Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Changing Seasons ❯ Changing Seasons 03 ( Chapter 3 )
[ 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: 3 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 1.5K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai / Romance | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 07.10.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 1.5K | 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. John Sparten? Is that you? Damn, they'll let anybody into this century.
Changing Seasons
by: JErosion
For most students the day was progressing at an wretchedly inert pace. Especially since the old man gotten into reminiscing about life directly preceding Second Impact. If you were to watch the wall clock long enough you could actually see the second hand click backwards for a second or two before continuing onto it's normal direction. Not that Mr. Nobuyuki's experiences weren't interesting, it was just when you had heard them ten or more times, without the benefit of any real change or variation, it could get dull. But to the great fortune and relief of the students of class A-2 of Tokyo-3 Municipal High School, the lunch bell rang. Not only sounding the start of a much needed break, but also signifying the halfway mark for a rather dreary day.
The teacher looked at his watch through his thick bottle glasses. As if he wasn't sure which bell had rung or he had doubts of that it had come at the right time. But after confirming the time and just waved his hand lazily, as if to say 'shoo', and then said "Dismissed."
"Stand! Bow! Sit!" Hikari called out. Class wasn't truely over until that ritual had been completed.
A good number of Hikari's classmates instantly began their exodus from their class to join the throng of students in the hall. Personally she liked to wait a little while, to let the crowd outside thin out a bit. Not that she had trouble with being in the presence of alot of people, it was just a matter of personal comfort. Particularly today since it had been raining for most of the morning. The Humidity inside the building was not far from that of the outside. Combine that with the two dozen or so bodies and the classroom felt slightly uncomfortable. Out in the hall it would only be stilfing.
"Hey Hikari!"
The class representative turned to her friend. "Yes Asuka?"
"Can you come over here for a second?" She was standing by the door. That was odd. Normally she waited too. But also there was an odd, almost sickly sweet tone to her voice. It was the kind of voice a girl might use on a guy, when she begged him to buy her something or to do them a favor.
"um, Alright!" As she stood up from her desk, she cast a look over at Shinji. Because of the weather she thought she might had been able to eat with him today. But convincing Asuka to have lunch with Shinji would be a waste of time, since the Idiot Duo was already hanging around him. With Asuka being the way she was and Touji and Kensuke being the morons that they were, the probability of having an enjoyable lunch was slim, if not impossible. Oh well, it was a nice thought. She collected her things and went to the red head.
"So were did yo-"
Asuka grabbed her by the arm and immediately dragged her out of the room in a hurried pace.
"a-Asuka!"
With the red-head in the lead, they snaked through the horde of students. Eventually breaking free of the crowds and traveled down the hallway to a more deserted portion of the school. Out here there was darkened and unused classrooms.
"w-Where are you taking me?"
But german didn't answer. At this point, Hikari was starting to get scared.
She at least got an answer to her, as Asuka hauled her into a bathroom.
There weren't alone, there was two girls at the sink. Their conversation ceased as the sight of Asuka kicking open the door and dragging another girl by the arm. The redhead let go of Hikari and turned on her newly captured audience. She crossed her arms and stared at them.
The two of them cowarded back a bit under Asuka's sapphire glare. They briefly looked at each other, and then back at the Eva pilot. And through what was an exchange of telephathy or maybe what was the usual order between the two, the girl with the light sandy hair stepped forward as their spokesperson. Her companion, a mousy looking brunette, hid behind her.
"c-Can I... um, we... ah, help you?"
"Get out." Asuka's voice was flat and even.
"p-Pardon?"
"I said, GET OUT!" she yelled, pointing at the door. Asuka wasn't one to be polite about anything.
Both of the girls jumped at the command. Not wasting any time they quickly gathered their belongings and fled out the door like they were leaving a burning building.
Being a class representative Hikari was tempted to scold Asuka and demand to know what exactly she was doing by bringing her here. Then again she was also tempted to try and slip out with the other girls. But she already knew that was a bad idea, and the odds of escaping were slim at best. And there was few things scarier than Asuka when she was angry.
She watched the german check each of the stalls for other girls. But Hikari knew she would most likely not find anyone. The only reasons students might come all this way to these restrooms, was to find some privacy or to find a place to smoke. And without the lingering scent of tobacco in the air it was safe to assume that it was just them. Few people came to this bathroom anyway.
Tokyo-3 had but one high school, and it's halls had, and probably never will be filled. Even before the Angels began to attack, nearly half the school wasn't used. Even less was used now as concerned parents sent their children away. The construction that took place after the disaster, was meant to shelter and provide for the next generation. But the one thing that no one foresaw was the collapse of birthrates worldwide. It was probably the saddest fact of the post Second Impact world. They think that when the comet, or asteriod, or whatever it was had hit, it had brought some kind of radiation or some sort of poison with it. And it caused sterility in a large portion of the world's remaining population. At least that was the main thought on the subject. It was just an another mystery that science failed to solve.
Hikari could remember watching some science journal, that was talking about it on television one night. Doctors that were researching the subject, kept meeting up with dead ends. Under labratory conditions they could successfully fertilize an egg, only to watch in dismay as the necessary processes of cell division would suddenly fail. It was more distrubing when this occured in with samples of egg and sperm collected before the impact. The same program went on to suggest that when that Devil struck our planet, it not only did it take the lives of half of it's populace but it stole something from mankind that was necessary for that creation of new life. The whole thing went on and on, turning into alot of metaphysical babble. Ultimately Hikari was forced to change the channel in favor for something less likely to cause her to fall asleep on the couch.
.
But such clashes of philosophy and science were of little interest to a fifteen year old girl. No, the only trials that existed for her were those of the heart and those of friendship. And with the way Asuka was behaving, she had worries about the friendship part.
Asuka, satisfied that they were alone, turned on Hikari, and stared at her for what seemed like an eternity.
"Ok. Which one is it?" Her voice turned flat again.
"um, What do you me-"
"Don't play dumb with me! Which one of them is it!" She interrupted her, her patience was already fragile.
Hikari's heart skipped a beat. She knows!
"I... ah,... don't.... kn-"
"Hikari!" the redhead closed her eyes, her anger and frustration building in her voice. "It's not that hard. All I want to know is, which one of those Stoogies is it?"
Damn it. Hikari bit her lip. This wasn't good. She couldn't lie to Asuka. The girl could see past lies as well as Nozomi could. And lying could damage their friendship. Asuka had issues with trust. And as out going as she was, Asuka was also a closed door. There were some subjects you just couldn't bring up with her. Things that she would not talk about to anyone. So she was resigned to tell the truth, because in the end what choice did she have?
"um,.... It's s-Shinji."
"I thought so," she whispered, her eye's shifting to the side.
What was that? The building anger in her voice disappeared. instead it was replaced by something else. But what was? Was that jealously? No, not from her. Asuka wasn't one to show envy for anything or anyone. And if she wanted Shinji, she would had staked her claim a long time ago. Right? And why wouldn't she. Shinji was a really nice guy. But what was that tone in her voice? Was it... disappointment?
"um, Asuka?"
"Well," she turned back to Hikari, "At least it's not four-eyes. If it was, I'd have to disown you."
"Um...."
"I guess it would have to be him. After all monkey-boy doesn't have much to offer either."
"um, Asuka?"
The red-head kept talking. But somehow this wasn't like her, she was talking like she was holding something back.
"Granted he's the most datable one from the group. But seriously I think you could do better than Baka-Shinji."
Hikari just stood there, with her cheeks flushed. She wasn't sure what she could say at that moment. She didn't want to lose Asuka's friendship. But she didn't want to give up on the idea of pursuing Shinji.
"uh, a-Asuka?" she started, her voice shaking "Is it ok with you?"
"You can do what ever you want." She turned around and walked towards the far wall, moving away from Hikari.
The bathroom was filled with the faint sound of rain striking the small windows that ran along the top of the far wall. Hikari wasn't sure about her friend. She sort of said she could go out with him. But was it really ok?
"um, Asuka do you like him?"
"What?!" The red turned around, her face was pink. "Like I ever date him! Not when I've got a real man like Kaji."
She pushed past Hikari and headed for the exit. As she opened the door she looked at Hikari with an unreadable expression.
"You can shouldn't worry about me, I have absolutely no interest in him. What you should worry about is that doll."
And with that she was gone. Leaving her confused. She couldn't help but think that Asuka was lying, not only to her, but also to herself. And was the blush on her face because she did like him or was it because she was angry that she just implied that she did? And what was that last thing? I should worry about that doll? Who? Her eyes widened as she realized that she had completely forgot about Rei Ayanami.
That strange blue haired girl in class. She was always an odd ball, never really fitting in. She was absent all the time, and when she did come to class she never paid attention. Still she got perfect scores on every test she bothered to show up for. She never tried to talk to anyone. No, that's not true, she talked to Shinji. Granted that they were both Eva pilots, but it still it filled her with worry.
Rei Ayanami was beautiful. Her features were classical for a Japanese woman. Yet her eyes and hair were unusual striking in color. And her skin. How she wished she could have skin like that. Her skin was truely like alabaster, being so flawless and white. There were times when the blue haired girl glowed, like she was illuminated from within. It made her exotic, and consequently desired. She was the kind of girl men wanted. And damn it, how was she suppost to compete with that sort of thing!
She would spend the rest of the day thinking about it, while half listening to the pitter-patter of the rain against the windows. She thought of the possiblity that Asuka really like him. And of the strange and mysteriously Rei Ayanami. The idea that both girls wanted him, weighed heavily on her. Because it reminded Hikari that Shinji wasn't spoken for. Either girl could easily take him away. She had no doubt about that. Would Asuka make a move and betray her? It could happen, she's seen it before. Girls who had pledged undying love to each other, would also betray one another over a guy. And what of Rei Ayanami? That girl had no friendship with her to lose. Hikari felt a tightness grow in her chest. She was resolved not to let either happen.
Shinji's head whipped around. And found Hikari approaching him.
"oh, ah Hi."
He was standing undernearth a large tree in the school's courtyard. He saw something of interest and had to take a closer look. Even at the risk of being pelted by heavy droplets water that had collected on the leaves above him. It had stopped raining earlier that afternoon. But dark clouds still pasted overhead.
"So, were you looking at?"
Shinji gave her a small smile and pointed up at the tree.
It took her a few seconds to find what he was pointing at. Above them was a cluster of leaves that was spotted with yellow. Hikari smiled.
"Do you think it's turning?"
"I don't know," he shook his head. "it's just on that one branch."
They both stood there in silence, watching the leaves rustle and shake off more water. Such a thing as a tree's leaves changing it's color was a rare sight. If it did, it was always considered to be a good omen. Hikari looked at Shinji profile for a second. They had something together, and she was determine more than ever to make sure there was.
"So, what are you doing here so late?"
Shinji broke way from the tree and looked at her. He looked slightly shocked, like either he did understand the question or didn't have an answer.
"You weren't... waiting just for me? Were you?"
Shinji's face turned red, and ran his hand though his hair. He tried to talk, he really did. But could only issue a jumble of unintelligible sounds. Was he waiting for her? He didn't even have to think about it. He knew the answer well before she even found him out here. But he couldn't just stand there. He swallowed, this was a question he felt he had to answer. So very slowly he nodded.
"y-Yeah I was."
She blushed at the affirmation. That was a good sign for her.
"I wanted to ask you... if you would like to go back... to that place again?"
Her blush deepened. He was asking her out this time. Maybe she had a chance after all. A small smile formed on her lips.
"I'd like that."
He smiled.
They walked side by side towards the school's main gate. taking a path that wasn't unlike the one made earlier that week. Hikari looked carefully at him. Was now the right time? But if she didn't take action, someone else surely would.
"um, Shinji?"
He turned to look at her.
"I've noticed," her confidence began to waver. "that we keep meeting up together.... and.... I thought..... that maybe... we could... um just ... start dating."
She bit her lip. Ok, that was a lot harder than what she thought it was going to be. But she still said it. Though the look on Shinji's face was a point of worry. He wore a frown and his brow furrowed.
Start dating? Dating as in being boyfriend and girlfriend? That was something he had wanted for a long time. Could he really do it? What of his obligations? What of Eva?
"Hikari. " he spoke softly, "I know that there is something developing between us.... But the thing is,.... that when I go out there and fight,.... there is a chance.... that I will not make it back. I could..... die out there.... "
Her eyes sunk to the ground, as he trailed off. Her heart dropped in her chest. He wasn't suppost to say that. During the rest of school she started coming up with all these little scenarios in her head, but in all of them he never responded in that way. In each one she would ask him out and he would say yes. Then together they would do all those things that people who were going out were suppost to do. And there would be no red-head or strange girl stealing his affections. Because then he would be hers and hers alone. And more importantly she would belong to him.
But this wasn't a 'yes'. To Hikari it was the same as being rejected.
"I... um... I...."
She couldn't say anything, not even a rebuttal. Because what he said was true. She couldn't deny it. Most of his absences from school was due to time spent in hospitals. It was just a matter of time before his luck would fail him and everything that could go wrong actually did. And then were would she be? Could she handle sudden and violent lose of a boyfriend. She shook her head, she couldn't think about this right now. And she couldn't be here either. She needed to get away from him as quickly as possible, because if she didn't she knew she would cry.
And she tried. But running away had quickly proven itself a difficult venture. Her arm was anchored in place. She could feel it. His hand wrapped securely around the entire circumference of her left wrist. She tired to pull herself free. Yet Shinji's grip was soild. She pulled harder, but it was still no use. She could no more free herself and she could sever her own hand. Desperate she tried one last time, throwing her entire body weight into the effort. But she only managed to lose her footing and slip on the wet grass.
But she didn't fall. She could feel his presence right behind her. He had rushed forward and broke her fall by placing his other arm around her waist. And then last thing she wanted to do in front of him appened. Her tears poured freely from her eyes, she couldn't hold them back any more.
"Please,.... let me go." her voice cracked.
Great Shinji. The one thing he didn't want to do, was make her cry. And here she was in his arms doing just that. The only thing that was keep her off the ground was him. He sighed. He was angry at himself, for allowing her to get that way. He needed to do better. He had to be a man.
"Hikari." he spoke again his voice carrying the same low pitch as before "Listen. I want to. I really do..... I'd like to have a.... g-girlfriend... But if I were to die... I just couldn't leave you that way. It wouldn't be fair for you. You shouldn't have to go though something like that."
Hikari's eyes fluttered shut, as he spoke. A pleasant shiver ran down her spine as she felt his breath grace her ear and neck. She wasn't lost to what he had said. He did want her. And he didn't want her to suffer, should the worst happen. But that was the thing, even if they weren't together she would still have nothing. So it came down to risk. Was she willing to accept such at thing. She stopped crying, because in her heart the answer was yes.
"Then..." her voice hitched for a moment, "Then don't die!"
Shinji blinked. That was the most ridiculous thing anyone had ever said to him since he came to this city. Like he wasn't already trying not to do just that. But by saying that, was she telling him that she was willing to chance such a thing?
"You know the risk.... And if you still want to... I will.... Hikari will you be my.... girlfriend?"
She said nothing. But slowly, she began to move on her own and regained her footing. But he did get his answer when she placed her free hand over the one he used to catch her with. She squeezed his hand lightly, and that told him all he needed to kow.
That afternoon there was no trip to the little café by the train station. They just rode the rails home. Both of them sitting close enough to allow their little fingers to touch. It was a start. And after the release of emotions that took place, this was more than enough. Because tomorrow was another day.
On another note I noticed a reviewer said (paraphasing) that he could see why i gave this a Mature rating to that I must say. You haven't seen nothing yet. Chapter 4 will earn that 'M' rating for sure, and there will be some lime-ish scenes in a chapter or two from now.
Also I'm kinda curious to what any female readers might think of Hikari and the relationship I set up here. It's hard to tell from reviewer name alone, and being male I'm not privy to the emotional states of the fairer sex.
Changing Seasons
by: JErosion
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Chapter 03For most students the day was progressing at an wretchedly inert pace. Especially since the old man gotten into reminiscing about life directly preceding Second Impact. If you were to watch the wall clock long enough you could actually see the second hand click backwards for a second or two before continuing onto it's normal direction. Not that Mr. Nobuyuki's experiences weren't interesting, it was just when you had heard them ten or more times, without the benefit of any real change or variation, it could get dull. But to the great fortune and relief of the students of class A-2 of Tokyo-3 Municipal High School, the lunch bell rang. Not only sounding the start of a much needed break, but also signifying the halfway mark for a rather dreary day.
The teacher looked at his watch through his thick bottle glasses. As if he wasn't sure which bell had rung or he had doubts of that it had come at the right time. But after confirming the time and just waved his hand lazily, as if to say 'shoo', and then said "Dismissed."
"Stand! Bow! Sit!" Hikari called out. Class wasn't truely over until that ritual had been completed.
A good number of Hikari's classmates instantly began their exodus from their class to join the throng of students in the hall. Personally she liked to wait a little while, to let the crowd outside thin out a bit. Not that she had trouble with being in the presence of alot of people, it was just a matter of personal comfort. Particularly today since it had been raining for most of the morning. The Humidity inside the building was not far from that of the outside. Combine that with the two dozen or so bodies and the classroom felt slightly uncomfortable. Out in the hall it would only be stilfing.
"Hey Hikari!"
The class representative turned to her friend. "Yes Asuka?"
"Can you come over here for a second?" She was standing by the door. That was odd. Normally she waited too. But also there was an odd, almost sickly sweet tone to her voice. It was the kind of voice a girl might use on a guy, when she begged him to buy her something or to do them a favor.
"um, Alright!" As she stood up from her desk, she cast a look over at Shinji. Because of the weather she thought she might had been able to eat with him today. But convincing Asuka to have lunch with Shinji would be a waste of time, since the Idiot Duo was already hanging around him. With Asuka being the way she was and Touji and Kensuke being the morons that they were, the probability of having an enjoyable lunch was slim, if not impossible. Oh well, it was a nice thought. She collected her things and went to the red head.
"So were did yo-"
Asuka grabbed her by the arm and immediately dragged her out of the room in a hurried pace.
"a-Asuka!"
With the red-head in the lead, they snaked through the horde of students. Eventually breaking free of the crowds and traveled down the hallway to a more deserted portion of the school. Out here there was darkened and unused classrooms.
"w-Where are you taking me?"
But german didn't answer. At this point, Hikari was starting to get scared.
She at least got an answer to her, as Asuka hauled her into a bathroom.
There weren't alone, there was two girls at the sink. Their conversation ceased as the sight of Asuka kicking open the door and dragging another girl by the arm. The redhead let go of Hikari and turned on her newly captured audience. She crossed her arms and stared at them.
The two of them cowarded back a bit under Asuka's sapphire glare. They briefly looked at each other, and then back at the Eva pilot. And through what was an exchange of telephathy or maybe what was the usual order between the two, the girl with the light sandy hair stepped forward as their spokesperson. Her companion, a mousy looking brunette, hid behind her.
"c-Can I... um, we... ah, help you?"
"Get out." Asuka's voice was flat and even.
"p-Pardon?"
"I said, GET OUT!" she yelled, pointing at the door. Asuka wasn't one to be polite about anything.
Both of the girls jumped at the command. Not wasting any time they quickly gathered their belongings and fled out the door like they were leaving a burning building.
Being a class representative Hikari was tempted to scold Asuka and demand to know what exactly she was doing by bringing her here. Then again she was also tempted to try and slip out with the other girls. But she already knew that was a bad idea, and the odds of escaping were slim at best. And there was few things scarier than Asuka when she was angry.
She watched the german check each of the stalls for other girls. But Hikari knew she would most likely not find anyone. The only reasons students might come all this way to these restrooms, was to find some privacy or to find a place to smoke. And without the lingering scent of tobacco in the air it was safe to assume that it was just them. Few people came to this bathroom anyway.
Tokyo-3 had but one high school, and it's halls had, and probably never will be filled. Even before the Angels began to attack, nearly half the school wasn't used. Even less was used now as concerned parents sent their children away. The construction that took place after the disaster, was meant to shelter and provide for the next generation. But the one thing that no one foresaw was the collapse of birthrates worldwide. It was probably the saddest fact of the post Second Impact world. They think that when the comet, or asteriod, or whatever it was had hit, it had brought some kind of radiation or some sort of poison with it. And it caused sterility in a large portion of the world's remaining population. At least that was the main thought on the subject. It was just an another mystery that science failed to solve.
Hikari could remember watching some science journal, that was talking about it on television one night. Doctors that were researching the subject, kept meeting up with dead ends. Under labratory conditions they could successfully fertilize an egg, only to watch in dismay as the necessary processes of cell division would suddenly fail. It was more distrubing when this occured in with samples of egg and sperm collected before the impact. The same program went on to suggest that when that Devil struck our planet, it not only did it take the lives of half of it's populace but it stole something from mankind that was necessary for that creation of new life. The whole thing went on and on, turning into alot of metaphysical babble. Ultimately Hikari was forced to change the channel in favor for something less likely to cause her to fall asleep on the couch.
.
But such clashes of philosophy and science were of little interest to a fifteen year old girl. No, the only trials that existed for her were those of the heart and those of friendship. And with the way Asuka was behaving, she had worries about the friendship part.
Asuka, satisfied that they were alone, turned on Hikari, and stared at her for what seemed like an eternity.
"Ok. Which one is it?" Her voice turned flat again.
"um, What do you me-"
"Don't play dumb with me! Which one of them is it!" She interrupted her, her patience was already fragile.
Hikari's heart skipped a beat. She knows!
"I... ah,... don't.... kn-"
"Hikari!" the redhead closed her eyes, her anger and frustration building in her voice. "It's not that hard. All I want to know is, which one of those Stoogies is it?"
Damn it. Hikari bit her lip. This wasn't good. She couldn't lie to Asuka. The girl could see past lies as well as Nozomi could. And lying could damage their friendship. Asuka had issues with trust. And as out going as she was, Asuka was also a closed door. There were some subjects you just couldn't bring up with her. Things that she would not talk about to anyone. So she was resigned to tell the truth, because in the end what choice did she have?
"um,.... It's s-Shinji."
"I thought so," she whispered, her eye's shifting to the side.
What was that? The building anger in her voice disappeared. instead it was replaced by something else. But what was? Was that jealously? No, not from her. Asuka wasn't one to show envy for anything or anyone. And if she wanted Shinji, she would had staked her claim a long time ago. Right? And why wouldn't she. Shinji was a really nice guy. But what was that tone in her voice? Was it... disappointment?
"um, Asuka?"
"Well," she turned back to Hikari, "At least it's not four-eyes. If it was, I'd have to disown you."
"Um...."
"I guess it would have to be him. After all monkey-boy doesn't have much to offer either."
"um, Asuka?"
The red-head kept talking. But somehow this wasn't like her, she was talking like she was holding something back.
"Granted he's the most datable one from the group. But seriously I think you could do better than Baka-Shinji."
Hikari just stood there, with her cheeks flushed. She wasn't sure what she could say at that moment. She didn't want to lose Asuka's friendship. But she didn't want to give up on the idea of pursuing Shinji.
"uh, a-Asuka?" she started, her voice shaking "Is it ok with you?"
"You can do what ever you want." She turned around and walked towards the far wall, moving away from Hikari.
The bathroom was filled with the faint sound of rain striking the small windows that ran along the top of the far wall. Hikari wasn't sure about her friend. She sort of said she could go out with him. But was it really ok?
"um, Asuka do you like him?"
"What?!" The red turned around, her face was pink. "Like I ever date him! Not when I've got a real man like Kaji."
She pushed past Hikari and headed for the exit. As she opened the door she looked at Hikari with an unreadable expression.
"You can shouldn't worry about me, I have absolutely no interest in him. What you should worry about is that doll."
And with that she was gone. Leaving her confused. She couldn't help but think that Asuka was lying, not only to her, but also to herself. And was the blush on her face because she did like him or was it because she was angry that she just implied that she did? And what was that last thing? I should worry about that doll? Who? Her eyes widened as she realized that she had completely forgot about Rei Ayanami.
That strange blue haired girl in class. She was always an odd ball, never really fitting in. She was absent all the time, and when she did come to class she never paid attention. Still she got perfect scores on every test she bothered to show up for. She never tried to talk to anyone. No, that's not true, she talked to Shinji. Granted that they were both Eva pilots, but it still it filled her with worry.
Rei Ayanami was beautiful. Her features were classical for a Japanese woman. Yet her eyes and hair were unusual striking in color. And her skin. How she wished she could have skin like that. Her skin was truely like alabaster, being so flawless and white. There were times when the blue haired girl glowed, like she was illuminated from within. It made her exotic, and consequently desired. She was the kind of girl men wanted. And damn it, how was she suppost to compete with that sort of thing!
She would spend the rest of the day thinking about it, while half listening to the pitter-patter of the rain against the windows. She thought of the possiblity that Asuka really like him. And of the strange and mysteriously Rei Ayanami. The idea that both girls wanted him, weighed heavily on her. Because it reminded Hikari that Shinji wasn't spoken for. Either girl could easily take him away. She had no doubt about that. Would Asuka make a move and betray her? It could happen, she's seen it before. Girls who had pledged undying love to each other, would also betray one another over a guy. And what of Rei Ayanami? That girl had no friendship with her to lose. Hikari felt a tightness grow in her chest. She was resolved not to let either happen.
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"Hey!"Shinji's head whipped around. And found Hikari approaching him.
"oh, ah Hi."
He was standing undernearth a large tree in the school's courtyard. He saw something of interest and had to take a closer look. Even at the risk of being pelted by heavy droplets water that had collected on the leaves above him. It had stopped raining earlier that afternoon. But dark clouds still pasted overhead.
"So, were you looking at?"
Shinji gave her a small smile and pointed up at the tree.
It took her a few seconds to find what he was pointing at. Above them was a cluster of leaves that was spotted with yellow. Hikari smiled.
"Do you think it's turning?"
"I don't know," he shook his head. "it's just on that one branch."
They both stood there in silence, watching the leaves rustle and shake off more water. Such a thing as a tree's leaves changing it's color was a rare sight. If it did, it was always considered to be a good omen. Hikari looked at Shinji profile for a second. They had something together, and she was determine more than ever to make sure there was.
"So, what are you doing here so late?"
Shinji broke way from the tree and looked at her. He looked slightly shocked, like either he did understand the question or didn't have an answer.
"You weren't... waiting just for me? Were you?"
Shinji's face turned red, and ran his hand though his hair. He tried to talk, he really did. But could only issue a jumble of unintelligible sounds. Was he waiting for her? He didn't even have to think about it. He knew the answer well before she even found him out here. But he couldn't just stand there. He swallowed, this was a question he felt he had to answer. So very slowly he nodded.
"y-Yeah I was."
She blushed at the affirmation. That was a good sign for her.
"I wanted to ask you... if you would like to go back... to that place again?"
Her blush deepened. He was asking her out this time. Maybe she had a chance after all. A small smile formed on her lips.
"I'd like that."
He smiled.
They walked side by side towards the school's main gate. taking a path that wasn't unlike the one made earlier that week. Hikari looked carefully at him. Was now the right time? But if she didn't take action, someone else surely would.
"um, Shinji?"
He turned to look at her.
"I've noticed," her confidence began to waver. "that we keep meeting up together.... and.... I thought..... that maybe... we could... um just ... start dating."
She bit her lip. Ok, that was a lot harder than what she thought it was going to be. But she still said it. Though the look on Shinji's face was a point of worry. He wore a frown and his brow furrowed.
Start dating? Dating as in being boyfriend and girlfriend? That was something he had wanted for a long time. Could he really do it? What of his obligations? What of Eva?
"Hikari. " he spoke softly, "I know that there is something developing between us.... But the thing is,.... that when I go out there and fight,.... there is a chance.... that I will not make it back. I could..... die out there.... "
Her eyes sunk to the ground, as he trailed off. Her heart dropped in her chest. He wasn't suppost to say that. During the rest of school she started coming up with all these little scenarios in her head, but in all of them he never responded in that way. In each one she would ask him out and he would say yes. Then together they would do all those things that people who were going out were suppost to do. And there would be no red-head or strange girl stealing his affections. Because then he would be hers and hers alone. And more importantly she would belong to him.
But this wasn't a 'yes'. To Hikari it was the same as being rejected.
"I... um... I...."
She couldn't say anything, not even a rebuttal. Because what he said was true. She couldn't deny it. Most of his absences from school was due to time spent in hospitals. It was just a matter of time before his luck would fail him and everything that could go wrong actually did. And then were would she be? Could she handle sudden and violent lose of a boyfriend. She shook her head, she couldn't think about this right now. And she couldn't be here either. She needed to get away from him as quickly as possible, because if she didn't she knew she would cry.
And she tried. But running away had quickly proven itself a difficult venture. Her arm was anchored in place. She could feel it. His hand wrapped securely around the entire circumference of her left wrist. She tired to pull herself free. Yet Shinji's grip was soild. She pulled harder, but it was still no use. She could no more free herself and she could sever her own hand. Desperate she tried one last time, throwing her entire body weight into the effort. But she only managed to lose her footing and slip on the wet grass.
But she didn't fall. She could feel his presence right behind her. He had rushed forward and broke her fall by placing his other arm around her waist. And then last thing she wanted to do in front of him appened. Her tears poured freely from her eyes, she couldn't hold them back any more.
"Please,.... let me go." her voice cracked.
Great Shinji. The one thing he didn't want to do, was make her cry. And here she was in his arms doing just that. The only thing that was keep her off the ground was him. He sighed. He was angry at himself, for allowing her to get that way. He needed to do better. He had to be a man.
"Hikari." he spoke again his voice carrying the same low pitch as before "Listen. I want to. I really do..... I'd like to have a.... g-girlfriend... But if I were to die... I just couldn't leave you that way. It wouldn't be fair for you. You shouldn't have to go though something like that."
Hikari's eyes fluttered shut, as he spoke. A pleasant shiver ran down her spine as she felt his breath grace her ear and neck. She wasn't lost to what he had said. He did want her. And he didn't want her to suffer, should the worst happen. But that was the thing, even if they weren't together she would still have nothing. So it came down to risk. Was she willing to accept such at thing. She stopped crying, because in her heart the answer was yes.
"Then..." her voice hitched for a moment, "Then don't die!"
Shinji blinked. That was the most ridiculous thing anyone had ever said to him since he came to this city. Like he wasn't already trying not to do just that. But by saying that, was she telling him that she was willing to chance such a thing?
"You know the risk.... And if you still want to... I will.... Hikari will you be my.... girlfriend?"
She said nothing. But slowly, she began to move on her own and regained her footing. But he did get his answer when she placed her free hand over the one he used to catch her with. She squeezed his hand lightly, and that told him all he needed to kow.
That afternoon there was no trip to the little café by the train station. They just rode the rails home. Both of them sitting close enough to allow their little fingers to touch. It was a start. And after the release of emotions that took place, this was more than enough. Because tomorrow was another day.
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Author's note: In many ways this chapter was just as hard as the last one. I spent many hours just looking a a black screen before hitting the back space and retyping a single sentence. But it's moments like this that help you become a better writter and thats what I'm shooting for. But now that they have establish their relationship, I can start moving along a little more quickly. MaybeOn another note I noticed a reviewer said (paraphasing) that he could see why i gave this a Mature rating to that I must say. You haven't seen nothing yet. Chapter 4 will earn that 'M' rating for sure, and there will be some lime-ish scenes in a chapter or two from now.
Also I'm kinda curious to what any female readers might think of Hikari and the relationship I set up here. It's hard to tell from reviewer name alone, and being male I'm not privy to the emotional states of the fairer sex.