Simmer Chapter 4 – Have Your Cake and Eat it too…
Asuka watched as Shinji removed the cake from the oven, and set it carefully in the refrigerator, letting it cool before serving it.
So close
She had to stop herself from gasping at this unsummoned thought. Did she actually want to kiss him? Thinking harder on it, she could arrive at no definite answer, and this troubled her. While one side of her still saw him as the spineless wimp that she had worked with for over a year now, that side was slowly being silenced by the part of her that was beginning to see him for what he really was: a handsome young man, growing into his role as a pilot, and a damn good cook to boot.
She had known a lot of so called 'men' in college that weren't half the man Shinji would be. They were all concerned with two things. Sex and partying. It was all so boring to her, and after dating a few of them, she had sworn off boyfriends completely. Until she met Kaji, that was.
Kaji was what she thought the ideal man should be. Tall, strong, attractive, and sexy. And while Kaji was undeniably all of these, he was also involved with Misato. It had taken her a while to accept that he would never be hers, and that he saw her as possibly a little sister.
She remembered with a frown the way she had tried to seduce him on the Over the Rainbow. It had been so childish of her, and also had probably given a perceived image of herself to him.
Closing her eyes, she pushed the memory aside. It would do no good to dwell on past mistakes when she had a chance to rectify them in the present. "Shinji?"
He looked up. "Yes, Asuka?"
"I'm hungry."
Shinji smiled. "Go wait in the living room, Asuka, and I'll clean up and set the table. I'll call you when it's ready."
Shinji's POV
I watched as she left the kitchen, her hair flowing behind her in a scarlet sheet. Suppressing a sigh, I turned to survey the kitchen, and the mess that remained from her efforts. While Asuka might not be the tidiest person in the kitchen, she was certainly the most attractive.
Cleaning up took the better part of twenty minutes, during which I thought on my current situation. Asuka and I were getting closer, that was undeniable. But how close we would get was the unknown in this equation. While I would certainly welcome the chance to become closer to my roommate and fellow pilot, what I would do in such a situation was beyond me. I had managed to bluff my way through it so far, but it had been half in jest. I had had no illusions about her actually following through on anything that I had instigated, and now that it appeared that she might after all, I would have to tread quite carefully indeed.
I finished the last of the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher, my hands a bit wrinkled from the dishwater. Closing the door, I started the machine, it's soothing back and forth sounds helping to calm my inner turmoil. I wasn't even sure how to proceed with dinner now, not wanting to make the wrong impression, but not wanting to waste the chance either.
Wiping the small table down, I decided on a quiet setting that had the potential to be romantic, but didn't try to force it on the inhabitants. I laid the white tablecloth down, smoothing the wrinkles out of it, and thought of how I would act now. Would she like water or maybe a glass of wine? A large serving or small? Should I pull her chair out or let her do it herself?
So many questions, the least of which being those pertaining to dinner. What about afterwards, after we were done eating, and after my assignment to teach her was effectively finished? Would she go back to treating me the way she always had? Would her only words to me start with 'baka' and end with some unidentifiable but vicious sounding German curse?
Would she even allow me to be her friend at all?
So many things had happened in the past year, so many little incidents to serve to push us farther apart. First, my sync ratio. I remembered all too well how angry she had been when she had found out that I had somehow miraculously synchronized with the Evangelion on my first try, when it had taken her months just to walk. I recalled rather vividly how mad she had been after I had saved her from the volcano, after she had resigned herself to dying after defeating the Angel. I had deliberately disobeyed a direct order from my superior officer, though I doubted that she knew that. Misato had been both angry and pleased at the same time afterwards, angry for my insolence, and pleased that I had saved her life.
I remembered the time that we had had to train for three days to synchronize with each other to defeat the Seventh. Those three days were, at the time, both the worst and best of my life, for the fact that I had been in such close proximity with her. At times it had been nothing more than an increase in the usual amount of insults she gave me, but that one night, that one night when she had sleepwalked her way to my futon, and I had nearly kissed her. I had realized then, after she had murmured 'momma' that she was nothing more than a child herself. While she would be loath to admit this, I knew it all the same.
I hadn't kissed her then, but later on, she had kissed me, holding my nose closed to keep my breath from tickling her. It had been pleasant, until my face started turning blue from lack of oxygen. Afterwards, she had rushed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and gargle with mouthwash.
I don't think I had ever felt so useless. I mean, Father had brought me here simply because he 'had a use for me'. But with Asuka, it hurt more, because she would act smooth and sultry one minute, and hit or insult me the next. I felt like an idiot at times for thinking that maybe, maybe, she liked me.
But the times when she smiled, regardless of who the smile was directed at, warmed my heart. I used to imagine that she was smiling at me, smiling at something I did, or perhaps something I said. It helped me through some of the tougher times, and gave me a sense of purpose.
Because in the year I had lived with her, in the year that I had know and worked with her, I had realized something.
I was falling in love with her.
I finished up my preparations for dinner, hoping that everything would meet her approval, and drew a shaky breath.
"Asuka, dinner's ready!"
Asuka's POV
I paced my room, wondering for probably the tenth time what was taking so long for Shinji to get dinner ready. I mean, the stuff was already cooked, how much time did it take to dish it onto a plate and set in on a table?
I sighed, trying to guess what Misato and Kaji were doing right now. They were probably enjoying a nice, romantic meal, in some nice restaurant, and she was probably wearing a nice dress, and Kaji was probably wearing a nice jacket, and they were probably having a nice time. Meanwhile, here I was, in a old pair of jeans, and a sweatshirt stained with the labors of earlier, waiting for Shinji to tell me that dinner was ready.
Maybe someday, I'd get a nice, romantic meal from someone that could treat me like a lady should be treated, someone that knew the pleasures of simple conversation, without trying to have an ulterior motive, like a nightcap, or sex. Those kind of guys were rare in the world. In fact, I only knew of one that resembled it, and he was currently preparing dinner in the kitchen-
It hit me like a lighting bolt, the realization that Shinji Ikari, Evangelion pilot, cellist, roommate, and son of Commander Ikari was everything I was looking for. And I had been living with him for over a year now, using him to pump up my own fragile ego, cutting him down to make myself look all the better. I had insulted him, demeaned him, abused and used him.
A tear slid down my cheek, as I recalled how I had treated him after he had saved my life. I had only been concerned that Misato had used my imminent death to showcase NERV's greatest weapon again. Afterwards, I hadn't even thanked him, instead insulting him again and storming off. He had saved my life, the greatest thing that a person can do for another, short of dying for them, and he'd come awfully close to that as well. After all, he had had no protective equipment when he dove into the lava, nothing between him and the murderous heat that had nearly boiled me alive.
And afterwards, he hadn't gotten angry at my lack of gratitude, hadn't yelled, or pouted, but simply took it in stride. Like he was used to it. As he probably was.
I made the decision then and there that things were going to be different from now on, that I wasn't going to treat him like shit, but instead like another person. I mean, hell, his own father had used him, coerced him into piloting by acting as if he was going to have Wondergirl pilot again. And he had had no training, no preparation for what he was going up against. He must have been scared to death. And while I never would have admitted it, when we went up against the sixth angel, I was scared too. I was more scared than I had ever been in my life.
Having him in the cockpit, nestled behind me, I was reassured that somehow, some way, everything would turn out okay. It was as if I had a guardian angel watching over me. When his hands had rested over my own, right before the battleships rammed the Angel's mouth, I had felt a tingle of warmth, of pleasantness come over me. His hands fitted mine perfectly. And he had looked pretty good in that red plugsuit too…
The blush that came over me was sudden, and I started to change out of my clothes, determined to make things right between us tonight. Because after all, I could still have fun with him, so long as I rewarded him later.
A few minutes later, I was putting some finishing touches on my hair when I heard Shinji.
"Asuka, dinner's ready!"
Shinji waited patiently for Asuka in the kitchen, the soft light from the candles flickering gently over the small room, throwing shadows in abstract patterns that made him think about the refractive effects that light had when seen through a glass of water-
"Shinji?"
His train of thought broken, he looked up at the sound of her voice.
And what was left of that train was completely derailed. Asuka stood there, her hair down, the A-10 neural connectors gone, allowing the locks to flow freely. She was no longer dressed as she had been when she left the room. A sleek, red dress clung to her body, the hem coming nearly to her ankles, a long slit running up one side, making for a nice mixture of modest and sexy.
Her mouth was hanging slightly open, apparently she hadn't expected this. Or had she? After all, there was absolutely no reason for her to be wearing such a nice dress for what was to be an ordinary dinner. Unless for some reason she didn't see it that way.
"Shinji, is this all…for me?"
Her voice held a note of wonder, and Shinji felt a smile coming on. He had expected anger, sarcasm, and possible violence.
He hadn't expected happiness.
She slowly approached the table, and he pulled out her chair, allowing her to sit. She gracefully took her seat, and unfolded the napkin that was placed to the side of her plate, spreading it across her lap. "So," she murmured, "what's the deal with all this?"
It was a measure of his bewilderment that she wasn't displeased that he didn't answer immediately. "I..I just wanted to say thank you for being such a good student."
She looked at him with an indescribable expression. "Well, you're an exceptional teacher, Shinji." She replied, a smile gracing her face, the candlelight highlighting her full lips and blue eyes. "You know, I've never had someone do something so nice for me.
"I've treated you like complete garbage since the day I met you, Shinji. I've done nothing even remotely nice for you, and you still have the courtesy to make me a wonderful dinner."
She took a bite of the lasagna, chewing thoughtfully. "I don't think that anyone else would have been able to stand it. You are truly an exceptional person, Shinji Ikari."
To his credit, Shinji managed to keep his jaw from falling. Sure, he had enjoyed the relatively pleasant company that she had provided him over the past couple of days, as opposed to her usual attitude, but never had he once expected her to say something like that.
Sampling his own plate, he found the lasagna good; Misato must have ordered from one of the better places in the city. He swallowed, taking a sip of water to wash it down. "Asuka, I…"
She held up a hand. "I'm not finished, Shinji," she said, some of the old fire lighting up her eyes. "I've been completely unbearable to be around since I've moved in. I've used you, and I've hurt you." A tear fell from her eye, a glittering drop that struck the tablecloth, leaving a small spot on it's otherwise pristine surface. "Why?"
It took him a second to understand what she said, her voice was little more than a whisper. "Asuka…I don't understand."
"Why are you so nice to me, Shinji?" The tears were starting to flow freely now. "Why the hell don't you hate me?"
So that was it.
Reaching across the tiny table, careful not to knock over the candle, he placed a hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Asuka, I don't hate you. I don't even dislike you." Dimly aware of anything but the sensation of her hand under his, he continued. "I think that you're a wonderful person Asuka. Underneath all that pain, all that hardship, is a great person, trying to get out.
"I'm just trying to help."
It was more than the young girl could take. That someone whom she had treated so badly could still care for her so much. Asuka leapt from her chair, knocking it over in the process, and flew into the surprised you man's arms. Shinji carefully placed one hand at the small of her back, making small circles, while the other stroked her hair. His shoulder grew wet from her tears, as she sobbed. "I-I-"
Her arms wrapped around him, holding on for dear life, as if he was the only anchor that was keeping her afloat in a raging sea of emotion. "Shhh," he murmured in her ear, holding her gently. "It's ok, Asuka. It's ok."
They remained like that long into the night.
Misato Katsuragi was feeling the pain of a long night of drinking when Kaji Ryoji dropped her off at her apartment the next day.
Entering the small apartment, she expected to find the remnants of a cooking disaster. Surprise broke through the haze as she walked into a spotless kitchen, everything put away and cleaned. There was absolutely no sign that a supposedly spineless wimp had tried to teach the great Asuka Soryu Langely how to cook.
Looking in the refrigerator for a beer, however, she found a cake. It was untouched, yet looked absolutely delicious. Taking it out, she set in on the counter, momentarily forgetting the beer.
Shinji Ikari awoke in his room, wondering if last night had been a dream.
The soft weight on his chest, and the scattering of red hair under his chin assured him that it hadn't been.
Asuka was snoring softly, her breathing deep and even. She was snuggled up against him, her body warm, and her face content. A gentle smile was on her face, and he had never seen her so beautiful as she was in that moment.
Shinji couldn't help himself. Leaning his head down, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, eliciting a sleepy mumble at having to wake up. Her eyes slowly opened, their blue depths meeting his own. Her smile grew even bigger as she gave him a squeeze, her arms wrapping around him as if her were some sort of giant teddy bear. "Good morning," she whispered, resting her head against his chest once again. "Did you sleep ok?"
Actually, he had. Used to having to drown out his thought with the drone of his DAT player, he found that he felt more rested than he had in a long time. Sleep didn't come easily to him, and last night, he was free from the nightmares that normally plagued his mind.
"Yes, Asuka-chan."
His eyes widened. He hadn't even thought about what he'd said.
His fears subsided, as she looked up once again. "That's good, Shinji-kun."
She sat up, grinning. "Come on, sleepy head! I'm hungry! You can teach me how to make waffles!"
"Sleepy-head? I woke up before you did!"
Laughing, the two made their way towards the kitchen. They entered it to find an empty cake platter, and one very asleep and content looking NERV Major, chocolate smudged around the corners of her mouth. The Children's jaws dropped as the took in the scene.
As one, they yelled. "MISATO!!!"
~The End~
Author's Notes
Well, I finally finished it, as I've promised. I wanted the ending to be happy, and for Shinji and Asuka to get together, obviously. I know that this is a rather short fic, but I'm still new as an author, and learning to flesh out my stories more than I have been. While I really want to write an epic, 40+ chapter saga, I'm simply not ready as a writer to do so yet, though I'm working on an idea for one as you read this. I really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I had no idea that this would have the feedback that it did, garnering over 70 reviews, and helping to make me a better writer.
As with most things, lots of thanks are in order. I want to thank Andris, Corvus, Phht, gbeans, and NefCanuck for helping me with this story. Their continued harassment to finish this has helped me to do so. Thanks to Danielle, my girlfriend, for being one of my chief editors. You've helped me more than you know, babe.
A very special thanks to all the reviewers. If it wasn't for all of those comments and thoughts, I probably wouldn't have been able to finish this.
A side story, mayhaps of a lemony nature, may be in the works. As for when it would be out, I can't say, as I have never written such a work before.
Last but not least, thanks to Random1377 and Lord Deatscythe, for their support and inspiration. You can find their works at www.evafics.org and www.darkscribes.org
Thank you for coming, and goodnight, ladies and gentlemen. Kumo has left the building.
