A/N: Two chapters less than a week apart? What madness is this?

Shinji felt awkward. He sat next to Misato with Kaji and Asuka sitting across from them. He raised an eyebrow as Asuka clung to Kaji's arm. He looked at Misato out of the corner of his eye and saw an annoyed expression on her face. And yet Kaji still had a placid smile on his face.

"So Shinji is Misato still wild in bed?" Kaji asked, breaking the tense silence. Misato choked on her drink and Asuka blushed a deep red.

"I..I don't know what you mean. She can snore pretty loudly sometimes, and she refuses to pick up her trash. But that's about it." Shinji replied slowly doing his best to keep his voice steady.

"Shinji!" Misato blurted out as she turned to him. "I do not snore!"

Shinji couldn't help but snicker at Misato. She was always teasing him and he rarely got to be the one on the giving end. "You do snore a little bit." He yelled as Misato grabbed him in a headlock and started jamming her fist into his scalp.

Kaji's smiled faltered for a moment as he looked on at the two. "Well you two seem to be getting along well." He felt Asuka's arm tighten around his at his statement.

Misato finally let Shinji go and glared at Kaji. "Well of course we do. I am his guardian after all." She replied as if that explained everything. Shinji looked up and saw Asuka glaring at him as if he had done something wrong.

"Asuka. Why don't you go ahead and show Shinji around. His friends already are on a tour with one of the crew." Shinji fidgeted in his seat, while both Misato and Asuka frowned. With no reason to object Asuka let go of Kaji and huffed.

"Come on Third Child lets go get this over with." Asuka muttered angrily. Shinji turned to Misato and caught her eye. She did not look happy about the situation but nodded in acceptance. Doing his best not to look disappointed Shinji stood up as well and followed after the red head.

"And this is my glorious production type Evangelion Unit-02!" Asuka exclaimed as large mechanical arm pulled back the massive tarp covering the Eva. Shinji couldn't help but feel awestruck at the large machine. Even though he had seen Rei's and his own Eva numerous times the machines never ceased to amaze and terrify him.

"It's...very red." He said after he managed to compose himself. He stepped back as Asuka stomped over to him with an angry look on her face. "That's not the only thing that's different. Unit-02 is the ultimate in human technology. Unit-02 outpaces Units 00 and 01 in all parameters, my Eva in short is the best there is. And I'm the best pilot and you best remember that." By the end of her tirade Asuka stood there proudly with her hands on her hips.

Before Shinji could respond the ship began to shake violently almost knocking both of the teens over. "What was that?" Shinji asked. Suddenly alarms started blaring signaling an emergency. Without saying anything Asuka took off and Shinji quickly followed after her.

Misato ran as fast as she dared up the stairs to the command deck. Misato and Kaji had stayed behind at the mess hall after Asuka and Shinji left. Kaji tried to engage Misato in conversation but she did her best to pretend that he wasn't even there. Before long he left with a sigh leaving Misato blissfully alone.

Her peace was short lived, interrupted by the sound of the proximity alarms going off. Without wasting any time she hurried to the command deck to figure out what was going on. Slamming the bulkhead door open any question she had died in her throat as she looked out the viewport window.

A giant white fin jutted out of the water and blotted out the sight of the other naval vessels. "Where are Shinji and Asuka?" Misato finally asked, her brain quickly switching over to military mode.

One of the crew members turned to her. "The took one of the transports over to 'Freedom's Call' not that long ago. That is where the NERV package is being held." Misato nodded in reply.

"Get them on the horn, I want them..." She was once again interrupted as she saw a figure began to emerge from one of the smaller cruisers. A giant red figure cloaked in an enormous canvas stood upright, swaying with ship as it powered through the choppy water.

She quickly made her way to one of the consoles and keyed in Eva 02's comm frequency. "Asuka this is Misato, what is you status? Where is Shinji?" Her heart skipped several beats as she waited. Finally an audio only message popped up on the console.

"Misato, I am combat ready. The stupid Third is...Hey don't' touch me there!" Asuka shouted into the comm. The sounds of a scuffle and several yelps were all Misato heard for a short time. "The Third child is in Unit-02 with me. My combat effectiveness is down by 15% because of his thought noise."

The purple haired woman let out a breath she did not realize she was holding when she heard that Shinji was alright. "Unit-02 is only equipped with Type A armor. If you fall into the ocean you are done for. Make you way over to me so that we can get you hooked up to the carriers generator."

Asuka did not need to be told twice as the angel turned it's attention to the most obvious threat. The Eva jumped off of the cruiser just before the angel landed on top of it, crushing the ship underneath it's massive weight. Jumping from ship to ship the red Eva made it's way toward the 'Over the Rainbow.'

Landing on the large cruiser the Eva grabbed the umbilical cord that was laying on the flight deck and quickly attached it to it's back. The timer inside of the Eva stopped counting down as they switched to an external power source. With a thought from the pilot the Eva's shoulder pylon opened up revealing a progressive knife.

"What are we going to do?" Shinji asked as he scanned the water for the angel. After destroying the last ship the angel dove underwater. None of the ship's sensors were able to locate it despite it's massive size.

"We are going to kill it duh." Asuka responded. Before Shinji could reply the angel burst out of the water on the port side of the ship. Out of reflex Shinji willed the Eva to duck out of the way. Asuka made a strange gasping noise as the Eva moved without her command.

The red Eva hit the deck hard scattering the few jets that were still onboard, knocking them into the ocean. The angel soared over the ship and the Eva and crashed back into the sea. "Don't fucking do that again Third." Asuka said between gritted teeth.

"Sorry." Shinji replied as he felt the Eva standing back up. They didn't have to wait for the angel to attack again. This time it came at them from the front of the ship. The angel's massive weight crashed down on them trapping the Eva between it's and the flight deck.

Shinji could feel the ship tilt downwards as the angel snapped at them with it's massive jaws. Shinji and Asuka cried out in pain as the angel managed to bite down on them at the waist. The angel thrashed from side to side, dragging the Eva against the ship.

Shinji felt a dull pain in his head as the Eva's head smashed against something. Time seemed to stand still as he looked at the world through the Eva's eyes. Shinji stared at what remained of the command center. The Eva had smashed into the command tower of the ship destroying half of it and most of the command center. The world bleed away as he saw Misato slumped against one of the walls.

A primal scream escaped his lungs as the angel yanked them once again pulling the Eva away from the command center. All rational thought left his mind as he willed the Eva to move, completely taking control of it away from Asuka. He couldn't even hear what she was saying as he forced the Eva to his bidding.

The giant red machine writhed and jerked as it grabbed at the Angle's teeth, trying to find purchase to wrench them open. After a moment the Eva finally found the grip it was looking for, and with an inhuman screech began to pull the angel's jaws apart.

Rolling off into the sea the angel dragged Eva unit with it. Shinji was still screaming as he forced the Eva to yank the angel's mouth open. Asuka was still yelling at Shinji but was slightly relieved to see that they had gotten free. "What the hell are you doing?!" She sccreamed as he did not use this chance to get away but go deeper into the angel's mouth.

Shinji ignored her as he saw his goal ahead. The large red orb that was the angel's life force sat at the back of it's throat. Eva unit 02 crawled along the fleshy surface of the angel's mouth getting closer and closer to the glowing orb. Shinji willed the Eva's AT field to max, to cancel out the protective barrier surrounding the core.

"Are you crazy! We are going to die in here!" Asuka shrieked as she turned around in the control seat to look at Shinji. Her anger waned when she saw the look on his face. The pure determination and anger frightened her.

No longer trying to fight him she did her best to will the Eva to do what Shinji wanted. They could both feel the vibration of the angelic beast as it screamed. The Eva had reached it's destination.

Reaching out the Eva grasped the core in both hands and began to squeeze. Asuka could feel the beast as it thrashed about under the sea. She watched on in fascination as the Eva's fingers began to sink into the core. Bit by bit the core began to crack under the pressure of the Eva's grip.

Shinji let out one last yell as the core finally gave way and collapsed into itself. He slumped forward onto Asuka, completely spent. Asuka was confused as to what was happening, once the core was destroyed it seemed like the angel was slowly dissolving around them.

"Shinji! Asuka! Are you two okay?" A sound only comm linked popped up on the display. The sound of Misato's voice made Shinji snap back up.

"Misato!" Shinji called out relieved that she was okay. Before he could say anything further Asuka elbowed him in the side, knocking the wind out of him.

"Misato, the Third Child and myself are fine. We destroyed the angle, but not before it could wreck most of the battle group. The umbilical cable is still attached do you think you can real us in." Asuka's voice was flat and unemotional.

There was a pause before Misato replied. "Once we get the command deck operational we will reel you in. It should only be a few more minutes. I'm glad you two are safe."

Shinji wanted to ask her if she was okay as well, but the channel closed before he could ask. The two teens sat in silence as what was left of the angel slowly dissolved into the vast ocean. "Don't ever do that again." Asuka said, finally breaking the silence.

"I'm sorry." Shinji replied, knowing full well what she was talking about. He felt the redhead stiffen in front of him at his reply.

"Do you have any idea how humiliating this is? This is my Eva and this was supposed to be my victory but you stole it from me!" Asuka turned her body around so that she could face Shinji.

"I will just tell Misato and the others it was all your doing. The Eva wouldn't have moved if you weren't piloting it."

He did not have the chance to react as Asuka's hand shot out and smacked him across the face. "I don't need your sympathy Third." She bit out as she glared at him. "We will tell them exactly what happened. I will show you next time that I am the best."

Shinji rubbed his check where she had smacked him. He wanted to say more but thought better of it. He had no idea what to do or say. Leaning his head back he stared at the endless ocean before him, and sighed.

After a few repairs, the 'Over the Rainbow' was able to finish it's journey to Japan with relatively few issues. After the Eva was pulled back on board Asuka ejected the plug and told him to get out. Not wanting to argue with her he quickly jumped out. She still hadn't spoken a word to him since.

"I don't know about Kensuke but I am never going on a trip with you ever again." Touji laughed loudly as he slapped Shinji on the back. Kensuke was grinning like a fool next to him. "If that is what happens when Shinji goes on a trip then I want to go every time, that was amazing." Shinji couldn't help but smile at the pair's antics.

They four teens stood around the dock waiting for Misato to finish talking with the captain. Touji and Kensuke were talking excitedly with each other about what had happened on the ship. Shinji did his best to follow along with the conversation but his thoughts were on his guardian. He had not had the chance to see her since the fight with the angel.

Shinji turned around when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. Misato was walking down the gantry followed by Ritsuko. He was excited to see Misato but confused as to how Ritsuko got there. "Alright everyone! Ready to head home?" Misato asked in her trademark cheery tone.

He wanted to run up to her and crush her in a hug, he was relieved to see that she was okay. Misato grinned at him but grimaced as she tried to wave at him with her arm that was in a sling. "It really looks worse then it is. Just a sprain, I'm pretty lucky actually."

Misato walked up next to Shinji and slid her arm around his back, grabbing him at the waist with her free hand. She pulled him close in a small sideways hug. "Good job out there Shinji, you and Asuka make a really great team."

Shinji smiled at the praise but he saw Asuka glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. Unsure of what to say he decided to just remain silent. He would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed when Misato let him go.

"Where is Kaji?" Asuka asked, breaking her icy silence. Misato bulked at the question and annoyed expression crossed her face.

"That jerk took off on a jet as soon as the angel showed up. Coward." Misato spat out the last word.

"Kaji would never leave me! He wouldn't miss my first battle." Asuka shouted at Misato as if she was lying.

"I assure you he left. He told me to bring you back to NERV HQ. Ritsuko came by to oversee the transportation of Eva Unit-02 from the ship to NERV. I'm sure she will be able to give you a lift." Misato replied with a fake smile on her face. It seemed like she wanted nothing to do with Asuka at that moment.

Asuka huffed and stomped away. Misato let out a sigh as she turned to look at Ritsuko. The blonde woman shrugged her shoulders. "I will make sure she gets back to HQ. Go home and get some rest."

Shinji finished drying off the dishes and placed the last plate on the drying rack. The trip home had been longer than he anticipated. Dropping off Touji and Kensuke was a whole ordeal that Shinji was not prepared for. Touji and Kensuke just kept talking and Shinji did not want to interrupt them to say goodbye. He was thankfully saved by Misato who ran out of patience and yanked him back into the car and took off.

Shinji had made dinner for the both of them and they ate in relative quiet. Shinji frowned as Misato kept grabbing beer after beer from the fridge. He knew that she liked to drink but this was even more then usual. By the time he had finished the dishes Misato was sprawled across the table half asleep.

"Come on Misato, I think you should head to bed. You look exhausted." Shinji said as he touched her on the shoulder.

"I don wanna." Was her slurred reply. She turned her head to face him and a sly drunken grin crossed her face. "You are pretty cute Shinji, how come you don haf a girlfriend yet?" She jerked upright as if shocked. "You, you, you aren't playing for the other team are you?"

"Wha? Misato I'm not gay!" Shinji blurted out as he realized what she was talking about. A look of relief crossed her face as she stood up on wobbly legs. Shinji moved to help her by slinging her arm around his shoulder for support.

"Tha would be a washte for women everywhere." She hiccuped as she finished. Shinji could feel himself flush but remained silent. He did his best but they bumped into several pieces of furniture on their way to her room.

Kicking her door open with his foot he guided Misato to her bed and laid her down. Misato groaned out loud as she rolled over onto her back with her face turned to Shinji. "You are to good to me." She said while holding onto his hand.

Shinji was confused by her sudden change in demeanor. The light was dim in her room but he could see tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "I don't deserve someone as good as you in my life."

Shinji gripped her hand tightly. "That's not true Misato. You have done so much for me. I'm happy to be here with you."

The older woman smiled sadly as she brushed the tears from her eyes with her free hand. After a moment she surprised Shinji by pulling him closer so that he was hovering over her. Grabbing him by the waist with her now free hand she rolled over pulling him with her so that he was laying next to her.

Shinji could feel his heart hammering in his chest as Misato stared deeply into his eyes. "I don't want to be alone tonight." Shinji nodded dumbly not sure how to respond. She pulled him closer so that their faces were only inches apart. "Don't ever leave me Shinji."

All thought left his brain as she closed the distance between them. He thought his heart was going to burst as he felt her warm lips brush across his forehead. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close to him. He could feel tears starting to flow down his own eyes as well now. "I won't I promise." And for the first time in his life he felt truly happy.

A/N: I know I keep ending chapters like this but I promise to actually have something come of them sleeping together in the next chapter.