Evangelion Fan Fiction

The Difference of a Life

By Kraven Ergeist

xxxxx

September 1st, 2015

Shinji waited reluctantly outside Asuka's apartment with bouquet of flowers held limp at his side. He sighed as he loosened the collar on his sports coat. Earlier that evening, he had asked his mother if it was okay if he could eat out that night. She had seemed uncertain about the idea at first, until he mentioned Asuka's name. As soon as he did, Yui practically pounced on him, demanding all the details, and refused to let him leave the house in anything less than his best attire, and demanded that he buy her a bouquet.

Now, why can't she be that enthusiastic about Rei? He though, nonchalantly, as Asuka's door opened.

Shinji just about collapsed when he saw the girl that emerged from the door. Oh, man… He thought, weakly. This is going to be really…really…difficult.

Asuka was dressed in a stunning red dress that went down to her ankles, a slit running dangerously high up her left thigh, and almost her entire back visible. She had a tiara and shoes to match, earrings, necklace, makeup, the whole shebang.

"Good evening, Shinji," Asuka winked, striking a pose. "What do you think? You like?"

Shinji gulped. "Uh…yeah, it's…really pretty. Um…where did you say we were going tonight, Asuka?"

Asuka winked. "The Maison Rouge, only one of the fanciest restaurant in town according to a quick web search."

Shinji nodded. "Great. And who exactly is paying for all this?"

Asuka smiled. "You are, of course. That was part of the deal."

Shinji didn't argue the point as they made their way to the black car Shinji had arrived in, mostly because of the fact that it was his parents paying for it (down to the chauffeur), not himself. And despite himself, it has been a long time since he'd ever eaten anywhere as nice as the Maison Rouge. He just wished it could have been with Rei.

"So…" Shinji asked, sitting in the backseat, a comfortable distance from Asuka, who was staring out the window. "How much of Toyko-3 have you seen?"

Asuka shrugged. "There's not much to see. It's got everything you'd expect from a metropolis this size, and about as much government regulations going on as in Munich. Overall, I can't say I find anything that stands out to my tastes. Except the people in it, of course."

Shinji's face reddened as she winked at that last remark. He tried to keep his eyes away from the deliberately distracting amount of leg showing from beneath her red dress.

"Um…Asuka…"

"Hush," Asuka miffed. "We've still got the rest of the evening. Don't spoil it now."

Shinji gulped, looking away. "Right…"

xxxxx

Shinji had to admit, the restaurant was nice. From the elegant furnishings, to the five star class silver and flatware, down to the way the waiters held their heads up high and refused to open their eyes.

"Well, then…" Shinji mouthed. "Let's get this over with."

Asuka frowned, but didn't comment as the maitre'd led them to their table, sitting them besides a window that gave them a very relaxing view of the ocean, the night horizon twinkling with habitats and fishing groves.

"So, Shinji," Asuka smiled, resting her elbows on the table. "Tell me about yourself."

Shinji shrugged looking at the menu. "I like steak. It's been a while since I've had a nice steak." While dining with Ayanami was enjoyable, he never felt comfortable eating meat around her since she was a vegetarian, and had refrained from doing so over the year.

Shinji winced. That thought had come off sounding like liking Rei was a burden. He couldn't start thinking like that.

"You know what I meant, Shinji," Asuka laughed. "I mean more than just likes and dislikes."

Shinji shrugged. "Aside from that, I really don't have much of a social life. NERV has been eating up all my free time. The only time I ever get to eat out is with Rei."

Asuka frowned. "Rei, huh?"

Shinji shook his head. "Hey, I'm not complaining. And her…family is really interesting. You should meet them."

Asuka snorted. "I didn't drag you out here to talk about Rei, Shinji, I dragged you out here to talk about us."

Shinji gulped. "Uh…us?"

Asuka crossed her legs, gently rubbing her foot against Shinji's leg. "Yeah. As fellow Eva pilots, we should get to know one another."

Shinji scooted away, uncomfortably. "Well…why can't that include Rei?"

Asuka glared. "What is it with you and Rei? Can't you so much as hold a conversation without mentioning her?"

Shinji jerked back, surprised. "Oh…uh…I…I'm sorry…you're right…I was being rude…"

Asuka leaned back in her chair, peeved. "Now…why don't you answer my original question?"

Shinji paused, trying to remember what the original question was. "Well, uh…I like music…" he offered weakly.

It was about then that the waiter arrived to take their order.

"I think I'll have the steak dinner," Shinji asked.

"And I'll have the same," Asuka piped.

"Now, what if I had ordered casserole or something?"

"I still would have ordered the steak," Asuka harrumphed. "I like steak."

"Ok," Shinji shrugged, handing the waiter their menus.

xxxxx

The evening proceeded with consistent discomfort on Shinji's part. After dinner, they each had a dessert of strawberry sorbet as they sat and looked out across the ocean skyline.

"Can I ask you something, Asuka?" Shinji ventured.

"Sure, what?"

"Why…why did you ask me to go out with you? I mean there are much less expensive means of getting to know your fellow pilots. And I know you said not to mention Rei, but she's a pilot too. Why just me? And why like this?"

Asuka blinked twice, before bursting in a fit of giggles. "You…really can't figure it out?"

Shinji slowly shook his head. "…Why? Should it be obvious?"

Asuka smiled and leaned back in her chair. "So, you still don't see it yet? That's funny."

Shinji wrinkled his nose, but didn't press the issue; he wasn't getting anything out of her.

xxxxx

Shinji dropped Asuka off at her house that evening, still as perplexed as ever.

"So, you really think that this Suzuhara guy has a thing for Hikari?" Asuka pondered on the way to the door.

"Yeah, well, it was just a hunch," Shinji admitted. "I didn't really think it through."

Asuka nodded. "Well, I'll check this guy out, see if he's good enough for her."

Shinji rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I had a really nice time, Shinji," Asuka smiled once they reached her door. "Why don't you come in for a while? No one's home, I'm here by myself," Asuka winked.

Shinji shivered. "No, I'm…I think I'm gonna turn in."

Asuka shrugged. "Your call. Goodnight…"

Asuka leaned forward to kiss him.

Shinji tilted his head and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Asuka…"

Asuka frowned, a look of betrayal on her face. "It's Rei, isn't it? Is that why you don't want to kiss me?"

Shinji heaved, turning to leave. "I have to go, Asuka. Sleep well."

"Answer me, damn it!" Asuka shouted, seizing his wrist.

Shinji stopped walking, turning to face her. "Asuka…please…don't push this…"

"No!" Asuka shouted. "I want to know what you see in that girl. I want to know what she has that I don't. And for god's sake, why are you holding out for her lollygagging, when I'm ready for the next step?"

Shinji inhaled deeply, letting his head sag. "It's…complicated…Asuka, please…let me go…"

Tears were streaming down her face. "I can give you…so much more than that girl…"

Shinji frowned. "Asuka…if I really believed that you and I were right for each other, than why haven't I kissed you? Why didn't I accept your invitation indoors?"

"Why did you go out with me at all, then?" Asuka demanded.

"A bet's a bet," Shinji spoke too soon.

Asuka's lip quivered. "So…so that's all this was to you? A bet?"

Shinji cursed himself. "No, Asuka…I shouldn't have said that…"

"No!" Asuka shouted. "You…I can't believe you! Get out of here!"

Shinji gave her a withered look. "Asuka, I didn't mean to-"

"Get the hell out!"

Shinji took a step backwards. And then another. He turned his whole body around and began walking. He reached the top of the stairs, before turning to face her. "For what it's worth…I had a good time tonight as well."

Both children left with tears that night.

xxxxx

September 2nd, 2015

"So, you think you hurt her feelings?" Rei asked.

It was the next day, and Shinji and Rei were eating lunch as usual under the shade of the tree.

"She was crying, Rei" Shinji said, guiltily. "I don't just 'think' I did. That girl was hurt."

Rei closed her eyes. "I see. Because she wanted to date you?"

Shinji sighed, lying back on the trunk of the tree. "She wanted to kiss me, Rei. She invited me into her apartment. God knows what she was ready to do with me."

Rei looked disturbed. "I…see…"

Shinji quickly caught himself. "I turned her down, of course. That's why she was upset. She offered herself to me and I…declined…"

Rei nodded. "I'm…sorry. It is because of me…"

Shinji took her hand. "Rei…it was my choice not to kiss her. It was my choice not to let her take me into her apartment. I could have done all those things with her. And it was tempting – believe me, I was tempted. But I didn't. And I didn't because…"

He paused.

"…Because I made you a promise. And I intend to keep it."

Rei exhaled, a huge amount of tension leaving her. She rested her weight on Shinji's shoulder and smiled. "…Thank you."

Not far away, Asuka was sipping a can of soda, as she watched the two under the tree. She saw the simple display of affection between the two, and frowned.

She walked away and tossed her soda can into the trash.

She had completely crushed it.

xxxxx

Yui smiled as she saw Shinji walking down the halls of NERV.

"Hello, Shinji," she said, sweetly. "How was your date last night?"

Shinji turned and frowned. "Oh…hi, Mom. It, uh…it didn't go so well, actually."

"Oh?" Yui blinked. "What went wrong?"

Shinji shrugged. "I don't like to put the blame on others…but Asuka really came on too strong."

"Did she?" Yui asked.

Shinji nodded. "Well…I haven't dated too many girls…but did you ever kiss anyone on your first date?"

Yui smiled. "I did with your father."

Shinji shivered.

Yui smiled again. "Oh, I'm sorry, Shinji…do you think you'll take her out again?"

Shinji shook his head. "It wasn't my idea to go out in the first place."

"Then why did you go?"

"I, uh…I lost a bet."

"A bet?" Yui blinked. "With whom?"

"Her."

"…Oh," Yui frowned, looking away. "So…you two kissed, huh?"

Shinji raised his arms. "No, no…well, she tried to…I just kissed her on the forehead."

Yui scoffed. "What? She tried to kiss you and you turned her down? A beautiful girl like Asuka?"

Shinji closed his eyes. "Please…I'm still getting shivers over the whole thing."

"So…" Yui pressed, hopefully. "You just weren't ready, is that it?"

Shinji blinked. "No…not with her."

Yui frowned. "But…if she slowed down a bit…you might take her out again?"

Shinji blinked, suspicious. "I…guess…"

Yui smiled, and turned around. "Ok. Bye, Shinji. Love you."

Shinji blinked. "…Love you…too, mom…"

xxxxx

Asuka emerged from her entry plug, soaked in LCL. She shook her hair, as the yellow fluid dripped off her body. She grabbed a nearby towel and dried off her hair, before heading towards out the hallway that led to the changing room.

"Pilot Soryu," a voice came.

Asuka turned around and saw Yui heading her way.

Immediately, Asuka turned and straightened her back. "Oh…Commander Ikari."

Yui smiled. "Oh, don't be so tense, dear. I was just curious of what you thought of the second branch."

Asuka bit her lip. Honestly, she didn't think the Tokyo-3 branch was anything special, but she wasn't about to say that to the Commander. "I like it. Maybe it's the fact that there are two other Eva's here, but it just seemed like this branch has more…headway…than the first…"

Yui nodded, gesturing for them to talk as they walked. "That's good to hear. So, you think you're fitting in nicely?"

Asuka kept up her step. "Well enough. I'm not used to living on my own, but I think I can handle it."

Yui blinked. "Oh?"

"Working at NERV is second nature to me," Asuka nodded. "It's life outside of NERV that's different now."

Yui smiled. "Well, it's funny you should mention that. See, I heard about your excursion with the Second Child."

Asuka stiffened. "Shinji?" The fact that the Second Child was the Commander's son was not a fact she had failed to notice. "What about it?"

Yui winked. "Don't worry, Asuka…he told me he was uncomfortable with your forwardness."

Asuka blinked. "He…he did?"

Yui nodded. "He did. In fact, I think that if you slow it down a bit…he might agree to take you out again."

Asuka blinked. "Well…last time, I had to win a bet with him."

Yui winked. "Win another."

Asuka frowned. "Will he go for that?"

Yui smiled. "If he doesn't, you can think of something else. You're a smart girl. You figure it out."

Asuka shook her head. "Last night…we…kinda got into an argument."

Yui frowned. "About?"

"About…him and me."

"And…?"

Asuka shook her head. "Look, I'm sorry, I tried to kiss him, alright? I was a bit overworked and I didn't think things out. I didn't think he'd take it so badly."

Yui offered a comforting hand on Asuka's shoulder. "Shinji is a sensitive boy. But don't worry. I might be able to…press the situation in your favor."

Asuka smiled. "…Thank you, Commander."

Yui nodded. "My pleasure."

Yui headed off in the other direction.

"Um…Commander?"

Yui turned to face the pilot. "Yes?"

"Why are you helping me with this?"

Yui hid a chuckle behind a closed fist. "Let's just say I'm on your side…"

xxxxx

Shinji and Rei were out late, laying out on the grass up at the lookout point, stargazing. The black sky was painted with stars that night, as an unusually clear night crept over the city.

"There's Cygnus," Shinji pointed out five stars in a vague cross formation. "It's supposed to be a swan."

Rei blinked, trying to see what he was looking at. "All I see is an X"

Shinji shrugged. "Well, that's all that's there, but if you can imagine the X being, like, a skeleton of the picture…"

Rei shook her head. "A swan skeleton would be far more complex than just a few points."

Shinji sighed. "I can't win with you, Rei."

"Win?" Rei asked, confused. "Why would you need to 'win' with me?"

Shinji shook his head. "Boy, you sure aren't keen on terminology."

Rei shook her head. "I am…confused…"

Shinji smiled, running a hand through her hair. "Yes, you are."

Rei simply tilted her head, evidently made even more confused.

Shinji returned his eyes to the night sky. "There's Orion."

Rei looked up. "I see no one."

Shinji sighed. "Rei…you can't take everything you see at face value. Some things are more than what they appear to be."

Rei blinked, nodding. "Understood."

Shinji sighed, closing his eyes. "The problem is that I don't think you do understand. The idea isn't to see and understand, but to play an arbitrary role in molding what it is you see, and make it into something that's entirely yours. Other people might be able to see a variant of what you imagine, but only you will truly see what your mind has designed."

Rei took all that in, trying to make sense of Shinji's words. She had always lived her life in about as direct and efficient a manner as she could. Always the straight line between point A and point B, always two plus two equals four, always one action proceeded by the next proceeded by the next. Nothing was disorderly or random, nothing just "happened," nothing she did was ever done without planning extensively beforehand, and should ever something unexpected occur, she always handled it after first turning the situation over in her mind.

And never had she ever attempted anything creative. Nothing to do with art, music or anything beyond appreciating what was already made, and thus, concrete. She never even attempted to duplicate anything she saw in the field of art, never attempted to imagine or create anything of her own.

But now, Shinji was asking that she suddenly start thinking creatively.

"I…I am sorry, Shinji," Rei frowned. "I am undeveloped in such areas."

Shinji shook his head. "You're just inexperienced, is all. You just need a creative outlet, something small that you can start with."

Shinji reopened his eyes and pointed. "How about that constellation right there: The Great Bear?"

Rei looked towards the direction he was pointing.

"If you look, you can see those four stars making the bears tail," Shinji pointed out.

"Bears do not have tails," Rei commented.

"Rei, for just two seconds, forget everything you know about the world you live in, and with that mindset, try to envision what it is I'm describing to you."

Rei nodded and closed her eyes. "Very well. A bear. With a tail. I am…trying to conjure such an image in my mind."

Shinji nodded. "And now, look at Pegasus. It's a glimmering white horse with a pair of wings which it uses to fly."

"A horse…" Rei said. "With wings. A horse that flies."

"That's right," Shinji nodded. "Now, look at Draco. A dragon with a long tail."

Rei nodded. "I see it now." She opened her eyes. "Those stars right there. They make a long wavy line, but if you look at it the right way…"

"You see the dragon," Shinji finished with a smile.

Rei smiled herself, still captivated by the night sky. All at once, things were becoming clearer.

"You were right, Shinji," Rei smiled. "Not everything is as it seems."

xxxxx

September 3rd, 2015

Class the next morning was interesting. Staying up late last night had taken its toll on Shinji. Rei, however, seemed unaffected. Shinji regarded her enviously, before taking his seat, resting his head in his arms on the table.

"Hey Shinji," came a voice that would wake up any sleeper.

Shinji glanced up to see Asuka towering over him in his chair.

"Whu-huh?" Shinji mumbled, still half asleep.

"Class doesn't start for another ten minutes," Asuka pointed out. "Mind if I have a word with you?" Asuka threw Rei a glance. "Outside of class?"

Shinji blinked twice, not quite knowing how to interpret what she was asking, but then being relieved of this decision as the red head seized him by the arm and dragged him outside the classroom.

"Now look," Asuka huffed. "I don't usually do this, so bear with me."

Shinji, now more or less fully awake, just stared.

"Look…" Asuka sighed. "I…I'm sorry, alright? I was a real bitch the other night, and I really presumed way too much."

Shinji took a deep breath. "Asuka, I-"

"Let me get this out," Asuka barked. "Listen…if you'd rather spend time with the First Child…I can live with that. But…well, you said the other night that you weren't too proud of your social life, so I figure…if you're ever up for lunch or something…let me know, okay?"

Shinji tried not to smile, but he couldn't help it. So…the Third Child could speak with humility when she wanted to?

"Asuka…you-"

"At least let me make up for the way I acted," Asuka blurted out. "Please? If we could have lunch together, it would really mean a lot to me!"

Shinji sighed, welcoming the relief of the tension in his neck. "What I was about to say was…Asuka, you didn't behave like a…well, you weren't the only one out of line the other night. I was a real jerk too. And yes, I'd be happy to have lunch with you sometime."

"Really? Asuka piped.

"Yeah," Shinji smiled, glad to have made amends.

"Then it's settled!" Asuka smirked, stepping back into the classroom. "I'll see you at noon!"

Shinji gulped. "Wait! I didn't mean today! Asuka…!"

Shinji's voice trailed off, as he realized she had already vanished back into the sea of school students.

Shinji toddled back in, as the Class Rep was getting everyone settled. Submitting to things the way they were, Shinji sat down.

Instantly, a message popped up on his screen.

Hey, dude, what was that all about?

Shinji sighed, knowing exactly who it was from.

Moments later, a nearly identical message appeared on Shinji's screen. And a third. And a fourth.

Shinji sighed, as silently, the whole class sent him inquiries as to what he and the beautiful red haired foreigner had been talking about. Until one last one hit.

What did Pilot Soryu want, Shinji?

Shinji didn't reply through the computer. Instead, he turned his head to the left to spot Rei's curious face peering back at his own. His shoulders shrugged, as a face of mild concern, confusion, and discomfort clouded his face.

What am I supposed to do now?

In the back of the class, the only student not to email Shinji was busy smiling to herself, like a cat after catching easy prey.

Worked like a charm…

xxxxx

A/N: Well, after the first scene, I found myself questioning where I could possibly have Asuka pick up, but I was able to incorporate some of Yui's involvement in the plot. I can see Shinji, Rei, and Asuka's path in the distance. Now the only question remains: what's going to happen with regard to the angels.

The answer: Not a clue.

Later.