JUST PLAY

"Shinji?" Asuka called down the hall. "Suppers done, some and eat."

"Okay, just a second. Damn homework. I still don’t see why I should have to save the world, and go to school. As if
saving the world weren’t bad enough." He said to himself. " "Or did you think I hadn’t seen these report cards?’ she says.
Humph."

"Why are you doing it? We’re on Spring break, remember? Like there is still a spring to have a break for."

Shinji got up, and left for the kitchen. When he got there, a happily humming Asuka was placing the last of several dishes
on the table, and sitting down. Looked in the biggest of these dishes, and saw that she had made stew. <Stew. Hmm, I had
not even heard of stew until a couple of weeks ago. I always thought it was called soup. >

Asuka did a waiter impression. "Tonight’s main course is Beef Stew. We have some potatoes and carrots and steamed
tomatoes and I was even able to find some bay leaves for flavor. If we had some deer meat I could have made Venison,
even better. Let’s eat."

They wolfed it down, and enjoyed the meal. Shinji had never had anything quite like it. It had a mellow round taste that he
just couldn’t place. It was good, and it disappeared quickly. Afterwards, stuffed and content, they went to the livingroom
to watch some TV.

"Shinji, you still play the cello right?"

"Yeah, sometimes. When nobody is around, and I am feeling a little depressed. Why?"
 

"Would you play something for me?"

"Well…I… I’m not very good, I never played for somebody."

"Oh, come on. Give me a break. If you keep saying you aren’t any good, you won’t be good. Now, you…are…good. There
you go. You’re good. Now play."

Shinji stood, and went to his room for his cello. Returning he saw that Asuka had reclined on the couch, and was waiting
for him to start.

"Now keep in mind, I haven’t played since that day we first kissed." He said. "I am trying hard to for get that day." He
stated under his breath.

He sat and put the cello between his legs, and started warming up the strings, then stopped.

"OK, what do you want to hear?"

"I don’t know, just play."

He sat for a moment, and thought. Then rather than pick a song that he knew, he just started to play, working the scale a
couple of times, and then moving back and forth through the notes and letting his mind wander. He played for many
minutes, and when he finally came back to reality, he found that he was breathing hard, and sweating, and it was getting
harder to play. He decided it was time to stop, so he wound the music down, and finished off.

Looking over at the clock, he found that it was 8:00. He had played for over an hour straight. He looked over at Asuka, and
found her asleep, a slight smile on her face, he brow furrowed. She looked so peaceful, he felt at ease just looking at her.
He wondered what to do.

He set the cello down, and went to the kitchen for a glass of water. When he returned, he found that Asuka had rolled
over while he was gone, and was now lying on her stomach. <Now how am I supposed to get her to her room? > He sat
and wondered for a few minutes, then Asuka abruptly rolled over again. <Hmm, that’s better. > He stood, and picked her
up. <This is getting easier. Probably because I do it so much. > He started towards her room, but just then Misato came in,
drunk apparently, and saw him.

"Aw, is ew pudding Asuka to bed? Dasso sweet! Heh heh. Be sure to tucker in! Yes."

<I sometimes wonder about that woman. I am sure she means well, but please ‘Be sure to tuck her in?’>

He plodded down the hall, and opened her door. He set her down ever so gently, and straightened back up again. She was
so beautiful lying there at his feet. The unattainable fiery pilot asleep from the music he played. She stirred a little, and
awoke.

"Shinji? Huh? Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. You played good, Shinji."

His face reddened a few shades from the compliment. "Don’t worry about falling asleep. That just told me that it was good
music." He kneeled beside her, and stroked her face with his fingertips ever so slightly.

"Did Misato come back yet?"

"Yeah. She scares me sometimes. One of these days she is going to do something while she’s drunk, and regret it for the
rest of her life. She came in, and stumbled off to bed."

He looked up, and traced his vision around the room, then suddenly he was off balance, and fell on the futon beside
Asuka, his head hit something really soft. Then he realized he wasn’t beside Asuka, he was on her. He opened his eyes,
and looked at her. She held his head there with her hands, looking at him, and thinking about what their love could mean.
It had all happened so quickly. They had known each other for months, and now suddenly their relationship turned into a
relationship.

Shinji fell asleep there listening to the soft ‘Lub-dub." of Asuka’s heart. It lulled him into sleep, and he dreamed of her all
night long.