Rei lay awake next to Shinji. It was calming having him there, even if they were not touching. The sensation of fabric on her skin was unusual and keeping her awake, but sleeping naked as she usually did would make Shinji uncomfortable. She did not wish that to happen.
She had contemplated wearing something other than the long nightdress with its heavier fabric. Thankfully the rainstorm had lowered the temperature so it was not too hot to wear. Had it been otherwise there would have been fewer choices as to clothing. The cooler set of sleepwear was apparently only for herself or if she was spending the night with a boy she liked. However, from Major Katsuragi's comments, it was clear that "boy" in this context was the same as "boy" as in "boyfriend". While Shinji met all the stated qualifications - being a boy, a boy she liked, and a friend, he was not a romantic or sexual partner. The rules seemed to be inconsistent. There was no similar rule about girls who were not girlfriends. Certainly Asuka had blushed in a manner not dissimilar to Shinji when she had approved her selection.
Having to conform to these rules was mildly disappointing - the lighter clothing was more comfortable and also more aesthetically pleasing. She was slightly surprised to realise that she was more interested in sharing a visually pleasant experience with Shinji than in being more comfortable. However what mattered was that in this case the rules were a useful guideline, Shinji would be uncomfortable seeing her in what he would consider a state of undress - unless their relationship was significantly different than it currently was. That was the most important factor in her clothing decision.
Still, her current garment was not uncomfortable, the fabric was softer than her usual attire and the discomfort mostly from the novelty. The rest came from not touching her friend while lying on the narrow bed. Any accidental contact caused him to flinch away. It seemed to be an automatic reaction, not an intentional one, as they had hugged and touched each other earlier with no problems. Nonetheless, it was perturbing. The bed was adequate for her needs, but if this situation might occur again she should acquire some temporary sleeping accommodation for an unexpected guest. The preferable option would to be able to hold her friend. The acquisition of additional bedding would be easier. She could arrange that while seeking a solution to the preferred option.
They had had a quiet evening. Apart from a temporary burst of activity as they searched for something to provide a temporary seal around a small leak, they had sat together on the bed looking out at the rain and the lightning. She had enjoyed the companionable silence. It was one of the things she liked about Shinji. The ability to enjoy being in each other's presence without needing to do anything else. It was one of the things she had missed. She had also missed sitting with her head on his shoulder. She had been able to experience that again too.
She enjoyed Asuka's presence, but Asuka always had to be doing something. The only time she was still was when she was being held. Or had fallen asleep in her Eva during a particularly long test. She had watched Asuka asleep in a spare bunk at headquarters. Even asleep, Asuka twitched or tossed and turned. In contrast, Shinji was so still she had double-checked her awareness of his breathing by looking over to watch the slight rise and fall of his chest.
Rei learned a number of things when she woke up. That she had moved back to the middle of the bed away from the edge. This seemed like a practical automatic reaction to do in one's sleep. That Shinji had done the same. That lying against Shinji's side with her head on his shoulder and his arm around her was even more comfortable than hugging in any previous orientation. She would ask Shinji if they could expand her range of experiences.
It was over an hour before Shinji woke. She knew how many seconds she had been aware of, but based on the shadows cast by what little light got through the rain, the position of the sun disagreed with her internal clock. How unusual. She knew when he woke of course. His heartbeat slowly increased under her hand. His breathing rate rose. Then he became incredibly tense for a moment on reaching consciousness before letting out a long breath and partially relaxing again.
She learned another thing as she watched Shinji move around the small apartment. The way he moved would slide between his own natural motions and the way Asuka moved. The transitions were usually smooth and anyone less observant would be unlikely to notice. Once he started preparing breakfast for them both his movements resumed being entirely his own. This was interesting.
She had spent a lot of time watching Asuka move, sometimes by the simple necessity of being in the same space, sometimes just because she enjoyed doing so. Unlike herself, Asuka was always moving, often with grace, equally often with strong emotion that she couldn't seem to contain. Asuka was physically expressive in ways she was not and could not emulate. Her attempts to do so had resulted in her looking like the doll Asuka used to accuse her of being and she had abandoned them. Perhaps her emotions were different than Asuka's. Certainly they seemed less overwhelming.
Where Asuka's movements were pleasing to watch, especially when she was wearing a plugsuit and being able to see the way her muscles moved enhanced the aesthetic experience, Shinji's were more constrained. In some ways he was closer to her - aware of the environment, precise when necessary. He would move to be unobtrusive in contrast to Asuka's pulling attention to herself and her own default of not moving unless she had a reason to do so. She'd had many fewer opportunities to watch him move in a plugsuit and only one to see him naked, so watching him move around the kitchen wearing the t-shirt he slept in rather than his usual longer and looser sleeved shirt was an enjoyable occurrence.
Now that he'd stopped moving like Asuka the differences were more obvious to her. His hands moved in the same way, those were his own movements. But when he'd walked across the room from the bathroom to the kitchen that had been almost entirely as if he had Asuka's long lithe legs. Other movements were a mix of them both. That head movement he just made however was a perfect match for her own.
There were several possible causes. She would consider them later. For now she had Shinji's food to eat. How would it taste today?