Cliché the Second. Meet-cute-romantic-date.

The canned laughter from the TV set was the only sound in the living room; the soft glow emanating from the screen the only source of light in the night.

In front of the TV, decked in her usual attire of short blue cotton shorts and yellow tank top, Asuka Langley Sohryu laid on a soft pillow, a cotton throw around her body. Next to her, almost like a parallel figure, mimicking her every move, even the stance in which she currently was laid Pen-Pen, his avian eyes staring straight ahead at the Tv set.

When she turned to watch it sideways, Pen-Pen did too.

When she grabbed a cookie from the bowl in front of her, and placed it in her mouth to much it, resting her chin in the soft pillow she had; Pen Pen will do so with his beak.

She was half tempted to punt the stupid bird into oblivion.

How much longer is this gonna take?

As she laid down on the futon staring at the TV, but not really in the watching mood, Asuka Langley Sohryu felt her mood souring at an alarming rate; almost as if a strange, alien body was systematically taking control of her; like a virus slowly overdriving the core program of a computer.

----- -----

"How much longer is this gonna take?"

Maya sighed.

"I already told you Misato." Came the sound of Ritsuko Akagi over the videophone. "We have to verify the readings received over the tests, and you have to transform all those readings into programmable data for the next simulations."

Both women exited the bridge, each carrying roughly the same stack of papers, bickering and fighting and looking more like a pair of high school students on their way to detention than the Science Director and the Operations Director of NERV.

"You would think that in this day and age NERV would switch to digital documents over paper." Misato added with distaste. "We are probably destroying all the trees leftover from second impact. Wonderful achievement from the agency designed to protect mankind."

"It's recyclable…" Ritsuko added in short, clipped tones. "I need to go home, and take care of my cats." The blond doctor finished softly.

"Cleaning and petting kittens sure sounds like fun." Misato added sarcastically.

"Well at least I do the cleaning, unlike other conniving, shrewd adults who shall remain nameless, Major Katsuragi."

"Hey! Shinji lost fair and square. It's not my fault he sucks at yan-"

"Put a sock in it and get moving." The doctor said humorlessly. "The sooner we reach the designated limit, the sooner we can leave." Ritsuko finalized putting another stack on top of the one already in Misato's hands.

"Someone better go tell the kids this might take a while." Misato grumbled. "I'm sure Asuka will be jumping of joy."

Still thinking about what the two other "grown-ups" had been saying, Maya never heard the first time Ritsuko called her name The sound of Ritsuko's louder tones brought Maya's thoughts to a screeching halt.

"Maya!" Ritsuko's voice was clearly annoyed. "I'll be over at Misato's office going over the reports; if there's anything important page us immediately."

"Y-yes Sempai."

"Ritsu" Came the nasal sounds of Misato's whining. "Tell her to take care of Asuka and Shinji; like getting them something to eat or-"

"Misato!" Ritsuko screamed outraged. "I will not reassign the manpower we have to take care of the pilots you were assigned to be the legal guardian of. Besides, they're not pets."

"But I'll be stuck here for some time and when Asuka gets hungry she gets cranky."

Ritsuko carefully considered this, and though about the irate Red head, and how long it would take for her to eventually reach them and demand being take home.

"Maya!" Ritsuko said after a moment of introspection. "Inform Section 2 to be ready to escort the pilots to Major Katsuragi's home, and find them ASAP." she turned around, thought better, poked her head in again and threw a shrewd look at the two male technicians on the bridge.

"And make sure neither Shigeru, nor Makoto use the HUD to play computer games again…last time this happened Fuyutsuki thought we were actually being attacked by enemy forces."

With that last comment the Dr. exited the room, while the two other Sr. techs hid their blushing faces from the other three Jr. techs assigned to the bridge.

Why was it that it was always her who ended up babysitting these idiots? Was it a well-kept secret on her job description? She wasn't even an Operations Officer; Misato should be the one here taking charge and command, she should be with Rits-Dr. Akagi going over those last batches of tests, looking for every painful fluctuation, every abnormality.

"Man, my ass is numb from all the sitting."

Instead, here she was listening to the in-depth conversation of dumb and stupider over women, drifting and rock bands; every once in a while salted with the inane comments of Makoto's huge geekiness.

At the least they should allow them to get something to drink and eat.

"I'm going to get something." Maya said suddenly, getting up quickly from her seat and going over to the main entrance of the command bridge. She turned to look at those two idiots, remembering eerily back to the time they had all spent in the academy together.

"Behave all of you." Maya muttered when both male specimens continued to dissect the theory of which newest idol should be inducted into NERV to become its PR officer.

----- -----

The walk towards the lounge area was, as always, lonely. Maya sighed and thought about her plans for the night; dinner and a movie sounded wonderful, but not by yourself; a frozen TV dinner and the flick of the week were not really what she would expect out a normal mid 20's woman.

She knew she wasn't drop dead gorgeous; maybe cute could sum her looks.

She knew she did not have the striking…assets of Misato, or the quiet sophistication of Rit-Dr. Aka- Ahh dammit all - Ritsuko. Or the stunning model likes looks of Satsuki.

She was plain, mousy Maya Ibuki; nerdy, easily flustered and with a slight fixation on Sempai.

So, in hindsight a frozen TV dinner in her lonely apartment followed by the cheesy flick of the week was exactly what she should expect of herself.

However, as she walked into the lounge, she was greeted by something...odd.

The Designated pilot for Unit 02; Asuka Langley Sohryu was there.

Maya's interaction with the German Red head had been minimal at best, but she had been on the bridge during the tactical operations against the angels since the beginning so she knew the…Overbearing nature and the other ways she could be.

When she had first showed up after the incident at the Over the Rainbow Makoto, in a stunning display of a true otaku had mentioned that Asuka reminded him of some fictional pilot from a long defunct animation show.

That was when Shigeru elevated Makoto's status of geekines into otaku realms.

However, what was stranger was the fact that, even though she was alone, Asuka wasn't fuming; in fact, quite the contrary

She appeared to be unreasonably quiet and deep in thought.

Maya debated with herself if she should intrude on the Red head; judging by the look on her face, whatever had her thinking, had her troubled as well.

Maya sighed, she was never good with people, she would be the first one to agree to that; the only reason why she had raised so swiftly within the internal ranks of NERV was precisely because, without friends to derail her studying habits, she came top of the class.

Sighing again, she walked towards the vending machines, coins ready to choose her drink and junk food of choice.

Only to clash with the red gloves hand of Asuka Langley Sohryu.

"Ach, Scheiße!" Asuka muttered as the coin she was holding escaped under the machine. "Great, and that was my last coin."

There was something in the quiet, hushed tone of voice she said it, that made Maya look, really look at the normally outspoken and verbally aggressive German for the first time.

Maya sighed. She wasn't as friendly as Misato, nor did she had the professional disposition of Dr. Akagi; again, she realized she was plain, mousy Maya Ibuki, but something about the dejected way Asuka had plopped down on the bench next to the dispenser, the way her eyes held a look of uncertainty, the whole way her body was currently behaving made her choose.

"Uh…Miss Sohryu, are you all right?"

"Not really…" Asuka said, leaning on the chair and closing her eyes, a pained expression on her face.

And Asuka could only think that somehow it was connected with Hikari's bizarre notion of love, and The First's hard logic.

"I feel sick."

The rest of the evening was quiet, and Maya finally got a hold of Shinji, and contacted Section 2 to take both pilots home. During the trek back, Asuka kept feigning sleep, not daring to look at the face of her roommate. As soon as she set foot inside the house, she retreated to her room, closing it and preparing herself for a long, sleepless night.

The dreams that time were faceless, blank dreams, but still she never got the desired rest, maybe she was sick after all; maybe she had something.

A virus.

If there was ever a good analogy for what was happening to her, that was the one: the great Asuka Langley Sohryu was being brought down by a virus.

A virus; a small unstoppable colonizing force that was currently taking over her; she could feel the shivers down her spine, the clammy feeling on her hand, the short, gasps for breath, the way she felt light headed and how her stomach seemed too lately to be queasy and easily excitable.

She should have known by the burning feeling of her cheeks.

On a subconscious, almost subliminal level, she had been aware of the changes that were happening; small, insignificant changes that, if one didn't looked closely, would be disregarded as nothing more than the daily living events on her life.

However, upon a closer look, those small changes were in fact a domino effect, and were currently conspiring to bring her down.

So Asuka chose to do something completely unusual to her; she decided to lay down and let it trample thru her body, completely sure that sometimes the best plan of action is to take no action.

However, there was something her brilliant, college educated mind had not taken into account.

Asuka Langley Sohryu was sick, all right; her body was currently the host of a virus.

But the source was not spoiled food (or Misato's normal cooking) but rather the unlikeliest source of all.

The shivers down her spine incremented exponentially as her hand were over ran by the cold, clammy, sweaty feeling, and her cheeks burned hotter still.

Behind her, Shinji Ikari was sitting, watching her with a sense of trepidation and distrust, ever since the episode on the bathing room, he had felt something was wrong and amiss, and upon arriving home after the long wait for Misato, when Asuka had informed him she didn't feel that well, he was sure of it now.

Asuka Langley Sohryu was sick.

Pity none of them were correct on the cause of her sickness.

And as the canned laughter continued to fill the uneasy silence on the room, Asuka couldn't help but remember Hikari's oh-sp-helpful "pointers"

----- -----

So the next day, Asuka stayed after school, dreading to walk back home with Shinji, and instead telling him Hikari had instructed her to stay and clean. As she saw him walk dejectedly and alone to the apartment, she spun on her feet and walked into the school, wordlessly taking the mop and bucket and flling it with water to begin cleaning the room.

"I can't thank you enough for offering to help me today Asuka." Hikari said as she finished sweeping the trash into the dustpan. "I would never have been able to finish on time.

Again, she was answered with silence.

Hikari frowned at that; throughout the day, Asuka had been either ignoring her, or hiding her face from her.

"Ok, Asuka." Hikari said, finally fed up with the way her friend had been behaving. "Tell me what's wrong."

Asuka trembled, and Hikari saw her back go stiff like a board, the immediate sign that she was going to unload. Hikari let out a calming, soothing series of deep breaths before scrunching her eyes for the eventual blow off.

"This is all your fault."

Hikari blinked, taken aback by the quiet words from Asuka.

"Uhh…I'm…sor-"

"NO!" Asuka shouted, her hands balled into tight fists, clenching and unclenching, while her whole body trembled with anger. "Do not finish that word. You have no idea how…how…" Asuka let out in a series of gasps.

"A-Asuka…" Hikari said soflty, going towards her friend. "What are you saying?"

Asuka gritted her teeth, baring her fangs at the face of her soon to be dead best friend.

"I'm saying that thanks to you and your idiotic crap I was this close of being tangled up with Shinji."

"What? But how?"

"I walked in on him and then feel and he caught me."

"That wasn't so bad." Hikari grumbled. "You made me think something else had happ-" The pigtailed representative trailed off, turning around to look at Asuka, who was currently helping her clean the classroom after class. However what caught her attention was the lovely shade of red hue tinting Asuka's face, and the way her blue eyes were looking at her black mary-janes.

"Don't tell me something did happen…" Hikari's astonished question was a mere whisper, yet in Asuak's head it felt like a fog horn breaking thru her self.

"Something did happen…" Hikari repeated as realization began to make it way, and Asuka found the floor more and more interesting.

"TELL ME WHAT DID HAPPEN!!" Hikari squealed, rushing into Asuka and grabbing her by the arms, but the German would not look up, choosing instead to mumble out what had happened.

Hikari smiled as the words slowly left her friends mouth, taking ion the meaning of them.

"Are you serious?"

That was it.

"OF COURSE I'M SERIOUS…I ALMOST SAW THE IDIOT NAKED!!"

"Oh my god, Asuka…that's so bold…I never thought that you would be so forward." Hikari replied with a blush on her face, unaware of the vicious glare Asuka was throwing her way.

"This is all your fault."

"Excuse me?"

Asuka was about to add something else, but instead turned around and crossed her arms stubbornly, resembling a pouting child. Hikari turned to look at the red head, marveled at the way she had changed her disposition; at first she had appeared overtly aggressive, however, that had lasted mere seconds before that look in her eyes was replaced again by a sense of foreboding.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The low chuckle coming form the red head made the class rep smile at that.

"Why would you think I wanna talk about it?" She said after a moment. "There's nothing to talk about." She said, before softly adding, almost like an afterthought she wanted no one to know about.

"Besides, it's stupid anyway."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

Asuka glanced up at the smiling freckled face of her friend. She felt foolish, like this was something that shouldn't be troubling her so, yet, for the life of her she couldn't shake the feeling that somehow talking about it would make it better.

She went thru her options again, and tried to analyze what had possessed her into confiding in Hikari.

"Are you a fan of romantic comedies?"

"Huh?"

"C'mon Asuka…" Hikari sat next to her and placed a hand on her friends arm. "Romantic comedies…you know…boy meets girl, girl hates boy, incredible series of events happen in the span of one hour and 30 minutes-ish and they live happily ever after."

Asuka sighed, becoming increasingly frustrated. "you mean the type of movies where the guy is an idiot, the girl is also and idiot and thru a series of unfortunate events they end up together?"

Hikari looked at the Red head for a second, weighing her options.

"Uhhh…" She stammered. "Well yes, I suppose you could call it like th-"

"Do you think they are right?"

"Huh?"

"What they say." Asuka continued, a quiet sense of urgency on her voice. "What they do; do you think love really can happen like that?"

It didn't take a genius to know what she was talking about. Hikari smiled softly to herself.

"Well, I have watched more than a couple of those movies, so I think I can sum them up in two basic concepts."

And for the first time in her life, watching Asuka look at her face with a look of sheer determination on her face, Hikari Horaki finally felt like something other than plain, boring, straight lace Hikari Horaki, Class representative for Tokyo-3 Municipal High School class 2-A.

"Well, y'know it starts like this…" Hikari said as she watched Asuka lean against her back, but watching her still. "The basis of all romantic comedies is the mabai-deau."

"The what?"

"Mabai-deau."

"What the hell is that?"

"A Mabai-deau is the first meeting." Hikari continued, smiling. "It's when the boy meets girl but with a twist." She stopped, remembering something Asuka, Toji and Kensuke had mentioned before, each with their own view of what had happened.

"Like how you and Shinji met at the Over the Rainbow."

"The pervert looked at my panties!" Asuka grumbled. "How is that a cute meet?"

"Well, in a lot of romantic comedies, the couple is polar opposites, different ways of being, and handling situations; like you and Shinji." Hikari said, ignoring Asuka's blunder.

"Why do you keep on bringing that?" Asuka crossed her arms. "I already told you there is nothing going on between me and th-"

"That's also the staple of romantic comedies; the denial, you know." Hikari giggled. "And that brings forth the whole name calling, bullying, kindergarten-type of school romance you seem to like."

Before Asuka could make her feelings vocal, Hikari cut her off.

"Their first meeting should be realistic but memorable. One can peek at the other's panties. . Or one forces the other to wear her red plug suit designed for girls. Or one can tease the other every day forever."

Looking at Asuka's expression, Hikari delivered her point home. "But it always has the same end; both boy and girl are now sharing something…it's like an attraction that none of them want to accept and say Yes, I love you, let's make out and have a dozen babies; but it's a mutual attraction, and it's used to break the ice; you have the funny awkwardness between the two…" Hikari continued.

"So in other words it's like when you bully Toji to stay after school and help you just so you could spend time with him?" Asuka slyly commented, making Hikari blush at this.

Hikari kept quiet, blushing and frowning at the laughing redhead in front of her.

"Well, you should know all about that…" Hikari began with a smirk. "After all, with you it's more obvious; you always get into embarrassing situations and misunderstandings…" she poke at the fuming redhead. "Just by your personalities alone…"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Asuka, honestly, if it weren't for NERV assigning you here to Tokyo-3 you and Shinji would never have met or talked or anything under normal circumstances."

The silence that followed made it obvious that Asuka had never thought about that, even when if she had said so in one of her many tantrums. Hikari felt her friends mood going downward with an alarming rate, and decided to correct t before Asuka fell into her usual routine of why it was better for her t be alone since there was no one up to the level of greatness that is Asuka Langley Sohryu

"But your Mabai-deau provided you both with the chance of meeting, talking and taking it from there."

"…" Asuka kept silent, still not sure of what to do; she wasn't sure she was supposed to do anything, really, but still, the principle of it all demanded for her to appear…

Scandalized?

Outraged?

Annoyed and antagonized, ready to sulk back?

Somehow, Asuka felt that would have also been a terrible cliché.

Sensing her present state of mind, Hikari decided to try a different approach.

"Asuka…are you sure there is nothing going on between you two?"

"I…" Asuka took a moment to review what Hikari had told her, what had happened between them both.

Asuka took a moment and came with the truest, most honest answer she had at the moment.

"I don't know."

Hikari didn't say a word for a moment, trying to sort out the meaning behind Asuka's answer.

"Well, do you want it to be something?"

Asuka was about to answer, but stopped short, opened her mouth again and stopped, frowning, making it painfully obvious whatever the thoughts she was having, they weren't the ones she wanted at the moment. Finally after another long moment of silence, she lay down on the couch.

"I don't know…" She mumbled weakly. "I honestly don't know."

"You know..." Hikari stopped before rounding the corner, her browns knitted together in thought. "In the movies the sure fire way to make sure there is absolutely no romantic chemistry whatsoever is simple."

Asuka turned to look at her, but remained silent.

"Go on a date."

A beat, silence stretched to the point when it became something tangible, with form easily shattered by an outraged scream.

"WHAT!?"

----- -----

"Shinji…" The boy turned to look at the lying form of his roommate; she was currently lying face down, her chin resting on the pillow, her arms by her side.

And he saw that Pen-Pen was in the same position as her.

She had arrived several minutes before, walking into the room, and emerging in her usual get up of shorts and tank top, her hair in pigtails held together by red barrettes. She then walked towards the couch, taking a pillow and throwing it to the ground, letting herself fall into it mere seconds after.

She ahd stayed like that all thru the afternoon, moving only to change positions, while Pen-Pen mimicked her every position as well.

"What is it Asuka?"

Asuka turned to him, and looked straight into his eyes.

"Bring me some tea." She said after averting her sight, feeling her flush flaring, her cheeks brimming with heat and the only thing she could think of was why?

Why couldn't she just keep her sight on him? Why did she had to be the one to drop her gaze like an easily flustered, timid school girl? What was wrong with her?

So she chickened out at the last possible moment, ignoring Shinji's painful sighed as he said nothing, instead choosing to get up and fetch the tea.

As he walked around the kitchen, she couldn't help but ask herself why did it felt like he was watching her every movement, the way she moved, or how her head tilted to the side.

Without saying a word, Shinji walked up to her and brought the container and cups, before sitting next to her and putting one of the cups next to Asuka, who kept her gaze on the ground.

Asuka got up and sat, her feet tucked into her knees, while Shinji drank slowly the tea. Thru it all, the sense of awkwardness in the apartment was so acute and intense; so concentrated and consuming, it felt like an impossibly heavy curtain, like the heavy, humid mornings full of summer heat normal in this time of year in Tokyo-3.

The stillness, the absence of sound, the mind numbing, blatant deafening sound was the only thing that both teenagers could hear, despite the squawking of Pen-Pen, despite the TV set.

Only silence, thumbing and thumping to the rhythm of the blood pulsing thru their it, setting in the items decorating the apartment; the clock slowly ticking away, the electric pot whistling with boiling water, the floor pattern...everything but one another. Both Children fought hard to avoid being caught in the others gaze.

"Shinji…"

Only to be immediately broken by the quiet, almost shy, voice of Asuka Langley Sohryu.

----- -----

"Sure…the romantic date is when you know if there's chemistry or not between you both." Hikari rambled on. "That's the way it is with the hero and his leading lady."

"Don't make me laugh…" Asuka snorted. "I mean c'mon...That idiot is no hero..." Asuka said, while she and Hikari finished putting away the cleaning supplies.

"He's the farthest thing from a hero…he's a zero...an anti-hero..."

"Asuka, why do you constantly put him down?"

"C'mon Hikari…" Asuka said as they both made their way to the front gate. "He is the cowardly lion...dumb, pathetic and difficult to like." Asuka said as she kicked a stray pebble with all her might, stopping by the trash incinerator to dump the love letters she always found on her locker. "We are both exact opposites."

Hikari grumbled. "Didn't we have this conversation before?"

"The point is it'll never work out between us…He's always avoiding any kind of duty from anybody."

"But he-"

"While the normal hero is lead to an eventual redemption, I'm sure that if the idiot was a character on any kind of movie, his final state of mind would be more of resignation and defeat rather than overcoming fate." Asuka finished forcefully.

"Hell, I'm sure that the only times he has been seen to spring into action is when he has to save the doll and m-"

Asuka stopped short, replaying the past events on her mind.

Gaghiel. The angel of water. The way they had met, like a head on collision waiting to happen. How he managed to help her, never giving up, on the brink of the Eva shutting down, and the way it felt good to be curled against him.

Israfael. The angel of Music and Dance. The synchro training. The last night. The soft, feathery touches of his breath on her lips. Her tears calling out "Mama". How she woke up disoriented, but still smelling his faint smell.

Sandalphon. The angel of the unborn womb. The heat of the magma. The knife hurled. How he had leapt after her, and the strength as he held on to her for dear life. and afterwards how close they had sat next to the other on the ride back home.

Leliel. The angel of shadows. Seeing him being engulfed, lost. The sense of fear witnessing his return, and the anger and the happiness when she saw him back. How many hours she had spent next to his sleeping form?

Zeruel. The arm of god. The flashes of white, the impeding sense of defeat, only to see him charging back, and then to see him being lost again. How many nights had she spent alone, and awake wishing for his safe return?

Arael. The angel of light. The anguish, the desperation, the agony and distress. The feeling of being forsaken, of being alone. Of depression and grief and feeling so soiled, so dirty she couldn't see at her own reflection on the mirrors, and yet-

In all of them, with no exception, he was always there, the only constant in her trials and tribulations. The only one who, no matter how hard she had pushed, would never go away.

"Ok, Hikari…" Asuka tuned to her friend, a brief glimpse of acceptance on her eyes. "You might have a point there. So, according to your expertise and to those movies you love so much, how should one go around for a first date?"

"Well…It needs to be something fun both can do together, and it has to be so romantic they'd have to be swimming in denial to not feel anything, you know kinda like you and Shi-"

"Ok, Ok…I get your point…" Asuka groaned. "I don't need another lecture on the dynamics of this romance mush again. Just give me an idea or something."

"What for?"

"B-but Asuka…" Hikari stammered. "The boy is supposed to be the one who comes up with those."

"That idiot? Please!" Asuka seemed outraged. "If left to his own devices, he will probably take me to the arcade with the rest of the stooges, or to a classical music concert."

"But those are nic-"

"Yeah, but you said it yourself." Asuka turned to Hikari, winking. "It has to be memorable."

"Well…I suppose it could be as simple as a walk on the park..." Hikari began, getting easily into the spirit of things.

"How about fishing for garshapons on the UFO catchers…" Asuka retorted, imagining expanding her ever growing collection of capsuled toys.

"Or picking up an autistic younger sibling from day care …" Hikari giggled as she remebered wh-

"She's not his sister." Asuka interrupted, her voice a mix of annoyance, anger and mirth.

"Who?" hikari answered, truly confused.

"Rei. She is not the idiot's sister." Asuka sniffed, crossing her arms. "Although NERV might be close to a daycare center for her, they are not blood related."

"I never said that." The distaste in Hikari's voice was palpable. "Besides…Incest is wrong."

"C'mon…what was up with the whole autistic younger sibling simile?" Asuka smirked. "I agree they behave the same, and the only difference is that Shinji, while being an idiot, is not as socially inept as wonder girl, but still…"

"Asuka…that actually happened in a movie; the guy showed up to pick up his autistic younger brother who then asked him if he "made out" with the girl."

"And what happened then?"

"The usual: the boy was all awkward, and the younger kid kicked him in the crotch."

"So kicking someone's crotch is also an acceptable date activity?" Asuka wasn't able to disguise the mirth in her voice. "Nice!"

"Apparently in America." Hikari smiled back, catching the joke. "Or something like that."

Asuka smiled at Hikari, who simply nodded, accepting the unspoken thank you. Both girls shared a hug before parting ways.

"Thank you Hikari…"

"What are friends for?"

"Well, now that you mention it.''" Asuka said thoughtfully. "Would you mind lending me your stooge for tomorrow's crotch-kick-athon?"

----- -----

Shinji was looking at her, and why was it so difficult coming up with something as simple as asking him out? Why did he have to look at her with those big blue eyes that were just the right hint of blue and dark and-

"Uh…Asuka…" Shinji waved a hand in front of her face. "You haven't said a word in like a minute…Are you sure you are ok?"

Asuka shook her head to get rid of the cobwebs. Using the time to think her way thru.

"Shiji." The Red head began once she had finished. "Tomorrow we are going out."

"Uh…out" Shinji repeated dumbly. "A-Asuka are you-"

"Shut up, Shinji…" Asuka stood up and looked at him like a predator was looking at a cornered prey. "Like I said tomorrow we are going out to have some fun; it's Saturday, we have no school, no tests and there better be no Angels coming in tomorrow."

"W-well…Rei and Kaworu mentioned they might stop by to start the project we have-"

"Nein!" Somehow Shinji envisioned Asuka in a skintight red cat suit, a black leather trench coat and military cap.

The hardest part for him was the nice tingle he felt down in-

"WE are going out tomorrow." The red head said in a silky low tone, her manners and way suddenly like those of the old Asuka Langley Sohryu, her hand cupping Shinji's chin, tilting his head up, staring into those impossibly blue eyes, while she kneeled down at her waist, leaning closer and closer enough for him to see her ti-

"We are going to have fun, and You are going to pay." Asuka nodded to herself, closing her eyes to stop herself from staring to intently into Shinji's own blue ones.

Shinji nodded numbly still in rapt fascination, watching intently into Asuka's…eyes…as she slowly slid forward, thrusting her ample breasts within inches of the, suddenly, very excited boy. Quickly his eyes locked on the pair of breasts tantalizingly close to him.

Noticing the absence of an answer, or of the general whining coming from her roommate once he had realized he was supposed to pay for her, Asuka looked down at the still mesmerized boy. She gazed at him for a moment wondering why he seemed so happy.

Then it hit her.

And then, she hit him.

"Pervert!" She yelled as she quickly straightened up and clutched her shirt to her chest, yanking the collar to neck height, but effectively leaving her tummy and navel exposed, the creamy silky skin just mere inches away from hi-

"Stop peeping at my body!" she grumbled as she walked to the couch and plopped down.

"Me!? Peeping at you!?" Shinji protested as he sat up. "You were on top of me! You were the one who almost poked my eye out with those things."

"I'm not going into specifics with a perverted idiot like you." She told him, following her statement with a pillow aimed squarely at his face.

"Ouch!" He said as the pillow flew straight into the intended target, falling back from the force of the throw. "What did you do that for?"

""Because you were trying to look down my shirt!"

"You stuck them out there. What did you expect?"

Asuka turned away so Shinji could not see her blush. She glanced down to her breasts and remembered the first words she had said while in his presence.

"Y-you didn't see…" She asked quietly. Shinji, unsure of what she meant never said a word. Asuka turned to him and looked at him, still with the faintest of blushes on her face.

"You know…you didn't saw anything, did you?"

"Who me?" he replied innocently. "I didn't see anything."

"Sure you didn't." She grumbled, smiling faintly at him.

"Sure I didn't." Shinji agreed. "Just like you didn't back at the Men's showers. At NERV"

Shinji smiled as he saw Asuka get red and sputter some nonsense, trying to come with a response. All the while he remembered what he did see; not everything but enough to make his dreams quite interesting for the next few nights...

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AN : Well, there it is, the official 3rd chapter; still firmly anchored into the romantic comedy cliches.
I was actually intending on using Maya to deliver a point instead of Hikari, but, as much as OOC amuses me, even I couldn't wrap my mind around Maya imparting wise counsel and Asuka taking it in (wait...let me rephrase that.) Mainly because Maya, while not an authority figure, would never be so bold as to strike a conversation with Asuka, hence back at Hikari. I believe Hikari and Rei are the best duo for Asuka, since Rei's cold, hard logic deliver the point across, and Hikari's way pf being is more soothing for Asuka.

However, that does not mean the rest of the cast won't make an appearance; after all, Shinji and Asuka are dating.

And if you've seen those romantic comedies, you know what happens on the first date.

Cheerio!