After what felt like hours of being poked, prodded, questioned, scanned, debriefed, and tested, Shinji escaped Medical with instructions to come back the next day for more testing and later in the week with his fellow pilots for a sync test.
He wanted to go home, not the comfortable imaginary home with his mother. The real, messy, one with an annoying Asuka, Misato making inappropriate jokes, PenPen stealing beer, his own life as small and strange as it was. He wondered if Asuka and Ayanami had already gone home, there was no reason for either of them to stay around waiting just for him. He certainly didn't expect them to. Once again he found his expectations did not match reality.
Before the last fight. Before he'd ... 'left'... Asuka and Ayanami had seemed to hate each other, and Asuka barely tolerated his existence on a good day. So what were they doing outside his hospital room asleep with Rei's head on Asuka's shoulder, holding each other up? At least that was the only reason he could think of for why their arms were around each other. Maybe he could ask Ayanami about it later. Asuka was not likely to explain anything, she rarely did.
His body needed food and movement, even if he did want to stay watching this moment of calm for a while longer before everything became terrible again.
"Hi," he broke the silence cautiously. "Sorry that took so long".
He got no response.
He cautiously reached out to touch Asuka's shoulder and felt Ayanami's arm around him. Well, for better or worse, that hadn't changed, he was still picking up sensations Asuka experienced. Then he noticed the sensation of Asuka's arm around her, something he hadn't felt since sitting in front of her in the mouth of an Angel just after they met. Oh, maybe it had. What did it mean that he was picking up Ayanami feeling Asuka?
Two pairs of eyes opened simultaneously.
"Sorry," he said again, briefly wondering why Asuka did not look annoyed at him as she usually did when he apologised for anything. "Would you like to go home? I can make a real meal. I hope you haven't been living on Misato's cooking while I was ... gone".
Asuka smiled, "That's the best idea I've heard all day. Well other than the one I had for getting you out of course. In case you don't remember what I told you while you were in there, I've missed your cooking".
Shinji stared at her. "Asuka are you alright? Are you real?"
Asuka growled at him "Yes I'm real, baka-Shinji. I'm also hungry. Let's go"
Shinji sighed and followed her as she got up and walked away, pulling an unresisting Rei behind her. Whatever had happened in the last month had not only turned Asuka and Ayanami into friends, or at least made them very comfortable with each other, it had also caused Asuka to complement his cooking. Twice if her words were to be believed. And Asuka wouldn't admit to something like that even happening most of the time. What else had been said that he did not hear?
Still confused he followed them, mentally preparing a shopping list. If there was real food at the apartment he'd know this was an illusion after all.