Misato took a last look around the apartment. She wanted another drink.

The moving company moved the last of their things out the door. They took the TV, the carpet, the table, her bedsheets, her clothes, everything, just as ordered. They were incredibly efficient in their task. Not a speck of dust existed even in the tiniest corners of the rooms. Only two days and already the apartment was laid bare, as if Misato never moved in at all.

She was going to miss this place. She didn't have it for very long, bought it for cheap no less, and already they had to leave. It wasn't her fault, or even her ward's. Unfortunate circumstances destroyed everything they had built together.

Misato glanced at Shinji, who sullenly clutched the strap on his backpack. He could hardly look at her, just as miserable about their situation as she was. He had gotten attached to this home, the closest he ever had. He wanted to stay, he begged to stay. However, it wasn't to be, much like everything else.

Shinji looked into his bare room. He remembered the first night with Misato and how she helped him. Now, he glumly stared at the ground. His first memories would be washed away… by the world… by his Father…

He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm going to miss this too."

Misato. She was still here. Shinji clutched her hand, trying to keep himself steady.

"I don't want to go, Misato…"

"Me neither." She held his hand. "But we do. We can't have a repeat of the attack the other day."

No, he didn't. Shinji glared at the ground in frustration.

"I hate this. I hate it, hate it, HATE it…"

Misato couldn't find it in herself to disagree. She let go of his hand and caught him in a one armed hug.

"It'll be over soon. Trust me."

She kissed his cheek as her hand rubbed his shoulder. Shinji went stiff at this affection. It was from embarrassment, but there was something else there. He couldn't pin point what it was now.

"Um, uh… that was…"

"I just wanted to show you my appreciation, that's all." Misato giggled. "The best part of our situation is that we're going to have a lot more time together. Isn't that great, my little Shinji-kun?"

Her little nickname felt odd, but otherwise he absolutely agreed, nodding his head. "It is for sure."

There was nothing left for them to do at the apartment. Because of this, they decided to head down, through the elevator, well past the moving company employees handling their stuff. They made it out the door, where they were assaulted by a crowd of onlookers.

"Ikari! Talk to us!"

"What does the pilot of Unit 01 have to say?!"

"You saved us from the Jet Alone!"

"I love you!"

"Does piloting cause you mental strain?"

Reporters and civilians all eager and curious about the Third Child of NERV. They didn't care at all for Misato, ignoring her entirely for the boy who avoided looking at them. Why wouldn't they, when their very lives depended on Shinji Ikari? Ironic. At a time where Shinji didn't want any of himself to be known, they wanted to know everything about him.

Fortunately, Section-2 was helpful in holding them back. The team assigned to them held their guns to the crowd, as Misato opened the door of her car to Shinji. He entered without sparing a glance back.

They drove quietly. Every side of the car, the car was surrounded by people clawing to find them. Shinji shrunk into himself, throwing his arms over his knees feeling sorry for himself. Not for the first time. Not for the last.

Horribly depressed., he couldn't stop shaking in his seat. Misato nodded along with him.

"Me too, Shinji. Me too."

It didn't make either of them feel all that much better.

The room they were given was not as warm as their old place, but it would do.

By necessity, the Commander moved Shinji into the base full time to avoid potential attackers. The image of protestors outside NERV HQ wasn't a pretty sight for either of them. If nothing else, the moving company managed to set up everything for them without problems. Pen-Pen's portable apartment was even installed within the walls by the time Misato and Shinji officially settled in.

Their quarters was decently comfortable at least. There were two bedrooms, a small bathroom with a hot tub, a tiny kitchen, along with a window that gave them a view of the Geo-Front, so at least they had the green scenery to look forward to seeing every day. They also had a couch now. Misato was particularly excited about it.

"We can finally cuddle while watching movies by ourselves, my precious lil' Shinji-kun. If there's a scary movie you better hold me like a man!"

She laughed, knowing he would stammer like mad. Both knew perfectly well she would be the one holding him than the other way around. Misato was the stronger of the two by far. Shinji didn't mind this fact. He liked being held by her.

After a week, Shinji and Misato managed to get properly settled. Shinji washed the dishes in the sink. He was on a one-man mission to ensure their quarters didn't become as filthy as the old apartment had been he first arrived in the city. So far, his efforts were in vain. Misato was the opposite of a neat freak, leaving empty beer cans and dirty clothes piling along the floor. Any time Shinji tried to pick them up, more took their place. As if Misato were secretly a trash hydra, pick up one beer can, two more appeared. Truly his greatest enemy, more deadly than the Angels.

Shinji looked around the room. He wondered if he would have stayed in a place like this if Misato hadn't taken him in, or if Misato made arrangements to make things better for the two of them. He wouldn't put it past his miserable excuse for a Father to set up a shittier place for him. He preferred to think Misato helped him again.

"This couch is so gooooood!" Misato patted the couch. She leaned her back, allowing her body to crumble and stretch her legs to the floor "Ah, this is the life, isn't it Shinji? Aren't you happy?"

He wasn't, not truly. He was content with the arrangement but hated how his life was upended yet again. Still, he didn't want to worry Misato. Shinji swallowed a curse in his throat, and nodded.

"Yeah."

Misato didn't buy it, not when she heard him slam a plate just a touch harder on the table than his previous efforts. She frowned.

"You good, my cute little Shinji-kun? You can tell me anything."

He could. That didn't mean he wanted to explain himself, he didn't want to make her worry more than already.

"… About the best I'm going to get, I think." Shinji admitted. "It's just… so much, you know. I didn't expect any of this to happen."

At that. Misato got up from the couch and stood behind Shinji. She wrapped arms around his shoulders, pushing herself against him. To his shame, he couldn't help but feel her chest through the tight pink tank top she wore as they talked.

"Me neither. We've both had a rough couple of weeks. Don't blame yourself over what happened. It wasn't your fault."

It was the fault of whoever leaked the footage. Misato's nerves had been raised ever since Tokita's failed stab at relevance. They managed to acquire high quality camera footage that could only come from someone at NERV. Combined with the Jet Alone's sudden deactivation procedures, it could only mean someone is working to sabotage their operations from within.

Human beings have a habit of stabbing one another in the back, Misato wasn't so naive as to believe it wasn't the case, but it pissed her off to no end. They were in the middle of a war fighting against the Angels. At bare minimum, the real politick should be put on the back burner until the dangerous alien creatures were deader than dead.

In spite of his shame, Shinji relaxed into her arms. "I keep telling myself that. I don't believe it yet. Not yet."

She held him for a while, shaking him from side to side. Then, she let go and patted his head.

"That's okay. Take the time you need."

Her fingers ran down his cheeks, which caused Shinji to shiver at her touch. She was being more affectionate with him the past few days, hugging, kissing and cooing over him at home. Even during sync tests there was an extra layer in her voice when she praised his work. He should be put off by it, and normally he would be, but such things coming from Misato kept him sane. He couldn't say he found her attention unenjoyable.

With how difficult his life had been so far, he wasn't going to toss her affection out the trash like his Father would.

~beep~

The noise stopped them. Misato took her phone from her pocket, opening it. She pointedly ignored the missed falls and looked over the text she received.

"Put the dishes in the sink. We're going to be meeting someone in a bit."

Shinji blinked. "Huh?"

"A new pilot. Asuka Langley Soryu." She explained. "She's the Second Child. She came in from Germany yesterday, after killing an Angel out at the sea."

"At sea?" Shinji was confused. "Don't they usually attack here?"

"True, that's pretty weird." Misato shrugged. "But it did, and Asuka killed the Angel before it became our problem. She'll be at the cafeteria in thirty minutes, so we're going to meet up with her and her guardian."

He saw how her face fell at the mention of the guardian. Her tone of voice betrayed a melancholic ache, a rare sight from his guardian that left Shinji alarmed. It made him wonder what that person was to Misato to cause such a state.

"Are you upset?"

Upon hearing the question, Misato tried to catch herself.

"Oh, it's nothing my sweet Shinji-kun! Nothing!"

It didn't work. If anything, Shinji was more concerned now, his mouth falling and shutting trying to figure out how to approach her about the issue. Misato sighed, deciding to spare him the effort.

"That obvious, hm?" She looked down. "Yeah. He's someone I know. We have a… complicated relationship."

"Oh."

He wasn't sure what to say to that. Misato hadn't talked about this before, and this was something well beyond his depth. The realm of adults was well out of his reach for now. Misato knew this and waved it off.

"It doesn't matter. Not your problem, it's over, it's been over for a long time, we can be totally professional. It's fine."

Shinji wasn't entirely convinced, but didn't push the issue. "If you say so."

"Right. Now!" Misato slapped his back. "You better get dressed!"

Luckily for them, the cafeteria was only an elevator down.

It looked like the rest of NERV's hallways, long corridors and metal walls. The only exceptions were a white sign that detailed places within the floor, a double glass door that led into the cafeteria…

And of course, the new arrivals standing just outside those doors.

Asuka Langley Soryu stood out right out of the gate. Her bright red hair, caught in crimson clips, contrasted well with the yellow sundress that stuck to her body. She carried a bag over her shoulder yet it wasn't a distraction from the sight of her. Even with the slight bags under her eyes, she wore a confident grin on her face, with blue eyes brighter than Shinji's own.

Compared to her, Shinji felt underdressed in his red shirt and black shorts. She was very pretty even among girls his age. She was talking to an older man. He looked to be about Misato's age.

"… I just can't believe it, Kaji! Not even an hour in this country, I got swarmed by the fucking paparazzi! Some schwachsinnig tried to grab my ass! Kicked him in the balls for that one!"

The man, who Shinji surmised was Kaji, rolled his eyes. He showed only a passing interest in the girl and her words.

"Poor guy. He had no idea what he was in for."

"Everyone knows this body's only for you, Kajiiiii~"

"What an honor. Truly, I am blessed."

"I mean it! I haven't let a filthy boy touch this hot bod just for my darling man!"

After her proclamation, Asuka finally turned her head to spot the newcomers. Not wanting to offend her, Shinji nervously raised his hand in friendship.

"Um, hello! I'm Shinji Ikari. I, uh, pilot Unit 01. You're Asuka, right?"

Asuka said nothing, her face twisting into a scowl. She trained her eyes on Shinji as she marched over to him, deliberately ignoring Misato. Once she was close, Asuka gave Shinji a glance over. He was mildly put off by her closeness, not used to anyone besides Misato invading his personal space.

Keyword being mildly. A teenage girl being near his vicinity was such a rarity for him, he didn't object when Asuka went a touch too close to his face. He blushed at her actions.

"Um…"

Asuka then stepped back, huffing as she crossed her arms in clear contempt.

"Not much to look at. Just a boring boy, not at all a man like Kaji."

Frowning, Shinji couldn't take that assessment lying down. He responded:

"You're too much to look at. That hair'll get caught in a blender if you're too careless."

Asuka was taken aback, her eyes widening. She then laughed at the audacity.

"Hahaha, okay so you've got spine. Thank god you didn't ruin this one, Misato. I was worried I was going to get a freak like you."

She said it so plainly, as if talking about the weather. Shinji balled his fists, ready to jump to her defense before Misato grabbed his shoulder.

"Pleased to see you too, Asuka." Misato kept it cool. "I wouldn't say that about him. My Shinji's a gentleman, unlike the pigmeister you're clinging on to."

"Ha!" The man simply laughed. "Look who's talking, Misato. You know all the ways how to make a man blush."

Her face flushed in anger, stammering over a response. The sight was so unusual for Shinji that he just had to take a look at the man that caused it.

Much like his ward, Kaji exuded confidence. Not in the aggressive in-your-face way Asuka did, but shaped by weariness over life's experiences. He had a worldly aura to him, a permanent smirk itched on his face, his chin wearing a stubble that only enhanced his handsome charm. His hands were in his pockets, his left only coming out to salute them.

"Looks like you've got the Third Child with you too, Misa-chan. Ryoji Kaji, U.N. Inspector. Pleased to meet you."

Shinji felt vaguely threatened by Mr. Kaji. He waved at him.

"Tch." Asuka bounced onto Kaji's shoulder, grabbing it. "Kajiiiiiii, why don't we ditch these verrücktes and eat already? I hope it's better than the putrid trash that cook from the fleet could make. Ugh, it should be impossible to screw up a strudel."

"Sure thing, Asuka." Kaji coughed into his hand. "But I was actually hoping to get some good discussion with Misato."

"Really? Phooey. I'm much better than her any day."

Shinji glared at her. "Citation needed."

That caught Asuka's attention. "What'd you say, Third Child? I could have sworn you were mumbling over there."

"I wasn't mumbling, I was saying." Shinji crossed his arms. "I don't see you risking your life to stop a nuclear meltdown."

"Why would I need to do that when I got an Eva? She's not the one risking her life against the Angels."

"Without her, we would all be dead because of them."

"Anyone could be an Operations Director. Why, even my dear sweet Kaji could do it! Meanwhile, no one can replace an Eva pilot!"

"Pilots are useless without good leaders!"

"I'll let you know when I find one!"

"Moron!"

"Idiot!"

Shinji and Asuka growled at each other. Misato had to sigh in frustration.

"Great, now none of the pilots are getting along…"

"I wouldn't worry about that." Kaji laughed. "How about lunch? My treat. Bring Ikari along too if you'd like."

On the one hand, Misato didn't want to be near her ex-lover right now. There was so much baggage that she wanted to keep under wraps, especially from her Shinji. She didn't trust Kaji not to open the box and spill her secrets just to annoy her.

"Your Eva is a purple, ugly ass piece of shit."

"Y-Your Eva probably looks worse!"

"It has FOUR eyes, unlike your shitcan prototype!"

"How does that help in any way?"

"IT GIVES ME A BETTER VIEW OF THE BATTLEFIELD, IDIOT BOY!"

"Not enough to see past your ego!"

"Don't get smart with me, Third!"

On the other hand, Misato also didn't want to hear her current and former wards arguing over stupid nonsense.

"I'm in."

Soon after, they went to the cafeteria and ordered food.

The food was crap, as far as Shinji was concerned. No wonder Misato asked if he could make her lunches when this is what she had to look forward to. The gray slop on the plates was nowhere near edible, it made Misato's cooking taste amazing by comparison, in his mind. Thankfully, there was no one else in the cafeteria to spy in on potential conversations.

Shinji and Misato ate their food slowly, very much not looking forward to their stomachs getting upset. Kaji was on the same boat, but Asuka ate hers fast. The whole time, she was looking at Shinji, trying to analyze him for weaknesses. For his part, Shinji had his own question.

"How come you're not retching? This stuff is awful."

She shrugged, stating simply:

"This is food I'm used to. The military doesn't allow you access to gourmet cooking. You either eat or you don't. That's what being in the army does to you."

"You don't need to go through that." Misato told her. "Shinji here can cook. He could make you anything."

Before Shinji could object to it, Asuka beat him to the punch. "No thanks. I learned how to cook on my own thank you."

"You didn't come across any trouble yesterday, right?"

"Trouble? Ugh, it was horrible!" Asuka slammed her hand on the table. "When we arrived after beating the Angel, the docks were crowded with reporters! I had to kick them away so they wouldn't look up my skirt! Worst part was, they weren't even asking about me!"

She pointed a finger at Shinji.

"It was all about you! The Third Child, the Commander's son, the Jet Alone stopper, blah blah blah, you're the favorite in the news! You freaking sicko! I bet you enjoyed the attention didn't you!"

Shinji grit his teeth. "No, just the opposite. I hate every moment they talk about me."

"Me too." Asuka shook her head. "I hate your guts. I made my epic debut, and you're the talk of the news!"

"I wouldn't say that's a good thing." Kaji chimed in. "They were looking for NERV personnel and found us. We had to get escorted by Section-2 back to base. Chances are, everyone probably knows you're one of the pilots, Asuka."

"Ha, let 'em!" She turned her nose up at the others. "Now that I'm here, I'll prove to you that I'm the greatest pilot anyone will ever need! The Third Child will be nothing but a name in the dustbin of history once I'm through."

Misato's lips split into an evil grin. "You're going to have to catch up. My little Shinji-kun managed to kill three Angels, you only have one!"

"Correction, he killed two Angels and one was by the First." Asuka bared her teeth grinning back. "Your little Shinji-kun, hm? An Operations Director really shouldn't be playing favorites with pilots, Misato."

The men at the table realized a dangerous spark was forming between Misato and Asuka, Having seen countless arguments between the two in his time, Kaji interrupted them by talking to Shinji.

"So, the infamous Third Child. No training, yet you've done pretty well for yourself. People in the intelligence business know your name."

"Just them?" Shinji groaned. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty much known everywhere else by now."

Kaji would have said more, but at that moment he caught Misato glaring daggers at him. She made a cutting motion, signaling that this was not a line of conversation he wanted to follow. Kaji obliged her request, mostly to keep his life from being snuffed out.

… well, he still couldn't resist playing with fire. Life was better played dangerously.

"You are, yeah. My bad. Tell me, Shinji. You've been living with Katsuragi since you got here right?"

Shinji nodded. Kaji smirked.

"Is she still so… wild in bed?"

Everyone on the table stared at Kaji like he was a fucking maniac. Misato in particular, was struggling not to take the knife in her hand and stab Kaji for daring to insinuate such a thing between them. As for Shinji?

He could only blush at the outrageous question.

"Um, I wouldn't know about that. Why?"

In his mind's eye, a scene played like a film reel. Misato crawled into his bed, clad in her yellow tank tops and booty shorts, carrying a beer can. She hiccuped, her face flushing from how much she drank. She called out his name softly, warmly…

Shinji-kun, I'm here for you…

Shinji swiftly forced the vision out of his mind, trying to keep focus on Kaji as he winked at him.

"Shame. I've known her for years. She's told you anything about me?"

"Erm, not really?" Shinji scratched the back of his head. "You're rather sudden to be honest."

Kaji was only mildly disappointed hearing it. Disappointed, but not surprised. Harsh words were exchanged the last time they met. Misato was not eager to discuss the past, as she spoke up.

"I never did because it was a mistake. We shouldn't have tried to recapture the college days, they were over a long time ago and we suffered for it."

"Tell me about it." Asuka agreed. "He left you once he realized what a loser you actually are."

That comment drove Shinji mad. His knuckles turned white grabbing the table as he glared at Asuka.

"Don't call her a loser."

Asuka noticed Shinji's rising frustration. Rather than turn away in fear, she welcomed the challenge.

"Oh, struck a nerve? Tell me, what do you know about her!"

"She's a wonderful person!" Shinji yelled at her. "She protects me and cares about me! You don't know anything!"

"She'll just throw you to the wolves once she's through with you!"

"She took me in when my own father did, I doubt that!"

"Please, she probably took you in because you're the Commander's son. You're already getting special treatment being an Eva pilot, she wanted you just for a promotion! Daddy's little boy getting all the toys he ever wanted! What a load!"

"ASUKA!"

Misato slammed her fist on the table, shaking everything from the plates to the utensils. She breathed through her nostrils, her throughly pissed off face making Asuka gasp in fear. She had seen Misato angry, but not to such an extent she took an angry tone with her.

"You have no idea what you're talking about at all." Misato pointed at Shinji. "Apologize to him now, or I'll personally lick the stamps sending your ass back to Germany!"

"I- I-" Asuka tried to save face. "You're not- I mean, he's the Commander's son. You're all coddling him!"

"Hahahahahahahaha…"

They heard laughter coming from him. It was the worst case scenario for Misato, who'd been dreading this exact outcome. Shinji had a habit of acting out when angered, Rei's nose being the biggest victim of it. When his temper flared up, it was like triggering an avalanche and getting buried in the snow. This?

Asuka triggered a hundred avalanches at once.

"Coddling…" He spoke in a low voice. "Haha, do you really think that's what's going on?!"

Kaji realized the dangerous tone in his voice. "Why don't we calm down a bit? Maybe we're taking things a bit too far here."

Shinji ignored him, electing to finish his thought.

"I know I'm just a pilot to you people, but I'm going to make this clear! Ever since my Father brought me in my life has been completely trashed! I can't go to school! I don't have friends! Now, the entire planet knows who I am and I can't leave here! I have nothing except Eva and Misato! My mother is dead because of him! I hate everything about NERV and its lies and I hate you, you piece of shit!"

He burst out from his chair and ran out of the cafeteria. Misato tried to stop him, but he went by too fast for her to grab him.

"Shinji, wait! Please don't go!"

As she got up to follow, Misato turned toward Asuka. She glared at the younger girl.

"Get angry at me if you want. I deserve it. But Shinji-kun had done nothing to you. Get over yourself."

Her piece over, she chased after her boy. Kaji sighed into his palm, grabbing the bridge of his nose to keep himself sane. Asuka was utterly shocked at the turn of events that happened. One part in particular stuck out to her, and wouldn't leave her mind no matter how much she tried to ignore it.

"Nothing except Eva…?"

Misato hated this. Hated, hated, HATED this.

She knew her Shinji was fragile. The move had rendered him a ticking time bomb, retreating into himself to avoid the pain of all that happened but without dealing with the situation. Shinji was bound to snap, and he did before her eyes. She knew when tormented he ran away from everyone including her, and she hated it. She didn't want her Shinji to slip away from her again.

Fortunately, being an adult has its advantages, like her legs having longer reach compared to her ward's, thus allowing her quickly to catch up to a fourteen year old boy.

"Shinji!"

She found him trying to get into the bathroom. It was locked without the key, so he was stuck unable to move the knob. He was sobbing before her eyes, not paying attention to anything she did. She went to hold him close.

"There, there, Shinji…"

He said nothing. His body went stuff at her touch, unable to process anything beyond his grief. She moved him from side to side, pressing against him.

"You're not in trouble, Shinji. Come on…"

Shinji slowly grabbed her arms. He didn't push them off, nor did he return her hug. All he did was cry, with an occasional hiccup interrupting the moment. After a bit, Shinji was able to let out a:

"… I'm sorry…"

Misato just nodded.

"I know you are, Shinji. You can't just lash out like that, though."

"… I know, I know, but Misato… She insulted you too…"

"Asuka's like that with everyone." She laughed. "I'm a big girl, Shinji. Nothing she says gets through to me. It's not just her though, is it?"

It wasn't. Shinji knew it, and he knew Misato knew. He couldn't keep it in for much longer, so he chose not to.

"Everything has been so much… I can't do anything right… I kill people, I hurt them, I have nothing… All I do is pilot Eva…"

She felt wounded hearing him say those words. It was what she wanted, but she hated seeing him cry like that. She cooed into his ear.

"You play the cello, you can cook, clean… you've got me, and a new pilot able to help you. Even though things are bad now, you've got a whole life ahead of you. Just wait. I'll be there to take care of you every step of the way."

Her words had the intended effect. She soothed him, enough that he once again relaxed to her touch. He softened under her, which caused her to whisper into his ear.

"There there… it's okay…"

For a while, they were in their own little world. Neither of them were aware of Asuka staring at them from the corner of the hallway. She couldn't help but frown at this display of affection.

'She's so lovey dovey with him, it's disgusting. So much different than with me. What is it about this nothing boy that brought this out of her? Why didn't she ever hold me like that?'

Jealous. Asuka wouldn't say it out loud, but she privately admitted to being jealous. Kaji did his best to reject her advances like a father should, but Misato was no mother. She was curious about that boring boy and his relationship to Misato. Most importantly, she knew there was something she had to do.

She stepped forward.

"Hey, Third."

Both spun around at the intruder. Misato let her Shinji go, causing him to frown at the loss of contact.

"Asuka?"

"Sorry about what I said earlier." Asuka said, the truth coming easier than expected. "I didn't understand just how much you hate your dad. I shouldn't have made such assumptions in the first place. Of course an untrained monkey wouldn't be as prepared as someone who trained for this their whole lives like me."

Backhanded, but as much as she would allow. It was up to Shinji to determine what to do with this apology. Fortunately for her, after only a moment of hesitation he nodded.

"… I'm sorry too. I had a… rough week. With everything"

"I imagine." Asuka stuck her hand out. "Let's try again. Asuka Langley Soryu. Charmed, huh?"

Shinji looked at the hand and her. He stepped forward, and shook on it.

"Shinji Ikari. Charmed."

Misato let out a sigh of relief. At least they managed to bury the hatchet. She wasn't sure they were going to get along from here on out, but it was a start.

"Why don't we ditch this place and check out my Eva?" Asuka smirked. "You've been piloting a prototype, but mine is the superior model."

Shinji glanced at Misato, waiting for her approval. She gave him a smile and nod, which was all he needed. He turned back to Asuka.

"If it doesn't come to life on it's own, it's already better. Let's go."

No time was wasted. Asuka took Shinji by the hand and they ran to the elevator, where they would head down to the Eva cages. Misato watched them go off on their own.

"How nice. I hope they make it work…"

She felt an odd twinge in her heart upon watching them disappear. She was having a moment with her Shinji just a minute ago, yet Asuka swooped in and took it from her. Misato could sense it was a stab of jealousy, and tried to squash the feeling.

"This will be good for him." She told herself. "Asuka's a fellow pilot. She knows the struggle he feels. Them getting along is the best for everyone."

So why did she feel like the moment she turned away, he could slip through her fingers?

"Is it still too early to see you, Misa-chan? Or can I actually approach you for a change?"

Misato frowned. Kaji stepped out from the end of the corridor. He didn't have his jovial smile from before. He was serious, which meant she had to be serious with him in return. She hated having to let her guard down around him.

"Hey Kaji. Long time no see."

"Even now, with no one around, you're don't want to talk to me?"

"No, not really." Misato grabbed her arm, glancing off to the side in shame. "I'm not proud of what happened back then."

"Hey. You know I'll forgive you for anything." She heard his every footstep, felt him come closer. His cologne still smelled good. "You're the only one I love. No one else does it for me."

"Right. Like how you flirt with other women in my face?"

"I do it 'cause it makes you jealous." Kaji grinned. "And 'cause I can. Technically, we're not in a relationship now, so you can't get jealoooouuuus…"

"Hmph." Misato glared at him. "Then you wonder why I call you a pig."

"Oink oink." He chuckled. "Surprised by the way you handled Ikari. You seem to have gotten a lot better about the whole taking care of a child thing. Calling him your little Shinji-kun though, wow, I didn't even get that honor back in the old days. What's his secret? Maybe he can give me pointers on how to score with you."

She wasn't sure when he was being sincere or condescending. He always treated her like a child, one of the reasons she grew to resent him even before they broke up.

"Listen Kaji, he needs me. He makes me happy." Misato admitted. "Shinji's weak right now, and I don't have time for your creepy sex jokes or anything like that. I love him."

"The L word. Whoah, now I'm really jealous." Kaji shrugged. "I kid, I kid. Honestly, I'm proud of you. Good on you for helping the kid. Tell me you don't let him watch the TV though. The news have been dragging him through the mud lately."

"I don't. I hate that it got leaked… the worst part was that they somehow managed to get footage of us! It was horrible, Kaji! That was our moment together! I feel dirty."

"That surprised me more than anything." Kaji said. "I tried to call you, but you didn't answer the phone. You have no idea how worried I was the whole time. I want to know how you're feeling."

For all she complained about him, Misato could never paint him as a bad guy in her head for long. He was a good man, better than her in many ways. She ran away from him, not the other way around. He never did anything to hurt her intentionally. She knew this, and was thankful he was so candid with her rather than turning it into a joke like usual.

"I haven't had time. And… I wasn't sure I wanted to hear from you."

Kaji kept the hurt from showing. "Fair enough. I haven't had a lot of time either. Asuka needed me."

"That girl was always more into you anyway." Misato's lips curled into a smirk. "Tell me Mr. Kaji, is she so wild in bed?"

"Ha!" He laughed. "Good one. I've had to fend her off more times than I can count. I love her, don't get me wrong, but I think we need some space for now. Her feelings are confused. Maybe with Shinji around she can actually find a boy her age."

"Right," Misato smirked. "Like I'd give up my Shinji-kun to her."

"Ooooh, Tiger Momma. Didn't expect to see that side of you."

"Raaaawr."

Both laughed. No one else knew what they've been through quite like each other. It was the advantage and disadvantage of former lovers. Familiarity brought a trust that not even friends could share in, especially when they had the same struggles.

"So, shared any beers with Shinji?"

"No!" Misato shouted. "No, I haven't done anything like that with him. Gross. I'm trying to keep my Shinji clean, unlike a filthy man I know."

"Good to know." Kaji saluted her. "Got a briefcase to drop off at the Commander's office. I won't push the way I did back then. But if you need to call, you know where to find me."

He marched off to another passageway. Misato sighed into her palm, keeping herself from crying.

"Sometimes I can't stand that man, other times I fall in love with him all over again. Why can't anything about Kaji ever be simple?"

Shinji had to admit. Compared to Unit 01, Unit 02 was a lot more pleasing on the eyes.

The plating was mostly bright crimson with yellow stripes along the shoulders, four eyes on the mask with the jaw safely trapped shut. Even if it wasn't kept in a cage like the other Evangelions, he felt safer around this thing than Unit 01.

"Even the coloring is better than your pathetic Unit 01. You're being outdone by the superior model, Shinji Ikari."

He did not disagree with a single thing she said. Shinji was suitably impressed with Unit 02 even without bringing up his disdain over Unit 01.

"Good, you can be the best pilot. I don't like it."

Asuka stared at him, confused and resentful. "You're such a weirdo. NERV's protecting the planet and you're acting like they ran over your dog or something."

Shinji knew it was a statement, not a question. He answered as such.

"They haven't done a thing for me. I'd have run away by now if I wasn't forced to stay here. Like I told you, I hate my father and everything about this life."

"Aside from your precious Misato." Asuka scoffed. "Honestly, I find it strange you of all people were able to sync with an Eva that fast. The First and I trained all our lives for this, yet you somehow managed to beat an Angel with no training."

"You think I'm not confused by that?" Shinji clutched his head. "That's the thing, I don't remember that first fight at all! One moment I was losing, the next I was in a hospital bed! It makes absolutely no sense and it's been driving me crazy. I think-"

He gulped.

"The Evas have to be alive somehow, right? Dr. Akagi said they can go berserk on their own. Why? What else can they do?"

"Nothing, because that idea is absolutely ridiculous." Asuka rolled her eyes. "We can't be piloting things that are alive. They're dolls for us to play with, nothing more."

Shinji wasn't nearly so convinced. He didn't remember the details, but he knew he had an experience that first night that wasn't a dream. He vaguely recalled a memory of his parents he couldn't have had stored in his mind, deciding whether to call him Shinji or… or…

"It can't be, it can't be…"

Asuka wasn't really in the mood to hear his loudly spoken inner monologue. She shrugged him off.

"Well, you can piss your pants and cry. I got Angels to kill. Don't get in my way, I might be able to watch your back."

At bare minimum, it did snap Shinji out of his inner spiral. He obliged Asuka with a quick affirmation.

"Sure. I won't let you down."

"We'll see about that." Asuka's eyes narrowed. "Can't wait to get the next Angel. Israfel is gonna be a piece of cake."

What? "What?"

He worded his thought, confused by the name. Asuka was confused by his own confusion.

"Israfel. That's the name of the next Angel. They should have told you this, right?"

"Angels have names?"

Asuka stared at him for a good, long minute. Then, she reached into her bag and pulled out a book. She slammed it right into Shinji's chest- ooomph, he let out- who had to catch the book before it fell into the LCL below.

"That's the Angel instruction manual. Read it. Learn it. Commit to memory. Don't talk to me until you got the first eight down."

She began to march off. Shinji wondered where she was going.

"Are you going to live at the base?"

"Yeah. My own room." She shook her head. "No way I'm moving with Misato again."

What a confusing girl. One moment she was mean to him and Misato, the next she was trying to help him. What is she thinking? Will he ever know? He at least asked her one thing.

"Why do you hate Misato so much?"

Asuka turned to him for a split second, and sneered.

"She watched me suffer and did nothing. I want her to choke on her own beer."

Author's Notes:

This chapter came earlier than expected? Well, a black out happened so I finished this earlier than normal. Enjoy yourselves this Halloween.

You're probably surprised to see Shinji actually making friends with Asuka, considering his track record so far. Well, with the bullcrap I've been putting him through I figured allowing Shinji ONE friend wouldn't be the end of the world… this time. You might see her refusing to move in with Shinji and Misato as a cop out, and it kind of is, but I hope I made you interested in the why behind it.

To be honest, I always wanted to explore what Shinji and Asuka's relationship would look like when they're just friends, so this is going to be fun. Going to warn you now, there will be a very creepy scene in the next chapter. Be prepared.

Review:

engel17white: Nah, Kaji may be searching for the truth but he's not so reckless that he would compromise someone's identity like that. Especially when it's Misato's ward. It would be such an easy way to cause a rift between him and Misato, which is precisely why I won't use it.