Placing A Guiding Star

When getting your Christmas cheers always remember that there are people less fortunate than you, so if you can embrace them and make them happy because being kind on Christmas can go a long way to changing a persons year.

Asuka eyed the others who were dressing the huge tree at Misato's apartment, even Rei was getting involved though it was more due to Mari's coaxing or more to the point wrapping her in Christmas lights while coming out with cheap, bad chat up lines. She breathed in sadly somehow missing the times she had spent with her mother as a child decorating the tree on a cold winter days in Germany. They seemed so long and so far away it wasn't like Christmas was a happy time for her, her step mother never invited her over and she never joined in, it felt more like her father and step mother just wanted her to disappear. She turned her magazines page this was her first Christmas in Japan and she wanted to ignore that it was even happening it wasn't like anyone was going to give her gifts as no one liked her anyway. Maybe she could just shut off to it all and enjoy the Christmas dinner, that being said did the Japanese even do turkey or three bird roasts? Or was it was rice dishes and weird just like everything else in Japan whimsically and strange. She'd heard from Hikari that Christmas dinner involved KFC which confused her even more as her idea of Christmas dinner involved a roast goose and more meat and a whole table spread complete with all of the trimmings.

"Hey Asuka?"

Asuka looked up sharply realizing that Shinji was standing over her holding the tree tops star. "What?!" Shinji felt a smile form. "Do you want to put the star on top of the tree?" Asuka raised her magazine. "No go away idiot." Mari smirked as she put a wreath of tinsel around Rei's shoulders ignoring her confused look which had been painted on her face through out as she wasn't used to being such a huge part in things. "Oh look Princess in channelling her inner Scrooge." Asuka eyed her. "Go away four eyes I am not Scrooge!" Toji laughed as he put up the decorations. "Yeah I remember that book from English class what does the old cranky dude say again?" Kensuke looked up from his position under the tree where he was laying down material snow. "Bah humberr." Asuka rolled her eyes. "Its bah humbug…you moron…" Toji looked up. "And now you prove my point by saying it you are Scrooge!" Asuka stood up. "Oh verpiss dich!" Shinji turned watching as she left the room slamming the door behind her. "Guys that's not nice." Mari breathed in deeply. "She'll get over it plus she's been way crankier than normal these past few days you'd think she'd be happy she's gonna gifts after all."

Rei turned speaking quietly. "Do all people get gift's Mari during this Holiday?" Mari turned putting her hand on her shoulder watching as Hikari came in with the hot drinks. "Yes they do which means you'll get some to just like everyone else and you should stay around the night before you can share my room." Hikari looked up in confusion. "Where's Asuka?" Toji smirked ignoring Shinji's unimpressed look. "She didn't like that we were calling her Scrooge so she departed from the room." Hikari shook her head. "You're so mean did you not hear?" Toji blinked in confusion. "Hear what?" Hikari rolled her eyes. "Her parents have not invited her back for Christmas this year, she's been really unhappy about it for days and she's in a foreign country with no idea how Christmas works and she's just feeling really down." Shinji eyed the star in his hand he knew how Asuka felt his father had never celebrated Christmas with him let alone sent him a gift and his happy memories of Christmas were far off and long ago when his mother had been alive and she used to give him shortcake emoji which was a light sponge cake coated in cream with Christmas reindeer. "I'll go talk to her." He looked up slightly. "Do we have any emoji?" Kensuke blinked. "Yeah it's in the fridge but it's Misato's." Shinji took a tray putting the star on it along with Asuka's hot coco which had cream on it. "I'll just bake her another one tomorrow it's not like she'll notice that hers is gone and I replaced it she'll be to drunk."

8

Asuka looked up as the blind to her room was opened as Shinji came through with a tray closing the door behind him she quickly wiped away a stray tear. "What do you want idiot didn't I tell you to go away?" Shinji moved closer knowing he had one card to play here as he knew Asuka was ruled by her stomach. "Well you see I brought you this food but if you don't want it…I mean its looks nice its cake." Asuka put her book down hating that her stomach was getting the better of her. "Oh fine…" Shinji smiled as he sat down in front of her putting her hot coco opposite picking up the cake slice. "It's called emoji." He raised a plastic spoon passing it to her. "It's tastes really nice." Asuka eyed the thick sponge with its strawberries cream and thick icing which was decorate with green and red icing she took a slow bite before looking up. "That's really nice." She picked up the plate starting to eat with all of her might only to stop dead in her tracks. "Would you like to share?" Shinji blinked in surprise she never normally shared everyone knew that. Like Mari and Toji she was very possessive when it came to food. "Yeah…if you want…you don't have to." Asuka passed him the spoon. "I really want to." Shinji began to eat. "I heard your parents didn't invite you over for Christmas…" Asuka looked down sadly. "Yeah…I don't know I guess I just expected them to, maybe I just wanted to be a part of something…to belong."

Shinji moved a hand putting it on her arm. "You are a part of something we are your friends and we want you here even more so now because I've heard that for you and Mari Christmas is a big holiday even though it has a different meaning." Asuka felt a sad smile form. "Yeah consumerism, greed and everyone pushing and fighting to get for gifts on Black Friday." Shinji took hold of her hands. "I was referring to friends, family and home." He paused before speaking. "Maybe you've just forgotten about those, but around us we will make you remember." He was about to say more only to feel her arm grab him as she hugged him close suddenly breaking in to tears. He held her tighter, she needed to get this out it was better and she was just sad about her family not wanting her he waited till the tears subsided as she sat back wiped them away quickly. "Hey would you like to join the others back in the front room and put the star on the tree?" Asuka moved forward placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You're kinder to me than I deserve." Shinji felt the blush hit him as he stood up picking up the food and drink watching as Asuka grabbed the golden star ornament. "Em…lets put that star on the tree."

Asuka gave him a slight smile. "Yeah lets but I'll need you to lift me up so I can put this on the tree." She felt a sly smile form. "Think you can handle that?" Shinji gave her a nod as he recomposed himself. "Yeah." Mari turned around as Asuka re-appeared Shinji following they were now all around the table the large emoji cut in to thick slices. Mari looked up. "Nice of you two to join us at last!" Asuka shook her head as Shinji put her plate down on the table "Oh so you didn't waste anytime four eyes." Mari turned looking at Shinji. "You kind of said that you'd bake Misato another one…we agreed on eating it since you'd already cut out a chunk…" Rei sipped her coco. "We felt that the cake was better to share out between us." Asuka walked up to the tree. "Come on Shinji give me a hand getting this star up there!" Shinji moved forward taking hold of her legs giving her lift up watching as she placed the star he eased her down feeling her arm wrap around him as she spoke quietly and softly. "Its looks good up there it completes the tree." Shinji felt his smile widen. "Yeah it does."

Silvermoonlight

Gift for DarkBluePhoenix based on his AU fanfiction character canon. Emoji is a light sponge cake with thick cream strawberries and icing that is shared between Japanese family's on Xmas day and KFC turkey buckets on Xmas day is a real thing in Japan from what I've read.