Authors note: as always, thanks to everyone who encourages me, give constructive critique and helps me keep writing. The good stuff is on them, bad stuff is all on me. This chapter is less plot-heavy and more contemplative, thus the title. Already have the idea for the next suite chapter and I think it will drop within a fortnight. That's all folks, have fun.
Misato woke up and squinted at the clock, ‚half past seven' she groaned internally. ‚Way too late to go to sleep again, Shinji is already making breakfast'. That thought gave her the will to get up, throw on cut-offs and an oversized t-shirt and stroll in the kitchen.
When she sat down at the table, someone brought her coffee. Misato took it and almost by instinct started saying „thank you…". And near enough finished with „Shinji" before she noticed that the person had too much red hair to possibly be Shinji „...Asuka"
The redhead nodded minutely and huffed: „Don't get used to it. I'm only helping because I got Baka Shinji to make pancakes today. And I don't want anything to happen to them because he was brewing you a coffee". Asuka flopped down to her own cup and gulped half of it in one go.
When Misato first met the girl in Germany. She was alarmed to find that then eleven years old already drunk coffee that would give Ritsuko a scare. She tried to raise the point with Asuka but failed singularly in making her stop.
She was happy to learn that the strongest stuff Shinji drunk was green tea.
Soon Shinji brought a bowl full of mashed strawberries and cream and a plate full of steaming pancakes. The sight and smell alone were enough to make Misato's stomach growl.
Asuka look at the bowl, „Baka Shinji, What is that?"
Misato gave her a stern look: "come on Asuka, Shinji made you pancakes, sure you can be nicer to him?" she tried to chime in.
Asuka gave her a look "And you were my guardian for two years?" she said disbelief in her voice "I am allergic to the stuff..."
'Not that I told the Baka...' blood rushed in her cheeks "Know what, Dummy? Forget it and get me some sugar with cinnamon" she said every bit as amicably as she could at the moment. Meaning somewhat short of the drill instructor's parade ground voice.
"Hai!" said Shinji and got up at once. Misato chose to bite her tongue for the moment. When Shinji got back with a smaller bowl of cinnamon and sugar Asuka sniffed it and gave the barest glimpse of a smile "thank you, Shinji," she said not quite meeting his eyes or that of their guardian.
The rest of the breakfast went by happy enough until Shinji asked Asuka about the bento "No, no fish" she shut down the first idea, she vetoed beef and chicken pasta salad too...
Finally, Shinji said drained: "What do you want?"
Asuka retorted "You know what? Nothing, nothing at all, if you can't come up with a good idea, then don't make me anything!" she retreated to staring into her coffee cup as if it held the mysteries of the world.
Shinji went to collect the dishes after refilling Asuka's cup to which she muttered something that with a high dose of optimism sounded like "Thanks, Baka"
When Shinji made it to the kitchen part of the room Misato gave Asuka a hard stare. "Asuka what has gotten into you? Shinji was jumping through hoops to make you a lunch you would like..."
The redhead frowned more, if it was even possible, and grunted "nothing" holding onto her coffee possessively.
"Don't you 'nothing' me Asuka, you know better than that?" said Misato keeping up her stare "Are you feeling sick?" she asked a moment later. If the redhead was irritable at the best of times, then sick Asuka was a minefield ready to explode at any small miss-step.
"No I am not sick and don't need Doctor," said the redhead defiantly. Misato frowned at that and stared her down again "then you make sure you apologise to Shinji for that. Not his fault he can't guess the right kind of Ambrosia for you"
"Alright, if you can't let it go, it is that time a month and it is bad," said Asuka only too late realising Shinji has gotten back with the bentos and right now was making a good impression of ripe chilli pepper.
"Did not want to embarrass you with "girl stuff..." she trailed off 'and it's hard to drop that 'perfect, infallible great Asuka Langley-Sohryu', right?' she chided herself.
Then she noted that Shinji still packed her a lunch. Even if she all but yelled at him not to bother 'Why are you so good to me?' she thought.
Aloud she added "Sorry for being right bitch to you this morning and thank you for the pancakes" she smiled briefly at him and got up "Common Baka or we have to explain to Hikari why we are late, Grab my bag too... Please."
That got Shinji proper fearful. He grabbed both their school bags and made for the door followed by exasperated Asuka. Who was yelling: "Not that fast, or you can take me right to the school nurse when we get there, Baka!"
Misato smiled fondly. She was still smiling a minute later when Pen-Pen passed her her morning Yebitsu. She looked at the penguin. "Nee, Pen-Pen, the place feels better now it's not only the two of us, right"
"Waark! Waark..." come the reply.
Misato nodded and said: "Yeah, sometimes Asuka is too much, but she is trying."
"Waaark," said the penguin.
Misato nodded "Shinji is good to her. He is just good to everyone"
"Waark!" said the bird and opened his beer.
Misato busted out in laughter "Alright will make sure to tell him to get the beer for you even when I am gone for a few days."
The penguin nodded satisfied with the solution and raised the can. Misato did too "Kampai, Pen-Pen!" she called and they both drained the beers in one go.
They made it, by the skin of their teeth. Once they crossed the school threshold, Asuka almost completely changed. She turned cheerful and happy and treated everybody just the same as any other day...
'She is faking it' though Shinji as he tuned out the old sensei's pointless droning about the life before the second impact. 'She can't let the class see that she feels down today,'
Then he recalled something Touji said earlier...
And if this was a cartoon a bright yellow light bulb would have a light over Shinji's head. 'She is just as Misato that way' he realised.
He quickly opened the chat program, typed a message and hit send before he could get second thoughts on it.
When Asuka saw a new message icon pop up she frowned. Normally she would not bother; most likely it was just another lame attempt to ask her out.
But ANYTHING was bound to be more fun than to listen to the teachers droning about the paradise lost that was the pre-impact Earth.
She read the message, she re-read the message. And she reread it again... Ikari.S.:Thank you for letting me in and always being real with me even when that hurts.
She winked twice, 'damn I am not crying... And if I am it is because of damned hormone imbalance!' and 'don't ever stop trying to make me feel good like this, please, Baka' she thought and started typing.
Shinji almost jumped up in his seat when he saw a message icon pop up on his laptop. Aside from Touji and Kensuke, he did not get many messages anyway...
He opened it and read... Asuka. L.S.: If you are trying to earn another "thank you kiss", it might just be working...
Shinji was pretty sure he was making a good Unit 02 impression right then. And when he shot a glance towards Asuka's seat he caught a glimpse of her smiling face. Right before she turned back to pretending that she gave attention to the lesson.
Math and English come and went without incident. Except there was more "world used to be better before the Angels come" droning in the English period.
Shinji got bored pretty fast so he decided to watch things instead. Soon enough that what he was watching was Asuka. The redhead went from bored to irritated to downright furious in less than twenty minutes.
Then a message popped up...
Asuka.L.S.:If he does not shut up about angels, I'm going to murder him and get Nerv to protect me from the law. Pontificating about Angels to US? The nerve of that man!
Ikari.S.:Maybe from the law, but not from Misato AND Hikari.
Asuka.L.S.:Killjoy.
Shinji looked at Asuka and saw the corner of her mouth twitch minutely. He smiled a bit too and pretended to make some more notes.
When the bell rang, the entire class 2A, except Hikari, let out a sigh of relief and started filling out to eat their lunches on the roof.
Shinji was almost dragged out by Touji and Kensuke when he noticed that Asuka was not getting up. He quickly muttered something about joining them later and extracted himself before heading back...
"Why don't you go with the jock and the pervert?" Asked the redhead when he made his way back. Shinji shook his head and sat down at the nearest seat "You did not go with Hikari, something wrong Asuka?"
"My whole body hurts, I'm hungry, and I had to listen to an hour of that old geezer pontificating US, of all people us, about Angels! Yeah, Something is wrong, Baka!" she flared up.
'Must not apologise for caring' Shinji reminded himself and looked Asuka in the eyes.
She did not meet his stare and said quietly "Sorry, Shinji, should not take it out on you... And no don't you dare say it is alright" she cut him off.
Shinji nodded and instead said "I know you hurt so I'm not angry" he smiled a bit and get the lunch boxes "uh made you a little bit of everything I could get on time and packed some pancakes too, so eat anything you want..." he said laying both boxes in front of Asuka and turning his chair so he could properly sit on the other side of her desk.
'There is no way I am deserving of this' thought Asuka as she tried a spring roll. She ended up eating as much as she could but there was still a lot of food left. "Thank you Shinji, that is about as much as I can eat today," she said and looked around before planting a fleeting kiss on his cheek.
When Shinji can speak in whole sentences again he smiles and pack the rest of her food "You would take care of me if I got sick and stay at home, or went to school." He said with actual belief.
'He believes that. He believes I can do right by him' though Asuka almost with disbelief. She shook her head. 'I treat him "well" for a week and all is forgiven and forgotten? Just what makes one be like that?'
She decided to get to that sooner or later.
When Hikari found her alone a few minutes later it took the class rep to actually touch Asuka for the redhead to notice her.
"Asuka, I did not see you on the roof or in the cafeteria are you sick? I'll excuse you with Obito Sensei and get you to the infirmary?" she offered.
Of all reactions, she did not expect a smile "It's alright, Hikari, I feel a bit under, but Baka made me a mix of meals so I had something I could eat." Asuka started organising her school bag and fetching stuff for the next lesson.
She hoped Hikari won't make a big deal of it, 'I really don't want to lie to you, but I want to keep this to myself at least until I understand it' she thought.
"Shinji is a good friend" observed Hikari, as if taking the hint and not pushing any implications. "Alright, if you are really sure, you don't want to see the nurse, I won't push you. But you feel ANY worse, you let me know "
Asuka nodded understanding perfectly that that was not an offer. She nodded and shot her best friend a look of gratitude. She would have said something too, but the Jock and the Nerd come back with Shinji...
'Alright, back to business' she thought and put on her school persona again.
When they got home Asuka tossed her schoolbag in her room and flopped herself on the couch to try and watch some TV. Shinji went to get some head start on the math homework.
'would be nice to have Asuka's help with this he thought as he dealt with the equations. The college graduate would breeze through hers with ease and then check his work in turn for him checking her Kanji.
The thought of Asuka caused him to fudge an equation and having to start from the beginning again. He shook his head. 'She kissed me again, for making her food?' he thought and decided to quit trying to do the math for the moment.
'And in the classroom? Even if it was empty at the moment?' he felt blood rushing into his cheeks at the memory. The Asuka he thought he knew would more likely kick his chin for forgetting about food than to do anything to show appreciation he thought.
But then he remembered that Asuka never shared her food when he made it. Something Hikari commented on, 'guess she shows appreciation in her own selfish way' he thought.
"Scheisse! Don't they ever play anything other than Mexican soap operas on Monday afternoon!". Asuka called loud enough to draw complaints from neighbours, 'If we had any neighbours' thought Shinji
He got up and fetched a case with some DVDs e got earlier that month from Touji, he did not get to watch any yet. Asuka was hogging the TV all the time. He got up and went to the kitchen.
*A few minutes earlier*
Asuka tossed the remote on the table and flopped herself back on the couch, whatever she found at least had an action scene running so it might not be a total waste of her time...
'Wonder what the Baka is doing in his room?' she thought 'probably homework, if he was any more diligent he would be a male version of Hikari' she chuckled at that. She could not be arsed to do any of her own schoolwork today. Even if that meant having to explain herself to the class representative.
'The only thing that is remotely fun about homework is to teach Shinji something' she thought. 'Huh, maybe I go and check on him, better than this, or sulking at my room' She remembered, with a slight pinch of guilt, that her room used to be Shinji's room before she moved in and that his new room used to be storage and did not even have a window.
The "I needed more space for all my stuff" argument did not sound nearly as persuasive now as it did then. 'Maybe we could stick most of my stuff into the storage room and bring Shinji to my room' she thought before she could stop herself...
When she stopped blushing she looked around 'good, Shinji is still locked up with his books' she thought She needed something rational and not related to Shinji... She decided to make a mental inventory of her stuff and see what she could be without, 'say things I did not use since I got to Japan' she thought.
When she was done with the list, she had to remind herself she was not making it so she could make space for Shinji... Not that she thought Misato would have them sleep in one room especially if they were to come with the idea.
She just wanted some more space for stuff she would be using that's all 'and you are keeping that flute you have not played in years for what reason exactly?' she chided herself.
'I kept it so I could return to it someday after the university...' she thought and switched the channel on the TV, news-not good-another switch.
'And you decide to try that a week after you found that Baka play the cello?' Nature documentary from before the second impact-absolutely, not good another switch.
'So you could play with him, right?' A ridiculously over the top parent and kid fight-what the actual fuck?-another switch.
Switch-switch-switch-switch!
"Scheisse! Don't they ever play anything other than Mexican soap operas on Monday afternoon!" she tossed the remote away and flop herself on the couch staring at the familiar ceiling.
Se did not even hear Shinji opening the door and stepping into the room. He was carrying a canvas case and quietly made his way to the living room part of the room.
"What is wrong, Asuka?" he asked and almost startled her.
Asuka bite down her first reply and the second as she half expected him to ask if she was alright, and wanted to give him a piece of her mind that "She very much was NOT ok, thanks for asking"
Instead, she muttered, "Bloody TV won't play a decent programme until evening." She eyed the TV as if it personally insulted her.
"Uh, I might have something to fix that. Touji gave me a whole lot of movies, I did not watch any yet so I don't know if any are really good…" he fidgeted a bit and handed over the case.
Asuka opened it as if she was defusing a bomb muttering still "There better be no Hentai stuff, or I am beating him up". Shinji frowned, he knew that under some circumstances Asuka might give that a try…
Then she stopped at one disc and looked it over twice. "Baka, I can't read these kanji, read it for me, please," she asked and handed the DVD over.
"Hem, Princess Bride, never seen or heard about that one." He said and handed it back.
Asuka was silent for a few minutes. Then she looked at Shinji, oddly pensive, Misato is not coming home for a few hours? Right?" Shinji nodded. "It's five in the afternoon and she told us not to wait for her with the dinner."
Asuka nodded. "Alright Shinji, I want to watch that one. I want you to watch too, and if you ever say a word about it to anyone, stooges and Misato included. Misato above anyone else. I'm going to make angels feel like a pleasant dream... Got me?" when he nodded back and put the disc into the player she smiled a bit.
"And get me some Ice cream, I am melting in here!" she finished her tirade...
Shinji had no idea what made Asuka blush when he went to the freezer and said "As you wish..."