Settling into life in Village 3 Asuka is left unsatisfied with the place Shinji has left her. Ever LASting live entry, 2022.

The rain plinking everywhere on the rotting structure of the stupid rail station nicely masked Asuka's frayed feelings. She stood in the entry, behind the panel door, isolating herself from the violence outside.

Kensuke had left early in the morning with no note. Asuka didn't blame him, if there was someplace she could go to escape the disgust she felt with herself, she would. But there had been no place before she could go in the third village before, and there was no place now, either. All she had was the rotting structure of this rail station, the botched dinner and awkward near-kiss of last night, and the dead entry plug from Evangelion unit 13 outside in the rain.

"All right, idiot Shinji," she uttered, "I tried it your way and I hated it. Now what the hell am I supposed to do?"

The rain had no answer for her. Neither did the entry plug, visible through the window. Asuka narrowed her eyes.

"Come back here you coward. I'm not finished with you!"

That Which Survives

Norsehound

#EverLAStinglove

Everything was still wet by the time Kensuke came back. The table had been cleaned along with the attempt from last night. "So… did you sleep well?" Kensuke asked without looking at her when he came in.

"Fine." The now-adult woman Asuka replied from her customary place on her mattress. Her WonderSwan was active in her hands. The shield was holding, even if she had to get used to having sight from both eyes now to use it. "Where did you go?"

"To Toji's. To… to talk about… things."

"Any conclusions?"

"Yes and no." Kensuke replied. "I had to come back to pick up some electrical tools. I… uh… also wanted to ask if you would come with me into town."

Asuka paused the WonderSwan. "Why?"

"The Suzuharas offered to put us up for lunch in exchange for the electrical work I need to do down there. I figured this would be a chance to look around town a little. You've been cooped up here ever since you came back, after all."

"You mean so I can find someplace else to stay."

Kensuke didn't answer. He started grabbing tools and went to his jeep.

Asuka resumed playing her game. "Was this supposed to make me happy, Shinji?" She asked, "You ruined everything, hero."

The car ride was predictably quiet and tense as Kensuke drove them both down the hill. Asuka refused to look in his direction, she had no doubt he felt the same.

The tension was getting to Kensuke, though, and his fingers kept drumming on the wheel as he drove. Finally, he said, "Look, Asuka, we need to talk about last night."

"I'd rather we didn't."

"Well, I want to, because I don't want what's going on now to be our new normal." Kensuke said. When there was no further objection from her he began, "I… I don't want… that. That's not who we are. That's not who we were before, either."

"I know." She toned.

"Then... then why did you-"

"Because I thought That's what stupid Shinji wanted, okay?" She barked, glancing at him. After a silent moment she looked back out the window. "He tells me to give you his regards, makes me into an adult lilin with stupid adult lilin needs and sends me to you. That's all. No note, no instruction."

Kensuke caught something. "Lilin needs? So that's why you've really been trying to cook, so you can eat. And also why you…"

Kensuke glanced at her. She was blushing.

"Oh. I see."

Asuka sighed. "So what am I supposed to do now Ken-ken? Things were supposed to make sense after last night. But that didn't feel right, so now what am I supposed to do? How do I even live?"

"I think that's a question we all grapple with."

"That's some nice, unhelpful existentialist crap. I've been a combat Evangelion pilot for my entire life, there's nothing in that skill set that translates to wilderness survival!"

"That's not entirely true. Improvisation and technical aptitude with machinery could be useful out here. I know I can use a hand in some of the work I do."

"But what if I don't want to do that?"

"Then it's a good thing I'm taking you to the village after all. Look around, see if you can find something that looks like you'll enjoy doing. If nothing else, be a farmer for a while and work with your hands. Either you'll enjoy the chance to think, or you'll get bored and find out what you'd rather be doing."

In spite of herself, Asuka smiled.

Now that the world outside the borders of the third village was green and alive, the village itself was less crowded now. Less urgent. In the months after the miracle of Wunder, people left the city to go back to their old homes to see what remained. There were plenty who stayed behind instead, choosing to continue with their new lives.

Asuka, dressed in salvaged clothes now more fit to her adult body, walked beside Kensuke carrying some of the tools he required.

a/n: this fic was briefly discussed on the Asushin Discord while it was being written. originally Kensuke was supposed to be into the idea of being with adult Asuka, but asuken is kinda squicky given thier relationship in 31. it was more interesting to do this recovery from an awkward moment, so it stands.

from here Shinji was supposed to return wuth Mari, and the fic has both Asuka and Shinji proceeding as if the other is happy in thier "relationship."