Neither of the three in the house was big on family gatherings but Misato, Asuka, and Shinji made the best of theirs as they sat in the living room. It was not common for all three of them to be in the same place unless it was one of those few times when Misato was home for dinner or when an Angel was attacking.
Two sets of eyes were set on the television as Shinji's character, the one Asuka used, started to flash. Before Misato knew it, her character was on the ground knocked out.
Misato slammed her beer on the floor, "Damnit Shinji! Teach me how to play!"
He jumped because of her reaction to getting beat, "I-It's better to learn how to play yourself though Misato."
"Idiot!" Asuka yelled in outrage, "You learned from me!"
He gulped as they started to turn on him.
Again, Shinji found himself in a no-win situation. Now being a veteran of them, Shinji got his composure back and suddenly stood up. Even if it would only postpone what was going to eventually happen later, he seen his escape and he took it.
"I-I have to use the bathroom."
With that said, he made haste to get to the small room as both of his roommates called out to him.
In Shinji's absence, Misato turned towards Asuka who was still fuming over the fact that he ran away. Since they used the same character, it only made sense that she'd be able to ask her second charge, "Hey Asuka, you'll teach me how to play right?"
The redhead grumbled, "It's better if you learn how to play yourself."
Misato narrowed her eyes, "That's an order."
"Huh?" Asuka stared back at Misato, "That was a question though!" The girl pointed out.
The Major pressed the button on the controller causing the continue timer to stop, "Well it's an order now."
Asuka picked up the controller Shinji left behind, "Idiot Shinji… when I-"
"What was that?"
The pilot of Unit 02 sighed, "Start with pressing back…"
Lately
It wasn't a daily activity for the girl but it was something Hikari treasured dearly.
The freckled girl smiled as her younger sister's voice flowed into her ears, "Yea, I'm proud of you." Hikari said in light of the girl learning how to put her hair in pigtails all by herself.
She held the phone closer to her ear as she stood in the kitchen.
The phone calls she got from her family always made her feel better no matter how she felt before the telephone rung. Most of the time it was mundane things like her sister wanting to inform her that she learned how to cook a particular meal or her older sister just calling to see how she was coming along and then talking about how lucky she was to live alone.
Even if the phone calls normally consisted of small talk, she treasured them all the same. She never took anything for granted now and she enjoyed every minute of speaking to her sisters and father.
'Speaking of father,' Hikari thought as she could hear her sister transferring the phone to someone else, 'Isn't about time for him to…'
"Hi daddy," She greeted him as his deep voice came over the receiver.
Besides the calls from her sisters, her father would often request for her to move in with them or even just a simple visit from time to time. She always, but kindly, refused. A small part of the girl knew that if she left and went over there that she probably wouldn't be able to leave.
But was that such a bad thing?
'Yea… I can't leave any of them behind, especially during a time like this.' She listened to her father speak about how he would be there in a few days to drop off the groceries.
If she wanted to leave, she would have left a long time ago. She stayed because of her friends but mainly because of only two of them, Shinji and Touji.
It wasn't so much that she needed them; it was the fact that they needed her. Just picking up and leaving would probably hurt them and that was something she didn't want to do at all.
Still, she found it funny that they were so alike but, at the same time, so different. Shinji and Touji were both sensitive and protective, but they just showed it in different ways.
Shinji was fairly lacking self-confidence so, when he did have enough confidence to declare something, it made Hikari feel like he could very well accomplish anything.
He tried so hard but tried to be subtle about it and that itself reminded her of his modesty. Even with his duties as a pilot, he still spent time with her and tried his best to make her comfortable. She could easily see the stress that was on him though, but she knew she couldn't do anything to help him with it…
Touji, on the other hand, tried to hide his stress and, like Shinji, tried his best to make her comfortable.
Hikari sighed, "I'll think about it dad."
'Even to the point of being my boyfriend…' She noted. Honestly, she thought one of her wishes was granted when Touji asked her out. Hikari always did like him but was just too shy to bring it up, and, now that she was with him, something was off and she knew exactly what it was.
Pity.
That word was the basis of her relationship with the boys and she knew it the whole time. Shinji felt extremely guilty and worried for her because of the incident and Touji felt shame at being there but not being able to do anything just like with his sister.
As she hung the phone up, she realized this was the first time she thought about it to this extent.
She could remember the small things like Touji never looking her in the eye when he spoke or how Shinji used to never allow himself to get that close to her. Hikari was a strong person and even if she knew they cared, she wasn't one to allow people to shower her with pity.
With that in mind she started to reevaluate her relationship with the jock. She wondered exactly what they wanted from each other. Of course they liked being in each other's company but he didn't have to be her boyfriend for that.
Hikari knew what she wanted. She wanted to be closer to her first crush but it was what Touji wanted out of the relationship that puzzled her. When she actually put thought into it, he never really held her hand or kissed unless she was the one to initiate it.
The brown-haired girl sighed as she started to gather what she needed to make dinner. She would have to ask him about it tomorrow.
-
Shinji loved cooking and, as a result of that, liked making breakfast.
Asuka stood in the kitchen looking over his shoulder, "You know how to make pancakes right?"
He nodded, "Yea, all I really have to do is just read the directions."
Even if he did enjoy cooking, having Asuka looking over his shoulder didn't exactly put him at ease. Every since he gave her his lunch, she was observing him more often than before. While he didn't want to upset her by pointing out that he noticed her watching him a lot, he still wanted to know exactly what the pilot wanted from him.
Shinji stopped stirring the pancake mix, "Um, Asuka did you want something?"
"No, I just wanted to learn how to cook," She looked him in the eye as he stared over his shoulder, "You got a problem with that Third Child?"
"N-No," Shinji said as he turned his attention back to cooking, "Sorry."
"Stop apologizing so much!"
"Sorry…"
Asuka was about to say a couple of things till both of their cell phones started to ring.
-
NERV was not as important to the pilot of Unit 02 as other things. For example, she would rather be at school than be at the cold, dark halls that seemed to be everywhere in the complex but the reason she didn't mind was because of the machine she piloted.
Unit 02 looked like a statue carved out of stone as it stood. Like a work of art, it looked up with as the small sum of light that entered the shaft it stood in reflected off of it making it seem even more admiring. The four sparking green eyes almost dripped with resolve and even the crimson color of the Evangelion reminded others of Asuka's zest for absolute victory.
The red Evangelion was Asuka's only reason for her even remotely wanting to be at NERV.
Despite that fact, even when she was piloting Unit 02, it was times when she didn't want to be at NERV at all.
"So we have to wait here till the Angel crosses over?" Shinji asked as Unit 01 looked up at the sky.
"That is correct. The Major said we are to take the 'right course of action' ourselves seeing that she is not here to issue orders." Rei quietly stated, "However, its estimated time of arrival is not known."
This was one of those times.
First of all, she didn't like doing anything in the morning and then, when they got to NERV, they had to get to the command center in the dark but the worst part was the fact that they were running on limited power. That meant that they only had one chance and, even if that itself was bad, she seen it as another chance to shine.
"So exactly what course of action is that supposed to be Rei?"
"We should-"
"Wait," Asuka interrupted, "I got a plan."
Thankfully, Misato briefed them on the little information they gathered on the Angel. If they watched out for the highly corrosive acid it dripped they were good to go. Asuka reviewed the situation and her idea in her mind before she continued.
Her fellow pilots watched her via the com-link, "Alright, this is how we'll do it. Unit 00 will go down there to retrieve the rifle, throw it up to Unit 01 who'll fire, and Unit 02 will shield Unit 01 from the acid. Okay?"
Rei was the first to speak, "That is acceptable."
Asuka looked at Shinji, "Got anything to say about it?"
Shinji adverted his eyes, "Well… how about you and me switch places."
She actually didn't expect him to have a problem with it, "What? Why? Shinji the Great doesn't want another kill added-"
"I just don't want you to get hurt." He voiced, cutting her off in the process, "We should probably get in position now…"
"Wait!" Asuka yelled as both Unit 01 and Unit 00 motioned to get in position to act, "That means the acid will-"
"It is here." Rei suddenly said before the light blue Evangelion hopped down the shaft.
The pilot of Unit 02 wasn't one who liked being interrupted at all but she forced that thought into the back of her mind as she willed her Evangelion to get in position to catch the rifle.
She eyed Unit 01 as it took position above her. The horn scrapped against the wall as Shinji forced it to stretch it arms and legs so that it was situated just above Unit 02. The white slits that Unit 01 had for eyes looked down at the four green orbs that looked up at it.
Shinji could easily see Unit 02 and, far below, he could see Unit 01 picking up the weapon and preparing to toss it upwards. The pilots watched as the acid oozed down the side of the shaft and waited for the moment the Angel itself would appear.
Unit 01 moved to test its position at least one more time, "I-In position."
"Alright Rei…" Asuka said, still thinking it would have been best if she took Shinji's place, "When I say go, throw it and I'll shoot."
"Affirmative."
'Concentrate…' She told herself as she looked up past Unit 01 at the sky, 'He'll be okay. I just have to concentrate on my part.'
Asuka just felt… off.
Having Shinji protecting her didn't feel right. Not only now, but every time they had to sortie. He probably didn't think she noticed but she did. She noticed how he didn't say anything when she messed up during their training and she noticed the fact that he was starting to lose to her on purpose when they played the video game.
But something he didn't notice was that she didn't need any protection. She was perfectly fine on her own. Asuka he didn't need any help especially from someone as meek as Shinji.
The dull pain in her shoulder caused her to push her fumbled thoughts away as she returned to the present. Asuka looked up to find the acid dripping off Unit 01 and onto her Evangelion.
"Asuka…" Shinji weakly said, rousing her from the state of shock she fell in.
"Rei! What the hell are you- Shit! Go! Go!" Asuka said in a panic as she waited for Unit 00 to throw the rifle.
In an instant, the gun was airborne and Unit 02 greeted it with waiting arms. As the Evangelion slid down the shaft because she removed her hands from the walls, she fired at the Angel hoping that the rifle would work seeing that it was all but useless against the other Angels that were engaged.
Her wish was granted as the bullets pieced the Angel's weak AT field and killed it with ease. Discarding the weapon, Unit 02 quickly placed it arms back on the walls of the shaft in order to stop its descent.
She actually didn't expect that it would kill the Angel, but what she really didn't expect was Unit 01 slamming into her. Knocking the breath out of Asuka, both Unit 01 and Unit 02 started to fall down the shaft.
Asuka knew a fall like this wouldn't kill or probably even harm her for real but she was worried about the unmoving Unit 01 that was on top of her as they fell.
"Shinji!"
-
"Cleaning duty?"
Hikari threw a rag at him, "You didn't hear her call your name?"
Touji shook his head, "I must of been sleep…"
She sighed. Even if the Class Representative changed, Touji still tried to get out of cleaning duty with his bad excuses.
As the jock stretched, Hikari watched him while she cleaned the chalkboard. She didn't know exactly how she was going to bring it up but she wanted to talk about their relationship.
To tell the truth, she wanted to talk about it during lunch but, when she found out that they were both on cleaning duty, she figured this would be the perfect time to talk about it. Not only because it gave her more time to talk with him but it also provided time for her to actually think of how she was going to start the conversation since Touji wasn't one to bring up a topic dealing with their relationship often.
"Hey Touji," Hikari paused as she fumbled around looking for the right way to say it, "I kind of wanted to talk."
He looked at his girlfriend, "What do ya want to talk about?"
"About us…"
Touji put the rag aside, "Oh…"
Hikari reached up to clean the top of the chalkboard, "I just-"
"Before ya start, I just have to tell you straight out," He stood up, "It… It felt like you was getting farther and farther away ya know?"
"I wanted to help ya but I didn't know how to for real so I asked ya to be with me." Touji watched her clean as he continued, "I don't even know how to be with a girlfriend and I didn't even ask ya how ya feel about it."
Touji almost felt like he didn't even have to say it to her seeing how well she was taking the news.
He felt like she was leaving even if she was still there at the same place and he just didn't want someone so close to him to leave. Even if he tried as hard as he could to make her happy, he was starting to see that his effort amounted to nothing because it still felt like Hikari was growing more and more distant.
With this in mind, he clung, desperately, to the idea that she might stay if she had a boyfriend. Yes, he would openly admit he was desperate. Hikari was important to him and seeing her leave, especially after he couldn't help her at all, would have crushed him.
He looked down, "I'm…"
"You don't have to say you're sorry," Hikari smiled as she turned around, "You made me happy and you are trying to help me even though you're already so stressed."
"Don't do that!" Touji slammed his fist into the desk.
"Do what?" Hikari calmly asked.
"Lie to me… Tell me how ya feel at least." His anger quickly left him as he looked up at the smiling girl in front of him.
Hikari turned back around and continued to clean the chalkboard, "You really did make me happy Touji and you are stressed."
She knew how much pressure was on him. Like everyone else that lived here, Touji was living in an extremely dangerous time and he had seen too many examples not to be aware of that fact. He watched teammates and friends move away and she knew that he would try hard to keep the remaining ones.
Hikari also knew that he did make her happy. Even if the time they spent with each other was awfully short, it was still time well spent but even the casual onlooker could tell how Touji felt about it.
Despite what she knew, she couldn't deny the fact that she was indeed lying to him. Being in such an empty relationship didn't make her feel any better, and, as a matter of fact, it made her feel worse not being able to notice sooner.
Of course, she wasn't going to voice that to anyone. She was just going to smile and tell him that it did make her feel better and hope that he believed it.
"Mari… is doin' better." Touji said changing the subject.
"That's good news." Hikari stated as she started on the desk, "Did they say when she was going to be released?"
"Nope, I don't thank she is gettin' out anytime soon though…"
"I see…"
"Hikari…" Touji picked the rag up and started on the desk, "Can ya act like we still go together in front of her? Please?"
The girl in question quickly nodded, "No problem."
When it came to his sister, Touji was very delicate. It was a subject that he only brought up with the closest of friends. Strangely enough, she could tell the state of the girl's condition by just observing Touji's mood but that was a fact she overlooked as she reminded herself that he was now talking to one of his closest friends instead of his girlfriend.
The sad part was that she was over the relationship before it even ended.
"You're not going to be with… him now are ya?"
"Shinji?" She said aloud, reminding her that she did hear the alarm sound earlier in the day.
Touji focused on cleaning the desk, "Ya shouldn't be with a guy like that. He don't even stand up for himself." He said as he remembered the way the brown-haired boy acted when he confronted him.
In a moment of clarity, Hikari spoke, "You ever thought he didn't do anything because he felt the same way you did?" She said without any intent to offend.
And no offense was taken as Touji motioned to speak but just continued to wipe the desk.
Hikari fairly understood Touji and she could easily see his dislike Shinji but she didn't like when he to tried to force his opinions of the boy on her. Even with that known, that was the first time she actually defended him openly and Touji had nothing to say to refute her statement.
The former Class Rep looked at the class, "This is good enough." Hikari said, finding a change of subject to be suitable.
"Huh? But we only did about half da classroom."
Hikari smiled, "No one will notice, let's go."
Touji chuckled before tossing the rag in the bucket, "Best idea I heard all day."
The sound of his laughter caused Hikari to smile and then laugh as well but, even in light of her small moment of happiness in seeing and making Touji laugh, it was a thought of actually being with Shinji nagging in the back of her mind.
-Fin
Author's note: Damn, laying them out like hotcakes.
What is this? Hikari and Touji not seeing each other anymore? That… That means that it can truly be a Hikari/Shinji story now. O.O
Seriously, at first I wanted to have Shinji on cleaning duty with Touji since I was planning on that being a turning point for the story but having Hikari there made more sense. To me, Hikari's and Touji's relationship was nothing but a girl's first crush but, seeing that Hikari is injured right in front of him, for Touji it was more than a crush but not quite a girlfriend/boyfriend thing.
Also, I haven't watched the series for about… three or four years so I'm probably off on the sortie against the Ninth.
Chibi Fenrir
