Disclaimer: Same As Chapter 1.
Chapter 17: Kings II
"...Shinji?"
The sound of his name shook the boy out of his reverie.
"Oh...sorry. What is it?"
"We have arrived."
Without further ado, the underground train came to a stop. Then came the rush of people getting out, then entering, all with great disorganization and haste. Shinji and Rei were seperated briefly, but managed to locate each other at the top of the stairs that led above ground.
"Uhh...That was a nightmare," Shinji said in reference to the human sardine can that was the subway. He then turned to the pale girl standing a step below him. "Are you okay?"
"I am comfortable now," she said with relief.
Shinji knew Rei didn't like being in social situations of this type, but in order to get to the restaurant before nightfall this had been a necessary evil.
"...I'm sorry. We should have walked," he said nonetheless.
"Nonsense, Shinji," the girl interjected. "...This was the required means of transportation for reaching our desired location. Also I am aware that you are not by any means financially stable, and a taxi would be too great a strain on your budget. Furthermore, though I do not like to be in crowded trains, I am well and without injury. These facts in point outweigh any percieved discomfort I may have briefly experienced, and I am thus not upset."
Shinji blinked once Rei had finished her monologue.
"...What?"
"Well, it's just that... I've never heard you say that much at once."
Rei considered him for a moment as they started to walk.
"...That is true... But I have never had much to say at once before."
Shinji couldn't help but start to laugh when she said that-- he knew that she wasn't joking, but the way she had said it so bluntly... He had managed to stop his giggling fit when Rei spoke again.
"...Do I amuse you, Shinji?" She didn't sound angry, just curious.
"I-I'm sorry, Rei--It's just...the way you said it was funny."
She looked at him oddly.
"...I do not see why. I was merely stating the truth. I do not understand 'humor.'"
The boy turned his head to see Rei facing ahead, but her eyes turned downward ever so slightly.
"...Perhaps it is something I am not meant to understand."
Shinji suddenly remembered what Misato had said about Rei only a little while ago. He sighed quietly, lost in his thoughts yet again.
Rei noticed that something was bothering him but did not say anything.
Neither spoke until they arrived at the restaurant.
"Hello. I'm here to visit Miss Asuka Langley Sorhyu."
The woman at the directory desk of the NERV hospital checked Kaworu's identification, then pointed him in the direction of the Psychiatric Ward. The silver-haired Fifth Child climbed the stairs effortlessly, the five story journey hardly causing him to break a sweat. There were no security cameras in the elevators-- he wanted to make sure that they saw him here, at least.
Shinji and Rei sat across from each other in their tiny booth. Occasionally Rei took a drink from her glass of water, but other than that they were still. The restaurant that Rei had (randomly) chosen was not one of the nicer ones, but the food was supposedly very good-- the perfect choice for one as 'financially unstable' as Shinji. He was sitting quietly, playing with his fork when Rei spoke.
"Shinji..."
"Yes?"
"...I am curious...What was it that Misato wanted you for?"
This question took Shinji aback. It was unlike Rei to pry into other people's business, especially when she had been deliberately left out of the conversation. He decided that a half-truth would work best in this situation.
"Oh, uh...she just wanted to know where we were going."
Before Rei could press the issue further, their meal arrived-- teriyaki vegetables for Rei and mushroom chicken for Shinji, with a large bowl of white rice for them to share. As they ate, Shinji forgot about his worries and just tried to enjoy spending time with Rei. Despite all he now knew about her, he found that task very easy to do. Rei was scooping another helping of rice from the bowl when she noticed Shinji staring at her, transfixed.
"...What is it?"
He seemed to fall out of a trance when she spoke.
"Oh...nothing," he said sheepishly, a light blush spreading across his cheeks as he turned his attention back to his dinner. Rei knew exactly why he had been staring at her though, and found herself smiling as well.
Kaworu turned yet another corner in the Psychiatric Ward, which seemed to be a complex maze of sorts-- no wonder many of the occupants never seemed to get better. The boy smiled to himself as he finally managed to locate Room 303. He entered and found on the room's only bed the comatose body of the former pilot of Unit-02.
Even though Rei had been in a similar state nearly a month ago, Asuka's was far worse-- instead of simply being able to sleep peacefully, the red-head looked as though she were frozen in utter shock. Her eyes were wide and blank, the glitter of their sapphire pupils cold and dull. Her mouth was slightly open, in which case she was sometimes found to be drooling onto her pillow. Occasionally she might mumble as though in her sleep, but other than that it had been concluded that she was beyond medical assistance. Kaworu walked straight up to her bed, then leaned over it, the smile from before still glued to his features.
"Hello, Second Child," he whispered to her sweetly, knowing that she could not respond. He then gently pressed two of his fingers to her forehead.
"...I'm afraid it's time for you to wake up now."
After dinner, Shinji and Rei had caught the last train back home. Since they managed to get on at the last second, they were not lucky enough to get seats, and had to settle for standing. When they had finished negotiating the crowds at their stop, they took the stairs to the surface and made their way to a park not far from the apartment. As they walked, Rei again asked Shinji what Misato had called him back for.
"I told you, Rei...she just wanted to know where we--"
"You are not good at lying, Shinji."
He looked over at the blue-haired girl-- her face was as stoic as ever, but her eyes bore a kind of sadness or concern. She grabbed his hand and lead him to a nearby bench, where she sat and indicated for him to do the same. He waited a moment before he started talking.
"...Rei, what makes you so sure I'm not telling you the truth about this? Why is it so important?" he said just a little more defensively than he meant to.
"...I heard you," she answered simply. "Through the door."
He suddenly remembered that when he had shut the door, he hadn't heard the lock catch. So Rei knows...
"...I want to thank you, Shinji."
He was sure at first that he had heard her wrong.
"W-why?"
"...Because of what you said to Misato. I...have never heard anyone...defend me before. Even the Commander...never saw me as worth arguing over. But..."
She paused while Shinji sat with his eyes locked on her.
"...You know she is right. I am not..."
"...Rei..."
"Shinji, it is the truth. I am not a human being. At least... not in the same way you are."
He gently put an arm around her, pulling her close. He couldn't think of anything else to do or say. Rei looked up at his profile-- his eyes were trained at the grass-covered ground beneath their feet, but the light shade of pink on his face was unmistakable. She smiled as she buried her head into his shoulder, not needing any words, and Shinji offering none.
The pair arrived home a half hour later to find the apartment full of the ringing of the telephone. Shinji sighed, then walked into the kitchen, taking his coat off as he went. "All right, all right..." he groaned as he picked up the reciever, ignoring the flashing '13' under the 'New Messages' LED.
"...Hello?"
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU TWO BEEN! I'VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH YOU FOR THE LAST HOUR!"
He hesitated as the loud voice hit his unprepared ear, nearly deafening him.
"...S-sorry, Misato... I just had my cell phone off--"
He heard her exasperated groan from the other end of the reciever. When she spoke again, her voice was slightly calmer, but no less severe.
"Damnit-- Just get down to NERV as fast as you can...and bring Rei with you."
"...Wait, Misato-- what's going on?"
"Shinji...It's about Asuka..."
He was silent for a moment as Misato explained the situation to him. He wordlessly hung up the phone, ran out of the kitchen without his coat, and grabbed Rei's hand as he headed toward the door.
"Come on-- we've got to go."
"...What is it?" she asked, not having heard the other half of the conversation.
"...Asuka's awake."
A/N: Whoa...dude...bet you didn't see that coming (not)! Now Asuka will be entering the story earlier than normal. I wasn't going to at first, but I decided that it would be kind of lame to just toss her back into the mix after the 12th angel is dead and NERV heads down the path to 3rd Impact. Plus, I've got something planned for her... I will continue to keep updating until this thing is done, so stick with it, people! Hope you're enjoying this humble little fic!