Author's Note: This is the sequel to "Absolutely Nothing". I wrote "Absolutely Nothing" over a year go, and just recently posted it on fanfiction.net. Since people apparently wanted me to continue with the story, how could I say no? Sorry if Misato seems a bit out of character, but then again, this is how she would be like if she was pouring her heart out, so yeah. Enjoy.


~Hope For Two~
~By Brian Marcelo~
[email protected]~
Rated PG for some language.


~Prologue~


Shinji Ikari had very little friends in his life, if you didn't count Touji and Kensuke, as he was often insecure and was easily bossed around...especially by his roommate and fellow Eva pilot, Asuka. Asuka was one of those people who thought they were better then everyone else and that everyone else was, to put it bluntly, stupid. Shinji was, in Asuka's eyes, the definition of stupid. She would constantly make fun of him and his insecurities all the time, as well as proclaim herself as the best and that she didn't need any help from the Third Child, which was Shinji, and the First Child, which was Rei.

Speaking of Rei, she was the polar opposite of Asuka. She wasn't loud, bossy, nor stuck up. She was quiet and....well...quiet. She didn't have much to say, and was often called a "doll" by Asuka. Also, it seemed that Gendo Ikari, Shinji's father, held Rei in higher regard then his own son. Shinji was hurt immensely by the fact that his own father had less regard for him then he had for Rei. One thing Shinji noticed when he first met Rei was that she seemed very familiar to someone he had known as a young boy...

Then there was Misato. She was his commanding officer and as well as his guardian who watched over him. She was the one assigned to take care of him when he came to Tokyo 3. He even had a small crush on her, which was reasonable, considering her beauty and friendly personality. Sure, she could get mad, and she had a nasty habit of drinking beer in the morning, but everyone had their odd things that they did.

His simple perception of Misato changed last night, though. Last night he saw a side of her that she had been hiding from everyone except him....

He had been tired from another routine sync test, and decided to go straight to bed, hoping to get some sleep. Not being able to, he pondered on about his life, soon coming to tears as he made himself think he was useless.

Then she came, like an angel...the holy type with white robes and white wings...sent from heaven.

She came and talked to him, assuming he was asleep. She softly ruffled his hair, sang to him for a bit, and shared her tears with him, as well as the reason why she could never have any children. She even called him the closest thing she had to a kid of her own, which made Shinji feel something he hadn't felt in a long time...

Happiness.


~Beginning~


Shinji got home early, passing the sync test with much better results then the day before, even surpassing both Rei and Asuka this time, but his mind was preoccupied with other things. He was still thinking about what happened last night. It was still so amazing...everything she said....and she made him feel so happy. So wanted. So...loved. Nobody had ever made him feel all these things with just words. She was like his angel.

Shinji decided that tonight he would wait in bed, and when Misato would open the door hopefully, he would then proceed to pretend to go to sleep. He was loving the attention so much, especially since nobody had ever treated him so kindly before. Besides his mother that is, but his mother had been gone for a long time....

It was almost 11 o'clock. He said goodnight to Asuka, who had been too busy ogling over a magazine to notice him, and goodnight to Misato, who had smiled and said goodnight and sweet dreams right back at him. He quickly hopped into bed and waited for her to come...


~11:30 PM~


"Shinji-kun...hello again..." Misato said, as she closed the door behind her and sat by his bed side, "Again, you're already asleep...it's a good thing, I guess....so you don't have to endure being rambled to death by silly Misato...but I really hope you don't mind me...pouring out to you again..."

"You know...it would be nice if you could hear me, Shinji-kun." she said quietly, as she started to put her hand through his hair. "Then we could be more closer then we are now."

"I feel like I'm the closest thing you've ever had to a mom. Sure...my official title is your "guardian", but you know....I think it would be a lot better if you were calling me your..."mom"...you know?" she said, getting a little closer to her Shinji-kun.

Shinji was once again enjoying the attention he was getting from Misato. He really liked how she was opening up to him, how she put her hand through his hair, how she treated him as if he was her son. He was very thankful that he could fake being asleep so well.

"I know that I could never replace your mom but...you know...I...I'm kind of fond of the idea that the two of us could be a family still after this whole Angels and Third Impact situation is over...you know? It would be nice..." she said, with a hint of hope in her voice, "I mean, I know that I'm not exactly the mother type, but in your case, I would try my best...I have hope for the two of us that we'll still be together..."

"After all, I already care so much about your well-being whenever you have to go fight those goddamned Angels...." said Misato bitterly, "and I think about you a lot...you know...I feel so bad for you, Shinji-kun. You lost your real...mom...when you were young...your dad...he's....well...he's a bastard...a neglectful bastard that doesn't know what he's been missing since he left you...god...you're forced to grow up so fast...piloting those huge...EVAs...and having to protect our city from those Angels who are so intent on bringing about our end..."

"Life is so hard Shinji....I've never had good luck in relationships and...I can't have any kids...so...it's hard. It's so stressing at work...constantly on red alert, never sure when the next Angel would come...having to go through every day not knowing if it's my last or not...but you know Shinji-kun...you're my "rock". You know? I can go here every night and just vent my feelings...you're the perfect listener..."

"If only you could hear me though....that would be much nicer..."

"I hope that you know that you're so brave...not many could handle what you're doing right now..." she said softly to him, tearing up again. "I wish I could protect you always, my Shinji-kun...it's a cruel world out there...trust me, mother knows best..."

She smiled a little as she said that.

"I hope I'm not sounding obsessed with the mom thing, but...it feels so right...." said Misato apologetically.

"I'm so silly...but you know, it's almost like you're awake listening to me...so...yeah..."

Shinji sweat dropped and, fortunately for him, she didn't notice.

"Goodnight Shinji-kun...see you tomorrow night...and sorry for rambling on and on again..." she said as she started towards the door.

".....I love you, son...." said Misato slowly...lovingly...as she closed the door behind her...

Shinji felt like crying. He didn't know why. He certainly wasn't sad at all, or angry. He was so happy and he felt so loved by Misato that he was...crying?

"Good night again, Misato...." he said while wiping his tears away.

"I mean...m...m...mom...goodnight.....mom....." said Shinji happily through his tears, as not only did he get even more happiness and attention from Misato then last night, but his heart was touched by Misato and her hopes of being a sort of mom for him...and that he would be a sort of son to her....

"Don't worry....mom....we'll be a family...and I'll be your son...." he said softly, as he drifted to sleep...

Misato opened the door which she had waited behind after she had left Shinji's room, shocked that she was correct in suspecting that Shinji was awake the whole time she was talking to him, and especially shocked at what he had just said before he had fallen asleep...

"Thank you...Shinji-kun..." she whispered happily, with tears rolling down her cheeks as she walked up to his bed and held him close in her arms.


~The End~


Darn it, I wrote Misato out of character, didn't I? Well, the next sequel to this story will have them talking and will have a shocking twist. Also, not as much cheesy-ness, but I will try to keep it as loving-ish as I can. Remember, fans of mine, I write all for you guys.