Chapter 26: The Date

Alright, here's the next chapter, a bit longer than the others, so appreciate it.

Disclaimer: I don't own NGE for the twenty-sixth time, and also for the twenty-sixth time, all original characters belong to me

Preread by YouarenotasrandomasI

Now, on with the show!

US Nerv

Lying on his back and looking at the night sky, Lieutenant Colonel Hunter wondered why he was here. Sure, it was his mission to delay the Thirteenth's attack, and sure he had his duties since he had become an Avatar. But that wasn't what he was thinking about.

Right now, about a dozen men geared up in full combat gear were sneaking up on the 'unsuspecting' man. None of them knew the implications of attempting to catch Hunter by surprise.

How did I get myself into this? Hunter thought to himself

Flashback

"What?"

Hunter was sitting by the campfire as Cairn was laying out a plan for helping them to dissuade the agents from continuing trying to catch them.

"Yeah, that's the plan" Cairn was telling him with a smile.

Nodding his head, Hunter then recited what the dark man had gotten through telling him, "So, the agents have become more persistent on trying to find us"

Cairn nodded, so the military man continued, "And they are getting closer, so we need to dissuade them from continuing"

Again the dark man nodded

"So to do so you came up with a plan that involves me and has a low chance of working"

A pause before Hunter then said, "I don't think so"

In a pleading tone, Cairn replied, "Come on, it'll be fun"

"Fun for you, maybe," Hunter retorted, "I don't see how fun it would be for me"

Smiling, Cairn held up a piece of paper and told him, "It will be, but in any case, you owe me one"

"Is that what I think it is?" Hunter asked in a wary tone

"Yep, and if you recall, you do owe me for that favor I did for you back in Antilon Prime," Cairn said in a sly tone

Sighing in a resigned tone, the military man said, "Fine, since I do owe you, I'll do it"

Smiling broadly, Cairn folded up the paper and put it away before saying, "We begin at once"

Present

The leader of the team pulled out a radio and spoke into it, "Control, we have the target in sight, over"

"Roger that, proceed with caution, over"

"Understood, over"

Putting the device away, he held up a fist and everyone else stopped. Surveying the land in front of him, he confirmed that the Avatar was lying on his back, staring off into space.

This is too easy, the man thought, there has to be something up

Gesturing, the leader had the team separate into two groups and move to flank the man lying on the ground. Once in position, he pulled out his rifle and aimed it at the man

With a sudden burst of speed, Hunter flipped onto his feet and ran straight towards him. Before the leader could react, he was knocked off his feet and fell. The man expected to hit the ground, but he was falling continuously. Looking around, he found himself floating in darkness.

"Hey," he called out, "Hello!"

Meanwhile, Hunter had knocked the leader into the black hole that Cairn created, and was now holding a facsimile replica of the man in his arms.

"Nobody move or he dies," Hunter called out to the rest of the team, holding the man's gun to the fake's head

The fake held up his hand and told the team, "Don't listen, take him out"

"Quiet," Hunter told him before slamming the butt of the gun into his head, knocking the fake unconscious

Holding his gun at the fake's head, he then told the rest of the team, "Lay down your weapons, and back away"

Slowly and grudgingly, the team did as he said and stepped away from their weapons. Once they did so, Hunter began to walk backwards, continuing to hold the unconscious 'man' in his arms.

"Cease pursuit of us, or else he dies," Hunter commanded as he disappeared into a vortex that appeared behind him

Appearing back at camp, Hunter dumped the body on the ground by the campfire before sitting down. Kaitos stepped up, leaning on his crutch, and poked the body

"Is he dead?"

"No," Cairn said as he snapped his fingers

The figure turned completely black before disappearing into the shadows. Smirking, the dark man stepped up and placed his hands on his hips

"It worked"

Rolling his eyes, Hunter told Cairn, "The first part. Now we have to see if the agents will actually listen and stay away"

"Phht, it'll work," Cairn said, waving his hands dismissively, "Since when have any of my plans failed?"

"Do you really want to know?" Hunter asked in a flat tone

But Cairn wasn't listening as he had begun to hum as he reached to the side and had his arm disappear into a black hole that appeared in the air. Pulling it back, he held the real leader by the scruff of his neck as he dragged him into the camp

Groaning, the man rubbed his eyes to clear the glare from the campfire after spending time in the dark, "Where am I?"

"Welcome to our camp," the dark man told him in a cheerful tone, "Please make yourself at home, because you ain't leaving for a while"

Tokyo-3

Misato had dropped them off before leaving, saying she had something to do. The complex was quiet, whether from slumbering Avatars or for some other reason.

"You can go and change first," Asuka said to Shinji, "I need more time to get ready. Now, when you're done, wait out here, and no peeking, understand?"

Shinji nodded, receiving a smile from the red-head, "Now get going"

In their room, the boy looked through the clothes he had, for the first time wondering why he didn't have anything besides his school uniform. Shinji was about to go and see if Sai might have something he could wear when he noticed a bag sticking out from under his bed. Pulling it out, he saw a note taped to it

It read:

Shinji

I figured you might need something like this. You do not have to worry about having to pay me back.

Iak

Smiling, Shinji silently thanked his new found friend and opened the bag. He was mildly surprised by what he found. Iak rarely cared about fashion, saying that most clothes people approve of would restrict his movements. Most of the time, the Aerolan wore loose black clothes.

In the bag was a pair of blue jeans, a white dress shirt with a darker blue vest to go over it. Completing the ensemble was a light black jacket. Somehow, Shinji knew that something was going to black.

Quickly changing, Shinji took a moment to look at himself in the mirror, actually feeling impressed by his image.

"What's taking so long?"

Shinji opened the door to see a surprised Asuka. Looking him up and down, she nodded in acceptance.

"Glad to see that you actually have something nice to wear," she said, "And it matches your eyes"

Flushing, Shinji replied, "Thanks"

"Now be a good boy and wait in the living room," Asuka told him, pushing the boy out of the doorway.

Shinji made sure to grab his wallet before being pushed out. He didn't have much money, so he hoped that Asuka wouldn't expect much from him. Sitting on the couch, he saw an envelope on the table with his name on it. Opening it, he found a bunch of bills in it. Shinji's eyes widened at the amount before he saw the note that was in the envelope as well

Shinji

Just in case

Iak

By now Shinji was feeling quite curious. He'd heard the argument many times between him and Rikku about them not being matchmakers, so why was he being so helpful now?

Deciding to ask him later when he was home, Shinji put the money into his pocket and waited. The clock denoted the time to being a little after four in the evening. Synch testing always take so long, but it was still a bit early. Spying a movies listing, Shinji took a quick peek, sure that Iak was once again helping him from the shadows.

A couple of movies caught his eye, and knowing Asuka's preferences, helped him make his decision. Just as he put the magazine down, Asuka stepped into the living room.

His jaw dropped at the sight of the beauty before him. The red-head was wearing a red full length sleeveless dress that contoured to her curves perfectly. It hinted at what lay underneath, yet retained its modesty. Her shoulders were bare, and a small dip in the front showed a small amount of the red-head's cleavage.

"Asuka-chan," Shinji said with a slightly dazed look, "you are the most beautiful woman in existence"

Flushing lightly, Asuka gave him a big smile and pulled the star struck boy to his feet, "Come on baka let's get going"

Tokyo-3

Touji and Hikari were walking through the city, casually talking to each other. Ever since the dance, the two of them were becoming closer. Hikari would bring him lunches, saying that she'd made too much, and Touji would take it in stride. In return, the jock spent a lot more time with her. They had not yet made known their feelings for each other, but it seemed only a matter of time.

"Hey, wanna get some ice cream?" Touji asked when an ice cream stand appeared

Only a little red, Hikari replied, "Sure"

In a surprise move, the jock paid for both their treats. They continued on their way, eating their frozen dairy treats, when the brunette spotted her friend across the street.

"Look," she said, pointing, "It's Asuka"

"I wonder what the red devil's up to all dressed up like that"

Slapping his shoulder, Hikari told him off, "Don't call her that"

Sheepishly scratching the back of his head, Touji muttered a little before he saw that Shinji was walking next to the red-head

"Hey, that's Shinji with her"

Both teens looked and saw that both were dressed nicely and holding hands. Only one thought passed through their minds, and it was the exact same thing. Shinji and Asuka were now officially a couple.

On the other side of the street, Shinji and Asuka were conversing. The topic varied from school to Nerv to other things.

During a pause, Asuka asked, "So what movie are we going to see?"

"Something new," Shinji replied, "just came out: Last Memoirs"

"Sounds interesting"

Once at the theater, Shinji not only purchased the tickets, but some popcorn and soda as well. Surprised by the boy's generousness, Asuka decided to be nice and helped him carry the snacks and picking out some seats.

There were very few people within the theater, so it was almost as though they had the entire place to themselves. Settling themselves, the theater darkened and a few previews played. Leaning her head on Shinji's shoulder, Asuka gave him a small smile.

Smiling back, Shinji held a bag of popcorn before her and asked, "Would you like some?"

Taking a few, the red-head replied, "Thanks"

That was the extent of the words they said to each other, and they sat in silence watching the movie. Sometime during the movie, the boy felt something warm on his hand. Without looking, Shinji knew that the hand belonged to Asuka, and squeezed it gently, much to the girl's happiness

Elsewhere

Sai was looking through an electronics store, and had convinced Keevan and Shuri to accompany him and help carry the stuff he bought

"Hey, Sai-san," the ninja strained carrying a box of motherboards, "are we done yet?"

"Hang on," the tech said absentmindedly, "there's one more thing I need to get"

Groaning, Keevan shifted the bag of chips and cables he had and whined, "Come on, you said that ten minutes ago. You have enough already, so let's go"

Sai shifted the hard drives and processors he carried and gauged the amount he and the others could carry. Shrugging, the tech led them to the checkout counter, letting the pair heave sighs of relief.

Leaving the shop, all three staggered slightly under the burden of several big boxes. Exiting last, Keevan couldn't see where he was going so well and bumped into something, causing him to lose balance and drop what he was carrying.

"Gomen," the mage said frantically as he picked up what he dropped

"Hey," Sai said in a sour tone, "careful, some of this stuff if fragile"

"I will recompense for any broken parts"

All three turned to see that the person that Keevan bumped into was Rei Ayanami. The blue haired girl was standing there, in her school uniform as always, looking at them.

"Um, that's okay," the tech said in a slightly uneven tone, "you don't have to"

Keevan had gathered everything again and was teetering around, "Gomen, we can go now"

Just then, he tilted over and was about to fall over. What saved the boy from toppling was Rei, who grabbed him before he fell.

"Arigato," Keevan said as he stood back up

The blue-haired teen then said, "If that is too much, why do you carry it?"

Shuri turned to the technician, saying, "Yeah Sai, if you hadn't noticed, we are all carrying more than the recommended weight capacity"

"If it's too much, we can drop them off through a portal"

The streets were packed, and the nearby alleys were cluttered with trash. Because of that, the trio had to haul their stuff further than anticipated. After a few blocks, the boys were tired from carrying so much and sweating under the hot sun.

"Are we there yet," Keevan whined as he tipped over slightly

"Hang on, there's an alley up ahead," Sai called back reassuringly

When they reached the alley, they found that it too was full of trash, causing Shuri to groan, "Come on, the one day the trash men don't come had to be today"

The mage almost fell over again, but was again saved by Rei, who also took a few boxes from him

"Domo arigato Ayanami-san," the mage said with a sigh

Groaning, the ninja shouted, "That's it, if there isn't a way in, do something else!"

Shifting the boxes, Keevan pulled out his wand and cast an illusion around them. As soon as they were hidden, Sai opened a vortex using a cell phone like the ones given to the Nerv personnel.

"Alright, every one through," the tech said, waving them through

All four of them stepped through, appearing inside the living room.

"You can put that box over there Ayanami-san," Sai told the blue-haired girl who followed them, "I'll take care of everything later"

Setting the box where he directed, Rei looked around to see that Keevan had collapsed on the couch and Shuri had fallen where he stood

"I am never shopping with you ever again," Shuri said fervently

Ignoring him, Sai began taking a few boxes into his room. Looking around, Rei saw that Keevan was getting up.

"I'll make some tea," the boy said raggedly, "anything special you'd like?"

"Whatever," the ninja said tiredly from his position on the floor

In the kitchen, Keevan set up the stuff for making tea. In his weary state, the mage didn't really pay much attention and poured some hot water on his arm. Shouting, he flailed a little before he felt someone grab him and take him to the sink. Keevan felt cold water fall on his arm as the same person held him.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, he looked around to see that Rei was the one holding his arm

"Ayanami-san?"

"You will need to hold that under the water for a little while," she said in a monotonous tone, "Pilot Ikari told me that when I burned myself"

"Oh"

The two of them stayed in that position for a couple of minutes. By that point, Keevan's arm was feeling numb and he was feeling a little uncomfortable by the position Rei was holding him

"Um, Ayanami-san, you can let me go now"

"Is your arm better?"

Flushing lightly as he noticed where his elbow was poking, Keevan replied, "Yes"

She finally let go of him, and went to the tea making supplies, "I will help finish making the tea"

"A-Arigato," Keevan muttered as he watched her clean up the mess he made.

Theater

Shinji and Asuka walked out of the building after the movie finished holding hands. The sun was beginning to set, and when Shinji checked his watch, he saw that it was around five thirty. It was still a little early for dinner, so the boy suggested a little walk through the park.

As they passed through the park, the red-head leaned her head against Shinji's shoulder and said, "The movie was nice"

"Was it? I was too busy paying attention to your incredible beauty"

Giggling, Asuka replied, "Flattery, Shinji? Your spine must be having a real growth spurt"

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he held her close, "It's the truth"

After going through the park, Shinji let Asuka choose which restaurant they went to. They soon found themselves in front of a real fancy building.

"Looks pretty big," he commented

The red-head was feeling a bit guilty about having Shinji pay for something so expensive, "We don't have to eat here"

Looking at her, the boy told her, "You chose this restaurant, and so we'll eat here"

Biting her lip, Asuka said, "We don't have that much money, and anyway you already did so much"

"Don't worry," Shinji said, squeezing her gently, "Whatever my lady wants, she gets"

Without another word, he led her into the building where they met a man at reception. He looked down his nose at the young teens before he cleared his throat

"Do you have a reservation?"

Shinji replied, "No"

"Then I am going to have to ask you kids to leave. No reservation, no service"

Reaching into her purse, Asuka pulled out her Nerv ID and showed it to him. The man took a quick peek and was about to retort when he really focused on it. He gulped as he returned the card to the red-head

"Wait here one second"

When he left, Asuka turned to Shinji and winked saying, "I can't let you do everything, now can I?"

Grinning, the two took seats as they waited for the man to return. They didn't have to wait long, as he came back and led them to their table. Seated, he told them that someone would be coming by later to take their order

Smiling, Asuka asked, "Do you think we can get away with not paying for dinner?"

"That wouldn't be nice Asuka-chan"

Pouting, she replied, "Party-pooper"

Chuckling lightly, Shinji told her, "Don't pout; you're too beautiful for that"

Smiling now, she tossed her hair and proclaimed, "Of course I am, and you should be grateful to be in the graceful presence of such a woman"

The two continued to talk until a waiter arrived at their table, "Good evening, my name is Hanatarou, and I will be your waiter this evening. Have you made your decisions yet?"

"Yeah, I'll have the steak, well-done, with a salad" Asuka told him after taking a cursory glance at the menu

"I'll have the lobster with some rice"

Writing it down in his notepad, the waiter then asked, "Anything to drink?"

"Just some water for both of us," Asuka told him

After he left, Shinji felt Asuka take his hand. Squeezing gently, he turned to look into the red-head's eyes. They made small talk as they sat there waiting for their meal to arrive.

When their meals came in, they let go of each other to eat, but didn't stop talking.

"And did you know what Hikari says she likes most about that stooge?" Asuka was telling Shinji, "His sensitive side"

Chuckling, he replied, "Well, he does care about his little sister, so I guess that means that he does have some compassion"

Snorting, Asuka retorted, "I guess, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a stooge"

Smiling, the boy told her, "Who's dating one of the stooges now?"

Mock frowning, Asuka replied, "Oh yeah, I guess that this will be our last date"

Shinji began stuttering and apologizing, which caused Asuka to laugh. Realizing that she was joking, he joined her.

"You're too easy," the red-head told him in between giggles

Smiling, the boy replied, "Okay, I get it"

When the bill came, he was able to convince Asuka that he can pay for dinner. He knew that the red-head's eyes were bulging at the amount of money he had in his wallet, and wanted to know where he got it from. When they left the restaurant, the sun had fallen and the street lights were coming on.

"So," the red-head began, "mind telling me where you got that money?"

In a teasing tone, Shinji replied, "Why do you want to know?"

Putting on a pout, she batted her eyelashes and begged in her sweetest tone, "Please tell me Shin-kun"

Heart racing, he, like any man, crumbled before the combination of a cute pout, sweet tone, and the puppy dong eyes, "Iak lent me the money and the clothes"

Surprised, Asuka had a thoughtful expression on her face, "I heard him always complaining about the other's going on about the whole matchmaking business"

Shrugging, the red-head then said, "Oh well, either way, we have him to thank for today"

Hugging Shinji's arm, she laid her head on his shoulder as they took a walk. At the park, they sat on a bench and talked a little.

"This has been a great date," Asuka told him, "and you have been the perfect date"

"Anything for my princess"

Smirking, the red-head leaned forward and gave him a kiss. She was pleased when Shinji responded and placed his hands on her lower back and pulled her closer. The two stayed like that for some time, breaking off in order to breath.

"You're getting better, this is a big improvement over our first time," Asuka told Shinji

A wry look on his face, he replied, "Only because I was afraid of you and that you were holding my nose"

The two of them had a good laugh at that, with Asuka saying, "Hey, I was bored!"

Calming down, Asuka resumed her position of resting her head on Shinji's shoulder. She felt Shinji gently stroking her hair and sighed contentedly.

"That feels nice"

Shinji smiled, and continued to stroke her hair gently. It seemed like they were only there for a few minutes when he took a peek at his watch and saw that it was about ten past eleven

"Um, Asuka-chan"

"Hmm?"

Gesturing to his watch, Shinji told her, "It's really late, Misato-san will be worried about us, and we have school tomorrow"

Pouting, the red-head grumbled a little as she stood up. She stretched a little before she let Shinji lead her. They were looking for someplace that they could open a portal. In the process, they passed by a couple of rough looking punks.

Whistling, one of them called out to Asuka, "Hey babe, how about ditching the boy and hanging out with a real man?"

Holding her chin up, she just ignored them, which got the man pissed. Reaching out, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Before he knew it, he was on his knees, holding his gut.

"Keep your hands off her," Shinji said in a menacing tone

Momentarily surprised by the boy's sudden aggression, Asuka took his arm and said, "It's alright, I'll take care of the rest"

With that, she slammed her foot into the man's groin, causing him to give a high pitched groan before he passed out from pain. His friend backed away fearfully before running away.

Smiling now, Asuka turned around and grabbed Shinji's arm, "Let's go now, I'm feeling a little tired"

They found a secluded spot that was dark and far from prying eyes. Before Shinji could open a portal, Asuka stopped him

"Before we head home, where Misato and the others would probably be watching, I wanted to thank you for tonight and for standing up for me"

Wrapping his arms around Asuka's waist, Shinji hugged her and said, "It was no problem Asuka-chan"

Snuggling close, the red-head sighed in content as he held her close. Looking up, she stared into Shinji's eyes, and saw the love and compassion in them. Leaning down, he boldly gave Asuka a kiss. Surprised, she leaned closer, deepening the kiss.

Pulling back, she told him, "Let's go"

Avatar Base

When the pair entered the apartment, they saw that Misato was awake, waiting for them. They were worried that she might be mad at them for staying out so late, but they were calmed by the smile she had on her face.

"Had a good time?"

Both shrugged and told their curious guardian, "It was alright"

Smirking, Misato asked, "Any reason you two were out so late?"

"Nope"

"Alright, I trust the two of you, but we are going to talk tomorrow after you get back from school, and I mean talk"

Both gulped, knowing what talk she wanted. Shinji stammered good night as Asuka marched him to their room. Inside their room, they both changed, being comfortable since they've been in each other's bodies. Once changed, they made ready for bed

"Gute Nacht, Shinji-kun," Asuka said, kissing Shinji

"Oyasuminasai, Asuka-chan. Aisheteru"

"Aisheteru," she replied as she closed her eyes, falling asleep

Foreign Language Guide:

Gute Nacht: German for 'good night'

Oyasuminasai: Japanese for 'good night'

Aisheteru: Japanese for 'I love you'

I hope the guide above helps for those who don't understand German or Japanese. Anyway, there you go, hope you enjoyed the chapter. R&R and I'll get back as soon as possible