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

Unfamiliar Ceiling

"I hate you."

"I wouldn't be caught dead with you!"

"Don't get me wrong... Do you really think I could ever like you?"

"You have nothing to do with my life anymore. Get away from me! ... and don't call me anymore!"

"Stubborn bastard... Don't follow me around anymore."

"Your type makes me sick!"

"I'm sorry.., We're nothing more than friends."

"Annoying bastard... Why don't you learn to give up? There's no way I'd ever go back to you."

"I HATE YOU! Go away!"

"It'd be better if you'd never been born. Dammit, get away from me! I hate you!"

"You're a pain in the ass!"

"Wimp."

As soon as I opened my eyes, I could finally stop listening to those voices and stare at what was in front of me.

An unfamiliar ceiling.

My hands were covered with bandages, but other than that, I couldn't notice anything wrong .

Besides the fact that this bed is too small and those... strands of hair touching my shoulders?

"Ikari... you're finally awake... how do you feel?" - I could hear a woman's voice calling me. What was her name again?

"Ah... I'm sorry, miss..."

"Ibuki. And that guy over there is Hyuga. Do you remember us?"

"I... I remember. You guys work with Misato don't you? Where is she?"

I watched as they looked into each other with a weird expression on their faces. The woman made a brief signal of concordance with her head and the man started to talk to me.

"Ikari... what is the last thing you remember?"

A question that, at first glance, seemed to be quite simple started to make me feel a pain in my head. Everything still seemed very confusing and I took a few moments to try to remember yesterday's events. Or, at least, what happened before I ended up in this hospital room.

"I... I remember that we were going to... a battle? I was inside the Eva... I... don't remember anything else. W-what happened?"

"I see. Well... I think you'd better see for yourself." - the man said as his partner pulled a mirror from her purse and handed me the object in hand.

And then I could see it.

An unfamiliar face.

I am not sure for how long or how many days had passed been since I had that conversation with them.

From what I could understand, I've failed... and the angels won somehow. The world didn't end, but Third Impact happened and life out there will never go back to normal.

No surprises there. What they were thinking? Betting all of their chips on me to defend humanity? It was only a matter of time before I blew it.

Misato, Toji, Kensuke... probably Ayanami too. They are all dead. And so is my father. Why should I be the only one alive? I'm a failure even at that.

That old sensation of not knowing what to do anymore hit me harder than the previous time. Why did NERV take care of me all this time if I am no longer needed?