原网址：www.fanfiction.net/s/10675474/1/Advice-and-Trust
原作者： Panther2G
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本文可能会与原文有所出入。（为了过审）
本文为连续剧，建议从chapter1（第一回）看起！
本系列使用Goggle翻译进行汉化。
推荐用自提点看汉化原版！暂时没汉化了
自提点附有英文版
Ch 23 - Advent Pt 7英文原版（暂时不进行汉化）
With some difficulty, she punched in the short designator for the pre-saved number. It rang several times. This was not surprising; it was very late. Or very early, really.
Click. "...Yes?"
Ritsuko swallowed. "...I ...need your help."
There was a long pause. "...now?"
"Yes."
Another long pause. "...Your apartment?"
Ritsuko almost sobbed in relief. "Yes," she gasped.
The call disconnected. She sagged back onto the bed, the phone falling out of her hand to lay beside her. The apartment was still dark, cold, and still... but now she didn"t feel quite so alone."
.
.
Her eyes snapped open, a weak, mumbled cry of alarm halfway out of her mouth before she was fully awake. She sat up, rubbing at her eyes, trying to slow down her hammering heartbeat and heaving breaths.
"Gott damn it... Misato, this is your fucking fault." She hadn"t had a nightmare in weeks. Months. Not once since Shinji had started sleeping beside her. But now they were back, and she knew why: It had been almost a week now since Misato had asked/told them to sleep separately until she decided how she was going to react to learning they were together. It had been bad enough the first night, with her sleep restless and unsettled, and it had only gotten worse each passing day. Now she was waking up from a nightmare that she couldn"t quite remember...
She clutched at her chest. No... she only wished she couldn"t remember. Enough stuck with her, more than enough to send another wave of shivering down her body. She shot a look at the clock by her bed. 4:23 am.
Asuka bit her lip for a second, but then got out of bed, muttering, "...that"s it. I can"t stand this anymore. Sorry, Misato, but I need him."
She grabbed tomorrow"s clothes out of her dresser and her A-10 headset off the night table, tiptoeing to the door, and sliding it open silently. A cautious glance down the hall showed no signs of any activity from Misato"s room. She ghosted across the hall, even holding her breath for extra silence. She slipped the door to Shinji"s room open and closed in under two seconds. She tucked her bundle of clothes into the corner by the door. Rising from where she"d bent over, she almost jumped in alarm when she turned around to find Shinji already sitting up and staring at her, confusion melting into a warm smile that sparked a matching one on her face. "Hey..."
"Once upon a time, you sneaking into my room at night in just a shirt and underwear would have made me pass out from either terror or lustful nosebleeds. Now I"m just really happy to see you. You couldn"t sleep either?" he asked, lifting his blanket and scooting over to offer her room.
She gladly took the offer, slipping under the sheets in a second, enjoying the warm spot he"d partially vacated for her and wrapping herself around him. "No, worse. I was asleep, and had a..."
Shinji"s mouth pressed into a grim line. "A nightmare." He nuzzled the side of her neck, sending more shivers down her spine, but happy ones this time. "I"m sorry I wasn"t there, Asuka."
She cuddled in close, letting his warmth soak in through her sleep shirt. She could already feel herself relaxing, some unnamable tension deep inside her already uncoiling. "Not your fault, baka mine. But we have got to press Misato about letting us get back to sleeping together tomorrow. I can"t stand any more of this. I like not having nightmares every damn night, and if I don"t have you next to me, I will. They"ve been growing all week, and now they"re waking me up again."
Shinji just held her for a moment. "Do... do you want to talk about it?"
Asuka couldn"t stop herself from smiling in the dark. He"d never have dared ask that of her four months ago, and she"d have ripped his head off if he had. Now, she just felt warm that she could if she wanted to, even as she had to throttle the wave of anxiety that recalling the nightmare awoke. "I... maybe."
"Was it...your mother again?" he asked hesitantly.
She shook her head minutely. "No. A new one. Worse."
She could almost hear his eyebrows rise. "Worse than the one about your mother? What cou-"
She hugged him tighter, like he might slip away. "You."
"Me? I... oh."
She nodded again. "We"re fighting Israfel again, but it..." she paused and gave him another squeeze, to reassure herself. "It... when it explodes, something pierces Unit-01"s Entry Plug and you"re gone and there"s nothing I can do, and... and..." She trailed off, unable to even say the terrible words aloud.
Shinji nodded. "I... I"ve had a nightmare or two like that too," he almost whispered. "M-maybe Misato has a point about us not-"
"No she doesn"t." Asuka cut him off. "We"re not going to stop loving each other, so that leaves just stopping being Pilots together, which also is not going to happen. We"re the only ones who can. We already saw what happens when Rei gets left to fight alone. I"m not going to do that to her or Hikari as long as we can do anything about it. And I am not going into battle without you right with me anymore. And I told you, you"re not allowed to die, ever."
Shinji gave a single, sad laugh. She was clinging to him so tightly now she was almost vibrating. Despite her words, he could tell the nightmare had really disturbed her. "You either, Asuka. I... I can tell I"d just completely go to pieces if anything ever happened to you. If... if I"d missed that jump in the volcano by even a second..." He couldn"t even finish the sentence, just burying his face in her hair.
Asuka was silent for a minute. "A psychiatrist would probably say we"re all kinds of unhealthily dependent on each other, but they can shove it. I"ve never been happier. And... I don"t want to stop." She rolled her head to the side to look him in the face. "And I know you feel the same. That"s one of the best parts. I don"t have to doubt at all. I know, because you"re just like me."
Shinji visibly pushed the dark thoughts away, and a small smile crossed his lips. "Oh, so you"re a baka too now?"
Asuka stuck her tongue out at him. "No, that"s still your job." She closed her eyes. "As is being my body pillow to keep the bad dreams away. So I"m staying here, and we"ll just have to be sure to get up ahead of Misato."
Shinji shrugged a little. "I think she"d even believe us if we get caught and we tell her we both stayed dressed and nothing happened but holding each other. But... as much as I hate going against what she asked of us..."
Asuka snorted at the "asked".
"...I care about you not having nightmares more." He closed his eyes too.
"No dying, ever. That goes for Rei, too. You both... be careful," Asuka said softly. "Weird as it sounds to say, I don"t think I... or you either could stand losing Wondergirl now. She"s... I never thought I"d say it, but I love her too, almost as much as I love you, Shinji. I don"t want to ever worry like I did in that fight, that we might not make it in time to save her."
She could hear Shinji swallow in the darkness. "Y-yeah... I... I don"t need... you"re all I want, Asuka. But I can see how... Rei could have been with me, you know? How it could have been..."
"Yeah, me too." Asuka stiffened. "She"s so pretty... I-I-I mean-"
Shinji just squeezed her. "I... I don"t mind, Asuka. I... I understand what you mean. It"s not... we just love her."
"It"s n-not like I"m suddenly into girls or anything! Just... just Rei. I... you"ve been thinking about what it"d be like to kiss her lately, haven"t you?"
"...yes. You know I"d never do anythi-" Shinji admitted in a rush.
Asuka managed to find his lips by feel for a quick kiss. "I know. Me either. But... yeah. We love her. And while we may not... be able to... um... make room for her, we still want her happy, right?"
"Yes. So... we... help her find someone? I don"t know who could... be good enough for her," he said slowly.
"I don"t know either, but for now we just make sure to tell her about her mom"s soul, and... give her more nights like tonight. I don"t think I"ve ever seen her so happy."
"I... yeah. I wonder if she meant it? Asking if she could learn something to play with us?"
"Wondergirl"s no dummy. She might be able to. And a viola is the natural complement to make a string trio with you and me." Asuka smiled in the dark. "We may not be able to date her, but we can still "make sweet music together", hmm?"
"I... I"d like that."
"Me too. So tomorrow, let"s see about it. Let"s make sure she knows we love her too."
: / / chinjyunokobeya. sakura. ne. jp / sblo_files / sabo-p / image / 130226las. p n g
Fortunately, Shinji"s habit of rising early protected them from being discovered still a-bed, and they were both dressed and working on breakfast before Misato emerged from her room. Very fortunate: Misato was unusually clear-eyed, showing no signs of her once-usual morning hangover, though she did look still tired. She"d been out late with Kaji again or something, which Shinji and Asuka had enjoyed a great deal, since it left them the evening alone with Rei.
Misato merely mumbled greetings to the pair and waved them on their way as they left for school. That process was slightly delayed by a few minutes of kissing before they actually exited the apartment. Asuka had gotten rather happily used to their morning departure kiss, a routine that had expanded a good bit once they no longer had to be quite as careful about concealing it.
Misato did stick her head around the corner of the entrance hallway after she failed to hear the door open and close after several minutes. She shook her head at the still happily kissing couple. "Get moving, you two. You don"t want to have to explain this as the reason you were late to school. I"m sure not going to."
"Explain? Ha! Brag, more like," Asuka retorted, but reluctantly released her embrace of Shinji and pressed the button to open the door. "Half our class is jealous of us anyhow. All the harpies who"ve been panting after my baka-Shinji sure are. But he"s mine mine mine~." She let a smug grin occupy her lips as she pulled Shinji out the door after her by the hand.
Their first stop was right next door. They pushed the doorbell for Rei"s apartment together, sharing a smile. Rei"d been practically floating on air when she finally left last night, a beatific smile on her face after one last round of double-hugs.
But it was a far more subdued First Child that greeted them when the door opened. Rei"s face was so flat and drawn that for a moment Shinji worried she"d somehow suffered a relapse of her drugs again. But the faint circles under her eyes showed it was more normal fatigue that made her blank today.
"You alright, Rei? You looked a lot better when you left last night," Asuka inquired, concerned.
Rei gave her a tired smile and shook her head. "I am fine. I did not get much rest last night. The events of yesterday were… troubling. I will be alright. I think my talk with Doctor Akagi achieved new stability for us. We are more alike than she thought."
Shinji and Asuka shared a look. They"d been glad to hear Rei had maneuvered the Commander into ordering her old medication regime reinstated, since they knew Rei could already fool the tests for that level with the help of stockpiled urine samples collected before she went off the drugs. But Rei had been somewhat vague about the rest of her conversation with the faux-blonde scientist, not saying much besides that her apology had been accepted, and that Doctor Akagi had even apologized to Rei for how she had treated her. Asuka looked back to Rei, frowning. "You"re nothing like her, Rei. You are a beautiful person that we love and trust. She is a titanic bitch who no one would shed a tear for if she fell into the LCL in the Eva cages and drowned."
"That is perhaps the problem," Rei replied calmly. She stepped out of the apartment and began leading them to the elevator. "No one would have shed a tear for me six months ago. I was nothing but a tool for the Commander. I still am, though now I have better reasons to fight." She looked back over her shoulder at them, giving them a small, warm smile that was her equivalent of beaming ear-to-ear. "Doctor Akagi is no less a tool and victim of the Commander than I am. That is why I can forgive her, despite her treatment of me: I understand her."
Asuka sighed unhappily. "You"re too good to her, Rei. I sure as Hell couldn"t let something like that go so easily. And I"m still going to be angry on your behalf at her. Nobody treats my friends like that."
"And even if we do, it"s just one more horrible thing my father has done to people near him," Shinji growled. "I"m not forgiving him so easily, no matter what."
Asuka nodded, and linked her hand with Shinji"s and they piled into the elevator.
Evaiolin - Symphony No. 9
Slipping back into the routine of school was almost a relief. It would have nearly been one for real if not for the still hostile stares of the girls unhappy to see Asuka walk in the school"s gate hand-in-hand with Shinji, with Rei right on their heels. And the way Hikari"s desk still stood empty kept it from truly being a peaceful start on the new normal.
Looking from Hikari"s desk to the back of the classroom, Asuka shot an actual sympathetic look at Touji, who was also staring at his absent girlfriend"s desk with a truly miserable expression. He looked up long enough to meet Asuka"s eyes, and silently begged her for good news, to which she had to regretfully shake her head. They"d been too angry with Doctor Akagi yesterday to get a chance to wheedle answers out of her, and Misato had done no better in the short interval before Unit-00"s berserking had upset things. He sank down lower in his seat, looking even more depressed.
"We need to go down to the hospital this afternoon and bull our way in to see Hikari," she said, turning to Shinji. "And not let any "quarantine" bullshit, guards, or anything else stop us."
Shinji didn"t look at her, staring off towards the door of the classroom. "I don"t think we should go all the way down to the hospital."
Asuka frowned, almost glaring at him. "Why the Hell not? Don"t tell me you think Doctor bitchface is taking good care of her."
Shinji smiled, turning halfway back to her. "No, I think because we"d be wasting our time."
Asuka blinked. For the first time in weeks she found herself actually starting to get a little angry with Shinji. "What are you, stupid? We-"
Shinji just put his hand over her mouth and pointed at the door.
Her eyes widened. She barely had a second to see a smiling Hikari Horaki standing in the doorway, opening her mouth to greet them, before an ecstatic shout from the back of the room interrupted.
"Hikari!" Touji shouted as he appeared to almost leap over the intervening rows of desks.
Hikari had just enough time to spread her arms and gain a dazzling smile before Touji almost crashed into her embrace and began desperately kissing her. "ToujMMPH!"
Shocked gasps at the display arose from some of their classmates who had remained unaware of the Class Rep"s relationship with the tall jock. Asuka smiled under Shinji"s hand, and reached up to remove it from her face. "You could have just said so, baka."
"And miss the chance to watch you look surprised?" he grinned back.
She poked him playfully in the side. "Dork."
Rei smiled behind them in her seat by the windows. "Such fire… they blaze like you two do," she said softly.
Asuka raised an eyebrow. "You just enjoy seeing people in love, don"t you, Rei?"
Rei nodded. "Love is… beautiful."
Asuka snorted lightly, but looked fondly at her boyfriend. "Yeah, I guess so."
Their elderly sensei had to clear his throat a few times before Junko Iwao got the hint and stood up to help pry Hikari and Touji apart, since they showed no sign of separating under their own power anytime soon. A beaming and flushed Hikari finally remembered where she was and what she was supposed to be doing, and sent Touji back to his seat with a lingering brush of her hand before getting into the "Rise! Bow! Sit" morning routine with occasional giggles.
"Eh, before we beging class today, um, hem..." Nebukawa-sensei began, "We have a new transfer student joining us today... please introduce yourself to the class, child."
Shinji and Asuka blinked. They"d been so happy to see their friend and fellow Pilot released from her quarantine, they"d failed to notice the smiling student standing in the hall behind her. Light footsteps took the newcomer to the chalkboard, where nimble hands quickly drew a few elegant kanji on the board. He turned to face the class with a gentle smile.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Kaworu Nagisa. I am very happy to be here today." His red eyes slid towards the Pilots" corner of the classroom. "Very happy."
End Chapter 8.
A/N: Well, certainly took us a while to finish Chapter 8, didn"t it? But the Fifth Child has now arrived, and things will get very tense for the First Child. Thanks for all the reviews, they keep me going.
