Please don't sue me! When I said I owned Evangelion, I was joking!

Thank you for the reviews, once again! And welcome to the final chapter of my story! This has obviously been a long time coming, and I really hope it satisfies all of my loyal readers! I wrote this story because I liked it, but all of you are the reason why I kept with it! The last fan fiction I wrote and completed, I think, was probably when I was 12 years old. It was based on Sonic the Hedgehog, and it was total garbage. I'm talking self-inserts, script format, awful grammar, not-funny humor, and pretty much EVERYTHING that can possibly go wrong in a fic. To write something that people are actually enjoying feels very satisfying for me, and I'm glad that I can add something to the Evangelion fan community—particularly those who are Shinji/Asuka fans. :)

This is technically the last chapter of the story, and I do know that there will be some loose ends that some people might be a little bugged by. But, I do have a little announcement to make at the end.

Now… END OF STORY OR BUST


Humans weren't meant to float

By GeekViking86

Chapter 11 – Those three words

Asuka buried her face in her pillow and let out a frustrated scream, which was silenced by the stuffing and fabric. She couldn't really understand what it was that she was feeling, but she knew that it was making her angry. And when Asuka was angry, bad things tended to happen.

"Why… Why does everything have to be so complicated? It's all that dummkopf's fault!" She sobbed into the pillow, letting it muffle her so that the sound wouldn't be heard. It was now Sunday, meaning it had been roughly two days since the 'accident' on her birthday night, and yet her raging emotions were still showing no signs of calming. However, a knocking sound on her door managed to pull her from her moping.

"Asuka, lunch is ready!" Misato called.

"I'm not hungry!" Asuka barked. In truth, she hadn't eaten all day, since she had skipped breakfast in order to avoid the awkwardness of sitting across from Shinji again. But even though she was hungry, she didn't feel like eating, and since Shinji had run off to Toji's place shortly after breakfast was over, she wasn't really in the mood for one of Misato's 'adventurous' recipes.

"Don't worry, it's Chinese takeout. Even I can't screw that up."

Asuka was a little relieved at that revelation, but she still didn't want to pull herself from her self-imposed prison.

"I don't need anything." She lied grumpily, however her stomach clearly had a different opinion. And luckily for it, Misato was not going to give up as easily as Asuka wanted.

"You get that cute little ass of yours out here now!" Misato shouted angrily.

"Just leave me alone!"

"No! Now open the door or I'm getting my tools!"

Misato and Asuka seldom had arguments. Usually, they got along quite well, but on the rare occasion that they butted heads, it was strongly advised that all bystanders flee for safety. While technically this situation fell more into the category of simple disobedience followed by an immature reprimand, both Misato and Asuka were very good at being stubborn, loud, and aggressive, so the safety protocols would still apply. And this time, they didn't even have Shinji to moderate.

"Yeah right!"

"Okay, better yet, forget the tools! I'll just break it down, and you can try living without it for a few days!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Asuka squeaked.

"You bet I would! I know this thing has a few weak spots!" announced Misato, who then proceeded to send a few kicks into the wooden door. At first Asuka knew she was only testing, but when the thumps began getting louder, she began to worry—after all, Misato did have a black-belt, which according to Shinji she had made use of rather effectively when NERV was invaded by the JSSDF.

Asuka let out another frustrated scream, this time without the pillow to quiet it.

"Fine!" she stormed over to the door and unlocked it, then swung it open to find Misato standing eye-to-eye in front of her. Since they were the same height now, Misato did not have as much physical authority over her as she once did, but the face she wore was that of the hardened battle officer that she was—However, Asuka countered it with the evil glare that she'd perfected over the years, so it was more or less a standoff.

"I got us chow mien and spring rolls." Misato said cooly, finally breaking the silence. Asuka simply nodded, and followed her roommate to the kitchen.

Once Asuka was seated, Misato scooped out a helping of chow mien and rice before plopping it onto Asuka's plate, along with a spring roll. Asuka then started stirring and picking at it with her chopsticks, but she wasn't actually eating it. Her attention went to Misato who had gone to the fridge, and was soon heading back to the table with two beers in hand.

"Geez! It's barely lunch time and you're going to have two?" Asuka admonished.

"Nope. The second one is for you." Misato said as she slid it across the table, and Asuka just looked down, staring at it with a confused look on her face.

"Seriously?" she asked.

"Normally, this would be where I start laughing. But not today, since you're going to need it in a minute."

Asuka knew that could only mean one thing—A serious conversation, and some questions that she probably wasn't going to want to answer. But being the proud German she was, Asuka wouldn't turn down Misato's offer of a cold brew, even if she was under-age by Japanese standards. Besides, what was the worst that could happen from just one beer, in her own home while her guardian was right there watching?

She'll lower your defenses and make you talk about something embarrassing, that's what! She frowned as she lowered her head onto the table, and stared depressingly at the aluminum can in front of her.

Misato by now was already eating her food and sipping away at her own beverage, so Asuka finally decided to give in and endure whatever 'big sister' conversation Misato was planning. She popped the top on the can and took a swig, wincing at first from the somewhat bitter flavor. She may have been German, but she still had only drank beer a few times in her life, and hadn't really acquired a taste for it. Once she'd eaten some chow mien though, it didn't seem so bad.

Misato looked at Asuka thoughtfully as she finally found her appetite, and was actually eating the food before her at a healthy pace.

"Asuka… I'm worried about you and Shinji." The older woman said.

"What did I do now?" Asuka snapped defensively before taking another sip of beer.

"I've noticed that you've been—avoiding each other."

Asuka's eyes widened slightly, which sent the signal to Misato that she was onto something, but Asuka simply took another bite of her spring roll to avoid answering.

"You two didn't work out today, or yesterday."

"So what? It's not like there's much left for me to teach him anyway."

Misato let out a sigh, realizing that she'd obviously struck a chord.

"Why should that matter? I thought you exercise together because you enjoy it?"

Asuka went silent again.

"And how come at dinner last night, you two spent the entire meal avoiding eye-contact with each other? Have you even talked to him since Friday?"

The color of Asuka's face began to go red. Either the beer was kicking in, or Misato had her backed into a corner… Or both. Either way, Misato took this as a sign that it was time to drop the bomb.

"Asuka, Friday night before I came home, did you two…" she paused for a moment, un-sure of how to word the next part without embarrassing Asuka too much. "…Do something that would make me regret leaving you alone?"

Asuka looked at Misato strangely, not quite sure what she was getting at.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… Are you still virgins?"

Asuka dropped her chopsticks, and her eyes went wide as dinner plates.

"Wha—What?" she exclaimed as she jerked backwards.

"When I came home that night, your bedroom door was locked, and I heard you sniffling something about Shinji. And when I went to check on him, he was only wearing a sheet, and kept calling for you in his sleep…"

"Wha—How do you know he didn't have underwear on?" Asuka hissed.

"He didn't exactly do a good job covering his butt."

"Gah!" Asuka yelped in panic.

"Asuka, it's okay. Whatever happened, I won't hold it against you. If that was your decision, I promise to support you both as much as I possibly can." Misato said in a calm, reassuring voice.

"It's—It's not like that at all!" Asuka shrieked as she threw her hands over her red face, and Misato looked confused.

"Then why don't you tell me what happened? Because I know something happened that neither of you wants to talk about, and it ended with at least one of my roommates in their birthday suit."

Asuka knew it would be awkward, but Misato knowing the truth at this point seemed far less embarrassing than having her chastity called into doubt. She sighed heavily after taking another swig of her beer, and was finally ready to talk.

"We—we sort of caught each other skinny-dipping…" Asuka said with her forehead on the table.

Misato just sat there and blinked, expecting to hear more.

"I was relaxing on a rock near the Island, and then all the sudden Shinji was on the one next to me, and—" The color of Asuka's face deepened. "He was 'happy' to see me. I screamed, then he got scared and swam away."

"That's all?" Misato asked, still expecting to hear more, and Asuka simply nodded. Then, much to Asuka's dissatisfaction, Misato started laughing.

"What's are you laughing about?" Asuka huffed angrily

"I just didn't know you included the more 'kinky' German customs in Shinji's swimming lessons." Misato teased.

"You're talking like I'm some kind of exhibitionist!" Asuka gasped as if insulted. "Yes, there were girls in Germany who were into nude beaches, but I actually had the dignity to say no whenever they invited me! I only bathe outdoors when I have privacy!"

"Can't say I blame you. When I was in Germany, the one I went to had so many fat tourists that I kept my clothes on and went home." Misato said, and Asuka looked like she was about to explode. "That was a joke." Misato laughed, but Asuka's temper only cooled mildly. "However, I am glad to know that you do have some modesty."

"What does it matter now though? Shinji probably saw everything except where my legs were closed!" The redhead whimpered into her arms.

"Well, did you see all of him?" Misato asked, and the redhead gave a slightly hesitant nod. "So how was he, one to ten?" she smirked.

"Can you please stop that?" Asuka said with an angry blush in her face.

"Believe me Asuka, you'll get over seeing Shinji naked. I've seen him in the buff too, and I didn't bat an eye."

"What? What kind of guardian are you?" Asuka shrieked, and Misato just laughed.

"Relax, it's nothing worth worrying your pretty little head over." she said in a reassuring, but slightly teasing manner. "But don't tell me you never saw him in NERV's clean room."

"That was different! I had to make sure he wasn't peeking at me or Rei, what else was I supposed to do?" Asuka blurted, and then reddened profusely when she'd realized what she'd just admitted. Misato's mouth wrinkled in a semi-failed attempt to hold back another laugh.

"Look Asuka, you know Shinji is a gentleman, and it's not his fault that he's a boy and finds you attractive, or that you two happened to have the urge to go skinny-dipping at the same time."

"Well, I guess he has gotten a lot more mature." Asuka stubbornly agreed.

"This isn't really about you thinking Shinji is a pervert, is it?" Misato asked, and after a moment, she got her answer.

"He was at the island, Misato! He went there without me!" Asuka said as her eyes welled up.

Now, it was finally starting to click.

"You really wanted to go there with him, didn't you?" Misato sympathetically asked.

"I—I guess I feel like he doesn't need me anymore." Asuka grieved as she wiped the moisture from her eyes.

"Well you're wrong, because he does need you. What did you think would happen once he could swim on his own?"

"I—I'm not sure. I liked what we had going on these past two months, but things are so messed up now that I don't know what to do next."

"Look, if you feel this strongly about Shinji, then just tell him!"

"But he might get scared away!"

"How can you say that, after all you two have been through together? Shinji is afraid that if he makes a move, you'll just call him a pervert and scream at him!" Misato scolded loudly.

Tears then began to run down Asuka's cheeks, and she started to cry. Misato moved her chair around to Asuka's side of the table, and pulled her in for a supportive hug.

"I'm sorry Asuka, I think that was a little too much." Misato gently spoke. "I mean, this entire month has been hard on you, but it just shows that you're growing up."

"But what you said is true. I'm a real bitch sometimes, aren't I?" Asuka said between sniffles.

"No you're not! You may know how to act like one sometimes, but I know you're a good kid inside." Misato said as she stroked some of Asuka's red hair. "And I don't think it's fair that you should have to be the only hero here."

"What do you mean?"

"Shinji needs another 'big-sister talk', too."

"But he's hanging out with his stooges today, remember?"

Misato simply smiled, got up, and grabbed her car keys from the counter.

"Um, Misato, didn't you just have a beer?"

Misato just shrugged as she started heading out the door.

"I didn't drink the whole thing. You have my permission to finish it off if you want." Misato winked as she closed the door behind her, and Asuka simply slumped in her chair with a frown.

"If just one was enough to get me to say all that, I don't even want to know what I'm like when I'm hammered." She mumbled, although really, she knew that she was a still long way from being drunk.

Maybe I really did want to sort out my thoughts with her, and I just needed an excuse? She sighed to herself as she ran a finger around the rim of her empty Yebisu can. I should probably brush my teeth though. I don't want to smell like Misato when Shinji gets back.


"R." Toji said as the basketball bounced off of the hoop rim, and Kensuke, the person who threw it, simply scowled.

"Why are we playing Horse again? Everyone knows you're going to win." The otaku complained.

"Because watching you two fight for second place amuses me." The jock snickered. "Don't worry, I'll make this next one easy for you."

Toji stepped up to a few feet behind where the park basketball court's free-throw line was, and made a shot that looked like he could have done it with his eyes closed.

"Your shot Shin-man." Toji said as he tossed Shinji the ball.

Shinji took Toji's place and made his shot, and while the ball did circle the hoop briefly, it failed and slipped from the side. Shinji slumped his head in defeat.

"Ooh, 'E'! Looks like Shinji is a horse!" Kensuke laughed, and Shinji gave a depressed sigh as he tossed the ball to him. He then slumped over to a bench at the side of the court, and watched as Kensuke proceeded to earn the same title he'd just awarded Shinji.

"Looks like I win again." Toji said triumphantly. "And Shinji, since when did you get worse than Kensuke? Each round we played, you came in last place." Toji snickered.

"I don't know, I'm just kind of out of it today." Shinji muttered, although he would not tell his friends the real reason.

And really, what would I tell them? They're probably as clueless as I am, and aren't going to have anything useful to say. They'd just make a bunch of stupid sex jokes as soon as they hear the words 'Asuka' and 'naked'.

"Let's go another round." Toji suggested. "Shinji, you can take the first shot." Toji said as he tossed the ball towards Shinji, who caught it after it bounced.

"Nah, I'll just watch." Shinji sighed.

"What's the matter Shinji, are you feeling sick?" Kensuke asked.

"Yeah, it is kind of early for a fairly athletic guy like you to be tired." Toji added.

"No, I don't think I'm sick. I just—need some time to think." Shinji murmured.

As he spoke, Kensuke's eyes lit up as they stared excitedly at something behind Shinji.

"Well, you'd better think fast, because Katsuragi-san is headed this way." The otaku said as drool started collecting in his mouth, and soon Toji had joined in the admiration. Shinji looked over his shoulder, and saw that Misato was indeed walking towards them.

So much for escaping… Shinji grumbled.

"Good afternoon, Katsuragi-San!" his friends said formally with a bow.

"Misato? What are you doing here?" Shinji asked.

"I'm here to pick you up." His guardian said firmly.

"But you said I didn't need to come home until four!"

"Change of plan. We need to talk." Misato said as she took her charge by the wrist. She led him to her Renault, and they both climbed in. Toji and Kensuke just stood still, oblivious to what might be going on in the Katsuragi house as the sports car sped away.


Misato kept relatively quiet during the trip, which to Shinji seemed odd since she said she wanted to talk.

"Where are we going?" Shinji asked.

"Somewhere private." Misato said, and Shinji let out yet another sigh as he saw trees passing overhead. Soon, Misato turned onto a dirt road and found a small parking lot by a hiking trail. There was no one else parked there, so Shinji guessed that this was what Misato was looking for. "Ah, this place will do."

Once they were parked, they both stepped out of the car, and found a shady bench under a tree. Misato sat down, and motioned for Shinji to sit next to her. Shinji obviously wasn't going to initiate a conversation, so Misato took the task upon herself.

"So… I never got to ask you how things went on Friday." Misato said casually, and Shinji's eyes instantly went to his lap.

"Uh—It went good. I liked the food, and I got to dance with Asuka." He said, but Misato already knew that he was hardly telling everything.

"What about when you got home? Because I already coaxed out Asuka's side of the story."

Shinji then proceeded to spill the beans about the events of that evening, and finally got to the swimming 'misadventure', which he explained as honestly as he could.

"Well, your version doesn't sound much different from Asuka's, so I guess I'm satisfied." Misato said, but Shinji's head slumped, and he turned his eyes away from hers.

"I—I felt dirty about looking at Asuka like that." Shinji sighed. "I know I should have looked away as soon as I saw her, but I didn't."

"Shinji, it's okay. It just means that you were attracted. The reason you feel guilty is because you don't want to objectify her, which is a good thing." Misato tried to explain. "How long have you had feelings for Asuka?"

"Pretty much ever since she moved in."

"And why did you like her? Was it because she was pretty?"

"No. That certainly got my attention, but… I liked her because deep down, I knew we were a lot alike, even though we're different. I wanted to reach out and help her, and I thought she could help me too."

"Well, you clearly like her for the right reasons."

"But that doesn't mean what I did is okay, does it?"

"Well, that's kind of hard to say. I mean, you only looked, right?" Misato asked.

"Yeah…"

"Well then stop worrying. You liked what you saw, which is perfectly normal, but it's not like you spied on her. And at least you had the self-control not to—" Misato then stopped, not wanting to bring back Shinji's uncomfortable memories, but he still knew what she was getting at. "I mean, I think you're mature enough to handle it now."

Shinji felt a little better after hearing this, but his spirits weren't showing any signs of picking up.

"You know, Asuka was really disappointed that you went to the island without her." Misato sighed.

"Is that what this is all about?" Shinji questioned.

"No, she is PO'd that you saw the goods without her permission, but that wasn't really what she was upset about."

"Why was it so important to her then?"

"Duh, she likes you!" Misato said as she rolled her eyes, and tapped her head with her two fingers. Shinji just looked at his lap in silence again. "Look, you two are going to have to talk about this at some point."

"What should I do?"

"Well, first you should apologize." After all the scoldings Misato had given Shinji over the years about his frequent, yet worthless apologies, he found it hard to believe Misato would suggest what she just did, but then she continued.

"You should apologize that you broke your promise. But it was not your fault that you saw her naked, so don't even think of saying 'I'm sorry!' when she brings it up!" Misato instructed firmly. "Now, When are you going to talk to her?"

"Today."

Misato then smiled brightly, and wrapped an arm around Shinji.

"Remember, I'm behind you both one hundred percent, but you need to earn this on your own. You know what you need to do, but you're the one who has to do it."

Shinji nodded, and then they both got up to head back to the car.

"Misato… Why do you care so much about how things turn out with me and Asuka anyway?"

"Well… I was hoping to turn one of your rooms into a wine closet once you're sharing." Misato said naughtily, and Shinji almost fainted. Misato then laughed and nudged his shoulder to indicate that she was teasing. "It's because the two of you are the most important thing in my life. I love both of you, and I want to see you happy."

"I—I love you too, Misato." Shinji stammered.

Misato then stopped their walk, then smiled and embraced Shinji in the kind of warm hug that most people reserve for close family members… Which, blood related or not, they were.

"I wish you and my mother could have met each other. I think she'd like you." Shinji felt a little silly as he said this, but he was glad he had the courage to.

"Actually, we did."

"Oh yeah…" Shinji sighed sentimentally. "And she liked you a lot."


Asuka had been spending a half hour or so trying to figure out what she was going to say to Shinji. Somehow, at some point she gotten Pen-Pen to agree to play the boy's role for her, but he was not a particularly convincing fill in—particularly, since his only response, if any, was "wark." Still, having someone to practice with was better than nothing at all.

But her time had soon run out, and she heard Misato's Renault pulling into the driveway. She heard the card doors open and shut, and soon the front door of the house was open, with Misato standing in it. Once she was in, she stepped aside, and in walked Shinji, looking as shy as Asuka had ever seen him. In all fairness though, she looked just as timid herself.

"Hi." Shinji said, still a little wary of eye contact.

"Hey." Asuka shyly answered.

Misato knew that they weren't going to get very far with her in the room, and decided to remove the third wheel.

"Well, I'm going to take Pen-Pen to the groomer's, and I think I'll get my nails done while he's there. I'll be back in an hour or two." she said as she scooped up her feathery friend, and headed back to the door. "Both of you, please—Work this out." She pleaded, as she closed the door behind her.

After Misato drove away, the two teenagers sat across from each other in silence, still not conversing. After a few minutes though, they both decided it was time to talk. But it was at the same time, so they were both a little embarrassed at the awkwardness. However, Asuka insisted Shinji go first.

"Asuka, I—I'm sorry about Friday." Shinji said.

"You mean the mammary inspection you gave me?" Asuka asked sarcastically, and wanted to slap herself for it, especially after the bite of her words hit Shinji. "I—I shouldn't have said that." she glumly amended as she lowered her head.

"Well first of all, I—uh… I think we should work out some kind of system so that this doesn't happen again."

"And how's that supposed to work without you taking advantage of it?"

"I won't take advantage of it!" Shinji groaned angrily. "I'm talking about something like, we mark down every other week on the calendar so that we both know which weeks to not go. That way we'll both have plenty of elbow room if one of us decides we want to."

"I guess that's reasonable enough…"

There was silence for another few minutes, and still, niether of the teens were willing to make eye contact. They both knew it wasn't going the way they wanted, but it was Shinji who decided to break the ice first.

"I know I should have had more respect for your privacy, but that's not what I wanted to apologize for."

"What then?" as Asuka asked, she looked up to meet Shinji's eyes for the first time all day. They were nervous eyes, and Shinji was clearly almost as unsure as she was.

"I—I'm sorry for going to the island without you. I just—when I was out on the water, I got overconfident, and I wasn't really thinking."

"Obviously. And I am disappointed in you." Asuka scowled.

"Asuka… It meant a lot to me, too."

"Of course it did, or you would have waited."

"No, that's not what I meant! When I went there, it was to see if I could. But I wasn't actually going to touch the land." Shinji emotionally tried to explain.

"Why?" Asuka asked.

"The only reason I wanted to be on the island was because I'd be there with you."

Asuka's heart suddenly ached immensely.

"That's…" she began, and Shinji observed her carefully. "That's what I wanted too." She then looked Shinji straight in the eyes, and they both trembled… Asuka especially, since what she was about to ask was extremely hard. "Shinji, Do you…"

Her eyes seemed almost lost… They didn't seem like they knew where this was going, but Shinji could see a sparkle of hope in them.

"Do you… like me?"

Shinji did not blush at Asuka's question, but rather, he began to sweat.

"Like… Like isn't enough." He nervously swallowed, and gave his answer.

"Asuka, I—I love you."

Those three words… They had finally been spoken.

Asuka's eyes brightened, and she could tell that they were getting moist.

"I love you too."

Both of them remained silent for a moment, however there was definitely a conversation happening—it was just an unspoken one. The look of relieved happiness and confused wanting said more to each other in that moment than an entire book of Shakespeare's finest writing. Besides, Shinji wasn't that good with words, and he didn't suspect that would change now. It didn't really matter at the moment, either.

"Shinji, do you want to kiss me again?"

Both teens could have sworn on a stack of bibles that the temperature in the room had increased… And perhaps it had, but clearly not from external forces.

"Yes."

"Then come over here." Asuka said as she motioned for the couch cushion to her left.

Shinji got up and moved himself to the seat, and sat down.

"I've been wanting to ask you for so long…" Asuka said as a tear begin to roll down her face. "I promise I won't pinch your nose this time."

Both teens chuckled lightly, but Shinji could feel some wetness in his own eyes, and knew it wouldn't be long before he'd feel it on his cheeks, too... And to think, they hadn't even started yet.

After they scooted themselves in a little closer, both of their faces leaned in and tilted slightly to the right. Then, their lips joined, and puckered to get a good feel.

This is amazing. I actually feel it this time. Shinji's mind thought. She's so warm, and her lips are like silk. Was she this soft last time I kissed her? I can't remember…

The first kiss Shinji had ever experienced had been from Asuka. At the time, she claimed that it was out of boredom, which was a complete lie. She did enjoy what she felt, but because her pride at the time made her fear getting attached, she didn't want Shinji to enjoy it. So she pinched his nose and nearly suffocated him, while she helped herself to his warm, supple lips, letting him feel nothing in return. He was stiff as a corpse, and the failed encounter ended up coming back to hurt Asuka later.

But what a difference free breathing made…

So what if his breathe tickles? I think I actually like it… And he's kissing me back this time! Asuka said to herself excitedly as their lips continued to mingle. And he's still so soft… Even as a young man.

Shinji's second kiss had been from Misato. It was really more of a goodbye kiss than anything else, since Misato she had been mortally wounded, and was sending him to a battle that he would quite possibly lose… And at the time, he'd been too shocked to even think about it. However, he definitely liked her way of kissing much better than the first he'd tried.

But although there was a time when he harbored a mild crush for Misato, he always thought of her more as a mother, and now that Shinji was a little older, a sister as well. He didn't really want that kind of kiss from Misato, even though it was the most effective way she knew of at the time to show him some genuine affection. The first kiss Asuka gave him may have been bad, but Shinji couldn't deny that she was the person he wanted it from.

Now for his third kiss… It was everything. It felt so pure, without any kind of ulterior motive or catch to it. And this time, they both knew there was actual love behind it, which made it even better. Shinji wanted to more though, so he decided to employ some of the technique Misato taught him—Albeit, taken further.

He began to open his mouth, but continued the kissing action. Asuka complied quite readily, and her lips began to part as well. With their mouths slightly open and their lips still connected, Shinji started taste the tip of Asuka's tongue with his own, as they entered eachother's mouths. The inside of Asuka's tasted minty, like the toothpaste that her and Shinji used… She'd definitely brushed recently.

Asuka hadn't been planning to kiss Shinji, and actually chose to brush her teeth just because she didn't want to smell like beer when they were talking. But she was glad to be fully sober, since she knew it meant that what she felt right now was real. And as their tongues slid against each other, the mint flavor started to mix into Shinji's mouth.

They then parted, both gasping for air.

"That—I've never kissed anyone like that before." Asuka panted.

"Well it was good." A flustered Shinji huffed as he leaned back, and refilled his lungs with air.

"It was." Asuka said with a joyful smile.

Then, she tackled Shinji and pinned him to the couch. She began planting kisses all over Shinji's face, and he happily reciprocated as Asuka sat on his waist, with a leg to each side. Asuka had always been aggressive, and that characteristic most certainly applied here. And yet for all of her aggressiveness, she could still be every bit as gentle as Shinji wanted. There was one word he could think of to describe it: exciting.

"Mm… Asuka…" he mumbled.

"Shinji…" Asuka gasped in-between kisses.

"We shouldn't let this go too far." Shinji groaned as their lips connected.

"We won't, it's only kissing. I'm just trying to make up for lost time."

Asuka gave Shinji one last passionate, open-mouthed kiss, and then slid to his side, leaving him sandwiched between her and the back of the couch. Asuka wrapped her arms around Shinji, and pulled him in for a close embrace, clutching his back so that he was pressed against her.

"I—I knew I needed tell you someday. I should've done it years ago, but my stupid egotism always stopped me, trying to make me think you weren't good enough. But now…" Asuka didn't even bother finding something else to say, and just let a kiss speak for her. "I'm so happy now that I'm finally open with you."

She squeezed Shinji so tightly that it was almost hard for him to breathe. But Shinji didn't care. He simply wrapped his arms around her, and held her affectionately.

"I didn't think I was good enough either. I wanted to hold you so badly, but I was too scared… I thought you were too out of my league to try." Shinji choked.

"That was partially my fault. I should have accepted who you were, and not been so hard on you."

"But if it weren't for you, maybe I wouldn't have wanted to grow a backbone."

Asuka squeezed Shinji tighter, and let out a sigh.

"We both did stupid things that we ended up regretting. We were only kids back then, and even though we could have been together sooner, what matters is that were are now."

They stayed like that for another good fifteen minutes or so, both content merely with the warm touch of the other, with a few kisses scattered in between.

"Shinji, I didn't tell you, but…" Asuka began to whisper.

"But what?"

"This is everything I wanted to happen on the island… and more."

Shinji smiled warmly back at her.

"Well, maybe it's better that it happened here, fully clothed. I mean, what would Misato say?" They both let out a quiet laugh, and kissed again.

"Are you implying I'd let you past first base during out first make out session?" Asuka teased.

"No…" Shinji blushed. "And I wouldn't ask you to, either."

"That's okay Shinjikins." Asuka smiled as they snuggled in closer. "We're still young, and we'll have plenty of time for that when we're older."

Mr. Kaji had once said that to Asuka when she was fourteen, in the middle of one of her advances—And she'd nearly had a nervous breakdown when she heard it. It seemed almost ironic that here she was, three years older, in a similar position, with herself reciting it to the boy that she loved. Irony might not have been the right term… Perhaps it was poetic justice.

It would have been so easy for you to take advantage of my foolish impulses back then, wouldn't it Kaji? But now I think I know why you didn't, and it wasn't for your own sake. Thank you so much for being such a good man. I'm sure Shinji thanks you, too.

"So Asuka, are you my—I mean, am I your—"

Asuka leaned over and silenced Shinji's stuttering with another soft kiss on the lips.

"That's a yes." Asuka tenderly whispered. "You're mine now." She then giggled, and nuzzled Shinji's nose with her own.

"You know, I still haven't been to the island." Shinji sighed.

"So… You already want to make out again?" Asuka asked teasingly.

"More kissing sounds nice--" Shinji smiled "—but it's more about keeping my promise."

"Well then let's put on our swimsuits and go!"

Asuka stood up and turned to go to her room, when she was stopped by Shinji's voice.

"Umm, could you…wear the red one?" he asked nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck, and Asuka gave him a pleasant smile.

"Hey, I'm your girlfriend now, aren't I? But just remember that once it's on, it's staying on."She said mischievously with a wink, and Shinji bashfully grinned in agreement.

"You're my girlfriend… I'll have to get used to saying that." he sighed happily. "It sounds so good, I almost can't believe it."


A recently manicured Misato walked through the front door of her house with a shiny-clean Pen-Pen in her arms, and found the place empty. At first, she was terrified, but then she noticed a note taped to the TV. She picked it up, and quickly noticed that it was Asuka's handwriting.

Dear Misato, if Shinji and me aren't here, it's because we're still out swimming. And don't worry; we're not naked this time.

Misato noticed a crude sketch of a pair of swim trunks and a bikini on the side of the note, and chuckled a little before reading the rest.

We have an announcement to make when we get back, but you probably already know what it is. I'm not going to write "thank-you", because Shinji and I both agreed that it'd mean more in person.

We love you, and we'll be seeing you in a little bit.

-Asuka

P.S.: I promise we aren't doing anything naughty.

Misato almost fell over after she'd finished reading.

Did… Did Asuka really write this? She wondered in disbelief.

Misato went to her bedroom, and rummaged under her bed for a moment before pulling out a black box embellished with the NERV emblem.

"Ah, military-issue optic zoom binoculars. Being an officer definitely had its perks." She snickered, like a child re-discovering their favorite toy in the attic.

She went outside to the deck, and lifted the twin scopes to her eyes. She zoomed in on the beach, and saw a set of two footprints in the sand, as well as a pair of towels hanging from a tree.

"Hmm…" She hummed, intrigued.

She shifted her focus to the island off the shore, and then began to zoom in. At first, there wasn't much to see, but as the digital focus came in, she could clearly make out two swimsuit-clad bodies lying in the tall grass.

Wait—what are they doing? She questioned as she zoomed in closer.

Shinji and Asuka had curled up together in the soft leaves, and had their arms wrapped around one another as they caressed each other's faces. Thankfully, they were both wearing swimsuits, even though it wasn't much. Then, they leaned in…

…and their lips connected.

It had been three years since Shinji and Asuka had met on the deck of the Over the Rainbow, and back then they were still trapped in the most awkward state between being a child and an adult. And while it's hard enough to handle unbridled sexual potency when you're still as immature as a child, it's even more stressful after experiencing a childhood trauma involving your mother, and then having the fate of the world forced into your hands as the pilot of an Evangelion.

And yet somehow, the two found each other. Misato knew she had a hand in it, but she had to wonder how big it really was… And the conclusion that she came to was that the love was probably there all along, and they just needed a nudge—or possibly, a kick through the door to embrace it.

It had been a long three years of mind games, denial, arguing, and so many other terrible things that Misato would rather forget about… But seeing the second and third, now as young adults embracing each other so lovingly… It filled Misato with a kind of pride she had never experience before, and the pain it took to get there probably made it even more satisfying.

"Best of luck, both of you." Misato said lovingly to her wards. "But it looks like I've got some new house rules to make." She thought slyly as she put down the binoculars.

The two former pilots had stopped running away… And finally, had run to each other instead.


The End


Stay tuned for epilogue


IT'S DONE! YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! But if you still want more, don't worry… I trust that you read that little snippet at the end about an epilogue? Because I have an announcement—

PLANS FOR AN EPILOGUE ARE BACK ON!

It won't be the same epilogue I originally planned, because that one has more or less evolved into a full-blown story concept by now, which in the future I would like to write as an actual sequel to this one. The epilogue I have planned now is one that I had fairly recently, but I think it should be satisfying. I chose to end the story where I did, because the epilogue will be more of a sentimental look back and forward at Shinji and Asuka's relationship, and leave the door open for any future story I do. Expect it to have more WAFFy discussion. :)

I'm also considering removing the prologue chapter of this fic, and revising the beginning of the first chapter slightly. In retrospect, I don't think that the prologue was necessary, and I think it does a very poor job setting the mood for the rest of the fic. I wrote it while I was having a major Evangelion buzz, and since this was my first Eva fic, I felt like I couldn't have a post Third-Impact story without it, but now I think that I was probably wrong. If people really want it around though, then I can always put it back in as an omake. I don't like it anymore though, so once the epilogue chapter is up you can probably expect it to go bye-bye.

Well, that's a wrap! Thank you all so much for sticking with this fic, please send your reviews, and God bless everyone!