Disclaimer: See Prologue
"abc" - Spoken
"abc" - Thought
A Tale Of Two Cursed Souls
Chapter Six: His Burden
"Um... is this really necessary?!"
Asks a very male and very nude Shinji Ikari, following the odd turn of events with Kuno. Shinji returned to class and finished the school day as if nothing had happened. The only proof that something had occurred was the fact that neither Ranma, Akane, or Kuno where seen again for the rest of the day; only further fueling the rumors and speculations surrounding Furinkan High's newest arrivals and their every move.
But, the thoughts and perceptions of others that would normally worry Shinji to no end are currently the furthest thing on his mind, for at the moment his only concern is his sudden lack of apparel. Arriving at Nerv for Ritsuko's promised testing, Shinji quickly found himself being dragged away from Misato; who despite her protest was banned from these procedures by Ritsuko. Looking back on things, Shinji agrees that this was the best course of action.
"Ritsuko?! You there?! Hey, what's going on?!"
Not receiving an answer to his earlier question, Shinji beings to worry that this may be another prank like with the plug suit. He begins to plan his escape when Ritsuko makes her presence known, appearing in the window across from where he currently stands. Remembering that he's still in the buff, Shinji quickly makes to cover himself to the best of his ability. This only brings some playful laughter on the behalf of Ritsuko.
"Now, Shinji, there's no point in being shy. You have nothing I haven't seen before..."
"What do you mean?!"
"Well, how do you think you got out of your clothes after fighting the first Angel?"
Seeing the look of sudden realization and the accompanying blush brings a smile to Ritsuko's lips, as she continues her preparations. Still refusing to uncover his most private of parts, Shinji re-asks his original question.
"Yes, it is. How else am I going to find you a cure."
"I thought I told you not to bother." Shinji shouts, momentarily forgetting to cover up.
"Peek-A-Boo, I see you." Ritsuko playfully taunts, as Shinji quickly covers up once more. "Yes, you did... but, the Commander's orders come before your... our own wishes. Besides, if a cure was found wouldn't you take it?"
"Yeah... I mean, Of course!"
"Good. So, then you shouldn't object to these test... Right?!"
"Yes, Ma'am. But, do I have to be naked?!"
"Yes, Shinji, you do. I'm going to graph your body as you change, and I need internal as well as external coverage."
"Meaning...?"
"Meaning... I'm going to take both isothermal and radio graphs of your body, which is basically a fancy way of saying I'm going to take a thermal scan and x-ray of your body while taping your change. Thus getting both internal and external data or coverage, if you will."
"Oh... TAPING!!! Wait a minute, who said you could... what gives you the right to..."
"Shinji!!!" Ritsuko yells, bringing his tirade to an end. "Good. Now... listen. I am a doctor and this is completely professional. It's not like I'm Misato or something."
The thought of his guardian's repeated attempts to get another look at him in the buff, following his initial confrontation with his second roommate, Pen-Pen, brings an embarrassed smile to his lips which Ritsuko mimics perfectly.
"When will she start to act her age?!" Ritsuko wonders, as she puts on the finishes touches to the procedure.
"All right, Shinji, we're ready. Now, whatever you do... don't move. I'm going to dose you with cold water, it's chilled just enough to trigger the change. Not like last night, which was Misato's idea by the way."
"Yeah, I bet." Shinji sarcastically remarks.
"Anyway... once changed and the data's collected. I'll trigger the transformation again returning you to your original form. We will do this twice... once for the thermal and once for the x-ray."
"Can't you do both at once?!" an embarrassed-to-no-end Shinji hopes.
"Well, I suppose... but, what would be the fun in that?" Ritsuko answers, crushing any hope Shinji had that he could escape this with a little dignity intact.
"Now, stand perfectly still with your arms out like this." Ritsuko commands while demonstrating the position, giving the appearance of someone upon a cross or a T, depending on how one's mind works.
Shinji does as he's told and the procedure begins; he stands perfectly still as the many cameras and scanners trace every inch of his body as the water's released and his body becomes her body.
"Now, the warm." Ritsuko announces.
Shinji prepares herself as the water's released once more and the transformation is reversed.
"Great work, now for the radiograph... I mean x-ray." she corrects, seeing the look of slight confusion upon the boy's face. "Remember don't move, it's imperative that you remain absolutely still."
Seeing him nod his head, she prepares to begin the procedure again. But, at that moment the door to the control room opens and...
"Rei?!" Ritsuko shouts, surprised by the girl's sudden appearance, while triggering the beginning of the procedure.
Entering the control room, Rei is surprised by the doctor's sudden outburst, but doesn't let it bother her as she walks over to her, glancing through the window as she does. Hearing the uninvited guest's name and spotting her in the observation booth, Shinji quickly covers himself mere moments before the water doses him and he becomes a she once more.
"Rei, what are you doing here?!" Ritsuko asks the oblivious young woman.
"Doctor, it is the appointed time for my examination." Rei answers.
"Oh. Is it time al...?" Ritsuko is cut off by the beeping coming from her terminal. She looks down to see what's wrong, but it takes only one look at the obviously panicked and embarrassed young woman in the room below to tell her what happened.
"Shinji! You moved?!" Ritsuko yells, no anger in her voice, she's simply stating the obvious.
The surreal nature of today's events have not been lost upon Shinji as this moment simply confirms his earlier suspicions... "This is a dream. This has all been a very confusing and emotionally draining dream. I'll wake up any moment now and it'll be Monday morning and everything will be fine. Yeah, it's all been a... Ahhh!!!"
Shinji is brought out of his momentary breakdown by his sudden drenching as Ritsuko released the warm water returning him to his true sex.
"What'd ya do that for?!" Shinji yells, looking up to the control room window and spotting Ritsuko and Rei looking directly at him.
"Ritsuko... and Rei...?! Oh Shit! This isn't a dream!" Shinji yells, quickly covering his again returned manhood.
"What was that?!" Ritsuko asks.
"No... Nothing. Um... why is Rei here?!" Shinji asks with a surprising calm.
"Oh, Rei?! I have her scheduled for a check up now. She came looking for me."
"Oh, how nice... NOW, if you don't mind can you make her leave?!" Shinji shouts, momentarily loosing his composure.
"What's with the modesty, Shinji? It's nothing she isn't going to see eventually." Ritsuko jabs, eluding to their possible future.
"That's besides the point! The point is..." Shinji yells back, but freezes as he realizes what he just said. Noticing the surprise on Ritsuko's face and the, is that, indifference on Rei's, he quickly begins to stammer an apology, as Ritsuko breaks into a fit of laughter and Rei continues to just stand their looking back and forth between the giggling doctor and nude pilot.
"Doctor?!" Rei says, the slightest of inflection can be heard getting Ritsuko's attention.
"What? Right, Shinji... you moved so we have to do the last scan again. Stand perfectly still and it'll be over in a moment."
Realizing that either Ritsuko has no intention of making Rei leave or simply doesn't care that she is there, he decides to bare with the embarrassment and shouts for her to begin. As the test begins again, he locks eyes with Rei and doesn't lose her sight till Ritsuko announces...
"All done, you may get... dressed?!"
Before, she can even finish speaking, Shinji's out the door into the safety of the enclosed dressing room. Once inside, the truth of what just happened dawns on him as he realizes that...
"She didn't look at me?! Not once... she just... we just... stared." Shinji says, the slightest hint of disappointment can be heard at the prospect that Rei didn't seem to find him interesting or enticing enough to sneak a peek.
Quickly, shaking off these sudden and confusing thoughts, Shinji starts to get dressed as a sudden thought hits him.
"She is my fiancée... and we really haven't had a chance to talk. Maybe, I'll ask her out to dinner. I know Misato won't mind, she should enjoy a reason to eat anything but instant food. Yeah, I'll ask her once I get out of here."
With his course of action decided upon, he finishes dressing and exits into the main exam room. There he spots a curtain and upon that curtain he can see the silhouettes of Rei and Ritsuko. A fully clothed Ritsuko and, to his surprise, a topless Rei. Despite his more gentlemanly instincts, he quietly listens and stares at the curtain as if the intensity of his stare will burn a hole through it, revealing the sight just beyond that has him so worked up.
"Well, it seems that your injuries are healing quite nicely. Another week or so and you should be back to piloting condition. Also, the removal of your cast is in a couple of days, so that's something to look forward to."
The sound of Ritsuko's voice captures Shinji's attention dragging it away from Rei's silhouette, as she continues to speak with Rei.
"So... what did you think?"
"Of what, Doctor?" Rei asks.
"Of Shinji... or should I say the view?!"
The moment she finishes her question every fiber of his being wants to grab her by the throat and squeeze till something pops for asking such a question. But, at the same time, Shinji is also captivated by what may be Rei's upcoming answer. Before, he even knows what he's doing he begins to make his way towards the curtain, trying to make sure he's able to hear her answer.
But, as he approaches the curtain, the sound of the room's main door sliding open catches his attention causing him not to watch where he's going and to trip over his own feet which sends him spilling onto the floor just in front of the curtain.
This draws Ritsuko's attention, as she comes out from behind the curtain to find Shinji on the floor and standing in the door way...
"Commander?!"
Shinji slowly turns to see his Father, his birth-father, now commanding officer, standing in the door. They lock eyes momentarily before Gendo looks to Ritsuko leaving Shinji completely unacknowledged as he rises to his feet.
"Is Rei's exam complete?"
"Yes, she's recovering nicely. She'll be able to resume her duties in a little over a week."
"Excellent. Rei, hurry, dinner is waiting."
Hearing this Shinji instantly deflates, his plans derailed before he can even put them into action.
"He's doing this just to spite me, I just know it. I don't know how, but somehow... he knew."
Shinji steps aside as Rei emerges from behind the curtain, she steps between Ritsuko and Shinji as the commander turns and heads for the exit.
"Doctor. Rei, come."
And, with that Gendo exits the room leaving a surprised Ritsuko, an indifferent Rei, and an absolutely furious Shinji in his wake.
"You BASTARD!!!"
Shinji's all consuming rage is halted as Rei steps forward and begins to exit, but before she can Shinji speaks.
"I'm sorry."
It's a simple phrase. A phrase that frequents his tongue often, but rarely has he meant it as much as he does right now. He watches as Rei stops her exit and glances back at him, they simply stare at each other for a moment before Shinji continues, figuring that she must be waiting for an explanation.
"I'm sorry for listening in on your conversation a moment ago and I'm sorry for speaking to Ritsuko earlier like you weren't in the room. It was rude of me and I'm sorry. And... and, I... I was wondering if... nothing. Sorry, I'm just sorry."
With his apology at an end, Shinji looks to the floor avoiding her gaze as she resumes her exit. He looks up as she pauses by the door and speaks...
"..........."
It's so low and quick that he nearly missed it, he's sure Ritsuko didn't catch it, but before he can respond she's gone. With an awkward silence settling upon them, Ritsuko decides to shatter it.
"So, I guess we're done for today. I... Misato should..."
"It's all right, you don't have to do this. I... he... We've made our choice. If things are meant to change... they will."
Ritsuko is surprised by his sudden resolve and the sudden insight into the psyche of Shinji Ikari, she receives as he exits the room. It's an insight that she will keep to herself for the time being.
"Hey, kiddo. You ready to head home?"
"Sure, Misato. Let's get out of here."
Shinji is surprised to find Misato waiting outside the room, he finds her leaning up against the wall next to the door. They quickly make their exit and begin the drive home.
"He didn't even acknowledge him. I guess Ritsuko wasn't kidding about the Commander's feelings towards Shinji's condition. Man, this bites... I mean just look at him."
Misato looks over at Shinji as he stares out the passenger side window. He has the same sour look he had the day she took him home. She remembers that day fondly as the day she made a difference in someone's life, no matter how insignificant it may be.
"So, Misato, what do you want for dinner? I thought maybe I'd cook something. I figured something other than instant might do us some good."
Shinji speaks which catches Misato of guard, as he doesn't bother to look at her. When she doesn't answer, Shinji looks over at her to find her looking straight ahead with a look upon her face that means only one thing...
"What's wrong? What unfortunate news must you share with me now?!" Shinji asks, his tone informing her of exactly how he feels - tired, angry, and bitter.
"Well, I'm sorry but I got to work tonight. I'm actually just dropping you off, than I have to go back to NERV. I'm sorry, Shinji. After what your father did, I'd like nothing but to be there for you. But..."
"But, duty calls. Am I right?!" Shinji injects, cutting Misato off, not wanting to hear what she has to say.
"Yeah, I'm sorry."
Misato's apology seems to fall on deaf ears, as they continue on their way not another word to be said. Arriving at their apartment building, Misato pulls up out front and lets Shinji out. He pauses for a moment, before turning away from her but doesn't move.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you. I'm just tired. How about tomorrow night?"
Shinji says this without turning to face his guardian, if he had he would of found a sympathetic smile gracing her lips.
"Yeah, sounds great. It's a date." Misato answers, her tone betraying how she really feels, as she tries to sound upbeat.
"Better watch it, I'm engaged, you know." Shinji says, turning to face her with a playful smile.
"Oh, don't worry. Your not married, yet."
Misato's answer catches Shinji off-guard, as he's not really sure if she's joking or not. The look upon his face brings a smile to her lips, as Misato drives off. As she watches him in the rearview mirror, she notices as his face goes from one of surprise to one of utter defeat. She sighs sadly, as she drives off, vowing to make it up to him somehow.
Back at the apartment, Shinji makes his way into what has become his home... or has it? It's that very question that he ponders as he makes his way into his room, dropping his school books and bag on the bed before turning towards his desk. He notices the cell phone Misato gave him when he moved in and picks it up. As he dials a number, the fact that no one has called him since he's moved into this place comes to mind. He quickly forgets it as the person on the other end picks up.
"Hello? Tendo residence."
"Um, hello, may I speak to Ranma Saotome?"
"I'm sorry. He's not here right now."
"Oh, all right. How about Akane? Is she home?"
"No, she's with Ranma. She took him to see Dr. Tofu."
"Fine. Thanks, will you tell them I called?"
"Yeah, sure, but first I need to know exactly who I'm talking with." the voice on the other end remarks with the snidest of tones.
"Oh. Sorry, tell them Shinji called. And, this is?"
"Shinji?! Shit!" the voice says to it's self, at the realization of who's on the other end. "Shit, I didn't even recognize his voice!"
"Hello? You still there?" Shinji's question brings Nabiki out of her stupor, causing her to panic as she suddenly doesn't know what to say. "Um... all right, well... good-bye." Shinji says, as he gets ready to hang-up.
"Shinji! I mean... Shinji. Hello, hi, um... I'm here. Sorry, I was momentarily distracted." Nabiki quickly yells, stopping Shinji from hanging up.
"All right, um, do I know you? Your voice sounds familiar?"
"Um... No, sorry, I just have one of those voices. I'm Nabiki, Akane's sister."
"Oh, Nabiki. Nice to meet you... I mean speak to you." Shinji laughs slightly at his mis-wording, it gets a laugh out of Nabiki also.
"Yeah, likewise. Like I said they're not home, but I'll tell them you called."
"Thanks. Well, good... wait. Better yet, is Genma there. I mean, my Uncle, can you put him on the phone?"
"Genma...?!" Nabiki pauses momentarily, before quickly answering his question. "I'm sorry, but he's out also. But, I'll be glad to tell him you called."
"Oh, all right. Well, it's been nice talking to you. You have a good night, Miss Tendo."
Before another word can be said, Shinji hangs up the phone. Cutting Nabiki off as she quietly says...
"Goodnight, Shinji."
Nabiki stands there for a moment, as a thought runs through her mind: "He sounded so sad?!"
"Shinji?! Did you say Shinji?"
Nabiki slams down the phone startled by the sudden appearance of her sister, Kasumi.
"Kasumi? I didn't see you there. What did you say?"
"I asked if that was Shinji I heard you say good-bye to?"
"Mind your own business! Who said you could listen in on my conversations!" Nabiki shouts at Kasumi, quickly becoming defensive at implications of her sister's question. But, upon seeing the surprised and hurt look upon Kasumi's face, she quickly apologizes.
"I'm sorry, Kasumi. I'm just tired, I'll be in my room till dinner."
Nabiki then quickly makes her way upstairs leaving a confused Kasumi behind. Unnoticed by Nabiki, from their usual spot in the living room, Genma and Soun saw the whole thing.
"What do you think that was about, Saotome?"
[I have no clue?!]
"Your human, at the moment, my friend." Soun replies, to the message written on his friend's trademark signs.
[No kidding!] Genma responds, holding up yet another sign.
"And he managed to raise two boys by himself?!" Kasumi wonders to herself, from her spot by the phone. She looks back at the top of the stairs towards Nabiki's room. "Nabiki?! I wonder when we all will meet this Shinji?"
Meanwhile, back at the Katsuragi/Ikari apartment, Shinji is in the middle of checking the kitchen looking for some semblance of real food.
"Instant! Instant!! Instant!!! Doesn't this woman have anything other than instant?!"
It's at that moment that he spots something on the bottom shelf of the fridge.
"Fish!" Shinji exclaims, as he quickly removes the real food from the fridge with ideas of how to prepare it flooding his taste-buds. "I could grill it or maybe fry it. Wait! I think I saw some bread crumbs in the cupboard, I could bake it!"
Shinji's so lost in his dreams of a home-cooked meal that he's startled by the sudden tug at his pants.
"Waaah?! Oh, Pen-Pen, it's only you."
At the boy's statement, the penguin gives him a look as if saying: "Only... me?!". Shinji sees the look and apologizes as he notices where the penguin's gaze lies now.
"Oh, this! Well, um, I was... I was... getting ready to prepare your dinner. Yeah, that's what I was doing."
Pen-Pen responds with a look that says: "Sure, you where. And, that's not drool on your lips?!"
As if hearing the birds thoughts, Shinji wipes the drool from his face as he goes about preparing his meal.
"Well, Pen-Pen, hope you like."
Shinji hands him the pail containing his meal, as Pen-Pen just stands there as if expecting something more.
"What?! What's wrong?!" Shinji shouts, slightly offended by the bird's lack of enthusiasm.
Pen-Pen responds by glancing at the fridge, which causes what's wrong to suddenly dawn upon the confused pilot. Quickly, opening the fridge, Shinji removes the item of Pen-Pen's discontent and proceeds to hand it to him.
Now, with beer in hand, Pen-Pen makes his way towards the living room. Pausing momentarily to look back at Shinji, he looks to find Shinji staring at the beer filled fridge with what looks like tears in his eyes. Shaking his head, a thought comes to warm-water penguin's mind: "Pathetic."
With Pen-Pen now feed and any hopes of a real meal shattered, Shinji makes his way back into his room. As, he opens the door, the light from the hall fills his slightly darkened room, landing upon the object resting atop his desk. With a sudden smile upon his face, Shinji makes his way over to the item. He lifts it slowly removing it, slightly, from it's sheath with an intrigued look in his eye.
The setting sun... it's a sight of beauty that has moved the souls of many, from poets and songwriters to lovers in the arms of their beloved. The sight has another meaning besides a symbol of beauty, passion, and strength, but as a symbol of death, in an endless cycle of death and rebirth. As, the light loses another battle, yet again being struck down by the darkness, to be reborn the following morning like the fiery phoenix of legend emerging from the ashes.
But, none of that matters, for at the moment only one thought drives the mind of Shinji Ikari.
"Why...?!"
A simple question.
"Why...?!"
The simplicity of the question.
"Why...?!"
The endless possibilities of the question's true meaning.
"Why...?!"
The possible answers to that question.
"Why...?!"
All of this and more drives every slash of his sword and baffles him at the same time.
"Why...?!"
But, nothing drives him more than the image of the one who asked him this question.
"Why... Rei?! What do you mean... Why?!"
Shinji stands in the middle of his apartment building's rooftop, staring out into the horizon at the setting sun; looking as if he's attempting to split the very sun in half with each downward slash of his katana. He again raises his blade and brings it down with immense force stopping it midway, as he repeats the movement, Rei's single word question continues it's domination of his thoughts.
"Why...?!"
As the cycle of thought and action continues, the question is joined by images, images of the events that have surrounded his arrival in Tokyo-3. And, of those that have driven those events...
"Why... Ranma?!"
Another slash.
Why... Misato?!
And another...
"Why... Akane?!
And another...
"Why... Ritsuko?!
And another...
"Why... Kuno?!"
And another...
"Why... Uncle?!"
And another... but, this one is stronger.
"Why... Mother?!"
And another... stronger still.
"Why... Father?!"
And another... the strongest yet.
"Why... What must I do to please... YOU?!"
With a final slash, the strongest by far, and the howling of his final question... Shinji unleashes a blast of force from his blade, so strong that it travels across the rooftop destroying everything in it's path, which just happens to be the building's satellite dish.
"Nooooo...!"
With the sudden shout of hysteria, Shinji quickly turns to face it, his blade at the ready and determined to defeat the intruder.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!"
"Um, Hi. Sorry for snooping, but when you weren't in the apartment. I figured you'd might be up here, cause' I've heard you sneaking out the apartment a couple of times and..."
"It's all right, Misato, you just startled me... that's all. Um, sorry about the building... and the dish. I'll buy you a new one, I promise." Shinji says, pointing over at the rooftop's destroyed edge.
"Which one? The building or the dish?" Misato replies, as she follows the trench created from the blast of force across the roof to it's edge, which is now missing a section.
"Um... both I guess?" Shinji replies, nonchalantly, as he sheaths his blade.
"What?! How?!" Misato shouts, at the implications of his answer.
"Well, I do have some money. You don't actually think we survived all those years on the road with no money, do you?"
"Um, well..."
"Listen... I would receive a card from my father on my birthdays and holidays, along with a deposit into a bank account that was created for me when I was little. I know that they where probably sent by his secretary or something, but still I don't really like touching it if I don't have to. My mom... I mean Aunt Nodoka once suggested that I save it for college, but... I've been taking a little out here and there to help us on our trip. Only Ranma knows about this, as Uncle was all hooked on us living the life of a true martial artist, which to him seemed to consist of starving and then stealing when things got to bad. So, to avoid that as much as possible, I would take money out whenever possible."
Misato stands there dumbfounded by what she's just heard, she doesn't know what to react to first... the further proof that his father doesn't give a damn about him, that he referred to his Aunt as mom, or that he had to steal, in order to survive in the wilderness. In the end, she decides to focus on the simplest of topics...
"Exactly, how much money do you have?"
"Well, um, I don't know a couple of thousand... maybe more. I'm really not sure, never had a need for it."
Hearing this Misato leaps into action, grabbing Shinji by the arm and leading towards the roof's exit. The whole way Shinji fidgets because of his close proximity to Misato's ample assets. Seeing that glazed-over look in his eyes, she puts her plan into action.
"So, um, Shinji, there's this dress I've had my eye on, and I was wondering if..."
By the time they reach the hallway leading to their apartment, Shinji has promised Misato a new dress and to pay for the repairs to her car which was damaged during her self-less rescuing of him, as she had so kindly reminded him, but for some reason Shinji can't seem to be that upset about it.
"Hey, Shinji, what exactly where you doing up there? I mean all you where doing was raising the sword up and down over and over." Misato asks, as they walk down the hall.
"Um... what? Oh, that... it's actually something I picked up from an Anime I once saw. The big guy in it, I forget his name, had this massive sword that had to weigh a ton, so in order to condition his body so that he could actually fight with it, he would do what you saw me doing on the roof. Only, he did it every day and would do it like a hundred times in a row or something."
"O.K. But, what is the point?!"
"I believe it's to build upper body strength and control of your blade. Because, not only are you lifting the heavy object repeatedly but you're also trying to stop your slash at a specific point each time, thus ,and to the strain of the movement. It actually works, my control over the blade has improved since I've added it to my regiment. What?! What is it?!" Shinji asks, notice the odd look on Misato's face.
"Nothing... it's just that I haven't heard you speak so enthusiastically about anything before... except maybe your cousin and Aunt."
Misato's answer catches him off guard, silencing him as they reach the door to their apartment.
"We're Home!" Misato gleefully announces, as she opens the door.
Her sudden outburst causes Shinji to remember the initial question, he had upon seeing Misato up on the roof, as he enters the apartment behind her.
"Hey, Misato, why are you here, anyway?" he asks, following her into the apartment.
"What? You don't want me here? Oh, Shinji, I'm hurt." Misato says, feigning hurt which Shinji buys hook-line-and-sinker.
"No, no, I'm sorry... I was just..." Shinji stops, as Misato's muffled laughter catches his ear. "What? What is it? What's so funny?!"
"Oh, your so cute when you panic." Misato replies, erupting into a fit of belly-laughs.
"You know, it's not nice to make fun of your roommate. He may just forget to separate the whites from the colors, next time he does the wash, if you catch my drift."
"Oh, don't be mean. I'm sorry, and to answer your question... Look!"
Misato steps aside and points to the kitchen table, where lies a feast unlike anything Shinji's ever seen before.
"You can cook?!" Shinji asks, the disbelief in his voice quite evident for all to hear.
"Well, um, actually..." Misato points to the garbage can in the corner, full of take-out cartons and containers.
Seeing what she's pointing at he breaks into a fit of laughter that takes him to the floor from it's intensity. Seeing the showing of unbridled emotion, brings a smile to Misato's face which changes to one of announce.
"Hey, so I can't cook! Big deal, who needs to cook when every type of food on the planet is just a phone call away!"
Despite Misato's outburst, Shinji's continues to laugh as he rises to his feet and walks towards Misato.
"Hey, where are you going?! What are you doing?!"
Shinji embraces Misato in a hug as he continues to laugh almost hysterically.
"I'm sorry, but I just can't stop... laughing. Thank you. Really, I mean it... Thank You."
Misato isn't quite sure how to respond, so she returns the embrace as Shinji continues to laugh against her.
"Is it just me or does that food smell absolutely delicious?" Shinji asks, finally regaining control of himself.
"Yeah, it sure does." Misato replies, letting go of Shinji who retains his hold of her a moment longer.
"Um... sorry." he says, as he lets go of Misato.
"Don't be. So, are we going to eat or what?!"
"Yeah, let's eat. It'll be good to eat something other than instant, for once!" he replies, taking a seat at the table.
Hey, there's nothing wrong with instant." she defends from her place across from him.
"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that. But, can you honestly say instant can compare to this?" Shinji asks, as Misato takes her first bite of Moo Goo Gai Pan.
"Mmmmmmm!"
"I'll take that as a NO." Shinji says with a laugh.
"No talk, eat."
Is all the response, he'll receive as Misato begins to gorge herself on the various dishes. Shinji quickly follows suit, memories of his daily battles with Ranma and Genma over whatever morsel of food they could find brings a smile to his face.
"Um, Misato, I thought you had to work late?" Shinji asks, getting a muffled response from Misato as she answers with her mouth full.
"Chew. Swallow. Speak." Shinji directs, as Misato complies.
"I said... yeah, I did, but I got Hyuga to cover for me."
"Can you do that?" he asks, worried that she may get in trouble.
"Nope, not really, but... hey, I couldn't leave you here to brood all alone."
"Hey! I don't brood... I dwell. There's a difference." he replies with an indignant tone despite the playful smile on his face.
"Fine, so we can dwell together. That's fine with you?"
"Absolutely."
Dinner came and went, and for Shinji it was one of the best meals he's ever had. Not that the food was anything special, but because of the thought behind it. Following their meal, Misato headed for the shower while Shinji decided to do the laundry. Folding her share of the load, he enters Misato's room to put her clothes away, he once again horrified by the sight that greets. It may not be his first time entering her room, but the sight still has the same effect each time.
"Is she ever going to clean this place?"
Shinji slowly makes his way over to her dresser and quickly deposits her things, slowing slightly at the sight of her lingerie before doubling his speed in hopes of exiting as quickly as possible. Her dresser once again fully stocked, he begins to make his exit when the mess on her desk catches his eye. Making his way over to the mess, he beings to straighten up when a notebook entitled Project-E: Third Child Supervision Record is found among the mess.
Despite his wiser judgment, he opens the book to it's last entry and begins to read...
"Sunday. Despite his actions, it is clear that being reunited with his father is having a major affect upon the pilot. I'm not sure if it is a negative or positive, it seems to have a little bit of both. Today, Ritsuko and I introduced him to his plug suit following his testing. His synch rate continues to increase rapidly, but whether or not he can maintain such a high level remains to be seen. Here is a perfect example of how the relationship with his father effects him, as his determination to impress his father seems to drive him on. But, after what Ritsuko told me today... I'm not sure if he'll ever receive the approval he so desperately wants, and this may effect his synch rate in the long run. I'll continue my attempts to play damage control. But, with his father, his engagement, his schooling, and the continuingly odd events on campus, not to mention the burden of being responsible for the future of the entire human race; I'm not sure if anyone, let alone a boy who turns into a girl can handle this burden, despite his best efforts."
Reaching the end of her entry, a whirlwind of emotions stir within him. Putting the book back where he found it, Shinji quickly exits the room as his mood darkens with each step. As he makes his way to his room the words written on that page replay ,over and over, within his head with the word: "Burden" ringing the loudest.
With an overwhelming sense of betrayal emanating from every fiber of his being, as a sole thought emerges from all the warring emotions...
"Burdens... My Burdens... My Unwanted Burdens...
To Be Continued...