Author's Note: Hello fellow Evangelion fans. This is my first fanfiction I've ever written. I hope you guys enjoy some Asushin WAFF. Thanks to my Sister for Betaing
It was early Sunday morning when Asuka got the call. She had just left her room when Shinji handed her the phone. Hikari said that her date was cancelling on her. The phone started to strain under the pressure, when Shinji pulled it from her hand.
"That bad, huh?" Shinji said with a little smile. Such a cute smile, Asuka thought. As soon as she processed that thought, she shook any thought of Shinji's cuteness from her head.
Asuka started pacing around the room, like a hunting animal, heading towards the kitchen.
"You could say that," Asuka clenched her hand tightly. "My date just cancelled at the last minute. Nobody cancels on Asuka Langley Soryu and gets away with it!" She said, determination flashing in her eyes.
"But I thought you were just going on the date as a favor to the class rep?"
"It was partially that," Asuka admitted, "But I was kinda looking forward to the date, since it has been so long since I was able to go to an amusement park."
"How are they? I've never been." mentioned Shinji offhandedly as he hung the wireless phone on the dock, and started walking back to the kitchen.
"You've never been to an amusement park?" Asuka said, shocked. She had heard Shinji talk about his life before EVA, briefly, but never realized how stifling it was.
She headed back into her room to get changed. She was going to wear a positively boring green dress to her date, but since she wasn't going on a date today, she could wear something more comfortable.
She put the green dress back in the closet and grabbed her yellow sundress. She also grabbed a pair of shorts to wear underneath the dress. She had learned her lesson on the Over the Rainbow, and wanted to give no more free peeks to perverts. Looking in the mirror satisfied, she grabbed the tickets from the nightstand and headed back into the kitchen. Shinji was peering in the refrigerator.
"Since you have nothing going on today, I would be glad to have a fellow pilot join me at the amusement park." Asuka said happily. She would get to show the sheltered boy new experiences, and for that she was glad.
"Well, actually" Shinji said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck, "I already have a-"
"Shh," said Asuka, covering her roommate's mouth with a finger. She deftly grabbed his wrist and started pulling him out of the door. "And remember, it's not a date. It's just two pilots having a fun day out."
"But, what about breakfast?" Shinji proclaimed, being dragged wrist first towards the elevators, the door to the apartment sealing behind them.
"We'll pick something up on the way there. Any more questions, idiot?" Asuka said snarkily.
Shinji wisely kept his mouth shut as the two pilots entered the elevator, the door closing behind them. He was just glad he hadn't left the stove on.
It took a 15 minute long bus ride, but eventually they reached the amusement park up in the mountains. The day was nice and clear, and the wind kept the constant summer heat at a reasonable temperature. It was a decent sized venue for a pop up, and it even had two rollercoasters and a Ferris wheel.
Asuka took Shinji's hand, and cheerfully headed from the bus to the gate of the park. She handed the two tickets to the employee, and they both entered the park.
When Shinji suddenly became dead weight behind her, she stopped and turned around, ready to hurry him up. He was turning in circles, like a buffoon. But what she saw stopped her in her tracks. His eyes had a sense of awe that she had never seen in them since they first met months ago. "This is the world I saved." Shinji whispered.
"Where did this come from, Shinji?"
Shinji turned to face her, "It was Misato. She showed me Tokyo-3 rising from the ground. But, this is the first time I've seen so many people, all together. These are the people I saved, and keep saving.'
She felt her heart soften at seeing a side of him he rarely showed. She felt honored that she was allowed to see it.
She waited a minute longer than she usually would before taking his hand and dragging him off towards the booths.
"Come on you sappy idiot, you can win me a prize, if you're capable of such a simple task."
"Wouldn't that make this a date?" Shinji pondered.
"O-of course not, stupid Shinji." Asuka stuttered. "But if it helps, you may think of this as a practice date."
"Why would I need to practice for a date?" Shinji said. "Toji said that-"
"Toji doesn't know what he's talking about. That stooge wouldn't know romance if it bit him in his buffoon butt." Asuka snapped back as they walked to the closest booth.
Shinji was handed some rings, and told to land them on the red or blue bottles in order to win a prize. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When they opened again, Asuka realized something. The look he had was a look she had seen before. She saw it when he was piloting EVA. The look of determination.
He picked up a ring, feeling its weight, and cocked his arm back. He focused, the determination growing, and threw the ring. It bounced and bounced on the bottles, barely settling on one of the red bottles.
'It turns out he was capable after all,' Asuka thought. She was so deep in thought that she didn't see Shinji getting closer until his hand was on her bare shoulder.
"Asuka, which prize do you want?" Shinji asked, softly shaking her. She looked at him in shock, locking gazes with his blue eyes. They were the color of storm, and seemed to pierce through all her insecurities about herself.
"Um, the bear!" she replied.
"You mean the big red one with 'True Love' across its belly and hearts all over?" asked Shinji, quizzically. Before she could change his mind, he walked back to the stand, and asked the game operator for the prize. They left, one bear richer.
"Ah, to be in love." said the woman before getting back to work. The faces of Asuka and Shinji became a bright red as they walked away, toward the rides.
The rest of the day was just as exciting for the pair of pilots. They went on one of the rollercoasters, and Asuka was sure glad she wore shorts. The tea cups had been nice, if slow. The bumper cars were fun. Asuka and Shinji just targeted each other, leaving the ride chuckling at each other. The Ferris wheel was a nice quiet ending to the day. As they waited at the top to be brought down, Shinji had fallen asleep on her shoulder.
As she looked at the boy laying on her shoulder, she was conflicted. She enjoyed both aspects of him. At home, he took care of her by feeding her and cleaning the apartment. In battle, he fought by her side. 'Why couldn't a little bit of that backbone come home with him, if that happened, I might just spend more time in his presence.' she thought.
Sure, she thought he was cute with his kind features, soft hair, and powerful blue eyes. And, today she saw that they could just have fun together and be themselves. They could shed their EVA pilot persona and just be two kids, having fun, on a dat-.
Shinji awoke, drool dripping from his mouth. He leapt from her, shouting "Sorry!" But before he could move all the way to the other side of the carriage, she grabbed him by the shoulder and held him in place.
"It's alright, Shinji," she said, eerily calm. "I trust you enough. And besides, it wasn't like it was on purpose. Right?" she said, staring him down intensely.
"R-right," said Shinji. "Just a little accident, nothing to be worried about."
"Good." Asuka smiled as the carriage landed on the ground.
The two pilots were standing at the entrance of the park, waiting for the bus.
It had been a good day for both of them. The sun was just above the horizon. But Asuka was not fully satisfied with this not-date.
She liked Shinji, she admitted to herself, holding the bear as proof. And there was just one more thing that would make today perfect in her eyes.
Asuka grabbed Shinji's hand, and she felt the warmth flow through her. She had been trying to find any excuse to grab his hand these last few weeks. Speeding him up on the way to and from school was one of her favorites.
Shinji looked at Asuka, confused. He had noticed that she had been grabbing his hand as of late, but always thought it was her method of speeding him up. But now, there was no reason to do so. The bus wasn't going to be here for three more minutes, and there was nowhere else to be. So why did she do it?
He glanced at Asuka, looking for answers. He saw her looking right back. "Shinji, do you want to kiss?" she asked. He almost missed her voice with the wind picking up around them.
"Huh?" Shinji said, not trusting his own ears.
"Kissing," she said. "Have you ever done it before?" she asked, hesitantly. She felt her heart beating out of her chest.
"No," said Shinji, equally quiet. "Why would I have done that?"
"Well, since this is a practice date," said Asuka, squeezing the bear tighter, "I thought this would be a perfect time to practice for the future."
"I guess, sure." Shinji said, standing up. He never broke Asuka's grip on his hand.
"The first lesson for kissing," said Asuka, more confident, "Is to hold the other person." She reluctantly let go of his hand and placed the bear on the ground.
She put one hand on his side and the other hand on the small of his back while Shinji's arms laid by his side.
"Shinji," she said looking at him, "Remember, I trust you. As long as you don't go for the goods, you can touch me."
Asuka felt his hands hesitantly slide around her back. Good, she thought, a little more confidence wouldn't kill him.
"Have you brushed your teeth?" Asked Asuka. "Good dental hygiene makes kissing so much more fun."
"Uh-huh." Shinji nodded. "But where did you learn so much about kissing?" Asked Shinji.
Books and movies, she thought. "Kaji, of course!" she said.
Shinji's face subtly shifted. Asuka knew that he was disappointed by the new information.
"We never kissed of course..." she said hastily. "It was just some tips he gave me." Shinji's face immediately lifted back up. Asuka readied herself. "Remember, make sure to have enough air. We don't need one of us passing out." she said offhandedly.
"Ready?" asked Asuka.
"I guess," muttered Shinji.
Their faces kept getting closer until their lips met. It was like fireworks going off, their saliva intermingling. The moment could have lasted forever, except for an unexpected blast of sound.
The sounds of a bus horn broke them from their stupor. It seemed that all of the waiting passengers had boarded already.
The only word she could say was "Wow." When she looked at Shinji, he could see him smiling softly, looking back at her.
"Don't let this go to your head, idiot." She said and smiling herself, socked his shoulder lightly.
"Are you two lovebirds coming?" asked the bus driver.
"Coming!" the kids yelled in unison, both blushing at the implication. Asuka picked up the bear, grabbed Shinji by the wrist and dragged him towards the bus.
As Shinji was being dragged away, all he could think of was the kiss, and what this not-date would mean for the both of them.