Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Imperfection ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

Imperfection

Disclaimer: I don't own NGE and Kaoru (or Kowaru) is BLOODY HOT!!!

---- Chapter Three ----

"Hey, Asuka, wanna walk home together?"

Asuka looked from her best friend, Hikari, to the idiot Shinji. She really wanted to walk home with the class rep, but she had promised Shinji that she would go with him to Wondergirl's apartment this afternoon.

"Sorry, Hikari," she sighed. "Idiot here forgot his house keys. I have to walk with him."

"Oh - okay then," Hikari replied. She looked remotely disappointed. "I guess I'll have to walk by myself then. Unless - Oi, Toji!"

Hikari left to bug the jock to walk her home. Asuka sighed and slumped in her seat. Today of all days, she had to help the idiot confess his feelings to First Child. Why her? Why did she have to stick her nose into his bloody problems? It was her own fault, if she had to blame anyone. She stared at Shinji, who was staring at Rei, who was staring out the window.

"The idiot will have to be pretty darn grateful for what I'm giving up."

--------

She should tell him.

Then again, maybe she shouldn't.

What should she do?

What would Kaoru say?

Rei wasn't thinking about nothing as she stared out the window. This time, she was thinking about Kaoru. The one and only Kaoru, who was probably sitting in another classroom somewhere on the other side of town, the one who she lived with. She was thinking of him more often now.

His deep, blood-red eyes which always sparkled with amusement. His cool, indifferent, light attitude towards almost everything. Then she blushed. She had cried on his shoulder last night, without even meaning to, and he had just let her. She had even called him by his first name! What would Kaoru think of her now?

Her first priority should be Shinji. Shinji and the problem of whether or not she should tell him about the Third Impact and her involvement in it. She was filled with an uncomfortable feeling all of a sudden. Shinji was staring at her.

"What do you want?"

"N-nothing!" Shinji stammered, blushing. Rei hadn't even turned around to look at him. She was still staring out the window. "I-I was just going to ask whether you were going to headquarters after school."

"No."

"W-Well, okay then," he replied. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yes."

--------

Kaoru sat in his favourite place inside the apartment - against the wall - thinking. He was always thinking, especially with Rei not around to stare at him all the time. However, the only thing he could manage to think about right now was her and her behaviour last night. It was so unlike her to be in need of help, of comfort.

She was falling in love with Shinji.

She would cry for him, even when she did not usually show her feelings.

Then why was it that he could do shake this feeling that she was more to him than a sister and a housemate? Why was it that whenever she talked to him, his heart began to thud uncomfortably like when she had her arms around him? He propped his forehead with the heel of his palm and shook his head.

He couldn't think straight.

He needed to concentrate on how to spend the rest of his life hiding from Shinji. That is, if Rei did not betray his continued existence to him first. Of course, she had sworn to secrecy about this, because she was part Angel herself. If she broke that promise, she would be betraying her own kin.

The door bell rang twice.

Kaoru looked up. Rei NEVER rang the door bell when she was home. She had the keys with her. He had a copy of those keys. He wondered who would be visiting at this time of day. The voice that spoke through the intercom made Kaoru go stiff.

"Ayanami? It's me, Shinji."

"Hey First Child."

"What are they doing here?" Kaoru moaned quietly to himself. "How am I supposed to get myself out of this situation?"

"Rei? Are you home?"

--------

Meanwhile, Rei had been waylaid by several alleyway bullies. She clutched her book bag tightly, though her face showed no signs of surprise or any other emotion, for that matter. They numbered six in all, outnumbering her by quite a few. Her mind went to the gun Commander Ikari had given to her.

Should she draw it out and threaten them?

Her mind warned her against doing so. After all, she was under-aged and the laws strictly forbid anyone who was so to carry a gun. She wouldn't want these big-mouthed, blundering idiots to tell the world she had a gun. But still, dead people couldn't talk, until the autopsy was written and handed in.

"Ya wanna play with us, girlie?"

"Girlie?" she repeated without much emotion.

"Yea, girlie, we're talking to you," the leader sneered. "She's are a pretty `un, dun ya reckon, Taka?"

"Yea, dude, awful pretty `un."

Rei could have been sick with disgust at their foul accent. Her hands dropped her bag and went into the pocket of her dress (A/N: does their uniform HAVE pockets?!). They backed away slightly, but their perved grins returned when she failed to do anything. She had just finished her debate about whether to bring out the gun or not, when one of them lunged for her. She landed on the floor, him on top of her.

"Now ya're mine!" he said gleefully.

"Will you get off?"

"No, I won't girlie," he replied, leaning close to maul her neck.

There was a click and he froze. Her eyes were hard as he eased off her, freeing her legs. The gun was pointed directly at his heart. The others backed away quickly, all hopes of molesting this girl vanished.

"I trust I do not need to tell all of you what you must do," she said quietly. "Do not speak of this incident, or you will find yourselves being molested by the dead."

They scarpered off.

--------

"Is she home yet?" Asuka demanded, checking her watch.

Ten minutes had passed already and there wasn't any sign of life inside the apartment. Shinji was worrying about Rei, however. She should have been back ages ago, since she wasn't going to headquarters. His heart froze. What if she had an accident inside the apartment and she was lying unconscious?

"Rei?" he called urgently. "Rei? Are you in?"

No answer. Shinji began to panic. He pounded on the door with enough force to break it down, but it didn't budge.

"Rei!"

His hand went to the doorknob. If she had had an accident, she wouldn't be able to reply. He had to take action himself. Asuka huffed impatiently and watched him battling with his conscience. He was even more deluded than she thought.

"You've never hesitated to barge into a girl's room before, Ikari," she informed him. "Why should this time be any different? Just open the stupid door and get this done with!"

--------

"OPEN THE DOOR?!" Kaoru's mind screeched. "THEY WILL FIND ME HERE!"

He had to hide.

It didn't matter where, he just needed to hide. It was way too late for him to go and lock the door now. His damned foolishness! He KNEW Rei didn't lock the door if she was the last out in the morning. And it just happened that he needed to leave early too. How could he have believed that she would lock the door - and how could HE forget to check it was locked when he came back home?

The doorknob turned.

---- End of Chapter Three ----