== Raising A Boy == Shinji x Asuka x Kaworu (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

7 - Are You Gay?

Shinji suddenly realized how deep in trouble he was. He took a step back, ready to run for it. He would shut himself in his room if he had to, scrub the makeup off and hide the clothes in the deepest recesses of his closet. Asuka had no proof of anything. She couldn't tell anyone. She just couldn't.

"Why?" said Asuka. She wasn't yelling anymore. If anything, she sounded sad. "Why are you doing this?"

Shinji dropped his eyes to the floor. "I don't know..."

Asuka clenched her fists at her side. "Are you... you know..." she hesitated. "Gay?"

"No!"

"Then why are you dressed like that?" Asuka retorted, her voice rising again. "Is it because of me? I mean, I hate your guts," she added, flippantly. "but I didn't exactly want to turn you off women forever or anything."

"It's not like that," Shinji mumbled. He didn't want to have to tell her. Explaining things to Kaworu was different. He just couldn't talk to Asuka like that.

"Then what is it?" she continued relentlessly.

"I don't..."

"Come on, spit it out!"

"It makes me feel pretty, okay?" Shinji shouted.

There was a ringing silence following his words.

After a long moment, Shinji finally looked up at her. He couldn't tell if she looked sad, disappointed, or sick. Maybe it was all three.

"So, you're gay." she stated.

"No, it's just... it makes me feel good. Wearing makeup and dresses and stuff." He rounded on her in a desperate bid to explain himself. "You know what I'm talking about! You do it all the time at school. You know, that thing you do with your hair."

Asuka narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What thing I do with my hair?"

"You know, that thing where you flip it over your shoulder because you know a boy's watching. Or when you flap your shirt to make your-"

"I do that because I'm hot, idiot!" Asuka snapped, going red. "It's gotta be, like, a hundred degrees in our classroom these days! I don't do stuff like that to get attention! What are you, stupid?"

"Well, everyone notices you when you do that." Shinji continued. "Even me." He looked away, blushing. "It's just that I wish people would look at methat way, too."

Asuka seemed to calm down a little. "You and Nagisa weren't doing anything weird in my room, then?"

"No," said Shinji. "He was just helping me with the makeup." There was a short silence. "You won't tell Misato, will you?"

Asuka shrugged. "Maybe."

"I'm really sorry I went in your room." he continued, miserably. "I won't do it again, I promise."

"You're sure you're not gay or anything?" Asuka prompted. "Because you have to tell me right now if you are."

"No. Really, Asuka, I'm not."