DISCLAIMER: Nope, I'm still not dead yet…just been on another long (okay, REALLY LONG) hiatus from writing Evafiction. But hey, I'm getting at least this one (hopefully this one plus a couple of others) out before procrastination beats me into submission again! I still don't own Evangelion or any of its characters, that's all still the property of…whoever owns it these days. Probably never will either, but I'm okay with that (too much legal hassle to potentially deal with). Original series timeline applies here, nothing Rebuild-centric. I'd place this one somewhere between episodes 14 and 15 (but not during either one, for continuity reasons). 'This' denotes thoughts, while "this" is speech, and whole lines of this is sung lyrics. There will be three sets of said lyrics that will appear further down, I'll attribute those to their respective artists down in the Author's Notes afterward. This one's the follow-up to Hands All Over, so go read that first (or reread it if you need a refresher)…and that also means that this is a lemon (read: sexual acts/coitus/get down make love/etc.), so standard "turn-back-if-you're-not-at-least-18" jargon should be stated here (although I know most of you who aren't that old yet won't bother with that part, I don't know who does). Okay, I think that's enough small print/covering my ass…let's just get to it, shall we?

-The Trick is to Keep Breathing-

Deep thought can be a refuge, a time for solace, maybe even the first step towards enlightenment…but other times, it can just get right the hell in the way. Especially when the subject of said thoughts causes physical urges. Strong ones. The kind that can really distract one from truly relaxing. Asuka Langley Sohryu wasn't used to such thoughts…but in the almost-month since the "incident" after the Mt. Asama mission, she pretty much had to get used to them.

"Stupid baka-Shinji," Asuka thought aloud. She was seated in the living room of Misato's apartment, lying back on a bean bag and trying to take her mind off her fellow pilot and roommate. She had come home over an hour ago, unable to spend time after school with Hikari after the class rep had told her that she already had plans with her sisters. So that left the Second Child with nothing to do, and all the time to think (yet again) about what she and the boy had done that night.

Asuka found herself doing this more and more as time passed, to the point where remembering it made her grit her teeth in frustration as much as it was fueling other, more…interesting fantasies she had begun harboring. 'Let him get his hand in your underwear just one time, and now I can't even go a few days without imagining it going past that…not to mention how intimate I've gotten with myself since then,' she idly mused, shaking her head after. 'You've really messed up on this one, Sohryu.' She quickly reached for the remote and turned on the television, hoping there was some mindless entertainment on that would distance herself from where her mind had wandered.

Flicking through a few of the channels, Asuka ran across one of those shows that featured live up-and-coming acts. This one was always good for a few laughs (mostly from the regularity of acts lacking actual talent), so she settled in to partake in a little schädenfreude. The host motioned over to a group of six women in their twenties in front of instruments, smiling brightly before bowing to the camera. "Sisters, if I had to guess," the redhead noted, looking between their faces and the differing hair/dress colors.

The house lights dimmed slightly as one of the women began playing a soft keyboard drone before the ones on bass and drums joined into a steady dance-pop rhythm for a few beats, the black-haired frontwoman in a striking knee-length crimson dress slinking up to the microphone soon after and began singing in a breathy whisper.

She's not the kind of girl
Who likes to tell the world
About the way she feels about herself

She takes a little time
In making up her mind
She doesn't want to fight against the tide

Asuka couldn't help but think that something about those lines sounded a little bit familiar, but she just shrugged and continued watching as one of the women began to play a soft guitar line along with another playing a piano part on a second keyboard.

Lately, I'm not the only one
I say never trust anyone

Always the one who has to drag her down
Maybe you'll get what you want this time around

Somewhere after the first chorus and the next verse, Asuka began swaying slightly to the rhythm. "Okay, they're not horrible," she said softly, feeling the beat move through her body. "Alright, it's kinda catchy, truth be told."

Can't bear to face the truth
So sick he cannot move
And when it hurts, he takes it out on you

Lately, I'm not the only one
I say never trust anyone

The two women on keys changed their playing at this point and simulated an orchestra's string section before the next lines.

Always the one who has to drag her down
Maybe you'll get what you want this time around
The trick is to keep breathing
The trick is to keep breathing

The previous music resumed at this moment, the singer looking into the camera with a sultry look and a wink. 'Plays well to the camera,' Asuka thought, just a tiny bit impressed.

She knows the human heart
And how to read the stars
Now everything's about to fall apart

I won't be the one who's going to let you down
Maybe you'll get what you want this time around
I won't be the one who's going to let you down
Maybe you'll get what you want this time around

The trick is to keep breathing
The trick is to keep breathing
The trick is to keep breathing
The trick is to keep breathing
The trick is to keep breathing
The trick is to keep breathing
The trick is to keep breathing

The last lines and music fade out as the audience gave the group a rousing helping of applause while they bowed. "Okay," Asuka said aloud, nodding slightly, "not bad, girls. Definitely not the worst I've heard. Even, dare I say, passable."

As the fanfare died down, the girls began another song, this one starting with an effect that sounded like the rim of a tire spinning on pavement. A quick set of drum beats stopped this sound, before becoming a steady rhythm alongside the bass. A short set of keyboard notes joined in just afterwards, a short guitar riff on the next set of beats. The second keyboard entered after, playing a rather Eastern-sounding part that became more prominent on the following beats. All the while, the singer swayed at the mic and moved her arms and body in some very slow-but-fluid motions before starting to sing.

My little boy
Drive anywhere
Do what I want
You don't care
Tonight
You're in the hands of fate
You hand yourself
Over on a plate
Now

The break in the words left Asuka with a moment to contemplate them. 'Almost sounds like me and baka-Shinji,' she thought, already knowing that would lead back to the same thoughts she was trying to ignore by watching TV. 'Verdammt, even this isn't a good enough distraction.'

Oh little boy
There are times when you feel
You'd rather not be
The one behind the wheel
Come
Pull your strings
Watch you move
You do anything
Please

The more she listened, the more Asuka thought back to the last few weeks. She had certainly tried to put that night's events out of her head…but there was just a few issues with that. One, she was using it more and more as a fantasy while…"exploring" her body. Nothing wrong with that, she was a healthy young woman with needs the same as anyone else. The problem was the second thing: the more she thought back to that night, the more it became necessary to put Shinji there to even achieve orgasm. 'Don't even know when that happened,' she noted with more than a little annoyance, 'but it did. Damn that boy.' Somewhere in the last week, in particular, she had specifically tried twice to put Kaji in that moment (something that had always worked without fail previously)…which did nothing more than put an effective damper on her activities and sour her mood terribly the following mornings. 'Might as well have taken a cold shower for all the good that did me.'

Sweet little boy
You prefer
Me behind the wheel
And you the passenger
Drive
You're mine to keep
Do what I want
You're going cheap
Tonight

But even more than revisiting that same moment, Asuka was bothered by the need for her fantasies to go beyond that and straight into full-on sex with her male roommate/co-pilot. 'I had wondered if that was what I really wanted after we were done then,' she ventured, 'and now it's only gotten that much worse.' She shook her head fiercely, trying to dislodge the mental image of the two of them writhing in ecstasy. "No, no, no, you can go fuck off," she thought aloud, her annoyance now fairly evident. "Everything else I put up with around this place, that is the last thing I need!"

I'm behind the wheel
Tonight
I'm behind the wheel
Tonight
I'm behind the wheel
Tonight
I'm behind the wheel
Tonight

The second song had ended and the audience on screen having shown their approval, but Asuka was still well and lost in her musings. 'It's not as though I haven't considered goading the clueless boy into going further,' she thought, and that was true. Her teasing/bullying of the Third Child had taken on a more sensual nature lately: giving him a moment longer to glance or stare, saying things in a more breathy manner, an extra wiggle of her hips here or there…oh yeah, she enjoyed watching him squirm more than ever, just in a different way. And really, she liked the extra attention. 'He's definitely watching me more than the First these days.'

Asuka's eyes refocused on the TV screen as the group began a third song, this one opening with a voice sample of what would best be described as "the vocals of an orgy" before changing into a screeching-harmonics guitar riff followed by the bass and almost-tribal drumming falling in line soon after. The raven-haired singer slid her way to the mic, all the while making as many suggestive hip movements as possible. Her voice was more pronounced this time, much less breathy than previously.

I've tried to understand the ways of men they taught me
They've lost their values as we define our wealth
Semen and blood is all you've got, investments of a future
We're searching for a new gold, yes we're searching for a new gold

A voice is calling
Move closer to you, yeah

While the music played on, oblivious to both it and her own bodily actions, Asuka began to slowly grope her own left breast through her t-shirt while having resigned to the fact that thinking about her fantasies as of late had caused her to make one strong enough that she could no longer resist its pull. She grunted in frustration and sighed. "Guess this isn't going away," she said quietly. Silently glad that no one was home (and was not supposed to be for some time), she let her other hand trail down to her shorts as she started rubbing herself through them.

Virile young men run down the street in havoc singing
"I wish to build, I penetrate, I penetrate"
Restricted sexuality gives birth to worlds of terror
And all the time, I'm trying to piece new schemes together, help me

Her breathing quickening and becoming more shallow, Asuka moved the hand on her breasts under her shirt to enhance the feeling and started giving her nipples small pinches around the center of the areolas. The hand on her crotch, meanwhile didn't need any help: just her thoughts had done an impressive job at getting her damp. So she let her mind wander to her most recent fantasy, wherein she had coaxed Shinji into some very rough foreplay. Not rough enough to cause real injury, but enough that it couldn't really be called "gentle". As things in her head progressed, her body's actions continued what they had been doing into a steady rhythm, the on-screen music change well and truly lost on her.

Architects erect erections, monoliths are raised
I love the swollen mound, you love the swollen mound
All hail the new seed breeding from our hearts and wombs
All hail the new seed breeding from our hearts and wombs

As the music's original rhythm resumed, Asuka was completely in her own little world of pleasure. Her hands' motions were less and less coordinated and she could feel that familiar heat that signaled that she was not far from coming. In her mind, she and the Third Child were a intertwined in a knot of limbs and secretions.

And night and day run 'round in circles, following sex instinct
Push it between her legs and stretch the lips, mother relieve me
Bodies entwined in human tangle at the point of climax
Shoot forth the new gold and at last, reason makes perfect sense

A voice is calling
Move closer to you, yeah

Her body sliding down slightly from the bean bag and onto the floor, Asuka's mouth went dry as she continued to fondle herself. She moved her right hand into her panties and resumed rubbing her vagina with renewed vigor. The direct contact gave her an idea of just how wet she was, as well as exactly how much heat the orifice was putting out. And as the fantasy in her head finally reached its climax, so too did the redhead as her index finger began frantically stimulating her clitoris. Finally losing her fight with holding on any further, she grunted heavily and arched her back to quite a steep angle as the feeling flooded through her veins.

You're shooting, shooting forth
You're shooting forth the new gold now, hey
You're shooting, shooting forth
You're shooting forth the new gold now, hey
You're shooting, shooting forth
You're shooting forth the new gold now, hey
You're shooting, shooting forth
You're shooting forth the new gold now, hey

As the music ended and the audience applauded yet again, Asuka's body slowly came back down from its latest "little death". But as good as it was, the Second Child was reminded of the third item on the list of annoyances-as-of-late: even an orgasm this good wasn't enough anymore. Fantasizing was still working, certainly…but not as it had at first. And nowhere near as strongly as it had been the night after Mt. Asama. And she had a sneaking suspicion as to why. 'It's just not the same without another person,' she thought as soon as the fog had lifted from her mind. 'And not just anyone, it has to be him.' She sighed and closed her eyes. "It's just…just not enough anymore…" she whispered though her still-dry mouth. It had really begun to frustrate her to no end.

Wherever else Asuka's train of thought might've gone was lost as a shuffling noise nearby caused her to sit back up with a start…only to be greeted by the gaze of Pen-Pen. "What the hell are you looking at, bird?" she said menacingly. The penguin merely titled its head in a confused manner before giving a 'wark' and retreating back to his fridge. 'You'd think he'd never seen a woman playing with herself before,' she thought quite amusedly with a small laugh. 'I'm sure he's seen Misato do at least that much once or twice.' Letting out a heavy breath, she shakily got back to her feet before looking back to the television. The show had changed to some game show, but the girl was no longer interested as she bent over to pick up the remote and turned it off.

Looking back towards the carpet, Asuka was more than a little surprised to find that the spot where she had finished was dry. 'Wouldn't have guessed that,' she thought idly. Rubbing her thighs together told her why that was: wet as she had gotten, none of it had left her shorts or panties. "Small mercy, that," she thought aloud, now realizing also just how sweaty she had become in the meantime, "but still…eww. I really need to clean up after that." Walking slowly into her room to retrieve some new clothes, she let her mind wander again. Not towards fantasizing further, but instead towards the more serious side of the coin: she couldn't really keep this up much longer. What had originally been a once-a-week thing was now approaching nearly every day…and it just wasn't working as well anymore. 'Something's got to give,' she thought while heading to the bathroom to wash up, 'and I know what that something is.'

Indeed she did: Asuka was going to have to figure out how to get her and Shinji into actually having sex. Simply fingering herself while imagining wasn't going to cut it any longer. But that was…more than a little difficult. Despite giving him so many sensual-tinged teasing as of late, she wasn't exactly openly communicating with the boy. She did as much as she needed to, but little more than that. 'It's never really been the same since that night,' she thought, turning the shower's hot water on. And, of course given the Third Child's nature already, the likelihood of him making the first move was just plain not going to happen. So that meant it came down to her. 'Heh, what else is new?' she mentally asked while pulling off her clothes and stepping under the spray of the shower.

As she let the warm water run though her long red hair, Asuka realized two things: she and Shinji didn't have school the next day, and Misato wouldn't be home until well into the next morning. 'Perfekt,' she thought, 'might never be a better chance. After all, no time like the present.' The thought of having real sex with him didn't make her stomach turn as much as she had thought it would. 'I guess after so many times I've imagined it, it's just the most normal-sounding thing in the world…like putting on socks before shoes, I suppose,' she reasoned, 'and he's not exactly the worst choice of partner.' Reaching for the shampoo, the Second Child started planning just how things would fall together, not a hint of unease or uncertainty in mind. 'Third, you haven't even the slightest clue about just how good your fortune is about to be.'

Shinji Ikari walked through the apartment's front door about two hours later, just before the sun had fully set. "I'm home," he said upon entering, then realized how little good that had done. 'Misato's not home, and Asuka isn't really going to answer back,' he reasoned slipping out of his shoes. 'At least if she's still as moody as she's been lately.' But it wasn't like he had done much to change that, he had been doing his best just to not sweat and stammer anywhere around her. She had been doing a lot of things a lot more…sexily for the last weeks. Her movements, her actions, those times she underdressed…the Third Child was unable to read her anymore. 'Not that I was doing a particularly stellar job of that in the first place.'

Walking into the living room, Shinji saw Asuka sitting on one end of the couch, her eyes focused on the television screen. Silently glad she had not noticed his entrance, he quietly slipped past into the hallway and into his room, where he slid the door closed and let out an unsteady breath. 'Made it,' he thought. 'Knowing my luck, she's probably feeling like teasing me again.' He had always taken it pretty easily before, but with how it had become more sensual, it would do nothing but make him feel worse than usual…especially given what he knew about the other person thanks to a night several weeks ago.

The memories of the onsen trip had ran through Shinji's mind many, many times since then. And it did nothing but make being anywhere near the redhead almost unbearable. 'I swear I can still feel her,' he mused, 'still taste her…' The boy shook his head to clear out that one thought in particular, the last thing he needed right now was to be excited like that. Between both those thoughts and her recent cranked-up teases, he was lucky his penis had any feeling left at all. Oh, he had always had fantasies before…but with what he knew now, it had gotten to be almost too much. 'It's actually worse once you've had a little,' he continued, setting his schoolbag down. 'All I had to go on before was just imagination. Now sights, smells, tastes, touch…dammit, this really sucks.' And then there was that last part of the evening, when she had told him to close his eyes before kissing him. That had truly been more than his little heart could ask for. 'No, that's the part that really sucks,' he mentally corrected himself. 'You like her, she does that while not having a clue and now…'

Shinji let the thought trail off as he realized that his pants had become a little tighter. 'Shit,' he cursed himself, 'great timing on my part.' There was no way he was going to take care of that while Asuka was awake, he had been avoiding doing that much lately. Instead, he closed his eyes and slowly breathed in and out, trying to forcibly calm his body down. It began to work after a few minutes, but not entirely. 'At least I can leave the room now,' he thought. Quietly sliding the door open and stepping out, the Third Child snuck into the kitchen and removed a bottle of water from the fridge. Opening it and taking a long drink, he looked into the living room at his fellow pilot. Asuka still sat there, whatever she was watching must have been fairly entrancing. 'Might be worth seeing,' he ventured, hoping it would further distract him from his thoughts.

Shinji slowly entered the living room toward the other side of the couch and lightly cleared his throat. "Uh…A-Asuka…" he started, trying to control the nervousness in his voice. "Do y-you mind if I sit too?" The redhead never looked up or spoke, only giving a shrug and a grunt that told him 'sure'. The boy took his seat, making sure that it was as far away from her as he could. If not, it was more than likely that the girl would make some sort of comment about his proximity. So he simply looked toward the TV, and began watching. It was some kind of game show, and not a particularly engaging one. Bored with it after several minutes, he began to look around the room, keeping his eyes from landing anywhere on the redhead. 'That'll only start problems,' he figured.

But try as he might, Shinji couldn't keep his eyes or thoughts off of Asuka. When she wasn't yelling or acting like her usual self, she could be quite beautiful. 'And she makes sure to let everyone know that often,' he thought, smiling internally. 'But she's not wrong, either.' His thoughts began to wander back to after Mt. Asama again, and he closed his eyes to stop the rush of images from coming to mind again. 'Can't do that now,' he told himself, 'she's sitting right there. She gets the wrong idea, I could end up on the floor.'

"Something on your mind, Ikari?" The sound of Asuka's voice caused Shinji to nearly jump out of his skin. Pulled back from his thoughts, he glanced over to find her looking at him out of her peripheral view. She slowly turned her head in his direction, something in her expression he couldn't read. "You seem a bit…distracted."

Realizing that he was taking too long to answer her, Shinji relaxed just a little and sighed. "Uh…kinda," he began, his heartbeat now well elevated. "Th…this show isn't that good."

"Yeah, I know," Asuka concurred, turning back to the screen. "But there isn't much else on. I already looked." She picked up the remote control and quickly turned off the TV before letting the absolute silence of the room settle in. Before he could ask her about it, the girl spoke up again. "Hey Shinji."

Now it wasn't just her expression, Shinji had absolutely no clue what mood her voice suggested. "Y-yes?"

"I'm going to ask you a couple of questions," Asuka said quietly, her face still toward the now-off screen. "And I want honest answers. No running, no squirming out." There was a paused for just a few seconds. "Do you remember that night?"

Oh boy, did Shinji ever remember: it was doing as much good as it was agonizing him. "…yes," he admitted while nodding after a long beat.

"Do you still think it was the right thing?" Asuka questioned, continuing not to look at him.

Shinji took his time answering this time. On the one hand, it was definitely a high-point of his short adolescence so far. On the other, well…it was just knowing that there was more to what they had done. And he knew it, such thoughts had been fueling his self-pleasure in the weeks afterward. "Yeah," he finally said. "I-I don't regret anything."

Another long pause, with only the silence to fill the space. "Then…do you wanna pick up where we left off?" Asuka asked, finally turning to face him.

Shinji, for his part, didn't fall from the couch or pass out right on the spot. He did, however, begin to sweat profusely and had immense trouble forming words. "W-wait, what?"

"I don't think I could have been clearer, Third," Asuka explained. "I mean sex. You know, that thing we probably would have done." She stood from the couch slowly and walked in front of him. "I know you've been thinking about it. I can tell by how you've been looking at me." She narrowed her eyes at the boy. "Oh yeah, I noticed. I've just been letting you get away with it."

Shinji swallowed the rather large lump that had grown in his throat and stared down at the carpet. 'Fuck, I'm dead,' he thought, already prepared for whatever punishment she could muster. "S-sorry…I c-can't help it," he offered, his voice meek and soft. "Y-you've been…err…the way you move or dress or…ah…it…" he kept trying to explain but gave up every time he painted himself into a corner. 'Good job, Shinji. Now you won't have to wait for an Angel to finish you off. Asuka's more than capable.'

"Oh, that was intentional," Asuka spoke up, causing Shinji's head to snap back to her. "What, you think I wasn't purposefully trying to wind you up further?" She crossed her arms under her breasts. "I thought you were just a little smarter than that, baka."

"Y-you…but, w…why?" Shinji asked, now completely lost.

"I told you," Asuka continued, "I want to go on from there. Or, in terms that even a baka like you can understand…" She held up her hands and slowly formed her left hand's index finger and thumb into a circle before using the opposing hand's index finger to simulate penetration. "I am going to let you have the undeniable pleasure of getting to fuck me."

Shinji was more than a little sure that he was dreaming. There was no way that Asuka, of all people, had just told him that and meant it. "Y-y…you're serious?"

Asuka rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't, would I?" she asked angrily. "Honestly, why is this such a big deal? Think back on it: you had a finger or two in me, I jerked you off and let you come on my wrist…were else is there to go from there?" Her expression turned to a mocking pout, sticking her lower lip out in a cutely exaggerated manner. "Are you really going to turn this down? Turn me down, out of all the girls in Japan?"

Shinji quickly shook his head, not wanting to offend her in any way. "N-no, I didn't…I didn't mean it like t-that," he began. "It's just…" he stopped, thinking about how to approach this, "I mean, I know what we did then, but…aren't we just a little young for that?"

"Really?" Asuka questioned, looking almost amused by this. "That's what you're going to consider?" She laughed for just a moment. "You'll get into a giant robot and fight aliens trying to kill you…but one girl asks you to pop her cherry and you hesitate this badly?" She shook her head and pulled Shinji to his feet by his collar. "You know what…fuck this." The redhead angrily crushed her mouth against his, practically forcing her tongue down his throat as she grabbed onto the front of his pants. It was finally too much for the Third Child, as whatever resolve he had eroded and whatever lusty thoughts he had in his head won out. He melted into her touch and tried to mimic her actions the best he could (not easy given both his inexperience and her frantic approach). Finally pulling back after a few moments, she took several deep breaths before speaking again. "Feel like…ah…questioning anything else now, Third?"

Shinji shook his head dumbly, words not being a priority at the moment. "Nuh-uh…" he slurred, feeling almost drunk from the dizzying arousal in his head. He didn't say anything further, simply wrapping his arms around the redhead and resuming their clumsy making-out from moments ago. The two moaned into each others' mouths, tongues dueling for dominance in a sexy stalemate. The teenagers continued these actions as their bodies moved jerkily across the living room before heavily butting against the wall near their bedrooms. Both grunted in pain and slid down the wall just a bit, but did not stop their movements otherwise.

Shinji reached one arm back around to Asuka's front and quickly put it under her t-shirt to grope at her breasts. The Second Child moaned in appreciation at his actions, biting on his lower lip before shoving her tongue back towards his. The teens continued to writhe against the wall, knocking a picture off the wall that went completely unnoticed by either. As he moved to suckle on her neck, the redhead spoke up in a heavy breath. "We…we should take t-…ooh…this to my room, you th-…ah…think?" He breathed out a noise in agreement before she used her free hand (the one not fondling him) to pull open her door.

Unfortunately, their activities in doing so meant that both entered Asuka's room quite poorly, with Shinji landing hard on his back on the floor…and her following right down on top of him. They yelped in both pain and surprise as their foreheads just barely missed colliding, but did not get up immediately. "S-sorry. I think…I think we should move to the bed," he spoke up, not know how he even found his voice.

"Yes, let's," Asuka agreed, pulling him up along with herself before pushing Shinji back onto her futon. Closing her door behind them before turning back to him, she spoke up again. "Now…time to strip." He nodded but only watched as the redhead quickly disrobed and in short time ended up in front of him in absolutely nothing.

'It's as red as I thought it would be,' Shinji's lust-addled mind managed to notice when he saw what lied beneath her underwear. And there were those breasts he had already experienced, still no less enticing. Not one part of her was anything less than awe-inspiring. 'Okay God, if you're up there, you can take me now.'

"Well, are you waiting for something?" Asuka's voice shook him from his staring and back to her face which, while still flushed and sweaty from what had already happened (not to mention the start of a few hickeys on the left side of her neck), was looking quite annoyed. After another few seconds of waiting for Shinji to move, she grunted and rolled her eyes. "Guess I fried what little brain you do have," she said. "Okay, fine, we'll do it my way then." She reached down to his button-up white shirt and pulled hard in both directions, scattering the buttons across the room and throwing the garment onto the floor.

Shinji could only watch dumbly as Asuka unbuckled and unbuttoned his pants before pulling his undershirt over his head and dropping it nearby. Getting the hint, he regained his senses enough to finish removing his pants before hesitating just a moment and removing his underwear, now sitting before her completely naked and more than a little hard. "Guess I don't have to ask if you're liking this," the redhead mused, looking down at the muscle-at-attention. Climbing over his prone form, she reached over to her nightstand to retrieve something. "Don't ask how or where I got this," she explained, "but just be glad I had it."

It only took Shinji a few seconds to realize that she had been holding a condom. 'Yeah, needed that,' he managed to think, the blood for thinking clearly already elsewhere. He watched for a moment as Asuka unwrapped and examined the piece of latex. Guessing that she was figuring out how to put it on, he continued to look as she reached behind her to slowly unroll it over his dick…only to have it be a little big on him.

"Fuck…" Asuka said under her breath. "Well, it'll have to do." She turned back to face Shinji. "If that feels like it's different for even a moment, you stop," she demanded. "Or else…" She let that sentence hang as she cracked her knuckles and stared angrily. The Third Child understood immediately and nodded, knowing full well that she might actually kill him for such an oversight. "Good boy. Now then…" She trailed off again as she grabbed his member again. "Help out with this already, don't just be a lump."

Shinji knew what she was talking about and reached down to try and position himself to enter Asuka. For just a second, he stopped and took in what was happening. 'Well, nowhere to go but forward,' he thought, not really wanting to turn back anyway. He found what he thought was her pussy (not really able so see from this angle) and started to push…until Asuka squeaked quite loudly and scratched him across the chest.

"Not there, baka!" Asuka said through clenched teeth. Closing her eyes and going quiet for a few seconds, she continued. "A little bit higher, that's my arschloch you're at!"

Shinji didn't know German, but he got the gist of what she had meant. 'Okay, don't do that again,' he mentally noted as he moved around a little and found what he had been looking for. Slowly entering, he found little resistance given her wetness…that was, until, he hit something a few inches in. "What the-"

"Hymen," Asuka answered, sounding a little surprised. "Would have figured that wouldn't be an issue recently. Oh well." She lifted herself about an inch, taking a moment to take deep breaths, before lowering herself much harder the second time. She grunted heavily, but Shinji was now completely inside her.

"Are…are y-you okay, Asuka?" Shinji asked, almost unable to form the words from what he was feeling further south. Having a finger in her was one thing, this…this was a completely other world by comparison.

"GOTT. FICKEN. VERDAMMT," Asuka heavily groaned every word through her teeth, shaking and breathing unsteadily all the while. She sat like this for a few minutes before looking back at Shinji. "Yeah, I'm just fine," she said sarcastically, "it only feels like someone stuck a fire to my crotch." He couldn't help but find her choice of words funny. "Got any other stupid questions you'd like answered?" His amusement was quickly replaced by fear as he shook his head. "Quick learner," she breathed, still clearly in pain. "Move slowly for now, that fucking hurt."

Shinji nodded and just barely moved his hips, feeling his cock entering and exiting his fellow pilot. He had imagined such a thing for quite a while…but being here, he realized just how poor his imagination was when it came to picturing this. It was absolutely spine-melting, the most heavenly feeling his physical body had ever felt. Inside her was the warmest thing he had ever felt, and it was nowhere near how it felt when Asuka had played with him the night at the onsen. 'Like night and day,' he managed to think through the sensations he was feeling.

Asuka had finally recovered from the initial pain and was now squirming and rocking on his lap, moaning and grunting and groaning in equal measures. Leaning herself over Shinji's top half, she took a moment to breath as her sweat dripped down and intermingled with his before pressing their mouths together again and resuming their pre-penetration make-out session. She ran her nails along his chest (much lighter than earlier) and over the boy's now-hardened nipples.

Shinji, meanwhile, was trying his best not to drown beneath what his body was feeling and matching Asuka's actions. The thoughts of what they had done previously paled to what had happened just within the last half-hour. 'More fuel for fantasies,' he idly thought as the Second Child arched her back and leaned on her arms, her body laid out to him. He took the offered treat and began to lick and suck her right areola. He would have killed to get this taste of her again after that first time, and now it was a reality. And a more impressive one than he thought possible.

Asuka lifted herself back to a sitting position and ran her hands through Shinji's hair. He was starting to find the sound of her moans incredibly intoxicating, almost as good as what he physically felt. The fact that he, of all people, could make her feel this good…it was certainly giving what little spine he had a much-needed boost. But not everything was going one-hundred percent: he was having more and more difficulty holding back an incoming orgasm, especially as both teens' bodily rhythms picked up speed.

Soon feeling the familiar sensation coming from his scrotum, Shinji grunted as he felt the rush go through his body and he emptied himself into the condom. But he didn't stop, oh he wouldn't dare attempt that. Asuka wasn't known to be particularly generous, and this would not be an exemption from that. So he simply pumped away with his getting-sore-but-still-hard dick, hoping to get her there before he could no longer manage to.

Shinji didn't have to wait for long, though, as Asuka suddenly gripped both arms around his body, her vagina clamped down around him and she cried out his name into his ear. Now that would be a sound that the Third Child would never forget. As she came down from her high, she simply let both of their bodies fall limp back onto the bed, with his spent penis flopping out of her unceremoniously. "You…you actually didn't suck at this," she finally whispered after a minute of silence. He mumbled an answer, not having enough saliva to wet his mouth and form words.

The two teenagers laid there, each coming down from their respective orgasms and awash in the sensations associated with first-time sex. Try as he might, Shinji could not get up to dress and clean himself up, he was simply too spent. So he closed his eyes to rest for a few minutes longer before trying again. But that was not to happen for either person, as they both soon passed out from the fatigue they had experienced…

Asuka slowly came to after what felt like a short rest, yawning but not rising from where she had been lying. She could feel Shinji nearby, his bare skin still touching hers in a few spots. She had to smile to herself, it had all gone to plan. 'You made that far too easy, baka,' she thought, barely opening her eyes to still find the room dark. The redhead could hear his breathing, steady and quiet. 'He either did very well for an idiot,' she admitted to herself, 'or maybe I just brought that out of him.'

But as comfortable as Asuka was, one thing was not quite heavenly: the absolute ache that radiated from her southern regions. 'Ah shit, that still stings,' she noted, gingerly touching herself to gauge how painful it was. She had thought the combination of exercise and masturbation (two things she had been getting better at) would have already stretched the internals enough to the point where it wouldn't hurt that badly. 'Slight miscalculation on my part,' she reasoned. 'Oh well, couldn't be helped.' At least she had remembered the condom, otherwise it would have killed the evening. 'Kept it around for Kaji, ended up being baka-Shinji that used it. Heh, wouldn't have put money on that months ago.'

Yawning again, Asuka looked down at her roommate. Shinji was still sprawled out where he had been when they finished, fast asleep. She could see the filled condom still hanging onto his penis, but only just. Nearby, she could barely make out a small bit of red smeared on his pelvic area. 'That would be mine, I'm guessing,' she noted, fairly certain of the fact. 'I'm sure he'll have a panic over that when he wakes up and notices.' She had to laugh under her breath, he could be such a worrier sometimes.

While breathing through her nose, Asuka noticed the smell that had permeated her bedroom. 'Well, that's…not a good scent,' she mused, making a slightly disgusted face. Lifting her hand to her nose, she took a sniff to find that she didn't smell much better. 'Ugh…definitely need a shower soon.' But for the moment, she was too comfy to even lift her head, much less the rest of her, from the mattress. So she slowly relaxed again, closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

"Well…someone looks relaxed," a quiet voice said.

"Mmm, you bet," Asuka mumbled back, not even considering who had spoken to her. 'Probably baka-Shinji,' she reasoned. "Could use…shower and breakfast. How about taking care of the second one?"

"I don't think you want me to do that," the voice answered.

It took Asuka only a few seconds to recognize that voice this time. Her eyes popped open, revealing the dark of her room again…until the light flicked on, revealing Misato Katsuragi standing over her in her NERV uniform. The older woman's face was unreadable to the Second Child. "Before you ask: it's not the middle of the night, it's after 10 in the morning. And I would ask what happened, but…" she trailed off, pointing toward the teens' naked forms and the used condom, "I think I can hazard a guess."

'Well…fuck,' Asuka thought. She had planned for this, but it still felt like she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. 'Or, more appropriately, Shinji in my cookie jar.' She would have laughed at the thought, had Misato not been standing there. "If I told you this wasn't what it looked like, would you believe me?" Watching her guardian shake her head, the girl sighed. "It was worth a try." She nudged Shinji on the shoulder with her foot. "Hey baka, you might want to wake up for this."

Shinji didn't wake immediately, only grumbling and trying to roll over. "Just…few more…turn light…off…" he slurred out in pieces.

"No can do, mister," Misato said, a little louder than she had been before. Now it was Shinji's turn to open his eyes with a start and all but bolted upright, stammering and halfheartedly trying to explain anything about what she was seeing. "T-this…uh…this is…err…y-you see…ah…"

Misato held up a hand and stopped Shinji from bumbling over his words any further. "No, not now," she began, putting her hands on her hips. "You've got five minutes to get dressed, another fifteen each to get cleaned up and redressed. And then I want you both in the kitchen for an explanation. Understood?" Both teens nodded, not saying a word. "Okay. And I mean five minutes." She slid the bedroom door open and walked out, closing it behind her.

Asuka and Shinji picked up their clothes from where they had ended up the night before and began redressing, not saying a word or making eye contact. Walking out of her room after grabbing some fresh clothes, the redhead was first into the shower with Shinji going second. In less than half an hour, both were seated at the kitchen table with Misato already changed and waiting for them, an unopened can of Yebisu in front of her.

Misato cracked the seal on the can and took a long drink before setting it back down, no usual shout to accompany said action. "Getting one thing right out of the way," she started, "is that I'm glad either one of you was responsible enough to remember protection. Was last night the first time?" Neither said a word or looked up, only nodding before continuing to listen. "Okay then, I guess. I just want you both to know that I'm not mad, just…looking for answers."

"What kind of an answer are you hoping for?" Asuka spoke up, pointing at Shinji. "Baka over there," she went on, turning her finger towards herself, "and I had sex. No mysteries there."

Misato sighed and learned her head on her left hand. "Asuka…I'd like to point out that you're both only thirteen and fourteen…"

'Here we go,' Asuka thought. This was the moment she had been planning for. "Okay," she began after taking a deep breath, "so let me get this straight: you'll have us," she paused to motion between her and Shinji, "fight a war against…things…in which we might really die and that's just fine? But then expect us to act like actual children?" She shook her head. "That's horseshit, plain and simple."

"Asuka…" Shinji managed to speak up, his voice quiet compared to hers.

The Second Child turned towards him for a moment. "Oh don't give me that, Ikari," Asuka cut him off. "You know I'm in the right on this one." She turned back towards Misato. "Honestly, what gives you…hell, anyone, the right to tell us that?" As the major was about to open her mouth, the redhead pressed further. "What we choose to do, as long as it doesn't hurt another person, isn't anyone else's business but ours." She let the silence hang after she spoke her peace, smiling in her mind at having the older woman at checkmate.

Misato sat quietly looking at her female charge before taking another drink from her beer. "Okay, fine Asuka," she finally relented with a sigh, "I guess it isn't fair of me to treat you like that considering what you do." She leaned back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. "But at least tell me why."

"Again, is that really any of your business, major?" Asuka shot back. 'What the hell does she care? It's not like she was trying to get him in the sack. Then again, this is Misato I'm talking about.'

"Maybe I'm just curious as to why," Misato shouted, planting her left palm on the table loudly enough to startle both pilots, "the two of you, who haven't really been talking to each other lately, never mind how you've both gotten and not gotten along before this, decided to have sex completely out-of-nowhere." She sighed and slumped back in the chair. "I'm just…just looking for an explanation, Asuka. That's all."

Shinji started to open his mouth to answer, but Asuka turned back to him before he could. "I told you, I've got this," she said, with him nodding after. 'Good boy, I'm not wasting the words I've prepared.' She faced Misato once again. "If you feel like you really have to know," she started, "it was because we just wanted to. To feel what it was like, to experience something new and interesting. To let off a little steam, get it out of our systems." She leaned back and let out a heavy breath. "And to have a really, really good orgasm."

Misato squirmed in her seat at the last word, visibly uncomfortable. "Well, that was direct…and unnecessary," she said after a few seconds. Leaning her head towards Asuka while resting her chin on the palms of her hands, she smirked at the younger girl. "But is that really all there is to it?"

Asuka was feeling a little lost at this point. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I think you know what I mean," Misato went on, still grinning slyly at her. "After all, no one has sex with someone they don't even like, do they? Or is that just what you did, miss Sohryu?"

Asuka felt like someone had hit her hard in the gut, she hadn't really come up with an answer for that one. "I…I mean…" she tried to answer, but kept stopping as she couldn't find a retort. She didn't hate Shinji, not really, but…well, what did she feel about him? 'Gott verdammt, Misato,' she cursed the woman in her head, 'this wasn't how it was supposed to go.' She attempted to come up with something, but could only form bits and pieces. "I…he…I just…w-well…"

"And what about you, Shinji?" Misato asked, purposefully ignoring the redhead's unsure response. "I'm almost certain that you like her."

Asuka stopped in her tracks and looked over at her roommate. Shinji had his eyes downcast, staring straight into the tabletop. He didn't say a word, only shaking slightly with a little sweating beading on his forehead. She could see his hand clenching and unclenching as his arm hung at his side. When he finally looked up, it was right into her eyes…and it wasn't good. He looked genuinely hurt at the moment. She had seen that look before…but never directed at her. 'Does he actually…' she started to think, the thought never having even crossed her mind. 'Scheiße…'

"I think that look says it all," Misato said, looking back at Asuka with an accusatory stare. "And it says everything about what you're not saying."

Asuka turned back and forth between Shinji and Misato, opening her mouth several times but never forming a word. 'This…this isn't how I wanted this,' she thought, feeling more than a little sick herself. 'I just wanted…I just…I…' But she didn't finish the thought: she had no idea what she wanted.

Before anyone else could say a word, Shinji stood slowly from the table and turned toward the hallway. "Shinji, wait-" Misato started to say, but he was already walking unsteadily toward the door. As he opened it and stepped inside, both women caught a glimpse of his face and could see the tears rolling down. He closed the door behind him, the apartment going completely quiet right after. The dark-haired woman picked up her beer and drained the last of it before crushing it in her hand. "Shit…" she swore under her breath, shaking her head and looking disheartened.

Asuka, meanwhile, was still lost within her head, searching for what she had been trying to say before. 'Do I really like him?' she asked herself. 'Like, like him? Maybe even more than that? And not just because he isn't completely inept at navigating the female body?' She sat in silence for some time with the thought before standing from her seat, moving towards her own door.

"Asuka, listen…" Misato began to say. "I-"

"You know, Misato," Asuka spoke very quietly, "you really know how to make things more complicated than they should be." She didn't wait for anything further from her guardian, only walking briskly to her door and entering. Once she closed it and was out of sight of the older woman, the redhead sunk to the floor and drew her legs against her body. 'Dammit Shinji,' she thought, feeling absolutely horrible, 'why did it have to be me?' She buried her head further into her knees, hating herself just a little more every second. '…why did it have to be you?'

-later that night-

'This is stupid,' Asuka thought. She had spent the last several hours closed up in her room, alternating between being angry at herself and Shinji…and being absolutely miserable about what had happened earlier that morning. Misato had tried (kind of) to talk to her through the door but had never opened it or crossed the threshold, while Asuka had remained silent. When the older woman finally stopped, the Second Child took her time cataloging her thoughts. Shinji definitely felt something toward her (and not just lust) and she had done nothing but give him the idea that she had used him as a fucktoy and little else. So here she was, standing in front of his door with her arm raised to knock but unable to actually do it.

'Come on, Asuka,' she told herself, 'it's only baka-Shinji. How difficult could this be?' Her mind answered back with the image of his sad face before he closed himself off for the day. 'Okay, it could be that difficult. Thanks a lot, self.' But she knew it was more than that: she had done a lot of thinking, came to a few decisions…and all of it culminated in having to confront what lay beyond that door. After whatever came next, a lot of things would be different. And it was more than a little scary to the normally-in-control redhead. 'Life was easy before Tokyo-3,' she mused with some bitterness, 'before Mt. Asama, actually. So…what happened?' The Third Child's face came to her mind again. 'Alright already, I get it!'

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Asuka tapped on the door with enough force to be heard by the person on the other side but not throughout the apartment. It was well into the night, and she didn't want to wake Misato…especially not after earlier. "Shinji…" she said softly, her voice cracking from being quiet for many hours. "I know you're in there, baka. I've been home all day. Listen…" she paused as she carefully considered her words, "I want to talk. We need to talk…about a lot."

On the other side of the door, Shinji had spent the day running the gamut of emotions. Everything from anger to heartache to depression and everything else those entail. He had even cried himself to sleep quietly. He didn't know if he blamed Asuka or himself more for what had happened: it seemed like she had used him…but he had let himself be used, simply because it was her. 'She's right, I'm such a baka,' he thought again, one of the numerous times he had in the hours since. Sitting up on his futon, he shook his head. 'Of all the girls I've met, it had to be her.'

"Shinji…" Asuka's voice snapped him out of his reverie. He had never heard her speak this softly before, it almost didn't sound like her. But she had caused the pain he was still feeling, so he turned away from the door, not wishing to answer her for the time being. "I know you're in there, baka. I've been home all day," she continued. "Listen…" There was a lull in her words, the silence heavy in his room. "I want to talk. We need to talk…about a lot." Part of him wanted to at least hear what she had to say, but another just told him to shut her out. For the moment, the latter won out…at least until she spoke again. "Shinji…please."

Now that made Shinji turn around and face the door. Asuka had never used that word where he could hear. 'She…she sounds sad,' he thought, noticing her tone of voice. 'Okay, Asuka,' he finally reasoned, 'I'll listen to what you have to say.' He hung his head, not yet ready to look her in the eyes again. "You can come in," he said just loud enough for her to hear, his voice unsteady from not being used all day.

Asuka slid the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind her right after. She stayed at the entrance for a few seconds before walking about a foot from Shinji. Her head was lowered, so he couldn't tell her mood…but something about her stance told him she wasn't here for an argument. He watched as she stood before his bed silently, biting her lower lip. "You hurt me," the Third Child finally said after what felt like hours. Not the best he could have come up with, but it felt as good a summation of the day's events as he could give.

Asuka sighed, not lifting her head. "I know," she agreed, her voice quieter than Shinji was used to. "I know I did. I…" She shifted her weight from her left leg to her right. "…I fucked up."

Shinji's eyes snapped up to her, unsure he had really heard that clearly. "…what?"

"I said I fucked up, Shinji," Asuka repeated herself, continuing not to meet his gaze. He couldn't help but notice she hadn't added the usual 'baka' to his name. "I should have…" she began, shaking her head, "I shouldn't have said nothing. I should have done something."

Shinji blinked a few times, confused by what she had said. "Is that…" he whispered, not realizing he was thinking aloud, "…was that an apology?"

"Don't push it," Asuka retorted, her tone conveying some of her normal self. "This is hard enough as it is."

The two teens let the silence sink in for a while after those last words. Shinji was the first to speak up again. "O-okay, Asuka," he began, nudging himself to one side of his futon and presenting the open spot opposite himself to her. "I'm listening."

Asuka nodded and took the offered seat, Shinji finally able to see her face. She looked more sad than he had ever seen the redhead before. 'I hope that means she's sincere about this,' he thought a little bitterly. "What do you mean by 'something'?"

"I'm going to be honest with you right now, Shinji," Asuka explained. "Probably more honest than I've been with anyone in a long time." She turned to face him, her eyes finally meeting his. "And more honest than I've ever been with you." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Are you willing to hear me out on that much?" The boy considered her features for a moment, then nodded. "Alright," she went on. "You…haven't been the only one distracted lately."

Shinji's head craned to the side, confused about her words. "What are you talking about?"

"Last night," Asuka continued, "I said you seemed distracted." There was another pause as she looked down at the floor. "You haven't been the only one. I've been…" she hesitated for a second, her face turning to where he couldn't see it, "fantasizing recently…about you and me." She turned back, now a noticeable blush on her even in the dark…along with a smirk. "I don't have to ask if you have been, too. You're quiet when you pleasure yourself…but not that quiet. You moan my name every time. We do live just across the hall from each other, after all."

Now it was Shinji's turn to blush horribly. "I-I'm sorry," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Nothing to apologize for this time," Asuka countered. "Didn't I just admit to it first?"

Shinji turned his own gaze to the bed sheet. "Oh…r-right, okay…" he breathed out.

"So yeah, that's why last night…happened," Asuka spoke up again, fidgeting with the edge of the sheet. "I can get off just fine thinking about what happened at the onsen, but…" She shook her head, almost laughing. "It wasn't enough anymore. I needed the real thing." She looked back up at Shinji. "And it needed to be you."

"O…okay. But why me?" Shinji asked, only realizing afterwards what a dumb question that was. 'Girl says to you, 'I pleasure myself thinking about you', you ask 'why'. Again, she's right: I must be stupid.'

"That's what I couldn't answer earlier," Asuka explained. "I didn't know the reason at the time. But now…" She paused, looking up at his ceiling. "I guess, all things considered…you're not the worst person I've met. Not really. You're…hmm, not all that bad, actually. For a baka and a dummkopf, I mean."

Shinji stared at her, blinking rapidly. 'Is…is that supposed to be her way of saying she likes me?' he thought to himself.

Asuka sighed before speaking again. "It's not easy for me to say…but I can show you. " She stopped again, turning back towards Shinji. "First, though…do you trust me?"

Shinji took a few moments to consider her question. She had hurt him earlier (and even quite a bit before)…but she wasn't actually a malicious person. 'I trust her when we're piloting, and that's life-or-death for real, so…' he thought, coming to a decision. "Y-yeah, I do."

"Then close your eyes for me," Asuka said, barely a whisper and swallowing hard after. "Please?"

'Second time today, she must be serious,' Shinji mused, nodding his head and closing his eyes. When he felt a wisp of hot air near his face, he almost asked Asuka what she was doing…but that thought was lost on him as he felt the familiar sensation of her lips on his. It wasn't like last night's brutish, animalistic actions: this was more like what happened after Mt. Asama, a memory that greatly warmed his heart. Realizing she wasn't going to pull back after a few seconds, he relaxed into the moment and slowly explored her mouth with his tongue, which elicited a surprised moan from the redhead. He felt her put one hand on the back of his head, so he matched her by putting his palms along her cheeks. Opening his eyes, he saw that she was already looking at him through a heavy-lidded gaze.

Asuka slowly pulled back after several moments, letting a long thin line of saliva hang between them before it broke away. "Do you understand now, Shinji?" she asked after some deep breaths.

Shinji considered her question before answering honestly. "No," he said with a short laugh. "I've never been so…confused."

"Then at least we have that in common," Asuka shot back. Noticing his blank stare, she shrugged and went on. "Shinji, there are some things even I don't have the answers for…if you can believe that." She put her right hand over his. "And I think this is one of those. I don't know why it has to be you…but I know that it has to be." She smiled at him, one of the few genuinely warm smiles he had seen her give. "But that's okay with me. Maybe we're not supposed to know. Maybe…all we're supposed to do is keep our heads above water. Now…do you get that?"

Shinji smiled back her just as warmly, feeling a little light-headed. "Loud and clear, Asuka."

"I guess from here, we just…see what happens," Asuka finished. "We'll figure it out along the way, okay?" Shinji slowly nodded, never looking away from her. "Good boy," she said, pulling away completely before her line of sight went elsewhere. "Well, well…someone seemed to wake up from that, ja?"

Shinji's eyes followed hers until they saw the tent now pitched in his shorts. 'My erections have the worst timing, I swear,' he thought amusedly. "I…ah, guess I c-can't help it…" he mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"I can tell," Asuka said with a smirk. "You know…" she began in a breathy voice, "I'm here, you're here…and quite ready…we both know Misato's a pretty heavy sleeper…" She trailed off, reaching forward to touch his hard-on with her right index finger through the thin layers of fabric. "What do you say, Shinji? Ready for a second round? Maybe doing even better this time?"

"R-really? N…ah, mmm…now?" Shinji asked before he could think, her prodding continuing to make him shudder and tingle all over.

"No better time," Asuka countered, pulling her hand away. "We did just decide that we both enjoyed doing these things with each other and want to keep that up, didn't we?" Shinji managed to get control of himself long enough to think her words over before nodding. "Then, really, why not just jump right in?"

Shinji sat quietly, considering just how much had changed within only the last twenty-four hours. He had lost his virginity to the girl he had a crush on, he had been equally hurt and helped by said girl, and she was now asking him to go again…as well as implying that the kissing and sex were to be regular occurrences from now on. 'Just getting to kiss her like that again would be enough,' he finally thought. Nodding while smiling at her again, he realized that she had been right earlier: this was like keeping your head above water, you just have to keep breathing.

-End-

Author's Notes: Another three years, another return with a lemon story…this is beginning to become a routine for me, innit? Quick behind-the-scenes fun fact: for about a week leading up to its release, this story went under the tentative titles Paint a Vulgar Picture and Love→Building On Fire (because The Smiths and Talking Heads, that's why). I'm more partial to the final choice…but you have to admit, either of those would have been just as appropriate, eh?

I think I had wanted to begin this one almost as soon as I finished Hands All Over, but didn't entirely know where to go with it…at the time. Given the gap between the two, you can guess that it went through more than a few versions. In particular, this is the contents of three or four different stories (the original HAO sequel idea, some bits you didn't see from the end of The Ikari Identity chapter 2, an unfinished songfic tentatively titled What Would Happen…?, etc.) that managed to coalesce into one. Hmm, fanfiction Instrumentality…I guess that's one way to consider it, I suppose?

Mainly, though, I wanted to continue with where Shinji and Asuka had gone previously, giving plenty of time between to crank the sexual tension knob up way past the point it should have been good for either of them. And of course, we veer back into (kinda) A/S territory by the end…but not quite into that sweet, sweet deep end just yet. After all, canonically, would either of them know/remember what love is/feels like? Yeah, I didn't think so. So here, we have to settle for them not knowing why it all feels right…just that it does to them. And hey, if that leaves you wanting, think of it this way: they may get there in time…provided canon events don't royally fuck things up (which, given any version of Evangelion, is quite likely).

As per my last few tales, this one was supervised/reworked/poked fun at/assisted/gone over by Ash. She (again) also did quite a lot of the work when it came to Asuka's perspective of things, as well as suggesting the first scene's boredom-induced roaming-hands self-love…so thank her if you like those bits. Heh, I know I did.

Oh yeah…those girls on TV in the first scene, the band of young women? That'd be Mitsumi and her sisters. I just had to sneak that cameo in, really. I don't think they will be showing up in Omakes anymore (like I said after The Ayanami Sanctions), but that doesn't mean I can't have them show up here and there in future works somewhere. If any of you are thinking, 'Hey, weren't there only five of them?', you'd be right: one of those women is supposed to represent Ash herself. And no, you're not supposed to know which one.

Speaking of that first scene again: I mentioned in the Disclaimer that I'd attribute the songs above to their respective artists. Okay, in order of their inclusion: The Trick is to Keep Breathing (this story's namesake) by Garbage, Behind the Wheel (with lyrics slightly altered by Ash, exactly how she likes to sing it) by Depeche Mode and Tabazan (also subtly changed by Ash) by Killing Joke. Go check Wikipedia for further rights/credits attributing, this part of the A/N has been long enough as-is.

And yes, for those of you wondering: that means that you just witnessed Asuka masturbating while a Killing Joke song, of all things played. Make of that thought what you will. Hey, at least it wasn't Divinyls…

…you know, now that I think about it…if this were a video game or movie (particularly Marvel), this would be the part were there would be a bonus scene or hidden ending for those who sat through the credits. Well, I kind of did an extra little thing…

-Achievement Unlocked!: Secret Hidden Ending Omake!-

"Well, that's good," Asuka whispered, moving her hand back from Shinji's lap while reaching out and placing both hands on his shoulders. "Otherwise, this part would feel even weirder."

Shinji was quickly pulled from his nervousness/arousal by the Second Child's words. But as he looked at her confused, and before he could ask what she meant, the boy felt a sharp pain in his neck. Stifling a yelp of shock, he only managed to squeak out, "What the hel-" before he felt his world go black.

Slowly regaining his senses after an unknown amount of time, Shinji opened his eyes only to find more blackness around him. Attempting to reach up only told him that his wrists were bound as well. "W-what the…Asuka, what is this?" he asked groggily, most of his body feeling quite heavy.

"Ah good, you're up again," Asuka's voice came to him, her tone quiet and normal. "That didn't last too long, now did it?"

Something about how nonchalantly she answered made Shinji feel genuinely scared. "Where are we? What did you do?"

"Be a little quieter," Asuka ordered, sounding not too far away, "or you'll go and wake Misato for sure." There was a short pause before she continued. "We are in my room, for one. You weren't that hard to drag in here, actually. And two, that was just a little prick with…well, you don't need to know the specifics, just that it won't hurt you. Well, except for the injection." Another pause, this time Shinji felt movement around him as he realized he was on her bed…and she had stripped him naked while he was unconscious. "As to the why…" the redhead explained, "we did say we were going to continue to explore things sexually just now, didn't we?"

"Uh…yeah…" Shinji answered, swallowing hard as his mouth went dry. This couldn't be going anywhere good. Then again, she did mention sex.

"Well, this is one of those 'things'," Asuka went on. "And I can guarantee you, we have so much to try from here. Just the tip of the iceberg, Ikari. Now for the reveal…"

Shinji felt the blindfold being pulled from his head, and slowly waited for his eyes to readjust to the darkness. As they did, he caught sight of Asuka standing next to the bed, dressed in nothing but a pair of panties…except that said underwear also sported a more-than-fair-sized rubber phallus. "A-Asuka…what…w-what are y-you planning?"

"I think it should be obvious," Asuka shot back, tilting her head slightly and smiling sadistically. "This is your congratulations for losing your v-card, Shinji: now it's your turn to be the girl." She folded the small piece of fabric in her hands into a smaller shape and reached toward the now-scared Third Child, lightly-but-firmly placing it into his open mouth. "Now, you may want to bite down. Otherwise, I'm sure Misato will definitely wake up from the screaming."

Shinji shook his head and tried to cry out as the redhead approached and rolled him over, but it didn't do him much good: Asuka was well and truly in charge of everything for the time being. And we do mean everything. He was going to be quite sore come morning…

-End Omake-

…I regret nothing about that. Not. One. Thing.

As said above, pre-read and then some was done by Ash. Thanks again, ma'am. Now next release, let's try something a bit different tonally…

As usual: good comments will be appreciated, bad ones will be ignored (or kept for firewood). But I do favor good/helpful criticism, so send it my way! And review! Even if it's not positive, review!

Until our paths next cross,
-AngelNo13Bardiel-