Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Only In Your Eyes Am I Worthy ❯ The Trick is to Keep Breathing ( Chapter 10 )

Evangelion: Only In Your Eyes Am I Worthy

Author's Note: Hmm well sorry if my German isn't perfect, but it's not my native language. ;) I'm not even in Germany any more so I don't get to practice. There's bound to be a few errors so you'll all just have to accept that. If someone wants to send me corrections in email or something feel free and I'll edit it. I don't really like the thought of using a full time proofreader though. I mean, you write something and you want to post it, not wait for 3-4 days for someone to look over it and say one little sentence is in the wrong tense or something, ya know? Heh. But I can always go back and upload corrections. Anyway… that's all that really needs to be said this time.

Required Disclaimer: No own. No money. No conscience. And no jelly donuts! Enjoy and ponder on the glory of GAINAX!

Chapter 10: The Trick Is To Keep Breathing

Soft sighs and gasps filled Gendo Ikari's office as the commander was thrusting himself into Ritsuko Akagi. The doctor had her feet locked behind the man's neck and was enjoying the lovemaking, which had become a rare thing as of late. Gendo, as usual, had his eyes closed. Dr. Akagi knew he was imagining himself making love to Yui, it was quite obvious since half the time when he climaxed he was crying out her name, but she didn't care anymore. All that she cared about was that he was with her. That had to count for something…

"Turn over." Gendo commanded suddenly, backing away from her. He waited patiently as she gave him a dirty glare for stopping, then turned over so that her feet were on the floor and her posterior was towards the man. Without a word, he gripped her hips and thrust himself back into her and started moving at a fast and hard pace, ignoring the woman's grunts of pain.

Ritsuko groaned and reached forward to grip the far edges of the desk for balance and shifted her hips around to find a better angle of penetration. "Oooh, Gendo." She murmured softly, her eyes rolling back into her head.

The commander remained silent, and to any observer he would have appeared bored. He paused when his phone rang, then slowly withdrew himself. He answered it and was surprised to hear Shinji's voice on the other end and he listened silently as the boy explained that Rei had been admitted for hand surgery. "I see. Understood." Was all he said before he hung up. "Rei is in the hospital. She is having hand surgery." He told the doctor, mostly because she was Rei's primary physician.

Ritsuko nodded then watched him silently for a few moments but when he didn't resume having sex with her she decided to speak up. "Gendo? You're not stopping are you?" Gendo ignored her. "Gendo!" The doctor was getting impatient, having been a minute or two from reaching her climax.

"You may go. I'm through with you." The commander stated coldly.

Dr. Akagi's eyes flashed in anger. "Just because your little doll is having surgery on her hand? That's no reason to stop! You can't just stop like that!"

Commander Ikari looked over at her, his expression unreadable. "Perhaps you are right." He moved behind her and grabbed her hips in a tight grip and thrust himself back into her roughly. A few hard and fast strokes later and he groaned, finding his release inside her. He could tell the doctor was a few moments away from her own climax, but he didn't care. He silently withdrew and pulled his pants back up. "Now you may go."

Ritsuko stared at the man in shock. He was normally cold, especially after sex, but he usually had the decency to finish her off first. This was unacceptable. "You arrogant bastard! You'll have to find some other woman to get yourself off with. You care so much about that little bitch and not me? I won't stand for it anymore. If I leave, we're through!"

Gendo tapped at his computer, remaining silent for a few moments. Then he gave the woman a cold glare. "That is acceptable. You are dismissed." Dr. Akagi's eyes widened in shock and anger and her hand went up to strike the man across the face. "That is not recommended, doctor. You are no longer a necessary part of this organization, after all."

Tears dripped from her eyes from shame and hurt, but she had her pride. She dressed quickly, turned and walked out with her head held high. She didn't collapse and sob until after she had left the office and returned to her own. There was a knock at her door moments later, and thinking it was Gendo coming to apologize for once in his life, she immediately called for the person to enter without asking who it was.

"Sempai? I noticed a minor inconsistency in Caspar, and I thought I should bring it to your…" Maya trailed off and she looked up and noticed the doctor was slumped on the floor with red eyes and wet cheeks. "Have you been crying, sempai?"

Dr. Akagi sighed and turned her head, using the sleeve of her lab coat to wipe her tears away. "Hai. It's over between the commander and I."

Lt. Ibuki gave the doctor a sympathetic look and sat down next to her, leaning over to put an arm around the older woman's waist. "I'm sorry. I suppose it was coming. He never really was the loving type, ne?"

Ritsuko sighed and leaned into the other woman's embrace. "It doesn't make it any easier, whether I knew it was coming or not."

"I know… I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Maya asked in a gentle tone.

The doctor shrugged. "Just… stay with me a little while. Thank you, Maya-chan. You don't know how much your friendship means to me."

The lieutenant smiled and ran her fingers through the other woman's blonde tresses, attempting to comfort her. "Arigato, sempai. I'm happy to be appreciated." Maya stared off to the adjacent wall, noticing the pictures on her shelf. There was a picture of Ritsuko with her mother when she was a little girl, a picture of the woman's parents in their wedding photo, a picture of Maya and Ritsuko not too long after the younger woman had been assigned as her assistant, and a picture of Maya by herself, that one a professional picture. <I don't remember giving her a copy of that picture. That's so sweet! No pictures of the commander… I wonder why this is the first time I've noticed the photos on her shelf?> The lieutenant looked down and noticed the older woman had dozed off against her breast. <You don't know how lucky you had it, Commander Ikari. And you just threw it all away.> Maya sighed and leaned her head back against the wall and relaxed.

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"Why are you here?" A soft voice floated from behind Rei. She turned and saw a younger version of herself, the first Rei.

"I do not know. Who are you?" Rei II asked.

Rei I smiled and put her arms out and spun around, laughing. "You know. You know! I am you, before. The question is, why are you here?"

The older girl frowned. "I do not understand. Where is here?"

"Our soul. Our core. Our center. Our beginning, and our end." Another voice answered, this one older.

Rei II turned and looked at the new arrival, this one looked like a 20ish year old Rei, with silver hair and golden eyes. "Are you… me?"

"I am a part of you and you are a part of us." Both Rei I and the new arrival answered. The older continued alone. "But I am the original. You know me, in your soul. You knew exactly where to find me, and what was with me."

The first child frowned. "Lilith? You are… part of me? Yes, I suppose you would have to be. The origin of my S2 engine. But why are you appearing before me now?"

The other two Reis laughed. "This is where we exist. It is you that came before us. The question then is, why are you here?"

Rei II was silent in contemplation. <There is no reason for me to be here. Is there?> She looked around, surprised to find the place to be beautiful and serene. There were cherry blossoms floating around, a large lake with water of golden hue, and a gentle breeze blowing about. Even the sky appeared to be in perpetual sunset. "This is… my soul?"

"A reflection of your soul, hai." Lilith agreed.

"He is here, you know." The younger Rei said out of the blue.

The first child blinked. "Nani?"

"You know who I'm talking about. He is part of your soul. You gave it to him. Don't you remember? It wasn't even that long ago…" Rei I stated in a taunting tone.

Rei II was silent for a long time then she turned away from the reflections of herself. "I wish to leave this place."

"You cannot. This is your soul. You can no sooner abandon your soul as rip the heart from your chest. Besides, as the child said, it is no longer completely yours." Lilith responded.

The former Unit 00's pilot sighed and sat down and hugged her knees to herself, staring across the lake. She did her best to ignore the reflections of herself, as a single tear trickled down her cheek.

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"It looks like she's starting to wake up." A voice said from what seemed to be across a chasm. Rei's eyes twitched, but the next few statements she didn't quite catch.

"Can you say something for me? Can you hear me?" The first voice asked.

"Hai." Rei responded. The girl stiffened when she felt herself moving. It took her several moments to realize she was being wheeled somewhere on a gurney. "Ayanami Rei, NERV ID number 472836421-1C. I will answer no further questions."

"What's she talking about?" A male's voice asked.

"It's the anesthesia. A side effect is short term amnesia and confusion. Give her a few minutes to wake up. You're her brother, ne?" The female voice that she had heard the first time asked.

"Nani!? Oh… sort of. She's a ward of my father, so in a manner of speaking, hai." The male's voice explained.

"Shinji-kun?" Rei asked, confused.

"Hai, it's me, Rei-kun." Shinji reassured her. She felt a pressure on one of her hands and she assumed it was the boy squeezing her hand. Tears trickled out of her eyes, though she didn't know why. She wondered if it was relief. "She's crying. Is she in pain?"

"Oh no… she's not likely to feel much of anything right now, she's so drugged up. It's another effect of the anesthesia. Some patients tend to get a little weepy. She's also likely to have a dry mouth and have trouble urinating. We'll monitor her." The female stated. Rei felt the bed stop and a moment later she was being wheeled through a doorway. "Welcome to your room, Ayanami-san. Ikari-san, do you mind helping me move her onto the bed?"

"Hai, of course I'll help." Shinji replied. His face hovered over Rei's for a moment. He smiled down at her. She wasn't sure, but she thought she felt his hand stroking her cheek for a moment. A few moments later, she felt her body sliding over onto the hospital bed. "Are you ok, Rei-kun? You look a little sick."

"Hai." Rei replied, though she didn't elaborate as to which it was.

"Do you have one of those things in case she gets sick? Oh… and this one is?" The third child asked.

"A bedpan, in case she can't get up to use the toilet. She shouldn't have any trouble walking though. There's also…" Rei tuned out the rest of the woman's explanations. A moment later she looked over and a middle aged woman was smiling at her and wiping her hand with a cotton swab with alcohol on it. Then she took an IV needle and carefully placed it into a vein in her uninjured hand and taped it down. "Now was a good time to do this since you're still numbed from the anesthesia, ne?"

Rei coughed.

"Well… call me if you need anything. I'll be back around for rounds in a bit. Give her some water. Her throat might be a little raw. They had to pump her stomach to avoid aspiration since they couldn't wait on the surgery. Do you have any questions before I go?" The nurse asked.

"Iie… Rei?" Shinji looked down at the first child.

The blue-haired girl blinked. "Nani?"

"She's fine." The third child told the nurse then turned his attention back to the girl. "They tell me that you were babbling incoherently in your sleep. I heard a bit of it while you were in recovery. It sounded like a real language, but I didn't recognize it."

Rei blinked.

"No ideas?" Shinji pressed.

Rei stared at him. <Another language?> "I speak several languages other than Japanese. I know German, English, Russian, Mandarin, and French. It was likely one of those. Or perhaps it was Latin or Babylonian? I speak those too."

"So ka?! It might have been Babylonian. I think I would have recognized the others. Can you say a few words for me for comparison?" Shinji had his hand resting on her arm as if he was offering his strength to her healing process.

Rei thought about it for a moment, then spoke. "Enüma elish lä nabû shamämü, shaplish ammatum shuma lä zakrat… did it sound like that?" [AN: The first two lines of the Enuma elish, the Babylonian creation Epos. It translates to 'When above heaven was not (yet) named, (and) below the earth was not pronounced by name'. Only took me like 20 minutes to find some bloody Babylonian… heh but I'm sure a few of you know why Rei might have been taught that language or at least taken an interest in it…]

Shinji shook his head. "Not especially. Um… why did you learn Babylonian?"

Rei stared up at the ceiling. "I do not remember."

The third child frowned. "Well, I can't even pronounce half of the stuff you were saying. But I guess it was similar to that. I suppose it doesn't matter, it might have just been babble." [AN: Hmm, didn't the word babble originate as a reference to the Tower of Babel, which many feel was Babylon? Heh]

Rei was silent for a while then asked, "When can I return home?"

Shinji sighed. "They will want to observe you. Is that all right?"

Her red eyes shifted over to look the boy in the face. "Is that what you wish of me?"

"…. Hai. I want them to be sure you are all right. Would you stay overnight, at least?" The pilot's hand rubbed her arm gently as he pleaded with her.

"… Hai. I would like some water, please." The blue-haired girl struggled to sit up, so Shinji helped her, finding the switch to raise the head of the bed up. She sipped at the water, not realizing until now how raw her throat had been. "Arigato."

"Dou-itashimashite." Shinji replied automatically. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"………………… . What happened between Pilot Soryu and yourself?" Rei asked.

The third child's eyes shifted to the floor. "You shouldn't concern yourself with it. She is just… having some troubles that she took out on me. She is undergoing treatment, so perhaps there is hope."

<Even though she obviously did something very bad to him, he still will not speak ill of her. Such a kind boy… man.> "You do not have to stay here if you do not wish to, Shinji-kun. I think I will try to sleep. Tomorrow, perhaps you can help me home? I am sure they will release me by then." The first child stated with confidence.

"Rei-kun… may I ask you a question?" Shinji hesitantly queried. The girl's eyes shifted back to meet the pilot's. He took that as an affirmative, so continued. "When the surgeon examined your hand, she said the injury looked to be a week old. It could not have been more than a day old, however. How… is that so?"

Her eyes returning to the ceiling, she hesitated to respond. After several minutes, she licked her lips and began to explain. "Shinji-kun… I am not entirely human."

"So ka?!" The third child looked her over nervously.

"I am… a clone. I was killed when I was a child. Strangled to death. I do not remember much of that time, my memories are incomplete. However, I was cloned from that girl. And I was… altered. They used some of Lilith's DNA as well. I am… part angel. I even have an S2 organ." Her uninjured hand rested on the lower part of her stomach as she said that last part, indicating its location. They were both silent for several minutes before Rei looked over at the boy, expecting to see revulsion. Instead, she saw confusion. "It is not something I would tell someone I did not… trust. Please keep that information between us, ok?"

"…….. Hai. I always thought you were a little different than normal people, but I never imagined… Do you still consider yourself human?" Shinji asked hesitantly.

"Aa. I am Ayanami Rei, whether I have a little angel DNA or a little polar bear DNA." She noticed the boy become a little nervous at the latter example. "It was just an example. I do not have polar bear DNA. At least, I do not believe so."

"Does my father know?" Unit 01's pilot asked.

"Hai. He was the one that had them add the angel DNA to me. I do not believe they could have cloned me without it, but I am unsure. I am… grateful that I was brought back." Rei could feel the hesitancy in the pilot, but he didn't pull away from her. She took that as a good sign.

"So, with your S2 organ you can heal yourself faster than a normal human? No wonder you recovered so quickly from your injuries." He looked to where she had indicated the placement of the organ for a few moments, deep in thought. "Is it… is everything else the same? I mean… are you… missing anything that a normal human girl would have?" <She isn't missing anything externally, that's for sure…>

"… A uterus. I do not have one. That is where my S2 organ is. Therefore, I cannot bear children." She saw a brief moment of disappointment in Shinji's eyes, but he blinked and it was gone. <Why would that bother him?>

"I see. Are you ok with that?" He asked carefully.

"Hai. It is the way I am. I accept that." Rei took another long swig of water and carefully placed it on the tray beside her.

"Ii. So, you should recover from this surgery fairly quickly then." It was more a statement than a question, and of course Shinji got no response. "You must be tired. I will return tomorrow when visiting hours begin. As you'll likely be discharged, I'll take you home. Is there anything you need before I go?"

Rei was about to say no when she felt pressure in her bladder. "Can you help me to the toilet? I am unsure if I can walk without dizziness as of yet."

"Of course, Rei-kun." He rushed over to the other side of the bed, the side closer to the washroom, and lowered the railing. He was glad that it was a private room, since they were discussing such sensitive information, and it also meant that they wouldn't have to walk around another bed to get to the toilet.

They walked slowly into the small room, Rei only lightly holding onto the third child's hand, and she took care of her business and returned to the bed. "Arigato, Shinji-kun. And oyasumi."

"Hai… oyasumi nasai." Shinji's thumb caressed her uninjured hand for a moment unconsciously then he smiled and walked out slowly, in case she called for him to wait. She had already fallen asleep when he looked back, so the pilot left quietly, closing the door to give her some privacy. With a mind swimming with unanswered questions, he wandered off.

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Rei found herself sitting behind Shinji in the entry plug of Unit 01. She watched as Unit 03, or rather the 13th angel strangled the third child's Eva. "Why are you not retaliating, Shinji-kun?" Rei asked with her soft, almost ethereal voice.

"I can't fight it! There's a human trapped in there! I can't fight one of my own, it's wrong!" Shinji cried, fighting through the pain of feeling his neck being constricted to speak. He began yelling at his father, who was ordering him to destroy the angel.

Rei looked to the side and saw her own defeated Eva lying motionless on the ground. She looked away, not wanting to remember that experience. Instead, her attention returned to the third child's struggle. "Shinji, you must fight to live."

"I won't fight! Even if I die, I can't kill a human! I won't! You can't make me!" The boy cried.

"Then we will all die. Why do you resist? You must destroy the one to protect the many. Why do you not understand this, Shinji-kun?" Rei asked. "Is one life so precious as to disregard all of humanity?"

"Ayanami… I'm sorry." Shinji whispered. Likely it was too soft for even the people in the control room to hear over the comm. system.

Rei's eyes widened in surprise. "Nani?" She could hear Commander Ikari stating that if Shinji wouldn't fight, he would make him fight. The first child frowned, becoming worried as Shinji's face began to turn purple from the strangulation. "I will protect you, Shinji-kun." Rei stated, climbing over the seat and grabbing the boy's hands, forcing him to fight. She could feel Shinji resisting, yelling at her to stop, but she wouldn't. She couldn't. She grabbed the 13th angel around the neck and threw it to the ground, then began to pummel it, ripping it to pieces. "I won't let you harm Shinji-kun! I will destroy you!" Rei yelled, feeling anger for the first time since months before when Shinji insulted the commander and received a slap for the offense.

"Stop it! Stop it! You can't do this!" Shinji cried, struggling to resist her.

But she did not stop. She was going berserk, consumed in an explosion of rage. The blood-like LCL covering Unit 01 from the angel only spurred her on. She felt like laughing maniacally, but instead her eyes widened in a mix of fury and joy as she tore the angel to shreds. She reached in and pulled out the entry plug, holding it in Unit 01's hand. She had to stop the angel, by any means necessary.

"No! Stop it! Stop it! You can't!" Shinji cried, resisting with all his strength, to no avail.

Rei squeezed down, crushing the entry plug, LCL and human blood squirting out from the shattered metal remains. She dropped it and settled back, finally calming down. She turned and saw tears falling down the third child's face, and the sight wrenched at her heart. "Gomen nasai, Shinji-kun. It had to be done." Rei explained quietly.

"You killed him… you heartless bitch, you killed him!" Shinji moaned. His eyes widened when he saw the broken and bloody body of his friend, Toji Suzuhara, extracted from the plug. "Oh Kami-sama… Toji?! You fucking killed Toji! How could you!? I wish you were dead! I wish I were dead!"

"Shinji-kun…" Rei said hesitantly, reaching out to lay a hand on his cheek, hoping it would comfort him. Instead, he reacted violently, striking her across the face so hard she felt her neck pop. She reached up to soothe the stinging in her cheek, tears welling up in her eyes. "I only did what I had to do to protect you."

"You're nothing but a soulless monster." The third child stated in a tone as cold as the grave. He left the entry plug and walked away without another word, leaving a sobbing and heartbroken Rei behind. Worst of all, she was afraid that he might be right.

Rei awoke and turned, grabbing the vomit tray just in time to empty her stomach into it, though water and stomach acid was basically all that had been inside it. She set the tray down and rested on her side, feeling tears trickle from her eyes. <I will have to tell him… that I am the basis for the dummy plug system. He will hate me, but I cannot lie to him. Never to him. Why does Shinji have to be so special?> Rei sighed and drifted back to sleep, this time a dreamless slumber.

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Shinji found himself in NERV when he bothered to notice where his feet had led him. Worse, he was standing before his father's office. He sighed and reluctantly knocked on the door. After several long moments, he heard his father's voice telling him to come in. "It's me, father. I um… came to tell you that Rei is through with the surgery and she is expected to make a nearly full recovery. The surgeon… um… said she might not regain full use of her hand, but it'll be close enough." He stared at his feet while he spoke. If he hadn't have heard his father's voice telling him to enter, he wouldn't have even known if he was talking to a person or not.

"Is that all?" Gendo asked after well over a minute of silence.

"…. Iie. I wanted… to ask you……………………… ……" He fell silent, but the commander didn't press or even acknowledge that he was listening, so Shinji finally had to finish his sentence. "I wanted to ask you if you knew how her hand was impaled."

"Aa. Is that all?" Commander Ikari asked, his tone cold and uncaring.

Shinji looked up finally and was agitated to see the callous expression on his father's face. "Don't you care?" His voice gained a slight edge of irritation.

"That is none of your concern. You are dismissed, Pilot Ikari." Gendo turned back to the computer he had been working on without awaiting a reply.

"I know that Rei is a clone. You gave her angel DNA and an S2 organ, didn't you?" Despite biting his tongue, the words had still spilled out.

"………………… Hai." Gendo laced his fingers together and regarded his son. <Rei told him that? She must care for him even more than I thought. This had better not become… problematic.>

Shinji paced nervously. It was evident where Rei had learned her mannerisms from as he saw how uncommunicative his father was. <Was he always this way? Or was it only… after mom died?> "Why?"

"It was necessary." The commander replied, volunteering no real information.

"But why?! Was there a purpose, or was it the only way to clone her?" Shinji demanded, advancing a step towards his father, despite the fear the man inspired in him.

"It is not necessary for you to have that information." Commander Ikari retorted.

Shinji's shoulders slumped in defeat. He hadn't really expected his father to tell him, but he had hoped. "Do you care for her? Is that why you brought her back?"

"…………….. That is a reasonable assumption. Is that all?" Gendo frowned behind his fingers.

Shinji turned slowly and regarded his father critically. "If you could bring Rei back, why couldn't you bring mom back? Why was she not cloned?"

Commander Ikari stared at his son for several minutes. He half-expected the boy to back off and leave, but he didn't budge. "There was nothing left of your mother to clone." It was a half-truth, but not even Rei knew the whole truth. He certainly wouldn't tell his son that he was falling in love with a girl that had been cloned from a combination of his own mother's DNA and Lilith's. "Now, is that all? I have work to do. And I believe you have a sync test in the morning."

The third child frowned. "Nani? No I don't. Asuka does."

"You will come in with the second child and you will both test at the same time. You are dismissed." Gendo turned back to his work.

Shinji sighed and left, knowing this time his father would not respond to any further questions. With questions still running rampant in his head, he returned to Major Katsuragi's apartment, figuring he would sleep on the couch since his room was destroyed. He walked in and called out that he was home and winced when he heard Asuka call out a welcome. He didn't hear Misato's voice though and a quick look into her room showed her passed out on her futon, empty beer cans strewn about carelessly. He sighed and walked past his room as he approached the couch and stopped suddenly. He backed up and looked into his room, finding it spotless. Not only that, but a futon was lying on the floor, complete with a pillow. He saw a few of his belongings glued or taped back together, but most of them were missing, likely beyond repair and thrown away. A stack of yen bills were lying on the floor as well. He scratched his head and realized it was all of Asuka's money, noticing a picture that she liked to draw on her yen notes on most of the bills, and likely some of it was from Misato to help him replace his damaged belongings. "Wow." Was all he could say.

He shook his head and decided he may as well sleep, since he was exhausted. He started to lie down when he noticed reddish brown hairs on the pillow. "This is… Asuka's futon!? Then… what is she sleeping on?" He sniffed at the futon and the unmistakable scent of the German girl wafted from it. It was a pleasant scent, a mix of cinnamon and apple blossoms. "Strange." <This is her way of apologizing… I should at least thank her.>

He walked over to the second child's door and knocked on it gently. After about 30 seconds he was about to turn away when he heard the girl tell him to enter. He cracked the door open and peeked in, seeing her sitting on the bare floor. "Asuka? I um… thank you, for my room."

"It was nothing. It was the least… uh… Misato-san made me." Unit 02's pilot was obviously lying, but it was to protect her pride so Shinji let it pass.

"Well… thanks anyway. Are you… you're not sleeping on the bare floor, are you?" Shinji frowned, noticing she didn't even have a pillow.

"What's it to you?" She demanded, edge returning to her voice.

Shinji shrugged. "Well, you could always sleep on the couch. It's likely more comfortable than the floor."

"And make it easier for you to molest me in my sleep? No thank you, hentai. Oyasumi." The girl stretched out, putting her hands behind her head.

The third child couldn't stop his eyes from roaming over her body. All she was wearing was an oversized t-shirt, and he could almost see her underwear, assuming she was wearing any. But it gave an excellent view of her shapely legs. He wrenched his eyes from her body when he noticed she was looking at him, and to avoid a cry of how perverted he was, he covered himself by making a lame comment about how it looked like she was uncomfortable and promising he wouldn't do anything if she changed her mind and slept on the couch. She grunted and didn't reply so he left with a goodnight and returned to his room. Lying on the futon was unnerving, because her scent surrounded him. He blushed in embarrassment when he realized he was getting aroused, so he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Later, he could have sworn someone was poking him in the ribs. He could feel a presence next to him, and thinking it was Misato wandering into his bedroom in her drunken haze again, he cracked his eyes open expecting to see the lovely purple haired woman unconscious next to him. Instead, he found Asuka's eyes fixed on his own. "Asuka!? What are you doing in my bed?"

"It's my bed." She corrected him. "I trust you to keep your hands to yourself, hentai. I can't sleep on the floor and the couch wasn't any better. You don't mind, I trust." It wasn't a question.

Shinji bit his lip nervously. The girl was practically draped over him, an arm across his chest and one of her legs hooked between his own. "Eh… iie. I don't mind." He nervously lifted his arm and rested it on the girl's warm back. He was expecting her to slap him and call him a pervert, but instead she snuggled a little closer and fell asleep immediately. The third child stared at the ceiling, confused. He glanced down, expecting to see a raging erection tenting the covers, but he was surprised to see that his member was dormant. <Thank goodness… that would have been all I needed to get my ass kicked.>

He didn't sleep very well, still finding himself nervous about the volatile German girl sleeping by him… on him, but he found himself forgiving her for her attack a few nights before, despite himself. His thoughts drifted to Rei, wondering how well the girl was sleeping, and she was the last thing on his mind as he fell into a deep slumber.

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Strange way to end a chapter? Heh. Don't worry, things between Asuka and Shinji aren't peachy keen yet, nor are they romantic, but the healing process is beginning. Things between Shinji and Rei, however, are likely going to get rockier for a while. Next chapter: More psychotherapy, and a visit to the cemetery. I look forward to reviews! Auf Wiedersehen, and Ja.