Yeah two chapters in a day i must be steam rollin' :P. Anyway this chapter is solely done to establish the relationship between Asuka and Shinji. I hope its believable and you enjoy it.

Restore Part 2

Asuka and Shinji sat at a large rectangular wooden table. It was a monster of a table and Asuka was trying to figure out how in the world such a large table happened to fit into such a small wooden home. Shinji on the other hand was mesmerized by the atmosphere of the home. There were no lights in the home only candles. However they were so bright it didn't seem possible that a simple candle could generate such light but he didn't mind, he just loved the homey feeling. The warm colors. The several maroon carpets that littered the floor and the cabinets, night tables and other surfaces were all a dark brown shiny color. The house smelled of a sweet and delicious scent. The scent reminded him of some sort of pastry. More along the line of a homemade pie. He looked over to where Nana was standing. She was fiddling with a barrel like container with two mugs under a small spout that protruded the barrel. He watched as she filled both mugs with a deep brown concoction. He leaned over the table and whispered to Asuka, "What she doing?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" she whispered back. Suddenly the old woman appeared beside them holding the two mugs in both hands. She handed one to Shinji and one to Asuka. The teens only stared at the mugs.

"You never had apple cider before?" said Nana with a grin. Shinji looked up at her.

"Apple cider? What's that?" he asked. Nana only gestured to the mug. Shinji lifted the mug with both hands and lowered his nose to smell the contents of the mug. It smelled sweet and it almost made Shinji's mouth water. He took a sip. Asuka looked on in curiosity.

"Wow." was the only thing he could say. Asuka then watched him brandish a mighty smile and then he gulped down the rest of the drink in one huge gulp, "This is great!"

Asuka looked down at her undisturbed mug and took it in both hands. She smelled it herself. A human instinct. She too took a sip. She closed her eyes and placed down the mug. Nana watched as a smirk slowly grew to her lips. She took it again and swigged it down.

"My, my. I didn't think you kids would like it so much. My granddaughter can't stand the stuff." said Nana. Shinji looked at her with utter amazement.

"What? This is great! Um..."

"Would you like some more?"

"Yes! Thank you."

Nana looked at Asuka.

"Um... me too."

Nana took the mugs and refilled them but this time she also brought a lump of dough. Or at least that's what it looked like to Shinji. She placed the plate in front of him alongside several more plates that held odd looking dishes he had never seen before. He looked over to Asuka who also had several plates laid out in front of her and she looked surprised. Overall there was at least seven plates holding magnificently smelling dishes alongside a giant mug of the newly introduced Apple cider. The teens stared down at the banquet and the question that kept popping up in both teens minds were as to where this woman was pulling out all of these food items? Nana wiped the sweat for her forehead with a small rag and sat in between the two teens.

"Alright, dig in."

Shinji couldn't help but ask.

"Is this really... all for us?" he asked looking down, his eyes scanning over all of the food. The old woman smiled.

"Of course, lad. Why you never had so much?" she said. Shinji was so used to proportion sizes and the same foods all the time that this new setting was simply breathtaking. Nana looked at Asuka and said, "I take it you're not used to so much food?"

"Uh... not... really." she said trying to manage something polite. She took a fork from the side of her plate. Shinji saw this and looked to see if he had one of these "forks". He had seen it before but never had he actually used one.

Half and hour later...

Shinji sat on incredibly soft bed. It wasn't like his cot. The mattress was soft and the sheets were light and smelled of an orchid. The room itself was comforting. The wooden walls held pictures of many people. All of them happy and surrounding a much younger Nana who seemed to be enjoying herself. He began to wonder if that was her family. He stood and looked at the pictures and one caught his attention. Nana stood with two people by her side. One of them was a young Lilith but the other person made his stomach drop. Was that... was that his father?

"It's your turn Shinji." Asuka said as she walked in, a towel on her head and her old clothes in one arm and a set of foreign clothes in the other. She tossed her old clothes on her bed and tossed the other set to him. He looked at them.

"These are for me?" he questioned. She nodded without looking at him, "They look pretty big."

"That's because they are from other mercenaries. She told me she keeps clothing here for anyone who is a refugee or is working for her granddaughter. Don't worry, it's washed if that's what you meant." said Asuka. He nodded and took them into bathroom.

About fifteen minutes later Shinji came into the room. He saw Asuka sitting on her bed but something was different about her. He stared for a moment and said, "What happened to your hair?"

Asuka glared at him with a frown. Her hair was no longer held back by her ever existing A10 clips. Instead it was single braided tale that extended to her lower back. She looked almost as a different person.

"Nana did it." she said.

"Nana?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Is that her name?"

"I don't know. But she told me to call her that." said Asuka, "Why? You don't like how she did it?"

Shinji felt that he now had to choose his words wisely.

"Uh..no... uh... it looks cute." he stumbled. To his surprise Asuka looked away and began to play with her braided ponytail.

"You think so?" she nearly mumbled.

"Sure." he said. He walked over to his bed and sat before saying, "I like it here."

"Already? We just got here." said Asuka.

"I don't know," he began, "I feel comfortable."

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked. The sudden way she said that made his ears perk. He simply said yes to her request as she went on to say, "If that girl lived and I died.. back in the lab... would you be upset?"

The question was automatically not what he would expect from her. It sounded as if she wanted him to validate her companionship. But out of all people why him? He wasn't even awake for much of it.

He thought for a moment and tried to form a sentence but with each thought that came another one would come and strike it down. Asuka noted his hesitation and quickly shot out, "Forget it."

"Asuka, I can't answer that question." he admitted.

"Why? Cause you don't want to admit you liked that little floozy?" she spat, "You don't give a damn about me even though I got your stupid ass from getting killed."

Shinji couldn't understand where all of this was coming from? It was like a shot in the dark and the sudden bombardment of all this was dampening the only time he felt safe and secure. All this time. Nearly a year of being together and one would think being with someone day after day would make them closer but it wasn't the case at all! He couldn't understand her. How could anyone can? What was her problem? He just wanted to feel safe for a change and not have to run even if only for a minute and yet here they were. In a stranger's home who was offering them solace and here was Asuka being the girl she was and arguing with him because of such an immoral question!

He turned around and slid into his bed. He wasn't going to argue. He was going to enjoy his time here and to get some rest. He turned away from her and laid himself down and shut his eyes.

"Is that it? You're just going to sleep while I'm talking to you?" she said angrily. Shinji whipped around so fast he made his sheets fly off of him.

"You know what? I don't want to hear you. I just want you to leave me alone." he said breaking his own taboo of actually shooting back a response without thinking. Asuka sat there, speechless. She tried to say something, anything but nothing would come only nonsensical gibberish. He had truly knocked her off her pedestal. Just when she was about to say something the door to the room opened and Nana appeared with a tray.

"I hope you two have room. I made some pastries that I think you might like." she said. She looked at the two teens and she automatically felt the tension in the air. She scoffed and placed the tray on one of the night tables. She leaned against a wall and crossed her arms and smiled.

"Okay, what's the problem?" Nana asked. Asuka and Shinji looked up in amazement. What did she mean what's the problem?

"There's nothing wrong." lied Asuka, her stare like daggers to Shinji.

"Listen you two. You ought to be helping each other cope with these times. There is no time for you to be acting like fools like you're doing now." said Nana whose voice grew firm and gained a sense of authority. The two teens looked on. Stunned.

Nana went on, "I remember when I was your age. The world was much different. All we cared about was going out to the movies or spending time with friends. But things are different now. I know you kids have lives that require you to grow up over night. I understand your frustration but..." she pointed at both of them, "you have to be grown up and take responsibility for each other. I can hear you two bickering from the other side of the house and let me tell you something this is not the time."

The two teens remained in utter silence. Nana looked at Asuka.

"You. You are the woman. You of all must have the decency to keep yourself in check and give others the respect they deserve. You are the mother of the human race."

She looked over at Shinji.

"And you. You are the man. The provider and the taker. You are to be her guardian. You must protect her. You must take your past fears and throw them away. I can't tell you how many men I have seen perish because they let their past devour them. I know you both must have stories. You both have many circumstances but when it comes down to the basic I've been around the bend numerous times. I know when it comes down to the line it's who we really are that shows not what we paint ourselves to be. All I will say is this. Mankind doesn't have all the time in the world for you two to argue. You have to pull it together. Now... have some of these..." Nana pointed at the tray.

Nana then pulled open the door and stood at the doorway and said, "Goodnight."

And then she left.

Asuka and Shinji sat without saying a fraction of a word. It was to the point the silence was deafening. They were thinking of what she was saying. No one had been so nice to them and yet so blunt in a single evening. It was so sudden and yet it really hit home. Shinji looked over to Asuka who was now on her knees on top of her bed staring down at her lap.

"I'm sorry, Asuka." he finally said. She lifted her hand to cut him off, her face for once seemed to understand.

"You know what? It's alright... she's right." said Asuka. Shinji had never seen the red demon actually submit to another persons logic before and it was nearly downright chilling to see this. She went on to speak.

"You know, Shinji." she sighed wiping her face of stray bangs, "I know I put you through a lot. I know it. You know it"

She sighed again.

"We have been friends for a while now. I can see that. You may think that I'm strong and trust me that's all I ever wanted people to see."

Shinji could feel something stirring. She took in a deep breath and exhaled.

"I can't hide it. I'm sorry, okay? And to think it took this old hag who doesn't even know me to see through me." she said brandishing a coy smile. Shinji could tell she was breaking but from exactly what was the question? Was it really Nana who subconsciously set her straight or was it the combination of what happened between them from Brazil and the incident at the lab? He couldn't blame her now. It was like everything that happened was happening against them and they were against the world. Just the thought that they were really alone in the world made his heart heavy and yet it made him long for her. She was like him. They were similar. Although their personalities were perfect contrasts it was their past that rung true. Both of them had parents that died or deserted them. In true essence they were orphans struggling to find their place in this chaotic world and to fight now would prove ineffective. Nana was right. There was no room for argument. Not anymore.

Asuka hiccuped.

Shinji looked up realizing he was lost in thought and had not seen Asuka beginning to cry. He expected for her to be like any other girl and to start bawling but then he knew Asuka wasn't like any other girl. She sat on her knees, silently letting her emotions run but she was smart and only stared at her lap. She didn't want him to see her like this. Shinji felt like leaving the room. He wanted to get more cider or use the bathroom anything to get out of there but doing so he might lose her trust forever. Maybe this was her way of letting him in. Maybe she was showing her true colors in a way to test him. He couldn't run away now. He couldn't. Not now when this was his time to show that he could be a man. That he could be her guardian, her protector.

Asuka let out a distressed whimper. Shinji looked up. It was like she was forcing herself not to cry and the more she continued to hold it back the more it seemed to want out.

"Asuka..."

She looked up and his heart fell so low. Her tears, her eyes. Her eyes... so full of past hurt and it now it was all out in the open. There were no real secrets anymore. They had reached the lowest point and now it was time they rebuild because it was far from the end.

He stood up and swallowed hard. He was going to listen to his heart. God knows he was going to need it to get through the events that would soon come. He was going to have to break out of his shell. He wasn't going to let his past defeat him. Not anymore. No more running away.

He went over to her bed and did something he never knew he was able to do on his own. He hugged her. Asuka immediately tried to squirm away but something told Shinji to hold the embrace.

"Get... off me..." she insisted as she developed resistance. Shinji only tightened the embrace shutting his eyes in case she managed to free her hand to hit him.

"You are not alone." whispered Shinji.

She stopped and he heard a gasp escape her lips. Those words. It was these words that shook her... that rocked her. These words equalized the playing field. They were equal and it was those words that solidified it.

She took her arms and placed them around him.

"I'm... sorry for everything..." she whispered almost inaudibly. Shinji knew she meant the countless times she degraded him and verbally abused him. None of that mattered now. The past would have to be thrown away. They had to lose their pasts. They couldn't allow it to devour them any longer.

"I don't blame you." he said back.

"You don't? Why? How come you never just leave? How come you're always next to me despite the way I treat you?" she asked, her voice low.

He had no answer for that. He couldn't explain it and trying to do so would only reverse the progress he was making. This was their story, he thought. It doesn't matter what happens to the world. As long as he had someone there. As long as he had someone who understood him it was possible to wake up to another dawn.

"You and I are in this together." said Shinji hoping another lighthearted phrase would move her. "I never thought you would actually say something I could agree with." she admitted.

And so they embraced. The feel of each others warmth and the heartbeats that struck the chest of them both nailed in the connection. They didn't know how long they embraced nor did they care. They met on equal ground now and so it no longer mattered but unaware to them... Nana stood outside the door with a smile spread across her face.

"I still got it." she whispered as she walked away.

A/N: Now how's that? I'm suprised they didn't kiss in this chapter but I suppose I like it this way. I hope their relationship proves much more believable. Tell me if you think I got the chemistry right and I will be a happy camper. Next chapter is another break from the story line. More Asuka and Shinji.