Disclaimer: see part 1

The Lifespan of a Love Affair.

By Random1377

Week 5: Treading Lightly

Shinji sighed as he came into the apartment, kicking off his shoes and muttering, "Well, at least she'll be at NERV for a little while…"  School had been rather difficult, as Asuka (for some reason he could not fathom) continued bringing up her superior sync ratio.  "It's not like I work at it," he sighed, dropping his backpack, "it's not my fault it's getting higher."  He paused, tilting his head as a soft, familiar sound reached his ears.

Is that…? he frowned, moving deeper into the apartment, finally coming to the living room, where he encountered the object of his affections.

Shinji just stared as he found the woman running through the steps of the synchronization training they had used to defeat the angel.  Her eyes were closed and there was a look of intense concentration on her face as she moved across the sensor pad, doing her best to match her movements with the song.  And in Shinji's opinion, she was doing… awful. 

Even as he watched, she missed five steps, forgot the third arm movement in second 48, and totally ignored the bridge.

He sighed to himself as he shrugged off the light jacket he was wearing and walked over to the other pad.  He said nothing as Misato opened her eyes and blushed, seeming to want to explain what she was doing, and chose instead to start running through the routine himself.  Misato watched him uncertainly for a moment, then grinned and began following his lead, trying her best to mimic his movements.

With Rei, the synchronization had been immediate and natural.  With Asuka, it had taken both of them days to adapt.  With Misato… it was somewhere in-between.  They ran through the training ten times, since they had nothing else better to do that afternoon, and by the end of the tenth cycle, though they still were not synchronized, they were both smiling broadly.

When the tape restarted for the eleventh time, Misato raised a finger, stopping for a moment.  Shinji nodded, putting his hands on his knees and catching his breath.  His blinked uncertainly as Misato left her pad and stepped onto his, putting a hand on his shoulder and slowly turning him around.  He shivered, going stock still as the woman pressed her body against his back, draping her arms over his and linking their fingers.  He exhaled in a rush as she placed her mouth next to his ear, whispering,

"Show me…"

A slow smile spread over Shinji's lips, and he nodded, waiting for the beginning of the instrumental and starting to run through the training.  It was awkward, and a bit uncomfortable, since Misato was taller and held him quite firmly, but all things considered… it was far from unpleasant.  Their bodies moved smoothly, aided by the perspiration running freely off of them, and the friction and closeness drove the temperature in the room up by several degrees.

At first, Misato's movements were a bit jerky and tense, as if she was not sure that what she was doing was a good idea.  By the third time through, however, she was relaxed and loose, moving easily along with the boy and smiling contentedly.  After the seventh time, Misato stopped moving and wrapped her arms around Shinji's body, forcing him to still. 

In the sudden absence of motion, Shinji's heartbeat sounded too loud… too frantic – and he felt the need to swallow every time Misato's breath blew against his skin.  He gasped as he felt her lips brush the back of his neck.

"Misato?" he whispered.

"Shinji," she replied.

Shinji shifted in her embrace, twisting awkwardly until he could look into her eyes, and shivering as he found them gazing into his own with a softly hungry light. 

They kissed.

"Mmmm..? Mmmmm…"

Shinji wondered why the sound resonating in the back of his throat was so pleading, like he was begging for… something.  What, he did not know, but standing in the middle of the apartment, being held so tightly by this gorgeous woman and feeling her warm lips pressing against his as the music continued all around them as sweat rolled slowly down his chest, he knew he wanted more.

He shivered as Misato reached up and ran the back of her fingers over his cheek.  "You're all sweaty," she whispered, breaking the kiss and smiling at him.

"S-so are you," Shinji gasped, no longer sure if he was winded from the workout or the kiss.

Misato turned her head as Shinji leaned up, trying to kiss her again.

"What's wrong?" he asked, losing the warm feeling that had been growing in the pit of his stomach as the woman released him.  "Misato?"

"Nothing," Misato replied evenly.  "I just noticed the time.  I should go get Asuka from NERV so she doesn't have to take the train."

"Oh," Shinji muttered disappointedly.  "Should I go with?"

Misato took a careful step back, shaking her head. "Nah," she murmured, "you get dinner started, ok?  I won't be long."

She turned away as he agreed, drawing in a deep breath and starting for the door.  God, she thought dizzily, I could probably cut glass right now… damn that was hot…  She made her exit as quickly as she could, not wanting her young boyfriend to see how aroused she was, and wishing, deep in her heart… that the kiss of a boy not even half her age did not turn her on so much.

**

Asuka blinked as Misato's blue Renault pulled up at the curb by the bus stop.

"Hey little girl," Misato called, "want a ride?"

The redhead rolled her eyes.  "Very original," she muttered, smiling in spite of herself as she opened the door, "Where's Shinji?  Please tell me he's cooking something – I'm starving!  Really, what does that Akagi woman think I am, a machine??"

Misato shrugged.  "She needs a hobby," she muttered darkly.

"Or a boyfriend," Asuka suggested, almost offhandedly, "which reminds me…"

Misato tensed.  "Yeah?"

Oh come on! she thought tiredly, There's no way SHE knows too!

"Girl to girl," Asuka said carefully, "honestly…"

"Y-Yeah…?"

"How is Kaji?"

Misato almost laughed with relief… until she realized what she was being asked.  "He's… fine," she said evasively, trying to feign ignorance.  "I think he had a cold last week," Or maybe it's just that he WAS cold, "but he looked ok yesterday."

Asuka blew out a disgusted breath.  "Don't play stupid," she grumped, "you know what I mean!"

"That's personal," Misato replied, brushing her hair back with her right hand.  "And it's ancient history, so-"

"He said you were wild in bed," Asuka cut in smoothly, "is he, too?"  She lowered her voice, "I'll bet he's got a big dick."

"Asuka!"

"I'm right, huh?" the redhead laughed, delighted.  "Oh get over yourself," she grumbled as the other woman shot her a dark look, "I'm not asking for details, Misato, I just want to know-"

"Why do you want to know?" Misato interrupted, glancing at the girl from the corner of her eyes, "you're too young for that kind of stuff anyway."

"Oh shut up," Asuka muttered, "for your information, legal marrying age in Japan is fourteen.  Not that I'm looking to get married," she grinned wolfishly, "but there's a couple things married people do that interest me, so-"

"Forget it," Misato snapped.  "I'm not talking to you about my sex life with Kaji!"

"Ok," the Second winkled her nose, "how about Shinji, then? Do you – look out!!"

Misato swerved, narrowly dodging the truck that had been heading their way, and slammed on the brakes, skidding the car to a halt on the side of the road and breathing harder than when she had been working out.

"God damn!!" Asuka exploded, "What the hell is wrong with you??  You almost got us kil-"

"You listen to me, you little bitch," Misato snapped, her temper vanishing entirely as she turned to face the girl.  "Don't you ever talk about Shinji that way!"

The redhead gaped for a moment, entirely at a loss for words.  Finally, she closed her mouth, her nostrils flaring as she muttered, "Fuck you – he's not precious.  Jesus!  I was just going to ask if you thought he'd be any good… why don't you fucking relax?!"

Misato flushed, turning her attention back to the road and looking for a break in traffic.  "Drop it," she whispered coldly, "What's between Kaji and me is in the past… and I'm not going to try and figure out what kind of… fuck Shinji is – that's just sick."

"You need to calm the fuck down," Asuka grumbled angrily, "geez – you act like you're fucking him!"  She pursed her lips as the woman opened her mouth.  "Just shut up, Misato," she said flatly, "before you run us into a bus or something… fucking psycho…"

Misato's eyes flashed, but she bit her tongue, taking a deep breath to calm herself before retorting, "I guess now I know why you don't have any friends."

Asuka paled.  "Fuck you," she whispered angrily.

"Sorry," the older woman answered dryly, "your tits are too small – and I like my women with a little more grass on the playing field."

Asuka colored, biting back another choice comment, and turned to look out the window.

**

Shinji shifted in his school chair, trying to keep his attention focused on his laptop screen, but his eyes kept traveling from Asuka to Rei and back again.  She's been so quiet, he thought, staring at Asuka, I wonder why she's mad at me…  He sighed.  I wonder if Rei-

"Stop looking at me, freak," Asuka growled through clenched teeth, "go talk to Wondergirl or something – maybe if your order her she'll be your girlfriend and you can stare at her all damn day!"

Shinji blushed… but in his mind, he could still feel Misato's body pressed against his back and taste her lips on his tongue.  "Maybe I will," he retorted, taking great pleasure in seeing Asuka blink in surprise.

"Yeah right," the redhead scowled, waving a hand dismissively.  "I'll tell you what, Third Child," she said derisively, "if you actually hold a conversation with that weirdo – I'll buy you dinner!"

Normally, Shinji liked avoiding confrontation – it made him faintly queasy.  But something in Asuka's confident smirk irritated him.  Misato wouldn't put up with that, he thought angrily, meeting her sparkling, confident eyes, she'd say something to shut her up – something like-

"And you'll wear a pretty, pink dress."

Asuka's eyes narrowed.  Ok, she thought coldly, that's the game you want to play?

"Done," she whispered, ignoring the slight gasp of shock from the girl at the desk in front of her, "but if you can't get her to talk – and I mean say something besides yes, no, or unless I'm ordered too – you're gonna be on dish patrol for a month… and you won't even touch the remote while I'm in the house."

Shinji pursed his lips, wondering how dinner in a dress compared to a month of pruny hands and lack of good television, but he nodded.  "Alright…"

For the next thirty-five minutes, Shinji sweated.  What was I thinking?? he thought miserably, trying to disappear into his seat as Asuka sat a little straighter in hers, smiling brightly and pretending he didn't exist.  He jumped when the bell rang, covering his chest and waiting for the other students to file out.

After five minutes of waiting, he realized that everyone was staring at him.  "Well?" Asuka laughed, "what are you waiting for, Third Child?"

"But, we didn't…" he stammered, "I didn't know… everyone would be here…"

Asuka shrugged.  "No one ever said they wouldn't be," she pointed out, "so I win."

"No!" Shinji protested, shooting to his feet.  "I…"

"Well?" the redhead prompted, her eyes darting to where Rei was sitting with her chin in her palm, blatantly unaware of the conversation taking place less than ten feet from her.

Shinji closed his eyes.  I can do this, he thought, trying to psyche himself up, I'm… I'm dating a gorgeous, smart, sexy older woman – if I can do that without going to pieces… I can talk to Rei!  Ignoring the detail that his relationship with Misato seemed to be rather one-sided and shaky, he stepped out into the aisle and started towards Rei's desk.

"Hey Ayanami," he said, forcing some brightness into his voice as he slid into the seat next to hers.  "How are you?"

The blue-haired girl slowly brought her head around, staring at Shinji with undisguised, though mild, confusion.  "Ikari," she replied quietly, "I am well."

Shinji nodded.  "That's… good…" he said, casting about in his mind for a topic of conversation that would draw more than single syllable responses.  "Hey," he said suddenly, relief washing through him as his mind locked onto an idea.  "Are you looking forward to the school field trip?  I know that ummm… you like swimming, right?  Have you ever gone scuba diving before?"

"No," Rei replied calmly, only answering his last question, "I have not."

Clasping his hands together on the desk in front of him, Shinji took a deep breath.  Asuka looks like she's about to laugh, he thought miserably, I don't want to lose to her…  He frowned, wondering suddenly what the redhead would look like in a pink dress.

"Are you bringing anyone?" he asked impulsively.  "Since so many students left last month, there's extra seats on the plane… so we can bring guests.  Are you bringing anyone, Ayanami?"

There was a long moment of silence… and Rei shook her head.

Shinji laid his hands flat on the table, considering his words carefully.  "Ayanami…" he said slowly, "just wondering, but… is there anyone you would want to bring?"

Rei's brow creased very, very faintly, and Shinji doubted that she would even reply.  Finally, she whispered, "I would rather not answer that, Ikari."

Shinji was taken aback.  "Umm… why not?" he asked, forgetting for a moment that they were in the middle of a crowded classroom.  "I'm not trying to embarrass you, or anything," he said softly, "I just… want to know about you."

The First Child lowered her eyes, studying her desk in silence before answering, "I am not comfortable discussing this in public."  She raised her crimson eyes, her voice going still lower as she asked, "Why are you talking to me so openly?"

"I… huh?" Shinji managed.

"It is unlike you to speak to me directly," Rei pointed out seriously.

"I told you," the boy murmured, feeling slightly ill as he blended the truth with a lie.  "I want to know more about you."

"I see," Rei nodded.  She hesitated, seeming to think very carefully before saying, "I would like to ask you a question."  She pursed her lips.  "If I may do that, I will answer yours."

Shinji's stomach clenched.  We're talking! He thought happily, Ayanami is talking to me – and she's not being weird and saying stuff like, 'it's a bond to all people.'

So excited was he by the idea that he had engaged the reclusive pilot in a conversation was he, that he forgot entirely about the bet that had prompted it.  "That's fair," he said enthusiastically, "go ahead and ask."

"I have noticed," Rei started slowly, "that you behavior has changed over the last thirty days."  She glanced around, wishing that their conversation was not quite so public, then pressed forward.  "I have further noticed that you are still attending school and NERV functions as normal, and your diet has not changed that I can detect, is that correct?"

Shinji shrugged.  "I guess that about sums it up," he said uncertainly, "you've probably paid more attention than me, it sounds like."

Rei continued.  "I would not normally make your affairs my concern," she told him flatly, "but as the Commander mentioned several weeks prior, all pilots are to consider themselves team players, and rely on one another, so I feel that I am obligated to mention this."  She met his eyes levelly.  "With diet and schedule changes eliminated," she said coolly, "I would like to know if you are engaging in sexual intercourse with Pilot Souryu."

"WHAT??"

Shinji paled as Asuka exploded.

The redhead was out of her seat and down the aisle in a flash, slamming her hands down on Rei's desk.  "You think I'm fucking him??" she shrieked.

Rei seemed unconcerned by Asuka's flushed face and angrily, short breaths.  "I do not like that expression," she said quietly.  "But it is a logical conclusion," she said after a moment of stunned quiet, "your behavior has changed as well."

Having undergone extensive synchronization training with the German, Shinji was possibly the most attuned to her out of anyone in her life.  This fact, as well as his seating position and combat-honed reflexes, all conspired to allow him to catch Asuka's hand as she drew it back to slap the blue-haired girl.

Asuka's upper lip drew back from her teeth as she met the First's level gaze.  "You'd better watch it," she growled, her nostrils flaring as she yanked her hand free and rose to her full height.  "Shinji's not always going to be nearby, and if you ever say something like that to me again…" she trailed off, her mouth snapping closed as she glanced at Shinji.

Abruptly, she spun on her heel and stalked out of the room, pausing in the door to mutter, 'you win,' before making her exit.

Shinji ran a shaking hand over his face, feeling it come away wet with sweat.  God… he thought unsteadily, she was pissed!

He blinked as Rei quietly slid out of her seat, whispering, "Goodbye."

Shinji considered calling out to her to remind her that she still had not told him who she wanted to bring – or why… but he simply sat still, deciding that he had learned enough about the First Child that day.

Closing his eyes, he leaned back in his borrowed desk, ignoring the other students as they filed out.  Well, he thought dismally, at least I know what Asuka thinks about me…  He sighed.  As disgusted as she sounded, I'm surprised she can live with me without throwing up…

With thoughts of the First and Second Children in his mind, Shinji slipped off to sleep, his dreams haunted by images of the two of them telling Misato how disgusting he was… and having her reply, 'I know – that's why I keep him away from me.  What, you think I'm serious with that little coward?  HA!  I'm just killing time…'

When he awoke, the sun was down and the school was deserted… and he was alone.

Continued…

Author's Notes:  Making good on her promise, Asuka takes Shinji to dinner… but after her conversations with Misato and Rei, and the mounting pressure of Shinji's rising sync ratio, how will the evening end?  And when an angel is discovered sleeping inside a volcano, how will Misato's relationship with Shinji affect who is sent to retrieve it?

Find out in the next chapter: Rattling Sabers

This chapter was released without the benefit of a pre-reader.

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com