Update (12/30/2018): Just changed a few words and made some other minor edits.

Windy. Wet. Miserable.

With hair and pinafore drenched, and a now-translucent dress shirt clinging to her ghostly pale skin; Rei waited ever stoically as the unending Tokyo-3 traffic persisted.

Click

She pressed a nearby crosswalk button. How many times had she done so now? 9? 10? 100? Not that it would make a difference. It never made a damn difference. Nonetheless, Rei remained vigilant. Maybe, just maybe, the god of traffic would have mercy on her – cruel and fickle as that deity may have been.

More cars blurred past, and the crosswalk signal remained unchanging. Oh, how that red, flashing symbol tormented her… taunted her. If Rei's distaste for that accursed color hadn't been justified before, it certainly was now.

She reached out her hand to press the button for the umpteenth time, but abruptly paused.

Had the rain… stopped?

"Ayanami," she heard a surprisingly close voice say, "what are you doing out here without an umbrella?"

Ikari… Rei thought, internally acknowledging his presence. She turned her head slightly – enough so he was in her peripheral vision. The boy, Shinji Ikari, was holding his umbrella over her – just her, oddly enough. The rain was clearly bothering him if his erratic body language and perpetually twitching face were anything to go by.

So why is he not holding it over himself?

"Going home," Rei answered in a delicate monotone, seemingly indifferent to his concern. Shinji didn't know whether to chuckle or gasp at her complete and utter apathy. So, of course, he didn't do either. Instead, he settled for something in between – which much to his embarrassment, resulted in a strange, awkward, guttural screech.

Rei almost raised an eyebrow in response to his bizarre outburst – almost.

Cheeks rosy, Shinji cleared his throat. "Maybe I could… um, walk you home?" he nervously suggested. "I mean, you'll get sick if you keep this up."

Rei watched a few more cars drive by.

"That is unnecessary."

"Ayanami…" he began, trying to sound as stern as possible, "…your wellbeing is necessary. To me, at least."

The cars came to a screeching halt, catching the attention of both teens. Seemed that traffic god finally got off its lazy ass and did something. About damn time.

Rei turned her head further to fully face Shinji. He clenched his teeth, bracing himself for what he believed would be inevitable rejection. That's pretty much what his entire life had entailed up to that point, after all. Rejection, rejection and more rejection. That, and the occasional moment of unfathomable terror.

"Let us go, then."

His eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't been rebuked? "Ah, that's great!"

Just as he prepared to take his first step on the road, Rei gently tapped his arm. "Your wellbeing is also necessary, Ikari."

Shinji paused to fully digest her words – a warm and pleasant sensation building in the pit of his stomach as he did so. "I suppose you're right," he finally said as he sidled closer to her, blushing as their arms brushed against each other.

Umbrella now shielding them both from the torrential onslaught, they prepared to embark on their trek to Rei's apartment until…

…multicolored blurs suddenly flashed in front of them – a cacophony of engine sounds and rubber grinding against asphalt blaring on.

"The light went green again?!" Shinji said, wide-eyed and more than a little flustered. "G-guess I should've been quicker… s-sorry..."

Rei was… perplexed. By all means, she should've been frustrated by this turn of events. Well maybe not frustrated, so to speak – this was Rei, after all. Perhaps "mildly irritated" would be a more accurate term. Emphasis on mildly, of course.

But defying all logic, she wasn't. She felt content. Content just being near this clumsy yet nonetheless caring boy.

"I do not mind waiting," she said softly.

Shinji looked down to where their arms touched, then smiled.

"You know what...? I don't either."