Nightshift

Nightshift
Protocol

He quietly strolled down the sidewalk as a stray breeze blew trash into the street, the crumbled paper rolling through one lane into the next. Shinji watched it as he walked to school at his own leisure for the first time since his third roommate arrived.

Taking his sight away from the tumbling ball of discarded paper, his eyes came to rest on the back of the person that walked in front of him. She wasn’t much bigger than him to tell the truth, her height as unimpressive as her small frame.

There would be nothing wrong with that if the person in front of him was normal but the people that adorned that uniform were anything but. Section Two was not a place for normal people.

Her uniform was like the rest. A simple black suit with a white button-up shirt and tie but the sunglasses needed to complete her attire was absent. Unlike the other agents, she didn’t fall into their conformity. How she appeared to other people was something not worthy of her attention. Everything about her seemed professional, from her careful steps to the way her eyes swept their surroundings for any sign of danger.

The pilot held back a sigh as he reminded himself that it was indeed just a front…

She stopped to fix her glove and pulled at the end of it to make sure it fit like it was supposed to. The agent yawned as she stretched with gun firmly in hand, “This is some straight bullshit. I would have fucking drove you to school if they gave me a car!” She exclaimed with a raspy voice, sounding somewhat older than how she looked.

Despite her appearance, she was obviously a person who lacked things like manners and tact.

“Miss… ugh…”

“Ha,” Much to the horror of the boy she was assigned to protect, the annoyed woman rubbed her temple with the tip of the gun she held, “So you forgot my name again?”

She looked over her shoulder at him with a devilish smile that looked at home on her face. The steel grey eyes that once searched for any sign of danger were now completely focused on him, openly staring despite the few strains of her short black hair in front of her face.

With ease she abandoned the surveillance that made her seem at least a bit respectable and turned around to face him, “It’s Akemi. Forget the name of the person who might save your life again and you’ll get punched again.” She declared with honesty.

Reminded, Shinji rubbed the sore spot on his jaw where he received her wrath not even half an hour ago. It wasn’t even the first day and this much happened. He couldn’t help but wonder long he would have to endure this as they started walking again.

Satisfied, she placed her firearm back into the holster and pulled a cigarette and lighter out of her pocket, “Not much longer I think.” Akemi muttered before using the lighter and putting the cigarette in her mouth.

Shinji blinked before turning to his bodyguard with his eyebrow raised, briefly wondering if she did what he though she did but she already had a logical answer ready for him.

“Being able to read expressions is important.” Akemi said softly as she exhaled, making little rings of smoke exit her mouth in the process, “Remember that kid.”

He nodded as he followed her down the sidewalk and looked at her back as she walked. Her silent surveillance restarted, her attention divided between him and the city once more, “Hmm, are you always this quiet or are you just missing your girlfriend?”

He mentally sighed, wondering how it was even possible for someone like her to be one of those stoic agents that always followed him, “Asuka isn’t my girlfriend.”

Akemi chuckled, taking the cigarette out of her mouth to blow out a small cloud of grey, “You sound kind of disappointed.”

“Anyway…” Shinji started as he looked for a much needed change of subject, “Why are we doing this again?”

The agent shook her head as she walked with her hand in her pockets, “How could you forget something like-“

“No!” Shinji injected, quick to let her know that she was wrong, “I know what happened…”

It was just like she said. How could he forget that his roommate almost got kidnapped? He could clearly picture the many times they walked back to the apartment with each other and he just so happened to be on cleaning duty yesterday. Even though he wasn’t there, he could envision everything that Misato told him.

He could see Asuka walking alone, the red haired girl complaining about her day to herself until a car pulls up and people spring out of it. With reflexes sharpened to the point where she didn’t need to think about what to do, she threw her briefcase at the man who reached out for her and kicked the other one as hard as she could.

Easily, she fended them off but they were still coherent enough to escape as Section Two fired on them. When he got to the apartment, the proud pilot of Unit 02 denied being scared but he could tell by the missing synch clip how much she was shaken.

“I was just wondering why it’s like this.” Shinji whispered, quietly lamenting over the fact that he wasn’t there even if there was little he could have done.

“I don’t know.” Akemi shrugged as they rounded a corner, “If you don’t like it, then you could just forget about school until we catch them. You can’t walk with your girlfriend anymore since we can’t have the pilots in the same place at the same time and I’m with you in case someone needs to save your ass. Does that explain everything?”

“Kind of but-”

She threw her cigarette on the asphalt and crushed it under her shoe as they crossed the street, “Got any more questions before we get there kid?”

“Why are they trying to get us?” Shinji asked, posing the question that was on his mind since he woke up.

Akemi, pulling another cigarette out of her pocket, smiled in spite of herself as they finally arrived at the school, “How about some questions I can actually answer?”

The thought that she would know why people were after them when no one else did make him seem kind of dim but he moved to his next question nonetheless, “Um, are you really coming in with me?”

“Yeah, the major already told you I’m going to be with you all day and every day until this shit is dealt with.”

Even though Misato didn’t phrase it like that, he vaguely remembered her saying something along the lines of ensuring his safety by making sure someone was always close. It wasn’t that it bothered him or anything but all day was a really long time and…

Akemi pulled the cigarette out of her mouth to speak, “What’s your first class anyway?” She asked, not sounding all that excited for obvious reasons.

She probably wasn’t the best person to bring inside a school.

~*~

Time didn’t go by as fast as Shinji would have liked but it passed nonetheless.

Days passed and, eventually, weeks went by. Even though Akemi did grate on his nerves at times, the fact that she was even around was something that he appreciated. With that on his mind, he turned to look at the passing cars and the like as he walked but something just felt wrong…

The pilot unconsciously sidestepped to avoid the punch she threw at him and Akemi spit her cigarette out before she laughed, “Think you’re doing some big shit because I missed kid?”

“It’s not like that.” Shinji took a deep breath, his line of thought lost, as they walked to the school, “I just kind of got used- Ow!”

Akemi returned her hand to her side as she looked around, “Just pay attention when I’m talking and you won’t get hurt.”

“I was listening though!” Shinji cried, still rubbing his head.

Amused, she narrowed her grey eyes at him, “What was the last thing I said then?”

“Um, just pay attention when I’m talking and- Ow…”

She tapped him on the head with her knuckles for the second time today, “Don’t be stupid. Now tell me about the fight.”

He told her about his latest near death experience just like he told her about the others ones. This was standard fare, the usual banter on their morning walk. It didn’t have to be about Evangelions or even NERV. Sometimes she talked about video games, sometimes he talked about music. Anything to make the trek to school less boring than it had to be.

It wasn’t too long ago that he found that this was his favorite part of the day. Akemi was someone who honestly annoyed him more than Asuka but her punches played a very large role in that. Aside from the second hand smoke and being constantly hit, it was nice to be around her when she wasn’t angry.

“It was the strongest one so far.” The pilot responded as he recalled the Angel breaking into the GeoFront, “It took all three of us to take it down. If Ayanami didn’t come out with the N2 mine then I don’t know what would have happened…”

The agent pulled a cigarette out of her pocket, “That’s pretty crazy. Wish I could hop into one of those things and try it out though, probably kick some ass here and there.”

Shinji looked up at her, “You want to fight the Angels?”

“Ha, I’ll leave that to you.” Akemi looked at the flame from her lighter with a dangerous look in her eyes, “I’ll just step on a few houses, pluck the occasional guy, blow some shit up, and all that.”

Feeling dumb for almost admiring her, he decided to change the subject, “Why are you different than the other agents Akemi?”

“Well, I am a girl.”

“Never mind…”

“For real, it’s a lot of different people in Section Two.” Akemi stated as they crossed the street, “We might dress the same but we don’t even work together for real.”

Shinji looked at her while she continued her surveillance, “I was talking about the gloves and-“

She stopped in the middle of the street and raised her hand in front of face. With a slight tug at the tip, the glove came off and she pulled her sleeve up. A sadistic smile came to her face as his eyes landed on the scars that covered her forearm, her life represented by something people deemed ugly.

“God…” His eyes widened as he realized how much it must have hurt, “W-What happened?” He asked, the scars surprising him to the point where he forgot they didn’t cross the street yet.

What happened?

It was always the same question but she didn’t mind. These scars that covered her entire body were something that she took pride in, something that reminded her where she came from and what she had to do to survive.

“What happened?” She repeated what he said as she put her glove back on and lowered her sleeve, “I got my ass kicked a few times but it didn’t take long for me to fuck some people up. I didn’t give a damn about Second Impact but stuff was crazy back then.”

“You told me you were nineteen though.” Shinji said quickly, mentally counting the years as she started walking.

“Back then, people didn’t care about things like being a girl or even being a kid especially if you were an orphan.” Her smile was gone and her lazy grey eyes stared off into the distance, “These fists were the only thing I could really depend on.”

Akemi was quiet for the first time since he met her, the scars she had covered by the uniform she wore and her hands were not balled into fist. She silently studied the gloved hand she held in front of her face and he watched her without saying a thing.

Today, he noted, was also the first time he ever saw her look sad.

“Akemi… I’m,” He followed her down the sidewalk, “I’m sorry for asking.”

She blew out a puff of grey that almost matched her eyes, “It’s okay. It’s not like I don’t ask you about the Angels and-“

A loud screech interrupted her. With her heart skipping a beat, she snapped her head to the side just fast enough to see a blur of red and black passing the side of her, the sound the tires were making against the road becoming louder as it slid to a stop not far in front of them.

Shinji felt the tension rise, this intense pressure to act something he knew all too well but this wasn’t supposed to happen. All this timed passed and nothing happened so why now?

He froze, unable to move as he saw them get out of the car and run in his direction but the gloved hand on his chest made sure he wasn’t going to be standing for long. Akemi pushed him down as she rushed forward with her gun drawn.

Akemi could virtually feel her blood boiling as she removed the safety.

She was caught off guard, the person she was assigned to protect could have already been dead. That alone made her angry but the sheer fact that they appeared at all enraged her beyond words.

With reckless abandon, she dashed towards the men in front of her and fired. The agent didn’t even take the time to see if she hit her mark or not as she fell on her victims like a curse.

One of them pulled out a gun and swung his arm to point it in her direction but she would have none of that. A quick elbow in the throat and two shots into his forearm later left him crumpling to the ground holding his neck, a nasty sounding cry escaping his lips as he tried to breathe.

Shinji looked up as a man sped passed his bodyguard but the grey eyes that locked on his back was enough to ensure he wouldn’t get close to the pilot. Again, Akemi fired two shots in succession. Both found their marks and the man dropped, almost falling on top of the boy he sought to grab.

That was the end of it…

Shinji took a deep breath and slowly exhaled as he got back on his feet just in time to see Akemi put a bullet in the head of the man in front of her. He wiped off the blood that splattered on his face and stared at the man at his feet, the same blood that stained his school shirt pooling under the guy.

“Shinji!!” His bodyguard yelled as she ran back to him, “Are you alright? Where are you hurt?” She asked, her questions rolling off her tongue so fast that he could barely hear what she said.

“It’s not my blood…”

She met his eyes with her own, “I had to kill them if that’s what you are thinking. I wanted to leave at least one alive but I couldn’t take the chance.”

He shook his head as she finished looking him over, “I was just wondering if these were the same guys that attacked Asuka. I… I was just thinking about what would have happened if they really caught her.”

“It’s cute.”

The pilot raised an eyebrow, “What?”

“You were that worried about your girlfriend huh?” Akemi smiled as she looked at her wristwatch, “After we file this report, I think I’ll tell-“

A shot…

She immediately turned to where the bang came from and found a woman beside the car. Shaking to the point where she could barely hold the gun, she stood with her legs spread and tears freely running down her face. Just like the men, she was dressed in all black but her attire was the last thing Shinji and Akemi cared about.

Shinji checked himself, somehow taking his eyes off the woman long enough to look himself up and down. He wasn’t hit and the only other person that could have was right in front of him, “Akemi…” Shinji whispered with his eyes wide.

It was possibly the last and probably the worst mistake of entire life. For some unexplainable reason, she didn’t bother to clear the car and her stomach paid for her folly.

She didn’t even feel it at first but the horrible burning in her side was almost enough to make her fall but she was never that weak. Instead, she calmly pressed a hand to the wound and stood straight up as the woman fired another shot. She missed wildly, the round harmlessly passed far overhead but she had more, “S-Stay away!!” She screamed as loud as she could, terrified of the girl that made short work of her comrades.

Akemi, however, did not hear her. She was shot before but it didn’t hurt this bad… This pain was akin to having someone drill a hole in your side but she didn’t care. It hurt but having her hands around that woman’s neck would make her feel so much better.

She was going to fucking kill that bitch with her own hands.

With a deadly look in her eyes, Akemi pressed forward as the blood stain on her shirt continued to grow. It was becoming harder and harder to take another step but she didn’t care, she was starting to become dizzy but she didn’t care… She watched as the woman pointed the gun at her once again but it was going to take far more than another bullet to stop her.

Until she stopped walking…

She fell to her knees, the hand she placed on the concrete the only thing that stopped her from falling flat on her face. The hell? She couldn’t stop now… She still had to kill her. She tried to get up but she couldn’t, the pain in her side the main reason and the fact that she was blacking out another.

“Shinji…” She sluggishly raised her head, “Run-“

Her view of the gun that was leveled at her was blocked by the person that slid between her and the person that sought to kill her. Akemi didn’t have to think hard to realize that the shadow over her belonged to Shinji.

She reached out and grasped his pants before passing out but the last thing she heard was clearly another shot.

~*~

“…like she really loved him!”

“She doesn’t look like the type who loves herself much less another person.”

“She took a bullet for him!! It’s romantic!”

“Ever stopped to think that she was just doing her job?”

Akemi slowly opened her eyes, the bright whites of the room enough to make her blink a few times before focusing on the bickering nurses at the foot of her bed. She groaned upon seeing the nurses not because of their conversation but just because their presence was enough to prove that she was in the hospital.

“Come on Chikaru! She took a bullet for him.” The gray eyed girl watched the shorter of the two almost squeal in the childish delight, “It’s so romantic!”

“No…” The nurse sighed before shaking her head, both she and the patient she tended to rolled their eyes because of such a crazy notion, “It’s her job.”

Even though she was still somewhat drowsy, that was a something she could agree with. Blinking a few times to get her bearing, Akemi raised her hands to her face and balled them into a fist. Satisfied so far, she attempted to drop her arms back down on the bed but she wasn’t the only person shocked when the back of her hand hit something.

The something she hit was up in seconds, the sudden movement from the bed more than enough to alert both the nurses. One made her exit to alert the doctors and the other rushed to the side of the bed Shinji sat on. Both of them stared at her with glowing smiles, the expressions alone telling her how thankful they were she finally woke.

Seeing the pilot knocked her number one concern off the list but she still had to be prepared for some of the others, “Gone head and lay it on me. I can’t walk? Someone already killed the bitch that shot me? I’m fired?”

Both the nurse and the pilot she was ordered to protect deflated with her words. Shinji sighed as the nurse backed away, “That’s not funny…”

Akemi lifted the sheets and had to fight to stop from muttering an obscenity when she realized she was wearing a gown, “Not trying to be funny kid.”

“It won’t be long until you’ll be released.” The nurse said as she decided it was in better judgment to leave the room. Shinji nodded his thanks as she finally left them alone.

The agent reached behind her head to fluff her pillow and closed her eyes, “So… What happened?”

“They, I mean, the other agents killed her.”

That wasn’t surprising. She killed the men for the same reason, couldn’t take prisoners when protecting someone was your top priority. Akemi took it well, even cracking a smile knowing that the woman probably got some clips emptied into her chest, “And?”

She opened her eyes and turned to him when he didn’t respond. His cobalt eyes were staring directly at her, what he had to say something that obviously bothered him, “You were fired.”

Akemi sat up and looked around for a second time. Her side protested but the pain didn’t register as she noticed that this wasn’t the hospital she was supposed to be in. It was a civilian hospital but Section Two agents got treated at the same place the pilots and staff did.

She literally hit herself in the head, she should have expected this. They had more than zero chances to kill the Third Child and that by itself meant that she failed possibly harder than any agent before. Even if they were trying to kidnap him, she had to assume that they wanted him dead and the fact that they had opportunities to make it happen was reason to give her a pink slip.

Not to mention that he… he protected her.

“I fucked up.” Akemi said solemnly, the look on her face definitely not a happy one.

Shinji didn’t like to see anyone sad but Akemi was a different story. He was so used to seeing her full of confidence, almost dripping with pride but she seemed empty and tired. Seeing someone like her in a hospital bed was some kind of experience in itself but seeing her like this was something he couldn’t stand to watch any longer.

“I told them I wouldn’t pilot anymore unless they let you come back.”

His words had the opposite affect.

“W-What?” She stuttered, caught off guard, “Don’t mind me Shinji, I’m just the person who almost got you killed.”

“You got shot because of me…”

“I didn’t dive in front of you or anything even…” If I would have was something she left off, unable to say not only that but that she was glad that he tried to get her job back.

“No matter how much I thought about it, I knew nothing would have changed even if I was there when Asuka got attacked.” Shinji rested his chin back on the bed as he spoke, “I don’t know what to say but I just moved without thinking… I really didn’t want to see you get hurt again.”

“Get hurt…” Akemi said with a small voice, the scars she had making it known that she been hurt plenty of times already.

“I had… some time to think about that when they were rolling you in.” The glassy look in his eyes in his eyes was still present as he sat up and turned away from her, “I don’t want bad things to happen to anyone but I especially don’t want anything to happen to you Akemi. When you blacked out I….”

His eyes got watery for but a quick sweep of the back his hand across his face remedied that, “I like you Akemi.”

“Shinji.”

He turned around and a fist met the side of his face before he could see her. One of her infamous punches sent him sprawling to the floor, the chair he was sitting in falling on top of his body. How someone that small and in that condition could throw such a punch was a question that took second place to one more relevant.

She didn’t need to look on the side of the bed to know what kind of look he had on his face, “Have you listened to anything I said!? Have you even looked at me?” Akemi raised her arms, “I’m a fucking bitch, a murderer! Never mind the fact that it looks like I took a bath in razors!”

“I don’t care…” He answered her from the floor, voicing what was possibly her personal motto.

If her side didn’t hurt so much she would have got up and beat his ass, “You were ready to die for someone like me? Risking people lives just to get my job back?”

Her side did feel like it was on fire but her pride was virtually in ashes. When his shadow was cast over her, her heart nearly jumped into her throat as her pride plummeted. Hearing that he was willing to sacrifice his position as a pilot and even his livelihood for her sake bothered her to the point where she didn’t know how to respond.

No one ever did kind things for her.

She sighed and looked on the side of the bed.

No one ever said they liked her before either.

“A-Are you al-“

“I thought you were going to die.” Shinji cut in as he placed a hand on the bed and pulled himself back up. The only thing that probably saved him from being knocked out being the fact that he rolled with the blow, “I… I thought I wouldn’t be able to see you again.”

Of course she liked him but not in the mushy way the nurse was talking about. He was the only person who ever liked her company, the only person she ever thought of as a friend. A part of her really wanted to be romantic, to tell him that the feeling was mutual but that just wasn’t her.

She was just as scared as he was when it happened. Just like she was only thinking about him, it was easy to tell that he was only thinking about her. She knew exactly what he meant because she felt the exact same way but that was the line.

All those years ago, she left things like romance behind. She wasn’t like the girls she saw on television. She didn’t like dresses, she never tried to get a boyfriend, she knew she would never get married, she didn’t care about flowers, and she wasn’t cute.

Why was he worried about someone like her?

“Why do you like me?” Akemi asked softly.

“Um, I don’t know… No! I…” He paused to think about it some more, “There isn’t just one reason.”

“I feel the same way.”

Saying anything more than that would be too hard. She looked at her hands in her lap as she thought about him and the way he made her feel.

Shinji was important, someone she always secretly respected more than others. She couldn’t deny that she was disappointed to find out he wasn’t the kind of person she thought he’d be but, in a way, knowing that the pilot of Unit 01 was like that only elevated his status in her mind.

It wasn’t love at first sight or anything like that. Just like he said he liked her, she liked him but she couldn’t just outright say things like that… She didn’t even understand the concept of liking other people for real.

Akemi looked away from her twiddling thumbs and at the person that brought forth these unfamiliar feelings. Shinji stood on the side of the bed, his eyes glued to the tiles on the floor.

She put her hand on top of his.

This was her limit, any further attempt to show affection would put a strain on her but this small thing made her happy. The warmth of the hand under hers meant so much more than having a gun readily accessible to her, so much more than using the fists that helped her survive this long.

She smiled, a beautiful expression that was befitting of her. The awkwardness he felt before disappeared in the light of her smile, the happiness lifting his spirit. Akemi, contrary to what she thought, was pretty and it wasn’t just because of how she looked when she was happy.

It took something like that to make him see how much she meant to him but his feelings didn’t occur being of it. Getting pushed to the side as paramedics came to her aid, it was in hindsight that he realized that she was irreplaceable.

She was far more special to him than she thought.

~*~

Akemi flipped through the channels on the television with a blank expression until she landed on a talk show. With a mild amount of interest, she watched the couple talk about how they wanted to take their relationship to the next step.

Shinji mumbled something in his sleep, the pattern of the blanket he was resting his head on imprinted on the side of his face. Taking her eyes away from the arguing couple, she looked at the sleeping pilot and messed with his hair.

He stayed with her since she got here. It wasn’t until the nurses informed her that she found out he didn’t even leave to go home. He paced outside the door as they removed the bullet, he sat in the same chair he was sitting in now and looked out the window when she slept, and he often spoke to her when she was awake.

“Akemi…”

She quickly retracted her hand as he said her name, the focus of her thoughts already centered on what kind of dream he was having. He looked stern, almost as serious as he did when he told her how his feelings.

“Stick him with the jab… Hook too wide.”

Akemi’s eyebrow started to twitch, “Boxing?”

“Hmm, so you’re the lucky lady.”

Deciding against shaking Shinji awake, she lifted her head to look at the man who quietly slipped into the room. He was unusually smug, the way he stood itself told her how confident he was. He didn’t wear a uniform in favor of a blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and some black slacks.

His hair was tied in a ponytail that moved behind him as he walked straight up to the bed and looked down at Shinji, “Misato and Asuka have really been worried about the poor guy.” He scratched what little hair was on his chin, “Too bad he’s not awake to hear the good news.”

“Who the hell are you and haven’t you heard of knocking first?” Akemi asked as she glared at him.

“The name’s Kaji.” He said, loosing his tie as the grey eyes staring him down told him to get to the point. The dangerous look in her eyes made it known he probably would have already been shot if she had a gun but he already knew how to deal with looks like that thanks to a certain major.

Akemi narrowed her eyes as she waited for him to continue.

“The commander agreed to give you your job back. They didn’t even throw your stuff out so everything you left in the room you had at the GeoFront is still there if you want it.” Kaji flashed his trademark smile as he threw a pack of cigarettes on the bed, “To tell the truth, he agreed to it the moment Shinji threatened to leave.”

It wasn’t exactly a family secret that the commander didn’t care about him. She even remembered Shinji telling her that he felt like his father barely saw him as a person much less his own son.

“I’m glad I got my job back and all but what was the problem then?”

“Misato…” Shinji whispered as he sat up, sleeping in that position for that long making his back feel brittle.

His guardian was completely against the entire idea of letting Akemi be an agent again let alone being close to the pilot she failed to protect. The major condemned her because she couldn’t completely do what she was assigned to do. What about all the times he disobeyed a direct order? The time he ran away from her and NERV? A double standard he wasn’t glad to be on the good end of…

“Thought as much,” Akemi stared at the pack of cigarettes in her lap, “The major got all up in our ass when you ran away. Don’t even want to talk about when the Second almost got kidnapped.”

“Speaking of that, it took a bit of time but we found out they were from a sect that believed the Angels were prophets. We looked into it and found that there were a few extremists in the group.” Kaji walked by the bed to stand in front of the window, “Should have took the time to think about it some more when I first heard about it.”

The room was quiet again aside from the low applause coming from the television mounted in the corner of the room. All of the occupants were silent for different reasons, the good news he brought opening their eyes to things they’ve yet to think about in detail.

Shinji took a glance at Akemi who toyed with pack of cigarettes she gently tossed up and down. After Asuka was attacked, he was witness to Misato losing her faith in the agents but it wasn’t until she arrived on the scene that she started to hate Section Two.

Incompetence was something Misato did not accept no matter the person it was coming from and, in her eyes, Section Two failed on so many fronts that incompetence was the least of her worries. Bothering Misato about Akemi would irritate her more so the only person he could reasonably depend on was Kaji.

The man that helped him looked out the window, the magnificent view of the city under the night sky was something he would have admired more if there was a woman beside him and probably a drink in his hand but his thoughts had nothing to do with Toyko-3.

Was he trying to make himself feel better by doing this for Shinji since he didn’t at all play a role in saving him or Asuka from nearly being kidnapped or worse? It wasn’t anything like that or at least he hoped it wasn’t but he knew from the moment Shinji asked for his helped that he wasn’t going to turn him down. Finding the fired agent, dropping Shinji off at the hospital, and even making an argument for her to be reinstated was all his doing at the expense of Misato not talking to him.

Akemi, unlike the other two, shrugged off her worries. The major didn’t like her much in the first place but Shinji lived with her, “Shinji,” She waited for him to look up at her, “We’re going to see the major.”

“Huh? When?”

The agent threw back the sheets and started to get up. While the hospital gown was enough to make her embarrassed, she was going to march right up to her superior and let her know how it was going down, “Right now.”

Kaji’s eyes were already bulging out thanks to the scars that covered her but her announcement was reason enough for both his and Shinji’s mouth to drop open. The older man looked at his wristwatch, “You can’t be serious.”

“You shouldn’t be moving though!” Shinji cried as he tried to stop her from getting off the bed.

“I’ve been shot before Shinji. It doesn’t take that long to get better.” Akemi slapped his hands off her, “More importantly, I’m tired of her bitching. If she finds out how I feel about you then I’m not going to hear the end of it.”

“Help me hold her down Kaji!”

“It’s for us Shinji! We got to put a stop to this shit right now!”

Kaji watched from behind the Third Child, the things he heard about the pilot’s girlfriend were certainly true. Even the scars he thought were an exaggeration but it was her fiery nature that couldn’t help but make him smile.

“Come on Akemi, they told me you’re going to be released soon but you’re not ready to leave yet!” Shinji said as he tried his best to stop her, “You can’t go!”

“I’m telling you we have- Shit…” Akemi gave up and laid back down, her pained expression enough to let him know why, “Watch where you put your hands next time.”

“Sorry about that… but leave talking to Misato to me, alright?”

“If we go now then you wouldn’t have to worry about it later.”

The older man figured the mood would be more solemn but seeing them interact with each other eased his fears. While he couldn’t quite agree with her course of action, seeing her so lively made him feel like he did the right thing and that was all he could ask for.

“Akemi…”

“Alright,” She turned her attention back to the television after seeing the look on his face, “I’ll wait then but I’m serious about this. You have to break stuff like this up before they get bigger or it only leads to more problems.”

Things were lively enough here, he wouldn’t have to do any kind of cheering up. Kaji tapped Shinji on the shoulder as he passed by the boy on his way to the door, “Come with me for a bit.”

Shinji looked over his shoulder at Akemi as he followed Kaji but she didn’t mention anything as she flipped through the channels. With her attention caught by the wrestling she stopped on, he slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Kaji, always more cautious than he had to be, double checked the halls before looking down at the pilot, “I’m really proud of you for doing what you did Shinji… Believe me I am but you have to think about Misato and Asuka too. You know how tough they are but you being attacked really shook them up.” He reached in his pocket for his car keys, “I think you already have an idea of how things are going over there without you.”

“I know.” Shinji leaned on the wall beside the door, looking down at the floor as he thought, “I just wanted to stay until I knew she was better for sure. I’ll go to the apartment tomorrow before I go to school.”

“You want me to come and pick you up?”

“No thanks,” Shinji put his hand on the door handle, “It’s not that far away.”

Kaji nodded as he walked down the hall without anyone to obstruct his path, the time for visiting ending hours ago, “Alright then, Shinji. If you need anything don’t hesitate to call me.”

“Thanks Mr. Kaji,” Shinji opened the door, “Really… You helped me a lot.”

With that, they went their separate ways. Kaji retreated down the hall and Shinji walked back into the room to find Akemi watching a different program.

“So what did he say?” She asked up front, not shy about getting to the point.

“He told me that it would be a good idea to see Misato and Asuka before I go to school tomorrow.” Shinji stopped on the side of the bed and grabbed onto the railing, “I’m going to stay with you tonight though.”

“Thought as much,” Akemi raised the remote and turned the channel, “I appreciate what he did but you shouldn’t trust people who act like that. You can see how sly he is just by the way he acts.”

“Don’t say something like that…” He sighed as he circled the bed and took his seat, “If it wasn’t for him then I wouldn’t even be here.”

“What are you going to say to the major?”

“I’m going to tell her that you mean a lot to me.”

He didn’t stutter or blush, his words something as confident as the gleam in his eyes. With a resolve that couldn’t waiver, he looked at her and answered her question with the truth.

Akemi pulled back the sheets for the second time tonight but, this time, there was no question about her getting up. Before he could even ask what she was doing, her feet were already on the floor and she was standing in front of him.

“Shinji… I… You…”

The dark blue eyes she stared into left her speechless. He was the first person to ever make her feel this way in her life. There wasn’t any person she idolized or anything like that, not even a crush but the way she felt about him could make her smile no matter what happened.

In light of her mumbled words, Shinji sat there with the night sky as a backdrop. The confused look on his face slowly became a knowing expression, “I feel the same way.” He repeated the exact same thing she said to him with a smile, understanding what she was trying to say despite the broken string of words.

“I’m not worth all of this. Saying things like that to me makes me feel good but I’m not worth it Shinji… Why me?” She grabbed his shoulders and leaned forward, “Out of all the girls that have a future ahead of them that look-“

“You’re pretty to me…”

Akemi was stunned, her grip relaxed to the point her hands slid of his shoulders as he stood up. He overestimated her and he held her in so high a regard that even someone like her was flattered but this unconditional kindness only severed to make her feel more and more undeserving.

He didn’t understand that she couldn’t shower him with same kindness or kiss him with abandon. Those were things that she just couldn’t do, things that weren’t a part of her nature, “I can’t do things like other girls Shinji. I’m-“

“I know...” Shinji interrupted her again, realizing that he had to make himself clear, “I don’t care about that Akemi. I like you because you’re yourself. I won’t ask you to be anything or anyone else.”

“I want to kiss you but…” She blushed as she backed into the bed, “I don’t know how.”

Akemi was blushing.

With the pale light of the moon coming from the window, he could easily make out the color rising to her cheeks but, more than that, he could tell she was flustered. It was then that he really looked at her.

A stark white gown with periwinkle blue dots was all she was dressed in. The hospital gown was something he was accustomed to seeing by now and so were the scars the gown failed to cover. He had long since overcome the shock of seeing them but it was only now after things calmed down that he could see that it was no understatement to say that they covered her.

Thin and thick, long and short… Some were similar and others varied but she stood in front of him without any intention of hiding them. What she sought to hide was already exposed.

“Shinji…?” She half whispered, as she rubbed her arm, “I didn’t make you-“

“It’s okay Akemi.” He stopped staring and calmed her hand, “Really, it’s okay. I can see how uncomfortable you are now.”

“N-No!” She shook her head, “For you…”

I’ll do anything.

She would have finished saying it but the kiss stopped her from doing exactly that. Mirroring what she saw in the movies, she pressed her lips against his with all the passion she could muster. It was just a kiss, a small one at that but it made her feelings evident.

It was over in seconds but the radiant feeling lasted until Shinji laughed. All the stress that pent up in him over the last few days came out in the most sincere way it could but his girlfriend couldn’t help but be suspect, “Are you laughing at me Shinji?”

“I was worried about you.” He said quietly as the laughs subsided, “Since you got shot, I was wondering if you’d get better and if you’d be mad at me… I’m just really happy.”

Akemi raised an eyebrow, “Didn’t know you got giggly when you were happy.”

“Well… Seeing you blush kinds of- Whoa!” The pilot cut himself off, dodging a hastily thrown punch in the process, “Noo! I wasn’t making fun of you Akemi!!” He admitted as he ducked under another one.

“Shinji!”

That frigid smile meant he was going to be hit sooner or later even if she had to chase him but, even in her condition, it wasn’t a good idea to voluntarily take a punch from her, “You know I didn’t mean it that way!”

She took a stance as her boyfriend back stepped, “I don’t take kindly to being laughed at!”

“You’re going to wake someone up!” Shinji cried as he moved away from her.

With a dash that told him she didn’t care, she did indeed chase him around the room. While Shinji acknowledged it wasn’t the most considerate thing to do given both the time and circumstances, he was determined not to let her hit him so…

“Ouch!!”

The night continued as such.

~*~

Shinji rubbed the knot that was still on the back of his head, “That’s really amazing Akemi.”

“Not really,” Akemi walked beside him, matching his pace as they walked through the parking lot, “Anyone can learn how to box but you can’t just up and become a boxer.”

“I could teach you how to box but the training is a bitch. Dropping sandbags and shit on your stomach, running till you threw up then running some more, hitting the bags until you couldn’t lift your arms the next day, and all that good stuff.” The agent reached for the box of cigarettes she had in her pocket but left them there on second thought. As both of them neared the elevator, Akemi yawned, “I’m glad you took me with you this morning though.”

He pressed a button and waited for the elevator to arrive, “You didn’t take no for an answer. I didn’t even know Mister Kaji left a uniform for you.”

“Neither did I,” The ding alerted them before the metal doors parted and they stepped inside, “The nurse said my boyfriend left me some clothes while I was taking a shower. I was confused for a while under I figured out who she was talking about.”

“Oh…” He paused as he looked at the parking lot from the elevator, “I was confused for your little brother at first.”

“Hey,” Shinji looked behind him at Akemi the elevator traveled up, “Forget what other people say. You’re the only person important to me Shinji and I won’t let anything or anyone come between us okay? That’s the main reason I’m here.”

“Thanks Akemi, but please let me talk to her.” The doors opened in mid-sentence and they walked out with Shinji leading the way as he spoke, “I just want to tell her and see how she takes it. I don’t want to make her angry or anything.”

It wasn’t long before they were in front of the door to the apartment he shared with his coworkers but it was never this imposing before. With a gulp, he reached into his pocket for the card and opened the door as quietly as he could.

“-do I have to go and get him?”

Clear as day, the first thing they heard was Asuka’s voice.

“It’s an order Asuka, you know he’s missing synch-“

Shinji jumped as Akemi slammed the door behind them and, almost instantly, he was faced with the shocked expressions of his roommates. Misato, always quick to recover, stared at him with a look so severe that his throat started to tighten, “I’m… home.” He squeaked out.

“I’m disappointed in you.” The purple haired woman said as Asuka peeked at him from behind her, “I was and still am too busy to handle this right now but I told you to keep your cell phone with you at all times but you intentionally left it here and I gave you a direct order…” Misato looked Akemi in the eye, “I ordered you to stay away from her.”

Akemi smiled at the strained look the major gave her but Shinji saw none of it. What he saw wasn’t the Misato who teased him or liked tricking him into cleaning but the stressed woman who was waist deep in the work she was busy with since Asuka got attacked, “I can’t do that.”

That was not what she wanted to hear.

“You,” Misato looked behind Shinji at the agent she was beginning to hate, “Take Asuka to school. Shinji, we are going to have a talk.”

Akemi was silenced before she could even speak. Her boyfriend waved her off but the cold glare from her superior was something that made her want to take matters into her own hands. Misato never exactly applauded Section Two but she was the only one to receive the spite she held for all the agents.

The brown eyes of his guardian never left Akemi, “What are you waiting for?”

Shinji didn’t have to look behind him to know his assigned bodyguard was beginning to get mad. It was the tension in the hall that made it feel like Misato and Akemi were the only two there with him and Asuka playing a role less significant than the kitchen chairs. Both of the women were waiting to erupt, wanting to be crossed just one more time but this was a situation he had to defuse and he could only think of one way to do that.

“Misato, I want to tell you something and you too Asuka.” The redhead who, subtlety, was trying her best not to be dragged into the conflict looked up with mention of her name, “Akemi is…”

He stopped and smiled before looking up again, “I feel like I can’t live without her now.”

Akemi matched his smile with one of own, the feelings welling up inside her something that made her feel lighter than she ever felt. Somehow, she would let him know how good he made her feel but, presently, Misato was clearly pissed.

“What have you done to him?”

She never saw the major this upset before and, while she didn’t always know how to respond to Shinji’s kindness, she knew how to agitate someone, “Hmm, I don’t know Major Katsuragi… I think I made him my boyfriend.”

“W-Well, I think I’ll be leaving now.” Shinji spat out so fast it sounded like he spoke in another language. Before Misato could construct the words strong enough to hold the rage she wanted to direct at the agent, the door was flung open and her charge was flying out with his girlfriend in tow.

Akemi couldn’t help but laugh as she followed him, “I’ll send you an invite to the wedding Major!!”

“Akemi!!”

Asuka sped out of the apartment as Misato yelled for the agent to come back. It was almost comical but it was no joke to either of her charges as they ran towards the elevator. They all piled in and two of the occupants breathed a sigh of a relief, they avoided the wrath of Misato for now but Akemi loved every minute of it.

“Are you crazy?” Asuka asked the question her roommate held.

“Probably,” Akemi pressed a button and waited for the elevator to descend, “You came for one of the invites?”

“You must be blind. I don’t want to be around when she’s angry, it’s your fault I’m not going to have breakfast now and…” The Second Child straightened her back before looking at Shinji, “I don’t care what he does.”

“Ha, you’d be surprised if I told you how much he was worrying about you.” It was Shinji’s turn to be shocked as Akemi started talking, “I know I wouldn’t be able to do anything but I wish I was there so she wasn’t alone.” His girlfriend said mimicking his voice.

As Akemi and Asuka started talking to each other for the first time, Shinji half listened to the agent making fun of him and his roommate inquiring to rather the things she said were true.

Shinji would readily admit he didn’t know about even the simple parts of a relationship and, even though she was the same way, it didn’t make things any better. How was he supposed to become a better boyfriend? What would they do now? How could he make her know how much she meant to him? Would really marry someone like him?

Akemi smiled as Asuka angrily stomped on the floor, a declaration that she didn’t care what Shinji said something she made more than once now, “Everything will be okay.” The agent slowly turned around to face the other occupant, “If nothing else, believe that.”

The doors finally opened and Asuka was the first to step out. Blushing, the Second Child marched out of the elevator but not without a cautious glance up to the apartment they shared with Misato.

Akemi walked out and did the same. It wasn’t hard to figure out the major was taking the time to calm down. She would probably pull up beside them before they even got to the school but she made the point she wanted to make, the repercussions were something she was prepared for, “When you’re finished being sad over something that should make you happy let me know so I can say I love you.”

Out of all the people in her life, she only loved him. Not her father, not her mother, not her coworkers, not her acquaintances, and definitely not Misato. His girlfriend warmly extended her gloved hand in his direction and he took it.

Just holding hands, being in direct contact with him was something she couldn’t take for granted. She didn’t care who saw it. It would be the same sight Asuka saw when she looked behind her and it would be the same thing Misato would see later. It would be the same thing the guards saw when they walked to NERV and it would be the same thing her fellow agents saw as they kept their distance.

Above all else, it was something she would see and also feel… It wasn’t a fist she was making or a gun she holding that made her this comfortable but someone’s hand. It felt like she could feel him through the glove and she actually could.

Walking with her head held high on this sunny day was something that she didn’t really take note of until today and this was the first time in her entire life that something so simple such as holding hands meant the world to her.

~*~

“Fucking bitch! Goddamnit!” Akemi kicked over a chair, “If I fucking see her I swear on everything I ever had that I’m hitting that bitch dead in the mouth!”

Shinji could only switch on the lights as they walked into her room in the GeoFront. With a sigh, he plumped down on the bed as his girlfriend randomly threw her leather gloves somewhere.

She was trying to make an effort to stop cursing as much and even found the strength to throw away the pack of cigarettes Kaji gave her but this was too much, “If she want to break us up then why don’t she just come down here and make it happen. Assigning me to the First when I made sure she knew our relationship… She is lucky the commander gives a fuck about Ayanami or I’ll be in her ass right now.”

“Don’t worry about-“

“This is something to worry about Shinji,” She threw off her sports coat before reaching up to loosen her tie, “Forget the fucking talk we had with her. Driving up to me like she was some big shit and telling me what I can and can’t do.” She started to calm down as her tie finally came undone, “I can understand getting out of the way when an Angel attacks. I did it before and even did it today but she is making sure we can’t see each other.”

Shinji watched as the tie fell beside him on the bed, “Akemi…”

“Don’t try to talk me out of it this time. It’s bad enough putting up with her shit when I’m on the job but having to sneak my boyfriend into my room isn’t something I’m going to tolerate.” She unbuttoned her shirt, her shoes and her pants following as she undressed on the spot, “You should be angry about this too Shinji. If this keep-“

“You said everything will be alright.” The tired pilot cut her off as he laid back on her bed, “I believe you.”

Clad only in panties and bra, she stood beside the bed and looked down at her boyfriend. While he was almost painfully aware of her lack of clothes, it was her expression that drew his attention. Her eyes was closed, the look on her face one someone would usually have while quietly enjoying a song, “I don’t think you can calm me down this time but reminding me of something like that…”

“Shit happens but this is all that I can ask for. Having someone who cares about me is something I can’t take for granted,” Akemi gave him a faint smile as she continued, “I’m angry but it’s because the time I spend dealing with bullshit is time that I can’t spend with you.”

Shinji sat up and looked up at her.

The first thing he saw wasn’t scars or the bandage wrapped around her waist. She used to seem so carefree about things but, little by little, he came to notice that it wasn’t anything like that. After a while, the strained look in her gray eyes became increasingly apparent but her character was something she changed to this extent solely for him.

“This whole week I’ve been thinking about you.” Her boyfriend turned his attention to the tie on the bed beside him, “Everything… I even remember when you punched me that day.”

“It must have worked,” She grabbed her tie before sitting down in the spot it took, “You haven’t forgotten my name yet.” The agent tossed it on the floor as she spoke.

“What I mean to say is that these have been the most crazy weeks I ever had but I’ll do it all again. I’ll do anything for you Akemi…” Shinji could feel her eyes lingering on him but, for once, he couldn’t look her in the eye, “It’s not because you saved my life but because you’re the most important person to me too. Misato might not like it now but I think she will come around eventually.” He turned to see how she reacted to his words just in time to see her looking under the bed.

Before long, a tape hit him in the chest but it wasn’t hard enough to hurt, “Where did this come- What is this!?”

“Just what it says, Panty Explosion II. You’re acting like you never saw porn before.” She picked up the tape and went to the VCR she had on top of her television, “I was curious so I got this and a few others a long time ago.”

“I thought girls didn’t watch stuff like that…”

Akemi shrugged as she pushed the video tape in, “Don’t believe that shit. I probably haven’t thought much about it but girls think about this just as much as boys do.”

“Uhh… Yeah…” The sultry moans of a woman getting what she wanted were the first thing he heard and the same thing that made his face turn a solid shade of red before Akemi hit the stop button.

“It probably seems like I just pulled this out of nowhere but I was listening to you Shinji.” The agent spoke as she pressed rewind, “I won’t force you or anything… but I wanted to be able to do something with you.”

“You don’t have to force yourself either Akemi.” Shinji stared at her back, “I-“

“I can show anyone how to box or how to handle a gun but I want you to do something with you I won’t do for anyone else. Even someone like me knows that kissing and stuff isn’t everything but I really want that for us.” She looked over her shoulder at him, “Tonight, I want to make you mine completely.”

Just like that, the gray eye that peered directly at him marked him as something that belonged to her. Not in the sense that he was an object but that, short of dying, she’d never let him go. They could have her gun, it was standard procedure to take her firearm and see how many rounds were fired for analysis of the incident and they could take her job if they wanted to but she would overcome any hurdle for his sake.

She unwrapped the bandages around her waist and they fell to the floor along with the gauze on her wound. It was still sensitive but she wasn’t going to hold anything back now, “The fucking bullet that bitch put through my side… The scars… I remember someone at the orphanage saying I looked like a monster.” With a fond smile, she looked down at herself, “I took pride in them though. I don’t remember the when and where for all of them but I won’t forget the trouble I had to go through to get this far.”

The tape clicked in the VCR and interrupted her, the rewinding was finished but she wasn’t, “Just for tonight, I wish I wasn’t like this…”

“I like you the way you are.”

That was all she needed to hear.

The tape clicked once again as it began to play but Akemi paid no attention to Panty Explosion II as she made her way back to the bed, “Shinji, I want you to touch me. I mean really touch me this time.”

He meant what he said. Those scars were apart of Akemi just like the way she talked and acted. They weren’t her most attractive feature to say the least but she was pretty to him. Still, one of the most attractive parts of the agent, her dark gray eyes, implored him to do what she wanted him to do.

Shinji tuned out the television as Akemi sat and then laid down beside him. Steeling himself, he touched her. His hand slipped under her bra and the garment slipped up to expose her breast. Immediately, she flinched, “Your hands are cold…” She voiced with calm voice in spite of how she really felt.

Her breasts were small, calling her flat-chested would be closer to the truth than it would be an insult. So many times he made it clear that he didn’t compare her to anyone but this was the first time she ever felt truly self conscious about the way she looked.

“Sorry…”

As expected, it wasn’t an issue to him but it would be too easy to admit that the tension in the air was making things any better. This was different than piloting to him and it wasn’t like being on orders for her. Literally not being able to do what they wanted for each other was tantamount to being the hardest thing they had to contend with thus far.

Shinji looked down at his girlfriend, both of them knowing the feeling they had was mutual. Were they trying to go too fast? Was this something they would have to be patient about? Was this the wrong time?

“Shinji,” Akemi touched him this time, she shook her hand around in his hair as she smiled up at him, “I’ve been around you too much…” You got me over thinking things now but this is alright.” She put her hand over the hand he had on her chest, “Above how other people see me or judge me, I like this. More than anything else I like being with you.”

She flashed him a smile, a lovely one at that. It was a part of her that she only shared with him and he couldn’t help but reply in the same fashion. He touched her in a way he wouldn’t touch anyone else.

He gently massaged her, taking care not to be too rough with her. While the tingling in her chest brought for a sensation she never felt before, it was more of a soothing feeling instead of something to make her scream out his name or something to that extent. His fingers pinched her nipple and her reaction was instantaneous. She wanted more, not just of that but of him.

Her boyfriend was far ahead of her on that note. He spared her the fact that she didn’t give him his first kiss but he wouldn’t refrain from showing her how a real kiss felt this time around. Without holding her nose, he licked from her chin to her mouth. Her gasp gave him the access he wanted and he kissed her.

Again, his fingers pinched her nipple as his tongue explored her mouth. She could feel his hand holding her arm to the bed as they tasted each other. Things started to swirl around in her head but she wasn’t confused… She felt hot.

While she didn’t know if she wanted him to go faster or take his time, the fact that he was patient with her was enough but that alone wasn’t the only thing that made the experience so great. The way he kissed and touched her was gentle but, more than that, it was passionate.

They parted, a trail of saliva the only thing connecting their lips as the kiss was broken. Akemi looked up at him in amazement but he wasn’t finished yet. His hand forced up her bra again and he started to touch the breast he neglected.

His other hand slid down from her chest and along her side, faintly trailing over scars and her most recent wound. Now he took his time, honestly waiting for her to ask him to wait but she wasn’t going to give him anything of the sort. With sweat starting to build on his brow, his fingertips met her panties.

“Ahh…” She couldn’t help but voice how it felt when his fingers pressed into the damp spot on her underwear. He sat up and moved back so he could have a better view, removing his hand from her chest in the process.

She was clearly wet, the stain in her panties evident not only because he felt it but because he was looking directly at the spot he just touched. Anticipation was starting to tear at her, she could feel her heart starting to pump faster as he took the initiative and started to pull down her what was pretty much her last article of clothing.

Her underwear was pulled up her thighs and, the second they came down her legs, she kicked them off. He gulped as he saw the patch of black hair that framed the glistening petals of her sex and he licked his lips as he bowed his head to get an even closer look.

The smell was musky, thick even as he took a deep breath. He exhaled and cool breath assaulted her most sensitive of areas, “Do… Do something!” Akemi cried, unable to wait.

He did.

He rubbed his fingers in the moisture and spread it across her sex. She moaned, reason enough to continue what he was doing. He didn’t know what to do at all but, when his fingers came in contact with that sensitive pink nub, Akemi literally screamed.

Shinji tried to raise his head but the hands on top of his head made sure he couldn’t, “Again…” She pleaded between ragged breaths.

With one lesson learned, he continued to touch her. He slid his finger up and down her labia under it dipped inside her. She could feel him forcing it in and out until he withdrew his finger and examined it, clearly covered with her essence.

That too was a new experience but, before she could voice that wasn’t exactly what she wanted, he gave her what she was waiting on plus more. Two fingers delved inside her and his shy touch of her clitoris was enough to make her back arch.

Her first orgasm overwhelmed her to the point she didn’t know what was happening. It hit her so hard she was dizzy but she loved it. In a night of many first, she realized that she never felt good before in her entire life.

That and that alone was all it took for her to be laid out on the bed with the biggest smile she ever had on her face. To feel this good couldn’t be right, feeling this carefree was tantamount to ignorance but it was bliss all the same.

“-mi…?”

She opened her eyes to find him looking down at her with a concerned look on his face, “Akemi, did I…“ He trailed off when she grabbed his hand.

“I never felt this good in my entire life.” His lover said as she savored every part of the orgasm from the sudden feeling of being overwhelmed to the lingering feelings that stayed with her, “Can’t even explain it but without you-”

“In the ass! Put it in my ass!” Two sets of eyes snapped to the side and saw exactly what the woman on screen was asking for before looking back at each other. They forgot it was on even though the television was right there.

Akemi starting laughing immediately and he found it contagious. It was easy for her to set her embarrassment aside but this was too funny to suppress. More than just having a couple of laughs, she was happy and she wanted to share that with him.

She looped her arms around him and starting kissing him. She kissed him on his neck, on his cheek, on the corner of his mouth, and as much as she could. They weren’t nearly as zealous as the kiss they shared earlier but they were just as affectionate.

As they pressed closer against each other, his girlfriend came to realize two things. The kisses stopped and Akemi smirked, “Let me take your clothes off.”

“S-Sure.” Was the only thing he could say, the fact that he was fully dressed something he all but forgot until she made it obvious.

He moved back and gave her enough room to sit up. The first thing she reached for wasn’t the buttons on his shirt but, instead, his pants. She could feel it poking her when she was kissing him.

Akemi unfastened his slacks fast enough but she took her time on the zipper. She moved slowly enough for the wait to be agonizing, the fact that she was eager to see the erection he had for her something that took second place to ensuring she did this right.

Her impatience won in the end as she forced her hand into his boxers. Her wandering hand found what she was looking for, it was so hard and warm… Shinji sat perfectly still as she opted to pull down his underwear to see for herself and that she did. Just like he saw her sex, she saw his.

His erection stood, the light shade of pink on his face the only price he paid for being exposed to her. She grasped him but her touch was as light as ever, her kiss being the only thing gentler. He didn’t dare breathe as she tightened her hand just a bit around his shaft and started to move her hand all the way up and then all the way down, “This is for me… You were thinking about me.” Akemi whispered, thinking out loud.

Little by little she tightened her grip and hastened her pace, “Does it feel-“

The streak of white was punctuated with a grunt but another followed and another after that. Akemi looked on with fascination as she removed her hand from around his member and touched the semen that was left on her fingers.

“It never…” He paused long enough for her to turn towards him, “It never felt that good when I did it myself.”

“You don’t have to hide it anymore Shinji,” Akemi smiled before wiping his seed on her sheets, “I know that you’re tired but stay up for just a lil bit more for me.”

He nodded the positive as he sat back up. Tired was putting it lightly but he already made it clear he’d do anything for her and this was no exception. He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off along with the pants and underwear he barely had on.

His tee shirt fell on the corner of the bed and she finally unhooked her bra.

She was naked, truly nude before him but the embarrassment she thought she would feel was absent. Both of them were anxious for what came next and the way they looked at each other was a clear indicator of just that.

The sounds coming from Panty Explosion II were tuned out, ignored in favor of a kiss, “I want to do it with you Shinji.”

Thoughts of them doing just that were already in his mind, the things he imaged bringing his erection back to life as he laid back down on the bed. Again, she sized him up before deciding she was going to do what she wanted to do from the beginning. She motioned to get on top of him and felt around for his penis under her. She found it quickly and, before both realized they were holding their breath, she guided him into her.

His length, the same dick she held in her hand slipped inside her like it was meant to be there. It wasn’t like in those garbage romance novels where both of them were moaning and grasping at each other in the heat of passion.

It was better than that.

Sex was something she never sought but this bare feeling of being penetrated, this feeling for sharing her body with someone else was enough to make her feel stupid with pleasure. Being with him like this was a high among highs.

Still, Shinji was clearly wore out but he was awake. He clenched his eyes closed as she took his virginity. By now, it was evident to her that this had more to do with lust than love but the significance of that was lost to both as she descended on him like prey.

Watching porn never made her feel like this but, then again, that was just a video tape with paid people in it acting.

This was real, from the musty smell of sex that permeated the air to the nasty sounds that came from their love making. She could grasp at the flowery concepts as much as she wanted to but, frankly, she was fucking him like an animal.

Akemi slowed and finally came to a stop, the fledging feeling in her stomach giving birth to another orgasm. She touched herself, extending the pleasure as he felt her passage get even tighter around him.

His girlfriend got off of him but her eyes were practically glued to the sight of his dick coming out of her. It glistened, covered with her juices from tip on down. She wished they would have come at the same time but she could tell he was close just by the look on his face.

One more time she took him inside but slower than before. Then she did it again, just enough for tip to dip inside of her. She was rewarded with sticky globs of white dripping out of her, some of it going down her thigh and the rest onto her sheets.

She knew her bed was stained, wet spots and the gooey white that rested on the sheets made it obvious but it made her feel so dirty and sexy at the same time. The smell made her feel the same way…

Shinji cleared his throat and Akemi was quick to notice he had something to say but she could tell what was on his mind already, “Are you crazy?” She moved even closer to him, “I should be the one thanking you… for everything.”

He shook his head as he moved to get comfortable next to her.

They could exchange reasons why they were thankful for the remainder of the night but the truth was that things happened that led up to them even being together. Sometimes he wondered what would have happened if he was assigned a different agent or if she actually died… The list went on but he was never so grateful for a single person in his entire life.

Akemi felt the same exact way as laid down next to him. As he drifted off to sleep, she could only acknowledge that he was the only person to ever have so much of an impact on her life. At first, she was honestly afraid that being too close to him would result in her losing the dignity and independence that kept her afloat in the first place but, in so many ways, he strengthen the person she already was.

Again, she playfully curled his dark locks around her finger as she thought about more practical matters. Akemi smiled as he shuffled even closer to her in his sleep, asking him to do any more for her would be wrong especially knowing he would in spite of how tired he was.

The only negative was the fact that she was still fully awake, ready for more. She wiped the sweat off her face, the strains of black matted to her face not the only thing her gray eyes had to contend with as she watched him sleep with a smile. A few minutes of looking at him only served to remind her that she was tired and she was yawning not too long after that.

The sound of the tape clicking in the VCR didn’t rouse her but the ringing from her cell phone was something she couldn’t ignore. Any other time, she would have been angry but now she was so happy nothing could bring her mood down.

Still, Akemi sighed as she pushed herself up off the bed and looked for her pants. With a few seconds of fishing in the pockets, she found and answered it, “Major?”

“Huh…? You want me to come and pick up my gun?” The deep voice from the other end was more than enough to completely wake her up, “No sir, I’m not questioning- Right now? Yes sir…”

She always did respect the commander even in light of the things Shinji told her about his father. Out of everyone she ever encountered in NERV, he was the one of the few that actually seemed competent but the sole reason she preferred taking orders from him was about he always got to the point and left it at that even if said order was unusual.

The agent stood up look down at Shinji before heading for her bathroom, “I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”

~*~

Puffs of hazing gray were enough to mark where he was but something like that wasn’t needed seeing he was standing directly under a light. Kaji blew out another small cloud of smoke as he waited on the messenger to approach him. He threw his cigarette on the floor, not even bothering to step on it as the person he heard neared him.

The truth was that he knew what was going to happen.

“You’re late…” He whispered, his usual mannerisms lost to him on the eve of his death.

An agent stepped out of the shadows and waved a gun in his direction, “You’re stupid.”

That rough voice sounded familiar but it wasn’t until he saw the scarred hand that held the pistol that he realized who she was. Unable to hold back, he could help but grin at how brutal Gendo was when it came to things like this, “Ha, Shinji’s girlfriend?”

“What about it?” Akemi asked as she leveled the gun at him.

“Nothing really. Looks like you just stepped out of the shower,” Kaji rubbed the stubble on his chin with his thumb as he took a good look at her, “Didn’t even have the time to dry your hair.”

She matched his smug smile with a smirk, “To tell the truth, I don’t like people like you but I admire that you can laugh at a time like this.”

“Akemi…” Kaji took a deep breath, the tone of their conversation changing as he moved off the wall he was leaning on and stepped towards her, “Do me a favor and don’t make it too hard on Misato. I know she gets on your nerves but she gets like that sometimes. Look out for the children for me too.” That said, he stared straight ahead at her, “I’m ready.”

“You know, if none of this crazy shit happened to me this month then I probably would have killed you about three minutes ago but you helped us a lot. If Shinji never came to that hospital then….” She trailed off, not even wanting to imagine living without him now.

“Anyway,” Akemi continued, “I’m not going to kill you. It’s not just because you helped us or something like that but I’m not one to put bullets in good people.”

“I’m doing this so no one else will be hurt. I know I was condemning myself but I don’t want anyone to be damned with me. If you let me walk away from this then how do you think Shinji is going to feel when you disappear?” Kaji rested his back on the wall again, “I already thought about what I could do. I stressed over every little detail… In the end, guess you can say I’m only doing damage control.”

She shot him right then and there.

She intentionally missed the first time but it scared him nonetheless. Before the first casing hit the floor, she shot him in the leg. The burgundy stain in his slacks was proof she was vicious but not at all more merciless than the thought that she wasn’t going to finish him off.

Akemi noted that he took it way better than she thought he would, “I would have warned you but it makes it worse if you know before I shoot you. I got to get you out of here now though.”

He was exactly the type of guy she thought he was, although he was shot his composure wasn’t lost even though he had a slight grimace, “Thanks for going this far but I can make it out on my own.”

“Hmm, people only talk like that when they know it’s over. I respect you a bit more now.” She walked towards him and half hoisted him up as she clutched her gun, “I guess my story is that I shot twice and left you for dead. You escaping will still get me in trouble but it wouldn’t be as bad as just letting you walk out the front door or some shit.”

Kaji limped behind her with his hand pressed into his side. It was good they weren’t deep in the GeoFront but he couldn’t help but find the situation more and more amusing, “What are you going to tell them about the blood you’re getting on your clothes and the trail of blood the guards are going to follow after the shots?”

Akemi smiled as she looked at her new handgun, “Improvise.”

Kaji found himself speechless in light of her recklessness but he couldn’t help but grin as they slowly moved towards the elevators. This was a serious situation and they could both be easily killed on the spot but there was something about her that made it feel like there was a chance and it wasn’t like he had anything to lose now.

“Thanks…” The spy said seriously as he limped into the elevator with her.

She laughed, being thanked was something she still wasn’t used to. Once they got out the elevator, it was just a matter of getting a car then it’ll be all downhill from there.

“Haha…” As the elevator doors closed, thoughts of her boyfriend peacefully sleeping and the ideas of joining him gave her an extra bounce in her step, “You’re just lucky I don’t work the night shift.”

~Fin

Author’s note: Hmm, another long chapter but it felt so short. There are little things about Akemi’s character that I couldn’t fit in and I’m not completely satisfied with the timeline I kind of made up for real. It’s a good reason for that though.

See, this is actually the first chapter of Nightshift. It was originally a story I wrote about Shinji and Akemi and, like most, this chapter kinds of suffers from being condensed into a one shot. Also, I remember a reviewer asked about the title of these collection of one shots but it’s easy to explain.

To me, Nightshift means two key things. One is, of course, working the night shift and the other is working the night shift but not at work. Not literally but I always approached these stories with something similar to the butterfly effect so I pretty much operate on ‘what if….’ except a bit more out there in some cases. Sorry for being confusing. >_<

It’s not deep or anything ;_; but I’m the sort of guy that thinks titles should mean at least something so there you go friends. ;_; Thanks for reading of course and back to writing for me while I still can. ~_~

CF