Author's Note: It's 3 whole pages of rants and raves. Enjoy!

I still need the reviews, so please REVIEW, it won't take but a second and it's
really helpful for me to keep writing. See how fast I got part 3 and part 4 out? I
wrote those this WEEKEND. And I'm currently working on part 5, maybe it will
be out before I go into dead week (school).

Note to the Reviewers:
Thanks to Catch 22, you've been a BIG help/always helpful when someone tells
me how I'm writing (your review for Rightwords + Asukalove). For the rest of the
Reviewers: TommyRude (thanks, I needed that), Kitty L'hiver (I'm a hopeless
romantic too), Skull_Leader (no spoilers, sorry, keep guessing), Kyo Tetsuei (is
this a darkfic/romance? *clueless*), Anime Xianghua Rei (sorry, Asuka is 4eva),
purplecow (I get the pt., I'm hurrying), ironmaiden (Shinji's cute *remember this is
Asuka?*, Touya/Tamahome from CCS/FY are good-looking no? Too bad one's
bi/and both are taken!)
*****BIG HUG TO ALL READERS, DOUBLE HUGS FOR REVIEWS*****

Oh, and YES I'm actually commenting to me REVIEWERS, so review, why don't
ya? Oh and read 'The Right Words to Say' should I end that fic or keep that
along with this one? What should I do? AWWWWW! ^_^; I'm tired. It's 9:21 in
the morning. I've been writing this since 8:00, enjoy! Please! Review! (I'll
shuddup now and let the story be read!)...

DISCLAIMER: All rights are exclusively Gainax, Inc.

Part 4: Confrontation (by YIH)

Shinji wiped his face off with exhaustion. The sensei had been dead serious
when he had said that he would be cleaning up the classroom. He had just
sweeped the floor until it sparkled, the chalkboard didn't have a speck of dust,
every desk's shelf was cleaned to the point of seeming newer than new, the
teacher's desk looked 5 years younger, the student closet seemed like it had
never been used, and his muscles had never ached so much in his life. It
seemed that sensei was enjoying this day's detention with almost a sinister
demeanor.

He was enormously relieved when the sensei grimly announced, "I guess there's
nothing more you can do to clean up. You are dismissed."

Finally, he thought, I can go home. He stared at the clock for a second and
groaned loudly before running out of the school at a breakneck pace. It was his
day to cook dinner. He prayed silently, Please don't let Misato cook. Please
don't let Misato cook. I don't want to have to eat it to be nice. I really don't feel
like eating crap. If there is a higher being, have mercy. I screwed up with Asuka
today by telling the truth. I screwed up with sensei by trying to convince myself
that Asuka doesn't think I'm insane. Don't let me screw up with dinner. Please
Misato, be lazy, order takeout. I've got all the confidence with your ability to
punch out the number to the nearest restaurant. Or better yet, I hope you went
out with Kaji and get freakingly drunk. Just don't be in the kitchen when I get
home. Don't be in the kitchen...

He burst into the apartment in record time and quickly checked the kitchen. He
nearly fell to the ground from intense heart failure and the lack of oxygen in his
lungs. As it was he leaned heavily on the kitchen counter, severely out of breath.

When he finally got his lungs under control, he took in the sight before him. It
wasn't all that unusually, he mused, Asuka did occasional cook, but she never
cooked on his day. What's up with her? He laughed, the better question would
be what's up with me? I'm being far wierder than her.

Asuka turned and caught a strange expression on Shinji's face. She quickly
glanced away quickly, I've never seen Shinji look like that twice in a day. And
what he said before class. I have to know. How could anyone love me?

She banged the pan down. Pen-pen, who had waddled into the kitchen saw the
intense seriousness on Asuka's face and grabbed the first plate and retreated
back to the living room, "Wuagh!" [translation: Ooh, Shinji's in for it.]

Shinji gazed up and caught the full force of the fire in her eyes. Uh oh, he almost
felt like following Pen-pen, but he suppressed the urge with a very sarcastic,
silent laugh. I'm still afraid of her when she looks like that. My spine might not
be as strong as I thought it was.

She took a deep breath. She had all these questions she had been meaning to
ask and she wanted to launch it out all at once, but she was scared. Why am I
scared? Not of baka Shinji, but I'm afraid he'll take back his words. Why? Why
do I care what he thinks! I'm...

He interrupted her warring thoughts, "Asuka, what's up?

He said it so casually that Asuka almost lost her train of thought, she decided to
just let it out in a rush, "Whatdidyoumean whenyousaid iloveyou?"

Relief, was the first word to hit his brain. Shinji was so relieved that she hadn't
said something along the lines, 'Baka, I don't want you to love me!' He wanted to
laugh like a lunatic, but he suppressed the urge and murmured softly, "I meant
every word I said."

Asuka wanted to cry and the words that came out of her mouth weren't what she
wanted to come out, "How can you... love me?"

Her face was filled with self-doubt. It made Shinji feel awful and all he could do
was whisper, "I just do, Asuka-chan."

"Even- after all that I've done to you?" She was shaking with the revelation that
Shinji could love her. Even after all the hits, the name-calling, the cruelty, the
fights, and how many times she had told him she hated him.

He smiled that beautiful smile, "Well, Asuka..." He moved closer to her until he
was next to her, an inch away from touching her, "it's just the way you are." He
understood all now. Asuka couldn't help being the way she was. He knew of her
past from Misato. It had taught him a lot about how Asuka had to be to be
strong. It made him feel for her and it had only increased his love for her.

She said agonizingly, "But--, I'm not lovable..."

He cupped her face with his hands and he kissed the corner of her mouth as
sweetly as he could, "I think you are."

Asuka look around wildly for a second before she dived into the nearest source
of strength, Shinji. It's scary to think Shinji's strong, but he is. He has the power
to tell how he feels. How he has changed, she thought. What has caused this
change? I need this him. How I need this him...

She kissed him, full force. She was the controlling one in this kiss, as she tended
to be in every situation. Except for that fact, it was very much like the other kiss.
However, it was Shinji's tongue that made the first move to deepen the kiss and it
was Asuka's tongue that followed. They were trying to erase every detail of pain
with passion...

"DO I NEED TO GET YOU TWO A ROOM?" screamed Misato, after her first
statement, 'You two are at it again?' hadn't registered in the kissers' brains.

Asuka was the one that broke the kiss with a deep flush on her face. She didn't
run away this time. She stood there as she finally understood the pull power of
Shinji's words. He loved her. It scared her. But he loved her despite all her
faults. That made her sad. He thought she was lovable. That made her want to
cry.

Shinji groaned, We have all the luck. Interruption twice in the same day by the
same person... How lucky! He couldn't think of anything to say. All he could
think about was Asuka's confession. She was scared. She didn't think she could
be loved because of her faults. She didn't think she was lovable. How wrong
she is, he sighed.

Asuka and Shinji had been so busy with their conversation they didn't realize that
the rest of the food had burned. Misato noticed and she groaned, "I guess it's
takeout?"

Asuka finally noticed that her meal had gone done the gutter and said, "I guess
so."

Shinji breathed with relief.

Pen-pen gave a penguinish smile from the living room. He was happily stuffed
and he had gotten an excellent soap opera with his meal. "Wuargh!"
[translation: Those two...]

Misato was already dialing the nearest Japanese restaurant, she yelled at the
two, who were staring at each other with rapture, "What do you want? Or else
I'm cooking."

That trump card got their immediate attention. Both of them answered in record
time as Misato thought disdainfully, Humph! My cooking isn't that bad... It just
isn't that good...