A/N: Evangelion is very complex. Nothing is in black and white. I wanted to make that the same for this fic. Relationships among the cast of NGE can never be simply black and white.

The next morning, Asuka and Rei exchanged few words. The German girl left soon after waking up, walking in the direction of her apartment. Rei stood at her front window, watching Asuka walking away from the building and down the street without so much as glancing back. Rei wrung her hands together, a rather unusual thing for her to do. She didn't know what she wanted to do. But she'd been feeling rather hopeful in the past few days. It seemed as though Asuka had been opening up to her. Rei had never particularly cared about Asuka until recently.

Her eyes widened at her own realization. Why, she cared about Asuka. It was a rare thing. The girl really only cared about Shinji and Gendo. She'd never made any friends on her own and she never really wanted to. So the need to suddenly have Asuka around as her friend was unnerving to her.

"Why do I feel like this...?" she asked herself, resting her forehead against the window pane. She closed her eyes, unable to clear her mind of Asuka's face leaning down towards her in the dark. The taste of her lips... would she ever be rid of it?

Shinji got up sometime in the later part of the morning. Wearing a t-shirt and shorts, he wandered out of his room scratching himself and yawning. In the kitchen he happened to notice Asuka, lying with her arms on the table and her head resting in them. He approached her with caution, wondering if she was asleep. Had Misato missed her when she left for work? Or maybe Asuka had just come home after Misato had gone.

"Asuka?" Shinji asked, leaning across the table and daring to prod the girl in the head. She moved, raising her head just enough for her eyes to be seen and Shinji jumped back a little. Asuka regarded him with a bored look on her face. She hardly looked in the mood to be bothered, but Shinji decided to press her for answers to her unusual behaviour as of late. However, Asuka asked a question first.

"Are you and Kaworu a couple?" She said it with a tone of disgust in her voice.

Shinji took another step back, bewildered. Was it obvious? If she knew, how many others knew? He didn't know why he didn't want people to know. Maybe he was ashamed... Not of Kaworu, but of himself. The two of them, they hadn't really talked about their relationship, what it was, what it meant. In fact, they usually just behaved as friends would and nothing more. Shinji very rarely took charge of situations so he let his own confusion slide. It was just easier to unquestionably accept Kaworu's kisses and intimacy.

Asuka grinned a little when the response was delayed. "Do you kiss him, Shinji? Wouldn't you rather kiss me?"

Shinji gripped one of the chairs around the table to keep himself from bolting into his room. "I... I don't know..." He couldn't even be sure what question he was answering.

Asuka leapt up from her chair and Shinji almost cowered from her. "Idiot! Are you so blind!"

"Blind to what?" Shinji asked, his tone taking on a defensive edge. "I don't know what the hell is going on with you!"

Asuka stormed over to him. "You! I want you, damn it! Me!"

Shinji's eyes widened and his face reddened. He turned his head away from her slowly, looking at the floor. Being desirable to Kaworu had been confusing enough, now Asuka? "Wh-what?"

"I can't believe I have to come out and say it!" Asuka cried. "You never pay attention to anything, do you!"

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't know..." Shinji said quietly. If he could've disappeared at that moment, he would have.

Asuka glared at him, but there was apparent hurt in her eyes as well. Shinji was afraid of it. He pressed his mouth into a thin line, taking another step back. This time he bumped into the counter and jumped in surprise, staggering over and knocking a pot of coffee off as well on the way down. The black liquid spilled across the floor, steam rising up from it. Shinji sat on the floor, staring up at Asuka still, ignorant of the mess.

Asuka stepped towards him and crouched down. Shinji made a sound of protest. Asuka leaned in and kissed him roughly, pinching his nose. But all too quickly, it was over. She parted from him, pushing him backwards and standing up. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Well I can't say I'd want to waste my time kissing you!" she said, turning and leaving the kitchen.

Shinji remained on the floor staring with wide eyes. Asuka had done that? Moody, cold Asuka? He almost willed it to be a dream.

Misato descended the elevator at Nerv HQ to the cage. She hadn't brought Shinji along for this. But standing next to her was Kaworu, fully dressed in his plugsuit. Misato admitted she didn't know the boy very well; he certainly had an air of mystery about him with his remarkably high sync ratios and unwavering optimism. She knew Shinji seemed to like him, at least. And that was enough for her. Shinji was usually a hard person to get close to. That Kaworu could do it, become a true friend to Shinji, it made Misato want to try harder to be a proper surrogate parent to him and Asuka.

The woman glanced at Kaworu who remained stoic, staring ahead of him with a tense look on his face. "Nagisa... this will be your Eva" Misato said quietly. "Unit 03..."

The descent stopped and the doors opened. Commander Ikari and Professor Fuyutsuki were already there. They barely paid attention to Misato and Kaworu as they approached. Kaworu raised his head, gazing upwards at Unit 03, allowing a smile to cross his face. The Evangelion was rather sinister looking. It was a dark blue color, almost black. It remained motionless but majestic looking. "So this is to be my Eva..." Kaworu observed. He narrowed his eyes, frowning a bit.

The entry plug was inserted and Kaworu sat inside as it filled with LCL fluid. He shut his eyes, waiting. Before too long, the screen around him flickered to life and he was able to see outside the Evangelion. Misato's voice sounded from a radio inside.

"Nagisa, we're putting you through some tests, alright? We want to see how effective the Evangelion really is."

"Roger" Kaworu answered. He grinned. "I'm ready..."

The night air was fairly warm and the sky was a deep blue, dotted with many stars. The chirping of crickets provided an endless sort of music, one that wasn't entirely heard, but missed if it were to go silent. Shinji lay on his back in the grass on the outskirts of his neighbourhood where there was a grove of trees. He had no interest in returning to where Asuka surely awaited him. If Misato was going to be out all night, he may as well stay out too.

He sighed, rolling onto his side where he was shocked to see something blocking his view of the nearby highway. Raising his head, he realized a girl was sitting next to him with her knees pulled up to her chest, the soft breeze rustling her hair.

"A-Ayanami!" Shinji exclaimed, scrambling up. "How did you-!" His slight panic died down quickly, however, when he noticed the forlorn expression on Rei's face. "What's the matter?"

"Pilot Soryu..." Rei answered after a slight pause. She sighed, looking down. Shinji studied her face, blinking in confusion. He sat back, using his arms to support himself and gazed up at the night sky.

"Asuka's been really weird lately" Shinji mumbled. "But, you never really cared about her before, right? So why now?"

No response.

"Anyways, I asked Misato about it. She said that being a girl at this age and being an Eva pilot... something or other..." His eyes glanced at Rei again and he smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm not helping am I?"

"Ikari... I want to... see her again" Rei said, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "But I don't know what sort of things I should say to her. I don't know how to act around other people..."

There was suddenly a loud rumble in the distance that shook the ground slightly. Both Shinji and Rei started, looking around. The trees rustled and several panicked birds took to the sky. Shinji stood up.

"What the hell!"

Rei stood up as well. "Something big."

"An angel? Maybe?"

The thundering sound, like huge feet walking on the earth, grew closer. Shinji and Rei stood, tense. "Whatever it is... it's coming" Shinji said between gritted teeth. He grabbed Rei's arm and pulled her, breaking into a run in the opposite direction. Rei nearly fell over but managed to regain her balance and she staggered after him. A loud screaming noise sounded through the trees as the two children ran.

Shinji pulled Rei along, continuing to run but as he looked over his shoulder he saw a massive hand coming down towards them. Without looking where he was going, he tripped and fell, causing Rei to fall down with him. The two of them stared up at the hand. It came crashing into the ground, Shinji and Rei in the space between one of its fingers. Shinji screamed in terror and tried to scramble up. The hand curled around him and Rei and they found themselves in its grip, being lifted into the air.

Through the spaces between the fingers, Shinji stared out as he was held towards a giant face. The face of an Evangelion, although not one he was familiar with. Rei stared out as well, eyes wide. "Eva Unit 03" she said. Shinji stared at her.

"Kaworu's Eva!"

"Shinji! Shinji!" From the Evangelion came Misato's frantic voice, clearly speaking through a speaker of some sort from inside the Evangelion. "Eva Unit 03 has gone berserk! Hang in there, the umbilical cable has been cut!"

Shinji and Rei were held over the Eva's head. Shinji frowned. "Misato!" he yelled as loud as he could. "Is Kaworu inside!"

"He is, but we can't get a reading from him! We don't have any contact!"

In the control room, Misato, along with several other Nerv employees, was staring at the screen that was directly connected with Unit 03's vision. She was able to see both Shinji and Rei in its grip. "How much longer do we have to wait!" Misato demanded, turning towards Maya.

"20 more seconds before all power is shut off!"

"19... 18... 17... 16... 15... 14... 13... 12... 11... 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."

The glowing eyes of Eva Unit 03 suddenly flickered and turned off. It slouched forward, all power gone from it. Still, it remained gripping Shinji and Rei before it fell over onto its side, smashing several trees. Shinji and Rei screamed as the hand came crashing down, hitting the ground. The fingers didn't uncurl, but Shinji managed to slip through them anyways. He ran from the hand and along the side of the fallen Eva, to where the entry plug was inserted. It popped out, orange LCL fluid being expelled in all directions. Shinji scrambled up the side of the Evangelion, but was unable to reach the entry plug from where it was suspended in the air.

"Kaworu!" Shinji screamed. "Kaworu! Answer me! Are you alright! Answer me!"

Rei slid out from between the clenched fingers, staring at Shinji.

Within the hour, Misato was standing before Commander Ikari's desk where the brooding man sat, looking at her through dark glasses. "The rescue was a success" Misato said. "The pilot has sustained minimal physical damage. Unit 03's physical damage can be repaired within a week."

"And what exactly led to Unit 03's loss of control?" Gendo Ikari asked, surprisingly calm considering the circumstances.

"The Magi are still analyzing that..." Misato answered. "Considering Nagisa's sync ratio, it seems unlikely that it was his fault. It was likely an error in the Eva itself."

"Impossible" Gendo answered. "Where are the first and third children?"

"Shinji's in the hospital ward, Rei's returned to her home."

Shinji had his head in the boy's lap, a troubled look on his face while a pale hand gently stroked his hair. "I thought something bad was going to happen to you..." Shinji said, quietly. "And I never thought I could... be so afraid of that."

Kaworu, heavily bandaged, smiled down at Shinji before he sighed and lay back in his bed. "I saw you in my hand..." Kaworu murmured. He took his hand off Shinji's head and held it up to his face. "I felt you in my hand... I could've killed you..." He curled his fingers into a tight fist. "Is there supposed to be a death? Is it what God wills?" He rolled over, curling up. Shinji sat up, frowning.

"Kaworu, I'm sorry..."

Red eyes gazed dully at the far wall. "For what?"

"For... for being so stupid..."

"You needn't apologize"

"I don't want to push you away anymore, Kaworu."

Kaworu felt Shinji touch his shoulder. The dark haired boy laughed dryly to himself. "I've only known you... a little while, Kaworu... but I feel like you've always been with me. Is that weird of me to say?"

Kaworu faced him, smiling. "Not at all."

"What I mean is... well... I don't really know what I mean..."

"You don't have to figure it all out right away, Shinji" Kaworu assured him. He kissed the boy's forehead. "But it's getting late; you really should be going home..."

"I guess. I'll see you then... Kaworu..."

Once Shinji left, Kaworu lay back, sighing and relaxing once more. He gazed upwards through half-lidded eyes. He looked over at the tube under his arm where he was receiving blood. The blood was orange.

"What! Are you sure!" Misato exclaimed, grasping the phone in her hands. She trembled slightly, unable to believe her own ears.

"Yes. Of course I am" Ritsuko answered in her usual official Nerv voice. She seemed neither surprised nor sympathetic. "Kaworu Nagisa is an angel, without a doubt. His admittance in the hospital ward gave it away. His blood is none other than LCL fluid."

"God... I can't believe this..." Misato said, having to take a seat for a moment. "This is insane..." She cupped her hand to her forehead. "What will I tell Shinji?"

Asuka peered around the wall silently, unnoticed by Misato.

"The truth" Ritsuko answered.

"Shinji's so close to Nagisa... the fact that he's an angel... well... what will it do to him...?"

Asuka's eyes widened and she opened her mouth in a silent gasp. She retreated to her room, sitting her sleeping bag in shock. She hated Kaworu, but she never imagined he could be an angel. It seemed impossible. Her eyes looked towards the door as Shinji past.

"Shinji!"

The boy stopped in front of the door, looking warily at the girl. "What?"

"...About Kawor-"

"Shinji!" Misato's voice came sharply from the kitchen. Shinji frowned at the unusually serious tone in her voice. He looked back at Asuka, shrugging, and walked off. Asuka scrambled up, running for the doorway and gripping the side. She watched Shinji wander into the kitchen where a grim-faced Misato was waiting for him.