Iron

Shinji looked at the gleaming, silver knife with uncertainty. The knife was small but extremely sharp and somewhat itimitating. The way the elegant silver glowed as light hit it made the knife look almost surreal. Shinji gulped as his eyes wandered to Eva Unit 01, it's darkened eyes were more itimitating than the knife. The Eva was so menacing, as if it had its own state of awareness.

Shinji gave a small sigh before his gaze returned to the knife. He had heard that slitting your wrists made you feel better, like the pain would leave your mind. And he hated pain.

Shinji Ikari. He was a young brown haired individual. His mother died when he was young and three years ago, Shinji's father left him. He most likely had an inferiority complex. Not only that, but Shinji was also superior to his classmates. He was a pilot, and he piloted the most dangerous weapon of all. The Evangelion.

"What the hell are you doing?" A voice asked curiously. Shinji looked up from the knife which was placed only cinameters above his wrist. It was a girl, probably fourteen as well. Her hair was straight, shoulder length black with red highlights and her eyes were the color of honey. She was small, probably only five feet tall. Shinji blinked in surprise as she noticed that she wore his school uniform, a white blouse with a blue jumper and a small red ribbon tied into a bow.

"Well!" She demanded impatiently as she walked toward the blue eyed boy. She honey brown eyes swept over the pilot before she saw the knife. She gave a small snort before plopping down on the cold tile floor across from him, sitting cross legged. "Are you going to cut yourself, dumbass?" The girl stated almost jokingly before she rolled her eyes. With a swift movement she had his hand in her tight grasp and the gleaming knife in her other pale hand.

"You are by far the stupidest boy I have ever met," The girl snorted once again. "You do not slit your wrists like that. It's down the lane not across the street you idiot." The girl muttered. With another quick movement she slid the knife down his wrist in a small, shallow cut. Shinji's eyes widened before he closed them, his frame slightly trembling from pain.

"T-that hurt!" He choked out in a small whimper. Shinji cradled his injured wrist close to his chest before letting a few tears slip out. The girl looked at him as if he had lost his marbles.

"Are you insane or just stupid? Of course it hurt, it's supposed to! That is the whole point of doing it. It takes away emotional pain by using physical pain instead. Damn, you are dumb!" The girl ridiculed as she stood up to leave.

"I'm sorry," Shinji whimpered softly. The girl looked at him for a few moments before her gaze softened. She once again lowered herself onto the ground, kneeling.

"No, I'm sorry. I should have told you it would hurt. My name is Tobira, Jessa. I'm a back up pilot for NERV. And you are Ikari, Shinji right? I've heard of the famous Third Children(1), even in America," Jessa stated, her tone of voice kinder than it had been before. Shinji said nothing. Jessa gave a small smile before she lifted her hand and gently touched the cowering boy's cheek with the pads of her fingers. Shinji pulled away from her touch quickly.

"You pull away, why is that?" Jessa murmured more to herself than to Shinji. Her smile turned slightly sadistic. "I just got out of a mental institute. You wanna know why my mommy sent me there? I'm sucidial and I killed my daddy." Jessa had defiantly become sadistic. Shinji gave a small gasp and her comment before raising his frightened blue eyes to look at her.

"Before, you pulled away because it is natural for you to run away from pain, right? I hurt you; both physically and mentally, therefore you are afraid of me. You are afraid of me because I cause you pain so to you, I am a symbol of pain. You pulled away because you are afraid of being hurt."

Shinji hung his head in shame at her comment. You are afraid of being hurt, the distant echo of the hullicantion was still fresh in his mind. Shinji held his head in his hands as if his head was in pain.

"No! I don't want to hear this!"

You have been closing your eyes and turning deaf ears for that you wish to avoid.

"Stop it!" Shinji yelled in frustration.

Jessa was still startled from his odd behavior, her eyes slightly wider than they had been. Shinji was shaking violently, small whispers could be heard from the small boy and blood ran down his cream colored skin. Jessa closed her eyes for a few seconds before sighing.

"Here, let me get your wound treated," Jessa stated in a soft voice before she reached into her pocket and pulled out some bandage tape. Shinji had snapped out of his mental state and looked at her, slightly curious and surprised.

"We don't want the Third Children to die of blood loss. Not like you will from that shallow cut or anything," Jessa muttered before she snatched his wrist and brought it to her mouth. She gently pulled the bloody cut up to her lips and licked it lightly. Shinji gave a small yelp signaling that the cut was stinging. Jessa then started to suck some of the blood before removing her mouth a few seconds later. Unrolling the tape, she started to wrap the bandages around his cut. After the cut was covered, she cut the tap with the knife.

"Thank you," Shinji stated, a small blush on his cheeks. Jessa just gave a small smile before standing up and offering a hand. Shinji took it after a few moments of hesitation. But when Shinji tried to pull his hand away, Jessa gripped it harder. He flinched from the combination of pain from his wound and her fierce grip.

"Your blood...it tastes like iron."

AN: I hope I didn't make Shinji OOC. Also, my spellcheck doesn't really get every word so there are probably many more mistakes. In any case, I would really appreciate it if you reviewed! Also, this takes place right after episode 16 for everyone who doesn't know.

Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion nor do I own the characters.

R&R