Author Note: Hey guys thanks for the reviews! Oh yeah just to clarifly these are all on a separate time line, one shots and drabbles sorry for the confusion.

Title: Misery Loves Company
Author: Neochick
Theme: #2 Pick Me Up
Fandom: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Pairing: Makoto x Maya
Disclaimer: Sadly the characters of NGE do not belong to me in anyway or form. They belong to GAINAX.
Note: There are mentioning of one-sided Makoto x Misato and Maya x Ritsuko. This was already approved by the host of the challenge

"Maya, hand me that board would you?" The brunette looked up from her own station over to her mentor, a wide set smile on her face.

"Sure thing Dr. Akagi." Scrambling up enthusiastically, Maya Ibuki produced panel 5 and the blonde accepted it with little response. The two well respected technicians were currently busy as work doing a long over due manual system maintenance of the MAGI. Although Ritsuko was the only one necessary for the finishing procedures, Maya had opted to stay behind with her to help.

The 1st Lieutenant had always admired her superior since the first day she'd met her. Taken under her wing, Ritsuko taught her subordinate the inter-workings of NERV and introduced her to the mighty super computer. Maya hoped one day she could follow in her sensei's footsteps.

The floor was eerily quiet save the steady clicking of keys. It unnerved the young engineer, so Maya decided to take upon herself to break the silence. "Umm sensei… how about after work we go out to get a bite? I bet you're starved and I'll pay." The youth grinned nervously as she continued her work on another board. The blonde pulled out from the hole she'd been working in and unclipped the panel from the machine. Without even looking at Ibuki she responded placidly as she carried it towards its storage unit.

"I can't Maya; I have to finish up some other assignments that the Commander has left for me." Ritsuko turned to the brunette with an expressionless face. "You should go home a get some rest, tomorrow we've got another five hour session with the Eva synchronization tests."

"Oh ok…" Maya fended indifference to hide her disappointment, it was always the same, and Ritsuko was after all married to her work. Then why did she still feel the let down every time? "Goodnight then."

A loud gut busting yawning broke out from behind Makoto Hyuga as the automatic doors slid open. A very exhausted woman, clad in her familiar red uniform entered the observation deck, her purple hair swayed behind her. "Hey Hyuga!" She smiled with a wave as the ebony haired individual spun in his chair.

"Oh, Major! You're still here? Didn't your shift end an hour ago?" Misato simply waved him off.

"I put off that report on the last angel attack to the last minute again," she yawned again, "took me longer than I thought. Anyways I just wanted to say goodbye before I left." The lieutenant grinned in response.

"Thanks for the thought. Actually, Major I-" He stopped mid sentence as the door opened once again and an unshaven face leaned in with a distinctive smirk.

"Ah I thought I saw you go in here, playing hard to get are we?" The female stiffened as a set of chills ran down her spin. Makoto never liked Kaji much, he always seemed… so smug for lack of a more creative term. It was then that Hyuga realized that the only reason his superior had came into the room was to avoid the man. He sighed quietly. "Or maybe you're tired with me and wanted to jump your poor Hyuga friend. Be careful around her, she's a wild one. Women you know."

Makoto blushed slightly even though he knew the man was joking. The purple haired beauty turned on her heel and snapped back at Kaji. "Kaji you… you chauvinistic pig!" She walked over to the man prepared to slap him but he grabbed her hand playfully. Hyuga felt disgusted watching the sight and slumped down in his chair.

"You always did like it rough." Kaji whispered in her ear. Misato death panned

"I hate you."

"I love you too honey."

It was around this time that Aoba walked in, lifting an eyebrow as he squeezed his way past the quarreling couple to his friend. "Those two are the most bizarre pair I've ever seen." He laughed as Kaji began dragging Misato out of the room, partially against her will. Hyuga sat up from his chair silently, allowing Shigeru to take over his spot. "Night Makoto." The short haired male waved over his shoulder and left the deck. In the hall, the man leaned up against the wall, the last few moments watching his Major with that guy had taken its toll.

It wasn't as if he expected a woman like Major Katsuragi to be interested in him, but seeing her like that with Kaji always got to him. As much as she denied it, Makoto knew that Misato enjoyed there daily romp before she disappeared to do god knows what with him.

Maya was currently reflecting on a similar dilemma as she walked the same hall as her colleague. The brunette nearly passed by without a word but her fellow lieutenant looked up in time to catch her. "Hey Maya," he offered a half hearted smile as she turned to him, still wearing her puzzled expression.

"Oh… hi Makoto," she reluctantly returned her own less than satisfactory grin. She noticed her co-workers position and began to feel a little worried. "Are you alright? You don't need to go to the medical ward do you?"

Hyuga shook his head chuckling slightly. "Oh no, I'm not hurt… well not physically anyways." He added as an afterthought without mush consideration to what he was saying. "What about you, it's dangerous to walk around NERV in a daze like that you know."

Maya blushed in embarrassment, clutching her clipboard to her chest. "Oh I didn't mean to do that I just have a lot on my mind lately. You know how it is."

"I sure do." He muttered absent-mindedly before eyeing his friend. "Hey, you feel up for a drink? We don't have to be in until noon tomorrow and you look like you need it." Truthfully he thought he was the one that needed a cold one to wash away another day of longing. Drinking was always better with someone.

Maya bit her lip at the sudden request. Normally she'd reject something that could interfere with her work habit but this seemed like a worthy cause to breach her rule for once. "You know what Makoto, I'd really like that."

"Great, I'll drive."

Maya didn't remember how the two had got to the bar or what happened before they sat down at the counter, all she knew was now she was sitting next to her long time co-worker drowning her sorrow with hard liquor. "You were right Makoto, I really did need this." Her counterpart smiled sheepishly as he downed his glass.

"Sometimes we all need a pick me up just to make life that much more bearable." Maya silently agreed as Makoto motioned for the bartender to refill his glass, putting it on NERV's tab. He'd pay for it in the morning; right now all he cared about was the shot of amber alcohol that helped him keep his sanity. "So what was weighing you down?"

The brunette looked over to him, cheeks flushed, a side affect from her inability to hold her liquor well. She hiccupped, smiling sadly as she gazed down into her cup. "Oh well you see…" she started slightly embarrassed, "I suppose I just having troubles in the-"

"- love department?" he finished for her instinctively. Maya nodded wide eyed.

"How did you know?" He looked down at himself and she understood instantly, "Ah, I see."

"So who's the ungrateful guy? Is it Aoba? Want me to knock some sense into him?" Hyuga cracked his knuckles but then winced, shaking his hand. He wasn't known for his strength after all. Maya chuckled and shook her head.

"It's not a guy Hyuga." It took the male a moment to process this comment before his eyes widened and downed another shot.

"Maya, I would have never figured you batting for the other team." The woman became strangely interested with a spot on the counter top. Makoto grinned, "Well then Maya, who's the ungrateful woman?" Ibuki smoothed out her skirt, debating whether she should have brought it up in the first place.

"I'm pretty sure she only sees me as a subordinate…I don't even think she 'bats for the other team' as you so delicately put it," Maya laughed as Hyuga turned red, " but…she's an amazing person. I've learned so much from her." Makoto nodded; pretty sure he knew who she was taking about. He inspected his empty glass, when was the last time he'd been to a bar? His thoughts were clouded by the haze as he laid his forehead on the bar top. Maya began giggling again, her fourth drink taking affect. "So Makoto, you didn't tell me, who's the apple of your eye? Man or woman?" She added although she knew her colleague was straight.

Hyuga leaned back on his chair and sighed, taking no offence to his friend's question. Looking up at the ceiling he mumbled her name. "Misato." It was her turn to be surprised.

"The major, no wonder you're depressed." Makoto laughed bitterly. Maya joined him, slewing her arm over his shoulder. "Aren't we just a couple of sad drunks…" another hiccup escaped her lips as Hyuga lifted his glass, motioning Ibuki to do the same.

"A toast to power driven women and the co-workers that love them!"

"Here here!" The two clinked their glasses and drank the scotch whole. Maya had never realized how good alcohol tasted before. She smiled at her ebony haired friend, "I'm so glad you convinced me to come here." Hyuga nodded in agreement, returning her smile. She really was a pretty girl now that he actually looked, although that might have been the liquor talking.

"Hey me too, drinking is much more fun with a partner to wallow with." They both sighed at the same time. "We should probably head out of here, before the buzz runs out and hangover kicks in." Maya complied and steadied herself on Hyuga's shoulder. Makoto followed and they both headed for the door holding each other up. The male considered driving but in his current condition he didn't think it was a good idea. "Walking home?"

"Yeah, I only live down the block." Hyuga silently offered to walk her home; it was rather late at night so he wanted to make sure she got there alright. They walked side by side in comfortable silence, an overcast moon their only witness. Occasionally one would look at the other, smiling gratefully, and the other would do the same. Maya could feel a great burden lifted from her that night, coming to terms with her own feelings thanks to her friend. Makoto was thinking along similar lines.

At one point the brunette stumbled, hitting a crack in the sidewalk. Thought his reflexes were slower than normal, Makoto reached out in time to catch the woman around her waist. She gasped and clutched his arm tightly as he helped her stand up straight. "Sorry." He shook his head and returned his hands to his pockets. Unknown to her Maya blushed with a grin; he really was a nice guy.

They stopped outside her apartment complex and Ibuki turned to her company for the night, "Thanks for the invite; we really should do this again. Next time I'll give you more time to pine." Makoto groaned playfully but nodded.

"Yeah it would be-" but the ebony haired man couldn't remember where he'd been going with the comment, his thoughts abruptly cut off from Maya's arms encircling him. His face was set a flame. "Hey, Maya?" the girl in question grinned.

"Makoto, guess what?" Hyuga didn't reply, still in shock. He never had been good with woman, even the gay ones. Maya cupped one hand over his ear and whispered softly. "I think I'm bi." Makoto choked as she pecked him on the cheek and quickly left before he could say anything.

He looked at the closed door for another minute before chuckling to himself, rubbing his cheek fondly.

'Maybe it wasn't the liquor taking after all.'