What day is it?
Friday!!!
Have there been new people in the thread?
Yeeeeeaaaaaah!
And what's that mean?
Updaaaaaate!
Here's 2700 words of alcohol, reconciliation, and more lies. And it's
still one of Ritsuko's better nights.
@Forsythe,
@rapier108,
@4rt1ll3ry,
@Arizona,
@curiosity,
@Dragxon, welcome to the show. And a special welcome to
@jcmoorehead, fellow Eva writer, joining us here on SV for the first time. Go check out his other stuff, everyone.
Art!
Chapter 9.22
Everything I Do...
+++
Misato stared at the phone. This should be easy. She'd done it literally hundreds of times in just the last year.
"But it's not the same now... we know too much. Too many lies..." she muttered. "And I still can't understand
why."
She sighed, and picked up the phone.
+++
"Shh! Shh! I need to answer this!" Ritsuko slapped Maya's hand away from continuing to play with her earlobe and spun her chair back around to pick up the phone. Maya giggled and reached for her blouse. Back to work. "Doctor Akagi."
"Hey, Rits."
Ritsuko blinked and sat up straighter. They hadn't spoken outside the most necessary, clipped professionalisms since the incident with Unit-00. And for the last two weeks, she'd been both too busy and, she was forced to admit, too afraid to even try to call her old friend up and talk. Even Maya's occasional gentle prodding on the topic had produced nothing but mounting guilt over how she'd snapped at Misato, one of her only friends. "Ah... hello, Misato. Um... what can I do for you?"
"It's my birthday tomorrow."
Ritsuko flinched. She'd actually forgotten. "Oh? Not so scared of getting old now?"
"I'm only turning 29, and you're still older than me." Misato's voice was still kind of cool, but at least a ghost of her old humor was filtering back in. "Anyway, Kaji and I were going to go out on some pre-birthday drinking tonight, and wanted to invite you along. Like old times."
Ritsuko's throat tightened. "Like old times," she repeated. Old times. Before she was complicit in crimes that would dwarf Hitler, Stalin, and Mao combined. Did she even deserve to hang out with them anymore? Did she-
Maya finished zipping up her uniform blouse and stepped closer to plant a kiss on Ritsuko's cheek.
Ritsuko's mind snapped back into gear. "Ah, of course, Misato. I'd love to. I've been... meaning to call you and apologize for being a bitch. I'm... sorry I snapped at you like that."
"Oh, that was a month ago, Rits. We've been friends a long time. Apology accepted. So... you're coming?" Misato sounded... hopeful?
"Yeah, I've been.. working too much lately. I could use a night out with friends." She caught Maya's hand before she could turn to leave and held it. Maya turned back around, giving her a curious look. "Maya and I have both been working overtime on this project. She could use the break too. Do you mind if my poor overworked kouhai comes along too?" She winked at her girlfriend... no, her lover.
Maya grinned like sunshine and clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle more giggles.
"Sure, the more the merrier!" Misato replied. "Pick you up at 1830 at Surface Train Station #2?"
"It's a date," she said, winking at Maya again.
"Great. See you later!" Misato hung up.
Maya let her hand drop away and giggled madly. "Ritsuko, is this how you're arranging our first public date? Sneaking it along with drinks with Inspector Kaji and Major Katsuragi?" She leaned over to give the seated woman a hug. "This is great!"
"Anything to make you happy, Maya. I owe you."
'Until maybe I feel like I deserve you.'
+++
Lieutenant Ibuki smiled as she accepted the drink from Misato."It's really nice of you to let me come along, Major Katsuragi. I know you've all been friends a long time."
The vastness of the Geofront at night sparkled outside the windows of the Tokyo-3 Crystal Cave Bar, offering them a spectacular view as they leaned on the counter. The background hum of the bar made a nice counterpoint to Misato's slowly growing buzz.
Misato resumed her place at the center of their claimed slice of prime viewing territory. It had been her turn to hit the bar for this round. She grinned and took another sip of her cocktail. "It's fine, Lieutenant. Like I told Ritsuko, the more the merrier. This
is my pre-birthday party, in theory." She raised her Chocolate Pirate. "See? I have ice cream."
"And I am left bereft of liquor, so that you might enjoy yourself," Kaji mock-moaned from her left. "Well, mostly bereft." He took a tiny sip of the one cocktail he was permitting himself to nurse all night, then a larger one of the accompanying soft drink.
Misato stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm sure your sacrifice will be made good later, you big baby."
"Yup, you're sure a grown, mature woman of almost 29 now, Misato." Ritsuko snarked from the other side of Maya. "You haven't changed a bit since college."
"Neither have you, Miss Fussy Britches," Misato shot back with a smirk. "I can
still out-drink you, and I'm a better dancer."
Ritsuko rolled her eyes. She looked to Kaji. "When are you going to stop hanging out with this lunatic? She's clearly a bad influence on you."
Kaji smiled, then looked at Misato, who gave him a wicked look full of promises. "Oh, I think I might stick around a bit longer. Well,
after I go to the bathroom. Be back in a moment." He saluted them with his martini, then headed off to the bathrooms.
Misato watched him walk off with an unconcealed ogle. "Yum yum yum..." she said quietly, and took another sip of her drink.
'Fricking amazing that he's just gotten hotter since college. Hell, we all look pretty damn good.' She eyed Ritsuko and Lieutenant Ibuki. They'd both appeared for their pickup in very fine and fancy dresses. Ritsuko was dressed to impress in a slinky green silk number accented with gold jewelry. Lieutenant Ibuki had turned out in a daring royal blue satin dress that had one shoulder bare, with the dress clasped off with a gold brooch on the other.
'I think that's the first time I've seen Lieutenant Ibuki in civvies, too. She's not looking bad either. The men in this club have sure been staring enough. I don't think either of them have noticed, though.'
Lieutenant Ibuki's sunny smile at them dimmed for a moment into a grimace. "Nnng."
Misato cocked her head in concern. "You alright, Lieutenant?"
Ibuki shook her head, her smile returning. "It's nothing, I'm just a little sore. I think I need to hit the bathroom too. I'll be right back." This last was directed at Ritsuko with a even bigger smile.
Misato took another drink, savoring the bite of the 151-proof rum.
'This isn't that bad an evening.'
Ritsuko smiled as Lieutenant Ibuki turned to leave, brushing her hand across Ritsuko's as she left.
Misato discovered that 151-proof rum and Kahlua is not
nearly as pleasant when you snort an entire mouthful of it out your nose.
"Ow~! Ow! Ow! Ow!
Sunnavabitch!" She frantically grabbed for some napkins and tried to clean her face and top.
Ritsuko turned back to face her, worried. "Are you alright, Misato?"
Misato waved at her. "I'm fine, I'm fine, just... had a little tickle in the back of my throat when I had a mouthful."
'Holy fucking backflipping Buddhas on bicycles. Rits and her minion are... are... That was no friendly hand-pass, and...' Misato watched Lieutenant Ibuki walk away. Now that she was looking for it, the distinctive hitch in her stride was blatantly visible.
'Yup, Maya's walking like someone spent last night drilling her like West Texas. Holy shit, they're fucking. I know it.'
"Soooo..." Ritsuko drawled suggestively. "How long have you and Kaji been back together? Don't bother denying it, I can see from the way you leered at him when he walked away. And didn't you swear 'never again' with 'that guy', hmmm?" she smirked at Misato.
Misato gave her a vengeful glare as she finished wiping her face. Her sinuses were still on fire, but the pain was momentary. She was going to savor this moment for ages. "Oh, a while. We had a good talk a month or two ago. So, how long have you and Lieutenant Ibuki been sleeping together?"
Ritsuko went death-pale. She fumbled her drink badly putting it down on the counter, and it slipped over the edge. It hit the floor with a sharp crash that was almost like a gunshot above the soft background music of the bar. "W-w-what are you talking about, Misato? We...we're just co-workers."
Misato gave her old friend an amused look, but her mind raced behind her mask.
'Ok, what the fuck? I expected a reaction, but she looks like I just threatened to murder her parents in front of her.' "Co-workers, huh? Rits, we've known each other how long now? Ten years? I was your
roommate. I know better than anyone you like girls too, not that we're mentioning that one night, and more importantly, I know what you look like when you're dating one. And
you," Misato pointed at her, "And
she," she pointed off after the departed Lieutenant, "Are
definitely a thing. She hasn't managed to stop smiling at you all night, she's walking like she's sore in a
particular way, she just brushed her hand across yours as she left, ...and you
lit up when she did."
Ritsuko looked around furtively, almost desperately confirming no one else they knew was here. She finally looked back at Misato, still extremely pale. "D-don't... don't tell anyone. We...we can't... can't..."
"Jesus, relax, Rits. I've known you like girls too since forever. Have I ever said anything bad about it? And I will admit, I did enjoy our one drunk night." Misato's weak joke didn't seem to calm Ritsuko much.
'She still looks like she expected someone to come in the door with a gun any second. What the Hell?'
"I... I... just... Maya's got very strict parents, and... and... I don't want this to get out at work, ok?" Ritsuko stuttered. "I... I don't want
anything bad to happen to Maya."
'That's the first true thing I think you've said, Rits...' Misato blinked. That was it.
'Ibuki doesn't know. Rits is terrified she'll find out, or Commander Ikari will... ah. Yeah. If people find out Rits and Ibuki are together, they can threaten Ibuki to get at Rits. I get it now.' Misato squashed a nasty thought that she and Kaji could try using the young Lieutenant to weasel information out of her about what Rits was up to themselves, and would if they had to.
"Relax, Rits. I won't say a thing to anyone but Kaji." She held up a hand when Ritsuko looked like she was about to object. "Come on, he knows you used to date girls too, and he's going to figure it out just from watching you two. You both are... it's not hard to see, once you look. You're... a cute couple, actually. I mean, she looks like she's over the moon, and you look... you look happy for the first time in I don't know how long."
Ritsuko's shoulders slumped. "I know. I am. She's... I feel like I've been holding my breath for
years, and she's my first taste of air in forever. I feel so much better with her..."
Misato smiled again. "So... what happened? I could tell she was crushing on you since I got to Tokyo-3, but I thought you were ignoring her."
Ritsuko shrugged. "I... she saved me, when I froze up during Unit-00's berserking. She stayed with me until I woke up. And... we talked, the next day. Decided... we'd give it a shot."
Misato's eye's narrowed a hair.
'You were telling the truth... then not. Why lie about it? Need to discuss it with Kaji. If she's lying about how or why they hooked up, it's probably related to Ritsuko's secrets. If she hasn't told Maya what she's up to for NERV... hmmm.'
Aloud, Misato said, "Well, you both look happy, so... good luck, treat her nice, and... I think Kaji and I are going to head home. Not that we're leaving to do a little 'after party' of our own or anything... but it's a convenient excuse that just so happens to leave you both here, totally not on a date, right?" She winked.
Ritsuko smiled wanly, but it brightened when she spotted Kaji and Maya returning. "That's... that's nice of you, Misato. I'm... really sorry for being a bitch before."
Misato smiled, downing what was left of her drink. "It's alright, Rits. We've been friends a long time. We still are."
She took Kaji's arm as he walked up, prompting him to shoot her a curious look. "You and I are leaving," she told him. "We've got an appointment with my futon. Early birthday present."
"For me or for you?" Kaji said amusedly, but shot a 'we doing this in front of them?' look at her.
Misato gave him a tiny nod, and an equally tiny 'look at them
both' look. Kaji's eyes didn't widen when he gave Lieutenant Ibuki and Ritsuko a brief look, but Misato could tell he'd seen it.
Lieutenant Ibuki had sat down close to Ritsuko, and grinned at her. Ritsuko couldn't meet Misato's eye, and was faintly blushing.
Kaji's next look at Misato was full of understanding, but he still asked out loud, "You good to grab a taxi home, ladies? Misato seems to want to call it a night already. Getting old must be getting to her."
Ritsuko waved a hand. "We're fine, Kaji. Lieutenant Ibuki and I will get along alright by ourselves. We're responsible adults." Ritsuko cocked her head. "Hey, before you go, Misato..."
"Hmm?"
"How come we're out here tonight, instead of on your actual birthday?"
"Oh, Shinji has a special dinner and a cake for me planned for that night, and I didn't want to disappoint him. So, a little party at home. There may or may not be funny paper hats."
'I wanted to spend my birthday with my family,' she didn't say. Ritsuko wouldn't understand that she really meant it.
Ritsuko snorted. "You and Daddy have to go home so you can tuck your kids in to bed? So ollllld, Misato."
"Blow it out your ass, you old hag," Misato shot back with a grin. She waved goodnight to Lieutenant Ibuki, who was just starting to go a little wide-eyed at the realization she and Doctor Akagi were being left alone together at a bar. Misato chuckled at her expression, and savored it as they left.
+++
"So... those two, huh?" Kaji rumbled quietly as he drove them towards her apartment. "Called it."
Misato snorted.
"No, really. Saw the way Ibuki looked at Rits, saw it coming. I'd have bet on it happening sooner, but..."
"But what?"
"I was half-convinced Ritsuko was sleeping with Commander Ikari."
Misato left off her staring out the window to give her ex-ex-boyfriend an 'are you crazy?' stare. "Say
what? Prince-Not-Even-Close-To-Charming? Mister 'I make Darth Vader look like a great dad'? You think he had
Ritsuko on the string?"
Kaji shrugged. "I had some moderately convincing stuff about their movements, and such. And It
would explain why Rits never seemed to respond to Ibuki's crush."
"So why now?"
He shrugged again. "Dunno. Need to think about it for a bit. But you think Ibuki doesn't know?"
"Mostly sure. Ritsuko was way more scared at people figuring out they were dating than she should have been. I'm guessing it has something to do with that."
Kaji sighed. "So we might have to look at working on her or them both ourselves. Blackmail, threats, etc... To our friend and her girlfriend."
"We don't have a lot of choice. We know how high the stakes are."
He nodded. "I'll see if I can get into her lab or something. Her file encryption is too good for remote access, but if I can plant something in her lab, or into her network directly..."
Misato nodded. "I can clone my access card, get you in that way, if you can avoid the cameras normally."
He smiled. "I love you. A woman after my own heart."
"Flatterer. Now get us home. I've got a good buzz, and I want you making me feel even better soon."
+++
Next up, Kaworu, music, and an apology.
After that....
Hallelujah! 
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