inkwreaths | AU; ain't no rest for the wicked

[Working for a man like Gendo calls for long work days and short vacations, and sometimes when you don't have a designated partner you get assigned one, whether it's temporary or permanent like the girl with the glasses and her red-haired princess or the cat-eyed boy and his friend who goes on about deers back in the countryside. For Shintaro, his partner was Ene, but the also had another teammate they met and were assigned to work with about three months ago. Shinji. Gendo's son, apparently, and as Ene liked to snicker, about as good with peopling as Shintaro was. Which meant absolutely horrible. How the two boys came to communicate efficiently with each other is a mystery only the trio knows the answer to.

Honestly though, they're working out! They still suck at communicating, and they're not very chatty, but Shintaro's quite comfortable with dropping into a seat next to Shinji this evening, a cup of coffee in hand as he stifles a yawn from staying up too late the night before. They've got a mission tonight that they have to go in for the debriefing of in a bit, and he doesn't look one bit excited, which is pretty usual.]

I heard if we're lucky this one's just gonna end with negotiations. It'll be in the usual neighborhood though, so the hardest part's getting to and from there.

[Socializing wasn't what Shinji liked to do. He understood the aura of intimidation he gave off, being Gendo's son and all, and he's been told his entire life through action that he didn't need to get along with everyone. Do your job, and you'll have their approval. That's the most he could hope for, and it's been his mantra for the majority of his life.

Being paired with people like Shintaro and Ene, then, was bewildering. He wasn't quite sure how to react to her enthusiastic responses, or to the small gestures of friendliness, like a cup of coffee passed over. Shinji politely accepts both of them with a nod, though he's slow to say anything. As usual.]

Mm. [He goes over the case files in his head again, frowns.] Ene will figure something out, won't she?

[He hates it when it comes to violence, though that's exactly what he's here for.]

She said she'll find the best route, but they're catching on, too. Interrupting radio waves and everything like last month.

["Mr Hedgehog" as Ene liked to call their teammate wasn't anything like the duo expected when they actually met him. Gendo was a douchebag and they'd expected their son to be the same, especially since everyone Ene asked about him didn't have much to say. Shinji was the anti-social person they thought he'd be, but in a totally different way. Shintaro had honestly been very relieved by the lack of 'intimidating antagonist character' he encountered that day. Not that he'd say. Even today, as he watches Shinji out of the corner of his eye as he sips his own coffee, it's hard to imagine that this kid is working for an organization like this one.]

We'll be cautious. As usual.

[Seeing Shintaro for the first time hadn't given him the impression that he'd be the sort to care much about others-- much less him. Maybe it was his age. That always seemed to surprise a good deal of his partners.]

Yeah. [There's a moment's pause before he hesitantly continues.] We'll be all right.

[It'll be a close call, but he won't let any of them die.]

[The only one that made a big deal was Ene, but it had been about Shinji's height until Shintaro reminded her she was only as tall as his phone screen was. The next time she was able to get on the big screen, though, had been a moment for her victory. Shintaro himself didn't say anything about Shinji's age or appearance.]

We'll complete the mission and get home before midnight. [He stretches, sliding forward and lower in his seat!] Ene wants to watch this rerun of a movie at one. You wanna join?

[Oh??]

A movie? What kind? [If Ene's choosing, he's a little wary.]

Some sort of mystery action film. She said it was a chick flick but I looked at the programming so it's gotta be that old film. [He says the title!]

[Presenting it as a chick flick, huh? That sounds exactly like something Ene would pull.]

... sure. I'll be sure to finish my homework before then.

[Oh! Homework? Shintaro peers at him.] How much do you have?

[He mumbles his answer a little.]

Well... not a lot. It's not so bad.

Hmm...

[He keeps watching him even as he takes a sip of his coffee, then he's pulling out his phone to send someone a text. Probably Ene.]

Got it. We'll clean this up quickly so you get home on time to finish homework. Then we can hang out -- I'll help if you want. [Shintaro hasn't gone to school in years, for reasons he never talks about. The only people who know in this place are probably Gendo and whoever investigated Shintaro's background when hiring him. But as per usual, even in this universe Shintaro's intelligence is a known fact.]

[He's accustomed to being stared at. Shinji knows that he sticks out more than he should around the base. It doesn't mean that he can quite meet his gaze with a level of confidence, so he'll be glancing off to the side.]

I don't want to take away your free time.

[That's all the better. Shintaro tends to stare to observe, but having that gaze returned only made him nervous. Eye contact is scary and uncomfortable.]

Free time's all I have outside of this job. I don't mind, I doubt you'll be as much trouble as my sister was.

[we've got a winning team of introverts here]

If you're not too tired after our mission... I guess it'll be okay.

[This is why they have the job they have. They can't even do retail properly.]

I am always tired. I'll grab an energy drink on the way back.

[Half-mumbled!] You shouldn't drink so much of those, Kisaragi...

It's hardly the worst thing to consume. Besides, with my stamina, if I don't drink something like this I can't keep up with the job. [It's really a mystery why he even works here like really.]

[To tell the truth, Shinji had been wondering what connections Shintaro had to pull to be assigned to this sector.]

Someone who says things like that is better suited for a desk job.

You ever tried it before? It's boring as hell. To Ene, at least, so she'll never let me go there.

Besides, someone with a brain half as good as your old man wouldn't put Ene anywhere near a job like that. She'll hack everything.

You two really are joined at the hip...

Well, we were hired together for a reason. We're not really useful by ourselves, you know? You ready to go for the briefing?

[He's got his own reasons brewing in his mind as to why Shintaro would've been hired with Ene, but he's too polite to mention them. Instead, he gives a nod and stands up.

It's time for their jobs. They both need to focus. Already he's moving towards the usual conference room out of habit.]

Yeah. [He stops, looks back to see if Shintaro will come.] I hope... it doesn't get too bad.

[He drains the last of his coffee and throws it into the nearest recycling bin. Recycling. It's a messed up town, and this little bit of ecological awareness is almost a laughable attempt to pretend that things were better than they really were.]

Ene's watching our backs. Don't worry. We'll have your blind spots covered.

[Learning to trust and rely on others was a gradual process for Shinji. Growing up, he didn't have anyone. Schooling was limited to his tutors. He had no friends outside of his guardian. And his father certainly spared no time to so much as even look his way. There had been someone at first--two people--but they were gone when things in this town got bad.

Don't get close. You won't get hurt. He isn't sure why he's breaking this time-old lesson with Shintaro and Ene, of all people.

Maybe, though, it would be nice not to be lonely for once.]

I know. I'm counting on both of you.

[He lets himself nod before he motions to Shinji to head toward the office now. Being friendly with Shinji didn't come that difficultly; for someone with so little friends, Shintaro thinks he adjusted to having the younger kid in his everyday life rather smoothly. Perhaps it was because Shinji Ikari himself had such an obvious air of mistrust.

It was easier to be with someone who didn't seek his attention was much easier to keep around. They only had to share the air.]

You too. [He doesn't say he's counting on Shinji. He trusts the kid would shoot down anything that's behind him anyway, but saying it out loud might put some weird pressure on him and they didn't need that. A thanks after the threat is already taken care of is probably the best tool.]

AU; ain't no rest for the wicked

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