"What are you reading, Baka?" Asuka asked him absently as she sat down on the couch, next to the reading Third Child. Shinji didn't answer but turned the book so Asuka could see the title.

"That one? I've read it ages ago. You see, I really could identify with Petra, until I saw how she buckled under pressure! I can get through anything I want! Unlike you, sissy-boy."

"I thought Ender would be your ideal," Shinji said, ignoring the jab at him. It would be pointless arguing with Asuka about anything regarding her intelligence, skills, beauty, etc. 'Or mine' he thought absently. "With him being a hyper-competent hero everyone has high hopes for."

"Nah, I don't get why he's been so upset about killing the buggers." She said, not noticing that she had an actual civil conversation with her roommate. "They deserved what they got and besides, payback is a bitch. Ender just got all whiny for doing his job."

"Yes, but he was that way because he finally understood how they were thinking. Could we not do the same? I mean understanding the angels, why they attack... what their weaknesses are?" He added, trying to sound like a proper soldier so the redhead wouldn't accuse him being a coward. Again.

"Who cares as long as I have my EVA?" She asked in her 'I'm better than you' tone.

'Yeah, right. Without all three EVA's we could not have defeated the tenth angel, yet you make it sound like you did all the work.' he thought but refrained from voicing his misgivings. 'Damn it, my arms still hurt.' He rubbed his arms remembering what it felt like to catch the 30 metric tons of falling angel in the EVA's hands.

"Oooh, look," she said as she noticed something in the soap they were watching, "that guy looks like Kaji. A bit less manly, but..."

Shinji simply tuned out the rambling of the lovestruck girl as he read his book. There were many interesting points. The angels didn't seem to have any method for communicating with them and so they couldn't ask mankind why they were trying to stop them. Ultimately, they were in a similar situation with humans as humans where with them.

But even so, unlike the buggers, who never wanted to do a third invasion and did the previous ones out an honest mistake, the angels did want to start Third Impact. That was the main difference, he decided. What good it is to understand them, if they still have goals that would kill all humans?

"...don't you think so?" Asuka asked. Shinji was suddenly aware that the redhead expected an answer from him.

"You're right, I guess." A safe answer that would guarantee that he wouldn't be abused anymore.

"So you think that Rei's a stupid and ugly doll?" Or not.

"What?"

"You said I'm right. Or were you not listening and just answered so I would not notice you ignored me?"

"Uhhh..."

"Smart answer, Baka, it really suits you." she said staring at his fellow pilot with a frown.

"Did you read it?"

"Yes. Twice."

"So? What do you think?"

"I think I got the most of it. The angels and the buggers are similar because we cannot communicate with them. They're also different, because the buggers didn't want to invade, but the angels want Third Impact." It sounded a bit rehearsed to Shinji because he wasn't completely convinced about that last part. But in the end he had to concede that the angels really did attack and they did a lot of damage. Besides, Dr. Akagi told him to trust NERV. 'Then why do I doubt you so much?' he asked the blonde doctor in his mind.

"That's correct. Even if we could communicate with them, it would be guaranteed that they'd have goals conflicting with ours. And we only want to survive." Shinji wondered if NERV and the IF had the same justification and rationalization. That the buggers attacked first therefore they want to continue the invasion for their own alien reasons.

"So it would be pointless?" Clearly Dr. Akagi wasn't thinking along the same lines as he was. Trying to understand people has never been easy for him, but he understood that the scientist didn't think that there would be any practical means for communication devised during the war. And even if they had a way to talk, would anyone be willing to communicate with them and trust the angels to not destroy the world? Especially after Second Impact?

"Maybe, maybe not." She answered him, mainly to end his line of question. "But there is also a personal message for you too."

"What? Like a note for me in it?"

Ritsuko laughed a bit at his misunderstanding. "No, I meant the situation the protagonist was in. Do you recognize it?"

"Not really." Shinji said. The teens self-worth was too low to even consider the analogies between Ender and himself.

"You face a similar situation. Everyone expects you to be a soldier and fight for mankind, yet you are still a kid. You should be at home, getting ready for high-school and college eventually, not taking on such a burden."

Shinji didn't think he had much to look forward in his life. Effectively being an orphan he did not have the same options as those around him. He thought that such things as a family would be for other people. He couldn't imagine what it was to be loved unconditionally. This saddened the young man a lot.

"But such is the world." Ritsuko continued. "You have to grow up fast, otherwise we're all screwed. It might be harsh, but you three pilots are our only hopes. Do you understand?"

"I think so."

"So, did you like it?"

"Yes, it was very interesting. Thank you." He bowed to the doctor and then stepped in front of her desk to hand the book back.

"Keep it." She said and smiled at the boy. "You might get more out of it. Re-read it a bit later, when you've thought about the themes more."

"T-thank you, but I don't want to impose..."

"Nonsense! I've read it a million times, I could recite the whole thing for you."

"What was the message for you?"

"Believe it or not, I faced a similar situation. My mother wanted me to eventually continue her work, so I was learning how to solve differential equations before I even went to school. She never asked me if I wanted to. But I was lucky, because it just happened to be my true calling. You could say I do this because I can."

The thought of doing something just for it's own sake was an alien feeling to the boy, so he nodded, and went on his way.

Tuesday morning found Shinji walking to school alone. Asuka said she had to take care of something and left before the boy. He felt alone walking by himself without the redhead. During the months she had arrived the morning walk together was becoming a tradition between the two, which the boy secretly liked very much.

The book, a present from a person he didn't think liked him enough to give one was in his backpack. He liked the book and the characters. He had to admit that he admired Ender a lot. Unlike him, the super-genius boy faced the challenges until the very end with confidence and skills he lacked.

He just wanted this war to end and maybe ask Misato if she would keep him. 'God, it's like I'm her pet.' He couldn't imagine why she would want to keep him around otherwise. There would be no more reason for it. But he didn't really want to go back to Sendai to his teacher. The old man was never cruel or callous, but he barely gave him any thought.

"Heya, Shin-man!" Touji, his friend greeted him, making Shinji realize that maybe he didn't have it so bad. He was sure that the boy hung out with him because he was still feeling guilty about attacking the pilot for a misunderstanding. And Kensuke really just wanted the latest info and gossip about the enigmatic giant robots. But he was grateful for that they were at least trying. "Why so depressed?"

"Yeah, you should be proud, you're a Pilot. Man, I wish I was chosen. Sure you cannot help?" Kensuke began his usual tirade he gave every time they met before the school. It had become a routine occurrence between the two boys. Shinji would just mumble something in reply about not having any influence.

"Leave him alone, ya damn geek." Touji said, much to the appreciation of his other friend. "So, how's Misato? I cannot believe that ya got to live with such a gorgeous babe." 'Ah, so that's why he stood up for me!' Shinji thought wryly.

"Well, uhmm..." He wasn't sure how to answer.

"Mister Hotshot doesn't care because he already has Ayanami. Bet you're getting very chummy with the Ice Queen of Tokyo-3, ya sly dog!" Touji liked teasing his friend who he was sure had a thing for the blue-haired enigma. "Why are ya looking at me like that?"

"Ikari-kun." The aforementioned girl greeted them stepping forward from behind Touji.

"H-hi, Ayanami-san." Shinji replied to the greeting.

The jock was about to defend himself before he would get hit, but Rei simply continued to walk without further acknowledgement of the boys. 'Man, creepy.' The jock thought. 'And she only greets him, but he doesn't see it?'

When the girl left, Shinji continued where they've left off "It's not like that. I barely know her." That wasn't really true, but he didn't want to tell them about the tender moment they shared when they defeated the fifth angel. Or just how much he cherished it.

"You got further with her than anyone else." Kensuke said mildly irritated.

While he was over it, a few weeks before Shinji got to Tokyo-3 he tried to ask the girl out. She only looked at him, without saying anything then looked away. Laughter soon erupted from the class. Later one of his classmates explained that all boys trying to ask her out got the same treatment from the Ice Queen of Tokyo-3 so he shouldn't take it personally. And before he could ask an obvious question, he said that the one girl who did the same wasn't treated any better.

"Well, I work with her."

"Ah, leave 'im be, Shinji's dense when it comes to girls."

Shinji felt a bit annoyed at the assumption. While he liked his friends sometimes he wondered if they understood anything about him. Feeling a bit more confident, he asked Touji, "So I take it you finally noticed the girl who likes you." He didn't have to be much observant to notice Hikari's infatuation with the boy.

"What?" Touji was looking around, curiously missing a certain brunette. "Where?"

"You cannot figure it out for yourself, Mister Suave?" Kensuke asked, reaching the conclusion Shinji had a lot earlier. Early as in sixth grade.

"Don't tell me it's the Devil. I mean she's got a killer body, but come on. Her personality could make milk go sour." Touji failed to miss the look on his friends face that mirrored the look they had a few minutes ago.

"Is that so?"

Shinji and Kensuke, long-time recipients for the redheads ire (for different reasons) started to implement the proper response for situations like this and bravely ran away. They could hear Asuka scream at the cowering jock, but he deserved it, being so careless twice a day.

"Uhmm... Kensuke?"

"Yes?"

"He really did deserve that, didn't he?"

"Yes. Now let's hurry or she'll notice us." Kensuke said even if he had a hard time keeping up with Shinji's pace.

Class went by and Shinji continued to wonder about communication. The problem with the angels was getting his attention more and more. He liked the mystery, at least from a theoretical perspective. Fighting them on a regular basis wasn't as fun as Kensuke imagined, but the problem itself was interesting.

'How differently do they think from us?' He thought. 'Ritsuko said that they are similar in a lot of things, but that doesn't mean anything. I can barely understand pre-Impact culture even if the people then were almost exactly the same as people are now. Even understanding my friends is pretty hard.'

The elderly teacher continued to drone on about how Impact changed the world. It was barely coherent, he wondered what anyone could learn from him. At first Shinji was amazed that anyone would let such a broken and senile old man teach, but later he found out that he had to be recalled from retirement. A lot of the teachers went away when the shooting started.

But lately he started to understand that the Impact, the following wars and the culture shock of the changes in the last fifteen years left the man in a sorry state. He didn't have a family anymore, his loved ones dying during the Impact Wars. And now he had to teach again. The principal has guilt-tripped him into coming back, citing reasons such as honor and duty. Shinji felt sorry for old man and tried his best to show respect for the old man so many others forgot. Unbeknown to Shinji, the old man liked the young boy for that.

Eventually the lecture ended, but the boy was so preoccupied with his musings that he didn't notice the bells that signaled the end of the school day. His reverie was broken by Kensuke slapping him in the back making him jump in surprise.

"Hey, do you want to hang out? Maybe go to the arcade?" The otaku asked.

"I can't. I have to go home and make dinner for Asuka and Misato. Then I have to clean the apartment."

"Man, Asuka was right. You are housebroken."

"So?" He didn't get why it was such a big deal. He actually liked housework, made him feel useful when not fighting angels. And he knew that he'd drown in filth if the two beautiful slobs were tasked with cleaning. And it was better not to think about Misato's cooking. He was about to ask Dr. Akagi if they could use it against the angels, but she'd probably tell him that it would be too cruel.

"I mean an EVA pilot shouldn't do such menial jobs. Isn't that what Asuka used to say?"

"I don't mind. I actually like cooking and working with my hands." Shinji stated, looking the other boy in the eyes. "Gives me time to clear my head. Besides, both of them are a lot nicer after a good meal, and I have a lot to thank for Misato."

"If you say so."

"I do. Hmm... Kensuke, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Do you know the book Ender's Game?"

"Yeah." The bespectacled boy said. "It's one of my favorites. I mean, how cool it would be to have a school where you'd be trained to become a General of a big war, being the sole hope for survival." Kensuke then remembered who he was speaking to. "But you are already that way, aren't you?"

"Not really. I'm not a super-genius, nor a General and Asuka would kill you if she heard you say 'sole hope.' Besides I'm just a Second Lieutenant in name only." Shinji said, not really liking where Kensuke was heading. The boy had a penchant to change the topic so it would be about the EVAs. His last statement made his friends eyes go wider, making Shinji realize why he never mentioned that last bit of information before.

"WOW! You are a Lieutenant? They commissioned you?" The boy asked, drawing a lot more attention and making a few people turn their way. While none of them where as enthusiastic as Kensuke Aida was, they found the fact that three of their classmates were EVA pilots and officers of NERV interesting.

While the German exchange student was more than happy to talk about herself, the other two pilots, Ikari and Ayanami were hard to get to know. Aside from Aida, Suzuhara and the other pilots, the boy had no other friends. While a lot of girls and a few boys were interested in him, after realizing just how little confidence he had and how little he interacted, his celebrity status slowly faded away. For a hero he was boring.

"IN NAME ONLY!" Shinji was cursing himself for revealing his 'rank.' If they knew how much he made as a pilot, not including hazard pay they'd never leave him alone. Of course, 75 percent of that payment went into an account that he would gain access to after he turned 18. The old man made sure he didn't squander away his good fortune. But even so, the quarter of the pay he was getting was pretty substantial. Especially for someone not used to having a disposable income.

"Leave him alone, Kensuke." An irate Hikari told the boy. Asuka made it clear that most things about NERV are top-secret but Shinji would reveal them if 'interrogated' long enough. So in a somewhat uncharacteristic move she asked the always prim and proper class representative to help Shinji out in such situations.

She was happy to oblige. While she didn't like Shinji the same way as she liked Touji, the boy was polite and soft spoken, which got some mild attention from the young class representative. 'And he's cute too' she thought. 'Too bad he had been broken in by Asuka and the Major.'

Major Katsuragi, officer of the UN Provisional Army, 22nd Infantry Division, tactical genius and overall unconventional thinker moaned in delight thanks to a certain young boy. After living on instant meals for who knows how long the homemade meals of her ward felt like heaven. She was so distracted that she didn't notice the two teenagers looking at her with a shared smile.

"What?" She asked, when she finally noticed.

"Someone is in a good mood." said Asuka.

'My Ikari-senses are tingling!' Shinji, with a flash of insight realized that the teasing scheduled for today was about to begin in 3... 2... 1...

"Well," Misato replied, "you have to admit, the food was delightful. Plus, he does look kind of cute in that apron."

The aforementioned apron was pink and had 'Kiss the cook' written on it in English. It was Misato's present after he defeated the fifth angel. While he didn't like pink and the fact that the 'i' was dotted with a cute heart made his masculinity recede further he liked the sentiment. That didn't mean the two women weren't going to tease him.

"Give him a spine and make him look a bit more like Kaji and he'd be the perfect boyfriend." Asuka replied. Shinji just rolled his eyes at that statement, but said nothing. The redhead was in good mood, she barely insulted him. He had to admit that after Asuka had eaten, she was much nicer. And she also kind of complimented him.

"Better snatch him now while he's free, or someone'll beat you to the punch." Misato said with a smile, making both teens blush. "Maybe it'll be me when he gets a little older."

"W-why would I want the Baka?" Asuka shouted. "He's just a damn perv! I bet he'd just love to violate my young and innocent body!"

'So much for peace. Gee, thanks Misato!' He was sure she didn't mean to upset anyone but she destroyed the status quo he was enjoying so much.

"Oh, don't be in such a denial." Misato wagged her fingers at Asuka with a teasing smile. "The lady does protest too much."

"Gah! And you're supposed to be our guardian?" Asuka was ready to turn the table on Misato, which was Shinji's cue to escape. He inched away from the potential disaster, and went into his room. He heard Asuka continue her attack. "I bet Shinji is secretly your guardian. You don't seem to do much around here."

"Hey! You're no better, you mooch! When did you..." Shinji managed to pull his headphones on after deciding that today he required something loud. Classical music wouldn't do much to tune the argument out, but metal was.

A/N: So, what did you think? Next chapter the plot will move ahead, I promise. I was going to publish new chapters each Sunday around midnight (CET) but I already have some buffer so I decided to put it out there now. The next update will probably come somewhere on the weekend.

This is my first real attempt at writing a longer story (I always liked short, to the point stories) with plot and characterization so any constructive criticism would be much welcome. Oh, and I realized how much I like writing Omake's. It's the perfect place to dump some silly things or parts of the story that were cut because it didn't fit but was too good to give up.

Cheers!

Omake

"Shinji," Misato said as they stood before the purple giant. "You're our only hope. No one else can do it."

"O-okay. I-I'll do i-it!" The boy was nearly crying.

"You must defeat the angel... with this banana."

"WHAT?" Shinji cried out, almost jumping off from his bed.

"Shut up!" He heard a shrill voice. "I'm trying to get my beauty sleep."

"Sorry."