A/N: Just to be clear, I'm still in the process of seeing the entire EVA series. Thus I attempt to put scenes from the series into this fic, but they may be off slightly, simply because I was reading a summary rather than actually viewing the episode. A lot of parts in here happen from the series and aren't really mentioned because I'm assuming most people have seen it all... So yeah. 3
Misato tangled the phone cord between her fingers, listening to Shinji stammer and make excuses. She smiled faintly to herself. Shinji was so amusing when he was all flustered. "Yeah, yeah. You act like I'm a demon or something" Misato sighed, clamping one hand over her forehead and leaning against the counter in the kitchen. From the bathroom with a toothbrush in her mouth, Asuka poked her head out and peered into the kitchen.
"Of course you can stay at Nagisa's. Yes... yes it's no problem, you don't have school tomorrow anyways."
Asuka scowled and then went back into the bathroom, shutting the door. In the bathtub, Penpen was soaking in warm water. Asuka gripped the sink, brushing her teeth and fuming. She eventually heard Misato chuckle to herself in the other room as she hung up the phone. Asuka spit into the sink and ran water.
"Looks like it's just you and me tonight again" Misato said, walking past the bathroom door.
"Surprise, surprise" Asuka muttered, putting her toothbrush away. She left the bathroom.
"It's good that he's friends with Kaworu now" Misato was saying from her own bedroom as she changed into clothes to sleep in. "Poor kid didn't have any friends at all for a while."
"Ugh, Kaworu's a creepy pervert!" Asuka replied, going into her bedroom and rolling out the bed. "I question Shinji's taste."
Shinji hung up the phone from where he was in the payphone and sighed. He wandered back across the street and to the apartment building. Knocking once on the door, Shinji invited himself into Kaworu's apartment after being buzzed in. Kaworu was lying vertically on his back on the bed, gazing at the ceiling.
"Kaworu, Misato said I could stay over" Shinji mumbled, fidgeting shyly. Kaworu took his hands out from behind his head and sat up.
"That's good" he said, smiling. He pat the spot on the bed next to him and Shinji stiffly walked over and took a seat. He locked his hands in his lap and stared directly forward while Kaworu sat in a much more comfortable position. Red eyes regarded Shinji with a sort of warmth and adoration. But after a long silence between them, Kaworu finally glanced away and Shinji took it as his cue to speak.
"I... uh... you know I didn't know what to make of you when I first met you..." Shinji said before coughing a bit.
Kaworu chuckled a bit, visibly relaxing after the somewhat tense silence. "I'd heard about you while I was with Seele, obviously. But I didn't think you'd be anything like this."
"But... that's good, right?" Shinji asked hopefully.
"Yes, I was expecting you to be like Pilot Soryu" Kaworu admitted with a laugh. Shinji glanced upwards, pondering for a moment, what he'd be like with Asuka's personality. He shuddered slightly.
"Scary..."
Kaworu laughed again. "But you are pretty close to her, are you not?"
Shinji shrugged. "I'm not really close to anyone..." he admitted. "Except you, maybe."
"Ah, but you're holding back" Kaworu pointed out, causing Shinji to blush and stammer.
"W-well I'm not used to-!"
"It's alright, Shinji" Kaworu laughed. "However long it takes, I'll wait."
"I don't know why you chose me, Kaworu... someone as... wonderful as you."
"I'm a better person when you're around, Shinji..." Kaworu replied, cupping the boy's face in his hands. "We need each other, I think."
Shinji nodded a little, smiling shyly. "Yeah... maybe we do."
Kaworu pressed his lips against Shinji's. Within moments, Shinji was lying pressed against the bed, his fingers and Kaworu's intertwined together.
Within a few days, the next angel came fast and unexpected. Misato seemed particularly disturbed by it and as the four children sat together in the room, Misato paced as she briefed them on what they were expected to do. "This is dangerous, very dangerous... You could all die." She was clearly torn with the decision of sending them out into the fray.
Shinji tried to look untroubled by the news. Angel attacks were always dangerous and he'd long since stopped caring about his own life. But as he glanced in Kaworu's direction, he noticed something odd about the boy. How he had his head down, mouth turned down in a scowl. And there was something else.
"Misato!" Shinji said, looking at the woman. "Kaworu can't come with us, can he? He doesn't have an Eva yet!" Shinji would have felt more confident going into battle with Kaworu by his side.
Misato sighed a bit. "Yes, Nagisa will have to stay here... Although four Evas together would be beneficial..."
Kaworu's expression was unreadable when Shinji studied it.
"You'll be catching the angel before it hits the ground..." Misato concluded. She looked to each of the placid faces. "If any of you want to back out... I won't blame you."
"As if I'd back out!" Asuka said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She eyed Shinji and Rei, eyes alight with excitement. "The angels aren't a game, children."
"I will go, I'm not afraid" Rei said quietly.
"I'll go too" Shinji added.
"Do any of you have written wills?" Misato asked.
"I don't need one. I'm not going to die just yet" Asuka replied, apparently speaking for Shinji and Rei as well.
Misato forced a smile, putting a hand to her forehead and pushing her bangs up slightly. "When this is done, I'll buy you all a steak dinner, alright? Let's go." She turned and exited the room. Shinji, Rei, Asuka and Kaworu exchanged glances to one another.
"I dislike meat" Rei sighed.
The three of them followed after Misato and began to head for the cage. Shinji paused in the doorway, glancing at Kaworu. The boy was leaning against the far wall, appearing troubled.
"Kaworu...?" Shinji asked quietly. The ash-haired boy raised his head and a smile appeared on his face.
"Hm?"
"Kaworu... If I die..."
"You won't" Kaworu replied with confidence. "You won't, Shinji. And I'll be right here waiting for you when you return."
"Asuka...?"
"What, Shinji?"
"Why do you pilot Eva?"
"To exhibit my talent to the world, of course!"
"To prove you exist?"
"I guess. Why do you pilot it?"
"...I don't know."
"Idiot."
"You must not lose sight of what we're after!" a stern voice heavy with an accent said. Kaworu winced while several large, black and rectangular boxes formed a circle around him. The boy himself was hovering in mid-air.
"Remember who you are!" another one urged. "You are Tabris. Your brothers are being murdered by these people. And Commander Ikari is your enemy!"
"This man is trying to become god. Humanity's fate cannot rest with him."
"I know that" Kaworu mumbled.
"You shouldn't feel anything except hatred towards the Lilim. And certainly not love!"
"I don't!" Kaworu shouted, appearing taken aback by his own outburst. "I don't love. Not at all."
"Good. We'll wait a while longer then."
Late at night after dinner, although not a steak dinner as originally planned, Misato was driving the three chosen children home. They seemed worn, but in good spirits. The purple-haired woman herself could breathe a sigh of relief at last. She knew as she glanced at silent Shinji sitting next to her and then in the back where Asuka and Rei were sitting... she knew her relationship with all of them had exceeded being a professional one. She did care about the well-being of them. She'd never had a child of her own but... Misato sometimes felt her inner motherly instincts come out when dealing with the three.
Her attention turned back to the relatively empty road. The citizens usually retreated when there was an angel attack. Misato realized that if Shinji, Asuka or Rei were to have died that day... well... she wondered how she would be able to go on working for Nerv.
Misato allowed a glance at Shinji again. He was thoughtful but smiling slightly as he looked out the window. Misato sighed. Gendo Ikari had never praised his son for anything... So to do it now must have been rather strange to Shinji. But not entirely unwanted, as she could see.
Rei sat in the back, her hands folded neatly in her lap, unaware of what Misato was thinking. Her attention was actually on Asuka who was pressed far against the door of the car, as if Rei had some sort of disease. She also looked forward and refused to look anywhere else. The car suddenly stopped and Rei realized they were at her apartment building. She opened the car door and got out, walking to Misato's window and bowing. "Thank you for dinner, m'am"
Misato grinned and waved it off. "You earned it! You all did."
Rei went into her apartment and Misato drove Shinji and Asuka back to their apartment. The both of them spoke little and went to their rooms. Shinji made his bed and then lay down in it, sighing. He was asleep within minutes. Asuka went to her own bed and was asleep soon after. Misato stayed up for a while, still concerned with how she felt about these children.
Like her own children, really. A startling revelation.
Asuka had told herself time and time again that Shinji and his life were about as interesting to her as... well... schoolwork was. Yet within the classroom, she found herself unable to take her eyes off of him. He was paired up with Kaworu for a certain project, probably not a coincidence. The two of them worked well together, able to fill the air with idle conversation while they wrote and researched. Asuka wouldn't admit it, but she was envious of their relationship. It had happened so fast, so suddenly too. Maybe Asuka had never gone about it the right way, but she'd always wanted to forage a friendship with Shinji. She was just too stubborn to do so. And that Kaworu, a complete stranger could just fly in like this and sweep Shinji off his feet... it was frustrating to her.
"I thought you didn't get close to anyone, you idiot..." Asuka mumbled.
"Pilot Soryu,"
Sitting up slightly, Asuka turned and stared at Rei who stood behind her. The girl's face was blank, as usual. Still as much of a walking robot as ever.
"Miss Misato suggested I spend more time with you" Rei said quietly. "So can we work on the project together?"
"Sorry but no" Asuka replied, turning from her and pointing her nose up into the air. "I'd rather jump off a cliff. And anyways, I have Hikari to work with me."
Giggling caused Asuka to notice Hikari and Toji at the back of the class. They were sitting together, writing notes. Partners. The redhead did a jaw drop that might have looked comical had it been anyone else. Then she glared. Her eyes scanned the classroom. Everyone had a partner. The only one left was the girl behind her. She growled and faced Rei, standing up in her chair.
"Fine! We'll split up the work then!"
Rei was baffled as Asuka shoved several papers into the girl's arms. Rei walked back over to her desk, taking her seat and spreading the notes over the surface of her desk. Asuka, fuming, went back to sit in her own desk. At that moment, she hated everyone.
