Chapter 1: A New Beginning

After looking out into the blooded sea, Shinji turned to a groaning Asuka, "What now?"

She sat up and turned to him, "Let's go."

"Where to?" he asked helping her up.

"Anywhere Baka, it's not like we have a choice."

He nodded as they walked out of the beach area.

Shinji had a digusted face as they wandered around the ruins. Ruined buildings, and even dead bodies.

"I wonder if there is any life out here still," Shinji said looking around.

"Hopefully, I don't want to be stuck out here forever with you."

He frowned and they continued to walk. They passed by a huge wrecked building and almost got crushed by a falling tree.

"Man, that was close!" Asuka yelled.

Shinji just brushed the dirt off of him as they continued.

The sun was setting so they tried to set upo camp.

"Baka! Get some more firewood it's freaking cold!" Asuka yelled making Shinji run for it getting the firewood.

When hje finally returned Asuka yelled at him again, "What took you so long!"

"Gomen nasai…" he said sitting down.

After moments of silence, Shinji looked up to Asuka. She was crying.

"What's wrong Asuka?"

"N-nothing Baka!" she yelled hiding her tear filled face from him.

"I can see that you're crying Asuka, please tell me whats wrong!"

"Why do you care?"

He put a smile on, "Well because I'm your friend. You know, friends always stick up for each other, and care for each other too."

"When did we ever become friends?"

"What? I find you as a friend, a fellow pilot classmate and roommate."

"I guesws," she said sniffling.

He walked over to her and sat next to her, "Come on, tell me whats wrong?"

She placed her head on his shoulder making him blush, "It's just that, I don't want to be alone…."

"You won't," he said stroking her hair, "Because I'm here, I'll keep you company till we make it back to Tokyo 3. We're almost there."

She smiled and he layed her on the floor to sleep. He did the same watching out for a while before drifting to sleep. The journey up ahead was going to take a while, but for now, it's all good.

During their sleep Shinji woke up to see Asuka tossing and turning.

She was mumbling names, her mother, her father, and herself. And the last name shocked him, "Shinji-kun," she seemed to say. He looked at her, she was sweating and tears were falling from her face, she kept on mumbling, "Don't leave me."

He walked up to her and lay next to her. She woke up, eyes red and wet, she looked at him, "Shinji?" he nodded and she hugged him.

"Asuka…"

"Shinji, you're not going to leave me right?"

"Of course not, I don't want to be lonely either you know."

She nodded and pulled him closer to her.

"It's so cold," she said shivering in his arms.

"Your tears probably made it colder for you," he said hugging her tighter.

They lay down for a while as she got warmer, and Shinji's face also got warmer to, he was blushing.

"Are you okay now?" he asked slipping away from her.

"Don't go…" she cried grabbing on to his hand.

"What?"

"I'm cold, and I don't want to be alone."

"But I'll just be right there."

"Stay," she said pulling his hand, "I don't want to have that dream again."

He looked at her, and he felt sorry, "Ok then," and he lay down next to her and kept her in an embrace.

He blushed as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in closer so that their bodies touched.

"What?" she said noticing his red face, "We're friends, and I want you to stay with me. We're friends, so this shouldn't be so uncomfortable."

'It's because we're friends its so uncomfortable,' he thought sighing and falling asleep.

This time Asuka had a good dream, it was of her and Shinji sitting on a hilltop in each others embrace watching the sunset and he was whispering to her the words she longed to hear.

The next mornig, Shinji tried to get up, but she still held onto him, "Not yet," she mumbled making their bodies touch again. Shinji sighed and smiled at her.

"If you want to go home, we should hurry."

She pouted and froiwned letting him go and they continued to walk.

This time she stayed closer to him not yelling as much as usual.

"What did happen in your dream Asuka?"

"It was horrible, I saw my mothers death again, and she was yelling at me, asking me to die with her, but I didn't want to die yet. Then you appeared, and I asked you for help. You reached out your hand, but a part of me told me not to take your hand. It hurt my heart, I was fighting myself, and I lost you. You disappeared, and I was alone again."

"That's really sad. I sometimes have dreams about my mother and father," he said looking at her as she cried. He frowned and reached for her hand.

"Don't cry, I promise as a best friends not to leave you alone."

"When did I reach the level of best friend?"

"Last night."

She smiled at him and ran ahead, "Come on, I think I see something!"

"Really?" he asked in excitement.

"Come on! Just because we're best friends doesn't mean I'll let you win anything, race you there!"

Shinji was glad to see her happy, and that they were almost home.

As they reached there, Asuka gloated on her win and they headed towards their apartment seeing people, so they thought, Misato must be alive.

They ran into the apartment and at once seeing their guardian they hugged her.

"I thought I would never see you two again!"

Asuka quickly got out of the hug, "What? Me the great Asuka Langely Sorhyu defeated, dead? Never!" and she gallantly walked to her room.

"Are you ok Shinji? Asuka sure hasn't changed."

"I'm fine,' and he quietly walked to his room.

"Wow, it's as if the third impact never happened."

Later that night, Asuka had that dream again and she went into Shinji's room. He blushed to see that she was wearing only bra and panties and he was only wearing boxing shorts. But when he saw her crying again, that thought went away as he comforted her.

A/N: I promise it would be longer I think, and maybe a bit more interesting.