Chapter 5: School Daze

Shinji walked onto campus for the first time since the latest attack. To his schoolmates, he was still as much of an enigma as his absent NERV counterpart. When she was approached, either by curious other girls, and Kensuke, to ask her what her life at NERV was like, or by boys looking to ask the beautiful girl out on dates, she would stare at them until they turned and left, or would state that such questions were prohibited.

Shinji, however, would turn and run when he was asked about such a life. That changed today, because he felt like a new person - like a new man, on the way in to old stomping grounds.

"Mr. Ikari," the old decrepit teacher asked him upon entry, "what is Miss Ayanami's status?"

"She's at her doctor for a physical, Sir. NERV ordered it. Major Katsuragi says to mark her Present."

"...Fair enough then. She'll miss out, though. I had a gripping lecture on the 2nd Impact planned today."

Touji and Kensuke noticed the change when Shinji entered the class standing up straight with his head up high, and not looking down at his feet trying to avoid the rest of the class as he usually did.

"Dude, what the hell happened to you? Misato put you on testosterone pills?"

"Oh, no. It's just been a while since I've last had to fight and things are just going better, you know?"

"Sure thing, you get a week off school and Ayanami's still out, and-"

"She'll be back tomorrow, Touji."

"Ohhh, so now Shinji's keeping track of Ayanami's school life, is he?"

"I mean, I see her every day at work, so yeah."

Touji gave up on trying to weasel into Shinji's nerves after he saw that the boy wouldn't give in.

"YOU THREE! STOP LOITERING AND GET READY FOR CLASS!" Only one voice talked like that about school. And Touji wasn't going to let that voice off easily.

"Oh yeah, why don't you pick on any of the other gangs bunched up around class! You're always going after us, Rep!"

"THAT'S BECAUSE WHENEVER I TURN AROUND, YOU'RE CAUSING TROUBLE!"

"Or, maybe you've just got a stick up your ass."

"YOU...YOU-"

"Yeah me. I'm not the one getting red in the face and I'm not the one with steam coming out of my ears."

Hikari gave up. She was close to giving up on the boy entirely. He was a transplant from Osaka and his grades were below the rest of the class, but clearly that didn't matter to him as much as good grades did to her.

"Oh, Hikari." Shinji spoke up, hoping to diffuse the fight. "Do you have the uniforms Rei ordered after the last Angel was here?"

"I was going to send them to her house-"

"You're gonna want to check her address, then."

"Huh, why?" Hikari took out her student roll. "Wait, the 'Katsuragi NERV Apartment'? Since when...that's...That's your apartment, Shinji!"

"And Rei's too now after the last attack."

Touji and Kensuke, of course, took this as well as they could. "YOU MEAN THAT REI, THE HOTTEST GIRL IN THE CLASS," Hikari went from shocked to mad again, after hearing Touji say that in front of her. "IS LIVING WITH YOU!? AND WERE YOU NOT GOING TO TELL US?"

"I would have if it became relevant to talk about."

"IT'S COMPLETELY RELEVANT!"

"Yeah, well, she is. Because her apartment's gone."

Hikari cut in after the boys' shouting match. "Wait, Shinji, you mean her home was one of the places damaged in the attack?"

"It wasn't just damaged, it was completely burned down."

"That's, that's awful...would you mind if I tag long with you after school so I can get the outfits to her and learn where she is now?"

"Uh, sure. Be glad to-"

"WE'RE COMING TOO."

Shinji made the long trek home trying to ignore the entourage behind him. He had no desire to be part of what had transpired today, but he now found himself leading three of his classmates on an expedition to his own house so that one of them could fulfill her duties as leader of said class, while the other two simply exercised their own perverse curiosity. He tried to remain several paces ahead of the three, hoping to avoid the conversation happening behind him, which consisted of several rounds of browbeating from his class rep to the two boys, and their bellyaching responses. He liked his friends, and respected Hikari, but he just felt no need to be part of whatever teenage drama they swept up.
After all, the problems he faced would throw any other middle class child's first-world-problems into sharp relief. Having to fight to the death for the survival of humanity changes your perspectives, like that.

"Look," he said as he led the pair up the stairwell to Misato's flat. "Don't cause any trouble, it's been a difficult past week at NERV." And for me.

Misato saw the group as Shinji entered, and the avalanche started. "Shinnnnnnjiiiiiii! You didn't tell me you had a posse! And how many friends have you got waiting in the wings, huh? Oh and is Rei not gonna have a problem with you hanging around your very good looking class rep?"

"MISATO! I, I didn't even bring them all, they followed me here-"

Hikari had observed enough to get a grasp of the family dynamic. "Ms. Katsuragi, unlike the Stooges here, I assure you I did not come to look for trouble. I just need to verify Rei's new address for school and I can give her her uniforms."

"Oh that won't do at all, you guys are here for a good time! Now let me see, what do I have other than beer?"

"We have Ramune, mineral water, or Shinji could brew a tea, Major." Shinji's three classmates saw her unmistakable blue hair appear behind Misato in the doorway.

And then they saw the rest of her. Dressed in her new civilian clothes, Hikari had never seen her mysterious but agreeable classmate dressed up so fashionably, and the guys, well...

"SHINJI, WHAT THE HELL, YOU REALLY DO HAVE AYANAMI LIVING HERE WITH YOU? We thought you were just screwing with us!" The two boys shouted.
Rei. Was. Gorgeous. Hikari grabbed them both and twisted their ears into submission.

"Hi, Rei...Are you, you know...Okay with living with a guy?" Hikari asked her, some slight concern in her voice.

"Class Representative, I do not think I could be any happier than to be with Shinji." The boys' eyes went as wide as dinner plates, Hikari blushed and turned to Shinji.

"Shinji! You didn't say anything about-"

"Be-becasuse it's kind of a last minute thing to talk about! And those two wouldn't have been able to handle it anyway!"

"But are you actually 'together' together?"

"I mean...we haven't gone out or anything..."

"Kissing you goodbye this morning is more than a date, Shinji." Rei cut in.
Hikari turned an even brighter shade of red. The boys wailed in jealousy when they realized that Shinji had gotten farther with a girl in a week than they both had in their entire lives.

"See Shinji, I told you that you'd already be Mr. Popular!" Misato trapped Shinji up in a hug, squeezing him against her chest. Shinji suffocated while Touji and Kensuke agreed to just end it all. At that point, Rei moved to the middle of the party, and to Misato's amusement, forcibly extricated Shinji from her grasp so that she could take him for herself.

Hikari turned her disbelief to the Major. "Miss...Ms. Katsuragi...you don't really approve of this, do you?"

"Sure I do! Shinji and Rei are my two best behaved people, and they're probably your two best in class, aren't they?"

"Well it is true that Rei has never had any behavior demerits...But public display of affection is a penalty in class-"

"Same as NERV, sweetie! But they're not at school or on the job, and they're not getting in trouble with the law outside, so why would I care?"

"I guess...I wouldn't want to be third wheel though."

"I'd rather them be together instead of getting caught up with some townie nobody outside. But you two heard her, didn't you?" Misato turned to her two favorite Children in the whole wide world. "No trouble at school, understand." Shinji and Rei both answered with the same "Yes Ma'am" that they were expected to answer.

Misato brought them all in. The guys dropped down in front of the TV, still in disbelief. Shinji. Shinji. Of all people. Had a girlfriend. Never in either boy's perverse imaginations did they think that Shinji Ikari would be able to con a female into being attracted to him. But he did, and it was Rei!
To Touji and Kensuke, life just wasn't fair.

Rei had taken her clothing from Hikari, but that did not deter Hikari from following her into her bedroom. She got Rei's attention before she started unpacking.

"Rei...Are you really okay with all of this?"

Rei did not like this line of questioning, but she was also not a dishonest person. "My home was destroyed in the latest attack, so I am glad to reside with Major Katsuragi, but you're correct inasmuch that I'd have preferred the Angel simply never attack us."

"Oh, Rei I...I didn't mean that, I'm sorry. I meant is everything with Shinji going well?"

"I, I'm not certain. NERV does not sanction what we are doing, so I don't know if it can remain real."

"So...what are you allowed to do?"

"Go to school, then report to NERV for training. I suppose you never see me socialize on campus. That is why."

Hikari was in disbelief. "That's so unfair! Who are they to-"

"NERV is a secure organization with critical survivability. Their secrecy is justified."

"That's right, Rei, but you work for them. Despite what Ritsuko might say, you're a NERV employee, not NERV property." The two arguing girls turned to see Misato had entered the conversation. "I couldn't help but satisfy my curiosity towards what you two little beauties were talking about! Rei it'd do you good to have some girlfriends, and it's clear Hikari likes you."

"But we are not supposed to interact with non-NERV personnel."

"You're an Eva Pilot, Rei. What the hell can they do to you?"

"In all seriousness Major Katsuragi, if it's deemed fit they would not hesitate to dismiss a pilot."

"And it would be the worst decision they could possibly make. They're not stupid enough to let you go, Rei." Misato drew the girls into a group hug. "So rebel every now and then!"

"Dude, Misato left!" Touji and Kensuke waited until Misato and the girls disappeared from earshot to descend upon Shinji. "Explain. Right fucking now."

Shinji had already had enough of their garbage, and he was near to the point where he no longer gave a damn. "You two know what? I will explain. I know Rei probably better than I know anyone now, and she's probably the strongest person that nobody's ever heard of. Want to know why? Because everything she goes through, and every need she's ever had that's gone unmet, she is not allowed to talk about. And the way you two act around girls, you wouldn't be able to understand even if she did. Maybe quit mouth breathing around women and act like actual men, and you might get a girl's attention."

Holy Shit they thought as their jaws hung open, Shinji just completely roasted them and they didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of a retort. They were rescued from their injured egos when they heard the women return. They saw Hikari run into the room, carrying a penguin of all things into the living room.

"I can't believe you've got a pet penguin, Misato!" Hikari squealed as she hugged the bird in her arms.

"Well he's a rescue from the 2nd Impact. Antarctica was totally destroyed, remember, and those little guys are almost all wiped out. Pen Pen is just me doing my part to save them from the endangered list."

"I know, but he's sooooo sweeet!" She said as she hugged him again.

"Actually, talking about water, guess what Shinji!"

"Umm, what, Misato?"

"You get to fly out to the Pacific fleet with me to pick up Asuka tomorrow!"

Shinji went pale. He gets seasick! "You mean, on a ship, on the...the Ocean?!"

"Well where else, silly? Unit-02's currently atop the Over the Rainbow this instant somewhere past Guam and it's on it's way here. 24 hours and it'll be inside flying distance!"

"Uhhh, can we just meet them on the beach?"

"AND MISS OUT ON THE BIGGEST SHIP IN THE WORLD, AND THE BIGGEST FLEET IN THE WORLD?" Kensuke jumped up and shouted in Shinji's ear. "THAT'S ONLY THE NAVIES OF THE ENTIRE UNITED NATIONS FORMED UP TO TRANSPORT AN EVA HALFWAY AROUND THE PLANET! You can't miss it for anything, Shinji!"

"Misato, look, I don't really like water all that much..."

"Well there's no time like the present to grow some sea legs!"

"But I've never taken any kind of boat ride before. Can Rei come or something?"

"Sorry big boy, she has to stay on alert with Unit-00. Touji and Kensuke can come with us though!"

"You hear that, Sukes? We're going on vacation! Fuck school!"

That line was accompanied by a thorough slap to the back of Touji's head. "You are the last person who should be skipping school, Touji Suzuhara!." She said, as Touji didn't realize Hikari was standing just close enough to get him within disciplinary range.

"Now now, Miss Class Rep." Misato gleefully chided her. "This is NERV business, therefore any potential Children going are not counted as missing school. By all means, pick on Touji, but he's not in trouble."

"Yeah, you hear that! I'm not in trouble! Wait, what do you mean 'pick on Touji'?!"

"Are you three gonna need a lift home?"

"Oh, we walk home every day, Ms. Katsuragi, we'll be fine."

It was late. The friends had all headed home, and Misato was writing the final travel notes in her room. She nodded, nearly napping, when suddenly there came a tapping, tapping on her chamber door. "A visitor?"

"Only Rei, and no one more."

"Well that visitor is always welcome. Come in, and know me better!" She turned to see that Rei was dressed for bed, in all her nightclothes.

"And what might bring a fair young lady in that state of dress into my court?" Misato gave her an approving smile. She herself remembered being in love once, a long time ago.

"I'm upholding my obligation, Misato." Rei lifted up the hem of her nightie. Misato saw she was wrapped up tight.

"Then I take it you're going to go see a certain boy, named 'Shinji' by any chance?" She playfully teased her charge.

"I...feel empty when he's not nearby. As if a piece of me is missing."

"Then go get that piece back! Go get him, girl!" Misato prodded her, feeling proud of her efforts to match the two Children up as well as she did.

This time, he was wearing a blank white A-shirt and boxer's shorts. He felt much better about himself as he climbed into bed than he did last night.

He had just closed his eyes when light from the opened door flooded into the room and then cut back to darkness. He felt her weight press into his lap once again.

"Shinji." She said.

"Rei." He answered.

"We've been given the rule that we cannot disrobe or perform any erogenous actions. But we are free to taste each other's lips."

"Really." Shinji realized he could probably get used to this little arrangement. He settled her lithe form in his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "Then there's no reason to waste time, is there?"

"Absolutely not." She said, and tasted the Jasmine tea he had earlier made in his kiss.

A/N: Chapter 6 is where the fun begins!