Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Imperfection ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Imperfection

Disclaimer: I don't own NGE (but Kaoru is ONE HOT DUDE!!!!)

---- Chapter Two ----

Rei sat across the table from Kaoru. They were eating dinner together, at this restaurant a little isolated from the province of Tokyo-3. At this place, they could relax and not think about keeping his being alive a secret. No one knew them here, yet Rei could not help but feel a bit edgy. Why hadn't she told Shinji this afternoon about what she knew?

Kaoru forked his dinner without much enthusiasm. He could feel that Rei was uncomfortable about something or other and it had to do with him, in some way or other. They weren't all that close, but maybe he could try and get her to talk to him. That way, he could understand her a little better and they might be able to be more comfortable around each other. After all, they WERE living together at the moment.

"So, are you concerned about Shinji?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Rei's voice was slightly surprised, as if she hadn't been expecting the question. Kaoru sighed and repeated his question slowly. Rei looked down at her plate for a long while, not really wanting to answer. Kaoru chewed a bit of steak, watching her expression carefully.

"I know you are worried about Shinji," he told her after he had swallowed. "Why do you not just tell him about the Third Impact you lilims are planning? He is, after all, an Eva pilot."

"I could not," she replied dully. "It was against my orders."

"So you would rather Shinji be kept in the dark about this?"

"Yes."

"Why do you have to pretend, Rei?" Kaoru's normally good natured voice was gone and, in its place, he spoke in a steely tone. "Shinji WILL find out sooner or later and he will be yet again betrayed. You know about the Third Impact and yet you will not disclose information."

Rei flinched inwardly at his harsh tone. He had NEVER spoken to her like he was angry with her before. She fought the sudden urge to bury her face in her hands. It was not a good thing to do at the time. Kaoru had put down his fork and was looking intently at her. It was then she noticed just how dark his eyes REALLY were, and just how red. They were the colour of blood, in a more brilliant shade than her own. He was right. Why DIDN'T she tell Shinji what she knew?

"I cannot do it," she murmured. "I am to be the cause of the Third Impact, as is my destiny, but I cannot tell Ikari so. I am confused."

"Do you hold feelings for Shinji?"

"I do not understand."

"Do you feel as if you are complete, with Shinji around? How does he make you feel?"

" - like I am a human and not some creation," she answered after some thought. "What does that mean, Nagisa?"

"I believe . . ." he began. Then he smiled. "You may learn to love Shinji."

Love. Kaoru had said the word she had never experienced before. One of the only emotions she had never, ever felt firsthand. If she was falling in love with Shinji, then why was it that she felt a bitter feeling in her mouth when Kaoru told her so? Shouldn't she be happy, or even mildly embarrassed? Why was it that she didn't want to hear it directly from Kaoru's lips?

"Love Ikari? It is ridiculous."

"Not as ridiculous as wandering around, denying all facts, Rei."

"If you say so, Nagisa."

--------

"Wait."

Asuka turned to face the bed again. Shinji was sitting up, but his eyes were glued to his lap. His hands were fidgeting with the S-DAT phones almost distractedly. She sighed. Maybe he WAS starting to grow up now.

"I don't know how to tell her."

"How to tell her you like her, you mean?"

"Yes."

"It's easy. Just get your sorry arse over to her apartment, ring the bell and say: Rei I love you when she opens the door. Got it, idiot?"

Shinji nodded, but he still looked a little down in the dumps. Asuka sighed. He wasn't exactly what she would call BRAVE or anything and he definetely wasn't like HER. He wouldn't be the type to say something out loud and sound like he really didn't care if he made a fool of himself.

"Listen," she sighed impatiently, "if you don't tell her soon, the doll will be hogged by someone else. Do you want that to happen? You do want to be the one she has her first kiss with, don't you? Well, that's never gonna happen if you just sit there and mope all day."

"I get it, Asuka, but Ayanami is just so hard to get close to," Shinji said desperately. "She just looks at me in this way that I-I don't have the nerve to get close to her."

"Girls have that sometimes." Asuka nodded profusely. "A barrier. Now this is straying a little off topic, so I'm just gonna say to you: get a move on. You don't want Wondergirl to think that you don't like her . . . do you?"

"Yes, Asuka."

--------

Outside the door, Misato smiled at Pen-Pen knowingly. The little penguin toddled past, having just come out of the bathroom to listen to the conversation the two teens were having, and helped himself to some of the food in the grocery bags. Misato bit down a shriek and flapped her arms in his direction, shooing him away.

"I'll come with you tomorrow and we'll tell her together," Asuka's voice said. She came out of Shinji's room and held the door open for a little longer. Then, she closed it resignedly with a loud `bang!'.

"So . . . Shinji's having girl problems?" Misato asked curiously as the German teen threw herself down onto a chair. Asuka gave her an exasperated look.

"He likes the First Child," she explained, as if Shinji were just plain childish. "But idiot there just doesn't know how to tell her. Can you believe it? Men!"

"I know . . ." Misato replied, rolling her eyes. "Men can be sooo ignorant and foolish."

--------

Kaoru leaned against the wall in the apartment, brow furrowed and obviously thinking very hard. From what he could tell, Lilith was trapped in Central Dogma at the Geofront because Ikari Gendo wanted to use her and Rei to initiate the Third Impact. He wanted to become God himself. They had used the Lance of Longinus to defeat his fellow Angel, Arael (A/N: was it Arael that Rei used the Lance of Longinus against???) and so Lilith had fully grown.

"Lilith is the key to the human instrumentality project," he murmured. "She is humanity's mother and invaluable to SEELE and to NERV."

The door slid open and Rei, dressed in nothing bar a towel, stepped out. Kaoru said nothing, but handed her some spare clothing which she put on. Then she joined him, arms almost stiffly at her sides, not meeting his eyes. They didn't speak for a long while.

Almost suddenly, Rei reached for his hand and he looked at her, surprise showing in his eyes faintly. She stared back almost defiantly, before laying her head on his shoulder. Then, he heard her starting to cry. Rei - crying? This was impossible. She NEVER cried and creations weren't made to do so.

"Kaoru . . ." she whimpered, pulling herself against him. "Ikari will hate me if I tell him. I don't know what to do . . ."

She had unconsciously begun to use Kaoru's first name. He held her gingerly, feeling his heart begin to race a little faster. Why was she, all of a sudden, seeming so helpless? She continued crying into his shirt and he decided that he could not think while she was pressed up against him in such close contact. His head was becoming fuzzy.

". . . tell me what to do."

"I cannot order you around, Rei," he whispered. "This is for you to decide."

He hoped he had told her the right thing.

---- End of Chapter Two ----

Thank you for everyone who reviewed and for those who helped me to understand the End of Evangelion. If I still have some facts wrong, can someone please tell me? I'm new to NGE so I don't know much about the content, like the SEELE and the human instrumentality and the Third Impact and what the hell are the Dead Sea Scrolls?.

HELP IS APPRECIATED!!!!!

Also, is Arael really the Angel that the lance of Longinus ran through, or was it Sahagiel? They were the only two Angels I remember to be in orbit at time of attack. I'm pretty sure it was Arael, but I just want to make sure. It's the one who attacked Asuka mentally, right?

Anyway, please review and tell me if the chapter was absolute nonsense and bullshit or not. Anything will be appreciated.

Bittersweet Angel!!!!