FEELING WARMTH IN THE DARKENING NIGHT

Kaworu lives in one of the high scrapers it's a modern apartment building but it overlooks one of Tokyo Three's many large parks like me he's old fashioned and his house has no IDHS system but he still has security cameras and the flat screen, video games and console are all modern as is the sound system.

There's a wide front room with two three seat sofa both are covered in beautiful blankets with highly colourful patterns and his flat screen TV and media system are in the central room there is also a grand white piano opposite the white kitchen which is where he loves to write his music and on the other side is the four seat round dining table where I'm sitting now.

Go upstairs there's a large bed that has velvet covers and on one side to it is the bathroom and you come to the computer room and his store room there are no blinds here but then there are no doors either its very open space and there always intense oils burning which makes the place smell sweet and gives it a warmth.

These buildings are normally used for families as there cosy and have lots of space and he has a lot of items from his own country here like blankets and panted procaine and special clay plates and bowls for eating out of he even has a special outdoor wood stove cooking pot on the balcony like Asuka and Mari he likes things to feel like home.

I think he still misses home sometimes and like Asuka, Mari and Toji he orders in a lot of Ukrainian ingredients for dishes and like them he uses a knife and fork to eat when he's not at work.

My body has finally stopped hurting but it took a long time it's why I'm sitting here now as he cooks. He hasn't spoken much is just not like him I can sense the tension even from here as he's trying to cook Pirozhki which are fried buns filled with meat and vegetables it's one of his favourite dishes.

Shinji stood up slowly walking over to him. "Would you like some help?" Kaworu tensed slightly. "No I can manage." Shinji moved to stand opposite him taking the cooked food from his hand carefully plating it up. "You know if there's something you want to talk about we can."

Kaworu breathed in deeply after joining the Evangelion program and Avel being thrown off he had never wanted that part of his life to return to haunt him and now he was so uneasy because of it. Avel still scared him deep down and it brought back painful memories all over again off feeling helpless and at his mercy maybe that was why he told himself it was always his fault because that made it easier than facing the fact that he had never stood up to him when it mattered and inwardly he felt like a coward.

In the rebels he'd killed people as a teenager they'd taught him to have no remorse and at first it had been easy but as he'd grown up and learnt that the rebels he followed were no better than terrorists he had started to want freedom every day and it only became more clear that he was being used by them because of his condition to cause fear, terror and uncertainty.

It was why he hated his own condition deep down and he hid it using the drugs making sure no one ever saw him off it because he always felt that they would never accept him because of it and he knew not only in his country was the condition disliked it also disliked in some small rural areas of Japan and Russia and some of the middle east and no one knew what caused it because in the genetics it wasn't clear, only how to suppress it.

Worse he'd never felt that Avel ever loved him despite his condition comments like him being his little zombie didn't help ether they just made him feel worse and made want to hide it all the more after Avel had been thrown off the program.

He turned looking at Shinji as he spoke sadly in truth he didn't want to hide his feeling from his lover as Shinji even when they'd been just friends had always listened to him. "It was so hard seeing Avel again." Shinji moved closer to him putting an arm around his waist. "You never did anything wrong I told you that so many times, it was him."

Kaworu breathed in painfully. "Every time I hear his voice I feel myself shiver, every time I think of our memories I just feel sad and I wish I'd fought back but I never did because I thought he'd hit me harder." He paused as he spoke painfully. "I was such a coward I had the opportunity to run more than once but I never did and even when he was gone I always worried that he'd track me down and appear on my door step to either force me back with him or kill me for getting him thrown of the Evangelion program."

Shinji eyed him as he spoke unable to keep the anger out of his voice. "I would never let him touch you." Kaworu looked down sadly. "I never wanted that chapter of my life to come back and haunt me least of all now that we are together."

Shinji moved to stand in front of him he'd seen Kaworu sad before but never like this it felt like the air had been blasted out of the other man's sails and all of his confidence had left him in one go. He gently put his hand on the other man's face. "If I make one promise to you it is that I would always protect you, no matter what."

Kaworu looked down feeling the tears come before he stopped them. "Don't make promises you can't keep Shinji." Shinji pulled him close as he started to cry harder. "You know I always keep my promises Kaworu and this man will not come between us."

He held him tighter it wasn't some off the wall statement he meant every word of it, he loved this man and he wouldn't let anything happen to him. He had seen Kaworu cry before but not like this, this was so raw and painfully and it felt like a long time before those painful tears finally subsided. He eased up his face kissing his lips gently as he ran his hand through his thick white hair. "Would you like to order in you know we can get some uiro-mochi that steamed rice cake that you love eating and Taiyaki fish cake waffles." Kaworu looked up as he nodded sadly. "Yes I would very much like that."

Shinji pulled him close again. "Don't worry everything is going to be okay." Kaworu breathed in deeply Shinji was right and he knew it but somewhere deep in his heart he couldn't turn away from the fear maybe his best option was not to dwell on it and try to move forward despite how hard it felt.

8

Avel winced painfully as he ate his food at the table his right shoulder and back were still hurting like hell as was Joshua's who was eating opposite him. He eyed Kensuke who was eyeing him a smirk on his face. "What are you looking at?"

Kensuke pushed up his glasses. "Oh I don't know it just looks like you and your boyfriend got your ass whipped." Hikari felt a cold smile form. "Yes it would appear that you did get kicked around and weren't you making out that you were going to do the job that we couldn't the other day." Joshua looked up sharply. "Fuck off Hikari." Hikari smirked. "You said you could not only beat 02 but you'd bring the destroyer of worlds to us well I don't see her!" Joshua's smashed his fist down hard on the table. "I said fuck off!"

He turned as a small Chinese woman sat down opposite him she had very delicate features her brown eyes narrowed as she looked at him as she spoke softly. "It would appear you were both deeply unprepared."

Avel breathed in deeply. "Admit it Joshua, Fang is right we were unprepared." Fang looked up as a tall Japanese woman came over to stand opposite her though unlike all of them her eyes were a glorious glowing blood red colour and her skin was white and pale her hairs true colour was white but she's dyed it black as she had walking dead syndrome and worse because of it her parents had named her after a Japanese Yōkai called Kuchisake out of shame but in her eyes she was a marvel of beauty and she got to sleep with her every night.

Women wouldn't touch her homeland in the rural region of China as she was considered broken goods as she didn't have a perfect figure and she was considered overweight and having a robotic leg didn't help either. Kuchisake sat down eyeing Joshua. "She's right you weren't prepared and as usual your fucking ego got in the way."

Joshua leaned forward. "Isn't there a building you should be haunting Kuchisake?" Kuchisake snarled as she pulled out pull her short wakizashi sword slamming it close to his dinner bowl within inches of his fingers as she leaned closer. "You ever say that shit to me again I’ll ram this into your balls Joshua!"

Joshua eyed the sword before looking up he knew she'd had that sword specially made and it was razor sharp not to mention the blade was crafted from Evangelion flexible fortified steal the same steal they used to cover the Archangels. "Point taken you can remove that."

He watched as she pulled the short sword away seating her self-eyeing him coldly. "What is it with both you and Hikari and carrying around daggers?" Hikari eyed him. "It's called emphasising a point Joshua but you wouldn't know that since you always use drugs to get people to do what you want them to do." Kensuke eyed them all. "Well just be happy Keel's on business and hasn't returned yet because you know he's going to be mad."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Spoken correctly Kensuke..."

Avel looked up watching as Keel appeared walking slowly into their private dining area which had its own private buffet with their foods of origins the room had plush luxury furniture and their bedrooms which had luxury bathrooms as standard fitted were close by as was there special wreck room when they weren't training they could have anything they wanted they just had to request it.

He turned eyeing Avel and Joshua as he spoke coldly. "You were both an utter disappointment but I guess it's not all your fault this time the hybrid Evangelion was not something we knew nothing about in our calculations nor did know that it would have a sleeping Lance of Longinus."

Avel looked up at the tall fifty year old man who was dressed in a long black coat with white markings on the collar and shoulders as well as long black trousers and shoes. His hair was grey and he had the red visor on his eyes. "You didn't tell us the primal units had some form of ability where they could pair up."

Keel came to stand next to the table. "This has all thrown our plans out of place but it is clear that Ankh has now drawn there newest cards and none bode well for us." He paused. "They were trying in some failed foolish attempt to awaken the destroyer of worlds but they are so pathetic and amateur in their thinking that they're doing it incorrectly it demands ritual and sacrifice." He turned to them all. "I want that Lance you are to now to all focus all off your efforts on finding Ankh's base of operation raid and destroy their bases kill everyone if you have to."

He turned to Fang. "But not you, I have something most special for you two to do, as your Archangel needs to be tested." He typed into the wooden tables controls binging up a hologram map. "I want you to take Moloch here in to the Dead Sea’s deepest trench in Antarctica, which is deeper than any in the whole ocean." He typed again bringing up a photograph of a deep sea image of a huge stone statue at the very bottom of the red sea. "Find this and bring it to the base."

Kuchisake eyed the image. "Wait that looks like those strange standing white statues that are all over the world but the head is different, it looks more Evangelion." Keel looked at her for a long moment. "Yes you are correct as you all know the huge standing statues were from the mass Evangelion project in the last cycle they are all in a dead state now."

He pressed the table controls watching as the photo changed to a video as the undersea device filming worked its way around the huge statue before its camera started to crack due to the intense sea pressure before fading to black clearly destroying the filming device. "This though is the destroyer of worlds former vessel her former Evangelion now dead as stone." Fang eyed the video feed as he brought it back up again looping it. "If it's dead what use is it to us?" Keel put his hands behind its back. "The statue is unimportant and its entry plug maybe stone but I want the LCL contents inside it." He felt a cold smile form. "As what is in that LCL is our means to bring the past into the present."

8

Why was it a skeleton of me what was the verfickte point of that? I know it was me her single eye looked like mine but a slightly lighter shade of blue. The more I hear the term destroyer of the worlds the more uncomfortable it makes me feel like I'm missing something my Grandma called me not long ago to check we were both okay but I couldn't say anything to her because I really don't know what happened if I'm honest.

So after this I'd just watched Rei tell the builders what to do they finished the pottery building two hours ago and it looks stunning they even added gold and black as well as blue Dragon gods to the roofs sides and Japanese sliding doors inside, it reminds me of a small Japanese temple.

What Rei saw bothers me just as much, as that clearly was not her goddess version she has darker hair, no this was something else. She took in a deep breath only to feel soft fur as she put her hand on Erika who was sleeping on her chest as she was lying stretched out of her three seat sofa.

Maya said I shouldn't worry about the title that, that is what is it is just a weird title that means nothing and it probably just came about as I almost caused an impact not long ago though it was stopped because my Mama pulled me into the core then later she sent me home. Though a remember her being so happy to see me and hugging me and accepting me I remember that she was trying to tell me something important but I can't quite remember what it was.

She watched as Erika looked up yawning slightly she raised her hand stroking her cat's chin gently watching as she started to lick her fingers. She turned eyeing the new building as something in her gut was telling her that something wasn't right she thought Rei would have left the pottery studio by now.

She sat up watching as Erika jumped off her as she walked over to the kitchen opening the fridge door grabbing the Muscat Bailey wine bottle which she'd brought for her last week along with two glasses. This was just not like Rei in quite moments she was always in the house or maybe she had it all wrong and she was just enjoying having something that was very much for her and part of her personal place.

Asuka walked up to the beautiful building opening the sliding Japanese door which could be locked coming inside she carefully took her shoes off placing them in holder seeing Rei's were already there. As she moved into the room which had a two kiln's one was smaller and a one that was huge in the other area of the room for life size sculptures there was a wheel in the centre of the room and plenty of wooden shelves for finished pieces and things she was working out.

There was a very cosy area where a wooden coffee table had been placed and her old two seat sofa and a small area where you could make tea and coffee with a coffee maker like hers and there were incense burners and candles and it was painted in warm cream colours.

There were many bag of clay ready for use on the under floor heated wood flooring though none of them were in use they were instead stacked up high. The dragon seemed to be theme they were on the wall as well on wall in ancient copies of scrolls as well as the godly fox many tailed Kitsune around the room she had no idea that Rei liked dragons this much but then in Japanese culture these being were considered guardians and this one could possibly be Zennyo Ryūō the dragon king who could be either gender but she wasn't sure.

She moved over finally catching sight of Rei she was seated at the very large drawing desk near the pottery wheel looking at whatever she was drawing in annoyance. She smiled moving closer as she put the wine and glasses down nearby as she eased her leather jacket off putting it to one side feeling a toothy grin form. "So you're enjoying your new studio."

Rei looked up sharply she had been so focused on her sketch and had forgotten the time she eyed it remembering why she hated it as it made no sense and it had been stuck in her head since she'd woken up in hospital. She eyed her sketch which she was anything but happy with on any level as she just couldn't capture the others Rei's face she'd seen and it was getting on her nerves and it had been a long time since she'd drawn this type of drawing.

She didn't normally draw images in this way her sculptures sketches were much more were more spiritual and about perfection in the details whereas this felt more emotional and jarring and made her uneasy. "Sorry I forgot the time, I was trying to draw the thing I saw but it's not that good."

Asuka looked at the chair which was like a long padded stool and enough for two people she sat down opposite Rei. "It looks stunning to me I couldn't draw her that way." Rei felt a smile form. "Yeah but her face is all wrong I just can't get her expression right." Asuka looked at the image. "How is it not right?"

Rei looked at the image. "She doesn't seem spaced out enough as it felt like she was adrift." Asuka looked at the face. "Maybe it's just the eyes maybe they just need to be more forward and staring." Rei took her pencil as she started to change the image seeing instantly what Asuka was getting at. "What did you see Asuka?"

Asuka looked down slightly. "I saw a skeleton version of myself and I saw my limbs inside the unit change my left hand was burnt and bleeding I think I was bleeding at the waist, like I'd been shot and my right leg was permanently crippled."

She breathed in deeply. "The skeleton was talking some scheisse about humanity and about it not deserving to exist and saying I should embrace my true calling." She turned to Rei putting her hand on hers stopping her drawing. "Did your vision speak?" Rei tense d painfully. "Yes she seemed confused like I was the present and her the past but before that I had a vision of floating above the clouds naked and I was holding your unit in my hands but it was like some strange demonic toy, we were arguing and it was awful it was like you hated me even though I was in love with you."

She looked down sadly unable to stop the sting of her own tears. "It was awful it was like you didn't love me." Asuka moved putting an arm around the younger woman pulling her close. "I would never do that to you I love you, I always have and you should never doubt that."

She paused speaking softly as she wiped the other woman's tears away. "Maybe your vision was playing on how I treated you in school and your desire for love while mine was playing on my own self-hatred and fear of being seriously injury again."

Rei breathed in painfully watching as the colours pulsed in Asuka's left eye. "Maybe your right but I hate how real it felt." Asuka felt both of her eyes dart. "Feel better that it's not real Rei the last thing I ever want to experience is something like Bardiel in your mind again I would never want anything like that to happen to you."

She turned feeling the need to change the subject. "Your pottery studio looks beautiful." Rei felt a wide smile form as she wiped her remaining tears away. "You think so?" Asuka felt a toothy grin form. "Yes." Rei eyed the room. "I'm glad you like it, I had the design in my head ever since you said I could build anything I wanted in your garden."

She pulled another sketch over putting her pencil away. "I was thinking there could be a small garden of herbs or a shrine close by what do you think?" Asuka eyed the sketch. "I think you should put in anything and everything that makes you happy." Rei moved her hands taking hold of Asuka's. "You know you can say no Asuka."

Asuka leaned closer to her. "But I'd rather say yes." Rei shifted closer pulling her into a warm hug. "You know you spoil me too much right?" Asuka leaned her head onto the other woman's shoulder she knew she did this but a part of her just didn't care. "I love you I just want you to be happy." Rei breathed in the reality was that Asuka didn't need to spoil her this way but she wasn't sure how to tell her that but it was something she was starting to notice in that Asuka would buy her gifts even if she just noticed something she was interested in it would turn up and the hand gun was another example of that it was like she was desperate to protect her.

Her thoughts were suddenly cut off as Asuka started to kiss her maybe her thoughts could wait for a few days as tomorrow they were being told to relax and tomorrow night was the auction maybe she could talk to her after that she breathed kissing back feeling Asuka push her back very gently as her kissing became more heated and passionate.

End of part 17

Silvermoonlight