Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Family Ties ❯ Secondary Bond ( Chapter 2 )

Evangelion Fanfiction

By Otaku D-Man

Standard Disclaimer.

Refer Primary Bond

Author's Pre-Rant -

It's actually a lot of fun doing an AU EVA Fic. Perhaps I'll try a X-Over/Fusion Fic next (I like the idea of the EVA crew in the Shingettsutan Tsukihime setting). The only problem is this one could take ages to finish. Think J-Dorama. ^^y

(And I really need to work on my other crap as well. All That I Am and Someday Somewhere are languishing and suffering from neglect.)

Family Ties

Secondary Bond - Shinji's First Date?!?

Katsuragi Family Apartment

"Uhhgg." Misato blinked a few times, her brain's synaptic responses and vision gradually improving as the seconds passed. "Where am I?" Sitting up, she yawned noisily, pushing back the bedspread and running one hand through her long, indigo coloured hair while the other idly scratched her taut, bare stomach. Staring over at the bedside clock, her mind eventually made sense of the neon display. "3.12 am!?" A low, guttural groan of pure dismay escaped her throat as she crawled over to the edge of the bed, her breasts swaying in the cool night air. "I didn't even know there was a 3.12 in the morning." Sitting on the edge of the bed, she glanced around the room, her eyes stopping at the sight of something dark and suspicious hanging up against the curtains. Switching on the lamp, she discovered the dark shape was actually her navy blue skirt and jacket. <Shinji must have put that there for me.> Misato couldn't recall doing anything of the sort, which only left her younger brother as the prime suspect. Climbing to her feet, Misato adjusted her panties so they didn't ride up any further into her behind before moving across to inspect her clothes. Staring at the material, she was pleasantly surprised to discover that the outfit had been recently ironed. Misato laughed quietly, imagining the less than complimentary things Shinji had most likely muttered while pressing her clothes as she blissfully slept the night away.

Taking the outfit down, Misato held it up against her torso and turned to look at her reflection in the mirror. "I hope it still fits." She ran a critical eye over the way the material fell against the curves of her body. Frowning slightly, she wondered if it was possible for the waistline of the skirt to somehow shrink in the time since she had last worn it. Continuing her examination, Misato's attention was eventually drawn to a suspicious piece of paper conspicuously tucked into the jacket's breast pocket. Retrieving the note, she opened it and smiled fondly. "Good luck on your first day! I'll make something special for dinner." Misato's eyes watered slightly as she read the last line. "Love, Shinji." Folding the piece of paper back up, she noticed something else scrawled on the reverse side. "PS - Don't get fired, okay." She couldn't help but chuckle as she placed it back into the jacket. "Little smartass." Her grin turned dangerously feral as she decided to pay a visit to the 'Little Smartass' in question and 'thank' him properly for his latest effort.

Carefully sliding her bedroom door open, Misato immediately heard the soft strains of a guitar accompanied by the gentle sounds of someone singing. Tiptoeing across the living room, carefully avoiding the remaining unpacked boxes, she peeked through the curtains leading out onto the small balcony to find her little brother.

Clad in only a pair of boxer shorts and a loose shirt, Shinji was leaning against the railing, lost in the moment, his existence intimately entwined with the music. His fingers travelled lightly across the strings, instinctively strumming the cables, producing a melody that traversed the spectrum of emotion and giving voice to what resided within his heart and soul. Sorrow, loss, anger and joy were all easily identifiable as he continued his serenade to the moon and stars.

Misato lowered herself to the floor and rested against the wall, closing her eyes and listened to the gentle melody Shinji played. Unable to control herself, tears began streaming down her face and falling down onto her breasts. <Just one night. Doesn't he deserve that?> She hastily wiped the tears from her eyes, not wanting to risk Shinji catching her crying again. <One single night without nightmares. Is that too much to ask?>. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she focussed on the music being played, rather than the real reason behind Shinji's nocturnal ballad. Closing her eyes, Misato allowed herself to be swept away by Shinji's melancholy refrain.

Several minutes passed before Misato, who having almost fallen asleep against the wall, panicked momentarily, startled by the sudden absence of music. Her initial fear subsided though, when she once again glanced out onto the balcony to find Shinji gazing up at the night sky, his guitar by his side and a small, if somewhat sad smile on his face. Yawning softly, Misato made her way back to her bedroom, relieved that he had apparently recovered enough from his most recent night terror.

Safely ensconced once again under the covers, Misato lay back and stared at the ceiling. As they often did, her thoughts drifted back in the time to the early days four years ago, when she had found a frightened young runaway, deciding arbitrarily to be the family he so very badly needed. <What was it Shinji used to say? Ahh yes, I remember.> "Another unfamiliar ceiling." Rolling over onto her side, she replayed the night's festivities in her mind, not really wanting to think about the tense, nervous days of the past.

She could hardly believe that her timid little brother had invited a pretty girl home, especially one that he had just met. "But Mana-chan seemed like a nice sort of girl. Just the sort of person that Shinji needs to meet." Misato felt an odd kind of resonance with the young brunette. Mana's cheerful introduction and bubbly, friendly demeanour had reminded her a lot of herself as a girl. Snickering to herself, Misato recalled how the effervescent girl had casually dismissed Shinji's objections of how a young woman should show a little more common sense than simply wandering off with someone they barely knew. At the time, she had laughed wildly when Mana had slyly accused Shinji of planning something nefarious for her pure, nubile maiden's body. "When I teased him about what his intentions were, he turned so red I thought he was going to burst a blood vessel." Yawning again as exhaustion finally claimed her, Misato shifted under the covers until she felt comfortable, confidant that Shinji would wake her in the morning, just as he always did. "G'night Shin-chan." She murmured in her sleep, hugging her pillow tightly to her chest and snuggling in against it.

***

With a final check of the contents of his school bag, Shinji zipped it closed and moved towards the door to slip his shoes on. "Misato-neesan. I'm leaving now." He called out over his shoulder.

Misato stepped out of the bathroom, clad in only a towel, drying her long, dark lavender hair with a smaller towel. "Already?" She asked looking across at the clock. "It's still an hour before school even starts." With narrowed eyes, she glanced back at her brother, crooning seductively. "Running off for an early morning rendezvous with your new girlfriend?"

"What?!?" Shinji exclaimed loudly, swiftly turning to confront his sister. "Of course no-…." His voice caught in his throat as a near full body blush consumed him.

With her arms draped indiscreetly around herself, Misato began provocatively running her hands across her torso. "Oh Shinji-sama," Misato smiled amorously at her now immobile brother while her dark, sultry eyes fluttered coyly. "please take me. Make me yours." She moaned softly, raising her voice in imitation of Mana's.

Partially regaining his senses, Shinji immediately suspected his sister had taken more than just the one beer with her into the bath. "Are you done?" He asked, trying in vain to keep his eyes from her near erotic performance. His teenaged hormones and Y-chromosome however, were more than a little intrigued at what was happening and were more than happy to continue watching.

"Oh yes, Shinji-sama." Misato panted, ignoring the heaving sigh of exasperation from Shinji. "Just like that. Ohhhhhh yesssssss, you're so masterful Shinji-sama."

"Misato-neesan?" Rubbing his temples, Shinji averted his eyes from Misato, who was apparently only just getting started. Still blushing heavily and beginning to feel light headed, he persevered and continued trying to get her attention. "Misato-neesan!"

"Yes Shinji-sama?" Misato purred mischievously, slowly flicking her hair back. Her lustrous eyes smouldering with amusement. "What is it you want from your Misa-chan?"

"Your towel." Shinji pointed to the floor at Misato's feet where the towel that had covered her, now lay. "It fell." They both stared at it for a few seconds before looking back at one another.

Misato blushed deeply, quickly grabbing the towel. "Ooops." Was all she could manage before hastily securing it back around her feminine frame. Satisfied that her modesty was at least partially restored, Misato walked across to the kitchen table to begin nibbling at the re-heated leftovers from last night that Shinji had set out for breakfast. "If it's not to meet your new girlfriend," her voice still held a degree of scepticism at his denial, "why are you leaving so early?"

"I have to meet my Home Room Sensei." He glanced down at his leg before simply shaking his head and rising to his feet. "And besides……" The slight twinge he felt was a sure sign that today would not be a good day to rush things.

"Besides?" Misato prompted, helping herself to the freshly brewed coffee. She savoured the rich flavour, amazed at how it always tasted better when Shinji prepared it.

"I thought I'd enjoy a leisurely walk instead of imitating your mad, frantic dash." Shinji grinned, confident his verbal barb had hit the intended mark. In the four years they had lived together, he knew Misato had lost at least three jobs as a direct result of her repeated tardy behaviour.

"I just have refined time management skills." Misato retorted hotly, taking a seat at the table to begin devouring her food. <It's not my fault that I'm not a morning person.>

"The Traffic Regulations of Japan would disagree with you." Shinji responded sarcastically, shaking his head. He knew full well that the motorists of Tokyo-3 were in for quite a surprise this morning if Misato stayed true to form. "I'll see you later this evening. Have a good day at work Misato-neesan." He said sincerely, honestly hoping she did indeed enjoy herself at work. He often felt guilty that Misato was sacrificing her own life because of his presence and maybe, just maybe, the fresh start in Tokyo-3 would finally allow her to begin living her life for herself again.

Looking up from her breakfast, Misato smiled and waved her little brother off. "Thanks Shin-chan. See you later. Enjoy yourself too."

"I'll try." Shinji stopped as he opened the door to leave and turned back to his sister. "Oh, and Misato-neesan."

"What is it?" She managed to ask around a mouthful of noodles and pork.

"Try to get to work on time, okay." He grinned, unable to resist the temptation.

"Does Shinji-sama want me to drop by and see him at school today?" Misato asked archly, twirling her fingers slowly through her long, still slightly damp hair. Her small, predatory smile hinted that her public display would be far more embarrassing, at least for him, than the private show he had just witnessed.

"Hint taken." Shinji muttered quickly, practically launching himself out the door. "I'm leaving."

"I wonder how he'll handle it." Misato pondered quietly to herself. "This'll be the first time he's ever gone to school."

***

Streets of Tokyo-3

"Katsuragi-kun?" Walking out into the forecourt of her family's small apartment complex, Hikari was slightly caught off-guard by the unexpected presence of her most recent tenant apparently ready to begin his first day in Tokyo-3. "Are you going to school already?" She asked noting the school uniform he wore and the backpack slung casually over one shoulder. <He's still limping.> She remarked to herself, remembering how she had apologised the day before, thinking the injury had been caused by her younger sister Nozomi. <I wonder what happened.>

Shinji waited for the young brunette to join him. "Yeah. I have to go through a few things with my new Home Room Sensei." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he glanced out the corner of his eyes at the girl beside him. "She wanted to discuss my Transfer Student Entrance Exam results and some other stuff." He felt a blossoming warmth spreading across his face when Hikari turned to smile at him. "And besides, I don't want to be late. Not on my first day." He added quickly, turning back to look at the pavement ahead.

"Well you must have passed for the school to accept you." Hikari knew that her school, while not as prestigious as some of the private institutions, had nevertheless cultivated a reputation for developing and promoting a level of academic and sporting excellence that was more than a match for any in surrounding districts. "I can show the best way to get there if you'd like?" She added with another friendly smile.

"That'd be great Horaki-san. Thanks." Shinji let breathe a sigh of relief that he hadn't realised he'd been holding. While he was confidant he could find the way, he had felt a growing sense of trepidation about attending a school for the first time in his life. Being in the company of a regular student eased his nervous anticipation back to more manageable levels. After a few minutes of casual conversation, mostly provided by Hikari pointing out local monuments, interesting features and popular locations, Shinji tentatively asked a question that was beginning to worry him. "Do you normally go to school this early Horaki-san?" He suddenly felt his panic returning, wondering if he had messed up the time he was supposed to attend.

"I'm the Class Representative of 2-A." She admitted, clutching the handles of her school satchel tightly. "I'm kind of obligated to be there early. Things have a tendency of not getting done if I'm not there." For the first time in living memory, Hikari suddenly realised she was actually walking and talking with a boy her own age, and strangely enough, she found herself comfortable with the idea. Not only comfortable with it, but actually enjoying it. She quickly reviewed the situation, realising that for all intents and purposes, she barely knew anything about the young man beside her, yet she didn't feel threatened or intimidated by his presence at all.

"Must be toug-"

"Shinji-kun!" An excited voice shouted from across the street.

Looking over to the source of the person calling his name, Shinji stopped and stared inquiringly at the young girl that was now dashing and weaving between the early morning traffic in an almost suicidal attempt to reach them. "Kirishima-san?"

"Mana-chan?" Hikari stepped around from the opposite side of Shinji to stare in confusion at the heavily breathing girl that had joined them.

"Hikari-chan?" Mana said, momentarily surprised by the appearance of the other girl, before returning her attention to Shinji. "Are you going to school already Shinji-kun?"

"Uhmm, yeah." He answered, wondering whether Mana was also a class representative with duties that necessitated her early presence at school. "I was just telling Horaki-san that I have a few things to do first up and it's always best to make a favourable impression with the administration faculty." His nervous apprehension returned, this time with reinforcements as Mana sidled up next to him, her shoulder brushing lightly against his.

"You two know each other?" Hikari asked, still confused by the sudden turn in events.

Shinji massaged the back of his neck. "We met last night when I bought dinner from Kirishima-san's family restaurant." He said, hoping that Hikari would accept his feeble explanation. He didn't feel comfortable admitting that he had invited a young girl into the apartment he and Misato were renting from her.

Frowning, Mana poked Shinji in the arm. "I thought I told you to call me Mana."

"Gomen………..Mana-san." Shinji replied a little uneasily. The casual use of someone's given name felt highly inappropriate, especially considering he barely knew her. To his way of thinking, it was something best shared between family, close friends or lovers.

"It's okay," Mana smiled, moving out in front of Shinji and walking backwards so she could continue to watch him, "but if you really want to make it up to me, you could just drop the formality and call me Mana." She added with a broad wink, laughing merrily as she skipped back to walk next to him.

"I don't think-"

"Mana-chan, can I have a word?" Hikari grabbed Mana by the arm and dragged her a discrete distance away from Shinji. "In private?"

"What is it?" Mana's eye's widened in surprise at the furious expression developing on Hikari's face. She had often witnessed Hikari directing a similar look at students that were acting irresponsibly at school, but had never imagined that she would be a recipient of her intimidating gaze.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Hikari hissed. "The rumours-"

"You too?" Mana exclaimed angrily, tearing her wrist from Hikari's grasp. "I thought we were friends?" Hikari was the last person she ever expected to doubt or suspect her. Their friendship spanned more than a decade and she felt that no matter what happened in life, they would remain the best of friends until they were both grandmothers living out their final years.

"We 'ARE' friends." Hikari replied forcefully. "I've never for one minute believed what they were saying about you, but if you continue to act like this………." Her eyes drifted from Mana over to a slightly confused Shinji, who was trying his best to act as if nothing was happening.

"Do you have any idea what it's like Hikari-chan?" Mana's voice lost most of its fire, dropping to a quiet whisper. "To have practically every girl in school look down their nose at you? Where the only reason any guy even talks to you is because they think you're a……" Her voice faltered, unable to say the hurtful word she often heard whispered behind her back.

"No I don't Mana-chan." Placing a reassuring hand on her friends shoulder, Hikari squeezed gently. "But why?"

Glancing briefly at Shinji, Mana looked back at Hikari before staring up at the sky. "He's new here and when I talked to him, he was really nice." Tears slowly trickled down her cheeks, wondering how long it had been since she had spoken with a boy like that. "And when I found out he was living at your place, I just knew that he had to a decent person." She shook her head slowly. "No. He is decent and so is Misato-neesan." Lowering her eyes to the ground at her feet, Mana took a slow, calming breath before continuing. "I just wanted him to get to know me before he heard all the lies. I thought that it'd be nice if there was one nice guy that maybe liked me for who I am and not because he saw my name scrawled on the toilet wall."

Hikari's expression softened, she knew Mana was simply the victim of a vicious rumour started by a girl that wasn't even living in Tokyo-3 anymore, but she also knew that Mana had done something to cause and inflame the situation. Something that she wouldn't even tell her oldest friend about. "Are you sure this is the way to do it? By throwing yourself at him?"

"I just………… I don't know what else I can do. It hurts Hikari-chan. Every day I see their sneering faces. I just wanted ………….." Once again her eyes drifted back to Shinji, who was still doing his best not to appear too interested in their discussion, although he was glancing at them more and more frequently. "Gomenasai Hikari-chan." Unable to bear it any longer, Mana felt the tears begin streaming down her face as she broke into a frantic run, hoping to put some distance between herself and the others.

"Mana-chan!?!" Hikari felt her heart wrenching, watching her friend disappear between two buildings.

Moving as quickly as he could, Shinji joined Hikari, confused by what had happened. "Horaki-san? What's wrong?"

"It's ……………. complicated. I'm sorry Katsuragi-kun," Hikari added with a small bow, "I need to go after her. Mana-chan and I have been friends for years. I can't leave her alone at a time like this." She smiled, thinking that had situations been reversed, Mana would undoubtedly do the same.

"That's okay." Shinji reassured her with a concerned yet earnest smile. "I checked a street map before I left, so I should be able to find my own way from here. Please go check on her…………. and …………."

Hikari turned back, wondering what he was trying to say. "Yes?"

"I look forward to seeing both of you at school." Shinji said quickly, his cheeks turning bright pink.

"Thank you Katsuragi-kun. I'll see you at school." Bowing once again, Hikari quickly turned and left to follow her friend, hoping she could find Mana before anything unfortunate happened.

***

Meanwhile, Across Town

A blue Alpine Renault weaved furiously in and out of traffic lanes with a precision that bordered on the psychotic. Its headlights flashed ominously and its horn blared ominously, warning anyone and everyone that they had best give way or fall victim to its wrath.

"Dammit, get out the way!" Misato screamed at the car in front of her.

To say Misato Katsuragi was upset would be a major understatement.

Gunning the engine, she veered across into the oncoming traffic and quickly accelerated to dive back into her own lane three places advanced from her previous position. "Shit, I cannot be late. Not on my first day." A large sweatdrop formed at the back of her head at the thought of being fired on her first day. "Shinji'll never let me hear the end of it if I actually get fired. Oh for the love of ……….." Her eyes narrowed to thin slits as another vehicle cut in front of her. "Yeah, you want to play with Misato-sama?" An aura of seething energy erupted to life, enveloping Misato in a halo of golden flames. "You're about to get a lesson in humility little boy." Grinning insanely, Misato clenched the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles popping loudly.

***

Tokyo-3 Middle School

"Katsuragi-kun, I'd like to introduce you to your new Home Room Sensei and also your Physics Sensei, Miss Maya Ibuki." The middle-aged man that Shinji now knew as the Principal of his new school, Takeda Yoshiyuki, opened the door to invite an attractive, casually dressed young woman into the meeting room. "Ibuki-sensei, this is the young student I was telling you about."

Moving to stand in front of the young man, Maya smiled warmly, bowing slightly to her newest student. "Pleased to meet you Katsuragi-kun." The look of uncertainty on the young man's face was a familiar one that Maya recognised. <It must be the first time he's transferred to another school. He looks so nervous.>

"Thank you Ibuki-sensei." Shinji said, standing and bowing formally. "It's my pleasure." From her appearance, he guessed she was perhaps a few years younger than his sister, possibly in her early to mid twenties, but definitely no older than twenty-five. Her short brown hair and petite figure was slightly deceptive he decided, almost lending her a tomboyish appearance, but upon closer scrutiny he realised she was extraordinarily attractive. Aware that he was beginning to stare, Shinji made a point of continuing to glance around the room, hopefully covering for his impolite indiscretion.

Opening a slender folder, Maya began leafing through some of the documents it contained, eventually extracting one piece of paper out from the rest. "I've looked over your exam results Katsuragi-kun and I must say I was extremely impressed." She had initially been surprised by his exam results. Not just because of the excellent results, as remarkable as they were, but also because of the way it had been completed. The methodology and structure he had used in composing his answers spoke of a very formal academic background. It was a regular practice for her school to include the occasional question that was well above the ability of the average student. By doing so, it allowed the faculty to decide which class a student would be placed with. The fact that Shinji had not only answered these trick questions, but had also completed the exam in the time frame allotted, had her wondering why he wasn't attending one of the more prestigious private schools. "Were you ever in an advanced placement program?"

Shaking his head, Shinji began sweating, wondering if they suspected him of cheating. "No Ibuki-sensei."

"Not surprising I suppose." Maya frowned briefly before looking back at Principal Yoshiyuki. "It's very popular overseas, or so I've heard, but the education system here in Japan is much more provincial."

"Ibuki-sensei." Principal Yoshiyuki coughed, cautioning the idealistic young woman that she was treading on dangerous ground. Idealism and individual creativity was something he generally encouraged amongst his staff as long as it didn't stray too far from the Education Departments established doctrine and code of conduct.

Laughing softly, Maya waved her hand dismissively. "I'm joking Principle Yoshiyuki." Turning her attention back to the folder and its contents, Maya shuffled through the papers, searching for something. "Actually sir, I was wondering why I wasn't given Katsuragi-kun's previous academic records." Usually it was one of the first things a teacher was provided with. It allowed the teacher to gauge whether the student had any weak areas that would require work, as well as affording the school an insight into the personality of the student.

Standing at the window, gazing out across the campus he was responsible for, Principal Yoshiyuki, turned and walked back to sit down. "We didn't receive any."

"None?" Maya couldn't conceal her surprise at the admission. The education system was fastidious to the point of being pedantic. It was inconceivable that a student would lack an academic history in this day and age.

Principal Yoshiyuki looked searchingly at the young man seated across the room. "I was actually hoping young Katsuragi-kun here could explain."

Shinji fidget slightly. Misato had told him that something like this would happen. It was times like this he was glad she had invested so much time and effort in developing a suitable cover story that would explain his complete absence of an educational background, even if most of her research material consisted of reading romance manga and watching television drama shows. "There was an accident at my old school." Shinji began sombrely. "The Administration building was burned down and most of the records were destroyed."

"That's odd. I don't recall such an event. Perhaps I should-"

"It was kind of hushed up sir." Shinji hastily added.

"Hushed up?" Both Principal Yoshiyuki and Maya asked in unison.

"Apparently one of the Sensei's was entangled in an illicit relationship with one of her students." Shinji wasn't sure if such things happened, but Misato had insisted that it would work as a suitable deterrent. "There were some ……. complications and the Sensei burned the building down. The Education Department wanted to avoid any further scandal so they kind of ……….." He left the remainder of the sentence unsaid; hoping the dramatic pause would lend credibility to his story.

Principal Yoshiyuki glanced away uncomfortably. "Oh. I see." Having spent thirty years in the education system, he had heard of and even witnessed similar situations. He had vowed that such a travesty would never occur under his administration.

"Oh my." Maya blushed, holding her hand up over her mouth.

Rising to his feet, Principal Yoshiyuki brushed the creases in his slacks and moved to open the door. "Well let me assure you that this school is completely free of any such inappropriate activities. You can rest assured that we only encourage our students to strive to be the best they can be."

"Thank you sir." Shinji replied, rising to his feet and bowing respectfully. <I'll have to remember to thank Misato-neesan tonight. Sometimes her crazy advice actually works.>

The sound of chimes echoed from around the school. "Ibuki-sensei, I believe home room is about to commence."

"Of course Principle Yoshiyuki." Standing up, Maya turned to Shinji, indicating he should accompany her. "Katsuragi-kun, if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your class room and introduce you to your new classmates."

***

Standing outside in the hallway, Shinji waited patiently for Ibuki-sensei to call his name, signalling for him to enter the class room. Glancing around, he smiled contentedly, relieved that everything had gone so well. Looking up, he noticed the sign above the doorway and stepped back to get a better look at it. <2-A? Why does that sound so familiar?> Before he could ponder the issue any further, he heard Ibuki-sensei call his name.

"Please enter, Katsuragi-kun." Maya smiled, resisting the urge to giggle as a number of the girls in the class whistled and commented appreciatively as Shinji walked to the front of the class. "Everyone, I'd like you all to meet our new transfer student. Please make him feel welcome."

Standing at the front of the class, Shinji bowed formally. "Uhhmm, hi. I'm Shinji Katsuragi, pleased to meet you all." The class erupted into chaos and confusion with questions coming in from all areas of the room. Unsure of how to go about answering them all, he tried his best to provide the other students with a brief, if somewhat modified version of his life.

Scanning the room, he realised why the sign outside had seemed so familiar. Sitting near the front of the class sat Hikari Horaki and as their eyes met, she nodded and offered another friendly smile. Off to the other side of the room, near the windows he spotted Mana Kirishima. As their eyes met she looked away, obviously still troubled by whatever it was that had upset her earlier. Directly behind Mana he recognised the young, pale girl from last night when he had bought dinner at the Kirishima's Family Restaurant. <Ayanami. Rei AyanamiI think she said her name was.> He felt slightly intimidated under her intense gaze, but offered a small smile in return anyway.

Scanning the room, Maya looked for an appropriate seat for her newest pupil. "As for where you'll sit………..Let me see………"

"Ibuki-sensei," Mana threw her hand into the air before pointing to the desk next to her, "the desk next to me is vacant. Shinji-kun can sit here."

Maya looked across at the young girl, surprised at the informal way she referred to the new student. She had heard the rumours, it was hard not to, but felt that by interceding on the young girl's behalf would do more harm than good. "Very well Kirishima-san. Katsuragi-kun, please take the desk next to Kirishima-san."

"Okay, Ibuki-sensei." Bowing once again, Shinji slowly made his way to his designated seat, greeting the students on his way.

"Looks like the school mattress is making her move already."
"Wouldn't surprise me if she jumps him during recess."
"That girl has absolutely no shame."

Shinji couldn't help but overhear the disparaging remarks being whispered as he walked to his seat. Smiling nervously, he took his seat and glanced briefly at Mana, slightly alarmed by her downcast and dejected expression. After a tense moment, her eyes flickered over, widening at the friendly smile he wore. "Good morning Mana-san. I hope you're feeling a little better now."

Before Mana could reply, Maya interjected, gently chastising the young man. "Katsuragi-kun, I'm sure you will have ample opportunities to talk with the other students, but I have to start class now."

Reluctant to upset his teacher his Sensei any further, Shinji straightened himself in his seat and surrendered his full and undivided attention to Maya. "Gomen, Ibuki-sensei."

"I see that we have some notable absentee's." Maya remarked idly, her eyes roving across the classroom now that it had settled back into some semblance of normalcy. "Has anyone heard anything?"

"My cousin will not be attending today Ibuki-sensei." Rei informed Ibuki-sensei, a small frown marring her otherwise placid features.

"Very well Ayanami-san." Maya sighed disconsolately making another mark against the name of the student in question. The attendance record of Kaworu Nagisa was not a pretty sight. He was absent from school more often than not and he rarely seemed troubled by it. "Ayanami-san, I would appreciate it if you could inform Nagisa-kun that he should at least try to make an appearance every now and then." She did have to admit that his grades had not suffered as a result of his constant truancy; but as a sensei, she felt it was her responsibility to not only educate her students, but also assist them in becoming responsible, young adults.

"Understood Ibuki-sensei." Rei answered. After a few seconds, her crimson eyes drifted across to the new boy now sitting in front of her. Her inquiring gaze lingered on his profile, searching for an answer to a troubling question that had annoyed since their chance meeting the night before. <Why did he not react as others do?> She asked herself, recalling how he had appeared more surprised by her argument with Kirishima then by her appearance. It was this lack of shock that now weighed on her mind and unsettled her. Her experiences with unfamiliar people generally comprised of the strangers staring at her unashamedly as if she were some sort of living exhibition on display for their curiosity.

Her Mother had one day explained the rare genetic trait inherent in her family blood line responsible for her pale complexion, crimson eyes and sky coloured hair. But understanding the cause behind her less than ordinary appearance had not spared her from the callous remarks and cruel insults that she had endured through her elementary school years. Even now, after living her whole life in Tokyo-3, she could still expect people to stop and watch her walk by, their eyes filled with a mixture of fascination and disgust. Lost in her own thoughts, Rei continued to speculate just what it all meant and why she was so troubled by it.

Hikari raised her hand, waiting until she had the sensei's attention before speaking. "I talked to Asuka last night Ibuki-sensei. Her family physician has recommended she take the next couple of days off." Remembering her conversation with the volatile young girl, Hikari was almost glad that Asuka wouldn't be attending for a little while. She wasn't sure what would happen if the fiery young girl came to school and decided to continue where she had left off.

"Is her injury that serious?" Maya asked, concerned that something serious had happened.

Hikari attempted to assuage her concerns. "No, the doctor simply felt it better to rest the sprain rather than chance aggravating it."

"I tried to tell her." An athletic, dark haired boy from the back of the class said sarcastically, leaning back in his chair. "I really did." He added innocently, continuing to smirk even under Hikari's imperious glare.

The smaller, sandy haired boy with spectacles next to him chuckled. "That you did my friend," He agreed, pushing his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose, "but the Devil rarely listens to sage advice."

"Suzuhara-kun, Aida-kun." Maya frowned at the two young men, annoyed by their unnecessary, antagonistic comments. Satisfied that they were suitably warned that any further insolence would not be tolerated, she activated the notebook on her desk. "If you would all please open the physics data file located in your personal directories, we can begin today's lesson."

***

NERV International - Public Relations Department

"Kami, it had to be a man that invented this uniform." Tugging at the skirt of her new corporate uniform, Misato struggled to keep the hemline from revealing more than she was eager to display in public, at least while she was sober. The maroon outfit she had been provided with was a cunningly designed one-piece dress that had the cut and style of a two-piece outfit. The problem was though that any woman, especially those with well-developed physical proportions like Misato, was under constant threat of 'over-exposure'. Teasing Shinji in the comfort and privacy of their apartment was one thing. Providing a free show to anyone and everyone that cared to look as she walked by was a different matter altogether. "One size fits all my ass!" She muttered darkly, continuing her battle with the rising hemline.

"It does fit your ass rather well." An amused male voice said from behind, causing her to jump slightly.

Startled, Misato spun around, raising her hand ready to strike the pervert that was obviously enjoying himself at her expense. "What the?!?" Her arm hung suspended in mid-strike and her jaw fell open in disbelief. "Kaji?!?"

Ryouji Kaji offered a small wave and flashed a smile that would have had most women melting on the spot. "Long time no see Katsuragi." His eyes trailed over Misato's body, pausing briefly at the areas that caught his interest. "You've grown since high school." He added appreciatively.

"This is someone's idea of a joke isn't it?" She pleaded, hoping that it simply was someone's idea of a hoax. "Maybe I'm still asleep and this is some sort of terrible nightmare." She pinched her cheek, wincing at the unpleasant sensation.

"I'm afraid not Katsuragi." Ryouji shook his head. "You're wide awake and this isn't a joke." He said, stepping past Misato and into a nearby office. "I assume you were coming to see me?"

"So you're ………….." Reading the words embossed on the door, Misato felt a cold chill run the length of her spine. "Kami. No. Please. No."

Moving behind the large polished wooden desk, Ryouji waited for Misato to close the door before he settled into his large, comfortable leather upholstered seat. "The Manager of Public Relations for NERV Enterprises." He said with a smile. "And apparently your new boss. I'm looking forward to having you," His smile evolved into a broad grin, "'work' under me Katsuragi."

"I hate my life." Misato groaned. "Kami-sama, kill me now."

"Hey Makoto, who's the babe?" A young, long haired man asked, pointing into the Manager's office at Misato, who had just thrown her arms up in supplication and appeared to be on the verge of tears.

Makoto removed his glasses and polished them with a handkerchief. Placing them back on, he whipped out a hand held computer, scrolling through a series of menu's and files. "Misato Katsuragi. Satus single. Age 29. Date of birth, December 8. Blood type A. Height, 5 feet 3 inches tall." He handed the unit to his associate. "I'm working on the three sizes; Shigeru. I should have them before the days over." His eyes drifted down to stare longingly at Misato's chest. "I'll bet my paycheck that she's an F cup though."

"I'll take that wager my friend." Shigeru handed the PDA back to Makoto, nudging him in the ribs and pointing into the office. "Oh watch this. Looks like Ryouji-san's preparing to make his move."

Watching their boss in action, Shigeru and Makoto both expected to witness yet another woman fall under the spell of his charm. Their grins quickly changed though as both men winced in sympathy. The resounding open handed blow that Misato had struck Ryouji with was forceful enough to send him staggering sideways into the nearby wall.

"Whoa. That had to hurt." Both men said in awe, surprised that any woman would react in such a violent fashion when faced with the considerable charisma of Ryouji Kaji, the self proclaimed 'Lady Killer' of Tokyo-3.

Breathing heavily, Misato glared furiously at the man leaning against the wall. "Kaji, if you know what's good for you, you'll keep those wandering hands of yours to yourself." She fumed, not caring that for all intents and purposes, she had just struck her supervisor on her first day. "You might find it hard to get through the rest of your life without them."

Rubbing his cheek, Ryouji shook his head and laughed quietly. "Same old Katsuragi. Always playing hard to get."

"You're wrong Kaji." Misato replied. "You simply never had a chance to begin with." Straightening her uniform once again, she stalked past Ryouji, deciding that she would simply begin looking for a new job somewhere else. "One day you'll realise that women prefer someone that's willing to treat them with courtesy and respect. Not like a blow up sex doll."

"I'm willing to wait Katsuragi." Moving past Misato, Ryouji stood in the doorway, effectively cutting off her escape route. "You'll come around eventually."

"You might as well give it up now Kaji. I'm …….. I'm …………" Misato frantically searched for a plausible excuse that would end this particular fiasco before it escalated any further. "I'm seeing someone Kaji and we've been living together for a while now," Misato explained, hoping that what she was about to do was the right thing. "He cares about me and makes me happy."

"Is that right?" Ryouji's voice held a degree of suspicion at Misato's declaration. The correspondence he had received from Personnel made no mention of Misato having a 'Significant Other'.

Nodding her head, Misato smirked viciously. "My Shinji is more of a man than you'll ever be." Clasping her hands together over her heart, she closed her eyes and sighed dreamily. "He's everything I've ever wanted."

Realising he had to either admit defeat or continue on regardless, Ryouji opted for the latter, deciding to call Misato's bluff. "So, when do I get to meet this man among men?"

"What? You want to meet him? I don't thi-"

"I know. We'll go out for a few drinks after work to celebrate your starting here. You can bring your beloved Shinji. I just have to meet the man that's stolen you away from me." Opening the door to his office, Ryouji poked his head out and grinned. Most of his staff were gathered around his office, all conspicuously trying to avoid looking like they were avidly watching the conversation taking place. "Everyone. Drinks are on me after work." He waited for the cheers and noise to subside before turning back to Misato. "I'm looking forward to this Katsuragi." Ryouji stepped aside, allowing her to leave his office and begin her first day as an employee in his department. "You have no idea how much I want to meet this Shinji of yours."

Misato walked out of Ryouji's office and simply stood there, staring up at the ceiling. <Kami, what have I done?>

***

End Secondary Bond

Tbc

Authors Post-Rant -

I bet you all had money on Hikari or Mana being Shinji's First Date. Well, as you can see, his first date will be with Misato. o_O

You'll have to tune in next time to see just how things go. I'll probably explain a bit more about Mana and Rei's issues and even Misato and Ryouji's past. I just need to motivate myself into writing more often.

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

Any other comments, thoughts etc are welcome at -

otaku_dman@yahoo.com.au.

Ja Ne