Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ All That I Am ❯ Tenth Refrain ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Evangelion Fanfiction

By Otaku D-Man

Standard Disclaimer.

Refer to the First Refrain

Author's Pre-Rant -

The Twelfth Messenger Leliel has appeared. Unit 01 has fallen to its deception. Just how will those who have been left behind react?

All That I Am

Tenth Refrain - Waiting

NERV Temporary Encampment

Asuka was not ideally suited to waiting. Her thought process, her synaptic activity, even her physical metabolism, all worked at a dramatically increased rate in comparison to that of an average human being. It was hard wired into every fibre of her being at a genetic level. It provided the ideal fuel for her ambition and desire to always be the best. To always hold the spotlight. To be Number One.

It was the core element that defined the person known as Asuka Langley Sohryu.

To a degree, it help explained her impatience and intolerance with those that failed to meet her extraordinarily high standards. And to this day, Asuka had not found a single person as capable or as worthy as she knew she herself was. Occasionally someone would come along and perhaps match her for a while, but only in one particular area of her many and varied fields of expertise and never for very long. No one could compare to the magnificence that was Asuka Langley Sohryu.

Asuka had not even celebrated her seventh birthday when she was informed that she had been selected as the Pilot of Evangelion Unit 02, chosen as the candidate to be known as the Second Children by the Marduk Report. She would pilot her mama's creation. It was just one more accolade to add to an already phenomenal list of achievements for someone so young. It justified her beliefs that she was special. She was chosen to save the world. She had reached the pinnacle. She would win back her mama's attention.

With her eyes watching nothing, staring at the ceiling, Asuka continued to digest and regurgitate the same sequence of thoughts over and over again seeking absolution amidst the turbulent oceans of her mind. But defeating the enemy within is never easy.

No matter how hard she tried to fathom the reasons, no answer presented itself. No profound insight enlightened Asuka as to how or why it had happened. It simply happened. Shinji Ikari had surpassed her. What had taken her over half of her life to date to accomplish, he had eclipsed in less than a year.

<How?>

Asuka's superior intellect offered no solace to the crushing defeat she imagined she had suffered. For Asuka, there were no excuses for losing.

Again and again, Misato's voice sounded in her mind. Each syllable battering her mercilessly as the woman proudly proclaimed Shinji's elevation to 'Number One' heralding his ascension to the coveted position as the best EVA Pilot.

Again and again, Shinji's smile, his look of elation, of unbridled joy and delight assaulted her, tore at her. Never before had she witnessed the sullen youth express himself so positively. It would have been refreshing if only it hadn't been at her expense.

All week long this one irrefutable fact had burned in her mind. As a result she had treated Shinji even worse than she normally would have. The simple taunts she normally utilised now bordered on abuse. Asuka lashed out at every opportunity, ensuring Shinji understood he was definitely not the Number One EVA Pilot that Misato had dared call him. She made sure he knew his place in the hierarchy of NERV and that he never was and never would be better than Asuka Langley Sohryu.

Of course, the more she confronted Shinji, the more he had simply retreated behind his damnable apologies mumbling about how he didn't want the recognition. How he hadn't tried to surpass her on purpose. His refusal to openly flaunt his supposed superiority had only infuriated Asuka further.

And that damnable doll. Always there. Always at his side. Misato even allowed them to sleep together. Of course they both denied it. Hiding their perversion behind a feeble excuse, bunk beds. Asuka couldn't believe the sheer audacity of their commanding officer. By allowing Shinji and Rei's relationship to continue, she was, by default, encouraging them.

Now she waited. Over Fifteen hours and counting since 'Baka Shinji' had taken the initiative, launching his pre-emptive assault against the black, spherical Angel floating above the city. There, outside, was the result of his presumption. His unit had fallen into the darkness that Ritsuko had labelled a Sea of Dirac. Asuka was a genius, she knew this without a doubt. She had graduated University before she had even turned fourteen. But the theoretical mathematics that Ritsuko had used to describe the dimension inside the Angel was beyond even her. Asuka would rather die before ever admitting it but she now knew that no matter how good you were, there was always room for improvement.

<And when that idiot returns.I'll show him just how much I've improved.>

No one could tell whether Shinji was alive or dead. All communication with Unit 01 had been severed the moment it had disappeared into the murky darkness that was the Twelfth Angel's true form. Everything was hypothetical, based on the idiot knowing enough to switch over to the most minimal of life support while he waited for outside assistance. Of course doing so would leave him completely and utterly vulnerable to attack. No matter how you looked at it, Shinji Ikari, the Third Children as designated by the Marduk Report, would be nothing more than a memory. A bittersweet memory.

And still she waited, continually telling herself that she only wanted him back to prove once and for all that she was the better Pilot and that Asuka Langley Sohryu was superior to Shinji Ikari. Contradiction and confusion ravaged her fragile heart. Yet through it all she remained resolute, never wavering, continuing to lie to herself.

***

Office of the Supreme Commander of NERV

Safely ensconced within the silent, ominous confines of his office, Gendou Ikari sat virtually immobile at his desk. His only discernable movement for the last five hours was to occasionally reposition his glasses. Other than that, he simply waited for the inevitable conclusion to the day's events.

"They won't hold back forever Ikari. We must act and soon, or else they will take matters into their own hands." Standing beside the younger man, Kouzou watched the live feed from site of the latest Angel attack. Unlike its siblings, the Twelfth appeared content to sit there, waiting. <Perhaps it's digesting its 'meal'?> He discarded the fanciful notion almost immediately. Angels had little use for such superfluous things like sustenance. Their Super Solenoid engine provided an unlimited supply of energy.

Gendou blinked impassively as his watch beeped twice, alerting him to a landmark in a timetable that was established long before Tokyo-3 was even dreamt of. "It will not be much longer Fuyutsuki. Everything is still proceeding as planned." His low, soft voice betrayed little of his true thoughts. <So much potential for error.> Like a carefully constructed house of cards, one misstep could bring all his work tumbling down around him.

"And if things do not proceed as planned?" Having read the translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls himself, Kouzou knew without a doubt what was transpiring, or at least, what was meant to transpire. "What then," he asked. "discard his corpse in a ditch by the road, continuing on as if nothing ever happened?" Kouzou knew that in all likelihood, this is exactly what would happen.

"We can no longer afford such petty sentimentality." Gendou knew it wouldn't be long but today's eventual victory was only one more step along an arduous path he was destined to travel. A path that had only one destination. A path that did not allow for any mistakes. "If the Third Children is deceased, Rei will assume control of Unit 01. As was always intended." While his scenario allowed for the Pilot of Unit 01 to survive beyond this juncture, it was not critical that he would.

As a fellow traveller, Kouzou knew that their journey would require certain sacrifices be made. "As long as we can retrieve Unit 01 intact."

Gendou smiled behind his folded hands. "Leliel is not strong enough to hold her Sensei. Even if the shell is just a pale imitation of the original, Yui resides within the core." Yui Ikari. The catalyst that drove Gendou to commit any atrocity necessary. He had cast aside his humanity to ensure the success of the project. He would discard humanity itself to have her back.

"Regardless of the circumstances, you should never underestimate the enemy Ikari." Kouzou cautioned, frowning at Gendou's perceived lack of forethought.

Ever the cautious individual, Gendou assuaged his former mentor's concerns. "That is why both Rei and Sohryu are on standby. The combined AT Fields generated by 00 and 02 will prevent 01 from incurring any permanent damage." That was all that mattered. The preservation of Unit 01. It was the one component that was not replaceable.

"So the Committee has authorised the deployment of the remaining N2 Mines?" Kouzou asked. "What of the-"

Gendou's statement silenced the former lecturers words. "Unit 01 is all that matters."

***

NERV Temporary Command Centre

Approaching NERV's Tactical Director of Operations, Ritsuko paused briefly to rub her cheek before thrusting herself into the lion's den. "Have you decided to calm down Misato? Or should I -"

The lion pounced.

Misato glared at the bottle blonde scientist, her eyes glowing with barely concealed rage. "I won't apologise Ritsuko." She declared. "If that's what you came looking for, you're going to go away empty handed." Having said her piece, Misato ignored Ritsuko's presence to once again concentrate on formulating a plan to rescue Shinji, not just Unit 01.

Unhappy with how things were rapidly spiralling out of her control, Ritsuko tried logic, hoping that Misato would realise the seriousness of their situation. "You have to think about this objectively Misato. Don't let your emotions affect your battlefield decisions."

"Or what? I might make a mistake that could lead to the possible death of one of my team. No wait. That's your department isn't it? How does it feel to kill a child Ritsuko?" Misato demanded, gripping Ritsuko by her lab coat lapels. "To participate in the execution of someone who doesn't even want to be here?" As much as she tried not to, Misato couldn't stop the tears from coming. "Who has been kicked in the teeth each time he tries to help someone?" She moaned, thinking how her last memory was of Shinji's pained expression as he boarded Unit 01's entry plug.

"Stop being foolish Misato." Fearing that Misato was about to unleash more than just a slap, Ritsuko grabbed her wrists. "Shinji-kun knew the risks." She stared the distraught woman in the face. Trying to make her see reason and make her understand that there was more at stake than the life of one boy.

Misato felt her strength draining. "Did he?" She released her hold on Ritsuko, barely managing to stay on her feet as her knees threatened to give way. "He made no secret of just how much he hates Piloting." Staggering backwards, Misato covered her face with her hands. "We've kept pushing him and using him, and just when he needs us the most we're going to throw him away? Leave him to die all alone?" She fell to her knees and stared listlessly at the ground.

"Do you honestly believe that's what I truly want?" Ritsuko moved to support her friend. "To see Shinji-kun's lifeless body when they open the entry plug hatch?" Her hands reached out.

"I don't even know who you are any more Doctor Akagi." Misato whispered, slapping the hands away. "Let alone what you really want from all this. I thought perhaps we were friends. But it appears I was mistaken." Straightening herself, Misato took a deep, steadying breath before walking away.

Disappointed by the conclusion Ritsuko called out to Misato, to the one person she considered a friend. "We don't know that he's dead yet Misato." The words, she knew, were hollow.

Misato stopped, but didn't turn around to face her. "But you and Commander Ikari are going to try your darnedest to see to that." Walking back to her command post, Misato offered her own bit of sage advice. "I suggest you leave now Doctor before I do something I 'might' regret later."

"Very well Misato, I'm leaving." Ritsuko replied despondently, wondering if this was a sign of things to come. "I just want you to know that we're all still doing everything we can to get him back. Alive." What hurt the most was that Doctor Ritsuko Akagi almost believed her own lie.

***

Tokyo-3 Civilian Shelter

Touji Suzuhara was having fun. It wasn't the big type of fun that rocked your world, but it was fun nonetheless. And these days in Tokyo-3, you had to take whatever little pleasures you could manage to get your hands on.

The little girl caught the basketball that he had gently passed to her, the delight at achieving such a feat evident by the huge grin plastering her face. Touji sighed wistfully, it was almost like playing with Mari. "Hey Kensuke, what da you think's takin' em so long? We've been holed up for more than half a day." With almost radar-like skill, he caught the ball without even looking, nonchalantly spinning it on his index finger. The casual display eliciting a squeal of amazement from the girl.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!! I can't take it anymore. I need to know what's going on." Sitting against the shelter wall, Kensuke clutched his head and wailed loudly. His diatribe drawing the concerned eyes of the people around him. It wouldn't be the first time someone had cracked from the life and death pressure of living in Tokyo-3.

"Whoa, settle down 'suke." Touji's concern was heightened by the terrified expression on his young playmate's face.

"How can I? One of the greatest battles ever is taking place right now and I'm stuck in here waiting to die." The words created a miasma of depression and despair that rolled out, blanketing some of the younger members of his audience.

Noticing that some of the children were now sniffling and crying, Touji grabbed his spectacled friend and dragged him away to a less heavily populated corner. "Dude, you're scaring the kids."

Leaning back against the wall, Kensuke slumped to the floor, hanging his head in weary frustration. "Man, I'm sorry. But it's just……..I really want to be out there. I know it sounds insane, but -"

"Aida, just what do you think you're doing?" Both boys turned to find Hikari Horaki glaring at them.

Kensuke removed his glasses to massage the bridge of his nose. "Shit, what now?"

His response only agitated Hikari further. "Don't use such vulgar language in front of these children. I've a good mind to report you for-"

Touji quickly stepped between his distraught friend and the young girl, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Can ya take it easy on 'im, Horaki? Ken's just worried about Shinji."

Blushing at having Touji act so forward, Hikari lowered her face, trying to hide her flushed cheeks. "I - I'll …… overlook it just this once, Suzuhara-kun." She stammered.

Releasing the girl, Touji smiled and thanked her. "Great. Thanks Horaki, I owe you one."

Touji's goofy smile and the way he winked at her sent her heart racing. Bowing slightly, Hikari walked giddily back to re-join her sisters.

Yes, you definitely had to take whatever little pleasures you could manage to get your hands on. Even something as simple as a flirtatious smile from the boy you really liked.

"Thanks Touji." Kensuke muttered.

Waving it away, Touji took a seat next to him. "No problem. It's what friends are for, right?"

"Yeah." Kensuke grinned maliciously, the light reflecting ominously from his glasses. "So, when are you going to ask her out?"

"I ……… It just not ……… I don't know." Touji sputtered. "I mean, how do you ask a girl out? Jeez, look who I'm asking." He slapped a palm against his forehead, unwittingly knocking his head back against the reinforced shelter wall.

Kensuke laughed and shook his head, as he watched Touji rub the back of his scalp. "Hey, I may not have a girlfriend, but I'll have you know I've eavesdropped on quite a few chatroom conversations on The Wired."

"So you watched a bunch of words appear on a monitor typed by some old perverts." Touji looked sceptical. "How is this meant to help me?" He asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the sort of advice Kensuke managed to find posted on an adult chat site.

"Listen and learn my young Padawan." Kensuke assumed an extremely sage and wise expression, well as close as a Fourteen year old boy could. "Women adore honesty. Well, that and chocolate." He shrugged his shoulders, not really understanding the female fascination with sweets. "Just be yourself. If you try to impress her by being something you're not, you'll regret it. If she likes you, it's because of who you are normally. That's the person she wants to know more about. The Touji she wants to spend time with." He finished his sermon by poking Touji in the ribs.

"Where did you hear this?" Touji found Kensuke's speech almost too good to be true.

"Shinji." Kensuke shrugged.

Touji stared in disbelief. "Shinji?"

Kensuke found it somewhat surreal, recalling the conversation with the young Pilot. "Yeah, he says some really weird things every now and then."

Closing his eyes, Touji sighed. "I wonder how he's doing?"

"Come on." Kensuke punched Touji playfully on the arm. "This is Shinji we're talking about. You remember how he took down that Angel while we we're inside his EVA? He's an unstoppable killing machine." He declared, believing every word implicitly.

Touji opened his eyes and stared off into the distance. "That's what worries me."

"Huh?" Kensuke's glasses slipped a little.

"Remember how queasy we felt after that Angel stabbed the EVA with those tendrils?" Touji murmured. "Well think how it felt for Shinji. I mean, he was connected to it more than us and he just kept charging at it to kill it, ignoring the pain and danger. To be honest, when Shinji gets like that, he frightens the hell out of me." Kensuke could see a range of emotions pass over Touji's face as he spoke. Fear. Sorrow. Concern. "It's like he's someone else. It makes me realise how lucky I am." Touji finished.

"Lucky? You wouldn't Pilot if you got the chance?" The concept astounded Kensuke. To Pilot EVA easily ranked as his number one fantasy. It even ranked higher than sleeping with Misato. Although that was a damn close second.

"I mean, I'd love to the chance to get the bastards." The unfocussed quality to Touji's gaze suddenly disappeared, his eyes now gleaming dangerously. "They're the ones responsible for Mari bein' in hospital and all." He punctuated his words by slamming his fist against the floor. "But that time with Shinji ………… I think you need something special to Pilot, Ken. That's why we'll never get the chance."

"I guess you're right." Kensuke agreed. "We just have to wait for them to save us. Hey, it's not like he's on his own anymore. The Devil and Ayanami are with him. And they've been training at it for most of their lives."

"Yeah, as much as the Kraut Bitch Queen pisses me off, she knows her stuff." Touji frowned. Admitting anything admirable or decent about Asuka left a sour aftertaste in his mouth. "And Ayanami'll make sure Shinji comes back. She don't even let him out of her sight these days." He smiled at how the two were almost joined at the hip these days.

"They do seem awfully attached to each other, don't they?" Kensuke agreed. "So how about you and the Rep?" He asked casually.

"What are you gettin' at?" Touji's cheeks darkened slightly.

Kensuke tilted his head in the general direction where Hikari sat with her two sisters. "She's been watching you all this time, dude. I think you should go talk to her, make sure she's okay and all."

Nodding hesitantly at the advice, Touji looked at Kensuke suspiciously. "What about you? What are you going to do?"

"Try and get some decent battle footage." With a thumbs-up and an enthusiastic grin that bordered on manic obsession, Kensuke darted towards the shelter exit, leaving his friend to his own fate.

Swallowing nervously and tugging at his tracksuit collar, Touji strengthened his resolve. Slicking his hair back, he prepared for the one thing that most teenage boys absolutely dreaded, talking to a girl you liked that you hoped liked you in return. <C'mon Touji, it's not like getting caught jerking off or nothin', you're just going to walk over and start a conversation. How hard can it be?> "Man I hope I don't make a fool of myself." He muttered to himself, his legs feeling like his feet were encased in concrete.

***

NERV Temporary Encampment

Confrontation.Agitation. New and unfamiliar emotional responses that had long been buried beneath years of rigid discipline and dedication to a singular purpose now surfaced. Rei continued to watch for signs of Shinji's return. Her vigil punctuated by the ever-growing sense of disquiet and unease that gripped her heart. The moment he had fallen beneath the Angel's dark surface, she had felt a part of her inner most self torn viciously from her grasp. The derogatory statements issued by the Pilot of Unit 02 had inflamed her. Enough to actually confront the volatile redhead. She had initially raised her concerns with Shinji, wondering why he allowed the Second Children to treat him so poorly.

Fury.Rage. Revenge. Darker and darker, until her very light was threatened, almost consumed by a bitter eclipse. Even as inexperienced as she knew she was, Rei began to comprehend the staggering enormity of just how dangerous the lure was to indulge these base emotions. In stark contrast to how she felt, Rei was unable to suppress the tiny smile that suddenly appeared on her lips. She found it surprisingly amusing that the very thing that Pilot Sohryu so vocally despised was also the only thing that spared her Rei's wrath. The muscles in her forearms released at the image of a shy, smiling Shinji Ikari. Smiling at her.

Loss.Abandonment. Fear. All completely terrifying for someone who had never before acknowledged the value of their own life, living only for the sake of others. Now Rei faced the very thought that she could very well lose the one person who meant more to her than she would have ever thought possible. Shinji's presence at her side was all she could have asked for. All she would ever want.

<Shinji-kun.>

Desperation.Want. Memories of dancing with Shinji beneath the night sky of Tokyo-3, of being held in his embrace, of sleeping at his side and being the sole focus of his attention when he smiled. All this and more. Memory after memory, image after image. Rei knew she wanted to experience everything with Shinji. To deepen the connection that existed between them both.

<No.>

Denial.Refusal. The decision was made. She would not allow Shinji to leave her. Not like this. Not with so much left unsaid and undone. She would forever be incomplete if he were to leave her now.

Hope. Need. Crimson eyes burned fiercely, gazing out over the city. A slight breeze ruffled her short hair, the bangs drifting across her vision. Combing the locks back with her hand, Rei once again turned her eyes heaven-ward, to stare at the cause of her disturbing thoughts.

Desire. The wellspring of her soul blossomed outwards. The searing brilliance scorched the shadows that had begun to burrow into her heart, burning away the doubt and fear. Her skin tingled at the memory of his touch. Her palms itched at the recollection of how gentle he was when he held her hand. Her lips ached, craving the feel of his soft lips when they kissed. The heat that stirred from inside her body desperately sought release.

<To me.>

***

NERV Medical - Recovery Ward

Riding in a Maglev train.

Arguing with a younger version of yourself.

Dying inside a giant biomechanical weapon.

If a person lives long enough they can experience everything from the terribly mundane to the extraordinarily terrifying. While most will endure the former for their entire life some rare individuals will see more than their fair share of the latter.

While Shinji could put the conversation between his child-self and his real self down to the eventual degradation of LCL within the entry plug, he had experienced the dying game twice so far. First against the Fifth Angel and now against the Twelfth.

For a unique person like Shinji Ikari, dying was only the beginning.

"Familiar ceiling." Opening his eyes, Shinji blinked trying to regain his focal clarity. "Hospital. Again." Even in the muted lighting, he knew the smell of the place. As his senses finally recovered, he suddenly realised why he found himself unable to move properly. "Huh? Rei-chan?" Nestled against his side, her head resting on his chest, lay Rei Ayanami. Blissfully asleep from the looks of it.

"If you move too much you'll wake her." A weary voice whispered from the shadows beside the bed.

Slowly turning his head to verify the owner of the voice, Shinji made sure not to disturb his guest. "Misato-san?" Resting in a chair at his side sat Misato Katsuragi. A small, tired smile appeared on her face at his surprised expression.

<Thank Kami-sama. He's alive. He died again. But he's still here. He came back.> Standing up, Misato moved next to him and took his hand, gently squeezing it. "I……you had us all worried there for a while Shinji-kun." She hoped she wouldn't cry again. Not in front of him. It would only upset him. <He'll think he's the cause.>

"Sorry." Shinji mumbled, worried that his own foolish actions had upset one of the few people he truly cared for. One of the 'very' few people that cared for him. Relieved at Misato's gentle smile, he glanced at the sleeping girl in the bed beside him. "Is Rei-chan all right? She wasn't injured fighting the Angel was she?" His concern grew exponentially despite the look of peaceful calm that graced Rei's delicate features.

Misato shook her head. "No. Rei's fine, just a little tired I guess." She considered telling Shinji of the minor altercation that had occurred between Rei and Asuka, but decided against it. Shinji would find out eventually, but this was neither the place nor the time to discuss the growing friction between the First and Second Children. "She only fell asleep about ten minutes ago." Misato released his hand to gently caress his cheek. "She never left your side while we waited Shinji-kun." She said, recalling how determined the young girl was to remain by his side.

The way Misato was touching him elicited a small blush, barely visible in the muted lighting of his hospital room. "Are you okay Misato-san? You look a little ……….. unsettled." Shinji couldn't recall too many instances where Misato looked so distressed. <She's always so upbeat. Something must have happened.> "Is everyone else okay? What about Asuka?" Although he didn't really expect to see Asuka here, Shinji couldn't help but feel responsible for Asuka's unpleasant mood swings recently.

"Thank you Shinji-kun. You don't have to be diplomatic about it." Misato answered, trying to comfort him a little. "I look like hell." Misato ran a hand through her hair, grimacing at the texture. "I feel even worse at the moment. But everything's fine now. Everything's back to normal." Or as normal as things ever were in Tokyo-3. <You came back. You're alive.> Misato thought, before answering his other question. "And Asuka's fine, so you just take it easy. The Medical Team said we should let you rest a little before taking you home. I'll see you in a little bit okay." Ruffling his hair, Misato leaned down to give Shinji a quick peck on the cheek. "This responsible adult has to fill out all the necessary paperwork so you can be released back into her custody."

"Misato-san?" Shinji had so much he wanted to say. So much that needed to be said. Just in case he didn't manage to make it back alive next time.

"Yes Shinji?" Misato asked, wondering what he was going to say.

Not knowing how. Unable to express everything as concisely or as clearly as he wanted to, Shinji opted for the simpler approach. "Thank you." He said with as honest a smile as he could muster.

The sight caused Misato's heart to skip a beat, possibly two. "You're welcome. Just ……….just don't scare m- us like that again, deal?" Misato forced a smile of her own in return. Her Shinji had come back. That was enough for the lavender haired woman. They had defeated the enemy and her family was still alive.

God had returned to His Heaven and All Was Right With Misato Katsuragi's World.

"Deal." Shinji watched his guardian, his commanding officer, his friend leave. He couldn't help but feel that she hadn't told him everything. Just before the door closed he caught a glimpse of red hair. No more than a glance before it vanished, leaving him to wonder if he had seen it at all. "Was that ……. Asuka?" He murmured. <No, I must still be seeing things. Asuka wouldn't be waiting outside the room. Would she?> Before he could investigate things any further, the young girl sleeping beside him moved.

"Hmmmmm." Rei sighed, snuggling closer against him.

Shinji watched Rei's face carefully. He had learned to read some of her facial expressions recently. As she shifted against him, repositioning herself, she breathed deeply, inhaling his scent. He caught her wrinkling her nose. Lifting his wrist to his nose, he sniffed, frowning at the aroma. "It still smells like blood."

***

End Tenth Refrain

Tbc

Proof Read and Pre-Read by Tian Xu otherwise known as SuPeRnOvA145. I cannot express how much his assistance means to me. In less than a day he managed to highlight all my glaring errors, mistakes and terrible typing skills. I could quite easily let myself go and simply rely on Tian to set it straight. I better not though. He may decide to tell me where to go.

Who'd have thought an Asuka/Shinji fan would take the job? This means I'll have to track down a Rei/Shinji fan for my Shinji/Asuka one.

Authors Post-Rant -

Okay, that was fun. As I've said (typed?) before, NGE is a tapestry of light and dark. It's quite a challenge to balance the angst with a little humour and romance. Next Chapter will see the further development of our intrepid duo's relationship and I will also continue to involve the other cast members as well, just to develop everything as a whole. Gendou will not be amused.

As always, post your reviews here at FFN (Or where ever you find this).

Any other comments, thoughts etc are welcome at -

otaku_dman@yahoo.com.au.

Ja Ne