DISCLAIMER: 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 canon applies here, nothing Rebuild-centric. This story is a sequel to Where Boys Fear to Tread (a little while after we last left those two, to be exact). And we all know what that means: here be lemon content; those under 18 should probably head elsewhere (though we all know you won't…you perverts). Lastly, "this" is speech and 'this' is thoughts. I think that covers everything, let's get right into it!

-Tango in the Night-

The elevator stopped with a harsh jolt, more than either of its occupants expected. "Didn't think it would be that much," Asuka Langley Sohryu mused while moving her hand away from the emergency stop and turning back to the other person there with a gleam in her eyes and a smirk. "Shall we?"

Shinji Ikari nodded, slowly dropping the bags he'd been carrying before moving toward her, her arms circling around his neck while his arms immediately wrapped around her midsection and pressing his lips lightly but firmly to hers. The trip back to the apartment building had been a long and silent one as both teens had been contemplating what had happened in that changing room just over an hour ago.

Well…that, and trying not to continue said actions out in public. Hormones could be a real pain in the ass sometimes.

Asuka moaned lightly as Shinji moved his mouth away from hers and down the redhead's slender neck, leaving tiny kisses and suckles all the way. He stopped just before getting past her neckline, running his tongue along her collarbone. She gasped softly, moving her hands through his hair and down along his upper back. "Getting…better at this a-all the time…ahh…aren't you?" she whispered heavily, watching as he moved back up to meet her eye-to-eye again. "How do you think we should do it this time?"

"N-not here," Shinji stuttered, pausing to quickly meet his tongue to Asuka's. "Much too exposed."

"Oh, like we weren't earlier?" Asuka teased, quickly followed by giggling as Shinji tried (and failed) to make a verbal comeback and only managed to squirm under the question. "I was only joking, baka," she reassured him, placing her arms around his neck again and lifting her right leg to hook around his waist. "Obviously, we take this back to the apartment," she breathed sensually, about as close as they could get without becoming one. "But how to go about it, hmm?"

"The shower?" Shinji offered. Both thought it over for a few seconds before shaking their heads in unison. "Right…last time was pretty…um…" Asuka nodded as he trailed off, remembering when they'd tried that previously. While there was plenty of room to work with, the tile wasn't the most sound-absorbing material…and there was that whole matter of the water (along with soap and shampoo) making everything far too slippery…to the point where, mid-coitus, both teens had ended up unceremoniously splayed out on the bathroom floor. Needless to say, they had not continued in that room.

"The kitchen, then? We haven't tried that yet," Asuka countered. Shinji's face scrunched into an unimpressed frown. "Oh, yeah…I guess that is your area and all…" the Second Child realized very quickly. 'No one wants to fuck where they work, after all. Then again, an EVA entry plug could be a lot of fun,' she thought with some amusement. 'Shame that would never happen.'

"Middle of the living room?" Asuka jokingly asked.

"…n-not as exposed as right here, but still…" Shinji replied.

"The balcony?"

"Asuka…"

"Misato's room?"

"Asuka…"

"Pen-Pen's fridge?"

"Asu-…you're joking, I hope. Please tell me you're only joking."

Asuka stuck out her tongue at Shinji. "Of course I am. Just wanted to see how you reacted."

"Not funny," he said quietly before sighing. "I guess we'll just…figure it out in a while."

"So we will," Asuka replied, disentangling herself from him before letting out a heavy breath. "We should probably try and make ourselves not look like were just dry-humping in an elevator. Never know who might be around, right?"

Shinji nodded, both moving back away from each other and straightening out their clothing and hair before taking a few deep breaths. He picked up their bags from where he'd dropped them just a while ago before looking up at Asuka and nodding, the redhead restarting the elevator right after. The two waited as it finally reached their floor, stepping out just as the doors opened. "Looks like we got back a little late," the Third Child noted, seeing the sun begin to set in the distance.

"Only a little," Asuka retorted. "Still early enough for Misato to not be back yet." The truth was that…well, their relationship wasn't known to anyone else. People could tell they were closer, maybe even good friends…but not beyond that. 'It's just easier that way,' she reminded herself. Things were already complicated enough in their lives, something like this being known about by their friends or NERV itself would be a little too much.

As they approached the door to Misato's apartment, both teens tensed up slightly. A little bit from readying themselves in case their guardian was home already, a little from anticipation for another chance to enjoy some carnal delights. "We're home," Shinji and Asuka said together, hoping that no one would answer them. Just after closing the door behind them, both felt some relief that they had not been answered. 'Just a little bit longer now,' the girl thought, their making-out in the stopped elevator putting her well in the mood for more.

Too bad that wasn't to happen just yet. "Hi guys, welcome back," Misato Katsuragi said as she stepped into the living room from the hallway, a towel wrapped around her curvy body and another currently being used to dry her hair. "Sorry I didn't answer right away, I just got out of the bath," she explained, finishing with a wink. "Man, that always feels sooo good. Especially after another long day of work."

"Paperwork, you mean," Asuka chimed in, trying her best to hide the annoyance in her voice. 'Verdammt Misato, you just had to get back early, didn't you?'

'Hey, paperwork can be just as taxing as physical labor," Misato countered, walking into the kitchen and retrieving a can of Yebisu from the refrigerator. "Trust me, it's murder on my eyes some days." She cracked the can and drank half of it down in one long gulp, letting out a loud cheer afterwards. "Nothing like it after a good cleansing, know what I mean?"

"Uh…yeah, sure," Shinji answered, shaking his head after once more seeing her after-bath ritual. "Don't you think you should at least get dressed first?"

"What's the matter, Shinji-kun?" Misato asked in an exaggerated, teasing manner. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" She leaned in to give him just barely an eyeful of cleavage. "I thought you'd be used to it by now…"

Asuka let out a loud sigh upon watching their guardian parade around like a cheap escort. "Are you trying to burn out what little brain he has?" she scolded the older woman. "Or are you just hoping he'll prove what a hentai he is?" Leaning across the table, she continued. "Or maybe…maybe you're offering yourself to him, hmm?"

"Now you know Shinji's not that kind of boy," Misato shot back, enjoying the light ribbing she was giving her charges. "What, are you afraid I'm going to take him from you? Show him what older women know?"

"As if," Asuka replied with a snort. "We're roommates, coworkers and friends…not anything like what you're implying, Major."

"Asuka…Misato…come on," Shinji cut in, trying to get the two females to stop their disagreement-of-sort. He had mainly tuned out the preceding events, having gotten used to listening to a lot of teasing from either woman and their occasional argument.

"Hey, I'm only having a little fun," Misato told him, waving a hand dismissively. "Oh, she certainly made you work today, Shinji," she said, noticing the bags he was carrying. "Hopefully not too much that you couldn't make dinner, right?"

Shinji gave a light laugh and set the bags down, scratching at the back of his head. "Of course not," he answered. "It just took a few hours, nothing too bad. I'll have something ready in an hour or so."

Misato leaned across the table to ruffle Shinji's hair with her free hand. "Good to hear, because I'm starving," she said, turning away toward her room. "I'm going to get dressed, I'll be back in a few." And with those last words, she shut the door and left the two teens alone again.

Shinji sighed heavily after picking the bags up again. "Guess that rules out what we were planning, huh?" he whispered in disappointment. 'Should've expected it,' he mused to himself, 'but it's not like there won't be time for it again.' He turned around toward Asuka, but didn't speak when he noticed her tense expression. "Uh…right, Asuka?"

Asuka shook herself out of her thoughts upon hearing her name. "Hm? Oh. Yeah. Right," she replied, feeling more than a little irritated. "I guess it's just how it goes sometimes," she said quietly, through slightly clenched teeth while taking the bags from Shinji's grasp and heading for her room.

As the door closed behind her, Asuka had to give herself a moment to take deep breaths. In truth, she wasn't just annoyed with Misato's previous teasing: she was truly upset with the fact that she had been home early at all. That little returning physical urge had returned with a vengeance after their little 'elevator session' and to be robbed of the chance to see it through just…well, it certainly soured her mood, that was certain.

The remainder of the evening had been mostly uneventful, with Misato plopping herself in front of the television while Shinji went to work in the kitchen. Asuka had retired to the bathroom after putting away the day's purchases to take a long hot bath…which also meant having a little 'private alone time' to herself to try and let off some of her previous sexual frustration. It didn't help much, but something was better than nothing. Trying to do it silently had been enough to keep it from being amazing, though…and all around, it only succeeded in making her urge for the actual thing more apparent.

Dinner had also gone by quickly, keeping the small talk of the day brisk and at a minimum. Good thing for that, as Asuka noticed that Shinji was having more than a little trouble keeping his blush from showing at certain times. Luckily, it has only taken a light kick or two to keep his mind from drifting back to…certain things…that had happened. He couldn't be really blamed, though: the redhead had given more than a little consideration to hastily clearing the table and taking him right there and then, Misato be damned.

Eventually, an hour or so after the meal, Misato's mobile rang. "Oh great, now what?" she said grumpily at seeing it was NERV. "Major Katsuragi here," she answered, then listened as the voice on the other end spoke. "Understood, I'll be right there," she replied, closing the phone in one quick motion right after. "Ugh…I hate this job sometimes," she thought aloud before heading into her room, Shinji watching her with a questioning look. She emerged several minutes later, dressed once more in her uniform. "Looks like it's going to be another one of those nights," she explained. "Emergency meeting, more reports…you know how it goes."

"I know," Shinji said, standing from the floor and giving her a small smile. "You've told me enough times before, remember?"

Misato returned his smile and placed a hand on top of his head. "So I have," she responded. "Don't stay up too late, okay? I'll see you both in the morning."

"Alright Misato, we'll see you tomorrow," Shinji replied as she headed for the front door. "Have a good night." Misato turned back and gave him a harsh glare. "Oh, right…poor choice of words," he realized, still smiling. The major's face changed to a smile of her own as she waved goodbye before stepping out of the apartment and into the night.

Asuka, meanwhile, had heard all of this transpire and crept out of her room. She had been standing behind Shinji as Misato had stepped out. The evening after her "bath time" had been just the slow burn of her libido wanting to act on its impulses. Now, with their guardian leaving again, she saw a perfect opportunity.

Shinji let out a heavy sigh as the front door closed. Like Asuka, he had been doing his best to quell the primal urges he'd been feeling since they'd been in the elevator earlier. And, like the Second Child, he was more than ready to continue on from where they'd left off. "Well…that changes things," he thought aloud, turning around to head for his roommate's door…only to find her just a couple of feet behind him. The boy jumped with a start, a loud gasp escaping him before putting a hand over his rapidly-beating heart. "Oh… Asuka," he began, "you almost gave me a heart attack." He paused on noticing her downcast gaze. "So I…uh…guess you heard, huh?" The redhead nodded, raising her head to meet his gaze. "Um…are you still in t-the mood to, uh…" he mumbled, feeling uneasy under her stare. Finally realizing just how hungrily she was looking at him, the Third Child sighed again. "…c-can you at least be gentle about this?"

"No," Asuka said softly before quickly closing the gap between them and all but shoving her tongue into the startled boy's mouth. Shinji quickly recovered and introduced his own tongue to hers. The two swiftly moved from the entryway into the kitchen and against the far wall, pawing and groping at one another. The sound of moans and gasps filled the apartment, both teens roughly making out all the way down the wall and onto the floor.

Shinji hastily pulled up the girl's shirt, finding that she had neglected to put on a bra after her bath. Asuka's small-but-decent-for-her-age breasts were presented to him, the nipples poking straight up towards the ceiling. Taking hold of the left breast, his mouth quickly clasped around the right areola and lightly bit down on the hard nub while pinching the left one. The redhead groaned at the sensations, reaching down and pulling the t-shirt off of the Third Child.

As good as his work on her nipples felt, Asuka pushed Shinji off only a few seconds later so that the two of them could pull themselves up to a sitting position. As their mouths met again, they slowly worked their way over to the living room in a frenzied crawl. "Wh-whose room?" the boy managed to say in-between long languid kisses.

"Don't care," Asuka replied hurriedly, feeling as Shinji kissed at the sides of her neck. "Yours…is c-closer." He nodded against her skin, grabbing up his discarded t-shirt with a free hand. The two teens rose to their feet but never disengaged from their frantic making out, slowly heading over towards the boy's room. As the redhead continued groping at his bare stomach, he reached behind him and opened the door before tumbling inside with the girl in tow.

While all of this had been going on, Pen-Pen had stepped out of his fridge to see what the commotion was. Spotting the two youngest inhabitants of Misato's apartment furiously going at it had been enough to let him know to stay out of sight and keep quiet. Watching them as they made their way into Shinji's room, he let out a shrug (or the penguin equivalent thereof) and was just turning around when he heard a voice call out. "Hey bird!" The avian pet slowly turned back to see Asuka staring at him with a hard glare. "You didn't see anything, got that?" The bird nodded hesitantly, always wary of the redhead's temper. "Good," she replied. "Now…if you see your owner come back, you squawk good and loud. And if you don't…" She narrowed her eyes very menacingly. "…you get stuffed and roasted. Understand?" He hastily nodded before waddling fast back to the safety of his own room.

Asuka closed the door back behind herself, finding Shinji giving her a disapproving look while seated shirtless on his bed. "You didn't have to tell him that," he chastised her.

"Hey, whatever gets the point across," Asuka answered with a shrug. "Now…where were we?" she breathed out, quickly pulling her own shirt off and moving toward Shinji, leaping onto his lap and resuming their previous oral actions. They broke away after just a few moments, both panting heavily. "Mmm…I think someone's ready to play," she spoke amusedly upon feeling the tenting in his shorts.

Shinji smirked back at her, wiping away a few sweaty strands of hair from her face. "Well, what do you think we should do about that?" he teased back.

"Release," Asuka stated in a sexy voice. She took her time in lacing her fingers into her panties' waistband and pulling them down, all the while staring Shinji in the eyes. 'No matter how many times, he's always so enthralled to see my little kätzchen,' she thought humorously. Stepping out of the undergarment and sliding it across the floor with one swift motion, she crept over to the boy's anxious body and leaned over him, propping herself up on her arms. "But one thing first…"

"W-what?" Shinji voice quivered just a bit at her tone. As much as they had been intimate, he could never quite get used to moments like this.

"You have to finish what you started earlier in the dressing room," Asuka finally said after a long pause. She put a hand on Shinji's chest and slowly made him lie back, climbing over him as he went. She stopped just as her crotch met his chin. "Now…please…" she said with a heavy breath, using her arms to hold herself up.

Shinji took the hint and started lapping at her vagina, careful to avoid the sensitive little knob that would end things just a might too early. He took hold of her thighs and worked his tongue in and out of Asuka, already knowing just how she liked it. The Third Child ran his lips along her own before resuming his tongue's motions up and down the length of her slit.

Asuka, meanwhile, moaned and jerked and bucked her hips repeatedly, feeling and enjoying every last movement of her lover's appendage. Many half-formed words died on her lips, mixing the three different languages she knew. She threw her body forward, moving her arms from behind her to above Shinji's head. In doing so, she brushed the tip of her clitoris against his nose and sent a cascade of pleasure down her spine. The redhead jolted with a start and a loud moan, her arms losing some of their strength and causing her to wobble on them.

And that was the same moment that Shinji had decided to work on that particular part of her. His tongue brushed over and over against her sensitive little button, sending Asuka into an overload of feelings. The next moment gave her a bit more than she was ready for, though: the Third Child buried his tongue as deeply into her as he could while moving his left hand around and sticking its index finger into her asshole.

Before she could protest at the intrusion, Asuka felt her entire body go rigid and let out a choked raspy moan for several seconds as every muscle clenched and her sight went blurry. Shinji wasn't entirely ready for her reaction, however, as his tongue and finger were trapped inside as the girl's orgasm peaked.

Almost thirty seconds later, the strength in her arms finally gone, Asuka flopped down heavily onto Shinji's bed just slightly above him. The boy sat up, wiping his chin and mouth with his discarded shirt, and moved to her side. "Asuka?" he asked, finding the look in her eyes blank and unfocused. "A-are you alright?"

"What…what the hell was that?" Asuka finally said quietly after several silent seconds. "What the fuck has gotten into you?" she said a little louder, sounding actually somewhat angry.

"S-sorry…" Shinji told her, nervously rubbing the back of his head. "I just…wanted to try something different, I guess?" He hung his head, a little embarrassed at her reaction.

"I just wish you'd have warned me first," Asuka replied, putting her right arm over her eyes and trying to slow her breathing. "I don't really appreciate being surprised by someone trying to turn me into their personal finger puppet." She paused, letting out a very deep breath. "But that…that was the most powerful I've ever come." She looked back at Shinji. "Very good work, baka."

"Sure thing, Asuka," Shinji answered, pulling her back into a sitting position. "I'm just…happy that I could make you feel that good."

"Then that makes me happy, too," Asuka admitted, smiling at him all the while. "So…you still ready for the real thing?"

"Are you?" Shinji countered. "You, uh…were out of it there for a bit after you came."

"Pfft, don't underestimate a woman's ability to be ready for sex, dummy," Asuka said, her voice breathy and whisper-thin. "I'm only getting warmed up." She slowly worked her way to the edge of the bed before turning herself around, setting her feet back on the ground and turning around to present her rear out in the dark of the room. "Don't hesitate too long, or you might miss your opportunity."

Shinji shook his head at her attitude and stood up, moving over to his dresser to find something hidden in the top drawer. He still remembered when they had procured these, Asuka opting to sneak them out of a convenience store. Not the most legal of options, but far less mortifying than either of them going in to actually buy the prophylactics.

Taking one of the condoms out of its box before setting the container down on his desk, Shinji tore its packaging loose and quickly pulled down his shorts and boxers before unrolling the latex over his well-ready cock. Positioning himself behind Asuka, he was just about to enter when she spoke up. "Do go a little slowly. I'm still a bit tender, you know?"

"Okay…" Shinji reassured her before ever-so-gently pushing his penis into her pussy. As soon as he was fully inside, Asuka trembled under him with a soft moan. Giving her a few moments before moving, he leaned forward and laid soft kisses on her shoulder and upper back while wrapping his arms around her midsection. "Ready now?" he asked after just over a minute.

Asuka nodded, raising herself onto her hands and elbows. "Yeah, as much as I will be," she replied, turning her head slightly. "Just don't go putting anything else in my ass." She turned back and finished quietly. "Not this time, at least."

Shinji unwrapped his arms from around Asuka, placing his hands back on her hips and began to slowly exit and reenter her. His grunts and her moans soon filled the bedroom, the two of them grinding against one another with slowly-increasing speed. The redhead's breasts bounced in time with their motions, the Third Child taking hold of them and kneading the soft flesh tenderly as she groaned appreciatively. The two continued on like this for several sweaty minutes before both teens' legs felt weak and they ended up moving down to their knees, still humping and moaning frantically.

Only a few more moments passed before Shinji could feel that familiar sensation as he knew his orgasm was close. "A-Asuka…" he managed to say, "I…I'm gonna c-come…"

"Just a…ahh…mmm…little bit l-longer," Asuka replied in between moans, her top half still laying on Shinji's bed. She mover her hips faster against his, hoping to hurry along her own second release of the night. Less than twenty seconds later, she gasped heavily and spoke up again. "Ooh…n-now! Now!" she pleaded. The boy wasted no time, tightening his grip on the Second Child and speeding up his own actions before the inevitable happened. The redhead finally came again, her vagina tightening down on his cock, which in turn caused his own orgasm. As both teens grunted and groaned while finishing, they slid off the bed and down onto the floor, lying against each other and breathing hard.

Asuka was the first to catch her breath and find her voice. "Gott…" she said in a shaky voice, wiping away a few strands of sweaty hair from her forehead. "Even better than earlier today…" Shinji raised his head to meet her eyes, still trying to catch his breath. "Getting better all the time, Shinji."

"Y-yeah…" Shinji thought aloud, his mind in its post-orgasm high. "Still feels…amazing…" Shaking his head, he looked over at Asuka. "You were incredible, too."

"Of course I was," Asuka beamed, smirking all the while, "it's me we're talking about. I never do anything half-assed." She laid her head back on the floor once again and sighed, still tired from just moments ago. "No wonder they invented they invented the phrase, 'better than sex'," she thought aloud, reaching her right hand to take hold of Shinji's left.

"Hey Asuka?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember how this began?"

Asuka looked up at Shinji. It had been nearly an hour since their lovemaking had ended, both of them now lying nude on his bed with her head resting against his abdomen. "Of course I do, baka," she said softly, propping her chin on his side. "Why are you asking?"

Shinji shrugged, giving a slight smile. "I was just thinking about how unreal this would have been just a few months ago…"

"You mean when we first met, ja?" Asuka questioned, to which he nodded in reply. "Yeah, I know." She laid her head back down on him. "First impressions aren't everything, I suppose."

"But mainly I was thinking about that night," Shinji continued, pausing to cast his eyes to Asuka. "You know which one, right? The last day of synch training?"

Asuka smiled as she recalled those memories. "I'm amazed you knew what the Wall of Jericho was."

"Or, more appropriately, what you meant by it," Shinji subtly corrected her.

"Yeah, that too," Asuka replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "I was wrong about you then. You weren't as dumb as I first thought."

"The quieter you are, the more you learn," Shinji told her. "And when I went in there and laid down just a few feet from you-"

"I was so surprised that I couldn't even protest you coming into the room," Asuka cut him off, easily remembering how events unfolded. "I thought you were just going to lie down right there silently and not bring it up…"

Shinji spoke up as she paused. "All I did was ask 'why?' Just that one word."

"And I was still in such surprise that you'd actually picked up on what I'd hinted at," Asuka quietly admitted, "that I couldn't stop myself from just saying it outright." She looked back up, meeting Shinji's caring gaze. "I didn't want to be alone that night." She reached out for his hand and intertwined their fingers. "And you didn't let me be."

"How could I after hearing that?" Shinji asked, smiling just a little wider. "Despite how you first acted toward me, I was still…intrigued…by this girl I was now living with. I told you that I wasn't going anywhere." He laughed a little at what happened after. "You gave me a real start when you gave me that hug, though."

"It was the only way I felt I could repay you right then," Asuka said. "It was just your back, though."

"It was more than I could have asked for, to be honest," Shinji replied. "That hug and those quiet words." He gave her hand a light squeeze. "'Thank you'."

The pair fell silent for some time before Asuka broke the ice again. "So…what about when this," she paused to point at their bodies, "started?"

"Oh…yeah," Shinji stumbled for a moment, going slightly red in the face. "Mt. Asama…"

"More appropriately, the onsen after Mt. Asama," Asuka corrected him. "I mean, how else could I properly thank you for something like that?"

Shinji sighed. "Really, Asuka, it was noth-"

"Shinji, you jumped into lava to rescue me," Asuka stated in an serious tone.

"Okay, I guess it was something."

Asuka shook her head. "I thought you'd lost your mind, to be honest. And then to find out you'd done it against orders…" The redhead took a moment to laugh a bit. "How else am I supposed to take that except that this person cares about me more than they do about themselves?" She pulled herself up to a sitting position and traced a fingernail down Shinji's side, eliciting a shiver from the boy. "That night you wouldn't let me be alone was one thing, but that…that showed me just how you felt without using one single word." She looked down at the bed beneath them. "We'd already crossed from just 'friends', I'd have to say." The smile returned to her face soon, however. "I have to say, though, that your reaction was priceless."

Shinji blushed even further upon remembering that moment. "W-well, how was I supposed to react?!" he asked, stuttering only a little. "You just came into my room in nothing but a towel…"

"Correction," Asuka stopped him, putting up a hand and counting off using her fingers, "a towel, a smile and some…less than childish intentions." She flipped around to lie on her stomach parallel to Shinji. "But you were certainly in the mood once I dropped the towel, weren't you?"

Shinji didn't immediately reply to her, only staring up at the ceiling and finding a particular pattern in it very interesting. "What do you want me to say?" he finally stated. "I am a guy, after all."

"Mm, you are," Asuka whispered breathily, her eyes glancing down to his half-hard dick. She let out a sigh. "It's just such a shame our first time had to be such a…mess."

Shinji gulped and blush once more when remembering how they'd gone about it. Like most first teenage couplings, it had been nothing but awkward and sweaty and fumbling, a lot of too-rough touches and incorrect positioning. And blood. And far more teeth than should have been involved.

Even Asuka's cheeks went a slight shade of pink at reminiscing about the small details of that evening. "Yeah…y'know, now that I think about it…um, h-how about we don't talk about that, okay?" She shook her head to clear out any of those embarrassing images from her mind. "I mean, we did get better at this thing in time. So…I guess that was good for something, after all." She looked over at Shinji. "Right?"

Shinji nodded and smiled. "Yeah, of course." He let that sentence hang for a minute before continuing. "I, uh…I did want to apologize again, though."

Asuka sighed again. "What for this time?"

"Earlier today," Shinji went on. "You know…the changing room…"

"Oh, right. That," Asuka replied, her face scrunching into a frown. "You already did earlier, why-"

"I just…" Shinji cut her off, "I didn't want to think I'd overstepped any…boundaries in our relationship."

Asuka turned to look at Shinji with the most serious face she could make. "Let me explain something to you, Shinji: if you want to fuck your girlfriend and she is receptive to it, then you have by no means overstepped any goddamn boundaries." She paused, hanging her head. "Look, I know you still don't really understand women that well, but you didn't do anything that out of line." She lifted her head back up. "Barring your choice of venue, perhaps." She let that sentence lapse for a moment while she saw him look slightly ashamed. "But I was the one who instigated it first, remember? I teased and teased, taking it just a bit too far this time. I should have expected you to want me wherever, appropriate or not, after that much cock-teasing."

"Still…I-"

Asuka raised a finger to his lips to quickly silence whatever he was about to say. "No," she said firmly. "Just accept that I was more at fault than you were this one time." She kept her finger in place until he finally nodded. "Good boy," she whispered, moving her hand away from his face. "I did, however, admire your brazenness. I like to see that kind of initiative from you."

"R-really?" Shinji asked, somewhat surprised. Asuka nodded, after which he gave her a (what passes for what he can muster) wicked grin. "What would you say if I just decided to…"

"To…?" Asuka questioned, not knowing what he meant. "Decided to wh-…ooh!" she shivered upon feeling his right hand's fingertips move excruciatingly slow down her back. "Ahh…oh, that feels so good…" she said with a moan as Shinji rolled over and his other hand joined in on her impromptu massage. He ran his hands up her back with just the barest tips of his nails touching her, sending a wave of tingling sensations along the Second Child's body. She moaned and squirmed at his work for a couple of minutes, finally having her fill of the tickling feelings that were once more stoking her inner fire. She quickly grabbed hold of the Third Child's wrists and twisted both of their bodies over in one swift move. It ended with him on his back and her on top of him, straddling his lower stomach. "Mmm…you've certainly learned what my body likes by now," she purred, rubbing herself along his body. "You can feel it, can't you?"

Shinji could indeed tell how well he'd done: her vagina had landed on him in a soft wet 'plop' and was slowly becoming more damp and warmer as she worked herself on him. "Hngh…y-yeah," was all that he could say before a moan escaped his own lips.

"Well, based on what seems to be poking me," Asuka began, reaching over to the desk near the bed where the box of condoms was sitting, "I'd say that makes two of us that are very turned on." She pulled one out of the box and held it up next to her face. "What do you say? One more time tonight?" She titled her head slightly, a devilish gleam in her eye. "I might even let you try what you attempted to do earlier…if you ask nicely this time." She felt his cock harden even more, now poking her at the base of her spine, which made her smile a toothy grin "I'd say that's a 'yes', then."

Asuka's eyes slowly opened just a little while after the sun came up. Groggily looking over at Shinji's alarm clock, she saw that it was still reasonably early. 'Misato's probably not even back yet,' she sleepily thought. Taking a few moments to quietly stretch and rise from the bed, she couldn't help but smile at the boy's sleeping form. "You did good, baka-Shinji," she whispered, leaning down to plant a very light kiss on his cheek. Satisfied that she had not awoken him, the redhead gathered her discarded clothing from the floor and swiftly redressed…and hid the box of condoms back into the depths of the Third Child's top dresser drawer. 'Don't need to leave any evidence lying around.'

Softly stepping over to the door, Asuka took a moment to listen through the wall. 'Completely silent,' she mused, sliding the door open ever-so-gently. Peeking out toward the living room to find nothing there, she quickly exited Shinji's room and closed the door behind her. Still looking out into the rest of the apartment, she crept over to her own door and slid it open before stepping inside, pulling it to and letting out the breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding.

Too bad she didn't look behind her, though. "Guten morgen, Asuka," Misato said from the edge of the Second Child's bed, sitting there still dressed for work from the night before.

Asuka made a noise somewhere between a squeak and a gasp, hurriedly turning around and falling right onto her rear…which, considering the last thing she and Shinji had done before sleep, was definitely not welcome. She grunted in response to her sore bottom, then shot the older woman a harsh glare. "Gott in Himmel, Misato," she tried to quietly shout, "are you trying to kill me by jump-scare?!" When the major didn't respond, only giving her a serious expressing, the redhead blinked a few times. "What?"

"I've been home for almost a half-hour now, Asuka," Misato began. "Not as long a night as I had been thinking it would be. Anyway…I went to check on you and Shinji. And when I didn't find you in here, I decided to wait a bit." She leaned forward, still keeping her eyes locked onto Asuka. "So…where have you been, miss Sohryu?"

Asuka managed to stay completely calm on the outside, shrugging before quickly getting back to her feet and over to the closet to retrieve her clothing for the day. "I was in the bathroom, if you must know."

Misato raised an eyebrow. "For over twenty minutes?"

"I was doing a little primping while I was there," Asuka stated while pulling out a faded t-shirt and jeans from her various outfits, never once looking over at her guardian. "You know how it is, the upkeep never stops. Tweak this, pluck that, wash-"

"Asuka," Misato said very firmly. "Just…stop." She let out a heavy sigh. "I looked into Shinji's room, too." The younger girl froze when she heard those words. "Now…is there something you'd like to tell me?"

Asuka placed the clothes down on her dressed and took a deep breath. Making eye contact with Misato, she took a moment to study the major's face. She didn't really look mad, just…concerned. "What do you want me to say, Misato?"

"The truth would be nice, I suppose."

For just a few fleeting seconds, Asuka contemplated coming up with an elaborate ruse. Misato had seen them be more friendly toward each other than at first, maybe she would buy into the idea that they'd just fallen asleep while talking or something…but then the redhead realized that both she and Shinji had been sleeping in the nude. On top of the sheets, no less. 'Fuck it, I guess I just go right for it,' she finally reasoned. 'No use at this point.' She turned back toward her closet, hastily pulling off her nightshirt to put on a bra. "Okay fine," she explained, getting her bra straps into place before clasping it behind her back, "me and Shinji have what you would call an 'intimate relationship'." She put on the clean t-shirt and looked back at the other woman. "Are you happy now?"

Misato sighed and looked away for a moment. "I am glad that you didn't try to lie about it," she said.

Asuka continued dressing while waiting for the dark-haired woman to press further or berate her…but no such scolding seemed to be forthcoming. "What, not going to get on my case about it?" the redhead asked while buttoning and zipping her pants, slightly surprised. "No 'you're both too young for that kind of thing', 'you should be more careful' or 'you're taking things too fast'?"

Misato shook her head. "I wouldn't patronize you both like that." Upon seeing Asuka's puzzled look, she continued. "Asuka…what do we ask of you, Shinji and Rei?" She paused for a few seconds. "We ask you to fight and potentially die for humanity's sake. We call you 'Children', but you've got burdens placed on you that most adults couldn't even understand." She stood up and walked over to the redhead. "I think it wouldn't be fair to ask that of you three and then try and treat you like any other kids."

Asuka looked back up at Misato, staring her in the eye. 'This really isn't just a job to her, is it?' she asked herself. 'She really does care more than just if we can pilot or not.' She gave the major a nod and a slight smile.

"On the subject of 'careful', though," Misato resumed, her face breaking into a smirk, "I could tell that you both know that already. There was a whole box worth, right out on the desk." Now it was Asuka's turn to look away, her face turning slightly pink. Misato reassured the young woman by placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. "I am, though, glad that you both had that kind of forethought about it all." She moved her left hand up to rub the top of the Second Child's head. "And I won't say anything about you two going too fast. When every Angel could mean the end…"

"You don't really have that kind of luxury," Asuka interrupted during the older woman's pause. "You need to tell the other person how you really feel."

Misato pulled them both away to look directly at Asuka. "And how do you feel about Shinji, hmm?"

Asuka looked down and away from her guardian, face still turning red. "I…I love him," she whispered almost inaudibly. Almost.

Misato beamed upon hearing that. "I guess that means you both do, then." Asuka gave her a questioning look, to which the major explained. "Think about it: who jumps into a volcano, against orders, if they don't feel that strongly about someone?" She sighed, remembering the after-battle berating she'd given Shinji. "After living with him for a while, how he feels about other people is pretty easy to read." She put two fingers under the redhead's chin, raising the girl's face to look at hers. "I take it you both know how the other feels, yes?"

Asuka looked down at the floor again. "He's said it a few times," she replied. "I…I-"

"Haven't yet?" Misato finished for her, which Asuka answered with a small nod. "I know, it's only three words but they're difficult to say." Her tone took on a more teasing edge to it. "Besides, I thought Kaji was the only man for you."

Asuka stood silent for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "I thought so, too," she started. "But…you get tired waiting for the ideal when something real is right there in front of you." Her frown changed into an amused grin. "And really, why bother when it's so clear that he still feels like that about you?" Before Misato could protest, the younger girl continued. "Oh come on, Misato. From the minute he saw you on the Over the Rainbow, it was pretty obvious to me. I just…wasn't ready to accept it then."

"It's…" Misato tried to explain, "a little more…complicated than that."

"I'll bet it is," Asuka replied with a laugh. "But that's between you and him, isn't it?" She walked her way around from where Misato was standing, heading for her door. "Anyway…as scintillating as this talk has been, I'm going to go get some breakfast. You gonna join me or what?"

Misato snapped out of her own thoughts about Kaji and moved toward Asuka. "Isn't there something else you'd rather be doing?" The redhead gave her a confused look. "You shouldn't be leaving that empty space next to Shinji. No one likes to wake up without their lover, after all." She opened the door and stepped just past the threshold. "I'm going to go get a couple more hours' rest," she went on, looking back over her shoulder, "it's only just after six. "I'd advise you to do the same." She stopped just after setting foot inside her own room. "We'll talk more about this later." And with that, the major shut her door and the apartment fell into complete silence.

Asuka stood there at her door, contemplating between food and more sleep. Remembering what Misato had said just a few moments ago about her and Shinji, the redhead let out a quiet breath and nodded. She walked out of her own room, closing the door behind her, and padded over to her roommate's quarters. Quickly and silently getting inside, she saw that he was still fast asleep. Smiling a little at how at peace he looked, she gently placed herself back on the bed, careful not to disturb his rest. Nudging herself to where she was at face-level with the boy, the Second Child ran her left hand through his hair softly. She said those three little words she hadn't yet said to him at low volume, repeating it a few times as practice for when she would tell him later.

What Asuka didn't see while she was doing this, however, was the small smile that formed on Shinji's half-asleep face after the first time she had said it. And she certainly wasn't ready when he grabbed hold of the wrist near his head and softly replied to her. "Love you too, Asuka." Before she could even muster a gasp of surprise, the boy moved his lips to hers and all words from either party were lost to the moment.

Too bad they'd both have to face Misato about this later…but, for now, this was so worth it.

-End-

Author's Notes: So…yeah. I guess this has become the second all-lemon canon I've created. Not exactly intended that way from the start…but I'm not going to question things. I just go with what pops in my head. And readers seemed to really like my previous more-salacious-content-than-normal stories, so I went with it. Will there be more? Probably, but don't ask me when it'll come around next: I don't have a bloody clue.

Last time we saw our (well, quite a number but not nearly all of us) favorite couple, they had engaged in a little instinct-driven fun in public. Here, they took it back home…but not before giving a little time in-between (thanks to a certain Operations Director being home) to crank up the sexual frustration in both parties (Asuka especially) to an…unhealthy level, if I should say so. And after that sort of release, we end it off with a little pillow-talk to fill in some story gaps prior to the previous story (read: Bardi's gotta do a little world-building). Not really necessary, but I felt like having them do a little talking/cuddling. Hey, gotta take that edge off the acid from the citrus with a nice shot of saccharine. Not sure what to do about that sugar high, though…

For those that check my profile and are wondering about some of those other upcoming releases: I promise that I haven't forgotten to do things other than straightforward romance and lemons. Let Me Se You Stripped, Shinji's Ladder and Evangelion: Survivalism are still coming. Just…a little slower than I had originally anticipated, given what I've put out since starting on them.

Or what's happened since last releasing something, speaking of those delays. This took as long as it did to get released for a simple reason: I had quite a lot of IRL stuff that put this on the backburner for some time. Specifically, Ash and I had a little bit of a move (understatement, considering we did cross a border in the process). Displaced certain things (like writing) for a while, but I made sure to never fully abandon any of my projects. They were just…worked on slowly. Very slowly.

Yeah, that's what we'll go with. Not the fact that I'm a lazy procrastinating git or anything of the sort, no sir…

So, uh…sorry for the delay, everyone.

That choice of title? It's fitting enough, considering what happened above…and, in truth, it's also a really good Fleetwood Mac album ("Big Love" enough would make for a fine musical accompaniment to this story). Earlier choices were Undercover of the Night (not exactly fitting; the song in question, by The Rolling Stones, is about political corruption in 1980s Central and South America…but the name could've worked, not to mention its actual music is funky enough to be perfectly suitable for a story with sexual content) and Hammering in My Head (fitting for both its lyrical parallels with the preceding story and it would make yet another Garbage reference in one of my lemons).

As usual, pre-read was done by Ash. Thanks again, ma'am.

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!

See you next time,
-Bardi (and Ash)-