Rei Ikari

This Is (Not) An Interlude.

Walking through the lobby of the onsen, Rei felt refreshed and ready to go home. The three of them had to wait for their transportation and it was running late. Asuka-san was keeping herself entertained by calling Hikari-chan and Rei did not want to bother either Kensuke or Toji; so her phone was kept tucked in her pocket. Misato-san was also talking on the phone, away from the two pilots and whispering while gesturing with her hands, curious.

The Cello Sonata playing on the speakers of the lobby was lulling her to close her eyes and picture bright white hair, shining like its made of light, celestial "THIRD KID!" Rei opened her eyes, seeing Asuka-san in her face and phone in hand "Are you deaf?! I already knew you're stupid but I've been triying to get your attention for five minutes straight! Jesus!"

"What do you need Asuka-san?" asked Rei, defeated.

"Hikari is insinting on having you in her sleepover, so us three; you in?"

"Yea- yes! I'm in"

"Kay, you can keep daydreaming now" the redhead made a dismissive gesture with her hand.

Rei was going to say something before Misato-san got close to them again "Well, it seems that we need to pick someone up on the way to head quarters."

"Kaji-san!?" asked the readhead excitedly.

"God no" reacted Misato-san with disgust in her face "his name is Kaworu Nagisa, he's been selected as the new pilot for the developing Eva Unit 04."

A beat of silence was shared while the two girls looked at each other in disbelief, Misato felt a drop of sweat run on her temple. Asuka-san apologized to Hikari-chan and hung up their call.

"I didn't-" Rei started "I didn't know that there was more Evas in development."

"What's with that lukewarm response?!?!" Yelled Asuka-san "There's another pilot! Misato! Why were we not informed of this!"

"I was just informed!" Misato-san defended herself, mirroring Asuka-san's pose of her hands on her hips and invading each other's space "AND you guys are not required on knowing the comings and goings of Nerv!"

"Third!" Asuka-san turned towards Rei "did your father say ANYTHING about this?" Rei did not have time to talk before the redhead continued "Why am I asking you? You're clueless about anything!"

"Hey!"

"Asuka, knock it off" Misato-san reprimanded and pointed to the newly arrived van "Get on the car and we're going to welcome that boy nicely!"

"You're not the boss of me!" while in her tantrum, Asuka obeyed and sat at the window seat, leaving Rei to sit on the other end while Misato sat on the front.

The ride took two hours, two hours of the roomates talking over each other. Rei wished she was playing her cello at home until she remembered it was lost. Damnit.

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They reached the front of a common building, night was approaching slowly, like the sun wanted to look at something before it went past the horizon, leaving a redden sky; they were standing with the van at their backs.

"So what happened to Unit-03? Did the Fourth Child fucked it up?" asked Asuka-san with a laugh.

Rei was also wondering that, thinking on the Units that are currently on Nerv.

"Oh that one is still in development, as far as I know there's a pilot selected for it but it's still under wraps until the Unit is available, so technically, Nagisa-kun is the Fifth Child."

"So complicated, can't adults nowadays be more simplistic?"

Rei heard her phone's ringtone, she changed it to the song that was her dreams' cello sonata; and turned to rumage throught her packed bag, she was so distracted with the ringing song that she missed when the Fifth child came out of the building; once she pulled her phone out, it wasn't ringing at all nor it said that a call was missed, yet the song still played clear as day.

Something in her made her straighten up and turn around, an impulse deep in her psyche; heartbeat in synch with the music. Misato-san's voice started the introductions.

Time stopped, there was no other way of describing it. The first thing she noticed was white, dazzling and incandescent white. Like a halo. Bright as the sun.

And then there were those eyes, so abnormaly familiar, carmine red. Rei could compare them to Shinji-kun's but, these eyes are alluring; calling to her and promising warmth, company, everything that she ever denied to herself that she needed.

His -His? Wasn't it They?- harmonized features made her guard drop and shoulders visibly relax, like she was inside the thermal waters an hour ago.

Echoes of another lifetime flashed upon her, unreachable glimpses of the light in front of her.

"I am The Revealed, the One of Free Will..."

"Happy awakening, Beloved..."

"Careful Beloved, our siblings are young still..."

"I want to see how the Earth would have been without The Mother..."

"It's gonna be ok! I will wake anew, I promise, my love."

"Hello" it was said softly, melodically and accompanied with a gesture of greeting "My name is (-Tabris-) Kaworu Nagisa" Rei's eyes and his were locked in "it's nice to meet you (-Again-) today."

"Yeah sure, can we go now Misato?" said Asuka-san.

"Yup, now that we know each other it's time to go home!" the redhead turned around and wasted no time in getting in her previous seat.

Red still dominating her vision, he got closer to Rei "Home, yes" he stopped besides Rei and extended his hand towards the car while keeping the eye contact and smiling gently. Rei's blood rushed to her cheeks, she looked down and ushered herself in; catching a glimpse of his hand closing around nothing, oh no, was he trying to help her up? She just met him and she's being rude already.

Her internal panic doubled once she realized that she is sitting in the middle of Asuka-san and Nagisa-kun. Her left side, the one touching the redhead felt cold compared to her right, borderline burning; Rei wanted to follow that heat and melt into it, it was magnetic. It did not help that all throughout the trip Asuka-san kept pushing Rei while claiming that she was too close; Nagisa-kun said nothing and sat firmly in his place, immovable, Rei tried her best to shield him from being inconvenienced, it felt like second nature to think of his comfort over hers. She didn't even look anywhere other than her hands, feeling his stare all the while but instead of judged she felt safeguarded.

"Move!"

"Asuka! Stop pushing her, don't make me tell the driver to stop, you will walk the rest of the way."

"Good! Maybe that way I'll have some space, why didn't you get a bigger car?" Asuka-san stopped pushing Rei, crossing her arms so if Rei went back to the very middle her elbow would dig into the brunette.

"It was issued to us, not much you can do when its admin's prerogative."

"Whatever, hey Fifth!"

"How can I help you Asuka Langley!"

"Move closer to the door, that way Rei can move further."

"Oh! What about" he lifted the arm that was closer to Rei, she could feel every movement as if it was making contact in her skin "this then" his arm went around her shoulders and tucked her under his arm, making Rei lift her eyes to his "This is a better arrangement, no?" He smiled down at her "Hello, (-Beloved-) Rei."

Rei can't feel her face anymore, all her blood is burning in her head. This close to him she can smell a scent that brought her back to her days helping the wife of her teacher tend to her plamts, he smells of lemons and her favorite aloe plant. Without meaning to, she adjusted her position in his arms; only to feel her left arm be yanked out of his embrace.

"Keep your hands to yourself mister!" Was the other pilot's shrill.