February 2nd, 2021 update: I took the contents of what was Chapter 3 and added them to this one and reposted it. I also added a new preface to the chapter, trying to ratchet up the drama a little. If you're reading this and thinking "I've seen this before" you are correct. I thought that it made more sense to do it this way. I have a good bit done on Chapter 3, but it might be a little bit. Gotta make sure the WAFF is cured juuuuust right.

()()()()

The boy stared up at a silent red sky, a pale white moon floating high above him. Two sapphires were set into the bleached surface and they shimmered in the sun.

Someone was screaming, but he couldn't tell who. The air around him was filled with it, and it cut him, sinking into his bones. He closed his eyes, but opened them again as he was violently shaken, something in his chest grinding together.

Shinji!

Shinji? That was his name, he remembered. Or at least he thought he did. He slowly rolled his eyes to his right, the red sky following his gaze. It seemed to surround him, covering him like an umbrella. He brought his eyes down; the sky was pooled on his chest, curled up as it piled onto itself.

Shinji! Say something!

He blinked, and the world cleared briefly. The white sphere moved closer, the blue orbs within it disappearing and reappearing. Water poured from them, large, warm drops splashing on his forehead. He squinted and her face came into focus. It wasn't a moon after all.

Asuka

He opened his mouth, but it was blocked, the obstruction pooled in the back of his throat. He pushed, and felt it give, warm liquid flowing from the sides of his lips and running down his cheeks. He choked, coughing as he tried to say her name, to say anything. He finally managed to turn his head, the world around him beginning to fade back in, sounds coming from every direction. Screams and shouting, footsteps on pavement, muffled cries, sirens in the distance. He stared at the small girl sitting on the curb, an older boy wrapping her up in a blanket. He looked at Shinji, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. Shinji rolled his head back to stare at the face above him.

Asuka. Wha….

Memories flooded in, a slide projector cycling through snapshots, each one moving, like tiny films.

A click, and the next slide came into focus.

The strange looks she'd given him on the ride to the park, avoiding eye contact.

Click

Walking down the hotel hallway, her saying something about his smile, becoming flustered.

Click

On the beach, pressed together as they hid from their friends, his breath warm on her neck.

Click

The kiss, the rush of warmth, the sleepless night that followed.

Click

The following day, the sun a bit brighter than before, a smile met in kind.

Click

The talk, affections uncovered, fingers intertwined.

Click

The girl falling into the street, blind panic, the approaching car.

Click

And now, this. Asuka looming over him.

She was saying something, yelling, pleading. Shinji lifted his arm, his muscles fighting him, reaching up towards her. A pale hand grabbed his own, gently pushing it down onto his chest and squeezing tightly. He coughed again, more liquid bubbling out. He felt it pool under his head and he turned again, looking at the ground beneath him. The fluid was red, and it glimmered in the sunlight. There was more of it than there probably should be, but he couldn't really do anything about it now.

Movement caught his eye, a blue haired girl came skidding to a halt, her hands pressed to her mouth. The boy beside her wrapping his arm around her shoulder and turning, gently moving her away, glancing at Shinji through round frames, the glass flashing in the sun.

He turned his head back again, opened his mouth, and pushed. The only sound that came out was a low rattle. Asuka leaned in, wiping at his face with her shirt, gently cupping his cheek.

Shinji, please…

His eyes were heavy. He took a ragged breath, his chest tight. He reached for her again, circles of nothing slowly encroaching on his vision. His fingers ghosted against her cheek. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her midsection, yanking her back. She flailed, hands grasping for him, wailing as Misato pulled her away. Shinji reached feebly for her, strength failing.

Kaji appeared in front of him, cellphone pressed to his ear. He stuck two fingers under Shinji's jaw, holding for a moment before relaying something to the person on the other end. He flipped the phone closed and looked up, moving to the side as two people in blue crowded in around him.

Shinji turned his head one last time, his vision almost completely coated in shadow. Asuka was straining against Misato, screaming, begging. She reached for Shinji, and he did the same, his arm dropping to the pavement. His sight fled from him, and all was dark.

() () () ()

Chapter 2

The trip passed by both peacefully and quickly, much to Kaji's satisfaction. The kids managed to keep themselves entertained, both the teenagers and the grade-schooler. The only mark against the relative peace was an argument between Shinji, Toji and Kensuke over an anime series they all watched. They could not, or more precisely would not, come to an agreement over which of the main female characters was the best. Kensuke liked the strange, quiet girl who, seemingly unbeknownst to her, happened to be the lynchpin in some madman's plan for the complete and total destruction of human civilization.

Toji, on the other hand, liked the spunky, intelligent girl who helped keep one of the hot-headed mecha pilots under control through her calming presence. And of course, the fact that she was desperately in love with said mecha pilot in no way influenced his decision.

And then there was Shinji, whose dedication to the fiery, foreign girl who was always giving her co-pilot a hard time about, well, everything, was resolute and unyielding.

They bickered back and forth, each of them listing at least a dozen reasons why "their" girl was the best. Anything was fair game, their personality, their looks, their combat prowess, their intelligence, even their hair color. Any defense they could muster up was swiftly brought to the frontlines and deployed without a second thought.

"I'm telling you guys, give me a girl with weird colored hair any day," Kensuke said as he leaned back in his seat, his arms crossed, "The stranger the better."

Toji and Shinji looked at each other and then back at him.

"You're crazy. No one's hair is naturally blue, Kensuke!" Shinji moaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, "It's too unrealistic!"

Toji nodded.

"I agree wit' Shinji. It takes me outta… Oh what's it called…." He squinted in concentration, snapping his fingers a few times, "Oh yeah! It ruins my suspension of disbelief! That's it."

There was silence. Asuka and Hikari, who up until this point had managed to not pay too much attention to the boys, looked up and turned to stare at Toji. They were joined by Shinji and Kensuke, as well as Misato and a short glance by Kaji through the rearview mirror.

"What?"

"…"

"Nothing, Toji."

The boy blinked and looked around.

"I don…."

"Anyways, you guys have it all wrong," Shinji interrupted, "It's not about the hair color, it's about how she treats the people around her."

Kensuke snorted.

"Okay, but your girl treats her co-pilot like shit."

"Language, Kensuke," Kaji and Misato said from the front seat.

"Sorry. She treats her co-pilot like crap and is generally just the worst."

Shinji shook his head.

"She treats him like crap because she's in love with him, but she doesn't know how to show it. She grew up without other kids her age, so she never learned how to properly show emotion! And it's obvious he loves her back, but he's just as awkward as she is, just in a different way."

They continued like this for some time, the other passengers becoming steadily more annoyed as the miles rolled by outside the van. Asuka and Hikari did their best to ignore as much of the nonsense as they could, but every time Toji or Shinji listed another reason why he liked his girl the most, their ears automatically perked up. They pretended to be busy playing a game on their phones but couldn't help keeping tabs. They shared a look of exasperation, though whether it was due to the boy's constant bickering, or something else entirely, they weren't sure.

Kensuke leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. He was losing. Badly. The other two boys were as relentless in their defense of their chosen girl as they were merciless in their criticism of Kensuke's. He huffed and looked out the window, Toji and Shinji turning on each other for a moment. He needed a way, if not to win, then at least derail the conversation so much that it would be irrecoverable.

He glanced around the van, hoping against hope that he would see something he could use. Kensuke wasn't an idiot. He knew how to read a room, how to pick up on non-verbal cues, even if his friends didn't think him capable. His eyes settled first on Asuka before flitting over to Hikari. They looked great as always. Kensuke knew he would never be with either of them, but that was okay. They were still his friends, and as such he was exceptionally good at picking up when something was wrong. Today, something was definitely off. Something in their eyes, their postures. He had rarely seen them looking this… Deflated. They kept glancing at… Something. Kensuke managed to follow both girl's eyelines and traced them directly to...

His eyes widened, a devious grin forming on his lips.

Ohhh. So that's it.

"Hey Toji, Shinji…" He spoke up, his two friends quieting as they turned to him, "You keep stepping all over me because I like my girl's hair color. Remind me again what kind of hair your girls have? Style and color wise, I mean."

The two boys stopped, glanced at each other, and looked back at Kensuke.

"Why does tha…"

"It's just a question. I haven't paid much attention to them as the show's gone on. I've had other, better girls to ogle."

Toji spoke first.

"She has dark brown hair that she keeps in pigtails."

Kensuke nodded to Shinji.

"She has bright red hair that she keeps pulled back with a couple of hair clips."

Kensuke glanced past Shinji and saw exactly what he was hoping for. Asuka and Hikari both reached up at the same time and unconsciously touched their hair, Asuka at the red clips she wore, and Hikari at the bands securing her pigtails, before glaring from the corners of their eyes at the two boys behind them.

"Hmmm. That's interesting," Kensuke's voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned forward, motioning Toji and Shinji to do the same, "Now, who else do we know with hair like that?"

Toji and Shinji furrowed their brows for a moment before Kensuke motioned behind them with his eyes. They turned to the seat in front of them, but they didn't understand what he was trying to get across. The only things in front of them were Asuka and Hikari….

Kensuke snorted as he watched Toji and Shinji both freeze simultaneously, their bodies stiffening. They slowly turned their heads back to him and gave him a glare that could melt steel.

Kensuke only smiled.

"You…" Shinji began, before Kaji cut him off from the driver's seat.

"Alright, here's our exit. After this it's only about ten minutes to the park so start getting your things together."

The occupants complied, packing away various books and snacks. Headphones were unplugged and wrapped together; pillows were stuffed into backpacks. Toji and Shinji went about it in almost complete silence, occasionally making eye contact with Kensuke, even if only to glare at him. He took it all in stride as they steadily approached the entrance to the park. Even from their position on the far outskirts of the compound they could see several roller coasters and other assorted thrill rides rising in the distance.

Kaji rolled into the main entrance gate and showed the guard the hotel reservation printout. She looked at it and relayed some directions to the man, pointing and motioning with her hands. He thanked her and pointed the van in the general direction she had indicated. After passing several turnoffs onto side roads that lead deeper into the park, he finally found the one he was looking for. The road was almost completely covered by overhanging trees, so much so that even in the early afternoon light Kaji had to turn on the van's headlights.

The trees eventually opened up as they arrived at their hotel, one of almost two dozen spread across the sprawling resort complex. He pulled the van up to the main entrance and killed the ignition. The van had barely stopped when Toji threw open the side door and practically jumped out. Kaji climbed from the driver's seat and headed into the hotel to check in.

"Oh yeah. That's better," Toji groaned as he stretched his arms over his head as far as they would go, "My everything was starting to go to sleep."

Hikari climbed out next, shielding her eyes against the sun. Asuka followed, Sakura holding on to the redhead's shirt for balance as she jumped from the seat. Shinji and Kensuke were last, Kensuke emerging from the van with his camera plastered to his face.

"Wow. This place is beautiful," Hikari said with genuine awe, "I can't believe your parents paid for us to stay here, Shinji."

The boy scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly.

"Well, technically the lab is paying for this, but yeah…"

"Speaking of your parents, weren't they supposed to meet us here?" Asuka spoke up, looking around at the various guests also arriving, "I don't see them."

Shinji glanced over the crowd before shrugging.

"No idea. Maybe they forgot?"

"You parents never forget anything, Shinji," Hikari replied as she walked around to the back of the van and opened the rear doors, "They must be busy with something."

Misato stepped over with her phone out and pointed at the screen.

"Yep. They just messaged me and Kaji and said they got held up in a meeting. They want us to get checked in and they'll catch up."

Shinji shrugged again.

"See, no problem."

He joined Hikari at the back of the van and started pulling out bags and suitcases and setting them on the pavement. He grunted when he grabbed both (both?) of Toji's duffel bags before setting them on the luggage cart Toji had procured from somewhere. Asuka was busily dragging her own suitcase out, struggling more than she would like to admit. Like Toji, she also believed in the philosophy of "pack way, way more than you need" and her luggage showed it. The hard red plastic cover of her suitcase bulged out in several directions, the zippers doing an admirable job of containing the overabundance within.

Misato looked up at Asuka struggling and opened her mouth to tell Shinji to help when he made that unnecessary. He threw his duffel over his shoulder and walked over to the girl. He maneuvered his hands under the suitcase and nodded to Asuka. She gave one final pull as Shinji lifted the main bulk of the case. It slid out easily, Shinji stopping it from falling to the ground as he set it on its wheels. Asuka looked up at him and smiled.

Misato grinned.

Good boy.

"Thank you, Shinji," she spoke with no small amount of gratitude, "I think I can handle it from here."

Shinji shook his head as he pulled the suitcase to his side.

"Nope, I got it."

Asuka looked at him.

"Shinji, you don't have to carry my luggage."

"I know, but I… I uh…" he swallowed before continuing, "I want to…."

He leaned in closer, his face suddenly a few inches from Asuka's own. Her breath caught for a single heartbeat. If Shinji noticed, he didn't say anything.

"Also, Misato is watching, and if I didn't offer, I think she would smack me."

She turned to Misato and the older woman winked. Asuka smiled, her cheeks beginning to burn.

Damnit, Asuka. You can't turn beet red every time he says anything to you. Get it together.

Hikari looked at her friend from the corner of her eye, the redhead's cheeks practically glowing. She needed to talk to Toji and figure out the finer details of her plan. She also needed to talk to Toji about other things, but that could wait.

"A little help, please."

They looked over at Sakura as the eight-year-old struggled to pull her duffel bag out of the van.

Asuka reached over and lifted the bag before settling in on the younger girl's shoulders. She smiled up at the redhead and headed for the luggage cart. She deposited the bag and stepped up onto the cart, hanging from the rails like a pirate clinging to their ship's rigging.

Kaji walked out of the lobby, several keycards in his hands.

"Alright everyone, let's go to our rooms. Follow me."

Hiakri started to tell Sakura to get off the luggage cart but before she could, Toji grabbed the rails and started pushing, making car noises as Sakura giggled, Toji's impressions of engines revving and tires squealing echoing slightly in the large room. Hikari palmed her face and walked in after them, Misato and Kensuke following and Asuka and Shinji bringing up the rear.

Toji made it a point to stay behind, or at least not too far ahead, of Kaji as he swerved back and forth, throwing his sister this way and that, the girls delighted squeals echoing down the hallway.

Shinji snorted, prompting a strange look from girl beside him.

"What was that?"

Shinji grinned.

"It's rare to see Toji like this. I've known him since we were eight and I've seen this side of him maybe a dozen times. I'm glad Kensuke is finally here to capture it on video."

Asuka shot a glance at their friend as he held his camera to his face. He looked over at them and winked before turning his attention back to his current target.

"If he's not careful, Toji is going to break that camera."

Shinji shook his head.

"Nah. He knows how much that thing means to Kensuke. He might steal the memory card or the batteries, but he'd never damage it. He's not that kind of asshole."

"Language, Shinji," Misato and Kaji called back to him.

"My bad."

"So just what kind of a-hole is he?" Hikari asked quietly as she sidled up beside Asuka, twining her arm through the redhead's own.

Shinji thought for a moment.

"The kind that's my friend," Shinji replied. He flashed a smile at the two girls and Asuka's heart jumped. It wasn't that she had never seen Shinji smile. Far from it. They had known each other since the 3rd grade, but the smile he gave them was one she had only seen a scant few times in all those years. It was so bright, so genuine, that she wondered why he didn't show it more often. He wasn't what Asuka would call "brooding" or "dark and mysterious," but she knew his tendency to keep his smiles to himself.

She had asked him once, when they were 10 or so, why he didn't smile like that all the time. He had just shrugged and shook his head.

"I dunno. It just rarely shows up, I guess."

She had tried prying further but he had moved the conversation on to something else, his new favorite TV show or something like that. That was six going on seven years ago, and, as much as she might have wanted to, she had never broached the subject again. That's not to say she hadn't considered asking, but every time it might have come up naturally, she remembered the weird look he had gotten in his eyes when she had last mentioned it.

It wasn't anger, and it wasn't sadness. It was something else. Something around the edges of his eyes, almost like a deep lack of understanding of his own emotions, and possibly shame because of that. She wanted to ask again now that he had flashed that smile for the first time in at least a year or more. But she couldn't. She couldn't bear to see that look in his eye again. She resolved not to mention it, so of course her mouth opened of its own accord and made a proper mess of things.

"I haven't seen that smile in quite a long time, Shinji. I missed it."

He mouth clicked shut as Shinji turned to stare at her, his eyes wide. Hikari looked on, a devious grin forming on her lips. She nudged Asuka in the ribs. The redhead spun her head and stared at her friend, her own eyes widening at the look Hikari was giving her. Her cheeks started burning for what felt like the hundredth time that day and she turned and stared at the ground.

Shinji looked over her head at Hikari and immediately wished he hadn't. The look on her face wasn't what he would call "evil," per se, but he would definitely call it "wicked." He glanced from her to Asuka and back. Hikari nodded vigorously. Shinji opened his mouth to ask what, in the ever-loving fuck, was going on, but before he could, Kaji announced that they had arrived at their rooms.

The group stopped and he handed out keycards.

"Okay, I probably don't need to tell you this, but the room assignments are as follows: Me, Toji, Shinji and Kensuke in 1101, Misato, Asuka, Hikari and Sakura across the hall in 1102. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Okay then. Let's get unpacked and settled. Then we can start having actual fun."

Misato unlocked the door to the girl's room and turned to her charges and raised her arm.

"Okay, lets…"

She was nearly bowled over as Asuka bolted past, Hikari stumbling behind her as the redhead dragged her by the arm. Misato stood still for a moment, her mouth hanging open, her arm still raised. She lowered the appendage and turned to look into the room. The two girls had disappeared into the surprisingly large suite and she could hear frantic whispering but couldn't make out what was being said.

That was weird.

But she could worry about that later. First, she had to get Sakura's bag off the cart along with her own. The boys had already snatched their luggage off the rack and were dragging them into their room. She caught Shinji looking over his shoulder at the girl's room, a strange look on his face. He blinked and shook his head as he disappeared into the suite, the door closing behind him. Misato stared at the door for a moment.

Okay, maybe not so weird after all.

She turned and walked into her room, Sakura having already ran in and started jumping on the closest bed. Misato giggled as the door closed behind her.

() () () ()

Shinji and Toji emerged some time later, standing in the hallway as they waited for the rest of the group. They stood for a while, chatting about something unimportant until a strange look crossed Shinji's face. He pulled Toji away from the girl's door and lowered his voice.

"So, have you noticed anything weird with Asuka and Hikari?" he practically whispered, "Because there is something going on and it's starting to freak me out. It's been like this since they picked me up this morning. Asuka would barely look me in the eye and Hikari kept staring at us with this grin on her face. Has she said anything to you?"

If you only knew, Shinji.

Toji shook his head and shrugged.

"Nope. If there's somethin' fishy going on, I ain't a part of it," he lied, "Now that you mention it, though, Hikari has been actin' kinda weird to me, too. I don't know if I said somethin' to piss her off or what, but she's barely spoken to me since we left my house. She was cool while we were makin' the snacks and stuff, but then in the van something changed."

Toji's brow raised slightly.

"Say, do you think they coulda started their p…"

"Don't ever let them hear you say that. It will not go well for you."

The boys jumped at Kaji's voice from behind them. They hadn't even heard the door open.

"Why not?" Toji asked indignantly.

Kaji grinned and absentmindedly rubbed at a spot on his cheek.

"Just trust me."

He looked at the boys for a moment, his eyes narrowed.

"So, what were you two talking about?"

Shinji scratched at the back of his head, frowning.

"We were just talking about how weird Hikari and Asuka have been acting on this trip. We're worried we said or did something to make them mad."

Kaji nodded sagely.

"Ah, yes. That old chestnut. The only advice I can give you is to pay extremely close attention to what you say and do from this point forward. And apologize. Always apologize."

"But we didn't do anything!" Toji moaned.

Kaji shook his head.

"Maybe not on purpose. But you have to recognize when your actions have hurt someone, even if you didn't intend any harm. It's part of growing up."

The two boys opened their mouths to protest when the door to their room opened and Kensuke stepped out, camera in hand. Shinji and Toji stared at him. More precisely, they stared at the button up shirt and slacks he wore, his hair combed back and lightly gelled. He fidgeted with his camera for a moment before noticing the three of them. He paused.

"What?"

"Ummm, Kensuke," Shinji tentatively asked, "You got a date or something?"

Kensuke smirked as he folded the screen shut on his camera and hung it around his neck.

"I told you, I'm meeting some friends for dinner tonight. I already cleared it with Kaji and Misato."

Shinji and Toji looked at each other and then back to Kensuke.

"You mean your two lady friends?" the taller boy asked, his voice thick with exaggerated mockery, "The two lady friends that you swear are totally real?"

Kensuke shook his head.

"Oh, they're real alright, and I'll prove it to you…"

He rubbed the back of his head.

"Just as soon as I can get a picture of all three of us."

"Uh huh." Shinji and Toji replied. Kaji laid a hand on each of the boy's shoulders.

"Stop giving him a hard time. I believe him, and until he gives you a good reason not to, you should too."

The two boys lowered their heads. They looked at their friend.

"Sorry, Kensuke."

He waved off the apology.

"Nah, you're good. I know my history of talking to girls isn't the greatest, but with these two it just sort of happened naturally. It was so easy I'm almost a little worried they're just trying to seduce me so they can harvest my organs."

His three companions stared at him.

"I'm kidding, mostly."

"And you approved this?" Shinji asked, turning to Kaji.

He nodded.

"Yep. He gave me detailed times and places where he would be meeting them. Plus, they're going to have their parents with them, and I happen to know at least one set of said parents. Also, I trust Kensuke. It'll be fine."

He looked at his watch.

"Well, it'll be fine if you leave right now. You're meeting them on almost the complete other side of the park, right? If you make a run for it you can catch the next shuttle and make it there on time."

Kensuke looked at his own watch and his eyes flew open.

"Oh sh.. Crap, you're right! Ok, I gotta go! I'll see you guys later tonight. I might see if you guys want to hang afterwards since I assume no one's going to bed at a decent hour. I'll text you when I'm on my way back okay gotta go bye!"

He managed to squeeze the two sentences together as he took off down the hall, faster than Shinji or Toji had ever seen him run before.

"Wow. He must really be excited about meeting those two," Toji spoke after a few moments of stunned silence. His eyes narrowed and he turned to Kaji, "Wait, you said you knew one set of parents. Do you know who the girls are?"

"If you do, I would also be interested in the information," Hikari's voice came from behind them. The three of them turned as Misato and Asuka exited their room, Sakura bouncing up and down at Hikari's side.

"Me too," Asuka added. Misato met Kaji's eye and smirked.

"I know the parents, yes," he said, "But Kensuke made me swear not to tell you. I think he wants it to be a surprise."

He met Misato's smirk with a devious grin.

"Besides, Misato knows them too. She didn't mention that to you?"

The temperature in the hallway seemed to drop by a few degrees as Asuka and Hikari slowly turned to Misato, their eyes narrowed.

"No, she failed to mention that."

Misato flashed Kaji her best "I'm going to kill you" glare before turning to the girls.

"Kensuke also made me swear not to tell. I think he knew if you guys found out you would never stop pestering him about it. I also know the parents, and I know the girl. She is incredibly sweet and…."

She paused, a small smile making its way across her lips.

"I think she likes him."

Four sets of eyes locked onto Misato. Shinji, Toji, Asuka and Hikari stared at her for several moments, unblinking, before turning to each other. Without saying a word, they moved to the side and huddled together. Whispered, frantic conversation erupted as they discussed this development. Kaji and Misato looked on, shaking their heads.

"You didn't have to rat me out like that, you know," Misato whispered.

"Why not? I was getting attacked. One of the best ways to defend yourself is to distract your enemy," he looked at her and winked, "And you happened to be the perfect distraction."

Misato tried to glare at the man with as much hate as she could muster, but she had nothing. She instead opted for folding her arms over her chest with and turning away from him.

"You suck," she mumbled.

"I love you, too," he muttered back on pure reflex.

He froze.

Misato's head shot around and she gave him a dangerous look, but it was tinted with something else. Something that wasn't anger but was doing a good job of pretending to be. She stared at him for several long moments, her eyes searching his face for any sign of sincerity.

He glanced at her, and she found it.

For the second time that day, Misato found herself blushing uncontrollably. She turned away from him and stomped over to the teenagers huddling against the wall. She grabbed Hikari and Toji by the arm and pulled them away.

"Okay, enough of that," she said a little more forcefully than she meant to, "Kensuke is allowed to have female admirers. He's a sweet boy, he's handsome in his own way, and he is incredibly sincere, loyal and kind. You guys should know that by now; you've been friends with him for almost a decade. I know he has an awkward streak a mile wide, but you guys have managed to overlook that, so why can't they?"

"She's right. At least he wasn't here to see all of this" Kaji interjected, stepping beside Misato, "Just be careful it doesn't happen in front of him. His confidence has definitely been boosted by this, and I would hate to see that crumble because of his friends."

The four teenagers looked at each other before hanging their heads. They mumbled apologies.

"It's alright," Kaji said, him and Misato each placing an arm on one of the teen's shoulders, "We know you guys love him."

Shinji's head raised up.

"Hang on, he said he was meeting a couple of friends. Do you guys know who the other girl is?"

They shook their head.

"Nope. He told us her name and gave us her parent's info in case we needed to contact them tonight, but we've never met her or them. From what he's told us though, she seems sweet."

"Well, can you at least tell us her name, or did he make you swear an oath of secrecy about that too?" Toji asked.

In lieu of a reply, Misato ran her fingers across her lips in a zipping motion before twisting her hand and throwing away an imaginary key. She was met with a quartet of groans and simply smiled in return. The teens were about to start complaining when they were silenced by the slamming of a door a little farther up the hallway, accompanied by a voice calling out to them. A voice they all recognized, especially Shinji, who quickly turned to look at his father.

And instantly regretted it. He put his hand over his eyes and looked down, a vain attempt to hide in the wide hallway surrounded by his friends. Toji clapped a hand on Shinji's shoulder and squeezed. The shorter boy glanced over at his friend and saw him trying desperately to hold back his laughter. A quick look around at Asuka and Hikari produced similar results.

"Hello everyone! Sorry we're late, we got caught up in a phone meeting. Even on vacation we can't escape N.E.R.V. it seems," Gendo Ikari said amiably as he arrived at the small group.

Beside him, Yui Ikari smiled, the entire hallway seeming to brighten slightly.

"Yes, we're terribly sorry to keep you all waiting. I know you're all probably tired and hungry. We have a reservation in an hour at a lovely restaurant on the other side of the park," She turned to Shinji, "And I would like to spend some time with my son."

Shinji briefly lowered his hand and smiled at his mother before raising it back over his eyes.

"Shinji, is everything okay?" his father spoke up, "You look worried."

Shinji looked up at him. Toji snorted quietly.

"Dad, are you planning on wearing that to the restaurant?" Shinji asked.

Gendo looked puzzled for a moment before giving himself a once over.

"I don't see the problem…"

Shinji groaned.

"Well, your shoes are entirely too white, your socks are entirely too tall, your shorts are entirely too short and your shirt has "Coaster Commander" written on it in bright orange letters."

Gendo looked at his son.

"Yes, and?"

Shinji groaned louder and put his head in his hands. Yui reached up and gently pulled Gendo down to whisper in his ear. He nodded for a few moments before straightening up.

"I suppose these clothes are a little… Too casual. The restaurant might not allow me in. I'll be right back."

With that he turned and disappeared back into his room. He returned a few minutes later in a pair of black slacks and button up shirt.

"Shinji, it's okay to look now. You're safe," Toji whispered. Shinji looked up and sighed in relief. He walked over to his parents and gave them each a quick hug, quietly thanking his mother.

"Okay, now that that's settle, shall we get going?" Misato spoke up, "We've got an hour but I'd like to see some sights before we eat. Afterwards we can all split up and do our own thing."

She looked at everyone, her eyes lingering on Kaji for a moment longer than necessary.

"Sound good?"

"Yeah! Let's go! I'm hungry!", Sakura shouted, Hikari quieting the girl, a smile on her face.

"Alright then! The shuttle should be leaving in 10 minutes or so," Yui said brightly, "I want to try and stay together as much as possible."

The group set off, Sakura shooting forward and running towards the lobby. Hikari started to run after her but was stopped by Misato's hand on her shoulder. She pulled the girl in close.

"I'll handle Sakura. You worry about Toji," Misato whispered.

The younger girl looked at Misato puzzled, before her eyes went wide and her cheeks turned red.

"Wha..."

Misato smiled.

"I'm not blind, Hikari. Quite the opposite, in fact. I can see quite clearly. And what I can see is the way you and Toji have been looking at each other since we left on this trip."

She winked at the girl.

"Remember, boys are like spiders: They may look scary, but they're just as afraid of you as you are of them. And I'm pretty sure Toji isn't venomous."

Hikari stared at the ground, willing her cheeks to stop burning.

"I hope not," she whispered. Misato gave her shoulders a quick squeeze.

"I believe in you. Besides, you're going need his help to deal with Shinji and Asuka."

Hikari stared at her.

"I told you, Hikari, I'm not blind," she winked, "Also, I talked to Toji's dad before we left. He told me a little. He said you had a "plan." Whatever help you need, I've got you. I'll even shanghai Kaji into it if necessary."

Hikari's mouth moved up and down, no sound coming out.

"What are you guys conspiring about over there?" Toji called out, grinning as Hikari and Misato both jumped. They stuck their tongues out at him and Misato gave Hikari a gentle shove forward. She fell in beside him, fidgeting with her hands, "You good, Class Rep?"

She looked up at him and he pulled back, something in her eyes catching him off guard.

"Toji, please call me Hikari," she whispered, "At least while we're not at school. I've asked you that before. I… I'm not the class rep right now. I'm just Hikari."

He stared at her for a moment before smiling.

"Sure thing, cla.. Uh, Hikari. My bad."

She smiled back up at him before stepping closer, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the rest of the group, specifically the boy and girl walking behind him. She started whispering, Toji leaning down slightly.

"Remember the plan? Well, I think I have a way to set it in motion tonight. I want them to have some alone time. We need to keep the rest of the group off them. I don't know how that's going to work, but we'll figure it out. I'll need your help."

Toji nodded, glancing behind him at Shinji and Asuka. They caught his eye and he smiled, throwing an exaggerated wink their way. The two teens stared at him before looking to each other. Their cheeks turned a vibrant shade of red and they looked away. Toji grinned.

"I don't think we'll have to work very hard," he whispered, "I'm pretty sure all they need is a little push."

You too, you idiot, Hikari murmured.

"What was that?" Toji asked. Hikari's eyes flew open.

"Nothing! Let's go, I'm hungry!"

With that, she grabbed his arm and took off, catching up to Sakura and Misato as they headed toward the lobby.

() () () ()

Kensuke was the last off the shuttle, opting to let several family groups exit before him. He was a gentleman, after all. The bus pulled away, and as the cloud of diesel smoke cleared, Kensuke got his first good look at the main entertainment district of the park. It was two stories, walkways crisscrossing every 10 meters or so, and it reminded him of the interior of a mall he went to once on a class trip. Of course, the mall had the good sense to put a roof over the whole affair, whereas here it was completely open to the elements. Luckily, it was a beautiful summer evening, not too hot or humid, and with a steady breeze blowing in off the ocean a half a kilometer away. He lifted his camera and snapped a few still photos, mostly of the various bright signs adorning the entrance to the district proper.

He entered the main thoroughfare, passing under a huge gate built to resemble a Shinto shrine, all angles and dark, red wood. Once inside he was assaulted by the smells of nearly two dozen restaurants, bakeries and candy stores, the various odors coalescing into a single, undefinable scent. His stomach rumbled, and he remembered why he was there. He found an information kiosk and carefully searched for the name of the restaurant where they were supposed to meet. He found it, and set off, weeding his way through the throng of people. It was evening now, and the crowd was nowhere near its maximum, but it was still a chore to maneuver through. Kensuke persevered, though, and arrived at the section indicated on the map. The restaurant was on the second floor, so he headed for the nearest staircase, checking his watch. He still had fifteen minutes to spare before he was supposed to meet them, so maybe he could…

"Kensuke!"

He turned just in time for a pair of pale, slender arms to wrap themselves around his neck. The girl they belonged to crashed against him and he took a rolling step back, barely maintaining his balance. He looked down at the mop of blue hair pressed against his chest and smiled.

"Hello, Rei. I like the hair."

She released him after a few moments, maybe a few more than were necessary, and smiled up at him.

"Thanks! I wasn't sure how it would turn out!"

Kensuke nodded approvingly.

"It looks good. I'm surprised your parents actually let you do it," he observed, "I figured they would have stomped the brakes as soon as you brought it up."

She nodded.

"They almost did, until I told them why I wanted to do it. Then they let up. I don't think my dad is still particularly happy about it, but he'll be ok."

Kensuke titled his head to the side.

"So what made you want to dye it? I don't think you ever told me."

Rei opened her mouth to reply and then snapped it closed. Her eyes widened slightly, and her pale cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. She tried to hide this, to play it cool, but Kensuke was already looking at her strangely.

"Rei? You good?" he asked, his eyebrows raised in concern.

She stammered out half a reply before managing to wrest control back from, well, whatever the hell that just was.

"Oh, I just thought it would be fun. I've been brunette forever, so I wanted to do something a little crazy," she lied, "I'm glad it worked out."

Kensuke nodded, apparently satisfied with that answer. He had to admit, the blue did look good on her. There was something else though, something he hadn't noticed when she first crashed into him. He squinted his eyes and gave her a good once-over. It hit him all at once. She hadn't just dyed her hair, she had also trimmed it and styled it differently. It usually ran past the base of her neck, but now it stopped almost even with the bottom of her jaw, layered over itself around the sides while left to loosely frame her face, almost like a set of curtains in a window.

The fact that she now bore an almost uncanny resemblance to his favorite character from his new favorite show was not lost on him. When the evening light hit her eyes in just the right way, the golden brown orbs seemed to flash crimson, but only for a moment, further completing the look.

Kensuke caught himself staring and shook his head.

"You uh... You cut your hair, too. I… I like it. It's different."

Rei reached up and touched the side of her head, taking the opportunity to move her hair back and over her right ear as she smiled.

"Thanks! Yet again, I wanted to do something I'd never done before. I figured in for penny, you know. I was already going to be in the stylist's chair, so why not. All I had to do was show her a picture of…"

She clammed up, resisting the urge to clap her hand over her mouth.

"A picture of a model I thought looked really pretty."

She turned.

Where are my parents, anyway? They were right behind me…."

"Here we are," came the answer as Shoto and Sara Ayanami appeared beside them. Kensuke gave them a small bow and then a hug, receiving a peck on the cheek from Sara. He blushed.

"Hello Kensuke! It's been a while. We haven't seen you around the table in a few weeks," her dad spoke up, clapping Kensuke on the back, "We thought you'd forgotten about us until Rei came up a week ago and convinced us to come here. We were due for some time away from the lab anyway, so this worked out perfectly."

He looked around.

"She said your other friends were going to be here, but I don't see them."

Kensuke nodded.

"Yes sir, they're here. They're doing their own things tonight, though. Besides, I wanted this to just be for us."

Kensuke glanced at Rei. She blushed. Shoto raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, just for us, eh?" he grinned, elbowing the boy in the ribs. Sara gave her husband a light tap on his arm and he smirked at her, winking, "Then what about this mystery friend that's supposed to be meeting us here?"

"Oh, she's ar…."

"I'm right here!" came the reply from beside Kensuke, an arm draping itself across his shoulder and squeezing, "Sorry we're late, they got lost."

She jerked a thumb behind her as Atsunobu and Kaya Makinami caught up with them.

"We did not get lost, Mari. You bolted away from us as soon as we got to the entrance."

Mari just shrugged and wrapped her other arm around Kensuke, pulling him into a proper hug. Rei kept her expression neutral, her pulse jumping slightly.

"It's good to see you again, Aida! I'm so glad I could convince my parents to agree to this. They usually tell me no."

Kaya playfully swiped at her daughter's head.

"That is patently untrue! We only say no about half the time. The other half we just let you keep talking until you wind up on another subject and forget what you were going to ask for in the first place."

Mari pushed up her pink-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose as the group shared a laugh. She looked back up and caught sight of Rei.

"Hey there, Ayanami. How's it been? Diggin' the new hair…"

Rei nodded.

"Thank you, Makinami. I wanted to try something new."

"It suits you," Mari replied before furrowing her brow and squinting, "Wait a minute… With that color and cut you look just like…"

"Mr Ayanami, Mrs. Ayanami, this is Mari Makinami," Kensuke jumped in, deftly putting the pin back into the proverbial grenade, "And her parents Atsunobu and Kaya. We all met when we were at that science camp in Tokyo 2 last month."

Greetings and pleasantries were exchanged as the group made their way up the stairs to the restaurant above, the faux-aged wood creaking as they ascended. Once at the entrance they were greeted by the hostess and quickly escorted to a table. The parents took seats across from each other at a table. The teens went to sit when the adults held up their hands. The hostess motioned for them to follow her as they were shown to different seats, the three of them regarding the adults uncertainly. Atsunobu smiled.

"We figured you kids wouldn't want to be stuck sitting with us adults, so we reserved two tables. You guys go be cool or whatever it is kids do without their parents."

Kensuke, Rei and Mari shared a look before shrugging and following the hostess to a table a couple rows over and behind a low wall. Rei sat on one bench while Mari sat across from her. They both regarded Kensuke with strange looks, Mari looking at him with an almost hungry expression on her face, while Rei looked… Well, Kensuke couldn't really say how she looked. Hopeful, maybe. He stood there for a moment before slicing his sword through the knot and grabbing a chair from an empty table and sitting at the end, in between the two girls. They both looked disappointed, but only briefly.

The adults watched this happen with no small amount of amusement. They soon moved on, though, and fell into easy conversation, spurred on by the discovery of several shared interests. Atsunobu and Shoto both happened to work in IT, and quickly began sharing horror stories of users wreaking havoc on the systems under their control, while Sara and Kaya discovered they had both graduated from the same university only two years apart. They began recounting tales of eccentric professors and wild dorm parties as the waiter brought the table's drink orders.

At the other table, Rei, Kensuke and Mari were busily discussing the newest downloadable character for the new fighting game they were all playing.

"I'm telling you; he isn't going to ruin the balance," Kensuke was arguing, "They tweaked every other character in anticipation of his release, nerfing some and buffing others. I've played since they added him, and everything is fine."

Mari shook her head.

"No, it's not! They ruined… Oh what's her name? The brown-haired woman with the pink and white bodysuit," Mari snapped her fingers a few times, attempting to dislodge the name from wherever it was buried in her mind, "Damn it! I can't remember her name. You know who I'm talking about, right Rei?"

The blue-haired girl shrugged.

"I've only had the game for a few days. I haven't had a chance to work my way through all the characters."

Mari shook her head.

"Rei, that game has been out for over a month. Did you just buy it?"

She nodded.

"I don't usually play fighting games. I like RPG's and the occasional shooter. I only bought this one because Kensuke kept talking about it."

Mari's eyebrow lifted, a smirk forming on her lips.

"Oh really?" she looked from Rei to Kensuke, "You must have really talked it up there, Aida."

Kensuke shrugged.

"No more than any other. She started it, though," He pointed at Rei, "She came over one afternoon, and I was playing it. She tried it out and liked it, so she started asking me about it. The next day I get a matchmaking request from her gamertag and we played a few rounds."

He smiled and shot a look at Rei.

"I won handily, of course."

Rei stuck her tongue out at him and smiled.

"Yeah, well you have more experience. Let me put some hours into it and I'll get you."

"So, do you go over to Kensuke's house often, Rei?" Mari asked, as if the last several minutes of conversation hadn't happened.

"Well, yeah. He lives right down the street from me and we've known each other since we were 12," her eyes narrowed, "Wait, why?"

Mari put on her best cat-like grin.

"Oh, no reason."

Rei stared at her for a moment before she felt her cheeks start to warm. Her eyes widened and she grabbed her menu and opened it in front of her, nearly hitting Kensuke's drink. He blinked a few times before turning to Mari and frowning.

"Come on Mari, it's not like that. I've known Rei for years. Our parents work together at N.E.R.V. We're just…."

He paused, unsure of how that statement should end. What were they, really? They'd known each other since they were 12, when Rei's parents moved them to Tokyo-3, and she had easily integrated herself into their friend group. Shinji and Asuka liked her, Toji and Hikari thought she was great. Now that he thought about it, he would be hard pressed to think of someone who didn't like her. He certainly did.

He paused, that last thought landing more heavily than he anticipated. He liked Rei. He liked her a lot. Of course, so did a lot of other people.

But Rei doesn't just drop by their houses when she's not busy. Or whenever she's lonely.

Kensuke blinked. Rei didn't have siblings, so whenever her parents were both out of the house she was completely alone. Which was pretty often, she'd admitted to Kensuke one evening a few weeks before.

He remembered it clearly, and suddenly.

They were in the middle of a difficult level in a cooperative shooter they both liked, sitting on the couch in his den, his mother in the other room working on grading her student's papers. Rei had called him and asked if he was busy and he said no. In fact, he could use some help with this game… The doorbell had rung barely two minutes later.

He paused the game and let her in. She grabbed a controller and sat beside him.

"So, you must have already been on your way. If not, then you made really good time."

She nodded.

"Yeah, my parents got called into the lab. Some urgent project is nearing some crucial milestone or whatever. It's always something like that. I was bored and so I started heading over here. I didn't think to call you until I was only a few houses down."

Kensuke snorted.

"Well, I'm glad you just assumed you could come over. You act like you can just waltz in here anytime you like."

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, fighting and losing to keep the stupid grin off his face. Her face flashed… Something… for a moment before it bounced back, the girl reaching over and gently smacking Kensuke on the head.

"I know I can because your mom said so."

She stuck her tongue out at him before turning back to the game, the enemies much more efficiently dispatched when there were two people running through the level. They played for a couple of hours, wordlessly working their way nearly to the end of the game, before they both looked up at the same time, the smells coming from the kitchen breaking their concentration. Kensuke glanced at his watch.

"Oh wow. We've really been focused on this, haven't we? It's almost dinner time." He stood up from the couch and stretched, heading for the kitchen. Rei did the same and started for the front door.

"Okay. This was fun, Kensuke. I'm heading home now."

"Why?"

She stopped and turned to him, confused.

"What? You said it's almost dinner time, so I figured…"

Kensuke rolled his eyes and marched over to her. He grabbed her by the wrist and started pulling her towards the kitchen.

"You know you're welcome to eat with us, Rei," he said behind him as he dragged her into the dining room, "Dad's out of town so it would just be me and mom. We'd love the company. I guarantee mom started planning for you to stay as soon as you walked in. Also, are your parents even home yet?"

Rei looked at the time on her phone and shook her head.

"They said they would be pretty late tonight."

Kensuke stopped and looked at her, confusion and… something else… written on his face.

"Rei, were you going to go home and just… Be alone all night?"

She met his gaze before looking down.

"Umm, I... Well, yes... But it's okay, though. I'm used to it. They've been working late so often that it's not a big deal."

Kensuke stared at her for a while, that same something flashing in his eyes.

"How often are you home alone at night, Rei?" he asked.

She shrugged, trying not to look at him.

"A few times a week, maybe three or four nights. Five if it's particularly busy at the lab."

Kensuke's eyes widened slightly.

"Rei, how long has this been going on?"

She squinted her eyes in thought.

"A few months. Before this big project came along, they might stay late one night a week, and rarely on weekends."

Kensuke blinked.

"A few months? Rei, you've been over here a few dozen times in that span. Why didn't you say anything? You could have just stayed here until your parents got home. You know mom and dad don't mind."

She smiled; a surprisingly sad, little thing that made Kensuke's chest tighten.

"I didn't want to be a bother. It didn't seem right to just assume I could stay over here all the time."

Kensuke shook his head.

"Rei, you are not a bother. Don't say that. You are always welcome here."

She lowered her head.

"Thank you, Kensuke. I… I know that, but I just didn't want to start taking advantage of your hospitality."

Kensuke frowned.

"Ok, well, I understand that, but that doesn't mean you have to be alone."

Rei looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"I…"

"Please, Rei," he cut her off, "the next time your parents are going to be out late like this, let me know. You can come over here after school and hang out with us. No one deserves to be lonely like that. I wish you had told me sooner; I'm starting to get sad thinking about you just sitting around your empty house, no one to talk to…"

He reached out and grabbed her wrist again, pulling her the rest of the way into the dining room. She didn't protest as he sat her down at the table and walked into the kitchen. He tapped his mother on the shoulder and she looked up as he pulled his head in close and started whispering. Kayoko Aida nodded a few times before glancing at Rei and reaching for a towel. She dried off her hands and pulled out her phone. She started typing, small clicking sounds echoing in the kitchen as her fingers flew over the keys. Kensuke walked over and sat beside Rei, setting plates and utensils down for the three of them.

Apparently satisfied, Kayoko pressed send and flipped the phone closed.

"Rei, I just texted your parents. I told them you will be eating dinner with us and staying over here until they get home. I hope you know you're always welcome to do so, like Kensuke said."

Rei nodded and smiled.

"Thank you, Mrs. Aida. I… I don't know why I never said anything. You have always made me feel welcome. I just…"

She looked up and shrugged.

"I guess I overthink things sometimes."

Kayoko came and joined the teens, placing a hand on Rei's shoulder.

"It's okay, Rei. Please don't let this happen again though, okay? The thought of you all alone so many nights out of the week makes my heart ache. You don't even have to come over here. You can call us and if we're not busy we can come to you. You live maybe half a kilometer away, it's hardly a long walk."

She looked from the girl to her son and back.

"Or Kensuke can go by himself. I know your parents trust him, and so do I."

Kayoko felt Rei tense under her hand and let go, smiling to herself.

"Mom! Come on. You didn't have to make it awkward…." Kensuke buried his head in his hands before turning to Rei, "Sorry about that."

Rei shook her head.

"No, it's okay. I… I actually kind of like that idea," she paused as Kenuske's eyes widened, "All of you coming over, I mean. I could make dinner for everyone, pay you back for all the meals I've had over here."

Kensuke nodded, his cheeks warming.

"Sounds good, Rei. As long as you're not alone."

She looked at him strangely.

"I…"

"Speaking of meals, here we are!" Kayoko interrupted, setting several bowls of grilled beef and steamed veggies on the table. They said their thanks and dug in, the meal spent in easy, lighthearted conversation, Kayoko ribbing Kensuke about whatever new computer project he was working on, and Rei going over some of the highlights of their N.E.R.V. internship.

Kensuke didn't think about it at the time, but now that he looked back at that night, he realized something. He remembered looking at Rei and seeing her look happier than he could remember, at least in the few months previous. Was she really that lonely? And why hadn't she said anything?

"Hey, Kensuke!"

Mari snapped her fingers in front him and he jumped. He blinked and stared at her.

"What?"

Mari glanced at Rei who glanced at Kensuke.

"You kinda zoned out there. You okay?"

He nodded and took a sip of his drink.

"Yeah, I uh… I don't know what happened," he said unsteadily, looking at Rei, "Lost my train of thought I guess."

Mari perked up an eyebrow and smirked.

"Mm hmm. Sure," she looked from Kensuke to Rei, "So where was that train going, exactly?"

Kensuke opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. What was he supposed to say? "Oh, it was going back to the day Rei told me she was alone most days out of the week and didn't say anything for months and I should have seen it well before she told me and done something, but I apparently couldn't be bothered to notice my friend was unhappy and, oh, I think I might like her as more th…"

A hand laid itself on his forearm. He turned to the owner and blinked, Rei regarding him with genuine concern.

"Kensuke, you okay?" she asked, gently squeezing his arm, "You did it again."

Kensuke stared at her for a few moments longer, Rei's light brown eyes probing his own. Something clicked in his mind and his cheeks started to burn.

Mari cleared her throat. Kensuke and Rei blinked and looked away. They stared at Mari, a Cheshire cat grin on her face.

"So, what was that?" she asked, her voice dripping with amusement.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kensuke bluffed, hiding behind his drink. Rei, to her credit, managed to keep her cheeks from turning bright red. Mari looked between them and narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sure."

She wanted to say more, but the server chose that moment to arrive with their orders. Kensuke and Rei dug in with unusual gusto, their eyes barely leaving their plates. Mari looked on, considering each of them as she chewed thoughtfully. The rest of the meal passed like this, until Rei and Mari's parents walked over to the trio.

"Alright, you guys ready to go?" Sara asked, smiling brightly at her daughter and her friends. The teens nodded and stood, following the adults back out onto the walkway. The sun was nearly below the horizon now, the lights in the plaza steadily overtaking whatever light was left in the sky. The crowds had picked up slightly, families venturing out after spending the day at the theme park proper, looking for their fill of entertainment for the evening.

"Alright, the movie starts in about 20 minutes so we've got time, but we should get going, the theater is at the other end of the pavilion," Atsunobu spoke up, looking at his watch.

The three teens looked to each other and shrugged.

"What movie are we seeing?" Kensuke asked.

The grownups looked at him and then each other, grinning.

"Oh, no no no. We are going to see a movie," Kaya clarified, pointing at the four of them, "You three are free to do as you please. We'll call once the movie is over and see where you are. You guys go have fun."

Before any of the teens could respond the gathered adults took off, heading down the stairs and quickly disappearing into the crowd below. Kensuke, Rei and Mari stood staring after them.

They looked to each other.

"Well, what do you guys want to do?" Kensuke asked, his camera appearing in his hand. Rei started to respond when Mari broke in.

"Ooh ooh ooh! There's an amazing gondola ride nearby. It takes you over the entire park! Let's do that!"

She turned and took off, stopping after a few steps and looking back sheepishly.

"But first, I gotta use the girl's room. Be right back!" With that, she darted away, threading her way through the crowd as she headed for the restroom. Kensuke and Rei stared after her.

"Okaaay…" he managed after a moment, "I guess we're taking a gondola ride. What were you going to suggest, Rei?"

"I was also going to suggest the gondolas…" she answered quietly. Kensuke heard the defeat in her voice and poked her in the shoulder. She looked up at him.

"Hey, at some point, preferably tonight if Mari will let us, I, uh… want to talk. Just you and me. I've got some…. things… I need to say. If that's alright with you…"

The light must have been playing tricks on their eyes, because, just then, they could both swear the other one turned a bright shade of red.

"O…Okay," Rei managed to get out, smiling faintly, "I think I'd be willing to listen."

They shared a smile, several passersby glancing at the two teens staring at each other in the middle of the walkway.

"Let's go!" Mari yelled as she popped up beside them, "You guys ready?"

They nodded and set off, occasionally glancing at each other whenever Mari wasn't looking, small, steady grins etched on their faces.

() () () ()