JULY 19th, 2015

MISATO'S APARTMENT, TOKYO-3

11:21am:

Asuka slouched on the sofa as she surfed through numerous channels, not at all interested in what any of them had to offer in the slightest. In truth, she wasn't really in the mood to watch anything. She was just tired of laying in bed in her room all alone. But she wanted to keep her attention away from the living room, which was currently full of boxes. They were all labeled 'Shinji'.

"When did Kaji say he would be getting here again, Misato?" Shinji asked.

"In about 10." She answered.

Asuka turned the TV's volume up, not wanting to hear either of their voices as she tried to mind her own business.

She was livid. Not necessarily at the fact that Shinji was moving out, but because she was the one that had to stay at Misato's while he was going to live at Kaji's now. When Misato explained to her what was going to happen, Asuka tried reasoning that it was better for her to stay with Kaji instead because she knew him better.

'Stupid Shinji... why does he always get this special treatment? Misato's just babying him at this point.'

At first, she seemed pretty neutral about the move. Even though she wanted to be the one living at Kaji's, Asuka seemed okay with not seeing Shinji's face around the house as often. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she'd have to put up with Misato's sloth habits now.

Just that one month of Shinji's absence had been enough to prove that the house couldn't be run without him around.

'Now I'm stuck with that awful instant crap Misato heats up.'

And then there was Kaji himself, who Asuka hadn't seen a whole lot of at the time. Every attempt she made at spending time with the guy was met with an excuse of some sort to postpone the whole thing. Either that, or a polite rejection. She knew he wasn't really in the mood to hang out with her one-on-one. But that didn't stop her, she wouldn't allow that.

Asuka just wanted the perfect chance to show Kaji that she was mature enough for him. She figured that maybe then he would be more open to hanging out with her.

'He is showing up in just a little bit... maybe I can try to set up a date right before he leaves with the idiot.'

And so she decided that would be what she did. As soon as she heard a knock on the door, she'd open it for Kaji and make the move before his attention was stolen from her by Shinji or Misato. But most especially Misato.

'You're old news.' Asuka thought bitterly, sneaking a glance at Misato. 'You had your thing with Kaji, already. Let that be a thing of the past.'

"Now, you're sure you have everything?" Misato asked Shinji.

"Yeah I'm sure. I don't have that many personal belongings here, anyway. This should be about it." He replied.

Misato nodded.

"Alrighty then. But just in case, I still suggest you double-check. Better to be safe than sorry." She casually remarked.

Shinji was just about sure that he had already boxed everything he needed up, but figured it wouldn't hurt to at least give the room one last look.

"Mmm, yeah. Alright then."

Asuka snuck a peek as Shinji walked off to make for his now-previous room. She did end up noticing that he seemed to have stayed inside it for longer than it seemed necessary, though she didn't think much of it at first.

But what struck her as unusual about the whole thing was how Shinji appeared to be a little nervous when he finally left the room. Something about his body language made him look as if he was being secretive, but whatever he may have been trying to hide, Asuka couldn't really discern.

She once again peeked over at Shinji's direction as he knelt down to put away something he appeared to have had in his pockets, but still couldn't see what it may have been.

'Weird...'

Her eyes then unexpectedly shifted over to his hair again, which hadn't been trimmed since before he was extracted from the core. She still hadn't gotten used to the sight. Whether Shinji had grown fond of the longer hair or had just never made the time to cut it, she wasn't certain. But it was almost as if he was a whole new person. Not just because of his slightly overgrown hair, but it showed in his personality too. He was seen smiling more often, and was a lot more confident than he had ever been.

Shinji's growing hair was certainly a reflection of that. And even though a little part of Asuka thought it was a nice change of image, she rolled her eyes at the sight of it.

'Every day, he looks a little more like his doll. They almost have the same hairdo now... gross.' She thought.

A few more minutes passed, and Shinji was killing time by interacting with Pen Pen, who was actually showing a little bit of sadness at the prospect of him moving out. By then, Asuka had completely given up on channel surfing, since she had only done it to block out Shinji and Misato's voices. She lay on the sofa facing the ceiling, resting her hands behind the back of her head.

All she had left to do now was wait for the moment Kaji knocked on their door, and she'd be able to see her dream guy once more.

*KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK*

'That must be him!' Asuka quickly assumed, hopping off the sofa.

Shinji had gotten up himself to open the door, but was pushed out of the way by Asuka as she rushed to be the first one to get to Kaji. She almost knocked over a pile of Shinji's belongings too, which had bothered him more so than her having carelessly disregarded him as she ran for the door.

Asuka grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, opening the door to see her idea of the 'true man'.

"Hey Kaji! I wanted to know if-"

Her cheery expression died down almost instantaneously. She wasn't looking up at the brown eyes of her favorite man in the world, but instead at an almost-equal height to Rei Ayanami's hauntingly red irises. It went without saying that Asuka had just unknowingly thrown herself at a very awkward situation. Shinji watched it all unfold, trying his best to resist the physical urge of cringing at having witnessed the two girls come face to face.

"Hello Soryu." Said Rei politely with a nod.

Asuka wasn't having it, and unsurprisingly frowned at her.

"What are you doing here? Expected to be seeing your boyfriend today? Well he just so happens to be moving out... didn't you get the memo?"

"I am aware of his moving out. I'm here to accompany him to his new home." The blue-haired girl responded, almost brushing shoulders with Asuka as she entered the apartment to approach Shinji.

"Hi Rei." Shinji said with a smile as he hugged her.

Rei also proceeded to greet Misato and even Pen Pen, whom she had been able to properly meet and on occasion play with when she had gotten the chance to spend some time at Misato's place. Of course, she was usually only ever there whenever Asuka was not home.

"We should head downstairs. Kaji is parked outside waiting for us, just in front of the main lobby." Rei added.

Asuka had gone back to ignoring the two before catching wind of Kaji's presence downstairs, and her attention was fully reclaimed.

"Kaji's here?"

"Seems so... welp, let's start taking your stuff downstairs." Said Misato.

"I'll assist as well." Rei stated.

All of this had only complicated Asuka's little plan even more. Not only did Kaji not show up at the door like she had hoped he would, but he was downstairs and would have no privacy to talk to him. Already, she was thinking of ways to rush down there to get to him first, but she knew she didn't have time to put on her shoes in time to avoid getting her feet wet in the rain.

She considered offering to help Shinji and the others with his belongings, but quickly scratched the idea from her mind.

'No way in hell I'm helping them!' Asuka thought. 'But, if Kaji sees me without a box he'll probably think I'm being inconsiderate! Shit, what do I do?'

But before she could even make any decisions in time, she heard the front door close. Shinji, Rei and Misato were already on their way down, and there was no way Asuka would be able to squeeze in front of them with all those boxes being carried through the tightly-spaced stairway.

She bawled her fists.

'My chance... ruined! And by them of all people!'

Asuka angrily walked to her room, knowing full-well that she would likely not emerge from it in the next few hours.

2:16pm:

Doing absolutely nothing for hours was strangely kind of exhausting for Asuka. Though she wasn't exactly an outside person, she would've rather not do nothing for an entire day. Perhaps she was still annoyed by what had happened before Shinji's departure. But even Asuka didn't know exactly why she felt so tired.

'This stinks... I should be feeling better that the idiot isn't here anymore, but I'm just bored!'

Frustrated, she dived face-first into her pillow and let out a muffled groan.

*PLOP*

"UUUGH..."

Asuka already tried just about everything she could do in her room all alone. She considered going back out to the living room in search of something to do there instead, but Misato had been home the entire time, and Asuka would rather avoid any interaction with her.

She didn't really have much to do in her spare time alone. Normally she'd hit up Hikari and the two would spend time together, talking about whatever it was that interested them at the time, or to go out of town for just a bit and have some fun. But just a week and a half prior to this very day, Unit-01 had their call to action and were out ever since.

It was part of what was so frustrating to Asuka about the new program she was in; not only could she not command her precious unit, but being back home with all of her friends in the battlefield meant she didn't have anyone to see.

All in all, she didn't really have anything to do in Tokyo-3. Asuka now longed for the battlefield more than ever.

'This program better be worth it...'

*RRRIIIIING*

Asuka quickly lifted her head from the pillow and looked over towards the phone.

She was a little put off for a split second, but realized it was either Hikari calling after returning from a mission, or Kaji finally returning her numerous unanswered calls. The latter was likely just wishful thinking.

"Hello?" She said.

"Hey Asuka!" Hikari answered back.

Although Asuka was a little disappointed that Kaji wasn't the one who dialed, she also wasn't surprised at all. And on the flip side, Hikari was finally back home, so this gave her something to do other than bore herself to death in her room.

"Unit-01's just came back from deployment. How's it going?"

Asuka groaned again, but this time in a semi-sarcastic manner. Hikari held back a chuckle, not because she thought Asuka having a hard time was funny, but because her redheaded friend had funny ways to relay her message.

"Doesn't sound too good... what's up?" She asked.

"Stupid Shinji and I got into a really bad argument, so Miss Misato had him move out and live someplace else."

A weirdly long pause followed Asuka's statement.

"That's it?" Hikari finally asked, apparently having expected to hear even more from her.

"Yeah, that's it."

Another pause followed.

"So break it down for me, Asuka... just how exactly is this a problem?" She asked again. "Because if I'm being honest, I don't think you two should have ever lived together in the first place."

"Look, not having him around isn't what's bothering me. No way, I'm happy I don't have to see his jerk face everyday anymore. It's just that... that-"

Asuka hesitated, feeling the dread overtake her emotions.

"-it'll only be me and Miss Misato in the house now... oh, and the bird, I guess."

Hikari was beginning to grasp the full scope of her predicament.

"Oooh... yeah, I see your dilemma now. But I mean, maybe it won't be that bad! I'm sure the Major may have picked up some housekeeping skills from having Ikari around."

"No... she didn't." Asuka said sternly. "God, it was a total pig stye in here! Once the idiot went missing, this place's tidiness went right along with him. And a month into the whole thing, she never improved! From then on, it only got worse all the way up until they finally brought the little brat back from... whatever the hell happened to him."

Hikari listened on as Asuka's problems poured out from her end of the phone's speaker.

"You sure that's all that's bothering you?"

That question bothered Asuka more than it should have. Hikari just knew her too well, and she was probably the only person who could see right through her by just talking to her on the phone. There was nothing she could really hide from her pig-tailed, freckled friend.

"Sometimes, I curse myself for letting you in on these things, Hikari..." Asuka admittedly said half-jokingly.

Hikari leaned back on her chair in preparation to hear her friend out.

"Okay Asuka, spill it."

"Besides having to live with the slob herself, what bothers me about this whole move is that the idiot's moving in with Kaji..." Asuka explained.

Her friend was just as puzzled by the news as Asuka was the day before.

"Wait, Mr. Kaji? That dreamy guy we saw by the Seikatsu?!" She asked.

"Yeah! And it's such bullshit, too! I've known him longer and better than Shinji ever has! So what gives? Why does he get to live with him while I stay back here with Miss Misato? I mean I've known her for a while too, but I'm way more familiar with Kaji, and not to mention more comfortable around him! Absolutely nothing about this makes any sense... uuugh!"

Hikari felt bad for Asuka. She could tell living alone with Misato was a total step outside of her comfort zone. And as much as she distrusted Shinji, she knew that he made things easier for Asuka by just being around. Not just with his tidiness and knowledge of cooking, but by being familiar with Misato.

As much as she knew Shinji had come to bother Asuka, his presence in the house seemed to bring her a sense of security.

"Sounds like you kind of need him around." Hikari bluntly stated.

"What?" Asked Asuka.

"Oh, simmer down! Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you should have him around... god forbid! But I'm willing to bet that things are a little easier for you when he's there, am I right?"

Asuka was a little stunned by this realization. She didn't even know exactly what to say to Hikari, as there was nothing to really protest about her assumption. The mark had been hit perfectly, and this resulted in Asuka's embarrassment. Had it been anyone else that said this to her, there would most definitely have been some bloodshed. But she knew she was safe when talking to Hikari about this.

"I... guess so." She admitted.

"You think maybe that's why you took a liking to him?"

Another stunned silence followed.

"What are you, my therapist?" Asuka asked sarcastically.

Hikari couldn't help but laugh at how straightforward the question was. Even Asuka found the interaction to be quite funny despite how ashamed she was of how she felt about Shinji.

"But seriously, though... why is it that you crushed on him? What about him made you actually like him, even after he technically assaulted you?" Hikari managed to inquire after finally suppressing her laughter.

Asuka thought about that question. There was something about Shinji that drew her to him, even though so many things about the boy irritated her to no end. At this point, she could admit to herself that she did at least like him at one point. And ever since she caught wind of his relationship with Rei, she finally had a reason to let him go, despite always getting annoyed at seeing the two be so close.

"Do you really need remind me of that crush I had on him? It's embarrassing." She said.

"Hey, I don't judge. I just question it is all."

"Well, if I had to guess, I think it's because he's-" Asuka paused, thinking about it a little more. "-he's actually pretty sincere if you come to think of it..."

Hikari, though Asuka couldn't see, raised an eyebrow.

"And how is that so?"

"I'm not sure... but there's something so sincere about the idiot's attitude. I mean, you know me. I'm pretty straight forward sometimes." She explained.

"Most of the time." Hikari corrected.

"Yeah... yeah, most of the time." Admitted Asuka. "But in his own way, so is he. Not in the way that I usually go about it, though. He's honest about how he feels, and never really lost his shit over anything, even when he was clearly upset. That is, up until lately."

Asuka's unexpected attraction to Shinji began to make a lot more sense to her best friend now. Like Asuka had so bluntly said to her many times before, Shinji wasn't exactly a looker. Nothing about him was really that eye-catching or unique. To her and many of the girls at school, he was just another run-of-the-mill kid. Even his shy and polite demeanor was a bit of a turn-off for many.

But that's what seemed to interest Asuka about him. He wasn't just another boy she'd simply dub 'obnoxious' or 'horny'. Shinji was sincere, even if it made him look weak.

"So... you like that he's honest with himself and those around him." Hikari stated.

Asuka grinned a little.

"I kind of envy it, if I'm being honest myself."

Hikari still had her opinions on Shinji. The time he lashed out at Asuka in the Medical Tent was more than enough to get on her bad side. On top of that, his subsequent arrest on charges of drug possession, though it wasn't his own doing, only made him look even worse in her eyes. But now she understood what appealed to Asuka about him. Shinji held something within him that Asuka lacked, which in turn only served to confuse the moody redhead more about why she developed this crush.

"Makes sense." Said Hikari.

This was what made her Asuka's closest friend. The half-Japanese, half-German girl always had her guard up no matter what. For very understandable reasons, she couldn't find it in her to open to anyone. Hikari was the first and only person who was not only able to hear her out properly, but see through the facade.

Asuka could let her guard down around her without losing her nerve. And that was what made their friendship so strong.

"Alright then, can I ask you something, Hikari?" She asked.

Something told Hikari that she knew exactly what it was that her dear friend was going to ask about. Or rather, exactly who it was.

"Is it about Suz-?"

"It's about Suzuhara." Her friend said before Hikari had the chance to finish.

"Okaaay-" She said with a soft sigh. "-what about him is it that you want to ask me?"

"Why you like him... what else?" Clarified Asuka. "I told you why I liked Shinji, so it's only fair that you do the same! An eye for an eye."

Hikari shrugged.

"Fair enough... honestly, I guess I don't really get why I crush on him either. Well, not fully, at least. Though, he is kinda cute..."

Asuka felt her body recoil at her friend's comment.

"Wait, what? Eeeeeww! No way..." She said, hearing her friend giggle. "Suzuhara? Cute?! You're crazy!"

"I can't help it! I mean come on, he isn't an bad-looking guy, Asuka. And it's not like it's just his looks either. His attitude, though annoying at times, is kinda hot..."

Out of all the things Hikari might've told Asuka about her reasons for crushing on Toji, the last one she'd expect to hear was that. Toji, no matter what he may have looked like, would've disgusted Asuka regardless. Before Shinji, he was the only guy in the unit that would've openly stood up to her comments. It became their only real dynamic. But Hikari finding him attractive just didn't sit well with her.

"B-but... he's an idiot!" She said. "And like, you two are total opposites! You're the class rep, Hikari! Why him? He's always slipping up and disregarding the rules you're in charge of overseeing. Doesn't that annoy you at all?"

"Yeah, of course it does! But- I don't know... I think I actually kind of like that about him. I mean it's annoying having to be the one he's always disobeying. But I also think it's kind of cool. He doesn't care about the approval of others or what they expect of him. Suzuhara is sure of himself no matter what. And... I kind of wish I was a little more like that myself." Explained Hikari.

"No offense, but I don't think you'd wanna stoop to that moron's level, Hikari... he's a dumbass!"

"No, not like that! I meant like not being so uptight all the time." She added. "I like being class rep and all... but I feel like because of my duty in class, I don't get to live out the school experience like everyone else does. But Suzuhara... he could care less. To me, he embodies exactly what I want of in myself, even if just a little. I mean he's never once listened to me when I told him to wear a proper school uniform, has he?"

It was now that Asuka could hear how into him Hikari truly was. It wasn't just some silly crush she had for him, she truly admired aspects of his personality.

"I just think that's kind of cool, y'know? That he's willing to be himself, no matter what." Hikari added.

"I see. I guess it makes sense when you put it like that. But on the other hand, you two are kinda opposite each other, don't you think? You're organized, trustworthy and on top of all your duties in school. Suzuhara... well, he's a slacker. You guys are so different!"

"Yeah, but so are you and Ikari."

Once again, Hikari provided Asuka with another fair point as she often tended to do.

"That's- yeah, that's true..." She said.

Then it got quiet again. This time reality truly set in, as the discussion of Toji's positive aspects only shed some more light on his recent loss. The Tokyo-3 attack affected everyone, and things would likely never be the same after the fact.

"How's he doing?" Asuka asked. "Suzuhara, I mean... have you heard anything from him?"

"Actually, I made a little time to see him last night. The unit arrived yesterday, and I would've called you sooner but I just wanted to check in on him..." Answered Hikari.

"Oh, that's cool."

The amount of awkward silences between sentences only seemed to become more consistent as soon as the topic got more serious. What happened to Toji was very heavy. The mere mention of his name around Unit-01 would bring with it a depressing cloud over everyone's heads.

"He's so unlike himself, Asuka." She said in a much darker tone. "Suzuhara's eyes were so... vacant. It's like he wasn't even there. We talked a little, but not much was really said between us. I don't blame him. But you know what? He was really polite. More so than he's ever been to me before. It felt really... nice. I just hate that this is what happened for me to see this side of him. Poor Suzuhara... his head is completely consumed by what happened."

Asuka was never really fond of Toji. He had always been the yin to her yang in the worst possible way, always challenging her whenever she put up her fiery facade.

But she had since viewed him in a different light, specifically because of his loss. No matter how much she disliked his behavior in class and on the battlefield, his losing of such a close family member served to remind her that he was in fact, human. Not just some person she disagreed with.

Shaking her thoughts away from her own troubled childhood, she sighed.

"I can imagine." Asuka said.

TOKYO-3

8:09pm:

The light drizzle produced little tapping sounds as in came in contact with Rei's white umbrella, it being held by Shinji as the two stuck close together walking along the damp sidewalks of the 7th District. Rei was being walked back home by Shinji, which had now become a very common occurrence. Both had spent the day at Kaji's apartment, getting used to the sights and new home of Shinji Ikari.

For Shinji, the move was a mixed bag of emotions. He liked the new environment, and found Kaji's place to be a lot more cozy. But on the other hand, he'd miss the familiarity and aroma of the previous apartment. Asuka wouldn't get on his nerves as much anymore, but he'd miss Misato, and even Pen Pen.

To Rei, it was yet another point to add to the list of reasons she had grown to strongly dislike her own drab apartment. Shinji's new home was inviting, while hers was off-putting.

"I enjoyed our time together today quite a lot." She said to Shinji. "I believe it is a more ideal location for us to spend time together. And it's nice to have more space for ourselves. I do not wish to frequently bring her up, but Soryu's absence makes quite the difference."

"I'm with you on that one. I like that I have more space to myself there. Hey, maybe we can see each other a little more often this way..." He replied.

Rei smiled as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

They were not too far from her home now, and would be there within just a matter of minutes. This was Rei's least favorite part of the night. It would always come time for her to split from Shinji and return to her depressing apartment. But it didn't bother her much. Rei knew she'd be able to see Shinji every day of the week.

Life wasn't perfect. Far from it. But it was better than before, and it was really beginning to rub off on Rei.

"Looks like this is it." Said Shinji, looking upwards at one of the many identical apartment complexes on the block.

Rei recognized the door to the main lobby all too well, and promptly step in front of Shinji and wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up at him with loving eyes. They hugged and relished in each other's body warmth, despite the climate of the city being so uncomfortably hot, even at night.

"Hope you don't have another meeting after training tomorrow... I'd love it if you could swing by once we're done." Shinji cooed. "If you're not busy, of course..."

"If Dr. Akagi has nothing planned for me, then I'll most definitely pass by."

They proceeded to kiss and said their goodbyes for the night. Shinji watched as Rei entered her building, then turned back around to make his way back to his new home. He was as happy as can be, but his smile soon started to fade. He could still feel the two peculiar objects inside his pocket, the ones he had found stuffed inside his mattress from when he was asked by Misato to double-check his old room. Shinji reached into his pocket and pulled them out.

Two BR-ZRK syringes, the same ones Toji gave him back when they were in Matsuyama.

'I forgot about these damn things...'

Initially, he didn't want to take them, but Toji insisted he should just in case he ever needed it. And admittedly, it was what Toji used to revive him back in the Sai-Kuru attack. But it also almost resulted in his exile. He had completely forgotten about them by then, and was lucky he found them before he left.

If Misato happened to stumble upon those BR-ZRK shots, she would have lost it. Shinji knew it was a better idea to discard of the drug, but he didn't.

'These things will only bring me trouble if I keep them... and I know that if I'm caught with this stuff, it'll all be over.' He mused. 'But with how close the danger's been getting to home, I don't know... having these around might help.'

It was a risk, but Shinji was deathly afraid of another invasion. And he wasn't alone in that. All of Tokyo-3, at least those who still chose to live there, felt the same way.

Shinji didn't want anyone to know about this. Unlike before, where it was Toji that injected the drug into his bloodstream, he was willfully holding onto BR-ZRK shots. This could turn into an actual case of drug possession. He would only use it if it was absolutely necessary. Rei wasn't going to know about this, and neither would Kensuke, or even Toji, who'd certainly never give him any flack for carrying it.

Holding onto the syringes was indeed a risk, but the risk of losing his loved ones outweighed it in Shinji's mind. He tightened his fist.

'Better to be safe than sorry...'