Racing Hearts
Rei was alone.
She wasn't exactly sure why she had suddenly noticed this
but nevertheless she had.
I mean, so what if Rei was alone? Rei was always alone.
She didn't need anyone. That was Rei's strength.
Her strength in not needing people. Not needing approval.
Not needing love. Not needing touch.
But if all of that was true then why was the sight of Rei
sitting alone bothering her so much?
Heaving a sigh and straightening her shoulders, Asuka rose
to her feet and crossed to where her fellow Eva pilot was sitting on
the ground observing the other girls in gym class with her usual
neutral expression.
"Hey, wondergirl."
The only reaction Rei gave to Asuka's given nickname for
her was a slow lifting of her light blue head and scarlet eyes
meeting blue ones.
Feeling a bit put aback by the power of Rei's gaze, as she
always did, it took Asuka a moment to shake off the effect but
when she did she gave a jaunty smirk.
"Sitting alone can't be any fun. You like swimming don't
you? How about we have a race?"
"A race?" Rei echoed as a look of slight surprise crossed
her delicate features.
Seeing that she had Rei's attention, Asuka grinned then
said, "Exactly right! A race to see which of us is the faster
swimmer. Come on, wondergirl. It'll be fun."
"Fun?" Rei echoed again.
Holding back the urge to heave an exasperated sigh,
Asuka merely leaned forward and grabbed Rei's hand in her own
and helped pull the other girl to her feet.
As she did so, Asuka was struck by how warm Rei's
hands were. Frozen at this realization, Asuka found herself looking
into the depths of Rei's gaze which didn't have the coldness that
she'd always expected to see but instead held a sort of curious
expectation.
"Yes, fun," said Asuka as she wagged her index finger in
Rei's face who studied her intently. "I've noticed that you just don't
seem to have any of it, wondergirl, and I'm going to change that
right now."
With that, Asuka pulled Rei along after her as she ignored
the looks of surprise that her classmates wore. She stopped near
two of the blocks in front of the pool that were used for racing
points. She then turned to Rei who observed her with the same
curious look on her features.
"All right," Asuka announced. "On the count of three we'll
start. Whoever makes it back here first wins."
"Wins what?" asked Rei as she stood on top of her cement
block.
"The race of course!" exclaimed Asuka who finally
revealed the exasperation she often felt with Rei. After a moment
her features softened and Asuka said, "If I win then you have to do
something that I want to do with me and if you win I have to do
something you want to do with you. Okay?"
Considering Asuka's words for a long moment, Rei gave a
short nod then said, "Very well."
Rei then moved into position and seeming startled at this
sudden change in attitude, Asuka followed suit before she began
the starting count.
On three, they dove into the water with little more than
minor splashes on their parts and sliced through the water with a
power and speed that caused amazement in their observing
classmates.
They swam neck in neck before reaching the other side of
the pool and pushing off the back of it, they propelled themselves
forward to head towards their goal.
And as they approached it they remained equal in strength
and in pace. Then suddenly, one pushed out in front of the other as
her speed increased. A hand flew forward to hit the cement with a
hard slap only to have a second hand follow it mere seconds later.
Rei won the race but it had been a close match.
Breathing heavily, they met each others gazes and to Rei's
surprise Asuka smiled at her.
"Well, wondergirl," said Asuka through her deep breaths
of air. "You won. So what do you want to do?"
Gazing at the sparkling blue of Asuka's eyes Rei felt her
heart constrict. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she replied, "I
want to race you again."
A slow smile spreading across her features, Asuka
murmured, "I think that can be arranged."
Watching as Asuka climbed out of the pool Rei noted how
the sunlight and water droplets falling off of the other girl's body
seemed to make her luminous.
It was an effect that Asuka couldn't help but note too
when she saw Rei rise out of the water to stand at her side as they
prepared to race again.
And somehow who won the race didn't matter so much as
whatever the winner ended up requesting of the loser because of
their aforementioned victory.
Little did either of the girls know that what they both
wanted was very much the same.
They both wanted their hearts to keep racing.
-End-
Both characters are from Neon Genesis Evangelion. This story
came about from seeing a kawaii and rather funny picture of Rei
and Asuka when I was looking through various image galleries for
an art project. That and I think Rei and Asuka make a nice little
couple.
Here's the nifty Rei/Asuka pix:
Back to Neon Genesis Evangelion Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction