawned on her and she reclined from her position almost directly on Shinji's lap and took the spot on the side of his bed. His hand in hers, she dabbed her eye with her free hand. "What happened to you? Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?""
Telling her the concocted story Misato said was his cover, he said he had been infected by a virus delivered by the angel and needed to be sent to Nerv Germany for help. It hurt him to lie to her but telling her the truth could have hurt her worse. "Again I'm so sorry for not being able to contact you."
Emotions welling in her chest again she found herself hugging him a second time but this time peppering his face with light kisses. She was just so overwhelmed seeing him again. Speaking every so often, "Its ok, just as long as your back now."
A trifle overwhelmed by Shinobu's outburst, Shinji soon found himself enjoying the shared intimacy. Bits and pieces of memories from his time in Unit-01 came back to him, but know he knew that the feelings they shared hadn't been hurt, if anything strengthened, by his absence.
Again after she reigned in her feelings, Shinobu took her seat again. "Everybody at Hinata missed you too. Motoko wanted me to remind you that you have a lot of practices to make up for." She laughed lightly as she saw Shinji's face go slack for a moment before he realized she was joking.
Joining her in a light bout of laughter, Shinji was soon totally at ease with Shinobu in his room. Things were going to get better he knew it, 'they just have to,' he added. As the silence set in, Shinji soon felt Shinobu's hand fall onto his chest and he saw her leaning over again.
Her mind was in utter chaos. Strange feelings were bubbling in her chest having Shinji back was like a dream. The feelings she could feel within her for Shinji made her crush on Keitaro appear like nothing in comparison. All she could do was look at him, feel the phantom texture of his lips against her own and a new feeling hit her. Her budding maturity caused the first bout of desire within her.
Shinji was suffering from exactly the same thing, 'her hand is so soft.' He could distinctly feel the outline of her palm against his chest through the thin material of his gown. The urge to kiss her slowly built its way into a deluge in his mind, leaning ever closer to her, Shinobu's other hand found itself attached to the back of Shinji's neck.
All this was destroyed in a single moment, as the door seemed to explode against the wall. Rei was far from happy to see that Shinobu had found her way into Shinji's room and was doing what she had planned with him. Her voice harsher than either Shinobu or Shinji ever heard, "What are you doing here?"
Broken from the trance Shinji's eyes put her under, Shinobu's head whipped over to the approaching Rei. The sense of peace seemed to evaporate once the two girls made eye contact. From his bed, Shinji was at one time happy to see Rei, and at another worried because even he had come to understand why they girls had such animosity towards each other. Something else occurred to him when he saw Rei, a sense of deep gratitude that he couldn't place.
"I'm visiting Shinji, what does it look like?" Shinobu's curt reply shocked both Rei and Shinji. She didn't appear to be ready to relinquish Shinji, whose chest her hand was still resting.
Closing the gap between her and Shinobu, Rei pulled the smaller girl off the bed. Rei's month spent battling the will of Unit-01 to reclaim her Shinji wasn't supposed to be ruined by this whelp. 'Akagi-san said that he would respond to me better now. That the experience would have left him more open to my feelings.'
"Rei, h...how are you doing? You haven't stopped by since I woke." Shinji's broken voice attempted to drain some of the hostility out of the air. His hope was that by keeping her attention away from Shinobu that maybe Rei's eyes would lose the harshness in them.
Her eyes did soften when she turned to Shinji, "I was unfortunately busy with Nerv business." She had been syncing with the dummy plug as Ritsuko's orders. "I would have come sooner had I not been delayed. As for you." The anger surging back into her eyes as Shinobu again came into focus. "I want you to leave now."
Shinobu's hand quickly shot out of Rei's grasp, "I'm not going anywhere, I just got here." Shinobu could feel her heart beating strongly in her chest, she was deathly afraid of Rei right now but she could not, would not leave Shinji with her. "I have a lot to tell him about since he was gone."
What could have been considered a growl escaped Rei's lips. She could hear Ritsuko's words in her mind. 'She'll try to take him from you. Take the only person on this planet that cares that you exist. You'll be alone again, alone forever as nobody but he could ever care for you.' Fear of losing her comrade, friend, and love Rei's body began to shake softly.
Seeing clearly at Rei was unstable at the moment, Shinji again tried to calm the air. "Why don't we all just sit down for a moment and take a breath ok? Shinobu ok? Rei ok?" He was desperate and wished for a moment that Asuka hadn't left, 'she would know what to do right now.'
Shinobu saw Rei's shaking as a sign of weakness. 'What was it that Asuka said, strike while their weakest and you can't lose.' Finding her chance to possibly be rid of Rei and her threats, Shinobu searched her memories for ammo to fire at the red-eyed First Child. Remembering the odd comments her classmates often said about Rei, Shinobu spoke.
"Why are you even here? From what everybody says you don't really even have emotions! Just a doll doing what others tell you to. Did somebody tell you to do this? To try and get close to Shinji?" The feeling of elation she had felt for finally standing up for herself and not just whimpering and standing aside was great but short lived.
Fear added with anger equated into a violent reaction. Rei's fist balled up and slammed into Shinobu's stomach. Wincing in pain, Shinobu doubled over in pain. Had her mind not been clouded with hormones, Shinobu wouldn't have retaliated as she did. Standing at full height resisting the drowning sense of pain, her eyes hardened. Letting her own fist do her talking now, Shinobu was moderately surprised when she actually felt Rei's face behind her fist.
Horrified as he witnessed the two girls start trading blows, Shinji fought his own physical weakness and dragged himself out of bed. As his feat touched the ground he could see that Rei's training gave her far more than just the upper hand. She rained punches down on Shinobu. Shinobu who now only offered a few retaliatory punches, had blood trickling down her face. 'I have to stop this, I have to stop it now!'
"I told you to leave him, I gave you time, I won't lose the only person on this planet that cares that I exist!" Rei hollered in Shinobu's face as her right hand found a home on Shinobu's throat.
Through her one open eye, the other held shut after it was hit, Shinobu felt Rei's fingers wrap around her throat. 'Her hand is warm,' she thought absently as she waited for the squeeze to start. It never did.
Rei's hand went slack and Shinobu couldn't understand why. The fight seemed to have ended without her knowing it. Cleaning some of the blood/sweat from her eye she was dimly aware of the sound of crying. As her eyes came into focus she saw Rei crying heavily as Shinji held her. 'He's hugging her,' part of her mind thought in disbelief but a more sensible thought came to her, 'he stopped her from killing me.'
Looking at her with a face that pleaded for understanding, Shinji continued to hold the sobbing Rei. It felt so odd to him to have Rei act like this, 'I guess she was just to afraid to ever really show her feelings.' He saw the look of fear in Shinobu's face and begged that she understood his reasons.
She did and she thanked him for it mentally, physically however she had started crying herself and ran out of his room and back to the van that had brought her to the hospital and her waiting friends.
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Having Shinobu rush into the van the moment they found a parking place was something Keitaro and Kitsune thought impossible. Finding her face matted with drying blood was even more improbable.
"What the hell happened in there?" Kitsune asked as she took a full look at Shinobu, and her red eyes. "He didn't do something to you did he?" The words sounded obtuse even to her but without an explanation what else could she think.
Looking straight ahead, Shinobu cleaned her face off the best she could the shock was just starting to wear off. "Can we go home please?"
Kitsune gave Keitaro a small nod, climbed into the back seat next to the now slightly trembling child, and Keitaro started the engine and headed back towards home. Something had happened in that hospital and they doubted Shinji was at fault.
Silence prevailed for the majority of the ride back, Kitsune just sat next to Shinobu, and her arm draped comfortingly around the smaller girls shoulders. Almost feeling the girls heart calming, Kitsune ventured to ask her again. "Shinobu what just happened?"
With her mind and heart calmed, Shinobu believed she knew what happened. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves that suddenly began to shake again, she started her dialogue. Both Keitaro and Kitsune would later retell her story to the rest of Hinata Lodge and how her face seemed almost proud.
She recounted her arrival to Shinji's room, and blushed softly when she told them about the hug. She left out the part when she felt her hormones kick in for the first real time in her life, because that was private. Then she told of Rei walking, barging, into the room. The look of pride never left her face when she told them how she finally stood up to the other blue haired girl.
Then she told them of the fight, and how she figured why Shinji did what he had done.
With a new view of the chef in her mind, Kitsune made a note never to think of her as a child again. 'She's a woman now, and she's fighting her own battles.' Ruffling Shinobu's hair she had to take the firm standpoint however. "I won't say you did the right thing by fighting her, but now she knows you won't just hand him over to her."
Keitaro didn't say a word, he knew better than to get involved with their conversation, 'Women know what's best for women, I just hope Shinji isn't doing something he'll regret right now though.'
Inspiration struck Kitsune as she looked at the firm determination on Shinobu's face. "Say Shinobu, why don't you visit him more often? He is your boyfriend now isn't he? I think we could over look a few nights out late."
His face going white, Keitaro almost swerved into oncoming traffic, 'She can't mean what I think she is, can she?'
Now Keitaro was half right, Kitsune wasn't advocating Shinji and Shinobu have sex, but a little make out session could do wonders for them, and put this Rei girl in her place. "Why not surprise him Monday after school, if he goes, by paying him a visit?"
Proving again to Kitsune that the person next to her was no longer a child, Shinobu smiled at her. "You know what Kitsune-sempai, I think I might." The smile had a chain reaction in Kitsune, and despite the small swelling in Shinobu's face, both thought that the trip was far worth it. Laughing at the situation, Kitsune envied Shinobu a little that night as they drove back.
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Looking at his room for the first time in a month, Shinji marveled at how clean it looked. "I thought I'd have to clean this place from top to bottom."
Punching his arm lightly, Asuka scoffed at him, "We're not helpless Shinji, not like you yesterday." Asuka's scold was a little harsh but she wasn't happy to find Rei in Shinji's arms where she thought Shinobu would have been. She believed his story about the fight and that grabbing Rei was the only way he could have stopped the fight in his current condition. The nurses validated it after all.
Nodding his head, "I know, just nice to have it taken care of." Feeling terribly tired for somebody that just left the hospital an hour ago, he sat on his bed. "Wonder where Misato is, she didn't drive us home this morning."
The sour look on Asuka's face as she took Shinji's desk chair and sat opposite him, told him where Asuka thought she was. 'I could always call Kaji-san he did give me his cell number a while back.' He squashed that idea as if Asuka's theory proved right he wouldn't want to interrupt. "Feeling better yourself?"
Honestly she did feel better. Although her pride took a nasty hit from the last few angels, having Shinji there to provide some support helped her immensely. "Could be worse," she felt her fingers entwine around her wrists as she laced them behind her back. "What about you. You know you can't let things go on now between Rei and Shinobu, what are you going to do?"
Faced with the awful truth behind Asuka's declaration, Shinji's head sank. "I know I have to choose one of them. Its just so hard, I don't want either to be hurt but if I don't yesterday's fight could happen again."
Casting a look outside the window in his room, Asuka noticed a few repair crews fixing a building. 'One may have to leave, and the other may have a break down. Damn he does have it tough.' Trying to lighten the mood, "You could always tell them you fell in love with me in the hospital."
Feeling his face flush, Shinji looked up and saw that Asuka's face was devoid of any emotion. 'Had she meant that?'
A small ounce of jealousy flared in Asuka as she looked into his eyes. 'No I can't add to his problems.' Covering for her more serious than she had intended joke, she started laughing. "Get real baka, it was a joke. We'd never make a good couple."
Letting Asuka's laugh become contagious he joined her. "Thanks Asuka, I needed a good laugh."
Sliding off his chair, Asuka headed to the door in to his room. "You look tired, get some sleep. Then think about this seriously. The longer you wait the harder it will be to do what must be done. I'll make us some lunch and wake you when it's done."
Taking her advice he crawled over to his pillow and looked at the girl at his door. "Asuka wait a second." He just couldn't let her walk away after doing so many nice things for him today.
Catching the door with her hand before it closed, "Yeah what is it? The food won't prepare itself."
"You're wrong. If things were different I bet we could have been a great couple," he said with his face reddening and his voice uneasy.
Shutting the door completely, Asuka's heart had skipped a beat. Her own face turned into a light crimson, 'that baka.' Leaning against his door for a moment she debated on going back inside and talking some more. She decided to head to the kitchen instead. 'I'll help that baka to see how much he loves Shinobu.'
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"Would you just go in the damn room already!" Asuka chided her cowering flat mate who had been twitching nervously the whole walk to school. "Its not like they'll be throwing chairs at each other or holding knives to your throat until you make a choice."
He knew she was right and that he was acting foolish, but he couldn't help it. As much as he wanted to be firm and put this whole triangle business behind him, it wasn't an easy choice. "Has anything happened in class since I've been...away?"
Taking Shinji's hand and all but dragging him into the classroom, "Just a few more students have left that's all." Looking around the room, Asuka waved her hand. "See Rei isn't even here and if she's not here this early she won't be coming."
Seeing their fellow stooge enter for the first time in over a month, Touji and Kensuke swarmed over and abducted the helpless pilot, leaving Asuka to her own devises. 'Now where is Shinobu?' The German suppressed a laugh as saw Shinji being assaulted by questions and slaps on the backs from his friends that was until she saw Shinobu walking down the hallway towards her. 'Now's my chance.'
With Kitsune's pep talk still fresh in her mind, and a few combat tips from Naru, Motoko, and oddly enough Su, Shinobu was ready for anything that could happen to her. 'But how do I do this? Do I ask if I can come over, do I just go over, what if Rei is already there, what if she's with him now?' The multitude of questions poured steadily through the mind of the petit child. So focused on her after school plans, Shinobu had failed to notice how Asuka was grinning at her when she walked in the door.
Her voice chipper and light, "Oh Sssssshhhinnnnoooobuuu!" Asuka drawled lowly and sent her target into a bout of hysterics. Laughing at how skittish the young heroin was, Asuka waited for her to calm down before pulling her over into a corner of the room.
"Oh hi Asuka, how are you doing?" Shinobu asked as her eyes scanned the classroom for both Shinji and Rei. Finding one but not the other did a great deal to bolster her confidence. "Something you want?"
Almost sensing Shinobu's intention, Asuka's face brightened, 'that'll make this all the more easier. Now if I can just keep Misato away.' Following Shinobu's line of sight, and making it overly apparent to Shinobu that she knew what the girl was looking for. "Not something I want, but what you want."
Feeling embarrassed for her open display of affection and being so easy to read, Shinobu tried to bluff. "What are you talking about Asuka?" She wasn't sure if it was her healing bruise that was causing her discomfort now or if it was the look Asuka was giving her, an almost carnal look.
"I'm talking about you and Shinji. I know about the fight with Rei yesterday. How would you like to put all this behind you?" It felt good to be helping those two in Asuka's mind. She didn't hate Rei, despite popular opinion, but it was the girl's own fault for being shy.
Fumbling with her hands, Shinobu's head lowered and she couldn't lift it. She wanted what Asuka asked more than anything. "You know about the fight, did he tell you why he...he hugged her and..." the words fell flat from her mouth.
Not exactly liking the twist the conversation took, Asuka chose to address that issue quickly and put Shinobu's lingering doubts to bed. "He grabbed her because she was the aggressor. If he grabbed you it would have only enraged her further and that wouldn't have helped."
Nodding to the now overly sensible reason presented to her, Shinobu had to admit it made sense.
"Now back to the important matter. Are you busy today? Anything going on after school?" To say hope was in Asuka's voice would have been an understatement.
The butterflies in her stomach seemed to react violently to Asuka's question. The blood thundered behind Shinobu's ears. Yes she did have plans today, but if she was a betting woman she would have put all her money on that she and Asuka had the same idea. 'It can't be that easy can it?'
Taking the silence as key to continue, "How about you pay our humble little baka a visit? I'll keep any annoyances at bay and I'm sure you two can come to terms with your relationship."
"Asuka," Shinobu's one word reply said more to the German than a thousand- word letter. It spoke of gratitude, hope, understanding, and a slew of other emotions that were attacking the girls mind.
Putting a reassuring hand on Shinobu's shoulder, Asuka remained silent. She just looked at Shinji and hoped that this would be just one of the things she did to show him how much she appreciated him. 'He better not screw it up though,' she thought with a small smile knowing that it was quite possible for him.
'Now how to keep Misato away from the apartment, and keeping him in the dark too.'
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Had Asuka known of Kaji's actions the past few days she'd not have worried about Misato. At the moment, Misato was staring across a small-darkened cell. Her mind replayed the conversation that brought her to this moment. After her encounter with Asuka a convoy of agents met her at the hospital and lead her to a small conference room.
"Are you going to tell me what this is about, or are you in love with me?" Misato asked without an ounce of humor in her voice. The past few days weren't kind to her. After her brief night with Kaji, things just deteriorated.
From behind his tinted glasses, the agent wasn't in the mood for jokes either. "About seven hours ago Vice Commander Fuyutsuki was abducted."
She tried to keep the shock from being so plainly expressed on her face. She hadn't heard anything about that. "Do you have any suspects?"
His eyes not seeing the beautiful woman, but a possible co-conspirator, he nodded. "Our main suspect is Ryoji Kaji."
Having her own suspicions about Kaji's actions, Misato wasn't to surprised by the agents statement. 'So that's why I'm here, they think I'm with him on this.' Taking her card key and side arm out of her holster she handed them over to the waiting agent. Then she was lead to her cell.
'That was what, seven hours ago, was it later?' Misato tried to recall the exact amount of time she had been detained but time seemed to blur together. She hated the darkness, hated being alone, and worst of all she hated not knowing what was happening around her. "He better not go and do anything stupid."
As she pulled herself into the fetal position and waited hopefully to be released, Kaji was freeing the man he had just abducted.
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He didn't want to seem rude, but Shinji had hoped Asuka would have came home with him after school had ended. He had reconciled with Shinobu about the previous nights incident over lunch, but she seemed distant as if she had something pressing on her mind. Hoping to talk to Asuka about whether he should do something for her to make things up, he was regretfully informed that she and Hikari were going mall hopping for a while.
So Shinji found himself alone in the apartment. Misato had yet to show up or even leave a message about where she was, so he guessed she was busy at work. He passed the immediate after school hours by doing his make up work, and watching television. 'I wonder if Shinobu's mad at me, she wouldn't let me walk her to the terminal today.'
He couldn't blame her for being mad. She cared for him and was rewarded by getting into fight with another girl whom was vying for his affection as well. He thought briefly about what would have happened if Rei had stressed an interest in him prior to his meeting Shinobu. 'We'd have been a couple long before now if that were the case,' he thought absently as he reached for the television remote.
"This is getting me no where!" he yelled to himself, and Pen-pen who had waddled over to see what was on the talking box. 'I know it won't answer itself but what am I to do about this honestly?' The buzzing doorbell dislodged his internal mantra about his need for action.
Being the only resident currently home, he accepted his duty to tell whatever salesman that they didn't want to move to a safer condo in Tokyo- 2. They were coming in greater numbers as of late. Without bothering to check the peephole, Shinji swung the door open expecting a nice middle-aged man in a suit with a fake pressed on smile to be there. "S...Shinobu?"
Her hands clenching her few books tightly, her whole body screamed of fear, anticipation, and unease. "Hello Shinji, can I come in?"
His own unease setting in he stepped aside, "Sure you can. I thought you were mad at me though."
Taking her shoes off, Shinobu ventured into the shared domicile where she now felt quite at home. "No I wasn't. Just trying to surprise you that's all." Images of her talk with Kitsune and to a lesser degree Asuka flashed in her mind adding to her already frazzled senses.
Shutting the door and locking it, Shinji joined Shinobu in the living room. "You succeeded. With the house empty I thought it was a salesman or one of the others forgot their key again."
'So Asuka did keep here word, we'll be alone all night,' Shinobu didn't know if she was joyful of fearful after her suspicions were put to rest. "I'm not bothering you am I?"
Finding a spot on the couch, where Shinobu quickly followed in sitting, "Not at all. I was really bored to tell the truth. So I was just watching television."
Looking at his reclining form, Shinobu's mind remembered the last time they had been like this. It felt ages ago and she could feel herself praying for a repeat performance, just this time they had no time limit. "Its just so good to see you again Shinji. I missed you so much."
Wanting to say the same, but knowing he hadn't truly been away like she thought, Shinji smiled and took her hand in his. "I wish I didn't happen. That I stayed here with you."
Putting pretense aside, Shinobu started talking openly about the time that Shinji had been gone. How she had heard from Asuka about his being hurt. How she cried herself to sleep, how she prayed for his quick return. Each memory stung Shinji's heart. As he listened to her speak he didn't feel the passage of time.
After Shinobu related to Shinji about the month of her life that he had missed it was well into the night. Shinobu had needed a few breaks in her recounting to stop from crying, or for an occasional glass of water. With the air so heavy, Shinji felt the need to try and change that. "Care for something to eat. I'm sure we have something in the fridge."
He didn't know about food stock but he knew for certain his flat mates had some fresh take out food in the fridge somewhere that he could re-warm. Shinobu, suddenly famished, agreed to join him in the hunt. Somewhere along the line, Shinobu asked Shinji what he had done over the past month.
He answered truthfully, "Most of the time was unconscious, and I have no real memory of what happened since the angel battle and when I was brought back."
'I'm letting this night slip away from me! I've just brought more sadness to him.' Shinobu thought sadly as she pulled out a box of pizza from the fridge. "This looks safe enough to eat."
Looking for any 'fuzz' on the cheese and finding none, Shinji micro waved a few pieces and set the table for the two of them. They ate in a comfortable silence having nothing really to add at the moment. "So...how has the Lodge been lately?"
Dazzling Shinji with a smile that Shinobu often did reserve for recounting of her family. "Good. It's been like a breath of fresh air just blew though the place. Everybody is so much happier now."
Finishing their meals, Shinji gathered the plates and added them to a small stack that had been forming in the sink. 'What do we do now?' He looked over at Shinobu whose body again seemed strained and on the verge of action.
'I have to be strong. I can do this.' Her eyes drifted from the tabletop to Shinji's face and her worries wafted away. 'I WANT to do this.' Standing up and pushing her chair back into its resting place, Shinobu's resolve was set. "Shinji, you know what I've been here how many times and I don't think I've ever seen your room."
Shinji knew that was a lie but something about how Shinobu was acting told him not to question her about it. "That is odd," he played along, "I guess...I guess I could show you." He wasn't sure if his voice contained the fear that was clawing at the back of his mind but he knew it was there. 'What is she doing...she couldn't...'
On unsteady legs, Shinji led Shinobu to his small sleeping space. Still absent of anything besides his cello and his cloths. "Not much to it is there?"
Both teens could feel a heavy tension building. Uncertainty, worry, and a healthy dose of hormones were waging a small war within each of them. They sat on his bed looking at one another. Looking deeply into the others eyes but not saying anything.
Being the first to speak, Shinji was totally aware of how soft Shinobu's words were. "I missed another thing while you were away and I want to fix that."
Nodding dumbly, Shinji couldn't get himself to say anything. "When you left me last month, we were so close. Close to putting aside the façade of friendship. I remember kissing you and praying that I would be the only one to feel that."
He wasn't stupid, Shinji knew that Shinobu was alluding his time with Rei. Opening his mouth to speak, Shinobu preempted him. "I love you Shinji. I don't want you to be with anybody other than me. Not anymore. You being gone for so long made me realize that. Be with me Shinji, and just me."
It was surreal to him, Shinobu just confessed so much in such a short time. He was about to speak, but following Asuka's advice regarding Shinji's actions, Shinobu kissed him. To her it felt right, she felt his hands and for a moment feared he'd push her away, but instead he wrapped them around her. Not tightly but comfortingly.
They spent a long while kissing each other chastely before combined hormones and in honest love overtook them and things increased in intensity. Both being new to the whole art of physical expressions of love it would have appeared comical to many. If questioned later, both would recall it was Shinobu that first attempted the open mouth kiss.
Breaking away from Shinobu, Shinji felt something that at the same time thrilled him and terrified him. He 'wanted' Shinobu at that moment, but his rational mind screamed at him that they were both way to young for such a thing. But looking at Shinobu he could easily see himself squashing the objecting voice. Needing to quickly think about this he came up with an excuse, "I need to get a drink, I'll be back real quick."
Her blushing face, which to Shinji never looked more beautiful, smiled at him and asked him to bring her a glass of water too. Her own doubts were there too, and she was uncertain as to how far to take things, but right now everything was right with the world.
Rushing to the kitchen, Shinji panted heavily, and it wasn't all due to his running. 'What do I do? This is all happening to fast. What am I supposed to do about this' His frantic mind spied his phone sitting on the counter. 'Kaji!' Surely Kaji could give him some advice. Shinji knew Kaji was no stranger to this sort of thing.
Hitting the auto dial on the phone, Shinji waited and listened to the digital ringer. Just as he was about to give up, Kaji's voice picked up. While he wasn't sure, Shinji almost swore he could detect a trace of fear on the older man's voice.
"Kaji-san, its me Shinji, do you have a minute?" Shinji just hoped he didn't sound to desperate.
Looking around the dilapidated buildings around him, Kaji had a sense of foreboding. He had just committed a crime that was punishable by death and was sure people were out to make good on his sentence. On his way to meet an old friend that was going to help him get out of the country, Kaji was a little of stride. "I'm kinda busy right now Shinji, is it really that important?"
To him it was, Shinji started to speak. "Well I'm here with Shinobu and...well um...things are..."
Had he not been so worried at the moment, Kaji would have laughed. 'So Shinji's girl friend is over and he's worried about taking 'the big step.'' Taking a drag of his cigarette Kaji accepted his fate. He stopped his walking and leaned against a building, "Do you have any doubts at all about this? Does she?"
While he didn't know about Shinobu, he did know about himself. "Yeah I don't think this is the right time for it."
"Then don't. I'm not saying you're too young. You are more an adult than I am Ikari-san. But if you have any doubts at all then don't. Just say something happened or change topics do something to show that, 'yeah I like you but I'm not ready.' Ok?"
The last words that Kaji heard over the phone that day were Shinji's rattled but obviously eased, "Thank you Kaji-san." Flipping his phone closed, Kaji just hoped that his time on the phone hadn't delayed him to long and his contact left.
Walking into the abandoned warehouse that his contact said to be at over fifteen minutes ago, Kaji spotted somebody he didn't know. 'Ah so it was a trap.'
Reaching for his own side-arm Kaji made a promise to Shinji to repay him for saving his life. 'Kid just saved my life with that call. Guess I need to do a little something for him.' He thought if he survived. Just because he knew that the man before him was looking around frantically with a gun extended, didn't promise he'd survive the exchange.
'I just hope he's alone, damn section-2 agents,' Kaji thought as he lined up his shot, and fired.
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Author Notes
Well it's a bit longer than I usually write them, but I wanted to get the whole part across. I try to keep them 10 – 12 pages to keep interest without boring, but I hope you enjoyed.
As for Shinji and Shinobu's little bedroom scene, sorry if you expected more but they are really just teenagers. Sure plenty of 14/15 year olds are doing such things but I really don't see them doing that, not yet anyway.
And Kaji...that's a secret
Reviews, comments, requests all welcome
Ja Mata
Zentrodie (zentrodiesecondimpact.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
OMAKE
"Welcome ladies and Gentlemen to the last of our battles!" Misato still in her red flight jacket announced to the camera.
Sitting next to her, still with her bunny ears on, and sitting by the onsen Kitsune addressed the audiance. "After Mutsumi's sudden interest in the 'contest' after Shinji defeated Shinobu we have yet another battle."
Giving the camera an apologetic look Misato continued, "We just don't know what we're going to do for the last one. We used up all our ideas during the last few battles we have our combatants here today to select the method of their combat."
Kitsune takes over again, "Entering on the right, "The Okinawa Disaster", "The Anemic Annihilator", and the one most people think Keitaro should have ended up with OTOHIME MUTSUMI"
"And taking his place at the left podium, the man that beat not one, but two potential wives IKARI SHINJI!" Misato noticed how Shinji's face was still as confused about the contest as ever.
"Now we're going to suggest a form of battle for the two of you and once you agree to it, you'll have it out, understood?" Kitsune informed to two would be combatants.
Both said that they agreed, and Misato and Kitsune took out the list of potential battles. "Ok first one is to have a repeat of the last battle."
Smiling large and lopsidedly Mutsumi laughed softly, "I have no problem with that."
Knowing for a fact that seeing any part of that woman nude would cause him to faint Shinji quite vocally declined that battle.
Misato looked at the next potential candidate. "Ok you two have a Dance Dance Revolution match, best two out of three sets wins."
"I'm pretty good at that game so I have no objection," Shinji said admitting he played the devils game.
A small frown crossed Mutsumi's face, "I've never seen that game before. Sorry but I can't agree to that one."
Starting to get bored with the lack of action in the final battle, Misato fired off a couple ideas, "What about bowling, eating competition, or a sing off?"
Being a man, and believing that if he could keep up with Touji he would have no trouble beating a girl, "I don't mind the eating competition."
Looking at Kitsune, Mutsumi wondered why she had such an evil gleam in her eyes, "What would we be eating?"
Trying her best not to laugh hysterically Kitsune already knew who to bet on, "Why watermelons Mutsumi, watermelons."
Shinobu looked at Rei and cried, "WE'VE LOST!!!"
Rei didn't understand but knew she would have to try out her AT Field attack again.
"I agree," Mutsumi said much to everybody at Hinata's understanding.
What followed was a mocker of humanity. Shinji had always liked the watery fruit but Mutsumi seemed to unhinge her jaw and swallow the fruit whole. Keitaro got a nosebleed when Mutsumi started to eat strips of the fruit that were cut into foot long sections. Shinji didn't understand why, but the cameramen couldn't get enough of the woman doing that.
After the few minute battle had ended, and Mutsumi crowned the winner, Shinji found himself standing, albeit confusingly, in the winners box. "Um, Misato I lost why am I in the winners box?"
Mutsumi answered him by glomping onto him. "You always did remind me a bit of Keitaro, and since he's with Naru now, you're all mine."
Nervously twitching Misato looked at the freaked Shinji, "I kinda put you up as the prize, you kinda belong to Mutsumi now."
Smiling very happily, Mutsumi had still yet to remove Shinji's face from her chest as she hugged him for dear life. "We'll be married by the end of the week, isn't that great?"
Pushing himself away, but unable to escape her grip, "Married, I'm not old enough to be married yet! I have a few years yet!"
"Ara Ara, I guess we'll just have to have a lot of practice for the wedding night then," Mutsumi informed her new possession of, said possession quickly had a massive nosebleed and passed out, only to be put over his owner's shoulders. "Ara ara, this will be so fun."
"Not so fast Mutsumi-san, Shinji's mine!" Shinobu declared as she rushed the older woman.
Side stepping Shinobu, Mutsumi pulled out a few photos that Shinobu just about died when she saw, "Now now, you wouldn't want these to go public would you?"
Shinobu just looked at Mutsumi and gapped. Misato turned to Kitsune, "Did she just blackmail Shinobu?"
Just as shocked at Misato, "I always thought she was a ditz! She was playing possum this whole time!" Hearing an explosion both anchors turned back to the carnage, "Oh damn now what."
Rei, firing off force bolts was furious that she couldn't land a single hit, "How can you manage to avoid my attacks!"
Weaving in and out of Rei's futile attempts to liberate Shinji, "because I know all about you and your friends, Ara ara, I've been hoping for this now if you excuse me."
Misato just shook her head, as Mutsumi appeared to jump out of the onsen and vanish into the night. "I need booze and fast."
Kitsune seconded that, but looked at the camera, "Well their you have it folks. Mutsumi is the winner of the Shinji cup and by the looks of it, he won't be an Ikari for long. Hope you stay tuned to our next event. The Wheel of Death, featuring Keitaro."
"Think they'll let us tape the wedding?" Misato asked as she and Kitsune walked away from the podium.
"After this last fight, I won't bet on anything again in my life," Kitsune said as they passed the crying Shinobu and Rei.
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Zentrodie: There it's done!
Golden Kitsune: I don't know whether to applaud or smack you.
Zen: What I do wrong this time?
GK: Well the omake was kinda good. You used a variation of my 'guess we'll just have a lot of premarital sex' joke.
Zen: I have to admit it fits Mutsumi's character a bit. But what else is wrong?
GK: The actual chapter...ZEN MAN YOU COULD HAVE HAD THEM DO IT!
Zen: But my reason...
GK: Then as another omake or something, damn man your fans want to see that!
Zen: Fans?
GK: Don't get started with that. If anything I think it would have worked.
Zen: Really?
GK: 'Like a lamb to the slaughter' Sure, now let me tell you how I see it...
Ok, getting closer and closer to the inevitable end of this story. Still a nice couple of chapters to go so no need to fret yet however. I'm trying to keep pace with writing while I have time and I think I'm doing a good job of it.
Well that's really it for my rambling today so enjoy
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Out of Disaster Chapter 18 Welcoming Back
Walking up the steps to Hinata lodge, Keitaro felt the oncoming bout of unease. Ever since Shinobu ran home crying a month ago about some accident Shinji was in, his home had dropped in intensity a notch. The full degree of Shinji's situation was vague due to issues of security, but what Shinobu gathered from her friend Asuka, it was bad. All that his 'family' knew was that Shinji hadn't sent word of his condition for over a month.
Pushing the door open, the manager spotted a few of his tenets in the living room. Motoko appeared to be studying, but Keitaro couldn't see her pupils moving, 'She's just looking at the pages.' He was surprised to learn that Motoko was so upset with the boy's bi-weekly absences. When he asked her about it, she just replied that it was a shame since he had potential.
Sitting next to Motoko on the couch watching television was Kitsune. The eternal fox was upset because of how depressed Shinobu had become. Kitsune alluded to the uninformed that something happened between the shy cook and her almost boyfriend right before the accident. Naru and Mutsumi knew what had happened but they let the couple keep their privacy about the exact details.
She spoke in the most dispassionate voice possible, "How's Naru doing at the library?" Kitsune asked merely to fill the void in the air that was usually dwelling in the apartments at the moment.
His lips turning up in a small smile, Keitaro put his satchel down and took a seat on the chair next to the couch. "Better than I would be doing in her field." Small talked help keep their minds off of the bigger things. Like how yet again one male being entered into the Hinata Lodge offset so many things, as did his absence.
Turning her races off, ones that she had not bet on, Kitsune turned to face Keitaro earnestly. "We have to do something about Shinobu. She just sits in her room and draws or cooks. Its heart wrenching."
Upon realizing the topic had changed to something important, Motoko put her pretense of reading aside as well as the book. "She does still attend school but with no word from Shinji-kun she just seems empty."
Keitaro agreed that they should do something, however they could in reality do nothing to help the poor girl. "I'd like to help her but we really can't do anything. Unless he tries to contact her we won't know anything about his condition or where he is."
"Well Su and Nyamo are planning a party for her to try and brighten her spirits," Kitsune offered with no real impression that she believed it would offer a permanent solution. Her mask of indifference dropped as she pictured Shinobu's forlorn face. "Damn him! Damn that kid for doing this to her!"
Putting a hand on Kitsune's shoulder, Motoko offered what comfort she could. "He didn't intend for this, I'm sure of it. Shinji-kun wouldn't hurt Shinobu if he had a choice."
"But he did! He doesn't have to see her like she is now. He didn't hear her for those first two weeks crying herself to sleep!" Kitsune now shouting in Motoko's face, the smell of expensive alcohol burning the swordswoman's nose. Finally breaking down into her own tears, Motoko hugged the sobbing Kitsune. "I want to hate him for it but I just can't!" her words muffled by Motoko's Gi.
Excusing himself from the room, Keitaro thought it best to leave the two of them alone. Kitsune seemed to be hit hardest by Shinobu's downward spiral. He often felt the same as her but tried to think positively. 'Surely their must be some reason he hasn't contacted her. Why can't they just tell us what it is?'
On his way to his and Naru's shared room the ringing of the telephone stopped his advance. "Hinata Lodge, Keitaro Urashima speaking."
After a short pause a young girl's voice filled Keitaro's ear. "Is Shinobu there?"
Looking at the onsen where Shinobu was most likely taking her nightly bath before she fixed supper, Keitaro let out a heavy sigh. "Sorry she's busy and most likely will be for the rest of the day. Can I ask who's calling, I could leave her a note." Not really enjoying the lie that was used to cover for Shinobu's request not to have phone calls, Keitaro reached for a nearby pad of paper and a pen.
After the girl replied to his inquiry the phone dropped from his hands as he ran back to the living room. "Shinji's back and at Tokyo-3 hospital!" Keitaro had been tempted to just tell Shinobu the news but he figured that being hit by Naru and occasionally Motoko was enough.
Having calmed down a lot, Kitsune's face light up like a campfire, as did Motoko's. Both girls asked in perfect unison, "Have you told Shinobu yet?"
Gesturing to the onsen, Keitaro shook his head. "I don't think I'm the one to tell her right now." He added with a small smirk.
Motoko nodded, "You are learning, and here we believed you would never stop your acts of perversion." Her body was already hustling towards the bathing girl's location.
Her body about to burst with anticipation, Kitsune ran full tilt towards her waiting buddy. 'To hell with discretion.' Reaching the door to the onsen long before Keitaro and Motoko had covered half the distance, Kitsune threw it open and charged in.
A startled Shinobu quickly covered herself in fear of one of Keitaro's occasional accidents and yelped in surprise. Taking a small peak at the intruder and praying they had cloths on, "Kitsune-sempai what is it? Why are you so...so...happy?" Yes the look Shinobu saw on Kitsune's face was pure happiness.
Kitsune was happy not only for the boy's return but for the hopeful return to Shinobu's joy. "Your Shinji-kun has just been brought back to Tokyo-3 hospital.
For a few moments all Shinobu did was stare. She was trying to read Kitsune's mind, body, aura, or whatever else she could for any signs of deception. Finding none she ran out of the bath without a word.
Catching the nude Shinobu at the door of the onsen, Motoko had to insist she put some cloths on before she headed off to she Shinji. Shinobu hadn't even realized she hadn't been clothed at all. Watching from inside the bath enclosure, Kitsune saw Keitaro walk over to her as Motoko lead the now towel clad Shinobu towards her room to prepare.
Not wasting any time Kitsune stated, and signaled to Keitaro that her mood had increased already, "I doubt Shinji would have minded if she greeted him like that."
And Keitaro laughed.
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Asuka's smile was only starting to fade as she placed the phone back on the receiver. Shinji was back, Shinobu would probably either force one of them to drive her over or do it herself. 'Hell or high water won't keep her away from here now.' Turning away from the bank of telephones, Asuka was planning on going back to talk to Shinji some more, Misato however was blocking her path.
"I don't think you've let him have more than an hour to himself since he woke up yesterday," the purple haired woman said with a bit of humor in her voice.
Misato wasn't on Asuka's people to talk to list at the moment so she attempted to walk past her. Misato countered and blocked the redhead's progress. "I don't feel like talking to you. Anyhow, so what if I've been talking to him. He just got out of that Eva of his two days ago and he just woke up yesterday. He missed a lot of things."
For the life of her, Misato couldn't understand why Asuka was being so harsh with her, but she pressed onward regardless. "The nurses have been telling me a lot of things Asuka, care to explain them?"
"What they finally told you that drinking as much as you do will kill you? Well they are right you know." Asuka could still smell the perfume on Kaji's jacket, 'her' perfume. 'She couldn't even wait a day after Shinji came back to rush to Kaji.'
Now that comment had hurt, Misato's tone dropped the happiness and went into officer mode. "Listen Asuka, I don't know why you're so pissed at me but I really don't care for it."
Stomping her foot, Asuka crossed her arms under he chest in a look of pure defiance, "And why should I care what you care for?" The eminent confrontation was so evident in her voice a few of the orderlies opted to get back to work a little early to avoid what was to come.
"Look Asuka," the stress getting to her Misato rubbed the spot between her eyes, "Just answer my questions and then you can do whatever you want ok?" Things were supposed to be getting better not worse for them, Misato thought once that Shinji returned.
With a way of getting Misato out of her hair, and into Kaji's bed she thought sickly, Asuka agreed to Misato's terms. "Ask your precious questions."
Thanking Kami-sama for small blessings, Misato sat on a nearby chair and waited for Asuka to do the same. When Asuka remained standing, Misato stopped caring. "The nurses say you haven't left the hospital since Shinji got here, are you staying in his room?"
The question also had a hidden meaning, Misato hadn't been back to the apartment since the recovery mission either, and she HAD been staying with Kaji. So by asking if she had been at the hospital it would answer if Asuka knew that she hadn't been home.
"I slept on a fold out cot in his room," Asuka answered truthfully. After seeing Kaji drape his arms around Misato and lead her to his car the few days before, she had no intention of returning without Shinji with her.
With a nod, Misato again let out another thanks to whoever was listening, 'then she doesn't know.' Going down the list of other questions she had, she chose from them the least likely to cause Asuka to get to upset. "The nurses said they saw you crying in his room, what caused that?"
After a feral snarl and a mental remind to draw the curtains closed so the damn lazy nurses couldn't see her and gossip. "We were talking about the last angel." Asuka left out the part where Shinji said he didn't blame her for any part of it. He said she did her best and if it wasn't for her staling the angel it could have been much worse.
"And the bruise under his eye?" Misato asked. The answer to that was how Asuka wasn't very appreciative of Shinji's words at first and she slapped him hard. Only after a lot of talking did Asuka open up to him.
Asuka could still feel Shinji's arms holding her, comforting and reassuring her. "A misunderstanding, that's all." She misunderstood how dear he was to her and how right he had been. 'I'll help him now. He's done so much for me that I took for granted, but now I'll make it up.'
Shaking her head, Misato was upset, "You couldn't wait a day before you hit him? He just went through hell and you can't give him a day before going off on him?"
Misato had just pushed the wrong button and it triggered and explosion in Asuka, "I could say the same for you. But I won't I'm not talking to you. So why don't you just go crawl back into Kaji's bed."
As Asuka stormed off, Misato looked down at her hands in disgust. 'So she did know.' Misato hadn't been proud of her actions as of late but she couldn't help it. She needed comfort just as must as the next person and Kaji had always been there for her. 'I'm just using all of them.' Fighting back the urge to cry she felt for her cell phone and called Kaji, however he didn't answer.
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"So then I just walked away from her," Asuka finished her restatement of her conversation with Misato to Shinji by throwing herself back into her chair heavily. He had asked why she was so upset upon her return.
Unsure as to whether Misato, Asuka, or both of them were in the wrong during that confrontation, Shinji just nodded. "Will you be staying again tonight?" He asked for two reasons, one was it was now bordering eight o'clock, and two he worried about yet another vocal battle between his friends. 'I guess Asuka's feelings for Kaji-san are going to change.'
Before Asuka was able to tell him anything, the door burst open. A very happy Shinobu propelled herself into Shinji's arms with tears streaming down her face. Only able to smile and laugh as Shinobu's face was crushed into Shinji's chest, Asuka stood up to leave. She could almost hear the muffled, "I missed you so much!" But Asuka couldn't be sure.
"I'll just leave you two alone right now," Asuka said as Shinji nodded as he infolded Shinobu in his arms and tried to make sense out of what had just happened. Shutting the door behind her, Asuka was happy.
A few minutes past and all Shinobu did was cry into Shinji's hospital gown and repeat over and over how much she missed him. Gently pushing her away slightly, Shinji smiled at her and apologized, but it felt great just to see her. "I'm sorry for causing you any trouble."
Realization of her outburst dawned on her and she reclined from her position almost directly on Shinji's lap and took the spot on the side of his bed. His hand in hers, she dabbed her eye with her free hand. "What happened to you? Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?""
Telling her the concocted story Misato said was his cover, he said he had been infected by a virus delivered by the angel and needed to be sent to Nerv Germany for help. It hurt him to lie to her but telling her the truth could have hurt her worse. "Again I'm so sorry for not being able to contact you."
Emotions welling in her chest again she found herself hugging him a second time but this time peppering his face with light kisses. She was just so overwhelmed seeing him again. Speaking every so often, "Its ok, just as long as your back now."
A trifle overwhelmed by Shinobu's outburst, Shinji soon found himself enjoying the shared intimacy. Bits and pieces of memories from his time in Unit-01 came back to him, but know he knew that the feelings they shared hadn't been hurt, if anything strengthened, by his absence.
Again after she reigned in her feelings, Shinobu took her seat again. "Everybody at Hinata missed you too. Motoko wanted me to remind you that you have a lot of practices to make up for." She laughed lightly as she saw Shinji's face go slack for a moment before he realized she was joking.
Joining her in a light bout of laughter, Shinji was soon totally at ease with Shinobu in his room. Things were going to get better he knew it, 'they just have to,' he added. As the silence set in, Shinji soon felt Shinobu's hand fall onto his chest and he saw her leaning over again.
Her mind was in utter chaos. Strange feelings were bubbling in her chest having Shinji back was like a dream. The feelings she could feel within her for Shinji made her crush on Keitaro appear like nothing in comparison. All she could do was look at him, feel the phantom texture of his lips against her own and a new feeling hit her. Her budding maturity caused the first bout of desire within her.
Shinji was suffering from exactly the same thing, 'her hand is so soft.' He could distinctly feel the outline of her palm against his chest through the thin material of his gown. The urge to kiss her slowly built its way into a deluge in his mind, leaning ever closer to her, Shinobu's other hand found itself attached to the back of Shinji's neck.
All this was destroyed in a single moment, as the door seemed to explode against the wall. Rei was far from happy to see that Shinobu had found her way into Shinji's room and was doing what she had planned with him. Her voice harsher than either Shinobu or Shinji ever heard, "What are you doing here?"
Broken from the trance Shinji's eyes put her under, Shinobu's head whipped over to the approaching Rei. The sense of peace seemed to evaporate once the two girls made eye contact. From his bed, Shinji was at one time happy to see Rei, and at another worried because even he had come to understand why they girls had such animosity towards each other. Something else occurred to him when he saw Rei, a sense of deep gratitude that he couldn't place.
"I'm visiting Shinji, what does it look like?" Shinobu's curt reply shocked both Rei and Shinji. She didn't appear to be ready to relinquish Shinji, whose chest her hand was still resting.
Closing the gap between her and Shinobu, Rei pulled the smaller girl off the bed. Rei's month spent battling the will of Unit-01 to reclaim her Shinji wasn't supposed to be ruined by this whelp. 'Akagi-san said that he would respond to me better now. That the experience would have left him more open to my feelings.'
"Rei, h...how are you doing? You haven't stopped by since I woke." Shinji's broken voice attempted to drain some of the hostility out of the air. His hope was that by keeping her attention away from Shinobu that maybe Rei's eyes would lose the harshness in them.
Her eyes did soften when she turned to Shinji, "I was unfortunately busy with Nerv business." She had been syncing with the dummy plug as Ritsuko's orders. "I would have come sooner had I not been delayed. As for you." The anger surging back into her eyes as Shinobu again came into focus. "I want you to leave now."
Shinobu's hand quickly shot out of Rei's grasp, "I'm not going anywhere, I just got here." Shinobu could feel her heart beating strongly in her chest, she was deathly afraid of Rei right now but she could not, would not leave Shinji with her. "I have a lot to tell him about since he was gone."
What could have been considered a growl escaped Rei's lips. She could hear Ritsuko's words in her mind. 'She'll try to take him from you. Take the only person on this planet that cares that you exist. You'll be alone again, alone forever as nobody but he could ever care for you.' Fear of losing her comrade, friend, and love Rei's body began to shake softly.
Seeing clearly at Rei was unstable at the moment, Shinji again tried to calm the air. "Why don't we all just sit down for a moment and take a breath ok? Shinobu ok? Rei ok?" He was desperate and wished for a moment that Asuka hadn't left, 'she would know what to do right now.'
Shinobu saw Rei's shaking as a sign of weakness. 'What was it that Asuka said, strike while their weakest and you can't lose.' Finding her chance to possibly be rid of Rei and her threats, Shinobu searched her memories for ammo to fire at the red-eyed First Child. Remembering the odd comments her classmates often said about Rei, Shinobu spoke.
"Why are you even here? From what everybody says you don't really even have emotions! Just a doll doing what others tell you to. Did somebody tell you to do this? To try and get close to Shinji?" The feeling of elation she had felt for finally standing up for herself and not just whimpering and standing aside was great but short lived.
Fear added with anger equated into a violent reaction. Rei's fist balled up and slammed into Shinobu's stomach. Wincing in pain, Shinobu doubled over in pain. Had her mind not been clouded with hormones, Shinobu wouldn't have retaliated as she did. Standing at full height resisting the drowning sense of pain, her eyes hardened. Letting her own fist do her talking now, Shinobu was moderately surprised when she actually felt Rei's face behind her fist.
Horrified as he witnessed the two girls start trading blows, Shinji fought his own physical weakness and dragged himself out of bed. As his feat touched the ground he could see that Rei's training gave her far more than just the upper hand. She rained punches down on Shinobu. Shinobu who now only offered a few retaliatory punches, had blood trickling down her face. 'I have to stop this, I have to stop it now!'
"I told you to leave him, I gave you time, I won't lose the only person on this planet that cares that I exist!" Rei hollered in Shinobu's face as her right hand found a home on Shinobu's throat.
Through her one open eye, the other held shut after it was hit, Shinobu felt Rei's fingers wrap around her throat. 'Her hand is warm,' she thought absently as she waited for the squeeze to start. It never did.
Rei's hand went slack and Shinobu couldn't understand why. The fight seemed to have ended without her knowing it. Cleaning some of the blood/sweat from her eye she was dimly aware of the sound of crying. As her eyes came into focus she saw Rei crying heavily as Shinji held her. 'He's hugging her,' part of her mind thought in disbelief but a more sensible thought came to her, 'he stopped her from killing me.'
Looking at her with a face that pleaded for understanding, Shinji continued to hold the sobbing Rei. It felt so odd to him to have Rei act like this, 'I guess she was just to afraid to ever really show her feelings.' He saw the look of fear in Shinobu's face and begged that she understood his reasons.
She did and she thanked him for it mentally, physically however she had started crying herself and ran out of his room and back to the van that had brought her to the hospital and her waiting friends.
-----------------
Having Shinobu rush into the van the moment they found a parking place was something Keitaro and Kitsune thought impossible. Finding her face matted with drying blood was even more improbable.
"What the hell happened in there?" Kitsune asked as she took a full look at Shinobu, and her red eyes. "He didn't do something to you did he?" The words sounded obtuse even to her but without an explanation what else could she think.
Looking straight ahead, Shinobu cleaned her face off the best she could the shock was just starting to wear off. "Can we go home please?"
Kitsune gave Keitaro a small nod, climbed into the back seat next to the now slightly trembling child, and Keitaro started the engine and headed back towards home. Something had happened in that hospital and they doubted Shinji was at fault.
Silence prevailed for the majority of the ride back, Kitsune just sat next to Shinobu, and her arm draped comfortingly around the smaller girls shoulders. Almost feeling the girls heart calming, Kitsune ventured to ask her again. "Shinobu what just happened?"
With her mind and heart calmed, Shinobu believed she knew what happened. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves that suddenly began to shake again, she started her dialogue. Both Keitaro and Kitsune would later retell her story to the rest of Hinata Lodge and how her face seemed almost proud.
She recounted her arrival to Shinji's room, and blushed softly when she told them about the hug. She left out the part when she felt her hormones kick in for the first real time in her life, because that was private. Then she told of Rei walking, barging, into the room. The look of pride never left her face when she told them how she finally stood up to the other blue haired girl.
Then she told them of the fight, and how she figured why Shinji did what he had done.
With a new view of the chef in her mind, Kitsune made a note never to think of her as a child again. 'She's a woman now, and she's fighting her own battles.' Ruffling Shinobu's hair she had to take the firm standpoint however. "I won't say you did the right thing by fighting her, but now she knows you won't just hand him over to her."
Keitaro didn't say a word, he knew better than to get involved with their conversation, 'Women know what's best for women, I just hope Shinji isn't doing something he'll regret right now though.'
Inspiration struck Kitsune as she looked at the firm determination on Shinobu's face. "Say Shinobu, why don't you visit him more often? He is your boyfriend now isn't he? I think we could over look a few nights out late."
His face going white, Keitaro almost swerved into oncoming traffic, 'She can't mean what I think she is, can she?'
Now Keitaro was half right, Kitsune wasn't advocating Shinji and Shinobu have sex, but a little make out session could do wonders for them, and put this Rei girl in her place. "Why not surprise him Monday after school, if he goes, by paying him a visit?"
Proving again to Kitsune that the person next to her was no longer a child, Shinobu smiled at her. "You know what Kitsune-sempai, I think I might." The smile had a chain reaction in Kitsune, and despite the small swelling in Shinobu's face, both thought that the trip was far worth it. Laughing at the situation, Kitsune envied Shinobu a little that night as they drove back.
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Looking at his room for the first time in a month, Shinji marveled at how clean it looked. "I thought I'd have to clean this place from top to bottom."
Punching his arm lightly, Asuka scoffed at him, "We're not helpless Shinji, not like you yesterday." Asuka's scold was a little harsh but she wasn't happy to find Rei in Shinji's arms where she thought Shinobu would have been. She believed his story about the fight and that grabbing Rei was the only way he could have stopped the fight in his current condition. The nurses validated it after all.
Nodding his head, "I know, just nice to have it taken care of." Feeling terribly tired for somebody that just left the hospital an hour ago, he sat on his bed. "Wonder where Misato is, she didn't drive us home this morning."
The sour look on Asuka's face as she took Shinji's desk chair and sat opposite him, told him where Asuka thought she was. 'I could always call Kaji-san he did give me his cell number a while back.' He squashed that idea as if Asuka's theory proved right he wouldn't want to interrupt. "Feeling better yourself?"
Honestly she did feel better. Although her pride took a nasty hit from the last few angels, having Shinji there to provide some support helped her immensely. "Could be worse," she felt her fingers entwine around her wrists as she laced them behind her back. "What about you. You know you can't let things go on now between Rei and Shinobu, what are you going to do?"
Faced with the awful truth behind Asuka's declaration, Shinji's head sank. "I know I have to choose one of them. Its just so hard, I don't want either to be hurt but if I don't yesterday's fight could happen again."
Casting a look outside the window in his room, Asuka noticed a few repair crews fixing a building. 'One may have to leave, and the other may have a break down. Damn he does have it tough.' Trying to lighten the mood, "You could always tell them you fell in love with me in the hospital."
Feeling his face flush, Shinji looked up and saw that Asuka's face was devoid of any emotion. 'Had she meant that?'
A small ounce of jealousy flared in Asuka as she looked into his eyes. 'No I can't add to his problems.' Covering for her more serious than she had intended joke, she started laughing. "Get real baka, it was a joke. We'd never make a good couple."
Letting Asuka's laugh become contagious he joined her. "Thanks Asuka, I needed a good laugh."
Sliding off his chair, Asuka headed to the door in to his room. "You look tired, get some sleep. Then think about this seriously. The longer you wait the harder it will be to do what must be done. I'll make us some lunch and wake you when it's done."
Taking her advice he crawled over to his pillow and looked at the girl at his door. "Asuka wait a second." He just couldn't let her walk away after doing so many nice things for him today.
Catching the door with her hand before it closed, "Yeah what is it? The food won't prepare itself."
"You're wrong. If things were different I bet we could have been a great couple," he said with his face reddening and his voice uneasy.
Shutting the door completely, Asuka's heart had skipped a beat. Her own face turned into a light crimson, 'that baka.' Leaning against his door for a moment she debated on going back inside and talking some more. She decided to head to the kitchen instead. 'I'll help that baka to see how much he loves Shinobu.'
---------------
"Would you just go in the damn room already!" Asuka chided her cowering flat mate who had been twitching nervously the whole walk to school. "Its not like they'll be throwing chairs at each other or holding knives to your throat until you make a choice."
He knew she was right and that he was acting foolish, but he couldn't help it. As much as he wanted to be firm and put this whole triangle business behind him, it wasn't an easy choice. "Has anything happened in class since I've been...away?"
Taking Shinji's hand and all but dragging him into the classroom, "Just a few more students have left that's all." Looking around the room, Asuka waved her hand. "See Rei isn't even here and if she's not here this early she won't be coming."
Seeing their fellow stooge enter for the first time in over a month, Touji and Kensuke swarmed over and abducted the helpless pilot, leaving Asuka to her own devises. 'Now where is Shinobu?' The German suppressed a laugh as saw Shinji being assaulted by questions and slaps on the backs from his friends that was until she saw Shinobu walking down the hallway towards her. 'Now's my chance.'
With Kitsune's pep talk still fresh in her mind, and a few combat tips from Naru, Motoko, and oddly enough Su, Shinobu was ready for anything that could happen to her. 'But how do I do this? Do I ask if I can come over, do I just go over, what if Rei is already there, what if she's with him now?' The multitude of questions poured steadily through the mind of the petit child. So focused on her after school plans, Shinobu had failed to notice how Asuka was grinning at her when she walked in the door.
Her voice chipper and light, "Oh Sssssshhhinnnnoooobuuu!" Asuka drawled lowly and sent her target into a bout of hysterics. Laughing at how skittish the young heroin was, Asuka waited for her to calm down before pulling her over into a corner of the room.
"Oh hi Asuka, how are you doing?" Shinobu asked as her eyes scanned the classroom for both Shinji and Rei. Finding one but not the other did a great deal to bolster her confidence. "Something you want?"
Almost sensing Shinobu's intention, Asuka's face brightened, 'that'll make this all the more easier. Now if I can just keep Misato away.' Following Shinobu's line of sight, and making it overly apparent to Shinobu that she knew what the girl was looking for. "Not something I want, but what you want."
Feeling embarrassed for her open display of affection and being so easy to read, Shinobu tried to bluff. "What are you talking about Asuka?" She wasn't sure if it was her healing bruise that was causing her discomfort now or if it was the look Asuka was giving her, an almost carnal look.
"I'm talking about you and Shinji. I know about the fight with Rei yesterday. How would you like to put all this behind you?" It felt good to be helping those two in Asuka's mind. She didn't hate Rei, despite popular opinion, but it was the girl's own fault for being shy.
Fumbling with her hands, Shinobu's head lowered and she couldn't lift it. She wanted what Asuka asked more than anything. "You know about the fight, did he tell you why he...he hugged her and..." the words fell flat from her mouth.
Not exactly liking the twist the conversation took, Asuka chose to address that issue quickly and put Shinobu's lingering doubts to bed. "He grabbed her because she was the aggressor. If he grabbed you it would have only enraged her further and that wouldn't have helped."
Nodding to the now overly sensible reason presented to her, Shinobu had to admit it made sense.
"Now back to the important matter. Are you busy today? Anything going on after school?" To say hope was in Asuka's voice would have been an understatement.
The butterflies in her stomach seemed to react violently to Asuka's question. The blood thundered behind Shinobu's ears. Yes she did have plans today, but if she was a betting woman she would have put all her money on that she and Asuka had the same idea. 'It can't be that easy can it?'
Taking the silence as key to continue, "How about you pay our humble little baka a visit? I'll keep any annoyances at bay and I'm sure you two can come to terms with your relationship."
"Asuka," Shinobu's one word reply said more to the German than a thousand- word letter. It spoke of gratitude, hope, understanding, and a slew of other emotions that were attacking the girls mind.
Putting a reassuring hand on Shinobu's shoulder, Asuka remained silent. She just looked at Shinji and hoped that this would be just one of the things she did to show him how much she appreciated him. 'He better not screw it up though,' she thought with a small smile knowing that it was quite possible for him.
'Now how to keep Misato away from the apartment, and keeping him in the dark too.'
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Had Asuka known of Kaji's actions the past few days she'd not have worried about Misato. At the moment, Misato was staring across a small-darkened cell. Her mind replayed the conversation that brought her to this moment. After her encounter with Asuka a convoy of agents met her at the hospital and lead her to a small conference room.
"Are you going to tell me what this is about, or are you in love with me?" Misato asked without an ounce of humor in her voice. The past few days weren't kind to her. After her brief night with Kaji, things just deteriorated.
From behind his tinted glasses, the agent wasn't in the mood for jokes either. "About seven hours ago Vice Commander Fuyutsuki was abducted."
She tried to keep the shock from being so plainly expressed on her face. She hadn't heard anything about that. "Do you have any suspects?"
His eyes not seeing the beautiful woman, but a possible co-conspirator, he nodded. "Our main suspect is Ryoji Kaji."
Having her own suspicions about Kaji's actions, Misato wasn't to surprised by the agents statement. 'So that's why I'm here, they think I'm with him on this.' Taking her card key and side arm out of her holster she handed them over to the waiting agent. Then she was lead to her cell.
'That was what, seven hours ago, was it later?' Misato tried to recall the exact amount of time she had been detained but time seemed to blur together. She hated the darkness, hated being alone, and worst of all she hated not knowing what was happening around her. "He better not go and do anything stupid."
As she pulled herself into the fetal position and waited hopefully to be released, Kaji was freeing the man he had just abducted.
-----------------
He didn't want to seem rude, but Shinji had hoped Asuka would have came home with him after school had ended. He had reconciled with Shinobu about the previous nights incident over lunch, but she seemed distant as if she had something pressing on her mind. Hoping to talk to Asuka about whether he should do something for her to make things up, he was regretfully informed that she and Hikari were going mall hopping for a while.
So Shinji found himself alone in the apartment. Misato had yet to show up or even leave a message about where she was, so he guessed she was busy at work. He passed the immediate after school hours by doing his make up work, and watching television. 'I wonder if Shinobu's mad at me, she wouldn't let me walk her to the terminal today.'
He couldn't blame her for being mad. She cared for him and was rewarded by getting into fight with another girl whom was vying for his affection as well. He thought briefly about what would have happened if Rei had stressed an interest in him prior to his meeting Shinobu. 'We'd have been a couple long before now if that were the case,' he thought absently as he reached for the television remote.
"This is getting me no where!" he yelled to himself, and Pen-pen who had waddled over to see what was on the talking box. 'I know it won't answer itself but what am I to do about this honestly?' The buzzing doorbell dislodged his internal mantra about his need for action.
Being the only resident currently home, he accepted his duty to tell whatever salesman that they didn't want to move to a safer condo in Tokyo- 2. They were coming in greater numbers as of late. Without bothering to check the peephole, Shinji swung the door open expecting a nice middle-aged man in a suit with a fake pressed on smile to be there. "S...Shinobu?"
Her hands clenching her few books tightly, her whole body screamed of fear, anticipation, and unease. "Hello Shinji, can I come in?"
His own unease setting in he stepped aside, "Sure you can. I thought you were mad at me though."
Taking her shoes off, Shinobu ventured into the shared domicile where she now felt quite at home. "No I wasn't. Just trying to surprise you that's all." Images of her talk with Kitsune and to a lesser degree Asuka flashed in her mind adding to her already frazzled senses.
Shutting the door and locking it, Shinji joined Shinobu in the living room. "You succeeded. With the house empty I thought it was a salesman or one of the others forgot their key again."
'So Asuka did keep here word, we'll be alone all night,' Shinobu didn't know if she was joyful of fearful after her suspicions were put to rest. "I'm not bothering you am I?"
Finding a spot on the couch, where Shinobu quickly followed in sitting, "Not at all. I was really bored to tell the truth. So I was just watching television."
Looking at his reclining form, Shinobu's mind remembered the last time they had been like this. It felt ages ago and she could feel herself praying for a repeat performance, just this time they had no time limit. "Its just so good to see you again Shinji. I missed you so much."
Wanting to say the same, but knowing he hadn't truly been away like she thought, Shinji smiled and took her hand in his. "I wish I didn't happen. That I stayed here with you."
Putting pretense aside, Shinobu started talking openly about the time that Shinji had been gone. How she had heard from Asuka about his being hurt. How she cried herself to sleep, how she prayed for his quick return. Each memory stung Shinji's heart. As he listened to her speak he didn't feel the passage of time.
After Shinobu related to Shinji about the month of her life that he had missed it was well into the night. Shinobu had needed a few breaks in her recounting to stop from crying, or for an occasional glass of water. With the air so heavy, Shinji felt the need to try and change that. "Care for something to eat. I'm sure we have something in the fridge."
He didn't know about food stock but he knew for certain his flat mates had some fresh take out food in the fridge somewhere that he could re-warm. Shinobu, suddenly famished, agreed to join him in the hunt. Somewhere along the line, Shinobu asked Shinji what he had done over the past month.
He answered truthfully, "Most of the time was unconscious, and I have no real memory of what happened since the angel battle and when I was brought back."
'I'm letting this night slip away from me! I've just brought more sadness to him.' Shinobu thought sadly as she pulled out a box of pizza from the fridge. "This looks safe enough to eat."
Looking for any 'fuzz' on the cheese and finding none, Shinji micro waved a few pieces and set the table for the two of them. They ate in a comfortable silence having nothing really to add at the moment. "So...how has the Lodge been lately?"
Dazzling Shinji with a smile that Shinobu often did reserve for recounting of her family. "Good. It's been like a breath of fresh air just blew though the place. Everybody is so much happier now."
Finishing their meals, Shinji gathered the plates and added them to a small stack that had been forming in the sink. 'What do we do now?' He looked over at Shinobu whose body again seemed strained and on the verge of action.
'I have to be strong. I can do this.' Her eyes drifted from the tabletop to Shinji's face and her worries wafted away. 'I WANT to do this.' Standing up and pushing her chair back into its resting place, Shinobu's resolve was set. "Shinji, you know what I've been here how many times and I don't think I've ever seen your room."
Shinji knew that was a lie but something about how Shinobu was acting told him not to question her about it. "That is odd," he played along, "I guess...I guess I could show you." He wasn't sure if his voice contained the fear that was clawing at the back of his mind but he knew it was there. 'What is she doing...she couldn't...'
On unsteady legs, Shinji led Shinobu to his small sleeping space. Still absent of anything besides his cello and his cloths. "Not much to it is there?"
Both teens could feel a heavy tension building. Uncertainty, worry, and a healthy dose of hormones were waging a small war within each of them. They sat on his bed looking at one another. Looking deeply into the others eyes but not saying anything.
Being the first to speak, Shinji was totally aware of how soft Shinobu's words were. "I missed another thing while you were away and I want to fix that."
Nodding dumbly, Shinji couldn't get himself to say anything. "When you left me last month, we were so close. Close to putting aside the façade of friendship. I remember kissing you and praying that I would be the only one to feel that."
He wasn't stupid, Shinji knew that Shinobu was alluding his time with Rei. Opening his mouth to speak, Shinobu preempted him. "I love you Shinji. I don't want you to be with anybody other than me. Not anymore. You being gone for so long made me realize that. Be with me Shinji, and just me."
It was surreal to him, Shinobu just confessed so much in such a short time. He was about to speak, but following Asuka's advice regarding Shinji's actions, Shinobu kissed him. To her it felt right, she felt his hands and for a moment feared he'd push her away, but instead he wrapped them around her. Not tightly but comfortingly.
They spent a long while kissing each other chastely before combined hormones and in honest love overtook them and things increased in intensity. Both being new to the whole art of physical expressions of love it would have appeared comical to many. If questioned later, both would recall it was Shinobu that first attempted the open mouth kiss.
Breaking away from Shinobu, Shinji felt something that at the same time thrilled him and terrified him. He 'wanted' Shinobu at that moment, but his rational mind screamed at him that they were both way to young for such a thing. But looking at Shinobu he could easily see himself squashing the objecting voice. Needing to quickly think about this he came up with an excuse, "I need to get a drink, I'll be back real quick."
Her blushing face, which to Shinji never looked more beautiful, smiled at him and asked him to bring her a glass of water too. Her own doubts were there too, and she was uncertain as to how far to take things, but right now everything was right with the world.
Rushing to the kitchen, Shinji panted heavily, and it wasn't all due to his running. 'What do I do? This is all happening to fast. What am I supposed to do about this' His frantic mind spied his phone sitting on the counter. 'Kaji!' Surely Kaji could give him some advice. Shinji knew Kaji was no stranger to this sort of thing.
Hitting the auto dial on the phone, Shinji waited and listened to the digital ringer. Just as he was about to give up, Kaji's voice picked up. While he wasn't sure, Shinji almost swore he could detect a trace of fear on the older man's voice.
"Kaji-san, its me Shinji, do you have a minute?" Shinji just hoped he didn't sound to desperate.
Looking around the dilapidated buildings around him, Kaji had a sense of foreboding. He had just committed a crime that was punishable by death and was sure people were out to make good on his sentence. On his way to meet an old friend that was going to help him get out of the country, Kaji was a little of stride. "I'm kinda busy right now Shinji, is it really that important?"
To him it was, Shinji started to speak. "Well I'm here with Shinobu and...well um...things are..."
Had he not been so worried at the moment, Kaji would have laughed. 'So Shinji's girl friend is over and he's worried about taking 'the big step.'' Taking a drag of his cigarette Kaji accepted his fate. He stopped his walking and leaned against a building, "Do you have any doubts at all about this? Does she?"
While he didn't know about Shinobu, he did know about himself. "Yeah I don't think this is the right time for it."
"Then don't. I'm not saying you're too young. You are more an adult than I am Ikari-san. But if you have any doubts at all then don't. Just say something happened or change topics do something to show that, 'yeah I like you but I'm not ready.' Ok?"
The last words that Kaji heard over the phone that day were Shinji's rattled but obviously eased, "Thank you Kaji-san." Flipping his phone closed, Kaji just hoped that his time on the phone hadn't delayed him to long and his contact left.
Walking into the abandoned warehouse that his contact said to be at over fifteen minutes ago, Kaji spotted somebody he didn't know. 'Ah so it was a trap.'
Reaching for his own side-arm Kaji made a promise to Shinji to repay him for saving his life. 'Kid just saved my life with that call. Guess I need to do a little something for him.' He thought if he survived. Just because he knew that the man before him was looking around frantically with a gun extended, didn't promise he'd survive the exchange.
'I just hope he's alone, damn section-2 agents,' Kaji thought as he lined up his shot, and fired.
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Author Notes
Well it's a bit longer than I usually write them, but I wanted to get the whole part across. I try to keep them 10 – 12 pages to keep interest without boring, but I hope you enjoyed.
As for Shinji and Shinobu's little bedroom scene, sorry if you expected more but they are really just teenagers. Sure plenty of 14/15 year olds are doing such things but I really don't see them doing that, not yet anyway.
And Kaji...that's a secret
Reviews, comments, requests all welcome
Ja Mata
Zentrodie (zentrodiesecondimpact.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
OMAKE
"Welcome ladies and Gentlemen to the last of our battles!" Misato still in her red flight jacket announced to the camera.
Sitting next to her, still with her bunny ears on, and sitting by the onsen Kitsune addressed the audiance. "After Mutsumi's sudden interest in the 'contest' after Shinji defeated Shinobu we have yet another battle."
Giving the camera an apologetic look Misato continued, "We just don't know what we're going to do for the last one. We used up all our ideas during the last few battles we have our combatants here today to select the method of their combat."
Kitsune takes over again, "Entering on the right, "The Okinawa Disaster", "The Anemic Annihilator", and the one most people think Keitaro should have ended up with OTOHIME MUTSUMI"
"And taking his place at the left podium, the man that beat not one, but two potential wives IKARI SHINJI!" Misato noticed how Shinji's face was still as confused about the contest as ever.
"Now we're going to suggest a form of battle for the two of you and once you agree to it, you'll have it out, understood?" Kitsune informed to two would be combatants.
Both said that they agreed, and Misato and Kitsune took out the list of potential battles. "Ok first one is to have a repeat of the last battle."
Smiling large and lopsidedly Mutsumi laughed softly, "I have no problem with that."
Knowing for a fact that seeing any part of that woman nude would cause him to faint Shinji quite vocally declined that battle.
Misato looked at the next potential candidate. "Ok you two have a Dance Dance Revolution match, best two out of three sets wins."
"I'm pretty good at that game so I have no objection," Shinji said admitting he played the devils game.
A small frown crossed Mutsumi's face, "I've never seen that game before. Sorry but I can't agree to that one."
Starting to get bored with the lack of action in the final battle, Misato fired off a couple ideas, "What about bowling, eating competition, or a sing off?"
Being a man, and believing that if he could keep up with Touji he would have no trouble beating a girl, "I don't mind the eating competition."
Looking at Kitsune, Mutsumi wondered why she had such an evil gleam in her eyes, "What would we be eating?"
Trying her best not to laugh hysterically Kitsune already knew who to bet on, "Why watermelons Mutsumi, watermelons."
Shinobu looked at Rei and cried, "WE'VE LOST!!!"
Rei didn't understand but knew she would have to try out her AT Field attack again.
"I agree," Mutsumi said much to everybody at Hinata's understanding.
What followed was a mocker of humanity. Shinji had always liked the watery fruit but Mutsumi seemed to unhinge her jaw and swallow the fruit whole. Keitaro got a nosebleed when Mutsumi started to eat strips of the fruit that were cut into foot long sections. Shinji didn't understand why, but the cameramen couldn't get enough of the woman doing that.
After the few minute battle had ended, and Mutsumi crowned the winner, Shinji found himself standing, albeit confusingly, in the winners box. "Um, Misato I lost why am I in the winners box?"
Mutsumi answered him by glomping onto him. "You always did remind me a bit of Keitaro, and since he's with Naru now, you're all mine."
Nervously twitching Misato looked at the freaked Shinji, "I kinda put you up as the prize, you kinda belong to Mutsumi now."
Smiling very happily, Mutsumi had still yet to remove Shinji's face from her chest as she hugged him for dear life. "We'll be married by the end of the week, isn't that great?"
Pushing himself away, but unable to escape her grip, "Married, I'm not old enough to be married yet! I have a few years yet!"
"Ara Ara, I guess we'll just have to have a lot of practice for the wedding night then," Mutsumi informed her new possession of, said possession quickly had a massive nosebleed and passed out, only to be put over his owner's shoulders. "Ara ara, this will be so fun."
"Not so fast Mutsumi-san, Shinji's mine!" Shinobu declared as she rushed the older woman.
Side stepping Shinobu, Mutsumi pulled out a few photos that Shinobu just about died when she saw, "Now now, you wouldn't want these to go public would you?"
Shinobu just looked at Mutsumi and gapped. Misato turned to Kitsune, "Did she just blackmail Shinobu?"
Just as shocked at Misato, "I always thought she was a ditz! She was playing possum this whole time!" Hearing an explosion both anchors turned back to the carnage, "Oh damn now what."
Rei, firing off force bolts was furious that she couldn't land a single hit, "How can you manage to avoid my attacks!"
Weaving in and out of Rei's futile attempts to liberate Shinji, "because I know all about you and your friends, Ara ara, I've been hoping for this now if you excuse me."
Misato just shook her head, as Mutsumi appeared to jump out of the onsen and vanish into the night. "I need booze and fast."
Kitsune seconded that, but looked at the camera, "Well their you have it folks. Mutsumi is the winner of the Shinji cup and by the looks of it, he won't be an Ikari for long. Hope you stay tuned to our next event. The Wheel of Death, featuring Keitaro."
"Think they'll let us tape the wedding?" Misato asked as she and Kitsune walked away from the podium.
"After this last fight, I won't bet on anything again in my life," Kitsune said as they passed the crying Shinobu and Rei.
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Zentrodie: There it's done!
Golden Kitsune: I don't know whether to applaud or smack you.
Zen: What I do wrong this time?
GK: Well the omake was kinda good. You used a variation of my 'guess we'll just have a lot of premarital sex' joke.
Zen: I have to admit it fits Mutsumi's character a bit. But what else is wrong?
GK: The actual chapter...ZEN MAN YOU COULD HAVE HAD THEM DO IT!
Zen: But my reason...
GK: Then as another omake or something, damn man your fans want to see that!
Zen: Fans?
GK: Don't get started with that. If anything I think it would have worked.
Zen: Really?
GK: 'Like a lamb to the slaughter' Sure, now let me tell you how I see it...