Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.
Chapter 12: Joshua
Shinji stood leaning beside the wall, patiently waiting for Rei. To tell the truth, he was a little surprised when, the day after she had woken up, Misato had asked her to stay with Shinji and herself. Not that he minded at all, of course; it was just that she was so different from Rei that he had gotten the impression they didn't really get along. He was jerked out of his thoughts as the blue-haired girl turned a corner further down the hall and gradually made her way toward him. As she got closer, her stoic face softened just a little-- her expression was still the same, but it seemed to convey a quiet acknowledgement as opposed to cold indifference. Their eyes locked again as she walked, and Shinji fell into step beside her.
Neither of them had mentioned what had happened in the hospital that night--to an extent, it didn't seem real. Both seemed to be aware that something between them was different, however. Sometimes Shinji's eyes would linger on Rei for just a moment longer than necessary, and Rei would indulge in the occasional glance in his direction while he was safely looking the other way. Other than that, they continued to act friendly towards each other as they had before and Shinji was going out of his way to spend time with Rei whenever possible. Since he wasn't going to school anymore, that basically meant he hadn't left Rei's side since she had woken up two days ago.
"So, uh... what did the Commander say?" He hadn't been sure if his father would be willing to allow Rei to move in with them-- he had made her live alone in that dingy apartment for most of her life, after all.
"...He said the decision was up to me."
"...Oh... I see... and uh, ARE you coming to stay with m-- uh, Misato and I?"
Rei turned her head to look at him. Did he really think that she didn't want to come?
"...Of course, Ikari-kun."
He seemed to brighten slightly when she said this, which puzzled her but she said nothing regarding it.
They were standing outside NERV headquarters for about a minute before a streak of dark blue came barrelling down the street and fishtailed to a stop a foot in front of Shinji. He barely moved but Rei's eyes nearly popped out of her head; she had heard rumors of Major Katsuragi's driving abilities from Asuka but had ignored them as mere exaggeration-- now, she admitted that even the Second Child could be right from time to time.
Shinji opened the door to the backseat without a second thought, but turned around to notice Rei still glued to her spot on the sidewalk.
"Ayanami?"
"...Are you certain... this vehicle is entirely safe?" she asked with a degree of trepidation in her voice, something that caught Shinji by surprise.
"Oh, that...Don't worry, Misato may be a bad driver, but she hasn't gotten in any accidents (at least, I don't think so)...
She still looked uncertain, but took a breath and moved to the door nearest her.
"I trust you, Ikari-kun."
With that she occupied the space near Shinji.
"...So, I'm a bad driver, am I?"
The Major looked over her shoulder at the timid boy sitting behind and to the left of her. She sounded angry, but her face soon broke out into a playful grin when her ward was left stuttering for an apology.
"I'm only kidding, Shinji-- sheesh, would it kill you to relax for once?"
She turned her attention to the pale girl sitting right behind her.
"So, what's the good word? Are you coming to stay with us, Rei?"
"...Yes, Major Katsuragi."
Rei nearly jumped out of her seat as Misato let out a loud whoop. Without warning, she slammed on the gas and sped off, leaving dust and small chunks of asphault in her wake. Shinji cringed as though he knew what was coming.
"AALLL RIIGHT! A NEW ROOMIE-- THAT MEANS IT'S TIME TO PARTAYYY!"
"...Don't you mean 'time to get wasted?' Oh, wait... You do that every other weekend don't you?" Shinji said with a slight hint of sarcasm.
Misato turned around to glare at Shinji (which made Rei unconciously grip the side of her seat), then broke into a satisfied laugh.
"Well, it's nice to see that SOMEBODY'S back to normal!"
Rei looked at the Major curiously, wondering what she meant. At the moment though, she could live without knowing-- she got the ominous feeling that to distract the Major further would only result in her own untimely demise.
After about an hour, they finally arrived at Misato's apartment complex, all three of them weighed down with groceries (mostly of the alcoholic variety, of course). Shinji had told Misato repeatedly that to continue drinking at the rate she did wasn't healthy for anyone, but she always ignored him, dismissing his comments as 'prudish.'
"Ah, good-- the movers already brought your stuff, Rei."
She used her free foot to indicate a pair of cardboard boxes by the door, containing all of Rei's earthly possessions. Shinji thought it was a little sad that she barely had enough to fill the trunk of a small car, but then again, it wasn't really like her to have attachments to physical things. As they carried their purchases to the kitchen, a foot-tall blur of black-and-white came running from a panel in what looked like a refrigeratior. Rei dropped her bags in shock, wondering what was attacking Misato's leg.
"Hi, Pen-Pen! Are you hungry?" the Major smiled happily at what Rei could tell on closer inspection to be a small flightless waterfowl, commonly known as a 'penguin.'
"...'Pen-Pen?'" the red-eyed girl questioned as she stared at the very out-of-place animal. Shinji, after setting down his bags on the table, offered her an explanation.
"...Oh, that's Misato's pet. She said it's some sort of 'hot springs' penguin, so he can live in places like this without any problem."
"...I see."
In fact, Rei was very confused-- what kind of woman buys enough beer for a wedding reception at the blink of an eye AND has a penguin, of all things, living in her household? She was starting to regret coming here...
After they had managed to sort the groceries (Misato was willing to leave them where they were, but Shinji forced her to cooperate by holding her beer hostage with threat of a five-story drop out the window), Shinji got an iron wok out of the cabinet and started to chop up vegetables on the counter. He didn't notice Rei standing near him until her hand reached past his arm to pick up one of the bell peppers. He froze at the light contact of her arm touching his-- it almost felt like he'd gotten a shock of static electricity. He felt a little disappointed when she moved back across the counter.
"A-Ayanami? What are you doing?"
She looked at him as though it should have been obvious.
"...I am helping you, Ikari-kun."
"Oh, no-- you don't have to do that..."
"... But I am staying here now. Should I not make an effort to aid my fellow residents when possible?"
"Ayanami..." he gently put a hand on her shoulder-- "...You only just got here. You should relax a little until dinner-- I'm sure you're tired anyway."
Rei had to admit she was tired-- but Shinji's warm hand was making her tense...
"...But if not me, than shouldn't Major Katsuragi help y--"
She stopped as Shinji's face suddenly went grim.
"Trust me, Rei-- we're both better off if Misato doesn't come anywhere NEAR the kitchen right now. Just let me do this-- I like to cook anyway."
At that, she nodded, leaving Shinji to finish the dinner, feeling a little guilty.
Within a half hour, Shinji called the girls in for dinner. Rei was surprised to see that Shinji had remembered her distaste for meat-- he had set out a colorful array of stir-fried vegetables with steamed white rice and chinese egg rolls.
"Hooray! I haven't seen a feast like this out of you for a while, Shinji!" Misato cheered apprasingly, not even bothering to observe the niceties of giving thanks before digging into her meal. Shinji sighed, too used to her behavior to be anything other than exasperated. Rei however, stared at the spectacle before her as the very unconventional woman sitting nearby ate with zest, small bits of rice flying past her head. The Major was such a responsible, intelligent woman at NERV-- could she perhaps have a bipolar disorder?
"Major Katsuragi--"
Misato suddenly stopped consuming her food, and slammed her chopsticks on the table.
"Damnit, Rei, we're not at work right now-- just call me Misato, all right?"
"But Major..."
"Rei, this is an order--When we're at home, I forbid you to call me by anything other than my first name."
"...But Major, you just emphasized that we are not on NERV premises, and as such, is your rank not made void and thus not applicable to this situation?"
Misato stared at the girl, unable to circumvent her faultless logic, while Shinji was staring down at his food, his trembling making it clear he was trying his hardest not to laugh.
"...Fine. Whatever-- call me 'Major' if you want. I don't care." The look on her face made it clear that she was at least annoyed, however. "...So what is it?"
Rei was silent for a moment before she spoke.
"...Where will I be sleeping tonight?"
Misato swallowed the beer she was swigging, and looked up at the ceiling pensively.
"Well, I suppose we could always put you in Asuka's room."
Both Shinji and Rei were less than enthused by the idea, and Misato asked them why.
"Um, Misato... I don't know if its...right...to let her stay in there."
He knew that when... well, if... Asuka got better, the first thing she would complain about besides Rei living under the same roof as her would be if she had laid a finger on anything in her room--the thought of an angry Asuka fresh out of the hospital was not a pleasant one.
"...I also feel that it would be...inappropriate to assume residence of Pilot Sorhyu's living quarters," the pale girl quietly added.
The violet-haired alcoholic sighed, considering their meager remaining options.
"Hmm...your only other real option's the TV room, but I don't think you'd like that..."
"...Misato...Rei could have my room."
Misato's train of thought was derailed unceremoniously by this comment and she stared at Shinji suspiciously. To her satisfaction, he began to flail his arms wildly and turn a very dark shade of red.
"N-not like THAT! I-I just meant that I could sleep out here, and that way she'd, uh... be more comfortable..."
Misato smiled, glad that Shinji was showing some chivalry toward their guest.
"It's all right with me. Rei, what do you want to do?"
After a few minutes spent staring at her empty plate, Rei quietly answered.
"That would be...acceptable."
She was finding it hard to fight the blush creeping across her face.
After dinner, Rei cleaned up the plates (Shinji had again tried to convince her not to worry about it, but she had bluntly insisted, practically forcing the boy out of the kitchen) while Shinji got the spare futon pulled out of the closet and set it on the ground in front of the television. Misato, as usual, was doing nothing to help, simply sitting on the couch in front of the set, nursing another Yebisu in her hand.
Well, at least I've got someone else to take care of the chores, she thought to herself with a smile.
Plus, it'll be easier this way to keep an eye on her...
"Major Katsuragi?"
Misato was shaken out of her thoughts by Rei, standing just behind the couch, wearing a oversized t-shirt as her nightclothes. She sighed mentally, then spoke.
"Is there something you need, Rei?"
"...I wish to ask you something else."
"Well, what is it?"
"...When we were in the car earlier today, you mentioned that Ikari-kun was 'back to normal.' Was something wrong with him?"
The older woman raised an eyebrow-- Rei concerned about someone? It took her a moment to answer.
"...Well, after the... explosion... Shinji just, well... I'll just say I've never seen him looking so miserable."
"...Why would he have been miserable?"
Misato stared at Rei curiously. Did she really not know?...
"Rei...well, it was... because of you, I guess."
"...I...caused Ikari to be...depressed?"
"Well, he was really worried. As soon as he found out you were alive, he stayed at that hospital until you got better. To be honest...I've never seen him like that before."
Rei was silent as this information hit her.
Shinji stayed with me...for all this time...?
"...Excuse me, Misato."
Without another word, she entered Shinji's room, leaving a very confused looking Misato sitting on the couch for about a minute before she decided to go to bed as well. She stopped about halfway through, and sighed exasperatedly as she realized that Rei was finally calling her by her first name.
The slight noise of a sliding door being pulled open snapped Shinji's attention away from his current task.
"Oh, hi Ayanami. Did you find the bathroom all right?"
She didn't say a word, she simply looked at him kneeling on the floor with his hands rummaging in his cabinets.
"...Don't worry-- I'm just getting a change of clothes for tomorrow; I don't want to come in here and have to wake you up--"
He was silenced as Rei swiftly crossed the room and threw her arms around his neck. His sense of time seemed to fade as he felt Rei's arms around him and her head leaning on his own as she stood over him. When he tried to breathe, the gentle scent of shampoo floated into his nose, further hindering his brain function.
"A-Ayanami..."
He finally managed to utter her name, but when he said it, he wasn't sure if he had wanted her to stop or stay there. In response, the pale girl squeezed him tighter to her. She wasn't sure why she had wanted to hold him like this after Misato had told her about Shinji's depression, but somehow it felt right. After a few minutes, Rei slowly released her hold on Shinji, leaving him with a stunned, almost blissful look on his face.
With that, she went to the bed sitting in the corner and got under the covers.
"Ayanami..."
He whispered her name again, not sure if he had just imagined what he had seen. Suddenly a quiet voice came from the bed.
"...Rei."
Shinji looked at her in surprise, uncertain of what she meant.
"...What?"
"We are now living in the same house, correct? As such...I would like for you to call me 'Rei'...Shinji."
"...Okay...Rei."
With that, a very confused, but happy, Shinji Ikari walked slowly out of his room to the makeshift bed a few feet away and lay down to sleep.
A/N: Ahh-- after last chapter, I had to unwind a little bit, and had some fun writing this one--consider it the 'calm before the storm.' Thanks for your continued support! Just remember to keep letting me know what you think-- every little bit helps!