Chapter 2

Neither of them knew how long it was before they broke away from each other, but finally, Asuka managed to pull her lips away from Shinji's, and lay back on the bed, overcome by her body's incessant complaining.

"Asuka...are you alright...?" Shinji looked concerned.

Genuinely concerned...it would have put a smile on Asuka's face, if not for the condition she spoke of next. "I'm...really thirsty..."

"Ah...sorry...oh, right...here..." Shinji grabbed a tray he had left beside the bed, and placed it in front of Asuka. "I thought you'd be hungry, so, I brought you this..."

Asuka simply nodded, and took the glass of water from the tray, sipping at it for a few seconds. She set the glass down, and gave a weak "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm sorry...I guess I didn't think of the effects of crying so much..."

"Hai..." Asuka took another sip of water, then examined the tray. It also had a simple bowl of ramen on it, and a small vase with a single lily in it. She reached one hand out, brushing it against the lily gently. "What's the flower for...?"

Shinji smiled sheepishly. "Well, you always put a flower on a tray like this, right? I...I dunno, I thought you'd like it..."

Asuka smiled, and leaned up to kiss Shinji's cheek gently. "I do."

"Oh..." Shinji blushed slightly. "Well, I'm glad then."

Asuka nodded, and then took a small bite of the ramen. "Mmm...this..."

She blinked. It wasn't just good...it was amazing. She continued eating slowly, savoring it. "This...is really good, Shinji...what is it?"

"Hm? That's the same kind of ramen I always make."

"Oh...you're sure?"

"Hai. I'm very sure."

"Huh..." If the ramen hadn't changed, then...

"Asuka?"

"Hai?"

"You're...staring at me..." Shinji blushed slightly more. "Is something wrong...?"

Asuka smiled and shook her head. "No...nothing's wrong."

She turned back to the ramen, but her smile rapidly faded. After a few seconds, she felt a gentle pressure on her shoulder, and looked to see Shinji's hand resting on it. "...I guess...I shouldn't say nothing is wrong..."

Shinji nodded slightly.

"...I hate this room..." Asuka's expression became somewhat angry. "No...I hate all stupid hospital rooms..."

"Why is that?" Shinji asked quietly.

"...Because...my mother was hospitalized, after my father died...it was...in a room just like this..."

"Oh...I see." Shinji tried to curtail any further discussion, but Asuka continued regardless.

"I came to visit her...I don't know how many times...I tried to make her be my mother again...in a room like this..." Asuka sighed deeply, staring off into space. "...And she hung herself...in a room like this..."

"...Asuka..." Shinji squeezed her shoulder gently, not sure what he could possibly say.

"...I'm sorry. You don't want to hear about this-"

Shinji cut her off. "No, Asuka...I do...I want to hear about this...I want to help...I just..."

He looked down dejectedly. "...I don't know how I can..."

Asuka turned back to look at Shinji. "...You could hold me again..."

Shinji looked up, and then nodded. "Hai..."

He shifted his chair closer to the bed, and put both arms around her shoulders gently. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder and sniffling. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome..." Shinji brushed a strand of hair aside and kissed her forehead delicately.

"...Shinji...do that again..."

"This?" He gave another delicate kiss.

"No...with my hair..."

"Oh..." Shinji tried to understand what she meant. There was no more hair in her face. He ran a hand through her hair gently just above her right ear. "Like this?"

"Hai...like that..."

"Okay..." Shinji continued gently stroking her hair, gradually moving from the right side around towards the back.

"Mm..." Asuka snuggled deeper into Shinji's arms, careful not to upset the tray. "Hai...exactly like that...thank you..."

"You're welcome..."

They were both silent for a while. Shinji was more than content simply being like this with Asuka...until his brain's pesky reminders of a certain other time in this hospital. He removed his hand, looking at it curiously.

"Why'd you stop...?" Asuka asked distantly.

"...Asuka...I..."

"You what...?"

Shinji groaned inwardly. It was a difficult fight, to keep himself from just falling back on being an apologetic wimp... "Asuka...when you were injured...I..."

He hesitated again. But he had to tell Asuka this...she deserved to hear it. He couldn't hide things just because he liked being intimate with her. "...I accidentally...or maybe...intentionally...well, one way or another...I...masturbated..."

They were both silent for a second. Asuka opened her eyes and pulled her head away from Shinji's chest, looking at him neutrally. "I know."

Shinji tried to say something, but words wouldn't come to him. He couldn't keep on saying 'I'm sorry' over and over. But what else was there to say?

"...I don't blame you for it, Shinji."

Shinji's eyes widened. "Y-you don't?"

"No." Asuka smiled weakly. "I...would be kind of insulted...if you didn't find me attractive like that..."

Asuka's smile rapidly faded, and she looked down. "...I'm...still angry at you about it...and about leaving me alone to fight those other Evas...and about being better than me...and about constantly being an apologetic idiot...and...a lot of things..."

"But..." Asuka looked back up, her face filled with sincerity. "You must be angry me too, right? I've been...more or less a bitch..."

"...Hai...more or less..."

Asuka sighed slightly. "Both of us...all of us...maybe all of humanity...we've been trapped in horrible situations, ever since the Second Impact..."

Shinji nodded. That was most definitely true.

"Ne, Shinji...I'm sorry."

Shinji blinked. Had Asuka, of all people, just apologized to him? "For what...?"

Asuka's face really did seem apologetic. Shinji reminded himself to be careful what he said; she might be on the verge of tears again... "I was selfish...for the whole time we've known each other...I thought only of myself. I complained about you being better than me...when it was just my own pride making me make mistakes...and...I never once thought about how you must feel. After all...we both lost our mothers...you must have gone through much the same thing as me...even if your father was alive...he's...kind of a jerk..."

"...Hai, he is...but...I didn't quite lose my mother, either..."

Shinji quietly explained what he had learned about Unit 01, and the person who dwelled within. Or, maybe she simply was Unit 01...regardless, Asuka listened quietly, only once interrupting Shinji to ask for another glass of water, which he provided.

"...So you mean Unit 02...was my mother, as well?"

Shinji shrugged. "I'm not certain...but probably."

Asuka stared off into space, assimilating that fact. Did that mean her mother had actually cared, a little bit...? Or had the creators of the Evangelions simply used her soul for their own purposes? Or maybe that was the reason for what had happened to Asuka...if they wanted a soul for an Eva, and had been willing to sacrifice one little girl's happiness for it...

Shinji looked on, wondering what she was thinking, but just before he finally decided to speak up, a female doctor entered. She looked rather worn out, which was no surprise to Shinji, as he had seen most of the under-staffed, half-destroyed facility on his way here. In truth, they were lucky the medical facilities had survived. More than half of Tokyo-3 had been damaged or destroyed, due in large part to the death of the titanic Rei-like thing earlier.

After checking Asuka's vital signs, the doctor gave a somewhat weak but sincere-looking smile and said she was free to go, giving directions to where the emergency habitation had been set up for people who were now left homeless, then returned to dealing with her other more seriously injured patients.

As they rode the elevator up to their level, Asuka leaned her head on Shinji's shoulder, her expression blank. Or more accurately, Shinji guessed, it was a mixture of positive and negative. He decided not to comment on it, opting just to take one of her hands in his and squeeze it reassuringly.

It seemed as though their apartment was right on the edge of the area of devastation. Something had plowed through the buildings, the gap ending a few yards to the left of the door. Looking down, Shinji saw that it was one of the Rei-thing's arms. He noted that it had fallen with its hand outstretched, just sort of the row of apartments where Rei lived.

"I'm h-" Shinji began to say, opening the door and flipping the light switch. He was cut short, however, when he noticed that the destruction had decided to just nick the edge of their apartment. There was little internal damage, but the wall on that side was totally gone. "...-ome..."

Asuka released Shinji, and slowly walked over towards the edge. She peered down. "I never realized exactly how high up we were..."

Shinji walked over next to her, glancing down. He had to resist the urge to scramble back as a wave of vertigo swept over him. It was like he was back in Eva's cockpit, with such an elevated view of the landscape...but without the secure feeling of having hundreds of tons of metal holding him up. "A-ah...hai..."

Asuka seemed nonplussed by the danger, but Shinji backed away from the edge after another moment. He looked around the apartment, and began cleaning up some kitchen utensils which had been knocked around. "Well...it looks like everything else is fine, at least..."

Asuka didn't respond. Shinji paused his cleaning, turning to face her. "Asuka?"

She was already passing through the door back to her bedroom. "I'm going to rest for a while."

She probably wanted to think over what Shinji had said about Unit 02 alone...Shinji nodded. "Hai."

Asuka entered her room and closed the door. Shinji stared at it for a few moments, then resumed his cleaning.

By the time Shinji had cleaned the whole apartment (save Asuka's room), the sun had already nearly set, with the last few hints of light rapidly fleeing over the western horizon. He yawned, not realizing how tired he was. He had already taken a break to eat during the cleaning, so he decided he might as well turn in. After sniffing his own armpit, he added an addendum about taking a shower first as well.

The toilet flushed, followed shortly thereafter by the brief sound of running water. Shinji emerged from the bathroom, but stood in the hallway a moment, wondering whether he should see how Asuka was doing. However, now that they had admitted their feelings for each other...if she needed him, she would probably just tell him so. Shinji yawned again, and returned to his room, settling in for the night.

A moment later, however, he heard the faint sound of a door sliding open, and then footsteps, and another door opening and closing. He listened in silence, wondering what Asuka was doing. He was answered a moment later by the sound of running water. Asuka was in the shower...

Shinji shook his head, suppressing those thoughts. It was improper, and Asuka had said she was mad at him for that...she had just been kind enough to forgive him for it, somehow...

Shinji realized he had drifted off into thoughts about what Asuka felt about him when his door opened. He looked up, and saw Asuka, dressed only in her underwear and a thin shirt, a pillow tucked under one arm.

"A-Asuka!?" Shinji sat up in bed, his face going red, though it was barely detectable in the darkness. "What-"

"My room is missing a wall." She made the statement perfectly matter-of-factly, stripping herself of the shirt and walking over to his bed.

"O-oh...um..." Shinji prayed silently that the blanket and darkness were obscuring the bulge rapidly growing in his pants. This was hardly helping after hearing-

Asuka set her pillow next to Shinji's, and grabbed the edge of the blanket. "Move over."

Shinji complied immediately. Asuka slipped into the bed beside him, pulling the blanket around herself (though leaving enough for Shinji to be covered as well) and shifting right up next to him, her nearly-exposed chest mere millimeters from Shinji's elbow. She closed her eyes. "Oyasumi."

"U-um...oyasumi..." Shinji forced himself to look up at the ceiling.

Shinji's mind was locked in an intense battle for a number of minutes, his hormones and his concept of social norms (even if it was a bit stunted, it was a scrappy fighter) struggling to see which would win out. Ultimately, however, both were bested by tiredness, and Shinji's eyes drifted shut.

"...Shinji...?"

Shinji slowly opened his eyes. It was still dark. Had he fallen asleep? He didn't think so... Shinji turned to face the source of the voice. "Ha-"

His mouth froze. Asuka's face was inches from his...the faint illumination of the moonlight...the warmth of her breath...it was a few seconds before Shinji was able to refocus his mind past those sensations. "Hai, Asuka...?"

Asuka's voice was soft when she spoke. Shinji wouldn't have believed it was hers, if she had spoken like this before today's admission...it was so different from her usual tones. "You're...still a virgin, aren't you...?"

Shinji's face shot bright red. How could she ask that? He angrily told his lower body to be quiet, not that it would comply. He stammered: "U-um...well...there are...different definitions...since...I have masturbated, after all, you could say-"

Asuka cut him off by placing a finger gently over his lips. "I mean...have you ever...been inside a woman?"

Shinji would have blushed more if he could. "...U-um...well...there is...homo-"

Asuka stared at him intently. Her face wasn't angry, exactly...but it gave a very definite message. 'Shut up and answer the question.'

Shinji continued quietly. "...No...I have not..."

Even at this distance, Shinji only barely saw a change in Asuka's face. Her voice became less soft, and simply matter-of-fact again. "You're very horny for a virgin, aren't you?"

Shinji grimaced. So she had noticed...not that it could really be missed. "Asuka, listen-"

She placed the finger on his lips again. With her other hand, she silently moved Shinji's hand to her stomach. Slowly, she pushed it down, until it reached her undergarments. Time seemed to crawl as she pushed the hand still further, beneath them. All the while, she was completely silent.

Shinji gasped. This was Asuka's...and...it was so wet...but if it was wet, that meant... "...Asuka-"

Asuka cut him off yet again, but this time with a kiss. Shinji's eyelids flickered. He had never felt a kiss like this...so passionate, and so intense...

Finally, the battle in Shinji's mind ended in a conclusive victory, and he grasped Asuka with his other arm, rolling her onto her back and bringing himself on top of her. His tongue lanced into her mouth, being met immediately by hers, and they intertwined. Shinji pressed his lips and his body against Asuka, his tongue moving entirely of it's own volition, though being matched almost perfectly by Asuka's.

Her hands slipped around to his back, and he lowered one of his to her chest. Within seconds their clothing was scattered across the room, the blanket shoved aside. Everything was forgotten save for their two bodies, each entirely exposed to the other. Shinji broke off from the kiss, catching his breath, and took in Asuka's appearance.

She was exquisite. Her face flushed, hair splayed around her head and mouth hanging open, panting lightly and still covered with saliva. Her neck flowed so gracefully downwards, the curve passing seamlessly to her shoulders and then up her arms and around Shinji. She was thin, but in an elegant, lithe sort of way, not like some anorexic model. Her hips, shifting slightly at the touch of the hand Shinji still had not moved, were incredibly seductive just by their appearance, tapering off to such a perfect pair of legs, which trailed off behind him...

And that was to say nothing of her obvious features, of course. Shinji was utterly transfixed...his eyes kept roving up and down, taking her in. All of Asuka was exposed to him, willingly, unquestioningly. He could have stayed like this for hours.

Asuka, her face growing more flushed as Shinji observed her, was far more focused in her own observation of him. Though her eyes had flitted over his shoulders and chest (which were more muscular than she had expected, though not terribly impressive), they had settled rather securely on his most prominent feature. Asuka couldn't help but be impressed. Although, granted, she had never actually seen one directly before...Asuka's previous sexual desires, primarily focused on Kaji, had been out of a desire for companionship, rather than physical pleasure; thus, she had not sought out pornography in any form.

Shinji gasped slightly, and looked down. Asuka had extended one of her arms without realizing it, but seeing nothing else to do at this point, she began rubbing gently. Shinji's eyes closed and he gasped again. He had felt these sensations before, except...Asuka's hands were so soft...so tender...

He reciprocated Asuka's action, putting his other hand to use as well on the right side of her chest. Asuka's head leaned back slightly, and she let out a low moan.

"Shin...ji..." Her voice would have been incredibly seductive, were Shinji not all ready effectively seduced. "It...feels good..."

"Hai..." Shinji leaned closer to her. "It does...for me, too..."

They kissed once again, their tongues engaging in what was almost a dance. A lack of oxygen eventually drove them apart, and they looked into each other's eyes, panting. Shinji pulled back slightly, seeming to be considering something.

"Is...something wrong, Shinji...?"

"Well...I was just thinking...this one looks lonely..." Shinji leaned down and kissed Asuka's chest, directly on the remaining exposed pink area. "Gomen."

Asuka moaned more deeply, blushing further. "Shinji...that's...really good..."

Shinji smiled. "Good..."

He continued planting kisses, before moving on to licking directly. After all, it made normal mouth kissing better, right? Asuka confirmed this, her whole body shivering slightly and intensifying her own actions. Shinji responded by pushing one finger inside her. It was tantalizing...wet, soft, and warm, of course...but moreover, it was that part of him was actually inside her. Inside...of Asuka's body...

Without quite consciously willing it, Shinji's finger accelerated rapidly. Asuka leaned her head back further, gasping slightly as he did so. She brought her gaze back to Shinji, her eyes slightly glazed over in pleasure, and said breathily: "Shinji...take me..."

Shinji blinked, easing off his actions as he thought. "Take you where...?"

Asuka stared up at Shinji incredulously, then sighed. "Baka...it means..."

She leaned up, whispering sensually into his ear. "Take my naked body...into your arms...and make wild...passionate love to me..."

Shinji blushed, even under the circumstances. "O-oh..."

Asuka pulled her head back, looking into Shinji's eyes. "Also...please..."

"...Be gentle...it's...my first time too..." She looked somewhat ashamed to say it.

Shinji blinked again, and then nodded. "Hai...I will..."

Asuka nodded, though she still looked rather anxious. Shinji leaned over her again, pressing gently against her. She tensed slightly, but then forced herself to relax, though Shinji wrapping his arms around her helped as well. She returned the gesture and kissed Shinji gently. "Ne, Shinji...I love you..."

Shinji smiled softly. "I love you as well...Asuka..."

He kissed her gently in return. "Are you ready...?"

Asuka took a deep breath. "...Hai."

"Then...here I go..."

And with that, Shinji entered.

His eyes rolled back slightly, a slight moan escaping his lips, all sense of manliness cast aside for the moment. It was absolute ecstasy, even with only a portion of their anatomies in contact...this warmth...this wetness...this pressure...the feel of Asuka's body around him...it was the most intense sensation he'd ever felt. Even the wet sound and sensation of her barrier breaking was good...perhaps even more so.

His good feelings diminished, however, as he noted Asuka's simultaneous reaction. She winced, her eyes narrowed in obvious pain, and despite her best efforts she gave a severe groan.

"Asuka..." Shinji wasn't quite sure what to say. "Sorry...was I too rough...?"

Asuka looked back, attempting to push the pain back from her eyes, and shook her head. "No...it's...not too bad...it was just...not what I expected..."

"Ah...okay..." Shinji kissed her gently. "Should I wait for a bit...?"

"Hai...just for a bit..."

"Okay..."

They sat in silence for a few seconds, continuing to exchange light kisses. Asuka squirmed slightly, then spoke. "Alright...you can move again..."

"Alright..." Shinji kissed her again, more tenderly, and began to move slowly. He had to resist the urge to moan again. Given how good being stationary was, moving was absolute bliss.

Asuka, however, was not feeling nearly as good. Even as incredible as the sensation was, each motion also sent a jolt of pain through her. After a moment, Shinji took notice of this. "Asuka...does it hurt...?"

Asuka smiled weakly. "It's...not too bad..."

Shinji looked into her eyes. "Asuka...you don't need to lie to me..."

"...Hai...sorry...but...you can keep going, anyway...there's no sense in you not enjoying our first time, at least..."

"Asuka..." Shinji was (mostly) silent for a moment, considering this.

His eyes brightened slightly, and he shifted his hands, putting them back to work on her chest. Asuka moaned slightly, her face becoming considerably less pained.

Shinji smiled, and kissed her softly. "Is that better?"

Asuka smiled in return. "Hai...thank you, Shinji..."

"You're welcome..." Shinji kissed her again.

"Mm...Shinji...you don't...have to be completely gentle, you know..."

"...Hai." Shinji's speed began to increase, pushing himself in deeper with each motion as well.

Asuka's hands tightly clutched the bedsheets, her head leaning back as progressively more sensual moans emerged from her throat. These merely provoked Shinji further, their pleasures both building in a cycle. Shinji leaned down, planting kisses on Asuka's now exposed throat. Her whole body shivered slightly, and her hands tightened even more.

"Shin...ji..." Asuka was barely able to slip out words between moans. "I'm...going to...!"

Shinji responded by moving his hands to Asuka's hips, and intensifying his actions to their maximum. Finally, he could contain himself no longer, and his motions ground to a halt as he released, gasping.

Asuka moaned loudly, her back arching and her whole body shuddering as she hit her peak as well. After several prolonged moments, Asuka slumped down onto the bed, panting heavily and completely drained of strength. Shinji was in little better condition, though he did muster the energy to pull himself out before slumping down, half of his body sprawled on top of Asuka.

They lay like that for a while, before Shinji carefully pushed himself up and then lay next to Asuka. "Sorry...fell...on you..."

Asuka shook her head, smiling. "No...that's fine..."

She snuggled up to him, wrapping her arms around him, and kissed him gently. "Shinji...you're...incredible..."

Shinji returned both the embrace and the kiss. "Hai...so are you..."

"Mm..." Asuka leaned her head against Shinji's chest, yawning slightly. "Pretty sleepy, though..."

"Ah...me too..." Shinji fumbled around a bit with the blanket, managing to pull it snugly around both of them, then gently wrapped his arms around Asuka again.

Asuka sighed contentedly, and allowed herself to relax fully into Shinji's arms. "Shinji...thank you, so much...for loving me...and...for this..."

"You're welcome..." Shinji kissed her forehead gently. "And, thank you, Asuka...for loving me back...and for this, as well..."

"You're welcome..." Asuka closed her eyes, yawning again. "Good night, Shinji..."

"Good night, Asuka..."

And for the first time in longer than either of them cared to think about, they both got a good night's sleep.

Author's Notes:

Well, glad to see people liked Chapter 1, and quite a bit too, apparently...I'm glad I'm doing such a good job. o.o

I'll try to get these up on a weekly/bi-weekly basis, at least for the first couple chapters. So far I think there will be at least five.

And thanks for reading!