+++++ Ikari Manor. Sunday, +19.

Shinji was feeling energized after engaging in a style of lovemaking that he'd not before participated in. He'd tucked Sakura in, as his partner had fallen asleep hard, and made sure her wheelchair was where she could get into it easily before jogging back down the stairs towards the first floor. His day had shown no signs of going poorly yet, and after he and Skuld had spoken with one another everything kept rising.

"Shinji?" Hikari was standing at the front door, pausing as he reached the top of the stairs leading down into the foyer. "How are you feeling?"

Making quick progress down the steps, he stopped and sat down on one that allowed him to be of a height with his Class Rep-slash-crewmate. "To be honest? Frustrated, confused, overwhelmed…but also like life couldn't possibly be much better." He made a vague gesture along her body. "I'm living with women that could pick anyone they wanted without fear of rejection, in a house bigger than our school, with nearly thirteen trillion Yen in one of the kami only knows how many accounts…I'm just…."

Leaning forward, she kissed him lightly before standing up with a bright smile. "I was going to go take a walk, try to clear my head some after arguing with Amano about her need to visit a doctor. Want to come?"

Despite his already active morning, he found that the idea sounded welcoming. "Sure." Gaining his feet, he held the door open for her with an ostentatious bow. "After you, most honored of all Class Representatives."

Hikari's laugh was the sound of silvery bells ringing, slowly dying down to contented chuckling as she took his arm and set their course away from the lake. "Let's go to the farm plots. I want to get a good idea of their size so that I can wrangle together what we'll need."

Unaware that he now also had farmland, Shinji let it go for the more important question, "What's wrong with Amano?"

"She has had untreated low blood pressure, apparently for years," Hikari scoffed. "I don't know why her father hasn't pushed her towards the hospital, but it could be a sign of something easily fixable. If we can fix her blood pressure, we can start working on her focus during class. If she wants to be a journalist, she needs to be able to problem solve at any time of day, not just after eleven in the morning."

"Hmm…ok." It made sense, and wasn't something he needed to do anything about. Friendships were growing without his intervention, which was all that mattered. "What are we going to grow?"

"Carrots, potatoes, radishes, cabbages, watermelons, all sorts of stuff." Whirling a finger around in the air, she indicated a broad expanse of space. "We're going to be doing tiered farming, eventually, in order to make sure that we have an adequate supply of food if things go weird. Between Karin-no-ki, Mizuho-no-ki, and Jishin-no-ki nothing is going to be able to threaten the immediate area, even the Adamites. If Sasami-chan gets better, Tsunami-no-ki would also be able to shield us. Right now, we have more firepower available than entire galactic clusters."

He let out a sigh of frustration, thinking of the strange Ma'at's visit. "Maybe they can keep unwanted guests off the lawn." Coming across the start of the freshly tilled strips of land, he grew awed at their size when he noted that they extended well past his field of vision. "How…how big is this place?"

"Little over twenty square kilometers," Hikari answered without any specific emphasis. "Minus the lake, of course. She's her own plot of land, technically, though you own the rights to its use. We need…give or take, a half a hectare of farmland per person. That's why we're starting small and scaling from there, so we don't completely deprive the soil of nutrients and leave nothing for future rotation." Pointing towards the north, she added, "That way."

A walking path had been left between two rows of what would eventually become vegetable gardens, giving them something to use without dirtying their shoes. Shinji tried several times to mentally grasp the size of twenty kilometers as a linear measurement, and found himself coming up empty. "How…uh, how long is a kilometer?"

"Two and a half laps around the track at school." Pulling him to a stop next to what would soon be an irrigation ditch, Hikari crouched down and started to draw in the dirt with one finger. "Ok, so a 'square kilometer' is a square," she drew a perfect square, "that is one kilometer on each side. Now, you can have a square kilometer of area," she drew a rectangle of equal proportion with half the base but double the height, "that is not a square but is equivalent in area to a square kilometer."

Squatted down next to her, Shinji nodded along, recognizing some of what Washu had tried to impart one evening. "Ok…yeah. The area is the stuff inside, and so long as the stuff inside is the same size, the container it's in can be any kind of shape it wants."

"More or less, yeah," she encouraged him. "Now, the area our house is on is equal to twenty of these," she tapped the first square she'd drawn, "but in this shape." Drawing the dimensions out, she added on Lake Ashi at the end. "As you can see, it's longer than it is wide, but like you said the land is the same size. Now," she scooped some more earth atop the map, "that's only if you look at it from above and measure the boundaries as flat lines. It's actually," she molded hills and valleys, adding in a few lines for the waterways that extended out beyond the lake, "more than twenty square kilometers of land because of the surface area not being flat."

Reaching over and tracing the upper boundary, he frowned as a thought tried to form itself in his mind. "Is that line actually straight? What divided it over," he stretched, attempting to point to the northeastern corner and losing his balance as the paving stone he was resting on shifted beneath him, "there?!" Despite Hikari's best efforts at preventing his fall, he began to roll forward down into the trench. Because of Hikari's efforts at preventing his fall, she joined him in tumbling down to the bottom only to land beneath him, sheltered beneath his body against the loose debris rolling after. Mortified at first that he'd lost his balance, and terrified that Hikari had been harmed, Shinji was not prepared for her to start laughing and could only make 'confused Shinji sounds'.

With him between her legs, her arms around his torso, his weight laying against her, and the scent of freshly-turned earth adding a heady mixture, Hikari was able to stifle her laughter enough to take advantage of the situation. "Well, I was going to try and trip you into the shed further up…but I'm enough of an exhibitionist to take what I can get."

"I-I…I…what?" Further questions were cut off by her pressing her lips to his. The fear of her being hurt was gradually replaced with a need for her touch. Once she broke their kiss to smirk triumphantly at him, he asked, "What's an…exhibitionist?"

In a throaty purr, she explained, "It means I get off on knowing people might find me fucking the man I love. How about we give them a show, hmm?"

+++++ Ikari Manor. Sunday, +19.

Once more descending the stairs after showering, with Hikari now asleep next to Sakura in his bed, Shinji wasn't surprised to find himself encountering Rei partway to his destination. "Hey," he greeted her with a mixture of regret and hopefulness, "how…uh, how's it going?"

"I have been filled with concern and trepidation after our failed excursion to the horticultural exhibit." Speaking with what seemed to be forced calm, Rei looked Shinji up and down to verify that he wasn't hurt. "I am uncertain as to when, or how, I should approach you to offer my assistance, or simply my presence."

Coughing out a relieved laugh, Shinji motioned an apology. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…uh," he chuckled again, "I'm not laughing at you. You just said exactly what I think every moment of every day. I have no idea when I'm supposed to be anywhere, or do anything, or just…you know, not be present all the time in hopes that I can help." Gesturing down towards the kitchen, he took a risk, "I was going to go get something to eat. Did you want to come to the kitchen with me?"

"That would be acceptable." Turning about, she paced him down the stairs. "I am afraid I do not have a vast array of knowledge with regards to culinary exercises, but I am eager to learn."

"Again, that makes two of us." He scrubbed his hair with a rueful grin. "I wasn't taught how to make much, or…anything, really. Toast, rice, and a glass of water. Considering what I've eaten since I got here, though, I can probably at least slap a sandwich together if we have stuff to put in it."

A miniscule frown adorned Rei's lips. "That is not acceptable at all. I do not understand why the commander allowed you to live in such deplorable circumstances."

"At the risk of sounding like I only know one sentence, again…that makes two of us." Reaching the hall and moving into the kitchen, he shrugged. "But that's the past. I'm not there anymore…and I'm not going back."

"No, you will not," she agreed. Opening the refrigerator door, she looked at the wide variety of items inside and began to dismiss those she would not eat. "I am a vegetarian, out of necessity. I do not eat meat, but I will not-"

"No, no," Shinji asserted quickly, "no, it's ok. I had meat for the first time a week or so ago. Everything's new to me, so let's find something we can both enjoy." Bending down at the waist to look through everything, he began to tug out all of the raw vegetables. "I have no idea what some of these are, but if they're in here I have to assume they won't kill us. How about we…uh, oh," he saw a knife attached to a magnetized board on the wall, "great. We can try these, see what's what, and maybe make something out of them?"

The simple suggestion of sharing his time, of sharing his new discoveries, of working together to make something, brought the fluttering sensation back to Rei's stomach. "I believe I would enjoy that."

"Great!" Putting the last few things on the counter, he closed the refrigerator and rubbed his hands together. "Ok, first step I think is to wash what we're going to eat. If you cut off some, I'll wash it in the sink." Moving over to the cabinets, he searched for plates. "Teamwork."

Choosing to start with what she knew would be likely to go into a salad, Rei found the cutting board she'd used the day before and a strainer. "I will be chopping this up to make the base of our meal." Easily working a cleaver through the lettuce, she then scraped it into the strainer and handed it to him. "Do not be afraid to use your hands to work the water through the shreds, I have no doubt of your hygiene."

He set the strainer aside, then turned the water on to wash his hands again. "I just showered, but I want to be careful so…one sec." Working the soap into his fingers and fingernails, he grinned over at his fellow pilot. "But I appreciate that you trust me."

A light blush grew on her cheeks. "Do you prefer carrots shredded or diced?"

"Your choice," he encouraged her. "The only carrot I've tried was…uh…." Turning off the water and drying his hands quickly, he set his fingers apart a few centimeters. "About this long, and cut into a rectangular boxy shape." Going back to the sink, he washed off the lettuce thoroughly.

Choosing to dice the carrots, she set aside the cleaver and pulled a santoku knife down. "I understand." The dicing was done with similar rapidity to the lettuce. "Have you tasted broccoli before?"

"Err, no…which one is that?" He watched her tap the green floret with the knife, nodding. "Nope. Never had it. Looks green."

"It has a mildly sulfuric taste when prepared, but raw it has a different flavor." Taking one stalk off the floret, she then split the head in two and took the stalk off. "Most prefer not to eat the stalks." Picking up a reasonable piece, she offered it to him in expectation of him taking it from her with his fingers. When, instead, he set his lips around it and kissed the tip of her finger as he pulled it from her grasp, she felt the fluttering sensation go into a higher speed.

Chewing thoughtfully, he nodded in approval. "Ok, it's a bit weird…but it's not bad. I say we include it."

"Yes." If she said more, she was certain it would come across in a way that her research had indicated would be unpleasant for Shinji. Plucking a radish from the pile, she held it where he would see it and left the question unspoken.

"That's…that's a radish, right? Kind of, uh…damn, what was the word…."

"Sharp."

"Yeah, that. I like those, what about you?"

There was no monosyllabic response that would not come across as socially inept, forcing her to use more than one word instead, "I enjoy them." Moving to prepare the root vegetable, she forced her breathing to even out…without much success.

"Are you ok?" Noticing her features becoming flush, and her increasingly laconic responses, Shinji did what he thought best and simply asked what he was thinking. "If you don't like what I like, or if you'd rather not-" Unaware that his focus on her and her desires was the reason for her 'troubles', he sucked in air through his teeth as the distraction he'd caused had forced her into an error with the knife that resulted in a cut along her finger. "Shit!" Disarming her without thought, he bodily moved her over to the sink and stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her shoulders as he washed out the wound. "Shit, I'm sorry. Are you ok? Does it hurt bad?"

Being pressed between him and the sink, with the more 'interesting' portions of their respective anatomy aligned in a most pleasing manner, serving as the total focus of all of his attention, Rei began to shudder with a nigh-unrestrainable joy. "Shinji." She had to be careful. She couldn't scare him off. "This is not the first time I have injured myself with a knife. When I was instructed in hand-to-hand combat, I received more than one wound." Feeling the pressure ease up behind her, she shifted her weight and pulled him close again. "Please…do not cease your aid. I…am enjoying being held."

The blood he'd been coaxing out of her wound had slowly stopped flowing, her finger healing with a very unnatural speed. Part of him was aware that she was asking him to hold her, and that part simply acknowledged that hugs were awesome and remained where he'd been requested. The other parts, the parts that were curious about the oddities that made up this confounding young woman between him and the sink, once more spoke up without forethought. "You heal pretty quick. I remember Ueno-san cutting himself with the scissors last week, he's still wearing a bandage." Turning off the water, he turned her hand around to inspect the now all but completely healed injury. "Huh."

Her mood crashed hard. Unaware that his comment had simply been an observation, and not a commentary, she pulled a trick from his own book. "I am sorry."

"Eh? No, no, accidents happen, right?" Misreading her self-doubts as a fear that she'd upset him by cutting herself, he set both arms around her in a warm hug. "It's like you were trying to teach me, you can't blame yourself for mistakes or accidents. You probably wouldn't have cut yourself if I wasn't yammering away at you while you were using a knife!"

Confusion reigned in the House of Ayanami. "You do not mind my eccentricities?"

The word lost him completely. "Your what now?"

"My unnatural nature," she coached him quietly.

With a harsh laugh, Shinji shook his head. "Yeah, because I'm the most normal man alive." Stepping back from the hug, he turned her around to hold her hands with confidence. "If the strangest thing about you is that I don't have to worry about you having a papercut for too long, I'd say that everything is just fine. I…well, I know you're not like other women. I don't know why, and it's not that important to me anyway. You're you, and I like you, so that means that I would say I do not mind your…eccent…those thingies."

Unaware of their presence, tears began to grow in her eyes. Her face never betrayed either the joy or the sorrow that were combining inside of her, and her voice never quavered once, "I am glad." Squeezing his hands tight, she swore to them both, "When I understand myself enough to explain, I promise that I will share that knowledge with you. For now, let us resume."

+++++ Ikari Manor. Sunday, +19.

The sky was overcast with broad, empty, clouds lazily drifting from horizon to horizon. Sitting outside at a table in the inner courtyard, Shinji was taking the time to do some independent studying after having spent the morning engaged in other pursuits. With two netbooks, one for looking up information on the MAGInet that would help explain the arcane symbols displayed on the school netbook, he was very carefully piecing his way through a physics problem that involved a concept he'd never considered. The sound of another chair being pulled out at the table caught his attention, and he looked over to see Ritsuko sitting down with a look of curiosity and interest. "Oh, good afternoon!" His day couldn't help but be brightened by a visit from her, a fact he didn't bother to hide. "I didn't know you were visiting today, but I'm glad you're here."

"Shinji," she smirked, "I never left after our dinner. I worked remotely through my tablet, then stayed in Maya's room and talked with her. I haven't been back to my apartment."

"Oh." His mood dimmed some, knowing that he'd simply not noticed someone important to him. "I'm sorry, I should have…I don't know, guh…." Laying his head back, he stared up at the clouds. "So much is happening. Every day, there's another insane twist to my life. I'm sorry."

"That's actually why I came out here to talk," her voice carried with it sympathy and understanding. "I get the feeling that you might need a little help, and that if I asked nicely, you might even be willing to compromise."

Lolling his head to the side, he looked at her with one eyebrow cocked. "I think I need more than a little help." Grinning after Ritsuko laughed, he sat upright and sighed to expunge the negativity from him. "Ok, what can I do to help you, then? What do you want me to compromise on?"

"We both have things we want," she said, spreading her hands out. "You want to protect everyone, I…would like to experience validation of my work from those who would be my peers. You have no use for 'soft power', which is the ability to influence others without resorting to physically forcing the issue, I happen to need that power very much in order to overcome certain…barriers. You want me," she laid her hand atop his, "I want you. We both have conditions to our mutual desire, and that's where I want us to try compromising."

Shinji nodded slowly, processing what she'd said. "Ok…but what do you want me to compromise on? You still haven't told me."

"…Have I ever told you how adorable you can be?" She sighed out a laugh. "If you and I agree to the brand of exclusivity that Maya has been briefing me on, I want to hyphenate my last name. I know that it's-" She paused as he lifted the hand she wasn't holding. "Hmm?"

"What's hyphenate?"

"It means to connect two words with a short dash. Like this," using her free hand, she typed 'Akagi-Ikari' on one of the netbooks, "see?"

"Oh. Uh…ok." He frowned, now thoroughly confused. "Why would I have a problem with you doing that?"

"Because many men feel it diminishes their status to have a woman retain her own last name as part of her standing in the world."

"…Is this one of those things that I'll understand better when I've had more time out in the world?"

"Probably."

"So, what else?"

"You will never use your influence to further my work. If anyone ever comes to you to speak about something I am taking part in, you will direct them to me." She patted his hand. "I know that may seem instinctual to you, that you wouldn't know the faintest thing about what my work entails so you would send them to me instead, but later on when you start to reach your potential it might seem 'nice' to do a 'favor' for me. Please, do not."

Another slow nod, this time paired with a deeper frown. "But…shouldn't I offer my help to you?"

"To me, whenever you want. But only to me. Don't 'surprise me', do you see?"

His frown reversed, understanding blossoming. "Oh…ok, that makes sense. It's like if I want to puzzle something out for myself at school, because I think I'm on the edge of getting it. I don't want someone just barging in and ruining what I'm doing thinking they're helpful."

"Exactly. I have worked my entire life to stand on my own merits as a scientist. It may be immodest, but I'm easily among the most elite researchers on Earth." She smiled wanly, knowing that he would be enthusiastic if she was in the top three hundred, instead of the top three as she was. "I want to succeed or fail on my own terms, without anyone paving my path. But I also want everyone to know that I have the love of a young man, with his own storied name, that has accepted me as an equal. A peer in his own accomplished history."

He shrugged one shoulder, shaking his head. "I really don't care why you want to, if that's what you want then that's what I'll make happen. If it's important to you, it's important to me."

"No," she chided him, "that's not how we are going to live. Your needs, your wants, will matter. It's ok to want people to know that I'm with you. It's ok that you'd want to help me. It's ok for you to want something from me in exchange for you giving me something that I value."

"Why? I mean, I'm glad you're ok with people knowing we're together. But why would I ask for something from you when I give you something? I get your affection, your time, your attention…that's enough for me."

"Because of the same reason I don't want you 'helping me' without talking to me, I will not let you just give me everything." Growing frustrated, she understood that what she was dealing with was based entirely around the concept of self-sacrifice he'd been raised with, and she began to struggle to find a way to help him understand. "I'm not asking for our relationship to be transactional," this time she raised her hand to pause, "that means that everything is 'this for that' and nothing is given simply to be a gift. I want spontaneity. I want us to just randomly be nice to each other with little things from the heart. What I don't want is for you to be seen as some…demented reverse sugar daddy. I want people to know that I am valued by you for more than my body or mind. That you value me, and that I in turn give you a reason to be valued."

"I…I don't understand." He shrugged helplessly. "I mean, I'm ok with it, because it…sounds like you know what you're saying. Maybe, uh…maybe we could just try it for a while, and if I fuck up you help me understand how I-" Misato's ringtone interrupted him, a momentary fear that an Angel was attacking causing him to rapidly fumble for the phone. Hitting 'answer' before Ritsuko could interject, he put it on speakerphone and asked, "Is everything ok?"

"Huh?" Misato made a 'psh' sound. "Shinji, I hope you don't think I'll only ever call you because you need to pilot. 'More than friends', remember?" After a soft laugh, she continued, "I was just calling to ask if you needed me to pick you up for dinner tonight?"

Ritsuko saw the blank and confused look on Shinji's face. While it was not impossible in her mind that he had forgotten a dinner date, it was also not inconceivable that her best friend had made arrangements without including him. "Misato, I believe Shinji is a bit confused as to what to do right now. I had actually just been inviting him to spend the evening with me, and your call has him on the spot. How about he and I come over, and we make it a threesome?"

"Oh, hey Rits! You can come too, but only if you agree not to bellyache about what we're eating. I'm not having any of that fancy crap in my apartment." There was something about her tone that caused Shinji to worry, as it seemed she might be upset about something. "I was also going to show him some of my favorite movies, since he missed out on them growing up."

"I'm sure I can stomach your terrible kung fu films for an evening to get to spend time with my best friend. How about Shinji and I stop on the way to pick up a pizza to go with everything you have planned, my treat?"

There was a lengthy pause. "Make it four-meat, and you have a deal."

"Only for you, dear," Ritsuko retorted sweetly. "We'll be over in an hour or so, ok?" After an exchange of pleasantries, she hung up Shinji's phone and looked at him seriously. "I am not jealous of you spending time with other women in this house. I have already received overtures from three myself, which I must admit did help me come around. I am asking you, as a personal favor, to be very careful around Misato. She…has a history of being extremely self-destructive around men. If you are interested in her, and you think that we might be able to find a place for her here, I ask that you talk to me about it, ok?"

He blinked rapidly, the changes too fast for him to think through easily. "I…uhm…I don't think she's…I mean…."

Realizing her mistake, Ritsuko stood up and helped him to his feet. Her hope that by walking with him a bit she might break the mental loop he'd become stuck in. "I don't know if she's interested in you as more than an attractive young man she might seduce. I do know that historically she hasn't made the best decisions with potential relationships. I am not trying to sabotage her, or you, because I think it's a good idea for her to have a friend like you. If that friendship suddenly starts looking like it might be more, that's when I'd like to talk to you first. Help both of my best friends not hurt each other or themselves."

"O-ok…ok, that makes sense." Shaking himself, he scowled ahead of them. "I doubt she's interested in me, though. I mean, I tried to connect to Soryu, and she drives me up a damn wall. Misato's just, you know…being a leader."

"We'll see."

+++++ Katsuragi Apartment. Sunday, +19.

Carrying the pizza and the drinks in his hands, Shinji allowed Ritsuko to press the door call button. With his mind still processing everything Ritsuko had asked of him, he stared absently over the railing leading down to the street below. He could feel the eyes of the various Juraian Defense Forces personnel that had been tasked with his safety for the evening, and even caught sight of one giving him a slightly worried look. Shaking his head slightly, he smiled and thought of everything being fine. When the guard nodded, gave a thumb's up, and faded back into the shadow, the door had opened and he was at the mercy of his hostess for the evening.

"Hey guys!" A Misato that was dressed far differently than normal hopped over and gave Ritsuko a hug. The hopping involved a great deal of well-rounded flesh moving in an appealing manner, and the hug was paired with her winking at him over Ritsuko's shoulder. "Come in, come in."

There was a smell Shinji recognized that had permeated the apartment, it automatically set off alarm bells in the back of his mind that put his hackles up once he was inside. Making his way to the kitchenette, he frowned at the mess that had accumulated before setting down the pizza and pushing his sleeves up to start cleaning. In his mind, the reason for the mess was the hours that Misato worked. She rarely got time off that he saw, and likely had little time to care for herself. Finding a plastic bag under the sink, he started with the empty cans of Yebisu that had been put into a clumsy pyramid off to one side while Ritsuko and Misato had a quiet dialogue out of his earshot. Efficient and quiet, he had the cans corralled, the burnables tied off, the trash sorted, the dishes washed and was in the middle of drying them when a new oddity walked into sight. With no idea of what species he was looking at, he nonetheless recognized the glint of intelligence in the creature's eyes and responded as if he were speaking with a Juraian or kami or tree, "Good evening. I hope I didn't bother you?"

"Wark," the strange creature asserted softly. Gesturing to the cabinet next to him, it tried asking for something, "Wark-wark?"

"Hmm?" Setting down the plate he was drying, Shinji opened the cabinet that was set too high for the little guy and found it was full of glasses. "Oh, is one of these yours?"

"Wark," he pointed a taloned appendage to the second shelf, a blue cup standing out, "wark-waaark."

"Ok, blue it is." Taking it down, he handed the glass to the now grateful creature. "is there anything else I can help you with?"

Shaking its head side to side violently, it warked in a way that came across as grateful and waddled into a compartment of the fridge before closing the door behind it.

The fact that Misato was acting as a caretaker for such an odd critter raised her esteem in Shinji's mind as he went back to drying the dishes. It clearly wasn't being abused if it had its own cup and a spot in the refrigerator, and it communicated politely enough what it needed. With little experience in taking care of pets, all he had to go on was the obvious which all spoke well of the situation.

"Heyyyy…uh, wow." Misato's voice trailed off into a low whistle.

"Shinji," Ritsuko thwapped her friend along the back of her head and motioned for him to come towards her, "it was very nice of you to help Misato out, thank you."

Letting the rest of the dishes dry where they were, out of social obligation, Shinji shrugged and asked, "I met your…roommate? I don't want to call him a pet, because he seems rather smart."

Misato glowered at Ritsuko, then turned her devastating smile on Shinji. "Oh, Pen-Pen? He's a warm-water penguin. He didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

"No, not at all." Accepting a side-hug from Ritsuko, he let his own smile free. "He asked me to get him a blue cup, then went into your refrigerator after thanking me. He was very polite."

"Good, that's great! He can be a bit of a troublemaker if he doesn't like someone." Motioning towards the couch out in the main room, she took charge of the timeline again. "Go sit, Rits and I will bring out everything."

Once Shinji was out of the room, he heard the two women behind him start hissing something to one another heatedly. Ignoring it with a sigh and going to the couch. From the time it had taken them to come find him he had gathered that there was something that was going to be plaguing the evening. The clear agitation between the two ostensible friends did nothing to dissuade him from believing it. Looking down at the sofa, noting that it was big enough for three, a part of him wanted to just take the center to act as a barrier between possible barbs. The less suicidal part of him thought that maybe taking a look at the cases laying on the table with unfamiliar characters heavily emphasized over pictures of men in phenomenal physical shape would be better. There were few, almost no, characters he recognized on the first box, slipping a layer of frustration in at his own ineptitude.

"Sit down, sit down," Misato urged him as she approached, bearing two plates. "Anywhere you want is fine."

Not wanting to precipitate an argument by choosing wrong, he attempted to defer, "I, uhm…w-where do you want me to sit?"

"On my couch," she laughed out. Slipping between the coffee table and sofa, she bumped him with her hip to move him down to the left end before seating herself in the middle and offering him one of the plates. "Sit, silly."

Accepting the fate he'd chosen, Shinji took plate and seat with a quiet, "Thank you." Not having seen pizza up close, and only having seen the store from his seat in the vehicle, he frowned at what he would term 'half a sandwich cut weird'. "How…." He cut off, seeing Ritsuko walk in with a hint of a scowl, then retried the question so that it was directed at her, "How do I eat this, Rits?"

"With a slice the size you're eating, it's normal to fold it in half lengthwise." That the question had been asked of her seemed to recover Ritsuko's calm. Moving around to the side of the couch Shinji was sitting on, she set her plate down on the table and crouched down to help him.

Misato seemed appalled. "Wait, you've never had pizza?"

"Growing up, he only ever had bread, rice, and water," Ritsuko replied, calmer than she felt. "Watching him discover new tastes has been both wonderful," she folded the pizza in half, turning it around and putting the point against his lips, "and heartbreaking. But it's just one more reason I'm happy he's in my life now."

Taking a cautious bite as Misato cursed herself where he couldn't see, Shinji chewed for a bit to get used to the flavor and texture before adding, "That's…uhm, what's the word she used…."

"Savory?" Ritsuko tilted her head slightly to the side, pairing it with an encouraging smile and a patient glance.

"Yeah, that. Savory and sharp." Carefully taking the slice from his new housemate, he laughed at how silly he felt. "I was thinking that it was like a sandwich without the top slice of bread. Now I see that's because this is both slices in one, and it all makes sense."

"Scoot down," Ritsuko patted his leg, setting him in motion, "I want to sit by you too." When Shinji moved to stand, she cocked an eyebrow at Misato challenging her to say anything. "I'll get up and get you more pizza if you want it, but you should also try what Misato bought. While I don't agree with eating anything unhealthy, I'll happily admit that it's ok in very small quantities since you've never tried anything."

Begrudgingly moving down to the side, Misato tried to recover from her error, "I'm sorry, Shinji. It's so easy to forget about your past trauma because of how great you're doing here now. You're polite, positive, and everything you do with the Evas is with an eye to saving lives. Forgive me?"

"No reason to apologize," Shinji replied with honesty. "It all seems like a lifetime ago now, especially with everyone being so eager to help me learn new things. I…I have nightmares about it, but that's it."

"Well let's give you something awesome to dream about instead." Fishing the remote off the table, she turned on her old disc player and started the first movie. "Ok, this one is called 'Dragon Gate Inn'. It's about an evil politician and his schemes to hurt innocents, and some martial artists who show up to foil his plans."

From his left, Ritsuko stage-whispered, "That's a description of about seventy five percent of these movies, just so you know."

"Quiet in front," Misato scoffed with mock-horror. "The masterpiece is starting!"

+++++ Katsuragi Apartment. Sunday, +19.

After three movies, Shinji had come to understand the basics of the archetype. An evil man with power tried to harm the underclass, only to be thwarted by a good man with both strength and humility. It struck him as a little ostentatious, but he wasn't as opposed to the movies as Ritsuko seemed to be. He could understand their charm, and while waiting near the front door with Misato for Ritsuko to use the ladies' room, had been engaging in what he felt was something important to her personally. "I think I like the second one best, but that might just be because the hero only had one arm and overcame that to save the day."

Standing close enough to where she could set her fingertips on his chest, Misato beamed a happy grin up at him. "It doesn't shock me at all to find out that you're a fan of someone overcoming debilitating obstacles." Twiddling with one of his buttons, her tone turned warmer, "I'm so proud of you, you know? You put your heart into everything you do, even though that terrible man did everything he could to crush your spirit." Unfastening the button, she let her fingers explore the scars it exposed. "I'm kind of ashamed of myself for how we met," one of the most professional come-hither glances he would ever receive followed, "I'd love to make it up to you."

Being who he was, Shinji completely misread the situation and responded with honesty, "I was talking to…a friend, this morning. We both agreed that it's very hard to let go of anger, or hurt, and learning how to do so is something that is key to being happier in life." Reaching up with one hand, he took the hand she was touching him with and gave a half-smile. "I want us to be happy, and I'm not going to let myself hold onto some silly grudge when I know now that all you want to do is kill the Angels to save lives. You're a good woman, you just have a hard time showing it from time to time."

"As apt a description of her as I've ever heard," Ritsuko announced, coming around the corner into the small hallway leading to the front door. Pinching Misato's hand, she removed it from Shinji's chest. "Let's get home, Shinji. You have school in the morning, and I have a full day between my duties at NERV and moving my things."

Initially annoyed at Ritsuko for bringing the attempted seduction to a screeching halt, Misato was now caught off-guard at the announcement that her best friend was giving up her apartment in one of the best sections of the city. "Moving? Why moving?"

Shinji, on the other hand, was 'in the know' and already attempting to intervene in the expectation that Ritsuko would have to lift a finger, "No, no, they'll move your stuff for you. All you have to do is put it where you want it, and I'll be glad to help you do that."

Misato's eyes snapped to Shinji. "They who?"

"We talked about this, sweetie," Ritsuko reminded him.

Misato's attention switched back to Ritsuko, "Sweetie?"

"Moving your things has nothing to do with your work, and everything to do with your safety. I think I'm still honoring our agreement by insisting that we let the professionals move everything to our home and limiting my offer of help to working under your direction in getting things set up the way you want them," Shinji countered.

This time, Misato physically interposed herself between Shinji and Ritsuko, laying her hand flat against his chest to push him back from Ritsuko, "Our home?"

Plucking Misato's hand from Shinji's chest again, Ritsuko gave her friend a level look. "As in a home that Shinji shares with me. That Shinji invited me to live in."

"Oh, so you can date him, but I for whatever convoluted logic you come up with, wasn't allowed to?" Stepping into her friend's personal space, she glared up at the taller woman. "So you kept him all to yourself, making me think that he was interested in Ibuki and not you."

"Maya will be living with us as well, actually." Ritsuko maintained her composure, for Shinji's sake. Keeping her emotions throttled and her tone level, she tried hard to show how an adult should act. "I never once misled you, Misato, you did that well enough all on your own."

And there goes the evening. Stepping back from the argument, Shinji turned and walked over to the bathroom to try and calm his returning anger. Closing the door with less force than he wanted to, he stalked over to the sink and gripped the porcelain fixture hard. What. The. Fuck. He couldn't understand it. He couldn't explain it. Somehow every woman he'd met was interested in being with him, despite him not even being interested in being with himself! Looking up at the mirror above the sink, he glared at himself with contempt. I have spent most of today with the women in my life, and I haven't even managed to spend time with half of them. This…this bullshit needs to end. A fragment of a memory tickled his mind, of a beautiful woman peering down at him with half her body still inside a mirror. "Ðandy…can you hear me?"

The blue-blonde Norn's head and shoulders suddenly jutting out of the mirror forced him back a half step, her eyes looking around the bathroom in confusion. "Is everything all right?" Accepting his hand and joining him in the small space, she frowned at the still-audible argument. "A silly question, I see."

"Ðandy, I need you to help me understand something."

Returning her gaze to him, she smiled softly. "Of course. But, perhaps, we might want to consider having this discussion somewhere other than here?"

"I'd love to," he closed his eyes and sighed out in relief, "I just don't know how to get out of this situation." He startled slightly when he felt Ðandy's lips touch his, then felt a wash of calm flow through him.

"By following your wife," she declared with total confidence. Taking his hand and walking boldly out of the bathroom with him in tow, she bulldozed her way through the front room and then past a worried Ritsuko and confused Misato. "Ladies." Nodding ever so slightly in greeting, she had Shinji past them and out the door before they could regain their footing. Leading him to the railing along the external walkway, she smiled at him and said, "Hold tight."

Without questioning it, Shinji joined her in jumping over the railing to float quickly down to the ground level. Once both were safely on the ground below, he started them off in a random direction away from the complex. "I didn't know you could fly."

"I am a goddess," Ðandy replied winsomely, "I can do anything I set my mind to."

Hey boss, Verðandy, Nanako's voice spoke warmly in their minds, overwatch just said you made a rather dynamic exit. Everything good?

Our beloved's host for the evening was making him uncomfortable, so he called for me to come extricate him, Verðandy replied so Shinji could hear. We shall be taking a walk, on a route generally towards home. Please have someone ensure that Doctor Akagi does not attempt to follow us, as I believe my husband wishes to vent.

Right-o, Nanako signed off.

With the situation now mostly in hand, Verðandy laced her arms around Shinji's and leaned her head on his left shoulder. "Before you begin, I would like to…apologize."

Taking a guess at why, Shinji shook his head. "No need…honestly, of anyone in my life now you're the one person I…." He trailed off, trying to understand his emotions and failing to get his hands securely around them. "I would be…ruined, hurt beyond words, crushed past hope to lose you. Despite everything that's happened, I think my heart would shatter knowing I'd never see you again."

"I married myself to you without asking," she reminded him.

"You protected the world from me," he countered. "Anyway, it's like you telling me you gave me the best gift in the world without asking me…I can't be upset by what I have been given, it'd be stupid." With his free hand, he reached over and squeezed her wrist gently. "Really, you don't need to apologize for sacrificing your freedom."

"And you need not apologize for accepting my love." The pair walked in comfortable silence for a time, each absorbing what they could of the other. The artificially brightened streets largely devoid of cars, the sidewalks free of other pedestrians, the only sound to be heard was the cicada going through their lifecycle. "If my little sister is correct, they are drawn to you because of the power you hold. Some because of the good they might do at your side, others…."

The seeming non-sequitur fit perfectly in the tangled thoughts he'd been having. "Can't they just…be my friend? Do they have to…to…."

"It is not demeaning if they choose to join willingly with full knowledge of the costs involved."

"Isn't it demeaning to you?" He looked down at her, sorrow clinging to his words.

"We will adapt, my husband. If I did not feel the volcanic adoration you feel in your heart, I might risk feeling mournful of my fate." She met his fear with the warm, steady, glow of love. "But so long as beneath that dour exterior lies a heart too large for any one being, I shall be content with my lot."

He couldn't keep his anger or his depression alive in the face of her unyielding conviction, which made it easier for him to ask the questions he needed to ask, "Does Misato actually want me, or is she being compelled by…whatever it is?"

"Do you want her to want you?"

"I don't need anyone else. I have too many as it is!" He groaned out in frustration, looking for traffic before crossing a street alongside his wife. "I mean, if you're asking if I'm attracted to her, I'd say yes I am. She's physically appealing, and she seems to know how to enjoy life. If you're asking if I want to make a lifelong commitment to her, then I have no fucking idea! I met her…what, two weeks ago? A bit more? If I get to have a choice in this, I'd want to spend way more time with her before I could even hope to know."

She nodded amiably. "A fair and wise answer. Perhaps, then, that is the crux of your worries rather than the quantity or quality of those you've come to love. You, rightly so, feel like you've been rushed through all of the steps between meeting someone and finding them inextricably linked to your heart, hearth, and home."

"Maybe." He wasn't sure, not that he was reasonably sure about anything anymore. Smelling something unusual, he looked around for the source. "It feels like I just…I mean, I would never compare the two…."

"But you would like to have some choice in your own life?" She'd known, of course, that this was a part of the pain he endured. She'd waited for him to put words to it out of a desire to give him that agency.

With his attention now more than half on trying to find the source of the burning scent, he nodded. "Yeah." The wave of 'wrong' that preceded Angels appearing struck. "I need to get to NERV. You need to-" His intent had been to send his wife towards safety, his result involved experiencing how Verðandy travelled through space and time via reflective surfaces as she hauled him through a store window that had been tinted to prevent people from looking inside. Appearing in the men's locker room where he would normally put on his plugsuit, bouncing off the nearby wall across from the full wall mirror they'd exited, he mumbled out the end of his sentence, "get to…uh…safety."

"I am safest when I am by your side," Verðandy declared without reservation. Pulling out his plugsuit, she urged him to take it. "For the rest of our lives, and beyond, that will ever be the safest place for me."

+++++ Author's Notes.

FlightLight: RE: Non-OGs.

Am I interested in it? Yes. Do I want to write stories about the situations they were involved in? Not so much. The movies aren't digested enough yet for me to feel comfortable touching on the themes and character growth found within them, and the video games were trainwrecks as far as characterizations go. I will say that I am looking for a good way to fit Mari in without going too far off of the original story, and while Mana is certainly...interesting? Maybe? I don't know that I want to write about the trident system, because it's blinking stupid in a world with Evas. It's like throwing Daredevil in the middle of a story about the Celestials. What's he going to do, sue it?