Okay, just a little (Actually, look down and you'll see it's not so little.) announcement and also a few notes.

The Announcement: I do plan on writing a fic for Kill la Kill and a fic for the Final Fantasy XIII series. (Sorry to anyone who doesn't like 13 or Final fantasy in general/doesn't like Kill la Kill. My ideas come to me, not the other way around. I just happened to get an idea for a fic for 13 and KLK.) Anyhow, it'll probably be a very long while before I get around to either of those. The reason mostly being that I'm trying to refrain from writing more than one fic at a time. With my schedule, it takes me at least a week to write a standard full length (10,000-15,000 words) chapter, and more times than not, it takes longer than a week. Because of that, if I worked on more than one fic at a time, it could easily take me months to update a story. So, I'm holding off on writing the Kill la Kill and Final Fantasy XIII stories. (I don't even have them fully planned out yet, so obviously.)

I will say right now though, that (I really hate to get anyone excited this early on, but) The Final Fantasy XIII fic would probably have a threeway pairing with Snow, Serah, and Lightning, among other side pairings. And, yes…I know incest isn't everyone's thing. It's really not mine either, (No, really though. I hate my sisters. They've been ass wipes to me my entire life.) but I love writing stuff that makes people (and myself) uncomfortable. I do plan on this Eva fic making people uncomfortable also, just as a warning. (No, seriously, if you don't like weird shit, or just can't stomach it, I highly recommend you get out now before the story in this really picks up. There's not going to be incest unless you consider Rei and Shinji incest, but there's going to be all kinds of other fucked up stuff in this) There's gonna be weird and uncomfortable taboo shit in the later chapters of A Journey of Hate, Power, and Love that I hope really just grosses some of you out. The characters are going to go through traumatic events and it's going to drive them to do strange things, some of which will run parallel to the anime, and some of which will be entirely new scenarios that I thought up just to exaggerate the mental illness aspect that almost all of the Evangelion characters possess in one way or another. I'm going to push their psychological limits as far as I can while still trying to keep them in character.

The Kill la Kill fic would probably be a pairing between Ryuko, Mako, Satsuki, Senketsu, and maybe Junketsu. (Yes, I know. That's so fucking weird. A fucking incestual lesbian harem that also has clothing as members of the ensuing orgy. I know how fucked up that sounds. That's the whole reason I'm going to write it.)

That's really about all I can say for those two fics right now. I have the basic stories outlined, the pairings, the settings. All that stuff is down. I just need to make up the journeys for them. How the characters get to where they go; that sort of thing. If I feel REALLY confident, and I mean more confident than I've ever felt about anything else in my life, I may start writing them before A Journey of Hate, Power, and Love is completed. But, that's not something I'm seeing as a likely thing, so I wouldn't encourage anyone to bet on that happening. I mean, maybe once I'm down to the last few chapters of this story, but that's a little different than starting midway through.

Also, I've made a poll to determine which story comes next, Kill la Kill or Final Fantasy XIII. I suppose that, once this story is finished, whichever has more votes at that time will be what I write about next. For anyone who hasn't voted on this site before, the poll can be found at the top of my profile. It's not very noticeable, but it is at the top. (Might be different on phones? I have no idea.)

The First Note: This story ended up having a lot more fanservice in the earlier chapters than I had originally intended. What can I say? That's just how stuff goes. Anyways, there's going to be a part in the story where the fanservice is toned down much more than it is right now. What can I say? That's just how stuff goes. But, don't worry. The fanservice will come back full force once the pilots all get together.

The Second Note: Asuka calls Rei "Freakazoid" a lot because, at this point in the story, Asuka is not entirely familiar with Rei or how she acts when in danger or how she's so willing to throw her life away. So, for now, I've had Asuka calling Rei "Freakazoid" like she does when she first meets her at school. (Or, in this story, when they meet on the Over The Rainbow.) After Rei has gone through a few more serious things with Asuka witnessing her going through these things, Asuka will make the transition to calling her "Wondergirl." I probably should have explained this a few chapters ago…

The Third Note: I am looking for beta readers right now. I've contacted a couple people who seemed like they would be good candidates, but, honestly, I've never really gone about having anyone beta-read anything for me, so I don't know who the best beta readers for Evangelion fics would be. If anyone knows any good beta readers, feel free to put me in contact with them or vice versa. It would be greatly appreciated. I know that the beta reading process would slow down the output of my chapters a little bit, but I think it would be a worthwhile sacrifice that would hopefully increase the quality of my delivery.

Sorry for that huge-ass wall of text. Hopefully it didn't bother anyone too much. Anyways, here's the next chapter. It's a little shorter than the others, but longer than the last four I've posted. Anyways, this chapter is kind of paired with the next one. I can't say too much about the next one yet though, and I probably won't say anything about it until after it's published. I was kind of contemplating publishing this chapter on Christmas, but I figured I'd made everyone wait for chapter 8 long enough. So, I guess this is my early Christmas present to everyone.

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Text Guide

Standard Wording

"Spoken Dialogue/Speech"

'Internal Dialogue/Thoughts'

(Flashbacks)

/

[Slash denotes scene transition for the moment; this may be changed in the future so as to become more visible.]

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Disclaimer: I do not own or profit off of Neon Genesis Evangelion, End Of Evangelion, or the Rebuilds of Evangelion. I do not own Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, Asuka Langley Sohryu, or any of the other characters/ideas from the Evangelion intellectual property collective. All licenses remain with the proper license holders. If asked to, I will formally remove this story from the hosting website.

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*Cruel Angel's Thesis and Eva intro starts playing*


Neon Genesis Evangelion

A Journey of Hate, Power, and Love

Chapter 08

NERV and High Society

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"So, today's your big day; your special date with Rei?" Misato squealed in glee.

"Y-yeah. S-something like that," Shinji said with a blush on his face.

He was trying as hard as he could to focus on making everyone in the Katsuragi household their breakfast, but it was proving to be difficult. Misato and Asuka were talking, shouting, or just being more distracting than usual. And, while Shinji wasn't the type to be very easily distracted, the constant excited teasing from Misato and disgusted disdain from Asuka wasn't helping him make their food any faster.

"He never would have gotten a date if you hadn't actually suggested it," Asuka said nonchalantly, "And from what I've been lead to believe, it wasn't even him who did the asking out. I heard that the blue haired freak actually had to ask him. How awkward is that? I mean, come on."

"Oh, come now, Asuka. The guy doesn't always have to ask the girl out."

"I guess, but it's more proper and romantic. And it might encourage him to grow a pair. He's going to need some balls if he's ever going to get good at fighting angels. You don't get anywhere being scared."

"Now, Asuka, we don't talk about balls at the table. Not that I haven't eaten them for breakfast before…"

"Oh my god, Misato. Can you not make everything so sexual?! Please, I'm going to lose my appetite. And, I can't afford for that to happen. I'm staaaarving! I haven't eaten since bedtime last night."

"Well, you're the one who mentioned it first…"

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT IN A SEXUAL WAY THOUGH!" Asuka shouted as she stood up out of her seat and slammed her hands down on the kitchen table for what was probably the hundredth time since she'd arrived in Tokyo-3.

"I didn't either, heheheh" Misato giggled, "I was talking about mochi ice cream balls. What were you thinking of?"

"YOU WERE NOT! YOU SAID NOT TO TALK ABOUT IT AT THE KITCHEN TABLE! WHERE THE HELL ELSE ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO EAT ICE CREAM IF NOT AT THE KITCHEN TABLE?!"

"I said the table. Not the kitchen table. So, I don't know where you got that from. Of course you eat ice cream balls at the kitchen table," Misato said with an innocent smile.

Asuka's eyes narrowed and she glared at Misato while she slowly sank back down into her chair.

"You… Don't look at me. Don't speak to me. Don't think about me. Don't breathe my air," Asuka said as threateningly as she could to her guardian, which only caused Misato to laugh even more.

At that moment, Shinji decided that breakfast was finished cooking, and kept quiet as he handed Asuka a bowl of oatmeal and Misato a cup of miso soup. He then quickly attempted to retreat to his room so that he could hopefully have a few minutes of peace and quiet before the day began in earnest.

"Hey, Stupid Shinji, make sure you look nice for her. It's the least you could do to try to prove you're at least somewhat of a gentleman," Asuka said casually, but with some disgust.

"O-of course, I will!" Shinji replied, trying not to blush.

"Wear that suit I sacrificed half of my paycheck on when we were training to fight that last angel."

"W-why does it matter to you what I wear? It's not your date," Shinji abruptly asked out of curiosity.

"Oh, so that's what giving a little helpful advice gets you these days," Asuka huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest in her usual fashion, "Look, you idiot. I know how to impress a girl. And what I'm saying is that if that blue haired freakazoid has any semblance at all to a normal human being, she'll appreciate you being dressed nicely.

"What was that, Asuka? You know how to impress girls? I knew you'd always be a hit with the ladies," Misato cooed in a teasing manner.

"WHAT DID I JUST SAY FIVE SECONDS AGO, MISATO?!" Asuka fumed as she glared at Misato once more with bloodshot eyes.

"Aaaaanyways, tell me after you get dressed, okay Shinji. I'll drive us to Rei's place. We'll pick her up then go get her some more clothes. Then I'll drop you off at the park next to the cake shop," Misato said with a wink.

Shinji nodded and then awkwardly turned on his heels and made his way back to his room.

/

-A Garden of Garb for a Girl-

/

"We're almost there! I can't wait to see Rei!" Misato squeaked.

Shinji sighed. He didn't know how his guardian could constantly be so excited. Being excited all the time, like she was, seemed so exhausting to him. It must've been a girl thing.

'Going shopping with other girls makes girls excited, right? That must be it,' Shinji thought as he looked out the window of Misato's Renault.

The Western edge of Tokyo-3 was just as Shinji remembered it, the only exception being that a few more buildings had been torn down. Dust could be seen visibly blowing against the windows of the car. Demolished buildings rested at the side of the road and rubble lay strewn halfway through the street. And, the apartment that Rei lived in was clearly visible in the distance.

Shinji wondered if anyone even lived in the same complex as Rei. He'd never seen anyone else when he'd visited his quiet friend. There were a couple cars in the parking lot, but they never moved. Perhaps the owners were killed in one of the angel attacks. Or maybe they were just abandoned. Either way, they couldn't have been driven for months. A thick coating of the constant white grime, that was more than prevalent in this part of the city, was building on the paint of the cars, slowing turning them from neon yellow and metallic blue to a dull, pale, matte, white.

"Hey, Earth to Shinji!"

"Hmm? What?"

"You okay? You looked kinda lost for a second there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"Well, like I was saying. I'll buy Rei her clothes, and then I'll drop you and her off at the cake shop. Then, I'll head home and make sure Asuka isn't too bored by herself. Anyhow, I'll be leaving you and Rei to get home by yourselves for…reasons," Misato giggled before nudging the boy with her elbow, "If you get into trouble, call me. Okay? You do have your phone with you, right?"

"It's in my pocket."

"Is it?" Misato asked with a mischievous smile.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

Shinji placed his hand on his pocket, but found, to his surprise, that his phone wasn't in his pocket.

"I don't know? You tell me why it wouldn't be," Misato said as her face become more smug with each passing moment.

"Misato…give it back."

Misato pulled the phone out of her cleavage and held it proudly in front of her.

"Only if you say the magic words."

"Please, give me my phone back, Misato."

"Nope. Those are not the magic words."

"Then…what are the words?"

Misato smirked once again.

"The magic words are…Rei, will you marry me?"

Shinji's face became very red, as usual for the easily embarrassed child.

"I-I'm not saying that!"

"Why not? You're already going on a date with her."

"It's not like that! Not at all! We're just friends. She only asked me to because you told her to. Besides, I don't think she even likes me like that."

"I dunno about that. She could."

"Why would she? I'm just like Asuka said. I'm weak and I'm a coward and I'm not…very…good at anything."

"You're just selling yourself short."

"But, Asuka said so."

"Asuka can say lots of things."

"Asuka's been to college."

"And so have I," Misato said, looking away from the road for a second to wink at Shinji.

"Well… Asuka graduated-"

"Asuka's never even dated anyone, Shinji. At least not seriously. Asuka's smart, but I'm pretty sure I know better in this case. Rei is quiet and she keeps her feelings to herself, but a she's not emotionless. At least…I don't think she is."

"I-I know that. But, I still find it hard to believe that she'd…like me like that."

"Shinji, you cannot be serious right now! Have you payed attention to her? I would hope that you have. She is your friend and fellow pilot after all."

Shinji didn't say anything. He couldn't. He was too embarrassed. He knew that Misato liked to tease him, but he knew that she was about to go beyond that now. Of course, Shinji had paid attention to Rei. She was one of his only friends. But, that's all it was. Friendship. To think that Misato would seriously suggest it could be anything more was incomprehensible to the young teen sitting next to her.

"Shinji, come on. Haven't you noticed how you make her smile? No one can make her smile. I've never seen her smile for anyone but you. Not even for the commander, Shinji! Your father, the one who raised her, can't make her smile. Doesn't that mean something? It has to! I know it does! I swear, Shinji, she has feelings for you. She just doesn't know it yet."

Once again, Shinji remained quiet. As much as he tried to deny it, he knew that Misato's words had at least some truth in them. He really didn't see her smile that much. But, there was no denying that when she did smile, Shinji was usually not far away.

/

Rei took a single step outside of her apartment. It was a beautiful day. With the exception of the constant heat and the dusty atmosphere around Rei's apartment, it could be a comfortable one too. The sun was shining high above Tokyo-3 and a mild breeze streamed through Rei's sky-blue hair. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling of the dry wind blowing across her face.

The wind ceased, and then Rei took another step and another. Before she knew it, her feet were gliding down the stairwell in a quick but calm manor.

Strange feelings had begun to present themselves to Rei in recent weeks. And, she believed that the one she was feeling now was nervous anticipation. But, it was different. It wasn't the same kind of nervous. It wasn't the same kind of anticipation. She'd felt similarly before almost every battle with the angels. But, this time, it simply wasn't the same, though Rei failed to put her finger on what exactly about this anticipation felt different.

It felt like something big was happening. Of course, an angel trying to destroy the world was also a big thing. But, it didn't feel like the world would end tomorrow. Instead, it felt, to Rei anyways, like her life was just beginning.

Rei's feet had unconsciously taken her to the parking lot of her apartment building. And there she waited for her future to arrive. But, her future would have to be put on hold for a moment, for someone had just decided to call her.

Rei reached into the pocket of her school uniform and opened her cheap, metallic, blue, flip phone. Her previous good mood reverted to that of her usual stoic and aloof composure.

"Yes, Commander Ikari?"

"Rei…"

"Yes, Commander…"

A cold silence stretched on for almost five seconds.

"What are you doing, Rei?"

"Waiting, Sir."

"For what?"

"For your son and Captain Katsuragi, Sir."

"Why?"

"Because I am to go on a…date…Sir."

Another long silence permeated between the two.

"Do you know why I called, Rei?"

"I do not."

"Section-2 has reported that you have been behaving…strangely recently. Strangely in that you may not be acting in a way that best suits my interests or yours. I am concerned for you."

"I do not understand, Sir."

"Come to my office tonight. Nine o'clock. That's an order."

"Yes, Sir."

Gendo hung up the phone, leaving Rei curiously wondering and worrying in the middle of the parking lot.

Soon enough though, Rei's mind was brought back to a more content place as she saw Misato's Renault approaching her apartment.

A small smile grew on the girl's face as the car came to a screeching stop and Misato rolled down her window to call out to her.

"REI, DARLING, IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR YOUR DATE! HOP IN SO WE CAN GO GET YOU SOME CLOTHES!"

With a few swift movements, Rei gracefully approached the car, opened the door, slid her slender body behind Misato's seat, and then fastened her seatbelt behind Misato.

Next to Misato, Shinji sat blushing, trying to hide his face from Rei until he could compose himself a little more. Rei smiled at this, which probably would have made him blush even more if he had been looking.

"I am ready, Captain. We may go," Rei said quietly.

"Then, you better make sure your seatbelt is fastened and that you brought a map. Not that we'd need one. I know this city like the back of my hand."

/

"So, how well exactly do you know the back of your hand?" Shinji asked in frustration after Misato had finally found the clothing department.

"You know, you're really starting to sound like Asuka," Misato said in an attempt at making a comeback, "But, if you really must know, I don't know the back of my hand all that well. I'm much more familiar with my palms. That's so much softer and they're better at so many more things than the back of my hand."

"Ooookay, I think I've heard enough. Let's just go get Rei her clothes," Shinji said as he tried to fight against another blush.

Misato all too happily took the lead and pranced into the clothing store, knowing full well that, with her paycheck, she probably shouldn't be buying any more expensive clothes. Alas, the thought never crossed her mind and upon walking through the door, she grabbed Rei by the arm and dragged her through aisle after aisle of clothing, almost leaving Shinji behind..

"Ooh, how about this one, Rei? Or this one? Oh, no, this one! This one's cute," Misato said after finding a short yellow dress.

She held the dress in front of Rei, who looked down and eyed the article of clothing thoughtfully.

"Hmmm…" Misato said as she glared at the dress with a critical eye, "Nah, it's too bright for you. It's a cute dress by itself but it's just not your style."

"My style?" Rei asked in wonder.

"Yeah, like what fits you, you know?"

"I thought that is what measurements were for."

"No, no, no! Not that kind of fit, silly girl. Fit as in, what goes well with you. We all have a sort of style. Asuka's style is sort of elegant and casual. Shinji's is formal and casual-ish I guess. My style is…well, my style is self-explanatory," Misato said with a naughty smirk, "And your style is…is….well…that when you're not in your plugsuit," Misato said as she gestured towards Rei's school uniform.

"My style is this?" Rei questioned as she looked down once more and examined herself.

"Yeah, but not for much longer. I'm going to change that today! I'm going to make you-"

Misato rushed to Rei's side and placed her arm around the small girl's shoulder before looking off into the distance.

"-Say it with me: Stylish…" Misato said as she wiped her hand across a seemingly invisible wall in front of her.

"Stylish…" Rei repeated blankly.

"Stylish?" Shinji asked with some concern, "But, Misato, we're just going to a cake shop and we don't have the money to-"

"Hush, Shinji!" Misato interrupted, "We're making Rei stylish! It is her destiny now and there is no fighting it."

/

"Nope, I don't like this one either," Misato moaned as she tossed another dress over her shoulder, which Shinji promptly picked up and placed back in its place on its rack.

Rei had been standing almost perfectly still for a good thirty minutes as Misato held dress after dress in front of the girl, trying to find something that she thought went with her.

"None of these really seem Rei enough to me," Misato said as she once more tossed a beige colored dress behind her.

Misato reached over to the neatly folded stack of dressed she'd picked out, and lifted a very short, very tight black dress off the top before once again holding it in front of Rei.

"This one seems too much like something I'd wear," Misato groaned as she threw the dress away along with the others.

She then held up a dark silver dress.

"Hmm, the silver works with your hair and skin, but it's just a little too dark. So, nah," Misato said as she once again tossed the dress behind her.

"Shinji," Misato called out.

"Y-Yes, Misato?"

"Find me more dresses, and fast. Daylight is burning."

Shinji obediently began searching through the rows and columns of clothing. But, how was he supposed to know what went with Rei. Fashion was Misato's specialty.

He searched high and low, and tried to avoid any colors that Misato had already discarded the other dresses over, which amounted to just about every color. The only colors she'd been pleased with were white dresses, blue dresses, and a couple silver ones. Still, none of them met Misato's expectations. But, at least it had given Shinji a guideline.

'No red, yellow, orange, green, gold, dark blue, or black. That only leaves white, silver, purple, and light blue…but where would I find ones like that?'

Shinji looked around, but failed to see most of the colors he was searching for. Somewhat surprising. He was expecting to see more blue at least.

"Oh, why'd she send me to do this?"

At that moment, Shinji's phone rang, which caused the boy to jump considering the store was rather quiet and he wasn't expecting any sudden noises.

He hastily pulled the phone out of his pocket and saw that Toji was trying to reach him. A smile spread Shinji's lips just enough to be noticeable before he held the phone to his ear.

"Hey, shut up, Kensuke! I'm on the phone, man!"

"Ooh, harder, Toji! HARDER!"

"KENSUKE! SHUT UP! And quit being a girl while you're at it."

Shinji laughed a little at the image he pictured. Kensuke and Toji were the biggest connection to normal everyday life that Shinji had. Through Toji and Kensuke, he had a glimpse of what normal life was like.

Normal Life.

Shinji had almost forgotten that normal life was a thing. Nowadays, he could scarcely imagine what it would be like to live with a loving father and a living mother; maybe even a little sister or brother. Going to school every day and doing homework every night only to do it all again the next day, until finally, the weekend would come and he could do something fun with his family like go to the movies or beach.

Thinking about the possibility of normal life didn't make it any more likely though.

"Hey, Shin-man, so, me and Kensuke were playing this video game right?"

"IT'S SO AWESOME!" Shinji heard Kensuke shout in the background.

"Yeah, but, anyways. It gave us this idea and all. We figured we'd go play laser tag tomorrow and we wanted to know if you wanted to come along with us."

"YOU COULD SHOW US YOUR SKILLS WITH A GUN!" Kensuke once again said loudly enough to ensure that Shinji heard him.

"Yeah, a laser tag gun. Not a real one. Of course, we know you already probably shoot virtual guns all day down at NERV, so if it seems too much like being in the Eva, we could just go get ice cream instead or something. But, we just figured it would be a good chance to get you away from that murderous Asuka bitch for a day so that we could do something fun."

"And maybe Misato would drive us there," Kensuke swooned.

"Um, uh, y-yeah. Yeah. That…sounds fun actually," Shinji said, his reply a little more upbeat than he was expecting.

"Heheh, just be warned. Kensuke and I are pretty good at laser tag. Anyways, we'll just drop by your place sometime tomorrow. So, I guess we'll see you then."

"Heheh, yeah. See yah," Shinji said as he hung up his phone.

But, right before he put it back into his pocket, it rang again.

'Who could it be this time?'

He held the phone up and saw Asuka was trying to call him, which might have dampened his mood just a bit.

"Yes, Asuka?" he groaned as he held the phone up to his ear.

"WHAT'S TAKING YOU SO LONG?"

"W-what?"

"I said, WHAT'S TAKING YOU SO LONG?"

"I-I don't understand."

"Uggggghhh! Look, since you're gonna be with Freakazoid tonight, I need freshly cooked food. Misato said she'd take me somewhere nice for dinner tonight. Well, guess what? Its mid-day and she's still not back yet. So, I call her and I ask her what the hold up is. She says that you're picking out dresses for the freako. So, hurry up! I don't want my evening ruined because of you."

"I-I only just started looking. Besides, Misato is the one who keeps turning down all the dresses. She's probably gone through almost forty by now. If she'd just pick one, then we'd have been out of here twenty minutes ago."

"Oh my god!" Asuka groaned through the phone, her tone so disappointed that Shinji could almost see her head falling into her palms out of exasperation.

"I'm sorry Asuka."

"Which store are you at, you idiot? I have an idea."

"The same one we went to when we were doing out synchronization training for the last angel fight. The place where you got that red dress."

"Okay, good. Go to the southeast corner of the store. There's a blue dress on display back there. Or, at least, there was when we went there. I'm like…a hundred percent sure that it'll be just fine for Miss Freako. If Misato still doesn't like it, tell her I said that she can shove a train car up her ass."

"I, uh, I'll…be sure to…tell her that. Bye, Asuka."

"Hmph!"

Shinji hung up his phone and sighed in relief. That ended better than he'd expected.

Shinji returned to that task at hand.

'Southeast. Blue dress.'

Shinji did as Asuka told him to, and sure enough, he passed an aisle of clothing, and there before him, illuminated by a soft white light, was a beautiful strapless blue dress being displayed on a mannequin.

The bodice was a light blue, and as the dress went lower, it got progressively darker, though the color remained on the lighter side overall. The hem of the dress looked like it would reach down about to Rei's ankles if she were currently wearing it. And, on the surface of the fabric appeared to be occasional specs of glitter that dazzled Shinji's eyes when he looked at it just right.

"There's no way Misato is going to turn that down."

/

-Never Too Late for a Date-

/

"I'll see you two later. Don't stay out for too long, And Rei, I'll drop your other clothes off at your apartment" Misato said as she revved her car engine.

"Yes, Ma'am," Rei replied so quietly that Misato probably didn't hear it over her car.

"W-we won't stay out too late," Shinji said as he looked at the ground trying to hide his blush.

"Good. Have fun!"

Misato then sped off back toward her apartment, probably trying to make sure she wouldn't be too late by Asuka's expectations.

Shinji and Rei both stood staring at the cake shop across the street from them.

It seemed like a quiet place. Shinji didn't know if that would make it easier or harder to talk to Rei though.

"Well, there it is," Shinji awkwardly said to the girl next to him.

Rei turned her head to face Shinji, her eyes saying so many things that Shinji might not ever understand.

"Um, Rei, are you sure you want to do this? You'd be paying for almost everything."

"Yes, I am sure."

"Oh, okay, well, um," Shinji said as he awkwardly stepped onto the crosswalk.

Rei followed Shinji's lead and took a step onto the road so that she was next to the boy, but she made sure not to go any further than him.

She looked at him once more. The skin on his face was tight and red. Fear and discomfort were evident in his dark blue eyes. His hands were shaking from nervousness and his teeth were visibly grit through his barely open lips.

"You are afraid. Why?" Rei asked.

"I-I'm not afraid. It's just…"

"Do not worry. I will protect you."

Shinji quietly gasped and looked at Rei with wide eyes. He smiled and nodded at the girl which prompted her to smile back at him.

"Come," Rei said as she grabbed the hand of a somewhat more confident Shinji and walked across the street with him.

Upon entering the cake shop, the first thing the two children saw was an absolutely massive cupcake topped with vanilla frosting and jelly beans. Though, it couldn't rightly be called a cupcake; it was almost as big as a normal cake if not bigger.

Rei and Shinji looked at the other various displayed cakes in quiet awe. There was a set of small cylindrical chocolate cakes with accompany chocolate icing, a strawberry shortcake, and a rather large tiramisu cake among many other sweets.

"Wow, there's so many! Which one do you want, Rei?" Shinji said as he eyed cake after delicious cake.

"I am…having a hard time deciding…I like this one," Rei said as she pointed at the monstrous cupcake, "But, this one also appealing," she said as she then pointed at the tiramisu.

"I like the cupcake too. It's pretty colorful with all those jelly beans on top." Shinji said with a small laugh

"Then, we shall get that one," Rei said having made up her mind.

"J-just like that? Are you sure you want that one, Rei?"

"Yes."

Rei then took a few steps over to the cashier, and began placing the order rather more confidently than Shinji would have managed. After hearing Rei's choice of cake, the cashier looked surprised, unsure if the two children could really eat it all. But, Rei was adamant in her request, and before long, the two children were sitting at a table in a quiet corner of the restaurant, cutting off slices of the cupcake while they conversed quietly.

"-and if you wanted me to teach you to cook, I could do that…I think. I might have time after school if I finished my homework early. Maybe Asuka could help me finish quicker or something. She's been to college. And, that would help me free up some time so I could teach you some things."

"That is…nice of you, Shinji. I would like that."

"I wonder what I could teach you to cook first. I guess, since you seem to like the cake so much, I could teach you how to make that. Then, you could have cake whenever you wanted."

"That would be very…pleasant," Rei said with a smile.

That smile.

'Misato was right. Ever since that night…-'

Rei picked up a slice of the cake with her fork and placed it in her mouth, still smiling as only Rei could smile.

'- she's smiled at me and no one else,' Shinji thought with a smile of his own.

"Hey, Rei?"

Her attentive red eyes locked with Shinji's, acknowledging his question.

"Does anyone else ever make you smile?"

"No."

Shinji felt his heart stop for just a moment before little bursts of adrenaline started shooting through his body.

"And, why is that?"

Rei took a small breath like she was about to say something complex and explanatory, but, all she ended up getting out was, "I…am not sure."

"And, why do I make you smile?"

Rei looked down at the tabletop in thought.

"Because…-"

She remained quiet and examined her thoughts. This was something that she realized just now that she was curious about as well. Why did Shinji make her smile?

"-…you…are…-"

Rei was carefully examining her inner working as well as the world around her, the boy in front of her, and the events of her past. She wanted to make sure that she conveyed her thoughts as clearly as possible, and so Rei, as was expected, was thinking very intently about exactly which words she wanted to use.

"-…my….friend. You…have been kind to me. You have shown me care. You have…come to my rescue. You…are…a good person, Shinji. And, that makes me feel…good. It makes me smile. It makes my heartbeat increase, which is sometimes alarming to me. But, it also feels...correct somehow; like I should not be afraid that I experience heart palpitations when I think about you."

"Y-you think about m-me?!" Shinji questioned with a rather intense blush.

"I do. I do not understand you. It is rather inviting to think about."

Shinji's cheeks shouldn't have been capable of becoming any more flushed, but they did.

"Shinji, you look ill. Are you well?"

"Y-yeah, I'm just dizzy and my fingers are tingling."

"You do not seem well. Should I find help?"

"No, I'm fine. Really. I just need a minute."

"You do not seem fine," Rei said, before she placed her fingers on Shinji's wrist to measure his heartbeat, which only caused the boy's heart rate to accelerate even more.

"You are suffering from tachycardia, just like I do occasionally when I think of you. But, your heartbeat is much more severe than mine. Perhaps, you should go see Doctor Akagi and ask for a depressant or perhaps blood pressure medication. I am not professionally informed, but this does not seem healthy."

"I feel like…this is something that Doctor Akagi can't help me with."

"Why is that?"

"Because, it's the same thing that happens to you. When, I think about you, sometimes my heart starts beating faster and I get dizzy. It might also be because Misato teases me all the time which makes me think of you, but still."

"You think of me as well?" Rei asked as her eyes got a little wider.

"Y-yeah, sometimes."

"What do you think about me?"

"Um…usually things I probably can't say here. Like I said, Misato teasing me and all that makes me…think about stuff that I shouldn't think about."

"What kind of things do you think about that you shouldn't think about me? Why shouldn't you think about it? What is wrong with thinking about it?"

"R-Rei! I-I-I can't explain it!"

"Then, you should keep thinking about it until you can explain it. That is what I do."

"Rei!" Shinji said as his blush came back full force, "I really don't think you understand what I'm saying!"

"Then…isn't that why you should explain it to me?"

"I…I…I…guess you have a point," Shinji said as he hung his head in defeat.

Now, Shinji just had to find a way to explain himself to Rei without sounding like a freak or accidentally scaring her.

Rei patiently observed the boy while he thought about how to put his thoughts into words.

"Well, um…you see, sometimes Misato says things. Wait, er, okay, it doesn't matter what Misato said. But, sometimes, I think about you and sometimes I just feel really small…I guess. I feel like I'm not good enough. I feel like I'm not cut out to be an Eva pilot. But, other times, I think about you and I feel like, if I look up to you enough, and if I follow you, maybe I'd be able to be better and maybe I'd be able to be an okay Eva pilot and a more reliable friend. And, maybe, instead of you protecting me, we could…protect…each other."

"That is why your heart beats faster when you think of me?"

"Um, yeah, that's one of the reasons…"

"That is…pleasing to know, Shinji. I am happy that you wish to be better."

'That came out a lot more awkwardly than I wanted,' Shinji thought as he took a breath.

The two sat in silence for a few moments, each taking another bite of their food. Time seemed to stretch on as they chewed the soft cake and looked out the window to see the sun slowly getting lower in the sky.

"Shinji."

"Y-yes?"

"I believe…we already protect each other."

"W-what do you mean?"

"You attempted to rescue me after we fought and won against the fifth angel. I was not in need of rescue and would have been fine without your assistance. But, you still chose to help me."

"That wasn't really me protecting you," Shinji said as he scratched the back of his head, "If I were protecting you, I'd have made sure you weren't in danger in the first place."

"Shinji."

"Yes?"

"I believe…that you changed. And, I believe that I did too after that battle. If you have changed, I think…you will protect me. We will protect each other. We will protect the world."

Shinji sat in silence, unsure of what to say to the girl.

"Shinji…do you doubt me?"

"I…don't think so," Shinji questioned more than answered, unsure if he was saying what he was supposed to.

"Do you doubt yourself?"

"Um, sometimes…"

"Do not doubt yourself. If you doubt yourself, you doubt me also. …I will protect you so that you can protect me."

Shinji was unsure if he could really trust such a statement. This seemed like some kind of covenant that he simply would not be able to uphold. But, for the moment, at least, Shinji managed to smile at Rei's words and give her a rigged nod. And for Rei, that might have been all the assurance she needed.

/

Rei and Shinji sat quietly on a bench in the park across from the cake shop. The cupcake had taken them quite a while to finally finish, but they had managed, even if the sun was now setting.

In the distance, blue clouds were gathering, signaling an overnight storm, but the sun still reflected beautifully off of Rei's dress, hair, and skin, making it look like she was glowing. Shinji couldn't help but stare out the corner of his eye. Rei looked stunning as she watched the sun slowly set behind the buildings of Tokyo-3.

"Hey, Rei, we might need to go soon. It looks like it's going to rain tonight and you wouldn't want to ruin your dress."

"Yes…we should…soon. But, this is pleasant. I wish to stay here…only for a little while longer."

/

Gendo Ikari waited patiently at his desk. It was almost nine at night. Rei would be arriving soon.

"Hey, Ikari, I'm checking out for the night if that's okay with you," Fuyutsuki called out as he put on a rain coat and headed for the door.

"That is fine," the Commander said coldly.

"If anything happens, you know how to reach me," Fuyutsuki said as he took his final steps out the door from Gendo's office before it shut behind him.

The usual deadly silence that inhabited the Commander's office returned as Fuyutsuki left. The only noticeable noises were the occasional groaning of metal and the barely audible thunder that sometimes managed to travel all the way down to the Geofront. Then, of course, there was also the buzzer to the office which had just rung.

Gendo pressed a button under his desk and the door quickly slid open to reveal Rei, her wet hair sticking to her cheeks.

"Rei."

"Commander."

She walked into the office; the new shoes Misato had bought and dropped off at her house earlier in the day gripped the floor tightly and allowed her to confidently stride forward.

"Where did you get those?" the Commander said as he looked at the various new clothing articles Rei wore.

"Captain Katsuragi bought them for me."

Gendo remained silent, obviously thinking about what to say next.

"Was your evening to your liking?" the Commander asked, prodding for information more than out of concern or care.

"It was…enjoyable."

"Rei."

"Commander."

"I am going to ask you a series of questions and I expect you to answer them honestly," Gendo said, the tone of his voice hinting at doubt and distrust.

"Yes, Commander."

"Are you happy with your life?"

"I have everything I need. I am content, Commander Ikari."

'Am I content?'

"Do you have romantic feelings for my son?"

"I am unsure, Sir."

'Am I unsure?'

"Are you loyal to me?"

"Yes, Commander. Serving you is my only purpose in life."

'Is it my only purpose in life?'

Commander Ikari stood up from his desk and approached Rei.

Standing before her, he looked into her ruby eyes, and studied them. He looked for anything he could discern. Disloyalty, confidence, confusion, infatuation, discontent, but he could find nothing that would make him further doubt the girl.

"Very well, Rei. You may continue to get closer to Pilot Ikari because it works in my favor. But, only so long as you remain loyal to me. If your friendship or courtship with him threatens my plans, you will terminate contact with him immediately. And, if you don't, you will answer to me. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Commander."

"You are dismissed, Rei. Good night."

"Yes, Commander."

As Rei turned to leave the office, she couldn't help but feel like she was doing something wrong. She had told the truth, but it still felt wrong in someway. And, as the lost girl made her way back up to the surface, back to the rain covered streets of Tokyo-3, she couldn't help but feel like this was the beginning of something bigger than she realized.

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*Eva credits roll and Fly Me to the Moon plays*

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"You guessed it! It's Misato here with a sneak peak at the next chapter! And guess what! ...I actually don't have much of a chapter preview this time because the next chapter is going to be a surprise. Ooh, so exciting! Anyways, here's what I can say.

After I drop off Shinji and Rei for their date and deliver some extra clothes to Rei's apartment, I head home to take Asuka out on a date of my own. Mmm, sounds delicious, right? Sadly, things don't go as planned after Asuka brings up the subject of Shinji and Rei's date and I tell her a few things I probably shouldn't have. Terrified and livid at my words, Asuka makes a deal that I can't refuse and...well, read the next chapter and you'll find out. Next time on Neon Genesis Evangelion: A Journey of Hate, Power, and Love; On the Edge of the Dark Horizon.

Oh, and, of course, there's always the fan service!"

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Okay, so, I know this chapter was a little shorter than some of the others. But, hopefully that's not too bad. Also, originally, this chapter was vastly different than what I'd typed up here. Originally, Asuka and Misato were also supposed to go along with Rei and Shinji and this wasn't even supposed to be a date between the two. And they were all going to go to a fancy restaurant with steaks and salads and there was going to be a band and Asuka was going to steal the microphone after the band quit playing and she was going to sing for the entire restaurant. But, that was months ago and I've made changes to my story since then, so this ended up quite differently. Anyways, that scene is still going to be in this story, but I just happened to find a much better place to fit it in.

Anyways, hope everyone liked this chapter. If you didn't go ahead and leave a review telling me what you didn't like. If you did like it, go ahead and do the same. I do love reading my reviews. The more reviews I get, the more direction I attain.

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Update/Final Update: My computer died a couple days after uploading this chapter. At the time of writing this, chapter 9 has been published.