Hello everyone, Calborghete here, how are you all? I hope you're well.
As always I ask you not to take it personally if I don't respond to reviews, but I assure you that I read them all (good or bad), the truth is that I don't know why, but I'm always too lazy to respond (hahaha), but as many of you know I always take everyone's opinion into account when writing, so don't hesitate to review.
Don't forget to like the page on Facebook, the direct link can be found on my Fanfiction profile page, or if you prefer, search for "Calborghete" and find an image of Shinji and Asuka. On this page I will post updates and it will also be easier for you to contact me.
So without further ado, read on.
"Dialogues"
- Thoughts -
"Radio Talk"
"Self-talk."
Responsibility note:
Evangelion, its characters and setting are the property of Hideaki Anno. Any brands, films and series mentioned in this fanfic are the property of their creators.
(*)
Chapter 08.
"That's good." Toji said as he walked beside Kensuke who was once again looking at his new camera, Shinji was in his own world, this time he spent with his friends had helped improve his mood.
"It was good, the sandwich was huge!" Kensuke spoke wistfully as he remembered the snack he had just eaten, then his eyes fell on Shinji, seeing how he at least looked more cheerful. "Hey Shin-men? What did you think of the bar?"
Shinji raised his head when he heard this, he was still thinking about Asuka, how she would love to eat in this place, but he quickly recovered and spoke with a simple smile. "It was good, next time we'll bring more people."
"And who would that be?" Toji said as he raised his hands and leaned on his head, his eyes fixed on the sky in front of him.
Shinji looked at his friends and thought, he knew that Hikari had a crush on Toji, Sakura had told him at the Wunder, one of the rare moments when he had actually listened to what the doctor was saying, lowering his head again as he didn't recognize at the time her effort to help him.
Again seeing the eyes of the two of them on him waiting for an answer, Shinji quickly spoke while scratching the back of his head uncomfortably. "I don't ... Maybe the Horaki class representative?"
"The class rep?" Toji spoke blushing, he tried to look at her discreetly, his mind preoccupied with whether he had been discovered, stammering out a sentence as he tried to control his nervousness. "She'd feel sorry for the meat ... It would only get in the way."
"Why?" Kensuke replied laughing, he had already seen the looks Hikari gave towards Toji and vice versa, the nerd was still amused at how they both tried to hide it, but everyone in the room could already sense the chemistry between them. "When she's not a tyrant with a ponytail, she's kind of cool."
"Cool?" Toji spoke with a strong voice, using everything he could to control the discomfort he felt at this moment, Shinji smiled as he realized this. "She's a dictator! And a cruel one."
"A dictator you want to catch." Kensuke said, laughing as he stared at Toji's flushed face.
Shinji's smile widened when he saw this, being with his friends was good, he just wished he could make sure it didn't end soon, that things like this never ended.
"Shut up you idiot!" Toji said angrily, a way of controlling his heavily flushed face, he said everything that came to mind at a time like this. "And you, huh?"
Kensuke lost the smile on his face slightly, it was true that he had no one to be attached to, the young otaku just wanted to find someone in the future in whom he could share his interest.
Seeing the look on Kensuke's face, Shinji quickly thought, Kensuke had never shown any interest in the people around him, no one had ever dared to try to get to know his friend, he was a different person with different interests, but it was a pity that the others never saw the good in it.
Seeing that the mood was rapidly cooling, Shinji tried to lighten things up a bit, quickly thinking of something that could help in this situation. "We could bring Toji's sister next time, you said yourself that she wants to meet me."
Toji quickly turned his head when he saw the look on Shinji's face, knowing that he was trying to keep the atmosphere calm and peaceful, but he couldn't help but think of his sister, how she wanted to meet her friend who had saved her life.
"Are you sure? She'll ruin your life, an eight-year-old girl can be pretty annoying." Toji said tiredly as he remembered how his little sister made his life hell, but he couldn't live without her.
"It doesn't matter, I think our friend can handle it." Kensuke spoke as he recovered from the shock of knowing that he was going to be an eternal bachelor, looking at Shinji's face with a forced smile, he knew what Sakura's behavior was like. "If he can fight giant monsters and fly an EVA, I think he can handle a little girl."
"Come on, guys." Shinji said awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head again, his steps moving automatically towards the train station, his body was tired and all he wanted was to be able to go home and rest. "She can't be that bad."
"It's your life." Toji said as he passed through the passenger turnstiles into the subway station, seeing his friends coming in right behind him. "There's no point in crying if she makes your life hell, don't forget you're an eight-year-old child."
"I guess." Shinji spoke as he felt doubt, the way Toji and Kensuke described Sakura was a little frightening, but he somehow wanted to be able to meet the girl who was the only one to show him compassion.
Soon everyone fell silent as they boarded one of the wagons, everyone in their own personal worlds as the vehicle took them to their destinations, Kensuke tired of playing with his new camera, turning his head and looking at his friends, remembering one thing.
"Hey Shinji!" Kensuke asked as he stared at Shinji's thoughtful face. Having the attention he wanted, he quickly remembered one more person. "Why don't you take Ayanami?"
Toji quickly turned his face away when he heard this, he wanted to see what Shinji's response would be.
Feeling like he was walking into a minefield, Shinji's blood ran cold. He knew that the two of them had the wrong ideas about Rei, but deep down he didn't blame them, because they both didn't know what he knew right now.
"I ... I don't know." Shinji spoke without confidence, not because he didn't want Rei joining their group, but he knew she didn't eat meat, so taking her to a burger joint didn't make much sense in his mind.
"Why not?" Toji asked as he looked Shinji in the eye. "If we're going to take the tyrant of the room, we have to take other girls, then it wouldn't be weird!"
"I know, but the point is that Rei doesn't eat meat." Shinji said uncomfortably.
"I remember seeing a session aimed at vegetarians." Kensuke said, smiling when he saw Shinji's discomfort, quickly putting the camera away in his backpack and speaking in a teasing voice. "What? Afraid we'll discover your secret passion?"
"I'm not in love with her!" Shinji spoke with his voice slightly raised, attracting attention from other people on the train, blushing as he received slight smiles from the women, finally controlling his face a little, Shinji looked at his friends again.
"Seriously guys, what Rei and I have is nothing like this." Shinji spoke while controlling his emotions, in his mind he was still trying to understand what she would be in his life, having the DNA of his mother and an angel in her body. "It's more complicated than that."
"Wow." Kensuke said as he felt the atmosphere getting strange, Toji was the first to recover and quickly change the subject.
"We'll sort it out when we go to that place again."
Shinji only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he had managed to escape, he knew that one day he would tell his friends about Rei's origin, or at least part of it, he just had to find the perfect story to tell.
As the train progressed, more people got off and Shinji sank deeper into his own mind, knowing that by now, the moving trucks should be taking Asuka's things to Misato's apartment, letting out a long sigh as he realized that he had lost his room to Asuka again.
Closing his eyes, Shinji knew that now he couldn't make any more mistakes, he could still see the look on Asuka's face, her look of doubt and suspicion, he couldn't make any more mistakes, nodding to himself, he knew that he had to leave the past behind, the journey would be difficult and long, but he would have to work to change things, because so far, nothing was very different.
Feeling a long chill as he thought about the battle he had had, Shinji had never thought that he would be facing two angels together, in his reality and in his old life, this had never happened and it seemed that some things were going to change, so he had to get his head on straight in order to make the most of his new chance, he would have to think about improving his strength.
Feeling the carriage coming to a stop, Shinji and his friends realized it was their drop-off point. The trio were making small talk as they walked outside, but one thing made them stop.
"Excuse me, are you Shinji Ikari?" A man asked as he stopped the group.
Shinji looked at the person who had called him, he knew the owner of that voice, knowing that Misato's behavior had changed after the loss of that person, he gave a small smile, but kept everything under control, as he had not yet met Kaji.
"Sorry sir." Shinji said as he approached slightly, keeping his voice controlled and polite, looking Kaji in the eye the whole time. "But I don't believe I know you."
Giving his best smile, Kaji looked at Shinji, having already seen his background and psychological profile, but he kept up appearances on the outside. "My name is Kaji, Ryoji Kaji, your reputation follows you boy."
Smiling at the sight of Misato's ex-boyfriend, Shinji knew that she was still in love with this man, only recognizing his value after his death. "How ... How do you know me?"
"You're a legend at NERV." Kaji said as he clutched his briefcase even tighter, having secured it to his wrist with a handcuff.
Shinji noticed the object, he knew it was something Kaji had gotten for his father, but he never found out what it was, but he couldn't help blushing at Kaji's comment.
Kaji smiled when he saw Shinji's discomfort, but he showed some confidence, unlike what his profile described in his background and evaluation.
"Look at that with pride, kid." Kaji said as he looked at the panel showing the city's subway lines, feeling the weight of doubt as he saw that so much had changed. "It's not often that someone pilots an EVA with no experience and puts on a show of skill."
Shinji laughed nervously, he never liked being in the spotlight. "It's nothing." His voice carried confidence. "I only do it to protect the people I love."
Kaji only smiled, he would have liked to continue and get to know Shinji better, how different he was proving to be, but he had a mission to fulfill, squeezing in what he was taking. "I'd love to stay, guys, but I have to go, can you tell me the best way to the Geofront?"
Shinji remembered this moment, he quickly approached the panel and spoke, his tone still firm and confident. "It's not far, you take line 14 and get off at the green station, there's a train there for the employees."
Kaji frowned as he listened to him explain, as Shinji didn't even blink at telling him the details, but now he had no more time, turning around and heading for his goal. "Thanks kid, I hope I can see you again there."
"There?" Toji and Kensuke only exchanged a glance as they felt very uncertain about what was going on, but as it seemed to be NERV's doing, they both decided to keep quiet.
"By the way!" Kaji said, broadening his smile, stopping a few meters from the escalator, he could see Shinji's and everyone else's gaze on him. "You're living with Katsuragi, aren't you?"
Shinji only nodded, receiving a completely jealous look from Toji and Kensuke behind his back; he had never told them that he lived with a goddess like Misato.
Kaji's smile widened as he made his way down towards his train, but not before he spoke. "Is she still wild in bed?"
Toji and Kensuke just stared at Shinji's back in disbelief and pure shock, both wanting to cry at the information they had heard that Shinji was staying with all the girls.
He looked at Kaji and saw him disappear, Shinji was smiling, he would like Misato and him to adjust, Kaji didn't know how much Misato loved him.
"You live with that goddess?!" Toji and Kensuke spoke in unison as they stared at Shinji's face, his smile already answering their initial question.
(*)
NERV.
Inside Gendo's large room, only three people were there, as usual, Gendo with his usual unwavering posture, next to him Kozo with his cold and arrogant posture of a university professor.
"Then the promised item." Kaji spoke as he placed the heavy suitcase on Gendo's desk, opening it and revealing its contents to the most powerful man in the world. "The key to unification."
Looking at the long metal syringe, Gendo smiled at the sight of the object, he knew that this was only one part of his plan, but now he was closer than SEELE to being able to complete his vision of instrumentality.
"Yes, this is the key to the completion of souls, it's the key that will give us everything we most desire." Gendo said as he looked at the object with pleasure; the fruit of so much work was paying off. "Nebuchadnezzar's key."
Lighting a cigarette, Kaji spoke as he leaned on Gendo's desk, his face wearing its original smile. "I'm also sending the information about SEELE."
"Excellent." Gendo spoke as he still stared at the object he desired, his eyes fixed on the syringe, but his mind thought of something else, Unit 05 hadn't been destroyed as planned. "What about the destruction of Unit 05?"
"Unfortunately it failed." Kaji spoke as he let out a large cloud of smoke, he knew that Mari hadn't pushed the EVA to its limits to activate the program, feeling sorry for the girl he had helped create. "The pilot turned out to be better than expected."
Kaji had been Mari's guardian of sorts, staying and looking after her since she arrived, he felt bad for having used the Gendo system in unit 05 with her using it, but knowing Mari, she would have easily ejected, but that didn't stop him from hurting her knowing that he had put her in such danger.
"Yes." Gendo spoke coldly as he closed the metal case, his mind thinking about how some things had gone wrong, but these flaws could easily be remedied. "That won't be a problem, we might have a use for it in the future."
Kaji frowned when he heard this, he was already planning to bring Mari to Japan in secret, but hearing Gendo talk made him curious, and he put his cigarette back in his mouth. "What are you planning? Break the Vatican agreement?"
"After the battle the UN is working on a loophole for us, we can use it as a reserve." Gendo spoke coldly as he sat down at his desk, bringing his briefcase close to his leg. "I'm working on getting special authorization to have four EVAS active."
"One more pilot." Kaji said as he scratched his head, knowing that this would make his job much easier; the arrival of two angels together had really helped in some way. "Things are getting pretty ugly."
"The last battle helped our case." "We still have to finish off the angels to complete the project and with the arrival of more enemies than expected, things could get difficult."
"What's the committee talking about?" Kozo said as he entered the conversation, he was looking out, his eyes focused on the Geofront landscape.
"They haven't said anything yet." Gendo said in a cold voice as he turned his eyes to face his former teacher. Kaji only laughed bitterly.
Locking his eyes on the smoker in front of him, Gendo continued his pose. "What about Mark 06?"
Kaji stubbed out his cigarette, looking at Gendo with neutral, controlled eyes. "I'm sending you the information, but all I can tell you is that they're building an EVA of a different shape and origin, the specifications are in the file."
"I know." Gendo spoke coldly, his mind thinking about how he could beat the committee, he knew they were highly influential people, every step had to be taken with extreme care.
"Your son looks different." Kaji said as he looked away, but he could see a change in Gendo's posture. "I didn't expect a person like him, I expected a child without courage or determination, but it was exactly the opposite."
"Shinji is proving more mysterious every day." Gendo said as he listened to the reports of training with the EVA, his performance was incredible and his synchronization rate was at high levels, something very difficult to achieve right from the start.
Feeling the memory of his son defying him in the cemetery, Gendo clenched his hands in annoyance as he remembered his son's words; he believed he could control him, but it was proving to be the opposite.
"He's very clever." Kaji said as he lit another cigarette, still looking at the man in front of him, seeing all the subtle signs of his emotions, he could see that Shinji was bothering Gendo a lot, smiling as he poked him even more. "He's even pushing your protégé away from you."
Gendo locked his eyes on Kaji, staring hard at the man in front of him, not liking his tone, but it was true, it seemed that Rei was advancing emotionally these days, his son was proving difficult to predict.
"Yes, he showed Katsuragi where she lived." Gendo said as he looked down, showing a request for change from Misato, he knew that somehow Shinji was managing to take control.
"What are you going to do?" Kozo asked in a controlled voice, but deep down he wished he could know.
"I'll leave it at that for now, we'll move Rei to the apartment complex on Colonel Katsuragi, the building belongs to NERV anyway." Gendo clasped his hands over his face. "I'll give legal custody of Rei to Katsuragi."
"Couldn't that affect the scenario in some way?" Kozo asked apprehensively, Rei was moving away from Gendo with those orders.
"No." Gendo retorted arrogantly. "Rei is more focused than ever, she'll do what's necessary when the time comes."
"What if she turns out to be Shinji?" Kaji asked smiling.
Gendo stared at Kaji with intense, fierce eyes. "She won't, and if she does, we can sort it out easily."
Nodding at the weight of the words, Kaji only continued to smoke his cigarette, his mind wondering how Gendo could be so cold? He wished he could get to know Shinji better, understand how the boy's mind worked.
(*)
Walking back to his house, Shinji was thinking about everything that had happened that day, the battle that had taken place partly as he remembered it, the new angel that had appeared had made things more tense than usual.
Knowing that he had once again lost track of his thoughts, meeting Asuka had made bad memories come flooding back, but he knew he couldn't get stuck in the past again, he had to focus on the future.
Listening and seeing some trucks passing by, Shinji gave a simple smile as he recognized the source; they were probably taking Asuka's things to Misato's apartment. "This is going to be weird."
Stopping at a small playground, Shinji sat down and stared into nothingness, his eyes focused on the things in front of him, his mind working as hard as it could, he had to control his thoughts as he was close to Asuka again, completely lost in his personal world, Shinji didn't notice the time passing.
(*)
Lying on her bed, Asuka was staring at her portable game, having already packed her things. Even though she was playing, Asuka's mind was focused on other things, still having the same thoughts she had at Wunder, Asuka was feeling lonely in this apartment.
Still feeling the strangeness of living in a house again and not in a metal room on a flying ship, Asuka was staring at the ceiling of her room, eyes downcast and nostalgic as her mind flooded with millions of memories and feelings she wanted to forget.
Letting out a sigh as she looked up at the ceiling, Asuka found herself thinking about everything that had happened, having returned to Misato's apartment was good, but the feeling of emptiness was still in her body, even in Wunder she felt that way, but having Mari living under the same roof as her helped.
Turning her head and looking outside, the daylight was over and the darkness of the night had taken over. Turning and looking at the clock on her desk, Asuka frowned as she saw the time, it was seven o'clock at night, very late by Shinji's standards.
Having the mental image of the boy again, Asuka let out a snort as she felt alone again, his dejected and defeated look after the battle still intrigued the redhead, staring with deep eyes at the ceiling, Asuka wondered where Baka was.
Not having the answer she wanted, Asuka decided to sit down on the bed, still looking around with nostalgic eyes at everything she had, having gotten rid of a lot of things so she wouldn't have to worry about useless things she certainly had, losing everything in the future had opened the redhead's eyes, having things was a burden, and old habits didn't die easily.
All that remained was almost the same as boarding the Wunder again, almost nothing, she lowered her gaze to the floor when she saw a small box with Shinji's things, Asuka stood up and walked with slow steps, looking at everything of the boy's that she couldn't get out of her mind.
Going through her roommate's belongings again, Asuka looked at what a dull person Shinji was, but her eyes fell on one thing in particular, his SDAT player. Picking up the old music player again, the redhead looked at him curiously.
Looking at the table where she had found it the first time, the device was showing that it hadn't been used for a long time, frowning as she remembered that Shinji had used it a lot in the past, with a sigh the redhead put it back. "Who are you here baka?"
He couldn't deny that he would have liked Mari to be by his side at this moment, for sure she would have known what to do, the brunette had always been someone who knew how to deal with any kind of person, she would have known what to do.
Asuka still remembered what her Shinji was like, a child who even though depressed still had a life, this Shinji seemed to be a puppy who had been beaten for no reason, bringing her hand up to her face, the redhead still waiting for the answer to her question. When she didn't get the answer she wanted, her eyes looked around in annoyance, falling back on the digital clock on her desk.
"Where are you, brat?"
(*)
After hours of thinking and rambling, Shinji decided to walk back to his house, Shinji was only thinking about how he could improve things, how he could get back to concentrating on what might happen in his future, letting out a long sigh as he stopped in front of the elevator. "Come on."
- Misato should be back by now. - I shuddered to hear that I was going to be questioned for being "late" home.
The trip to the apartment was short, Shinji was humming a tune as he stared at his reflection in the elevator mirror, his anxiety was at a thousand an hour, after an eternity of waiting, with confident false steps he advanced towards his home.
"I'm home!" Shinji announced as he entered the apartment, looking around for any change, but unlike before, the apartment was normal. - Where is she? -
He felt a great shiver run through his body as he imagined the possibility that Asuka hadn't moved in with them this time, his eyes widening as he walked with quick steps, Shinji searched the apartment for the redhead.
Finally entering the corridor leading to the rooms, Shinji saw a small mountain of empty boxes, looking with confused eyes at the small amount of things Asuka seemed to be carrying this time, but it didn't stop him from letting out a sigh of relief, but he frowned as he approached his room, but before he could do so, Asuka opened the door and left.
Asuka appeared in the hallway coming out of the room that belonged to Shinji, in her hands she was drinking a bottle of water, at her feet were some empty boxes, she was going to see the source of the noise, knowing that it was probably Misato or Shinji entering the house.
Feeling confusion take over his body, Shinji only looked at Asuka as he thought about the location of the tons of boxes she had brought last time, pointing a finger at the German woman in front of him, he only asked with false confusion, using the same question he had asked the first time, he had to keep up appearances.
"What are you doing here?"
Taking a long sip from the bottle, Asuka looked up into Shinji's face again, locking her blue eyes on his and analyzing them like a predator, using all her willpower to maintain the character.
Looking at those irises carefully, Asuka could see the theater, she could see the false sense of confusion, this only made the redhead's mind even more confused, this Shinji was proving to be a very strange person and difficult to interpret, still looking into those old, tired eyes, Asuka returned to her normal, or at least tried to.
"Look who decided to come back." The redhead said as she analyzed Shinji's posture, deep down she felt relieved to see him, she really thought he had run away again, she frowned at the thought of him running away because of her, it left a bad feeling in her stomach.
Smiling as he looked at Asuka, Shinji was determined to start really changing things. Crossing his arms over his chest and taking all the courage he could muster, he spoke with conviction. "That's my room."
Asuka blinked when she heard that, keeping a straight face on the outside, but on the inside, her emotions were conflicted. Shinji had never been one to respond, he had always kept his mouth shut and followed orders, knowing that he had to respond like his old self.
"So?" Asuka replied by turning neutral, a stance that had become very common for the redhead at Wunder, returning to old habits was proving difficult, turning her head and looking at the closet that had been converted into a bedroom for Shinji, the first time he had gone willingly and without complaint. "It's not like you're going to care or anything?"
- My old self really was ridiculous. - Asuka thought as she sipped her water again.
With his arms crossed over his chest, Shinji still looked at her, his emotionless eyes only staring at the redhead in front of him. "That's right, this is my room and I'm only leaving with Misato's order."
Speaking firmly and defiantly, Shinji wanted to run away but managed to stand his ground.
Frowning as she heard Shinji answer again, Asuka actually liked this change in demeanor, enjoying seeing a little more manliness, but she could feel her pride screaming at the indirect provocation.
Turning and heading towards the kitchen, Shinji could feel the anxiety taking over his body, opening the fridge and grabbing a soda at random, but his body froze when he heard Asuka's next sentence.
Still looking at the door leading to the kitchen, Asuka was wondering where Shinji had gone, her curiosity taking over her body, accidentally returning to old habits or nicknames.
"Brat! Where did you go?"
Feeling paralyzed as she called Shinji by the way she used at Wunder, Asuka rolled her eyes softly, her mind searching for ways to try and remedy the situation she had put them in.
Turning around and keeping the lifeless look on his face, Shinji once again looked into Asuka's eyes, his downcast posture had returned, hearing that word in particular hadn't helped. "I went out with my friends."
"Listen, third, I'm going to live here now, okay?" Asuka spoke in a neutral, controlled voice, still looking Shinji in the eye at all times. "Do you have a problem with that?"
Shinji just stared at Asuka, his mind immediately comparing her to the Asuka of his previous life, the same look, the same way of speaking and everything else, feeling that he should talk more about it, the memories hurt, but he should learn to live with them.
Seeing that they were both staring at each other, an eternity passed in the small corridor, Shinji's mind flooded with memories of the Wunder, Asuka's mind analyzing his slumped posture, how he looked very much like her Shinji of the past.
"No." Shinji replied in a dead voice, finally saying something to ease the situation, he still hadn't touched his soda. "What does Misato have to say about it?"
"What about me?" Misato replied as she appeared as a ghost.
Jumping at the sight of the guardian, they were both startled; Misato had appeared without making a sound.
"Misato-San!" Shinji shouted with shock, Asuka wasn't much different.
"I'm waiting." Misato spoke in a calm, tired voice; the day at NERV had been very stressful. Seeing the silence on both their faces, Misato smiled calmly as she began to explain the new situation.
"Since it's too late to fight and I don't feel like splitting up, I'll be blunt." Misato said as she removed her NERV jacket and headed for the kitchen, Shinji and Asuka just stared at the guardian.
Opening her fridge and taking out one of her precious beers, Misato said after a long sip. "First, Shinji won't be expelled."
Shinji let out a sigh of relief when he heard that, deep down he felt afraid of it, but again history repeated itself, and soon he looked at Asuka who seemed unperturbed standing next to him.
- No scandal? Nothing? - Shinji thought confusedly as he looked at Asuka's face.
Feeling she should say something, Asuka once again got into character, putting an arrogant, childish smile on her face. "So I'm going to have to live with this thing here?" Pointing a finger at Shinji, who only ducked his head.
- God, it's going to be hard. - Asuka thought casually as she returned to her old self, she really thought it would be easier to have to respond as before, but the reality was different now, having lived fourteen years in hell only showed how childish her old behavior was.
"Yes." Misato said as she passed them again, finally inside her room, she spoke loudly enough. "Secondly, you're going to have to learn to get along together, you're a team, so you have to understand each other."
Sticking her head out of her room, Misato spoke with a smile on her face, seeing the look on both their faces as if it were the most common thing in the world. "That's an order."
Asuka turned her head and looked at Shinji, still analyzing his posture. With a tired snort, the redhead headed towards her new room. "Whatever." Stopping at the door before closing it, Asuka spoke as she turned and spoke with a fake spoiled child smile. "Your stuff is in there."
Shinji just stared at the door to his old room, still thinking about how different Asuka was from before, how different this Asuka was, she was almost like a clone of Wunder's Asuka.
Shaking his head, Shinji picked up his things and went to his room to tidy up as much as he could, he still had dinner to make, but his mind was also filled with the image of Asuka's gaze.
Misato stood in the doorway of her room, looking at how easy things had been, looking at the beer in her hands, the purple-haired woman thought it must be the fatigue of the day, downing what was left of her precious drink.
(*)
Lying on his futon, Shinji looked into the closet that was now his bedroom, not that he minded, next to it was his things, a small box containing his small possessions, then his eyes fell on his cello leaning against the wall gathering dust.
Closing his eyes as he remembered that it had been a long time since he had touched the wooden thing, Shinji approached the object with light steps, looking at it with affection, opening the leather case and seeing the musical equipment, running his fingers over the strings and feeling the emotion it gave him, it wasn't just any cello, Shinji knew it belonged to his mother.
(*)
Asuka was in her room, staring at the ceiling as she played her handheld game, her mind caught up in her private moments, but not in enjoying the game, this was an escape from her bad thoughts, an escape from the loneliness that plagued her body.
Closing the game, Asuka looked up at the ceiling again, searching for the best memories, but there were very few, they only started when she went to live with Misato for the first time, the smile when she heard the invitation, knowing the food Shinji made when he ate it for the first time, closing her eyes and thinking about her childhood, she had no good memories, everything was about training and studying, no images of a mother to love or hug, no father to protect her, no friends to cheer her up, she had nothing.
Feeling her eyes sting with bad memories, Asuka was making a great effort to keep her emotions in check, but one thing was enough to cut through the sadness, a soft sound coming from outside.
Staring at the door in confusion, Asuka sat down and concentrated on the noise in particular, the music was soft and sad, being played slowly and delicately, going to the door of her room and opening it carefully, her eyes soon focused on the source, the sound was coming from Shinji's closet/room.
Misato stood looking at the door with a soft smile on her face. She was enjoying the sound, but when she saw Asuka's confused look, the purple-haired woman quickly made an end run around to keep quiet.
Stopping in front of the door, Asuka stared at the guardian's face, her mind searching for anything to link Shinji to some musical instrument, but nothing came of it, he had never shown that he knew how to play anything before.
He closed his eyes as he felt his ears being massaged by the soft sound coming from the bedroom, Shinji was doing very well.
(*)
Inside the room, Shinji's fingers ran delicately over the strings, his eyes closed, his mind using his emotions to guide his hands, feeling the nostalgic effect of old emotions taking over his body.
- Mother. - Shinji thought as he felt the emotions take over him, he remembered wearing something that belonged to her, it helped to connect with the spirit, now he knew the truth, the EVA had her soul.
Accelerating as much as he could, his musical notes carrying his emotions, the music was intense, as were his thoughts, as it had begun, the music simply stopped.
Opening his eyes and looking at the wall in front of him, Shinji thought about how difficult his life had been, the memories torturing him, but he was now striving to change, letting out a long sigh as he looked up at the ceiling of his new room.
Getting up, Shinji slowly put the equipment away, he knew he had to make dinner for his two roommates, if he took too long, Misato would surely try to cook, a great shiver ran through his body at this point.
Hurrying to the door, Shinji didn't even want to remember his guard's food or what she thought it was. Opening the door, Shinji blinked to find the two women staring at him.
"Hi?" Shinji asked confused and embarrassed as he looked at both of them, running his gaze between them.
- I think they heard. - Shinji thought, agitated at being discovered.
"I didn't know you played." Asuka spoke with disdain as she stared at Shinji, her mind never imagining that this would ever be possible in her life, her eyes focused intently on Shinji.
"I never said no." Shinji said embarrassed as he scratched his head.
Asuka only nodded, Misato was watching the atmosphere between the two of them, they really did have a dynamic of familiar people, feeling her stomach rumble with the hour.
"I'll start preparing right away." Shinji used this as an excuse to pass the women, heading with quick steps towards the kitchen.
Misato just watched Shinji disappear, then looked back at Asuka, both were in their own worlds, Shinji had shown yet another special talent.
"I'm going to take a shower." Asuka spoke in a controlled voice, the same one she had at Wunder.
Misato blinked as she returned to the real world, only to see Asuka disappear as she went to her room to get her clothes. "OK."
- That was strange. - Misato thought as she went to her room to wait for her meal, again picking up her beer she waited, but one thing took over her mind, her eyes widening as she remembered another accidentally forgotten roommate.
"Fuck!" Misato said as she put down the beer can, by now Pen-Pen should be in the bathroom too, but her movements weren't fast enough, all she could do was wait.
"Ouch! Ouch!" Soon Asuka's screams flooded the kitchen, Misato knew that now she had met Pen-Pen.
Opening the bathroom door and stepping out, Misato's eyes widened at the sight of Asuka coming out of the bathroom naked, running away from an angry bird.
"Stupid penguin!" Asuka growled as she climbed onto a chair, looking down at her legs with red bite marks, Pen-Pen had now welcomed her too.
"His name is Pen-Pen." Shinji was speaking without turning around, he remembered what had happened the first time, his jaw wasn't going to suffer again. "He's nice."
" Cool my ass!" Asuka said as she returned to the bathroom, completely ignoring her nudity.
Thinking it should be safe now, Shinji turned around, but his face flushed heavily, all he could do was try to stammer out an apology and wait out the pain.
Misato just started laughing, she could see the whole scene in front of her, soon a feeling of Déjà took over her body again, but one thing was getting to the woman's curiosity, Asuka was standing normally, ignoring Shinji watching her naked body.
Turning around quickly, Shinji went back to doing his things, his hands shaking as he tried to count the supplies for his meal. "Oh ... Oh ... I'm sorry, I didn't see anything!" He tried to justify himself, blushing heavily.
Asuka looked down, finally realizing that she was naked and Shinji had probably seen everything, but somehow it didn't bother the girl. Mentally cursing herself for forgetting Misato's penguin, all the redhead did was go back into the bathroom and speak softly. "Pervert."
Misato just stared at the closed door, her mind trying to understand how Asuka hadn't killed Shinji for seeing her like this. - Those two are strange. -
Still staring at the bathroom door, with a look of doubt on his face, the only sounds were Shinji handling the kitchen utensils and the sound of the shower running.
Looking at the partially-drunk beer can, she saw how it was still standing a few centimeters from her mouth, her mind still trying to understand how Asuka hadn't killed Shinji for seeing his naked body, her memories of the redhead could never predict less than violent behavior when it came to boys.
Shinji was still trembling in front of the stove, still waiting for the pain to start taking over his body, especially his jaw, but unlike before, that pain never came, he only heard the sound of Asuka's bare footsteps going to the bathroom again.
Turning around slowly, Shinji observed the place where Asuka should have been and her foot moving towards his face, frowning when he saw that he was alive and unharmed.
"You survived today." Misato said with a smile as she sipped the rest of her beer.
Shinji looked at the guardian with slightly wide eyes, traveling between the bathroom door and Misato's amused gaze. "I ... I thought I was going to die."
"Me too." Misato said as she opened another can, her eyes focused on the closed bathroom door.
Shinji returned to his work at dinner, he was preparing something that might please everyone in the apartment, but his mind was thinking about the moment he had spent with Asuka, how she hadn't even bothered to cover herself.
(*)
Letting the hot water bathe her body, Asuka stood inside the tub, her eyes focused firmly on the ceiling, her mind thinking about Shinji's reaction to seeing her body, part of her pride was screaming at her to do something about it, but the other part was relatively pleased that he had seen it.
Knowing that this no longer had the same value as it had in her old life, she still remembered when she went to one of the survivors' colonies, her clothes were practically a loose blouse and underwear.
Closing his eyes as he remembered the tense moments, the near-certainty of death when facing the enemies that NERV sent their way, he clenched his fist as he remembered that he had sworn he would die.
"No." Asuka growled to herself, she was fighting her demons as she remembered everything. "I'll fight to stop it."
With her eyes still closed, the redhead searched for all her good times, all her good memories, but they were very few. A great silence reigned in the bathroom, the redhead had her eyes still closed, concentrating on getting rid of her own demons.
"He asked me to kill him." Sakura's voice flooded her mind; she could still feel the anger and resentment in the girl's eyes.
Shaking his head to forget that particular moment, the feeling of knowing that Shinji had given up on his life. "No."
"I only cause harm to others, I don't deserve this." Shinji heavily depressed, Asuka still reviews his eyes, his eyes heavily downcast and defeated.
"No." Asuka spoke again as she shook her head, she was feeling her body becoming agitated with the bad memories, she was running away as much as she could from her nightmares.
The days she spent alone at the Euro NERV base were difficult indeed, completely isolated from the people she thought were her friends and acquaintances.
"How do you know me Shinji?" Asuka says as she thinks about Shinji's words, how he somehow knew her name and the functions of her EVA, it seemed like he had studied about her before.
"How?" Asuka growled at not knowing, she was sure Misato hadn't talked about her past or her EVA. "How?"
Feeling the frustration take over his body, it only helped his anger to let the old feelings and memories take over his body again.
"Do you think it's best to die?"
"It's the best ... People don't have to deal with me anymore." The dejected, defeated voice flooded Asuka's mind again, and she felt her breathing quicken with the memories.
"No." Asuka growled to herself as she took a deep breath and exhaled, she was still in her nightmare world, but one thing was taking over, she was slowly remembering the song that Shinji had played a while ago, she could hear it like a tape player.
Soon a small smile appeared on her face, her fingers wiggling as she remembered every note she had heard. Little by little, the anger and loneliness drained away and a feeling of warmth, happiness and calm flooded her body, and she finally felt peace taking over her body and soul.
"Baka." Asuka spoke as she mentally listened to the melody being played almost to perfection, having the mental image of Shinji smiling, enjoying every moment.
A knock on the door.
Asuka opened her eyes, finally recognizing that she had lost track of time by thinking about Shinji and his music, her body quickly feeling the effects of spending too much time in hot water.
"What?" Asuka spoke in a cold, tired voice, her mind still wishing she could relax even more.
"Dinner's almost ready." Misato shouted from the other side of the door. "Shinji asked me to let you know."
"Okay." Asuka spoke dismissively as she closed her eyes again, bringing her hand to her forehead as she rested it on her eyes, and let out a snort as she realized that Shinji was taking up too much of her mental time.
Slowly getting out of the water, Asuka soon began to dry herself off, acting on automatic, it wasn't long before she was dressed and ready again, standing in front of the mirror and looking at herself, how tired and haggard she was, letting out a sigh as she put on her A10 clips holding her hair tightly in place, putting a mask on her face that was hiding how she really felt at this point.
Opening the bathroom door, Asuka looked at Shinji's back as her sense of smell was massaged by his food, as he worked on finalizing the preparations for the dinner he had prepared, walking with light, delicate steps to his place at the table.
Sitting down with a soft thud, Asuka looked ahead, seeing the empty plate that would soon have a nice home-cooked meal on it.
Looking away, Misato stared at Asuka's posture, seeing how she was acting as if nothing had happened and that she also had a distant look on her face.
"What?" Misato said as she took a sip of her beer.
"Nothing." Asuka said harshly, still staring at the table in front of her, her mind working to clear the bad moments she had remembered.
Misato just looked at her new protégé, bringing the beer to her lips and taking a small sip, frowning as she saw Asuka's gaze fall on Shinji again, as her eyes looked like she was reliving a bad memory.
Turning around and placing a pot in front of the girls, Shinji had made something simple, a salad of potatoes and roasted vegetables, smiling as he saw Misato staring fiercely at the meal he had prepared.
"I think that's good." Shinji says, seeing Misato's hurried look as she puts the food on her plate.
"Smells good." Misato said as she took a deep breath, letting the well-seasoned food flood her nostrils. Shinji looked at Asuka, letting her serve herself first, he wanted to know if she liked it, it was a habit of his, he would always be the last to eat.
Feeling Shinji's eyes on her, the redhead looked up and realized that the boy was waiting for her to serve herself first. Stretching out her arm and starting to serve her plate with a large portion, Asuka looked at the full and well-prepared plate, feeling the wonderful aroma that emanated from it.
Closing her eyes as she remembered the food at Wunder, how awful it was and how bad it tasted, Asuka waited for this moment, finally she would eat well, putting down her cutlery and attacking the food with ferocity.
Looking at Asuka eating her food as if she had never eaten before, Shinji allowed himself to smile, knowing that at least one thing he was doing right, feeling his stomach rumble as he watched Misato and Asuka eating, Shinji allowed himself to relax and enjoy his dinner.
After everyone had eaten, Asuka was surprisingly the last to eat, something she had never done before, Misato was in the living room still enjoying her beer, Shinji was cleaning up the mess that had been left.
Asuka was finally feeling full, her plate clean again, she couldn't remember when she had eaten so much food before, and still good food, again looking at Shinji's back with affection, he still had a beautiful talent in his life.
Knowing that this was one of the reasons that had aroused the redhead's interest in Shinji, she closed her eyes as she thought about her feelings for the boy, knowing that she cared for him very much, that was a reality in her mind.
Lowering her head again to the table and looking at the empty plate, Asuka was still in her own personal world, soon a hand appeared in front of her removing her plate, looking up, Asuka looked again into Shinji's eyes.
Feeling Asuka's gaze in his eyes, Shinji looked away as he felt embarrassed. "Sorry... Are you finished?"
Losing sight of herself, Asuka finally returned to normal, putting a slight frown on her face. "Yes, I'm finished Baka."
Removing the plate and taking it to the sink, Shinji quickly cleaned it and was ready to go to his room to rest. He went over to Misato who was watching television while drinking her beer.
"Well, I'm going to my room." Shinji said to them both, knowing that at least one of them would be listening.
Misato blinked as she heard this, turning around and calling out to her betrothed, she had received news about her request to transfer Rei to a new home. "Shinji! Wait!"
Asuka looked back as she stood up, she knew Misato had some news of interest, looking at her guardian with disdain and curiosity. Shinji approached her again, looking expectantly.
"My request to transfer Rei has been approved." Misato said as she sipped her beer, she had a humorous look on her face, she saw when Shinji cracked a smile and Asuka had a confused look on her face.
"She's moving in here?" Asuka says with disgust at the thought of living with her rival, looking at Shinji with slightly annoyed eyes.
Misato smiled, letting out a burp as she finished her beer, looking at Asuka with her humorous, playful gaze. "What's the matter Asuka, jealous? You think Rei can steal your man?"
Blushing at the comment, Asuka only huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest; it wasn't wrong to say that she was jealous of the attention Shinji always gave Rei.
"Me? Jealous of the commander's bag-puller?" Asuka growled in annoyance, but it didn't stop her face from blushing.
Smiling at the redhead's discomfort, Misato took another long sip of her beer, she loved to tease.
"Where is she going?" Shinji asked as he thought about it, his mind immediately thinking that they wouldn't have any more room in Misato's apartment.
"She's going to be our neighbor." Misato said as she sat down again, neatly tossing the empty can into the nearest garbage can. "And I become her legal guardian from now on."
"Good." Asuka said sarcastically as she turned and headed for her room with a grim look on her face.
Shinji just looked away, his mind reeling as Asuka thought about Rei, he wished he could tell her the truth, but he didn't know what her reaction would be, the only thing he knew about Asuka's behavior towards Rei was their enmity.
Misato only looked up when Asuka closed the door to her room abruptly, turning her gaze back to Shinji. "Jealousy is a serious thing."
Shinji gave a sad smile, his face blushing slightly as he looked at Misato, but his mind was reeling at his colleague's behavior. "I'm glad you can help Rei."
Misato blinked when she heard that, again turning her gaze to Shinji, smiling when she saw that smile. "That's really good."
(*)
Another day began in the fortress city of Tokyo 03, as people went to work, children went to school, and the elderly strolled around the places they frequented.
Walking through the city streets in the direction of school, Shinji was once again in his own personal world, thinking about his life and the future that awaited him.
"Hey!" A voice shouted behind his back. "Wait for me, you idiot!"
Shinji blinked as he turned around, seeing Asuka running towards him on the street, her face set in a frown, looking at the redhead with confused eyes. "You decided to come?"
"Of course, you idiot!" Asuka growled again as she looked Shinji in the eye.
"Good." Shinji put a smile on his face as he started walking, he was pleased with that.
Walking through the streets of Tokyo 03, both were silent, in their own worlds, Shinji was thinking about how he could start a conversation with the bored redhead next to him.
"Well? You're German, aren't you?" Shinji asked innocently as he looked at the redhead next to him. He already knew the answer, but he had to start connecting with his colleague somehow.
Seeing how the wind blew across her face, how her hair swayed gracefully, it looked like a movie where the most beautiful of the protagonists was floating, she lost herself in her beauty once again.
Asuka turned her head, her face scowling, she was grumpy, not having slept well, her nightmares taking over her nights, but she listened to his question, looking at his face with her stupid question.
"Idiot." Asuka said as she looked straight ahead again, but she found his attempt to start a conversation cute. After a few seconds of silence, Asuka spoke, still looking straight ahead.
"Yes, I'm from Germany."
Shinji turned his head and looked at Asuka, seeing how she was staring straight ahead, but had a normal look on her face.
Asuka thought more about her answer, knowing that she should be easier on people, that Shinji wasn't to blame for her problems after all.
"I was born in Berlin." Asuka spoke as she stopped in front of a lamppost and waited for the moment to cross, Shinji turned his head and looked at the redhead, he was enjoying seeing Asuka opening up to him a little, at least. "But I never had a childhood before, all I remember is training to be an EVA pilot."
Shinji was upset to hear this, deep down he wanted to know what her childhood had been like, but once again the EVAS had destroyed another life.
"Wow." Shinji said as he scratched the back of his head. "You've always been a pilot, haven't you?"
"What are you, an idiot?" Asuka asked tiredly, changing her tone as she became upset remembering all the loneliness she had suffered. "What did you think I was? I've always been the best because of it."
Shinji cringed when he heard this, he could sense the venom in Asuka's voice, he always knew that this was something that bothered the German girl next to him a lot. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Asuka growled again, looking at Shinji with annoyed eyes, she never liked him apologizing for things that weren't his fault. "Shut up baka!"
Shinji just isolated himself in his world, feeling the weight of the words, but he quickly thought of one thing, one thing he could do to try and make things better.
"You're not alone."
"What?" Asuka asked as she looked at Shinji, her eyes confused.
"I told you, you're not alone." Shinji repeated his sentence, taking courage as he looked at Asuka, staring into her eyes all the while.
"What do you know!" Asuka growled as she looked at Shinji, her mind remembering the fourteen years she spent in hell.
Sensing the venom in her voice, Shinji only cringed a little, but didn't lose his posture, still staring into the redhead's eyes. "I know more than you realize, I've lost everything in my life and I'll never be able to sleep peacefully again."
Asuka felt shocked by this, looking at Shinji with slightly wide eyes, she hadn't expected this kind of response from him, she looked again and recognized his eyes, he had exactly the same look as he had at Wunder.
Seeing that the conversation was over, Shinji again turned and went back to his walk, his mind wondering if his sentence had helped Asuka a little, at least a little, to show her that she wasn't alone in this world, that he knew what it was like to suffer.
"What?" Asuka spoke to herself as she stared at Shinji's back, the way he spoke, the look in his eyes left her with serious doubts about everything, Shinji was becoming more and more like her Shinji.
Seeing that she was falling behind, Asuka ran to catch up with Shinji, after which the road was completely silent, both in their own worlds.
(*)
"Stand up ... Bend down ... Sit down." Hikari ordered the class, again everyone was in their own world, Shinji was next to Toji and Kensuke, he quickly looked over to where Rei was, seeing how she was still looking out with her deep, thoughtful gaze, Asuka on the other hand was pushing away the people who were trying to get close to her.
The class was a total bore, all the students were trying to stay awake, Hikari was the one who tried hardest to stay alert, but boredom was winning the battle, she blinked from time to time.
"Alright class, today we're going to introduce another new student." The elderly teacher said as he sat down, and seeing that everyone in the room was paying attention, he quickly pointed to the door.
"Miss, come in."
Opening her eyes wide at the sight of the person entering, Asuka couldn't believe her eyes. In front of her was her longtime friend, the person who had stopped her from going completely mad during the fourteen years she had spent in hell.
"Hello, everyone." Mari spoke with her best smile, looking around for the two people she was most interested in, seeing Rei turn his head and look at her curiously. "I'm Mari, Mari Makinami Illustrius ... Nice to meet you all." Locking her eyes on Asuka and then on Shinji. "All of you."
Shinji blinked at the sight of the girl, seeing how she must have fallen through the roof of the school, one more thing that had changed, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, Asuka was watching, and a slight smile quickly appeared on her face.
"You can sit over there." The teacher pointed to a place between Shinji and Asuka.
"You got it." Mari said as she passed the tables, receiving longing looks from the boys and annoyed looks from the girls, walking proudly to her seat, she knew her body was the envy of the other girls.
"Hi." Mari said with a smile as she looked at Asuka, winking at her, they both already knew they would have to have a chat after school, turning her head and looking at Shinji, Mari gave her best smile as she faced him with a sympathetic look. "Hi."
Shinji just blinked, he didn't know how to deal with girls, all he did was give a shy smile and stutter his words. "Hi... Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you."
Smiling broadly, Mari winked at Shinji as he prepared his table.
Shinji was in shock, he could hear the other boys throwing daggers at him.
"Dude! Teach me please!" Kensuke said behind Shinji's back in a pleading voice. "You always get all the chicks!"
Shinji only blushed at the insinuation, making a great effort to regain control of himself, opening his computer and typing in the content the teacher was going over and completely ignoring his friends.
Blinking as he heard the sound of the break, Shinji quickly got up and grabbed his backpack again, preparing everything for lunch, grabbing the first bento and heading over to his sister.
Rei was looking out, thinking about everything, about how much she had learned during this period of research.
"Ayanami."
Blinking at the sight of someone calling out to her, Rei turned her head and looked at Shinji, giving him a simple, friendly smile. "Ikari."
Shinji smiled as he listened and saw Rei smiling, it was good to see that she was evolving, slowly he lifted the bento for her. "Here, I made it for you."
"But Ikari I..." Rei tried to protest, she hadn't yet said she didn't eat meat, but Shinji held up his hand to stop her.
"I know you don't eat meat." Shinji said smiling, seeing how she blushed at the comment. "And you can call me Shinji."
Smiling slightly as he blushed, Rei gently took the bento. "Thank you ... And you can call me Rei."
Shinji smiled when he heard that. "OK, Rei, would you like to join us for lunch?" Rei looked at Toji and Kensuke and thought about it, his mind trying to understand the concept of friendship.
"That would be nice." Rei said as he stood up.
Shinji smiled as he turned, walked over to his desk and picked up a second bento, heading towards the redhead who was frowning.
"Asuka, your..." Shinji was saying as he presented the food.
Taking Shinji's hand, Asuka said, annoyed and jealous. "Good."
- He only has eyes for the perfect lady. -
"Asuka, would you like to have lunch with..." Shinji was inviting Asuka too, but before he could say anything, Asuka stood up abruptly and left the room, Hikari looked up to see Asuka leaving upset.
Shinji looked around, all the other students were talking to their friends, Toji, Kensuke and Rei were waiting for him.
Mari was sitting down, she watched everything from her desk, looking at the door where Asuka had gone, but she could see something in Shinji's eyes, he had become downcast, giving a smile when he saw it. "Interesting."
Hikari quickly got up and went after Asuka, she felt she should help in some way, her work as class representative showed that, Mari got up and went after, she wanted to be able to talk to her longtime friend.
"Hey." Toji said as he approached, watching everything from afar. "Let's eat, leave the demon alone as she wishes."
"Too bad." He wished he could be Asuka's friend, not just be a burden in other people's lives, especially knowing how much she had suffered because of his actions in the future.
Author's notes: Hello Calborghete people here, we finally have Chapter 08. I hope you enjoyed it, as always, be sure to follow it and save it to your favorites so you don't miss any future updates.
This chapter is calm, I tried to explore the psychology of the characters, I hope I did a good job, I'll find out in the reviews LOL.
Please review, your criticisms (good or bad) are very important to me, you know that I take what is said very seriously and it also gives me the strength to continue.
Don't forget to also like the Facebook page, search for "Calborghete" and find an image of Shinji and Asuka, on this page I will post updates and it will also be easier for you to contact me.