Another Reality

Chapter Two - Kaworu's Return

::What's going on? I thought we were going to another reality. Why is everything still black?::

::You're still asleep.::

::Oh.::

::Don't worry. Here comes Asuka.::

"Shinji! Get your lazy ass out of bed!" Asuka screeched as she ripped the covers off the bed. Shinji went rolling off the bed with a thud immediately afterwards.

"Let me sleep," Shinji moaned, trying to fond a comfortable position on the floor.

"If you don't get up we're going to be late!"

"I don't care. Just let me sleep. No one will miss me anyway," Shinji yawned softly.

"Open your eyes, shut your mouth, and GET OFF YOUR ASS!!!"

Shinji opened his eyes and a trail of blood instantly came forth from his nose. He froze.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Asuka blinked.

"Um… from this angle… I can… your panties are…" Shinji stuttered.

"YOU PERVERT!" Asuka kicked him. "Now get up before I kill you!"

Shinji got up and got dressed and the two headed off to school without breakfast.

::I'm beginning to miss Rika…::

::I would too if I were in your position.::

::At least with Rika I got breakfast. Hey, wait, are you in this reality Rei?::

::Yes, but you won't notice me. You'll be too busy with other matters.::

::Other matters?::

Shinji and Asuka were running off to school when Asuka struck up a conversation. "I hear there's going to be a new boy at school."

"Yeah. Apparently… no one… knows a thing… about him…" Shinji panted, striving to keep up.

"Well, so long as he's cuter and more civilized than the rest of you perverts I think I'll like him. Guys like you make me sick."

::So who's the new student we're talking about?::

::You'll see.::

Asuka and Shinji soon arrived at school. It wasn't long before their instructor Miss Hinako entered the room.

::Where's Misato?::

::Two seats behind you.::

::She's a student!?::

::Yes.::

::Wow…::

"Alright, listen up boys and girls. We've got a new student today so everyone please give our new friend and extra special hello," Miss Hinako giggled. "Come on in."

The door slid open and a familiar face walked in. "Hello everyone. I'm Kaworu Nagisa," the boy said.

"Silver hair and red eyes?" Asuka blinked. "Freaky but sexy," she murmured softly to herself.

Shinji just sat there blushing softly as an unfamiliar feeling wavered through his body.

"Mister Nagisa, why don't you sit beside Mister Ikari?" Miss Hinako suggested with a smile.

"Whatever you say, Hinako-sensei," Kaworu nodded.

"Mister Ikari, please raise your hand."

Shinji's hand timidly went into the air and Kaworu walked toward him and took the seat at his left. "Good morning, Mister Ikari."

"Mister Ikari? Oh, no, you can call me Shinji," Shinji insisted, "Mister Nagisa."

"Just call me Kaworu, Shinji," he smiled in return.

"Alright… Kaworu…" Shinji nodded and silently prayed that his heart would stop beating so fast. What was wrong with him?

::It's Kaworu…::

::I said you could never fully take away in this world. You can always bring back what is lost. Even love.::

::Love? I wouldn't go so far as to call it-- no, it was love.::

Shinji was incredibly nervous throughout the rest of morning classes. Then lunch finally came and he thought it would be his chance for escape. He was very wrong, however.

"Shinji, I do realize that we aren't very well acquainted but would you mind having lunch with me?" Kaworu asked him.

"Well, sure, I guess," Shinji replied, scratching his head nervously.

The two sat don together and began eating. After a minute or two of silence, Kaworu decided to strike up a conversation. "So… tell me about life here. What is this school like?"

"Hm? Oh. Well… school's boring. Either the work is too easy or too hard. The guys here are just average guys and the girls… most of them only talk to us guys when they're ready to deliver a philippic on what disgusting perverts we are," Shinji sighed. "And sometimes they aren't even provoked. Like this morning when Asuka came to wake me up. She pulls me out of bed and I fall onto the floor. Then I open my eyes because she ordered me to and I see her panties. Now tell me, was that my fault?"

"Not at all," Kaworu shook his head.

"Thank you. It's nice to know that someone agrees with me." Shinji went back to eating, "You've gotta be careful with what you say to these girls. They'll brand you as a letch if they catch you even passing through the hallway outside the girl's locker room."

"I doubt I'll have any problems," Kaworu politely argued.

"Oh no… you will. Every guy gets an earful here."

"Even those of us who have no interest in girls?" Kaworu raised an eyebrow.

"No interest in girls?! But girls are--girls! Are you nuts!?"

"No, I'm gay."

"You're--?" Shinji froze apprehensively. "You're gay?"

"Something wrong with that?" Kaworu asked innocently.

"No, I suppose not," Shinji answered. "It's just…"

"You didn't think I was?"

"Exactly."

"And you never figured you'd meet one?"

"Correct."

"And now that you have, you're on edge?"

"You've got me pegged," Shinji sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to apologize for. You will still try to be my friend, right?"

"Of course," Shinji nodded with a smile.

"Then what is there to apologize for?"

"I… don't know."

"You're rather cute," Kaworu stated. "Did you know that?"

Shinji just stared in response.

"Oh I'm sorry. Did I go a bit overboard with that remark? Terribly sorry."

"No, no. It's fine. It's just that no one has ever said that before."

"No one? I thought at least one person certainly would have by this point," Kaworu murmured.

"So tell me about where you came from. What was it like?"

"Not good. Lonely, cold, desolate… and very prejudice. I must have had to clean the word 'faggot' off my locker at least four times a week," Kaworu sighed. "That's why we moved."

"We?"

"Does that surprise you? Everyone has parents."

"No, it wasn't that. You just sorta… gave off the impression that you were an orphan."

"How so?"

"I don't know. I just can usually tell."

"You still can," Kaworu let out a soft chuckle.

"Hm?"

"I was abandoned at an orphanage as an infant. I'm adopted."

"Oh. Well my mother died and my-- I don't want to talk about it."

"You have problems with your father?"

"Yeah," Shinji growled softly. "My father… that bastard…"

"It's a good thing that you have real family, whether you like them or not. It reveals more about yourself," Kaworu smiled sincerely.

"You really think so?" Shinji asked, subconsciously asking himself another question - "Why am I telling him all this? I haven't even directly stated any of this to Asuka yet and we've been friends since grade school…."

"Yes indeed," he nodded. The bell rang. "It's time to return to class. Shinji, would you like to go to the movies this weekend? I realize we've just met but I feel like I've known you forever."

"Movies? You mean like a…" Shinji paused awkwardly, "a date?"

"No. Well, unless you wanted it to be a date," Kaworu laughed.

"Why not?" Shinji responded, much to Kaworu's surprise.

"Alright. It is a date then. I'll call you with the specifics tonight."

"Okay. Now let's hurry back to class before Miss Hinako throws a fit."

The two rushed off to class together.

::Gee… I never expected either of us to ever be that… forward about it…::

::This facet of yourself contains all of your self-confidence. It's not much when weighted down by your negative aspects - the fearfulness, the self-loathing, the rage - but when set free, it truly blossoms.::

::Heh… A date with Kaworu. I wonder how this will turn out::

A/N: This is a two-parter. The only reason it's not labeled part one is because I'm giving chapter three its own individual title. So sorry if you wanted to see Shinji and Kaworu at an ordinary movie theater but you'll have to wait.