Ikari Shinji was at peace. For a brief moment, none of the madness mattered. There was just the music...
He leaned in and took the last stroke with his bow. The last note of the melody went out into the silence.
No. Not into the silence.
Into applause, someone was clapping... 'Pen Pen?' Shinji looked around for the way too clever crested penguin.
But Pen pen was still in his fridge.
Instead, Asuka stood in the doorway, clapping and for once looking at him with... Admiration? No, not quite, 'Respect' though Shinji, 'or maybe Appreciation'. He felt like a deer in the headlight...
"I did not know you play, Shinji," said the redhead dropping her purse on the table and sitting down.
'No Baka Shinji this time?' he thought, he could get used to that. He looked at her and answered: "I don't play that much anymore. But I did when I was living with my Aunt and Uncle. They were really happiest when I stuck to myself so when I asked for a Cello and lessons they agreed" He was unsure why to tell Asuka, 'sure the Great Asuka Langley Sohryu would not understand' he thought with a sad half-smile.
She shook her head "That's not a reason to stop if you like to play, Baka, do something because you want to do it" she said.
Shinji thought of that for a moment. 'Well, it can't hurt, can it?' he thought finally. He smiled a full smile "Thank you, Asuka"
"What for, stupid?" she said, again, grinning a bit. She thought for a moment "Play something for me, Shinji, please"
He could count the number of times she really said "Please" to him.
"Alright, want me to play a German piece?" he asked thinking about what to play. She nodded contently.
'Moldau' he thought. He always liked that melody and the idea of a river flowing away until it ceases to be...
Within the first few tones, Shinji was lost to the world. When he looked at Asuka again she was smiling "Shinji, that is a Czech song, it is about a Czech river"
Shinji almost started to apologise she cut him off "I did not dislike it. I liked it a lot." she trailed off.
Shinji was lost in thoughts for a while then he asked: "How was your date?"
She grinned "Turns out there was just a slight misunderstanding between Hikari and her sister" she laughed, "the guy thought and wanted to go out on a date with you..."
For a moment the apartment drowned in embarrassed silence. Then Shinji regained his ability to speak in whole sentences: "That must have been a letdown, I'm sorry. I mean for both of you. though I don't get why would he want to date me."
"Don't," said Asuka irritated "Baka, even if we had a bad time it would be Class Rep's fault, not yours, so do not apologise for what you haven't screwed up"
'huh, Asuka getting irritated on my behalf?' Shinji thought about it but she went on and cut off that train of thought...
"We had fun, Kirito San is funny, and we kicked much ass in the arcades before raiding the Class rep's snacks stash for fooling up, she makes great snacks, almost the best I got my hands on since I got to Japan" She gave him a half-smile at that... 'No way are my snacks better than the class rep's thought Shinji. After all, he got to taste a few bits of Hikari's cooking and the girl was a magician...
"still don't get why upperclassman would want to date me," said Shinji confused "is that not like really not cool? I'm a dork"
Asuka let out an honest amused laugh "Yes, Baka, but you are also a rockstar, you ride a giant fighting robot to battle against things that would have most other people shit their plugsuits..."
He blushed a bit at that and looked away "so do you, and so does Rei-chan"
She shook her head "and so Does NOT, another three billion people. You are bound to have admirers and not only girls... You think I have to fend off only boys?" she grinned.
He looked to the ground again this time blushing "Of course you would have to really look to notice, girls just are less obvious about it" she said still smirking but without any malicious quality to it.
"huh, I guess you would know," he said after a moment and started playing again. He focused on the cello almost entirely, but on the periphery, he saw Asuka sitting at the table and listening keenly.
Somehow that made music much more meaningful. 'It is not like I never had an audience' he thought. And it was technically true. His uncle would even make a point of listening to his music: Every so often. 'But he did it out of duty,' he thought as he finished another piece... 'Asuka has no need or duty to listen and pretend she likes my music'
That grounded him. He could understand why would people be grateful, or appreciate him piloting. It was him, Asuka and Rei between humanity and apocalypse.
'But there is nothing special about my music, yes it's good,' he mentally shrugged...
"...but there are better musicians" He frowned when he realised he said the last part aloud almost apologising for his rambling
"Yes, not many of them are fourteen, and even fewer have to get up, go to school, and save the world" she replied with a huff "Stop beating yourself up for not being perfect in everything..." she finished pensively... 'That's my job, Baka Shinji' she thought.
Asuka shook her head and smiled "Want some tea?" she asked looking at Shinji.
He started putting the Cello away and getting up... "Sit. I asked if you want tea, not if you make it for me" she said with a chuckle.
Shinji fought an urge to pinch himself, sure he knew that Asuka is capable of makin tea, she had to get by on the days when he had to be at Nerv, or when he was bedridden.
But for her to offer to get him any food? "Yes, I offered, now answer before I change my mind," she said still chuckling.
He nodded, still too shocked to answer with words.
After a few minutes of cursing in both Japanese, English AND German she put a NERV issue mug of black tea down on a tabouret next to Shinji's chair and huff "Dont get used to this, Third, not gonna turn into Yamato Nadeshiko or something perverted like that..."
Shinji fought off another urge to apologise and instead bowed slightly saying "Thank you".
"You are welcome, I guess," replied Asuka. She drank some tea from her own cup and kept her eyes on it for a while.
There was silence for a while, not the usual kind. Shinji was still not quite sure this was happening until he tried the tea.
It was way too bitter to drink without sugar or milk. He must have made a face because the German frowned: "You don't like black tea? And. Do. Not. Apologise. I should have asked"
Shinji stopped himself just short of blurting out an apology. He drew in air focusing on his breath. then he spoke: "I like green tea, not black. But it is fine, Asuka, it's not like I told you"
'Or like I gave enough a fuck to notice myself' she thought suddenly. 'I would not note if he started having a Yebitsu with his cereals' despite berating herself she had to grin at the idea of Shinji joining the beer for breakfast club...
She looked back at Shinji "Alright, next time I'll make you the best green tea you ever had"
"What happened to 'No Yamato Nadeshiko'?" asked Shinji smiling a shy smile as he tuned the A string on his cello...
"Not gonna turn me into a doll does not mean making bad tea on the purpose" she replied. "Definitely not to the man who makes my food and does his best at that" she matched his smile for a moment.
"Play something for me, and this time, surprise me," she said after a while.
Shinji took a gulp from his cup determined to finish it the same way he would finish an angel and thought of what to play.
He put the bow to the strings and for three minutes he went to the galaxy far far away...
When he finished he heard soft laughter, Shinji had to think for a moment before he identified to whom it belonged. 'I could stand to hear it more often' he thought...
"So you think I am Darth Vader?" Asuka asked when she could stop laughing...
Shinji gave her a horrified look "No, you are definitely not a Darth Vader" he thought for a moment about how to salvage the situation...
"Well my Father would make a good Darth Vader lookalike if someone dumped him in lava," he said almost viciously happy about the idea.
Asuka nodded placated and smirked, "that would make Vice-commander Fuyutsuki Moff Tarkin."
When Shinji remembered who did Asuka talk about, he nodded "fair enough, Damn if they had the budget I think Nerv would build the death star"
"Hell no, I don't trust your dad with the planet-killing weapon that would make us unemployed," said Asuka half-joking...
They spent some more time trying to guess who is who and arguing whether Misato or Kaji are closer to Han Solo when they heard displeased "Waark..." followed by "why is there no Yebitsu Waark"
"Sorry, Pen-Pen forgot to get it for you when I heard that Misato is going out tonight," said Shinji.
"Is it normal that I understood him perfectly?" asked Asuka and watched the penguin picking a can of tuna out of the drawler and wobbling to them
"huh, you can open the beer cans just fine, but not tuna?" asked the German incredulously...
Pen-pen pointed out the can opener glued to the can itself and shook his head. Asuka gave exasperated sight "alright I'll open it for you, don't give it to the Baka, if the brine ends on the cello, that would damage it"
both the boy and the bird gave her "you think we can't take care of ourselves look". But Pen-Pen gave over the can and Asuka quickly opened it on the table before handing it back.
Shinji gave Asuka a nervous look.
She looked back and asked "What is it, Baka" she smiled and laid back on her chair a bit "cat got your tongue?"
"No," he said when he overcome an urge to apologise 'I must not apologise for simply existing'.
"then say it whatever it is," she said somehow managing to not say it as an order. but as an encouragement.
"Who would you say I am, out of Star Wars characters?"
'He was anxious to ask that? I really screwed this up, had I?' thought Asuka
"Luke, no doubts, You are both so naive it pains. Got thrust into saving the world with no training. And way too brave and self-sacrificing for your own good" she said in one go before she could start second-guessing any of it.
"I don't think I am very brave, Asuka," said Shinji after some time thinking. "You know I tell myself 'I mustn't run away' half the time I fight?"
"And so verdamnt what, Baka Shinji?" Asuka gave him an angry look "You would be insane if you did not fear! That's what pisses me off about Wundergirl. But afraid or not you did jump after me, Disobeying direct order. Into volcano to fight gefickt monster. When I did nothing special to earn that," she finished looking at him
'And I did not give him a verdamnt Danke schön' she thought.
"I could not let you die," said Shinji finally, "not while I could do something about it,"
"You know you speak a lot like my grandfather, he got Iron cross for going back across the line in the east, and bringing back a lost company, I only learned that when I found his medals by accident," she said looking somewhere very far away "would you think he was not very brave?"
"But all I do is to follow orders," said Shinji.
"Dummy, if you only did that, I would be dead by now. When we go out there, I know I can count on you, even if Misato or your amazing father decide to write me off. Not Wundergirl. Not anyone else. You..."
There was but amazed silence for a moment that stretched on.
"And that's about as close to "thank you", as I can do, Third," she said not meeting his eyes this time
Shinji looked at her with a sheepish smile and said: "It's alright Asuka, want me to play some more music?"
'It is not alright, Baka, if the best I can do to thank you is to admit that I depend on you, then I suck at gratitude' she thought. On the outside, she nodded and tried to lose herself in the next piece Shinji picked...
'Ode to joy? Really?' she thought to herself after a moment. 'you really want to cheer me up, Baka' she thought. And it was working, somewhat at least.
'Well, maybe I can say "thank you" more proper than that' Asuka thought as the last tones of the part Shinji picked went into the silence
"Nee, Shinji, you know you were something like my knight in shiny armour, back in that volcano?" she asked managing a grin. "garish green and violet alright, but a shining armour" they both laugh a bit at that
"I'll talk to Dr Akagi if we could repaint it bright silver," said Shinji with a smile. But Asuka shook her head "No keep it the way it is"
She got up "Shinji, I really want to thank you properly, for the volcano and food and everything. But I can't I don't know enough about being nice for that" when he started opening his mouth she shut him up "No Baka, that is not alright, you are good to me like that and best I can manage is this."
"Shinji, you know what?" Asuka almost bit her lip 'You dont know if he is even interested at all, with him staring at the wunder girl all day...'
'And you are Asuka Langley Sohryu, you get things done once you start them' she made a step towards the third child.
"Asuka?" Shinji asked and set the cello on the side and got up.
She walked the three steps between them. "I said I am not good in this being nice and thanking people stuff" she snorted 'that's putting it mildly, Sohryu' she thought.
She looked Shinji in the eye and put her hand on his shoulder...
'I mustn't run away' thought Shinji and 'it's getting hot!' his right hand twitched forward.
It was just enough for Asuka to notice and trigger an entire whirl of emotions 'He is interested!' she felt a rush of blood in her cheeks 'and he is soo uneasy he won't go for it.' more blood for a different reason...
She forced herself to meet his eyes again and reprimanded herself 'good job Sohryu, you scared the pervert out of him so well he won't even touch you now without permission' she thought.
'Extreme situation, extreme measures' she reasoned and took Shinji's hand guiding it to her hip "it's definitely OK to touch me if I touched you first dummy." she said half irritated, half with fondness.
Shinji was speechless, luckily for them both, Asuka got just enough guts to keep on "Shinji, this is as best as I can say Thank you for saving me and really mean it" she said and leaned into a tentative kiss.
'Now this is not happening' though Shinji the moment before their lips met... But it definitely was happening. He felt he might fall and held onto one thing he could, Asuka...
'He is not rejecting me. He. Is. Not. Rejecting me!' thought Asuka and dive deeper into the kiss.
When she had to break off for air she found that somehow they were both holding the other now.
Shinji looked like it just started to snow outside...
"Waark!" screeched Pen-Pen and retreated into his fridge with a newspaper rolled underwing.
Asuka could have just started singing an ode to joy right at that moment. Instead, she let out a sight "We managed to not screw this up, Shinji..." she said.
And she smiled an honest happy smile. And Shinji smiled too 'may be coming to the Tokyo 3 was not only a good idea, but the best' he thought.