Supervisor: Silpelit Seven
Author's Note: gunman, thank you very much for the helpful reviews! It's extremely hard for me to judge my own writing most of the time. Since I have all the ideas in my head, sometimes I see (in my head) what others can't because I don't write it correctly. I really appreciate the time and thought you put into your comments! The reason I chose to omit the battles thus far is because they happen just as they do in the anime. I felt it would be boring to simply rehash events that everyone already knows. As for pairings, I have some things in the works which I cannot reveal.
While a group of their classmates played baseball during P.E., the usual trio of Ikari, Suzuhara and Aida was joined today by Mitamura. They lay against an embankment in that order, enjoying the afternoon sun. "Hey, it's unusual to see you outside with us, Mitamura-kun," Kensuke observed lazily. "Usually you are granted special access to the weight room, right? Ah, it must be nice to live the privileged life of an EVA pilot."
"It's not just that. I don't like team sports," Mitamura yawned. "I get frustrated with my incompetance."
"Hey, don't all the girls have such great bodies?" Touji stated for no particular reason. The four boys tilted their heads to get a better view of the girls of their class, who were currently occupied in the school's swimming pool. Several of them noticed and promptly called out in disgust. Three of the boys casually rested their bodies once again, but one was left staring at a certain girl. "Oh, great Ikari, what are you looking at?"
"Or rather... 'who'?" Kensuke added mischeviously.
"Maybe Horaki? She sure does have a nice body," Touji asked as he moved over to above Shinji's shoulder. Ayanami Rei, the object of Shinji's intrigue, turned her head and noticed the boys. Ikari took action, placing two fingers up Touji's nose. Shinji forced his captive up to his feet and waved at the amassing group of laughing girls.
However...
"She didn't smile at all," Shinji sighed as he released the infuriated Suzuhara.
"What the hell are you thinking!" he yelled. Ikari was caught up in his thoughts, though. "Ikari, look at me!" The other boys cried out in laughter now, some saying some things which were a bit uncalled for. The girls and boys eventually settled down, but Suzuhara did not.
'Maybe she's some kind of robot.'
"Just how long can you avoid my yelling!" Touji shouted as Shinji finally returned to reality. "You idiot!"
"Hey, now I don't owe you that punch. We're even," Ikari stated lightly as Touji dropped to the ground. "W-what is it?"
"You got me back... By embarassing me in front of all the girls..." he murmured as he rolled on the ground. Unexpectedly, Shinji was called by the P.E. teacher to play baseball, so Touji soon got over his shock and rejoined the other two boys. "So who was he oogling?" he asked as he grabbed Kensuke's camera.
"Be careful, Touji!"
"He was looking at Ayanami," Kunihiko stated matter-of-factly. "I thought it was pretty clear."
"Oh, at Ayanami?" Kensuke asked excitedly. "Is there something we don't know? A clandestine love, perhaps? Ah, a developing romance between two of the Evangelion pilots!"
"Don't go so far as to say that," Touji interrupted, holding his chin in an attempt to look cunning. "I'd guess that he is only beginning to realize that he has 'those' kinds of feelings for Ayanami. We need to help him nurture this connection!"
"I wouldn't do that." Kensuke and Touji's scheming was brought to a sudden halt. "He is probably just curious about her. Her biological and historical files at NERV are blank. I wonder about her as well."
"She's attended school here with us since seventh grade," Kensuke explained. "She's always been quiet and private. We only found out she was a pilot after Shinji came to school here. Beyond that much, I can't help."
"He was trying to make her smile," Touji said as it dawned in his head. "He was trying to get some reaction from her!"
"But he didn't fair any better than anyone else has," Kensuke added. "Oh well."
"I was also wondering... Why are you two Shinji's friends? Weren't you angry with him after your sister was injured, Suzuhara-san?" Mitamura asked quietly after the previous conversation had died. The three of them turned again to watch Shinji as he stood in left field.
"Well, we saw him fight the fourth Angel. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it," Touji responded in a low tone.
"We snuck out of our shelter so we could see the Angel and EVA for ourselves," Aida continued. "In the process of defended his position, Shinji's EVA was tossed into the air. He landed really close to where we were standing... In fact he couldn't move without crushing us, so he let us into the entry plug. Our brainwaves messed up his concentration."
"You were allowed into the entry plug during a battle?" Kunihiko asked in a reserved yet surprised way.
"Yeah, Shinji did that on his own," Touji explained. "Misato-san told him to retreat, but he disobeyed her and attacked instead! I guess he was detained for a while, and then he ran away... I kinda feel like its our fault..."
"So, that's why he left?"
"Yea. He said Misato told him to leave, that he wasn't stable enough to pilot safely. He kinda freaked out and walked around the city for days. He ended up out in the mountains outside of town, and fortunately I was camping out there as well," Kensuke said with a sigh. "The next morning he was taken back by some agents from NERV's Section 2. We heard he was discharged from NERV."
"I remember you asked me where he was leaving from," Kunihiko interjected.
"Right. Somehow we managed to pick up Misato's trail and followed her. We saw her crying as the train pulled up, so we decided not to interrupt. We held back and watched. I wasn't surprised when the train pulled away, but they were left behind," Touji finished. "Because of those experiences, how could we push him away when he returned?"
"He's actually a funny guy, sometimes. Especially when he uses Touji as a means!" Kensuke said with a wide smile.
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Subcaption 1:
Tomodachi, Friend, Tovarisch
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Cage #6.
In silence and surrounded by locks and restraints, EVA-00 and EVA-01 faced each other above the LCL which went up to their chests. Ritsuko had advised Shinji to inspect the new changes which had been implemented on NERV's entry plugs. In addition the reactivation test of EVA-00 was coming up the next day. The doctor had also explained that it had gone out of control during the last test, which had caused all of Rei's now-healed injuries.
If the EVA were to go out of control again, it was up to Shinji to stop it.
As he sat in the quiet space, his attention was drawn once again to Ayanami Rei. She, too, was looking over her entry plug as it sat ready for insertion. His curiosity grew as his father and a plain-clothed Mitamura approached her. She quickly stepped off the plug to greet the Commander. She seemed oddly... natural... as she spoke with him. Her usual cold self disappeared, her normal stiffness drained away.
His father also seemed to loosen up around her. His eyes reflected a warmth that startled Shinji.
'Father... He would never look at me in such a way. What is up between my father and her, anyway?'
As Gendo walked away, Ayanami's eyes watched him leave. Mitamura and Ayanami exchanged a few words before the tall boy left. "Shinji, good work. You're done for today," Ritsuko's voice echoed as the LCL de-electrolyzed. The walk to the changing room was quiet and sticky, as usual. His shower was hot and short, as usual.
Consequenty, he jumped just a little when he found Mitamura sitting on the bench, staring at his white plug suit as it hung in his locker. "M-mitamura-san! I didn't hear you come in," Shinji stuttered.
"That happens sometimes." Shinji got dressed a little quicker than usual, even though he didn't feel any type of pressure from Kunihiko.
"Is something bothering you?" Shinji asked quietly as he laced up his shoes.
"I don't have a purpose here," the boy replied in a direct way. "Tomorrow, Ayanami-san will successfully activate Unit 00. You've decided to continue piloting Unit 01. My chance of effectively piloting has greatly gone down."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for things to turn out this way..."
"Don't blame yourself at all. That has nothing to do with it. Oh... I have something for you." Kunihiko stood and reached into his pant pocket. He pulled out a card and handed it down to Shinji. "It's your permanent I.D. card. Katsuragi-san forgot it on her desk, once again. She called me and asked me to give it to you."
"Oh, thank you." Shinji examined the card for a while before putting it into his pocket. When he looked back up, Kunihiko was handing him another card. "Is this a duplicate?"
"No, it belongs to Ayanami-san." Shinji's eyes widened a little as he gently took the card.
"Why are you giving it to me?"
"Dr. Akagi also failed to give Rei her renewed I.D. card before she left the Geofront for an important meeting. So she put that responsibility on me, and I chose to give it to you. You're interested in Ayanami-san, correct?"
"How do you mean that? 'Interested'?" Shinji asked nervously.
"You want to know more about her. You want to know her more closely. I thought that you may want this opportunity to visit her home. By this time she'll have already started on her way.
"I'm actually kind of tired..."
"You have one day before her old card expires. Ikari-san, I am giving you this chance as your friend."
"My friend?" Shinji asked slowly. The two boys silently examined each other for a moment.
"You're surprised?"
"Well, I always see you with my father, and he isn't exactly rushing to be closer to me, so I thought..." He trailed off when met with Mitamura's hard gaze. Even through his glasses, the boy had a rough edge about his face.
"We're not as close as you'd think," Kunihiko rebutted in an equally rough voice, eyes falling downward. "I'm more of the Commander's 'go for' guy. At least then I have some purpose for being here. You seem sad... when you talk about your father."
"He left me with my uncle when I was just a kid. I've never really been close to him."
"I see. Don't think badly of me because I am seen around him often. The same goes for Ayanami. And... if you wish, I can accompany you to her apartment tomorrow morning, since it'll be Sunday. You don't have testing until later in the evening, right?"
"Yes, I'd really appreciate that!" Shinji exclaimed, his eyes brightening greatly at the proposal.
"That's what friends are for." The two young men shared a peaceful smile before they parted ways.
---
Happenstances
Chapter 03: Closeness
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The rising sun hurt Kunihiko's eyes. He was still tired from waking so early. His phone rang at seven A.M.: Shinji's number. The two met for breakfast at a small coffee shop. Through small talk and chit-chat, the two of them became more acquainted with each other. In the back of his mind, Kunihiko was also forming a somewhat underhanded plan.
"So, here we are."
"I see what you meant by the construction," Shinji said over the consistent banging of large equipment.
"Sorry I got lost. I'm still not used to Tokyo-3 yet," Kunihiko admitted.
"It's OK! I'm a little nervous, so I don't mind waiting," Shinji said, his voice just a little shaky.
"Why? All you're doing is delivering her card. If you wish to stay, however-"
"No! Um, why would you say that?" Kunihiko shrugged as he used a key to enter the building, holding the door open for Shinji. The two silently ascended four flights of stairs since the elevators were still out of order. "Her apartment is number 402, right?"
"That's right." Ikari took a deep breath and opened the staircase's door, stepping out onto the floor. He bravely took a few steps towards 402 before looking back. His heart dropped...
Kunihiko wasn't behind him.
Shinji turned back towards 402, only to find Ayanami waiting at the doorway. "Oh, Ayanami!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing off the empty hall. "Good morning!"
"Why are you here?" she asked in her normal tone. He slowly approached her doorway, groping around in his pocket for her card.
"Well, you see... Um, Dr. Akagi was supposed to give you this card... Uh, your I.D. card! It was renewed!" he explained nervously. "How... Were you leaving? You appeared at the door suddenly." Shinji was too nervous to notice Rei's eyes narrow slightly.
"No particular reason."
"Um, I see..." He trailed off, anxiety beginning to overcome surprise.
"Is there anything else?"
"Oh!" Ayanami's quiet voice was enough to snap Shinji back to reality. "I, uh... That is, not really..." His gaze drifted downwards towards his feet, but snapped back up after seeing a third pair of shoes. An old pair of beat-up, skater-inspired shoes which must have belonged to...
"Ikari-san and I were just going to get some coffee. He mentioned that, since we were already delivering your card, we should invite you as well. So, what is your decision, Ayanami-san? Does coffee sound OK?" Kunihiko pressured gently. Not only was Shinji taken aback by Kunihiko's sudden reappearance, but also by the carefree smile on his face. Somehow he erased the sleep-deprived, morose look he usually wore, replacing it with a face which could have been any happy teenager's.
"I do not like coffee," Ayanami replied after a moment of consideration. Shinji's shoulders visibly slumped.
"Seriously?" Kunihiko groaned. "But-"
"However, some tea would be nice," the young woman interjected.
"Excellent! Do you need some time to get ready?"
"I will only need a few minutes." The pale girl walked back into her apartment, leaving the door open. Mitamura placed a hand on Shinji's shoulder, and the two boys entered the apartment. Kunihikou leaned against the wall just inside the entrance while Shinji explored further. The first impression which grew in both boys' minds was the uncleanliness of the apartment.
Faded footprints were visible in the dust and dirt which lay stagnant on the floor. The morning sun peaked past the edges of the musty curtains, which were fully drawn closed. The apartment was a single room with an adjoined kitchen area that looked as if it had never been cleaned. A single bed, one dresser, a chair and a small refrigerator were the only furniture. Her bed was unmade; the sheets were tossed aside and wrinkled. Several bottles of pain killers were stacked on the fridge's top, accompanied by a single glass of water. A bag full of trash set next to the dresser. Bloody piles of used gauze were kept uncerimoniously in a cardboard box. Various clothing was strewn about the room.
Once the fact that Ayanami wasn't concerned with her home's appearance set in, Shinji was drawn to the dresser and the pair of glasses which set on its top. He picked them up gently; one lense was missing while the other was cracked.
'Are these Ayanami's?' he wondered silently. On the inside of one arm was an name. Ikari Gendo. 'They are my father's?'
Kunihiko cleared his throat loudly, signalling to Shinji the approach of Ayanami. He turned slowly to find her staring at the glasses he held in his hands. Shinji looked down at them as well, then back at Rei. "I noticed they are my father's," he explained, laughing nervously for no obvious reason. She stepped forward and grabbed them out of his hands, causing him to recoil a bit.
She looked down at the glasses again, her eyes softening marginally. "You're close to my father... Aren't you?" The girl sighed before placing the spectacles back on the dresser. "Um, Ayanami... ?"
"Let's get some coffee and tea," she stated flatly as she walked towards the apartment's door.
'She's angry with me. I didn't mean anything by it...'
"Yo, Ikari. Let's go," Mitamura said in a commanding tone. "You don't want to get left behind in Ayanami's apartment, do you?"
"Oh, uh, no! I'm coming!"
Even the two boys had just come from the coffee shop, they now found themselves returning. As the trio left the apartment complex, leaving the monotonous booming of construction behind, Shinji began to wonder if Kunihiko had been planning this series of events.
'Now I understand why he asked me not to eat much. If I'd only known we would be eating brunch with Rei!'
-
End of Chapter 03.
Additional author's note: Centurious, I owe you for teaching me a new word. I went ahead and added it to the subcaption's title for you. Thanks for the words of encouragement! I really appreciate it. Also, the pace of the story slowed down greatly in this chapter. There are only three scenes, but they are somewhat longer than most previous ones. I'm trying to keep the word count under control and constant so the story will seem to flow quickly and releases can be spaced evenly. That's all!
Warmest regards,
Silpelit7
