Shinji and Asuka sat across from each other at their dinner table, heads bent, eyes averted.
“What… are we?”
“According to you, we’re the Progeny of Lilith.”
“...”
“...”
“That’s… not what-”
“I know.”
“...”
“...”
“Why is this so awkward? Like, we can fuck on the roof at school, but talking about retionships is too much?”
“Pathetic, aren’t we?”
“...”
“...”
“I… Want us to be together.”
“...Me-...
…Me too.”
“...”
“...”
Misato and Pen-Pen, likewise sitting across from each other, stared back and forth between the two pilots from their side of the table, not a single noise between them.
“I love the way you’re getting along with Rei now, even if it is a bit… unexpected.”
He chuckled.
“Haha, yeah, I never would’ve thought. I was so worried for some time wondering whether or not you’d be happier with her than with me, but I didn’t consider that you could just have us both!”
“...”
“...”
“I never thought I could feel this way about anyone, let alone multiple girls. It’s all so… Overwhelming. But in a good way, you know?”
“Yeah, I get you. There’s some weird sense of satisfaction in sharing a lover with someone, like ‘look who I pulled, see how great he is?’ or something like that.”
“...”
“Okay, this is too weird, I gotta say something. One minute, you’re like two different species, the next, you’re inseparable. I can’t say I dislike the way you work together, but it’s almost suspicious how big of a change this is.”
Shinji and Asuka managed to wrench their eyes off of each other and looked at Misato.
“It’s not that strange. Just think of the sync tests we did for the fight with Israfel. It took some doing, but we became one of a mind!”
“Israfel? Was that the name?”
“...”
“I guess you’re right… Still, I don’t know whether I should be suspicious of Ritsuko…”
“Dr. Akagi? What makes you say that?”
“Well, I guess she was kinda in-the-know about all the secret EVA stuff you told us.”
“WAH-WAH”
“I know, Pen-Pen.” Misato threw the st bit of food she had on her pte to the bird. Clearly he was tired of this optical game of ping pong.
“She knew about so much top-secret stuff… Stuff that almost got Kaji killed. Stuff that could still get US killed… And now she’s just so damn bubbly…”
“You really think she could be our enemy?”
“I mean, she gave us this happiness. Why would she do that if she was against us?”
Pen-Pen finished gulping down the stale half of a pizza slice and padded out of the room.
“It could be to drive our attention away from the REAL shady stuff.”
“Like what?”
“Like an army of Rei clones, or something?”
“Hell if I know. That’s what worries me so much. We don’t know exactly what we don’t know.”
The three sat in silence for a moment.
The familiar scrape of a sliding door opening sounded around them as Rei stepped out of the bathroom, towel around her waist. Pointedly, Shinji noted in silence that nothing was covering her chest. Not like she needed, or ever even wanted, to be coy around them anymore.
Asuka perked up.
“Finally. Thought you’d never finish.”
“The warm water had run out. It was difficult to finish my masturbation with cold water spraying over me.”
“Jesus. You really don’t beat around the bush, huh?”
“I beat quite considerably around my bush, but to no avail.”
It’s got jokes, too.
Misato thought dryly. She felt bad, but she just couldn’t help but look at the girl differently after learning about her artificial origins.
I should just learn to accept it, the way those two did. Not too long ago, Asuka would look for any reason to justify her envious hatred of the girl, but now, she was so much more open-minded than I thought possible. More than me, anyway. That takes some true maturity.
“So…” They all turned to meet Shinji’s eyes. Rei took the opportunity to sit in Pen-Pen’s now empty seat, next to Asuka.
“Asuka and I want to be together, romantically.”
He struggled and failed to fight a big, stupid, love-drunk grin as he spoke.
“And you, Rei…”
“I also want to be with you, Shinji.”
“What about Asuka? Are you willing to form an official retionship with her, as well?”
“I have no qualms…
But…
…Asuka…”
Asuka smiled at the frowning, blue-haired girl. Taking the girl’s limp hands into her own, she looked Rei in the eyes.
“I want to make Shinji happy because he makes me happy. You want to make Shinji happy because he makes you happy. As long as we’re both working together toward that end, we will be happy together.”
Misato was stunned at Asuka’s sense of diplomacy. Never did she suspect the fiery redhead would be capable of this level of emotional understanding and acceptance. She searched her heart.
Am I in the wrong, after all? Am I the one that just can’t accept anything? Is it me?
Rei’s eyes glistened as she smiled up at her newest friend. Her hands regained their strength as she tightly gripped Asuka’s. Tears of joy were allowed to run freely down her face as she basked in this incredible feeling.
“Which,” Shinji began again. “Leaves us here with you…” He turned to face Misato.
“Me?”
“Where do you stand in all of this?”
Misato was confused.
“I- Well, obviously I’m very happy for all of you. It seems like this will be incredibly powerful for you three in terms of emotional growth and satisfaction.”
She was quite proud of her very smart answer.
“No, stupid. What about YOU?”
“Beg pardon?”
Shinji bit his lip and hesitated. Rei’s sparkling eyes spurred him on.
“Well, Misato. I love Asuka, and I love Rei. They love me, and they are more than willing to love each other…”
Misato stiffened. “What does that have to do with me?”
Shinji squeezed his eyes shut as he worked the muscles in his jaw to comply.
“I-
..I-...
…
Whew…
I love you, Misato.
Would you please join us?”
He held his open hand between them.
Some part of Misato was certainly aware of what Shinji had been trying to get at all this time, but to hear it out loud felt differently to what she had prepared for. In all her mental recitations, she knew how to transte the feeling of guilt away from patronization, and into gentle rejection. But…
Where did the guilt go?
Where was the fuel for her rejection?
…
What did she feel?
Happy?
…
…Love?
Misato looked at Asuka.
Goddamn it. I love her too.
But as her gaze turned on Rei…
“I…
…don’t know…
…
…It’d be one thing if it was just you, Shinji, or even you and Asuka…”
Shinji looked thoughtful. “Maybe-”
“NO.”
To everyone’s surprise, it was Asuka, still holding one of Rei’s hands.
“No. I have made my decision, and won’t betray my heart. Even if Shinji gave everything he has, everything he was, everything he will be, to me, right now. I wouldn’t be happy if I wasn’t sharing it, competing for it, with Rei. It’s all or nothing, Misato. I refuse to exclude her just to make you more comfortable.”
Rei looked on with naught but pure awe on her face. Taking in the magnificent sight that was the mature Asuka. A rare sight, indeed. Surely once the serious discussions were over, she would go back to the teasing and ribbing that she was known for.
Misato was in disbelief. This was wrong. This was off. There’s no way this brat changed so much in so little time. She grinned inwardly.
Shinji’s cock was GOOD…
But not THAT good…
Something is definitely up with them. Maybe some kind of contamination reted to the transmission of DNA between pilots. They’ve definitely been doing more than their fair share of that tely. I should bring this up with R-
No. No, if this is anything like that, she’d know immediately. So she must be in on it. I can’t go to her. I’ll have to look into this mys- Goddamn it!
“OH, WHO THE FUCK IS CALLING ME NOW OF ALL-…”
Sirens. The three pilots were being called. It was an angel attack…
“Arael…”
Despair set in.
