Misato apartment
The first thing Asuka saw, when she opened her eyes, was her room ceiling. She was used to the sight, yet this time it felt a bit different. She felt that she was sweating during the night. It wasn't a hot night, so it was a little odd. She looked aside, to see something, or rather someone laying next to her.
'What the hell?!'
She sat down on her bed. When she removed part of the quilt, she saw a boy lying next to her. Back of his head resembled Shinji. Why? She was unable to recall what has happened last night. Last thing she remembered, was getting to her bed.
'Why is he here? Did he sneak up?'
Looking down, she noticed red spots on the quilt. She stretched out her hand to touch the spots, when she saw similar stain of her right hand. After examining her hand, she had only one thought, 'Blood?' She looked back at the boy, and froze. Her heart skipped a beat.
'No, No, No!'
She grabbed his shoulder and pulled it. He was now lying on his back. Immediately, she saw bruises on his face, and dried blood. There was also some dried blood on the quilt. She leaned over him, trying to check if he's still breathing. A cold shiver ran through her, and than, a big relief. He was breathing.
'What the hell happened here?'
She looked down at her shirt. There was only a small red spot on it. She also checked her panties. They were in their place, clean. That would mean, nothing happened probably. She started to shake his shoulder.
"Wake up Shinji"
It worked, he did wake up. When he opened his eyes, he started coughing. He looked around, trying to comprehend where he is. After a second, he remembered.
"Why are you in my room? Where is this blood from?"
Shinji sat on her bed and rubbed his face.
"Morning Asuka"
"Just like that?", he looked at her, "Did you?", her voice was trembling,"Did you try to rape me last night?"
"What?! No, of course not!"
"Why you're here? What's with the blood? It's better be a good damn story!"
"I was having trouble sleeping"
"So you decided to barge in?"
"No! Asuka, please let me finish without interrupting"
"Start making sense". She crossed her hands.
"I heard a noise and something in, I think, German. I thought that you were watching TV. I left my room but the lights were off"
"What noise?"
"Some dull sound. Like hitting the wall with wooden stick"
She looked puzzled at him. She didn't watch anything in her room.
"I knocked on your door couple of times. You didn't answer. When I heard a scream, I've opened the door. I'm sorry, I know you forbid me from entering your room, but I had to check. There I saw you, squirming on the bed, mumbling something I didn't understand"
"And the blood?"
"I approach you bed and tried to wake you. I was shaking your shoulder, but it didn't work. Then you moved and hit me with your hand"
"All this blood came from a single hit?"
"No, no. You hit me few times more when I was trying to wake you. Two of them landed on my nose, hence the blood"
After looking at his face, she thought this might be true. Blood on his face came clearly from the nose, and not from the other bruises. She looked at her hands. There was blood only on one of them.
"And how did you end up lying in bed with me?"
"When I failed to wake you, I've tried to block your hands from hitting me again"
"How exactly?"
He looked down. "I've hugged you"
She rose from her bed. Her eyes widened and her voice became firm.
"You groped me in my sleep?!"
"No! I swear! I can show you what I did"
Shinji rose from the bed and made a step towards Asuka. He rose both of his hands. She made a step back.
"What are you trying to do pervert?!"
When he saw her, it came to him. He sat back on the bed, hoping it would calm her down. After taking a deep breath, he said "I'm sorry Asuka. I didn't do anything perverted. I've just blocked your hands"
She was still standing, looking at Shinji. He seemed to be telling the truth. It would be stupid to grope her in her sleep and get caught right away. She decided to, at least, listen to the end of his story.
"What happened next?"
"You stopped moving and calmed down. You started to mumble something very quietly"
"What did I say?"
"I'm not sure. One word was mama", he saw her annoyance, "the other was pupe? You kept saying that"
"Puppe?"
"I think so"
'Doll'
He saw strange look on her face.
"Does it mean anything?"
She shook her head.
"Did you hear anything else?"
"I think something sounding like nishitu"
Asuka started thinking of a word that sound similar.
"Was it, nicht?"
"Maybe"
'Not'
"Got anything else?"
"Umm. Only one more", he tried hard to remember, "ishi"
"Ich?"
'Me'
"Yes! There was something more but I didn't get it"
Her eyes widened, those words made sense. She had a memory that fit that.
'That's a doll mama. It's not me, I'm not a doll'
It was unlikely that Shinji came up with those words. Even if he had planned this ahead, how would he find something like this in the dictionary? He didn't know her past. That must've been her nightmare. Last time she had it, it was more than a year ago. Squirming, screaming and sweating? That fit perfectly to her nightmare. This time however, she didn't wake up. She completely didn't remember having that nightmare. Was his presence able to surpass her bad dream?
"Asuka?"
"You said I've calmed down, right?"
The boy nodded.
"Then, why didn't you leave my room?"
"Umm, I've tried. When I've let you go, you wrapped your arms around me. I've fell onto the bed. I wanted to leave when you would loosen your grip. I guess, I've fell asleep"
Still sitting on the bed, he was nervous. Like someone on a trial, waiting for a sentence. He looked at her, she had a pensive look on her face. The silence was becoming uncomfortable, he called her.
"Asuka?"
She turned to face the boy.
"I believe you"
That was huge relief for him. He feared that it would be his judgment day.
"Can you tell me what it was?"
"No!"
He yelped at her voice. She saw that and sighed.
"Let's get to the bathroom", she pointed at his face, "I'll clean that up"
He rose from her bed.
"Shinji?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks, and I'm sorry for yesterday"
"Asuka, I-I'm not mad for yesterday, but please don't mention it"
A loud yawn could be heard in the room. Misato stretched her hands.
'Those two gonna finish me'
She left her room. When she was passing Asuka's room, she saw Asuka taking off her bed sheets.
"Morning Asuka"
Just after she passed Asuka's room, a thought hit her.
'Was that blood?'
She went back and leaned on the door frame. She was studying her roommate with a sly grin on her face. Asuka noticed Misato in the door.
"What's up?"
"I see you couldn't wait till morning with the apology eh?"
Asuka turned to face Misato, not sure what she'd meant. After seeing Misato face, she looked back at the sheets in her hand. Then she looked back at her guardian. Misato had a wide smile on her face. That caused Asuka to blush.
"It's not what you think!"
Misato chuckled.
"No? Let's confront the main suspect then"
"What?"
Misato turned her head and shouted, "Shinji?"
He heard his voice coming from his room.
"Yes Misato?"
"Were you in Asuka's room last night?"
"Umm, yes"
"Come here please"
"In a minute"
She turned to face the girl. Asuka hide her face in her hands in embarrassment.
"I hope you two used protection"
"We didn't ha…"
"How reckless of you!"
"I mean, we didn't have sex!"
Door to Shinji room slid open. He started talking before existing his room.
"I'm sorry Misato. Did the noise and screaming wake you?"
"Oh? She likes it rough eh?"
That was too much for Asuka. She sat on her bed, her face crimson red.
"Shut up baka!"
When Shinji was almost next to Misato, she turned to face him.
"She said you didn't us…", she saw bruises on his face, "oh my, what happened to your face?"
"Umm, last night Asuka was…" he was cut of by Misato placing her hand on his shoulder.
"You shouldn't always agree to what she wants Shinji"
"It's ok Misato"
"No, you should…" now she was cut off.
"I would do the same for you Misato" he said with his innocence voice. This time it was Misato turn to blush.
"Baka!"
He looked at crimson red Asuka. He gave her a confused look.
"She saw blood on the sheets and assumed we had sex! And you saying all the things I…"
It was hard for Asuka to control her embarrassment. Realizing how it sounded, Shinji started to blush and tried to explain himself.
"Misato! We didn't. I…"
"Figured as much, when you offered to do the same for me"
Blushing furiously, he was speechless. Misato leaned over him, looking at her watch, she said "I didn't know you think me that way. We have plenty of time. Asuka will make breakfast, and in the meantime, we could have some fun. Just you and me, in my room. I won't hit you like she did. What do you think?"
Before he could answer, Asuka jumped from her bed and pulled Shinji to her room. She stood between Misato and the boy.
'Want him just for yourself, eh?'
"What do you think your doing?! You child molester!"
Misato laughed.
"He was the first to suggest", she winked, "but seriously, I need some answers. Both of you, sit down please"
"That blood is from your face Shinji?"
He nodded.
"What happened?"
"I've heard a noise and a scream coming from Asuka's room so I've entered. She was having a bad dream and I've tried to wake her. She hit me in her sleep"
"Is that what happened Asuka?"
"I don't remember. He said few words I've said in my sleep, and it makes sense"
Misato looked at Asuka, she looked distressed. She remember reading a report, probably made by Kaji, mentioning Asuka's nightmare.
"Was it the usual one?"
"I think so", Asuka whispered. Misato saw that she doesn't want to talk about it.
'Maybe she had this dream, when she heard that Shinji mother is dead?'
"If you want to talk later, I'm all ears. But now, let's eat breakfast before we go. You can clean this up later"
NERV
Both Asuka and Shinji were going to the changing rooms. They've encountered Kaori on the way. From the distance, they could see that she was holding Shinji's plugsuit. When she saw them, she greeted them.
"Good morning"
When they approached her, she saw Shinji bruises. She jumped to the boy and touched his cheek.
"Did you get into a fight?" she said with a caring voice. Asuka felt disgust at the sight. Without saying a word, she passed them, knocking Kaori shoulder.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to"
Kaori turned and saw Asuka's back. She smiled.
'So major was right'
"It's nothing, really"
"I have your old plugsuit. The one from the volcano. We removed the damaged hand parts. That way it won't pressure on your hands. Doctors say, you shouldn't worry about LCL"
"Pilots are in the plugs ma'am"
"Good, everybody ready?"
Crew from the bridge declared their readiness.
"Begin the test"
As always, screens started to be flooded with data. If not for technicians, Misato wouldn't be able to decipher any of it.
"Rei and Asuka are connected with theirs Eva"
"And Shinji?"
"Not sure what's going on. There is some issue with the connection"
Ritsuko rose from her seat.
"Technical issue?"
"I'm not sure"
"Are you getting any errors?"
"No ma'am, it looks like it just takes longer to initiate"
"Can you hear me Shinji?"
"Yes Misato"
"Do you feel any different?"
"My head hurts a little", said Shinji from the plug.
"Any suggestions?"
Misato looked at the screen showing Shinji's plug. She could've see that his face was twitching.
"What are Shinji vitals showing?"
Maya was trying to understand what was going on, but it didn't make any sense to her.
"His heart rate is going up. He's still not connected to the Eva"
"Run full diagnostic Maya"
"Yes doctor"
They tried to determine why he can't establish nerve connection to the unit. Data they had, made no sense.
"Berserk?"
"Negative, still no connection to the unit"
"You sure there's no errors?"
"That's the problem. I don't see any abnormalities. He just can't connect for some reason. His nerve link doesn't go past the barrier"
"Can you hear me Shinji?" said Misato through the intercom.
"Yes"
"How are you feeling now?"
"My head hurts even more now, like someone's putting two needles in the back of my head"
Misato turned to Ritsuko.
"Does this make any sense?"
"It's the first time I see something like this" responded the blonde scientist.
"Aghrrr", there was a screen coming from Unit-01 entry plug.
Misato looked anxiously at the screen. Shinji started to have seizures.
"What's happening to Shinji?"
"Heart rate over 140!"
"What?!"
"Heart rate over 150!"
"160!"
"170!"
"Abort Unit-01 test! Eject the pilot!"
"180!"
Before they ejected the plug, they witnessed a terrifying sight. Shinji started to scream. He was hitting side of his plug with his hands.
"Let me out! It burns! Let me out! Aghhrrrr"
"Send the medical team, now!"
Shinji entry plug was launched into the air. When it landed, it started to dump LCL that was inside. Kaori was first to reach the room. She saw Shinji falling from the entry plug.
"Shinji!"
She moved next to him. He was unable to hear her. Pain was overwhelming. She grabbed his face with her hands. All he saw was some blurred image. His face looked like he was absent. After a second, he started to puke, before passing out. Kaori changed her position, moving Shinji, making sure the boy will not suffocate.
"What about Rei and Asuka?" asked Misato.
"Normal, no anomalies. They are connected to theirs units and we have their sync ratio"
"Don't tell them Maya. Proceed as normal"
"Yes ma'am"
"Ritsuko, you're with me"
They left the room.
"How am I doing?"
"It's looking good Asuka"
'Why did Maya answer and not Misato?'
Shinji was sitting in the infirmary on a bed, still in his plugsuit. Misato looked at him, he was conscious but still absent. Doctors gave him strong sedatives. She wasn't sure if he could speak right now.
"What happened doctor?"
"I'm not sure. It looks like he had a panic attack"
"Like PTSD?"
"I don't think so. It seemed more like, something he actually felt. Marks on his body suggest that"
"What do you mean?"
"Look closely. It looks like he has some burn marks, a little faint, but it looks fresh"
Now that doctor pointed it out, she noticed those marks. Ritsuko checked data on her tabled.
"Test logs I have, doesn't show any high temperature anywhere near Shinji. There's no point for me being here, I'll go check the unit"
"I'll call you later"
Ritsuko nodded and left the room.
"Can you hear me Shinji?"
There was no response from the boy, he was gazing in front of him. Misato crouched in front of him and held his hands.
"I'm sorry major, I'd to give him very strong sedatives. They are strong but don't last long, about two hours. He might not respond at all, or he can be delirious"
"Can you hear me Shinji?"
He looked up, though he didn't see Misato. His vision was blurred, replaced by his memories. Memories he didn't cherish. Memories, when his father abandoned him. There were tears staring to form in the corner of his eyes.
"Don't leave me here"
"Shh, I'm here Shinji"
"I want to go home, don't leave me here, please"
"I won't leave you here"
"He's delusional, he doesn't know what's happening" said doctor Tanuma.
He was repeating the same sentence. Misato put his head to her chest and hugged him. After a while, when he stopped mumbling, she decided to lay him on the bed.
"How is he doctor?"
"Mentally? We need for medication to wear off. Physically, he burst some of the blisters on his palms during the fall. Other than that, he looks alright. Since we don't have a contact with him, I'll tend to his hands"
"Please do doctor"
"The test is finished. You can exit your plugs in a second" announced Maya.
"Finally, how did I do?"
"You did good, you're still number one Asuka"
"Of course, had any doubts?"
Asuka left her entry plug and headed to the locker rooms. Rei joined her along the way. She looked around, but to her surprise there was no sight of Shinji. When they entered the corridor joining paths to all units, Rei was first to speak.
"Lieutenant Ibuki was conducting the test, not major or doctor Akagi. Now, there are a lot more people here"
Asuka looked at Rei, she was right. There was some commotion. There were technicians going back and forth. This really was unusual. Asuka saw Kaori. What got her interest was that, she was holding Shinji clothes.
"What's with the commotion? Why are you holding Shinji clothes?"
When she saw Kaori face, she knew that something isn't right.
"What happened?"
"Not sure, they say he had a panic attack"
"What? Where is he?"
"In the infirmary"
Before Kaori could add anything, Asuka ran off to see Shinji.
"Do you know who I am?"
Now more conscious, Shinji was sitting on the bed. He looked around the room, his gaze still a bit absent.
"You're doctor Tanuma"
"How do you feel?"
"Dizzy"
Doctor Tanuma checked Shinji reactions using his flashlight.
"He doesn't appear to have a concussion"
"Can you tell us what happened?"
"I...don't know"
"Do you remember what happened?"
"Yes. I was in the plug. I started to feel pain in the back of my head"
"You said, it felt like someone is putting needles in the back of your head" Ritsuko said.
He nodded.
"After that, it started to get warm, really worm. Like someone was pouring boiling water on me. No. Not boiling water, hotter than that. My hands, I…"
"Don't force yourself Shinji"
"Yes Misato"
"Does it make any sense Rits?"
"I think it does, but I'll need to double check. It might be a technical issue"
Asuka turned corner. She could hear couple of voices coming from the opened room. She was thinking if she should barge in. She wanted to see Shinji badly, yet her pride made it hard. Standing there for a good minute, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"He's alright"
It was Kaji voice. It felt like he could read her mind.
"I was just passing by"
"So was I"
She didn't see it, but she could feel his smile.
"What happened?"
"They don't know yet, they are trying to determine that right now. Go get changed. There are too many people inside right now anyway"
She stood there for a moment before replying.
"Thank you"
Asuka walked away and Kaji leaned on the wall, next to the room.
"Do you feel any pain right now?"
"No, but my hands"
Shinji looked down at his hands. Previously, his hands were just bandaged, now there was something underneath. It made it difficult for him, to use his hands. He could barely connect his fingertips.
"I'm sorry Shinji. You broke some of the blisters on your palms. This will ease the pain and absorb all the liquids. I'll remove it tomorrow, but for the moment, you have to bear with it"
"Thank you doctor Tanuma"
Don't leave me here. Even if that was medication, Misato didn't want to leave Shinji in NERV tonight.
"When can he leave doctor?"
"I'm done here. I don't see why he would have to stay here"
"I'm done as well. It will be a long day", Ritsuko sighed, "and maybe night"
People in the room started to leave, leaving Misato alone with Shinji. Not for long, Kaori joined them. She brought Shinji clothes with her.
"I have your stuff Shinji. How are you feeling?"
"Better, still a bit dizzy though"
She put his clothes next to him. He looked at his hands.
"I think, I can put my clothes on, but this plugsuit, it will be difficult to take off with my hands like this"
"Should I call a nurse?"
Before he could answer, Misato looked at Kaori. She already saw him naked, why not ask her?
"Or maybe Kaori here can help? If you don't mind"
"Me?"
He looked at the girl. It would be the first time he would know, who took his clothes off. On his other visits to the infirmary, he was unconscious.
"I-I don't mind"
"Good, I'll leave you guys"
Just before she left the room, she turned to face them. She wouldn't be herself, if she didn't try to tease them.
"Or, maybe I should stay and watch over you?" she winked them.
"Misato!"
Expected reaction from Shinji. Kaori on the other hand, was not impressed by Misato's teasing.
"You want to join, major? Or are you ok to watch?"
The look on Misato's face suggested she made a mistake.
"Umm, I'm sorry ma'am. That was inappropriate"
"Help him get changed, nothing more"
"Yes ma'am"
"Lock the door so no-one will walk in on you"
After taking her shower, Asuka put on her clothes. She did all that in a hurry, wanting to go back to the infirmary. When she left the locker room, she rushed to see Shinji. She stopped just few steps from the door, trying to catch her breath. She pulled the handle of the door to find it's locked.
'Did they already leave?'
If they did, they would wait for her nearby Misato's car, as always. She walked away from the the door. When she turned corner, she heard door opening. She looked around the corner to check who is it. It was Kaori, leaving the room where Shinji was before.
'Why would she lock herself in that room?'
Kaori didn't notice Asuka, she turned the other way and walked. After a short while, she saw Shinji leaving the same room.
After Shinji closed the door, he thought he heard some footsteps. He passed the corner, but didn't see anyone.
'That must be medication still working'
He left to meet with his guardian. When he finally arrived at the parking lot, he saw Misato talking with Kaji. When he approached them, Misato said that they will drive alone.
"Where's Asuka?"
"She said, she wanted to breathe some fresh air" answered Kaji.
Misato's apartment
Shinji was looking through the window of Misato apartment. It was getting dark. It was almost three hours since they arrived, yet Asuka was still not home. Normally, it takes less than an hour of walking to get to Misato apartment. He messaged her, but didn't get any response. He tried to call her.
"Number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable" was what he kept hearing.
He was getting worried. She always seemed strong, although last night events have put a crack on that image. It was bugging him, what nightmare caused Asuka to tremble like that. When he saw drops of rain, he decided to go look for her.
"Misato, I'm going to look for Asuka"
"It's not that late. If you're worried, I can call section two"
"I'll look for her"
He was looking for an umbrella. The boy looked worried in her eyes.
"Ok Shinji. If you don't find her in half an hour, call me please"
"Yes Misato"
She noticed how difficult it was for him, to unwrap the umbrella so she helped him.
"Are you sure Shinji?"
"Yes"
"Call me if anything happens ok?"
He nodded and left the apartment.
Tokyo
'Four days. It took her four fucking days'
She suspected they were close. When she found out he has Kaori's number, she got irritated. Now it was different, they locked themselves in a room, alone. Did she lose for good? No, she always fought, it wasn't the time to give up. The problem was, she didn't know how. She was sure of one thing, yelling at Shinji wouldn't be wise.
First his thought was, to look for her on the route from the NERV. After walking almost half an hour, he reach a park. It was time to call Misato. Just when he was about to call her, he saw Asuka sitting on a bench. He run towards her. She turned to face him. There were trees next to the bench, that had their branches stretched above it. It blocked some of the rain, although not all of it. He run up to her. Standing next to her, he covered her with an umbrella.
"Are you alright Asuka?" he said, trying to catch his breath. She looked sad.
"Why are you here?"
"I was worried about you! You were out for almost three hours and it started to rain"
"Why?"
She looked sad in his eyes. He thought of a way to comfort her.
"Well, when there are black clouds like those, it often rains" he gave her a faint smile.
Was he trying to comfort her by trying to be funny, or was he avoiding answering?
"I mean, why did you look for me"
"I was worried that something happened to you"
"I'm the invincible Asuka, I can take care of myself"
To her surprise, he sat next to her.
"That bench is wet"
"I'm a baka, remember?"
She let a quiet chuckle. His plan to cheer her up worked, it made him happy.
"Why didn't you come home Asuka? I've tried to call you"
"My battery is dead. I needed some time to think"
"Let's get home. You're wet, you can catch a cold"
She liked how he tried to comfort her, he sounded genuine.
"Ok, but give me that umbrella, you can barely hold it"
He looked at his hands. It was silly how he grabbed that umbrella. He had to use his both hands and it was still wobbly. She took the umbrella and they stood up. They started to walk.
"Can you tell me what happened during sync test?"
"I'm not sure. My head started to hurt. After a while, I felt like someone was pouring boiling water over me. They say, I haven't connected to the Eva. They're not sure what it was"
"Was it, like in the volcano?", she seemed worried.
"Now that you mention it, yes, but like on a extreme level. Compared to this, volcano was just warm"
Misato's apartment
First thing they saw after entering the apartment, was Misato with her hands crossed. She examined Asuka's wet clothes clothes.
"What the hell were you thinking?!"
Asuka didn't have the change to answer, Shinji stood between them.
"Don't yell at her Misato"
"Step out of it Shinji"
"No"
That surprised both Asuka and Misato. Shy Shinji, whom she called a wimp on more than one occasion, was standing in front of her, protecting her from Misato. He never stood up for himself, so why did he stand up for her? It felt nice, but she feared that he can get into trouble.
"It's not her fault it started to rain"
"It's ok Shinji", he turn around and looked at her, "don't get into trouble for me"
That surprised Misato even more. Her anger diminished. She wasn't sure how to deal with Asuka right now. Seeing how Shinji stood up for her, it could end up with, her arguing with both of them.
"Go to the bathroom and dry yourself"
Asuka went to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She left some water spots on the floor. Shinji took paper towel roll and moved to the door.
"Please don't be mad at her"
"Do you get anything from this?"
"Umm, she helps me with my hands"
'So the answer is no'
He flushed a little.
"And I like how she smiles"
Misato grabbed her beer and sat in front of the TV. Door to the bathroom opened, revealing Asuka wrapped in a towel. When she exited the bathroom, she saw Shinji on his knees, wiping water marks she had left on the floor. It felt stupid that she didn't notice them before.
"Leave them Shinji, I'll wipe them"
"I'm almost done"
She wasn't sure what to think of it. He helped her three times within last 30 minutes. She went to her room to get changed. Soon after, she was back.
"Do you want dinner?"
"That would be nice"
"What are you making?" asked Misato.
"I would like to try that stir fry Shinji made last week. Can you show me how to do it Shinji?"
"Yes, but I won't be able to help. I can guide you"
"Do you need to change your bandages later?"
"No, doctor Tanuma will do it tomorrow"
"Ok, lead the way"
Asuka was washing the dishes and Misato was sitting at the table, looker at her. Misato didn't say anything, she was just observing the girl. When Asuka finished cleaning, she sat next to Misato.
"Can you tell me, what was that all about?"
"I needed some time to think. Thanks for sending Shinji"
"I didn't, he went on his own. Did you thank him?"
Her lack of response was the answer. Misato frowned, looking at Asuka. She wasn't saying anything, yet it still felt like she was patronizing her. Asuka hated that feeling.
"I will, when he leaves the bathroom"
"Why not now?"
"I'm not a pervert! He's in the bathroom"
"Doing laundry" Misato smiled.
"Laundry?"
Asuka knocked on the door.
"Can I come in?"
"Sure"
When she opened the door, she saw Shinji holding her panties. She flushed and moved next to him.
"Pervert, are you going through my dirty underwear?"
"No!"
"He's been doing laundry since he moved in. Now that you live with us, he's doing yours too" said Misato, still sitting at the table.
"Why is he doing laundry?"
Misato was unsure what Asuka meant.
"You know, clothes won't clean themselves"
"I know that. I thought you used dry cleaning"
Misato laughed.
"I don't earn that much to use that for every laundry"
"I-I didn't know that", she turned to Shinji, "Why are you holding them?"
"I'm checking the label"
"You want to know the brand or what?"
He looked confused.
"No, I want to check the temperature to wash it"
"Oh, I've never done laundry myself"
He showed her the label.
"See? This one says 30 degrees Celsius"
She nodded and grabbed her other pair.
"This says 40 so it's ok to wash them together?"
"No, I'm washing your bed sheets. They are white. We don't want to mix colors with whites"
"Why?"
"Well, the color fabric can dye the white clothes. We don't want that. Also, the washing powder I use, has a bleach"
They picked clothes to wash. Shinji explained how to use the washing machine, how to dose washing powder and softener. She didn't pay much attention to it before, he was doing more chores in the house than she thought.
"I've been living here for several weeks. How come, I've never saw you doing the laundry?"
"I've been doing it on Saturdays. It easier to cleanup the apartment when you're both away"
"Cleaning the apartment?"
"Yeah, I clean the apartment. After that, I do the ironing"
"You what?"
Asuka didn't know how much he was doing for them.
"Why are you so surprised Asuka?"
"When I lived with Kaji, we had a cleaning service and we used dry cleaning"
Misato sighed.
"You know, I don't earn that much. Also, I'm still paying my load for the car"
She started to help him two days ago, she thought that it was much. He, on the other hand, was doing much more for her. He was doing it for weeks, not asking for anything in return. She felt a bit stupid, not realizing that sooner.
"Do you clean my room as well?"
"No, you forbid me from entering. That's the only room that Misato cleans"
"I can confirm that"
"I-I didn't know that. I.. thank you Shinji"
Notes:
In this chapter, I wanted to show Shinji/Asuka that they don't know each other that well. That there's something under the shell.
Now I struggle a bit with my ideas. I have some ideas, but I still need to connect the dots. I want to add some Asuka/Rei interaction in the next chapter. Kaori will play a bigger role later (chapter 9-10, I think). For now, she's just to torment poor Asuka.
Thanks fonte20nit, spartanman2, calborghete, SheriffJohnStone and skyf0x for reviews!