Misato, in her room trying to sleep, hears the pounding, but not the voice coming from the other side of the door.

"Shinji? Can you get that?" she says groggily, but gets no response. "Asuka?" she asked, upon realizing that the pounding on the door continued, and that Shinji hadn't answered it. The pounding continues, and this time, her sleep addled brain can hear the voice enough to identify that it was male.

"Oh, I guess that I'll have to get it..." she says with a yawn, and she heads towards the door in her pajamas. She opens the door, and finds Kaji.

*Kaji walks in the door and puts an arm around Misato*

Kaji: How's it going?

::tired Misato, not fully awake::

Misa: gaaa... What are you doing here???

Kaji: Just thought I'd drop by and see how my love is doing...

*picks up a can of Yebisu*

Kaji: I come bearing gifts...

::facefault:: Misa: With all the pounding on the door, I thought it was something important like that Unit 01 was blown up, or the Fourth Child was found....

Kaji: Well....I DO have a question or two about the new kid...

Misa: New kid?

::is still asleep and isn't sure what he's talking about::

Kaji: Yeah, he got called to the office alongside the Fourth...

Kaji: Apparently, Gendo has taken an interest in him...

Misa: Who in the world are you talking about?

::scratches her head in a sleepy way::

Misa: oh... him... What about him?

Kaji: Just wondering what you know....or think you know....Rumor has it that he's unleashed one of the angels...

Misa: eh.. well, I got the file, but I haven't had too much time to read it yet... heheh...

::scratches head::

Misa: One of the angels?

::awake now::

Kaji: Oh, so you're familiar with the monster running around?

Misa: Oh, that bug thing? Yeah, it's okay now...

*reaches around Misato's waist*

Kaji: It appears I've caught you at a bad time.... Maybe we should discuss this some other time...

*tries to steal a kiss*

Misa: gaa.. what do you think you're doing???

::Misato slaps::

*chuckles*

Kaji: All right, I understand... I'll leave you alone for tonight...... If you're interested in what I was talking about earlier though, come find me tomorrow....

Misa: Fine with me!... What do you mean go find you?!

*Smiles*

Kaji: I'll be around, Misa-chan!

*Starts walking off*

Misa: grr.. Of course you'll be around! You pop out of nowhere all the time! Good riddance!

::closes door on him::

---

Shinji had not yet been visited by the sugar plum faerie or the sandman, or all of those other weird and awkward sleepers of the night. The thought of what might happen now that his mother was back threatened him as he listened to Pachabel.

::Will I move out? Will I leave Misato? Will I leave Asuka? All this time I've wanted mother back.. but..::

He rolled over on his opposing side, opening his eyes as he felt the heat of another next to him. His eyes widened and he slammed a finger on the stop button of his SDAT. Asuka had made her way back to his room, once more. He blinked sitting up quickly and looking down at her revealing night shirt. He took a deep swallow and kept a lock on her.

::What is this?! I shouldn't.. but.. Why do I feel this way? Why are people drawn to the things which they hate?::

He moved down, laying close next to her as he gently kissed her on the nose. He moved back and looked at her eyes, watching her sleep so peacefully.. unlike their last bed meeting.

::I feel horrible for doing it this way.. but this is the only way to do it..::

He leaned in gently, turning his SDAT back on as he gently locked his maturing lips against her's, sniffling almost as he embraced her in the awkward moment.

Moments later, he was wiping his eyes, and crying himself to sleep... It would never work.. It was never meant to be.. Slumber found him and he drifted into the next day..

---

Asuka had felt him move closer to her in the night. Felt his body press against her and his warm lips cover her own. She didn't say anything, didn't move...

Soon he fell into slumber. She could tell by the rhythmic tempo of his breathing and could feel the rise and fall of his chest.

She moved in closer, not caring if she woke him or not and wrapped her arms around him. Crushing her face to his chest, and spooning herself into him.

She rubbed her cheek into his chest, cuddling closer.

---

The sun rose in the land of the.. well yeah..

Shinji's eyes opened slowly like a cold refrigerator, having crumbs and such from the day before in his eyes. He rubbed them gently with a free hand as the other went to stop and remove his tape player. Groggily, he looked down to notice Asuka.. and then set his player down.. and then looked back down to Asuka.. He blinked for a moment.. then pinched himself..

"Ow..."

"...... NA- *Slaps a hand over his mouth*"

Looking down at her, again seeing the revealing top, he took a deep breath and tried to keep what little cool he had. It didn't help that it was morning, and if she had come to, he wouldn't be too happy to see him in the odd state that he was in. He laid there, looking up at the ceiling in his predicament, thinking of what he could do to get himself out of this. The only thing to do was to shake her, pry her off.. okay maybe there were several things he could be.. but which was the best one?

He took a deep breath again, pinched her on the nose.. and awaited to get her reaction.

She felt him move, then all of a sudden she couldn't breathe.

::What in the hell?!::

She sat up in the bed, and grabbed the pillow next to her, crashing it down on top of Shinji's head as she yelled curses at him in German and Japanese....

"Anata BAKA!!!"

She aimed with the pillow again and swung again, this time getting caught up in the blankets and falling on top of Shinji, not very gracefully either, her nightshirt hiked up over her waist, revealing her backside clad in her pink panties.She made no motion to fix this, instead she looked Shinji straight in the eyes, her blue eyes full of unreadable fire.

"Next time you decide to kiss me in the middle of the night, make sure I'm either fully asleep, or awake enough to take matters into my own hands."

She waited for Shinji to try to say something back as a retort, but before he could answer, she leaned in and kissed him forcefully on the lips. She then grabbed her pillow and bedding and stormed off back into her room, slamming the screen between them.

After the scene in Shinji's room, Asuka walked off to the bathroom to take her much delayed bath... which she turned into a quick shower.

Wrapping a towel about her body, she let her wet hair hang down her back. She walked out of the bathroom, the towel still draped about her naked form, and walked into her room. She opened the screen to Shinji's room and stood above him.

She bent over, her wet hair coming over her shoulder and slapping Shinji in the face.

"Maybe you should think about waking up.... Today's probably going to be a busy day."

She stood up to her full height.

"Or do you just plan on laying there until another angel strikes?"

She bent down again, her hair slapping him in the face once more, and she looked him in the eyes, as if to challenge him.

---

"Anata BAKA!!!!"

Jinnai got up at that instant. He'd been awake for almost the past hour but just felt like staying in bed..... but then THEY started up... again. Even Groucho's antennae stood up this time..

Jinnai: You goddamn idiots.... will you ever STOP??

He gets up & changes into another blue school uniform Then, he stomps his way out of his apartment and to Misato's, pounding away on the door. He finally had had enough of those two's bickering...

The door opens...

Jinnai: Now listen here, you damn yahoos!! Would you please SHUT the hell UP??? I had a busy day yesterday and seeing as Eva Unit 03 is arriving within a few days, MY WHOLE WEEK will be even busier, so-- eh??

He looks down. Pen-Pen stood there.

Jinnai: o_o'' Oh, the penguin..... Fine, then. I'll come in & complain mysel--- OOMPH!!

The door slid shut. He ran into it... Rubbing his nose, Jinnai went back to his place to gather his school supplies.

Jinnai: Groucho.... I got another day at school. Then I go to NERV HQ on business. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. You, however... *points finger at him* do NOT run off again, no matter how 'familiar' that 'smell' is... Okay?

Groucho: Uai.....

Jinnai: Good.

---

Asuka left the apartments before anyone else did.

::Stupid Shinji.... Doesn't he ever have a clue?::

She ran top speed to the school building, hoping to get there to get away from Shinji for a while.

She had stopped into his room this morning, soaking wet, and he had just ignored her. How could anyone ignore her? All the guys at school would have died for that kind of an opportunity. Apparently, not Shinji.

::He kissed me... he blatantly kissed me....::

She drew her hands to her lips, remembering the feel of his against hers. She entered the school building and headed for her locker. She opened it up and a flood of love letters fell out, scattering all over the place.

She reached inside and pulled out her inside shoes, scattering even more letters to the floor. Putting on her shoes, and placing her outdoor shoes in the locker. She walked to the classroom, leaving the letters to litter the floor. It wasn't their attention that she wanted.

Heaving a sigh she entered the classroom and took her seat and waited for the other students to come filing in.

---

Closing his apartment door, Jinnai left for school. Once there, he walked toward his class....

Jinnai: :: Hmmmm. I noticed that punk kid, Suzuhara is absent, which is rare.... :: *realizes* Could he be the Fourth Child?? (walking alongside Shinji)

Shinji: Who??

Jinnai stops, amazed at Gendo's son's naivete...

Jinnai: You mean you don't KNOW????

Shinji: Know what? Everyone's been saying that & no one will tell me.... could you??

(scratcing his chin evilly) Jinnai: ummm, sorry! Classified NERV info!

Shinji: But... you're not even in NERV yet, are you?

Jinnai: Yep! Just last night, your father made me, uhhh... ermm... CAPTAIN! That's right... Misato WAS Captain & got promoted soooo the spot was... empty, yeah.

Shinji: ...oh. OK, then.... but I really thought you'd tell me...

He walks off....

Jinnai: :: HA! Score one for the home team!! .......The ball's in YOUR court now, Mr. Ikari.... and I plan to steal ::

---

What Asuka didn't realize was that she wasn't the first one in the classroom. Kaworu sat calmly in the back of the class.

"You seem troubled," he said in his soft voice, "Is something wrong?"

She turned her head around at the voice and snapped back.

"What makes you think anything is wrong?"

She walked over to him and sat on top of his desk.

"And who are you anyway, I don't think I've ever seen you here before."

Standing up she placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side.

"Sohryu Asuka Langely desu.... hajimemashite...."

"I just transferred here," Kaworu smiled at her, his red eyes piercing her. A stare that seemed oddly familiar to Asuka though she couldn't quite place where.

"Nagisa Kaworu desu, yoroshiku."

She stared at him...

::He looks oddly familiar... I just wish I knew where I saw him before...::

"Well, I guess you're pleased to meet me."

She looked at him again, something about him just didn't sit quite right with her.

"Well I've got better things to do right about now..." she said sourly and walked back off to her desk, sitting down. She opened up her book and tried to look interested. She couldn't understand a word of the japanese kanji on the pages and proceeded to curse under her breath in German.