"Huh!" Shinji woke up in a sweat. That dream again, he thought. The same
dream every night… Dare he go back to sleep?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shinji looked around in class. That's strange, Asuka isn't already here
yelling at Touji and Kensuke. Her seat was empty. Shinji turned to face
his own notebook and turned it on absent-mindedly.
"…Look Shinji! Asuka came in the class totally naked!" Touji yelled suddenly.
Shinji snapped to attention.
"What?!"
Touji smiled triumphantly at Kensuke. "See, I told you that would get his
attention!" Kensuke looked worried.
"We've been trying to talk to you for five minutes now, Shinji," Kensuke
said pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. "Is something wrong?"
Shinji shook his head. "It's nothing, I'm just … distracted for a while,
that's all."
"Is the Red Haired Devil giving you problems at home?" Touji asked. He
then rolled up his sleeve and showed off his biceps. "Just tell me, and
I'll handle it!"
"Well…" Shinji beckoned them to come closer. He then whispered something
in their ears.
"WHAT?!! You can't be serious! It's Asuka we're talking about now!" Touji
exclaimed. "You really…"
"Who's been talking about me?" Asuka demanded, storming into class. Touji
and Kensuke mumbled "Nothing" before quickly scattering to the four winds,
realizing that she was in an *extremely* bad mood today.
Shinji could only pale a little in her presence as her fiery stare bore
into him. Luckily, the sensei coming in just at that moment; saving Shinji
from further wrath. Shinji heaved a sigh of relief.
Now, if only it was that easy to forget the thought that has been troubling
his mind…
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Ding-Dong!
"Shinji, would you get the door please?" Misato yelled from the bathroom.
"Hai," Shinji replied, pushing his chair back and getting up.
"What are you staring at?" Asuka said as soon as she entered. "Oh, I forgot.
No one can resist the charm of the great Asuka Sohryu Langley."
"Welcome home," Shinji greeted."Did you forget your keys?" But Asuka was
already in her room. Shinji sighed and went back to the table to do his
homework.
"Was that Asuka?" Misato asked, toweling her hair dry.
"Hai."
"She seems to be in an awful bad mood lately. Any idea what's troubling
her?" Misato asked, opening the fridge to pop open a can of Yebisu.
Shinji shrugged his shoulders. No idea at all…
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It was already one a.m. in the morning. Asuka stared at her bed, as if
challenging it. I can't possibly be afraid of a few dreams, she reasoned.
I am the great Asuka Sohryu Langley. I'm not afraid of a bed! She silently
screamed. Yet, she made no move to go nearer.
Asuka sighed. Hot cocoa! She reasoned. Hot cocoa always made her feel better
about anything! Not bothering to cover herself in her thin nightgown, she
went out to the kitchen, rummaging the cupboards for some chocolate and
milk.
Having found it, she began her therapeutic ritual of making her secret
favourite drink, thinking only of the sweet, comforting taste to drive
away her fear.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shinji awoke with a start. The dream again, he thought instantly. But when
he thought about it, he realized that a sound in the kitchen has woke him
up, not the dream.
Moving silently from the bed, he pushed the door open and peeked around.
He saw Asuka in a very (gulp)-revealing revealing nightgown, moving about
the kitchen making a drink.
Shinji just stood behind his door, undecided whether to approach her or
not. She'll probably just scream at me again, he thought. But that dream…!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Asuka felt a tingling sensation at the back of her neck as she sat down
with her cup of chocolate. She realized Shinji was watching her from a
crack in the doorway, watching her for quite some time now. Sighing mentally,
she thought, might as well get over it.
"Shinji?" she called softly. "I know you're there."
Shinji froze, he could have died of a heart attack had he a weak heart.
"Come out," Asuka coaxed, still in a very soft voice.
Taking a deep breath, Shinji slid the door open and took a step outside.
He could not decide if Asuka was going to start yelling at him or not.
They'll only upset Misato more, if she did.
"I'm not going to yell at you, tonight."
Shinji did a double take. Did she just read his mind?!
Asuka laughed softly. "Be a man and sit with me at the table," she said.
"Or are you too chicken to even do that?" she added, with a slight twist
in her voice.
Shinji knew she was merely teasing him, but in a completely different way.
Still, he felt his pride prick, and strode up to her in his most confident
walk, which is exactly the opposite of what he was feeling right now.
He took a chair opposite to her, looking at her for a moment before studying
the pattern of the grains on the table.
Asuka merely watched him from behind her steaming cup.
They sat that way for a long time. At least, it felt that way to Shinji.
"Asuka,"
"Shinji," They said simultaneously. More of that synchronization, he thought.
"You first," Asuka said.
"I… I've been having weird dreams lately," Shinji stammered. He took another
deep breath before going on. "I dreamt that … you…you…"
Asuka stared at him directly in his eyes. "I've dreamt the same thing about
you," she said simply.
"You… you did?" Shinji looked up to meet her gaze.
"Yes. And I can't get it of out my mind." She chuckled bitterly. "I'm even
afraid of the bed now. Why do you think I'm up at such and ungodly hour?
I need my beauty sleep. Why do you think I'm so grumpy all the time lately?
Sleep deprivation can do that to you."
Shinji returned to studying the table. "I don't know what to do about it.
I don't know my feelings anymore," he whispered. "I'm so confused."
Asuka got up to wash her now empty mug. Only the sound of running water
could be heard for the next few minutes.
A barrage of images from his dreams flooded Shinji's mind. Scenes of him
and Asuka, of them doing… things he never imagined before. Hearing things,
seeing things and feelings things that were once completely impossible
to comprehend. He felt that he was going out of his mind if he didn't do
something about it.
Soon!
"Asuka!" Shinji pleaded. He got up from his chair and grabbed her shoulders,
startling her. His eyes had a wild look, and he was searching her face,
looking into her eyes.
"Shinji! What are you-"
Shinji shut her up with a kiss.
Asuka mind went reeling. Shinji's kissing me. He's hugging me so tight!
It's not Shinji! This can't be the weakling Shinji that I know! Yet a part
of her knew that this isn't the weakling Shinji that she once knew. This
is the Shinji from her dreams. A part of her rebelled against it, but the
part that was enjoying it is much, much bigger.
Shinji hugged her, pulling her closer to his body. His mind was completely
shut off from rational thought, thinking only of how soft and sweet and
chocolatey her mouth tasted, how her slender body was irresistibly soft
and warm against his own.
His subconscious realized that she wasn't struggling against him. Good
for the ol' ego.
He let her go a few minutes later, his breathing ragged and his balance
off. But he still held her by her arms, not letting her go completely.
One part of him was afraid that if he did, he would never be able to catch
her again.
Asuka was a little breathless herself; he smiled an invisible smile.
But all this was still subconscious thinking.
"Asuka…Asuka… Every night for the past two weeks… I've dreamt of you… Things
I never knew I knew… God, Asuka, I never knew dreams could feel so strong.
I was so afraid of the future. There was so many, many chances of failure,
and only one chance of success! Every time you yelled at me, be mad at
me, insult me, I felt I was fighting a losing battle. What if you did not
feel the same as I do? I was afraid of the dreams, because I couldn't understand
them. But now I think I do, Asuka. When you called me out tonight, something
told me you feel it too. I think… I think I love you, Asuka Sohryu Langley.
I care for you! I see heaven in your eyes…" Shinji blurted out.
"Shinji…" Asuka whispered, speechless. "I… don't know what to think. I
don't know what I feel."
Shinji's face fell. Asuka felt a sudden stab of pain in her heart.
"I guess I lost my only chance, then," Shinji smiled sadly, and began to
retreat to his room.
Asuka stood there for a moment, quickly summing up the situation.
"Wait!" She called. Shinji stood at the front of his door, too embarrassed
to face her again. What on earth was he thinking when he did what he did
and said what he said? How could he ever look at her with a straight face
again?
Asuka marched up to him. "You think you can get away with kissing me so
easily?" she threatened.
Shinji turned around to apologize profusely when he saw the giant grin
on her face. Hope began to grow in his heart, but he didn't dare… "You
mean…"
"I mean," Asuka said assertively, putting her hands on her hips. "That
you go only when I say you can go, and stay when I say you stay. And now
I say…"
Asuka bent forward to kiss Shinji on the lips!
Asuka smiled to herself as she saw his face light up, and the blood at
froze in his veins. I hope he doesn't have a heart attack, she mused. After
all, I *always* win…
Shinji's soul rejoiced! Now he can sleep easy for the rest of his life…
"Goodnight, Shin-chan," Asuka winked, before going in her room.
"I see heaven in your eyes, too."
The End!
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Author's Notes: Specially written and dedicated to Axel-chan and Julie! Okay, so Shinji and Asuka might be a little OOC here. But hey, anyone who often dreams can understand my point completely, ne? I've been thinking of this story for the entire day at school, and I couldn't rest until I wrote it down. Can't think of anything else to say, except a big thank you to Axel-chan! =)
Legalese: All characters here belong to Anno and Gainax. But Shinji's and Asuka's emotions are mine! =)
Email me!
DJ Lesser (jndoris@tm.net.my)
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