DISCLAIMER: Nope, still don't own Evangelion or its characters, blah blah blah…why are you even reading this? I didn't think anyone stops for these anymore… And as for timeline placement, this would occur during the episode 15 "kiss scene".

SHOW, DON'T TELL

"Hey, Shinji…wanna kiss me?" Asuka asked, sounding bored.

The words made Shinji Ikari look up at the redheaded girl and remove the earpieces to his S-DAT player from their place. Misato had left earlier to attend a wedding, leaving him and the sometimes-volatile Second Child alone. The night had passed slowly, both of them bored and neither saying anything to the other. But after visiting his mother's grave earlier that day and having a rather cold conversation with Commander Ikari, the boy hadn't been in much of a mood to talk.

"Huh?" Shinji asked dumbly. 'I had to have imagined that…' he thought.

Asuka lifted her head from the table and turned to look at him. The idea had came to her both as a relief for boredom and a little "test" for the Third Child. 'Maybe I can get a good reaction out of him,' she thought teasingly. "You know, kissing," she asked. "Ever done it before?"

Shinji shook his head. 'What is she up to?' he thought, not liking where this was going.

"Then, let's kiss," Asuka said, leaning one arm on the back of her chair.

"Uh…why?" Shinji asked hurriedly. In truth, he had wanted to for a while. But, being the fatalist he is, decided that it was well beyond reason to look forward to anything like that.

"Because I don't have anything better to do," Asuka answered with a sly grin.

"That's your reason?" Shinji said, this whole conversation feeling a little strange to him. "Weird…"

Asuka noticed his odd expression and began to press on, wanting to see how far this could go. "Aww, what's the matter? You don't want to kiss a girl on the anniversary of your mother's death?" she asked in a fake sweet tone. "Are you afraid that she might be watching us from Heaven?"

"No, that's not it…" Shinji said, realizing this was just another of the girl's attempts to tease him.

"Or…are you afraid?" Asuka finished. 'Heh, he'll back down right about now,' she thought, liking the feeling of another victory.

Shinji had always felt a need to stand up to her occasional insult or tease, but never acted on those thoughts. Now, on the other hand, he decided would be a good time. 'Might even make her back down,' he thought. Standing up, he tried to put on the most serious face he could. "I am not!" he said aloud. "Pucker up!" he said, a small adrenaline rush beginning to course through his system.

Asuka was, to say the least, highly surprised at his sudden surge of bravery, although she kept from looking it on the outside. 'Hmm…this ought to be good,' she mused. "Alright," she said, nodding slightly. "You brushed your teeth?"

Shinji nodded, already steeling himself for anything she would try. 'Too late to back out now,' he told himself…although on the inside, it didn't do much to stop his anxiousness.

"Then here I come," Asuka said with confidence and took a few steps closer to the boy.

Coming within inches of each other's faces, the blush on Shinji's face became clearer than it had been a minute earlier. Just as Asuka was about to close the distance, he breathed slightly. Asuka shivered a little at the sensation and felt some of her resolve slip. 'Wait, what if I…enjoy this?' she asked herself, not really wanting to know the answer. 'Sure, he's not that bad-looking…for a little boy,' she continued, already trying to cover up her nervousness. 'Oh well…can't stop here, he's not going to.'

"Your breath is tickling me," she said finally, having come up with a way to solve her inner conflict. Before Shinji could react, she quickly clamped two fingers over his nose and pressed her lips to his.

The sensation was…different than either would have been led to believe. Despite having his air cut off, Shinji was enjoying the feeling. It wasn't exactly earth-shattering, but it was something he had been wanting to do. Asuka was also enjoying the awkward kiss, albeit in a different way. It was unlike anything she had felt before. Even the small breath that had tickled her had actually been pleasant, but Heaven forbid she was going to tell him that.

They held like that for a few seconds before Shinji felt the urge to be a little bold, although he would be risking some physical pain. He reached to the hand Asuka was using to keep his nose closed and removed it, intertwining their fingers. Taking the initiative, he snaked his tongue slightly into Asuka's mouth, causing her to snap her eyes open quickly and break off the kiss. The two teens stood there for a minute, each looking the other in the eyes and trying to catch their breath.

Finally, Shinji blinked a couple of times and fumbled for words. "Uh, um…Asuka, I…I…I'm sorry!" he quickly blurted, walking into the living room and seating himself on the couch. 'Why did I do that?' he asked himself, his mind blank and his heartbeat elevated. 'Sure, I've been wanting to do that, but…I think I overdid it.' he thought, closing his eyes for the imminent retaliation.

Asuka, on the other hand, still stood in the kitchen. She reached up to feel her lips, already missing the sensations that had coursed through her body, even though her mind wanted to deny them completely. 'That was…very nice,' she thought, feeling a little light-headed. 'And I even made him go through with it. Although there for a second at the end…' she stopped that line of thinking there, not wanting to believe she had just enjoyed kissing Shinji Ikari…a great deal.

A small part of Asuka's mind had wondered what that would be like, and harbored a small inkling of interest in the boy. After that, however, she wondered if maybe that part had been right all along. 'No, no, no,' she repeated, shaking her head. 'He's…just a little boy, unlike Kaji. But he tried to deepen that kiss, maybe he…' She stopped her thinking then and broke out of her trance, looking for Shinji. She found him sitting on the couch, his eyes shut tight. "Hey idiot," she said, although without much conviction behind the usual insult.

Shinji opened his eyes and looked up at Asuka, not being able to hide the bright blush on his face. "You…you're not going to…" he tried to get out, surprised she didn't look really angry.

Asuka sighed and shook her head. "Just move over for a second," she said flatly. "I think we need to talk."

Shinji nodded slightly and moved a few inches over as the girl sat down and took a few deep breaths.

"Okay," Asuka began, giving him a deadly serious look straight in the eye. "You have one chance to explain yourself."

Shinji collected whatever remained of his earlier nerve and thought his words through carefully. "Well, I suppose I should begin by saying I'm sor-"

Asuka raised a hand to his mouth, cutting off the rest of that sentence. "Finish that and I'll give you a black eye," she said, lowering the hand. "Now continue."

Shinji released the breath he'd been subconsciously holding and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I…I don't really know what to say," he began, his voice scared and low. "I guess I had just wanted to do that for so long…and you seemed to like it…"

"Hang on just a minute," Asuka interrupted. "You've been wanting to kiss me?" she asked, the idea never really having ran through her mind.

Shinji nodded slowly. "Yeah…for a couple of months now," he said, felling his face warm up even more. "I just thought…I had found my chance…"

"Chance for what?" Asuka asked, getting anxious.

"…to show you how I feel," Shinji finished, turning away from her. "I-I really like you, Asuka…I just figured…just maybe that," he trailed off, hanging his head. "Ah, who was I kidding? Not like I'd get anywhere there."

Asuka sat quietly for several minutes after his confession. The redhead had thought she'd seen Shinji give her occasional looks before, thinking he was watching her. 'I guess that wasn't my imagination,' she mused. Watching the Third Child for a second, she could tell he wasn't too far from shedding tears. 'Damn…I didn't think it meant that much to him,' she thought, feeling a little guilty of playing off his feelings earlier.

Although in the back of her mind, Asuka was having an argument of sorts with herself. 'He is a nice guy, I guess,' she thought, 'but I can't take the chance of getting close. I could be hurt again…' Several such conflicting thoughts ran through her head while they sat in a long silence. Looking back over at the saddened boy, she made a final decision. 'I guess…I won't find out if I don't take some risks,' she concluded. "Shinji…" she said softly.

Shinji sighed and turned back to face her. Looking into her face, he saw the scared little girl under her facade he'd seen one night before. "Yes?" he asked hesitantly.

"Do you want to kiss me…for real?" Asuka asked, her voice a bit uneven.

Shinji blinked a few times and looked down again. "You're just toying with me again…" he said under his breath.

"No," Asuka answered, "I mean it this time."

Shinji raised his head sharply at that. "Are you…serious?" he asked, swallowing heavily.

Asuka nodded and edged towards him a little. "I…I just need to make sure of something," she said quietly.

"Which is?" Shinji asked.

Sighing, Asuka continued. "I guess we'll just see…" she managed before quickly beginning their second kiss of the evening.

This one was much less awkward than the first had been, the both of them enjoying the new sense of closeness. After a few tentative seconds, Asuka began to probe the boy's mouth with her tongue. Shinji shivered a little at the feeling and began to do the same in return. He ran the back of his right hand across her face, enjoying the soft feeling of her skin and the scent of her hair as much as this kiss. 'Strawberries…' he thought through a haze. Asuka was enjoying the attention he was giving her immensely. 'He's really gentle,' she thought, 'like I'm the most fragile thing ever.' After a couple of heated minutes, the two separated to catch their breath. After a few seconds, Asuka yawned and shifted a little, laying her head on his left shoulder.

Shinji just sat, continuing to wonder if he was daydreaming again or not. After pinching himself to make sure, he looked down at the girl to his side. "So…does this mean anything has changed between us?" he managed to ask, smiling for the first time that day.

Asuka looked up at him. "You might say that. But don't go assuming anything yet," she said, pausing there to yawn again. "There's…still a lot I need to decide. I like being close like this, but…"

"…but what?" Shinji pressed.

"…the last time I was close to someone," Asuka continued, "it ended up hurting me. I never wanted to be close to anyone again."

Shinji laid his head on hers and said, "Well, I can tell you one thing."

"Hmm?" Asuka said sleepily.

"I'll never hurt you on purpose," Shinji finished. "I promise." After awaiting a response for a few minutes, Shinji looked down and noticed that the redhead had fallen asleep on his arm. "Just like a real angel…" he thought aloud, giving her delicate features a close look. Yawning and feeling the lull of sleep come to him, Shinji laid his head back and closed his eyes. 'I guess this was a good day, after all…' was his last thought before falling asleep himself…

Asuka awoke to the sound of her alarm clock. Sitting up, she noticed that she was in her own bed and that she was still wearing the same shirt and shorts she'd worn the night before. Then the events of the previous night came back to her. The kiss…the closeness…all of it. 'He asked if things had changed between us…I still need to give him an answer,' she remembered. "I wonder how I got back here?" she asked herself. Looking over to her dresser, she saw a folded piece of paper.

Getting to her feet and stretching, Asuka walked over and picked the item up. The note had the words 'For Asuka' on the shown side. Unfolding it, she began to read…

Asuka,

I just want to thank you for last night. I'm not sure how you feel, but…well, I already explained it to you. I meant what I said, though: I really like you a lot, and I hope we can talk more about it tomorrow.

A little while after you fell asleep, Kaji brought Misato home. Apparently, she'd drank a little too much and had to be carried back to the apartment. I was a little embarrassed when he noticed how we'd fallen asleep, but I explained that I couldn't tell him about it in full. I want to keep that a secret between us…at least, for now. But he said we made a nice couple, I just hope that's true. He gave me a little advice about that, in his way. I know how you feel towards him and…I kinda wish you felt like that towards me. But somehow…I feel that I don't have to worry much there.

If you're wondering how you got back in your room, I managed to carry you. You're lighter than I thought, I'll say that. I made sure you were nice and comfortable before leaving. To be honest…I watched you for a few minutes before going. You're even more beautiful in your sleep…

As far as I'm concerned, you are the most beautiful thing I've met. Along with strong-willed and intelligent…although I know there are some flaws, I can accept those easily. Hell, what happened earlier still feels like a bit of a dream. Like this song I once heard: "Did I have a dream, or did the dream have me?" At the moment, I feel like it's the latter.

On a last note, a few seconds after you fell asleep, I made both you and myself a promise: I would never hurt you on purpose or let anything hurt you again. I'm not sure if I can hold myself to that…but I'm willing to try. I just want to prove to you that I care. And I hope you can see just how much I do.

Shinji

Asuka smiled brightly after reading the note. She had once promised herself she'd never cry again, but that had almost made her break it. She could tell he put a lot into the words on the paper, and last night had also proven them in a way. 'Maybe I just might give him an answer, then,' she thought.

Looking over to the clock, Asuka noticed it wouldn't be that long before school began. 'Hmm, not quite enough time for a talk now,' she thought, removing a uniform from her closet and setting it out on her bed. She then walked quietly out of her door and towards Shinji's room. Opening the door and slipping inside, she noticed that he was still asleep. Closing the door and walking over towards the bed, she shook him a few times.

"Shinji…Shinji…" Asuka whispered. "Wake up…"

Shinji cracked open his eyes and sat up after a few minutes, looking up at the girl. "Morning Asuka," he said groggily. "I guess this means you read the note," he said with a small smile.

Asuka just smiled and leaned down towards him. "We'll let this answer for me," she said. And with that, she planted a soft kiss on his lips, only holding it for a few seconds. "Now get up, you lazy boy," she said in a mocking tone of her usual self. Walking back to the door, she turned around before leaving and flashed him a smile. "We'll talk about it later, okay?" she asked.

Shinji nodded and watched her walk out of the room and heard her own door open and close. Falling back on his bed, the boy looked at the ceiling and sighed heavily. 'I guess the risks were worth it,' he mused before beginning to ready himself for another usual day…although usual days would promise to be different from now on.

*****THE END*****

A/N: Yeah, I know…you've read six or seven dozen just like it. Well, oh well. The idea for this one came to me a few days ago and wouldn't go away until I'd written it in full. And in my opinion, if it's something I want to read, I'll write it. That's just how I've always done fics. But in all honesty, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I do this for the fans (and my own immense liking of this pairing).

As an aside, I would like to thank everyone who has read my previous works and enjoyed them. Think of this one as my present to you.

Nope, no Omake here either. Like SOT, I figured the fic would have more of an effect if it didn't have one. So if anyone misses Mitsumi and her sisters…I'm sorry. Hopefully, we'll hear more from them in another fic (and they're kinda on tour right now).

As for more fics from me…well, this one popped up on short notice, so there might be a chance of that in the future. Just keep your eyes open for more.

Pre-read for this fic was done by King Alar. Thanks for the help and criticism, man.

As of the fourteenth of June in 2010, I have updated all of my fics...AGAIN. Not to worry, it's mostly just small alterations/edits and spelling/grammar fixes.

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!

Until next our paths cross,

-AngelNo13Bardiel-