[Episode 126311] [Episode 126311]Sore and more then a little sticky, he swung a hand out and silenced the alarm.
The slender blue haired figure, curled up on his chest with her arms around him, went a long way towards explaining both his situation and condition, not to mention the unfamiliar warmth in his chest.
“Rei, we have to get up now.”
Her arms tightened around him as she snuggled into his chest, before answering in a her usual soft spoken way, already awake.
“No.”
“No?” Shinji queried her gently.
A little iron slipped into her voice. “No.”
“We can’t stay in bed forever. We have to get some clothes from my place and get to school.”
He stroked her back and gave her a little squeeze as he waited for her to respond. It was pretty obvious that she had something on her mind.
“I do not think that I can stand going back to being alone again.”
“But you’re not alone, Rei. You’re with me.”
He could feel a damp spot on his chest and even though he couldn’t hear her crying, he knew it was her tears.
“I did not know loneliness until you arrived. It was simply another word in the dictionary that separated me from everyone else, but as I grew to know you I began to comprehend what loneliness was.”
Her voice had a slight hitch to it as she stopped and attempted to regain a little more control.
“Loneliness is being without Shinji.”
He held her tightly as she sobbed brokenly into his chest.
He murmured assurances into her ear, wondering what he could say to make her feel better.
“I am afraid that when I am not in your arms I will feel the loneliness return.”
Sitting up, he carefully pulled her into a sitting position with him and wondered what he could possibly say that could make her feel better. Mentally shrugging he kissed her tears away and decided to wing it.
Doing something was infinitively better then doing nothing but listen to hear cry and wince at the reflected pain in his own heart.
“Then we’ll just have to test that theory while I’m here with you, so if you feel the loneliness return I can hold you in my arms again.”
Rei regained a little of her composure as she replied. “Agreed.”
Slowly they pulled apart, Shinji found himself loathe to let her go.
“Do you feel ok?”
Rei took several deep breaths before replying. “I do not feel as good as I do in your arms, but I do not feel… bad.”
Shinji smiled, relieved that he had managed to do something to calm her down.
“Close your eyes.”
Rei complied and sat quietly with her eyes closed. After a couple of seconds a nervous frown formed on her face.
“Please say something. I can not see or hear you. I do not like it.” The nervous quaver in her voice was painful to hear.
“I’m still here Rei. If you listen carefully you can hear me breath, feel my weight tilt the mattress a little, and if you’re sensitive enough, feel my body heat on your skin. Even if we are not physically touching you can always sense me if you try.”
She sat quietly for nearly a minute before speaking again. “Yes, I can sense you. You are sitting right in front of me watching me and wanting to take me in your arms because you hate to see me in pain.”
Shinji blinked. “You got all that just from trying to sense me?”
“Yes. Haven’t you tried?”
“Not yet.”
Closing his eyes, he pictured Rei in his mind and stretched his senses to try and feel her…
*************
Misato crushed another beer can and sent it winging it’s way to join it’s brothers in the garbage can.
“Yo, Pen-Pen. Beer me.”
“Wark!”
The warm water penguin quickly waddled towards the fridge to grab another can for himself and Misato.
Thankfully she had managed to get a shipment of Blue something or other, a Canadian beer that Pen-Pen favored, else she’d have to fetch her own beer.
Assured that another beer was on its way, Misato examined the package that section 2 had dropped off.
Keys for the apartment next door and a revised synch test schedule.
She could hear the workmen hammering away next door.
‘Why are they installing so much soundproofing in Rei’s new place anyway?’
Rubbing her temples she couldn’t help, but sigh.
‘I’m much too young to be raising kids that are… . I was sure I wouldn’t have to put up with this until I was at least 30. And I’m not even suppose to mention I know unless they tell me!’
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(Posted Sun, 12 Dec 2004 19:55)
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