Hello and welcome, fellow hentai lovers.  'Tis I, SIGMA, here to amuse and arouse you once more.  Today, I try my hand at heavy romance, so bear with me.  A friend of mine made a request that I simply couldn't turn down.  Suppose for a moment that Shinji Ikari was NOT a perpetual wimp.  And also suppose, seeing Misato vulnerable and alone in the wake of Kaji's death, that the kid actually grew some balls and tried, in his own simple way, to comfort her.  Each finds solace in the other, and perhaps more...  Before I give away the whole damn story, though, I gotta take you through THE LEGAL CRAP! Evangelion and all related characters are owned by ADV Films and Gainax.  I make no money here, and no Eva's will be harmed in the making of this fic :-)  This story contains graphic sexual scenes between an adult and a minor, so if you object, LEAVE NOW!  As I stated before, this is heavy on romance and plot, so those of you looking for a quick fix should read something else.  That's it for the ass-covering, and now for something completely different...

NOTE: Just like always, * equals thought.  Jeez, do I really have to remind you?

    *BEEP!*
    "Katsuragi, it's me.  I'm sure you're listening to this message, especially after I caused you so much trouble.  Sorry. Please tell Ritsu I'm sorry too.  And there's one more thing to trouble you with: I've been growing... flowers.  I'd appreciate it if you could water them for me.  Shinji knows where they are.  Katsuragi, the truth is with you.  Don't hesitate; move ahead.  If I can see you again, I will say the words I could not say eight years ago.  Bye."
    *BEEP!*

    A single tear fell to the table, then another.  The violet-haired woman slumped in her chair, her head buried in her arms as she cried.  "You fool... you were always such a fool..." was all she could choke out between sobs.  Memories of him engulfed her...
    The first day they met, at a bar just off campus from their college...
    The entire week they'd spent in his apartment, making love to each other...
    Running away, scared to death of her own feelings for him...
    Reunion aboard a UN carrier, when he came to deliver Unit 02 to Japan...
    Back together again,  daring to dream of happiness at last...
    Then the accusation from her superiors, the wrenching pain of his betrayal of NERV, of her...
    The last time she saw him, his last words to her...
    "Oh, hi.  You're a little late, aren't you?"
    Her finger on the trigger, squeezing it...
    *BANG*

    Shinji Ikari, age fourteen, lay silently in bed, his headphones in his ears as per his usual routine.  But this night, neither they or the pillow jammed over his head could shut out the unmistakable sound of Misato's sobbing coming from the kitchen.  Conflicting emotions raced through his mind.  Should he go to her, offer comfort, say something?  Anything? No.  Too difficult.  Easier to hide, to run, like he always did.  There was nothing he could do or say; he was just a child. Just a child...
    Shinji sat up suddenly, a new, fiercely determined expression on his face.  *Damn it,* he thought, *I promised her I would NOT run away again!  I owe this woman everything, and so help me, this time I am going to keep my word!* Silently opening the door (a skill he had mastered out of necessity when living with the somewhat psychotic Asuka), he tentatively approached his crying roommate.
    Misato just sat there, oblivious to everything around her, that is, until she felt a hand gently touch her shoulder. Her red-rimmed eyes looked up into the troubled brown orbs of the boy she'd taken under her wing.  "S... Shinji? *SNIFF* What... is it?"  The pain he saw in her nearly took his breath away as he answered.
    "I... heard you crying, and...  Misato, is there anything I can do to help?" He moved closer to her as he spoke, dreading, yet needing to hear her answer.
    "No, Shinji.  I... just need... to be alone..." her weak excuse trailed off as the tears continued to fall.
    Shinji reached out and took her hand in his.  "Misato, you're the one who kept telling me to face my problems instead of running away.  It may not have shown, but your being there for me is what's kept me going."  His voice took on it's own note of sadness as he continued.  "I mean, you're the closest thing to family that I have..."
    For a moment, neither of them moved.  Then Misato looked up, to see her own pain mirrored in his eyes.  The pain of loss, of helplessness, all of it... He felt it too.  Moved by an impulse part maternal, part emotional, she pulled him into her arms.  Instinctively, Shinji put his own arms around her and held her close as she cried into his shoulder.
    The two stood there for what seemed like forever, each one drawing comfort from the other.  Slowly, Misato's sobs trailed off, and she managed to gain control of herself.  Gently pushing Shinji away, she sniffed and managed a small smile.  "Thanks, Shinji, I needed that."  As she looked at him through new eyes, she realized something she hadn't thought about since he first moved in with her.  *My god, he's cute!* she thought to herself.  A small part of her mind, the last remaining rational part (which sounded suspiciously like Ritsuko), was whispering something about *oh no you don't, he's just a kid...* but was quickly overwhelmed by the more emotional side of her (which happened with somewhat disturbing regularity).  "Shinji?" she whispered.  He nodded silently.  "There's... something I've been wanting to tell you for a while now..."
    "What?" he whispered back.  Their faces began to drift closer, as though some strange magnetism was at work.
    "Well, it's hard to put into words, exactly, but..." and without further ado, she closed her eyes and kissed him full on the lips.  Shinji froze for a moment in shock, his brain locking up instantly.  Defaulting to instinct, his body chose the simple and most obvious course; returning her kiss in kind.  After a moment or two, Misato broke the kiss and smiled. "Get the idea?"

    Shinji's mind was reeling.  Here he was, in the kitchen in the middle of the night, and his roommate and guardian, on whom he'd had a secret crush ever since they met, had just kissed him, smack on the lips!  And to make matters worse, he'd actually kissed her back!  It was almost more than the fourteen-year-old could bear.  "Misato, I'm sor..." he started in on his trademark apology, only to be cut off by her finger gently pressing against his lips.
    "No, Shinji, don't apologize," she soothed, the sorrow visible in her eyes mere moments before now changing to desire.  "I know you have certain... feelings for me.  After all, you're a perfectly human teenager.  I'd be worried about you if you didn't."  A grin stole across her face as she mock-scoldingly waved a finger at him.  "And I know all about those times when you spied on me in the bathtub..."
    Shinji turned red as a beet.  "I didn't... I mean, I was just..." he stammered helplessly.
    Misato shushed him again.  "Don't worry, I'm not upset, and like I said, I'd be more worried about you if you didn't try things like that every so often.  I know it can't be easy, living in the same home with two gorgeous young women," she winked at him.  Then her voice lost its teasing tone and became softer, more passionate.  "What you didn't realize is, I've felt the same way about you..."
    Shinji gulped audibly.  "R... really?"
    "Really."  Misato placed her hands on his head and locked her eyes with his.  "I need you, Shinji.  Now, more than ever.  And I know you want me just as much.  Stay with me tonight.  Please?"
    Shinji swallowed audibly as his penis began to harden.  "Misato, I've never... you know." he stammered weakly, the bizzare quality of the situation conspiring with his hormones to completely freeze his higher mental functions.  She only smiled, and bent over to whisper in his ear, giving him a wonderful view of her cleavage in the process.
    "Don't be afraid, Shinji.  I promise to be gentle..."
    That was it.  No red-blooded male in his right mind could possibly resist those words, and Shinji was no exception. He gulped, and nodded his head, unwilling to trust his voice.  It was enough for Misato.  Smiling through the remnants of her tears, she took him by the hand and led him to her bedroom.
    Shinji stood in the doorway, as still as a statue, as Misato crossed the room to stand next to her bed.   His jaw nearly hit the floor as she removed her uniform jacket and began to unfasten the black top she wore under it.  Her skirt followed suit immediately, to be tossed across the room towards the rather large pile of clothes accumulated in the corner. As she turned, she gave Shinji a sexy wink over one shoulder and purred, "Come on over, Shinji.  It's all right..."
    Shinji swallowed nervously at the sight of the violet-haired beauty, now clad only in white lace panties and bra.  Hesitantly, he moved toward her, the hardness in his pants threatening to burst out any moment.  As he reached her side, she turned to look him in the eye.  "Do you like what you see, Shinji?" she asked teasingly, knowing the answer full well.  Shinji nodded.  "You're... you're beautiful, Misato..." he managed to stammer out.  As he allowed his gaze to run over her luscious form, his eye was caught by a large scar just beneath the swell of her right breast.  About five inches long, and running nearly to her breastbone, it had the look of a terrible injury long since healed.  Misato noticed him noticing, and reached out a hand to caress his face.
    "I suppose you're wondering how I got that scar," she said softly.  At his nod, she took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.  "It's a long story and I've never told it to anyone, not all of it at least.  There's... a lot of painful memories involved, and it's hard for me to think about for very long." A single tear ran down her cheek as she recalled her past.
    Shinji smiled at her.  Daringly, he put his arms around her and kissed away the tear.  "It's OK, Misato.  You don't have to tell me if you don't want to..."
    She shook her head, needing to explain.  "No, Shinji, it's not that.  I... I want you to hear it.  Maybe then you'll understand me better, and know why I can understand you the way I do.  Besides, it's like you've always heard me say; it's important to face your troubles instead of running from them."  Taking a deep breath, she sat back on the bed and began her story.  "It all started fifteen years ago..."

    Antarctica, September 11, 2000.
    Approximately 10:00 PM, Greenwitch Mean Time

    *It's so lonely,* Misato thought to herself as she lay on her cot in the research lab's dormitory.  *Why did Dad have to drag me along on this stupid expedition anyway?*  The fourteen-year-old girl rolled over to look out the window, towards the large crater where her father spent nearly all his time these days.  *I mean, it's not like I can't look after myself...*  Tired and bored, she rolled over to get some sleep.
    A few hours later, Misato was awakened by the shock of a tremendous explosion, followed by the desperate wailing of alarms.  Pushing her way past groups of terrified scientists and technicians, she arrived at the main building of the complex, only to be frozen in shock at the sight which met her eyes.  The roof of the building had been completely torn away, and out in the center of the crater loomed a terrible giant of light, seemingly reaching for the heavens, a sight she'd never imagined in even her worst nightmare.  She opened her mouth to scream, to call for her father, but a second blast tore one of the supporting beams loose and sent it cannoning into her.  The breath was knocked from her body as the tempered steel tore into her side, and she slipped mercifully into unconsciousness.
    The next thing she knew, she felt herself being carefully set down on a soft, padded surface.  Her eyes fluttered open to see a figure standing over her, blasted and torn, but somehow familiar.  "Is that you, Dad?" she whispered, unable to belive her eyes.  Then darkness, as the lid of the survival pod hissed shut...  One final explosion, so great it seemed to go on forever... The shock of the pod being tossed like a football, battering her about endlessly...  Finally opening the hatch to reveal Hell itself, fire and brimstone lighting the sea and sky like a second sun...

    "I don't remember much for the next few years," she said softly.  "The doctors told me that my physical injuries, though severe, healed well.  It was the damage to my mind that worried them the most.  I didn't speak at all for three years.  That's how bad it was.  That, Shinji, was Second Impact.  To this day, I still have nightmares about it..."  Her voice trailed off as she stared into space, reliving that terrible time in her life.  Shinji, too stunned by Misato's story to be nervous any longer, wrapped his arms around her and held her gently.  After a few moments, Misato smiled up at him and continued, a brighter note in her voice. "Eventually, I came out of my silent world, and went away to college.  My father's reputation, and the money he left me, enabled me to go to a good school.  That's when I met Ritsuko, and Kaji." A single tear ran down her cheek at the mention of his name.  "They... were my best friends.  I had never belived the official story about Second Impact.  I had seen the truth for myself, and I wanted answers.  When Ritsuko told me about the Gehern organization, that it was formed for that same reason, I couldn't resist. That's how I got here, to NERV and the Eva Project.  I wanted... needed to know, to take revenge on whatever it was that had destroyed my life."
    Shinji hugged her close, not trusting his voice.  Misato returned his embrace in kind, and the two sat there for a long moment, each drawing comfort from the other.  After a short time, Misato sniffled and gently disentangled herself. "Thank you." she whispered.
    "For what?" Shinji asked, slightly confused.
    "For listening... for caring... just for being here for me..." came the response.
    Shinji smiled at her.  "It's like I said earlier, Misato.  You've always been there when I needed you, so it's the very least I could do."
    Misato smiled back.  "Thanks, Shinji."  Her grin turned teasing as she continued.  "And I intend to reward you for your efforts..."
    Shinji gulped audibly at this remark, his erection threatening to rip out of his slacks at any moment.  His self-control was threatened yet again as Misato suddenly turned, putting her back to him.  Giving him a sultry look over her left shoulder, she motioned toward the clasp of her bra and purred, "Care to help me out here, Shin-chan?"
    *That's it.  I give up...* was the last rational thought to cross Shinji's mind before his hormones completely took over. He fumbled with the latch for a few seconds, then managed to get it loose.  He stared over Misato's shoulder in fascination as her bra fell away, revealing her breasts in all their perfection.  Large and firm, and capped with rosy red nipples, they were quite possibly the most beautiful things he'd ever seen.  Ever.  He reached around to cup his hands around them, then hesitated.
    Misato smiled.  "Go ahead."  Her permission given, and not really able to resist at this point, Shinji cuppet her mounds in his hands and squeezed gently.  Misato moaned at his touch, her nipples hardening against his palms.  Recalling a move he'd seen in a hentai video (which his friends Toji and Kensuke had coerced him into watching), Shinji ran his fingers across her nipples, then tugged gently.  Misato gasped in surprise at this unexpected move from her (seemingly) innocent partner and decided she'd been on the recieving end long enough.  Wriggling around to face him, she ran a finger down his chest, idly toying with the buttons of his white shirt.  "One of us seems to be wearing a bit too much..." she teased, as her other hand began to work at the clasp of his slacks.  Shinji nodded eagerly, his formerly hesitant nature being no match for his hormones, and shrugged his way free of his shirt as soon as Misato finished with the buttons.  Her breath quickened at the sight of his lean, hard body.  *Wow, seems all that training for the Eva's really paid off...* she thought to herself.  Running her hands across his chest produced a groan of restrained passion for the young man, and caused the large bulge in his pants to quiver.  Misato noticed, and gave him another teasing grin.  "Hmm, looks like your pants are getting a little tight, ne, Shin-chan?"  Before he could say a word, she unbuttoned his pants and practically ripped them off him, revealing his stiffened member, now restrained only by the thin fabric of his boxer shorts.
    Shinji gasped at this utterly unexpected maneuver.  The sight of Misato kneeling topless over him, caressing his chest, was driving the young teen crazy.  As she pressed her body against his for another long kiss, he felt his erection stir against her and blushed in embarassment.  Noticing this, Misato smiled to herself and quickly ran her hand the length of him, producing a moan of pleasure.  "Do you like that, Shinji?" she teased.
    Shinji nodded enthusiastically.  "D... don't stop, Misato.  It feels... AH!  So good..." he gasped as she continued to stroke him through his boxers.
    "Oh?  Well then, how about we get these out of the way..."  Without further ado, Misato grasped the waistband of Shinji's shorts and tugged down, causing the boy's erection to pop out into full view.  About five inches, and hard as all the clichés (a rock, steel, the armor of an Eva, etc.), it was substantially more than she'd expected, though certainly nothing she hadn't seen before.  *He's not as big as Kaji, but...* she thought, the sight of his excitement causing her panties to moisten.  As she resumed her gentle stroking, Shinji's hips bucked reflexively, the sensations he had felt earlier magnified tenfold by the loss of his underwear.  He closed his eyes in bliss, only to open them wide a few moments later as his manhood was enveloped by a warm, wet... something, which on further inspection turned out to be Misato's mouth.  She ran her tongue around his head and was rewarded with the loudest moan yet from her partner.
    "M... Misato, I... I..." was all Shinji could produce between groans.  With no more warning than this, his hips bucked hard, and he cried out in pure pleasure as he began to cum.  As the first shot of his semen entered her mouth, Misato stopped her up-and-down motions and merely sucked him as hard as she could, cupping his balls in her hand as she did so.  After nearly a minute, his frenzied pulsing finally slowed, then stopped, and she released him from her mouth, giving him one last teasing lick as she did so.  Looking down at him, she smiled.
    "Did you enjoy that, Shin-chan?" she asked with a sparkle in her eye.  Shinji could only nod and smile, his strength totally gone after such a powerfull orgasm.  After a few moments, he mangaged to muster enough energy to sit up and embrace her.
    "That... was amazing, Misato.  I've never felt anything like that in my whole life."
    Misato grinned.  "I'm glad you liked it, Shinji.  And guess what?  It gets even better than that, you know..." she winked sexily, causing him to begin hardening again already.  "But first..." she stood up and hooked her fingers into her panties, "It's my turn..."  Without further ado, she began slowly pulling them down, revealing her perfectly smooth mound.  Shinji's eyes nearly bugged out of his head at the sight, causing Misato to grin happily.  Taking his hand in hers, she kissed his fingers gently before guiding him to her most private part.  Indicating her clit, she whispered, "You need to rub this until it swells up.  That's where it really feels good for women..."  Shinji swallowed, nodded, and proceeded to do just as instructed, softly stroking his fingers over her lips, then rubbing directly at the spot she had indicated.  Misato moaned in bliss as his touch caused her juices to begin flowing.  As she grew wetter, Shinji instinctively slid first one, then two fingers inside of her and began pumping slowly in and out, his thumb rubbing over her clit with every thrust.  Misato's cries grew louder at this utterly unexpected move, and she lay back on the bed, spreading her legs wide to give him better access.  A few minutes of this, and...
    "AAHHH!  SHINJ- mmph!" Misato barely managed to muffle her scream of ecstasy by jamming a corner of her pillow into her mouth.  Her vaginal walls clamped down on Shinji's digits, and a series of shudders raced through her as her orgasm ran it's course.  *Whew, that was a close one,* she thought as the afterglow swept over her.  *Wouldn't want Asuka walking in on us...*  Breathing heavily, she sat up to embrace her young partner.  "That... that was great, Shinji.  You did really good for a first-timer," she winked.
    Shinji smiled at her.  "I'm glad you liked it, Misato.  It's the least I could do after what you did for me..."
    Misato gave him that evil grin once more.  "And who says we're done?"  Reaching down to firmly grasp his manhood, she squeezed gently, causing Shinji to moan.  Pushing him back on the bed, she straddled his hips.  "Ready to go all the way?" she teased, never relenting in her stroking of his cock.  Shinji gasped and nodded hesitantly.
    "Are... are you sure..." he stammered, the nervousness in his voice quite plain.
    Misato only smiled reassuringly.  "Silly boy, I've never been more sure..."  With that, she genly guided the head of his unit to her opening.  Both partners moaned as he slid easily inside her.  Once he was all the way in, Misato placed her hands on the bed, either side of Shinji's head, and stared straight into his eyes.  No words were spoken, but the message was plain.  Slowly at first, then gradually increasing her pace, Misato began to raise her hips up, then push herself back down.  Shinji reacted by bucking his hips up to meet hers.  Their timing wasn't very good at first, but the two eventually settled into a slow, steady rhythm, his thrusts in sync with her downward motions.  The sounds of good wet sex filled the bedroom, Misato's soft passionate cries harmonizing nicely with Shinji's deeper moans.  After a few minutes of this, Shinji noticed Misato's beautiful breasts bouncing around in front of his face and decided to have some fun with them.  Reaching up, he cupped her orbs in his hands and began pinching and tugging her nipples, just like he'd been doing earlier.  Misato gasped at his touch and increased the pace.  Adding her own new element to the mix, she began clenching her internal muscles around his shaft at the end of every thrust, driving the young man wild with pleasure.
    "M... Misato... I'm gonna... I'm gonna..." he gasped, hips pumping helplessly.
    "M... me too, Shinji... almost there..." she moaned, squeezing as tightly as she could.
    Shinji could take no more.  With a loud, almost feral growl, he locked his hips forward and began to cum.  The feeling of his seed shooting inside her was more than enough to send Misato over the edge as well.  Her last rational thought was to collapse atop him and cover his mouth with hers to muffle the sound of their combined cries.  Both lover's bodies tensed, shuddered, then went limp as the powerfull mutual orgasm faded.

    So, what did you think?  I've seen lots of good Eva fics, but precious few of them ever used Misato, and thus, when my pal and fellow author Kenichi Jurai made the suggestion, I couldn't resist giving it a go.  Read his stuff, folks.  He's good.  Well, this thing took a while, like all my fics seem to, but it was damn fun in the making!  Send all commentary to greystar13@yahoo.com.  Constructive criticism and requests are welcomed, flames are not. And before I go, here's the SHOUT OUTS!

To the fine folk of the Grey Archive: Thanks so much for giving me someplace to post this crap!
To the Unknown Gamer, my literary role model:  Hope you're reading this and enjoying.  Take care!
To Kenichi Jurai, who had the idea: It's FINALLY finished!  HAHAHA... sorry ;-)
To all my other fans out there, I hope you enjoyed this!  It's all about you, folks.  If you have requests, send them to me!!

    Oh yeah, one more thing.  Just so you know, I'm not done with this theme yet, so figure on at least two more parts.  After all, gotta take care of Rei and Asuka, right?  And belive me, it's NOT gonna happen quite the way you think...

See you all later, you perverts!
Peace,
SIGMA