Snowed In

Chapter 8: Angel Boy

Kaworu was struggling with something.

For one of the first times in his life, he was completely and utterly baffled. Never before had he found himself at such a loss. Everything before now in his life had always seemed so simple - so understandable, and easy - and yet now, he felt as if his entire sense of reason had left him.

And it was all because of that boy. That boy who'd looked up at him with wide, wondering eyes as he played in his new school's auditorium.

He'd been open to, excited even by the idea of making friends and meeting new people when he moved to the city, and yet he'd almost been immediately met with more than he'd anticipated.

The very moment he locked eyes with that boy, he'd felt something new and curious stir within himself.

Those eyes... Those deep, blue eyes. He was certain he'd seen them before. It was so peculiar. For a rushing moment, he felt sure that he knew that boy. He was certain that he'd met him before someplace... but where?

Shinji... his name was Shinji.

At first, Kaworu didn't even realize how much that boy had impacted him. Sure, he'd been a little surprised by just how easily he took to him, and how much he made him smile, but he just figured a part of his fondness came from the simple fact that he'd been the first new person Kaworu met. He was sure he'd take to his other peers just the same.

...Although, he realized soon enough he hadn't been entirely correct in that assumption, and that burgeoning realization only grew as the days went by.

It'd been his very first day, soon after his meeting with that boy, Shinji Ikari, when he'd heard someone calling his name during lunchtime.

"Yo, Nagisa! C'mere!"

He'd looked up from his spot on the hard ground to see Shinji sitting on a bench beside two boys from their class. The tough looking one to Shinji's left had said it. He was waving him over.

He stood and came forward with a curious expression on his face. The third boy, whose glasses glinted in the light, had moved over, allowing Kaworu space to sit.

The tough looking boy rested his arm on his shoulder. "Ikari over here's just been sayin' ya guys already met. An' any guy who's chill with him is chill with us!"

He noticed Shinji rolling his eyes, wearing an amused smile from over the boy's shoulder as he reached out an almond-skinned hand. Kaworu smiled and took it, surprised by the strength of his grip as he grinned back and said, "The name's Suzuhara, but these dorks jus' call me Toji."

"Well then, I'm happy to meet you, Toji-kun, uh, and you..." he turned his gaze on the other boy.

He looked up from the camera he'd been fiddling around with, taking the floppy disk he'd been holding in his mouth out to say, "Aida Kensuke. Say, Nagisa, you're not from here, are you?" He slid the disk into the camera with a click. "What made you come here? Family just move in or something?"

Kaworu watched him slide a little notch on the camera with interest as he hummed. "I suppose you could say that."

"Right on, man, well, welcome to the city," Toji said heartily, thumping him on the back.

Then, he retracted an arm and turned around to Shinji, who was removing a container from a plastic bag. Toji made a noise of excitement.

"Hell yeah, man! Those the mochi you were talkin' 'bout yesterday?" Kaworu looked curiously down at the container as Shinji took off the lid, nodding.

"Yeah, I made a whole batch last night, but Asuka took most of them," he said, shaking his head. He picked up two of the cakes, passing them to his excited friends, but then he froze, meeting Kaworu's eye.