Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Only In Your Eyes Am I Worthy ❯ Memory, a Haunted Ocean ( Chapter 28 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Evangelion: Only In Your Eyes Am I Worthy

Author's Note: Can you believe that I have a webpage bookmarked on the proper usage of “lie” vs. “lay”? haha I hate using the word because often the correct usage of lie sounds wrong. Bleh. As an added note to German-speakers: Rei's German-usage was intentionally left `technically correct but not how a native-German would say it', to reflect the fact that she is neither a native speaker, nor all that practiced. She likely only learned to speak German from books, after all.

Required Disclaimer: Still no own. Still no money. Too evil for a conscience. I think I might just have some jelly donuts around here now, however… Enjoy and ponder on the glory of GAINAX! And stuff.

Chapter 28: Memory, a Haunted Ocean

Shinji shuddered as the two pilots were leaving the movie theater. “That movie was a little more… bloody than I thought.”

Asuka grinned. “Yeah! Like when the samurai cut that guy from shoulder to waist… a fountain of blood! What a great effect!”

The third child stared at the red-haired girl, horror plastered on his face. “You're… not serious?!”

The second child nodded. “Ja, of course I'm serious. It didn't even look like it was a made-up dummy that was cut.” She paused when she noticed the dismayed expression on the blue-eyed boy's face. “Shinji-kun… I only liked it because I know it wasn't real. If I saw that actually happen, I'd be just as disgusted as you are. But I know the difference between reality and fiction. Well… usually.”

Shinji frowned but nodded, accepting that explanation. “The sword-fighting was amazing, anyway. Like when the hero was fighting three other guys at the same time? I've never seen a sword move that fast!”

The German girl made a fist and a demonic smile crossed her lips. “I could probably defeat three times that number!” She boasted.

The third child froze as they were walking, a chill running down his spine. “Why… did you say that, Asuka-chan?”

Asuka stopped as well, turning to look at the boy in surprise. “What? You don't think I could?”

Shinji shook his head. “It's not that. It's just…” He raised his hand and pressed it to his forehead. “I just got the weirdest sense of déjà vu… it scared the crap out of me!”

The second child frowned in concern and stepped towards the boy to lay a comforting hand on his arm. “Why? Were you beaten up by a bunch of guys once, or something?”

The blue-eyed boy shook his head, leaning back against the stone wall of a nearby building. “No! Not me… you! That number… nine enemies… why is it so familiar!? Asuka-chan… why do I… I don't understand any of this!”

The German girl shook her head. “Shinji-kun, calm down. You're probably just remembering a bad dream.”

“No!” The third child protested, shaking his head with the heels of his hands pressed against his temples. “It's like that… remembering a bad dream, but it feels so real! What is this… feeling? Why am I so scared!?”

Asuka grabbed the boy just under his ears and firmly planted her lips on his. She felt him stiffen and try to pull away, but the wall behind him prevented the movement. After a few moments, he relaxed and gave into the kiss, even returning it. She backed away slowly and smiled. “That calmed you down.” The girl looked down and smirked. “Well, most of you.”

Shinji blushed and glanced around to make sure they weren't being watched, but the road was deserted. “I can't help that when a beautiful girl kisses me so abruptly.”

The second child opened her lips to make another comment, then paused as her eyes widened in a sudden revelation. She pulled away from the boy and blushed. “Pervert.” She growled, though her tone wasn't entirely convincing.

The blue-eyed boy glanced away and narrowed his eyes in confusion. “What were we talking about a minute ago?”

“Nothing important.” Asuka replied. “Let's get something to eat then head back home. Unless you can think of somewhere else to go in this city that isn't a pile of rubble?”

Shinji considered that and an idea came to him. “The arcade near the school should be ok. I mean, the school survived, right?”

The second child nodded. “You may be right. It's worth checking out. But first, let's fill my tummy with some tasty treats!”

After the two pilots entered one of the few remaining restaurants open they were surprised to see a large number of people already eating. “Lunch break at NERV?” The third child wondered aloud.

The German girl looked around and shook her head. “Most of them are off duty. Word must have gotten around about the restaurants that were still open. Most of them probably don't have time to cook their own meals and eating cafeteria food or ordering take-out gets old after a while.”

“Like how it is for us whenever it's Misato-san's turn to `cook'. I understand.” The Shinji nodded. A few moments later, a harried looking hostess rushed over to show them to their table. “At least we didn't have to wait.”

Asuka nodded as she looked at the menu. “So why do you think Rei is a vegetarian? She doesn't seem the type of person who cares what she eats. But she almost turns green at the mere suggestion of eating meat.”

The third child glanced up for a moment then back at the menu. “I really don't know. Maybe she got food poisoning once, or something. I still can't eat hamburgers. I got a bad case of food poisoning from some when I was six or seven. Even looking at burgers now makes me a little uneasy.”

The red-haired girl looked up at the boy across from her, eyes wide in surprise. “But I made hamburgers a few weeks ago when it was my turn to cook and you ate them.”

Shinji shrugged. “I forced myself to out of politeness, because I knew you were having… difficulties. I was vomiting for hours afterwards.”

The second child stared at the other pilot with her mouth hanging open in surprise. “You… made that kind of sacrifice just to avoid hurting my feelings?”

The blue-eyed boy nodded. “Of course. You were so happy that they came out just right. I couldn't spoil that for you. It was a small price to pay to see you smile. I'd do it again, no problem.”

Asuka blinked and looked away, coughing nervously as she rubbed her eyes, pretending something got into them. “Why do you have to be so damn kind? That's why I lo… like you so much.”

It was the third child's turn to stare open-mouthed. Before he could process what the girl told him fully, the waitress came by to take their order. Afterwards he sighed. “If things were different…”

“If you finish that sentence, I will jam this chopstick into your eye.” The second child warned. The last thing she wanted was to get the boy's sympathy.

Shinji coughed nervously. “Ah… well… um… so what do you think of the new pilot?”

Asuka snorted. “It's quite a stretch to call him a pilot when he couldn't even sync with my Eva. But that's fine with me. I don't want him touching her anyway.”

The blue-eyed boy coughed nervously again. “Well ah… other than that?”

The German girl shrugged. “He's strange. He was spying on me when I was looking at my Eva… then he started spouting all this bullshit meaning of life stuff. He reminded me of those brainless idiots in die Universität (university, obviously) that thought since they read a little Descartes that they were philosophers themselves. Most of them couldn't even understand Nietzsche, so how can they even consider themselves capable of independent thought? They call him a Nihilist and don't even understand that he adamantly opposed Nihilismus (Nihilism). He referred to the church as a nihilistisch (nihilistic) institution because it put more importance on the afterlife than the current life, which he considered ludicrous. Plus these Dummköpfe (boneheads) actually thought he advocated Nazismus (Nazism). How they passed das Abitur is beyond me.”

Shinji blinked in surprise, intimidated by the girl's rant. Especially because it dealt with intellectual matters that reminded him that the girl was a genius and he was simply… not. “He didn't? I always heard it said that his ideals were one of the foundations of Nazism.”

Asuka snorted. “Nazis perverted everything they could get their hands on. Nietzsche was opposed to the very idea of a Herrenrasse (master-race), because his beliefs were centered on individualistic self-actualization and casting off the morality and influence of the masses to become personally accountable for one's own behavior. Not depending on the teachings of a deity that may or may not even exist or of a dictator to excuse or condemn our actions and thoughts. He also admired the Jewish people for their strength in overcoming all their tribulations, and advocated different races coupling with one another because their offspring are often genetically superior to their parent races. All these things were quite contrary to the teachings of Nazismus.”

The third child stared at the other pilot blankly.

The second child blinked. Then she remembered that the boy likely had very little idea of anything she was talking about. “Sorry, I didn't mean to talk your ear off with things you don't understand.”

Shinji coughed, again feeling intellectually inadequate in comparison to the girl. “Ah… it's ok. I assume that you agree with Nietzsche, then?”

The German girl shrugged. “Some things, yes. I believe that we should strive to better ourselves. I agree that religion is more often used as an excuse to condemn others and ourselves than it should be. But on the other hand, I draw comfort simply from being in a Roman Catholic church. I don't really practice anymore… my father made me go even when I didn't want to, often when he wasn't even around. I hated my father, therefore everything he wanted me to do, I also hated.”

The third child nodded. “I can relate.”

Asuka shrugged. “I don't hate him so much anymore. To be honest, I don't really feel anything for him. Our relationship is more a formality now than anything else, just as it is with my step-mother. The only family member I was ever really close to was my aunt, whom I stayed with while I attended Universität.”

Shinji shook his head in wonder. “This is the most you've talked about yourself around me… ever. I'm honored.”

The second child blushed sheepishly. “I'm sorry. I think I'm getting in the habit of talking endlessly about myself now because of therapy. I don't really like looking back on myself, because often all I can see is how weak I was.”

The blue-eyed boy nodded, falling silent for a moment as their food was brought to them. “I understand completely. I feel the same way when I look at myself. I still think Rei is crazy for liking me.”

Asuka laughed softly. “And we already know I'm already crazy. That must be why I like you so much, also.”

The third child froze with a strip of garlic chicken hanging precariously close to his mouth. He set the morsel down so he could speak his mind. “I didn't mean it like that. I don't think of you as crazy. No more so than the rest of us, at least.”

“I'll stop thinking of myself as crazy if you stop thinking of yourself as weak. Do we have a deal?” The second child inquired before popping a piece of seasoned pork into her mouth followed by a clump of rice.

“It's not as simple as that.” Shinji protested.

Asuka paused in her eating to fix the boy with an amused smile. “Shinji-kun… you said no to me earlier. To me. I've kicked your ass for less. Sure, you have your weaknesses. So does everyone else. You have your strengths too.”

“I… suppose you're right.” The blue-eyed boy admitted.

“Of course I'm right!” The second child declared. “Who do you think you're talking to?!”

The third child coughed to cover a laugh and smiled. “Of course. What was I thinking?”

They fell into a comfortable silence as they finished their meal and then stopped by the arcade for a while. It was nearly deserted and they got the impression from the manager that it would be closing soon as well, since all the children were gone and most of the NERV personnel didn't frequent the place. After they had their fill of paying far too much money for games that were over too quickly for their tastes, they went back home and ended up sitting on the couch watching DVDs of pre-Impact anime.

“What is the deal with samurai jumping at each other in the air and landing ten meters apart and then one of them falling over?” Asuka wondered aloud. “We've seen it in two different movies now, and I know I've seen it in others also. With nearly the exact same movements, as well.”

“Because it's cool?” Shinji replied with a shrug. At the girl's skeptical look he tried a different response. “I don't know. It's probably a homage to some old movie or something. I think it's meant to symbolize something… like since they're not actually showing the attacks, it puts the importance elsewhere, like on the tragedy that someone had to die… or… I don't know. These movies were made before I was even born. How am I supposed to know?”

“I just figured it was a Japanese thing… and assumed you'd know why they do it.” The second child commented, leaning over to rest her head in the boy's lap after he sat back down from putting a new movie in.

The blue-eyed boy stiffened in more than one way and tried to keep his mind off of how close the girl's head was to intimate parts of his body. `Why do I have to turn everything innocent into something dirty? Maybe I ama pervert.' The boy chastised himself. “Like beer and pork is a German thing?” He teased back.

“But beer and pork are good.” Asuka argued, paying no heed to the boy's internal struggle to maintain composure.

“So are those samurai fight scenes.” The third child countered.

The German girl smiled. “They are cool. Point conceded.” She started giggling at the scene on the screen. “What is with these long drawn out transformation sequences? Is everyone else just sitting around and playing cards while these chicks change their clothes and do those overly dramatic poses?”

“That is pretty messed up. I guess it's supposed to expand on a single moment… or more likely it was just supposed to make our eyes bug out and make us say wow. I have no idea.” Shinji admitted.

“And look at those chests! Not a single one of those girls has less than a C-cup. Aren't they supposed to be our ages, or even younger? For a kids' show, this is pretty perverted.” Asuka continued.

The third child chuckled. “They probably did it so the older kids would watch too. I mean, if I had a little brother or sister and they were watching this show, I'd be more inclined to join them after I saw the girls.”

The girl turned her royal blue eyes up to look at the boy's face. “You like those over-inflated chests?”

Shinji shrugged. “I like them all. And you're not exactly flat-chested either, you know.”

Asuka gestured dramatically as she responded. “Yes, but mine are perfectly shaped and proportioned for my body. They'll stay firm and attractive for a long time. Unlike those girls who will probably droop down to their waists by the time they're 25.”

“They're cartoons. They'll never turn 25.” The boy joked.

The German girl smiled wistfully. “Ah, that would be nice. To be young forever. It wouldn't be so bad to be a cartoon girl. I'd be forever young and beautiful, and people would still be falling in love with me years later.”

The third child shuddered a little at the thought. “I think I'd hate it. Can you imagine me being stuck at this age forever? Always at odds with my father… still having to pilot the Eva… going through one traumatic event after another as each new episode is aired. It would be a living hell.”

The red-haired girl crinkled her nose as she considered that. “No, they'd never turn us into cartoons. Our lives are too fucked up. Who would want to watch that? Some pretty fucked up people, obviously.” (haha)

“Yeah, I know.” Shinji laughed softly for a few moments. He looked down and smiled at seeing how peaceful the girl's expression was. He hesitantly reached out and ran his fingers through the girl's auburn hair, fascinated by how silky and soft it was.

Asuka was surprised the boy had the guts to actually reach out to touch her without being prompted. `Some hope for you indeed, Shinji.' She thought as a content smile formed on her lips. “Mmm… you have an hour to stop that.”

The dark-haired boy froze. “What?”

“It means don't stop, Dummkopf.” The second child growled out.

“Oh! Sorry.” Shinji blushed and resumed stroking the girl's luxurious hair. The flush darkened when the girl murmured and shifted her head.

The German girl stiffened in surprise when she felt a hard lump poking her in the cheek and she realized what it was. She was about to protest and yell and every other action that was normal for her, but then remembered what Dr. Kagame had told her about looking at it from the boy's point of view. `Well… my cheek is right on it… and I amunbelievably sexy… I'll just be flattered. No need to get pissy about it.' She relaxed and continued watching the movie.

The third child was surprised. He was sure the girl had been about to kick the crap out of him. He glanced down the girl's body for a moment and started to return his gaze to the screen, but his eyes quickly swerved back. `Wow! Because of that dress she's wearing… and the bodice… and I don't know what else… that sure is a nice sight!' He thought as he stared at the girl's cleavage.

Asuka's eyes narrowed in thought. `Is it me, or is he getting even stiffer?'

Shinji swallowed nervously as his eyes wandered back to the girl's face and he observed how lovely she was, especially with the dim light of the room and the illumination of the television screen. “Asuka-chan?” He spoke up, his voice cracking in apprehension.

The second child turned her eyes up to look into the boy's. “Ja?”

The dark-haired boy swallowed nervously again. He was summoning up every scrap of his courage right now and he still wondered if it would be enough, or if he'd lamely say `nothing' and try to forget it. Finally he opened his mouth to speak. “You said… that if I wanted something… I should have the balls to ask for it.” He stated.

“Ja, I did say that.” The German girl agreed.

Shinji coughed nervously. “Ah… yes. Uh… well… you're in the perfect position to… ah… well… never mind. Forget I said anything.” He flushed beet red, looking away from the girl in embarrassment. `Great… she's finally starting to trust me and feel at ease enough to be close to me, and what do I do? Pervert it with my filthy mind. I hate myself.' He thought bitterly.

Asuka raised an eyebrow up as she looked into the boy's conflicted features. “Shinji-kun, if you want me to do it, you're going to have to actually say it.”

“You'll say no.” The third child said, still looking away in embarrassment.

“Then you have nothing to lose by asking.” The girl replied.

“You'll hate me.” Shinji pointed out.

The second child sighed. “I won't hate you. If I don't want to do it, I'll say no. As long as you respect me enough to take no as an answer, I have no problems respecting you enough to not hold a grudge over a silly little thing like that. Especially since I've been telling you to show some backbone and speak your mind all this time.” She argued.

The blue-eyed boy looked down, surprised yet again. He wondered if it was his more accepting attitude of her of late or the psychotherapy she had every other day that was making the girl so much more tolerant of him lately. Or perhaps it was both? “Well… ah… could you… I mean… would you…”

Before the boy could get his lusty request out, they heard the front door open. “I'm home!” Misato called out.

Shinji jerked in surprise and started panicking when the second child remained lying as she was. “Ah… welcome home!” He called out, his voice cracking.

The major walked in and paused for a moment and raised an eyebrow as she observed the second child quite comfortably resting her head on the boy's lap. “You two look… comfortable.”

“I didn't get much sleep last night.” Asuka admitted truthfully.

Though he was disappointed and frustrated at the major's untimely entrance, he was also relieved that it hadn't been a few minutes later or things might have gotten… ugly and painful. “How was work?” He inquired, hoping to change the subject.

Misato shrugged and grabbed a six pack of beer out of the refrigerator. “Dull. I'm still doing paperwork on the damage from the last angel attack. They might not even bother with repairs, to be honest.” She chugged down one of the cans in a few long swallows and tossed it in the rubbish bin and opened up the next one. “I don't suppose we could watch something a little more… ah… adult? Something not made for kids half your age, perhaps?”

The second child peered up at the major, trying to hide her irritation over the woman's interruption of her cozy time with Shinji, especially since he was moments away from finally being a little more assertive. “You want to watch a porn film?” She inquired skeptically.

“No. Well…” She paused for a moment to consider it with a smile forming on her lips, but then shook it off. “No, I just mean something made for an older audience. A nice action movie, maybe? Or a romance.”

“Put in whatever you want. We grabbed a bunch of movies from the rental store because the door was open and no one was there.” The German girl stated dismissively, shifting a little to get comfortable again and noticing that the other pilot's body had calmed down since their guardian arrived.

The purple-haired beauty stepped into her room for a minute to change out of her uniform and into a t-shirt and shorts before returning to look through the movie collection. She found one she liked and put it in. After the obligatory warnings and threats from various government agencies, some of which didn't even exist anymore, a movie about bounty-hunting women started. The major considered her chances at getting the German teen to sit up and make room for her on the couch but figured it wasn't very likely so sat down on the armchair instead, sitting sideways so her legs dangled over the armrest.

“At least these girls are more… realistically built.” Asuka commented.

“Mmm hmm.” Shinji murmured. He had his attention fixed firmly on the screen, afraid that if his eyes strayed towards either girl, that it would earn him either days of teasing, or worse, a blow up.

The second child scowled. `Why'd Misato have to come home and ruin our cozy moment? Now Shinji's too uptight to even run his fingers through my hair anymore, let alone actually relax and enjoy himself.' She grumbled internally. Then aloud, she inquired “Misato-san, aren't you working all night tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” The major replied dejectedly. “I'll probably just take a nap in my office, because my next shift starts at 9am.”

Asuka considered that. If Shinji went over to Rei's house again, she'd be left all alone. But if she went with him, it would be too crowded and there would be nothing to do. “Shinji-kun, let's invite the First over here tomorrow to spend the night.” She suggested.

Shinji thought that over and nodded. “Sounds like fun. I'll ask her tomorrow.”

Later on the German girl looked over at the major. “Misato-san, it's your turn to cook tonight. So why don't your order some pizza?”

“How about Chinese food?” Misato suggested.

“Pi…zza.” The second child stated firmly. “With pepperoni and sausage.”

“And anchovies?” The major inquired, picking up the phone and looking at the paper she had all the numbers to delivery places that were still open for business written on.

“If you want anchovies, get two pizzas. No anchovies on mine.” Asuka crinkled up her nose in disgust.

“Let's just get three pizzas.” Shinji suggested. “That way, we can just put leftovers in the refrigerator for lunch tomorrow.”

“Unless I eat it all.” The red-haired girl observed.

“Unless Asuka-chan eats it all.” The third child acknowledged without missing a beat.

Misato nodded and started dialing the number. “What do you want on yours then, Shinji-kun?”

“Ah… chicken and peppers.” He replied after a few moments of consideration.

“He means sausage and peppers.” Asuka deadpanned.

Shinji blinked. “Uh… I guess I mean sausage and peppers.” He looked down at the girl and quirked an eyebrow up inquisitively.

“The chicken from that place is shitty. It tastes like cat food. And if I'm still hungry later, I don't want to eat shitty chicken pizza.” The German girl explained.

The third child smiled and brushed his fingers tenderly over the girl's cheek. “No problem.”

“You don't mind?” The blue-eyed girl asked.

“You didn't say hamburger, at least.” The dark-haired boy joked with a grin.

“Oh, hamburger… that sounds good.” Asuka commented, glancing towards Misato.

“No.” Shinji stated firmly.

A delirious smile formed on the girl's lips. She was kicking herself inside for acting so foolishly, but mostly she didn't care. Later on that night, as she was curled up against the other pilot, she smiled up at him. “You sound so manly when you say no.”

The blue-eyed boy blushed. “Thank you.” He started debating with himself, as he wanted to ask the girl if they could do something sexy, but he also felt guilty for even thinking about it.

“Gute Nacht, Shinji-kun.” Asuka murmured, too tired from not getting much sleep the night before to stay awake any longer.

“Oh. Good night, Asuka-chan.” Shinji responded. He glanced at the girl and smiled, seeing she was already fast asleep. He leaned his head down to give her a sweet kiss on the lips and settled back to sleep as well, for once not missing his SDAT player.

*************************

The next day, Shinji and Rei walked into Major Katsuragi's apartment, carefully holding a number of items. “We're home!” The boy called. An amused grin formed on his lips as he heard the second child grumbling out such words as `Finally!' and `About damned time.'

The girl came to the door and immediately took one of the bags from Rei's hands even though she was only holding two bags, while ignoring Shinji who was carrying three bags and a game system plus accessories. “Ah good, you brought the game system. You can put it down over by the television, Shinji-kun.” She ordered. The girls meandered towards the kitchen while Shinji grunted and strained with the game system, controllers, plugs, cords, and a bag with a few games they had picked up on the way over.

The German girl turned her attention to the first child. “Wie geht's, Rei-chan?”

Rei looked at the other girl. `Why does everyone always ask me how I am doing? And yet, they don't expect a completely honest reply.' She thought. Then aloud she said, “No problems to report.”

Asuka noticed the girl seemed stiff and distracted, so she figured the mood needed to be lightened. “I'm sorry.” She started saying, earning the blue-haired girl's attention. “I haven't greeted you properly yet.” The German girl wrapped her arms around the red-eyed girl's waist and planted a tender kiss on her lips. After a few moments a soft “mmm” sound was heard from the first child, so Asuka deepened the kiss and raised a hand up to run her fingers through the soft blue locks of the other girl.

Shinji walked in. “Ok it's all hooked… up. Sorry.” He blushed as he saw the two girls kissing. `Asuka sure is… assertive. Do I just stress over this stuff too much?' He wondered.

“No need for apology, Shinji-kun.” Rei assured him, turning her head to look at the nervous boy.

The third child glanced at the red-haired girl and saw nothing but a small smile on the girl's lips so he relaxed. “We should eat now before it gets cold.” He suggested, though it ended up sounding more like an order, unintentionally.

The first child nodded and sat down, reaching into the bags to set out all the food in silence.

“Jawohl, mein Führer! (Yes sir, my leader/chief!)” Asuka asserted, doing a mock salute with a big grin plastered on her face.

“Oh! I… ah… sorry… I didn't mean…” Shinji grew flustered, realizing how his statement had sounded.

The second child rolled her eyes, stood back up and grabbed the boy in the same manner she had the day before and planted a steaming hot kiss on his lips. After she felt him relax, she pulled away. “It smells good.” She commented as she sat down and looked through the collection of food the other two pilots had brought with them. She glanced up and noticed Rei looking at her curiously. “It's the easiest way to get him to relax.” She explained.

The first child nodded. “It seems to have worked very well.” She commented, noticing the boy was still standing motionless and blinking rapidly.

“Dinner's going to get cold, Shinji-kun.” Asuka commented in a mild tone.

“Huh? Oh!” The boy blushed in embarrassment and sat down to join them. “You know, I could have just cooked…”

“You don't cook when you're having a party, Dummchen. (silly)” The blue-eyed girl informed him in a tone that suggested he should have known better.

“Ah.” He picked up a box of Thai-style chicken and some rice and started chewing on it. He looked up and noticed Rei was regarding him with a strange expression on her face, one he had never seen before. “Rei-chan? Is everything alright?”

The first child was silent, unsure of how to respond. She didn't want to lie, but an honest response would bring up a topic she wasn't ready to discuss yet. A compromise was needed. “These noodles have too much garlic in them.” She responded. It was a true statement, even though it didn't really answer the boy's question.

“It's too bad you don't eat meat. The sweet and sour pork is delicious.” Asuka informed the girl, holding up a piece of the meat on the end of her chopsticks for inspection.

“Well, that's good for you.” Rei replied, reaching with her chopsticks to pick up a dumpling.

Shinji tried to stifle a laugh and it ended up coming out as a snort and chuckle when he saw the surprised look on the German girl's face. He remembered when she told him the exact same thing after he woke up from his battle with the 12th angel. He coughed to force himself to stop his expression of amusement when the red-haired girl cast a glare his way.

After dinner, Shinji and Asuka sat on the floor in front of the television and started playing games. For a while they tried to involve Rei into their conversation and offered to let her play the games, but she seemed content to sit on the couch and watch them. The first child stretched out on the couch to bring her head near the other two pilots and curiously watched the screen. Her gaze then moved between the two other children and she pondered whether they would all have a future or not without Third Impact. For the first time in her life, she had something to live for and wanted to live. And it was a good feeling. “Shinji-kun?” She said to get the boy's attention.

Shinji immediately turned his attention to the girl and smiled. “Hmm?”

The blue-haired girl fell silent for a few moments. She wanted to talk to him about the Human Instrumentality Project, but she couldn't think of the proper words to use. She had to broach the subject carefully, but that would be difficult. She wondered if he would even understand what his father wanted to do, and whether or not she truly understood it for that matter. But she had spoken and gained his attention and both of the other pilots were patiently waiting for her to speak. “Would you show me… how to play that game?” She couldn't think of anything else to say.

The third child grinned. “Sure! Just hit this button here if you want to fire your weapon, this button if…”

Rei shook her head. She got up from the couch and then sat down between the boy's splayed legs. “Show me.” She requested, looking down at the controller in the boy's hands.

Asuka raised an eyebrow. She was shocked the girl showed that much initiative. More than likely, it was an innocent gesture, but she wasn't going to call attention to it and ruin it for them.

Shinji blushed and looked down at the delicate girl sitting so close to him. “Ah… ok. See when I press this button, I fire my gun. I use this one to maneuver the guy on the screen…” He glanced at the second child who simply flashed him a smile. The boy cleared his throat and told her what all the buttons did and showed her the reactions on the screen to each press. “Would you like to try it?” He asked.

Rei nodded and gently took the controller from his hands and stared down at it as she hit buttons. “Piloting Eva is much simpler.” She remarked.

“A lot messier though. At least we don't have to be dunked into LCL to play these.” The German girl observed.

“Indeed.” The red-eyed girl responded, turning her attention to the screen. “What is my target?”

“Anything that moves.” Shinji replied.

The first child kept looking down at the controller to reorient herself on the button placement, finding the whole process to be terribly inefficient. “Why am I glowing?” She inquired.

“You picked up a power-up. You'll be invincible for the next fifteen seconds.” Asuka informed her. She grinned, watching both the girl and Shinji, the latter whom was obviously attempting to not freak out by having the girl practically sitting on his lap. It was all terribly cute. “Maybe you should try an RPG. Action games don't really seem to be your style.”

Rei turned to look at the other girl, not comprehending what she meant by that term.

“Oh! Like that game Maya-san gave you. I'll uh…” He paused, considering how likely it was that the girl would move so he could change the game.

“I'll do it. You two cuddle.” The red-haired girl teased as she got up to change out the game discs.

The first child turned her head to look at Shinji, realizing for the first time the intimate manner in which she was leaning against him. She noted the blush on his face and thought about how attractive it was. A small smile touched her lips as she settled back against the boy, shifting a little to get even closer.

The third child's eyes widened in surprise and once again he was conflicted. On the one hand, he was very aroused by the girl's proximity and the scent of her skin and hair that floated up to his nostrils. On the other, it was an affectionate gesture and he felt that getting all excited over it was cheapening that. `Why can't I just react like a normal person and enjoy the moment?' He wondered.

After the blue-haired girl figured out how to play the game and settled in, though, he started relaxing. He discovered that he could enjoy her closeness without his body going crazy on him. He glanced over at Asuka, noticing she was more interested in watching the other two pilots than she was in the game. “Asuka-chan, what are your plans for tomorrow?”

The second child shrugged. “I have therapy mid-morning. Later in the afternoon, Misato-san wanted to go shopping for clothes with me, after she's done with her work shift. Assuming she doesn't just get drunk and fall asleep, that is. I wouldn't blame her, after these long shifts she's been pulling.” She leaned over and rested her head against the third child's shoulder and grinned up at him. “How about you?”

Shinji blushed at the fact that he now had two beautiful girls this close to him, and yet it was still an innocent gesture. “I have a harmonics test. I'm not sure why they're bothering though, since my Eva is for emergency use only now. But if they want me to train, I'll train.”

“I died.” Rei stated suddenly, out of the blue.

“Huh?” Shinji blinked, leaning to the side so he could see the blue-haired angel's face.

“The game, Dummchen.” Asuka teased, elbowing the boy in the ribs.

The third child blinked and looked at the screen, seeing a large `Game Over' message flashing on the screen. “Oh. Well, you can always load from your last save.”

The red-eyed girl looked back and blankly stared at the boy. “I was supposed to save the game?”

The German girl started laughing, much to Shinji's embarrassment. “How about I put in a movie?” She suggested.

The blue-eyed boy nodded. “That sounds good. Rei-chan?”

Rei looked back at him again. “Yes, Shinji-kun?”

Shinji blinked in surprise, wondering if she even paid attention when they were talking. “Does a movie sound all right to you?”

The blue-haired girl nodded. “If that is what you wish to do, we shall watch a movie.”

Asuka started naming off titles that she and Shinji had not yet watched. She looked back at the two, raising an eyebrow. “Any of those sound good?”

The third child gently put an arm around the red-eyed girl's waist, relishing in the closeness. “Do you have a preference, Rei-chan?” He figured she would likely say no, but he wanted to give her the chance to choose if she wanted to.

Rei considered the titles, but wasn't familiar with any of them. “Are any of them love stories?”

The second child was surprised. She was sure the girl would say she didn't care. She looked back down at the movies. “This one is.” She picked one of the videos up. “This one it is, then.” She put the disc into the DVD player and slid back over to lean onto Shinji's shoulder again as the movie started.

The blue-eyed boy noticed the first child glance back when the other girl cuddled up to him, but she looked back at the movie, undisturbed by the girl's proximity. Shinji figured if she wasn't threatened by it, he shouldn't stress over it either. So he lifted his arm up to rest if across the German girl's shoulders and pulled her a little closer. He heard the girl sigh in content and felt fingers brush up against the hand that was resting around the first child's waist. He glanced down, realizing the other girl had brought her free arm around to loosely embrace Rei as well. It felt… a little weird, but strangely comforting as well. He stifled a chuckle as he thought about what Misato's face would look like if she walked in on them now. He was glad the major was putting in an all-nighter at NERV, because he really didn't want to have the moment ruined as it had been the day before.

“Ok, am I the only one that thinks that girl is a crazy stalker type?” Asuka wondered aloud.

Shinji blinked in confusion. He was barely paying attention to the show, so wasn't certain what she meant. “What do you mean?”

“Well, she hasn't seen that guy since they were children. She says he promised to marry her when they were like… six years old. Suddenly she shows up on his doorstep and says she's going to marry him and starts staying at his house?” The second child explained. “And she cooks him a huge dinner and is obsessive about him eating every last morsel? And she keeps saying she's going to marry him in the creepiest way… and he's freaked out too. Or is this some Japanese thing that I just don't understand?”

“I don't know… I think it's sweet.” The third child remarked, thinking the girl must care a lot about the boy to do everything she was doing to be with him.

“I agree.” Rei added. She glanced back at the red-haired girl. “She loves him. It does not matter that she has not seen him in over a decade. She wants the best for him.”

Asuka giggled. “It must be a Japanese thing, then.”

Shinji pondered on that, wondering if it didn't seem strange to him because he knew she was a traditional country girl, taking care of the young man in the best way she knew how. He glanced at the German girl, wondering how things were different in other parts of the world. He had never even been outside of Japan and he knew the other girl was worldly, having lived on three different continents. `Maybe I'm just a simple country-boy as well?' He mused.

Other than a few random comments, mostly made by the second child, they watched the show in relative silence. After it was over, the German girl looked at the clock. “It's getting kind of late. We should probably get to bed soon.”

Rei stood up gracefully. “Am I sleeping here tonight?” She inquired curiously.

“That was the plan, ja.” Asuka replied, to which the other girl nodded.

“I need to take a bath.” Shinji remarked, feeling self-conscious now that he thought about the two girls cuddled up to him when he hadn't bathed yet that day.

The German girl grinned playfully. “We'll get the bed nice and warm for you then, Shinji-kun. Won't we, Rei?” She patted the other girl on the bum as she winked.

The first child raised an eyebrow up slightly, but did not comment.

The dark-haired boy started to sweat as he considered what Asuka might have in mind for the blue-haired beauty. “Ah… I'll join you soon, then.” It wasn't until he was in the bath that he realized both girls were likely going to sleep on the futon with him. He swallowed nervously, hoping he didn't get himself into trouble with either girl. After he dried off and dressed, he walked towards his room and overheard the girls talking.

“Seine Hände sind sehr weich… (His hands are very soft…)” Rei murmured in a soft voice.

“Jawohl! Und sein Schwanz ist auch ganz schön groß! (Yes indeed! And his penis is a nice size also!)” Asuka added.

Shinji blinked in surprise. He didn't know what they were saying, but he had the feeling it was about him.

“Is it?” The first child inquired in a tone that suggested she didn't really care.

The blue-eyed girl grinned and held her hands up a certain distance apart. “Well, it's…” She paused when she noticed the blue-haired girl was looking at something behind the German girl. She looked back as well and smiled at the third child. “Welcome back, Shinji-kun. All nice and clean, now?”

Shinji blushed and sat down next to the girls. He hoped they didn't mind that he was only wearing an undershirt and boxers. Since they often wore even less when they slept, he figured it didn't matter. “Ah, yes.” He replied after some hesitation.

“I think we could have all fit into the bath.” Asuka commented with a playful smirk.

“Yes, that is true.” Rei agreed.

The boy's blue eyes widened in shock, but he didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed that they hadn't done just that. He doubted he could have… kept his cool with two beautiful naked girls in the bath with him. “Well… maybe.” He said uncertainly.

“My turn then, unless you wanted to bathe?” The German girl inquired, looking at the first child.

“I showered before coming over here.” The blue-haired girl responded. After a few seconds she remembered conversations where she was told she often sounded rude when she spoke to people. “But thank you for offering.” She added.

The second child smiled, pleasantly surprised at the girl's politeness. “I'll return shortly, then.”

After the red-haired girl left, Shinji relaxed after he was lying down. A moment later, the first child cuddled up next to him. The boy was glad that he was freshly bathed now, so he wasn't nervous about how he might smell. He turned his head to look at the girl next to him and smiled nervously.

Rei stared back at the boy silently.

“Eh… this is ok, right? If it's not, I don't mind sleeping on the couch.” The third child offered, though he hoped she didn't tell him to leave.

“I would be… disappointed if you left, Shinji-kun.” The red-eyed girl responded honestly. Normally she wouldn't make such a statement, but she was beginning to realize that the boy often seemed to need reassurance, which was a foreign concept to her. Though the young Ikari often seemed unsure of himself and was almost terminally nervous at times, she did have to admit that he valued life. He didn't pray for the day that he would no longer be needed and could die, like she had done until recently.

Shinji gave the girl a silly grin. After a little hesitation, he leaned over and pressed his lips to the girl's, ready to pull away if she showed any signs of rejecting the affection.

Rei made a soft “mmm” sound and kissed him back, laying an arm over the boy's shoulders to pull him closer and make her acceptance of the kiss apparent.

The third child hadn't planned to kiss her longer than a few seconds, but thoughts of pulling away vanished from his mind. He completely forgot about the German girl bathing and likely to return at any moment. His hand slid underneath the girl's shirt as he rolled her onto her back and leaned over her, trailing his kisses down to the girl's neck as his fingers grazed over her milky-white stomach. Encouraged by the heat of the red-eyed girl's kisses, his hand moved further up to cup one of her soft breasts, tenderly massaging and stroking it.

The first child tilted her head back to give the boy easier access to her neck as she sighed softly, enjoying the affectionate attention. She briefly wondered why the boy was suddenly being so bold, but decided she didn't care as long as it continued. Her eyes drifted shut as she felt his thumb lazily circling her nipple underneath her bra, which sent delectable tingles up and down her spine.

Shinji kissed the blue-haired beauty again as his hand trailed down to stroke against the girl's silky thigh. A few moments later his fingers found their way beneath the girl's skirt and against the heat of her panties. “Mmm… Rei-chan…” He nearly jumped out of his own skin when Asuka was suddenly lying down next to the couple. He pulled away from the first child and turned beet-red as he turned onto his back, feeling embarrassed both because he was caught in the middle of a heavy petting session with the girl and that there was a noticeable tent in the blanket.

The second child cuddled up to the boy. After a few tense moments she lifted her head up to regard the couple, realizing what they had been doing. “Sorry. Should I sleep on the couch tonight? I didn't mean to disturb you.”

“No! No, uh… it's ok. It was inconsiderate of me. I wasn't thinking about you coming back… or anything really.” The third child apologized quickly, still embarrassed.

Rei frowned slightly, wondering why he stopped just when it was getting good. “Warum hat er aufgehört? (Why did he stop?)” She inquired, looking over the boy's body at the German girl.

“Er ist verlegen. (He is bashful/embarrassed)” Asuka responded. Had she realized what the two were doing, she might have watched another movie or something to give them some privacy. But now it was too late, because she knew Shinji would feel too embarrassed to continue with what he was doing once she left.

Shinji blinked, listening to the two girls speak in a language he didn't understand. `I really need to learn to speak German…' He realized. Though he knew Rei only asked whatever it was because she knew he wouldn't understand it.

“Würde es dich stören, wenn wir mit dem was wir gerade machten fortsetzen? (Would it disturb you if we continued with what we were doing?)” The first child inquired curiously.

The third child frowned slightly, hoping the two weren't arguing. But they sounded fairly civil… he wished once again that he understood what they were saying, especially since it was rare to hear Rei speak that much.

The German girl swallowed nervously, a strange thrill running through her body. “Nein. Soll ich mich verdrücken? (No. Should I leave?)” She inquired. Though she knew the answer would likely be a polite yes, she couldn't help but ask.

“Nein. Bitte bleib bei uns. (No. Please remain here with us.)” Rei requested. She also knew the boy would never relax enough to be affectionate again if he knew that Asuka was being inconvenienced by giving them privacy. If the other girl didn't mind it, perhaps the blue-eyed boy would feel free to relax and continue what he was doing.

The second child was surprised by the request, but then she considered it. She knew the blue-haired beauty would never ask Shinji to do sexy things to her, no matter how much she wanted it. But she herself did not have such reservations. `Of course…' The girl cleared her throat and turned her attention to the third child, seeing the confusion written on his face. She figured she'd look the same if he and Rei were speaking in a language she didn't understand. “Shinji-kun? Remember what we were talking about the other day, about acting on your desires and trusting that we'd tell you if we weren't in the mood for it?”

Shinji coughed nervously and nodded. He felt panic rise in his chest when he realized what she was implying. “But… I can't just ask you to leave. And I don't think I could just do that so suddenly anyway…”

The second child frowned. “Shinji-kun… let me give you some advice. Continue what you were doing before I accidentally interrupted you, or you will spend the rest of your life regretting it.”

“Asuka-chan… if Shinji-kun does not want to, it is all right. I don't want to force him to do something he doesn't want to do.” Rei protested, unhappy that the girl resorted to a guilt ploy.

“But… I do want to.” The third child spoke up. `Oh shit… did I just say that out loud?' He thought in a panic.

“Then I am ready for you, Shinji-kun.” The red-eyed girl stated in a gentle tone.

The third child's mouth dropped open in shock as his erection returned with a vengeance. “But… I…” He paused. `Haven't I fantasized about this a number of times now? Why am I resisting? To be one with Rei-chan…' He turned his gaze to the other girl's blue eyes, not wanting to hurt the girl's feelings no matter what `Little-Shinji' was telling him. “Are you sure you're ok with this?”

“Jawohl. I am not bothered in the least.” Asuka assured him.

Just to be sure, the young Ikari looked at the first child. “And you're sure about this?”

Rei stared at the boy.

“Dummkopf! Don't ask her stupid questions.” The German girl chided him.

Shinji smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, it's a force of habit.” He explained. Nervously he leaned over the blue-haired girl once more, pressing his lips to hers. As his hand trailed a similar path as it had before they were interrupted, he paused to look over at the second child. She seemed to be in no hurry to leave.

Asuka propped her head up as she lay sideways, watching the couple with interest. She took no notice of the boy's plight.

The third child looked from one girl to the other, embarrassment and confusion reigning in his mind now. “Uh…” He tried to think of the words to politely ask why the young Soryu had not yet left to give them some privacy.

“Shinji-kun… I'm down here.” Rei reminded him gently.

The dark-haired lad blushed, casting another glance towards the second child before kissing the quiet red-eyed girl. His hand brushed up the girl's thighs and nearly up to her cotton panties. He pulled away a little and looked down at Rei, feeling incredibly turned on, but was unsure of how best to proceed.

“It'll probably be easier if you get those clothes off.” Asuka suggested, guessing at his predicament.

Shinji looked over at her, realizing that she really did have no intention of leaving. He looked down at the first child, noticing that she wasn't distraught over the other girl's presence. `Maybe that's what they were talking about in German…' He surmised. He started reaching for the bottom of his shirt but his hands were brushed aside by Ayanami's.

The blue-haired girl carefully slid her hands underneath the garment and pulled it off, then ran her hands over the boy's chest. She looked down at his body then raised her red eyes back up to meet the boy's blue ones.

The third child swallowed nervously and gently slid Rei's shirt off, followed a moment later by her bra. Luckily he had gotten some practice at removing the complex garment while the girl was recovering from her injuries, or he would have felt foolish when he fumbled with it. His eyes drank in the sight of the girl's ivory white breasts and his hands couldn't resist cupping the soft orbs. His mouth felt dry as he touched the girl in a way that made him anxious. He glanced over at Asuka, noticing she was watching the both of them with rapt attention. And judging by the dilation of her pupils, she was enjoying the show. He still felt weird to be doing this in front of the other girl, but he wanted to make his lover happy, so conceded to her wishes. He'd feel like a real jerk to kick the girl out now. “Your skin is so soft, Rei-chan.” Shinji whispered, leaning forward to suckle gently on one of her nipples.

A gentle sigh escaped the girl's lips as she watched the boy's tender ministrations. A few moments later, he moved down further and hooked his fingers into the waistband of the girl's panties, slowly sliding the garment down. He swallowed nervously as the tender lips of the girl's nether regions were revealed.

Rei looked down as her own hands slid into the boy's boxers and slowly slid the garment off. She leaned up to plant a scorching hot kiss on the third child's lips as her thighs parted.

Shinji looked down, realizing he was about to have sex for the first time in a situation that was likely a dream come true for quite a fair portion of the males of his age and likely many other age groups. It was too much. “SHIIIIT!” He cried as his body stiffened and flushed.

The first child looked up at the boy, astonished by his reaction but barely showing it. “Shinji-kun?”

Asuka frowned at the odd reaction and reached a hand forward to touch the boy's shoulder. “Are you ok, Shinji-kun?”

“Don't touch me!” The blue-eyed boy cried out suddenly, pulling away from both girls and standing up, as shame and anger directed at himself made his body shake. He sighed, realizing he was hurting their feelings unintentionally. “Sorry. I just need to clear my head. I'm so sorry. Just… leave me alone for a little while.” He grabbed up a pair of sweatpants and put them on quickly and walked out while staring at the ground.

“Did I… do something wrong?” Rei inquired in a soft vulnerable tone.

Asuka looked down at the girl and saw what caused the boy's reaction. “Oh… shit. Looks like he… ah… boiled over.” She commented, grabbing up some nearby tissues to clean off the girl's stomach.

The first child looked down curiously then realized what the strange wetness on her stomach was. “Oh… I suppose I will be taking that bath after all.” She deadpanned.

The German girl nodded silently. She felt sorry for the third child and wanted to comfort him and let him know that they didn't think any less of him. That it didn't mean that such a thing would happen again. And any number of other comforting words, but she knew he didn't want to hear them right now. “He'll calm down in a little while… I'll talk to him then. I suppose it's natural for him to feel bad about what happened.”

Rei nodded and started walking towards the bathroom, not bothering to dress. She wondered if sex ever got less frustrating as she soaked in the soothing hot water. Later on she returned to the third child's room and lay down on the futon, not bothering to put on any clothes. She frowned when she noticed that Shinji still had not returned. She remained silent as the second child cuddled up closer to her, both girls falling asleep soon after.

Shinji remained standing outside for several hours, staring at the night sky and feeling sorry for himself. When his fatigue became too great to ignore, he re-entered Major Katsuragi's apartment and peered into his bedroom. He glanced back at the couch, feeling that the uncomfortable furniture piece was all he deserved, especially since the girls probably thought they did something wrong. However, he wondered if this would be his only chance to ever have two beautiful girls curled up with him and also figured they might feel worse if he avoided them.

He glared down at his groin for a few moments before grumbling, “Why do you have to keep getting me into trouble? Why can't you just do what I tell you to do?” He sighed and plopped down between the girls, finding it strange that they pulled away from each other to make room for him between them just as he reached the futon, yet both were still sound asleep. He shrugged and lied down, hoping he didn't screw things up too much with Rei, but feeling like he'd deserve it if he had.

*************************

Haha… I really wanted to write a nice lemon scene between Shinji and Asuka on that couch…oh well. It would have been hot too. Really hot. Almost as hot as the scene between Shinji and Rei would have been, had he not… lost his courage. ;-) Next chapter: Asuka drags Rei along with her and Misato for clothes shopping, Shinji pays a visit to Kaoru, and probably some other stuff will happen too. Until then, cheerio! *Runs away before she starts getting hate mail over this chapter.*