Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Changing Seasons ❯ Changing Seasons 02 ( Chapter 2 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: JErosion 
Anime/Manga: Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai / Romance | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 07.10.2006 | Pages: 5 | Words: 7.5K | Visits: 1.8K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai / Romance | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 07.10.2006 | Pages: 5 | Words: 7.5K | Visits: 1.8K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit work of fan fiction based on the anime and manga Neon Genesis Evangelion by Hideaki Anno and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and Studio Gainax. Congratulations you pasted the last temptation of the broodwich.
Changing Seasons
by: JErosion
"Ah!" He sat up abruptly, being completely startled. He felt very disoriented, literally being shanken from his slumber. He was at his desk in school. And off to his side, standing there with a hand hovering just above his right shoulder was Hikari Horaki.
For some reason the sight of her made him blush. Maybe it was because she woke him. Or maybe it was because of the fading images of the dream he was having.
"Um Hi."
She giggled.
"I knew you went to sleep during last period, but I didn't think you'd still be here." She stepped back and sat down on top of a desk adjacent to his. She carefully folded her skirt beneath her.
He looked embarassed. Maybe because we are alone. She smiled a little at that thought. But if anyone should feel embarassed, it was her. She had walked back into their class to retrive a notebook, when she found him. It was a bit of a shock to find him still asleep in the darken class room. But that was nearly half an hour ago. She had spent that time just examining him. Kodama said you can find out alot about a guy by watching him sleep. She didn't know what she was suppost to be looking for, the only thing she was able to confirm was the idea that she found him to be cute. Honestly she couldn't image why nobody had bothered to wake him. Then again kids could be mean, and left him there not because he was tired, but because they would find it funny for him to be at school all night. Still it's odd he didn't even hear the final bell ring. But then again Asuka looked like the walking dead today. She kept nodding off in class. Still she was glad to find him here.
"Yeah, neither did I." he replied as he tried rub away the red mark on the side of his face that he slept on. He took a quick glance away from her and to the windows. It had gotten late, given the shift of color in the sky. He looked back to Hikari, she wore a soft smile, and was blushing bright enough that it was still visable in the orange light of the setting sun.
He noticed that she did that alot lately. Blushing almost every time they came near each other. It had been almost a week since the two of them where in the school's infirmary. The bandage had since come off. However despite his own desire to, he hadn't really had the chance to speak with her to any real degree. He had been limited to the usual greatings and pleasantries that society expected. But also he found he didn't want to try to talk to her when Asuka was near. Nor did he want to try when Touji and Kensuke was around. I seemed like it would be better if it was just them.
"They must work you hard."
Shinji could only offer a dark chuckle. Doctor Akagi had drawn a rather brutal schedule for the week. She had been kind enough not to interupt school, but having an ten hour Sync Test after an eight hour school day for three days in a row, was taking it's toll. If he didn't know better, he would say that she was testing them on endurance and sleep depravation. He didn't know how they could benifit from their piloting crew being too tired to fight an angel.
"Yeah they do"
"Yeah?"
"..."
"You know, Asuka was falling asleep in class too."
"Was she?"
"You think she made it home ok?"
"I'm sure she did."
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
They both fell into silence. Hikari looked off to the side. Her face a was a bit unreadable. Shinji was just as distracted.
He kept hearing her say 'Did you want to see?' in his head. And it was slowly messing him up. Worming it's way into vairous fanatsies and his dreams. Causing Doctor Akagi yell at him, because thinking about it was screwing up his ability to concentrate during the synch tests.
He was just a couple of months shy of being fifteen years old. And only recently in his life had he gained any real experiance concerning the intricacies the opposite sex. The trial and error conditions of living with two rather volatile women had taught him quite a bit. He had a good idea about what to expect on from the physical side of them, having caught more than enough glimpses of the two. Most of the occurances being by accident, however he couldn't deny the few occasions when his own curiosities became too much to ignor. But it wasn't something he had actively tried to do. It was usually the sort of thing when shifting a little to the side would give him a better 'view' or when he was passing by a door that wasn't properly shut .
That was the differance between him and Touji and Kensuke. He never tried to actively peep on his roomates. He wasn't seeking 'up-skirts' on the stairs or try to take photographs of the girls thru the locker room windows. He felt bad enough seeing what he did see, and not just when he got caught. During the most recent incident he was treated to the brief flash of pink and a flare of copper-red hair. He suffered for that trespass. The bruises he received was proof of that.
But the naked female form was one thing, but to trying and comprehend their emotions was another. Or their motivations for that matter. Surely being asked if he wanted to get a look at her panties was not a normal occurance. But he was trying his best to figure it out. He knew enough that there was something developing between them. He took a glance her way. Or would had, if he could get past the hem of her uniform and to the exposed part of her legs, which where swinging back and forth.
Great. I'm getting hung up on her panties,... again. Shinji sighed in disgust of himself. He knew he wasn't making this any easier. He was never any good at interacting with others. He still had trouble when he was around Touji and Kensuke. It was rare for him to start a conversation. Honestly he just liked to sit back and listen. But this wasn't about them, this was about her. And for her, he was willing to try harder.
"So um,.... why are you still here?"
"Oh?" she snapped back to him. "um, There was a student council meeting."
"Oh,... ah How did that go?"
She just shrugged. "They are debating weither or not to cancel the Student Art Festival."
"Oh?"
"Some are saying that we should have it to bring some normalcy back to the school, but with over half the school being gone now there's too many logistical problems. Since most of the clubs have shut down, there's not enough students left to staff such an event.
"I see."
They lasped into silence again.
Hikari frowned, this small talk was going nowhere. This was her chance. She wanted to try and get to know Shinji better, but if this continued she wouldn't be any better off than she was a week ago.
"So can I.... um, ask you a question? Well I'm not sure if you can answer it, or if you would want to."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Well I asked Asuka a while back, and I just wanted to know what you would say. What is it...." she paused not knowing if it was really ok or not. But when he nodded she continued "I wanted to know what it is like to pilot your robot?"
Of all the things to ask. Shinji sighed with disappointment. Why bring up Eva. He hated it. He hated to have to fight in it. And she wanted to talk about it. She was looking expectant at him. He tried to smile for her .But why did it have to be Eva? But again what was there in his life that he could talk about. He had no real hobbies to speak of. His life revolved around Eva. There was no escaping it.
Hikari was worried for a second. Maybe it wasn't the best thing to ask him after all. Asuka was always so proud of what she did. Was it that different for him? But the steady frown on his face, made it obivous of what he thought of it. Did he hate it? Would he even answer?
"It's...." he sighed, god what am I doing? It would be easier just to say it was classified and he couldn't talk about it. But then what? "Well the Evangelion.....well it isn't really a robot. It's more biological. When it gets damaged you feel it. It's like underneath all that armor it has it's own nerves and bones. And if they break, you feel your bones break too."
Hikari raised her eyebrows. Apparently Asuka had left out a few things.
"When we pilot, we have to use our minds to do it. It's weird. We still have controls that regulate power consumption and weapon systems. But it's like... have you ever been in a tunnel? Where when you talk or make a noise it echos out. " He paused long enough to see her nod her head in affirmation. "Well, it's like that, but it's in your mind. It's like your at one end of the tunnel and at the other is the Eva. And your thoughts go out, and it sort of echoes, just like you voice would in a tunnel. And the higher you sync with it, the closer you are to that other end." He saw her give him a confused look, "Oh, our sync is sorta like a way they measure our connection with the Eva. The higher it is the stronger the Eva becomes, but also the higher it goes the more it hurts if the Eva gets injured. And if our Sync ratio is high enough not only do we feel the injuries but it can also manifest them on our bodies.
"Wow." she said in a sort of awe, "You know that sounds really scary."
"Yeah it really is. But sometimes...." he trailed off, shaking his head.
"hmm? What is it?" She asked, her curiousity peaked.
"Well it's.... I've thought about asking my superiors.... but it's just crazy." he shook his head.
"What is?"
"Well there are suppost to be safeguards, that limit our sync ratio and also are suppost to prevent feed back from the Eva. But I wonder if that's a lie. Because sometimes..... um..... Well you know how i said that you are at one end of the tunnel and the Eva is at the other. And your thoughts echo out to it, well sometimes... it's like..... it thinks back at you. Sometimes you just get this feeling or impression of......" He leaned forward and placed his face into his hands. Thinking about it, was giving him a head ache.
"Hey, what is it?" Hikari slid off of the desk she was on and knelt in front of him.
"It. The Eva. It's like sometimes you just get this feeling of anger. And even worse it feels.... it feels something that's like.... hunger." His voice was a hollow whisper. Asuka never said anything like this. She could see why he didn't want to talk about it. She reach forward but paused. Was this ok?
"Hey, "she whispered back, he looked like he was in pain "It will be alright." Her extended hand finally brushed against his forehead. He jumped at the contact. And in his quick movement her finger tips slid from the top of his head down to his cheek and lips. And for a moment they were frozen in place.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Hikari snatched her hand away so fast she fell backwards onto her rear. Her face was absolutely burning from the contact. She was in such shock she couldn't get up, all she could do was sit there and gawked at her hand, as if it were some disobedient child that was in need of scolding. All she intended to do was maybe touch his shoulder. She never intended to touch him like that. At least she didn't think she did.
Shinji stared at her, nearly as suprised as she was. He brought his own hand to to his mouth, and moved it along the side that she made contact with. It was just a little thing really, her fingers just happened to brush across his lips that's all, it wasn't like she had kissed him or anything. But no matter how you looked at it, it was still an intimate touch. Even if it was accidental, it still made his heart flutter. She still sat there on the floor, looking at her own hand in disbelief. She was so distracted, she failed to notice that her skirt had ridden up enough to expose a generous portion of her right thigh.
Shinji quickly looked away, blushing heavily. While he would never consider himself a 'Leg Man', as Kensuke would call it, he could see the appeal they had. Especially as his mind churned out a few thoughts that bordered at being highly inappropiate. He couldn't help it though, ever since that day in the School Infirmary he kept having these little 'What if' scenarios pop in his head. He hated to think of her that way. She had treated him well. And in his opinion was a very pretty girl, who deserved better than a staring role of some lewd fantasy of his. She really deserved better.
"It's.... um,... it's ok." he stood up from his desk and reached out to offer her a hand up, trying his best not to look at her exposed leg.
Hikari looked at the extended hand with some trepidation. If she took it that would that count as holding hands? What would his hand feel like? She had never held a boy's hand before. Would it be..... She stopped with a sigh. God, your such a girl Hikari. Your putting way too much thought into this. He was simply extenting a hand to help her up. Slow reached up and took his offered limb.
With very little effort he hoisted her up, and inadvertently pulled her very close to his person. Shinji swallowed, and tried to take a step back, but couldn't without tripping over his chair. Even though she was up and on her own feet, she didn't let go of his hand. He could only stand there nevously, with his choices being stuck between the class representative or tumbling backwards.
The first thing she noticed was that his grip was strong, but his hand also felt.... soft. She frowned, suddenly being struck by a slightly troubling notion. His hand is softer than mine. How the hell does that happen? Boys are suppost to be tough and rugged. But she couldn't deny that his hand was just felt softer than her own. Her thumb slid across his palm. It was like touching silk. There was not one callus or a rough spot. It wasn't like was a lumberjack, or a blacksmith. But surely his hands shouldn't be that soft. How? What did he do with them to get them that way? She blushed, maybe she shouldn't go there. As it was, when she was around him, her mind kept coming up with all sorts of ideas that could be described as a bit risqué. Maybe that was a little of Kodama's influence rubbing off on her.
"ah, h-Hikari?"
She looked up at him. Her mouth parted slighty in wonder. She had never noticed before. Even back in the infirmary that day. His eye's were blue. Not the bright and brillant shades that made so many foreign actors popular amoungst teenage girls. It was a deeper color. Stormy even. Like some of the colors amoungst Kodoma's watercolor paints. The ones marked with strangely poetic names such as Indigo, Payne's Gray, and Prussian Blue. It was color that combined with the already present sadness in his eyes. It cried out with a certain loneness, that reached out in despartation. Reaching out for her. Her blush only deepened and her heart pounded in her chest. She licked her lips as those 'risqué' thoughts of hers danced though her head.
"um, Hikari....Can I... um..." he panicked, and tugged his hand a bit to try and convey how uncomfortable he was feeling at the moment.
She blinked a few times, her eyes dropping down and quickly came back up. It took a second for her brain to compile the little details of how close they were standing to each other and his hand still being held in hers. She let out a small squeak, and flew back, bumbing into the desk she had sat on earlier.
They both stood there in silence. Shinji sighed, he didn't like this jumping back and forth thing. One second they were fine, having little bits of conversation, the next they standing like a statues staring at floor as if it had something interesting to offer. He tried to think of what to do or say at this point, but was drawing a blank. He had to face the facts, he wasn't very good when it came to girls. Or people in general. On some level he wanted to blame his father for this inability to interact with others. Another part of him wanted to blame the relatives that his father dumped him with. But that wouldn't do any good. Misplaced anger never got you any where.
And this girl. What was she thinking? What was she doing to him? He found that his attention in class was wavering because of her. He did find her attractive. And with the way she was acting around him it was hard not to notice her. But he wasn't the only one that seemed distracted. He quickly discovered that when he looked her way, more often than not she was also looking at him. Catching each other was like some odd little game that existed just between them. Nobody else seemed to notice. But how long could that go one for. To Shinji the very idea that she could be interested in him seemed ludicrous. Yet just moments ago she looked like she was ready to kiss him.
It was too strange to have someone suddenly giving you attention. To him it always meant somebody just wanted something from him. But was Hikari any different? Honestly he couldn't see that she had anything to gain from it. Outside of her role in class, she wasn't in a position of power over him. For the most part, his novelty as a pilot had worn off. Those girls who put love letters in his locker, or who tried more direct means, by asking him if he was seeing anyone, had stopped long ago.
But Hikari was never apart of that, in those early days she treated him just the same as the others in class. And he was thankful for it. For too long he lived with people who looked at him differantly because of who he was. People who only wanted him around if he could be useful to them. People who would otherwise neglect him and look at him as nothing more than an inconvenience. But in a way that sort of treatment was a type of neglect, only being kept around because you served a purpose. That was something he was far too familar with. And something he didn't want anymore.
Aside from Touji and Kensuke, she was the only one to really treat him as an equal. If she truely liked him, he wouldn't reject any of her affections. He would accepted them greedily. In truth, he probably wanted their relationship to work out more than she did. You can have all the friends and family in the world, but still be lonely. Really what he desired that intimate connection that existed between those who would call themselves lovers. He was already sure that he liked Hikari. How much he wasn't sure yet. Maybe with more time, he'd know.
Now onto the other delima, how to break the ice and get back to the 'having little bits of conversation' thing because when you came down to it, the floor was pretty boring. There were all those things Kaji talked about, but they were useless for someone like him. There was that thing his father told him years ago, but the more he thought about it the less he wanted it to have anything do with his relationship with Hikari. It was still sound advice. But the truth was his father told him to rely on himself and not others. So if he was going to do that, he'd have to put both his father's and Kaji's words behind him and find his own voice.
One thing was certain, they couldn't stay at school all night. Reaching down he pulled up his portfolio bag from under his desk.
Hikari finally breaking from her trance, she followed his example and picked up her things.
"So,...." Shinji began, as they walked out of the class room. "How did Asuka answer your question?"
"Oh, her... She got really techincal. After a while it got too confusing for me to follow what she was saying."
"That sounds like something she'd do"
They walked on a little further.
"So," Shinji began again, "How do you get home?"
"Oh, um,... I usually take the train."
Shinji nodded, "Yeah, me and Asuka do the same."
"y-You know I live out in the same area as you."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Your apartment is about fifteen minutes from my house."
"Oh." He filed that little piece of information away for the time being. Then again that was sort of obvious, since Asuka had went to stay the night there on several occasions, without asking for a ride. The red-head often thought public transportation was beneath her.
The two of them exited the school together. Shinji notice immediatly a change in the air.
"It feels cool out here." Indeed it did. Typically if it was hot during the day it was hot during the evening as well. And the air this evening didn't even come close to matching the lunch time weather.
"Oh, you wouldn't know. A front blew in from the mainland. It went through at the end of last period."
"I haven't had the time to watch the news."
It was a really odd change in the weather. But then again could the weather be considered odd in Tokyo-3. This was a city were giant robots rose up from the ground, and giant alien creatures attacked. So a cool breeze is rather small in comparison.
"um."
Shinji paused to look at her. Her face was red again.
Hikari looked at him, although this evening was awkward, it was nice. She smiled. But maybe it doesn't have to end right away.
"Well, I was wondering.... um, if.... you'd...." she sighed. She was getting nowhere. How could Kodama be so calm when she did this? She never had any troubles getting a guy. "um, well there is this coffee place by the station.... and.... would you...." This was difficult. Here she was asking a guy out. She had never tried being the aggressor before. But what if he's turn off by that? What if he doesn't like the idea of a girl taking the lead like that. A feeling of panic rose in her. What if that kill their relationship before it ever really got started? What if.....
"ah, Sure."
Hikari stopped berating herself, and looked at him. Did she hear right? "What?"
"uh, I said...uh... yes, I'd like that."
"Alright...."
She looked away and then ran ahead to the school'ss front gate, before twirling around to face him again. She was smiling for him. It was a much like that brillant smile she gave him a week ago. Her skirt and hair fluttered up in the motion. Shinji started to blush as well. This was the sort of thing you expected from a movie or a book. Scenes like this didn't happen in real life. At least not in his life. Still at that moment he had but a single thought. She is beautiful.
She waved at him join her.
Shinji couldn't help but smile. And dashed forward to catch up with her.
The door creeked open as she walked into the threshold of the home that she shared with her sisters and father. That had gone well. Much better than she thought it would. They each had a cup of coffee. And talked a little. It was just comparing tastes in music and movies. Nothing special happened. No physical contact involved. Just nice conversation. A smile played at her lips. He had asked her if she'd like to do it again. Yes, it was definitely nice.
"I'm home!" she called out, as she slipped out of her shoes. She deposited them in their usual spot between Kodama's and Nozomi's. Her father's, as she noticed, where still missing. He hadn't been home much lately. He had started stay the night at work when the angels started to attack. And since the blackout he hadn't really been home at all. He called now and then to check up on them but that was it. Kodama always joked that he prefered work because there was too much estrogen in this house. Maybe, but it would still be nice to see him once in a while.
"Hey." a voice from down the hall greeted her.
She turned to see Kodama standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Dinner is almost ready," the older girl said, while taking off her apron. Hikari frowned, that girl never wore a bra. The thin t-shirt she wore did little to hide anything. Even with the smudges of paint that dotted the fabric like camoflage, it would be difficult for any man not to notice. After all it was hard for a splash of red or blue to compete with that sort of thing. Especially hers. She suddenly felt the urge to cross her arms, to hide what she did have. Oddly enough this was one of the bad things about having Asuka as a friend. Though she would never voice this to the german girl, gym class was a source of depression because of her, as the gaijin was a constant reminder of her lack of growth. At her rate the red-head would mostly likely surpass Kodama in size within a year. Though for a second she was struck by a pleasing and somewhat dark thought. That while the german girl was guaranteed a large bust by heritage alone, she would not be able to stay the hand of gravity completely. She was already showing the signs of it with with the light crease that ran along the underside of hers. It would only increase in definition as they got larger and heavier. And saggier she added with a small smile. She liked Asuka and all but sometimes...
The thing about Kodama was that she didn't wear them because she didn't need the support they provided. She took a moment to chant 'Please stay perky' over and over again in her head. Hikari couldn't complain about sister's choices. Since it was often just them at home, they sort of had this 'undergarments are optional' policy in effect. But then again when it came to Kodama she pretty much didn't wear them outside of the house either. At least she didn't wear skirts often.
Still, Hikari envied her. She was so beautiful. She could only hope she got the same treatment genetically that her sister did. Kodama looked so much like mom. She had seen some of the pictures of her mother before she married their dad. She was absolutly gorgeous. So pretty that she was able to do some work in modeling. How she wished she could be like that. The both of them.
Kodama was such a free-spirt, always doing her own thing. Turning her back to mainstream academics and favoring the arts. She had talent not only for theatre, but she also skill on the canvas. That was another way she was like mom. Not only did she have her figure but she also inheritied their mother's artistic talent. Many of times she wished she could draw as well as Kodama could, given that her own ability was severely limited to stick figures. Aside from her looks and her talents, the one way Hikari wished she could be like her, was in terms of her confidence. Kodama had absolutely no troubles with guys, then again her sister was a little more promiscuous than she could redly approve of. But at least she stayed with the guys she slept with for a while.
She had to wonder if she was the target of some cosmic joke. She was surrounded by such beautiful people. She stopped for a second. What about Shinji? He worked and lived with several beautiful women. Not only was there Asuka. But he was also living and working under that Katsuragi woman. How she didn't just snap in half from the size of her breasts was a miracle. And then there was that blond doctor that was at their apartment when she had stopped by to see Asuka the other day. With all of them around him, she couldn't see how he could be interested in her. She sighed.
"Are you ok?" Kodama asked.
"oh, ah, yeah, I'm alright."
"Your rather late today." Kodama stood aside to let her younger sister past by.
"oh, I had some stuff at the school today."
'Interesting', Kodama thought as she watched Hikari's eyes shift away. She continued to follow her actions as she began to rummage around in the refrigerator. Something about her body language and the way she answered, set gears in motion. Maybe it was her own instincts, or maybe it was the empathy they shared as sisters. But like a shark, she could smell the blood in the water.
"'Stuff' didn't involve a boy, now did it?"
Hikari almost dropped her soda. "uh, n-No of coarse not."
Bingo. That's what it was. She smiled. Hikari has a new crush. Now it was time to do a little recon.
"You know you can't lie to me."
"n-No I'm not." She knew it was futile. Kodama would have seen it eventually. She always did. Just like those times when she was rejected by those other boys. Kodama picked up on it immediatly. She just wished she could have kept it secret just a little longer.
Kodama shook her head not buying the half hearted denial. "What's his name?"
"He's just a friend. It's nothing really."
"What's his name?"
"He is just a friend!"
"Yes, but does your friend have a name?"
"Kodama, please stop it!" She just didn't want to deal with this right now.
"Just tell me and I'll quit."
"No you won't! You'll just keep being nosey!" Hikari slowly being backed into a corner of the kitchen.
For Kodama this wasn't just prying. She was well aware of her failures with boys in the past. And how easy it would to dupe a girl in that position. Hikari had always been strong when in came to emotional upheavals, but when it came to love she was very vulnerable. It was good to see her get so worked up over a boy. But still this was her sister and she'll be damned if she'd let some guy take advantage of her. From experiance she felt like Hikari was a little too uptight for someone her age. And the poor girl spent way too much time comparing herself to other people. Always feeling inadequate when she shouldn't be. The girl had strengths that most people would never have. Yes, it was good that she was showing interest in a guy again. Truth be told she could really benefit from a good lay. She laughed a little at that. thought. Still the question was, what kind of boy was he?
"Just tell me."
"NO!"
"If you don't, I'll make you regret it."
Hikari's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms. She wasn't backing down. And there was nothing Kodama could do or say to change that.
"Fine." Kodama whispered as she backed away from the stone-walling girl. She took a deep breath and shouted, "Nozomi! Hikaris' got a BOYFRIEND!!!"
Hikari paled. Of all the things she could to do, that was by far the lowest. She could already hear the sound of rushed footsteps speeding across the floor above them. She looked straight at Kodama and mouthed, "You bitch."
Kodama smiled wickedly, "You wouldn't tell me."
Not a second later Nozomi came sliding into kitchen. Her head whipped around before asking, "Where is he?"
Kodama knelt down to Nozomi's level. "That's just the thing Nozomi,"she started in a melodramatic manner. "Hikari is ashamed of us and she won't bring him over." She completed the look by making a pouty face.
"He's not my boyfriend!"
"See that Nozomi! She wanted to keep her new boyfriend a secret from us." The youngest child looked from the older girl to Hikari with a questionable look on her face.
"Hikari? Is that true?"
The middle child shook her head. Kodama was one thing. Nozomi was another, her sweet demeanor, and her innocent face could melt the coldest heart. The only problem was, that she really wasn't that sweet or innocent. She was deceptive in a way. So deveptive that one look at those soft gray eyes of hers' and you would forget just how evil the little brat was. You couldn't let your guard down. She was always quick to pickup things. She could easily decipher people's body language and the tones of their voice, to figure out and exploit any weaknesses when necessary. She could also lie to you, and look you straight in the eye and not show even the slightest traces of being false. It made her a formable opponent. It also made her scary. Pity the person who would allow her in a card game in which money was involved.
"No. I don't have a boyfriend!"
"She came home late because she'd rather spend time with her new boyfriend." Kodama said to youngest, ingoring Hikari's last denial completely.
"Kodama! I told you he's not my boyfriend!"
"And you know what..." Kodama continued as before,"...they do all sorts of naughty things together. She doesn't even object when he touches her...." Kodama voice dropped to the faintest of whispers that only the little girl beside her could hear. Nozomi's eye's doubled in size and she quickly brought her hands up to her mouth to keep in the gasp that wanted to escape. However, as Kodama was well aware, Hikari could reading lips. As a result her face turned a blistering red.
"Shinji has never done that!" Shit! She suddenly realized her mistake. She played right into it. Nozomi provided just enough of a distraction, to give Kodama an opening for an attack. Both of her sister's broke from their stance. Kodama's face was lit up in a look of triumph, and the brat took on a dreamy expression of a cat who had caught itself a mouse. This sort of thing was fun to her.
"So Shinji is his name?" Score! She got up and moved away from the grinning eleven-year-old. She moved towards Hikari with a predatory smile.
"Damn it. Why can't you just leave me alone."
"Because I'm your sister."
"No your just a snooping, hypocritical SLUT!" she was a little more than angry at the moment. Maybe that was a little too harsh. Maybe. But she shouldn't do this to her. Not with the way she carried on. Kodama wasn't shy about her sex life. It was worse when she brought them home. She wasn't exactly discrete about what they did in her room.
"Hey!" Kodama backed away, her smile disappearing at the remark. "There's no need for that. I'm just trying to watch out for you."
Watching out for one's siblings. That wasn't a rule but an obligation. A duty to be carried out to it's fullest. The eldest was suppost to protect and guild those that came after them. That was just the way it was.
"Sorry." Hikari said, looking off to the side, "It's just that... I'm not a kid anymore. I can do some things on my own."
"Hmmmp, Well you ought to be sorry. And I know you've grown up and all, but....." her voice turned soft, "...I just want to make sure you don't make the same mistakes I have."
Hikari nodded, her eyes falling to the floor, feeling a bit of shame at the moment. She knew the story, they all did. A long time ago Kodama used to be a bookworm. She studied hard, and had the top marks for her year. She did every thing a person in that position was expected to do. But when mom died, things changed. Just like things at home did. Father dealt with her loss by buring himself at work. Nozomi took it really hard, Hikari could remember the nights she spent holding her as she cried. Kodama on the other hand tried to fill to void inside of her by turning to a boy she had been tutoring. Then she had been very shy when it came to boys, especially him. Thru their sessions she had a developed a crush on the boy. Had he been a good guy he would have helped her during that time. But he wasn't. The only he did was to help himself to her virginity. He led her on for a while, their relationship never moving beyond sex. It went on for a while before he dumped her. She then lost her position as class representative, after her grades and her attendance at school dropped. It took her a long time to recover from that betrayal. But when she did, she had reinvented herself. She distanced herself from the people she knew, and took up new classes. She made new friends, and started to do new things. She became Kodama the Artist. And she blossomed because of it.
Hikari had to admit there where alot of paralles to the way she was and to herself. Any anger she still felt, dissipated.
"So, this Shinji guy. What is he like?"
Hikari perked up a moment. Her cheeks grew warm. 'He's... nice. A little sad at times... but he's nice."
Kodama nodded, "Just do me a favor and be careful."
"I will."
"And try to swallow, it's rude to spit."
"Kodama!"
The older one giggled and turned back towards the simmering pots on the stove. She paused briefly and looked at the red faced Hikari from over her shoulder.
"Oh and just for you information I am not a hypocrite"
Hikari frowded "Yeah, but your still a slut."
They both smiled at each other and then chuckled. This was what it was like to be sisters. They depended on each other because there was nobody else who would help them. No matter what, they'd take the good and the bad. And they's see it thru it together.
"um, Hikari" The addressed girl blinked and turn toward Nozomi, who had been forgotten in the previous exchange.
"um, Yes?"
"Did your boyfriend really pop your cherry?"
Hikari blinking. Nozomi just stood there innocently, with an expectant look. She looked over to Kodama, who had proped herself against the kitchen counter, since she was shaking so badly. She turned back to the little one, and then back to Kodama. Before she finally exploded.
"JUST WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN TEACHING HER!!!" She yelled, pointed her finger angerly at Kodama.
Kodama on the other hand was no longer had the ability to talk. As she was struggling to keep herself upright, because she was laughing so hard.
"Hikari?"
Hikari's eyes narrowed. What now? "Yes, Nozomi?"
The little one step forward. Her lips formed an 'O', and she brought a hand against her own check. With a flick of her fingers he made a loud popping sound. A gleeful sparkle took her eyes.
Hikari's faced tuned red and one of her eyebrows twitched severely.
"Come here you!!!" She lunged at young girl, who in turned dodged her and ran out of the room giggling loudly. Hikari gave chase after her.
Finally composing herself, Kodama turned back to finishing off their supper. She smiled listening to them running around. Nozomi was screaming and laughing. Hikari was holding back, running just fast enough not to catch her. She wished her luck. Not in catching Nozomi, but in her love life. Maybe this Shinji will treat her right. Hikari might have a genuine have a good relationship with him. She watched as her two younger sisters came speeding into the kitchen. This time Hikari grabbed Nozomi by the torso. The youngest squealed in laughter, as she tried to wiggle out of Hikari's grip. She was very ticklish, almost at a debilitating level. She shook her head watching the two. Everything was as it sould be.
Changing Seasons
by: JErosion
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Chapter 02"Ah!" He sat up abruptly, being completely startled. He felt very disoriented, literally being shanken from his slumber. He was at his desk in school. And off to his side, standing there with a hand hovering just above his right shoulder was Hikari Horaki.
For some reason the sight of her made him blush. Maybe it was because she woke him. Or maybe it was because of the fading images of the dream he was having.
"Um Hi."
She giggled.
"I knew you went to sleep during last period, but I didn't think you'd still be here." She stepped back and sat down on top of a desk adjacent to his. She carefully folded her skirt beneath her.
He looked embarassed. Maybe because we are alone. She smiled a little at that thought. But if anyone should feel embarassed, it was her. She had walked back into their class to retrive a notebook, when she found him. It was a bit of a shock to find him still asleep in the darken class room. But that was nearly half an hour ago. She had spent that time just examining him. Kodama said you can find out alot about a guy by watching him sleep. She didn't know what she was suppost to be looking for, the only thing she was able to confirm was the idea that she found him to be cute. Honestly she couldn't image why nobody had bothered to wake him. Then again kids could be mean, and left him there not because he was tired, but because they would find it funny for him to be at school all night. Still it's odd he didn't even hear the final bell ring. But then again Asuka looked like the walking dead today. She kept nodding off in class. Still she was glad to find him here.
"Yeah, neither did I." he replied as he tried rub away the red mark on the side of his face that he slept on. He took a quick glance away from her and to the windows. It had gotten late, given the shift of color in the sky. He looked back to Hikari, she wore a soft smile, and was blushing bright enough that it was still visable in the orange light of the setting sun.
He noticed that she did that alot lately. Blushing almost every time they came near each other. It had been almost a week since the two of them where in the school's infirmary. The bandage had since come off. However despite his own desire to, he hadn't really had the chance to speak with her to any real degree. He had been limited to the usual greatings and pleasantries that society expected. But also he found he didn't want to try to talk to her when Asuka was near. Nor did he want to try when Touji and Kensuke was around. I seemed like it would be better if it was just them.
"They must work you hard."
Shinji could only offer a dark chuckle. Doctor Akagi had drawn a rather brutal schedule for the week. She had been kind enough not to interupt school, but having an ten hour Sync Test after an eight hour school day for three days in a row, was taking it's toll. If he didn't know better, he would say that she was testing them on endurance and sleep depravation. He didn't know how they could benifit from their piloting crew being too tired to fight an angel.
"Yeah they do"
"Yeah?"
"..."
"You know, Asuka was falling asleep in class too."
"Was she?"
"You think she made it home ok?"
"I'm sure she did."
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
They both fell into silence. Hikari looked off to the side. Her face a was a bit unreadable. Shinji was just as distracted.
He kept hearing her say 'Did you want to see?' in his head. And it was slowly messing him up. Worming it's way into vairous fanatsies and his dreams. Causing Doctor Akagi yell at him, because thinking about it was screwing up his ability to concentrate during the synch tests.
He was just a couple of months shy of being fifteen years old. And only recently in his life had he gained any real experiance concerning the intricacies the opposite sex. The trial and error conditions of living with two rather volatile women had taught him quite a bit. He had a good idea about what to expect on from the physical side of them, having caught more than enough glimpses of the two. Most of the occurances being by accident, however he couldn't deny the few occasions when his own curiosities became too much to ignor. But it wasn't something he had actively tried to do. It was usually the sort of thing when shifting a little to the side would give him a better 'view' or when he was passing by a door that wasn't properly shut .
That was the differance between him and Touji and Kensuke. He never tried to actively peep on his roomates. He wasn't seeking 'up-skirts' on the stairs or try to take photographs of the girls thru the locker room windows. He felt bad enough seeing what he did see, and not just when he got caught. During the most recent incident he was treated to the brief flash of pink and a flare of copper-red hair. He suffered for that trespass. The bruises he received was proof of that.
But the naked female form was one thing, but to trying and comprehend their emotions was another. Or their motivations for that matter. Surely being asked if he wanted to get a look at her panties was not a normal occurance. But he was trying his best to figure it out. He knew enough that there was something developing between them. He took a glance her way. Or would had, if he could get past the hem of her uniform and to the exposed part of her legs, which where swinging back and forth.
Great. I'm getting hung up on her panties,... again. Shinji sighed in disgust of himself. He knew he wasn't making this any easier. He was never any good at interacting with others. He still had trouble when he was around Touji and Kensuke. It was rare for him to start a conversation. Honestly he just liked to sit back and listen. But this wasn't about them, this was about her. And for her, he was willing to try harder.
"So um,.... why are you still here?"
"Oh?" she snapped back to him. "um, There was a student council meeting."
"Oh,... ah How did that go?"
She just shrugged. "They are debating weither or not to cancel the Student Art Festival."
"Oh?"
"Some are saying that we should have it to bring some normalcy back to the school, but with over half the school being gone now there's too many logistical problems. Since most of the clubs have shut down, there's not enough students left to staff such an event.
"I see."
They lasped into silence again.
Hikari frowned, this small talk was going nowhere. This was her chance. She wanted to try and get to know Shinji better, but if this continued she wouldn't be any better off than she was a week ago.
"So can I.... um, ask you a question? Well I'm not sure if you can answer it, or if you would want to."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Well I asked Asuka a while back, and I just wanted to know what you would say. What is it...." she paused not knowing if it was really ok or not. But when he nodded she continued "I wanted to know what it is like to pilot your robot?"
Of all the things to ask. Shinji sighed with disappointment. Why bring up Eva. He hated it. He hated to have to fight in it. And she wanted to talk about it. She was looking expectant at him. He tried to smile for her .But why did it have to be Eva? But again what was there in his life that he could talk about. He had no real hobbies to speak of. His life revolved around Eva. There was no escaping it.
Hikari was worried for a second. Maybe it wasn't the best thing to ask him after all. Asuka was always so proud of what she did. Was it that different for him? But the steady frown on his face, made it obivous of what he thought of it. Did he hate it? Would he even answer?
"It's...." he sighed, god what am I doing? It would be easier just to say it was classified and he couldn't talk about it. But then what? "Well the Evangelion.....well it isn't really a robot. It's more biological. When it gets damaged you feel it. It's like underneath all that armor it has it's own nerves and bones. And if they break, you feel your bones break too."
Hikari raised her eyebrows. Apparently Asuka had left out a few things.
"When we pilot, we have to use our minds to do it. It's weird. We still have controls that regulate power consumption and weapon systems. But it's like... have you ever been in a tunnel? Where when you talk or make a noise it echos out. " He paused long enough to see her nod her head in affirmation. "Well, it's like that, but it's in your mind. It's like your at one end of the tunnel and at the other is the Eva. And your thoughts go out, and it sort of echoes, just like you voice would in a tunnel. And the higher you sync with it, the closer you are to that other end." He saw her give him a confused look, "Oh, our sync is sorta like a way they measure our connection with the Eva. The higher it is the stronger the Eva becomes, but also the higher it goes the more it hurts if the Eva gets injured. And if our Sync ratio is high enough not only do we feel the injuries but it can also manifest them on our bodies.
"Wow." she said in a sort of awe, "You know that sounds really scary."
"Yeah it really is. But sometimes...." he trailed off, shaking his head.
"hmm? What is it?" She asked, her curiousity peaked.
"Well it's.... I've thought about asking my superiors.... but it's just crazy." he shook his head.
"What is?"
"Well there are suppost to be safeguards, that limit our sync ratio and also are suppost to prevent feed back from the Eva. But I wonder if that's a lie. Because sometimes..... um..... Well you know how i said that you are at one end of the tunnel and the Eva is at the other. And your thoughts echo out to it, well sometimes... it's like..... it thinks back at you. Sometimes you just get this feeling or impression of......" He leaned forward and placed his face into his hands. Thinking about it, was giving him a head ache.
"Hey, what is it?" Hikari slid off of the desk she was on and knelt in front of him.
"It. The Eva. It's like sometimes you just get this feeling of anger. And even worse it feels.... it feels something that's like.... hunger." His voice was a hollow whisper. Asuka never said anything like this. She could see why he didn't want to talk about it. She reach forward but paused. Was this ok?
"Hey, "she whispered back, he looked like he was in pain "It will be alright." Her extended hand finally brushed against his forehead. He jumped at the contact. And in his quick movement her finger tips slid from the top of his head down to his cheek and lips. And for a moment they were frozen in place.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Hikari snatched her hand away so fast she fell backwards onto her rear. Her face was absolutely burning from the contact. She was in such shock she couldn't get up, all she could do was sit there and gawked at her hand, as if it were some disobedient child that was in need of scolding. All she intended to do was maybe touch his shoulder. She never intended to touch him like that. At least she didn't think she did.
Shinji stared at her, nearly as suprised as she was. He brought his own hand to to his mouth, and moved it along the side that she made contact with. It was just a little thing really, her fingers just happened to brush across his lips that's all, it wasn't like she had kissed him or anything. But no matter how you looked at it, it was still an intimate touch. Even if it was accidental, it still made his heart flutter. She still sat there on the floor, looking at her own hand in disbelief. She was so distracted, she failed to notice that her skirt had ridden up enough to expose a generous portion of her right thigh.
Shinji quickly looked away, blushing heavily. While he would never consider himself a 'Leg Man', as Kensuke would call it, he could see the appeal they had. Especially as his mind churned out a few thoughts that bordered at being highly inappropiate. He couldn't help it though, ever since that day in the School Infirmary he kept having these little 'What if' scenarios pop in his head. He hated to think of her that way. She had treated him well. And in his opinion was a very pretty girl, who deserved better than a staring role of some lewd fantasy of his. She really deserved better.
"It's.... um,... it's ok." he stood up from his desk and reached out to offer her a hand up, trying his best not to look at her exposed leg.
Hikari looked at the extended hand with some trepidation. If she took it that would that count as holding hands? What would his hand feel like? She had never held a boy's hand before. Would it be..... She stopped with a sigh. God, your such a girl Hikari. Your putting way too much thought into this. He was simply extenting a hand to help her up. Slow reached up and took his offered limb.
With very little effort he hoisted her up, and inadvertently pulled her very close to his person. Shinji swallowed, and tried to take a step back, but couldn't without tripping over his chair. Even though she was up and on her own feet, she didn't let go of his hand. He could only stand there nevously, with his choices being stuck between the class representative or tumbling backwards.
The first thing she noticed was that his grip was strong, but his hand also felt.... soft. She frowned, suddenly being struck by a slightly troubling notion. His hand is softer than mine. How the hell does that happen? Boys are suppost to be tough and rugged. But she couldn't deny that his hand was just felt softer than her own. Her thumb slid across his palm. It was like touching silk. There was not one callus or a rough spot. It wasn't like was a lumberjack, or a blacksmith. But surely his hands shouldn't be that soft. How? What did he do with them to get them that way? She blushed, maybe she shouldn't go there. As it was, when she was around him, her mind kept coming up with all sorts of ideas that could be described as a bit risqué. Maybe that was a little of Kodama's influence rubbing off on her.
"ah, h-Hikari?"
She looked up at him. Her mouth parted slighty in wonder. She had never noticed before. Even back in the infirmary that day. His eye's were blue. Not the bright and brillant shades that made so many foreign actors popular amoungst teenage girls. It was a deeper color. Stormy even. Like some of the colors amoungst Kodoma's watercolor paints. The ones marked with strangely poetic names such as Indigo, Payne's Gray, and Prussian Blue. It was color that combined with the already present sadness in his eyes. It cried out with a certain loneness, that reached out in despartation. Reaching out for her. Her blush only deepened and her heart pounded in her chest. She licked her lips as those 'risqué' thoughts of hers danced though her head.
"um, Hikari....Can I... um..." he panicked, and tugged his hand a bit to try and convey how uncomfortable he was feeling at the moment.
She blinked a few times, her eyes dropping down and quickly came back up. It took a second for her brain to compile the little details of how close they were standing to each other and his hand still being held in hers. She let out a small squeak, and flew back, bumbing into the desk she had sat on earlier.
They both stood there in silence. Shinji sighed, he didn't like this jumping back and forth thing. One second they were fine, having little bits of conversation, the next they standing like a statues staring at floor as if it had something interesting to offer. He tried to think of what to do or say at this point, but was drawing a blank. He had to face the facts, he wasn't very good when it came to girls. Or people in general. On some level he wanted to blame his father for this inability to interact with others. Another part of him wanted to blame the relatives that his father dumped him with. But that wouldn't do any good. Misplaced anger never got you any where.
And this girl. What was she thinking? What was she doing to him? He found that his attention in class was wavering because of her. He did find her attractive. And with the way she was acting around him it was hard not to notice her. But he wasn't the only one that seemed distracted. He quickly discovered that when he looked her way, more often than not she was also looking at him. Catching each other was like some odd little game that existed just between them. Nobody else seemed to notice. But how long could that go one for. To Shinji the very idea that she could be interested in him seemed ludicrous. Yet just moments ago she looked like she was ready to kiss him.
It was too strange to have someone suddenly giving you attention. To him it always meant somebody just wanted something from him. But was Hikari any different? Honestly he couldn't see that she had anything to gain from it. Outside of her role in class, she wasn't in a position of power over him. For the most part, his novelty as a pilot had worn off. Those girls who put love letters in his locker, or who tried more direct means, by asking him if he was seeing anyone, had stopped long ago.
But Hikari was never apart of that, in those early days she treated him just the same as the others in class. And he was thankful for it. For too long he lived with people who looked at him differantly because of who he was. People who only wanted him around if he could be useful to them. People who would otherwise neglect him and look at him as nothing more than an inconvenience. But in a way that sort of treatment was a type of neglect, only being kept around because you served a purpose. That was something he was far too familar with. And something he didn't want anymore.
Aside from Touji and Kensuke, she was the only one to really treat him as an equal. If she truely liked him, he wouldn't reject any of her affections. He would accepted them greedily. In truth, he probably wanted their relationship to work out more than she did. You can have all the friends and family in the world, but still be lonely. Really what he desired that intimate connection that existed between those who would call themselves lovers. He was already sure that he liked Hikari. How much he wasn't sure yet. Maybe with more time, he'd know.
Now onto the other delima, how to break the ice and get back to the 'having little bits of conversation' thing because when you came down to it, the floor was pretty boring. There were all those things Kaji talked about, but they were useless for someone like him. There was that thing his father told him years ago, but the more he thought about it the less he wanted it to have anything do with his relationship with Hikari. It was still sound advice. But the truth was his father told him to rely on himself and not others. So if he was going to do that, he'd have to put both his father's and Kaji's words behind him and find his own voice.
One thing was certain, they couldn't stay at school all night. Reaching down he pulled up his portfolio bag from under his desk.
Hikari finally breaking from her trance, she followed his example and picked up her things.
"So,...." Shinji began, as they walked out of the class room. "How did Asuka answer your question?"
"Oh, her... She got really techincal. After a while it got too confusing for me to follow what she was saying."
"That sounds like something she'd do"
They walked on a little further.
"So," Shinji began again, "How do you get home?"
"Oh, um,... I usually take the train."
Shinji nodded, "Yeah, me and Asuka do the same."
"y-You know I live out in the same area as you."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Your apartment is about fifteen minutes from my house."
"Oh." He filed that little piece of information away for the time being. Then again that was sort of obvious, since Asuka had went to stay the night there on several occasions, without asking for a ride. The red-head often thought public transportation was beneath her.
The two of them exited the school together. Shinji notice immediatly a change in the air.
"It feels cool out here." Indeed it did. Typically if it was hot during the day it was hot during the evening as well. And the air this evening didn't even come close to matching the lunch time weather.
"Oh, you wouldn't know. A front blew in from the mainland. It went through at the end of last period."
"I haven't had the time to watch the news."
It was a really odd change in the weather. But then again could the weather be considered odd in Tokyo-3. This was a city were giant robots rose up from the ground, and giant alien creatures attacked. So a cool breeze is rather small in comparison.
"um."
Shinji paused to look at her. Her face was red again.
Hikari looked at him, although this evening was awkward, it was nice. She smiled. But maybe it doesn't have to end right away.
"Well, I was wondering.... um, if.... you'd...." she sighed. She was getting nowhere. How could Kodama be so calm when she did this? She never had any troubles getting a guy. "um, well there is this coffee place by the station.... and.... would you...." This was difficult. Here she was asking a guy out. She had never tried being the aggressor before. But what if he's turn off by that? What if he doesn't like the idea of a girl taking the lead like that. A feeling of panic rose in her. What if that kill their relationship before it ever really got started? What if.....
"ah, Sure."
Hikari stopped berating herself, and looked at him. Did she hear right? "What?"
"uh, I said...uh... yes, I'd like that."
"Alright...."
She looked away and then ran ahead to the school'ss front gate, before twirling around to face him again. She was smiling for him. It was a much like that brillant smile she gave him a week ago. Her skirt and hair fluttered up in the motion. Shinji started to blush as well. This was the sort of thing you expected from a movie or a book. Scenes like this didn't happen in real life. At least not in his life. Still at that moment he had but a single thought. She is beautiful.
She waved at him join her.
Shinji couldn't help but smile. And dashed forward to catch up with her.
The door creeked open as she walked into the threshold of the home that she shared with her sisters and father. That had gone well. Much better than she thought it would. They each had a cup of coffee. And talked a little. It was just comparing tastes in music and movies. Nothing special happened. No physical contact involved. Just nice conversation. A smile played at her lips. He had asked her if she'd like to do it again. Yes, it was definitely nice.
"I'm home!" she called out, as she slipped out of her shoes. She deposited them in their usual spot between Kodama's and Nozomi's. Her father's, as she noticed, where still missing. He hadn't been home much lately. He had started stay the night at work when the angels started to attack. And since the blackout he hadn't really been home at all. He called now and then to check up on them but that was it. Kodama always joked that he prefered work because there was too much estrogen in this house. Maybe, but it would still be nice to see him once in a while.
"Hey." a voice from down the hall greeted her.
She turned to see Kodama standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Dinner is almost ready," the older girl said, while taking off her apron. Hikari frowned, that girl never wore a bra. The thin t-shirt she wore did little to hide anything. Even with the smudges of paint that dotted the fabric like camoflage, it would be difficult for any man not to notice. After all it was hard for a splash of red or blue to compete with that sort of thing. Especially hers. She suddenly felt the urge to cross her arms, to hide what she did have. Oddly enough this was one of the bad things about having Asuka as a friend. Though she would never voice this to the german girl, gym class was a source of depression because of her, as the gaijin was a constant reminder of her lack of growth. At her rate the red-head would mostly likely surpass Kodama in size within a year. Though for a second she was struck by a pleasing and somewhat dark thought. That while the german girl was guaranteed a large bust by heritage alone, she would not be able to stay the hand of gravity completely. She was already showing the signs of it with with the light crease that ran along the underside of hers. It would only increase in definition as they got larger and heavier. And saggier she added with a small smile. She liked Asuka and all but sometimes...
The thing about Kodama was that she didn't wear them because she didn't need the support they provided. She took a moment to chant 'Please stay perky' over and over again in her head. Hikari couldn't complain about sister's choices. Since it was often just them at home, they sort of had this 'undergarments are optional' policy in effect. But then again when it came to Kodama she pretty much didn't wear them outside of the house either. At least she didn't wear skirts often.
Still, Hikari envied her. She was so beautiful. She could only hope she got the same treatment genetically that her sister did. Kodama looked so much like mom. She had seen some of the pictures of her mother before she married their dad. She was absolutly gorgeous. So pretty that she was able to do some work in modeling. How she wished she could be like that. The both of them.
Kodama was such a free-spirt, always doing her own thing. Turning her back to mainstream academics and favoring the arts. She had talent not only for theatre, but she also skill on the canvas. That was another way she was like mom. Not only did she have her figure but she also inheritied their mother's artistic talent. Many of times she wished she could draw as well as Kodama could, given that her own ability was severely limited to stick figures. Aside from her looks and her talents, the one way Hikari wished she could be like her, was in terms of her confidence. Kodama had absolutely no troubles with guys, then again her sister was a little more promiscuous than she could redly approve of. But at least she stayed with the guys she slept with for a while.
She had to wonder if she was the target of some cosmic joke. She was surrounded by such beautiful people. She stopped for a second. What about Shinji? He worked and lived with several beautiful women. Not only was there Asuka. But he was also living and working under that Katsuragi woman. How she didn't just snap in half from the size of her breasts was a miracle. And then there was that blond doctor that was at their apartment when she had stopped by to see Asuka the other day. With all of them around him, she couldn't see how he could be interested in her. She sighed.
"Are you ok?" Kodama asked.
"oh, ah, yeah, I'm alright."
"Your rather late today." Kodama stood aside to let her younger sister past by.
"oh, I had some stuff at the school today."
'Interesting', Kodama thought as she watched Hikari's eyes shift away. She continued to follow her actions as she began to rummage around in the refrigerator. Something about her body language and the way she answered, set gears in motion. Maybe it was her own instincts, or maybe it was the empathy they shared as sisters. But like a shark, she could smell the blood in the water.
"'Stuff' didn't involve a boy, now did it?"
Hikari almost dropped her soda. "uh, n-No of coarse not."
Bingo. That's what it was. She smiled. Hikari has a new crush. Now it was time to do a little recon.
"You know you can't lie to me."
"n-No I'm not." She knew it was futile. Kodama would have seen it eventually. She always did. Just like those times when she was rejected by those other boys. Kodama picked up on it immediatly. She just wished she could have kept it secret just a little longer.
Kodama shook her head not buying the half hearted denial. "What's his name?"
"He's just a friend. It's nothing really."
"What's his name?"
"He is just a friend!"
"Yes, but does your friend have a name?"
"Kodama, please stop it!" She just didn't want to deal with this right now.
"Just tell me and I'll quit."
"No you won't! You'll just keep being nosey!" Hikari slowly being backed into a corner of the kitchen.
For Kodama this wasn't just prying. She was well aware of her failures with boys in the past. And how easy it would to dupe a girl in that position. Hikari had always been strong when in came to emotional upheavals, but when it came to love she was very vulnerable. It was good to see her get so worked up over a boy. But still this was her sister and she'll be damned if she'd let some guy take advantage of her. From experiance she felt like Hikari was a little too uptight for someone her age. And the poor girl spent way too much time comparing herself to other people. Always feeling inadequate when she shouldn't be. The girl had strengths that most people would never have. Yes, it was good that she was showing interest in a guy again. Truth be told she could really benefit from a good lay. She laughed a little at that. thought. Still the question was, what kind of boy was he?
"Just tell me."
"NO!"
"If you don't, I'll make you regret it."
Hikari's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms. She wasn't backing down. And there was nothing Kodama could do or say to change that.
"Fine." Kodama whispered as she backed away from the stone-walling girl. She took a deep breath and shouted, "Nozomi! Hikaris' got a BOYFRIEND!!!"
Hikari paled. Of all the things she could to do, that was by far the lowest. She could already hear the sound of rushed footsteps speeding across the floor above them. She looked straight at Kodama and mouthed, "You bitch."
Kodama smiled wickedly, "You wouldn't tell me."
Not a second later Nozomi came sliding into kitchen. Her head whipped around before asking, "Where is he?"
Kodama knelt down to Nozomi's level. "That's just the thing Nozomi,"she started in a melodramatic manner. "Hikari is ashamed of us and she won't bring him over." She completed the look by making a pouty face.
"He's not my boyfriend!"
"See that Nozomi! She wanted to keep her new boyfriend a secret from us." The youngest child looked from the older girl to Hikari with a questionable look on her face.
"Hikari? Is that true?"
The middle child shook her head. Kodama was one thing. Nozomi was another, her sweet demeanor, and her innocent face could melt the coldest heart. The only problem was, that she really wasn't that sweet or innocent. She was deceptive in a way. So deveptive that one look at those soft gray eyes of hers' and you would forget just how evil the little brat was. You couldn't let your guard down. She was always quick to pickup things. She could easily decipher people's body language and the tones of their voice, to figure out and exploit any weaknesses when necessary. She could also lie to you, and look you straight in the eye and not show even the slightest traces of being false. It made her a formable opponent. It also made her scary. Pity the person who would allow her in a card game in which money was involved.
"No. I don't have a boyfriend!"
"She came home late because she'd rather spend time with her new boyfriend." Kodama said to youngest, ingoring Hikari's last denial completely.
"Kodama! I told you he's not my boyfriend!"
"And you know what..." Kodama continued as before,"...they do all sorts of naughty things together. She doesn't even object when he touches her...." Kodama voice dropped to the faintest of whispers that only the little girl beside her could hear. Nozomi's eye's doubled in size and she quickly brought her hands up to her mouth to keep in the gasp that wanted to escape. However, as Kodama was well aware, Hikari could reading lips. As a result her face turned a blistering red.
"Shinji has never done that!" Shit! She suddenly realized her mistake. She played right into it. Nozomi provided just enough of a distraction, to give Kodama an opening for an attack. Both of her sister's broke from their stance. Kodama's face was lit up in a look of triumph, and the brat took on a dreamy expression of a cat who had caught itself a mouse. This sort of thing was fun to her.
"So Shinji is his name?" Score! She got up and moved away from the grinning eleven-year-old. She moved towards Hikari with a predatory smile.
"Damn it. Why can't you just leave me alone."
"Because I'm your sister."
"No your just a snooping, hypocritical SLUT!" she was a little more than angry at the moment. Maybe that was a little too harsh. Maybe. But she shouldn't do this to her. Not with the way she carried on. Kodama wasn't shy about her sex life. It was worse when she brought them home. She wasn't exactly discrete about what they did in her room.
"Hey!" Kodama backed away, her smile disappearing at the remark. "There's no need for that. I'm just trying to watch out for you."
Watching out for one's siblings. That wasn't a rule but an obligation. A duty to be carried out to it's fullest. The eldest was suppost to protect and guild those that came after them. That was just the way it was.
"Sorry." Hikari said, looking off to the side, "It's just that... I'm not a kid anymore. I can do some things on my own."
"Hmmmp, Well you ought to be sorry. And I know you've grown up and all, but....." her voice turned soft, "...I just want to make sure you don't make the same mistakes I have."
Hikari nodded, her eyes falling to the floor, feeling a bit of shame at the moment. She knew the story, they all did. A long time ago Kodama used to be a bookworm. She studied hard, and had the top marks for her year. She did every thing a person in that position was expected to do. But when mom died, things changed. Just like things at home did. Father dealt with her loss by buring himself at work. Nozomi took it really hard, Hikari could remember the nights she spent holding her as she cried. Kodama on the other hand tried to fill to void inside of her by turning to a boy she had been tutoring. Then she had been very shy when it came to boys, especially him. Thru their sessions she had a developed a crush on the boy. Had he been a good guy he would have helped her during that time. But he wasn't. The only he did was to help himself to her virginity. He led her on for a while, their relationship never moving beyond sex. It went on for a while before he dumped her. She then lost her position as class representative, after her grades and her attendance at school dropped. It took her a long time to recover from that betrayal. But when she did, she had reinvented herself. She distanced herself from the people she knew, and took up new classes. She made new friends, and started to do new things. She became Kodama the Artist. And she blossomed because of it.
Hikari had to admit there where alot of paralles to the way she was and to herself. Any anger she still felt, dissipated.
"So, this Shinji guy. What is he like?"
Hikari perked up a moment. Her cheeks grew warm. 'He's... nice. A little sad at times... but he's nice."
Kodama nodded, "Just do me a favor and be careful."
"I will."
"And try to swallow, it's rude to spit."
"Kodama!"
The older one giggled and turned back towards the simmering pots on the stove. She paused briefly and looked at the red faced Hikari from over her shoulder.
"Oh and just for you information I am not a hypocrite"
Hikari frowded "Yeah, but your still a slut."
They both smiled at each other and then chuckled. This was what it was like to be sisters. They depended on each other because there was nobody else who would help them. No matter what, they'd take the good and the bad. And they's see it thru it together.
"um, Hikari" The addressed girl blinked and turn toward Nozomi, who had been forgotten in the previous exchange.
"um, Yes?"
"Did your boyfriend really pop your cherry?"
Hikari blinking. Nozomi just stood there innocently, with an expectant look. She looked over to Kodama, who had proped herself against the kitchen counter, since she was shaking so badly. She turned back to the little one, and then back to Kodama. Before she finally exploded.
"JUST WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN TEACHING HER!!!" She yelled, pointed her finger angerly at Kodama.
Kodama on the other hand was no longer had the ability to talk. As she was struggling to keep herself upright, because she was laughing so hard.
"Hikari?"
Hikari's eyes narrowed. What now? "Yes, Nozomi?"
The little one step forward. Her lips formed an 'O', and she brought a hand against her own check. With a flick of her fingers he made a loud popping sound. A gleeful sparkle took her eyes.
Hikari's faced tuned red and one of her eyebrows twitched severely.
"Come here you!!!" She lunged at young girl, who in turned dodged her and ran out of the room giggling loudly. Hikari gave chase after her.
Finally composing herself, Kodama turned back to finishing off their supper. She smiled listening to them running around. Nozomi was screaming and laughing. Hikari was holding back, running just fast enough not to catch her. She wished her luck. Not in catching Nozomi, but in her love life. Maybe this Shinji will treat her right. Hikari might have a genuine have a good relationship with him. She watched as her two younger sisters came speeding into the kitchen. This time Hikari grabbed Nozomi by the torso. The youngest squealed in laughter, as she tried to wiggle out of Hikari's grip. She was very ticklish, almost at a debilitating level. She shook her head watching the two. Everything was as it sould be.
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Author's note: This chapter is a monster. I have this plan that each chapter be broken up into at least two parts to allow for developement. And after a week of writing i suddenly realized that the first half of the chapter was longer than the first chapter was all together. Anyway, I was supprised how well the first chapter was recieved. I have some reservations about this one but i don't think i can write anymore on it. Now for future chapters I have the next two planned out. Actually i'm looking forward to writing the first half of chapter 4. But until then...