"Morning Asuka" greets Shinji placing a cup of coffee in front of her.

Even the baka isn't trying to pretend it's a good one. They both know how well each other didn't sleep. She's only awake because he is. He's only awake because he has to go down to the Geofront to get poked and prodded again.

The coffee was starting to clear the exhaustion from her brain when Shinji reached across the table to put a plate in front of her. At least she got to have his food again, even if it did contain fish. She reached out to take the plate absently. The plate dropped the last inch with a thunk as Shinji dropped it and jumped backwards.

"What was that for baka?" she snapped.

"Ssorry." Shinji was retreating to the kitchen nervously.

'Dammit'. Their fingers had almost touched as she reached for the plate. He was scared of touching her again. He'd emerged from the LCL in her arms. She'd pulled him out of the entry plug. The synchronisation backlash pain hadn't even crossed her mind. Had she changed so much in the last month? Even if they later woke up tangled in each other, it had always been nerve-wracking risking the edge of his bed. He seemed to be more afraid than he had in a long time. It probably wasn't a good idea to push the issue right now.

"Hey Shinji," she called softly, "Did they find anything?"

"Huh? Oh. The tests yesterday? Nothing obvious, and if they'd found anything urgent when they were analysing the samples they'd have called already".

There was something in the way he'd winced when he said 'samples'. What had they done to her baka while ... while she'd been asleep with Rei in the hallway. She slammed her coffee mug down on the table, then winced as she saw him jump. She was angry at who'd hurt him, and possibly herself, but not at him this time.

She tried again, "Ask them to check how old you are."

"Sure. Why?" He placed a second cup of coffee in the middle of the table, the handle towards her.

She took the cup carefully, "You practically didn't exist for a month, maybe you came back the same age as you went in. Or younger if your body is new. Especially as you don't remember anything from while you were in there". No one else would have noticed the slight tightening of his muscles when she said that, they weren't visible but she felt them. Maybe he was right to avoid touching her.

"Just fragments of my own memories from when I was younger" he answered the question she hadn't asked. "The doctors think it was just from my brain reassembling. I don't know any new german curses if that's what you're asking"
Asuka blinked at him.

"You were in my Eva, Asuka. I can't believe you were never there during the last month, and there are only so many ways even you can pronounce the word 'baka' - I'm sure you were much more inventive.

Asuka grins, "You'd be right, baka" She sees his eyes widen, 'shitshitshitshit'. No one outside her own head other than Rei had heard baka(affectionate). At least Rei hadn't heard, and he didn't remember, baka(pleading).

Asuka looks down and picks at her breakfast, "Are there enough leftovers for lunch? They probably won't let you go in time to be back"

"There'll be plenty for just you. Is there anything you want for dinner? I only picked up enough for three meals last night, so I'll stop on the way back"

She was still staring at her plate when he got up to pack the food away. She was still sitting nursing the second coffee when he left.

She was sitting at the table when Shinji got home. At least it was a different cup of coffee.

What she'd really wanted to do was go back to sleep after he'd left that morning, but she didn't dare risk it. She'd just gotten him back, for whatever that was worth, having him fall in front of a train because she'd dozed off was not acceptable. So too much coffee and too much thinking. Misato hadn't come home, she hadn't called either, not even to check on her precious Shinji last night and of course not to check on her today. Which probably meant she was off with Kaji and too busy getting fucked to care. That particular emotional quagmire had kept her occupied for a while. She didn't need either of them anyway. She didn't need anyone. Except.

"I'm home" Shinji stumbled into the apartment.

She was there to catch him before she realised she's moved. He stepped around her like she was no more than a wall or piece of furniture.
Asuka watched him, somewhat stunned. She'd seen him afraid to go near her. She'd seen him ignore her more times than she cares to count. She'd never seen him not notice she existed. He was running on autopilot, putting the groceries away, assembling the food for dinner, getting the cookware out.

"Baka stop!" Thankfully he freezes, the knife a fraction above his finger.

"Dammit. I don't know what they did to you, but you're useless like this. Go sit down and let me do this before you get hurt."

'Useless. Sit.' is all that penetrates Shinji's consciousness, so he sits at the table out of the way.

Asuka knew her cooking was no match for Shinji's but she'd helped him make this meal a dozen times, it'll be good enough, and, unlike Shinji, she had been still awake from drinking coffee half the day.

By the time they had both eaten in silence, Shinji looked a little less dead on his feet and could actually focus on Asuka.

"What happened? You've looked better after an Angel attack."

"Nothing showed up on the tests. I think they were hoping I remembered something that would help them with the Evas. The only thing I remembered they were even remotely interested in was hearing my mother talk to my father. I don't know what they were saying, but at least I remember what she sounded like now" Shinji attempted a smile. It wasn't a very successful attempt.

Asuka checked her mental "what would Shinji do? (extremely revised edition)" list.

"Why don't you go take a shower. I'll clean up. Then we can have an early night, you're tired enough for the both of us."