Disclaimer: I'm only going to say this once – I don't own these characters or the Anime they come from. Nor do I own the any of the movies or songs (music and lyrics) referenced and/or quoted here. This is for FUN (dang it).
"We're The Band"
Prologue
Shores of the Sea of LCL
The world in which Asuka and Shinji found themselves having returned from the aborted Third Impact was still but not quite stagnant. Time had no meaning to them as they found themselves in a perpetual twilight under the strange visions of Rei and the other various pieces of the near catastrophe.
As each sat for a moment struggling with their inner demons, they knew that it was only them. Although Rei had promised Shinji others could and would return if they had the will, Shinji, and too a certain extent Asuka as well, knew that no one else had yet returned. It was as if some decision or event had to occur.
As if on cue, they turned to each other and said,
"Shinji?" "Asuka?"
Those simple queries were the genesis of a long series of initially tentative and, at times, very difficult and emotional conversations. At various times, there was screaming or strained silence or crying or sympathy. Ultimately, there was empathy and understanding which, in turn, led to the declaration of love and commitment that they so desperately wanted.
Later – Their Old Apartment
Shinji and Asuka awoke on the couch having made their way back to their old apartment, exhausted but amazed that it was still mostly habitable. It took a few moments, but they finally noticed that the sun was actually shining and that the perpetual twilight that they had suffered with had faded.
Much Later – Their Old Apartment
Shinji had brought along the guitar they had found on the beach and was idly strumming chords as he tried to duplicate some of the songs he had heard. Asuka had stretched out on the couch reading a book in the bright sunshine streaming through windows with her feet resting on Shinji's legs and her feet idly swinging in time with his strumming. They had finally reached a point where they were comfortable with each other and had learned to enjoy time together.
"I'M HOME!" roared Misato as she slammed the door shut behind her.
"AAAGGGHHHHH!" came the startled response from the teens on the couch.
"Misato!" screamed Shinji and Asuka as they ran to embrace their guardian. It was a surprising and touching reunion. As they began to recount to each other the crazed events leading up to the aborted Third Impact, Shinji and Asuka realized that nearly everyone who could return was returning as the world began again and that their time alone had passed.
Later on the Night of Misato's Return
The phone had been ringing off the hook as all their friends were calling them and each other to find out who had come back. In this cacophony of sound and fury, Shinji found Misato on the balcony quietly looking up at the stars. Closing the door to the apartment and shutting out the noise of Asuka on the phone, Shinji asked, "Misato? Am I interrupting?"
"Hmmm? Oh, no. I was just thinking about our return from the sea of LCL and how that will probably change a lot of things. What did you want?"
"I wanted to give this back to you and to say thank you," replied Shinji. He opened his hand to reveal Misato's silver cross bathed in moonlight.
Misato gave a sharp gasp as she recognized the object. With a shaking hand, she retrieved her cross from the boy and put it back on. Sniffling a little, Misato pulled a startled Shinji into a fierce bear hug and whispered into his ear, "No, Shinji. Thank you."
Easing her hug, she said to the boy, "Did you want me to keep the rest of my promise?"
Shinji, despite having started a spine, blushed furiously and beat a hasty retreat back into the apartment.
A Few Weeks Later – A Mostly Normal Weekend
Asuka and Shinji were back to their usual position on the couch and the same activities. School was scheduled to start in a month as the city was getting itself back to normal. Misato had gone in to NERV as they were working to re-integrate into the larger government infrastructure having been a rogue organization for so long.
A knock at the door brought Asuka up off the couch. Shinji merely kept playing the song he had just started as he heard Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke come through the door. The small group of friends was frozen in shock that the strumming guitar sounds were coming from Shinji. They knew from Asuka that he played the cello, but had absolutely no idea he possessed any other musical skills. There was nothing to do but to interrupt his playing and demand the whole story from him.
Shinji, unused to the onslaught, stammered responses and was obviously growing increasingly agitated at the questioning from his friends. To Asuka, the problem was obvious. Shinji was trying to hold back the post-Third Impact story of their time together and their relationship. To skilled gossip mongers like Kensuke and Hikari, this was like throwing blood into shark infested waters. They just knew there was more and the pressure just kept up. With a sigh, Asuka went over to Shinji, moved the guitar out of the way, and sat down on his lap sliding an arm around his waist to try and get him to relax. Of course, this little action was like setting off an N2 mine in the living room.
Hikari proceeded to ask all her questions of Asuka and both Kensuke and Toji were unconscious on the floor. Asuka, for her part, told her the abridged version of their relationship leaving out the post-Third Impact twilight time suspicions. As Toji and Kensuke regained consciousness, they began to babble about their own musical talents, mostly to keep their minds off of the relationship between the Demon and their friend.
Having mostly recovered from the verbal onslaught, Shinji proposed the idea that the three of them should form a band to have a little fun before school started . . .
Author's Parting Shots – I really wasn't all that happy with my original attempt because it seemed too short and very disjointed, so I revised it to give a little more information yet still keep the flashbacks in later chapters relevant. I did leave out the whole story of Rei's arrival and relationship announcement on purpose since I plan to make that a chapter in the future.