"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: I had an idea of where this chapter would be headed when I finished the previous chapter, but certain things have led me to reconsider. We'll see how it goes. Thanks to the reviewers, much love.

Warm My Heart

Chapter Five: "A Kiss"

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Shinji felt a strange sense of déjà vu as he surveyed the scene before him. Asuka was sitting at the table, looking at him, watching him. She had come home from a date with some guy she obviously had no interest in. Misato was out drinking with Kaji. The Children would have the place to themselves for a while. He wasn't sure whether it was her presence that made him uncomfortable or the fact that they were the only ones there, excluding Pen-Pen. They were the only humans there.

She tapped her finger on the table and spoke; "Hey Shinji, do you want to kiss?"

He removed the earbud and turned to look at her. "What?"

"A kiss. A kiss?" she said, "You've never kissed, have you?"

He could only nod. The boy wasn't sure where the idea had come from, but since they were alone, he didn't press the issue. Kissing Asuka wasn't such a bad prospect, but why would she kiss him?

"Let's do it then." She spoke.

He could only respond by asking her why.

"Because I'm bored." Asuka replied.

Shinji hardly saw that as grounds for doing something such as kissing. Kissing was something two people did to show affection, to show that they cared and trusted one another. Asuka wasn't one to show affection for anyone except Kaji, nor was it like her to care about him, much less trust him. This entire situation both confused and thrilled the boy, and discretion was giving way to curiosity.

"Why?"

Asuka was a persistent girl.

"You don't want to kiss a girl on the anniversary of your mother's death?"

'You just had to bring my mother into this, didn't you?' he thought.

"Afraid she may be watching you from Heaven?" she added.

'If only I knew she was watching over me from Heaven. It'd be nice to have a guardian angel.'

"Not really."

Turning her body to face him, she pursued the issue. "Or are you scared?"

'Of you? No. Of what you do to me… and what I want to do to you… Yes.'

"I'm not scared of a little kiss!" he replied. Shinji wondered if she noticed that he was shaking. Slightly. He was shaking. Of course he was afraid.

He was afraid of what she would do to him, of what she would say. He was afraid that she would leave him. After all, a kiss was a showing of affection, of caring and trust. She didn't care about him. She didn't trust him.

Unfortunately for him, he cared for her. He trusted her. It was his undeniable truth.

"You brushed your teeth, didn't you?" she asked. He nodded.

"Then here I go."

She stood before him and leaned in closer, he followed suit. Asuka began to close the gap between them, stopping suddenly.

'Maybe… she's just as nervous as I am?' he thought, 'Did she expect me to back down?'

He opened his eyes to find hers staring back at him. Her face was inches away from his.

"Don't breathe, it tickles." She whispered, surprising him when she clamped his nose shut and pressed her lips to his.

Shinji was in heaven. Her lips were soft. Her lips were warm. Her breath tickled him, but he wouldn't dare do to her what she was doing to him. He wouldn't move to touch her. Not when she was kissing him. The feeling was absolutely electrifying to the boy. Asuka was kissing him, and he did his best to return it. Still, he couldn't breathe.

As the moment drew on, Shinji began to notice that his lungs were desperately in need of oxygen. The feeling of being unable to breathe is one that frightened him, but he didn't move. He wanted this to last for as long as possible. He thought she would realize him turning all sorts of strange colors. She didn't.

Suddenly, he pulled away. Being able to take no more, he gasped, filling his lungs with much needed air. He sighed in relief.

She ran.

Asuka ran from him.

He looked to the hallway entrance, wondering what was going on. The sound of running water and then her gargling gave him an idea. He put two and two together.

'She… feels unclean. Unclean because she kissed me.'

Shinji's heart sank. For an instant, it was as if Asuka was enjoying the kiss. That was, until he pulled away. He couldn't help it.

He heard her yell from the bathroom; "Definitely NOT something to do to kill time!"

Shinji found himself walking. He moved swiftly toward the bathroom, finding the girl bent over the sink.

He couldn't stop himself. Any and all control he had was now lost. This feeling was dreadfully familiar, and he was afraid.

'No… This isn't what I want.'

'What do you want, Shinji?'

'I don't want this.'

'Of course you do.'

'I don't want to hurt her.'

'You want to. You want her to suffer as you have suffered.'

'I don't want her to suffer.'

He grabbed her wrist, pulling roughly, turning her so that she was facing him..

"Shinji! What the hell are you do-"

The defiant look on her face only served to infuriate him more. Shinji wasn't sure why he was doing this. He didn't want to hurt her. The boy grabbed her wrists, pinning her to the wall. He pressed his lips to hers, but there was no real love in this union, only desire. This was his cry for help, in which he pleaded for something, anything that resembled love. Her lips remained tense as she attempted to push him away, but was unable to do so. Despite his thin frame, Shinji possessed more strength than she did.

Shinji continued to kiss the unwilling girl, who was now whimpering in his arms, and he began to ease his hold on her. This, he found, was a mistake. Asuka wrenched one arm free, and then another. She saw the opportunity and struck him. The blow connected with his cheek, sending him falling backwards onto the floor.

He reacted quickly, reaching out and grabbing her wrist once again, holding her in place.

"Let go. Let go of my arm. NOW!" she yelled, trying to free her arm from his grasp.

"Asuka…"

She continued to struggle, ordering him to let go, threatening to give him the beating of the century. Her threats were hollow, he knew.

His reaction shocked even him. With all of his strength, he pulled her down onto the floor beside him and pinned her down. To quiet her screams, he slammed his lips against hers a second time with such force that he tasted blood. Shinji found his hands pressing against her throat to keep her from , his fingers wrapped tightly around the girl's neck as he continued to kiss her. In response, she dug her fingernails into his arm. It hurt, but he couldn't stop. Not now.

Shinji felt an odd sense of pride as he felt the redhead's lips tense and relax, only to tense up again when he moved against her. He was in control of the situation, not Asuka. Shinji Ikari had beaten Asuka at her own game. She was his prey, and he was beginning to enjoy it.

The boy failed to notice the girl's choked cries until she began to writhe under him. Her screams were muffled by his lips, and he found that his body would not move. Shinji's satisfaction was soon replaced by panic.

'Why… Why am I doing this?'

'Because it is what you want.'

'This isn't what I want. I don't want to harm her.'

'But it is. You want her to suffer as you have suffered.'

'She already HAS suffered.'

'Indeed, she has.'

'This isn't real… This can't be real…'

Shinji felt her arms loosen their grip on his, blood flowing from the punctured skin where her fingernails had broken through. She struggled no more. Asuka had given up. A single tear rolled down her cheek, and he moved to brush it away, finally removing a hand from her neck.

'It's… cold.' He thought as the bead of liquid made contact with his skin.

Suddenly, he realized that her flesh was just as cold. It was oddly pale. Deathly pale. He remained motionless as he stared at his hands.

He was a killer. She was his victim. It wasn't right at all, and he felt like crying, but no tears would come.

'Asuka is… Asuka…'

'She's dead. Gone. You killed her.'

'No… No!'

'You killed Asuka. You knew she couldn't give you what you desired, but you chose to disregard her feelings. Now she is gone, and you are to blame.'

'What have I done?'

"Asuka." He whispered, staring into her eyes, waiting for some sign of life. Any sign of life. He, of course, found none.

Shinji gently wrapped his arms around the Second Child's limp body. He had no idea of what to do next, so he remained there with her. Grief settled in, but still no tears would come.

A distant voice called to him. That voice beckoned once again. Somewhere, a soft, feminine voice spoke his name. The world around him became dark, the girl in his arms and the walls around him vanished. The floor beneath him gave way, and he found himself falling.

Shinji grunted as the back of his head came into contact with something solid and flat. Sitting up, he rubbed the aching area. Sheets were wrapped around his legs, and it took him a second to realize that he was on the floor.

"A dream." Shinji sighed.

The fact that he had dreamt of such a thing frightened him. It was similar to the dream he had the night before, except this time, he was the aggressor. The kiss, however, was a pleasant memory. The real kiss, at least.

Noticing the time, he began to crawl back into bed, stopping when he heard the voice again; the voice that had taken him from his nightmare. It was faint, but he was sure that he heard his name. Deciding to investigate further, Shinji tiptoed to his door, slid it open, and moved into the hallway. Misato was snoring again. It couldn't have been her. That left Asuka.

His mind was playing tricks on him. The thought of her calling to him in her sleep was absurd. He was thoroughly convinced that such an event would signal the coming of the apocalypse. Shinji debated whether or not he would actually mind if the world ended… if she had his name on her lips. It was when he heard the voice yell his name that he recognized the voice. It was Asuka, without a doubt. She yelled his name. He was quite confused.

He proceeded with caution, not wanting to make his presence known. Sliding the door just enough to look in, he was surprised by the girl yet again..

"Shin… ji?"

There she was, sitting up on her bed, a sheet wrapped around her figure. It looked like she had been crying again, but he couldn't tell for sure. There was obviously no excuse for this one.

"A.. Asuka? D-Did you need something?" he squeaked. For some reason, standing at her door made him more apprehensive than sitting in the plug, awaiting an attack.

She didn't respond. Instead, she stared at him. He didn't expect what he found in her eyes.

'Fear?'

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

Asuka thought this seemed familiar. She came home from a date with that… jerk. He was boring and a jerk. She couldn't stand the combination.

Hearing Shinji playing the cello wasn't something she was used to. His music seemed calm, yet urgent. The music he produced flowed so smoothly. Asuka waited, enjoying the notes, until she decided that it was time she get out of the hallway and make her presence known.

She clapped. The look on her face showed none of the real appreciation she had for his talent, but it was the most she could do. Complimenting him was hard enough. His playing was really quite good, even if he said that he had no talent. She thought he did, at least.

"Well, perseverance is power." She said, "I'm sort of impressed."

"I started because my teacher told me to, so I could have quit at any time." He replied.

Asuka knew where this was heading.

"Then why did you keep playing?"

"Because nobody told me to stop, I guess."

'Typical Shinji'

"I should have known."

She walked into the room, sat down, and fell back so that she was resting on the floor. He went on to say that she was back early. Asuka wasn't sure why she was even talking to him, considering that she didn't have to reply at all. She did, however, and she felt strangely comfortable in doing so. She explained the events briefly, saying that her date was boring, and that she left him while he was in line. He commented on how it didn't seem too nice.

'Always thinking of someone else when I'm thinking about him.' She thought, '… My god, what new lows have I sunk to? Shinji of all people…'

She had to react.

"Really though, Kaji is the only real man around here!"

Shinji put the instrument back in its case and clasped it shut. Asuka was slightly upset, as she wanted to hear him play a little more. She had, after all, spoken to him without calling him an idiot.

Although he was done playing for the night, she knew he was going to cook dinner for them. This was something she actually looked forward to. While she didn't always enjoy Japanese cuisine, he would sometimes surprise her with something delightfully tasty. Shinji was a cook and a musician. He was also the pilot of an evangelion. A strange combination. A strange individual. Not too much unlike herself. Asuka sniffed the air and could tell that tonight's meal wouldn't fail to please her. When she thought about it, he was good for a lot of things.

'Did I actually enjoy talking to him?' she thought, 'I mean… It's Shinji.'

Asuka pondered exactly what she thought of her roommate. After all this time, they had learned to stand one another most of the time, although they weren't the best of friends. In truth, they avoided each other frequently in order to keep whatever peace was between them. For this reason, they ate in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, but a comfortable one. It was usually like this when Misato wasn't present, as the two rarely had something to talk about that took precedence over dinner. Shinji looked like he had something on his mind. Asuka hoped she didn't.

'I hate it when he just sits there thinking. What the hell is he thinking about?' She took another bite, 'Doesn't he have anything to say?'

'He looks so… peaceful.' She suddenly wanted to think about something else. Anything else. Anything but Shinji.

'I don't know what this is…' Asuka thought, looking down at the bowl in front of her, 'but it's good.'

She contemplated thanking him, but reasoned that it was his duty to provide her with nothing but the best. He always pulled it off. The funny thing about him was that he would never cook she disliked out of spite when they had a particularly nasty conflict. She would yell at him, he would apologize and go to his room, she would go to hers. Later, she would come out and find him putting forth his best effort to produce something that would please her. Perhaps it was an offering of peace, perhaps it was another way for him to apologize yet again, perhaps he was showing her that she didn't really get to him that much. The third seemed very unlikely, but it was a possibility. The redhead began to eat quickly.

'Any more of this silence and I might be tempted to speak to him again.'

After consuming the remaining food in front of her, she slid the chair back and went to her room. It was a good time for a shower, and it'd probably do well to get her mind off of certain things. Namely, a certain person. Grabbing whatever was lying around, she found clothes and made her way to the bathroom.

She slid the door shut and locked it, placing her clothes on the counter. The shower was her retreat.

Turning the knob and allowing the water to warm, Asuka removes her clothing. Standing before the mirror, she looks at herself. Checking for any imperfections, she turns to one side and then to the other, a moment of vanity, but it satisfied her. Finding none, she steps away from the mirror and moves into the shower. The warm water rushing over her skin relaxes the girl.

'Perfect, as always.'

Going about the regular routine of washing herself, Asuka's thoughts turn toward the boy once again.

'He's an idiot, but he's talented.'

'He's dull, yet he fascinates me.'

'He's Shinji, what's so… attractive about him?'

"Ugh."

The shower wasn't doing much in terms of clearing her mind. Her body was relaxed, but she remained in a constant state of thought. Sleep relieved her of thought. Sleep was her sanctuary. Sleep, however, meant nightmares.

Asuka stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel. Red was hers, obviously. She dried off before slipping on undergarments, followed by a yellow shirt and a pair of shorts. Draping the towel around her neck, she slid the door open and then the divider. Shinji was on the phone with someone, probably Misato.

"Yes… Okay, later." He said.

"Was that Misato?" she asked.

"Yes, she said that she'll be out late and not to wait up for her."

'The hell? She's out with Kaji…'

"What! Don't tell me she's not coming back until tomorrow morning!"

A night alone with Shinji. The last thing she needed now.

"No way, she's with Mr. Kaji."

'Sometimes I wonder just how dense he is.'

"What are you, stupid? That's WHY!"

He blinked twice and then flushed red. This surprised Asuka. She knew he wasn't very knowledgeable when it came to adult relationships, but the fact that this surprised him after living around the woman was something she didn't quite expect.

'He's either very sheltered or very dumb,' she thought, 'and I think I'll go with the latter.'

Shinji cleaned the table and washed the dishes. A rather routine evening.

The time immediately following their dinner was quite uneventful. Shinji had retrieved his SDAT player and some magazines from his room before sitting down in the doorway and remaining there. Asuka took a seat at the table and could think of nothing to do, so she just sat. Eventually, she laid her head down and turned to look at the boy sitting a few feet from her.

'Here we go with the silence again. I wonder if he knows how much it bugs me when he just sits there thinking while I'm over here-'

'Thinking about him?'

'Thinking about him? Ha… Oh.'

'Bingo.'

'I just wish he'd say something to me every now and then, for no reason at all. Conversation with him isn't all that bad.'

'C'mon, just kiss him.'

'WHAT! Kiss him? Why in the hell would I want to do THAT?'

'Because you want to.'

'I don't want to kiss him.'

'Oh, but you do.'

'Why would I want to kiss him!'

'Because you're bored.'

'Good point. But how do I get him to kiss me?'

'You ask him.'

'Why would he accept?'

'Because he wants to kiss you. Either way, you're Asuka Langley Sohryu. You get what you want, when you want it, by any means necessary.'

'I… suppose that's true.

'So go on. Ask him.'

She tapped her finger on the table and then spoke, unsure of why she was doing this but determined to see it through none the less. "Hey Shinji, do you want to kiss?"

'My god, did I just ask him? Did I REALLY just ask him?'

He turned to look at her and replied. "What?"

Either Shinji hadn't heard her clearly or he was in disbelief.

"A kiss. A kiss? You've never kissed, have you?" She spoke.

Shinji nodded. The fact that they were alone in an apartment, other than Pen-Pen, that is, enabled her to loosen up a little. She wasn't as nervous as she was when the idea first popped into her mind, but she still felt uneasy about actually doing it.

'The sooner, the better.'

"Let's do it then."

The look of disbelief again.

He stammered. "Why?"

'Because I'm in love with you.'

'I most CERTAINLY AM NOT!'

'Because I want to kiss you.'

'I don't want to kiss him.'

'Because I need you.'

'I don't need anyone.'

'Because I'm bored.'

'That'll do. God, what's wrong with me today?'

"Because I'm bored." She answered, trying her best to sound sure of herself. He couldn't know that she had her doubts as to whether or not this was a good idea, and she would have told him to forget that she even asked if it weren't for that nagging in her head.

"Just because you're bored? That's your reason?" he questioned. Shinji had a habit of asking questions instead of what was taking what was offered to him freely. Asuka found herself slightly upset that he didn't willingly throw himself at her. After all, she was perfect. Any other guy would jump at the prospect of lip locking her at a second's notice. He, however, questioned her motives.

Asuka had to act quickly before she convinced herself that this was a bad idea. She thought of ways to manipulate him, and immediately his mother came to mind. It was cruel of her to involve his mother; the mother he longed so much to know. At this point though, she would risk it in order to succeed.

"You don't want to kiss a girl on the anniversary of your mother's death?"

He looked hurt. He looked confused. He looked pitiful, and a part of her wanted to apologize for stooping so low, but she continued on. She would make it up to him. Even if he was an idiot, he had feelings.

"Afraid she may be watching you from Heaven?"

"Not really." He replied flatly.

"Or are you scared?" She questioned.

He stood and spoke firmly. "I'm not scared of a little kiss!"

Where his sudden burst of confidence had come from, she didn't know, but he seemed more sure of himself. This wasn't what she was expecting. She didn't expect him to actually react like this. It wasn't like Shinji.

'Still…' she thought, 'I can't say I mind him being firm with me.'

Asuka immediately regretted thinking about him being firm with her. The images her mind brought forth weren't all too pleasant… or so she told herself.

"You brushed your teeth, didn't you?"

He responded by nodding.

'Now or never, Asuka.'

"Then here I go."

She readied herself for just about anything. With Shinji, you could never really tell what was going to happen next. One day he'd be happy, and the next he'd shut himself off in his room for some reason she didn't care to know.

Asuka leaned in slowly, closer and closer to his face. His lips. To her surprise, he leaned in as well. Everything was perfect.

Everything except for his breath tickling her. She wasn't sure why it mattered, since she wasn't extremely bothered by it. Still, the girl wanted everything to be perfect. Perhaps it was because she was nervous.

'Damn, it's just Shinji. Why is this so difficult?'

He opened his eyes and she stared into them. From up close, they seemed different to her. They seemed alive. They seemed to beg her to continue.

She realized what must be done. "Don't breathe, it tickles."

Asuka clamped his nose shut and closed the gap. She kissed him.

'… Did I just?'

'You're kissing him.'

'Shinji.'

'Yes. It isn't all that bad, is it?'

'I don't know.'

'Of course you do. You're enjoying it, aren't you?'

'So what if I am?'

She was enjoying the kiss, even if Shinji was the one whose lips were against hers, she liked it. Asuka could have remained like that for much longer. For once, his silence wasn't so annoying. For once, they were communicating in some form other than yelling and apologies. The girl had to admit, she didn't mind.

It was perfect. He felt so good against her. Even though her heart was racing, she did her best to stay in control.

Until he pulled away, gasping for air.

Asuka immediately realized that he hadn't been able to breathe, but the act of breaking the kiss, of ending the temporary peace between them, made something deep within her hurt. She felt hurt, and she ran to the bathroom, hoping to seek refuge in the privacy it offered. To cover up the fact that she was on the verge of tears, Asuka ran the sink and began to gargle water. Her mind was a flurry of questions; questions she knew he couldn't answer.

"Definitely NOT something to do to kill time!" she yelled.

Asuka heard quick footsteps headed in her direction. She hoped that he wouldn't ask questions. It was only when he took hold of her wrist that hope became fear, and she knew that she had lost control of the situation. Shinji had been pushed too far. His grip was tight, a little too tight. It began to hurt. He was being rather rough with her, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Shinji! What the hell are you do-"

When he grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the wall, Asuka began to realize what he planned on doing.

'No Shinji… You can't.'

'You have no right…'

'Stop this. Stop doing this.'

'Stop Shinji… Oh god, please, just stop.'

'Because…'

'It hurts. It hurts me.'

'Please… don't hurt me.'

His lips were on hers again, but it was different this time. It was almost like he was begging her for something. This was all too much, and she began to whimper. Asuka cursed herself for reacting this way, but Shinji pinning her to the wall and kissing her was all it took.

Asuka realized that his grip was beginning to loosen. If he kept this up, she would be able to free her wrists and resist. She saw her opening and struck. Her knuckles collided with his cheek and he flew back onto the bathroom floor.

'Why… Shinji?'

She knew that it was no longer safe here, around Shinji. It was time to leave. Misato would find out and it would be dealt with, but she couldn't handle Shinji. Not when he was like this. He seemed… angry. At the same time, he looked confused.

Her escape was prevented by his hand grabbing her wrist a second time. Asuka was furious.

"Let go." She tried to free herself, "Let go of my arm. NOW!"

"Asuka…" he replied quietly.

The girl fought and threatened, she threatened to beat him within an inch of life if he didn't let go of her. Nothing seemed to make him let go. Her threats were meaningless anyway. At this point, she would be content with his silence again.

Without warning, she was pulled down onto the floor next to the boy, and was pinned down again. The kiss that followed was devoid of all emotion. It was simply in order to muffle her screams. It hurt. Asuka tasted blood, and she was afraid. She was even more afraid as his fingers lightly traced their way up her neck, and then his palms came to rest on her throat. Before she could react, he pressed down. His fingers wrapped tightly around.

'Don't kill me, Shinji.'

'Don't hurt me, please.'

'I'm… I'm s-sorry.'

'For everything I've done. For every time I've yelled at you.'

'Please Shinji… listen to me.'

He couldn't hear her.

Asuka grabbed his wrists in her arms, desperately trying to breathe. He wouldn't let her. She didn't realize that her fingernails were digging into his flesh. Attempts to scream failed. Her lungs begged for air.

'I'm going to die.'

'He's going to kill me.'

'Why… Shinji?'

Asuka felt lightheaded, and she lost her ability to struggle. Too weak to fight him any longer, she gave in.

'I'll… I'll miss you. Baka.' She thought as a single tear escaped her eye.

Her vision began to fade, the world around her becoming black. It was over, but she couldn't believe it. She had to try one last time to get his attention.

"Shinji!"

Asuka's eyes flew open and she saw the room around her, recognizing it as her own. Her breaths came in short gasps. Sweat rolled from her forehead. Tenderly feeling her neck, she found no soreness.

"… A dream?"

She sat up and wrapped the sheet around her body. Looking toward her door, she saw a pair of eyes, instantly recognizing them as Shinji's. In that moment, Asuka was overcome by fear as she recalled the nightmare. Fear was replaced by a desire to have him close to her, however, as she remembered what had taken place earlier.

"Shin… ji?" she whispered.

"A.. Asuka? D-Did you need something?" came his reply, his voice almost cracking.

Two pairs of eyes met.

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

Shinji was embarrassed that she caught him outside her door like this. She probably thought he was even more of a pervert now. Resigning himself to his fate, he awaited an answer from the girl.

She didn't speak, rather, she reached down and patted the spot on the bed beside her.

'Does she want me to… sit down?'

He slid the door open further and entered the room.

"Shut the door." She spoke, barely above a whisper.

"B-But, Asuka-"

"Please."

Something was strange about this. She wanted him to shut the door to her room with him in it, and then she said "please". Not typical Asuka at all. He complied with her request, sliding the door shut quietly and walking toward her bed. Nervously, he sat down where she had directed him to and stared at the wall.

The feeling of her hands on his shoulders nearly made him jump out of his skin.

"S-Sorry."

"Don't apologize."

He nodded.

Shinji nearly yelped as she leaned over and allowed her head to land in his lap. He was glad she had the sheet wrapped around her.

She spoke softly. "Shinji?" Her voice was weak.

"Y-Yes?" he struggled to answer.

"Stay with me." She whispered, "… Pl… Please?"

The boy nodded and pulled another sheet over himself as the girl rested on him. He brushed some strands of golden red hair from her face, again seeing the moonlight interact with her features.

"Asuka…"

"Mm. Shin… Shinji" she mumbled. He could tell that she was falling asleep once more. Realizing that he was tired also, he leaned up against the wall, noting that his neck and back would be killing him in the morning. Just as Misato would if she saw them like this. He would have to awaken and sneak out. The talk was something he wished to avoid for as long as possible.

Just as his eyelids closed, he felt a hand in his. Instinctively, he gently squeezed it, surrounding it with his fingers. The hand was warm. Asuka's hand. Asuka was warm.

Shinji drifted off to sleep, wondering what the morning and subsequent day would have in store for him.

Continued…

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A/N: Apologies for taking so long with this chapter. I'm not sure if I liked the last chapter, and I'm not sure if I like this one, but up it goes. If you see any strange or unfinished sentences, please tell me. I'm finishing this at 6:13AM on Sunday, and I'm quite tired. I just couldn't sleep until this was done and I was set up for the next chapter. If you haven't been keeping track, I've managed to stretch two nights and a day over five chapters. There will be some resolution in the next chapter. I'm not sure how long I want to carry this on, but I don't think it'll be too long.

If any lines don't make sense, it's because this chapter was written over a six-day period in which I was frequently interrupted. I also found it necessary to alter some parts of the story in order for it to make sense (to me, at least).

For the sake of clarification, yes, this is set after the kiss scene. Yes, they both dreamt the same dream. Yes, Shinji's (violent) actions are an element of the dream ONLY. Yes, they both had the same dream, with the exception of each recalling what they did before the kiss itself.

I probably intended to say something meaningful in this note, but I've long since forgotten what that was.

- Panda