Nothing Will Ever Change That
Chapter 109: Shinji Knows Best
Shinji/Asuka's Room – One Week Later – 5:00 PM
"Um… got any fives?" Asuka rolls her eyes as she hands me a card. After taking a second to stare at her own cards, she closes her eyes and stands up.
"Okay! I think I'm gonna give up now!" Dietlinde giggled at her mother, "Oh yeah, laugh it up little girl!" somehow, even Dietlinde managed to beat Asuka… she leans down and picks Dietlinde up, "How's my little girl doing?" Dietlinde smiled up at Asuka. This last week had been… eventful. When I finally got out of the hospital and came back here, Asuka had cooked an entire meal for us… and it was actually pretty good! Then, after the meal, we both sat at Dietlinde's crib as she fell asleep. Sam and Cass had taken a deeper interest in their baby – they even picked out the names. If it's a boy, the name will be Blaze, and if it's a girl, they're naming it Paige. Cass insisted on both of the names being American, but none of us knew why.
"Well, she just got done beating her mother in a game she's never played before," Asuka glared down at me, "I mean… um… what were we talking about?" I nervously chuckle.
"Good boy…" just as Asuka made her cocky comment; we hear a knocking at our door. As always, I was the one to get it and come to see Cass with a slight blush on… that's a rare sight!
"Shinji… can I talk with you… alone?" he glanced back at Asuka with a nervous look. For some reason, I think it has something to do with her!
"Oh! Don't let me disturb you two!" giving me a sarcastic smile, she walks out of the room… like it matters! I knew she'd be listening through the door!
"Okay, what did you need?" he averts his stare to the floor and blushes a little more… what was up with him?
"You obviously have more experience with this…" he reaches in his pocket and pulls out a small black box, "I was going to ask Sam… to marry me… I'm just not too sure on how to do it…" he opened the box to show a diamond set in plain yellow gold.
"Wow… well congratulations!" I try to act surprised, but in reality, I saw that coming a mile away! "When were you planning on asking her?" he puts away the box and finally looks at me.
"I have no idea, that's why I was asking you, when should I ask?" this was coming from an adult?
"Well… I guess just take her out on a date or something, then pop the question. I'm sure you know of at least ONE fancy restaurant, right?" he smiles nervously and scratches the back of his head, "Cass… you're kidding me, right?"
"You were always the one to drive! How am I supposed to know?" because you're eighteen…
"Ugh… here," I grab a piece of paper and jot down an address, "Go there, they're pretty good," he takes it and immediately shoves it in his pocket, "Oh, and try to calm down a little. I know she'll say yes, so don't worry about it," with a pat on the pat, I open the door only to see Asuka come tumbling into the room, ending with her lying on her back with Dietlinde on her chest.
"Um… I was… yeah…" she smirks a little as Cass walks out of the room. I take Dietlinde from her and help her up, "So, our little Cass is growing up, huh? How cute!" even Dietlinde gave her an odd look!
"Asuka, he's older then us, remember?" she just shrugs.
"Yeah well, he doesn't act like it!" she quickly peeks out into the hallway, "So… I say we follow them to that restaurant and watch it! I gotta see her reaction!" now seriously, who didn't see that coming?
"Sure, if you want, but one problem… I don't know when they'll be going. If I just up and ask him, he'll know something is up," truthfully, I DID want to see how Cass was going to do this!
"Oh, don't you worry about that, I'll make sure he does it tonight…" with a small wink, she left the room, leaving me with a very confused baby.
"I… think mommy's finally lost it…" Dietlinde let out a small giggle, "Yeah, I wouldn't recommend mocking Asuka until you're bigger then her… come to think of it, just don't mock her period!" I walk over to the bathroom and start to undress her, "Until mom comes back, how's a bath sound?" this is about the only thing she ever put up a fight with. For some reason, she just didn't like the water. It's not that she would cry and put up a huge fit; it's just that she wouldn't exactly make it easy for either me or Asuka. When I finally get the bathtub full, I slowly set her in, trying to calm her.
"Mmmmm…" she let out a soft whine as she made contact with the water.
"It's okay Dietlinde, calm down," the entire time I was bathing her she put up a fight, ending with my shirt soaking wet… who needed the bath again? Finally fulfilling her wish, I pick Dietlinde up out of the bathtub and dry her off, "Why do you hate the water so much, huh Dietlinde?" I lightly poke her nose, making her smile. When I'm done dressing Dietlinde, I set her in her crib, "You can really make things difficult Dietlinde… just like your mother I guess!" I quickly change my shirt and sit down on the sofa. I wonder what's taking her so long. It's been damn near half an hour… I think she's doing something Cass might regret… I better go check this out. After grabbing Dietlinde out of her crib, I walk out of the room and knock on Cass and Sam's door. When nobody answered, I slightly opened the door and peeked in, "Hello?"
"Oh, Shinji, come on in," was that Asuka? Jesus, what were they doing in there? When I walk in I see Cass laying on the sofa with Sam on the chair, seemingly asleep… what the hell…?
"What happened here?" Asuka lets out a long sigh before talking.
"Well, Cass decided to propose to Sam right now, and I walked in just as she was fainting… she landed on his knee, and I think it broke… how romantic…" if Cass wasn't going to follow my instructions, then why did he ask?
"Hey, it's not my fault that she fainted!" actually, yes it was! "I only asked her right now because she went to hug me and felt the ring box…" but… wasn't the ring in his pocket…? Where was she feeling!
"Well, I take it that she basically said yes, or she wouldn't have reacted like that," his face immediately lit up and he let out a small smile, "But for now, we have to get your leg treated. I'll go get Rits," for some reason, I had a feeling that leaving Asuka with them was a bad idea… nah, she'll be fine. With Dietlinde still in my arms, I walk down the hallway and into Akagi's office, for once not knocking.
"Oh, hi Shinji," she got up and walked over to me, "Let me guess, you have a problem?" she sarcastically smirked.
"Me? No, but Cass has a broken leg, sorry," Ritsuko began to twiddle her fingers above Dietlinde, lightly playing with her. Dietlinde giggled as she tried to grab them.
"So what happened? Did he fall or something?" she sure was taking this lightly! Well, come to think of it, what she's seen in the last three years would basically make her immune to anything at this point!
"No… he proposed to Sam…" she went wide eyed and stopped playing with Dietlinde.
"And she broke his leg! Damn! That's a harsh no!" I busted out laughing. Just thinking of the scenario was hilarious!
"No, she fainted, I think that could be counted as a yes!" she sighs as we begin to walk out of the room.
"Seriously Shinji, you could have worded that better!" we both laugh a little as we make our way to the nurse's office, "Just let me grab a wheelchair and we can go," within five minutes, we were outside of Cass's room. Without bothering to knock, we walk in to see Sam still out cold and Cass still on the chair with Asuka in the chair next to him.
"Sam's still out, huh?" by now, Cass's knee was pretty swollen.
"Yeah… can you get me treated please? This is really starting to hurt!" you'd think that he would want to stay here until Sam woke up… eh, like it matters, the second she wakes up she'll be all over him!
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Sam and Cass's Room - 1 Hour Later
I decided to stay here with Sam while Asuka took Dietlinde back to our room. Surprisingly, Sam still hasn't woken up, but Akagi said that she could be out for the rest of the day. Hopefully not though, the fact that the yes or no is still up for grabs is driving Cass crazy, and frankly, it's doing the same thing to me! I mean, I know that she'll say yes, but that's also how I felt with Asuka. Asuka came pretty damn close to saying no at the baby shower; I think what drove her to say yes was seeing me like that. I'm not saying that she regrets it, but I really wouldn't be that surprised if she would have waited a few more years.
"I guess I'm just one lucky bastard…" just as I said that, I saw Sam starting to sit up, "Oh, you're up," she whips her head over to my direction and sighs.
"Don't do that to me Shinji! You scared the hell out of me!" I chuckle a little.
"Sorry about that… so… um… did you want to talk to Cass?" it's damn near a miracle that she's not out of this room already!
"I guess, why? Is he okay?" does she not remember? "Wait…" there it is! "Did he just… propose to me…?"
"Yeah, you fainted and… kinda broke his leg as you fell…" she blushed a little as she stood up, "Want me to take you to him?" without a word, she nods with a small smile. He is so getting a yes! As we were walking, I swear I could hear her heart pounding… I can't restrain myself… "So… what are you going to say?"
"I… don't know…" what! "I really don't know… he might just be doing this because of the baby…" I stop walking and put my arm out in front of her, making her stop along with me.
"Sam… are you listening to yourself talk? You know he loves you! This has nothing to do with the baby!" I'm serious about this! That almost felt like a personal blow to me! I did the same exact thing with Asuka, and it had nothing to do with Dietlinde!
"Then why did he wait this long to propose?" I see a small tear forming in her eye.
"Maybe he wasn't ready! Are you? Are you ready to be a wife?"
"I don't know… I'm only seventeen… I'm not even an adult yet…" technically, she was. True, in America she is still a child, but in Japan, she's an adult.
"Me and Asuka weren't either. We were just barely driving when we got married!" the tear began to run down her face, "Why are you crying?" She lowers her head and lets a few more tears fall.
"Because I don't want to hurt him…" she once again begins to walk, leaving me confused and worried. Without talking, I followed her into the hospital, "Where is his room?" her voice is monotone, yet harsh at the same time.
"Follow me…" when we were right outside his room, I stop her, "Sam, think about what you're doing here…"
"I have…" she walks in and I follow her. When Cass sees her, he goes pale.
"Hi… Sam…" without a word, she walks to his bedside and hugs him tight. With shaking arms, he hugs her back, "Are… you okay?"
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry Cass…" he goes wide eyed and looks over at me. I simply nod my head, and he becomes white as a ghost. This must be hell for him… I remember how bad it felt to think that Asuka said no, but to actually LIVE it…
"Sam…?" she nods her head.
"No… I'm sorry… no…"
A/N- Uh oh… Cass got a no… man that has to suck. Well, he'll hopefully get over it. I mean, Shinji had a gun held to his head by his wife before! Anyway, how do you think he'll react to the reject? Are they still even dating? Find out in the next chapter; A Little Talk, until then, keep on keeping on!