They exited the plugs, and dried off. Shinji made his way to the locker room, and changed putting his plug suit in the
cleaner. The LCL would be washed off, batteries recharged, and reservoirs drained so he could wear it again.

The cleaner whirred. Shinji stepped into the shower, letting the warm water overtake him. He washed the gunk from his
body and the events from his mind. He was at peace, calm.

He heard the door open, and figured one of the staff had come in. When he finished, he got out of the shower, and Asuka
was sitting on a bench, still in her plug suit.

"Asuka? What are you doing here? I don’t think I am up for another bout this soon."

"No stupid, that’s not what I’m here for. Start getting dressed, we can talk."

"Ok. Exactly what are we going to talk about. There are a lot of topics that I can think of."

"Well, for starters, what about this whole telepathic-dreamscape thing? I mean, I had never experienced anything like that
before. And the way Maya was looking at me when I woke up, and the position I was in, makes me think that I did the
same things in reality that I did in the dream."

"It was new. I think we ought to try it some more, but not at such a vulnerable time. "

Asuka thought for a second then said "Maybe tonight!" She grinned.

"Well, speaking of that, what about our little thing?"

"What about it, you didn’t like it?"

"No, it is the greatest thing I have ever experienced."

"Well then what about it?"

"Well, it just took me by surprise, and I didn’t want this to turn solely into a sexual relationship. I mean, I want to do it
again, but I want to take it slow. We haven’t actually had sex yet either. That was just dream. It felt more than real, but it
just my mind. I want to do it with my body too."

"I know. I want you. And I like that thought, but I don’t ant to wait too long. The urge is there, and it’s building all the
time. My body knows the difference, and it is not satisfied." She said shaking her head. She stood up, and walked to the
door. "I’ll be out in a while."

Shinji watched after her, and thought as he dressed over the things that had taken place this morning. <Actually its about
1:00 now. I am connected to Asuka. She is connected to me. We can communicate on another plane of existence, and have
both experienced our first sex. It’s been a busy day, and it isn’t even over yet. Are things going too quickly? It’s like I am
being rushed through as quickly as I can be to meet a deadline. A deadline set for a procrastinator. Like he’s trying to get
it done at the last second. > He laughed that this thought.

After he finished dressing, he collected his headphones and player, and left the locker room to get a drink.

When he got to the lounge, he found Kaji sipping on a drink at one of the tables.

"Hey, Shinji. What are you so happy about? Get some from Asuka?"

Shinji blushed, and shook his head. "No, I am just having a pretty good day. What are you doing today." He got a drink
and sat down.

"Well you know this and that."

<He always has been pretty secretive about what he does. All I can tell is that he bums around. I never see him do
anything, and he always has about 2 days of growth on his face. >

"Well, I am a little anxious to get home. I have some important things to get done. Why did you ask about Asuka,
anyway?"

"Well, it was just a joke. I mean, you two would make a great couple, if you could just put her flames out. Maybe not out,
just down a little. "

"I know what you mean. She has been a little more subdued lately."

"Does that mean you’re gonna make a pass at her?"

Shinji choked on his drink. "Ah, wha, wha, no. I mea, well. Let me think about it. How about that?"

"Suits me. At least then she won’t be hanging all over me. I have my eyes set for a bigger prize."

It didn’t take Shinji much to figure out what he was talking about. Misato and Kaji had been becoming close lately.

Asuka came a few minutes later followed my Misato. "Shinji, you coming?"

"Yeah, where are we going? I thought we might go out to eat, and then go home for some relaxation. Even though you
relaxed in the test, I know that it was a little tiring."

<She has no idea. >

"Yeah, Ok, I’ll see you later Kaji."

"Good bye."

After a large meal at an outdoor vendor, they went home for a short afternoon siesta. Asuka found Shinji in his bed asleep,
and curled up next to him.

High above the little blue planet the Angel hung silently contemplating what it had done. It had made two of it’s
adversaries totally hate each other. It had closed in on Earth and came pretty close to it about a local week before. It had
selected its targets, and while they slept, changed a few things around. It had taken all of it’s power to do that, so it
couldn’t have been anything big, like make them unable to synchronize with the Angel-copy-things that they had taken as
their weapons. It couldn’t tell right off hand what all it might have affected, but it knew beyond a doubt that it had killed
any friendship between the softhearted boy and the fiery girl. If it could have laughed, it would have.