C&C = Happy and Inspired Raihne = sequels  ^_^ See Davie-chan, I can too do math!

"Kaoru." Shinji sat upon Kaoru's rock. The same one he'd been sitting on when they had first met. It was the only place he was happy now. He'd never truly been happy until he'd met Kaoru. Would never be happy again. "You told me that you loved me. Kaoru. That I was worthy of love. You brushed past every barrier I placed around my heart and then. . . you asked me to kill you. Kaoru. Kaoru." He tucked his knees up close and began to sob. "Kaoru!!!!!"

    Asuka frowned at his friends profile, "Ne, he's been like this for a long time now."

    "He killed his boyfriend, give him a break."

    Touji frowned at Kensuki, "The angel was his boyfriend?"

    "He said he loved him didn't he? I hacked into the video surveillance at the base. They were in the showers and Kaoru said he loved him."

    "I knew he was a twisted child but that is gross." The read headed pilot huffed.

    "What's so sick about loving someone?"

    Both of them looked at Touji in shock, "T. . . touji."

    "It doesn't matter that Shinji loved him. If Kaoru even had a sex, which angels don't, it still wouldn't matter. He loved Kaoru. Not his body, his soul."

    "You really feel strongly about this."

    "Yes."

    "Why?"

    "Because everyone deserves to feel something like that. Even if pain follows, love is worth it."

    "How would you know?"

    "I love my sister. If she died. . . I would die too, but that doesn't mean I wish she never was. I still love her."

    "Ne. . . Touji, what if Kaoru isn't dead?"

    "His head came off Kensuki-kun."

    "But I mean. . . angels are really powerful right? So what if he didn't die? I mean to kill an angel you have to. . ."

    "Crush the eye!"

    All three of them turned to stare at Shinji. "Ikari-kun!"

    Shinji didn't even see them, "To kill an angel you have to crush the orange eye! I. . . Kaoru's wasn't crushed! Shit! I have. . . oh God I hope I'm not to late!"

    Shinji Ikari had never run so fast in his life! Without even his Eva he plunged into the pit where lilith was kept. Where Kaoru had died. "Kaoru!" He sloshed through the water, unmindful of the sharp stones that cut his feet. "Kaoru! It's Shinji! Answer me!" He ran his hands through the liquid as he walked into the main chamber. "Kaoru!"

    Without even a glance at the repulsive Lilith hanging on her cross, the boy dove into the depths and opened his eyes to the stinging liquid. Pressing himself down further, down toward the room's floor. A slight movement caught his eye and he shot both hands out to grab firm flesh then pulled them both toward the surface.

    When he broke into the air again Shinji glanced down and began to sob. Kaoru. It was Kaoru! And he was whole again. His body had remade itself just like the other angels could! He crushed the other boy to him, "Kaoru!"

    The large, guileless red eyes blinked open and stared in confusion at the one holding him, "Shinji-kun. . .?"

    "Kami-sama Kaoru-kun I'm sorry! I am so sorry! I should have taken you out of this place, I never should have tightened the Eva's fist! Kaoru! Kaoru Ai shiteru!"

    Long, pale limbs went around Shinji and hugged back, "I am glad that I am not dead. Because it means I can see you again. I should not have asked such an act of you. It was hard, but I only feared for your safety."

    "I'd rather die than see you dead."

    "And I feel the same for you. So we find ourselves at a draw."

    "Come on." Shinji pulled his love slightly, "Let's get dried off. You've been down there so long! Why didn't you come out of the water? You're freezing!"

    "I could not leave the liquid or the presence of Lilith-sama would be too much for me to withstand. I did not want to hurt you. The only way I stood against her the first time was your presence." Kaoru closed his eyes and purred as Shinji toweled him dry with warm and careful hands. "I knew you would realise that in crushing my body you had not killed me. And so I waited for you to return. I hoped that you would."

    Shinji kissed him gently and sobbed, "I would walk through Hell for you."

    "I know. And I for you."

    "Feel warmer now?"

    The angel leaned forward slowly and wrapped Shinji tightly in his arms, "Oh yes. Much warmer now."

    Shinji buried his face in Kaoru's neck, "Let's just leave. Take Eva 01 and go far away from my father and Lilith and Adam. Let's both forget our jobs. I can't let you go again."

    Lips pressed to Shinji's, gently then harder and more firm until both were drowning in the other's breath. Suckling at each other's tongues and reassuring their soul that it was whole. "I will go wherever you wish Shinji-kun." He panted softly and held his love closer, "As long as you are there too."

    Shinji held Kaoru close and then closer still, "I will be! I thought you were dead! I. . . God I wanted to die too. I never got to tell you how much I care about you."

    "Tell me now?" Kaoru had a look on his face that was the closest to pleading the Shinji had ever seen him. "I need to hear the words. Please."

    "I love you. I love you so much I feel empty without you."

    Kaoru closed his eyes and la his head on Shinji's chest, "You are my happiness Ikari Shinji-kun."

    They stood there, waist deep in emotions they had finally found a name for, in the middle of NERV headquarters and surrounded by hostile people they'd once called friends, and neither wanted to let go. This was where they belonged. Angel or Human, it didn't matter in the least, because whatever they were, they were only whole together, and such a thing as this did not recognize race or gender. Only that a soul was completed in the two; and they would never let go again.
__________________________

    The NERV headquarters got a loud and rude awakening when the siren went off. People rushed to their stations ready for the worst. They found something close to it.

    "Sir, Eva 01 is prepping for launch!"

    "Shut it down."

    "I can't sir, it. . . it's doing it on it's own. No outside energy sources."

    "Impossible."

    "Sir, we have visual on the plug. It's children 3 and 5 sir."

    "FIVE?! He was destroyed!"

    "It looks like he wasn't as dead as we thought."

    "He was decapitated!!"

    "Head is firmly in place sir."

    "Give me radio. I want to talk to them."

    "On it sir."

    "Well work faster!"

    "Patched in sir. He can hear you. And we can hear him."

    "SHINJI!"

    "Otousan!"

    "Shut that Eva down now and bring the angel back to the holding cells."

    "No. Otousan."

    "Are you disobeying a direct order?!"

    "Yes sir."

    "If you don't get out of there right now you'll be guilty of theft and dissertion both punishable by death or time in prison."

    The silver haired angel smiled and placed his hands on Shinji's shoulders from behind him. "You can do whatever you wish Ikari Shinji. I will not fight you again. You could capture an angel, your father would be proud of you. If this is your wish I will follow it."

    Ikari watched his only son turn to face the angel with pure emotion in his eyes. The like of which he hadn't known his son to be capable of. "Shinji. Come out of the unit." He coaxed in the softest tone he could manage.

    "You would put me in prison?"

    "If you don't listen to me."

    Shinji turned back to grin at the people monitoring visuals, "You'll have to catch me first. Sir."

    "Ikari-sama, Eva is prepped for launch!"

    "All lock opened!"

    "Hatch cleared!"

    "Locks disengaged!"

    "SHINJI!!!"

    "Sayonara Otousan."

    The angel smiled and waved from behind the pilot then enveloped him in a firm hug, "Good bye sir."

    The giant bio weapon shot up the tunnels and out into the streets.

    "Damn it! Get 02 prepped now! Bring the pilot in! Well? What are you waiting for?! NOW!"

    "Sir!"
________________________

    "We did it!" Shinji latched onto Kaoru and both of the laughed in relief.

    "You did it."

    "Can you make this unit fly too?"

    Kaoru nodded, "We are free Shinji-kun."

    The Eva lifted from the ground and Shinji watched the land shrink beneath them. "Free."

    They flew under the angel's power until Tokyo 3 and then Janpan itself was far behind them. Not stopping until they could no longer see the shores of Shinji's homeland.

    "I can't believe we're finally allowed to exist."

    "We'll do far more than exist Shinji-kun."

    "Hai?"

    "We will live."

    "I like that."

    "It will be safe to set down soon."

    "Flying like this is amazing."

    "Would you like to try?"

    "ME?!"

    "As I told you, all living things have an AT field. You've used yours before. To crush my own. That field was yours, not just the Eva's. Just do so now, only instead of focusing your shield for battle, focus it for flight."

    "We could fall. . ." He wavered.

    "I will always be there to catch you itoshi."

    "I know." Shinji smiled and focused as he had the first time. he could feel his Eva's life force, Kaoru's life force. "I can see you're energy Kaoru."

    "What is it like?"

    Shinji blinked and reached out, running his palm over Kaoru's cheek. "Like silver music."

    "Shinji."

    "Huh?"

    "You're doing it."

    "I. . . I'm doing it? I'm doing it! I'm really doing it!"

    "You're flying Shinji-kun." Kaoru smiled and buried his face in Shinji's neck. "I knew you could master your field."

    "I feel like I could . . ." Shinji blushed, "Like I could do anything with you with me."

    "I love you."

    "I love you too. Father can't keep us apart. We'll be together forever. Right Kaoru-kun?"

    "Forever and longer." Those red eyes flashed and Kaoru kissed him lightly. "That is enough flying for today I think. We should land now, and sleep. Using the field is very draining the first few times."

    "I thought I was only exhausted from watching you die."

    "No, it is a common thing." He smiled, "And this time I am very much alive."

    "I keep waiting to wake up. Like this is all a dream."

    "I am very real my Shinji-kun." Kaoru smiled and his eyes glowed with soft caring, "I promise."

    Shinji ejected the plug and helped Kaoru climb out over the Eva's arm to rest in it's open palm, reveling in the contact between their hands. A touch he had thought he'd lost forever. As they stripped off their flight suits, he blushed and smiled shyly, "I. . . I've never. . . you know."

    Kaoru nodded and offered a small, shy grin, "Neither have I."

    "But you. . ."

    He took his love's hands and sat beside him, "Just because I recognized in you my other half, does not mean I knew what to do about it. All I knew was that I needed to be beside you. Always. Are you disappointed in me?"

    "Never!" Both boys smiled and Shinji lay Kaoru down on the blanket he'd stolen from base.

    "We can learn together." The angel offered softly.

    Shinji held him close, "I'd like that." He searched the other boy's eyes for some hint of what he should do next. "How do we start?" He asked shyly.

    "A kiss?"

    "Oh." Shinji slowly touched his lips to Kaoru's and then pulled back with a blush. "I. . . I liked that."

    "Again?"

    "Yes." He brought their lips back together and sighed in contentment. Kaoru sighed with him and their open mouths slid together like pieces of a two part puzzle. "Mmm!"

    Eyes slipped closed of their own violation and angel and human opened their mouths wider. mingling breath and touch until Shinji's tongue snaked out to wet his drying lips. When the moist muscle touched the angels lip as well, the silver haired boy yelped in shock and then moaned as the motion was repeated. He thrust his tongue to meet the other child's and they fell fully into each other's arms, rolling together as they practically devoured each other.

    Their teeth clacked together and Shinji began laughing, ending the kiss to bury his face in Kaoru's neck. The angel was snickering too as he caught his breath. "Wow."

    "I really. . . really liked that." Shinji grinned.

    Kaoru grinned back at him. "I believe that is the general idea."

    They lay there a moment, just holding each other. No light but that of the stars touching them.

    "You know. . . Asuka, Rei and I watched the stars once. When all the power was out and there weren't any lights. It's always so beautiful. But people are afraid of the dark and they miss the beauty because of it."

    "That is human nature."

    "It was like that with the angels too I think. We feared them, and so we fought, and missed the beauty they offered us."

    The angel smiled, "Like flight? AT fields?"

    "Like you."

    He turned glowing red eyes to his itoshi and watched him lovingly.

    "Not all people would agree with you."

    "Not all people have you."

    "Ah. You are bias in my favor then?"

    "Never a doubt."

    "I wanted to thank you."

    "For what?"

    Kaoru turned to Shinji and took his hand gently, "I know how much your father's praise means to you. And even so you disregarded it, for me."

    "It wasn't a very large sacrifice. I just finally realised that you shouldn't have to pay for love. Father is proud when I pilot well, but if I decided to quit, he would never notice me again. Your love doesn't have a price. And neither does mine for you. You know that right?"

    "Yes." Kaoru's smile was huge and he hugged Shinji close, "I know that."

    "Kaoru?"

    "Hai?"

    "Can I. . . kiss you again?"

    The angel nodded, "You don't have to ask you know."

    "But it feels good to hear you say yes."

    "I'll never say no."

    "It still feels good to hear you say yes though."

    "So are you going to kiss me now? Or talk about asking me inste. . ." He was pleasantly cut of as Shinji surged up against him and their mouths locked together in a perfect fit. //So this is what being whole feels like.// He thought absently.

    Shinji pulled away finally and snuggled close to the angel's warmth. His head tucked firmly under Kaoru's chin. "Kaoru-kun?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Would you sing for me? Just a lullaby? I love hearing you sing."

    He smiled and kissed his human's head. As the tune of Pachabell's canon slipped from his lips. He held his love and sang softly and wordlessly to him, all of his care and worry, lust and love, all wrapped in the music.

    Shinji sighed and began drifting into sleep. If Kaoru was there, then he was safe.

    "And through you my love eternal, flows to life my life my all, never ending peace and care, and love from humans pure as from angels. How you shine, how you shine, with your love for me, and my love for you, neverending joy lives with me in your arms. Come to love the child of man, as much as I can. Oh to hold forever this feeling of love and light and hope that lives in you and oh to hold forever my love in my arms and in my heart for eternaty, Oh to hold forever this feeling of purest sharp emotion I'm feeling. Never leave me please never leave me, love you forever, love you forever and more. Oh so much more."

    Shinji smiled in his sleep and pressed closer and Kaoru shifted to stretch his body over that of the human boy with him. resting his head on Shinji's chest, hearing his heart beat.

    It was undoubtable that NERV would send fighters after them, maybe even another Eva, though he hoped not, for Shinji's sake. The human had such a sweet soul and kind heart, he could never hurt another human being. Would never. He would die himself before that. //Not now though. I am here. I will keep him safe.//

    The angel ran a soft and slightly shaking hand over the human boy who loved him and smiled lovingly at him. //We will be together. Just us two against the world, against NERV. But we will survive it all. I swear to you my love. I will see you through all of it, and we will love and laugh, and share the music and make our own. Yes. Our 'Ode to Love'.//

    "I love you, my Shinji."
 
 
 

~Owari?~

If you liked this tell me and I will either continue it or write another Shinji/Kaoru fic for you. ^_~V