From: Lara Bartram 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 a by Lara Bartram ---------------------------- "Kozo, I think we have certifiably hit the big time." "Don't get your hopes up. Do you know how much work this is going to mean for us?" "And you're the one that's always calling me lazy! This is our chance! We can finally get the respect we deserve!" "Jubilation doesn't suit you." Gendo rolled his eyes. "Why are you so negative? Don't you see? No more Kaji breathing down our necks, no more baby-sitting, no more scrubbing toilets..." He took Kozo by the lapels of his rumpled suit. "We are on easy street." "Maybe. I just don't think we should get ahead of ourselves." "Bah. You worry too much." Gendo turned his attention back to his sandwich. The sun was out, the birds were singing, his paycheck was rising... How Kozo could be such a party-pooper was beyond him. "Hey, isn't that the woman you were seeing last year, Gendo?" "Naoko?" He looked up. "Whe--" Then he saw her. She was smiling and waving, jogging in their direction. She looked exactly as he remembered her... except for the whole pregnant thing. "She's as big as a whale, Gendo!" "A... whale..." Gendo's eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed in a dead faint. *** Gendo looked at the card in his hand and had to fight off waves of nausea. "She sounded really happy, Gendo. She's looking forward to you calling her tonight." "Shut up, Kozo." "She was really pretty; that dress looked very nice on her, even if she was hugely pregnant. How lucky you must feel to be a father and all." Kozo smiled widely and pat his friend on the back. "A whale..." was the only thing Gendo could offer in response. Kozo leaned in and whispered, "Probably twins." "Twins... Whale..." Gendo let out a low moan and dropped his head to his desk. *** Gendo tapped his feet restlessly under the table. The sooner the whole thing was over with, the better. There was just no way he was ready to believe that he was really going to be a... With Naoko. For some reason, that was more frightening than the rest of it. "I'm not marrying her," he muttered to himself, as he kept his eyes glued to the door. The door opened, and he saw a man standing there, and behind him... Gendo winced. Naoko hadn't been the most patient or polite woman he'd ever known, and he just knew she was about to display that to the entire restaurant. "MOVE!" Gendo turned his head and held his hand up in an effort to hide his face. Maybe she wouldn't see him and leave. Oh please, let her leave. He didn't want to have to-- "It's been such a long time, Gendo!" "Hi, Naoko." He accepted her hug and kiss on the cheek with a minimum of flinching. "I haven't heard from you in about nine months." If she saw his wince, she made no mention of it. "So what have you been doing?" "Working." Making conversation had never been a strong suit of his, and he had never really had any long conversations with Naoko. That hadn't been their thing. Gendo almost started to weep. If it had been, maybe he wouldn't have been sitting there with her. Oh God, why did he have to be such a slave to his hormones? "That's good to hear. I just took time off from work." The reason why was left unspoken. "Uh... ah." He tried his best to avoid looking in her eyes, then maybe she wouldn't detect the fear. They sat that way, her looking at him expectantly and him not looking at her fearfully. Finally, the waiter saved Gendo for the time being. "Would you like anything to drink?" A very short time being. "A drink?! I'm pregnant with this man's child and you're asking me if I want a _drink_?!" Naoko barked, getting the attention of everyone in the restaurant. Gendo tried to slide out of his chair and duck under the table. On the plus side, how much worse could it get? Ask and ye shall receive. Across the restaurant, through one of the stylistic archways that split the dining areas roughly in half, he saw her. Slit his wrists... with a butterknife. It could be done. If a person was determined enough, and at that moment, he was certainly determined, for on the other side of the dining area he saw two very familiar blue eyes staring at him. He looked away, hoping she wouldn't recognize him. If she knew... He had actually been making progress with her! That pity lay had only been maybe nine or ten dates away! And now... "Gendo Rokubungi! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" And now, since most of the free world knew who he was, his chances of scoring with Yui were right down the toilet like Director Lorenz's daughter's face. A sliver of rage burned inside of him for this injustice. They had both known the risks, and they had both agreed that it wouldn't be a permanent thing, and here she was, trying to sink her witchy, jagged, blood-red claws into him. Gendo stood suddenly, knocking his chair over and getting the attention of just about everyone. "Are you positive that's mine?" Naoko stared at him. "Are you sure that's mine?" he repeated, his gaze boring into her head. "No." "What?" "No." Naoko shrugged like she had just finished the last brownie. "I mean, sure there were other guys, but you and I were three, four times a night. It has to be yours." Gendo sputtered. "Other guys?! What?!" "Oh please." Naoko waved him off, looking bored with the whole situation. "Like this is news to you. What, you thought all those nights I was just w--" She lowered her voice. "You thought I was wet with anticipation for you?" Gendo's stomach flip-flopped and he turned decidedly green. "I... don't wanna know. I don't." "But I didn't know those other men the way I know you. I knew it had to be yours because we always did it... the traditional way. The other guys, well, you know, sometimes it was... back door, and sometimes I would just..." She opened her mouth and bobbed her head a little. "And most of them I made wear condoms!" [Flashback! Nine months previous or so] The lights were dim, the music was loud, the alcohol was flowing, Naoko was toasted. "Yer a strong lookin' fella," she slurred, spilling some of her drink on the man's white outfit. He smiled and steadied her with a hand on her breast. "Take it easy now, ma'am." "Yer foreign, aint'cha?" "Yes, ma'am. The three of us are on shore leave for a little... relaxation." The man smiled as he gestured to his two friends, also in white outfits. They smiled and nodded at her. Naoko wiggled her fingers back at them, smiling broadly. "So what're you in? Tha merines?" "The navy, ma'am. We're in the navy." "Ah... Well, one of us 'as gotta wear white." Naoko laughed and slapped her hand on the man's chest. "Whut's yer name, sailor?" "I'm Mel. This are my buds, Casper and Theo." "Short for Balthazar," the one nick-named Theo added, still smiling at Naoko. "You guys rilly are foreign! Wow... I don't think I've ever had sex on a boat before." "It's a ship, ma'am. And we really aren't supposed to bring people on board, especially after hours," said Mel, still steadying Naoko with his hands on various parts of her anatomy. "Oh... well how about a cheap hotel?" [End sordid flashback] "I am calling a doctor." Gendo sat back down slowly, his face white as a sheet. "More baby tests?" Naoko squealed with delight. "Sometimes those instruments are a little cold, but the strong hands of a d--" "No! I am getting myself tested, you skanky tramp. And then we are gonna have some sort of blood test, DNA test, chemistry, physics, biology, history, math... whatever kind of test it takes to prove that kid is _not_ mine!" The delighted smile on Naoko's face had turned into disbelief, which had turned into disgusted boredom. "You men are all the same. You want all the sex and none of the responsibilities. Well fine. I don't need you or your stupid tests." She stood and grabbed her purse. "You can just forget you ever knew me, Gendo Rokubungi. I won't be darkening your doorway ever again." With that, she marched out, pushing aside a waiter and a pair of customers waiting to be seated. When the door swung shut behind her, Gendo let out a shout of triumph. "Yes! She's gone!" The other patrons seemed similarly relieved. "Waiter... something to drink. Something strong. And I'd also like to buy that table whatever they want," he said, grinning and pointing to the table Yui was at with some of her friends. *** "You're chipper today." He better not have scored with Yui or I'll kill him. "Yeah, Naoko dumped me last night. It was the best thing in the world." "That's nice." Kozo wore a decidedly fake smile to hide his frustration. Dammit. That witch was supposed to take him out of the running. "What about the baby?" Yeah, riddle him with guilt. "Oh, it turns out she was a totally ho-bag slut." "You just now figured this out?" "Shut up. Almost blew it with Yui too, stupid bitch." Kozo gaped. "How _dare_ you call Yui a stupid bitch, you sorry sack of sh--" "_Naoko_ is a stupid bitch. Jeez, old man. Settle down. I would never call Yui that. She's... a perfect, nice, kind, gentle, well-rounded--" Kozo slapped Gendo's hands down, which had started to trace some imaginary outline in the air. "I get the point. Besides, she's more like this." He traced his own outline. "Really? I think you're being a little conservative on top there. Maybe this." "Her breasts aren't _that_ big!" "Hi, you two." The two men froze, Gendo with his hands held two feet apart in front of him, and Kozo with his hands poised in the air like they were... supporting something. All hands disappeared into various pockets before they turned around. "Hi, Yui." She smiled warmly at them before taking Gendo by the arm and leading him a short distance away. "About that scene at the restaurant," she began. Gendo flinched. He had been hoping she hadn't noticed him there. "I'm really sorry that woman caused you so much trouble. That was very unsightly for everyone." With his eyes searching for some sort of Candid Camera set-up, Gendo nodded. "I hope it all works out for you." She hadn't stopped smiling, but here it shifted from her general 'I'm too innocent to fuck' smile to something that said, maybe, 'I'm not as innocent as you think, so give it a try'. Luckily, Gendo had his hands still shoved in his pockets. "Thanks, Yui. I'm pretty sure it will now. I just..." Something in him screamed to play this to the hilt. "I just never realized how she was going around behind my back. I l-loved her, and she was just using me. It hurts so much." "There, there." Yui slipped her arm around him and patted his back. "Maybe we can talk about this later to help you get over her brutal and callous treatment. A wounded heart can be the toughest thing in the world to heal." Gendo looked at her, his eyes growing to cartoonish proportions and becoming liquid with emotion. "Would you?" "I would." "Over dinner?" "Sure." "Tonight?" "Tonight." "Could I run my hands over your naked, oiled body and then cover you in whipped cream to lick it off with such excruciating slowness you become my willing love slave for the rest of our lives?" "We'll talk about it later." Gendo shook his head. "Er... right. I'll talk to you about dinner later." "Feel better." "You will. I mean, right. I'm already feeling much better." Kozo watched this quiet conversation with half-lidded eyes. What a crock of shit. *** "I should kill you, Rokubungi." "Oh, come on, old man. There's plenty of other available women around. Of course, none of them are Yui, but that's just a minor drawback. I'm sure you won't notice the different eyes, or lips, or how her breasts don't--" "Rokubungi," Kozo growled. "All right, all right. What about... Hey!" Gendo's eyes lit up. "You could always put your best moves on Inspector Katsuragi. I've heard she's easy." "I don't want easy! I want Yui!" "Yeah, but... wouldn't you be the talk of the office if you snatched a wild woman like her right out from underneath that bastard Kaji? Your name would live in office legend!" "You are such a--" "Gentlemen, I hope I'm not interrupting anything." The two stood up. "Of course not, Director Lorenz," they said in unison. "Good. Rokubungi, I have a special task for you. This will entail some overtime, but I know you'll enjoy it." "Of course I will, sir." The only overtime he was looking forward to was what he'd be spending with Yui, but it was looking like that was about to be put on hold. He could see the smirk on Kozo's face. "Excellent. Here." Lorenz tossed a set of keys to Gendo, who barely caught them. "What are these to?" "The company van." "And what will I be needing that for?" "Since you're so good with them, I figured you wouldn't have any trouble watching my children while I'm off on some business." Kozo's smirk immediately changed to a wide smile. "That's an excellent idea, sir. I know they really enjoy spending time with Rokubungi!" "Stop kissing ass, Fuyutsuki. I'm not impressed." "Sorry, sir." "Now, Rokubungi..." Gendo seemed to shrivel under his bosses words, like a plant under a heat lamp. "My children like you, and though Shinji wanted to spend more time Fuyutsuki here--" Kozo opened his mouth in a silent scream. "--I'm not giving you both time off. Besides, they're only children so it should only take one of you to handle them." "Yes, sir." Gendo had accepted his fate, and was preparing mentally for killing himself later. "Good. I'll bring them by this afternoon." Director Lorenz began to waddle off. Afternoon... "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" "Did you say something, Rokubungi?" "No, sir." "Good." Gendo fell against Kozo, sobbing. "My date. My date with Yui..." He blew his nose on his friend's tie. "All ruined. Because of that man's little demonspawn!" "Grow up, you putz," Kozo snapped, shoving Gendo away. "So you don't get to go on a date with Yui. It's not the end of the world." With disbelieving eyes, Gendo stared. "Well, okay, for you it is, but come on! It's not that bad." Gendo continued to stare. "Well, yeah, it is. But you'll survive." ... "Well, maybe you won't, but..." Kozo had run out of things to say. "Can I have your stash of cup ramen when you die?" Gendo began sobbing again. *** With a look of complete misery, Gendo trudged to the cafeteria. Kozo, with his carefree life lacking completely of monstrous children that wanted to kill him, had made his merry way there already. "I hate you," Gendo muttered, sending several people around him to walk just a little further away. He opened the double swinging cafeteria doors with his face and flopped down in the nearest chair, angering the current occupant, Tajumi Ikeda. "Gendo?" That voice... He looked up and managed to smile at the face he saw. A tear of joy trickled down his cheek. "Gendo, what's wrong?" A hand of pure golden light held itself out and waited for him to take it. When he slipped his hand into it, he felt the light filling his being, purifying his soul of the darkness the demon Naoko had left there to fester and rot like a wet cabbage in the broiling sun. Yui led Gendo back to her table and sat him down in an unoccupied chair. The others there stared. "He's weeping like a small child," one commented. "Hey, I've been in Tajumi's lap before; he has every right to weep." Yui ignored them and tried to figure out what the problem was. "Gendo, what's wrong?" When Gendo got a clear look at her face, his crying intensified and he threw her arms around her, crushing her to him. "Sensitive men are the greatest," another table occupant said dreamily. "Yeah, but he's just crying like a big baby." "Be quiet," Yui scolded them, prying Gendo's arms apart. "There's obviously something wrong. This might not be the best time to break bad news to him." Bad news... bad news... bad news... "Yuiiiii," Gendo wailed, "I don't wanna go!" "Go where? Tell me what's wrong," she urged, still trying to get his arms apart. "Director *sniffle* Lorenz's kids *sniffle* don't wanna watch them *hiccup* evil demons!" "You have to watch the director's children?" Yui finally got one arm loose. Gendo nodded. "When?" "Tonight." "Oh! Well everything works out then!" Gendo's tears dried immediately. "What?" Yui broke free and smiled at him. "At the last minute, my sister called--" "You have a sister?" "Yeah. I thought everyone knew that. Anyway, she called and is having a personal problem. She asked if I could watch her son for the evening. I knew you'd understand, and I couldn't turn away my sister..." Gendo stared dully at her. "This isn't making me feel better." Yui shook her finger. "No, this is perfect. While I'm watching Kaworu, that's my nephew, you can bring the director's children, and we can go to Disney together. I'm sure the director would gladly pay for the expenses." "Yeah, gladly like I'd gladly shove a box of Lincoln Logs up my rectum." Yui just smiled at him. Gendo started to sweat. *** That afternoon, Kozo stood behind Gendo, giving him the typical manager-boxer pep talk. "Stick and move. Never stand in one place for more than a few seconds. Don't let them get inside your defenses. Use verbal intimidation; psych them out. Take control of the situation. And for goodness sake, wear a cup. You know the girl will be armed." Gendo nodded, his fixed down the hallway where, any moment now, the children would be emerging. Control the situation. Verbal intimidation. Wear a cup. The only thing that actually kept him from fleeing in terror was the knowledge that he'd have Yui's bosom to cry on when things got really bad. "And no crying on Yui's bosom when they beat the hell out of you." Kozo spun Gendo around roughly, slapped his cheek and nodded. "Go get 'em." He spun Gendo around again and shoved him down the hall. Just then, the door opened, and in slow motion, the wave of chaos rushed through. "Remember it's always the quiet ones!" Gendo had less than two seconds to consider his friend's words before the little hellions were upon him. Shinji clutched his hand like _they_ were the ones on a date; Asuka greeted him with a vicious kick to the shin; and Rei... she didn't do anything. "Goodbye, old friend," he called out to Kozo, giving him one last wave before he was dragged away. *** In the van, Gendo was amazed at how well-behaved the children were. It didn't hurt that Rei was in the passenger seat while the other two beasts were in the back. They seemed content, at any rate, to verbally abuse each other and not him. Life was good. "We're almost there," he informed them, unsure of what kind of reaction it would promote. They were wildly unpredictable outside of abusing him. "I don't see why we have to spend time with _her_," Asuka grouched, crossing her arms over the yellow dress she was wearing. "She's not our mother." "Of course she's not," Gendo began in his best effort to not piss the girl off. "Satan's your mother," he muttered under his breath. "We just thought you'd like to spend the evening at the amusement park." Asuka snorted. Shinji's reply was a little more... negative. "Oh, not that awful Tokyo Disney. It's a vile little drone factory that's consumed with greed and the oppression of artistic expression." Gendo sighed. "Or not. Well, I'm sure Yui will be able to--" "Why do you talk about her so much? You think she wants to have sex with you, don't you?" Asuka sniped. "She must be stupid if she does. And then you'd end up having stupid kids who would work for me and I'd have to fire them because they were so stupid." "She is rather... common," Shinji added. "I like her." The other two children immediately quieted at the words out of Rei's mouth and an unnatural silence filled the van. Gendo glanced at Rei, noting she was staring out the window. He _assumed_ it had been Rei that spoke, as the voice came from her general direction, but he hadn't heard her speak before, and she hadn't moved an inch. "Yes, well, let's just try to have fun. Please. Pleeeease." Shinji leaned forward and hung over the back of Gendo's seat. "For you I will," he said quietly and slipped his arms around Gendo's neck. *** Gendo smiled at Yui. "Are you ready?" Yui smiled back. "We sure are. This is my nephew, Kaworu." From behind Yui stepped a tallish young man with silvery hair and vibrant red eyes. He smiled at Gendo in a far too familiar Shinji sort of way. "Uh... nice to meet you, Kaworu. Should we go now?" He took a small step back, putting extra distance between himself and the boy. "Yes, that would be an excellent idea, and then I can meet the director's children." Yui slipped a sweater over her shoulders, took Kaworu's hand, then exited the apartment. As they walked down the stairs, Gendo, feeling slightly more confident in Yui's presence, said, "I should tell you, Shinji is against going to Disney." "Shinji?" Gendo glanced at the boy and noted the way his eyes were alight with interest. "Uh, yeah. Shinji." Kaworu released Yui's hand and grabbed on to Gendo's arm. "Tell me all about him. What are his measurements? What color eyes does he have? I just love a pair of big brown eyes like pools of melted chocolate that I could just swim around nude in." "I avoid making eye contact as much as possible." Yui leaned down to whisper, "The director's children are a bit wild." Kaworu giggled girlishly and clutched Gendo's arm tighter as the boy's body quivered. "Oh, a wild stallion that needs taming. I can't wait!" Gendo looked over at Yui, desperate pleading in his eyes, but she merely smiled at her nephew and ruffled the boy's hair. "You take it easy on Shinji. We're here to have a good time." "Oh, I _know_." "You're such a little Casanova. And let go of Gendo's arm; you're frightening him. Gendo tried to laugh it off as Kaworu walked just a little too close to him, allowing the boy's thigh to rub against his as they stepped in unison. "No, it's fine. He's just... friendly." "As friendly as you want me to be," Kaworu said quietly, and let his fingers dance up Gendo's arm. "Okay, Yui, get him off me. Now, please." *** The van rumbled down the street, its once quiet engine now ticking ominously as steam snaked out from under the rumpled hood. Luckily, Gendo hadn't actually been going that fast when Shinji had grabbed him and sent him plowing directly into a light pole. "We don't have to go to Disney. It wouldn't be much time there anyway," Yui said pleasantly as she looked into the back. Rei nodded. Asuka scowled. Kaworu and Shinji giggled like a couple of school girls. "I want to see hands in laps, you two. Your own laps!" The boys giggled again then abruptly stopped. "Why thank you, Rei. You're so well behaved." Yui turned back around and folded her hands in her lap. "They're not so bad, Gendo. I don't know what you were so worried about." Gendo looked back to see Rei still staring at the two boys, who were now silent and unhappy. "I... guess." There was something very odd about that girl, but he couldn't tell what. She was quiet, silent in most cases, and yet her siblings, and even Kaworu, were intimidated by her. She was built like a China doll, pale skin and so slender she didn't appear to be able to hurt a fly. When she looked at him though, looked into his eyes, which so far had only been once thankfully, her gaze was like a laser straight into his brain, into his soul. If that was how he felt, no wonder the kids were so intimidated. But still... At least the others were quiet. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all. *** Gendo sat on a bench and watched the kids do things not near him. They appeared, at this distance, to be normal children and not Stygian larvae disguised in human form. And they would be infinitely more tolerable if they weren't his bosses kids. But such was life, and especially his life. Even Kozo, as old as he was and with zero romantic prospects, had it better than he. Yes, Yui was almost certainly his, and his job was definitely better than before, but there was something missing. There was still too much against him. Kozo too, but his old friend had always seemed one step ahead. Until now. "Here you go." Yui handed him a large drink and sat next to him. She balanced a large container of fries on their legs. "I'm so glad they're having fun." "As long as they leave me alone, they can burn down the Imperial Palace." Yui giggled and patted his arm. If she had arms the size of a heavyweight boxer, it might have been called a swat, but as it was, it looked more like a congratulatory gesture. "They're not so bad, are they?" "Your nephew seems... the least destructive of them." "He and Shinji get along very well." "A little too well," Gendo mumbled and took a drink of his soda. Because of the position he was in, with the fries on his leg and the drink at his mouth, the only thing he could manage was to perk his ears up when Yui leaned her head on his shoulder. Recovering from the moment of social dysfunction, Gendo set down his drink and pulled one of the oldest moves in the book. Pretending to stretch, he put his arm around Yui's shoulders. "You bastard." Kozo's eyes narrowed from his hiding place behind some tastefully placed bushes and a garbage receptacle. "You... bastard." He could feel the various important arteries and veins in his body throb and threaten to burst. >From narrow to impossibly wide, his eyes transitioned in an instant when he saw Yui tilt her head up slightly, her eyes closed, and Gendo look at her, then slowly move his head down... Kozo's hand closed on a half-filled cup that someone had deigned not to throw away. Maybe it had been obvious that Yui had a sweet spot--many sweet spots--for Gendo, but that didn't excuse it in the older man's eyes. No, this was completely unacceptable. He stood and prepared to hurl the cup at the... Bile rose in his throat. He prepared to hurl the cup at the "couple" preparing to kiss. "I'm Akagi Ritsuko, and I'm here at the local fair for our weekly slice of life story. Call it human interest, call it sappy mush, call it catching people in forbidden moments of PDAs..." The blond sauntered through Kozo's line of fire, carrying her microphone and followed by a struggling camera and sound man. "And here we are," she informed the camera as she walked around the bench Yui and Gendo were sitting on, "with two young lovers..." Ritsuko paused as the surprised faces of the two looked up at her. "Well, two lovers at any rate. Now," she continued, hardly missing a beat, and thrusting the microphone at them, "why are the two of you sitting here so flagrantly and publically making out like a pair of wild animals?" Yui turned away and blushed profusely, shaking her head. Gendo stared for a moment, then sprang to his feet, tossing the food and his drink over the hapless assistants. "You're the reporter! The one with the aliens!" With a condescending smile, Ritsuko nodded. "I am. Always nice to meet a fan." Sidling a little closer, Gendo continued to stare at her. A grin slowly spread across his face as his eyes looked down at the generous amount of exposed cleavage. "Your _biggest_ fan." With those words slipping from his mouth, Yui turned and stared at him. "G-Gendo..." "You are, are you?" Ritsuko was looking at him now with a half-lidded eyes and a small, some might say seductive smile. She made a small motion with her hand, and the light on the camera switched off. "Not again," the sound guy mumbled as he walked off toward the nearest beerstand with his co-worker. "Yeah. I know you'd appreciate something like that the way you handle that microphone." Yui stood, no longer shocked, but now furious. Without pausing a moment to attempt to think rationally, she took her drink and poured it over Gendo's head, then marched away. Seconds later, Kozo walked up and dumped the drink he had been ready to throw over Gendo's head, and followed quickly after Yui. The next moments went by in a blur for Gendo. First the drink and Yui walking away, Kozo, then a storm in the shape of children pelting him with questions (and in Asuka's case, her foot), and then... "Oh, how cute," Ritsuko said distastefully as the children rampaged off again. "Are those your children?" "n-no" "Ah. Little beasts. Look, why don't we go and get you cleaned up?" "go?" "Back to my place. Run your clothes through a washer, run yourself through a shower, do a little... 'investigative reporting' together, maybe have some dinner, and then I can shuck you out the door like just another one night stand. Sounds fun, doesn't it?" "uh" "I knew you couldn't resist. I'd better call Maya and tell her I have other plans. You're not her type." With that said, and done as far as Ritsuko was concerned, she escorted him off with a very satisfied smile on her face. -------------------- TBC From: Lara Bartram 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."