Thanks to Ammadeau, Donny Cheng, Alan Harnum, Richard Lawson,
and the C*B*L for pre-reading duties.
Characters belong to Gainax, and they need the money more than I
do probably - unless they get audited for fun.
P A G E S
by Lara Bartram
---------------
Page 26
The end of yet another semester. Almost. Yui stood out
in the hall as other students exited the auditorium. It was all
rather... anti-climactic. She was that much closer to
graduation and she didn't feel anything like she thought she
should have.
If it weren't for the project, she would have definitely
been finished with school. Then, perhaps, there wouldn't be
such a battle for her attention; Gendo wanted it all, naturally.
But the project was probably more important than school,
so over spring and summer, her attention would turn to it.
"Easy as pie," a voice whispered in her ear as arms
wrapped around her from behind.
The project still had competition though. "You think you
did well?" Yui asked, turning around.
"Absolutely. Couldn't have been easier, unless it was
basic math," he answered, grinning.
"Or French history?"
The grin disappeared. "That's not... until tomorrow,
right?" Gendo asked nervously.
"Tomorrow." Yui watched him fidget for a bit before
taking pity on him. "Come on. I'll help you study. I know you
need it."
"I get it now; you're ready to fail the class just so you
can mess around, aren't you?"
"No, not specifically. I am ready to 'mess around' as you
put it, and if I happen to fail because of that, oh well."
Gendo shrugged.
"Are you always going to do this? Act like you want
something only so you can get something else out of someone?
You could have just asked," Yui said, annoyed about the
deception. "You didn't need to pretend you wanted to study."
"But I do want to study. I just want to do other things
too."
"Priorities! Get some! You can't always do this."
Properly chastised, Gendo started to pack his few
remaining things. "Fine. So start studying."
Yui watched him fill the final box. "You're so immature
sometimes. How do you manage it?"
"I'm good at everything I do," Gendo answered listlessly.
That should have been a lot more energetic than it was.
She hadn't wanted to put him in one of his moods. "I just want
you to take this a little seriously. It's only one more day."
"I just want to know why you put me down every chance you
get. Why am I fair game to insult when I just want to have some
fun?" he asked, gripping a full cardboard box tightly.
"Because this is your future," Yui replied just as
intensely. "Remember? You weren't going to end up like your
father? And I was going to help you? I'm trying to help you
right now."
Gendo's grip continued to tighten on the box, and he
closed his eyes. After what felt like an eternity to him in
that position, he released the box and opened his eyes. He
pulled the chair from the desk over and sat in it. "Fine. Then
let's study."
"I'm cutting you slack because I said I'd help," Yui said,
looking at Gendo, one lip wanting to curl into a snarl. "I sure
as hell am not happy about it though. I feel used and pretty
much spit on right now. What's your reply to that?"
"Sorry."
"You're not. Why do you even bother?"
"Because it's what you want to hear."
"Yeah, well, thanks, and don't bother. If you want to
fail..." Yui stopped speaking, reminding herself that she had
to help, not walk out. "Damn it," she swore quietly. "I'll be
back," she said, then stood and left.
She stood in front of his door. She wasn't even sure if
he'd be there or not, or if he'd be sober. Pushing away the
anger that hadn't left during her walk, Yui opened the door and
looked inside the room. Gendo was there, quietly looking
through her notes.
---
Page 27
Finished, Gendo slapped his pencil down on the
desk and glanced over at Yui. She still had half a page
to go, so he went back over his scantron.
It was a minute or so later that Yui rose,
gathered her things, and headed to the front.
Gendo followed quickly, even going so far as to
bid farewell to the professor; he was so glad to be done
with the class. He managed to walk out of the
auditorium calmly, without drawing unneeded attention to
himself.
Out in the hall was another matter completely. He
grabbed Yui around the waist and spun her around.
"You're going to make me apologize, aren't you?"
"Only if you mean it. You really think you did
that well?" Yui asked, her arms around his neck.
He set her down gently. "I don't know how well I
did, but I felt like I knew more. And I really am
sorry. For real."
With her arms still around him, Yui smiled.
"Apology accepted. I take it you're all packed?"
"What little I have."
"Good. Now we can celebrate."
He didn't see it happen. All he knew was that
when he got back from getting takeout, she was in his
bed again. "Aren't you hungry?" Gendo asked.
"A little."
He looked around the room. "Um, you want to eat
something?"
"Not really."
Gendo swallowed audibly and set the food down.
"So..."
"Quit playing around."
What was she trying to do to him!? "Damn it..."
"You want me to leave?"
"I want you to stop getting in my bed unless you
really mean it. And I don't think you mean it." Oh how
he wished she did though.
"I mean it."
"No, you don't. I remember how worried you were
about your roommate walking in on us, but it wasn't
about her, was it?" He could tell that she was subtly
holding back, not allowing herself to give in to the
moments when they were alone.
"Is it my fault I want things to be... right? I'd
like it to mean something, not just be some... zipless
fuck." Yui frowned at her own choice of words.
"Which is exactly why I don't think you mean it
now." Gendo shook his head, smiling ruefully. "You're
too nice for this, Yui."
"I know you're not."
"You're right, but I also care about you and don't
think this is the right time or place. No matter how
big a tease you are." He could see her smile in the
faint light coming in through the window.
"I never teased you on purpose, Gen-chan."
"I know, which makes it that much worse. Not only
are you a tease, but you're an _innocent_ tease. It
drives me crazy."
"In a good way, I hope."
Gendo released a breath. "Oh, exactly the way you
think. You're just very fortunate I'm not ruled by my
hormones."
"I know I am. I'm very lucky to have you."
There was no reply Gendo could think of to that.
"Don't say anything arrogant to ruin the moment."
"I wasn't going to," he replied in a whisper.
"Good. I like it when you're quiet. Then I can
concentrate on the real you and not what a jerk you are
to other people." She smiled again and adjusted the
covers, giving a brief glimpse of bare skin.
"I like it when you're not nagging me."
"Hush yourself and get into bed."
"You don't mean it, Yui. Don't do this to me..."
---
Page 28
Gendo pulled off his shirt and tossed it on one of
the boxes. Looking at Yui, who was looking at him, he
turned and unbuckled his belt. Taking a deep breath, he
undid his pants and pushed them down.
He heard the rustle of covers again, and when he
turned around, kicking his pants away, Yui was holding
up the blanket for him.
"I can almost hear it," she said quietly.
"Hear what?" Gendo squeaked.
"Your heart beat."
He wondered if she also heard his heart stop right
then. If she talked like that all the time, he would do
anything she wanted him to. Shuffling across the floor,
his bare feet like lumps of concrete, Gendo stopped at
the side of the bed.
Resist. Don't' do such a crazy thing. She's too
young. You're too old. What's wrong with you?
Gendo turned off his internal warning system and
slid beneath the covers. The first sensation, her bare
legs against his sent his temperature right up. When
they were both awake and sober, when it wasn't a hazy
dream...
Then his bare chest against hers, stomachs pressed
against one another, pelvises almost grinding together,
separated only by two thin layers of material... "Yui,"
Gendo gasped, his hands moving over her skin.
She didn't bother to answer with words, merely
capturing his mouth with her own, putting her arm over
him. It took everything she had not to move wildly
against him and burn off the lust that was eating her
up. His skin against hers... That was all it took.
Almost. Almost, but not quite. Gendo had been
right. When his hands moved lower, to push down her
panties, her arms worked their way between his and his
body, forcing them away.
Understanding her actions, Gendo moved his hands
back up and stopped moving as forcefully against her as
he had been. Needing to breathe, he pulled back and
took a big gulp of air.
"I'm sorry," Yui whispered. "You're right."
"Don't be sorry. Especially not for that."
His fingertips wandered down her cheek. "That
was... almost more than I could handle."
"I... I didn't want to be a tease. I wanted..."
"Shh." A tease? Not really. More of a... vixen
really. "I think you just need to learn how much power
you have over me, and how dangerous that can be at
times."
"Stop joking, Gendo."
"What happened to Gen-chan? I liked that. Coming
from you."
Instead of answering, Yui kissed him again, with
the same intensity as before. All questions and answers
were lost in it.
Gasping again, for oxygen and his wits, Gendo
shook his head. "It's not right, is it?"
"Not... quite," Yui spoke quietly. "Even though
I'd like it to be." Two layers... It'd be so easy to
overcome, and he'd be willing... If only she could
bring herself to do it.
"I love you, you little tease," whispered Gendo,
kissing her on the cheek.
"The time is going to be right one day," Yui
promised, kissing him in return.
"And until then... you don't mind..." He let his
words trail off, confident she would know exactly what
he was thinking.
The smile she flashed was all he needed. "Until
then," she said anyway, "yes. I wouldn't want you
walking around and being a grump all day."
"You definitely know how to... lift my mood."
"Now who's playing word games?" Yui asked, noting
his grin. "Besides... I'm hungry."
Gendo laid back and groaned. A cold shower...
necessary... fast.
---
Page 29
"It's small."
"I don't take up much room. Besides..." Yui
looked at Gendo and smiled devilishly. "Just enough
room for two in the bedroom."
"Yui," he warned.
"It was a joke. What happened to your sense of
humor? Besides, you should be happy since you saw the
results of your finals."
"Yeah, but now it's... job season, and I'm not
looking forward to that."
Yui shrugged, setting down a box. "I don't know.
I think I'd rather work than go to school. That way I
feel like I'm accomplishing something."
"Yeah, but you're strange."
She elbowed Gendo in the gut. "Then what does
that say about you?"
"I'm easily charmed by good looks, of course."
"Of course, how silly of me." Looking at the
small apartment, Yui had a hard time believing that
she'd be living there. It was always either the dorm
or, well, the dorm when the project paid for her
residence over the previous spring and summer. Going
home was definitely out of the question, though she'd
need to find a way to tell everything to her parents.
"You know," she said thoughtfully as Gendo began
moving boxes, "if you really want a job..."
"No. How many times are you going to make me say
it? Your professor and I don't get along," he answered,
stopping her.
"You only met him once."
"And that was enough."
Sighing, Yui dropped the subject for the time
being.
"How did the move go?"
"Just fine."
"If you need more time, just let me know and I'm
sure we can work something out."
"No, it's really okay, Professor. All moved in;
just the unpacking left to do."
"I still have my concerns about it."
Yui smiled, slipping on a lab coat. "Don't worry.
I can handle Gendo. He's just a big kitten."
Fuyutsuki shook his head when Yui wasn't looking.
It looked like he was too late, hadn't been assertive
enough to stop her from continuing in what he considered
a complete farce of a relationship.
"He's really smart, maybe even smarter than I am,
but I wouldn't admit that to anyone else," she
continued.
Smiling faintly, Fuyutsuki nodded. She sounded
the same, but there was a look to her...
"I... asked him if he was interested in joining
the project."
The smile immediately fell from his face, which
Yui _did_ see.
"I hope you don't mind, Professor. I really think
he could be an asset here." Yui briefly got an annoyed
look on her face. "If I can ever get him to shape up."
Adopting a perfectly normal smile, Fuyutsuki said,
"Oh, that's fine. I have confidence in your judgment.
The more good people we have working, the better."
"That's what I thought, and I'm not exaggerating
when I say how smart he is. But he seems more
interested in working at a burger counter than doing
anything worthwhile."
Kozo Fuyutsuki maintained the smile that didn't
reach his eyes, and nodded. "You know how busy we'll
be..." Busy enough to keep her away from Rokubungi.
"I could ask again if he wanted to join, but I
don't think he'll change his mind. He's pretty stubborn
like that." Yui shrugged, feeling a bit odd when the
older man patted her shoulder.
"Do your best." And he hoped to never see the
face of that other man again.
---
Page 30
The alarm went off, jarring Yui from sleep. She
opened her eyes and stared at the clock. A quarter to
nine. Groaning, she slapped at the alarm and turned it
off.
Working as much as she had over the past week was
taking its toll. Even after almost nine hours sleep she
was tired and lacked energy. The one positive about the
morning... She listened and heard sounds from the
kitchen.
From the state of Gendo's sleeping mat, he had
been up a while, and Yui envied him for that. The
ability to wake up in the morning and be able to do
something other than stare at the wall was something she
wished she could do again.
Crawling out from under the blanket, Yui forced
herself to stand and put on a robe. Maybe breakfast
would wake her up; she didn't want to have to start
drinking coffee.
The door opened and Gendo looked in. "Oh good. I
didn't want to have to pull the covers off you."
Yui just grunted and pushed past him.
"Chipper as usual. Food is almost done," Gendo
informed her, watching her plop down at the table.
"Sure you don't want to try some coffee?"
Shaking her head was almost too much, and Yui had
to brace herself to keep from falling over and going
back to sleep.
"I think you're working too much, Yui," Gendo said
and set breakfast down. "It's not good for you."
Yui waved her hand vaguely in the air, her eyes
mostly closed. "Food, not lectures."
Gendo frowned as he watched her eat slowly. It
really wasn't healthy, and was probably detrimental to
her work. No one could work reliably for twelve hours a
day, five days a week. In fact, Yui would have been
working seven days a week, but he had strictly forbidden
her to overwork herself.
There was one person in his mind, and kind
thoughts were not directed at it: Fuyutsuki. "He's
doing this on purpose, Yui."
She was too absorbed in breakfast and he had said
it too quietly for her to hear.
"Tomorrow's a day off, right?" he asked, sitting
down to start into breakfast himself.
Yui nodded.
"Going to work late again tonight?"
She nodded.
Gendo stood and went to use the phone where Yui
wouldn't hear him. Working late... Probably encouraged
by Fuyutsuki to work as hard as she could for as long as
possible. Bastard. "Yes, Professor Fuyutsuki," he said
quietly into the phone when the secretary answered.
He was going to give it to the pompous, over-
inflated know-it-all son of a bitch. "Professor, it's
nice to talk to you again," he said with as much
unpleasantness in his voice as possible.
/"Is there something you wanted, young man?"/
The mocking was unmistakable to Gendo. "Stop
pushing her. She's going to get hurt, and then what?
Pretty good way to get back at me, but how will that
make you feel?"
/"Don't call me here again, Rokubungi. I don't
want to hear your voice, see your face, have to share
the same air with you."/
The line went dead in Gendo's ear and he slammed
the phone down. "Asshole!"
"Gen-chan, what's wrong?" She had picked that up
almost right away. If he was in a bad mood, the
utterance of that pet name would settle him down.
"Yui, why don't you cut tonight a little short,
leave two hours early?" he asked, a hint of pleading in
his voice.
"I can't. I have to..."
"Do more work than the others? Stay there late
_every_ night? I don't think so. He's using your
dedication."
"For what? To what end?" Yui asked, quite awake
now.
"I don't know, but I know I don't like it. There
is something not right going on with him, and I'm going
to find out what."
---
lara@emunix.emich.edu
http://www.thekeep.org/~lara/index.html