One small change on that night in,October ripples onward in the lives of Shinji and Asuka. So they are now a couple... but something deeper is stirring inside and within them. something old. something alien.

a/n: this is my remake-take on Advice and Trust by Panther2G. Additionally the rating on this chapter is closer to M... not going into lemon territory, but definitely suggestive.

This is a longer installment of about 5? chapters. From here, Alternates will be covering the heavy drafts.

"Hey, Shinji, do you want to kiss?"

Shinji looked up from his manga. Then he pulled his ear buds out to be certain he had heard her right. "What?"

"A kiss. A kiss! You've never kissed, right?" She asked, leaning up in the seat at the dining table.

It was late. Outside, the fading glow of the setting sun was vanishing, replaced by the dark ink of twilight. Tokyo-3's orange lights buzzed in the slightly cool air. Crickets had replaced the buzzing cicadas of the day, accompanied by soft wind blowing through the doorway to the balcony.

The only light in the apartment was in the kitchen where the two teens languished. Asuka sat at the kitchen table and, up until a moment ago, had been tapping her fingers as if she was thinking of something. Shinji, as typical, had minding his own business. It was a trained reflex after months of living beside two beautiful, but unavailable, women in the house.

Shinji shook his head in answer to her question. "No."

"Then let's kiss." Asuka said.

I. Enticement

Shinji blinked. A spear of anticipation shot up his chest at the idea of kissing her, "Why?" He asked her.

"Because I'm bored." She replied.

"You want to kiss...because you're bored?" His anticipation was quickly smothered when he recalled her past behavior. Once again, she was trying to get a rise out of him.

Asuka leaned back in the chair. "You don't want to kiss a girl on the anniversary of your mother's death? Are you afraid that your mother might be watching us from heaven?"

"It's not that." Shinji replied, looking away from her and into his complex emotions about the meeting with his father earlier that day.

Asuka donned a mischievous smile, "Are you scared?"

That yanked him back to the present. "Why would I be scared of a kiss?" He asked aloud. This indignant remark also brought him to his feet.

Asuka stood from the chair to join him. "Did you brush your teeth?"

He nodded. Doubt crossed his mind then about whether she was really trying to get a rise out of him, or not.

"Then here I come." She said and started to step forward. Her look was plain and neutral, furthering his doubts. The door of protective indifference held over his expression though.

She was close to him now, face to face. He saw her start to lean in and closed his eyes, lips ready. The door lifted. Every receptor on his face was preparing for her touch.

...but it wasn't there.

He peeked his eyes open. Her crisp blue irises were staring at him at close range.

"Stop breathing. It tickles." She said.

Before Shinji knew what was happening her hands moved. Her fingers plugged his nose, raised his face a degree, and her mouth collided with him.

The gentle softness of her lips smearing against his, and the mass of her body almost against him, completely stopped his thinking. He was singularly possessed by the dream he suddenly found himself living. It was too good to be true- and he had no idea what to do next. One wrong move with her gently probing tongue and she would slap him so hard he'd surely feel it for a week.

He was also running out of air.

His body had two choices. The first was to yank back and take a big gulp of air, then figure out what to say once he recovered. The second was to flail, perhaps hitting her in his gyrations, and also drawing physical rebuke from her fists. But the kiss would hold.

He ran out of time.

Shinji decided to do the former, but his body disobeyed. Both hands reached out to grab what they could and found Asuka. His bracing grip landed on her hips and pulled, bringing their bodies closer with a firm bump.

Just as he was processing what he had done, and bracing for her to launch an attack on him, She released his nose. The hand that held him landed on his shoulder while the other skirted under his right arm and into the small of his back. A small, desperate coo uttered from behind her lips as she pressed harder and tilted her head sideways. Her tongue pierced his lips and ran across his teeth while her nose sucked in a sharp breath.

Shinji's eyes snapped open and warmth coursed through his torso and groin. He… couldn't believe it. His anxiety over what was happening lasted only for a moment, as her touch intensified against him. Her exhale flowed over his face, and another pleading coo reached his ears, which broke the spell hesitation had over him.

She… wasn't pushing him away. She… she wanted this.

Shinji felt a weight leave his mind and fly into the air like a balloon. Knowing she wanted this too relaxed his muscles and let him lean into her affection. He let his body drive, closing his eyes and letting himself run his hands across her waist and into the small of Her back. Her presence was keenly felt- she was closer to him now than anyone had ever been.

Even toppling into a nude Ayanami had not been this intimate.

Finally, after a deal of exploration they parted with their eyes open, both of them panting but not letting go. Both of them were wide-eyed and flushed, neither really believing this was happening.

"Do-" Shinji gulped, "do you want to-"

Her breath hissed out of her face as she mashed against him again, another satisfied moan escaping her. Shinji, this time, held on to her again and let his own tongue explore hers. He did not miss the pleasant uttering from her as she did. He couldn't stop himself from grunting.

He was getting more and more comfortable the more they were touching. The more he knew that this was ok. They could do this. They could be this.

Beep. Hiss.

They parted immediately, staring into each others' surprised faces before parting to clean themselves up as much as possible. Shinji tugged his shirt back into position and brushed off loose red hairs. Asuka ducked into the bathroom.

A man's voice echoed low up the hallway with the scrapes of effort. Shinji turned to face the doorway, seeing Kaji bringing Misato in, her arm over his shoulder. "Hey Shinji, I could use a hand. Katsuragi needs to go to bed."

Shinji had seen Misato pass out drunk before and said nothing as he ducked under Misato's other arm to help his guardian into her room.

Asuka peeked out of the bathroom door at the three of them and then looked away. Her heart was still racing. Knowing that she needed to make an appearance she flipped on the light and looked at herself in the mirror to start freshening up. All the while her mind was racing. Mein gott. He did it.

Kaji slowly dropped Misato onto her futon, laying her jacket down beside her. Kaji paused at the threshold of her door before gently sliding it closed.

"Well kids, I should be off." Kaji said and turned to walk back into the kitchen. Shinji watched him, remaining by Misato's door at first before he followed Kaji to the kitchen.

Asuka came out of the bathroom then. "Ah! Kaji!" She breathed, a big smile on her beautiful, animated face. She rounded the table to intercept him near the exit to the dining room, hooking her arms under one of his. "Are you going to stay the night? You could…"

"Nah, I'd get laughed at if I showed up to work tomorrow in this." Kaji kept moving to the door, not noticing Asuka stopped and allowed his arm to slip away. "Take care of Katsuragi, kids. Goodnight."

Shinji didn't see Asuka's reaction, but heard Kaji's statement from the kitchen. With the thunk of the front door, he knew Kaji had left. Shinji reflected on seeing Asuka eagerly follow Kaji out and concluded, of course, that the kiss must have meant nothing. She got what she needed from him. And that was it.

Shinji started down the hall for his room. His feet padded down the hall to his void of an open bedroom door. Light click, door closed. He got dressed for bed.

Sitting on his bed just before he turned off the light, he closed his eyes and put himself back into that moment with Asuka. The gentle feeling of her lips. The earnestness. The smell of her hair. The physical closeness.

A knock on the door. "Shinji."

Not Third, not idiot. Shinji. He raised his head.

A part of him wanted to ignore it. She was clearly still after Kaji. What did she want, to taunt him for how incomparable he was to a "real man" like Kaji? Again?

But then he thought back to how she… Changed when he inadvertently grabbed her. If you got off this train, you might never be able to get back on again. This may be his last chance to get back what he just had. "Yes?"

"Can I come in?"

"Yes."

Asuka had not changed clothing yet, but Shinji could read something different in her body now. Deflated? Defeated- her? She took two steps into his windowless room and closed the door behind her with a little thunk.

For a moment they only stared at one another. As Shinji looked at her he was beginning to see a lot of details about her; like the flyaways coming off her red hair. Her fingernails were imperfectly trimmed. Her feet were pointed slightly askew as she stood there. How ill fitting and large her yellow shirt was. The moisture in her eyes.

She was more real to him now than any other time he had known her. His eyes widened now at how much more he could see.

After that small eternity Asuka folded one arm across her belly to grip the elbow of her other arm. She looked away. "I-it looks like Kaji and Misato are back together." She winced, "he was wearing her perfume on his jacket."

Shinji looked down. "Oh? I guess that was to be expected- they have known each other for a long time."

Asuka stared into the room for a moment more. "Yeah." She said dismissively. Then she turned to the door.

She was leaving! Shinji's gut carried him to his feet. "Asuka!"

She stopped.

He hesitated in that important moment, trying to find the right words to say. "Don't... Don't go."

"Why, Third?" She asked without turning.

Because I want to kiss you again. Because I feel a connection with you I can't explain. Because I went through a door with you. "Because I like you!" came out of his mouth instead, startling him.

She sucked in a sharp breath and her head raised a degree.

His confession drained into the air like spilt milk. Now that it was in the open, the rest of the dam was breaking. "You're the most beautiful girl I know, and I wish I could be special to you. I wish I could tell you that without… without making you upset, or make you want to call me a pervert! I never know what I can say to you because it just angers you, no matter what I do! I…. I hate that…. I just wish we could at least be… friends."

He panted. All of that had come crashing out of him like an avalanche, but he felt better clearing the air of that tension.

Asuka still hadn't turned around. Shinji sat down and sighed with vulnerability. He brought his hands up to his head, bracing for a scathing tirade of some stripe from her.

Instead he heard the padding of her feet as she turned around. "Did you mean that?"

Shinji uncovered his face and looked at her eyes. Asuka stared back at him with a neutral expression and wide eyes once more. "You like me. Did you mean that?" She asked.

Blinking, Shinji could see the vulnerability in her eyes. She was waiting on his answer; This was his one shot at getting close to her.

"Y-yes." He said to her, "I mean it. Completely. I..." He closed his eyes to make one last push of throwing himself into her quills. "I like you!"

She stared at him a moment more before she uttered, "I like you too, Shinji."

Shinji's eyes snapped open and darted to hers. The two just stared into one another's souls in that small room. It was getting warmer.

"You…" Shinji said, "You weren't really bored, were you?"

"No." She said, averting her eyes. "I wanted to know what kissing you was like. So…" she trailed off.

"I liked it a lot." Shinji said. "I… I want to keep doing it."

"You do?" Her eyes returned to him.

"Yes." He replied. The blush on both of them had been rising steadily. "Just don't pinch my nose- I need to breathe."

"Okay."

Shinji stood and Asuka stepped up to him once more. The magnetism of both of their bodies together returned, and at this range Shinji could take in the scent of her hair. She closed her eyes as they leaned in together and contact was made.

It was easy to slip into that space of sharing again, and within moments their hands were exploring each other's bodies while their faces mashed together.

When they finally parted, Asuka gently pushed him to the bed. Shinji obeyed and Asuka scurried on top of him, grabbing his face and meeting it with her own.

It was some time before, satisfied, Asuka just laid her head beside Shinji's. Her arm was across him, holding his shoulder. His left was under her waist, curled around her hips. His right hand was on top of hers, their fingers interlaced.

"That was amazing." Shinji uttered at last.

"Yeah." Asuka answered.

Silence for another moment. Then Shinji asked, "So...What is it about me that you like?"

Her hand tightened. "I keep asking myself that question every time I wish you would hold me. I don't know! I just want you." Her head shifted against his temple and her grip tightened a little. "Maybe it's because you cook good. And you take care of me. And your eyes are amazing. And your stupid boy smile. And…" she ended with a grunt as she realized how infatuated she was.

Shinji smiled. "Nobody's complimented me before like that. Thank you."

"Don't let it get to your head, idiot." She said and prodded him with her thumb. "Your turn." She said, "what do you like about me? Or was that it?"

Shinji sucked in a breath. "Where do I start? You're so alive, Asuka. I… I like how strong and confident you are. It helps me feel brave. It makes me think I might be able to get good at piloting, too."

"You're not bad, but you can't beat the best."

"Of course. There are other things too. Though…"

"Yes?"

"Um… I uh… I like looking at your legs."

"I knew. Why do you think I wear these shorts? I saw you notice on the carrier. In the beginning."

Shinji shifted his head slightly towards her. "Why didn't you just say you thought I was cute? Why… why do you tease me and call me a pervert? It made me think you didnt like me." Shinji was gripping her tighter, emphasizing his dismay.

"Is that why you didn't do anything when I would flirt with you?" She asked.

Shinji stopped. "Wait...when?"

Asuka poked him again. "Idiot! That time we almost went to Okinawa!I wanted you to look at my breasts! That bikini has a zipper in the front, or did you not notice?"

Shinji had noticed. But, "I...i thought you were just trying to tease me… I didn't know what you wanted. You talked about Kaji all the time…"

After a pause, she said, "well, what about that time we were dancing together, and we had the apartment to ourselves? I wanted you to come in after me that night."

Shinji thought back to that night. "You said something about a wall."

"The wall of Jericho."

"Yeah. Why was that flirting?"

Asuka paused. "The wall of Jericho is known for falling!"

"How was I supposed to know that!?" He replied.

Asuka didn't say anything more for a moment. Then; "When I think of how I feel about you, I was afraid you would reject me. So... I gave you reasons. If you really wanted me, you would have pushed past them."

Shinji's initial response halted in his throat as he considered his own behavior. "I run away. That's how I respond to being hurt. My sensei said so."

"Your sensei?" Asuka asked.

Shinji nodded once. "I lived with my sensei since my father abandoned me, when I was 4. After my mother died."

Asuka didn't say anything for a moment. Then, "my moma died when I was that young. I…" her grip tightened on him and her pitch warbled up a note. "I found her. After she had died. She was…" Asuka shivered.

"I watched my mom vanish." Shinji said, recalling, "it… it was in an Eva."

He had forgotten. He had seen Eva before. It was without the armor and in a different setting. But knowing what he knew now, he made the connection.

"Something happened to moma in the Eva." Asuka added, squeezing closer to Shinji. "And then papa moved on. We never talked about her again."

"Father just moved on, leaving me behind." Shinji winced. "He told me there aren't any pictures left of my mom. He destroyed them."

Asuka shifted his head against him again. "I still have nightmares of mama… hanging." She gripped him tight.

"You wish she was still here," he squeezed her, "to tell you it's all right."

"Nobody talked to you about it," She said. "They just want to know about Eva."

Shinji recalled how the entire class mobbed him once they learned he was an Eva pilot. Nobody asked him questions about him.

He said, "And you can't relate to anyone else, because they don't pilot Eva. They don't understand. They can't."

"Except you." She said, Her hand tightened on his shoulder. "You're just like me." She said.

"You're just like me. He responded.

They both lay warm in the bed within that windowless room. She was still nestled against him, eyes closed. Neither of them said something for a long time. Neither of them needed to.

"I'm spending the night here." She declared at last.

Normally Shinji would have been quick to stumble over this. Allowing Asuka to share his bed? Her weight beside him, and the revelations about how similar they were, instead filled him with a mellow feeling. "Ok." He said simply.

She leaned up and reached a slender hand to his desk. She turned the lamp off. Shinji had reached down to pull the blankets over them.

As she settled against him again she uttered into his ear, "No H, got that?"

"S-sure!" Replied a nervous Shinji.

"Goodnight, my idiot." She said. Asuka moved to kiss his cheek, squeeze his hand, then release her fingers from his. Her hand remained on his shoulder.

Shinji caught her phrasing, but all he said was, "Goodnight Asuka."

Asuka didn't say anything more as she let herself drift off to sleep. Shinji listened to the gentle sounds of her breathing, recalling a time weeks ago when she dropped on to his mattress in the living room. Maybe even then, she had been trying to get his attention. How many tries have I overlooked these signs?

He blinked. It never occurred to me that she was doing these things to keep my attention.

Asuka shifted again against Shinji. 'Moma'... She uttered a little.

He had thought that was childish of her before. Comparing it to missing his own mother, though? It put them together.

Shinji closed his eyes and took a breath to start calming down. Both of them slept incredibly well.

They dreamt of planting seeds, intertwining leaves, and ancient pacts.

Velvet

Norsehound

II. Sedition

Shinji's room had no window, so it would be very easy to miss the daylight cues to rise. That's why he had an alarm clock. Perhaps out of anticipation Shinji roused first and managed to find the snooze button by reaching up over the headboard and clicking it.

Asuka was still snuggled up against him in the bed.

He took a moment to lay there, taking in the feeling of her weight against him. This was a dream come true, just yesterday the idea that Asuka could be intimate with him by her own choosing was unthinkable. That her dare was a mask for something legitimate? If fate hadn't intervened, he would never have known.

As he debated with himself about leaving her in his bed while he rose, he felt her stir beside him. She groaned a little, and her hand moved across his chest. She sucked in a breath and one eye visible to him peeked open. "Idiot Shinji." She greeted him with gurgly morning breath as her eyes closed again.

"Good morning Asuka."

"What time is it?"

"I can't tell. It should be 7 in the morning."

She groaned and rolled away from him on the bed, sucking in air and rubbing her eyes. Then she dropped her arms, one of them hitting Shinji. "Sorry." She said.

"It's fine." He replied.

"Did… last night really happen?"

"You're just like me." Shinji responded. He felt her shudder through the mattress.

"I feel different." She said.

"Me too."

Asuka propped herself up on her elbow to look at him. A slender finger poked him in the cheek. "Not a word of this to Misato."

"What? Why?"

"Because I never want to sleep alone again." She said, dead serious. Her severity moved his face to look at her. Asuka's blue eyes were staring at him, deep as the ocean. "I haven't felt this rested since our synchronization training months ago. I want this again. Tonight. And you know Misato isn't going to let us sleep together in the same room."

Shinji couldn't believe what he was hearing. He turned his head to face her. "You… you really want to-"

"Yes, Third, I do." She replied, staring at him. "I want all of you. And that means we start sharing a bed now. I don't want to sleep on my own again."

Shnji was taken aback by her confidence and possessiveness. Hesitant as He was, He also felt an earnest thrill at being utterly desired by her.

Asuka smiled at him, then reached forward with a free hand to muss his hair. "You should go make breakfast before Misato gets suspicious."

"Okay." Shinji said and started to shift, but Asuka stopped him with her hand gripping his shirt. Shinji saw the spark of delight in her eyes as she pulled him in close for a kiss.

Shinji had a bit of a time remembering the breakfast routine, because everything felt different now. As he maneuvered in the kitchen he couldn't help feeling magnetic over the space where he bumbled through a door that changed his life completely.

He thought about Asuka's drive to possess him singularly and wondered if it would be a problem1. The more he thought about it, though, the more heated in the face... and elsewhere... he became. Especially mixed with the memory of feeling her against him last night.

"Uuof." He sighed out as he braced his stand in front of the stove. He needed to have other things on his mind, but it was hard not to think of the world he had just entered into with Asuka.

Noise from his guardian broke the spell. Shinji made himself look busy as Misato groaned and stumbled into the common room, looking terrible. She held a towel in hand as she dragged herself to the bathroom. She was still wearing her evening wear from yesterday. "Morning, Shinji." She mumbled.

"G-good morning Misato!" Shinji replied, his chipper tone unwittingly trying to mask the bombshell of last night.

She rounded the far side off the table and entered the bathroom. The door closed.

Shinji let out a big breath of relief and tried to return his focus to getting breakfast prepared.

Asuka hurried to her room after peeking quickly down the hall. She took in a big breath and sighed out all of the tension from last night, at last. Pausing in front of the closet, she couldn't help giggling.

She did it. Shinji turned his head. And now Asuka had more than just the eyes and attention of her only equal on the field of boys in this strange country.

She had someone with the same scars as she did! Someone also in pain. She would never have guessed that, based on how aloof Shinji had been to her advances.

It never occurred to her that he read her remarks purely at face value. But then, she hadn't had much to go on beyond his surface shyness. She hadn't thought of him in that light at all, until he jumped into the volcano for her. Then things changed.

Just as it did last night.

As she slipped the A10 connectors back into her hair she briefly wondered if this was the right decision. She banished the thought immediately; she was Asuka Langley Soryu, ace Evangelion pilot. She knew what she wanted. She had known for a long time, but stupid Shinji never seemed into the idea.

He did want more than just… looking. But he's like me, it's hard to communicate with other people meaningfully.

No more. He was hers.

Ready for the day, Asuka exited her room with a spring in her step.

By the time Shinji started working in the bento boxes, he heard the padding of feet coming closer. His heart lifted; Asuka was approaching.

He turned just in time to see her smiling and her hands reaching out to envelope his right arm. She leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Good." Shinji replied, unable to stop himself from smiling. He nodded his head at the bathroom door, "she's in the shower."

"I knew." Asuka replied, dropping his arm and rounding the table to her meal. "So, idiot Shinji," she said, slipping into the old mask, "you remembered to pack the Bento the way I like it?"

"Yep!" He replied, also in the mode of before. This time though, Asuka could read confidence in his tone and see in the way he carried himself. Straighter. Taller.

Sexier. She couldn't help but blush. At last.

He noticed. "W-what?"

Just then the bathroom door opened and Misato yawned loudly. She only had a towel around her waist. "Morning kids."

The two reacted differently. Asuka frowned heavily at seeing their guardian so exposed. Before Asuka never cared- but knowing now that Shinji was a prospect who could be swayed, her defenses went up.

Shinji felt oddly uncomfortable. Misato had been in a share of his fantasies and glances. But now that Asuka had confessed to him, suddenly their guardian's promiscuity was somewhat offensive to him. She was a grown woman, what was she doing?

Misato didn't notice either reaction until after she had opened her beer. After her first sip she looked between Asuka's terse expression and Shinji's discomfort. "All right, what happened between you two this time, another fight?"

Shinji and Asuka exchanged glances. Asuka looked away first, harrumphing. "Baka Shinji couldn't take a compliment gracefully, again."

"I-i said I was sorry!" Shinji replied, trying his best to play along. Fortunately his fallback covered a lot of contingencies.

"You always apologize, Third! Why do you have to downplay anything I say to you? Just take the stupid complement gracefully and be happy!"

Taking a moment to think, he realized Asuka was aiming at his cello practice. Leaning his head back now that he got it, he went on, "W-well, I'm not that good! What do you want me to do, lie and be arrogant?"

"Yes! Because then someone would actually understand what you like to do for fun!"

Misato laughed. "You've torn Shinji a new one about a lot of things Asuka, but I'd never bet on it being a compliment. I'll have to put that on a bingo card."

Mortified, Asuka grabbed her breakfast. "I don't have to take this. Just tell me when you're leaving idiot Shinji, so I can make sure you got my lunch." Asuka stormed off down the hall.

Misato and Shinji watched her go, and after they were sure the door was closed, Misato needled Shinji. "Master cello player, huh?"

"It's really nothing." Shinji replied and looked away from her to hide his blushing. He was also trying to process Asuka's statements while under cover. The matter regarding the cello happened before last nights' revelations. How much if that criticism was legitimate?

"I'm surprised you're not happy that Asuka was actually nice to you." Misato said, holding her beer. Her legs were crossed, exposing her thighs, making Shinji even more uncomfortable.

Shinji finished the boxes. "It… its hard to know when she really meant it. And I-i had a lot on my mind. I met my father earlier… at my mom's grave."

Misato stiffened a little. "I see. That must have been stressful."

"It was." Shinji replied. That felt like a lifetime ago, since the kiss.

Misato took another sip at her beer. "Well, I gotta eat. I have an appointment early in the base. You shouldn't be late to school either, Shin-chan."

Shinji glanced at the clock. It was timely. "Yes, I still need to get dressed." He rounded the table away from Misato and went down the hall.

Misato watched him go. Something still felt off to her about all of that, but she couldn't place what, and she had other things to think about. She sipped her beer.

Shinji dressed and knocked on Asuka's door. "I-im leaving." He said.

"Okay." She answered back, her tone free of malice or upset. "I'll catch up." She added through the door.

Shinji left without seeing Misato. He made it a point to take the route slowly, and Asuka caught up to him within minutes. "Shinji!" She greeted, coming up to him. She kept pace beside him, asking, "Do you have my bento?"

"Yeah." Shinji replied. Before she could say anything, he asked, "how much of all that was true?"

Asuka side-glanced at him. "Just because you're mine now, Third doesn't mean I'm going to call you a perfect and faultless Shinji-sama." She reached out to take his hand. Intertwining her fingers in his, she said, "You are too modest, idiot Shinji. You do need to accept that there are wonderful things about you that people love."

Shinji glanced at Asuka, but the redhead didn't look back at him. "It's… hard." Shinji said.

"I know." She replied, "for a long time I tried to understand why my mama would leave me behind. I didn't think anyone would love me, either, just worship me."

Shinji looked at her again, and this time she glanced back at him with a smile.

"I'll try." Shinji said, "I'll try to be more accepting of… of compliments."

"It wouldn't hurt to try believing them, either." Asuka replied, tugging him a little closer to plant a kiss on his cheek.

Two blocks left to school, Asuka said, "we need to get our stories straight about what happened last night."

Shinji glanced at her. "Why does that matter?"

"Idiot Shinji," Asuka said, "you slip the story to the stooges. Then they tell Misato. Misato pays attention and sees you slipping into my room. No, we need to keep it under wraps as much as possible."

Shinji didn't say anything.

"What is it, Third?"

Shinji, wistful, said, "I don't know… I was starting to look forward to taking you out on a date, officially. But if we're supposed to keep this a secret..."

Asuka tugged them to a halt and faced him. "I want that too, idiot. More than you could imagine." She leaned on to her other leg and squeezed his hand. "I know you would spoil me silly. Maybe someday."

"Someday." Shinji repeated. They resumed holding hands as they continued walking.

School went as expected, mostly accomplished by Shinji and Asuka keeping distance from one another. Unfortunately, even this was noticed.

"Hey, Ikari." Toji said at lunch, "What did you do to the devil?"

"Huh?" Shinji asked.

Toji thumbed across the room to where Asuka was sitting with Hikari. "She hasn't said one word to you the whole class. By now she'd be jumping down your throat for something."

Shinji gulped. He briefly recalled the story he and Asuka had come up with, then sighed. "We," He began, "We got in a fight again last night."

Immediately Toji and Kensuke leaned forward conspiratorially. Realizing what they were doing, they exchanged glances and leaned back. "So," Kensuke said, "Like normal."

"Musta been some fight." Toji replied, "What happen? She ask you out after she ditched Amuro?"

Shinji turned his head. "H-How did you know about that date she was on last night?"

Toji shrugged. "Not exactly a secret." Toji thumbed at himself, "I cross paths with his best friend Hayato every day. Amuro's clueless. Continue."

Shinji looked back at his desk. "Well, after the bad date she demanded that I cook something extravagant for her-" He winced, certain he was butchering the word, "Konningsberger klops. I said we'd have to go out in the middle of the night to find the ingredients. She wouldn't have it, and we argued about it."

Toji and Kensuke exchanged glances, then bust up laughing. Shinji watched them, noticing past them that Asuka was shooting Shinji a terrified glance. Shinji managed a slight shrug before his friends recovered.

"That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard!" Toji hollered, then leaned forward to play-punch Shinji in the shoulder, "Come on, what's the real deal? Why is she steering clear of you man? What did you do?"

"I…." Shinji uttered, once again looking between his friends. Asuka was talking to Hikari, unable to help him.

Shinji swallowed again. He decided to improvise as best as he could, and went with his gut. "I… I paid her a compliment."

"What!?" Both boys exclaimed.

Kensuke asked, "About what?"

Toji added, "How did she take it?"

"I-I don't know! I… I said she…" Shinji said. He noticed Asuka turning her head, listening. Shinji went on, "I-I said she looked pretty… for the date. That's all. She yelled at me that my opinion meant only a fraction of what Kaji's was, and she stormed off. She hasn't spoken to me about it since, and she avoided me at breakfast. I… I must have said something wrong."

Toji slapped his knee as he laughed. "Classic devil. You try to do something nice for her, somehow she takes offense to it. She really hates your guts!"

Kensuke nodded. "I pity you, Ikari, living in close proximity to such a mercurial being."

Then both boys laughed as they dropped the theatrics. It had been a boring day.

Shinji had been looking forward to catching up with Asuka after class, to reconnect and talk about how the day went at school, until Rei approached him. "Ikari." She said, "We have a synchronization test scheduled this afternoon. We will go together to the center."

"We do?" Shinji replied, bugging his eyes out a little. "Uh… thank you Rei."

"Please inform the pilot of unit two." Rei said, "I will wait for you at the front gate." She turned and departed, heading out the door to class.

Shinji stared at the exit Rei had taken before sighing deeply. So much for catching up wuth Asuka..

He waited in the hall for her, and when she appeared with Hikari Asuka stopped, looked at Shinji, and donned the mask. "What do you want?"

"Ayanami's waiting for us at the gate. We have a synch test after school."

He hoped the morose spin on his statement carried the regret he wanted to say about this to Asuka. Whether she read it or not, she said her farewell to Hikari and grunted to Shinji to follow.

As soon as they were out of sight from anyone, within the vacant hall's of the school, Asuka quickly stopped him with a hand and looked around. "We can have a minute here." She looked at Shinji and asked, "What did you say to the stooges?"

Shinji recounted what he relayed and Asuka sighed with relief. "Well, at least that will work." She smiled a little at him and said, "I should have more faith in you to improv."

Shinji sighed. "I still wish we could just tell people, Asuka. Maybe Misato won't jump to conclusions if we just say we're dating now?"

"Do you like going to bed cold and alone?" She asked him directly, eyes focused on his. "I don't. I don't want to even risk it. I'm sharing my bed with you, or," she straightened suddenly, "Do you not want that?"

Shinji's hands had been slowly rising defensively. "No no, it's not that! I want this, I just, I wish this was easier, that's all."

They both sighed. Asuka reached forward to take Shinji's hand. "Amazing what one kiss has done to us, huh?"

"Yeah." Shinji said as her other hand came up to his chest and she leaned in to steal a kiss.

III. Infection

These synchronization tests were routine by now, necessary to monitor pilot performance and measure how they interacted with their machines.

Up until now it had been turned into a competition by Asuka, used as a means to prove she was a superior pilot. Since she didn't have the kill ratio or battlefield sortie duration as the others, her sync scores and training were marks she relied on to prove her worth.

It ate at her a little when she considered the possibility that one of the others might top her. She wasn't sure what to do, then. But it was on her mind as she ignored Rei while slipping on her plugsuit.

What if Shinji surpasses me?

She paused just before sealing her suit as she thought about that. Twenty-four hours and a lifetime ago, she would have hated the thought. The already aloof Shinji beating her at her profession?

Impossible. She had practically raised to command Eva, building off the foundations mama laid down for her. She would always win. Especially against Shinji, who comparatively took this up as a weekend hobby.

But… what if he did beat her?

She tried to suppress the shiver. It was a world of difference now to know her boy liked her back, but was this different? To know she wasn't the best? What if-

She clasped the seal and the suit hissed closed. Regardless of where their sync scores stood, Asuka at least could be certain about one thing.

Shinji would not discard her, just because of her scores. He admired her bravery and strength. He said so.

But what if you don't feel brave? She asked herself. Will he still catch you if you can't be that strength for him?

The sting of doubt was with her as she left the changing rooms. In this relationship- less than a day old- Asuka had been the one doing most of the driving. How much was Shinji really into this? He said he had enjoyed her company but… what had he done beyond holding her?

He wants to take me on a date, she thought, isn't that something? This didn't provide the reassurance she sought, though.

She hugged herself on the way to the test plug. When she arrived at the staging area, she was not alone with Shinji to confide with him. Rei at least, in her loud white pursuit, stuck out among the orange suited technicians.

Just before she boarded the plug though, Shinji caught her eye with a look of concern. She smiled a little at him, but it didn't make her unease go away.

The observation period within the plug was rather dull. The three of them waited within the simulation plugs, trying to relax and empty their minds. Baseline synchronization was a passive thing.

In the control room, both Misato and Ritsuko were there with their respective lieutenants. Maya had eyes on the synchronization levels. Makoto monitored the technical limits.

Makoto glanced at Misato. "You seem a little tired this evening, Miss Misato."

"I have a lot of things on my plate right now. Personal stuff." Misato replied with her arms crossed.

"Involving Ryoji?" Ritsuko teased without looking up from her clipboard.

"Don't go there!' Misato barked back at her, sticking her tongue out at her friend. Moving on, Misato walked up to Maya. "How's the third children doing?"

Concern had crossed Maya's face. "Look at this." She said.

Misato leaned closer. Though she hardly understood many of the technical displays used in the base, she had attended enough of these synch tests to understand the connection charts. It took her a moment to understand what was going on. "What… what is this?"

Ritsuko, catching on, walked over to Maya's console and the three women stared at the charts. Ritsuko reached past Maya to make her own sensor adjustments. Starting at a new graph she said, "Their numbers aren't stabilizing…. Hyuga, pilot signs?"

"Normal. All pilots are stable." Hyuga answered.

"What's going on?" Misato asked.

Ritsuko shook her head. "One moment. How are the other pilots?"

Maya flipped between. Rei, the Asuka. "Now compare two and three."

The three women watched the graphs side-by side.

The humming of the plug permeated everything. With his eyes closed and his mind wandering, Shinji had started to drift.

Back to last night.

It was odd, how one kiss had set so many things in motion. No, it was more than that… to open the door and find someone who shared the same losses and hurts. Someone who was like him.

You're just like me, he heard in her voice.

Slowly his mind wrapped around the thought of her beside him, giving him a warm feeling in his lap. The more he concentrated on it, the heavier the weight felt. Like she was really against him again.

Moma he heard her voice.

In spite of himself he couldn't suppress a small smile, in his mind he was hugging her.

Shinji? The apparition asked, unbidden.

Asuka. He thought to her, with all the warmth and love he felt for her but couldn't find words to say.

She squirmed a little in his lap before settling into this imaginary spoon. It was perfect.

He didn't know how long he remained in this imagined vision beside her. Gradually his mind increased the definition of this vision, merging memories of last night with the presence of now.

He could smell the scent of her hair.

He could remember the feel of her lips against his.

He could feel the clawing hunger for validation. Authenticity. Her hand was open, she wanted him to fill it.

Asuka's shadow, against him, asked Shinji, are you really here? In the plug?

Shinji's eyes snapped open. He hadn't willed that figment of his imagination into action- she had moved on her own. He slowly reconnected with his surroundings, realizing his imagination had ran away with him as he was syncing.

Or had it?

Maya's voice came through the comms. "Shinji, are you all right?"

"Mmh? Yeah. Fine." Shinji replied.

Ritsuko, Maya, and Misato were all looking at the synchronization charts for both pilots with mounting concern.

They watched as, not only did the numbers stabilize, but gradually rose. Both Asuka and Shinji had risen to 63.3%. The fluctuations were also rising and falling almost in sync, with a delay of only a half a second.

When Shinji suddenly came to his senses, his ratio plummeted down to the 40s. Asuka's drift was further gradual, also settling in the same area.

Maya was speaking. "We're even seeing low level interactions on their hypothetical AT fields. We've never seen anything like this."

Ritsuko rounded to Misato. "What have these two been up to recently?"

Misato, put on the spot, flustered, "w-what? I don't know, I don't watch them twenty four seven!"

"Aren't you their guardian?" Ritsuko asked. She turned to the display and said over Misato's indignant expression, "This is unprecedented. I'm going to have to spend some time analyzing the data we gathered here to understand what the hell that was, and formulate some new tests."

Misato looked at the plugs beyond the glass of the control box. "Are they in danger?"

"Not strictly." Ritsuko replied, "but there is a danger to them if their synchronization approaches or exceeds 100%. At the pace they used to reach this level, it's concerning."

Misato stared at the plugs for a moment more. "Should we isolate them for medical evaluation?"

"Not necessary. " Ritsuko replied, "as I said, I'll need time to even come up with the tests necessary to understand what we're even looking at."

Maya observed just then, "They're back up to 50%."

The two women watched the display.

Misato asked then, "What do we tell them?"

Ritsuko thought a moment before saying, "Nothing. We tell them their sync numbers are stable with a slight improvement."

"You want to lie to them?" Misato asked.

"I want to keep the situation stable. You know how volatile the second child is, how do you think she'll react to learning she's tied with Shinji? Or worse- that their synch values are connected somehow?"

Misato thought back to the argument tgis morning. "If only those two learned how to get along…"

Ritsuko jotted down some values on her clipboard. "I won't learn more until I've processed the data. They can be released."

It was getting late, so Misato drove them home. Shinji and Asuka hadn't had a chance for a one on one conversation since the end of the test. Both were half listening to Misato, anticipating the moment they could have alone.

"Asuka?" Misato asked.

"Hmm?"

Misato glanced at Asuka. "Daydreaming? I asked how you felt about being at the head of the pack still."

"Well, naturally." Asuka replied, shrugging, "I won't dispute science proving I'm the best. I can't wait for the next chance to prove it in combat too."

Misato chuckled. "Be careful what you wish for Asuka. Just because we've won every time before doesn't mean we'll win completely the next time."

"Completely?" Shinji asked from the back seat.

"Yep. It's something to be mindful about. There may be a time when someone doesn't come home." Misato said as she waved a hand dismissively.

Shinji set about making dinner as soon as they got in. Fish for pen pen, pot on the burner, rice in the water.

Misato went to her room to change, giving Asuka a small window to talk to Shinji. "Was that you? In the plug?" She asked.

Shinji glanced in the direction of Misato's room before he turned to whisper to his Lady, "I just daydreamt about you. You mean you heard me? In your plug?"

"I did, Shinji…" She smiled a little. "Even the parts you didn't say." Asuka leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. She pulled away, saying. "My room, tonight."

She started striding off, leaving a blustering Shinji. "What? But…." He stopped himself from getting too loud, watching Asuka. The girl turned her head away from Misato's door to look at him with a side eye and small grin.

Shinji couldn't help looking at her long legged stride and flow of wonderful red hair as she walked off. He sighed.

Dinner dragged by. Not only was Misato keen on talking, but Kaji came over. Asuka, though, put on some theatrics. "Admit it!" She declared at Misato and Kaji, "the two of you are together again!"

When they both coyly denied it, Asuka stormed off. Shinji was left without a plan to get back to her, and so, sighed. He decided to clean up dinner, and go to his room to do his homework.

He was working on it when he heard paper slide under his door. Picking it up he opened it to discover, unsurprisingly, that it was a note from Asuka. Immediately and adorably, he saw it was full of mistakes and scratched out lines of kanji. It took him some time to decode her message.

'Dinner was wonderful. Come to me when the lights are off.'

She signed it with a heart.

If yesterday night hadn't happened, this would have been a note to save and cherish forever. But now? The girl was just across the hall. And she wanted him.

Finishing up his homework he got dressed for bed and then started back down the hall to the still lit kitchen. He heard Misato and Kaji's conversation come to an abrupt halt as he approached. Shinji stopped to stare back at his guardian and her lover. "...what?" He asked.

Both adults had glasses and one of Misato's wine bottles between them. They exchanged glances before Kaji said, "Adult stuff Shinji. Are you on your way to bed?"

"Y-yessir." Shinji replied, moving again to pass Kaji and enter the bathroom. "Bathroom things."

Kaji acknowledged with a wave, then Shinji closed the folding curtain doorway. He tried to listen in on any conversation out there but, hearing nothing, set about a quick bath and then brushing his teeth. It wasn't a day for the bath but… he wanted to be nice for Asuka.

Storming off was a nice excuse to do some long needed cleaning of her room. And to make it and herself a little more presentable for tonight.

The sickening doubt was still there. It had been eating at her, growing in her mind as time went on and she ruminated on Shinji's behavior. She hated it.

She didn't feel like things were the way they were before the kiss, at least. But she was feeling a backslide. It was welcome to know Shinji liked her at least- the door was open.

But she needed more. It wasn't enough for him just to turn his head. And while they may share a bed now, she wanted to share his spirit.

She idly chewed on the hook of the coat hanger she was holding as she thought about that. The gnawing hunger. The want. The need for someone to be beside her, body and soul.

She thought that moment within the plug, when she felt a presence. She had thought it was her mother before realizing it was Shinji. The feeling she got from this spectre was one of distance... hesitation.

It was hazy to remember though. All of it had occurred to her like intrusive thinking. She had known Shinji was there, as much as it may have occurred to her that she was hungry. Very rarely had she had such thoughts in the plug but… when they occurred… they were vivid.

Mama.

She slotted the last of her loose clothes in the closet, then planted her hands on her hips. She didn't want to give up on Shinji. She would have him tonight at least…

...but if nothing changed for the better afterward, then the kiss wasn't worth it. She would have all of him, or none of him. She,didn't want to set her hopes on anything beyond that.

She reached into her closet to choose her clothes.

In the bath, immersed in water and with silence surrounding him, Shinji had time to contemplate.

As he lay in the bath and reflected, his mind returned to the experience in the entry plug. Of the vision he beheld in there. Asuka's open hand.

But when he tried to imagine filling it with his own it felt… somehow lacking. It wasn't sufficient just to be there. Nothing he could think of- within reason- could fill that void he imagined in her heart.

He winced as he imagined the shape that could fill that hole. He was grateful then to have privacy in the bath.

When Shinji emerged from the bathroom the dining room was vacant, though the light was still on. The bottle was empty, as well as the two glasses pushed together.

Shinji set about turning off the lights in the dining room. Navigating via the light playing in from the living room, he stepped into that room and stopped. He heard Kaji's baritone voice through the door into Misato's room, and the light was still on underneath it.

Shinji felt like he didn't have to imagine too much of what was going on in there. He turned to look down the hall. To Asuka's room. He stepped closer, feet padding on the floor. He knocked softly. "Asuka."

He heard her footfalls. The door sliped open a little, revealing her face. "Is Misato in bed?"

"Yeah."

That was good enough for Asuka, who stepped back to allow him into her room. Shinji took one last glance down the hallway before he stepped inside her warm room and closed the door behind him.

A spell of euphoria washed over Shinji as he stepped into Asuka's room. It was like stepping into a dream. His eyes, though, focused on her.

She chose to dress in a long, thin Pink gown with red trim. The hem of it ended just after her hips. Her legs were long and smooth, her slender hands moving to gather up her lovely red hair. She had brushed it, and the A10 connectors were missing. Seeing him dumbstruck as she looked at him, she smiled. "You like it?"

Shinji didn't know what to do except stare. "You... You're beautiful."

She stepped up to him, putting her arms on top of his shoulders to hug his head into hers for an involved kiss. He reached out to take her hips and draw her in, and for a moment they recreated what they had last night.

Only, comfortable. Now he knew she wasn't just trying to get a rise out of him. This was real.

The light was low in the room, but it wasn't just the moonlight. Of all things, a lava lamp was churning in the corner of the room on the shelving unit. It cast the room in a red, shifting glow.

Asuka was glowing, also. Pulling apart from him, she looked him in the face and asked, "Are you ready to come to bed?"

"Y-yes…" Shinji said, smitten. Asuka turned towards the bed and stepped over to it, a hand tugging the boy to follow.

They both mounted the bed, sitting across from one another. Asuka, still nervous, was surprised when Shinji reaching for her torso and brought her closer to him. Her hands reached up to his shoulders as they started kissing on the bed.

Eventually the make out session went horizontal and both of them went under the covers. This time Shinji was on top, letting himself explore what his body wanted to do.

After a few moments more Asuka gently put a hand under him and breathed out a happy breath. "You're expanding, Third."

Shinji was so wrapped up in meeting with Asuka he forgot other parts of his body. "Ah! Asuka, im-"

"Shhhhh!" She hissed at him, clapping a finger over his mouth. When she had his silence, she smiled a little. "Relax idiot, I know what's going on."

Shinji hesitated before saying, "y.. You're not disgusted? You… you wont call me a pervert?"

"That was before you confessed." She replied. Looking at him, she said, "what I want to know is if you want to do something about it."

Though she had a smile, Shinji could tell her stare was serious. The idea of Asuka… touching him, going the distance, was alluring. He swallowed nervously and Asuka could see the anticipation in his face.

But she needed his commitment. Under him, she writhed a little and asked, "What do you want to do, Shinji?"

Shinji's eyes went to her breasts. "Is this… all right?" He asked softly.

Asuka had a sudden epiphany. She had been so needing Shinji to cross the gap in his heart… maybe she needed to give him a clearer bridge for anything to happen. That's how the kiss got things started… but he would need to do the rest. She grabbed his hand and guided it up to her breast. Shinji sucked in a breath, eyes wide.

She spoke in a small voice, "I want this. Do you?"

Shinji blinked and, looking at Asuka, she could see the serious expectation in her face. It was another crossroads moment. One where he had this one chance with her.

Her hand is open.

"Yes." He hissed out, his hand closing around her. He leaned toward again to kiss her, putting his weight on her upper body.

She smiled at his touch. Releasing her hand she brought it down his body. Shinji grunted with delight as she touched him, and he pressed his torso into her.

Asuka huffed a laugh of delight. This was a beginning, at least. She could stay. While she still craved Shinji's commitment, she was comforted enough to know he wanted this.

The night was quiet after the thunder between them in the bedroom. The tissue box had fallen off the bed, and part of the expended contents were on the floor with it.

Shinji had passed out, spent. Asuka had no doubt he had pushed his body harder than he could have imagined….

Ritsuko met with the Commander in the depths of NERV Hq's special section. Above them, the prototype of the red Dummy plug hung on tethers like a sword.

"I can continue my observations, but it does not look good." Ritsuko was saying. "Soon we won't be able to control either unit one or unit two with the dummy system, if we can't already. The interplay between the children has already begun to imprint in the system."

"How did this occur?'

"Evidence points as early as engagement with the sixth angel, when the two of them piloted unit two together. We noted biological and metaphysical changes between both pilots and systems. The engagement with the seventh only strengthened this structure, but nothing came of it after. It may be that enough time was needed for this connection to mature."

"Can it be reversed?"

"I do not know. More tests are necessary to even understand what were dealing with."

Gendo was quiet for a moment, contemplating. Then he decided, "Conduct your required tests, but be discreet. The committee doesn't need to know."

IV. Calamety

Shinji had forgotten how nice it was to be woken by the sun. The light softly played into the room, lighting him and his Lady beside him. He took in that scene for a moment, amazed that the dream was continuing.

Then he remembered he shouldn't be here.

Asuka, however, was beside him again and her legs were tangled up with his. He couldn't get out without waking her, so he decided to by kissing her gently on the forehead.

"Mhm…" she uttered, "Shinji…"

"I have to get up, Asuka."

She grunted and gently raked her fingernails against his chest. "Neehhhhh…"

"Asuka, Misato is going to find me if I don't have breakfast going,"

"Finneee…." Asuka grunted and rolled away from him, giving Shinji a lovely view of her back. He took it in for a moment before gathering his clothes and sneaking out of Asuka's room.

He was partway down the corridor when he saw Misato's door slowly open. Shinji froze, and saw Kaji emerging from Misato's bedroom, his outfit askew. After the door closed he turned around and saw Shinji standing there. Shinji could see the man jerk a little, before he straightened up with a smile. "Good morning, Shinji."

"Good morning." Shinji replied.

Kaji smirked, "it would be better on Asuka if she didn't know I was here. Keep it discreet, please."

Oh, that won't be a problem. "I will."

The Angel struck at midday, appearing very suddenly over the eastern part of the city. Mass panic and evacuations emptied that area of the city at least, before the Evangelions managed to sortie.

The black and white sphere hung over the city like a giant, otherworldly balloon. Much like the fifth angel that preceded it, the impossibly huge object just dangled in the sky.

"All right you three," Misato said, "as you can see from our data, we don't have a lot to,go on. Approach the target carefully and see how it responds. If possible, lure it out of the city.

"One of you should take point while the other two provide cover. Got it?"

All three pilots acknowledged.

Asuka spoke up. "Well, I guess that's my cue! You two stage hands just cover me, and I'll show you how it's done!"

The Red Evangeliona rounded the building she was hiding behind and started down the street for the hovering black sphere.

Shinji blinked with worry. "Asuka, be careful. I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Relax Third." Asuka said, "and cut the comms, I'll trying to concentrate!"

Shinji murmerred an acknowledgement and cut the channel.

The bridge all watched as Asuka made her approach. Ritsuko leaned over Maya's seat. "Let me see synch ratios. " she said.

Maya pulled them up for Ritsuko to examine. Nothing unusual, yet. Both Asuka and Shinji's ratios hung in the high 40s. The mirroring was there, on my slight

Unimpressed, Ritsuko grunted. "Continue monitoring them and notify me immediately of any anomalies."

"Yes ma'am." Maya responded.

Asuka continued to close with the sphere, trying to get into striking distance. The sphere was moving too quickly. She grunted in the cockpit. "Come on, Shinji! Keep up!" She shifted the ax in her hands, wishing she had chosen a ranged weapon for this instead.

The sphere slowly shifted directions. Asuka paid attention to the tactical map. "Any longer and it will be right over the center of the city…" she winced, "I have to act now!"

Tensing, Asuka suddenly,broke cover, announcing, "Evangelion unit two, engaging!"

"Asuka, wait!" Shinji called.

"Asuka!" Misato also called to her, "Shinji and Rei aren't in position what are you-"

Asuka had made flying leaps, using an onramp as a jumping point and swung the axe into the body of the sphere-

-which promptly vanished.

"W-what?" Asuka asked while airborne.

Alarms went off in the bridge. "Blood pattern blue!" Shigeru announced in the bridge, "target confirmed beneath unit 02!"

"Asuka get out of there!" Misato called.

Unit 02 struck the ground but immediately started to sink into the inky, expanding void. "Ah- w-what is this! I can't feel my legs!"

Misato barked, "Shinji! Rei! Get in there and rescue unit two!"

Shinji was already running, ejecting his umbilical cable to get more time and speed. His mind racing, he saw the shadow expanding and kept over it, colliding with one of the enveloped buildings to get some altitude. He was right over Asuka. "Asuka! I'm here!"

"Shinji! Help me!"

Unit one's hand shot out and Asuka grabbed it. She tried to gain herself up but the darkness was like tar. Unit two continued to sink.

Rei tried to engage the shadow with the rifle she carried, but the angel continued vanishing before being hit. She looked at the situation with her copilots and judged, "Ikari, your surface will not last."

Shinji didn't hear her. He was too busy trying to haul unit two out of the darkness, and listened to Asuka's pleas.

He stared at the mask of unit two. Overlaid with it was a comm window sshowing Asuka's terrified face.

"It's cold Shinji, please pull me out of here! Don't let me go, Shinji!!"

Her fear stabbed at Shinji's already frantic mood as he tried to save the Girl He Liked. As she was being pulled from him, Shinji felt like something was being dragged out of him as well. He pulled furiously, trying to brace on something to yank her out.

Unit two's head disappeared beneath the darkness. Shinji pulled, but Asuka's arm slipped in as well. "No!! Asuka!"

"Shinji, get out of there!" Misato commanded, "pull back to safety point 3!"

Shinji had to tear himself sway from the spot where Asuka's machine had dipped beneath the darkness. He realized then that the building he was standing on had almost sunk completely.

"Ikari." Rei said, and her Evangelion toppled a vacant building over into the shadows. It crashed into the darkness and started to sink, forming a gantry.

Shinji took a running leap back to it and ran along the collapsing structure to safety.

"Thank you Ayanami." Shinji said and looked back at the inky darkness. Not knowing what happened to Asuka was tearing him apart.

He worked to reconnect his Eva to an umbilical cable and then saw the one connected to Asuka's unit. He stopped and watched the cable being reeled in, only to see the cable cone back with notging on the other side.

She was still in there, cold and alone.

Shinji was only vaguely aware of Misato talking while his mind was elsewhere. He thought back to the test.

Asuka's shadow.

He clenched his Eva's fists and closed his eyes.

Misato was trying to strategize. "Shinji, Rei, fall back to staging position four. Is there any telemetry from unit 02?"

"No info." Maya said, "all lines are flat. Currently running on estimated endurance mode."

"Hyuga, start gathering probes. We need to understand what this thing is so we can get Asuka out if it, then destroy it. Shinji, Rei, move to position four."

Catching that she just repeated herself, she stopped and opened a channel to Shinji. "Shinji, did you hear me?"

Reminded, Maya flipped hervreadouts to Unit one's feed. Her eyes blasted wide. "U-unit synchronization is approaching 70% AT Field is contorting!"

Misato turned. "What does that mean ?"

Ritsuko was already over maya's board. "Shinji's AT field is manifesting a three dimensional figure. This has never happened before."

"Shinji, what are you doing?" Misato demanded- more out if fear than indignance.

Shinji's eyes were still closed. He had muted the exterior feeds.

The murky depths. The plug. The humm. The door was closed, he wanted no distractions. He thought of Asuka, and the physical closeness of last night. Of the barriers passed. Of their threads twisting together, becoming more intertwined as the days were iterating.

He found her in the distance, and willed himself to move closer. Asuka!

She was slow to respond. He could imagine she was crying, curled up in the seat of the cockpit and surrounded by a useless Evangelion. Her power was waning. She was powerless. Asuka!

Like a swimmer underwater - like his Evangelion at the rim of the volcano- he surged towards her with an outstretched hand. He imagined grazing across her shoulder and being around her torso. His other hand came up along her other flank before he curled around her, gripping her from behind.

Shinji!

Asuka I'm right here!

It's so cold Shinji, I'm running out of power.

I'm coming for you.

Her image stirred in his mind's eye. You are?

I'll never abandon you. Shinji said, his fear and uncertainty about her now acting in his thoughts. They had finally moved past a barrier- opened a door- and the thought if her going away forever was…

I'm coming for you! Stay right there!

The jaw dropped on unit one.

The bridge watched, stunned, as unit one leaned forward abd broke into a run. "Shinji!" Misato screamed, "Stop! What the hell are you doing?!"

Maya was watching the numbers. "Synch ratio now 78%!"

Misato barked, "Rei! Stop unit-"

Too late. The Eva had lept on top of the remaining floors of the downed building and used it to dive swimmers' fashion into the void. Unlike every other object to hit it though, there was no resistance. Unit 01 disappeared into the void suddenly.

The bridge was utterly silent with shock.

The cold void of no feeling was only a vague thought in Shinji's perception as his mind steered him towards where he knew Asuka would be.

Closer and closer in the null space he got, but he was slowly aware there was a snag. Something was dragging him back- the cable?

He ejected it. Part of him knew there was a limit, but the rest was focused on trying to find her.

Her playful touch, her gentle curves, the earnestness of her kisses.

"A-ASUKA!!!!"

He collided with her. In her perception she felt Shinji against her back warmer and more earnest than ever before. "Shinji?"

"Im here, I won't leave you!"

Their senses of reality started to break down. In both cockpits, their eyes were open but not seeing anything as they stared into thier imaginations. Time was becoming irrelevant in that space.

Both Evangelions, in the field of white, held one another within the void. Thier AT fields were intertwining like counter-rotating threads of a screw as they slowly lost power.

V. Intimacy

Shinji blinked, suddenly realizing didn't know how long he had been here. He was standing in the school grounds, hearing the bustle of people but seeing no one. He traveled inside.

The classroom. It was wild with activity. The blurring shapes of the students all happy and active, laughter and conversations happening in a muddle. Asuka, under a cone of light, was confident and sneering. She gestured with an open hand, defiant and proud. "I don't need anyone!"

Asuka's voice spoke from behind his head, very close. "This isn't me."

A carcophany of images played before her, of piloting the robots. Evangelion limbs swinging into action, a mix of red and purple limbs. Weapons firing.

Interspaced into that were images of Shinji. Confident Shinji. Militant Shinji. Shinji's head, swinging proud and upright and powerful.

Shinji's voice spoke from behind her head, very close. "This isn't me."

"What's happening?"

"I don't know. But I feel you close, really close. Closer than all other times before."

"Wait, no! Don't come near me! Don't hurt me!"

"But is it all right? All right to be close to one another's' hearts?"

The moon. Wide, slow, pale.

"I think I can trust you. You're just like me."

"We're not the same."

"But we can talk. Understand one another. We don't have to hurt one another!"

"But it happens anyway. Why do we try?"

"Because I need you."

"Why?"

Images flash by of thier intimacy. Together in the plug of unit 02. Together dancing in synchronization. Together on Shinji's cot. Together walking home from school. Together in Misato's living room. The kiss. Together in Shinji's bed. Together in Asuka's bed.

"Because you're the only one who can see me. You're the only one who can have my perspective. You are different from me, but the same as me. I can share with you without needing to speak."

"And I compliment you. What you don't have, I can bring."

"Where you fall down, I'm there to pick you up."

"I can be there for you, sick or well. To bring you comfort, or aid. Your needs and desires are mine, and my needs and desires are yours."

"Forever?"

"Yeah, forever, if we want."

"...I'm scared."

"Me too. But I trust you. I need you. I want you. We're the same."

"We're the same."

Vines. Purple and red. Twisting together, merging in knots. A tree is planted. Isn't two better than one?

The ancient pact is broken. What was intended is now diverted. A new path, against all else, must be forged, for the survival of both.

Together.

Asuka didn't know how long she had been standing there beside Shinji as they was finishing their meal in their kitchen. They didn't say anything as they worked together- he an apron on as he was opening a can of something. She stirred the mixing bowl. She wasn't even sure what they were making.

Asuka felt a contentment unlike she had ever felt before, beside him and doing this. They looked at one another and shared a smile before going back to the act of Making. Once it was ready, Shinji placed the mixture into the oven and closed the door. Both of them leaned down to the glass window to look at their work.

"We can do this." She said, of the effort.

"We can be this." He said, of the setting.

Waves lapping. An ocean.

He held her.

"I see you, Asuka." He said, "you'll always be visible to me."

"I feel you, Shinji." She said, "you'll always be important to me."

A wave crashed upon the shore.

"I don't want to stay here." Asuka said. "I want these feelings to be genuine. I want to do things for real with you."

"Me too." Shinji said, his hand in hers.

"How do we leave?" Asuka asked.

"I think we just… want to."

In the future, two giants of light will hang above the Earth.

Five seconds had elapsed since Shinji dove into the Angel. Misato had let out a long, low, "fuck."

When something happened. "Change in the target !" Makoto announced. He tried to make sense of what He was seeing. "A-at field is collapsing!"

Shigeru added, "blood pattern is fluctuating, returning to orange and… red? Kalidescope! Blood pattern is highly variable!"

Misato watched as, again the situation was outside of her control. Ritsuko though, was equally frightened as the situation evolved beyond her expectations as well.

The shadow had started to peel upward and fracture like old paint. Large sections bowed upward and rolled inward, detaching and leaving a smooth, undisturbed surface behind.

The sphere had darkened and there was movement across the surface. Finally the surface split, a red hand emerged, gathering up some of the material the Angel was made if before plunging back in.

All were watching in terror at the visceral picture they were seeing. "Is… it… eating the Angel?" Shigeru asked.

Maya choked, turned and threw up. She didn't notice that telemetry for unit one and unit two had both returned.

Both Evangelions landed on the peeling plastic body of the Angel and roared into the sky as demons, calling out to the world to announce their arrival.

In unit 00 Rei, watching all this, couldn't suppress a shudder run though her entire body. She held a white gloved hand to her face, aghast. "What… what is this feeling?" She asked.

The monsters continued to roar to the heavens. The sun was setting.

VI. Indecency

Shinji had just emerged from the Entry plug when Asuka collided with him in an enormous hug. "You did it again, idiot! Do you have a death wish?"

"I-i couldn't just leave you in there!" Shinji said, "i-i wanted to rescue you."

Asuka smiled warmly at him. He smiled back, but was aware someone else was here.

Misato, arms crossed, was approaching. Ritsuko was behind her. "Well,"Misato said, "At least someone's appreciative of that little stunt you pulled."

"Misato…" Shinji uttered. Asuka separated from him.

Misato stood before him and said, "Shinji, im very disappointed in you. I gave you a direct order to fall back, and you disobeyed. Your actions put yourself at risk, along with Asuka and the rest of us. What happens if you and Asuka couldn't come out of there? You left Rei alone to handle the situation while you just jumped into the Angel without even a word to me. I had no idea what the hell was going on!"

"I'm sorry, Misato," Shinji replied, fist clenched, "i-i didn't want to leave Asuka alone in there. I-i didn't see it being any different then when I jumped into the lava to save her, before. "

Misato was at a loss for words, remembering that day. Ritsuko, unhelpfully, added, "as I recall you rewarded them with a trip to the local hot springs."

Shinji was resolute as he watched his commander and guardian.

"I didn't give you a stand down order, then." Misato replied, "and a volcano is different than an Angel which is actively eating Evangelions." She shook her head. "It turned out okay in the end today, but disobey my orders again- whether it's warranted or not- and I'll have no choice but to give you disciplinary action. Like a soldier. Understood?"

"I understand." Shinji replied.

Misato half-turned, wanting to dismiss hersekf but caught on Shinji's behavior. "All right," she said, "Dismissed. Doctor Akagi wants to see the both of you for debriefing." She turned and walked away.

Shinji watched her go, his fists still clenched. He didn't like this adversarial angle that appeared between them.

Asuka sighed and stretched, speaking to break the tension. "A near death experience and we can't just go home and relax afterward? We've gotta have tests and crap?"

"Yes," Ritsuko said, "because what you two just went through not only never happened before, but was completely unexpected. It might be a while before you two make it home with the tests I'll need to run."

The two teens exchanged glances. "Well, at least stupid Shinji gets to suffer with me. Can we change first? I want to get the LCL off."

"You may." Ritsuko said, "report to the medical wing when you're done." She paused, then added, "I'll have Maya collect you both."

Asuka sighed as a typical teenager would and said, "what are we, on probation?"

Ritsuko started walking to lead the two of them. "Consider it your punishment after all for disobeying your commanding officer."

"But I did nothing wrong! Why punish me?" Asuka demanded, she glared at Shinji. But a glance at Ritsuko, seeing the doctor wasn't paying attention, Asuka reached out to grab his fingers and squeeze them. Shinji daw her smile.

They were, fortunately, left to go to the lockers on thier own. Once there, Asuka pinned Shinji against the wall to give him an involved kiss.

The boy reciprocated by holding her, using that moment of alone time to carry that affection they felt within… wherever it was, into the present.

After parting, both of them were panting with excitement. "There," she said, "I wanted to do that at least once before we get into trouble."

He laughed, then said, "I wish we had time to talk about,.. All that. Do we want to tell Misato?"

Asuka frowned. "Instead of separate rooms. They'll have us sleep in a lab! No, we saw nothing. You came in and saved me. We didn't see anything experience anything different. Okay?"

Shinji hesitated.

"You look nervous."

"I-iam." Shinji replied, "i-im worried what will happen if we're caught. What happens to us then?"

"Then we answer more questions and rough it out. But I'm always coming back to you. Besides," she said, " if they want us piloting the Eva's, then they can't separate us."

"That's true." Shinji said.

Asuka gave him one last kiss before leaving to change, saying, "we saw nothing. "

As she changed, Asuka allowed herself some moments to process what had just happened to her and Shinji.

Whatever it was, it was profound. Even more than the kiss she felt… different. She felt more complete; as if a large burden had been lifted off her shoulders. A deep secret was now shared. She wasn't alone.

But the warm knowledge that Shinji wasn't just hers… but connected with her… was…

This realization made her pause. Connected? How-

"Second children."

Asuka jumped, startled. She had not seen Rei in the changing room at all, just assuming that she had left without comment like she always did. "Mein Gott, what is it wundergirl!?"

"What did you see within the Angel?" Rei asked.

Asuka blinked with surprise to be receiving this question- and of all people, Rei was asking. Asuka leaned into her mask, "Nothing, first! I saw a big white void and nothing else!"

"I… see." Said Rei, turning to go. "Thank you."

Asuka was taken aback with her words. Rei ordinarily ignored her. What was this?

"Why do you want to know?" Asuka asked to Rei's retreating shape.

"It felt different." Was all Rei said before she left.

Asuka was left disturbed by Rei's remark. She got back into her school uniform quickly and fled the lockers.

They were poked, prodded, interviewed and studied for the rest of the afternoon in isolation being tested. Finally, they were discharged from the medical labs.

Their exit was to one of the light rail stations. They needed to ride it in order to make it home, unless Misato could come and get them. "She's not answering her phone."

"Hmm. Figures." Asuka saaid.

Shinji hung up the telephone line as they waited by the station. After a moment he grunted, "Sorry, bathroom."

"I'm not going anywhere." Asuka said as Shinji started off for the bathrooms.

He had to go down a corridor to find the lonely restroom. After doing his business he passed the vending machines and stopped at a particular one.

When they finally arrived at home it was past dinnertime. "We're home!" Shinji announced to the apartment. Asuka was right behind him.

There was no response from within. As they entered the kitchen they both saw signs of take-out. And settings for two at the kitchen table.

The two teens exchanged glances before creeping into the living room. The door to her room was still open. "She's not home." Shinji said.

Asuka harrumphed and uttered, "She's probably out with Kaji again." She walked to l.p.the refrigerator to scrounge for food. Shinji meanwhile, found the phone and dialed her cell phone. She picked up this time. After a brief call he hung up and said to Asuka, "she said she's working late again tonight."

"We have the place to ourselves?" Asuka asked, hope in her tone.

"It.. It seems so." Shinji replied.

Asuka took an enthusiastic step forward before halting. "You aren't excited?" She asked.

"It's not that." Shinji replied, "something odd is happening with Misato lately. Last night it was a late conversation with Kaji, now she's out late again."

"But does it matter? To us?" Asuka asked as she stepped forward to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders, then leaned in to hug him. "I… I want to make dinner. With you. Like… we did in there."

Both of them now thought back to the vision of the kitchen in the dream. Shinji smirked as he recalled it. "Yes." He said distantly.

The house phone was set aside as the two teens started about making super late dinner for themselves. Pen pen popped his head out once to behold the two of them smiling vacantly as they repeated the motions within the Angel to make something.

But as domestic of a situation this was it felt… off. Too automated, too smooth. The pair of them were moving to an almost choreographed degree without speaking.

Pen pen shivered his feathers, then went to hide in his refrigerator.

Gendo sat in silence for a moment in order to process what he had heard. He rarely- no, necer- had asked the person to repeat themselves before. "I beg your pardon?"

Ritsuko took a breath and repeated herself. "Units one and two now have functioning S2 organs. They no longer need independent power."

"How."

"It appears, quite literally, both Evangelions consumed the Angel." Ritsuko said. "Post analysis of what telemetry we could collect shows after 6 seconds of entry both Evas went berserk. The Angel's at field rapidly collapsed and soon after, the body. Both Evas managed to consume portions of the Angel's core, which then spontaneously generated s2 engines."

Fuyutski, present, grunted, "Then they are both awakened. The committee is going to enjoy hearing this, immensely."

Gendo continued staring.

Misato still hadn't come home by the time the teenagers were preparing for bed. School was tomorrow, so they shouldn't be up too late. Still both of them had other wants for the night.

Once he was changed he knocked softly at Asuka's door. He suppressed a shiver of nervousness as he waited, and glanced down the hall. Things were still quiet.

She opened the door.,"come in," she said gently, reaching out with a slender hand to pull him in. Her room was dark again except for the suggestive churning of the lava lamp.

This time Asuka wore something a little more suggestive: a very loose German Soccer Jersey and a pair of underwear with blue and white stripes.

She pulled him into an embrace and he answered her with one hand at her waist. Against him she mumbled into his mouth as thier tounges lapped against thier lips.

She was curious where Shinji's other hand was and her fingers reached him to find him clasping something. When she realized what it was she parted from him, startled, and stared into his soul. "S-shinji…." She breathed, flushed red in the face.

Shinji scratched at his face nervously. "W-when you were lost in the Angel I… I went crazy. If I felt that way about possibly losing you I.. I knew that I am serious for you. You're someone I'd jump into danger for. Twice."

Asuka's breathing was still heavy as she listened.

"A-and then when we were… in there… I saw that you weren't sure if I wanted this. I wanted to show you I was serious, Asuka."

She breathed out with desire, "idiot Shinji…" she kissed him, then steered him for the bed. Gently she pushed, making him land on the bed.

With one smooth motion she whipped off her jersey. When she looked, Shinji was also removing clothing.

Fire burned in her heart and eyes as she beheld the commitment she desperately desired.

"Ich libe dich, dumkopff." Asuka murmered before setting to work.

the corkscrews of thier lives continued tightening, and were now so intertwined they were starting to fuse.

It was a night neither of them would long forget. Shinji learned much in that time- about the physical wants of himself and his Asuka. She, in turn, discovered her boy's thresholds- and was surprised of what he could do, even if he was the more reactive of the two of them.

All the while they continued synchronizing with each other. With every touch, every gesture, and every kiss made in that room that night it brought their spirits closer and closer- burrowing into each other's lives in irreversible ways they could not know or perceive. There would be consequences to come.

They played it safe, but bounds were crossed. He was euphoric with contact with her; long overdue physical attention from the object of his desires. However, he couldn't shake the sensation that this was… wrong. They were too young for this. They were moving too fast. She was too hungry. He had issues to resolve.

Her bed stank of her scent, but Shinji found it comforting. Their feet were tangled together on the bed, she was resting up against him as she did last night. Their fingers were once again intertwined.

They said nothing after they both recovered from their latest action. It was Asuka who asked aloud, "what's happening to us?"

"We're becoming a couple." Shinji replied simply, but that wasn't right. Something was moving within him, and her too. Whatever it was, it was tightening them together.

"It feels different." Asuka responded. "Something… more. Do you feel it?"

"I do." Shinji replied. He winced, saying aloud, "it's like my barriers are lowered with you."

"Yeah." She added.

"But it's weird because it's… physical too, not just in your head."

"Yeah." She said, and tightened her hold on him. "Why are you so warm, Shinji?"

"Why are you so soft, Asuka?"

She rolled on her side and her legs climbed up his as she lifted them up the one of his she was grabbing.

She said, "we need to sleep, but why can't I keep my hands off you?"

Shinji smirked, "how long have you wanted to do things like this with me?"

"Worse and worse since the volcano… no." Her hands splayed across his chest, "since we won the dance battle. Since we-"

"Synchronized." Shinji said, completing her thought.

That word was electric for the two of them laying together in Her bed.

Asuka thought about this. "Do you think,.. Something happened to us? In the Eva?"

Shinji thought back to his first battle. When he went berserk. "Maybe. I've seen some pretty strange things in the Eva. Have you?"

Her head slid against him sideays no at first. But then she really thought about it, "once." She said, "during my first activation test in Germany. I thought I heard singing in the plug. Momas voice." She tightened against him, "it took me a week before I got the courage to go back in. Kaji encouraged me, but I never told him what was happening then. I… didn't want to sound childish."

Shinji smiled. She could guess he was as he paused. "What, third?"

"I have something that Kaji doesn't." He replied, blinking. "It's crazy to realize that, after you talked about him for so long."

"Do you want to know something else you have that Kaji doesn't?" Asuka asked him playfully, grabbing one if his hands to move to her body.

Shinji chuckled. A profound thought occurred to him. "Asuka."

"Mmh?"

"After tonight, I don't think I can say I just like you anymore." He said.

"It's insane isn't it?" She said, "all this from one kiss. One kiss! And that was enough to break the pervert dam?"

"There are other things too, remember." Shinji replied, gently poking her in the chest.

She seized his finger and said, "you know you're the only person I feel completely comfortable around, now. Why is that?" She brought his finger to her mouth playfully.

Shinji smiled at her. "Bedtime, Asuka."

She made an unhappy noise. "I don't want to."

"We have school tommorrow."

"But I want to play now while we're together!"

"Well have tomorrow. And every day after that."

Asuka turned her eyes to him. "Is that a promise, Shinji?"

"Yes." He told her.

She nuzzled against him again. "I don't deserve you."

"We deserve each other." Shinji replied, "because we're the only people in this world who can fix the other."

Asuka paused playfully and said, "if someone told me I had to force the boy I like to kiss me, it would have saved a lot of trouble."

"I only have the confidence I do because I know you want this." Shinji replied.

"We need to work on that, idiot Shinji." She said and ran her hand against his chest, before letting herself drift off to sleep.

It was as if Rei had an itch that couldn't be scratched, because she didn't know where to do so to find relief. It was anomalous, maddening sensation.

"Is this… insomnia?" She asked to no one.

The moon glided gently in the sky, but Rei took no solace in it tonight. Something was wrong with her being. She would have to say something Doctor Akagi tomorrow.

But not the Commander.

She hand a hand on her belly as she stood by the window, waiting for something. Whatever it was, it was outside.

VII. Perjury

"In your opinion, was it possible that the Angel was trying to contact you, or humanity by proxy?"

Shinji blinked. "Err… no, not really. It just held us there, in that white void."

"So in your opinion there was no Attempt to understand the human heart, or psyche?"

Asuka answered, "no, absolutely not. The Angel simply held us in that white void. Then the next we knew, our Eva's went berserk. I told you!"

a/n: Velvet is the second longfics I attempted after completing Hearth. I hesitated about publishing it for a few reasons: it's not complete and the tone is a little race and a little out there. Started it because I liked how Advice and Trust got started, but quickly lost interest when the story started rolling. So, I started writing my own take.

But it did spawn some ideas I took elsewhere. this was technically my first attempt to patch the kiss, and the idea of putting Shinji and Asuka into the direct sea comes from here.