http://www.thekeep.org/~lara/



{Shin Seiki Evangelion/Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Gainax, Hideaki
Anno and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.  The use of their material in this work is
not intended for profit, and shall not be used in that way.}


The Success of Two Salarymen
part b
by Lara Bartram
----------------------------



Kozo waited outside Studio MicroNax impatiently for Yui to appear.  His
watch read that it was well past the time she should have been there to
begin her tours.  No Gendo either, though Kozo was sure they weren't
together.  Not after the events of the previous day.

Swearing to himself, Kozo headed inside.  "I'm not covering for him;
that's it."

***

"Fuyutsuki!"

"Yes, sir?"  Yeah, Gendo was about to get it with both guns now; the
director did not look happy.  Though the man never looked happy, more...
constipated.

"Where is Rokubungi?  I need to speak with him about yesterday."

"I don't know, sir.  I haven't seen him this morning."

Director Lorenz's lip curled in a sneer.  "And how what is the progress on
your project?"

Kozo felt relatively confident.  He and Gendo had made actually amazing
progress on it, but certainly he couldn't tell the director that.  "It's
going slowly, but we have a basic sk--"

"Give me a _time_, Fuyutsuki."

"Uh... a year?"

"You've got three months."

"Shit.  I mean, no problem, sir."

With a self-satisfied nod, Lorenz trundled off, and Kozo took a deep
breath.

Three months.  That wasn't a lot of time.  One year was being very
conservative, but three months?  That would mean many long nights and
probably more sleeping in the cubicle.  And if Gendo planned on being late
every damn morning...

"Yo."

Speak of the devil.  "Where the hell have you been?  Lorenz was here
looking for you, and we have three months to finish this!  And that's the
same suit you wore yesterday," Kozo hissed in semi-hushed tones.
Professional.  He had to stay professional and not let the situation with
Yui ruin the progress they had already made, and how much more they had to
do.

As a co-creator of the soon-to-be animated hit 'Project E' he wouldn't let
his fame get flushed down the toilet by Gendo's out of control hormones.

"I came here straight from Ri--Akagi's place."  Gendo flopped in his chair
and fished his bottle of aspirin out of the expanse of stuff all over his
desk.  "I feel like dying."  He opened the top and shook some white
tablets free into his mouth, then began to chew.

"Jeezus, Rokubungi," Kozo said in disgust.  "What is your problem?  Wasn't
yesterday enough?  You have to show up here and make a fool of yourself
too?"

"I don't know what I was thinking!  Her skirt was so short!  I just had
to!"

"And that's why you spent the night at her place?  I bet Yui was at home
crying all night, and there you were, with that wanton reporter woman.
You are no man, Rokubungi."

Gendo rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.  "I didn't want to, but
she wouldn't let me leave.  It was a nightmare."

Nose wrinkled in disgust, Kozo just looked at the man.  "I just don't know
what to say.  I don't."  Something caught his eye under the cuff of
Gendo's shirt.  "What's that?"

Delicately, Gendo undid the button and pushed the sleeve back so Kozo
could see the skin rubbed raw around his wrist.  "I told you, she _really_
wouldn't let me leave.  And she said that if I didn't go back, I'd never
get this off."  He presented his other wrist and pulled the loose handcuff
he'd been hiding up his sleeve.  "She hid the key.  Said they were some
metal I wouldn't be able to cut through.  I feared for my life."

"Right.  Save your stories for someone who cares.  I am not going to be
your sympathetic ear, not with the way you hurt Yui.  And this needs to
get done, so quit fooling around."  With a huff, Kozo directed his eyes to
the papers on his desk and did his best to work on whatever happened to be
there.

"My life is hell," Gendo groaned before he started working as well.

***

"Rokubungi!"

Gendo's glazed eyes didn't deviate from the paper on his desk.  Three
hours of repetitive paperwork had dulled his senses to near zero.

"Rokubungi!  Answer me!"

Kozo elbowed Gendo in the side.

"ROKUBUNGI!"

With the sharp jab in his side and the screaming in his ear, Gendo popped
to attention, throwing up his hand in a salute and hitting himself in the
face with the handcuff.

"Are you mocking me, Rokubungi?"

"No, sir!"  Gendo dropped his hand to hide the handcuff hurriedly.  "I was
just.. working very hard on this project.  I didn't hear you."  Yeah, when
Lorenz stomped around like this, it meant there was trouble on the
horizon.

"Don't try to play innocent!  I want an explanation for what happened
yesterday!  My children said that you left them at the amusement park, and
they had to rely on their own undeveloped wits and cunning to get them home.
So explain yourself!"

"Uh... well, it was just a huge mistake, sir.  You should know I would
never abandon your children like then when you've explicitly left them in
my care.  Actually, I was kind of kidnapped by that reporter on TV, and
then Yui ran off, and Fuyutsuki dumped some pop on me, and--"

"By the sound of that story, and that thing on your wrist, it sounds more
like you were dropping acid and got arrested.  This kind of thing is
unacceptable at MicroNax.  You should know that!"

"I do, sir.  Really, it was just a big misunderstanding.  I didn't mean to
abandon your children.  They're so... kind.  And sweet.  And lovable.  And
generous.  Innocent.  I wish they were my own."  Gendo looked at Lorenz
with something between extreme pain and a sickly smile on his face.

"Yes, I thought you'd feel that way.  Apologize to them then!"  From
behind the wide-bodied director stepped the three children.

Gendo swallowed thickly as he looked at their faces.  Throughout the
entire office, silence reigned; everyone was listening and waiting to see
what would happen.  "I'm very sorry about yesterday," he said quickly and
quietly.

"Unacceptable!  Apologize properly!"

Holding back the tears, Gendo stood in front of Shinji and bowed deeply.
"I'm very sorry for acting in an unacceptable manner yesterday, and I
apologize for leaving you.  Please forgive me."

Shinji just giggled and ruffled his hair affectionately.

Then Gendo moved on to Rei, who simply looked at him, and when she was
doing that, all words caught in his throat.  He couldn't think, couldn't
speak, couldn't even comprehend what was going on.  "I-I'm sorry," he
whispered with effort, managing to nod his head.

Rei nodded back.  All was forgiven.

And now the pain.  After breaking free from Rei, Gendo stood in front of
Asuka.  Twin looks of hatred passed between them, then Asuka smiled
cruelly, and mouthed, "You're mine."

Gendo bowed as deeply as he could while still keeping his eyes on the
girl.  "I'm very sorry for all the trouble I caused you yesterday, and I
apologize deeply for ruining your fun.  Everything was my fault and I beg
your forgiveness."

"No."  Asuka looked back at her father.  "I didn't like that.  It didn't
sound sincere to me.  Make him do it again."

"You heard her.  Apologize again, and make her believe it."

Gendo groaned.

An hour later...

"He passed out.  Make him do it again!"

Lorenz looked at the unconscious body and shook his head.  "Everyone back
to work!" he barked, and the office burst into activity once again.  "And
you can all count this as your lunch break!"  Then he looked at Asuka.  "I
think that's enough bowing and scraping for today.  Let's go."

A collective groan was heard, which hid the single groan as Asuka kicked
Gendo in the side.

After the torture squad had left, Kozo looked down at Gendo.  "They're
gone.  You can quit faking it now."

"My ribs!  Was she wearing steel-toed sandals or something?"  Gendo got
gingerly to his feet, clutching his side.  "This is my worst nightmare."

"Worse than Naoko?"

"My second worst nightmare."  He flopped in his chair and massaged his
temples.  "Why does this happen to me?"

"Because you're a pig with no self-control, a wandering eye, and not
enough sense to use a condom when you're sleeping with a slut."

"I didn't _know_ she was a slut, okay?" Gendo yelled, getting the
attention of the entire office again.  "Aren't I allowed to make a few
mistakes?  That's what life is all about, isn't it?"

Kozo turned and regarded his co-worker soberly.  "Your whole life is a
mistake, Rokubungi.  The only inkling of success you've seen is this
project, and you're about to throw it all away.  You're not going to take
me down with you, and I won't let you hurt Yui."

Gendo looked back at him.  "For a second there, I almost thought you were
serious."

A rubber band hit him directly in the forehead.

"Ow!"

"Get serious, you idiot!  We've got three months to finish this!  Three!
Do you know what that means?"

With a wave of his hand, Gendo dismissed the concerns of his co-creator.
"You heard what Lorenz said.  This is money in the studio's pocket.  If
we're a little late with stuff, what are they going to do?  Fire us?"

"Yes."

"No.  They're going to give in to our creative genius and give us more
time.  Think, man, think!"  Gendo smiled and leaned back.  "I bet we could
make a few demands around here now that we're the shit."

"We're _in_ the shit.  Now get to work."

"Hey, just because you've been supportive even when I know... I don't
really deserve it, I'll actually do some work."

"About time."

***

Kaworu balanced some soup on one arm, a glass of whiskey in one hand, and
a cordless phone in the other.  "I hope you're decent," he said lightly as
he entered the bedroom of Yui's cramped and rundown apartment.

Yui blew her nose and smiled fondly at the boy.  "You're so sweet, Kaworu.
Thank you."  She took the soup from him, which allowed him to set the
glass down on the table next to the bed and toss the phone next to her.

"Yes, I know.  That's what all my friends tell me."  He sat on the bed and
watched his aunt drink some soup.  "You really should find a new place;
this one is so depressing."

"You know I can't afford to.  The studio doesn't pay me that much," she
explained, and had more soup.

"Then you should get a new job.  You're smarter than this.  They don't
deserve you there.  You should be doing more than giving tours like an
ordinary little piece of fluff; you should be doing something that can
change the world!"

"Kaworu, you're a very sweet boy, but... your head is in the clouds.  I
can't change the world.  I can barely get along."  Yui finished the soup
then took the glass of whiskey and downed it in three large swallows.
"Did you call that Shinji boy?"

"Nice try, but that phone isn't for me.  It's for you.  Call him; I know
you want to."  Kaworu offered his gentle, even smile, showing just a few
of his perfect white teeth.

Yui began crying again, and blew her nose into the tissue.  "Why did he do
that to me?  I can't call him after that.  He probably thinks I'm a
fool."

"You have to understand that it wasn't personal.  With men it never is.
He's just an idiot.  A... sort of brooding cute, morally questionable,
sexually loose idiot."  The boy patted Yui's arm and handed her another
tissue.

Somehow Yui managed to laugh as she wiped her eyes with the offered
tissue.  "Kaworu, I can't compete with you for boyfriends.  Leave a few
for me."

"You could have any man you wanted.  Why you want this one, I'm not really
sure, but you have to be aggressive with him."  As an aside, he mentioned,
"I bet he'd obey every order you gave him."

"I... I don't know if I can do that.  I'm not that kind of person," Yui
said, eyeing the phone at her side.

"Do it.  You know you want to.  The whiskey should be getting to you and
giving you some courage."  Kaworu picked up the phone and placed it in his
aunt's hand.  "Call the idiot."

***

Asuka walked through the maze of cubicles quickly and quietly.  She had a
destination in mind and didn't want the current occupants to see her
coming.

***

The phone rang, and Gendo picked it up, more out of habit than any desire
to speak to whoever was on the other end.  "Yeah?"

"Gendo?"

Gendo sat straight up in his chair.  "Yui?"

Kozo whipped his head around.  "Is that Yui?  She wants to talk to me,
doesn't she?" he asked, grabbing for the phone.

"No, she doesn't," Gendo answered, holding the phone away.  "She wants to
talk to _me_."

"You're a jerk," Kozo snapped back, reaching across Gendo.  "Why would she
want to talk to you?"

Gendo pushed Kozo off.  "Because I don't need Viagra to treat a woman
right."

"Hey, fuck you!  You know that's a medical problem!"

Several faces picked over the cubicle dividers and around to look at the
two.

"No!  I wouldn't know anything about your sexual dysfunctions so don't
imply that I do!" Gendo said _very_ loudly so that everyone could hear.
"Now, if you don't mind, I have a woman on the phone who is interested in
having sex with me, so..."  He cleared his voice.  "Yes, Yui, what can I
do for you?"

"Uh...  I'm not sure now.  I was just going to ask you if--"

There was a pause, and Gendo heard some whispering from the other end of
the phone line.  "Yui?"

"Yes.  Gendo, I want you to come over here right now," she told him
firmly.

There was the sound of clapping.  "Now?  But I can't--"

"You can't?  Then if you can't, I guess I should just call someone who
can.  After all, one man is as serviceable as the next."

"NO!  I'll be right over!  Ow!  Kozo, quit fucking around!  I'm on the
phone with Yui!"  Gendo tried to duck another rubber band whizzing at his
head.  "Ow!  I said stop!"

"Go to hell.  You know she should be mine, you woman-stealing creep!"

Gendo paused, giving his friend a flat look.  "Is that the best you can
do?  I mean, I've been insulted better by elementary school kids."

"Yes, but you've never sunk this low before.  You've never snatched a
woman right out from my hands before."

"Mmm... snatch."

"God dammit, Rokubungi!  This is the exact problem you had before, why Yui
ran out on you!  I'll concede if you're serious about her, but if you're
just going to jerk her around, I won't stand by and watch."

Gendo snapped back to reality.  "Just mind your own business, old man.
How I handle this situation is my concern, and not yours."

"Yui is my concern, and I will beat that fact into you if necessary,
within an inch of your life!"

"I'd like to see you try."

"Gladly, stick boy."  Kozo stood up, his hands clenched into fists, his
eyes burning with passionate fury.

Gendo stood as well, looking up at the taller man.  "Go ahead, take a
swing.  If you've got the b--"  He hit the floor instantly with an imprint
of Kozo's fist in his face.

"What were you saying?"

"You... you hit me!"  Gendo touched his face where the blow had landed.
"You bastard!"

With a snort, Kozo crossed his arms over his chest.  "Serves you right."

Gendo got to his feet slowly, with his hand still at his face, and looking
at his friend with accusatory eyes.  "You hit me.  You could have broken
my glasses."

The look of disgust faded from Kozo's face to be replaced by one of
disbelief.  "You amaze me."

"Yeah, and now I'm gonna pay you back."  Gendo suddenly tackled Kozo, and
sent the two to the floor in a heap of flailing fists.

The walls of their cubicle shook as they tussled, rolling this way and
that, blindly attempting to pummel one another and ultimately doing very
little outside property damage.  And it was studio property so they didn't
really care about that.

They continued, uttering grunts and various curses, but they were tiring,
and it devolved into more of a clutch-fest, combined with some pushing and
verbal abuse.  Being halfway out into the hallway, some people generously
stepped over them, while others didn't bother to try and stepped on
whatever happened to be beneath their feet.

"Rokubungi," Kozo wheezed, trying to catch his breath, "I hate you."

Gendo could only lay there, panting, his arms outstretched.  One lens of
his glasses was popped out, and his jaw was beginning to swell from the
punch he had taken earlier.

*click*

Gendo looked to his left to see...  "WhaaaAAA?!"

"DAAAAAD!  This pervert's doing things to me agaaaaaiiiinnnnn!" Asuka
howled at the top of her lungs.

"What are you doing, you little witch!" Gendo screeched, throwing Kozo off
and sitting up.  "What did you _do_?" he yelled, holding up his wrist,
which was now handcuffed to the red monster's.

"Daaaaaaad!" Asuka yelled again, ignoring the panicking man she was locked
to.  "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!"

"Someone shut her up."

"I heard that!  Who said that?  I'm gonna report you to my dad, and then
your ass is gonna be on the street!" Asuka snapped, abandoning the
screaming for a moment.  "Who?!"

Gendo stood and jerked the girl to her feet.  "Oh my god oh my god oh my
god..."

"That hurt, you jerk!  Daaaaaaaaaaaaaad!"

"Um, the director's gone out for lunch.  He won't be back for two hours,"
someone reported quietly.

"Well, hell.  Get this thing off me right now," Asuka order, placing her
unchained hand on her hip and glaring at Gendo.

"You stupid little wench!" Gendo hissed, glaring at her.  "I don't have
the key!  Why the hell do you think I was wearing it?"

Asuka frowned.  "No key?  Well I don't care.  Get it off!"

"How am I supposed to?  Oh my god...  I'm supposed to go see Yui right
now!  I can't go over there dragging along a beast!  This was my chance.
Oh my god oh my god.  How am I ever going to get laid with a kid
handcuffed to me?"

"Oh, eww.  Quick, someone unlock this before he does something perverted
to me," Asuka said, a sickened look on her face.

"Hey," Kozo said lightly, "didn't you say that reporter kept the key?"  He
was already back at his desk, doing some work.

"Yeah yeah yeah!  Ritsuko has the key!  She can unlock it!" Gendo said
feverishly, pacing around and dragging Asuka behind him.  "Must call
Yui..."

"Don't call her!" Asuka yelled, jerking on his arm.  "Get me out of this!"

"I'm _trying_!  Now shut up so I can talk to Yui!" Gendo snapped at her,
then grabbed the phone in the nearest cubicle.

***

Yui tossed back another glass of whiskey.  "I don't know, Kaworu.  I don't
know if I can be... like that."

Kaworu filled her glass again.  "It worked, didn't it?  He said he'd be
over, and then you two can..."  He winked.

"No!  Of course not!  And not while you're here!  That's indecent!"

"Okay, I promise not to peek or take pictures."

Yui gasped.  "Kaworu!  What would your mother say?"

"Oh, she'd probably be happy to know her younger sister was finally getting
her life together.  Even if it is with just a salaryman."  He smiled and
accepted his aunt's embrace.

"It's almost like she knew I'd be able to use your help this week, Kaworu.
You're an angel."

The phone rang, interrupting their moment.

"Let me get that," Kaworu offered and hit the button on the phone.
"Hello?  Oh, hello."  He pointed at the phone and mouthed, "It's him."

Yui tried to grab the phone from the boy's hands, but he turned away.  "Is
there something you need?  You want to talk to my aunt?"  Kaworu turned
again, keeping the phone just out of Yui's reach.  "I'm not so sure.  She
might have gone to wash her hair--"

"I'm here.  Kaworu was just being mean," Yui said into the phone after
grabbing it from her nephew.  "Is there something wrong?" she asked
anxiously and crossed her fingers.  "A problem?  Is it--"  Yui grimaced.
"Oh, so you'll be--"  Her brow furrowed.  "But you _will_ be over."  A
small smile.  "I'll be waiting."

***

"Come on, we need to go to Ritsuko's."  Gendo didn't wait for any sort of
assent from Asuka as he charged down the hall, dragging her along.
"Kozo--"

"I'm not covering for you."

"Thanks!"

"My dad is going to fire you for this, you know," Asuka said as she
followed along behind him.  "You're not going to get away with handcuffing
me to you."

Gendo ignored her threats.  "Walk faster.  I know you've got short legs,
but you can move faster than that."

"Hey!  I do not have--PUT ME DOWN!"

Gendo hefted Asuka in a fireman's carry and hurried to the elevator while
she kicked and whined.  "I don't have time to wait for you.  I need to get
this off and go to Yui's, so stop struggling or I'll be forced to do
something drastic."

"Drastic?"  Asuka took a deep, _deep_ breath of air.  "Da--"

And then Gendo clamped his hand over her mouth.  "Please.  I just want to
get this handcuff, and you with it, off my wrist.  Just be glad I don't
need to go to the bathroom."

The elevator doors opened, and Gendo stepped inside.  "If you promise to
stop screaming in my ear, I'll uncover your mouth.  Will promise not to
scream?"

Asuka shook her head.

"I'm not surprised."

They rode down in the elevator in silence, which was a pleasant change for
Gendo.  There was only one hiccup when a tour group got on at the fourth
floor and gave them odd looks, but the guide remained willfully and
blissfully ignorant of them and didn't mention it at all.

Gendo glanced at one man and nodded in a friendly manner as the guest
stared, then turned his gaze back to the floor display as the elevator
descended.

***

Ritsuko crossed her spacious, well-furnished apartment, red robe flowing
grandly behind her, as the buzzer went off again.  She finished the last
of her sloe screw and stabbed at the intercom button.  "Yes?"

"It's me."

Ritsuko tried to place the voice.  Me.  Someone she knew apparently.
Male, and out of breath.  That was odd.  Usually they sounded that way
when they were leaving.  "Me who?"

"Gendo."

"Oh, right.  Back so soon?  Come on up."  She pushed the button that
unlocked the downstairs and held it for what she thought was an appropriate
time.

"Who was that, sempai?" a voice floated down the hall from the bedroom as
Ritsuko went to fix herself another drink.

"Remember that one I told you about from last night?"

"When you broke our date.  I remember."  Maya emerged from the bedroom,
wearing a very short white satin jacquard robe, and toweling her short
hair.  She had a sour look on her face.

"Don't be jealous.  You might like him.  He was so very... submissive."

A knock on the door hushed any reply from Maya, and she glared at the door
while she prepared herself a Virgin Mary.

Ritsuko blew her a little kiss as she headed to the door.  When she opened
it, she had been expecting to find Gendo, not Gendo with a young girl
slung over his shoulder.  "This is a surprise."

Without waiting for an invitation, Gendo entered the apartment and set
Asuka down.  "Get this little harpy unchained from my wrist _now_," he
said, staring at Ritsuko with wild eyes.

"Well, she's kind of... young, don't you think?"

Asuka's eyes bugged out.

"Harpy, you say?"  Ritsuko looked at her thoughtfully.  "I'll be right
back.  Make yourselves comfortable."  She left the two, and Maya, and
returned to the bedroom.

Maya glared at the guests and sipped her drink.

Gendo looked anxious.

Asuka looked very, very worried.

Ritsuko returned in an amazingly short amount of time considering the way
she was dressed.

"Aw, Sempai," Maya whined, "I don't want to be Gabrielle again!"

"You can be Calisto then.  Go get changed."

Gendo blinked several times to make sure he wasn't seeing things, but no.
This was really Ritsuko dressed in a medieval leather ensemble.  As she
stalked toward him, his eyes grew wider at the menace she presented.

Instead of doing something cruel and painful (as she had done the previous
night), she draped a feather boa around Asuka's shoulders.  "There.  And
when Maya comes back, we're all set."

"Set?  For what?"

"You said she was a harpy.  This just helps.  And you'll be our faithful,
desperate, pathetic male sidekick that we tease endlessly, but never plan
on letting get any, Joxer.  It's so fun to tease."  Ritsuko tickled Gendo
under his chin and smiled.

"Teased endlessly?" he asked quietly.

Ritsuko nodded, still smiling.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" Asuka suddenly yelled, crushing any sort of mood that
had been developing.

Gendo shook his head.  "No, this is totally wrong.  I'm not here to...
play any games.  I need this handcuff unlocked so I can ditch this
abusive, hellacious fiend, and go get some from Yui!"

"Why?"

"W-why?  WHY?"

Asuka began crying in an uncommon show of emotion other than anger.  "I
don't wanna be chained to this pervert for the rest of my life!"

"I mean, why didn't you just cut them if you were that desperate?"
Ritsuko looked at Gendo simply and with a hint of confusion on her face.

"Cut?" Gendo asked, starting to hyperventilate.  "You said this metal
couldn't be cut!"

"And you believed me?"  Ritsuko laughed and yelled to the bedroom, "He
believed me!"    Wow, I gave you more credit than you
deserved.  I got them out of a vending machine; the links aren't even
welded together."

Both Gendo and Asuka looked at the chain between the two metal bracelets
and stared.  It was indeed very shoddily constructed.

"You idiot!  Get this damned thing off me right now!  Now, or I'll kick
your ass!" Asuka screamed, all tears forgotten.  "Do it!"

"Hurry," Gendo said to Ritsuko desperately.  "She'll do it.  Really."

Ritsuko, still chuckling to herself, went to fetch the key.  "I can't
believe he believed me," she said to herself.

Hopping from one foot to the other, Gendo waited.  "Hurry up hurry up
hurry up," he mumbled, wringing his hands.  "Gonna get some gonna get some
gonna get some."

"Is that all you ever think about?  Having sex with that woman?" Asuka
asked snottily, glaring at him.

"No, I think about having sex with other women too."

"You suck."

"When you're older maybe.  Oh, gimme!" Gendo said gleefully as Ritsuko
returned with the key.  He held out his wrist as the reporter unlocked the
handcuff, and then cackled with glee.  "Free at least!"

"Ahem."

Gendo paused with his hands in the air and looked at Ritsuko.  "Huh?"

"And I'm just supposed to let you leave?  I put this on you for a reason,
you remember?" she scolded, standing there with her hands on leather-clad
hips.

"Well, yeah, about that.  You see, there's this other woman that I've been
trying to get with, and... you're in the way of that.  No hard feelings."
He smiled and offered his hand.

Ritsuko looked somewhat disappointed, but accepting as well.  "This time,
but I'm not forgetting you," she warned, pointing her finger at him.  "I
can find out everything about you, things you didn't even know, in an
instant.  I'll be giving you a call in the future."

"Er... I don't thin--"

Ritsuko grabbed him in her arms, bent him backwards and kissed him
soundly, while Asuka made gagging noises.  They stayed like that for a
good thirty seconds, which by that time Asuka had ceased her gagging
noises and was merely tapping her foot.

First, Ritsuko released the kiss, and then she released Gendo, letting him
fall to the floor.  "Maya, stop changing.  He's leaving," she called, and
went to release Asuka from her handcuff.

"Thanks," Gendo said as he got up and went for the door.  "Really, it's
not necessary to call.  I'm sure Maya will keep you more than busy."  He
opened the door and had one foot out when he heard words that haunted him.

"Don't count on it."

"What about me?" Asuka yelled at his back.

"Find your own date."

***

There was a knock on the door, and Kaworu got up from his place on the
couch to answer it.  He smiled when he saw who was there.  "Hello again."

"Hi," Gendo answered timidly.  "Is Yui here?"

"Come in."  Kaworu stepped aside so Gendo could enter the apartment.  It
was obvious, as the boy watched him, that he had never been there before,
and Kaworu had to applaud his aunt for erring on the side of caution when
it came to having men over.

Gendo looked at everything like he was in a museum, and every object
around him was a piece of art.

This was something else that Kaworu could appreciate, being a true
romantic and a complete sap by his own admission.  He sighed and smiled.
"Down the hall," he said quietly.

Gendo nodded, hesitantly returning the smile, and made his way down the
hall.  There were only two doors to choose from in the tiny apartment,
even smaller than his own dingy hole, and one was the bathroom.  Silently,
he pushed open the other door and looked into Yui's bedroom.

She lay on the bed, covered by a patchwork quilt, and clutching an empty
whiskey bottle to her chest.  The phone was tucked halfway under her
pillow, and her eyes were closed.  Yui was asleep.

Sighing, Gendo approached the bed and sat on the edge of it.  He pulled
the bottle from her grasp, then leaned down and kissed her forehead.  God,
she smelled like the inside of that whiskey bottle.

"It doesn't matter what Kozo thinks.  I _am_ serious," he whispered, and
smoothed her hair.

Yui turned slightly, and grabbed the pillow.  "Yes, I'll marry you,
Gendo-chan," she mumbled, a slight smile on her face.

A blush rose to Gendo's cheeks.  Did she really feel that?  Was she
willing to do such thing?  He wasn't sure he was, even to someone as kind
and gentle and warm and curvy as Yui.  It was scary, but... neat at the
same time.

He'd never known a woman that was actually willing to even consider
marrying him.  After all the trouble he'd gone through in such a short
time, he felt light.  Gendo exited the bedroom with a smile on his face.

When he returned to the main room, Kaworu was back on the couch, watching
old CHiPs reruns.  The boy sighed happily, though it didn't quite seem
like it was because of the show.

"Something... wrong?" Gendo asked quietly.

"Not at all," Kaworu replied, and looked back.  "I wish I had lived in the
70's.  I just love all those tight shirts they wore."

-----------------------

-- omake --

Gendo looked at Kaworu.  "No, you don't.  Trust me."

"Oh, but those gloves are so sexy.  Look at how they accent Eric Estrada's
manly hands.  I don't see how any woman could resist."

Gendo sat down on the couch next to Kaworu.  "Gloves?  They're really
sexy?"

"Oh definitely!  A pair of nice white, silk gloves running across my thigh
like I'm a dusty mantle that needs to be cleaned..."  Kaworu shivered and
snuggled closer to Gendo.  "Hold me."

Gloves.  What a perfect accent to his--er, the commander's character in
Project E!


- Lara

"You know what the beauty of pancakes is?  They're flexible so you can
cram a lot into your mouth at once."