It's gone from daily updates to weekly… sorry…

This story has developed differently from what I originally had in mind, but it's still good. It's funny how Kensuke and Sakuya turned in to the bad guys, overshadowing even Gendo himself.

Two very pretty girls (I'm sure) have asked me if there is something between Rei and Cupid. Well, you can be sure that by the end of this story a bond would have developed between them. Perhaps Cupid could become a younger brother figure to Rei? Maybe more? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

-Chapter 20-

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*Streets of Tokyo 3*

"Hey Rei!" Cupid's voice sounded laboured.

"What is it?" Rei looked down at the action figure she was holding.

"You're squeezing too tight." He pointed to the firm grip that she held around his tiny plastic body.

Rei relaxed her hold. "I am sorry."

"It's okay."

Rei continued walking on the way to her apartment, but then the small figure spoke out again.

"Hey Rei, isn't that the guy you shot down before?"

The blue haired girl looked up and saw that it was indeed the boy who had asked her out the previous week.

"Goro." She said simply.

"Ahh, so that's his name." The little figure grinned. "Why don't you call him over?"

"I do not wish to speak to him." Replied Rei.

"You're so uptight, here, let me." Before Rei could respond, the little figure that was Cupid whistled loudly.

Of course, it got the boy's attention, and he soon spotted Rei and began to make his way over to her.

"Why did you do that?" She asked quietly.

"Just having some fun." He replied.

Any further questioning was cut by the arrival of the boy.

"Hey Rei!"

"Hello."

"What's up?" The boy asked her.

She looked at him in a weird way, probably thinking that the question was literal.

"Err, what are you up to?" He corrected himself.

"I am on my way home." She replied stoically.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I'm holding you up."

"It would be best if my journey is not interru-" She was cut off as sharp pain suddenly started coursing through the palm of her hand. Looking down she saw that the small action figure had pinched her.

Goro followed her gaze down to the "toy" which she held.

"I didn't know you were in to that kind of stuff."

Rei didn't reply.

---

*Katsuragi Apartment*

Two figures could be seen as they made their way towards the exit at the end of a dimmed hallway.

"I'll see you later then?"

"Bet on it." Misato winked as she led Kaji to the door.

The man grinned, still not having grasped the events that had recently transpired fully.

"Bye." He said finally as he walked out and Misato closed the door behind him. She was smiling softly.

She was still smiling as she entered the living room.

"Hey Shinji!" She said cheerfully as she saw him sitting on the couch.

Shinji was startled and looked up at Misato. "Oh, hey. I didn't see you there."

"I can see." Her smile fell slightly. "What are you thinking about?"

"It's something Asuka told me. Well, something she asked me actually." He replied.

"Want to talk about it?"

"I could use some advice." Shinji told her quietly.

Misato sat besides him and turned to face the boy. She wore a calm and understanding expression on her face, giving the over-all impression that she was here to listen and not to judge.

"What's troubling you, Shinji?" She finally asked him, breaking the awkward silence.

He was silent for a moment, choosing the words he would use.

"Asuka asked me if… if I love her." He said finally.

"Do you?" Misato frowned slightly. Although at first she didn't approve of the way Asuka had changed her feeling towards Shinji, at one point she had come to realize that they were indeed genuine.

"I… I'm not sure."

"Shinji, you either do or you don't." Misato told him sternly. "Asuka's a nice girl, you wouldn't want to hurt her."

"I know." He said solemnly. "But it's just so confusing."

"Love is always confusing." Misato said gently.

Shinji looked up at her with an expression that said: 'You really aren't helping.'

Misato sighed. "I'll tell you what."

Shinji was paying attention again.

"Try and imagine yourself without her," she grinned. "You'll find your answer then."

Saying no more, the purple haired woman stood up and exited the room.

'Myself without Asuka?' Shinji questioned himself.

---

*Suzahara Residence*

Touji was stealthily making his way to the front door, obviously attempting to sneak out of the house.

"Where are you going?" The stern voice from behind startled him.

"Ahh!" Touji spun around. "Dad, what are you doing there?"

"You still haven't answered my question."

The jock looked uncomfortable for a moment. "I was going to visit Mari in the hospital." He said honestly.

"I your current condition; I cannot allow it." His father told him.

"But, I promised!" Touji took a large step forward, quickly regretting his actions, as his "groin" was still to recover fully. He gasped. "I promised I'd visit her today!"

"I'm sorry son, not today." His father understood how his son felt. "Don't worry though, I'll go and see her and tell her why you can't come."

As Touji disappointedly made his way back to his room, he had a single thought running through his head.

"Kensuke my old friend, I'm going to put you through a world of hurt when I get out of here." He said to no one in particular is he closed the door behind himself.

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*Katsuragi Residence*

Asuka had just got out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her body, and was heading back in to her room to put some clothes on. She was startled when she opened the door.

"Shinji!" She gasped.

"Um, Hi."

"What are you doing in my room?"

"I wanted to tell you something." He answered quietly.

"I'm sure that it could wait till after I'm dressed." She paused and then grinned.

"Oh, I get it now." She said slyly.

"Huh. What?" Shinji was surprised.

"You wanted to have some fun with me, didn't you?" She grinned even more when he started blushing.

"W-WHAT!?"

"Oh, don't lie to me Shinji." She teased. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"B-But-" He was cut off as she promptly made her way over to him and pushed him on to the bed.

"You picked a great time Shinji." She smiled. "I couldn't have been any more in the mood."

"B-But." He kept on stuttering.

She kept on talking as she positioned herself over him. "Although there are better ways to tell a girl, I'm surprised at your boldness."

"But… I…"

Her smile broadened, and that's when Shinji regained his senses.

"W-Will you get SERIOUS FOR A MOMENT?!" He finally yelled.

Asuka stopped dead in her tracks. "Fine." She got of him and sat down, soon Shinji sat up as well.

"Thank you." Shinji said after a while.

Asuka grinned. "You need to relax more, you know that?

Shinji actually laughed at this. "You don't have to make it so hard for me." Asuka joined him as well, and they both shared a good-hearted laugh.

"So, what was it that you had to say to me?"

"I've done some thinking." Shinji said.

The seconds rolled by. "And?" It was Asuka who prompted him to continue.

"I just wanted to tell you that I do."

"Do what?" Asuka wasn't sure what he meant.

"I love you."

This she had not expected.

"Y-You do?" She asked hopefully.

Shinji just nodded with a smile.

"Really?"

"Really."

The boy gasped as the wind was knocked out from him when the red head pulled him in to a tight embrace.

"I knew that-that you wouldn't let me down." She said in between sobs.

Was she crying? Did Shinji's love really mean so much to her? It warmed his heart to know that there was someone who cared for him like this.

"You don't know how much this means to me."

Shinji returned the hug, but soon pulled himself away from her.

"It's the least I could do." He smiled again.

Asuka however, needed to hear no more, and she grabbed a hold of his collar and again, pulled him in to one of her aggressive and passionate kisses.

During this rather intimate encounter, the towel draped around Asuka's naked body began to slide off, and because the two teens were so engrossed in their kiss, neither one noticed.

Misato walked in to the room.

"Hey you two, what's all the noise abo…" She trailed off as she saw the state Asuka was in.

"What in the hell are you two doing?!" She shouted.

-To be Continued-

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I'm again sorry for the long delay. I have been… busy. For some reason I don't think this chapter had the same feel as the previous ones, is this the case or is it just me?

Anyway, in the next chapter the Eva pilots will be going back to school, and the long awaited confrontation between Asuka and Sakuya *might* happen. I'm not promising anything though.

Well, Till laterz!