I don't want to forget - An Evangelion story, an homage to Shinji and Asuka.

Mustn't Run Away Train

"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!

The world forgetting, by the world forgot.

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

Each prayer accepted, and each wish resigned."

Disclaimer and author notes: I don't own Evangelion (yet), Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind and other (several) references that will be made here and in the following chapter.

If you get some reference or think that some dialogues or words are familiar, you're most likely right.

Originally, this was going to be something like a 50k words one-shot, but I've decided to publish it in the traditional chapter format. The early chapters may fell a little weird but, hopefully, everything will be explained at the right time. I hope you enjoy the ride.

The ponytailed boy wakes up with a gasp.

As he removes the plugs of his SDAT device, he realizes that he is sitting at the far end of an empty car, looking at the window as the train slowly passes through desolate terrain.

After a moment, the door between cars opens.

A redheaded girl, wearing a yellow sundress and some odd-looking hair clips on her braided hair, enters the wagon.

The boy looks up. The girl is not looking at him. She busies herself deciding where to sit for a while and then finally settles on a seat at the opposite end of the car.

He feels that the girl is watching him from the corner of her eyes, as he blushes and sighs, whispering to himself - "I'm pathetic... I already fell in love with a pretty woman only because she just showed me the least bit of attention?"

The train now seems to be entering some kind of a tunnel, to the disappointment of the boy who was already planning to stare at the window to avoid staring at the girl like a completely hopeless idiot.

"Hallo!"

The boy looks over, in surprise. - "I'm sorry?"

"What? I couldn't hear you!"

"I said, I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? I just said hi."

"No, it's just... I didn't know if you were talking to me, so..."

She looks around the empty car. "Are you stupid?"

"Well, I didn't want to assume..."

"Aw, c'mon. Take the leap and assume someone is talking to you in an otherwise empty car."

"Sorry. Hi."

"Hi." The girl smiles and makes her way down the aisle towards the boy.

"It's okay if I sit closer? That way I won't have to shout at you. I'm kinda tired of shouting at people people sometimes, believe you me.... But I don't want to bug you if you're trying to listen to music or something."

He looks at his SDAT. "No, I'm just... I don't really, um ..."

"What? You don't really what?"

She hesitates and stops in the middle of the car, looking back where she came from.

"I mean... it's okay if you want to sit down here. "

"Just, you know, to chat a little, maybe" -she says as she moves to sit across the aisle from the boy - "So, how far are you going?"