Unexpected
Twitter Drabble #9
Mari hated this, all of this.
Sitting in this stupid room with the stupid window that allowed her and the others to look at the stupid testplugs with the stupid Evapilots in them.
Her head was resting on the palm of her hand, her ears listening to the constant bickering coming from the Third and Second Children. They had been like this all week, avoiding her, speaking in hushed whispers and acting like nothing was wrong when she came by.
It hurt, god how it hurt. She'd never say that out loud of course, but it reminds her of the time when she used to be in University with Kyoko and Yui - Shinji and Asuka didn't even realise how much they act like their mothers with their bickering. It reminded her of the time when she first lost someone she loved, when she lost Yui to...to Gendo of all people.
She's supposed to be 33 now, she thinks. And yet bodily and mentally nothing about her had changed, she was still just a jealous sixteen year old child. A bitter laugh claws at the back of Mari's throat and threatens to come out at the thought. She holds it back.
Jealousy had started to keep her awake at night by shedding endless bitter tears yet again.
After two hours of data collecting and bickering the three Evapilots were allowed to go. Their testresults were as Mari expected, Rei had the lowest synchratio, Shinji came second and Asuka had thehighest score. It was something the German girl took great pride in, and despite everything that was troubling her Mari took her time to watch Asuka swell with pride. 'Cute.' The brunette always thought at the display.
But then it was time to leave and go home, or rather go to that run down garbage dump Gendo called "an apartment". Mari sighed and set off. With her NERV-ID in her right hand, ready to be swiped through the cardreader, while her left hand rested on the strap of her bag she stepped through the empty corridors.
Well...almost empty corridors.
Just a few meters before the exit, next to a bench was standing Asuka herself, seemingly waiting for someone.
'Probably Shinji.' Mari snapped internally. She collected herself, prepared and ready to be ignored she started to walk past the Second Child until suddenly she was grabbed by her arm and yanked back. "Hey!" The brunette sneered angrily. "What was that for?!"
"Gott...will you stop being so loud? I just wanna talk to you." Asuka replied, making 'tch' sound.
"You didn't want to talk to me all week long. What changed so suddenly? Was Shinji not enough anymore?"
Asuka's looked down, ashamed of her rather rude behavior. "Look I'm sorry, okay? I just needed his help."
Mari raised a brow, "You needed his help?"
Asuka groaned, running her hands down her face in frustration. "Just hear me out?"
Mari huffed. "Fine."
"I'm not good at this, and I sure as hell won't say it again so listen closely." Asuka growled. "You're annoying, fucking irritading and I hate it when you hum during synchtest."
Mari stares and the smaller girl, wondering just where in god's name Asuka is going with this. Meanwhile said girl shuffled a little closer, "But for some reason I like it...and I kinda like...you and was hoping you'd come over on Saturday."
There it was. Mari was sure she looked like a total idiot right now, staring in disbelief and gaping like a fish. Asuka didn't avoid her, she liked her. Liked her!
Sadly Mari's reaction seemed to radiate the exact opposite of what she truly felt as Asuka's face twisted into anger, "If you don't feel the same way? Fine. But we never mention this again, we forget it happend and we're nothing but colleagues."
"Wait, no no no no no no no! That's not what I meant! I like you too dummy!"
Now it was Asuka's turn to gape like a fish on dry land.
"And I'd gladly come over, Princess" Mari said happily.