Well, everyone. With this chapter published, this story in now officially over 300,000 words long. (Including Author Notes) Let's hope I can get to a million! Unlikely, I know. But, let's hope anyways.
Also, just figured I'd tell everyone I made a Reddit account. And, if anyone would like to converse with me or stalk me through Reddit, my username is Garmmermibe001. That would be one 0 more than my username of here.
And, I also feel the need to mention that March is going to be a busy month for me. I'm going to try to get a chapter out, but If I can't... well, that's why I posted two this month. It might the last day of February, but it's still February, damn it.
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Review Response Time!
StratosOmega: Yeah, so, the majority of your review, I'm actually going to address a bit further down. But, in response to some of the spelling mistakes, let me just say... I NEED A BETA READER REALLY BAD! I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR MONTHS!
Joker wx: Haha, so, you didn't see that coming last chapter? Well, lets see if you see anything coming this chapter! Because...this chapter is... kinda... well, I don't wanna spoilt it.
Mike Kromer: A few good questions. Will Rei end up caring about sharing Shinji. Well, I feel like this story will obviously answer that in due time. But, for now, lets say that whether Rei 'cares' or not is probably going to be up to the attitudes of Shinji and whoever she'd be sharing him with. At the end of the day, I think she really just wants what's best for him. So... y'know.
Useful76: Haha, I think you'll see in this chapter that, while Asuka does go one of those two ways, she's still going to surprise a lot of people in this chapter... I hope.
origamishishou: So, I actually pulled up "Don't look." And...well, lemme put it like this. I'm pretty desensitized to horror too. I almost never get scared from modern horror movies because I literally grew up watching all the classic ones. And, I always ended up finding myself more fascinated rather than terrified. So, I'm hoping it's a good sign that story at least got some kind of reaction out of you if you are desensitized to horror. I honestly think it would be so awesome to write a horror, but I know I'd be disappointed in it because I'd never be able to truly scare myself with it. Though, hopefully, I'd be able to scare someone else.
Seeking Professional Help: I think, well, I already said it earlier up, but I think you're gonna be surprised by Asuka in this chapter. Though, she's not completely done with Kaji yet. It's still going to be a little bit. But, she is getting there, like you said.
Hellsink Bathhall: Oh man, talk about beating him senseless. Oh, gosh. This chapter. It's... gonna be something. Also, thank you for your condolences for my grandmother. She's a handful like I'm pretty sure I've said before. Her mind really is all over the place and she's actually really fun to be around. Though, I think a lot of people would probably see it as a sad thing, I'm just trying to help her not concentrate on it by having fun.
Miguelangel: Yeah, those older chapter are... they're really rough and I really do need to go clean them up some more when I can get the time. I'm trying to do them a little bit at a time so that I don't put the rest of the story on hold.
Also, relating to your question about using Mana, I honestly haven't played the Girlfriend of Steel games, so I'm not terribly familiar with her as a character. However, I do intend to write an alternate universe version of this fic once the fourth Rebuild movie is out. And, I intend to include Mari in it, though I'm not sure in what capacity yet. But, maybe, I could include Mana in that too if I can get a couple sources on her life and past and maybe a few character studies.
Also, regarding Kaji, being 'sad.' I do intend to give him a set of problems. Some of those are going to be inspired by the Manga. However, at the same time, I intend to make him a character that shoulders burdens better than the rest, quite like he is in every continuity of Evangelion.
And, also (lmao, this is a lot to respond to, but I'm thankful for the reviews.) about Gendo raping Rei. Honeslty, I feel like I actually probably could write a scene where Gendo rapes the actual Rei, but, lmfao, people would flip shit if I wrote that and I get the feeling I'd lose a ton of readers ( I only have like 800 or so) because everyone thinks Rei is best grill. So, I tried to just stick with the clones. But, you're right though. It is an Evangelion 101 that Rei cannot be happy. And, there's still more to come with this story. So, we'll just have to see what's in store for her.
And, I could see how quite a few people probably wouldn't like this version of Misato. But, as I said, there's still more to come. And, she's going to change over the course of the story, just like all the characters. Stick around and see, maybe she'll become a bit more lively soon.
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And, finally a response to everyone who said the ending of last chapter was just absolutely hilarious...
...
...y'all are some sick fucks. Lmao, Just the kind of readers I adore. Let's see what everyone thinks of this chapter.
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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 19
The Name of The Sin
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The Finale of Act I
The Road Untraveled
You Are (Not) Alone
1.11
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White.
It shot through the air naturally and almost gracefully.
Wet.
She watched it as it fell in front of her feet and settled on the floor. It was disgusting but she couldn't step away from it for some reason. Maybe it was wonder. Maybe it was terror.
Warm.
Despite him trying to stay quiet, she could hear the boy breathing heavily in front of her. She watched his penis gently heave up and down as he inhaled and exhaled.
Asuka's face contorted into something of fear. Her eyebrows raised slightly, and her mouth was open as she breathed in shallow quivering breaths.
She persuaded herself to look away from Shinji's penis and into his eyes instead.
He looked back at her. But he couldn't say anything. There was plenty being said with the silence.
"What… the hell… are you doing?" Asuka asked through her frantic breathing.
"Asuka…" was all Shinji could reply with.
Asuka still looked at Shinji, almost like she hadn't heard him.
'What the hell? What the fuck is this? What did I just… This is so fucked!' Asuka thought as she looked back down at Shinji's manhood.
'Is that… What is that? It's his… his...'
Shinji was completely lost. Orgasming had left his mind in a flurry. He was disoriented and needed to catch his breathe. He was petrified from his embarrassment. And, he was dreading what Asuka was going to do to him. He was frozen in time and couldn't do anything as Asuka hung hauntingly in his doorway.
'What's she doing. Why is she just standing there? She's just looking at me. Shouldn't she be angry? Why is she just sitting there?'
A twisted smile creeped it's way onto Asuka's lips.
'This is so fucking awkward. What the fuck? Maybe, if I just act like nothing happened, maybe this will be okay.'
"Shinji?" Asuka asked gently.
"Wha…" Shinji asked, unable to say anymore as he tried to catch his breath.
"What… are you doing? In here I mean? What are you doing in here?" Asuka asked as she continued to stare at his dick, which only unnerved the boy more.
"Asuka, I…"
"It's okay. You can tell me. What were you doing?" Asuka said with a voice that was almost too calming.
'It's not okay! IT'S FUCKING NOT OKAY!' Asuka screamed to herself internally, 'What the fuck am I doing? WHAT AM I DOING? THIS IS SO WEIRD! Just act normal. Act normal and just pretend this didn't happen'
"Asuka, its not- I wasn't-" Shinji stuttered through his exhausted breathing.
"It's not what? What weren't you doing?"
Asuka took a step forward and the sole of her bare foot pressed firmly into the cum on the floor.
She made a quiet but still audibly disgusted squeak as she stepped into the now lukewarm liquid, cringing as she felt the cum seep up in between her toes.
"Asuka, what are you doing?" Shinji gasped as the girl approached him.
"No, what are you doing? Why are you in here? You should be in the kitchen cooking diner," Asuka said with a distorted smile infected with fear.
"Asuka, you… you're acting weird."
"I'm not acting weird. You're acting weird. You should just tell me what's wrong."
"What's wrong? Asuka, what do you mean what's wrong? I don't understand," Shinji said as he started to get freaked out by Asuka's behavior.
"I don't understand either," Asuka said as though she were in a daze.
Asuka reached her hand out as she continued to slowly walk through Shinji's cum with her bare feet.
"Asuka? Wha- What're you doing?" Shinji asked as he fearfully watched Asuka's hand draw closer.
"No, Shinji. What are you doing?"
It seemed like the girl had just lost her senses and Shinji wasn't sure if he felt safe or not as she drew closer.
"Asuka, you- You should just go! Please! I need to- I need to…"
"You need to what, Shinji? What do you need to do?" Asuka asked as she slowly drew nearer the boy offering her outstretched hand to him like a comforting mother.
"Asuka, please, don't touch me. Just go. I don't want to talk right now."
Shinji could see something in Asuka's eyes. She looked hurt.
"You don't want me around you?" Asuka asked in a pained voice, "But, why? We're friends."
The girl tried to smile at him, but Shinji could see that she was sad.
"Asuka, you're really…frightening me."
"You're frightening me too. You're trying to leave, just like him. Just like Kaji. You're trying to abandon me," Asuka whispered, the lump in her throat almost stopping her from finishing her sentence.
"Asuka, I don't know what you mean. I'm not going anywhere. I just need to be alone. Please, this isn't right."
"You hate me?"
"What? No! Asuka! I don't… I don't know what you're even talking about. Just, please… Just let me…" Shinji struggled to say as he finally tried to hide his genitals behind his hands.
"Let you what, Shinji? Are you going to run away? You're going to run away from me?" Asuka asked as she reached her hand out a little further to brush it against Shinji's cheek.
"Don't touch me, Asuka!" Shinji snapped, his anxiety and Asuka's behavior causing him to feel cornered as he lashed out.
She recoiled slightly just before she was about to touch his face. She looked sad. But, her sadness quickly changed to anger as she bought her hand back and then slapped Shinji.
The boy put his hands in front of his face, trying to shield himself from Asuka's angry hands. But, him resisting only served to anger her more and she slapped him again and again.
Soon enough, it became obvious the girl wasn't going to stop. Shinji cradled his head in his arms, trying to protect himself from her.
Becoming more furious by the moment, Asuka kicked the boy and shoved him onto his back while she repeatedly struck multiple parts of his body. Her slaps soon transformed into punches as she hit his stomach and his chest or his face when he'd moved his hands to protect another part of his body.
She dropped to her knees and climbed on top of the boy, straddling him over his waist so that she could land her hits easier while also trying to pin his arms to the ground so that he couldn't protect himself.
"ASUKA, PLEASE! DON'T HIT ME! STOP! DON'T DO THIS!"
"YOU'RE LUCKY MISATO ISN'T HOME OR I'D GET YOU PUT INTO A FUCKING PRISON."
"WHY, ASUKA? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? PLEASE! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"
The girl only answered with more punches, knocking the breath out of the boy.
"I hate you! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, SHINJI! I HATE EVERYONE!" Asuka screamed as she grabbed Shinji's hair and tried to slam his head on the floor.
"ASUKA, PLEASE STOP IT!"
"WHY DO YOU HATE ME, SHINJI!?"
"I DON'T HATE YOU!"
"YES, YOU DO!"
"I DON'T! I DON'T HATE YOU!" Shinji screamed, trying not to cry as the girl kept trying her damndest to harm him in any way she possibly could.
"WHY DOES EVERYONE HATE ME!? WHY?! KAJI HATES ME! MISATO HATES ME! YOU HATE ME! EVEN AYANAMI HATES ME!"
"NOBODY HATES YOU, ASUKA! PLEASE, JUST STOP, PLEASE!"
"NO! EVERYONE HATES ME!" Asuka screamed as she continued to hit Shinji at any unprotected place on his body.
"ASUKA, STOP IT!" Shinji shouted as he flung his arms around Asuka's chest and rolled her over so that she was underneath him.
Asuka was taken aback by Shinji's retaliation and paused as he leaned over her, blood dripping out of his nose and mouth and onto Asuka's neck and in between her cleavage. She looked up into his soft eyes, which would probably be surrounded by bruises in the morning. She then looked up and down the boy's body, seeing that he was quivering. He was probably exhausted and was just barely keeping himself from falling on top of her.
"I… hate you. Why…won't you FIGHT BACK!" Asuka screamed as she raised her leg and pushed him off of her forcefully, causing him to land in his cum.
In an instant she was back on top of him and was ready to begin abusing him again. She raised her fist over her head and was about to punch the boy right in his face.
"ASUKA, PLEASE! WE'RE FRIENDS!"
Asuka paused for a second, her unexplainable anger barely contained.
"You… you were thinking about her, weren't you? WEREN'T YOU, SHINJI?!" Asuka screamed in his face as her anger caused her to begin quivering again.
"YES! Yes! I was thinking about Rei! Please, don't hit me!"
"YOU'RE NOT MY FRIEND THEN! I HATE HER! I HATE REI AYANAMI! I FUCKING HATE HER!"
"Why, Asuka? WHAT DID SHE EVER DO TO YOU!?"
"She always acts better than me! SHE ACTS LIKE A DOLL! AND EVERYONE LIKES HER MORE THAN ME. SHE DOESN'T EVEN TRY TO MAKE FRIENDS AND SHE HAS MORE THAN ME!
"I've never seen you trying to make friends either, Asuka!"
"BECAUSE I HATE EVERYONE! ESPECIALLY HER! SHE ACTS LIKE SHE'S A BETTER PILOT TOO! BUT I KNOW I'M BETTER THAN HER! AND EVERYONE ELSE KNOWS IT TOO. BUT SHE STILL ACTS BETTER THAN ME!"
"She's not acting like anything, Asuka! She's just doing what she's told!"
"THAT'S THE WHOLE PROBLEM! SHE ACTS LIKE SHE CAN DO ANYTHING JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE SAYS FOR HER TO DO IT! AND SHE CAN'T! IF I WEREN'T THERE WHEN THE SEVENTH ANGEL ATTACKED, YOU AND HER WOULD BE DEAD!"
"I saved you that day too! I'm the one who pulled you out of the volcano! AND I WENT AGAINST ORDERS TO DO IT! AND I DID IT BECAUSE YOU WERE MY FRIEND!"
Asuka's eyes widened for a moment.
"You…"
Shinji looked up at Asuka, relieved that she finally seemed to be calming down.
Asuka looked back at the boy, watching the blood running out of his nose and over his face. She then looked down his body and at his unzipped pants. The boy's semi-erect penis just below her Vagina as she straddled him. Asuka's pants were the only thing separating the two, and at the thought, a surge of adrenaline and excitement shot through her body against her will.
Seeing the girl look at his penis embarrassed the boy, and he turned his head sideways in order to avert his gaze.
Asuka slowly got off Shinji and stood up.
"Go fucking wash yourself and go to bed and don't ever fucking tell ANYONE about this."
He looked up at the girl above him, understanding what she meant and why she didn't want him to talk about what had happened.
"But, Asuka,-"
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT DINER RIGHT NOW!"
"But what about Misato?"
"FORGET MISATO! She's not even here. And she'll probably get drunk as soon as she walks through the door. She doesn't need diner!"
The boy looked away from Asuka once more.
"AND WOULD YOU PUT THAT AWAY?!" Asuka demanded as she marched out of the room.
Shinji looked down at his unzipped pants and honestly felt really foolish and upset with himself on top of the shame Asuka had dumped onto him.
He was overcome with various emotions. His heart was pounding. His face was flushed. All of this was so much to take in, and he'd probably be thinking about this for the rest of the night and well into tomorrow if not for the rest of the week.
/
-The Unfortunate-
/
The boy stepped into the kitchen, blood still dripping out of his nose and onto the white collar of his shirt. He'd have to get some hydrogen peroxide and scrub the blood out after he'd gotten a shower. The boy took a few steps forward, making his way to the bathroom.
"Hey, stop!"
Shinji turned around and saw Asuka rushing out of her room with a bundle of nightwear in her arms.
"But, you told me to-"
"I'm going first, you idiot! You got your… your- YOU GOT YOUR JIZZ ALL OVER MY FEET! And, now I tracked it all over the house… YOU'RE CLEANING IT UP!"
"What? But- But you walked in on me! And you-" Shinji said weakly and unassertively before being interrupted by Asuka.
"SHUT UP, SHINJI! JUST SHUT UP!"
Asuka then scurried into the bathroom while Shinji sighed in defeat and began grabbing cleaning supplies out of the closet next to the kitchen.
Asuka tossed her nightie on the bathroom counter before looking at herself in the mirror.
There was a blood stain on the collar of her shirt as well.
Disgusted by it, she pulled it off only to be further disappointed by seeing that there was another blood stain on her bra.
"SHINJI, YOU FUCKING GOT BLOOD ON MY BRA!"
"I'm sorry!" Shinji shouted back from the living room.
"YOU'RE- You're… You're not cleaning it up…" Asuka trailed off as she realized that asking him to clean her undergarments may not be something she was comfortable with.
She then turned on the water to the shower and waited for it to get warm as she began undressing.
'He's right though. I am the one who walked into his room. FUCK! Why would I do that? Why the hell would I walk in there like that? Did I really think that acting like nothing had happened would make anything better? That it would make it less awkward? FUCK! WHAT WAS I THINKING?'
Asuka pulled her feet through her panties and then threw them in the laundry basket before stepping into the shower. She pulled the curtain closed in front of her and opened a bottle of soap before squeezing it all over the floor of the shower. She placed her feet in the puddle of soap and shivered in disgust.
"SHINJI!" Asuka yelled angrily.
The boy didn't answer.
"SHINJI!" Asuka yelled again, this time more sharply.
"What?!" The boy shouted from somewhere else in the apartment.
"GET IN HERE AND CLEAN THIS UP!"
"What!? But why!?"
"I don't want to step on it when I get out of the shower, SO GET IN HERE AND CLEAN THE FLOOR! NOW!" Asuka screamed, her voice getting more shrill with every word as her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.
She looked through the clear but blurred curtain and saw the boy enter the bathroom and kneel down on the floor with some kind of cleaning formula and a rag. He was deathly silent as he scrubbed the floor.
Even though she knew Shinji wouldn't be able to see her well through the curtain, Asuka still covered her breasts and vagina with her arms as she kept a keen eye on the boy.
"I can't believe I slept with you last night," Asuka said in a disgusted and perhaps regretful tone.
If Shinji wasn't already looking at the floor, he would have after Asuka said that.
"How many times have you done that before? Did I touch anything when I went in there last night?"
The boy mumbled something but Asuka couldn't hear exactly what he said.
"What!? What was that?!"
Once again, the boy mumbled something, but Asuka couldn't hear it over the sound of the water hitting the shower floor.
"I cannot HEAR YOU!"
"No… It was the first time," Shinji replied, just barely loud enough for Asuka to hear.
"Hmph! Are you finished cleaning in here?" Asuka huffed.
"I think so," The boy mumbled shamefully.
"Then go finish the rest before Misato gets home. I don't want anyone knowing about this."
"I'm sorry, Asuka," he said as he stood up.
"DON'T FUCKING APOLOGIZE! GET OUT, SHINJI! JUST GET OUT AND FINISH!" Asuka screamed, trying to resist the urge to stomp her feet.
She watched his blurred form leave from behind the curtain before sighing.
'Stupid boys! They're just so stupid! They don't get anything! They ruin everything! Ugh!'
/
-A Glimpse of Things to Come-
/
Asuka was so hungry. She now heavily regretted telling Shinji to forget about cooking dinner last night.
It was almost five in the morning, but she'd been awake since three. She didn't really want to sleep because of her constant nightmares. But, even had she wanted to, she wouldn't have been able to with how hungry she was.
"Mhmmm," she whined as she rolled over and slammed her head face down into her pillow.
"So stupid," she mumbled incoherently into the pillow, "I hate this."
She turned her head to the side and looked at the door to her room.
'Maybe I should go wake that idiot up.'
She thought for a second and then threw the covers off her.
She got out of her bed and slid her door open. She peeked out and heard Misato snoring on the couch.
'I can't believe I'm about to do this after what happened earlier.'
Asuka sighed and then stepped across the hall to Shinji's room. She slid open the door and saw the boy sleeping as soundly as he could with the bruise on his face she'd given him.
Seeing he was unconscious, she snuck into his room, shutting the door as quietly as she could behind her.
She sat down in front of his mattress and took a deep breathe before poking the boy.
He didn't respond.
Asuka grew embarrassed for some irrational reason. She could feel herself blushing as she looked at the sleeping boy.
'Goddamn it! This is so awkward!'
She bit her lip and shoved him.
"Wake up, Shinji!" she whispered harshly as the boy was jolted out of his sleep.
He looked scared for a second but calmed a little when he realized that Asuka wasn't hitting him.
"A- Asuka? What's-"
"Cook for me!"
The boy sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"What time is it?"
"It doesn't matter! Cook something for me!"
Shinji sighed before submitting to Asuka's demands.
"Alright," the boy groaned.
He got out of bed and Asuka stood up eagerly next to him with a slightly uneasy look on her face as she still bit her lip.
Shinji glanced at the LED clock on his dresser before exiting his room.
'5:13. Great. I'm probably not going to have time to sleep anymore before school.'
He walked down the hallway and into the kitchen listening to Asuka's timid footsteps padding along behind him, which he barely heard over Misato's snoring.
He turned on the light in the kitchen and Asuka sat down at the table. He pulled out a carton of eggs, an iron skillet, and turned on the stove. He yawned as he coated the base of the skillet with non-stick spray. He winced a little though as the yawn made his bruises ache worse. And this didn't go unnoticed by Asuka.
"You aren't just going to go to school like that, are you?" Asuka asked as she twiddled her thumbs.
"I… I guess I will. What else am I supposed to do?" the boy asked more rhetorically than anything else, hoping he wouldn't have to relive the events of last night first thing in the morning.
"What?! Stupid Shinji! You can't do that! You'll get me in trouble!"
Shinji wanted to turn around and glare at the girl and tell her that it was her fault. But, he knew that saying that would only provoke her into hurting him further. And so, he tried a calmer approach.
"I'll just tell them someone hit me on the way to school."
"You idiot! We walk to school together! What would happen if the authorities got involved and asked me what happened?! What am I supposed to say? We'd have to get our story straight!"
The boy sighed. He wished the stove would heat up faster so he could get away from this conversation.
'Is she really asking me to cover for her after she hit me? Haven't I been generous enough for her? If she'd just not hit me then neither of us would have this problem. And, maybe, we could be better friends. And, I know she's hurting somehow. But, she's never going to open up to me if she keeps putting this air between us and driving us apart.'
'Am I really asking him to cover for me after I'm the one who hit him? I… I need to fucking get control of myself. I can't keep hitting him all the time. Even if I am an Eva Pilot, and even if they wouldn't put me in jail, I don't… I don't really want everyone thinking I'm some kind of bitch. I don't want to ruin my public image.'
Asuka quickly looked down at the table, her bangs falling in front of her eyes while Shinji turned around and leaned his back on the counter as he waited for the stove to heat.
'Rei was right. This is going to be hard. I have no idea how I'm going to get Asuka to open up to me about what's wrong with her, especially after what happened last night. And, if she won't tell me what's wrong, it's just going to keep bothering her. And, she's going to keep hitting me. And…that's not going to end well for her or me. I really hope that Rei has something in mind… Maybe that's why she called me last night. …Damn it. Why did I have to start jacking off to Rei like that? If I didn't, then none of this would have happened.'
'But… I'm not a bitch, right? I'm not. He was the one who had his dick out. And, he almost fucking came on me. He was asking for it! If anyone asks about the bruises, I'll just tell them he attacked me… But, he didn't! He fucking didn't attack me! I fucking attacked him! Sure, he had his cock hanging out. But, it's not like I knocked either! FUCK! Why can't these Japanese doors have locks?! If they did, then none of this would have happened! I wouldn't have walked in on him and…. No, I can't blame this on the fucking door. I'm more mature than that. I'm the one who hit him. If I hadn't hit him, then he wouldn't have that bruise on his face and I wouldn't have to worry about people finding out that I'm… that I'm some kind of bitch.'
Asuka looked back up and found herself staring right into Shinji's eyes. She suddenly felt the urge to get out of her seat. She stood still for a second, and Shinji eyed her curiously before flinching as she approached him.
She reached over to the knob on the stove and turned it off.
"Hey! Asuka, what are you doing!? I'm trying to cook breakfast!"
"Shut up, Shinji. Just don't say anything," Asuka said as she put her palm over Shinji's mouth.
The boy looked at her, unsure of if he'd done something to anger her. She didn't seem particularly angry, but he could never be sure with Asuka.
"Okay, just come with me," Asuka demanded.
"Why? I'm trying to cook!" Shinji asked, starting to get frustrated, though he wasn't trying to push his luck with the temperamental girl.
She grabbed his hand aggressively and pulled him away from the stove.
"Because I'm going to put makeup on you. And, if you don't come with me, I'm going to hurt you!" Asuka growled through grit teeth.
'Jesus Christ, I just told myself I was going to stop hitting him.'
"You're going to put what on me?"
"Fucking don't worry about it! No one is going to notice! So, just fucking come on! Before Misato wakes up!"
Shinji, as usual, bowed to Asuka's demands and gave up resisting as she dragged him into the bathroom and sat him down on the toilet.
"Asuka, this is really weird."
"Shinji, could you not?" Asuka asked with an unamused expression.
"Not what?"
"I don't know! Just don't!"
"Don't what?"
"Just shut up, Shinji. You're not making any sense," she said as she went through a cabinet and pulled out a set of… some things Shinji was entirely unfamiliar with.
"I'm not making any sense?" Shinji asked, obviously appalled as Asuka examined a few brushes.
'Am I really about to let this happen?' Shinji asked himself as he tried to swallow his unease.
Asuka put some kind of… Shinji had no idea what it was, but whatever it was, she squirted it onto her hand and rubbed it around slightly.
"You see this, Shinji?" she asked as she held her hands in front of him.
He solemnly nodded.
"This is concealer. I need you to stay still. And, I swear to god, if you freak out and tell me not to touch you like you did last night, I'm going to absolutely flip shit."
"Okay! Just do it! I'm sorry!"
"What the fuck, Shinji? Why the hell are you apologizing already?!" Asuka asked accusingly.
"I don't know! Okay!? I'm sorry! I'm…just tense, okay?"
"Shut up! Quit saying you're sorry when you haven't fucking done anything!"
"I'm sorry!"
Asuka wanted to throw everything on the ground and pull her hair out.
"God damn it, Shinji! Stop it!"
"Okay! I'm sorry!"
"I swear to holy fucking hell, if you say that one more time, I am going to sew your mouth shut as painfully as I possibly fucking can. Stop it right now and let me put this on you evenly."
Shinji finally managed to keep his mouth shut at Asuka's behest and she started rubbing the concealer across the bruises all over his face.
"Asuka?" Shinji tried to ask while keeping his face as still as possible.
The girl paused for a moment and looked like she was about to break everything around her into little pieces.
"What, Shinji!?" she asked as she resumed smearing the weird ointment across his bruise and over the rest of his cheek.
"It's cold."
"Good. It'll numb the pain," Asuka said uncaringly.
"Asuka?"
"What?" she replied boredly.
"Why did you try to touch me last night?"
Asuka inhaled sharply, though she tried to keep a straight face.
'That's… a good question. Why did I try to touch him last night? I don't know if I even know the answer to that. It just kind of happened. I just reached out to him and… then I…'
She looked at Shinji with a face that was somewhere between boredom and pity, but she didn't directly answer him.
"Asuka?"
"Just be quiet, Shinji," she whispered, causing the boy to frown.
She continued rubbing the concealer on the boy's face. She could feel his face getting hot with embarrassment, which caused her to blush as well.
After she'd finished rubbing the concealer across his face, she grabbed his chin lightly and rotated his head in a few different directions so she could examine her work.
"Ugh, there's one on this side too," Asuka groaned as she spotted a bruise on the other side of his face, "But it's not as bad as the other. I think just foundation would be enough for that one. I guess I'll just have to do this side too."
"What?! Asuka, no! This is so weird, and I don't like it!"
"Too bad."
She grabbed a different bottle and squirted out some of the foundation on her hand and began rubbing it on the other side of Shinji's face as the boy tried to contain his frustration.
"Asuka, if anyone finds out I'm wearing makeup, they're going to think I'm gay! And Toji and Kensuke would never let me live it down."
"Shinji, I really don't give a fuck. If anyone sees these bruises and finds out I'm the one who gave them to you, they're going to think I'm some kind of insane bitch and no one would let me live that down. Besides, back a long time ago, men were the only ones who were allowed to wear makeup. So, there's nothing gay about it."
Shinji kind of wanted to tell her that she was an insane bitch and that the present wasn't back a long time ago, but he decided against it. He didn't exactly want to be hospitalized today.
"Okay, that doesn't look too bad!" Asuka said as she looked over his face once more.
"It feels bad," Shinji groaned.
The slight smile that had grown on Asuka's face disappeared.
"Shinji, I can make you feel way worse. Stop complaining. I literally do this every day. In fact, I'm about to do it right now. So, give me a moment and don't touch your face," Asuka said as she washed her hands off.
The boy groaned as he watched Asuka pull out yet another bottle and begin putting its contents on her face.
"Hey, Asuka?"
"Yeah? What?" she asked while gazing deeply into the bathroom mirror.
"How… how did you get all those bruises a few weeks ago?"
The girl stopped. She stopped everything. She stopped doing her makeup. She stopped moving. She stopped breathing.
Shinji figured it probably wasn't something she wanted to talk about. But, now he was really wondering if he should have bothered bringing it up.
He watched her slowly turn and face him. Her expression was completely unreadable. He couldn't decipher all the emotions on her makeup smeared face.
"Shinji…"
He looked up into her eyes as he listened to her softly say his name. He waited for her to continue. She obviously had something to say. And for once, it didn't seem like it would involve her usual temper.
Asuka went to the exit of the bathroom and peeked out the door to make sure Misato was still sleeping on the couch. Sure enough, she was. She then walked back to Shinji, biting her lip, and kneeling down in front of him.
"I… know what Misato did to you." Asuka said in a strangely comforting tone.
The boy looked confused.
"I'm not sure what you mean, Asuka? What do you mean what she did? What did she do?"
"Ugh!" Asuka fumed, trying to keep her anger in check, "I mean how she... sucked you off! Urgh!"
Shinji's eyes widened and then looked at the floor in shame.
"Oh… yeah… That."
"She fucking told me! I mean, she didn't mean to tell me, but she did! And, I just got really freaked out. I was afraid she'd try to do it to me too. And, I don't want her too! She's an adult and it's sick."
"But, Asuka, what about Kaji? Don't you like him like that?"
"No! I mean… yes! But, Kaji's a good man! It's totally different from what Misato did to you!"
"I'm not sure I understand, Asuka."
"It's different because Kaji doesn't like me! He doesn't reciprocate my feelings. So, he would never try to do that to me! So… it's… okay for me to think about him that way."
"I…. I don't think I understand… But, maybe I'm not supposed to. But, what about the bruises? How does Misato have anything to do with the bruises you got?"
"Well, I told you! I got freaked out! And, I thought she'd try to attack me too. And, so I ran away. Of course, that was after I told her to buy me alcohol. So, that's why…"
"That's why she was just letting you drink that stuff the other day when Rei came over? And why she didn't do anything about it?"
"Yeah, pretty much. So, basically, I ran away while you and… Aya…nami went on that… d- date," Asuka stuttered while trying not to cringe.
"But, weren't you and Misato going to go get diner?"
"Yeah, we were. But, then she slipped up and told me she raped you. So, I freaked out. And, I ran away. And… it was raining. And, I remember I was really cold and I was drunk. And, I was hungry. And, so I went into a store and I tried to steal some food because I didn't have any money. But, I… I fucked up. And I tripped, and the guy got angry. And he… tried to…"
Shinji could see Asuka shaking and he felt guilty for bringing up the subject.
"If you don't want to say anything, you don't have to," Shinji offered, trying to get the girl to feel better.
"No! I'm fine. But… He tried to rape me."
Shinji was utterly confused to say the least, but he also felt pain as he looked at the girl, who was currently trying to hide her eyes behind her bangs.
"Asuka, I-"
"Misato killed him. She shot him."
Shinji was completely speechless. He knew Misato had a gun, but he'd never thought she'd use it. He never thought she'd turn into a killer.
"I don't know what happened to him after that. I don't know what happened to his family. It wasn't in the news. I don't even know if they know he's dead," Asuka said in a shaky voice, "I try not to think about it. But, I guess NERV made him disappear. …He deserved it. But, it's still fucked up. What if he had kids or something?"
Asuka's nervousness had rubbed off on Shinji, and now he was shaking as well.
"N- No! Asuka, you can't think like that. Maybe he didn't have a family."
The girl looked up at him, and Shinji saw her usual diamond hard eyes looked like they'd been turned into delicate flowers.
"Like me? I… don't have a family."
Shinji felt more guilty as every passing second brought about a new revelation.
"I didn't…" Shinji mumbled shamefully.
"My father is a dirty cheater. He doesn't love me. He hasn't talked to me in years. He started dating my biological mom's nurse when she was in the hospital. And, the nurse was a bitch. So, now I have a bitch mother and my entire relationship with her is completely fake. She's the only one who used to talk to me besides Kaji. But, now even Kaji doesn't want to talk to me. And, my mother only cares about how much success I can bring her."
Shinji wasn't even entirely sure what he was hearing right now. He didn't even know if this person in front of him was actually Asuka.
"Luckily, NERV cut her out of my pay, not that I get paid that much anyways. But, still. The last time she really talked to me was right before I came here to Japan. And, she hasn't talked to me since because she doesn't actually care about me and she's probably pissed that she's not getting royalties from NERV. And, of course you're probably wondering why my biological mother didn't step in to stop all this from happening, and it's because she's fucking dead! She was fucking insane and she killed herself! And she tried to fucking kill me too!"
"Asuka… I don't… I don't even know what to say."
"There's nothing to say," Asuka said miserably.
"You… you can cry if you want. I won't tell anyone."
"I don't want to cry. It's pointless. It won't do anything."
"It might make you feel better."
"No, it won't Shinji!" Asuka whined as she looked down at the floor.
"Asuka."
"What?!" Asuka asked harshly as she looked back up into Shinji's eyes.
But, instead of saying anything with words, Shinji simply leaned forward and hugged her. He knew that no words could possibly comfort her, because after everything she'd just told him, any words would seem empty next to everything she'd gone through. And, perhaps, Shinji understood that… words alone were never enough to fill in the gaps of the human heart.
Asuka was completely paralyzed. Her eyes were the size of the moon and her lips began trembling. She tried to resist the urge to hug him back. But, she couldn't stop herself from wrapping her quaking arms around him.
"You're my family, Asuka."
"Shinji," Asuka whimpered.
And for the first time since her mother died, a tear slipped out of Asuka's eye. And then another. And before she could stop herself, her sad moans became that of quiet sobbing. She dug her nails into Shinji's back as she grabbed him tighter. Her breathing grew shallower as she cried into his shoulder, trying to avoid waking Misato.
"I promised myself that I wouldn't cry ever again. Fuck."
"It's okay, Asuka."
"I hate this, Shinji. I hate everything. …but, I don't want to hate it."
Shinji could only smile.
/
"So, how do I look? Do I look as dashing as you?"
Shinji had just finished frying a few eggs for Asuka. And, though he had been hovering his face over the stove for the past few minutes, he could feel his face getting flushed with heat. He was still very self-conscious of this whole makeup predicament.
He placed the eggs on the table before meeting her gaze.
"I, uh… I've never been really good at telling what makeup looks like. I can't really tell the difference," Shinji said bashfully.
"Well, I know that's a lie. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been so finicky while I was trying to do yours."
"Yeah, but that's different!"
"So, you're really saying you can't tell that my eyes pop more at least?"
"Well…"
"Well, what? Can you or can't you?"
"I mean, I just figured you wouldn't want me looking at you. And I have a girlfriend!"
"Heh, has Ayanami robbed you of all sense of admiration? You can still look at other girls, y'know. And, Ayanami doesn't seem like the jealous type. If she was, she would have had you move in with her by now," Asuka said coolly as she brushed past Shinji to take a seat at the kitchen table.
"Well… I guess I can kind of tell they pop a bit more."
"Boys, heh," Asuka sighed as she rolled her eyes.
/
-Rei's Wonderous Ways-
/
"Say, Shinji. There's something different about you," Toji said as he examined his friend closely. Perhaps a little too closely.
"Yeah, I gotta say. There's something about you. I think it's your face. It seems more… more… I dunno. It seems like it's glowing kind of," Kensuke chimed in as he adjusted his glasses.
"Hey, look there. Doesn't it seem smoother too?" Toji asked as he nudged Kensuke and pointed at some part of Shinji's face.
Shinji could hear Asuka snickering to his right and he could feel Rei's examining eyes penetrating him from the left.
"I think you guys are just seeing things. Seriously!" Shinji said as he tried to lean away from his friends who were currently invading his personal space.
"Nah, I don't think so. There's definitely something. But, I just can't figure out what," Kensuke said as he leaned forward, trying to examine him even more diligently.
"Hey, Kensuke, you think we should sneak into the science lab classrooms during lunch and get a microscope to look at him better.
"Well, that sounded exceedingly homo," Asuka mumbled.
"Mister Suzuhara! I didn't just hear you say you were going to steal a microscope, did I?" Hikari shouted at the boy scoldingly.
"N- No, Ma'am!"
"Miss Horaki, I didn't just hear you say you were going to steal a microscope, did I? Perhaps I need to find a new Class Representative," the teacher said as he stepped into the classroom.
"Eep! N- No, Sir! It's a misunderstanding. I was just-"
"Hmph, late as always. How come he hasn't been fired yet?" Asuka mumbled.
"And he's probably going to be talking about second impact all day, just like always," Shinji groaned as he rested his chin on his hands.
"Maybe, we should read our textbooks instead? Perhaps they would be more informative," Rei suggested curiously.
"You do that, Ayanami," Asuka said before crossing her arms over her desk and resting her head on them, "I don't know about you. But, I don't come to school to learn."
Asuka looked over at Shinji, smiled at him, and then winked before closing her eyes, presumably trying to catch up on the sleep she'd missed out on last night.
/
Shinji watched the clock anxiously as it counted down to the release bell. Usually, he wasn't so eager to get out of class. But, he'd been thinking about Rei all day and really wanted to know what it was she had called him about last night as well as just wanting to tell her about his experiences this morning. And, judging by what little he could tell of Rei's own posture and composure, she was just as impatient as he was.
Finally, the bell rang. Rei's hand immediately lunged out and grabbed Shinji's fingers. They both got up simultaneously, and briskly walked to the door.
This didn't go unnoticed by Asuka since she was usually out before either of them had even gathered up their belongings.
'I wonder what's up with them. Maybe… Oh, Mein Gott. They're not like… in a rush to have sex, are they? No! of course they aren't. They're like… so… inexperienced. There's no way they'd do that. …But what if they did?'
She watched the two of them holding hands. And, for some reason… whatever was going on, she wanted to know what it was.
"Sh- Shinji! Will you walk home with me today!" Asuka cried out sweetly.
The boy paused right as he was about to walk out the door, catching Rei off guard as she accidentally tugged him a little.
The boy didn't know exactly what to say and was at a loss for words.
Rei stepped back into the classroom to try to find out why Shinji had stopped moving.
"Please, Shinji! We live together but you never walk me home."
"I… uh, yeah. I guess I could. But, I... I have to talk to Rei about something first."
"Okay, that's fine. I'll just tag along," Asuka said cheerfully as she gathered up her things.
'Talk to her? I wonder what that could mean.'
Shinji and Rei looked at each other curiously, not entirely sure what to think of what Asuka had asked.
"Okay! Lets go!" Asuka said as she grabbed Shinji by the hand and dragged him out of the classroom, which had recently been Rei's job exclusively.
Rei followed the two out the door, examining Asuka with a slightly furrowed brow.
"Hey, Asuka, wait! We aren't going that way," Shinji said.
"Well, where are you going? Can't you just talk to her on the way out and get it over with?"
"She said it was private and that she wanted to talk about it-"
"On the roof," Rei interjected, finishing Shinji's sentence for him.
Asuka released Shinji from her grasp and walked up to Rei.
"Private and on the roof, huh? That doesn't sound like talking to me, hmph!"
While Asuka stared right into Rei's eyes, Rei stared completely through Asuka.
Shinji meagerly got in between the two girls and tried to separate them.
"Asuka, I promise it'll only be a couple minutes. Please."
"Yeah, whatever. I guess," Asuka said as she begrudgingly backed away from Rei.
Rei took Shinji by the hand and led him to the end of the hall where the stairwell that wound its way up to the roof of the school was. She quickly led him up the stairs with Asuka right behind him.
"So, do you two come up here often?" Asuka teased.
"Um, uh, no. Aside from lunch period, this is only the second time we've come up here after school," Shinji stuttered.
"Uh huh," Asuka said doubtfully, "And when was the first time?"
"Yesterday! Not including lunch periods like I said," Shinji panted, starting to get winded from climbing the stairs.
"Yeah? And what do you do up there during lunch?"
"Eat. What else?"
"Oh, great!" Asuka groaned sarcastically.
'I bet they eat each other. Ugh!' Asuka thought to herself, trying to resist the urge to roll her eyes.
Rei abruptly stopped before turning around and glaring at Asuka.
It took a second for Shinji to realize that she was wordlessly saying that Asuka couldn't come any further.
"Hey! Why the hell did we stop, Wondergirl?! What's the big idea?!" Asuka complained.
"Um, Asuka, do you think you could maybe wait here?" Shinji asked her politely.
"Huuuuuuuh? You're going to leave me in this hot, dusty, stagnant stairwell with shit tier air circulation?!"
Shinji looked at her with unsure eyes before looking over his shoulder to Rei for confirmation.
Asuka followed Shinji's gaze and saw Rei glaring at her. Not, angrily per se. But, she was trying her best to convey a firm no.
"Oh, okay. Fine! I see how it is!" Asuka said as she threw her backpack down on the step in front of her and sat down with her arms crossed in frustration.
"I'm sorry, Asuka. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Hmph!"
Rei then dragged Shinji up the last flight of stairs, opened the door to the roof, and let the fresh afternoon air wash over her face as her short blue hair blew wildly in the wind.
Shinji followed shortly behind and closed the heavy door behind him with a smile on his face.
For a moment, Rei simply stared out over the expanse of the skyline of the city. The faint scent of blood was on the breeze, likely coming from the ocean.
"It's pretty isn't it?" Shinji asked as he wrapped his hand around hers.
"I've been waiting for you, Shinji."
Rei turned and pushed Shinji back a few feet
"I've been waiting for you too, Rei," Shinji said as Rei shoved his back against the chain link fence surrounding the perimeter of the roof.
Rei closed her eyes and pressed her lips against the boy in what was probably her most passionate kiss yet. Even if it was still a bit sloppy, it was obvious that she'd been refining her finesse across the few make out sessions she'd had with Shinji.
The wind screamed over the rooftops and caused Shinji's brown hair to mingle into Rei's blue as the strands of both tickled the edges of their lips.
Both of them would have loved to stay like that forever, but urgency eventually took hold of both of them and Rei broke the kiss.
"Shinji, there is something important I must tell you regarding pilot Sohryu."
"Yeah? What? What is it?"
"I spoke with Doctor Akagi last night. She said that she may be able to produce a means to help with pilot Sohryu. But, she asked that I speak with you first."
"Oh, okay. Well, what do we need to talk about?"
"She said that I would have to confirm if you were capable of going behind Pilot Sohryu's back and placing medicine into her meals. It would require measurement and would have to be separate from Captain Katsuragi's meals as well as yours."
Shinji's jaw dropped a little bit.
"Rei… I uh… I don't know if I could do that. That sounds… really dishonest. But… listen, I have something to tell you too. Asuka…she… I don't know what happened to her. But, she really opened up to me this morning before school. So, maybe we wouldn't need to do anything like that. And, now that you mention it, I kind of feel like if we tried to trick her into taking medicine, it might break the trust I've built with her. But, if I can just talk to her some more, maybe I'll be able to help her. And, maybe I could get her to like you too."
Rei's jaw also dropped a bit, which was rather unusual for her.
"That is well, Shinji."
/
"Ugh, they're kind of taking a while. What could they possibly be talking about? I bet they aren't even talking…"
Asuka looked up the stairwell. She saw the metal door jostle some and make a few sounds.
'Oooh, I hope that was the wind and not them doing something,' Asuka thought to herself while trying not to shiver at the picture in her head.
"I wonder if they are doing something though…"
She looked back up at the door, curiosity and wonder in her eyes.
'I… wonder what it would be like. Not that I want to see his dick again. But… what if... I mean, what if they really are doing something? Shouldn't someone check on them or something? I mean, just to make sure they aren't doing something they shouldn't.'
/
"That is well, Shinji."
Rei smiled at the boy and intertwined her fingers with his once more before kissing him.
The wind blew through the smalls gaps in the contours of their faces, causing their hair to get caught in their eyelashes before being blown loose again.
Rei broke the kiss for a moment to speak.
"I love you, Shinji," she said as she ran her fingers through his hair.
"I love you too, Rei," he said back as he wrapped his arms higher around her torso and pulled her closer.
"We should go on a date soon," Rei giggled.
"Yeah. That would be nice. We should go somewhere quiet."
"I agree."
Suddenly, there was clapping, which caused Shinji to jump in surprise.
"Congratulations. You two should just get married already," Asuka pronounced sarcastically as she continued to applaud the couple.
"Asu- Asuka?! You didn't hear anything, did you?" Shinji asked nervously as Rei wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest rather more aggressively than was custom for her.
"I heard the door moving around some. I just figured I'd come up here and check on you. Make sure you weren't doing anything Misato would do. Of course, I find you just hugging her. I mean, Jesus, did you even kiss her or are you actually that innocent. How often do you two even make out?"
Shinji blushed and found his words had left him. Luckily, Rei was there to speak for him.
"We kissed," she said concisely and without exaggeration.
"Oh, yeah?" Asuka said as she put her hands on her hips, "Prove it. Kiss him right now."
"Is that an order?" Rei asked somewhat more assertively than she usually did while simultaneously glaring at Asuka.
"Fuck yes, it is an order, Ayanami!" Asuka said in a daring tone while rolling her eyes.
As was expected of her, Rei lifted her head off Shinji's chest and almost smashed her lips into his.
Asuka wasn't exactly sure why she was surprised to be proven wrong. She knew that Rei was Shinji's girlfriend and that she would follow any orders given to her. But, for some reason she still found it hard to believe what she was seeing. Even though this wasn't the first time she'd seen them kiss, this was the first time she'd seen them kiss right in front of her. And, she could see the intensity.
'Ugh, she's so amateur. She's acting like a fucking robot. She really is a doll. Like, she's really kissing him just because I told her too. She has no agency. And somehow, she's still gotten further than me. Fucking ridiculous. What a Bitch…'
"You still need to work on your form. It's obvious you're an amateur. You're not even sticking your tongue in his mouth," Asuka said as she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for them to finish.
Of course, they didn't finish.
"Um, Ayanami? Hello? Are you done?"
The girl was seemingly ignoring her as she continued to take Shinji's breath away.
"Okay. Okay! That's enough, Ayanami. He still has to take me home!" Asuka said as she shoved her hands in between them and pried them apart.
"You did not order me to stop," Rei said breathily as drool seeped down her lips and hung from her chin.
"Jesus Christ, are you kidding me!?" Asuka said as she looked over Rei's face, which was more red than it should have been from being only slightly oxygen deprived.
"No, Pilot Sohryu. I am not kidding." Rei responded in a disciplined manner, even though it was obvious she was dizzy and could barely stand up straight.
"Well… just… wipe that spit off your face. It's… lewd …and disgusting," Asuka said, trying as hard as she could not to cringe.
Shinji tried to hide his spit smeared face from Asuka, though is wasn't about to escape her notice.
"Shinji, come on. We're going home!" Asuka said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the fence he was leaning against.
"Uh, alright. Come on, Rei. Let's go," Shinji said as he grabbed her hand.
"Huh? What? Why are you bringing her?" Asuka asked as she whirled around and glared at Rei, who only had a content smile on her face as she leaned against Shinji's shoulder.
"I always bring her home now, Asuka."
"And, what!? That's why you let me walk home alone so I can get snatched off the street!? She's your excuse!?"
"What? No! Of course, not! You can walk with us if you want."
"That's stupid! Why can't she just walk home by herself?"
"She's my girlfriend, Asuka," Shinji said flatly, hoping that would be enough to explain it to her.
"Hmph! Fine!"
/
Though she wasn't very happy about it, Asuka ultimately decided to accompany Shinji on his detour to Rei's apartment.
She assumed that on days she wasn't there, that they probably took a lot longer on their walk and that Shinji may even stay over at her place for a few hours, because it was only about 40 minutes after school and recently, he didn't arrive at Misato's apartment for at least three or four hours after school was out. But, Asuka knew it wouldn't take another 2 hours to get to Misato's apartment.
"I still don't know why you have to take her home. She could get home herself," Asuka mumbled as she kicked a rock while walking.
"You could walk home by yourself too, Asuka. But, she's my girlfriend. That's why I walk her home."
"Yeah, but I'm your roommate. And…your family now too, I guess if what you said this morning is true."
Shinji looked at the girl. She kicked another rock, this time a little harder than the last.
"Well, I don't really know what you want me to do, Asuka."
"You should dump her. She doesn't even know how to kiss. And half the time, I don't think she even knows how to talk. I don't think I've even heard her say a hundred words since I came here. And all the words she does say are the same ones she's said a million times before. Yes, Ma'am. No, Ma'am. Is that an order?"
Shinji couldn't help but chuckle some.
"But, Asuka, that's why I love her. She's so… strange that she makes me feel not as weird. She makes me feel like I fit."
"I don't think you even love her. You've only been together for like a week."
"Well, yeah. Maybe. But, Asuka, I haven't known her for only a week. She… she saved my life."
"Hmph!" Asuka huffed as she kicked yet another rock, "That's nothing special. I've saved both of your lives."
Shinji laughed again for a moment.
"That's true. But, she saved my life a different way, Asuka."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Asuka asked in a disgusted voice.
"Asuka… before I came here, I just existed. I didn't really care if I lived or died. She changed that. Now… I might kind of want to live."
Asuka's pupils shot up from the ground and she looked at Shinji from the corner of her eyes.
'So… I guess I make him want to die. Not surprising,' Asuka deduced as she slowly returned her gaze to the ground.
/
Shinji was absent mindedly looking down into a pot of hearty stew he was cooking for dinner. It was hard to really concentrate on cooking as Rei and Asuka had given him much to think about. But, luckily, it was almost finished cooking and he'd be able to just relax after that. Perhaps he would text Rei in a few minutes or-
"Shinji! Hey, Shinji!" said the shrill voice of Asuka as she broke him out of his thoughts.
"Hmm, yeah? What?"
"Jeez, don't tell me you're still daydreaming about her."
"Maybe a little bit," Shinji said bashfully.
He heard Asuka exhale as she folded her arms over the table and rested her head on them sideways.
"So, you gonna answer my question?"
"Yeah, sorry. What is it?"
"Is diner finished yet?"
"Uh, yeah. Almost. I think just a few more minutes. I want to make sure the pork is cooked all the way through."
Once again, Shinji heard Asuka audibly exhale.
"Hey, Shinji?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry… for hitting you."
Shinji's heart skipped a beat. Today really had brought about a new side to Asuka that he hadn't seen before.
"It's… okay, Asuka. I guess I deserved it. I shouldn't have been doing that last night."
"No, I mean all the time… I'll try not to do it anymore."
Shinji looked over his shoulder and saw Asuka hiding her face behind her hair and arms.
"That's… good… Asuka," Shinji whispered as his voice started to fail.
'I hope you mean that, Asuka. Because, I don't want to go behind your back like Rei said,' Shinji said as he gazed sadly into the stew, 'Could I… could I even do that if I had to? I mean, I don't know why I'd need to. But, if I did…would I really be able to betray her like that? …No. I shouldn't think about this right now. I'll only think about that if I have to.'
"Okay, Asuka. I think it's ready."
The boy looked over his shoulder and was pleased to see that, for once, Asuka was smiling back at him.
.
*Eva credits roll and Fly Me to the Moon plays*
.
"You know, I am just... I don't even know what to think about this story anymore. I just- I can't this is so messed up. Like the author is actually trying to hook me up with Kaji. And, we all know how Kaji ends up in the Anime and the Manga!"
*Kaji looks at Misato with a questioning look.*
"Misato! Chapter preview! Come on! You can complain about your love life with me later."
"Ugh, you're right. Ugh, damn it. In the next chapter, Asuka goes to meet Kaji. Probably trying to get him to fall for her. Hmm, now I wonder why that would be acceptable, but I'm constantly being chastised for one slip up."
*Kaji claps his hands in an attempt to redirect Misato*
"Misato! Please! The chapter preview!"
"Okay, Okay! Quit giving me a hard time. Anyways, um, Asuka goes over to Kaji's and Kaji doesn't give a shit because he still loves me! Can you fucking believe it!? I want to tear my hair out! Ugh!"
*Kaji puts his face in his hands*
"Okay, Misato. Just- Just- Just go to the wreck room. I'll handle the rest of this."
*Misato stomps out of recording booth*
"So, yes, as Misato said, Asuka does come to my house. And, she does talk to me about certain things that should probably be left unsaid, but we all know they're going to get said anyways. But, that's not all that happens in next chapter! There's also going to be a bit of Misato and me on the phone. And get this! Now, this is just what I heard from a little birdie, but in next chapter, Shinji and Rei are going to-"
*Sounds of mysterious and unidentifiable things breaking*
"GODDAMNIT!"
"Katsuragi? You alright?"
"SOMEONE WRECKED THE WRECK ROOM!"
"Someone did or you did?"
"FUCK YOU, KAJI! I WAS JUST CHECKING TO MAKE SURE YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE PLACE BUGGED!"
"Well, folk, looks like that's about all the time we have for our chapter preview. And, don't worry about that part with Shinji and Rei. It might have just been a rumor anyways. But, if it isn't I'm sure it'll be covered in the next chapter of Neon Genesis Evangelion: A Journey of Hate, Power, and Love; Lost in the Moment. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go fix whatever Misato just broke. See you next time.
Oh, and... there might be a tiny bit of fanservice."
*Kaji winks*
.
Update: Alright everyone. Sorry it's been so long since I've posted a chapter or even updated the end of this one. Just...you know... like and all that bullshit. I know no one is probably reading this. But, I'll post this here in case anyone is. I'm back and the next chapter will probably be out in a few days.
