"This is my first attempt at writing anything (fanfiction-wise) in two years, so go easy on me. I suppose this could be an ongoing project if people like it, but I can get very busy at times so don't hold me to that."

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I merely use what's available to me.

A/N: This chapter was, more or less, the beast I had predicted it would be. I scrapped four previous versions of it. If anything seems… off, forgive me.

Warm My Heart

Chapter Four: "A Moment Alone"

-----------------------

Her lips upon his. Her flesh against his flesh. Her embrace enveloping him, bringing forth each and every emotion the boy felt for her. The one reaction he had least expected now lingered in his mind.

'Thank you.'

Asuka had, in that brief moment of passion, be it born of physical desire or longing for another, revealed to him what she had revealed to no other. She had given herself to him then. All that she was. In that kiss, Shinji had found warmth, he found trust, and he had found… love?

'She couldn't… Not me.' He thought, 'She needs someone. Anyone. If I run away now, what will she think of me?'

Still, she had said his name. Not only had she said his name, but she did so in the sweetest, most sincere voice he had ever heard. That voice was the most pleasant sound he could think of. She hadn't pushed him away, and for this he was thankful.

Shinji was torn between his desire to flee and his desire to be with her, right there, regardless of the consequences. She would probably return to her normal, loud self in the morning, but the Asuka before him now was quiet, subdued.

She was trembling slightly. So was he. He was just as nervous as she was. This hadn't been their first kiss, but it was different from their previous attempt. The kiss the two shared was pure, innocent. It was honest and unrestrained. Her lips had made no effort to resist. Neither had his.

There they were, sitting together on her bed locked in an embrace neither wanted to break, and they were strangely happy.

At some point, the girl had decided that lying down on the bed is much more comfortable than sitting up on it. Shinji agreed. Pulling him down with her, she rested Shinji on his back and laid down beside him, still clinging to the boy. He was sharing a bed with none other than Asuka Langley Sorhyu; the most beautiful woman on earth, snuggled against him, depending on him for warmth. Little did she know, he depended upon her for the same. Shinji closed his eyes.

'This is nice. She can sure be pleasant company when she isn't yelling.'

'You don't mind her company, even if she IS yelling.'

Shinji chuckled.

'I don't mind her at all. She's… warm. Yes. Asuka is warm.' He decided.

'She's even warmer insi-'

The boy shook his head rapidly. He wanted her, bad, and he could feel it. Shinji only prayed that she didn't.

Or maybe he hoped that she did. It was one of his greatest weaknesses. No other excited him like she did. The simplest things she did seemed fascinating to him. Over time, Shinji had come to appreciate these things. There was no denying that he felt for her. Not that he wanted to deny it.

"Asuka, I…" he whispered. Shinji was trembling again. He was nervous. The words that hadn't managed to escape his lips before were trying to do so yet again. His heart beat rapidly, and he was unsure. Those three simple words were, ironically, the hardest thing for him to say, immediately following her name.

She had shifted slightly, pulling herself up, her head and upper body now on top of him.

It took him a few seconds to realize that he might need to defend himself, however, and he opened his eyes. She was asleep. It was both a relief and a dagger to his heart. He probably wasn't ready after all, but it could wait.

Looking down at the girl now resting against his chest, he took a moment to gaze. It wasn't often that he was allowed to view Asuka sleeping, to see her sleeping so peacefully. He enjoyed this considerably. The only problem was that she slept on him, which gave him very few options regarding how the rest of the night would play out.

'Maybe I should wake her up… Nah.'

The last thing Shinji wanted to think about was leaving her, but seeing as they had only just begun to explore their feelings, he felt it would be best to move slowly. Sharing a bed was a step he wasn't exactly ready to take. Not yet, at least. He soon found himself thinking about her again, namely, about her body. Risking death at her hands, he trailed his down her side, reaching her waist. From there, he continued down. Somehow, his hands found their way to the girl's posterior. Why or how he had done this was a mystery. He thought he could see a smile start to form on her lips, but he didn't pursue this any further.

Shinji wasn't normally one to stare death in the face, not outside of Unit-01 at least, but he took great pleasure in being able to touch her like this.

'I'll think of it… as a test.' He told himself.

Seconds later, he abruptly withdrew his hands, placing them on the bed.

'I'm taking advantage of this situation… She'd think I was even more perverted.' Shinji convinced himself. He knew that touching her was something not many people were allowed to get away with unharmed. She had allowed him to hold her, but even a simple deviation could turn a peaceful Asuka into the purest form of anger that ever walked the planet.

'Still… She is warm.' He thought, smiling. This had been one interesting night for the Children. He didn't know when it would happen again, or if it ever would, but with the memory of this night, he could die happy.

Almost.

Being careful not to wake the redhead, Shinji gently slid out from under her, taking care to rest her gently on the bed once he was free. She had fidgeted several times, but she was still asleep. Picking up the plate on which the now cold meal remained, he tiptoed to the door and made his exit.

Turning around to glance at her once more, he saw the way the moonlight accented her features. Her lips, mainly. Shinji couldn't take his eyes off of her. Something in him wished that she would awaken so that he could look into her eyes once more.

"Goodnight, Asuka… my sweet."

Why he chose such a corny phrase to end his sentence, he didn't know. At this point, he didn't care. All he could think about was her. The girl that he had fallen in love with. Asuka Langley Sohryu.

-----------------------

For once, Asuka put aside all inhibitions and dove in head first. The feeling was something she could learn to enjoy. She only hoped that he would give her the chance. After the abuse he had been subjected to, both from her and from being the pilot of Unit-01, she wouldn't blame him if he chose to run away. Asuka hadn't asked him if he wanted to kiss her. She had thought about it several times since the first kiss they shared. Frankly, the thought of trying again frightened her. She was to blame for the result of the kiss. In all honesty, she loved the feeling of his lips against hers. Even if the kiss had been awkward, Asuka had taken pleasure in it. That's what scared her the most.

It killed her inside to see him suffer. Watching him suffer alone just made it hurt even more. The way he treated himself and constantly found himself at fault drove the girl absolutely nuts. Shinji was better than her. He had bested her before, and she was sure that he could do it again. Why he thought so little of himself, she didn't know.

For a while, she was angry. Wimpy Shinji Ikari had topped her score. He had excelled, and she was left behind.

Asuka didn't know what scared her more: the fact that Shinji had beaten her, or the fact that he no longer depended on her. It was similar to the feeling that overwhelmed her as Rei and Shinji were able to synchronize their movements on the mat, while she wasn't able to match Shinji. She had blamed it on him, but she had the feeling that it was her who was inadequate. Seeing that her theory was being proven correct, Asuka stormed out. Rei had been able to do what she couldn't, and it hurt.

Of course, the girl didn't go far.

Stopping at the convenience store close by, she looked for something to fill her empty stomach. God only knows why he was there, following her. Hikari had probably made him do it.

Asuka couldn't say that she didn't want him around. She wanted more than anything to be close to him, but being alone with him on that rooftop was more than she expected him to do for her.

'Damn pride.'

'You always had to be the best.'

'Synch ratios aren't everything.'

'Oh? Then why does his score even matter?'

'It's not about his score…'

'Exactly.'

Thinking back, it was hard to remember any pleasant memories associated with her coming out on top. Every time she did, Shinji was first to be on the receiving end of her boasting. He didn't seem to mind hearing all about how she was a better pilot than he. In fact, he seemed to enjoy hearing her go on about how she was the best. In the past few weeks, the boy had been spending more and more time just listening to her. She didn't know the reason, but she agreed to talk. Perhaps out of pity. Perhaps there was another reason. A reason she didn't quite understand.

It was never about his score. Indeed, it was because Asuka feared that Shinji would find her useless. In a strange way, Asuka depended on him. In a strange way, Asuka needed him.

Her dreams had a funny way of coming true. The nightmares, she hoped, would be a different story.

For now, however, she was content to be held by him. It wasn't the most amazing thing she had experienced, but being alone was something she didn't wish to be.

Growing tired, Asuka pulled him down with her as she came to rest on the bed. It had been a long evening, and the fatigued girl could think of no better way to bring it to an end. It was her way of showing that she trusted him. Hopefully he would pick up on this.

"Asuka, I…" he spoke.

She drew closer and found herself resting on his chest. It didn't bother her that her breasts were pushed up against him. She was either too tired to care or enjoying the effect it had on the boy. His heart was beating quickly, his breath was erratic. He couldn't say something. Something that she felt he had been wanting to tell her for a long time now. It was to be expected from Shinji, and she would wait for him, until he was ready.

The feeling of his hands down her sides was unexpected.

'Pervert.' She thought, but allowed him to continue. He stopped at her waist. Asuka was slightly disappointed.

Her disappointment was promptly replaced by surprise as she felt his hands on her rear. The fact that Shinji had done this assuming she was asleep infuriated the redhead. The fact that he had actually done it, however, amused her. She hoped he hadn't caught her smile. Her cheeks were burning, but he couldn't know that she was enjoying this. Not yet, at least. She wasn't ready for him yet, but she would be. His touch was gentle. He was trembling. Maybe he wasn't quite ready either.

As much as Asuka had wanted to pin him to the bed, she allowed him to slide out from under her. He was gentle, she noted, as he did his best not to disturb her. Shinji was oblivious to the fact that she was still awake. Feeling cold again, she immediately regretted allowing him to leave. She wanted so much to get up and drag him back, but it was too soon. Sleeping together was a step the two would have to make together. A step some take too fast, and end up worse off later on. For now, she would allow him to escape.

Asuka could have sworn she heard him say something to her before the door slid shut. She replied only after she was sure he couldn't hear.

"Goodnight Shinji… my sweet."

It seemed rather cliché to her, but it was Shinji. All she could think about was him. The boy she was slowly falling for. Shinji Ikari.

-----------------------

Misato was concerned. The children under her care were, without a doubt, two of the most confusing people she had ever known. Shinji was quiet and serious, normally not willing to engage in conflict. Asuka was loud and brash, often the cause of conflict.

What worried her now was the absence of yelling. She was almost certain Asuka would have torn Shinji's head off and left him in pieces on the ground, but she heard no shouting yet. It grew late, and curiosity got the better of her.

She was well aware of Shinji's feelings for Asuka. Anyone who spent as much time with them as she did would have noticed it as well. The prospect of having them actually get along for once thrilled her. Shinji needed it, after all. He had been alone for so long, and he had gone without so much. She had tried to be a mother to him, although he ended up taking care of her. She drank too much. Everyone knew this. Some mother she was. The boy was too mature for his age, a quality of his, but also something that she wished to change. Nobody his age should have to go through what he had been through, to see what he had seen. His father had abandoned him. His mother had died long ago. Now his father was calling him back to save the world. Yet, through all this, he had been able to smile. Shinji had made friends and lived a fairly normal life outside of his NERV-related duties. He had seemed happy, but still, he was alone.

Perhaps it was the loss of his mother.

Misato had known her parents, and even though the relationship wasn't ideal, it had existed.

Asuka was similar to Shinji, in a way. Her mother had taken her own life, believing the doll that hung next to her was Asuka. She had, at such a young age, experienced a living hell. No child should have to live with the memories Asuka carried with her. Such things weren't normal. Such things seemed so wrong. This, Misato reasoned, was the fate of the pilots. All had lost something at some point. In Shinji's case, as in Asuka's, a mother.

Perhaps this was the reason she had taken them both in. Misato never actually considered having children of her own, but her maternal desire led her to bring Shinji into her home. Soon after, she was given the chance to accept Asuka as well. The result was less than desirable.

Instead of warming up to one another, Asuka pushed Shinji away. Shinji, in turn, backed down. She hadn't realized it then, but these were two flaws that kept the children from opening up to one another. The blame was on her shoulders and her shoulders alone.

Every time it seemed as though one was getting through to the other, an angel would split them once again. Such was the fate of the pilots, Misato reasoned.

She wasn't exactly sure when Shinji had begun to take interest in the girl, but at some point, he had resolved to grow close to the Second Child. The woman admired him. He put his life at risk every time he stepped into the plug to defeat an angel, and when he stepped out of the plug, he threw himself before Asuka. Misato knew that the girl's verbal assaults had an effect on the Shinji that impeded his progress greatly, but lately, he seemed to enjoy being told that he was only second best. The amount of abuse he put up with was a testament to his character, as well as to the amount of love he had for her. Even if it meant a lifetime of being told that he wasn't good enough, he wouldn't back down from her. He wouldn't be lonely, even if it meant being hurt by the one he felt so much for.

It was obvious by now. Shinji Ikari was in love with Asuka Langley Sohryu. Misato had figured it out. Would Asuka?

Rolling over, she pulled herself from the futon. Making sure she was clothed properly, the woman slid her door open gently.

There was Shinji, standing outside Asuka's door, looking in. He was smiling.

"Goodnight Asuka… my sweet." He said.

Misato resisted the urge to run to him and trap the boy in a bear hug.

'All that worrying for nothing. I guess it was only a matter of time.'

Considering the possible scenarios that now played out in her mind, she grew concerned.

'They wouldn't move that fast…'

'Still, it'd be best to have a chat with them later on.'

Misato couldn't help but giggle. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day for the residents of the Katsuragi household.

-----------------------

Continued…

-----------------------

A/N: If this chapter seemed more fluffy than the others, I succeeded. If it didn't, that's okay. It turned out a bit shorter than I had anticipated. School consumed more time than I would have preferred, leaving me with less in which to write. I apologize. The last few days have been quite frustrating, I hope you can understand.

I wanted to explore a more relaxed side of each character. It was another one of my random decisions, as four previous versions of this chapter were scrapped, and I didn't want to make this project one gigantic downward spiral. The length of this fiction has yet to be determined. I like working without such limitations.

I might have taken a liberty or two with the personalities of Shinji and Asuka, but I'm allowed to do that at least once… Aren't I?

Consider this the "calm before the storm."

- Panda