The sun was up. It had been up for a while, but I just laid in my bed and stared at the ceiling.

I didn't know what time it was, but Asuka's alarm hadn't gone off yet, so I was probably fine to just lie here for another while. Turns out, I was correct in yesterday's assumption. The back of my neck stung from a newly developed sunburn, and aside from that, my entire body was just worn out. I did go to bed a bit earlier than I was used to, so being awake right now didn't surprise me. Deep down however, I just wanted to go back to sleep. Maybe that's what I'll do after Asuka leaves, just try to relax a bit.

More time passed.

Her alarm should certainly have gone off by now. She… did remember to set it, I hope.

What happened next was startling. An alarm, but not the familiar ring of Asuka's. Instead, one that caused me to fall out of bed on my way to scramble into the hallway.

The smoke alarm.

There wasn't much smoke at all, but my heart nearly stopped seeing it slowly billowing into the den from the kitchen as I passed the bathroom.

I heard Asuka coughing. I turned the corner and…

Two pieces of burnt toast lay discarded in the sink, with the young girl who seemingly caused this scene staring at me with wide eyes, a deflated expression on her face, holding the currently smoking, unplugged toaster upside-down over the bin.

"L-Lieutenant. I…"

I walked over to the balcony and popped open the windows, then headed back into the kitchen to turn on the ceiling fan.

"You're okay?"

She nodded and laid the toaster on the counter, biting her lip for a moment before answering.

"It isn't fair, Lieutenant. Why did the stupid toast have to burn? I was just…" She trailed off. Now taking the time to survey the damage, it didn't seem too extensive. Actually, there didn't seem to be any at all. No fires, no burns, just two pieces of blackened toast. Looking to Asuka, she was all dressed in her school uniform, however her hair was looking a little unkempt, though assumedly it was, at one point, properly fixed; before this breakfast disaster occurred.

"...why were you making breakfast? I thought I was supposed to be your personal chef." What I thought was a decent harmless joke, with a chuckle following it, didn't prompt the reaction I had hoped for from Asuka. Instead, the expression she wore as she looked towards the floor was one of irritation, and for a second, I could've sworn her lip had been quivering.

"You don't get it, Lieutenant!" She barked, startling me.

"...what don't I get?" I spoke softly, trying not to upset her further, but she turned away, almost seeming reticent with her intentions.

"You wouldn't understand. It doesn't matter now anyway, so forget it." She spat her words and picked up her bag, heading towards the door to leave.

"Asuka…" I had a feeling I knew why she was doing this, so I didn't just want to let it lay. "Why do you think I wouldn't understand?"

She stopped at the door.

I continued. "You can tell me anything you want to, Asuka. It's not like I'm mad about some burnt toast or anything, if that's what you're worried about." She seemed to be debating it inside her head still, so I just gave her time.

Eventually, she spun towards me on her heel and took a deep breath.

"I… I just wanted you to be able to sleep in, okay? It's not a big deal or anything, really." She crossed her arms. "Don't overthink it, either! You know I don't like debts, so it was just going to be a... reward for taking me to the beach, that's all!" With that tinge of haughtiness in her voice, I couldn't stop myself from cracking another chuckle at her.

She glared at me.

"You know, most people would just say thank you." Her cheeks began glowing red as she grew a scowl. "Look, it's not your fault the toast burned, and you didn't get hurt, so how about you come sit down and I'll make you something, just like every morning."

Asuka clenched her jaw, begrudgingly walking over to her usual seat. "It's just… embarrassing."

"It's not that bad."

"It is!" She laid her cheek on her hand as I prepared her breakfast. "I had everything planned out, I got ready as quietly as I could, I was going to write you a note…"

"I don't mind doing this, Asuka."

She groaned. "I know, but that just makes me feel worse. I can do things just fine on my own too..." After a short pause, she grumbled the end of her sentence towards the wall. "...when the stupid broken toaster works like it should."

She continued to act bashful about the situation until she was ready to leave. I appreciated the sentiment, even if it didn't work out the way she intended, and so, once Asuka was out the door, I decided to retire myself to relax for an extra while this morning. I had to get in touch with Misato first, however, to see what all of her missed calls were about…

I'm sure that was going to end up being an earful.

"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU, DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS!?"

I winced as my ear was nearly shot off by Misato's admonishments. She was immediately loud enough to make me worry my cell phone's speaker was going to burst.

"W-Well…"

"WELL WHAT!? WHAT EXCUSE DO YOU HAVE, HUH? AND OHHH BOY IT BETTER BE A DAMN GOOD ONE!"

In all fairness, I did have this coming. As easy as it is to just say "oh I forgot my cell phone at home, my bad, oopsies", it doesn't change the fact that ensuring I can be contacted at all times is one of the most integral parts of my job. If an angel had appeared while we were out of town…

"...I don't have an excuse. It was my mistake. I'll take whatever punishments are necessary." Misato was quiet on the other end for a few minutes, likely mulling over how many laps I would have to do around the HQ to pay back for my incompetence.

However, all she did was sigh.

"It's fine, it's fine. No harm, no foul, and all that. I just rarely have the chance to really yell at my subordinates, so I was just being a bit selfish there. Sorry~."

"...Misato?"

"...yes?"

"I'm going to hang up now."

She began to get flustered. "H-Hey, you can't just say that to your commanding officer! Even if I was a bit cheeky! Besides, I actually have things to talk with you about, so don't hang up unless you REALLY want to run laps around the HQ as punishment!"

I can't believe she's had mind-reading powers this whole time. "What kind of things?"

"Well, for one, because of Rei's return to the team, and the finishing touches of Unit-00's repairs, Ritsuko wants Asuka to be at the HQ more often for synchro testing and combat training. At least three days a week, so we'll be figuring out the scheduling later on and let you both know. Ritsuko did say she wants at least one of those days allotted for all three pilots to take their tests and training together, so prep the princess for that, okay?"

"You say that like prepping her will do any good."

"Mmh, true. They still don't get along very well, do they? Asuka and Shinji, I mean. Though, she doesn't seem fond of Rei either..."

I sighed, since Misato was very correct. "Unfortunately, that still seems to be the case. I do have hopes that Asuka will come around once they all can work together for a while."

"It'll either get better or get worse, so we'll just have to deal with it when we see how it blossoms. Camaraderie will become increasingly important if the battles grow tougher."

"I'm aware." I knew the stakes. We've lucked out far too often. Even a single problem could bring down the entire operation, and if that happens...

Misato was quiet again. It felt a bit awkward, and that feeling grew when she spoke next.

"Hey, uh…" There was an odd amount of hesitation in her voice, not something I was used to hearing from her. "...the other thing I wanted to talk about. Are... you doing okay?"

Her tone change startled me for a moment. "Huh? Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"I guess I'm just not used to you being talkative like this? Besides…"

"...besides?"

She cleared her throat. "Look, if you ever need to have a break, I can look after Asuka for a while." I scratched the back of my head. Did Ritsuko say anything to her about the other day when I went to the HQ?

"That shouldn't be necessary. Surprisingly, Asuka has been quite a helpful presence." I inserted a laugh to try and lighten the mood a bit. "Actually, the reason I missed your calls yesterday was because Asuka was incessant on getting to the beach early. She didn't want to let her friends on that trip be the only ones with fun stories, you know? I ended up leaving my phone in my kitchen, sorry about that."

Silence on the other end. Dead silence. It lasted a strangely long time, so I spoke up again to see if the connection had been lost or something.

"...Misato? You still there?"

"...Y-Yeah. It's just… I'm floored. I didn't expect him to hit that nail on the head so hard, so soon."

My brow scrunched in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Ugh, Kaji. He told me just after you ran to find her that day at the diner: 'Asuka's going to end up dragging that guy around just like she did me, and who knows, that might be exactly what she needs right now'. She has you wrapped around her finger already!" Misato sighed while I chuckled sheepishly, knowing full well she was probably right. "Well, as long as she's happy, I know she won't have any trouble piloting the Eva. Out of the three of the children, I know I can count on Asuka to be ready to go at the drop of a hat!"

I nodded, even if she couldn't see. "Yeah, I understand. I think we're getting along well enough."

"Well, I'd imagine so. Sneaking off to the beach like that, without even asking me and Shinji? I'd expect that from her, but you too? How cruel, Matsuo." She gave a hearty laugh afterwards.

Jokes aside, she was right, we did sorta… run off. It really was my fault too, but not much I can do about that now, other than be grateful that I wasn't actually in trouble for my mistakes. Misato was a good woman. Flighty, but deep down I could tell she cared.

Eventually, we said our goodbyes, and I hung up the phone. I made a note to tell Asuka about the new scheduling and sat myself down on the couch, to get to the relaxing I had promised myself I would do. After flicking through the TV channels a bit, I could feel my eyelids start to get heavy, and shortly afterwards, I was able to fall off into a welcoming nap with the TV softly playing.

I slept for longer than I had meant to.

The soft whirring of the ceiling fan and low voices from the TV were the first things I noticed upon opening my eyes, reminding me I had left both on before drifting off. The next being the developing orange glow coming through the windows, which told me it must be getting pretty late in the evening. Had I really laid on the couch for the whole day?

As I sat up, my body felt sore in another way now. The soreness of having my head propped up against the armrest of the couch for the last… 9 hours? Yeah, that seemed to be correct, taking a look at the clock. I felt extremely out of it, with a weak headache present as well. I got up and walked to the sink, filling myself a glass of water and downing it.

The apartment felt particularly lonely right now, so it was immediately obvious that Asuka had not come home yet.

In fact, the air in the apartment was almost alien to me right now. Is that how much I've changed in such a short while? Was this really the feeling I had grown so accustomed to for the last 15 years? It was frigid, almost haunting. Maybe I was just being dramatic, but the clearest truth was that Asuka's presence was what really made this apartment feel like home, even more so now that I've started to come around to reality.

She should've been home from school at this point, but I'm sure she was fine. Goofing off somewhere, surely. Asuka could handle herself, that much I was certain of. I used this time to have a shower and start trying to prepare something for supper.

Part of me just wanted to order takeout, but I had some vegetables in the fridge that were soon going to start going bad, so I tossed them in some vinegar and spices to have as a side with seasoned chicken I put in the oven. The kitchen was quickly filled with the potent smells of cooking food, making my own mouth water. I hadn't even had breakfast at this point, so I was ready to eat as soon as possible.

That's when the door opened behind me.

"Oh, something smells amazing!" That wasn't Asuka's voice.

Looking over my shoulder to the speaker, I did see Asuka, sipping on a large drink from some fast food place, a small plastic bag in her other hand, along with her school bag. Next to her though, stood the familiar Hikari Horaki, Asuka's friend and classmate, surveying our abode.

"Hey, Lieutenant, sorry I'm late. I brought Hikari here to hang out for a bit, hope that's okay."

I chuckled cheerfully as I continued prepping the side dishes. "I don't mind, supper will still be a little while yet, so feel free to make yourself at home." Hikari bowed and removed her shoes. She was quite a different sort than Asuka, seemingly being the studious and reserved side to Asuka's more excitable personality. Though, with how little Asuka talked about her school life, it was hard for me to even gauge whether or not she acted the same as I was used to there. As the two girls began to move into the den, I spoke up again. "You're welcome to stay for supper if you want, Hikari."

Asuka looked to her friend, who put up her hands. "Ah, no, that's okay. I don't want to be a bother or anything."

"You sure? The Lieutenant is a really good cook."

Hikari, with the smells of the cooking food surrounding her, along with Asuka's prodding, eventually gave in. The pair admitted to how hungry they were; though they had stopped by a restaurant on the way, they only got drinks for the trek. The two sat on the couch, conversing as I put the finishing touches on the humble meal.

"Isn't it strange to just be living here with a man like this?" Hikari inquired, hushedly, although it was quite easy to hear her.

Asuka scoffed, not picking up on Hikari's whispering (or ignoring it purposefully). "It doesn't bother me at all. The Lieutenant can cook, he cleans, he does laundry. The perfect housewife!" She cackled as Hikari gave a pity laugh, likely directed at me. "Besides, I was staying with Kaji before during my training, so I'm used to this kind of situation."

I winced at Asuka's description of me. I couldn't really argue the depiction though, that's just how things were right now.

As the food was placed on the table, the girls moved their conversation to the kitchen, taking seats across from each other at the table. The atmosphere had become considerably more enjoyable, compared to the lonely air of a couple hours ago. I smiled softly, taking in their recounting of their respective trips.

"Have you been to New Atami Beach?" Asuka asked, inquisitively.

Her friend stopped the fork that was being lifted to her mouth. "Ah, no, I haven't yet. My elder sister keeps wanting to make plans for my family to go, but she has enough trouble getting time off from her job as is, sadly."

"O-Oh, I see." Asuka, shuffled some food around on her plate. "Well, when you get the chance, you have to try the ice cream there! It's amazing! So many flavors!" Hikari smiled at the redhead's enthusiasm.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." It seems Hikari had her own things she was dealing with.

I decided to inquire. "What does your sister do?"

"She works at the train station, so she's almost always busy." She takes the bite of food she had intended to before Asuka's question, speaking again when it's swallowed. "Which leaves me in charge of the house pretty often. I guess my job really isn't too different from yours, Lieutenant." She said with a chuckle.

We all laughed lightheartedly, and continued to enjoy the meal and conversation, with Hikari expressing her annoyances with Toji and Kensuke's shenanigans during the trip, along with the foods, the sights, the weather. She recounted it all with vivid description, until the sky outside began to grow dark.

Hikari didn't actually live too far away, so after we all cleaned up the dishes together, she said her goodbyes and thanked me for the meal. Ensuring us that walking home wasn't a problem, even after I offered to drive her, she promptly left. It really was nice that Asuka had made such a responsible and well-mannered friend. I silently hoped to myself that she would continue to look out for Asuka at school, and thus went back to cleaning up the kitchen.

Shortly afterwards, I sat myself on the couch next to my housemate, who was becoming quite engrossed in watching a game show. Just as it was about to give the answer to a particular puzzle, it cut to commercials. Asuka groaned, then suddenly realized she had something to show me.

"Oh hey, before I forget, Hikari brought me back a souvenir, you know?" Reaching into her pocket, Asuka produced a small clay figurine. It was an interesting looking lion-esque creature, suspended from a white chain, boasting a warm smile, and holding a ball. "She said it's a shisa, it's like an Okinawan guardian deity, or something. This charm is supposed to protect from evil spirits. I think it looks silly, but it's also kinda cute, in a creepy sorta way, don't you think?" The figurine twisted softly on the chain held out in front of her, Asuka staring at it with a smile growing faintly across her lips.

"It's got a cuteness to it, certainly."

"Right? If I were the superstitious type, I'd have it stuck inside my entry plug for while I'm fighting Angels to give me an edge." Giving the charm one final, thoughtful glance before returning it to her pocket, she continued that thought with a smirk. "Not that I need the help or anything, of course, just to be clear. I'm gonna kill all of the Angels to make sure I can go on next year's school trip with everyone! No more getting bailed out by wimpy Shinji. You can hold me to that, Lieutenant!"

"I'm sure you can do it, Asuka." As she beamed, suddenly, I remembered the message I had to relay to her. "That reminds me, speaking of fighting Angels. I was talking to Misato earlier, and starting pretty soon, we'll have to head into the HQ more often for training."

Asuka tilted her head. "Oh? Why's that?"

"Well, with Rei rejoining active deployment, I'd say there'll be more team-based drills for you all to run together." She groaned even louder this time.

"Wonderful, just what I need." The sarcasm in her voice was nearly palpable. I just smiled awkwardly and continued.

"Not only that, but with the last few Angel fights, we were caught off guard too often for our liking. We can't just rely on luck, so more training is necessary regardless. I'm sure you understand."

She took a few seconds before answering. "Yeah, yeah, I know. If it'll help, I'll take as much solo training as I need to help me leave the two of them in the dust." She folded her arms and looked towards the TV, which had come back from the break. Acting a bit pensive afterwards, Asuka spoke once more when some time had passed, her mind leaving the questions on the show behind. "So… what else did you and Misato talk about?"

I scratched my chin, not really wanting to mention Misato's acknowledgment of my strange behavior from a few weeks ago. "Nothing too important." That was the response I landed on. The look she gave me conveyed that she didn't fully believe that was the case, but didn't push the subject. I quickly followed it up to put it aside. "Funnily enough, after I got off the phone with her, I ended up sleeping most of the day away."

"...that doesn't sound like something you'd do."

I shook my head. "Normally it wouldn't be, but I tried to honor your intentions from this morning and-"

She groaned yet again, interrupting me. "Ugh, I wanted you to just forget about that, Lieutenant! Geez!" After we talked about some other random things, biding time for the game show to conclude, we both decided to turn in for the night.

Even though I had slept for that long earlier, I could feel myself drifting off again quite easily. A quite welcome experience all the same. Before I fell asleep, my mind swirled around a couple intriguing questions. What was Asuka's school life really like? How would the team training go? When would the next Angel appear? Would this extra training really be enough to make a difference?

The answers to those questions awaited me in the future, I was sure.

With that, I fell into sleep's embrace, unaware that just a few days later, some of those questions would be answered, and one in particular, would make it's answer known to the whole of Tokyo-3, far quicker than I had anticipated.

Author's Note: Updates have been slow lately, I apologize. These last two chapters have been a particularly hefty speed bump for me, it seems. Hopefully I can get back on track with the next one! Thank you all for continuing to check the fic out!

This chapter involved a hint of what Asuka's and Matsuo's home life will be like going forward. It has been funny to see Asuka developing a slightly more straight-forward tsundere attitude sometimes (considering I usually have liked her portrayals that don't go that route), but with Matsuo being a more personal caretaker for Asuka than Misato was in the original series, along with her current annoyances with Kaji and Misato's relationship, I think it would make sense for her to adopt that way of feeling towards him more often as of right now.

Her development going into the future will be an interesting one, I can assure you, so stay tuned!