"Do you plan to tell me what's troubling you?"

Rei's question to Asuka broke the comfortable silence on the cold, late afternoon. The two were carrying groceries back to Rei's apartment. The items weren't very cumbersome, but Asuka had insisted rather forcefully on helping. Rei did not object, in fact she was coming to rather enjoy her company.

Asuka whipped her head around in surprise. "Who says anything is?"

"You've barely spoken this whole time. It's a bit unusual for you." It was true; Asuka had been in a rather subdued mood all day, staring off into space and being generally despondent. Shinji had forgotten to make lunch for her that day, and she had merely shrugged it off without so much as a rude comment.

Asuka kicked a can that was in her path, sending it clattering away. "Maybe I just don't feel like talking, okay? I have a lot on my mind, for your information."

"Such as?"

"Nothing you'd understand," Asuka snapped. It effectively silenced Rei, who turned her attention to something in the distance. She sighed and admitted "Just thinking about my mom, that's all."

"Oh." Rei replied after a long pause.

"You made me admit that and all you have to say is 'oh'?!" There was an edge to Asuka's voice.

"I didn't make you do anything. However, if you wish to talk about it, I will listen. Though I don't know how much use I will be, as I have never had a mother."

Asuka shook her head brusquely. "You wouldn't have wanted mine. She was insane."

"Were you mistreated?" Rei pressed.

"I wasn't treated like anything at all," Asuka muttered darkly. "All she cared about was...she never.." she shook her head roughly, as if wanting to forget something. "Never mind, it doesn't matter."

They were silent again for a while until Rei spoke. "She must have truly been unwell..to believe that you deserved to be ignored."

Asuka stopped and stood still. They were walking across a road next to the base of a great hill. After taking a few steps, Rei stopped as well and looked back at her. Asuka dropped the bags she had been holding to the of the road and moved towards Rei. The girl was caught off guard as Asuka tackled her to the snow covered ground, causing her to also drop her bags of groceries (thankfully, they had not purchased anything fragile.)

Rei hardly reacted, looking up at Asuka's cold blue eyes staring down at her. At first she thought she was going to attack her, but this notion was ruled out almost instantly. Asuka leaned down and placed her lips over Rei's for a searing kiss. It was not the first time; the two had started a tenuous relationship a few days prior, but before now their attempts at intimacy had felt weak and unsure. But what Rei felt now from Asuka was need, a desperate pressure that was not present before. She pushed against Rei until she felt the girl reciprocate the kiss. A low sigh of something, pleasure or relief, escaped her throat and the two fell into a slower, more relaxed pace. It was intense, sensual, and very, very warm.

After a few minutes they broke apart, Asuka sat back up and looked at Rei a little sheepishly. "Sorry. I felt like I really needed to do that."

Rei sat up next to her and tilted her head questioningly. "You don't need to apologize. Why did you?"

"What you said to me...that I didn't deserve to be treated how she...well. It meant a lot to me, you know?" she managed to get out. It was hard for her to admit something so personal and Rei could sense that. She put her hand over Asuka's reassuringly. In a wink Asuka smiled. "Plus we are dating, in case you've forgotten. I have the right to kiss you whenever I want," she said cockily, clearly feeling more of herself.

Rei smiled. "I did not forget."

When they stood up, Asuka looked at the imprint their bodies had made in the fresh snow. "Looks almost like a snow angel." Rei's eyes widened slightly and Asuka quickly explained "Not our kind, calm down. It's just a shape you can make in the snow. When I was really little, me and my-" she caught herself and her eyes darkened just a bit.

Rei moved towards her, laying a lingering kiss on Asuka's cheek. "Will you show me how to make them?"

Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Why? It's kids stuff. Stupid."

"It's special to you, in some way at least. But you cannot even enjoy it without being plagued by unwelcome memories. I want to help you create new ones. Ones that you'll want to remember."

After the sentiment had been met with another make-out session from Asuka, the girls stayed at the foot of the hill until well after dusk, laughing and making fresh angel prints in the snow.