02:2 – Dreaming Of Me

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters they are the property of their respective creators. Please be aware that no profit is being made from this work of fan fiction.

After Kaji had left and Asuka had stormed off to bed, I decided to turn in as well. We had school come morning and my grades hadn't been exactly fantastic so I though it might do me some good to get at least a little rest. I was still somewhat troubled by what had happened between me and Asuka, I wasn't quite sure what had gotten her so mad at me but I resolved myself to try and make it up to her somehow. I was then I remembered the new recipe I had been saving for just such an occasion, one I was fairly certain she would love. Tomorrow morning I would try it out and hopefully use the results as a peace offering to appease her wrath. Feeling pleased with this decision, I lay down and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

I'm not sure how long I slept before I was abruptly awakened by the sound of someone calling my name…

"Shinji!"

Almost immediately I recognised the voice as Asuka's, immediately causing my half asleep brain to wonder why she would be calling for me in the middle of the night…groggily I pulled myself from my warm bed, shambling slowly towards my door. Something about the way she had called out bothered me, there had been a distinct undertone to it that in my current state I did not recognise. All I knew was that something was out of place and I needed to investigate.

Upon reaching her door, I stopped outside, pausing for a moment to compose myself. My hand moved to push the door aside but before it could make contact I heard the sounds of crying coming from inside…Asuka was crying and I had no idea why. Part of me wanted to go in there, to try and comfort her while the rest simply wanted to run away…recalling her reaction earlier I decided that perhaps this time discretion would be the better part of valour and retreated to my room silently.

It was just as I was closing my door that I heard her door slide open, her soft footfalls upon the carpet. I could not help but wonder over her destination so I kept my door open just a crack, enough for me to see outside. She appeared to be carrying something in her arms, objects I could not quite make out. She proceeded towards the laundry room and after a few moments, I heard the familiar sounds of the washer starting. This in itself puzzled me, Asuka would usually do almost anything to avoid having to do her own washing, why would she suddenly be doing so, especially in the middle of the night. When she remerged, I watched her as for an instant. She was bathed in a stray beam of moonlight, my breath caught in my throat as I cought a good look at her. She was naked, not a stitch of clothing adorned her, her body bared to the world. Luckily for me, her back was facing me lest I had seen something more and fainted from the shock. As it was, I felt a stirring in my groin, finding myself growing aroused by her bare back. A moment later, she disappeared into the bathroom and I breathed a sigh of relief. I slid my door fully closed and returned to my bed, placing the ear buds of my SDAT in my ears and praying for sleep…it did not come at first as I was haunted by images of Asuka. By sheer force of will, I pushed them aside, losing myself in the music. At last, my eyes slid closed and I slipped into a troubled sleep.

Surprisingly, I woke early the next morning, surprising if only because between the incidents earlier and being woken by Asuka in the middle of the night I had gotten only a few hours sleep. Rubbing what remained of it from my eyes I decided I might as well stay up, after all the extra time would give me time to start work on my 'special' breakfast. I headed into the kitchen and donning my usual apron, got to work. The apron itself had been a gift from Misato and in tune with her sense of humour; it bore the legendary 'Kiss the cook' phrase in bold red kanji. So far, neither of the females had adhered to this doctrine, something for which I was in many ways quite glad…

It was just as I had completed my preparations and was cooking the first batch that Misato appeared. She walked into the kitchen, now dressed in her usual sleeping attire that consisted of a pair of far too short shorts and a yellow t-shirt. For any other male seeing her like this would be a dream, for me it was more of a nightmare…she went of to the fridge as usual before taking out a can of beer and sitting at the table. A moment later, she had guzzled down all the beer and the apartment rang out with her resounding cry.

"Yeehaa!"

I simply shook my head, ignoring her, keeping my attention towards the stove, trying to ensure that I did not burn breakfast. A few moments passed in silence before it seemed Misato got bored and so she decided to amuse herself by asking me questions.

"Hey! Shinji, what are you making for breakfast?"

I sighed at her childish behaviour.

"Sorry Misato, can't tell you."

I knew if I turned round at that moment I would have seen her pout slightly, upset I was spoiling her fun. It was then I felt an impending sense of dread just before she spoke again.

"You know…it seems like your making something special…you and Asuka didn't get up to anything last night while I was out with Kaji did you?"

I was unable to prevent myself from turning a light shade of red as memories of both the kiss and a naked Asuka flicked through my mind. Thankfully, as my back remained towards her it was doubtful Misato could see my reaction although I knew if I was not careful she would hear it in my voice…taking a calming breath I managed to force out a calm reply.

"Asuka and I didn't do anything…not like you and Kaji…"

I ended the sentence there, knowing I had won when I heard her sharp inrush of breath. It's not like I hadn't learned anything in my time living there, when one is constantly teased sometimes you learn how to tease back…any further discussion on the subject was halted when Asuka entered the kitchen.

Although I could not see her, I knew she was there as soon as I felt her gaze upon my back. Even as I heard Misato greet her I stayed facing that way, fighting against my blush, trying to prevent it from coming back. Finally, the food was ready and I put it onto two plates before spinning round and placing the first in front of Asuka.

"What the…pancakes?"

I nodded before turning back around, not quite ready to meet her gaze. I picked up the second plate and placed it in front of Misato before moving away slightly and looking at them, waiting for them to take the first bite…Asuka cut a way a piece with her fork and gingerly raised it to her mouth. At once, her demeanour changed as a smile slid across her face, without saying anything I already knew she liked it and that was reward enough for me. Then, her eyes went distant for a moment, as if she was searching for something within her mind. I had a pretty good idea of what that was and so I quickly retrieved the small bottle I had purchased and placed it beside her plate.

"Maple syrup? Shinji, where did you find this?"

I explained briefly about the little shop I had found, one that sold mostly western foods. My finding of the shop had in fact been a coincidence; I had been in that particular area because I had heard there was a music store that sold tapes for my SDAT. As I had searched, I had come across the place and walked inside, only to be surprised by the selection they had. I spent a while in there, purchasing a few things including a cookbook. This had been my first chance to try one of the recipes and I was glad it had gone down well.

"Thif ith gud!"

While I was pleased by Misato's comment I was somewhat dismayed at the fact she had made it with her mouth full, spraying crumbs of half eaten pancake across the surface of the table. Sighing, I got a cloth and wiped up before throwing the cloth in the sink and heading off to take my morning shower. As I stood there, stripping of my clothes, I reflected on the fact that neither Asuka or Misato had commented on the fact I did not eat. For that I was glad as I had found myself without an appetite and would have not relished explaining this fact.

Once I was out of the shower and dressed, Asuka and I headed off to school. As always, she walked up front while I followed on behind. From what I could tell she seemed to be lost in her thoughts and not really paying attention to what was going on around her. When she walked out across the road when the lights had changed I realised the danger she was in and without thinking began to act.

"Asuka! Look out!"

I called out even as I broke into a run, hoping to reach her before the oncoming traffic could. She simply stood there unmoving as the car drew ever closer, in the end I was forced to use my body weight to move her, forcing her out of the way. At that moment I had been resigned to my fate so long as she was safe, yet when her hands had caught my shirt, I had been pulled along with her, the momentum she had gained from the initial impact carrying us both to safety. We came to a halt next to the opposite pavement, Asuka straddling me.

"Shinji?"

When she spoke my name, ever so softly, my eyes at once raised to meet hers and suddenly I was filled with uncertainty. When she suddenly hugged me, it caught me off guard, serving only to make the situation feel more awkward. In order to disguise my uncertainty I managed to ask if she was ok, a question which she answered with a yes…unable to think of another way of putting it, I asked her as politely as I could if she would get off of me. She quickly got to her feet and I was surprised when she offered me a hand. I took it gratefully even as her attention turned from me and went towards her watch…

"Shieβe!"

She exclaimed suddenly before breaking into a run, forcing me to struggle along at a similar pace, as she was yet to let go of my hand. We arrived in the classroom that way, my hand secured in her grasp. Hikari stopped midway through her usual routine to gape at us, only to be joined by more than half the class after a few moments. Asuka finally realised what it was they were staring at when Toji and Kensuke made some comments, immediately she let go of my hand before heading to her desk. I followed suit soon after, bracing myself for the inevitable tide of questions that would erupt from my two friends…

"Shin-man! How could you betray us like that!"

"Shinji, what were you doing holding the devil's hand?"

Luckily, before I could answer they were silenced by Hikari, in Toji's case, silenced only because he wanted to keep his ear. Once the ruckus had settled down, Hikari completed the routine and the lesson began, our teacher droning on about Second Impact as usual. When I turned on my laptop, I had expected it to be crammed with messages, yet strangely it was silent. Asuka however seemed to be swarmed by them…why were they asking her about it and not me? Unsure of the answer to this question I sighed heavily before resting my head upon my folded arms and catching up on my sleep.

A/N: In answer to the reviewer who asked was this simply a reworking of the original 02 or a completely new storyline…in truth it is both. At first it will follow the original path that I set out for 02. However, in truth I had never really formed and ending in my mind, perhaps why I was struggling to complete it. Now with an ending fixed in my mind I am going to change the direction slightly while hopefully staying reasonably true to my original vision.

I hope that makes some sense…thank you all for reviewing.


Till next time,


Hououza

Chapter preread by That Other Guy