Instead of a simple kiss, Asuka chooses another way to spend that bored evening in October.

tap tap tap* "Hey Shinji." Asuka asked as her head rested on the table, "wanna play a game?"

Shinji looked up and pulled his headphone out of his ear. "A what?"

"A game. Do you want to play?"

"Uh… sure! Should we go to the living room?"

"We don't have to, we can,play it here." She said. When Shinji stared at her blankly she leaned off the table and said, "it's a very simple game. It's called-"

Truth or Dare

Norsehound

Shinji blinked. "How do you…play?"

Asuka turned to him with a haughty expression. "I start by asking you truth, or Dare. If you say truth, you have to answer me completely honestly. If you say Dare, you gotta do the one thing I tell you to. After Ive asked me truth or dare, it's your turn to ask me. What do you say?"

Shinji looked away, skeptical. "I-i don't know about this, Asuka."

"Are you scared?" She asked playfully. Then she added, "Besides, remember, you can ask me stuff too. And we can set some ground rules."

Shinji thought about it. It was more interesting than just killing time reading. It would make Asuka happy, too. On the other hand he hesitated about being forced to answer things truthfully.

But, he realized as he looked at her, he could ask things of her too? "O-okay." Shinji said as he mustered some courage. "Rule one, nothing stupid like walking on the balcony rail wall or anything dangerous."

"Okay." Asuka said, "Rule two, no H." She winced, "I'm not letting you in my pants."

Shinji blinked, red with nervousness. "I-i wouldn't think of it!" Though now he was.

"Hmm." Asuka replied with a disappointed face, though she was both relieved he didn't chafe against it and disappointed he didn't want to access her body for a little fun. "Okay. Another ground rule?"

"Umm…" Shinji thought, "we should keep it in the apartment. I don't want to go outside."

"Fair." Asuka said, "anything else?"

Shinji shook his head.

"All right then." Asuka stood up. "Truth or dare?"

Shinji stood up also. "Uhh…" he hesitated a little. Fearful that Asuka might make him do sinething outrageous anyway, he said, "Truth."

"Okay." Asuka said and crossed her arms, "What was your first crush like?"

Shinji blinked, startled, stammered, "Uh…. Do I have to answer that?"

"Yes."

"C-can I choose Dare instead?"

"No." Asuka replied coldly. "No take backs. You can't just change your question after its been asked."

Shinji sighed, clenched his hand and swallowed. He prepared himself for one of her tirades. "I… I've never had a crush before."

Asuka blinked with surprise. "Really? You mean,to tell me you've never had a girl you've just liked and admired, even if you don't talk to her?"

Shinji blinked. "That's what a crush is? I-i thought you had to confess!"

Asuka sighed with irritation. "If this is going to be that difficult, never mind."

"No-no!" Shinji took a step towards her to undo his mistake. "I… well… I…"

Asuka stared at him. Shinji swallowed and averted his eyes. "There was a girl in my grade school class… I forgot her name… but she was everywhere. I remember she seemed to be friends with everyone else but… I wish she had decided to be friends with just me."

"Hmmm… that's sweet and wholesome."

"N-not always." Shinji said with a smile, "Sometimes she would insist on eating bugs and hanging from the swing upside down. She hated squirrels for some reason and would throw rocks at them. She was odd… but.. Special, if that makes sense."

"Hmm. Okay, your turn Shinji." She straightened in a pose that reminded Shinji of when they first met. "Ask me."

"U-uhh… okay, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Huh, oh. Ummm…." Shinji looked around the apartment for a suitable task. Then an idea occurred to him. "I-i dare you to fold the laundry."

And just like when they first met, Asuka's entire torso hunched over. "Really third? The best you can think of is just chores? You're supposed to be edgier than that!"

"It's not off limits in the rules." Shinji said, chanting his eyebrows with a sad show of spine.

Asuka sighed exasperatedly, then said, "I'll do it, but you gotta make it a challenge. So, how long do I have?"

"Uhhh…."

"How long do you take to fold the laundry?"

Shinji thought about it. "Fif…teen minutes?"

"Say an Angel attack is happening but you don't want Misato finding out you've been looking at her underwear. How fast?"

a/n: Written after Kaji's tale, this took the title literally for this story. a spontaneous little thing with potential. Just waiting for the next wave of inspiration before picking it up.