15

(Home)

Shinji slowly sank onto the couch next to Misato, feeling more physically drained than he had been in weeks, "This sucks."

Misato snored.

From his other side, Pen-Pen looked up, "Wark?"

Shinji shook his head as Misato slowly slid over onto his shoulder, "Having to train three new Pilots while retraining myself is exhausting work, Pen-Pen. Even with Rei's help it's taking too long."

The warm water penguin looked up at Shinji with his cold, dark eyes and patted the human on the thigh with his flipper, as if saying 'there, there'.

Misato groaned against his side and Shinji snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. His roommate sighed and snuggled into his side a little more, "I'm afraid, Pen-Pen."

The penguin looked up but said nothing.

"I… I don't want to fail."

A blink.

Shinji sighed and hung his head, "I don't want them to end up like Asuka."

"Wark."

Shinji shook his head, "I know, that's not up to me, but they're my friends. I can't do that to them."

Misato pulled herself away from his shoulder for a moment, "Shinji? Who're ya talkin' to?"

"Pen-Pen."

"Wark."

Misato looked up at him blearily, sober but blearily, and frowned, "But… he's a penguin."

"A smart penguin.'

"Wark!"

Misato shook her head and laid it back down on his shoulder, "Tired. Can we just sleep here?"

Pen-Pen took his human's hint and hopped off of the couch and headed for his refrigerator, pausing only long enough to pass Shinji a look that said 'don't do anything I wouldn't do… or if you do, keep it to a dull roar'.

Shinji blinked as the penguin left. The surreal part of it was that not only had he been having an active conversation with the genetically modified penguin, but he seemed to understand the look said bird had given him. Was that proof of his mental condition?

Misato, for her part, snuggled into her man-sized pillow's side and was soon snoring lightly.

Shinji didn't sleep at all that night.

AN: Short, yes. Kinda fluffy, well, several people have been asking for Shinji/Misato fluff… there you go. Next up, maybe some combat. Reviews, please.