Disclaimer: see part 1

 

Part 10

Broken strings

By Random1377

 

Rei helped Shinji out of the blue Alpine slowly, taking great care to avoid hitting his head on the roof of the vehicle. “Watch out,” she said in her quiet voice, “I do not wish you to return to the hospital so soon.”

 

Shinji smiled as he got his crutch under his arm, “Thanks Rei…” He looked up at the apartment building.  Though it had only been two weeks since he was last here, it felt like an eternity.

 

He looked at Rei and smiled, watching her blue hair flutter in the light breeze.  He looked down, his smile widening as the late-afternoon sun glittered off of gold.  He thought back to the day he had awoken to find Rei waiting for him.

 

‘I have something for you Rei,’ he had said, reaching carefully for the box on the nightstand.

 

‘It is not a wedding ring, is it Shinji?’ Rei had asked, slightly hesitant.

 

He had almost fallen out of the bed, ‘What?’

 

She steadied him, ‘Pilot Souryu felt certain that you were going to propose marriage to me… are you, Shinji?’

 

Shinji had tried to read her expression, but had finally given up.  He had shaken his head slowly, ‘No, Rei… I wasn’t…’ he had smiled, ‘at least, not yet… we’re a bit young, don’t you think?’

 

The reaction that had flown across the girl’s face was an almost comical mixture of relief and anger… the later directed at the redhead pilot who thought she knew so much.

 

Shinji had watched the look pass over her face, catching the barest hint of disappointment mixed in as well.  ‘I’m sorry, Rei,’ he had said, meeting her eyes, ‘maybe some day, I-‘

 

She had waved his apology away, ‘You do not have to feel bad… I will wait…’

 

Shinji had nodded slowly, smiling, ‘Good… and I’ll wait for you…’

 

Now he looked down at the pin he had given her – a gold cello with silver strings and a single pearl at the head.  He remembered how her eyes had lit up upon seeing it, all thoughts and concerns of marriage flying away. ‘It is beautiful!’ she had cried, nearly killing him as she threw her arms around his neck, ‘Thank you!’

 

“Come,” she said, offering her arm to him, “I will help you get inside.”

 

He took her arm, “Misato? Will you be ok getting the bags?” he asked over his shoulder.

 

Misato looked at the single suitcase, already in her hand, “I don’t know, Shinji… might be too much for me.”  She smiled.

 

As they opened the door to the apartment, Rei let Shinji go and step threw unaided.  He was nearly knocked down by Asuka, who threw her arms around him and cried, “Shinji! I’m so glad you’re home!!”

 

Everyone stared at her.  “What?” she said, releasing him, “Can’t I be happy that my fellow pilot is ok?”

 

Misato shrugged, “Whatever, Asuka…” she stepped past the three, not noticing Rei’s small frown, “I have a lot of work to catch up on, you kids order something for dinner, k?”

 

“I already made something,” Asuka said happily.  Everyone stared again, “WHAT!?” She screamed in frustration, “I’m not an idiot! I can do things sometimes! And it’s GOOD, so EAT!!!”

 

They ate.  And to her credit, it WAS pretty good…

 

**

 

After dinner, Shinji sat in his room while Asuka and Rei cleaned up (Misato had almost had to drag him bodily away from the dirty dishes).

 

“So, First,” Asuka said as they washed dishes together (an odd sight, to anyone that had seen the two the month before last), “it’s getting kind of late, shouldn’t you start heading home? Or is Misato going to give you a ride?”

 

“I will not be going home,” Rei replied quietly, “I promised Shinji that I would stay at his side until he recovered.”

 

The dish Asuka was holding hit the floor, shattering into five pieces, “You… you have to go home, Rei…” she said, her voice bordering on hysterical, “you have to!”

 

The pleading in her voice confused Rei, “I… cannot leave him. I said I would remain by his side… I did not lie.”

 

“HA!” Asuka laughed once, a harsh, barking sound, and ran her hands through her hair, looking at the broken dish on the floor.  When she looked up, her face was a perfect mask of serenity, “So you’ll be staying a while?” she said lightly, “Since Shinji is sick, I’ll go get some sheets for you to sleep on the couch then.”

 

Rei watched her turn and walk away, humming as she went, then set down the dish she was drying and went to the living room. “Major Katsuragi?” she said quietly, “I think… that something is wrong with Pilot Souryu…”

 

Misato looked up from the stack of papers she had surrounding her with a tired smile, “Yes, she’s kind of arrogant, I know…” she bent her head back to the papers, “But other than that, she’s a pretty decent girl.  Better cook than I thought, too.”

 

“No,” Rei said quietly, “I meant that she may be…” she looked over her shoulder, “unwell.”

 

Misato set down her pen carefully, “Rei… Asuka had a complete psychiatric evaluation after the incident with the fifteenth angel.  It was completely normal.”

 

Rei frowned, “I… still feel that something is… not right.”

 

Misato rubbed the bridge of her nose, “I’m sure it’s just stress over this whole Shinji thing… don’t worry about it, I’m sure she’ll be fine.  Now please, I have a lot of work to get done… can we talk about it tomorrow?”

 

Rei nodded, “Yes… I am sorry to bother you, Major…”

 

**

 

In her room, Asuka was still smiling and humming as she gathered a set of sheets from a shelf in her closet.

 

Only an attentive listener would have noticed that she had been humming the same two bars of the same song since she had left the kitchen… and only a highly skilled psychiatrist would have spotted the dull, lifeless look in her eyes – a look which did not reflect the smile on her face… or any emotion whatsoever.  Asuka Langley Souryu was quite skilled at hiding her true emotions.

 

She turned from the closet, sheets in hand, and looked around her room.  Her mask suddenly fell away, revealing her true face – a face torn by confusion, hunger, and need…a need she could not explain, but found focus in a single name: Shinji.

 

She collapsed onto the floor, her eyes suddenly filling with tears, “She has to leave here…” she whispered to herself as the sheets slipped from her fingers, “she has to…”

 

She looked around her once-tidy room, only vaguely disgusted at how messy it had become since the angel had invaded her mind.  She rose to her feet and laughed abruptly, “Maybe Shinji can help me clean… he’s always… always so good at… at…” she paused in mid-sentence staring into space, then shook herself and finished as if nothing had happened, “everything…”

 

Picking up the sheets, she took a deep breath.  Then, smiling and humming as her mask slid back into place, she went to give Rei her sheets.

 

**

 

Shinji watched Rei as she slept.  She had talked to him for hours, sitting on the end of his bed, and had finally laid her head on her folded arms and closed her eyes.

 

After she had been silent for a few minutes, Shinji whispered, “Rei, I need to tell you something.” He took a deep breath, “I have no idea how long our relationship will last...” he shook his head sadly,  “who knows? Maybe you’ll see what a weak boy I truly am and leave me for someone else who is better…” he touched her cheek gently, “but even if that happens, even if you leave me tomorrow, know this, Rei: my feelings for you will never change… no matter what happens, I will always love you."

 

He watched her for another moment, and then slowly closed his own eyes, thinking as he did of other things he could never bring himself to say to her if she was awake.

 

As the sound of Shinji’s deep, even breathing filled the room, Rei’s eyes slowly rolled open.  A tear slid down her cheek as she sat up to look at him, his words echoing in her mind.

 

Careful not to disturb him, she eased forward so that she was lying next to him and gently kissed his cheek, making him smile and murmur something she could not understand.  She hesitated for a moment, torn between staying and going to sleep on the couch… then, remembering his words, she brought her head slowly down to settle into the crook of his arm.

 

Feeling that everything was as it should be, she sighed happily.  “And I will always love you, Shinji… I will not ever find anyone better…” she said softly against his side, feeling the smooth rise and fall of his chest under her arm.

 

Listening to his heartbeat, she fell into a deep, comfortable sleep – never noticing the soft smile that had appeared on his face as she had spoken… or his arms coming up to encircle her as she slept.

 

Continued…

 

Author’s notes:  Ok, I take NO CREDIT for Shinji’s monologue as he watched Rei ‘sleep’.  The concept of him talking to her and her being awake, and most of the body of this little speech, was e-mailed to me by Eliar Swiftfire… so thanks for that! (I told you I’d work it in :)).  Other than that – things are about to get a bit bumpy… hang on.

 

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com