My alarm began buzzing at the same time it usually did. Even days off are subjected to early waking now, if they happen to fall on a weekday. I slapped the button hard and turned onto my back to face the ceiling. The sunlight spewed across the room from between the cracks of my window shutters, the warm energy both filling me with intention to get up, yet also giving me a desire to shut my eyes for a little while longer and enjoy the confines of my sheets once again.

But I had to get up. For her.

I groggily slid out of bed onto the floor, standing up into a full body stretch. A yawn escaped my mouth as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, stepping toward my drawer. I had today off, so I didn't need to dress in my usual "to work" attire, I just settled for a plain black t-shirt and brown slacks. Pulling the shirt down over my head, I exited my room.

Seeing the door across the hall closed, after waking up to its open bareness staring back at me for so many mornings, felt… strange. Out of place. For a second, this didn't feel like my apartment anymore.

Reaching down to the handle for the door, I hesitated. Did she have an alarm clock already set up? Did she even know what time school starts? How would she react to a stranger being in her room this early in the morning? A feeling of worry began setting in. But, all I would have to do is explain, right? I'm just doing my job, that's all.

I slid the door open slowly.

The room hadn't changed much from when I moved her luggage in there last night, aside from a couple things being hurriedly unpacked, a small red alarm clock on the side table, and the bed having a fresh set of unfamiliar blankets on it. Just barely poking out from the top of those blankets was a hint of auburn hair, the soft sounds of snoring filling the air.

She fought hard yesterday. Maybe I should leave her until her alarm goes off. It was still a couple hours before she needed to be at school, but I was planning on driving her there anyway, so no big deal. I picked up her discarded shower towels from the floor, exiting the room with care, as not to wake her.

I softly shut the door behind me and yawned again. She would need to eat, I hear that's a common thing kids do, so I need to make her something. I tossed the towels into the hamper in the corner of the bathroom and sauntered out to the kitchen.

...fuck, how long has it been since I last properly bought groceries? Ah, that worried feeling, how soon you return. I flicked through my cupboards and fridge, with tension mounting upon every empty box or outdated foodstuff I came across. I did have eggs, some veggies, and some assorted spices, but nothing to act as a main ingredient.

To my surprise, right in the back of one particular section of the pantry, lay my godsend: an unopened box of rice.

Now we're in business. I washed it, set up my rice cooker, and boom. Easy. However, a single box of rice wasn't going to last us forever, so I took out my cellphone to set a reminder to go out and pick up actual groceries later today. Which reminded me, Dr. Akagi had mentioned during my new job description that I would be getting a salary boost as well, just for taking care of Asuka. I went into my banking info on my phone to see just how much was deposited into my… account…

Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Something had to be wrong. Did they add an extra zero by accident…?

It wasn't a trick. It wasn't a lie. It was an extra 400 thousand yen added to my account, atop my boosted pay from my promotion, even! My legs felt weak as I just stared at the numbers, running them over again and again.

OH WE ARE GONNA EAT LIKE KINGS TONIGHT! When it all came together in my head I almost screamed at the top of my lungs. It was the most money I had ever seen at one time in my life and I was ecstatic. My entire body felt like jelly as I swooned over the numbers on my phone.

With a newfound vigor, I used every decent ingredient in the fridge to create a pretty little bento box for Asuka's school lunch, and then I got to work on making her breakfast. I began whisking the remaining eggs I had to make a rice omelette. Suddenly, I heard a muffled alarm go off, followed by an equally muffled groan, before the alarm went silent. After a moment, I heard one door slide open, and the bathroom door slide shut. Feeling that the omelette was cooked as good as someone with no real culinary prowess could ascertain, I slid it off onto a plate, filled a glass with milk, and laid the two items on the kitchen table.

The young Eva pilot stepped around the corner, looking just as, if not more, groggy than I was when I got up. Her long hair was in a tangle, and she was wearing a printed t-shirt that was about 3 sizes too big for her, with it reaching her knees. She rubbed one of her eyes while the other was locked onto me. "Guten morgen." She spoke softly.

Caught off guard by the sudden German, I stumbled out a "good morning" of my own, assuming that's what she meant. Her face wasn't very amused, but when she saw the omelette on the table, her face lit up.

"Oh wow, I didn't know you cooked, Lieutenant." She sat down and began eating immediately. I winced a bit at her lack of Japanese-style manners, but I brushed it off. I was hardly one to care for them myself, and I really should just be happy she seems to have an appetite. The plate was cleaned in the time it took me to have that thought, and she gently patted her lips with a napkin. "I'm impressed. Maybe living here won't be so bad if you can cook like that."

"Well, I'm just glad you liked it. I'm short on supplies right now, so I couldn't get fancy."

Asuka let out a giggle. "You know what Kaji told me? He said Misato once made soup that tasted like dishwater, with the best ingredients he could get for her. I don't think anything you could do would be as bad as that." She handed me the plate before walking back towards the hall. "I guess I pity that stupid Shinji a little bit, poor kid probably has to eat TV dinners like they're going outta style."

I chuckled at how right she was, though I do remember Misato saying that Shinji was actually quite a good cook, and didn't mind making stuff for the two of them, though I suppose if he wanted decent food cooked, that was his only option. I washed up the plate before walking back to my room to grab my wallet and car keys. From Asuka's room, I heard her humming a tune, with the soft sounds of a brush going through hair. I stopped in the hall, finding myself smiling.

My apartment felt different, even just in a single morning. It was a confusing feeling, but I didn't mind. It was warm. I think…

I think I might just be able to do this.

The school uniform seemed to be to her liking, or at least, she didn't complain about it. She just pulled her shoes on and picked up her bag. She eyed me getting my own shoes ready. "And just what are you doing?"

I screwed up my face at her. "Ah, well, I was going to drive you to school."

She gave me an equally screwed up look. "Do you not think I'm capable of getting there myself?"

"It's not that exactly. I was going to do a bit of grocery shopping today anyway, and figured I'd just… drop you off on the way." She scoffed.

"Fine, but you shouldn't feel like you need to look out for me like that all the time. I can do things just fine by myself." With that, she exited the apartment and stood expectantly on the outer walkway. Where did that come from? I slipped my own shoes on and followed her out, locking the door behind us. We took the elevator to street level and went into the lot, with me quickly unlocking my car's doors as we approached. She slowed to a stop, almost stumbling before letting out a chuckle. "That's your car? Did you win it from a box of cereal?"

Okay, I'll be the first to admit, it's not the prettiest car, but it does its job. "What's wrong with it, exactly?" I sat on the driver's side, she followed shortly after in the passenger seat.

"What's wrong? I'm worried this thing will break down before you even get out of the parking lot, let alone to school!" Such a funny look on her face as well. I start the car.

"Trust me, it works fine."

"You sure?"

"100%"

"Hmph, you have a lot of faith in a bucket of rust, that's for sure."

She turned to look out the window just as I gave her a look. Focusing on the task at hand, I reversed the car out of the lot and set off towards the school.

Asuka was silent, and I noticed she was wearing the same distant look she had during last night's taxi ride. Hesitating for a few minutes, I eventually managed to clear my throat.

"So, uh." She turned to look at me. "Did you… sleep well last night?"

"I guess. The mattress was a bit strange though. Also, I had heard the Japanese sleep on the floor, so I was surprised there was a bedframe at all."

"Ah, right. Well, my uncle used to work overseas, years ago, and he ended up enjoying the way the American's slept, so he filled his house with western-style frames and mattresses. I lived with him for a… couple years, and just got used to sleeping that way too, so I bought those style ones to fill my apartment rooms with." There was silence for a few seconds before she turned back towards the window. Guess I talked a bit too much there, why would she have cared about that explanation anyway?

"You didn't live with your parents for that whole time?" The question came out of the blue.

"...no, I didn't."

She stared at me for a second before making a soft noise and turning back towards the window. Did she pity me? She didn't know anything about me. The rest of the car ride was in silence, just as it had began.

We pulled into the lot at the front of the school and Asuka exited the vehicle. She turned on her heel after shutting the door, and I was expecting a thank you of some kind to be offered.

"I can walk home myself afterwards, so you can just focus on making a good supper for me instead!" She gave me a sly grin and took off towards the doors of the building. I let out a pretty heavy sigh when my window was suddenly tapped.

Shinji Ikari.

I lowered the window as the boy pulled his cassette player's earbuds down to his pocket. "Um, good morning Lieutenant. Did you... come here to drop Asuka off?"

"Yeah, that's right. I gotta head out to buy groceries, figured I'd give her a ride on the way. She almost turned me down too." I chuckled, and he made a soft laugh as well. I found Shinji to be quite easy to talk to. We were similar, in a way. Both reserved, quiet guys, now paired up with girls that had much… stronger personalities than we did.

"Well, Misato said to ask how things went last night, but I don't really know how to approach Asuka, so I'm kinda glad you showed up..."

"Oh, I get that. Last night was all good, we were both dead tired, so we just went on to bed early. This morning was pretty uneventful as well." Shinji gave me a relieved look.

"Ah, well, that's good." The school's bell began ringing out across the lot. "Oh, crap, uh, sorry Lieutenant, I'll see you later!" He took off in a rush towards the school before I could get my own goodbye in. I couldn't tell if Misato was actually worried about me and Asuka, or if she just wanted to know if the makings of a funny story were in last night's events, but if for the latter, I had to disappoint.

I did pray Asuka would settle in quickly, and so far, it seems like she has. She seemed like an adaptable girl, which made my job a bit easier. For now, anyway. I put the car in reverse and drove off towards the shopping district to clear off my grocery list.

"Maybe I'll make stew tonight…"

I had just started cutting carrots when the apartment door was thrown open. A fairly grim looking Asuka trudged through the opening, shutting the door behind her. She hung her bag over the back of one of the kitchen chairs, and stomped over to the newly filled fridge without a word. There was a tension in the air, but I waited until she was done draining the glass of water she poured up before asking anything.

The glass went into the sink. "So, how was sc-"

"It was fine." Her tone made it quite clear she wasn't interested in telling me about whatever had her agitated. She walked into the living room, plopping herself down on the couch, and began searching for the TV remote.

"The remote should be on the table." I called to her. A second later, I heard the channels being flicked through. Finishing up cutting the carrots, I tossed them into the roaster I had been slow cooking meat and potatoes in all day. I'm by no means a chef, but even my own mouth was watering at the smell of stew, though that may have just been because I hadn't eaten yet today. Moving on to chopping onions and celery, and then making a spice blend to stir into the broth, I placed the roaster back into the oven and set my knives into the sink, giving my hands a quick wash. I did enjoy cooking, I just hadn't really had time to do it before now in Tokyo-3. It certainly felt invigorating. It reminded me of when I'd cook for my sister, years ago...

Drying my hands, I walked into the living room. Asuka was no longer sitting on the couch. Curious, I walked down the hall, passing the empty bathroom. I came to a stop in front of her open room door.

Her school uniform was strewn across the floor with reckless abandon, and the girl lay across her bed in a tanktop and shorts, playing a handheld game system. The boxes in the room were still mostly untouched, but she seemed comfortable like that, so I ignored it. Thinking she didn't see me, I slowly began walking back into the hall.

"Hey, Lieutenant?"

I poked my head around the door frame. She was sitting up now.

"When's supper?"

"Another half hour, at the most."

She made a groan and fell back onto the bed, putting an arm over her face. "How dare you torture me with such a good smell for this long…"

I chuckled. "Hopefully it tastes as good as it smells." She sat up again.

"Well, you made plain old rice and peppers taste pretty darn good in my lunch today, so…" She trailed off while scratching her cheek. She said something under her breath as she turned back to focus on her video game.

I couldn't be certain, but it sounded to me like "Danke".

We ate supper in relative silence, but it was hardly an awkward one. The stew had turned out just that good, we both ate our fill and retired to the couch happily, the TV still playing some comedy channel Asuka had left it on earlier. We just relaxed there for a few minutes, I could almost feel myself drifting to sleep, but Asuka eventually sat forward.

"I don't think I've eaten that good in a long time." She leaned into a full stretch before standing up. "So, were we going to head out shopping? I know you went earlier, but there's a couple things I needed to pick up as well."

"Ah, right, you had mentioned that last night. I'll grab my coat."

She giggled. "Perfect!" While I started getting ready, she started reading out to me all the "necessities" she had written down that she didn't take with her from Germany. After the 20th item, I began worrying about how long the salary bonus would last.

As we stepped out into the crisp, evening air, with Asuka running ahead of me to the elevator, I looked out at Tokyo-3, or at least what meager view I got of it from the walkway. I breathed the fresh air deep into my lungs.

"Sich beeilen, Lieutenant! I'll leave you behind if you laze around!"

I started off towards the young girl crossing her arms in the elevator in front of me.

Today was surprisingly better than I thought it'd be.

I felt good.

Author Note: Well, there you have it. The kind of chapter I started writing this fic for. Just a simple day-to-day! Hope you all enjoyed!

With the next chapter, we'll be jumping into the next Angel fight, as Asuka and Shinji have to learn to work together in sync, and Matsuo starts to see bits and pieces of the real Asuka! Stay tuned!